By MICHAEL SCHNEIDER Associated Press

One of the monkeys that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rehsus-monkeys-escape-mississippi-tulane-24318048052a1e8c1eb39855dadd1b1c">escaped last week</a>&nbsp;after a truck overturned on a Mississippi roadway was shot and killed early Sunday by a woman who says she feared for the safety of her children.

Jessica Bond Ferguson said she was alerted early Sunday by her 16-year-old son who said he thought he had seen a monkey running in the yard outside their home near Heidelberg, Mississippi. She got out bed, grabbed her firearm and her cellphone and stepped outside where she saw the monkey about 60 feet (18 meters) away.

Bond Ferguson said she and other residents had been warned about diseases that the escaped monkeys carried so she fired her gun.

“I did what any other mother would do to protect her children,” Bond Ferguson, who has five children ranging in age from 4 to 16, told The Associated Press. “I shot at it and it just stood there, and I shot again, and he backed up and that’s when he fell.”

The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office confirmed in a social media post that a homeowner had found one of the monkeys on their property Sunday morning but said the office didn’t have any details. The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks took possession of the monkey, the sheriff’s office said.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rhesus-macaque-monkeys-south-carolina-lab-escape-81dd4bb3acf2a445c0f899e31a8e05eb">Rhesus monkeys</a>&nbsp;had been housed at the Tulane University National Biomedical Research Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, which routinely provides primates to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/monkeys-escape-mississippi-tulane-animal-research-1ff00420c5f4af37a8b8ec4e2028227c">scientific research organizations</a>, according to the university. In a statement last week, Tulane said the monkeys do not belong to the university, and they were not being transported by the university.

A truck carrying the monkeys overturned Tuesday on Interstate 59 north of Heidelberg. Authorities have said most of the 21 monkeys were killed. The sheriff’s department has said animal experts from Tulane examined the trailer and had determined&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/monkeys-escape-mississippi-tulane-2a8e2bcfc5fe9f81e641cefa78bb746f">three monkeys had escaped</a>.

The Mississippi Highway Patrol has said it was investigating the cause of the crash, which occurred about 100 miles (160 kilometers) from the state capital, Jackson.

Rhesus monkeys typically weigh about 16 pounds (7.2 kilograms) and are among the most medically studied animals on the planet. Video recorded after the crash showed monkeys crawling through tall grass beside the interstate, where wooden crates labeled “live animals” were crumpled and strewn about.

Jasper County Sheriff Randy Johnson had said Tulane officials reported the monkeys were not infectious, despite initial reports by the truck’s occupants warning that the monkeys were dangerous and harboring various diseases. Nonetheless, Johnson said the monkeys still needed to be “neutralized” because of their aggressive nature.

The monkeys had recently received checkups confirming they were pathogen-free, Tulane said in a statement Wednesday.

About 10 years ago, three Rhesus macaques in the breeding colony of what was then known as the Tulane National Primate Research Center were euthanized after a “biosecurity breach,” federal inspectors wrote in a 2015 report. The breach involved at least one staff member failing to adhere to biosafety and infection control procedures, it said.

The facility made changes in its procedures and retrained staff after that happened, according to the report from the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

Rhesus macaques “are known to be aggressive,” according to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. It said the agency’s conservation workers were working with sheriff’s officials in the search for the animals.

The search comes about one year after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/monkeys-escape-alpha-genesis-south-carolina-5001428b828c84f063b50bc4be22f60a">43 Rhesus macaques escaped</a>&nbsp;from a South Carolina compound that breeds them for medical research because an employee didn’t fully lock an enclosure. Employees from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/monkeys-escape-alpha-genesis-south-carolina-640eb78119c66b88a418ccd1e361318e">Alpha Genesis facility</a>&nbsp;in Yemassee, South Carolina, had set up traps to capture them.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762127492244.png" alt="Photo by the Jasper County, Mississippi Sheriff just after truck accident" />
 <figcaption>Photo by the Jasper County, Mississippi Sheriff just after truck accident</figcaption>
 </figure>By MICHAEL SCHNEIDER Associated PressOne of the monkeys that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rehsus-monkeys-escape-mississippi-tulane-24318048052a1e8c1eb39855dadd1b1c">escaped last week</a>&nbsp;after a truck overturned on a Mississippi roadway was shot and killed early Sunday by a woman who says she feared for the safety of her children.Jessica Bond Ferguson said she was alerted early Sunday by her 16-year-old son who said he thought he had seen a monkey running in the yard outside their home near Heidelberg, Mississippi. She got out bed, grabbed her firearm and her cellphone and stepped outside where she saw the monkey about 60 feet (18 meters) away.Bond Ferguson said she and other residents had been warned about diseases that the escaped monkeys carried so she fired her gun.“I did what any other mother would do to protect her children,” Bond Ferguson, who has five children ranging in age from 4 to 16, told The Associated Press. “I shot at it and it just stood there, and I shot again, and he backed up and that’s when he fell.”The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office confirmed in a social media post that a homeowner had found one of the monkeys on their property Sunday morning but said the office didn’t have any details. The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks took possession of the monkey, the sheriff’s office said.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rhesus-macaque-monkeys-south-carolina-lab-escape-81dd4bb3acf2a445c0f899e31a8e05eb">Rhesus monkeys</a>&nbsp;had been housed at the Tulane University National Biomedical Research Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, which routinely provides primates to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/monkeys-escape-mississippi-tulane-animal-research-1ff00420c5f4af37a8b8ec4e2028227c">scientific research organizations</a>, according to the university. In a statement last week, Tulane said the monkeys do not belong to the university, and they were not being transported by the university.A truck carrying the monkeys overturned Tuesday on Interstate 59 north of Heidelberg. Authorities have said most of the 21 monkeys were killed. The sheriff’s department has said animal experts from Tulane examined the trailer and had determined&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/monkeys-escape-mississippi-tulane-2a8e2bcfc5fe9f81e641cefa78bb746f">three monkeys had escaped</a>.The Mississippi Highway Patrol has said it was investigating the cause of the crash, which occurred about 100 miles (160 kilometers) from the state capital, Jackson.Rhesus monkeys typically weigh about 16 pounds (7.2 kilograms) and are among the most medically studied animals on the planet. Video recorded after the crash showed monkeys crawling through tall grass beside the interstate, where wooden crates labeled “live animals” were crumpled and strewn about.Jasper County Sheriff Randy Johnson had said Tulane officials reported the monkeys were not infectious, despite initial reports by the truck’s occupants warning that the monkeys were dangerous and harboring various diseases. Nonetheless, Johnson said the monkeys still needed to be “neutralized” because of their aggressive nature.The monkeys had recently received checkups confirming they were pathogen-free, Tulane said in a statement Wednesday.About 10 years ago, three Rhesus macaques in the breeding colony of what was then known as the Tulane National Primate Research Center were euthanized after a “biosecurity breach,” federal inspectors wrote in a 2015 report. The breach involved at least one staff member failing to adhere to biosafety and infection control procedures, it said.The facility made changes in its procedures and retrained staff after that happened, according to the report from the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.Rhesus macaques “are known to be aggressive,” according to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. It said the agency’s conservation workers were working with sheriff’s officials in the search for the animals.The search comes about one year after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/monkeys-escape-alpha-genesis-south-carolina-5001428b828c84f063b50bc4be22f60a">43 Rhesus macaques escaped</a>&nbsp;from a South Carolina compound that breeds them for medical research because an employee didn’t fully lock an enclosure. Employees from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/monkeys-escape-alpha-genesis-south-carolina-640eb78119c66b88a418ccd1e361318e">Alpha Genesis facility</a>&nbsp;in Yemassee, South Carolina, had set up traps to capture them.

Woman killed escaped research monkey fearing for her children's safety

OSAGE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.

On October 30, an Osage County Sheriff’s Office Investigator conducted a traffic stop&nbsp; on Interstate 35 in Osage County for an alleged traffic violation, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.&nbsp; During the stop, illegal narcotics were located.&nbsp;

The deputy arrested&nbsp; Jessica A. Meade, 28, of Lebo on requested charges of&nbsp;Possession of methamphetamine, Possession of marijuana and Possession of drug paraphernalia

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761945543981.png" alt="Meade photo Osage County" />
 <figcaption>Meade photo Osage County</figcaption>
 </figure>OSAGE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.On October 30, an Osage County Sheriff’s Office Investigator conducted a traffic stop&nbsp; on Interstate 35 in Osage County for an alleged traffic violation, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.&nbsp; During the stop, illegal narcotics were located.&nbsp;The deputy arrested&nbsp; Jessica A. Meade, 28, of Lebo on requested charges of&nbsp;Possession of methamphetamine, Possession of marijuana and Possession of drug paraphernalia

Sheriff: Kansas woman caught with meth and marijuana

NEW YORK (AP) — The United States is running out of pennies.

President Donald Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-mint-treasury-department-penny-end-production-daf6367d7e8d31d6783720d5d4667115" rel="nofollow">decision to stop producing the penny</a>&nbsp;earlier this year is starting to have real implications for the nation’s commerce. Merchants in multiple regions of the country have run out of pennies and are unable to produce exact change. Meanwhile, banks are unable to order fresh pennies and are rationing pennies for their customers.

