By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays Post

Voters in the sprawling North Central Kansas 110th
House District have again elected Agra Republican Ken Rahjes to represent them
in Topeka.

According to the unofficial election results from the Kansas
Secretary of State’s office, Rahjes won all five counties that comprise the 110th
district, amassing 9,215 votes compared to 1,606 for Democrat Ellace Henderson.

He said it’s an honor that voters in the district had the “confidence”
to send him back to Topeka.

"Sometimes, one should not take that for granted. I don't
believe I did," Rhajes said. "Every day we were out working it like we do every
day, whether we're up for election or not, and so it means a
lot."

Rahjes said he believes the overwhelming support he
received, winning handily in all five counties, sends a strong message.

“They want us to keep doing what we're doing, and that is
fight for the rights and the freedoms that we have, and what we've been doing
the last several years has met favorably with those in the 110th district,” Rhajes
said. 

He said he is proud of his work on higher education and
supporting agriculture in the state during his nine years in the legislature.

Water conservation is also an important topic Rahjes says will
be a focus of the next legislative session.

“How we make sure that we have good quality and quantity of
water, not&nbsp;only for irrigators but industrial users and municipalities and
to have those relationships with those stakeholders is so important,” Rhajes
said.

Ag issues will continue to be a significant focal point for
Rahjes.

"We've been trying to make sure that agriculture interests
stay front and center in an agriculture state," Rahjes said. "And people say, 'Well,
that makes sense.' Well, you know, we become more urbanized all the time as a
state."

He said he is disappointed in their work on tax relief, and
he believes that will be a focal point this year.

"We can make good, strong investments and also give some of
that money the federal government gave us during COVID that we've been holding
on back in the form of tax relief," Rahjes said. "I think that's what you're
going to see because of the national outlook and then Trump tax cuts up for
renewal this coming year, now, with him being in the White House and at least
one, if not both, houses of Congress in D.C., going Republican, you'll see a big
push that, I think that will spill over into the state."

Rahjes also said he believes there will be a learning process
in the first year of the new legislature because of the new faces in Congress.

"Everybody on Election Day is kind of at an all-time high
point. The adrenaline is going, and now we got to govern," Rahjes said. "It's
great to win an election, but now this is the heavy lift. This is the
governing. This is to put those thoughts and those ideas and push them forward
to do no harm to our Kansas citizens and do what's right."

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays PostVoters in the sprawling North Central Kansas 110th
House District have again elected Agra Republican Ken Rahjes to represent them
in Topeka.According to the unofficial election results from the Kansas
Secretary of State’s office, Rahjes won all five counties that comprise the 110th
district, amassing 9,215 votes compared to 1,606 for Democrat Ellace Henderson.Rahjes received 85% of the vote.He said it’s an honor that voters in the district had the “confidence”
to send him back to Topeka."Sometimes, one should not take that for granted. I don't
believe I did," Rhajes said. "Every day we were out working it like we do every
day, whether we're up for election or not, and so it means a
lot."Rahjes said he believes the overwhelming support he
received, winning handily in all five counties, sends a strong message.“They want us to keep doing what we're doing, and that is
fight for the rights and the freedoms that we have, and what we've been doing
the last several years has met favorably with those in the 110th district,” Rhajes
said. He said he is proud of his work on higher education and
supporting agriculture in the state during his nine years in the legislature.Water conservation is also an important topic Rahjes says will
be a focus of the next legislative session.“How we make sure that we have good quality and quantity of
water, not&nbsp;only for irrigators but industrial users and municipalities and
to have those relationships with those stakeholders is so important,” Rhajes
said.Ag issues will continue to be a significant focal point for
Rahjes."We've been trying to make sure that agriculture interests
stay front and center in an agriculture state," Rahjes said. "And people say, 'Well,
that makes sense.' Well, you know, we become more urbanized all the time as a
state."He said he is disappointed in their work on tax relief, and
he believes that will be a focal point this year."We can make good, strong investments and also give some of
that money the federal government gave us during COVID that we've been holding
on back in the form of tax relief," Rahjes said. "I think that's what you're
going to see because of the national outlook and then Trump tax cuts up for
renewal this coming year, now, with him being in the White House and at least
one, if not both, houses of Congress in D.C., going Republican, you'll see a big
push that, I think that will spill over into the state."Rahjes also said he believes there will be a learning process
in the first year of the new legislature because of the new faces in Congress."Everybody on Election Day is kind of at an all-time high
point. The adrenaline is going, and now we got to govern," Rahjes said. "It's
great to win an election, but now this is the heavy lift. This is the
governing. This is to put those thoughts and those ideas and push them forward
to do no harm to our Kansas citizens and do what's right."

Rep. Rahjes: Now it’s time to govern

Due to the observance of the Veterans Day, Monday, November 11, 2024, refuse/recycling route collection schedules will be altered as follows:

 Monday, November 11 and Tuesday, November 12 will both be picked up on Tuesday, November 12. 

There will be no changes to the Wednesday, November 13 through Friday November 15 collection schedules.

It is anticipated that heavy volumes of refuse/recyclable will be encountered around the holidays. Please be sure to set your bags out by 7:00 a.m. on the collection day and keep in mind that the trucks have no set time schedule.

City of Hays customers that may have any questions regarding this notice should contact the Solid Waste Division of the Public Works Department at 785-628-7350.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1605721681274.jpeg" alt="File photo/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>File photo/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>City of HaysDue to the observance of the Veterans Day, Monday, November 11, 2024, refuse/recycling route collection schedules will be altered as follows: Monday, November 11 and Tuesday, November 12 will both be picked up on Tuesday, November 12. There will be no changes to the Wednesday, November 13 through Friday November 15 collection schedules.It is anticipated that heavy volumes of refuse/recyclable will be encountered around the holidays. Please be sure to set your bags out by 7:00 a.m. on the collection day and keep in mind that the trucks have no set time schedule.City of Hays customers that may have any questions regarding this notice should contact the Solid Waste Division of the Public Works Department at 785-628-7350.

Hays refuse & recycling schedule change for Veterans Day

HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State Women's Wrestling posted an impressive 42-5 win over Southeast (Neb.) Community College in the first ever dual for women's wrestling at Gross Memorial Coliseum. The Tigers won the first nine matches of the dual on their way to the 37-point win. FHSU improved to 2-1 overall on the season. The Bobcats entered as the NWCA Preseason No. 5 ranked team in the NJCAA.

The Tigers picked up five points right out of the gate as Southeast was open at 103 pounds.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/arianna-ortiz/8214">Arianna Ortiz</a>&nbsp;picked up the free win. From there, the Tigers started to multiply their score quickly with bonus-point wins in the next five matches.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/sophia-shultz/8289">Sophia Shultz</a>&nbsp;(110) recorded a fall in 1:09 over NJCAA No. 6 ranked Hasley Salgado and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/isabell-ortiz/8215">Isabell Ortiz</a>&nbsp;(117) pinned her opponent in 1:40.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/lexie-lopez/8283">Lexie Lopez</a>&nbsp;(124) ran away with a 12-1 tech fall in about two and a half minutes and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/jamie-laswell/8282">Jamie Laswell</a>&nbsp;blanked her opponent in a 10-0 tech fall in a little under a minute and a half.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/ashlynn-goodwin/8212">Ashlynn Goodwin</a>&nbsp;(138) completed the bonus point run with a fall in 1:11. FHSU led 28-1 through the first six matches.

<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/nichole-moore/8375">Nichole Moore</a>&nbsp;kept the win streak rolling for the Tigers at 145, knocking off NJCAA No. 3 ranked Nevaeh Leonard with a 9-3 decision.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/kaylee-ricketts/8218">Kaylee Ricketts</a>&nbsp;(160) and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/isabella-renfro/8286">Isabella Renfro</a>&nbsp;(180) kept the quick pins coming. Ricketts recorded hers in 1:26 and Renfro knocked off NJCAA No. 2 ranked Anya Hatch in 1:57.Southeast picked up its only win of the night at 207 as NJCAA No. 3 ranked Martha Hinneh scored a 6-3 decision over&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/hailey-conley/8276">Hailey Conley</a>.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/arianna-ortiz/8214">Arianna Ortiz</a>&nbsp;wrestled an exhibition after the dual was over with Brooklyn Noel at 103 and won 5-2.For their two dual wins so far this season, the Tigers have knocked off the preseason No. 4 and No. 5 ranked teams in the NJCAA.

Next team event for the Tigers will be the Missouri Valley Open Tournament on November 22-23 in Marshall, Mo.

