Farmers are taking out loans at a rate and scale not seen in years as weakened crop prices weigh on the agricultural sector, according to a report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. The volume of new operating loans increased at its fastest pace since 2017, the report said, with commercial banks issuing 40% more of these loans to farmers over last year. Farmers are not only taking out more loans, but also borrowing higher amounts. 

Farmers are taking out loans at a rate and scale not seen in years as weakened crop prices weigh on the agricultural sector, according to a report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. The volume of new operating loans increased at its fastest pace since 2017, the report said, with commercial banks issuing 40% more of these loans to farmers over last year. Farmers are not only taking out more loans, but also borrowing higher amounts.

Farm loans soar as ag economy deteriorates

The University of Missouri Extension is set to host free tax workshops in December aimed at assisting farmers, ranchers, and landowners in enhancing their collaboration with tax professionals. The workshops will be led by MU Extension specialists, who will discuss significant updates in tax legislation, including the implications of the Corporate Transparency Act.

The University of Missouri Extension is set to host free tax workshops in December aimed at assisting farmers, ranchers, and landowners in enhancing their collaboration with tax professionals. The workshops will be led by MU Extension specialists, who will discuss significant updates in tax legislation, including the implications of the Corporate Transparency Act.

University of Missouri Extension offering free tax classes

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>

WASHINGTON — Voters are determining whether the next president enters office with a friendly Congress or a hostile one set on blocking their policies and nominees — and as the election roars into its last moments it’s still very unclear what the makeup of the House and Senate might be.

Most House races are not competitive. But House leaders are closely watching about two dozen toss-up contests to see whether Democrats or Republicans end up with the magic 218 lawmakers needed to control the speaker’s gavel, the agenda and the floor schedule.

The GOP’s razor-thin majority during the last two years created significant obstacles for leadership’s legislative goals and ended Kevin McCarthy’s speakership.

Neither political party is expected to gain a large House majority during the next Congress, set to begin in January. There’s even a possibility the majority party has less wiggle room than the 220-212 split that currently exists, along with three vacancies. Experts warn it may not be known on election night or for some time who’s won the House.

Senate leaders have been equally focused on hard-fought and close campaigns in Arizona, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Any one of them could deliver control of the upper chamber.

Republicans are favored to turn over the West Virginia seat occupied by Joe Manchin III, potentially pushing them past the 50-member benchmark if they hold onto seats occupied by incumbents Ted Cruz in Texas, Deb Fischer in Nebraska and Rick Scott in Florida.

If Democrats keep 50 seats, that would mean whichever party holds the vice presidency controls the Senate, making even just one pickup in either direction a priority for both political parties.

The outcome in both the House and Senate will have sweeping implications for the country’s future, including whether the GOP overhauls Obamacare, how lawmakers address core aspects of Republicans’ 2017 tax law set to expire in the coming months and whether the country defaults on its debts for the first time in history.

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report with Amy Walter&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/senate-race-ratings" target="_blank">rates</a>&nbsp;four Senate races as toss-ups, meaning there’s a relatively even chance for Democrats or Republicans to win.

While the campaigns have shifted around a bit during the last few months, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin are all considered neck and neck heading into Election Day.

Arizona and Nevada are categorized as leaning toward Democrats and Montana is expected to lean toward a Republican pickup, potentially giving the GOP its 51st seat and a narrow majority.

It’s also possible there could be upsets in Republican-held states traditionally considered safer, like Florida, Nebraska and Texas.That could alter the math for both Democrats and Republicans, depending on how things shake out after all the votes are counted, recounts finalized and lawsuits settled in the days and weeks following Nov. 5.

Jessica Taylor, editor for U.S. Senate and Governors at the Cook Political Report, said in a statement released Friday the “battle for the Senate fundamentally ends where the cycle began — with an overwhelmingly favorable map that very likely portends a GOP majority.”

Her projections show the GOP picking up two to five seats, giving the party a majority between 51 and 54 members.

A narrower majority, Taylor said, would allow “moderates like Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Maine Sen. Susan Collins to wield outsized influence in the next Congress.”

Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said during an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?539651-1/sen-gary-peters-discusses-senate-races" target="_blank">interview</a>&nbsp;with Washington Post Live in late October that he expects voters in Montana and Ohio will split their tickets.

He acknowledged getting voters to support Democratic Sens. Jon Tester in Montana and Sherrod Brown in Ohio, while also voting for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, will be much more challenging than in the past.

“Certainly, it’s not easy if there’s a lot of political gravity,” Peters said. “I’m not going to sugarcoat that in any way.”

But, he said, both Tester and Brown have been consistently polling within the margin of error against their GOP challengers.

“It’s about who’s going to get their voters out and do the kind of ground campaign necessary to win,” Peters said. “We’re doing that in Montana. We’re doing that in Ohio as well.”

The Senate is more important to the next president than the House, since the upper chamber is responsible for vetting and confirming the next commander-in-chief’s selections for their Cabinet as well as judicial nominees.

A GOP Senate would be a gift for Trump but likely tough for Vice President Kamala Harris.

The opposite could also be true — a Democratic majority in the Senate could put the brakes on many of Trump’s plans for a second term, while it would aid Harris in setting up her administration and potentially confirming a Supreme Court justice or two.

The Senate is the more bipartisan of the two chambers, thanks to the legislative filibuster — the rule requiring at least 60 senators agree to advance legislation toward final passage.

Without bipartisan support, bills and some nominees will be stuck in limbo, regardless of which party runs the Senate or controls the White House.

Philip Wallach, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative-leaning think tank, said a Harris administration and a Republican Senate would need to work out an agreement quickly “or risk going into some kind of protracted standoff over executive branch nominations.”

Both Trump and President Joe Biden had the luxury of same-party Senate control during their full terms and former President Barack Obama had a Democratic Senate during his first six years in office. Harris possibly having to work with the opposing party to establish her Cabinet would be especially challenging, Wallach said in an interview.

“I would expect Republicans to try to come up with some pretty concrete asks as a conference: To say, ‘If we’re going to put any of your nominees up for a vote, here’s what we want in return, and here’s what kind of nominees we will accept.’ And, you know, I expect that would play out as a fairly heated public confrontation,” he said.

Trump and a Republican Senate would likely agree on some nominees and policy goals, though there would be significant differences over issues like&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-vows-levy-horrible-tariffs-imports-rejecting-fears-inflation-spike" target="_blank">tariffs</a>.

“I think there are a lot of Republican senators who want to see some real limits to that, who still think of themselves as basically in favor of free trade and making sure that American businesses don’t find themselves on the wrong end of a trade war,” Wallach said. “Especially in the Senate, I just don’t think they’re that eager to just march to Trump’s tune.”

A Trump administration, he said, could also disagree with GOP lawmakers on the specific details of how to address tax policy.

“I think it’s a very live possibility that there could be a much more confrontational kind of dynamic this time around, in part, because Trump and some of the people right around him have this idea that playing nicely in 2017 was a big mistake,” Wallach said.

Control of the 435-member House is more uncertain than the Senate, with 22 races&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/house-race-ratings" target="_blank">rated as toss-ups</a>&nbsp;by the Cook Political Report.

Twelve of those are held by Republicans, while 10 are occupied by Democratic lawmakers. At the moment, 205 House seats are at least leaning toward a Democratic win, with 208 districts at least leaning toward Republicans.

The Cook Political Report’s final projections range from Republicans adding five seats to their majority to Democrats picking up 10 seats and taking over the majority again.

“The race for control of the U.S. House remains as close as it’s ever been,”

Erin Covey, editor for the House at CPR, said in a written statement.

“The battleground is confined to a few dozen seats, with neither party having a clear advantage in a majority of seats,” Covey added. “And with several competitive races in West Coast states that take longer to count their ballots, it’s highly possible we won’t know which party has control on election night.”

The House is essential to turning bills into law, though it doesn’t have any role in confirming presidential nominees. And unlike the Senate, there’s no legislative filibuster, which means the majority party can approve any bills it wants without buy-in from the minority party, as long as the leaders in the majority have the votes from their own members.

