RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Vice President Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;announced a sweeping set of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-economy-inflation-food-prices-campaign-c3bbfd8aa3bfd2be3e98d021f0a182ac">economic proposals</a>&nbsp;on Friday meant to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-rally-north-carolina-economy-fact-check-4a685dc826c732944727724d94173b08">cut taxes and lower the cost of groceries</a>, housing and other essentials for many Americans.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?537709-1/vp-kamala-harris-campaigns-raleigh-north-carolina">Click here to watch</a> a replay her full budget presentation.

“Look, the bills add up," she declared, trying to address the financial concerns that are at the top of voters' minds and that Republican Donald Trump is attempting to blame on her.

During a speech in the battleground state of North Carolina, Harris said that "building up the middle class will be a defining goal of my presidency” as she promoted her plan for a federal ban on price gouging by food producers and grocers. She also proposed $25,000 in down payment assistance for certain first-time homebuyers and tax incentives for builders of starter homes.

“Every day across our nation, families talk about their plans for the future, their ambitions, their aspirations for themselves, for their children. And they talk about how they’re going to be able to actually achieve them financially, because, look, the bills add up,” Harris said. “Food, rent, gas, back to school clothes, prescription medications. After all that, for many families, there’s not much left at the end of the month.”

She stressed tax breaks for families, as well as middle- and lower-income people, promising to expand the child tax credit to up to $3,600 — and $6,000 for children in their first year of life. The vice president also wants to enlarge the earned income tax credit to cover people in lower-income jobs without children — which the campaign estimates would cut their effective tax rate by $1,500 — and lower health insurance premiums through the Affordable Care Act.

Overall, the plans represent a continuation of many Biden administration priorities.

Harris isn't looking for any radical departures from President Joe Biden, who stepped down from the race last month and endorsed her. Still, the vice president has embraced a dash of economic populism, shifting away from Biden's emphasis on job creation and infrastructure to matters more closely tied to easing the cost of living -– food prices, housing costs and tax breaks for families.

Much of what she's proposing would require congressional approval, which is far from assured in the current political environment, though, and Harris' campaign has offered scant details on how to pay for the ideas.

The vice president is seeking to blunt&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-press-conference-9af8036585d6727b6bb07008c0690cdf">Trump’s attacks on her.</a>&nbsp;He responded to her speech by posting on his social media account, “Kamala will implement SOVIET style price controls." He gave his own&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-asheville-rally-economic-speech-bc81b98a425e46c32065c02650b2b44c">speech Thursday</a>, during which he displayed popular grocery store items meant to represent the high cost of food.

Some of Trump’s economic advisers offered further rebuttals to Harris' plans before she spoke on Friday, with Brian Hughes, a spokesman for the former president's campaign, calling them representative of a “socialist and authoritarian model.”

Kevin Hassett, a former chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers during the Trump administration, called it “completely preposterous” for the government to play a role in setting food prices, a reference to Harris’ proposed federal ban on “corporate price-gouging” on food.

In her speech, Harris offered stark contrasts with Trump's economic proposals, including his call for steep tariffs on foreign goods. She said that her opponent “wants to impose what is, in effect, a national sales tax on everyday products and basic necessities that we import from other countries.”

“It will mean higher prices on just about every one of your daily needs," Harris said. "A Trump tax on gas, a Trump tax on food, a Trump tax on clothing, a Trump tax on over-the-counter medication.”

She added, “At this moment, when everyday prices are too high, he will make them even higher."

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-interest-rates-economy-federal-reserve-f8de2672173407d3a126cc13493fed85">Year-over-year inflation</a>&nbsp;has reached its lowest level in more than three years, but food prices are still 21% above where they were three years ago. A Labor Department report this week showed that nearly all of July’s inflation reflected higher rental prices and other housing costs, a trend that, according to real-time data, is easing. As a result, housing costs should rise more slowly in the coming months, contributing to lower inflation.

Harris' grocery pricing proposal would instruct the Federal Trade Commission to penalize “big corporations" that engage in price spikes and it singles out a lack of competition in the meat-packing industry for driving up meat prices.

Monica Wallace, a county clerk who attended Harris' speech, called the vice president's economic plans “what we need.”

“I have a mother who is receiving services, and just in food stamps alone, she’s still not able to afford food that will last her,” Wallace said.

Comparing Harris to Trump, Wallace said she sees the vice president as someone “definitely for the middle and lower class,” whereas the former president is “for the people who make the money to do any and everything that they want.”

Polls nonetheless show that Americans are more likely to trust Trump over Harris when it comes to handling the economy: Some 45% say Trump is better positioned to handle the economy, while 38% say that about Harris. About 1 in 10 trust neither Harris nor Trump to better handle the economy, according to the latest&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-trump-honesty-discipline-immigration-ap-poll-f025463df08beacbaa0c51e7bbb7eda7">Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll</a>.

Riding a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-walz-rallies-battleground-states-vance-trump-7da99aace01fec1c784fba27fdbce558">resurgence of enthusiasm</a>&nbsp;since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/poll-joe-biden-kamala-harris-donald-trump-1feb5ed3c2e29623ce3cec3565b487cd">Democrats’ campaign reboot</a>, Harris has embarked on a battleground state blitz in recent weeks that has broadened the number of races viewed as competitive by strategists. In North Carolina, Democrats are navigating renewed energy with caution in an economically dynamic state that hasn't been won by a Democratic presidential candidate since Barack Obama in 2008.

