LOS ANGELES (AP) — Leaders of Hollywood’s writers union declared their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hollywood-strikes/">nearly five-month-old strike</a>&nbsp;over Tuesday after board members approved a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/writers-strike-deal-hollywood-wga-3336824c06795931845c889f1e08b3ff">contract agreement with studios</a>.

The governing boards of the eastern and western branches of the Writers Guild of America both voted to accept the deal, and afterward declared that the strike would be over and writers would be free to work starting at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday.

The writers still have to vote to ratify the contract themselves, but lifting the strike will allow them to work during that process, the Writers Guild told members in an email.

Hollywood actors remain on strike with no talks yet on the horizon.

A new spirit of optimism animated actors who were picketing Tuesday for the first time since writers reached their tentative deal Sunday night.

“For a hot second, I really thought that this was going to go on until next year,” said Marissa Cuevas, an actor who has appeared on the TV series “Kung Fu” and “The Big Bang Theory.” “Knowing that at least one of us has gotten a good deal gives a lot of hope that we will also get a good deal.”

Writers’ picket lines have been suspended, but they were encouraged to walk in solidarity with actors, and many were on the lines Tuesday, including “Mad Men” creator Matthew Weiner, who picketed alongside friend and “ER” actor Noah Wyle as he has throughout the strikes.

“We would never have had the leverage we had if SAG had not gone out,” Weiner said. “They were very brave to do it.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hollywood-strikes/">Striking actors</a>&nbsp;voted to expand their walkout to include the lucrative video game market, a step that could put new pressure on Hollywood studios to make a deal with the performers who provide voices and stunts for games.

The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Radio and Television Artists announced the move late Monday, saying that 98% of its members voted to go on strike against video game companies if ongoing negotiations are not successful. The announcement came ahead of more talks planned for Tuesday.

Acting in video games can include a variety of roles, from voice performances to motion capture work as well as stunts. Video game actors went on strike in 2016 in a work stoppage that lasted nearly a year.

Some of the same issues are at play in the video game negotiations as in the broader actors strike that has shut down Hollywood for months, including wages, safety measures and protections on the use of artificial intelligence. The companies involved include gaming giants Activision, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Take 2 Productions as well as Disney and Warner Bros.′ video game divisions.

“It’s time for the video game companies to stop playing games and get serious about reaching an agreement on this contract,” SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher said in a statement.

Audrey Cooling, a spokesperson for video game producers, said they are “continuing to negotiate in good faith” and have reached tentative agreements on more than half of the proposals on the table.

So far this year, U.S. consumers have spent $34.9 billion on video games, consoles and accessories, according to market research group Circana.

The threat of a video game strike emerged as Hollywood writers were on the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/writers-strike-deal-hollywood-wga-3336824c06795931845c889f1e08b3ff">verge of getting back to work</a>&nbsp;after months&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hollywood-strikes/">on the picket lines</a>.

The alliance of studios, streaming services and producers has chosen to negotiate only with the writers so far, and has made no overtures yet toward restarting talks with SAG-AFTRA. That will presumably change soon.

SAG-AFTRA leaders have said they will look closely at the writers' agreement, which includes many of the same issues, but it will not effect their demands.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Leaders of Hollywood’s writers union declared their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hollywood-strikes/">nearly five-month-old strike</a>&nbsp;over Tuesday after board members approved a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/writers-strike-deal-hollywood-wga-3336824c06795931845c889f1e08b3ff">contract agreement with studios</a>.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWGAWest%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0TAGL8yR5CpxRCtdYzGUvvyhv2574Nto8DCdviSqpZ8WWwvXAwrTr3zduz8s2wFPpl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="668" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>The governing boards of the eastern and western branches of the Writers Guild of America both voted to accept the deal, and afterward declared that the strike would be over and writers would be free to work starting at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday.The writers still have to vote to ratify the contract themselves, but lifting the strike will allow them to work during that process, the Writers Guild told members in an email.Hollywood actors remain on strike with no talks yet on the horizon.A new spirit of optimism animated actors who were picketing Tuesday for the first time since writers reached their tentative deal Sunday night.“For a hot second, I really thought that this was going to go on until next year,” said Marissa Cuevas, an actor who has appeared on the TV series “Kung Fu” and “The Big Bang Theory.” “Knowing that at least one of us has gotten a good deal gives a lot of hope that we will also get a good deal.”Writers’ picket lines have been suspended, but they were encouraged to walk in solidarity with actors, and many were on the lines Tuesday, including “Mad Men” creator Matthew Weiner, who picketed alongside friend and “ER” actor Noah Wyle as he has throughout the strikes.“We would never have had the leverage we had if SAG had not gone out,” Weiner said. “They were very brave to do it.”<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hollywood-strikes/">Striking actors</a>&nbsp;voted to expand their walkout to include the lucrative video game market, a step that could put new pressure on Hollywood studios to make a deal with the performers who provide voices and stunts for games.The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Radio and Television Artists announced the move late Monday, saying that 98% of its members voted to go on strike against video game companies if ongoing negotiations are not successful. The announcement came ahead of more talks planned for Tuesday.Acting in video games can include a variety of roles, from voice performances to motion capture work as well as stunts. Video game actors went on strike in 2016 in a work stoppage that lasted nearly a year.Some of the same issues are at play in the video game negotiations as in the broader actors strike that has shut down Hollywood for months, including wages, safety measures and protections on the use of artificial intelligence. The companies involved include gaming giants Activision, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Take 2 Productions as well as Disney and Warner Bros.′ video game divisions.“It’s time for the video game companies to stop playing games and get serious about reaching an agreement on this contract,” SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher said in a statement.Audrey Cooling, a spokesperson for video game producers, said they are “continuing to negotiate in good faith” and have reached tentative agreements on more than half of the proposals on the table.So far this year, U.S. consumers have spent $34.9 billion on video games, consoles and accessories, according to market research group Circana.The threat of a video game strike emerged as Hollywood writers were on the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/writers-strike-deal-hollywood-wga-3336824c06795931845c889f1e08b3ff">verge of getting back to work</a>&nbsp;after months&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hollywood-strikes/">on the picket lines</a>.The alliance of studios, streaming services and producers has chosen to negotiate only with the writers so far, and has made no overtures yet toward restarting talks with SAG-AFTRA. That will presumably change soon.SAG-AFTRA leaders have said they will look closely at the writers' agreement, which includes many of the same issues, but it will not effect their demands.

Hollywood writers strike over; boards vote to approve contract with studios

HARVEY COUNTY - A Kansas&nbsp; man has been sentenced to prison for child sex crimes.

A District judge sentenced Billy Joe Smith, 57, Newton, to six years in prison, according to the Harvey County Attorney's office.&nbsp; In July he pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated indecent solicitation of a child.&nbsp;

Smith was also ordered to serve lifetime post release supervision and register as a sex offender.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695760118719.png" alt="Smith photo Harvey Co." />
 <figcaption>Smith photo Harvey Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>HARVEY COUNTY - A Kansas&nbsp; man has been sentenced to prison for child sex crimes.A District judge sentenced Billy Joe Smith, 57, Newton, to six years in prison, according to the Harvey County Attorney's office.&nbsp; In July he pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated indecent solicitation of a child.&nbsp;Smith was also ordered to serve lifetime post release supervision and register as a sex offender.

Kansas man sentenced to prison for child sex crimes

BALTIMORE (AP) — Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson, whose deft glovework and folksy manner made him one of the most beloved and accomplished athletes in Baltimore history, has died. He was 86.

The Orioles announced his death in a joint statement with Robinson's family Tuesday. The statement did not say how Robinson died.

The Orioles held a moment of silence before their game against the Washington Nationals, and the teams lined up outside their dugouts to pay their respects. Also before the game, fans gathered around the 9-foot bronze statue of Robinson inside Camden Yards.

“Great player, great guy on the field, great guy off,” said fellow Orioles Hall of Famer Jim Palmer, who was overcome with emotion. “Respectful, kind. And you don’t meet too many guys like that. Brooks was a genuine person. There was no acting. Brooks was just a genuine person.”

Coming of age before the free agent era, Robinson spent his entire 23-year career with the Orioles. He almost single-handedly helped Baltimore defeat Cincinnati in the 1970 World Series and homered in Game 1 of the Orioles' 1966 sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers for their first crown.

Robinson participated in 18 All-Star Games, won 16 consecutive Gold Gloves and earned the 1964 AL Most Valuable Player award after batting .318 with 28 home runs and a league-leading 118 RBIs.

“An integral part of our Orioles Family since 1955, he will continue to leave a lasting impact on our club, our community, and the sport of baseball,” the team said.

He finished with 268 homers, drove in 1,357 runs and batted a respectable .267 in 2,896 career games. Not bad for ol’ No. 5, the boy from Arkansas.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred described Robinson as “one of the greats of our National Pastime.”

“Brooks stood among the greatest defensive players who have ever lived,” Manfred said in a statement. “... He was a model of excellence, durability, loyalty and winning baseball for the Orioles.

“I will always remember Brooks as a true gentleman who represented our game extraordinarily well on and off the field all his life.”

Robinson will be forever remembered for his work ethic and the skill he displayed at the hot corner, where he established himself as one of the finest fielding third baseman in baseball history, whether charging slow rollers or snaring liners down the third-base line.

