WICHITA —The remains of a Catholic priest from Kansas who is being considered for sainthood were returned to his family during a ceremony Tuesday in Hawaii.&nbsp;

On Thursday at 11p.m. CDT, the Most Rev. Clarence Richard Silva, the bishop of Honolulu, held a Mass in the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, as a ceremonial send-off for Fr. Emil Kapaun’s remains. 

U.S. Defense officials gave the remains of Rev. Emil Kapaun to his family and officials with the Catholic Diocese of Wichita.

The remains will be flown back to Kansas, where they will be taken first to Pilsen — Kapaun’s hometown — before going to Wichita, where a funeral is scheduled for Sept. 29.

Kapaun was captured in 1950 while attending to soldiers during the Korean War. He died of pneumonia at the POW camp while continuing to minister to fellow prisoners.

Kapaun was awarded the Medal of Honor. In 1993, the Catholic church named him a “Servant of God,” which began the lengthy process of canonization.

The Defense Department’s POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced in March that Kapaun’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wichita-pope-john-paul-ii-kansas-sainthood-2c4b0f8a05d91b0c10b27fd262c3956b">remains had been identified</a>&nbsp;at the agency’s laboratory at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.

On March 4, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency reported the remains of Father Emil Kapaun were positively identified.&nbsp; 

Kapaun, the Marion County-native, a priest of the Diocese of Wichita, served as an Army Chaplain during WWII and the Korean War, and was taken as a Prisoner of War in 1951. He continued to minister to Americans as a POW before passing away on May 23, 1951.

&nbsp;A public Vigil service for Fr. Emil J. Kapaun will be held at Hartman Arena on September 28th&nbsp;at 7:00 p.m. On Wednesday, September 29th&nbsp;a Mass will be held at Hartman Arena at 10:30 a.m. Following the Mass of Christian Burial at Hartman Arena, Father Kapaun's remains will process from Veterans Memorial Park (339 Veterans Memorial Pkwy) by way of horse-drawn caisson from&nbsp;1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception where he will finally be laid to rest.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632480968751.png" alt="Photo courtesy&nbsp;Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy&nbsp;Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA —The remains of a Catholic priest from Kansas who is being considered for sainthood were returned to his family during a ceremony Tuesday in Hawaii.&nbsp;On Thursday at 11p.m. CDT, the Most Rev. Clarence Richard Silva, the bishop of Honolulu, held a Mass in the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, as a ceremonial send-off for Fr. Emil Kapaun’s remains. <div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FHonoluluCathedralBasilica%2Fvideos%2F375624347574161%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=0" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>U.S. Defense officials gave the remains of Rev. Emil Kapaun to his family and officials with the Catholic Diocese of Wichita.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632393644308.png" alt="Photo courtesy Catholic Diocese of Wichita" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Catholic Diocese of Wichita</figcaption>
 </figure>The remains will be flown back to Kansas, where they will be taken first to Pilsen — Kapaun’s hometown — before going to Wichita, where a funeral is scheduled for Sept. 29.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632418065193.png" alt="&nbsp;Bishop Kemme and the representatives of the Diocese of Wichita, along with Bishop Silva of Honolulu, visited the National Cemetery of the Pacific where Father Kapaun was buried for almost 65 years. It was in the Courts of the Missing for the Korean War. His name is in gold to signify he is a Medal of Honor recipient, and the rosette was placed this past July by his nephew Ray to indicate that he has been identified-photo courtesy Catholic Diocese of Wichita " />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Bishop Kemme and the representatives of the Diocese of Wichita, along with Bishop Silva of Honolulu, visited the National Cemetery of the Pacific where Father Kapaun was buried for almost 65 years. It was in the Courts of the Missing for the Korean War. His name is in gold to signify he is a Medal of Honor recipient, and the rosette was placed this past July by his nephew Ray to indicate that he has been identified-photo courtesy Catholic Diocese of Wichita </figcaption>
 </figure>Kapaun was captured in 1950 while attending to soldiers during the Korean War. He died of pneumonia at the POW camp while continuing to minister to fellow prisoners.Kapaun was awarded the Medal of Honor. In 1993, the Catholic church named him a “Servant of God,” which began the lengthy process of canonization.The Defense Department’s POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced in March that Kapaun’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wichita-pope-john-paul-ii-kansas-sainthood-2c4b0f8a05d91b0c10b27fd262c3956b">remains had been identified</a>&nbsp;at the agency’s laboratory at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1631705866678.png" alt="&nbsp;Fr. Kapaun's tomb arrived Sept.13-photo courtesy&nbsp; Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Fr. Kapaun's tomb arrived Sept.13-photo courtesy&nbsp; Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception</figcaption>
 </figure>On March 4, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency reported the remains of Father Emil Kapaun were positively identified.&nbsp; Kapaun, the Marion County-native, a priest of the Diocese of Wichita, served as an Army Chaplain during WWII and the Korean War, and was taken as a Prisoner of War in 1951. He continued to minister to Americans as a POW before passing away on May 23, 1951.&nbsp;A public Vigil service for Fr. Emil J. Kapaun will be held at Hartman Arena on September 28th&nbsp;at 7:00 p.m. On Wednesday, September 29th&nbsp;a Mass will be held at Hartman Arena at 10:30 a.m. Following the Mass of Christian Burial at Hartman Arena, Father Kapaun's remains will process from Veterans Memorial Park (339 Veterans Memorial Pkwy) by way of horse-drawn caisson from&nbsp;1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception where he will finally be laid to rest.

🎥  Special Mass held in Hawaii for revered Kansas priest 

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A suburban Kansas City math teacher and assistant coach has been charged with sexual misconduct months after he was placed on paid administrative leave when the allegations were first reported.

Bryant Hummel was working as a math teacher and assistant football and wrestling coach at Kearney High School when he was accused of exposing himself to two 17-year-old female students he was supposed to be helping with homework assignments after school, television station&nbsp;KSHB reported.

Hummel was charged Tuesday in Clay County with first-degree sexual misconduct. Investigators said the girls told officials Hummel exposed himself in March 2020, asked the girls to expose themselves and threatened to fail them and damage their athletic careers if they told anyone.

Authorities say the incident was brought to the attention of school officials in April, and police were called. Hummel declined to comment to investigators and was placed on leave, officials said.

Hummel is set to appear in Clay County Circuit Court on the charges on Oct. 25.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632413163783.png" alt="Hummel photo Kearney school district" />
 <figcaption>Hummel photo Kearney school district</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — A suburban Kansas City math teacher and assistant coach has been charged with sexual misconduct months after he was placed on paid administrative leave when the allegations were first reported.Bryant Hummel was working as a math teacher and assistant football and wrestling coach at Kearney High School when he was accused of exposing himself to two 17-year-old female students he was supposed to be helping with homework assignments after school, television station&nbsp;KSHB reported.Hummel was charged Tuesday in Clay County with first-degree sexual misconduct. Investigators said the girls told officials Hummel exposed himself in March 2020, asked the girls to expose themselves and threatened to fail them and damage their athletic careers if they told anyone.Authorities say the incident was brought to the attention of school officials in April, and police were called. Hummel declined to comment to investigators and was placed on leave, officials said.Hummel is set to appear in Clay County Circuit Court on the charges on Oct. 25.

KC-area teacher threatened students if they told of sexual misconduct

JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple charges after a Kansas traffic stop.

Just after 4a.m. Tuesday, a sheriff’s deputy stopped a woman driving&nbsp; 2005 Nissan Altima for a traffic infraction near 150th and Q Road, according to Sheriff Tim Morse. The woman allegedly provided a false name to the deputy.  A Jackson County Sheriff’s K-9 alerted to the presence of illegal narcotics within the vehicle. Deputies located contraband believed to be methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

 The woman was identified as Stephanie Renee Meier, 35, of Oskaloosa.  Meier. Deputies booked her into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, identity theft, interference with law enforcement, and driving while suspended. Meier was wanted on a number of outstanding out of state warrants.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632349006552.png" alt="Meier-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Meier-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple charges after a Kansas traffic stop.Just after 4a.m. Tuesday, a sheriff’s deputy stopped a woman driving&nbsp; 2005 Nissan Altima for a traffic infraction near 150th and Q Road, according to Sheriff Tim Morse. The woman allegedly provided a false name to the deputy. A Jackson County Sheriff’s K-9 alerted to the presence of illegal narcotics within the vehicle. Deputies located contraband believed to be methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. The woman was identified as Stephanie Renee Meier, 35, of Oskaloosa. Meier. Deputies booked her into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, identity theft, interference with law enforcement, and driving while suspended. Meier was wanted on a number of outstanding out of state warrants.

