Tuesday, October 29
 KAYS: Kansas MBKB vs. Washburn (exhibition), 5:30pm
 KJLS: Fort Hays State MBKB at Kansas State (exhibition), 6:30pm

Wednesday, October 30
 KAYS: Tiger Talk, 12:15pm
 KAYS: Hawk Talk with Lance Leipold, 6:00pm

Thursday, October 31 KKQY: Trego FB vs. Hill City, 6:15pm *

Friday, November 1 KFIX: Hays High FB at Andover, 6:30pm KKQY: TMP-Marian FB at Sterling, 6:30pm

Saturday, November 2
 KJLS: Fort Hays State FB at Emporia State, 12:00pm

Sunday, November 3
 KJLS: Fort Hays State
WBKB at UConn (exhibition), 11:00am

Tuesday, October 29
 KAYS: Kansas MBKB vs. Washburn (exhibition), 5:30pm
 KJLS: Fort Hays State MBKB at Kansas State (exhibition), 6:30pmWednesday, October 30
 KAYS: Tiger Talk, 12:15pm
 KAYS: Hawk Talk with Lance Leipold, 6:00pmThursday, October 31 KKQY: Trego FB vs. Hill City, 6:15pm *Friday, November 1 KFIX: Hays High FB at Andover, 6:30pm KKQY: TMP-Marian FB at Sterling, 6:30pmSaturday, November 2
 KJLS: Fort Hays State FB at Emporia State, 12:00pmSunday, November 3
 KJLS: Fort Hays State
WBKB at UConn (exhibition), 11:00am

🎧 Eagle Radio, Hull sports broadcast schedule

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Incendiary devices were set off Monday at two ballot drop boxes — one in Portland and another in nearby Vancouver, Washington — destroying hundreds of ballots in what one official called a “direct attack on democracy” about a week before a heated Election Day.

The early morning fire at the drop box in Portland was extinguished quickly thanks to a suppression system inside the box as well as a nearby security guard, police said, and just three ballots were damaged there.

But within a few hours, another fire was discovered at a transit center drop box across the Columbia River in Vancouver. Vancouver is the biggest city in Washington’s 3rd Congressional District, the site of what is expected to be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oregon-washington-house-congress-election-2024-4b0c35b5c2ed1d55eb037a1d1c0d3cdd">one of the closest U.S. House races</a>&nbsp;in the country, between first-term Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and Republican challenger Joe Kent.

The ballot box in Vancouver also had a fire suppression system inside, but that failed to prevent hundreds of ballots from burning, said Greg Kimsey, the longtime elected auditor in Clark County, Washington, which includes Vancouver. He urged voters who dropped their ballots in the transit center box after 11 a.m. Saturday to contact his office for a replacement ballot.

“Heartbreaking,” Kimsey said. “It’s a direct attack on democracy.”

The office will be increasing how frequently it collects ballots and changing collection times to the evening, Kimsey said, to keep the ballot boxes from remaining full of ballots overnight when similar crimes are considered more likely to occur.

The county also decided late Monday to hire workers through a staffing agency to monitor all of its drop boxes 24 hours a day until the election is over, Kimsey said. The workers will have instructions to simply observe the ballot boxes and not confront anyone. Instead, they will call 911 if they see anything suspicious, he said.

Ballot drop boxes have faced increasing criticism from Republicans and have been the focus of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-covid-technology-health-arizona-e1b49d2311bf900f44fa5c6dac406762?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">baseless right-wing conspiracy theories</a>&nbsp;in recent years, tied to former President Donald Trump's lie that the 2020 election was stolen from him. An&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-2022-midterm-elections-covid-health-wisconsin-c61fa93a12a1a51d6d9f4e0a21fa3b75?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">Associated Press survey of state election officials</a>&nbsp;across the U.S. found that there were no widespread issues with drop boxes in 2020, and none that could have affected the results.

Six states have banned ballot drop boxes since 2020: Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina and South Dakota, according to research by the Voting Rights Lab, which advocates for expanded voting access. Other states have restricted their use, including Ohio and Iowa, which now permits only one drop box per county, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.

Washington and Oregon, which are both vote-by-mail states, have long used ballot drop boxes.

Authorities said at a news conference in Portland that enough material from the incendiary devices was recovered to show that the two fires Monday were connected — and that they were also connected to an Oct. 8 incident, when an incendiary device was placed at a different ballot drop box in Vancouver. No ballots were damaged in that incident.

Surveillance images captured a Volvo pulling up to a drop box in Portland, Oregon, just before security personnel nearby discovered a fire inside the box on Monday, Portland Police Bureau spokesman Mike Benner told a news conference. The incendiary devices were attached to the outside of the boxes.

The fire suppression systems inside the ballot drop boxes in Washington and Oregon were designed to activate when the temperature inside reaches a certain point, coating ballots with a fire-suppressing powder.

The system appeared to have worked in the Portland drop box, and security staffers were nearby to help put out the fire. Multnomah County Elections Director Tim Scott said the county has contracted with private security officers to have “roving patrols” that drive around the county 24 hours a day and “put eyes” on all drop boxes.

He said one of the guards was at the county elections office, heard what sounded like a blast — likely the activation of the fire suppression system — and called police.

For unknown reasons, the system failed to prevent the destruction of hundreds of ballots in Vancouver.

Gluesenkamp Perez said in a statement that she is requesting an overnight law enforcement presence posted at all ballot drop boxes in Clark County through Election Day.

“Southwest Washington cannot risk a single vote being lost to arson and political violence,” her statement said.

In a video posted on the social platform X, Kent also condemned the “cowardly act of terrorism.” He said he trusted law enforcement to find out who was responsible, urged voters to make sure their ballots are counted and said he continues to have faith in the ballot drop box system in Washington.

“No one should be intimidated,” Kent said.

Voters were encouraged to check their ballot status online at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.votewa.gov/">www.votewa.gov</a>&nbsp;to track its return status. If a returned ballot is not marked as “received,” voters can print a replacement ballot or visit their local elections department for a replacement, the Secretary of State’s office said.

John Burnside, 68, said he and his wife dropped off their ballots at the Vancouver box Sunday afternoon and learned about the fire the next morning on the news. He checked the status of their ballots, did not see that they had been received by elections officials, and requested new ones.

They now plan to either mail their ballots or deliver them in person, he said.

“I’m certainly in favor of in-person voting simply because you know your ballot goes through right then,” he said. “It may be extra work but it does add a level of security.”

Officials in Portland were able to identify the three voters whose ballots were damaged and planned to contact them and provide replacement ballots. The Multnomah County sheriff's office said it would be increasing uniformed and plainclothes patrols around the drop boxes.

Monday afternoon, voters dropped off their ballots at the new drop box that replaced the one that had been set on fire in Portland. Pam Parnell said the incident shocked her.

“It just seems so wrong,” said Parnell, who was dropping off her ballot. “We’ve worked for over 200 years to have a country and have voting.”

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek said in a statement: “Voter intimidation or any criminal act to undermine the upcoming election is un-American and will not be tolerated."

Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said the state would not tolerate threats or acts of violence meant to derail voting.

“I strongly denounce any acts of terror that aim to disrupt lawful and fair elections in Washington state,” he said.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said state and local elections officials were fully dedicated to ensuring every vote is counted accurately.

“This was a violent attack on democracy, and we will do everything to keep our election system strong and secure in Washington,” Inslee said in a statement. “There will be 24-hour enhanced security around ballot drop-off locations.”

In Phoenix last week, officials said roughly five ballots were destroyed and others damaged when a fire was set in a drop box at a U.S. Postal Service station there.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730151562414.png" alt="Suspect vehicle is described as a black or dark-colored 2001-2004 Volvo S-60. The vehicle does not have a front license plate, but it does have an unknown rear plate.-photo FBI" />
 <figcaption>Suspect vehicle is described as a black or dark-colored 2001-2004 Volvo S-60. The vehicle does not have a front license plate, but it does have an unknown rear plate.-photo FBI</figcaption>
 </figure>PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Incendiary devices were set off Monday at two ballot drop boxes — one in Portland and another in nearby Vancouver, Washington — destroying hundreds of ballots in what one official called a “direct attack on democracy” about a week before a heated Election Day.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730165077840.png" alt="Photo FBI" />
 <figcaption>Photo FBI</figcaption>
 </figure>The early morning fire at the drop box in Portland was extinguished quickly thanks to a suppression system inside the box as well as a nearby security guard, police said, and just three ballots were damaged there.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Breaking: FBI Portland statement regarding response to incidents in Vancouver, Wa, and Portland today. <a href="https://twitter.com/VancouverPDUSA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@vancouverpdusa</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PortlandPolice?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@portlandpolice</a> <a href="https://t.co/tCely668te">pic.twitter.com/tCely668te</a>&mdash; FBI Portland (@FBIPortland) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBIPortland/status/1850981148702261730?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>But within a few hours, another fire was discovered at a transit center drop box across the Columbia River in Vancouver. Vancouver is the biggest city in Washington’s 3rd Congressional District, the site of what is expected to be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oregon-washington-house-congress-election-2024-4b0c35b5c2ed1d55eb037a1d1c0d3cdd">one of the closest U.S. House races</a>&nbsp;in the country, between first-term Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and Republican challenger Joe Kent.The ballot box in Vancouver also had a fire suppression system inside, but that failed to prevent hundreds of ballots from burning, said Greg Kimsey, the longtime elected auditor in Clark County, Washington, which includes Vancouver. He urged voters who dropped their ballots in the transit center box after 11 a.m. Saturday to contact his office for a replacement ballot.“Heartbreaking,” Kimsey said. “It’s a direct attack on democracy.”The office will be increasing how frequently it collects ballots and changing collection times to the evening, Kimsey said, to keep the ballot boxes from remaining full of ballots overnight when similar crimes are considered more likely to occur.The county also decided late Monday to hire workers through a staffing agency to monitor all of its drop boxes 24 hours a day until the election is over, Kimsey said. The workers will have instructions to simply observe the ballot boxes and not confront anyone. Instead, they will call 911 if they see anything suspicious, he said.Ballot drop boxes have faced increasing criticism from Republicans and have been the focus of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-covid-technology-health-arizona-e1b49d2311bf900f44fa5c6dac406762?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">baseless right-wing conspiracy theories</a>&nbsp;in recent years, tied to former President Donald Trump's lie that the 2020 election was stolen from him. An&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-2022-midterm-elections-covid-health-wisconsin-c61fa93a12a1a51d6d9f4e0a21fa3b75?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">Associated Press survey of state election officials</a>&nbsp;across the U.S. found that there were no widespread issues with drop boxes in 2020, and none that could have affected the results.Six states have banned ballot drop boxes since 2020: Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina and South Dakota, according to research by the Voting Rights Lab, which advocates for expanded voting access. Other states have restricted their use, including Ohio and Iowa, which now permits only one drop box per county, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.Washington and Oregon, which are both vote-by-mail states, have long used ballot drop boxes.Authorities said at a news conference in Portland that enough material from the incendiary devices was recovered to show that the two fires Monday were connected — and that they were also connected to an Oct. 8 incident, when an incendiary device was placed at a different ballot drop box in Vancouver. No ballots were damaged in that incident.Surveillance images captured a Volvo pulling up to a drop box in Portland, Oregon, just before security personnel nearby discovered a fire inside the box on Monday, Portland Police Bureau spokesman Mike Benner told a news conference. The incendiary devices were attached to the outside of the boxes.The FBI was also investigating.The fire suppression systems inside the ballot drop boxes in Washington and Oregon were designed to activate when the temperature inside reaches a certain point, coating ballots with a fire-suppressing powder.The system appeared to have worked in the Portland drop box, and security staffers were nearby to help put out the fire. Multnomah County Elections Director Tim Scott said the county has contracted with private security officers to have “roving patrols” that drive around the county 24 hours a day and “put eyes” on all drop boxes.He said one of the guards was at the county elections office, heard what sounded like a blast — likely the activation of the fire suppression system — and called police.For unknown reasons, the system failed to prevent the destruction of hundreds of ballots in Vancouver.Gluesenkamp Perez said in a statement that she is requesting an overnight law enforcement presence posted at all ballot drop boxes in Clark County through Election Day.“Southwest Washington cannot risk a single vote being lost to arson and political violence,” her statement said.In a video posted on the social platform X, Kent also condemned the “cowardly act of terrorism.” He said he trusted law enforcement to find out who was responsible, urged voters to make sure their ballots are counted and said he continues to have faith in the ballot drop box system in Washington.“No one should be intimidated,” Kent said.Voters were encouraged to check their ballot status online at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.votewa.gov/">www.votewa.gov</a>&nbsp;to track its return status. If a returned ballot is not marked as “received,” voters can print a replacement ballot or visit their local elections department for a replacement, the Secretary of State’s office said.John Burnside, 68, said he and his wife dropped off their ballots at the Vancouver box Sunday afternoon and learned about the fire the next morning on the news. He checked the status of their ballots, did not see that they had been received by elections officials, and requested new ones.They now plan to either mail their ballots or deliver them in person, he said.“I’m certainly in favor of in-person voting simply because you know your ballot goes through right then,” he said. “It may be extra work but it does add a level of security.”Officials in Portland were able to identify the three voters whose ballots were damaged and planned to contact them and provide replacement ballots. The Multnomah County sheriff's office said it would be increasing uniformed and plainclothes patrols around the drop boxes.Monday afternoon, voters dropped off their ballots at the new drop box that replaced the one that had been set on fire in Portland. Pam Parnell said the incident shocked her.“It just seems so wrong,” said Parnell, who was dropping off her ballot. “We’ve worked for over 200 years to have a country and have voting.”Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek said in a statement: “Voter intimidation or any criminal act to undermine the upcoming election is un-American and will not be tolerated."Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said the state would not tolerate threats or acts of violence meant to derail voting.“I strongly denounce any acts of terror that aim to disrupt lawful and fair elections in Washington state,” he said.Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said state and local elections officials were fully dedicated to ensuring every vote is counted accurately.“This was a violent attack on democracy, and we will do everything to keep our election system strong and secure in Washington,” Inslee said in a statement. “There will be 24-hour enhanced security around ballot drop-off locations.”In Phoenix last week, officials said roughly five ballots were destroyed and others damaged when a fire was set in a drop box at a U.S. Postal Service station there.___

