TOPEKA—Governor Laura Kelly’s Commission on Racial Equity and Justice met for their first meeting Thursday afternoon.&nbsp;

<a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DylmJgK8kuiU&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7Cd4fa028bae0f4393454108d8251538be%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637300120359291733&amp;sdata=vt8ORYrrKVWjSH3rjTglaZLVRXDynNEqpFgY764LN0c%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Click here</a>&nbsp;to watch a replay of the meeting.

In a media release, Governor Kelly said, “This is not the first time a group like this has been convened to discuss the structural inequalities that exist in our country. But I believe this national moment has provided the Commission on Racial Equity and Justice, and the state of Kansas an opportunity to have an honest and informed conversation about the work that must be done.”

Co-chairs Dr. Tiffany Anderson, Superintendent of Topeka Public Schools USD 501, and Dr. Shannon Portillo, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs KU Edwards Campus &amp; School of Professional Studies, led the conversation in discussing the structure, schedule, and priority goals of the Commission.

“We had a robust discussion in our first meeting, outlining areas for inquiry and listening sessions,”&nbsp;Dr. Shannon Portillo, said.&nbsp;“I am looking forward to engaging with our community listening sessions, and ultimately developing a report for Governor Kelly’s administration to take action on.”

The Commission plans to meet biweekly, every other Thursday, from 3:00-5:00 p.m. The next meeting is scheduled for July 23rd, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. The meetings will continue to be held virtually and streamed to&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fchannel%2FUChH3fB2PkiJjZlo55c9UH2Q%3Fview_as%3Dsubscriber&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7Cd4fa028bae0f4393454108d8251538be%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637300120359291733&amp;sdata=fJQxKTScrj4scj3PuJzDC7TcOMi8bqKHlomOVq5qvaA%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Governor Laura Kelly’s YouTube page.</a>

Governor Kelly tasked the Commission with focusing their work first on law enforcement and policing in Kansas. Commission members discussed the following possible topics for the initial focus of their work:

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC)

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Kansas Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards and Training (KSCPOST)

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Former Commissions and reports (Federal &amp; Local)

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;School resource officers and policing in schools

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Bail bonds

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;K-9 officers and dispute resolution

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Qualified immunity

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Corrections officers

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Recruitment, hiring, and decertification practices

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Police misconduct records

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Police unions and contract negotiations

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Officer Residency requirements

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Social determinants of health in prisons

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Debtors’ prisons

The group discussed the methods of collecting data and reports for the Commission. National Governors Association, Governor’s staff, and stakeholders will be facilitating data and research for the work of the Commission.

“Engaging with the public throughout the course of these meetings will be crucial to crafting recommendations and policies that are specific to Kansas, and to amplifying as many voices throughout the community as possible,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.

The Commission plans to hold a number of virtual listening sessions with stakeholders and communities across the state. This includes, but is not limited to:

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Public Defenders

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Law Enforcement

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Community members who have engaged with the criminal justice system

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Spanish and other non-English-speaking communities

•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Immigrant and refugee communities

To engage with the public, the Commission will be providing an email address, mailing address, constituent services line, and Twitter hashtag (#KansasCREJ). More information regarding how constituents can submit feedback and testimony will be made available next week.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594415416015.png" alt="Governor Laura Kelly and members of her Commission on Racial Equality held their first meeting online this week." />
 <figcaption>Governor Laura Kelly and members of her Commission on Racial Equality held their first meeting online this week.</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA—Governor Laura Kelly’s Commission on Racial Equity and Justice met for their first meeting Thursday afternoon.&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DylmJgK8kuiU&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7Cd4fa028bae0f4393454108d8251538be%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637300120359291733&amp;sdata=vt8ORYrrKVWjSH3rjTglaZLVRXDynNEqpFgY764LN0c%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Click here</a>&nbsp;to watch a replay of the meeting.In a media release, Governor Kelly said, “This is not the first time a group like this has been convened to discuss the structural inequalities that exist in our country. But I believe this national moment has provided the Commission on Racial Equity and Justice, and the state of Kansas an opportunity to have an honest and informed conversation about the work that must be done.”Co-chairs Dr. Tiffany Anderson, Superintendent of Topeka Public Schools USD 501, and Dr. Shannon Portillo, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs KU Edwards Campus &amp; School of Professional Studies, led the conversation in discussing the structure, schedule, and priority goals of the Commission.“We had a robust discussion in our first meeting, outlining areas for inquiry and listening sessions,”&nbsp;Dr. Shannon Portillo, said.&nbsp;“I am looking forward to engaging with our community listening sessions, and ultimately developing a report for Governor Kelly’s administration to take action on.”The Commission plans to meet biweekly, every other Thursday, from 3:00-5:00 p.m. The next meeting is scheduled for July 23rd, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. The meetings will continue to be held virtually and streamed to&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fchannel%2FUChH3fB2PkiJjZlo55c9UH2Q%3Fview_as%3Dsubscriber&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7Cd4fa028bae0f4393454108d8251538be%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637300120359291733&amp;sdata=fJQxKTScrj4scj3PuJzDC7TcOMi8bqKHlomOVq5qvaA%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Governor Laura Kelly’s YouTube page.</a>Governor Kelly tasked the Commission with focusing their work first on law enforcement and policing in Kansas. Commission members discussed the following possible topics for the initial focus of their work:•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC)•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Kansas Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards and Training (KSCPOST)•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Former Commissions and reports (Federal &amp; Local)<ul>
 <li>The President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing</li><li>Forward Through Ferguson Police Reform</li><li>Kerner Commission</li><li>Other Kansas-specific reports</li>
 </ul>•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;School resource officers and policing in schools•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Bail bonds•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;K-9 officers and dispute resolution•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Qualified immunity•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Corrections officers•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Recruitment, hiring, and decertification practices•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Police misconduct records•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Police unions and contract negotiations•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Officer Residency requirements•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Social determinants of health in prisons•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Debtors’ prisonsThe group discussed the methods of collecting data and reports for the Commission. National Governors Association, Governor’s staff, and stakeholders will be facilitating data and research for the work of the Commission.“Engaging with the public throughout the course of these meetings will be crucial to crafting recommendations and policies that are specific to Kansas, and to amplifying as many voices throughout the community as possible,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.The Commission plans to hold a number of virtual listening sessions with stakeholders and communities across the state. This includes, but is not limited to:•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Public Defenders•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Law Enforcement•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Community members who have engaged with the criminal justice system•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Spanish and other non-English-speaking communities•&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Immigrant and refugee communitiesTo engage with the public, the Commission will be providing an email address, mailing address, constituent services line, and Twitter hashtag (#KansasCREJ). More information regarding how constituents can submit feedback and testimony will be made available next week.

 🎥  Governor’s Commission on Racial Equity, Justice begins work

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">COVID-19 update for July 11: 5.5% Positive of all patients tested by PCR. 3.5% Positive of all patients tested by Serology. 27,133 positive patients. 1,069 Missourians lost to COVID-19. To learn more, visit <a href="https://t.co/V6es2EUkO0">https://t.co/V6es2EUkO0</a>.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ShowMeStrong?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ShowMeStrong</a> <a href="https://t.co/nTZS0YnTeN">pic.twitter.com/nTZS0YnTeN</a>&mdash; Mo Health &amp; Sr Srvcs (@HealthyLivingMo) <a href="https://twitter.com/HealthyLivingMo/status/1282026925792403456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 11, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

Missouri reports 5 more deaths from coronavirus

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — The father of a missing 3-year-old Kansas girl was arrested late Friday after police said they believe they found her body.&nbsp; Howard Jansen III, 29, of Kansas City, Kansas, has not been formally charged in the death of Olivia Ann Jansen. 

Jansen was booked into the Wyandotte County jail on suspicion of first-degree murder and child abuse. 

Saturday morning, Jacqulyn Kirkpatrick, 33, was also  held on suspicion of first-degree murder and child abuse. The body was found about 5:45 p.m. Friday about nine blocks from her home, from which her father had reported her missing.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Authorities believe they found the body of a 3-year-old girl who was reported missing Friday morning from her Kansas City, Kansas, home. Her father is in jail on murder charges.

Investigators are “pretty sure” the body found Friday afternoon is Olivia Jansen’s, said Officer Tom Tomasic, a police spokesman. The body was found about 5:45 p.m. Friday about nine blocks from her home, from which her father had reported her missing.

Police had said that, because of Olivia’s age and the distance from home where her body was found, she had been taken from her home. Tomasic said they have had “several stories throughout the day” and “none of them made sense.”

