DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran's supreme leader on Saturday threatened Israel and the U.S. with “a crushing response” over attacks on Iran and its allies.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei spoke as Iranian officials are increasingly threatening to launch yet another strike against Israel&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-lebanon-hezbollah-iran-news-10-26-2024-9c9f366c71c508e6dd0ee74cff8400d2">after its Oct. 26 attack on the Islamic Republic</a>&nbsp;that targeted military bases and other locations and killed at least five people.

Any further attacks from either side could engulf the wider Middle East, already teetering over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip</a>&nbsp;and Israel’s ground invasion of Lebanon, into a wider regional conflict just ahead of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-election-mideast-wars-israel-nuclear-deal-2d749543470a5cd7df6c6ece863b4732">the U.S. presidential election this Tuesday</a>.

“The enemies, whether the Zionist regime or the United States of America, will definitely receive a crushing response to what they are doing to Iran and the Iranian nation and to the resistance front," Khamenei said in video released by Iranian state media.

The supreme leader did not elaborate on the timing of the threatened attack, nor the scope. The U.S. military operates on bases throughout the Middle East, with some troops now manning a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/army-israel-thaad-air-defense-strains-e49a65aaaf3a4ff051b54eebb869f241">Terminal High Altitude Area Defense</a>, or THAAD, battery in Israel.

The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier likely is in the Arabian Sea, while Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Friday that more destroyers, fighter squadrons, tankers and B-52 long-range bombers would be coming to the region to deter Iran and its militant allies. Early Sunday, the U.S. military's Central Command said B-52s from Minot Air Force Base’s 5th Bomb Wing arrived in the Middle East, without elaborating.

The 85-year-old Khamenei had struck a more cautious approach in earlier remarks, saying officials would weigh Iran’s response and that Israel’s attack “should not be exaggerated nor downplayed.” Iran has launched two major direct attacks on Israel, in April and October.

But efforts by Iran to downplay the Israeli attack faltered as satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press showed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-attack-satellite-photos-gaza-lebanon-wars-0c6ee6a8544268612cb7d49727d8449d">damage to military bases near Tehran</a>&nbsp;linked to the country's ballistic missile program, as well as at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-attack-shahroud-guard-base-satellite-photos-b9cdb18b252d6dd9014dc4dcb3dd4b2f">a Revolutionary Guard base used in satellite launches</a>.

Iran's allies, called the “Axis of Resistance” by Tehran, also have been severely hurt by ongoing Israeli attacks, particularly Lebanon's Hezbollah and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Iran long has used those groups as both an asymmetrical way to attack Israel and as a shield against a direct assault. Some analysts believe those groups want Iran to do more to back them militarily.

Iran, however, has been dealing with its own problems at home, as its economy struggles under the weight of international sanctions and it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-hijab-protests-mahsa-amini-anniversary-59641e9254eea45c069b54d590c7e818">has faced years of widespread, multiple protests</a>. After Khamenei's speech, the Iranian rial fell to 691,500 against the dollar, near an all-time low. It had been 32,000 rials to the dollar when Tehran reached its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

Gen. Mohammad Ali Naini, a spokesman for Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard which controls the ballistic missiles needed to target Israel, gave an interview published by the semiofficial Fars news agency just before Khamenei's remarks were released. In it, he warned Iran's response "will be wise, powerful and beyond the enemy’s comprehension.”

“The leaders of the Zionist regime should look out from the windows of their bedrooms and protect their criminal pilots within their small territory,” he warned. Israeli air force pilots appear to have used air-launched ballistic missiles in the Oct. 26 attack.

Khamenei on Saturday met with university students to mark Students Day, which commemorates a Nov. 4, 1978, incident in which Iranian soldiers opened fire on students protesting the rule of the shah at Tehran University. The shooting killed and wounded several students and further escalated the tensions consuming Iran at the time that eventually led to the shah fleeing the country and the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The crowd offered a raucous welcome to Khamenei, chanting: “The blood in our veins is a gift to our leader!” Some also made a hand gesture — similar to a “timeout” signal — given by the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-israel-hezbollah-airstrikes-28-september-2024-c4751957433ff944c4eb06027885a973">slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah</a>&nbsp;in 2020 in a speech in which he threatened that American troops who arrived in the Mideast standing up would “return in coffins” horizontally.

Iran will mark the 45th anniversary of the U.S. Embassy hostage crisis this Sunday, following the Persian calendar.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/10e62420e55c4eff9ddb96319f704fbc">The Nov. 4, 1979, storming of the embassy by Islamist students</a>&nbsp;led to the 444-day crisis, which cemented the decades-long enmity between Tehran and Washington that persists today.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730601000960.png" alt="In this photo released by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei waves to the crowd during a meeting with school and university students, in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)" />
 <figcaption>In this photo released by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei waves to the crowd during a meeting with school and university students, in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran's supreme leader on Saturday threatened Israel and the U.S. with “a crushing response” over attacks on Iran and its allies.Ayatollah Ali Khamenei spoke as Iranian officials are increasingly threatening to launch yet another strike against Israel&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-lebanon-hezbollah-iran-news-10-26-2024-9c9f366c71c508e6dd0ee74cff8400d2">after its Oct. 26 attack on the Islamic Republic</a>&nbsp;that targeted military bases and other locations and killed at least five people.Any further attacks from either side could engulf the wider Middle East, already teetering over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip</a>&nbsp;and Israel’s ground invasion of Lebanon, into a wider regional conflict just ahead of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-election-mideast-wars-israel-nuclear-deal-2d749543470a5cd7df6c6ece863b4732">the U.S. presidential election this Tuesday</a>.“The enemies, whether the Zionist regime or the United States of America, will definitely receive a crushing response to what they are doing to Iran and the Iranian nation and to the resistance front," Khamenei said in video released by Iranian state media.The supreme leader did not elaborate on the timing of the threatened attack, nor the scope. The U.S. military operates on bases throughout the Middle East, with some troops now manning a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/army-israel-thaad-air-defense-strains-e49a65aaaf3a4ff051b54eebb869f241">Terminal High Altitude Area Defense</a>, or THAAD, battery in Israel.The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier likely is in the Arabian Sea, while Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Friday that more destroyers, fighter squadrons, tankers and B-52 long-range bombers would be coming to the region to deter Iran and its militant allies. Early Sunday, the U.S. military's Central Command said B-52s from Minot Air Force Base’s 5th Bomb Wing arrived in the Middle East, without elaborating.The 85-year-old Khamenei had struck a more cautious approach in earlier remarks, saying officials would weigh Iran’s response and that Israel’s attack “should not be exaggerated nor downplayed.” Iran has launched two major direct attacks on Israel, in April and October.But efforts by Iran to downplay the Israeli attack faltered as satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press showed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-attack-satellite-photos-gaza-lebanon-wars-0c6ee6a8544268612cb7d49727d8449d">damage to military bases near Tehran</a>&nbsp;linked to the country's ballistic missile program, as well as at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-attack-shahroud-guard-base-satellite-photos-b9cdb18b252d6dd9014dc4dcb3dd4b2f">a Revolutionary Guard base used in satellite launches</a>.Iran's allies, called the “Axis of Resistance” by Tehran, also have been severely hurt by ongoing Israeli attacks, particularly Lebanon's Hezbollah and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Iran long has used those groups as both an asymmetrical way to attack Israel and as a shield against a direct assault. Some analysts believe those groups want Iran to do more to back them militarily.Iran, however, has been dealing with its own problems at home, as its economy struggles under the weight of international sanctions and it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-hijab-protests-mahsa-amini-anniversary-59641e9254eea45c069b54d590c7e818">has faced years of widespread, multiple protests</a>. After Khamenei's speech, the Iranian rial fell to 691,500 against the dollar, near an all-time low. It had been 32,000 rials to the dollar when Tehran reached its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.Gen. Mohammad Ali Naini, a spokesman for Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard which controls the ballistic missiles needed to target Israel, gave an interview published by the semiofficial Fars news agency just before Khamenei's remarks were released. In it, he warned Iran's response "will be wise, powerful and beyond the enemy’s comprehension.”“The leaders of the Zionist regime should look out from the windows of their bedrooms and protect their criminal pilots within their small territory,” he warned. Israeli air force pilots appear to have used air-launched ballistic missiles in the Oct. 26 attack.Khamenei on Saturday met with university students to mark Students Day, which commemorates a Nov. 4, 1978, incident in which Iranian soldiers opened fire on students protesting the rule of the shah at Tehran University. The shooting killed and wounded several students and further escalated the tensions consuming Iran at the time that eventually led to the shah fleeing the country and the 1979 Islamic Revolution.The crowd offered a raucous welcome to Khamenei, chanting: “The blood in our veins is a gift to our leader!” Some also made a hand gesture — similar to a “timeout” signal — given by the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-israel-hezbollah-airstrikes-28-september-2024-c4751957433ff944c4eb06027885a973">slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah</a>&nbsp;in 2020 in a speech in which he threatened that American troops who arrived in the Mideast standing up would “return in coffins” horizontally.Iran will mark the 45th anniversary of the U.S. Embassy hostage crisis this Sunday, following the Persian calendar.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/10e62420e55c4eff9ddb96319f704fbc">The Nov. 4, 1979, storming of the embassy by Islamist students</a>&nbsp;led to the 444-day crisis, which cemented the decades-long enmity between Tehran and Washington that persists today.

Iran's supreme leader threatens US with 'a crushing response' over Israeli attack

By ALEXANDRA MIDDLEWOOD Insight Kansas

Election Day is right around the corner. Even for non-political scientists it’s the most important day of the year. It’s the day when Kansans get to put democracy into practice and choose their elected officials.

Thanks to the efforts of IKE Lab at Wichita State University to make Kansas voter registration and election data available to the public, it’s fairly easy to track early voting data.

Early voting began 15 days before Election Day on October 21.

As of October 30, 163,634 mail ballots had been sent out statewide, and 97,634 had been returned. Of those, 43,533 were returned by Democrats, 39,460 by Republicans, and 14,140 by unaffiliated voters.

An additional 294,081 Kansans have voted early in-person — 157,567 Republicans, 93,314 Democrats, and 41,220 unaffiliated voters.

Kansans are turning out to early vote in droves, particularly voters in the state’s largest counties.

Typically, high levels of early voting means it’s going to be a high turnout election overall.

As for who is going to win…? I’m a political scientist, not a forecaster, but we do have new public opinion data to give us some insight.

Kansas Speaks, conducted by the Docking Institute of Public Affairs at Fort Hays State University, surveyed Kansans in mid-October.

First, Laura Kelly remains the most popular elected official in the state with a 46.4% satisfaction rating. While not on the ballot, her continued popularity does signal hope for other moderate Democrats running for office this year who have taken a leaf out of her middle-of-the-road playbook.

