NEW YORK (AP) — Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay, a soulful mezzo-soprano who provided backing vocals on such 1960s classics as “Suspicious Minds” and “When a Man Loves a Woman” and was a featured singer with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/grateful-dead-60th-anniversary-san-francisco-a607472bd5a08bec5d9409ea6f6b0a4d">Grateful Dead</a>&nbsp;for much of the 1970s, has died at 78.

A spokesperson for Godchaux-MacKay confirmed that she died Sunday at Alive Hospice in Nashville after having cancer. Godchaux-McKay and other Grateful Dead members were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.

Born Donna Jean Thatcher in Florence, Alabama, she had yet to turn 20 when she became a session performer in nearby Muscle Shoals, where many soul and rhythm and blues hits were recorded, and also was on hand for numerous sessions at the Memphis-based American Sound Studio. Her credits included&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/elvis-presley">Elvis Presley’s</a>&nbsp;“Suspicious Minds,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/19e82b7068084b3c9802d81f048dc1aa">Percy Sledge’s</a>&nbsp;“When a Man Loves a Woman” and songs with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-arts-and-entertainment-theater-new-york-8b2c0eaf3822ee375360c1bf54b4003b">Neil Diamond,</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/yacht-rock-documentary-f595005f5acb5259a5aae289b58c6ea9">Boz Scaggs</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/cher">Cher.</a>

In the early 1970s, she and pianist/then-husband Keith Godchaux joined the Grateful Dead and remained with them for several tours and albums, including “Terrapin Station,” “Shakedown Street” and “From the Mars Hotel.” Godchaux appeared on numerous songs, whether joining with Jerry Garcia on “Scarlet Begonias” or writing and taking the lead on “From the Heart of Me.”

The Godchauxs left the Dead in 1979, with hopes of forming their own group, but Keith Godchaux died the following year from injuries sustained in an automobile accident. Donna, who married bassist David MacKay in 1981, continued to tour and record over the following decades.

Her albums include “Back Around” and “Donna Jean and the Tricksters.” In the 1970s, she and Keith Godchaux released “Keith &amp; Donna.”

In addition to David MacKay, survivors include sons Kinsman MacKay and Zion Godchaux and two siblings, Gogi Clark and Ivan Thatcher.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762201640019.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay, a soulful mezzo-soprano who provided backing vocals on such 1960s classics as “Suspicious Minds” and “When a Man Loves a Woman” and was a featured singer with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/grateful-dead-60th-anniversary-san-francisco-a607472bd5a08bec5d9409ea6f6b0a4d">Grateful Dead</a>&nbsp;for much of the 1970s, has died at 78.A spokesperson for Godchaux-MacKay confirmed that she died Sunday at Alive Hospice in Nashville after having cancer. Godchaux-McKay and other Grateful Dead members were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.Born Donna Jean Thatcher in Florence, Alabama, she had yet to turn 20 when she became a session performer in nearby Muscle Shoals, where many soul and rhythm and blues hits were recorded, and also was on hand for numerous sessions at the Memphis-based American Sound Studio. Her credits included&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/elvis-presley">Elvis Presley’s</a>&nbsp;“Suspicious Minds,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/19e82b7068084b3c9802d81f048dc1aa">Percy Sledge’s</a>&nbsp;“When a Man Loves a Woman” and songs with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-arts-and-entertainment-theater-new-york-8b2c0eaf3822ee375360c1bf54b4003b">Neil Diamond,</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/yacht-rock-documentary-f595005f5acb5259a5aae289b58c6ea9">Boz Scaggs</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/cher">Cher.</a>In the early 1970s, she and pianist/then-husband Keith Godchaux joined the Grateful Dead and remained with them for several tours and albums, including “Terrapin Station,” “Shakedown Street” and “From the Mars Hotel.” Godchaux appeared on numerous songs, whether joining with Jerry Garcia on “Scarlet Begonias” or writing and taking the lead on “From the Heart of Me.”The Godchauxs left the Dead in 1979, with hopes of forming their own group, but Keith Godchaux died the following year from injuries sustained in an automobile accident. Donna, who married bassist David MacKay in 1981, continued to tour and record over the following decades.Her albums include “Back Around” and “Donna Jean and the Tricksters.” In the 1970s, she and Keith Godchaux released “Keith &amp; Donna.”In addition to David MacKay, survivors include sons Kinsman MacKay and Zion Godchaux and two siblings, Gogi Clark and Ivan Thatcher.

 Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay, Grateful Dead singer, dies at 78

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/geoff-mulvihill">GEOFF MULVIHILL</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/kimberlee-kruesi">KIMBERLEE KRUESI</a>

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — President Donald Trump’s administration said Monday that it will partially fund&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/snap-how-it-works-cards-e061c2af0f3cc997b69a24296238783c">SNAP</a>&nbsp;after two judges issued rulings requiring it to keep the nation’s largest food aid program running.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, had planned to freeze payments starting Nov. 1 because it said it could no longer keep funding it during the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-food-lines-snap-6b55e2c21c0198f3309f3a45a55f33b6">federal government shutdown</a>. The program serves about 1 in 8 Americans and is a major piece of the nation’s social safety net. It costs more than $8 billion per month nationally. The government says an emergency fund it will use has $4.65 billion — enough to cover about half the normal benefits.

Exhausting the fund potentially sets the stage for a similar situation in December if the shutdown isn’t resolved by then.

It’s not clear exactly how much beneficiaries will receive, nor how quickly they will see value show up on the debit cards they use to buy groceries. November payments have already been delayed for millions of people.

The administration said it would provide details to states on Monday on calculating the per-household partial benefit. The process of loading the SNAP cards, which involves steps by state and federal government agencies and vendors, can take up to two weeks in some states. But the USDA warned in a court filing that it could take weeks or even months for states to make all the system changes to send out reduced benefits. The average monthly benefit is usually about $190 per person.

The USDA said last month that benefits for November wouldn’t be paid due to the federal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/government-shutdown">government shutdown</a>. That set off a scramble by food banks, state governments and the nearly 42 million Americans who receive the aid to find ways to ensure access to groceries..

Most states have boosted aid to food banks, and some are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-snap-states-help-a5ab631a93a6d8087a4448117f026fb7">setting up systems</a>&nbsp;to reload benefit cards with state taxpayer dollars. The threat of a delay also spurred lawsuits.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/snap-shutdown-lawsuits-deadline-4af8b0dec6cd31cddd023cc99c131b73">Federal judges</a>&nbsp;in Massachusetts and Rhode Island ruled separately but similarly Friday, telling the government that it was required to use one emergency fund to pay for the program, at least in part. They gave the government the option to use additional money to fully fund the program and a deadline of Monday to decide.

Patrick Penn, Deputy Under Secretary Food Nutrition and Consumer Services for USDA, said in a court filing Monday that the department chose not to tap other emergency funds to ensure there’s not a gap in child nutrition programs for the rest of this fiscal year, which runs through September 2026.

Trump said on social media Friday that he does “NOT want Americans to go hungry just because the Radical Democrats refuse to do the right thing and REOPEN THE GOVERNMENT.” He said he was telling government lawyers to prepare SNAP payments as soon as possible.

Democratic state attorneys general or governors from 25 states, as well as the District of Columbia, challenged the plan to pause the program, contending that the administration has a legal obligation to keep it running in their jurisdictions. Cities and nonprofits also filed a lawsuit.

Advocates and beneficiaries say halting the food aid would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-food-lines-snap-6b55e2c21c0198f3309f3a45a55f33b6">force people to choose</a>&nbsp;between buying groceries and paying other bills. The majority of states have announced more or expedited&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-snap-states-help-a5ab631a93a6d8087a4448117f026fb7">funding for food banks or novel ways</a>&nbsp;to load at least some benefits onto the SNAP debit cards.

Rhode Island officials said Monday that under their program, SNAP beneficiaries who also receive benefits from another federal program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, received payments Saturday equal to one-fourth of what they typically get from SNAP. Officials in Delaware are telling recipients that benefits there won’t be available until at least Nov. 7.

To qualify for SNAP in 2025, a household’s net income after certain expenses can’t exceed the federal poverty line. For a family of four, that’s about $32,000 per year.