The child’s father 29-year-old Howard Jansen told investigators he saw her around 11 p.m. Thursday when he went to sleep, Officer Dustin Dierenfeldt said. He said he awoke Friday morning to find her gone and a door opened to the outside.

An&nbsp;<a href="https://kbi.kansas.gov/ksamber/alert/3804" target="_blank">Amber Alert</a>&nbsp;was issued that said that although there was no known suspect of suspect vehicle, “Due to her age and a search of the area, investigators believe that she was taken from the location.”

Investigators had searched the area around the child’s home all day Friday with all-terrain vehicles, drones, and K-9 teams.

Although Jansen, was cooperating with the investigation, police booked him into jail on requested charges of first-degree murder and child abuse, according to online booking records.

The KBI cancelled the Amber Alert for missing 3-year-old&nbsp; Olivia Jansen just after 6p.m. Friday.

Authorities located the body of deceased child believed to be her. Police released no additional details.&nbsp;

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation issued an Amber Alert Friday morning for 3-year-old Olivia A. Jansen. At 6:30 a.m. Friday, the father of Olivia woke up and discovered that she was not in the residence, 4444 Gibbs Road, Kansas City, Kansas and the back door of the location was standing open.

Due to her age and a search of the area, investigators believe that she was taken from the location. There is no known suspect at this time and no known suspect vehicle.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Olivia is described as 3-feet tall, 50 pounds with brown hair and blue-green eyes. She had been dressed in pajamas - pink top and purple or teal bottom. Her hair was in a ponytail.&nbsp;

She was last seen at her home 4444 Gibbs Road, Kansas City, Kansas. Call 911 immediately if you see Olivia. If you have other information, please call the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department at 913-596-3000

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594468009097.png" alt="Jansen photo Wyandotte Co." />
 <figcaption>Jansen photo Wyandotte Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — The father of a missing 3-year-old Kansas girl was arrested late Friday after police said they believe they found her body.&nbsp; Howard Jansen III, 29, of Kansas City, Kansas, has not been formally charged in the death of Olivia Ann Jansen. Jansen was booked into the Wyandotte County jail on suspicion of first-degree murder and child abuse. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594490776368.png" alt="Kirkpatrick-photo Wyandotte Co." />
 <figcaption>Kirkpatrick-photo Wyandotte Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Saturday morning, Jacqulyn Kirkpatrick, 33, was also held on suspicion of first-degree murder and child abuse. The body was found about 5:45 p.m. Friday about nine blocks from her home, from which her father had reported her missing.--------KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Authorities believe they found the body of a 3-year-old girl who was reported missing Friday morning from her Kansas City, Kansas, home. Her father is in jail on murder charges.Investigators are “pretty sure” the body found Friday afternoon is Olivia Jansen’s, said Officer Tom Tomasic, a police spokesman. The body was found about 5:45 p.m. Friday about nine blocks from her home, from which her father had reported her missing.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594400012536.png" alt="Olivia Jansen-photo KBI" />
 <figcaption>Olivia Jansen-photo KBI</figcaption>
 </figure>Police had said that, because of Olivia’s age and the distance from home where her body was found, she had been taken from her home. Tomasic said they have had “several stories throughout the day” and “none of them made sense.”The child’s father 29-year-old Howard Jansen told investigators he saw her around 11 p.m. Thursday when he went to sleep, Officer Dustin Dierenfeldt said. He said he awoke Friday morning to find her gone and a door opened to the outside.An&nbsp;<a href="https://kbi.kansas.gov/ksamber/alert/3804" target="_blank">Amber Alert</a>&nbsp;was issued that said that although there was no known suspect of suspect vehicle, “Due to her age and a search of the area, investigators believe that she was taken from the location.”Investigators had searched the area around the child’s home all day Friday with all-terrain vehicles, drones, and K-9 teams.Although Jansen, was cooperating with the investigation, police booked him into jail on requested charges of first-degree murder and child abuse, according to online booking records.--------The KBI cancelled the Amber Alert for missing 3-year-old&nbsp; Olivia Jansen just after 6p.m. Friday.Authorities located the body of deceased child believed to be her. Police released no additional details.&nbsp;---------The Kansas Bureau of Investigation issued an Amber Alert Friday morning for 3-year-old Olivia A. Jansen. At 6:30 a.m. Friday, the father of Olivia woke up and discovered that she was not in the residence, 4444 Gibbs Road, Kansas City, Kansas and the back door of the location was standing open. Due to her age and a search of the area, investigators believe that she was taken from the location. There is no known suspect at this time and no known suspect vehicle.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594403105823.png" alt="Olivia Jansen-photo KCK Police" />
 <figcaption>Olivia Jansen-photo KCK Police</figcaption>
 </figure>Olivia is described as 3-feet tall, 50 pounds with brown hair and blue-green eyes. She had been dressed in pajamas - pink top and purple or teal bottom. Her hair was in a ponytail.&nbsp;She was last seen at her home 4444 Gibbs Road, Kansas City, Kansas. Call 911 immediately if you see Olivia. If you have other information, please call the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department at 913-596-3000

Update: 2 arrested in case of missing Kansas girl after body found

By STEPHAN BISAHA <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/kansas-teachers-will-get-little-required-training-how-run-classrooms-online">Kansas News Service</a>

WICHITA, Kansas — Jennifer Mathes kept her expectations for the spring low.

A
 sudden, pandemic-driven shift from classrooms to online instruction was
 bound to throw the Blue Valley school district a curve. That would be a
 loss for the quality of teaching she could expect for her daughter.

“You’ve
 had some time to prepare,” said Mathes, who’s the CEO of the nonprofit 
Online Learning Consortium. “You’ve got to create a better environment 
so my daughter doesn’t suffer.”

Yet at many Kansas schools, 
teachers will only be required to take a few days of training in the art
 of running a classroom online before school starts again in mid-August.

Some
 have taken online seminars voluntarily. But union contracts and 
uncertainty about what schools will look like when they restart — 
expected to be some mix of online and in-person teaching — have let the 
summer pass without mandating much preparation for teachers.

At
 Morris County public schools in east-central Kansas, the school year 
will start seven days earlier for teachers than students. Kansas schools
 usually have about four days to get ready before the kids show up — 
during a normal year. Some schools have shifted their schedules to 
front-end training normally spread across the calendar. But that only 
nets schools a couple of extra days to prepare teachers for an 
unprecedented fall.

For many Kansas teachers, it will be their 
first time getting drilled on best online teaching practices since 
school let out in the spring.

And schools have much higher 
expectations for their teachers than they did in the spring. Testing was
 lax-to-nonexistent last semester. In the fall, schools will be expected
 to require significantly more rigor from students. Having half a 
classroom disengaged and <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/kansas-educators-worry-what-five-months-away-classrooms-will-do-schoolkids" target="_blank">playing hooky won’t be acceptable anymore</a>.

And
 schools still must provide annual sessions on topics like sexual 
harassment and suicide prevention. Plus teachers will need to learn how 
to keep their classrooms virus-free.

“It will be a lot of work in
 a short amount of time,” said Kelly Gentry, director of instruction and
 curriculum Morris County Public Schools.

Some education experts 
are concerned that’s not enough time for preparing teachers for online 
learning. Getting teachers ready could take <a href="https://hechingerreport.org/teachers-need-lots-of-training-to-do-online-learning-well-coronavirus-closures-gave-many-just-days/" target="_blank">weeks or months</a>.

“There
 will need to be a recognition that learning how to operate this fall in
 a pandemic is something that will not just come from one week of 
training,” said Lisa Guernsey, senior advisor on early and elementary 
education policy for New America, a left-leaning education think tank.

Even
 if schools wanted to mandate teacher training earlier in the summer, 
teacher contracts restrict districts from doing so. Others would need to
 find ways to compensate teachers for the extra time, a concern as 
schools face the possibility of <a href="https://www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/article242179496.html" target="_blank">losing some state funding</a>.

There’s
 also the question of what to prepare teachers for. Schools could return
 to in-person classes, online-only or some mix of the two. Wichita 
Public Schools does not plan on providing any instruction for its 
teachers until after the state releases guidance next week.

That 
uncertainty has caused some teachers to hesitate taking up their own 
prep work, fearing it might contradict whatever plans the state comes up
 with.

“A lot of teachers really are putting in a lot of time to 
think about the fall and they just don’t know where to start,” said Lori
 Stratton, an English teacher at Gardner Edgerton High School in Johnson
 County.

After the
 sudden shift to online classes in March, more training is the last 
thing some Kansas teachers are thinking. Instead, they’ve been using 
their summer vacation time to decompress.

“This has been an 
extremely stressful time,” said Teresa Coffman, a professor of education
 at the University of Mary Washington. “Teachers need a little bit of a 
break.”