Wanted suspect gave Kan. deputy fake name during traffic stop

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting and have three suspects in custody.

Just before 1:30p.m. Thursday, police responded to a report of a disturbance with weapons and shots fired near 15th Street North and Belmont adjacent to the Wichita State University State campus, according to Police Captain Jeff Weible. Two vehicles were reported chasing each other.

As officers arrived in the area, a vehicle arrived at Wesley Hospital with one victim identified as a 16-year-old girl. She was pronounced dead.

Police were able to locate the suspect vehicle, a red Kia that was reported stolen, according to Weible. The suspects had fled on foot.&nbsp; Police released a description of the suspects to other officers and just before 4p.m. took three individuals into custody near 17th and Hillside.

Investigators learned the individuals, all teenagers, in the two vehicles know each other. They had met behind a shopping center near 13th and Oliver and then started chasing each other, according to Weible.

Police have also recovered a handgun. Weible said it was not located in a vehicle.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632431388374.png" alt="Police near the Wichita State campus during Thursday's fatal shooting investigation-photo Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>Police near the Wichita State campus during Thursday's fatal shooting investigation-photo Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting and have three suspects in custody.Just before 1:30p.m. Thursday, police responded to a report of a disturbance with weapons and shots fired near 15th Street North and Belmont adjacent to the Wichita State University State campus, according to Police Captain Jeff Weible. Two vehicles were reported chasing each other.As officers arrived in the area, a vehicle arrived at Wesley Hospital with one victim identified as a 16-year-old girl. She was pronounced dead.Police were able to locate the suspect vehicle, a red Kia that was reported stolen, according to Weible. The suspects had fled on foot.&nbsp; Police released a description of the suspects to other officers and just before 4p.m. took three individuals into custody near 17th and Hillside.Investigators learned the individuals, all teenagers, in the two vehicles know each other. They had met behind a shopping center near 13th and Oliver and then started chasing each other, according to Weible.Police have also recovered a handgun. Weible said it was not located in a vehicle.

16-year-old girl dies in shooting near Wichita State campus

WASHINGTON (AP) —The U.S. vaccination drive against COVID-19 stood on the verge of a major new phase as government advisers Thursday recommended booster doses of Pfizer’s vaccine for millions of older or otherwise vulnerable Americans — despite doubts the extra shots will do much to slow the pandemic.

Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said boosters should be offered to people 65 and older, nursing home residents and those ages 50 to 64 who have risky underlying health problems. The extra dose would be given once they are at least six months past their last Pfizer shot.

Deciding who else might get one was far tougher. While there is little evidence that younger people are in danger of waning immunity, the panel offered the option of a booster for those 18 to 49 who have chronic health problems and want one.

But the advisers refused to go further and open boosters to otherwise healthy front-line health care workers who aren’t at risk of severe illness but want to avoid even a mild infection.

“We might as well just say give it to everyone 18 and older. We have a very effective vaccine and it’s like saying, ‘It’s not working.’ It is working,” said Dr. Pablo Sanchez of Ohio State University, who helped block the broadest booster option.

Still, getting the unvaccinated their first shots remains the top priority, and the panel wrestled with whether the booster debate was distracting from that goal.

All three of the COVID-19 vaccines used in the U.S. still are highly protective against severe illness, hospitalization and death, even amid the spread of the extra-contagious delta variant. But only about 182 million Americans are fully vaccinated, just 55% of the population.

“We can give boosters to people, but that’s not really the answer to this pandemic,” said Dr. Helen Keipp Talbot of Vanderbilt University. “Hospitals are full because people are not vaccinated. We are declining care to people who deserve care because we are full of unvaccinated COVID-positive patients.”

Thursday’s decision represented a dramatic scaling back of the Biden administration plan, announced last month, to dispense boosters to nearly everyone to shore up their protection. Late Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration, like the CDC, signed off on Pfizer boosters for a much more targeted slice of the American population than the White House envisioned.

It falls to the CDC to set final U.S. policy on who qualifies for the extra shot. The CDC usually follows its advisers’ recommendations. A final decision from the agency was expected later Thursday.

The booster plan marks an important shift in the nation’s vaccination drive. Britain and Israel are already giving a third round of shots over strong objections from the World Health Organization that poor countries don’t have enough for their initial doses.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky opened Thursday’s meeting by stressing that vaccinating the unvaccinated remains the top goal “here in America and around the world.”

Walensky acknowledged that the data on who really needs a booster right away “are not perfect.” “Yet collectively they form a picture for us,” she said, “and they are what we have in this moment to make a decision about the next stage in this pandemic.”

The CDC panel stressed its recommendations will be changed if new evidence shows more people need a booster.

The CDC advisers expressed concern over the millions more Americans who received Moderna or Johnson &amp; Johnson shots early in the vaccine rollout. The government still hasn’t considered boosters for those brands and has no data on whether it’s safe or effective to mix-and-match and give those people a Pfizer shot.

“I just don’t understand how later this afternoon we can say to people 65 and older you’re at risk for severe illness and death but only half of you can protect yourselves right now,” said Dr. Sarah Long of Drexel University.

About 26 million Americans got their last Pfizer dose at least six months ago, about half of whom are 65 or older. It’s not clear how many more would meet the CDC panel’s initial booster qualifications.

CDC data shows the vaccines still offer strong protection for all ages, but there is a slight drop among the oldest adults. And immunity against milder infection appears to be waning months after people’s initial immunization.

For most people, if you’re not in a group recommended for a booster, “it’s really because we think you’re well-protected,” said Dr. Matthew Daley of Kaiser Permanente Colorado. “This isn’t about who deserves a booster, but who needs a booster.”

Among people who stand to benefit from a booster, there are few risks, the CDC concluded. Serious side effects from the first two Pfizer doses are exceedingly rare, including heart inflammation that sometimes occurs in younger men. Data from Israel, which has given nearly 3 million people — mostly 60 and older — a third Pfizer dose, has uncovered no red flags.

The panelists also wrestled with how to even tell when a booster is needed. While an extra dose revs up numbers of virus-fighting antibodies, those naturally wane over time and no one knows how long the antibody boost from a third Pfizer dose will last -- or how much protection it really adds, since the immune system also forms additional defenses after vaccination.

The U.S. has already authorized third doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for certain people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients and transplant recipients. Other Americans, healthy or not, have managed to get boosters, in some cases simply by asking.