Gov. Roy Cooper told Friday's crowd, “I have that 2008 feeling.”

“That’s the last time we voted for a Democratic nominee for president, Barack Obama,” Cooper said.

North Carolina State University political science professor Steven Greene said that the state "went from a situation where Joe Biden was almost surely going down in defeat here, whereas Kamala Harris has a very real chance of winning,”

Deborah Holder, a 68-year-old Raleigh resident who runs six McDonalds restaurants, said of the vice president, “Her culture is something that is going to be a huge strength for her, because she’ll be able to look at the rest of us not just as her constituents, but as people that she has dealt with in all walks of life,”

Harris is trying to strike a balance in defining her own image and economic agenda while still giving credit for the Biden administration’s track record. Her speech in North Carolina came a day after the president was asked if Harris might distance herself from his economic record and responded, “She's not going to.”

In their first joint speaking event since Biden dropped out, he and Harris were in Maryland on Thursday where they showcased successful negotiations to lower prices for Medicare recipients on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-drug-prices-medicare-prescriptions-34886d6f362c242be268c05d5efd5411">10 prescription drugs</a>.

But Harris spent far more time talking about Trump than Biden in North Carolina, promising "to build an America where everyone's work is rewarded and talents are valued, where we work with labor and business to strengthen the American economy.”

“And where everyone has the opportunity,” she said "not just to get by, but to get ahead."

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Vice President Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;announced a sweeping set of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-economy-inflation-food-prices-campaign-c3bbfd8aa3bfd2be3e98d021f0a182ac">economic proposals</a>&nbsp;on Friday meant to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-rally-north-carolina-economy-fact-check-4a685dc826c732944727724d94173b08">cut taxes and lower the cost of groceries</a>, housing and other essentials for many Americans.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?537709-1/vp-kamala-harris-campaigns-raleigh-north-carolina">Click here to watch</a> a replay her full budget presentation.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I grew up in a middle-class household. For most of my childhood, we were renters. When I’m elected President, I will make it a top priority to bring down costs, and increase economic security for all Americans.<a href="https://t.co/r5PZq1LJEc">pic.twitter.com/r5PZq1LJEc</a>&mdash; Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) <a href="https://twitter.com/KamalaHarris/status/1824518552281551247?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 16, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“Look, the bills add up," she declared, trying to address the financial concerns that are at the top of voters' minds and that Republican Donald Trump is attempting to blame on her.During a speech in the battleground state of North Carolina, Harris said that "building up the middle class will be a defining goal of my presidency” as she promoted her plan for a federal ban on price gouging by food producers and grocers. She also proposed $25,000 in down payment assistance for certain first-time homebuyers and tax incentives for builders of starter homes.“Every day across our nation, families talk about their plans for the future, their ambitions, their aspirations for themselves, for their children. And they talk about how they’re going to be able to actually achieve them financially, because, look, the bills add up,” Harris said. “Food, rent, gas, back to school clothes, prescription medications. After all that, for many families, there’s not much left at the end of the month.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">This is what it looks like to build an economy that works for everyone. <a href="https://t.co/nbPK56frPo">https://t.co/nbPK56frPo</a>&mdash; Tim Walz (@Tim_Walz) <a href="https://twitter.com/Tim_Walz/status/1824597852125082066?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>She stressed tax breaks for families, as well as middle- and lower-income people, promising to expand the child tax credit to up to $3,600 — and $6,000 for children in their first year of life. The vice president also wants to enlarge the earned income tax credit to cover people in lower-income jobs without children — which the campaign estimates would cut their effective tax rate by $1,500 — and lower health insurance premiums through the Affordable Care Act.Overall, the plans represent a continuation of many Biden administration priorities.Harris isn't looking for any radical departures from President Joe Biden, who stepped down from the race last month and endorsed her. Still, the vice president has embraced a dash of economic populism, shifting away from Biden's emphasis on job creation and infrastructure to matters more closely tied to easing the cost of living -– food prices, housing costs and tax breaks for families.Much of what she's proposing would require congressional approval, which is far from assured in the current political environment, though, and Harris' campaign has offered scant details on how to pay for the ideas.The vice president is seeking to blunt&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-press-conference-9af8036585d6727b6bb07008c0690cdf">Trump’s attacks on her.