SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspect in connection with alleged human trafficking involving a 17-year-old victim.

On September 29, the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office and Kansas Highway Patrol received information from a concerned citizen regarding the possible human trafficking and sexual exploitation of a child, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

During the evening hours Monday, detectives with the Criminal Investigations Division of the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office and multiple law enforcement officers with the Kansas Highway Patrol apprehended David D. Spears, 51, Osawatomie, who&nbsp; attempted to meet with a 17-year-old child at a local motel.&nbsp;

Officers arrested Spears and booked him on requested charges of aggravated human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation of a child, according to Christian.

Police also arrested a 17-year-old boy from Topeka on requested charges of commercial sexual exploitation for transporting the victim.

The victim was placed into police protective custody.

SHAWNEE COUNTY, Kan. (SNSO) – Sheriff Brian C. Hill announces a 51-year-old male from

Osawatomie is in custody and facing two felony charges after traveling to Topeka to meet an

On September 29, 2020, the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office and Kansas Highway Patrol

received information from a concerned citizen regarding the possible human trafficking and sexual

exploitation of a child. During the evening hours of October 5, 2020, detectives with the Criminal

Investigations Division of the Sheriff’s Office and multiple law enforcement officers with the

Kansas Highway Patrol apprehended one male subject that attempted to meet up with a 17-yearold child at a local motel. The victim was placed into police protective custody.

David D. Spears (51) of Osawatomie was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County

Department of Corrections and charged with two felonies, aggravated human trafficking and

commercial sexual exploitation of a child. A 17-year-old male from Topeka was also arrested and

charged with commercial sexual exploitation for transporting the victim.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602001340452.png" alt="Spears photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Spears photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspect in connection with alleged human trafficking involving a 17-year-old victim.On September 29, the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office and Kansas Highway Patrol received information from a concerned citizen regarding the possible human trafficking and sexual exploitation of a child, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.During the evening hours Monday, detectives with the Criminal Investigations Division of the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office and multiple law enforcement officers with the Kansas Highway Patrol apprehended David D. Spears, 51, Osawatomie, who&nbsp; attempted to meet with a 17-year-old child at a local motel.&nbsp;Officers arrested Spears and booked him on requested charges of aggravated human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation of a child, according to Christian.Police also arrested a 17-year-old boy from Topeka on requested charges of commercial sexual exploitation for transporting the victim.The victim was placed into police protective custody.------SHAWNEE COUNTY, Kan. (SNSO) – Sheriff Brian C. Hill announces a 51-year-old male fromOsawatomie is in custody and facing two felony charges after traveling to Topeka to meet anunderage child yesterday evening.On September 29, 2020, the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office and Kansas Highway Patrolreceived information from a concerned citizen regarding the possible human trafficking and sexualexploitation of a child. During the evening hours of October 5, 2020, detectives with the CriminalInvestigations Division of the Sheriff’s Office and multiple law enforcement officers with theKansas Highway Patrol apprehended one male subject that attempted to meet up with a 17-yearold child at a local motel. The victim was placed into police protective custody.David D. Spears (51) of Osawatomie was arrested and booked into the Shawnee CountyDepartment of Corrections and charged with two felonies, aggravated human trafficking andcommercial sexual exploitation of a child. A 17-year-old male from Topeka was also arrested andcharged with commercial sexual exploitation for transporting the victim.This investigation is ongoing.

Sheriff: Kansas man attempted to meet teen at motel 

KANSAS CITY (AP) — <a href="https://kcsjcatholic.org/pastoral-letter-preparing-to-vote/">The bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph</a> in Missouri is urging parishioners to vote for candidates who are anti-abortion, which some critics contend amounts to an endorsement of Republican candidates.

<a href="https://kcsjcatholic.org/wp-content/uploads/preparing-to-vote.pdf">In a letter dated Sept. 14,</a> Bishop James V. Johnston Jr. does not endorse a political party or specific candidates. But he says Catholic voters “would do well to weigh a candidate’s position on each of these essential God-given rights that government has a duty to protect, beginning with the right to life.”

Several people posted social media comments suggesting the letter was political campaigning, which violates the principle of the separation of church and state. Others suggested Catholic voters need to consider several issues, not just abortion.

Cynthia Spaeth, a member of the Visitation Parish in Kansas City, said she thought the letter was an endorsement of President Donald Trump.

“I think people should follow the spirit and the letter of the law and he’s not allowed to make endorsements and maintain his tax exemption,” Spaeth said. “So just on that basis it was offensive."

Johnston told KCUR he was only urging parishioners to vote with their conscience.

“And so I mainly wanted to begin there, to review some of the basic, fundamental understanding of what a conscience is and how do you properly form it," he said. "And if you get that right, people then can follow that and make a good decision.”

The letter conforms with the position of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, who said in a letter last year that abortion is of “preeminent priority” to the church.

It also follows other Catholic leaders who have written similar letters.

Two weeks ago, Pittsburgh Bishop David Zubik urged his parishioners to vote with their conscience based on church teachings.

In September, the Rev. James Altman, a parish priest in La Crosse, Wisconsin, declared in a YouTube video that “you cannot be Catholic and be a Democrat.” La Crosse Bishop William Callahan criticized Altman for entangling the church in scandal.

Roman Catholic voters are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-virus-outbreak-ruth-bader-ginsburg-pennsylvania-immigration-a3c8a26a15cfbe0d2eb5df225490f960">an important voting bloc</a>&nbsp;in this year’s election, and both parties are appealing for their votes based on their faith. Roman Catholics have voted for the winner in nine out of the last 10 presidential elections.

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden is a practicing Catholic but he has been criticized by some his support of abortion rights. Trump, who identifies as Presbyterian, rarely attends church and critics say his stance on other social issues conflict with Catholic teachings.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602096966976.png" alt="Image courtesy Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — <a href="https://kcsjcatholic.org/pastoral-letter-preparing-to-vote/">The bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph</a> in Missouri is urging parishioners to vote for candidates who are anti-abortion, which some critics contend amounts to an endorsement of Republican candidates.<a href="https://kcsjcatholic.org/wp-content/uploads/preparing-to-vote.pdf">In a letter dated Sept. 14,</a> Bishop James V. Johnston Jr. does not endorse a political party or specific candidates. But he says Catholic voters “would do well to weigh a candidate’s position on each of these essential God-given rights that government has a duty to protect, beginning with the right to life.”Several people posted social media comments suggesting the letter was political campaigning, which violates the principle of the separation of church and state. Others suggested Catholic voters need to consider several issues, not just abortion.Cynthia Spaeth, a member of the Visitation Parish in Kansas City, said she thought the letter was an endorsement of President Donald Trump.“I think people should follow the spirit and the letter of the law and he’s not allowed to make endorsements and maintain his tax exemption,” Spaeth said. “So just on that basis it was offensive."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602097049588.png" alt="Bishop Johnson photo courtesy Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph" />
 <figcaption>Bishop Johnson photo courtesy Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph</figcaption>
 </figure>Johnston told KCUR he was only urging parishioners to vote with their conscience.“And so I mainly wanted to begin there, to review some of the basic, fundamental understanding of what a conscience is and how do you properly form it," he said. "And if you get that right, people then can follow that and make a good decision.”The letter conforms with the position of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, who said in a letter last year that abortion is of “preeminent priority” to the church.It also follows other Catholic leaders who have written similar letters.Two weeks ago, Pittsburgh Bishop David Zubik urged his parishioners to vote with their conscience based on church teachings.In September, the Rev. James Altman, a parish priest in La Crosse, Wisconsin, declared in a YouTube video that “you cannot be Catholic and be a Democrat.” La Crosse Bishop William Callahan criticized Altman for entangling the church in scandal.Roman Catholic voters are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-virus-outbreak-ruth-bader-ginsburg-pennsylvania-immigration-a3c8a26a15cfbe0d2eb5df225490f960">an important voting bloc</a>&nbsp;in this year’s election, and both parties are appealing for their votes based on their faith. Roman Catholics have voted for the winner in nine out of the last 10 presidential elections.Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden is a practicing Catholic but he has been criticized by some his support of abortion rights. Trump, who identifies as Presbyterian, rarely attends church and critics say his stance on other social issues conflict with Catholic teachings.

