TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 2037 to a total of 58,629 the state health department reported Monday afternoon.&nbsp;

Coronavirus deaths were reported at 637, an increase of 5.

<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional numbers from the KDHE.

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 2037 to a total of 58,629 the state health department reported Monday afternoon.&nbsp;Coronavirus deaths were reported at 637, an increase of 5.<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional numbers from the KDHE.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601313079636.png" alt="Monday Sept. 28, 2020 KDHE image&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Monday Sept. 28, 2020 KDHE image&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: Latest coronavirus numbers in Kansas

<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-09-26/thousands-of-trump-supporters-cruise-through-kansas-city-calling-for-4-more-years">Kansas News Service</a>

The party-like atmosphere at Kansas City's Liberty Memorial was hard 
to miss Saturday. Flags flapped in the breeze, rows upon rows of cars, 
trucks and motorcycles were decked out in red, white and blue, and 
people wore clothing emblazoned with pro-President Trump slogans.

With
 38 days to go before Election Day, hundreds of Trump supporters 
gathered for this "truck rally" near the World War I museum before 
driving down Main Street to the Country Club Plaza. 

There was no 
official count of attendees as of early Saturday evening, though some 
people in the crowd estimated it was more than 1,000 people.

Once Trump supporters made it to the Plaza, honking all the way and 
chanting "four more years," they were met by a small group of anti-Trump
 protesters, who yelled and gave cars the middle finger. 

A few 
people on both sides of the political divide fought briefly before 
police stepped in. Seven people were arrested, Kansas City Police 
Department spokesperson Doaa El-Ashkar said in a news release, for 
disorderly conduct or careless driving. 

During the final hour of the motorcade, Trump <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/supreme-court-nomination/2020/09/26/916921211/trump-set-to-formally-announce-his-supreme-court-nominee" target="_blank">announced his pick </a>to
 fill the Supreme Court seat of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died 
Sept. 18. He chose 48-year-old conservative U.S. Circuit Court judge Amy
 Coney Barrett.

Republican politicians were quick to praise 
Trump's choice, with Missouri U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt — who will vote on the
 nomination — saying she had "made clear her commitment to interpreting 
and upholding the law and the Constitution as they are written." 

Kansas
 U.S. Rep. Roger Marshall, who is running for a U.S. Senate seat, said 
Democrats are only want "liberal activist judges." And Missouri U.S. 
Rep. Sam Graves called Barrett a "wise choice."

John Thelem of Kansas City, Missouri, said he isn't a fan of the backlash over Republicans moving forward with a nominee. 

"I
 think that the Democrats have shown that they will scorch the Earth in 
order to hurt Trump," he said, adding later, "that's why you see so many
 people out here is we're sick and tired of being called racist." 

But
 Missouri Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver told KCUR on Saturday 
that said the nomination was "a miscarriage of honesty." He also said 
he's still disappointed with the Republicans' about-face on holding a 
confirmation vote before the Nov. 3 election.

"We're going to have
 eventually a Democratic Senate. It could be in January, or maybe two 
years from now, but there will probably be some kind of response to 
this," Cleaver said. "And every response will be an escalation."

At the Plaza, 50-year-old Shonda Garrison said Republicans' decision to move forward is “disappointing but not surprising."

"It’s up to Democrats to hold the floor and up to us to vote him out," she said.

Brian Zern of Independence and his wife were on a date in Kansas City
 when they saw the rally — which he said was like a boat party in 
Branson — and decided to join. He said the turnout was "a lot more than I
 expected" and that he thinks "everybody else sees the same thing" he 
does with Trump. 

"I just don't like the fact that it feels like 
the Democratic side is more government. It is, you know, a lot more 
regulations, more control," the 41-year-old said. "I think at least on 
the Trump side, it'd be a little less government and a little bit more 
for the people."

Looking at the turnout at the Liberty Memorial, Charlie Pogue of Olathe, Kansas, said he underestimated Kansas City.

"I'm here just to show the support, make sure people know there's a lot of Trump voters out here," the 54-year-old said. 

His daughter, 17-year-old Julia, can't vote in November, but she wanted people to know young people need to be heard. 

"...
 I know a lot of the time, people assume that the younger generation is 
mostly Democratic," she said. "But I think, especially being a woman, 
it's important for me to know that there's lots of people out there who 
are with me and just show my support."

Both father and daughter said the main issues for them this election were gun rights, abortion and the economy.

Marge Jones, 76, and two of her friends took the Amtrak from St. 
Louis to attend Saturday's rally. Jones said she backs Trump because he 
is "against immigration" and he'll "keep things as they are."

When it comes to the possibility of confirming Barrett for the Supreme Court, she said Trump was "not rushing it there." 

"He's just replacing the seat, and that's in the Constitution that he's allowed to do that," she said.