Republican control of at least one chamber of Congress and a Harris victory would force significant bipartisan compromise on must-pass legislation, like the dozen annual government funding bills and the defense policy bill known as the National Defense Authorization Act.

It could also lead to the types of bipartisan legislation that Biden made a hallmark of his term in office, including the bipartisan infrastructure law.

That type of divided government is unlikely to produce the sweeping changes to home ownership, prescription drug prices, price gouging and reproductive rights that Harris has highlighted throughout her campaign.

But it could lead Republicans and Democrats to resurrect&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/bipartisan-border-bill-loses-support-fails-procedural-vote-us-senate" target="_blank">the bipartisan immigration and border security bill</a>&nbsp;that Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford, Connecticut Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy and Arizona independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema agreed to earlier this year.

Trump in the White House and Democrats holding onto at least one chamber in Congress could also force bipartisan compromise, though likely with a far different tone and approach than under a Harris-Republican Congress scenario.

Trump regaining the presidency along with GOP control of Congress would give the party at least two chances to use the complex budget reconciliation process to pass certain legislation.

The party would likely use one of those opportunities to address provisions in the 2017 Republican tax law that have expired or are about to.

The budget reconciliation process, which has considerable rules and restrictions, is how Republicans passed the tax bill during Trump’s first term in office.

It doesn’t require at least 60 senators to advance the bill. But it does include something known as a vote-a-rama, where the Senate holds dozens of votes on amendments to the bill. The process typically lasts throughout the night and gives the party not in power a chance to force their colleagues across the aisle to vote on tough issues.

Budget reconciliation is the process Republicans used to try to repeal and replace the 2010 health care law that’s often referred to as the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, during Trump’s first term in office.

Speaker Mike Jonson, R-La., said in late October on Fox Business that some of his<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/speaker-johnson-criticizes-obamacare-promises-massive-reform-trump-win-rcna177853" target="_blank">&nbsp;prior comments</a>&nbsp;about overhauling the ACA were taken out of context and that he wants to make changes to the program, but not entirely end it.

“I said the ACA, unfortunately, is deeply ingrained in our health care system now,” he said. “Do we need further improvements? Absolutely. We need to expand quality of care, access to care and obviously lower the cost of health care.”

Johnson said during the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRGW9IVOaP4" target="_blank">interview</a>&nbsp;that he was “convinced” Republicans would gain unified control of government following the election and that he had compiled a “two-hour slide show presentation” detailing what the GOP would do with that power.

“We will secure the border on day one with a President Trump executive order and then legislation to follow, and we will turn immediately to the economy,” Johnson said. “Energy policy will be the center of that as well.”

Deeply conservative House bills might not garner the support needed to overcome the Senate’s legislative filibuster.

Unified Republican control of Congress and the White House would challenge the GOP to address the nation’s debt limit mostly on its own during the first half of next year after&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-sends-biden-debt-limit-legislation-ahead-monday-default-deadline" target="_blank">the current law</a>&nbsp;expires.

A default on the nation’s debt is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-hit-debt-limit-much-sooner-expected-thrusting-congress-showdown" target="_blank">vastly different from a partial government shutdown</a>, which takes place when Congress doesn’t pass an appropriations package on time.

Failing to either raise or suspend the nation’s debt limit, before what’s known as extraordinary measures runs out, would likely cause a global financial crisis.

