As issue campaigns fill airwaves with ads, statewide candidates are running on the smallest campaign budgets in years

BY:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

After trying to convince voters that legalized sports betting would boost Missouri education funding, the campaign for Amendment 2 is now focused on the fact that residents already bet in large numbers and allowing it in the state will capture some of the revenue, a spokesman said Monday.

Winning for Missouri Education, the committee promoting Amendment 2 on next Tuesday’s ballot, reported Monday that it has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mec.mo.gov/CampaignFinanceReports/Generator.aspx?Keys=B2G41dEVPKgI8cDcdGFsgJsm99XwPL2G94muMOtnA6SqB%2bW9%2fFE6IpCxIiTPyfP%2fVj3DxXGa28v592151Et%2fZC560DyBa5Wh" target="_blank">raised $40.25 million</a>&nbsp;since beginning its initiative campaign in January. That is $9 million more than the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/14/record-spending-fuels-missouri-campaigns-to-legalize-sports-gambling-new-casino/">most expensive ballot issue campaign</a>&nbsp;in state history — the $31 raised by supporters of a 2006 proposal to protect stem cell research.

The campaign provided data from GeoComply showing that the 216,000 mobile sports betting accounts in the state made 11.1 million attempts to place a bet between Sept. 5, the opening day of the NFL season, and Oct. 21. GeoComply is a geofencing company that contracts with gambling companies to block illegal bets.&nbsp;

And on opening day, when the Kansas City Chiefs hosted the Baltimore Ravens, there were nearly 21,000 geolocation checks in and around Arrowhead Stadium.

“The numbers are really staggering,” said Jack Cardetti, spokesman for Winning for Missouri Education.

The final pre-election campaign finance reports for state races were due Monday at the Missouri Ethics Commission. The reports cover the period Oct. 1 through Oct. 24.

Tracking by The Independent shows that spending on ballot measure campaigns in Missouri this year so far is $95 million, including about $15.8 million for initiatives to get on the ballot.&nbsp;

The spending by statewide candidates reported so far is just under $130 million, including the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/09/09/republicans-combine-to-spend-65-million-in-missouri-primaries-for-statewide-offices/">$65 million spent by Republicans</a>&nbsp;in the primaries and $44.9 million spent&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/lucas-kunce-fundraising-continues-to-outpace-josh-hawley-in-missouri-senate-race/">in the U.S. Senate race</a>&nbsp;between incumbent Josh Hawley, Democratic nominee Lucas Kunce and Better Party candidate Jared Young.&nbsp;

Less than half of the Senate race spending has been for the fall campaign.

The two gambling measures account for almost $59 million of the total ballot measure spending, with the Amendment 3 abortion rights initiative accounting for $31 million more.

The enormous bank account for Winning for Missouri Education, with the cost evenly split between DK Crown Holdings, owner of DraftKings, and BetFair Interactive, owner of FanDuel, has purchased $18.1 million of broadcast ads, $1.5 million in digital ads and $1.2 million in direct mail.

A $14 million opposition campaign, funded by Caesars Entertainment, attacked Amendment 2 as misleading because the funding it promises for education programs is uncertain. The gambling companies could deduct promotional bets used to lure new customers as well as federal taxes from their take before calculating state taxes.

That campaign, called Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/opponents-of-missouri-sports-betting-amendment-pull-tv-ads-in-campaigns-homestretch/">abruptly pulled its television ads</a>&nbsp;on Oct. 17. The campaign’s final pre-election report shows it had $5 million on hand on Oct. 24, but it does not indicate the campaign is shutting down operations.

In an earlier report, the campaign stated it had purchased $612,000 in direct mail opposing Amendment 2 and $1.5 million on digital media. The current report does not show any refunds from those amounts.

Campaign spokesperson Brooke Foster could not be reached for comment.

The opposition campaign is one reason the pro-sports betting initiative is making the fact that betting is legal in every state on Missouri’s border except Oklahoma a big part of its final argument.

“Missourians know that whether or not they participate in sports betting or not, that it’s here to stay, and that Missouri currently gets zero benefit out of it,” Cardetti said. “And I think that is one of the most unifying messages that the amendment has.”

The other gambling proposal is Amendment 5, which would authorize&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/25/push-for-hand-counting-ballots-a-key-divide-in-race-for-missouri-secretary-of-state/">a new casino</a>&nbsp;near the Lake of the Ozarks. Supporters of that measure, Bally’s Corp. and a Lake-area developer, have spent $10.3 million promoting it. There is no significant opposition campaign.

The Missouri governor’s race continues to be one of the least expensive fall campaigns in years for the state’s top office.

Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, the Republican nominee, has reported spending only $1.5 million for the fall from his campaign account, while a PAC he helps raise money called American Dream has spent $1.8 million. The two committees combined to spend $17.1 million in the primary.

State Rep. Crystal Quade of Springfield, the Democratic candidate, has spent $1.1 on the fall campaign and her affiliated committee, CrystalPAC, has spent just under $100,000. That is about the same amount Quade spent in the primary.

Until the election, campaigns will be required to file daily reports of contributions. New spending reports will also be filed when significant amounts are expended.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1604337062106.png" alt="-&nbsp;Winning for Missouri Education, the committee promoting Amendment 2 on next Tuesday’s ballot, reported Monday that it has raised $40.25 million since beginning its initiative campaign in January. Photo by Noah Taborda" />
 <figcaption>-&nbsp;Winning for Missouri Education, the committee promoting Amendment 2 on next Tuesday’s ballot, reported Monday that it has raised $40.25 million since beginning its initiative campaign in January. Photo by Noah Taborda</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>As issue campaigns fill airwaves with ads, statewide candidates are running on the smallest campaign budgets in years</h2>BY:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>After trying to convince voters that legalized sports betting would boost Missouri education funding, the campaign for Amendment 2 is now focused on the fact that residents already bet in large numbers and allowing it in the state will capture some of the revenue, a spokesman said Monday.Winning for Missouri Education, the committee promoting Amendment 2 on next Tuesday’s ballot, reported Monday that it has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mec.mo.gov/CampaignFinanceReports/Generator.aspx?Keys=B2G41dEVPKgI8cDcdGFsgJsm99XwPL2G94muMOtnA6SqB%2bW9%2fFE6IpCxIiTPyfP%2fVj3DxXGa28v592151Et%2fZC560DyBa5Wh" target="_blank">raised $40.25 million</a>&nbsp;since beginning its initiative campaign in January. That is $9 million more than the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/14/record-spending-fuels-missouri-campaigns-to-legalize-sports-gambling-new-casino/">most expensive ballot issue campaign</a>&nbsp;in state history — the $31 raised by supporters of a 2006 proposal to protect stem cell research.The campaign provided data from GeoComply showing that the 216,000 mobile sports betting accounts in the state made 11.1 million attempts to place a bet between Sept. 5, the opening day of the NFL season, and Oct. 21. GeoComply is a geofencing company that contracts with gambling companies to block illegal bets.&nbsp;And on opening day, when the Kansas City Chiefs hosted the Baltimore Ravens, there were nearly 21,000 geolocation checks in and around Arrowhead Stadium.“The numbers are really staggering,” said Jack Cardetti, spokesman for Winning for Missouri Education.The final pre-election campaign finance reports for state races were due Monday at the Missouri Ethics Commission. The reports cover the period Oct. 1 through Oct. 24.Tracking by The Independent shows that spending on ballot measure campaigns in Missouri this year so far is $95 million, including about $15.8 million for initiatives to get on the ballot.&nbsp;The spending by statewide candidates reported so far is just under $130 million, including the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/09/09/republicans-combine-to-spend-65-million-in-missouri-primaries-for-statewide-offices/">$65 million spent by Republicans</a>&nbsp;in the primaries and $44.9 million spent&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/lucas-kunce-fundraising-continues-to-outpace-josh-hawley-in-missouri-senate-race/">in the U.S. Senate race</a>&nbsp;between incumbent Josh Hawley, Democratic nominee Lucas Kunce and Better Party candidate Jared Young.&nbsp;Less than half of the Senate race spending has been for the fall campaign.The two gambling measures account for almost $59 million of the total ballot measure spending, with the Amendment 3 abortion rights initiative accounting for $31 million more.The enormous bank account for Winning for Missouri Education, with the cost evenly split between DK Crown Holdings, owner of DraftKings, and BetFair Interactive, owner of FanDuel, has purchased $18.1 million of broadcast ads, $1.5 million in digital ads and $1.2 million in direct mail.A $14 million opposition campaign, funded by Caesars Entertainment, attacked Amendment 2 as misleading because the funding it promises for education programs is uncertain. The gambling companies could deduct promotional bets used to lure new customers as well as federal taxes from their take before calculating state taxes.That campaign, called Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/opponents-of-missouri-sports-betting-amendment-pull-tv-ads-in-campaigns-homestretch/">abruptly pulled its television ads</a>&nbsp;on Oct. 17. The campaign’s final pre-election report shows it had $5 million on hand on Oct. 24, but it does not indicate the campaign is shutting down operations.In an earlier report, the campaign stated it had purchased $612,000 in direct mail opposing Amendment 2 and $1.5 million on digital media. The current report does not show any refunds from those amounts.Campaign spokesperson Brooke Foster could not be reached for comment.The opposition campaign is one reason the pro-sports betting initiative is making the fact that betting is legal in every state on Missouri’s border except Oklahoma a big part of its final argument.“Missourians know that whether or not they participate in sports betting or not, that it’s here to stay, and that Missouri currently gets zero benefit out of it,” Cardetti said. “And I think that is one of the most unifying messages that the amendment has.”The other gambling proposal is Amendment 5, which would authorize&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/25/push-for-hand-counting-ballots-a-key-divide-in-race-for-missouri-secretary-of-state/">a new casino</a>&nbsp;near the Lake of the Ozarks. Supporters of that measure, Bally’s Corp. and a Lake-area developer, have spent $10.3 million promoting it. There is no significant opposition campaign.<h2>Statewide races</h2>The Missouri governor’s race continues to be one of the least expensive fall campaigns in years for the state’s top office.Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, the Republican nominee, has reported spending only $1.5 million for the fall from his campaign account, while a PAC he helps raise money called American Dream has spent $1.8 million. The two committees combined to spend $17.1 million in the primary.State Rep. Crystal Quade of Springfield, the Democratic candidate, has spent $1.1 on the fall campaign and her affiliated committee, CrystalPAC, has spent just under $100,000. That is about the same amount Quade spent in the primary.In other statewide contests:<ul>
 <li>David Wasinger, the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, reported raising $28,688 in the period and spending $7,803. He has spent $35,856 on the fall campaign after spending $2.7 million in the primary. His Democratic opponent, state Rep. Richard Brown of Kansas City, had not filed his report by late Monday afternoon.</li><li>Democratic secretary of state candidate Barbara Phifer&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/25/push-for-hand-counting-ballots-a-key-divide-in-race-for-missouri-secretary-of-state/">continued to outraise</a>&nbsp;her Republican rival, Denny Hoskins. Phifer raised $53,072 and SAFE Missouri, a PAC supporting her, raised $20,500 more. Hoskins raised $29,735. His PAC, Old Drum Conservative PAC, has not reported by Monday afternoon.</li><li>State Treasurer Vivek Malek reported $78,531 in spending since the primary and his affiliated committee, American Promise PAC, has spent just under $8,000. His campaign spent $2.6 million in the primary and his PAC spent $3.2 million. Democratic candidate Mark Osmack has reported raising $63,535 and spending $51,583 for the entire year.</li><li>Attorney General Andrew Bailey, a Republican, reported raising $193,395 in the period compared to $63,184 for his Democratic rival, Elad Gross. Bailey has spent just under $150,000 for the fall campaign after spending $1.4 million for the primary. Gross has spent $345,000 for the entire year. Bailey’s affiliated committee, Liberty and Justice PAC, had not reported by late afternoon. It spent $5.3 million helping Bailey win the primary.</li>
 </ul>Until the election, campaigns will be required to file daily reports of contributions. New spending reports will also be filed when significant amounts are expended.