</a>&nbsp;He responded to her speech by posting on his social media account, “Kamala will implement SOVIET style price controls." He gave his own&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-asheville-rally-economic-speech-bc81b98a425e46c32065c02650b2b44c">speech Thursday</a>, during which he displayed popular grocery store items meant to represent the high cost of food.Some of Trump’s economic advisers offered further rebuttals to Harris' plans before she spoke on Friday, with Brian Hughes, a spokesman for the former president's campaign, calling them representative of a “socialist and authoritarian model.”Kevin Hassett, a former chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers during the Trump administration, called it “completely preposterous” for the government to play a role in setting food prices, a reference to Harris’ proposed federal ban on “corporate price-gouging” on food.In her speech, Harris offered stark contrasts with Trump's economic proposals, including his call for steep tariffs on foreign goods. She said that her opponent “wants to impose what is, in effect, a national sales tax on everyday products and basic necessities that we import from other countries.”“It will mean higher prices on just about every one of your daily needs," Harris said. "A Trump tax on gas, a Trump tax on food, a Trump tax on clothing, a Trump tax on over-the-counter medication.”She added, “At this moment, when everyday prices are too high, he will make them even higher."<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-interest-rates-economy-federal-reserve-f8de2672173407d3a126cc13493fed85">Year-over-year inflation</a>&nbsp;has reached its lowest level in more than three years, but food prices are still 21% above where they were three years ago. A Labor Department report this week showed that nearly all of July’s inflation reflected higher rental prices and other housing costs, a trend that, according to real-time data, is easing. As a result, housing costs should rise more slowly in the coming months, contributing to lower inflation.Harris' grocery pricing proposal would instruct the Federal Trade Commission to penalize “big corporations" that engage in price spikes and it singles out a lack of competition in the meat-packing industry for driving up meat prices.Monica Wallace, a county clerk who attended Harris' speech, called the vice president's economic plans “what we need.”“I have a mother who is receiving services, and just in food stamps alone, she’s still not able to afford food that will last her,” Wallace said.Comparing Harris to Trump, Wallace said she sees the vice president as someone “definitely for the middle and lower class,” whereas the former president is “for the people who make the money to do any and everything that they want.”Polls nonetheless show that Americans are more likely to trust Trump over Harris when it comes to handling the economy: Some 45% say Trump is better positioned to handle the economy, while 38% say that about Harris. About 1 in 10 trust neither Harris nor Trump to better handle the economy, according to the latest&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-trump-honesty-discipline-immigration-ap-poll-f025463df08beacbaa0c51e7bbb7eda7">Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll</a>.Riding a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-walz-rallies-battleground-states-vance-trump-7da99aace01fec1c784fba27fdbce558">resurgence of enthusiasm</a>&nbsp;since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/poll-joe-biden-kamala-harris-donald-trump-1feb5ed3c2e29623ce3cec3565b487cd">Democrats’ campaign reboot</a>, Harris has embarked on a battleground state blitz in recent weeks that has broadened the number of races viewed as competitive by strategists. In North Carolina, Democrats are navigating renewed energy with caution in an economically dynamic state that hasn't been won by a Democratic presidential candidate since Barack Obama in 2008.Gov. Roy Cooper told Friday's crowd, “I have that 2008 feeling.”“That’s the last time we voted for a Democratic nominee for president, Barack Obama,” Cooper said.North Carolina State University political science professor Steven Greene said that the state "went from a situation where Joe Biden was almost surely going down in defeat here, whereas Kamala Harris has a very real chance of winning,”Deborah Holder, a 68-year-old Raleigh resident who runs six McDonalds restaurants, said of the vice president, “Her culture is something that is going to be a huge strength for her, because she’ll be able to look at the rest of us not just as her constituents, but as people that she has dealt with in all walks of life,”Harris is trying to strike a balance in defining her own image and economic agenda while still giving credit for the Biden administration’s track record. Her speech in North Carolina came a day after the president was asked if Harris might distance herself from his economic record and responded, “She's not going to.”In their first joint speaking event since Biden dropped out, he and Harris were in Maryland on Thursday where they showcased successful negotiations to lower prices for Medicare recipients on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-drug-prices-medicare-prescriptions-34886d6f362c242be268c05d5efd5411">10 prescription drugs</a>.But Harris spent far more time talking about Trump than Biden in North Carolina, promising "to build an America where everyone's work is rewarded and talents are valued, where we work with labor and business to strengthen the American economy.”“And where everyone has the opportunity,” she said "not just to get by, but to get ahead."

