(Radio Iowa) - Iowa averages between 20 and 40 inches of snowfall every year, and whether the winter ahead will be warmer than normal or cold and brutal, the winter operations administrator of the Iowa Department of Transportation vows his crews will be ready. 

Craig Bargfrede says shortly after -last- winter was over, he started stockpiling the essentials, including 265-thousand tons of salt at the 100 D-O-T garages, along with mountains of sand and stacks of new snowplow blades. 

The D-O-T has about a thousand full-time employees and also hires on some 500 to 600 seasonal workers every winter to tackle the challenges that lie ahead. Bargfrede says the hiring process is now underway.

(Radio Iowa) - Iowa averages between 20 and 40 inches of snowfall every year, and whether the winter ahead will be warmer than normal or cold and brutal, the winter operations administrator of the Iowa Department of Transportation vows his crews will be ready. Craig Bargfrede says shortly after -last- winter was over, he started stockpiling the essentials, including 265-thousand tons of salt at the 100 D-O-T garages, along with mountains of sand and stacks of new snowplow blades. The D-O-T has about a thousand full-time employees and also hires on some 500 to 600 seasonal workers every winter to tackle the challenges that lie ahead. Bargfrede says the hiring process is now underway.

Iowa DOT already has tons of salt stockpiled for the winter ahead

A trial in a lawsuit challenging the state’s restrictions on gender-affirming care is expected to last two weeks

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 case that will determine whether Missouri can continue restricting adolescents’&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/lawsuit-seeks-to-block-missouri-ban-on-transgender-care-for-minors/">access to gender-affirming care</a>&nbsp;began Monday in Cole County Circuit Court.

The plaintiffs — which include transgender minors, gender-affirming care providers and loved ones — will argue that medical treatments for gender dysphoria are “safe and effective,” attorney Omar Gonzalez Pagan said in opening arguments.

The state will defend the 2023 law&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-governor-signs-ban-on-gender-affirming-care-restrictions-for-trans-athletes/">restricting gender-affirming care</a>&nbsp;by looking into the risks of the treatment and highlighting those who have regretted medical transitions.

“These kids need compassionate, evidence-based medicine. But what they’ve been doing for the past 15 years isn’t evidence-based,” Solicitor General Joshua Divine said in his opening statement.

Defendants include Gov. Mike Parson, who signed the bill into law, and Attorney General Andrew Bailey, who is responsible for enforcing the law.

Both parties plan to call a host of expert and fact witnesses, and attorneys have requested a week for each side to present evidence.

On the first day of the trial, which will be heard by Circuit Judge Craig Carter without a jury, attorneys argued over which experts were most qualified to speak on the efficacy and risks of gender-affirming care.

“(Plaintiffs’ experts) are the type of people that are qualified to testify as to this type of care,” Gonzalez Pagan said. “The state’s experts, with one exception, do not have this sort of experience.”

Divine said that plaintiffs’ experts benefit financially from gender-affirming care, so they have their “financial reputations” at stake. He defended his witnesses’ qualifications, calling one a “victim of cancel culture” when a journal article was retracted.

The first expert called to testify was Dr. Aron Janssen, vice chair of clinical affairs at the Pritzker Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago. A majority of the patients in his psychiatry practice are transgender or gender-nonconforming children and adolescents, he said, and he has published approximately 24 articles in academic journals.

Jason Orr, an attorney for the plaintiffs, asked him about the state’s claims.

One claim is that gender dysphoria is a self-diagnosed condition because the symptoms are self-reported. Janssen said physicians base a diagnosis on questions to patients and loved ones, like other psychiatric conditions he treats.

“If that was a standard to base diagnosis, we wouldn’t have depression, anxiety, migraines,” he said.

The state will bring “detransitioners,” or people who began transitioning to a gender other than their sex as assigned at birth and later stopped. One received gender-affirming care in Missouri as an adult, but none received the care as a minor in Missouri, attorneys discussed in a virtual hearing last Friday.

Orr asked Janssen if there’s any scientific literature about those who stop their transition.

“The majority of patients who detransition do so because of external pressures but not because of internal pressures or regret,” Janssen said. “For some, transition is a wonderful experience… For others, it means you are kicked out of your family, lose your job.”

Patrick Sullivan, with the attorney general’s office, used several documents to challenge Janssen during cross-examination. Some were not on the list of items the defense plans to submit as evidence, but Carter allowed the exhibits for questions only.

Some of the documents were studies, including the over 400-page&nbsp;<a href="https://cass.independent-review.uk/home/publications/final-report/" target="_blank">Cass Review published earlier this year</a>. The report was a systematic review commissioned in England that concluded that there was weak evidence to support cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers for transgender youth.

Sullivan presented Janssen a document called an “evidence pyramid,” with systematic reviews at the top as the best form of scientific literature.

Janssen said the Cass Review had a key flaw: the authors are not experienced in gender-affirming care and wouldn’t know the best factors to look at.

“When we look at what is involved in creating a good systematic review, having experience in the field is important,” he said. “When none of the authors work in the area, we have to take what they’re saying with a grain of salt.”

Sullivan interrupted him as Janssen explained the review’s flaws.

“He’s answering your question,” Carter said.

Sullivan’s questioning lasted around two hours, with multiple objections from plaintiffs as new exhibits came into the courtroom. The exhibits were largely studies out of Europe and articles from The New York Times and The Free Press.

Sullivan used an opinion article to question plaintiffs’ second expert, a clinical child psychologist.

The other witness to take the stand during the trial’s premiere day was a transgender man who transitioned at a young age in Missouri.

Arguments are scheduled to conclude Oct. 4.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727182625215.png" alt="The Cole County Courthouse is hosting a trial challenging the state's restrictions on gender-affirming care, bringing in a judge from Wright County to oversee the bench trial (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>The Cole County Courthouse is hosting a trial challenging the state's restrictions on gender-affirming care, bringing in a judge from Wright County to oversee the bench trial (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>A trial in a lawsuit challenging the state’s restrictions on gender-affirming care is expected to last two weeks</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 case that will determine whether Missouri can continue restricting adolescents’&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/lawsuit-seeks-to-block-missouri-ban-on-transgender-care-for-minors/">access to gender-affirming care</a>&nbsp;began Monday in Cole County Circuit Court.The plaintiffs — which include transgender minors, gender-affirming care providers and loved ones — will argue that medical treatments for gender dysphoria are “safe and effective,” attorney Omar Gonzalez Pagan said in opening arguments.The state will defend the 2023 law&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-governor-signs-ban-on-gender-affirming-care-restrictions-for-trans-athletes/">restricting gender-affirming care</a>&nbsp;by looking into the risks of the treatment and highlighting those who have regretted medical transitions.“These kids need compassionate, evidence-based medicine. But what they’ve been doing for the past 15 years isn’t evidence-based,” Solicitor General Joshua Divine said in his opening statement.Defendants include Gov. Mike Parson, who signed the bill into law, and Attorney General Andrew Bailey, who is responsible for enforcing the law.Both parties plan to call a host of expert and fact witnesses, and attorneys have requested a week for each side to present evidence.On the first day of the trial, which will be heard by Circuit Judge Craig Carter without a jury, attorneys argued over which experts were most qualified to speak on the efficacy and risks of gender-affirming care.“(Plaintiffs’ experts) are the type of people that are qualified to testify as to this type of care,” Gonzalez Pagan said. “The state’s experts, with one exception, do not have this sort of experience.”Divine said that plaintiffs’ experts benefit financially from gender-affirming care, so they have their “financial reputations” at stake. He defended his witnesses’ qualifications, calling one a “victim of cancel culture” when a journal article was retracted.The first expert called to testify was Dr. Aron Janssen, vice chair of clinical affairs at the Pritzker Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago. A majority of the patients in his psychiatry practice are transgender or gender-nonconforming children and adolescents, he said, and he has published approximately 24 articles in academic journals.Jason Orr, an attorney for the plaintiffs, asked him about the state’s claims.One claim is that gender dysphoria is a self-diagnosed condition because the symptoms are self-reported. Janssen said physicians base a diagnosis on questions to patients and loved ones, like other psychiatric conditions he treats.“If that was a standard to base diagnosis, we wouldn’t have depression, anxiety, migraines,” he said.The state will bring “detransitioners,” or people who began transitioning to a gender other than their sex as assigned at birth and later stopped. One received gender-affirming care in Missouri as an adult, but none received the care as a minor in Missouri, attorneys discussed in a virtual hearing last Friday.Orr asked Janssen if there’s any scientific literature about those who stop their transition.“The majority of patients who detransition do so because of external pressures but not because of internal pressures or regret,” Janssen said. “For some, transition is a wonderful experience… For others, it means you are kicked out of your family, lose your job.”Patrick Sullivan, with the attorney general’s office, used several documents to challenge Janssen during cross-examination. Some were not on the list of items the defense plans to submit as evidence, but Carter allowed the exhibits for questions only.Some of the documents were studies, including the over 400-page&nbsp;<a href="https://cass.independent-review.uk/home/publications/final-report/" target="_blank">Cass Review published earlier this year</a>. The report was a systematic review commissioned in England that concluded that there was weak evidence to support cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers for transgender youth.Sullivan presented Janssen a document called an “evidence pyramid,” with systematic reviews at the top as the best form of scientific literature.Janssen said the Cass Review had a key flaw: the authors are not experienced in gender-affirming care and wouldn’t know the best factors to look at.“When we look at what is involved in creating a good systematic review, having experience in the field is important,” he said. “When none of the authors work in the area, we have to take what they’re saying with a grain of salt.”Sullivan interrupted him as Janssen explained the review’s flaws.“He’s answering your question,” Carter said.Sullivan’s questioning lasted around two hours, with multiple objections from plaintiffs as new exhibits came into the courtroom. The exhibits were largely studies out of Europe and articles from The New York Times and The Free Press.Sullivan used an opinion article to question plaintiffs’ second expert, a clinical child psychologist.The other witness to take the stand during the trial’s premiere day was a transgender man who transitioned at a young age in Missouri.Arguments are scheduled to conclude Oct. 4.