The GOP has been extremely vocal about cutting government spending, but that is separate from addressing the nation’s debt limit, which gives the Treasury Department the borrowing authority to ensure all of the country’s bills are paid in full and on time.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720316487639.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>WASHINGTON — Voters are determining whether the next president enters office with a friendly Congress or a hostile one set on blocking their policies and nominees — and as the election roars into its last moments it’s still very unclear what the makeup of the House and Senate might be.Most House races are not competitive. But House leaders are closely watching about two dozen toss-up contests to see whether Democrats or Republicans end up with the magic 218 lawmakers needed to control the speaker’s gavel, the agenda and the floor schedule.The GOP’s razor-thin majority during the last two years created significant obstacles for leadership’s legislative goals and ended Kevin McCarthy’s speakership.Neither political party is expected to gain a large House majority during the next Congress, set to begin in January. There’s even a possibility the majority party has less wiggle room than the 220-212 split that currently exists, along with three vacancies. Experts warn it may not be known on election night or for some time who’s won the House.Senate leaders have been equally focused on hard-fought and close campaigns in Arizona, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Any one of them could deliver control of the upper chamber.Republicans are favored to turn over the West Virginia seat occupied by Joe Manchin III, potentially pushing them past the 50-member benchmark if they hold onto seats occupied by incumbents Ted Cruz in Texas, Deb Fischer in Nebraska and Rick Scott in Florida.If Democrats keep 50 seats, that would mean whichever party holds the vice presidency controls the Senate, making even just one pickup in either direction a priority for both political parties.The outcome in both the House and Senate will have sweeping implications for the country’s future, including whether the GOP overhauls Obamacare, how lawmakers address core aspects of Republicans’ 2017 tax law set to expire in the coming months and whether the country defaults on its debts for the first time in history.<h2>Four tense toss-ups in the Senate</h2>The nonpartisan Cook Political Report with Amy Walter&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/senate-race-ratings" target="_blank">rates</a>&nbsp;four Senate races as toss-ups, meaning there’s a relatively even chance for Democrats or Republicans to win.While the campaigns have shifted around a bit during the last few months, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin are all considered neck and neck heading into Election Day.Arizona and Nevada are categorized as leaning toward Democrats and Montana is expected to lean toward a Republican pickup, potentially giving the GOP its 51st seat and a narrow majority.It’s also possible there could be upsets in Republican-held states traditionally considered safer, like Florida, Nebraska and Texas.That could alter the math for both Democrats and Republicans, depending on how things shake out after all the votes are counted, recounts finalized and lawsuits settled in the days and weeks following Nov. 5.Jessica Taylor, editor for U.S. Senate and Governors at the Cook Political Report, said in a statement released Friday the “battle for the Senate fundamentally ends where the cycle began — with an overwhelmingly favorable map that very likely portends a GOP majority.”Her projections show the GOP picking up two to five seats, giving the party a majority between 51 and 54 members.A narrower majority, Taylor said, would allow “moderates like Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Maine Sen. Susan Collins to wield outsized influence in the next Congress.”<h2>Will some voters split their tickets?</h2>Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said during an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?539651-1/sen-gary-peters-discusses-senate-races" target="_blank">interview</a>&nbsp;with Washington Post Live in late October that he expects voters in Montana and Ohio will split their tickets.He acknowledged getting voters to support Democratic Sens. Jon Tester in Montana and Sherrod Brown in Ohio, while also voting for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, will be much more challenging than in the past.“Certainly, it’s not easy if there’s a lot of political gravity,” Peters said. “I’m not going to sugarcoat that in any way.”But, he said, both Tester and Brown have been consistently polling within the margin of error against their GOP challengers.“It’s about who’s going to get their voters out and do the kind of ground campaign necessary to win,” Peters said. “We’re doing that in Montana. We’re doing that in Ohio as well.”The Senate is more important to the next president than the House, since the upper chamber is responsible for vetting and confirming the next commander-in-chief’s selections for their Cabinet as well as judicial nominees.A GOP Senate would be a gift for Trump but likely tough for Vice President Kamala Harris.The opposite could also be true — a Democratic majority in the Senate could put the brakes on many of Trump’s plans for a second term, while it would aid Harris in setting up her administration and potentially confirming a Supreme Court justice or two.The Senate is the more bipartisan of the two chambers, thanks to the legislative filibuster — the rule requiring at least 60 senators agree to advance legislation toward final passage.Without bipartisan support, bills and some nominees will be stuck in limbo, regardless of which party runs the Senate or controls the White House.<h2>Possible standoff</h2>Philip Wallach, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative-leaning think tank, said a Harris administration and a Republican Senate would need to work out an agreement quickly “or risk going into some kind of protracted standoff over executive branch nominations.”Both Trump and President Joe Biden had the luxury of same-party Senate control during their full terms and former President Barack Obama had a Democratic Senate during his first six years in office. Harris possibly having to work with the opposing party to establish her Cabinet would be especially challenging, Wallach said in an interview.“I would expect Republicans to try to come up with some pretty concrete asks as a conference: To say, ‘If we’re going to put any of your nominees up for a vote, here’s what we want in return, and here’s what kind of nominees we will accept.’ And, you know, I expect that would play out as a fairly heated public confrontation,” he said.Trump and a Republican Senate would likely agree on some nominees and policy goals, though there would be significant differences over issues like&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-vows-levy-horrible-tariffs-imports-rejecting-fears-inflation-spike" target="_blank">tariffs</a>.“I think there are a lot of Republican senators who want to see some real limits to that, who still think of themselves as basically in favor of free trade and making sure that American businesses don’t find themselves on the wrong end of a trade war,” Wallach said. “Especially in the Senate, I just don’t think they’re that eager to just march to Trump’s tune.”A Trump administration, he said, could also disagree with GOP lawmakers on the specific details of how to address tax policy.“I think it’s a very live possibility that there could be a much more confrontational kind of dynamic this time around, in part, because Trump and some of the people right around him have this idea that playing nicely in 2017 was a big mistake,” Wallach said.<h2>House ‘as close as it’s ever been’</h2>Control of the 435-member House is more uncertain than the Senate, with 22 races&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/house-race-ratings" target="_blank">rated as toss-ups</a>&nbsp;by the Cook Political Report.Twelve of those are held by Republicans, while 10 are occupied by Democratic lawmakers. At the moment, 205 House seats are at least leaning toward a Democratic win, with 208 districts at least leaning toward Republicans.The Cook Political Report’s final projections range from Republicans adding five seats to their majority to Democrats picking up 10 seats and taking over the majority again.“The race for control of the U.S. House remains as close as it’s ever been,”Erin Covey, editor for the House at CPR, said in a written statement.“The battleground is confined to a few dozen seats, with neither party having a clear advantage in a majority of seats,” Covey added. “And with several competitive races in West Coast states that take longer to count their ballots, it’s highly possible we won’t know which party has control on election night.”The House is essential to turning bills into law, though it doesn’t have any role in confirming presidential nominees. And unlike the Senate, there’s no legislative filibuster, which means the majority party can approve any bills it wants without buy-in from the minority party, as long as the leaders in the majority have the votes from their own members.Republican control of at least one chamber of Congress and a Harris victory would force significant bipartisan compromise on must-pass legislation, like the dozen annual government funding bills and the defense policy bill known as the National Defense Authorization Act.It could also lead to the types of bipartisan legislation that Biden made a hallmark of his term in office, including the bipartisan infrastructure law.That type of divided government is unlikely to produce the sweeping changes to home ownership, prescription drug prices, price gouging and reproductive rights that Harris has highlighted throughout her campaign.But it could lead Republicans and Democrats to resurrect&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/bipartisan-border-bill-loses-support-fails-procedural-vote-us-senate" target="_blank">the bipartisan immigration and border security bill</a>&nbsp;that Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford, Connecticut Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy and Arizona independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema agreed to earlier this year.Trump in the White House and Democrats holding onto at least one chamber in Congress could also force bipartisan compromise, though likely with a far different tone and approach than under a Harris-Republican Congress scenario.<h2>GOP trifecta?</h2>Trump regaining the presidency along with GOP control of Congress would give the party at least two chances to use the complex budget reconciliation process to pass certain legislation.The party would likely use one of those opportunities to address provisions in the 2017 Republican tax law that have expired or are about to.The budget reconciliation process, which has considerable rules and restrictions, is how Republicans passed the tax bill during Trump’s first term in office.It doesn’t require at least 60 senators to advance the bill. But it does include something known as a vote-a-rama, where the Senate holds dozens of votes on amendments to the bill. The process typically lasts throughout the night and gives the party not in power a chance to force their colleagues across the aisle to vote on tough issues.Budget reconciliation is the process Republicans used to try to repeal and replace the 2010 health care law that’s often referred to as the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, during Trump’s first term in office.Speaker Mike Jonson, R-La., said in late October on Fox Business that some of his<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/speaker-johnson-criticizes-obamacare-promises-massive-reform-trump-win-rcna177853" target="_blank">&nbsp;prior comments</a>&nbsp;about overhauling the ACA were taken out of context and that he wants to make changes to the program, but not entirely end it.“I said the ACA, unfortunately, is deeply ingrained in our health care system now,” he said. “Do we need further improvements? Absolutely. We need to expand quality of care, access to care and obviously lower the cost of health care.”Johnson said during the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRGW9IVOaP4" target="_blank">interview</a>&nbsp;that he was “convinced” Republicans would gain unified control of government following the election and that he had compiled a “two-hour slide show presentation” detailing what the GOP would do with that power.“We will secure the border on day one with a President Trump executive order and then legislation to follow, and we will turn immediately to the economy,” Johnson said. “Energy policy will be the center of that as well.”Deeply conservative House bills might not garner the support needed to overcome the Senate’s legislative filibuster.Unified Republican control of Congress and the White House would challenge the GOP to address the nation’s debt limit mostly on its own during the first half of next year after&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-sends-biden-debt-limit-legislation-ahead-monday-default-deadline" target="_blank">the current law</a>&nbsp;expires.A default on the nation’s debt is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-hit-debt-limit-much-sooner-expected-thrusting-congress-showdown" target="_blank">vastly different from a partial government shutdown</a>, which takes place when Congress doesn’t pass an appropriations package on time.Failing to either raise or suspend the nation’s debt limit, before what’s known as extraordinary measures runs out, would likely cause a global financial crisis.The GOP has been extremely vocal about cutting government spending, but that is separate from addressing the nation’s debt limit, which gives the Treasury Department the borrowing authority to ensure all of the country’s bills are paid in full and on time.

Will control of Congress shift? The results hinge on a handful of states and races

A 61-year-old inmate at the women’s prison in Chillicothe has
died of apparent natural causes.

Officials with the Chillicothe Correctional Center report
Sheila Phillips died Sunday morning.

Phillips was sentenced to prison in March of 2024, serving a
six-year sentence for voluntary manslaughter, armed criminal action, and
tampering with physical evidence from Stone County. Phillips was also serving
time for abandonment of a corpse from Dade County.

You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA 61-year-old inmate at the women’s prison in Chillicothe has
died of apparent natural causes.Officials with the Chillicothe Correctional Center report
Sheila Phillips died Sunday morning.Phillips was sentenced to prison in March of 2024, serving a
six-year sentence for voluntary manslaughter, armed criminal action, and
tampering with physical evidence from Stone County. Phillips was also serving
time for abandonment of a corpse from Dade County.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Inmate at Chillicothe women's prison dies of apparent natural causes

(Radio Iowa) - State Climatologist Justin Glisan says forecasters are seeing a mixed bag of weather ahead in November and this winter. 

Glisan says there is a warmer than average signal for temperatures, but also a bull's eye of above average potential on the precipitation side. After a record dry September and below average rain in October, Glisan says things could turn around a bit with as we move through November. 

Glisan says any rain we get could help replenish groundwater deficits before the ground freezes up for winter and that will provide moisture in the ground for the next growing season.

(Radio Iowa) - State Climatologist Justin Glisan says forecasters are seeing a mixed bag of weather ahead in November and this winter. Glisan says there is a warmer than average signal for temperatures, but also a bull's eye of above average potential on the precipitation side. After a record dry September and below average rain in October, Glisan says things could turn around a bit with as we move through November. Glisan says any rain we get could help replenish groundwater deficits before the ground freezes up for winter and that will provide moisture in the ground for the next growing season.

Weather Outlook For November Shows Mixed Signals

(Radio Iowa) - Iowa's two major political parties are emphasizing different metrics as Election Day draws near. 