Results 103:&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/arianna-ortiz/8214">Arianna Ortiz</a>&nbsp;(FHSU) over (SCC) (Forfeit) 110:&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/sophia-shultz/8289">Sophia Shultz</a>&nbsp;(FHSU) over Hasley Salgado (SCC) (Fall 1:09) 117:&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/isabell-ortiz/8215">Isabell Ortiz</a>&nbsp;(FHSU) over Alejandra Loredo Apodaca (SCC) (Fall 1:40) 124:&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/lexie-lopez/8283">Lexie Lopez</a>&nbsp;(FHSU) over Jasimen Ortega (SCC) (TF 12-1 2:31) 131:&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/jamie-laswell/8282">Jamie Laswell</a>&nbsp;(FHSU) over Libby Sutton (SCC) (TF 10-0 1:23) 138:&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/ashlynn-goodwin/8212">Ashlynn Goodwin</a>&nbsp;(FHSU) over Yvette Vargas (SCC) (Fall 1:11) 145:&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/nichole-moore/8375">Nichole Moore</a>&nbsp;(FHSU) over Nevaeh Leonard (SCC) (Dec 9-3) 160:&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/kaylee-ricketts/8218">Kaylee Ricketts</a>&nbsp;(FHSU) over Cladis Lucas-Escobar (SCC) (Fall 1:26) 180:&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/isabella-renfro/8286">Isabella Renfro</a>&nbsp;(FHSU) over Anya Hatch (SCC) (Fall 1:57) 207: Martha Hinneh (SCC) over&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/hailey-conley/8276">Hailey Conley</a>&nbsp;(FHSU) (Dec 6-3)

Exhibition Match103:&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/arianna-ortiz/8214">Arianna Ortiz</a>&nbsp;(FHSU) over Brooklyn Noel (SCC) (Dec 5-2)&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1731036233064.jpeg" alt="FHSU Athletics photo/Ryan Prickett" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics photo/Ryan Prickett</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsHAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State Women's Wrestling posted an impressive 42-5 win over Southeast (Neb.) Community College in the first ever dual for women's wrestling at Gross Memorial Coliseum. The Tigers won the first nine matches of the dual on their way to the 37-point win. FHSU improved to 2-1 overall on the season. The Bobcats entered as the NWCA Preseason No. 5 ranked team in the NJCAA.The Tigers picked up five points right out of the gate as Southeast was open at 103 pounds.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/arianna-ortiz/8214">Arianna Ortiz</a>&nbsp;picked up the free win. From there, the Tigers started to multiply their score quickly with bonus-point wins in the next five matches.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/sophia-shultz/8289">Sophia Shultz</a>&nbsp;(110) recorded a fall in 1:09 over NJCAA No. 6 ranked Hasley Salgado and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/isabell-ortiz/8215">Isabell Ortiz</a>&nbsp;(117) pinned her opponent in 1:40.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/lexie-lopez/8283">Lexie Lopez</a>&nbsp;(124) ran away with a 12-1 tech fall in about two and a half minutes and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/jamie-laswell/8282">Jamie Laswell</a>&nbsp;blanked her opponent in a 10-0 tech fall in a little under a minute and a half.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/ashlynn-goodwin/8212">Ashlynn Goodwin</a>&nbsp;(138) completed the bonus point run with a fall in 1:11. FHSU led 28-1 through the first six matches.<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/nichole-moore/8375">Nichole Moore</a>&nbsp;kept the win streak rolling for the Tigers at 145, knocking off NJCAA No. 3 ranked Nevaeh Leonard with a 9-3 decision.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/kaylee-ricketts/8218">Kaylee Ricketts</a>&nbsp;(160) and&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/isabella-renfro/8286">Isabella Renfro</a>&nbsp;(180) kept the quick pins coming. Ricketts recorded hers in 1:26 and Renfro knocked off NJCAA No. 2 ranked Anya Hatch in 1:57.Southeast picked up its only win of the night at 207 as NJCAA No. 3 ranked Martha Hinneh scored a 6-3 decision over&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/hailey-conley/8276">Hailey Conley</a>.&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/arianna-ortiz/8214">Arianna Ortiz</a>&nbsp;wrestled an exhibition after the dual was over with Brooklyn Noel at 103 and won 5-2.For their two dual wins so far this season, the Tigers have knocked off the preseason No. 4 and No. 5 ranked teams in the NJCAA.UP NEXTNext team event for the Tigers will be the Missouri Valley Open Tournament on November 22-23 in Marshall, Mo.Results 103:&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/arianna-ortiz/8214">Arianna Ortiz</a>&nbsp;(FHSU) over (SCC) (Forfeit) 110:&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/sophia-shultz/8289">Sophia Shultz</a>&nbsp;(FHSU) over Hasley Salgado (SCC) (Fall 1:09) 117:&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/isabell-ortiz/8215">Isabell Ortiz</a>&nbsp;(FHSU) over Alejandra Loredo Apodaca (SCC) (Fall 1:40) 124:&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/lexie-lopez/8283">Lexie Lopez</a>&nbsp;(FHSU) over Jasimen Ortega (SCC) (TF 12-1 2:31) 131:&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/jamie-laswell/8282">Jamie Laswell</a>&nbsp;(FHSU) over Libby Sutton (SCC) (TF 10-0 1:23) 138:&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/ashlynn-goodwin/8212">Ashlynn Goodwin</a>&nbsp;(FHSU) over Yvette Vargas (SCC) (Fall 1:11) 145:&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/nichole-moore/8375">Nichole Moore</a>&nbsp;(FHSU) over Nevaeh Leonard (SCC) (Dec 9-3) 160:&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/kaylee-ricketts/8218">Kaylee Ricketts</a>&nbsp;(FHSU) over Cladis Lucas-Escobar (SCC) (Fall 1:26) 180:&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/isabella-renfro/8286">Isabella Renfro</a>&nbsp;(FHSU) over Anya Hatch (SCC) (Fall 1:57) 207: Martha Hinneh (SCC) over&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/hailey-conley/8276">Hailey Conley</a>&nbsp;(FHSU) (Dec 6-3)Exhibition Match103:&nbsp;<a href="https://fhsuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/arianna-ortiz/8214">Arianna Ortiz</a>&nbsp;(FHSU) over Brooklyn Noel (SCC) (Dec 5-2)&nbsp;&nbsp;

🤼‍♀️ Tiger women blitz Bobcats in first-ever home dual

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden's</a>&nbsp;name wasn't on the ballot, but history will likely remember&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris'</a>&nbsp;resounding defeat as his loss too.

As Democrats&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democrats-trump-harris-election-future-5bf8bd0ca6683119a846abd446544407">pick up the pieces</a>&nbsp;after President-elect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump's</a>&nbsp;decisive&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-day-trump-harris-white-house-83c8e246ab97f5b97be45cdc156af4e2">victory</a>, some of the vice president's backers are expressing frustration that Biden's decision to seek reelection until this summer — despite long-standing voter concerns about his age and unease about post-pandemic inflation as well as the U.S.-Mexico border — all but sealed his party's surrender of the White House.

“The biggest onus of this loss is on President Biden,” said Andrew Yang, who ran against Biden in 2020 for the Democratic nomination and endorsed Harris’ unsuccessful run. “If he had stepped down in January instead of July, we may be in a very different place.”

Biden will leave office after leading the United States out of the worst pandemic in a century, galvanizing international support for Ukraine after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Russia’s invasion</a>&nbsp;and passing a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-congress-infrastructure-bill-signing-b5b8cca843133de060778f049861b144">$1 trillion infrastructure bill</a>&nbsp;that will affect communities for years to come.

But having run four years ago against Trump to “restore the soul of the country,” Biden will make way after just one term for his immediate predecessor, who overcame two impeachments, a felony conviction and an insurrection launched by his supporters. Trump has pledged to radically reshape the federal government and roll back many of Biden's priorities.

“Maybe in 20 or 30 years, history will remember Biden for some of these achievements,” said Thom Reilly, co-director of the Center for an Independent and Sustainable Democracy at Arizona State University. “But in the shorter term, I don’t know he escapes the legacy of being the president who beat Donald Trump only to usher in another Donald Trump administration four years later.”

The president on Wednesday stayed out of sight for the second straight day, making congratulatory calls to Democratic lawmakers who won downballot races and to Trump. Biden invited Trump for a White House meeting, and the president-elect accepted.

Biden is set to deliver a Rose Garden address Thursday about the election. He issued a statement shortly after Harris delivered her concession speech Wednesday, praising Harris for running an “historic campaign” under “extraordinary circumstances.”

Some high-ranking Democrats, including three advisers to the Harris campaign, expressed deep frustration with Biden for failing to recognize earlier in the election cycle that he was not up to the challenge. The advisers spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly.

Biden, 81, ended his reelection campaign in July, weeks after an abysmal debate performance sent his party into a spiral and raised questions about whether he still had the mental acuity and stamina to serve as a credible nominee.

But polling long beforehand showed that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-age-poll-trump-2024-620e0a5cfa0039a6448f607c17c7f23e">many Americans worried about his age</a>. Some 77% of Americans said in August 2023 that Biden was too old to be effective for four more years, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-age-poll-trump-2024-620e0a5cfa0039a6448f607c17c7f23e">a poll</a>&nbsp;by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs.

The president&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-drops-out-2024-election-ddffde72838370032bdcff946cfc2ce6">bowed out on July 21</a>&nbsp;after getting not-so-subtle nudges from Democratic Party powers, including former President Barack Obama and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California. Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-drops-out-2024-election-ddffde72838370032bdcff946cfc2ce6">endorsed Harris</a>&nbsp;and handed over his campaign operation to her.

Yang argued that Democratic Party leaders also deserve blame for taking too long to push out Biden. With few exceptions, most notably Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips, Democrats shied away talking publicly about Biden's age.

“Why was this not coming from any Democratic leaders?" Yang said. “It’s a lack of courage and independence and an excess of careerism, if I just keep my mouth shut, we’ll just keep on trucking along.”

The campaign was also saddled by anger among some Arab American and young voters over its approach to Israel's conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. Sen. Bernie Sanders, an ally of Biden and Harris, said in a statement that Democrats lost the thread on working class Americans' concerns.

“Will the big money interests and well-paid consultants who control the Democratic Party learn any real lessons from this disastrous campaign?” the Vermont independent said. “Will they understand the pain and political alienation that tens of millions of Americans are experiencing?”

Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison took to social media Thursday to push back on Sanders' critique, saying that Biden was “the most-pro worker President of my life time.”

Harris managed to spur far greater enthusiasm than Biden was generating from the party's base. But she struggled to distinguish how her administration would differ from Biden's.

Appearing on ABC’s “The View” in September, Harris&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-stern-view-colbert-60-minutes-daddy-5a2af60ba0b1099e19cca151955c9855">was not able to identify</a>&nbsp;a decision where she would have separated herself from Biden. “There is not a thing that comes to mind,” Harris said, giving the Trump campaign a sound bite it replayed through Election Day.