Battling experts: Qualifications of witnesses a key in Missouri gender-affirming care case

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/aaronsanderford/">AARON SANDERFORD</a>

LINCOLN, Neb. — The Republican push to change how Nebraska awards its Electoral College votes and boost former President Donald Trump ran into political reality Monday as a key lawmaker, State Sen. Mike McDonnell, announced he won’t support the change.

McDonnell, of Omaha, said he had heard from people passionate about the issue who live in the Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District. But he said he did not hear enough to move him off his original position against the switch.

“Elections should be an opportunity for all voters to be heard, no matter who they are, where they live, or what party they support,” McDonnell said in a statement. “I&nbsp;have taken time to listen carefully to Nebraskans and national leaders on both sides of the issue. After deep consideration, it is clear to me that right now, 43 days from Election Day, is not the moment to make this change.”

McDonnell said he told Gov. Jim Pillen his stance and suggested that the Legislature put winner-take-all to a vote of the people, as a proposed constitutional amendment, so people can decide the issue “once and for all.”

Nebraska and Maine are the only states that award a single Electoral College vote to the winner in each congressional district, plus two votes to the statewide winner of the presidential popular vote. Nebraska has split off votes twice in four presidential elections.

President Joe Biden won the 2nd District in 2020. Trump won all five of the state’s electoral votes in 2016. Mitt Romney did the same in 2012. The 2nd District got its national name as “the blue dot” in 2008, when former President Barack Obama won it.

Nebraska Republicans have argued for years that Nebraska should award all five of its electoral votes to the statewide winner of the presidential popular vote, a process many call winner-take-all.

Republicans hold a 2-to-1 voter registration advantage over Democrats statewide, but the 2nd District cuts much more evenly between Republicans, Democrats and registered nonpartisans, a split that makes the 2nd District competitive in national elections.

Pillen had pledged to call a special session if he could secure the 33 votes needed to overcome a filibuster to change to winner-take-all. All five of Nebraska’s GOP congressional delegates wrote a letter urging state lawmakers to pass such a move.

The Nebraska Legislature has 33 Republicans, 15 Democrats and one progressive who is a registered nonpartisan. People whipping votes for Pillen and the Trump campaign have told others they expected the remaining GOP holdouts to join the push for the change if McDonnell did.

Pillen’s office had no immediate comment Monday, nor did the Trump or Harris campaigns.

McDonnell’s no on winner-take-all leaves Republicans in Nebraska’s officially nonpartisan Legislature with no path to overcoming a promised filibuster unless a Democrat or nonpartisan senator defects. Thus far, none has opposed the status quo. Nebraska Democrats tweeted the list of 17 pledged no votes, including McDonnell.

Part of the GOP urgency is wrapped in national polling that shows a close race between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee. Some political observers have argued the 2nd District could break a 269-269 Electoral College tie.

Few Democrats were surprised that the fate of winner-take-all largely swung on McDonnell, a former Omaha fire union president who switched to the GOP this spring after facing political pushback from Democrats for backing abortion restrictions and legislation restricting some health care for minors who are transgender.

Several said the abortion debate should have shown Republicans that McDonnell is largely immovable once he has made a controversial position clear. McDonnell said when he switched parties that he would not support winner-take-all. Others said he did what helped him most politically.

McDonnell’s stance&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/09/18/winner-take-all-push-gets-help-of-gov-jim-pillen-sen-lindsey-graham-trump/" target="_blank">softened in recent weeks</a>&nbsp;under pressure from local, state and national Republicans, including some with ties to the Trump campaign. He was one of two dozen GOP state senators who met Sept. 18 with Pillen and U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

People in the room said McDonnell told GOP colleagues last week he was looking for a way to get to yes. McDonnell&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/09/19/sen-mike-mcdonnell-says-hes-a-no-on-winner-take-all-as-of-today/" target="_blank">told the Examiner on Thursday</a>, not long after the meeting discussion became public, that he remained a no on winner-take-all, “as of today.”

He kept meeting and talking with people on both sides of the issue, including people tied to Trump, after that statement. He also heard from national and local Democrats tied to Harris.

But on Monday, McDonnell seemed to want to put the issue to rest. And with it, he may have secured one more election where a small slice of Nebraska will matter to both presidential campaigns.

U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., said he was “incredibly disappointed by Senator McDonnell’s opposition” to winner-take-all. Ricketts said Nebraskans should speak as one in the Electoral College and “elect a president for all Nebraskans.”

State Sen. Rob Dover, a Republican representing the Norfolk area, also expressed disappointment in McDonnell’s decision.

“There is too much at stake in this election for Nebraskans to spare an electoral vote,” Dover said in a statement. “We should speak as a unified voice.”

State Sen. Loren Lippincott, a Republican from Central City, said he has spoken with the Governor’s Office and they are now doubtful they would call a special session this year on winner-take-all. McDonnell’s vote was key, he said.

“That kind of closes the casket,” Lippincott said of his fellow senator’s announcement. “With Mike McDonnell being an absolute no, that kind of closes the lid. We’re going to have to reintroduce this bill in the next session.”

Both Trump and Harris have campaign staff in Nebraska, and both have sent surrogates to campaign here. Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Nebraska native, held a rally here. Trump’s running mate, Ohio U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, came to Nebraska to fundraise and meet with local Republicans.

For McDonnell, the calculus could be partly political. He has openly flirted with running for mayor of Omaha as early as 2025. His likely opponent, Republican incumbent Jean Stothert, has said she supports the switch to winner-take-all.

Statewide support leans toward winner-take-all, but polling over several years indicates broad, bipartisan support in the 2nd District for keeping the state’s unusual system, which brings attention and money to the Omaha area.

McDonnell’s statement acknowledged the impact on the district.

“For Omaha … it brings tremendous national attention, is impactful on our local economy and forces Presidential candidates to make their case to all Nebraskans, instead of just flying over and disregarding us,” he said.

Jane Kleeb, chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party, praised McDonnell for “standing strong against tremendous pressure from out-of-state interests to protect Nebraskans’ voice in our democracy.”

“Nebraska has a long and proud tradition of independence, and our electoral system reflects that by ensuring that the outcome of our elections truly represents the will of the people without interference,” Kleeb said.

Kleeb also said the party would support leaders “who stand up for the people,” which some interpreted as a hint that the door might be cracked open for McDonnell to return or to secure some form of support from the party if he runs for office in the future.

The Nebraska Republican Party had no immediate comment.

