Johnson &amp; Johnson is beginning a huge final study to try to prove if a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine can protect against the virus.

The study starting Wednesday will be one of the world's largest coronavirus vaccine studies so far, testing the shot in 60,000 volunteers in the U.S., South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru.

A handful of other vaccines in the U.S. — including shots made by Moderna Inc. and Pfizer Inc. — and others in other countries are already in final-stage testing. Hopes are high that answers about at least one candidate being tested in the U.S. could come by year's end, maybe sooner.

U.S. health officials insist the race for a vaccine isn't cutting corners.

“We want to do everything we can without sacrificing safety or efficacy — we’re not going to do that — to make sure that we end up with vaccines that are going to save lives,” Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, told reporters.

But many vaccine specialists question whether the Food and Drug Administration will stick to that goal under intense pressure from the Trump administration. President Donald Trump has consistently presented a faster timeline for a new vaccine than experts say is adequate to fully test the candidates.

Meanwhile, testing of still another experimental vaccine, made by AstraZeneca, remains on hold in the U.S. as officials examine a safety question, even though studies have resumed in other countries.

Earlier this week, Vice President Mike Pence urged state governors to "do your part to build public confidence that it will be a safe and effective vaccine.”

And Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, added in the call to governors that he is confident in “a tried and true process” that has checks and balances built in, including an independent board evaluating the progress of each vaccine trial, as well as “the integrity of the FDA.”

A recording of the call was provided to The Associated Press.

Senators were scheduled to question FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, Fauci and other administration officials later Wednesday about the pandemic response.

Even if the FDA were to allow emergency use of a vaccine by year's end, supplies would be limited and given first to vulnerable groups such as health workers. Most Americans aren't likely to receive a vaccine until sometime next year.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wants states to get ready now to roll out vaccinations, which will present enormous logistical challenges. On Wednesday the CDC was set to announce distribution of $200 million in congressionally approved funds to help begin setting up operations.

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said the COVID-19 vaccine campaign will build on longstanding cooperation between the federal government and the states on immunizations.

J&amp;J's vaccine is made with slightly different technology than others in late-stage testing, modeled on an Ebola vaccine the company created. Unlike the other three vaccines that started late-stage testing in the U.S., it requires only one shot, not two. Despite a later start to testing than some of its competitors, Dr. Paul Stoffels, J&amp;J's chief scientific officer, told reporters that the study was large enough to yield answers possibly by early next year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600861747887.png" alt="Vaccine photo courtesy Johnson &amp; Johnson" />
 <figcaption>Vaccine photo courtesy Johnson &amp; Johnson</figcaption>
 </figure>By LINDA A. JOHNSON, Associated PressJohnson &amp; Johnson is beginning a huge final study to try to prove if a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine can protect against the virus.The study starting Wednesday will be one of the world's largest coronavirus vaccine studies so far, testing the shot in 60,000 volunteers in the U.S., South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru.A handful of other vaccines in the U.S. — including shots made by Moderna Inc. and Pfizer Inc. — and others in other countries are already in final-stage testing. Hopes are high that answers about at least one candidate being tested in the U.S. could come by year's end, maybe sooner.U.S. health officials insist the race for a vaccine isn't cutting corners.“We want to do everything we can without sacrificing safety or efficacy — we’re not going to do that — to make sure that we end up with vaccines that are going to save lives,” Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, told reporters.But many vaccine specialists question whether the Food and Drug Administration will stick to that goal under intense pressure from the Trump administration. President Donald Trump has consistently presented a faster timeline for a new vaccine than experts say is adequate to fully test the candidates.Meanwhile, testing of still another experimental vaccine, made by AstraZeneca, remains on hold in the U.S. as officials examine a safety question, even though studies have resumed in other countries.Earlier this week, Vice President Mike Pence urged state governors to "do your part to build public confidence that it will be a safe and effective vaccine.”And Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, added in the call to governors that he is confident in “a tried and true process” that has checks and balances built in, including an independent board evaluating the progress of each vaccine trial, as well as “the integrity of the FDA.”A recording of the call was provided to The Associated Press.Senators were scheduled to question FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, Fauci and other administration officials later Wednesday about the pandemic response.Even if the FDA were to allow emergency use of a vaccine by year's end, supplies would be limited and given first to vulnerable groups such as health workers. Most Americans aren't likely to receive a vaccine until sometime next year.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wants states to get ready now to roll out vaccinations, which will present enormous logistical challenges. On Wednesday the CDC was set to announce distribution of $200 million in congressionally approved funds to help begin setting up operations.Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said the COVID-19 vaccine campaign will build on longstanding cooperation between the federal government and the states on immunizations.J&amp;J's vaccine is made with slightly different technology than others in late-stage testing, modeled on an Ebola vaccine the company created. Unlike the other three vaccines that started late-stage testing in the U.S., it requires only one shot, not two. Despite a later start to testing than some of its competitors, Dr. Paul Stoffels, J&amp;J's chief scientific officer, told reporters that the study was large enough to yield answers possibly by early next year.___

Late-stage study of first single-shot vaccine begins in US

CHICAGO (AP) —Hall of Famer Gale Sayers, who made his mark as one of the NFL’s best all-purpose running backs and was later celebrated for his enduring friendship with a Chicago Bears teammate with cancer, has died. He was 77.

Nicknamed “The Kansas Comet” and considered among the best open-field runners the game has ever seen, Sayers died Wednesday, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Relatives of Sayers had said he was diagnosed with dementia. In March 2017, his wife, Ardythe, said she partly blamed his football career.

Sayers was a blur to NFL defenses, ghosting would-be tacklers or zooming by them like few running backs or kick returners before or since. Yet it was his rock-steady friendship with Brian Piccolo, depicted in the film “Brian’s Song,” that marked him as more than a sports star.

“He was the very essence of a team player — quiet, unassuming and always ready to compliment a teammate for a key block,” Hall of Fame President David Baker said. “Gale was an extraordinary man who overcame a great deal of adversity during his NFL career and life.”

He became a stockbroker, sports administrator, businessman and philanthropist for several inner-city Chicago youth initiatives after his pro football career was cut short by serious injuries to both knees.

“Gale was one of the finest men in NFL history and one of the game’s most exciting players,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said. “Gale was an electrifying and elusive runner who thrilled fans every time he touched the ball. He earned his place as a first-ballot Hall of Famer.”

Sayers was a two-time All-American at the University of Kansas and inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as well. He was selected by Chicago with the fourth pick overall in 1965, and his versatility produced dividends and highlight-reel slaloms through opposing defenses right from the start.

He tied one NFL record with six touchdowns in a game and set another with 22 touchdowns in his first season: 14 rushing, six receiving, one punt and one kickoff return. Sayers was a unanimous choice for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Sayers followed that by being voted an All-Pro during the first five of his seven NFL seasons (1965-71). But he was stuck on a handful of middling-to-bad Bears teams and, like Dick Butkus, another Hall of Fame teammate selected in the same 1965 draft, he never played in the postseason. Sayers appeared in only 68 games total and just two in each of his final two seasons while attempting to return from those knee injuries.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600870287922.png" alt="Sayers photo courtesy Pro Football Hall of Fame" />
 <figcaption>Sayers photo courtesy Pro Football Hall of Fame</figcaption>
 </figure>CHICAGO (AP) —Hall of Famer Gale Sayers, who made his mark as one of the NFL’s best all-purpose running backs and was later celebrated for his enduring friendship with a Chicago Bears teammate with cancer, has died. He was 77.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">My heart is broken over the loss of my dear friend, Gale Sayers. Portraying Gale in Brian’s Song was a true honor and one of the nightlights of my career. He was an extraordinary human being with the the kindest heart. My sincerest condolences to his family 💔<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RIPGaleSayers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RIPGaleSayers</a> <a href="https://t.co/OyQRlwuznU">pic.twitter.com/OyQRlwuznU</a>&mdash; Billy Dee Williams (@realbdw) <a href="https://twitter.com/realbdw/status/1308775720638840833?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Nicknamed “The Kansas Comet” and considered among the best open-field runners the game has ever seen, Sayers died Wednesday, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.Relatives of Sayers had said he was diagnosed with dementia. In March 2017, his wife, Ardythe, said she partly blamed his football career.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Statement from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on he Passing of NFL Legend Gale Sayers: <a href="https://t.co/8RND6usBD6">https://t.co/8RND6usBD6</a> <a href="https://t.co/phltljWcrK">pic.twitter.com/phltljWcrK</a>&mdash; NFL345 (@NFL345) <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL345/status/1308766306594885643?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Sayers was a blur to NFL defenses, ghosting would-be tacklers or zooming by them like few running backs or kick returners before or since. Yet it was his rock-steady friendship with Brian Piccolo, depicted in the film “Brian’s Song,” that marked him as more than a sports star.“He was the very essence of a team player — quiet, unassuming and always ready to compliment a teammate for a key block,” Hall of Fame President David Baker said. “Gale was an extraordinary man who overcame a great deal of adversity during his NFL career and life.”He became a stockbroker, sports administrator, businessman and philanthropist for several inner-city Chicago youth initiatives after his pro football career was cut short by serious injuries to both knees.“Gale was one of the finest men in NFL history and one of the game’s most exciting players,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said. “Gale was an electrifying and elusive runner who thrilled fans every time he touched the ball. He earned his place as a first-ballot Hall of Famer.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">What a legacy Gale Sayers left with his family, Jayhawk Nation, the sport of football and generations of kids looking to be the next trailblazers. A champion in the community just as he was on the field. RIP, &quot;Kansas Comet.&quot; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AlwaysAJayhawk?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AlwaysAJayhawk</a> <a href="https://t.co/yHlPm9Ov5G">pic.twitter.com/yHlPm9Ov5G</a>&mdash; K Club (@KansasKClub) <a href="https://twitter.com/KansasKClub/status/1308782020999421957?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Sayers was a two-time All-American at the University of Kansas and inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as well. He was selected by Chicago with the fourth pick overall in 1965, and his versatility produced dividends and highlight-reel slaloms through opposing defenses right from the start.He tied one NFL record with six touchdowns in a game and set another with 22 touchdowns in his first season: 14 rushing, six receiving, one punt and one kickoff return. Sayers was a unanimous choice for Offensive Rookie of the Year.Sayers followed that by being voted an All-Pro during the first five of his seven NFL seasons (1965-71). But he was stuck on a handful of middling-to-bad Bears teams and, like Dick Butkus, another Hall of Fame teammate selected in the same 1965 draft, he never played in the postseason. Sayers appeared in only 68 games total and just two in each of his final two seasons while attempting to return from those knee injuries.

