MARION (AP) —The police chief who led a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marion-kansas-newspaper-raid-aca057365ea3925328a69acd615c9893">highly criticized</a>&nbsp;raid of a small Kansas newspaper has been suspended, the mayor confirmed to The Associated Press on Saturday.

Marion Mayor Dave Mayfield in a text said he suspended Chief Gideon Cody on Thursday. He declined to discuss his decision further and did not say whether Cody was still being paid.

Voice messages and emails from the AP seeking comment from Cody's lawyers were not immediately returned Saturday.

The Aug. 11 searches of the Marion County Record’s office and the homes of its publisher and a City Council member have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marion-kansas-newspaper-raid-aca057365ea3925328a69acd615c9893">sharply criticized,</a>&nbsp;putting Marion at the center of a debate over the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-newspaper-raid-marion-county-record-bead3f49d323c784d40154067141dc7c">press protections</a>&nbsp;offered by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Cody's suspension is a reversal for the mayor, who previously said he would wait for results from a state police investigation before taking action.

Vice-Mayor Ruth Herbel, whose home was also raided Aug. 11, praised Cody's suspension as “the best thing that can happen to Marion right now” as the central Kansas town of about 1,900 people struggles to move forward under the national spotlight.

“We can't duck our heads until it goes away, because it’s not going to go away until we do something about it,” Herbel said.

Cody has said little publicly since the raids other than posting a defense of them on the police department’s Facebook page. In&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/newspaper-raid-kansas-affidavit-07d9c856894892bff13cb014248ec866">court documents</a>&nbsp;he filed to get the search warrants, he argued that he had probable cause to believe the newspaper and Herbel, whose home was also raided, had violated state laws against identity theft or computer crimes.

The raids came after a local restaurant owner accused the newspaper of illegally accessing information about her. A spokesman for the agency that maintains those records has said the newspaper’s online search that a reporter did was likely legal even though the reporter needed personal information about the restaurant owner that a tipster provided to look up her driving record.

The newspaper’s publisher Eric Meyer has said the identity theft allegations simply provided a convenient excuse for the search after his reporters had been digging for background information on Cody, who was appointed this summer.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-newspaper-raid-marion-county-record-bead3f49d323c784d40154067141dc7c">Legal experts believe</a>&nbsp;the raid on the newspaper violated a federal privacy law or a state law shielding journalists from having to identify sources or turn over unpublished material to law enforcement.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-newspaper-mother-raid-video-4427af3241da82767deb76028836cffd">Video of the raid</a>&nbsp;on the home of publisher Eric Meyer shows how distraught his 98-year-old mother became as officers searched through their belongings. Meyer said he believes that stress contributed to the death of his mother, Joan Meyer, a day later.

Another reporter last month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-newspaper-raid-reporter-lawsuit-12f03fbd2821630b6d531d6b743047c9">filed a federal lawsuit</a>&nbsp;against the police chief over the raid.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692219843330.png" alt="The suspension is a reversal for the mayor, who previously said he would wait for results from a state police investigation before taking action.-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>The suspension is a reversal for the mayor, who previously said he would wait for results from a state police investigation before taking action.-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>MARION (AP) —The police chief who led a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marion-kansas-newspaper-raid-aca057365ea3925328a69acd615c9893">highly criticized</a>&nbsp;raid of a small Kansas newspaper has been suspended, the mayor confirmed to The Associated Press on Saturday.Marion Mayor Dave Mayfield in a text said he suspended Chief Gideon Cody on Thursday. He declined to discuss his decision further and did not say whether Cody was still being paid.Voice messages and emails from the AP seeking comment from Cody's lawyers were not immediately returned Saturday.The Aug. 11 searches of the Marion County Record’s office and the homes of its publisher and a City Council member have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marion-kansas-newspaper-raid-aca057365ea3925328a69acd615c9893">sharply criticized,</a>&nbsp;putting Marion at the center of a debate over the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-newspaper-raid-marion-county-record-bead3f49d323c784d40154067141dc7c">press protections</a>&nbsp;offered by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.Cody's suspension is a reversal for the mayor, who previously said he would wait for results from a state police investigation before taking action.Vice-Mayor Ruth Herbel, whose home was also raided Aug. 11, praised Cody's suspension as “the best thing that can happen to Marion right now” as the central Kansas town of about 1,900 people struggles to move forward under the national spotlight.“We can't duck our heads until it goes away, because it’s not going to go away until we do something about it,” Herbel said.Cody has said little publicly since the raids other than posting a defense of them on the police department’s Facebook page. In&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/newspaper-raid-kansas-affidavit-07d9c856894892bff13cb014248ec866">court documents</a>&nbsp;he filed to get the search warrants, he argued that he had probable cause to believe the newspaper and Herbel, whose home was also raided, had violated state laws against identity theft or computer crimes.The raids came after a local restaurant owner accused the newspaper of illegally accessing information about her. A spokesman for the agency that maintains those records has said the newspaper’s online search that a reporter did was likely legal even though the reporter needed personal information about the restaurant owner that a tipster provided to look up her driving record.The newspaper’s publisher Eric Meyer has said the identity theft allegations simply provided a convenient excuse for the search after his reporters had been digging for background information on Cody, who was appointed this summer.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-newspaper-raid-marion-county-record-bead3f49d323c784d40154067141dc7c">Legal experts believe</a>&nbsp;the raid on the newspaper violated a federal privacy law or a state law shielding journalists from having to identify sources or turn over unpublished material to law enforcement.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-newspaper-mother-raid-video-4427af3241da82767deb76028836cffd">Video of the raid</a>&nbsp;on the home of publisher Eric Meyer shows how distraught his 98-year-old mother became as officers searched through their belongings. Meyer said he believes that stress contributed to the death of his mother, Joan Meyer, a day later.Another reporter last month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-newspaper-raid-reporter-lawsuit-12f03fbd2821630b6d531d6b743047c9">filed a federal lawsuit</a>&nbsp;against the police chief over the raid.

Mayor suspends police chief who led a raid of Kansas newspaper 

KANSAS CITY (AP) —A federal agency has sued the restaurant chain Chipotle, accusing it of religious harassment and retaliation after a manager at a Kansas location forcibly removed an employee's hijab, a headscarf worn by some Muslim women.

In a lawsuit filed Wednesday, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleged that in 2021, an assistant manager at a Chipotle in Lenexa, Kansas, repeatedly harassed the employee by asking her to show him her hair, despite her refusal. After several weeks, the harassment culminated in him grabbing and partially removing her hijab, according to the complaint.

The manager's “offensive and incessant requests” that she remove her hijab, and his attempt to physically take it off, were “unwelcome, intentional, severe, based on religion, and created a hostile working environment based on religion," the complaint alleged.

Chipotle's chief corporate affairs officer, Laurie Schalow, said the company encourages employees to report concerns, including through an anonymous hotline.

"We have a zero tolerance policy for discrimination of any kind and we have terminated the employee in question,” she said in an emailed statement.

The harassment began in July 2021, when the manager began asking the employee, who was 19 at the time, to remove her hijab because he wanted to see her hair. According to the complaint, he demanded to see her hair at least 10 times over the course of one month. She refused on every occasion, saying she wore it because of her religious beliefs.

The employee complained to another supervisor that the incidents made her uncomfortable, but no further action was taken against the manager, the complaint said. One night during closing in August 2021, the manager allegedly reached out and pulled her hijab partially off her head.

The following day, the employee gave her two weeks' notice. Chipotle didn't schedule her for any shifts during those two weeks even though other non-Muslim employees who submitted their notice continued to be scheduled for work during that time, the complaint alleged.

The lawsuit claims that Chipotle violated federal civil rights law protecting employees and job applicants from discrimination based on religion, race, ethnicity, sex and national origin.

In its suit, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said it wants Chipotle to institute policies that provide equal employment opportunities for employees of all religions and pay damages to the employee.

KANSAS CITY (AP) —A federal agency has sued the restaurant chain Chipotle, accusing it of religious harassment and retaliation after a manager at a Kansas location forcibly removed an employee's hijab, a headscarf worn by some Muslim women.In a lawsuit filed Wednesday, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleged that in 2021, an assistant manager at a Chipotle in Lenexa, Kansas, repeatedly harassed the employee by asking her to show him her hair, despite her refusal. After several weeks, the harassment culminated in him grabbing and partially removing her hijab, according to the complaint.The manager's “offensive and incessant requests” that she remove her hijab, and his attempt to physically take it off, were “unwelcome, intentional, severe, based on religion, and created a hostile working environment based on religion," the complaint alleged.Chipotle's chief corporate affairs officer, Laurie Schalow, said the company encourages employees to report concerns, including through an anonymous hotline."We have a zero tolerance policy for discrimination of any kind and we have terminated the employee in question,” she said in an emailed statement.The harassment began in July 2021, when the manager began asking the employee, who was 19 at the time, to remove her hijab because he wanted to see her hair. According to the complaint, he demanded to see her hair at least 10 times over the course of one month. She refused on every occasion, saying she wore it because of her religious beliefs.The employee complained to another supervisor that the incidents made her uncomfortable, but no further action was taken against the manager, the complaint said. One night during closing in August 2021, the manager allegedly reached out and pulled her hijab partially off her head.The following day, the employee gave her two weeks' notice. Chipotle didn't schedule her for any shifts during those two weeks even though other non-Muslim employees who submitted their notice continued to be scheduled for work during that time, the complaint alleged.The lawsuit claims that Chipotle violated federal civil rights law protecting employees and job applicants from discrimination based on religion, race, ethnicity, sex and national origin.In its suit, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said it wants Chipotle to institute policies that provide equal employment opportunities for employees of all religions and pay damages to the employee.

Federal agency sues Chipotle after Kan. manager allegedly ripped off employee's hijab

WASHINGTON (AP) — The threat of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-congress-biden-trump-mccarthy-f1b06964cf549b09977677e5f70bf9ff" target="_blank">federal government shutdown</a>&nbsp;suddenly lifted late Saturday as President Joe Biden signed a temporary funding bill to keep agencies open with little time to spare after Congress rushed to approve the bipartisan deal.