This article originally appeared in the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/" target="_blank">Nebraska Examiner</a>, a part of States Newsroom.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727142059244.png" alt="State Sen. Mike McDonnell announces leaving the Democratic Party after he was censured by the state and Douglas County Democrats. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Mike McDonnell announces leaving the Democratic Party after he was censured by the state and Douglas County Democrats. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/aaronsanderford/">AARON SANDERFORD</a>LINCOLN, Neb. — The Republican push to change how Nebraska awards its Electoral College votes and boost former President Donald Trump ran into political reality Monday as a key lawmaker, State Sen. Mike McDonnell, announced he won’t support the change.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1725133509171.png" alt="File photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>File photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>McDonnell, of Omaha, said he had heard from people passionate about the issue who live in the Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District. But he said he did not hear enough to move him off his original position against the switch.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727142619266.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>“Elections should be an opportunity for all voters to be heard, no matter who they are, where they live, or what party they support,” McDonnell said in a statement. “I&nbsp;have taken time to listen carefully to Nebraskans and national leaders on both sides of the issue. After deep consideration, it is clear to me that right now, 43 days from Election Day, is not the moment to make this change.”McDonnell said he told Gov. Jim Pillen his stance and suggested that the Legislature put winner-take-all to a vote of the people, as a proposed constitutional amendment, so people can decide the issue “once and for all.”Nebraska and Maine are the only states that award a single Electoral College vote to the winner in each congressional district, plus two votes to the statewide winner of the presidential popular vote. Nebraska has split off votes twice in four presidential elections.President Joe Biden won the 2nd District in 2020. Trump won all five of the state’s electoral votes in 2016. Mitt Romney did the same in 2012. The 2nd District got its national name as “the blue dot” in 2008, when former President Barack Obama won it.<h2>2nd District split</h2>Nebraska Republicans have argued for years that Nebraska should award all five of its electoral votes to the statewide winner of the presidential popular vote, a process many call winner-take-all.Republicans hold a 2-to-1 voter registration advantage over Democrats statewide, but the 2nd District cuts much more evenly between Republicans, Democrats and registered nonpartisans, a split that makes the 2nd District competitive in national elections.Pillen had pledged to call a special session if he could secure the 33 votes needed to overcome a filibuster to change to winner-take-all. All five of Nebraska’s GOP congressional delegates wrote a letter urging state lawmakers to pass such a move.The Nebraska Legislature has 33 Republicans, 15 Democrats and one progressive who is a registered nonpartisan. People whipping votes for Pillen and the Trump campaign have told others they expected the remaining GOP holdouts to join the push for the change if McDonnell did.Pillen’s office had no immediate comment Monday, nor did the Trump or Harris campaigns.McDonnell’s no on winner-take-all leaves Republicans in Nebraska’s officially nonpartisan Legislature with no path to overcoming a promised filibuster unless a Democrat or nonpartisan senator defects. Thus far, none has opposed the status quo. Nebraska Democrats tweeted the list of 17 pledged no votes, including McDonnell.Part of the GOP urgency is wrapped in national polling that shows a close race between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee. Some political observers have argued the 2nd District could break a 269-269 Electoral College tie.Few Democrats were surprised that the fate of winner-take-all largely swung on McDonnell, a former Omaha fire union president who switched to the GOP this spring after facing political pushback from Democrats for backing abortion restrictions and legislation restricting some health care for minors who are transgender.Several said the abortion debate should have shown Republicans that McDonnell is largely immovable once he has made a controversial position clear. McDonnell said when he switched parties that he would not support winner-take-all. Others said he did what helped him most politically.McDonnell’s stance&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/09/18/winner-take-all-push-gets-help-of-gov-jim-pillen-sen-lindsey-graham-trump/" target="_blank">softened in recent weeks</a>&nbsp;under pressure from local, state and national Republicans, including some with ties to the Trump campaign. He was one of two dozen GOP state senators who met Sept. 18 with Pillen and U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.<h2>Both sides heard from</h2>People in the room said McDonnell told GOP colleagues last week he was looking for a way to get to yes. McDonnell&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/09/19/sen-mike-mcdonnell-says-hes-a-no-on-winner-take-all-as-of-today/" target="_blank">told the Examiner on Thursday</a>, not long after the meeting discussion became public, that he remained a no on winner-take-all, “as of today.”He kept meeting and talking with people on both sides of the issue, including people tied to Trump, after that statement. He also heard from national and local Democrats tied to Harris.But on Monday, McDonnell seemed to want to put the issue to rest. And with it, he may have secured one more election where a small slice of Nebraska will matter to both presidential campaigns.U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., said he was “incredibly disappointed by Senator McDonnell’s opposition” to winner-take-all. Ricketts said Nebraskans should speak as one in the Electoral College and “elect a president for all Nebraskans.”State Sen. Rob Dover, a Republican representing the Norfolk area, also expressed disappointment in McDonnell’s decision.“There is too much at stake in this election for Nebraskans to spare an electoral vote,” Dover said in a statement. “We should speak as a unified voice.”State Sen. Loren Lippincott, a Republican from Central City, said he has spoken with the Governor’s Office and they are now doubtful they would call a special session this year on winner-take-all. McDonnell’s vote was key, he said.“That kind of closes the casket,” Lippincott said of his fellow senator’s announcement. “With Mike McDonnell being an absolute no, that kind of closes the lid. We’re going to have to reintroduce this bill in the next session.”Both Trump and Harris have campaign staff in Nebraska, and both have sent surrogates to campaign here. Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Nebraska native, held a rally here. Trump’s running mate, Ohio U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, came to Nebraska to fundraise and meet with local Republicans.For McDonnell, the calculus could be partly political. He has openly flirted with running for mayor of Omaha as early as 2025. His likely opponent, Republican incumbent Jean Stothert, has said she supports the switch to winner-take-all.Statewide support leans toward winner-take-all, but polling over several years indicates broad, bipartisan support in the 2nd District for keeping the state’s unusual system, which brings attention and money to the Omaha area.McDonnell’s statement acknowledged the impact on the district.“For Omaha … it brings tremendous national attention, is impactful on our local economy and forces Presidential candidates to make their case to all Nebraskans, instead of just flying over and disregarding us,” he said.<h2>Praised for ‘standing strong’</h2>Jane Kleeb, chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party, praised McDonnell for “standing strong against tremendous pressure from out-of-state interests to protect Nebraskans’ voice in our democracy.”“Nebraska has a long and proud tradition of independence, and our electoral system reflects that by ensuring that the outcome of our elections truly represents the will of the people without interference,” Kleeb said.Kleeb also said the party would support leaders “who stand up for the people,” which some interpreted as a hint that the door might be cracked open for McDonnell to return or to secure some form of support from the party if he runs for office in the future.The Nebraska Republican Party had no immediate comment.This article originally appeared in the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/" target="_blank">Nebraska Examiner</a>, a part of States Newsroom.

Key GOP Senator deflates GOP hopes for Nebraska winner-take-all in 2024

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

WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors Monday said the man accused of trying to assassinate former President Donald Trump at his private golf club in Florida stalked the GOP presidential nominee for a month and in a note offered $150,000 to anyone who could “finish the job,” according to a new court filing.

Federal prosecutors detailed how Ryan Routh left a handwritten note that criticized Trump’s policy in the Middle East, specifically ending U.S. involvement in the Iran nuclear deal.

“This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I failed you,” read the note, according to the court filing. “I tried my best and gave it all the gumption I could muster. It is up to you now to finish the job; and I will offer $150,000 to whomever can complete the job.”

Prosecutors said cell phone records showed Routh was located near “Trump International and the former President’s residence at Mar-a-Lago” from Aug. 18 until Sept. 15 — the day of the attempted assassination.

<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/fbi-investigates-apparent-assassination-attempt-against-trump-florida-former-president-safe" target="_blank">The FBI is investigating the incident&nbsp;</a>as an apparent assassination attempt, following the&nbsp;<a href="https://penncapital-star.com/campaigns-elections/trump-campaigns-in-western-pennsylvania-with-rally-in-butler-county/" target="_blank">first assassination attempt</a>&nbsp;in Butler, Pennsylvania, where Trump sustained an injury to his ear. Trump was not injured at his Florida golf club and the U.S. Secret Service&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/man-arrested-after-poking-rifle-trump-golf-course-charged-federal-gun-crimes" target="_blank">confirmed that Routh did not fire his weapon.&nbsp;</a>

Law enforcement officers also found in their search of Routh’s car, after he was detained, a “handwritten list of dates in August, September, and October 2024 and venues where the former President had appeared or was expected to be present,” according to the court filing.

The new court filing came in advance of Routh’s Monday court appearance in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Last week,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/man-arrested-after-poking-rifle-trump-golf-course-charged-federal-gun-crimes" target="_blank">Routh was charged</a>&nbsp;with possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and with obliterating the serial number on a firearm, according to court records. He faces up to 20 years in prison.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726536262473.png" alt="Routh during his arrest by Martin County deputies on Sept. 15" />
 <figcaption>Routh during his arrest by Martin County deputies on Sept. 15</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">ARIANA FIGUEROA</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/">Missouri Independent</a>WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors Monday said the man accused of trying to assassinate former President Donald Trump at his private golf club in Florida stalked the GOP presidential nominee for a month and in a note offered $150,000 to anyone who could “finish the job,” according to a new court filing.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727103871883.png" alt="Photo U.S. Department of Justice" />
 <figcaption>Photo U.S. Department of Justice</figcaption>
 </figure>Federal prosecutors detailed how Ryan Routh left a handwritten note that criticized Trump’s policy in the Middle East, specifically ending U.S. involvement in the Iran nuclear deal.“This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I failed you,” read the note, according to the court filing. “I tried my best and gave it all the gumption I could muster. It is up to you now to finish the job; and I will offer $150,000 to whomever can complete the job.”Prosecutors said cell phone records showed Routh was located near “Trump International and the former President’s residence at Mar-a-Lago” from Aug. 18 until Sept. 15 — the day of the attempted assassination.<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/fbi-investigates-apparent-assassination-attempt-against-trump-florida-former-president-safe" target="_blank">The FBI is investigating the incident&nbsp;</a>as an apparent assassination attempt, following the&nbsp;<a href="https://penncapital-star.com/campaigns-elections/trump-campaigns-in-western-pennsylvania-with-rally-in-butler-county/" target="_blank">first assassination attempt</a>&nbsp;in Butler, Pennsylvania, where Trump sustained an injury to his ear. Trump was not injured at his Florida golf club and the U.S. Secret Service&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/man-arrested-after-poking-rifle-trump-golf-course-charged-federal-gun-crimes" target="_blank">confirmed that Routh did not fire his weapon.&nbsp;</a>Law enforcement officers also found in their search of Routh’s car, after he was detained, a “handwritten list of dates in August, September, and October 2024 and venues where the former President had appeared or was expected to be present,” according to the court filing.The new court filing came in advance of Routh’s Monday court appearance in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Last week,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/man-arrested-after-poking-rifle-trump-golf-course-charged-federal-gun-crimes" target="_blank">Routh was charged</a>&nbsp;with possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and with obliterating the serial number on a firearm, according to court records. He faces up to 20 years in prison.