A new "Iowa Poll" found Democrat Kamala Harris with a narrow lead over Donald Trump -- and by Friday night, Republicans had an early voting edge over Democrats of about one-and-a-half percent. It's the first time since 2014 that Republicans have been ahead in early voting. On Saturday night, Democrats began citing the Des Moines Register's latest "Iowa Poll." 

It found Kamala Harris leading Donald Trump by three points among Iowans who intend to vote or have already cast an early vote. Iowa Democratic Party chair Rita Hart says it's an exciting development, but Hart says what matters is the final tally of votes.

(Radio Iowa) - Iowa's two major political parties are emphasizing different metrics as Election Day draws near. A new "Iowa Poll" found Democrat Kamala Harris with a narrow lead over Donald Trump -- and by Friday night, Republicans had an early voting edge over Democrats of about one-and-a-half percent. It's the first time since 2014 that Republicans have been ahead in early voting. On Saturday night, Democrats began citing the Des Moines Register's latest "Iowa Poll." It found Kamala Harris leading Donald Trump by three points among Iowans who intend to vote or have already cast an early vote. Iowa Democratic Party chair Rita Hart says it's an exciting development, but Hart says what matters is the final tally of votes.

Parties point to different metrics as 2024 election winds down

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jason-hancock/">JASON HANCOCK</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>

Missouri Democrats have been slowly chipping away at the GOP legislative supermajority in recent years, culminating in 2022 when the party grew its caucus in the House to its highest total in a decade.&nbsp;

Heading into Tuesday’s election, Republicans hold a 111-52 advantage in the House and 24-10 majority in the Senate.&nbsp;

Whether or not Democrats can deny the GOP its veto-proof majority on Tuesday will come down to a handful of districts across the state.&nbsp;

Both Democrats and Republicans expect the 19th Missouri Senate District in Boone County to flip from Red to Blue this year. That puts the spotlight on three Senate districts — the 11th in Jackson County, the 15th in St. Louis County and the 17th in Clay County — that observers believe will be the most competitive on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Over in the House, Republicans are spending big to knock off incumbent Democrats who squeaked out wins in 2022. But the party is also defending myriad seats in suburban districts&nbsp; that have grown increasingly favorable to the Democrats and supported President Joe Biden four years ago.

With all that in mind, here are 10 legislative races expected to be among the most competitive on Election Day.

Senate District 11: Republican Joe Nicola vs. Democrat Robert Sauls

Senate District 11 in Jackson County includes eastern Kansas City and Independence. While held by a Democrat for the last few election cycles, former President Donald Trump carried the district in 2020 with 54% of the vote.&nbsp;

Sauls, an attorney and former prosecutor, has a big fundraising advantage in the race over Nicola, a pastor.&nbsp;

Between his campaign committee and a PAC supporting him, Sauls reported spending more than $500,000 in October, compared to only $66,000 for Nicola.&nbsp;

But both candidates are also getting help from outside groups.&nbsp;

The Missouri Senate Campaign Committee, which supports GOP candidates for Senate, has dumped $530,000 into the race to help Nicola. Meanwhile, Sauls has gotten $600,000 in spending help from two Democratic PACs — Majority Forward and the Missouri Voter Project.

Senate District 15: Republican David Gregory vs. Democrat Joe Pereles

The 15th District includes a large portion of suburban St. Louis County, including Chesterfield and Ballwin. It has historically been a Republican stronghold, but has slowly trended towards Democrats in recent years.&nbsp;

Gregory, an attorney and former state legislator, reported spending $180,000 in October between his campaign committee and an independent PAC. Over the same period, the Missouri Senate Campaign Committee spent nearly $1 million to help Gregory.&nbsp;

Pereles, a retired Drury Hotel executive, and the PAC supporting him reported spending more than $1 million in October. Majority Forward, a PAC that supports Democratic Senate candidates, reported spending around $240,000 in the race..&nbsp;

Senate District 17: Republican Jerry Nolte vs. Democrat Maggie Nurrenbern&nbsp;

The 17th District covers Clay County and was held by Republicans until 2018, when Democratic state Sen. Lauren Arthur captured the seat in a special election and cruised to an easy re-election in 2020.

Nolte, a former state lawmaker and Clay County presiding commissioner, reported spending roughly $200,000 in October between his candidate committee and an independent PAC. The Missouri Senate Campaign Committee has chipped in $240,000.

Nurrenbern, a state representative from Kansas City, spent more than $400,000 in October, with Majority Forward and the Missouri Voter Project spending a combined $600,000 in the race.&nbsp;

House District 17: Republican Bill Allen vs. Democrat Shirley Mata

In a Clay County district that had been held by a Democrat for years and voted for Biden by five percentage points in 2020, Allen squeaked out a win in 2022 by only 50 votes.&nbsp;

Allen, vice chancellor of the online University of Arkansas Grantham, reported spending $39,000 in October, with another $70,000 in spending by the House Republican Campaign Committee.&nbsp;

Mata, an autoworker and union leader, reported spending $80,000 in October. She also benefited from $12,000 in spending from Taxpayers Unlimited Inc.; $10,000 from the House Democratic Campaign Committee; and $10,000 from Missouri Women For Progress.

House District 34: Republican JC Crossley vs. Democrat Kemp Strickler

This race is a rematch from 2022, when Strickler beat Crossley by only 45 votes in a Jackson County district that voted for Biden in 2020.&nbsp;

Strickler, a retired Hallmark executive, reported spending $74,000 in October, compared to only $13,000 for Crossley, a retired business owner.&nbsp;

But Crossley has benefited from more than $150,000 in spending this month by the House Republican Campaign Committee. Meanwhile, a group called Missourians for a Fair Economy spent $7,000 in the race, and the House Democratic Campaign Committee spent $11,000.&nbsp;

House District 96: Republican Brad Christ vs. Democrat Leslie Derrington&nbsp;

Another rematch from 2022, when Christ bested Derrington by more than 500 votes in the St. Louis County district that voted for Biden four years ago.&nbsp;

Christ, a corporate risks and benefits consultant, reported spending $84,000 in October, with another $110,000 from the House Republican Campaign Committee.&nbsp;

Derrington, a stay-at-home mother, reported spending $30,000, with another $11,000 coming from the House Democratic Campaign Committee.

House District 100: Republican Philip Oehlerking vs. Democrat Colin Lovett

This is yet another 2022 rematch in a St. Louis County district carried by Biden four years ago.&nbsp;

Oehlerking, who worked previously at the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, defeated Lovett by only 200 votes in 2022. He reported spending only $8,000 in October. The House Republican Campaign Committee spent more than $80,000 this month on the race.&nbsp;

Lovett, a business owner, reported spending $81,000 in October, with another $7,000 from the House Democratic Campaign Committee.&nbsp;

House District 101: Republican Ben Keathley vs. Democrat Jacqueline Cotton

Keathley, an attorney, won this St. Louis County seat by more than 500 votes two years ago, despite it going for Biden in 2020.&nbsp;

He reported spending $33,000 in October, with the House Republican Campaign Committee chipping in more than $100,000.&nbsp;

Cotton, a small business owner, reported spending $10,000 in October, with $9,000 in support from the House Democratic Campaign Committee.

House District 105: Republican Colin Wellenkamp vs. Democrat Ron Odenthal&nbsp;

Republican state Rep. Adam Schwadron gave up this St. Charles County seat to run for secretary of state. He held the seat for Republicans in 2020 despite Biden carrying the district.&nbsp;

Wellenkamp, who serves as executive director of the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative, reported spending $14,000 in October. He also got $120,000 in support from the House Republican Campaign Committee.&nbsp;

Odenthal, a retired KPMG senior network analyst, reported spending only $6,000. The House Democratic Campaign Committee has spent around $13,000 in the race.&nbsp;

House District 136 Republican Jim Robinette vs. Democrat Stephanie Hein

Hein, a professor emerita at Missouri State University, flipped this Springfield district for the Democrats in 2022 by just over 200 votes.

She reported spending $85,000 this month compared to $49,000 by Robinette, an Army veteran.

