WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate easily approved a bipartisan&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-violence-gun-politics-mental-ab399a7a1c5eea98bcd12e944679355f">gun violence bill</a>&nbsp;Thursday that seemed unthinkable a month ago, setting up final approval of what will be Congress’ most far-reaching response in decades to the nation’s run of brutal mass shootings.

After years futile Democratic efforts to curb firearms,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shootings-texas-new-york-violence-buffalo-df9202d5686880aab00559979d180e17">15 Republicans joined with them as both sides decided inaction was untenable</a>&nbsp;after last month’s rampages in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buffalo-supermarket-shooting-victims-982351652caf7ecf3da304c6c64f62fb">Buffalo, New York</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-texas-school-shooting-may-24-584466945120">Uvalde, Texas</a>.

 It took weeks of closed-door talks but senators emerged with a compromise embodying incremental but impactful movement to curb bloodshed that has come to regularly shock — yet no longer surprise — the nation. Kansas Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall voted against the measure.

The $13 billion measure would toughen background checks for the youngest gun buyers, keep firearms from more domestic violence offenders and help states put in place red flag laws that make it easier for authorities to take weapons from people adjudged dangerous. It would also fund local programs for school safety, mental health and violence prevention.

“Families in Uvalde and Buffalo, and too many tragic shootings before, have demanded action. And tonight, we acted,” President Joe Biden said after passage. He said the House should send it to him quickly, adding, “Kids in schools and communities will be safer because of it.”

The election-year package fell far short of more robust gun restrictions Democrats have sought and Republicans have thwarted for years, including bans on the assault-type weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines used in the slayings in Buffaloand Uvalde. Yet the accord let leaders of both parties declare victory and demonstrate to voters that they know how to compromise and make government work, while also leaving room for each side to appeal to its core supporters.

“This is not a cure-all for the all the ways gun violence affects our nation,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., whose party has made gun restrictions a goal for decades. “But it is a long overdue step in the right direction.”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., in a nod to the Second Amendment right to bear arms that drives many conservative voters, said “the American people want their constitutional rights protected and their kids to be safe in school.” He said “they want both of those things at once, and that is just what the bill before the Senate will have accomplished.”

The day proved bittersweet for advocates of curtailing gun violence. Underscoring the enduring potency of conservative cIout, the right-leaning&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-guns-decision-what-to-know-a068d964981b6d1242a5ab124224f77a">Supreme Court issued a decision expanding the right of Americans to carry arms in public by</a>&nbsp;striking down a New York law requiring people to prove a need for carrying a weapon before they get a license to do so.

McConnell hailed the justices’ decision and Senate passage of the guns bill as “complementary victories that will make our country freer and safer at the same time.”

The Senate vote on final passage was 65-33. A cluster of House Democrats who watched the vote in the chamber’s rear included Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Ga., whose 17-year old son was shot to death in 2012 by a man complaining his music was too loud.

In the key roll call hours earlier, senators voted 65-34 to end a filibuster by conservative GOP senators. That was five more than the 60-vote threshold needed. The House planned to vote Friday and approval seemed certain.

On both votes, 15 Senate Republicans joined all 50 Democrats, including their two allied independents, in backing the legislation.

Yet the votes highlighted the risks Republicans face by defying the party’s pro-gun voters and firearms groups like the National Rifle Association. Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Todd Young of Indiana were the only two of the 15 up for reelection this fall. Of the rest, four are retiring and eight don’t face voters until 2026.

Tellingly, GOP senators voting “no” included potential 2024 presidential contenders like Ted Cruz of Texas, Josh Hawley of Missouri and Tim Scott of South Carolina. Some of the party’s most conservative members voted “no” as well, including Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Mike Lee of Utah.

Cruz said the legislation would “disarm law-abiding citizens rather than take serious measures to protect our children.”

John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, hailed senators who supported the measure for “coming together and putting the safety of the American people ahead of gun lobby priorities.”

While the Senate measure was a clear breakthrough, the outlook for continued congressional movement on gun curbs is dim.

Less than one-third of the Senate’s 50 GOP senators backed the measure and solid Republican opposition is certain in the House. Top House Republicans urged a “no” vote in an email from the No. 2 GOP leader, Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, that called the bill “an effort to slowly chip away at law-abiding citizens’ 2nd Amendment rights.”

Both chambers — now narrowly controlled by Democrats — could well be run by the GOP after November’s midterm elections.

Senate action came one month after a gunman killed 19 students and two teachers in Uvalde. Just days before that, a white man was accused of being motivated by racism as he killed 10 Black grocery shoppers in Buffalo. Both shooters were 18 years old, a youthful profile shared by many mass shooters, and the close timing of the two slaughters and victims with whom many could identify stirred a demand by voters for action, lawmakers of both parties said.

The talks were led by Sens. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Thom Tillis, R-N.C. Murphy represented Newtown, Connecticut, when an assailant killed 20 students and six staffers at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, while Cornyn has been involved in past gun talks following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-school-shooting-victims-0fc46ce400c3fed9081ee5c033d2aba5">mass shootings in his state</a>&nbsp;and is close to McConnell.

Murphy said the measure would save thousands of lives and was a chance to “prove to a weary American public that democracy is not so broken that it is unable to rise to the moment.”

“I don’t believe in doing nothing in the face of what we saw in Uvalde” and elsewhere, Cornyn said.

The bill would make the local juvenile records of people age 18 to 20 available during required federal background checks when they attempt to buy guns. Those examinations, currently limited to three days, would last up to a maximum of 10 days to give federal and local officials time to search records.

People convicted of domestic abuse who are current or former romantic partners of the victim would be prohibited from acquiring firearms, closing the so-called “boyfriend loophole.”

That ban currently only applies to people married to, living with or who have had children with the victim. The compromise bill would extend that to those considered to have had “a continuing serious relationship.”

There would be money to help states enforce red flag laws and for other states without them that for violence prevention programs. Nineteen states and the District of Columbia have such laws.

The measure expands the use of background checks by rewriting the definition of the federally licensed gun dealers required to conduct them. Penalties for gun trafficking are strengthened, billions of dollars are provided for behavioral health clinics and school mental health programs and there’s money for school safety initiatives, though not for personnel to use a “dangerous weapon.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656067928516.png" alt="Members of the United State's Senate during Thursday's vote on the gun violence bill.-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Members of the United State's Senate during Thursday's vote on the gun violence bill.-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate easily approved a bipartisan&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-violence-gun-politics-mental-ab399a7a1c5eea98bcd12e944679355f">gun violence bill</a>&nbsp;Thursday that seemed unthinkable a month ago, setting up final approval of what will be Congress’ most far-reaching response in decades to the nation’s run of brutal mass shootings.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Kansans expect me to protect their Constitutional freedoms in the U.S. Senate, and I will not sacrifice those freedoms for this gun grabbing scheme.&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1540158340160012288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>After years futile Democratic efforts to curb firearms,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shootings-texas-new-york-violence-buffalo-df9202d5686880aab00559979d180e17">15 Republicans joined with them as both sides decided inaction was untenable</a>&nbsp;after last month’s rampages in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buffalo-supermarket-shooting-victims-982351652caf7ecf3da304c6c64f62fb">Buffalo, New York</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-texas-school-shooting-may-24-584466945120">Uvalde, Texas</a>. It took weeks of closed-door talks but senators emerged with a compromise embodying incremental but impactful movement to curb bloodshed that has come to regularly shock — yet no longer surprise — the nation. Kansas Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall voted against the measure.The $13 billion measure would toughen background checks for the youngest gun buyers, keep firearms from more domestic violence offenders and help states put in place red flag laws that make it easier for authorities to take weapons from people adjudged dangerous. It would also fund local programs for school safety, mental health and violence prevention.“Families in Uvalde and Buffalo, and too many tragic shootings before, have demanded action. And tonight, we acted,” President Joe Biden said after passage. He said the House should send it to him quickly, adding, “Kids in schools and communities will be safer because of it.”The election-year package fell far short of more robust gun restrictions Democrats have sought and Republicans have thwarted for years, including bans on the assault-type weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines used in the slayings in Buffaloand Uvalde. Yet the accord let leaders of both parties declare victory and demonstrate to voters that they know how to compromise and make government work, while also leaving room for each side to appeal to its core supporters.“This is not a cure-all for the all the ways gun violence affects our nation,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., whose party has made gun restrictions a goal for decades. “But it is a long overdue step in the right direction.”Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., in a nod to the Second Amendment right to bear arms that drives many conservative voters, said “the American people want their constitutional rights protected and their kids to be safe in school.” He said “they want both of those things at once, and that is just what the bill before the Senate will have accomplished.”The day proved bittersweet for advocates of curtailing gun violence. Underscoring the enduring potency of conservative cIout, the right-leaning&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-guns-decision-what-to-know-a068d964981b6d1242a5ab124224f77a">Supreme Court issued a decision expanding the right of Americans to carry arms in public by</a>&nbsp;striking down a New York law requiring people to prove a need for carrying a weapon before they get a license to do so.McConnell hailed the justices’ decision and Senate passage of the guns bill as “complementary victories that will make our country freer and safer at the same time.”The Senate vote on final passage was 65-33. A cluster of House Democrats who watched the vote in the chamber’s rear included Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Ga., whose 17-year old son was shot to death in 2012 by a man complaining his music was too loud.In the key roll call hours earlier, senators voted 65-34 to end a filibuster by conservative GOP senators. That was five more than the 60-vote threshold needed. The House planned to vote Friday and approval seemed certain.On both votes, 15 Senate Republicans joined all 50 Democrats, including their two allied independents, in backing the legislation.Yet the votes highlighted the risks Republicans face by defying the party’s pro-gun voters and firearms groups like the National Rifle Association. Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Todd Young of Indiana were the only two of the 15 up for reelection this fall. Of the rest, four are retiring and eight don’t face voters until 2026.Tellingly, GOP senators voting “no” included potential 2024 presidential contenders like Ted Cruz of Texas, Josh Hawley of Missouri and Tim Scott of South Carolina. Some of the party’s most conservative members voted “no” as well, including Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Mike Lee of Utah.Cruz said the legislation would “disarm law-abiding citizens rather than take serious measures to protect our children.”John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, hailed senators who supported the measure for “coming together and putting the safety of the American people ahead of gun lobby priorities.”While the Senate measure was a clear breakthrough, the outlook for continued congressional movement on gun curbs is dim.Less than one-third of the Senate’s 50 GOP senators backed the measure and solid Republican opposition is certain in the House. Top House Republicans urged a “no” vote in an email from the No. 2 GOP leader, Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, that called the bill “an effort to slowly chip away at law-abiding citizens’ 2nd Amendment rights.”Both chambers — now narrowly controlled by Democrats — could well be run by the GOP after November’s midterm elections.Senate action came one month after a gunman killed 19 students and two teachers in Uvalde. Just days before that, a white man was accused of being motivated by racism as he killed 10 Black grocery shoppers in Buffalo. Both shooters were 18 years old, a youthful profile shared by many mass shooters, and the close timing of the two slaughters and victims with whom many could identify stirred a demand by voters for action, lawmakers of both parties said.The talks were led by Sens. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Thom Tillis, R-N.C. Murphy represented Newtown, Connecticut, when an assailant killed 20 students and six staffers at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, while Cornyn has been involved in past gun talks following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-school-shooting-victims-0fc46ce400c3fed9081ee5c033d2aba5">mass shootings in his state</a>&nbsp;and is close to McConnell.Murphy said the measure would save thousands of lives and was a chance to “prove to a weary American public that democracy is not so broken that it is unable to rise to the moment.”“I don’t believe in doing nothing in the face of what we saw in Uvalde” and elsewhere, Cornyn said.The bill would make the local juvenile records of people age 18 to 20 available during required federal background checks when they attempt to buy guns. Those examinations, currently limited to three days, would last up to a maximum of 10 days to give federal and local officials time to search records.People convicted of domestic abuse who are current or former romantic partners of the victim would be prohibited from acquiring firearms, closing the so-called “boyfriend loophole.”That ban currently only applies to people married to, living with or who have had children with the victim. The compromise bill would extend that to those considered to have had “a continuing serious relationship.”There would be money to help states enforce red flag laws and for other states without them that for violence prevention programs. Nineteen states and the District of Columbia have such laws.The measure expands the use of background checks by rewriting the definition of the federally licensed gun dealers required to conduct them. Penalties for gun trafficking are strengthened, billions of dollars are provided for behavioral health clinics and school mental health programs and there’s money for school safety initiatives, though not for personnel to use a “dangerous weapon.”