Catholic bishop in Kansas City criticized for letter on voting

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A registered Kansas sex offender was charged Tuesday with rape and kidnapping in connection with a September attack on a woman in Wichita, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Just after 7 p.m. Sept. 22, police were dispatched to a sexual assault case in the 800 block of South Sylvan in Wichita, according to officer Paul Cruz.

Upon arrival, a 48-year-old female victim, told police she was walking in the area of Lincoln and Oliver when a suspect later identified as 34-year-old Darrius Johnson approached and grabbed her, forcing her into his Toyota Camry.

Johnson drove the victim to a separate location and sexually assaulted her. Johnson then drove the victim back to Lincoln and Oliver where she was released. Through the investigation and examination of evidence, Johnson was determined to have been involved in the attack. 

Police arrested Johnson October 1, in the 2100 block of South White Oak in Wichita without incident.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Johnson has a previous felony conviction in 2010 for attempted aggravated sexual battery where victim is overcome by force or fear, according to the KBI offender registry.

At the time of his arrest, Johnson was out on bond for a separate alleged sex crime, according to Cruz.

Johnson is being held on a&nbsp; bond of $350,000. Attorneys in the case will discuss it on October 22, according to the district attorney.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1601842042015.png" alt="Johnson photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Johnson photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A registered Kansas sex offender was charged Tuesday with rape and kidnapping in connection with a September attack on a woman in Wichita, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.Just after 7 p.m. Sept. 22, police were dispatched to a sexual assault case in the 800 block of South Sylvan in Wichita, according to officer Paul Cruz.Upon arrival, a 48-year-old female victim, told police she was walking in the area of Lincoln and Oliver when a suspect later identified as 34-year-old Darrius Johnson approached and grabbed her, forcing her into his Toyota Camry.Johnson drove the victim to a separate location and sexually assaulted her. Johnson then drove the victim back to Lincoln and Oliver where she was released. Through the investigation and examination of evidence, Johnson was determined to have been involved in the attack. Police arrested Johnson October 1, in the 2100 block of South White Oak in Wichita without incident.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1601904705441.png" alt="Johnson-photo KBI Offender Registry" />
 <figcaption>Johnson-photo KBI Offender Registry</figcaption>
 </figure>Johnson has a previous felony conviction in 2010 for attempted aggravated sexual battery where victim is overcome by force or fear, according to the KBI offender registry.At the time of his arrest, Johnson was out on bond for a separate alleged sex crime, according to Cruz.Johnson is being held on a&nbsp; bond of $350,000. Attorneys in the case will discuss it on October 22, according to the district attorney.

Kansas sex offender charged with rape, kidnapping 

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is crediting an experimental drug treatment with helping his recovery from COVID-19 and suggesting his diagnosis could be a “blessing in disguise” for the nation’s battle against the pandemic — even though there is no way for the president or his doctors to know whether the drug had any effect. 

In a new White House video posted Wednesday evening, Trump says his illness has shed light on an experimental antibody cocktail that he credits for his improved condition. He promises to swiftly get the drugs approved for use — and distribute it for free — even though he does not have the power to order that himself.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s physician says the president had been symptom-free for 24 hours and his vital signs have remained stable and in normal range.

Dr. Scott Conley, in a memo, also wrote that Trump, who was diagnosed with COVID-19 five days ago, told him “I feel great!”

Conley didn't detail which medications the president was taking. He says the president has not required any supplemental oxygen since returning to the White House late Monday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is crediting an experimental drug treatment with helping his recovery from COVID-19 and suggesting his diagnosis could be a “blessing in disguise” for the nation’s battle against the pandemic — even though there is no way for the president or his doctors to know whether the drug had any effect. <div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT! <a href="https://t.co/uhLIcknAjT">pic.twitter.com/uhLIcknAjT</a>&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1313959702104023047?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In a new White House video posted Wednesday evening, Trump says his illness has shed light on an experimental antibody cocktail that he credits for his improved condition. He promises to swiftly get the drugs approved for use — and distribute it for free — even though he does not have the power to order that himself.WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s physician says the president had been symptom-free for 24 hours and his vital signs have remained stable and in normal range.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602093409827.png" alt="Courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>Dr. Scott Conley, in a memo, also wrote that Trump, who was diagnosed with COVID-19 five days ago, told him “I feel great!”Conley didn't detail which medications the president was taking. He says the president has not required any supplemental oxygen since returning to the White House late Monday.

 🎥  President: Experimental treatment helped his recovery

HUTCHINSON— A Kansas man arrested in January for a 2017 shooting and robbery waived his right to a preliminary hearing and entered guilty pleas to lesser charges.

Maique Rodriguez-Faudoa was charged with attempted first degree murder in the May 2017 shooting of his uncle, Jesus Faudoa.&nbsp; Police found Faudoa shot multiple times at a home in the 700 block of E. 7th Avenue in Hutchinson.&nbsp;

Rodriguez Faudoa then took the victim's cell phone and pickup

Despite his injuries Faudoa was able to recover.&nbsp;

On Wednesday, Rodriguez-Faudoa pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery and robbery.&nbsp; &nbsp;Sentencing is set for November 4.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602102069124.jpeg" alt="Rodriguez-Faudoa&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Rodriguez-Faudoa&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON— A Kansas man arrested in January for a 2017 shooting and robbery waived his right to a preliminary hearing and entered guilty pleas to lesser charges.Maique Rodriguez-Faudoa was charged with attempted first degree murder in the May 2017 shooting of his uncle, Jesus Faudoa.&nbsp; Police found Faudoa shot multiple times at a home in the 700 block of E. 7th Avenue in Hutchinson.&nbsp;Rodriguez Faudoa then took the victim's cell phone and pickupDespite his injuries Faudoa was able to recover.&nbsp;On Wednesday, Rodriguez-Faudoa pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery and robbery.&nbsp; &nbsp;Sentencing is set for November 4.

Kan. man enters plea deal in 2017 shooting of his uncle

TOPEKA –&nbsp;Dr. Lee Norman, Secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) held a press briefing Wednesday on COVID-19.

Among the topics, he discussed the upcoming flu season and the importance of getting a flu shot shot.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 1,244 to a total of 63,952 the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;

Coronavirus deaths were reported at 723, an increase of 17.

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

TOPEKA –&nbsp;Dr. Lee Norman, Secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) held a press briefing Wednesday on COVID-19.Among the topics, he discussed the upcoming flu season and the importance of getting a flu shot shot.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FKDHEnews%2Fvideos%2F346905849722977%2F&show_text=false&width=560" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 1,244 to a total of 63,952 the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;Coronavirus deaths were reported at 723, an increase of 17.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602090349295.png" alt="Wednesday October 7, 2020 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Wednesday October 7, 2020 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 1,244 to a total of 63,952 the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;Coronavirus deaths were reported at 723, an increase of 17.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602090349295.png" alt="Wednesday October 7, 2020 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Wednesday October 7, 2020 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional numbers from the KDHE.

 🎥 Dr. Norman on increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations 

BARTON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident Tuesday evening after a crash into the fire department building in Ellinwood.

According to police, a 2005 Chevy Silverado 2500 driven by&nbsp; Dustin Lee Jahay, 35, Ellinwood, was  westbound in the 100 block of West Santa Fe in Ellinwood, left the roadway, struck the east wall of the Fire Department and caught fire. Jahay was trapped in the pickup.&nbsp;

First responders were able to extinguish the fire and extricated Jahay from the vehicle. An air ambulance transported him to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita.

