SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a collision that fatally injured 56-year-old Sue Towles of Wichita.

Just before 9p.m. Monday, police were dispatched to the 2900 block of South Oliver for a vehicle vs. bicyclist collision, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.

First responders located Towles unconscious and not breathing. EMS pronounced her deceased on the scene.

The investigation revealed Towles was riding her bicycle southbound on Oliver in Wichita on the curb lane when a southbound&nbsp;1997 Pontiac Bonneville driven by a 58-year-old man from Wichita struck her.

The driver of the vehicle remained on scene and is cooperating with authorities. The investigation of the circumstances of the collision is ongoing, according to Rebolledo.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a collision that fatally injured 56-year-old Sue Towles of Wichita.Just before 9p.m. Monday, police were dispatched to the 2900 block of South Oliver for a vehicle vs. bicyclist collision, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.First responders located Towles unconscious and not breathing. EMS pronounced her deceased on the scene.The investigation revealed Towles was riding her bicycle southbound on Oliver in Wichita on the curb lane when a southbound&nbsp;1997 Pontiac Bonneville driven by a 58-year-old man from Wichita struck her.The driver of the vehicle remained on scene and is cooperating with authorities. The investigation of the circumstances of the collision is ongoing, according to Rebolledo.

Police: Kansas bicyclist dies after struck by car

WASHINGTON (AP) — The attending physician to Congress said Thursday that he had cleared Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell to continue with his planned schedule after evaluating an incident in which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-gop-leader-mcconnell-health-freeze-up-c5b43745251daa0bb63636ceff4edce2">McConnell appeared to freeze up</a>&nbsp;at an event in Kentucky.

But the health episode — his second in public this summer — has fueled quiet concern among Republican senators and intense speculation about his ability to remain as leader. The famously guarded McConnell called several of his deputies in leadership after the Wednesday health episode. But the longest-serving Senate party leader is still revealing little about his health condition, even to his closest colleagues.

McConnell, 81, appeared to freeze up and remained silent for about 30 seconds during a news conference Wednesday, almost a month after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcconnell-freeze-senate-fall-republican-leader-f18008b314c5907ba0111f6891c9a0d3">a similar incident in Washington</a>. In March, McConnell&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcconnell-senate-concussion-hospital-release-b72a2b49260926d84a12cf94c1cfb944">suffered a concussion and broke a rib</a>&nbsp;after falling and hitting his head after a dinner event at a hotel.

The Kentucky Republican's office released a statement from Dr. Brian Monahan saying that he had consulted with McConnell and his neurology team and cleared the senator to continue with his schedule. He did not say if he had examined McConnell personally, and he did not provide any additional details or a diagnosis.

"After evaluating yesterday’s incident, I have informed Leader McConnell that he is medically clear to continue with his schedule as planned," the short statement read. “Occasional lightheadedness is not uncommon in concussion recovery and can also be expected as a result of dehydration.”

McConnell’s office has only said that he was feeling “momentarily lightheaded" when he froze up on Wednesday. An aide eventually came to his assistance and repeated questions for him, and he gave brief answers before leaving the room. The episode was strikingly similar to the incident in July, when he froze mid-sentence for around 20 seconds before fellow Republicans and an aide came to his assistance and led him back to his office. He then returned to the news conference and answered additional questions.

President Joe Biden said he spoke to McConnell on Thursday and the senator “was his old self on the telephone.”

“It’s not at all unusual to have a response that sometimes happens to Mitch when you’ve had a severe concussion,” the president said during a visit to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. “It’s part of the recovery, and so I’m confident he’s going to be back to his old self.”

The Senate is scheduled to convene next week after the month-long August break, and there are certain to be questions from McConnell's colleagues about his health, which has visibly declined since the concussion in March. His speaking has been more halting, and he has walked more slowly and carefully.

The lack of information from McConnell and his doctors has prompted more questions on Capitol Hill about whether he will run for reelection in 2026 and who may succeed him as GOP leader. But the discussion has remained behind closed doors, for now, with most fellow Republican senators publicly supportive.

“I talked to Sen. McConnell yesterday and he seemed to be doing fine,” said Texas Sen. John Cornyn on Thursday after an event in his home state. “I don’t know what the underlying issue is, but we all wish him well. We know he’s had a fall, and a concussion, and I think this may be part of the recovery process from that. But I served with him for a long time now, he’s been my mentor, and basically everything I’ve learned about the United States Senate I’ve learned from him.”

Cornyn added that he expects McConnell “will continue as long as he can and wants to.”

As McConnell’s former top deputy, Cornyn is one of several senators who could be in the running to replace him. Speculation has also centered around South Dakota Sen. John Thune, who is currently McConnell’s No. 2, and Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, who is the No. 3 Republican and the chairman of the Senate Republican Conference.

McConnell called all three men on Wednesday after the episode, along with West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito and Montana Sen. Steve Daines, who also serve on McConnell’s leadership team.

In the calls, McConnell gave the senators reassurances about his health. A spokeswoman for Cornyn, Natalie Yezbick, said McConnell “shared that he was doing well.” A spokesman for Thune, Ryan Wrasse, said McConnell “sounded like his usual self and was in good spirits.”

Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins, another McConnell ally, said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that she had spoken to him Thursday. “Leader Mitch McConnell called me this afternoon to discuss the resumption of Senate business next week,” she wrote. “He is fully prepared to continue leading our caucus when the Senate resumes session on Tuesday.”

Longtime McConnell friend and adviser Scott Jennings says he spent much of August with McConnell in Kentucky and noted that the GOP leader has kept a robust schedule, speaking frequently to the public and press. McConnell had just given a 20-minute speech with no issues when he froze up on Wednesday in response to a reporter's question about whether he would run for re-election in 2026.

Jennings said McConnell is "relatively private person when it comes to personal matters like that” and always has been. He pushed back on critics who say McConnell is too old to serve in his position.

“Two things are being conflated, his age and his recovery from this concussion,” Jennings said.

Still, many of his colleagues want more information. After McConnell's first public freeze-up in July, Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota said the job of leader calls for more transparency than it would for others.

“We should find out, you know, fairly soon what happened and how serious it is,” Cramer said then. “But I don’t have to tell you, Mitch is also, as an individual, a pretty private guy. So we’ll see.”

McConnell was elected to the Senate in 1984 and as GOP leader in 2007. He became the longest-serving party leader in the Senate at the beginning of the year.

He had polio in his early childhood and he has long acknowledged some difficulty as an adult in climbing stairs. In addition to his fall in March, McConnell also tripped and fell four years ago at his home in Kentucky, causing a shoulder fracture that required surgery.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693945010291.png" alt="U.S. Capitol Attending Physician on Senator Mitch McConnell: "There is no evidence that you have seizure disorder or that you have experienced a stroke, TIA or movement disorder such as Parkinson's disease." -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Capitol Attending Physician on Senator Mitch McConnell: "There is no evidence that you have seizure disorder or that you have experienced a stroke, TIA or movement disorder such as Parkinson's disease." -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The attending physician to Congress said Thursday that he had cleared Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell to continue with his planned schedule after evaluating an incident in which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-gop-leader-mcconnell-health-freeze-up-c5b43745251daa0bb63636ceff4edce2">McConnell appeared to freeze up</a>&nbsp;at an event in Kentucky.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Senator Mitch McConnell: &quot;One particular moment of my time back home has received its fair share of attention in the press over the past week. But I assure you August was a busy and productive month for me and my staff back in the Commonwealth.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/g5jegvZml6">https://t.co/g5jegvZml6</a> <a href="https://t.co/9UYKmC42Ry">pic.twitter.com/9UYKmC42Ry</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1699147978009895162?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>But the health episode — his second in public this summer — has fueled quiet concern among Republican senators and intense speculation about his ability to remain as leader. The famously guarded McConnell called several of his deputies in leadership after the Wednesday health episode. But the longest-serving Senate party leader is still revealing little about his health condition, even to his closest colleagues.McConnell, 81, appeared to freeze up and remained silent for about 30 seconds during a news conference Wednesday, almost a month after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcconnell-freeze-senate-fall-republican-leader-f18008b314c5907ba0111f6891c9a0d3">a similar incident in Washington</a>. In March, McConnell&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcconnell-senate-concussion-hospital-release-b72a2b49260926d84a12cf94c1cfb944">suffered a concussion and broke a rib</a>&nbsp;after falling and hitting his head after a dinner event at a hotel.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Senator Minority Leader Mitch McConnell appears to have a health issue while speaking during a press conference in the U.S. Capitol. About 12 minutes later, the Minority Leader returned to the press conference and, when asked about what happened, said, &quot;I&#39;m fine.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/EU7zDzGT0m">pic.twitter.com/EU7zDzGT0m</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1684278322098761728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Kentucky Republican's office released a statement from Dr. Brian Monahan saying that he had consulted with McConnell and his neurology team and cleared the senator to continue with his schedule. He did not say if he had examined McConnell personally, and he did not provide any additional details or a diagnosis."After evaluating yesterday’s incident, I have informed Leader McConnell that he is medically clear to continue with his schedule as planned," the short statement read. “Occasional lightheadedness is not uncommon in concussion recovery and can also be expected as a result of dehydration.”McConnell’s office has only said that he was feeling “momentarily lightheaded" when he froze up on Wednesday. An aide eventually came to his assistance and repeated questions for him, and he gave brief answers before leaving the room. The episode was strikingly similar to the incident in July, when he froze mid-sentence for around 20 seconds before fellow Republicans and an aide came to his assistance and led him back to his office. He then returned to the news conference and answered additional questions.President Joe Biden said he spoke to McConnell on Thursday and the senator “was his old self on the telephone.”“It’s not at all unusual to have a response that sometimes happens to Mitch when you’ve had a severe concussion,” the president said during a visit to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. “It’s part of the recovery, and so I’m confident he’s going to be back to his old self.”The Senate is scheduled to convene next week after the month-long August break, and there are certain to be questions from McConnell's colleagues about his health, which has visibly declined since the concussion in March. His speaking has been more halting, and he has walked more slowly and carefully.The lack of information from McConnell and his doctors has prompted more questions on Capitol Hill about whether he will run for reelection in 2026 and who may succeed him as GOP leader. But the discussion has remained behind closed doors, for now, with most fellow Republican senators publicly supportive.“I talked to Sen. McConnell yesterday and he seemed to be doing fine,” said Texas Sen. John Cornyn on Thursday after an event in his home state. “I don’t know what the underlying issue is, but we all wish him well. We know he’s had a fall, and a concussion, and I think this may be part of the recovery process from that. But I served with him for a long time now, he’s been my mentor, and basically everything I’ve learned about the United States Senate I’ve learned from him.”Cornyn added that he expects McConnell “will continue as long as he can and wants to.”As McConnell’s former top deputy, Cornyn is one of several senators who could be in the running to replace him. Speculation has also centered around South Dakota Sen. John Thune, who is currently McConnell’s No. 2, and Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, who is the No. 3 Republican and the chairman of the Senate Republican Conference.McConnell called all three men on Wednesday after the episode, along with West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito and Montana Sen. Steve Daines, who also serve on McConnell’s leadership team.In the calls, McConnell gave the senators reassurances about his health. A spokeswoman for Cornyn, Natalie Yezbick, said McConnell “shared that he was doing well.” A spokesman for Thune, Ryan Wrasse, said McConnell “sounded like his usual self and was in good spirits.”Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins, another McConnell ally, said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that she had spoken to him Thursday. “Leader Mitch McConnell called me this afternoon to discuss the resumption of Senate business next week,” she wrote. “He is fully prepared to continue leading our caucus when the Senate resumes session on Tuesday.”Longtime McConnell friend and adviser Scott Jennings says he spent much of August with McConnell in Kentucky and noted that the GOP leader has kept a robust schedule, speaking frequently to the public and press. McConnell had just given a 20-minute speech with no issues when he froze up on Wednesday in response to a reporter's question about whether he would run for re-election in 2026.Jennings said McConnell is "relatively private person when it comes to personal matters like that” and always has been. He pushed back on critics who say McConnell is too old to serve in his position.“Two things are being conflated, his age and his recovery from this concussion,” Jennings said.Still, many of his colleagues want more information. After McConnell's first public freeze-up in July, Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota said the job of leader calls for more transparency than it would for others.“We should find out, you know, fairly soon what happened and how serious it is,” Cramer said then. “But I don’t have to tell you, Mitch is also, as an individual, a pretty private guy. So we’ll see.”McConnell was elected to the Senate in 1984 and as GOP leader in 2007. He became the longest-serving party leader in the Senate at the beginning of the year.He had polio in his early childhood and he has long acknowledged some difficulty as an adult in climbing stairs. In addition to his fall in March, McConnell also tripped and fell four years ago at his home in Kentucky, causing a shoulder fracture that required surgery.