FBI: Fires set in drop boxes destroy hundreds of ballots

KANSAS CITY —A woman critically injured in an accident earlier this month in Kansas City has died.

Just before 7:30p.m. October 10, an elderly was pinned between the door and frame of a black Nissan Murano and a wooden utility pole at&nbsp;3914 Elmwood in Kansas City, according to KCPD Officer Alayna Gonzalez.

EMS transported her to Truman Medical Center for treatment of life threatening injuries. On Monday, the Jackson County Medical Examiner's office notified police that hospice care staff pronounced the woman dead over the weekend.&nbsp; Police did not release the victim's name.

This is fatality #80 compared to #82 at this time last year in Kansas City, Missouri, according to Gonzalez.

KANSAS CITY —A woman critically injured in an accident earlier this month in Kansas City has died.Just before 7:30p.m. October 10, an elderly was pinned between the door and frame of a black Nissan Murano and a wooden utility pole at&nbsp;3914 Elmwood in Kansas City, according to KCPD Officer Alayna Gonzalez.EMS transported her to Truman Medical Center for treatment of life threatening injuries. On Monday, the Jackson County Medical Examiner's office notified police that hospice care staff pronounced the woman dead over the weekend.&nbsp; Police did not release the victim's name.This is fatality #80 compared to #82 at this time last year in Kansas City, Missouri, according to Gonzalez.

KCPD: Woman pinned between SUV, utility pole has died

ATCHISON —A Kansas man wanted in Arizona is in custody.

On October 25, police in Atchison arrested Adrian M. Duran, 28, Atchison, on a State of Arizona warrant for failure to appear in court, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson. He was originally jailed on drug charges, according to Wilson.

Duran is being held without bond, according to online jail records.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730124424659.png" alt="Duran photo Atchison County" />
 <figcaption>Duran photo Atchison County</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON —A Kansas man wanted in Arizona is in custody.On October 25, police in Atchison arrested Adrian M. Duran, 28, Atchison, on a State of Arizona warrant for failure to appear in court, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson. He was originally jailed on drug charges, according to Wilson.Duran is being held without bond, according to online jail records.&nbsp;

Suspect who skipped court in Arizona jailed in Kansas

NEW CASTLE, Del. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;has cast an early ballot in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024">2024 general election.</a>

It’s a bittersweet moment for Biden, who decided to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-drops-out-2024-election-ddffde72838370032bdcff946cfc2ce6">end his reelection campaign</a>&nbsp;in July because of growing concerns about his health and Democrats’ worries about his chances of defeating former&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>. Biden voted on Monday at the state of Delaware Department of Elections, not far from his home outside Wilmington, Delaware at an early voting site, where voters were lined up down the street to cast ballots.

Biden chatted with voters as he waited in line to cast his ballot, and helped push an older woman in a wheelchair who was ahead of him. The president waited in line for about 40 minutes before he cast his ballot.

He handed his identification to the election worker, who had him sign a form and announced: “Joseph Biden now voting.”

As the president cast his ballot behind a black drape, some first-time voters were announced and the room erupted in cheers for them.

Outside the polling place, Biden was asked if he thought Democrats - including Vice President Kamala Harris - would win.

For all but a few years since 1970, Biden has either held office or been running for one during election season.

But this year, his hopes lie with a newer generation of Democrats, including three on the Delaware ballot looking to make history.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Harris</a>, whom Biden endorsed after dropping out, is vying to become the first Black woman and first person of South Asian descent to serve as president.

State Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sarah-mcbride">Sarah McBride</a>&nbsp;is looking to become the first openly transgender member of the U.S. House.

McBride, a longtime friend of the Biden family, had served as an aide in then-President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/obama">Barack Obama</a>&nbsp;‘s administration and on the campaigns in 2006 and 2010 for the president’s late son Beau Biden’s runs for Delaware attorney general. She also worked for former Delaware Gov. Jack Markell.

McBride hopes to succeed Democratic Rep. Lisa&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-senate-harris-black-women-maryland-54c411e0a0f4d3d84de95246b09be304">Blunt Rochester</a>, who wants to become Delaware’s first Black woman to serve in the U.S. Senate. She has served as Delaware’s lone representative in the House since 2017.

On Monday, Biden had breakfast Blunt Rochester. He’s known her family for decades, and campaigned with her father, Theodore “Ted” Blunt, who served on the Wilmington City Council for almost a quarter century, including as president. Biden on Sunday evening formally endorsed Blunt Rochester, cutting a video for her campaign in which he called her&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/LisaBRochester/status/1850673949236937211" target="_blank">“Delaware through and through.”</a>

Blunt Rochester is vying to succeed Sen. Tom Carper, who has held the seat since 2001 in the solidly Democratic state. He is retiring.

Early voting in Delaware began on Saturday.

NEW CASTLE, Del. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;has cast an early ballot in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024">2024 general election.</a><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden in line to vote early in Delaware. <a href="https://t.co/gyt6Zi8UFQ">pic.twitter.com/gyt6Zi8UFQ</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1850934363770274293?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>It’s a bittersweet moment for Biden, who decided to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-drops-out-2024-election-ddffde72838370032bdcff946cfc2ce6">end his reelection campaign</a>&nbsp;in July because of growing concerns about his health and Democrats’ worries about his chances of defeating former&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>. Biden voted on Monday at the state of Delaware Department of Elections, not far from his home outside Wilmington, Delaware at an early voting site, where voters were lined up down the street to cast ballots.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden votes early in Delaware. <a href="https://t.co/iPIZQVNA6q">pic.twitter.com/iPIZQVNA6q</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1850939217255321746?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Biden chatted with voters as he waited in line to cast his ballot, and helped push an older woman in a wheelchair who was ahead of him. The president waited in line for about 40 minutes before he cast his ballot.He handed his identification to the election worker, who had him sign a form and announced: “Joseph Biden now voting.”As the president cast his ballot behind a black drape, some first-time voters were announced and the room erupted in cheers for them.Outside the polling place, Biden was asked if he thought Democrats - including Vice President Kamala Harris - would win.“I think we will,” he said.For all but a few years since 1970, Biden has either held office or been running for one during election season.But this year, his hopes lie with a newer generation of Democrats, including three on the Delaware ballot looking to make history.<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Harris</a>, whom Biden endorsed after dropping out, is vying to become the first Black woman and first person of South Asian descent to serve as president.State Sen.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sarah-mcbride">Sarah McBride</a>&nbsp;is looking to become the first openly transgender member of the U.S. House.McBride, a longtime friend of the Biden family, had served as an aide in then-President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/obama">Barack Obama</a>&nbsp;‘s administration and on the campaigns in 2006 and 2010 for the president’s late son Beau Biden’s runs for Delaware attorney general. She also worked for former Delaware Gov. Jack Markell.McBride hopes to succeed Democratic Rep. Lisa&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-senate-harris-black-women-maryland-54c411e0a0f4d3d84de95246b09be304">Blunt Rochester</a>, who wants to become Delaware’s first Black woman to serve in the U.S. Senate. She has served as Delaware’s lone representative in the House since 2017.On Monday, Biden had breakfast Blunt Rochester. He’s known her family for decades, and campaigned with her father, Theodore “Ted” Blunt, who served on the Wilmington City Council for almost a quarter century, including as president. Biden on Sunday evening formally endorsed Blunt Rochester, cutting a video for her campaign in which he called her&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/LisaBRochester/status/1850673949236937211" target="_blank">“Delaware through and through.”</a>Blunt Rochester is vying to succeed Sen. Tom Carper, who has held the seat since 2001 in the solidly Democratic state. He is retiring.Early voting in Delaware began on Saturday.

🎥President Biden waited in line to vote early in Delaware

Welcome to Cash Grab! It is your chance to win $250 on Friday's in October!

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Cash Grab is presented by Robert Brogden GMC in downtown Hays, Whitetail Properties Agents Adam Hahn and Mitch Keeley, Tri-Central Office Supply, and Vanderbilt’s of Hays.

Welcome to Cash Grab! It is your chance to win $250 on Friday's in October!Keywords are given out at 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday. You will have 20 minutes to enter the correct keyword that you heard on our radio stations. We will then draw out one winner on Friday morning!Thanks for playing and good luck!!Cash Grab is presented by Robert Brogden GMC in downtown Hays, Whitetail Properties Agents Adam Hahn and Mitch Keeley, Tri-Central Office Supply, and Vanderbilt’s of Hays.<div><script src="https://xp.audience.io/widget.js"></script>
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Richard
Dean (Rick) Anderson, age 68, of Hays, Kansas, formerly of Medicine Lodge,
Kansas, passed away on Monday, October 21, 2024, at Hays Medical Center.