WASHINGTON (AP) —The U.S. vaccination drive against COVID-19 stood on the verge of a major new phase as government advisers Thursday recommended booster doses of Pfizer’s vaccine for millions of older or otherwise vulnerable Americans — despite doubts the extra shots will do much to slow the pandemic.Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said boosters should be offered to people 65 and older, nursing home residents and those ages 50 to 64 who have risky underlying health problems. The extra dose would be given once they are at least six months past their last Pfizer shot.Deciding who else might get one was far tougher. While there is little evidence that younger people are in danger of waning immunity, the panel offered the option of a booster for those 18 to 49 who have chronic health problems and want one.But the advisers refused to go further and open boosters to otherwise healthy front-line health care workers who aren’t at risk of severe illness but want to avoid even a mild infection.“We might as well just say give it to everyone 18 and older. We have a very effective vaccine and it’s like saying, ‘It’s not working.’ It is working,” said Dr. Pablo Sanchez of Ohio State University, who helped block the broadest booster option.Still, getting the unvaccinated their first shots remains the top priority, and the panel wrestled with whether the booster debate was distracting from that goal.All three of the COVID-19 vaccines used in the U.S. still are highly protective against severe illness, hospitalization and death, even amid the spread of the extra-contagious delta variant. But only about 182 million Americans are fully vaccinated, just 55% of the population.“We can give boosters to people, but that’s not really the answer to this pandemic,” said Dr. Helen Keipp Talbot of Vanderbilt University. “Hospitals are full because people are not vaccinated. We are declining care to people who deserve care because we are full of unvaccinated COVID-positive patients.”Thursday’s decision represented a dramatic scaling back of the Biden administration plan, announced last month, to dispense boosters to nearly everyone to shore up their protection. Late Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration, like the CDC, signed off on Pfizer boosters for a much more targeted slice of the American population than the White House envisioned.It falls to the CDC to set final U.S. policy on who qualifies for the extra shot. The CDC usually follows its advisers’ recommendations. A final decision from the agency was expected later Thursday.The booster plan marks an important shift in the nation’s vaccination drive. Britain and Israel are already giving a third round of shots over strong objections from the World Health Organization that poor countries don’t have enough for their initial doses.CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky opened Thursday’s meeting by stressing that vaccinating the unvaccinated remains the top goal “here in America and around the world.”Walensky acknowledged that the data on who really needs a booster right away “are not perfect.” “Yet collectively they form a picture for us,” she said, “and they are what we have in this moment to make a decision about the next stage in this pandemic.”The CDC panel stressed its recommendations will be changed if new evidence shows more people need a booster.The CDC advisers expressed concern over the millions more Americans who received Moderna or Johnson &amp; Johnson shots early in the vaccine rollout. The government still hasn’t considered boosters for those brands and has no data on whether it’s safe or effective to mix-and-match and give those people a Pfizer shot.“I just don’t understand how later this afternoon we can say to people 65 and older you’re at risk for severe illness and death but only half of you can protect yourselves right now,” said Dr. Sarah Long of Drexel University.About 26 million Americans got their last Pfizer dose at least six months ago, about half of whom are 65 or older. It’s not clear how many more would meet the CDC panel’s initial booster qualifications.CDC data shows the vaccines still offer strong protection for all ages, but there is a slight drop among the oldest adults. And immunity against milder infection appears to be waning months after people’s initial immunization.For most people, if you’re not in a group recommended for a booster, “it’s really because we think you’re well-protected,” said Dr. Matthew Daley of Kaiser Permanente Colorado. “This isn’t about who deserves a booster, but who needs a booster.”Among people who stand to benefit from a booster, there are few risks, the CDC concluded. Serious side effects from the first two Pfizer doses are exceedingly rare, including heart inflammation that sometimes occurs in younger men. Data from Israel, which has given nearly 3 million people — mostly 60 and older — a third Pfizer dose, has uncovered no red flags.The panelists also wrestled with how to even tell when a booster is needed. While an extra dose revs up numbers of virus-fighting antibodies, those naturally wane over time and no one knows how long the antibody boost from a third Pfizer dose will last -- or how much protection it really adds, since the immune system also forms additional defenses after vaccination.The U.S. has already authorized third doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for certain people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients and transplant recipients. Other Americans, healthy or not, have managed to get boosters, in some cases simply by asking.___

Despite concern, US sets stage for COVID booster shots 

WASHINGTON– U.S. Senator Roger Marshall cosponsored the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/crapo_brady_irs_guardrails_bill.pdf">TAX GAP REFORM AND INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE (IRS) ENFORCEMENT ACT</a>&nbsp;to protect taxpayers against proposals to monitor Americans’ bank account transactions over $600 and provide guardrails against proposals to expand the IRS, according to a media release from his office Thursday.

“Requiring financial institutions to report any transaction over $600 to the IRS is incredibly intrusive, and violates the rights and privacy of the American taxpayer,”&nbsp;said Senator Marshall. “I’m proud to support this bill to hold the IRS accountable and halt them from harassing American taxpayers.”

Key provisions of the Tax Gap Reform and IRS Enforcement Act:

WASHINGTON– U.S. Senator Roger Marshall cosponsored the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/crapo_brady_irs_guardrails_bill.pdf">TAX GAP REFORM AND INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE (IRS) ENFORCEMENT ACT</a>&nbsp;to protect taxpayers against proposals to monitor Americans’ bank account transactions over $600 and provide guardrails against proposals to expand the IRS, according to a media release from his office Thursday.“Requiring financial institutions to report any transaction over $600 to the IRS is incredibly intrusive, and violates the rights and privacy of the American taxpayer,”&nbsp;said Senator Marshall. “I’m proud to support this bill to hold the IRS accountable and halt them from harassing American taxpayers.”Key provisions of the Tax Gap Reform and IRS Enforcement Act:<ul>
 <li>Tax Gap Reform:&nbsp;Requires timely, annually-updated information on tax gap estimates in coordination with the Joint Committee on Taxation.</li><li>Taxpayer Protection:&nbsp;Prevents the IRS from targeting Americans for their political and ideological beliefs, codifies President Biden’s pledge to not increase audits of taxpayers making less than $400,000 per year, and prohibits the establishment of new bank reporting requirements.</li><li>Smarter Enforcement:&nbsp;Requires the IRS to use existing data and tools to improve its corporate audit selection process and increase enforcement against high-income non-filers.</li><li>Closes the Expertise Gap:&nbsp;Creates an IRS enforcement fellowship pilot program to assist with the agency’s most complex audits and case selection decisions. Before hiring thousands of new agents, Congress should test the effectiveness of increasing expertise in a targeted way.</li>
 </ul>

Marshall's legislation stops IRS from monitoring Kansans' bank transactions

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating the death of a woman in Sedgwick County.

Just after 7a.m. Thursday, a citizen discovered an unresponsive woman in the roadway at 9200 E 69th Street North,northeast of Wichita, according to Sheriff's Lt. Benjamin Blick.

 Sheriff and Fire personnel responded to the scene to assess the 26-year-old woman. Shortly after arriving, fire personnel pronounced her deceased.&nbsp;

Authorities released no additional details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632423736858.png" alt="Google map" />
 <figcaption>Google map</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating the death of a woman in Sedgwick County.Just after 7a.m. Thursday, a citizen discovered an unresponsive woman in the roadway at 9200 E 69th Street North,northeast of Wichita, according to Sheriff's Lt. Benjamin Blick. Sheriff and Fire personnel responded to the scene to assess the 26-year-old woman. Shortly after arriving, fire personnel pronounced her deceased.&nbsp;Authorities released no additional details.

Sheriff: Woman's body found on rural Kansas road

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Police have identified a man killed in an overnight shooting this week on a Kansas City street.

Ernest Gibson, 63, died in the shooting that was reported around 12:45 p.m. Wednesday in a residential area several blocks west of the Kansas City Zoo, police said in a news release.

Officers called to the scene found Gibson in the front yard of a home and suffering from gunshot wounds. He was rushed to a hospital, where he died of his injuries.

Police said detectives are close to identifying a suspect and hope to soon present a case to prosecutors that would allow charges to be filed.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Police have identified a man killed in an overnight shooting this week on a Kansas City street.Ernest Gibson, 63, died in the shooting that was reported around 12:45 p.m. Wednesday in a residential area several blocks west of the Kansas City Zoo, police said in a news release.Officers called to the scene found Gibson in the front yard of a home and suffering from gunshot wounds. He was rushed to a hospital, where he died of his injuries.Police said detectives are close to identifying a suspect and hope to soon present a case to prosecutors that would allow charges to be filed.

Police ID man who died in KC residential area shooting

Temporary increase during pandemic to end Sept. 30

TOPEKA&nbsp;– Kansas Department for Children and Families Secretary Laura Howard today announced that Kansas residents who receive food assistance will benefit from a permanent increase in the maximum benefit amount beginning Oct. 1.

“Access to healthy food is a key component of a family’s well-being” Howard said. “This permanent increase helps us address food insecurity, especially among children, which has a positive impact on the overall health of our community”

The change is taking place due to the 2018 Farm Bill that directed USDA to re-evaluate the Thrifty Food Plan which is used to calculate benefits for food assistance. Through this year’s adjustment, the maximum allowable allotment increased to $250 for a household of one. The maximum allotment amounts for households the size of two or more also have increased.

Other annual adjustments also have been made:

Most households will see changes in their benefits for the month of October to reflect the annual adjustments.

Additionally, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) temporarily increased food assistance benefits by 15% from March 2021 through September 2021 due to the national public health emergency.

The temporary 15 percent increase ends Sept. 30 and will be replaced with the new amounts. Taken together, food assistance recipients will see a 10 percent increase from pre-March 2021 benefit levels.

The chart shows the Oct. 1 maximum benefits as well as gross income and net income limits for food assistance:

The minimum allotment is $20. All food assistance benefits are based on household size, household income and allowable deductions.