The Fire Department's south building and numerous vehicles within the fire department were damaged.

Authorities have not released a dollar estimate on damage.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602100276586.jpeg" alt="Tuesday evening crash in Ellinwood" />
 <figcaption>Tuesday evening crash in Ellinwood</figcaption>
 </figure>BARTON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident Tuesday evening after a crash into the fire department building in Ellinwood.According to police, a 2005 Chevy Silverado 2500 driven by&nbsp; Dustin Lee Jahay, 35, Ellinwood, was westbound in the 100 block of West Santa Fe in Ellinwood, left the roadway, struck the east wall of the Fire Department and caught fire. Jahay was trapped in the pickup.&nbsp;First responders were able to extinguish the fire and extricated Jahay from the vehicle. An air ambulance transported him to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita.The Fire Department's south building and numerous vehicles within the fire department were damaged.Authorities have not released a dollar estimate on damage.

Kan. man airlifted to hospital after crash into fire station

By STEPHAN BISAHA <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/it-not-sustainable-kansas-online-teachers-are-overworked-and-quitting">Kansas News Service</a>

WICHITA, Kansas — Less than a week into the new 
school year, the warning came: The school district’s COVID-19 learning 
plan expected too much from teachers.

“It’s unsustainable,” Greg
 Jones, a representative for the Kansas National Education Association, 
told the Wichita school board. “We don’t think that things can continue 
as they are.”

Public
 schools in Kansas are asking a lot from remote teachers this year. They
 must figure out how to shift their lessons online — without the wiggle 
room granted in the spring. Teachers need to learn new technology. 
Students need help getting their new computers and tablets working, too.

All that must happen while teaching twice as many kids to compensate for the split between in-person and online classes.

Some
 educators warn that they can’t do right by students — or their own 
families — under the current conditions. Unions said teachers are 
already leaving.

“It’s becoming such an overwhelming challenge 
that many teachers are resigning early,” said Marcus Baltzell, the 
spokesperson for the Kansas National Education Association. “Many are 
just outright quitting.”

In Sarah Westbury’s 10 years of teaching, she says she’s never worked this hard.

“It’s honestly not best practice for our students,” she said.

Westbury
 teaches fourth and fifth grade — remotely this year — at Franklin 
Elementary in Wichita. Tech problems have plagued her classes since the 
start of the school year. Students keep getting booted off 
district-provided internet devices. Some kids had never opened a laptop 
before. Teachers still battle with the Microsoft Teams platform.

While
 the tech problems are taking longer than expected to get over, 
educators expect them to get better. Inflated online class sizes are a 
more stubborn issue.

Wichita Public Schools says about 15 
students is the ideal number for a class doing the normal number of 
in-person lessons. But Westbury has nearly 40 kids in one class, which 
she has managed as tiny squares crammed into a computer screen.

In
 Wichita, elementary students were allowed to sign up for in-person 
classes. Middle school and high school students must learn online for 
now. The district needs more teachers for in-person classes to keep them
 small enough to leave room for social distancing. That means the few 
teachers available for online lessons must take on more students, often 
twice the norm.

And those students could come from different 
grades. Westbury teaches both fourth- and fifth-grade students at the 
same time. Some lessons crossover between the grades. Yet as the year 
goes on, what those students are supposed to learn drifts farther and 
farther apart.

Between the class size, the different tech needs 
of each student and teaching two grades at once, Westbury does not 
believe she or other teachers can deliver what’s best for students.

“Lord knows, we’re trying,” Westbury said. “But we definitely can’t sustain this with the staffing that we have.”

They’ve
 made improvements since the spring’s sudden move to remote classes. But
 despite having a summer to prepare, districts didn’t mandate teacher 
training until about <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/kansas-teachers-will-get-little-required-training-how-run-classrooms-online" target="_blank">a week before the first day of classes</a>.

Districts
 like Wichita that delayed their start until after Labor Day had more 
time to train teachers for the new school year. But many teachers didn’t
 know if they would be teaching online until just before the first day 
of classes. That left them unsure if they should be spending their 
training time on online classes or if they should focus on in-person 
learning.

On Friday, Kansas Education Commissioner Randy Watson 
said remote teaching is not sustainable for the rest of the school year 
because the quality just doesn’t match a physical classroom. He 
suggested schools look to outside facilities like hotels and old 
shopping malls to let more students learn in-person while staying six 
feet apart.

Watson said that also requires finding more teachers.
 That includes recruiting retired teachers and making principals take on
 classroom duty.

“Everyone is going to need to be a teacher again,” Watson told the Kansas Association of School Boards. “All hands on deck.”

Kimberly Howard, the president of United Teachers of Wichita, warns of declining mental health of teachers.

“We
 keep telling them you got to take care of yourself,” Howard said. 
“There’s got to be self care and things just might not get done.”

Some teachers are deciding the job’s not worth the stress.

The
 Kansas National Education Association reports it’s getting weekly news 
from its offices across the state of teachers resigning. That’s despite 
many Kansas school districts<a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/kansas-teachers-could-owe-their-schools-thousands-if-they-quit-over-coronavirus-concerns" target="_blank"> fining teachers thousands of dollars for quitting</a> outside of a specific summer window.

Wichita
 Public Schools administrators acknowledge this is a tough year for 
teachers, but they say they’re working on providing more support for 
teachers.

“We want to support anyone that feels that there’s too 
much on their plate to accomplish what it is they want to accomplish,” 
said Gil Alvarez, assistant principal of secondary schools for Wichita 
Public Schools. “We’re feeling the same change, anxiety from our levels 
as well.”

Some in-person teachers say they’re just happy to be back in the classroom, especially after the online spring struggles.

“My
 stress level is much less being in this building than it was teaching 
from home,” said Rae Lauxman, a preschool teacher at Shaner Early 
Learning Academy in Topeka.

Shaner Early Learning Academy 
Principal La Manda Broyles said the district’s summer preparations let 
the school avoid increasing the workload for in-person teachers.

“We are educating kids in the same way we did last year,” Broyles said.

Circle
 Public Schools, just northeast of Wichita, also said that its teachers 
face more pressure now than in the past. But the district doesn’t have 
the same online classroom size problems that large districts like 
Wichita do.

Despite in-person generally being easier for teachers
 than the online option, some educators at Lawrence Public Schools 
protested Monday the decisions to switch from all remote classes to a 
hybrid model. Members of the Paraeducators Union of Lawrence argued the 
district isn’t being transparent about how to hold physical classes 
safely.

Westbury, the fourth- and fifth-grade teacher in Wichita,
 said she enjoys the challenge of figuring out the tech side of online 
learning. But the long hours have her worried she’ll reach breaking 
point this year.

Westbury said that if remote teachers don’t get 
more help, more will resign before the end of the year. And she might be
 one of them.

“When I start missing out on doctor’s appointments 
and football games and things like that — that’s when I have to say no,”
 Westbury said. “My family comes first.”