Rick was born at Community General Hospital, Sterling, Illinois, on November
10, 1955, the first born of Zane and Joyce (Knight) Anderson. Rick grew up in
Rock Falls, Illinois, attending Rock Falls schools and graduating in 1974 from
Rock Falls High School. He married Amy Lynn (Songer) Anderson on February 5,
1977, at the First Presbyterian Church, Sterling, Illinois. Rick and Amy made
Rock Falls their home until 1983 when they moved to Medicine Lodge, Kansas.
There, Rick went to work for National Gypsum Company, retiring in 2021 after 38
years.



Rick enjoyed spending time with family, especially the grandkids. He was an
avid golfer and loyal Kansas City Chiefs fan. He was a member of the Medicine
Lodge Methodist Church.



Survivors include; wife, Amy; daughters; Laura (Max) Wheeler, Maize, KS; Carrie
(Jeremy) Lane, Hays, KS; 4 grandchildren; Chase and Katelyn Wheeler, Michaela
and Eli Lane; brother Lon Anderson, Rock Falls, IL; sister Judith Edison,
Sterling IL; sister in law Julie (Jesse) Ramirez of Morrison, IL; brother in
law David Songer, Riverside, CA, as well as many nieces, nephews, aunts and
uncles and cousins



He was preceded in death by his parents; father-in-law and mother-in-law,
Charles and Doris Songer; brother-in-law Robert Edison and sister-in-law Cindy
Songer.



A memorial service will be held on November 2, 2024, at 10:30 AM at the
Medicine Lodge Methodist Church with Pastor Paul Stephens officiating. Kansas
City Chiefs attire is welcome, Rick’s favorite team.



Memorials may be made to the Medicine Lodge Methodist Church or the Medicine
Lodge Golf Course. 



Services in care of: Keithley Funeral Homes and Crematory - Brock's Chapel,
2509 Vine Street Hays, Kansas 67601


Memories and words of comfort may be shared on Rick's tribute page at <a href="http://www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com">www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com</a>
&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729999965616.jpeg" alt="Richard Dean (Rick) Anderson" />
 <figcaption>Richard Dean (Rick) Anderson</figcaption>
 </figure>Richard
Dean (Rick) Anderson, age 68, of Hays, Kansas, formerly of Medicine Lodge,
Kansas, passed away on Monday, October 21, 2024, at Hays Medical Center.

Rick was born at Community General Hospital, Sterling, Illinois, on November
10, 1955, the first born of Zane and Joyce (Knight) Anderson. Rick grew up in
Rock Falls, Illinois, attending Rock Falls schools and graduating in 1974 from
Rock Falls High School. He married Amy Lynn (Songer) Anderson on February 5,
1977, at the First Presbyterian Church, Sterling, Illinois. Rick and Amy made
Rock Falls their home until 1983 when they moved to Medicine Lodge, Kansas.
There, Rick went to work for National Gypsum Company, retiring in 2021 after 38
years.

Rick enjoyed spending time with family, especially the grandkids. He was an
avid golfer and loyal Kansas City Chiefs fan. He was a member of the Medicine
Lodge Methodist Church.

Survivors include; wife, Amy; daughters; Laura (Max) Wheeler, Maize, KS; Carrie
(Jeremy) Lane, Hays, KS; 4 grandchildren; Chase and Katelyn Wheeler, Michaela
and Eli Lane; brother Lon Anderson, Rock Falls, IL; sister Judith Edison,
Sterling IL; sister in law Julie (Jesse) Ramirez of Morrison, IL; brother in
law David Songer, Riverside, CA, as well as many nieces, nephews, aunts and
uncles and cousins

He was preceded in death by his parents; father-in-law and mother-in-law,
Charles and Doris Songer; brother-in-law Robert Edison and sister-in-law Cindy
Songer.

A memorial service will be held on November 2, 2024, at 10:30 AM at the
Medicine Lodge Methodist Church with Pastor Paul Stephens officiating. Kansas
City Chiefs attire is welcome, Rick’s favorite team.

Memorials may be made to the Medicine Lodge Methodist Church or the Medicine
Lodge Golf Course. 

Services in care of: Keithley Funeral Homes and Crematory - Brock's Chapel,
2509 Vine Street Hays, Kansas 67601

Memories and words of comfort may be shared on Rick's tribute page at <a href="http://www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com">www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com</a>
&nbsp;

Richard Dean (Rick) Anderson

WACO, Texas – Fort Hays State Football continued to receive votes in the latest AFCA Top 25 Poll, released on Monday. The Tigers are coming off a 53-9 blowout win over Missouri Southern this past weekend, completing a 6-0 mark at home in 2024.Fort Hays State is one of four MIAA schools represented in the poll, but the only one of the four in the receiving votes list. Pittsburg State remains the highest ranked team in the MIAA at No. 5, followed by Emporia State at No. 11 and Central Oklahoma at No. 13. All three Top 25 teams from the MIAA have one loss on the season.

The Tigers head on the road to face No. 11 ranked Emporia State on Saturday (Nov. 2). The Tigers are still seeking their first road win of the season.

In the latest D2Football.com Top 25 Poll, Pittsburg State is the new No. 1, while Central Oklahoma is No. 9, and Emporia State is No. 13.

AFCA Top 25 Poll for October 28, 2024 Rank. School (1st votes) - Rec. - Pts. - Prev 1. Valdosta St. (Ga.) (18) - 7-0 - 712 - 2 2. Ferris St. (Mich.) (8) - 7-1 - 689 - 3 3. Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) (2) - 8-0 - 649 - 5 4. Kutztown (Pa.) - 8-0 - 629 - 4 5. Pittsburg St. (Kan.) (1) - 7-1 - 615 - 6 6. Harding (Ark.) - 7-1 - 571 - 7 7. Grand Valley St. (Mich.) - 7-1 - 530 - 1 8. Western Colorado - 8-0 - 524 - 8 9. Charleston (W.Va.) - 8-0 - 460 - 11 10. Colorado St.-Pueblo - 7-1 - 457 - 12 11. Emporia St. (Kan.) - 7-1 - 415 - 14 12. Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) - 7-1 - 354 - 16 13. Central Oklahoma - 7-1 - 353 - 9 14. Slippery Rock (Pa.) - 6-1 - 351 - 15 15. West Alabama - 6-1 - 290 - 18 16. Johnson C. Smith (N.C.) - 8-0 - 281 - 19 17. Central Washington - 6-2 - 249 - 20 18. Colorado School of Mines - 6-2 - 220 - 10 19. Indianapolis (Ind.) - 7-1 - 202 - 21 20. Augustana (S.D.) - 6-2 - 174 - 25 21. West Florida - 5-2 - 142 - 23 22. Minnesota St. - 6-2 - 103 - 13 23. California (Pa.) - 7-1 - 85 - NR 24. Carson-Newman (Tenn.) - 7-1 - 78 - 17 25. Findlay (Ohio) - 7-1 - 59 - NR

Receiving Votes:&nbsp;Angelo St. (Tex.), 46; Emory &amp; Henry (Va.), 45; Wingate (N.C.), 35; Virginia Union, 31; Sioux Falls (S.D.), 28; Southern Arkansas, 20; Ashland (Ohio), 7; Davenport (Mich.), 7; Assumption (Mass.), 3; Colorado Mesa, 3;&nbsp;Fort Hays St. (Kan.), 3; Delta St. (Miss.), 2; Miles (Ala.), 1; New Haven (Conn.), 1; Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.), 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730207900889.png" alt="FHSU Athletics photo/Coryn Hahn" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics photo/Coryn Hahn</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsWACO, Texas – Fort Hays State Football continued to receive votes in the latest AFCA Top 25 Poll, released on Monday. The Tigers are coming off a 53-9 blowout win over Missouri Southern this past weekend, completing a 6-0 mark at home in 2024.Fort Hays State is one of four MIAA schools represented in the poll, but the only one of the four in the receiving votes list. Pittsburg State remains the highest ranked team in the MIAA at No. 5, followed by Emporia State at No. 11 and Central Oklahoma at No. 13. All three Top 25 teams from the MIAA have one loss on the season.The Tigers head on the road to face No. 11 ranked Emporia State on Saturday (Nov. 2). The Tigers are still seeking their first road win of the season.In the latest D2Football.com Top 25 Poll, Pittsburg State is the new No. 1, while Central Oklahoma is No. 9, and Emporia State is No. 13.AFCA Top 25 Poll for October 28, 2024 Rank. School (1st votes) - Rec. - Pts. - Prev 1. Valdosta St. (Ga.) (18) - 7-0 - 712 - 2 2. Ferris St. (Mich.) (8) - 7-1 - 689 - 3 3. Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) (2) - 8-0 - 649 - 5 4. Kutztown (Pa.) - 8-0 - 629 - 4 5. Pittsburg St. (Kan.) (1) - 7-1 - 615 - 6 6. Harding (Ark.) - 7-1 - 571 - 7 7. Grand Valley St. (Mich.) - 7-1 - 530 - 1 8. Western Colorado - 8-0 - 524 - 8 9. Charleston (W.Va.) - 8-0 - 460 - 11 10. Colorado St.-Pueblo - 7-1 - 457 - 12 11. Emporia St. (Kan.) - 7-1 - 415 - 14 12. Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) - 7-1 - 354 - 16 13. Central Oklahoma - 7-1 - 353 - 9 14. Slippery Rock (Pa.) - 6-1 - 351 - 15 15. West Alabama - 6-1 - 290 - 18 16. Johnson C. Smith (N.C.) - 8-0 - 281 - 19 17. Central Washington - 6-2 - 249 - 20 18. Colorado School of Mines - 6-2 - 220 - 10 19. Indianapolis (Ind.) - 7-1 - 202 - 21 20. Augustana (S.D.) - 6-2 - 174 - 25 21. West Florida - 5-2 - 142 - 23 22. Minnesota St. - 6-2 - 103 - 13 23. California (Pa.) - 7-1 - 85 - NR 24. Carson-Newman (Tenn.) - 7-1 - 78 - 17 25. Findlay (Ohio) - 7-1 - 59 - NRReceiving Votes:&nbsp;Angelo St. (Tex.), 46; Emory &amp; Henry (Va.), 45; Wingate (N.C.), 35; Virginia Union, 31; Sioux Falls (S.D.), 28; Southern Arkansas, 20; Ashland (Ohio), 7; Davenport (Mich.), 7; Assumption (Mass.), 3; Colorado Mesa, 3;&nbsp;Fort Hays St. (Kan.), 3; Delta St. (Miss.), 2; Miles (Ala.), 1; New Haven (Conn.), 1; Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.), 1.&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏈 Tigers receiving votes in latest AFCA poll

Monday, October 28
 KAYS: Hawk Talk with Bill Self, 6pm
 KFIX: Chiefs Kingdom, 6pm

Sunday, November 3
 KJLS: Fort Hays State
WBKB at UConn (exhibition), 10:30am

Monday, October 28
 KAYS: Hawk Talk with Bill Self, 6pm
 KFIX: Chiefs Kingdom, 6pmTuesday, October 29
 KAYS: Kansas MBKB vs. Washburn (exhibition), 5:30pm
 KJLS: Fort Hays State MBKB at Kansas State (exhibition), 6:30pmWednesday, October 30
 KAYS: Tiger Talk, 12:15pm
 KAYS: Hawk Talk with Lance Leipold, 6:00pmThursday, October 31 KKQY: Trego FB vs. Hill City, 6:15pm *Friday, November 1 KFIX: Hays High FB at Andover, 6:30pm KKQY: TMP-Marian FB at Sterling, 6:30pmSaturday, November 2
 KJLS: Fort Hays State FB at Emporia State, 12:00pmSunday, November 3
 KJLS: Fort Hays State
WBKB at UConn (exhibition), 10:30am

Fort Hays State football closes out their home schedule against Missouri Southern State on Saturday, October 26, 2024 at Lewis Field.