USDA provides shopping strategies and meal planning advice to help families serve more nutritious meals affordably through the following:

For more information on the food assistance program, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDQsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMTA5MjMuNDYzNjQ5NzEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vd3d3LmRjZi5rcy5nb3YvUGFnZXMvZGVmYXVsdC5hc3B4In0.EgAhz8itgBI5_Zta088ErAEPy6-bVz4ebzmpdi_VK44/s/1303183450/br/112817868520-l">http://www.dcf.ks.gov/Pages/default.aspx</a>.

<h2>Temporary increase during pandemic to end Sept. 30</h2>Kansas DCFTOPEKA&nbsp;– Kansas Department for Children and Families Secretary Laura Howard today announced that Kansas residents who receive food assistance will benefit from a permanent increase in the maximum benefit amount beginning Oct. 1.“Access to healthy food is a key component of a family’s well-being” Howard said. “This permanent increase helps us address food insecurity, especially among children, which has a positive impact on the overall health of our community”The change is taking place due to the 2018 Farm Bill that directed USDA to re-evaluate the Thrifty Food Plan which is used to calculate benefits for food assistance. Through this year’s adjustment, the maximum allowable allotment increased to $250 for a household of one. The maximum allotment amounts for households the size of two or more also have increased.Other annual adjustments also have been made:<ul>
 <li>The gross and net income limits have increased this year</li><li>The maximum excess shelter deduction is increasing from $569 to $597</li><li>The standard utility allowance is increasing from $364 to $392</li><li>The limited utility allowance is increasing from $247 to $286</li><li>The telephone standard is increasing from $35 to $37</li><li>The Standard Medical Deduction remains the same $175</li>
 </ul>Most households will see changes in their benefits for the month of October to reflect the annual adjustments.Additionally, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) temporarily increased food assistance benefits by 15% from March 2021 through September 2021 due to the national public health emergency.The temporary 15 percent increase ends Sept. 30 and will be replaced with the new amounts. Taken together, food assistance recipients will see a 10 percent increase from pre-March 2021 benefit levels.The chart shows the Oct. 1 maximum benefits as well as gross income and net income limits for food assistance:<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632416921737.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The minimum allotment is $20. All food assistance benefits are based on household size, household income and allowable deductions.USDA provides shopping strategies and meal planning advice to help families serve more nutritious meals affordably through the following:<ul>
 <li>gov (<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMTA5MjMuNDYzNjQ5NzEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vd3d3LmNob29zZW15cGxhdGUuZ292LyJ9.sxOx9InXndR2qJ0Z0YUkB1FHkb9UA67SDtuTNMdTE08/s/1303183450/br/112817868520-l">http://www.choosemyplate.gov/</a>)</li><li>Plan, compare and prepare (<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMTA5MjMuNDYzNjQ5NzEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vYmxvZ3MudXNkYS5nb3YvMjAxMy8wMy8yOC9oZWFsdGh5LWVhdGluZy1vbi1hLWJ1ZGdldC8ifQ.MBHzCyJ3t8Rl7l8lPKyswhLKJ8xU-sWaoClRY0jFtEM/s/1303183450/br/112817868520-l">http://blogs.usda.gov/2013/03/28/healthy-eating-on-a-budget/</a>)</li><li>Team Nutrition Recipes (<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDMsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMTA5MjMuNDYzNjQ5NzEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5mbnMudXNkYS5nb3YvdG4vdGVhbS1udXRyaXRpb24tcmVjaXBlcyJ9.BBFIg0vvg4E6GMiXBcd3eC3hlcN4gXOIbR5H3dkQGIE/s/1303183450/br/112817868520-l">https://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/team-nutrition-recipes</a>), which helps find healthy low-cost recipes and create cookbooks and shopping lists.</li>
 </ul>For more information on the food assistance program, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDQsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMTA5MjMuNDYzNjQ5NzEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vd3d3LmRjZi5rcy5nb3YvUGFnZXMvZGVmYXVsdC5hc3B4In0.EgAhz8itgBI5_Zta088ErAEPy6-bVz4ebzmpdi_VK44/s/1303183450/br/112817868520-l">http://www.dcf.ks.gov/Pages/default.aspx</a>.

Kansas announces permanent increase to food assistance benefits

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina Post

SALINA—Kenwood Cove Aquatic Park sustained $3,000 worth of damage earlier this week, according to&nbsp;Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester 

Sometime between Monday and Wednesday, someone entered the Aquatic Park, 701 Kenwood Park Drive in Salina and damaged six wall panels.&nbsp;

Two of the panels were on the front by the main entrance. One of the panels appeared to be damaged with a blunt object, according to Forrester. The other had light-colored paint or stain on it.

Two panels inside the fence south of the main entrance had an "X" with a circle around it painted on them with the same light-colored paint/stain. Additionally, two panels near the locker rooms had the word "loop" painted on them with the same paint/stain. Total damage was estimated at $3,000.&nbsp;The park is closed until next summer.

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina PostSALINA—Kenwood Cove Aquatic Park sustained $3,000 worth of damage earlier this week, according to&nbsp;Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester Sometime between Monday and Wednesday, someone entered the Aquatic Park, 701 Kenwood Park Drive in Salina and damaged six wall panels.&nbsp;Two of the panels were on the front by the main entrance. One of the panels appeared to be damaged with a blunt object, according to Forrester. The other had light-colored paint or stain on it.Two panels inside the fence south of the main entrance had an "X" with a circle around it painted on them with the same light-colored paint/stain. Additionally, two panels near the locker rooms had the word "loop" painted on them with the same paint/stain. Total damage was estimated at $3,000.&nbsp;The park is closed until next summer.

Police: Vandalism reported at Salina aquatic park

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Former Kansas state Rep. Michael Capps has pleaded not guilty to 19 counts that allege he tried to defraud federal, state and county government organizations out of more than $450,000 in coronavirus relief funding.

 Capps entered the plea Wednesday via video conference from his lawyer’s office during his arraignment hearing. 

The Wichita Republican also agreed to surrender his passport while he awaits trial. Federal prosecutors have said Capps filed forms inflating the number of employees he had at two businesses and a sports foundation, and then applied for loans to pay the non-existent employees. Capps is charged with multiple counts of making a false statement, bank fraud, wire fraud and money laundering.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1581011016098.png" alt="Rep. Michael Capps" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Michael Capps</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Former Kansas state Rep. Michael Capps has pleaded not guilty to 19 counts that allege he tried to defraud federal, state and county government organizations out of more than $450,000 in coronavirus relief funding. Capps entered the plea Wednesday via video conference from his lawyer’s office during his arraignment hearing. The Wichita Republican also agreed to surrender his passport while he awaits trial. Federal prosecutors have said Capps filed forms inflating the number of employees he had at two businesses and a sports foundation, and then applied for loans to pay the non-existent employees. Capps is charged with multiple counts of making a false statement, bank fraud, wire fraud and money laundering.

Ex-Kansas legislator pleads not guilty to COVID relief fraud

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


HUTCHINSON — Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas notes that gas prices have 
continued to stay pretty much where they have been in recent weeks.

"Here
 in Kansas and nationally, we're up about a cent from where we were a 
week ago," Steward said Wednesday. "The average in Kansas is $2.92 a 
gallon, compared to $3.19 at the national level."

Kansas is 10th cheapest in the nation this week.

"Hurricane
 Nicholas sort of complicated and slowed the recovery from Hurricane 
Ida," Steward said. "The seasonal dropoff in demand has helped mitigate 
price increases on the week."

The fundamentals may be there for price declines in the medium term.

"Supplies
 are strong right now and are definitely keeping up with demand," 
Steward said. "We'll just have to take a look once those refineries here
 domestically are all back up online. As always, we'll be looking at 
geopolitical issues in other parts of the world that will impact oil 
prices."

Traditionally, prices also drop during the period when refineries switch from summer to winter blend gasoline.

By
NICK GOSNELL<a href="https://hutchpost.com">Hutch
Post</a> 
HUTCHINSON — Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas notes that gas prices have 
continued to stay pretty much where they have been in recent weeks."Here
 in Kansas and nationally, we're up about a cent from where we were a 
week ago," Steward said Wednesday. "The average in Kansas is $2.92 a 
gallon, compared to $3.19 at the national level."Kansas is 10th cheapest in the nation this week."Hurricane
 Nicholas sort of complicated and slowed the recovery from Hurricane 
Ida," Steward said. "The seasonal dropoff in demand has helped mitigate 
price increases on the week."The fundamentals may be there for price declines in the medium term."Supplies
 are strong right now and are definitely keeping up with demand," 
Steward said. "We'll just have to take a look once those refineries here
 domestically are all back up online. As always, we'll be looking at 
geopolitical issues in other parts of the world that will impact oil 
prices."Traditionally, prices also drop during the period when refineries switch from summer to winter blend gasoline.