The strategists advising the Harris campaign said the compressed campaign timetable made it even more difficult for Harris to differentiate herself from the president.

Had Biden stepped aside early in the year, they said, it would have given Democrats enough time to hold a primary. Going through the paces of an intraparty contest would have forced Harris or another eventual nominee to more aggressively stake out differences with Biden.

The strategists acknowledged that overcoming broad dissatisfaction among the American electorate about rising costs in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic and broad concerns about the U.S. immigration system weighed heavy on the minds of voters in key states.

Still, they said that Biden had left Democrats in an untenable place.

Harris senior adviser David Plouffe in&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/davidplouffe/status/1854244538036195432?s=46">a posting on X</a>&nbsp;called it a “devastating loss.” Plouffe did not assign blame and said the Harris campaign “dug out of a deep hole but not enough.” The post was later deleted.

At the vice president's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-donald-trump-election-ddeae9fb378530159201ef4196cba9b3">concession speech</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday, some Harris supporters said they wished the vice president had had more time to make her pitch to American voters.

“I think that would have made a huge difference," said Jerushatalla Pallay, a Howard University student who attended the speech at the center of her campus.

Republicans are poised to control the White House and Senate. Control of the House has yet to be determined.

Matt Bennett, executive vice president at the Democratic-aligned group Third Way, said this moment was the most devastating the party has faced in his lifetime.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730999745270.png" alt="File image White House" />
 <figcaption>File image White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden's</a>&nbsp;name wasn't on the ballot, but history will likely remember&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris'</a>&nbsp;resounding defeat as his loss too.As Democrats&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democrats-trump-harris-election-future-5bf8bd0ca6683119a846abd446544407">pick up the pieces</a>&nbsp;after President-elect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump's</a>&nbsp;decisive&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-day-trump-harris-white-house-83c8e246ab97f5b97be45cdc156af4e2">victory</a>, some of the vice president's backers are expressing frustration that Biden's decision to seek reelection until this summer — despite long-standing voter concerns about his age and unease about post-pandemic inflation as well as the U.S.-Mexico border — all but sealed his party's surrender of the White House.“The biggest onus of this loss is on President Biden,” said Andrew Yang, who ran against Biden in 2020 for the Democratic nomination and endorsed Harris’ unsuccessful run. “If he had stepped down in January instead of July, we may be in a very different place.”Biden will leave office after leading the United States out of the worst pandemic in a century, galvanizing international support for Ukraine after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Russia’s invasion</a>&nbsp;and passing a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-congress-infrastructure-bill-signing-b5b8cca843133de060778f049861b144">$1 trillion infrastructure bill</a>&nbsp;that will affect communities for years to come.But having run four years ago against Trump to “restore the soul of the country,” Biden will make way after just one term for his immediate predecessor, who overcame two impeachments, a felony conviction and an insurrection launched by his supporters. Trump has pledged to radically reshape the federal government and roll back many of Biden's priorities.“Maybe in 20 or 30 years, history will remember Biden for some of these achievements,” said Thom Reilly, co-director of the Center for an Independent and Sustainable Democracy at Arizona State University. “But in the shorter term, I don’t know he escapes the legacy of being the president who beat Donald Trump only to usher in another Donald Trump administration four years later.”The president on Wednesday stayed out of sight for the second straight day, making congratulatory calls to Democratic lawmakers who won downballot races and to Trump. Biden invited Trump for a White House meeting, and the president-elect accepted.Biden is set to deliver a Rose Garden address Thursday about the election. He issued a statement shortly after Harris delivered her concession speech Wednesday, praising Harris for running an “historic campaign” under “extraordinary circumstances.”Some high-ranking Democrats, including three advisers to the Harris campaign, expressed deep frustration with Biden for failing to recognize earlier in the election cycle that he was not up to the challenge. The advisers spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly.Biden, 81, ended his reelection campaign in July, weeks after an abysmal debate performance sent his party into a spiral and raised questions about whether he still had the mental acuity and stamina to serve as a credible nominee.But polling long beforehand showed that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-age-poll-trump-2024-620e0a5cfa0039a6448f607c17c7f23e">many Americans worried about his age</a>. Some 77% of Americans said in August 2023 that Biden was too old to be effective for four more years, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-age-poll-trump-2024-620e0a5cfa0039a6448f607c17c7f23e">a poll</a>&nbsp;by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs.The president&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-drops-out-2024-election-ddffde72838370032bdcff946cfc2ce6">bowed out on July 21</a>&nbsp;after getting not-so-subtle nudges from Democratic Party powers, including former President Barack Obama and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California. Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-drops-out-2024-election-ddffde72838370032bdcff946cfc2ce6">endorsed Harris</a>&nbsp;and handed over his campaign operation to her.Yang argued that Democratic Party leaders also deserve blame for taking too long to push out Biden. With few exceptions, most notably Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips, Democrats shied away talking publicly about Biden's age.“Why was this not coming from any Democratic leaders?" Yang said. “It’s a lack of courage and independence and an excess of careerism, if I just keep my mouth shut, we’ll just keep on trucking along.”The campaign was also saddled by anger among some Arab American and young voters over its approach to Israel's conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. Sen. Bernie Sanders, an ally of Biden and Harris, said in a statement that Democrats lost the thread on working class Americans' concerns.“Will the big money interests and well-paid consultants who control the Democratic Party learn any real lessons from this disastrous campaign?” the Vermont independent said. “Will they understand the pain and political alienation that tens of millions of Americans are experiencing?”Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison took to social media Thursday to push back on Sanders' critique, saying that Biden was “the most-pro worker President of my life time.”Harris managed to spur far greater enthusiasm than Biden was generating from the party's base. But she struggled to distinguish how her administration would differ from Biden's.Appearing on ABC’s “The View” in September, Harris&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-stern-view-colbert-60-minutes-daddy-5a2af60ba0b1099e19cca151955c9855">was not able to identify</a>&nbsp;a decision where she would have separated herself from Biden. “There is not a thing that comes to mind,” Harris said, giving the Trump campaign a sound bite it replayed through Election Day.The strategists advising the Harris campaign said the compressed campaign timetable made it even more difficult for Harris to differentiate herself from the president.Had Biden stepped aside early in the year, they said, it would have given Democrats enough time to hold a primary. Going through the paces of an intraparty contest would have forced Harris or another eventual nominee to more aggressively stake out differences with Biden.The strategists acknowledged that overcoming broad dissatisfaction among the American electorate about rising costs in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic and broad concerns about the U.S. immigration system weighed heavy on the minds of voters in key states.Still, they said that Biden had left Democrats in an untenable place.Harris senior adviser David Plouffe in&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/davidplouffe/status/1854244538036195432?s=46">a posting on X</a>&nbsp;called it a “devastating loss.” Plouffe did not assign blame and said the Harris campaign “dug out of a deep hole but not enough.” The post was later deleted.At the vice president's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-donald-trump-election-ddeae9fb378530159201ef4196cba9b3">concession speech</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday, some Harris supporters said they wished the vice president had had more time to make her pitch to American voters.“I think that would have made a huge difference," said Jerushatalla Pallay, a Howard University student who attended the speech at the center of her campus.Republicans are poised to control the White House and Senate. Control of the House has yet to be determined.Matt Bennett, executive vice president at the Democratic-aligned group Third Way, said this moment was the most devastating the party has faced in his lifetime.

Harris' allies blame Biden for her resounding loss to Trump

KANSAS CITY (AP) —Chuck and Cathie Baldwin were driving in the dark early on Election Day to work a shift at their polling place in rural Missouri when floodwaters overtopped a creek and swept their vehicle off the road. The couple, married for more than half a century, were later found dead, clinging to a tree and to each other.

Wright County Sheriff Sonny Byerley said the Baldwins — who regularly volunteered to help in elections — tried to swim to dry ground but drowned, among at least five people killed Tuesday as torrential rains drenched the state.

“When I’d go to the polling locations, they were there and they were always happy to be a part of it," said Byerley, who polices the county of about 19,000 residents, 210 miles (340 kilometers) southeast of Kansas City. “They did believe in the American republic and the polling system.”

The state's highway patrol and the sheriff have not released their names, saying only that the man who died was 70 and the woman was 73. But the Baldwins' daughter, Michelle Baldwin-Bostian, of North Carolina, confirmed their identities Wednesday.

News spread fast among the couple's friends in tiny, tightknit unincorporated Manes, Missouri, where voters filled out their ballots in a music hall that regularly hosts performances by local artists.

In this heavily Republican-leaning community, the Baldwins were rare Democrats, which is why they were tapped to join a bipartisan team working the polls, said 52-year-old Patty Squirell, who worked with Cathie Baldwin at a liquor store in nearby Mountain Grove.

“Cathie was an angel here on earth,” she said. "She was so nonjudgmental and so loving and so kind. And we’re all in deep mourning.”

Tanisha Ledford, who lived on the same dirt road as the couple for a decade, remembered how they watched her children when she was working three jobs, sometimes not getting home until 3 a.m.

“You couldn’t go wrong with either one of them,” Ledford said. “Chuck stood up for the innocent, and Cathie would feed the poor. She did. I watched her do it. No one went hungry around her.”

Lindsi Snyder, a teacher at Manes Elementary, said her parents were close to the Baldwins. She described how Chuck wasn't even 18 when he met Cathie and that the besotted young couple decided very quickly that they wanted to marry.

In 2022, Cathie Baldwin marked their 52nd wedding anniversary with a Facebook post calling Chuck “the love of my life.”

The sheriff said the Baldwins were driving in the dark on a two-lane highway around 4:30 a.m. Tuesday when their car was suddenly swept away by floodwaters from the fast-rising Beaver Creek.

