In a 13-day trial, Circuit Court Judge Craig Carter narrows in on key arguments

BY:&nbsp;ANNELISE HANSHAW&nbsp; <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>

A ruling on Missouri’s restrictions on gender-affirming care is likely to come by the end of the year, with the trial complete and attorneys’ reports due within 30 days.

After a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/09/20/lawsuit-seeking-to-block-missouri-ban-on-gender-affirming-care-for-minors-heads-to-trial/">13-day trial</a>&nbsp;ended last week, Wright County Circuit Court Judge Craig Carter waived closing statements and asked instead for plaintiffs and defendants to submit statements of facts and findings. Both sides presented thick stacks of evidence, with seven approximately five-inch binders sitting on Carter’s bench throughout proceedings.

Without a jury, Carter — who was assigned to preside over the Cole County case — will rule on the constitutionality of the law.

Carter’s questions at the start of the trial sounded like someone becoming familiar with the subject, asking what a nonbinary gender identity means and clarifying definitions.

But in the trial’s final days, his inquiries were more frequent and challenging for witnesses, digging into the arguments and searching for the point in which gender-affirming medication for minors switches from unlawful to lawful.

The trial comes after transgender minors, their families and health care providers challenged the constitutionality of a 2023 law restricting physicians from prescribing gender-affirming medical care to minors. It also bars Missouri Medicaid from covering gender-affirming treatment for adults and restricts prisoners from getting the care in state prisons.

Carter asked many of the questions to the state’s expert witness,&nbsp;<a href="https://divinity.duke.edu/faculty/farr-curlin" target="_blank">Dr. Farr Curlin</a>, a professor at Duke who specializes in medical ethics.

“So tell me your thoughts on the intersection,” Carter asked during Curlin’s testimony last Wednesday. “The state has an interest in preventing people from making life-altering mistakes, and plaintiffs have the right to seek (desired medical care).”

Curlin said the problem lies in children’s inability to consent. Typically, parents consent for their child, whereas a minor’s agreement is labeled assent.

“The norm should be the same norm that is practiced throughout pediatric ethics and it is: Is this intervention in the medical best interest of the child?” Curlin said.

A large piece of the case is whether there is medical consensus on the efficacy of medical transition.

Large medical organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics, a group founded in 1930 with 67,000 member physicians, support gender-affirming care for minors.&nbsp;Other organizations outside the medical mainstream — like the 700-member American College of Pediatricians which was formed in 2002 — are outspoken against the treatment.

Plaintiffs’ experts reviewed research showing positive effects of medical transition, and people who have benefited from gender-affirming care in Missouri as minors testified. The attorney general’s office, which was defending the law, tried to diminish the testimony of these experts by claiming that because most provide gender-affirming care —either by writing letters of support as a mental health provider or prescribing medication — they financially benefit from ensuring it remains legal.&nbsp;

Plaintiffs waved off these concerns.&nbsp;

“Only to the state of Missouri, and without any sense of irony, is actually having experience and expertise a conflict,” Omar Gonzalez-Pagan, an attorney with Lambda Legal, told reporters.

The state’s expert witnesses included physicians who are outspoken about their disapproval of gender-affirming care, though many had never treated a minor for gender dysphoria. During the testimony of Alabama-based plastic surgeon Dr. Patrick Lappert, attorneys showed images of gender-affirming surgeries and detailed the process and risks of infection.

In 2022, a federal court in North Carolina ruled that state health plans excluding gender-affirming care violated the Equal Protection Clause. In that case, the judge tossed out parts of the testimony of&nbsp; Lappert and Dr. Stephen Levine, who also testified last week as an expert for the state of Missouri.

Tom Bastian, spokesman for the ACLU of Missouri, told The Independent in emailed answers the case’s attorneys oversaw that the state’s argument is not sufficient to justify the law. Specifically, he pointed to what he deemed a lack of expertise among the state’s expert witnesses.

“None of the state’s purported expert witnesses practice in this field, except for one, and the one who does agrees that medical interventions for gender dysphoria can be appropriate for some patients,” Bastian wrote. “Plaintiffs’ doctors, their experts and every major medical organization in the United States all agree that, in certain cases, gender-affirming medical care can be medically necessary to treat gender dysphoria in adolescents and adults.”

Another expert called by the Missouri attorney general’s office last week was John Michael Bailey. He received skepticism from Carter after it was revealed that he&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/02/credibility-of-states-expert-witnesses-questioned-in-missouri-transgender-health-care-trial/">believes convicted child molester Jerry Sandusky</a>&nbsp;is innocent. Bailey has been criticized for a retracted research article on gender dysphoria in adolescents and was the subject of an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2011/03/03/134240092/univ-president-calls-after-class-sex-display-extremely-poor-judgment" target="_blank">investigation by Northwestern University after he demonstrated a sex toy</a>&nbsp;in an extracurricular lecture.

The Independent sent questions to the attorney general’s office, including asking about criticism of its expert witnesses, but did not receive a response.

Four people who had once identified as transgender but stopped treatment, known as “detransitioners,” also testified last about their regrets. Only one of the four received medical care in Missouri, and he was an adult when he began his transition.

“The adults that were in the room that should have been protecting them failed to do so,” Attorney General Andrew Bailey said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/AGAndrewBailey/status/1839345434386743313" target="_blank">podcast</a>&nbsp;late last month before the trial began.

The state also introduced academic articles describing the evidence behind gender-affirming care for minors as “too limited,” both in cross-examination and through their witnesses’ testimony.

Carter asked if the law could be peeled back if research showed treatments’ success. The state’s restrictions on puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for minors is set to expire in August of 2027 — though lawmakers have publicly discussed removing the sunset clause.

“Are you saying the kids don’t have a choice until we get further evidence showing the efficacy of these treatments?” Carter asked Curlin, the Duke medical professor. “If the studies show that this treatment is efficacious, then where do we wind up?”

“It’s not just, is it efficacious?” Curlin said. “Is it efficacious, and is it reliable enough and substantial enough to warrant the risks that these treatments bring?”

“What if the drug companies come out tomorrow and say, ‘You can take this drug, and it is absolutely reversible,” Carter asked.

Curlin said the “treatments are absolutely counter to the well-working of this patient’s health.” The medications and surgeries are not ethical in a body that is functioning well, he said.

The state repeatedly presented talk therapy as an option to treat gender dysphoria, which is distress arising from one’s body not matching gender identity.

Plaintiffs said therapy alone will not treat many cases of gender dysphoria, making medication medically necessary.

On the first day of the trial, a young man testifying under the name John Doe told the court that therapy was not enough for him. His first therapist said he was “going through a phase,” and his dysphoria only worsened.

A second, affirming therapist helped him as he began to dress more like himself at the age of 7, he said. His fear only worsened as puberty approached, and he attributes his thriving social life and success in college to his access to medication.

“It felt like once I started to receive (testosterone) shots, my overall was uphill from there,” he said. “The confidence I gained from having my body reflect who I am and what I was feeling was impactful throughout my entire life.”

Doe’s mother also testified later in the trial.

Carter noted there was “heartfelt testimony on both sides” from parents, asking about the issue of parental rights when the state withholds a type of care from their child. He discussed the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/patients/learn-about-expanded-access-and-other-treatment-options/right-try" target="_blank">Right to Try Act</a>, which allows patients to access experimental medications for life-threatening conditions.

He also looked at the release of the COVID-19 vaccine, which had an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-21-319" target="_blank">accelerated clinical trial phase</a>&nbsp;in order to give the public access sooner. The vaccine could potentially serve as a precedent of giving access to a medication without longitudinal testing.