Moran, Marshall vote no as Senate OKs landmark gun violence bill

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that sent two people to the hospital in Topeka.

Just after 6:30 pm Thursday, police responded to report of a possible shooting at Munson Avenue and SW Washburn Avenue, according to Lt. Michael Hren. 

Officers located two subjects who were suffering from gunshot wounds. AMR transported both to the hospital with life threatening injuries.

At the hospital, the victims injuries were downgraded to non-life threatening, according to Hren. Police transported a person of interest and witnesses were transported to the Law Enforcement Center. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656068895714.png" alt="Police on the scene of the shooting-photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the shooting-photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that sent two people to the hospital in Topeka.Just after 6:30 pm Thursday, police responded to report of a possible shooting at Munson Avenue and SW Washburn Avenue, according to Lt. Michael Hren. Officers located two subjects who were suffering from gunshot wounds. AMR transported both to the hospital with life threatening injuries.At the hospital, the victims injuries were downgraded to non-life threatening, according to Hren. Police transported a person of interest and witnesses were transported to the Law Enforcement Center.

Police investigate Kansas shooting that injured two

Manhattan—Lightning is being blamed for an early morning fire in Manhattan.

Just before&nbsp; 12:30 a.m. Friday, fire crews were dispatched to 320 Rosewalk Place for a report of a structure fire, according to Assistant Fire Chief&nbsp; Sam Dameron.

Upon arrival, crews found a single-story duplex with fire on the exterior gable of the structure above the garage.&nbsp; Both sides of the duplex were occupied at the time of the fire and the three occupants of the structure were able to exit without injury.

Structure loss is estimated at $10,000 to 320 Rosewalk Place and $10,000 to 326 Rosewalk Place. There was no fire loss to the contents.&nbsp; The occupants were not displaced due to the fire, according to Damron.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656067296409.png" alt="Photo courtesy Manhattan Fire Deparatment." />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Manhattan Fire Deparatment.</figcaption>
 </figure>Manhattan—Lightning is being blamed for an early morning fire in Manhattan.Just before&nbsp; 12:30 a.m. Friday, fire crews were dispatched to 320 Rosewalk Place for a report of a structure fire, according to Assistant Fire Chief&nbsp; Sam Dameron.Upon arrival, crews found a single-story duplex with fire on the exterior gable of the structure above the garage.&nbsp; Both sides of the duplex were occupied at the time of the fire and the three occupants of the structure were able to exit without injury. Structure loss is estimated at $10,000 to 320 Rosewalk Place and $10,000 to 326 Rosewalk Place. There was no fire loss to the contents.&nbsp; The occupants were not displaced due to the fire, according to Damron.

Lightning caused Kansas duplex fire

WASHINGTON (AP) —The rights of LGBTQ students would become enshrined in federal law and victims of campus sexual assault would gain new protections under&nbsp;<a href="https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/t9nprm-factsheet.pdf" target="_blank">new rules proposed by the Biden administration</a>&nbsp;on Thursday.

<a href="https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-department-education-releases-proposed-changes-title-ix-regulations-invites-public-comment">Click here to read the</a> statement from the Dept. of Education

<a href="https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/t9nprm.pdf" target="_blank">The proposal</a>, announced on the 50th anniversary of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/title-ix-timeline-5fc023ca41d7d8c2489de24a23413938">Title IX women’s rights law</a>, is intended to replace a set of controversial rules issued during the Trump administration by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-us-news-ap-top-news-sexual-assault-sexual-misconduct-f489490cb06c0ac02e6c586be9abc5f1">Education Secretary Betsy DeVos</a>.

President Joe Biden’s education secretary, Miguel Cardona, said that even though there have been significant strides toward gender equality, discrimination and sexual violence persist.

“Even as we celebrate all the progress we’ve achieved, standing up for equal access and inclusion is as important as ever before,” he said.

The proposal is almost certain to be challenged by conservatives, and it is expected to lead to new legal battles over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/title-ix-transgender-athletes-rights-9adfe49a8e07f66f07b5e2302bb94730">the rights of transgender students</a>&nbsp;in schools, especially in sports. It now faces a public feedback period before the administration can finalize any changes, meaning the earliest that the policy is likely to take effect is next year.

The step meets a demand from victims rights advocates who wanted Biden to release new rules no later than the anniversary of Title IX, which outlaws discrimination based on sex in schools and colleges.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-sports-donald-trump-education-5ae8d4c03863cf98072e810c5de37048">Advocates say DeVos’ rules</a>&nbsp;have gone too far in protecting students accused of sexual misconduct, at the expense of victims.

As a presidential candidate, Biden had promised a quick end to DeVos’ rules, saying they would “shame and silence survivors.”

In announcing its proposal, Biden’s Education Department said DeVos’ rules “weakened protections for survivors of sexual assault and diminished the promise of an education free from discrimination.”

For the first time, the rules would formally protect LGBTQ students under Title IX. Nothing in the 1972 law explicitly addresses the topic, but the new proposal would clarify that the law applies to discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

It would make clear that “preventing someone from participating in school programs and activities consistent with their gender identity would cause harm in violation of Title IX,” according to the department. More specific rules dealing with the rights of transgender students in school sports will be released later, the department said.

Biden marked the anniversary of Title IX by acknowledging the impact the law has had in advancing equity but acknowledging there was more to do.

“As we look to the next 50 years, I am committed to protecting this progress and working to achieve full equality, inclusion, and dignity for women and girls, LGBTQI+ Americans, all students, and all Americans,” he said in a statement.

Many of the proposed changes would restore Obama-era rules that DeVos’ policy replaced.

The definition of sexual harassment would be expanded to cover a wider range of misconduct. Schools would be required to address any allegation that creates a “hostile environment” for students, even if the misconduct arises off campus. Most college employees, including professors and coaches, would be required to notify campus officials if they learn of potential sex discrimination.

In a victory for victims rights advocates, the proposal would eliminate a rule requiring colleges to hold live hearings to investigate sexual misconduct cases — one of the most divisive aspects of DeVos’ policy. Live hearings would be allowed under the new policy, but colleges could also appoint campus officials to question students separately.

Biden’s action drew praise from victims rights groups, LGBTQ advocates and Democratic lawmakers.

“These proposed regulations demonstrate a strong commitment to protecting educational opportunities for all students including LGBTQ students,” said Janson Wu executive director of Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders. “Especially in light of ongoing state legislative attacks, we are grateful for the administration’s strong support of LGBTQ youth.”

Republicans in Congress were quick to denounce the proposal. Rep. Virginia Foxx of North Carolina, the top Republican on the House Education and Labor Committee, said the rules will “demolish due process rights and the safety of young women and girls across the country, with promised regulations still to come to undermine women’s access to athletic opportunities.”

If the proposal is finalized, it would mark the second rewrite of federal Title IX rules in two years. DeVos’ rules were themselves intended to reverse Obama-era guidance. The Obama policy was embraced by victims advocates but led to hundreds of lawsuits from accused students who said their colleges failed to give them a fair process to defend themselves.

The whiplash has left many schools scrambling to adopt ever-changing rules. Some have pressed for a political middle ground that will protect students without prompting new rules every time the White House changes power.

“It doesn’t serve anybody’s interest to have this ping-pong effect of changing rules every five years,” said S. Daniel Carter, a campus security consultant and president of Safety Advisors for Educational Campuses. “That’s just not a good way to get things done. It’s very difficult for everyone involved.”

DeVos’ rules dramatically reshaped the way colleges handle allegations of sexual assault and harassment, with an emphasis on ensuring the constitutional due process rights of the accused.

Under her rules, accused students were given wider rights to review and respond to evidence against them, and students had the right to cross-examine one another through a representative at live hearings.

The live hearing requirement was applauded as a victory for accused students, but it drew intense backlash from other advocates who said it forced victims to relive their trauma.

DeVos also reduced colleges’ obligations in responding to complaints. Her policy narrowed the definition of harassment and scaled back the types of cases colleges are required to address. As a result, some campuses have seen steep decreases in the number of Title IX complaints coming in from students.

Under her rules, for example, colleges are not required to investigate most complaints that arise off campus, and they do not have to act on any complaint unless the alleged misconduct is “severe, pervasive and objectively offensive.”

The overhaul was partly meant to lighten the burden on colleges as they mediate complex cases, but some say it ultimately added more work.

Leaders of some colleges have said the DeVos rules are too prescriptive and force them to turn campus discipline systems into miniature courtrooms. Many schools have continued to address all sexual misconduct complaints even if they do not meet the narrowed harassment definition, but they have had to set up separate discipline processes to handle those cases.

Advocates on both sides say that can be confusing for students.