Carlos Moreno is a freelance multimedia journalist who works in the Kansas City metro.&nbsp;Jodi is a newsroom intern for KCUR.&nbsp;Lucas Cuni-Mertz is a news intern at KCUR 89.3.&nbsp;KCUR reporter Elle Moxley contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601309175560.png" alt="About an hour and a half after the cars started leaving the Liberty Memorial on Saturday, they were still streaming south on Main Street toward the Plaza. Carlos Moreno / KCUR" />
 <figcaption>About an hour and a half after the cars started leaving the Liberty Memorial on Saturday, they were still streaming south on Main Street toward the Plaza. Carlos Moreno / KCUR</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-09-26/thousands-of-trump-supporters-cruise-through-kansas-city-calling-for-4-more-years">Kansas News Service</a>The party-like atmosphere at Kansas City's Liberty Memorial was hard 
to miss Saturday. Flags flapped in the breeze, rows upon rows of cars, 
trucks and motorcycles were decked out in red, white and blue, and 
people wore clothing emblazoned with pro-President Trump slogans.With
 38 days to go before Election Day, hundreds of Trump supporters 
gathered for this "truck rally" near the World War I museum before 
driving down Main Street to the Country Club Plaza. There was no 
official count of attendees as of early Saturday evening, though some 
people in the crowd estimated it was more than 1,000 people.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601309233081.png" alt="Screen Shot 202Karen Witte of Kansas City welcomed Trump supporters to the grounds of the Liberty Memorial on Saturday. Carlos Moreno0-09-28 at 11.06.49 AM.png" />
 <figcaption>Screen Shot 202Karen Witte of Kansas City welcomed Trump supporters to the grounds of the Liberty Memorial on Saturday. Carlos Moreno0-09-28 at 11.06.49 AM.png</figcaption>
 </figure>Once Trump supporters made it to the Plaza, honking all the way and 
chanting "four more years," they were met by a small group of anti-Trump
 protesters, who yelled and gave cars the middle finger. A few 
people on both sides of the political divide fought briefly before 
police stepped in. Seven people were arrested, Kansas City Police 
Department spokesperson Doaa El-Ashkar said in a news release, for 
disorderly conduct or careless driving. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601309268586.png" alt="An anti-Trump protester is detained by police near the Plaza after a skirmish with a Trump supporter. Carlos Moreno" />
 <figcaption>An anti-Trump protester is detained by police near the Plaza after a skirmish with a Trump supporter. Carlos Moreno</figcaption>
 </figure>During the final hour of the motorcade, Trump <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/supreme-court-nomination/2020/09/26/916921211/trump-set-to-formally-announce-his-supreme-court-nominee" target="_blank">announced his pick </a>to
 fill the Supreme Court seat of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died 
Sept. 18. He chose 48-year-old conservative U.S. Circuit Court judge Amy
 Coney Barrett. Republican politicians were quick to praise 
Trump's choice, with Missouri U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt — who will vote on the
 nomination — saying she had "made clear her commitment to interpreting 
and upholding the law and the Constitution as they are written." Kansas
 U.S. Rep. Roger Marshall, who is running for a U.S. Senate seat, said 
Democrats are only want "liberal activist judges." And Missouri U.S. 
Rep. Sam Graves called Barrett a "wise choice."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601309317221.png" alt="Shonda Garrison came to the Plaza on Saturday to be part of an anti-Trump counterprotest. Lucas Cuni-Mertz" />
 <figcaption>Shonda Garrison came to the Plaza on Saturday to be part of an anti-Trump counterprotest. Lucas Cuni-Mertz</figcaption>
 </figure>John Thelem of Kansas City, Missouri, said he isn't a fan of the backlash over Republicans moving forward with a nominee. "I
 think that the Democrats have shown that they will scorch the Earth in 
order to hurt Trump," he said, adding later, "that's why you see so many
 people out here is we're sick and tired of being called racist." But
 Missouri Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver told KCUR on Saturday 
that said the nomination was "a miscarriage of honesty." He also said 
he's still disappointed with the Republicans' about-face on holding a 
confirmation vote before the Nov. 3 election."We're going to have
 eventually a Democratic Senate. It could be in January, or maybe two 
years from now, but there will probably be some kind of response to 
this," Cleaver said. "And every response will be an escalation."At the Plaza, 50-year-old Shonda Garrison said Republicans' decision to move forward is “disappointing but not surprising.""It’s up to Democrats to hold the floor and up to us to vote him out," she said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601309346820.png" alt="Kyle Howell, an 18-year-old from Overland Park, Kansas, takes photos of the growing crowd at the Liberty Memorial. Carlos Moreno" />
 <figcaption>Kyle Howell, an 18-year-old from Overland Park, Kansas, takes photos of the growing crowd at the Liberty Memorial. Carlos Moreno</figcaption>
 </figure>Brian Zern of Independence and his wife were on a date in Kansas City
 when they saw the rally — which he said was like a boat party in 
Branson — and decided to join. He said the turnout was "a lot more than I
 expected" and that he thinks "everybody else sees the same thing" he 
does with Trump. "I just don't like the fact that it feels like 
the Democratic side is more government. It is, you know, a lot more 
regulations, more control," the 41-year-old said. "I think at least on 
the Trump side, it'd be a little less government and a little bit more 
for the people."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601309389144.png" alt="The line of cars carrying Trump supporters stretched down Main Street on Saturday afternoon. Carlos Moreno" />
 <figcaption>The line of cars carrying Trump supporters stretched down Main Street on Saturday afternoon. Carlos Moreno</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601309430298.png" alt="Charlie Pogue of Olathe, Kansas, and his daughter Julie attended the rally. Jodi Fortino" />
 <figcaption>Charlie Pogue of Olathe, Kansas, and his daughter Julie attended the rally. Jodi Fortino</figcaption>
 </figure>Looking at the turnout at the Liberty Memorial, Charlie Pogue of Olathe, Kansas, said he underestimated Kansas City."I'm here just to show the support, make sure people know there's a lot of Trump voters out here," the 54-year-old said. His daughter, 17-year-old Julia, can't vote in November, but she wanted people to know young people need to be heard. "...
 I know a lot of the time, people assume that the younger generation is 
mostly Democratic," she said. "But I think, especially being a woman, 
it's important for me to know that there's lots of people out there who 
are with me and just show my support."Both father and daughter said the main issues for them this election were gun rights, abortion and the economy.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601309468920.png" alt="Anti-Trump demonstrators were waiting at a park near the Plaza as the motorcade came down Main Street in Kansas City. Carlos Moreno" />
 <figcaption>Anti-Trump demonstrators were waiting at a park near the Plaza as the motorcade came down Main Street in Kansas City. Carlos Moreno</figcaption>
 </figure>Marge Jones, 76, and two of her friends took the Amtrak from St. 
Louis to attend Saturday's rally. Jones said she backs Trump because he 
is "against immigration" and he'll "keep things as they are."When it comes to the possibility of confirming Barrett for the Supreme Court, she said Trump was "not rushing it there." "He's just replacing the seat, and that's in the Constitution that he's allowed to do that," she said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601309504223.png" alt="These women, including Marge Jones (left), took the Amtrak from St. Louis to attend Saturday's rally in Kansas City. Jodi Fortino" />
 <figcaption>These women, including Marge Jones (left), took the Amtrak from St. Louis to attend Saturday's rally in Kansas City. Jodi Fortino</figcaption>
 </figure>Carlos Moreno is a freelance multimedia journalist who works in the Kansas City metro.&nbsp;Jodi is a newsroom intern for KCUR.&nbsp;Lucas Cuni-Mertz is a news intern at KCUR 89.3.&nbsp;KCUR reporter Elle Moxley contributed to this report.

Trump supporters cruise K.C., calling for 'four more years'

NEW YORK (AP) — At a University of Maryland lab, people infected with the new coronavirus take turns sitting in a chair and putting their faces into the big end of a large cone. They recite the alphabet and sing or just sit quietly for a half hour. Sometimes they cough.

The cone sucks up everything that comes out of their mouths and noses. It’s part of a device called “Gesundheit II” that is helping scientists study a big question: Just how does the virus that causes COVID-19 spread from one person to another?

It clearly hitchhikes on small liquid particles sprayed out by an infected person. People expel particles while coughing, sneezing, singing, shouting, talking and even breathing. But the drops come in a wide range of sizes, and scientists are trying to pin down how risky the various kinds are.

The answer affects what we should all be doing to avoid getting sick. That’s why it was thrust into headlines a few days ago when a U.S. health agency appeared to have shifted its position on the issue, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-archive-public-health-cfb43dd5a28dd449cd1100a067cfd112">later said</a>&nbsp;it had published new language in error.

The recommendation to stay at least 6 feet (2 meters) apart — some authorities cite about half that distance — is based on the idea that larger particles fall to the ground before they can travel very far. They are like the droplets in a spritz of a window cleaner, and they can infect somebody by landing on their nose, mouth or eyes, or maybe being inhaled.

But some scientists are now focusing on tinier particles, the ones that spread more like cigarette smoke. Those are carried by wisps of air and even upward drafts caused by the warmth of our bodies. They can linger in the air for minutes to hours, spreading throughout a room and build up if ventilation is poor.

The potential risk comes from inhaling them. Measles can spread this way, but the new coronavirus is far less contagious than that.

For these particles, called aerosols, “6 feet is not a magic distance,” says Linsey Marr, a leading researcher who is studying them at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. But she says it’s still important to keep one’s distance from others, “the farther the better,” because aerosols are most concentrated near a source and pose a bigger risk at close range.

Public health agencies have generally focused on the larger particles for coronavirus. That prompted more than 200 other scientists to publish a&nbsp;<a href="https://academic.oup.com/cid/advance-article/doi/10.1093/cid/ciaa939/5867798" target="_blank">plea</a>&nbsp;in July to pay attention to the potential risk from aerosols. The World Health Organization, which had long dismissed a danger from aerosols except in the case of certain medical procedures, later&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-how-is-covid-19-transmitted" target="_blank">said</a>&nbsp;that aerosol transmission of the coronavirus can’t be ruled out in cases of infection within crowded and poorly ventilated indoor spaces.

The issue drew attention recently when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted and then deleted statements on its website that highlighted the idea of aerosol spread. The agency said the posting was an error, and that the statements were just a draft of proposed changes to its recommendations.

Dr. Jay Butler, CDC’s deputy director for infectious disease, told The Associated Press that the agency continues to believe larger and heavier droplets that come from coughing or sneezing are the primary means of transmission.

Last month Butler told a scientific meeting that current research suggests aerosol spreading of the coronavirus is possible but it doesn’t seem to be the main way that people get infected. Further research may change that conclusion, he added, and he urged scientists to study how often aerosol spread of the coronavirus occurs, what situations make it more likely and what reasonable steps might prevent it.

Marr said she thinks infection by aerosols is “happening a lot more than people initially were willing to think.”

As a key piece of evidence, Marr and others point to so-called “superspreader” events where one infected person evidently passed the virus to many others in a single setting.

In March, for example, after a choir member with coronavirus symptoms attended a rehearsal in Washington state, 52 others who had been seated throughout the room were&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.15.20132027v2" target="_blank">found</a>&nbsp;to be infected and two died. In a crowded and poorly ventilated restaurant in China in January, the virus evidently&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.16.20067728v1" target="_blank">spread&nbsp;</a>from a lunchtime patron to five people at two adjoining tables in a pattern suggesting aerosols were spread by the air conditioner. Also in January, a passenger on a Chinese bus apparently&nbsp;<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2770172" target="_blank">infected</a>&nbsp;23 others, many of whom were scattered around the vehicle.

Butler said such events raise concern about aerosol spread but don’t prove it happens.