Stephan Bisaha reports on education and young adult life for the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/stevebisaha">@SteveBisaha</a> or email him at bisaha@kmuw.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602083986927.png" alt="Chris Neal / Kansas News Service " />
 <figcaption>Chris Neal / Kansas News Service </figcaption>
 </figure>By STEPHAN BISAHA <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/it-not-sustainable-kansas-online-teachers-are-overworked-and-quitting">Kansas News Service</a>WICHITA, Kansas — Less than a week into the new 
school year, the warning came: The school district’s COVID-19 learning 
plan expected too much from teachers.“It’s unsustainable,” Greg
 Jones, a representative for the Kansas National Education Association, 
told the Wichita school board. “We don’t think that things can continue 
as they are.”Public
 schools in Kansas are asking a lot from remote teachers this year. They
 must figure out how to shift their lessons online — without the wiggle 
room granted in the spring. Teachers need to learn new technology. 
Students need help getting their new computers and tablets working, too.All that must happen while teaching twice as many kids to compensate for the split between in-person and online classes.Some
 educators warn that they can’t do right by students — or their own 
families — under the current conditions. Unions said teachers are 
already leaving.“It’s becoming such an overwhelming challenge 
that many teachers are resigning early,” said Marcus Baltzell, the 
spokesperson for the Kansas National Education Association. “Many are 
just outright quitting.”<h2>Overworked</h2>In Sarah Westbury’s 10 years of teaching, she says she’s never worked this hard.“It’s honestly not best practice for our students,” she said.Westbury
 teaches fourth and fifth grade — remotely this year — at Franklin 
Elementary in Wichita. Tech problems have plagued her classes since the 
start of the school year. Students keep getting booted off 
district-provided internet devices. Some kids had never opened a laptop 
before. Teachers still battle with the Microsoft Teams platform.While
 the tech problems are taking longer than expected to get over, 
educators expect them to get better. Inflated online class sizes are a 
more stubborn issue.Wichita Public Schools says about 15 
students is the ideal number for a class doing the normal number of 
in-person lessons. But Westbury has nearly 40 kids in one class, which 
she has managed as tiny squares crammed into a computer screen.In
 Wichita, elementary students were allowed to sign up for in-person 
classes. Middle school and high school students must learn online for 
now. The district needs more teachers for in-person classes to keep them
 small enough to leave room for social distancing. That means the few 
teachers available for online lessons must take on more students, often 
twice the norm.And those students could come from different 
grades. Westbury teaches both fourth- and fifth-grade students at the 
same time. Some lessons crossover between the grades. Yet as the year 
goes on, what those students are supposed to learn drifts farther and 
farther apart.Between the class size, the different tech needs 
of each student and teaching two grades at once, Westbury does not 
believe she or other teachers can deliver what’s best for students.“Lord knows, we’re trying,” Westbury said. “But we definitely can’t sustain this with the staffing that we have.”They’ve
 made improvements since the spring’s sudden move to remote classes. But
 despite having a summer to prepare, districts didn’t mandate teacher 
training until about <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/kansas-teachers-will-get-little-required-training-how-run-classrooms-online" target="_blank">a week before the first day of classes</a>.Districts
 like Wichita that delayed their start until after Labor Day had more 
time to train teachers for the new school year. But many teachers didn’t
 know if they would be teaching online until just before the first day 
of classes. That left them unsure if they should be spending their 
training time on online classes or if they should focus on in-person 
learning.On Friday, Kansas Education Commissioner Randy Watson 
said remote teaching is not sustainable for the rest of the school year 
because the quality just doesn’t match a physical classroom. He 
suggested schools look to outside facilities like hotels and old 
shopping malls to let more students learn in-person while staying six 
feet apart.Watson said that also requires finding more teachers.
 That includes recruiting retired teachers and making principals take on
 classroom duty.“Everyone is going to need to be a teacher again,” Watson told the Kansas Association of School Boards. “All hands on deck.”<h2>Breaking point</h2>Kimberly Howard, the president of United Teachers of Wichita, warns of declining mental health of teachers.“We
 keep telling them you got to take care of yourself,” Howard said. 
“There’s got to be self care and things just might not get done.”Some teachers are deciding the job’s not worth the stress.The
 Kansas National Education Association reports it’s getting weekly news 
from its offices across the state of teachers resigning. That’s despite 
many Kansas school districts<a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/kansas-teachers-could-owe-their-schools-thousands-if-they-quit-over-coronavirus-concerns" target="_blank"> fining teachers thousands of dollars for quitting</a> outside of a specific summer window.Wichita
 Public Schools administrators acknowledge this is a tough year for 
teachers, but they say they’re working on providing more support for 
teachers.“We want to support anyone that feels that there’s too 
much on their plate to accomplish what it is they want to accomplish,” 
said Gil Alvarez, assistant principal of secondary schools for Wichita 
Public Schools. “We’re feeling the same change, anxiety from our levels 
as well.”Some in-person teachers say they’re just happy to be back in the classroom, especially after the online spring struggles.“My
 stress level is much less being in this building than it was teaching 
from home,” said Rae Lauxman, a preschool teacher at Shaner Early 
Learning Academy in Topeka.Shaner Early Learning Academy 
Principal La Manda Broyles said the district’s summer preparations let 
the school avoid increasing the workload for in-person teachers.“We are educating kids in the same way we did last year,” Broyles said.Circle
 Public Schools, just northeast of Wichita, also said that its teachers 
face more pressure now than in the past. But the district doesn’t have 
the same online classroom size problems that large districts like 
Wichita do.Despite in-person generally being easier for teachers
 than the online option, some educators at Lawrence Public Schools 
protested Monday the decisions to switch from all remote classes to a 
hybrid model. Members of the Paraeducators Union of Lawrence argued the 
district isn’t being transparent about how to hold physical classes 
safely.Westbury, the fourth- and fifth-grade teacher in Wichita,
 said she enjoys the challenge of figuring out the tech side of online 
learning. But the long hours have her worried she’ll reach breaking 
point this year.Westbury said that if remote teachers don’t get 
more help, more will resign before the end of the year. And she might be
 one of them.“When I start missing out on doctor’s appointments 
and football games and things like that — that’s when I have to say no,”
 Westbury said. “My family comes first.”Stephan Bisaha reports on education and young adult life for the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/stevebisaha">@SteveBisaha</a> or email him at bisaha@kmuw.org.

'Not sustainable': Kansas' online teachers overworked, quitting

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Wednesday tried to salvage a few priority items lost in the rubble of COVID-19 relief talks that he had himself blown up, pressing for $1,200 stimulus checks and a new wave of aid for airlines and other businesses hard hit by the pandemic. But it was not clear whether he might be able to undo the self-inflicted political damage so close to the election.

In a barrage of tweets, Trump pressed for passage of these chunks of assistance, an about-face from his abrupt and puzzling move on Tuesday afternoon to abandon talks with a longtime rival, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The California Democrat has rejected such piecemeal entreaties all along.

Trump’s tweets amounted to him demanding his way in negotiations that he himself had ended. Trump, who absorbed much political heat for abandoning the talks, is the steward of an economy whose continued recovery may hinge on significant new steps such as pandemic unemployment benefits. His tweets seemed to move the financial markets into positive territory, though it was far from certain whether they would impress voters demanding more relief.

He called on Congress to send him a “Stand Alone Bill for Stimulus Checks ($1,200)” — a reference to a preelection batch of direct payments to most Americans that had been a central piece of negotiations between Pelosi and the White House.

“I am ready to sign right now. Are you listening Nancy?” Trump said on Twitter Tuesday evening. He also urged Congress to immediately approve $25 billion for airlines and $135 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program to help small businesses.

The stock market fell precipitously after Trump pulled the plug on the talks but was recovering Wednesday after he floated the idea of piecemeal aid.

Trump’s decision to scuttle talks between Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Pelosi came after the president was briefed on the landscape for the negotiations — and on the blowback that any Pelosi-Mnuchin deal probably would have received from his GOP allies in Congress.

“It became very obvious over the last couple of days that a comprehensive bill was just going to get to a point where it didn’t have really much Republican support at all,” White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said Wednesday on Fox News. “It was more of a Democrat-led bill, which would have been problematic, more so in the Senate than in the House.”

Pelosi told reporters that “all the president wants is his name on a check” for direct aid payments.

The unexpected turn could be a blow to Trump’s reelection prospects and comes as his administration and campaign are in turmoil. Trump is quarantining in the White House with a case of the coronavirus, and the latest batch of opinion polls shows him significantly behind Democrat Joe Biden with the election four weeks away.

Trump’s withdrawal from the talks came immediately after he spoke with the GOP leaders in Congress, Many Republican senators had signaled they would not be willing to go along with any measure that topped $1 trillion, and GOP aides had been privately dismissive of the prospects for a deal. Any Pelosi-sponsored agreement of close to $2 trillion raised the potential of a GOP revolt if such a plan came to a vote.