The House Republican Campaign Committee has spent more than $150,000 in the race to boost Robinette, while the House Democratic Campaign Committee has spent $8,000 and Missourians for a Fair Economy spent $13,000.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730720914097.png" alt=" The Missouri House chamber during the 2022 legislative session (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications)." />
 <figcaption> The Missouri House chamber during the 2022 legislative session (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jason-hancock/">JASON HANCOCK</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>Missouri Democrats have been slowly chipping away at the GOP legislative supermajority in recent years, culminating in 2022 when the party grew its caucus in the House to its highest total in a decade.&nbsp;Heading into Tuesday’s election, Republicans hold a 111-52 advantage in the House and 24-10 majority in the Senate.&nbsp;Whether or not Democrats can deny the GOP its veto-proof majority on Tuesday will come down to a handful of districts across the state.&nbsp;Both Democrats and Republicans expect the 19th Missouri Senate District in Boone County to flip from Red to Blue this year. That puts the spotlight on three Senate districts — the 11th in Jackson County, the 15th in St. Louis County and the 17th in Clay County — that observers believe will be the most competitive on Tuesday.&nbsp;Over in the House, Republicans are spending big to knock off incumbent Democrats who squeaked out wins in 2022. But the party is also defending myriad seats in suburban districts&nbsp; that have grown increasingly favorable to the Democrats and supported President Joe Biden four years ago.With all that in mind, here are 10 legislative races expected to be among the most competitive on Election Day.<h2>Senate District 11: Republican Joe Nicola vs. Democrat Robert Sauls</h2>Senate District 11 in Jackson County includes eastern Kansas City and Independence. While held by a Democrat for the last few election cycles, former President Donald Trump carried the district in 2020 with 54% of the vote.&nbsp;Sauls, an attorney and former prosecutor, has a big fundraising advantage in the race over Nicola, a pastor.&nbsp;Between his campaign committee and a PAC supporting him, Sauls reported spending more than $500,000 in October, compared to only $66,000 for Nicola.&nbsp;But both candidates are also getting help from outside groups.&nbsp;The Missouri Senate Campaign Committee, which supports GOP candidates for Senate, has dumped $530,000 into the race to help Nicola. Meanwhile, Sauls has gotten $600,000 in spending help from two Democratic PACs — Majority Forward and the Missouri Voter Project.<h2>Senate District 15: Republican David Gregory vs. Democrat Joe Pereles</h2>The 15th District includes a large portion of suburban St. Louis County, including Chesterfield and Ballwin. It has historically been a Republican stronghold, but has slowly trended towards Democrats in recent years.&nbsp;Gregory, an attorney and former state legislator, reported spending $180,000 in October between his campaign committee and an independent PAC. Over the same period, the Missouri Senate Campaign Committee spent nearly $1 million to help Gregory.&nbsp;Pereles, a retired Drury Hotel executive, and the PAC supporting him reported spending more than $1 million in October. Majority Forward, a PAC that supports Democratic Senate candidates, reported spending around $240,000 in the race..&nbsp;<h2>Senate District 17: Republican Jerry Nolte vs. Democrat Maggie Nurrenbern&nbsp;</h2>The 17th District covers Clay County and was held by Republicans until 2018, when Democratic state Sen. Lauren Arthur captured the seat in a special election and cruised to an easy re-election in 2020.Nolte, a former state lawmaker and Clay County presiding commissioner, reported spending roughly $200,000 in October between his candidate committee and an independent PAC. The Missouri Senate Campaign Committee has chipped in $240,000.Nurrenbern, a state representative from Kansas City, spent more than $400,000 in October, with Majority Forward and the Missouri Voter Project spending a combined $600,000 in the race.&nbsp;<h2>House District 17: Republican Bill Allen vs. Democrat Shirley Mata</h2>In a Clay County district that had been held by a Democrat for years and voted for Biden by five percentage points in 2020, Allen squeaked out a win in 2022 by only 50 votes.&nbsp;Allen, vice chancellor of the online University of Arkansas Grantham, reported spending $39,000 in October, with another $70,000 in spending by the House Republican Campaign Committee.&nbsp;Mata, an autoworker and union leader, reported spending $80,000 in October. She also benefited from $12,000 in spending from Taxpayers Unlimited Inc.; $10,000 from the House Democratic Campaign Committee; and $10,000 from Missouri Women For Progress.<h2>House District 34: Republican JC Crossley vs. Democrat Kemp Strickler</h2>This race is a rematch from 2022, when Strickler beat Crossley by only 45 votes in a Jackson County district that voted for Biden in 2020.&nbsp;Strickler, a retired Hallmark executive, reported spending $74,000 in October, compared to only $13,000 for Crossley, a retired business owner.&nbsp;But Crossley has benefited from more than $150,000 in spending this month by the House Republican Campaign Committee. Meanwhile, a group called Missourians for a Fair Economy spent $7,000 in the race, and the House Democratic Campaign Committee spent $11,000.&nbsp;<h2>House District 96: Republican Brad Christ vs. Democrat Leslie Derrington&nbsp;</h2>Another rematch from 2022, when Christ bested Derrington by more than 500 votes in the St. Louis County district that voted for Biden four years ago.&nbsp;Christ, a corporate risks and benefits consultant, reported spending $84,000 in October, with another $110,000 from the House Republican Campaign Committee.&nbsp;Derrington, a stay-at-home mother, reported spending $30,000, with another $11,000 coming from the House Democratic Campaign Committee.<h2>House District 100: Republican Philip Oehlerking vs. Democrat Colin Lovett</h2>This is yet another 2022 rematch in a St. Louis County district carried by Biden four years ago.&nbsp;Oehlerking, who worked previously at the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, defeated Lovett by only 200 votes in 2022. He reported spending only $8,000 in October. The House Republican Campaign Committee spent more than $80,000 this month on the race.&nbsp;Lovett, a business owner, reported spending $81,000 in October, with another $7,000 from the House Democratic Campaign Committee.&nbsp;<h2>House District 101: Republican Ben Keathley vs. Democrat Jacqueline Cotton</h2>Keathley, an attorney, won this St. Louis County seat by more than 500 votes two years ago, despite it going for Biden in 2020.&nbsp;He reported spending $33,000 in October, with the House Republican Campaign Committee chipping in more than $100,000.&nbsp;Cotton, a small business owner, reported spending $10,000 in October, with $9,000 in support from the House Democratic Campaign Committee.<h2>House District 105: Republican Colin Wellenkamp vs. Democrat Ron Odenthal&nbsp;</h2>Republican state Rep. Adam Schwadron gave up this St. Charles County seat to run for secretary of state. He held the seat for Republicans in 2020 despite Biden carrying the district.&nbsp;Wellenkamp, who serves as executive director of the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative, reported spending $14,000 in October. He also got $120,000 in support from the House Republican Campaign Committee.&nbsp;Odenthal, a retired KPMG senior network analyst, reported spending only $6,000. The House Democratic Campaign Committee has spent around $13,000 in the race.&nbsp;<h2>House District 136 Republican Jim Robinette vs. Democrat Stephanie Hein</h2>Hein, a professor emerita at Missouri State University, flipped this Springfield district for the Democrats in 2022 by just over 200 votes.She reported spending $85,000 this month compared to $49,000 by Robinette, an Army veteran.The House Republican Campaign Committee has spent more than $150,000 in the race to boost Robinette, while the House Democratic Campaign Committee has spent $8,000 and Missourians for a Fair Economy spent $13,000.&nbsp;

Handful of Missouri legislative races will determine fate of GOP super majorities

For the first time in their careers, two Royals are golden.&nbsp;

Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. and pitcher Seth Lugo took home Rawlings Gold Gloves at their respective positions in the American League, as announced Sunday on ESPN.&nbsp;

It's the first Gold Glove for both, and the first time the Royals have had Gold Glove winners since 2021, when left fielder Andrew Benintendi and center fielder Michael A. Taylor took home the honors.&nbsp;

Witt is just the second Royals shortstop to earn the award since Alcides Escobar in 2015, while Lugo is the first pitcher since Bret Saberhagen in 1989 to be honored.&nbsp;&nbsp;The two Royals are among the 14 first-time winners of this year’s Gold Glove group -- tied for most in a single year with 2022.