🎥Harris offers proposals to cut food and housing costs

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man accused in a gunfight at a funeral in Wichita has admitted his role in the crime and will face reduced charges.

Last week,&nbsp;Demetrious Carter, 19, pled guilty to aggravated endangering of a child, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp; He had&nbsp; originally been charged with with two counts of aggravated assault.

On June 16, 2023.&nbsp; police were dispatched to a shooting call at Life Center Church in the 1100 block of North Oliver in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.

First responders encountered a chaotic scene and a crowd of more than 50 people running in different directions. During the initial response officers located an 18-year-old victim with a gunshot wound to his right forearm and provided life-saving measures. The 18-year-old victim later identified as Carter was treated for his serious but not life-threatening injuries.

The investigation revealed that several suspects arrived at the parking lot of the church and confronted a large group of people attending a funeral right outside the main door.

After a brief verbal altercation between both groups, an unknown number of people from both groups started to shoot at each other. After initial interviews, officers arrested Carter and transported him to investigations for further questioning before an arrest.

During the incident, several vehicles, and residences around and in front of the church’s parking lot were hit with gunfire. Police also recovered several firearms from the scene.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687431619099.png" alt="Carter photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Carter photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man accused in a gunfight at a funeral in Wichita has admitted his role in the crime and will face reduced charges.Last week,&nbsp;Demetrious Carter, 19, pled guilty to aggravated endangering of a child, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp; He had&nbsp; originally been charged with with two counts of aggravated assault.On June 16, 2023.&nbsp; police were dispatched to a shooting call at Life Center Church in the 1100 block of North Oliver in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686967298655.png" alt="First responders at the church -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>First responders at the church -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>First responders encountered a chaotic scene and a crowd of more than 50 people running in different directions. During the initial response officers located an 18-year-old victim with a gunshot wound to his right forearm and provided life-saving measures. The 18-year-old victim later identified as Carter was treated for his serious but not life-threatening injuries.The investigation revealed that several suspects arrived at the parking lot of the church and confronted a large group of people attending a funeral right outside the main door.After a brief verbal altercation between both groups, an unknown number of people from both groups started to shoot at each other. After initial interviews, officers arrested Carter and transported him to investigations for further questioning before an arrest.During the incident, several vehicles, and residences around and in front of the church’s parking lot were hit with gunfire. Police also recovered several firearms from the scene.&nbsp;

Charges reduced for Kan. teen in gunfight outside church funeral

KANSAS CITY— Eighteen members and associates of the Pagan’s Motorcycle Club have been indicted by a federal grand jury for a series of armed assaults against members of rival motorcycle clubs, according to the United State's Attorney.

A law enforcement operation conducted Thursday resulted in 15 arrests along with the execution of seven search warrants; two of the defendants were already in custody. More than a dozen law enforcement agencies were involved in the operation that also resulted in the seizure of more than 40 firearms, thousands of rounds of ammunition, body armor and a marijuana grow operation. According to the indictment, Pagan’s is a violent criminal organization that engaged in racketeering, an enterprise that involved illegal drug trafficking. Pagan’s maintains chapters in numerous states, including multiple active chapters in Missouri and Kansas.

Christopher W. McGowen, also known as “Mac,” 40, of Platte City, Mo.; Arthur L. Reynolds III, also known as “Straight Edge,” 48, and Jarrid A. Hammer, also known as “Hammer,” 45, both of Independence, Mo.; Jeremiah Z. Hahn, also known as “Pass Out,” 41, and John J. Hahn, also known as “Krazy Legs,” 46, both of Cameron, Mo.; Charles E. Smith, Jr., also known as “Crash,” 38, and James W. Prettyman, also known as “Rugby,” 42, both of Blue Springs, Mo.; Mark A. Cottman, also known as “One Shot,” 49, of Kansas City, Mo.; Bryan S. Fletcher, also known as “Fletch,” 48, and Mark A. Crump, also known as “Navajo,” 54, both of Lee’s Summit, Mo.; Jeffrey S. Hannah, also known as “Got-It,” 42, of Grain Valley, Mo.; Eric M. Forsyth, Jr., also known as “EZ,” 34, of Oak Grove, Mo.; Robert W. Miller, also known as “Flipper,” 46, and Brandon S. Hodge, also known as “Youngblood,” 25, both of Joplin, Mo.; Monty L. Mitchell, also known as “Smoke,” 58, of Windsor, Mo.; Alan M. Thornton, also known as “Bones,” 40, of Holden, Mo.; John Travis Fisher, also known as “T-Bone,” 51, of Sapulpa, Oklahoma; and Graham S. Gattis, also known as “Dro,” 40, of Panama City, Florida, were charged in a five-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Aug. 7, 2024.

The federal indictment was unsealed and made public today following the arrests of the defendants.

The indictment alleges that Pagan’s is territorial and protects its territory from rival motorcycle clubs through violence and intimidation. The primary rivals to Pagan’s in Missouri include the Hells Angels, Outlaws, El Forastero, Galloping Goose, Sons of Silence, and the Bandidos. When members of rival motorcycle clubs were in areas Pagan’s believed to be under its control, says the indictment, Pagan’s threatened and intimidated them with violence. Pagan’s tried to eliminate other motorcycle gangs completely from their territory by assaulting, robbing, extorting and sometimes attempting to murder them, according to the indictment.

The indictment alleges a series of assaults were committed as part of Pagan’s racketeering enterprise.

McGowen and Jeremiah Hahn are charged together in one count of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering. &nbsp;The indictment alleges they assaulted a rival motorcycle gang member with a dangerous weapon on May 30, 2022.

McGowen, Reynolds, Smith, Miller, Prettyman, Mitchell, Cottman, John Hahn, Gattis, Forsyth, Fletcher, Hannah, and Hodge are charged together in one count of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering. The indictment alleges they assaulted a rival motorcycle gang member with a dangerous weapon on Sept. 17, 2022.

McGowen, Jeremiah Hahn, Smith, Fisher, Miller, Prettyman, Mitchell, and Thornton are charged together in one count of attempting to commit assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering. The indictment alleges they attempted to assault a rival motorcycle gang member with a dangerous weapon on Sept. 3, 2022.

McGowen, Reynolds, Smith, Miller, Prettyman, Mitchell, Cottman, John Hahn, Gattis, Forsyth, Fletcher, Hannah and Hodge are charged together in one count of discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. The indictment alleges they discharged a firearm during an assault on Sept. 17, 2022.

Cottman, Hammer, and Crump are charged together in one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury in aid of racketeering. The indictment alleges they seriously injured a rival motorcycle gang member during an assault on July 20, 2023.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley K. Kavanaugh and Robert Smith. It was investigated by the FBI, the Independence, Mo., Police Department, the Blue Springs, Mo., Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.