Spending on Missouri ballot measures nears $100 million as campaign enters final week

KANSAS CITY—Police are now towing spectators vehicles at sideshows, thanks to a new ordinance in Kansas City.

On Sunday night across Kansas City, officers continued their enforcement of illegal sideshows and street racing, according to a social media report from KCPD.

Officers towed 10 vehicles and arrested four people, including participants spectators,&nbsp;and issued 16 citations and recovered one stolen vehicle.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730199413516.png" alt="Photos KCPD" />
 <figcaption>Photos KCPD</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Police are now towing spectators vehicles at sideshows, thanks to a new ordinance in Kansas City.On Sunday night across Kansas City, officers continued their enforcement of illegal sideshows and street racing, according to a social media report from KCPD.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730199129843.jpeg" alt="Photos KCPD" />
 <figcaption>Photos KCPD</figcaption>
 </figure>Officers towed 10 vehicles and arrested four people, including participants spectators,&nbsp;and issued 16 citations and recovered one stolen vehicle.

KCPD now towing spectator vehicles in crackdown of illegal sideshows

PORTLAND, OR—Law enforcement released two photos of the suspect vehicle believed to be involved in the incident at a ballot box in Southeast Portland early Monday morning, according to the FBI.

The vehicle is described as a black or dark-colored 2001-2004 Volvo S-60. The vehicle does not have a front license plate, but it does have an unknown rear plate. Investigators believe the vehicle is tied to two similar incidents in the Vancouver, Washington area.

Detectives determined the incendiary device that ignited the fire at the Southeast Portland ballot box was attached to the side of the box and not placed in it as originally reported.

“We don’t know the motive behind these acts,” PPB Assistant Chief Amanda McMillan said. “We do know acts like this are targeted and they're intentional and we’re concerned about that intentional act trying to impact the election process. 

We’re dedicated to stopping this kind of behavior.”Anyone with information about the suspect vehicle or the case is asked to contact Detective Meredith Hopper Meredith.Hopper@police.portlandoregon.gov or call the PF&amp;R Fire Investigation Unit’s tip line, 503-823- FIRE (3473). Please reference case number 24-276181.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730151562414.png" alt="Photo FBI" />
 <figcaption>Photo FBI</figcaption>
 </figure>PORTLAND, OR—Law enforcement released two photos of the suspect vehicle believed to be involved in the incident at a ballot box in Southeast Portland early Monday morning, according to the FBI.The vehicle is described as a black or dark-colored 2001-2004 Volvo S-60. The vehicle does not have a front license plate, but it does have an unknown rear plate. Investigators believe the vehicle is tied to two similar incidents in the Vancouver, Washington area.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730165077840.png" alt="Photo FBI" />
 <figcaption>Photo FBI</figcaption>
 </figure>Detectives determined the incendiary device that ignited the fire at the Southeast Portland ballot box was attached to the side of the box and not placed in it as originally reported.“We don’t know the motive behind these acts,” PPB Assistant Chief Amanda McMillan said. “We do know acts like this are targeted and they're intentional and we’re concerned about that intentional act trying to impact the election process. We’re dedicated to stopping this kind of behavior.”Anyone with information about the suspect vehicle or the case is asked to contact Detective Meredith Hopper Meredith.Hopper@police.portlandoregon.gov or call the PF&amp;R Fire Investigation Unit’s tip line, 503-823- FIRE (3473). Please reference case number 24-276181.

FBI: Fires set in drop boxes destroy hundreds of ballots

KANSAS CITY —A woman critically injured in an accident earlier this month in Kansas City has died.

Just before 7:30p.m. October 10, an elderly was pinned between the door and frame of a black Nissan Murano and a wooden utility pole at&nbsp;3914 Elmwood in Kansas City, according to KCPD Officer Alayna Gonzalez.

EMS transported her to Truman Medical Center for treatment of life threatening injuries. On Monday, the Jackson County Medical Examiner's office notified police that hospice care staff pronounced the woman dead over the weekend.&nbsp; Police did not release the victim's name.

This is fatality #80 compared to #82 at this time last year in Kansas City, Missouri, according to Gonzalez.

KANSAS CITY —A woman critically injured in an accident earlier this month in Kansas City has died.Just before 7:30p.m. October 10, an elderly was pinned between the door and frame of a black Nissan Murano and a wooden utility pole at&nbsp;3914 Elmwood in Kansas City, according to KCPD Officer Alayna Gonzalez.EMS transported her to Truman Medical Center for treatment of life threatening injuries. On Monday, the Jackson County Medical Examiner's office notified police that hospice care staff pronounced the woman dead over the weekend.&nbsp; Police did not release the victim's name.This is fatality #80 compared to #82 at this time last year in Kansas City, Missouri, according to Gonzalez.

KCPD: Woman pinned between SUV, utility pole has died

PRATT COUNTY — A Kansas man will serve more than 21 years in prison for the attempted murder of Ana Oviedo-Baltazar, according to Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach.

On April 2, 49-year-old Samuel Lee Hall entered a Pratt hotel room and attacked his estranged wife with a knife, stabbing her several times while her two minor children slept next to her. An adult child also was assaulted by Hall.

Afterwards, Hall fled from the hotel in his truck, leading law enforcement on a dangerous chase through Pratt. Hall intentionally struck officer vehicles with his truck, before law enforcement disabled the truck. As officers attempted to take Hall into custody, he kicked one of the officers, causing injury.

In addition to attempted murder, Hall also plead guilty to two counts of aggravated child endangerment, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer.

On Oct. 21, District Court Judge Francis Meisenheimer sentenced Hall to serve a total of 261 months in custody. In sentencing Hall, the judge noted Hall was placed on probation for a domestic violence offense against the same victim shortly before the incident.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730135002639.png" alt="Hall photo Pratt Co." />
 <figcaption>Hall photo Pratt Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>PRATT COUNTY — A Kansas man will serve more than 21 years in prison for the attempted murder of Ana Oviedo-Baltazar, according to Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach.On April 2, 49-year-old Samuel Lee Hall entered a Pratt hotel room and attacked his estranged wife with a knife, stabbing her several times while her two minor children slept next to her. An adult child also was assaulted by Hall.Afterwards, Hall fled from the hotel in his truck, leading law enforcement on a dangerous chase through Pratt. Hall intentionally struck officer vehicles with his truck, before law enforcement disabled the truck. As officers attempted to take Hall into custody, he kicked one of the officers, causing injury.In addition to attempted murder, Hall also plead guilty to two counts of aggravated child endangerment, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer.On Oct. 21, District Court Judge Francis Meisenheimer sentenced Hall to serve a total of 261 months in custody. In sentencing Hall, the judge noted Hall was placed on probation for a domestic violence offense against the same victim shortly before the incident.