🎥 Doctor: 81-year-old Senate GOP leader can continue working

RUSSELL COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a drowning at Wilson Lake have identified the victim as 52-year-old Andrew M. Jauch of Colorado, according to a media release.

On Tuesday morning, divers recovered his body. Through investigation it was learned that the boat Jauch was riding in had broken down and that Jauch had jumped into the water to cool off. Due to windy conditions, Jauch was separated from the boat.

The other occupants attempted to assist him, but their efforts were also hampered by the windy conditions.

RUSSELL COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a possible drowning at Wilson Lake, according to a statement from the Russell County Sheriff's Office.

Just before 4p.m. Monday, a male subject went missing while swimming in the lake.  The Kansas Department of Wild life and Parks, Army Corp of Engineers, Russell County Rural Fire, Kansas Highway Patrol and Russell County EMS all&nbsp; responded to assist the Sheriff's Office with the search. 

The sheriff's office will released additional details after family has been notified.

RUSSELL COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a drowning at Wilson Lake have identified the victim as 52-year-old Andrew M. Jauch of Colorado, according to a media release.On Tuesday morning, divers recovered his body. Through investigation it was learned that the boat Jauch was riding in had broken down and that Jauch had jumped into the water to cool off. Due to windy conditions, Jauch was separated from the boat.The other occupants attempted to assist him, but their efforts were also hampered by the windy conditions.-------------RUSSELL COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a possible drowning at Wilson Lake, according to a statement from the Russell County Sheriff's Office.Just before 4p.m. Monday, a male subject went missing while swimming in the lake. The Kansas Department of Wild life and Parks, Army Corp of Engineers, Russell County Rural Fire, Kansas Highway Patrol and Russell County EMS all&nbsp; responded to assist the Sheriff's Office with the search. The sheriff's office will released additional details after family has been notified.

Sheriff IDs man who drowned at Kansas lake

KHP objects to federal judge’s draft injunction, including 4 years of trooper scrutiny

TOPEKA — U.S. District Court Judge Kathryn Vratil proposed unprecedented court oversight of the Kansas Highway Patrol to break the law enforcement agency’s affinity for unconstitutional searches of vehicles and perpetuation of what the judge likened to a war on motorists traveling in Kansas.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas and KHP submitted to the federal court written briefs arguing for and against remedies contemplated by the judge.

In July, Vratil released a list of her ideas for interdiction of KHP’s reliance on the “Kansas two-step” to gain entry by troopers or drug dogs into vehicles stopped along Kansas roads in the quest to find illegal drugs. Her decision finding KHP acted unconstitutionally during traffic stops came at conclusion of a trial initiated by lawsuits filed by ACLU of Kansas.

She made made it clear in her written decision she was driven to thwart KHP’s infringement of rights against unreasonable searches and seizures contained in the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. She proposed KHP be placed under the watchful eye of a special court master for as many as four years.

“Even though the law requires that consent be knowing, intelligent and voluntary, troopers don’t generally let such niceties stand in their way,” Vratil said. “For drivers who are not initially forthcoming with consent, troopers are trained to conclude the traffic stop, somehow signal that the driver is free to go, then immediately re-engage the driver in friendly, casual conversation to keep the driver at the scene and enable the trooper to develop reasonable suspicion or take another stab at getting consent.”

“If the driver persists in refusing to consent, the trooper has a fallback position. Search the vehicle anyway and claim that he had reasonable suspicion all along,” the judge said in her opinion. “The war is basically a question of numbers: Stop enough cars and you’re bound to discover drugs. And, what’s the harm if a few constitutional rights are trampled along the way?”

Stakes are high for civil rights activists, the law enforcement community and drivers in Kansas, especially people with out-of-state license plates on Interstate 70 headed to or returning from recreational marijuana states of Missouri and Colorado who have been targeted by KHP.

Vratil asked both sides in the dispute to submit briefs in response to her consideration of traffic-stop reporting mandates, retention of audio and video evidence of stops, clearance from a supervisor for searches, mandatory retraining of troopers and appointment of a special master to conduct compliance reviews of KHP.

The judge said she was inclined to require KHP personnel to affirmatively inform drivers of their right to refuse a law enforcement search and to terminate consent at any time. Vratil found objectionable the training of troopers to avoid telling drivers they were free to go at conclusion of the initial stop. KHP exploited the population’s lack of knowledge about their constitutional right to end a voluntary detention, the judge said.

ACLU of Kansas filed lawsuits against KHP that outlined cases in which motorists were victimized by the two-step maneuver. The organization’s court filings contended the agency ignored established judicial precedent regarding vehicle searches and disregarded constitutional rights of motorists by failing to secure reasonable suspicion before invading vehicles without owners’ consent.

KHP troopers were taught to end the initial traffic stop with benign statements such as “have a good day,” walk a couple of paces toward a patrol car and turn back to engage in a secondary conversation to fish for probable cause enabling a vehicle search, the ACLU said.

Sharon Brett, legal director of the ACLU in Kansas, said the judge’s proposed remedies illustrated the federal court wouldn’t “tolerate the cowboy mentality of policing that subjects our citizens to conditions of humiliation, degradation, and, in some tragic cases, violence.”

Brett said ACLU endorsed the judge’s roster of KHP procedural changes and initiation of a plan to bring accountability to the agency’s handling of traffic stops. ACLU lawyers did recommend Vratil appoint a court monitor rather than a special master to provide oversight of KHP.

She said failure to impose precise standards on KHP would place Kansas motorists at risk of “exposure to future constitutional violations constitutes irreparable harm sufficient to justify injunctive relief.”

In the ACLU’s brief, attorneys argued KHP’s leadership remained hostile to the 10th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals decision in Vasquez v. Lewis. In that 2016 decision, the appellate court denied qualified immunity to KHP troopers who had unconstitutionally detained an out-of-state motorist. The federal court said it was “time to stop the practice of detention of motorists for nothing more than an out-of-state license plate.”

A lawyer with the Kansas attorney general’s office, which is representing KHP, said in a written brief there was no good reason for the judge to order years of micromanagement at the statewide policing agency.

Stanley Parker, an assistant attorney general working on behalf of KHP Superintendent Erik Smith, said the judge’s plan for an injunction against KHP wasn’t needed. Parker said the U.S. legal system contained well-established safeguards for rejecting improperly obtained evidence and afforded people opportunity through lawsuits to seek monetary damages for unconstitutional searches by law enforcement.