Carter’s ruling is unlikely to be the last, with similar cases in other states appealing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/2024/06/supreme-court-takes-up-challenge-to-ban-on-gender-affirming-care/" target="_blank">all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court</a>. He noted the likelihood of an appeal, saying he would accept exhibits to add to the case’s file for future courts to look at, though they would not determine his ruling.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727446832059.png" alt=" Judge Craig Carter, a Wright County judge serving in Cole County for Missouri’s gender-affirming care trial, listens to a nurse practitioner testify Thursday afternoon (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Judge Craig Carter, a Wright County judge serving in Cole County for Missouri’s gender-affirming care trial, listens to a nurse practitioner testify Thursday afternoon (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>In a 13-day trial, Circuit Court Judge Craig Carter narrows in on key arguments</h2>BY:&nbsp;ANNELISE HANSHAW&nbsp; <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>A ruling on Missouri’s restrictions on gender-affirming care is likely to come by the end of the year, with the trial complete and attorneys’ reports due within 30 days.After a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/09/20/lawsuit-seeking-to-block-missouri-ban-on-gender-affirming-care-for-minors-heads-to-trial/">13-day trial</a>&nbsp;ended last week, Wright County Circuit Court Judge Craig Carter waived closing statements and asked instead for plaintiffs and defendants to submit statements of facts and findings. Both sides presented thick stacks of evidence, with seven approximately five-inch binders sitting on Carter’s bench throughout proceedings.Without a jury, Carter — who was assigned to preside over the Cole County case — will rule on the constitutionality of the law.Carter’s questions at the start of the trial sounded like someone becoming familiar with the subject, asking what a nonbinary gender identity means and clarifying definitions.But in the trial’s final days, his inquiries were more frequent and challenging for witnesses, digging into the arguments and searching for the point in which gender-affirming medication for minors switches from unlawful to lawful.The trial comes after transgender minors, their families and health care providers challenged the constitutionality of a 2023 law restricting physicians from prescribing gender-affirming medical care to minors. It also bars Missouri Medicaid from covering gender-affirming treatment for adults and restricts prisoners from getting the care in state prisons.Carter asked many of the questions to the state’s expert witness,&nbsp;<a href="https://divinity.duke.edu/faculty/farr-curlin" target="_blank">Dr. Farr Curlin</a>, a professor at Duke who specializes in medical ethics.“So tell me your thoughts on the intersection,” Carter asked during Curlin’s testimony last Wednesday. “The state has an interest in preventing people from making life-altering mistakes, and plaintiffs have the right to seek (desired medical care).”Curlin said the problem lies in children’s inability to consent. Typically, parents consent for their child, whereas a minor’s agreement is labeled assent.“The norm should be the same norm that is practiced throughout pediatric ethics and it is: Is this intervention in the medical best interest of the child?” Curlin said.A large piece of the case is whether there is medical consensus on the efficacy of medical transition.Large medical organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics, a group founded in 1930 with 67,000 member physicians, support gender-affirming care for minors.&nbsp;Other organizations outside the medical mainstream — like the 700-member American College of Pediatricians which was formed in 2002 — are outspoken against the treatment.Plaintiffs’ experts reviewed research showing positive effects of medical transition, and people who have benefited from gender-affirming care in Missouri as minors testified. The attorney general’s office, which was defending the law, tried to diminish the testimony of these experts by claiming that because most provide gender-affirming care —either by writing letters of support as a mental health provider or prescribing medication — they financially benefit from ensuring it remains legal.&nbsp;Plaintiffs waved off these concerns.&nbsp;“Only to the state of Missouri, and without any sense of irony, is actually having experience and expertise a conflict,” Omar Gonzalez-Pagan, an attorney with Lambda Legal, told reporters.The state’s expert witnesses included physicians who are outspoken about their disapproval of gender-affirming care, though many had never treated a minor for gender dysphoria. During the testimony of Alabama-based plastic surgeon Dr. Patrick Lappert, attorneys showed images of gender-affirming surgeries and detailed the process and risks of infection.In 2022, a federal court in North Carolina ruled that state health plans excluding gender-affirming care violated the Equal Protection Clause. In that case, the judge tossed out parts of the testimony of&nbsp; Lappert and Dr. Stephen Levine, who also testified last week as an expert for the state of Missouri.Tom Bastian, spokesman for the ACLU of Missouri, told The Independent in emailed answers the case’s attorneys oversaw that the state’s argument is not sufficient to justify the law. Specifically, he pointed to what he deemed a lack of expertise among the state’s expert witnesses.“None of the state’s purported expert witnesses practice in this field, except for one, and the one who does agrees that medical interventions for gender dysphoria can be appropriate for some patients,” Bastian wrote. “Plaintiffs’ doctors, their experts and every major medical organization in the United States all agree that, in certain cases, gender-affirming medical care can be medically necessary to treat gender dysphoria in adolescents and adults.”Another expert called by the Missouri attorney general’s office last week was John Michael Bailey. He received skepticism from Carter after it was revealed that he&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/02/credibility-of-states-expert-witnesses-questioned-in-missouri-transgender-health-care-trial/">believes convicted child molester Jerry Sandusky</a>&nbsp;is innocent. Bailey has been criticized for a retracted research article on gender dysphoria in adolescents and was the subject of an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2011/03/03/134240092/univ-president-calls-after-class-sex-display-extremely-poor-judgment" target="_blank">investigation by Northwestern University after he demonstrated a sex toy</a>&nbsp;in an extracurricular lecture.The Independent sent questions to the attorney general’s office, including asking about criticism of its expert witnesses, but did not receive a response.Four people who had once identified as transgender but stopped treatment, known as “detransitioners,” also testified last about their regrets. Only one of the four received medical care in Missouri, and he was an adult when he began his transition.“The adults that were in the room that should have been protecting them failed to do so,” Attorney General Andrew Bailey said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/AGAndrewBailey/status/1839345434386743313" target="_blank">podcast</a>&nbsp;late last month before the trial began.The state also introduced academic articles describing the evidence behind gender-affirming care for minors as “too limited,” both in cross-examination and through their witnesses’ testimony.Carter asked if the law could be peeled back if research showed treatments’ success. The state’s restrictions on puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for minors is set to expire in August of 2027 — though lawmakers have publicly discussed removing the sunset clause.“Are you saying the kids don’t have a choice until we get further evidence showing the efficacy of these treatments?” Carter asked Curlin, the Duke medical professor. “If the studies show that this treatment is efficacious, then where do we wind up?”“It’s not just, is it efficacious?” Curlin said. “Is it efficacious, and is it reliable enough and substantial enough to warrant the risks that these treatments bring?”“What if the drug companies come out tomorrow and say, ‘You can take this drug, and it is absolutely reversible,” Carter asked.Curlin said the “treatments are absolutely counter to the well-working of this patient’s health.” The medications and surgeries are not ethical in a body that is functioning well, he said.The state repeatedly presented talk therapy as an option to treat gender dysphoria, which is distress arising from one’s body not matching gender identity.Plaintiffs said therapy alone will not treat many cases of gender dysphoria, making medication medically necessary.On the first day of the trial, a young man testifying under the name John Doe told the court that therapy was not enough for him. His first therapist said he was “going through a phase,” and his dysphoria only worsened.A second, affirming therapist helped him as he began to dress more like himself at the age of 7, he said. His fear only worsened as puberty approached, and he attributes his thriving social life and success in college to his access to medication.“It felt like once I started to receive (testosterone) shots, my overall was uphill from there,” he said. “The confidence I gained from having my body reflect who I am and what I was feeling was impactful throughout my entire life.”Doe’s mother also testified later in the trial.Carter noted there was “heartfelt testimony on both sides” from parents, asking about the issue of parental rights when the state withholds a type of care from their child. He discussed the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/patients/learn-about-expanded-access-and-other-treatment-options/right-try" target="_blank">Right to Try Act</a>, which allows patients to access experimental medications for life-threatening conditions.He also looked at the release of the COVID-19 vaccine, which had an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-21-319" target="_blank">accelerated clinical trial phase</a>&nbsp;in order to give the public access sooner. The vaccine could potentially serve as a precedent of giving access to a medication without longitudinal testing.Carter’s ruling is unlikely to be the last, with similar cases in other states appealing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/2024/06/supreme-court-takes-up-challenge-to-ban-on-gender-affirming-care/" target="_blank">all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court</a>. He noted the likelihood of an appeal, saying he would accept exhibits to add to the case’s file for future courts to look at, though they would not determine his ruling.

Ruling on Missouri transgender health care restrictions expected by end of year

Washington, D.C.&nbsp;– U.S. Senator Roger&nbsp;Marshall, joined Senator James Lankford (R-OK) in a letter to President Joe Biden calling out the Administration’s reliance on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to address the border crisis which has diminished FEMA’s readiness for disaster relief, including hurricane response, according to a media release from Marshall's office.

“Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas stated: ‘We are expecting another hurricane hitting—we do not have the funds, FEMA does not have the funds, to make it through the season.’…Your Administration has spent over $650 million on FEMA’s border-related programs in FY2024. Since taking office, the Biden-Harris Administration has spent around $1.5 billion on FEMA’s border-related programs. We are concerned that your Administration’s reliance on FEMA to address the ongoing border crisis, under Vice President Harris as ‘border czar,’ has diminished FEMA’s readiness for disaster relief, including hurricane response,”&nbsp;the Senators wrote in the letter.&nbsp;

“FEMA’s continued entanglement in DHS’s efforts to respond to the border crisis could impact its readiness and emergency response mission. Rather than ensuring FEMA is ready to respond to hurricanes and other emergencies, FEMA has been pulled into a border crisis mission. FEMA’s mission is ‘helping people before, during, and after disasters,’ not helping DHS clean up the impact of your Administration’s reckless border policies. We are very concerned that FEMA’s role at the border has impacted its readiness and preparation efforts for Hurricane Helene and its response efforts,”&nbsp;the Senators continued.&nbsp;

We write today to raise our concerns on the impact of the ongoing border crisis on Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) readiness. Yesterday, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas stated: “We are expecting another hurricane hitting—we do not have the funds, FEMA does not have the funds, to make it through the season.” Similarly, you indicated this week that you are considering requesting that Congress convene a special session to consider supplemental funding for FEMA. Congress has appropriated over $30 billion to FEMA for FY2024. Your Administration has spent over $650 million on FEMA’s border-related programs in FY2024. Since taking office, the Biden-Harris Administration has spent around $1.5 billion on FEMA’s border-related programs. We are concerned that your Administration’s reliance on FEMA to address the ongoing border crisis, under Vice President Harris as “border czar,” has diminished FEMA’s readiness for disaster relief, including hurricane response.