The package drops&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zelenskyy-biden-washington-visit-congress-ukraine-war-1d20574fb3ea4fb5efcc7db5458a33a3#:~:text=WASHINGTON%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20President%20Volodymyr,troops%20in%20the%20fight%20against" target="_blank">aid to Ukraine</a>, a White House priority opposed by a growing number of GOP lawmakers, but increases&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildfire-hurricane-flooding-fema-disaster-relief-budget-365fc3acd6a12c1f8e67b4926c8dc8b2" target="_blank">federal disaster assistance by $16 billion,</a>&nbsp;meeting Biden’s full request. The bill funds government until Nov. 17.

After chaotic days of turmoil in the House, Speaker Kevin McCarthy abruptly abandoned demands for steep spending cuts from his right flank and instead relied on Democrats to pass the bill, at risk to his own job. The Senate followed with final passage closing a whirlwind day at the Capitol.

“This is good news for the American people,” Biden said in a statement.

He also said the United States “cannot under any circumstances allow American support for Ukraine to be interrupted” and expected McCarthy “will keep his commitment to the people of Ukraine and secure passage of the support needed to help Ukraine at this critical moment.”

It’s been a sudden head-spinning turn of events in Congress ahead of the midnight funding deadline after grueling days in the House pushed the government to the brink of a disruptive federal shutdown.

The outcome ends, for now, the threat of a shutdown, but the reprieve may be short-lived. Congress will again need to fund the government in coming weeks risking a crisis as views are hardening, particularly among the right-flank lawmakers whose demands were ultimately swept aside this time in favor of a more bipartisan approach.

“We’re going to do our job,” McCarthy, R-Calif., said before the House vote. “We’re going to be adults in the room. And we’re going to keep government open.”

If no deal was in place before Sunday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-gop-federal-workers-congress-government-5978a4c7411eba06261d16c3aff3dfc5" target="_blank">federal workers would have faced furloughs</a>, more than 2 million active-duty and reserve military troops would have had to work without pay and programs and services that Americans rely on from coast to coast would have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-snap-benefits-loans-travel-97b3a3b30624704da6eb204837a9135c" target="_blank">begun to face shutdown disruptions</a>.

“It has been a day full of twists and turns, but the American people can breathe a sigh of relief: There will be no government shutdown,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

The package funds government at current 2023 levels until mid-November, and also extends other provisions, including for the Federal Aviation Administration. The package was approved by the House 335-91, with most Republicans and almost all Democrats supporting. Senate passage came by an 88-9 vote.&nbsp;Kansas Senator Jerry Moran voted in favor of the measure along with Missouri Senators Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt and Nebraska Senators Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts. Kansas Senator Roger Marshall voted against the bill.

But the loss of Ukraine aid was devastating for lawmakers of both parties vowing to support President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zelenskyy-biden-washington-visit-congress-ukraine-war-1d20574fb3ea4fb5efcc7db5458a33a3" target="_blank">Volodymyr Zelenskyy</a>&nbsp;after his recent Washington visit. The Senate bill included $6 billion for Ukraine, and both chambers came to a standstill Saturday as lawmakers assessed their options.

“The American people deserve better,” said House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, warning in a lengthy floor speech that “extreme” Republicans were risking a shutdown.

For the House package to be approved, McCarthy was forced to rely on Democrats because the speaker’s hard-right flank has said it will oppose any short-term funding measure, denying him the votes needed from his slim majority. It’s a move that is sure to intensify calls for his ouster.

After leaving the conservative holdouts behind, McCarthy is almost certain to be facing a motion to try to remove him from office, though it is not at all certain there would be enough votes to topple the speaker. Most Republicans voted for the package Saturday while 90 opposed.

“If somebody wants to remove me because I want to be the adult in the room, go ahead and try,” McCarthy said of the threat to oust him. “But I think this country is too important.”

The White House was tracking the developments on Capitol Hill and aides were briefing the president, who was spending the weekend in Washington.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who has championed Ukraine aid despite resistance from his own ranks, is expected to keep pursuing U.S. support for Kyiv in the fight against Russia.

“I have agreed to keep fighting for more economic and security aid for Ukraine,” McConnell, R-Ky., said before the vote.

Late at night, the Senate stalled when Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., held up the vote, seeking assurances Ukraine funds would be reconsidered.

“I know important moments are like this, for the United States, to lead the rest of the world,” Bennet said, noting his mother was born in Poland in 1938 and survived the Holocaust. “We can’t fail.”

The House’s quick pivot comes after the collapse Friday of McCarthy’s earlier plan to pass a Republican-only bill with steep spending cuts up to 30% to most government agencies and strict border provisions that the White House and Democrats rejected as too extreme. A faction of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-votes-mccarthy-gop-caucus-gaetz-585c82607c00c2cfc45768faff6e1cda" target="_blank">21 hard-right Republican holdouts</a>&nbsp;opposed it.

“Our options are slipping away every minute,” said one senior Republican, Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida.

The federal government had been heading&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-congress-biden-trump-mccarthy-f1b06964cf549b09977677e5f70bf9ff" target="_blank">straight into a shutdown</a>&nbsp;that posed grave uncertainty for federal workers in states all across America and the people who depend on them — from troops to border control agents to office workers, scientists and others.

Families that rely on Head Start for children, food benefits and countless other programs large and small were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-snap-benefits-loans-travel-97b3a3b30624704da6eb204837a9135c" target="_blank">confronting potential interruptions or outright closures</a>. At the airports, Transportation Security Administration officers and air traffic controllers had been expected to work without pay, but travelers could have faced delays in updating their U.S. passports or other travel documents.

The White House has brushed aside McCarthy’s overtures to meet with Biden after the speaker walked away from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-debt-ceiling-budget-signing-f78a000d83cf85ffbaa2d08637844053#:~:text=Washington%20News-,Biden%20signs%20debt%20ceiling%20bill%20that%20pulls,from%20brink%20of%20unprecedented%20default&amp;text=WASHINGTON%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20With%20just,on%20the%20federal%20government's%20debt." target="_blank">debt deal</a>&nbsp;they brokered earlier this year that set budget levels.

Catering to his hard-right flank, McCarthy had made multiple concessions including returning to the spending limits the conservatives demanded back in January as part of the deal-making to help him&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-house-of-representatives-kevin-mccarthy-us-republican-party-0938c7358f41c83759246f8949ac7c15" target="_blank">become the House speaker</a>.

But it was not enough as the conservatives insisted the House follow regular rules, and debate and approve each of the 12 separate spending bills needed to fund the government agencies, typically a months-long process. In the Senate, all the no votes against the package came from Republicans.

McCarthy’s chief Republican critic, Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, has warned he will file a motion calling a vote to oust the speaker.

Some of the Republican holdouts, including Gaetz, are allies of former President Donald Trump, who is Biden’s chief rival in the 2024 race. Trump has been encouraging the Republicans to fight hard for their priorities and even to “shut it down.”

At an early closed-door meeting at the Capitol, several House Republicans, particularly those facing tough reelections next year, urged their colleagues to find a way to prevent a shutdown.

“All of us have a responsibility to lead and to govern,” said Republican Rep. Mike Lawler of New York.