Prison for violent knife attack on estranged wife at Kan. motel

DICKINSON COUNTY—Law enforcement in Dickinson County are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a weekend arrest.

Just before 5p.m. Sunday, the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office received a call for service regarding an unknown woman attempting to break into a residence in the 700 Block of Kansas 18 Highway, according to Undersheriff&nbsp;Jeff Vaughan.

 A Deputy responded and made contact with the suspect later identified as 54-year-old Denise Sheffield of Junction City, outside the residence. 

Sheffield was uncooperative and raised a fist to hit a deputy. She was quickly handcuffed at that time but continued flailing around and kicked a deputy and also refused to identify herself.

During the investigation, it was learned that Sheffield yelled profanities and threats at the resident who remained inside the house. It was also learned that Sheffield pulled up her dress and exposed herself to the resident who was watching her through a window.

Deputies booked Sheffield into the Dickinson County Detention Facility on requested charges of Attempted Aggravated Burglary, Criminal Trespass, Disorderly Conduct, Criminal Threat, Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer and Interference with a Law Enforcement Officer.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730142045781.png" alt="Sheffield-photo Dickinson Co." />
 <figcaption>Sheffield-photo Dickinson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>DICKINSON COUNTY—Law enforcement in Dickinson County are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a weekend arrest.Just before 5p.m. Sunday, the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office received a call for service regarding an unknown woman attempting to break into a residence in the 700 Block of Kansas 18 Highway, according to Undersheriff&nbsp;Jeff Vaughan. A Deputy responded and made contact with the suspect later identified as 54-year-old Denise Sheffield of Junction City, outside the residence. Sheffield was uncooperative and raised a fist to hit a deputy. She was quickly handcuffed at that time but continued flailing around and kicked a deputy and also refused to identify herself.During the investigation, it was learned that Sheffield yelled profanities and threats at the resident who remained inside the house. It was also learned that Sheffield pulled up her dress and exposed herself to the resident who was watching her through a window.Deputies booked Sheffield into the Dickinson County Detention Facility on requested charges of Attempted Aggravated Burglary, Criminal Trespass, Disorderly Conduct, Criminal Threat, Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer and Interference with a Law Enforcement Officer.

Kan. home burglary suspect kicked deputy, exposed herself to resident

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">ARIANA FIGUEROA</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ashley-murray/">ASHLEY MURRAY</a>&nbsp;

The closing of the polls and end of mail-in voting kick off a nearly three-month process before the next president of the United States is sworn in on Inauguration Day in January. New guardrails were enacted by Congress in 2022 to more fully protect the presidential transition, following the Jan. 6, 2021 mob attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters and a failed scheme to install fake electors.

But even before that shift to a new chief executive begins, a presidential victor is unlikely to be announced election night or even the following day.

It’s a result that will possibly take days to determine, given tight margins expected in seven swing states. Officials needed four days to count all the votes to determine President Joe Biden the victor of the 2020 presidential election.

In states like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, the law does not allow that process to begin for millions of mail-in ballots until Election Day. Other states allow pre-processing of ballots.

Trey Grayson, Kentucky’s former Republican secretary of state, said ballot authentication could be on different timelines across the country after voting ends on Election Day.

“We have 50 states, plus D.C., that pretty much all do it differently,” Grayson, who served as president of the National Association of Secretaries of State, told reporters Friday on a call of bipartisan former state election officials who are working to explain the process to the public.

It could mean “in a very close election that we don’t know on election night who the president is or who controls the House or the Senate, but we should feel confident over the next couple of days, as we work through that, that we’re going to get there,” he said.

Those delays, which former President Donald Trump seized on to spread the baseless lie that the election was stolen from him, are expected again in November, especially as all eyes will be on the battleground states — Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Additionally, there already are hundreds of pre-election lawsuits, mainly filed by Republicans, ranging from election integrity challenges to accusations of noncitizens allowed to vote in federal elections — something that rarely happens and is already illegal. The legal challenges could further spark delays.

“We will not have a winner on election night most likely and so we need to be able to prepare the public for this,” said Virginia Kase Solomón, the president and CEO of the democracy watchdog group Common Cause, during a Tuesday briefing.

She added that her organization will focus on combating misinformation and disinformation on election night and beyond.

“There is the potential that somebody could claim the win before … all of the votes have been counted,” she said.

In the early morning hours after Election Day in 2020, before results from key states were determined, Trump falsely claimed he won in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duE8tnrSmNc&amp;t=3s" target="_blank">an address at the White House.&nbsp;&nbsp;</a>

On top of that, experts say this year could see election denial erupting in countless courtrooms and meeting rooms in localities and the states, as well as across social media, if doubts are sown about the results.

Recounts could also delay an official election result, and the laws vary from state to state.

For example, in Pennsylvania, if a candidate demands a recount, three voters from each of the over 9,000 precincts have to petition for a recount.

“We’ve never seen that happen actually in Pennsylvania,” Kathy Boockvar, the commonwealth’s former Democratic secretary of state, said on Friday’s call with reporters.

An automatic statewide recount is triggered in Pennsylvania if there’s a difference of a half percent of all votes cast for the winner and loser. The final recount results, by law, are due to the secretary of state by Nov. 26, and results would be announced on Nov. 27, Boockvar said.

The margin in Pennsylvania’s 2020 results for the presidential election was between 1.1% and 1.2%, not enough to trigger the automatic recount, Boockvar said.

State election officials have been preparing for the past year to train poll workers to not only run the voting booths but for possible violence — a precaution put in place after the 2020 election — and have beefed up security around polling locations.

On Friday, Trump posted on X that the election “will be under the closest professional scrutiny and, WHEN I WIN, those people that CHEATED will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the Law, which will include long term prison sentences so that this Depravity of Justice does not happen again.”

A reporter asked Grayson about the possibility of aggression from poll watchers. The Republican National Committee&nbsp;<a href="https://gop.com/press-release/trump-campaign-and-rnc-unveil-historic-100000-person-strong-election-integrity-program/" target="_blank">announced</a>&nbsp;in April a “historic move to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process,” establishing party-led trainings for poll watchers.

Poll watchers are not a new concept, and Grayson said clear “safeguards” are in place.

“If you’re intimidating, you’re gone. There’s clear laws in every state on that,” he said.

Celestine Jeffreys, the city clerk in Green Bay, Wisconsin, said during a Wednesday roundtable with election workers that the city has an Election Day protocol in place that includes everything from blocking off streets to City Hall to getting rid of shrubbery.

“We have actually removed bushes in front of City Hall” to ensure no one can be concealed behind them, she said.&nbsp;In the second assassination attempt on Trump earlier this year, a gunman hid in bushes outside Trump’s private golf course.

New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver said during a Tuesday briefing she is focused on the physical safety of election officials.

During the event with the National Association of Secretaries of State, she said such safety is not only a priority during voting but when officials move to certify the state’s election results in December.

“We have all been spending a lot more time on physical security and making sure that our election officials at all levels are more physically secure this year,” Toulouse Oliver said. “And of course, you know when our electors meet in our states, you know, ensuring for the physical security of that process and those individuals as well.”

On Dec. 17, each state’s electors will meet to vote for the president and vice president. Congress will vote to certify the results on Jan. 6.

“We are thinking a lot more about this in 2024 than we did in 2020, but I think that each one of us… have a playbook in mind for how to handle any unanticipated eventualities in the certification process,” she said.

<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/law-enforcement-officials-prepare-possible-post-election-violence-dc" target="_blank">It’s a security precaution</a>&nbsp;that the U.S. Secret Service is also taking.

For the first time, Congress’ certification of the Electoral College on Jan. 6 has been designated a National Special Security Event, something that is usually reserved for Inauguration Day on Jan. 20.

In 2020, The Associated Press did not call the presidential election for Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.ap.org/behind-the-news/calling-the-2020-presidential-race-state-by-state" target="_blank">until</a>&nbsp;11:26 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 7 — roughly three-and-a-half days after polls closed. The AP, as well as other media organizations, project election winners after local officials make initial tabulations public.

Those tallies are then&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eac.gov/election-officials/election-results-canvass-and-certification" target="_blank">canvassed, audited and certified</a>, according to each state’s legal timeline. Recounts may also extend the timeline before final certification.

The vote totals reported in Pennsylvania — a state that carried 20 Electoral College votes in 2020 — put Biden over the top for the 270 needed to win the presidency.

Trump refused to concede the race, and instead promised to take his fight to court.

For the next two months, Trump and his surrogates filed&nbsp;<a href="https://electioncases.osu.edu/case-tracker/?sortby=filing_date_desc&amp;keywords=&amp;status=all&amp;state=all&amp;topic=25" target="_blank">just over 60 lawsuits</a>&nbsp;challenging the results in numerous states. Ultimately none of the judges found evidence of widespread voter fraud.