One convenience store chain, Sheetz, got so desperate for pennies that it briefly ran a promotion offering a free soda to customers who bring in 100 pennies. Another retailer says the lack of pennies will end up costing it millions this year, because of the need to round down to avoid lawsuits.

“It’s a chunk of change,” said Dylan Jeon, senior director of government relations with the National Retail Federation.

The penny problem started in late summer and is only getting worse as the country heads into the holiday shopping season.

To be sure, not one retailer or bank has called for the penny to stick around. Pennies, especially in bulk, are heavy and are more often than not used exclusively to give customers change. But the abrupt decision to get rid of the penny has come with no guidance from the federal government. Many stores have been left pleading for Americans to pay in exact change.

“We have been advocating abolition of the penny for 30 years. But this is not the way we wanted it to go,” said Jeff Lenard with the National Association of Convenience Stores.

Trump announced on Feb. 9 that the U.S. would no longer mint pennies, citing the high costs. Both the penny and the nickel have been more expensive to produce than they are worth for several years, despite efforts by the U.S. Mint to reduce costs. The Mint spent 3.7 cents to make a penny in 2024, according to its most recent annual report, and it spends 13.8 cents to make a nickel.

“Let’s rip the waste out of our great nation’s budget, even if it’s a penny at a time,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The Treasury Department said in May that it was placing its last order of copper-zinc planchets — the blank metal disks that are minted into coins. In June, the last pennies were minted and by August, those pennies were distributed to banks and armored vehicle service companies.

Troy Richards, president and chief operations officer at Louisiana-based Guaranty Bank &amp; Trust Co., said he’s had to scramble to have enough pennies on hand for his customers since August.

“We got an email announcement from the Federal Reserve that penny shipments would be curtailed. Little did we know that those shipments were already over for us,” Richards said.

Richards said the $1,800 in pennies the bank had were gone in two weeks. His branches are keeping small amounts of pennies for customers who need to cash checks, but that’s it.

The U.S. Mint issued 3.23 billion pennies in 2024, the last full year of production, more than double that of the second-most minted coin in the country: the quarter. But the problem with pennies is they are issued, given as change, and rarely recirculated back into the economy. Americans store their pennies in jars or use them for decoration. This requires the Mint to produce significant sums of pennies each year.

The government is expected to save $56 million by not minting pennies, according to the Treasury Department. Despite losing money on the penny, the Mint is profitable for the U.S. government through its production of other circulating coins as well as coin proof and commemorative sets that appeal to numismatic collectors.

In 2024, the Mint made $182 million in seigniorage, which is its equivalent of profit.

Besides American’s penny hoarding habit, a logistical issue is also preventing pennies from circulating.

The distribution of coins is handled by the Federal Reserve system. Several companies, mostly armored carrier companies, operate coin terminals where banks can withdraw and deposit coins. Roughly a third of these 170 coin terminals are now closed to both penny deposits as well as penny withdrawals.

Bank lobbyists say these terminals being closed to penny deposits is exacerbating the penny shortage, because parts of the country that may have some surplus pennies are unable to get those pennies to parts of country with shortages.

“As a result of the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s decision to end production of the penny, coin distribution locations accepting penny deposits and fulfilling orders will vary over time as (penny) inventory is depleted” a Federal Reserve spokeswoman said.

The lack of pennies has also become a legal minefield for stores and retailers. In some states and cities, it is illegal to round up a transaction to the nearest nickel or dime because doing so would run afoul of laws that are supposed to place cash customers and debit and credit card customers on an equal playing field when it comes to item costs.

So, to avoid lawsuits, retailers are rounding down. While two or three cents may not seem like much, that extra change can add up over tens of thousands of transactions. A spokesman for Kwik Trip, the Midwest convenience store chain, says it has been rounding down every cash transaction to the nearest nickel. That’s expected to cost the company roughly $3 million this year. Some retailers are asking customers to give their change to local or affiliated charities at the cash register, in an effort to avoid pennies as well.

A bill currently pending in Congress, known as the Common Cents Act, calls for cash transactions to be rounded to the nearest nickel, up or down. While the proposal is palatable to businesses, rounding up could be costly for consumers.

The Treasury Department did not respond to a request for comment on whether they had any guidance for retailers or banks regarding the penny shortage, or the issues regarding penny circulation.

The United States is not the first country to transition away from small denomination coins or discontinue out-of-date coins. But in all of these cases, governments wound down the use of their out-of-date coins over a period of, often, years.

For example, Canada announced it would eliminate its one-cent coin in 2012, transitioning away from one-cent cash transactions starting in 2013 and is still redeeming and recycling one-cent coins a decade later. The “decimalization” process of converting British coins from farthings and shillings to a 100-pence-to-a-pound system took much of the 1960s and early 1970s.

The U.S. removed the penny from commerce abruptly, without any action by Congress or any regulatory guidance for banks, retailers or states. The retail and banking industries, rarely allies in Washington on policy matters related to point-of-sale, are demanding that Washington issue guidance or pass a law fixing the issues that are arising due to the shortage.

NEW YORK (AP) — The United States is running out of pennies.President Donald Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-mint-treasury-department-penny-end-production-daf6367d7e8d31d6783720d5d4667115" rel="nofollow">decision to stop producing the penny</a>&nbsp;earlier this year is starting to have real implications for the nation’s commerce. Merchants in multiple regions of the country have run out of pennies and are unable to produce exact change. Meanwhile, banks are unable to order fresh pennies and are rationing pennies for their customers.One convenience store chain, Sheetz, got so desperate for pennies that it briefly ran a promotion offering a free soda to customers who bring in 100 pennies. Another retailer says the lack of pennies will end up costing it millions this year, because of the need to round down to avoid lawsuits.“It’s a chunk of change,” said Dylan Jeon, senior director of government relations with the National Retail Federation.The penny problem started in late summer and is only getting worse as the country heads into the holiday shopping season.To be sure, not one retailer or bank has called for the penny to stick around. Pennies, especially in bulk, are heavy and are more often than not used exclusively to give customers change. But the abrupt decision to get rid of the penny has come with no guidance from the federal government. Many stores have been left pleading for Americans to pay in exact change.“We have been advocating abolition of the penny for 30 years. But this is not the way we wanted it to go,” said Jeff Lenard with the National Association of Convenience Stores.Trump announced on Feb. 9 that the U.S. would no longer mint pennies, citing the high costs. Both the penny and the nickel have been more expensive to produce than they are worth for several years, despite efforts by the U.S. Mint to reduce costs. The Mint spent 3.7 cents to make a penny in 2024, according to its most recent annual report, and it spends 13.8 cents to make a nickel.“Let’s rip the waste out of our great nation’s budget, even if it’s a penny at a time,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.The Treasury Department said in May that it was placing its last order of copper-zinc planchets — the blank metal disks that are minted into coins. In June, the last pennies were minted and by August, those pennies were distributed to banks and armored vehicle service companies.Troy Richards, president and chief operations officer at Louisiana-based Guaranty Bank &amp; Trust Co., said he’s had to scramble to have enough pennies on hand for his customers since August.“We got an email announcement from the Federal Reserve that penny shipments would be curtailed. Little did we know that those shipments were already over for us,” Richards said.Richards said the $1,800 in pennies the bank had were gone in two weeks. His branches are keeping small amounts of pennies for customers who need to cash checks, but that’s it.The U.S. Mint issued 3.23 billion pennies in 2024, the last full year of production, more than double that of the second-most minted coin in the country: the quarter. But the problem with pennies is they are issued, given as change, and rarely recirculated back into the economy. Americans store their pennies in jars or use them for decoration. This requires the Mint to produce significant sums of pennies each year.The government is expected to save $56 million by not minting pennies, according to the Treasury Department. Despite losing money on the penny, the Mint is profitable for the U.S. government through its production of other circulating coins as well as coin proof and commemorative sets that appeal to numismatic collectors.In 2024, the Mint made $182 million in seigniorage, which is its equivalent of profit.Besides American’s penny hoarding habit, a logistical issue is also preventing pennies from circulating.The distribution of coins is handled by the Federal Reserve system. Several companies, mostly armored carrier companies, operate coin terminals where banks can withdraw and deposit coins. Roughly a third of these 170 coin terminals are now closed to both penny deposits as well as penny withdrawals.Bank lobbyists say these terminals being closed to penny deposits is exacerbating the penny shortage, because parts of the country that may have some surplus pennies are unable to get those pennies to parts of country with shortages.“As a result of the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s decision to end production of the penny, coin distribution locations accepting penny deposits and fulfilling orders will vary over time as (penny) inventory is depleted” a Federal Reserve spokeswoman said.The lack of pennies has also become a legal minefield for stores and retailers. In some states and cities, it is illegal to round up a transaction to the nearest nickel or dime because doing so would run afoul of laws that are supposed to place cash customers and debit and credit card customers on an equal playing field when it comes to item costs.So, to avoid lawsuits, retailers are rounding down. While two or three cents may not seem like much, that extra change can add up over tens of thousands of transactions. A spokesman for Kwik Trip, the Midwest convenience store chain, says it has been rounding down every cash transaction to the nearest nickel. That’s expected to cost the company roughly $3 million this year. Some retailers are asking customers to give their change to local or affiliated charities at the cash register, in an effort to avoid pennies as well.A bill currently pending in Congress, known as the Common Cents Act, calls for cash transactions to be rounded to the nearest nickel, up or down. While the proposal is palatable to businesses, rounding up could be costly for consumers.The Treasury Department did not respond to a request for comment on whether they had any guidance for retailers or banks regarding the penny shortage, or the issues regarding penny circulation.The United States is not the first country to transition away from small denomination coins or discontinue out-of-date coins. But in all of these cases, governments wound down the use of their out-of-date coins over a period of, often, years.For example, Canada announced it would eliminate its one-cent coin in 2012, transitioning away from one-cent cash transactions starting in 2013 and is still redeeming and recycling one-cent coins a decade later. The “decimalization” process of converting British coins from farthings and shillings to a 100-pence-to-a-pound system took much of the 1960s and early 1970s.The U.S. removed the penny from commerce abruptly, without any action by Congress or any regulatory guidance for banks, retailers or states. The retail and banking industries, rarely allies in Washington on policy matters related to point-of-sale, are demanding that Washington issue guidance or pass a law fixing the issues that are arising due to the shortage.