Pelosi and Mnuchin talked briefly on Wednesday morning about the chances for a stand-alone airline rescue, Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill tweeted. Pelosi directed Mnuchin to a measure she had attempted to pass on Friday on short notice under fast-track procedures, but only after Democrats made a number of changes Republicans did not like.

The talks have been troubled from their start in July and never appeared to close in on an agreement both sides could embrace.

Pelosi had been demanding a host of Democratic wins on food aid, unemployment benefits, help for renters and homeowners, and aid to state and local governments. Republicans charged she was dragging the talks to deny Trump a political victory before the Nov. 3 election.

Early rounds of virus aid passed by overwhelming margins as the economy went into lockdown in March. After that, Trump and many of his GOP allies focused on loosening social and economic restrictions as the key to recovery instead of more taxpayer-funded help.

Still, the decision to halt negotiations now could be politically perilous. While the stock market has clawed much of its way back after cratering in the early weeks of the crisis, unemployment stands at 7.9%, and the nearly 10 million jobs that remain lost since the start of the pandemic exceed the number that the nation shed during the entire 2008-09 Great Recession.

The economy has recovered more quickly than most economists had expected, largely because of the aid Congress approved in a $2 trillion package in March. The $1,200 stimulus checks, supplemental $600 unemployment benefits each week, and aid to small businesses boosted household incomes and enabled many low-income Americans to pay bills and rent and maintain their overall spending, according to data from Opportunity Insights.

But the recovery has slowed and certain sectors such as restaurants, hotels, theaters and airlines remain in bad shape, shedding jobs and risking permanent realignment. Without more stimulus, economists expect growth will slow significantly in the final three months of the year.

“You’re going to see quite a significant drag on growth,” said Gregory Daco, chief U.S. economist at Oxford Economics, a consulting firm. It “would really risk a double-dip recession.”

WASHINGTON —Despite instructing aides to stop negotiating on a new round of COVID-19 relief until after the election, President Trump used social media late Tuesday to suggest he might reconsider.

Stocks dropped suddenly on Wall Street after Trump ordered a stop to negotiations. The Dow Jones Industrial Average swung instantly from a gain of about 200 points to a loss of about 300 points on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he has instructed aides to stop negotiating on another round of COVID-19 relief until after the election.

Trump tweeted that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was “not negotiating in good faith” and said he’s asked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to direct all his focus before the election into confirming his U.S. Supreme Court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett.

“I have instructed my representatives to stop negotiating until after the election when, immediately after I win, we will pass a major Stimulus Bill that focuses on hardworking Americans and Small Business,” Trump tweeted.

Last week, the White House said it was backing a $400 per week pandemic jobless benefit and dangled the possibility of a COVID-19 relief bill of $1.6 trillion. But that offer was rejected by Pelosi.

Trump broke off talks after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell warned earlier Tuesday that the economic recovery remains fragile seven months into coronavirus pandemic without further economic stimulus.

Stocks dropped suddenly on Wall Street after Trump ordered a stop to negotiations.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average swung instantly from a gain of about 200 points to a loss of about 300 points.

Powell, in remarks before the National Association for Business Economics, made clear that too little support “would lead to a weak recovery, creating unnecessary hardship for households and businesses.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Wednesday tried to salvage a few priority items lost in the rubble of COVID-19 relief talks that he had himself blown up, pressing for $1,200 stimulus checks and a new wave of aid for airlines and other businesses hard hit by the pandemic. But it was not clear whether he might be able to undo the self-inflicted political damage so close to the election.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Move Fast, I Am Waiting To Sign! <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpeakerPelosi</a> <a href="https://t.co/RYBeWWuPC2">https://t.co/RYBeWWuPC2</a>&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1313829415730786305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In a barrage of tweets, Trump pressed for passage of these chunks of assistance, an about-face from his abrupt and puzzling move on Tuesday afternoon to abandon talks with a longtime rival, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The California Democrat has rejected such piecemeal entreaties all along.Trump’s tweets amounted to him demanding his way in negotiations that he himself had ended. Trump, who absorbed much political heat for abandoning the talks, is the steward of an economy whose continued recovery may hinge on significant new steps such as pandemic unemployment benefits. His tweets seemed to move the financial markets into positive territory, though it was far from certain whether they would impress voters demanding more relief.He called on Congress to send him a “Stand Alone Bill for Stimulus Checks ($1,200)” — a reference to a preelection batch of direct payments to most Americans that had been a central piece of negotiations between Pelosi and the White House.“I am ready to sign right now. Are you listening Nancy?” Trump said on Twitter Tuesday evening. He also urged Congress to immediately approve $25 billion for airlines and $135 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program to help small businesses.The stock market fell precipitously after Trump pulled the plug on the talks but was recovering Wednesday after he floated the idea of piecemeal aid.Trump’s decision to scuttle talks between Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Pelosi came after the president was briefed on the landscape for the negotiations — and on the blowback that any Pelosi-Mnuchin deal probably would have received from his GOP allies in Congress.“It became very obvious over the last couple of days that a comprehensive bill was just going to get to a point where it didn’t have really much Republican support at all,” White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said Wednesday on Fox News. “It was more of a Democrat-led bill, which would have been problematic, more so in the Senate than in the House.”Pelosi told reporters that “all the president wants is his name on a check” for direct aid payments.The unexpected turn could be a blow to Trump’s reelection prospects and comes as his administration and campaign are in turmoil. Trump is quarantining in the White House with a case of the coronavirus, and the latest batch of opinion polls shows him significantly behind Democrat Joe Biden with the election four weeks away.Trump’s withdrawal from the talks came immediately after he spoke with the GOP leaders in Congress, Many Republican senators had signaled they would not be willing to go along with any measure that topped $1 trillion, and GOP aides had been privately dismissive of the prospects for a deal. Any Pelosi-sponsored agreement of close to $2 trillion raised the potential of a GOP revolt if such a plan came to a vote.Pelosi and Mnuchin talked briefly on Wednesday morning about the chances for a stand-alone airline rescue, Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill tweeted. Pelosi directed Mnuchin to a measure she had attempted to pass on Friday on short notice under fast-track procedures, but only after Democrats made a number of changes Republicans did not like.The talks have been troubled from their start in July and never appeared to close in on an agreement both sides could embrace.Pelosi had been demanding a host of Democratic wins on food aid, unemployment benefits, help for renters and homeowners, and aid to state and local governments. Republicans charged she was dragging the talks to deny Trump a political victory before the Nov. 3 election.Early rounds of virus aid passed by overwhelming margins as the economy went into lockdown in March. After that, Trump and many of his GOP allies focused on loosening social and economic restrictions as the key to recovery instead of more taxpayer-funded help.Still, the decision to halt negotiations now could be politically perilous. While the stock market has clawed much of its way back after cratering in the early weeks of the crisis, unemployment stands at 7.9%, and the nearly 10 million jobs that remain lost since the start of the pandemic exceed the number that the nation shed during the entire 2008-09 Great Recession.The economy has recovered more quickly than most economists had expected, largely because of the aid Congress approved in a $2 trillion package in March. The $1,200 stimulus checks, supplemental $600 unemployment benefits each week, and aid to small businesses boosted household incomes and enabled many low-income Americans to pay bills and rent and maintain their overall spending, according to data from Opportunity Insights.But the recovery has slowed and certain sectors such as restaurants, hotels, theaters and airlines remain in bad shape, shedding jobs and risking permanent realignment. Without more stimulus, economists expect growth will slow significantly in the final three months of the year.“You’re going to see quite a significant drag on growth,” said Gregory Daco, chief U.S. economist at Oxford Economics, a consulting firm. It “would really risk a double-dip recession.”WASHINGTON —Despite instructing aides to stop negotiating on a new round of COVID-19 relief until after the election, President Trump used social media late Tuesday to suggest he might reconsider.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Move Fast, I Am Waiting To Sign! <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpeakerPelosi</a> <a href="https://t.co/RYBeWWuPC2">https://t.co/RYBeWWuPC2</a>&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1313829415730786305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Stocks dropped suddenly on Wall Street after Trump ordered a stop to negotiations. The Dow Jones Industrial Average swung instantly from a gain of about 200 points to a loss of about 300 points on Tuesday.---------WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he has instructed aides to stop negotiating on another round of COVID-19 relief until after the election.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Nancy Pelosi is asking for $2.4 Trillion Dollars to bailout poorly run, high crime, Democrat States, money that is in no way related to COVID-19. We made a very generous offer of $1.6 Trillion Dollars and, as usual, she is not negotiating in good faith. I am rejecting their...&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1313551794623127552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump tweeted that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was “not negotiating in good faith” and said he’s asked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to direct all his focus before the election into confirming his U.S. Supreme Court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett.“I have instructed my representatives to stop negotiating until after the election when, immediately after I win, we will pass a major Stimulus Bill that focuses on hardworking Americans and Small Business,” Trump tweeted.Last week, the White House said it was backing a $400 per week pandemic jobless benefit and dangled the possibility of a COVID-19 relief bill of $1.6 trillion. But that offer was rejected by Pelosi.Trump broke off talks after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell warned earlier Tuesday that the economic recovery remains fragile seven months into coronavirus pandemic without further economic stimulus.Stocks dropped suddenly on Wall Street after Trump ordered a stop to negotiations.The Dow Jones Industrial Average swung instantly from a gain of about 200 points to a loss of about 300 points.Powell, in remarks before the National Association for Business Economics, made clear that too little support “would lead to a weak recovery, creating unnecessary hardship for households and businesses.”