“It shouldn’t be that way. It should be, if anything, more uniform — that’s the whole reason the Title IX regulations were put into place,” said Kimberly Lau, a New York lawyer who represents students in Title IX cases

Biden’s proposal is a major step in keeping his promise to reverse DeVos’ rules. He started the process last year when he ordered the Education Department to review the rules, but the agency has been bogged down by a slow-moving rule-making process.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656015992947.png" alt="President Biden during a White House Pride Month reception-photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>President Biden during a White House Pride Month reception-photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —The rights of LGBTQ students would become enshrined in federal law and victims of campus sexual assault would gain new protections under&nbsp;<a href="https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/t9nprm-factsheet.pdf" target="_blank">new rules proposed by the Biden administration</a>&nbsp;on Thursday.<a href="https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-department-education-releases-proposed-changes-title-ix-regulations-invites-public-comment">Click here to read the</a> statement from the Dept. of Education<a href="https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/t9nprm.pdf" target="_blank">The proposal</a>, announced on the 50th anniversary of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/title-ix-timeline-5fc023ca41d7d8c2489de24a23413938">Title IX women’s rights law</a>, is intended to replace a set of controversial rules issued during the Trump administration by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-us-news-ap-top-news-sexual-assault-sexual-misconduct-f489490cb06c0ac02e6c586be9abc5f1">Education Secretary Betsy DeVos</a>.President Joe Biden’s education secretary, Miguel Cardona, said that even though there have been significant strides toward gender equality, discrimination and sexual violence persist.“Even as we celebrate all the progress we’ve achieved, standing up for equal access and inclusion is as important as ever before,” he said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Tune in as we host a Pride Month Reception at the White House. <a href="https://t.co/8pRrnp4967">https://t.co/8pRrnp4967</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1537175699072638977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 15, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The proposal is almost certain to be challenged by conservatives, and it is expected to lead to new legal battles over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/title-ix-transgender-athletes-rights-9adfe49a8e07f66f07b5e2302bb94730">the rights of transgender students</a>&nbsp;in schools, especially in sports. It now faces a public feedback period before the administration can finalize any changes, meaning the earliest that the policy is likely to take effect is next year.The step meets a demand from victims rights advocates who wanted Biden to release new rules no later than the anniversary of Title IX, which outlaws discrimination based on sex in schools and colleges.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-sports-donald-trump-education-5ae8d4c03863cf98072e810c5de37048">Advocates say DeVos’ rules</a>&nbsp;have gone too far in protecting students accused of sexual misconduct, at the expense of victims.As a presidential candidate, Biden had promised a quick end to DeVos’ rules, saying they would “shame and silence survivors.”In announcing its proposal, Biden’s Education Department said DeVos’ rules “weakened protections for survivors of sexual assault and diminished the promise of an education free from discrimination.”For the first time, the rules would formally protect LGBTQ students under Title IX. Nothing in the 1972 law explicitly addresses the topic, but the new proposal would clarify that the law applies to discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.It would make clear that “preventing someone from participating in school programs and activities consistent with their gender identity would cause harm in violation of Title IX,” according to the department. More specific rules dealing with the rights of transgender students in school sports will be released later, the department said.Biden marked the anniversary of Title IX by acknowledging the impact the law has had in advancing equity but acknowledging there was more to do.“As we look to the next 50 years, I am committed to protecting this progress and working to achieve full equality, inclusion, and dignity for women and girls, LGBTQI+ Americans, all students, and all Americans,” he said in a statement.Many of the proposed changes would restore Obama-era rules that DeVos’ policy replaced.The definition of sexual harassment would be expanded to cover a wider range of misconduct. Schools would be required to address any allegation that creates a “hostile environment” for students, even if the misconduct arises off campus. Most college employees, including professors and coaches, would be required to notify campus officials if they learn of potential sex discrimination.In a victory for victims rights advocates, the proposal would eliminate a rule requiring colleges to hold live hearings to investigate sexual misconduct cases — one of the most divisive aspects of DeVos’ policy. Live hearings would be allowed under the new policy, but colleges could also appoint campus officials to question students separately.Biden’s action drew praise from victims rights groups, LGBTQ advocates and Democratic lawmakers.“These proposed regulations demonstrate a strong commitment to protecting educational opportunities for all students including LGBTQ students,” said Janson Wu executive director of Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders. “Especially in light of ongoing state legislative attacks, we are grateful for the administration’s strong support of LGBTQ youth.”Republicans in Congress were quick to denounce the proposal. Rep. Virginia Foxx of North Carolina, the top Republican on the House Education and Labor Committee, said the rules will “demolish due process rights and the safety of young women and girls across the country, with promised regulations still to come to undermine women’s access to athletic opportunities.”If the proposal is finalized, it would mark the second rewrite of federal Title IX rules in two years. DeVos’ rules were themselves intended to reverse Obama-era guidance. The Obama policy was embraced by victims advocates but led to hundreds of lawsuits from accused students who said their colleges failed to give them a fair process to defend themselves.The whiplash has left many schools scrambling to adopt ever-changing rules. Some have pressed for a political middle ground that will protect students without prompting new rules every time the White House changes power.“It doesn’t serve anybody’s interest to have this ping-pong effect of changing rules every five years,” said S. Daniel Carter, a campus security consultant and president of Safety Advisors for Educational Campuses. “That’s just not a good way to get things done. It’s very difficult for everyone involved.”DeVos’ rules dramatically reshaped the way colleges handle allegations of sexual assault and harassment, with an emphasis on ensuring the constitutional due process rights of the accused.Under her rules, accused students were given wider rights to review and respond to evidence against them, and students had the right to cross-examine one another through a representative at live hearings.The live hearing requirement was applauded as a victory for accused students, but it drew intense backlash from other advocates who said it forced victims to relive their trauma.DeVos also reduced colleges’ obligations in responding to complaints. Her policy narrowed the definition of harassment and scaled back the types of cases colleges are required to address. As a result, some campuses have seen steep decreases in the number of Title IX complaints coming in from students.Under her rules, for example, colleges are not required to investigate most complaints that arise off campus, and they do not have to act on any complaint unless the alleged misconduct is “severe, pervasive and objectively offensive.”The overhaul was partly meant to lighten the burden on colleges as they mediate complex cases, but some say it ultimately added more work.Leaders of some colleges have said the DeVos rules are too prescriptive and force them to turn campus discipline systems into miniature courtrooms. Many schools have continued to address all sexual misconduct complaints even if they do not meet the narrowed harassment definition, but they have had to set up separate discipline processes to handle those cases.Advocates on both sides say that can be confusing for students.“It shouldn’t be that way. It should be, if anything, more uniform — that’s the whole reason the Title IX regulations were put into place,” said Kimberly Lau, a New York lawyer who represents students in Title IX casesBiden’s proposal is a major step in keeping his promise to reverse DeVos’ rules. He started the process last year when he ordered the Education Department to review the rules, but the agency has been bogged down by a slow-moving rule-making process.

LGBTQ students would get new protections under Biden plan

WASHINGTON — National Taxpayer Advocate Erin M. Collins today released her statutorily mandated <a href="http://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/ObjectivesReport2023">midyear report to Congress</a>.
 The report expresses concern about continuing delays in the processing 
of paper-filed tax returns and the consequent impact on taxpayer 
refunds. At the end of May, the agency had a backlog of 21.3 million 
unprocessed paper tax returns, an increase of 1.3 million over the same 
time last year.

"The IRS has said it is aiming to crush the backlogged inventory this
 year, and I hope it succeeds," Collins wrote. "Unfortunately, at this 
point the backlog is still crushing the IRS, its employees, and most 
importantly, taxpayers. As such, the agency is continuing to explore 
additional processing strategies."

The report points out that the significant majority of individual 
taxpayers receive refunds. "At the end of the day, a typical taxpayer 
cares most about receiving his or her refund timely," Collins wrote. 
"Particularly for lower income taxpayers who receive Earned Income Tax 
Credit benefits, tax refunds may constitute a significant percentage of 
their household income for the year. Thus, these processing delays are 
creating unprecedented financial difficulties for millions of taxpayers 
and outright hardships for many."

Among business taxpayers, many have been waiting extended periods to 
receive Employee Tax Retention Credits for which they are eligible, in 
addition to their regular refunds.

Key taxpayer challenges this year have included return processing 
delays, correspondence processing delays, and difficulty reaching the 
IRS by phone.

More than 90% of individual income taxpayers e-file their returns, 
yet last year, about 17 million taxpayers filed their returns on paper. 
Some choose to file on paper. Some have no choice because they encounter
 e-filing barriers, such as when they are required to file a tax form or
 schedule the IRS cannot accept electronically. Before the pandemic, the
 IRS typically delivered refunds to paper-filers within four to six 
weeks. Over the past year, refund delays on paper-filed returns have 
generally exceeded six months, with delays of 10 months or more common 
for many taxpayers.

The report says the IRS has failed to make progress in eliminating 
its paper backlog because "its pace of processing paper tax returns has 
not kept up with new receipts." During the month of May, the IRS 
processed an average of about 205,000 individual income tax returns 
(Forms 1040) per week. Its Form 1040 backlog at the end of May stood at 
8.2 million, with millions more paper tax returns not yet classified or 
expected to arrive before the extended filing deadline of October 15. 
The report says the IRS would have to process well over 500,000 Forms 
1040 per week – more than double its current pace – to eliminate the 
backlog this year. "The math is daunting," the report says.

The IRS has publicly committed to reducing its paper tax return 
backlog to a "healthy" level by the end of the year, but it has not 
provided a definition of "healthy." "Historically, the IRS has paid 
refunds resulting from paper-filed returns within four to six weeks," 
Collins wrote. "From a taxpayer perspective, returning to a 
four-to-six-week refund delivery period is a reasonable definition of 
'healthy.'"

Largely because of the likelihood that the IRS will carry a large 
inventory of unprocessed paper tax returns into the 2023 filing season, 
Collins issued a Taxpayer Advocate Directive (TAD) in March directing 
the IRS to implement 2-D barcoding or other scanning technology to 
automate the transcription of paper tax returns. "Today, the digits on 
every paper return must be manually keystroked into IRS systems by an 
employee," Collins wrote. "In the year 2022, that doesn't just seem crazy. It is crazy." The IRS's response to the TAD is due on June 27, 2022.

The report credits the IRS with taking recent steps to address the 
backlog but notes "missed opportunities" to have acted earlier. "The 
IRS's paper processing delays were evident more than a year ago, and the
 IRS could have addressed them more aggressively at that time," Collins 
wrote. "Had the IRS taken steps a year ago to reassign current employees
 to processing functions, it could have reduced the inventory backlog 
carried into this filing season and accelerated the payment of refunds 
to millions of taxpayers. Had the IRS implemented 2-D barcoding, optical
 character recognition or similar technology in time for the 2022 filing
 season, it could have reduced the need for employees to engage in the 
highly manual task of transcribing paper tax returns. Had the IRS 
quickly used some of the $1.5 billion of additional funds provided by 
the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), which was enacted 15 months
 ago, to hire and train additional employees, it could have worked 
through the backlog, answered more taxpayer telephone calls and 
otherwise improved taxpayer service."

At the end of May 2021, the IRS had an additional 15.8 million 
returns that had been suspended during processing and required manual 
review by IRS employees. The suspended returns consisted largely 
of&nbsp;e-filed returns on which taxpayers claimed Recovery Rebate Credit 
amounts that differed from the allowable amounts shown on IRS records. 
As of May 2022, the IRS had reduced the number of suspended returns to 
5.4 million.&nbsp;The report credits the IRS with developing procedures to 
reduce delays among suspended returns, in part by automating the review 
process. However, e-filed returns suspended during processing did not 
generally result in extended refund delays.&nbsp;By contrast, unprocessed 
paper-filed tax returns have resulted in refund delays of six to 10 
months or longer.