Banks and retailers run short on pennies as the US Mint stops making them

By&nbsp;&nbsp;MARGERY BECK&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/geoff-mulvihill">GEOFF MULVIHILL</a> Associated Press

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program">Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program</a>, or SNAP, is a major piece of the U.S. social safety net used by nearly 42 million, or about 1 in 8 Americans, to help buy groceries.

Originally known as the food stamp program, it has existed since 1964, serving low-income people, many of whom have jobs but don’t make enough money to cover all the basic costs of living.

Public attention has focused on the program since President Donald Trump’s administration announced last week that it would freeze SNAP payments starting Nov. 1 in the midst of a monthlong federal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/government-shutdown">government shutdown</a>. The administration argued it wasn’t allowed to use a contingency fund with about $5 billion in it to help keep the program going. But on Friday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/snap-shutdown-lawsuits-deadline-4af8b0dec6cd31cddd023cc99c131b73">two federal judges ruled</a>&nbsp;in separate challenges that the federal government must continue to fund SNAP, at least partially, using contingency funds. However, the federal government is expected to appeal, and the process to restart SNAP payments would likely take one to two weeks.

There are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/recipient/eligibility" target="_blank">income limits</a>&nbsp;based on family size, expenses and whether households include someone who is elderly or has a disability.

Most SNAP participants are families with children, and more than 1 in 3 include older adults or someone with a disability.

Nearly 2 in 5 recipients are households where someone is employed.

Most participants have incomes below the poverty line, which is about $32,000 for a family of four, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers the program, says nearly 16 million children received SNAP benefits in 2023.

People who are not in the country legally, and many immigrants who do have legal status, are not eligible. Many college students aren’t either, and some states have barred people with certain drug convictions.

Under a provision of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-is-republican-trump-tax-bill-f65be44e1050431a601320197322551b">Trump’s big tax and policy law</a>&nbsp;that also takes effect Nov. 1, people who do not have disabilities, are between ages 18 and 64 and who do not have children under age 14 can receive benefits for only three months every three years if they’re not working. Otherwise, they must work, volunteer or participate in a work training program at least 80 hours a month.

On average, the monthly benefit per household participating in SNAP over the past few years has been about $350, and the average benefit per person is about $190.

The benefit amount varies based on a family’s income and expenses. The designated amount is based on the concept that households should allocate 30% of their remaining income after essential expenses to food.

Families can receive higher amounts if they pay child support, have monthly medical expenses exceeding $35 or pay a higher portion of their income on housing.

The cost of benefits and half the cost of running the program is paid by the federal government using tax dollars.

States pay the rest of the administrative costs and run the program.

People apply for SNAP through a state or county social service agency or through a nonprofit that helps people with applications. In some states, SNAP is known by another, state-specific name. For instance, it’s FoodShare in Wisconsin and CalFresh in California.

The benefits are delivered through electronic benefits transfer, or EBT, cards that work essentially like a bank debit card. Besides SNAP, it’s where money is loaded for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF, program, which provides cash assistance for low-income families with children, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children.

The card is swiped or inserted in a store’s card reader at checkout, and the cardholder enters their PIN to pay for food. The cost of the food is deducted from the person’s SNAP account balance.

SNAP benefits can only be used for food at participating stores — mostly groceries, supermarkets, discount retail stores, convenience stores and farmers markets. It also covers plants and seeds bought to grow your own food. However, hot foods — like restaurant meals — are not covered.

Most, but not all, food stores participate. The USDA provides a link on its website to a&nbsp;<a href="https://usda-fns.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=15e1c457b56c4a729861d015cd626a23" target="_blank">SNAP retail locator</a>, allowing people to enter an address to get the closest retailers to them.

Items commonly found in a grocery and other participating stores that can’t be bought with SNAP benefits include pet food, household supplies like toilet paper, paper towels and cleaning products, and toiletries like toothpaste, shampoo and cosmetics. Vitamins, medicines, alcohol and tobacco products are also excluded.

Sales tax is not charged on items bought with SNAP benefits.

There aren’t additional restrictions today on which foods can be purchased with SNAP money.

But the federal government is allowing states to apply to limit which foods can be purchased with SNAP starting in 2026.

So far, a dozen states — 11 of them Republican-controlled plus Colorado — have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/waivers/foodrestriction#utahwaiver" target="_blank">received permission to do so</a>.

All of them will bar buying soft drinks, most say no to candy, and some block energy drinks.

By&nbsp;&nbsp;MARGERY BECK&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/geoff-mulvihill">GEOFF MULVIHILL</a> Associated PressThe&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program">Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program</a>, or SNAP, is a major piece of the U.S. social safety net used by nearly 42 million, or about 1 in 8 Americans, to help buy groceries.Originally known as the food stamp program, it has existed since 1964, serving low-income people, many of whom have jobs but don’t make enough money to cover all the basic costs of living.Public attention has focused on the program since President Donald Trump’s administration announced last week that it would freeze SNAP payments starting Nov. 1 in the midst of a monthlong federal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/government-shutdown">government shutdown</a>. The administration argued it wasn’t allowed to use a contingency fund with about $5 billion in it to help keep the program going. But on Friday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/snap-shutdown-lawsuits-deadline-4af8b0dec6cd31cddd023cc99c131b73">two federal judges ruled</a>&nbsp;in separate challenges that the federal government must continue to fund SNAP, at least partially, using contingency funds. However, the federal government is expected to appeal, and the process to restart SNAP payments would likely take one to two weeks.Here’s a look at how SNAP works.<h2>Who’s eligible?</h2>There are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/recipient/eligibility" target="_blank">income limits</a>&nbsp;based on family size, expenses and whether households include someone who is elderly or has a disability.Most SNAP participants are families with children, and more than 1 in 3 include older adults or someone with a disability.Nearly 2 in 5 recipients are households where someone is employed.Most participants have incomes below the poverty line, which is about $32,000 for a family of four, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers the program, says nearly 16 million children received SNAP benefits in 2023.<h2>Who’s not eligible?</h2>People who are not in the country legally, and many immigrants who do have legal status, are not eligible. Many college students aren’t either, and some states have barred people with certain drug convictions.Under a provision of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-is-republican-trump-tax-bill-f65be44e1050431a601320197322551b">Trump’s big tax and policy law</a>&nbsp;that also takes effect Nov. 1, people who do not have disabilities, are between ages 18 and 64 and who do not have children under age 14 can receive benefits for only three months every three years if they’re not working. Otherwise, they must work, volunteer or participate in a work training program at least 80 hours a month.<h2>How much do beneficiaries receive?</h2>On average, the monthly benefit per household participating in SNAP over the past few years has been about $350, and the average benefit per person is about $190.The benefit amount varies based on a family’s income and expenses. The designated amount is based on the concept that households should allocate 30% of their remaining income after essential expenses to food.Families can receive higher amounts if they pay child support, have monthly medical expenses exceeding $35 or pay a higher portion of their income on housing.<h2>How do benefits work?</h2>The cost of benefits and half the cost of running the program is paid by the federal government using tax dollars.States pay the rest of the administrative costs and run the program.People apply for SNAP through a state or county social service agency or through a nonprofit that helps people with applications. In some states, SNAP is known by another, state-specific name. For instance, it’s FoodShare in Wisconsin and CalFresh in California.The benefits are delivered through electronic benefits transfer, or EBT, cards that work essentially like a bank debit card. Besides SNAP, it’s where money is loaded for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF, program, which provides cash assistance for low-income families with children, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children.The card is swiped or inserted in a store’s card reader at checkout, and the cardholder enters their PIN to pay for food. The cost of the food is deducted from the person’s SNAP account balance.<h2>What can it buy?</h2>SNAP benefits can only be used for food at participating stores — mostly groceries, supermarkets, discount retail stores, convenience stores and farmers markets. It also covers plants and seeds bought to grow your own food. However, hot foods — like restaurant meals — are not covered.Most, but not all, food stores participate. The USDA provides a link on its website to a&nbsp;<a href="https://usda-fns.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=15e1c457b56c4a729861d015cd626a23" target="_blank">SNAP retail locator</a>, allowing people to enter an address to get the closest retailers to them.Items commonly found in a grocery and other participating stores that can’t be bought with SNAP benefits include pet food, household supplies like toilet paper, paper towels and cleaning products, and toiletries like toothpaste, shampoo and cosmetics. Vitamins, medicines, alcohol and tobacco products are also excluded.Sales tax is not charged on items bought with SNAP benefits.<h2>Are there any restrictions?</h2>There aren’t additional restrictions today on which foods can be purchased with SNAP money.But the federal government is allowing states to apply to limit which foods can be purchased with SNAP starting in 2026.So far, a dozen states — 11 of them Republican-controlled plus Colorado — have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/waivers/foodrestriction#utahwaiver" target="_blank">received permission to do so</a>.All of them will bar buying soft drinks, most say no to candy, and some block energy drinks.