On the first day of the Biden-Harris Administration, you took decisive action to open the border and invite the chaos we have seen over the past 3.5 years. You ended Remain in Mexico, stopped deporting illegal immigrants, and terminated border wall construction. Over 8.4 million migrants have been encountered since you took those actions to open the border. US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) set multiple records for the most encounters in a single day and in a single month during your Administration. We have repeatedly asked you, your Cabinet, and officials across the Federal government what the plan is for addressing this historic border crisis. By March 2021, FEMA was already mobilized to address the surge of unaccompanied minors after your Administration exempted them from the Title 42 order. As your Administration began planning for the end of the Title 42 order, we learned that you had placed a senior FEMA official as the senior coordinating official for your response to impending surge.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Since the end of the Title 42 order, FEMA has continued to play a role in addressing the ongoing border crisis through the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) and through the Shelter and Services Program (SSP). These programs have supported the US Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) “Plan for Southwest Border Security and Preparedness,” which calls for FEMA to “bolster[…] the capacity of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to receive noncitizens after they have been processed by CBP and are awaiting the results of their immigration removal proceedings. And ... coordination with and support for state, local, and community leaders to help mitigate increased impacts to their communities.” Oversight from the DHS Office of the Inspector General (OIG) found that some illegal aliens who were ineligible for EFSP and SSP funding ended up receiving benefits funded by these programs. All told, FEMA has received $1.7 billion for its southern border response efforts. Emblematic of this Administration’s approach, one FEMA official informed my Subcommittee staff during a site visit that the Biden-Harris border crisis is like a hurricane: “FEMA can buy its way out of the border crisis if Congress allocates it enough money.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Each year under your Administration, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and DHS have regularly requested that Congress cut detention beds and funding for border enforcement measures. Those same budget requests asked Congress to continue funding FEMA’s border-related work. FEMA’s efforts responding to the border crisis could have been much more limited if your Administration would have instead used your authorities to secure the border.&nbsp;

FEMA’s continued entanglement in DHS’s efforts to respond to the border crisis could impact its readiness and emergency response mission. Rather than ensuring FEMA is ready to respond to hurricanes and other emergencies, FEMA has been pulled into a border crisis mission. FEMA’s mission is “helping people before, during, and after disasters,” not helping DHS clean up the impact of your Administration’s reckless border policies. We are very concerned that FEMA’s role at the border has impacted its readiness and preparation efforts for Hurricane Helene and its response efforts. To better understand the impact of FEMA’s border efforts on its hurricane response mission, we ask the following questions:&nbsp;

1. &nbsp; &nbsp; Since January 20, 2021, how many FEMA full-time employees (FTEs) have been detailed or transferred to border-related mission duties? How many FEMA FTEs have joined a border-related volunteer force or related opportunity from DHS?&nbsp;

2. &nbsp; &nbsp; Since January 20, 2021, how much money has FEMA reprogrammed to support its border-related mission duties? Please share a copy of each border-related reprogramming request.&nbsp;

3. &nbsp; &nbsp; Has the Administration conducted any strategic planning or assessment on the impact of FEMA’s engagement at the southern border? If so, please share a copy of such strategic plan or assessment. If not, why not?&nbsp;

4. &nbsp; &nbsp; The DHS OIG found that FEMA funds related to southern border programs have gone to ineligible illegal aliens. What is FEMA’s plan for recovering those funds?

Thank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to receiving your response by not later than October 18, 2024.

Washington, D.C.&nbsp;– U.S. Senator Roger&nbsp;Marshall, joined Senator James Lankford (R-OK) in a letter to President Joe Biden calling out the Administration’s reliance on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to address the border crisis which has diminished FEMA’s readiness for disaster relief, including hurricane response, according to a media release from Marshall's office.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728335149953.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>“Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas stated: ‘We are expecting another hurricane hitting—we do not have the funds, FEMA does not have the funds, to make it through the season.’…Your Administration has spent over $650 million on FEMA’s border-related programs in FY2024. Since taking office, the Biden-Harris Administration has spent around $1.5 billion on FEMA’s border-related programs. We are concerned that your Administration’s reliance on FEMA to address the ongoing border crisis, under Vice President Harris as ‘border czar,’ has diminished FEMA’s readiness for disaster relief, including hurricane response,”&nbsp;the Senators wrote in the letter.&nbsp;“FEMA’s continued entanglement in DHS’s efforts to respond to the border crisis could impact its readiness and emergency response mission. Rather than ensuring FEMA is ready to respond to hurricanes and other emergencies, FEMA has been pulled into a border crisis mission. FEMA’s mission is ‘helping people before, during, and after disasters,’ not helping DHS clean up the impact of your Administration’s reckless border policies. We are very concerned that FEMA’s role at the border has impacted its readiness and preparation efforts for Hurricane Helene and its response efforts,”&nbsp;the Senators continued.&nbsp;Read the entire letter belowDear President Biden:We write today to raise our concerns on the impact of the ongoing border crisis on Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) readiness. Yesterday, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas stated: “We are expecting another hurricane hitting—we do not have the funds, FEMA does not have the funds, to make it through the season.” Similarly, you indicated this week that you are considering requesting that Congress convene a special session to consider supplemental funding for FEMA. Congress has appropriated over $30 billion to FEMA for FY2024. Your Administration has spent over $650 million on FEMA’s border-related programs in FY2024. Since taking office, the Biden-Harris Administration has spent around $1.5 billion on FEMA’s border-related programs. We are concerned that your Administration’s reliance on FEMA to address the ongoing border crisis, under Vice President Harris as “border czar,” has diminished FEMA’s readiness for disaster relief, including hurricane response.On the first day of the Biden-Harris Administration, you took decisive action to open the border and invite the chaos we have seen over the past 3.5 years. You ended Remain in Mexico, stopped deporting illegal immigrants, and terminated border wall construction. Over 8.4 million migrants have been encountered since you took those actions to open the border. US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) set multiple records for the most encounters in a single day and in a single month during your Administration. We have repeatedly asked you, your Cabinet, and officials across the Federal government what the plan is for addressing this historic border crisis. By March 2021, FEMA was already mobilized to address the surge of unaccompanied minors after your Administration exempted them from the Title 42 order. As your Administration began planning for the end of the Title 42 order, we learned that you had placed a senior FEMA official as the senior coordinating official for your response to impending surge.&nbsp;&nbsp;Since the end of the Title 42 order, FEMA has continued to play a role in addressing the ongoing border crisis through the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) and through the Shelter and Services Program (SSP). These programs have supported the US Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) “Plan for Southwest Border Security and Preparedness,” which calls for FEMA to “bolster[…] the capacity of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to receive noncitizens after they have been processed by CBP and are awaiting the results of their immigration removal proceedings. And ... coordination with and support for state, local, and community leaders to help mitigate increased impacts to their communities.” Oversight from the DHS Office of the Inspector General (OIG) found that some illegal aliens who were ineligible for EFSP and SSP funding ended up receiving benefits funded by these programs. All told, FEMA has received $1.7 billion for its southern border response efforts. Emblematic of this Administration’s approach, one FEMA official informed my Subcommittee staff during a site visit that the Biden-Harris border crisis is like a hurricane: “FEMA can buy its way out of the border crisis if Congress allocates it enough money.”&nbsp;&nbsp;Each year under your Administration, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and DHS have regularly requested that Congress cut detention beds and funding for border enforcement measures. Those same budget requests asked Congress to continue funding FEMA’s border-related work. FEMA’s efforts responding to the border crisis could have been much more limited if your Administration would have instead used your authorities to secure the border.&nbsp;FEMA’s continued entanglement in DHS’s efforts to respond to the border crisis could impact its readiness and emergency response mission. Rather than ensuring FEMA is ready to respond to hurricanes and other emergencies, FEMA has been pulled into a border crisis mission. FEMA’s mission is “helping people before, during, and after disasters,” not helping DHS clean up the impact of your Administration’s reckless border policies. We are very concerned that FEMA’s role at the border has impacted its readiness and preparation efforts for Hurricane Helene and its response efforts. To better understand the impact of FEMA’s border efforts on its hurricane response mission, we ask the following questions:&nbsp;1. &nbsp; &nbsp; Since January 20, 2021, how many FEMA full-time employees (FTEs) have been detailed or transferred to border-related mission duties? How many FEMA FTEs have joined a border-related volunteer force or related opportunity from DHS?&nbsp;2. &nbsp; &nbsp; Since January 20, 2021, how much money has FEMA reprogrammed to support its border-related mission duties? Please share a copy of each border-related reprogramming request.&nbsp;3. &nbsp; &nbsp; Has the Administration conducted any strategic planning or assessment on the impact of FEMA’s engagement at the southern border? If so, please share a copy of such strategic plan or assessment. If not, why not?&nbsp;4. &nbsp; &nbsp; The DHS OIG found that FEMA funds related to southern border programs have gone to ineligible illegal aliens. What is FEMA’s plan for recovering those funds?Thank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to receiving your response by not later than October 18, 2024.