Fort Hays State football closes out their home schedule against Missouri Southern State on Saturday, October 26, 2024 at Lewis Field.<div><iframe title="FHSU Rewind: FB vs. Missouri Southern (Oct. 26, 2024)" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=ui7nt-171f98c-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=2" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎧 FHSU Rewind: FB vs. Missouri Southern (Oct. 26, 2024)

NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;hosted a rally featuring crude and racist insults at New York’s Madison Square Garden Sunday, turning what his campaign had dubbed as the event where he would deliver his closing message into an illustration of what turns off his critics.

With just over a week before Election Day, speakers labeled Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage,” called Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris “the devil,” and said the woman vying to become the first woman and Black woman president had begun her career as a prostitute.

“I don’t know if you guys know this, but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico,” said Tony Hinchcliffe, a stand-up comic whose set also included lewd and racist comments about Latinos, Jews and Black people, all key constituencies in the election just nine days away.

His joke was immediately criticized by Harris’ campaign as it competes with Trump to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-latino-election-trump-harris-42afc4d9fe388923b713b45b94e0adcb">win over Puerto Rican communities</a>&nbsp;in Pennsylvania and other swing states.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-bad-bunny-latino-vote-18ed2c1307264f2651ab4375d4b5070d">Puerto Rican music superstar Bad Bunny</a>&nbsp;endorsed Harris shortly after Hinchcliffe's appearance.

The normally pugnacious Trump campaign took the rare step of distancing itself from Hinchcliffe. “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign," senior adviser Danielle Alvarez said in a statement.

But other speakers also made incendiary comments. Trump’s childhood friend David Rem referred to Harris as “the Antichrist” and “the devil.” Businessman Grant Cardone told the crowd that Harris ”and her pimp handlers will destroy our country.”

The marquee event reflected the former president's tone throughout his third White House campaign. Though he refrained from doing so Sunday, Trump often tears into Harris in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-kamala-lazy-trope-stereotype-4c2ded1046e492c5d24c7382245d0f7b">offensive and personal terms</a>&nbsp;himself, questioning in recent weeks her mental stability and her intelligence as well as calling her “lazy,” long a racist trope used against Black people.

The event was a surreal spectacle that included former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan, TV psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw, someone who painted a picture of Trump hugging the Empire State Building, and politicians including House Speaker Mike Johnson. At times, it felt like an amped-up version of the Republican National Convention in July that convened two days after Trump was nearly assassinated at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, which featured many of the same personalities — this time delivering speeches with far more volume.

And that was all before Trump was to take the stage, running more than two hours late.

After being introduced by his wife, Melania Trump, in a rare public appearance, the former president began by asking the same questions he’s asked at the start of every recent rally: “Are you better off now than you were four years ago?” The crowd responded with a resounding “No!”

“This election is a choice between whether we’ll have four more years of gross incompetence and failure, or whether we’ll begin the greatest years in the history of our country,” he said.

Trump announced a new tax credit for caregivers

Trump on Sunday added a new proposal to his list of tax cuts aimed at winning over older adults and blue-collar workers, which already includes vows to end taxes on Social Security benefits, tips and overtime pay: A tax credit for family caregivers.

This comes after Harris has talked about the “sandwich generation” of adults caring for aging parents while raising their children at the same time. Harris has proposed federal funding to cover home care costs for older Americans.

Trump otherwise repeated familiar lines about foreign policy and immigration, calling for the death penalty for any migrant who kills a U.S. citizen and saying that the day he takes office, “The migrant invasion of our country ends.”

As Trump’s remarks came up on an hour, some of the crowd began trickling out.

Tech mogul Elon Musk, who spoke earlier and introduced Melania Trump, was a prominent part of Trump’s closing campaign message. The former president called Musk “a genius” and “special.”

Musk nodded to Trump's recent plan to allow him to lead a government efficiency commission to audit the entire federal government. Several of Musk's businesses, including Tesla and SpaceX, have major government contracts or have relied on U.S. subsidies, and Musk has faced criticism after reports that he spoke privately in recent years with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Your money is being wasted and the department of government efficiency is going to fix that," Musk said before taking a place offstage beside Melania Trump.

The rally was an amped-up version of the RNC

Many of the speakers Sunday appeared on stage at the Republican National Convention. This time, the same speakers shouted and railed more against Democrats.

Hogan, returning to the venue where he performed years ago as a professional wrestler, seemed to reprise his character, emerging wearing a giant red, orange and yellow boa and violently waving a large American flag as he posed and danced. He spat on the stage during his speech, flexed his muscles repeatedly and told the audience: “Trump is the only man that can fix this country today.”

Some Democrats, arguing that Trump is a “fascist,” have compared his Sunday event to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-madison-square-garden-political-events-04c6f2d4e090c94cfdb1e949db82c532">pro-Nazi rally at the Garden</a>&nbsp;in February 1939. Several speakers on Sunday ripped Hillary Clinton, the Democrat defeated by Trump eight years ago, for saying recently that Trump would be “reenacting” the 1939 event.

“Hey guys, they’re now scrambling and trying to call us Nazis and fascists,” said Alina Habba, one of Trump’s attorneys, who draped a sparkly “MAGA” jacket over the lectern as she spoke. “And you know what they’re claiming, guys? It’s very scary. They’re claiming we’re going to go after them and try and put them in jail. Well, ain’t that rich?”

Declared Hogan in his characteristic raspy growl: “I don't see no stinkin' Nazis in here.”

Trump has denounced the four criminal indictments brought against him as politically motivated. He has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-enemies-from-within-5c4a34776469a55e71d3ba4d4e68cf62">ramped up</a>&nbsp;his denunciations in recent weeks of “enemies from within,” naming domestic political rivals, and suggested he would use the military to go after them. Harris, in turn, has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fascism-meaning-harris-trump-kelly-fda56694feb1825dcf6477c8081a563d">called</a>&nbsp;Trump a “fascist.”

The arena was full hours before Trump was scheduled to speak. Outside the arena, the sidewalks were overflowing with Trump supporters in red “Make America Great Again” hats. There was a heavy security presence. Streets were blocked off and access to Penn Station was restricted.

In the crowd was Philip D’Agostino, a longtime Trump backer from Queens, the borough where Trump grew up. The 64-year-old said it was appropriate for Trump to be speaking at a place bills itself as “the world’s most famous arena.”

“It just goes to show ya that he has a bigger following of any man that has ever lived,” D'Agostino said.

New York has not voted for a Republican for president in 40 years. But that hasn't stopped Trump from continuing to insist he believes he can win.

Trump routinely uses his hometown as a foil before audiences in other states, painting a dark vision of the city that bears little resemblance to reality. He’s cast it as crime-ridden and overrun by violent, immigrant gangs who have taken over Fifth and Madison avenues and occupied Times Square.

Trump has a complicated history with the place where he built his business empire and that made him a tabloid and reality TV star. Its residents indicted him last year on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. He was found guilty in that case, and also found liable in civil court for business fraud and sexual abuse.

On Sunday, however, Trump was much more complimentary of the city. He said “no city embodies the spirit” and energy of the American people more.

And as he concluded his speech after over an hour, opera singer Christopher Macchio came on stage to perform the song “New York, New York.”

The former president smiled and swayed slightly, his wife standing next to him on stage.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730061402605.png" alt="Image courtesy Margo Martin Deputy Director of Communications" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy Margo Martin Deputy Director of Communications</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;hosted a rally featuring crude and racist insults at New York’s Madison Square Garden Sunday, turning what his campaign had dubbed as the event where he would deliver his closing message into an illustration of what turns off his critics.With just over a week before Election Day, speakers labeled Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage,” called Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris “the devil,” and said the woman vying to become the first woman and Black woman president had begun her career as a prostitute.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730074043797.png" alt="Image courtesy Margo Martin Deputy Director of Communications" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy Margo Martin Deputy Director of Communications</figcaption>
 </figure>“I don’t know if you guys know this, but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico,” said Tony Hinchcliffe, a stand-up comic whose set also included lewd and racist comments about Latinos, Jews and Black people, all key constituencies in the election just nine days away.His joke was immediately criticized by Harris’ campaign as it competes with Trump to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-latino-election-trump-harris-42afc4d9fe388923b713b45b94e0adcb">win over Puerto Rican communities</a>&nbsp;in Pennsylvania and other swing states.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-bad-bunny-latino-vote-18ed2c1307264f2651ab4375d4b5070d">Puerto Rican music superstar Bad Bunny</a>&nbsp;endorsed Harris shortly after Hinchcliffe's appearance.The normally pugnacious Trump campaign took the rare step of distancing itself from Hinchcliffe. “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign," senior adviser Danielle Alvarez said in a statement.But other speakers also made incendiary comments. Trump’s childhood friend David Rem referred to Harris as “the Antichrist” and “the devil.” Businessman Grant Cardone told the crowd that Harris ”and her pimp handlers will destroy our country.”The marquee event reflected the former president's tone throughout his third White House campaign. Though he refrained from doing so Sunday, Trump often tears into Harris in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-kamala-lazy-trope-stereotype-4c2ded1046e492c5d24c7382245d0f7b">offensive and personal terms</a>&nbsp;himself, questioning in recent weeks her mental stability and her intelligence as well as calling her “lazy,” long a racist trope used against Black people.The event was a surreal spectacle that included former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan, TV psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw, someone who painted a picture of Trump hugging the Empire State Building, and politicians including House Speaker Mike Johnson. At times, it felt like an amped-up version of the Republican National Convention in July that convened two days after Trump was nearly assassinated at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, which featured many of the same personalities — this time delivering speeches with far more volume.And that was all before Trump was to take the stage, running more than two hours late.After being introduced by his wife, Melania Trump, in a rare public appearance, the former president began by asking the same questions he’s asked at the start of every recent rally: “Are you better off now than you were four years ago?” The crowd responded with a resounding “No!”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Trump x MSG 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/DZT6E3ZnYC">pic.twitter.com/DZT6E3ZnYC</a>&mdash; Margo Martin (@margommartin) <a href="https://twitter.com/margommartin/status/1850692338051424429?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“This election is a choice between whether we’ll have four more years of gross incompetence and failure, or whether we’ll begin the greatest years in the history of our country,” he said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Former President Trump at Madison Square Garden rally: &quot;I&#39;m announcing a new policy today that I will support a tax credit for family care givers who take care of a parents or a loved one...I&#39;ll also make interest on car loans fully tax deductible, but only for cars made in… <a href="https://t.co/J1CI9XAHwt">pic.twitter.com/J1CI9XAHwt</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1850723685453242420?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><h2>Trump announced a new tax credit for caregivers</h2>Trump on Sunday added a new proposal to his list of tax cuts aimed at winning over older adults and blue-collar workers, which already includes vows to end taxes on Social Security benefits, tips and overtime pay: A tax credit for family caregivers.This comes after Harris has talked about the “sandwich generation” of adults caring for aging parents while raising their children at the same time. Harris has proposed federal funding to cover home care costs for older Americans.Trump otherwise repeated familiar lines about foreign policy and immigration, calling for the death penalty for any migrant who kills a U.S. citizen and saying that the day he takes office, “The migrant invasion of our country ends.”As Trump’s remarks came up on an hour, some of the crowd began trickling out.Tech mogul Elon Musk, who spoke earlier and introduced Melania Trump, was a prominent part of Trump’s closing campaign message. The former president called Musk “a genius” and “special.”Musk nodded to Trump's recent plan to allow him to lead a government efficiency commission to audit the entire federal government. Several of Musk's businesses, including Tesla and SpaceX, have major government contracts or have relied on U.S. subsidies, and Musk has faced criticism after reports that he spoke privately in recent years with Russian President Vladimir Putin.“Your money is being wasted and the department of government efficiency is going to fix that," Musk said before taking a place offstage beside Melania Trump.<h2>The rally was an amped-up version of the RNC</h2>Many of the speakers Sunday appeared on stage at the Republican National Convention. This time, the same speakers shouted and railed more against Democrats.Hogan, returning to the venue where he performed years ago as a professional wrestler, seemed to reprise his character, emerging wearing a giant red, orange and yellow boa and violently waving a large American flag as he posed and danced. He spat on the stage during his speech, flexed his muscles repeatedly and told the audience: “Trump is the only man that can fix this country today.”Some Democrats, arguing that Trump is a “fascist,” have compared his Sunday event to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-madison-square-garden-political-events-04c6f2d4e090c94cfdb1e949db82c532">pro-Nazi rally at the Garden</a>&nbsp;in February 1939. Several speakers on Sunday ripped Hillary Clinton, the Democrat defeated by Trump eight years ago, for saying recently that Trump would be “reenacting” the 1939 event.“Hey guys, they’re now scrambling and trying to call us Nazis and fascists,” said Alina Habba, one of Trump’s attorneys, who draped a sparkly “MAGA” jacket over the lectern as she spoke. “And you know what they’re claiming, guys? It’s very scary. They’re claiming we’re going to go after them and try and put them in jail. Well, ain’t that rich?”Declared Hogan in his characteristic raspy growl: “I don't see no stinkin' Nazis in here.”Trump has denounced the four criminal indictments brought against him as politically motivated. He has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-enemies-from-within-5c4a34776469a55e71d3ba4d4e68cf62">ramped up</a>&nbsp;his denunciations in recent weeks of “enemies from within,” naming domestic political rivals, and suggested he would use the military to go after them. Harris, in turn, has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fascism-meaning-harris-trump-kelly-fda56694feb1825dcf6477c8081a563d">called</a>&nbsp;Trump a “fascist.”The arena was full hours before Trump was scheduled to speak. Outside the arena, the sidewalks were overflowing with Trump supporters in red “Make America Great Again” hats. There was a heavy security presence. Streets were blocked off and access to Penn Station was restricted.In the crowd was Philip D’Agostino, a longtime Trump backer from Queens, the borough where Trump grew up. The 64-year-old said it was appropriate for Trump to be speaking at a place bills itself as “the world’s most famous arena.”“It just goes to show ya that he has a bigger following of any man that has ever lived,” D'Agostino said.<h2>A New Yorker returns home</h2>New York has not voted for a Republican for president in 40 years. But that hasn't stopped Trump from continuing to insist he believes he can win.Trump routinely uses his hometown as a foil before audiences in other states, painting a dark vision of the city that bears little resemblance to reality. He’s cast it as crime-ridden and overrun by violent, immigrant gangs who have taken over Fifth and Madison avenues and occupied Times Square.Trump has a complicated history with the place where he built his business empire and that made him a tabloid and reality TV star. Its residents indicted him last year on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. He was found guilty in that case, and also found liable in civil court for business fraud and sexual abuse.On Sunday, however, Trump was much more complimentary of the city. He said “no city embodies the spirit” and energy of the American people more.And as he concluded his speech after over an hour, opera singer Christopher Macchio came on stage to perform the song “New York, New York.”The former president smiled and swayed slightly, his wife standing next to him on stage.