Mulvihill reported from Haddonfield, New Jersey.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761944916334.png" alt="Post file Photo" />
 <figcaption>Post file Photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/geoff-mulvihill">GEOFF MULVIHILL</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/kimberlee-kruesi">KIMBERLEE KRUESI</a>PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — President Donald Trump’s administration said Monday that it will partially fund&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/snap-how-it-works-cards-e061c2af0f3cc997b69a24296238783c">SNAP</a>&nbsp;after two judges issued rulings requiring it to keep the nation’s largest food aid program running.The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, had planned to freeze payments starting Nov. 1 because it said it could no longer keep funding it during the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-food-lines-snap-6b55e2c21c0198f3309f3a45a55f33b6">federal government shutdown</a>. The program serves about 1 in 8 Americans and is a major piece of the nation’s social safety net. It costs more than $8 billion per month nationally. The government says an emergency fund it will use has $4.65 billion — enough to cover about half the normal benefits.Exhausting the fund potentially sets the stage for a similar situation in December if the shutdown isn’t resolved by then.It’s not clear exactly how much beneficiaries will receive, nor how quickly they will see value show up on the debit cards they use to buy groceries. November payments have already been delayed for millions of people.The administration said it would provide details to states on Monday on calculating the per-household partial benefit. The process of loading the SNAP cards, which involves steps by state and federal government agencies and vendors, can take up to two weeks in some states. But the USDA warned in a court filing that it could take weeks or even months for states to make all the system changes to send out reduced benefits. The average monthly benefit is usually about $190 per person.The USDA said last month that benefits for November wouldn’t be paid due to the federal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/government-shutdown">government shutdown</a>. That set off a scramble by food banks, state governments and the nearly 42 million Americans who receive the aid to find ways to ensure access to groceries..Most states have boosted aid to food banks, and some are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-snap-states-help-a5ab631a93a6d8087a4448117f026fb7">setting up systems</a>&nbsp;to reload benefit cards with state taxpayer dollars. The threat of a delay also spurred lawsuits.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/snap-shutdown-lawsuits-deadline-4af8b0dec6cd31cddd023cc99c131b73">Federal judges</a>&nbsp;in Massachusetts and Rhode Island ruled separately but similarly Friday, telling the government that it was required to use one emergency fund to pay for the program, at least in part. They gave the government the option to use additional money to fully fund the program and a deadline of Monday to decide.Patrick Penn, Deputy Under Secretary Food Nutrition and Consumer Services for USDA, said in a court filing Monday that the department chose not to tap other emergency funds to ensure there’s not a gap in child nutrition programs for the rest of this fiscal year, which runs through September 2026.Trump said on social media Friday that he does “NOT want Americans to go hungry just because the Radical Democrats refuse to do the right thing and REOPEN THE GOVERNMENT.” He said he was telling government lawyers to prepare SNAP payments as soon as possible.Democratic state attorneys general or governors from 25 states, as well as the District of Columbia, challenged the plan to pause the program, contending that the administration has a legal obligation to keep it running in their jurisdictions. Cities and nonprofits also filed a lawsuit.Advocates and beneficiaries say halting the food aid would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-food-lines-snap-6b55e2c21c0198f3309f3a45a55f33b6">force people to choose</a>&nbsp;between buying groceries and paying other bills. The majority of states have announced more or expedited&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-snap-states-help-a5ab631a93a6d8087a4448117f026fb7">funding for food banks or novel ways</a>&nbsp;to load at least some benefits onto the SNAP debit cards.Rhode Island officials said Monday that under their program, SNAP beneficiaries who also receive benefits from another federal program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, received payments Saturday equal to one-fourth of what they typically get from SNAP. Officials in Delaware are telling recipients that benefits there won’t be available until at least Nov. 7.To qualify for SNAP in 2025, a household’s net income after certain expenses can’t exceed the federal poverty line. For a family of four, that’s about $32,000 per year.___Mulvihill reported from Haddonfield, New Jersey.

Trump admin. to pay partial November SNAP benefits 

WYANDOTTE COUNTY—One person died in an accident just after 9a.m. Sunday in Wyandotte County.

According to Kansas City, Kansas Police, a truck was southbound on College Parkway when it collided with a car, with three occupants that was crossing College Parkway from Delaware Drive. 

The driver and one passenger from the car were taken to a nearby hospital, where the passenger, an adult female, died from her injuries.

The driver of the truck was treated at an area hospital for minor injuries, and is cooperating with the investigation. This incident is under investigation by the KCKPD Traffic Division.&nbsp;

WYANDOTTE COUNTY—One person died in an accident just after 9a.m. Sunday in Wyandotte County.According to Kansas City, Kansas Police, a truck was southbound on College Parkway when it collided with a car, with three occupants that was crossing College Parkway from Delaware Drive. The driver and one passenger from the car were taken to a nearby hospital, where the passenger, an adult female, died from her injuries.The driver of the truck was treated at an area hospital for minor injuries, and is cooperating with the investigation. This incident is under investigation by the KCKPD Traffic Division.&nbsp;

Woman killed, 2 injured after 2-vehicle Kansas crash

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/matthew-perrone">MATTHEW PERRONE</a>

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-food-and-drug-administration">The Food and Drug Administration</a>&nbsp;on Friday moved to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fluoride-fda-kennedy-cavities-teeth-water-22c5aefeb97c411e2fda0c4754b78cf2">limit the use of fluoride</a>&nbsp;supplements used to strengthen children’s teeth, the latest action by Health Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fluoride-cdc-epa-6f4dbc64b5dc511f712a82cd2d252d76">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>&nbsp;and his deputies against a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fluoride-water-cdc-kennedy-02d931af8f025877a9e3d332bf215c69">chemical</a>&nbsp;that is a mainstay of dental care.

The FDA said that the products are no longer recommended for children younger than 3 and those who are older but don’t face serious risks of tooth decay. Previously, the products have been prescribed for children as young as six months.

The action stopped short of FDA statements in May suggesting regulators would seek the removal of the products from the market. Instead, the agency sent letters to four companies warning them not to market their products outside the new limits.

Fluoride tablets and lozenges are sometimes recommended for children and teens at increased risk of tooth decay or cavities because of low fluoride in their local drinking water. Companies also sell drops for babies.

The FDA released a new scientific analysis Friday, concluding that fluoride supplements have limited benefits for children’s teeth and may be linked to emerging safety concerns, including gut issues, weight gain and cognition.

“For the same reason fluoride may work to kill bacteria on teeth, it may also alter the gut microbiome, which may have broader health implications,” the agency said in a statement.

The agency also sent a form letter to dentists and other health providers warning about the risks of the products.

Those claims have been disputed by the American Dental Association, which has said there are no significant health problems associated with fluoride when used at the levels prescribed by dentists. The supplements can cause spotting or discoloration of teeth due to the extra fluoride, a downside the FDA also noted.

Dentists have warned that restricting fluoride supplements may result in more cavities and dental problems in rural communities, which are less likely to have fluoridated water. Kennedy is also seeking to end the practice of adding fluoride to drinking water throughout the U.S.

Fluoride strengthens teeth and reduces cavities by replacing minerals lost during normal wear and tear, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 1962, the agency set guidelines for how much should be added to water.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-vaccines-autism-measles-obesity-food-dye-f26089856550e978d28fd25b653d8103">Kennedy</a>, a former environmental lawyer,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fluoride-ruling-drinking-water-ccdfa11138600ab0838ebf979cbaead2">has called fluoride</a>&nbsp;a “dangerous neurotoxin” tied to a range of health dangers.

The FDA regulates most dental products, including fluoride-containing toothpastes, supplements, mouthwashes and rinses. The agency’s actions don’t affect toothpastes, mouthwash or fluoride treatments used by adults or those offered in dentists’ offices.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762187096881.png" alt="File -Health Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fluoride-cdc-epa-6f4dbc64b5dc511f712a82cd2d252d76">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>- photo from HHS video" />
 <figcaption>File -Health Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fluoride-cdc-epa-6f4dbc64b5dc511f712a82cd2d252d76">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>- photo from HHS video</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/matthew-perrone">MATTHEW PERRONE</a>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-food-and-drug-administration">The Food and Drug Administration</a>&nbsp;on Friday moved to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fluoride-fda-kennedy-cavities-teeth-water-22c5aefeb97c411e2fda0c4754b78cf2">limit the use of fluoride</a>&nbsp;supplements used to strengthen children’s teeth, the latest action by Health Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fluoride-cdc-epa-6f4dbc64b5dc511f712a82cd2d252d76">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>&nbsp;and his deputies against a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fluoride-water-cdc-kennedy-02d931af8f025877a9e3d332bf215c69">chemical</a>&nbsp;that is a mainstay of dental care.The FDA said that the products are no longer recommended for children younger than 3 and those who are older but don’t face serious risks of tooth decay. Previously, the products have been prescribed for children as young as six months.The action stopped short of FDA statements in May suggesting regulators would seek the removal of the products from the market. Instead, the agency sent letters to four companies warning them not to market their products outside the new limits.Fluoride tablets and lozenges are sometimes recommended for children and teens at increased risk of tooth decay or cavities because of low fluoride in their local drinking water. Companies also sell drops for babies.The FDA released a new scientific analysis Friday, concluding that fluoride supplements have limited benefits for children’s teeth and may be linked to emerging safety concerns, including gut issues, weight gain and cognition.“For the same reason fluoride may work to kill bacteria on teeth, it may also alter the gut microbiome, which may have broader health implications,” the agency said in a statement.The agency also sent a form letter to dentists and other health providers warning about the risks of the products.Those claims have been disputed by the American Dental Association, which has said there are no significant health problems associated with fluoride when used at the levels prescribed by dentists. The supplements can cause spotting or discoloration of teeth due to the extra fluoride, a downside the FDA also noted.Dentists have warned that restricting fluoride supplements may result in more cavities and dental problems in rural communities, which are less likely to have fluoridated water. Kennedy is also seeking to end the practice of adding fluoride to drinking water throughout the U.S.Fluoride strengthens teeth and reduces cavities by replacing minerals lost during normal wear and tear, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 1962, the agency set guidelines for how much should be added to water.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-vaccines-autism-measles-obesity-food-dye-f26089856550e978d28fd25b653d8103">Kennedy</a>, a former environmental lawyer,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fluoride-ruling-drinking-water-ccdfa11138600ab0838ebf979cbaead2">has called fluoride</a>&nbsp;a “dangerous neurotoxin” tied to a range of health dangers.The FDA regulates most dental products, including fluoride-containing toothpastes, supplements, mouthwashes and rinses. The agency’s actions don’t affect toothpastes, mouthwash or fluoride treatments used by adults or those offered in dentists’ offices.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

FDA restricts use of kids' fluoride supplements citing emerging health risks

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man charged with shooting a teen in a Walmart parking lot is due to face a trial on Monday. Ruben Contreras, 47 of Wichita, is charged with attempted 1st&nbsp;degree murder, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;

&nbsp; He is scheduled to appear in Judge Quinton Pittman's courtroom for the trial. In July Contreras plead not guilty to the charges.