SNAP has provided grocery help for 60-plus years; here’s how it works

FORD COUNTY—On Saturday morning, a semi-truck pulling a bull hauler crashed into bollards in the downtown Dodge City causing several thousand dollars worth of damage.

The Dodge City Police Department is seeking any information that could help identify the truck or driver. 

If you have information, please contact the Dodge City Police Department at 620-227-4646, send a tip through Facebook Messenger, or use the Tip411 app.—

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762095151595.png" alt="Photos Dodge City Police" />
 <figcaption>Photos Dodge City Police</figcaption>
 </figure>FORD COUNTY—On Saturday morning, a semi-truck pulling a bull hauler crashed into bollards in the downtown Dodge City causing several thousand dollars worth of damage.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762095134462.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Dodge City Police Department is seeking any information that could help identify the truck or driver. If you have information, please contact the Dodge City Police Department at 620-227-4646, send a tip through Facebook Messenger, or use the Tip411 app.—

Police ask for help in SW Kan. crash that caused thousands in damage

“That man, that young man — I forgive him.”

Erika Kirk softly spoke those words about the gunman accused of assassinating her husband,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-conservative-activist-shot-546165a8151104e0938a5e085be1e8bd">conservative activist Charlie Kirk</a>, as she struggled to hold back tears last month during his memorial service.

Her public declaration inspired another. Hollywood actor Tim Allen said he was so moved by her words that he was forgiving the drunken driver who caused his father’s death 60 years ago. Barely two weeks after Charlie Kirk’s death, members of a Michigan congregation made public that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/michigan-mormon-church-shooting-60988563b1da4c57f9e1dff543902360">they too were forgiving a gunman</a>, the one who had just attacked their church, killing four people and injuring eight others.

Their high-profile acts of forgiveness are all the more remarkable given the politically charged and highly polarizing climate gripping the U.S. It has pushed people of faith to contemplate what forgiveness means, particularly in the face of violence, trauma and unspeakable grief, and whether it could shift public consciousness toward compassion.

While some see a glimmer of hope in this moment, others are skeptical. Miroslav Volf, professor of theology at Yale Divinity School, said he views President Donald Trump’s response to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/charlie-kirks-widow-says-she-forgives-his-shooter-its-what-charlie-would-do-ace9fdf577a146aaa2af5596e51f7541">Erika Kirk’s words</a>&nbsp;— that he hates his opponents — as the more typical sentiment.

"Erika Kirk’s gesture is the outlier,” he said. “It was an extraordinary act of courage. But it was also telling that (Trump’s) response got the bigger reaction from the crowd at the memorial. You have to wonder about these two very different responses. How do we find space for grace when we are so at odds that we cannot recognize humanity on the other side of the divide?”

California pastor Jack Hibbs, who leads Calvary Chapel Chino Hills and is a friend of the Kirks, called her words an “incredibly powerful” message of hope for the shooter, and in keeping with the family's deep commitment to the Gospel, which commands Christians to forgive even their enemies.

“The Bible warns us that bitterness, when left alone, can grow up in and destroy your heart,” Hibbs said. “So forgiveness was given to us by God to set us free from what’s been done to us.”

The Rev. Thomas Berg, visiting professor at the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame, said he hopes Erika Kirk’s gesture “ignites some kind of meaningful national conversation about forgiveness.”

He said forgiveness is not a one-time event, but a process that takes time and work. Berg, who counsels victims of sex abuse in the Catholic Church, warns that it should never be coerced but authentically given — an act that he says has the power to heal the deepest wounds.

He would like to see more public expressions of forgiveness, which could serve as a balm for the country.

“I hope this is not a passing moment,” he said. “The dynamic of forgiveness throws a wrench into the dysfunction of our partisan divides and our inability to have a reasonable exchange of ideas.”

Dave Butler, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and science fiction writer based in Utah, believes forgiveness is a mandate for all Christians, as his church teaches. He started&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/michigan-mormon-church-shooting-fundraiser-66189189c72aff983e86bb035f6899f2">a crowdfunding initiative</a>&nbsp;for the family of the Michigan shooter who opened fire on the Latter-day Saints congregation, which as of this week, had raised a little over $388,000.

Butler said he started it because — in addition to the grieving church members who had lost loved ones in this mass shooting — there was the family of the gunman that was also traumatized.

“They also did not choose this,” he said. “Nevertheless, they are now short a husband and a father. If we’re not really thoughtful, we might be inclined to see them more as antagonists rather than victims. More than 10,000 people have contributed and they understand what they’re doing is an act of forgiveness.”

Forgiveness from the perspective of Anabaptists

An often-cited modern example of forgiveness is the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/803872dfa1224adfb07fb2257ba0abe2">response of the Amish community</a>&nbsp;around Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania, after a gunman killed five Amish schoolgirls and wounded five more in 2006 before taking his own life. Local Amish immediately expressed forgiveness for the killer and supported his widow.

Amish are part of the wider Anabaptist movement, which puts heavy emphasis on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, containing some of his most radical and counter-cultural sayings — to love enemies, live simply, bless persecutors, turn the other cheek and to endure sufferings joyfully. In it, Jesus says God will only forgive those who forgive others.

While many outside the Anabaptists' world have endorsed their beliefs about forgiveness — which they also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-religion-prayer-haiti-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-1d4be3e1ffcb39f6987c6f34c0124e43">voiced for Haitian kidnappers</a>&nbsp;of Anabaptist missionaries in 2021 — others say the picture is more complex. Advocates for victims of sexual abuse in Anabaptist communities say victims and their families are often&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-religion-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-mennonite-3000fa23351b4d28b1e49c439d0063e9">forced to reconcile</a>&nbsp;with abusers after the latter make a confession and undergo a brief period of discipline.

A complicated journey for trauma survivors

The Jewish perspective on forgiveness is different in that it requires the perpetrator to seek forgiveness from the person who has been wronged, said Rabbi Jeffrey Myers. He heads Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh where 11 people from three congregations were killed after a gunman attacked it during Shabbat services on Oct. 27, 2018.

“For me, it’s complicated because there are 11 dead people who cannot be sought for forgiveness,” Myers said, adding that he cannot offer forgiveness because the perpetrator — who faces execution — did not show remorse.

“While the perpetrator has received a measure of justice as outlined by the judicial process, it didn’t give me closure because those 11 people are gone," Myers said. "There is nothing that makes that pain go away.”

What gives him some comfort is being able to help other congregations that are going through similar trauma. Myers said he was grateful to have received that support from the Rev. Eric Manning, pastor of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, a historically Black church where a self-proclaimed white supremacist&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-36566fbabbde4d6fbb0000093561166d">shot and killed nine congregants</a>&nbsp;on June 17, 2015 — including the church’s pastor at the time.

“Today, as someone who belongs to that club no one should belong to, I view it as my sacred obligation to help,” Myers said. “Even if I can help one person, that’s gratifying, that feels healing.”

Peg Durachko, whose husband Dr. Richard Gottfried, a dentist, was one of the victims in the synagogue shooting, said that as a Catholic, she looked to Pope John Paul II for inspiration as she read about how he visited the imprisoned man who shot him and offered forgiveness.