Trump's Madison Square Garden event featured controversial comments

Lester Louis Burton, a devoted family man and outdoors
enthusiast, passed away on October 23, 2024, at the age of 84. Born on
September 19, 1940. Lester shared 65 years of marriage with Verlee Brin, whom
he wed on September 19, 1959. To this union six children were born; Alice Brown
(Kevin Brown), Leslie Burton (Debra Billinger), Michelle Burton, Brenda
Castelli (deceased) (Kevin Tremblay) (Jim Castelli), Dennis Burton (Jeanice
Bloom), and Kindra Burton.

Lester's family grew to include numerous grandchildren and
great-grandchildren: Emily Brown, Michael Brown, Keith Brown, Andrew Brown,
Garrett Brown, Brandon Burton, Miranda Drouillard, Brooke Burton, LaToyia
Burton, Kenda Barker, Kylee Wiegand, Kody Tremblay, Kirsten Tremblay, Adrian
Castelli, Emma Castelli, Crystal Duchesneau, Brittany Forseth, Chase Burton,
and 33 great-grandchildren.

Lester's professional life was dedicated to floor
coverings, while his personal life revolved around hunting, camping, fishing,
and family. His love, laughter, and legacy will endure through his family, who
surrounded him in his final moments. Lester will be deeply missed as a husband,
father, brother, uncle, and beloved Papa.

Viewing will be held Sunday, Oct. 27 from 5-8 pm with a
rosary at 7pm at Ryan Mortuary, 137 N 8th
St, Salina, KS. Funeral Mass will be held Monday, Oct 28 at 11 am at St. Joseph
Parish, 107 Oak St, Damar, KS. Burial will be at the Saint Joseph Cemetery in
Damar following Mass. Luncheon will be served at the Knights of Columbus Hall
in Damar following the burial. A Memorial will go to the Town Hall Renovation
Project in Damar.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730076861146.jpeg" alt="Lester Louis Burton" />
 <figcaption>Lester Louis Burton</figcaption>
 </figure>Lester Louis Burton, a devoted family man and outdoors
enthusiast, passed away on October 23, 2024, at the age of 84. Born on
September 19, 1940. Lester shared 65 years of marriage with Verlee Brin, whom
he wed on September 19, 1959. To this union six children were born; Alice Brown
(Kevin Brown), Leslie Burton (Debra Billinger), Michelle Burton, Brenda
Castelli (deceased) (Kevin Tremblay) (Jim Castelli), Dennis Burton (Jeanice
Bloom), and Kindra Burton.Lester's family grew to include numerous grandchildren and
great-grandchildren: Emily Brown, Michael Brown, Keith Brown, Andrew Brown,
Garrett Brown, Brandon Burton, Miranda Drouillard, Brooke Burton, LaToyia
Burton, Kenda Barker, Kylee Wiegand, Kody Tremblay, Kirsten Tremblay, Adrian
Castelli, Emma Castelli, Crystal Duchesneau, Brittany Forseth, Chase Burton,
and 33 great-grandchildren.Lester's professional life was dedicated to floor
coverings, while his personal life revolved around hunting, camping, fishing,
and family. His love, laughter, and legacy will endure through his family, who
surrounded him in his final moments. Lester will be deeply missed as a husband,
father, brother, uncle, and beloved Papa.Viewing will be held Sunday, Oct. 27 from 5-8 pm with a
rosary at 7pm at Ryan Mortuary, 137 N 8th
St, Salina, KS. Funeral Mass will be held Monday, Oct 28 at 11 am at St. Joseph
Parish, 107 Oak St, Damar, KS. Burial will be at the Saint Joseph Cemetery in
Damar following Mass. Luncheon will be served at the Knights of Columbus Hall
in Damar following the burial. A Memorial will go to the Town Hall Renovation
Project in Damar.

Lester Louis Burton

Experts worry older patients could be exposed to ‘catastrophic’ costs and interrupted access to care.

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/author/avollers/">ANNA CLAIRE VOLLERS</a> <a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Libby and Andrew Potter usually ignore the avalanche of Medicare Advantage ads that land in the mailbox at their home in Huntsville, Alabama, each fall as Medicare’s open enrollment period begins.

Libby, a retired middle school librarian, has what she considers good health insurance through the state employee health plan. Andrew has insurance through his job as a university professor and plans to join Libby’s insurance when he retires next year.

But this year, a few days before open enrollment began, a letter arrived from UnitedHealthcare, informing the Potters that the region’s largest hospital system would no longer be considered in-network for Libby’s Medicare Advantage plan.

The Potters spent the next couple of weeks worried and unsure what to do. It seemed incredible that 14 area hospitals, including the area’s only Level 1 trauma center, could suddenly become much, much more expensive.

“We were being very careful in how we go up and down stairs,” Libby joked.

Medicare is the federal health insurance program for people over 65 and those with certain disabilities. Medicare Advantage is a version of Medicare run by private insurance companies that contract with the government. These plans typically offer extra benefits, such as dental, vision and prescription drug coverage, that aren’t included with traditional Medicare.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medpac.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Mar24_Ch12_MedPAC_Report_To_Congress_SEC.pdf" target="_blank">More than half</a>&nbsp;of eligible Medicare beneficiaries now get their coverage through private Medicare Advantage plans.

But this year, as Medicare’s open enrollment season kicks off, more than 1 million patients will have to shop for new health insurance. Facing financial and federal regulatory pressures, many insurers are pulling their Medicare Advantage plans from counties and states they’ve deemed unprofitable. Meanwhile, large health systems in states including Alabama, Minnesota and Vermont have cut ties with some Medicare Advantage plans.

It’s a situation that’s alarmed state insurance regulators, who are fielding questions from older adults concerned about their hospitals and doctors withdrawing from their Medicare Advantage plans. Last month, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners sent&nbsp;<a href="https://content.naic.org/sites/default/files/inline-files/FINAL%20MA%20SEP%20CMS%20Letter%20Sept%202024.pdf" target="_blank">a letter</a>&nbsp;to the federal Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services asking for guidance.

“Beneficiaries are faced with either paying the increased out-of-network costs or rescheduling their necessary medical services with another provider who may not have prompt availability,” the insurance commissioners’ group wrote. “A delay in access to medically necessary services is likely to result in harm.”

The Potters eventually learned that Libby’s copayments at the hospital would remain the same whether or not the hospital was in-network for the state educators’ Medicare Advantage plan. But those with other UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans will have to pay more — or find another plan.

“When a contract leaves the market, that can threaten continuity of care and access to care,” said Dr. Amal Trivedi, professor of health services, policy and practice at the Brown University School of Public Health. “The beneficiary will have to choose a new plan, and each of these plans is going to have a different benefit structure, different provider network, different prior authorization policies and different [prescription drug] formularies.

“The worry is that’s going to affect their out-of-pocket costs, expose them to catastrophic spending, or compromise their access to care.”

Insurance giants such as UnitedHealthcare have been aggressively pushing enrollment in their Medicaid Advantage plans for the past several years, luring customers with perks and bonuses not available through traditional Medicare. These plans tend to have low or even no monthly premiums and offer extra benefits such as vision and dental coverage, gym memberships, transportation to medical appointments, and even debit cards for medical supplies.

And they’re simple: They provide all of a person’s coverage in one plan, unlike traditional Medicare, under which people must get separate prescription drug coverage and supplemental coverage.

But there are trade-offs. Medicare Advantage plans often have a limited network of hospitals and physicians. And while the premiums are typically low, enrollees could end up&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncoa.org/article/what-is-the-difference-between-medicare-advantage-and-medigap/#:~:text=You%20could%20end,with%20Original%20Medicare)." target="_blank">paying more in the long run</a>&nbsp;in copays and deductibles if they develop a serious illness.