Kan. U.S. Senator slams Biden for using disaster relief funds for migrant shelters

(Radio Iowa) - Iowans might spot a few tractors in school parking lots this week as part of National 4-H Week. 

Emily Saveraid is executive director of the Iowa 4-H Foundation, which she says has more than a hundred years of history in the Hawkeye State. 

The organization now reaches more than 120-thousand young people in Iowa every year, and she says it's grown well beyond just appealing to farm kids, offering them the skills they need to be successful as they move forward for whatever's next. She says 4-H is empowering Iowa's youth to reach their full potential and creating a real impact on the state.

(Radio Iowa) - Iowans might spot a few tractors in school parking lots this week as part of National 4-H Week. Emily Saveraid is executive director of the Iowa 4-H Foundation, which she says has more than a hundred years of history in the Hawkeye State. The organization now reaches more than 120-thousand young people in Iowa every year, and she says it's grown well beyond just appealing to farm kids, offering them the skills they need to be successful as they move forward for whatever's next. She says 4-H is empowering Iowa's youth to reach their full potential and creating a real impact on the state.

After a century in Iowa, 4-H is still helping young people grow

OLYMPIA, Wash. - Mega Millions, the lottery game that has produced a record six jackpot wins exceeding $1 billion, is getting ready for a “mega” overhaul with plans to be bigger and better than ever when the new and improved game launches in April 2025, according to a media lease. 

Among the enhancements, players will benefit from:

“We are creating a game that both our existing players and people new to Mega Millions will love and get excited about playing,” said Joshua Johnston, Lead Director of the Mega Millions Consortium. “We expect more billion-dollar jackpots than ever before, meaning creating more billionaires and many more millionaires as the jackpots climb, plus this game will continue the important legacy of supporting great causes everywhere Mega Millions is played.

”When the new and improved game launches next April, tickets will cost $5 per play. This is only the game’s second price adjustment since the first ticket was sold more than 20 years ago and the first change since the current game matrix was adopted in 2017.Since Mega Millions launched in 2002, it has produced six winners of billion-dollar jackpots. Since the last change in 2017 more than 1,200 players have become millionaires, an average of 3 millionaires per week.Mega Millions is a national game with tickets sold in 45 states, Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are conducted at 11 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesdays and Fridays in Atlanta, Georgia. Lottery profits support a wide variety of good causes and are allocated differently in each jurisdiction.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1620755777014.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>OLYMPIA, Wash. - Mega Millions, the lottery game that has produced a record six jackpot wins exceeding $1 billion, is getting ready for a “mega” overhaul with plans to be bigger and better than ever when the new and improved game launches in April 2025, according to a media lease. Among the enhancements, players will benefit from:<ul>
 <li>Improved odds to win the jackpot</li><li>Bigger jackpots more frequently</li><li>Larger starting jackpots</li><li>Faster growing jackpots</li><li>A built-in multiplier on every play, automatically improving every non-jackpot win by 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X or 10X – up to $10 million for matching the five white balls</li><li>No breakeven prizes, meaning when a player wins, they’ll always win more than the cost of the ticket</li>
 </ul>“We are creating a game that both our existing players and people new to Mega Millions will love and get excited about playing,” said Joshua Johnston, Lead Director of the Mega Millions Consortium. “We expect more billion-dollar jackpots than ever before, meaning creating more billionaires and many more millionaires as the jackpots climb, plus this game will continue the important legacy of supporting great causes everywhere Mega Millions is played.”When the new and improved game launches next April, tickets will cost $5 per play. This is only the game’s second price adjustment since the first ticket was sold more than 20 years ago and the first change since the current game matrix was adopted in 2017.Since Mega Millions launched in 2002, it has produced six winners of billion-dollar jackpots. Since the last change in 2017 more than 1,200 players have become millionaires, an average of 3 millionaires per week.Mega Millions is a national game with tickets sold in 45 states, Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are conducted at 11 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesdays and Fridays in Atlanta, Georgia. Lottery profits support a wide variety of good causes and are allocated differently in each jurisdiction.

Price to purchase a Mega Millions ticket is going up

Work will soon begin on renovations at Krug Park with a groundbreaking ceremony set to be held later this week.  

St. Joseph District One councilmember Madison Davis says this project is one that has been in the works for quite a while now 

"To revitalize Krug Park to a place where it was once before, and maybe even set it up for a better future than what we have currently," Davis tells host of the KFEQ Hotline Barry Birr. "I think Krug Park is many things for many different people and everyone seems to enjoy it, whether they live in St. Joseph or don't live in St. Joseph they have a Krug Park memory." 

Davis says the main focus of this project is to bring things in Krug Park back to where they are usable. 

"Where we have restrooms that work, where we electricity at the state, where some of those sidewalk connections are made that are making it easier to access the bowl, or castle, or those kinds of places," Davis explains. "To make improvements to the children's circus area, to bring back those great slides that so many people have talked about, that I have never actually tried, so I'm excited for that." 

Davis says the goal is to repair and replace what is already at Krug Park to continue setting a positive trajectory.   

The groundbreaking ceremony will be held on Thursday at the Krug Park amphitheater at 4pm. 

By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post Work will soon begin on renovations at Krug Park with a groundbreaking ceremony set to be held later this week. St. Joseph District One councilmember Madison Davis says this project is one that has been in the works for quite a while now "To revitalize Krug Park to a place where it was once before, and maybe even set it up for a better future than what we have currently," Davis tells host of the KFEQ Hotline Barry Birr. "I think Krug Park is many things for many different people and everyone seems to enjoy it, whether they live in St. Joseph or don't live in St. Joseph they have a Krug Park memory." Davis says the main focus of this project is to bring things in Krug Park back to where they are usable. "Where we have restrooms that work, where we electricity at the state, where some of those sidewalk connections are made that are making it easier to access the bowl, or castle, or those kinds of places," Davis explains. "To make improvements to the children's circus area, to bring back those great slides that so many people have talked about, that I have never actually tried, so I'm excited for that." Davis says the goal is to repair and replace what is already at Krug Park to continue setting a positive trajectory. The groundbreaking ceremony will be held on Thursday at the Krug Park amphitheater at 4pm.

City breaks ground on Krug Park improvements on Thursday

On this episode of Forward Ever: Leading in Challenging Times, host Gary Shorman speaks with&nbsp;American Red Cross communication manager Logan Wright.

<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dobDNgOSMGA?si=lCBhPu7U5MDOzuTO" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>On this episode of Forward Ever: Leading in Challenging Times, host Gary Shorman speaks with&nbsp;American Red Cross communication manager Logan Wright.

🎤Forward Ever: American Red Cross communication manager Logan Wright

Northern Missouri Congressman Sam
Graves claims the Biden Administration is subverting a United States Supreme
Court ruling as it implements new rules regulating the country’s waterways.

Graves, a Republican, accuses the
administration of refusing to follow the Supreme Court ruling on Waters of the
United States.

“In my opinion, they are not.
They are ignoring the Supreme Court,” Graves tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “The administration
needs to listen to what the Supreme Court said when it comes to WOTUS. What they’re
proposing is, the administration, it’s a taking. You’re taking the use of that
property from individuals.”

Graves claims the EPA has refused
to turn over guidance documents on how to rule on WOTUS in wake of the Supreme
Court decision. Graves says the administration needs to fall in line with the
Sackett v. EPA ruling that the federal government can only regulate wetlands
with a “continuous surface connection” to a body of water, such as a river or
lake.

Graves says how the EPA responds
will have real consequences for individuals.

“You hear all of this talk, too,
about how WOTUS exempts farmers out,” Graves says. “That is simply not the case,
because we’re seeing farmers being cited all over the country and fined all
over the country. It’s based on a subjective, many subjective definitions of
various aspects of Waters of the U.S., of WOTUS. It’s very frustrating that we
continue to have to deal with this.”

Graves says he assumed the issue
was decided when the Supreme Court ruled on WOTUS, ending a back-and-forth that
began during the presidency of Barack Obama. The EPA first proposed WOTUS
during the Obama Administration. The proposed rule was immediately challenged
in court and never went into effect.

“The Trump Administration
reversed many of the things that the Obama Administration did when it came to WOTUS,”
Graves says. “And then, what happen was the Biden Administration came right
back along and then reversed many of the things that the Trump Administration
did.”

Graves claims the EPA has not
only refused to abide by the Supreme Court decision, but has refused to release
its documentation pertaining to the re-writing of WOTUS.