The next step was for Congress to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2014-title3/html/USCODE-2014-title3-chap1-sec15.htm" target="_blank">count</a>&nbsp;each state’s certified slate of electors, which by law, it must do on the Jan. 6 following a presidential election.

However, in the weeks leading up to Jan. 6, Trump and his private lawyers worked to replace legitimate slates of electors with fake ones, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/collection/january-6th-committee-final-report?path=/GPO/January%206th%20Committee%20Final%20Report%20and%20Supporting%20Materials%20Collection" target="_blank">hundreds</a>&nbsp;of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67656604/266/2/united-states-v-trump/" target="_blank">pages</a>&nbsp;of records compiled by a special congressional investigation, and by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Trump pressured then-Vice President Mike Pence to block ratification of the Electoral College’s vote at the Jan. 6 joint session of Congress, because the vice president’s role in the certification of electoral votes was not exactly clear in the Electoral Count Act of 1887.

Thousands of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 following a “Stop the Steal” rally at The Ellipse park, south of the White House, where Trump told the crowd “We will never concede.”

The mob assaulted police officers, broke windows to climb inside and hurled violent threats aimed at elected officials, including the desire to “hang” Pence. More than 1,500 defendants&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/44-months-jan-6-attack-us-capitol" target="_blank">have been charged</a>&nbsp;by the Department of Justice.

Congress stopped its process of reviewing the state electors in the 2 p.m. Eastern hour as police ushered the lawmakers to safety. The joint session resumed at roughly 11:30 p.m., and Pence called the majority of electoral votes for Biden at nearly 4 a.m. on Jan. 7.

To deter another Jan. 6 insurrection, Congress&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/28/key-u-s-senate-panel-advances-bill-aimed-at-preventing-another-jan-6/" target="_blank">passed</a>&nbsp;the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/JRQ121922.PDF" target="_blank">Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transitional Improvement Act of 2022</a>&nbsp;as part of a massive appropriations bill.

The Electoral Count Reform Act codifies into law that the vice president, who also serves as the president of the U.S. Senate, only ceremoniously reads aloud a roll call of the votes.

Most notably, the provision raises the threshold for lawmakers to make an objection to electors. Previously, only one U.S. House representative and one U.S. senator would need to make an objection to an elector or slate of electors.

But under the new law, it would take one-fifth of members to lodge an objection and under very specific standards — 87 House members and 20 senators.

The Electoral Count Reform Act also identifies that each state’s governor is the official responsible for submitting the state’s official document that identifies the state’s appointed electors, and says that Congress cannot accept that document from any official besides the governor, unless otherwise specified by the state’s law.

Trump and his allies tried to replace legitimate slates of electors in several states with fake electors who would cast ballots for Trump.

The Presidential Transitional Improvement Act provides candidates with funding and resources for transitional planning, even if a candidate has not conceded after the election.

There are already issues with the transition of power. The top Democrat on the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin,&nbsp;<a href="https://oversightdemocrats.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/democrats-oversight.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/2024-10-23.JBR%20to%20Trump%20and%20Vance%20re%20transition%20MOUs.pdf" target="_blank">sent a Wednesday letter</a>&nbsp;to Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, urging them to sign documents to ensure a peaceful transition of power.

“With fewer than three weeks left until an election in which the American people will select a new President of the United States, I urge you to put the public’s interest in maintaining a properly functioning government above any personal financial or political interests you may perceive in boycotting the official transition law and process,” Raskin wrote.

Denial expected at all levels of government

Experts warn the effort to delay certification of the vote is largely being fought at the local and state levels, and that several groups are gearing up to sow doubt in the election outcome.

Devin Burghart, president of the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights, said on a press call Wednesday that since 2020, “election denial has shifted away from the capital to county election commission meetings, courtrooms, cyber symposiums and countless conspiracies in preparation for a repeat this November.”

“This time, the baseless claim that undocumented immigrants are somehow swamping the polls has fueled the ‘big lie’ machine,” Burghart said.

Boockvar said the noncitizen topic is not new.

“I’d like to level set and remind everyone that it’s been illegal at the federal level since 1996 and you know, when you think back on 2002 the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eac.gov/about/help_america_vote_act.aspx" target="_blank">Help America Vote Act</a>&nbsp;basically required voters to provide ID when they register, which is usually a driver’s license or a Social Security number, and states are checking that data against the DMV database. And these protections are enormously successful,” Boockvar said.

In two high-profile cases, the U.S. Department of Justice sued Republican-led efforts in&nbsp;<a href="https://alabamareflector.com/2024/10/16/federal-judge-blocks-alabama-secretary-of-states-voter-removal-plan/" target="_blank">Alabama</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://virginiamercury.com/briefs/judge-orders-people-removed-from-voter-rolls-to-be-reinstated-gov-youngkin-to-seek-appeal/" target="_blank">Virginia</a>&nbsp;to purge voter rolls after alleging thousands of noncitizens were registered to vote. Both states were ordered to stop the programs and reinstate voters – though Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin promised Friday to appeal and even escalate to the Supreme Court.

In&nbsp;<a href="https://georgiarecorder.com/2024/10/22/georgia-supreme-court-delays-ruling-on-controversial-election-board-rules-until-after-nov-5/" target="_blank">Georgia</a>, the state’s Supreme Court delayed new rules until after this election that would have required three poll workers at every precinct to count ballots by hand once the polls closed — essentially delaying unofficial election results.

More than 165 electoral process lawsuits across 37 states have been filed by both parties since 2023 leading up to the 2024 presidential election, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2024-election-court-lawsuits-influence-voting/" target="_blank">survey</a>&nbsp;by Bloomberg of pre-election cases. The journalists found that more than half the cases have been filed in swing states, and challenge almost every facet of the voting process, from absentee voting, to voter roll management, voter eligibility and vote certification.

Republican and conservative groups have filed roughly 55% of the lawsuits, mostly aimed at narrowing who can vote, and overall most of the cases were filed in August and September, according to the analysis.

Courts threw out dozens of lawsuits claiming voter fraud in 2020.

Mai Ratakonda, senior counsel at States United Democracy Center, said anti-democracy groups have used litigation “to legitimize their efforts to sow doubt in our election system.”