“Brooks was maybe the last guy to get into the clubhouse the day of the game, but he would be the first guy on the field,” former Orioles manager Earl Weaver said. “He’d be taking his groundballs, and we’d all go, ‘Why does Brooks have to take any groundballs?’

“I wouldn’t expect anything else from Brooks. Seeing him work like that meant a lot of any young person coming up. He was so steady, and he steadied everybody else.”

Robinson arrived in Baltimore in September 1955 as an 18-year-old after spending most of his first professional season in baseball with Class B York. He went 2 for 22 with the Orioles and struck out 10 times.

He jockeyed between the majors and minors until July 1959, when he stuck around in Baltimore for good.

“I think maybe he always knew what it’s like to be in the big leagues at 19. And then I think when you get to the big leagues, you get here, you got to stay here, you got to figure out how to get better," Palmer said. “You have to decide who you want to be like. I think for all of us who knew him … he was the best.”

Brooks Calbert Robinson Jr. was born in Little Rock on May 18, 1937. He eventually made Baltimore his home but never really lost his southern twang, which was just fine with fans in blue-collar Baltimore, who appreciated his homespun charm and unassuming demeanor.

Dubbed “Mr. Oriole,” he was a sports hero in Charm City, in the pantheon with former Colts quarterback Johnny Unitas and Orioles infielder Cal Ripken, who performed for a different generation.

Many Orioles rooters who never got to see Robinson play still were able to enjoy his observations as he was part of team broadcasts.

Ripken was known as The Iron Man because he played in 2,632 consecutive games, but Robinson wasn’t fond of sitting on the bench, either. From 1960-1975, he played in at least 152 games in 14 seasons and in 144 games the other two years.

“I’m a guy who just wanted to see his name in the lineup everyday,” he said. “To me, baseball was a passion to the point of obsession.”

Robinson retired in 1977 after batting only .149 in 24 games. His jersey was retired that year.

Robinson’s most memorable performance came as MVP of the 1970 World Series, when the Orioles bounced back from their stunning defeat to the New York Mets the year before and Robinson redeemed himself after batting just 1 for 19 in that series. Because he was so sensational in the field during Baltimore’s five-game triumph over the Reds, few remember he hit .429 and homered twice and drove in six runs — or that he made an error on his first play in the field.

In Game 1, Robinson delivered the tiebreaking home run in the seventh inning. One inning earlier, he made a sensational backhanded grab of a hard grounder hit down the line by Lee May, spun around in foul territory and somehow threw out the runner.

Robinson contributed an RBI single in the second game and became forever a part of World Series lore with his standout performance in Game 3. He made a tremendous, leaping grab of a grounder by Tony Perez to start a first-inning double play; charged a slow roller in the second inning and threw out Tommy Helms; then capped his memorable afternoon with a diving catch of a liner by Johnny Bench. The Series ended, fittingly, with a ground out to Robinson in Game 5, a 9-3 Orioles win.

“I’m beginning to see Brooks in my sleep,” Reds manager Sparky Anderson said during the Series. “If I dropped this paper plate, he’d pick it up on one hop and throw me out at first.”

Anderson also said, “He can throw his glove out there and it will start 10 double plays by itself.”

Palmer and other teammates would say that the country got to see what Robinson did routinely during the regular season. Robinson used to blush when asked to recall his heroics in October 1970.

“I tell people that I played 23 seasons and I never did have five games in a row like I did in that World Series,” he said. “It was a once in a lifetime five-game series for me, and it just happened to be in a World Series.”

His legacy in Maryland continued long after his retirement.

There’s a Brooks Robinson Drive in Pikesville, and the annual state high school All-Star game played at Camden Yards is named in his honor.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695767288471.png" alt="The Orioles announced his death in a joint statement with Robinson's family Tuesday. The statement did not say how Robinson died." />
 <figcaption>The Orioles announced his death in a joint statement with Robinson's family Tuesday. The statement did not say how Robinson died.</figcaption>
 </figure>BALTIMORE (AP) — Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson, whose deft glovework and folksy manner made him one of the most beloved and accomplished athletes in Baltimore history, has died. He was 86.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Statement from the Orioles on the passing of Hall of Famer and Orioles Legend Brooks Robinson: <a href="https://t.co/pJygtizIck">pic.twitter.com/pJygtizIck</a>&mdash; Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) <a href="https://twitter.com/Orioles/status/1706797286615818604?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 26, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Orioles announced his death in a joint statement with Robinson's family Tuesday. The statement did not say how Robinson died.The Orioles held a moment of silence before their game against the Washington Nationals, and the teams lined up outside their dugouts to pay their respects. Also before the game, fans gathered around the 9-foot bronze statue of Robinson inside Camden Yards.“Great player, great guy on the field, great guy off,” said fellow Orioles Hall of Famer Jim Palmer, who was overcome with emotion. “Respectful, kind. And you don’t meet too many guys like that. Brooks was a genuine person. There was no acting. Brooks was just a genuine person.”Coming of age before the free agent era, Robinson spent his entire 23-year career with the Orioles. He almost single-handedly helped Baltimore defeat Cincinnati in the 1970 World Series and homered in Game 1 of the Orioles' 1966 sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers for their first crown.Robinson participated in 18 All-Star Games, won 16 consecutive Gold Gloves and earned the 1964 AL Most Valuable Player award after batting .318 with 28 home runs and a league-leading 118 RBIs.“An integral part of our Orioles Family since 1955, he will continue to leave a lasting impact on our club, our community, and the sport of baseball,” the team said.He finished with 268 homers, drove in 1,357 runs and batted a respectable .267 in 2,896 career games. Not bad for ol’ No. 5, the boy from Arkansas.MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred described Robinson as “one of the greats of our National Pastime.”“Brooks stood among the greatest defensive players who have ever lived,” Manfred said in a statement. “... He was a model of excellence, durability, loyalty and winning baseball for the Orioles.“I will always remember Brooks as a true gentleman who represented our game extraordinarily well on and off the field all his life.”Robinson will be forever remembered for his work ethic and the skill he displayed at the hot corner, where he established himself as one of the finest fielding third baseman in baseball history, whether charging slow rollers or snaring liners down the third-base line.“Brooks was maybe the last guy to get into the clubhouse the day of the game, but he would be the first guy on the field,” former Orioles manager Earl Weaver said. “He’d be taking his groundballs, and we’d all go, ‘Why does Brooks have to take any groundballs?’“I wouldn’t expect anything else from Brooks. Seeing him work like that meant a lot of any young person coming up. He was so steady, and he steadied everybody else.”Robinson arrived in Baltimore in September 1955 as an 18-year-old after spending most of his first professional season in baseball with Class B York. He went 2 for 22 with the Orioles and struck out 10 times.He jockeyed between the majors and minors until July 1959, when he stuck around in Baltimore for good.“I think maybe he always knew what it’s like to be in the big leagues at 19. And then I think when you get to the big leagues, you get here, you got to stay here, you got to figure out how to get better," Palmer said. “You have to decide who you want to be like. I think for all of us who knew him … he was the best.”Brooks Calbert Robinson Jr. was born in Little Rock on May 18, 1937. He eventually made Baltimore his home but never really lost his southern twang, which was just fine with fans in blue-collar Baltimore, who appreciated his homespun charm and unassuming demeanor.Dubbed “Mr. Oriole,” he was a sports hero in Charm City, in the pantheon with former Colts quarterback Johnny Unitas and Orioles infielder Cal Ripken, who performed for a different generation.Many Orioles rooters who never got to see Robinson play still were able to enjoy his observations as he was part of team broadcasts.Ripken was known as The Iron Man because he played in 2,632 consecutive games, but Robinson wasn’t fond of sitting on the bench, either. From 1960-1975, he played in at least 152 games in 14 seasons and in 144 games the other two years.“I’m a guy who just wanted to see his name in the lineup everyday,” he said. “To me, baseball was a passion to the point of obsession.”Robinson retired in 1977 after batting only .149 in 24 games. His jersey was retired that year.Robinson’s most memorable performance came as MVP of the 1970 World Series, when the Orioles bounced back from their stunning defeat to the New York Mets the year before and Robinson redeemed himself after batting just 1 for 19 in that series. Because he was so sensational in the field during Baltimore’s five-game triumph over the Reds, few remember he hit .429 and homered twice and drove in six runs — or that he made an error on his first play in the field.In Game 1, Robinson delivered the tiebreaking home run in the seventh inning. One inning earlier, he made a sensational backhanded grab of a hard grounder hit down the line by Lee May, spun around in foul territory and somehow threw out the runner.Robinson contributed an RBI single in the second game and became forever a part of World Series lore with his standout performance in Game 3. He made a tremendous, leaping grab of a grounder by Tony Perez to start a first-inning double play; charged a slow roller in the second inning and threw out Tommy Helms; then capped his memorable afternoon with a diving catch of a liner by Johnny Bench. The Series ended, fittingly, with a ground out to Robinson in Game 5, a 9-3 Orioles win.“I’m beginning to see Brooks in my sleep,” Reds manager Sparky Anderson said during the Series. “If I dropped this paper plate, he’d pick it up on one hop and throw me out at first.”Anderson also said, “He can throw his glove out there and it will start 10 double plays by itself.”Palmer and other teammates would say that the country got to see what Robinson did routinely during the regular season. Robinson used to blush when asked to recall his heroics in October 1970.“I tell people that I played 23 seasons and I never did have five games in a row like I did in that World Series,” he said. “It was a once in a lifetime five-game series for me, and it just happened to be in a World Series.”His legacy in Maryland continued long after his retirement.There’s a Brooks Robinson Drive in Pikesville, and the annual state high school All-Star game played at Camden Yards is named in his honor.