Kan. native, Hall of Fame running back Gale Sayers dies

WASHINGTON (AP) — Thousands of people are expected to pay their respects at the Supreme Court to the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the women’s rights champion, leader of the court’s liberal bloc and feminist icon&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/684a0e1a2ae195ec32aa64684143e2f3">who died last week</a>.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?476137-1/supreme-court-memorial-service-justice-ruth-bader-ginsburg">Click here </a>to watch memorial services that began at 8:30a.m. CDT

Even with the court closed to the public because of the coronavirus pandemic and Washington already consumed with talk of Ginsburg’s replacement, the justice’s former colleagues, family, close friends and the public will have the chance Wednesday and Thursday to pass by the casket of the second woman to serve on the Supreme Court.

The sad occasion is expected to bring together the remaining eight justices for the first time since the building was closed in March and they resorted to meetings by telephone.

Ginsburg will lie in repose for two days at the court where she served for 27 years and, before that, argued six cases for gender equality in the 1970s.

Following a private ceremony Wednesday in the court’s Great Hall, her casket will be moved outside the building to the top of the court’s front steps so that public mourners can pay their respects in line with public health guidance for the pandemic.

Since her death Friday evening, people have been leaving flowers, notes, placards and all manner of Ginsburg paraphernalia outside the court in tribute to the woman who became known in her final years as the “Notorious RBG.” Court workers cleared away the items and cleaned the court plaza and sidewalk in advance of Wednesday’s ceremony.

Following past practice at the tradition-laden court, Ginsburg’s casket is expected to arrive just before 8:30 a.m. CDT Wednesday, the court said. Supreme Court police will carry it up the court steps, which will be lined by former Ginsburg law clerks serving as honorary pallbearers.

Chief Justice John Roberts and the other justices will be in the Great Hall when the casket arrives and is placed on the Lincoln Catafalque, the platform on which President Abraham Lincoln’s coffin rested in the Capitol rotunda in 1865. A 2016 portrait of Ginsburg by artist Constance P. Beaty will be displayed nearby.

It’s unclear whether President Donald Trump would visit the court before he leaves town Wednesday afternoon, though he did pay respects when Justice John Paul Stevens died last year and President Barack Obama visited the court after Justice Antonin Scalia’s death in 2016.

The entrance to the courtroom, along with Ginsburg’s chair and place on the bench next to Roberts, have been draped in black, a longstanding court custom. These visual signs of mourning, which in years past have reinforced the sense of loss, will largely go unseen this year. The court begins its new term Oct. 5, but the justices will not be in the courtroom and instead will hear arguments by phone.

After the private ceremony inside the court, Ginsburg’s casket will be on public view from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday.

On Friday, Ginsburg will lie in state at the Capitol, the first woman to do so and only the second Supreme Court justice after William Howard Taft. Taft had also been president. Rosa Parks, a private citizen as opposed to a government official, is the only woman who has lain in honor at the Capitol.

Ginsburg will be buried beside her husband, Martin, in a private ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery next week. Martin Ginsburg died in 2010. She is survived by a son and a daughter, four grandchildren, two step-grandchildren and a great-grandchild.

Ginsburg’s death from cancer at age 87 has added another layer of tumult to an already chaotic election year. Trump and Senate Republicans are plowing ahead with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/be4aa94786c66bd13763ea8ee30e08a6">plans to have a new justice on the bench</a>, perhaps before the Nov. 3 election.

Only Chief Justice Roger Taney, who died in October 1864, died closer to a presidential election. Lincoln waited until December to nominate his replacement, Salmon Chase, who was confirmed the same day.

When Scalia, Ginsburg’s closest friend on the court, died unexpectedly in 2016, Republicans refused to act on President Barack Obama’s high-court nomination of Judge Merrick Garland.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600868269289.png" alt="Members of the Supreme Court police carry the casket of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Members of the Supreme Court police carry the casket of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Thousands of people are expected to pay their respects at the Supreme Court to the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the women’s rights champion, leader of the court’s liberal bloc and feminist icon&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/684a0e1a2ae195ec32aa64684143e2f3">who died last week</a>.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?476137-1/supreme-court-memorial-service-justice-ruth-bader-ginsburg">Click here </a>to watch memorial services that began at 8:30a.m. CDTEven with the court closed to the public because of the coronavirus pandemic and Washington already consumed with talk of Ginsburg’s replacement, the justice’s former colleagues, family, close friends and the public will have the chance Wednesday and Thursday to pass by the casket of the second woman to serve on the Supreme Court.The sad occasion is expected to bring together the remaining eight justices for the first time since the building was closed in March and they resorted to meetings by telephone.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600862723391.png" alt="Signs and flowers left at the Supreme Court honoring Ginsberg-photo courtesy Deb Whitman" />
 <figcaption>Signs and flowers left at the Supreme Court honoring Ginsberg-photo courtesy Deb Whitman</figcaption>
 </figure>Ginsburg will lie in repose for two days at the court where she served for 27 years and, before that, argued six cases for gender equality in the 1970s.Following a private ceremony Wednesday in the court’s Great Hall, her casket will be moved outside the building to the top of the court’s front steps so that public mourners can pay their respects in line with public health guidance for the pandemic.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600476593364.png" alt="Justice Ginsberg spoke at the National Book Festival in August 2019-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Justice Ginsberg spoke at the National Book Festival in August 2019-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>Since her death Friday evening, people have been leaving flowers, notes, placards and all manner of Ginsburg paraphernalia outside the court in tribute to the woman who became known in her final years as the “Notorious RBG.” Court workers cleared away the items and cleaned the court plaza and sidewalk in advance of Wednesday’s ceremony.Following past practice at the tradition-laden court, Ginsburg’s casket is expected to arrive just before 8:30 a.m. CDT Wednesday, the court said. Supreme Court police will carry it up the court steps, which will be lined by former Ginsburg law clerks serving as honorary pallbearers.Chief Justice John Roberts and the other justices will be in the Great Hall when the casket arrives and is placed on the Lincoln Catafalque, the platform on which President Abraham Lincoln’s coffin rested in the Capitol rotunda in 1865. A 2016 portrait of Ginsburg by artist Constance P. Beaty will be displayed nearby.It’s unclear whether President Donald Trump would visit the court before he leaves town Wednesday afternoon, though he did pay respects when Justice John Paul Stevens died last year and President Barack Obama visited the court after Justice Antonin Scalia’s death in 2016.The entrance to the courtroom, along with Ginsburg’s chair and place on the bench next to Roberts, have been draped in black, a longstanding court custom. These visual signs of mourning, which in years past have reinforced the sense of loss, will largely go unseen this year. The court begins its new term Oct. 5, but the justices will not be in the courtroom and instead will hear arguments by phone.After the private ceremony inside the court, Ginsburg’s casket will be on public view from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday.On Friday, Ginsburg will lie in state at the Capitol, the first woman to do so and only the second Supreme Court justice after William Howard Taft. Taft had also been president. Rosa Parks, a private citizen as opposed to a government official, is the only woman who has lain in honor at the Capitol.Ginsburg will be buried beside her husband, Martin, in a private ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery next week. Martin Ginsburg died in 2010. She is survived by a son and a daughter, four grandchildren, two step-grandchildren and a great-grandchild.Ginsburg’s death from cancer at age 87 has added another layer of tumult to an already chaotic election year. Trump and Senate Republicans are plowing ahead with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/be4aa94786c66bd13763ea8ee30e08a6">plans to have a new justice on the bench</a>, perhaps before the Nov. 3 election.Only Chief Justice Roger Taney, who died in October 1864, died closer to a presidential election. Lincoln waited until December to nominate his replacement, Salmon Chase, who was confirmed the same day.When Scalia, Ginsburg’s closest friend on the court, died unexpectedly in 2016, Republicans refused to act on President Barack Obama’s high-court nomination of Judge Merrick Garland.

🎥 Thousands to honor Ginsburg at Supreme Court

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are asking the public for help to find suspects in Tuesday's triple shooting that left a 1-year-old boy dead.