AAA: Gas prices stable again this week

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal stabbing and have made an arrest.

Just after 10 p.m. Tuesday, police responded to a shooting call at a home in the 100 block of North Glenn in Wichita, according to Officer Charley Davidson.&nbsp; Upon arrival, officers located 67-year-old Kurt Petersen and determined he had been stabbed multiple times.&nbsp; Petersen was pronounced deceased on the scene.

The investigation revealed, Petersen’s caretaker came to the home to check on him and found him lying on the kitchen floor with injuries and called 911.&nbsp; James Shaw was also inside of the residence when the caretaker arrived.&nbsp; Examination of evidence and interviews led to Shaw’s arrest, according to Davidson.

This was not a random incident as Shaw and Petersen were known to each other.&nbsp; Additionally, Shaw has had previous felony arrests and convictions and is currently on parole through the Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC).&nbsp; He was paroled to Wichita from Wyandotte County.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632327740967.png" alt="Shaw photo Wyandotte Co." />
 <figcaption>Shaw photo Wyandotte Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal stabbing and have made an arrest.Just after 10 p.m. Tuesday, police responded to a shooting call at a home in the 100 block of North Glenn in Wichita, according to Officer Charley Davidson.&nbsp; Upon arrival, officers located 67-year-old Kurt Petersen and determined he had been stabbed multiple times.&nbsp; Petersen was pronounced deceased on the scene.The investigation revealed, Petersen’s caretaker came to the home to check on him and found him lying on the kitchen floor with injuries and called 911.&nbsp; James Shaw was also inside of the residence when the caretaker arrived.&nbsp; Examination of evidence and interviews led to Shaw’s arrest, according to Davidson.This was not a random incident as Shaw and Petersen were known to each other.&nbsp; Additionally, Shaw has had previous felony arrests and convictions and is currently on parole through the Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC).&nbsp; He was paroled to Wichita from Wyandotte County.&nbsp;

Police: Kan. man's caretaker found him stabbed to death 

WASHINGTON (AP) — With a personal push, President Joe Biden pressed fellow Democrats to hasten work on his big “build back better” agenda, telling them to come up with a final framework and their best topline budget figure as the party labors to bridge its divisions in Congress ahead of crucial voting deadlines.

Biden and Democratic House and Senate lawmakers met for hours of back-to-back-to-back private White House sessions stretching into Wednesday evening, convened at a pivotal juncture for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-health-5ff8a8f7403e1e8cc27f192d87894d9e">Biden’s $3.5 trillion package</a>&nbsp;as lawmakers struggle to draft details of the ambitious effort. With Republicans solidly opposed, Democratic leaders are counting on the president to galvanize consensus between progressives and centrists in their party.

Biden first conferred with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, then held separate sessions with moderate and progressive senators and representatives. The president listened intently, lawmakers said, but also indicated strongly he wanted progress soon, by next week.

“We’re in good shape,” Pelosi told reporters after returning to the Capitol.

The White House called the meetings “productive and candid” and said follow-up work would be immediately underway. Earlier in the day, press secretary Jen Psaki said the White House realized that with time growing short “there needs to be deeper engagement by the president.”

The intense focus on Biden’s big-money domestic proposal showcases how much is at stake politically for the president and his party in Congress. The administration has suffered setbacks elsewhere, notably with the Afghanistan withdrawal and prolonged COVID-19 crisis, and Democrats are running short of time, anxious to make good on campaign promises.

Congress is racing toward Monday’s deadline for a House vote on the first part of Biden’s plan — a $1 trillion public works measure — which now also serves as a deadline for producing a compromise framework for the broader package.

At one point, Biden told the lawmakers there were plenty of conference rooms at the White House they could use to hunker down this weekend as some suggested they roll up their sleeves and stay to get final details done.

Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, a key centrist who has balked at the $3.5 trillion price tag, said the president told him to come up with a number he could live with.

“He just basically said, ‘Find it,’” Manchin said. ”‘Just work on it, give me a number.’”

“The president is really fired up,” said Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, after the evening’s final session.

Meanwhile, the House and Senate remained at a standstill over a separate package to keep the government funded past the Sept. 30 fiscal yearend and to suspend the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-explained-8c9cbcd3d0c4a8fe989a0110f5159f7c">federal debt limit</a>&nbsp;to avert a shutdown and a devastating U.S. default on payments. Senate Republicans are refusing the House-passed bill.

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said at a news conference Tuesday that failing to extend the debt limit was “just not something we can contemplate or we should contemplate.”

As for Biden’s big plans, the president and the Democratic lawmakers appeared to have not fully resolved their differences ahead of Monday’s test vote on the smaller public works bill for roads, broadband and public water projects.

Centrist Democrats want swift passage of the slimmer public works bill and have raised concerns about the price tag of Biden’s broader vision, but progressive Democrats are withholding their votes for the $1 trillion measure they view as inadequate unless it’s linked to the bigger package.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey, a leader of the centrist coalition who attended one of the White House meetings, said all agreed on doing both — passing the bill Monday and working on the bigger package.

But Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington, chairwoman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, issued a statement after another meeting with Biden reiterating that some 50 members plan to vote against the bipartisan measure unless it’s linked to the broader bill. She has said the two bills must move “in tandem” to win the progressive votes.

Beyond the public works measure, Biden’s “build back” agenda is a sweeping overhaul of federal taxes and spending to make what the president views as overdue investments in health care, family services and efforts to fight climate change.

The $3.5 trillion package would impose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-joe-biden-business-personal-taxes-137e00b41f113f85cc241438c780785b">tax hikes on corporations and wealthy Americans</a>&nbsp;earning beyond $400,000 a year and plow that money back into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-health-care-69c7bb592f8d73232bec1d8e15be82e3">federal programs for young and old,</a>&nbsp;along with investments to tackle climate change.

Tensions are high as the Biden agenda is a key campaign promise not only from the president but most of the the Democratic lawmakers, including those in the House who face re-election next year.

“It wasn’t a matter of when we get it done, it was how we get it done,” said Rep. Steven Horsford of Nevada, who was with the moderate group meeting with Biden.

All told, more than 20 lawmakers were invited to confer with Biden, moderates and progressives in separate meetings stretching into the evening, making their best pitches, Manchin and another key centrist Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, among them.

Despite disputes, many Democrats say they expect the final product to align with Biden’s broader vision and eventually have robust party support, even if that version is adjusted or scaled back.

But Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., a leader of the centrist Blue Dog caucus, said the big bill will take more time. “I’m not sure that we’re at a place of closing out just yet,” she said.

While all this is going on, the government faces a shutdown if funding stops on Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year. Additionally, at some point in October the U.S. risks defaulting on its accumulated debt load if its borrowing limits are not waived or adjusted.

Rushing to prevent that dire outcome, the Democratic-led House passed the funding-and-debt measure Tuesday night, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-mitch-mcconnell-janet-yellen-eb14f403fb747f6ec0e05ad4f382bc91">Republicans are refusing to give their support</a>&nbsp;in the Senate, despite the risk of triggering a fiscal crisis.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has said since Democrats control the White House and Congress, it’s their problem to find the votes — though he had relied on bipartisan cooperation to approve debt limit measures when Republicans were in charge.