Hall of Fame 3B, Orioles legend Brooks Robinson dies at 86

NEW YORK (AP) — A judge has ruled that Donald Trump committed fraud for years while building the real estate empire that catapulted him to fame and the White House.

Judge Arthur Engoron, ruling Tuesday in a civil lawsuit brought by New York’s attorney general, found that the former president and his company deceived banks, insurers and others by massively overvaluing his assets and exaggerating his net worth on paperwork used in making deals and securing financing.

The decision, days before the start of a non-jury trial in Attorney General Letitia James’ lawsuit, is the strongest repudiation yet of Trump’s carefully coiffed image as a wealthy and shrewd real estate mogul turned political powerhouse.

Beyond mere bragging about his riches, Trump, his company and key executives repeatedly lied about them on his annual financial statements, reaping rewards such as favorable loan terms and lower insurance premiums, Engoron found.

Those tactics crossed a line and violated the law, the judge said, rejecting Trump’s contention that a disclaimer on the financial statements absolved him of any wrongdoing.

Manhattan prosecutors had looked into bringing a criminal case over the same conduct but declined to do so, leaving James to sue Trump and seek penalties that could disrupt his and his family’s ability to do business in the state.

Engoron’s ruling, in a phase of the case known as summary judgment, resolves the key claim in James’ lawsuit, but six others remain.

Engoron is slated to hold a non-jury trial starting Oct. 2 before deciding on those claims and any punishments he may impose. James is seeking $250 million in penalties and a ban on Trump doing business in New York, his home state. The trial could last into December, Engoron has said.

Trump’s lawyers had asked the judge to throw out the case, which he denied. They contend that James wasn’t legally allowed to file the lawsuit because there isn’t any evidence that the public was harmed by Trump’s actions. They also argued that many of the allegations in the lawsuit were barred by the statute of limitations.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695760955952.png" alt="Former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally in South Carolina Monday-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally in South Carolina Monday-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — A judge has ruled that Donald Trump committed fraud for years while building the real estate empire that catapulted him to fame and the White House.Judge Arthur Engoron, ruling Tuesday in a civil lawsuit brought by New York’s attorney general, found that the former president and his company deceived banks, insurers and others by massively overvaluing his assets and exaggerating his net worth on paperwork used in making deals and securing financing.The decision, days before the start of a non-jury trial in Attorney General Letitia James’ lawsuit, is the strongest repudiation yet of Trump’s carefully coiffed image as a wealthy and shrewd real estate mogul turned political powerhouse.Beyond mere bragging about his riches, Trump, his company and key executives repeatedly lied about them on his annual financial statements, reaping rewards such as favorable loan terms and lower insurance premiums, Engoron found.Those tactics crossed a line and violated the law, the judge said, rejecting Trump’s contention that a disclaimer on the financial statements absolved him of any wrongdoing.Manhattan prosecutors had looked into bringing a criminal case over the same conduct but declined to do so, leaving James to sue Trump and seek penalties that could disrupt his and his family’s ability to do business in the state.Engoron’s ruling, in a phase of the case known as summary judgment, resolves the key claim in James’ lawsuit, but six others remain.Engoron is slated to hold a non-jury trial starting Oct. 2 before deciding on those claims and any punishments he may impose. James is seeking $250 million in penalties and a ban on Trump doing business in New York, his home state. The trial could last into December, Engoron has said.Trump’s lawyers had asked the judge to throw out the case, which he denied. They contend that James wasn’t legally allowed to file the lawsuit because there isn’t any evidence that the public was harmed by Trump’s actions. They also argued that many of the allegations in the lawsuit were barred by the statute of limitations.

Judge: Donald Trump defrauded banks, insurers as he built empire

By MIKE COURSON Great Bend Post

The arrival of fall does not mean the end of the severe weather season. Severe thunderstorm warnings were issued Tuesday evening in portions of Rush and Pawnee counties. Photos of a funnel on the ground near Alexander between Rush Center and Ness City generated lots of debate: was it a landspout or a tornado? Chance Hayes, Warning Coordination Meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Wichita, said it was a landspout and explained the difference.

"They are similar in that they're both rotating columns of air in contact with the ground," he said. "The difference between a true tornado and what we consider a landspout is the type of storm it comes from."

Tornadoes come from supercell thunderstorms that contain a rotating updraft. That updraft, Hayes said, is merely air rising into the atmosphere and spinning as it does. Landspouts typically occur at the beginning of a storm when the white and puffy cumulus clouds begin to rise and pull any circulation along the ground up with them.

Hayes said that's likely what was photographed Tuesday in Rush County, and because landspouts are not powerful, tornado warnings are typically not issued. 

"Because there is such a low threat to structures, and an even lower threat to lives, we don't feel like all the bells and whistles need to be sounded because it's so much weaker than a typical tornado that we will issue a special weather statement," Hayes said.

Hayes said landspouts may cause damage to trampolines that are not anchored or to old structures like barns or sheds. Should a landspout move into a heavily populated area that may experience more damage or flying debris, the National Weather Service may choose to issue a stronger warning.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695654258727.jpeg" alt="Lindsey Broin captured this photo of a landspout near Alexander on Tuesday, Sept. 19.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Lindsey Broin captured this photo of a landspout near Alexander on Tuesday, Sept. 19.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>By MIKE COURSON Great Bend PostThe arrival of fall does not mean the end of the severe weather season. Severe thunderstorm warnings were issued Tuesday evening in portions of Rush and Pawnee counties. Photos of a funnel on the ground near Alexander between Rush Center and Ness City generated lots of debate: was it a landspout or a tornado? Chance Hayes, Warning Coordination Meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Wichita, said it was a landspout and explained the difference."They are similar in that they're both rotating columns of air in contact with the ground," he said. "The difference between a true tornado and what we consider a landspout is the type of storm it comes from."Tornadoes come from supercell thunderstorms that contain a rotating updraft. That updraft, Hayes said, is merely air rising into the atmosphere and spinning as it does. Landspouts typically occur at the beginning of a storm when the white and puffy cumulus clouds begin to rise and pull any circulation along the ground up with them.Hayes said that's likely what was photographed Tuesday in Rush County, and because landspouts are not powerful, tornado warnings are typically not issued. "Because there is such a low threat to structures, and an even lower threat to lives, we don't feel like all the bells and whistles need to be sounded because it's so much weaker than a typical tornado that we will issue a special weather statement," Hayes said.Hayes said landspouts may cause damage to trampolines that are not anchored or to old structures like barns or sheds. Should a landspout move into a heavily populated area that may experience more damage or flying debris, the National Weather Service may choose to issue a stronger warning.

National Weather Service explains landspout spotted in Kan. storm

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Trapped alone in a Utah canyon for nearly a week and pinned by a half-ton boulder, Aron Ralston had to choose between his hand and his life. Even though he lost that limb, he said at his Dillon Lecture Series press conference on Tuesday, he gained a great amount of perspective.

"It was a tremendous gift for me," Ralston said. "That's what I try to share with people about what happened, not just to me, but for me, that I would be given all of these incredible gifts of insight into my life and the value of what's important to me, just having life. Being able to share that with other people became this incredible purpose, that might touch and reach people who might find themselves in a dark place."

Connection with others is what has become most important to Ralston in the past 20 years.

"While I was trapped, by talking to my family in my video camera that I had with me, although, yes, I was extraordinarily isolated, you'd have to be on the other side of the moon to be more isolated than what I felt, but that I felt connected, simultaneously."

Given that COVID-19 has caused everyone to have some forced isolation at one time or another in the last few years, a message like Ralston's can resonate as communities come back together.

"We are the social animals that we are," Ralston said. "It's reinforced how precious and how, at the same time, precarious, all of that is, which, I hope, means that we remember how valuable it is. Those are the gifts that adversity can give us. Sometimes, it's we only realize how much we value something when it's taken away and then, when we get it back, how fulfilling it is, to have that again."