The lone House Democrat to vote against the package, Rep. Mike Quigley of Illinois, the co-chair of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus, said, “Protecting Ukraine is in our national interest.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696162456881.png" alt="White House photo" />
 <figcaption>White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The threat of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-congress-biden-trump-mccarthy-f1b06964cf549b09977677e5f70bf9ff" target="_blank">federal government shutdown</a>&nbsp;suddenly lifted late Saturday as President Joe Biden signed a temporary funding bill to keep agencies open with little time to spare after Congress rushed to approve the bipartisan deal.The package drops&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zelenskyy-biden-washington-visit-congress-ukraine-war-1d20574fb3ea4fb5efcc7db5458a33a3#:~:text=WASHINGTON%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20President%20Volodymyr,troops%20in%20the%20fight%20against" target="_blank">aid to Ukraine</a>, a White House priority opposed by a growing number of GOP lawmakers, but increases&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildfire-hurricane-flooding-fema-disaster-relief-budget-365fc3acd6a12c1f8e67b4926c8dc8b2" target="_blank">federal disaster assistance by $16 billion,</a>&nbsp;meeting Biden’s full request. The bill funds government until Nov. 17.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Tonight, Congress voted to keep the government open, preventing an unnecessary crisis that would have inflicted needless pain on millions of hardworking Americans. This is good news, but I want to be clear: we should never have been in this position in the first place. <a href="https://t.co/U28kaX11Rq">pic.twitter.com/U28kaX11Rq</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1708290185505419283?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>After chaotic days of turmoil in the House, Speaker Kevin McCarthy abruptly abandoned demands for steep spending cuts from his right flank and instead relied on Democrats to pass the bill, at risk to his own job. The Senate followed with final passage closing a whirlwind day at the Capitol.“This is good news for the American people,” Biden said in a statement.He also said the United States “cannot under any circumstances allow American support for Ukraine to be interrupted” and expected McCarthy “will keep his commitment to the people of Ukraine and secure passage of the support needed to help Ukraine at this critical moment.”It’s been a sudden head-spinning turn of events in Congress ahead of the midnight funding deadline after grueling days in the House pushed the government to the brink of a disruptive federal shutdown.The outcome ends, for now, the threat of a shutdown, but the reprieve may be short-lived. Congress will again need to fund the government in coming weeks risking a crisis as views are hardening, particularly among the right-flank lawmakers whose demands were ultimately swept aside this time in favor of a more bipartisan approach.“We’re going to do our job,” McCarthy, R-Calif., said before the House vote. “We’re going to be adults in the room. And we’re going to keep government open.”If no deal was in place before Sunday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-gop-federal-workers-congress-government-5978a4c7411eba06261d16c3aff3dfc5" target="_blank">federal workers would have faced furloughs</a>, more than 2 million active-duty and reserve military troops would have had to work without pay and programs and services that Americans rely on from coast to coast would have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-snap-benefits-loans-travel-97b3a3b30624704da6eb204837a9135c" target="_blank">begun to face shutdown disruptions</a>.“It has been a day full of twists and turns, but the American people can breathe a sigh of relief: There will be no government shutdown,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.The package funds government at current 2023 levels until mid-November, and also extends other provisions, including for the Federal Aviation Administration. The package was approved by the House 335-91, with most Republicans and almost all Democrats supporting. Senate passage came by an 88-9 vote.&nbsp;Kansas Senator Jerry Moran voted in favor of the measure along with Missouri Senators Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt and Nebraska Senators Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts. Kansas Senator Roger Marshall voted against the bill.But the loss of Ukraine aid was devastating for lawmakers of both parties vowing to support President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zelenskyy-biden-washington-visit-congress-ukraine-war-1d20574fb3ea4fb5efcc7db5458a33a3" target="_blank">Volodymyr Zelenskyy</a>&nbsp;after his recent Washington visit. The Senate bill included $6 billion for Ukraine, and both chambers came to a standstill Saturday as lawmakers assessed their options.“The American people deserve better,” said House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, warning in a lengthy floor speech that “extreme” Republicans were risking a shutdown.For the House package to be approved, McCarthy was forced to rely on Democrats because the speaker’s hard-right flank has said it will oppose any short-term funding measure, denying him the votes needed from his slim majority. It’s a move that is sure to intensify calls for his ouster.After leaving the conservative holdouts behind, McCarthy is almost certain to be facing a motion to try to remove him from office, though it is not at all certain there would be enough votes to topple the speaker. Most Republicans voted for the package Saturday while 90 opposed.“If somebody wants to remove me because I want to be the adult in the room, go ahead and try,” McCarthy said of the threat to oust him. “But I think this country is too important.”The White House was tracking the developments on Capitol Hill and aides were briefing the president, who was spending the weekend in Washington.Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who has championed Ukraine aid despite resistance from his own ranks, is expected to keep pursuing U.S. support for Kyiv in the fight against Russia.“I have agreed to keep fighting for more economic and security aid for Ukraine,” McConnell, R-Ky., said before the vote.Late at night, the Senate stalled when Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., held up the vote, seeking assurances Ukraine funds would be reconsidered.“I know important moments are like this, for the United States, to lead the rest of the world,” Bennet said, noting his mother was born in Poland in 1938 and survived the Holocaust. “We can’t fail.”The House’s quick pivot comes after the collapse Friday of McCarthy’s earlier plan to pass a Republican-only bill with steep spending cuts up to 30% to most government agencies and strict border provisions that the White House and Democrats rejected as too extreme. A faction of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-votes-mccarthy-gop-caucus-gaetz-585c82607c00c2cfc45768faff6e1cda" target="_blank">21 hard-right Republican holdouts</a>&nbsp;opposed it.“Our options are slipping away every minute,” said one senior Republican, Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida.The federal government had been heading&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-congress-biden-trump-mccarthy-f1b06964cf549b09977677e5f70bf9ff" target="_blank">straight into a shutdown</a>&nbsp;that posed grave uncertainty for federal workers in states all across America and the people who depend on them — from troops to border control agents to office workers, scientists and others.Families that rely on Head Start for children, food benefits and countless other programs large and small were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-snap-benefits-loans-travel-97b3a3b30624704da6eb204837a9135c" target="_blank">confronting potential interruptions or outright closures</a>. At the airports, Transportation Security Administration officers and air traffic controllers had been expected to work without pay, but travelers could have faced delays in updating their U.S. passports or other travel documents.The White House has brushed aside McCarthy’s overtures to meet with Biden after the speaker walked away from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-debt-ceiling-budget-signing-f78a000d83cf85ffbaa2d08637844053#:~:text=Washington%20News-,Biden%20signs%20debt%20ceiling%20bill%20that%20pulls,from%20brink%20of%20unprecedented%20default&amp;text=WASHINGTON%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20With%20just,on%20the%20federal%20government's%20debt." target="_blank">debt deal</a>&nbsp;they brokered earlier this year that set budget levels.Catering to his hard-right flank, McCarthy had made multiple concessions including returning to the spending limits the conservatives demanded back in January as part of the deal-making to help him&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-house-of-representatives-kevin-mccarthy-us-republican-party-0938c7358f41c83759246f8949ac7c15" target="_blank">become the House speaker</a>.But it was not enough as the conservatives insisted the House follow regular rules, and debate and approve each of the 12 separate spending bills needed to fund the government agencies, typically a months-long process. In the Senate, all the no votes against the package came from Republicans.McCarthy’s chief Republican critic, Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, has warned he will file a motion calling a vote to oust the speaker.Some of the Republican holdouts, including Gaetz, are allies of former President Donald Trump, who is Biden’s chief rival in the 2024 race. Trump has been encouraging the Republicans to fight hard for their priorities and even to “shut it down.”At an early closed-door meeting at the Capitol, several House Republicans, particularly those facing tough reelections next year, urged their colleagues to find a way to prevent a shutdown.“All of us have a responsibility to lead and to govern,” said Republican Rep. Mike Lawler of New York.The lone House Democrat to vote against the package, Rep. Mike Quigley of Illinois, the co-chair of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus, said, “Protecting Ukraine is in our national interest.”<h2>___</h2>

Biden signs bill to keep government funded through Nov. 17

MCPHERSON COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 8p.m. Saturday in McPherson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a pickup was southbound on 17th Avenue&nbsp;at Mohawk Road on mile east of Interstate 135 and struck a pedestrian identified as Pedro Amezcua-Cabrera,&nbsp; then fled from the scene.

Amezcua-Cabrera was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to the&nbsp;Sedgwick County Forensic Science Center.

MCPHERSON COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 8p.m. Saturday in McPherson County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a pickup was southbound on 17th Avenue&nbsp;at Mohawk Road on mile east of Interstate 135 and struck a pedestrian identified as Pedro Amezcua-Cabrera,&nbsp; then fled from the scene.Amezcua-Cabrera was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to the&nbsp;Sedgwick County Forensic Science Center.

KHP: Man dies after struck by a pickup that didn't stop

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly shooting have identified the victim as 50-year-old Philip Croft, according to Police Captain Corey Carlisle.

Just before 6a.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to a reported shooting the 2000 block of Wheeling in Kansas CIty on a reported shooting.

First responders located Croft lying in the parking lot of the apartment complex suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.&nbsp; Officers administered life saving measures until EMS arrived on scene. EMS declared Croft deceased on scene.

The circumstances leading up to the homicide are unknown.&nbsp; No one is in custody at this time.&nbsp;

Homicide detectives and Crime Scene Personnel responded and were processing the scene to recover any evidence and speaking to any potential witnesses.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1696107414650.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy Sheriff Darryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy Sheriff Darryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly shooting have identified the victim as 50-year-old Philip Croft, according to Police Captain Corey Carlisle.Just before 6a.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to a reported shooting the 2000 block of Wheeling in Kansas CIty on a reported shooting.First responders located Croft lying in the parking lot of the apartment complex suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.&nbsp; Officers administered life saving measures until EMS arrived on scene. EMS declared Croft deceased on scene.The circumstances leading up to the homicide are unknown.&nbsp; No one is in custody at this time.&nbsp;Homicide detectives and Crime Scene Personnel responded and were processing the scene to recover any evidence and speaking to any potential witnesses.

Homicide: Man found dead in KC apartment complex parking lot

RENO COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 6p.m. Saturday in Reno County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1987 Peterbilt semi driven by Vernon H.&nbsp;Bontrager, 71, Hutchinson, was eastbound on Kansas 96 approaching Worthington Road.

The semi struck a 2015 Nissan Altima driven by Staci L.&nbsp;Eikleberry, 47, Hutchinson, who was stopped at the stop sign to Kansas 96 on&nbsp; Worthington Road and pulled out to turn onto Kansas 96.

Eikleberry was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to the Johnson Co Forensics Lab. Bontrager was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

RENO COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 6p.m. Saturday in Reno County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1987 Peterbilt semi driven by Vernon H.&nbsp;Bontrager, 71, Hutchinson, was eastbound on Kansas 96 approaching Worthington Road.The semi struck a 2015 Nissan Altima driven by Staci L.&nbsp;Eikleberry, 47, Hutchinson, who was stopped at the stop sign to Kansas 96 on&nbsp; Worthington Road and pulled out to turn onto Kansas 96.Eikleberry was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to the Johnson Co Forensics Lab. Bontrager was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

Kansas woman dies after crash with a semi

WASHINGTON (AP) — The threat of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-congress-biden-trump-mccarthy-f1b06964cf549b09977677e5f70bf9ff">federal government shutdown</a>&nbsp;suddenly lifted late Saturday hours before a midnight deadline as Congress approved a temporary funding bill to keep agencies open and sent the measure to President Joe Biden to become law.

The rushed package drops&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zelenskyy-biden-washington-visit-congress-ukraine-war-1d20574fb3ea4fb5efcc7db5458a33a3#:~:text=WASHINGTON%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20President%20Volodymyr,troops%20in%20the%20fight%20against">aid to Ukraine</a>, a White House priority opposed by a growing number of GOP lawmakers, but increases&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildfire-hurricane-flooding-fema-disaster-relief-budget-365fc3acd6a12c1f8e67b4926c8dc8b2">federal disaster assistance by $16 billion,</a>&nbsp;meeting Biden’s full request. The bill funds government until Nov. 17.

He also said the United States “cannot under any circumstances allow American support for Ukraine to be interrupted" and expected McCarthy "will keep his commitment to the people of Ukraine and secure passage of the support needed to help Ukraine at this critical moment."

It’s been a sudden head-spinning turn of events in Congress after days of House chaos pushed the government to the brink of a disruptive federal shutdown.

The outcome ends, for now, the threat of a shutdown, but the reprieve may be short lived. Congress will again need to fund the government in coming weeks risking a crisis as views are hardening, particularly among the right-flank lawmakers whose demands were ultimately swept aside this time in favor of a more bipartisan approach.

If no deal was in place before Sunday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-gop-federal-workers-congress-government-5978a4c7411eba06261d16c3aff3dfc5">federal workers would have faced furloughs</a>, more than 2 million active-duty and reserve military troops would have had to work without pay and programs and services that Americans rely on from coast to coast would have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-snap-benefits-loans-travel-97b3a3b30624704da6eb204837a9135c">begun to face shutdown disruptions</a>.

“It has been a day full of twists and turns, but the American people can breathe a sigh of relief: There will be no government shutdown," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

But the loss of Ukraine aid was devastating for lawmakers of both parties vowing to support President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zelenskyy-biden-washington-visit-congress-ukraine-war-1d20574fb3ea4fb5efcc7db5458a33a3">Volodymyr Zelenskyy</a>&nbsp;after his recent Washington visit. The Senate bill included $6 billion for Ukraine, and both chambers came to a standstill Saturday as lawmakers assessed their options.