Second, only 29% of Kansans are satisfied with the Kansas Legislature. While Republicans are all but guaranteed to maintain the majority in both houses, Democrats are working hard to break the supermajority by flipping at least 3 seats in the Senate and 2 in the House. The legislature’s low approval rating may potentially help Democrats flip these seats.

Third, among likely voters who answered the survey, 48% said they plan to vote for Donald Trump while 43% said they plan to vote for Kamala Harris — a 5 point difference. Among all registered voters, there’s a 10 point difference.

The actual vote is likely going to be somewhere in between.

In 2020, Trump won Kansas by over 14 points and Republicans have carried the state in 19 of the last 20 presidential elections. I don’t think these polling results mean Kansas is a swing state. But they may indicate that Kansas is becoming less conservative.

Harris is polling slightly higher than Biden’s 2020 vote count, and any increase in the margins could bode well for Democrats in tight races at the state and county levels.

This is a good reminder that while 2024 is a “presidential” election year, there’s so much more on the ballot than just the president. Don’t forget to also vote in down-ballot races like US Congress; Kansas House, Senate, and Board of Education; and various judicial and county races!

These elections impact your everyday life much more than the race for president.

Check out the Kansas Secretary of State’s website, including your specific voting information on the VoterView page. VoterView shows your polling location and hours, sample ballot, and much more!

Check with your county election office for early voting hours and locations. All early in-person voting ends on Monday, November 4 at noon.

Mail ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by your county election office by the close of business on Friday, November 8. Mail ballots can also be

returned in-person to a polling location, ballot drop box, or county election office on or before Election Day.

______________________________________________________________________

Alexandra Middlewood, PhD is an associate professor and chair of the Political Science Department at Wichita State University.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694699489540.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>By ALEXANDRA MIDDLEWOOD Insight KansasElection Day is right around the corner. Even for non-political scientists it’s the most important day of the year. It’s the day when Kansans get to put democracy into practice and choose their elected officials.Thanks to the efforts of IKE Lab at Wichita State University to make Kansas voter registration and election data available to the public, it’s fairly easy to track early voting data.Early voting began 15 days before Election Day on October 21.As of October 30, 163,634 mail ballots had been sent out statewide, and 97,634 had been returned. Of those, 43,533 were returned by Democrats, 39,460 by Republicans, and 14,140 by unaffiliated voters.An additional 294,081 Kansans have voted early in-person — 157,567 Republicans, 93,314 Democrats, and 41,220 unaffiliated voters.Kansans are turning out to early vote in droves, particularly voters in the state’s largest counties.Typically, high levels of early voting means it’s going to be a high turnout election overall.As for who is going to win…? I’m a political scientist, not a forecaster, but we do have new public opinion data to give us some insight.Kansas Speaks, conducted by the Docking Institute of Public Affairs at Fort Hays State University, surveyed Kansans in mid-October.First, Laura Kelly remains the most popular elected official in the state with a 46.4% satisfaction rating. While not on the ballot, her continued popularity does signal hope for other moderate Democrats running for office this year who have taken a leaf out of her middle-of-the-road playbook.Second, only 29% of Kansans are satisfied with the Kansas Legislature. While Republicans are all but guaranteed to maintain the majority in both houses, Democrats are working hard to break the supermajority by flipping at least 3 seats in the Senate and 2 in the House. The legislature’s low approval rating may potentially help Democrats flip these seats.Third, among likely voters who answered the survey, 48% said they plan to vote for Donald Trump while 43% said they plan to vote for Kamala Harris — a 5 point difference. Among all registered voters, there’s a 10 point difference.The actual vote is likely going to be somewhere in between.In 2020, Trump won Kansas by over 14 points and Republicans have carried the state in 19 of the last 20 presidential elections. I don’t think these polling results mean Kansas is a swing state. But they may indicate that Kansas is becoming less conservative.Harris is polling slightly higher than Biden’s 2020 vote count, and any increase in the margins could bode well for Democrats in tight races at the state and county levels.This is a good reminder that while 2024 is a “presidential” election year, there’s so much more on the ballot than just the president. Don’t forget to also vote in down-ballot races like US Congress; Kansas House, Senate, and Board of Education; and various judicial and county races!These elections impact your everyday life much more than the race for president.Make sure you get out and vote!Need voting information?Check out the Kansas Secretary of State’s website, including your specific voting information on the VoterView page. VoterView shows your polling location and hours, sample ballot, and much more!Check with your county election office for early voting hours and locations. All early in-person voting ends on Monday, November 4 at noon.Mail ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by your county election office by the close of business on Friday, November 8. Mail ballots can also bereturned in-person to a polling location, ballot drop box, or county election office on or before Election Day.______________________________________________________________________Alexandra Middlewood, PhD is an associate professor and chair of the Political Science Department at Wichita State University.

INSIGHT KANSAS: Election preview from a political scientist

ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a confrontation with police.

Just before 1p.m. October 31, officers responded to a disturbance in the 100 Block South 8th Street in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.

 Officers located a woman, later identified as 41-year-old Michema Laurent of Atchison, who had been involved in a disturbance. When&nbsp; confronted she threw a cup of liquid in a the police officer’s face. During the altercation with officers she kicked an officer in the face and chest and resisted arrest. Following her arrest she was found to be in possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. She was taken to the County Jail.

&nbsp;Laurent is being held on requested charges of battery of a law enforcement officer, interference with law enforcement, and possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia..

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730495962832.png" alt="Laurent photo Atchison Co." />
 <figcaption>Laurent photo Atchison Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a confrontation with police.Just before 1p.m. October 31, officers responded to a disturbance in the 100 Block South 8th Street in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson. Officers located a woman, later identified as 41-year-old Michema Laurent of Atchison, who had been involved in a disturbance. When&nbsp; confronted she threw a cup of liquid in a the police officer’s face. During the altercation with officers she kicked an officer in the face and chest and resisted arrest. Following her arrest she was found to be in possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. She was taken to the County Jail.&nbsp;Laurent is being held on requested charges of battery of a law enforcement officer, interference with law enforcement, and possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia..

Kansas woman accused of violent attack on police officer

NEW YORK (AP) — Live from New York, it’s a presidential candidate scrounging for every vote in the final days before the election.

Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;made a surprise trip to New York City on Saturday to appear on “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bill-burr-snl-charlie-xcx-16807b9bbc6183ff0c9c000f467cdef2">Saturday Night Live</a>,” briefly stepping away from the battleground states where she’s been furiously campaigning in favor of the iconic sketch comedy show.

Harris departed on Air Force Two after an early evening campaign stop on in Charlotte, North Carolina. She was scheduled to head to Detroit, but once in the air, aides said she'd be making an unscheduled stop and the plane landed at LaGuardia Airport in Queens.

Harris arrived at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan, where SNL tapes, shortly after 8 p.m., enough time for a quick rehearsal before the show airs live at 11:30 p.m. It is the final SNL episode before Election Day on Tuesday.

Neither the White House nor her campaign have confirmed her appearance on the show, but it was confirmed by three people familiar with Harris’ plans who were not authorized to speak publicly about them.

Actor Maya Rudolph first played Harris on the show in 2019 and has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/maya-rudolph-kamala-harris-saturday-night-live-1b7649f6ab82fb0d784e9ae05c6a3153">reprised her role</a>&nbsp;this season, doing a spot-on impression of the vice president, including calling herself “Momala.”

Rudolph opened the show’s season premiere with the line: “Well, well, well. Look who fell out of that coconut tree.” And she’s joked about keeping President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;in his place.

Harris' husband, second gentleman&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doug-emhoff-harris-presidential-bid-4c1c1ae1929aac4b5dc9b4cf6c5ddeb7">Doug Emhoff</a>, has been played by former cast member Andy Samberg and Biden is played by Dana Carvey, who also famously played then-President George H.W. Bush in the early 1990s.

Rudolph's performance has won critical and comedic acclaim — including from Harris herself.

“Maya Rudolph — I mean, she’s so good,” Harris said last month on ABC's “The View.” “She had the whole thing, the suit, the jewelry, everything!”

Harris added that she was impressed with Rudolph’s “mannerisms."

Jason Miller, a senior adviser to former president and Republican nominee&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>, expressed surprise that Harris would appear on SNL given what he characterized as her unflattering portrayal on the show. Asked if Trump had been invited to appear, he said: “I don’t know. Probably not.”

Politicians nonetheless have a long history on SNL, including Trump, who hosted the show in 2015 — though appearing so close to Election Day is unusual.

Hillary Clinton was running in the 2008 Democratic presidential primary when she appeared next to Amy Poehler, who played her on the show and was known for launching into a trademark, exaggerated cackle. The real Clinton wondered during her appearance, “Do I really laugh like that?”

Clinton returned in 2016, while running against Trump in a race she ultimately lost.

The first sitting president to appear on SNL was Republican Gerald Ford, who did so less than a year after the show debuted. Ford appeared in April 1976 on an episode hosted by his press secretary, Ron Nessen, and declared the show’s famous opening rejoinder, “Live from New York, it's Saturday Night.”

Then-Illinois Sen. Barack Obama appeared alongside Poehler impersonating Clinton in 2007, and Republican Bob Dole was on the show in November 1996 -- a mere 11 days after losing that year’s election to Bill Clinton. Dole consoled Norm Macdonald, who played the Kansas senator.

Then there was Tina Fey’s 2008 impression of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin — and in particular her joke that “I can see Russia from my house.” It was so good that Fey eventually won an Emmy and Palin herself appeared on the show that October, in the weeks before the election.

NEW YORK (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris has made an unannounced trip to New York to appear on an episode of “Saturday Night Live,” briefly stepping away from the battleground states she’s been campaigning in with just three days to go before the election.

Harris departed on Air Force Two after a campaign stop on Saturday in Charlotte, North Carolina. She was scheduled to head to Detroit. But once the aircraft was in the air, aides said it was actually heading to New York.

Her appearance on the show was confirmed by three people familiar with Harris' plans who were not authorized to speak publicly about them.