Today’s law enforcement operation included the FBI, the Independence, Mo., Police Department, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Blue Springs, Mo., Police Department, the Oak Grove, Mo., Police Department, the Lee’s Summit, Mo., Police Department, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and FBI national assets and field offices in St. Louis, Mo., Las Vegas, Nev., and Knoxville, Tenn.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723844162274.png" alt="Courtesy image" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy image</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY— Eighteen members and associates of the Pagan’s Motorcycle Club have been indicted by a federal grand jury for a series of armed assaults against members of rival motorcycle clubs, according to the United State's Attorney.A law enforcement operation conducted Thursday resulted in 15 arrests along with the execution of seven search warrants; two of the defendants were already in custody. More than a dozen law enforcement agencies were involved in the operation that also resulted in the seizure of more than 40 firearms, thousands of rounds of ammunition, body armor and a marijuana grow operation. According to the indictment, Pagan’s is a violent criminal organization that engaged in racketeering, an enterprise that involved illegal drug trafficking. Pagan’s maintains chapters in numerous states, including multiple active chapters in Missouri and Kansas.Christopher W. McGowen, also known as “Mac,” 40, of Platte City, Mo.; Arthur L. Reynolds III, also known as “Straight Edge,” 48, and Jarrid A. Hammer, also known as “Hammer,” 45, both of Independence, Mo.; Jeremiah Z. Hahn, also known as “Pass Out,” 41, and John J. Hahn, also known as “Krazy Legs,” 46, both of Cameron, Mo.; Charles E. Smith, Jr., also known as “Crash,” 38, and James W. Prettyman, also known as “Rugby,” 42, both of Blue Springs, Mo.; Mark A. Cottman, also known as “One Shot,” 49, of Kansas City, Mo.; Bryan S. Fletcher, also known as “Fletch,” 48, and Mark A. Crump, also known as “Navajo,” 54, both of Lee’s Summit, Mo.; Jeffrey S. Hannah, also known as “Got-It,” 42, of Grain Valley, Mo.; Eric M. Forsyth, Jr., also known as “EZ,” 34, of Oak Grove, Mo.; Robert W. Miller, also known as “Flipper,” 46, and Brandon S. Hodge, also known as “Youngblood,” 25, both of Joplin, Mo.; Monty L. Mitchell, also known as “Smoke,” 58, of Windsor, Mo.; Alan M. Thornton, also known as “Bones,” 40, of Holden, Mo.; John Travis Fisher, also known as “T-Bone,” 51, of Sapulpa, Oklahoma; and Graham S. Gattis, also known as “Dro,” 40, of Panama City, Florida, were charged in a five-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Aug. 7, 2024.The federal indictment was unsealed and made public today following the arrests of the defendants.The indictment alleges that Pagan’s is territorial and protects its territory from rival motorcycle clubs through violence and intimidation. The primary rivals to Pagan’s in Missouri include the Hells Angels, Outlaws, El Forastero, Galloping Goose, Sons of Silence, and the Bandidos. When members of rival motorcycle clubs were in areas Pagan’s believed to be under its control, says the indictment, Pagan’s threatened and intimidated them with violence. Pagan’s tried to eliminate other motorcycle gangs completely from their territory by assaulting, robbing, extorting and sometimes attempting to murder them, according to the indictment.The indictment alleges a series of assaults were committed as part of Pagan’s racketeering enterprise.McGowen and Jeremiah Hahn are charged together in one count of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering. &nbsp;The indictment alleges they assaulted a rival motorcycle gang member with a dangerous weapon on May 30, 2022.McGowen, Reynolds, Smith, Miller, Prettyman, Mitchell, Cottman, John Hahn, Gattis, Forsyth, Fletcher, Hannah, and Hodge are charged together in one count of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering. The indictment alleges they assaulted a rival motorcycle gang member with a dangerous weapon on Sept. 17, 2022.McGowen, Jeremiah Hahn, Smith, Fisher, Miller, Prettyman, Mitchell, and Thornton are charged together in one count of attempting to commit assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering. The indictment alleges they attempted to assault a rival motorcycle gang member with a dangerous weapon on Sept. 3, 2022.McGowen, Reynolds, Smith, Miller, Prettyman, Mitchell, Cottman, John Hahn, Gattis, Forsyth, Fletcher, Hannah and Hodge are charged together in one count of discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. The indictment alleges they discharged a firearm during an assault on Sept. 17, 2022.Cottman, Hammer, and Crump are charged together in one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury in aid of racketeering. The indictment alleges they seriously injured a rival motorcycle gang member during an assault on July 20, 2023.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley K. Kavanaugh and Robert Smith. It was investigated by the FBI, the Independence, Mo., Police Department, the Blue Springs, Mo., Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.Today’s law enforcement operation included the FBI, the Independence, Mo., Police Department, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Blue Springs, Mo., Police Department, the Oak Grove, Mo., Police Department, the Lee’s Summit, Mo., Police Department, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and FBI national assets and field offices in St. Louis, Mo., Las Vegas, Nev., and Knoxville, Tenn.

Feds accuse motorcycle club members of crimes in Kan. and Mo.

Some dispensaries and facilities are still quarantining recalled products from last year

State regulators issued two cannabis recall notices last week involving 135,000 marijuana products — more than double&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/08/16/state-faces-pushback-from-missouri-marijuana-industry-over-product-recall/">Missouri’s first massive cannabis product recall</a>&nbsp;exactly one year ago.