"The American people deserve better," said House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, warning in a lengthy floor speech that “extreme" Republicans were risking a shutdown.

For the House package to be approved, McCarthy, R-Calif., was forced to rely on Democrats because the speaker's hard-right flank has said it will oppose any short-term funding measure, denying him the votes needed from his slim majority. It's a move that risks his job amid calls for his ouster.

After leaving his the conservative holdouts behind, McCarthy is almost certain to be facing a motion to try to remove from office, though it is not at all certain there would be enough votes to topple the speaker. Most Republicans voted for the package Saturday while 90 opposed.

"If somebody wants to remove me because I want to be the adult in the room, go ahead and try,” McCarthy said of the threat to oust him. “But I think this country is too important.”

"I have agreed to keep fighting for more economic and security aid for Ukraine,” McConnell, R-Ky., said before the vote.

Late at night, the Senate came to a standstill when Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., held up the vote, seeking assurances Ukraine funds would be reconsidered.

The House's quick pivot comes after the collapse Friday of McCarthy's earlier plan to pass a Republican-only bill with steep spending cuts up to 30% to most government agencies that the White House and Democrats rejected as too extreme.

"Our options are slipping away every minute,” said one senior Republican, Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida.

The federal government was heading&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-congress-biden-trump-mccarthy-f1b06964cf549b09977677e5f70bf9ff">straight into a shutdown</a>&nbsp;that posed grave uncertainty for federal workers in states all across America and the people who depend on them — from troops to border control agents to office workers, scientists and others.

Families that rely on Head Start for children, food benefits and countless other programs large and small were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-snap-benefits-loans-travel-97b3a3b30624704da6eb204837a9135c">confronting potential interruptions or outright closures</a>. At the airports, Transportation Security Administration officers and air traffic controllers are expected to work without pay, but travelers could face delays in updating their U.S. passports or other travel documents.

An earlier McCarthy plan to keep the government open collapsed Friday due to opposition from a faction of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-votes-mccarthy-gop-caucus-gaetz-585c82607c00c2cfc45768faff6e1cda">21 hard-right holdouts</a>&nbsp;despite steep spending cuts of nearly 30% to many agencies and severe border security provisions.

The White House has brushed aside McCarthy's overtures to meet with Biden after the speaker walked away from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-debt-ceiling-budget-signing-f78a000d83cf85ffbaa2d08637844053#:~:text=Washington%20News-,Biden%20signs%20debt%20ceiling%20bill%20that%20pulls,from%20brink%20of%20unprecedented%20default&amp;text=WASHINGTON%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20With%20just,on%20the%20federal%20government's%20debt.">debt deal</a>&nbsp;they brokered earlier this year that set budget levels.

Catering to his hard-right flank, McCarthy had made multiple concessions including returning to the spending limits the conservatives demanded back in January as part of the deal-making to help him&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-house-of-representatives-kevin-mccarthy-us-republican-party-0938c7358f41c83759246f8949ac7c15">become the House speaker</a>.

But it was not enough as the right flank insisted the House follow regular rules, and debate and approve each of the 12 separate spending bills needed to fund the government agencies, typically a months-long process.

Some of the Republican holdouts, including Gaetz, are allies of former President Donald Trump, who is Biden's chief rival in the 2024 race. Trump has been encouraging the Republicans to fight hard for their priorities and even to “shut it down.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1696122590629.png" alt="“We’re going to do our job,” House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said before the House vote. “We’re going to be adults in the room. And we’re going to keep government open.” photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>“We’re going to do our job,” House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said before the House vote. “We’re going to be adults in the room. And we’re going to keep government open.” photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The threat of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-congress-biden-trump-mccarthy-f1b06964cf549b09977677e5f70bf9ff">federal government shutdown</a>&nbsp;suddenly lifted late Saturday hours before a midnight deadline as Congress approved a temporary funding bill to keep agencies open and sent the measure to President Joe Biden to become law.The rushed package drops&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zelenskyy-biden-washington-visit-congress-ukraine-war-1d20574fb3ea4fb5efcc7db5458a33a3#:~:text=WASHINGTON%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20President%20Volodymyr,troops%20in%20the%20fight%20against">aid to Ukraine</a>, a White House priority opposed by a growing number of GOP lawmakers, but increases&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildfire-hurricane-flooding-fema-disaster-relief-budget-365fc3acd6a12c1f8e67b4926c8dc8b2">federal disaster assistance by $16 billion,</a>&nbsp;meeting Biden’s full request. The bill funds government until Nov. 17.After chaotic days of turmoil in the House, Speaker Kevin McCarthy abruptly abandoned demands for steep spending cuts from his right flank and instead relied on Democrats to pass the bill, at risk to his own job. The Senate followed with final passage closing a whirlwind day at the Capitol.“This is good news for the American people,” Biden said in a statement.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Tonight, Congress voted to keep the government open, preventing an unnecessary crisis that would have inflicted needless pain on millions of hardworking Americans. This is good news, but I want to be clear: we should never have been in this position in the first place. <a href="https://t.co/U28kaX11Rq">pic.twitter.com/U28kaX11Rq</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1708290185505419283?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>He also said the United States “cannot under any circumstances allow American support for Ukraine to be interrupted" and expected McCarthy "will keep his commitment to the people of Ukraine and secure passage of the support needed to help Ukraine at this critical moment."It’s been a sudden head-spinning turn of events in Congress after days of House chaos pushed the government to the brink of a disruptive federal shutdown.The outcome ends, for now, the threat of a shutdown, but the reprieve may be short lived. Congress will again need to fund the government in coming weeks risking a crisis as views are hardening, particularly among the right-flank lawmakers whose demands were ultimately swept aside this time in favor of a more bipartisan approach.“We’re going to do our job,” McCarthy, R-Calif., said before the House vote. “We’re going to be adults in the room. And we’re going to keep government open.”If no deal was in place before Sunday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-gop-federal-workers-congress-government-5978a4c7411eba06261d16c3aff3dfc5">federal workers would have faced furloughs</a>, more than 2 million active-duty and reserve military troops would have had to work without pay and programs and services that Americans rely on from coast to coast would have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-snap-benefits-loans-travel-97b3a3b30624704da6eb204837a9135c">begun to face shutdown disruptions</a>.“It has been a day full of twists and turns, but the American people can breathe a sigh of relief: There will be no government shutdown," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.The package funds government at current 2023 levels until mid-November, and also extends other provisions, including for the Federal Aviation Administration. The package was approved by the House 335-91, with most Republicans and almost all Democrats supporting. Senate passage came by an 88-9 vote.&nbsp;Kansas Senator Jerry Moran voted in favor of the measure along with Missouri Senators Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt and Nebraska Senators Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts. Kansas Senator Roger Marshall voted against the bill.But the loss of Ukraine aid was devastating for lawmakers of both parties vowing to support President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zelenskyy-biden-washington-visit-congress-ukraine-war-1d20574fb3ea4fb5efcc7db5458a33a3">Volodymyr Zelenskyy</a>&nbsp;after his recent Washington visit. The Senate bill included $6 billion for Ukraine, and both chambers came to a standstill Saturday as lawmakers assessed their options."The American people deserve better," said House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, warning in a lengthy floor speech that “extreme" Republicans were risking a shutdown.For the House package to be approved, McCarthy, R-Calif., was forced to rely on Democrats because the speaker's hard-right flank has said it will oppose any short-term funding measure, denying him the votes needed from his slim majority. It's a move that risks his job amid calls for his ouster.After leaving his the conservative holdouts behind, McCarthy is almost certain to be facing a motion to try to remove from office, though it is not at all certain there would be enough votes to topple the speaker. Most Republicans voted for the package Saturday while 90 opposed."If somebody wants to remove me because I want to be the adult in the room, go ahead and try,” McCarthy said of the threat to oust him. “But I think this country is too important.”The White House was tracking the developments on Capitol Hill and aides were briefing the president, who was spending the weekend in Washington.Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who has championed Ukraine aid despite resistance from his own ranks, is expected to keep pursuing U.S. support for Kyiv in the fight against Russia."I have agreed to keep fighting for more economic and security aid for Ukraine,” McConnell, R-Ky., said before the vote.Late at night, the Senate came to a standstill when Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., held up the vote, seeking assurances Ukraine funds would be reconsidered.“I know important moments are like this, for the United States, to lead the rest of the world,” Bennet said, noting his mother was born in Poland in 1938 and survived the Holocaust. “We can’t fail.”The House's quick pivot comes after the collapse Friday of McCarthy's earlier plan to pass a Republican-only bill with steep spending cuts up to 30% to most government agencies that the White House and Democrats rejected as too extreme."Our options are slipping away every minute,” said one senior Republican, Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida.The federal government was heading&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-congress-biden-trump-mccarthy-f1b06964cf549b09977677e5f70bf9ff">straight into a shutdown</a>&nbsp;that posed grave uncertainty for federal workers in states all across America and the people who depend on them — from troops to border control agents to office workers, scientists and others.Families that rely on Head Start for children, food benefits and countless other programs large and small were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-snap-benefits-loans-travel-97b3a3b30624704da6eb204837a9135c">confronting potential interruptions or outright closures</a>. At the airports, Transportation Security Administration officers and air traffic controllers are expected to work without pay, but travelers could face delays in updating their U.S. passports or other travel documents.An earlier McCarthy plan to keep the government open collapsed Friday due to opposition from a faction of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-votes-mccarthy-gop-caucus-gaetz-585c82607c00c2cfc45768faff6e1cda">21 hard-right holdouts</a>&nbsp;despite steep spending cuts of nearly 30% to many agencies and severe border security provisions.The White House has brushed aside McCarthy's overtures to meet with Biden after the speaker walked away from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-debt-ceiling-budget-signing-f78a000d83cf85ffbaa2d08637844053#:~:text=Washington%20News-,Biden%20signs%20debt%20ceiling%20bill%20that%20pulls,from%20brink%20of%20unprecedented%20default&amp;text=WASHINGTON%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20With%20just,on%20the%20federal%20government's%20debt.">debt deal</a>&nbsp;they brokered earlier this year that set budget levels.Catering to his hard-right flank, McCarthy had made multiple concessions including returning to the spending limits the conservatives demanded back in January as part of the deal-making to help him&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-house-of-representatives-kevin-mccarthy-us-republican-party-0938c7358f41c83759246f8949ac7c15">become the House speaker</a>.But it was not enough as the right flank insisted the House follow regular rules, and debate and approve each of the 12 separate spending bills needed to fund the government agencies, typically a months-long process.McCarthy’s chief Republican critic, Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, has warned he will file a motion calling a vote to oust the speaker.Some of the Republican holdouts, including Gaetz, are allies of former President Donald Trump, who is Biden's chief rival in the 2024 race. Trump has been encouraging the Republicans to fight hard for their priorities and even to “shut it down.”At an early closed-door meeting at the Capitol, several House Republicans, particularly those facing tough reelections next year, urged their colleagues to find a way to prevent a shutdown.“All of us have a responsibility to lead and to govern,” said Republican Rep. Mike Lawler of New York.The lone House Democrat to vote against the package, Rep. Mike Quigley of Illinois, the co-chair of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus, said, “Protecting Ukraine is in our national interest.”