Witt beat out the Yankees’ Anthony Volpe (who won the award last year) and the Guardians’ Brayan Rocchio at AL shortstop. Witt led all AL shortstops with +16 Outs Above Average in 2024, which was tied with Francisco Lindor for second-best among MLB shortstops. According to Statcast, Witt prevented 12 runs.

Lugo beat out teammate Cole Ragans and Angels righty Griffin Canning for the AL pitcher’s Gold Glove. Lugo and Ragans helped the Royals have one of the best rotations in baseball in 2024, but they also both fielded their position well. Lugo, who turns 35 on Nov. 17, didn’t commit an error this year and was one of 10 AL pitchers to finish with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage and make 30-plus starts. Lugo covered more innings (206 2/3) than anyone in that group.

The Royals have won 22 Gold Gloves since 2011, which is the most in the Majors across that span. Catcher Freddy Fermin was a finalist for the AL Gold Glove this year but lost to Seattle’s Cal Raleigh.

Fan voting is now open for the Rawlings Platinum Glove Award, given annually to the best fielder in each league.&nbsp;&nbsp;In 2011, Rawlings unveiled the first-ever Rawlings Platinum Glove Award, a new fan-centric platform asking the game’s avid fans who the best defensive baseball player is among that season's Rawlings Gold Glove Award winners. The last Royal to earn the Platinum Glove Award was Alex Gordon in 2020.

To vote on either Witt Jr. or Lugo for the Rawlings Platinum Glove Award, you can visit&nbsp;https://www.rawlings.com/gold-glove-platinum.html

You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693708976512.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., left, forces out Boston Red Sox's Adam Duvall (18) at second and throws to first for the double play on a grounder by Boston's Masataka Yoshida during the sixth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., left, forces out Boston Red Sox's Adam Duvall (18) at second and throws to first for the double play on a grounder by Boston's Masataka Yoshida during the sixth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKESt. Joseph PostFor the first time in their careers, two Royals are golden.&nbsp;Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. and pitcher Seth Lugo took home Rawlings Gold Gloves at their respective positions in the American League, as announced Sunday on ESPN.&nbsp;It's the first Gold Glove for both, and the first time the Royals have had Gold Glove winners since 2021, when left fielder Andrew Benintendi and center fielder Michael A. Taylor took home the honors.&nbsp;Witt is just the second Royals shortstop to earn the award since Alcides Escobar in 2015, while Lugo is the first pitcher since Bret Saberhagen in 1989 to be honored.&nbsp;&nbsp;The two Royals are among the 14 first-time winners of this year’s Gold Glove group -- tied for most in a single year with 2022.Witt beat out the Yankees’ Anthony Volpe (who won the award last year) and the Guardians’ Brayan Rocchio at AL shortstop. Witt led all AL shortstops with +16 Outs Above Average in 2024, which was tied with Francisco Lindor for second-best among MLB shortstops. According to Statcast, Witt prevented 12 runs.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713234319647.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo throws against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning of a baseball game Monday, April 15, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo throws against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning of a baseball game Monday, April 15, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)</figcaption>
 </figure>Lugo beat out teammate Cole Ragans and Angels righty Griffin Canning for the AL pitcher’s Gold Glove. Lugo and Ragans helped the Royals have one of the best rotations in baseball in 2024, but they also both fielded their position well. Lugo, who turns 35 on Nov. 17, didn’t commit an error this year and was one of 10 AL pitchers to finish with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage and make 30-plus starts. Lugo covered more innings (206 2/3) than anyone in that group.The Royals have won 22 Gold Gloves since 2011, which is the most in the Majors across that span. Catcher Freddy Fermin was a finalist for the AL Gold Glove this year but lost to Seattle’s Cal Raleigh.Fan voting is now open for the Rawlings Platinum Glove Award, given annually to the best fielder in each league.&nbsp;&nbsp;In 2011, Rawlings unveiled the first-ever Rawlings Platinum Glove Award, a new fan-centric platform asking the game’s avid fans who the best defensive baseball player is among that season's Rawlings Gold Glove Award winners. The last Royal to earn the Platinum Glove Award was Alex Gordon in 2020.To vote on either Witt Jr. or Lugo for the Rawlings Platinum Glove Award, you can visit&nbsp;https://www.rawlings.com/gold-glove-platinum.htmlYou can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Royals Witt Jr., Lugo win first career Gold Glove Awards

Kansas’ Republican House and Senate committees and Gov. Laura Kelly’s PAC invested hundreds of thousands in competitive legislative races.

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly’s PAC and the Kansas Republican Senatorial Committee have poured around a half-million dollars each into competitive legislative races across Kansas, campaign finance reports released this week show. The Republican House Campaign Committee spent almost $1 million.

More than $470,000 from Kelly’s Middle of the Road PAC has been spent since the August primary on Democrats embroiled in battleground races, according to records published Monday through the Kansas Secretary of State’s campaign finance reporting system. The Republican Senatorial committee spent more than $498,000 during the same time period on the four races at risk of flipping to Democrats. The Republican House committee has spent its $978,000 since August on advertising-related costs for a dozen candidates and the state Republican party, finance records show.

Republicans have held a supermajority in the Kansas House since 2010, and Senate Republicans have held a supermajority since 1997. Democrats must flip two seats in the house and three in the senate while holding their existing cache in order to break the supermajorities.

The Senatorial committee’s treasurer, Michelle Schroeder, said the group’s spending was “focused solely on protecting and expanding our Republican supermajority.”

Kelly, a Democrat, launched the Middle of the Road PAC in&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/08/07/gov-laura-kelly-forms-pac-to-support-moderate-gop-democratic-legislative-candidates/">August 2023</a>&nbsp;to back moderate candidates, from either major party, and in an attempt to break the Republican legislative supermajority. Recipients of the nearly $500,000 were 12 Democrats. Those expenditures are just a fraction of the nearly $1.5 million the PAC has spent since late July.

Senate District 5 incumbent Sen. Jeff Pittman, a Leavenworth-area Democrat, received the highest cumulative dollar amount from the Middle of the Road PAC. Election forecasts favor a Pittman win over his opponent, Republican Jeff Klemp, of Lansing, by a thin margin. The senatorial committee spent almost twice as much on Klemp as Middle of the Road spent on Pittman.

Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State during the Trump Administration and former Kansas GOP congressman, endorsed Klemp on Oct. 30.

Both the Middle of the Road PAC and the Senatorial committee spent on the other three toss-up Senate races in Johnson County. Middle of the Road PAC also spent on another Johnson County-area district, Senate District 35, with an open seat that’s been held by the same Republican for the past decade.

Middle of the Road PAC spent the least on Rep. Jason Probst, a Hutchinson Democrat running for reelection. His Republican opponent, Kyler Sweely, was recently the subject of a Wichita police investigation and online backlash after a video circulated in which he appears to jump on and hold a pillow over the head of a motionless woman on a bed. The Republican House committee spent just under $9,000 on Sweely while Middle of the Road spent more than $13,000 on Probst, according to campaign finance records.

Will Lawrence, senior advisor for the Middle of the Road PAC, said in a statement that the PAC “invested in hard-working candidates” and those “who aligned with Governor Kelly’s values.”

“The PAC deployed a strategic program that included mail, digital ads, and support for GOTV (get out the vote) efforts,” Lawrence said. “Supporters of our PAC can rest assured their investments were well spent.”

Representatives for the Republican House committee did not respond to Kansas Reflector’s requests for comment Friday.