When a taxpayer receives a notice and is requested to respond or 
chooses to respond, the taxpayer must generally do so by mail. Through 
May 21, the IRS processed 5million taxpayer responses to proposed 
adjustments. It took an average of 251 days to do so – more than eight 
months. That is more than triple the processing time of 74 days in 
fiscal year 2019, the most recent pre-pandemic year. "When a math error 
or similar notice is generated in connection with a paper-filed tax 
return," the report says, "the combination of the return processing 
delay and the correspondence processing delay may mean that the taxpayer
 must wait well over a year to get the issue resolved and receive the 
refund due."

There are currently over 336,000 taxpayers who could not file their 
returns or receive their refunds because identity thieves had already 
filed a return using their identifying information. These taxpayers must
 submit affidavits and other documentation to substantiate their 
identities. They now generally must wait at least a year to receive 
their refunds. The IRS website states: "[D]ue to extenuating 
circumstances caused by the pandemic our identity theft inventories have
 increased and on average it is taking about 360 days to resolve 
identity theft cases."

During the 2022 filing season, the IRS received about 73 million 
telephone calls. Only one out of 10 calls reached an IRS employee. 
Compared with the 2021 filing season, IRS employees answered less than 
half as many calls, but the percentage of calls answered remained about 
the same because they also received less than half as many calls. The 
time the average taxpayer spent waiting on hold rose from 20 minutes to 
29 minutes. A comparison of telephone service during the 2021 and 2022 
filing seasons is shown in Figure 2.

"The combination of more than 21 million unprocessed paper tax 
returns, more than 14 million math error notices, eight-month backlogs 
in processing taxpayer correspondence, and extraordinary difficulty 
reaching the IRS by phone made this filing season particularly 
challenging," Collins wrote.

As required by law, the Advocate's report identifies TAS's key 
objectives for the upcoming fiscal year. The report describes 14 
systemic advocacy objectives, six case advocacy and other business 
objectives, and three research objectives. In light of the challenges 
taxpayers have been facing over the last two years, Collins wrote that 
TAS will be placing heavy emphasis on working with the IRS to improve 
the processing of tax returns and taxpayer service generally. Among the 
objectives the report identifies are the following:

IRS Responses to National Taxpayer Advocate Administrative Recommendations

The National Taxpayer Advocate is required by statute to submit a 
year-end report to Congress that, among other things, makes 
administrative recommendations to resolve taxpayer problems. 
Section&nbsp;7803(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code authorizes the National 
Taxpayer Advocate to submit administrative recommendations to the 
Commissioner and requires the IRS to respond within three months. Under 
this authority, the National Taxpayer Advocate annually transmits to the
 Commissioner all administrative recommendations proposed in her 
year-end report for response.

The National Taxpayer Advocate made 88 administrative recommendations
 in her 2021 year-end report and then submitted them to the Commissioner
 for response. The IRS has agreed to implement 61 (or 69%) of the 
recommendations in full or in part.

The IRS's responses are published on the TAS website at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/arc-recommendations-tracker/">National Taxpayer Advocate’s Annual Report to Congress Tracker</a>.

The National Taxpayer Advocate is required by statute to submit two 
annual reports to the House Committee on Ways and Means and the Senate 
Committee on Finance. The statute requires these reports to be submitted
 directly to the Committees without any prior review or comment from the
 Commissioner of Internal Revenue, the Secretary of the Treasury, the 
IRS Oversight Board, any other officer or employee of the Department of 
the Treasury, or the Office of Management and Budget. The first report 
must identify the objectives of the Office of the Taxpayer Advocate for 
the fiscal year beginning in that calendar year. The second report must 
include a discussion of the ten most serious problems encountered by 
taxpayers, identify the ten tax issues most frequently litigated in the 
courts, and make administrative and legislative recommendations to 
resolve taxpayer problems.

The National Taxpayer Advocate blogs about key issues in tax administration. Visit <a href="https://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/contact-us/subscribe-to-tas/">TAS Subscriptions</a> to subscribe. Past blogs from the National Taxpayer Advocate can be found at <a href="https://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/taxnews-information/blogs-nta/">Most Recent NTA Blogs</a>. For media inquiries, please contact TAS Media Relations at <a href="mailto:TAS.media@irs.gov">tas.media@irs.gov</a> or call the media line at <a href="tel:202-317-6802">202-317-6802</a>.

The Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) is an independent organization
 within the IRS that helps taxpayers and protects taxpayer rights. The 
local taxpayer advocate's number is in local directories and at <a href="https://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/contact-us/">Contact Us</a>. Taxpayers can also call TAS toll-free at <a href="tel:877-777-4778">877-777-4778</a>.
 TAS can help those who need assistance in resolving an IRS problem, if 
the problem is causing financial difficulty, or those who believe an IRS
 system or procedure isn't working as it should. This service is free. <a href="http://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/">We're your voice</a> at the IRS has more information about TAS and taxpayer rights under the Taxpayer Bill of Rights. Get updates on tax topics at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/YourVoiceAtIRS">facebook.com/YourVoiceAtIRS</a>, <a href="https://www.twitter.com/YourVoiceAtIRS">Twitter.com/YourVoiceatIRS</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/tasnta">YouTube.com/TASNTA</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — National Taxpayer Advocate Erin M. Collins today released her statutorily mandated <a href="http://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/ObjectivesReport2023">midyear report to Congress</a>.
 The report expresses concern about continuing delays in the processing 
of paper-filed tax returns and the consequent impact on taxpayer 
refunds. At the end of May, the agency had a backlog of 21.3 million 
unprocessed paper tax returns, an increase of 1.3 million over the same 
time last year."The IRS has said it is aiming to crush the backlogged inventory this
 year, and I hope it succeeds," Collins wrote. "Unfortunately, at this 
point the backlog is still crushing the IRS, its employees, and most 
importantly, taxpayers. As such, the agency is continuing to explore 
additional processing strategies."The report points out that the significant majority of individual 
taxpayers receive refunds. "At the end of the day, a typical taxpayer 
cares most about receiving his or her refund timely," Collins wrote. 
"Particularly for lower income taxpayers who receive Earned Income Tax 
Credit benefits, tax refunds may constitute a significant percentage of 
their household income for the year. Thus, these processing delays are 
creating unprecedented financial difficulties for millions of taxpayers 
and outright hardships for many."Among business taxpayers, many have been waiting extended periods to 
receive Employee Tax Retention Credits for which they are eligible, in 
addition to their regular refunds.Key taxpayer challenges this year have included return processing 
delays, correspondence processing delays, and difficulty reaching the 
IRS by phone.<h2>Backlog of Unprocessed Paper Tax Returns</h2>More than 90% of individual income taxpayers e-file their returns, 
yet last year, about 17 million taxpayers filed their returns on paper. 
Some choose to file on paper. Some have no choice because they encounter
 e-filing barriers, such as when they are required to file a tax form or
 schedule the IRS cannot accept electronically. Before the pandemic, the
 IRS typically delivered refunds to paper-filers within four to six 
weeks. Over the past year, refund delays on paper-filed returns have 
generally exceeded six months, with delays of 10 months or more common 
for many taxpayers.The report says the IRS has failed to make progress in eliminating 
its paper backlog because "its pace of processing paper tax returns has 
not kept up with new receipts." During the month of May, the IRS 
processed an average of about 205,000 individual income tax returns 
(Forms 1040) per week. Its Form 1040 backlog at the end of May stood at 
8.2 million, with millions more paper tax returns not yet classified or 
expected to arrive before the extended filing deadline of October 15. 
The report says the IRS would have to process well over 500,000 Forms 
1040 per week – more than double its current pace – to eliminate the 
backlog this year. "The math is daunting," the report says.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656095062622.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The IRS has publicly committed to reducing its paper tax return 
backlog to a "healthy" level by the end of the year, but it has not 
provided a definition of "healthy." "Historically, the IRS has paid 
refunds resulting from paper-filed returns within four to six weeks," 
Collins wrote. "From a taxpayer perspective, returning to a 
four-to-six-week refund delivery period is a reasonable definition of 
'healthy.'"Largely because of the likelihood that the IRS will carry a large 
inventory of unprocessed paper tax returns into the 2023 filing season, 
Collins issued a Taxpayer Advocate Directive (TAD) in March directing 
the IRS to implement 2-D barcoding or other scanning technology to 
automate the transcription of paper tax returns. "Today, the digits on 
every paper return must be manually keystroked into IRS systems by an 
employee," Collins wrote. "In the year 2022, that doesn't just seem crazy. It is crazy." The IRS's response to the TAD is due on June 27, 2022.The report credits the IRS with taking recent steps to address the 
backlog but notes "missed opportunities" to have acted earlier. "The 
IRS's paper processing delays were evident more than a year ago, and the
 IRS could have addressed them more aggressively at that time," Collins 
wrote. "Had the IRS taken steps a year ago to reassign current employees
 to processing functions, it could have reduced the inventory backlog 
carried into this filing season and accelerated the payment of refunds 
to millions of taxpayers. Had the IRS implemented 2-D barcoding, optical
 character recognition or similar technology in time for the 2022 filing
 season, it could have reduced the need for employees to engage in the 
highly manual task of transcribing paper tax returns. Had the IRS 
quickly used some of the $1.5 billion of additional funds provided by 
the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), which was enacted 15 months
 ago, to hire and train additional employees, it could have worked 
through the backlog, answered more taxpayer telephone calls and 
otherwise improved taxpayer service."At the end of May 2021, the IRS had an additional 15.8 million 
returns that had been suspended during processing and required manual 
review by IRS employees. The suspended returns consisted largely 
of&nbsp;e-filed returns on which taxpayers claimed Recovery Rebate Credit 
amounts that differed from the allowable amounts shown on IRS records. 
As of May 2022, the IRS had reduced the number of suspended returns to 
5.4 million.&nbsp;The report credits the IRS with developing procedures to 
reduce delays among suspended returns, in part by automating the review 
process. However, e-filed returns suspended during processing did not 
generally result in extended refund delays.&nbsp;By contrast, unprocessed 
paper-filed tax returns have resulted in refund delays of six to 10 
months or longer.<h2>Correspondence Processing Delays</h2>When a taxpayer receives a notice and is requested to respond or 
chooses to respond, the taxpayer must generally do so by mail. Through 
May 21, the IRS processed 5million taxpayer responses to proposed 
adjustments. It took an average of 251 days to do so – more than eight 
months. That is more than triple the processing time of 74 days in 
fiscal year 2019, the most recent pre-pandemic year. "When a math error 
or similar notice is generated in connection with a paper-filed tax 
return," the report says, "the combination of the return processing 
delay and the correspondence processing delay may mean that the taxpayer
 must wait well over a year to get the issue resolved and receive the 
refund due."There are currently over 336,000 taxpayers who could not file their 
returns or receive their refunds because identity thieves had already 
filed a return using their identifying information. These taxpayers must
 submit affidavits and other documentation to substantiate their 
identities. They now generally must wait at least a year to receive 
their refunds. The IRS website states: "[D]ue to extenuating 
circumstances caused by the pandemic our identity theft inventories have
 increased and on average it is taking about 360 days to resolve 
identity theft cases."<h2>Telephone Challenges</h2>During the 2022 filing season, the IRS received about 73 million 
telephone calls. Only one out of 10 calls reached an IRS employee. 
Compared with the 2021 filing season, IRS employees answered less than 
half as many calls, but the percentage of calls answered remained about 
the same because they also received less than half as many calls. The 
time the average taxpayer spent waiting on hold rose from 20 minutes to 
29 minutes. A comparison of telephone service during the 2021 and 2022 
filing seasons is shown in Figure 2.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656095062622.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>"The combination of more than 21 million unprocessed paper tax 
returns, more than 14 million math error notices, eight-month backlogs 
in processing taxpayer correspondence, and extraordinary difficulty 
reaching the IRS by phone made this filing season particularly 
challenging," Collins wrote.<h2>TAS Objectives for FY 2023</h2>As required by law, the Advocate's report identifies TAS's key 
objectives for the upcoming fiscal year. The report describes 14 
systemic advocacy objectives, six case advocacy and other business 
objectives, and three research objectives. In light of the challenges 
taxpayers have been facing over the last two years, Collins wrote that 
TAS will be placing heavy emphasis on working with the IRS to improve 
the processing of tax returns and taxpayer service generally. Among the 
objectives the report identifies are the following:<ul>
 <li>Automating the processing of paper tax returns. On
 March 29, as noted above, Collins issued a Taxpayer Advocate Directive 
(TAD) directing the IRS to implement scanning technology by the start of
 the 2023 filing season so that paper tax returns can be machine-read 
and employees will not have to keystroke each digit on the return into 
IRS systems. After obtaining an extension for responding, the IRS's 
answer to the TAD is now due on Monday, June 27. IRS leaders have