“The fact that these plaintiffs experienced distress, humiliation, anger and other non-monetary harm does not mean that available legal remedies are inadequate, nor does it mean that such harm is irreparable,” Parker said.

Vratil’s draft injunction wasn’t narrowly tailored to address constitutional violations identified by the court and would hinder KHP’s law enforcement mission, Parker said.

Parker argued it would be unjust for Vratil to issue an injunction establishing a court-appointed observer and said procedural changes envisioned by the judge would be a financial and administrative burden.

It would be impractical, Parker said, to expect troopers to inform a supervisor and receive approval from a superior before engaging in vehicle searches. He said this would inappropriately lengthen detention of motorists at traffic stops.

He said it wasn’t reasonable to require troopers to submit documentation of stops by the end of their shift and to mandate supervisors review those reports in 12 hours. He suggested troopers submit documentation within 48 hours after end of a shift and supervisors be given 72 hours to review reports.

Parker also objected to Vratil’s notion of requiring KHP personnel to be transparent about the right of motorists to decline a search or withdraw consent for a search. He said it would be an undue burden on troopers to document in writing what they determined to be consent given for each search.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693923500580.png" alt=" Kansas Highway Patrol Superintendent Erik Smith inherited a lawsuit challenging the agency’s reliance on the “Kansas two-step” to trigger trooper or canine searches of vehicles. A U.S. District Court judge ruled the KHP policy violated constitutional rights of motorists. KHP and the ACLU of Kansas offered insight into the judge’s proposed strategy for bringing KHP into constitutional compliance. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Kansas Highway Patrol Superintendent Erik Smith inherited a lawsuit challenging the agency’s reliance on the “Kansas two-step” to trigger trooper or canine searches of vehicles. A U.S. District Court judge ruled the KHP policy violated constitutional rights of motorists. KHP and the ACLU of Kansas offered insight into the judge’s proposed strategy for bringing KHP into constitutional compliance. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>KHP objects to federal judge’s draft injunction, including 4 years of trooper scrutiny</h2>BY: TIM CARPENTERTOPEKA — U.S. District Court Judge Kathryn Vratil proposed unprecedented court oversight of the Kansas Highway Patrol to break the law enforcement agency’s affinity for unconstitutional searches of vehicles and perpetuation of what the judge likened to a war on motorists traveling in Kansas.The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas and KHP submitted to the federal court written briefs arguing for and against remedies contemplated by the judge.In July, Vratil released a list of her ideas for interdiction of KHP’s reliance on the “Kansas two-step” to gain entry by troopers or drug dogs into vehicles stopped along Kansas roads in the quest to find illegal drugs. Her decision finding KHP acted unconstitutionally during traffic stops came at conclusion of a trial initiated by lawsuits filed by ACLU of Kansas.She made made it clear in her written decision she was driven to thwart KHP’s infringement of rights against unreasonable searches and seizures contained in the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. She proposed KHP be placed under the watchful eye of a special court master for as many as four years.“Even though the law requires that consent be knowing, intelligent and voluntary, troopers don’t generally let such niceties stand in their way,” Vratil said. “For drivers who are not initially forthcoming with consent, troopers are trained to conclude the traffic stop, somehow signal that the driver is free to go, then immediately re-engage the driver in friendly, casual conversation to keep the driver at the scene and enable the trooper to develop reasonable suspicion or take another stab at getting consent.”“If the driver persists in refusing to consent, the trooper has a fallback position. Search the vehicle anyway and claim that he had reasonable suspicion all along,” the judge said in her opinion. “The war is basically a question of numbers: Stop enough cars and you’re bound to discover drugs. And, what’s the harm if a few constitutional rights are trampled along the way?”Stakes are high for civil rights activists, the law enforcement community and drivers in Kansas, especially people with out-of-state license plates on Interstate 70 headed to or returning from recreational marijuana states of Missouri and Colorado who have been targeted by KHP.Vratil asked both sides in the dispute to submit briefs in response to her consideration of traffic-stop reporting mandates, retention of audio and video evidence of stops, clearance from a supervisor for searches, mandatory retraining of troopers and appointment of a special master to conduct compliance reviews of KHP.The judge said she was inclined to require KHP personnel to affirmatively inform drivers of their right to refuse a law enforcement search and to terminate consent at any time. Vratil found objectionable the training of troopers to avoid telling drivers they were free to go at conclusion of the initial stop. KHP exploited the population’s lack of knowledge about their constitutional right to end a voluntary detention, the judge said.<h2>The ACLU’s perspective</h2>ACLU of Kansas filed lawsuits against KHP that outlined cases in which motorists were victimized by the two-step maneuver. The organization’s court filings contended the agency ignored established judicial precedent regarding vehicle searches and disregarded constitutional rights of motorists by failing to secure reasonable suspicion before invading vehicles without owners’ consent.KHP troopers were taught to end the initial traffic stop with benign statements such as “have a good day,” walk a couple of paces toward a patrol car and turn back to engage in a secondary conversation to fish for probable cause enabling a vehicle search, the ACLU said.Sharon Brett, legal director of the ACLU in Kansas, said the judge’s proposed remedies illustrated the federal court wouldn’t “tolerate the cowboy mentality of policing that subjects our citizens to conditions of humiliation, degradation, and, in some tragic cases, violence.”Brett said ACLU endorsed the judge’s roster of KHP procedural changes and initiation of a plan to bring accountability to the agency’s handling of traffic stops. ACLU lawyers did recommend Vratil appoint a court monitor rather than a special master to provide oversight of KHP.She said failure to impose precise standards on KHP would place Kansas motorists at risk of “exposure to future constitutional violations constitutes irreparable harm sufficient to justify injunctive relief.”In the ACLU’s brief, attorneys argued KHP’s leadership remained hostile to the 10th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals decision in Vasquez v. Lewis. In that 2016 decision, the appellate court denied qualified immunity to KHP troopers who had unconstitutionally detained an out-of-state motorist. The federal court said it was “time to stop the practice of detention of motorists for nothing more than an out-of-state license plate.”<h2>KHP’s rebuttal argument</h2>A lawyer with the Kansas attorney general’s office, which is representing KHP, said in a written brief there was no good reason for the judge to order years of micromanagement at the statewide policing agency.Stanley Parker, an assistant attorney general working on behalf of KHP Superintendent Erik Smith, said the judge’s plan for an injunction against KHP wasn’t needed. Parker said the U.S. legal system contained well-established safeguards for rejecting improperly obtained evidence and afforded people opportunity through lawsuits to seek monetary damages for unconstitutional searches by law enforcement.“The fact that these plaintiffs experienced distress, humiliation, anger and other non-monetary harm does not mean that available legal remedies are inadequate, nor does it mean that such harm is irreparable,” Parker said.Vratil’s draft injunction wasn’t narrowly tailored to address constitutional violations identified by the court and would hinder KHP’s law enforcement mission, Parker said.Parker argued it would be unjust for Vratil to issue an injunction establishing a court-appointed observer and said procedural changes envisioned by the judge would be a financial and administrative burden.It would be impractical, Parker said, to expect troopers to inform a supervisor and receive approval from a superior before engaging in vehicle searches. He said this would inappropriately lengthen detention of motorists at traffic stops.He said it wasn’t reasonable to require troopers to submit documentation of stops by the end of their shift and to mandate supervisors review those reports in 12 hours. He suggested troopers submit documentation within 48 hours after end of a shift and supervisors be given 72 hours to review reports.Parker also objected to Vratil’s notion of requiring KHP personnel to be transparent about the right of motorists to decline a search or withdraw consent for a search. He said it would be an undue burden on troopers to document in writing what they determined to be consent given for each search.

ACLU seeks strict boundaries to end KHP’s unconstitutional vehicle searches

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/saudi-arabia">Saudi Arabia</a>&nbsp;and Russia agreed Tuesday to extend their voluntary oil production cuts through the end of this year, trimming 1.3 million barrels of crude out of the global market and boosting energy prices.

The dual announcements from Riyadh and Moscow pushed benchmark Brent crude above $90 a barrel in trading Tuesday afternoon, a price unseen in the market since November.

The countries' moves could increase inflation and the cost for motorists at gasoline pumps. It also puts new pressure on Saudi Arabia's relationship with the United States, as President Joe Biden last year warned the kingdom there would be unspecified “consequences” for partnering with Russia on cuts as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Moscow wages war on Ukraine</a>.

Saudi Arabia's announcement, carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency, said the country still would monitor the market and could take further action if necessary.

“This additional voluntary cut comes to reinforce the precautionary efforts made by OPEC+ countries with the aim of supporting the stability and balance of oil markets,” the Saudi Press Agency report said, citing an unnamed Energy Ministry official.

State-run Russian news agency Tass quoted Alexander Novak, Russia's deputy prime minister and former energy minister, as saying Moscow would continue its 300,000 barrel a day cut.

The decision “is aimed at strengthening the precautionary measures taken by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/opec">OPEC+ countries</a>&nbsp;in order to maintain stability and balance of oil markets,” Novak said.

Benchmark Brent crude traded Tuesday above $90 a barrel after the announcement. Brent had largely hovered between $75 and $85 a barrel since last October. A barrel of West Texas Intermediate, a benchmark for America, traded over $87 a barrel.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment, though Biden and U.S. lawmakers have criticized Saudi Arabia and Russia over their past production decisions.

Bob McNally, the founder and president of the Washington-based Rapidan Energy Group and a former White House energy adviser, said Saudi Arabia and Russia had “demonstrated their unity and resolve to proactively manage" the risk of oil prices potentially dropping in tougher economic conditions with their announcement Tuesday.

