MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Columbus school district Superintendent Brian Smith has spent the week hauling furniture out of classrooms to make more space for social distancing as students prepare to return next week after a five-month COVID-19 imposed break.

“It is almost like you are preparing for war,” Smith said. “And there is so much that can go wrong and so many unknowns.”

His 950-student district is among several dozen mostly rural Kansas school systems to resume classes next week after a handful tested the waters this week.

Gov. Laura Kelly sought to delay the reopening of the state’s K-12 schools for nearly a month until after Labor Day because of a resurgence in reported coronavirus cases. But the Republican-controlled State Board of Education blocked the plan last month, leaving the start of fall classes to 286 locally elected school boards.

Only about 15% of the state’s districts decided to follow Kelly’s delayed-start advice. They include some of the state’s largest districts, such as Shawnee Mission, Wichita, Lawrence and Topeka. The Wichita district announced Thursday that teachers at four schools had tested positive, highlighting the challenges of controlling the virus.

Statewide, the number of infections rose by 1,338 from Wednesday to Friday, for a total of 33,885. COVID-19-related deaths increased by seven to 402. The number of infections is believed to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and experts believe people can have the virus without feeling sick.

Students in the Chetopa-St. Paul district also are headed back to school on Monday. Superintendent. Craig Bagshaw said a major concern is where students are at academically after being out of school for so long.

“It will be bad,” Bagshaw said, adding that he is planning to offer summer school next year for students who need it.

In Lane County, which has recorded just six cases, the 250 students in the Dighton district headed back to class Friday, making it among the first in the state to do so.

“Your concerns about the upcoming year ebbs and flows because as leaders you are expected to have certainty and there is no certainty,” said Superintendent Kelly Arnberger, who has added temperature checks and staggered movement in the hallways. “That is anxiety producing.”

As staff work out the kinks, the district is taking next Friday off to access what worked and what didn’t. “We are small enough,” he said, “that we can pivot pretty quickly if we need to.”

Although the first batch of districts to reopen are offering virtual instruction options, there are few takers. Among 220 students in the Deerfield district, only one has signed up for remote learning as classes prepare to resume Monday, said Superintendent Tyson Eslinger.

He said families “want their kids back in school” and that the district has a built-in advantage because of the small number of cases in the community. Still the district is training staff to be able to livestream their classes and upload materials to the internet so they can seamlessly move instruction online if needed.

This is Eslinger’s first year as a superintendent. But he notes that this year “everyone is a first-year superintendent because no one has done it during a global pandemic.”

In the Ashland school district, which has about 200 students, the student council made a<a href="https://youtu.be/QoodirLXcY0">&nbsp;video&nbsp;</a>to prepare students for the unusual return to school on Monday. The school’s cawing Blue Jay mascot makes several appearances in a mask as students explain the hand sanitizer, temperature check and bathroom rules.

“It’s a little bittersweet because we are happy they’re back,” said Paula Rice, who is the principal of the district’s junior and senior high school, “but there are so many safety protocols and changes.”

Masks are required in some districts but not in others. Kelly had sought to require that staff and students wear them, but Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said he believes both counties and local school districts can exempt themselves.

“We had a big group of parents who would have pulled their kids out of school if they were forced to wear masks,” said Smith, whose Columbus district has added clear dividers to desks called sneeze guards and germicidal ultraviolet light technology to its ventilation system. Teachers are being told to keep windows open.

Despite the challenges, Smith wants the students back. He said there have been students with mental health issues and depression during the break.

“There are some kids in some really bad situations,” he said. “And we are really all they’ve got a lot of times.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1597432252950.png" alt="Student temperature checks as they arrive -image courtesy USD 220 welcome back video" />
 <figcaption>Student temperature checks as they arrive -image courtesy USD 220 welcome back video</figcaption>
 </figure>MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Columbus school district Superintendent Brian Smith has spent the week hauling furniture out of classrooms to make more space for social distancing as students prepare to return next week after a five-month COVID-19 imposed break.“It is almost like you are preparing for war,” Smith said. “And there is so much that can go wrong and so many unknowns.”His 950-student district is among several dozen mostly rural Kansas school systems to resume classes next week after a handful tested the waters this week.Gov. Laura Kelly sought to delay the reopening of the state’s K-12 schools for nearly a month until after Labor Day because of a resurgence in reported coronavirus cases. But the Republican-controlled State Board of Education blocked the plan last month, leaving the start of fall classes to 286 locally elected school boards.Only about 15% of the state’s districts decided to follow Kelly’s delayed-start advice. They include some of the state’s largest districts, such as Shawnee Mission, Wichita, Lawrence and Topeka. The Wichita district announced Thursday that teachers at four schools had tested positive, highlighting the challenges of controlling the virus.Statewide, the number of infections rose by 1,338 from Wednesday to Friday, for a total of 33,885. COVID-19-related deaths increased by seven to 402. The number of infections is believed to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and experts believe people can have the virus without feeling sick.Students in the Chetopa-St. Paul district also are headed back to school on Monday. Superintendent. Craig Bagshaw said a major concern is where students are at academically after being out of school for so long.“It will be bad,” Bagshaw said, adding that he is planning to offer summer school next year for students who need it.In Lane County, which has recorded just six cases, the 250 students in the Dighton district headed back to class Friday, making it among the first in the state to do so.“Your concerns about the upcoming year ebbs and flows because as leaders you are expected to have certainty and there is no certainty,” said Superintendent Kelly Arnberger, who has added temperature checks and staggered movement in the hallways. “That is anxiety producing.”As staff work out the kinks, the district is taking next Friday off to access what worked and what didn’t. “We are small enough,” he said, “that we can pivot pretty quickly if we need to.”Although the first batch of districts to reopen are offering virtual instruction options, there are few takers. Among 220 students in the Deerfield district, only one has signed up for remote learning as classes prepare to resume Monday, said Superintendent Tyson Eslinger.He said families “want their kids back in school” and that the district has a built-in advantage because of the small number of cases in the community. Still the district is training staff to be able to livestream their classes and upload materials to the internet so they can seamlessly move instruction online if needed.This is Eslinger’s first year as a superintendent. But he notes that this year “everyone is a first-year superintendent because no one has done it during a global pandemic.”In the Ashland school district, which has about 200 students, the student council made a<a href="https://youtu.be/QoodirLXcY0">&nbsp;video&nbsp;</a>to prepare students for the unusual return to school on Monday. The school’s cawing Blue Jay mascot makes several appearances in a mask as students explain the hand sanitizer, temperature check and bathroom rules.“It’s a little bittersweet because we are happy they’re back,” said Paula Rice, who is the principal of the district’s junior and senior high school, “but there are so many safety protocols and changes.”Masks are required in some districts but not in others. Kelly had sought to require that staff and students wear them, but Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said he believes both counties and local school districts can exempt themselves.“We had a big group of parents who would have pulled their kids out of school if they were forced to wear masks,” said Smith, whose Columbus district has added clear dividers to desks called sneeze guards and germicidal ultraviolet light technology to its ventilation system. Teachers are being told to keep windows open.Despite the challenges, Smith wants the students back. He said there have been students with mental health issues and depression during the break.“There are some kids in some really bad situations,” he said. “And we are really all they’ve got a lot of times.”

🎥  After 5-month break, classes resume in some Kan. schools

DALLAS (AP) — With air traffic nearing a five-month high, airport security is finding guns in passenger carry-on bags at three times the rate recorded before the pandemic.

The discoveries at airports comes at a time when U.S. gun sales are surging, and analysts believe many of those purchases are being made by first-time buyers.

Officers seized just over 300 guns in July, or 15.3 guns for every million people screened, compared with 5.1 per million people in July of last year, the Transportation Security Administration said Monday.

TSA Administrator David Pekoske said there has been a significant increase in loaded guns at checkpoints. He said screeners are already working in conditions of heightened risks and that “no one should be introducing new ones.”

The number of loaded guns, Pekoske said, “is just an accident waiting to happen.”

Background checks on gun buyers have been rising every month compared with a year earlier since April 2019, but they picked up even faster this year. The number of checks topped 3 million in four of the last five months. They had not exceeded 3 million in one month since December 2015.

<a href="https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/nics_firearm_checks_-_day_month_year.pdf/view" target="_blank">FBI figures show</a>&nbsp;that there were more than 3.6 million firearms background checks requested on buyers in July, a 79% increase from July 2019, following a 70% increase in June.

Cowen analyst Cai von Rumohr, who tracks gun sales, said the increases are likely due to fear about COVID-19 lockdowns, civil unrest, and former Vice President Joe Biden’s lead over President Donald Trump in polls ahead of the Nov. 3 election “given his more restrictive stance on gun control relative to President Trump.”

The analyst said an outsized rise in handgun sales in June and July indicates that many purchases are being made by first-time gun owners.