It is the final SNL episode before Election Day on Tuesday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730592221649.png" alt="File photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Live from New York, it’s a presidential candidate scrounging for every vote in the final days before the election.Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;made a surprise trip to New York City on Saturday to appear on “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bill-burr-snl-charlie-xcx-16807b9bbc6183ff0c9c000f467cdef2">Saturday Night Live</a>,” briefly stepping away from the battleground states where she’s been furiously campaigning in favor of the iconic sketch comedy show.Harris departed on Air Force Two after an early evening campaign stop on in Charlotte, North Carolina. She was scheduled to head to Detroit, but once in the air, aides said she'd be making an unscheduled stop and the plane landed at LaGuardia Airport in Queens.Harris arrived at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan, where SNL tapes, shortly after 8 p.m., enough time for a quick rehearsal before the show airs live at 11:30 p.m. It is the final SNL episode before Election Day on Tuesday.Neither the White House nor her campaign have confirmed her appearance on the show, but it was confirmed by three people familiar with Harris’ plans who were not authorized to speak publicly about them.Actor Maya Rudolph first played Harris on the show in 2019 and has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/maya-rudolph-kamala-harris-saturday-night-live-1b7649f6ab82fb0d784e9ae05c6a3153">reprised her role</a>&nbsp;this season, doing a spot-on impression of the vice president, including calling herself “Momala.”Rudolph opened the show’s season premiere with the line: “Well, well, well. Look who fell out of that coconut tree.” And she’s joked about keeping President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;in his place.Harris' husband, second gentleman&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doug-emhoff-harris-presidential-bid-4c1c1ae1929aac4b5dc9b4cf6c5ddeb7">Doug Emhoff</a>, has been played by former cast member Andy Samberg and Biden is played by Dana Carvey, who also famously played then-President George H.W. Bush in the early 1990s.Rudolph's performance has won critical and comedic acclaim — including from Harris herself.“Maya Rudolph — I mean, she’s so good,” Harris said last month on ABC's “The View.” “She had the whole thing, the suit, the jewelry, everything!”Harris added that she was impressed with Rudolph’s “mannerisms."Jason Miller, a senior adviser to former president and Republican nominee&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>, expressed surprise that Harris would appear on SNL given what he characterized as her unflattering portrayal on the show. Asked if Trump had been invited to appear, he said: “I don’t know. Probably not.”Politicians nonetheless have a long history on SNL, including Trump, who hosted the show in 2015 — though appearing so close to Election Day is unusual.Hillary Clinton was running in the 2008 Democratic presidential primary when she appeared next to Amy Poehler, who played her on the show and was known for launching into a trademark, exaggerated cackle. The real Clinton wondered during her appearance, “Do I really laugh like that?”Clinton returned in 2016, while running against Trump in a race she ultimately lost.The first sitting president to appear on SNL was Republican Gerald Ford, who did so less than a year after the show debuted. Ford appeared in April 1976 on an episode hosted by his press secretary, Ron Nessen, and declared the show’s famous opening rejoinder, “Live from New York, it's Saturday Night.”Then-Illinois Sen. Barack Obama appeared alongside Poehler impersonating Clinton in 2007, and Republican Bob Dole was on the show in November 1996 -- a mere 11 days after losing that year’s election to Bill Clinton. Dole consoled Norm Macdonald, who played the Kansas senator.Then there was Tina Fey’s 2008 impression of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin — and in particular her joke that “I can see Russia from my house.” It was so good that Fey eventually won an Emmy and Palin herself appeared on the show that October, in the weeks before the election.___NEW YORK (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris has made an unannounced trip to New York to appear on an episode of “Saturday Night Live,” briefly stepping away from the battleground states she’s been campaigning in with just three days to go before the election.Harris departed on Air Force Two after a campaign stop on Saturday in Charlotte, North Carolina. She was scheduled to head to Detroit. But once the aircraft was in the air, aides said it was actually heading to New York.Her appearance on the show was confirmed by three people familiar with Harris' plans who were not authorized to speak publicly about them.It is the final SNL episode before Election Day on Tuesday.

Live from New York: Harris making surprise 'Saturday Night Live' appearance

RAWLINS COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a man in connection with a shooting in rural northwest Kansas that sent a woman to the hospital. The two were in a dating relationship, according to Rawlins County Sheriff Catlyn Wahrman.

On October 27, the&nbsp; Rawlins County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call stating that a woman had been shot at 3401 Road 17, in rural Atwood, Kansas, according to Wahrman. The woman was transported to the Rawlins County Hospital by a third-party.&nbsp; She was later flown out by Flight For Life.&nbsp; 

As Rawlins County Deputies arrived at 3401 Road 17,&nbsp; a vehicle driven by a man, later identified as 28-year-old&nbsp;Macrae Migchelbrink, left the scene and refused to stop for law-enforcement.&nbsp; 

&nbsp;Migchelbrink&nbsp;drove the vehicle across multiple fields, trying to elude deputies. The vehicle crashed and was Migchelbrink ejected, continued to run and hid from law-enforcement officers. 

Deputies eventually took Migchelbrink&nbsp; into custody and EMS&nbsp; transported him to the Rawlins County Hospital and he was flown out by Flight For Life. 

Migchelbrink remains in the Thomas County Jail without bond on requested charges of Attempted Murder in the 2nd Degree; Intentional;&nbsp;Possession of opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant; x2 - (Cocaine and Hydrocodone);&nbsp;Possession of firearm while under the influence of alcohol or drugs; Criminal carry of weapons; brass knuckles;&nbsp;Flee or attempt to elude; Commission of any felony and Possession of Marijuana, according to Sheriff Wahrman.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730284348631.png" alt="Migchelbrink photo Thomas Co. Jail" />
 <figcaption>Migchelbrink photo Thomas Co. Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>RAWLINS COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a man in connection with a shooting in rural northwest Kansas that sent a woman to the hospital. The two were in a dating relationship, according to Rawlins County Sheriff Catlyn Wahrman.On October 27, the&nbsp; Rawlins County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call stating that a woman had been shot at 3401 Road 17, in rural Atwood, Kansas, according to Wahrman. The woman was transported to the Rawlins County Hospital by a third-party.&nbsp; She was later flown out by Flight For Life.&nbsp; As Rawlins County Deputies arrived at 3401 Road 17,&nbsp; a vehicle driven by a man, later identified as 28-year-old&nbsp;Macrae Migchelbrink, left the scene and refused to stop for law-enforcement.&nbsp; &nbsp;Migchelbrink&nbsp;drove the vehicle across multiple fields, trying to elude deputies. The vehicle crashed and was Migchelbrink ejected, continued to run and hid from law-enforcement officers. Deputies eventually took Migchelbrink&nbsp; into custody and EMS&nbsp; transported him to the Rawlins County Hospital and he was flown out by Flight For Life. Migchelbrink remains in the Thomas County Jail without bond on requested charges of Attempted Murder in the 2nd Degree; Intentional;&nbsp;Possession of opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant; x2 - (Cocaine and Hydrocodone);&nbsp;Possession of firearm while under the influence of alcohol or drugs; Criminal carry of weapons; brass knuckles;&nbsp;Flee or attempt to elude; Commission of any felony and Possession of Marijuana, according to Sheriff Wahrman.

Woman injured in NW Kan. shooting was dating the suspect

The Kansas Department of Transportation announces approved bids for state highway construction and maintenance projects. The letting took place Oct. 16, 2024, in Topeka. Some of the bids may include multiple projects that have been bundled based on proximity and type of work.

Atchison ‑&nbsp;73‑3 KA‑7473‑01 – U.S. 73, from the east city limits of Lancaster north to the Atchison/Brown county line, milling and overlay, 6.6 miles, Bettis Asphalt &amp; Construction Inc., Topeka, Kansas, $1,472,981.04.

Atchison ‑&nbsp;73‑3 KA‑3890‑01 – U.S. 73, bridge #016 located 0.52 mile south of the U.S. 73/U.S. 59 junction, bridge removal, Julius Kaaz Construction Co. Inc., Leavenworth, Kansas, $878,007.00.

Brown ‑&nbsp;73‑7 KA‑7474‑01 – U.S. 73, from the Atchison/Brown county line west to the east city limits of Horton, milling and overlay, 8.4 miles, Bettis Asphalt &amp; Construction Inc., Topeka, Kansas, $1,825,026.88.

Douglas ‑&nbsp;24‑23 KA‑7512‑01 – U.S. 24, from the Jefferson/Douglas county line east to the Douglas/Leavenworth county line, milling and overlay, 6.6 miles, Bettis Asphalt &amp; Construction Inc., Topeka, Kansas, $1,589,811.20.

Jackson ‑&nbsp;75‑43 KA‑7516‑01 – U.S. 75, from the Shawnee/Jackson county line north to 158th Road, milling and overlay, 8.0 miles, Bettis Asphalt &amp; Construction Inc., Topeka, Kansas, $6,509,385.16.

Jefferson ‑&nbsp;24‑44 KA‑7510‑01 – U.S. 24, from the Elm Street/U.S. 24 junction in the city of Perry east to the Jefferson/Douglas county line, milling and overlay, 7.7 miles, Bettis Asphalt &amp; Construction Inc., Topeka, Kansas, $1,950,850.25.

Jefferson ‑&nbsp;92‑44 KA‑7514‑01 – K‑92, from the K‑92/K‑4 junction east to the west city limits of Oskaloosa, milling and overlay, 12.0 miles, Bettis Asphalt &amp; Construction Inc., Topeka, Kansas, $2,718,791.78.

Jefferson ‑&nbsp;59‑44 KA‑7513‑01 – U.S. 59, from the U.S. 24/U.S. 59 junction, north to the south city limits of Oskaloosa, milling and overlay, 10.6 miles, Bettis Asphalt &amp; Construction Inc., Topeka, Kansas, $2,188,785.75

Jefferson ‑&nbsp;159‑44 KA‑7475‑01 – U.S. 159, from the K‑4/U.S. 159 junction north to the Jefferson/Atchison county line, milling and overlay, 0.7 mile, Bettis Asphalt &amp; Construction Inc., Topeka, Kansas, $319,864.00.

Riley ‑&nbsp;24‑81 KA‑5565‑01 – U.S. 24, junction U.S. 24/K‑13 in Riley County, roundabout, Ebert Construction Co. Inc. &amp; Subsidiary, Wamego, Kansas, $4,888,945.45.

Riley ‑&nbsp;24‑81 KA‑5564‑01 – U.S. 24, junction U.S. 24/K‑113 in Riley County, roundabout, Ebert Construction Co. Inc. &amp; Subsidiary, Wamego, Kansas, $3,649,412.86.

Shawnee ‑&nbsp;40‑89 KA‑7504‑01 – U.S. 40, from the K‑4 westbound offramp east to 0.63 mile west of Tecumseh Road, milling and overlay, 0.5 mile, Bettis Asphalt &amp; Construction Inc., Topeka, Kansas, $500,578.44.

Shawnee ‑&nbsp;70‑89 KA‑1266‑04 – I‑70 Polk/Quincy Viaduct and approach Roadway in Topeka (west phase), from 0.2 mile east of I‑70/MacVicar Avenue east and south to 0.1 mile south of I‑70/4th Street, grading, bridge and surfacing, 2.4 miles, Bettis Koss Construction Joint Venture, Topeka, Kansas, $239,178,617.48.

Shawnee ‑&nbsp;75‑89 KA‑7515‑01 – U.S. 75, from 0.4 mile south of the 62nd Street/U.S. 75 intersection north to the Shawnee/Jackson county line, milling and overlay, 4.5 miles, Bettis Asphalt &amp; Construction Inc., Topeka, Kansas, $3,575,974.08.

Wyandotte ‑&nbsp;70‑105 KA‑6768‑01 – I‑70, bridge #027 over the railroad yard/Kansas River located at the Central Avenue/I‑70 east junction, bridge repair, Clarkson Construction Company, Kansas City, Missouri, $1,462,492.53.