Medicare Advantage programs also are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/use-of-prior-authorization-in-medicare-advantage-exceeded-46-million-requests-in-2022/#:~:text=Virtually%20all%20enrollees%20in%20Medicare%20Advantage%20(99%25)%20are%20required%20to%20obtain%20prior%20authorization%20for%20some%20services%20%E2%80%93%20most%20commonly%2C%20higher%20cost%20services%2C%20such%20as%20inpatient%20hospital%20stays%2C%20skilled%20nursing%20facility%20stays%2C%20and%20chemotherapy.%20This%20contrasts%20with%20traditional%20Medicare" target="_blank">more likely than traditional Medicare</a>&nbsp;to require prior authorization for hospital stays and other high-cost services. The plans’ prior authorization requirements have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/25/science/medicare-seniors-authorization.html" target="_blank">prompted increased scrutiny</a>&nbsp;in recent years. A congressional investigation by Democratic Senate staff released this month, for example, found the nation’s largest Medicare Advantage insurers&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024.10.17-PSI-Majority-Staff-Report-on-Medicare-Advantage.pdf" target="_blank">denied a quarter of all prior authorization requests</a>&nbsp;for post-acute care in nursing homes, rehab hospitals and long-term care.

Medicare Advantage is popular among large employers, many of which are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/10-reasons-why-medicare-advantage-enrollment-is-growing-and-why-it-matters/#:~:text=A%20growing%20share%20of%20large%20employers%20are%20shifting%20their%20Medicare%2Dage%20retirees%20into%20Medicare%20Advantage%20plans%20for%20both%20Medicare%20and%20supplemental%20benefits" target="_blank">shifting their Medicare-age retirees</a>&nbsp;into these plans. And&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/in-2024-a-majority-of-states-offer-medicare-advantage-plans-to-their-state-retirees-with-13-offering-medicare-advantage-exclusively/" target="_blank">most states</a>&nbsp;offer Medicare Advantage plans to retired state employees; in 13 states, it’s the only option. In some of those 13 states, retirees forfeit their health benefits in perpetuity if they choose coverage under traditional Medicare.

North Carolina Treasurer Dale Folwell, whose office administers the state health plan, said its Medicare Advantage plan is popular.

“What we hear from our retirees, is that they are grateful and happy to have such a great offering as a result of their retirement benefit,” the Republican said. “That’s why nearly 89% of our retirees over age 65 have availed themselves of the [Medicare Advantage] product we offer them.”

This year, the handful of insurance giants that dominate the Medicare Advantage market have said they’re scaling back or eliminating plans, to shed members and boost sagging profits. They&nbsp;<a href="https://s2.q4cdn.com/447711729/files/doc_financials/2024/q1/CVS-1Q24-Earnings-Transcript.pdf" target="_blank">blame</a>&nbsp;new federal changes to their reimbursements, including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/04/02/medicare-advantage-insurer-pay" target="_blank">a small cut to their base payments</a>, and say patients are using more medical services and benefits than they anticipated.

Though most companies haven’t released data on specific counties where they’re making cuts, plans are reportedly shuttering in states such as&nbsp;<a href="https://pfsinsurance.com/news/wellcare-080524" target="_blank">Alabama</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://pfsinsurance.com/news/wellcare-080524" target="_blank">Massachusetts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.beckerspayer.com/payer/bcbs-kansas-city-exiting-medicare-advantage-market.html" target="_blank">Missouri</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.concordmonitor.com/harvard-pilgrim-medicare-new-hampshire-57353658" target="_blank">New Hampshire</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://pfsinsurance.com/news/wellcare-080524" target="_blank">New Mexico</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dmagazine.com/healthcare-business/2024/09/southwestern-health-resources-to-sunset-medicare-advantage-health-plan-amid-layoffs/" target="_blank">Texas</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://vtdigger.org/2024/10/03/2-medicare-advantage-plans-will-no-longer-be-available-in-vermont-in-2025/" target="_blank">Vermont</a>, affecting hundreds of thousands of older adults. Experts say the reasons why a company might find certain markets unprofitable are complex, but can include demographics, availability of providers and plans that are already in the market.

“[T]he industry broadly is going to be trimming benefits and in some cases significantly, and exiting from certain counties that aren’t profitable,” Aetna’s former President Brian Kane&nbsp;<a href="https://s2.q4cdn.com/447711729/files/doc_financials/2024/q1/CVS-1Q24-Earnings-Transcript.pdf" target="_blank">told shareholders</a>&nbsp;on an earnings call in May, before he left his position. Aetna, a subsidiary of CVS Health, is the third-largest Medicare Advantage insurer in the nation. “I think that’s an industry issue and I think it’s clearly an Aetna focus as well.”

Executives at CVS Health, Aetna’s parent company, told shareholders the priority for its Medicare Advantage program would be improving profit margins rather than increasing the number of enrollees.

They have not announced publicly which counties will lose Medicare Advantage plans, but noted their changes could&nbsp;<a href="https://www.statnews.com/2024/05/14/cvs-aetna-medicare-advantage-cut-benefits/?utm_campaign=health_care_inc&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_KG6jNdcCYt_b2-JXr0SMQbogbV_XDMgmCvnUjnWW5m_UsBvalMlvUPozxIsPXvn9C126pFPAlA2qO2jZszULKf47ccg&amp;_hsmi=307746331&amp;utm_content=307746331&amp;utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">push out 10% of their membership</a>, meaning up to 420,000 patients could be forced to shop for a different plan.

Even with the decline in the number of plans available next year, “there are still a lot of plans and people have a lot of options,” said Jeannie Fuglesten Biniek, associate director of the Medicare policy program at KFF, a health policy research organization. Next year, the average Medicare beneficiary will have access to 34 Medicare Advantage plans that include drug coverage, down from 36 this year, she said.

But that average masks wide variation across states and even counties in how many plans are available.

“There are a handful of counties, more than in previous years, where all Medicare Advantage plans exited and those look to be predominantly rural counties,” said Fuglesten Biniek. “We’re talking fortyish counties out of 3,000. For those people in those counties, that matters, but overall, it’s a smaller number.”

Experts say there isn’t enough data available yet to know whether the plan exits are concentrated in certain states or counties.

But research has shown that Medicare Advantage plans that enroll higher shares of Black beneficiaries are&nbsp;<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-health-forum/fullarticle/2797677#:~:text=enrolled%20a%20greater%20proportion%20of%20Black%20(21.9%25%20vs%2014.3%25%2C%20P%E2%80%89%3C%E2%80%89.001)%20beneficiaries" target="_blank">more likely to be terminated</a>, said Trivedi, of Brown University. Black enrollees have&nbsp;<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1475-6773.13977" target="_blank">more lower-quality Medicare Advantage plans</a>&nbsp;available in their counties of residence than white enrollees, research shows; terminated contracts tend to&nbsp;<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-health-forum/fullarticle/2797677#:~:text=Terminated%20contracts%20tended%20to%20have%20lower%20quality" target="_blank">have lower-quality ratings</a>.

“The consequence is that contract terminations in Medicare Advantage seem to have a disproportionate effect on Black beneficiaries because their contracts are more likely to be terminated,” Trivedi said.

A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/medicare/report/disparities-in-health-measures-by-race-and-ethnicity-among-beneficiaries-in-medicare-advantage-a-review-of-the-literature/" target="_blank">disproportionate share</a>&nbsp;of Medicare Advantage beneficiaries are Black, Hispanic, and Asian and Pacific Islander. These patients&nbsp;<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9923792/#:~:text=African%20American%20and%20Hispanic%20Medicare%20beneficiaries%20tend%20to%20have%20lower,et%20al.%2C%202019)." target="_blank">tend to have lower incomes</a>&nbsp;than white beneficiaries, and may by drawn by the lower upfront costs of Medicare Advantage plans.

“[Insurers] like to frame it as, ‘People are choosing us because we’re awesome,’” said Brandon Novick, program outreach assistant at the Center for Economic and Policy Research. “But it’s because financially it makes more sense in the short term” for people with limited incomes.

Meanwhile,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/finance/15-health-systems-dropping-medicare-advantage-plans-2024.html" target="_blank">at least 28 health systems</a>&nbsp;in 21 states have stopped accepting some Medicare Advantage plans this year, according to an analysis from Becker’s Hospital Review, an industry publication.

Health systems have cited delayed reimbursements, cumbersome prior authorization requirements and high rates of patient claim denials for their decisions to drop Medicare Advantage plans. Nearly 1 in 5 health systems&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hfma.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Overview-2024-CFO-Pain-Points-Study.pdf" target="_blank">stopped accepting one or more Medicare Advantage plan</a>s last year, according to a report by the Healthcare Financial Management Association.

For retirees like Libby and Andrew Potter, losing access to trusted doctors and hospitals can mean going longer without needed medical care. Finding a new doctor and getting an appointment can take months, particularly for specialists. And for older adults living in rural areas, losing an in-network hospital or physician can mean choosing between a long drive for care or high out-of-pocket costs.

“There are really important access-to-care issues when providers no longer contract with your Medicare Advantage plan,” Trivedi said.

He said the sheer number of plans and differences in benefits might be overwhelming for older adults.