“I’ve never seen recalls of this magnitude in any other state,” said Nick Rinella, CEO of Hippos Cannabis. “This is kind of unprecedented.”

Since the announcement, Rinella and facility owners around the state have scrambled to quarantine thousands of vapes, edibles and pre-rolled joints in their secure vaults. Now they’ll wait until state regulators tell them what to do with those products.

Problem is, some of them are still holding products from last year’s recall, which centered around&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/09/11/missouri-company-at-center-of-cannabis-recall-used-hemp-instead-of-marijuana-in-products/">Robertsville-based manufacturer Delta Extraction</a>, because that recall is still being challenged. However, others opted to work with the state to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/10/06/companies-can-now-work-with-state-to-destroy-recalled-missouri-marijuana-products/">destroy those products</a>.

That’s where “the stress comes from,” said Mark Hendren, president of Flora Farms cannabis company.&nbsp;

If a dispensary or facility has a small vault, he said, “and you have product that you have to quarantine, it makes it difficult space wise for you to bring in other inventory to keep the business moving.”

The first recall notice came on the night of Aug. 6, stating the Division of Cannabis Regulation was working “in partnership” with Marceline-based cultivation facility NGWMO LLC to “alert to patients and consumers about a mandatory product recall.”

The grow facility is run by Nature’s Grace and Wellness, which founded a family-owned farm in Vermont, Ill., in 2014 after the state passed medical marijuana. Tim O’Hern, COO and general counsel of Nature’s Grace, is listed as the designated contact for the facility.

This recall involves 2,650 products and has to do with the products being tested too soon in the process.

“The recalled marijuana products were not compliantly tested prior to being sold to patients and consumers,” the notice states. “The recalled marijuana product was tested at the unprocessed bud/flower stage rather than being tested at the final marijuana product stage…”

The second notice came two days later for the Springfield-based manufacturing facility C&amp;C Manufacturing LLC. Notably, it didn’t include the “in partnership” language.&nbsp;

It lists about 133,000 products, which regulators said were not properly tracked in the state’s “seed to sale” tracing system called Metrc.

“Therefore,” the notice states, “DCR cannot verify compliance with health and safety requirements.”&nbsp;

However, the division emphasized that no adverse reactions involving recalled products have been reported.

Matt Cummins, CEO of GOAT Extracts, is listed as the designated contact for the facility and a number of GOAT products are on the list.&nbsp;

The Independent reached out to both companies for comment and did not receive a response.

Adrienne Scales-Williams, owner of St. Louis dispensary Luxury Leaf, agreed that storage space for the recalled products is challenging. And while there’s uncertainty on how long the products will need to be contained, she said she trusts the state is doing their due diligence to investigate the issue.&nbsp;

“We’ve been through this before,” Scales-Williams said. “When it’s not your first ride in the rodeo, you just handle it.”

The recall for the Springfield manufacturer is so widespread because the company specializes in making distillate, or THC concentrate&nbsp;that produces a high in edibles and vape pens.

Other manufacturers statewide&nbsp;bought the distillate and used it to make numerous brands of vapes, edibles or pre-rolled joints, including&nbsp;Rove, Zen and Packarillos.&nbsp;

The recall time frame is also quite wide. It goes back&nbsp;to&nbsp;last year when companies were trying to ramp up for recreational marijuana sales, Rinella said.&nbsp;

Rinella bought some of C&amp;C’s distillate in October when Hippos’ own supply was low at its grow and manufacturing facilities, he said.

But he emphasized that this recall is not because of lack of testing. Once Rinella and other manufacturers got the distillate and made products with it, those were “properly tested” before they went on the shelves, he said.

“We can feel confident that those products were safe,” he said. “They passed all the tests, and we have some of the most stringent tests in the country.”

The division<a href="https://health.mo.gov/safety/cannabis/recalls.php" target="_blank">&nbsp;lists the recalled products&nbsp;</a>in two Excel sheets. One is “product recall list,” which includes the identifiers that the manufacturers use to track products. The division also posted a “consumer recall list” that includes numbers that customers are more likely to see on their products.&nbsp;

The division advises patients and consumers to stop using the products and return them to the dispensary. “Returned products will not count toward a patient’s purchase limit,” it states.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Also any adverse reactions should be reported to the&nbsp;<a href="mailto:CannabisComplaints@health.mo.gov">division of cannabis by email</a>&nbsp; or through<a href="https://health.mo.gov/safety/cannabis/pdf/580-3338s.pdf" target="_blank">&nbsp;an online complaint form</a>.&nbsp;

Just like C&amp;C Manufacturing, the state’s first recall on Aug. 2, 2023 centered around a distillate that was sold to numerous other manufacturers.

Also similarly, Delta Extraction’s products were recalled due to the state’s inability to track the ingredients to make the distillate on Metrc, which starts tracking marijuana plants from the moment they’re planted in Missouri.

In that case, Delta was selling a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/09/25/missouri-cannabis-recall-hemp/">distillate that was mostly made up of hemp-derived THC</a>, using hemp that wasn’t grown in Missouri and couldn’t be tracked.&nbsp;

Delta mixed it with a small amount of THC from marijuana grown in Missouri. It’s much less expensive to make distillate from out-state hemp than Missouri-grown marijuana, but Delta’s consumers still paid marijuana prices.&nbsp;

<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/10/11/farm-bill-debate-includes-hemp-regulation-as-issue-takes-center-stage-in-missouri-recall/">Hemp isn’t a controlled substance</a>&nbsp;and can legally cross state lines, unlike marijuana.