Congress averts government shutdown passing short-term funding bill

ST. CLAIR, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri high school teacher says she has been placed on leave after officials discovered that she was performing on a pornography website to supplement her salary.

Brianna Coppage, 28, who taught English at St. Clair High School, says her teaching days are probably over, but she acknowledged she knew the risks.

Coppage&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/education/missouri-teacher-on-leave-after-school-district-discovers-her-onlyfans-porn-page/article_92ef5c4a-5e2e-11ee-b8be-d716acce2ff8.html#tracking-source=home-top-story">told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch</a>&nbsp;that she was put on leave on Wednesday after being interviewed by two administrators. Her access to school email and other software was suspended while the district investigates, she said.

“It was kind of always like this cloud hanging over my head, like I never knew when I would be discovered,” Coppage said in an interview. “Then, about two weeks ago, my husband and I were told that people were finding out about it. So I knew this day was coming.”

Superintendent Kyle Kruse said in a statement that the district was “recently notified that an employee may have posted inappropriate media on one or more internet sites.”

“The district has engaged legal counsel to conduct a comprehensive investigation into this matter,” Kruse wrote. “Actions taken as a result of the investigation will be in accordance with board policy and with guidance from legal counsel.”

St. Clair is about 55 miles southwest of St. Louis. The high school has about 750 students.

Coppage said she joined the OnlyFans website over the summer to supplement her salary as a second-year teacher. She taught English to freshmen and sophomores and made about $42,000 last year, according to the newspaper's public pay database. She said she’s earned an additional $8,000 to $10,000 per month performing on OnlyFans.

Coppage said she chose the site because its content is available only to subscribers and she thought it would help protect her identity. She said she didn't know how the district learned of her account. She insisted no content was filmed or posted while she was on school grounds.

“I’m very aware that I am probably never going to teach again, but that was kind of the risk I knew I was taking. I am sad about that. I do miss my students,” she said.

But Coppage said her account has gained about 100 new subscribers since word began to surface. She has more than doubled her subscription price and plans to continue posting on the site.

“I do not regret joining OnlyFans. I know it can be taboo, or some people may believe that it is shameful, but I don’t think sex work has to be shameful,” Coppage said. “I do just wish things just happened in a different way.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1696082330307.png" alt="Brianna Coppage-photo Courtesy St. Clair School District" />
 <figcaption>Brianna Coppage-photo Courtesy St. Clair School District</figcaption>
 </figure>ST. CLAIR, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri high school teacher says she has been placed on leave after officials discovered that she was performing on a pornography website to supplement her salary.Brianna Coppage, 28, who taught English at St. Clair High School, says her teaching days are probably over, but she acknowledged she knew the risks.Coppage&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/education/missouri-teacher-on-leave-after-school-district-discovers-her-onlyfans-porn-page/article_92ef5c4a-5e2e-11ee-b8be-d716acce2ff8.html#tracking-source=home-top-story">told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch</a>&nbsp;that she was put on leave on Wednesday after being interviewed by two administrators. Her access to school email and other software was suspended while the district investigates, she said.“It was kind of always like this cloud hanging over my head, like I never knew when I would be discovered,” Coppage said in an interview. “Then, about two weeks ago, my husband and I were told that people were finding out about it. So I knew this day was coming.”Superintendent Kyle Kruse said in a statement that the district was “recently notified that an employee may have posted inappropriate media on one or more internet sites.”“The district has engaged legal counsel to conduct a comprehensive investigation into this matter,” Kruse wrote. “Actions taken as a result of the investigation will be in accordance with board policy and with guidance from legal counsel.”St. Clair is about 55 miles southwest of St. Louis. The high school has about 750 students.Coppage said she joined the OnlyFans website over the summer to supplement her salary as a second-year teacher. She taught English to freshmen and sophomores and made about $42,000 last year, according to the newspaper's public pay database. She said she’s earned an additional $8,000 to $10,000 per month performing on OnlyFans.Coppage said she chose the site because its content is available only to subscribers and she thought it would help protect her identity. She said she didn't know how the district learned of her account. She insisted no content was filmed or posted while she was on school grounds.“I’m very aware that I am probably never going to teach again, but that was kind of the risk I knew I was taking. I am sad about that. I do miss my students,” she said.But Coppage said her account has gained about 100 new subscribers since word began to surface. She has more than doubled her subscription price and plans to continue posting on the site.“I do not regret joining OnlyFans. I know it can be taboo, or some people may believe that it is shameful, but I don’t think sex work has to be shameful,” Coppage said. “I do just wish things just happened in a different way.”

Teacher put on leave after school discovers her page on porn site

GRAY COUNTY – A year has passed since the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), the Meade County Sheriff's Office, and the Gray County Sheriff's Office began investigating the disappearance of Richard Salisbury, of Plains, Kansas, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

Richard Salisbury is a white male who was 55-years-old when he was last seen on Sept. 20, 2022, in rural Gray County, Kansas. He would now be 56.

Salisbury is 6 foot 1 inch tall, weighs approximately 220 pounds. Salisbury has brown hair, brown eyes, and facial hair. He has a tattoo of a tomahawk and feathers on his left shoulder. He was last known wearing a gray shirt with red letters, a gray baseball cap, jeans, and sunglasses. He had been living in Plains, Kansas, in Meade County, for around three months. Prior to that, he lived in the Austin, Texas area.

If you have any information about the disappearance of Richard Salisbury, contact the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME, the Meade County Sheriff's Office at 620-873-8765, the Gray County Sheriff's Office at 620-855-3916, or submit a tip online at https://www.kbi.ks.gov/sar.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695926964987.png" alt="&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>GRAY COUNTY – A year has passed since the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), the Meade County Sheriff's Office, and the Gray County Sheriff's Office began investigating the disappearance of Richard Salisbury, of Plains, Kansas, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.Richard Salisbury is a white male who was 55-years-old when he was last seen on Sept. 20, 2022, in rural Gray County, Kansas. He would now be 56.Salisbury is 6 foot 1 inch tall, weighs approximately 220 pounds. Salisbury has brown hair, brown eyes, and facial hair. He has a tattoo of a tomahawk and feathers on his left shoulder. He was last known wearing a gray shirt with red letters, a gray baseball cap, jeans, and sunglasses. He had been living in Plains, Kansas, in Meade County, for around three months. Prior to that, he lived in the Austin, Texas area.If you have any information about the disappearance of Richard Salisbury, contact the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME, the Meade County Sheriff's Office at 620-873-8765, the Gray County Sheriff's Office at 620-855-3916, or submit a tip online at https://www.kbi.ks.gov/sar.

One year later, search continues for missing SW Kansas man

KANSAS CITY—One person died in an accident Saturday in Kansas City.

According to KC Police Captain Corey Carlisle, a man on a small motorbike was riding across the park at North Indiana and East 55th Street. There was a deep ditch that the driver apparently did not see. 

The motorbike traveled into the ditch and the driver was ejected, striking his head. He was not wearing a helmet. He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Carlisle. The exact time of the crash is unknown.&nbsp; Police did not release the man's name.

KANSAS CITY—One person died in an accident Saturday in Kansas City.According to KC Police Captain Corey Carlisle, a man on a small motorbike was riding across the park at North Indiana and East 55th Street. There was a deep ditch that the driver apparently did not see. The motorbike traveled into the ditch and the driver was ejected, striking his head. He was not wearing a helmet. He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Carlisle. The exact time of the crash is unknown.&nbsp; Police did not release the man's name.

KC man dies after ejected when motorbike travels into ditch

PHELPS COUNTY —Inmates Steven Timothy Scott and Jonathan Eugene Schmidt O'Dell both managed to escape from the jail in Phelps County, according to the FBI in Kansas City. Scott later turning himself to authorities. 

Law enforcement continue to search for33-year-old Schmidt O'Dell. He is described as a white male, 6-feet-1 inches tall and weighs approximately 200 pounds with brown hair, blue eyes and a full beard at the time of his booking. 

He may have shaved his beard to disguise his identity. He was last seen wearing a maroon-colored shirt with a Phelps County logo and brown slacks with a tan stripe.

Just after 11p.m. Friday the two inmates at the Phelps County Jail escaped by comprising the structural integrity of the cell and exiting the building. 

O'Dell is facing federal charges. According to a federal indictment O'Dell planned to travel to Texas to shoot at illegal immigrants who crossed into the U.S. from Mexico. The indictment also alleges he planned to murder officers and employees of U.S. Border Patrol who attempted to stop him.