Just before 5p.m. May 11, 2024 officers were dispatched to a call involving a weapon at Walmart, 18631 W. Kellogg in Goddard, according to a statement from the Sedgwick County Sheriff's office. First responders located an 18-year-old, later identified as Anakin Zehring, in a vehicle&nbsp;suffering from a gunshot wound, in the Walmart parking lot.

Zehring and some friends were firing a&nbsp;toy gel blaster in the parking lot&nbsp;when they hit a girl, according to a court document. Investigators say she called her father, Contreras, who came to the scene and shot Zehring. EMS transported Zehring to the hospital in serious condition.&nbsp; He continues to recover at a hospital in Nebraska, according to an<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-us-support-my-sons-recovery-journey?lang=en_US&amp;utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&amp;utm_medium=customer&amp;utm_source=copy_link&amp;mibextid=xfxF2i"> online fundraiser.</a>

A suspect identified as&nbsp;<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=748186">Contreras,</a>&nbsp;remained on the scene when law enforcement arrived and was taken into custody.

Contreras was transported to Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Investigation to be interviewed. He was later booked into Sedgwick County Detention Facility and later met the condition of a $300-thousand bond and is out of jail, according to online records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715641692899.png" alt="Contreras-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Contreras-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man charged with shooting a teen in a Walmart parking lot is due to face a trial on Monday. Ruben Contreras, 47 of Wichita, is charged with attempted 1st&nbsp;degree murder, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;&nbsp; He is scheduled to appear in Judge Quinton Pittman's courtroom for the trial. In July Contreras plead not guilty to the charges.Just before 5p.m. May 11, 2024 officers were dispatched to a call involving a weapon at Walmart, 18631 W. Kellogg in Goddard, according to a statement from the Sedgwick County Sheriff's office. First responders located an 18-year-old, later identified as Anakin Zehring, in a vehicle&nbsp;suffering from a gunshot wound, in the Walmart parking lot.Zehring and some friends were firing a&nbsp;toy gel blaster in the parking lot&nbsp;when they hit a girl, according to a court document. Investigators say she called her father, Contreras, who came to the scene and shot Zehring. EMS transported Zehring to the hospital in serious condition.&nbsp; He continues to recover at a hospital in Nebraska, according to an<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-us-support-my-sons-recovery-journey?lang=en_US&amp;utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&amp;utm_medium=customer&amp;utm_source=copy_link&amp;mibextid=xfxF2i"> online fundraiser.</a>A suspect identified as&nbsp;<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=748186">Contreras,</a>&nbsp;remained on the scene when law enforcement arrived and was taken into custody.Contreras was transported to Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Investigation to be interviewed. He was later booked into Sedgwick County Detention Facility and later met the condition of a $300-thousand bond and is out of jail, according to online records.

Trial to begin in shooting of Kan. teen over gel blaster incident

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Jacqueline Chapman is a retired school aide who relies on a $630 monthly Social Security check to get by. She was navigating the loss of her federal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-snap-wic-head-start-ddc8a5f6bb6b49150ff478eae9d454d5">food aid benefits</a>&nbsp;when she learned the assistance she receives for heating her Philadelphia apartment may also be at risk.

“I feel like I’m living in scary times. It’s not easy to rest when you know you have things to do with limited accounts, limited funds. There isn’t too much you can do,” said Chapman, 74.

Chapman relies on the $4.1 billion Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which helps millions of low-income households pay to heat and cool their homes.

With temperatures beginning to drop in areas across the United States, some states are warning that funding for the program is being delayed because of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/government-shutdown">federal government shutdown</a>, now in its fifth week.

The anticipated delay comes as a majority of the 5.9 million households served by the federally funded heating and cooling assistance program are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-food-lines-snap-6b55e2c21c0198f3309f3a45a55f33b6">grappling with the sudden postponement</a>&nbsp;of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-snap-wic-head-start-ddc8a5f6bb6b49150ff478eae9d454d5">benefits</a>&nbsp;through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which helps about 1 in 8 Americans buy groceries.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-snap-wic-head-start-e6176d2683f74b7011d861b48a47d3f1">Money is running out</a>&nbsp;for other safety net programs as well and energy prices are soaring.

“The impact, even if it’s temporary, on many of the nation’s poor families is going to be profound if we don’t solve this problem,” said Mark Wolfe, executive director of the&nbsp;<a href="https://neada.org/#:~:text=The%20National%20Energy%20Assistance%20Directors,their%20heating%20and%20cooling%20bills.">National Energy Assistance Directors Association</a>, which represents state directors of the program. Commonly called LIHEAP, it serves all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories and federally recognized tribes.

“These are important income supports that are all potentially heading toward a cliff at the same time,” Wolfe said. “And I can’t point to a similar time in recent history where we’ve had this.”

States are warning applicants about a funding delay

LIHEAP, created in 1981, assists families in covering utility bills or the cost of paying for fuels delivered to homes, such as home heating oil. It has received bipartisan congressional support for decades.

States manage the program. They receive an allotment of federal money each year based on a formula that largely takes into account state weather patterns, energy costs and low-income population data.

While President Donald Trump proposed zero funding for the program in his budget, it was anticipated that Congress would fund LIHEAP for the budget year that began Oct. 1. But since Congress has not yet passed a full 2026 spending bill, states have not gotten their new allocations yet.

Some states, including Kansas, Pennsylvania, New York and Minnesota, have announced their LIHEAP programs are being delayed by the government shutdown.

In Pennsylvania, Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration said it cannot front the $200 million-plus in federal LIHEAP aid it had expected to help pay heating bills for some 300,000 low-income households. It is predicting payments will not go out until at least December, instead of November, as is customary.

Minnesota’s energy assistance program is processing applications but the state’s Department of Commerce said federal LIHEAP dollars will likely be delayed by a month. The agency does not plan to pay recipients’ heating bills until the shutdown ends.

“As temperatures begin to drop, this delay could have serious impacts,” the agency said. The program services 120,000 households, both homeowners and renters, that include many older adults, young children and people with disabilities.

Connecticut has enough money to set aside to pay heating bills through at least the end of November or December, according to the group that helps administer LIHEAP. But the program faces uncertainty if the shutdown persists. Connecticut lawmakers are considering covering the cost temporarily with state budget reserves.

“The situation will get much more perilous for folks who do need those resources as we move later into the heating season,” said Rhonda Evans, executive director of the Connecticut Association for Community Action. More than 100,000 households were served last year.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the assistance program, blamed the federal shutdown and the delay in LIHEAP payments on congressional Democrats and said the Trump administration is committed to reopening the government.

“Once the government reopens, ACF will work swiftly to administer annual awards,” the spokesperson said, referring to the Administration for Children and Families, an agency within HHS. The spokesperson did not directly answer whether the timing could be affected by the administration’s earlier decision to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/heating-assistance-hhs-layoffs-kennedy-trump-91e466c458ac804b098be00867a92106">fire workers who run the LIHEAP program</a>.

Wolfe, from the group that represents state program directors, predicts there could be delays into January. He noted there are questions over who will approve states' program plans and how the money will be released when it becomes available.

“Once you’ve fired the staff, things just slow down,” he said.

Low-income families face mounting obstacles

Chapman, the retired school aide, may be eligible for a program through her gas utility to prevent being shut off this winter. But the roughly 9% of LIHEAP recipients who rely on deliverable fuels such as heating oil, kerosene, propane and wood pellets, typically do not have such protections.

Electric and natural gas companies are usually regulated by the state and can be told not to shut people off while the state waits to receive its share of the LIHEAP money, Wolfe said. But it is different when it involves a small oil or propane company, fuels more common in the Northeast.

“If you’re a heating oil dealer, we can’t tell that dealer, ‘Look, continue to provide heating oil to your low-income customers on the possibility you’ll get your money back,’” Wolfe said.

Mark Bain, 67, who lives in Bloomfield, Connecticut, with his son, a student at the University of Connecticut, started receiving financial assistance for his home heating oil needs three years ago.

“I remember the first winter before I knew about this program. I was desperate. I was on fumes,” said Bains, who is retired and relies on income from Social Security and a small annuity. “I was calling around to my social services people to find out what I could do.”

He has been approved this year for $500 in assistance but he has a half tank of oil left and cannot call for more until it is nearly empty. By that point, he is hoping there will be enough federal money left to fill it. He typically needs three deliveries to get through a winter.