“We’ve unfortunately continued to see this trend of filing lawsuits to bolster and legitimize narratives that our elections are insecure and laying the groundwork to contest results later,” Ratakonda told reporters on a press call Wednesday hosted by the organization, whose stated mission is to protect nonpartisan election administration.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720316487639.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">ARIANA FIGUEROA</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ashley-murray/">ASHLEY MURRAY</a>&nbsp;The closing of the polls and end of mail-in voting kick off a nearly three-month process before the next president of the United States is sworn in on Inauguration Day in January. New guardrails were enacted by Congress in 2022 to more fully protect the presidential transition, following the Jan. 6, 2021 mob attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters and a failed scheme to install fake electors.But even before that shift to a new chief executive begins, a presidential victor is unlikely to be announced election night or even the following day.It’s a result that will possibly take days to determine, given tight margins expected in seven swing states. Officials needed four days to count all the votes to determine President Joe Biden the victor of the 2020 presidential election.In states like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, the law does not allow that process to begin for millions of mail-in ballots until Election Day. Other states allow pre-processing of ballots.Trey Grayson, Kentucky’s former Republican secretary of state, said ballot authentication could be on different timelines across the country after voting ends on Election Day.“We have 50 states, plus D.C., that pretty much all do it differently,” Grayson, who served as president of the National Association of Secretaries of State, told reporters Friday on a call of bipartisan former state election officials who are working to explain the process to the public.It could mean “in a very close election that we don’t know on election night who the president is or who controls the House or the Senate, but we should feel confident over the next couple of days, as we work through that, that we’re going to get there,” he said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730046895799.png" alt="-Source: The National Archives and Records Administration" />
 <figcaption>-Source: The National Archives and Records Administration</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Lawsuits and potential recounts&nbsp;</h2>Those delays, which former President Donald Trump seized on to spread the baseless lie that the election was stolen from him, are expected again in November, especially as all eyes will be on the battleground states — Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.Additionally, there already are hundreds of pre-election lawsuits, mainly filed by Republicans, ranging from election integrity challenges to accusations of noncitizens allowed to vote in federal elections — something that rarely happens and is already illegal. The legal challenges could further spark delays.“We will not have a winner on election night most likely and so we need to be able to prepare the public for this,” said Virginia Kase Solomón, the president and CEO of the democracy watchdog group Common Cause, during a Tuesday briefing.She added that her organization will focus on combating misinformation and disinformation on election night and beyond.“There is the potential that somebody could claim the win before … all of the votes have been counted,” she said.In the early morning hours after Election Day in 2020, before results from key states were determined, Trump falsely claimed he won in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duE8tnrSmNc&amp;t=3s" target="_blank">an address at the White House.&nbsp;&nbsp;</a>On top of that, experts say this year could see election denial erupting in countless courtrooms and meeting rooms in localities and the states, as well as across social media, if doubts are sown about the results.Recounts could also delay an official election result, and the laws vary from state to state.For example, in Pennsylvania, if a candidate demands a recount, three voters from each of the over 9,000 precincts have to petition for a recount.“We’ve never seen that happen actually in Pennsylvania,” Kathy Boockvar, the commonwealth’s former Democratic secretary of state, said on Friday’s call with reporters.An automatic statewide recount is triggered in Pennsylvania if there’s a difference of a half percent of all votes cast for the winner and loser. The final recount results, by law, are due to the secretary of state by Nov. 26, and results would be announced on Nov. 27, Boockvar said.The margin in Pennsylvania’s 2020 results for the presidential election was between 1.1% and 1.2%, not enough to trigger the automatic recount, Boockvar said.<h2>Taking out the shrubs</h2>State election officials have been preparing for the past year to train poll workers to not only run the voting booths but for possible violence — a precaution put in place after the 2020 election — and have beefed up security around polling locations.On Friday, Trump posted on X that the election “will be under the closest professional scrutiny and, WHEN I WIN, those people that CHEATED will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the Law, which will include long term prison sentences so that this Depravity of Justice does not happen again.”A reporter asked Grayson about the possibility of aggression from poll watchers. The Republican National Committee&nbsp;<a href="https://gop.com/press-release/trump-campaign-and-rnc-unveil-historic-100000-person-strong-election-integrity-program/" target="_blank">announced</a>&nbsp;in April a “historic move to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process,” establishing party-led trainings for poll watchers.Poll watchers are not a new concept, and Grayson said clear “safeguards” are in place.“If you’re intimidating, you’re gone. There’s clear laws in every state on that,” he said.Celestine Jeffreys, the city clerk in Green Bay, Wisconsin, said during a Wednesday roundtable with election workers that the city has an Election Day protocol in place that includes everything from blocking off streets to City Hall to getting rid of shrubbery.“We have actually removed bushes in front of City Hall” to ensure no one can be concealed behind them, she said.&nbsp;In the second assassination attempt on Trump earlier this year, a gunman hid in bushes outside Trump’s private golf course.New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver said during a Tuesday briefing she is focused on the physical safety of election officials.During the event with the National Association of Secretaries of State, she said such safety is not only a priority during voting but when officials move to certify the state’s election results in December.“We have all been spending a lot more time on physical security and making sure that our election officials at all levels are more physically secure this year,” Toulouse Oliver said. “And of course, you know when our electors meet in our states, you know, ensuring for the physical security of that process and those individuals as well.”On Dec. 17, each state’s electors will meet to vote for the president and vice president. Congress will vote to certify the results on Jan. 6.“We are thinking a lot more about this in 2024 than we did in 2020, but I think that each one of us… have a playbook in mind for how to handle any unanticipated eventualities in the certification process,” she said.<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/law-enforcement-officials-prepare-possible-post-election-violence-dc" target="_blank">It’s a security precaution</a>&nbsp;that the U.S. Secret Service is also taking.For the first time, Congress’ certification of the Electoral College on Jan. 6 has been designated a National Special Security Event, something that is usually reserved for Inauguration Day on Jan. 20.<h2>The 2020 experience</h2>In 2020, The Associated Press did not call the presidential election for Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.ap.org/behind-the-news/calling-the-2020-presidential-race-state-by-state" target="_blank">until</a>&nbsp;11:26 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 7 — roughly three-and-a-half days after polls closed. The AP, as well as other media organizations, project election winners after local officials make initial tabulations public.Those tallies are then&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eac.gov/election-officials/election-results-canvass-and-certification" target="_blank">canvassed, audited and certified</a>, according to each state’s legal timeline. Recounts may also extend the timeline before final certification.The vote totals reported in Pennsylvania — a state that carried 20 Electoral College votes in 2020 — put Biden over the top for the 270 needed to win the presidency.Trump refused to concede the race, and instead promised to take his fight to court.For the next two months, Trump and his surrogates filed&nbsp;<a href="https://electioncases.osu.edu/case-tracker/?sortby=filing_date_desc&amp;keywords=&amp;status=all&amp;state=all&amp;topic=25" target="_blank">just over 60 lawsuits</a>&nbsp;challenging the results in numerous states. Ultimately none of the judges found evidence of widespread voter fraud.The next step was for Congress to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2014-title3/html/USCODE-2014-title3-chap1-sec15.htm" target="_blank">count</a>&nbsp;each state’s certified slate of electors, which by law, it must do on the Jan. 6 following a presidential election.However, in the weeks leading up to Jan. 6, Trump and his private lawyers worked to replace legitimate slates of electors with fake ones, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/collection/january-6th-committee-final-report?path=/GPO/January%206th%20Committee%20Final%20Report%20and%20Supporting%20Materials%20Collection" target="_blank">hundreds</a>&nbsp;of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67656604/266/2/united-states-v-trump/" target="_blank">pages</a>&nbsp;of records compiled by a special congressional investigation, and by the U.S. Department of Justice.Trump pressured then-Vice President Mike Pence to block ratification of the Electoral College’s vote at the Jan. 6 joint session of Congress, because the vice president’s role in the certification of electoral votes was not exactly clear in the Electoral Count Act of 1887.Pence ultimately refused.Thousands of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 following a “Stop the Steal” rally at The Ellipse park, south of the White House, where Trump told the crowd “We will never concede.”The mob assaulted police officers, broke windows to climb inside and hurled violent threats aimed at elected officials, including the desire to “hang” Pence. More than 1,500 defendants&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/44-months-jan-6-attack-us-capitol" target="_blank">have been charged</a>&nbsp;by the Department of Justice.Congress stopped its process of reviewing the state electors in the 2 p.m. Eastern hour as police ushered the lawmakers to safety. The joint session resumed at roughly 11:30 p.m., and Pence called the majority of electoral votes for Biden at nearly 4 a.m. on Jan. 7.<h2>New law on presidential transition</h2>To deter another Jan. 6 insurrection, Congress&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/28/key-u-s-senate-panel-advances-bill-aimed-at-preventing-another-jan-6/" target="_blank">passed</a>&nbsp;the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/JRQ121922.PDF" target="_blank">Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transitional Improvement Act of 2022</a>&nbsp;as part of a massive appropriations bill.The Electoral Count Reform Act codifies into law that the vice president, who also serves as the president of the U.S. Senate, only ceremoniously reads aloud a roll call of the votes.Most notably, the provision raises the threshold for lawmakers to make an objection to electors. Previously, only one U.S. House representative and one U.S. senator would need to make an objection to an elector or slate of electors.But under the new law, it would take one-fifth of members to lodge an objection and under very specific standards — 87 House members and 20 senators.The Electoral Count Reform Act also identifies that each state’s governor is the official responsible for submitting the state’s official document that identifies the state’s appointed electors, and says that Congress cannot accept that document from any official besides the governor, unless otherwise specified by the state’s law.Trump and his allies tried to replace legitimate slates of electors in several states with fake electors who would cast ballots for Trump.The Presidential Transitional Improvement Act provides candidates with funding and resources for transitional planning, even if a candidate has not conceded after the election.There are already issues with the transition of power. The top Democrat on the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin,&nbsp;<a href="https://oversightdemocrats.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/democrats-oversight.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/2024-10-23.JBR%20to%20Trump%20and%20Vance%20re%20transition%20MOUs.pdf" target="_blank">sent a Wednesday letter</a>&nbsp;to Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, urging them to sign documents to ensure a peaceful transition of power.“With fewer than three weeks left until an election in which the American people will select a new President of the United States, I urge you to put the public’s interest in maintaining a properly functioning government above any personal financial or political interests you may perceive in boycotting the official transition law and process,” Raskin wrote.<h2>Denial expected at all levels of government</h2>Experts warn the effort to delay certification of the vote is largely being fought at the local and state levels, and that several groups are gearing up to sow doubt in the election outcome.Devin Burghart, president of the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights, said on a press call Wednesday that since 2020, “election denial has shifted away from the capital to county election commission meetings, courtrooms, cyber symposiums and countless conspiracies in preparation for a repeat this November.”“This time, the baseless claim that undocumented immigrants are somehow swamping the polls has fueled the ‘big lie’ machine,” Burghart said.Boockvar said the noncitizen topic is not new.“I’d like to level set and remind everyone that it’s been illegal at the federal level since 1996 and you know, when you think back on 2002 the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eac.gov/about/help_america_vote_act.aspx" target="_blank">Help America Vote Act</a>&nbsp;basically required voters to provide ID when they register, which is usually a driver’s license or a Social Security number, and states are checking that data against the DMV database. And these protections are enormously successful,” Boockvar said.In two high-profile cases, the U.S. Department of Justice sued Republican-led efforts in&nbsp;<a href="https://alabamareflector.com/2024/10/16/federal-judge-blocks-alabama-secretary-of-states-voter-removal-plan/" target="_blank">Alabama</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://virginiamercury.com/briefs/judge-orders-people-removed-from-voter-rolls-to-be-reinstated-gov-youngkin-to-seek-appeal/" target="_blank">Virginia</a>&nbsp;to purge voter rolls after alleging thousands of noncitizens were registered to vote. Both states were ordered to stop the programs and reinstate voters – though Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin promised Friday to appeal and even escalate to the Supreme Court.In&nbsp;<a href="https://georgiarecorder.com/2024/10/22/georgia-supreme-court-delays-ruling-on-controversial-election-board-rules-until-after-nov-5/" target="_blank">Georgia</a>, the state’s Supreme Court delayed new rules until after this election that would have required three poll workers at every precinct to count ballots by hand once the polls closed — essentially delaying unofficial election results.More than 165 electoral process lawsuits across 37 states have been filed by both parties since 2023 leading up to the 2024 presidential election, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2024-election-court-lawsuits-influence-voting/" target="_blank">survey</a>&nbsp;by Bloomberg of pre-election cases. The journalists found that more than half the cases have been filed in swing states, and challenge almost every facet of the voting process, from absentee voting, to voter roll management, voter eligibility and vote certification.Republican and conservative groups have filed roughly 55% of the lawsuits, mostly aimed at narrowing who can vote, and overall most of the cases were filed in August and September, according to the analysis.Courts threw out dozens of lawsuits claiming voter fraud in 2020.Mai Ratakonda, senior counsel at States United Democracy Center, said anti-democracy groups have used litigation “to legitimize their efforts to sow doubt in our election system.”“We’ve unfortunately continued to see this trend of filing lawsuits to bolster and legitimize narratives that our elections are insecure and laying the groundwork to contest results later,” Ratakonda told reporters on a press call Wednesday hosted by the organization, whose stated mission is to protect nonpartisan election administration.