John Donohue, a Stanford University law professor who has served as an expert witness against efforts to weaken gun-control laws in California, said the increased sales are mostly a response to images of protests after the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers. He also cited warnings by Trump and the National Rifle Association about crime.

“Fear drives a lot of gun sales,” he said.

National Rifle Association spokesman Andrew Arulanandam said higher gun sales were due to widespread concern that, first because of the pandemic and later because of protests and riots, police might be slower to respond to emergency calls.

“It’s a natural reaction,” he said.

It is legal to transport guns in checked bags if they are unloaded and in a locked case. The TSA can impose civil penalties and suspend people from faster-screening programs such as TSA PreCheck, but decisions on whether to file criminal charges are usually left to local authorities.

The NRA’s Arulanandam said guns show up at airports because “people forget they have a firearm in their handbag or their backpack, and they go to the check-in counter and they realize, ‘Look, I forgot I had this in there.’”

Atlanta’s major airport had&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tsa.gov/sites/default/files/tsa-gun-catches-by-airport-july-2020.pdf" target="_blank">the most gun seizures last month,</a>&nbsp;with 27, followed by Dallas-Fort Worth and Denver at 13 each and 12 at the Nashville airport.

Last year, TSA seized&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tsa.gov/news/press/releases/2020/01/15/number-guns-brought-airport-checkpoints-2019-5-percent" target="_blank">a record 4,432 guns</a>&nbsp;in carry-on bags, or about 12.1 per day, and 87% were loaded.

TSA’s public appeal to follow gun rules occurred the same day that it reported&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tsa.gov/coronavirus/passenger-throughput" target="_blank">screening 831,789 people on Sunday</a>. It was the first time checkpoint traffic in U.S. airports has topped 800,000 since March 17. That is still down 69% from the comparable Sunday a year ago.

DALLAS (AP) — With air traffic nearing a five-month high, airport security is finding guns in passenger carry-on bags at three times the rate recorded before the pandemic.And 80% of the guns are loaded.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">On Saturday <a href="https://twitter.com/portlandjetport?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@portlandjetport</a> a <a href="https://twitter.com/TSA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TSA</a> officer discovered an improperly packed &quot;pink&quot; firearm during a checked bag search. The firearm case was unlocked and there was no declaration in the bag. Be sure you know the rules for travelling with guns. <a href="https://t.co/NuY8hJ70fX">https://t.co/NuY8hJ70fX</a> <a href="https://t.co/CcEPMNaxFz">pic.twitter.com/CcEPMNaxFz</a>&mdash; TSA_NewEngland (@TSA_NewEngland) <a href="https://twitter.com/TSA_NewEngland/status/1292891046242922497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The discoveries at airports comes at a time when U.S. gun sales are surging, and analysts believe many of those purchases are being made by first-time buyers.Officers seized just over 300 guns in July, or 15.3 guns for every million people screened, compared with 5.1 per million people in July of last year, the Transportation Security Administration said Monday.TSA Administrator David Pekoske said there has been a significant increase in loaded guns at checkpoints. He said screeners are already working in conditions of heightened risks and that “no one should be introducing new ones.”The number of loaded guns, Pekoske said, “is just an accident waiting to happen.”Background checks on gun buyers have been rising every month compared with a year earlier since April 2019, but they picked up even faster this year. The number of checks topped 3 million in four of the last five months. They had not exceeded 3 million in one month since December 2015.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Travelers should never bring a firearm to a checkpoint, even if you have a concealed carry permit. Doing so will be an inconvenient &amp; expensive mistake. Civil financial penalty for bringing an unloaded gun to a checkpoint is $2,050 &amp; starts at $4,100 if the gun is loaded. <a href="https://t.co/WviQPH9Cch">pic.twitter.com/WviQPH9Cch</a>&mdash; TSA (@TSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/TSA/status/1293583019954012163?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 12, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><a href="https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/nics_firearm_checks_-_day_month_year.pdf/view" target="_blank">FBI figures show</a>&nbsp;that there were more than 3.6 million firearms background checks requested on buyers in July, a 79% increase from July 2019, following a 70% increase in June.Cowen analyst Cai von Rumohr, who tracks gun sales, said the increases are likely due to fear about COVID-19 lockdowns, civil unrest, and former Vice President Joe Biden’s lead over President Donald Trump in polls ahead of the Nov. 3 election “given his more restrictive stance on gun control relative to President Trump.”The analyst said an outsized rise in handgun sales in June and July indicates that many purchases are being made by first-time gun owners.John Donohue, a Stanford University law professor who has served as an expert witness against efforts to weaken gun-control laws in California, said the increased sales are mostly a response to images of protests after the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers. He also cited warnings by Trump and the National Rifle Association about crime.“Fear drives a lot of gun sales,” he said.National Rifle Association spokesman Andrew Arulanandam said higher gun sales were due to widespread concern that, first because of the pandemic and later because of protests and riots, police might be slower to respond to emergency calls.“It’s a natural reaction,” he said.It is legal to transport guns in checked bags if they are unloaded and in a locked case. The TSA can impose civil penalties and suspend people from faster-screening programs such as TSA PreCheck, but decisions on whether to file criminal charges are usually left to local authorities.The NRA’s Arulanandam said guns show up at airports because “people forget they have a firearm in their handbag or their backpack, and they go to the check-in counter and they realize, ‘Look, I forgot I had this in there.’”Atlanta’s major airport had&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tsa.gov/sites/default/files/tsa-gun-catches-by-airport-july-2020.pdf" target="_blank">the most gun seizures last month,</a>&nbsp;with 27, followed by Dallas-Fort Worth and Denver at 13 each and 12 at the Nashville airport.Last year, TSA seized&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tsa.gov/news/press/releases/2020/01/15/number-guns-brought-airport-checkpoints-2019-5-percent" target="_blank">a record 4,432 guns</a>&nbsp;in carry-on bags, or about 12.1 per day, and 87% were loaded.TSA’s public appeal to follow gun rules occurred the same day that it reported&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tsa.gov/coronavirus/passenger-throughput" target="_blank">screening 831,789 people on Sunday</a>. It was the first time checkpoint traffic in U.S. airports has topped 800,000 since March 17. That is still down 69% from the comparable Sunday a year ago.___

Air traffic is down, gun seizures up at US airports

GLENDIVE, Mont. –A suspect wanted for questioning in connection with the death of a Kansas woman is expected in court in Montana Friday, according to Dawson County jail warden Tom Green.

Just after 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, deputies arrested 34-year-old Clinton W. Rogers in Glendive Montana,&nbsp;on a warrant for theft out of Kingman County, Kansas, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. The KBI believes Rogers stole a 1995 Chevrolet Camaro in Kingman County on August 2 on his way to Montana.

&nbsp;Rogers is the person of interest who authorities believe is connected to the homicide of 61-year-old Joyce Foulkrod in Medicine Lodge.

On July 27, a family member called 911 after finding Foulkrod deceased inside her home at 3 Whitney Lane in Medicine Lodge. EMS, the Medicine Lodge Police Department, and the Barber County Sheriff’s Office responded. EMS pronounced her dead at the scene.

Preliminary information leads investigators to believe Foulkrod’s death was a homicide

KBI agents are traveling to Montana, where they will question Rogers. He has been uncooperative since his arrest and the booking process that started Tuesday was not completed until Friday morning, according to Green.&nbsp; If Rogers waives extradition, authorities will bring him immediately back to Kansas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1597423172012.png" alt="Rogers -photo Dawson County" />
 <figcaption>Rogers -photo Dawson County</figcaption>
 </figure>GLENDIVE, Mont. –A suspect wanted for questioning in connection with the death of a Kansas woman is expected in court in Montana Friday, according to Dawson County jail warden Tom Green.Just after 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, deputies arrested 34-year-old Clinton W. Rogers in Glendive Montana,&nbsp;on a warrant for theft out of Kingman County, Kansas, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. The KBI believes Rogers stole a 1995 Chevrolet Camaro in Kingman County on August 2 on his way to Montana.&nbsp;Rogers is the person of interest who authorities believe is connected to the homicide of 61-year-old Joyce Foulkrod in Medicine Lodge.On July 27, a family member called 911 after finding Foulkrod deceased inside her home at 3 Whitney Lane in Medicine Lodge. EMS, the Medicine Lodge Police Department, and the Barber County Sheriff’s Office responded. EMS pronounced her dead at the scene.Preliminary information leads investigators to believe Foulkrod’s death was a homicideKBI agents are traveling to Montana, where they will question Rogers. He has been uncooperative since his arrest and the booking process that started Tuesday was not completed until Friday morning, according to Green.&nbsp; If Rogers waives extradition, authorities will bring him immediately back to Kansas.