Three teenage boys in another car that was swept away at about the same time were able to swim to safety, and they knocked on the door of a nearby house to call 911. Byerley said the boys then returned to the surging water to try to reach the Baldwins.

“They were out of their car, clinging to a tree,” Byerley said of the couple.

But the current was too strong and the teens couldn’t get to them.

Byerley used a drone and spotted the hugging couple holding onto low-lying tree limbs, but rescuers were unable to reach them in time. Cathie and Chuck died in each other's arms, the sheriff said.

Snyder arrived at the music hall later that morning. She recalled how she and Chuck always teased each other and that she had commented to her daughter that she couldn't wait to see him at the polling place.

After she voted, she asked an election worker where Chuck was.

“And they go: ‘Lindsi, you didn’t know?’"

Snyder said she immediately burst into tears. Her friends had drowned about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from the music hall.

“He would do anything for anybody," she said of Chuck, a retired construction worker. "He was just a good person. They both were.”

More than 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain has fallen on parts of the state since Sunday, and flooding has closed more than 100 roads and highways statewide. More rain is forecast for Saturday.

The fast-rising Meramec River threatened several homes and businesses on the outskirts of St. Louis, including in Pacific, Missouri, where city leaders encouraged many of its 7,500 residents to evacuate their homes. Officials canceled classes in schools in and around Pacific for the rest of the week.

The river is expected to crest Friday at a level that could lead to extensive flooding. The city was providing sand and bags for those who want to makeshift flood barriers. Authorities warned that the river could also swamp homes, and close roads and a state park in nearby Eureka, Missouri.

Missouri state Rep. Hannah Kelly, a Republican representing Wright County, said she knew the Baldwins and sometimes bumped into them at auctions.

“No matter what party line a person falls on today, no matter whether you’re sad or happy the morning after the election, I think we all can agree that it’s heart wrenching,” Kelly said.

Their former neighbor meanwhile pondered that the Baldwins died together while performing a service for the community.

“I wholeheartedly believe the Lord planned that one because neither one of them could have been without the other in any way, shape or form,” Ledford said. “They were actually made for each other. You know, people say that, but that actually happened with them.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1731006344386.png" alt="photo Missouri State Highway Patrol" />
 <figcaption>photo Missouri State Highway Patrol</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) —Chuck and Cathie Baldwin were driving in the dark early on Election Day to work a shift at their polling place in rural Missouri when floodwaters overtopped a creek and swept their vehicle off the road. The couple, married for more than half a century, were later found dead, clinging to a tree and to each other.Wright County Sheriff Sonny Byerley said the Baldwins — who regularly volunteered to help in elections — tried to swim to dry ground but drowned, among at least five people killed Tuesday as torrential rains drenched the state.“When I’d go to the polling locations, they were there and they were always happy to be a part of it," said Byerley, who polices the county of about 19,000 residents, 210 miles (340 kilometers) southeast of Kansas City. “They did believe in the American republic and the polling system.”The state's highway patrol and the sheriff have not released their names, saying only that the man who died was 70 and the woman was 73. But the Baldwins' daughter, Michelle Baldwin-Bostian, of North Carolina, confirmed their identities Wednesday.News spread fast among the couple's friends in tiny, tightknit unincorporated Manes, Missouri, where voters filled out their ballots in a music hall that regularly hosts performances by local artists.In this heavily Republican-leaning community, the Baldwins were rare Democrats, which is why they were tapped to join a bipartisan team working the polls, said 52-year-old Patty Squirell, who worked with Cathie Baldwin at a liquor store in nearby Mountain Grove.“Cathie was an angel here on earth,” she said. "She was so nonjudgmental and so loving and so kind. And we’re all in deep mourning.”Tanisha Ledford, who lived on the same dirt road as the couple for a decade, remembered how they watched her children when she was working three jobs, sometimes not getting home until 3 a.m.“You couldn’t go wrong with either one of them,” Ledford said. “Chuck stood up for the innocent, and Cathie would feed the poor. She did. I watched her do it. No one went hungry around her.”Lindsi Snyder, a teacher at Manes Elementary, said her parents were close to the Baldwins. She described how Chuck wasn't even 18 when he met Cathie and that the besotted young couple decided very quickly that they wanted to marry.In 2022, Cathie Baldwin marked their 52nd wedding anniversary with a Facebook post calling Chuck “the love of my life.”The sheriff said the Baldwins were driving in the dark on a two-lane highway around 4:30 a.m. Tuesday when their car was suddenly swept away by floodwaters from the fast-rising Beaver Creek.Three teenage boys in another car that was swept away at about the same time were able to swim to safety, and they knocked on the door of a nearby house to call 911. Byerley said the boys then returned to the surging water to try to reach the Baldwins.“They were out of their car, clinging to a tree,” Byerley said of the couple.But the current was too strong and the teens couldn’t get to them.Byerley used a drone and spotted the hugging couple holding onto low-lying tree limbs, but rescuers were unable to reach them in time. Cathie and Chuck died in each other's arms, the sheriff said.Snyder arrived at the music hall later that morning. She recalled how she and Chuck always teased each other and that she had commented to her daughter that she couldn't wait to see him at the polling place.After she voted, she asked an election worker where Chuck was.“And they go: ‘Lindsi, you didn’t know?’"Snyder said she immediately burst into tears. Her friends had drowned about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from the music hall.“He would do anything for anybody," she said of Chuck, a retired construction worker. "He was just a good person. They both were.”More than 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain has fallen on parts of the state since Sunday, and flooding has closed more than 100 roads and highways statewide. More rain is forecast for Saturday.The fast-rising Meramec River threatened several homes and businesses on the outskirts of St. Louis, including in Pacific, Missouri, where city leaders encouraged many of its 7,500 residents to evacuate their homes. Officials canceled classes in schools in and around Pacific for the rest of the week.The river is expected to crest Friday at a level that could lead to extensive flooding. The city was providing sand and bags for those who want to makeshift flood barriers. Authorities warned that the river could also swamp homes, and close roads and a state park in nearby Eureka, Missouri.Missouri state Rep. Hannah Kelly, a Republican representing Wright County, said she knew the Baldwins and sometimes bumped into them at auctions.“No matter what party line a person falls on today, no matter whether you’re sad or happy the morning after the election, I think we all can agree that it’s heart wrenching,” Kelly said.Their former neighbor meanwhile pondered that the Baldwins died together while performing a service for the community.“I wholeheartedly believe the Lord planned that one because neither one of them could have been without the other in any way, shape or form,” Ledford said. “They were actually made for each other. You know, people say that, but that actually happened with them.”

Volunteer poll workers drown on a flood-washed rural highway 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. House majority&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/senate-house-election-updates-11-5-2024#00000192-feae-dd3b-abfa-feeef4820000">hung in the balance</a>&nbsp;Thursday, teetering between Republican control that would usher in a new era of unified GOP governance in Washington or a flip to Democrats as a last line of resistance to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-wins-second-term-policies-de3dcf0f173b42602b258042fd7aaafb">Trump second-term White House agenda</a>.

A few individual seats, or even a single one, will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/explaining-election-2024">determine the outcome</a>. Final tallies will take a while, likely pushing the decision into next week — or beyond.

After Republicans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-elections-house-senate-harris-trump-94b49277db2a5c21f23236794a36afa6">swept into the majority</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. Senate by picking up seats in West Virginia, Ohio and Montana, House Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;predicted his chamber would fall in line next.

“Republicans are poised to have unified government in the White House, Senate and House,” Johnson said Wednesday.

President-elect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/trump-harris-election-updates-11-5-2024">won the Electoral College and the popular vote</a>&nbsp;against Democratic Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>, has consolidated growing power around his MAGA movement, backing newcomers to Washington and setting the stage for his own return to the White House.

Johnson said Republicans in Congress are preparing an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-speaker-mike-johnson-majority-trump-election-65d7217e4541cd314849c9a0da2b0081">“ambitious” 100-day agenda</a>&nbsp;with Trump, who he has said is “thinking big” about his legacy.

Tax cuts, securing the southern border and taking a ”blowtorch” to federal regulations are at the top of the agenda if the GOP sweeps the White House and Congress. Trump himself has promised mass deportations and retribution against his perceived enemies. And Republicans want to push federal agencies out of Washington and to restaff the government workforce with the help of outside think tanks, Johnson has said, to bring the federal government “to heel.”

But Johnson, after just a year on the job, has had difficulty governing the House, and the new Congress would be no different. Hard-liners led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Rep. Matt Gaetz and others have often confronted and upended their own GOP leadership in what has been one of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-house-chaos-elections-democrats-republicans-divide-50e562326d5c1d8a43cc86381d5705f5">most chaotic sessions</a>&nbsp;in modern times.

If Johnson’s slim four-seat majority were to shrink any further, governing could come to a standstill.

Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said the House “remains very much in play.”

With Democrats having defeated two House Republicans in Jeffries’ home state of New York, he said the path to the majority now runs through pickup opportunities in Arizona, Oregon, Iowa and California that are still too early to call.

“We must count every vote,” Jeffries said.

The House contests remained a tit-for-tat fight to the finish, with no dominant pathway to the majority for either party. Rarely, if ever have the two chambers of Congress flipped in opposite directions.

Each side is gaining and losing a few seats, including through the redistricting process, which is the routine redrawing of House seat boundary lines. The process reset seats in North Carolina, Louisiana and Alabama.

Much of the outcome hinges on the West, particularly in California, where a handful of House seats are being fiercely contested, and mail-in ballots arriving a week after the election will still be counted. Hard-fought races around the “blue dot” in Omaha, Nebraska and in far-flung Alaska are among those being watched.