Final results may lag in deadlocked presidential contest, anxious election officials warn

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating alleged aggravated child endangerment in Manhattan.

According to the Riley County Police Department activity report, a 19-year-old woman and a 25-year-old woman left a 1-year-old boy&nbsp; unattended at a residence. 

Police arrested Madyson Green, 19 and&nbsp;Alisia Green, 25, both of Manhattan on requested charges of aggravated child endangerment.&nbsp; They both remain in custody on bonds of $6,000 each, according to the RCPD.

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating alleged aggravated child endangerment in Manhattan.According to the Riley County Police Department activity report, a 19-year-old woman and a 25-year-old woman left a 1-year-old boy&nbsp; unattended at a residence. Police arrested Madyson Green, 19 and&nbsp;Alisia Green, 25, both of Manhattan on requested charges of aggravated child endangerment.&nbsp; They both remain in custody on bonds of $6,000 each, according to the RCPD.

Police: 2 Kansas women left a 1-year-old home alone

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/natanyafriedheim/">NATANYA FRIEDHEIM</a>

Physician David Mehr addressed a dozen voters gathered Saturday morning at the Columbia headquarters of Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, the coalition behind a proposed amendment would enshrine the right to abortion in Missouri’s constitution.

Meanwhile, physicians greeted volunteers in St. Louis County, and still more gathered in Kansas City, as part of the coalition’s final get-out-the-vote campaign before the Nov. 5 election.

“I’ve cared for women my entire life,” Mehr told the group of volunteers in Columbia. “It’s important that we keep this decision between a woman and her doctor.”

Mehr works at University of Missouri Health Care but spoke as an individual and not on behalf of the hospital.

An hour later, he was navigating a thicket in a northwest Columbia neighborhood, looking for the right door to knock on. By the end of the day, he and his canvassing partner had knocked on 44 doors.

Like other states with abortion bans, Missouri’s state law carves out exceptions “in cases of medical emergency.” Medical professionals who perform abortions deemed unnecessary can be found guilty of a Class B felony and have their license revoked or suspended.

“There’s no definition of what a medical emergency might be,” said Betsy Wickstrom, a high-risk obstetrician who works in Kansas City. “So if my patient is bleeding and her cervix is open, there’s still cardiac activity, how much do I need to let her bleed?”

Wickstrom preferred not to disclose her hospital affiliation. Her reluctance was shared by doctors who gathered in St. Louis on Saturday and reflects a broader trend of doctors keeping their workplaces hidden when talking about abortion, identified in a 2023 study.

Last month, a group of 800 medical professionals from Missouri, including 500 physicians, signed a letter supporting the abortion-rights amendment, which appears on the ballot as Amendment 3.

No doctor in any state has been criminally prosecuted for performing an abortion during a medical emergency, according to an article published last month by the Association of American Medical Colleges. However, doctors across the country have warned that lack of clarity about what constitutes a medical emergency compromises their ability to offer emergency abortions.

In August, a group of OB-GYN medical residents in Missouri anonymously published an article in the Journal of Graduate Medical Education describing their shock and fear entering the profession in a state with a strict abortion ban.

“Because the text of the law reads so punitively, it has struck fear into clinicians and caused life-saving care to be unnecessarily delayed or blatantly refused,” the authors wrote.

Since abortion became illegal in Missouri in 2022, the state has seen a more than 25% drop in applications for OB-GYN medical residencies, according to a May report by the Association of American Medical Colleges.

In a widely publicized case from 2022, two hospitals, including one in Missouri, turned away Missouri resident Mylissa Farmer when she sought care after her water broke at just 18 weeks of pregnancy. Last year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid found the two hospitals — Freeman Hospital West in Joplin and the University of Kansas Health System in Kansas City, Kansas — violated federal law when they denied Farmer care.

Numerous other examples of women being denied emergency medical care have appeared in news media since the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ended the constitutional right to an abortion.

Health care professionals opposed to abortion argue that media reports promote an exaggerated narrative that abortion bans jeopardize women’s access to emergency care.

“All state laws allow for maternal fetal separations to be done (through whatever means necessary) in order to save the life of the mother,” Christina Francis, an OB-GYN and CEO of the American Association of Pro-Life OB-GYNs, wrote in testimony for a U.S. Senate Finance Committee hearing in September.

Decisions in medicine are rarely black-and-white. When a woman’s water breaks early enough that the fetus’ viability is remote, abortion is the standard of care, said Wickstrom. When a woman is closer to 20 weeks, factors like bleeding, signs of infection and how much amniotic fluid is in the uterus are considered.

Some women want to wait, and a doctor guides the patient through that choice.

“Of course we do that, because the point is choice. The point is that it is her body to determine for herself what’s right for her, and we come alongside her and support her and guide her through what is right for her,” Wickstrom said.

If a woman does not want to continue the nonviable pregnancy, the fetus has a heartbeat and her condition is not considered an emergency, she has to leave the state for an abortion, Wickstrom said. In Kansas City and St. Louis, women can get to clinics that offer abortion care in Kansas and Illinois more easily than those in mid-Missouri.

Wickstrom brings her metal water bottle to work at a hospital in Kansas City. She keeps it on display when she talks to patients so they can see the stickers adorning it: Just above a cutout of Taylor Swift is a sticker that reads “ABORTION RESOURCES,” followed by a list of phone numbers and website URLs.

Wickstrom said she struggles to speak frankly with women who have high-risk pregnancies about their options.

“You’ve got to dance around it a lot more,” she said, “because the waters are muddy.”