2023 is the 42nd season for the Dillon Lecture Series on the HutchCC Campus. For more information on the Dillon Lecture Series or to become a patron, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.hutchcc.edu/dls">www.hutchcc.edu/dls</a>&nbsp;or call Becky Rogers at 620-665-3505.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695743778207.jpeg" alt="Aron Ralston-Photo by Nick Gosnell" />
 <figcaption>Aron Ralston-Photo by Nick Gosnell</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL&nbsp;Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Trapped alone in a Utah canyon for nearly a week and pinned by a half-ton boulder, Aron Ralston had to choose between his hand and his life. Even though he lost that limb, he said at his Dillon Lecture Series press conference on Tuesday, he gained a great amount of perspective."It was a tremendous gift for me," Ralston said. "That's what I try to share with people about what happened, not just to me, but for me, that I would be given all of these incredible gifts of insight into my life and the value of what's important to me, just having life. Being able to share that with other people became this incredible purpose, that might touch and reach people who might find themselves in a dark place."Connection with others is what has become most important to Ralston in the past 20 years."While I was trapped, by talking to my family in my video camera that I had with me, although, yes, I was extraordinarily isolated, you'd have to be on the other side of the moon to be more isolated than what I felt, but that I felt connected, simultaneously."Given that COVID-19 has caused everyone to have some forced isolation at one time or another in the last few years, a message like Ralston's can resonate as communities come back together."We are the social animals that we are," Ralston said. "It's reinforced how precious and how, at the same time, precarious, all of that is, which, I hope, means that we remember how valuable it is. Those are the gifts that adversity can give us. Sometimes, it's we only realize how much we value something when it's taken away and then, when we get it back, how fulfilling it is, to have that again."2023 is the 42nd season for the Dillon Lecture Series on the HutchCC Campus. For more information on the Dillon Lecture Series or to become a patron, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.hutchcc.edu/dls">www.hutchcc.edu/dls</a>&nbsp;or call Becky Rogers at 620-665-3505.

Dillon Lecture Series: He amputated his own hand to stay alive

State legislature abandoned the Local Ad Valorem Tax Reduction Fund 20 years ago

BY:&nbsp;SHERMAN SMITH,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The Legislature’s perennial failure to invest in lowering local property taxes left Miami County with a budget dilemma this year.

The sheriff’s office, competing with higher wages for law enforcement in the neighboring Kansas City metro area, was about 20 deputies short of a full staff. Faced with the prospect of raising property taxes to pay for better salaries, Miami County Commissioner Rob Roberts said the question he had to ask was: “Are we going to have law enforcement in Miami County?”

By increasing the base pay by $2.50 for law enforcement, the county hired five people. But it meant increasing property taxes by roughly the same amount — $1.7 million — that the state was supposed to distribute to the county through decades old revenue-sharing agreements designed to lower local property taxes.

“Those are dispatchers. Those are men and women who sit in your jail and take care of inmates. Those are people who patrol our city or our county area,” Roberts said. “And what choice do counties have? The wage pressure that’s put on local jurisdictions is right now tremendous.

“Each of these functions that the county is required to put on, there is not one of them that we put on that has anything to do with social ills. People go, ‘Well, you’re providing too much social services.’ It’s a county appraiser. That’s not social services. It’s a county sheriff’s department. When you call 911, what do you expect?”

Roberts joined Bruce Chladny, executive director of the Kansas Association of Counties, on the Kansas Reflector podcast to talk about the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascounties.org/legislative/kansas-counties-toolkit/local-ad-valorem-tax-reduction-fund-lavtr-toolkit">benefits of the Local Ad Valorem Tax Reduction Fund</a>, which has been dormant for 20 years.

“This actually is a program that started way back during the Dust Bowl days, back when Kansas was struggling, the economy was in the tank and citizens were really having a hard time to make ends meet,” Chladny said. “Luckily, the state started to recover a little bit faster than the economy did. And so they actually had extra tax dollars that they purposefully pushed back out to the local government to help lower property taxes for the struggling citizens.”

Between 1937 and 2003, the Legislature set aside 3.63% of state sales tax collections and divided the money among counties through a formula based on population and assessed property tax value. But lawmakers abandoned the fund during a round of school finance litigation, then left it empty during the economic downturn of 2008 and the financial calamity of Gov. Sam Brownback’s administration.

Now, with the state holding billions in surplus and lawmakers unable to agree on who should benefit from reduced taxes, counties hope to pressure lawmakers into reviving the fund.

Republican leaders in the House and Senate favor passage of a flat tax rate for income, a priority of Americans for Prosperity and the Kansas Chamber. The idea is to offer a trivial income tax cut, as little as $5 per month, to those earning less than $75,000 per year while dramatically lowering taxes for high-wage earners. Senate President Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican, describes it as “a benefit for everybody.”

House Democrats have tried to make the ad valorem fund part of tax reform negotiations.

Rep. Jason Probst, a Hutchinson Democrat, said Republican leaders in the Legislature lack the “desire to solve today’s problems.”

“They are stuck in a 1950s TV sitcom storyline — keep giving money to the wealthiest people in the state, and the rest of us will grow rich too,” Probst said. “Kansans have been waiting their entire lives for this Republican myth to come true — but it’s a lie, and you’re still not rich.”

During a statewide tour last week to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/09/21/top-kansas-republicans-push-flat-tax-proposal-pan-medicaid-expansion/">promote Americans for Prosperity’s interests</a>, House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, said the fund had “failed miserably.” Counties used it as a “slush fund,” he said.

Roberts said Hawkins’ comments were disappointing. Counties could use the ad valorem fund to lower property taxes that pay for essential services, he said.

In his 35 years of working in various areas of local government, Roberts said, he never heard someone say: “You got some money coming in, baby! It’s a slush fund!”

If local residents don’t like the way county officials spend money, they can vote them out.

“Not only that, but they’ll show up at your meetings and point their finger at you and tell you,” Roberts said. “They do not worry about the words they use. Every Wednesday at 1 o’clock is open mic night for the county.”

He wondered how Hawkins and other lawmakers could rebuild the trust that is needed for local and state leaders to “sit at the same table” and “solve our problems without throwing barbs.”

Residents are mad because taxes are too high, Roberts said, and they’re right.

“These men and women are your neighbors. Most of them don’t have a political ambition,” Roberts said. “They just want to know how to help get the road paved. They’re mad because the ambulance didn’t show up quick enough. Or they want to make sure that we have dog catchers because the dogs have been chewing up my garden.”

Chladny said his goal was to educate the public and newer lawmakers about the the fund. If fully funded, the state would have distributed $128 million to local counties through the program this year.

He said he wants people to realize they are paying the same tax twice.

“How come I have to go to the store and pay sales tax, but then also, I get my property tax bill that Rob sends to me and I have to pay that money again?” Chladny said.

When people talk about property tax relief, “this is it,” Chladny said.

“It’s already on the books, and it’s already been proven to work and be effective,” he said.

<h2>State legislature abandoned the Local Ad Valorem Tax Reduction Fund 20 years ago</h2>BY:&nbsp;SHERMAN SMITH,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The Legislature’s perennial failure to invest in lowering local property taxes left Miami County with a budget dilemma this year.The sheriff’s office, competing with higher wages for law enforcement in the neighboring Kansas City metro area, was about 20 deputies short of a full staff. Faced with the prospect of raising property taxes to pay for better salaries, Miami County Commissioner Rob Roberts said the question he had to ask was: “Are we going to have law enforcement in Miami County?”By increasing the base pay by $2.50 for law enforcement, the county hired five people. But it meant increasing property taxes by roughly the same amount — $1.7 million — that the state was supposed to distribute to the county through decades old revenue-sharing agreements designed to lower local property taxes.“Those are dispatchers. Those are men and women who sit in your jail and take care of inmates. Those are people who patrol our city or our county area,” Roberts said. “And what choice do counties have? The wage pressure that’s put on local jurisdictions is right now tremendous.“Each of these functions that the county is required to put on, there is not one of them that we put on that has anything to do with social ills. People go, ‘Well, you’re providing too much social services.’ It’s a county appraiser. That’s not social services. It’s a county sheriff’s department. When you call 911, what do you expect?”Roberts joined Bruce Chladny, executive director of the Kansas Association of Counties, on the Kansas Reflector podcast to talk about the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascounties.org/legislative/kansas-counties-toolkit/local-ad-valorem-tax-reduction-fund-lavtr-toolkit">benefits of the Local Ad Valorem Tax Reduction Fund</a>, which has been dormant for 20 years.“This actually is a program that started way back during the Dust Bowl days, back when Kansas was struggling, the economy was in the tank and citizens were really having a hard time to make ends meet,” Chladny said. “Luckily, the state started to recover a little bit faster than the economy did. And so they actually had extra tax dollars that they purposefully pushed back out to the local government to help lower property taxes for the struggling citizens.”Between 1937 and 2003, the Legislature set aside 3.63% of state sales tax collections and divided the money among counties through a formula based on population and assessed property tax value. But lawmakers abandoned the fund during a round of school finance litigation, then left it empty during the economic downturn of 2008 and the financial calamity of Gov. Sam Brownback’s administration.Now, with the state holding billions in surplus and lawmakers unable to agree on who should benefit from reduced taxes, counties hope to pressure lawmakers into reviving the fund.It won’t be an easy task.Republican leaders in the House and Senate favor passage of a flat tax rate for income, a priority of Americans for Prosperity and the Kansas Chamber. The idea is to offer a trivial income tax cut, as little as $5 per month, to those earning less than $75,000 per year while dramatically lowering taxes for high-wage earners. Senate President Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican, describes it as “a benefit for everybody.”House Democrats have tried to make the ad valorem fund part of tax reform negotiations.Rep. Jason Probst, a Hutchinson Democrat, said Republican leaders in the Legislature lack the “desire to solve today’s problems.”“They are stuck in a 1950s TV sitcom storyline — keep giving money to the wealthiest people in the state, and the rest of us will grow rich too,” Probst said. “Kansans have been waiting their entire lives for this Republican myth to come true — but it’s a lie, and you’re still not rich.”During a statewide tour last week to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/09/21/top-kansas-republicans-push-flat-tax-proposal-pan-medicaid-expansion/">promote Americans for Prosperity’s interests</a>, House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, said the fund had “failed miserably.” Counties used it as a “slush fund,” he said.Roberts said Hawkins’ comments were disappointing. Counties could use the ad valorem fund to lower property taxes that pay for essential services, he said.In his 35 years of working in various areas of local government, Roberts said, he never heard someone say: “You got some money coming in, baby! It’s a slush fund!”If local residents don’t like the way county officials spend money, they can vote them out.“Not only that, but they’ll show up at your meetings and point their finger at you and tell you,” Roberts said. “They do not worry about the words they use. Every Wednesday at 1 o’clock is open mic night for the county.”He wondered how Hawkins and other lawmakers could rebuild the trust that is needed for local and state leaders to “sit at the same table” and “solve our problems without throwing barbs.”Residents are mad because taxes are too high, Roberts said, and they’re right.“These men and women are your neighbors. Most of them don’t have a political ambition,” Roberts said. “They just want to know how to help get the road paved. They’re mad because the ambulance didn’t show up quick enough. Or they want to make sure that we have dog catchers because the dogs have been chewing up my garden.”Chladny said his goal was to educate the public and newer lawmakers about the the fund. If fully funded, the state would have distributed $128 million to local counties through the program this year.He said he wants people to realize they are paying the same tax twice.“How come I have to go to the store and pay sales tax, but then also, I get my property tax bill that Rob sends to me and I have to pay that money again?” Chladny said.When people talk about property tax relief, “this is it,” Chladny said.“It’s already on the books, and it’s already been proven to work and be effective,” he said.