Gunman who allegedly targeted Trump offered $150K to anyone who could ‘finish the job’

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">SHAUNEEN MIRANDA</a> State's Newsroom

WASHINGTON — Amid persistent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/despite-opt-outs-gop-states-debut-kids-summer-food-program-seen-success" target="_blank">child hunger and food insecurity</a>&nbsp;in the United States, lawmakers and advocates on Wednesday stressed the importance of school meal programs during a U.S. Senate Agriculture subcommittee hearing.

Hunger severely impacts&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nokidhungry.org/blog/effects-of-hunger-on-the-body" target="_blank">kids’ emotional and physical well-being</a>&nbsp;and can lead to negative outcomes in school,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.academicpedsjnl.net/article/S1876-2859(20)30426-5/fulltext" target="_blank">research has shown</a>. Last year, 47.4 million people lived in food-insecure households, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-u-s/key-statistics-graphics/" target="_blank">U.S. Department of Agriculture</a>.

Federally funded efforts, such as the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program, provide free and reduced-cost meals to students across the country.

Advocates say these programs play a crucial role in helping to reduce child hunger and urged the panel to expand them.

“School lunch should always be free and definitely free of judgment,” said Sen. John Fetterman, who chairs the Subcommittee on Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics, and Research.

“Honestly, it shouldn’t be a conversation — it would be like asking the kids to pay for the school bus every morning or to pay for their own textbooks at school,” Fetterman said.

Fetterman and fellow Pennsylvania Democrat Sen. Bob Casey&nbsp;<a href="https://www.casey.senate.gov/news/releases/casey-fetterman-introduce-legislation-to-combat-student-hunger-expand-access-to-free-or-reduced-price-school-meals" target="_blank">introduced two bills</a>&nbsp;in June aiming to expand free or reduced-price meals access for kids. Part of the initiatives also call for amending the Community Eligibility Provision, which allows schools and school districts in low-income areas to offer free meal options to all students.

Fetterman also sponsored the Universal School Meals Program Act, an effort introduced by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/1568/text" target="_blank">independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders</a>&nbsp;last May, which would “provide free breakfast, lunch, and dinner to every student — without demanding they prove they are poor enough to deserve help getting three meals a day,” according to Sanders’&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sanders.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/Universal-School-Meals-Program-Act-of-2023_Bill-Summary.pdf" target="_blank">summary</a>&nbsp;of the bill. U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Minnesota Democrat, introduced&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/3204/text" target="_blank">a companion bill</a>.

Subcommittee ranking member Mike Braun of Indiana said he introduced the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.braun.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-braun-brown-introduce-senate-version-american-food-american-schools-act/" target="_blank">American Food for American Schools Act</a>&nbsp;last July with Ohio Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown in an effort “to better prioritize and support the use of American food in school meal programs.”

That bipartisan bill would increase requirements for school meals to include U.S. products.

Crystal FitzSimons, interim president of the Food Research &amp; Action Center, pointed out that eight states&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2024/08/29/usda-celebrates-new-school-meals-options-new-school-year-begins#:~:text=Eight%20states%20have%20taken%20permanent,Minnesota%2C%20New%20Mexico%20and%20Vermont" target="_blank">have implemented policies</a>&nbsp;that offer school meals to all students, regardless of one’s household income. Those states are California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico and Vermont.

The national nonprofit aims to reduce poverty-related hunger in the U.S. through research, advocacy and policy solutions.

“While those eight states are showing us what is possible, there are critical steps the subcommittee and Congress should take to enhance the reach and impact of school meals nationwide,” FitzSimons said.

As one piece of the puzzle, FitzSimons said Congress can “ensure that all children nationwide are hunger-free and ready to learn while they are at school by allowing all schools to offer meals to all their students at no charge” and the Universal School Meals Program Act “creates that path.”

Meg Bruening, professor and department head at Pennsylvania State University’s Department of Nutritional Sciences, said “the school meal programs in the U.S. provide a critical safety net for almost 30 million children with meals each year” — comprising 60% of children in the country.

Bruening said these school meal programs align closely with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/" target="_blank">Dietary Guidelines for Americans</a>, “ensuring a variety of healthy foods are offered to children while at school, where children spend most of their waking and eating hours.”

The guidelines, developed by the USDA and the Health and Human Services Department, are&nbsp;<a href="https://health.gov/our-work/nutrition-physical-activity/dietary-guidelines" target="_blank">updated every five years</a>.

Georgia Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock underscored how child hunger increases in the summer months when kids lack access to regular meals at school.

Thirty-seven states, the District of Columbia and multiple territories and tribal nations opted in this year to a new effort, known as Summer EBT, to feed kids during the long summer months.

Also called Sun Bucks, the USDA initiative provides low-income families with school-aged children a grocery-buying benefit of $120 per child for the summer.

But 13 states,&nbsp;<a href="https://georgiarecorder.com/2024/08/13/georgia-dems-press-governor-to-participate-for-federal-2025-summer-feeding-program/" target="_blank">including Georgia</a>, chose not to participate in the program in 2024. The USDA said states have until Jan. 1 to submit a notice of intent if they plan to participate in the program next year.

Warnock said he hopes&nbsp;<a href="https://georgiarecorder.com/2024/08/13/georgia-dems-press-governor-to-participate-for-federal-2025-summer-feeding-program/" target="_blank">state leaders reverse their position</a>&nbsp;on Summer EBT.

“Unfortunately, my home state — the state of Georgia — has not opted in to Sun Bucks, with some officials saying it does not result in higher nutritional outcomes for students, and that existing programs are ‘effective,’” he said.

“I heard our state leadership say: ‘We don’t need it,’” he added. “I’m still trying to figure out who this ‘we’ is — for whom are you speaking when you say: ‘We don’t need it?’”