On social media, police wrote "You can be part of the solution; call <a href="https://twitter.com/KCCrimeStop">@KCCrimeStop</a> 474-TIPS now, not tomorrow; tonight!&nbsp;

&nbsp;Just before 3a.m. Tuesday, someone fired into a car with 3 adults and 1-year-old Tyron Payton inside in the 2900 Block of E. 33rd. Street.. 

Two adults and Tyron were hit. The driver went to the KCMO Fife Department station at Linwood and Indiana for help.

Firefighters and medics tended to Tyron and the man and woman who had been injured, police said. All three were taken to a hospital, where the boy later died.&nbsp; The two adults were Tyron's parents.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Authorities have identified a child killed in a triple shooting in Kansas City as a 1-year-old boy, making him the city’s youngest homicide victim this year, police said.

Tyron Payton was in the back seat of a car with three other adults when someone opened fire on their vehicle Monday afternoon, police said. The driver of the bullet-riddled car sped to a local fire station to ask for help, authorities said.

Firefighters and medics tended to Tyron and an unidentified man and woman who had been injured, police said. All three were taken to a hospital, where the boy later died.

The child’s death is the 148th homicide this year in Kansas City. At this time last year, 114 homicides had been recorded. The Kansas City Star, which keeps data on homicides in the city, reported that 13 people who were 18 or younger have died in homicides this year, with Tyron being the youngest. All 13 died in shootings.

Federal agents have been sent to Kansas City and a handful of other cities this summer to help fight gun violence, part of a program called&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/b3826b35d488c0f2481d7fc20e8a89b2">Operation Legend</a>. The program is named after a 4-year-old Kansas City boy LeGend Taliferro, who was shot and killed while sleeping in his father’s apartment on June 29.

The federal task force had made&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/a6332b9ec38fc8d5d6143ed7e6a0a4ec">more than 1,000 arrests</a>&nbsp;in cities where it has been deployed since early July, U.S. Attorney General William Barr said last month. The task force has sent more than 1,000 agents from several federal law enforcement agencies to cities that have high crime rates.

In Monday's shooting, police said a preliminary investigation showed that the vehicle was stopped in front of a home when someone fired numerous shots into it from outside, hitting the child and two adults. A police spokesman on the scene said there was another adult in car who was not shot.

In&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/kcpolice/status/1308164309684498433?s=20">a tweet</a>, the city's police department said they were “stunned at this callousness and violence” and that they would not rest until finding out who was responsible for the shooting.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, who went to the scene of the shooting Monday, lamented the violence.

Police said in a news release that detectives were “making headway identifying persons of interest” in the shooting, but asked that anyone with any information about the shooting contact detectives.

“We need your leads, we need to make sure this stops,” Lucas said. “One way we make sure it stops is that those who do these sorts of things are held accountable. Because when you look at the shot up vehicle, you recognize that these are people that had no regard for the life of anybody.”

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A boy under the age of 5 died and two adults were injured when someone opened fire on their vehicle Monday afternoon, Kansas City police said.

After the shooting that was reported just before 3 p.m., the driver of the car pulled up to a local fire station to ask for help, according to authorities.

Fire and EMS personnel tended to the unidentified man, woman and child, police said, adding that they were taken to a hospital where the boy later died.

The preliminary investigation shows that the vehicle was stopped in front of a home when someone fired numerous shots into the vehicle from outside, striking three people, according to authorities. A police spokesman on the scene said there was another adult in car who was not struck by gunfire.

In&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/kcpolice/status/1308164309684498433?s=20" target="_blank">a tweet</a>, the city’s police department said they were “stunned at this callousness and violence” and that they would not rest until finding out who was responsible for the shooting.

The child’s death is the 148th homicide this year in Kansas City. At this time last year, 114 homicides had been recorded.

“My heart breaks again,” said Mayor Quinton Lucas, who was also present at the scene.

Both the mayor and police officials asked for anyone with any information on the shooting to contact detectives.

“We need your leads, we need to make sure this stops,” Lucas added. “One way we make sure it stops is that those who do these sorts of things are held accountable. Because when you look at the shot up vehicle, you recognize that these are people that had no regard for the life of anybody.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600859054800.png" alt="Kansas City police: Whoever shot into this car had no regard for the lives of anyone inside, least of all the young child that was killed. We will be investigating until we find who is responsible. YOU can be part of the solution; call <a href="https://twitter.com/KCCrimeStop">@KCCrimeStop</a> 474-TIPS now, not tomorrow; tonight.&nbsp; -photo KCPD" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City police: Whoever shot into this car had no regard for the lives of anyone inside, least of all the young child that was killed. We will be investigating until we find who is responsible. YOU can be part of the solution; call <a href="https://twitter.com/KCCrimeStop">@KCCrimeStop</a> 474-TIPS now, not tomorrow; tonight.&nbsp; -photo KCPD</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are asking the public for help to find suspects in Tuesday's triple shooting that left a 1-year-old boy dead.On social media, police wrote "You can be part of the solution; call <a href="https://twitter.com/KCCrimeStop">@KCCrimeStop</a> 474-TIPS now, not tomorrow; tonight!&nbsp;&nbsp;Just before 3a.m. Tuesday, someone fired into a car with 3 adults and 1-year-old Tyron Payton inside in the 2900 Block of E. 33rd. Street.. Two adults and Tyron were hit. The driver went to the KCMO Fife Department station at Linwood and Indiana for help.Firefighters and medics tended to Tyron and the man and woman who had been injured, police said. All three were taken to a hospital, where the boy later died.&nbsp; The two adults were Tyron's parents.-----------KANSAS CITY (AP) — Authorities have identified a child killed in a triple shooting in Kansas City as a 1-year-old boy, making him the city’s youngest homicide victim this year, police said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600770084886.png" alt="Police on the scene of the shooting investigation photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the shooting investigation photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>Tyron Payton was in the back seat of a car with three other adults when someone opened fire on their vehicle Monday afternoon, police said. The driver of the bullet-riddled car sped to a local fire station to ask for help, authorities said.Firefighters and medics tended to Tyron and an unidentified man and woman who had been injured, police said. All three were taken to a hospital, where the boy later died.The child’s death is the 148th homicide this year in Kansas City. At this time last year, 114 homicides had been recorded. The Kansas City Star, which keeps data on homicides in the city, reported that 13 people who were 18 or younger have died in homicides this year, with Tyron being the youngest. All 13 died in shootings.Federal agents have been sent to Kansas City and a handful of other cities this summer to help fight gun violence, part of a program called&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/b3826b35d488c0f2481d7fc20e8a89b2">Operation Legend</a>. The program is named after a 4-year-old Kansas City boy LeGend Taliferro, who was shot and killed while sleeping in his father’s apartment on June 29.The federal task force had made&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/a6332b9ec38fc8d5d6143ed7e6a0a4ec">more than 1,000 arrests</a>&nbsp;in cities where it has been deployed since early July, U.S. Attorney General William Barr said last month. The task force has sent more than 1,000 agents from several federal law enforcement agencies to cities that have high crime rates.In Monday's shooting, police said a preliminary investigation showed that the vehicle was stopped in front of a home when someone fired numerous shots into it from outside, hitting the child and two adults. A police spokesman on the scene said there was another adult in car who was not shot.In&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/kcpolice/status/1308164309684498433?s=20">a tweet</a>, the city's police department said they were “stunned at this callousness and violence” and that they would not rest until finding out who was responsible for the shooting.Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, who went to the scene of the shooting Monday, lamented the violence.“My heart breaks again,” Lucas said.Police said in a news release that detectives were “making headway identifying persons of interest” in the shooting, but asked that anyone with any information about the shooting contact detectives.“We need your leads, we need to make sure this stops,” Lucas said. “One way we make sure it stops is that those who do these sorts of things are held accountable. Because when you look at the shot up vehicle, you recognize that these are people that had no regard for the life of anybody.”------------------KANSAS CITY (AP) — A boy under the age of 5 died and two adults were injured when someone opened fire on their vehicle Monday afternoon, Kansas City police said.After the shooting that was reported just before 3 p.m., the driver of the car pulled up to a local fire station to ask for help, according to authorities.Fire and EMS personnel tended to the unidentified man, woman and child, police said, adding that they were taken to a hospital where the boy later died.The preliminary investigation shows that the vehicle was stopped in front of a home when someone fired numerous shots into the vehicle from outside, striking three people, according to authorities. A police spokesman on the scene said there was another adult in car who was not struck by gunfire.In&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/kcpolice/status/1308164309684498433?s=20" target="_blank">a tweet</a>, the city’s police department said they were “stunned at this callousness and violence” and that they would not rest until finding out who was responsible for the shooting.The child’s death is the 148th homicide this year in Kansas City. At this time last year, 114 homicides had been recorded.“My heart breaks again,” said Mayor Quinton Lucas, who was also present at the scene.Both the mayor and police officials asked for anyone with any information on the shooting to contact detectives.“We need your leads, we need to make sure this stops,” Lucas added. “One way we make sure it stops is that those who do these sorts of things are held accountable. Because when you look at the shot up vehicle, you recognize that these are people that had no regard for the life of anybody.”

Update: Police ask public's help after 1-year-old killed in KC triple shooting

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s office blocked a Kansas legislative committee from obtaining a list of the state’s personal protective equipment suppliers, a Republican lawmakers told colleagues Tuesday.