This story originally appeared in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/elections/ballot-initiatives/doctors-gather-across-missouri-to-canvass-for-amendment-3/article_bad37842-93aa-11ef-a493-9b41a7d95124.html#tncms-source=Top%20Story" target="_blank">Columbia Missourian</a>. It can be republished in print or online.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725887984419.png" alt=" Supporters of a proposed ballot measure to legalize abortion up until the point of fetal viability gathered at a rally hosted by Missourians for Constitutional Freedom on Feb. 6 in Kansas City (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Supporters of a proposed ballot measure to legalize abortion up until the point of fetal viability gathered at a rally hosted by Missourians for Constitutional Freedom on Feb. 6 in Kansas City (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/natanyafriedheim/">NATANYA FRIEDHEIM</a>Physician David Mehr addressed a dozen voters gathered Saturday morning at the Columbia headquarters of Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, the coalition behind a proposed amendment would enshrine the right to abortion in Missouri’s constitution.Meanwhile, physicians greeted volunteers in St. Louis County, and still more gathered in Kansas City, as part of the coalition’s final get-out-the-vote campaign before the Nov. 5 election.“I’ve cared for women my entire life,” Mehr told the group of volunteers in Columbia. “It’s important that we keep this decision between a woman and her doctor.”Mehr works at University of Missouri Health Care but spoke as an individual and not on behalf of the hospital.An hour later, he was navigating a thicket in a northwest Columbia neighborhood, looking for the right door to knock on. By the end of the day, he and his canvassing partner had knocked on 44 doors.Like other states with abortion bans, Missouri’s state law carves out exceptions “in cases of medical emergency.” Medical professionals who perform abortions deemed unnecessary can be found guilty of a Class B felony and have their license revoked or suspended.“There’s no definition of what a medical emergency might be,” said Betsy Wickstrom, a high-risk obstetrician who works in Kansas City. “So if my patient is bleeding and her cervix is open, there’s still cardiac activity, how much do I need to let her bleed?”Wickstrom preferred not to disclose her hospital affiliation. Her reluctance was shared by doctors who gathered in St. Louis on Saturday and reflects a broader trend of doctors keeping their workplaces hidden when talking about abortion, identified in a 2023 study.Last month, a group of 800 medical professionals from Missouri, including 500 physicians, signed a letter supporting the abortion-rights amendment, which appears on the ballot as Amendment 3.No doctor in any state has been criminally prosecuted for performing an abortion during a medical emergency, according to an article published last month by the Association of American Medical Colleges. However, doctors across the country have warned that lack of clarity about what constitutes a medical emergency compromises their ability to offer emergency abortions.In August, a group of OB-GYN medical residents in Missouri anonymously published an article in the Journal of Graduate Medical Education describing their shock and fear entering the profession in a state with a strict abortion ban.“Because the text of the law reads so punitively, it has struck fear into clinicians and caused life-saving care to be unnecessarily delayed or blatantly refused,” the authors wrote.Since abortion became illegal in Missouri in 2022, the state has seen a more than 25% drop in applications for OB-GYN medical residencies, according to a May report by the Association of American Medical Colleges.In a widely publicized case from 2022, two hospitals, including one in Missouri, turned away Missouri resident Mylissa Farmer when she sought care after her water broke at just 18 weeks of pregnancy. Last year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid found the two hospitals — Freeman Hospital West in Joplin and the University of Kansas Health System in Kansas City, Kansas — violated federal law when they denied Farmer care.Numerous other examples of women being denied emergency medical care have appeared in news media since the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ended the constitutional right to an abortion.Health care professionals opposed to abortion argue that media reports promote an exaggerated narrative that abortion bans jeopardize women’s access to emergency care.“All state laws allow for maternal fetal separations to be done (through whatever means necessary) in order to save the life of the mother,” Christina Francis, an OB-GYN and CEO of the American Association of Pro-Life OB-GYNs, wrote in testimony for a U.S. Senate Finance Committee hearing in September.Decisions in medicine are rarely black-and-white. When a woman’s water breaks early enough that the fetus’ viability is remote, abortion is the standard of care, said Wickstrom. When a woman is closer to 20 weeks, factors like bleeding, signs of infection and how much amniotic fluid is in the uterus are considered.Some women want to wait, and a doctor guides the patient through that choice.“Of course we do that, because the point is choice. The point is that it is her body to determine for herself what’s right for her, and we come alongside her and support her and guide her through what is right for her,” Wickstrom said.If a woman does not want to continue the nonviable pregnancy, the fetus has a heartbeat and her condition is not considered an emergency, she has to leave the state for an abortion, Wickstrom said. In Kansas City and St. Louis, women can get to clinics that offer abortion care in Kansas and Illinois more easily than those in mid-Missouri.Wickstrom brings her metal water bottle to work at a hospital in Kansas City. She keeps it on display when she talks to patients so they can see the stickers adorning it: Just above a cutout of Taylor Swift is a sticker that reads “ABORTION RESOURCES,” followed by a list of phone numbers and website URLs.Wickstrom said she struggles to speak frankly with women who have high-risk pregnancies about their options.“You’ve got to dance around it a lot more,” she said, “because the waters are muddy.”This story originally appeared in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/elections/ballot-initiatives/doctors-gather-across-missouri-to-canvass-for-amendment-3/article_bad37842-93aa-11ef-a493-9b41a7d95124.html#tncms-source=Top%20Story" target="_blank">Columbia Missourian</a>. It can be republished in print or online.&nbsp;

Doctors gather across Missouri to canvass for abortion amendment

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are investigating a deadly shooting inside a Kansas City pizza restaurant.

&nbsp;Just after 8p.m. Friday, police were dispatched to a shooting at a restaurant at 8700 Blue Ridge, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina. 

On arrival officers were directed inside the business where they located a shooting victim, later identified as 48-year-old Reginald Lamar, unresponsive. Officers summoned EMS inside the business and they declared Lamar deceased at the scene.

Responding officers detained an adult male subject of interest who was at the scene when officers arrived for further investigation.

The investigation indicates the suspect and Lamar were inside the business when they became involved in an argument. The argument quickly escalated which led to a shot or shots being fired and Lamar being struck. 

The suspect and Lamar were known to each other and this appears to be the result of an argument or disagreement.

Detectives are canvassing for witnesses and working with crime scene investigators to process and gather all available evidence. Detectives are also talking to numerous people who were at the scene when officers arrived to gather more information about what led up to the shooting.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729951935495.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are investigating a deadly shooting inside a Kansas City pizza restaurant.&nbsp;Just after 8p.m. Friday, police were dispatched to a shooting at a restaurant at 8700 Blue Ridge, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina. On arrival officers were directed inside the business where they located a shooting victim, later identified as 48-year-old Reginald Lamar, unresponsive. Officers summoned EMS inside the business and they declared Lamar deceased at the scene.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729951911251.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>Responding officers detained an adult male subject of interest who was at the scene when officers arrived for further investigation.The investigation indicates the suspect and Lamar were inside the business when they became involved in an argument. The argument quickly escalated which led to a shot or shots being fired and Lamar being struck. The suspect and Lamar were known to each other and this appears to be the result of an argument or disagreement.Detectives are canvassing for witnesses and working with crime scene investigators to process and gather all available evidence. Detectives are also talking to numerous people who were at the scene when officers arrived to gather more information about what led up to the shooting.

Man killed during dispute inside Kansas City restaurant

KANSAS CITY —As many as three people including two KCPD officers were injured in a multi-vehicle crash involving two marked Kansas City Police Department vehicles that occurred just before 5a.m. Sunday.

Police were dispatched originally to a collision on southbound 71 Highway, just before Bannister Road in Kansas City.&nbsp; First responders observed a black Dodge Charger wrecked out and abandoned, according KCPD Officer Alayna Gonzalez.

Police ordered a City Tow for the vehicle, and while waiting for the tow truck, a Ford Fusion came from behind and struck the rear of the KCPD Ford Explorer. 

This impact forced the Explorer forward, and into the rear of a second KCPD Ford Explorer. The second KCPD Explorer then traveled forward and struck the rear of the the abandoned Dodge Charger.&nbsp; &nbsp;Two officers were suffering from minor injuries, according to Officer Gonzalez and the driver of the Ford was transported to a hospital for treatment of serious injuries. Impairment is under consideration for the cause of the crash, according to Gonzalez.

KANSAS CITY —As many as three people including two KCPD officers were injured in a multi-vehicle crash involving two marked Kansas City Police Department vehicles that occurred just before 5a.m. Sunday.Police were dispatched originally to a collision on southbound 71 Highway, just before Bannister Road in Kansas City.&nbsp; First responders observed a black Dodge Charger wrecked out and abandoned, according KCPD Officer Alayna Gonzalez.Police ordered a City Tow for the vehicle, and while waiting for the tow truck, a Ford Fusion came from behind and struck the rear of the KCPD Ford Explorer. This impact forced the Explorer forward, and into the rear of a second KCPD Ford Explorer. The second KCPD Explorer then traveled forward and struck the rear of the the abandoned Dodge Charger.&nbsp; &nbsp;Two officers were suffering from minor injuries, according to Officer Gonzalez and the driver of the Ford was transported to a hospital for treatment of serious injuries. Impairment is under consideration for the cause of the crash, according to Gonzalez.

2 officers among in 3 injured in crash into marked KCPD vehicles

KANSAS CITY – A Mexican national who worked with a drug-trafficking organization tied to the Cárteles Unidos cartel in Michoacán, Mexico, was convicted by a federal trial jury last week for his role in a $4.7 million conspiracy to distribute more than 335 kilograms of methamphetamine and 22 kilograms of heroin in the Kansas City metropolitan area and throughout the United States, according to the United State's Attorney.

Luis Eduardo Pineda-Zarao, 29, a citizen of Mexico residing in Lebanon, Tennessee, was found guilty of participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin from Feb. 28, 2020, to June 1, 2022.

The indictment alleges the conspiracy involved the distribution of more than 335.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, with an average street price of $300 per ounce, and more than 22.1 kilograms of heroin, with an average street price of $1,500 per ounce.

During the investigation, federal agents with Homeland Security Investigations conducted two undercover bulk cash pickups totaling $308,775 and seized $610,400 in bulk cash, over 56 kilograms of methamphetamine, 5.5 kilograms of heroin, 2.6 kilograms of marijuana, and at least eight firearms, two of which were stolen. Law enforcement officers also seized $277,863 during a vehicle stop and $114,863 while executing search warrants at four Kansas City, Mo., residences.

Pineda-Zarao is among 44 defendants charged in this case. Nine co-defendants have been sentenced and 34 co-defendants have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.

Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for less than an hour before returning guilty verdicts to U.S. District Judge Greg Kays, ending a trial that began Monday, Oct. 21.

Under federal statutes, Pineda-Zarao is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick C. Edwards and Megan Baker. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Jackson County Drug Task Force, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Independence, Mo., Police Department, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Minnesota State Patrol, the Olmsted County, Minn., Sheriff’s Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the FBI, the Clay County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshals Service.

Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

This prosecution was brought as a part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Co-located Strike Forces Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations against a continuum of priority targets and their affiliate illicit financial networks. These prosecutor-led co-located Strike Forces capitalize on the synergy created through the long-term relationships that can be forged by agents, analysts, and prosecutors who remain together over time, and they epitomize the model that has proven most effective in combating organized crime. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.