“Barring a sharp economic downturn, these supply cuts will drive deep deficits into global oil balances and should propel crude oil prices well above $90 per barrel,” McNally said.

The average gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in the U.S. stands at $3.81, according to AAA, just under the all-time high for Labor Day of $3.83 in 2012. However, gasoline demand typically drops for U.S. motorists after the holiday so it remains unclear what immediate effect this could have on the American market, AAA spokesman Andrew Gross said.

“I’m more concerned about what the rest of hurricane season may hold,” Gross told The Associated Press. “A big storm along the Gulf coast could move prices dramatically here.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-hurricane-idalia-2136985ceea53f5deb600c43aeea1138">Hurricane Idalia</a>&nbsp;just plowed through Florida and U.S. forecasters said Tuesday that a new tropical depression in the Atlantic Ocean could become a “major hurricane.”

Meanwhile, higher gasoline prices can increase transportation costs and ultimately push the prices of goods even higher at a time when the U.S. and much of the world is already raising interest rates to combat inflation.

“The impact these cuts will have on inflation and economic policy in the West is hard to predict, but higher oil prices will only increase the likelihood of more fiscal tightening, especially in the U.S., to curtail inflation,” said Jorge Leon, a senior vice president at Rystad Energy. “Western leaders, wary of an oil price spike, could explore import adjustments or open diplomatic discussions to help mitigate the impact and tame inflation.”

The Saudi reduction, which began in July, comes as the other OPEC+ producers have agreed to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saudi-oil-production-cut-6d34316ce6820c749d2a6cd66a9fffea">extend earlier production cuts</a>&nbsp;through next year.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saudi-oil-production-cut-6d34316ce6820c749d2a6cd66a9fffea">A series of production cuts over the past year</a>&nbsp;has failed to substantially boost prices amid weakened demand from China and tighter monetary policy aimed at combating inflation. But with international travel back up to nearly pre-pandemic levels, the demand for oil likely will continue to rise.

The Saudis are particularly keen to boost oil prices in order to fund Vision 2030, an ambitious plan to overhaul the kingdom’s economy, reduce its dependence on oil and to create jobs for a young population.

The plan includes several massive infrastructure projects, including the construction of a futuristic $500 billion city called Neom.

But Saudi Arabia also has to manage its relationship with Washington. Biden campaigned on a promise of making the kingdom's powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman a “pariah” over the 2018 killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.

In recent months, tensions eased slightly as Biden's administration sought a deal with Riyadh for it to diplomatically recognize Israel.

But those talks include Saudi Arabia pushing for a nuclear cooperation deal that includes America allowing it to enrich uranium in the kingdom — something that worries nonproliferation experts, as spinning centrifuges open the door to a possible weapons program.

Prince Mohammed already has said the kingdom would pursue an atomic bomb if Iran had one, potentially creating a nuclear arms race in the region as Tehran’s program continues to advance closer to weapons-grade levels. Saudi Arabia and Iran reached a détente in recent months, though the region remains tense amid the wider tensions between Iran and the U.S.

Higher oil prices would also help Russian President Vladimir Putin fund his war on Ukraine. Western countries have used a price cap to try to cut into Moscow’s revenues. But those sanctions have seen&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/putin-health-covid-prices-european-union-65de1c4934227208bfa68bb7d4c47716">Moscow be forced to sell its oil at a discount</a>&nbsp;to countries like China and India.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1683569393523.png" alt="There was no immediate reaction in Washington, though U.S. lawmakers have criticized OPEC, Saudi Arabia and Russia over their past production decisions." />
 <figcaption>There was no immediate reaction in Washington, though U.S. lawmakers have criticized OPEC, Saudi Arabia and Russia over their past production decisions.</figcaption>
 </figure>DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/saudi-arabia">Saudi Arabia</a>&nbsp;and Russia agreed Tuesday to extend their voluntary oil production cuts through the end of this year, trimming 1.3 million barrels of crude out of the global market and boosting energy prices.The dual announcements from Riyadh and Moscow pushed benchmark Brent crude above $90 a barrel in trading Tuesday afternoon, a price unseen in the market since November.The countries' moves could increase inflation and the cost for motorists at gasoline pumps. It also puts new pressure on Saudi Arabia's relationship with the United States, as President Joe Biden last year warned the kingdom there would be unspecified “consequences” for partnering with Russia on cuts as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Moscow wages war on Ukraine</a>.Saudi Arabia's announcement, carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency, said the country still would monitor the market and could take further action if necessary.“This additional voluntary cut comes to reinforce the precautionary efforts made by OPEC+ countries with the aim of supporting the stability and balance of oil markets,” the Saudi Press Agency report said, citing an unnamed Energy Ministry official.State-run Russian news agency Tass quoted Alexander Novak, Russia's deputy prime minister and former energy minister, as saying Moscow would continue its 300,000 barrel a day cut.The decision “is aimed at strengthening the precautionary measures taken by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/opec">OPEC+ countries</a>&nbsp;in order to maintain stability and balance of oil markets,” Novak said.Benchmark Brent crude traded Tuesday above $90 a barrel after the announcement. Brent had largely hovered between $75 and $85 a barrel since last October. A barrel of West Texas Intermediate, a benchmark for America, traded over $87 a barrel.The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment, though Biden and U.S. lawmakers have criticized Saudi Arabia and Russia over their past production decisions.Bob McNally, the founder and president of the Washington-based Rapidan Energy Group and a former White House energy adviser, said Saudi Arabia and Russia had “demonstrated their unity and resolve to proactively manage" the risk of oil prices potentially dropping in tougher economic conditions with their announcement Tuesday.“Barring a sharp economic downturn, these supply cuts will drive deep deficits into global oil balances and should propel crude oil prices well above $90 per barrel,” McNally said.The average gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in the U.S. stands at $3.81, according to AAA, just under the all-time high for Labor Day of $3.83 in 2012. However, gasoline demand typically drops for U.S. motorists after the holiday so it remains unclear what immediate effect this could have on the American market, AAA spokesman Andrew Gross said.“I’m more concerned about what the rest of hurricane season may hold,” Gross told The Associated Press. “A big storm along the Gulf coast could move prices dramatically here.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-hurricane-idalia-2136985ceea53f5deb600c43aeea1138">Hurricane Idalia</a>&nbsp;just plowed through Florida and U.S. forecasters said Tuesday that a new tropical depression in the Atlantic Ocean could become a “major hurricane.”Meanwhile, higher gasoline prices can increase transportation costs and ultimately push the prices of goods even higher at a time when the U.S. and much of the world is already raising interest rates to combat inflation.“The impact these cuts will have on inflation and economic policy in the West is hard to predict, but higher oil prices will only increase the likelihood of more fiscal tightening, especially in the U.S., to curtail inflation,” said Jorge Leon, a senior vice president at Rystad Energy. “Western leaders, wary of an oil price spike, could explore import adjustments or open diplomatic discussions to help mitigate the impact and tame inflation.”The Saudi reduction, which began in July, comes as the other OPEC+ producers have agreed to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saudi-oil-production-cut-6d34316ce6820c749d2a6cd66a9fffea">extend earlier production cuts</a>&nbsp;through next year.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/saudi-oil-production-cut-6d34316ce6820c749d2a6cd66a9fffea">A series of production cuts over the past year</a>&nbsp;has failed to substantially boost prices amid weakened demand from China and tighter monetary policy aimed at combating inflation. But with international travel back up to nearly pre-pandemic levels, the demand for oil likely will continue to rise.The Saudis are particularly keen to boost oil prices in order to fund Vision 2030, an ambitious plan to overhaul the kingdom’s economy, reduce its dependence on oil and to create jobs for a young population.The plan includes several massive infrastructure projects, including the construction of a futuristic $500 billion city called Neom.But Saudi Arabia also has to manage its relationship with Washington. Biden campaigned on a promise of making the kingdom's powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman a “pariah” over the 2018 killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.In recent months, tensions eased slightly as Biden's administration sought a deal with Riyadh for it to diplomatically recognize Israel.But those talks include Saudi Arabia pushing for a nuclear cooperation deal that includes America allowing it to enrich uranium in the kingdom — something that worries nonproliferation experts, as spinning centrifuges open the door to a possible weapons program.Prince Mohammed already has said the kingdom would pursue an atomic bomb if Iran had one, potentially creating a nuclear arms race in the region as Tehran’s program continues to advance closer to weapons-grade levels. Saudi Arabia and Iran reached a détente in recent months, though the region remains tense amid the wider tensions between Iran and the U.S.Higher oil prices would also help Russian President Vladimir Putin fund his war on Ukraine. Western countries have used a price cap to try to cut into Moscow’s revenues. But those sanctions have seen&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/putin-health-covid-prices-european-union-65de1c4934227208bfa68bb7d4c47716">Moscow be forced to sell its oil at a discount</a>&nbsp;to countries like China and India.

Oil prices spike as Saudi Arabia extends oil cuts through end of year

By NATE KING Salina Post

SALINE COUNTY —A Kansas teen was injured in a single-vehicle accident that occurred just before 3:30 p.m. Sunday on N. Brookville Road in Saline County.&nbsp;

According to Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan, Cadence Halfhill, 17, of Ellsworth was traveling southbound in the 2800 block of N. Brookville Road when the tire of her&nbsp; 1997 Ford Explorer dropped off the edge of the roadway causing her to swerve.&nbsp;

"She tried to come back onto the road but overcorrected and ended up swerving back to the right again," Soldan said. "The SUV rolled down through a ditch out into the pasture, taking out a fence and a tree."