Bains said he can “get by” if he does not receive the help this year.

“I would turn the heat down to like 62 (degrees) and throw on another blanket, you know, just to get through,” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671461254643.png" alt="Photo by Aaron Sanderford" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Aaron Sanderford</figcaption>
 </figure>HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Jacqueline Chapman is a retired school aide who relies on a $630 monthly Social Security check to get by. She was navigating the loss of her federal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-snap-wic-head-start-ddc8a5f6bb6b49150ff478eae9d454d5">food aid benefits</a>&nbsp;when she learned the assistance she receives for heating her Philadelphia apartment may also be at risk.“I feel like I’m living in scary times. It’s not easy to rest when you know you have things to do with limited accounts, limited funds. There isn’t too much you can do,” said Chapman, 74.Chapman relies on the $4.1 billion Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which helps millions of low-income households pay to heat and cool their homes.With temperatures beginning to drop in areas across the United States, some states are warning that funding for the program is being delayed because of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/government-shutdown">federal government shutdown</a>, now in its fifth week.The anticipated delay comes as a majority of the 5.9 million households served by the federally funded heating and cooling assistance program are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-food-lines-snap-6b55e2c21c0198f3309f3a45a55f33b6">grappling with the sudden postponement</a>&nbsp;of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-snap-wic-head-start-ddc8a5f6bb6b49150ff478eae9d454d5">benefits</a>&nbsp;through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which helps about 1 in 8 Americans buy groceries.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-snap-wic-head-start-e6176d2683f74b7011d861b48a47d3f1">Money is running out</a>&nbsp;for other safety net programs as well and energy prices are soaring.“The impact, even if it’s temporary, on many of the nation’s poor families is going to be profound if we don’t solve this problem,” said Mark Wolfe, executive director of the&nbsp;<a href="https://neada.org/#:~:text=The%20National%20Energy%20Assistance%20Directors,their%20heating%20and%20cooling%20bills.">National Energy Assistance Directors Association</a>, which represents state directors of the program. Commonly called LIHEAP, it serves all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories and federally recognized tribes.“These are important income supports that are all potentially heading toward a cliff at the same time,” Wolfe said. “And I can’t point to a similar time in recent history where we’ve had this.”<h2>States are warning applicants about a funding delay</h2>LIHEAP, created in 1981, assists families in covering utility bills or the cost of paying for fuels delivered to homes, such as home heating oil. It has received bipartisan congressional support for decades.States manage the program. They receive an allotment of federal money each year based on a formula that largely takes into account state weather patterns, energy costs and low-income population data.While President Donald Trump proposed zero funding for the program in his budget, it was anticipated that Congress would fund LIHEAP for the budget year that began Oct. 1. But since Congress has not yet passed a full 2026 spending bill, states have not gotten their new allocations yet.Some states, including Kansas, Pennsylvania, New York and Minnesota, have announced their LIHEAP programs are being delayed by the government shutdown.In Pennsylvania, Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration said it cannot front the $200 million-plus in federal LIHEAP aid it had expected to help pay heating bills for some 300,000 low-income households. It is predicting payments will not go out until at least December, instead of November, as is customary.Minnesota’s energy assistance program is processing applications but the state’s Department of Commerce said federal LIHEAP dollars will likely be delayed by a month. The agency does not plan to pay recipients’ heating bills until the shutdown ends.“As temperatures begin to drop, this delay could have serious impacts,” the agency said. The program services 120,000 households, both homeowners and renters, that include many older adults, young children and people with disabilities.Connecticut has enough money to set aside to pay heating bills through at least the end of November or December, according to the group that helps administer LIHEAP. But the program faces uncertainty if the shutdown persists. Connecticut lawmakers are considering covering the cost temporarily with state budget reserves.“The situation will get much more perilous for folks who do need those resources as we move later into the heating season,” said Rhonda Evans, executive director of the Connecticut Association for Community Action. More than 100,000 households were served last year.A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the assistance program, blamed the federal shutdown and the delay in LIHEAP payments on congressional Democrats and said the Trump administration is committed to reopening the government.“Once the government reopens, ACF will work swiftly to administer annual awards,” the spokesperson said, referring to the Administration for Children and Families, an agency within HHS. The spokesperson did not directly answer whether the timing could be affected by the administration’s earlier decision to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/heating-assistance-hhs-layoffs-kennedy-trump-91e466c458ac804b098be00867a92106">fire workers who run the LIHEAP program</a>.Wolfe, from the group that represents state program directors, predicts there could be delays into January. He noted there are questions over who will approve states' program plans and how the money will be released when it becomes available.“Once you’ve fired the staff, things just slow down,” he said.<h2>Low-income families face mounting obstacles</h2>Chapman, the retired school aide, may be eligible for a program through her gas utility to prevent being shut off this winter. But the roughly 9% of LIHEAP recipients who rely on deliverable fuels such as heating oil, kerosene, propane and wood pellets, typically do not have such protections.Electric and natural gas companies are usually regulated by the state and can be told not to shut people off while the state waits to receive its share of the LIHEAP money, Wolfe said. But it is different when it involves a small oil or propane company, fuels more common in the Northeast.“If you’re a heating oil dealer, we can’t tell that dealer, ‘Look, continue to provide heating oil to your low-income customers on the possibility you’ll get your money back,’” Wolfe said.Mark Bain, 67, who lives in Bloomfield, Connecticut, with his son, a student at the University of Connecticut, started receiving financial assistance for his home heating oil needs three years ago.“I remember the first winter before I knew about this program. I was desperate. I was on fumes,” said Bains, who is retired and relies on income from Social Security and a small annuity. “I was calling around to my social services people to find out what I could do.”He has been approved this year for $500 in assistance but he has a half tank of oil left and cannot call for more until it is nearly empty. By that point, he is hoping there will be enough federal money left to fill it. He typically needs three deliveries to get through a winter.Bains said he can “get by” if he does not receive the help this year.“I would turn the heat down to like 62 (degrees) and throw on another blanket, you know, just to get through,” he said.___

Government shutdown threatens to delay home heating aid for Kan. families

SEDGWICK COUNTY&nbsp; — A Kansas&nbsp; woman is in custody on a one-million dollar bond on a requested charge of first-degree murder following the fatal stabbing of her 80-year-old mother, Anita Avers, early Friday morning in southeast Wichita.

Just before 8a.m. Friday, police responded to a reported stabbing at a residence in the 1500 block of East Crowley in Wichita, according to a media release. Upon arrival, officers located the suspect, identified from jail booking records&nbsp; as 47-year-old Angelynn Elizabeth Mock, outside the home.

&nbsp;Inside the residence, officers found Anita Avers unresponsive in her bed with multiple stab wounds.&nbsp;Sedgwick County EMS transported the victim to St. Francis Hospital, where she was later pronounced deceased at 8:26 a.m.

Mock was transported to the hospital for treatment before being taken into custody and booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on the requested chargeof&nbsp; first-degree murder.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761944840018.png" alt="Police on the sene early Friday =photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the sene early Friday =photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY&nbsp; — A Kansas&nbsp; woman is in custody on a one-million dollar bond on a requested charge of first-degree murder following the fatal stabbing of her 80-year-old mother, Anita Avers, early Friday morning in southeast Wichita.Just before 8a.m. Friday, police responded to a reported stabbing at a residence in the 1500 block of East Crowley in Wichita, according to a media release. Upon arrival, officers located the suspect, identified from jail booking records&nbsp; as 47-year-old Angelynn Elizabeth Mock, outside the home.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1761994823380.png" alt="Mock photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Mock photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;Inside the residence, officers found Anita Avers unresponsive in her bed with multiple stab wounds.&nbsp;Sedgwick County EMS transported the victim to St. Francis Hospital, where she was later pronounced deceased at 8:26 a.m.Mock was transported to the hospital for treatment before being taken into custody and booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on the requested chargeof&nbsp; first-degree murder.

Kan. woman held on $1 million bond for alleged stabbing death of her mom

KANSAs CITY —Law enforcement are investigating an officer involved shooting involving a Kansas City, Missouri police officer, according to a statement from the the Missouri State Highway Patrol's Division of Drug and Crime Control. One person was transported to the hospital with critical injuries.&nbsp;

Just after 3:30p.m. Sunday, Kansas City Police were dispatched to a disturbance&nbsp;in the 3500 block of Independence Avenue. A man was reportedly shooting a gun into the air. When officers arrived at the scene, one officer deployed a taser. Another officer fired his duty weapon striking the man. EMS transported the man to an area hospital in critical condition. No officers were injured. Investigators recovered a handgun at the scene.&nbsp;

The Missouri&nbsp;State Highway Patrol's Division of Drug and Crime Control is in charge of investigating the officer-shooting. Authorities released no additional details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762168565158.png" alt="Near the scene of the shooting investigation -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Near the scene of the shooting investigation -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAs CITY —Law enforcement are investigating an officer involved shooting involving a Kansas City, Missouri police officer, according to a statement from the the Missouri State Highway Patrol's Division of Drug and Crime Control. One person was transported to the hospital with critical injuries.&nbsp;Just after 3:30p.m. Sunday, Kansas City Police were dispatched to a disturbance&nbsp;in the 3500 block of Independence Avenue. A man was reportedly shooting a gun into the air. When officers arrived at the scene, one officer deployed a taser. Another officer fired his duty weapon striking the man. EMS transported the man to an area hospital in critical condition. No officers were injured. Investigators recovered a handgun at the scene.&nbsp;The Missouri&nbsp;State Highway Patrol's Division of Drug and Crime Control is in charge of investigating the officer-shooting. Authorities released no additional details.