Kan. counties eager for lawmakers to resurrect property tax relief fund

VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;joined United Auto Workers strikers on their picket line Tuesday as their work stoppage&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uaw-strike-ford-gm-stellantis-contract-offers-5dd4dee2056b7efe06d2a55433d8d13a">against major carmakers</a>&nbsp;hit day 12, a demonstration of support for organized labor apparently unparalleled in presidential history.

(Video courtesy Deputy White House press secretary)

“You deserve the significant raise you need," Biden said through a bullhorn while wearing a union baseball cap after arriving at a General Motors parts distribution warehouse located in a suburb west of Detroit.

He walked along the picket line, exchanging fist bumps with grinning workers.

He encouraged them to continue fighting for better wages despite concerns that a prolonged strike could damage the economy, saying “stick with it.”

He said “yes” when asked if UAW members deserved a 40% raise, one of the demands that the union has made.

“No deal, no wheels!” workers chanted as Biden arrived. “No pay, no parts!”

He was joined by UAW President Shawn Fain, who rode with him in the presidential limousine to the picket line.

“Thank you, Mr. President, for coming to stand up with us in our generation-defining moment," said Fain, who described the union as engaged in a “kind of war” against “corporate greed.”

“We do the heavy lifting. We do the real work," Fein said. "Not the CEOs.”

Labor historians say they cannot recall an instance when a sitting president has joined an ongoing strike, even during the tenures of the more ardent pro-union presidents such as Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Harry Truman. Theodore Roosevelt invited labor leaders alongside mine operators to the White House amid a historic coal strike in 1902, a decision that was seen at the time as a rare embrace of unions as Roosevelt tried to resolve the dispute.

Biden arrived one day before former President Donald Trump, the front-runner for the 2024 Republican nomination, goes to Detroit to hold his own event in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/labor-union-auto-workers-trump-strike-dfcb805fd4e749b13aaf827e1463da73">an attempt to woo auto workers</a>&nbsp;even though union leaders say he's no ally.

Lawmakers often appear at strikes to show solidarity with unions, and Biden joined picket lines with casino workers in Las Vegas and auto workers in Kansas City while seeking the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.

But sitting presidents, who have to balance the rights of workers with disruptions to the economy, supply chains and other facets of everyday life, have long wanted to stay out of the strike fray — until Biden.

“This is absolutely unprecedented. No president has ever walked a picket line before,” said Erik Loomis, a professor at the University of Rhode Island and an expert on U.S. labor history. Presidents historically “avoided direct participation in strikes. They saw themselves more as mediators. They did not see it as their place to directly intervene in a strike or in labor action.”

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Michigan that “Biden is fighting to ensure that the cars of the future will be built in America by unionized American workers in good-paying jobs, instead of being built in China.”

Biden's trip to join a picket line in the suburbs of Detroit is the most significant demonstration of his pro-union bona fides, a record that includes vocal support for unionization efforts at Amazon.com facilities and executive actions that promoted worker organizing. He also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/president-joe-biden-unions-democrats-presidential-campaign-8242bafc4e61ed88f7f211c621132102">earned a joint endorsement of major unions</a>&nbsp;earlier this year and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-broadway-fundraiser-new-york-fc92b7f04ad2ac20c119e60337da5cfb">has avoided southern California for high-dollar fundraisers</a>&nbsp;amid the writers' and actors' strikes in Hollywood.

During the ongoing UAW strike, Biden has argued that the auto companies have not gone far enough, although White House officials have repeatedly declined to say whether the president endorses specific UAW demands such as a 40% hike in wages and full-time pay for a 32-hour work week.

“I think the UAW gave up an incredible amount back when the automobile industry was going under. They gave everything from their pensions on, and they saved the automobile industry,” Biden said Monday from the White House. He said workers should benefit from carmakers' riches “now that the industry is roaring back.”

Biden and other Democrats are more&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-unions-reelection-campaign-2024-04b89292c9c41f35a127f2458d90a610">aggressively touting the president's pro-labor credentials</a>&nbsp;at a time when Trump is trying to make inroads in critical swing states where unions remain influential, including Michigan and Pennsylvania. Biden is leaning on his union support at a time when labor enjoys broad support from the public, with 67% of Americans approving of labor unions in an August Gallup poll.

The United Farm Workers announced their endorsement of Biden on Tuesday, calling him “an authentic champion for workers and their families, regardless of their race or national origin.” Biden's campaign manager, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, is the granddaughter of Cesar Chavez, the union's co-founder.

The UAW has not endorsed Biden. Asked about that after landing in Michigan, Biden told reporters that “I’m not worried about that."

Trump is skipping the second Republican primary debate on Wednesday and will meet with striking autoworkers in Michigan, seeking to capitalize on discontent over the state of the economy and anger over the Biden administration's push for more electric vehicles — a key component of its clean-energy agenda.

“If it wasn’t for President Trump, Joe Biden would be giving autoworkers the East Palestine treatment and saying that his schedule was too busy," said Trump campaign adviser Jason Miller, referring to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/east-palestine-train-derailment-norfolk-southern-biden-875699405d37cacbb5dd958dafb18071">small Ohio town that is still grappling</a>&nbsp;with the aftermath of a February train derailment. Biden said he would visit the community but so far has not.

White House officials dismissed the notion that Trump forced their hand and noted that Biden was headed to Michigan at the request of UAW President Shawn Fain, who last week invited the sitting president to join the strikers.

“He is pro-UAW, he is pro-workers, that is this president,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday. “He stands by union workers, and he is going to stand with the men and women of the UAW.”

Yet the UAW strike,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uaw-ford-stellantis-general-motors-strike-labor-4132aa222c9a4456415af480d6fafa98">which expanded into 20 states last week</a>, remains a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-electric-cars-uaw-strike-d73f259bf5e9242340e912ad1e9b4aa9">dilemma for the Biden administration</a>&nbsp;since a part of the workers' grievances include concerns about a broader transition to electric vehicles. The shift away from gas-powered vehicles has worried some autoworkers because electric versions require fewer people to manufacture and there is no guarantee that factories that produce them will be unionized.

Carolyn Nippa, who was walking the picket line Monday at the GM parts warehouse in Van Buren Township, Michigan, was ambivalent about the president’s advocacy for electric vehicles, even as she said Biden was a better president than Trump for workers. She said it was “great that we have a president who wants to support local unions and the working class.”

“I know it’s the future. It’s the future of the car industry,” Nippa said of electric vehicles. “I’m hoping it doesn’t affect our jobs.”

Still, other pickets remained more skeptical about Biden's visit Tuesday.

Dave Ellis, who stocks parts at the distribution center, said he’s happy Biden wants to show people he’s behind the middle class. But he said the visit is just about getting more votes.

“I don’t necessarily believe that it’s really about us," said Ellis, who argued that Trump would be a better president for the middle class than Biden because Trump is a businessman.

The Biden administration has no formal role in the negotiations, and the White House pulled back a decision from the president earlier this month to send two key deputies to Michigan after determining it would be more productive for the advisers, Gene Sperling and acting Labor Secretary Julie Su, to monitor talks from Washington.

VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;joined United Auto Workers strikers on their picket line Tuesday as their work stoppage&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uaw-strike-ford-gm-stellantis-contract-offers-5dd4dee2056b7efe06d2a55433d8d13a">against major carmakers</a>&nbsp;hit day 12, a demonstration of support for organized labor apparently unparalleled in presidential history.(Video courtesy Deputy White House press secretary)<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/UAW?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UAW</a> President Shawn Fain: &quot;This is a historic moment: the 1st time in our country&#39;s history that a sitting USA President has came out and stood on the picket line.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/CNouiVuRlH">pic.twitter.com/CNouiVuRlH</a>&mdash; Andrew Bates (@AndrewJBates46) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewJBates46/status/1706719414845161823?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 26, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“You deserve the significant raise you need," Biden said through a bullhorn while wearing a union baseball cap after arriving at a General Motors parts distribution warehouse located in a suburb west of Detroit.He walked along the picket line, exchanging fist bumps with grinning workers.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Today, for the first time in history, the President of the United States joined a picket line. This is a major testament to the strength and resurgence of the labor movement. Let’s go!<a href="https://t.co/bv3RAP2hkK">pic.twitter.com/bv3RAP2hkK</a>&mdash; Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) <a href="https://twitter.com/IlhanMN/status/1706722423255580925?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 26, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>He encouraged them to continue fighting for better wages despite concerns that a prolonged strike could damage the economy, saying “stick with it.”He said “yes” when asked if UAW members deserved a 40% raise, one of the demands that the union has made.“No deal, no wheels!” workers chanted as Biden arrived. “No pay, no parts!”He was joined by UAW President Shawn Fain, who rode with him in the presidential limousine to the picket line.“Thank you, Mr. President, for coming to stand up with us in our generation-defining moment," said Fain, who described the union as engaged in a “kind of war” against “corporate greed.”“We do the heavy lifting. We do the real work," Fein said. "Not the CEOs.”Labor historians say they cannot recall an instance when a sitting president has joined an ongoing strike, even during the tenures of the more ardent pro-union presidents such as Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Harry Truman. Theodore Roosevelt invited labor leaders alongside mine operators to the White House amid a historic coal strike in 1902, a decision that was seen at the time as a rare embrace of unions as Roosevelt tried to resolve the dispute.Biden arrived one day before former President Donald Trump, the front-runner for the 2024 Republican nomination, goes to Detroit to hold his own event in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/labor-union-auto-workers-trump-strike-dfcb805fd4e749b13aaf827e1463da73">an attempt to woo auto workers</a>&nbsp;even though union leaders say he's no ally.Lawmakers often appear at strikes to show solidarity with unions, and Biden joined picket lines with casino workers in Las Vegas and auto workers in Kansas City while seeking the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.But sitting presidents, who have to balance the rights of workers with disruptions to the economy, supply chains and other facets of everyday life, have long wanted to stay out of the strike fray — until Biden.“This is absolutely unprecedented. No president has ever walked a picket line before,” said Erik Loomis, a professor at the University of Rhode Island and an expert on U.S. labor history. Presidents historically “avoided direct participation in strikes. They saw themselves more as mediators. They did not see it as their place to directly intervene in a strike or in labor action.”White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Michigan that “Biden is fighting to ensure that the cars of the future will be built in America by unionized American workers in good-paying jobs, instead of being built in China.”Biden's trip to join a picket line in the suburbs of Detroit is the most significant demonstration of his pro-union bona fides, a record that includes vocal support for unionization efforts at Amazon.com facilities and executive actions that promoted worker organizing. He also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/president-joe-biden-unions-democrats-presidential-campaign-8242bafc4e61ed88f7f211c621132102">earned a joint endorsement of major unions</a>&nbsp;earlier this year and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-broadway-fundraiser-new-york-fc92b7f04ad2ac20c119e60337da5cfb">has avoided southern California for high-dollar fundraisers</a>&nbsp;amid the writers' and actors' strikes in Hollywood.During the ongoing UAW strike, Biden has argued that the auto companies have not gone far enough, although White House officials have repeatedly declined to say whether the president endorses specific UAW demands such as a 40% hike in wages and full-time pay for a 32-hour work week.“I think the UAW gave up an incredible amount back when the automobile industry was going under. They gave everything from their pensions on, and they saved the automobile industry,” Biden said Monday from the White House. He said workers should benefit from carmakers' riches “now that the industry is roaring back.”Biden and other Democrats are more&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-unions-reelection-campaign-2024-04b89292c9c41f35a127f2458d90a610">aggressively touting the president's pro-labor credentials</a>&nbsp;at a time when Trump is trying to make inroads in critical swing states where unions remain influential, including Michigan and Pennsylvania. Biden is leaning on his union support at a time when labor enjoys broad support from the public, with 67% of Americans approving of labor unions in an August Gallup poll.The United Farm Workers announced their endorsement of Biden on Tuesday, calling him “an authentic champion for workers and their families, regardless of their race or national origin.” Biden's campaign manager, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, is the granddaughter of Cesar Chavez, the union's co-founder.The UAW has not endorsed Biden. Asked about that after landing in Michigan, Biden told reporters that “I’m not worried about that."Trump is skipping the second Republican primary debate on Wednesday and will meet with striking autoworkers in Michigan, seeking to capitalize on discontent over the state of the economy and anger over the Biden administration's push for more electric vehicles — a key component of its clean-energy agenda.“If it wasn’t for President Trump, Joe Biden would be giving autoworkers the East Palestine treatment and saying that his schedule was too busy," said Trump campaign adviser Jason Miller, referring to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/east-palestine-train-derailment-norfolk-southern-biden-875699405d37cacbb5dd958dafb18071">small Ohio town that is still grappling</a>&nbsp;with the aftermath of a February train derailment. Biden said he would visit the community but so far has not.White House officials dismissed the notion that Trump forced their hand and noted that Biden was headed to Michigan at the request of UAW President Shawn Fain, who last week invited the sitting president to join the strikers.“He is pro-UAW, he is pro-workers, that is this president,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday. “He stands by union workers, and he is going to stand with the men and women of the UAW.”Yet the UAW strike,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uaw-ford-stellantis-general-motors-strike-labor-4132aa222c9a4456415af480d6fafa98">which expanded into 20 states last week</a>, remains a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-electric-cars-uaw-strike-d73f259bf5e9242340e912ad1e9b4aa9">dilemma for the Biden administration</a>&nbsp;since a part of the workers' grievances include concerns about a broader transition to electric vehicles. The shift away from gas-powered vehicles has worried some autoworkers because electric versions require fewer people to manufacture and there is no guarantee that factories that produce them will be unionized.Carolyn Nippa, who was walking the picket line Monday at the GM parts warehouse in Van Buren Township, Michigan, was ambivalent about the president’s advocacy for electric vehicles, even as she said Biden was a better president than Trump for workers. She said it was “great that we have a president who wants to support local unions and the working class.”“I know it’s the future. It’s the future of the car industry,” Nippa said of electric vehicles. “I’m hoping it doesn’t affect our jobs.”Still, other pickets remained more skeptical about Biden's visit Tuesday.Dave Ellis, who stocks parts at the distribution center, said he’s happy Biden wants to show people he’s behind the middle class. But he said the visit is just about getting more votes.“I don’t necessarily believe that it’s really about us," said Ellis, who argued that Trump would be a better president for the middle class than Biden because Trump is a businessman.The Biden administration has no formal role in the negotiations, and the White House pulled back a decision from the president earlier this month to send two key deputies to Michigan after determining it would be more productive for the advisers, Gene Sperling and acting Labor Secretary Julie Su, to monitor talks from Washington.

🎥 Biden makes history, joins striking autoworkers on the picket line

MCPHERSON COUNTY —An elementary school student was injured in an accident Tuesday morning in McPherson.

Just before 10a.m., police&nbsp; responded to Roosevelt Elementary School,&nbsp;800 S Walnut Street in McPherson, where&nbsp; a 7-year-old student was struck in the arm by an arrow on the playground, according to a media release.

McPherson Emergency Medical Services and Fire Rescue responded, provided medical assistance, and transported the child to McPherson Center for Health. 

The victim was later transferred to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita, in stable condition. Officers arrested a 31-year-old man, identified as&nbsp; Nehemiah Scott, according to online booking records, who shot a bow and arrow in the area, resulting in a stray arrow striking the student. 

Scott is being held on requested charges of Aggravated Battery and Aggravated Child Endangerment on a bond of $12,500.00.

It is unlawful in McPherson to operate an air rifle, bow and arrow, slingshot or BB gun except within the confines of a building or structure from which the projectiles cannot escape.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695747416586.png" alt="Nehemiah Scott-photo McPherson Co." />
 <figcaption>Nehemiah Scott-photo McPherson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>MCPHERSON COUNTY —An elementary school student was injured in an accident Tuesday morning in McPherson.Just before 10a.m., police&nbsp; responded to Roosevelt Elementary School,&nbsp;800 S Walnut Street in McPherson, where&nbsp; a 7-year-old student was struck in the arm by an arrow on the playground, according to a media release.McPherson Emergency Medical Services and Fire Rescue responded, provided medical assistance, and transported the child to McPherson Center for Health. The victim was later transferred to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita, in stable condition. Officers arrested a 31-year-old man, identified as&nbsp; Nehemiah Scott, according to online booking records, who shot a bow and arrow in the area, resulting in a stray arrow striking the student. Scott is being held on requested charges of Aggravated Battery and Aggravated Child Endangerment on a bond of $12,500.00.It is unlawful in McPherson to operate an air rifle, bow and arrow, slingshot or BB gun except within the confines of a building or structure from which the projectiles cannot escape.