	indicated they are not likely to implement 2-D barcoding, but 
Collins has strongly urged them to implement a plan to achieve 
automation of paper processing in time for the next filing season. 
"Doing so is critical," Collins wrote. "It is unacceptable that the 
agency is still paying thousands of employees to keystroke the data from
 millions of tax returns, digit by digit, into IRS systems – creating 
the current processing backlog and producing an error rate in 
transcribing individual returns last year of 22 percent."
	</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Reducing barriers to e-filing tax returns. Some
 taxpayers still prefer to file paper tax returns. However, many paper 
filers, perhaps the majority, would prefer to e-file their returns but 
are not able to do so. Among the barriers: some taxpayers must file IRS 
forms or schedules that the IRS does not accept through its e-file 
system; some taxpayers must include attachments (e.g., 
appraisals or disclosure statements) that cannot be filed by their tax 
software packages; some software packages block returns from e-file if 
the taxpayer overrides certain entries; IRS systems reject certain 
returns during the e-file process and require affected taxpayers to mail
 their returns instead; and some taxpayers live in areas of the country 
without broadband internet access or lack computer access and thus face 
greater difficulty in preparing and e-filing their returns. The report 
says the IRS must reduce e-filing barriers, so that more taxpayers can 
e-file and there will be fewer paper tax returns to transcribe or scan.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Improving the IRS's hiring and training processes. In
 FY 2022, Congress increased the IRS's overall budget by almost 6% and 
the taxpayer services portion of the budget by nearly nine percent. Many
 of the IRS's challenges stem from inadequate staffing, including 
limited staffing in Submission Processing and telephone call centers. 
The report says that hiring and adequately training new employees will 
enhance the taxpayer experience.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Improving telephone service. Some taxpayer
 issues may be resolved through technology channels, and enhancing those
 channels must be a priority. But some issues are best resolved through a
 conversation, and some taxpayers are not comfortable with technology. 
The report says it is critical that taxpayers be able to reach the IRS 
by phone. As discussed above, IRS employees were only able to answer 10%
 of taxpayer telephone calls this filing season. "If a private company 
failed to answer nine out of 10 customer calls, customers would go 
elsewhere," Collins wrote. "That, of course, is not an option for U.S. 
taxpayers, so it is critical that the IRS increase staffing in its 
telephone call centers to handle the volume of calls it receives."</li>
 </ul><h2>IRS Responses to National Taxpayer Advocate Administrative Recommendations</h2>The National Taxpayer Advocate is required by statute to submit a 
year-end report to Congress that, among other things, makes 
administrative recommendations to resolve taxpayer problems. 
Section&nbsp;7803(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code authorizes the National 
Taxpayer Advocate to submit administrative recommendations to the 
Commissioner and requires the IRS to respond within three months. Under 
this authority, the National Taxpayer Advocate annually transmits to the
 Commissioner all administrative recommendations proposed in her 
year-end report for response.The National Taxpayer Advocate made 88 administrative recommendations
 in her 2021 year-end report and then submitted them to the Commissioner
 for response. The IRS has agreed to implement 61 (or 69%) of the 
recommendations in full or in part.The IRS's responses are published on the TAS website at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/arc-recommendations-tracker/">National Taxpayer Advocate’s Annual Report to Congress Tracker</a>.The National Taxpayer Advocate is required by statute to submit two 
annual reports to the House Committee on Ways and Means and the Senate 
Committee on Finance. The statute requires these reports to be submitted
 directly to the Committees without any prior review or comment from the
 Commissioner of Internal Revenue, the Secretary of the Treasury, the 
IRS Oversight Board, any other officer or employee of the Department of 
the Treasury, or the Office of Management and Budget. The first report 
must identify the objectives of the Office of the Taxpayer Advocate for 
the fiscal year beginning in that calendar year. The second report must 
include a discussion of the ten most serious problems encountered by 
taxpayers, identify the ten tax issues most frequently litigated in the 
courts, and make administrative and legislative recommendations to 
resolve taxpayer problems.The National Taxpayer Advocate blogs about key issues in tax administration. Visit <a href="https://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/contact-us/subscribe-to-tas/">TAS Subscriptions</a> to subscribe. Past blogs from the National Taxpayer Advocate can be found at <a href="https://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/taxnews-information/blogs-nta/">Most Recent NTA Blogs</a>. For media inquiries, please contact TAS Media Relations at <a href="mailto:TAS.media@irs.gov">tas.media@irs.gov</a> or call the media line at <a href="tel:202-317-6802">202-317-6802</a>.<h2>About the Taxpayer Advocate Service</h2>The Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) is an independent organization
 within the IRS that helps taxpayers and protects taxpayer rights. The 
local taxpayer advocate's number is in local directories and at <a href="https://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/contact-us/">Contact Us</a>. Taxpayers can also call TAS toll-free at <a href="tel:877-777-4778">877-777-4778</a>.
 TAS can help those who need assistance in resolving an IRS problem, if 
the problem is causing financial difficulty, or those who believe an IRS
 system or procedure isn't working as it should. This service is free. <a href="http://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/">We're your voice</a> at the IRS has more information about TAS and taxpayer rights under the Taxpayer Bill of Rights. Get updates on tax topics at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/YourVoiceAtIRS">facebook.com/YourVoiceAtIRS</a>, <a href="https://www.twitter.com/YourVoiceAtIRS">Twitter.com/YourVoiceatIRS</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/tasnta">YouTube.com/TASNTA</a>.

Advocate to Congress: Concerns about refund delays, poor service at IRS

DICKINSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on drug allegations after a two month investigation.

Just after 6p.m. Wednesday, members of the Dickinson County Sheriff's Drug Enforcement unit with the assistance of Abilene Police executed a search warrant at a home in the 700 Block of NW Tenth Street in Abilene, according to a media release.

Officers found a large quantity of methamphetamine, marijuana, psilocybin mushrooms, opiates and drug paraphernalia.

Officers arrested 49-year-old Mark St. Pierre and 49-year-old Sara Duncan at a home in the 700 Block of NW Eighth Street in Abilene.

Duncan is being held on requested charges of meth distribution within 1000 feet of a school. St. Pierre is being held on a requested charge of conspiracy to distribute meth. Both are also facing multiple additional requested drug charges.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656031464504.png" alt="St. Pierre-photo Dickinson County." />
 <figcaption>St. Pierre-photo Dickinson County.</figcaption>
 </figure>DICKINSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on drug allegations after a two month investigation.Just after 6p.m. Wednesday, members of the Dickinson County Sheriff's Drug Enforcement unit with the assistance of Abilene Police executed a search warrant at a home in the 700 Block of NW Tenth Street in Abilene, according to a media release.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656031524803.png" alt="Duncan-photo Dickinson Co." />
 <figcaption>Duncan-photo Dickinson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Officers found a large quantity of methamphetamine, marijuana, psilocybin mushrooms, opiates and drug paraphernalia.Officers arrested 49-year-old Mark St. Pierre and 49-year-old Sara Duncan at a home in the 700 Block of NW Eighth Street in Abilene.Duncan is being held on requested charges of meth distribution within 1000 feet of a school. St. Pierre is being held on a requested charge of conspiracy to distribute meth. Both are also facing multiple additional requested drug charges.

2 accused of distribution after drugs found at Abilene home

OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man has been sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison for a 2018 hit-and-run crash that killed two people. 

Television station WDAF reports that 48-year-old Bradley Woodworth was sentenced Tuesday to 19½ year in prison after pleading guilty in February to two counts of second-degree murder for the deaths of 18-year-old Matthew Bloskey, of Overland Park, and 20-year-old Samuel Siebuhr, of Kansas City, Kansas.

Investigators said the Oct. 6 crash in Overland Park began as a road rage confrontation between Woodworth and Siebuhr before their vehicles collided. 

Siebuhr's car spun into oncoming traffic and the path of Bloskey's vehicle. That collision caused Siebuhr's car to burst into flames, and both Siebuhr and Bloskey died. Police say Woodworth sped away.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655905375616.png" alt="Woodworth-photo Johnson Co." />
 <figcaption>Woodworth-photo Johnson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man has been sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison for a 2018 hit-and-run crash that killed two people. Television station WDAF reports that 48-year-old Bradley Woodworth was sentenced Tuesday to 19½ year in prison after pleading guilty in February to two counts of second-degree murder for the deaths of 18-year-old Matthew Bloskey, of Overland Park, and 20-year-old Samuel Siebuhr, of Kansas City, Kansas.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655905247286.png" alt="First responders at the crash scene photo courtesy KSHB" />
 <figcaption>First responders at the crash scene photo courtesy KSHB</figcaption>
 </figure>Investigators said the Oct. 6 crash in Overland Park began as a road rage confrontation between Woodworth and Siebuhr before their vehicles collided. Siebuhr's car spun into oncoming traffic and the path of Bloskey's vehicle. That collision caused Siebuhr's car to burst into flames, and both Siebuhr and Bloskey died. Police say Woodworth sped away.

 Kan. man sentenced for fatal hit-and-run, road rage crash

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

Just after 8p.m. Tuesday., the Garden City/Finney County Joint Drug Task Force served a search warrant at 2002 St. John Street <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/a1?__eep__=6&amp;__cft__[0]=AZXiJq77odRLEASYn3NNateV0r5anVyVFPGmmdo56iya-N1LDUeVKQ2Qq9Oi6cmASB-UaoMrRpD0QYaGam40hLnn5R9tVMO-XvQ7xsUa1itHFdS7elu4YMEYIQ3keJBqgkNwsSlFm4HOSXx0YuH-sTr_RQqMI1DLN9Ljxjy2c8hiBQ&amp;__tn__=*NK-R">#A1</a> as part of an ongoing investigation, according to a media release.