But in the 50-50 Senate, Democrats will be hard-pressed to find 10 Republicans to reach the 60-vote threshold needed to overcome a filibuster. Other options to try to pass the debt ceiling package could be procedurally difficult.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632405115581.png" alt="The intense focus on Biden’s big-money domestic proposal showcases how much is at stake politically for the president and his party in Congress.-photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>The intense focus on Biden’s big-money domestic proposal showcases how much is at stake politically for the president and his party in Congress.-photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — With a personal push, President Joe Biden pressed fellow Democrats to hasten work on his big “build back better” agenda, telling them to come up with a final framework and their best topline budget figure as the party labors to bridge its divisions in Congress ahead of crucial voting deadlines.Biden and Democratic House and Senate lawmakers met for hours of back-to-back-to-back private White House sessions stretching into Wednesday evening, convened at a pivotal juncture for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-health-5ff8a8f7403e1e8cc27f192d87894d9e">Biden’s $3.5 trillion package</a>&nbsp;as lawmakers struggle to draft details of the ambitious effort. With Republicans solidly opposed, Democratic leaders are counting on the president to galvanize consensus between progressives and centrists in their party.Biden first conferred with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, then held separate sessions with moderate and progressive senators and representatives. The president listened intently, lawmakers said, but also indicated strongly he wanted progress soon, by next week.“We’re in good shape,” Pelosi told reporters after returning to the Capitol.The White House called the meetings “productive and candid” and said follow-up work would be immediately underway. Earlier in the day, press secretary Jen Psaki said the White House realized that with time growing short “there needs to be deeper engagement by the president.”The intense focus on Biden’s big-money domestic proposal showcases how much is at stake politically for the president and his party in Congress. The administration has suffered setbacks elsewhere, notably with the Afghanistan withdrawal and prolonged COVID-19 crisis, and Democrats are running short of time, anxious to make good on campaign promises.Congress is racing toward Monday’s deadline for a House vote on the first part of Biden’s plan — a $1 trillion public works measure — which now also serves as a deadline for producing a compromise framework for the broader package.At one point, Biden told the lawmakers there were plenty of conference rooms at the White House they could use to hunker down this weekend as some suggested they roll up their sleeves and stay to get final details done.Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, a key centrist who has balked at the $3.5 trillion price tag, said the president told him to come up with a number he could live with.“He just basically said, ‘Find it,’” Manchin said. ”‘Just work on it, give me a number.’”“The president is really fired up,” said Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, after the evening’s final session.Meanwhile, the House and Senate remained at a standstill over a separate package to keep the government funded past the Sept. 30 fiscal yearend and to suspend the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-explained-8c9cbcd3d0c4a8fe989a0110f5159f7c">federal debt limit</a>&nbsp;to avert a shutdown and a devastating U.S. default on payments. Senate Republicans are refusing the House-passed bill.Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said at a news conference Tuesday that failing to extend the debt limit was “just not something we can contemplate or we should contemplate.”As for Biden’s big plans, the president and the Democratic lawmakers appeared to have not fully resolved their differences ahead of Monday’s test vote on the smaller public works bill for roads, broadband and public water projects.Centrist Democrats want swift passage of the slimmer public works bill and have raised concerns about the price tag of Biden’s broader vision, but progressive Democrats are withholding their votes for the $1 trillion measure they view as inadequate unless it’s linked to the bigger package.Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey, a leader of the centrist coalition who attended one of the White House meetings, said all agreed on doing both — passing the bill Monday and working on the bigger package.But Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington, chairwoman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, issued a statement after another meeting with Biden reiterating that some 50 members plan to vote against the bipartisan measure unless it’s linked to the broader bill. She has said the two bills must move “in tandem” to win the progressive votes.Beyond the public works measure, Biden’s “build back” agenda is a sweeping overhaul of federal taxes and spending to make what the president views as overdue investments in health care, family services and efforts to fight climate change.The $3.5 trillion package would impose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-joe-biden-business-personal-taxes-137e00b41f113f85cc241438c780785b">tax hikes on corporations and wealthy Americans</a>&nbsp;earning beyond $400,000 a year and plow that money back into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-health-care-69c7bb592f8d73232bec1d8e15be82e3">federal programs for young and old,</a>&nbsp;along with investments to tackle climate change.Tensions are high as the Biden agenda is a key campaign promise not only from the president but most of the the Democratic lawmakers, including those in the House who face re-election next year.“It wasn’t a matter of when we get it done, it was how we get it done,” said Rep. Steven Horsford of Nevada, who was with the moderate group meeting with Biden.All told, more than 20 lawmakers were invited to confer with Biden, moderates and progressives in separate meetings stretching into the evening, making their best pitches, Manchin and another key centrist Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, among them.Despite disputes, many Democrats say they expect the final product to align with Biden’s broader vision and eventually have robust party support, even if that version is adjusted or scaled back.But Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., a leader of the centrist Blue Dog caucus, said the big bill will take more time. “I’m not sure that we’re at a place of closing out just yet,” she said.While all this is going on, the government faces a shutdown if funding stops on Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year. Additionally, at some point in October the U.S. risks defaulting on its accumulated debt load if its borrowing limits are not waived or adjusted.Rushing to prevent that dire outcome, the Democratic-led House passed the funding-and-debt measure Tuesday night, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-mitch-mcconnell-janet-yellen-eb14f403fb747f6ec0e05ad4f382bc91">Republicans are refusing to give their support</a>&nbsp;in the Senate, despite the risk of triggering a fiscal crisis.Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has said since Democrats control the White House and Congress, it’s their problem to find the votes — though he had relied on bipartisan cooperation to approve debt limit measures when Republicans were in charge.But in the 50-50 Senate, Democrats will be hard-pressed to find 10 Republicans to reach the 60-vote threshold needed to overcome a filibuster. Other options to try to pass the debt ceiling package could be procedurally difficult.___

Biden presses fellow Dems: Resolve party split on $3.5T plan

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Officials in a suburban Kansas City school district are investigating after a small group of students posted a petition online calling for the return of slavery.

The petition came to light last week after the students at Park Hill South High School posted it during a school-related activity, officials said.

Further details about the number of students involved, the specific language of the petition or what might have prompted it were not being released because it is a discipline issue, district spokeswoman Nicole Kirby said Wednesday.

Jeanette Cowherd, superintendent of the Park Hill School District, said in a letter to the community Wednesday that the district does not tolerate discrimination or harassment and has specific policies addressing any violations, which could result in a suspension or expulsion.

The district also has a policy on civility that prohibits attacks against people based on factors such as race, gender, religion, disability or other personal characteristics.

“I cannot share the specifics of any particular student's discipline but I can tell you that we follow our Board policy when disciplining students,” she wrote.

Kerrie Herren, principal of Park Hill South, said a student notified him of the petition last Thursday and school officials have been working since then to help students and staff who are upset by the incident.

“I think that a large portion of our population is hurt, mad, outraged and confused and want to use it as way to make Park Hill South better," Herren said.

The Park Hill district had a student population of 11,767 this school year, of which about 12.7% were Black. The district instituted an inclusion and equity council with teachers in 2015, which led to student focus groups and eventually a family advisory council on the issue.

Terri Deayon, the district's director of access, inclusion and family engagement, said district and school officials have met with student groups and staff at Park Hill South and at LEAD Innovation Studio, a separate school on the Park Hill South campus that offers a different educational approach to students.

"I wholeheartedly believe we are in a situation that we are going to confront, restore and heal," Deayon said. “We will be better and we will take this and use it as an opportunity to improve.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632359737253.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — Officials in a suburban Kansas City school district are investigating after a small group of students posted a petition online calling for the return of slavery.The petition came to light last week after the students at Park Hill South High School posted it during a school-related activity, officials said.Further details about the number of students involved, the specific language of the petition or what might have prompted it were not being released because it is a discipline issue, district spokeswoman Nicole Kirby said Wednesday.Jeanette Cowherd, superintendent of the Park Hill School District, said in a letter to the community Wednesday that the district does not tolerate discrimination or harassment and has specific policies addressing any violations, which could result in a suspension or expulsion.The district also has a policy on civility that prohibits attacks against people based on factors such as race, gender, religion, disability or other personal characteristics.“I cannot share the specifics of any particular student's discipline but I can tell you that we follow our Board policy when disciplining students,” she wrote.Kerrie Herren, principal of Park Hill South, said a student notified him of the petition last Thursday and school officials have been working since then to help students and staff who are upset by the incident.“I think that a large portion of our population is hurt, mad, outraged and confused and want to use it as way to make Park Hill South better," Herren said.The Park Hill district had a student population of 11,767 this school year, of which about 12.7% were Black. The district instituted an inclusion and equity council with teachers in 2015, which led to student focus groups and eventually a family advisory council on the issue.Terri Deayon, the district's director of access, inclusion and family engagement, said district and school officials have met with student groups and staff at Park Hill South and at LEAD Innovation Studio, a separate school on the Park Hill South campus that offers a different educational approach to students."I wholeheartedly believe we are in a situation that we are going to confront, restore and heal," Deayon said. “We will be better and we will take this and use it as an opportunity to improve.”

District: KC-area students posted slavery petition online

WASHINGTON (AP) —The U.S. moved a step closer Wednesday to offering booster doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to senior citizens and others at high risk from the virus as the Food and Drug Administration signed off on the targeted use of extra shots.