Suspect in Kan. woman's murder due in Montana courtroom

By STEPHEN KORANDA <a href="https://www.kcur.org/2020-08-14/kansans-stuck-waiting-while-the-state-works-through-25-000-unemployment-claims">Kansas News Service</a>

TOPEKA — The Kansas Department of Labor has struggled to handle an <a href="https://www.kcur.org/economy/2020-03-30/kansas-sees-a-1-000-surge-in-jobless-claims-as-covid-19-derails-the-economy" target="_blank">explosion of unemployment filings</a>.

That’s
 left 25,000 claims waiting for approval — and thousands of Kansans 
standing by for the checks that could help them stay afloat through a 
jobless stretch in an economy battered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

It’s the latest challenge for a department that has attempted to respond to emails and phone calls <a href="https://www.kcur.org/government/2020-04-15/swamped-call-centers-and-crashing-website-mean-kansans-struggle-to-get-jobless-checks" target="_blank">from thousands of Kansans</a>
 as the coronavirus caused unemployment in the state to jump from around
 3% to almost 12% earlier this year. It’s since settled to 7.5%.

The
 huge backlog is in a holding pattern. The cases are waiting on 
adjudication and appeals that require more information, like why someone
 lost a job.

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly appointed Ryan Wright acting labor secretary after the <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-06-22/kansas-labor-secretary-resigns-after-slow-rollout-of-pandemic-unemployment-benefits" target="_blank">former secretary left </a>amid criticism over the slow response to unemployment claims.

“I
 know it’s been extremely frustrating,” Wright told lawmakers this week.
 “All I can do is take responsibility for what’s happened and be as 
honest and transparent as possible moving forward.”

Lawmakers told
 state Labor Department staff about constituents waiting for months and 
failing to get answers on the delay in their unemployment payments.

“Hearing
 some of the stories of people losing their homes and their cars is 
heartbreaking,” Republican Sen. Richard Hilderbrand said.

Wright wouldn’t commit to a timeline for clearing people hung up in the backlog.

“What they don’t want to hear is us giving a timeframe that we’re not able to meet,” Wright said in an interview.

The
 backlog for regular unemployment applications is much smaller right 
now, about 2,300, which is caused by the normal time it takes to process
 the requests. Unemployed Kansans must file weekly claims and they’re 
often paid just a few days after claims are accepted.

Wright said there typically isn’t a significant backlog for applications in the adjudication system.

The applications accumulated as staff were shifted to other areas to deal with the influx of unemployment claims.

“We needed more people to answer the phones to take those claims in,” Wright said.

In
 addition, questions on the application required by the federal 
government caused confusion for some people and caused much of the 
adjudication backlog.

Kansans were frequently confused by 
questions on the application asking if they were able and available to 
work. People whose jobs were closed by the coronavirus shutdown could 
think they should answer no, but that flags the application for further 
review.

Wright said the agency is studying the legality of simply 
clearing thousands of people in the adjudication process who were hung 
up by those two questions.

Anyone caught in the backlog will be eligible for payments they missed out on because of the delay.

“If you are owed that money, you will get paid that money,” Wright said. “We will figure this out.”

The
 state hired a private consultant, Accenture, after the long delays and 
chronic problems in its unemployment benefits system became a crisis 
during the pandemic. That brought in 50 more people to work with the 
Labor Department, and freed more state workers to chip away at the 
adjudication backlog.

The agency has struggled with outdated 
technology. Information Technology Director Bill Periman told 
legislators that updates planned to come online could make it easier to 
sift through the huge pile of applications.

“We hope to have a solution,” Periman said, “if we can identify some processes where we can address the greatest pain points.”

Republican
 Sen. Kevin Braun urged the department to commit to a timeframe for 
clearing the backlog, and Periman said some improvements could be in 
place in 90 days.

“Our constituents are still in a very tough place,” Braun said. “We need a forecast on when we are going to stabilize.”

Stephen
 Koranda is Statehouse reporter for Kansas Public Radio and the Kansas 
News Service, a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and 
High Plains Public Radio covering health, education and politics. Follow
 him on Twitter<a href="https://twitter.com/kprkoranda" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://twitter.com/kprkoranda" target="_blank">@kprkoranda</a> or email skoranda@ku.edu.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1597425418448.png" alt="Stephen Koranda / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>Stephen Koranda / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By STEPHEN KORANDA <a href="https://www.kcur.org/2020-08-14/kansans-stuck-waiting-while-the-state-works-through-25-000-unemployment-claims">Kansas News Service</a>TOPEKA — The Kansas Department of Labor has struggled to handle an <a href="https://www.kcur.org/economy/2020-03-30/kansas-sees-a-1-000-surge-in-jobless-claims-as-covid-19-derails-the-economy" target="_blank">explosion of unemployment filings</a>.That’s
 left 25,000 claims waiting for approval — and thousands of Kansans 
standing by for the checks that could help them stay afloat through a 
jobless stretch in an economy battered by the COVID-19 pandemic.It’s the latest challenge for a department that has attempted to respond to emails and phone calls <a href="https://www.kcur.org/government/2020-04-15/swamped-call-centers-and-crashing-website-mean-kansans-struggle-to-get-jobless-checks" target="_blank">from thousands of Kansans</a>
 as the coronavirus caused unemployment in the state to jump from around
 3% to almost 12% earlier this year. It’s since settled to 7.5%.The
 huge backlog is in a holding pattern. The cases are waiting on 
adjudication and appeals that require more information, like why someone
 lost a job.Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly appointed Ryan Wright acting labor secretary after the <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-06-22/kansas-labor-secretary-resigns-after-slow-rollout-of-pandemic-unemployment-benefits" target="_blank">former secretary left </a>amid criticism over the slow response to unemployment claims.“I
 know it’s been extremely frustrating,” Wright told lawmakers this week.
 “All I can do is take responsibility for what’s happened and be as 
honest and transparent as possible moving forward.”Lawmakers told
 state Labor Department staff about constituents waiting for months and 
failing to get answers on the delay in their unemployment payments.“Hearing
 some of the stories of people losing their homes and their cars is 
heartbreaking,” Republican Sen. Richard Hilderbrand said.Wright wouldn’t commit to a timeline for clearing people hung up in the backlog.“What they don’t want to hear is us giving a timeframe that we’re not able to meet,” Wright said in an interview.The
 backlog for regular unemployment applications is much smaller right 
now, about 2,300, which is caused by the normal time it takes to process
 the requests. Unemployed Kansans must file weekly claims and they’re 
often paid just a few days after claims are accepted.Wright said there typically isn’t a significant backlog for applications in the adjudication system.The applications accumulated as staff were shifted to other areas to deal with the influx of unemployment claims.“We needed more people to answer the phones to take those claims in,” Wright said.In
 addition, questions on the application required by the federal 
government caused confusion for some people and caused much of the 
adjudication backlog.Kansans were frequently confused by 
questions on the application asking if they were able and available to 
work. People whose jobs were closed by the coronavirus shutdown could 
think they should answer no, but that flags the application for further 
review.Wright said the agency is studying the legality of simply 
clearing thousands of people in the adjudication process who were hung 
up by those two questions.Anyone caught in the backlog will be eligible for payments they missed out on because of the delay.“If you are owed that money, you will get paid that money,” Wright said. “We will figure this out.”The
 state hired a private consultant, Accenture, after the long delays and 
chronic problems in its unemployment benefits system became a crisis 
during the pandemic. That brought in 50 more people to work with the 
Labor Department, and freed more state workers to chip away at the 
adjudication backlog.The agency has struggled with outdated 
technology. Information Technology Director Bill Periman told 
legislators that updates planned to come online could make it easier to 
sift through the huge pile of applications.“We hope to have a solution,” Periman said, “if we can identify some processes where we can address the greatest pain points.”Republican
 Sen. Kevin Braun urged the department to commit to a timeframe for 
clearing the backlog, and Periman said some improvements could be in 
place in 90 days.“Our constituents are still in a very tough place,” Braun said. “We need a forecast on when we are going to stabilize.”Stephen
 Koranda is Statehouse reporter for Kansas Public Radio and the Kansas 
News Service, a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and 
High Plains Public Radio covering health, education and politics. Follow
 him on Twitter<a href="https://twitter.com/kprkoranda" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://twitter.com/kprkoranda" target="_blank">@kprkoranda</a> or email skoranda@ku.edu.

Kansans stuck waiting while state works through 25,000 unemployment claims

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 1338 to a total of 33,885 the state health department reported Friday afternoon.&nbsp;

Coronavirus deaths were reported at 402, an increase of 7.

<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional numbers from the KDHE.

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 1338 to a total of 33,885 the state health department reported Friday afternoon.&nbsp;Coronavirus deaths were reported at 402, an increase of 7.<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional numbers from the KDHE.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1597424758330.png" alt="Friday August 14, 2020 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Friday August 14, 2020 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: Latest coronavirus numbers in Kansas

ELLSWORTH COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects after a chase and standoff in Ellsworth County.