Inside the residence, officers seized as evidence 620 suspected fentanyl pills, 9.2 grams of heroin, 8.7 grams of methamphetamine, One firearm, scales and items indicative of the distribution and consumption of illegal narcotics and counterfeiting cash.

Officers took 31-year-old Steven Rosas of Garden City into custody without incident. He is being held in the Finney County Jail on the requested charges that include Distribution of Fentanyl, Distribution of Methamphetamine, Distribution of Heroin, Felony Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia,&nbsp; and Counterfeiting Currency.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655981627386.png" alt="Rosas-photo Finney County" />
 <figcaption>Rosas-photo Finney County</figcaption>
 </figure>FINNEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.Just after 8p.m. Tuesday., the Garden City/Finney County Joint Drug Task Force served a search warrant at 2002 St. John Street <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/a1?__eep__=6&amp;__cft__[0]=AZXiJq77odRLEASYn3NNateV0r5anVyVFPGmmdo56iya-N1LDUeVKQ2Qq9Oi6cmASB-UaoMrRpD0QYaGam40hLnn5R9tVMO-XvQ7xsUa1itHFdS7elu4YMEYIQ3keJBqgkNwsSlFm4HOSXx0YuH-sTr_RQqMI1DLN9Ljxjy2c8hiBQ&amp;__tn__=*NK-R">#A1</a> as part of an ongoing investigation, according to a media release.Inside the residence, officers seized as evidence 620 suspected fentanyl pills, 9.2 grams of heroin, 8.7 grams of methamphetamine, One firearm, scales and items indicative of the distribution and consumption of illegal narcotics and counterfeiting cash.Officers took 31-year-old Steven Rosas of Garden City into custody without incident. He is being held in the Finney County Jail on the requested charges that include Distribution of Fentanyl, Distribution of Methamphetamine, Distribution of Heroin, Felony Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia,&nbsp; and Counterfeiting Currency.

Fentanyl, heroin and counterfeit cash seized at SW Kan. home

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Thursday signed a bill that will reduce the cost of World Cup tickets when the soccer tournament comes to Kansas City in 2026.

The bill exempts tickets for the FIFA World Cup games from sales tax. The Missouri Legislature passed the bill this year as part of a bipartisan effort from government officials, private organizations, sports teams to bring the games to Kansas City.

The work paid off when Kansas City was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/soccer-sports-california-missouri-philadelphia-d500f99c8bc2faace9d5d680581dbd18">chosen last week</a>&nbsp;as one of 16 sites around the world — and the only city in the Midwestern United States — to be a host site.

Missouri&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-sports-soccer-missouri-international-ae627ff5099f5800c7f7a4a4c5901a5a">was among a handful of states</a>&nbsp;that preemptively passed a bill to exempt the tickets from sales taxes, in response to FIFA requirements for tax breaks from host cities.

Parson, a Republican, called the bill a great example of bipartisan groups working together to achieve an important victory for Kansas City and the entire state.

Sen. John Rizzo, a Democrat who represents parts of suburban Kansas City, said estimates are the games could generate over $600 million in economic activity for the state, which would easily offset any lost sales tax revenue on tickets.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656021851762.png" alt="Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican, called the bill a great example of bipartisan groups working together to achieve an important victory for Kansas City." />
 <figcaption>Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican, called the bill a great example of bipartisan groups working together to achieve an important victory for Kansas City.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Thursday signed a bill that will reduce the cost of World Cup tickets when the soccer tournament comes to Kansas City in 2026.The bill exempts tickets for the FIFA World Cup games from sales tax. The Missouri Legislature passed the bill this year as part of a bipartisan effort from government officials, private organizations, sports teams to bring the games to Kansas City.The work paid off when Kansas City was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/soccer-sports-california-missouri-philadelphia-d500f99c8bc2faace9d5d680581dbd18">chosen last week</a>&nbsp;as one of 16 sites around the world — and the only city in the Midwestern United States — to be a host site.Missouri&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-sports-soccer-missouri-international-ae627ff5099f5800c7f7a4a4c5901a5a">was among a handful of states</a>&nbsp;that preemptively passed a bill to exempt the tickets from sales taxes, in response to FIFA requirements for tax breaks from host cities.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655416562140.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Parson, a Republican, called the bill a great example of bipartisan groups working together to achieve an important victory for Kansas City and the entire state.Sen. John Rizzo, a Democrat who represents parts of suburban Kansas City, said estimates are the games could generate over $600 million in economic activity for the state, which would easily offset any lost sales tax revenue on tickets.

Mo. governor signs law exempting World Cup tickets from sales tax

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former top Justice Department officials have testified to the Jan. 6 committee that President Donald Trump hounded the department to pursue his false election fraud claims, contacting the agency’s leader “virtually every day” and striving in vain to enlist the government’s top law enforcement officials in his desperate bid to stay in power. 

The House panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol heard testimony Thursday that Trump was fixated on fake voter fraud claims and insisted the officials pursue them despite being repeatedly told that none had any merit.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-2022-midterm-elections-ivanka-trump-biden-congress-6bd8df364e9a087dac705b0d9ed31abd">Jan. 6 committee</a>&nbsp;will hear from former Justice Department officials who faced down a relentless pressure campaign from Donald Trump over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-wins-white-house-ap-fd58df73aa677acb74fce2a69adb71f9">the 2020 presidential election results</a>&nbsp;while suppressing a bizarre challenge from within their own ranks.

The hearing Thursday will bring attention to a memorably turbulent stretch at the department as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/emails-show-trump-pressured-justice-department-election-2020-4f35f18009e8c88b3cddcdc3f4bdd54f">Trump in his final days in office</a>&nbsp;sought to bend to his will a law enforcement agency that has long cherished its independence from the White House. The testimony is aimed at showing how Trump not only relied on outside advisers to press his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-ap-fact-check-joe-biden-donald-trump-technology-49a24edd6d10888dbad61689c24b05a5">false claims of election fraud</a>&nbsp;but also tried to leverage the powers of federal executive branch agencies.

The witnesses will include Jeffrey Rosen, who was acting attorney general during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol</a>. Three days earlier, Rosen was part of a tense Oval Office showdown in which Trump contemplated replacing him with a lower-level official, Jeffrey Clark, who wanted to champion Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-michael-pence-electoral-college-elections-health-2d9bd47a8bd3561682ac46c6b3873a10">bogus election fraud claims</a>.

In a written statement prepared for the committee and obtained by The Associated Press, Rosen says the Justice Department had been presented with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voter-fraud-election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-7fcb6f134e528fee8237c7601db3328f">no evidence of fraud</a>&nbsp;that could have affected the outcome of the election and therefore did not participate in any Trump campaign efforts to overturn the results, instead insisting on an orderly transfer of power.

“Some argued to the former president and public that the election was corrupt and stolen,” Rosen’s statement says. “That view was wrong then and it is wrong today, and I hope our presence here today helps reaffirm that fact.”

Two other former department officials, Rosen’s top deputy, Richard Donoghue, and Steven Engel, are also scheduled to testify. Both warned Trump at the White House meeting that they’d resign and that many of the department’s lawyers would follow if he replaced Rosen with Clark.

“You could have a situation here, within 24 hours, you have hundreds of people resigning from the Justice Department,” Donoghue has said he told Trump. “Is that good for anyone? Is it good for the department? Is it good for the country? Is it good for you. It’s not.”

Only then did Trump relent. The night, and later his Republican administration, ended with Rosen still in power.

The hearing is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-ivanka-trump-politics-entertainment-new-york-5bb69ad9ff710fcf9602cfbf093b59c7">the fifth this month</a>&nbsp;by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-congress-donald-trump-subpoenas-government-and-politics-af491858a41ce4f42416fe3a7131592e">the House committee</a>&nbsp;investigating the run-up to the insurrection at the Capitol, when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-confirm-joe-biden-78104aea082995bbd7412a6e6cd13818">Trump loyalists stormed the building</a>&nbsp;as lawmakers were certifying the results of the election won by Democrat Joe Biden. Witnesses have included&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-government-and-politics-riots-d690e70ac850d8652b82c0c3e2fba5bf">police officers attacked at the Capitol</a>&nbsp;as well as lawyers, a television executive and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-capitol-siege-biden-presidential-election-2020-5f0f2eeae477437a5fed9fffe9ce286a">local election officials</a>&nbsp;who all resisted demands to alter results in Trump’s favor.

The committee last week presented videotaped depositions of former Attorney General William Barr, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-capitol-siege-donald-trump-campaigns-presidential-070ced9a013c58cf001d6d4137e4abc0">castigated Trump’s fraud claims as “bull—,” “bogus” and “idiotic”</a>&nbsp;and resigned after failing to convince the president of that.

Thursday’s hearing will focus on what happened next as Rosen, Barr’s top deputy, took over the department and found himself immediately besieged by Trump’s demands for Justice Department action.

In one phone conversation,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-urged-justice-department-to-declare-election-corrupt-0edf178869f33ddcf72d4c739bd18a5d">according to handwritten notes</a>&nbsp;taken by Donoghue and made public by lawmakers last year, Trump directed to Rosen to “Just say the election was corrupt and leave the rest to me and the R. Congressmen.”

Around that time, Trump was introduced by a Republican congressman, Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, to Clark, who’d joined the department in 2018 as its chief environmental lawyer and was later appointed to run its civil division. Clark was earlier subpoenaed by the committee to give a deposition but will not be among the witnesses Thursday.

Clark, according to statements from other Justice Department officials, met with Trump despite being ordered not to by bosses at the department and presented himself as eager to aid the president’s efforts to challenge the election results.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/22066517-subverting-justice" target="_blank">A report released last year by the Senate Judiciary Committee</a>&nbsp;that painted Clark as a relentless advocate for Trump included a draft letter pushing Georgia officials to convene a special legislative session to reconsider the election results.

Clark wanted the letter sent, but superiors at the Justice Department refused.

The situation came to a head on Jan. 3, 2021, a Sunday, when Clark informed Rosen in a private meeting at the Justice Department that Trump wanted to replace him with Clark as acting attorney general. Rosen, according to the Senate report, responded that “there was no universe I could imagine in which that would ever happen” and that he would not accept being fired by a subordinate.

Rosen then contacted the White House to request a meeting. That night, Rosen, Donoghue and Engel, along with Clark, gathered with Trump and top White House lawyers for a contentious, hours-long Oval Office meeting about whether the president should follow through with his plans for a radical leadership change at the department.

According to testimony given by Rosen, Trump opened the meeting by saying, “One thing we know is you, Rosen, aren’t going to do anything to overturn the election.”

Donoghue and Engel made clear to Trump that they and large numbers of other Justice Department officials would resign if Trump fired Rosen. White House lawyers said the same. Pat Cipollone, then the White House counsel, said the letter that Clark wanted to send was a “murder-suicide pact.”