“I recognize (the gunman) as a child of God who made bad choices to lead him in that direction,” she said. “I’m not his judge, God is. I want him to have eternal life. I don’t harbor hate or ill wishes to anyone, including him. I don’t want to carry this baggage of hate.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1760477062621.png" alt="On Oct. 14, President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;on posthumously awarded America's highest civilian honor to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-conservative-activist-shot-546165a8151104e0938a5e085be1e8bd">Charlie Kirk</a>, the assassinated activist who inspired a generation of young conservatives. His widow Erika accepted the award" />
 <figcaption>On Oct. 14, President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;on posthumously awarded America's highest civilian honor to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-conservative-activist-shot-546165a8151104e0938a5e085be1e8bd">Charlie Kirk</a>, the assassinated activist who inspired a generation of young conservatives. His widow Erika accepted the award</figcaption>
 </figure>“That man, that young man — I forgive him.”Erika Kirk softly spoke those words about the gunman accused of assassinating her husband,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlie-kirk-conservative-activist-shot-546165a8151104e0938a5e085be1e8bd">conservative activist Charlie Kirk</a>, as she struggled to hold back tears last month during his memorial service.Her public declaration inspired another. Hollywood actor Tim Allen said he was so moved by her words that he was forgiving the drunken driver who caused his father’s death 60 years ago. Barely two weeks after Charlie Kirk’s death, members of a Michigan congregation made public that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/michigan-mormon-church-shooting-60988563b1da4c57f9e1dff543902360">they too were forgiving a gunman</a>, the one who had just attacked their church, killing four people and injuring eight others.Their high-profile acts of forgiveness are all the more remarkable given the politically charged and highly polarizing climate gripping the U.S. It has pushed people of faith to contemplate what forgiveness means, particularly in the face of violence, trauma and unspeakable grief, and whether it could shift public consciousness toward compassion.While some see a glimmer of hope in this moment, others are skeptical. Miroslav Volf, professor of theology at Yale Divinity School, said he views President Donald Trump’s response to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/video/charlie-kirks-widow-says-she-forgives-his-shooter-its-what-charlie-would-do-ace9fdf577a146aaa2af5596e51f7541">Erika Kirk’s words</a>&nbsp;— that he hates his opponents — as the more typical sentiment."Erika Kirk’s gesture is the outlier,” he said. “It was an extraordinary act of courage. But it was also telling that (Trump’s) response got the bigger reaction from the crowd at the memorial. You have to wonder about these two very different responses. How do we find space for grace when we are so at odds that we cannot recognize humanity on the other side of the divide?”<h2>Forgiveness, a mandate for Christians</h2>California pastor Jack Hibbs, who leads Calvary Chapel Chino Hills and is a friend of the Kirks, called her words an “incredibly powerful” message of hope for the shooter, and in keeping with the family's deep commitment to the Gospel, which commands Christians to forgive even their enemies.“The Bible warns us that bitterness, when left alone, can grow up in and destroy your heart,” Hibbs said. “So forgiveness was given to us by God to set us free from what’s been done to us.”The Rev. Thomas Berg, visiting professor at the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame, said he hopes Erika Kirk’s gesture “ignites some kind of meaningful national conversation about forgiveness.”He said forgiveness is not a one-time event, but a process that takes time and work. Berg, who counsels victims of sex abuse in the Catholic Church, warns that it should never be coerced but authentically given — an act that he says has the power to heal the deepest wounds.He would like to see more public expressions of forgiveness, which could serve as a balm for the country.“I hope this is not a passing moment,” he said. “The dynamic of forgiveness throws a wrench into the dysfunction of our partisan divides and our inability to have a reasonable exchange of ideas.”Dave Butler, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and science fiction writer based in Utah, believes forgiveness is a mandate for all Christians, as his church teaches. He started&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/michigan-mormon-church-shooting-fundraiser-66189189c72aff983e86bb035f6899f2">a crowdfunding initiative</a>&nbsp;for the family of the Michigan shooter who opened fire on the Latter-day Saints congregation, which as of this week, had raised a little over $388,000.Butler said he started it because — in addition to the grieving church members who had lost loved ones in this mass shooting — there was the family of the gunman that was also traumatized.“They also did not choose this,” he said. “Nevertheless, they are now short a husband and a father. If we’re not really thoughtful, we might be inclined to see them more as antagonists rather than victims. More than 10,000 people have contributed and they understand what they’re doing is an act of forgiveness.”<h2>Forgiveness from the perspective of Anabaptists</h2>An often-cited modern example of forgiveness is the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/803872dfa1224adfb07fb2257ba0abe2">response of the Amish community</a>&nbsp;around Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania, after a gunman killed five Amish schoolgirls and wounded five more in 2006 before taking his own life. Local Amish immediately expressed forgiveness for the killer and supported his widow.Amish are part of the wider Anabaptist movement, which puts heavy emphasis on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, containing some of his most radical and counter-cultural sayings — to love enemies, live simply, bless persecutors, turn the other cheek and to endure sufferings joyfully. In it, Jesus says God will only forgive those who forgive others.While many outside the Anabaptists' world have endorsed their beliefs about forgiveness — which they also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-religion-prayer-haiti-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-1d4be3e1ffcb39f6987c6f34c0124e43">voiced for Haitian kidnappers</a>&nbsp;of Anabaptist missionaries in 2021 — others say the picture is more complex. Advocates for victims of sexual abuse in Anabaptist communities say victims and their families are often&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-religion-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-mennonite-3000fa23351b4d28b1e49c439d0063e9">forced to reconcile</a>&nbsp;with abusers after the latter make a confession and undergo a brief period of discipline.<h2>A complicated journey for trauma survivors</h2>The Jewish perspective on forgiveness is different in that it requires the perpetrator to seek forgiveness from the person who has been wronged, said Rabbi Jeffrey Myers. He heads Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh where 11 people from three congregations were killed after a gunman attacked it during Shabbat services on Oct. 27, 2018.“For me, it’s complicated because there are 11 dead people who cannot be sought for forgiveness,” Myers said, adding that he cannot offer forgiveness because the perpetrator — who faces execution — did not show remorse.“While the perpetrator has received a measure of justice as outlined by the judicial process, it didn’t give me closure because those 11 people are gone," Myers said. "There is nothing that makes that pain go away.”What gives him some comfort is being able to help other congregations that are going through similar trauma. Myers said he was grateful to have received that support from the Rev. Eric Manning, pastor of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, a historically Black church where a self-proclaimed white supremacist&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-36566fbabbde4d6fbb0000093561166d">shot and killed nine congregants</a>&nbsp;on June 17, 2015 — including the church’s pastor at the time.“Today, as someone who belongs to that club no one should belong to, I view it as my sacred obligation to help,” Myers said. “Even if I can help one person, that’s gratifying, that feels healing.”Peg Durachko, whose husband Dr. Richard Gottfried, a dentist, was one of the victims in the synagogue shooting, said that as a Catholic, she looked to Pope John Paul II for inspiration as she read about how he visited the imprisoned man who shot him and offered forgiveness.“I recognize (the gunman) as a child of God who made bad choices to lead him in that direction,” she said. “I’m not his judge, God is. I want him to have eternal life. I don’t harbor hate or ill wishes to anyone, including him. I don’t want to carry this baggage of hate.”

Erika Kirk's words spotlight forgiveness in a divided nation

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>

Legislature expanded office’s powers to examine social welfare programs

TOPEKA — The first audit under expanded powers from the Kansas inspector general’s office identified more than a dozen problems within organizations providing health care through Kansas’ Medicaid program.

The audit is just the beginning of a campaign to weed out fraud and inefficiencies within social welfare programs, following the 2025 Legislature’s approval of broadening the office’s authority to encompass oversight of cash, food&nbsp;and health assistance.

Steven Anderson, the state inspector general, presented 17 findings with accompanying recommendations based on hospital complaints about delays, discrepancies and a potential conflict of interest. He spoke to the Senate Committee on Government Efficiency at an Oct. 21 hearing.&nbsp;

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ag.ks.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/24654/638950012792900000" target="_blank">audit</a>&nbsp;analyzed hospital complaints from 2023 to determine whether organizations prolonged reviews, manipulated patient statuses and lacked consistency in determining post-visit levels of care. The audit also identified a potential conflict of interest within United Healthcare, one of three managed care organizations that have offered services under KanCare, as Medicaid is known in Kansas.

The inspector general’s office, which is housed within the Kansas Attorney General’s Office, interviewed staff at six Kansas hospitals, representatives from the three KanCare managed care organizations at the time of the report, staff from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, and representatives from the Kansas Hospital Association. KDHE agreed with most, but not all, of the audit’s recommendations.

The audit found that managed care organizations refused to reimburse claims that involved returns to a hospital within 30 days of the initial visit, even if the visits were unrelated.

The hospitals typically eat those costs, Anderson said.

“It’s probably incalculable how much money is lost through all this,” said Sen. Mike Thompson, a Shawnee Republican.

The percentage of denied claims for hospital services across the organizations averaged 6% in 2023. However, the value of hospital service claim denials makes up a disproportionate amount of all denials.

One organization denied $1.8 billion in claims in 2023. Hospital claim denials made up 70%, or $1.3 billion, of those denials. Another denied $1.02 billion in claims, and hospital denials accounted for 69%, or $707 million. The third organization denied $1.8 billion in claims, and hospital denials accounted for 62% or $1.1 million.

Anderson said the amounts have grown larger every year.

“The reality is, if I’m going to deny claims, I’m going to look for the higher-dollar ones,” he said. “We can draw some conclusions, maybe, that they were approving the smaller-dollar ones, but the big money ones were oftentimes denied.”

The audit also found that United Healthcare used its proprietary health care criteria and billing system to judge its own claims.

“So they own the process from front to back,” Anderson said.

He said the organization “controls so much of the narrative,” and United Healthcare’s use of a system owned by one of its subsidiaries “looks bad on the surface.”

However, he acknowledged his office cannot prove United Healthcare uses its system inappropriately. KDHE said in a response in the audit that state Medicaid programs must follow certain conflict of interest provisions, “but to date, United acquiring billing and other health care companies and continuing to use those products is not a conflict per the current standards.”

The tools were used by all three contracted organizations at the time, KDHE said. Trying to restrict United Healthcare’s use of the systems and allowing other organizations to continue would create “additional dynamics.”

“These tools are widely used and accepted by healthcare providers across the nation to make medical decisions and validate claims,” KDHE said.

A spokesperson for the company said in an emailed statement: “We remain committed to transparency and accountability and will address these recommendations with our state partners, including clarifying that Change Healthcare is a division of Optum. UnitedHealthcare and Optum are separate entities and subsidiary businesses of UnitedHealth Group, which maintains strict governance policies and compliance standards to ensure that each subsidiary operates independently and in the best interest of its clients and members.”