Wyandotte ‑&nbsp;670‑105 KA‑6748‑01 – I‑670, bridge #244 located 1.06 miles east of Mill Street, bridge repair, Clarkson Construction Company, Kansas City, Missouri, $3,997,489.16.

Wyandotte ‑&nbsp;670‑105 KA‑6745‑01 – I‑670, bridge #243 located 1.06 miles east of Mill Street, bridge repair, Clarkson Construction Company, Kansas City, Missouri, $3,817,702.88.

Ottawa ‑&nbsp;106‑72 KA‑7489‑01 – K‑106, from the east city limits of Minneapolis east to State Park, surface recycle, 1.5 miles, Dustrol Inc., Towanda, Kansas, $946,547.20.

Ottawa ‑&nbsp;106‑72 KA‑6725‑01 – K‑106, bridge #045 over the Solomon River located 7.66 miles north of K‑18, bridge repair, Wildcat Construction Co. Inc. &amp; Subsidiaries, Wichita, Kansas, $735,403.60.

Ottawa ‑&nbsp;72 C‑5223‑01 – County bridge, over Pipe Creek located 0.03 mile west of Minneapolis, bridge replacement, 0.2 mile, Reece Construction Company, Inc., Salina, Kansas, $1,119,686.64.

Osborne ‑&nbsp;281‑71 KA‑7480‑01 – U.S. 281, from the south city limits of Portis (State Street) north to the Smith/Osborne county line, milling and overlay, 0.7 mile, Bettis Asphalt &amp; Construction Inc., Topeka, Kansas, $241,109.22.

Osborne ‑&nbsp;24‑71 KA‑7476‑01 – U.S. 24, from the north end of the Portland Cement Concrete Pavement at Osborne northeast to the U.S. 281/U.S. 24 north junction; U.S. 24, from the U.S. 281/U.S. 24 north junction east to the 2-lane/4-lane west of Downs; U.S. 24, from the 2 lane/4 lane west of Downs east to the Osborne/Mitchell county line, ultra-thin bonded asphalt surfacing, 14.6 miles, Bettis Asphalt &amp; Construction Inc., Topeka, Kansas, $2,436,686.53.

Osborne ‑&nbsp;71 C‑5233‑01 – County bridge, over tributary to Covert Creek located 1.0 mile south and 0.7 mile west of Covert, bridge replacement, 0.2 mile, Reece Construction Company, Inc., Salina, Kansas, $456,638.86.

Thomas ‑&nbsp;70‑97 KA‑7445‑01 – I‑70, from just east of County Road K southeast 11.96 miles to the Thomas/Logan county line, milling and overlay, 12.0 miles, Venture Corporation, Great Bend, Kansas, $9,009,553.76.

Bourbon ‑&nbsp;69‑6 KA‑6967‑01 – U.S. 69, bridge #009 over U.S. 54 located at the U.S. 54/U.S. 69 south junction in Fort Scott, bridge repair, PCI Roads, LLC, Saint Michael, Minnesota, $1,552,793.79.

Cherokee ‑&nbsp;11 TE‑0510‑01 – West Maple Street, from Sunset Avenue to High School Avenue and East Sycamore Street from U.S. 69 to 7th Avenue in Columbus, pedestrian and bicycle paths, 0.8 mile, Heck &amp; Wicker Inc., Parsons, Kansas, $355,559.20.

Coffey ‑&nbsp;75‑16 KA‑7486‑01 – U.S. 75, from 0.06 mile north of the K‑58/U.S. 75 north junction north to 0.31 mile north of the south city limits of Burlington, sealing, 8.0 miles, Vance Brothers Inc. And Subsidiary, Kansas City, Missouri, $318,180.00.

Elk ‑&nbsp;160‑25 KA‑6969‑01 – U.S. 160, bridge #008 over the Elk River located 5.86 miles east of the U.S. 160/K‑99 east junction, bridge repair, B &amp; B Bridge Company LLC, St. Paul, Kansas, $1,177,742.55.

Franklin ‑&nbsp;169‑30 KA‑7482‑01 – U.S. 169, from the Anderson/Franklin county line north to the Franklin/Miami county line, milling and overlay, 2.4 miles, Bettis Asphalt &amp; Construction Inc., Topeka, Kansas, $407,791.83.

Miami ‑&nbsp;169‑61 KA‑7483‑01 – U.S. 169, from the Franklin/Miami county line north to 0.77 mile south of the K‑7/U.S. 169 south junction, milling and overlay, 6.5 miles, Bettis Asphalt &amp; Construction Inc., Topeka, Kansas, $1,131,034.70.

Montgomery ‑&nbsp;166‑63 KA‑6466‑01 – U.S. 166, six locations beginning 0.21 mile east of 1900 Road east to 0.47 mile east of County Road 3950, guard fence, 11.0 miles, Klaver Construction Company Inc., Wichita, Kansas, $1,394,407.21.

Montgomery ‑&nbsp;63 C‑5226‑01 – County bridge, over Pumpkin Creek located 1.5 miles east of Coffeyville, bridge replacement, 0.3 mile, Bridges Inc., Newton, Kansas, $1,774,971.60.

Woodson ‑&nbsp;75‑104 KA‑7487‑01 – U.S. 75, from the Wilson/Woodson county line north to the south city limits of Yates Center, sealing, 10.7 miles, Circle C Paving And Construction LLC, Goddard, Kansas, $710,273.18.

Cowley ‑&nbsp;18 TE‑0471‑01 – Paris Park Pool to West Lincoln Avenue to Cowley Sports Complex in Arkansas City, pedestrian and bicycle paths, 1.6 miles, Prado Construction LLC, Valley Center, Kansas, $1,345,884.20

Harper ‑&nbsp;2‑39 KA‑7396‑01 – K‑2 from the south end of bridge #033 northeast to the Harper/Kingman county line, milling and overlay, 10.0 miles, Venture Corporation, Great Bend, Kansas, $1,622,381.93.

Kingman ‑&nbsp;42‑48 KA‑7395‑01 – K‑42, from the K‑14/K‑42 junction east to the Sumner/Kingman county line, overlay, 15.1 miles, Venture Corporation, Great Bend, Kansas, $1,917,319.60.

Kingman ‑&nbsp;2‑48 KA‑7397‑01 – K‑2, from the Harper/Kingman county line northeast to the Kingman/Sumner county line, milling and overlay, 5.6 miles, Venture Corporation, Great Bend, Kansas, $785,096.50.

Pawnee ‑&nbsp;183‑73 KA‑7380‑01 – U.S. 183, from the U.S. 183/K‑56 junction north to the U.S. 183/K‑156 junction, milling and overlay, 12.3 miles, Venture Corporation, Great Bend, Kansas, $2,269,583.80.

Reno ‑&nbsp;78 C‑5229‑01 – County bridge, over Little Arkansas River located 0.5 mile east and 2.0 miles south of Buhler, bridge replacement, 0.1 mile, King Construction Company Inc. &amp; Subsidiaries, Hesston, Kansas, $738,711.49.

Rush ‑&nbsp;96‑83 KA‑7488‑01 – K‑96, from the Ness/Rush county line east to the U.S. 183/K‑96 junction, milling and overlay, 15.1 miles, Venture Corporation, Great Bend, Kansas, $2,777,443.64.

Sedgwick ‑&nbsp;49‑87 KA‑7379‑01 – K‑49, from the Sumner/Sedgwick county line north to the K‑49/K‑42 junction, milling and overlay, 1.0 mile, Venture Corporation, Great Bend, Kansas, $188,073.34.

Sumner ‑&nbsp;49‑96 KA‑7378‑01 – K‑49, from the K‑49/U.S. 160 junction north to the Sumner/Sedgwick county line, milling and overlay, 14.1 miles, Venture Corporation, Great Bend, Kansas, $2,028,883.75.

Sumner ‑&nbsp;81‑96 KA‑5768‑01 – U.S. 81, bridge #047 over Spring Creek located 4.84 miles north of U.S. 166, bridge replacement, Dondlinger &amp; Sons Construction Co Inc., Wichita, Kansas, $1,363,991.30

Sumner ‑&nbsp;42‑96 KA‑7394‑01 – K‑42, from the Sumner/Kingman county line east to the K‑42/K‑2 junction, overlay, 1.0 mile, Venture Corporation, Great Bend, Kansas, $133,330.80

Sumner ‑&nbsp;2‑96 KA‑7398‑01 – K‑2, from the Harper/Kingman county line northeast to the Kingman/Sumner county line, milling and overlay, 1.4 miles, Venture Corporation, Great Bend, Kansas, $228,936.55.

Grant ‑&nbsp;25‑34 KA‑7499‑01 – K‑25, from the Grant/Stevens county line north to the south city limits of Ulysses, milling and overlay, 13.4 miles, Venture Corporation, Great Bend, Kansas, $2,303,462.00.

Haskell ‑&nbsp;83‑41 KA‑7500‑01 – U.S. 83, from the Haskell/Seward county line north to the U.S. 56/U.S. 83 junction, milling and overlay, 6.0 miles, Venture Corporation, Great Bend, Kansas, $1,052,824.11.

Haskell ‑&nbsp;83‑41 KA‑1008‑02 – U.S. 83, from 0.19 mile north of the U.S. 83/U.S. 56 junction north to 1.75 mile south of the U.S. 83/U.S. 160 junction, grading and surfacing, 4.1 miles, Venture Corporation, Great Bend, Kansas, $15,545,585.53.

Meade ‑&nbsp;54‑60 KA‑7558‑01 – U.S. 54, from the Meade/Seward county line east 0.103 mile, milling and overlay, 0.1 mile, J &amp; R Sand Company Inc., Liberal, Kansas, $42,251.40.

Stevens ‑&nbsp;56‑95 KA‑7497‑01 – U.S. 56, from the U.S. 56/K‑51 junction east&nbsp;to the K‑25/U.S. 56 east junction, milling and overlay, 2.2 miles, Venture Corporation, Great Bend, Kansas, $1,078,907.00.

Stevens ‑&nbsp;25‑95 KA‑7498‑01 – K‑25, from the U.S. 56/K‑25 east junction north to the Grant/Stevens county line, milling and overlay, 13.1 miles, Venture Corporation, Great Bend, Kansas, $2,772,246.50.

The following projects were approved from the Sept. 18, 2024, letting.

Chase ‑&nbsp;9 TE‑0533‑01 ‑ Cottonwood Street, from 4th Street to U.S. 50 in Strong City, landscaping and beautification, 0.3 mile, Killough Construction, Inc., Ottawa, Kansas, $872,916.56.

Geary ‑&nbsp;31 C‑5231‑01 – County road, bridge over Tributary of Republican River located 3.0 miles north and 1.0 mile west of Junction City, bridge replacement, Bayer Construction Co. Inc., Manhattan, Kansas, $536,461.18.