The FDA authorized booster doses for Americans who are 65 and older, younger adults with underlying health conditions and those in jobs that put them at high risk for COVID-19. The ruling represents a drastically scaled back version of the Biden administration’s sweeping plan to give third doses to nearly all American adults to shore up their protection amid the spread of the highly contagious delta variant.

However, more regulatory hurdles lie ahead before the dispensing of boosters can begin.

Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention opened a two-day meeting Wednesday to make their own, more specific recommendations about who should get the extra shots and when. And in their first day of discussions, some experts were so perplexed by the questions surrounding the rationale for boosters that they suggested putting off a decision for a month in hopes of more evidence.

The uncertainties were yet another reminder that the science surrounding boosters is more complicated than the Biden administration suggested when the president and his top aides&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-vaccine-booster-shots-a10daad08f6d47aa5beca0b4da9da9d2">rolled out their plan at the White House&nbsp;</a>last month.

The FDA decision Wednesday was expected after the agency’s own panel of advisers last week overwhelmingly rejected the Biden plan. The panel instead recommended boosters only for those most vulnerable to severe cases of COVID-19.

FDA acting commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock said in a statement that the FDA authorization would allow for boosters in health care workers, teachers, grocery workers and those in homeless shelters or prisons.

“As we learn more about the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines, including the use of a booster dose, we will continue to evaluate the rapidly changing science and keep the public informed,” Woodcock said.

Under the FDA authorization, vaccinated Americans are eligible for a third dose six months after receiving their second Pfizer shot. That’s different than the Biden proposal announced in August, which called for boosters after eight months.

“Today’s FDA decision is a major step forward in our effort to provide Americans with additional protection from COVID-19,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki tweeted Wednesday night. “We have been preparing for weeks to administer booster shots to eligible Americans and are ready to do so following CDC’s final recommendation later this week.”

The timing of the FDA decision was highly unusual given that the agency typically takes action before the CDC convenes its own experts.

The CDC panelists heard a series of presentations Wednesday outlining the knotty state of science on boosters. On one hand, the COVID-19 vaccines continue to offer strong protection against severe illness, hospitalization and death. On the other hand, there are signs of more low-grade infections among the vaccinated as immunity wanes.

Ultimately the committee must decide who is considered at high enough risk for an extra dose. Data provided by Pfizer and the Israeli government suggests a strong case for boosters in people 65 and older, but there is less evidence that extra shots provide much benefit for younger people with underlying health conditions.

Several CDC advisers agreed boosters are also important for keeping health care workers on the job.

“We don’t have enough health care workers to take care of the unvaccinated,” said Dr. Helen Keipp Talbot of Vanderbilt University. “They just keep coming.”

The CDC has already said it is considering boosters for older people, nursing home residents and front-line health care workers, rather than all adults.

The World Health Organization and other global health advocates are opposed to wealthy nations dispensing a third round of shots when poor countries don’t have enough vaccine for their first doses. And many independent scientists say that the vaccines continue to perform well against the worst effects of COVID-19 and that their ability to curb the overall trajectory of the epidemic is uncertain.

U.S. regulators will decide at a later date on boosters for people who have received the Moderna or Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccines. They indicated the Pfizer shots would not be recommended for people who got a different brand of vaccine initially.

The across-the-board rollout of boosters proposed by the White House was supposed to have begun this week. Some questioned whether President Joe Biden had gotten ahead of the science by announcing his plans before government regulators had reached any conclusions.

Despite the resistance in recent days, some top U.S. health officials said they expect boosters to eventually win broader approval in the coming weeks or months. Dr. Anthony Fauci said over the weekend that “this is not the end of the story.”

Other administration officials noted that the FDA decision covers tens of millions of Americans and that seniors and other high-risk groups would have been the first to get boosters even if extra shots had been authorized for the entire population. Seniors were in the first group of Americans eligible for vaccination last December.

The U.S. is dispensing around 760,000 vaccinations per day on average, down from a high of 3.4 million a day in mid-April. About 180 million Americans are fully vaccinated, or 64% of those who are eligible.

WASHINGTON (AP) —The U.S. moved a step closer Wednesday to offering booster doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to senior citizens and others at high risk from the virus as the Food and Drug Administration signed off on the targeted use of extra shots.The FDA authorized booster doses for Americans who are 65 and older, younger adults with underlying health conditions and those in jobs that put them at high risk for COVID-19. The ruling represents a drastically scaled back version of the Biden administration’s sweeping plan to give third doses to nearly all American adults to shore up their protection amid the spread of the highly contagious delta variant.However, more regulatory hurdles lie ahead before the dispensing of boosters can begin.Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention opened a two-day meeting Wednesday to make their own, more specific recommendations about who should get the extra shots and when. And in their first day of discussions, some experts were so perplexed by the questions surrounding the rationale for boosters that they suggested putting off a decision for a month in hopes of more evidence.The uncertainties were yet another reminder that the science surrounding boosters is more complicated than the Biden administration suggested when the president and his top aides&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-vaccine-booster-shots-a10daad08f6d47aa5beca0b4da9da9d2">rolled out their plan at the White House&nbsp;</a>last month.The FDA decision Wednesday was expected after the agency’s own panel of advisers last week overwhelmingly rejected the Biden plan. The panel instead recommended boosters only for those most vulnerable to severe cases of COVID-19.FDA acting commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock said in a statement that the FDA authorization would allow for boosters in health care workers, teachers, grocery workers and those in homeless shelters or prisons.“As we learn more about the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines, including the use of a booster dose, we will continue to evaluate the rapidly changing science and keep the public informed,” Woodcock said.Under the FDA authorization, vaccinated Americans are eligible for a third dose six months after receiving their second Pfizer shot. That’s different than the Biden proposal announced in August, which called for boosters after eight months.“Today’s FDA decision is a major step forward in our effort to provide Americans with additional protection from COVID-19,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki tweeted Wednesday night. “We have been preparing for weeks to administer booster shots to eligible Americans and are ready to do so following CDC’s final recommendation later this week.”The timing of the FDA decision was highly unusual given that the agency typically takes action before the CDC convenes its own experts.The CDC panelists heard a series of presentations Wednesday outlining the knotty state of science on boosters. On one hand, the COVID-19 vaccines continue to offer strong protection against severe illness, hospitalization and death. On the other hand, there are signs of more low-grade infections among the vaccinated as immunity wanes.Ultimately the committee must decide who is considered at high enough risk for an extra dose. Data provided by Pfizer and the Israeli government suggests a strong case for boosters in people 65 and older, but there is less evidence that extra shots provide much benefit for younger people with underlying health conditions.Several CDC advisers agreed boosters are also important for keeping health care workers on the job.“We don’t have enough health care workers to take care of the unvaccinated,” said Dr. Helen Keipp Talbot of Vanderbilt University. “They just keep coming.”The CDC has already said it is considering boosters for older people, nursing home residents and front-line health care workers, rather than all adults.The World Health Organization and other global health advocates are opposed to wealthy nations dispensing a third round of shots when poor countries don’t have enough vaccine for their first doses. And many independent scientists say that the vaccines continue to perform well against the worst effects of COVID-19 and that their ability to curb the overall trajectory of the epidemic is uncertain.U.S. regulators will decide at a later date on boosters for people who have received the Moderna or Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccines. They indicated the Pfizer shots would not be recommended for people who got a different brand of vaccine initially.The across-the-board rollout of boosters proposed by the White House was supposed to have begun this week. Some questioned whether President Joe Biden had gotten ahead of the science by announcing his plans before government regulators had reached any conclusions.Despite the resistance in recent days, some top U.S. health officials said they expect boosters to eventually win broader approval in the coming weeks or months. Dr. Anthony Fauci said over the weekend that “this is not the end of the story.”Other administration officials noted that the FDA decision covers tens of millions of Americans and that seniors and other high-risk groups would have been the first to get boosters even if extra shots had been authorized for the entire population. Seniors were in the first group of Americans eligible for vaccination last December.The U.S. has already authorized third doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for certain people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients and transplant recipients. Other Americans, healthy or not, have managed to get boosters, in some cases simply by asking.The U.S. is dispensing around 760,000 vaccinations per day on average, down from a high of 3.4 million a day in mid-April. About 180 million Americans are fully vaccinated, or 64% of those who are eligible.___

FDA OKs extra shots of Pfizer COVID vaccine for seniors, others at high risk

MEADE COUNTY —A Kansas man died in an accident just after 8p.m. Wednesday in Meade County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2004 Dodge Ram 3500 driven by Neil&nbsp;Peters-Krahn, 53, Montezuma, Kan. was northbound on Road 26 nine miles east of Kansas 23.