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

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostNorthern Missouri Congressman Sam
Graves claims the Biden Administration is subverting a United States Supreme
Court ruling as it implements new rules regulating the country’s waterways.Graves, a Republican, accuses the
administration of refusing to follow the Supreme Court ruling on Waters of the
United States.“In my opinion, they are not.
They are ignoring the Supreme Court,” Graves tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “The administration
needs to listen to what the Supreme Court said when it comes to WOTUS. What they’re
proposing is, the administration, it’s a taking. You’re taking the use of that
property from individuals.”Graves claims the EPA has refused
to turn over guidance documents on how to rule on WOTUS in wake of the Supreme
Court decision. Graves says the administration needs to fall in line with the
Sackett v. EPA ruling that the federal government can only regulate wetlands
with a “continuous surface connection” to a body of water, such as a river or
lake.Graves says how the EPA responds
will have real consequences for individuals.“You hear all of this talk, too,
about how WOTUS exempts farmers out,” Graves says. “That is simply not the case,
because we’re seeing farmers being cited all over the country and fined all
over the country. It’s based on a subjective, many subjective definitions of
various aspects of Waters of the U.S., of WOTUS. It’s very frustrating that we
continue to have to deal with this.”Graves says he assumed the issue
was decided when the Supreme Court ruled on WOTUS, ending a back-and-forth that
began during the presidency of Barack Obama. The EPA first proposed WOTUS
during the Obama Administration. The proposed rule was immediately challenged
in court and never went into effect.“The Trump Administration
reversed many of the things that the Obama Administration did when it came to WOTUS,”
Graves says. “And then, what happen was the Biden Administration came right
back along and then reversed many of the things that the Trump Administration
did.”Graves claims the EPA has not
only refused to abide by the Supreme Court decision, but has refused to release
its documentation pertaining to the re-writing of WOTUS.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Graves accuses Biden Adm. of not following Supreme Court WOTUS ruling

(Radio Iowa) - Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig says his department is beginning work to restore seven abandoned coal strip mine sites in south-central and southeast Iowa.

 Naig says there is debris that's left over, rock piles and often times they've dug out an area the last place that they mined coal leaving a large hole that fills with water. Naig says this is NOT the same as cleaning up a superfund toxic waste site as it is more about moving dirt and rock to restoring the landscape, and then restore the soil health. The program is spending 10 million dollars for these seven projects that will take around one year to complete. 

Here are the projects: Pella North and Pella South (Dutch Hollow), Marion County: 162 acres; Kuiper, Marion County: 81.2 acres; Bos, Wapello County: 34.6 acres; Eden, Van Buren County:14 acres; Pedrick, Van Buren County: 14 acres; Vanderzyl, Marion County: 57 acres; Vanderzyl East, Marion County: 29.5 acres.

(Radio Iowa) - Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig says his department is beginning work to restore seven abandoned coal strip mine sites in south-central and southeast Iowa. Naig says there is debris that's left over, rock piles and often times they've dug out an area the last place that they mined coal leaving a large hole that fills with water. Naig says this is NOT the same as cleaning up a superfund toxic waste site as it is more about moving dirt and rock to restoring the landscape, and then restore the soil health. The program is spending 10 million dollars for these seven projects that will take around one year to complete. Here are the projects: Pella North and Pella South (Dutch Hollow), Marion County: 162 acres; Kuiper, Marion County: 81.2 acres; Bos, Wapello County: 34.6 acres; Eden, Van Buren County:14 acres; Pedrick, Van Buren County: 14 acres; Vanderzyl, Marion County: 57 acres; Vanderzyl East, Marion County: 29.5 acres.

Seven Mine Sites To Be Restored

The legislation that would set food and farm policy for the next five years is in limbo, waiting for lawmakers to decide its fate after the election. The latest deadline for the Farm Bill passed unceremoniously at midnight on Sept. 30th, without a push from lawmakers to pass a new bill or an extension. Congress will have to scramble in the lame-duck session set to begin Nov. 12 to come up with some agreement before benefits run out at the end of the year — which if allowed to happen eventually would have major consequences. 

The legislation that would set food and farm policy for the next five years is in limbo, waiting for lawmakers to decide its fate after the election. The latest deadline for the Farm Bill passed unceremoniously at midnight on Sept. 30th, without a push from lawmakers to pass a new bill or an extension. Congress will have to scramble in the lame-duck session set to begin Nov. 12 to come up with some agreement before benefits run out at the end of the year — which if allowed to happen eventually would have major consequences.

Lame duck session seen as last chance to save farm bill

In a victory for the U.S. pork industry, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit based in San Francisco rejected a lawsuit from several activist groups who sought to impose sweeping changes to the Environmental Protection Agency’s concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) rules. Last month, The National Pork Producers Council participated in oral arguments before the Ninth Circuit, successfully urging the court to reject the lawsuit. At that hearing, the Ninth Circuit expressed frustration and concerns with Food &amp; Water Watch’s approach and candor.

In its decision, the court made clear that EPA’s preferred approach to regulating livestock production to study water quality issues is the appropriate path for EPA and does not warrant throwing out decades of established law. NPPC stated that the lawsuit sought to use the court to upend livestock production across the country. By attacking core notions of due process and fundamental civil rights, animals rights activists sought to put pork producers around the country out of business.&nbsp;

In a victory for the U.S. pork industry, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit based in San Francisco rejected a lawsuit from several activist groups who sought to impose sweeping changes to the Environmental Protection Agency’s concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) rules. Last month, The National Pork Producers Council participated in oral arguments before the Ninth Circuit, successfully urging the court to reject the lawsuit. At that hearing, the Ninth Circuit expressed frustration and concerns with Food &amp; Water Watch’s approach and candor.In its decision, the court made clear that EPA’s preferred approach to regulating livestock production to study water quality issues is the appropriate path for EPA and does not warrant throwing out decades of established law. NPPC stated that the lawsuit sought to use the court to upend livestock production across the country. By attacking core notions of due process and fundamental civil rights, animals rights activists sought to put pork producers around the country out of business.&nbsp;-NAFB

NPPC secures 9th circuit victory defending Producers' freedom to farm

A 30-year-old St. Joseph man is charged with felony assault in
the shooting and wounding of a St. Joseph man Saturday night.

The St. Joseph Police Department reports Derius Davis has been
charged in connection with the shooting and wounding of 37-year-old Jonathan
Ross, who is listed in critical condition.

The department reports officers responded to a shooting in the
parking lot at 720 Jules Street just before 10 o’clock Saturday night.

This article has been updated since first published.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728335541154.png" alt="Derius Davis, Buchannan County Jail" />
 <figcaption>Derius Davis, Buchannan County Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA 30-year-old St. Joseph man is charged with felony assault in
the shooting and wounding of a St. Joseph man Saturday night.The St. Joseph Police Department reports Derius Davis has been
charged in connection with the shooting and wounding of 37-year-old Jonathan
Ross, who is listed in critical condition.The department reports officers responded to a shooting in the
parking lot at 720 Jules Street just before 10 o’clock Saturday night.The investigation continues.This article has been updated since first published.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Downtown St. Joseph shooting leaves one wounded

WASHINGTON —The United States will provide nearly $157 million in new U.S. humanitarian&nbsp;assistance&nbsp;to support populations affected by conflict in Lebanon and the region, according to a statement from the U..S Department of State.

&nbsp;This funding will address new and existing needs of internally displaced persons and refugee populations inside Lebanon and the communities that host them.&nbsp; The assistance will also support those fleeing to neighboring Syria.&nbsp;

This life-saving assistance from the American people includes nearly $82 million immediately available through the Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration and $75 million through the United States Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance.&nbsp; 

Of this total, USAID has already deployed $11.5 million, and working with Congress plans to make another $63.5 million available in the coming weeks, to ensure that vital humanitarian assistance can continue to reach the most vulnerable communities in need.&nbsp;&nbsp;This&nbsp;emergency food, shelter, blankets, hygiene kits, protection, water, and sanitation assistance will be a critical lifeline for those who have endured unimaginable hardships.

The United States provided nearly $386 million over the last year to support vulnerable populations in Lebanon and Syria impacted by the increase in conflict.&nbsp; This new humanitarian assistance comes at a time of devastating humanitarian crisis for Lebanon, with more than a million people displaced from their homes. &nbsp;The United States is committed to helping those most vulnerable in Lebanon and throughout the region. &nbsp;We&nbsp;urge other donors to join us in stepping up to contribute to these new humanitarian needs.