There could be another way for tiny particles to spread. They may not necessarily come directly from somebody’s mouth or nose, says William Ristenpart of the University of California, Davis. His&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-17888-w" target="_blank">research&nbsp;</a>found that if paper tissues are seeded with influenza virus and then crumpled, they give off particles that bear the virus. So people emptying a wastebasket with tissues discarded by somebody with COVID-19 should be sure to wear a mask, he said.

Scientists who warn about aerosols say current recommendations still make sense.

Wearing a mask is still important, and make sure it fits snugly. Keep washing those hands diligently. And again, staying farther apart is better than being closer together. Avoid crowds, especially indoors.

Their main addition to recommendations is ventilation to avoid a buildup of aerosol concentration. So, the researchers say, stay out of poorly ventilated rooms. Open windows and doors. One can also use air-purifying devices or virus-inactivating ultraviolet light.

Best of all: Just do as much as you can outdoors, where dilution and the sun’s ultraviolet light work in your favor.

“We know outdoors is the most spectacularly effective measure, by far,” says Jose-Luis Jimenez of the University of Colorado-Boulder. “Outdoors it is not impossible to get infected, but it is difficult.”

The various precautions should be used in combination rather than just one at a time, researchers say. In a well ventilated environment, “6 feet (of separation) is pretty good if everybody’s got a mask on” and nobody stays directly downwind of an infected person for very long, says Dr. Donald Milton of the University of Maryland School of Public Health, whose lab houses the Gesundheit II machine.

Duration of exposure is important, so there’s probably not much risk from a short elevator ride while masked or being passed by a jogger on the sidewalk, experts say.

Scientists have&nbsp;<a href="https://nicholas.duke.edu/news/online-tool-calculates-risk-classroom-transmission-airborne-covid-19" target="_blank">published</a>&nbsp;online&nbsp;<a href="https://cires.colorado.edu/news/covid-19-airborne-transmission-tool-available" target="_blank">tools</a>&nbsp;for calculating risk of airborne spread in various settings.

At a recent meeting on aerosols, however, Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, noted that preventive steps can be a challenge in the real world. Keeping apart from other people can be difficult in homes that house multiple generations. Some old buildings have windows that were “nailed shut years ago,” he said. And “we have far too many communities where they simply don’t have access to clean water to wash their hands.”

It might seem strange that for all the scientific frenzy to study the new coronavirus, the details of how it spreads can still be in doubt nine months later. But history suggests patience.

“We’ve been studying influenza for 102 years,” says Milton, referring to the 1918 flu epidemic. “We still don’t know how it’s transmitted and what the role of aerosols is.”

NEW YORK (AP) — At a University of Maryland lab, people infected with the new coronavirus take turns sitting in a chair and putting their faces into the big end of a large cone. They recite the alphabet and sing or just sit quietly for a half hour. Sometimes they cough.The cone sucks up everything that comes out of their mouths and noses. It’s part of a device called “Gesundheit II” that is helping scientists study a big question: Just how does the virus that causes COVID-19 spread from one person to another?It clearly hitchhikes on small liquid particles sprayed out by an infected person. People expel particles while coughing, sneezing, singing, shouting, talking and even breathing. But the drops come in a wide range of sizes, and scientists are trying to pin down how risky the various kinds are.The answer affects what we should all be doing to avoid getting sick. That’s why it was thrust into headlines a few days ago when a U.S. health agency appeared to have shifted its position on the issue, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-archive-public-health-cfb43dd5a28dd449cd1100a067cfd112">later said</a>&nbsp;it had published new language in error.The recommendation to stay at least 6 feet (2 meters) apart — some authorities cite about half that distance — is based on the idea that larger particles fall to the ground before they can travel very far. They are like the droplets in a spritz of a window cleaner, and they can infect somebody by landing on their nose, mouth or eyes, or maybe being inhaled.But some scientists are now focusing on tinier particles, the ones that spread more like cigarette smoke. Those are carried by wisps of air and even upward drafts caused by the warmth of our bodies. They can linger in the air for minutes to hours, spreading throughout a room and build up if ventilation is poor.The potential risk comes from inhaling them. Measles can spread this way, but the new coronavirus is far less contagious than that.For these particles, called aerosols, “6 feet is not a magic distance,” says Linsey Marr, a leading researcher who is studying them at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. But she says it’s still important to keep one’s distance from others, “the farther the better,” because aerosols are most concentrated near a source and pose a bigger risk at close range.Public health agencies have generally focused on the larger particles for coronavirus. That prompted more than 200 other scientists to publish a&nbsp;<a href="https://academic.oup.com/cid/advance-article/doi/10.1093/cid/ciaa939/5867798" target="_blank">plea</a>&nbsp;in July to pay attention to the potential risk from aerosols. The World Health Organization, which had long dismissed a danger from aerosols except in the case of certain medical procedures, later&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-how-is-covid-19-transmitted" target="_blank">said</a>&nbsp;that aerosol transmission of the coronavirus can’t be ruled out in cases of infection within crowded and poorly ventilated indoor spaces.The issue drew attention recently when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted and then deleted statements on its website that highlighted the idea of aerosol spread. The agency said the posting was an error, and that the statements were just a draft of proposed changes to its recommendations.Dr. Jay Butler, CDC’s deputy director for infectious disease, told The Associated Press that the agency continues to believe larger and heavier droplets that come from coughing or sneezing are the primary means of transmission.Last month Butler told a scientific meeting that current research suggests aerosol spreading of the coronavirus is possible but it doesn’t seem to be the main way that people get infected. Further research may change that conclusion, he added, and he urged scientists to study how often aerosol spread of the coronavirus occurs, what situations make it more likely and what reasonable steps might prevent it.Marr said she thinks infection by aerosols is “happening a lot more than people initially were willing to think.”As a key piece of evidence, Marr and others point to so-called “superspreader” events where one infected person evidently passed the virus to many others in a single setting.In March, for example, after a choir member with coronavirus symptoms attended a rehearsal in Washington state, 52 others who had been seated throughout the room were&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.15.20132027v2" target="_blank">found</a>&nbsp;to be infected and two died. In a crowded and poorly ventilated restaurant in China in January, the virus evidently&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.16.20067728v1" target="_blank">spread&nbsp;</a>from a lunchtime patron to five people at two adjoining tables in a pattern suggesting aerosols were spread by the air conditioner. Also in January, a passenger on a Chinese bus apparently&nbsp;<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2770172" target="_blank">infected</a>&nbsp;23 others, many of whom were scattered around the vehicle.Butler said such events raise concern about aerosol spread but don’t prove it happens.There could be another way for tiny particles to spread. They may not necessarily come directly from somebody’s mouth or nose, says William Ristenpart of the University of California, Davis. His&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-17888-w" target="_blank">research&nbsp;</a>found that if paper tissues are seeded with influenza virus and then crumpled, they give off particles that bear the virus. So people emptying a wastebasket with tissues discarded by somebody with COVID-19 should be sure to wear a mask, he said.Scientists who warn about aerosols say current recommendations still make sense.Wearing a mask is still important, and make sure it fits snugly. Keep washing those hands diligently. And again, staying farther apart is better than being closer together. Avoid crowds, especially indoors.Their main addition to recommendations is ventilation to avoid a buildup of aerosol concentration. So, the researchers say, stay out of poorly ventilated rooms. Open windows and doors. One can also use air-purifying devices or virus-inactivating ultraviolet light.Best of all: Just do as much as you can outdoors, where dilution and the sun’s ultraviolet light work in your favor.“We know outdoors is the most spectacularly effective measure, by far,” says Jose-Luis Jimenez of the University of Colorado-Boulder. “Outdoors it is not impossible to get infected, but it is difficult.”The various precautions should be used in combination rather than just one at a time, researchers say. In a well ventilated environment, “6 feet (of separation) is pretty good if everybody’s got a mask on” and nobody stays directly downwind of an infected person for very long, says Dr. Donald Milton of the University of Maryland School of Public Health, whose lab houses the Gesundheit II machine.Duration of exposure is important, so there’s probably not much risk from a short elevator ride while masked or being passed by a jogger on the sidewalk, experts say.Scientists have&nbsp;<a href="https://nicholas.duke.edu/news/online-tool-calculates-risk-classroom-transmission-airborne-covid-19" target="_blank">published</a>&nbsp;online&nbsp;<a href="https://cires.colorado.edu/news/covid-19-airborne-transmission-tool-available" target="_blank">tools</a>&nbsp;for calculating risk of airborne spread in various settings.At a recent meeting on aerosols, however, Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, noted that preventive steps can be a challenge in the real world. Keeping apart from other people can be difficult in homes that house multiple generations. Some old buildings have windows that were “nailed shut years ago,” he said. And “we have far too many communities where they simply don’t have access to clean water to wash their hands.”It might seem strange that for all the scientific frenzy to study the new coronavirus, the details of how it spreads can still be in doubt nine months later. But history suggests patience.“We’ve been studying influenza for 102 years,” says Milton, referring to the 1918 flu epidemic. “We still don’t know how it’s transmitted and what the role of aerosols is.”___

Tiny airborne particles may pose a big coronavirus problem

ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects after a home invasion attack.