A spokesperson for Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has said the governor has concerns about the program’s dietary standards and cost.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727007674307.png" alt="Students eat lunch at Woodrow Wilson Elementary School in South Salt Lake, Utah, on March 12 (Spenser Heaps/Utah News Dispatch)." />
 <figcaption>Students eat lunch at Woodrow Wilson Elementary School in South Salt Lake, Utah, on March 12 (Spenser Heaps/Utah News Dispatch).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/shauneen-miranda/">SHAUNEEN MIRANDA</a> State's Newsroom WASHINGTON — Amid persistent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/despite-opt-outs-gop-states-debut-kids-summer-food-program-seen-success" target="_blank">child hunger and food insecurity</a>&nbsp;in the United States, lawmakers and advocates on Wednesday stressed the importance of school meal programs during a U.S. Senate Agriculture subcommittee hearing.Hunger severely impacts&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nokidhungry.org/blog/effects-of-hunger-on-the-body" target="_blank">kids’ emotional and physical well-being</a>&nbsp;and can lead to negative outcomes in school,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.academicpedsjnl.net/article/S1876-2859(20)30426-5/fulltext" target="_blank">research has shown</a>. Last year, 47.4 million people lived in food-insecure households, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-u-s/key-statistics-graphics/" target="_blank">U.S. Department of Agriculture</a>.Federally funded efforts, such as the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program, provide free and reduced-cost meals to students across the country.Advocates say these programs play a crucial role in helping to reduce child hunger and urged the panel to expand them.“School lunch should always be free and definitely free of judgment,” said Sen. John Fetterman, who chairs the Subcommittee on Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics, and Research.“Honestly, it shouldn’t be a conversation — it would be like asking the kids to pay for the school bus every morning or to pay for their own textbooks at school,” Fetterman said.Fetterman and fellow Pennsylvania Democrat Sen. Bob Casey&nbsp;<a href="https://www.casey.senate.gov/news/releases/casey-fetterman-introduce-legislation-to-combat-student-hunger-expand-access-to-free-or-reduced-price-school-meals" target="_blank">introduced two bills</a>&nbsp;in June aiming to expand free or reduced-price meals access for kids. Part of the initiatives also call for amending the Community Eligibility Provision, which allows schools and school districts in low-income areas to offer free meal options to all students.Fetterman also sponsored the Universal School Meals Program Act, an effort introduced by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/1568/text" target="_blank">independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders</a>&nbsp;last May, which would “provide free breakfast, lunch, and dinner to every student — without demanding they prove they are poor enough to deserve help getting three meals a day,” according to Sanders’&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sanders.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/Universal-School-Meals-Program-Act-of-2023_Bill-Summary.pdf" target="_blank">summary</a>&nbsp;of the bill. U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Minnesota Democrat, introduced&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/3204/text" target="_blank">a companion bill</a>.Subcommittee ranking member Mike Braun of Indiana said he introduced the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.braun.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-braun-brown-introduce-senate-version-american-food-american-schools-act/" target="_blank">American Food for American Schools Act</a>&nbsp;last July with Ohio Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown in an effort “to better prioritize and support the use of American food in school meal programs.”That bipartisan bill would increase requirements for school meals to include U.S. products.<h2>States a model</h2>Crystal FitzSimons, interim president of the Food Research &amp; Action Center, pointed out that eight states&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2024/08/29/usda-celebrates-new-school-meals-options-new-school-year-begins#:~:text=Eight%20states%20have%20taken%20permanent,Minnesota%2C%20New%20Mexico%20and%20Vermont" target="_blank">have implemented policies</a>&nbsp;that offer school meals to all students, regardless of one’s household income. Those states are California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico and Vermont.The national nonprofit aims to reduce poverty-related hunger in the U.S. through research, advocacy and policy solutions.“While those eight states are showing us what is possible, there are critical steps the subcommittee and Congress should take to enhance the reach and impact of school meals nationwide,” FitzSimons said.As one piece of the puzzle, FitzSimons said Congress can “ensure that all children nationwide are hunger-free and ready to learn while they are at school by allowing all schools to offer meals to all their students at no charge” and the Universal School Meals Program Act “creates that path.”Meg Bruening, professor and department head at Pennsylvania State University’s Department of Nutritional Sciences, said “the school meal programs in the U.S. provide a critical safety net for almost 30 million children with meals each year” — comprising 60% of children in the country.Bruening said these school meal programs align closely with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/" target="_blank">Dietary Guidelines for Americans</a>, “ensuring a variety of healthy foods are offered to children while at school, where children spend most of their waking and eating hours.”The guidelines, developed by the USDA and the Health and Human Services Department, are&nbsp;<a href="https://health.gov/our-work/nutrition-physical-activity/dietary-guidelines" target="_blank">updated every five years</a>.<h2>Summer EBT&nbsp;</h2>Georgia Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock underscored how child hunger increases in the summer months when kids lack access to regular meals at school.Thirty-seven states, the District of Columbia and multiple territories and tribal nations opted in this year to a new effort, known as Summer EBT, to feed kids during the long summer months.Also called Sun Bucks, the USDA initiative provides low-income families with school-aged children a grocery-buying benefit of $120 per child for the summer.But 13 states,&nbsp;<a href="https://georgiarecorder.com/2024/08/13/georgia-dems-press-governor-to-participate-for-federal-2025-summer-feeding-program/" target="_blank">including Georgia</a>, chose not to participate in the program in 2024. The USDA said states have until Jan. 1 to submit a notice of intent if they plan to participate in the program next year.Warnock said he hopes&nbsp;<a href="https://georgiarecorder.com/2024/08/13/georgia-dems-press-governor-to-participate-for-federal-2025-summer-feeding-program/" target="_blank">state leaders reverse their position</a>&nbsp;on Summer EBT.“Unfortunately, my home state — the state of Georgia — has not opted in to Sun Bucks, with some officials saying it does not result in higher nutritional outcomes for students, and that existing programs are ‘effective,’” he said.“I heard our state leadership say: ‘We don’t need it,’” he added. “I’m still trying to figure out who this ‘we’ is — for whom are you speaking when you say: ‘We don’t need it?’”A spokesperson for Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has said the governor has concerns about the program’s dietary standards and cost.

Advocates call for expanding free school meals at U.S. Senate hearing

KANSAS CITY —A man has been charged in an August 2013 rape in Grain Valley, Missouri after he was identified by DNA testing, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

Jason Dewayne Bell, 24, Grain Valley, faces Rape in the 1st Degree and Sodomy in the 1st Degree. A grand jury indicted Bell in August.

According to court records, the Missouri Highway Patrol issued a report to Grain Valley detectives alerting them that defendant's DNA was found in a sample collected from the victim in an August 2013 sexual assault. In March 2024, the victim told detectives she went to a pub in Independence with others when the defendant started driving her to a parking lot near trucks and he sexually assaulted her in the vehicle. Detectives reported the defendant had been a suspect in other sexual assault investigations.

The defendant is currently being held in custody. Anyone with more information regarding the defendant should contact Grain Valley police detective Jason Werges at 816-847-6262.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726764514816.png" alt="Bell photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Bell photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A man has been charged in an August 2013 rape in Grain Valley, Missouri after he was identified by DNA testing, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.Jason Dewayne Bell, 24, Grain Valley, faces Rape in the 1st Degree and Sodomy in the 1st Degree. A grand jury indicted Bell in August.According to court records, the Missouri Highway Patrol issued a report to Grain Valley detectives alerting them that defendant's DNA was found in a sample collected from the victim in an August 2013 sexual assault. In March 2024, the victim told detectives she went to a pub in Independence with others when the defendant started driving her to a parking lot near trucks and he sexually assaulted her in the vehicle. Detectives reported the defendant had been a suspect in other sexual assault investigations.The defendant is currently being held in custody. Anyone with more information regarding the defendant should contact Grain Valley police detective Jason Werges at 816-847-6262.

DNA testing led to arrest in KC area rape investigation

(Radio Iowa) - Iowa's bumper crop of buzzing cicadas this year may lead to a population boom in another, much-smaller insect known as the oak leaf itch mite. 

St. Louis-area entomologist Tad Yankoski says the mites are tiny, but there are many millions of them emerging in Missouri, and Iowa could be next. The mites feast on cicada eggs and Yankoski says if you're working under an oak tree, you might get nipped by the mite, which can leave an annoying welt that might persist for days or even weeks. He says the mites are very small and may just resemble a speck of dust.

 Iowa saw emergences of both the 13- and 17-year cicada broods this spring, with large populations in northeast and southeast Iowa.

(Radio Iowa) - Iowa's bumper crop of buzzing cicadas this year may lead to a population boom in another, much-smaller insect known as the oak leaf itch mite. St. Louis-area entomologist Tad Yankoski says the mites are tiny, but there are many millions of them emerging in Missouri, and Iowa could be next. The mites feast on cicada eggs and Yankoski says if you're working under an oak tree, you might get nipped by the mite, which can leave an annoying welt that might persist for days or even weeks. He says the mites are very small and may just resemble a speck of dust. Iowa saw emergences of both the 13- and 17-year cicada broods this spring, with large populations in northeast and southeast Iowa.

Millions of tiny biting mites may have Iowa in their sights

WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers are scrambling to ensure that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-secret-service">U.S. Secret Service</a>&nbsp;has enough money and resources to keep the nation’s presidential candidates safe amid repeated threats of violence. It’s unclear, though, how much they can do with only weeks before the election, or if additional dollars would make an immediate difference.

Days after a gunman was arrested on former President Donald Trump's golf course, the House on Friday overwhelmingly passed bipartisan legislation 405-0 to require the agency use the same standards when assigning agents to major presidential candidates as they do presidents and vice presidents. The agency has told Congress that it has already boosted Trump's security, but House lawmakers want it put into law.

The efforts come after an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-vp-vance-rubio-7c7ba6b99b5f38d2d840ed95b2fdc3e5">assassination attempt</a>&nbsp;on former President Donald Trump at a rally in July, and after Secret Service agents arrested a man with a rifle hiding on the golf course at Trump’s Florida club over the weekend. The suspect in Florida apparently also sought&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-what-to-know-564c56e167c3cdc6c50f6a2e91db9a6c">to assassinate</a>&nbsp;the GOP presidential nominee.

“In America, elections are determined at the ballot box, not by an assassin’s bullet,” Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., a chief sponsor of the bill, said in floor debate ahead of the vote. “That these incidents were allowed to occur is a stain on our country."

With the election rapidly approaching and Congress headed out of town before October, lawmakers are rushing to figure out exactly what might help, hoping to assess the agency’s most pressing needs while ensuring that they are doing everything they can in an era where political violence has become&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-political-violence-america-3cbc5575e2b4c53a231e8abd9b786d22">more commonplace</a>&nbsp;and every politician is a target.

“We have a responsibility here in Congress to get down to the bottom of this to figure out why these things are happening and what we can do about it,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Tuesday. “This is not a partisan issue. We have both parties working on it."

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Thursday that “we've got to get the Secret Service into a position where its protectees are shielded in the most maximum way possible.”

Democrats and Republicans have been in talks with the agency this week to find out whether additional resources are needed. Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, the Democratic chairman of the spending subcommittee that oversees the Secret Service, said Congress wants to make sure that if it is spending new dollars, “it’s going to help the situation between now and the inauguration.”