Trump, speaking early Wednesday at his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/donald-trump-donald-trump-es-florida-west-palm-beach-729b033628874b8392a148c073148602">election night party</a>&nbsp;in Florida, said the results delivered an “unprecedented and powerful mandate” for Republicans.

He called the Senate rout “incredible,” and he praised Johnson, saying he’s “doing a terrific job.”

From the U.S. Capitol, Senate GOP Leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mitch-mcconnell">Mitch McConnell</a>, privately a harsh Trump critic, called it a “hell of a good day.”

Senate Republicans marched across the map alongside Trump, flipping the three Democratic-held seats and holding their own against Democratic challengers who failed to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz in Texas and Sen. Rick Scott in Florida.

In West Virginia,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/west-virginia-senate-justice-elliott-7376ed0ceb9bebd0766190fb14cc0e69">Jim Justice,</a>&nbsp;the state’s wealthy governor, flipped the seat held by retiring Sen. Joe Manchin. Republicans toppled Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown in Ohio with GOP luxury car dealer and blockchain entrepreneur&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-senate-ohio-brown-moreno-74c4b91e5866215d4201377fefcadad0">Bernie Moreno.</a>&nbsp;And Republican Tim Sheehy defeated Democratic Sen. Jon Tester in Montana.

Democrats avoided a total wipeout by salvaging seats in the “blue wall” states. Rep. Elissa Slotkin won an open Senate seat in Michigan, and Sen. Tammy Baldwin was reelected in Wisconsin. Pennsylvania’s race between Democratic Sen. Bob Casey and Republican challenger Dave McCormick was still undecided.

In other developments, Democrats made history by sending two Black women, Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware and Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland, to the Senate. Just thee Black women, including Harris, have served in the Senate, but never two at the same time.

All told, Senate Republicans have the potential to achieve their most robust majority in years — a testament to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mitch-mcconnell">McConnell</a>, who made a career charting a path to power, this time aligned with Trump whom he has privately called “despicable” in the run-up to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

During a news conference Wednesday, McConnell declined to answer questions about his past stark criticism of Trump and said he viewed the election results as a referendum on the Biden administration.

He told reporters at the Capitol that a Senate under Republican control would “control the guardrails” and prevent changes in Senate rules that would end the filibuster.

“People were just not happy with this administration and the Democratic nominee was a part of it,” McConnell said.

What’s still unclear is who will lead the new Republican Senate, as McConnell prepares to step down from the post.

South Dakota Sen. John Thune, the No. 2 Republican, and Texas Sen. John Cornyn, who previously held that post, are the front-runners to replace McConnell in a secret-ballot election scheduled for when senators arrive in Washington next week.

Associated Press writers Stephen Groves, Kevin Freking and Farnoush Amiri contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730988020671.png" alt="Image AP" />
 <figcaption>Image AP</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. House majority&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/senate-house-election-updates-11-5-2024#00000192-feae-dd3b-abfa-feeef4820000">hung in the balance</a>&nbsp;Thursday, teetering between Republican control that would usher in a new era of unified GOP governance in Washington or a flip to Democrats as a last line of resistance to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-wins-second-term-policies-de3dcf0f173b42602b258042fd7aaafb">Trump second-term White House agenda</a>.A few individual seats, or even a single one, will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/explaining-election-2024">determine the outcome</a>. Final tallies will take a while, likely pushing the decision into next week — or beyond.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691086285875.jpeg" alt="U.S. Capitol (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Capitol (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)</figcaption>
 </figure>After Republicans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-elections-house-senate-harris-trump-94b49277db2a5c21f23236794a36afa6">swept into the majority</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. Senate by picking up seats in West Virginia, Ohio and Montana, House Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;predicted his chamber would fall in line next.“Republicans are poised to have unified government in the White House, Senate and House,” Johnson said Wednesday.President-elect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/trump-harris-election-updates-11-5-2024">won the Electoral College and the popular vote</a>&nbsp;against Democratic Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>, has consolidated growing power around his MAGA movement, backing newcomers to Washington and setting the stage for his own return to the White House.Johnson said Republicans in Congress are preparing an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-speaker-mike-johnson-majority-trump-election-65d7217e4541cd314849c9a0da2b0081">“ambitious” 100-day agenda</a>&nbsp;with Trump, who he has said is “thinking big” about his legacy.Tax cuts, securing the southern border and taking a ”blowtorch” to federal regulations are at the top of the agenda if the GOP sweeps the White House and Congress. Trump himself has promised mass deportations and retribution against his perceived enemies. And Republicans want to push federal agencies out of Washington and to restaff the government workforce with the help of outside think tanks, Johnson has said, to bring the federal government “to heel.”But Johnson, after just a year on the job, has had difficulty governing the House, and the new Congress would be no different. Hard-liners led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Rep. Matt Gaetz and others have often confronted and upended their own GOP leadership in what has been one of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-house-chaos-elections-democrats-republicans-divide-50e562326d5c1d8a43cc86381d5705f5">most chaotic sessions</a>&nbsp;in modern times.If Johnson’s slim four-seat majority were to shrink any further, governing could come to a standstill.Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said the House “remains very much in play.”With Democrats having defeated two House Republicans in Jeffries’ home state of New York, he said the path to the majority now runs through pickup opportunities in Arizona, Oregon, Iowa and California that are still too early to call.“We must count every vote,” Jeffries said.The House contests remained a tit-for-tat fight to the finish, with no dominant pathway to the majority for either party. Rarely, if ever have the two chambers of Congress flipped in opposite directions.Each side is gaining and losing a few seats, including through the redistricting process, which is the routine redrawing of House seat boundary lines. The process reset seats in North Carolina, Louisiana and Alabama.Much of the outcome hinges on the West, particularly in California, where a handful of House seats are being fiercely contested, and mail-in ballots arriving a week after the election will still be counted. Hard-fought races around the “blue dot” in Omaha, Nebraska and in far-flung Alaska are among those being watched.Trump, speaking early Wednesday at his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/donald-trump-donald-trump-es-florida-west-palm-beach-729b033628874b8392a148c073148602">election night party</a>&nbsp;in Florida, said the results delivered an “unprecedented and powerful mandate” for Republicans.He called the Senate rout “incredible,” and he praised Johnson, saying he’s “doing a terrific job.”From the U.S. Capitol, Senate GOP Leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mitch-mcconnell">Mitch McConnell</a>, privately a harsh Trump critic, called it a “hell of a good day.”Senate Republicans marched across the map alongside Trump, flipping the three Democratic-held seats and holding their own against Democratic challengers who failed to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz in Texas and Sen. Rick Scott in Florida.In West Virginia,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/west-virginia-senate-justice-elliott-7376ed0ceb9bebd0766190fb14cc0e69">Jim Justice,</a>&nbsp;the state’s wealthy governor, flipped the seat held by retiring Sen. Joe Manchin. Republicans toppled Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown in Ohio with GOP luxury car dealer and blockchain entrepreneur&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-senate-ohio-brown-moreno-74c4b91e5866215d4201377fefcadad0">Bernie Moreno.</a>&nbsp;And Republican Tim Sheehy defeated Democratic Sen. Jon Tester in Montana.Democrats avoided a total wipeout by salvaging seats in the “blue wall” states. Rep. Elissa Slotkin won an open Senate seat in Michigan, and Sen. Tammy Baldwin was reelected in Wisconsin. Pennsylvania’s race between Democratic Sen. Bob Casey and Republican challenger Dave McCormick was still undecided.In other developments, Democrats made history by sending two Black women, Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware and Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland, to the Senate. Just thee Black women, including Harris, have served in the Senate, but never two at the same time.All told, Senate Republicans have the potential to achieve their most robust majority in years — a testament to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mitch-mcconnell">McConnell</a>, who made a career charting a path to power, this time aligned with Trump whom he has privately called “despicable” in the run-up to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.During a news conference Wednesday, McConnell declined to answer questions about his past stark criticism of Trump and said he viewed the election results as a referendum on the Biden administration.He told reporters at the Capitol that a Senate under Republican control would “control the guardrails” and prevent changes in Senate rules that would end the filibuster.“People were just not happy with this administration and the Democratic nominee was a part of it,” McConnell said.What’s still unclear is who will lead the new Republican Senate, as McConnell prepares to step down from the post.South Dakota Sen. John Thune, the No. 2 Republican, and Texas Sen. John Cornyn, who previously held that post, are the front-runners to replace McConnell in a secret-ballot election scheduled for when senators arrive in Washington next week.<h2>___</h2>Associated Press writers Stephen Groves, Kevin Freking and Farnoush Amiri contributed to this report.

Control of the US House still hangs in the balance 

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;spent his first day as president-elect receiving congratulatory phone calls from his defeated opponent, world leaders and President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;as he began the process of turning his election victory into a government.

Trump was keeping a low profile, staying out of the public eye after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-day-trump-harris-white-house-83c8e246ab97f5b97be45cdc156af4e2">addressing supporters in Florida</a>&nbsp;during the wee hours of Wednesday morning.

Vice President Kamala Harris called Trump to concede the race and to congratulate him, while Biden invited the man he ousted from the White House four years ago to an Oval Office meeting to prepare to return the keys.

“President Trump looks forward to the meeting, which will take place shortly, and very much appreciated the call,” said Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung.

Biden's chief of staff later Wednesday nudged the Trump team to sign the required federal agreements necessary to begin an orderly presidential transition, a White House official said.

A source with knowledge of the Trump campaign said transition talks to take over power on Jan. 20, 2025, had not begun in earnest. Instead, the president-elect was busy taking calls from leaders, domestic and international, donors and key supporters. Transition discussions are expected to ramp up later in the week, as attention turns to naming an inaugural committee and a formal transition team.

Biden chief of staff Jeff Zients reached out to Trump transition co-chairs Howard Lutnick and Linda McMahon to reiterate the important role the agreements with the White House and the General Services Administration play in beginning a presidential transition. The White House official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive transition planning.