Just after 12:30a.m. on Saturday, police responded to a disturbance at a residence in the 400 block Atchison Street, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.

When they arrived,&nbsp; they made contact with a 23-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman were at the residence. The two suspects had fled the scene. 

Officers began looking for a vehicle and the suspects, Gunner Ramey, 20, and Troy Grimm, 21, Leavenworth, were located a short time later and taken into custody a following a traffic stop. 

An investigation indicated the two suspects arrived at the residence where the two victims live, damaged a door where they entered the residence, and began to attack the 23-year-old man with fists and a piece of metal. 

EMS treated the victim at the scene for his injuries, according to Wilson. The woman at the home was not injured. The victims and suspects were known to each other prior to the disturbance.

&nbsp;Ramey is being held in the Atchison County Jail on requested charges of battery, criminal restraint, and criminal damage to property.

Grimm is being held on requested charges of aggravated assault, battery, criminal threat, criminal damage to property, and interference with law enforcement.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601289835400.png" alt="Ramey-photo Atchison Co.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Ramey-photo Atchison Co.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects after a home invasion attack.Just after 12:30a.m. on Saturday, police responded to a disturbance at a residence in the 400 block Atchison Street, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.When they arrived,&nbsp; they made contact with a 23-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman were at the residence. The two suspects had fled the scene. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601289805784.png" alt="Grimm-photo Atchison Co." />
 <figcaption>Grimm-photo Atchison Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Officers began looking for a vehicle and the suspects, Gunner Ramey, 20, and Troy Grimm, 21, Leavenworth, were located a short time later and taken into custody a following a traffic stop. An investigation indicated the two suspects arrived at the residence where the two victims live, damaged a door where they entered the residence, and began to attack the 23-year-old man with fists and a piece of metal. EMS treated the victim at the scene for his injuries, according to Wilson. The woman at the home was not injured. The victims and suspects were known to each other prior to the disturbance.&nbsp;Ramey is being held in the Atchison County Jail on requested charges of battery, criminal restraint, and criminal damage to property.Grimm is being held on requested charges of aggravated assault, battery, criminal threat, criminal damage to property, and interference with law enforcement.

Police: 2 arrested for Kansas home invasion attack

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A plan designed to help Wichita police monitor and control social equality protests in the city in early June cost the Wichita Police Department more than $1.5 million in overtime for officers and other employees.

The department implemented an “Emergency Mobilization Plan” from June 2 to 14 to ensure the demonstrations sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May did not escalate to violence.

Other than when officers cleared angry demonstrators from an area on June 2-3 after looting and gunshots were reported, protests in Wichita remained calm.

Wichita police employees claimed more than 30,000 in paid overtime hours and more than 5,500 hours of compensatory time during the emergency plan, the Eagle reported.

Police spokesman Officer Charley Davidson said in a statement the extra staffing helped keep demonstrations peaceful.

“Through these proactive measures and by diligently working to de-escalate potentially violent demonstrations, Wichita did not experience mass arrests of protestors or extensive property damage, which happened in many other American cities, ” Davidson wrote.

The city has sought federal funding under the CARES Act to cover the overtime costs.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596375478117.png" alt="Black Live Matter Protesters in Wichita -photo courtesy Liberty ICT" />
 <figcaption>Black Live Matter Protesters in Wichita -photo courtesy Liberty ICT</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A plan designed to help Wichita police monitor and control social equality protests in the city in early June cost the Wichita Police Department more than $1.5 million in overtime for officers and other employees.The department implemented an “Emergency Mobilization Plan” from June 2 to 14 to ensure the demonstrations sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May did not escalate to violence.Other than when officers cleared angry demonstrators from an area on June 2-3 after looting and gunshots were reported, protests in Wichita remained calm.Wichita police employees claimed more than 30,000 in paid overtime hours and more than 5,500 hours of compensatory time during the emergency plan, the Eagle reported.Police spokesman Officer Charley Davidson said in a statement the extra staffing helped keep demonstrations peaceful.“Through these proactive measures and by diligently working to de-escalate potentially violent demonstrations, Wichita did not experience mass arrests of protestors or extensive property damage, which happened in many other American cities, ” Davidson wrote.The city has sought federal funding under the CARES Act to cover the overtime costs.

Protests cost Wichita police about $1.5 million in overtime

New York (AP) —President Donald Trump paid just $750 in federal income taxes the year he ran for president and in his first year in the White House, according to a report Sunday in The New York Times.

Trump, who has fiercely guarded his tax filings and is the only president in modern times not to make them public, paid no federal income taxes in 10 of the past 15 years.

The details of the tax filings complicate Trump’s description of himself as a shrewd and patriotic businessman, revealing instead a series of financial losses and income from abroad that could come into conflict with his responsibilities as president. The president’s financial disclosures indicated he earned at least $434.9 million in 2018, but the tax filings reported a $47.4 million loss.

The tax filings also illustrate how a reputed billionaire could pay little to nothing in taxes, while someone in the middle class could pay substantially more than him. Roughly half of Americans pay no income taxes, primarily because of how low their incomes are. But IRS figures indicate that the average tax filer paid roughly $12,200 in 2017, about 16 times more than what the president paid.

The disclosure, which the Times said comes from tax return data it obtained extending over two decades, comes at a pivotal moment ahead of the first presidential debate Tuesday and weeks before a divisive election against Democrat Joe Biden.

Speaking at a news conference Sunday at the White House, Trump dismissed the report as “fake news” and maintained he has paid taxes, though he gave no specifics. He also vowed that information about his taxes “will all be revealed,” but he offered no timeline for the disclosure and made similar promises during the 2016 campaign on which he never followed through.

In fact, the president has fielded court challenges against those seeking access to his returns, including the U.S. House, which is suing to get Trump’s tax returns as part of congressional oversight.

During his first two years as president, Trump received $73 million from foreign operations, which in addition to his golf properties in Scotland and Ireland included $3 million from the Philippines, $2.3 million from India and $1 million from Turkey, among other nations. The president in 2017 paid $145,400 in taxes in India and $156,824 in the Philippines, compared to just $750 in U.S. income taxes. The Times said the tax records did not reveal any unreported connections to Russia.

Trump found multiple ways to reduce his tax bills. He has taken tax deductions on personal expenses such as housing, aircraft and $70,000 to style his hair while he filmed “The Apprentice.” Losses in the property businesses solely owned and managed by Trump appear to have offset income from his stake in “The Apprentice” and other entities with multiple owners.

During the first two years of his presidency, Trump relied on business tax credits to reduce his tax obligations. The Times said $9.7 million worth of business investment credits that were submitted after Trump requested an extension to file his taxes allowed him to offset his obligations and pay just $750 each in 2016 and 2017.

Income tax payments help finance the military and domestic programs.

Trump, starting in 2010, claimed and received an income tax refund that totaled $72.9 million, which the Times said was at the core of an ongoing audit by the IRS. The Times said a ruling against Trump could cost him $100 million or more.

The president could also face mounting financial pressure in the years ahead. The tax records show he’s carrying a total of $421 million in loans and debt that are primarily due within four years. Most of that debt comes from the Doral golf resort in Florida ($125 million) and Trump’s Washington hotel ($160 million), two properties that the Times said are struggling financially.

Richard Neal, D-Mass., the chair of the House Ways and Means Committee who has tried unsuccessfully to obtain Trump’s tax records, said the Times report makes it even more essential for his committee to get the documents.

“It appears that the President has gamed the tax code to his advantage and used legal fights to delay or avoid paying what he owes,” Neal wrote in a statement. “Now, Donald Trump is the boss of the agency he considers an adversary. It is essential that the IRS’s presidential audit program remain free of interference.”