Sen. Dennis Pyle of Hiawatha released emails during a meeting of a House-Senate study committee showing that the panel’s request had been refused,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cjonline.com/news/20200922/governorrsquos-office-legislators-clash-over-transparency-in-committee-hearing" target="_blank">The Topeka Capital-Journal reported.</a>&nbsp;The committee is considering whether the laws need to be revised in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

The committee sought the list after state Adjutant General David Weishaar, who oversees the Division of Emergency Management, testified last month that some of the state’s personal protective equipment was defective. According to the emails released by Pyle, the department cited instructions from the governor’s staff in declining to release the list.

“How can I know how to make policy about PPE when I can’t even get the data about PPE?” Pyle said.

Will Lawrence, Kelly’s chief of staff, argued that the directive was merely an effort to narrow the committee’s request to avoid wasting the time of agency staffers who were responding to the pandemic.

Also, Lawrence said, providing too much information could hinder the state’s efforts to procure equipment in the future if the information becomes public.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s office blocked a Kansas legislative committee from obtaining a list of the state’s personal protective equipment suppliers, a Republican lawmakers told colleagues Tuesday.Sen. Dennis Pyle of Hiawatha released emails during a meeting of a House-Senate study committee showing that the panel’s request had been refused,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cjonline.com/news/20200922/governorrsquos-office-legislators-clash-over-transparency-in-committee-hearing" target="_blank">The Topeka Capital-Journal reported.</a>&nbsp;The committee is considering whether the laws need to be revised in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.The committee sought the list after state Adjutant General David Weishaar, who oversees the Division of Emergency Management, testified last month that some of the state’s personal protective equipment was defective. According to the emails released by Pyle, the department cited instructions from the governor’s staff in declining to release the list.“How can I know how to make policy about PPE when I can’t even get the data about PPE?” Pyle said.Will Lawrence, Kelly’s chief of staff, argued that the directive was merely an effort to narrow the committee’s request to avoid wasting the time of agency staffers who were responding to the pandemic.Also, Lawrence said, providing too much information could hinder the state’s efforts to procure equipment in the future if the information becomes public.

Lawmaker: Gov.'s staff blocks list of Kansas PPE suppliers

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a sweeping bipartisan vote that takes a government shutdown off the table, the House passed a temporary government-wide funding bill Tuesday night, shortly after President Donald Trump prevailed in a behind-the-scenes fight over his farm bailout.

The stopgap measure will keep federal agencies fully up and running into December, giving lame-duck lawmakers time to digest the election and decide whether to pass the annual government funding bills by then or kick them to the next administration. The budget year ends Sept. 30.

The 359-57 vote came after considerable behind-the-scenes battling over proposed add-ons. The final agreement gives the administration continued immediate authority to dole out Agriculture Department subsidies in the run-up to Election Day. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., retreated from an initial draft that sparked a furor with Republicans and farm-state Democrats, who said she was interfering with the routine implementation of the rural safety net as low crop prices and Trump’s own tariffs slam farm country.

“It’s a big deal. This is cash flow to mom and pop businesses all over rural America,” said Texas Rep. Michael Conaway, top Republican on the House Agriculture Committee. “They get them every year in October. They come like clockwork.”

In talks Tuesday, Pelosi restored a farm aid funding patch sought by the administration, which has sparked the ire of Democrats who said it plays political favorites as it gives out bailout money to farmers and ranchers.

In return, Pelosi won COVID-related food aid for the poor, including an extension of a higher food benefit for families whose children are unable to receive free or reduced lunches because schools are closed over the coronavirus. Another add-on would permit states to remove hurdles to food stamps and nutrition aid to low-income mothers that are more difficult to clear during the pandemic.

The deal permitted the measure to speed through the House after a swift debate that should ensure smooth sailing in the GOP-held Senate before next Wednesday’s deadline. There’s no appetite on either side for a government shutdown.

On Monday, Democrats released a version of the stopgap measure that did not contain the farm bailout provision, enraging Republicans and putting passage of the measure in doubt. It became apparent that Pelosi did not have the votes to pass it — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., dismissed it as a “rough draft” — and negotiations continued.

Democrats complain that the Trump administration has favored southern states such as Georgia — a key swing state and home of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue — and larger producers in distributing bailout funds. Farmers are suffering from low commodity prices and the effects of higher tariffs imposed by Trump. Trump announced a new $13 billion allotment of bailout funding at a political rally in Wisconsin last week.

The administration’s handling of farm subsidies had angered Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, the powerful top Democrat on the Agriculture Committee. She said that the Agriculture Department didn’t need the special financing provision that sparked the furor and that the money would come in November at the latest anyway. But the financial fix had been passed before, and other Democrats, including endangered House incumbents in states like Iowa and Minnesota, pressed for it.

“Now is not the time to be playing politics with aid to farmers or the assistance needed to save our families and local economies from economic disaster,” said freshman Rep. Abby Finkenauer, D-Iowa.

The measure is the bare minimum accomplishment for Capitol Hill’s powerful Appropriations committees, who pride themselves on their deal-making abilities despite gridlock in other corners of Congress. It came after bipartisan negotiations on a huge COVID-19 relief package imploded and appear unlikely to be rekindled — especially since the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has upended U.S. politics.

“We need to keep the government open but we also need additional COVID relief for the American people,” said Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla.

The legislation — called a continuing resolution, or CR, in Washington-speak — would keep every federal agency running at current funding levels through Dec. 11, which will keep the government afloat past an election that could reshuffle Washington’s balance of power.

The measure also extends many programs whose funding or authorizations lapse on Sept. 30, including the federal flood insurance program, highway and transit programs, and a long set of extensions of various health programs, such as a provision to prevent Medicaid cuts to hospitals that serve many poor people.

It also finances the possible transition to a new administration if Joe Biden wins the White House and would stave off an unwelcome COVID-caused increase in Medicare Part B premiums for outpatient doctor visits.

The underlying stopgap measure deals with the 30% of the federal government’s day-to-day budget that goes to Cabinet agency operations funded by Congress each year. The annual appropriations process broke down in the Senate this year and it’s unclear but probably unlikely that the $1.3 trillion in agency spending bills will be enacted this year, even in a post-election lame duck session, especially if Biden is elected to replace Trump.

In the past, both Democrats and Republicans have sought to use government funding deadlines and must-past temporary funding bills as leverage to try to win concessions elsewhere on Washington’s agenda. Such efforts invariably fail.

Republicans in 2013 used it in a failed attempt to prevent implementation of the so-called Obamacare health law, and Senate Democrats returned the favor in 2018 in a futile effort to force debate on permitting immigrants brought into the country illegally as children to remain in the U.S.

Pelosi studiously avoided such a confrontation this time.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600857176317.png" alt="On Tuesday night, the House debated and approved a temporary bipartisan spending bill to fund the federal government through December 11-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>On Tuesday night, the House debated and approved a temporary bipartisan spending bill to fund the federal government through December 11-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — In a sweeping bipartisan vote that takes a government shutdown off the table, the House passed a temporary government-wide funding bill Tuesday night, shortly after President Donald Trump prevailed in a behind-the-scenes fight over his farm bailout.The stopgap measure will keep federal agencies fully up and running into December, giving lame-duck lawmakers time to digest the election and decide whether to pass the annual government funding bills by then or kick them to the next administration. The budget year ends Sept. 30.The 359-57 vote came after considerable behind-the-scenes battling over proposed add-ons. The final agreement gives the administration continued immediate authority to dole out Agriculture Department subsidies in the run-up to Election Day. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., retreated from an initial draft that sparked a furor with Republicans and farm-state Democrats, who said she was interfering with the routine implementation of the rural safety net as low crop prices and Trump’s own tariffs slam farm country.“It’s a big deal. This is cash flow to mom and pop businesses all over rural America,” said Texas Rep. Michael Conaway, top Republican on the House Agriculture Committee. “They get them every year in October. They come like clockwork.”In talks Tuesday, Pelosi restored a farm aid funding patch sought by the administration, which has sparked the ire of Democrats who said it plays political favorites as it gives out bailout money to farmers and ranchers.In return, Pelosi won COVID-related food aid for the poor, including an extension of a higher food benefit for families whose children are unable to receive free or reduced lunches because schools are closed over the coronavirus. Another add-on would permit states to remove hurdles to food stamps and nutrition aid to low-income mothers that are more difficult to clear during the pandemic.The deal permitted the measure to speed through the House after a swift debate that should ensure smooth sailing in the GOP-held Senate before next Wednesday’s deadline. There’s no appetite on either side for a government shutdown.On Monday, Democrats released a version of the stopgap measure that did not contain the farm bailout provision, enraging Republicans and putting passage of the measure in doubt. It became apparent that Pelosi did not have the votes to pass it — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., dismissed it as a “rough draft” — and negotiations continued.Democrats complain that the Trump administration has favored southern states such as Georgia — a key swing state and home of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue — and larger producers in distributing bailout funds. Farmers are suffering from low commodity prices and the effects of higher tariffs imposed by Trump. Trump announced a new $13 billion allotment of bailout funding at a political rally in Wisconsin last week.The administration’s handling of farm subsidies had angered Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, the powerful top Democrat on the Agriculture Committee. She said that the Agriculture Department didn’t need the special financing provision that sparked the furor and that the money would come in November at the latest anyway. But the financial fix had been passed before, and other Democrats, including endangered House incumbents in states like Iowa and Minnesota, pressed for it.“Now is not the time to be playing politics with aid to farmers or the assistance needed to save our families and local economies from economic disaster,” said freshman Rep. Abby Finkenauer, D-Iowa.The measure is the bare minimum accomplishment for Capitol Hill’s powerful Appropriations committees, who pride themselves on their deal-making abilities despite gridlock in other corners of Congress. It came after bipartisan negotiations on a huge COVID-19 relief package imploded and appear unlikely to be rekindled — especially since the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has upended U.S. politics.“We need to keep the government open but we also need additional COVID relief for the American people,” said Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla.The legislation — called a continuing resolution, or CR, in Washington-speak — would keep every federal agency running at current funding levels through Dec. 11, which will keep the government afloat past an election that could reshuffle Washington’s balance of power.The measure also extends many programs whose funding or authorizations lapse on Sept. 30, including the federal flood insurance program, highway and transit programs, and a long set of extensions of various health programs, such as a provision to prevent Medicaid cuts to hospitals that serve many poor people.It also finances the possible transition to a new administration if Joe Biden wins the White House and would stave off an unwelcome COVID-caused increase in Medicare Part B premiums for outpatient doctor visits.The underlying stopgap measure deals with the 30% of the federal government’s day-to-day budget that goes to Cabinet agency operations funded by Congress each year. The annual appropriations process broke down in the Senate this year and it’s unclear but probably unlikely that the $1.3 trillion in agency spending bills will be enacted this year, even in a post-election lame duck session, especially if Biden is elected to replace Trump.In the past, both Democrats and Republicans have sought to use government funding deadlines and must-past temporary funding bills as leverage to try to win concessions elsewhere on Washington’s agenda. Such efforts invariably fail.Republicans in 2013 used it in a failed attempt to prevent implementation of the so-called Obamacare health law, and Senate Democrats returned the favor in 2018 in a futile effort to force debate on permitting immigrants brought into the country illegally as children to remain in the U.S.Pelosi studiously avoided such a confrontation this time.