Man critically injured in Kansas City police officer shooting 

President Trump was the opening interview on 60 minutes Sunday. He taped the interview with Norah O'Donnell in Florida after his return from a successful trip to Asia. 

This was his first interview with the show since CBS parent company Paramount settled a lawsuit filed by President Trump over editing of the 60 minutes interview with Kamala Harris ahead of the 2024 election. The White House released the full 73 minute unedited video of President Trump's interview. The program only used 27 minutes on their broadcast.

President Trump was the opening interview on 60 minutes Sunday. He taped the interview with Norah O'Donnell in Florida after his return from a successful trip to Asia. <div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">See President Donald J. Trump&#39;s FULL interview on <a href="https://twitter.com/60Minutes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@60Minutes</a> — all 73+ minutes, without the network&#39;s edits and cuts. WATCH IN FULL: <a href="https://t.co/i95cQ3Gqei">pic.twitter.com/i95cQ3Gqei</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1985162774041804844?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>This was his first interview with the show since CBS parent company Paramount settled a lawsuit filed by President Trump over editing of the 60 minutes interview with Kamala Harris ahead of the 2024 election. The White House released the full 73 minute unedited video of President Trump's interview. The program only used 27 minutes on their broadcast.

White House releases unedited President Trump 60 Minutes interview

KANSAS CITY—Four&nbsp; people were injured in an accident during a pursuit with law enforcement just after midnight Sunday in Kansas City.

A preliminary investigation revealed that a Highway Patrol Trooper was pursuing a silver Infinity G35 for speeding and careless driving, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.

 At some point during the pursuit, on Interstate 35 South, past the NE Vivion exit, the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the embankment. 

EMS transported all four occupants to an area hospital. One occupant&nbsp; had life-threatening injuries and remained in critical condition with life-threatening injuries late Sunday, according to Becchina.

KANSAS CITY—Four&nbsp; people were injured in an accident during a pursuit with law enforcement just after midnight Sunday in Kansas City.A preliminary investigation revealed that a Highway Patrol Trooper was pursuing a silver Infinity G35 for speeding and careless driving, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina. At some point during the pursuit, on Interstate 35 South, past the NE Vivion exit, the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the embankment. EMS transported all four occupants to an area hospital. One occupant&nbsp; had life-threatening injuries and remained in critical condition with life-threatening injuries late Sunday, according to Becchina.

Police: 4 injured in crash during chase involving State Troopers

Morris’ public service covers 16 years on local school board, 20 years in Senate

By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Former Kansas Senate President Steve Morris, who served southwest Kansas for more than three decades as an elected school board member and state legislator, died Saturday. He was 79.

Morris died unexpectedly at home in Hugoton. He had undergone a series of bypass surgeries and underwent treatment for prostate cancer, said a daughter, Stephanie Heger.

“He was definitely someone who only wanted what was best and for people to work together,” Heger said in an interview Sunday. “He wanted to be a policymaker instead of a politician.”

As a father, she said, Morris was kind, humble and adhered to the biblical concept of “do to others as you you would have them do to you.”

“He was one of the people who never said a negative thing about anyone,” Heger said.

Morris was born in Garden City and raised in rural Hugoton. He graduated from Hugoton High School in 1964 and from Kansas State University in 1969. He served on active duty as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force from 1969 to 1974 before moving to the Air Force Reserve and returning to Hugoton to farm. His was married to Barbara Morris and they had three daughters — Susan Morris, Sara Tasset and Heger.

He was on the Hugoton Board of Education from 1977 to 1993 and the K-State Alumni Association Board of Directors from 1985 to 1991.

In 1992, Morris was elected to the Kansas Senate by defeating Democrat Leroy Hayden. Morris, a Republican, was a member of the Senate for 20 years.

He served as the chamber’s president from 2005 to 2013 during a period in which the Legislature grappled with controversial casino gambling legislation and court cases on funding of K-12 education. He was involved in shaping major bills on the budget, taxation, transportation and energy issues.

He lost a campaign for reelection in 2012 when defeated by Republican Larry Powell in the August primary. GOP Gov. Sam Brownback and Koch political interests had targeted Morris and one-half dozen other Senate Republicans they viewed as political moderates.

“Americans for Prosperity and Kansas Chamber sent out I think something like 40 negative, large postcards in the last two weeks of the campaign,” Morris said in an&nbsp;<a href="https://ksoralhistory.org/interview/interview-of-steve-morris-by-rex-buchanan-august-22-2024" target="_blank">August 2024 interview with Kansas Oral History Project</a>. “People had never seen something like that before. They assumed all those things were true, which they weren’t.”

Morris also was&nbsp;<a href="https://ksoralhistory.org/interview/interview-of-steve-morris-by-joan-wagnon-july-15-2020" target="_blank">interviewed by Kansas Oral History Project in July 2020</a>&nbsp;regarding his legislative career.

Morris said that after leaving the Legislature he missed “the good people we worked with” and that “overall it was a good experience.”

&nbsp;In 2014, Morris played a role in Republicans for Kansas Values, which supported Democratic state Rep. Paul Davis’ unsuccessful campaign for governor against Brownback.

U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, said he was saddened by the passing of a longtime friend and dedicated public servant. Moran and Morris served together in the state Senate.

“He was a thoughtful, principled and dedicated statesman who represented Kansans well,” Moran said. “Robba and I send our deepest condolences to his wife Barbara, his family and all those whose lives he touched. We will miss him deeply.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762170439514.png" alt=" Former Kansas Senate President Steve Morris, a moderate Republican, died unexpectedly Saturday in Hugoton. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from Kansas Oral History Project video)" />
 <figcaption> Former Kansas Senate President Steve Morris, a moderate Republican, died unexpectedly Saturday in Hugoton. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from Kansas Oral History Project video)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Morris’ public service covers 16 years on local school board, 20 years in Senate</h2>By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Former Kansas Senate President Steve Morris, who served southwest Kansas for more than three decades as an elected school board member and state legislator, died Saturday. He was 79.Morris died unexpectedly at home in Hugoton. He had undergone a series of bypass surgeries and underwent treatment for prostate cancer, said a daughter, Stephanie Heger.“He was definitely someone who only wanted what was best and for people to work together,” Heger said in an interview Sunday. “He wanted to be a policymaker instead of a politician.”As a father, she said, Morris was kind, humble and adhered to the biblical concept of “do to others as you you would have them do to you.”“He was one of the people who never said a negative thing about anyone,” Heger said.She said services were pending.Morris was born in Garden City and raised in rural Hugoton. He graduated from Hugoton High School in 1964 and from Kansas State University in 1969. He served on active duty as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force from 1969 to 1974 before moving to the Air Force Reserve and returning to Hugoton to farm. His was married to Barbara Morris and they had three daughters — Susan Morris, Sara Tasset and Heger.He was on the Hugoton Board of Education from 1977 to 1993 and the K-State Alumni Association Board of Directors from 1985 to 1991.In 1992, Morris was elected to the Kansas Senate by defeating Democrat Leroy Hayden. Morris, a Republican, was a member of the Senate for 20 years.He served as the chamber’s president from 2005 to 2013 during a period in which the Legislature grappled with controversial casino gambling legislation and court cases on funding of K-12 education. He was involved in shaping major bills on the budget, taxation, transportation and energy issues.He lost a campaign for reelection in 2012 when defeated by Republican Larry Powell in the August primary. GOP Gov. Sam Brownback and Koch political interests had targeted Morris and one-half dozen other Senate Republicans they viewed as political moderates.“Americans for Prosperity and Kansas Chamber sent out I think something like 40 negative, large postcards in the last two weeks of the campaign,” Morris said in an&nbsp;<a href="https://ksoralhistory.org/interview/interview-of-steve-morris-by-rex-buchanan-august-22-2024" target="_blank">August 2024 interview with Kansas Oral History Project</a>. “People had never seen something like that before. They assumed all those things were true, which they weren’t.”Morris also was&nbsp;<a href="https://ksoralhistory.org/interview/interview-of-steve-morris-by-joan-wagnon-july-15-2020" target="_blank">interviewed by Kansas Oral History Project in July 2020</a>&nbsp;regarding his legislative career.Morris said that after leaving the Legislature he missed “the good people we worked with” and that “overall it was a good experience.”&nbsp;In 2014, Morris played a role in Republicans for Kansas Values, which supported Democratic state Rep. Paul Davis’ unsuccessful campaign for governor against Brownback.U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, said he was saddened by the passing of a longtime friend and dedicated public servant. Moran and Morris served together in the state Senate.“He was a thoughtful, principled and dedicated statesman who represented Kansans well,” Moran said. “Robba and I send our deepest condolences to his wife Barbara, his family and all those whose lives he touched. We will miss him deeply.”