Update: President now pushing to send $1200 virus relief checks

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 1,244 to a total of 63,952 the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 1,244 to a total of 63,952 the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;Coronavirus deaths were reported at 723, an increase of 17.<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional numbers from the KDHE.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602090349295.png" alt="Wednesday October 7, 2020 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Wednesday October 7, 2020 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: Latest coronavirus numbers in Kansas

BARTON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kanas man on drug charges after an arrest in Great Bend.

On Tuesday afternoon, detectives conducted&nbsp; a “buy/bust” operation, according to sheriff Brian Bellendir.

This is a type of drug sting in which an operative purchases drugs from a suspect with money which has had the serial numbers recorded. 

Once the transaction is made, the suspect is immediately arrested and taken into custody. Surveillance of both parties is conducted during the sting.

During the drug sting in the 500 Block of Frey Street, deputies arrested Frank Relmar Jr., 32 of Great Bend.

 Relmar was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Barton County Jail. He is currently being held on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. His bond is set at $50,000.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602089777957.png" alt="Relmar has previous convictions for drugs and possession of a weapon, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections" />
 <figcaption>Relmar has previous convictions for drugs and possession of a weapon, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections</figcaption>
 </figure>BARTON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kanas man on drug charges after an arrest in Great Bend.On Tuesday afternoon, detectives conducted&nbsp; a “buy/bust” operation, according to sheriff Brian Bellendir.This is a type of drug sting in which an operative purchases drugs from a suspect with money which has had the serial numbers recorded. Once the transaction is made, the suspect is immediately arrested and taken into custody. Surveillance of both parties is conducted during the sting.During the drug sting in the 500 Block of Frey Street, deputies arrested Frank Relmar Jr., 32 of Great Bend.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602088007491.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure> Relmar was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Barton County Jail. He is currently being held on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. His bond is set at $50,000.&nbsp;

Sheriff busts Kansas felon during drug sting 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department unsealed charges Wednesday against two Islamic State militants from Britain, accusing them of carrying out a gruesome campaign of torture, beheadings and other acts of violence against Western hostages they had captured in Syria, including four Americans.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?476715-1/fbi-director-wray-justice-department-officials-hold-news-conference&amp;live">Click here to watch</a> a replay of the press conference

El Shafee Elsheikh and Alexanda Kotey are two of four men dubbed “the Beatles” by the hostages they held captive because of their British accents. They are expected to make their first appearance in the afternoon in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, where a federal grand jury issued an eight-count indictment.

The charges are a milestone in a years-long effort by U.S. authorities to bring to justice members of the group known for beheadings and barbaric treatment of aid workers, journalists and other hostages in Syria. The men’s arrival in the U.S. sets the stage for arguably the most sensational terrorism trial since the 2014 criminal case against the suspected ringleader of a deadly attack on the diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya.

Videos of the killings, released online in the form of Islamic State propaganda, stunned the U.S. government for their unflinching violence. The recordings routinely showed prisoners in orange jumpsuits on their knees beside a captor dressed in black whose native English drove home the global reach of a group that at its peak occupied vast swaths of Syria and Iraq.

Relatives of four of the slain hostages praised the Justice Department for transferring the men to the U.S. for trial, saying, “Now our families can pursue accountability for these crimes against our children in a U.S. court.”

The indictment describes Kotey and Elsheikh as “leading participants in a brutal hostage-taking scheme targeting American and European citizens” from 2012 through 2015.

In July 2014, according to the indictment, Elsheikh described to a family member his participation in an Islamic State attack on the Syrian Army. He sent the family member photos of decapitated heads and said in a voice message, “There’s many heads, this is just a couple that I took a photo of.”

Elsheikh and Kotey have been held since October 2019 in American military custody after being captured in Syria one year earlier by the U.S.-based Syrian Democratic Forces. The Justice Department has long wanted to put them on trial, but those efforts were complicated by wrangling over whether Britain, which does not have the death penalty, would share evidence that could be used in a death penalty prosecution.

Attorney General William Barr broke the diplomatic standoff earlier this year when he promised the men would not face the death penalty. That prompted British authorities to share evidence that U.S. prosecutors deemed crucial for obtaining convictions.

In interviews while in detention, the two men admitted they helped collect email addresses from Kayla Mueller that could be used to send out ransom demands. Mueller was killed in 2015 after 18 months in ISIS captivity.

The State Department described their conduct in terms not nearly so benign. The agency declared Elsheikh and Kotey as specially designated global terrorists in 2017 and accused them of holding captive and beheading approximately two dozen hostages, including American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, and aid worker Peter Kassig.

Specifically, the State Department said Elsheikh “was said to have earned a reputation for waterboarding, mock executions, and crucifixions while serving as an ISIS jailer.”

Kotey, according to the State Department, acted as an Islamic State recruiter and “likely engaged in the group’s executions and exceptionally cruel torture methods, including electronic shock and waterboarding.”

In a statement, relatives of Mueller, Foley, Sotloff and Kassig said the transfer “will be the first step in the pursuit of justice for the alleged horrific human rights crimes against these four young Americans.”

“We are hopeful that the U.S. government will finally be able to send the important message that if you harm Americans, you will never escape justice. And when you are caught, you will face the full power of American law,” the statement said.