As a reminder, anyone who aids a wanted fugitive could be subject to serious charges.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Jonathan O'Dell is asked to call 9-1-1 as soon as possible.  For non-emergency tips, please call our command post at (573) 426-3886.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1696102076107.png" alt="What escaped Phelps County Jail inmate O'Dell looked like without his beard. Call 911 is you see him." />
 <figcaption>What escaped Phelps County Jail inmate O'Dell looked like without his beard. Call 911 is you see him.</figcaption>
 </figure>PHELPS COUNTY —Inmates Steven Timothy Scott and Jonathan Eugene Schmidt O'Dell both managed to escape from the jail in Phelps County, according to the FBI in Kansas City. Scott later turning himself to authorities. Law enforcement continue to search for33-year-old Schmidt O'Dell. He is described as a white male, 6-feet-1 inches tall and weighs approximately 200 pounds with brown hair, blue eyes and a full beard at the time of his booking. He may have shaved his beard to disguise his identity. He was last seen wearing a maroon-colored shirt with a Phelps County logo and brown slacks with a tan stripe.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1696102787994.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 11p.m. Friday the two inmates at the Phelps County Jail escaped by comprising the structural integrity of the cell and exiting the building. O'Dell is facing federal charges. According to a federal indictment O'Dell planned to travel to Texas to shoot at illegal immigrants who crossed into the U.S. from Mexico. The indictment also alleges he planned to murder officers and employees of U.S. Border Patrol who attempted to stop him.As a reminder, anyone who aids a wanted fugitive could be subject to serious charges.Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Jonathan O'Dell is asked to call 9-1-1 as soon as possible. For non-emergency tips, please call our command post at (573) 426-3886.

FBI: 2 inmates escape from county jail in Missouri

Appellate court upholds trial court rulings, financial penalties of $178,000

BY: TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The Kansas Court of Appeals rejected arguments of a Kansas hog producer who challenged trespassing and nuisance verdicts as well as $178,000 in damage awards against him for defiantly installing without permission 2 miles of underground pipe in the right-of-way of his neighbors’ property.

A Phillips County District Court jury and judge found farmer Terry Nelson, who has a history of contesting environmental orders of state regulators, built the pipeline despite objections of property owners, the sheriff and a county attorney. The pipes were installed by Nelson to move effluent generated at confined feeding facilities to farm fields where it would be applied as a fertilizer with a pivot irrigation system.

Plaintiff Rodney Ross said that when he confronted Nelson in 2017 about the yet-unfinished pipeline, Nelson made it clear he wouldn’t be deterred. Ross said Nelson scolded him: “I have done this before. I will do this again. And, you can’t stop me.”

Nelson began using his pipeline in 2019. In certain wind conditions, sewage pumped through irrigation gear would drift to the Ross home and leave the exterior covered with flies. It made the house’s inside so foul smelling it was uninhabitable. In response to a lawsuit filed by Ross and the second lead plaintiff Laura Field, Nelson allegedly increased the amount of hog waste applied to fields via the pipeline.

After a seven-day trial in 2021, the district court ordered Nelson to pay Ross and Field $63,360 each for trespassing on their property to install the pipe. Ross separately sought relief under state nuisance law in response to Nelson allowing watered-down animal feces to infiltrate his property. Ross was awarded $2,000 in actual damages and $50,000 in punitive damages due to errant spraying of sewage.

“After carefully reviewing the record and the parties’ arguments, we find that Nelson has not shown any error in the proceedings before the district court,” said Kansas Court of Appeals Judge Sarah Warner, who wrote for Judges Angela Coble, Rachel Pickering and herself. “We thus affirm the judgment against the defendants.”

The three-judge appellate panel, all appointees of Gov. Laura Kelly, issued a 40-page opinion in August affirming the district court’s findings and rejecting the entirety of Nelson’s legal arguments. Nelson ceased using the pipes to get rid of liquified hog manure.

Nelson, who filed a countersuit seeking $75,000, sought reversal of the district court through the Court of Appeals. His attorneys claimed District Court Judge Preston Pratt incorrectly interpretated a series of state laws. In part, Nelson’s counsel alleged the judge improperly assessed the intersection of property rights, criminal statute and the Kansas Right to Farm Act.

In 2022, Kansas House members and agriculture lobbying groups were unsuccessful in an attempt to build support for legislation that would have helped farmers such as Nelson who sought installation of pipelines in right-of-way of property owned by someone else.

Advocates of the reform bill said the district court decision threatened application of the Right to Farm law enacted decades ago to limit the reach of agricultural lawsuits.

Meanwhile, Nelson has been a known commodity to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. The agency wrestled with Nelson after he built hog feeding facilities in Norton and Phillips counties without state permits and ignored cease-and-desist orders to pause work until properly authorized. In 2018, Nelson managed to negotiate the original $147,000 fine issued by KDHE down to $34,000.

In the hog-waste legal dispute, the district and appellate courts concluded evidence showed Nelson didn’t follow county permitting practices on installation of a pipeline. The courts said neither Ross or Field nor government officials gave Nelson approval to lay pipe on that right-of-way.

Nelson also admitted the pipe he put in the ground didn’t comply with thickness requirements adopted in 1999, the Court of Appeals said.

The Court of Appeals didn’t endorse Nelson’s claim he had a legitimate public purpose for accessing right-of-way to bury pipe on property owned by neighbors. Nelson contended the public benefit was that he raised pigs that would eventually be sold to the public as pork products.

Of significance to farmers across Kansas, Nelson lost arguments in both courts that the Right to Farm Act should have derailed the suit brought by Ross and Field. The law was designed to immunize agricultural activities initiated prior to encroachment by urban and suburban populations into traditionally rural areas. However, Ross lived on his property for many years before the pipeline was constructed.

The courts said legal protection under the Right to Far Act sought by Nelson didn’t apply when farming practices in question failed to meet federal, state or local laws, rules and regulations. In the Nelson case, the district court concluded Nelson broke state law.

“The district court’s decision accurately and ably synthesized the caselaw on trespass,” the Court of Appeals said. “If a private person wants to install a pipeline in the right-of-way of a public highway, that pipeline must serve a public purpose — like providing a utility to the community.”

“Without a public purpose, the person must have permission to install the pipeline,” the appellate judges said. “Depending on the nature of the installation and the property, this permission may be granted by the abutting landowners or the Legislature. Nelson installed pipes for a private purpose and had no permission from the landowners or the Legislature.”

In addition, the Court of Appeals said the lower court’s assessment of $50,000 in punitive damages against Nelson on Ross’ nuisance claim “was not inappropriate or constitutionally excessive.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/7/1562343189353.jpeg" alt="&nbsp;The Kansas Court of Appeals affirmed a lower-court decision that hog farmer Terry Nelson violated trespass and nuisance laws by using the right-of-way on neighbors' property to build a pipeline to transport swine waste for distribution on farm fields. The appellate court also let stand $178,000 in actual and punitive damages against Nelson- file photo" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;The Kansas Court of Appeals affirmed a lower-court decision that hog farmer Terry Nelson violated trespass and nuisance laws by using the right-of-way on neighbors' property to build a pipeline to transport swine waste for distribution on farm fields. The appellate court also let stand $178,000 in actual and punitive damages against Nelson- file photo</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Appellate court upholds trial court rulings, financial penalties of $178,000</h2>BY: TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The Kansas Court of Appeals rejected arguments of a Kansas hog producer who challenged trespassing and nuisance verdicts as well as $178,000 in damage awards against him for defiantly installing without permission 2 miles of underground pipe in the right-of-way of his neighbors’ property.A Phillips County District Court jury and judge found farmer Terry Nelson, who has a history of contesting environmental orders of state regulators, built the pipeline despite objections of property owners, the sheriff and a county attorney. The pipes were installed by Nelson to move effluent generated at confined feeding facilities to farm fields where it would be applied as a fertilizer with a pivot irrigation system.Plaintiff Rodney Ross said that when he confronted Nelson in 2017 about the yet-unfinished pipeline, Nelson made it clear he wouldn’t be deterred. Ross said Nelson scolded him: “I have done this before. I will do this again. And, you can’t stop me.”Nelson began using his pipeline in 2019. In certain wind conditions, sewage pumped through irrigation gear would drift to the Ross home and leave the exterior covered with flies. It made the house’s inside so foul smelling it was uninhabitable. In response to a lawsuit filed by Ross and the second lead plaintiff Laura Field, Nelson allegedly increased the amount of hog waste applied to fields via the pipeline.After a seven-day trial in 2021, the district court ordered Nelson to pay Ross and Field $63,360 each for trespassing on their property to install the pipe. Ross separately sought relief under state nuisance law in response to Nelson allowing watered-down animal feces to infiltrate his property. Ross was awarded $2,000 in actual damages and $50,000 in punitive damages due to errant spraying of sewage.“After carefully reviewing the record and the parties’ arguments, we find that Nelson has not shown any error in the proceedings before the district court,” said Kansas Court of Appeals Judge Sarah Warner, who wrote for Judges Angela Coble, Rachel Pickering and herself. “We thus affirm the judgment against the defendants.”<h2>Broad considerations</h2>The three-judge appellate panel, all appointees of Gov. Laura Kelly, issued a 40-page opinion in August affirming the district court’s findings and rejecting the entirety of Nelson’s legal arguments. Nelson ceased using the pipes to get rid of liquified hog manure.Nelson, who filed a countersuit seeking $75,000, sought reversal of the district court through the Court of Appeals. His attorneys claimed District Court Judge Preston Pratt incorrectly interpretated a series of state laws. In part, Nelson’s counsel alleged the judge improperly assessed the intersection of property rights, criminal statute and the Kansas Right to Farm Act.In 2022, Kansas House members and agriculture lobbying groups were unsuccessful in an attempt to build support for legislation that would have helped farmers such as Nelson who sought installation of pipelines in right-of-way of property owned by someone else.Advocates of the reform bill said the district court decision threatened application of the Right to Farm law enacted decades ago to limit the reach of agricultural lawsuits.Meanwhile, Nelson has been a known commodity to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. The agency wrestled with Nelson after he built hog feeding facilities in Norton and Phillips counties without state permits and ignored cease-and-desist orders to pause work until properly authorized. In 2018, Nelson managed to negotiate the original $147,000 fine issued by KDHE down to $34,000.<h2>Ross, Field v. Nelson</h2>In the hog-waste legal dispute, the district and appellate courts concluded evidence showed Nelson didn’t follow county permitting practices on installation of a pipeline. The courts said neither Ross or Field nor government officials gave Nelson approval to lay pipe on that right-of-way.Nelson also admitted the pipe he put in the ground didn’t comply with thickness requirements adopted in 1999, the Court of Appeals said.The Court of Appeals didn’t endorse Nelson’s claim he had a legitimate public purpose for accessing right-of-way to bury pipe on property owned by neighbors. Nelson contended the public benefit was that he raised pigs that would eventually be sold to the public as pork products.Of significance to farmers across Kansas, Nelson lost arguments in both courts that the Right to Farm Act should have derailed the suit brought by Ross and Field. The law was designed to immunize agricultural activities initiated prior to encroachment by urban and suburban populations into traditionally rural areas. However, Ross lived on his property for many years before the pipeline was constructed.The courts said legal protection under the Right to Far Act sought by Nelson didn’t apply when farming practices in question failed to meet federal, state or local laws, rules and regulations. In the Nelson case, the district court concluded Nelson broke state law.“The district court’s decision accurately and ably synthesized the caselaw on trespass,” the Court of Appeals said. “If a private person wants to install a pipeline in the right-of-way of a public highway, that pipeline must serve a public purpose — like providing a utility to the community.”“Without a public purpose, the person must have permission to install the pipeline,” the appellate judges said. “Depending on the nature of the installation and the property, this permission may be granted by the abutting landowners or the Legislature. Nelson installed pipes for a private purpose and had no permission from the landowners or the Legislature.”In addition, the Court of Appeals said the lower court’s assessment of $50,000 in punitive damages against Nelson on Ross’ nuisance claim “was not inappropriate or constitutionally excessive.”