The final day for voting in legislative races as well as for U.S. president is Tuesday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730582245512.png" alt=" Gov. Laura Kelly tours the Axe Shedd during an April 25, 2024, visit to Emporia. Her Middle of the Road PAC since August has spent $470,000 on a dozen Democrats seeking legislative seats. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Gov. Laura Kelly tours the Axe Shedd during an April 25, 2024, visit to Emporia. Her Middle of the Road PAC since August has spent $470,000 on a dozen Democrats seeking legislative seats. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Kansas’ Republican House and Senate committees and Gov. Laura Kelly’s PAC invested hundreds of thousands in competitive legislative races.</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly’s PAC and the Kansas Republican Senatorial Committee have poured around a half-million dollars each into competitive legislative races across Kansas, campaign finance reports released this week show. The Republican House Campaign Committee spent almost $1 million.More than $470,000 from Kelly’s Middle of the Road PAC has been spent since the August primary on Democrats embroiled in battleground races, according to records published Monday through the Kansas Secretary of State’s campaign finance reporting system. The Republican Senatorial committee spent more than $498,000 during the same time period on the four races at risk of flipping to Democrats. The Republican House committee has spent its $978,000 since August on advertising-related costs for a dozen candidates and the state Republican party, finance records show.Republicans have held a supermajority in the Kansas House since 2010, and Senate Republicans have held a supermajority since 1997. Democrats must flip two seats in the house and three in the senate while holding their existing cache in order to break the supermajorities.The Senatorial committee’s treasurer, Michelle Schroeder, said the group’s spending was “focused solely on protecting and expanding our Republican supermajority.”Kelly, a Democrat, launched the Middle of the Road PAC in&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/08/07/gov-laura-kelly-forms-pac-to-support-moderate-gop-democratic-legislative-candidates/">August 2023</a>&nbsp;to back moderate candidates, from either major party, and in an attempt to break the Republican legislative supermajority. Recipients of the nearly $500,000 were 12 Democrats. Those expenditures are just a fraction of the nearly $1.5 million the PAC has spent since late July.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730582200042.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Senate District 5 incumbent Sen. Jeff Pittman, a Leavenworth-area Democrat, received the highest cumulative dollar amount from the Middle of the Road PAC. Election forecasts favor a Pittman win over his opponent, Republican Jeff Klemp, of Lansing, by a thin margin. The senatorial committee spent almost twice as much on Klemp as Middle of the Road spent on Pittman.Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State during the Trump Administration and former Kansas GOP congressman, endorsed Klemp on Oct. 30.Both the Middle of the Road PAC and the Senatorial committee spent on the other three toss-up Senate races in Johnson County. Middle of the Road PAC also spent on another Johnson County-area district, Senate District 35, with an open seat that’s been held by the same Republican for the past decade.Middle of the Road PAC spent the least on Rep. Jason Probst, a Hutchinson Democrat running for reelection. His Republican opponent, Kyler Sweely, was recently the subject of a Wichita police investigation and online backlash after a video circulated in which he appears to jump on and hold a pillow over the head of a motionless woman on a bed. The Republican House committee spent just under $9,000 on Sweely while Middle of the Road spent more than $13,000 on Probst, according to campaign finance records.Will Lawrence, senior advisor for the Middle of the Road PAC, said in a statement that the PAC “invested in hard-working candidates” and those “who aligned with Governor Kelly’s values.”“The PAC deployed a strategic program that included mail, digital ads, and support for GOTV (get out the vote) efforts,” Lawrence said. “Supporters of our PAC can rest assured their investments were well spent.”Representatives for the Republican House committee did not respond to Kansas Reflector’s requests for comment Friday.The final day for voting in legislative races as well as for U.S. president is Tuesday.

Kansas Republican committees, Democratic governor’s PAC spend big on battleground races

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">ARIANA FIGUEROA</a>

WASHINGTON — As the last weekend before Tuesday’s presidential election approaches, voters who want more insight on where the candidates stand on major policy issues can get up to speed through a States Newsroom Washington Bureau series.

In these 10 articles, States Newsroom reported on the policy positions taken by Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, ranging from education to taxes to Social Security and Medicare.

After the conservative-dominated U.S. Supreme Court in 2022 struck down the constitutional right to abortion, Democrats made restoring access to reproductive care a core campaign issue.

Click&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/reproductive-rights-where-do-trump-and-harris-stand" target="_blank">here</a>&nbsp;for the story

The U.S. Supreme Court has been mired in controversy, from several ethics scandals to calls from Democrats to expand the number of justices on the court.

Click&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/reforms-us-supreme-court-where-do-harris-and-trump-stand" target="_blank">here</a>&nbsp;for the story

One policy issue that Trump has made central to his campaign is immigration. At his campaign rallies across the country he’s promised mass deportations of millions of immigrants living in the country without authorization.

Harris has mainly stated that she would revive a bipartisan congressional agreement when it comes to addressing U.S. immigration policy.

Click&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/immigration-where-do-trump-and-harris-stand" target="_blank">here</a>&nbsp;for the story

Addressing the Social Security and Medicare trust funds will become an increasingly important job for the incoming president and Congress for the next decade.

Click<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/social-security-and-medicare-where-do-harris-and-trump-stand" target="_blank">&nbsp;here</a>&nbsp;for the story

As several states like North Carolina and Tennessee recover from Category 4 Hurricane Helene, climate change has taken up little attention in the 2024 presidential race, despite its wide-ranging effects.

Click&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/energy-and-climate-where-do-harris-and-trump-stand" target="_blank">here&nbsp;</a>for the story

While housing is typically handled at the local level, both presidential candidates want to tackle the housing crisis at the federal level.

Click&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/housing-where-do-trump-and-harris-stand" target="_blank">here</a>&nbsp;for the story

On the campaign trail, education policies have rarely been in the spotlight, though the candidates’ policies on K-12 and higher education widely differ.

Click<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/education-where-do-harris-and-trump-stand" target="_blank">&nbsp;here for the&nbsp;</a>story

A 2017 tax law crafted under the Trump administration is set to expire next year, meaning whichever candidate wins the White House will either overhaul the previous law or extend it.

Click&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/taxes-where-do-trump-and-harris-stand" target="_blank">here</a>&nbsp;for the story

Both candidates agree that gun violence is a problem, but that’s the end of where Harris and Trump are in concurrence.

Click<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/guns-where-do-trump-and-harris-stand" target="_blank">&nbsp;here</a>&nbsp;for story

Regardless of who wins the White House, the next president will have several international crises to address. That includes the Israel-Hamas war in the Middle East, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s refusal to retreat from Ukraine and U.S-China trade relations.

Click&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/foreign-policy-where-do-harris-and-trump-stand" target="_blank">here for the story</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726020929820.png" alt="Image courtesy ABC via CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy ABC via CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">ARIANA FIGUEROA</a>WASHINGTON — As the last weekend before Tuesday’s presidential election approaches, voters who want more insight on where the candidates stand on major policy issues can get up to speed through a States Newsroom Washington Bureau series.In these 10 articles, States Newsroom reported on the policy positions taken by Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, ranging from education to taxes to Social Security and Medicare.They are:<h2>Reproductive Rights</h2>After the conservative-dominated U.S. Supreme Court in 2022 struck down the constitutional right to abortion, Democrats made restoring access to reproductive care a core campaign issue.Click&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/reproductive-rights-where-do-trump-and-harris-stand" target="_blank">here</a>&nbsp;for the story<h2>U.S. Supreme Court reform</h2>The U.S. Supreme Court has been mired in controversy, from several ethics scandals to calls from Democrats to expand the number of justices on the court.Click&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/reforms-us-supreme-court-where-do-harris-and-trump-stand" target="_blank">here</a>&nbsp;for the story<h2>Immigration</h2>One policy issue that Trump has made central to his campaign is immigration. At his campaign rallies across the country he’s promised mass deportations of millions of immigrants living in the country without authorization.Harris has mainly stated that she would revive a bipartisan congressional agreement when it comes to addressing U.S. immigration policy.Click&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/immigration-where-do-trump-and-harris-stand" target="_blank">here</a>&nbsp;for the story<h2>Social Security and Medicare</h2>Addressing the Social Security and Medicare trust funds will become an increasingly important job for the incoming president and Congress for the next decade.Click<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/social-security-and-medicare-where-do-harris-and-trump-stand" target="_blank">&nbsp;here</a>&nbsp;for the story<h2>Climate and Energy</h2>As several states like North Carolina and Tennessee recover from Category 4 Hurricane Helene, climate change has taken up little attention in the 2024 presidential race, despite its wide-ranging effects.Click&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/energy-and-climate-where-do-harris-and-trump-stand" target="_blank">here&nbsp;</a>for the story<h2>Housing</h2>While housing is typically handled at the local level, both presidential candidates want to tackle the housing crisis at the federal level.Click&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/housing-where-do-trump-and-harris-stand" target="_blank">here</a>&nbsp;for the story<h2>Education</h2>On the campaign trail, education policies have rarely been in the spotlight, though the candidates’ policies on K-12 and higher education widely differ.Click<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/education-where-do-harris-and-trump-stand" target="_blank">&nbsp;here for the&nbsp;</a>story<h2>Taxes</h2>A 2017 tax law crafted under the Trump administration is set to expire next year, meaning whichever candidate wins the White House will either overhaul the previous law or extend it.Click&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/taxes-where-do-trump-and-harris-stand" target="_blank">here</a>&nbsp;for the story<h2>Guns</h2>Both candidates agree that gun violence is a problem, but that’s the end of where Harris and Trump are in concurrence.Click<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/guns-where-do-trump-and-harris-stand" target="_blank">&nbsp;here</a>&nbsp;for story<h2>Foreign Policy</h2>Regardless of who wins the White House, the next president will have several international crises to address. That includes the Israel-Hamas war in the Middle East, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s refusal to retreat from Ukraine and U.S-China trade relations.Click&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/foreign-policy-where-do-harris-and-trump-stand" target="_blank">here for the story</a>