Arrest made after Kan. elementary school student struck by arrow

LOS ANGELES (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hollywood-strikes/">Striking actors</a>&nbsp;have voted to expand their walkout to include the lucrative video game market, a step that could put new pressure on Hollywood studios to make a deal with the performers who provide voices and stunts for games.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/writers-strike-agreement-what-happens-next-ba8290a5839cde352d594647199023e8">Crucial steps</a>&nbsp;remain for the writers, who technically remain on strike, and for other workers awaiting a return to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/writers-strike-update-shows-coming-back-2d433d9365e8fe20b17f5ca612599343">production of new shows</a>.

The next phase comes Tuesday, when the governing boards of the two branches of the Writers Guild of America are expected to vote on the tentative agreement reached by union negotiators with Hollywood studios.

Following approval from the union's boards — which is likely — comes a vote from the writers themselves, although the timing is uncertain.

The guild and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hollywood-strikes-lombardini-drescher-stutzman-iger-zaslav-00c17264129cebb17d10b80b9c51aa3e">Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers</a>, which represents studios, streaming services and production companies in the negotiations, were still finalizing contract language Monday.

That could prompt a delay of the voting and has kept union leaders from sharing with writers the details of what nearly five months of striking and hardship has earned them. The leaders have promised to hold a series of meetings later this week to share the terms of the deal regarding pay, show staffing and artificial intelligence.

The guild's leaders told them only that the agreement is “exceptional,” with gains for every member. A successful yes vote from the membership will finally, officially, bring the strike to an end.

Meanwhile, though their own pickets have been suspended, writers were encouraged to join actors in solidarity on their lines starting Tuesday, just as many actors did with writers in the two months before their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/actors-strike-explained-2607dd29da6c16c0a406359a7e86d7fb">own strike started in July</a>.

Among the unions on strike, the studio alliance has chosen to negotiate only with the writers so far, and has made no overtures yet toward restarting talks with SAG-AFTRA. That will presumably change soon.

LOS ANGELES (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hollywood-strikes/">Striking actors</a>&nbsp;have voted to expand their walkout to include the lucrative video game market, a step that could put new pressure on Hollywood studios to make a deal with the performers who provide voices and stunts for games.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FSAGAFTRA%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02n9sA9bFNZJyWWyvDFt4ofVXqtxdaxAsuPJogSvoDBWxdNEghhH35R9s29biyfe5Ll&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="584" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Radio and Television Artists announced the move late Monday, saying that 98% of its members voted to go on strike against video game companies if ongoing negotiations are not successful. The announcement came ahead of more talks planned for Tuesday.Acting in video games can include a variety of roles, from voice performances to motion capture work as well as stunts. Video game actors went on strike in 2016 in a work stoppage that lasted nearly a year.Some of the same issues are at play in the video game negotiations as in the broader actors strike that has shut down Hollywood for months, including wages, safety measures and protections on the use of artificial intelligence. The companies involved include gaming giants Activision, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Take 2 Productions as well as Disney and Warner Bros.′ video game divisions.“It’s time for the video game companies to stop playing games and get serious about reaching an agreement on this contract,” SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher said in a statement.The threat of a video game strike emerged as Hollywood writers were on the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/writers-strike-deal-hollywood-wga-3336824c06795931845c889f1e08b3ff">verge of getting back to work</a>&nbsp;after months&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hollywood-strikes/">on the picket lines</a>.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/writers-strike-agreement-what-happens-next-ba8290a5839cde352d594647199023e8">Crucial steps</a>&nbsp;remain for the writers, who technically remain on strike, and for other workers awaiting a return to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/writers-strike-update-shows-coming-back-2d433d9365e8fe20b17f5ca612599343">production of new shows</a>.The next phase comes Tuesday, when the governing boards of the two branches of the Writers Guild of America are expected to vote on the tentative agreement reached by union negotiators with Hollywood studios.Following approval from the union's boards — which is likely — comes a vote from the writers themselves, although the timing is uncertain.The guild and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hollywood-strikes-lombardini-drescher-stutzman-iger-zaslav-00c17264129cebb17d10b80b9c51aa3e">Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers</a>, which represents studios, streaming services and production companies in the negotiations, were still finalizing contract language Monday.That could prompt a delay of the voting and has kept union leaders from sharing with writers the details of what nearly five months of striking and hardship has earned them. The leaders have promised to hold a series of meetings later this week to share the terms of the deal regarding pay, show staffing and artificial intelligence.The guild's leaders told them only that the agreement is “exceptional,” with gains for every member. A successful yes vote from the membership will finally, officially, bring the strike to an end.Meanwhile, though their own pickets have been suspended, writers were encouraged to join actors in solidarity on their lines starting Tuesday, just as many actors did with writers in the two months before their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/actors-strike-explained-2607dd29da6c16c0a406359a7e86d7fb">own strike started in July</a>.Among the unions on strike, the studio alliance has chosen to negotiate only with the writers so far, and has made no overtures yet toward restarting talks with SAG-AFTRA. That will presumably change soon.SAG-AFTRA leaders have said they will look closely at the writers' agreement, which includes many of the same issues, but it will not effect their demands.

Striking actors vote to authorize new walkout against video game makers

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a registered sex offender for alleged sex crimes in Manhattan.

Just after 9:30p.m. Monday, police arrested 24-year-old Nicholas A. Seeman of Lincoln Nebraska&nbsp; on a Riley County District Court warrant&nbsp; for multiple alleged sex crimes, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.

He is being held on a $300,000 bond on requested charges that include rape; Offender is 18 or older and victim is &lt; 14, aggravated indecent liberties w child; Offender =&gt;18 fondle child &lt;14; aggravated indecent liberties w/ child; Intercourse with child 14 &lt; 16 YOA; sexual exploitation of child; offender&gt;18 employment of child&lt;14; indecent solicitation of a child; Sex act with a child &gt;14&lt;16; aggravated indecent liberties w/ child; Intercourse with child 14 &lt; 16 YOA; criminal sodomy; With a child &gt;14 YOA and &lt;16; sexual exploitation of a child; employment of child&lt;18 and aggravated indecent liberties w/ child; Fondling a child 14&lt;16 YOA

The crimes were reported to RCPD in March 2023.&nbsp; &nbsp;Seeman was convicted of sexual assault and has been listed as a registered sex offender since September of 2022, according to the Nebraska sex offender registry.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695738943977.png" alt="Seeman-photo Nebraska sex offender registry" />
 <figcaption>Seeman-photo Nebraska sex offender registry</figcaption>
 </figure>RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a registered sex offender for alleged sex crimes in Manhattan.Just after 9:30p.m. Monday, police arrested 24-year-old Nicholas A. Seeman of Lincoln Nebraska&nbsp; on a Riley County District Court warrant&nbsp; for multiple alleged sex crimes, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.He is being held on a $300,000 bond on requested charges that include rape; Offender is 18 or older and victim is &lt; 14, aggravated indecent liberties w child; Offender =&gt;18 fondle child &lt;14; aggravated indecent liberties w/ child; Intercourse with child 14 &lt; 16 YOA; sexual exploitation of child; offender&gt;18 employment of child&lt;14; indecent solicitation of a child; Sex act with a child &gt;14&lt;16; aggravated indecent liberties w/ child; Intercourse with child 14 &lt; 16 YOA; criminal sodomy; With a child &gt;14 YOA and &lt;16; sexual exploitation of a child; employment of child&lt;18 and aggravated indecent liberties w/ child; Fondling a child 14&lt;16 YOAThe crimes were reported to RCPD in March 2023.&nbsp; &nbsp;Seeman was convicted of sexual assault and has been listed as a registered sex offender since September of 2022, according to the Nebraska sex offender registry.

Neb. sex offender jailed in Kansas for multiple alleged sex crimes

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Kansas State Fair sent out a post-Fair survey to its patrons this week.

Click&nbsp;<a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.surveymonkey.com%2Fr%2Fksf2023%3Futm_source%3Dmailchimp%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_campaign%3D092523postfairsurvey%26fbclid%3DIwAR3iVYk4VRcNyXodIBrPrEVMi23-fw9EHZcvBg-xJQpgJl5v-3a6qoeUQis&amp;h=AT1L3l7Ym8Qi0TUPJwHrP9pW2783lfWoeZuzAZWK7FSZ608Jcyi2SUsE8S5qj-DN60NOl3RKyY1Oy98QvB-wjcRqetNPWk8yvxpRPuFa_wl7SFx5Pt6MuRNsqYePtp5MSg&amp;__tn__=-UK-R&amp;c[0]=AT1VhJlr1RdGeCatTxyrgQ8BElaoXaIKKHH80nogSgN5xd_zuTfn6DDLRdiFR4SiOMcsRzEm1ZEIStIq0nm1r4TOp7m-k3MKNupdsZuoZ7RxMAB_PClyyrBuHedD4-lfr7Z826VrYJ6we19OWVS8KmP7X3IeXPJ02pKcVclIukBJWJN5qWLJsBBWXhXuHY67PlN7zru4B34uw4AW0Kp7XqU">here</a>&nbsp;to take the survey

The 2024 Kansas State Fair will be from September 6 to 15, 2024.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695157318556.png" alt="-A view above the 2023 Kansas State Fair-photo KHP" />
 <figcaption>-A view above the 2023 Kansas State Fair-photo KHP</figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Kansas State Fair sent out a post-Fair survey to its patrons this week.Click&nbsp;<a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.surveymonkey.com%2Fr%2Fksf2023%3Futm_source%3Dmailchimp%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_campaign%3D092523postfairsurvey%26fbclid%3DIwAR3iVYk4VRcNyXodIBrPrEVMi23-fw9EHZcvBg-xJQpgJl5v-3a6qoeUQis&amp;h=AT1L3l7Ym8Qi0TUPJwHrP9pW2783lfWoeZuzAZWK7FSZ608Jcyi2SUsE8S5qj-DN60NOl3RKyY1Oy98QvB-wjcRqetNPWk8yvxpRPuFa_wl7SFx5Pt6MuRNsqYePtp5MSg&amp;__tn__=-UK-R&amp;c[0]=AT1VhJlr1RdGeCatTxyrgQ8BElaoXaIKKHH80nogSgN5xd_zuTfn6DDLRdiFR4SiOMcsRzEm1ZEIStIq0nm1r4TOp7m-k3MKNupdsZuoZ7RxMAB_PClyyrBuHedD4-lfr7Z826VrYJ6we19OWVS8KmP7X3IeXPJ02pKcVclIukBJWJN5qWLJsBBWXhXuHY67PlN7zru4B34uw4AW0Kp7XqU">here</a>&nbsp;to take the surveyThe 2024 Kansas State Fair will be from September 6 to 15, 2024.