WASHINGTON —The United States will provide nearly $157 million in new U.S. humanitarian&nbsp;assistance&nbsp;to support populations affected by conflict in Lebanon and the region, according to a statement from the U..S Department of State.&nbsp;This funding will address new and existing needs of internally displaced persons and refugee populations inside Lebanon and the communities that host them.&nbsp; The assistance will also support those fleeing to neighboring Syria.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The people of Lebanon are facing an increasingly dire humanitarian situation. I am concerned about the security and well-being of civilians suffering in Lebanon and will continue working to help meet the needs of all civilians there. To that end, the United States will provide…&mdash; Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) <a href="https://twitter.com/VP/status/1842710797241434259?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>This life-saving assistance from the American people includes nearly $82 million immediately available through the Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration and $75 million through the United States Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance.&nbsp; Of this total, USAID has already deployed $11.5 million, and working with Congress plans to make another $63.5 million available in the coming weeks, to ensure that vital humanitarian assistance can continue to reach the most vulnerable communities in need.&nbsp;&nbsp;This&nbsp;emergency food, shelter, blankets, hygiene kits, protection, water, and sanitation assistance will be a critical lifeline for those who have endured unimaginable hardships.The United States provided nearly $386 million over the last year to support vulnerable populations in Lebanon and Syria impacted by the increase in conflict.&nbsp; This new humanitarian assistance comes at a time of devastating humanitarian crisis for Lebanon, with more than a million people displaced from their homes. &nbsp;The United States is committed to helping those most vulnerable in Lebanon and throughout the region. &nbsp;We&nbsp;urge other donors to join us in stepping up to contribute to these new humanitarian needs.

US to give $157 million in aid in response to Lebanon crisis

WASHINGTON— President Biden made a rare appearance Friday at the White House press briefing.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Biden also had terse words for&nbsp;Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday, and said he didn't know whether the Israeli leader was holding up a peace deal in order to influence the outcome of the 2024 U.S. presidential election.

Biden, was responding to comments made by one of his allies, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who said on CNN this week that he was concerned Netanyahu had little interest in a peace deal in part because of U.S. politics.

Israel has pressed forward on two fronts, pursuing a ground incursion into Lebanon against Hezbollah that left eight Israeli soldiers dead and conducting strikes in Gaza that killed dozens, including children. And the nation has vowed to retaliate for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-lebanon-hezbollah-gaza-news-10-01-2024-eb175dff6e46906caea8b9e43dfbd3da">Iran’s ballistic missile attack</a>&nbsp;this week, as the region braced for further escalation.

-The Associated Press contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON— President Biden made a rare appearance Friday at the White House press briefing.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Q: &quot;Do you have confidence that it will be a free and fair election and that it will be peaceful?&quot; President Biden: &quot;I&#39;m confident it will be free and fair. I don&#39;t know whether it will be peaceful. The things that Trump has said...were very dangerous.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/HrhpaooEHe">pic.twitter.com/HrhpaooEHe</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1842271469838962742?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>&nbsp;Biden also had terse words for&nbsp;Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday, and said he didn't know whether the Israeli leader was holding up a peace deal in order to influence the outcome of the 2024 U.S. presidential election.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Q: &quot;Do you want to re-consider dropping out of the race?&quot; President Biden jokingly, &quot;I&#39;m back in!&quot; <a href="https://t.co/WIyhRwbjjk">pic.twitter.com/WIyhRwbjjk</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1842272465117921726?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Biden, was responding to comments made by one of his allies, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who said on CNN this week that he was concerned Netanyahu had little interest in a peace deal in part because of U.S. politics.Israel has pressed forward on two fronts, pursuing a ground incursion into Lebanon against Hezbollah that left eight Israeli soldiers dead and conducting strikes in Gaza that killed dozens, including children. And the nation has vowed to retaliate for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-lebanon-hezbollah-gaza-news-10-01-2024-eb175dff6e46906caea8b9e43dfbd3da">Iran’s ballistic missile attack</a>&nbsp;this week, as the region braced for further escalation.-The Associated Press contributed to this report.

🎥President Biden said he doesn't know if the election will be peaceful

(Radio Iowa) - A convoy of U-S military vehicles will make its way through north-central Iowa next week as part of a 25-hundred mile journey. 

The Military Vehicle Preservation Association is celebrating the 15th year of its convoy program by retracing the historic Jefferson Highway route from the Minnesota border to New Orleans. Visit Mason City executive director Lindsey James says the caravan will be a must-see, especially for veterans and it includes all sorts of restored vehicles, military ambulances, and transport vehicles. 

The convoy will arrive in Northwood on Monday morning, and will come to Mason City to overnight Monday and Tuesday nights, before heading south.

(Radio Iowa) - A convoy of U-S military vehicles will make its way through north-central Iowa next week as part of a 25-hundred mile journey. The Military Vehicle Preservation Association is celebrating the 15th year of its convoy program by retracing the historic Jefferson Highway route from the Minnesota border to New Orleans. Visit Mason City executive director Lindsey James says the caravan will be a must-see, especially for veterans and it includes all sorts of restored vehicles, military ambulances, and transport vehicles. The convoy will arrive in Northwood on Monday morning, and will come to Mason City to overnight Monday and Tuesday nights, before heading south.

Convoy of historic military vehicles to trek across Iowa next week

The Missouri NAACP argues that the fees ‘create a negative incentive to give more tickets and charge unnecessary crimes’

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/marysanchez/">MARY SANCHEZ</a>

Missouri voters will decide Nov. 5 if retirement funds for sheriffs and prosecutors should be supported with fees collected on court cases.

A fee used to fund sheriffs’ pensions was put in place by state law in 1983.

The Missouri General Assembly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sos.mo.gov/CMSImages/Elections/Petitions/SSSCSSJR71-SignedCopy.pdf" target="_blank">placed Amendment 6</a>&nbsp;on the ballot to reverse a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/file.jsp?id=177738" target="_blank">2021 Missouri Supreme Court ruling</a>&nbsp;that found the fees unconstitutional.

The state’s high court found that court fees for pensions were “not reasonably related to expense of the administration of justice” and thus violated a constitutional ban against using court fees to enhance the compensation of executive department officials, which would include retired county sheriffs.

If approved by a simple majority of voters, the Missouri Constitution will be changed, allowing the legislature to fund benefits for the state’s 114 elected county sheriffs or their surviving spouses through the collection of&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=57.955&amp;bid=2164" target="_blank">a $3 fee</a>&nbsp;per case where a guilty verdict or plea is reached. Retirement benefits for prosecutors are also included, through&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=56.807&amp;bid=35555" target="_blank">a $4 fee</a>.

Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to provide that the administration of justice shall include the levying of costs and fees to support salaries and benefits for certain current and former law enforcement personnel?

State and local governmental entities estimate an unknown fiscal impact.

A&nbsp;“yes”&nbsp;vote will amend the Missouri Constitution to levy costs and fees to support salaries and benefits for current and former sheriffs, prosecuting attorneys, and circuit attorneys to ensure all Missourians have access to the courts of justice.

A&nbsp;“no”&nbsp;vote will not amend the Missouri Constitution to levy costs and fees related to current or former sheriffs, prosecuting attorneys and circuit attorneys.

If passed, this measure will have no impact on taxes.

If it fails, the&nbsp;<a href="https://sherretmo.com/" target="_blank">Missouri Sheriffs’ Retirement System</a>&nbsp;predicts that its fund will be insolvent within nine years, said Melissa Lorts, executive director.

“We feel like the $3 fee is really a user fee of the court system,” Lorts said.

Sheriffs are responsible for bringing defendants to the courthouse from the jail, and they administer warrants and manage other aspects of a criminal case, she said.

“So we have a heavy hand in what happens in the court system,” Lorts said.

More than 200 former sheriffs or their surviving spouses currently receive benefits, Lorts said.

The amendment traces back to two speeding tickets in Kansas City and the state supreme court ruling that followed.

Two men admitted to the traffic violations in 2017, ultimately paying a total of $223.50 in fines and fees to the city’s municipal court.

But the men later argued that they didn’t realize that $3 from each case would go toward the sheriffs’ retirement benefits.

The two men led a class action filed with Jackson County Circuit Court, arguing that the extra charge was “unjust enrichment,” a violation of the state constitution.

The case continued to wind through the courts until the Missouri Supreme Court ruled for the plaintiffs in 2021, Lorts said.

The court’s decision cited a 1986 ruling, noting that it laid down “a bright-line rule” barring court fees that benefit executive officials that are not “reasonably related to the expense of the administration of justice.”

The ruling in the traffic case cost the retirement system about $9 million in court costs and settlements and ended its ability to collect the money, Lorts said.

In December 2023, the fund had $38.4 million in assets, a drop of $800,000 from the end of the previous calendar year, according to the Missouri Sheriffs’ Retirement System&nbsp;<a href="https://sherretmo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2023-Sheriffs-Retirement-Annual-Report.pdf" target="_blank">annual report</a>.

Beginning in January 2024, active sheriffs began contributing 5% of their salaries to the retirement fund, a change instituted by the legislature.

The legislature also approved $2.5 million to help stabilize the fund, an amount that has been requested again in the coming fiscal year, Lorts said.