A lawyer for the Trump Organization, Alan Garten, and a spokesperson for the Trump Organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press on the report.

Garten told the Times that “most, if not all, of the facts appear to be inaccurate.”

He said in a statement to the news organization that the president “has paid tens of millions of dollars in personal taxes to the federal government, including paying millions in personal taxes since announcing his candidacy in 2015.”

The New York Times said it declined to provide Garten with the tax filings in order to protect its sources, but it said its sources had legal access to the records.

During his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/f1bf2aef22d54f4fa7dd4b7ffe1c0ddc">first general election debate</a>&nbsp;against Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016, Clinton said that perhaps Trump wasn’t releasing his tax returns because he had paid nothing in federal taxes.

Trump interrupted her to say, “That makes me smart.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601291509606.png" alt="President Trump addressed the New York Times report on his taxes during a Sunday afternoon news conference -photo courtesy White House." />
 <figcaption>President Trump addressed the New York Times report on his taxes during a Sunday afternoon news conference -photo courtesy White House.</figcaption>
 </figure>New York (AP) —President Donald Trump paid just $750 in federal income taxes the year he ran for president and in his first year in the White House, according to a report Sunday in The New York Times.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">FAKE NEWS!&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1310432401454235650?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump, who has fiercely guarded his tax filings and is the only president in modern times not to make them public, paid no federal income taxes in 10 of the past 15 years.The details of the tax filings complicate Trump’s description of himself as a shrewd and patriotic businessman, revealing instead a series of financial losses and income from abroad that could come into conflict with his responsibilities as president. The president’s financial disclosures indicated he earned at least $434.9 million in 2018, but the tax filings reported a $47.4 million loss.The tax filings also illustrate how a reputed billionaire could pay little to nothing in taxes, while someone in the middle class could pay substantially more than him. Roughly half of Americans pay no income taxes, primarily because of how low their incomes are. But IRS figures indicate that the average tax filer paid roughly $12,200 in 2017, about 16 times more than what the president paid.The disclosure, which the Times said comes from tax return data it obtained extending over two decades, comes at a pivotal moment ahead of the first presidential debate Tuesday and weeks before a divisive election against Democrat Joe Biden.Speaking at a news conference Sunday at the White House, Trump dismissed the report as “fake news” and maintained he has paid taxes, though he gave no specifics. He also vowed that information about his taxes “will all be revealed,” but he offered no timeline for the disclosure and made similar promises during the 2016 campaign on which he never followed through.In fact, the president has fielded court challenges against those seeking access to his returns, including the U.S. House, which is suing to get Trump’s tax returns as part of congressional oversight.During his first two years as president, Trump received $73 million from foreign operations, which in addition to his golf properties in Scotland and Ireland included $3 million from the Philippines, $2.3 million from India and $1 million from Turkey, among other nations. The president in 2017 paid $145,400 in taxes in India and $156,824 in the Philippines, compared to just $750 in U.S. income taxes. The Times said the tax records did not reveal any unreported connections to Russia.Trump found multiple ways to reduce his tax bills. He has taken tax deductions on personal expenses such as housing, aircraft and $70,000 to style his hair while he filmed “The Apprentice.” Losses in the property businesses solely owned and managed by Trump appear to have offset income from his stake in “The Apprentice” and other entities with multiple owners.During the first two years of his presidency, Trump relied on business tax credits to reduce his tax obligations. The Times said $9.7 million worth of business investment credits that were submitted after Trump requested an extension to file his taxes allowed him to offset his obligations and pay just $750 each in 2016 and 2017.Income tax payments help finance the military and domestic programs.Trump, starting in 2010, claimed and received an income tax refund that totaled $72.9 million, which the Times said was at the core of an ongoing audit by the IRS. The Times said a ruling against Trump could cost him $100 million or more.The president could also face mounting financial pressure in the years ahead. The tax records show he’s carrying a total of $421 million in loans and debt that are primarily due within four years. Most of that debt comes from the Doral golf resort in Florida ($125 million) and Trump’s Washington hotel ($160 million), two properties that the Times said are struggling financially.Richard Neal, D-Mass., the chair of the House Ways and Means Committee who has tried unsuccessfully to obtain Trump’s tax records, said the Times report makes it even more essential for his committee to get the documents.“It appears that the President has gamed the tax code to his advantage and used legal fights to delay or avoid paying what he owes,” Neal wrote in a statement. “Now, Donald Trump is the boss of the agency he considers an adversary. It is essential that the IRS’s presidential audit program remain free of interference.”A lawyer for the Trump Organization, Alan Garten, and a spokesperson for the Trump Organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press on the report.Garten told the Times that “most, if not all, of the facts appear to be inaccurate.”He said in a statement to the news organization that the president “has paid tens of millions of dollars in personal taxes to the federal government, including paying millions in personal taxes since announcing his candidacy in 2015.”The New York Times said it declined to provide Garten with the tax filings in order to protect its sources, but it said its sources had legal access to the records.During his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/f1bf2aef22d54f4fa7dd4b7ffe1c0ddc">first general election debate</a>&nbsp;against Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016, Clinton said that perhaps Trump wasn’t releasing his tax returns because he had paid nothing in federal taxes.Trump interrupted her to say, “That makes me smart.”

President Trump responds to New York Times report on his taxes

KANSAS CITY —A&nbsp; man who told an off-duty police officer that something had happened and someone was dead has been charged in the killing of his girlfriend, according to the Jackson County Attorney's office.

Kelshaun D. Moseley, 28, was charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the in the fatal shooting of 34-year-old Keva Hill.

Hill’s mother told police that the two had been dating for about a month and that her daughter had just moved in with him about a week prior to her death.

On Thursday, Moseley told an off-duty police officer working at Research Medical Center that he was turning himself in.

Officers found Hill fatally shot about 4 a.m. Thursday inside a home near 59th and Agnes. Mosley is being held on a bond of $250,000.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601128141524.png" alt="Moseley-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Moseley-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A&nbsp; man who told an off-duty police officer that something had happened and someone was dead has been charged in the killing of his girlfriend, according to the Jackson County Attorney's office.Kelshaun D. Moseley, 28, was charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the in the fatal shooting of 34-year-old Keva Hill.Hill’s mother told police that the two had been dating for about a month and that her daughter had just moved in with him about a week prior to her death.On Thursday, Moseley told an off-duty police officer working at Research Medical Center that he was turning himself in.Officers found Hill fatally shot about 4 a.m. Thursday inside a home near 59th and Agnes. Mosley is being held on a bond of $250,000.

KC man who turned himself in charged with killing girlfriend

LEAVENWORTH COUNTY— The Kansas Highway Patrol has released the name of the&nbsp; driver who died in a violent crash just before 2a.m. Friday in Leavenworth County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2010 Ford Taurus driven by Danielle Delores Wyatt, 26, Topeka, was&nbsp; westbound on Interstate 70 just east of the Tonganoxie&nbsp; exit in lane one.

The vehicle&nbsp; left the roadway to the left, traveled down the roadway into the ditch, returned to the road, drifted off the roadway again, collided with the ditch and vaulted multiple times into a roll.

Wyatt was ejected at an unknown point during the crash. The vehicle came to a stop on top of her and she was pinned under the car.&nbsp;

Wyatt was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Frontier Forensics. She was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

LEAVENWORTH COUNTY—One. person died in an accident just before 2a.m. Friday in Leavenworth County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a vehicle was&nbsp; westbound on Interstate 70 just east of the Tonganoxie&nbsp; exit in lane one.

The vehicle&nbsp; left the roadway to the left, traveled down the roadway into the ditch, returned to the road, drifted off the roadway again, collided with the ditch and vaulted multiple times into a roll. 

The driver was ejected at an unknown point during the collision. The vehicle came to a stop on top of the driver who was pinned under the vehicle.

The KHP released no additional details early Friday.