Just after 7:30 p.m. Thursday, the Ellsworth County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a male subject driving a motorcycle at excessive speeds in the south shore area at Kanopolis Lake, according to sheriff Murray Marston.

A deputy responded to the area and observed a white pickup truck driving at an excessive speed. The deputy attempted to make a traffic stop on the truck and the driver fled in an attempt to elude the officer.

After a short chase, the vehicle crashed near the marina and the driver later identified as 36-year-old Matthew T. Schroeder of McPherson and a passenger later identified as 38-year-old Rachel L. Hale fled from the vehicle. Schroeder obtained entry into a nearby mobile home and both subjects entered the home which was not occupied at the time.

Additional law enforcement officers from the Ellsworth County Sheriff’s Office, Kansas Highway Patrol and Kansas Wildlife and Parks responded to the scene and secured a perimeter around the home. 

After numerous attempts to get the individuals to come out of the trailer and surrender, the Kansas Highway Patrol’s Special Response Team was requested to assist. Team members arrived, engaged the mobile home, Schroeder and Hale came out of the home and were arrested without incident.

Schroeder was transported to the Ellsworth County Jail and&nbsp; Hale was transported to the Lindsborg Community Hospital by Marquette EMS for injuries she sustained due to the crash.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1597417940181.png" alt="Authorities on the scene of the Thursday night standoff in Ellsworth County -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Authorities on the scene of the Thursday night standoff in Ellsworth County -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>ELLSWORTH COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects after a chase and standoff in Ellsworth County.Just after 7:30 p.m. Thursday, the Ellsworth County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a male subject driving a motorcycle at excessive speeds in the south shore area at Kanopolis Lake, according to sheriff Murray Marston.A deputy responded to the area and observed a white pickup truck driving at an excessive speed. The deputy attempted to make a traffic stop on the truck and the driver fled in an attempt to elude the officer.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1597418362656.png" alt="Schroeder has previous convictions for criminal threat, driving while habitual violator, trafficking contraband, flee or attempt to elude (3x) and for drugs (5x), according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections." />
 <figcaption>Schroeder has previous convictions for criminal threat, driving while habitual violator, trafficking contraband, flee or attempt to elude (3x) and for drugs (5x), according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.</figcaption>
 </figure>After a short chase, the vehicle crashed near the marina and the driver later identified as 36-year-old Matthew T. Schroeder of McPherson and a passenger later identified as 38-year-old Rachel L. Hale fled from the vehicle. Schroeder obtained entry into a nearby mobile home and both subjects entered the home which was not occupied at the time.Additional law enforcement officers from the Ellsworth County Sheriff’s Office, Kansas Highway Patrol and Kansas Wildlife and Parks responded to the scene and secured a perimeter around the home. After numerous attempts to get the individuals to come out of the trailer and surrender, the Kansas Highway Patrol’s Special Response Team was requested to assist. Team members arrived, engaged the mobile home, Schroeder and Hale came out of the home and were arrested without incident.Schroeder was transported to the Ellsworth County Jail and&nbsp; Hale was transported to the Lindsborg Community Hospital by Marquette EMS for injuries she sustained due to the crash.

Kan. felon captured after crash, standoff at Kanopolis Lake

By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/08/13/gop-senators-rip-state-health-agency-on-covid-19-contact-tracing-question-death-toll/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Sen. Caryn Tyson 
pointed in despair at a one-page flier encouraging Kansans to grant 
prior approval to their employers so names and telephone numbers of 
workers thought to have been in close contact with someone infected by 
COVID-19 could be quickly shared with public health officials.

Tyson, a Republican from 
Parker in eastern Kansas, said she was frustrated by a notice 
distributed by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment that 
implied businesses were still compelled to take part in tracking 
suspected COVID-19 cases.

A bill passed by the 
Republican-led Kansas Legislature and signed into law by Democratic Gov.
 Laura Kelly in June made participation in contact tracing voluntary 
statewide. The law said business owners had no obligation to work with 
county or state health officials to collect information on customers or 
employees to bolster the reach of contact tracers.

“If the average person 
read your handout they would think that it was a requirement on a 
business,” Tyson said during a joint House and Senate committee hearing 
involving a KDHE epidemiologist. “If that is your interpretation of 
state law, I guarantee there’s going to be major push back.”

Farah Ahmed, the state 
epidemiologist and a member of KDHE’s staff, said there was no state law
 ordering companies or individuals to engage in contact tracing. She 
said the agency’s intent was to encourage businesses and health 
departments to work together to “get the job done.”

Attorney General Derek 
Schmidt recommended the Legislature make use of a one-day special 
session to adopt a sweeping bill to establish that health officers 
couldn’t compel a business or individual to take part in contact 
tracing. His sentiment followed a lawsuit in Linn County that put an end
 to a county order mandating businesses keep a log of customer names and
 telephone numbers.

He said the unregulated 
nature of contact tracing during the pandemic left Kansans concerned 
about the procedure and about how collected information could be used. 
The statute took effect Aug. 1.

“With this new statute,” 
Schmidt said, “Kansas will put in place enforceable statutory 
protections specifically to protect citizens’ privacy and civil 
liberties during COVID-19 contact tracing.”

Ahmed said contact tracing
 was the long-established method of gathering insight into who may be 
exposed so those people could be advised to take appropriate actions. 
Cooperation of businesses, especially large employers, is helpful in 
dealing with virus clusters, she said.

“Contact tracing along 
with appropriately putting people into isolation and quarantine is some 
of the most basic and strongest tools that public health has to control 
spread of disease,” Ahmed said.

As of Wednesday, KDHE said
 the state recorded 32,547 positive tests for COVID-19 since the first 
known case in March. That was an increase of 817 from Monday, the agency
 said. The number of fatalities linked to coronavirus in Kansas stood at
 395 on Wednesday, an increase of eight from two days before. Nearly 
2,000 people have been hospitalized with COVID-19 in a five-month 
period.

Sen. Gene Suellentrop, a 
Wichita Republican, said KDHE should begin compiling statistics that 
make a distinction between the number of people who died of COVID-19 and
 the number who passed away from a medical condition aggravated to some 
degree by coronavirus.

Ahmed, the KDHE 
epidemiologist, said the state reported regularly on COVID-19 fatalities
 by race, age and gender but not in association with the simultaneous 
presence of more than one chronic disease or condition in a patient.

“We all know people in the
 medical industry that have told us that individuals did not die of 
COVID-19, but they are being counted as such,” said Tyson, echoing 
Suellentrop’s uncertainty about the death toll. “The data he asked for 
is absolutely critical in order to get an accurate picture.”