KANSAS CITY – A Mexican national who worked with a drug-trafficking organization tied to the Cárteles Unidos cartel in Michoacán, Mexico, was convicted by a federal trial jury last week for his role in a $4.7 million conspiracy to distribute more than 335 kilograms of methamphetamine and 22 kilograms of heroin in the Kansas City metropolitan area and throughout the United States, according to the United State's Attorney.Luis Eduardo Pineda-Zarao, 29, a citizen of Mexico residing in Lebanon, Tennessee, was found guilty of participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin from Feb. 28, 2020, to June 1, 2022.The indictment alleges the conspiracy involved the distribution of more than 335.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, with an average street price of $300 per ounce, and more than 22.1 kilograms of heroin, with an average street price of $1,500 per ounce.During the investigation, federal agents with Homeland Security Investigations conducted two undercover bulk cash pickups totaling $308,775 and seized $610,400 in bulk cash, over 56 kilograms of methamphetamine, 5.5 kilograms of heroin, 2.6 kilograms of marijuana, and at least eight firearms, two of which were stolen. Law enforcement officers also seized $277,863 during a vehicle stop and $114,863 while executing search warrants at four Kansas City, Mo., residences.Pineda-Zarao is among 44 defendants charged in this case. Nine co-defendants have been sentenced and 34 co-defendants have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for less than an hour before returning guilty verdicts to U.S. District Judge Greg Kays, ending a trial that began Monday, Oct. 21.Under federal statutes, Pineda-Zarao is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick C. Edwards and Megan Baker. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Jackson County Drug Task Force, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Independence, Mo., Police Department, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Minnesota State Patrol, the Olmsted County, Minn., Sheriff’s Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the FBI, the Clay County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshals Service.Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task ForceThis case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.KC Metro Strike ForceThis prosecution was brought as a part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Co-located Strike Forces Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations against a continuum of priority targets and their affiliate illicit financial networks. These prosecutor-led co-located Strike Forces capitalize on the synergy created through the long-term relationships that can be forged by agents, analysts, and prosecutors who remain together over time, and they epitomize the model that has proven most effective in combating organized crime. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.

Jury: Mexican national guilty of $4.7 million meth, heroin conspiracy in KC

KANSAS CITY —Two people died in an accident just before 4a.m. Sunday in Kansas City.

A Dodge Hornet was&nbsp; southbound on Jackson Avenue in Kansas City at a very high rate of speed, according to KCPD Officer Alayna Gonzalez. The driver of the Dodge failed to stop for the red traffic control signal at Truman Road.

The Dodge struck the left side of an eastbound Ford Fusion that was traveling through the green light. The impact forced the Ford to the south where it impacted a wooden utility pole. The Dodge continued southeast after the crash and struck the west wall of the business, Cash America Pawn at 4205 Truman Road.

The front passenger of the Dodge and the driver of the Ford were pronounced dead at the scene. The driver and two additional passengers of the Dodge were transported to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. Impairment is under investigation for the driver of the Dodge, according to Gonzalez&nbsp;

KANSAS CITY —Two people died in an accident just before 4a.m. Sunday in Kansas City.A Dodge Hornet was&nbsp; southbound on Jackson Avenue in Kansas City at a very high rate of speed, according to KCPD Officer Alayna Gonzalez. The driver of the Dodge failed to stop for the red traffic control signal at Truman Road.The Dodge struck the left side of an eastbound Ford Fusion that was traveling through the green light. The impact forced the Ford to the south where it impacted a wooden utility pole. The Dodge continued southeast after the crash and struck the west wall of the business, Cash America Pawn at 4205 Truman Road.The front passenger of the Dodge and the driver of the Ford were pronounced dead at the scene. The driver and two additional passengers of the Dodge were transported to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. Impairment is under investigation for the driver of the Dodge, according to Gonzalez&nbsp;

KCPD: Impairment a possible factor in crash that left 2 dead

Son of first woman on U.S. Supreme Court reflects on O’Connor’s journey

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

LAWRENCE — The late Sandra Day O’Connor overcame stifling 1950s-era gender barriers widely imposed on law school graduates to build a career culminating with appointment as the first woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.

The list of rejections received by the Stanford University graduate included the influential California firm of Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher that employed William French Smith, who decades later became U.S. attorney general under President Ronald Reagan. One of Reagan’s campaign promises was to appoint a woman to the Supreme Court.

Ironically, it was Smith who dispatched a Justice Department attorney, Ken Starr, to conduct the pre-nomination interview with O’Connor in the living room of her Arizona home in 1981.

“Smith’s law firm in Los Angeles that he left to become attorney general was one of the firms that turned mom down, but offered her a job as a legal secretary,” said Scott O’Connor, the late justice’s eldest son. “So, during the interview she got to really twist the knife.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730039502163.png" alt="Scott O’Connor, eldest son of the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, accepted the Dole Leadership Prize from the Dole Institute at University of Kansas. It honors individuals and nonprofits dedicated to inspiring discourse in political or civic life. A bust of the late U.S. Sen. Robert Dole sits over his left shoulder. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from Dole Institute)" />
 <figcaption>Scott O’Connor, eldest son of the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, accepted the Dole Leadership Prize from the Dole Institute at University of Kansas. It honors individuals and nonprofits dedicated to inspiring discourse in political or civic life. A bust of the late U.S. Sen. Robert Dole sits over his left shoulder. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from Dole Institute)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Son of first woman on U.S. Supreme Court reflects on O’Connor’s journey</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>LAWRENCE — The late Sandra Day O’Connor overcame stifling 1950s-era gender barriers widely imposed on law school graduates to build a career culminating with appointment as the first woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.The list of rejections received by the Stanford University graduate included the influential California firm of Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher that employed William French Smith, who decades later became U.S. attorney general under President Ronald Reagan. One of Reagan’s campaign promises was to appoint a woman to the Supreme Court.Ironically, it was Smith who dispatched a Justice Department attorney, Ken Starr, to conduct the pre-nomination interview with O’Connor in the living room of her Arizona home in 1981.“Smith’s law firm in Los Angeles that he left to become attorney general was one of the firms that turned mom down, but offered her a job as a legal secretary,” said Scott O’Connor, the late justice’s eldest son. “So, during the interview she got to really twist the knife.”Reagan nominated O’Connor and, despite conservative backlash tied to abortion politics and gender bias, she won unanimous confirmation in the U.S. Senate. She served on the nation’s highest court for 24 years, wrote more than 600 opinions and was viewed as a swing vote on a divided court. She retired in 2006 and passed away in December 2023.On Thursday, the Robert Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas presented the late justice with the $25,000 Dole Leadership Prize. It’s a bipartisan award presented to individuals or nonprofits engaged in public service that demonstrated the importance of engaging in political and civic affairs. She was the Dole Institute’s first posthumous recipient.Other recipients include Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, civil rights leader and U.S. Rep. John Lewis, Secretary of State James Baker, U.S. Sen. Nancy Kassebaum and professor Temple Grandin.In terms of Justice O’Connor, the award honored her service in all three branches of Arizona government, her prominent role on the U.S. Supreme Court and her dedication in retirement to the nonprofit organization iCivics. It’s an educational program offering millions of students annually the opportunity to engage in civics.“She was the quintessential American,” said Scott O’Connor, who accepted the prize on behalf of his mother. “She understood our country. What it could be. She respected its institutions and felt it was our obligation to do all we could do to make them function better, not to tear them apart.”He said her selection by Reagan demonstrated that anyone could reach the highest echelon of U.S. government if qualified and passionate for the work. She grew up on a family cattle ranch about 9 miles from the nearest paved road in a home without running water until she was age 7. She enrolled at Stanford at 16 and earned a law degree by 21.Her legal career began in San Mateo, California, where she served as a county attorney without a salary. She shared a desk with a receptionist. Her husband, attorney John Jay O’Connor, was drafted and both worked for the military in Germany for three years before returning to the United States and moving to Maricopa County, Arizona.She left private practice in the late 1960s to become an assistant attorney general in Arizona. For a portion of that time, O’Connor and another woman in the office worked three-fourths time for one-half pay while raising young children.O’Connor was subsequently appointed to a vacancy in the Arizona Senate and over two-plus terms became the first woman to serve as a Senate majority leader of any state.“She enjoyed the work,” Scott O’Connor said. “It was extremely challenging, but she soon realized the typical state legislator wasn’t necessarily the most ethical, the most high-minded person you might want to spend the rest of your career with.”The Republican chose not to seek reelection to the state Senate. She served for four years on the Maricopa County Superior Court prior to appointment by the governor to the Arizona Court of Appeals. She was on the state appellate bench until nominated by Reagan in 1981.“All of that happened to a little ranch girl from the middle of nowhere,” Scott O’Connor said. “It was just astonishing. It gave our family great hope for America — that it works.”Scott O’Connor said the life experiences of his mother — a childhood on a cattle ranch, breaking gender barriers, serving in the three branches of government — offered an awareness of American life not shared enough by modern appointees to the federal judiciary. He said too many federal judges “come through a cloistered existence.”“They don’t know what it’s like to pass a bill that is controversial,” he said. “They don’t know what it’s like to run for public office. They don’t know necessarily what it’s like to represent the poorest indigent clients in a strip-mall law office.”