Butler ‑&nbsp;54‑8 TE‑0508‑01 ‑ Along the old BNSF Railway grade/Redbud Trail rail corridor over U.S. 54 in Augusta, pedestrian and bicycle paths, Dondlinger &amp; Sons Construction Co. Inc., Wichita, Kansas, $1,533,312.95.

Sedgwick ‑&nbsp;15‑87 N‑0727‑01 ‑ Nelson Drive, between Patriot and just south of Red Powell in Derby, grading and surfacing, 0.6 mile, Pearson Construction LLC, Wichita, Kansas, $7,318,642.00.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724428131694.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>KDOTThe Kansas Department of Transportation announces approved bids for state highway construction and maintenance projects. The letting took place Oct. 16, 2024, in Topeka. Some of the bids may include multiple projects that have been bundled based on proximity and type of work.District One — NortheastAtchison ‑&nbsp;73‑3 KA‑7473‑01 – U.S. 73, from the east city limits of Lancaster north to the Atchison/Brown county line, milling and overlay, 6.6 miles, Bettis Asphalt &amp; Construction Inc., Topeka, Kansas, $1,472,981.04.Atchison ‑&nbsp;73‑3 KA‑3890‑01 – U.S. 73, bridge #016 located 0.52 mile south of the U.S. 73/U.S. 59 junction, bridge removal, Julius Kaaz Construction Co. Inc., Leavenworth, Kansas, $878,007.00.Brown ‑&nbsp;73‑7 KA‑7474‑01 – U.S. 73, from the Atchison/Brown county line west to the east city limits of Horton, milling and overlay, 8.4 miles, Bettis Asphalt &amp; Construction Inc., Topeka, Kansas, $1,825,026.88.Douglas ‑&nbsp;24‑23 KA‑7512‑01 – U.S. 24, from the Jefferson/Douglas county line east to the Douglas/Leavenworth county line, milling and overlay, 6.6 miles, Bettis Asphalt &amp; Construction Inc., Topeka, Kansas, $1,589,811.20.Jackson ‑&nbsp;75‑43 KA‑7516‑01 – U.S. 75, from the Shawnee/Jackson county line north to 158th Road, milling and overlay, 8.0 miles, Bettis Asphalt &amp; Construction Inc., Topeka, Kansas, $6,509,385.16.Jefferson ‑&nbsp;24‑44 KA‑7510‑01 – U.S. 24, from the Elm Street/U.S. 24 junction in the city of Perry east to the Jefferson/Douglas county line, milling and overlay, 7.7 miles, Bettis Asphalt &amp; Construction Inc., Topeka, Kansas, $1,950,850.25.Jefferson ‑&nbsp;92‑44 KA‑7514‑01 – K‑92, from the K‑92/K‑4 junction east to the west city limits of Oskaloosa, milling and overlay, 12.0 miles, Bettis Asphalt &amp; Construction Inc., Topeka, Kansas, $2,718,791.78.Jefferson ‑&nbsp;59‑44 KA‑7513‑01 – U.S. 59, from the U.S. 24/U.S. 59 junction, north to the south city limits of Oskaloosa, milling and overlay, 10.6 miles, Bettis Asphalt &amp; Construction Inc., Topeka, Kansas, $2,188,785.75Jefferson ‑&nbsp;159‑44 KA‑7475‑01 – U.S. 159, from the K‑4/U.S. 159 junction north to the Jefferson/Atchison county line, milling and overlay, 0.7 mile, Bettis Asphalt &amp; Construction Inc., Topeka, Kansas, $319,864.00.Riley ‑&nbsp;24‑81 KA‑5565‑01 – U.S. 24, junction U.S. 24/K‑13 in Riley County, roundabout, Ebert Construction Co. Inc. &amp; Subsidiary, Wamego, Kansas, $4,888,945.45.Riley ‑&nbsp;24‑81 KA‑5564‑01 – U.S. 24, junction U.S. 24/K‑113 in Riley County, roundabout, Ebert Construction Co. Inc. &amp; Subsidiary, Wamego, Kansas, $3,649,412.86.Shawnee ‑&nbsp;40‑89 KA‑7504‑01 – U.S. 40, from the K‑4 westbound offramp east to 0.63 mile west of Tecumseh Road, milling and overlay, 0.5 mile, Bettis Asphalt &amp; Construction Inc., Topeka, Kansas, $500,578.44.Shawnee ‑&nbsp;70‑89 KA‑1266‑04 – I‑70 Polk/Quincy Viaduct and approach Roadway in Topeka (west phase), from 0.2 mile east of I‑70/MacVicar Avenue east and south to 0.1 mile south of I‑70/4th Street, grading, bridge and surfacing, 2.4 miles, Bettis Koss Construction Joint Venture, Topeka, Kansas, $239,178,617.48.Shawnee ‑&nbsp;75‑89 KA‑7515‑01 – U.S. 75, from 0.4 mile south of the 62nd Street/U.S. 75 intersection north to the Shawnee/Jackson county line, milling and overlay, 4.5 miles, Bettis Asphalt &amp; Construction Inc., Topeka, Kansas, $3,575,974.08.Wyandotte ‑&nbsp;70‑105 KA‑6768‑01 – I‑70, bridge #027 over the railroad yard/Kansas River located at the Central Avenue/I‑70 east junction, bridge repair, Clarkson Construction Company, Kansas City, Missouri, $1,462,492.53.Wyandotte ‑&nbsp;670‑105 KA‑6748‑01 – I‑670, bridge #244 located 1.06 miles east of Mill Street, bridge repair, Clarkson Construction Company, Kansas City, Missouri, $3,997,489.16.Wyandotte ‑&nbsp;670‑105 KA‑6745‑01 – I‑670, bridge #243 located 1.06 miles east of Mill Street, bridge repair, Clarkson Construction Company, Kansas City, Missouri, $3,817,702.88.District Two — North CentralOttawa ‑&nbsp;106‑72 KA‑7489‑01 – K‑106, from the east city limits of Minneapolis east to State Park, surface recycle, 1.5 miles, Dustrol Inc., Towanda, Kansas, $946,547.20.Ottawa ‑&nbsp;106‑72 KA‑6725‑01 – K‑106, bridge #045 over the Solomon River located 7.66 miles north of K‑18, bridge repair, Wildcat Construction Co. Inc. &amp; Subsidiaries, Wichita, Kansas, $735,403.60.Ottawa ‑&nbsp;72 C‑5223‑01 – County bridge, over Pipe Creek located 0.03 mile west of Minneapolis, bridge replacement, 0.2 mile, Reece Construction Company, Inc., Salina, Kansas, $1,119,686.64.District Three — NorthwestOsborne ‑&nbsp;281‑71 KA‑7480‑01 – U.S. 281, from the south city limits of Portis (State Street) north to the Smith/Osborne county line, milling and overlay, 0.7 mile, Bettis Asphalt &amp; Construction Inc., Topeka, Kansas, $241,109.22.Osborne ‑&nbsp;24‑71 KA‑7476‑01 – U.S. 24, from the north end of the Portland Cement Concrete Pavement at Osborne northeast to the U.S. 281/U.S. 24 north junction; U.S. 24, from the U.S. 281/U.S. 24 north junction east to the 2-lane/4-lane west of Downs; U.S. 24, from the 2 lane/4 lane west of Downs east to the Osborne/Mitchell county line, ultra-thin bonded asphalt surfacing, 14.6 miles, Bettis Asphalt &amp; Construction Inc., Topeka, Kansas, $2,436,686.53.Osborne ‑&nbsp;71 C‑5233‑01 – County bridge, over tributary to Covert Creek located 1.0 mile south and 0.7 mile west of Covert, bridge replacement, 0.2 mile, Reece Construction Company, Inc., Salina, Kansas, $456,638.86.Thomas ‑&nbsp;70‑97 KA‑7445‑01 – I‑70, from just east of County Road K southeast 11.96 miles to the Thomas/Logan county line, milling and overlay, 12.0 miles, Venture Corporation, Great Bend, Kansas, $9,009,553.76.District Four — SoutheastBourbon ‑&nbsp;69‑6 KA‑6967‑01 – U.S. 69, bridge #009 over U.S. 54 located at the U.S. 54/U.S. 69 south junction in Fort Scott, bridge repair, PCI Roads, LLC, Saint Michael, Minnesota, $1,552,793.79.Cherokee ‑&nbsp;11 TE‑0510‑01 – West Maple Street, from Sunset Avenue to High School Avenue and East Sycamore Street from U.S. 69 to 7th Avenue in Columbus, pedestrian and bicycle paths, 0.8 mile, Heck &amp; Wicker Inc., Parsons, Kansas, $355,559.20.Coffey ‑&nbsp;75‑16 KA‑7486‑01 – U.S. 75, from 0.06 mile north of the K‑58/U.S. 75 north junction north to 0.31 mile north of the south city limits of Burlington, sealing, 8.0 miles, Vance Brothers Inc. And Subsidiary, Kansas City, Missouri, $318,180.00.Elk ‑&nbsp;160‑25 KA‑6969‑01 – U.S. 160, bridge #008 over the Elk River located 5.86 miles east of the U.S. 160/K‑99 east junction, bridge repair, B &amp; B Bridge Company LLC, St. Paul, Kansas, $1,177,742.55.Franklin ‑&nbsp;169‑30 KA‑7482‑01 – U.S. 169, from the Anderson/Franklin county line north to the Franklin/Miami county line, milling and overlay, 2.4 miles, Bettis Asphalt &amp; Construction Inc., Topeka, Kansas, $407,791.83.Miami ‑&nbsp;169‑61 KA‑7483‑01 – U.S. 169, from the Franklin/Miami county line north to 0.77 mile south of the K‑7/U.S. 169 south junction, milling and overlay, 6.5 miles, Bettis Asphalt &amp; Construction Inc., Topeka, Kansas, $1,131,034.70.Montgomery ‑&nbsp;166‑63 KA‑6466‑01 – U.S. 166, six locations beginning 0.21 mile east of 1900 Road east to 0.47 mile east of County Road 3950, guard fence, 11.0 miles, Klaver Construction Company Inc., Wichita, Kansas, $1,394,407.21.Montgomery ‑&nbsp;63 C‑5226‑01 – County bridge, over Pumpkin Creek located 1.5 miles east of Coffeyville, bridge replacement, 0.3 mile, Bridges Inc., Newton, Kansas, $1,774,971.60.Woodson ‑&nbsp;75‑104 KA‑7487‑01 – U.S. 75, from the Wilson/Woodson county line north to the south city limits of Yates Center, sealing, 10.7 miles, Circle C Paving And Construction LLC, Goddard, Kansas, $710,273.18.District Five — South CentralCowley ‑&nbsp;18 TE‑0471‑01 – Paris Park Pool to West Lincoln Avenue to Cowley Sports Complex in Arkansas City, pedestrian and bicycle paths, 1.6 miles, Prado Construction LLC, Valley Center, Kansas, $1,345,884.20Harper ‑&nbsp;2‑39 KA‑7396‑01 – K‑2 from the south end of bridge #033 northeast to the Harper/Kingman county line, milling and overlay, 10.0 miles, Venture Corporation, Great Bend, Kansas, $1,622,381.93.Kingman ‑&nbsp;42‑48 KA‑7395‑01 – K‑42, from the K‑14/K‑42 junction east to the Sumner/Kingman county line, overlay, 15.1 miles, Venture Corporation, Great Bend, Kansas, $1,917,319.60.Kingman ‑&nbsp;2‑48 KA‑7397‑01 – K‑2, from the Harper/Kingman county line northeast to the Kingman/Sumner county line, milling and overlay, 5.6 miles, Venture Corporation, Great Bend, Kansas, $785,096.50.Pawnee ‑&nbsp;183‑73 KA‑7380‑01 – U.S. 183, from the U.S. 183/K‑56 junction north to the U.S. 183/K‑156 junction, milling and overlay, 12.3 miles, Venture Corporation, Great Bend, Kansas, $2,269,583.80.Reno ‑&nbsp;78 C‑5229‑01 – County bridge, over Little Arkansas River located 0.5 mile east and 2.0 miles south of Buhler, bridge replacement, 0.1 mile, King Construction Company Inc. &amp; Subsidiaries, Hesston, Kansas, $738,711.49.Rush ‑&nbsp;96‑83 KA‑7488‑01 – K‑96, from the Ness/Rush county line east to the U.S. 183/K‑96 junction, milling and overlay, 15.1 miles, Venture Corporation, Great Bend, Kansas, $2,777,443.64.Sedgwick ‑&nbsp;49‑87 KA‑7379‑01 – K‑49, from the Sumner/Sedgwick county line north to the K‑49/K‑42 junction, milling and overlay, 1.0 mile, Venture Corporation, Great Bend, Kansas, $188,073.34.Sumner ‑&nbsp;49‑96 KA‑7378‑01 – K‑49, from the K‑49/U.S. 160 junction north to the Sumner/Sedgwick county line, milling and overlay, 14.1 miles, Venture Corporation, Great Bend, Kansas, $2,028,883.75.Sumner ‑&nbsp;81‑96 KA‑5768‑01 – U.S. 81, bridge #047 over Spring Creek located 4.84 miles north of U.S. 166, bridge replacement, Dondlinger &amp; Sons Construction Co Inc., Wichita, Kansas, $1,363,991.30Sumner ‑&nbsp;42‑96 KA‑7394‑01 – K‑42, from the Sumner/Kingman county line east to the K‑42/K‑2 junction, overlay, 1.0 mile, Venture Corporation, Great Bend, Kansas, $133,330.80Sumner ‑&nbsp;2‑96 KA‑7398‑01 – K‑2, from the Harper/Kingman county line northeast to the Kingman/Sumner county line, milling and overlay, 1.4 miles, Venture Corporation, Great Bend, Kansas, $228,936.55.District Six — SouthwestGrant ‑&nbsp;25‑34 KA‑7499‑01 – K‑25, from the Grant/Stevens county line north to the south city limits of Ulysses, milling and overlay, 13.4 miles, Venture Corporation, Great Bend, Kansas, $2,303,462.00.Haskell ‑&nbsp;83‑41 KA‑7500‑01 – U.S. 83, from the Haskell/Seward county line north to the U.S. 56/U.S. 83 junction, milling and overlay, 6.0 miles, Venture Corporation, Great Bend, Kansas, $1,052,824.11.Haskell ‑&nbsp;83‑41 KA‑1008‑02 – U.S. 83, from 0.19 mile north of the U.S. 83/U.S. 56 junction north to 1.75 mile south of the U.S. 83/U.S. 160 junction, grading and surfacing, 4.1 miles, Venture Corporation, Great Bend, Kansas, $15,545,585.53.Meade ‑&nbsp;54‑60 KA‑7558‑01 – U.S. 54, from the Meade/Seward county line east 0.103 mile, milling and overlay, 0.1 mile, J &amp; R Sand Company Inc., Liberal, Kansas, $42,251.40.Stevens ‑&nbsp;56‑95 KA‑7497‑01 – U.S. 56, from the U.S. 56/K‑51 junction east&nbsp;to the K‑25/U.S. 56 east junction, milling and overlay, 2.2 miles, Venture Corporation, Great Bend, Kansas, $1,078,907.00.Stevens ‑&nbsp;25‑95 KA‑7498‑01 – K‑25, from the U.S. 56/K‑25 east junction north to the Grant/Stevens county line, milling and overlay, 13.1 miles, Venture Corporation, Great Bend, Kansas, $2,772,246.50.The following projects were approved from the Sept. 18, 2024, letting.Chase ‑&nbsp;9 TE‑0533‑01 ‑ Cottonwood Street, from 4th Street to U.S. 50 in Strong City, landscaping and beautification, 0.3 mile, Killough Construction, Inc., Ottawa, Kansas, $872,916.56.Geary ‑&nbsp;31 C‑5231‑01 – County road, bridge over Tributary of Republican River located 3.0 miles north and 1.0 mile west of Junction City, bridge replacement, Bayer Construction Co. Inc., Manhattan, Kansas, $536,461.18.Butler ‑&nbsp;54‑8 TE‑0508‑01 ‑ Along the old BNSF Railway grade/Redbud Trail rail corridor over U.S. 54 in Augusta, pedestrian and bicycle paths, Dondlinger &amp; Sons Construction Co. Inc., Wichita, Kansas, $1,533,312.95.Sedgwick ‑&nbsp;15‑87 N‑0727‑01 ‑ Nelson Drive, between Patriot and just south of Red Powell in Derby, grading and surfacing, 0.6 mile, Pearson Construction LLC, Wichita, Kansas, $7,318,642.00.