Tim Carpenter has reported on Kansas for 35 years. He covered the Capitol for 16 years at the Topeka Capital-Journal and previously worked for the Lawrence Journal-World and United Press International.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1597413216509.jpeg" alt="State Sen. Caryn Tyson, a Parker Republican and member of a COVID-19 economic recovery committee, says the one-page handout from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment improperly implies that businesses and people must cooperate with contact tracing by state or county health agencies. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Caryn Tyson, a Parker Republican and member of a COVID-19 economic recovery committee, says the one-page handout from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment improperly implies that businesses and people must cooperate with contact tracing by state or county health agencies. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/08/13/gop-senators-rip-state-health-agency-on-covid-19-contact-tracing-question-death-toll/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Sen. Caryn Tyson 
pointed in despair at a one-page flier encouraging Kansans to grant 
prior approval to their employers so names and telephone numbers of 
workers thought to have been in close contact with someone infected by 
COVID-19 could be quickly shared with public health officials.Tyson, a Republican from 
Parker in eastern Kansas, said she was frustrated by a notice 
distributed by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment that 
implied businesses were still compelled to take part in tracking 
suspected COVID-19 cases.A bill passed by the 
Republican-led Kansas Legislature and signed into law by Democratic Gov.
 Laura Kelly in June made participation in contact tracing voluntary 
statewide. The law said business owners had no obligation to work with 
county or state health officials to collect information on customers or 
employees to bolster the reach of contact tracers.“If the average person 
read your handout they would think that it was a requirement on a 
business,” Tyson said during a joint House and Senate committee hearing 
involving a KDHE epidemiologist. “If that is your interpretation of 
state law, I guarantee there’s going to be major push back.”Farah Ahmed, the state 
epidemiologist and a member of KDHE’s staff, said there was no state law
 ordering companies or individuals to engage in contact tracing. She 
said the agency’s intent was to encourage businesses and health 
departments to work together to “get the job done.”Attorney General Derek 
Schmidt recommended the Legislature make use of a one-day special 
session to adopt a sweeping bill to establish that health officers 
couldn’t compel a business or individual to take part in contact 
tracing. His sentiment followed a lawsuit in Linn County that put an end
 to a county order mandating businesses keep a log of customer names and
 telephone numbers.He said the unregulated 
nature of contact tracing during the pandemic left Kansans concerned 
about the procedure and about how collected information could be used. 
The statute took effect Aug. 1.“With this new statute,” 
Schmidt said, “Kansas will put in place enforceable statutory 
protections specifically to protect citizens’ privacy and civil 
liberties during COVID-19 contact tracing.”Ahmed said contact tracing
 was the long-established method of gathering insight into who may be 
exposed so those people could be advised to take appropriate actions. 
Cooperation of businesses, especially large employers, is helpful in 
dealing with virus clusters, she said.“Contact tracing along 
with appropriately putting people into isolation and quarantine is some 
of the most basic and strongest tools that public health has to control 
spread of disease,” Ahmed said.As of Wednesday, KDHE said
 the state recorded 32,547 positive tests for COVID-19 since the first 
known case in March. That was an increase of 817 from Monday, the agency
 said. The number of fatalities linked to coronavirus in Kansas stood at
 395 on Wednesday, an increase of eight from two days before. Nearly 
2,000 people have been hospitalized with COVID-19 in a five-month 
period.Sen. Gene Suellentrop, a 
Wichita Republican, said KDHE should begin compiling statistics that 
make a distinction between the number of people who died of COVID-19 and
 the number who passed away from a medical condition aggravated to some 
degree by coronavirus.Ahmed, the KDHE 
epidemiologist, said the state reported regularly on COVID-19 fatalities
 by race, age and gender but not in association with the simultaneous 
presence of more than one chronic disease or condition in a patient.“We all know people in the
 medical industry that have told us that individuals did not die of 
COVID-19, but they are being counted as such,” said Tyson, echoing 
Suellentrop’s uncertainty about the death toll. “The data he asked for 
is absolutely critical in order to get an accurate picture.”Tim Carpenter has reported on Kansas for 35 years. He covered the Capitol for 16 years at the Topeka Capital-Journal and previously worked for the Lawrence Journal-World and United Press International.

GOP senators rip state health agency on contact tracing, question death toll

KANSAS CITY&nbsp; (AP) — Kansas City will require residents and visitors to wear masks in indoor public places until at least Jan. 16, Mayor Quinton<a href="https://www.kcmo.gov/Home/Components/News/News/1421/16"> Lucas announced Thursday.</a>

The mayor and Rex Archer, director of the city's health department, said cases of COVID-19 continue to increase in the Kansas City area, and the virus is likely to stay until a vaccine becomes widely available.

The order means people will be required to wear masks in indoor areas where social distancing is not possible. It includes some exceptions, such as people with medical conditions that make it difficult to wear masks. Bars and restaurants will continue to be limited to 50% capacity.

Kansas City has seen increasing numbers of cases this summer, averaging at least 100 confirmed cases nearly every day for weeks.

The state of Missouri also has seen a steady increase in cases, and on Thursday added 1,267 more, bringing the state total to 63,797 since the pandemic began. Missouri reported two new deaths Thursday, raising the total to 1,325.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1597411835075.png" alt="Photo courtesy Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY&nbsp; (AP) — Kansas City will require residents and visitors to wear masks in indoor public places until at least Jan. 16, Mayor Quinton<a href="https://www.kcmo.gov/Home/Components/News/News/1421/16"> Lucas announced Thursday.</a>The mayor and Rex Archer, director of the city's health department, said cases of COVID-19 continue to increase in the Kansas City area, and the virus is likely to stay until a vaccine becomes widely available.The order means people will be required to wear masks in indoor areas where social distancing is not possible. It includes some exceptions, such as people with medical conditions that make it difficult to wear masks. Bars and restaurants will continue to be limited to 50% capacity.Kansas City has seen increasing numbers of cases this summer, averaging at least 100 confirmed cases nearly every day for weeks.The state of Missouri also has seen a steady increase in cases, and on Thursday added 1,267 more, bringing the state total to 63,797 since the pandemic began. Missouri reported two new deaths Thursday, raising the total to 1,325.

Kansas City extends COVID-19 restrictions to mid-January

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a violent attack between siblings.

Just after 1:30p.m. Thursday, deputies responded to a stabbing involving juveniles in the 5700 block of NW Topeka Boulevard, according to Deputy Abigail Christian. 

Upon arrival, deputies learned an 11-year-old girl stabbed her 10-year-old brother in the forearm with a steak knife. 

The boy suffered a superficial wound to his forearm and was transported to a local hospital, according to Christian.

Deputies reported no additional details and have not reported an arrest.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1597402142137.png" alt="Deputies and emergency medical staff on the scene of the stabbing -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Deputies and emergency medical staff on the scene of the stabbing -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a violent attack between siblings.Just after 1:30p.m. Thursday, deputies responded to a stabbing involving juveniles in the 5700 block of NW Topeka Boulevard, according to Deputy Abigail Christian. Upon arrival, deputies learned an 11-year-old girl stabbed her 10-year-old brother in the forearm with a steak knife. The boy suffered a superficial wound to his forearm and was transported to a local hospital, according to Christian.Deputies reported no additional details and have not reported an arrest.

Sheriff: Kan. girl stabs 10-year-old brother with steak knife

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A man has been charged in the shooting death of a 4-year-old Kansas City, Missouri, boy whose killing sparked a federal anti-crime task force that has sent hundreds of federal agents to several cities to fight violent crime.

Ryson Ellis, 22, of Kansas City, was charged Thursday with second-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of armed criminal action in the death of LeGend Taliferro, who was struck by a bullet June 29 while he slept on the floor of his father’s apartment.

Federal authorities named the anti-crime task force&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/b3826b35d488c0f2481d7fc20e8a89b2">Operation LeGend&nbsp;</a>in the boy’s memory. Under the program, which is being overseen by the U.S. Department of Justice, federal agents have been sent to cities with high crime rates to work with local law enforcement to investigate violent crimes.

President Trump met with LeGend’s family — including his mother, Charron Powell — when the program was announced. The operation has since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9a8ef5dafaa02f01a52c15700b79d10a">expanded&nbsp;</a>to several cities, including Chicago, St. Louis and Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Attorney General William Barr said in a statement Thursday the arrest in LeGend’s case resulted from cooperation between Kansas City police and several federal agencies.

“This development is a model for joint efforts to solve crimes and reduce violence in other cities,” Barr said. “I thank the state and local law enforcement officers who helped make possible this important step in bringing justice to LeGend, to his family, and to his community.”

A probable cause statement in the case said a sister of LeGend’s father, who was in the apartment when the boy was shot, had a child with Ellis. She alleged he had assaulted her a few days before the shooting and some of her brothers, including LeGend’s father, had an altercation with Ellis, KSHB-TV&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kshb.com/news/crime/charges-announced-in-legend-taliferros-murder" target="_blank">reported</a>.

Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters-Baker said Ellis was “cowardly” when he fired several shots into the apartment where LeGend was thought to be safe. She said investigators ran into several dead-ends until a community member came forward with important information.

Ellis was arrested Thursday in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and was being held on no bond, Peters-Baker said.

Powell, LeGend’s mother, said at the news conference she was “grateful that we are in the steps to justice,” but also expressed sadness for her son’s alleged killer and the violence in Kansas City.

“This is a lose situation, for my family, and including his,” Powell said of Ellis. “We have to take it a step farther and calm the violence down.”

U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison said the case was “precisely the type of case that this operation was designed to solve and we are very pleased that his case is one step closer to bringing justice to little LeGend and his family.”