Former moderate GOP Kansas Senate President Steve Morris dies at 79

WYANDOTTE COUNTY–Law enforcement are investigating a weekend homicide in Kansas City.

Just before 4:30 a.m. Saturday officers with the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department were called the area of North 11th Street and Barnett Avenue to investigate a shooting.

When officers arrived on the scene they located a woman, outside of her home, that had been shot.&nbsp;She was taken to the hospital, where she died from her injuries.

The KCK Major Case Squad went to the scene to gather evidence and are trying to find out what led to the shooting.&nbsp; Anyone with information is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-TIPS.&nbsp;

WYANDOTTE COUNTY–Law enforcement are investigating a weekend homicide in Kansas City.Just before 4:30 a.m. Saturday officers with the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department were called the area of North 11th Street and Barnett Avenue to investigate a shooting.When officers arrived on the scene they located a woman, outside of her home, that had been shot.&nbsp;She was taken to the hospital, where she died from her injuries.The KCK Major Case Squad went to the scene to gather evidence and are trying to find out what led to the shooting.&nbsp; Anyone with information is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-TIPS.&nbsp;

Police: Woman killed in shooting outside Kan. home

By MICHAEL SCHNEIDER Associated Press

One of the monkeys that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rehsus-monkeys-escape-mississippi-tulane-24318048052a1e8c1eb39855dadd1b1c">escaped last week</a>&nbsp;after a truck overturned on a Mississippi roadway was shot and killed early Sunday by a woman who says she feared for the safety of her children.

Jessica Bond Ferguson said she was alerted early Sunday by her 16-year-old son who said he thought he had seen a monkey running in the yard outside their home near Heidelberg, Mississippi. She got out bed, grabbed her firearm and her cellphone and stepped outside where she saw the monkey about 60 feet (18 meters) away.

Bond Ferguson said she and other residents had been warned about diseases that the escaped monkeys carried so she fired her gun.

“I did what any other mother would do to protect her children,” Bond Ferguson, who has five children ranging in age from 4 to 16, told The Associated Press. “I shot at it and it just stood there, and I shot again, and he backed up and that’s when he fell.”

The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office confirmed in a social media post that a homeowner had found one of the monkeys on their property Sunday morning but said the office didn’t have any details. The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks took possession of the monkey, the sheriff’s office said.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rhesus-macaque-monkeys-south-carolina-lab-escape-81dd4bb3acf2a445c0f899e31a8e05eb">Rhesus monkeys</a>&nbsp;had been housed at the Tulane University National Biomedical Research Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, which routinely provides primates to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/monkeys-escape-mississippi-tulane-animal-research-1ff00420c5f4af37a8b8ec4e2028227c">scientific research organizations</a>, according to the university. In a statement last week, Tulane said the monkeys do not belong to the university, and they were not being transported by the university.

A truck carrying the monkeys overturned Tuesday on Interstate 59 north of Heidelberg. Authorities have said most of the 21 monkeys were killed. The sheriff’s department has said animal experts from Tulane examined the trailer and had determined&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/monkeys-escape-mississippi-tulane-2a8e2bcfc5fe9f81e641cefa78bb746f">three monkeys had escaped</a>.

The Mississippi Highway Patrol has said it was investigating the cause of the crash, which occurred about 100 miles (160 kilometers) from the state capital, Jackson.

Rhesus monkeys typically weigh about 16 pounds (7.2 kilograms) and are among the most medically studied animals on the planet. Video recorded after the crash showed monkeys crawling through tall grass beside the interstate, where wooden crates labeled “live animals” were crumpled and strewn about.

Jasper County Sheriff Randy Johnson had said Tulane officials reported the monkeys were not infectious, despite initial reports by the truck’s occupants warning that the monkeys were dangerous and harboring various diseases. Nonetheless, Johnson said the monkeys still needed to be “neutralized” because of their aggressive nature.

The monkeys had recently received checkups confirming they were pathogen-free, Tulane said in a statement Wednesday.

About 10 years ago, three Rhesus macaques in the breeding colony of what was then known as the Tulane National Primate Research Center were euthanized after a “biosecurity breach,” federal inspectors wrote in a 2015 report. The breach involved at least one staff member failing to adhere to biosafety and infection control procedures, it said.

The facility made changes in its procedures and retrained staff after that happened, according to the report from the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

Rhesus macaques “are known to be aggressive,” according to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. It said the agency’s conservation workers were working with sheriff’s officials in the search for the animals.

The search comes about one year after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/monkeys-escape-alpha-genesis-south-carolina-5001428b828c84f063b50bc4be22f60a">43 Rhesus macaques escaped</a>&nbsp;from a South Carolina compound that breeds them for medical research because an employee didn’t fully lock an enclosure. Employees from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/monkeys-escape-alpha-genesis-south-carolina-640eb78119c66b88a418ccd1e361318e">Alpha Genesis facility</a>&nbsp;in Yemassee, South Carolina, had set up traps to capture them.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762127492244.png" alt="Photo by the Jasper County, Mississippi Sheriff just after truck accident" />
 <figcaption>Photo by the Jasper County, Mississippi Sheriff just after truck accident</figcaption>
 </figure>By MICHAEL SCHNEIDER Associated PressOne of the monkeys that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rehsus-monkeys-escape-mississippi-tulane-24318048052a1e8c1eb39855dadd1b1c">escaped last week</a>&nbsp;after a truck overturned on a Mississippi roadway was shot and killed early Sunday by a woman who says she feared for the safety of her children.Jessica Bond Ferguson said she was alerted early Sunday by her 16-year-old son who said he thought he had seen a monkey running in the yard outside their home near Heidelberg, Mississippi. She got out bed, grabbed her firearm and her cellphone and stepped outside where she saw the monkey about 60 feet (18 meters) away.Bond Ferguson said she and other residents had been warned about diseases that the escaped monkeys carried so she fired her gun.“I did what any other mother would do to protect her children,” Bond Ferguson, who has five children ranging in age from 4 to 16, told The Associated Press. “I shot at it and it just stood there, and I shot again, and he backed up and that’s when he fell.”The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office confirmed in a social media post that a homeowner had found one of the monkeys on their property Sunday morning but said the office didn’t have any details. The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks took possession of the monkey, the sheriff’s office said.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rhesus-macaque-monkeys-south-carolina-lab-escape-81dd4bb3acf2a445c0f899e31a8e05eb">Rhesus monkeys</a>&nbsp;had been housed at the Tulane University National Biomedical Research Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, which routinely provides primates to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/monkeys-escape-mississippi-tulane-animal-research-1ff00420c5f4af37a8b8ec4e2028227c">scientific research organizations</a>, according to the university. In a statement last week, Tulane said the monkeys do not belong to the university, and they were not being transported by the university.A truck carrying the monkeys overturned Tuesday on Interstate 59 north of Heidelberg. Authorities have said most of the 21 monkeys were killed. The sheriff’s department has said animal experts from Tulane examined the trailer and had determined&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/monkeys-escape-mississippi-tulane-2a8e2bcfc5fe9f81e641cefa78bb746f">three monkeys had escaped</a>.The Mississippi Highway Patrol has said it was investigating the cause of the crash, which occurred about 100 miles (160 kilometers) from the state capital, Jackson.Rhesus monkeys typically weigh about 16 pounds (7.2 kilograms) and are among the most medically studied animals on the planet. Video recorded after the crash showed monkeys crawling through tall grass beside the interstate, where wooden crates labeled “live animals” were crumpled and strewn about.Jasper County Sheriff Randy Johnson had said Tulane officials reported the monkeys were not infectious, despite initial reports by the truck’s occupants warning that the monkeys were dangerous and harboring various diseases. Nonetheless, Johnson said the monkeys still needed to be “neutralized” because of their aggressive nature.The monkeys had recently received checkups confirming they were pathogen-free, Tulane said in a statement Wednesday.About 10 years ago, three Rhesus macaques in the breeding colony of what was then known as the Tulane National Primate Research Center were euthanized after a “biosecurity breach,” federal inspectors wrote in a 2015 report. The breach involved at least one staff member failing to adhere to biosafety and infection control procedures, it said.The facility made changes in its procedures and retrained staff after that happened, according to the report from the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.Rhesus macaques “are known to be aggressive,” according to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. It said the agency’s conservation workers were working with sheriff’s officials in the search for the animals.The search comes about one year after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/monkeys-escape-alpha-genesis-south-carolina-5001428b828c84f063b50bc4be22f60a">43 Rhesus macaques escaped</a>&nbsp;from a South Carolina compound that breeds them for medical research because an employee didn’t fully lock an enclosure. Employees from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/monkeys-escape-alpha-genesis-south-carolina-640eb78119c66b88a418ccd1e361318e">Alpha Genesis facility</a>&nbsp;in Yemassee, South Carolina, had set up traps to capture them.

Woman killed escaped research monkey fearing for her children's safety

OSAGE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.