Many Kansas teachers are taking free online lessons, 
despite the sessions being voluntary and with the plans for the fall 
still being a mystery.

More than 1,000 Kansas educators have 
completed an average of six hours each of training related to teaching 
outside the classroom provided by Greenbush, the education service 
center in southeast Kansas. Sessions include “Google Classroom Crash 
Course,” “Student Engagement,” and “How Can I Increase My Motivation And
 Focus?”

Topeka and Olathe Public Schools also provide their 
teachers with online lessons during the summer. And while teachers might
 not be required to come in until the week before classes, districts 
like Morris County public schools are bringing in their administrators 
early to prepare the training, guidance and rules those teachers will 
get in August.

Mandatory training for online learning best practices will also continue at school districts throughout the school year.

Jennifer
 Hanni, the director of school improvement services at Greenbush, has 
helped create some of the optional training sessions Kansas teachers 
have been taking. But while she believes more time for professional 
development is always needed, the continually morphing status of the 
coronavirus makes it so teachers can’t fully prepare for the next school
 year until they’re in it.

“This is a unique circumstance where 
we can have all the time in the world,” Hanni said. “But if we don’t 
know what something is, then it’s really difficult to plan.”

Stephan Bisaha reports on education and young adult life for KMUW and the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/stevebisaha?lang=en">@stevebisaha</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594393638452.png" alt="First-graders use iPads during reading lessons at Shawnee Mission School District in 2018.&nbsp; Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service file photo " />
 <figcaption>First-graders use iPads during reading lessons at Shawnee Mission School District in 2018.&nbsp; Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service file photo </figcaption>
 </figure>By STEPHAN BISAHA <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/kansas-teachers-will-get-little-required-training-how-run-classrooms-online">Kansas News Service</a>WICHITA, Kansas — Jennifer Mathes kept her expectations for the spring low.A
 sudden, pandemic-driven shift from classrooms to online instruction was
 bound to throw the Blue Valley school district a curve. That would be a
 loss for the quality of teaching she could expect for her daughter.But for the fall?“You’ve
 had some time to prepare,” said Mathes, who’s the CEO of the nonprofit 
Online Learning Consortium. “You’ve got to create a better environment 
so my daughter doesn’t suffer.”Yet at many Kansas schools, 
teachers will only be required to take a few days of training in the art
 of running a classroom online before school starts again in mid-August.Some
 have taken online seminars voluntarily. But union contracts and 
uncertainty about what schools will look like when they restart — 
expected to be some mix of online and in-person teaching — have let the 
summer pass without mandating much preparation for teachers.<h2>Lesson plan</h2>At
 Morris County public schools in east-central Kansas, the school year 
will start seven days earlier for teachers than students. Kansas schools
 usually have about four days to get ready before the kids show up — 
during a normal year. Some schools have shifted their schedules to 
front-end training normally spread across the calendar. But that only 
nets schools a couple of extra days to prepare teachers for an 
unprecedented fall.For many Kansas teachers, it will be their 
first time getting drilled on best online teaching practices since 
school let out in the spring.And schools have much higher 
expectations for their teachers than they did in the spring. Testing was
 lax-to-nonexistent last semester. In the fall, schools will be expected
 to require significantly more rigor from students. Having half a 
classroom disengaged and <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/kansas-educators-worry-what-five-months-away-classrooms-will-do-schoolkids" target="_blank">playing hooky won’t be acceptable anymore</a>.And
 schools still must provide annual sessions on topics like sexual 
harassment and suicide prevention. Plus teachers will need to learn how 
to keep their classrooms virus-free.“It will be a lot of work in
 a short amount of time,” said Kelly Gentry, director of instruction and
 curriculum Morris County Public Schools.Some education experts 
are concerned that’s not enough time for preparing teachers for online 
learning. Getting teachers ready could take <a href="https://hechingerreport.org/teachers-need-lots-of-training-to-do-online-learning-well-coronavirus-closures-gave-many-just-days/" target="_blank">weeks or months</a>.“There
 will need to be a recognition that learning how to operate this fall in
 a pandemic is something that will not just come from one week of 
training,” said Lisa Guernsey, senior advisor on early and elementary 
education policy for New America, a left-leaning education think tank.Even
 if schools wanted to mandate teacher training earlier in the summer, 
teacher contracts restrict districts from doing so. Others would need to
 find ways to compensate teachers for the extra time, a concern as 
schools face the possibility of <a href="https://www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/article242179496.html" target="_blank">losing some state funding</a>.There’s
 also the question of what to prepare teachers for. Schools could return
 to in-person classes, online-only or some mix of the two. Wichita 
Public Schools does not plan on providing any instruction for its 
teachers until after the state releases guidance next week.That 
uncertainty has caused some teachers to hesitate taking up their own 
prep work, fearing it might contradict whatever plans the state comes up
 with.“A lot of teachers really are putting in a lot of time to 
think about the fall and they just don’t know where to start,” said Lori
 Stratton, an English teacher at Gardner Edgerton High School in Johnson
 County.<h2>Learn on your own time</h2>After the
 sudden shift to online classes in March, more training is the last 
thing some Kansas teachers are thinking. Instead, they’ve been using 
their summer vacation time to decompress.“This has been an 
extremely stressful time,” said Teresa Coffman, a professor of education
 at the University of Mary Washington. “Teachers need a little bit of a 
break.”Many Kansas teachers are taking free online lessons, 
despite the sessions being voluntary and with the plans for the fall 
still being a mystery.More than 1,000 Kansas educators have 
completed an average of six hours each of training related to teaching 
outside the classroom provided by Greenbush, the education service 
center in southeast Kansas. Sessions include “Google Classroom Crash 
Course,” “Student Engagement,” and “How Can I Increase My Motivation And
 Focus?”Topeka and Olathe Public Schools also provide their 
teachers with online lessons during the summer. And while teachers might
 not be required to come in until the week before classes, districts 
like Morris County public schools are bringing in their administrators 
early to prepare the training, guidance and rules those teachers will 
get in August.Mandatory training for online learning best practices will also continue at school districts throughout the school year.Jennifer
 Hanni, the director of school improvement services at Greenbush, has 
helped create some of the optional training sessions Kansas teachers 
have been taking. But while she believes more time for professional 
development is always needed, the continually morphing status of the 
coronavirus makes it so teachers can’t fully prepare for the next school
 year until they’re in it.“This is a unique circumstance where 
we can have all the time in the world,” Hanni said. “But if we don’t 
know what something is, then it’s really difficult to plan.”Stephan Bisaha reports on education and young adult life for KMUW and the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/stevebisaha?lang=en">@stevebisaha</a>.

Kan. teachers will get little required training on virtual classrooms

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. Roman Catholic Church used a special and unprecedented exemption from federal rules to amass at least $1.4 billion in taxpayer-backed coronavirus aid, with many millions going to dioceses that have paid huge settlements or sought bankruptcy protection because of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/TheReckoning">clergy sexual abuse cover-ups</a>.

The church’s haul may have reached -- or even exceeded -- $3.5 billion, making a global religious institution with more than a billion followers among the biggest winners in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/b483d9691de2b83a8b35951508c3b4d1">the U.S. government’s pandemic relief efforts</a>, an Associated Press analysis of federal data released this week found.

Houses of worship and faith-based organizations that promote religious beliefs aren’t usually eligible for money from the U.S. Small Business Administration. But as the economy plummeted and jobless rates soared, Congress let faith groups and other nonprofits tap into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/b0d2a36521f39010273317fa3562c2e4">the Paycheck Protection Program</a>, a $659 billion fund created to keep Main Street open and Americans employed.

By aggressively promoting the payroll program and marshaling resources to help affiliates navigate its shifting rules, Catholic dioceses, parishes, schools and other ministries have so far received approval for at least 3,500 forgivable loans, AP found.

The Archdiocese of New York, for example, received 15 loans worth at least $28 million just for its top executive offices. Its iconic St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Fifth Avenue was approved for at least $1 million.

In Orange County, California, where a sparkling glass cathedral estimated to cost over $70 million recently opened, diocesan officials working at the complex received four loans worth at least $3 million.

And elsewhere, a loan of at least $2 million went to the diocese covering Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia, where a church investigation revealed last year that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/2ff78299709e48dbb45b5e7283459df8">then-Bishop Michael Bransfield</a>&nbsp;embezzled funds and made sexual advances toward young priests.

Simply being eligible for low-interest loans was a new opportunity. But the church couldn’t have been approved for so many loans -- which the government will forgive if they are used for wages, rent and utilities -- without a second break.