The company appealed both the recall and the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/11/16/cannabis-regulators-to-revoke-license-of-missouri-company-at-center-of-recall/">revocation of their cannabis business license</a>&nbsp;before the Administrative Hearing Commission, challenging whether or not the state has the authority to regulate hemp products.&nbsp;

In March, Commissioner Carol Illes&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/03/07/three-day-hearing-reveals-behind-the-scenes-details-of-missouri-marijuana-recall/">heard three days of testimony and evidence</a>&nbsp;and has yet to release her decision.&nbsp;

Days before the two recent recalls, Gov. Mike Parson&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/08/12/hemp-industry-leaders-call-missouri-governors-order-banning-thc-products-an-overreach/">signed an executive order</a>&nbsp;banning intoxicating hemp products and threatening penalties to any establishment with a Missouri liquor license or that sells food products for selling them.&nbsp;

According to the order, licensed cannabis dispensaries can’t sell these products either because the hemp used to make them has to be grown in Missouri and tracked through Metrc. Nearly all of these products currently on the market — and the ones that Delta used — are made from hemp grown in other states.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723840539777.png" alt="Missouri’s Division of Cannabis Regulation has issued a product recall for marijuana products sold by C&amp;C Manufacturing, LLC and NGWMO LLC (Courtesy of DHSS)." />
 <figcaption>Missouri’s Division of Cannabis Regulation has issued a product recall for marijuana products sold by C&amp;C Manufacturing, LLC and NGWMO LLC (Courtesy of DHSS).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Some dispensaries and facilities are still quarantining recalled products from last year</h2>State regulators issued two cannabis recall notices last week involving 135,000 marijuana products — more than double&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/08/16/state-faces-pushback-from-missouri-marijuana-industry-over-product-recall/">Missouri’s first massive cannabis product recall</a>&nbsp;exactly one year ago.“I’ve never seen recalls of this magnitude in any other state,” said Nick Rinella, CEO of Hippos Cannabis. “This is kind of unprecedented.”Since the announcement, Rinella and facility owners around the state have scrambled to quarantine thousands of vapes, edibles and pre-rolled joints in their secure vaults. Now they’ll wait until state regulators tell them what to do with those products.Problem is, some of them are still holding products from last year’s recall, which centered around&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/09/11/missouri-company-at-center-of-cannabis-recall-used-hemp-instead-of-marijuana-in-products/">Robertsville-based manufacturer Delta Extraction</a>, because that recall is still being challenged. However, others opted to work with the state to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/10/06/companies-can-now-work-with-state-to-destroy-recalled-missouri-marijuana-products/">destroy those products</a>.That’s where “the stress comes from,” said Mark Hendren, president of Flora Farms cannabis company.&nbsp;If a dispensary or facility has a small vault, he said, “and you have product that you have to quarantine, it makes it difficult space wise for you to bring in other inventory to keep the business moving.”The first recall notice came on the night of Aug. 6, stating the Division of Cannabis Regulation was working “in partnership” with Marceline-based cultivation facility NGWMO LLC to “alert to patients and consumers about a mandatory product recall.”The grow facility is run by Nature’s Grace and Wellness, which founded a family-owned farm in Vermont, Ill., in 2014 after the state passed medical marijuana. Tim O’Hern, COO and general counsel of Nature’s Grace, is listed as the designated contact for the facility.This recall involves 2,650 products and has to do with the products being tested too soon in the process.“The recalled marijuana products were not compliantly tested prior to being sold to patients and consumers,” the notice states. “The recalled marijuana product was tested at the unprocessed bud/flower stage rather than being tested at the final marijuana product stage…”The second notice came two days later for the Springfield-based manufacturing facility C&amp;C Manufacturing LLC. Notably, it didn’t include the “in partnership” language.&nbsp;It lists about 133,000 products, which regulators said were not properly tracked in the state’s “seed to sale” tracing system called Metrc.“Therefore,” the notice states, “DCR cannot verify compliance with health and safety requirements.”&nbsp;However, the division emphasized that no adverse reactions involving recalled products have been reported.Matt Cummins, CEO of GOAT Extracts, is listed as the designated contact for the facility and a number of GOAT products are on the list.&nbsp;The Independent reached out to both companies for comment and did not receive a response.Adrienne Scales-Williams, owner of St. Louis dispensary Luxury Leaf, agreed that storage space for the recalled products is challenging. And while there’s uncertainty on how long the products will need to be contained, she said she trusts the state is doing their due diligence to investigate the issue.&nbsp;“We’ve been through this before,” Scales-Williams said. “When it’s not your first ride in the rodeo, you just handle it.”<h2>The impact</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723840480955.png" alt=" (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent)" />
 <figcaption> (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent)</figcaption>
 </figure>The recall for the Springfield manufacturer is so widespread because the company specializes in making distillate, or THC concentrate&nbsp;that produces a high in edibles and vape pens.Other manufacturers statewide&nbsp;bought the distillate and used it to make numerous brands of vapes, edibles or pre-rolled joints, including&nbsp;Rove, Zen and Packarillos.&nbsp;The recall time frame is also quite wide. It goes back&nbsp;to&nbsp;last year when companies were trying to ramp up for recreational marijuana sales, Rinella said.&nbsp;Rinella bought some of C&amp;C’s distillate in October when Hippos’ own supply was low at its grow and manufacturing facilities, he said.But he emphasized that this recall is not because of lack of testing. Once Rinella and other manufacturers got the distillate and made products with it, those were “properly tested” before they went on the shelves, he said.“We can feel confident that those products were safe,” he said. “They passed all the tests, and we have some of the most stringent tests in the country.”The division<a href="https://health.mo.gov/safety/cannabis/recalls.php" target="_blank">&nbsp;lists the recalled products&nbsp;</a>in two Excel sheets. One is “product recall list,” which includes the identifiers that the manufacturers use to track products. The division also posted a “consumer recall list” that includes numbers that customers are more likely to see on their products.&nbsp;The division advises patients and consumers to stop using the products and return them to the dispensary. “Returned products will not count toward a patient’s purchase limit,” it states.&nbsp;&nbsp;Also any adverse reactions should be reported to the&nbsp;<a href="mailto:CannabisComplaints@health.mo.gov">division of cannabis by email</a>&nbsp; or through<a href="https://health.mo.gov/safety/cannabis/pdf/580-3338s.pdf" target="_blank">&nbsp;an online complaint form</a>.&nbsp;<h2>Delta Extraction</h2>Just like C&amp;C Manufacturing, the state’s first recall on Aug. 2, 2023 centered around a distillate that was sold to numerous other manufacturers.Also similarly, Delta Extraction’s products were recalled due to the state’s inability to track the ingredients to make the distillate on Metrc, which starts tracking marijuana plants from the moment they’re planted in Missouri.In that case, Delta was selling a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/09/25/missouri-cannabis-recall-hemp/">distillate that was mostly made up of hemp-derived THC</a>, using hemp that wasn’t grown in Missouri and couldn’t be tracked.&nbsp;Delta mixed it with a small amount of THC from marijuana grown in Missouri. It’s much less expensive to make distillate from out-state hemp than Missouri-grown marijuana, but Delta’s consumers still paid marijuana prices.&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/10/11/farm-bill-debate-includes-hemp-regulation-as-issue-takes-center-stage-in-missouri-recall/">Hemp isn’t a controlled substance</a>&nbsp;and can legally cross state lines, unlike marijuana.The company appealed both the recall and the&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/11/16/cannabis-regulators-to-revoke-license-of-missouri-company-at-center-of-recall/">revocation of their cannabis business license</a>&nbsp;before the Administrative Hearing Commission, challenging whether or not the state has the authority to regulate hemp products.&nbsp;In March, Commissioner Carol Illes&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/03/07/three-day-hearing-reveals-behind-the-scenes-details-of-missouri-marijuana-recall/">heard three days of testimony and evidence</a>&nbsp;and has yet to release her decision.&nbsp;Days before the two recent recalls, Gov. Mike Parson&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/08/12/hemp-industry-leaders-call-missouri-governors-order-banning-thc-products-an-overreach/">signed an executive order</a>&nbsp;banning intoxicating hemp products and threatening penalties to any establishment with a Missouri liquor license or that sells food products for selling them.&nbsp;According to the order, licensed cannabis dispensaries can’t sell these products either because the hemp used to make them has to be grown in Missouri and tracked through Metrc. Nearly all of these products currently on the market — and the ones that Delta used — are made from hemp grown in other states.