House approved funding bill provides money for farmers, ranchers

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man in connection with a violent attack.

Just after 10 p.m. on Monday, police responded to an assault report at a home in the 3900 block of North Litchfield in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson

 Upon arrival, officers contacted a 17-year-old girl who was visibly shaken and wet. The investigation revealed 19-year-old Dominic Thomas and the victim were talking near a pond at 37th Street North and Sullivan when a disturbance occurred. 

During the disturbance, Thomas battered the girl, drug her to a nearby pond and held her head under the water. Thomas then released her and fled.

Officers later located Thomas, and he was arrested without further incident and booked him on requested charges of&nbsp;&nbsp;attempted murder and aggravated kidnapping, according to Davidson.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600793705943.png" alt="Thomas photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Thomas photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man in connection with a violent attack.Just after 10 p.m. on Monday, police responded to an assault report at a home in the 3900 block of North Litchfield in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson Upon arrival, officers contacted a 17-year-old girl who was visibly shaken and wet. The investigation revealed 19-year-old Dominic Thomas and the victim were talking near a pond at 37th Street North and Sullivan when a disturbance occurred. During the disturbance, Thomas battered the girl, drug her to a nearby pond and held her head under the water. Thomas then released her and fled.Officers later located Thomas, and he was arrested without further incident and booked him on requested charges of&nbsp;&nbsp;attempted murder and aggravated kidnapping, according to Davidson.

Police: Kan. man allegedly tried to drown 17-year-old girl

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on new drug charges.

Just before 12:30 a.m. Monday, deputies made contact with Madison M. Scharff, 24, of Topeka, who was a passenger in a vehicle the 300 block of NE 35th Street, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

 During the investigation, deputies located narcotics and drug paraphernalia. They arrested Scharff and booked her into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600807369031.png" alt="Scharff has recent arrests in Lyon, Mitchell and Saline County, according to online jail records. - photo Shawnee Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Scharff has recent arrests in Lyon, Mitchell and Saline County, according to online jail records. - photo Shawnee Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on new drug charges.Just before 12:30 a.m. Monday, deputies made contact with Madison M. Scharff, 24, of Topeka, who was a passenger in a vehicle the 300 block of NE 35th Street, according to Deputy Abigail Christian. During the investigation, deputies located narcotics and drug paraphernalia. They arrested Scharff and booked her into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine.

Kansas woman back in jail after deputies find drugs in car

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah said Tuesday he supports voting to fill the late&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ruth-bader-ginsburg">Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s&nbsp;</a>seat on the Supreme Court, all but ensuring President Donald Trump has the backing to push his choice to confirmation over Democratic objections that it’s too close to the November election.

Romney told reporters that it is not “written in the stars” that the court will have a liberal bent and that with Trump’s nominee — still to be announced — it will become more conservative.

Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate, and the Democrats would need four GOP defections to block consideration. Two Republicans have said they oppose taking up a nomination at this time, but no others are in sight.

“If the nominee reaches the Senate floor, I intend to vote based upon their qualifications,” Romney said. Even if he and the other two should eventually vote against Trump’s nominee, Vice President Mike Pence could break a 50-50 tie in Trump’s favor.

Trump is planning to announce his choice to replace the late&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ruth-bader-ginsburg">Ginsburg</a>&nbsp;on Saturday, setting off one of the quickest confirmation processes in modern times, with early voting for the presidential election is already underway in several states.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell declined to provide scheduling information as he opened the chamber Tuesday, but he is set to meet privately with GOP senators at their campaign headquarters to assess next steps.

Conservative senators are pushing for a swift vote before Nov. 3. The Senate Judiciary chairman who will shepherd the nomination through the chamber said Republicans have the support they need for confirmation.

“The nominee is going to be supported by every Republican in the Judiciary Committee,” Chairman Lindsey Graham told Fox News late Monday. “We’ve got the votes to confirm the justice on the floor of the Senate before the election and that’s what’s coming.”

The president met with conservative Judge Amy Coney Barrett at the White House on Monday and told reporters he would interview&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/a10e2a9e06dbaec42c21fc70763bdc96" target="_blank">other candidates&nbsp;</a>and might meet with Judge Barbara Lagoa when he travels to Florida later this week. Conversations in the White House and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s office have been increasingly focused on Barrett and Lagoa, according to a person granted anonymity to discuss the private deliberations.

Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the chamber and can confirm a justice by a simple majority.

Romney would not say whether he supports Barrett or any particular candidate. But he acknowledged the court will shift to become more conservative.

“I recognize that we, we may have a court which has more of a conservative bent than it’s had over the last few decades,” Romney told reporters on Capitol Hill. “But my liberal friends have over many decades gotten very used to the idea of having a liberal court. And that’s not written in the stars.”

Democrats point to hypocrisy in Republicans trying to rush through a pick so close to the election after McConnell led the GOP in refusing to vote on a nominee of President Barack Obama in February 2016, long before that year’s election.

Romney dismissed that argument, saying “it was not unfair” of Republicans to refuse to consider Obama’s choice of Merrick Garland.

Barrett has long been favored by conservatives, and those familiar with the process said interest inside the White House seemed to be waning for Lagoa amid concerns by some that she did not have a proven record as a conservative jurist. Lagoa has been pushed by some aides who tout her political advantages of being Hispanic and hailing from the key political battleground state of Florida.

Barrett, 48, a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, was a strong contender for the seat that eventually went to Brett Kavanaugh in 2018. At the time, Trump told confidants he was “saving” Barrett for Ginsburg’s seat.

Before joining the 7th Circuit, she had made her mark in law primarily as an academic at the University of Notre Dame, where she received a law degree and later began teaching at age 30. She clerked at the Supreme Court for conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, worked at the Miller, Cassidy, Larroca &amp; Lewin law firm in Washington, D.C., then returned to Notre Dame.

Barrett has long expressed sympathy with a mode of interpreting the Constitution called originalism, in which justices try to decipher original meanings of texts in deciding cases. Many liberals say that approach doesn’t allow the Constitution to change with the times.

Trump has said he would choose a woman, and he admitted that politics may play a role. He gave a nod to another election battleground state, Michigan, and White House officials confirmed he was referring to Joan Larsen, a federal appeals court judge there.

The president also indicated that Allison Jones Rushing, a 38-year-old appellate judge from North Carolina, is on his short list. His team is also actively considering Kate Todd, the White House deputy counsel who has never been a judge but was a clerk for Justice Clarence Thomas.

Democrats, led by presidential nominee Joe Biden, are protesting the Republicans’ rush to replace Ginsburg, saying voters should speak first, on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2020">Election Day</a>, and the winner of the White House should fill the vacancy. Biden was appealing to GOP senators to “uphold your constitutional duty, your conscience” and wait until after the election.

Trump dismissed those arguments, telling TV’s “Fox &amp; Friends” on Monday, “I think that would be good for the Republican Party, and I think it would be good for everybody to get it over with.”

The mounting clash over the vacant seat — when to fill it and with whom — injects new turbulence in the presidential campaign with the nation still reeling from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/virus-outbreak">coronavirus pandemic&nbsp;</a>that has killed nearly 200,000 Americans, left millions unemployed and heightened partisan tensions and anger.

Trump said he’s also considering one of his own lawyers. Kate Comerford Todd is a deputy White House counsel, helping navigate Trump’s White House through a thicket of legal issues. Todd was viewed as the favorite of White House lawyers, but there were concerns that the confirmation process would not be as smooth for a first-time jurist. Lawyers who have worked with her say she would be an excellent choice.

Ginsburg, 87, died Friday of metastatic pancreatic cancer. She will lie in state at the U.S. Capitol this week, the first woman ever accorded that honor. First, her casket is to be on view midweek on the steps of the high court.