Religious groups persuaded the Trump administration to free them from a rule that typically disqualifies an applicant with more than 500 workers. Without this preferential treatment, many Catholic dioceses would have been ineligible because -- between their head offices, parishes and other affiliates -- their employees exceed the 500-person cap.

“The government grants special dispensation, and that creates a kind of structural favoritism,” said Micah Schwartzman, a University of Virginia law professor specializing in constitutional issues and religion who has studied the Paycheck Protection Program. “And that favoritism was worth billions of dollars.”

The amount that the church collected, between $1.4 billion and $3.5 billion, is an undercount. The Diocesan Fiscal Management Conference, an organization of Catholic financial officers, surveyed members and reported that about 9,000 Catholic entities received loans. That is nearly three times the number of Catholic recipients the AP could identify.

The AP couldn’t find more Catholic beneficiaries because the government’s data, released after pressure from Congress and a lawsuit from news outlets including the AP, didn’t name recipients of loans under $150,000 -- a category in which many smaller churches would fall. And because the government released only ranges of loan amounts, it wasn’t possible to be more precise.

Even without a full accounting, AP’s analysis places the Catholic Church among the major beneficiaries in the Paycheck Protection Program, which also has helped companies backed by celebrities, billionaires, state governors and members of Congress.

The program was open to all religious groups, and many took advantage. Evangelical advisers to President Donald Trump, including his White House spiritual czar, Paula White-Cain,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/88a957426a09eb3b7db2dbceeffa25c0">also received loans</a>.

There is no doubt that state shelter-in-place orders disrupted houses of worship and businesses alike.

Masses were canceled, even during the Holy Week and Easter holidays, depriving parishes of expected revenue and contributing to layoffs in some dioceses. Some families of Catholic school students are struggling to make tuition payments. And the expense of disinfecting classrooms once classes resume will put additional pressure on budgets.

But other problems were self-inflicted. Long before the pandemic, scores of dioceses faced increasing financial pressure because of a dramatic rise in recent clergy sex abuse claims.

The scandals that erupted in 2018 reverberated throughout the world. Pope Francis ordered the former archbishop of Washington,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/33645dd626674bec9ef6198528267dc6">Cardinal Theodore McCarrick</a>, to a life of “prayer and penance” following allegations he abused minors and adult seminarians. And&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/301822e3d7a04b0b88a1c40738c4a513/Report:-Pennsylvania-priests-molested-over-1,000-children">a damning grand jury report</a>&nbsp;about abuse in six Pennsylvania dioceses revealed bishops had long covered for predator priests, spurring investigations in more than 20 other states.

As the church again reckoned with its longtime crisis, abuse reports tripled during the year ending June 2019 to a total of nearly 4,500 nationally. Meanwhile, dioceses and religious orders shelled out $282 million that year — up from $106 million just five years earlier. Most of that went to settlements, in addition to legal fees and support for offending clergy.

Loan recipients included about 40 dioceses that have spent hundreds of millions of dollars in the past few years paying victims through compensation funds or bankruptcy proceedings. AP’s review found that these dioceses were approved for about $200 million, though the value is likely much higher.

One was the New York Archdiocese. As a successful battle to lift the statute of limitations on the filing of child sexual abuse lawsuits gathered steam,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/0214b26e59db4e1eaf30fcb856b43b0a">Cardinal Timothy Dolan established a victim compensation fund</a>&nbsp;in 2016. Since then, other dioceses have established similar funds, which offer victims relatively quick settlements while dissuading them from filing lawsuits.

Spokesperson Joseph Zwilling said the archdiocese simply wanted to be “treated equally and fairly under the law.” When asked about the waiver from the 500-employee cap that religious organizations received, Zwilling deferred to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

A spokesperson for the bishops’ conference acknowledged its officials lobbied for the paycheck program, but said the organization wasn’t tracking what dioceses and Catholic agencies received.

“These loans are an essential lifeline to help faith-based organizations to stay afloat and continue serving those in need during this crisis,” spokesperson Chieko Noguchi said in a written statement. According to AP’s data analysis, the church and all its organizations reported retaining at least 407,900 jobs with the money they were awarded.

Noguchi also wrote the conference felt strongly that “the administration write and implement this emergency relief fairly for all applicants.”

Not every Catholic institution sought government loans. The Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy based in Stamford, Connecticut, told AP that even though its parishes experienced a decline in donations, none of the organizations in its five-state territory submitted applications.

Deacon Steve Wisnowski, a financial officer for the eparchy, said pastors and church managers used their rainy-day savings and that parishioners responded generously with donations. As a result, parishes “did not experience a severe financial crisis.”

Wisnowski said his superiors understood the program was for “organizations and businesses truly in need of assistance.”

The law that created the Paycheck Protection Program let nonprofits participate, as long as they abided by SBA’s “affiliation rule.” The rule typically says that only businesses with fewer than 500 employees, including at all subsidiaries, are eligible.

Lobbying by the church helped religious organizations get an exception.

The Catholic News Service reported that the bishops’ conference and several major Catholic nonprofit agencies worked throughout the week of March 30 to ensure that the “unique nature of the entities would not make them ineligible for the program” because of how SBA defines a “small” business. Those conversations came just days after President Trump signed the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, which included the Paycheck Protection Program.

In addition, federal records show the Los Angeles archdiocese, whose leader heads the bishops’ conference, paid $20,000 to lobby the U.S. Senate and House on “eligibility for non-profits” under the CARES Act. The records also show that Catholic Charities USA, a social service arm of the church with member agencies in dioceses across the country, paid another $30,000 to lobby on the act and other issues.

In late April, after thousands of Catholic institutions had secured loans, several hundred Catholic leaders pressed for additional help on a call with President Trump. During the call, Trump underscored the coming presidential election and touted himself as the candidate best aligned with religious conservatives, boasting he was the “best (president) the Catholic church has ever seen,” according to Crux, an online publication that covers church-related news.

Catholic Charities USA and its member agencies were approved for about 110 loans worth between $90 million and $220 million at least, according to the data.

In a statement, Catholic Charities said: “Each organization is a separate legal entity under the auspices of the bishop in the diocese in which the agency is located. CCUSA supports agencies that choose to become members, but does not have any role in their daily operations or governance.”

The Los Angeles archdiocese told AP in a survey that reporters sent before the release of federal data that 247 of its 288 parishes -- and all but one of its 232 schools -- received loans. The survey covered more than 180 dioceses and eparchies.

Like most dioceses, Los Angeles wouldn’t disclose its total dollar amount. While the federal data doesn’t link Catholic recipients to their home dioceses, AP found 37 loans to the archdiocese and its affiliates worth between $9 million and $23 million, including one for its downtown cathedral.

In 2014, the archdiocese paid a record $660 million to settle sex abuse claims from more than 500 victims. Spokespeople for Los Angeles Archbishop Jose M. Gomez did not respond to additional questions about the archdiocese’s finances and lobbying.

In program materials, SBA officials said they provided the affiliation waiver to religious groups in deference to their unique organizational structure, and because the public health response to slow the coronavirus’ spread disrupted churches just as it did businesses.

A senior official in the U.S. Department of the Treasury, which oversees the SBA, acknowledged in a statement the wider availability of SBA loans to religious organizations. “The CARES Act expanded eligibility to include nonprofits in the PPP, and SBA’s regulations ensured that no eligible religious nonprofit was excluded from participation due to its beliefs or denomination,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, some legal experts say that the special consideration the government gave faith groups in the loan program has further eroded the wall between church and state provided in the First Amendment. With that erosion, religious groups that don’t pay taxes have gained more access to public money, said Marci Hamilton, a University of Pennsylvania professor and attorney who has represented clergy abuse victims on constitutional issues during bankruptcy proceedings.

“At this point, the argument is you’re anti-religious if in fact you would say the Catholic Church shouldn’t be getting government funding,” Hamilton said.

After its lobbying blitz, the Catholic Church worked with parishes and schools to access the money.

Many dioceses -- from large ones such as the Archdiocese of Boston to smaller ones such as the Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin -- assembled how-to guides to help their affiliates apply. The national Catholic fiscal conference also hosted multiple webinars with legal and financial experts to help coach along local leaders.

Federal data show that the bulk of the church’s money was approved during the loan program’s first two weeks. That’s when demand for the first-come, first-served assistance was so high that the initial $349 billion was quickly exhausted, shutting out many local businesses.

Overall, nearly 500 loans approved to Catholic entities exceeded $1 million each. The AP found that at least eight hit the maximum range of $5 million to $10 million. Many of the listed recipients were the offices of bishops, headquarters of leading religious orders, major churches, schools and chapters of Catholic Charities.