The driver failed to yield at U.S. 54. A&nbsp; westbound 2018 Freightliner semi driven by Victor Manuel Campos-Ramirez, Victor Manuel, 59, Los Angeles, CA., struck the Dodge Ram.

Peters-Krahn was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp; EMS transported Campos-Ramirez to the hospital in Meade. Peters-Krahn was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

MEADE COUNTY —A Kansas man died in an accident just after 8p.m. Wednesday in Meade County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2004 Dodge Ram 3500 driven by Neil&nbsp;Peters-Krahn, 53, Montezuma, Kan. was northbound on Road 26 nine miles east of Kansas 23.The driver failed to yield at U.S. 54. A&nbsp; westbound 2018 Freightliner semi driven by Victor Manuel Campos-Ramirez, Victor Manuel, 59, Los Angeles, CA., struck the Dodge Ram.Peters-Krahn was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp; EMS transported Campos-Ramirez to the hospital in Meade. Peters-Krahn was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Kansas man dies after crash with a semi

KANSAS CITY (AP) — The Missouri Attorney General’s Office on Wednesday asked a state appeals court to intervene in the case of a Kansas City man who Jackson County prosecutors have said was wrongfully convicted of a triple murder more than 40 years ago.

Last week, Judge Kevin Harrell&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-kansas-missouri-d13bceef618a479e8cd02b991fe1c8d9">denied a motion</a>&nbsp;from Schmitt's office asking that he and other Jackson County judges be removed from presiding over a hearing that would determine if Kevin Strickland will be exonerated of the 1998 murders in Kansas City.

In Wednesday's motion, Schmitt is asking the appeals court to remove the judges and move the hearing out of Jackson County, KCTV&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kctv5.com/news/missouri-attorney-general-argues-kevin-strickland-case-needs-to-be-moved-out-of-jackson-county/article_d73d7c14-1bec-11ec-8065-3bdccbd6edeb.html?block_id=991162">reported</a>.

Schmitt, who has said he believes Strickland is guilty, has argued that judges in the 16th Circuit Court have shown bias in Strickland's favor.

Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announced in May that she and other legal and political leaders believe Strickland is innocent. She said two men who admitted guilt in the shootings have said Strickland wasn't with them, and the only witness who identified him as the killer recanted her statement before she died.

Peters Baker used a new law that took effect in August to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-816410e8eab142331d08c9d750153d28">petition for a hearing during which she would argue Strickland should be exonerated.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1620695920927.png" alt="Strickland photo MODOC" />
 <figcaption>Strickland photo MODOC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — The Missouri Attorney General’s Office on Wednesday asked a state appeals court to intervene in the case of a Kansas City man who Jackson County prosecutors have said was wrongfully convicted of a triple murder more than 40 years ago.Last week, Judge Kevin Harrell&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-kansas-missouri-d13bceef618a479e8cd02b991fe1c8d9">denied a motion</a>&nbsp;from Schmitt's office asking that he and other Jackson County judges be removed from presiding over a hearing that would determine if Kevin Strickland will be exonerated of the 1998 murders in Kansas City.In Wednesday's motion, Schmitt is asking the appeals court to remove the judges and move the hearing out of Jackson County, KCTV&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kctv5.com/news/missouri-attorney-general-argues-kevin-strickland-case-needs-to-be-moved-out-of-jackson-county/article_d73d7c14-1bec-11ec-8065-3bdccbd6edeb.html?block_id=991162">reported</a>.Schmitt, who has said he believes Strickland is guilty, has argued that judges in the 16th Circuit Court have shown bias in Strickland's favor.Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announced in May that she and other legal and political leaders believe Strickland is innocent. She said two men who admitted guilt in the shootings have said Strickland wasn't with them, and the only witness who identified him as the killer recanted her statement before she died.Peters Baker used a new law that took effect in August to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-816410e8eab142331d08c9d750153d28">petition for a hearing during which she would argue Strickland should be exonerated.</a>

AG appeals ruling on judges in Kansas City triple-murder

The
 Federal Trade Commission is sending refund checks totaling nearly $5 
million to people who lost money to a cramming scheme that added charges
 to their home phone bills without their permission.

The refunds stem from money the <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2016/05/company-placed-crammed-charges-consumers-phone-bills-settles-ftc">FTC collected from a group of defendants</a>
 who admitted that they violated a 1999 FTC settlement order that 
prohibited them from unauthorized billing. For years, the defendants, 
Billing Services Group (BSG), operated as a phone billing aggregator, 
passing charges from third parties to telephone companies so that those 
charges could be placed on consumers’ landline telephone bills. The 
defendants admitted that they did not vet the charges before processing 
them and did not investigate consumer complaints about unauthorized 
charges.

<a href="https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/federal.trade.commission/viz/Refunds_15797958402020/RefundsbyCase"></a>The
 FTC will be sending 86,752 checks averaging about $56 each. People who 
receive checks should deposit or cash them within 90 days, as indicated 
on the check. Recipients who have questions about their checks can call 
the refund administrator, Epiq, at 800-591-4238. The FTC never requires 
people to pay money or provide account information to cash a refund 
check.

The FTC’s <a href="https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/federal.trade.commission/viz/Refunds_15797958402020/RefundsbyCase">interactive dashboards for refund data(link is external)</a>
 provide a state-by-state breakdown of FTC refunds. In 2020, FTC actions
 led to more than $483 million in refunds to consumers across the 
country, but recently the United States Supreme Court ruled the FTC 
lacks authority under Section 13(b) to seek monetary relief in federal 
court going forward. The <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2021/04/ftc-asks-congress-pass-legislation-reviving-agencys-authority">Commission has urged Congress</a> to restore the FTC’s ability to get money back for consumers.

The Federal Trade Commission works to promote competition and to <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/bureaus-offices/bureau-consumer-protection">protect and educate consumers</a>. You can <a href="https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/">learn more about consumer topics</a> and file a <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/complaint">consumer complaint online</a> or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357).&nbsp;For the latest news and resources, <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 our <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>FTCThe
 Federal Trade Commission is sending refund checks totaling nearly $5 
million to people who lost money to a cramming scheme that added charges
 to their home phone bills without their permission.The refunds stem from money the <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2016/05/company-placed-crammed-charges-consumers-phone-bills-settles-ftc">FTC collected from a group of defendants</a>
 who admitted that they violated a 1999 FTC settlement order that 
prohibited them from unauthorized billing. For years, the defendants, 
Billing Services Group (BSG), operated as a phone billing aggregator, 
passing charges from third parties to telephone companies so that those 
charges could be placed on consumers’ landline telephone bills. The 
defendants admitted that they did not vet the charges before processing 
them and did not investigate consumer complaints about unauthorized 
charges.<a href="https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/federal.trade.commission/viz/Refunds_15797958402020/RefundsbyCase"></a>The
 FTC will be sending 86,752 checks averaging about $56 each. People who 
receive checks should deposit or cash them within 90 days, as indicated 
on the check. Recipients who have questions about their checks can call 
the refund administrator, Epiq, at 800-591-4238. The FTC never requires 
people to pay money or provide account information to cash a refund 
check.The FTC’s <a href="https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/federal.trade.commission/viz/Refunds_15797958402020/RefundsbyCase">interactive dashboards for refund data(link is external)</a>
 provide a state-by-state breakdown of FTC refunds. In 2020, FTC actions
 led to more than $483 million in refunds to consumers across the 
country, but recently the United States Supreme Court ruled the FTC 
lacks authority under Section 13(b) to seek monetary relief in federal 
court going forward. The <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2021/04/ftc-asks-congress-pass-legislation-reviving-agencys-authority">Commission has urged Congress</a> to restore the FTC’s ability to get money back for consumers.The Federal Trade Commission works to promote competition and to <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/bureaus-offices/bureau-consumer-protection">protect and educate consumers</a>. You can <a href="https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/">learn more about consumer topics</a> and file a <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/complaint">consumer complaint online</a> or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357).&nbsp;For the latest news and resources, <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 our <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs">blogs</a>.