KDOT announces approved October bids

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. and South Korea have called on China to use its influence over Russia and North Korea to prevent escalation after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-korea-north-korea-troops-russia-ukraine-9ee96dc1d4f07ac0813c698e6873f96b">Pyongyang sent thousands of troops to Russia</a>&nbsp;to aid Moscow's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">war against Ukraine</a>. Beijing has so far stayed quiet.

In a rare meeting earlier this week, three top U.S. diplomats met with China’s ambassador to the United States to emphasize U.S. concerns and urge China to use its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-kim-china-xi-f2b1aebf0016cc32fb40600802540a21">sway with North Korea</a>&nbsp;to try to curtail the cooperation, according to a State Department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday that the sides had “a robust conversation just this week" and that China knows U.S. expectations are that “they’ll use the influence that they have to work to curb these activities."

“But I think this is a demand signal that’s coming not just from us, but from countries around the world,” he said at a news conference in Washington with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-states-north-korea-russia-ukraine-war-faeabb0b2c2ea162bbc6c4691df4d6c8">their South Korean counterparts</a>.

Liu Pengyu, spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, said in a statement that China's position on the Ukraine crisis is “consistent and clear.”

China strives "for peace talks and political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. This position remains unchanged. China will continue to play a constructive role to this end,” Liu said.

The U.S. says 8,000 North Korean soldiers are in Russia near Ukraine’s border and are preparing to help the Kremlin&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-states-north-korea-russia-ukraine-war-faeabb0b2c2ea162bbc6c4691df4d6c8">fight against Ukrainian troops in the coming days</a>. China has yet to publicly comment on the move.

Beijing has forged a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-russia-putin-beijing-xi-3212ef85d8318cf853f956173f3a682a">“no limits” partnership with Moscow</a>, and while it has also been a major ally for Pyongyang, experts say Beijing might not approve of the closer military partnership between Russia and North Korea because it sees it as destabilizing in the region.

The Russia-North Korea partnership runs contrary to Beijing’s goal for a peaceful Korean Peninsula, said Shi Yinhong, an international relations expert at China’s Renmin University.

Beijing is “aware of the complexity and danger of the situation,” Shi said, noting that the “fact that China hasn’t said anything yet on the military alliance agreement between North Korea and Russia indicates that China strongly disagrees with it.”

Dennis Wilder, senior fellow for the Initiative for U.S.-China Dialogue on global issues at Georgetown University, called Beijing’s “radio silence” on North Korea’s move “staggering." He said Beijing must find a balance between supporting Moscow and not angering the West, and that Chinese President Xi Jinping might “for his own sake ignore the whole thing.”

Xi has built a personal relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and “he cannot see Putin fail,” Wilder said this week at a panel discussion hosted by the Washington-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies.

At the same time, Xi cannot anger the Europeans and Americans when his country's economy is struggling, Wilder said. “So he’s not going to say anything publicly about this,” Wilder said.

Victor Cha, Korean chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said at the same panel discussion that for China, “there’s probably a combination of a little bit of exasperation, a little bit of panic and a little bit of they don’t know what to do with regard to the current situation.”

It’s unclear if Beijing was informed of Pyongyang's move in advance, Cha said. Beijing also could fret over Russia gaining more influence than China over North Korea, Cha said.

Austin said Thursday that China “should be asking Russia some hard questions at this point and whether it intends to broaden this conflict by this kind of behavior.”

Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Dan Kritenbrink and Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs James O’Brien met with Chinese envoy Xie Feng in Washington on Tuesday, according to the State Department official, who would not detail the Chinese response.

Lu Chao, director of the Institute of American and East Asian Studies at Liaoning University in China's northeastern province of Liaoning, said the U.S. should not expect China to manage North Korea.

“It is not the case that China is responsible to manage North Korea and the U.S. is responsible for managing South Korea,” Lu said. “I hope the U.S. government could understand China’s stance."