Anderson said his office, the managed care organizations and KDHE are scheduling a meeting to discuss the audit’s findings.

“I’m thrilled to hear that,” said Sen. Renee Erickson, a Wichita Republican and chairwoman of the committee.

The best solution, she said, is to get stakeholders together to sort out their differences.

“I always say, if you want the Legislature to do it, no one’s going to be happy with that fix,” she said, “so I’d rather the entities get together and work it out.”

Ultimately, the audit poses the question of whether the state’s contracts reflect what Kansans need, Erickson said.

Upcoming audits span government assistance programs, according to Anderson. One examines data sharing between the state agencies that oversee KanCare and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to verify eligibility for those programs based on comparing residency, household composition and income reporting. Anderson promoted another audit that will look at what he called the pregnant women program to identify whether those accessing it qualify.

The state facilitates the Special Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program for Women, Infants and Children, often called WIC, which would fall under Anderson’s purview.

He said his office also plans to release audits of Kansas’ waiver programs, which assist elderly and disabled Kansans through Medicaid, and the pharmaceutical drug program, which is also operated through Medicaid.

Sen. Michael Murphy, a Republican from Sylvia in Reno County, commended Anderson’s work.

“I’m a simple guy,” Murphy said, “and I think when you find you have a hole in the fence, you shouldn’t be surprised when the cows get out.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762029006382.png" alt="Kansas inspector general Steven Anderson, who spoke on Oct. 21, 2025, to the Senate Committee on Government Efficiency, earned expanded authority from the 2025 Legislature to scrutinize public health, food and cash assistance programs. (Kansas Reflector screen capture of Kansas Legislature video)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas inspector general Steven Anderson, who spoke on Oct. 21, 2025, to the Senate Committee on Government Efficiency, earned expanded authority from the 2025 Legislature to scrutinize public health, food and cash assistance programs. (Kansas Reflector screen capture of Kansas Legislature video)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a><h2>Legislature expanded office’s powers to examine social welfare programs</h2>TOPEKA — The first audit under expanded powers from the Kansas inspector general’s office identified more than a dozen problems within organizations providing health care through Kansas’ Medicaid program.The audit is just the beginning of a campaign to weed out fraud and inefficiencies within social welfare programs, following the 2025 Legislature’s approval of broadening the office’s authority to encompass oversight of cash, food&nbsp;and health assistance.Steven Anderson, the state inspector general, presented 17 findings with accompanying recommendations based on hospital complaints about delays, discrepancies and a potential conflict of interest. He spoke to the Senate Committee on Government Efficiency at an Oct. 21 hearing.&nbsp;The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ag.ks.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/24654/638950012792900000" target="_blank">audit</a>&nbsp;analyzed hospital complaints from 2023 to determine whether organizations prolonged reviews, manipulated patient statuses and lacked consistency in determining post-visit levels of care. The audit also identified a potential conflict of interest within United Healthcare, one of three managed care organizations that have offered services under KanCare, as Medicaid is known in Kansas.The inspector general’s office, which is housed within the Kansas Attorney General’s Office, interviewed staff at six Kansas hospitals, representatives from the three KanCare managed care organizations at the time of the report, staff from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, and representatives from the Kansas Hospital Association. KDHE agreed with most, but not all, of the audit’s recommendations.The audit found that managed care organizations refused to reimburse claims that involved returns to a hospital within 30 days of the initial visit, even if the visits were unrelated.The hospitals typically eat those costs, Anderson said.“It’s probably incalculable how much money is lost through all this,” said Sen. Mike Thompson, a Shawnee Republican.The percentage of denied claims for hospital services across the organizations averaged 6% in 2023. However, the value of hospital service claim denials makes up a disproportionate amount of all denials.One organization denied $1.8 billion in claims in 2023. Hospital claim denials made up 70%, or $1.3 billion, of those denials. Another denied $1.02 billion in claims, and hospital denials accounted for 69%, or $707 million. The third organization denied $1.8 billion in claims, and hospital denials accounted for 62% or $1.1 million.Anderson said the amounts have grown larger every year.“The reality is, if I’m going to deny claims, I’m going to look for the higher-dollar ones,” he said. “We can draw some conclusions, maybe, that they were approving the smaller-dollar ones, but the big money ones were oftentimes denied.”The audit also found that United Healthcare used its proprietary health care criteria and billing system to judge its own claims.“So they own the process from front to back,” Anderson said.He said the organization “controls so much of the narrative,” and United Healthcare’s use of a system owned by one of its subsidiaries “looks bad on the surface.”However, he acknowledged his office cannot prove United Healthcare uses its system inappropriately. KDHE said in a response in the audit that state Medicaid programs must follow certain conflict of interest provisions, “but to date, United acquiring billing and other health care companies and continuing to use those products is not a conflict per the current standards.”The tools were used by all three contracted organizations at the time, KDHE said. Trying to restrict United Healthcare’s use of the systems and allowing other organizations to continue would create “additional dynamics.”“These tools are widely used and accepted by healthcare providers across the nation to make medical decisions and validate claims,” KDHE said.A spokesperson for the company said in an emailed statement: “We remain committed to transparency and accountability and will address these recommendations with our state partners, including clarifying that Change Healthcare is a division of Optum. UnitedHealthcare and Optum are separate entities and subsidiary businesses of UnitedHealth Group, which maintains strict governance policies and compliance standards to ensure that each subsidiary operates independently and in the best interest of its clients and members.”Anderson said his office, the managed care organizations and KDHE are scheduling a meeting to discuss the audit’s findings.“I’m thrilled to hear that,” said Sen. Renee Erickson, a Wichita Republican and chairwoman of the committee.The best solution, she said, is to get stakeholders together to sort out their differences.“I always say, if you want the Legislature to do it, no one’s going to be happy with that fix,” she said, “so I’d rather the entities get together and work it out.”Ultimately, the audit poses the question of whether the state’s contracts reflect what Kansans need, Erickson said.Upcoming audits span government assistance programs, according to Anderson. One examines data sharing between the state agencies that oversee KanCare and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to verify eligibility for those programs based on comparing residency, household composition and income reporting. Anderson promoted another audit that will look at what he called the pregnant women program to identify whether those accessing it qualify.The state facilitates the Special Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program for Women, Infants and Children, often called WIC, which would fall under Anderson’s purview.He said his office also plans to release audits of Kansas’ waiver programs, which assist elderly and disabled Kansans through Medicaid, and the pharmaceutical drug program, which is also operated through Medicaid.Sen. Michael Murphy, a Republican from Sylvia in Reno County, commended Anderson’s work.“I’m a simple guy,” Murphy said, “and I think when you find you have a hole in the fence, you shouldn’t be surprised when the cows get out.”

Kansas inspector general digs into KanCare provider organizations

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement arrested three teens and were looking for a fourth after a chase and crash in Wichita.

On Halloween night, police were in the area of Central and Oliver in Wichita to monitor a crowd gathering after receiving unverified information suggesting potential violence in the area for a balloon release related to a homicide that occurred on Halloween in 2024.

While monitoring the event, officers observed a man they recognized as violating his probation conditions enter a vehicle with several others. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, and it attempted to flee.

A brief pursuit ensued and concluded at 8th Street and Edgemoor, where the suspect vehicle was involved in a minor collision with another vehicle. The driver of that vehicle sustained minor injuries.

Four people exited the suspect vehicle and fled on foot. Officers were able to detain three of the individuals, who were subsequently booked into the Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center (JIAC) for obstruction. A fourth suspect remains at large.

A fifth male, who was the driver, was found inside the vehicle with what was initially believed to be a gunshot wound. Officers provided immediate life-saving measures until EMS arrived. He was transported to a local hospital and remains in critical condition. Through continued investigation, it is now unclear how the driver sustained the injury, and the exact cause remains undetermined. Police recovered a firearm from the vehicle.&nbsp;

In accordance with Wichita Police Department policy related to vehicle pursuits resulting in crashes, the Kansas Highway Patrol was called in and will lead the investigation into the traffic collision.

All five individuals in the suspect vehicle are juveniles including two 16-year-old boys, two 15-year-old boy and a 14-year-old boy.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported police were in pursuit of a southbound 2008 Chevy Malibu driven by Dreshawn A&nbsp;Hardyway, 16, Wichita, in the 800 Block of North Edgemoor Street. The Malibu turned west on East 8th Street and struck a 2021 Chrysler Voyager driven by Christopher B.&nbsp;Paramo, 23, Wichita, who was&nbsp;&nbsp;stopped waiting to turn onto North Edgemoor Street.