With just over a month before the election, McConnell said the Senate has “more than sufficient time.”

No nominee has won confirmation so quickly since Sandra Day O’Connor — with no opposition from either party — became the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court in 1981.

Both sides are mobilizing for a wrenching confirmation fight punctuated by crucial issues before the court — healthcare, abortion access and even the potential outcome of the coming presidential election. Some protesters showed up early Monday morning outside the homes of key GOP senators.

At a Trump rally later Monday in Ohio, people chanted, “Fill the seat!”

Four Republicans could halt a quick confirmation and Trump criticized Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska for opposing a vote before elections. The president warned they would be “very badly hurt” by voters.

Others, including GOP Sens. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Cory Gardner of Colorado, declined to join in opposing the president’s plan.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer objected to what he called McConnell’s “utterly craven” pursuit of Supreme Court confirmation under current circumstances, warning it would shatter Senate norms. “It’s enough to make your head explode,” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600787944246.png" alt="Utah&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/person/?wromney">Senator Mitt Romney</a>&nbsp;released a statement Tuesday saying he supports a vote on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/organization/?137322/President-Trump">President Trump</a>’s nominee to replace the late&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/person/?ruthginsburg">Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg</a>.-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Utah&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/person/?wromney">Senator Mitt Romney</a>&nbsp;released a statement Tuesday saying he supports a vote on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/organization/?137322/President-Trump">President Trump</a>’s nominee to replace the late&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/person/?ruthginsburg">Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg</a>.-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah said Tuesday he supports voting to fill the late&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ruth-bader-ginsburg">Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s&nbsp;</a>seat on the Supreme Court, all but ensuring President Donald Trump has the backing to push his choice to confirmation over Democratic objections that it’s too close to the November election.Romney told reporters that it is not “written in the stars” that the court will have a liberal bent and that with Trump’s nominee — still to be announced — it will become more conservative.Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate, and the Democrats would need four GOP defections to block consideration. Two Republicans have said they oppose taking up a nomination at this time, but no others are in sight.“If the nominee reaches the Senate floor, I intend to vote based upon their qualifications,” Romney said. Even if he and the other two should eventually vote against Trump’s nominee, Vice President Mike Pence could break a 50-50 tie in Trump’s favor.Trump is planning to announce his choice to replace the late&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ruth-bader-ginsburg">Ginsburg</a>&nbsp;on Saturday, setting off one of the quickest confirmation processes in modern times, with early voting for the presidential election is already underway in several states.Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell declined to provide scheduling information as he opened the chamber Tuesday, but he is set to meet privately with GOP senators at their campaign headquarters to assess next steps.Conservative senators are pushing for a swift vote before Nov. 3. The Senate Judiciary chairman who will shepherd the nomination through the chamber said Republicans have the support they need for confirmation.“The nominee is going to be supported by every Republican in the Judiciary Committee,” Chairman Lindsey Graham told Fox News late Monday. “We’ve got the votes to confirm the justice on the floor of the Senate before the election and that’s what’s coming.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600719986656.png" alt="Amy Coney Barrett-during her 7th Circuit Court confirmation hearing -photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Amy Coney Barrett-during her 7th Circuit Court confirmation hearing -photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>The president met with conservative Judge Amy Coney Barrett at the White House on Monday and told reporters he would interview&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/a10e2a9e06dbaec42c21fc70763bdc96" target="_blank">other candidates&nbsp;</a>and might meet with Judge Barbara Lagoa when he travels to Florida later this week. Conversations in the White House and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s office have been increasingly focused on Barrett and Lagoa, according to a person granted anonymity to discuss the private deliberations.Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the chamber and can confirm a justice by a simple majority.Romney would not say whether he supports Barrett or any particular candidate. But he acknowledged the court will shift to become more conservative.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600719922422.png" alt="Barbara Lagoa -photo courtesy Florida Supreme&nbsp; Court" />
 <figcaption>Barbara Lagoa -photo courtesy Florida Supreme&nbsp; Court</figcaption>
 </figure>“I recognize that we, we may have a court which has more of a conservative bent than it’s had over the last few decades,” Romney told reporters on Capitol Hill. “But my liberal friends have over many decades gotten very used to the idea of having a liberal court. And that’s not written in the stars.”Democrats point to hypocrisy in Republicans trying to rush through a pick so close to the election after McConnell led the GOP in refusing to vote on a nominee of President Barack Obama in February 2016, long before that year’s election.Romney dismissed that argument, saying “it was not unfair” of Republicans to refuse to consider Obama’s choice of Merrick Garland.Barrett has long been favored by conservatives, and those familiar with the process said interest inside the White House seemed to be waning for Lagoa amid concerns by some that she did not have a proven record as a conservative jurist. Lagoa has been pushed by some aides who tout her political advantages of being Hispanic and hailing from the key political battleground state of Florida.Barrett, 48, a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, was a strong contender for the seat that eventually went to Brett Kavanaugh in 2018. At the time, Trump told confidants he was “saving” Barrett for Ginsburg’s seat.Before joining the 7th Circuit, she had made her mark in law primarily as an academic at the University of Notre Dame, where she received a law degree and later began teaching at age 30. She clerked at the Supreme Court for conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, worked at the Miller, Cassidy, Larroca &amp; Lewin law firm in Washington, D.C., then returned to Notre Dame.Barrett has long expressed sympathy with a mode of interpreting the Constitution called originalism, in which justices try to decipher original meanings of texts in deciding cases. Many liberals say that approach doesn’t allow the Constitution to change with the times.Trump has said he would choose a woman, and he admitted that politics may play a role. He gave a nod to another election battleground state, Michigan, and White House officials confirmed he was referring to Joan Larsen, a federal appeals court judge there.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600778856835.png" alt="Allison Jones Rushing-photo Courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Allison Jones Rushing-photo Courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>The president also indicated that Allison Jones Rushing, a 38-year-old appellate judge from North Carolina, is on his short list. His team is also actively considering Kate Todd, the White House deputy counsel who has never been a judge but was a clerk for Justice Clarence Thomas.Democrats, led by presidential nominee Joe Biden, are protesting the Republicans’ rush to replace Ginsburg, saying voters should speak first, on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2020">Election Day</a>, and the winner of the White House should fill the vacancy. Biden was appealing to GOP senators to “uphold your constitutional duty, your conscience” and wait until after the election.Trump dismissed those arguments, telling TV’s “Fox &amp; Friends” on Monday, “I think that would be good for the Republican Party, and I think it would be good for everybody to get it over with.”The mounting clash over the vacant seat — when to fill it and with whom — injects new turbulence in the presidential campaign with the nation still reeling from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/virus-outbreak">coronavirus pandemic&nbsp;</a>that has killed nearly 200,000 Americans, left millions unemployed and heightened partisan tensions and anger.Trump said he’s also considering one of his own lawyers. Kate Comerford Todd is a deputy White House counsel, helping navigate Trump’s White House through a thicket of legal issues. Todd was viewed as the favorite of White House lawyers, but there were concerns that the confirmation process would not be as smooth for a first-time jurist. Lawyers who have worked with her say she would be an excellent choice.Ginsburg, 87, died Friday of metastatic pancreatic cancer. She will lie in state at the U.S. Capitol this week, the first woman ever accorded that honor. First, her casket is to be on view midweek on the steps of the high court.With just over a month before the election, McConnell said the Senate has “more than sufficient time.”No nominee has won confirmation so quickly since Sandra Day O’Connor — with no opposition from either party — became the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court in 1981.Both sides are mobilizing for a wrenching confirmation fight punctuated by crucial issues before the court — healthcare, abortion access and even the potential outcome of the coming presidential election. Some protesters showed up early Monday morning outside the homes of key GOP senators.At a Trump rally later Monday in Ohio, people chanted, “Fill the seat!”Four Republicans could halt a quick confirmation and Trump criticized Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska for opposing a vote before elections. The president warned they would be “very badly hurt” by voters.Others, including GOP Sens. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Cory Gardner of Colorado, declined to join in opposing the president’s plan.Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer objected to what he called McConnell’s “utterly craven” pursuit of Supreme Court confirmation under current circumstances, warning it would shatter Senate norms. “It’s enough to make your head explode,” he said.

GOP has votes to confirm next Supreme Court justice 

WICHITA– A Kansas&nbsp; man pleaded guilty Tuesday to an armed robbery at a convenience store in Newton, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.

Jorge Correa, 25, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of robbery. In his plea, Correa admitted that on Feb. 4, 2020, he and two co-defendants robbed the EZ Trip at 100 S. Main in Newton.

 Correa had a military style rifle. The clerk gave them cash, but Correa demanded more. While the clerk was getting money from her purse, Correa fired several shots that hit the ceiling, aisle displays and an ATM machine.

 Both Correa and Montes were armed when they entered the store before 6 a.m. Feb. 4.

Investigators used surveillance footage to identify a license tag number of the getaway vehicle. After a high speed pursuit, the Kansas Highway Patrol arrested the three defendants. Urias was driving. Montes was wearing a red hoodie and sitting in the front passenger seat. Correa was sitting in the back seat with a rifle.

Co-defendant&nbsp;Rico Montes&nbsp;is set for a change of plea hearing Sept. 30. Co-defendant&nbsp;Jeremiah Urias&nbsp;is set for a change of plea hearing Sept. 28.