Lu also said the troop deployment is “a matter between Russia and North Korea,” while China’s attitude remains unchanged that the conflict should not be escalated.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. and South Korea have called on China to use its influence over Russia and North Korea to prevent escalation after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-korea-north-korea-troops-russia-ukraine-9ee96dc1d4f07ac0813c698e6873f96b">Pyongyang sent thousands of troops to Russia</a>&nbsp;to aid Moscow's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">war against Ukraine</a>. Beijing has so far stayed quiet.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecBlinken?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecBlinken</a> on North Korean long-range missile test: &quot;We condemn it in the strongest terms.&quot; He also confirms there are an estimated ten thousands North Korean soldiers being trained in Russia. <a href="https://t.co/5rcpKOcD2q">pic.twitter.com/5rcpKOcD2q</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1852057821296116202?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In a rare meeting earlier this week, three top U.S. diplomats met with China’s ambassador to the United States to emphasize U.S. concerns and urge China to use its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-kim-china-xi-f2b1aebf0016cc32fb40600802540a21">sway with North Korea</a>&nbsp;to try to curtail the cooperation, according to a State Department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday that the sides had “a robust conversation just this week" and that China knows U.S. expectations are that “they’ll use the influence that they have to work to curb these activities."“But I think this is a demand signal that’s coming not just from us, but from countries around the world,” he said at a news conference in Washington with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-states-north-korea-russia-ukraine-war-faeabb0b2c2ea162bbc6c4691df4d6c8">their South Korean counterparts</a>.Liu Pengyu, spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, said in a statement that China's position on the Ukraine crisis is “consistent and clear.”China strives "for peace talks and political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. This position remains unchanged. China will continue to play a constructive role to this end,” Liu said.The U.S. says 8,000 North Korean soldiers are in Russia near Ukraine’s border and are preparing to help the Kremlin&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-states-north-korea-russia-ukraine-war-faeabb0b2c2ea162bbc6c4691df4d6c8">fight against Ukrainian troops in the coming days</a>. China has yet to publicly comment on the move.Beijing has forged a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-russia-putin-beijing-xi-3212ef85d8318cf853f956173f3a682a">“no limits” partnership with Moscow</a>, and while it has also been a major ally for Pyongyang, experts say Beijing might not approve of the closer military partnership between Russia and North Korea because it sees it as destabilizing in the region.The Russia-North Korea partnership runs contrary to Beijing’s goal for a peaceful Korean Peninsula, said Shi Yinhong, an international relations expert at China’s Renmin University.Beijing is “aware of the complexity and danger of the situation,” Shi said, noting that the “fact that China hasn’t said anything yet on the military alliance agreement between North Korea and Russia indicates that China strongly disagrees with it.”Dennis Wilder, senior fellow for the Initiative for U.S.-China Dialogue on global issues at Georgetown University, called Beijing’s “radio silence” on North Korea’s move “staggering." He said Beijing must find a balance between supporting Moscow and not angering the West, and that Chinese President Xi Jinping might “for his own sake ignore the whole thing.”Xi has built a personal relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and “he cannot see Putin fail,” Wilder said this week at a panel discussion hosted by the Washington-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies.At the same time, Xi cannot anger the Europeans and Americans when his country's economy is struggling, Wilder said. “So he’s not going to say anything publicly about this,” Wilder said.Victor Cha, Korean chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said at the same panel discussion that for China, “there’s probably a combination of a little bit of exasperation, a little bit of panic and a little bit of they don’t know what to do with regard to the current situation.”It’s unclear if Beijing was informed of Pyongyang's move in advance, Cha said. Beijing also could fret over Russia gaining more influence than China over North Korea, Cha said.Austin said Thursday that China “should be asking Russia some hard questions at this point and whether it intends to broaden this conflict by this kind of behavior.”Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Dan Kritenbrink and Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs James O’Brien met with Chinese envoy Xie Feng in Washington on Tuesday, according to the State Department official, who would not detail the Chinese response.Lu Chao, director of the Institute of American and East Asian Studies at Liaoning University in China's northeastern province of Liaoning, said the U.S. should not expect China to manage North Korea.“It is not the case that China is responsible to manage North Korea and the U.S. is responsible for managing South Korea,” Lu said. “I hope the U.S. government could understand China’s stance."Lu also said the troop deployment is “a matter between Russia and North Korea,” while China’s attitude remains unchanged that the conflict should not be escalated.

US asks China for help as North Korea sends troops to help Russia in Ukraine

Thomas D. Strayer, 78, Hill City, Kansas died October 26,
2024.&nbsp; Obituary and services by Stinemetz
Funeral Home are pending and will be published when available.

Thomas D. Strayer, 78, Hill City, Kansas died October 26,
2024.&nbsp; Obituary and services by Stinemetz
Funeral Home are pending and will be published when available.

Thomas D. Strayer

WASHINGTON (AP) — White House press officials altered the official transcript of a call in which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;appeared to take a swipe at supporters of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>, drawing objections from the federal workers who document such remarks for posterity, according to two U.S. government officials and an internal email obtained Thursday by The Associated Press.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-election-2024-c7d5aadbe44e51012f6fcfde374fdcc5">Biden created an uproar</a>&nbsp;earlier this week with his remarks to Latino activists responding to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-madison-square-garden-new-york-election-fcfe75be7f8281fde7bffa3adb3bba5d">racist comments at a Trump rally</a>&nbsp;made by the comedian&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tony-hinchcliffe-puerto-rico-things-to-know-25e303873fac6fde3afdab80d941230d">Tony Hinchcliffe,</a>&nbsp;who referred to the U.S. island territory of Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.”

Biden, according to a transcript prepared by the official White House stenographers, told the Latino group on a Tuesday evening video call, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters — his — his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American.”

The transcript released by the White House press office, however, rendered the quote with an apostrophe, reading “supporter's" rather than “supporters,” which aides said pointed to Biden criticizing Hinchcliffe, not the millions of Americans who are supporting Trump for president.

The change was made after the press office “conferred with the president,” according to an internal email from the head of the stenographers' office that was obtained by The AP. The authenticity of the email was confirmed by two government officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters.

The supervisor, in the email, called the press office's handling of the matter “a breach of protocol and spoliation of transcript integrity between the Stenography and Press Offices.”

“If there is a difference in interpretation, the Press Office may choose to withhold the transcript but cannot edit it independently,” the supervisor wrote, adding, “Our Stenography Office transcript — released to our distro, which includes the National Archives — is now different than the version edited and released to the public by Press Office staff."

The edit of the transcript came as the White House scrambled to respond to a wave of queries from reporters about Biden’s comments. The president's remarks clashed with Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris'</a>&nbsp;near-simultaneous&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-trump-closing-argument-ellipse-washington-139a7b390dc30ceab85d9ac56fcc521d">speech outside the White House</a>&nbsp;in which she called for treating Americans of differing ideologies with respect.

The Trump campaign quickly moved to fundraise off the quote, and the next day, Trump himself held a photo op&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-garbage-truck-wisconsin-1b9b2882b59639ba0dc898b0b45e395b">inside a garbage truck</a>&nbsp;to try to capitalize on Biden's criticism.

Harris on Wednesday distanced herself from Biden’s comments — making the clearest break from the president since she took over for him at the top of the Democratic ticket just over three months ago. “Let me be clear,” she told reporters, “I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for.”

According to the email, the press office had asked the stenographers to quickly produce a transcript of the call amid the firestorm. Biden himself took to social media to say that he he was not calling all Trump supporters garbage and that he was referring specifically to the “hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump’s supporter at his Madison Square Garden rally.”

The stenographers office is charged with preparing accurate transcripts of public and private remarks of the president for preservation by the National Archives and distribution to the public.

The two-person stenography team on duty that evening — a “typer” and “proofer” — said any edit to the transcript would have to be approved by their supervisor, the head of stenographers’ office.

The supervisor was not immediately available to review the audio, but the press office went ahead and published the altered transcript on the White House website and distributed it to press and on social media in an effort to tamp down the story.

White House senior deputy press secretary Andrew Bates that evening also posted on X the edited version of the quote and wrote that Biden was referring ”to the hateful rhetoric at the Madison Square Garden rally as ‘garbage.’”

The supervisor, a career employee of the White House, raised the concerns about the press office action — but did not weigh in on the accuracy of the edit — in an email to White House communications director Ben LaBolt, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and other press and communications officials.

“Regardless of urgency, it is essential to our transcripts’ authenticity and legitimacy that we adhere to consistent protocol for requesting edits, approval, and release,” the supervisor wrote.

The supervisor declined to comment to The AP and referred questions about the matter to the White House press office.

Asked to comment, Bates did not address the alteration of the transcript and said: “The President confirmed in his tweet on Tuesday evening that he was addressing the hateful rhetoric from the comedian at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally. That was reflected in the transcript.”

House Republicans, meanwhile, were debating launching an investigation into the matter. House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., and House Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., on Wednesday accused White House staff of “releasing a false transcript” of Biden's remarks.

In a letter to White House counsel Ed Siskel on Wednesday, they&nbsp;<a href="https://oversight.house.gov/release/stefanik-comer-investigate-white-houses-revision-of-bidens-garbage-remarks/">called on the administration to retain documents</a>&nbsp;and internal communications related to Biden's remarks and the release of the transcript.

“White House staff cannot rewrite the words of the President of the United States to be more politically on message," the lawmakers wrote to Siskel.

Stefanik and Comer said the action could be in violation of the Presidential Records Act of 1978.

WASHINGTON (AP) — White House press officials altered the official transcript of a call in which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;appeared to take a swipe at supporters of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>, drawing objections from the federal workers who document such remarks for posterity, according to two U.S. government officials and an internal email obtained Thursday by The Associated Press.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-election-2024-c7d5aadbe44e51012f6fcfde374fdcc5">Biden created an uproar</a>&nbsp;earlier this week with his remarks to Latino activists responding to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-madison-square-garden-new-york-election-fcfe75be7f8281fde7bffa3adb3bba5d">racist comments at a Trump rally</a>&nbsp;made by the comedian&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tony-hinchcliffe-puerto-rico-things-to-know-25e303873fac6fde3afdab80d941230d">Tony Hinchcliffe,</a>&nbsp;who referred to the U.S. island territory of Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730427906351.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Biden, according to a transcript prepared by the official White House stenographers, told the Latino group on a Tuesday evening video call, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters — his — his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American.”The transcript released by the White House press office, however, rendered the quote with an apostrophe, reading “supporter's" rather than “supporters,” which aides said pointed to Biden criticizing Hinchcliffe, not the millions of Americans who are supporting Trump for president.The change was made after the press office “conferred with the president,” according to an internal email from the head of the stenographers' office that was obtained by The AP. The authenticity of the email was confirmed by two government officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters.The supervisor, in the email, called the press office's handling of the matter “a breach of protocol and spoliation of transcript integrity between the Stenography and Press Offices.”“If there is a difference in interpretation, the Press Office may choose to withhold the transcript but cannot edit it independently,” the supervisor wrote, adding, “Our Stenography Office transcript — released to our distro, which includes the National Archives — is now different than the version edited and released to the public by Press Office staff."The edit of the transcript came as the White House scrambled to respond to a wave of queries from reporters about Biden’s comments. The president's remarks clashed with Vice President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris'</a>&nbsp;near-simultaneous&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-trump-closing-argument-ellipse-washington-139a7b390dc30ceab85d9ac56fcc521d">speech outside the White House</a>&nbsp;in which she called for treating Americans of differing ideologies with respect.The Trump campaign quickly moved to fundraise off the quote, and the next day, Trump himself held a photo op&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-garbage-truck-wisconsin-1b9b2882b59639ba0dc898b0b45e395b">inside a garbage truck</a>&nbsp;to try to capitalize on Biden's criticism.Harris on Wednesday distanced herself from Biden’s comments — making the clearest break from the president since she took over for him at the top of the Democratic ticket just over three months ago. “Let me be clear,” she told reporters, “I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for.”According to the email, the press office had asked the stenographers to quickly produce a transcript of the call amid the firestorm. Biden himself took to social media to say that he he was not calling all Trump supporters garbage and that he was referring specifically to the “hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump’s supporter at his Madison Square Garden rally.”The stenographers office is charged with preparing accurate transcripts of public and private remarks of the president for preservation by the National Archives and distribution to the public.The two-person stenography team on duty that evening — a “typer” and “proofer” — said any edit to the transcript would have to be approved by their supervisor, the head of stenographers’ office.The supervisor was not immediately available to review the audio, but the press office went ahead and published the altered transcript on the White House website and distributed it to press and on social media in an effort to tamp down the story.White House senior deputy press secretary Andrew Bates that evening also posted on X the edited version of the quote and wrote that Biden was referring ”to the hateful rhetoric at the Madison Square Garden rally as ‘garbage.’”The supervisor, a career employee of the White House, raised the concerns about the press office action — but did not weigh in on the accuracy of the edit — in an email to White House communications director Ben LaBolt, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and other press and communications officials.“Regardless of urgency, it is essential to our transcripts’ authenticity and legitimacy that we adhere to consistent protocol for requesting edits, approval, and release,” the supervisor wrote.The supervisor declined to comment to The AP and referred questions about the matter to the White House press office.Asked to comment, Bates did not address the alteration of the transcript and said: “The President confirmed in his tweet on Tuesday evening that he was addressing the hateful rhetoric from the comedian at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally. That was reflected in the transcript.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨BREAKING: Biden-Harris White House may have violated the law by altering President Biden’s “garbage” remarks in official transcript. House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (<a href="https://twitter.com/RepStefanik?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepStefanik</a>) and Oversight Chairman James Comer (<a href="https://twitter.com/RepJamesComer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepJamesComer</a>) are raising concerns… <a href="https://t.co/52z6J7EO7q">pic.twitter.com/52z6J7EO7q</a>&mdash; Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) <a href="https://twitter.com/GOPoversight/status/1851727058251948288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>House Republicans, meanwhile, were debating launching an investigation into the matter. House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., and House Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., on Wednesday accused White House staff of “releasing a false transcript” of Biden's remarks.In a letter to White House counsel Ed Siskel on Wednesday, they&nbsp;<a href="https://oversight.house.gov/release/stefanik-comer-investigate-white-houses-revision-of-bidens-garbage-remarks/">called on the administration to retain documents</a>&nbsp;and internal communications related to Biden's remarks and the release of the transcript.“White House staff cannot rewrite the words of the President of the United States to be more politically on message," the lawmakers wrote to Siskel.Stefanik and Comer said the action could be in violation of the Presidential Records Act of 1978.