He said Operation LeGend has resulted in more than 200 arrests since it began in Kansas City, including 16 people suspected of participating in homicides.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1597371218157.png" alt="Ellis photo Tulsa Police" />
 <figcaption>Ellis photo Tulsa Police</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A man has been charged in the shooting death of a 4-year-old Kansas City, Missouri, boy whose killing sparked a federal anti-crime task force that has sent hundreds of federal agents to several cities to fight violent crime.Ryson Ellis, 22, of Kansas City, was charged Thursday with second-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of armed criminal action in the death of LeGend Taliferro, who was struck by a bullet June 29 while he slept on the floor of his father’s apartment.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595354920053.png" alt="LeGend -photo courtesy U.S. Dept. of Justice" />
 <figcaption>LeGend -photo courtesy U.S. Dept. of Justice</figcaption>
 </figure>Federal authorities named the anti-crime task force&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/b3826b35d488c0f2481d7fc20e8a89b2">Operation LeGend&nbsp;</a>in the boy’s memory. Under the program, which is being overseen by the U.S. Department of Justice, federal agents have been sent to cities with high crime rates to work with local law enforcement to investigate violent crimes.President Trump met with LeGend’s family — including his mother, Charron Powell — when the program was announced. The operation has since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9a8ef5dafaa02f01a52c15700b79d10a">expanded&nbsp;</a>to several cities, including Chicago, St. Louis and Albuquerque, New Mexico.Attorney General William Barr said in a statement Thursday the arrest in LeGend’s case resulted from cooperation between Kansas City police and several federal agencies.“This development is a model for joint efforts to solve crimes and reduce violence in other cities,” Barr said. “I thank the state and local law enforcement officers who helped make possible this important step in bringing justice to LeGend, to his family, and to his community.”A probable cause statement in the case said a sister of LeGend’s father, who was in the apartment when the boy was shot, had a child with Ellis. She alleged he had assaulted her a few days before the shooting and some of her brothers, including LeGend’s father, had an altercation with Ellis, KSHB-TV&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kshb.com/news/crime/charges-announced-in-legend-taliferros-murder" target="_blank">reported</a>.Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters-Baker said Ellis was “cowardly” when he fired several shots into the apartment where LeGend was thought to be safe. She said investigators ran into several dead-ends until a community member came forward with important information.Ellis was arrested Thursday in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and was being held on no bond, Peters-Baker said.Powell, LeGend’s mother, said at the news conference she was “grateful that we are in the steps to justice,” but also expressed sadness for her son’s alleged killer and the violence in Kansas City.“This is a lose situation, for my family, and including his,” Powell said of Ellis. “We have to take it a step farther and calm the violence down.”U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison said the case was “precisely the type of case that this operation was designed to solve and we are very pleased that his case is one step closer to bringing justice to little LeGend and his family.”He said Operation LeGend has resulted in more than 200 arrests since it began in Kansas City, including 16 people suspected of participating in homicides.___

Arrest made in KC boy's death that sparked federal task force

WASHINGTON (AP) — With talks on emergency coronavirus aid having stalled out, both sides played the blame game Thursday rather than make any serious moves to try to break their stalemate. Official Washington is emptying, national politics is consuming the airwaves and the chasm between the warring sides appears too great for now.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pressed the case for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/eecd34df92249d8218bda442f76d47f6">funding for the U.S. Postal Service</a>, rental assistance, food aid and rapid testing for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">the virus</a>&nbsp;at her weekly press event, blasting Republicans as not giving a damn and declaring flatly that “people will die” if the delay grinds into September.

“Perhaps you mistook them for somebody who gave a damn,” Pelosi said when asked if she should accept a smaller COVID-19 rescue package rather than endure weeks of possible gridlock. “That isn’t the case.”

All of the chief combatants have exited Washington after a several-day display of staying put as to not get blamed for abandoning the talks. The political risk for President Donald Trump is continued pain in U.S. households and a struggling economy — both of which promise to hurt him in the September campaign. For Democrats, there is genuine disappointment at being unable to deliver a deal but apparent comfort in holding firm for a sweeping measure instead of the few pieces that Trump wants most.

At the White House, Trump suggested that one main holdup is the amount of money Democrats want for cash-strapped states and cities, which he dismissed as “bailouts.” It’s a view shared by top Republicans.

A modest Trump administration overture on Wednesday to restart talks generated nothing but stepped-up carping and accusations of bad faith.

“It’s a stalemate,” White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said Thursday.

Across a nearly empty Capitol, the Senate’s top Republican sought to cast the blame on Pelosi, whose ambitious demands have frustrated administration negotiators like&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/39a57f0a4a784bff3fc0bf5ae7a89e67">White House chief of staff Mark Meadows</a>.

“They are still rejecting any more relief for anyone unless they get a flood of demands with no real relationship to COVID-19,” said Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. McConnell has kept the talks at arm’s length, nursing deep divisions among Republicans on the foundering relief measure.

Among the items lost is perhaps $10 billion in emergency funding for the Postal Service to help improve service as its role in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/Election2020">the fall election</a>&nbsp;takes on greater importance, given an expected surge in mail voting because of the coronavirus pandemic. Trump is against $3.4 billion demanded by Pelosi for helping states with the crush of mail-in ballots.

Trump seemed to take advantage of the stalemate to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/14a2ceda724623604cc8d8e5ab9890ed">press his case against voting by mail</a>. He said Thursday on Fox Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria” that among the sticking points were Democrats’ demand for billions of dollars to assist states in protecting the election and to help postal workers process mail-in ballots.

“They need that money in order to have the post office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots,” Trump said. “If they don’t get those two items, that means you can’t have universal mail-in voting because they’re not equipped to have it.”

The White House and congressional leaders are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/767b6140f1b456a9db44eb6ca6512435">far apart&nbsp;</a>on the aid for shoring up households,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/1bd44b60f9bb9ea769146c97e5fcd0f1">reopening schools</a>&nbsp;and launching a national strategy to contain the virus, which has infected more than 5.2 million people in the United States and has killed more than 166,000, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html" target="_blank">figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University</a>.

Trump’s top negotiator, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, tried to revive stalled talks Wednesday, but Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer dismissed the overture, saying the Trump administration was still refusing to meet them halfway. Congressional Republicans are largely sitting out the talks.

With the House and Senate essentially closed, and lawmakers on call to return with 24 hours’ notice, hopes for a swift compromise have dwindled. Instead, the politics of blame have taken hold, as the parties focus on this month’s presidential nominating conventions and lawmakers’ own reelection campaigns.

All indications are talks will not resume in full until Congress resumes in September, despite the mounting coronavirus death toll.

For Americans, that means&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f3caeadfc8c7f88900470ac96820a36c">the end of a $600 weekly unemployment benefit</a>&nbsp;that has expired, as has a federal ban on evictions.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9282728e7dac47d8809264e1fb9c0598">Schools</a>&nbsp;hoping for cash from the federal government to help provide safety measures are left empty-handed. States and cities staring down red ink with the shattered economy have few options.

Trump’s executive actions appeared to provide a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f67dd310113355f4effe13dfcf4ac3b8">temporary reprieve</a>, offering $300 in jobless benefits and some other aid. But it could take weeks for those programs to ramp up, and the help is far slimmer than what Congress was considering. More than 20 million Americans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/833d91877e2f0fa913c5258978a9e83c">risk evictions</a>, and more are out of work.

The Democrats said they are waiting for the White House to put a new offer on the table: “We have again made clear to the Administration that we are willing to resume negotiations once they start to take this process seriously,” they said in a statement.