Salina EMS transported her to Salina Regional Health Center for treatment of an injured arm and a broken leg, according to Soldan.

&nbsp;The SUV was in a place where the vehicle couldn't be seen from the road so she had to crawl up to be seen by someone on the road. The driver of a passing vehicle saw Halfhill and stopped to call 9-1-1, according to Soldan.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693935105827.jpeg" alt="Images Courtesy Saline County Sheriff's Office" />
 <figcaption>Images Courtesy Saline County Sheriff's Office</figcaption>
 </figure>By NATE KING Salina PostSALINE COUNTY —A Kansas teen was injured in a single-vehicle accident that occurred just before 3:30 p.m. Sunday on N. Brookville Road in Saline County.&nbsp;According to Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan, Cadence Halfhill, 17, of Ellsworth was traveling southbound in the 2800 block of N. Brookville Road when the tire of her&nbsp; 1997 Ford Explorer dropped off the edge of the roadway causing her to swerve.&nbsp;"She tried to come back onto the road but overcorrected and ended up swerving back to the right again," Soldan said. "The SUV rolled down through a ditch out into the pasture, taking out a fence and a tree."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693935152231.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Salina EMS transported her to Salina Regional Health Center for treatment of an injured arm and a broken leg, according to Soldan.&nbsp;The SUV was in a place where the vehicle couldn't be seen from the road so she had to crawl up to be seen by someone on the road. The driver of a passing vehicle saw Halfhill and stopped to call 9-1-1, according to Soldan.

Kan. teen rescued after crawling from ditch following SUV crash

MIAMI COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a weekend drowning have identified the victim as 51-year-old Miguel Maurea-Hernandez of Olathe.

Just after 7p.m. Saturday, police were notified of a possible drowning at Lake Miola,&nbsp;299th Street and Hedge Lane Road in the city of Paola, according to Interim Police Chief Chad Corbin.

Miami County Fire and Rescue located Maurea-Hernandez just after 8p.m. and he was pronounced deceased.

Paola Fire, Osawatomie Fire and Rescue, Miami County Fire and EMS and the Miami County Sheriff's office assisted with the search, according to Corbin.

MIAMI COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a weekend drowning have identified the victim as 51-year-old Miguel Maurea-Hernandez of Olathe.Just after 7p.m. Saturday, police were notified of a possible drowning at Lake Miola,&nbsp;299th Street and Hedge Lane Road in the city of Paola, according to Interim Police Chief Chad Corbin.Miami County Fire and Rescue located Maurea-Hernandez just after 8p.m. and he was pronounced deceased.Paola Fire, Osawatomie Fire and Rescue, Miami County Fire and EMS and the Miami County Sheriff's office assisted with the search, according to Corbin.

Police Chief IDs Kansas man who drowned in city lake

WASHINGTON (AP) — After months of struggling to find agreement on just about anything in a divided Congress, lawmakers are returning to Capitol Hill to try to avert a government shutdown, even as House Republicans consider whether to press forward with an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mccarthy-government-shutdown-house-republicans-abbde0620a2058e304846a93834e9bd6">A short-term funding measure</a>&nbsp;to keep government offices fully functioning will dominate the September agenda, along with emergency funding for Ukraine, federal disaster funds and the Republican-driven probe into Hunter Biden’s overseas business dealings.

Time is running short for Congress to act. The House is scheduled to meet for just 11 days before the government's fiscal year ends on Sept. 30, leaving little room to maneuver. And the deal-making will play out as two top Republicans, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, deal with health issues.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mccarthy-government-shutdown-house-republicans-abbde0620a2058e304846a93834e9bd6">The president and congressional leaders</a>, including Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, are focused on passage of a months-long funding measure, known as a continuing resolution, to keep government offices running while lawmakers iron out a budget. It's a step Congress routinely takes to avoid stoppages, but McCarthy faces resistance from within his own Republican ranks, including from some hardline conservatives who openly embrace the idea of a government shutdown.

“Honestly, it's a pretty big mess,” McConnell said at an event in Kentucky last week.

Here are the top issues as lawmakers return from the August break:

When Biden and McCarthy struck a deal to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-biden-mccarthy-senate-house-default-b8c3566b0c9cb168d9706aa256e327f7">suspend the nation's debt</a>&nbsp;ceiling in June, it included provisions for topline spending numbers. But under pressure from the House Freedom Caucus, House Republicans have advanced spending bills that cut below that agreement.

Republicans have also tried to load their spending packages with conservative policy wins. For example, House Republicans added provisions blocking abortion coverage, transgender care and diversity initiatives to a July defense package, turning what has traditionally been a bipartisan effort into a sharply contested bill.

But Democrats control the Senate and are certain to reject most of the conservative proposals. Senators are crafting their spending bills on a bipartisan basis with an eye toward avoiding unrelated policy fights.

Top lawmakers in both chambers are now turning to a stopgap funding package, a typical strategy to give the lawmakers time to iron out a long-term agreement.

The House Freedom Caucus has already released&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-budget-shutdown-freedom-caucus-mccarthy-8d2d2296cb1680dc1bf945d726da178f">a list of demands</a>&nbsp;it wants included in the continuing resolution. But they amount to a right-wing wish list that would never fly in the Senate.

The conservative opposition means McCarthy will almost certainly have to win significant Democratic support to pass a funding bill — but such an approach risks a new round of conflict with the same conservatives who in the past have threatened to oust him from the speakership.

Democrats are already readying blame for the House GOP.

“The last thing the American people deserve is for extreme House members to trigger a government shutdown that hurts our economy, undermines our disaster preparedness, and forces our troops to work without guaranteed pay," said White House spokesman Andrew Bates.

In a letter to his colleagues Friday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote that the focus when the Senate returns Tuesday will be “funding the government and preventing House Republican extremists from forcing a government shutdown.”

It leaves McCarthy desperate to get the votes to keep government offices running and avoid the political blowback. As he tries to persuade Republicans to go along with a temporary fix, McCarthy has been arguing that a government shutdown would also halt Republican investigations into the Biden administration.

“If we shut down, all of government shuts it down — investigations and everything else — it hurts the American public,” the speaker said on Fox News last week.

Since they gained the House majority, Republicans have launched a series of investigations into the Biden administration, with an eye towards impeaching the president or his Cabinet officials. They have now&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-impeachment-mccarthy-hannity-78e4c7efeb030b29e1576f868257179b">zeroed in on the president's son</a>, Hunter Biden, and his overseas business dealings, including with Ukrainian gas company Burisma.

The inquiries have not produced evidence that President Biden took official action on behalf of his son or business partners, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mccarthy-hunter-biden-impeachment-inquiry-government-shutdown-56d9ccc7f090ea220a47e877e503179e">McCarthy has called impeachment</a>&nbsp;a “natural step forward” for the investigations.

An impeachment inquiry by the House would be a first step toward bringing articles of impeachment. It is not yet clear what that may look like, especially because the speaker does not appear to have the GOP votes lined up to support an impeachment inquiry. Moderate Republicans have so far balked at sending the House on a full-fledged impeachment hunt.

But Donald Trump, running once again to challenge Biden, is prodding them to move ahead quickly.

“I don’t know how actually how a Republican could not do it," Trump said in an interview on Real America's Voice. “I think a Republican would be primaried and lose immediately, no matter what district you’re in.”

The White House has requested&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-invasion-biden-congress-funding-d392f9b1adbb9c44249dce1cccdc2d1e">more than $40 billion</a>&nbsp;in emergency funding, including $13 billion in military aid for Ukraine, $8 billion in humanitarian support for the nation and $12 billion to replenish U.S. federal disaster funds at home.

The request for the massive cash infusion comes as Kyiv launches a counteroffensive against the Russian invasion. But support for Ukraine is waning among Republicans, especially as Trump has repeatedly expressed skepticism of the war.

Nearly 70 Republicans voted for an unsuccessful effort to discontinue military aid to Ukraine in July, though strong support for the war effort remains among many members.

It is also not clear whether the White House's supplemental request for U.S. disaster funding, which also includes funds to bolster enforcement and curb drug trafficking at the southern U.S. border, will be tied to the Ukraine funding or a continuing budget resolution. The disaster funding enjoys wide support in the House, but could be tripped up if packaged with other funding proposals.

The Senate is expected to spend most of September focused on funding the government and confirming Biden's nominees, meaning that major policy legislation will have to wait. But Schumer outlined some priorities for the remaining months of the year in the letter to his colleagues.

Schumer said the Senate would work on legislation to lower the costs of drugs, address rail safety and provide disaster relief after floods in Vermont, fires in Hawaii and a hurricane in Florida.

Senators will also continue to examine whether legislation is needed to address artificial intelligence. Schumer has convened what he is calling an “AI insight forum” on Sept. 13 in the Senate with tech industry leaders, including Meta's Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk, the CEO of X and Tesla, as well as former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates.

Senate Republicans will return next week to renewed questions about the health of their leader, McConnell.

McConnell, 81, faces questions about his ability to continue as the top Senate Republican after he has frozen up twice during news conferences in the last two months since falling and suffering a concussion in March. During the event in Kentucky last week,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-gop-leader-mcconnell-health-freeze-up-c5b43745251daa0bb63636ceff4edce2">he fell silent</a>&nbsp;for roughly 30 seconds as he answered a question from a reporter.

Dr. Brian Monahan, the Capitol's attending physician,&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/When%20the%20Senate%20returns%20next%20week,%20our%20focus%20will%20be%20on%20funding%20the%20government%20and%20preventing%20House%20Republican%20extremists%20from%20forcing%20a%20government%20shutdown.">said Thursday</a>&nbsp;that McConnell is cleared to work. But the question of whether McConnell — the longest-serving party leader in Senate history — can continue as Republican leader has sparked intense speculation about who will eventually replace him.