“Steve Engel at one point said, ‘Jeff Clark will be leading a graveyard. And what are you going to get done with a graveyard,’ that there would be such an exodus of the leadership,” Donoghue told the Senate Judiciary Committee. “So it was very strongly worded to the president that that would happen.”

Donoghue also sought to dissuade Trump from believing that Clark had the legal background to do as the president wished since he was not a criminal prosecutor at the department.

“And he kind of retorted by saying, ‘Well, I’ve done a lot of very complicated appeals and civil litigation, environmental litigation, and things like that,’” Donoghue said. “And I said, ‘That’s right. You’re an environmental lawyer. How about you go back to your office, and we’ll call you when there’s an oil spill.’”

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former top Justice Department officials have testified to the Jan. 6 committee that President Donald Trump hounded the department to pursue his false election fraud claims, contacting the agency’s leader “virtually every day” and striving in vain to enlist the government’s top law enforcement officials in his desperate bid to stay in power. <div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Z4535-VW-bY?start=627" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>The House panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol heard testimony Thursday that Trump was fixated on fake voter fraud claims and insisted the officials pursue them despite being repeatedly told that none had any merit.-------------WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-2022-midterm-elections-ivanka-trump-biden-congress-6bd8df364e9a087dac705b0d9ed31abd">Jan. 6 committee</a>&nbsp;will hear from former Justice Department officials who faced down a relentless pressure campaign from Donald Trump over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-wins-white-house-ap-fd58df73aa677acb74fce2a69adb71f9">the 2020 presidential election results</a>&nbsp;while suppressing a bizarre challenge from within their own ranks.The hearing Thursday will bring attention to a memorably turbulent stretch at the department as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/emails-show-trump-pressured-justice-department-election-2020-4f35f18009e8c88b3cddcdc3f4bdd54f">Trump in his final days in office</a>&nbsp;sought to bend to his will a law enforcement agency that has long cherished its independence from the White House. The testimony is aimed at showing how Trump not only relied on outside advisers to press his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-ap-fact-check-joe-biden-donald-trump-technology-49a24edd6d10888dbad61689c24b05a5">false claims of election fraud</a>&nbsp;but also tried to leverage the powers of federal executive branch agencies.The witnesses will include Jeffrey Rosen, who was acting attorney general during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol</a>. Three days earlier, Rosen was part of a tense Oval Office showdown in which Trump contemplated replacing him with a lower-level official, Jeffrey Clark, who wanted to champion Trump’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-michael-pence-electoral-college-elections-health-2d9bd47a8bd3561682ac46c6b3873a10">bogus election fraud claims</a>.In a written statement prepared for the committee and obtained by The Associated Press, Rosen says the Justice Department had been presented with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voter-fraud-election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-7fcb6f134e528fee8237c7601db3328f">no evidence of fraud</a>&nbsp;that could have affected the outcome of the election and therefore did not participate in any Trump campaign efforts to overturn the results, instead insisting on an orderly transfer of power.“Some argued to the former president and public that the election was corrupt and stolen,” Rosen’s statement says. “That view was wrong then and it is wrong today, and I hope our presence here today helps reaffirm that fact.”Two other former department officials, Rosen’s top deputy, Richard Donoghue, and Steven Engel, are also scheduled to testify. Both warned Trump at the White House meeting that they’d resign and that many of the department’s lawyers would follow if he replaced Rosen with Clark.“You could have a situation here, within 24 hours, you have hundreds of people resigning from the Justice Department,” Donoghue has said he told Trump. “Is that good for anyone? Is it good for the department? Is it good for the country? Is it good for you. It’s not.”Only then did Trump relent. The night, and later his Republican administration, ended with Rosen still in power.The hearing is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-ivanka-trump-politics-entertainment-new-york-5bb69ad9ff710fcf9602cfbf093b59c7">the fifth this month</a>&nbsp;by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-congress-donald-trump-subpoenas-government-and-politics-af491858a41ce4f42416fe3a7131592e">the House committee</a>&nbsp;investigating the run-up to the insurrection at the Capitol, when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-confirm-joe-biden-78104aea082995bbd7412a6e6cd13818">Trump loyalists stormed the building</a>&nbsp;as lawmakers were certifying the results of the election won by Democrat Joe Biden. Witnesses have included&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-government-and-politics-riots-d690e70ac850d8652b82c0c3e2fba5bf">police officers attacked at the Capitol</a>&nbsp;as well as lawyers, a television executive and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-capitol-siege-biden-presidential-election-2020-5f0f2eeae477437a5fed9fffe9ce286a">local election officials</a>&nbsp;who all resisted demands to alter results in Trump’s favor.The committee last week presented videotaped depositions of former Attorney General William Barr, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-capitol-siege-donald-trump-campaigns-presidential-070ced9a013c58cf001d6d4137e4abc0">castigated Trump’s fraud claims as “bull—,” “bogus” and “idiotic”</a>&nbsp;and resigned after failing to convince the president of that.Thursday’s hearing will focus on what happened next as Rosen, Barr’s top deputy, took over the department and found himself immediately besieged by Trump’s demands for Justice Department action.In one phone conversation,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-urged-justice-department-to-declare-election-corrupt-0edf178869f33ddcf72d4c739bd18a5d">according to handwritten notes</a>&nbsp;taken by Donoghue and made public by lawmakers last year, Trump directed to Rosen to “Just say the election was corrupt and leave the rest to me and the R. Congressmen.”Around that time, Trump was introduced by a Republican congressman, Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, to Clark, who’d joined the department in 2018 as its chief environmental lawyer and was later appointed to run its civil division. Clark was earlier subpoenaed by the committee to give a deposition but will not be among the witnesses Thursday.Clark, according to statements from other Justice Department officials, met with Trump despite being ordered not to by bosses at the department and presented himself as eager to aid the president’s efforts to challenge the election results.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/22066517-subverting-justice" target="_blank">A report released last year by the Senate Judiciary Committee</a>&nbsp;that painted Clark as a relentless advocate for Trump included a draft letter pushing Georgia officials to convene a special legislative session to reconsider the election results.Clark wanted the letter sent, but superiors at the Justice Department refused.The situation came to a head on Jan. 3, 2021, a Sunday, when Clark informed Rosen in a private meeting at the Justice Department that Trump wanted to replace him with Clark as acting attorney general. Rosen, according to the Senate report, responded that “there was no universe I could imagine in which that would ever happen” and that he would not accept being fired by a subordinate.Rosen then contacted the White House to request a meeting. That night, Rosen, Donoghue and Engel, along with Clark, gathered with Trump and top White House lawyers for a contentious, hours-long Oval Office meeting about whether the president should follow through with his plans for a radical leadership change at the department.According to testimony given by Rosen, Trump opened the meeting by saying, “One thing we know is you, Rosen, aren’t going to do anything to overturn the election.”Donoghue and Engel made clear to Trump that they and large numbers of other Justice Department officials would resign if Trump fired Rosen. White House lawyers said the same. Pat Cipollone, then the White House counsel, said the letter that Clark wanted to send was a “murder-suicide pact.”“Steve Engel at one point said, ‘Jeff Clark will be leading a graveyard. And what are you going to get done with a graveyard,’ that there would be such an exodus of the leadership,” Donoghue told the Senate Judiciary Committee. “So it was very strongly worded to the president that that would happen.”Donoghue also sought to dissuade Trump from believing that Clark had the legal background to do as the president wished since he was not a criminal prosecutor at the department.“And he kind of retorted by saying, ‘Well, I’ve done a lot of very complicated appeals and civil litigation, environmental litigation, and things like that,’” Donoghue said. “And I said, ‘That’s right. You’re an environmental lawyer. How about you go back to your office, and we’ll call you when there’s an oil spill.’”

🎥 1/6 panel hearing Day 5 Replay: Trump's pressure on Justice Dept.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States will send another $450 million in military aid to Ukraine, including some additional medium-range rocket systems, U.S. officials said Thursday.

The latest package will include four High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, and is expected to be announced later Thursday. The first four HIMARS that the U.S. previously sent have already gone into Ukraine and are in the hand of troops there.

One official said the latest package will also include 18 tactical vehicles, 18 coastal and riverine patrol boats, thousands of machine guns, grenade launchers and rounds of ammunition, and some other equipment and spare parts.

The new aid comes just a week after the U.S. announced it will send $1 billion in military aid to Ukraine, and as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">the Russian military continues to slowly expand its control</a>&nbsp;in the eastern Donbas region. Ukrainian leaders have persistently asked for the more advanced, precision rocket systems in order to better fight back against Russia. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide details ahead of an announcement.

The Russian military captured two villages in eastern Ukraine on Thursday and is fighting for control of a key highway in a campaign to cut supply lines and encircle frontline Ukrainian forces, according to British and Ukrainian military officials.

Russian forces have been bombarding the city of Sievierodonetskfor weeks with artillery and air raids, and fought the Ukrainian army house-to-house. The HIMARS gives Ukraine the ability to strike Russian forces and weapons from further away. The systems are mounted on trucks, which carry a container with six precision-guided rockets that can travel about 45 miles.

It took about three weeks to train Ukrainian troops on the first four HIMARS, before they were moved to the fight.

The aid is part of the $40 billion in security and economic assistance&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-seoul-asia-31f17af1605313f6f563d405052e3de7">passed last month by Congress and signed into law</a>&nbsp;by President Joe Biden.

Overall, since the war began in late February, the U.S. has committed more than $6 billion in security assistance to Ukraine, including this latest package. The latest $450 million will be from drawdown authority, which means the Defense Department will take weapons and equipment from it’s own stock and ship them to Ukraine.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652093116646.png" alt="The new aid comes just a week after the U.S. announced it will send $1 billion in military aid to Ukraine, and as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">the Russian military continues to slowly expand its control</a>&nbsp;in the eastern Donbas region-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>The new aid comes just a week after the U.S. announced it will send $1 billion in military aid to Ukraine, and as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">the Russian military continues to slowly expand its control</a>&nbsp;in the eastern Donbas region-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States will send another $450 million in military aid to Ukraine, including some additional medium-range rocket systems, U.S. officials said Thursday.The latest package will include four High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, and is expected to be announced later Thursday. The first four HIMARS that the U.S. previously sent have already gone into Ukraine and are in the hand of troops there.One official said the latest package will also include 18 tactical vehicles, 18 coastal and riverine patrol boats, thousands of machine guns, grenade launchers and rounds of ammunition, and some other equipment and spare parts.The new aid comes just a week after the U.S. announced it will send $1 billion in military aid to Ukraine, and as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">the Russian military continues to slowly expand its control</a>&nbsp;in the eastern Donbas region. Ukrainian leaders have persistently asked for the more advanced, precision rocket systems in order to better fight back against Russia. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide details ahead of an announcement.The Russian military captured two villages in eastern Ukraine on Thursday and is fighting for control of a key highway in a campaign to cut supply lines and encircle frontline Ukrainian forces, according to British and Ukrainian military officials.Russian forces have been bombarding the city of Sievierodonetskfor weeks with artillery and air raids, and fought the Ukrainian army house-to-house. The HIMARS gives Ukraine the ability to strike Russian forces and weapons from further away. The systems are mounted on trucks, which carry a container with six precision-guided rockets that can travel about 45 miles.It took about three weeks to train Ukrainian troops on the first four HIMARS, before they were moved to the fight.The aid is part of the $40 billion in security and economic assistance&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-seoul-asia-31f17af1605313f6f563d405052e3de7">passed last month by Congress and signed into law</a>&nbsp;by President Joe Biden.Overall, since the war began in late February, the U.S. has committed more than $6 billion in security assistance to Ukraine, including this latest package. The latest $450 million will be from drawdown authority, which means the Defense Department will take weapons and equipment from it’s own stock and ship them to Ukraine.