Murphy said new money could go toward technology like drones, partnerships with other agencies that could provide immediate assistance and overtime pay for agents. It would likely be added to a stopgap spending bill that Congress will consider next week to keep the government running, either in the form of allowing the Secret Service to spend money more quickly or providing them with emergency dollars.

“I’m confident we are going to take care of this one way or the other,” Murphy said.

After the July shooting, House Republicans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-shooting-congress-task-force-cd084a29e3a26da7eead4425e4064118">created a bipartisan task force</a>&nbsp;focused on investigating the security failures of that day, and the panel will hold its first hearing next week. The House voted Friday to expand the committee's mandate to include what happened in Florida, even though the Secret Service successfully apprehended the suspect before anyone was hurt.

In a letter earlier this month, the Secret Service told lawmakers that a funding shortfall was not the reason for lapses in Trump's security when a gunman&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-fbi-secret-service-a382e3ec081dd13e85eaa9e726cca02c">climbed onto an unsecured roof</a>&nbsp;on July 13 at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and opened fire. But Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe Jr. said this week that the agency had “immediate needs” and that he’s talking to Congress.

Secret Service officials also told lawmakers behind closed doors that they have already increased Trump’s security to the same level as Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden.

"There are a handful of specialized assets only the commander in chief gets, but the rest of his protection is at the same level,” Spencer Love, a Democratic spokesperson for the House task force, said after the agency briefed members on Wednesday.

In the Senate, Florida Sen. Rick Scott has also introduced a bill mandating similar protection for presidential candidates. Both bills would also require regular reports to Congress on the status of the candidates’ protection. Senate leaders have not yet said whether they will consider the legislation.

In a joint statement after the bill’s passage, Lawler and his co-sponsor, Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres of New York, urged the Senate to take up the bill and President Joe Biden to sign it. They thanked Biden for expanding Trump’s security but said that “without the passage and implementation of this legislation, this enhanced protection will not be codified into law and is subject to change with time.”

Republicans have argued that an overhaul of the agency, and potentially reallocating agents, should be a higher priority than funding.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, a Louisiana Republican who was himself shot at a baseball practice in 2017, noted this week that the Secret Service has received regular budget increases in recent years.

“It’s not about the money,” Scalise said, but “what they’re doing with the money.”

Rep. Mike Waltz, a Republican on the task force, said he pushed Secret Service officials Wednesday on what new resources they needed and they said they were still evaluating.

“I think it’s irresponsible to just throw money at it when they’re not even sure what exactly they need and how quickly they can get it,” the Florida lawmaker said, adding that he hopes the agency shifts to a more threat-focused approach to protecting officials and candidates.

It's unclear, though, if Republicans would fight a funding boost.

“It’s been made implicitly clear that they’re stretched pretty thin,” said Democratic Rep. Glenn Ivey, a member of the task force. “I know that there’s some folks who see a $3 billion budget and think that should be enough. But when you look at where all of the bodies have to go, that’s a problem.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726692527169.png" alt="House Speaker Mike Johnson with Donald Trump earlier this week-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>House Speaker Mike Johnson with Donald Trump earlier this week-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers are scrambling to ensure that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-secret-service">U.S. Secret Service</a>&nbsp;has enough money and resources to keep the nation’s presidential candidates safe amid repeated threats of violence. It’s unclear, though, how much they can do with only weeks before the election, or if additional dollars would make an immediate difference.Days after a gunman was arrested on former President Donald Trump's golf course, the House on Friday overwhelmingly passed bipartisan legislation 405-0 to require the agency use the same standards when assigning agents to major presidential candidates as they do presidents and vice presidents. The agency has told Congress that it has already boosted Trump's security, but House lawmakers want it put into law.The efforts come after an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-vp-vance-rubio-7c7ba6b99b5f38d2d840ed95b2fdc3e5">assassination attempt</a>&nbsp;on former President Donald Trump at a rally in July, and after Secret Service agents arrested a man with a rifle hiding on the golf course at Trump’s Florida club over the weekend. The suspect in Florida apparently also sought&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-what-to-know-564c56e167c3cdc6c50f6a2e91db9a6c">to assassinate</a>&nbsp;the GOP presidential nominee.“In America, elections are determined at the ballot box, not by an assassin’s bullet,” Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., a chief sponsor of the bill, said in floor debate ahead of the vote. “That these incidents were allowed to occur is a stain on our country."With the election rapidly approaching and Congress headed out of town before October, lawmakers are rushing to figure out exactly what might help, hoping to assess the agency’s most pressing needs while ensuring that they are doing everything they can in an era where political violence has become&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-political-violence-america-3cbc5575e2b4c53a231e8abd9b786d22">more commonplace</a>&nbsp;and every politician is a target.“We have a responsibility here in Congress to get down to the bottom of this to figure out why these things are happening and what we can do about it,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Tuesday. “This is not a partisan issue. We have both parties working on it."House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Thursday that “we've got to get the Secret Service into a position where its protectees are shielded in the most maximum way possible.”Democrats and Republicans have been in talks with the agency this week to find out whether additional resources are needed. Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, the Democratic chairman of the spending subcommittee that oversees the Secret Service, said Congress wants to make sure that if it is spending new dollars, “it’s going to help the situation between now and the inauguration.”Murphy said new money could go toward technology like drones, partnerships with other agencies that could provide immediate assistance and overtime pay for agents. It would likely be added to a stopgap spending bill that Congress will consider next week to keep the government running, either in the form of allowing the Secret Service to spend money more quickly or providing them with emergency dollars.“I’m confident we are going to take care of this one way or the other,” Murphy said.After the July shooting, House Republicans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-shooting-congress-task-force-cd084a29e3a26da7eead4425e4064118">created a bipartisan task force</a>&nbsp;focused on investigating the security failures of that day, and the panel will hold its first hearing next week. The House voted Friday to expand the committee's mandate to include what happened in Florida, even though the Secret Service successfully apprehended the suspect before anyone was hurt.In a letter earlier this month, the Secret Service told lawmakers that a funding shortfall was not the reason for lapses in Trump's security when a gunman&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-assassination-attempt-fbi-secret-service-a382e3ec081dd13e85eaa9e726cca02c">climbed onto an unsecured roof</a>&nbsp;on July 13 at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and opened fire. But Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe Jr. said this week that the agency had “immediate needs” and that he’s talking to Congress.Secret Service officials also told lawmakers behind closed doors that they have already increased Trump’s security to the same level as Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden."There are a handful of specialized assets only the commander in chief gets, but the rest of his protection is at the same level,” Spencer Love, a Democratic spokesperson for the House task force, said after the agency briefed members on Wednesday.In the Senate, Florida Sen. Rick Scott has also introduced a bill mandating similar protection for presidential candidates. Both bills would also require regular reports to Congress on the status of the candidates’ protection. Senate leaders have not yet said whether they will consider the legislation.In a joint statement after the bill’s passage, Lawler and his co-sponsor, Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres of New York, urged the Senate to take up the bill and President Joe Biden to sign it. They thanked Biden for expanding Trump’s security but said that “without the passage and implementation of this legislation, this enhanced protection will not be codified into law and is subject to change with time.”Republicans have argued that an overhaul of the agency, and potentially reallocating agents, should be a higher priority than funding.House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, a Louisiana Republican who was himself shot at a baseball practice in 2017, noted this week that the Secret Service has received regular budget increases in recent years.“It’s not about the money,” Scalise said, but “what they’re doing with the money.”Rep. Mike Waltz, a Republican on the task force, said he pushed Secret Service officials Wednesday on what new resources they needed and they said they were still evaluating.“I think it’s irresponsible to just throw money at it when they’re not even sure what exactly they need and how quickly they can get it,” the Florida lawmaker said, adding that he hopes the agency shifts to a more threat-focused approach to protecting officials and candidates.It's unclear, though, if Republicans would fight a funding boost.“It’s been made implicitly clear that they’re stretched pretty thin,” said Democratic Rep. Glenn Ivey, a member of the task force. “I know that there’s some folks who see a $3 billion budget and think that should be enough. But when you look at where all of the bodies have to go, that’s a problem.”

Unanimous: House votes to boost Trump security 

Bartlett’s $375 million facility will process soybeans for food, animal feed and fuel

By ALLISON KITE <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

CHERRYVALE — While this southeast Kansas town’s population peaked more than 100 years ago, the opening of the region’s largest ever economic development project means its best days are ahead, Lt. Gov. David Toland said Thursday.

Toland spoke to a crowd of more than 100 state and federal lawmakers, economic development officials and construction company representatives who gathered to celebrate the grand opening of the Bartlett soybean crushing plant just south of Cherryvale. The town’s population peaked at 4,700 in 1920 and is now 2,200.

Toland, a Democrat and Iola native who also serves as commerce secretary, said the project reminds him of southeast Kansas’ “glory days.”

“When heavy industry was pouring into this region and our towns were booming,” Toland said of the early 20th century, “it looked a lot like this, and we’re doing it again.”