Meanwhile, the health of California Democrat&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dianne-feinstein-fall-hospital-31a1358e1c25839b45bb699d83c75d58">Sen. Dianne Feinstein, 90, has visibly</a>&nbsp;wavered in recent months after she was hospitalized for shingles earlier this year. She suffered a fall at her San Francisco home in August and visited the hospital for testing.

And in the House,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/steve-scalise-blood-cancer-house-republican-leader-f98d35f1d09e8c8009e180068b191daa">Rep. Steve Scalise</a>, the No. 2 Republican, disclosed last week that he has been diagnosed with a form of blood cancer known as multiple myeloma and is undergoing treatment.

Scalise, 57, said he will continue to serve and described the cancer as “very treatable.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1609336667005.png" alt="The House is scheduled to meet for just 11 days before the government's fiscal year ends on Sept. 30. Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>The House is scheduled to meet for just 11 days before the government's fiscal year ends on Sept. 30. Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — After months of struggling to find agreement on just about anything in a divided Congress, lawmakers are returning to Capitol Hill to try to avert a government shutdown, even as House Republicans consider whether to press forward with an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mccarthy-government-shutdown-house-republicans-abbde0620a2058e304846a93834e9bd6">A short-term funding measure</a>&nbsp;to keep government offices fully functioning will dominate the September agenda, along with emergency funding for Ukraine, federal disaster funds and the Republican-driven probe into Hunter Biden’s overseas business dealings.Time is running short for Congress to act. The House is scheduled to meet for just 11 days before the government's fiscal year ends on Sept. 30, leaving little room to maneuver. And the deal-making will play out as two top Republicans, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, deal with health issues.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mccarthy-government-shutdown-house-republicans-abbde0620a2058e304846a93834e9bd6">The president and congressional leaders</a>, including Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, are focused on passage of a months-long funding measure, known as a continuing resolution, to keep government offices running while lawmakers iron out a budget. It's a step Congress routinely takes to avoid stoppages, but McCarthy faces resistance from within his own Republican ranks, including from some hardline conservatives who openly embrace the idea of a government shutdown.“Honestly, it's a pretty big mess,” McConnell said at an event in Kentucky last week.Here are the top issues as lawmakers return from the August break:KEEPING THE GOVERNMENT OPENWhen Biden and McCarthy struck a deal to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-biden-mccarthy-senate-house-default-b8c3566b0c9cb168d9706aa256e327f7">suspend the nation's debt</a>&nbsp;ceiling in June, it included provisions for topline spending numbers. But under pressure from the House Freedom Caucus, House Republicans have advanced spending bills that cut below that agreement.Republicans have also tried to load their spending packages with conservative policy wins. For example, House Republicans added provisions blocking abortion coverage, transgender care and diversity initiatives to a July defense package, turning what has traditionally been a bipartisan effort into a sharply contested bill.But Democrats control the Senate and are certain to reject most of the conservative proposals. Senators are crafting their spending bills on a bipartisan basis with an eye toward avoiding unrelated policy fights.Top lawmakers in both chambers are now turning to a stopgap funding package, a typical strategy to give the lawmakers time to iron out a long-term agreement.The House Freedom Caucus has already released&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-budget-shutdown-freedom-caucus-mccarthy-8d2d2296cb1680dc1bf945d726da178f">a list of demands</a>&nbsp;it wants included in the continuing resolution. But they amount to a right-wing wish list that would never fly in the Senate.The conservative opposition means McCarthy will almost certainly have to win significant Democratic support to pass a funding bill — but such an approach risks a new round of conflict with the same conservatives who in the past have threatened to oust him from the speakership.Democrats are already readying blame for the House GOP.“The last thing the American people deserve is for extreme House members to trigger a government shutdown that hurts our economy, undermines our disaster preparedness, and forces our troops to work without guaranteed pay," said White House spokesman Andrew Bates.In a letter to his colleagues Friday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote that the focus when the Senate returns Tuesday will be “funding the government and preventing House Republican extremists from forcing a government shutdown.”It leaves McCarthy desperate to get the votes to keep government offices running and avoid the political blowback. As he tries to persuade Republicans to go along with a temporary fix, McCarthy has been arguing that a government shutdown would also halt Republican investigations into the Biden administration.“If we shut down, all of government shuts it down — investigations and everything else — it hurts the American public,” the speaker said on Fox News last week.IMPEACHMENT INQUIRYSince they gained the House majority, Republicans have launched a series of investigations into the Biden administration, with an eye towards impeaching the president or his Cabinet officials. They have now&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-impeachment-mccarthy-hannity-78e4c7efeb030b29e1576f868257179b">zeroed in on the president's son</a>, Hunter Biden, and his overseas business dealings, including with Ukrainian gas company Burisma.The inquiries have not produced evidence that President Biden took official action on behalf of his son or business partners, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mccarthy-hunter-biden-impeachment-inquiry-government-shutdown-56d9ccc7f090ea220a47e877e503179e">McCarthy has called impeachment</a>&nbsp;a “natural step forward” for the investigations.An impeachment inquiry by the House would be a first step toward bringing articles of impeachment. It is not yet clear what that may look like, especially because the speaker does not appear to have the GOP votes lined up to support an impeachment inquiry. Moderate Republicans have so far balked at sending the House on a full-fledged impeachment hunt.But Donald Trump, running once again to challenge Biden, is prodding them to move ahead quickly.“I don’t know how actually how a Republican could not do it," Trump said in an interview on Real America's Voice. “I think a Republican would be primaried and lose immediately, no matter what district you’re in.”UKRAINE AND DISASTER FUNDINGThe White House has requested&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-invasion-biden-congress-funding-d392f9b1adbb9c44249dce1cccdc2d1e">more than $40 billion</a>&nbsp;in emergency funding, including $13 billion in military aid for Ukraine, $8 billion in humanitarian support for the nation and $12 billion to replenish U.S. federal disaster funds at home.The request for the massive cash infusion comes as Kyiv launches a counteroffensive against the Russian invasion. But support for Ukraine is waning among Republicans, especially as Trump has repeatedly expressed skepticism of the war.Nearly 70 Republicans voted for an unsuccessful effort to discontinue military aid to Ukraine in July, though strong support for the war effort remains among many members.It is also not clear whether the White House's supplemental request for U.S. disaster funding, which also includes funds to bolster enforcement and curb drug trafficking at the southern U.S. border, will be tied to the Ukraine funding or a continuing budget resolution. The disaster funding enjoys wide support in the House, but could be tripped up if packaged with other funding proposals.LEGISLATION ON HOLDThe Senate is expected to spend most of September focused on funding the government and confirming Biden's nominees, meaning that major policy legislation will have to wait. But Schumer outlined some priorities for the remaining months of the year in the letter to his colleagues.Schumer said the Senate would work on legislation to lower the costs of drugs, address rail safety and provide disaster relief after floods in Vermont, fires in Hawaii and a hurricane in Florida.Senators will also continue to examine whether legislation is needed to address artificial intelligence. Schumer has convened what he is calling an “AI insight forum” on Sept. 13 in the Senate with tech industry leaders, including Meta's Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk, the CEO of X and Tesla, as well as former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates.HEALTH CONCERNSSenate Republicans will return next week to renewed questions about the health of their leader, McConnell.McConnell, 81, faces questions about his ability to continue as the top Senate Republican after he has frozen up twice during news conferences in the last two months since falling and suffering a concussion in March. During the event in Kentucky last week,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-gop-leader-mcconnell-health-freeze-up-c5b43745251daa0bb63636ceff4edce2">he fell silent</a>&nbsp;for roughly 30 seconds as he answered a question from a reporter.Dr. Brian Monahan, the Capitol's attending physician,&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/When%20the%20Senate%20returns%20next%20week,%20our%20focus%20will%20be%20on%20funding%20the%20government%20and%20preventing%20House%20Republican%20extremists%20from%20forcing%20a%20government%20shutdown.">said Thursday</a>&nbsp;that McConnell is cleared to work. But the question of whether McConnell — the longest-serving party leader in Senate history — can continue as Republican leader has sparked intense speculation about who will eventually replace him.Meanwhile, the health of California Democrat&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dianne-feinstein-fall-hospital-31a1358e1c25839b45bb699d83c75d58">Sen. Dianne Feinstein, 90, has visibly</a>&nbsp;wavered in recent months after she was hospitalized for shingles earlier this year. She suffered a fall at her San Francisco home in August and visited the hospital for testing.And in the House,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/steve-scalise-blood-cancer-house-republican-leader-f98d35f1d09e8c8009e180068b191daa">Rep. Steve Scalise</a>, the No. 2 Republican, disclosed last week that he has been diagnosed with a form of blood cancer known as multiple myeloma and is undergoing treatment.Scalise, 57, said he will continue to serve and described the cancer as “very treatable.”

Impeachment threats, shutdown fears: Congress returns to work

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities continue investigating a deadly shooting in Wichita that left a Kansas woman dead.

According to an <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/norma-williams?utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet-first-launch&amp;utm_medium=copy_link&amp;utm_source=customer">online fundraiser</a>, 69-year-old Norma Williams and her husband were driving home from a Friday night Football game when she was shot and killed.

Just before 10 p.m. Friday, police were dispatched to report of a shooting in the 11200 block of East Central Avenue, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.

Officers arrived on the scene and located Williams unconscious and not breathing with a gunshot wound to her upper body. 

Officers began providing life-saving efforts until EMS arrived. Mrs. Williams was transported to a local area hospital where she was pronounced deceased.