What are the arguments against Amendment 6?&nbsp;

Critics of the fees that Amendment 6 would allow say each county should pay for pensions and other costs related to law enforcement and the courts.

The Washington, D.C.-based&nbsp;<a href="https://finesandfeesjusticecenter.org/" target="_blank">Fines and Fees Justice Center</a>&nbsp;told lawmakers that the salaries and benefits for prosecutors and sheriffs should be adequately funded, but that court fees are an “ineffective and counterproductive” approach.

“When fines and fees go unpaid, judges may issue arrest warrants for failing to pay, leading to law enforcement arresting people for not paying financial obligations — most often because they are too poor to pay,” testified Priya Sarathy Jones, deputy executive director at the Fines and Fees Justice Center.

“The time spent on these debt collection and enforcement efforts diverts law enforcement and courts from their core responsibilities … In fact, the collection of fines and fees by law enforcement has been found to be associated with lower clearance rates for more serious crimes.”

Some studies have shown that the cost to municipalities to collect fines and fees can exceed the revenue generated.

The Missouri NAACP argued that the fees “create a negative incentive to give more tickets and charge unnecessary crimes.”

Leonard Charles Gilroy, a vice president of the&nbsp;<a href="https://reason.org/" target="_blank">Reason Foundation</a>&nbsp;in Los Angeles, wrote that changing the state constitution to allow the fees would violate “basics of public finance and fiscal stewardship.”

Public pensions are constitutionally protected benefits, which are obligated to be paid in full regardless of market conditions or revenue generated.

“Law enforcement and courts are core functions of government that should be funded through legislative appropriations, not fees,” Gilroy’s statement said.

“It would be imprudent to revive a policy to fund pension contributions with dedicated fine/fee revenues because those revenues can fluctuate over time, while pension liabilities are always locked in.”

Meanwhile, Amendment 6 came under fire for ballot summary language that the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/file.jsp?id=211134" target="_blank">Missouri Court of Appeals Western District</a>&nbsp;ruled was insufficient and unfair.

The court clarified that passage of the measure by voters in the general election would enshrine a broader meaning of the administration of justice in the state constitution.

That court reworded the ballot language voters will see to read: “Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to provide that the administration of justice shall include the levying of costs and fees to support salaries and benefits for certain current and former law enforcement personnel?”

This&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2024/10/02/missouri-amendment-6-should-court-fees-could-fund-retirement-for-sheriffs-and-prosecutors/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/" target="_blank">Beacon: Missouri</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728071001520.png" alt=" Amendment 6 would open the door to charging criminal defendants fees to fund some law enforcement pensions (Mary Sanchez /The Beacon)." />
 <figcaption> Amendment 6 would open the door to charging criminal defendants fees to fund some law enforcement pensions (Mary Sanchez /The Beacon).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The Missouri NAACP argues that the fees ‘create a negative incentive to give more tickets and charge unnecessary crimes’</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/marysanchez/">MARY SANCHEZ</a>Missouri voters will decide Nov. 5 if retirement funds for sheriffs and prosecutors should be supported with fees collected on court cases.A fee used to fund sheriffs’ pensions was put in place by state law in 1983.The Missouri General Assembly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sos.mo.gov/CMSImages/Elections/Petitions/SSSCSSJR71-SignedCopy.pdf" target="_blank">placed Amendment 6</a>&nbsp;on the ballot to reverse a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/file.jsp?id=177738" target="_blank">2021 Missouri Supreme Court ruling</a>&nbsp;that found the fees unconstitutional.The state’s high court found that court fees for pensions were “not reasonably related to expense of the administration of justice” and thus violated a constitutional ban against using court fees to enhance the compensation of executive department officials, which would include retired county sheriffs.If approved by a simple majority of voters, the Missouri Constitution will be changed, allowing the legislature to fund benefits for the state’s 114 elected county sheriffs or their surviving spouses through the collection of&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=57.955&amp;bid=2164" target="_blank">a $3 fee</a>&nbsp;per case where a guilty verdict or plea is reached. Retirement benefits for prosecutors are also included, through&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=56.807&amp;bid=35555" target="_blank">a $4 fee</a>.The exact ballot language is below:Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to provide that the administration of justice shall include the levying of costs and fees to support salaries and benefits for certain current and former law enforcement personnel?State and local governmental entities estimate an unknown fiscal impact.Fair Ballot Language:A&nbsp;“yes”&nbsp;vote will amend the Missouri Constitution to levy costs and fees to support salaries and benefits for current and former sheriffs, prosecuting attorneys, and circuit attorneys to ensure all Missourians have access to the courts of justice.A&nbsp;“no”&nbsp;vote will not amend the Missouri Constitution to levy costs and fees related to current or former sheriffs, prosecuting attorneys and circuit attorneys.If passed, this measure will have no impact on taxes.<h2>What happens if Amendment 6 fails?</h2>If it fails, the&nbsp;<a href="https://sherretmo.com/" target="_blank">Missouri Sheriffs’ Retirement System</a>&nbsp;predicts that its fund will be insolvent within nine years, said Melissa Lorts, executive director.“We feel like the $3 fee is really a user fee of the court system,” Lorts said.Sheriffs are responsible for bringing defendants to the courthouse from the jail, and they administer warrants and manage other aspects of a criminal case, she said.“So we have a heavy hand in what happens in the court system,” Lorts said.More than 200 former sheriffs or their surviving spouses currently receive benefits, Lorts said.The amendment traces back to two speeding tickets in Kansas City and the state supreme court ruling that followed.Two men admitted to the traffic violations in 2017, ultimately paying a total of $223.50 in fines and fees to the city’s municipal court.But the men later argued that they didn’t realize that $3 from each case would go toward the sheriffs’ retirement benefits.The two men led a class action filed with Jackson County Circuit Court, arguing that the extra charge was “unjust enrichment,” a violation of the state constitution.The case continued to wind through the courts until the Missouri Supreme Court ruled for the plaintiffs in 2021, Lorts said.The court’s decision cited a 1986 ruling, noting that it laid down “a bright-line rule” barring court fees that benefit executive officials that are not “reasonably related to the expense of the administration of justice.”The ruling in the traffic case cost the retirement system about $9 million in court costs and settlements and ended its ability to collect the money, Lorts said.In December 2023, the fund had $38.4 million in assets, a drop of $800,000 from the end of the previous calendar year, according to the Missouri Sheriffs’ Retirement System&nbsp;<a href="https://sherretmo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2023-Sheriffs-Retirement-Annual-Report.pdf" target="_blank">annual report</a>.Beginning in January 2024, active sheriffs began contributing 5% of their salaries to the retirement fund, a change instituted by the legislature.The legislature also approved $2.5 million to help stabilize the fund, an amount that has been requested again in the coming fiscal year, Lorts said.<h2>What are the arguments against Amendment 6?&nbsp;</h2>Critics of the fees that Amendment 6 would allow say each county should pay for pensions and other costs related to law enforcement and the courts.The Washington, D.C.-based&nbsp;<a href="https://finesandfeesjusticecenter.org/" target="_blank">Fines and Fees Justice Center</a>&nbsp;told lawmakers that the salaries and benefits for prosecutors and sheriffs should be adequately funded, but that court fees are an “ineffective and counterproductive” approach.“When fines and fees go unpaid, judges may issue arrest warrants for failing to pay, leading to law enforcement arresting people for not paying financial obligations — most often because they are too poor to pay,” testified Priya Sarathy Jones, deputy executive director at the Fines and Fees Justice Center.“The time spent on these debt collection and enforcement efforts diverts law enforcement and courts from their core responsibilities … In fact, the collection of fines and fees by law enforcement has been found to be associated with lower clearance rates for more serious crimes.”Some studies have shown that the cost to municipalities to collect fines and fees can exceed the revenue generated.The Missouri NAACP argued that the fees “create a negative incentive to give more tickets and charge unnecessary crimes.”Leonard Charles Gilroy, a vice president of the&nbsp;<a href="https://reason.org/" target="_blank">Reason Foundation</a>&nbsp;in Los Angeles, wrote that changing the state constitution to allow the fees would violate “basics of public finance and fiscal stewardship.”Public pensions are constitutionally protected benefits, which are obligated to be paid in full regardless of market conditions or revenue generated.“Law enforcement and courts are core functions of government that should be funded through legislative appropriations, not fees,” Gilroy’s statement said.“It would be imprudent to revive a policy to fund pension contributions with dedicated fine/fee revenues because those revenues can fluctuate over time, while pension liabilities are always locked in.”Meanwhile, Amendment 6 came under fire for ballot summary language that the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/file.jsp?id=211134" target="_blank">Missouri Court of Appeals Western District</a>&nbsp;ruled was insufficient and unfair.The court clarified that passage of the measure by voters in the general election would enshrine a broader meaning of the administration of justice in the state constitution.That court reworded the ballot language voters will see to read: “Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to provide that the administration of justice shall include the levying of costs and fees to support salaries and benefits for certain current and former law enforcement personnel?”This&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2024/10/02/missouri-amendment-6-should-court-fees-could-fund-retirement-for-sheriffs-and-prosecutors/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/" target="_blank">Beacon: Missouri</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.<figure>
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Amendment would use court fees to fund retirement for Missouri sheriffs, prosecutors

For the second year in a row Northwest Missouri State University has been ranked as one of the top colleges in the Midwest.   