Kansas farmer loses appeal in bizarre trespass, nuisance case tied to disposal of hog effluent

HARVEY COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect in connection with a disturbance involving a gun in Harvey County.

Just before 8:30p.m. Friday, Police responded to a report of shots fired in the 600 block of Southeast Fourth Street in Newton, according to a media release from the city.

During the investigation, officers determined that a man and a woman were arguing when a second man intervened, and a physical fight ensued between the two men. 

A third man retrieved a handgun from a house and threatened to kill two of the people involved. The man then fired two shots toward the woman, both of which missed her and the others.

The man with the gun then confronted one of the men who were fighting and pointed the gun at him. This man punched the man with the gun, causing another shot to be fired, which also missed everyone.&nbsp;

Police arrested the man with the gun, 21-year-old Tyler Christiansen at the scene on requested charges of attempted second-degree murder, aggravated assault, criminal threat, criminal discharge of a firearm, disorderly conduct and drug offenses. 

A search warrant was served on the house, and evidence was taken. The Wichita Police Department assisted with the use of a police service dog specially trained in locating gun violence evidence.

Police will present the case to the Harvey County Attorney’s Office to be reviewed for formal charges.&nbsp;

HARVEY COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect in connection with a disturbance involving a gun in Harvey County.Just before 8:30p.m. Friday, Police responded to a report of shots fired in the 600 block of Southeast Fourth Street in Newton, according to a media release from the city.During the investigation, officers determined that a man and a woman were arguing when a second man intervened, and a physical fight ensued between the two men. A third man retrieved a handgun from a house and threatened to kill two of the people involved. The man then fired two shots toward the woman, both of which missed her and the others.The man with the gun then confronted one of the men who were fighting and pointed the gun at him. This man punched the man with the gun, causing another shot to be fired, which also missed everyone.&nbsp;Police arrested the man with the gun, 21-year-old Tyler Christiansen at the scene on requested charges of attempted second-degree murder, aggravated assault, criminal threat, criminal discharge of a firearm, disorderly conduct and drug offenses. A search warrant was served on the house, and evidence was taken. The Wichita Police Department assisted with the use of a police service dog specially trained in locating gun violence evidence.Police will present the case to the Harvey County Attorney’s Office to be reviewed for formal charges.&nbsp;

Man arrested after fight and gunshots fired in Newton

TEMPE, Arizona (AP) — President Joe Biden issued one of his most dire warnings yet that Donald Trump and his allies are a menace to American democracy, declaring Thursday that the former president is more interested in personal power than upholding the nation's core values and suggesting even mainstream Republicans are complicit.

During a speech in Arizona celebrating a library to be built honoring his friend and fierce Trump critic, the late Republican Sen. John McCain, Biden repeated one of his key campaign themes, branding the “Make America Great Again” movement as an existential threat to the U.S. political system. He's reviving that idea ahead of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-impeachment-inquiry-house-republicans-51576c5fe4294be2605a14fa81075196">next year’s presidential race</a>&nbsp;after it buoyed Democrats during last fall’s midterm election, laying out the threat in especially stark terms: "There's something dangerous happening in America right now.”

“We should all remember, democracies don’t have to die at the end of a rifle," Biden said. "They can die when people are silent, when they fail to stand up or condemn threats to democracy, when people are willing to give away that which is most precious to them because they feel frustrated, disillusioned, tired, alienated.”

The 2024 election is still more than a year away, yet&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-2024-election-president-republican-debate-5ecec325ce60121bf38a94b63c1dd388">Biden’s focus reflects Trump’s status</a>&nbsp;as the undisputed frontrunner for his party’s nomination despite facing four indictments, two of them related to his attempts to overturn Biden’s 2020 victory.

The president's speech was his fourth in a series of addresses on what he sees as challenges to democracy, a topic that is a touchstone for him as he tries to remain in office in the face of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-economy-poll-trump-2024-c3fc17ffe3e1a9c865e2f9627ef4bea4">low approval ratings</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-age-poll-trump-2024-620e0a5cfa0039a6448f607c17c7f23e">widespread concern from voters about his age</a>, 80.

He used this line of political attack frequently ahead of last year’s midterms, when Democrats gained a Senate seat and only narrowly lost the House to the GOP. But shifting the narrative in Washington could be especially tricky given that Biden is facing mounting pressure on Capitol Hill, where House Republicans held&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-impeachment-inquiry-house-republicans-51576c5fe4294be2605a14fa81075196">the first hearing in their impeachment inquiry</a>&nbsp;and where the prospect of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/government-shutdown">government shutdown</a>&nbsp;looms — a prospect Trump has actively egged on.

On the first anniversary of Jan. 6, 2021, when a mob of Trump supporters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">staged an insurrection</a>, Biden visited the Capitol and accused Trump of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-capitol-siege-biden-congress-3dd8fd804c857c23f8e0fe2324c9d8a4">continuing to hold a “dagger” at democracy’s throat</a>. He closed out the summer that year in the shadow of Philadelphia’s Independence Hall,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-biden-donald-trump-presidential-philadelphia-5d0f7c02df093f0d3a3340474a53be4b">decrying Trumpism as a menace to democratic</a>&nbsp;institutions.

And in November, as voters were casting midterm ballots,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-biden-democracy-anita-dunn-government-and-politics-16c8a7f93e6d1718bd794671d186bed3">Biden again sounded a clarion call</a>&nbsp;to protect democratic institutions.

Advisers see the president's continued focus on democracy as both good policy and good politics. Campaign officials have pored over the election results from last November, when candidates who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-donald-trump-race-and-ethnicity-e825e069640f1c89063210c39cd92ae4">denied the 2020 election results</a>&nbsp;did not fare well in competitive races, and point to polling that showed democracy was a highly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-donald-trump-democracy-c3425635e40dd60c1ec7c1adba9fcc3a">motivating issue for voters in 2022</a>.

“Our task, our sacred task of our time, is to make sure that they change not for the worst but for the better, that democracy survives and thrives, not be smashed by a movement more interested in power than a principle,” Biden said Thursday. “It’s up to us, the American people.”

Like previous speeches the latest location was chosen for effect. It was near Arizona State University, which houses the McCain Institute, named after the late senator, the 2008 Republican presidential nominee who spent his public life denouncing autocrats around the globe.

Biden said that “there is no question that today’s Republican Party is driven and intimidated by MAGA extremists." He pointed to Trump's recent suggestion that Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who is stepping down from his post on Friday, should be executed for allegedly treasonous betrayal of him.

“Although I don’t believe even a majority of Republicans think that, the silence is deafening," Biden added. He also noted that Trump has previously questioned those who serve in the U.S. military calling “service members suckers and losers. Was John a sucker?” Biden asked, referring to McCain, who survived long imprisonment in Vietnam.

Then he got even more personal adding, "Was my son, Beau — who lived next to a burn pit for a year and came home and died — was he a sucker for volunteering to serve his country?”

The late senator’s wife, Cindy McCain, said the library, which is still to be built, grew out of bipartisan support from Biden, Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs and her predecessor, Republican Gov. Doug Ducey. She called it “a fitting legacy for my husband” and recalled how the Bidens introduced her to her future husband decades ago.

“I am so grateful for that,” Cindy McCain said, her voice cracking.

Later Thursday, the Treasury Department announced $83 million in federal funds to help construct the 83,000-square-foot library near Papago Park.

Republicans competing with Trump for their party's 2024 presidential nomination have largely avoided challenging his election falsehoods, and Biden said Thursday that voters can't let them get away with it.

“Democracy is not a partisan issue," he said. "It’s An American issue.”

After the speech, Biden spoke at an Arizona fundraiser for his reelection campaign. The attendees included Brittney Griner, the basketball star who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-entertainment-sports-moscow-brittney-griner-7b2cfe5f9726c8620251e85ad5aa6bc9">arrested last year</a>&nbsp;at the airport in Moscow on drug-related charges and detained for nearly 10 months.

A number of candidates who backed Trump’s election lies and were running for statewide offices with some influence over elections — governor, secretary of state, attorney general —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-donald-trump-race-and-ethnicity-e825e069640f1c89063210c39cd92ae4">lost their midterm races</a>&nbsp;in every presidential battleground state.

Still, in few states does Biden’s message of democracy resonate more than in Arizona, which became&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-presidential-censures-phoenix-donald-trump-5cccb6b2ba8d47eda24826ad5623dc36">politically competitive during Trump’s presidency</a>&nbsp;after seven decades of Republican dominance. Biden's victory made the state a hotbed of efforts to overturn or cast doubt on the results, and some GOP candidates continue to deny basic facts on elections.

That's help reinforce other claims from Democrats about GOP extremism on other, separate issues, said Republican officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to candidly describe the party’s election shortcomings last year. Though Trump-animated forces in the party dominate public attention, many Republican voters were concerned about other issues such as the economy and the border and did not want to focus on an election result that was two years old.