During the investigation, officers learned that Mrs. Williams was the front passenger of a 2021 Honda Ridgeline traveling northbound on Greenwich, approaching the eastbound lanes of Kellogg Drive. 

When they reached the intersection a group of motorcycles riding eastbound ran the red light and one of the motorcycles driven by 19-year-old Daryon Boone of Wichita struck their vehicle. Following the incident, Boone followed the vehicle, ultimately producing a handgun and shooting into the vehicle, which fatally injured Mrs. Williams.

Police arrested Boone&nbsp; on a requested charge of first-degree murder, criminal discharge of a firearm into an occupied vehicle, and aggravated assault. He posted bond and is no longer in custody.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693697348233.png" alt="Boone -photo Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>Boone -photo Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities continue investigating a deadly shooting in Wichita that left a Kansas woman dead.According to an <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/norma-williams?utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet-first-launch&amp;utm_medium=copy_link&amp;utm_source=customer">online fundraiser</a>, 69-year-old Norma Williams and her husband were driving home from a Friday night Football game when she was shot and killed.Just before 10 p.m. Friday, police were dispatched to report of a shooting in the 11200 block of East Central Avenue, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693841905672.png" alt="Williams-<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/norma-williams?utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet-first-launch&amp;utm_medium=copy_link&amp;utm_source=customer">photo GoFundMe</a>" />
 <figcaption>Williams-<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/norma-williams?utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet-first-launch&amp;utm_medium=copy_link&amp;utm_source=customer">photo GoFundMe</a></figcaption>
 </figure>Officers arrived on the scene and located Williams unconscious and not breathing with a gunshot wound to her upper body. Officers began providing life-saving efforts until EMS arrived. Mrs. Williams was transported to a local area hospital where she was pronounced deceased.During the investigation, officers learned that Mrs. Williams was the front passenger of a 2021 Honda Ridgeline traveling northbound on Greenwich, approaching the eastbound lanes of Kellogg Drive. When they reached the intersection a group of motorcycles riding eastbound ran the red light and one of the motorcycles driven by 19-year-old Daryon Boone of Wichita struck their vehicle. Following the incident, Boone followed the vehicle, ultimately producing a handgun and shooting into the vehicle, which fatally injured Mrs. Williams.Police arrested Boone&nbsp; on a requested charge of first-degree murder, criminal discharge of a firearm into an occupied vehicle, and aggravated assault. He posted bond and is no longer in custody.&nbsp;

Kan. woman was traveling home from game when she was shot, killed

KANSAS CIty (AP) — A 46% pay raise. A 32-hour week with 40 hours of pay. A restoration of traditional pensions.

The demands that a more combative United Auto Workers union has pressed on General Motors, Stellantis and Ford — demands that even the UAW's own president calls “audacious” — are edging it closer to a strike when its contract ends Sept. 14.

The automakers, which are making billions in profits, have dismissed the UAW's wish list. They argue that its demands are unrealistic at a time of fierce competition from Tesla and lower-wage foreign automakers as the world shifts from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles. The wide gulf between the sides could mean a strike against one or more of the automakers, which could send already-inflated vehicle prices even higher.

A potential strike by 146,000 UAW members comes against the backdrop of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/labor-unrest-hollywood-screenwriters-actors-ups-drivers-c3b94e32c347d5b5f61e695bcf436b46">increasingly emboldened U.S. unions of all kinds</a>. The number of strikes and threatened strikes is growing,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hollywood-writers-strike-100-days-3bea7be9077dba59b5f3b4a705646a84">involving Hollywood actors and writers</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ups-teamsters-contract-union-voting-b104ca459ddb810f2018c68046d063ed">sizable settlements with railroads and major concessions by corporate giants like UPS</a>.

Shawn Fain, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uaw-election-shawn-fain-ray-curry-85fa05496e7d1d21243708e4385a54f8">won the UAW’s presidency this spring in the first direct election</a>&nbsp;by members, has set high expectations and assured union members that they can achieve significant gains if they are willing to walk picket lines.

In a speech to a Labor Day parade crowd in Detroit on Monday, Fain said that if the companies don’t come up with a fair contract, “come Sept. 14, we’re going to take action to get it by any means necessary.”

Fain has characterized the contract talks with Detroit automakers as a form of war between billionaires and ordinary middle-class workers. Last month, in an act of showmanship during a Facebook Live event, Fain condemned a contract proposal from Stellantis as “trash” — and tossed a copy of it into a wastebasket, “where it belongs,” he said.

Over the past decade, the Detroit Three have emerged as robust profit-makers. They've collectively posted net income of $164 billion over the past decade, $20 billion of it this year. The CEOs of all three major automakers earn multiple millions in annual compensation.

Speaking last month to Ford workers at a plant in Louisville, Kentucky, Fain complained about one standard for the corporate class and another for ordinary workers.

“They get out-of-control salaries," he said. "They get pensions they don’t even need. They get top-rate health care. They work whatever schedule they want. The majority of our members do not get a pension nowadays. It’s crazy. We get substandard health care. We don’t get to work remotely.”

UAW members have voted overwhelmingly to authorize its leaders to call a strike. So, too, have Canadian auto workers, whose contracts end four days later and who have designated Ford as their target.

The UAW hasn't said whether it will select one target automaker. It could strike all three, though doing so could deplete the union's strike fund in under three months.

On the other hand, if a strike lasted even just 10 days, it would cost the three automakers nearly a billion dollars, the Anderson Economic Group has calculated. During a 40-day UAW strike in 2019, GM alone lost $3.6 billion.

Last week, the union filed charges of unfair labor practices against Stellantis and GM, which it said have yet to offer counterproposals. As for Ford, Fain asserted that its response, by rejecting most of the union’s demands, “insults our very worth.”

All three automakers have countered that the union's charges are baseless and that they're seeking a fair deal that would allow them to invest in the future.

Marick Masters, a business professor at Wayne State University in Detroit, suggested that the strong U.S. job market and the companies' outsize profits have given Fain leverage in negotiations. In addition, he noted, the automakers are poised to release a slew of new electric vehicles that would be delayed by a strike. And they have only a limited supply of vehicles to withstand a prolonged walkout.

“The question really is," he said, "are the parties willing to move on some of these things at the table? That hasn't been evident yet.”

Even Fain has described the union's proposals as “audacious” in demanding the restoration of traditional defined-benefit pensions for new hires; an end to tiers of wages; pension increases for retirees; and — perhaps boldest of all — a 32-hour week for 40 hours of pay.

Currently, UAW workers who were hired after 2007 don't receive defined-benefit pensions. Their health benefits are less generous, too. For years, the union gave up general pay raises and lost cost-of-living wage increases to help the companies control costs. Though top-scale assembly workers earn $32.32 an hour, temporary workers start at just under $17. Still, full-time workers have received profit-sharing checks ranging this year from $9,716 at Ford to $14,760 at Stellantis.

At Detroit’s Labor Day Parade, workers said a strike appears likely now.

Jason Craig, a worker at a Stellantis parts warehouse near Detroit, said his company appears most likely to be the strike target, but he said the union might go to Ford because it seems more family-oriented. Fain reiterated Monday that all three companies remain strike targets.

Perhaps the biggest issue blocking a contract agreement is union representation at 10 EV battery plants that the companies have proposed. Most of these plants are joint ventures with South Korean battery makers, which want to pay less.

“These battery workers deserve the same wage and salary standards that generations of auto workers have fought for," Fain told members.

The union fears that because EVs are simpler to build, with fewer moving parts, fewer workers will be needed to assemble them. In addition, workers at combustion engine and transmission plants will likely lose jobs in the transition; they'll need a place to go.

Fain, a 54-year-old electrician who came out of a Chrysler factory in Kokomo, Indiana, is among several labor leaders across the economy who have been escalating their demands and flexing their muscles. So far this year, 247 strikes have occurred involving 341,000 workers — the most since Cornell University began tracking strikes in 2021, though still well below the numbers during the 1970s and 1980s.

Masters suggested that the automakers wouldn't be able to quickly replace striking workers. The tight job market, diminished interest in manufacturing jobs and comparatively modest wages would make it difficult to hire enough workers.

Some auto workers regard the UPS contract, with a $49-an-hour top wage for experienced drivers, as a benchmark for their negotiations. Others say they're just hoping to get near that figure.

But automakers say a generous settlement would stick them with costs far above their competitors' just as they start producing more EVs. The inability to bring Hyundai-Kia, Nissan, Volkswagen, Honda and Toyota factories into the union has weakened the UAW's leverage, said Harry Katz, a labor professor at Cornell.

If you include the value of their benefits, workers at the Detroit 3 automakers receive around $60 an hour. The corresponding figure at foreign-based automakers with U.S. factories is just $40 to $45, Katz said. Much of the disparity reflects pensions and health care.

If the Detroit companies end up with higher labor costs, they'll pass them on to consumers, making vehicles more expensive, said Sam Fiorani, an analyst with AutoForecast Solutions, a consulting firm.

“More than half of the vehicles built in the U.S. are in nonunion plants,” he said. “So if you raise the price to build a unionized vehicle, you could price yourself out of competition with vehicles already built in North America."

A strike of more than a couple of weeks would reduce still-tight supplies of vehicles on Detroit automakers' dealer lots. With demand still strong, prices would rise.

The UAW's members are “reminding management that management can’t operate those factories without a settlement,” Katz said.

Masters and Katz say there's still time to settle without a strike. Katz predicts a settlement short of UPS numbers, possibly with 3% general pay raises plus cost-of-living adjustments, increased company contributions to 401(k) accounts for newer workers and faster transitions to top pay.