Also among recipients was the Saint Luke Institute. The Catholic treatment center for priests accused of sexual abuse and those suffering from other disorders received a loan ranging from $350,000 to $1 million. Based in Silver Spring, Maryland, the institute has at times been a way station for priests accused of sexual abuse who returned to active ministry only to abuse again.

Perhaps nothing illustrates the church’s aggressive pursuit of funds better than four dioceses that sued the federal government to receive loans, even though they entered bankruptcy proceedings due to mounting clergy sex-abuse claims. Small Business Administration rules prohibit loans to applicants in bankruptcy.

The Archdiocese of Santa Fe, New Mexico -- once home to a now-closed and notorious treatment center for predator priests -- prevailed in court, clearing the way for its administrative offices to receive nearly $1 million. It accused the SBA of overreaching by blocking bankruptcy applications when Congress didn’t spell that out.

Yet even when a diocese has lost in bankruptcy court, or its case is pending, its affiliated parishes, schools and other organizations remain eligible for loans.

On the U.S. territory of Guam, well over 200 clergy abuse lawsuits led church leaders in the tiny Archdiocese of Agana to seek bankruptcy protection, as they estimated at least $45 million in liabilities. Even so, the archdiocese’s parishes, schools and other organizations have received at least $1.7 million as it sues the SBA for approval to get a loan for its headquarters, according to bankruptcy filings.

The U.S. church may have a troubling record on sex abuse, but Bishop Lawrence Persico of Erie, Pennsylvania, pushed back on the idea that dioceses should be excluded from the government’s rescue package. Approximately 80 organizations within his diocese received loans worth $10.3 million, the diocese said, with most of the money going to parishes and schools.

Persico pointed out that church entities help feed, clothe and shelter the poor -- and in doing so keep people employed.

“I know some people may react with surprise that government funding helped support faith-based schools, parishes and dioceses,” he said. “The separation of church and state does not mean that those motivated by their faith have no place in the public square.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594388235726.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. Roman Catholic Church used a special and unprecedented exemption from federal rules to amass at least $1.4 billion in taxpayer-backed coronavirus aid, with many millions going to dioceses that have paid huge settlements or sought bankruptcy protection because of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/TheReckoning">clergy sexual abuse cover-ups</a>.The church’s haul may have reached -- or even exceeded -- $3.5 billion, making a global religious institution with more than a billion followers among the biggest winners in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/b483d9691de2b83a8b35951508c3b4d1">the U.S. government’s pandemic relief efforts</a>, an Associated Press analysis of federal data released this week found.Houses of worship and faith-based organizations that promote religious beliefs aren’t usually eligible for money from the U.S. Small Business Administration. But as the economy plummeted and jobless rates soared, Congress let faith groups and other nonprofits tap into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/b0d2a36521f39010273317fa3562c2e4">the Paycheck Protection Program</a>, a $659 billion fund created to keep Main Street open and Americans employed.By aggressively promoting the payroll program and marshaling resources to help affiliates navigate its shifting rules, Catholic dioceses, parishes, schools and other ministries have so far received approval for at least 3,500 forgivable loans, AP found.The Archdiocese of New York, for example, received 15 loans worth at least $28 million just for its top executive offices. Its iconic St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Fifth Avenue was approved for at least $1 million.In Orange County, California, where a sparkling glass cathedral estimated to cost over $70 million recently opened, diocesan officials working at the complex received four loans worth at least $3 million.And elsewhere, a loan of at least $2 million went to the diocese covering Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia, where a church investigation revealed last year that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/2ff78299709e48dbb45b5e7283459df8">then-Bishop Michael Bransfield</a>&nbsp;embezzled funds and made sexual advances toward young priests.Simply being eligible for low-interest loans was a new opportunity. But the church couldn’t have been approved for so many loans -- which the government will forgive if they are used for wages, rent and utilities -- without a second break.Religious groups persuaded the Trump administration to free them from a rule that typically disqualifies an applicant with more than 500 workers. Without this preferential treatment, many Catholic dioceses would have been ineligible because -- between their head offices, parishes and other affiliates -- their employees exceed the 500-person cap.“The government grants special dispensation, and that creates a kind of structural favoritism,” said Micah Schwartzman, a University of Virginia law professor specializing in constitutional issues and religion who has studied the Paycheck Protection Program. “And that favoritism was worth billions of dollars.”The amount that the church collected, between $1.4 billion and $3.5 billion, is an undercount. The Diocesan Fiscal Management Conference, an organization of Catholic financial officers, surveyed members and reported that about 9,000 Catholic entities received loans. That is nearly three times the number of Catholic recipients the AP could identify.The AP couldn’t find more Catholic beneficiaries because the government’s data, released after pressure from Congress and a lawsuit from news outlets including the AP, didn’t name recipients of loans under $150,000 -- a category in which many smaller churches would fall. And because the government released only ranges of loan amounts, it wasn’t possible to be more precise.Even without a full accounting, AP’s analysis places the Catholic Church among the major beneficiaries in the Paycheck Protection Program, which also has helped companies backed by celebrities, billionaires, state governors and members of Congress.The program was open to all religious groups, and many took advantage. Evangelical advisers to President Donald Trump, including his White House spiritual czar, Paula White-Cain,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/88a957426a09eb3b7db2dbceeffa25c0">also received loans</a>.___‘TRULY IN NEED’There is no doubt that state shelter-in-place orders disrupted houses of worship and businesses alike.Masses were canceled, even during the Holy Week and Easter holidays, depriving parishes of expected revenue and contributing to layoffs in some dioceses. Some families of Catholic school students are struggling to make tuition payments. And the expense of disinfecting classrooms once classes resume will put additional pressure on budgets.But other problems were self-inflicted. Long before the pandemic, scores of dioceses faced increasing financial pressure because of a dramatic rise in recent clergy sex abuse claims.The scandals that erupted in 2018 reverberated throughout the world. Pope Francis ordered the former archbishop of Washington,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/33645dd626674bec9ef6198528267dc6">Cardinal Theodore McCarrick</a>, to a life of “prayer and penance” following allegations he abused minors and adult seminarians. And&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/301822e3d7a04b0b88a1c40738c4a513/Report:-Pennsylvania-priests-molested-over-1,000-children">a damning grand jury report</a>&nbsp;about abuse in six Pennsylvania dioceses revealed bishops had long covered for predator priests, spurring investigations in more than 20 other states.As the church again reckoned with its longtime crisis, abuse reports tripled during the year ending June 2019 to a total of nearly 4,500 nationally. Meanwhile, dioceses and religious orders shelled out $282 million that year — up from $106 million just five years earlier. Most of that went to settlements, in addition to legal fees and support for offending clergy.Loan recipients included about 40 dioceses that have spent hundreds of millions of dollars in the past few years paying victims through compensation funds or bankruptcy proceedings. AP’s review found that these dioceses were approved for about $200 million, though the value is likely much higher.One was the New York Archdiocese. As a successful battle to lift the statute of limitations on the filing of child sexual abuse lawsuits gathered steam,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/0214b26e59db4e1eaf30fcb856b43b0a">Cardinal Timothy Dolan established a victim compensation fund</a>&nbsp;in 2016. Since then, other dioceses have established similar funds, which offer victims relatively quick settlements while dissuading them from filing lawsuits.Spokesperson Joseph Zwilling said the archdiocese simply wanted to be “treated equally and fairly under the law.” When asked about the waiver from the 500-employee cap that religious organizations received, Zwilling deferred to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.A spokesperson for the bishops’ conference acknowledged its officials lobbied for the paycheck program, but said the organization wasn’t tracking what dioceses and Catholic agencies received.“These loans are an essential lifeline to help faith-based organizations to stay afloat and continue serving those in need during this crisis,” spokesperson Chieko Noguchi said in a written statement. According to AP’s data analysis, the church and all its organizations reported retaining at least 407,900 jobs with the money they were awarded.Noguchi also wrote the conference felt strongly that “the administration write and implement this emergency relief fairly for all applicants.”Not every Catholic institution sought government loans. The Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy based in Stamford, Connecticut, told AP that even though its parishes experienced a decline in donations, none of the organizations in its five-state territory submitted applications.Deacon Steve Wisnowski, a financial officer for the eparchy, said pastors and church managers used their rainy-day savings and that parishioners responded generously with donations. As a result, parishes “did not experience a severe financial crisis.”Wisnowski said his superiors understood the program was for “organizations and businesses truly in need of assistance.”___LOBBYING FOR A BREAKThe law that created the Paycheck Protection Program let nonprofits participate, as long as they abided by SBA’s “affiliation rule.” The rule typically says that only businesses with fewer than 500 employees, including at all subsidiaries, are eligible.Lobbying by the church helped religious organizations get an exception.The Catholic News Service reported that the bishops’ conference and several major Catholic nonprofit agencies worked throughout the week of March 30 to ensure that the “unique nature of the entities would not make them ineligible for the program” because of how SBA defines a “small” business. Those conversations came just days after President Trump signed the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, which included the Paycheck Protection Program.In addition, federal records show the Los Angeles archdiocese, whose leader heads the bishops’ conference, paid $20,000 to lobby the U.S. Senate and House on “eligibility for non-profits” under the CARES Act. The records also show that Catholic Charities USA, a social service arm of the church with member agencies in dioceses across the country, paid another $30,000 to lobby on the act and other issues.In late April, after thousands of Catholic institutions had secured loans, several hundred Catholic leaders pressed for additional help on a call with President Trump. During the call, Trump underscored the coming presidential election and touted himself as the candidate best aligned with religious conservatives, boasting he was the “best (president) the Catholic church has ever seen,” according to Crux, an online publication that covers church-related news.The lobbying paid off.Catholic Charities USA and its member agencies were approved for about 110 loans worth between $90 million and $220 million at least, according to the data.In a statement, Catholic Charities said: “Each organization is a separate legal entity under the auspices of the bishop in the diocese in which the agency is located. CCUSA supports agencies that choose to become members, but does not have any role in their daily operations or governance.”The Los Angeles archdiocese told AP in a survey that reporters sent before the release of federal data that 247 of its 288 parishes -- and all but one of its 232 schools -- received loans. The survey covered more than 180 dioceses and eparchies.Like most dioceses, Los Angeles wouldn’t disclose its total dollar amount. While the federal data doesn’t link Catholic recipients to their home dioceses, AP found 37 loans to the archdiocese and its affiliates worth between $9 million and $23 million, including one for its downtown cathedral.In 2014, the archdiocese paid a record $660 million to settle sex abuse claims from more than 500 victims. Spokespeople for Los Angeles Archbishop Jose M. Gomez did not respond to additional questions about the archdiocese’s finances and lobbying.In program materials, SBA officials said they provided the affiliation waiver to religious groups in deference to their unique organizational structure, and because the public health response to slow the coronavirus’ spread disrupted churches just as it did businesses.A senior official in the U.S. Department of the Treasury, which oversees the SBA, acknowledged in a statement the wider availability of SBA loans to religious organizations. “The CARES Act expanded eligibility to include nonprofits in the PPP, and SBA’s regulations ensured that no eligible religious nonprofit was excluded from participation due to its beliefs or denomination,” the statement said.Meanwhile, some legal experts say that the special consideration the government gave faith groups in the loan program has further eroded the wall between church and state provided in the First Amendment. With that erosion, religious groups that don’t pay taxes have gained more access to public money, said Marci Hamilton, a University of Pennsylvania professor and attorney who has represented clergy abuse victims on constitutional issues during bankruptcy proceedings.“At this point, the argument is you’re anti-religious if in fact you would say the Catholic Church shouldn’t be getting government funding,” Hamilton said.___CASHING IN FASTAfter its lobbying blitz, the Catholic Church worked with parishes and schools to access the money.Many dioceses -- from large ones such as the Archdiocese of Boston to smaller ones such as the Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin -- assembled how-to guides to help their affiliates apply. The national Catholic fiscal conference also hosted multiple webinars with legal and financial experts to help coach along local leaders.Federal data show that the bulk of the church’s money was approved during the loan program’s first two weeks. That’s when demand for the first-come, first-served assistance was so high that the initial $349 billion was quickly exhausted, shutting out many local businesses.Overall, nearly 500 loans approved to Catholic entities exceeded $1 million each. The AP found that at least eight hit the maximum range of $5 million to $10 million. Many of the listed recipients were the offices of bishops, headquarters of leading religious orders, major churches, schools and chapters of Catholic Charities.Also among recipients was the Saint Luke Institute. The Catholic treatment center for priests accused of sexual abuse and those suffering from other disorders received a loan ranging from $350,000 to $1 million. Based in Silver Spring, Maryland, the institute has at times been a way station for priests accused of sexual abuse who returned to active ministry only to abuse again.Perhaps nothing illustrates the church’s aggressive pursuit of funds better than four dioceses that sued the federal government to receive loans, even though they entered bankruptcy proceedings due to mounting clergy sex-abuse claims. Small Business Administration rules prohibit loans to applicants in bankruptcy.The Archdiocese of Santa Fe, New Mexico -- once home to a now-closed and notorious treatment center for predator priests -- prevailed in court, clearing the way for its administrative offices to receive nearly $1 million. It accused the SBA of overreaching by blocking bankruptcy applications when Congress didn’t spell that out.Yet even when a diocese has lost in bankruptcy court, or its case is pending, its affiliated parishes, schools and other organizations remain eligible for loans.On the U.S. territory of Guam, well over 200 clergy abuse lawsuits led church leaders in the tiny Archdiocese of Agana to seek bankruptcy protection, as they estimated at least $45 million in liabilities. Even so, the archdiocese’s parishes, schools and other organizations have received at least $1.7 million as it sues the SBA for approval to get a loan for its headquarters, according to bankruptcy filings.The U.S. church may have a troubling record on sex abuse, but Bishop Lawrence Persico of Erie, Pennsylvania, pushed back on the idea that dioceses should be excluded from the government’s rescue package. Approximately 80 organizations within his diocese received loans worth $10.3 million, the diocese said, with most of the money going to parishes and schools.Persico pointed out that church entities help feed, clothe and shelter the poor -- and in doing so keep people employed.“I know some people may react with surprise that government funding helped support faith-based schools, parishes and dioceses,” he said. “The separation of church and state does not mean that those motivated by their faith have no place in the public square.”___