Republican state lawmakers used their subpoena power to obtain all the 2020 ballots and vote-counting machines from Maricopa County, then hired Trump supporters to conduct an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-election-recount-b38a9205c306796f914d62bbad601587">unprecedented partisan review</a>&nbsp;of the election. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-5179ca25963431ae137a86ef999a69c2">widely mocked spectacle</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-elections-arizona-phoenix-conspiracy-theories-d38321441bcd6cea58421f6871b4f74e">confirmed Biden’s victory</a>&nbsp;but fueled unfounded conspiracy theories about the election and spurred an exodus of election workers.

In the midterms, voters up and down the ballot rejected Republican candidates who repeatedly denied the results of the 2020 election. But Kari Lake, the GOP gubernatorial candidate, has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-kari-lake-katie-hobbs-arizona-862fcc3bea34bd46b697f5ba0ea41bce">never conceded her loss</a>&nbsp;to Hobbs and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kari-lake-senate-arizona-sinema-gallego-trump-b5b4432a2df99c605800edad4ab73194">plans to launch</a>&nbsp;a bid for the U.S. Senate. Last year, Republican Senate candidate Blake Masters and Mark Finchem, who ran for secretary of state, also repeated fraudulent election claims in their campaigns.

Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., who defeated Masters, said the importance of defending democracy resonates not only with members of his own party but independents and moderate GOP voters.

“I met so many Republicans that were sick and tired of the lies about an election that was two years old,” Kelly said.

Arizona Rep. Ruben Gallego, who is seeking the Democratic nomination in next year’s Senate race, said a democracy-focused message is particularly important to two critical blocs of voters in the state: Latinos and veterans, both of whom Gallego said are uniquely affected by election denialism and the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.

"You know, we come from countries and experiences where democracy is very corrupt, and many of us are only one generation removed from that, but we’re close enough to see how bad it can be," Gallego said. "And so Jan. 6 actually was particularly jarring, I think, to Latinos.”

TEMPE, Arizona (AP) — President Joe Biden issued one of his most dire warnings yet that Donald Trump and his allies are a menace to American democracy, declaring Thursday that the former president is more interested in personal power than upholding the nation's core values and suggesting even mainstream Republicans are complicit.“The silence is deafening,” he said.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F272361895765938%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=464" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>During a speech in Arizona celebrating a library to be built honoring his friend and fierce Trump critic, the late Republican Sen. John McCain, Biden repeated one of his key campaign themes, branding the “Make America Great Again” movement as an existential threat to the U.S. political system. He's reviving that idea ahead of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-impeachment-inquiry-house-republicans-51576c5fe4294be2605a14fa81075196">next year’s presidential race</a>&nbsp;after it buoyed Democrats during last fall’s midterm election, laying out the threat in especially stark terms: "There's something dangerous happening in America right now.”“We should all remember, democracies don’t have to die at the end of a rifle," Biden said. "They can die when people are silent, when they fail to stand up or condemn threats to democracy, when people are willing to give away that which is most precious to them because they feel frustrated, disillusioned, tired, alienated.”The 2024 election is still more than a year away, yet&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-2024-election-president-republican-debate-5ecec325ce60121bf38a94b63c1dd388">Biden’s focus reflects Trump’s status</a>&nbsp;as the undisputed frontrunner for his party’s nomination despite facing four indictments, two of them related to his attempts to overturn Biden’s 2020 victory.The president's speech was his fourth in a series of addresses on what he sees as challenges to democracy, a topic that is a touchstone for him as he tries to remain in office in the face of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-economy-poll-trump-2024-c3fc17ffe3e1a9c865e2f9627ef4bea4">low approval ratings</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-age-poll-trump-2024-620e0a5cfa0039a6448f607c17c7f23e">widespread concern from voters about his age</a>, 80.He used this line of political attack frequently ahead of last year’s midterms, when Democrats gained a Senate seat and only narrowly lost the House to the GOP. But shifting the narrative in Washington could be especially tricky given that Biden is facing mounting pressure on Capitol Hill, where House Republicans held&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-impeachment-inquiry-house-republicans-51576c5fe4294be2605a14fa81075196">the first hearing in their impeachment inquiry</a>&nbsp;and where the prospect of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/government-shutdown">government shutdown</a>&nbsp;looms — a prospect Trump has actively egged on.On the first anniversary of Jan. 6, 2021, when a mob of Trump supporters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">staged an insurrection</a>, Biden visited the Capitol and accused Trump of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-capitol-siege-biden-congress-3dd8fd804c857c23f8e0fe2324c9d8a4">continuing to hold a “dagger” at democracy’s throat</a>. He closed out the summer that year in the shadow of Philadelphia’s Independence Hall,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-biden-donald-trump-presidential-philadelphia-5d0f7c02df093f0d3a3340474a53be4b">decrying Trumpism as a menace to democratic</a>&nbsp;institutions.And in November, as voters were casting midterm ballots,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-biden-democracy-anita-dunn-government-and-politics-16c8a7f93e6d1718bd794671d186bed3">Biden again sounded a clarion call</a>&nbsp;to protect democratic institutions.Advisers see the president's continued focus on democracy as both good policy and good politics. Campaign officials have pored over the election results from last November, when candidates who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-donald-trump-race-and-ethnicity-e825e069640f1c89063210c39cd92ae4">denied the 2020 election results</a>&nbsp;did not fare well in competitive races, and point to polling that showed democracy was a highly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-donald-trump-democracy-c3425635e40dd60c1ec7c1adba9fcc3a">motivating issue for voters in 2022</a>.“Our task, our sacred task of our time, is to make sure that they change not for the worst but for the better, that democracy survives and thrives, not be smashed by a movement more interested in power than a principle,” Biden said Thursday. “It’s up to us, the American people.”Like previous speeches the latest location was chosen for effect. It was near Arizona State University, which houses the McCain Institute, named after the late senator, the 2008 Republican presidential nominee who spent his public life denouncing autocrats around the globe.Biden said that “there is no question that today’s Republican Party is driven and intimidated by MAGA extremists." He pointed to Trump's recent suggestion that Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who is stepping down from his post on Friday, should be executed for allegedly treasonous betrayal of him.“Although I don’t believe even a majority of Republicans think that, the silence is deafening," Biden added. He also noted that Trump has previously questioned those who serve in the U.S. military calling “service members suckers and losers. Was John a sucker?” Biden asked, referring to McCain, who survived long imprisonment in Vietnam.Then he got even more personal adding, "Was my son, Beau — who lived next to a burn pit for a year and came home and died — was he a sucker for volunteering to serve his country?”The late senator’s wife, Cindy McCain, said the library, which is still to be built, grew out of bipartisan support from Biden, Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs and her predecessor, Republican Gov. Doug Ducey. She called it “a fitting legacy for my husband” and recalled how the Bidens introduced her to her future husband decades ago.“I am so grateful for that,” Cindy McCain said, her voice cracking.Later Thursday, the Treasury Department announced $83 million in federal funds to help construct the 83,000-square-foot library near Papago Park.Republicans competing with Trump for their party's 2024 presidential nomination have largely avoided challenging his election falsehoods, and Biden said Thursday that voters can't let them get away with it.“Democracy is not a partisan issue," he said. "It’s An American issue.”After the speech, Biden spoke at an Arizona fundraiser for his reelection campaign. The attendees included Brittney Griner, the basketball star who was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-entertainment-sports-moscow-brittney-griner-7b2cfe5f9726c8620251e85ad5aa6bc9">arrested last year</a>&nbsp;at the airport in Moscow on drug-related charges and detained for nearly 10 months.A number of candidates who backed Trump’s election lies and were running for statewide offices with some influence over elections — governor, secretary of state, attorney general —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-donald-trump-race-and-ethnicity-e825e069640f1c89063210c39cd92ae4">lost their midterm races</a>&nbsp;in every presidential battleground state.Still, in few states does Biden’s message of democracy resonate more than in Arizona, which became&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-presidential-censures-phoenix-donald-trump-5cccb6b2ba8d47eda24826ad5623dc36">politically competitive during Trump’s presidency</a>&nbsp;after seven decades of Republican dominance. Biden's victory made the state a hotbed of efforts to overturn or cast doubt on the results, and some GOP candidates continue to deny basic facts on elections.That's help reinforce other claims from Democrats about GOP extremism on other, separate issues, said Republican officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to candidly describe the party’s election shortcomings last year. Though Trump-animated forces in the party dominate public attention, many Republican voters were concerned about other issues such as the economy and the border and did not want to focus on an election result that was two years old.Republican state lawmakers used their subpoena power to obtain all the 2020 ballots and vote-counting machines from Maricopa County, then hired Trump supporters to conduct an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-election-recount-b38a9205c306796f914d62bbad601587">unprecedented partisan review</a>&nbsp;of the election. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-5179ca25963431ae137a86ef999a69c2">widely mocked spectacle</a><a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-elections-arizona-phoenix-conspiracy-theories-d38321441bcd6cea58421f6871b4f74e">confirmed Biden’s victory</a>&nbsp;but fueled unfounded conspiracy theories about the election and spurred an exodus of election workers.In the midterms, voters up and down the ballot rejected Republican candidates who repeatedly denied the results of the 2020 election. But Kari Lake, the GOP gubernatorial candidate, has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-kari-lake-katie-hobbs-arizona-862fcc3bea34bd46b697f5ba0ea41bce">never conceded her loss</a>&nbsp;to Hobbs and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kari-lake-senate-arizona-sinema-gallego-trump-b5b4432a2df99c605800edad4ab73194">plans to launch</a>&nbsp;a bid for the U.S. Senate. Last year, Republican Senate candidate Blake Masters and Mark Finchem, who ran for secretary of state, also repeated fraudulent election claims in their campaigns.Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., who defeated Masters, said the importance of defending democracy resonates not only with members of his own party but independents and moderate GOP voters.“I met so many Republicans that were sick and tired of the lies about an election that was two years old,” Kelly said.Arizona Rep. Ruben Gallego, who is seeking the Democratic nomination in next year’s Senate race, said a democracy-focused message is particularly important to two critical blocs of voters in the state: Latinos and veterans, both of whom Gallego said are uniquely affected by election denialism and the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection."You know, we come from countries and experiences where democracy is very corrupt, and many of us are only one generation removed from that, but we’re close enough to see how bad it can be," Gallego said. "And so Jan. 6 actually was particularly jarring, I think, to Latinos.”