But Mnuchin shot back with his own statement, saying, “The Democrats have no interest in negotiating.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1597401508692.png" alt="House Speaker Nancy Pelosi provided this poster to show what she said are the differences between the democrats and republicans in the virus relief negotiations.-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>House Speaker Nancy Pelosi provided this poster to show what she said are the differences between the democrats and republicans in the virus relief negotiations.-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — With talks on emergency coronavirus aid having stalled out, both sides played the blame game Thursday rather than make any serious moves to try to break their stalemate. Official Washington is emptying, national politics is consuming the airwaves and the chasm between the warring sides appears too great for now.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pressed the case for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/eecd34df92249d8218bda442f76d47f6">funding for the U.S. Postal Service</a>, rental assistance, food aid and rapid testing for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">the virus</a>&nbsp;at her weekly press event, blasting Republicans as not giving a damn and declaring flatly that “people will die” if the delay grinds into September.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1597401420725.png" alt="House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during her press conference Thursday.-Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during her press conference Thursday.-Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>“Perhaps you mistook them for somebody who gave a damn,” Pelosi said when asked if she should accept a smaller COVID-19 rescue package rather than endure weeks of possible gridlock. “That isn’t the case.”All of the chief combatants have exited Washington after a several-day display of staying put as to not get blamed for abandoning the talks. The political risk for President Donald Trump is continued pain in U.S. households and a struggling economy — both of which promise to hurt him in the September campaign. For Democrats, there is genuine disappointment at being unable to deliver a deal but apparent comfort in holding firm for a sweeping measure instead of the few pieces that Trump wants most.At the White House, Trump suggested that one main holdup is the amount of money Democrats want for cash-strapped states and cities, which he dismissed as “bailouts.” It’s a view shared by top Republicans.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1597401777883.png" alt="President Trump spoke during Thursday's press briefing. He is offering $300 in jobless benefits and some other aid. But it could take weeks for those programs to begin. - Photo courtesy White House&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>President Trump spoke during Thursday's press briefing. He is offering $300 in jobless benefits and some other aid. But it could take weeks for those programs to begin. - Photo courtesy White House&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>A modest Trump administration overture on Wednesday to restart talks generated nothing but stepped-up carping and accusations of bad faith.“It’s a stalemate,” White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said Thursday.Across a nearly empty Capitol, the Senate’s top Republican sought to cast the blame on Pelosi, whose ambitious demands have frustrated administration negotiators like&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/39a57f0a4a784bff3fc0bf5ae7a89e67">White House chief of staff Mark Meadows</a>.“They are still rejecting any more relief for anyone unless they get a flood of demands with no real relationship to COVID-19,” said Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. McConnell has kept the talks at arm’s length, nursing deep divisions among Republicans on the foundering relief measure.Among the items lost is perhaps $10 billion in emergency funding for the Postal Service to help improve service as its role in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/Election2020">the fall election</a>&nbsp;takes on greater importance, given an expected surge in mail voting because of the coronavirus pandemic. Trump is against $3.4 billion demanded by Pelosi for helping states with the crush of mail-in ballots.Trump seemed to take advantage of the stalemate to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/14a2ceda724623604cc8d8e5ab9890ed">press his case against voting by mail</a>. He said Thursday on Fox Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria” that among the sticking points were Democrats’ demand for billions of dollars to assist states in protecting the election and to help postal workers process mail-in ballots.“They need that money in order to have the post office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots,” Trump said. “If they don’t get those two items, that means you can’t have universal mail-in voting because they’re not equipped to have it.”The White House and congressional leaders are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/767b6140f1b456a9db44eb6ca6512435">far apart&nbsp;</a>on the aid for shoring up households,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/1bd44b60f9bb9ea769146c97e5fcd0f1">reopening schools</a>&nbsp;and launching a national strategy to contain the virus, which has infected more than 5.2 million people in the United States and has killed more than 166,000, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html" target="_blank">figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University</a>.Trump’s top negotiator, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, tried to revive stalled talks Wednesday, but Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer dismissed the overture, saying the Trump administration was still refusing to meet them halfway. Congressional Republicans are largely sitting out the talks.With the House and Senate essentially closed, and lawmakers on call to return with 24 hours’ notice, hopes for a swift compromise have dwindled. Instead, the politics of blame have taken hold, as the parties focus on this month’s presidential nominating conventions and lawmakers’ own reelection campaigns.All indications are talks will not resume in full until Congress resumes in September, despite the mounting coronavirus death toll.For Americans, that means&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f3caeadfc8c7f88900470ac96820a36c">the end of a $600 weekly unemployment benefit</a>&nbsp;that has expired, as has a federal ban on evictions.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9282728e7dac47d8809264e1fb9c0598">Schools</a>&nbsp;hoping for cash from the federal government to help provide safety measures are left empty-handed. States and cities staring down red ink with the shattered economy have few options.Trump’s executive actions appeared to provide a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f67dd310113355f4effe13dfcf4ac3b8">temporary reprieve</a>, offering $300 in jobless benefits and some other aid. But it could take weeks for those programs to ramp up, and the help is far slimmer than what Congress was considering. More than 20 million Americans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/833d91877e2f0fa913c5258978a9e83c">risk evictions</a>, and more are out of work.The Democrats said they are waiting for the White House to put a new offer on the table: “We have again made clear to the Administration that we are willing to resume negotiations once they start to take this process seriously,” they said in a statement.But Mnuchin shot back with his own statement, saying, “The Democrats have no interest in negotiating.”___

Both sides play the blame game as virus relief talks stall

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a series of burglaries and have three teen suspects in custody.

Just after 2:00 a.m. Thursday, police&nbsp; responded to a general alarm at the Cabela’s in the 2400 block of North Greenwich in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson. Upon arrival, officers found that the business was burglarized and property was taken.

Just before 5a.m., police responded to a general alarm at the Dick’s Sporting Goods in the 4600 block of West Kellogg in Wichita.&nbsp; Officers found the business burglarized and property was taken.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Just after 5:10 a.m., officers responded to a&nbsp; general alarm at the Dick’s Sporting Goods in the 2000 block of North Rock Road.&nbsp; They found that the business had been broken into, but there was no property loss.

Just before 6:30 a.m., police responded to an armed robbery at Academy Sports and Outdoors in the 2500 block of North Greenwich.&nbsp; &nbsp;Employees told police&nbsp; teenagers broke into the business and upon seeing the employees, fled.&nbsp; One teen pointed a gun at the employees.&nbsp; There were no injures, and there was no property loss.

Through the investigation of all the cases, a suspect vehicle identified as a white Mercury Mariner, was found to be occupied by the three teen male suspects.&nbsp;&nbsp; Officers observed the suspect vehicle on East Kellogg at South Grove Street.&nbsp; Officers stopped the vehicle at East Lincoln Street and South Hydraulic Avenue in Wichita.&nbsp;

They arrested a 15-year-old boy on requested charges of attempted aggravated burglary, burglary, and theft; a 14-year-old boy on requested charges of attempted aggravated burglary, burglary, theft, and aggravated assault; and a&nbsp;14-year-old on requested charges of attempted aggravated burglary, burglary, and theft, according to Davidson.

The three teenagers were booked to the Juvenile Detention Facility.

The three teenagers are also accused&nbsp; of a burglary that occurred on Tuesday at the Dick’s Sporting Goods located in&nbsp; 4600 block of West Kellogg, according to Davidson.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a series of burglaries and have three teen suspects in custody.Just after 2:00 a.m. Thursday, police&nbsp; responded to a general alarm at the Cabela’s in the 2400 block of North Greenwich in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson. Upon arrival, officers found that the business was burglarized and property was taken.Just before 5a.m., police responded to a general alarm at the Dick’s Sporting Goods in the 4600 block of West Kellogg in Wichita.&nbsp; Officers found the business burglarized and property was taken.&nbsp;&nbsp;Just after 5:10 a.m., officers responded to a&nbsp; general alarm at the Dick’s Sporting Goods in the 2000 block of North Rock Road.&nbsp; They found that the business had been broken into, but there was no property loss.Just before 6:30 a.m., police responded to an armed robbery at Academy Sports and Outdoors in the 2500 block of North Greenwich.&nbsp; &nbsp;Employees told police&nbsp; teenagers broke into the business and upon seeing the employees, fled.&nbsp; One teen pointed a gun at the employees.&nbsp; There were no injures, and there was no property loss.Through the investigation of all the cases, a suspect vehicle identified as a white Mercury Mariner, was found to be occupied by the three teen male suspects.&nbsp;&nbsp; Officers observed the suspect vehicle on East Kellogg at South Grove Street.&nbsp; Officers stopped the vehicle at East Lincoln Street and South Hydraulic Avenue in Wichita.&nbsp;They arrested a 15-year-old boy on requested charges of attempted aggravated burglary, burglary, and theft; a 14-year-old boy on requested charges of attempted aggravated burglary, burglary, theft, and aggravated assault; and a&nbsp;14-year-old on requested charges of attempted aggravated burglary, burglary, and theft, according to Davidson.The three teenagers were booked to the Juvenile Detention Facility.The three teenagers are also accused&nbsp; of a burglary that occurred on Tuesday at the Dick’s Sporting Goods located in&nbsp; 4600 block of West Kellogg, according to Davidson.

Police arrest three Kansas boys for series of business burglaries

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — President Donald Trump’s administration is undoing Obama-era rules designed to limit potent greenhouse gas emissions from oil and gas fields and pipelines, formalizing the changes Thursday in the heart of the nation’s most prolific natural gas reservoir and in the premier presidential battleground state of Pennsylvania.

Andrew Wheeler, the Environmental Protection Agency administrator, signed the rollback of the 2016 methane emissions rule in Pittsburgh as the agency touted the Trump administration’s efforts to “strengthen and promote American energy.”

The EPA first proposed the rollback&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/e2872a46eb3e43bd928707bba2f2c031">last year</a>, accusing the Obama administration of enacting a legally flawed rule, and agency officials said it would save companies tens of millions of dollars a year in compliance requirements without changing the trajectory of methane emissions.

But states, including California, and a coalition of environmental advocacy groups warned that the changes are illegal — not to mention a setback in the fight against climate change — and expect to quickly sue to block it.

“It’s not only negligent, it’s unlawful,” California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said in a statement. “We won’t sit silently while the EPA allows this super pollutant to rapidly warm our atmosphere.”

The White House took the event to Pittsburgh, the headquarters for many companies exploring the Marcellus Shale, the booming reservoir that vaulted Pennsylvania to the nation’s No. 2 natural gas state, behind Texas.

“EPA has been working hard to fulfill President Trump’s promise to cut burdensome and ineffective regulations for our domestic energy industry,” Wheeler said in a statement.

Reflecting the pervasive politics of the presidential campaign, Wheeler cast blame onto the presumptive Democratic nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden, saying “regulatory burdens put into place by the Obama-Biden Administration fell heavily on small and medium-sized energy businesses.”

Pennsylvania is of prime importance in November’s presidential election, and the natural gas industry is playing a central role in TV attack ads being aired in the state by Trump’s allies.