Northwest has been ranked on US News and World Reports list of 2025 Best Colleges, ranked for a second year in a row inside the Top 25.  

The university in Maryville actually even jumped a couple spots, going from #22 last year, to #20 this year in the Midwest, trailing only Truman State for a public university from Missouri.  

University President Lance Tatum says it's exciting to make the list again, especially with the hard work put into what's being done at Northwest to serve students.  

"It's always very gratifying to know from an outside perspective that people are recognizing the quality that we provide here in terms of our collegiate experience and our education," Tatum tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "So, I was thrilled to see that we had actually improved our ranking from last year to this year." 

Tatum says a big philosophy at Northwest is being presented as a forward-facing brand, which only reaches so far.  Tatum says a national publication like this helps broaden that branding 

"It's part of a national announcement that goes out, and so students who are within 150 to 200 miles of Maryville actually might be able to see this type of information as it scrolls across social media or as it is presented on a web search environment," Tatum explains. "And so, it just helps to increase our brand notoriety, and it also helps to just communicate the quality that exists in the experience here at Northwest." 

Tatum says everyone in higher education that's not considered a research institute, or part of the land grant group, are fighting in a crowded field for recognition and attention 

"So, when you look at the rankings and you see that a Northwest Missouri State University who is located in a very rural part of the state, a very rural part of the country, you're able to showcase what you do on campus," Tatum says. "And so, we're very excited to be included among the top schools in the state." 

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728061197888.jpeg" alt="Northwest.jpg" />
 <figcaption>Northwest.jpg</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post For the second year in a row Northwest Missouri State University has been ranked as one of the top colleges in the Midwest. Northwest has been ranked on US News and World Reports list of 2025 Best Colleges, ranked for a second year in a row inside the Top 25. The university in Maryville actually even jumped a couple spots, going from #22 last year, to #20 this year in the Midwest, trailing only Truman State for a public university from Missouri. University President Lance Tatum says it's exciting to make the list again, especially with the hard work put into what's being done at Northwest to serve students. "It's always very gratifying to know from an outside perspective that people are recognizing the quality that we provide here in terms of our collegiate experience and our education," Tatum tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "So, I was thrilled to see that we had actually improved our ranking from last year to this year." Tatum says a big philosophy at Northwest is being presented as a forward-facing brand, which only reaches so far. Tatum says a national publication like this helps broaden that branding "It's part of a national announcement that goes out, and so students who are within 150 to 200 miles of Maryville actually might be able to see this type of information as it scrolls across social media or as it is presented on a web search environment," Tatum explains. "And so, it just helps to increase our brand notoriety, and it also helps to just communicate the quality that exists in the experience here at Northwest." Tatum says everyone in higher education that's not considered a research institute, or part of the land grant group, are fighting in a crowded field for recognition and attention "So, when you look at the rankings and you see that a Northwest Missouri State University who is located in a very rural part of the state, a very rural part of the country, you're able to showcase what you do on campus," Tatum says. "And so, we're very excited to be included among the top schools in the state." You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Northwest Missouri State again ranked as top college

(Radio Iowa) - Southeast Iowa is hosting an international horror film festival next weekend, along with what organizers describe as a spooky celebration of all things Halloween. 

Holly Berg is co-founder of Halloweenapalooza, now in its 14th year of haunting Ottumwa. The film fest will draw fans of the genre from all corners of Iowa and across the Midwest, as Berg says independent filmmakers from all over the world submitted films for screenings. The event also includes costume contests, a zombie walk, and celebrity guests from several films who will be signing autographs, posing for photos and speaking at panel discussions. 

Ottumwa's Bridge View Center will also host a long list of venders, selling horror movie memorabilia and Halloween decor October 11th and 12th.

(Radio Iowa) - Southeast Iowa is hosting an international horror film festival next weekend, along with what organizers describe as a spooky celebration of all things Halloween. Holly Berg is co-founder of Halloweenapalooza, now in its 14th year of haunting Ottumwa. The film fest will draw fans of the genre from all corners of Iowa and across the Midwest, as Berg says independent filmmakers from all over the world submitted films for screenings. The event also includes costume contests, a zombie walk, and celebrity guests from several films who will be signing autographs, posing for photos and speaking at panel discussions. Ottumwa's Bridge View Center will also host a long list of venders, selling horror movie memorabilia and Halloween decor October 11th and 12th.

Ottumwa holds horror movie film fest at its 'ComiCon for Halloween'

Two St. Joseph women have been chosen to serve as
fellows advocating for an increase in quality childcare in Missouri.

Megan Murray with Kids Win Missouri says Kristin
White brings experience as a parent of six, ages 2 to 17, as well as an infant
and toddler specialist with Youth Alliance. Dlo DuVall is a grandparent and
Coordinator of Early Childhood Education for the St. Joseph School District.

“So, both of them just brought unique
perspectives and a work ethic and a passion that we just couldn’t pass up,”
Murray tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post in an interview.

Both know the needs of parents and children.

Also, they understand the lack of quality child
care in St. Joseph, which DuVall calls a child care desert.

“If you need child care and you do not have a
family member or a friend that can help, there are very limited spots and there
are big wait lists,” DuVall tells KFEQ/St. Joseph in a joint phone interview with
White.

Both DuVall and White have earned Early Care and
Education Fellowships from Kids Win Missouri, learning more about the
challenges facing the state as well as learning how to effectively advocate
before legislators for policy changes.

The two joined fellows from other parts of the
state in Jefferson City during the annual Veto Session of the Missouri General
Assembly; 28 fellows from seven regions total. Kids Win Missouri launched the
fellowship in 2022 to give a voice to parents and child care providers in the
legislative process. The new fellows began their advocacy during the Veto
Session.

White says the training sessions turn those with
experience into advocates.

“We’ve seen early childhood (care) as a parent,
as a provider and to just be able to talk to them in an effective way that they’re
able to put a face to the issues that are happening, they’re able to put a face
to the stories that are happening,” White says.

DuVall says the child care crisis in Missouri
won’t be an easy issue to solve.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728059174984.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostTwo St. Joseph women have been chosen to serve as
fellows advocating for an increase in quality childcare in Missouri.Megan Murray with Kids Win Missouri says Kristin
White brings experience as a parent of six, ages 2 to 17, as well as an infant
and toddler specialist with Youth Alliance. Dlo DuVall is a grandparent and
Coordinator of Early Childhood Education for the St. Joseph School District.“So, both of them just brought unique
perspectives and a work ethic and a passion that we just couldn’t pass up,”
Murray tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post in an interview.Both know the needs of parents and children.Also, they understand the lack of quality child
care in St. Joseph, which DuVall calls a child care desert.“If you need child care and you do not have a
family member or a friend that can help, there are very limited spots and there
are big wait lists,” DuVall tells KFEQ/St. Joseph in a joint phone interview with
White.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728059814393.png" alt="Dlo DuVaul/Photo courtesy of Kids Win Missouri" />
 <figcaption>Dlo DuVaul/Photo courtesy of Kids Win Missouri</figcaption>
 </figure>Both DuVall and White have earned Early Care and
Education Fellowships from Kids Win Missouri, learning more about the
challenges facing the state as well as learning how to effectively advocate
before legislators for policy changes.The two joined fellows from other parts of the
state in Jefferson City during the annual Veto Session of the Missouri General
Assembly; 28 fellows from seven regions total. Kids Win Missouri launched the
fellowship in 2022 to give a voice to parents and child care providers in the
legislative process. The new fellows began their advocacy during the Veto
Session.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1728059882204.png" alt="Kristin White/Photo courtesy of Kids Win Missouri" />
 <figcaption>Kristin White/Photo courtesy of Kids Win Missouri</figcaption>
 </figure>White says the training sessions turn those with
experience into advocates.“We’ve seen early childhood (care) as a parent,
as a provider and to just be able to talk to them in an effective way that they’re
able to put a face to the issues that are happening, they’re able to put a face
to the stories that are happening,” White says.Advocates seeking solutions.DuVall says the child care crisis in Missouri
won’t be an easy issue to solve.“It’s multi-faceted, because the spots that are
available they may not be able to afford, but then, even if they could afford
it, there may not be a spot open,” DuVall says. “And then the ones that were
getting the child care subsidies, the actual child care centers, the payments
have been very delayed to them. So, a lot of our places in the state have had
to close because of funding.”Kids Win Missouri also encourages fellows to
engage other parents and providers throughout their region to bring awareness
to issues impacting children and families.<div><iframe src="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-news/embed/episodes/Kids-Win-Missouri-e2p820f" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Kbct