The $375 million plant, which began accepting shipments of soybeans in February, can house 49 million bushels of the crop and will help create food, animal feed and fuel, officials said. Now that it’s operational, Bartlett executives said, it will employ about 60 full-time workers.

“This impressive facility is far more than a soybean crushing complex,” said Gov. Laura Kelly. “This is where community members will find new employment and where the growing demand for renewable biodiesel will be met.”

Kelly said the construction of the facility is part of Kansas’ “economic transformation” that began when she took office in 2019. She said the state had attracted $20 billion in private investment and created or retained tens of thousands of jobs in the past five and a half years.

“We’re focused on creating opportunity everywhere,” Kelly said, “so that Kansans regardless of their ZIP code have the chance to … prosper in one of our state’s strong and vital communities.”

U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, a Kansas Republican, joined state lawmakers to celebrate the new facility and noted it had been 100 years since Cherryvale had a significant manufacturing facility.

“That’s why this is so important,” Marshall said. “It’s taken 100 years to bring something like that back to this particular community.”

Bartlett, which was purchased by Savage in 2018, received both state and local incentives to ensure the plant landed in Cherryvale as the company conducted its nationwide search. Company executives said Kansas officials also quickly approved environmental permits and offered other assistance.

Bill Webster, vice president for Bartlett, said Toland gave him his home phone number.

“This is a level of engagement that is not ceremonial or delegating,” Webster said. “It is hands-on, and it has made a profound difference.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726828240512.png" alt=" The new $375 million Bartlett soybean crushing plant just south of Cherryvale will help create food, animal feed and fuel, officials say. (Allison Kite/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> The new $375 million Bartlett soybean crushing plant just south of Cherryvale will help create food, animal feed and fuel, officials say. (Allison Kite/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Bartlett’s $375 million facility will process soybeans for food, animal feed and fuel</h2>By ALLISON KITE <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>CHERRYVALE — While this southeast Kansas town’s population peaked more than 100 years ago, the opening of the region’s largest ever economic development project means its best days are ahead, Lt. Gov. David Toland said Thursday.Toland spoke to a crowd of more than 100 state and federal lawmakers, economic development officials and construction company representatives who gathered to celebrate the grand opening of the Bartlett soybean crushing plant just south of Cherryvale. The town’s population peaked at 4,700 in 1920 and is now 2,200.Toland, a Democrat and Iola native who also serves as commerce secretary, said the project reminds him of southeast Kansas’ “glory days.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726790263540.png" alt="Photo officer of Gov. Laura Kelly" />
 <figcaption>Photo officer of Gov. Laura Kelly</figcaption>
 </figure>“When heavy industry was pouring into this region and our towns were booming,” Toland said of the early 20th century, “it looked a lot like this, and we’re doing it again.”The $375 million plant, which began accepting shipments of soybeans in February, can house 49 million bushels of the crop and will help create food, animal feed and fuel, officials said. Now that it’s operational, Bartlett executives said, it will employ about 60 full-time workers.“This impressive facility is far more than a soybean crushing complex,” said Gov. Laura Kelly. “This is where community members will find new employment and where the growing demand for renewable biodiesel will be met.”Kelly said the construction of the facility is part of Kansas’ “economic transformation” that began when she took office in 2019. She said the state had attracted $20 billion in private investment and created or retained tens of thousands of jobs in the past five and a half years.“We’re focused on creating opportunity everywhere,” Kelly said, “so that Kansans regardless of their ZIP code have the chance to … prosper in one of our state’s strong and vital communities.”U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, a Kansas Republican, joined state lawmakers to celebrate the new facility and noted it had been 100 years since Cherryvale had a significant manufacturing facility.“That’s why this is so important,” Marshall said. “It’s taken 100 years to bring something like that back to this particular community.”Bartlett, which was purchased by Savage in 2018, received both state and local incentives to ensure the plant landed in Cherryvale as the company conducted its nationwide search. Company executives said Kansas officials also quickly approved environmental permits and offered other assistance.Bill Webster, vice president for Bartlett, said Toland gave him his home phone number.“This is a level of engagement that is not ceremonial or delegating,” Webster said. “It is hands-on, and it has made a profound difference.”

Officials celebrate Kansas’ ‘economic transformation’ at new soybean plant

The Energy Information Administration says ethanol output fell to its lowest level in three months while inventories rose slightly during the week that ended on September 13. The agency said production sank to an average of 1.04 million barrels a day, down from 1.09 million barrels a day the previous week. It’s also the lowest output since the middle of June. 

The Midwest, which produces the most ethanol of any region in the country, saw production drop to an average of 986,000 barrels a day from 1.02 million the week prior. That’s the lowest point in the region since June 7th. That was the entirety of the losses as Gulf Coast production rose to an average of 28,000 barrels a day, East Coast output was unchanged at 12,000 barrels a day, and Rocky Mountain production was steady at 14,000 barrels. West Coast production remained at an average of 9,000 barrels per day.

The Energy Information Administration says ethanol output fell to its lowest level in three months while inventories rose slightly during the week that ended on September 13. The agency said production sank to an average of 1.04 million barrels a day, down from 1.09 million barrels a day the previous week. It’s also the lowest output since the middle of June. The Midwest, which produces the most ethanol of any region in the country, saw production drop to an average of 986,000 barrels a day from 1.02 million the week prior. That’s the lowest point in the region since June 7th. That was the entirety of the losses as Gulf Coast production rose to an average of 28,000 barrels a day, East Coast output was unchanged at 12,000 barrels a day, and Rocky Mountain production was steady at 14,000 barrels. West Coast production remained at an average of 9,000 barrels per day.-NAFB

Ethanol production falls to near three-Month low

Kicking off an expected loosening of U.S. monetary policy, the Federal Reserve cut interest rates by half a percentage point on Wednesday. The move brings a larger-than-normal reduction in the cost of borrowing, which followed growing concern about the health of America’s job market. Reports show that the higher interest rates have hit the agricultural sector much harder than the rest of the U.S. economy. 

Kicking off an expected loosening of U.S. monetary policy, the Federal Reserve cut interest rates by half a percentage point on Wednesday. The move brings a larger-than-normal reduction in the cost of borrowing, which followed growing concern about the health of America’s job market. Reports show that the higher interest rates have hit the agricultural sector much harder than the rest of the U.S. economy.

Fed cuts interest rates, some relief for agriculture

(Radio Iowa) - Artists from communities across southwest Iowa will be featured in a multi-city showcase this weekend, starting this (Friday) afternoon.

 The Southwest Iowa Art Tour is in its 11th year with displays in Page, Fremont, Montgomery, Mills, Pottawattamie, and Shelby counties. Tour coordinator Rebecca Castle Laughlin says there's a wide range of art, including: painting, sculpture, photography, pottery, wood carving, jewelry and more. 

The art will be on display at 20 locations in 13 communities on this year's tour, including: Harlan, Avoca, Neola, Council Bluffs, Macedonia, Glenwood, Malvern, Red Oak, Essex, Clarinda, Shenandoah, Sidney, and Thurman.

(Radio Iowa) - Artists from communities across southwest Iowa will be featured in a multi-city showcase this weekend, starting this (Friday) afternoon. The Southwest Iowa Art Tour is in its 11th year with displays in Page, Fremont, Montgomery, Mills, Pottawattamie, and Shelby counties. Tour coordinator Rebecca Castle Laughlin says there's a wide range of art, including: painting, sculpture, photography, pottery, wood carving, jewelry and more. The art will be on display at 20 locations in 13 communities on this year's tour, including: Harlan, Avoca, Neola, Council Bluffs, Macedonia, Glenwood, Malvern, Red Oak, Essex, Clarinda, Shenandoah, Sidney, and Thurman.

Dozens of SW Iowa artists are featured in 20 locations on weekend 'art tour'

Vendors of wines and spirits will take over Griffith Park in Mound City tomorrow.   

The 15th annual Missouri's Great Northwest Winefest will bring several vendors to Mound City this weekend to help benefit the Northwest Missouri Enterprise Facilitation 

But a big focus of Winefest, Amanda Griffin with Winefest says, is on the wine and spirits 

"We've introduced several new wineries, and then on top of that we've actually opened it up to distilleries, and there are two breweries coming this year, so we're very, very excited, bigger and better than ever, hey something for everyone you don't want to miss it," Griffin tells guest host of the KFEQ Hotline Brent Martin. 

The festival will run from 11:30am to 7pm tomorrow at Griffith Park in Mound City. 

Griffin says on top of the wine and spirits there are several other fun things to enjoy, with several vendors, food trucks, and musical entertainment. 

"Don't even have to drink at all, you can come and get a half-price ticket, $15 at the gate for a designated driver bracelet to come on in," Griffin explains. "So, that's no tasting, but there's a lot to do, you can listen to the performers, and we have almost 60 vendors and food trucks available for you to come and hang out and enjoy." 