The delay is holding up the federal government’s ability to begin processing security clearances for potential Trump administration national security appointees, which could limit the number of his staff who could work on sensitive information by Inauguration Day. It also means they can’t yet access federal facilities, documents and personnel to prepare for taking office.

The agreements are required by the Presidential Transition Act, and require the president-elect’s team to agree to an ethics plan and to limit and disclose private donations. Congress, in the act, set a deadline of Sept. 1 for the GSA agreement and Oct. 1 for the White House agreement, in an effort to ensure that incoming administrations are prepared to govern when they enter office on Jan. 20.

Lutnick and McMahon released a statement late Wednesday saying Trump will be selecting personnel for his administration in the “days and weeks ahead," but did not address the agreements with the Biden administration.

“As he chooses the best people to join his team and best policies to pursue, his transition team will ensure the implementation of President Trump’s common sense agenda starting on Day 1,” they said.

The White House announced that Biden had spoken to the president-elect and expressed his commitment to ensuring a smooth transition, while emphasizing the importance of working to bring the country together.

Biden also called Harris to salute her for her campaign. And Trump and Harris spoke on a call where the president-elect "acknowledged Vice President Harris on her strength, professionalism, and tenacity throughout the campaign, and both leaders agreed on the importance of unifying the country,” according to Trump spokesman Steven Cheung.

Israeli Prime Minister&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/benjamin-netanyahu">Benjamin Netanyahu</a>&nbsp;’s office said he called Trump and the pair had a “warm and cordial” conversation while also also discussing the ”Iranian threat.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had an “excellent call” with Trump, who has threatened to cut off the steady flow of U.S. aid and arms to his nation in its fight against Russia's nearly three-year-old invasion. “I praised his family and team for their great work," Zelenskyy said. "We agreed to maintain close dialogue and advance our cooperation. Strong and unwavering U.S. leadership is vital for the world and for a just peace.”

French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called Trump, too, as did Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mohammad-bin-salman-bin-abdulaziz-al-saud">Mohammed bin Salman,</a>&nbsp;who spoke to the president-elect to express "the kingdom’s aspiration to strengthen the historical and strategic relations between the two countries, wishing the friendly American people progress and prosperity under his excellency’s leadership,” according to a statement from Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry.

Trump made his first foreign trip as president during his first term to Saudi Arabia. He stood by the kingdom then, even as ties became strained over the killing of Washington Post columnist&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jamal-khashoggi">Jamal Khashoggi</a>&nbsp;by Saudi operatives in Istanbul.

The president-elect has since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-mideast-netanyahu-israel-gaza-iran-wars-2e37305522d19bdc34e956586cce99bd">vowed to bring peace to the Middle East</a>&nbsp;at a time when Israel is at war with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon and has recently traded fire with Iran. Trump, who was a staunch supporter of Israel during his previous term, has not said how he'd accomplish that.

Meanwhile, U.S. markets, banks and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bitcoin-crypto-donald-trump-election-c2e2a1a895288c5e9c0df2721012a5bb">bitcoin</a>&nbsp;all stormed higher Wednesday, as did Tesla, owned by outspoken Trump supporter Elon Musk, as investors looked favorably on a smooth election and Trump returning to the White House.

Trump got more potential good news with word that special counsel&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jack-smith">Jack Smith</a>&nbsp;is evaluating how to wind down the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/trump-investigations-civil-criminal-tracker/">two federal cases against</a>&nbsp;the president-elect before he takes office in light of longstanding Justice Department policy that says sitting presidents cannot be prosecuted, according to a person familiar with Smith’s plans who was not authorized to discuss the matter by name and spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press.

Smith charged Trump last year with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indicted-jan-6-investigation-special-counsel-debb59bb7a4d9f93f7e2dace01feccdc">plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-justice-department-indictment-classified-documents-miami-8315a5b23c18f27083ed64eef21efff3">illegally hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate</a>. The latter case had already been dismissed. But Trump’s election victory means that the Justice Department believes he can no longer face prosecution in accordance with decades-old department legal opinions meant to shield presidents from criminal charges while in office.

Miller and Weissert reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Eric Tucker, Tom Beamont and Michelle L. Price in Washington contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719509357152.png" alt="Inage courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Inage courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;spent his first day as president-elect receiving congratulatory phone calls from his defeated opponent, world leaders and President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;as he began the process of turning his election victory into a government.Trump was keeping a low profile, staying out of the public eye after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-day-trump-harris-white-house-83c8e246ab97f5b97be45cdc156af4e2">addressing supporters in Florida</a>&nbsp;during the wee hours of Wednesday morning.Vice President Kamala Harris called Trump to concede the race and to congratulate him, while Biden invited the man he ousted from the White House four years ago to an Oval Office meeting to prepare to return the keys.“President Trump looks forward to the meeting, which will take place shortly, and very much appreciated the call,” said Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung.Biden's chief of staff later Wednesday nudged the Trump team to sign the required federal agreements necessary to begin an orderly presidential transition, a White House official said.A source with knowledge of the Trump campaign said transition talks to take over power on Jan. 20, 2025, had not begun in earnest. Instead, the president-elect was busy taking calls from leaders, domestic and international, donors and key supporters. Transition discussions are expected to ramp up later in the week, as attention turns to naming an inaugural committee and a formal transition team.Biden chief of staff Jeff Zients reached out to Trump transition co-chairs Howard Lutnick and Linda McMahon to reiterate the important role the agreements with the White House and the General Services Administration play in beginning a presidential transition. The White House official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive transition planning.The delay is holding up the federal government’s ability to begin processing security clearances for potential Trump administration national security appointees, which could limit the number of his staff who could work on sensitive information by Inauguration Day. It also means they can’t yet access federal facilities, documents and personnel to prepare for taking office.The agreements are required by the Presidential Transition Act, and require the president-elect’s team to agree to an ethics plan and to limit and disclose private donations. Congress, in the act, set a deadline of Sept. 1 for the GSA agreement and Oct. 1 for the White House agreement, in an effort to ensure that incoming administrations are prepared to govern when they enter office on Jan. 20.Lutnick and McMahon released a statement late Wednesday saying Trump will be selecting personnel for his administration in the “days and weeks ahead," but did not address the agreements with the Biden administration.“As he chooses the best people to join his team and best policies to pursue, his transition team will ensure the implementation of President Trump’s common sense agenda starting on Day 1,” they said.The White House announced that Biden had spoken to the president-elect and expressed his commitment to ensuring a smooth transition, while emphasizing the importance of working to bring the country together.Biden also called Harris to salute her for her campaign. And Trump and Harris spoke on a call where the president-elect "acknowledged Vice President Harris on her strength, professionalism, and tenacity throughout the campaign, and both leaders agreed on the importance of unifying the country,” according to Trump spokesman Steven Cheung.Israeli Prime Minister&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/benjamin-netanyahu">Benjamin Netanyahu</a>&nbsp;’s office said he called Trump and the pair had a “warm and cordial” conversation while also also discussing the ”Iranian threat.”Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had an “excellent call” with Trump, who has threatened to cut off the steady flow of U.S. aid and arms to his nation in its fight against Russia's nearly three-year-old invasion. “I praised his family and team for their great work," Zelenskyy said. "We agreed to maintain close dialogue and advance our cooperation. Strong and unwavering U.S. leadership is vital for the world and for a just peace.”French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called Trump, too, as did Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mohammad-bin-salman-bin-abdulaziz-al-saud">Mohammed bin Salman,</a>&nbsp;who spoke to the president-elect to express "the kingdom’s aspiration to strengthen the historical and strategic relations between the two countries, wishing the friendly American people progress and prosperity under his excellency’s leadership,” according to a statement from Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry.Trump made his first foreign trip as president during his first term to Saudi Arabia. He stood by the kingdom then, even as ties became strained over the killing of Washington Post columnist&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jamal-khashoggi">Jamal Khashoggi</a>&nbsp;by Saudi operatives in Istanbul.The president-elect has since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-mideast-netanyahu-israel-gaza-iran-wars-2e37305522d19bdc34e956586cce99bd">vowed to bring peace to the Middle East</a>&nbsp;at a time when Israel is at war with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon and has recently traded fire with Iran. Trump, who was a staunch supporter of Israel during his previous term, has not said how he'd accomplish that.Meanwhile, U.S. markets, banks and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bitcoin-crypto-donald-trump-election-c2e2a1a895288c5e9c0df2721012a5bb">bitcoin</a>&nbsp;all stormed higher Wednesday, as did Tesla, owned by outspoken Trump supporter Elon Musk, as investors looked favorably on a smooth election and Trump returning to the White House.Trump got more potential good news with word that special counsel&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jack-smith">Jack Smith</a>&nbsp;is evaluating how to wind down the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/trump-investigations-civil-criminal-tracker/">two federal cases against</a>&nbsp;the president-elect before he takes office in light of longstanding Justice Department policy that says sitting presidents cannot be prosecuted, according to a person familiar with Smith’s plans who was not authorized to discuss the matter by name and spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press.Smith charged Trump last year with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indicted-jan-6-investigation-special-counsel-debb59bb7a4d9f93f7e2dace01feccdc">plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-justice-department-indictment-classified-documents-miami-8315a5b23c18f27083ed64eef21efff3">illegally hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate</a>. The latter case had already been dismissed. But Trump’s election victory means that the Justice Department believes he can no longer face prosecution in accordance with decades-old department legal opinions meant to shield presidents from criminal charges while in office.__Miller and Weissert reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Eric Tucker, Tom Beamont and Michelle L. Price in Washington contributed to this report.