EMS transported Hardyway to Wesley Medical Center. Two 14-year-olds were not injured. Paramo was not injured. The drivers and occupants in both vehicles were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762033663437.png" alt="View of the crash scene photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>View of the crash scene photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement arrested three teens and were looking for a fourth after a chase and crash in Wichita.On Halloween night, police were in the area of Central and Oliver in Wichita to monitor a crowd gathering after receiving unverified information suggesting potential violence in the area for a balloon release related to a homicide that occurred on Halloween in 2024.While monitoring the event, officers observed a man they recognized as violating his probation conditions enter a vehicle with several others. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, and it attempted to flee.A brief pursuit ensued and concluded at 8th Street and Edgemoor, where the suspect vehicle was involved in a minor collision with another vehicle. The driver of that vehicle sustained minor injuries.Four people exited the suspect vehicle and fled on foot. Officers were able to detain three of the individuals, who were subsequently booked into the Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center (JIAC) for obstruction. A fourth suspect remains at large.A fifth male, who was the driver, was found inside the vehicle with what was initially believed to be a gunshot wound. Officers provided immediate life-saving measures until EMS arrived. He was transported to a local hospital and remains in critical condition. Through continued investigation, it is now unclear how the driver sustained the injury, and the exact cause remains undetermined. Police recovered a firearm from the vehicle.&nbsp;In accordance with Wichita Police Department policy related to vehicle pursuits resulting in crashes, the Kansas Highway Patrol was called in and will lead the investigation into the traffic collision.All five individuals in the suspect vehicle are juveniles including two 16-year-old boys, two 15-year-old boy and a 14-year-old boy.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported police were in pursuit of a southbound 2008 Chevy Malibu driven by Dreshawn A&nbsp;Hardyway, 16, Wichita, in the 800 Block of North Edgemoor Street. The Malibu turned west on East 8th Street and struck a 2021 Chrysler Voyager driven by Christopher B.&nbsp;Paramo, 23, Wichita, who was&nbsp;&nbsp;stopped waiting to turn onto North Edgemoor Street.EMS transported Hardyway to Wesley Medical Center. Two 14-year-olds were not injured. Paramo was not injured. The drivers and occupants in both vehicles were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.

Police: Kansas teens in custody after chase and crash

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/barack-obama">Barack Obama</a>&nbsp;is encouraging voters to elect Democratic&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-jersey-virginia-governor-utility-prices-electricity-a7b783d93da03faac900ef5514394f6f">governors in Virginia and New Jersey</a>&nbsp;in races this Tuesday to rebuke Donald Trump 10 months into his second presidency and a year ahead of midterm elections that could reshape it.

Obama's appearances Saturday for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democrats-spanberger-sherrill-virginia-new-jersey-trump-5869ac164d05f00f4ca07d7919e3960b">Abigail Spanberger</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-jersey-election-governor-general-assembly-dfc750b30bc129750437b6ad0b2afbec">Mikie Sherrill</a>&nbsp;contrast with Trump spending the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, leaving Republicans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/earlesears-spanberger-virginia-governor-election-trump-4d12737fe5f1912039d247ff00a1d9b1">Winsome Earle-Sears</a>&nbsp;in Virginia and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-jersey-governor-immigration-ciattarelli-trump-sherrill-4802fd86c36b7d9d0e804efd6368ed05">Jack Ciattarelli</a>&nbsp;in New Jersey to campaign for themselves.

At the same time, California advocates made a final push ahead of a statewide referendum over whether to redraw the state’s congressional map in Democrats’ favor. The effort, backed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, is part of a national redistricting battle that began when Trump urged GOP-run states to help him maintain a friendly House majority in 2026.

Obama praised Spanberger and Sherrill, center-left Democrats who helped their party win a U.S. House majority halfway through Trump's first presidency, as experienced figures who would improve voters' financial circumstances. Yet Obama, who remains Democrats' most popular figure nearly nine years removed from the White House, spent much of his time during separate rallies lambasting Trump for “lawlessness and recklessness” and “shambolic” economic policy. Obama urged voters to “set a glorious example for the nation” by rejecting nominees loyal to a president with “autocratic impulses.”

“The stakes are now clear,” Obama said in Virginia. “We don't need to speculate about the dangers to our democracy. We don't need to ask ourselves how much more coarse and mean our culture can become. Elections matter, and they matter to you.”

Obama took care not to blame voters who backed Trump in 2024 because of inflation and a roiled economy. But, he asked in New Jersey, “Has any of that gotten better for you?”

In some ways, it was standard partisan fare in the closing stretch of a campaign. Yet it stood out as an unusually intense rebuke of a sitting president by a predecessor and because Republicans offered little defense of Trump in their own campaign stops Saturday, instead trying to localize the off-year elections as much as possible.

On a bus tour across New Jersey, Ciattarelli referenced the president mostly to chide Sherrill for mentioning him so much, along with her experience as a Navy helicopter pilot.

“Her disdain for the president. And she can fly a helicopter. Is any of that going to fix New Jersey?” Ciattarelli said in suburban Westfield.

Earle-Sears did not mention Trump at all as she campaigned with term-limited Gov. Glenn Youngkin. “We are not going back,” she said, arguing for conservative continuity in Purcellville. “There's only darkness back there. Abigail Spanberger represents the darkness.”

Trump isn't on site, but he's been in the conversation

Trump endorsed Ciattarelli and has said — without naming Earle-Sears — that he backs her Virginia bid. He conducted a phone rally for Ciattarelli but has not campaigned in person for either nominee.

On Friday evening in south Florida, Trump attended a shindig at his resort with the theme “A Little Party Never Killed Nobody.” On Saturday, he headed to Trump International Palm Beach in West Palm Beach, Florida, and is scheduled to attend a dinner for MAGA, Inc., a super PAC founded by allies. The president is due to return to Washington on Sunday.

Trump's arms-length approach reflects a complicated reality for Republicans: He remains intensely popular among the most conservative voters but has a more precarious standing with the rest of the electorate.

Some of their supporters greeted Ciattarelli and Earle-Sears wearing red “Make America Great Again" hats from Trump's campaigns. But the nominees stayed focused on state policies.

In suburban Westfield, Ciattarelli took selfies for about an hour and talked about proposals to lower energy costs and property taxes, among other ideas. His campaign also has concentrated on his family’s deep roots in the state and argued it’s time for a “Jersey guy” as governor. Sherrill was born in Virginia.

In multiple small-town stops, Earle-Sears promised to lower taxes, defend parents' ability to shape education policy and stave off unions and business regulations. “I'm for common sense,” she said in northern Virginia.

She has previously embraced Trump, while Ciattarelli has played up his good relationship with the White House.

Two Democrats take slightly different approaches to Trump

As she has been throughout the fall, Sherrill did not shy away from Trump and the national stakes.

“When everything seems to come down to our election, when people across the nation, look at me with fear and despair in their eyes and ask me, is New Jersey up for this moment? My answer was, ‘Hell yeah,’” she said in Newark.

Spanberger kept to her more circumspect style regarding Trump, pairing economic arguments against his policies with more opaque references to the president's moves that upend democratic norms.

“Virginia voters can and will send a message amid the recklessness and the heartlessness coming out of Washington,” she said ahead of Obama. She criticized “the political turmoil coming out of Washington right now” and introduced Obama by recalling “a time not that long ago ... when we had a president ... who worked to bring us together instead of tearing us apart.”

Still, according to AdImpact data, Spanberger's biggest advertising expenses are for spots that try to tie Earle-Sears to Trump.

The economy and shutdown overshadow the governor's races

Spanberger and Sherrill have both pledged to tackle rising consumer costs. In New Jersey, however, Ciattarelli has blamed Democrats for higher energy costs because outgoing Gov. Phil Murphy has been leading the state for two terms.

The Democrats have blasted Republicans' federal domestic policy and tax cut bill. Spanberger on Saturday criticized Trump's Department of Government Efficiency and the ongoing federal shutdown — both of which have a disproportionate impact in a state with more than 300,000 federal employees, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Earle-Sears has pinned the shutdown on Spanberger, arguing the former congresswoman should use her leverage with Virginia's Democratic U.S. senators. Both have voted against the GOP's spending extension bill as Democrats demand Republicans address looming health care cuts.

Additionally, the contests could offer some clues as to whether social issues carry any less weight with voters than in previous elections. Spanberger and Sherrill herald their support for abortion rights, Spanberger doing so in the last Southern state not to impose new restrictions or bans in recent years. Earle-Sears did not mention her opposition to abortion rights Saturday but has said repeatedly that Spanberger in an extremist on transgender rights — attacks similar to those that Trump wielded effectively against Democrat Kamala Harris in 2024.