That said, Katz suggested, Fain has to back up his tough talk: “He’s got to prove himself."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693911150496.png" alt="Workers march over the Labor Day holiday weekend- UAW photo" />
 <figcaption>Workers march over the Labor Day holiday weekend- UAW photo</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CIty (AP) — A 46% pay raise. A 32-hour week with 40 hours of pay. A restoration of traditional pensions.The demands that a more combative United Auto Workers union has pressed on General Motors, Stellantis and Ford — demands that even the UAW's own president calls “audacious” — are edging it closer to a strike when its contract ends Sept. 14.The automakers, which are making billions in profits, have dismissed the UAW's wish list. They argue that its demands are unrealistic at a time of fierce competition from Tesla and lower-wage foreign automakers as the world shifts from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles. The wide gulf between the sides could mean a strike against one or more of the automakers, which could send already-inflated vehicle prices even higher.A potential strike by 146,000 UAW members comes against the backdrop of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/labor-unrest-hollywood-screenwriters-actors-ups-drivers-c3b94e32c347d5b5f61e695bcf436b46">increasingly emboldened U.S. unions of all kinds</a>. The number of strikes and threatened strikes is growing,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hollywood-writers-strike-100-days-3bea7be9077dba59b5f3b4a705646a84">involving Hollywood actors and writers</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ups-teamsters-contract-union-voting-b104ca459ddb810f2018c68046d063ed">sizable settlements with railroads and major concessions by corporate giants like UPS</a>.Shawn Fain, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uaw-election-shawn-fain-ray-curry-85fa05496e7d1d21243708e4385a54f8">won the UAW’s presidency this spring in the first direct election</a>&nbsp;by members, has set high expectations and assured union members that they can achieve significant gains if they are willing to walk picket lines.In a speech to a Labor Day parade crowd in Detroit on Monday, Fain said that if the companies don’t come up with a fair contract, “come Sept. 14, we’re going to take action to get it by any means necessary.”Fain has characterized the contract talks with Detroit automakers as a form of war between billionaires and ordinary middle-class workers. Last month, in an act of showmanship during a Facebook Live event, Fain condemned a contract proposal from Stellantis as “trash” — and tossed a copy of it into a wastebasket, “where it belongs,” he said.Over the past decade, the Detroit Three have emerged as robust profit-makers. They've collectively posted net income of $164 billion over the past decade, $20 billion of it this year. The CEOs of all three major automakers earn multiple millions in annual compensation.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693911002324.png" alt="UAW workers march over the Labor Day weekend holiday-UAW photo" />
 <figcaption>UAW workers march over the Labor Day weekend holiday-UAW photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Speaking last month to Ford workers at a plant in Louisville, Kentucky, Fain complained about one standard for the corporate class and another for ordinary workers.“They get out-of-control salaries," he said. "They get pensions they don’t even need. They get top-rate health care. They work whatever schedule they want. The majority of our members do not get a pension nowadays. It’s crazy. We get substandard health care. We don’t get to work remotely.”UAW members have voted overwhelmingly to authorize its leaders to call a strike. So, too, have Canadian auto workers, whose contracts end four days later and who have designated Ford as their target.The UAW hasn't said whether it will select one target automaker. It could strike all three, though doing so could deplete the union's strike fund in under three months.On the other hand, if a strike lasted even just 10 days, it would cost the three automakers nearly a billion dollars, the Anderson Economic Group has calculated. During a 40-day UAW strike in 2019, GM alone lost $3.6 billion.Last week, the union filed charges of unfair labor practices against Stellantis and GM, which it said have yet to offer counterproposals. As for Ford, Fain asserted that its response, by rejecting most of the union’s demands, “insults our very worth.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693911296614.png" alt="-Workers march over the Labor Day holiday weekend-photo UAW" />
 <figcaption>-Workers march over the Labor Day holiday weekend-photo UAW</figcaption>
 </figure>All three automakers have countered that the union's charges are baseless and that they're seeking a fair deal that would allow them to invest in the future.Marick Masters, a business professor at Wayne State University in Detroit, suggested that the strong U.S. job market and the companies' outsize profits have given Fain leverage in negotiations. In addition, he noted, the automakers are poised to release a slew of new electric vehicles that would be delayed by a strike. And they have only a limited supply of vehicles to withstand a prolonged walkout.“They are vulnerable,” Masters said.“The question really is," he said, "are the parties willing to move on some of these things at the table? That hasn't been evident yet.”Even Fain has described the union's proposals as “audacious” in demanding the restoration of traditional defined-benefit pensions for new hires; an end to tiers of wages; pension increases for retirees; and — perhaps boldest of all — a 32-hour week for 40 hours of pay.Currently, UAW workers who were hired after 2007 don't receive defined-benefit pensions. Their health benefits are less generous, too. For years, the union gave up general pay raises and lost cost-of-living wage increases to help the companies control costs. Though top-scale assembly workers earn $32.32 an hour, temporary workers start at just under $17. Still, full-time workers have received profit-sharing checks ranging this year from $9,716 at Ford to $14,760 at Stellantis.At Detroit’s Labor Day Parade, workers said a strike appears likely now.Jason Craig, a worker at a Stellantis parts warehouse near Detroit, said his company appears most likely to be the strike target, but he said the union might go to Ford because it seems more family-oriented. Fain reiterated Monday that all three companies remain strike targets.Perhaps the biggest issue blocking a contract agreement is union representation at 10 EV battery plants that the companies have proposed. Most of these plants are joint ventures with South Korean battery makers, which want to pay less.“These battery workers deserve the same wage and salary standards that generations of auto workers have fought for," Fain told members.The union fears that because EVs are simpler to build, with fewer moving parts, fewer workers will be needed to assemble them. In addition, workers at combustion engine and transmission plants will likely lose jobs in the transition; they'll need a place to go.Fain, a 54-year-old electrician who came out of a Chrysler factory in Kokomo, Indiana, is among several labor leaders across the economy who have been escalating their demands and flexing their muscles. So far this year, 247 strikes have occurred involving 341,000 workers — the most since Cornell University began tracking strikes in 2021, though still well below the numbers during the 1970s and 1980s.Masters suggested that the automakers wouldn't be able to quickly replace striking workers. The tight job market, diminished interest in manufacturing jobs and comparatively modest wages would make it difficult to hire enough workers.Some auto workers regard the UPS contract, with a $49-an-hour top wage for experienced drivers, as a benchmark for their negotiations. Others say they're just hoping to get near that figure.But automakers say a generous settlement would stick them with costs far above their competitors' just as they start producing more EVs. The inability to bring Hyundai-Kia, Nissan, Volkswagen, Honda and Toyota factories into the union has weakened the UAW's leverage, said Harry Katz, a labor professor at Cornell.If you include the value of their benefits, workers at the Detroit 3 automakers receive around $60 an hour. The corresponding figure at foreign-based automakers with U.S. factories is just $40 to $45, Katz said. Much of the disparity reflects pensions and health care.If the Detroit companies end up with higher labor costs, they'll pass them on to consumers, making vehicles more expensive, said Sam Fiorani, an analyst with AutoForecast Solutions, a consulting firm.“More than half of the vehicles built in the U.S. are in nonunion plants,” he said. “So if you raise the price to build a unionized vehicle, you could price yourself out of competition with vehicles already built in North America."A strike of more than a couple of weeks would reduce still-tight supplies of vehicles on Detroit automakers' dealer lots. With demand still strong, prices would rise.The UAW's members are “reminding management that management can’t operate those factories without a settlement,” Katz said.Masters and Katz say there's still time to settle without a strike. Katz predicts a settlement short of UPS numbers, possibly with 3% general pay raises plus cost-of-living adjustments, increased company contributions to 401(k) accounts for newer workers and faster transitions to top pay.That said, Katz suggested, Fain has to back up his tough talk: “He’s got to prove himself."

Auto strike looms, could shut down plants in KC, nationwide

MCDONALD COUNTY —One person died in an accident just 11p.m. Monday in McDonald County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2014 Ford F150 driven by Mitchell D. Logan, 21, Goodman, was westbound on Route CC three miles east of McNatt.

The pickup traveled off the road on a curve and struck a tree.&nbsp;

Logan was pronounced dead at the scene. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP.

MCDONALD COUNTY —One person died in an accident just 11p.m. Monday in McDonald County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2014 Ford F150 driven by Mitchell D. Logan, 21, Goodman, was westbound on Route CC three miles east of McNatt.The pickup traveled off the road on a curve and struck a tree.&nbsp;Logan was pronounced dead at the scene. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP.

21-year-old Missouri man dies after pickup strikes a tree

DICKINSON COUNTY – The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) issue a statewide Silver Alert for a missing Abilene man, according to a media release from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

The agency is asking for the public's assistance to help locate 72-year-old Alan Duane Carroll. His last known location was westbound from Great Bend. 

Carroll was driving a 2004 Lexus GX with Kansas tag 863DMM.

Carroll is 6 feet tall, 205 pounds and has gray hair. He was last seen wearing a red polo shirt and jeans. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693908496580.png" alt="Carroll-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Carroll-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>DICKINSON COUNTY – The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) issue a statewide Silver Alert for a missing Abilene man, according to a media release from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.The agency is asking for the public's assistance to help locate 72-year-old Alan Duane Carroll. His last known location was westbound from Great Bend. Carroll was driving a 2004 Lexus GX with Kansas tag 863DMM.Carroll is 6 feet tall, 205 pounds and has gray hair. He was last seen wearing a red polo shirt and jeans. If you see him, please contact the Abilene Police Department at (785) 263-1212.