In recent years, preventing methane leaks from well-site equipment and pipelines has become important for regulators because methane is a potent greenhouse gas.

The oil and gas industry was responsible for nearly 30% of the nation’s methane emissions in 2018, and methane accounted for 10% of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions, according to the EPA.

The Trump administration is eliminating the twice-yearly requirement for companies to inspect for methane leaks on equipment installed after 2015 at well sites and downstream segments, such as pipelines, compressor stations and storage tanks. Leaks must be fixed.

Supporters of the rule maintained that, based on reports the companies file, it seemed to be helping reduce methane emissions. They also pointed to the EPA’s acknowledgment in its technical analysis that its rule changes will increase emissions of methane and smog-forming compounds.

Operators will still have to check equipment for leaks of smog-forming compounds at some higher-producing well sites, but Thursday’s changes relaxed those standards and producers won’t have to inspect pipelines or downstream equipment anymore.

Any leaks they fix help capture methane, and companies say they have a financial incentive to voluntarily fix leaks to ensure that methane gets to customers, rather than going into the atmosphere.

But, far more importantly, killing the methane emissions rule also blocks a legal requirement for the EPA to extend the rule to cover many more pieces of equipment installed before 2015, environmental advocates say.

“We’ll see them in court because this is blatantly illegal,” said David Doniger, senior strategic director of the climate and clean energy program at the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Robert Howarth, an ecology professor at Cornell University, estimated that shale oil and gas production in North America accounted for one-third of the total global increase in methane emissions over the past year.

Rolling back methane measures now is “dangerously reckless,” Howarth said. “Methane emissions are increasing rapidly, and the oil and gas industry is clearly part of the problem.”

Peter Zalzal, an attorney for the Environmental Defense Fund, said that, without federal leadership, stronger state regulation will be even more important.

Some states — such as California, Colorado, Pennsylvania and Wyoming — have methane standards that are comparable or stronger than the EPA’s 2016 rule. But many big oil and gas states — such as Texas — do not, Zalzal said.

Oil and gas industry representatives pushed for the methane rollbacks, fearing more expensive rules covering emissions from older equipment. Smaller, independent operators hailed the changes as important to their survival.

“The issue for producers has never been whether regulations were necessary; it has always been whether the regulations were sound and cost effective,” the Independent Petroleum Association of America said.

Still, some companies opposed a rollback, noting they had pledged to reduce emissions or pointing out that they were already exceeding the rule’s requirements.

Some oil majors including BP, Shell and ExxonMobil have called on Trump to strengthen efforts to cap methane emissions. The Trump administration’s move is “frustrating and disappointing,” Shell’s U.S. president, Gretchen Watkins, said in a statement.

In 2016′s election, Trump eked out a win in Pennsylvania — the first Republican presidential candidate to capture it since 1988 — by piling up support with Pennsylvania’s rural areas and working-class whites.

Since then, Trump has eagerly promoted the state’s gas industry, underscoring his focus on shoring up his base as his appointees have moved to expand extraction on federal lands, boost the export of liquefied natural gas and restrict the ability of states to block pipelines.

Meanwhile, a pro-Trump super PAC, America First Action, is running TV ads in Pennsylvania accusing Biden of wanting to ban “fracking,” the process that along with horizontal drilling has unlocked a torrent of oil and natural gas across the United States in the past decade.

Biden’s campaign counters that that is flatly untrue.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — President Donald Trump’s administration is undoing Obama-era rules designed to limit potent greenhouse gas emissions from oil and gas fields and pipelines, formalizing the changes Thursday in the heart of the nation’s most prolific natural gas reservoir and in the premier presidential battleground state of Pennsylvania.Andrew Wheeler, the Environmental Protection Agency administrator, signed the rollback of the 2016 methane emissions rule in Pittsburgh as the agency touted the Trump administration’s efforts to “strengthen and promote American energy.”The EPA first proposed the rollback&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/e2872a46eb3e43bd928707bba2f2c031">last year</a>, accusing the Obama administration of enacting a legally flawed rule, and agency officials said it would save companies tens of millions of dollars a year in compliance requirements without changing the trajectory of methane emissions.But states, including California, and a coalition of environmental advocacy groups warned that the changes are illegal — not to mention a setback in the fight against climate change — and expect to quickly sue to block it.“It’s not only negligent, it’s unlawful,” California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said in a statement. “We won’t sit silently while the EPA allows this super pollutant to rapidly warm our atmosphere.”The White House took the event to Pittsburgh, the headquarters for many companies exploring the Marcellus Shale, the booming reservoir that vaulted Pennsylvania to the nation’s No. 2 natural gas state, behind Texas.“EPA has been working hard to fulfill President Trump’s promise to cut burdensome and ineffective regulations for our domestic energy industry,” Wheeler said in a statement.Reflecting the pervasive politics of the presidential campaign, Wheeler cast blame onto the presumptive Democratic nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden, saying “regulatory burdens put into place by the Obama-Biden Administration fell heavily on small and medium-sized energy businesses.”Pennsylvania is of prime importance in November’s presidential election, and the natural gas industry is playing a central role in TV attack ads being aired in the state by Trump’s allies.In recent years, preventing methane leaks from well-site equipment and pipelines has become important for regulators because methane is a potent greenhouse gas.The oil and gas industry was responsible for nearly 30% of the nation’s methane emissions in 2018, and methane accounted for 10% of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions, according to the EPA.The Trump administration is eliminating the twice-yearly requirement for companies to inspect for methane leaks on equipment installed after 2015 at well sites and downstream segments, such as pipelines, compressor stations and storage tanks. Leaks must be fixed.Supporters of the rule maintained that, based on reports the companies file, it seemed to be helping reduce methane emissions. They also pointed to the EPA’s acknowledgment in its technical analysis that its rule changes will increase emissions of methane and smog-forming compounds.Operators will still have to check equipment for leaks of smog-forming compounds at some higher-producing well sites, but Thursday’s changes relaxed those standards and producers won’t have to inspect pipelines or downstream equipment anymore.Any leaks they fix help capture methane, and companies say they have a financial incentive to voluntarily fix leaks to ensure that methane gets to customers, rather than going into the atmosphere.But, far more importantly, killing the methane emissions rule also blocks a legal requirement for the EPA to extend the rule to cover many more pieces of equipment installed before 2015, environmental advocates say.“We’ll see them in court because this is blatantly illegal,” said David Doniger, senior strategic director of the climate and clean energy program at the Natural Resources Defense Council.Robert Howarth, an ecology professor at Cornell University, estimated that shale oil and gas production in North America accounted for one-third of the total global increase in methane emissions over the past year.Rolling back methane measures now is “dangerously reckless,” Howarth said. “Methane emissions are increasing rapidly, and the oil and gas industry is clearly part of the problem.”Peter Zalzal, an attorney for the Environmental Defense Fund, said that, without federal leadership, stronger state regulation will be even more important.Some states — such as California, Colorado, Pennsylvania and Wyoming — have methane standards that are comparable or stronger than the EPA’s 2016 rule. But many big oil and gas states — such as Texas — do not, Zalzal said.Oil and gas industry representatives pushed for the methane rollbacks, fearing more expensive rules covering emissions from older equipment. Smaller, independent operators hailed the changes as important to their survival.“The issue for producers has never been whether regulations were necessary; it has always been whether the regulations were sound and cost effective,” the Independent Petroleum Association of America said.Still, some companies opposed a rollback, noting they had pledged to reduce emissions or pointing out that they were already exceeding the rule’s requirements.Some oil majors including BP, Shell and ExxonMobil have called on Trump to strengthen efforts to cap methane emissions. The Trump administration’s move is “frustrating and disappointing,” Shell’s U.S. president, Gretchen Watkins, said in a statement.In 2016′s election, Trump eked out a win in Pennsylvania — the first Republican presidential candidate to capture it since 1988 — by piling up support with Pennsylvania’s rural areas and working-class whites.Since then, Trump has eagerly promoted the state’s gas industry, underscoring his focus on shoring up his base as his appointees have moved to expand extraction on federal lands, boost the export of liquefied natural gas and restrict the ability of states to block pipelines.Meanwhile, a pro-Trump super PAC, America First Action, is running TV ads in Pennsylvania accusing Biden of wanting to ban “fracking,” the process that along with horizontal drilling has unlocked a torrent of oil and natural gas across the United States in the past decade.Biden’s campaign counters that that is flatly untrue.Biden would only ban new gas-drilling permits on public lands, his campaign said, pointing out that about 90% of fracking is on private land.And while Trump often ridicules the science behind increasingly urgent warnings for immediate action to stave off the worst of climate damage by cutting fossil fuel emissions, Biden’s campaign said it recognizes that “climate change is an urgent problem and that all Americans have the right to clean air and clean water.”___