The other two Beatles included the most infamous member of the group, Mohammed Emwazi, known as “Jihadi John,” who was killed in a 2015 drone strike. Emwazi appeared and spoke in the video of Foley’s execution. The fourth member, Aine Lesley Davis, was sentenced to seven years in prison in Turkey in 2017.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602084322917.png" alt="U.S. Department of Justice officials and FBI Director Christopher Wray (right) made the announcement Wednesday morning -image courtesy Dept. of Justice" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Department of Justice officials and FBI Director Christopher Wray (right) made the announcement Wednesday morning -image courtesy Dept. of Justice</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department unsealed charges Wednesday against two Islamic State militants from Britain, accusing them of carrying out a gruesome campaign of torture, beheadings and other acts of violence against Western hostages they had captured in Syria, including four Americans.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?476715-1/fbi-director-wray-justice-department-officials-hold-news-conference&amp;live">Click here to watch</a> a replay of the press conferenceEl Shafee Elsheikh and Alexanda Kotey are two of four men dubbed “the Beatles” by the hostages they held captive because of their British accents. They are expected to make their first appearance in the afternoon in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, where a federal grand jury issued an eight-count indictment.The charges are a milestone in a years-long effort by U.S. authorities to bring to justice members of the group known for beheadings and barbaric treatment of aid workers, journalists and other hostages in Syria. The men’s arrival in the U.S. sets the stage for arguably the most sensational terrorism trial since the 2014 criminal case against the suspected ringleader of a deadly attack on the diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya.Videos of the killings, released online in the form of Islamic State propaganda, stunned the U.S. government for their unflinching violence. The recordings routinely showed prisoners in orange jumpsuits on their knees beside a captor dressed in black whose native English drove home the global reach of a group that at its peak occupied vast swaths of Syria and Iraq.Relatives of four of the slain hostages praised the Justice Department for transferring the men to the U.S. for trial, saying, “Now our families can pursue accountability for these crimes against our children in a U.S. court.”The indictment describes Kotey and Elsheikh as “leading participants in a brutal hostage-taking scheme targeting American and European citizens” from 2012 through 2015.In July 2014, according to the indictment, Elsheikh described to a family member his participation in an Islamic State attack on the Syrian Army. He sent the family member photos of decapitated heads and said in a voice message, “There’s many heads, this is just a couple that I took a photo of.”Elsheikh and Kotey have been held since October 2019 in American military custody after being captured in Syria one year earlier by the U.S.-based Syrian Democratic Forces. The Justice Department has long wanted to put them on trial, but those efforts were complicated by wrangling over whether Britain, which does not have the death penalty, would share evidence that could be used in a death penalty prosecution.Attorney General William Barr broke the diplomatic standoff earlier this year when he promised the men would not face the death penalty. That prompted British authorities to share evidence that U.S. prosecutors deemed crucial for obtaining convictions.In interviews while in detention, the two men admitted they helped collect email addresses from Kayla Mueller that could be used to send out ransom demands. Mueller was killed in 2015 after 18 months in ISIS captivity.The State Department described their conduct in terms not nearly so benign. The agency declared Elsheikh and Kotey as specially designated global terrorists in 2017 and accused them of holding captive and beheading approximately two dozen hostages, including American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, and aid worker Peter Kassig.ADVERTISEMENTSpecifically, the State Department said Elsheikh “was said to have earned a reputation for waterboarding, mock executions, and crucifixions while serving as an ISIS jailer.”Kotey, according to the State Department, acted as an Islamic State recruiter and “likely engaged in the group’s executions and exceptionally cruel torture methods, including electronic shock and waterboarding.”In a statement, relatives of Mueller, Foley, Sotloff and Kassig said the transfer “will be the first step in the pursuit of justice for the alleged horrific human rights crimes against these four young Americans.”“We are hopeful that the U.S. government will finally be able to send the important message that if you harm Americans, you will never escape justice. And when you are caught, you will face the full power of American law,” the statement said.The other two Beatles included the most infamous member of the group, Mohammed Emwazi, known as “Jihadi John,” who was killed in a 2015 drone strike. Emwazi appeared and spoke in the video of Foley’s execution. The fourth member, Aine Lesley Davis, was sentenced to seven years in prison in Turkey in 2017.

🎥 US charges ISIS 'Beatles' in violent deaths of hostages

By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/10/06/restoring-full-8-million-for-kansas-water-programs-harder-than-turning-a-faucet/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Five governors 
and the Kansas Legislature have collaborated for more than a decade to 
ignore state law requiring allocation of $8 million annually to support 
policy and programs aimed at maintaining the state’s water supply.

It doesn’t look as if 2020 will be a watershed year in terms of financial relief.

The Legislature and Gov. 
Laura Kelly agreed to appropriate $6.9 million this fiscal year to 
support the state water plan, but the governor responded to a projected 
revenue shortfall by slashing $1.1 million allocated to the Kansas Water
 Office. It’s not clear if 2021 Legislature and Kelly have wiggle room 
to restore that money in the next year or so.

Sen. Carolyn McGinn, a 
Sedgwick Republican and chairwoman of the Senate Ways and Means 
Committee, said much would depend on the November update of state tax 
revenue forecasts. In April, economists and state officials said Kansas 
could expect to collect $1.2 billion less over a two-year period than 
previously anticipated. Kansas is constitutionally prohibited from 
operating deficits.

“I think we’re going to know a lot more then,” McGinn said following the Kansas Water Authority’s briefing Tuesday.

Rep. Troy Waymaster, 
chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said monthly state tax 
revenue collections had surpassed expectations despite the COVID-19 
pandemic. There will be spending reductions in the revised state budget,
 he said, but determining what parts of government absorb those blows 
will be part of next year’s debate in the Capitol.

“It could be restored,” Waymaster said. “Some of it? Yes.”

Connie Owen, chairwoman of
 the Kansas Water Authority, told members of the interim House and 
Senate budget committee, that for about 30 years the state had been 
obligated to annually invest $6 million from the general state treasury 
and $2 million from gaming revenue in support of water programs.

The state water program 
hasn’t received the full statutory appropriation since 2008 when 
Kathleen Sebelius was governor of Kansas, Owen said. Neither Govs. Mark 
Parkinson, Sam Brownback, Jeff Colyer nor Laura Kelly — two Republicans,
 two Democrats — have been able to end the practice.

“Over the history of the 
State Water Plan fund, the cumulative deficit of the reduced transfer is
 approximately $81 million,” Owen said. “The Kansas Water Authority has 
struggled to balance the competing needs and requests for the State 
Water Plan fund and identify which programs and practices will provide 
the biggest return on investment.”

The water plan depends on 
state tax revenue as well as $12 million annually from sand royalty 
payments started in 1996 and a clean drinking water fee initiated in 
2008. In the current fiscal year, the water authority budget was set at 
$18.7 million before Kelly imposed July spending cuts.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602083524239.png" alt="Rep. Troy Waymaster, left, and Sen. Carolyn McGinn, who chair the House and Senate budget committees, will await revision of state tax revenue estimates in November to assess whether cuts to the State Water Plan can be restored. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Troy Waymaster, left, and Sen. Carolyn McGinn, who chair the House and Senate budget committees, will await revision of state tax revenue estimates in November to assess whether cuts to the State Water Plan can be restored. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/10/06/restoring-full-8-million-for-kansas-water-programs-harder-than-turning-a-faucet/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Five governors 
and the Kansas Legislature have collaborated for more than a decade to 
ignore state law requiring allocation of $8 million annually to support 
policy and programs aimed at maintaining the state’s water supply.It doesn’t look as if 2020 will be a watershed year in terms of financial relief.The Legislature and Gov. 
Laura Kelly agreed to appropriate $6.9 million this fiscal year to 
support the state water plan, but the governor responded to a projected 
revenue shortfall by slashing $1.1 million allocated to the Kansas Water
 Office. It’s not clear if 2021 Legislature and Kelly have wiggle room 
to restore that money in the next year or so.Sen. Carolyn McGinn, a 
Sedgwick Republican and chairwoman of the Senate Ways and Means 
Committee, said much would depend on the November update of state tax 
revenue forecasts. In April, economists and state officials said Kansas 
could expect to collect $1.2 billion less over a two-year period than 
previously anticipated. Kansas is constitutionally prohibited from 
operating deficits.“I think we’re going to know a lot more then,” McGinn said following the Kansas Water Authority’s briefing Tuesday.Rep. Troy Waymaster, 
chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said monthly state tax 
revenue collections had surpassed expectations despite the COVID-19 
pandemic. There will be spending reductions in the revised state budget,
 he said, but determining what parts of government absorb those blows 
will be part of next year’s debate in the Capitol.“It could be restored,” Waymaster said. “Some of it? Yes.”Connie Owen, chairwoman of
 the Kansas Water Authority, told members of the interim House and 
Senate budget committee, that for about 30 years the state had been 
obligated to annually invest $6 million from the general state treasury 
and $2 million from gaming revenue in support of water programs.The state water program 
hasn’t received the full statutory appropriation since 2008 when 
Kathleen Sebelius was governor of Kansas, Owen said. Neither Govs. Mark 
Parkinson, Sam Brownback, Jeff Colyer nor Laura Kelly — two Republicans,
 two Democrats — have been able to end the practice.“Over the history of the 
State Water Plan fund, the cumulative deficit of the reduced transfer is
 approximately $81 million,” Owen said. “The Kansas Water Authority has 
struggled to balance the competing needs and requests for the State 
Water Plan fund and identify which programs and practices will provide 
the biggest return on investment.”The water plan depends on 
state tax revenue as well as $12 million annually from sand royalty 
payments started in 1996 and a clean drinking water fee initiated in 
2008. In the current fiscal year, the water authority budget was set at 
$18.7 million before Kelly imposed July spending cuts.Tim Carpenter has reported on Kansas for 35 years. He covered the Capitol for 16 years at the Topeka Capital-Journal and previously worked for the Lawrence Journal-World and United Press International.&nbsp;