“To sort through all of that when somebody also may have frailty or cognitive impairment, that’s a really tough ask,” Trivedi said. “I study health policy for a living and it’d be hard for me to sort through 40 different options.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729516122048.jpeg" alt="Andrew and Libby Potter look over the letter they received in October, telling them that their region’s largest hospital system would no longer be considered in-network for Libby’s Medicare Advantage policy. The Potters live in Huntsville, Ala., where Libby is a retired middle school librarian and Andrew is a professor at a state university. Anna Claire Vollers/Stateline" />
 <figcaption>Andrew and Libby Potter look over the letter they received in October, telling them that their region’s largest hospital system would no longer be considered in-network for Libby’s Medicare Advantage policy. The Potters live in Huntsville, Ala., where Libby is a retired middle school librarian and Andrew is a professor at a state university. Anna Claire Vollers/Stateline</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Experts worry older patients could be exposed to ‘catastrophic’ costs and interrupted access to care.</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/author/avollers/">ANNA CLAIRE VOLLERS</a> <a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a> HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Libby and Andrew Potter usually ignore the avalanche of Medicare Advantage ads that land in the mailbox at their home in Huntsville, Alabama, each fall as Medicare’s open enrollment period begins.Libby, a retired middle school librarian, has what she considers good health insurance through the state employee health plan. Andrew has insurance through his job as a university professor and plans to join Libby’s insurance when he retires next year.But this year, a few days before open enrollment began, a letter arrived from UnitedHealthcare, informing the Potters that the region’s largest hospital system would no longer be considered in-network for Libby’s Medicare Advantage plan.The Potters spent the next couple of weeks worried and unsure what to do. It seemed incredible that 14 area hospitals, including the area’s only Level 1 trauma center, could suddenly become much, much more expensive.“We were being very careful in how we go up and down stairs,” Libby joked.Medicare is the federal health insurance program for people over 65 and those with certain disabilities. Medicare Advantage is a version of Medicare run by private insurance companies that contract with the government. These plans typically offer extra benefits, such as dental, vision and prescription drug coverage, that aren’t included with traditional Medicare.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medpac.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Mar24_Ch12_MedPAC_Report_To_Congress_SEC.pdf" target="_blank">More than half</a>&nbsp;of eligible Medicare beneficiaries now get their coverage through private Medicare Advantage plans.But this year, as Medicare’s open enrollment season kicks off, more than 1 million patients will have to shop for new health insurance. Facing financial and federal regulatory pressures, many insurers are pulling their Medicare Advantage plans from counties and states they’ve deemed unprofitable. Meanwhile, large health systems in states including Alabama, Minnesota and Vermont have cut ties with some Medicare Advantage plans.It’s a situation that’s alarmed state insurance regulators, who are fielding questions from older adults concerned about their hospitals and doctors withdrawing from their Medicare Advantage plans. Last month, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners sent&nbsp;<a href="https://content.naic.org/sites/default/files/inline-files/FINAL%20MA%20SEP%20CMS%20Letter%20Sept%202024.pdf" target="_blank">a letter</a>&nbsp;to the federal Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services asking for guidance.“Beneficiaries are faced with either paying the increased out-of-network costs or rescheduling their necessary medical services with another provider who may not have prompt availability,” the insurance commissioners’ group wrote. “A delay in access to medically necessary services is likely to result in harm.”The Potters eventually learned that Libby’s copayments at the hospital would remain the same whether or not the hospital was in-network for the state educators’ Medicare Advantage plan. But those with other UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans will have to pay more — or find another plan.“When a contract leaves the market, that can threaten continuity of care and access to care,” said Dr. Amal Trivedi, professor of health services, policy and practice at the Brown University School of Public Health. “The beneficiary will have to choose a new plan, and each of these plans is going to have a different benefit structure, different provider network, different prior authorization policies and different [prescription drug] formularies.“The worry is that’s going to affect their out-of-pocket costs, expose them to catastrophic spending, or compromise their access to care.”<h2>How we got here</h2>Insurance giants such as UnitedHealthcare have been aggressively pushing enrollment in their Medicaid Advantage plans for the past several years, luring customers with perks and bonuses not available through traditional Medicare. These plans tend to have low or even no monthly premiums and offer extra benefits such as vision and dental coverage, gym memberships, transportation to medical appointments, and even debit cards for medical supplies.And they’re simple: They provide all of a person’s coverage in one plan, unlike traditional Medicare, under which people must get separate prescription drug coverage and supplemental coverage.But there are trade-offs. Medicare Advantage plans often have a limited network of hospitals and physicians. And while the premiums are typically low, enrollees could end up&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncoa.org/article/what-is-the-difference-between-medicare-advantage-and-medigap/#:~:text=You%20could%20end,with%20Original%20Medicare)." target="_blank">paying more in the long run</a>&nbsp;in copays and deductibles if they develop a serious illness.Medicare Advantage programs also are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/use-of-prior-authorization-in-medicare-advantage-exceeded-46-million-requests-in-2022/#:~:text=Virtually%20all%20enrollees%20in%20Medicare%20Advantage%20(99%25)%20are%20required%20to%20obtain%20prior%20authorization%20for%20some%20services%20%E2%80%93%20most%20commonly%2C%20higher%20cost%20services%2C%20such%20as%20inpatient%20hospital%20stays%2C%20skilled%20nursing%20facility%20stays%2C%20and%20chemotherapy.%20This%20contrasts%20with%20traditional%20Medicare" target="_blank">more likely than traditional Medicare</a>&nbsp;to require prior authorization for hospital stays and other high-cost services. The plans’ prior authorization requirements have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/25/science/medicare-seniors-authorization.html" target="_blank">prompted increased scrutiny</a>&nbsp;in recent years. A congressional investigation by Democratic Senate staff released this month, for example, found the nation’s largest Medicare Advantage insurers&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024.10.17-PSI-Majority-Staff-Report-on-Medicare-Advantage.pdf" target="_blank">denied a quarter of all prior authorization requests</a>&nbsp;for post-acute care in nursing homes, rehab hospitals and long-term care.Medicare Advantage is popular among large employers, many of which are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/10-reasons-why-medicare-advantage-enrollment-is-growing-and-why-it-matters/#:~:text=A%20growing%20share%20of%20large%20employers%20are%20shifting%20their%20Medicare%2Dage%20retirees%20into%20Medicare%20Advantage%20plans%20for%20both%20Medicare%20and%20supplemental%20benefits" target="_blank">shifting their Medicare-age retirees</a>&nbsp;into these plans. And&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/in-2024-a-majority-of-states-offer-medicare-advantage-plans-to-their-state-retirees-with-13-offering-medicare-advantage-exclusively/" target="_blank">most states</a>&nbsp;offer Medicare Advantage plans to retired state employees; in 13 states, it’s the only option. In some of those 13 states, retirees forfeit their health benefits in perpetuity if they choose coverage under traditional Medicare.North Carolina Treasurer Dale Folwell, whose office administers the state health plan, said its Medicare Advantage plan is popular.“What we hear from our retirees, is that they are grateful and happy to have such a great offering as a result of their retirement benefit,” the Republican said. “That’s why nearly 89% of our retirees over age 65 have availed themselves of the [Medicare Advantage] product we offer them.”<h2>Insurers retreat</h2>This year, the handful of insurance giants that dominate the Medicare Advantage market have said they’re scaling back or eliminating plans, to shed members and boost sagging profits. They&nbsp;<a href="https://s2.q4cdn.com/447711729/files/doc_financials/2024/q1/CVS-1Q24-Earnings-Transcript.pdf" target="_blank">blame</a>&nbsp;new federal changes to their reimbursements, including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/04/02/medicare-advantage-insurer-pay" target="_blank">a small cut to their base payments</a>, and say patients are using more medical services and benefits than they anticipated.Though most companies haven’t released data on specific counties where they’re making cuts, plans are reportedly shuttering in states such as&nbsp;<a href="https://pfsinsurance.com/news/wellcare-080524" target="_blank">Alabama</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://pfsinsurance.com/news/wellcare-080524" target="_blank">Massachusetts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.beckerspayer.com/payer/bcbs-kansas-city-exiting-medicare-advantage-market.html" target="_blank">Missouri</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.concordmonitor.com/harvard-pilgrim-medicare-new-hampshire-57353658" target="_blank">New Hampshire</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://pfsinsurance.com/news/wellcare-080524" target="_blank">New Mexico</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dmagazine.com/healthcare-business/2024/09/southwestern-health-resources-to-sunset-medicare-advantage-health-plan-amid-layoffs/" target="_blank">Texas</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://vtdigger.org/2024/10/03/2-medicare-advantage-plans-will-no-longer-be-available-in-vermont-in-2025/" target="_blank">Vermont</a>, affecting hundreds of thousands of older adults. Experts say the reasons why a company might find certain markets unprofitable are complex, but can include demographics, availability of providers and plans that are already in the market.“[T]he industry broadly is going to be trimming benefits and in some cases significantly, and exiting from certain counties that aren’t profitable,” Aetna’s former President Brian Kane&nbsp;<a href="https://s2.q4cdn.com/447711729/files/doc_financials/2024/q1/CVS-1Q24-Earnings-Transcript.pdf" target="_blank">told shareholders</a>&nbsp;on an earnings call in May, before he left his position. Aetna, a subsidiary of CVS Health, is the third-largest Medicare Advantage insurer in the nation. “I think that’s an industry issue and I think it’s clearly an Aetna focus as well.”Executives at CVS Health, Aetna’s parent company, told shareholders the priority for its Medicare Advantage program would be improving profit margins rather than increasing the number of enrollees.They have not announced publicly which counties will lose Medicare Advantage plans, but noted their changes could&nbsp;<a href="https://www.statnews.com/2024/05/14/cvs-aetna-medicare-advantage-cut-benefits/?utm_campaign=health_care_inc&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_KG6jNdcCYt_b2-JXr0SMQbogbV_XDMgmCvnUjnWW5m_UsBvalMlvUPozxIsPXvn9C126pFPAlA2qO2jZszULKf47ccg&amp;_hsmi=307746331&amp;utm_content=307746331&amp;utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">push out 10% of their membership</a>, meaning up to 420,000 patients could be forced to shop for a different plan.<h2>Canceled plans</h2>Even with the decline in the number of plans available next year, “there are still a lot of plans and people have a lot of options,” said Jeannie Fuglesten Biniek, associate director of the Medicare policy program at KFF, a health policy research organization. Next year, the average Medicare beneficiary will have access to 34 Medicare Advantage plans that include drug coverage, down from 36 this year, she said.But that average masks wide variation across states and even counties in how many plans are available.“There are a handful of counties, more than in previous years, where all Medicare Advantage plans exited and those look to be predominantly rural counties,” said Fuglesten Biniek. “We’re talking fortyish counties out of 3,000. For those people in those counties, that matters, but overall, it’s a smaller number.”Experts say there isn’t enough data available yet to know whether the plan exits are concentrated in certain states or counties.But research has shown that Medicare Advantage plans that enroll higher shares of Black beneficiaries are&nbsp;<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-health-forum/fullarticle/2797677#:~:text=enrolled%20a%20greater%20proportion%20of%20Black%20(21.9%25%20vs%2014.3%25%2C%20P%E2%80%89%3C%E2%80%89.001)%20beneficiaries" target="_blank">more likely to be terminated</a>, said Trivedi, of Brown University. Black enrollees have&nbsp;<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1475-6773.13977" target="_blank">more lower-quality Medicare Advantage plans</a>&nbsp;available in their counties of residence than white enrollees, research shows; terminated contracts tend to&nbsp;<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-health-forum/fullarticle/2797677#:~:text=Terminated%20contracts%20tended%20to%20have%20lower%20quality" target="_blank">have lower-quality ratings</a>.“The consequence is that contract terminations in Medicare Advantage seem to have a disproportionate effect on Black beneficiaries because their contracts are more likely to be terminated,” Trivedi said.A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/medicare/report/disparities-in-health-measures-by-race-and-ethnicity-among-beneficiaries-in-medicare-advantage-a-review-of-the-literature/" target="_blank">disproportionate share</a>&nbsp;of Medicare Advantage beneficiaries are Black, Hispanic, and Asian and Pacific Islander. These patients&nbsp;<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9923792/#:~:text=African%20American%20and%20Hispanic%20Medicare%20beneficiaries%20tend%20to%20have%20lower,et%20al.%2C%202019)." target="_blank">tend to have lower incomes</a>&nbsp;than white beneficiaries, and may by drawn by the lower upfront costs of Medicare Advantage plans.“[Insurers] like to frame it as, ‘People are choosing us because we’re awesome,’” said Brandon Novick, program outreach assistant at the Center for Economic and Policy Research. “But it’s because financially it makes more sense in the short term” for people with limited incomes.Meanwhile,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/finance/15-health-systems-dropping-medicare-advantage-plans-2024.html" target="_blank">at least 28 health systems</a>&nbsp;in 21 states have stopped accepting some Medicare Advantage plans this year, according to an analysis from Becker’s Hospital Review, an industry publication.Health systems have cited delayed reimbursements, cumbersome prior authorization requirements and high rates of patient claim denials for their decisions to drop Medicare Advantage plans. Nearly 1 in 5 health systems&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hfma.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Overview-2024-CFO-Pain-Points-Study.pdf" target="_blank">stopped accepting one or more Medicare Advantage plan</a>s last year, according to a report by the Healthcare Financial Management Association.<h2>‘A tough ask’</h2>For retirees like Libby and Andrew Potter, losing access to trusted doctors and hospitals can mean going longer without needed medical care. Finding a new doctor and getting an appointment can take months, particularly for specialists. And for older adults living in rural areas, losing an in-network hospital or physician can mean choosing between a long drive for care or high out-of-pocket costs.“There are really important access-to-care issues when providers no longer contract with your Medicare Advantage plan,” Trivedi said.He said the sheer number of plans and differences in benefits might be overwhelming for older adults.“To sort through all of that when somebody also may have frailty or cognitive impairment, that’s a really tough ask,” Trivedi said. “I study health policy for a living and it’d be hard for me to sort through 40 different options.”