LEAVENWORTH COUNTY— The Kansas Highway Patrol has released the name of the&nbsp; driver who died in a violent crash just before 2a.m. Friday in Leavenworth County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2010 Ford Taurus driven by Danielle Delores Wyatt, 26, Topeka, was&nbsp; westbound on Interstate 70 just east of the Tonganoxie&nbsp; exit in lane one.The vehicle&nbsp; left the roadway to the left, traveled down the roadway into the ditch, returned to the road, drifted off the roadway again, collided with the ditch and vaulted multiple times into a roll.Wyatt was ejected at an unknown point during the crash. The vehicle came to a stop on top of her and she was pinned under the car.&nbsp;Wyatt was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Frontier Forensics. She was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.---------LEAVENWORTH COUNTY—One. person died in an accident just before 2a.m. Friday in Leavenworth County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a vehicle was&nbsp; westbound on Interstate 70 just east of the Tonganoxie&nbsp; exit in lane one.The vehicle&nbsp; left the roadway to the left, traveled down the roadway into the ditch, returned to the road, drifted off the roadway again, collided with the ditch and vaulted multiple times into a roll. The driver was ejected at an unknown point during the collision. The vehicle came to a stop on top of the driver who was pinned under the vehicle.The KHP released no additional details early Friday.

KHP IDs Kan. woman who died after violent I-70 crash

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for alleged child sex crimes.

On Sept. 23, the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office received information regarding the online solicitation of a child by an adult male suspect, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

Just before 3p.m. Thursday,&nbsp;detectives with the Criminal Investigations Division apprehended one man later identified as 43-year-old Jason S. Sandberg of Topeka, who attempted to coerce an individual, whom he believed to be a 15-year-old girl, to engage in sexual acts.

Deputies arrested Sandberg and booked him into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charged of electronic solicitation and sexual exploitation.

Sandberg has a previous conviction for electronic solicitation, according to the Kan. Dept. of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601056840819.png" alt="Sandberg was convicted in 2006 for electronic solicitation, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections -photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Sandberg was convicted in 2006 for electronic solicitation, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections -photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for alleged child sex crimes.On Sept. 23, the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office received information regarding the online solicitation of a child by an adult male suspect, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.Just before 3p.m. Thursday,&nbsp;detectives with the Criminal Investigations Division apprehended one man later identified as 43-year-old Jason S. Sandberg of Topeka, who attempted to coerce an individual, whom he believed to be a 15-year-old girl, to engage in sexual acts.Deputies arrested Sandberg and booked him into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charged of electronic solicitation and sexual exploitation.Sandberg has a previous conviction for electronic solicitation, according to the Kan. Dept. of Corrections.

Sheriff: Kan. man tried to coerce teen to engage in sex acts

NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge on Sunday postponed a Trump administration order that would have banned the popular video sharing app TikTok from U.S. smartphone app stores around midnight.

A more comprehensive ban remains scheduled for November, about a week after the presidential election. The judge, Carl Nichols of the U.S District Court for the District of Columbia, did not agree to postpone the later ban.

The ruling followed an emergency hearing Sunday morning in which lawyers for TikTok argued that the administration's app-store ban would infringe on First Amendment rights and do irreparable harm to the business.

Earlier this year, President Donald Trump declared that TikTok, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, was a threat to national security and that it must either sell its U.S. operations to American companies or be barred from the country.

TikTok is still scrambling to firm up a deal tentatively struck a week ago in which it would partner with Oracle, a huge database-software company, and Walmart in an effort to win the blessing of both the Chinese and American governments. In the meantime, it is fighting to keep the app available in the U.S.

TikTok said in a statement that it was pleased with the court ruling and continues to work to turn its deal proposal into an actual agreement. The Commerce Department, which is responsible for the specific orders banning TikTok, said it will comply with the judge's order but intends to vigorously defend the administration's efforts against the app.

Judge Nichols did not explain his reasoning publicly, and instead filed his judicial opinion under seal. Initially both the U.S. government's brief in the case and the entire Sunday morning hearing were also due to be sealed from the public, although the court later relented.

In arguments to Judge Nichols, TikTok lawyer John Hall said that TikTok is more than an app, since it functions as a “modern day version of a town square."

“If that prohibition goes into effect at midnight, the consequences immediately are grave,'" Hall said. “It would be no different than the government locking the doors to a public forum, roping off that town square" at a time when a free exchange of ideas is necessary heading into a polarized election.

TikTok lawyers also argued that a ban on the app would affect the ability of tens of thousands of potential viewers and content creators to express themselves every month and would also hurt its ability to hire new talent. In addition, Hall argued that a ban would prevent existing users from automatically receiving security updates, eroding national security.

Justice Department lawyer Daniel Schwei said that Chinese companies are not purely private and are subject to intrusive laws compelling their cooperation with intelligence agencies. The Justice Department has also argued that economic regulations of this nature generally are not subject to First Amendment scrutiny.

“This is the most immediate national security threat," argued Schwei. “It is a threat today. It is a risk today and therefore it deserves to be addressed today even while other things are ongoing and playing out."

Schwei also argued that TikTok lawyers failed to prove the company would suffer irreparable business harm.

The Justice Department laid out its objections to TikTok's motion for a temporary injunction in a brief under seal, but it was unsealed in redacted form to protect confidential business information.

Trump set the process in motion with executive orders in August that declared TikTok and another Chinese app, WeChat, threats to national security. The White House says the video service is a security risk because the personal information of its millions of U.S. users could be handed over to Chinese authorities.

Trump has given tentative approval to a proposed deal in which Oracle and Walmart could initially own a combined 20% of a new U.S. entity, TikTok Global. But Trump also said he could retract his approval if Oracle doesn’t have “total control" of the company; the president did not explain what he meant by that.

The deal remains unfinalized, and the two sides have also appeared at odds over the corporate structure of TikTok Global. ByteDance said last week that it will still own 80% of the U.S. entity after a financing round. Oracle, meanwhile, put out a statement saying that Americans “will be the majority and ByteDance will have no ownership in TikTok Global.”

Government-owned media in China have criticized the deal as bullying and extortion. ByteDance said Thursday it has applied for a Chinese technology export license after Beijing tightened control over exports last month in an effort to gain leverage over Washington’s attempt to force an outright sale of TikTok to U.S. owners.

China's foreign ministry has said the government will “take necessary measures” to safeguard its companies but gave no indication what steps it can take to affect TikTok’s fate in the United States.

TikTok is also asking a federal court to declare Trump’s Aug. 6 executive order unlawful.

The Chinese firm said the president doesn’t have the authority to take these actions under the national-security law he cited; that the ban violates TikTok’s First Amendment speech rights and Fifth Amendment due-process rights; and that there’s no authority for the restrictions because they are not based on a national emergency.

NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge on Sunday postponed a Trump administration order that would have banned the popular video sharing app TikTok from U.S. smartphone app stores around midnight.A more comprehensive ban remains scheduled for November, about a week after the presidential election. The judge, Carl Nichols of the U.S District Court for the District of Columbia, did not agree to postpone the later ban.The ruling followed an emergency hearing Sunday morning in which lawyers for TikTok argued that the administration's app-store ban would infringe on First Amendment rights and do irreparable harm to the business.Earlier this year, President Donald Trump declared that TikTok, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, was a threat to national security and that it must either sell its U.S. operations to American companies or be barred from the country.TikTok is still scrambling to firm up a deal tentatively struck a week ago in which it would partner with Oracle, a huge database-software company, and Walmart in an effort to win the blessing of both the Chinese and American governments. In the meantime, it is fighting to keep the app available in the U.S.TikTok said in a statement that it was pleased with the court ruling and continues to work to turn its deal proposal into an actual agreement. The Commerce Department, which is responsible for the specific orders banning TikTok, said it will comply with the judge's order but intends to vigorously defend the administration's efforts against the app.Judge Nichols did not explain his reasoning publicly, and instead filed his judicial opinion under seal. Initially both the U.S. government's brief in the case and the entire Sunday morning hearing were also due to be sealed from the public, although the court later relented.In arguments to Judge Nichols, TikTok lawyer John Hall said that TikTok is more than an app, since it functions as a “modern day version of a town square."“If that prohibition goes into effect at midnight, the consequences immediately are grave,'" Hall said. “It would be no different than the government locking the doors to a public forum, roping off that town square" at a time when a free exchange of ideas is necessary heading into a polarized election.TikTok lawyers also argued that a ban on the app would affect the ability of tens of thousands of potential viewers and content creators to express themselves every month and would also hurt its ability to hire new talent. In addition, Hall argued that a ban would prevent existing users from automatically receiving security updates, eroding national security.Justice Department lawyer Daniel Schwei said that Chinese companies are not purely private and are subject to intrusive laws compelling their cooperation with intelligence agencies. The Justice Department has also argued that economic regulations of this nature generally are not subject to First Amendment scrutiny.“This is the most immediate national security threat," argued Schwei. “It is a threat today. It is a risk today and therefore it deserves to be addressed today even while other things are ongoing and playing out."Schwei also argued that TikTok lawyers failed to prove the company would suffer irreparable business harm.The Justice Department laid out its objections to TikTok's motion for a temporary injunction in a brief under seal, but it was unsealed in redacted form to protect confidential business information.Trump set the process in motion with executive orders in August that declared TikTok and another Chinese app, WeChat, threats to national security. The White House says the video service is a security risk because the personal information of its millions of U.S. users could be handed over to Chinese authorities.Trump has given tentative approval to a proposed deal in which Oracle and Walmart could initially own a combined 20% of a new U.S. entity, TikTok Global. But Trump also said he could retract his approval if Oracle doesn’t have “total control" of the company; the president did not explain what he meant by that.The deal remains unfinalized, and the two sides have also appeared at odds over the corporate structure of TikTok Global. ByteDance said last week that it will still own 80% of the U.S. entity after a financing round. Oracle, meanwhile, put out a statement saying that Americans “will be the majority and ByteDance will have no ownership in TikTok Global.”Government-owned media in China have criticized the deal as bullying and extortion. ByteDance said Thursday it has applied for a Chinese technology export license after Beijing tightened control over exports last month in an effort to gain leverage over Washington’s attempt to force an outright sale of TikTok to U.S. owners.China's foreign ministry has said the government will “take necessary measures” to safeguard its companies but gave no indication what steps it can take to affect TikTok’s fate in the United States.TikTok is also asking a federal court to declare Trump’s Aug. 6 executive order unlawful.The Chinese firm said the president doesn’t have the authority to take these actions under the national-security law he cited; that the ban violates TikTok’s First Amendment speech rights and Fifth Amendment due-process rights; and that there’s no authority for the restrictions because they are not based on a national emergency.

Federal judge postpones ban on popular app TikTok

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Supreme Court affirmed on Friday convictions for first-degree murder and battery stemming from a 2015 shooting at the Roxy bar in Overland Park.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kscourts.org/KSCourts/media/KsCourts/Opinions/117436.pdf?ext=.pdf" target="_blank">court ruled that Dale Willis’&nbsp;</a>claims of jury instruction errors were barred because he had requested and agreed to those jury instructions.

The state’s highest court also said none of the statements made by the state during the trial constituted prosecutorial error and the court properly admitted testimony from an agent with the bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The case stems from dispute that erupted at the bar on Sept. 16, 2015 that ended with Jurl Carter being fatally shot multiple times in his car. Willis defenses at trial were that his brother acted alone in the shooting or that alternatively that if he had acted in concert with his brother, he did so in self-defense.

Willis got a hard-50 sentence for the murder conviction and a concurrent six-month sentence for the battery conviction following a jury trial.

The appeals court found no sentencing errors.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601121945371.png" alt="Willis photo KDOC" />
 <figcaption>Willis photo KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Supreme Court affirmed on Friday convictions for first-degree murder and battery stemming from a 2015 shooting at the Roxy bar in Overland Park.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kscourts.org/KSCourts/media/KsCourts/Opinions/117436.pdf?ext=.pdf" target="_blank">court ruled that Dale Willis’&nbsp;</a>claims of jury instruction errors were barred because he had requested and agreed to those jury instructions.The state’s highest court also said none of the statements made by the state during the trial constituted prosecutorial error and the court properly admitted testimony from an agent with the bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.The case stems from dispute that erupted at the bar on Sept. 16, 2015 that ended with Jurl Carter being fatally shot multiple times in his car. Willis defenses at trial were that his brother acted alone in the shooting or that alternatively that if he had acted in concert with his brother, he did so in self-defense.Willis got a hard-50 sentence for the murder conviction and a concurrent six-month sentence for the battery conviction following a jury trial.The appeals court found no sentencing errors.

Court affirms convictions in fatal Kan. bar shooting

ATCHISON COUNTY, Kansas —One person died in an accident just before 4p.m. Saturday in Atchison County.

A 2014 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by Jason Pelletier, 46, Kansas City, was northbound on U.S. 73 at Raven Hill Road, according to Atchison Police Chief Michael Wilson.

&nbsp;A westbound 2000 Chevrolet pickup truck driven by Melissa Parkison, 46, Leavenworth, entered U.S.73 and the motorcycle collided with the truck.

EMS transported Pelletier to the Atchison Hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to Wilson. They also transported his wife, Colleen Pelletier, a passenger on the motorcycle, to the hospital. Both were wearing helmets, according to Wilson. Police charged Melissa Parkison was&nbsp; with failure to yield.

ATCHISON COUNTY, Kansas —One person died in an accident just before 4p.m. Saturday in Atchison County.A 2014 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by Jason Pelletier, 46, Kansas City, was northbound on U.S. 73 at Raven Hill Road, according to Atchison Police Chief Michael Wilson.&nbsp;A westbound 2000 Chevrolet pickup truck driven by Melissa Parkison, 46, Leavenworth, entered U.S.73 and the motorcycle collided with the truck.EMS transported Pelletier to the Atchison Hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to Wilson. They also transported his wife, Colleen Pelletier, a passenger on the motorcycle, to the hospital. Both were wearing helmets, according to Wilson. Police charged Melissa Parkison was&nbsp; with failure to yield.

Man dies, wife injured after Kan. motorcycle, pickup crash

MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Claire Reagan was feeling overwhelmed as her oldest child’s first day of kindergarten approached and with a baby on the way. The 5-year-old boy has autism, and she worried he would struggle with juggling in-person and virtual learning, and that she wouldn’t have enough time to give him the help he needs.

So she decided to wait a year before sending him to school.

“I was stressed about everything and then thought ‘Why does he need to start kindergarten?’ And it was like a weight was lifted,” said Reagan, a 36-year-old high school teacher in the Kansas City suburb of Olathe, Kansas.

Thousands of parents around the U.S. have made similar decisions, having their children delay or skip kindergarten because of the coronavirus pandemic. The opt outs, combined with huge declines in preschool enrollment, are raising worries about the long-term effects of so much lost early education.

“If there is a group for which you would be particularly concerned, it is these very young students who are not having these foundational experiences,” said Nate Schwartz, a professor at the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University.

Kindergarten isn’t required in most states, and in normal times parents sometimes “red-shirt” children who would be young for their kindergarten class to given them an extra year of developmental readiness. But enrollment numbers have plunged in many places this fall as parents weigh health concerns and the prospect of helping young children to navigate distance learning while also holding onto their jobs.

In Los Angeles’ public schools, kindergarten enrollment is down about 6,000 students, or 14%. In Nashville, Tennessee, public kindergarten enrollment is down about 1,800 students, or 37%, from last year.

According to a University of Oregon survey conducted in early September with 1,000 parents from around the U.S., including 242 with a child who was supposed to start kindergarten this fall, 17% of respondents said they were delaying their children’s schooling. Among those, the most frequent reason cited was safety concerns, followed by concerns about managing virtual schooling and other responsibilities, according to Philip Fisher, a psychology professor at the university who is leading an effort to measure the effect of the pandemic on young children and their families.

Fisher said the vast majority of parents reported that they were making sure their kids were attending all of their virtual lessons and completing their coursework without the assistance of hired help or other adults, making juggling their own work a challenge. He said that parents are overwhelmed, particularly those in low-income communities where schools are more likely to be offering only remote instruction.

“We think young kids are likely getting lost in the shuffle,” he said.

Reagan, who is also keeping her 3-year-old daughter home from preschool, said she held off with kindergarten for many reasons, including her own pregnancy and instructions to quarantine for two weeks before she delivers in the fall. She said her job allows her to work from home and her family has insurance that will continue to pay for some of her son’s therapy.

For many young students, the delayed start of primary school follows a disrupted preschool experience. Among preschool-age children, participation rates plummeted in the spring, as programs closed and children stopped attending, according to a report from the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University. The group is planning a follow-up report, but all indications are that enrollment hasn’t fully rebounded, said Steven Barnett, senior co-director of the institute.

He said public preschool programs such as Head Start have been “substantial equalizers” for low-income families.