Kansas State Fair wants to hear from you

KANSAS CITY —What started as a car stop in ended with a home invasion suspect in custody in a home near Kansas City.&nbsp;

Just after 1a.m. Sept. 24, Sheriff Deputies tried to stop a vehicle with no license plates in Randolph(MO), thirteen miles northeast of Kansas City, according to the Clay County(MO) Sheriff's office.

The driver fled traveling north on Interstate 435 to Interstate 35, and then north to 69 Highway. 

Excelsior Springs Missouri Police&nbsp;successfully deployed tire deflation devices as the suspect vehicle drove into town. The vehicle was losing its rear tire and eventually pulled into a driveway in the 700 block of Old Orchard Street.

The suspect later identified as 37-year-old Lewis J. Long ran from the vehicle into a residential backyard and then onto the home's back deck, where several occupants of the home were standing. 

Long forced his way through the people on the deck and into the home, where he hid in a corner. 

Deputies and police officers won the hide-and-seek game, taking custody of him and pulling him out of the house. The homeowners said they had no idea who he was. Long&nbsp; complained of chest pains and was evaluated at the hospital before being cleared to come to the Clay County Detention Center.

No one was injured in the incident. Long is being held on requested charges of resisting arrest by fleeing. Additional charges are expected.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695685558995.png" alt="Long-photo Clay Co. Missouri" />
 <figcaption>Long-photo Clay Co. Missouri</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —What started as a car stop in ended with a home invasion suspect in custody in a home near Kansas City.&nbsp;Just after 1a.m. Sept. 24, Sheriff Deputies tried to stop a vehicle with no license plates in Randolph(MO), thirteen miles northeast of Kansas City, according to the Clay County(MO) Sheriff's office.The driver fled traveling north on Interstate 435 to Interstate 35, and then north to 69 Highway. Excelsior Springs Missouri Police&nbsp;successfully deployed tire deflation devices as the suspect vehicle drove into town. The vehicle was losing its rear tire and eventually pulled into a driveway in the 700 block of Old Orchard Street.The suspect later identified as 37-year-old Lewis J. Long ran from the vehicle into a residential backyard and then onto the home's back deck, where several occupants of the home were standing. Long forced his way through the people on the deck and into the home, where he hid in a corner. Deputies and police officers won the hide-and-seek game, taking custody of him and pulling him out of the house. The homeowners said they had no idea who he was. Long&nbsp; complained of chest pains and was evaluated at the hospital before being cleared to come to the Clay County Detention Center.No one was injured in the incident. Long is being held on requested charges of resisting arrest by fleeing. Additional charges are expected.

Traffic stop ends in Kansas City-area home invasion arrest

BY:&nbsp;ARIANA FIGUEROA&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>

WASHINGTON — As Congress barrels toward a partial government shutdown, the White House Monday warned that a program that helps millions of low income families afford healthy food could see substantial cuts.

The White House released a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/09/25/extreme-house-republicans-chaos-is-marching-america-toward-a-shutdown-that-would-jeopardize-vital-nutrition-assistance-for-nearly-7-million-vulnerable-moms-and-young-children/">state-by-state breakdown</a>, estimating that nearly 7 million people who rely on the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, also known as WIC, could be at risk of losing funds to purchase select food and receive vouchers for vegetables and fruit.

The program provides financial support for those who are low income and pregnant or nursing, as well as for children up to 5 years old. In Missouri, a government shutdown could impact benefits for 90,913 people.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said during a Monday White House briefing that WIC recipients could feel the impact of the shutdown within days.

“Millions of those moms, (babies) and young children would see a lack of nutrition assistance,” he said.

Vilsack, Iowa’s former governor, said some states have leftover WIC benefits and “could extend (WIC) for a week or so.”

“The vast majority of WIC participants would see an immediate reduction and elimination of those benefits, which means the nutrition assistance that’s provided would not be available,” he said.

BY:&nbsp;ARIANA FIGUEROA&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>WASHINGTON — As Congress barrels toward a partial government shutdown, the White House Monday warned that a program that helps millions of low income families afford healthy food could see substantial cuts.The White House released a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/09/25/extreme-house-republicans-chaos-is-marching-america-toward-a-shutdown-that-would-jeopardize-vital-nutrition-assistance-for-nearly-7-million-vulnerable-moms-and-young-children/">state-by-state breakdown</a>, estimating that nearly 7 million people who rely on the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, also known as WIC, could be at risk of losing funds to purchase select food and receive vouchers for vegetables and fruit.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Extreme House Republicans are demanding a devastating list of cuts to vital programs that hardworking Americans rely on. If they don’t get their way, they&#39;re threatening to shut down the government – putting nutrition assistance at risk for seven million women and children. <a href="https://t.co/pm6uyDGafk">pic.twitter.com/pm6uyDGafk</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1706398165845361129?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 25, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The program provides financial support for those who are low income and pregnant or nursing, as well as for children up to 5 years old. In Missouri, a government shutdown could impact benefits for 90,913 people.U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said during a Monday White House briefing that WIC recipients could feel the impact of the shutdown within days.“Millions of those moms, (babies) and young children would see a lack of nutrition assistance,” he said.Vilsack, Iowa’s former governor, said some states have leftover WIC benefits and “could extend (WIC) for a week or so.”“The vast majority of WIC participants would see an immediate reduction and elimination of those benefits, which means the nutrition assistance that’s provided would not be available,” he said.For example, in Alabama, about 112,000 WIC recipients could lose their benefits, and in Florida, more than 421,000 as well. In Michigan, more than 207,000 recipients could lose their WIC benefits and in North Carolina, it’s more than 268,000 WIC recipients.Additionally, new eligible participants could face a backlog.“Without the urgent investment of additional funds, state WIC offices could soon be forced to consider waiting lists for prospective participants — a drastic step not seen in nearly 30 years,” Kate Franken, board chair of the National WIC Association, which is the non-profit advocacy arm of WIC, said in a statement.The impending shutdown comes after President Joe Biden&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.virginiamercury.com/2023/05/31/u-s-house-approves-debt-limit-package-sending-it-to-senate-with-just-days-until-default-deadline/">made a deal</a>&nbsp;with Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy earlier this year to raise the debt ceiling.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.virginiamercury.com/2023/05/31/debt-limit-deal-hits-turbulence-in-congress-as-leaders-prep-for-vote/">That deal&nbsp;</a>set maximum spending levels for the next fiscal year.However, none of the 12 appropriations bills has been passed by the House, and a handful of far-right Republicans are&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://idahocapitalsun.com/2023/09/21/shutdown-inches-closer-as-u-s-house-gop-fails-to-pass-defense-bill-lawmakers-exit-d-c/">pushing for steeper cuts</a>, even if it means a partial government shutdown.“House Republicans have turned their backs on the bipartisan budget deal that a large majority of them voted for just a few months ago and proposed a continuing resolution (CR) that makes devastating cuts to programs that millions of hardworking Americans count on,” the White House said in a press release.A continuing resolution, or CR, is regularly used to keep the government funded for weeks or a couple of months while the House and Senate finish work on the 12 annual spending bills.Without a CR by Saturday, the end of the fiscal year, a partial shutdown will occur and programs that have discretionary funding, like WIC, will lapse.Funding for WIC is not mandatory spending, meaning the program won’t be automatically funded regardless of a government shutdown. It’s funded through the Agriculture appropriations bill, which has not been passed by Congress.The White House criticized the Agriculture appropriations bill the House passed out of its committee that did not include the supplemental funding the Biden administration requested.“Without the Administration’s funding request, states could soon be forced to institute waiting lists for WIC, causing mothers and children to lose access to the vital nutrition assistance,” the White House said.WIC funding is distributed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service to states through a formula. The share of eligible people who participate in WIC can vary between states —&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/eligibility-and-program-reach-estimates-2020">for example</a>&nbsp;California, Massachusetts, and Minnesota, have a coverage rate for WIC by over 60%.