___ Barrow reported from Atlanta. Catalini reported from Newark. Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani in West Palm Beach, Florida, contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762048483320.png" alt="<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democrats-spanberger-sherrill-virginia-new-jersey-trump-5869ac164d05f00f4ca07d7919e3960b">Abigail Spanberger</a>&nbsp;and Former President Barak Obama campaign in Virgina on Saturday -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption><a href="https://apnews.com/article/democrats-spanberger-sherrill-virginia-new-jersey-trump-5869ac164d05f00f4ca07d7919e3960b">Abigail Spanberger</a>&nbsp;and Former President Barak Obama campaign in Virgina on Saturday -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/barack-obama">Barack Obama</a>&nbsp;is encouraging voters to elect Democratic&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-jersey-virginia-governor-utility-prices-electricity-a7b783d93da03faac900ef5514394f6f">governors in Virginia and New Jersey</a>&nbsp;in races this Tuesday to rebuke Donald Trump 10 months into his second presidency and a year ahead of midterm elections that could reshape it.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762048429803.png" alt="Former President Batak Obama and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-jersey-election-governor-general-assembly-dfc750b30bc129750437b6ad0b2afbec">Mikie Sherrill</a>&nbsp;campaign on Saturday=image courgesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Former President Batak Obama and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-jersey-election-governor-general-assembly-dfc750b30bc129750437b6ad0b2afbec">Mikie Sherrill</a>&nbsp;campaign on Saturday=image courgesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>Obama's appearances Saturday for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/democrats-spanberger-sherrill-virginia-new-jersey-trump-5869ac164d05f00f4ca07d7919e3960b">Abigail Spanberger</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-jersey-election-governor-general-assembly-dfc750b30bc129750437b6ad0b2afbec">Mikie Sherrill</a>&nbsp;contrast with Trump spending the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, leaving Republicans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/earlesears-spanberger-virginia-governor-election-trump-4d12737fe5f1912039d247ff00a1d9b1">Winsome Earle-Sears</a>&nbsp;in Virginia and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-jersey-governor-immigration-ciattarelli-trump-sherrill-4802fd86c36b7d9d0e804efd6368ed05">Jack Ciattarelli</a>&nbsp;in New Jersey to campaign for themselves.At the same time, California advocates made a final push ahead of a statewide referendum over whether to redraw the state’s congressional map in Democrats’ favor. The effort, backed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, is part of a national redistricting battle that began when Trump urged GOP-run states to help him maintain a friendly House majority in 2026.Obama praised Spanberger and Sherrill, center-left Democrats who helped their party win a U.S. House majority halfway through Trump's first presidency, as experienced figures who would improve voters' financial circumstances. Yet Obama, who remains Democrats' most popular figure nearly nine years removed from the White House, spent much of his time during separate rallies lambasting Trump for “lawlessness and recklessness” and “shambolic” economic policy. Obama urged voters to “set a glorious example for the nation” by rejecting nominees loyal to a president with “autocratic impulses.”“The stakes are now clear,” Obama said in Virginia. “We don't need to speculate about the dangers to our democracy. We don't need to ask ourselves how much more coarse and mean our culture can become. Elections matter, and they matter to you.”Obama took care not to blame voters who backed Trump in 2024 because of inflation and a roiled economy. But, he asked in New Jersey, “Has any of that gotten better for you?”In some ways, it was standard partisan fare in the closing stretch of a campaign. Yet it stood out as an unusually intense rebuke of a sitting president by a predecessor and because Republicans offered little defense of Trump in their own campaign stops Saturday, instead trying to localize the off-year elections as much as possible.On a bus tour across New Jersey, Ciattarelli referenced the president mostly to chide Sherrill for mentioning him so much, along with her experience as a Navy helicopter pilot.“Her disdain for the president. And she can fly a helicopter. Is any of that going to fix New Jersey?” Ciattarelli said in suburban Westfield.Earle-Sears did not mention Trump at all as she campaigned with term-limited Gov. Glenn Youngkin. “We are not going back,” she said, arguing for conservative continuity in Purcellville. “There's only darkness back there. Abigail Spanberger represents the darkness.”<h2>Trump isn't on site, but he's been in the conversation</h2>Trump endorsed Ciattarelli and has said — without naming Earle-Sears — that he backs her Virginia bid. He conducted a phone rally for Ciattarelli but has not campaigned in person for either nominee.On Friday evening in south Florida, Trump attended a shindig at his resort with the theme “A Little Party Never Killed Nobody.” On Saturday, he headed to Trump International Palm Beach in West Palm Beach, Florida, and is scheduled to attend a dinner for MAGA, Inc., a super PAC founded by allies. The president is due to return to Washington on Sunday.Trump's arms-length approach reflects a complicated reality for Republicans: He remains intensely popular among the most conservative voters but has a more precarious standing with the rest of the electorate.Some of their supporters greeted Ciattarelli and Earle-Sears wearing red “Make America Great Again" hats from Trump's campaigns. But the nominees stayed focused on state policies.In suburban Westfield, Ciattarelli took selfies for about an hour and talked about proposals to lower energy costs and property taxes, among other ideas. His campaign also has concentrated on his family’s deep roots in the state and argued it’s time for a “Jersey guy” as governor. Sherrill was born in Virginia.In multiple small-town stops, Earle-Sears promised to lower taxes, defend parents' ability to shape education policy and stave off unions and business regulations. “I'm for common sense,” she said in northern Virginia.She has previously embraced Trump, while Ciattarelli has played up his good relationship with the White House.<h2>Two Democrats take slightly different approaches to Trump</h2>As she has been throughout the fall, Sherrill did not shy away from Trump and the national stakes.“When everything seems to come down to our election, when people across the nation, look at me with fear and despair in their eyes and ask me, is New Jersey up for this moment? My answer was, ‘Hell yeah,’” she said in Newark.Spanberger kept to her more circumspect style regarding Trump, pairing economic arguments against his policies with more opaque references to the president's moves that upend democratic norms.“Virginia voters can and will send a message amid the recklessness and the heartlessness coming out of Washington,” she said ahead of Obama. She criticized “the political turmoil coming out of Washington right now” and introduced Obama by recalling “a time not that long ago ... when we had a president ... who worked to bring us together instead of tearing us apart.”Still, according to AdImpact data, Spanberger's biggest advertising expenses are for spots that try to tie Earle-Sears to Trump.<h2>The economy and shutdown overshadow the governor's races</h2>Spanberger and Sherrill have both pledged to tackle rising consumer costs. In New Jersey, however, Ciattarelli has blamed Democrats for higher energy costs because outgoing Gov. Phil Murphy has been leading the state for two terms.The Democrats have blasted Republicans' federal domestic policy and tax cut bill. Spanberger on Saturday criticized Trump's Department of Government Efficiency and the ongoing federal shutdown — both of which have a disproportionate impact in a state with more than 300,000 federal employees, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.Earle-Sears has pinned the shutdown on Spanberger, arguing the former congresswoman should use her leverage with Virginia's Democratic U.S. senators. Both have voted against the GOP's spending extension bill as Democrats demand Republicans address looming health care cuts.Additionally, the contests could offer some clues as to whether social issues carry any less weight with voters than in previous elections. Spanberger and Sherrill herald their support for abortion rights, Spanberger doing so in the last Southern state not to impose new restrictions or bans in recent years. Earle-Sears did not mention her opposition to abortion rights Saturday but has said repeatedly that Spanberger in an extremist on transgender rights — attacks similar to those that Trump wielded effectively against Democrat Kamala Harris in 2024.___ Barrow reported from Atlanta. Catalini reported from Newark. Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani in West Palm Beach, Florida, contributed to this report.

Obama blasts Trump ahead of Election Day 

CHAUTAUQA COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 12:30p.m. Saturday in&nbsp;Chautauqua County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2001 Chevy Silverado driven by Floyd E. Hull, 68, Sedan was southbound on Kansas Highway 99 approximately three miles south of Sedan.&nbsp; The driver failed to yield at U.S. 166. The pickup struck a westbound 2016 Peterbilt semi driven by Gregory L.&nbsp;Hopper, 57, Myrtle, Missouri.

Hull was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported Dickens Funeral Home. Hopper was not injured. Hull was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

CHAUTAUQA COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 12:30p.m. Saturday in&nbsp;Chautauqua County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2001 Chevy Silverado driven by Floyd E. Hull, 68, Sedan was southbound on Kansas Highway 99 approximately three miles south of Sedan.&nbsp; The driver failed to yield at U.S. 166. The pickup struck a westbound 2016 Peterbilt semi driven by Gregory L.&nbsp;Hopper, 57, Myrtle, Missouri.Hull was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported Dickens Funeral Home. Hopper was not injured. Hull was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

Kansas man killed in pickup, semi crash

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas felon charged in a deadly hotel shooting has admitted his responsibility for the crime.

In October, 22-year-old John Griffin&nbsp; pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and voluntary manslaughter in the February 2024 shooting death of&nbsp;35-year-old Christopher Harrell and 35-year-old Natisha Phillips in a motel room&nbsp; in 7300 block of E. Kellogg in Wichita,&nbsp; according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Just before 9:30a.m. February 24, 2024,&nbsp; police were dispatched to a shooting call at a motel&nbsp; in the 7300 block of E. Kellogg, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.

First responders located the two shooting victims in a motel room identified as Harrell and Phillips both of Wichita.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708804201051.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas felon charged in a deadly hotel shooting has admitted his responsibility for the crime.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708953115181.png" alt="Griffin photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Griffin photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>In October, 22-year-old John Griffin&nbsp; pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and voluntary manslaughter in the February 2024 shooting death of&nbsp;35-year-old Christopher Harrell and 35-year-old Natisha Phillips in a motel room&nbsp; in 7300 block of E. Kellogg in Wichita,&nbsp; according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.Just before 9:30a.m. February 24, 2024,&nbsp; police were dispatched to a shooting call at a motel&nbsp; in the 7300 block of E. Kellogg, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.First responders located the two shooting victims in a motel room identified as Harrell and Phillips both of Wichita.EMS transported Harrell to a local area hospital where he was pronounced deceased. Phillips was pronounced deceased on the scene.Officers also located a young child at the scene, who was unharmed, and police used resources to address any psychological or medical needs for the child.&nbsp;Subsequent investigation led the arrest of Griffin Griffin&nbsp; had been in prison for portion of 2022 and 2023 after a conviction for Battery Juvenile Corrections Facility officer, Employer person confined, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections. During his time his approximately 18 months in prison, Griffin had been disciplined nearly three dozen times for battery, theft, fighting and other crimes, according to the KDOC.He is scheduled to be sentenced on December 12, according to the district attorney's office.