White House altered transcript of President Biden's "garbage" remarks

PHOENIX (AP) — Kamala Harris said Thursday that Donald Trump’s comment that he would protect women whether they “like it or not” shows that the Republican presidential nominee does not understand women’s rights “to make decisions about their own lives, including their own bodies."

“I think it’s offensive to everybody, by the way," Harris said before she set out to spend the day campaigning in the Western battleground states of Arizona and Nevada.

She followed up those remarks at her rally in Phoenix: “He simply does not respect the freedom of women or the intelligence of women to know what’s in their own best interests and make decisions accordingly. But we trust women."

The comments by Trump come as he has struggled to connect with women voters and as Harris courts women in both parties with a message centered on freedom. She's making the pitch that women should be free to make their own decisions about their bodies and that if Trump is elected, more restrictions will follow.

Trump appointed three of the justices to the U.S. Supreme Court who formed the conservative majority that overturned federal abortion rights.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/roe-wade-dobbs-anniversary-abortion-states-cadff0d905d1c4d7b9825c8406aadffb#:~:text=in%20the%20US-,The%20Supreme%20Court%20overturned%20Roe%20v.,rights%20now%20in%20the%20US&amp;text=Email-,Judges%2C%20state%20lawmakers%20and%20voters%20are%20deciding%20the%20future%20of,ruling%20that%20overturned%20Roe%20v.">As the fallout from the 2022 decision spreads</a>, he has taken to claiming at public events and in social media posts that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-women-protector-abortion-election-697ce355f7386bfd192b99bb00322705">he would “protect women”</a>&nbsp;and ensure they wouldn’t be “thinking about abortion.”

At a rally Wednesday evening near Green Bay, Wisconsin, Trump told his supporters that aides had urged him to stop using the phrase because it was “inappropriate.”

Then he added a new bit to the protector line. He said he told his aides: “Well, I’m going to do it whether the women like it or not. I am going to protect them.”

Harris said the remark was part of a pattern of troubling statements by Trump.

“This is just the latest on a long series of reveals by the former president of how he thinks about women and their agency," she said.

Harris tied Trump’s comments to his approach to reproductive rights, but Trump generally speaks more of protecting women from criminals, terrorists and foreign adversaries, in keeping with the bleak picture he paints of a country in decline.

“I’m going to protect them from migrants coming in. I’m going to protect them from foreign countries that want to hit us with missiles and lots of other things,” Trump said during a rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

PHOENIX (AP) — Kamala Harris said Thursday that Donald Trump’s comment that he would protect women whether they “like it or not” shows that the Republican presidential nominee does not understand women’s rights “to make decisions about their own lives, including their own bodies."<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">VP Harris responds to former President Trump&#39;s comments that he&#39;ll be the protector of women &#39;whether the women like or not&#39;: &quot;It actually is I think very offensive to women...He is not going to be fighting for women&#39;s reproductive rights.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/o7pcbZcqNu">pic.twitter.com/o7pcbZcqNu</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1852009136701214894?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“I think it’s offensive to everybody, by the way," Harris said before she set out to spend the day campaigning in the Western battleground states of Arizona and Nevada.She followed up those remarks at her rally in Phoenix: “He simply does not respect the freedom of women or the intelligence of women to know what’s in their own best interests and make decisions accordingly. But we trust women."The comments by Trump come as he has struggled to connect with women voters and as Harris courts women in both parties with a message centered on freedom. She's making the pitch that women should be free to make their own decisions about their bodies and that if Trump is elected, more restrictions will follow.Trump appointed three of the justices to the U.S. Supreme Court who formed the conservative majority that overturned federal abortion rights.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/roe-wade-dobbs-anniversary-abortion-states-cadff0d905d1c4d7b9825c8406aadffb#:~:text=in%20the%20US-,The%20Supreme%20Court%20overturned%20Roe%20v.,rights%20now%20in%20the%20US&amp;text=Email-,Judges%2C%20state%20lawmakers%20and%20voters%20are%20deciding%20the%20future%20of,ruling%20that%20overturned%20Roe%20v.">As the fallout from the 2022 decision spreads</a>, he has taken to claiming at public events and in social media posts that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-women-protector-abortion-election-697ce355f7386bfd192b99bb00322705">he would “protect women”</a>&nbsp;and ensure they wouldn’t be “thinking about abortion.”At a rally Wednesday evening near Green Bay, Wisconsin, Trump told his supporters that aides had urged him to stop using the phrase because it was “inappropriate.”Then he added a new bit to the protector line. He said he told his aides: “Well, I’m going to do it whether the women like it or not. I am going to protect them.”Harris said the remark was part of a pattern of troubling statements by Trump.“This is just the latest on a long series of reveals by the former president of how he thinks about women and their agency," she said.Harris tied Trump’s comments to his approach to reproductive rights, but Trump generally speaks more of protecting women from criminals, terrorists and foreign adversaries, in keeping with the bleak picture he paints of a country in decline.“I’m going to protect them from migrants coming in. I’m going to protect them from foreign countries that want to hit us with missiles and lots of other things,” Trump said during a rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin.He seemed to tie in abortion when he first used the “protector” language in a Truth Social post and at a rally in Indiana, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 20. He assured the women who would be “protected” that they "will no longer be thinking about abortion.”The dispute showed signs Thursday of further entrenching each candidate's supporters.It was not only women who described Trump's remarks as offensive. At the Harris rally in Phoenix, Edison Kinlicheenie, 50, said he sees Trump more as a threat than a protector, noting that the former president has a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-rape-carroll-trial-fe68259a4b98bb3947d42af9ec83d7db">track record of preying on women</a>.“I have a wife and a daughter, so I wouldn’t let no predator like that come around" them, Kinlicheenie said.At a Trump rally in Albuquerque, Sarah Pyle, 41, cited the opposition to allowing transgender athletes to compete in women's events to portray Trump as someone who helps women.“I don’t want my girls to grow up in a world like this,” the Albuquerque mother said, referring to the controversy. “We fought for women’s rights for so long, and now we’re giving them back to men. It makes no sense.”More broadly, Trump and Republicans have struggled with how to talk about abortion rights, particularly as women around the nation are grappling with obtaining proper medical care because of abortion restrictions that have had implications far beyond the ability to end an unwanted pregnancy.Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-abortion-election-2024-ivf-contraception-d91f0959087e803db390be11eb60975b">has given contradictory answers</a>&nbsp;about his position on abortion, at some points saying that women should be punished for having abortions and showcasing the justices he appointed. During his successful 2016 campaign, he told voters that if he were elected, he would appoint justices to the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade and said he was “pro-life.”But in recent weeks he's promised to veto a national abortion ban, after repeatedly refusing to make such a pledge. He's said the states should regulate care and said some laws were “too tough.”Since 2022, the patchwork of state laws on abortion has created uneven medical care.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pills-georgia-mifepristone-misoprostol-kamala-harris-fd3c817f42ccc74b04d12450efb92f4a">Some women have died</a>. Others have bled&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pregnancy-emergency-care-abortion-supreme-court-roe-9ce6c87c8fc653c840654de1ae5f7a1c">in emergency room parking lots</a>&nbsp;or became critically ill from sepsis as doctors in states with strict abortion bans send pregnant women away until they are sick enough to warrant medical care. That includes women who never intended to end pregnancies. Both infant and maternal mortality has risen.Harris’ campaign has highlighted Trump’s statements around women. In one campaign ad, a woman&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-abortion-rights-democrats-texas-trump-f5b4a28874f6abcf2a9d5eeeeb0d6d37">who became gravely ill with sepsis after a pregnancy complication</a>&nbsp;stands in front of a mirror looking at a large scar on her abdomen, as audio plays of Trump’s comments about protecting women.Harris hopes abortion will be a strong motivator for women at the ballot box.In early voting so far, 1.2 million more women than men have voted across the seven battleground states, according to data from analytics firm TargetSmart.That doesn’t necessarily translate into Democratic gains. But in the 2020 presidential election, there was a 9 percentage point difference between men and women in support for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/votecast-race-class-divide-elections-27cfbd82c14d6649097bd706f4158e4e">AP VoteCast</a>, a survey of more than 110,000 voters.The Democratic ticket was supported by 55% of women and 46% of men. That was essentially unchanged from the 2018 midterms, when VoteCast found a 10-point gender gap, with 58% of women and 48% of men backing Democrats in congressional races.