Where do Harris and Trump stand on 10 major policy issues?

MISSOULA — A man who conspired to hunt and kill bald and golden eagles and hawks on the Flathead Indian Reservation to sell on the black market was sentenced today to three years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $777,250 restitution, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

The defendant, Travis John Branson, 49, of Cusick, Washington, and formerly of the Flathead Reservation, pleaded guilty in March to conspiracy, two counts of unlawful trafficking of bald and golden eagles and violation of the Lacey Act, which prohibits interstate trade in wildlife that has been taken, possessed, transported or sold in violation of federal or state law. The Lacey Act also prohibits any person from making or submitting any false record, account, label for or identification of wildlife that has been or was intended to be transported in interstate or foreign commerce.

U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided. The court ordered Branson to self-report to the Bureau of Prisons.

“The bald eagle, adopted as America’s national symbol in 1782, represents our country’s core ideals of freedom, strength, and justice. Once on the brink of extinction, eagles recovered only because of conservation efforts by the American people and federal laws protecting them. None of that mattered to Travis Branson. Instead, Branson went on self-described ‘killing sprees’ for thousands of eagles and hawks, butchered them, and sold the parts and feathers for profit on the black market. He knew he was committing felonies and even joked his cost to kill them was the price of a bullet. But his conduct was no laughing matter. With today’s sentence, the cost to Branson was more than a bunch of bullets – he forfeited the very freedom the bald eagle symbolizes,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“The unlawful killing of these majestic birds violates federal law and is a profound offense against our nation's cherished natural heritage,” said Edward Grace, Assistant Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement. “Travis Branson's blatant disregard for the law and the sanctity of these protected species highlights the urgent need for stringent enforcement and greater public awareness regarding wildlife trafficking. His actions are particularly egregious, considering the significant number of bald and golden eagles he killed for personal profit, and such behavior will not be tolerated. We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to protect America's wildlife and hold accountable all who are engaged in these illicit activities.”

“We are going to feel the impacts of the Flathead Reservation’s raptor loss for years to come,” said Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Chairman Mike Dolson. “We hope this helps put a stop to illegal poaching on our homelands and gives these birds a chance to recover. Eagles are not only a treasured and important part of the Reservation’s ecosystem, but they also have a profound place in CSKT cultural and spiritual practices.”

In court documents, the government alleged that from about January 2015 until about March 2021, Branson and others hunted and killed eagles on the Flathead Reservation. Branson then sold the eagles on the black market across the United States and elsewhere. Brandon traveled from Washington to the Flathead Reservation, where he met co-defendant, Simon Paul. Branson and Paul would then shoot, transport and ship bald and golden eagles for future black-market sales. Co-defendant Paul remains a fugitive.

The government sought restitution values of $5,000 per eagle and $1,750 per hawk.

The government estimated that from 2009 until 2021, Branson made between $180,000 and $360,000 by selling eagles feathers and parts for profit on the black market.

The government’s investigation showed that Branson and others killed approximately 3,600 birds during the conspiracy. At least 118 eagles and 107 hawks killed were directly traceable to Branson and documented through his own text messages. Branson had taken up to nine eagles at a time. The photograph below shows nine sets of feathers, with one set stacked on top of the other in the upper left corner.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730492674717.png" alt="Photo courtesy U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana</figcaption>
 </figure>MISSOULA — A man who conspired to hunt and kill bald and golden eagles and hawks on the Flathead Indian Reservation to sell on the black market was sentenced today to three years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $777,250 restitution, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.The defendant, Travis John Branson, 49, of Cusick, Washington, and formerly of the Flathead Reservation, pleaded guilty in March to conspiracy, two counts of unlawful trafficking of bald and golden eagles and violation of the Lacey Act, which prohibits interstate trade in wildlife that has been taken, possessed, transported or sold in violation of federal or state law. The Lacey Act also prohibits any person from making or submitting any false record, account, label for or identification of wildlife that has been or was intended to be transported in interstate or foreign commerce.U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided. The court ordered Branson to self-report to the Bureau of Prisons.“The bald eagle, adopted as America’s national symbol in 1782, represents our country’s core ideals of freedom, strength, and justice. Once on the brink of extinction, eagles recovered only because of conservation efforts by the American people and federal laws protecting them. None of that mattered to Travis Branson. Instead, Branson went on self-described ‘killing sprees’ for thousands of eagles and hawks, butchered them, and sold the parts and feathers for profit on the black market. He knew he was committing felonies and even joked his cost to kill them was the price of a bullet. But his conduct was no laughing matter. With today’s sentence, the cost to Branson was more than a bunch of bullets – he forfeited the very freedom the bald eagle symbolizes,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.&nbsp;&nbsp;“The unlawful killing of these majestic birds violates federal law and is a profound offense against our nation's cherished natural heritage,” said Edward Grace, Assistant Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement. “Travis Branson's blatant disregard for the law and the sanctity of these protected species highlights the urgent need for stringent enforcement and greater public awareness regarding wildlife trafficking. His actions are particularly egregious, considering the significant number of bald and golden eagles he killed for personal profit, and such behavior will not be tolerated. We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to protect America's wildlife and hold accountable all who are engaged in these illicit activities.”“We are going to feel the impacts of the Flathead Reservation’s raptor loss for years to come,” said Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Chairman Mike Dolson. “We hope this helps put a stop to illegal poaching on our homelands and gives these birds a chance to recover. Eagles are not only a treasured and important part of the Reservation’s ecosystem, but they also have a profound place in CSKT cultural and spiritual practices.”In court documents, the government alleged that from about January 2015 until about March 2021, Branson and others hunted and killed eagles on the Flathead Reservation. Branson then sold the eagles on the black market across the United States and elsewhere. Brandon traveled from Washington to the Flathead Reservation, where he met co-defendant, Simon Paul. Branson and Paul would then shoot, transport and ship bald and golden eagles for future black-market sales. Co-defendant Paul remains a fugitive.The government sought restitution values of $5,000 per eagle and $1,750 per hawk.The government estimated that from 2009 until 2021, Branson made between $180,000 and $360,000 by selling eagles feathers and parts for profit on the black market.The government’s investigation showed that Branson and others killed approximately 3,600 birds during the conspiracy. At least 118 eagles and 107 hawks killed were directly traceable to Branson and documented through his own text messages. Branson had taken up to nine eagles at a time. The photograph below shows nine sets of feathers, with one set stacked on top of the other in the upper left corner.

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