Correa is set for sentencing Dec. 8. He could face a penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. McAllister commended the FBI, the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Newton Police Department and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger for their work on the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600809470070.png" alt="Law enforcement on the scene of the crash and arrest on Magnolia in Salina -photo courtesy KHP" />
 <figcaption>Law enforcement on the scene of the crash and arrest on Magnolia in Salina -photo courtesy KHP</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA– A Kansas&nbsp; man pleaded guilty Tuesday to an armed robbery at a convenience store in Newton, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.Jorge Correa, 25, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of robbery. In his plea, Correa admitted that on Feb. 4, 2020, he and two co-defendants robbed the EZ Trip at 100 S. Main in Newton.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1581099764567.png" alt="Correa -photo Harvey Co." />
 <figcaption>Correa -photo Harvey Co.</figcaption>
 </figure> Correa had a military style rifle. The clerk gave them cash, but Correa demanded more. While the clerk was getting money from her purse, Correa fired several shots that hit the ceiling, aisle displays and an ATM machine. Both Correa and Montes were armed when they entered the store before 6 a.m. Feb. 4.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600809125735.png" alt="Montes" />
 <figcaption>Montes</figcaption>
 </figure>Investigators used surveillance footage to identify a license tag number of the getaway vehicle. After a high speed pursuit, the Kansas Highway Patrol arrested the three defendants. Urias was driving. Montes was wearing a red hoodie and sitting in the front passenger seat. Correa was sitting in the back seat with a rifle.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1581099636176.png" alt="Urias photo Harvey Co. " />
 <figcaption>Urias photo Harvey Co. </figcaption>
 </figure>Co-defendant&nbsp;Rico Montes&nbsp;is set for a change of plea hearing Sept. 30. Co-defendant&nbsp;Jeremiah Urias&nbsp;is set for a change of plea hearing Sept. 28.Correa is set for sentencing Dec. 8. He could face a penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. McAllister commended the FBI, the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Newton Police Department and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger for their work on the case.

Kan. man admits he fired shots  in Newton armed robbery

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — More Kansas schools have ended in-person classes and canceled sports because of coronavirus exposure and team quarantines.

Both Haysville and Derby have quarantined their high school football teams, but Derby still plans to hold Friday night’s game.

Chanute has canceled football games, but is continuing in-person classes against the recommendation of the state’s reopening guide.

The school board in Atwood overruled the superintendent’s decision to move classes to remote learning before reversing course.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment is expected to identify active coronavirus clusters on Wednesday, including outbreaks at schools and on sports teams.

Gov. Laura Kelly has said she feared large outbreaks of COVID-19 as children return to school, sports practices resume and college students return to campuses.

In Abilene, Superintendent Greg Brown said in a statement Monday that all classes will be remote for two weeks after four adults tested positive and another four who are sick await test results.

“Please understand this is absolutely the last thing we want to do,” Brown said. “We understand how important it is to have our students in school, receiving a first-rate educational experience, but COVID-19 has struck our teachers and support staff significantly.”

In El Dorado, the high school soccer team is in quarantine after a potential exposure and soccer games have been postponed. In Winfield, the high school volleyball team that had practices and matches suspended after two student-athletes tested positive.

Fort Scott, Independence and Chanute in southeast Kansas canceled football for two weeks, the newspaper reported.

Preschool students at Roosevelt Elementary in Arkansas City on Friday were banned from in-person classes for two weeks after someone tested positive. Earlier that same week, Arkansas City school officials announced a class at Frances Willard Elementary had in-person classes suspended for 14 days.

In Johnson County, some parents are objecting after health officials urged more than 100 people who had contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19 at an elementary school in Overland Park to quarantine for 14 days.

State health officials reported on Monday 53,959 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 600 deaths since the pandemic began — an increase of 1,674 cases and four deaths over the weekend.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — More Kansas schools have ended in-person classes and canceled sports because of coronavirus exposure and team quarantines.Both Haysville and Derby have quarantined their high school football teams, but Derby still plans to hold Friday night’s game.Chanute has canceled football games, but is continuing in-person classes against the recommendation of the state’s reopening guide.The school board in Atwood overruled the superintendent’s decision to move classes to remote learning before reversing course.The Kansas Department of Health and Environment is expected to identify active coronavirus clusters on Wednesday, including outbreaks at schools and on sports teams.Gov. Laura Kelly has said she feared large outbreaks of COVID-19 as children return to school, sports practices resume and college students return to campuses.In Abilene, Superintendent Greg Brown said in a statement Monday that all classes will be remote for two weeks after four adults tested positive and another four who are sick await test results.“Please understand this is absolutely the last thing we want to do,” Brown said. “We understand how important it is to have our students in school, receiving a first-rate educational experience, but COVID-19 has struck our teachers and support staff significantly.”In El Dorado, the high school soccer team is in quarantine after a potential exposure and soccer games have been postponed. In Winfield, the high school volleyball team that had practices and matches suspended after two student-athletes tested positive.Fort Scott, Independence and Chanute in southeast Kansas canceled football for two weeks, the newspaper reported.Preschool students at Roosevelt Elementary in Arkansas City on Friday were banned from in-person classes for two weeks after someone tested positive. Earlier that same week, Arkansas City school officials announced a class at Frances Willard Elementary had in-person classes suspended for 14 days.In Johnson County, some parents are objecting after health officials urged more than 100 people who had contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19 at an elementary school in Overland Park to quarantine for 14 days.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600708052188.png" alt="Sept. 21, 2020 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Sept. 21, 2020 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>State health officials reported on Monday 53,959 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 600 deaths since the pandemic began — an increase of 1,674 cases and four deaths over the weekend.

More Kansas schools ending in-person classes, sports

By SARAH JANE TRIBBLE <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-09-22/rural-hospitals-in-kansas-and-elsewhere-are-looking-at-federal-coronavirus-loans-skeptically">Kansas News Service</a>

David Usher, chief financial officer for a 12-bed rural hospital in western Kansas, is sitting on $1.7 million he's scared to spend.

The
 money lent from the federal government is meant to help hospitals and 
other health care providers weather the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet some 
hospital administrators have called it a payday loan program that is now
 brutally due for repayment at a time when the institutions still need 
help.

Coronavirus cases have "picked up recently and it's quite 
worrying," says Usher, who is the chief financial officer for Edwards 
County Medical Center in Kinsley, Kansas. He would like to use the 
federal loan money to build a negative-pressure room. Such rooms are a 
common and effective tool for keeping contagious patients apart from 
those in the rest of the hospital.

But he's not sure it's safe to spend that cash. Officially, the total repayment of the loan
 is due this month. Otherwise, according to the loan's terms, federal 
regulators will stop reimbursing the hospitals for Medicare patients' 
treatments until the loan is repaid in full.

When will the creditor come calling?

The
 federal Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services has not yet begun 
trying to recoup its investment, with the coronavirus still affecting 
communities nationwide, but hospital leaders fear it may come calling for repayment any day now.

Hospital
 leaders across the country say there has been no communication from CMS
 on whether or when it will adjust the repayment deadline. A CMS 
spokesperson did not respond to our questions by publishing time.

"It's
 great having the money," Usher says. "But if I don't know how much I 
get to keep, I don't get to spend the money wisely and effectively on 
the facility."

Usher took out the loan from Medicare's Accelerated
 and Advance Payments program. The program, which existed long before 
the pandemic, was generally used sparingly by hospitals when they were 
faced with emergencies such as hurricanes or tornadoes. It was expanded 
for use during the coronavirus pandemic — part of billions approved <a href="https://khn.org/news/amid-coronavirus-distress-wealthy-hospitals-hoard-millions/" target="_blank">in federal relief funds</a> for health care providers this spring.

A
 full repayment of a hospital's loan is technically due 120 days after 
it was received. If it is not paid, Medicare will stop reimbursing 
claims until it recoups the money it is owed — a point spelled out in 
the program's rules. Medicare reimburses nearly <a href="https://data.cdc.gov/Administrative/Provider-Relief-Fund-Accelerated-and-Advance-Payme/v2pi-w3up" target="_blank">$60 billion in payments</a> to health care providers nationwide under Medicare's Part A program, which makes payments to hospitals.

More
 than 65% of the nation's small, rural hospitals — many of which were 
operating at a deficit before the pandemic — jumped at the Medicare 
loans when the pandemic hit because they were the first funds available, says <a href="https://www.ruralhealthweb.org/about-nrha/staff-directory" target="_blank">Maggie Elehwany</a>, former vice president of government affairs for the National Rural Health Association.

CMS halted new loan applications to the program at the end of April.

"The
 pandemic has simply gone on longer than anyone anticipated back in 
March," says Joanna Hiatt Kim, vice president of payment policy and 
analysis for the American Hospital Association. The trade association <a href="https://www.aha.org/system/files/media/file/2020/07/cms-urged-to-delay-repayment-of-accelerated-payments-letter-7-29-20.pdf" target="_blank">sent a letter</a> to CMS in late July asking for a delay in the recoupment.

On
 Monday, the House Appropriations Committee included partial relief for 
all hospitals in a new government funding plan. The committee's proposal
 would extend the start of the repayment period for hospitals and the 
amount of time they are allowed to take to repay.