Another fun activity will be happening as well during Winefest, at a vineyard just adjacent to Griffith Park, where Griffin says people will have the chance to stomp some grapes 

"The vineyard is owned by Mound City Development Corporation and every year they go ahead, and you can get into the grape stomping tank," Griffin says. "And it's optional, but this is something I would encourage anybody to do, is you can dress up like a period costume type stuff while you're stomping, get your photo taken." 

Adult tickets are $30 while children 12 and under can get in for $5. Children five and under get in free. You can find out more information by clicking <a href="https://nwmef.org/winefest-dnt/">HERE</a>.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726848905185.jpeg" alt="Several wineries, breweries and distilleries will have tastings available during the Great Northwest Winefest/ Photo courtesy of the Great Northwest Winefest Facebook page" />
 <figcaption>Several wineries, breweries and distilleries will have tastings available during the Great Northwest Winefest/ Photo courtesy of the Great Northwest Winefest Facebook page</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post Vendors of wines and spirits will take over Griffith Park in Mound City tomorrow. The 15th annual Missouri's Great Northwest Winefest will bring several vendors to Mound City this weekend to help benefit the Northwest Missouri Enterprise Facilitation But a big focus of Winefest, Amanda Griffin with Winefest says, is on the wine and spirits "We've introduced several new wineries, and then on top of that we've actually opened it up to distilleries, and there are two breweries coming this year, so we're very, very excited, bigger and better than ever, hey something for everyone you don't want to miss it," Griffin tells guest host of the KFEQ Hotline Brent Martin. The festival will run from 11:30am to 7pm tomorrow at Griffith Park in Mound City. Griffin says on top of the wine and spirits there are several other fun things to enjoy, with several vendors, food trucks, and musical entertainment. "Don't even have to drink at all, you can come and get a half-price ticket, $15 at the gate for a designated driver bracelet to come on in," Griffin explains. "So, that's no tasting, but there's a lot to do, you can listen to the performers, and we have almost 60 vendors and food trucks available for you to come and hang out and enjoy." Another fun activity will be happening as well during Winefest, at a vineyard just adjacent to Griffith Park, where Griffin says people will have the chance to stomp some grapes "The vineyard is owned by Mound City Development Corporation and every year they go ahead, and you can get into the grape stomping tank," Griffin says. "And it's optional, but this is something I would encourage anybody to do, is you can dress up like a period costume type stuff while you're stomping, get your photo taken." Adult tickets are $30 while children 12 and under can get in for $5. Children five and under get in free. You can find out more information by clicking <a href="https://nwmef.org/winefest-dnt/">HERE</a>.You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726848999001.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy of Missouri's Great Northwest Winefest Facebook page" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy of Missouri's Great Northwest Winefest Facebook page</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fgreatnorthwestwinefest%2Fvideos%2F1761515841047392%2F&show_text=true&width=560&t=0" width="560" height="429" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>

Taste wine, eat food, enjoy music, all during the 15th Annual Great Northwest Winefest

Transgender adolescents say a state law barring them from beginning puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones has caused them harm and should be blocked

A lawsuit filed by&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/lawsuit-seeks-to-block-missouri-ban-on-transgender-care-for-minors/">transgender children and their parents</a>&nbsp;challenging a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/05/10/missouri-house-sends-bill-banning-transgender-health-care-for-minors-to-governor/">one year-old Missouri law</a>&nbsp;restricting minors from accessing cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers heads to trial in Cole County Circuit Court beginning Monday.&nbsp;

Plaintiffs are asking Circuit Court Judge Craig Carter, who typically serves in Wright County, to block the law’s enforcement.

Pretrial briefs filed by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Plaintiffs%20Pretrial%20Brief.PDF?courtCode=19&amp;di=3289266" target="_blank">plaintiff’s attorneys</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Defendants%20Pretrial%20Brief.PDF?courtCode=19&amp;di=3289241" target="_blank">Missouri Attorney General’s office</a>, which is defending the state, have very little in common in the factual background of the case.

The parties have different definitions of gender-affirming care, with Solicitor General Joshua Divine writing that “gender transition interventions are at best experimental and at worst deeply harmful.”&nbsp;

Gillian Wilcox, an attorney with the ACLU of Missouri, labeled the treatment “medically necessary, evidence-based and potentially lifesaving.”

“Gender-affirming medical care does not harm transgender youth,” she wrote. “To the contrary, it allows them to thrive.”

Both sides agree that transgender Missourians electing to start gender-affirming care have a condition called “gender dysphoria,” which is widely defined as distress arising from an incongruence between one’s gender identity and sex as assigned at birth.

But Divine argues this is purely a “psychiatric, not medical condition” and calls for talk therapy as an alternative to cross-sex hormones or puberty blockers.

“The worst thing that could befall plaintiffs from not receiving an injunction is that individuals seeking treatment for gender dysphoria will receive counseling instead of chemical and surgical interventions. That is no harm at all,” he wrote.

Plaintiffs point to therapy as an unsatisfactory alternative, meaning the law has taken away all avenues for this type of care. Wilcox argues that gender dysphoria was once categorized by the World Health Organization in a chapter on mental and behavioral disorders, under the name “gender identity disorder,” but has since been moved to a section on sexual health.

The sides both mark this 2013 change from “gender identity disorder” to “gender dysphoria,” but Divine writes this in a shallower history that he says begins in 2007 when “clinicians in the United States started to experiment with surgical and chemical interventions.”&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1676064784756.png" alt="-A case that seeks to block enforcement of a state law restricting transgender minors' access to gender affirming care is scheduled for two&nbsp;weeks of debate in Cole County Circuit Court (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>-A case that seeks to block enforcement of a state law restricting transgender minors' access to gender affirming care is scheduled for two&nbsp;weeks of debate in Cole County Circuit Court (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Transgender adolescents say a state law barring them from beginning puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones has caused them harm and should be blocked</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 lawsuit filed by&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/lawsuit-seeks-to-block-missouri-ban-on-transgender-care-for-minors/">transgender children and their parents</a>&nbsp;challenging a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/05/10/missouri-house-sends-bill-banning-transgender-health-care-for-minors-to-governor/">one year-old Missouri law</a>&nbsp;restricting minors from accessing cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers heads to trial in Cole County Circuit Court beginning Monday.&nbsp;Plaintiffs are asking Circuit Court Judge Craig Carter, who typically serves in Wright County, to block the law’s enforcement.Pretrial briefs filed by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Plaintiffs%20Pretrial%20Brief.PDF?courtCode=19&amp;di=3289266" target="_blank">plaintiff’s attorneys</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/Defendants%20Pretrial%20Brief.PDF?courtCode=19&amp;di=3289241" target="_blank">Missouri Attorney General’s office</a>, which is defending the state, have very little in common in the factual background of the case.The parties have different definitions of gender-affirming care, with Solicitor General Joshua Divine writing that “gender transition interventions are at best experimental and at worst deeply harmful.”&nbsp;Gillian Wilcox, an attorney with the ACLU of Missouri, labeled the treatment “medically necessary, evidence-based and potentially lifesaving.”“Gender-affirming medical care does not harm transgender youth,” she wrote. “To the contrary, it allows them to thrive.”Both sides agree that transgender Missourians electing to start gender-affirming care have a condition called “gender dysphoria,” which is widely defined as distress arising from an incongruence between one’s gender identity and sex as assigned at birth.But Divine argues this is purely a “psychiatric, not medical condition” and calls for talk therapy as an alternative to cross-sex hormones or puberty blockers.“The worst thing that could befall plaintiffs from not receiving an injunction is that individuals seeking treatment for gender dysphoria will receive counseling instead of chemical and surgical interventions. That is no harm at all,” he wrote.Plaintiffs point to therapy as an unsatisfactory alternative, meaning the law has taken away all avenues for this type of care. Wilcox argues that gender dysphoria was once categorized by the World Health Organization in a chapter on mental and behavioral disorders, under the name “gender identity disorder,” but has since been moved to a section on sexual health.The sides both mark this 2013 change from “gender identity disorder” to “gender dysphoria,” but Divine writes this in a shallower history that he says begins in 2007 when “clinicians in the United States started to experiment with surgical and chemical interventions.”&nbsp;Wilcox says gender-affirming medical care emerged in the 1920s, with the first clinics in the United States treating transgender patients in the ‘60s and ‘70s.Arguments in the case are scheduled to last approximately two weeks, though both sides have filed motions seeking to exclude the testimony of doctors and other expert witnesses that the opposing party has brought.Plaintiffs — including families that have changed their child’s care plan because of the law, health care providers and advocacy groups — will argue that the law is unconstitutional. Additionally, they will try to prove that it is subject to higher scrutiny because it discriminates based on sex and “transgender status.”Defendants — including Attorney General Andrew Bailey and Gov. Mike Parson, among others — argue the state had a compelling governmental interest in enacting and enforcing the law.The litigation could also determine whether the state can lawfully exclude gender-affirming care coverage from the state’s Medicaid program and covered services in state prisons.

Kbct