Feds sent U.S. Catholic Church $1.4 billion in coronavirus relief

LACLEDE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 10:30p.m. Friday in Laclede County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2007 Chevy Trailblazer driven by Travis G. Nelson, 38, Lebanon, was westbound on Highway 32 five miles west of Lebanon.&nbsp;

The driver lost control of the vehicle. It traveled off the road, struck a culvert and overturned.&nbsp;

Nelson was pronounced dead at the scene. A passenger Susan M. Nelson, 38, Lebanon, was also seriously injured but not transported for treatment, according to the report from the MSHP.&nbsp; 

Travis Nelson was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP.&nbsp; The agency did not have information on Susan Nelson's seat belt usage.

LACLEDE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 10:30p.m. Friday in Laclede County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2007 Chevy Trailblazer driven by Travis G. Nelson, 38, Lebanon, was westbound on Highway 32 five miles west of Lebanon.&nbsp;The driver lost control of the vehicle. It traveled off the road, struck a culvert and overturned.&nbsp;Nelson was pronounced dead at the scene. A passenger Susan M. Nelson, 38, Lebanon, was also seriously injured but not transported for treatment, according to the report from the MSHP.&nbsp; Travis Nelson was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP.&nbsp; The agency did not have information on Susan Nelson's seat belt usage.

Missouri man dead, woman injured after SUV overturns

KANSAS CITY&nbsp; (AP) — Kansas City will no longer punish people for marijuana possession, effectively decriminalizing it throughout much of the city.

City council members voted 9-4 on Thursday to strip the crime from the city code.

The change does not legalize its recreational use or change Missouri law. Users can still be charged for possession by county prosecutors who decide to pursue those cases.

Kansas City residents voted overwhelmingly in 2017 to eliminate jail time for possession of fewer than 35 grams of marijuana, limiting penalties to an ordinance violation and $25 fine.

In Jackson County, prosecutor Jean Peters Baker had already pledged to stop charging most people for possession. But in parts of Kansas City that lie in Clay, Platte and Cass counties, people could still face state possession charges.

Kansas City’s chapter of the <a href="https://norml.org/">National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws,</a> which led the 2017 campaign, urged prosecutors in Clay, Platte and Cass counties to join Jackson County prosecutors in not charging low-level marijuana offenses.

“Statewide reforms on this issue are needed so that we don’t have a patchwork of laws that more harshly impact some over others,” said Jessica Kelly, the group’s spokeswoman in Kansas City.