The <a href="https://appropriations.house.gov/sites/democrats.appropriations.house.gov/files/Continuing%20Appropriations%202021%20Extensions%202020%20Summary.pdf" target="_blank">continuing resolution</a>
 that includes this language about relief for hospitals (among many, 
many other things) is still being hammered out, though it does face its 
own deadline: It must be approved by the House and the Senate within the
 next nine days or the federal government faces a shutdown.

"Still in the middle of this crisis"

Tom Nickels, executive vice president at the AHA, says his organization appreciates the House committee's effort to address the loans in the new bill, but full forgiveness of the loans is still needed.

Sen.
 Jeanne Shaheen, a New Hampshire Democrat, has called for changes to the
 loan repayment period for months and said Monday "our work is far from 
over."

"We are still in the middle of this crisis — from both health and economic standpoints," Shaheen says.

Meanwhile,
 hospital administrators like Peter Wright are holding their breath, 
waiting to see if, in order to settle the debt, Medicare will stop 
making payments to hospitals, even as the facilities continue to grapple
 with the coronavirus in their communities.

"The feds, if you owe 
them money, they just take it," says Wright, who oversees two small 
hospitals for Central Maine Healthcare in Bridgton, Maine. He says his 
health care system took the money because "we had no other choice; it 
was a cash flow issue."

For many hospitals, Medicare payments make
 up 40% or more of their revenue. Not being reimbursed by Medicare would
 be crippling — akin to a household losing nearly half its income.

"We have no idea what we're going to do if we have to pay it back as quickly as they say," Wright says.

In
 rural Kentucky, hospital executive Sheila Currans says she "vacillated"
 for about a week or so, trying to decide whether to tap the loan 
program for her hospital — she knew it would have to be repaid and 
worried that could prove difficult.

"It was a desperate time," 
says Currans, chief executive of Harrison Memorial Hospital in 
Cynthiana, Ky. In early March her hospital was the first in the state to
 treat a COVID-19 patient, she says.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600800818154.png" alt="The hospital in this central Kansas town is nervous about taking a loan from the federal government to help pay for COVID-19 expenses. Scott Canon / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>The hospital in this central Kansas town is nervous about taking a loan from the federal government to help pay for COVID-19 expenses. Scott Canon / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By SARAH JANE TRIBBLE <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-09-22/rural-hospitals-in-kansas-and-elsewhere-are-looking-at-federal-coronavirus-loans-skeptically">Kansas News Service</a>David Usher, chief financial officer for a 12-bed rural hospital in western Kansas, is sitting on $1.7 million he's scared to spend.The
 money lent from the federal government is meant to help hospitals and 
other health care providers weather the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet some 
hospital administrators have called it a payday loan program that is now
 brutally due for repayment at a time when the institutions still need 
help.Coronavirus cases have "picked up recently and it's quite 
worrying," says Usher, who is the chief financial officer for Edwards 
County Medical Center in Kinsley, Kansas. He would like to use the 
federal loan money to build a negative-pressure room. Such rooms are a 
common and effective tool for keeping contagious patients apart from 
those in the rest of the hospital.But he's not sure it's safe to spend that cash. Officially, the total repayment of the loan
 is due this month. Otherwise, according to the loan's terms, federal 
regulators will stop reimbursing the hospitals for Medicare patients' 
treatments until the loan is repaid in full.When will the creditor come calling?The
 federal Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services has not yet begun 
trying to recoup its investment, with the coronavirus still affecting 
communities nationwide, but hospital leaders fear it may come calling for repayment any day now.Hospital
 leaders across the country say there has been no communication from CMS
 on whether or when it will adjust the repayment deadline. A CMS 
spokesperson did not respond to our questions by publishing time."It's
 great having the money," Usher says. "But if I don't know how much I 
get to keep, I don't get to spend the money wisely and effectively on 
the facility."Usher took out the loan from Medicare's Accelerated
 and Advance Payments program. The program, which existed long before 
the pandemic, was generally used sparingly by hospitals when they were 
faced with emergencies such as hurricanes or tornadoes. It was expanded 
for use during the coronavirus pandemic — part of billions approved <a href="https://khn.org/news/amid-coronavirus-distress-wealthy-hospitals-hoard-millions/" target="_blank">in federal relief funds</a> for health care providers this spring.A
 full repayment of a hospital's loan is technically due 120 days after 
it was received. If it is not paid, Medicare will stop reimbursing 
claims until it recoups the money it is owed — a point spelled out in 
the program's rules. Medicare reimburses nearly <a href="https://data.cdc.gov/Administrative/Provider-Relief-Fund-Accelerated-and-Advance-Payme/v2pi-w3up" target="_blank">$60 billion in payments</a> to health care providers nationwide under Medicare's Part A program, which makes payments to hospitals.More
 than 65% of the nation's small, rural hospitals — many of which were 
operating at a deficit before the pandemic — jumped at the Medicare 
loans when the pandemic hit because they were the first funds available, says <a href="https://www.ruralhealthweb.org/about-nrha/staff-directory" target="_blank">Maggie Elehwany</a>, former vice president of government affairs for the National Rural Health Association.CMS halted new loan applications to the program at the end of April."The
 pandemic has simply gone on longer than anyone anticipated back in 
March," says Joanna Hiatt Kim, vice president of payment policy and 
analysis for the American Hospital Association. The trade association <a href="https://www.aha.org/system/files/media/file/2020/07/cms-urged-to-delay-repayment-of-accelerated-payments-letter-7-29-20.pdf" target="_blank">sent a letter</a> to CMS in late July asking for a delay in the recoupment.On
 Monday, the House Appropriations Committee included partial relief for 
all hospitals in a new government funding plan. The committee's proposal
 would extend the start of the repayment period for hospitals and the 
amount of time they are allowed to take to repay.The <a href="https://appropriations.house.gov/sites/democrats.appropriations.house.gov/files/Continuing%20Appropriations%202021%20Extensions%202020%20Summary.pdf" target="_blank">continuing resolution</a>
 that includes this language about relief for hospitals (among many, 
many other things) is still being hammered out, though it does face its 
own deadline: It must be approved by the House and the Senate within the
 next nine days or the federal government faces a shutdown."Still in the middle of this crisis"Tom Nickels, executive vice president at the AHA, says his organization appreciates the House committee's effort to address the loans in the new bill, but full forgiveness of the loans is still needed.Sen.
 Jeanne Shaheen, a New Hampshire Democrat, has called for changes to the
 loan repayment period for months and said Monday "our work is far from 
over.""We are still in the middle of this crisis — from both health and economic standpoints," Shaheen says.Meanwhile,
 hospital administrators like Peter Wright are holding their breath, 
waiting to see if, in order to settle the debt, Medicare will stop 
making payments to hospitals, even as the facilities continue to grapple
 with the coronavirus in their communities."The feds, if you owe 
them money, they just take it," says Wright, who oversees two small 
hospitals for Central Maine Healthcare in Bridgton, Maine. He says his 
health care system took the money because "we had no other choice; it 
was a cash flow issue."For many hospitals, Medicare payments make
 up 40% or more of their revenue. Not being reimbursed by Medicare would
 be crippling — akin to a household losing nearly half its income."We have no idea what we're going to do if we have to pay it back as quickly as they say," Wright says.In
 rural Kentucky, hospital executive Sheila Currans says she "vacillated"
 for about a week or so, trying to decide whether to tap the loan 
program for her hospital — she knew it would have to be repaid and 
worried that could prove difficult."It was a desperate time," 
says Currans, chief executive of Harrison Memorial Hospital in 
Cynthiana, Ky. In early March her hospital was the first in the state to
 treat a COVID-19 patient, she says.The hospital immediately quarantined dozens of staff members at the time and
 shut down elective procedures. Once COVID-19 was confirmed in the 
community, there was a "horrible fear" among residents of getting 
infected, Currans says, and that kept people from seeking outpatient 
care as well."Through March and April and most of May, I was in a
 complete spiral," Currans says, and by the end of April her hospital 
was losing millions of dollars. To cope with the pandemic, she 
furloughed staff and turned one wing of the hospital into a "cough 
clinic" to be used exclusively by patients whose symptoms suggested they
 might be infected with the coronavirus.Currans says the hospital
 is still seeing cases of COVID-19 show up, but other patients are 
beginning to return for services, too, such as at the outpatient 
clinics.In terms of the hospital's finances, "it's still not a 
wonderful time," Currans says, adding that the Medicare loan and other 
support from the federal government "helped us — at least for now — 
survive it."She's hoping the repayment demand will be pushed back to 2021 or, perhaps, the loan will be forgiven."I know it's a pipe dream," Currans says. "But this has been a historic event."<a href="https://khn.org/" target="_blank">Kaiser Health News</a> is a nonprofit, independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, and is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.Sarah Jane Tribble spent more than a year and a half <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/khn.org/news/tag/no-mercy/__;!!Iwwt!Bq6oM4K2JC4j2urJjlZnjh7wtAM_dzduY7xXFLXAOdeinR9h2LJlUEZHTNUhtg$" target="_blank">reporting</a>
 on a Kansas town that lost its only hospital. This month, KHN and St. 
Louis Public Radio will launch "Where It Hurts," a podcast exploring the
 often painful cracks growing in America's health system. You can listen
 to Episode 1 of the podcast's first season, "<a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/where-it-hurts/id1529977695__;!!Iwwt!Bq6oM4K2JC4j2urJjlZnjh7wtAM_dzduY7xXFLXAOdeinR9h2LJlUEZCVurJdQ$" target="_blank">No Mercy</a>," on Sept. 29.