Biden invites Trump to meeting at the White House

The abortion-rights groups behind the amendment are challenging Missouri’s TRAP laws in the hopes of opening up more access than Missourians have seen in decades

Missouri’s Planned Parenthood clinics filed a lawsuit Wednesday seeking to strike down the state’s current abortion restrictions, less than 24 hours after&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/05/missouri-voters-overturn-states-near-total-abortion-ban/">an amendment enshrining reproductive rights in the constitution was approved by voters.&nbsp;</a>

The news was announced Wednesday afternoon by coalition members of Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, the organization behind Amendment 3.&nbsp;

Leaders with both Planned Parenthood Great Plains and Planned Parenthood Great Rivers said if the court grants their injunction, they plan to start providing abortions the day the amendment goes into effect on Dec. 5 at the health centers in Columbia, the Central West End in St. Louis and the Midtown neighborhood of Kansas City.

A series of “targeted regulation of abortion providers” laws enacted by the legislature, including a mandatory 72-hour waiting period between the initial appointment and a surgical abortion and mandatory pelvic exams for medication abortions “were parts of a&nbsp;web of impenetrable, onerous, and medically unnecessary restrictions targeted at abortion providers,” that limited access for Missourians for years prior to the state’s abortion ban, the lawsuit reads.

“The restrictions we’re challenging today do not actually help patients. They hurt them,” Richard Muniz, interim President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, said during a press conference Wednesday. “The ripple effects of these overreaching policies can be felt throughout the state. Missouri continues to have high STI rates and poor pregnancy outcomes, and providers do not want to train or practice in Missouri, creating even further scarcity and gaps in coverage for thousands of women and pregnant people throughout Missouri.”

The constitutional amendment, which won with<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/election-results-2024/missouri/?r=83071" target="_blank">&nbsp;51.7% of the nearly 3 million votes</a>&nbsp;cast Tuesday, goes into effect in 30 days and prohibits the legislature from regulating abortion prior to the point of fetal viability — generally seen as the point at which a fetus can likely survive outside the womb without extraordinary measures.

But both proponents of and those opposed to Amendment 3 have warned that abortion access would not be immediate, as a bevy of challenges to current law must first make their way through the courts.

The lawsuit, which was filed in Jackson County, challenges a number of current state laws, including the state’s current abortion ban, a trigger law enacted in June 2022 that only allows abortions exceptions in cases of medical emergencies.&nbsp;

Among the TRAP laws targeted by the new lawsuit include:&nbsp;

The lawsuit also addresses access to medication abortion, asking that a judge lift the current restrictions that would make it difficult to prescribe, including a telemedicine ban that requires the physician who prescribes the medication to also be in the room when the patient takes the first dose of the medication.&nbsp;

It also seeks to end criminal penalties for abortion providers, who currently face loss of their license and up to 15 years in prison if they perform an abortion that doesn’t fall under the current exception for medical emergencies.&nbsp;

The lawsuit does not challenge Missouri’s current law requiring parental or guardian consent for minors seeking abortions. Muniz did not specifically say whether this will be challenged in the future, but rather noted this is only the first lawsuit.

Court challenges can take months, if not years. In Ohio, where citizens voted to protect abortion rights one year ago,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-abortion-ban-ruling-e83ad0f1af11ded06d73d900bb240a04" target="_blank">a county judge just struck down that state’s “heartbeat” law.</a>

Freda Levenson, legal director for the ACLU of Ohio, said while the payoff is worthwhile, the road can be long to reach widespread access.&nbsp;

“They shouldn’t engage in magical thinking or fiction that these restrictions will fall away on their own,” she advised Missourians who voted in support of Amendment 3. “This is going to take hard work.”

Tori Schafer, director of policy and campaigns at the ACLU of Missouri, said while she hopes the legislature will respect the will of the people, those who supported Amendment 3 stand ready to hold them accountable.

Missouri lawmakers including state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman and U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley have said<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/05/02/missouri-abortion-amendment-march-life/">&nbsp;they intend to give Missourians the opportunity to vote on abortion again.&nbsp;</a>

When asked in September what GOP lawmakers might do if Amendment 3 passed, Coleman pointed to a 2018 citizen-led amendment that would have required legislative districts be drawn to ensure partisan fairness. This amendment, known as&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2020/11/04/voters-repeal-clean-missouri-redistricting-plan-they-enacted-in-2018/">“Clean Missouri,” was repealed two years later</a>&nbsp;through a legislature-proposed amendment.

On Wednesday morning, Mary Catherine Martin, an attorney with the Thomas More Society who previously argued against the amendment before the Missouri Supreme Court, promised to defend Missouri against Amendment 3.&nbsp;

“They’re not going to stand back and give up,” Levenson said. “They’ll fight around the edges to keep any restrictions in that they can.”&nbsp;

Former President Donald Trump’s victory means Missouri abortion-rights organizations may have more than just state anti-abortion forces working against them. It could soon also be the federal government.&nbsp;&nbsp;

One example is federal enforcement of the Comstock Act, an 1873 law that bans mailing obscene material, including for the use of abortion.

Hawley, who was re-elected to a second term on Tuesday, was among a number of senators who signed a letter in 2023 asking the U.S. Attorney General to enforce the Comstock Act&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24834197-20230123-letter-on-comstock-to-doj" target="_blank">and make illegal the mailing of abortion medication</a>, which has increasingly become popular and accessible across the United States over the last two years.

“We are being thoughtful about what a change in the federal administration could mean,” said Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains. “I think more than anything, it will be the time for Missourians and individuals in other states who may have crossed political lines to hold accountable national leaders who have said they think this should be an issue decided by the states.”

Kellie Copeland, executive director of Pro-Choice Ohio, which led that state’s successful abortion-rights ballot measure last year,&nbsp;noted that it also takes time to rebuild health care infrastructure that had been limited or eliminated with abortion restrictions.&nbsp;

While abortion wasn’t outlawed in Missouri until the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion two years ago, Missourians have long lacked access to the procedure as TRAP laws whittled away at abortion clinics’ abilities to stay open.&nbsp;

For clinics near the Kansas and Illinois borders, providers began sending Missourians across state lines where laws were less restrictive.&nbsp;

A decade ago, more than 5,000 abortions were performed in Missouri, according to the health department. By 2020, that number dropped to 167 as a result of the TRAP laws.

Between June 24, 2022 and July 31, 2024, 74 abortions were performed in Missouri under the state’s emergency exemption, according to data from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

Despite facing additional hurdles to care, including the time and financial costs of travel, time off work and childcare, many Missourians have continued accessing abortion in the post-Roe era.

In 2023 alone, approximately 2,860 Missourians traveled to Kansas last year for abortions, and 8,710 traveled to Illinois,&nbsp;<a href="https://guttmacherinstitute.github.io/provision-dashboard/" target="_blank">according to the Guttmacher Institute,</a>&nbsp;a reproductive rights research group that closely tracks abortion data.&nbsp;

Abortion access in Missouri will likely have ripple effects across the Midwest and south, opening up another access point for those in states with bans like Iowa, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas.

Copeland said Missouri’s first step toward legal action is nothing short of “momentous.”