KANSAS CITY&nbsp; (AP) — Kansas City will no longer punish people for marijuana possession, effectively decriminalizing it throughout much of the city.City council members voted 9-4 on Thursday to strip the crime from the city code.The change does not legalize its recreational use or change Missouri law. Users can still be charged for possession by county prosecutors who decide to pursue those cases.Kansas City residents voted overwhelmingly in 2017 to eliminate jail time for possession of fewer than 35 grams of marijuana, limiting penalties to an ordinance violation and $25 fine.In Jackson County, prosecutor Jean Peters Baker had already pledged to stop charging most people for possession. But in parts of Kansas City that lie in Clay, Platte and Cass counties, people could still face state possession charges.Kansas City’s chapter of the <a href="https://norml.org/">National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws,</a> which led the 2017 campaign, urged prosecutors in Clay, Platte and Cass counties to join Jackson County prosecutors in not charging low-level marijuana offenses.“Statewide reforms on this issue are needed so that we don’t have a patchwork of laws that more harshly impact some over others,” said Jessica Kelly, the group’s spokeswoman in Kansas City.

Kansas City will no longer punish you for marijuana possession 

KANSAS CITY (AP) — The rapidly rising number of confirmed new coronavirus cases has prompted an update to facial- covering requirements in Kansas City.

The Missouri Department of health on Thursday reported 795 new cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. 

That was the most in a single day since the pandemic began, topping the 773 confirmed new cases reported Tuesday. In the first four days of this week, Missouri has reported 2,563 new cases. They also reported&nbsp; 13 more virus deaths on Friday. The Kansas Department of Health reported nearly 1,000 new cases since Wednesday and two more deaths.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas on Friday extended the requirement to wear a facial covering through at least Aug. 15. The original face mask order that went into effect June 29 was scheduled to expire Sunday, but Kansas City has averaged 290 confirmed new COVID-19 cases over the past four days, including 370 on Thursday.

“As we've seen in a number of other jurisdictions, there continues to be significant concerns with the spread of COVID-19, continuing taxation on certain public health and medical resources, and that's why we are taking the ongoing steps we will today,” Lucas, a Democrat, said at a news conference.

Kansas City also is maintaining it 50% capacity limit for drinking establishments, Lucas said.

The face mask rule in Kansas City mandates all employees or visitors to any place of public accommodation must wear face coverings in an area or while performing an activity which will necessarily involve close contact or proximity to co-workers or the public where six feet of separation is not feasible. Also effective Monday, June 29, percentage capacity limits as required by Mayor Lucas’s Eighth Amended Order will be eliminated, except for taverns and bars.

“Our country’s leading health and scientific experts have indicated in no uncertain terms that mask-weari­ng is the most effective way to curb the spread of COVID-19,” said Mayor Lucas. “Case numbers in Kansas City continue to rise, and we are taking all steps we can to ensure public health and safety. I know wearing masks can be uncomfortable, but this is a necessary step to ensure we can save lives and keep our economy open. We wear masks to protect our loved ones, those around us, and their loved ones.”

“We are keeping a close watch on our cases and hospitalizations, but know widespread mask-use is one essential way to slow COVID-19 and keep Kansas City businesses open,” said Dr. Archer. “It’s up to us. Let’s learn from Texas and Florida and what’s happening there now. Their mitigations and closures weren’t as quickly adopted or embraced. Now their case counts are rising at a disturbing rate and they’ve had to slow their reopening plans.”

Exceptions to the face covering requirement are as follows:

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1590784947764.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — The rapidly rising number of confirmed new coronavirus cases has prompted an update to facial- covering requirements in Kansas City.The Missouri Department of health on Thursday reported 795 new cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. That was the most in a single day since the pandemic began, topping the 773 confirmed new cases reported Tuesday. In the first four days of this week, Missouri has reported 2,563 new cases. They also reported&nbsp; 13 more virus deaths on Friday. The Kansas Department of Health reported nearly 1,000 new cases since Wednesday and two more deaths.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589226208948.png" alt="Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas during a press briefing in April- photo courtesy city of KCMO" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas during a press briefing in April- photo courtesy city of KCMO</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas on Friday extended the requirement to wear a facial covering through at least Aug. 15. The original face mask order that went into effect June 29 was scheduled to expire Sunday, but Kansas City has averaged 290 confirmed new COVID-19 cases over the past four days, including 370 on Thursday.“As we've seen in a number of other jurisdictions, there continues to be significant concerns with the spread of COVID-19, continuing taxation on certain public health and medical resources, and that's why we are taking the ongoing steps we will today,” Lucas, a Democrat, said at a news conference.Kansas City also is maintaining it 50% capacity limit for drinking establishments, Lucas said.The face mask rule in Kansas City mandates all employees or visitors to any place of public accommodation must wear face coverings in an area or while performing an activity which will necessarily involve close contact or proximity to co-workers or the public where six feet of separation is not feasible. Also effective Monday, June 29, percentage capacity limits as required by Mayor Lucas’s Eighth Amended Order will be eliminated, except for taverns and bars.“Our country’s leading health and scientific experts have indicated in no uncertain terms that mask-weari­ng is the most effective way to curb the spread of COVID-19,” said Mayor Lucas. “Case numbers in Kansas City continue to rise, and we are taking all steps we can to ensure public health and safety. I know wearing masks can be uncomfortable, but this is a necessary step to ensure we can save lives and keep our economy open. We wear masks to protect our loved ones, those around us, and their loved ones.”“We are keeping a close watch on our cases and hospitalizations, but know widespread mask-use is one essential way to slow COVID-19 and keep Kansas City businesses open,” said Dr. Archer. “It’s up to us. Let’s learn from Texas and Florida and what’s happening there now. Their mitigations and closures weren’t as quickly adopted or embraced. Now their case counts are rising at a disturbing rate and they’ve had to slow their reopening plans.”Exceptions to the face covering requirement are as follows:<ul>
 <li>Minors, though Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance recommends that all individuals over the age of two wear masks.</li><li>People who have disabilities that:Prevent them from comfortably wearing or taking off face coverings.Prevent them from communicating while wearing face coverings.</li><li>Prevent them from comfortably wearing or taking off face coverings.</li><li>Prevent them from communicating while wearing face coverings.</li><li>People who have respiratory conditions or breathing trouble.</li><li>People who have been told by a medical, legal, or behavioral health professional not to wear face coverings.</li><li>People who are seated in a restaurant, tavern, or bar and are actively engaged in consuming food or drink while adequately distanced from other tables.</li>
 </ul>

Kansas City mayor extends face covering mandate into mid-August

Due to some technology errors the Missouri Department of Health delayed Friday's virus report.

Due to some technology errors the Missouri Department of Health delayed Friday's virus report.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">COVID-19 update for July 10: 5.5% Positive of all patients tested by PCR. 3.5% Positive of all patients tested by Serology. 26,661 positive patients. 1,064 Missourians lost to COVID-19. To learn more, visit <a href="https://t.co/V6es2EUkO0">https://t.co/V6es2EUkO0</a>.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ShowMeStrong?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ShowMeStrong</a> <a href="https://t.co/ROyHJ0nnXv">pic.twitter.com/ROyHJ0nnXv</a>&mdash; Mo Health &amp; Sr Srvcs (@HealthyLivingMo) <a href="https://twitter.com/HealthyLivingMo/status/1281672154476617730?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

Missouri reports 13 more deaths from coronavirus

ATLANTA (AP) — Federal health officials won’t revise their coronavirus guidelines for reopening schools despite criticism from President Donald Trump, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday. What they will do, he said, is provide additional information to help states, communities and parents decide what to do and when.

“Our guidelines are our guidelines,” Dr. Robert Redfield declared.

In draft CDC documents obtained by The Associated Press, the agency says there are steps that schools can take to safely reopen but that it “cannot provide one-size-fits-all criteria for opening and closing schools or changing the way schools are run.”

“Decisions about how to open and run schools safely should be made based on local needs and conditions,” the documents say.

They also include a checklist that encourages parents to carefully consider whether they should send their kids back to school in person or seek virtual instruction. Many districts nationwide are offering parents a choice of either mode of instruction. New York City, among other school districts, has announced that students will only return part-time in the fall.

That runs counter to Trump’s messaging. He has been repeatedly pressuring state and local officials to reopen schools this fall, even threatening to withhold federal funds from those that keep teaching and learning remote.

Trump on Wednesday criticized the CDC’s guidelines as “very tough and expensive” and said the agency was “asking schools to do very impractical things.” Speaking of CDC officials, he tweeted, “I will be meeting with them!!!” And Vice President Mike Pence said revised guidelines would be issued next week.

But in an appearance on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” Redfield firmly stuck to the existing CDC guidelines.

“It’s really important, it’s not a revision of the guidelines, it’s just to provide additional information to help schools be able to use the guidance that we put forward.”

Asked about the apparent discrepancy between Redfield’s and Pence’s statements, White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany said they were on the same page. She said “supplemental guidelines” would be forthcoming.