1 million+ patients lose coverage as insurers, hospitals drop Medicare Advantage

WASHINGTON (AP) — A child psychiatrist who altered a first-day-of-school photo he saw on Facebook to make a group of girls appear nude. A U.S. Army soldier accused of creating images depicting children he knew being sexually abused. A software engineer charged with generating hyper-realistic sexually explicit images of children.

Law enforcement agencies across the U.S. are cracking down on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ai-artificial-intelligence-child-sexual-abuse-c8f17de56d41f05f55286eb6177138d2">troubling spread of child sexual abuse imagery</a>&nbsp;created through artificial intelligence technology — from manipulated photos of real children to graphic depictions of computer-generated kids. Justice Department officials say they're aggressively going after offenders who exploit AI tools, while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-dakota-xylazine-deepfakes-crime-marty-jackley-4167be99dfb79861835a5190472d61b3">states are racing</a>&nbsp;to ensure people generating “deepfakes” and other harmful imagery of kids can be prosecuted under their laws.

“We’ve got to signal early and often that it is a crime, that it will be investigated and prosecuted when the evidence supports it,” Steven Grocki, who leads the Justice Department's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, said in an interview with The Associated Press. “And if you’re sitting there thinking otherwise, you fundamentally are wrong. And it’s only a matter of time before somebody holds you accountable.”

The Justice Department says existing federal laws clearly apply to such content, and recently brought what’s believed to be the first federal case involving purely AI-generated imagery — meaning the children depicted are not real but virtual. In another case, federal authorities in August arrested a U.S. soldier stationed in Alaska accused of running innocent pictures of real children he knew through an AI chatbot to make the images sexually explicit.

The prosecutions come as child advocates are urgently working to curb the misuse of technology to prevent a flood of disturbing images officials fear could make it harder to rescue real victims. Law enforcement officials worry investigators will waste time and resources trying to identify and track down exploited children who don’t really exist.

Lawmakers, meanwhile, are passing a flurry of legislation to ensure local prosecutors can bring charges under state laws for AI-generated “deepfakes” and other sexually explicit images of kids. Governors in more than a dozen states have signed laws this year cracking down on digitally created or altered child sexual abuse imagery, according to a review by The National Center for Missing &amp; Exploited Children.

“We’re playing catch-up as law enforcement to a technology that, frankly, is moving far faster than we are," said Ventura County, California District Attorney Erik Nasarenko.

Nasarenko pushed legislation&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ai-deepfakes-children-abuse-7dcf5c566e2a297567f1e148ac2074a4">signed last month</a>&nbsp;by Gov. Gavin Newsom which makes clear that AI-generated child sexual abuse material is illegal under California law. Nasarenko said his office could not prosecute eight cases involving AI-generated content between last December and mid-September because California's law had required prosecutors to prove the imagery depicted a real child.

AI-generated child sexual abuse images can be used to groom children, law enforcement officials say. And even if they aren’t physically abused, kids can be deeply impacted when their image is morphed to appear sexually explicit.

“I felt like a part of me had been taken away. Even though I was not physically violated,” said 17-year-old Kaylin Hayman, who starred on the Disney Channel show “Just Roll with It” and helped push the California bill after she became a victim of “deepfake” imagery.

Hayman testified last year at the federal trial of the man who digitally superimposed her face and those of other child actors onto bodies performing sex acts. He was sentenced in May to more than 14 years in prison.

Open-source AI-models that users can download on their computers are known to be favored by offenders, who can further train or modify the tools to churn out explicit depictions of children, experts say. Abusers trade tips in dark web communities about how to manipulate AI tools to create such content, officials say.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/generative-ai-illegal-images-child-abuse-3081a81fa79e2a39b67c11201cfd085f">A report last year</a>&nbsp;by the Stanford Internet Observatory found that a research dataset that was the source for leading AI image-makers such as Stable Diffusion contained links to sexually explicit images of kids, contributing to the ease with which some tools have been able to produce harmful imagery. The dataset was taken down, and researchers later said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ai-image-generators-child-sexual-abuse-laion-stable-diffusion-2652b0f4245fb28ced1cf74c60a8d9f0">they deleted</a>&nbsp;more than 2,000 weblinks to suspected child sexual abuse imagery from it.

Top technology companies, including Google, OpenAI and Stability AI, have agreed to work with anti-child sexual abuse organization Thorn&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thorn.org/blog/generative-ai-principles/">to combat the spread</a>&nbsp;of child sexual abuse images.

But experts say more should have been done at the outset to prevent misuse before the technology became widely available. And steps companies are taking now to make it harder to abuse future versions of AI tools "will do little to prevent" offenders from running older versions of models on their computer “without detection," a Justice Department prosecutor noted in recent court papers.

“Time was not spent on making the products safe, as opposed to efficient, and it's very hard to do after the fact — as we’ve seen,” said David Thiel, the Stanford Internet Observatory's chief technologist.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A child psychiatrist who altered a first-day-of-school photo he saw on Facebook to make a group of girls appear nude. A U.S. Army soldier accused of creating images depicting children he knew being sexually abused. A software engineer charged with generating hyper-realistic sexually explicit images of children.Law enforcement agencies across the U.S. are cracking down on a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ai-artificial-intelligence-child-sexual-abuse-c8f17de56d41f05f55286eb6177138d2">troubling spread of child sexual abuse imagery</a>&nbsp;created through artificial intelligence technology — from manipulated photos of real children to graphic depictions of computer-generated kids. Justice Department officials say they're aggressively going after offenders who exploit AI tools, while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-dakota-xylazine-deepfakes-crime-marty-jackley-4167be99dfb79861835a5190472d61b3">states are racing</a>&nbsp;to ensure people generating “deepfakes” and other harmful imagery of kids can be prosecuted under their laws.“We’ve got to signal early and often that it is a crime, that it will be investigated and prosecuted when the evidence supports it,” Steven Grocki, who leads the Justice Department's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, said in an interview with The Associated Press. “And if you’re sitting there thinking otherwise, you fundamentally are wrong. And it’s only a matter of time before somebody holds you accountable.”The Justice Department says existing federal laws clearly apply to such content, and recently brought what’s believed to be the first federal case involving purely AI-generated imagery — meaning the children depicted are not real but virtual. In another case, federal authorities in August arrested a U.S. soldier stationed in Alaska accused of running innocent pictures of real children he knew through an AI chatbot to make the images sexually explicit.<h2>Trying to catch up to technology</h2>The prosecutions come as child advocates are urgently working to curb the misuse of technology to prevent a flood of disturbing images officials fear could make it harder to rescue real victims. Law enforcement officials worry investigators will waste time and resources trying to identify and track down exploited children who don’t really exist.Lawmakers, meanwhile, are passing a flurry of legislation to ensure local prosecutors can bring charges under state laws for AI-generated “deepfakes” and other sexually explicit images of kids. Governors in more than a dozen states have signed laws this year cracking down on digitally created or altered child sexual abuse imagery, according to a review by The National Center for Missing &amp; Exploited Children.“We’re playing catch-up as law enforcement to a technology that, frankly, is moving far faster than we are," said Ventura County, California District Attorney Erik Nasarenko.Nasarenko pushed legislation&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ai-deepfakes-children-abuse-7dcf5c566e2a297567f1e148ac2074a4">signed last month</a>&nbsp;by Gov. Gavin Newsom which makes clear that AI-generated child sexual abuse material is illegal under California law. Nasarenko said his office could not prosecute eight cases involving AI-generated content between last December and mid-September because California's law had required prosecutors to prove the imagery depicted a real child.AI-generated child sexual abuse images can be used to groom children, law enforcement officials say. And even if they aren’t physically abused, kids can be deeply impacted when their image is morphed to appear sexually explicit.“I felt like a part of me had been taken away. Even though I was not physically violated,” said 17-year-old Kaylin Hayman, who starred on the Disney Channel show “Just Roll with It” and helped push the California bill after she became a victim of “deepfake” imagery.Hayman testified last year at the federal trial of the man who digitally superimposed her face and those of other child actors onto bodies performing sex acts. He was sentenced in May to more than 14 years in prison.Open-source AI-models that users can download on their computers are known to be favored by offenders, who can further train or modify the tools to churn out explicit depictions of children, experts say. Abusers trade tips in dark web communities about how to manipulate AI tools to create such content, officials say.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/generative-ai-illegal-images-child-abuse-3081a81fa79e2a39b67c11201cfd085f">A report last year</a>&nbsp;by the Stanford Internet Observatory found that a research dataset that was the source for leading AI image-makers such as Stable Diffusion contained links to sexually explicit images of kids, contributing to the ease with which some tools have been able to produce harmful imagery. The dataset was taken down, and researchers later said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ai-image-generators-child-sexual-abuse-laion-stable-diffusion-2652b0f4245fb28ced1cf74c60a8d9f0">they deleted</a>&nbsp;more than 2,000 weblinks to suspected child sexual abuse imagery from it.Top technology companies, including Google, OpenAI and Stability AI, have agreed to work with anti-child sexual abuse organization Thorn&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thorn.org/blog/generative-ai-principles/">to combat the spread</a>&nbsp;of child sexual abuse images.But experts say more should have been done at the outset to prevent misuse before the technology became widely available. And steps companies are taking now to make it harder to abuse future versions of AI tools "will do little to prevent" offenders from running older versions of models on their computer “without detection," a Justice Department prosecutor noted in recent court papers.“Time was not spent on making the products safe, as opposed to efficient, and it's very hard to do after the fact — as we’ve seen,” said David Thiel, the Stanford Internet Observatory's chief technologist.<h2>AI images get more realistic</h2>The National Center for Missing &amp; Exploited Children's CyberTipline last year received about 4,700 reports of content involving AI technology — a small fraction of the more than 36 million total reports of suspected child sexual exploitation. By October of this year, the group was fielding about 450 reports per month of AI-involved content, said Yiota Souras, the group’s chief legal officer.Those numbers may be an undercount, however, as the images are so realistic it's often difficult to tell whether they were AI-generated, experts say.“Investigators are spending hours just trying to determine if an image actually depicts a real minor or if it’s AI-generated,” said Rikole Kelly, deputy Ventura County district attorney, who helped write the California bill. “It used to be that there were some really clear indicators ... with the advances in AI technology, that’s just not the case anymore.”Justice Department officials say they already have the tools under federal law to go after offenders for such imagery.The U.S. Supreme Court in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.heraldnet.com/news/supreme-court-strikes-down-ban-on-virtual-child-pornography/">2002 struck down a federal ban</a>&nbsp;on virtual child sexual abuse material. But a federal law signed the following year bans the production of visual depictions, including drawings, of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct that are deemed “obscene.” That law, which the Justice Department says has been used in the past to charge cartoon imagery of child sexual abuse, specifically notes there's no requirement “that the minor depicted actually exist.”The Justice Department brought that charge in May against a Wisconsin software engineer accused of using AI tool Stable Diffusion to create photorealistic images of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and was caught after he sent some to a 15-year-old boy through a direct message on Instagram, authorities say. The man's lawyer, who is pushing to dismiss the charges on First Amendment grounds, declined further comment on the allegations in an email to the AP.A spokesperson for Stability AI said that man is accused of using an earlier version of the tool that was released by another company, Runway ML. Stability AI says that it has “invested in proactive features to prevent the misuse of AI for the production of harmful content” since taking over the exclusive development of the models. A spokesperson for Runway ML didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from the AP.In cases involving “deepfakes,” when a real child's photo has been digitally altered to make them sexually explicit, the Justice Department is bringing charges under the federal “child pornography" law. In one case, a North Carolina child psychiatrist who used an AI application to digitally “undress” girls posing on the first day of school in a decades-old photo shared on Facebook was convicted of federal charges last year.