Restoring $8M for Kan. water programs harder than turning a faucet

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Vice President Mike Pence and his Democratic challenger, California Sen. Kamala Harris, are set to face off in a debate that will offer starkly different visions for a country confronting escalating crises.

<a href="https://debate2020.utah.edu/debate-bingo/">Click here to get </a>your debate bingo cards

The debate Wednesday night in Salt Lake City is the most highly anticipated vice presidential debate in recent memory. It will unfold while President Donald Trump recovers at the White House after testing positive last week for the coronavirus and spending several days in the hospital, a serious setback for his campaign that adds pressure on Pence to defend the administration’s handling of the pandemic.

For Harris, the debate is her highest profile opportunity to say how Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden would stabilize the United States, especially when it comes to the pandemic and racial injustice. She will have the chance to explain her views on law enforcement, an area in which she’s viewed warily by some progressives, given her past as a prosecutor.

Ultimately, the debate is a chance for voters to decide whether Pence and Harris are in a position to step into the presidency at a moment’s notice. It’s hardly a theoretical question: The 74-year-old Trump is fighting the virus and Biden, at 77, would become the oldest person elected president.

Pence’s debate strategy aims to highlight the administration’s economic record and attempt to portray the Democratic ticket as beholden to “radical left,” said former GOP Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin, who is helping the vice president prepare for the debate, on “Fox &amp; Friends.”

While the debate will likely cover a range of topics, the virus will be at the forefront.

Pence and Harris will appear on stage exactly 12.25 feet (3.7 meters) apart separated by plexiglass barriers. Anyone in the small audience who refuses to wear a mask will be asked to leave.

Pence was with Trump and others last week who have since tested positive, and the vice president has faced questions about whether he should be at the debate at all. Pence has repeatedly tested negative for the virus, and his staff and doctors insist he does not need to quarantine under Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.

The CDC defines risky “close contact” as being within 6 feet (1.8 meters) of an infected person for at least 15 minutes starting from two days before the onset of symptoms or a positive test.

Pence’s team objected to Harris’ request for plexiglass barriers, arguing it was medically unnecessary. But the Commission on Presidential Debates had already agreed to the barriers, and Pence’s aides said their presence would not dissuade him from attending the event.

Pence’s chief of staff, Marc Short, said there is “zero risk” of the vice president pulling out of the debate over the plexiglass spat. He said Pence “will be there” because it’s “too important for the American people.”

Sabrina Singh, a spokesperson for Harris, said the senator “will be at the debate, respecting the protections that the Cleveland Clinic has put in place to promote safety for all concerned.” The Cleveland Clinic serves as a health adviser to the commission.

The debate is unlikely to be a repeat of the chaotic debate between Trump and Biden last week.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Vice President Mike Pence and his Democratic challenger, California Sen. Kamala Harris, are set to face off in a debate that will offer starkly different visions for a country confronting escalating crises.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602082528416.png" alt="University of Utah is hosting the debate and promoting <a href="https://debate2020.utah.edu/debate-bingo/">debate bingo.&nbsp;</a>" />
 <figcaption>University of Utah is hosting the debate and promoting <a href="https://debate2020.utah.edu/debate-bingo/">debate bingo.&nbsp;</a></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://debate2020.utah.edu/debate-bingo/">Click here to get </a>your debate bingo cardsThe debate Wednesday night in Salt Lake City is the most highly anticipated vice presidential debate in recent memory. It will unfold while President Donald Trump recovers at the White House after testing positive last week for the coronavirus and spending several days in the hospital, a serious setback for his campaign that adds pressure on Pence to defend the administration’s handling of the pandemic.For Harris, the debate is her highest profile opportunity to say how Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden would stabilize the United States, especially when it comes to the pandemic and racial injustice. She will have the chance to explain her views on law enforcement, an area in which she’s viewed warily by some progressives, given her past as a prosecutor.Ultimately, the debate is a chance for voters to decide whether Pence and Harris are in a position to step into the presidency at a moment’s notice. It’s hardly a theoretical question: The 74-year-old Trump is fighting the virus and Biden, at 77, would become the oldest person elected president.Pence’s debate strategy aims to highlight the administration’s economic record and attempt to portray the Democratic ticket as beholden to “radical left,” said former GOP Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin, who is helping the vice president prepare for the debate, on “Fox &amp; Friends.”While the debate will likely cover a range of topics, the virus will be at the forefront.Pence and Harris will appear on stage exactly 12.25 feet (3.7 meters) apart separated by plexiglass barriers. Anyone in the small audience who refuses to wear a mask will be asked to leave.Pence was with Trump and others last week who have since tested positive, and the vice president has faced questions about whether he should be at the debate at all. Pence has repeatedly tested negative for the virus, and his staff and doctors insist he does not need to quarantine under Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.The CDC defines risky “close contact” as being within 6 feet (1.8 meters) of an infected person for at least 15 minutes starting from two days before the onset of symptoms or a positive test.Pence’s team objected to Harris’ request for plexiglass barriers, arguing it was medically unnecessary. But the Commission on Presidential Debates had already agreed to the barriers, and Pence’s aides said their presence would not dissuade him from attending the event.Pence’s chief of staff, Marc Short, said there is “zero risk” of the vice president pulling out of the debate over the plexiglass spat. He said Pence “will be there” because it’s “too important for the American people.”Sabrina Singh, a spokesperson for Harris, said the senator “will be at the debate, respecting the protections that the Cleveland Clinic has put in place to promote safety for all concerned.” The Cleveland Clinic serves as a health adviser to the commission.The debate is unlikely to be a repeat of the chaotic debate between Trump and Biden last week.Pence is eager to seize on the Democrats’ liberal policies, but it may be difficult to shift the conversation away from the Republican administration’s uneven handling of the pandemic. Pence serves as chair of the president’s coronavirus task force, which has failed to implement a comprehensive national strategy even as Trump himself recovers from the disease and the national death toll surges past 210,000 with no clear end in sight.Biden has raised questions about whether he will participate in his next scheduled debate with Trump, telling reporters on Tuesday: “I think if he still has COVID, then we shouldn’t have a debate.”The vice president is a 61-year-old former Indiana governor and ex-radio host, an evangelical Christian known for his folksy charm and unwavering loyalty to Trump.Harris is a 55-year-old California senator, the daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother. She is also a former prosecutor whose pointed questioning of Trump’s appointees and court nominees and cool charm on the campaign trail made her a Democratic star.She will make history as the first Black woman to appear in a vice presidential debate. Democrats hope the historic nature of her candidacy will help energize key groups of likely Democratic voters — African Americans and young people, in particular — who have shown less excitement for Biden.It’s unclear how aggressive the candidates will be with each other.