Officials: US to spend another $450 million to help Ukraine

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man died in an accident just before 10p.m. Wednesday in Sedgwick County.

A 2006 Suzuki motorcycle driven by 35-year-old Shawn Glass of Derby southbound on Greenwich Road, according to Sheriff's Lt. Benjamin Blick.

The motorcycle traveled through the T-intersection at 71st Street South, left the roadway and continued southbound into a wooded area. 

Glass was separated from the motorcycle and died at the scene, according to Blick.

A stop sign is posted for southbound traffic at the intersection of Greenwich and 71st Street South. A two direction arrow sign is posted along the south edge of 71st Street South and visible to southbound traffic.

Speed and impaired driving are believed to have contributed to the collision. The accident&nbsp;remains under investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656004631615.png" alt="First responders at the scene of the fatal crash -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>First responders at the scene of the fatal crash -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man died in an accident just before 10p.m. Wednesday in Sedgwick County.A 2006 Suzuki motorcycle driven by 35-year-old Shawn Glass of Derby southbound on Greenwich Road, according to Sheriff's Lt. Benjamin Blick.The motorcycle traveled through the T-intersection at 71st Street South, left the roadway and continued southbound into a wooded area. Glass was separated from the motorcycle and died at the scene, according to Blick.A stop sign is posted for southbound traffic at the intersection of Greenwich and 71st Street South. A two direction arrow sign is posted along the south edge of 71st Street South and visible to southbound traffic.Speed and impaired driving are believed to have contributed to the collision. The accident&nbsp;remains under investigation.

Sheriff IDs Kansas man who died in motorcycle crash

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

The Hays USD 489 school board approved the addition of bowling and unified bowling at Hays High School during its meeting Monday night.

The unified bowling season partners a student with an intellectual disability with a regular education student. That season is separate from the regular bowling season and will begin in the fall.

"It helps get rid of preconceptions," said Lance Krannawitter, HHS activities director, "and have students with non-intellectual disabilities build relationships with those who do and become more aware of what those groups of people go through and what their challenges are every day in life."

The Kansas State High School Athletics Association has sanctioned unified bowling and created its own championship.

The unified bowling athletes will likely participate in four tournaments.

Intellectually disabled athletes must meet all KSHSAA requirements for participation. However, intellectually disabled students can compete up to age 21 as long as they are still high school students.

The regular bowling season will be during the winter.

Krannawitter said he hopes the new sport will encourage more students to participate in activities.

According to KSHSAA, more than 70 percent of students who bowl are not involved in other school activities.

"It increases involvement," Krannawitter said. "Research has shown higher grades and test scores. It offers athletes a safe, clean environment but without having to do a contact sport or a high-skill intensive sport.

"It's a lifetime sport. Once they learn it, they can go as long as they want."

More students will be able to compete for varsity letters and for scholarships, Krannawitter said. He said he is estimating the sport will draw 40 to 60 students.

Kansas has 94 other bowling teams in the state. There are 29 schools in 5A. Hays is the only school in the WAC league that does not have bowling.

Adding bowling will allow HHS to collect points toward the WAC All Sports Champ Cup.

The Hays team would compete at Centennial Lanes for home meets.

HHS plans to hire two coaches for the team. Students will be responsible for their own equipment. They can use their own equipment or rent equipment from the hosting facility, Krannawitter said.

During home meets at Centennial Lanes, the business will provide concessions, officials and staff. It will keep the funds from admissions and concessions.

The students will have uniforms that they will be able to keep, similar to tennis and golf. The team will likely fundraise to pay for those uniforms.

The estimated annual cost for unified and regular season bowling will be $13,000.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655828496005.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostThe Hays USD 489 school board approved the addition of bowling and unified bowling at Hays High School during its meeting Monday night.The unified bowling season partners a student with an intellectual disability with a regular education student. That season is separate from the regular bowling season and will begin in the fall."It helps get rid of preconceptions," said Lance Krannawitter, HHS activities director, "and have students with non-intellectual disabilities build relationships with those who do and become more aware of what those groups of people go through and what their challenges are every day in life."The Kansas State High School Athletics Association has sanctioned unified bowling and created its own championship.The unified bowling athletes will likely participate in four tournaments.Intellectually disabled athletes must meet all KSHSAA requirements for participation. However, intellectually disabled students can compete up to age 21 as long as they are still high school students. The regular bowling season will be during the winter.Krannawitter said he hopes the new sport will encourage more students to participate in activities.According to KSHSAA, more than 70 percent of students who bowl are not involved in other school activities."It increases involvement," Krannawitter said. "Research has shown higher grades and test scores. It offers athletes a safe, clean environment but without having to do a contact sport or a high-skill intensive sport."It's a lifetime sport. Once they learn it, they can go as long as they want."More students will be able to compete for varsity letters and for scholarships, Krannawitter said. He said he is estimating the sport will draw 40 to 60 students. Kansas has 94 other bowling teams in the state. There are 29 schools in 5A. Hays is the only school in the WAC league that does not have bowling.Adding bowling will allow HHS to collect points toward the WAC All Sports Champ Cup.The Hays team would compete at Centennial Lanes for home meets.HHS plans to hire two coaches for the team. Students will be responsible for their own equipment. They can use their own equipment or rent equipment from the hosting facility, Krannawitter said.During home meets at Centennial Lanes, the business will provide concessions, officials and staff. It will keep the funds from admissions and concessions.The students will have uniforms that they will be able to keep, similar to tennis and golf. The team will likely fundraise to pay for those uniforms. The estimated annual cost for unified and regular season bowling will be $13,000.

Hays BOE approves bowling, unified bowling at HHS

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal health officials on Thursday ordered Juul to pull its electronic cigarettes from the U.S. market, the latest blow to the embattled company widely blamed for sparking a national surge in teen vaping.

The action is part of a sweeping effort by the Food and Drug Administration to bring scientific scrutiny to the multibillion-dollar vaping industry after years of regulatory delays.

Parents, politicians and anti-tobacco advocates wanted a ban on the devices that many blame for the rise in underage vaping. Supporters say they can help smokers cut back on regular cigarettes.

The FDA noted that Juul may have played a “disproportionate″ role in the rise in teen vaping and its application didn’t have enough evidence to show that marketing its products “would be appropriate for the protection of the public health.”

The agency has granted some e-cigarette applications. Since last fall, the agency has given its OK to tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes from R.J. Reynolds, Logic and other companies.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/6/1561744117367.png" alt="A Juul electronic cigarette / Wikipedia Commons" />
 <figcaption>A Juul electronic cigarette / Wikipedia Commons</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal health officials on Thursday ordered Juul to pull its electronic cigarettes from the U.S. market, the latest blow to the embattled company widely blamed for sparking a national surge in teen vaping.The action is part of a sweeping effort by the Food and Drug Administration to bring scientific scrutiny to the multibillion-dollar vaping industry after years of regulatory delays.Parents, politicians and anti-tobacco advocates wanted a ban on the devices that many blame for the rise in underage vaping. Supporters say they can help smokers cut back on regular cigarettes.The FDA noted that Juul may have played a “disproportionate″ role in the rise in teen vaping and its application didn’t have enough evidence to show that marketing its products “would be appropriate for the protection of the public health.”The agency has granted some e-cigarette applications. Since last fall, the agency has given its OK to tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes from R.J. Reynolds, Logic and other companies.But industry players and anti-tobacco advocates have complained that those products account for just a tiny percent of the $6 billion vaping market in the U.S.Regulators repeatedly delayed making decisions on devices from market leaders, including Juul, which remains the best-selling vaping brand although sales have dipped.Last year, the agency rejected applications for more than a million other e-cigarettes and related products, mainly due to their potential appeal to underage teens.To stay on the market, companies must show that their products benefit public health. In practice, that means proving that adult smokers who use the products are likely to quit or reduce their smoking, while teens are unlikely to get hooked on them.E-cigarettes first appeared in the U.S. more than a decade ago with the promise of providing smokers a less harmful alternative. The devices heat a nicotine solution into a vapor that’s inhaled, bypassing many of the toxic chemicals produced by burning tobacco.But studies have reached conflicting results about whether they truly help smokers quit. And efforts by the FDA to rule on vaping products and their claims were repeatedly slowed by industry lobbying and competing political interests.The vaping market grew to include hundreds of companies selling an array of devices and nicotine solutions in various flavors and strengths.The vaping issue took on new urgency in 2018 when Juul’s high-nicotine, fruity-flavored cartridges quickly became a nationwide craze among middle and high school students. The company faces a slew of federal and state investigations into its early marketing practices, which included distributing free Juul products at concerts and parties hosted by young influencers.In 2019, the company was pressured into halting all advertising and eliminating its fruit and dessert flavors. The next year, the FDA limited flavors in small vaping devices to just tobacco and menthol. Separately, Congress raised the purchase age for all tobacco and vaping products to 21.But the question of whether e-cigarettes should remain on the market at all remained.The FDA has been working under a court order to render its decisions; anti-tobacco groups successfully sued the agency to speed up its review.FDA regulators warned companies for years they would have to submit rigorous, long-term data showing a clear benefit for smokers who switch to vaping. But all but the largest e-cigarette manufacturers have resisted conducting that kind of expensive, time-consuming research.While Juul remains a top seller, a recent federal survey shows that teen have been shifting away from the company. Last year’s survey showed Juul was the fourth most popular e-cigarette among high schoolers who regularly vape. The most popular brand was a disposable e-cigarette called Puff Bar that comes in flavors like pink lemonade, strawberry and mango. That company’s disposable e-cigarettes had been able to skirt regulation because they use synthetic nicotine, which until recently was outside the FDA’s jurisdiction. Congress recently closed that loophole.Overall, the survey showed a drop of nearly 40% in the teen vaping rate as many kids were forced to learn from home during the pandemic. Still, federal officials cautioned about interpreting the results given they were collected online for the first time, instead of in classrooms.The brainchild of two Stanford University students, Juul launched in 2015 and within two years rocketed to the top of the vaping market. Juul, which is partially owned by tobacco giant Altria, still accounts for nearly 50% of the U.S. e-cigarette market. It once controlled more than 75%.On Tuesday, the FDA also laid out plans to establish a maximum nicotine level for certain tobacco products to reduce their addictiveness. In that announcement, the agency also noted that it has invested in a multimedia public education campaign aimed at warning young people about the potential risks of e-cigarette use.