“That the Missouri team did it this year of all years in this political climate is astounding,” she said. “It shows what an incredible campaign they waged, but also how deeply people feel about abortion access and reproductive freedom regardless of the party they identify with.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728400594576.png" alt=" The Planned Parenthood clinic in Missouri (Tessa Weinberg/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> The Planned Parenthood clinic in Missouri (Tessa Weinberg/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The abortion-rights groups behind the amendment are challenging Missouri’s TRAP laws in the hopes of opening up more access than Missourians have seen in decades</h2>Missouri’s Planned Parenthood clinics filed a lawsuit Wednesday seeking to strike down the state’s current abortion restrictions, less than 24 hours after&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/11/05/missouri-voters-overturn-states-near-total-abortion-ban/">an amendment enshrining reproductive rights in the constitution was approved by voters.&nbsp;</a>The news was announced Wednesday afternoon by coalition members of Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, the organization behind Amendment 3.&nbsp;Leaders with both Planned Parenthood Great Plains and Planned Parenthood Great Rivers said if the court grants their injunction, they plan to start providing abortions the day the amendment goes into effect on Dec. 5 at the health centers in Columbia, the Central West End in St. Louis and the Midtown neighborhood of Kansas City.A series of “targeted regulation of abortion providers” laws enacted by the legislature, including a mandatory 72-hour waiting period between the initial appointment and a surgical abortion and mandatory pelvic exams for medication abortions “were parts of a&nbsp;web of impenetrable, onerous, and medically unnecessary restrictions targeted at abortion providers,” that limited access for Missourians for years prior to the state’s abortion ban, the lawsuit reads.“The restrictions we’re challenging today do not actually help patients. They hurt them,” Richard Muniz, interim President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, said during a press conference Wednesday. “The ripple effects of these overreaching policies can be felt throughout the state. Missouri continues to have high STI rates and poor pregnancy outcomes, and providers do not want to train or practice in Missouri, creating even further scarcity and gaps in coverage for thousands of women and pregnant people throughout Missouri.”The constitutional amendment, which won with<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/election-results-2024/missouri/?r=83071" target="_blank">&nbsp;51.7% of the nearly 3 million votes</a>&nbsp;cast Tuesday, goes into effect in 30 days and prohibits the legislature from regulating abortion prior to the point of fetal viability — generally seen as the point at which a fetus can likely survive outside the womb without extraordinary measures.But both proponents of and those opposed to Amendment 3 have warned that abortion access would not be immediate, as a bevy of challenges to current law must first make their way through the courts.The lawsuit, which was filed in Jackson County, challenges a number of current state laws, including the state’s current abortion ban, a trigger law enacted in June 2022 that only allows abortions exceptions in cases of medical emergencies.&nbsp;Among the TRAP laws targeted by the new lawsuit include:&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Requirements that abortion clinics be licensed as ambulatory surgical centers.&nbsp;</li><li>A 72-hour waiting period between a patient’s initial visit with a doctor and their abortion procedure.</li><li>Mandates that abortion clinics be located within 30 miles of a hospital where they have admitting privileges.&nbsp;</li><li>The required submission of all tissue removed during an abortion be submitted to a pathologist.&nbsp;</li><li>Rules requiring abortion providers report all abortions and abortion complications to the state.&nbsp;</li><li>Requirements that the same physician who initially sees a patient must also be the physician who performs the abortion procedure.</li><li>Current law requiring only physicians can perform abortions, excluding physician assistants and advanced practice registered nurses.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>The lawsuit also addresses access to medication abortion, asking that a judge lift the current restrictions that would make it difficult to prescribe, including a telemedicine ban that requires the physician who prescribes the medication to also be in the room when the patient takes the first dose of the medication.&nbsp;It also seeks to end criminal penalties for abortion providers, who currently face loss of their license and up to 15 years in prison if they perform an abortion that doesn’t fall under the current exception for medical emergencies.&nbsp;The lawsuit does not challenge Missouri’s current law requiring parental or guardian consent for minors seeking abortions. Muniz did not specifically say whether this will be challenged in the future, but rather noted this is only the first lawsuit.Court challenges can take months, if not years. In Ohio, where citizens voted to protect abortion rights one year ago,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-abortion-ban-ruling-e83ad0f1af11ded06d73d900bb240a04" target="_blank">a county judge just struck down that state’s “heartbeat” law.</a>Freda Levenson, legal director for the ACLU of Ohio, said while the payoff is worthwhile, the road can be long to reach widespread access.&nbsp;“They shouldn’t engage in magical thinking or fiction that these restrictions will fall away on their own,” she advised Missourians who voted in support of Amendment 3. “This is going to take hard work.”Tori Schafer, director of policy and campaigns at the ACLU of Missouri, said while she hopes the legislature will respect the will of the people, those who supported Amendment 3 stand ready to hold them accountable.Missouri lawmakers including state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman and U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley have said<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/05/02/missouri-abortion-amendment-march-life/">&nbsp;they intend to give Missourians the opportunity to vote on abortion again.&nbsp;</a>When asked in September what GOP lawmakers might do if Amendment 3 passed, Coleman pointed to a 2018 citizen-led amendment that would have required legislative districts be drawn to ensure partisan fairness. This amendment, known as&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2020/11/04/voters-repeal-clean-missouri-redistricting-plan-they-enacted-in-2018/">“Clean Missouri,” was repealed two years later</a>&nbsp;through a legislature-proposed amendment.On Wednesday morning, Mary Catherine Martin, an attorney with the Thomas More Society who previously argued against the amendment before the Missouri Supreme Court, promised to defend Missouri against Amendment 3.&nbsp;“They’re not going to stand back and give up,” Levenson said. “They’ll fight around the edges to keep any restrictions in that they can.”&nbsp;Former President Donald Trump’s victory means Missouri abortion-rights organizations may have more than just state anti-abortion forces working against them. It could soon also be the federal government.&nbsp;&nbsp;One example is federal enforcement of the Comstock Act, an 1873 law that bans mailing obscene material, including for the use of abortion.Hawley, who was re-elected to a second term on Tuesday, was among a number of senators who signed a letter in 2023 asking the U.S. Attorney General to enforce the Comstock Act&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24834197-20230123-letter-on-comstock-to-doj" target="_blank">and make illegal the mailing of abortion medication</a>, which has increasingly become popular and accessible across the United States over the last two years.“We are being thoughtful about what a change in the federal administration could mean,” said Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains. “I think more than anything, it will be the time for Missourians and individuals in other states who may have crossed political lines to hold accountable national leaders who have said they think this should be an issue decided by the states.”Kellie Copeland, executive director of Pro-Choice Ohio, which led that state’s successful abortion-rights ballot measure last year,&nbsp;noted that it also takes time to rebuild health care infrastructure that had been limited or eliminated with abortion restrictions.&nbsp;While abortion wasn’t outlawed in Missouri until the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion two years ago, Missourians have long lacked access to the procedure as TRAP laws whittled away at abortion clinics’ abilities to stay open.&nbsp;For clinics near the Kansas and Illinois borders, providers began sending Missourians across state lines where laws were less restrictive.&nbsp;A decade ago, more than 5,000 abortions were performed in Missouri, according to the health department. By 2020, that number dropped to 167 as a result of the TRAP laws.Between June 24, 2022 and July 31, 2024, 74 abortions were performed in Missouri under the state’s emergency exemption, according to data from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.Despite facing additional hurdles to care, including the time and financial costs of travel, time off work and childcare, many Missourians have continued accessing abortion in the post-Roe era.In 2023 alone, approximately 2,860 Missourians traveled to Kansas last year for abortions, and 8,710 traveled to Illinois,&nbsp;<a href="https://guttmacherinstitute.github.io/provision-dashboard/" target="_blank">according to the Guttmacher Institute,</a>&nbsp;a reproductive rights research group that closely tracks abortion data.&nbsp;Abortion access in Missouri will likely have ripple effects across the Midwest and south, opening up another access point for those in states with bans like Iowa, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas.Copeland said Missouri’s first step toward legal action is nothing short of “momentous.”“That the Missouri team did it this year of all years in this political climate is astounding,” she said. “It shows what an incredible campaign they waged, but also how deeply people feel about abortion access and reproductive freedom regardless of the party they identify with.”

Lawsuit challenges Missouri’s abortion restrictions hours after voters approve Amendment 3

By TONY GUERRERO Hays Post

Fort Hays North Central Technical College in Hays broke ground on Tuesday on a new building.

The new building will feature classrooms, office spaces and workshops to support its construction and Commercial Driver License programs.

North Central Tech President Eric Burks said the 29,000-square-foot building will double the capacity of these programs.

"We've been turning students away. ... We've had to tell students that they're on a waiting list, and we're probably not going to get through that waiting list," he said.

The new two-story facility, 2205 Wheatland Ave., will be designed to serve more students and staff beginning next fall. It will be east of the parking lot next to the administration building.

Multiple grants and community partnerships, including contributions from the city of Hays support the project.

Hays Mayor Sandy Jacobs congratulated Burks and North Central Tech on the project at the ceremony.

"Thank you, Fort Hays Tech North Central. We appreciate your investment in our community and look forward to what the future brings," Jacobs said.

North Central Tech obtained grants from the Department of Commerce and the Patterson Family Foundation, which contributed $750,000 to support the building's construction.

Diana Baumann, North Central Tech vice president of finance and Hays operations, opened the event and introduced several speakers, such as Managing Principal Phillip Jordan from Alloy Architecture and North Central Tech student Cooper Hosman.

Hosman is from Ellinwood and is a plumbing, heating and air conditioning program student at North Central Tech. He also intends to study in the electrical program.

Hosman said he enrolled at North Central Tech because of its hands-on learning opportunities.

"Although the current facilities are good and allow us to work in groups, our classrooms and shops can be very tight spaces," he said.

Jordan has been involved in five projects with Fort Hays State University and contributed to the building's design.

He said the ceremony symbolized the beginning of a bright future for both students and the neighboring communities.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730916837946.jpeg" alt="The turning the soil ceremony at the Fort Hays North Central Technical College in Hays. Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>The turning the soil ceremony at the Fort Hays North Central Technical College in Hays. Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>By TONY GUERRERO Hays PostFort Hays North Central Technical College in Hays broke ground on Tuesday on a new building.The new building will feature classrooms, office spaces and workshops to support its construction and Commercial Driver License programs.North Central Tech President Eric Burks said the 29,000-square-foot building will double the capacity of these programs."We've been turning students away. ... We've had to tell students that they're on a waiting list, and we're probably not going to get through that waiting list," he said.The new two-story facility, 2205 Wheatland Ave., will be designed to serve more students and staff beginning next fall. It will be east of the parking lot next to the administration building.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730916902128.jpeg" alt="Rendering of the new building at Fort Hays North Central Technical College in Hays" />
 <figcaption>Rendering of the new building at Fort Hays North Central Technical College in Hays</figcaption>
 </figure>Multiple grants and community partnerships, including contributions from the city of Hays support the project.Hays Mayor Sandy Jacobs congratulated Burks and North Central Tech on the project at the ceremony."Thank you, Fort Hays Tech North Central. We appreciate your investment in our community and look forward to what the future brings," Jacobs said.North Central Tech obtained grants from the Department of Commerce and the Patterson Family Foundation, which contributed $750,000 to support the building's construction.Diana Baumann, North Central Tech vice president of finance and Hays operations, opened the event and introduced several speakers, such as Managing Principal Phillip Jordan from Alloy Architecture and North Central Tech student Cooper Hosman.Hosman is from Ellinwood and is a plumbing, heating and air conditioning program student at North Central Tech. He also intends to study in the electrical program.Hosman said he enrolled at North Central Tech because of its hands-on learning opportunities."Although the current facilities are good and allow us to work in groups, our classrooms and shops can be very tight spaces," he said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730916949761.jpeg" alt="Student Cooper Hosman speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony at Fort Hays North Central Technical College in Hays. Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post." />
 <figcaption>Student Cooper Hosman speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony at Fort Hays North Central Technical College in Hays. Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post.</figcaption>
 </figure>Jordan has been involved in five projects with Fort Hays State University and contributed to the building's design.He said the ceremony symbolized the beginning of a bright future for both students and the neighboring communities."This new facility will not only provide a place where students can develop the expertise needed to thrive in the construction industry, but it will also provide a pipeline of talent to the ever-increasing demand for a highly skilled workforce," Jordan said.