On October 30, an Osage County Sheriff’s Office Investigator conducted a traffic stop&nbsp; on Interstate 35 in Osage County for an alleged traffic violation, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.&nbsp; During the stop, illegal narcotics were located.&nbsp;

The deputy arrested&nbsp; Jessica A. Meade, 28, of Lebo on requested charges of&nbsp;Possession of methamphetamine, Possession of marijuana and Possession of drug paraphernalia

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761945543981.png" alt="Meade photo Osage County" />
 <figcaption>Meade photo Osage County</figcaption>
 </figure>OSAGE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.On October 30, an Osage County Sheriff’s Office Investigator conducted a traffic stop&nbsp; on Interstate 35 in Osage County for an alleged traffic violation, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.&nbsp; During the stop, illegal narcotics were located.&nbsp;The deputy arrested&nbsp; Jessica A. Meade, 28, of Lebo on requested charges of&nbsp;Possession of methamphetamine, Possession of marijuana and Possession of drug paraphernalia

Sheriff: Kansas woman caught with meth and marijuana

NEW YORK (AP) — The United States is running out of pennies.

President Donald Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-mint-treasury-department-penny-end-production-daf6367d7e8d31d6783720d5d4667115" rel="nofollow">decision to stop producing the penny</a>&nbsp;earlier this year is starting to have real implications for the nation’s commerce. Merchants in multiple regions of the country have run out of pennies and are unable to produce exact change. Meanwhile, banks are unable to order fresh pennies and are rationing pennies for their customers.

One convenience store chain, Sheetz, got so desperate for pennies that it briefly ran a promotion offering a free soda to customers who bring in 100 pennies. Another retailer says the lack of pennies will end up costing it millions this year, because of the need to round down to avoid lawsuits.

“It’s a chunk of change,” said Dylan Jeon, senior director of government relations with the National Retail Federation.

The penny problem started in late summer and is only getting worse as the country heads into the holiday shopping season.

To be sure, not one retailer or bank has called for the penny to stick around. Pennies, especially in bulk, are heavy and are more often than not used exclusively to give customers change. But the abrupt decision to get rid of the penny has come with no guidance from the federal government. Many stores have been left pleading for Americans to pay in exact change.

“We have been advocating abolition of the penny for 30 years. But this is not the way we wanted it to go,” said Jeff Lenard with the National Association of Convenience Stores.

Trump announced on Feb. 9 that the U.S. would no longer mint pennies, citing the high costs. Both the penny and the nickel have been more expensive to produce than they are worth for several years, despite efforts by the U.S. Mint to reduce costs. The Mint spent 3.7 cents to make a penny in 2024, according to its most recent annual report, and it spends 13.8 cents to make a nickel.

“Let’s rip the waste out of our great nation’s budget, even if it’s a penny at a time,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The Treasury Department said in May that it was placing its last order of copper-zinc planchets — the blank metal disks that are minted into coins. In June, the last pennies were minted and by August, those pennies were distributed to banks and armored vehicle service companies.

Troy Richards, president and chief operations officer at Louisiana-based Guaranty Bank &amp; Trust Co., said he’s had to scramble to have enough pennies on hand for his customers since August.

“We got an email announcement from the Federal Reserve that penny shipments would be curtailed. Little did we know that those shipments were already over for us,” Richards said.

Richards said the $1,800 in pennies the bank had were gone in two weeks. His branches are keeping small amounts of pennies for customers who need to cash checks, but that’s it.

The U.S. Mint issued 3.23 billion pennies in 2024, the last full year of production, more than double that of the second-most minted coin in the country: the quarter. But the problem with pennies is they are issued, given as change, and rarely recirculated back into the economy. Americans store their pennies in jars or use them for decoration. This requires the Mint to produce significant sums of pennies each year.

The government is expected to save $56 million by not minting pennies, according to the Treasury Department. Despite losing money on the penny, the Mint is profitable for the U.S. government through its production of other circulating coins as well as coin proof and commemorative sets that appeal to numismatic collectors.

In 2024, the Mint made $182 million in seigniorage, which is its equivalent of profit.

Besides American’s penny hoarding habit, a logistical issue is also preventing pennies from circulating.

The distribution of coins is handled by the Federal Reserve system. Several companies, mostly armored carrier companies, operate coin terminals where banks can withdraw and deposit coins. Roughly a third of these 170 coin terminals are now closed to both penny deposits as well as penny withdrawals.

Bank lobbyists say these terminals being closed to penny deposits is exacerbating the penny shortage, because parts of the country that may have some surplus pennies are unable to get those pennies to parts of country with shortages.

“As a result of the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s decision to end production of the penny, coin distribution locations accepting penny deposits and fulfilling orders will vary over time as (penny) inventory is depleted” a Federal Reserve spokeswoman said.

The lack of pennies has also become a legal minefield for stores and retailers. In some states and cities, it is illegal to round up a transaction to the nearest nickel or dime because doing so would run afoul of laws that are supposed to place cash customers and debit and credit card customers on an equal playing field when it comes to item costs.

So, to avoid lawsuits, retailers are rounding down. While two or three cents may not seem like much, that extra change can add up over tens of thousands of transactions. A spokesman for Kwik Trip, the Midwest convenience store chain, says it has been rounding down every cash transaction to the nearest nickel. That’s expected to cost the company roughly $3 million this year. Some retailers are asking customers to give their change to local or affiliated charities at the cash register, in an effort to avoid pennies as well.

A bill currently pending in Congress, known as the Common Cents Act, calls for cash transactions to be rounded to the nearest nickel, up or down. While the proposal is palatable to businesses, rounding up could be costly for consumers.

The Treasury Department did not respond to a request for comment on whether they had any guidance for retailers or banks regarding the penny shortage, or the issues regarding penny circulation.

The United States is not the first country to transition away from small denomination coins or discontinue out-of-date coins. But in all of these cases, governments wound down the use of their out-of-date coins over a period of, often, years.

For example, Canada announced it would eliminate its one-cent coin in 2012, transitioning away from one-cent cash transactions starting in 2013 and is still redeeming and recycling one-cent coins a decade later. The “decimalization” process of converting British coins from farthings and shillings to a 100-pence-to-a-pound system took much of the 1960s and early 1970s.

The U.S. removed the penny from commerce abruptly, without any action by Congress or any regulatory guidance for banks, retailers or states. The retail and banking industries, rarely allies in Washington on policy matters related to point-of-sale, are demanding that Washington issue guidance or pass a law fixing the issues that are arising due to the shortage.

NEW YORK (AP) — The United States is running out of pennies.President Donald Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-mint-treasury-department-penny-end-production-daf6367d7e8d31d6783720d5d4667115" rel="nofollow">decision to stop producing the penny</a>&nbsp;earlier this year is starting to have real implications for the nation’s commerce. Merchants in multiple regions of the country have run out of pennies and are unable to produce exact change. Meanwhile, banks are unable to order fresh pennies and are rationing pennies for their customers.One convenience store chain, Sheetz, got so desperate for pennies that it briefly ran a promotion offering a free soda to customers who bring in 100 pennies. Another retailer says the lack of pennies will end up costing it millions this year, because of the need to round down to avoid lawsuits.“It’s a chunk of change,” said Dylan Jeon, senior director of government relations with the National Retail Federation.The penny problem started in late summer and is only getting worse as the country heads into the holiday shopping season.To be sure, not one retailer or bank has called for the penny to stick around. Pennies, especially in bulk, are heavy and are more often than not used exclusively to give customers change. But the abrupt decision to get rid of the penny has come with no guidance from the federal government. Many stores have been left pleading for Americans to pay in exact change.“We have been advocating abolition of the penny for 30 years. But this is not the way we wanted it to go,” said Jeff Lenard with the National Association of Convenience Stores.Trump announced on Feb. 9 that the U.S. would no longer mint pennies, citing the high costs. Both the penny and the nickel have been more expensive to produce than they are worth for several years, despite efforts by the U.S. Mint to reduce costs. The Mint spent 3.7 cents to make a penny in 2024, according to its most recent annual report, and it spends 13.8 cents to make a nickel.“Let’s rip the waste out of our great nation’s budget, even if it’s a penny at a time,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.The Treasury Department said in May that it was placing its last order of copper-zinc planchets — the blank metal disks that are minted into coins. In June, the last pennies were minted and by August, those pennies were distributed to banks and armored vehicle service companies.Troy Richards, president and chief operations officer at Louisiana-based Guaranty Bank &amp; Trust Co., said he’s had to scramble to have enough pennies on hand for his customers since August.“We got an email announcement from the Federal Reserve that penny shipments would be curtailed. Little did we know that those shipments were already over for us,” Richards said.Richards said the $1,800 in pennies the bank had were gone in two weeks. His branches are keeping small amounts of pennies for customers who need to cash checks, but that’s it.The U.S. Mint issued 3.23 billion pennies in 2024, the last full year of production, more than double that of the second-most minted coin in the country: the quarter. But the problem with pennies is they are issued, given as change, and rarely recirculated back into the economy. Americans store their pennies in jars or use them for decoration. This requires the Mint to produce significant sums of pennies each year.The government is expected to save $56 million by not minting pennies, according to the Treasury Department. Despite losing money on the penny, the Mint is profitable for the U.S. government through its production of other circulating coins as well as coin proof and commemorative sets that appeal to numismatic collectors.In 2024, the Mint made $182 million in seigniorage, which is its equivalent of profit.Besides American’s penny hoarding habit, a logistical issue is also preventing pennies from circulating.The distribution of coins is handled by the Federal Reserve system. Several companies, mostly armored carrier companies, operate coin terminals where banks can withdraw and deposit coins. Roughly a third of these 170 coin terminals are now closed to both penny deposits as well as penny withdrawals.Bank lobbyists say these terminals being closed to penny deposits is exacerbating the penny shortage, because parts of the country that may have some surplus pennies are unable to get those pennies to parts of country with shortages.“As a result of the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s decision to end production of the penny, coin distribution locations accepting penny deposits and fulfilling orders will vary over time as (penny) inventory is depleted” a Federal Reserve spokeswoman said.The lack of pennies has also become a legal minefield for stores and retailers. In some states and cities, it is illegal to round up a transaction to the nearest nickel or dime because doing so would run afoul of laws that are supposed to place cash customers and debit and credit card customers on an equal playing field when it comes to item costs.So, to avoid lawsuits, retailers are rounding down. While two or three cents may not seem like much, that extra change can add up over tens of thousands of transactions. A spokesman for Kwik Trip, the Midwest convenience store chain, says it has been rounding down every cash transaction to the nearest nickel. That’s expected to cost the company roughly $3 million this year. Some retailers are asking customers to give their change to local or affiliated charities at the cash register, in an effort to avoid pennies as well.A bill currently pending in Congress, known as the Common Cents Act, calls for cash transactions to be rounded to the nearest nickel, up or down. While the proposal is palatable to businesses, rounding up could be costly for consumers.The Treasury Department did not respond to a request for comment on whether they had any guidance for retailers or banks regarding the penny shortage, or the issues regarding penny circulation.The United States is not the first country to transition away from small denomination coins or discontinue out-of-date coins. But in all of these cases, governments wound down the use of their out-of-date coins over a period of, often, years.For example, Canada announced it would eliminate its one-cent coin in 2012, transitioning away from one-cent cash transactions starting in 2013 and is still redeeming and recycling one-cent coins a decade later. The “decimalization” process of converting British coins from farthings and shillings to a 100-pence-to-a-pound system took much of the 1960s and early 1970s.The U.S. removed the penny from commerce abruptly, without any action by Congress or any regulatory guidance for banks, retailers or states. The retail and banking industries, rarely allies in Washington on policy matters related to point-of-sale, are demanding that Washington issue guidance or pass a law fixing the issues that are arising due to the shortage.