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has said that schools will be failing kids if they don’t provide full-time, in-person instruction.

But the draft CDC documents, which have yet to be released publicly, say decisions like that should be left to local officials. They say, “Each school and each community will have different needs and should implement the strategies best designed to meet them.”

The documents say that in-person schooling will lead to at least some infections but that there are steps schools can take to lessen the risk.

A graph of the CDC’s disease modeling indicates there’s likely to be significantly more virus spread if all students attend school five days a week. The graph projects alternate schedules could cut infections by as much as 80%, although the agency acknowledges there is much more to learn about the disease.

“Scientists are still learning about how it spreads, how it impacts children and what role children may play in its spread,” the introduction to the parent checklist states.

Redfield said the upcoming reference documents in part would cover how to monitor for symptoms and use face masks in schools.

The CDC’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/schools.html" target="_blank">current guidance</a>&nbsp;recommends that students and teachers wear masks whenever feasible, spread out desks, stagger schedules, eat meals in classrooms instead of the cafeteria and add physical barriers between bathroom sinks.

When asked about the documents AP obtained, CDC spokesman Benjamin Haynes wrote in an email that the agency would distribute additional guidance next week and pointed to what has already been released.

The White House declined to comment on the documents.

The 30-question parent checklist asks about a child’s health, use of special education services, comfort with local school plans and whether parents can facilitate at-home learning. It warns that if parents check multiple items on the “stay-at-home” column, that “could be an indicator that your family should consider alternative learning formats other than in-person schooling.”

The checklist says parents should evaluate school district plans, including how districts are “preparing for when someone gets sick.”

“If your child, members of your household, or individuals with whom you interact frequently are at increased risk for severe illness, the best way to reduce risk of getting sick is to limit your interaction with other people,” it states.

In his tweet on Wednesday, Trump did not clarify which of the CDC guidelines he opposed. But McEnany said, for example, that the president takes issue with the CDC’s suggestion that students bring their own meals to school when feasible.

“There are 22 million children in this country who depend on these meals at schools, who depend on access to nutrition in schools,” she said.

Democrats have warned Trump to keep out of the CDC’s work. Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, ranking Democrat on the Education Committee, said the agency needs to be trusted to make decisions based on scientific evidence, “not on President Trump’s Twitter outbursts.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594383296234.png" alt="CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield addressed the guidelines during a Coronavirus Task Force briefing this week- image CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield addressed the guidelines during a Coronavirus Task Force briefing this week- image CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>ATLANTA (AP) — Federal health officials won’t revise their coronavirus guidelines for reopening schools despite criticism from President Donald Trump, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday. What they will do, he said, is provide additional information to help states, communities and parents decide what to do and when.“Our guidelines are our guidelines,” Dr. Robert Redfield declared.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">CDC has outlined a number of strategies that schools can use to reopen safely. In addition to our guidelines, CDC will soon provide reference documents for parents, caregivers, &amp; schools to help them test &amp; monitor for symptoms &amp; use face coverings. <a href="https://t.co/G6I4bXMGjr">https://t.co/G6I4bXMGjr</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CNN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CNN</a> <a href="https://t.co/rKP9cppXsB">pic.twitter.com/rKP9cppXsB</a>&mdash; Dr. Robert R. Redfield (@CDCDirector) <a href="https://twitter.com/CDCDirector/status/1281386163484401666?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In draft CDC documents obtained by The Associated Press, the agency says there are steps that schools can take to safely reopen but that it “cannot provide one-size-fits-all criteria for opening and closing schools or changing the way schools are run.”“Decisions about how to open and run schools safely should be made based on local needs and conditions,” the documents say.They also include a checklist that encourages parents to carefully consider whether they should send their kids back to school in person or seek virtual instruction. Many districts nationwide are offering parents a choice of either mode of instruction. New York City, among other school districts, has announced that students will only return part-time in the fall.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594154849112.png" alt="President Trump during this week's White House summit on Safely Reopening America’s Schools-image courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>President Trump during this week's White House summit on Safely Reopening America’s Schools-image courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>That runs counter to Trump’s messaging. He has been repeatedly pressuring state and local officials to reopen schools this fall, even threatening to withhold federal funds from those that keep teaching and learning remote.Trump on Wednesday criticized the CDC’s guidelines as “very tough and expensive” and said the agency was “asking schools to do very impractical things.” Speaking of CDC officials, he tweeted, “I will be meeting with them!!!” And Vice President Mike Pence said revised guidelines would be issued next week.But in an appearance on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” Redfield firmly stuck to the existing CDC guidelines.“It’s really important, it’s not a revision of the guidelines, it’s just to provide additional information to help schools be able to use the guidance that we put forward.”Asked about the apparent discrepancy between Redfield’s and Pence’s statements, White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany said they were on the same page. She said “supplemental guidelines” would be forthcoming.Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has said that schools will be failing kids if they don’t provide full-time, in-person instruction.But the draft CDC documents, which have yet to be released publicly, say decisions like that should be left to local officials. They say, “Each school and each community will have different needs and should implement the strategies best designed to meet them.”The documents say that in-person schooling will lead to at least some infections but that there are steps schools can take to lessen the risk.A graph of the CDC’s disease modeling indicates there’s likely to be significantly more virus spread if all students attend school five days a week. The graph projects alternate schedules could cut infections by as much as 80%, although the agency acknowledges there is much more to learn about the disease.“Scientists are still learning about how it spreads, how it impacts children and what role children may play in its spread,” the introduction to the parent checklist states.Redfield said the upcoming reference documents in part would cover how to monitor for symptoms and use face masks in schools.The CDC’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/schools.html" target="_blank">current guidance</a>&nbsp;recommends that students and teachers wear masks whenever feasible, spread out desks, stagger schedules, eat meals in classrooms instead of the cafeteria and add physical barriers between bathroom sinks.When asked about the documents AP obtained, CDC spokesman Benjamin Haynes wrote in an email that the agency would distribute additional guidance next week and pointed to what has already been released.The White House declined to comment on the documents.The 30-question parent checklist asks about a child’s health, use of special education services, comfort with local school plans and whether parents can facilitate at-home learning. It warns that if parents check multiple items on the “stay-at-home” column, that “could be an indicator that your family should consider alternative learning formats other than in-person schooling.”The checklist says parents should evaluate school district plans, including how districts are “preparing for when someone gets sick.”“If your child, members of your household, or individuals with whom you interact frequently are at increased risk for severe illness, the best way to reduce risk of getting sick is to limit your interaction with other people,” it states.In his tweet on Wednesday, Trump did not clarify which of the CDC guidelines he opposed. But McEnany said, for example, that the president takes issue with the CDC’s suggestion that students bring their own meals to school when feasible.“There are 22 million children in this country who depend on these meals at schools, who depend on access to nutrition in schools,” she said.Democrats have warned Trump to keep out of the CDC’s work. Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, ranking Democrat on the Education Committee, said the agency needs to be trusted to make decisions based on scientific evidence, “not on President Trump’s Twitter outbursts.”___

CDC head sticking to school-opening guides despite criticism 

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 993 to a total of 18,611, the state health department reported Friday afternoon.&nbsp;

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

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 993 to a total of 18,611, the state health department reported Friday afternoon.&nbsp;Coronavirus deaths were reported at 284<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional numbers from the KDHE.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594402542454.png" alt="Friday July 10, 2020 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Friday July 10, 2020 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: Latest coronavirus numbers in Kansas

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — New data from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services shows that opioid overdose deaths decreased last year when compared to 2018.

The state health department <a href="https://health.mo.gov/data/opioids/">said Friday that</a> the 3.4% decrease was the first time since 2015 that Missouri experienced a decrease in opioid overdose deaths.

Deaths from overdoses have been rising steadily, including a 19% increase in 2018, when 1,132 deaths statewide were blamed on opioid overdoses. That number dropped to 1,094 last year — 224 from heroin, and 870 from other opioids, predominantly fentanyl.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — New data from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services shows that opioid overdose deaths decreased last year when compared to 2018.The state health department <a href="https://health.mo.gov/data/opioids/">said Friday that</a> the 3.4% decrease was the first time since 2015 that Missouri experienced a decrease in opioid overdose deaths.Deaths from overdoses have been rising steadily, including a 19% increase in 2018, when 1,132 deaths statewide were blamed on opioid overdoses. That number dropped to 1,094 last year — 224 from heroin, and 870 from other opioids, predominantly fentanyl.Despite the overall decrease in deaths, overdose deaths among Black men rose 15%. White male deaths decreased by 12%. Among women, Black females experienced a 15% decrease, and white women were virtually unchanged.