“When that falls apart, parents are not going to be able to fill the gap,” he said. “The people who are dependent on free public education as equalizers can’t make up the difference when left on their own.”

Some parents feel their children may be ready for in-person school but not for virtual school, said Anna Markowitz, an assistant professor of education at the University of California, Los Angeles.

“They are thinking I can’t work and monitor my child’s Zoom schooling. Parents are really in an impossible situation,” she said.

Only 17 states and Washington, D.C., require children to attend kindergarten, Markowitz said. Parents elsewhere can bypass kindergarten and just send their children to first grade next fall. In a typical year, only about 4% of children who are eligible to begin kindergarten are held back by their families, said Chloe Gibbs, a Notre Dame economist.

The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine released a report in July focused on younger children. Its advice was to prioritize the reopening of schools for children in kindergarten through fifth grade with well-funded safety measures in place. But since the report was released, high rates of community spread have made in-person learning more risky in many communities, turning young learners into virtual learning guinea pigs.

“When you look at the distance learning research, very little has been carried out on young students, even below middle school,” said Brown University’s Schwartz, who is a member of the committee that wrote the report and is also running a project that provides research to school leaders who are trying to make decisions during the pandemic. “Few people were even considering that it could be considered with kids this young.”

MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Claire Reagan was feeling overwhelmed as her oldest child’s first day of kindergarten approached and with a baby on the way. The 5-year-old boy has autism, and she worried he would struggle with juggling in-person and virtual learning, and that she wouldn’t have enough time to give him the help he needs.So she decided to wait a year before sending him to school.“I was stressed about everything and then thought ‘Why does he need to start kindergarten?’ And it was like a weight was lifted,” said Reagan, a 36-year-old high school teacher in the Kansas City suburb of Olathe, Kansas.Thousands of parents around the U.S. have made similar decisions, having their children delay or skip kindergarten because of the coronavirus pandemic. The opt outs, combined with huge declines in preschool enrollment, are raising worries about the long-term effects of so much lost early education.“If there is a group for which you would be particularly concerned, it is these very young students who are not having these foundational experiences,” said Nate Schwartz, a professor at the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University.Kindergarten isn’t required in most states, and in normal times parents sometimes “red-shirt” children who would be young for their kindergarten class to given them an extra year of developmental readiness. But enrollment numbers have plunged in many places this fall as parents weigh health concerns and the prospect of helping young children to navigate distance learning while also holding onto their jobs.In Los Angeles’ public schools, kindergarten enrollment is down about 6,000 students, or 14%. In Nashville, Tennessee, public kindergarten enrollment is down about 1,800 students, or 37%, from last year.According to a University of Oregon survey conducted in early September with 1,000 parents from around the U.S., including 242 with a child who was supposed to start kindergarten this fall, 17% of respondents said they were delaying their children’s schooling. Among those, the most frequent reason cited was safety concerns, followed by concerns about managing virtual schooling and other responsibilities, according to Philip Fisher, a psychology professor at the university who is leading an effort to measure the effect of the pandemic on young children and their families.Fisher said the vast majority of parents reported that they were making sure their kids were attending all of their virtual lessons and completing their coursework without the assistance of hired help or other adults, making juggling their own work a challenge. He said that parents are overwhelmed, particularly those in low-income communities where schools are more likely to be offering only remote instruction.“We think young kids are likely getting lost in the shuffle,” he said.Reagan, who is also keeping her 3-year-old daughter home from preschool, said she held off with kindergarten for many reasons, including her own pregnancy and instructions to quarantine for two weeks before she delivers in the fall. She said her job allows her to work from home and her family has insurance that will continue to pay for some of her son’s therapy.For many young students, the delayed start of primary school follows a disrupted preschool experience. Among preschool-age children, participation rates plummeted in the spring, as programs closed and children stopped attending, according to a report from the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University. The group is planning a follow-up report, but all indications are that enrollment hasn’t fully rebounded, said Steven Barnett, senior co-director of the institute.He said public preschool programs such as Head Start have been “substantial equalizers” for low-income families.“When that falls apart, parents are not going to be able to fill the gap,” he said. “The people who are dependent on free public education as equalizers can’t make up the difference when left on their own.”Some parents feel their children may be ready for in-person school but not for virtual school, said Anna Markowitz, an assistant professor of education at the University of California, Los Angeles.“They are thinking I can’t work and monitor my child’s Zoom schooling. Parents are really in an impossible situation,” she said.Only 17 states and Washington, D.C., require children to attend kindergarten, Markowitz said. Parents elsewhere can bypass kindergarten and just send their children to first grade next fall. In a typical year, only about 4% of children who are eligible to begin kindergarten are held back by their families, said Chloe Gibbs, a Notre Dame economist.The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine released a report in July focused on younger children. Its advice was to prioritize the reopening of schools for children in kindergarten through fifth grade with well-funded safety measures in place. But since the report was released, high rates of community spread have made in-person learning more risky in many communities, turning young learners into virtual learning guinea pigs.“When you look at the distance learning research, very little has been carried out on young students, even below middle school,” said Brown University’s Schwartz, who is a member of the committee that wrote the report and is also running a project that provides research to school leaders who are trying to make decisions during the pandemic. “Few people were even considering that it could be considered with kids this young.”

US parents delaying preschool and kindergarten amid pandemic

PHILLIPS COUNTY—One person died in an accident just after 2:30a.m. Sunday in Phillips County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2012 Dodge Ram driven by&nbsp; Nicholas Barton Shaffer, 23, Kensington, was eastbound on U.S. 36 four miles west of Kansas 248.

The pickup veered right, entered the south ditch, continued eastbound in the south ditch, ramped a field entrance, went airborne and landed on the south shoulder of U.S. 36.

The pickup turned sideways and rolled into the south ditch facing southwest.

Shaffer was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

PHILLIPS COUNTY—One person died in an accident just after 2:30a.m. Sunday in Phillips County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2012 Dodge Ram driven by&nbsp; Nicholas Barton Shaffer, 23, Kensington, was eastbound on U.S. 36 four miles west of Kansas 248.The pickup veered right, entered the south ditch, continued eastbound in the south ditch, ramped a field entrance, went airborne and landed on the south shoulder of U.S. 36.The pickup turned sideways and rolled into the south ditch facing southwest.Shaffer was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

23-year-old NW Kansas man dies after pickup rolls

CASS COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities are&nbsp; investigating an officer involved shooting after two officers with the Peculiar Police Department were shot Saturday night responding to a call of an armed subject on the SE Outer Road near S. Hedgewood Hills Road south of Kansas City, according to a media release from police.

Just after 8:30p.m. Saturday, two officers with the Peculiar Police Department were dispatched to the area and located a male subject armed with a shotgun. 

 During the encounter, the suspect and officers exchanged gunfire.  Both officers were struck and sustained minor injuries.  The suspect was not struck.  Numerous law enforcement from Cass County and Kansas City responded to the scene.

A negotiator with the Cass County Sheriff’s Office talked with the subject while a Kansas City Police Department Helicopter and tactical units contained and monitored the armed subject as he stood on the SE Outer Road for nearly 2 hours.  Around 10:30 pm, KCPD Swat took the subject into custody.

Both officers were treated and released from an area hospital.  The subject arrested was transported to an area hospital for evaluation. His name is not being released until formal charges are filed.

CASS COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities are&nbsp; investigating an officer involved shooting after two officers with the Peculiar Police Department were shot Saturday night responding to a call of an armed subject on the SE Outer Road near S. Hedgewood Hills Road south of Kansas City, according to a media release from police.Just after 8:30p.m. Saturday, two officers with the Peculiar Police Department were dispatched to the area and located a male subject armed with a shotgun. During the encounter, the suspect and officers exchanged gunfire. Both officers were struck and sustained minor injuries. The suspect was not struck. Numerous law enforcement from Cass County and Kansas City responded to the scene.A negotiator with the Cass County Sheriff’s Office talked with the subject while a Kansas City Police Department Helicopter and tactical units contained and monitored the armed subject as he stood on the SE Outer Road for nearly 2 hours. Around 10:30 pm, KCPD Swat took the subject into custody.Both officers were treated and released from an area hospital. The subject arrested was transported to an area hospital for evaluation. His name is not being released until formal charges are filed.The Cass County Sheriff’s Office Critical Incident Investigation Team is conducting the investigation.