Banks and retailers run short on pennies as the US Mint stops making them

By&nbsp;&nbsp;MARGERY BECK&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/geoff-mulvihill">GEOFF MULVIHILL</a> Associated Press

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program">Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program</a>, or SNAP, is a major piece of the U.S. social safety net used by nearly 42 million, or about 1 in 8 Americans, to help buy groceries.

Originally known as the food stamp program, it has existed since 1964, serving low-income people, many of whom have jobs but don’t make enough money to cover all the basic costs of living.

Public attention has focused on the program since President Donald Trump’s administration announced last week that it would freeze SNAP payments starting Nov. 1 in the midst of a monthlong federal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/government-shutdown">government shutdown</a>. The administration argued it wasn’t allowed to use a contingency fund with about $5 billion in it to help keep the program going. But on Friday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/snap-shutdown-lawsuits-deadline-4af8b0dec6cd31cddd023cc99c131b73">two federal judges ruled</a>&nbsp;in separate challenges that the federal government must continue to fund SNAP, at least partially, using contingency funds. However, the federal government is expected to appeal, and the process to restart SNAP payments would likely take one to two weeks.

There are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/recipient/eligibility" target="_blank">income limits</a>&nbsp;based on family size, expenses and whether households include someone who is elderly or has a disability.

Most SNAP participants are families with children, and more than 1 in 3 include older adults or someone with a disability.

Nearly 2 in 5 recipients are households where someone is employed.

Most participants have incomes below the poverty line, which is about $32,000 for a family of four, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers the program, says nearly 16 million children received SNAP benefits in 2023.

People who are not in the country legally, and many immigrants who do have legal status, are not eligible. Many college students aren’t either, and some states have barred people with certain drug convictions.

Under a provision of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-is-republican-trump-tax-bill-f65be44e1050431a601320197322551b">Trump’s big tax and policy law</a>&nbsp;that also takes effect Nov. 1, people who do not have disabilities, are between ages 18 and 64 and who do not have children under age 14 can receive benefits for only three months every three years if they’re not working. Otherwise, they must work, volunteer or participate in a work training program at least 80 hours a month.

On average, the monthly benefit per household participating in SNAP over the past few years has been about $350, and the average benefit per person is about $190.

The benefit amount varies based on a family’s income and expenses. The designated amount is based on the concept that households should allocate 30% of their remaining income after essential expenses to food.

By&nbsp;&nbsp;MARGERY BECK&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/geoff-mulvihill">GEOFF MULVIHILL</a> Associated PressThe&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program">Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program</a>, or SNAP, is a major piece of the U.S. social safety net used by nearly 42 million, or about 1 in 8 Americans, to help buy groceries.Originally known as the food stamp program, it has existed since 1964, serving low-income people, many of whom have jobs but don’t make enough money to cover all the basic costs of living.Public attention has focused on the program since President Donald Trump’s administration announced last week that it would freeze SNAP payments starting Nov. 1 in the midst of a monthlong federal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/government-shutdown">government shutdown</a>. The administration argued it wasn’t allowed to use a contingency fund with about $5 billion in it to help keep the program going. But on Friday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/snap-shutdown-lawsuits-deadline-4af8b0dec6cd31cddd023cc99c131b73">two federal judges ruled</a>&nbsp;in separate challenges that the federal government must continue to fund SNAP, at least partially, using contingency funds. However, the federal government is expected to appeal, and the process to restart SNAP payments would likely take one to two weeks.Here’s a look at how SNAP works.<h2>Who’s eligible?</h2>There are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/recipient/eligibility" target="_blank">income limits</a>&nbsp;based on family size, expenses and whether households include someone who is elderly or has a disability.Most SNAP participants are families with children, and more than 1 in 3 include older adults or someone with a disability.Nearly 2 in 5 recipients are households where someone is employed.Most participants have incomes below the poverty line, which is about $32,000 for a family of four, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers the program, says nearly 16 million children received SNAP benefits in 2023.<h2>Who’s not eligible?</h2>People who are not in the country legally, and many immigrants who do have legal status, are not eligible. Many college students aren’t either, and some states have barred people with certain drug convictions.Under a provision of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-is-republican-trump-tax-bill-f65be44e1050431a601320197322551b">Trump’s big tax and policy law</a>&nbsp;that also takes effect Nov. 1, people who do not have disabilities, are between ages 18 and 64 and who do not have children under age 14 can receive benefits for only three months every three years if they’re not working. Otherwise, they must work, volunteer or participate in a work training program at least 80 hours a month.<h2>How much do beneficiaries receive?</h2>On average, the monthly benefit per household participating in SNAP over the past few years has been about $350, and the average benefit per person is about $190.The benefit amount varies based on a family’s income and expenses. The designated amount is based on the concept that households should allocate 30% of their remaining income after essential expenses to food.Families can receive higher amounts if they pay child support, have monthly medical expenses exceeding $35 or pay a higher portion of their income on housing.<h2>How do benefits work?</h2>The cost of benefits and half the cost of running the program is paid by the federal government using tax dollars.States pay the rest of the administrative costs and run the program.People apply for SNAP through a state or county social service agency or through a nonprofit that helps people with applications. In some states, SNAP is known by another, state-specific name. For instance, it’s FoodShare in Wisconsin and CalFresh in California.The benefits are delivered through electronic benefits transfer, or EBT, cards that work essentially like a bank debit card. Besides SNAP, it’s where money is loaded for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF, program, which provides cash assistance for low-income families with children, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children.The card is swiped or inserted in a store’s card reader at checkout, and the cardholder enters their PIN to pay for food. The cost of the food is deducted from the person’s SNAP account balance.<h2>What can it buy?</h2>SNAP benefits can only be used for food at participating stores — mostly groceries, supermarkets, discount retail stores, convenience stores and farmers markets. It also covers plants and seeds bought to grow your own food. However, hot foods — like restaurant meals — are not covered.Most, but not all, food stores participate. The USDA provides a link on its website to a&nbsp;<a href="https://usda-fns.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=15e1c457b56c4a729861d015cd626a23" target="_blank">SNAP retail locator</a>, allowing people to enter an address to get the closest retailers to them.Items commonly found in a grocery and other participating stores that can’t be bought with SNAP benefits include pet food, household supplies like toilet paper, paper towels and cleaning products, and toiletries like toothpaste, shampoo and cosmetics. Vitamins, medicines, alcohol and tobacco products are also excluded.Sales tax is not charged on items bought with SNAP benefits.<h2>Are there any restrictions?</h2>There aren’t additional restrictions today on which foods can be purchased with SNAP money.But the federal government is allowing states to apply to limit which foods can be purchased with SNAP starting in 2026.So far, a dozen states — 11 of them Republican-controlled plus Colorado — have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/waivers/foodrestriction#utahwaiver" target="_blank">received permission to do so</a>.All of them will bar buying soft drinks, most say no to candy, and some block energy drinks.