‘Unprecedented’: Second massive Missouri cannabis recall leaves some companies scrambling

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street coasted to the close of its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-market-inflation-rates-511bb4a1ada77aa6b1ff2918186b9d4d">best week</a>&nbsp;since November, as U.S. stocks drifted a bit higher Friday.

The S&amp;P 500 rose 0.2% for a seventh straight gain and pulled back within 2% of its all-time high set last month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 96 points, or 0.2%, and the Nasdaq composite added 0.2%.

Treasury yields eased in the bond market following a couple mixed reports on the U.S. economy. One showed homebuilders broke ground on fewer projects last month than forecast, which threw some cold water on the market. Optimism had been rising earlier in the week following a flurry of better-than-expected reports on everything from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-interest-rates-economy-federal-reserve-f8de2672173407d3a126cc13493fed85">inflation</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/retailers-spending-consumers-inflation-stores-shoppers-economy-7032cf170e9fe2400715097dbffb74ab">sales at U.S. retailers</a>.

But a report later in the morning suggested U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/consumers-sentiment-inflation-jobs-spending-federal-reserve-5b9ff4d6247272ffbb32d370693061d2">consumers are feeling better</a>&nbsp;about the economy than expected. That’s a big deal for Wall Street because their spending makes up the bulk of the economy.

Friday’s relatively calm trading capped a manic week where strong economic data helped right Wall Street following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-china-inflation-rates-9b02c8c86f09d8b34f7406c3deb23ed9">a scary run</a>. The S&amp;P 500 had briefly dropped close to 10% below its record last week, as stocks reeled worldwide on a range of worries. Many of those questions are still hanging over the market, just not quite as precariously as before.

One concern centered on the strength of the U.S. economy following a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-jobs-unemployment-federal-reserve-inflation-22095766804d9c1532b4fcc29565be49">surprisingly weak report on hiring</a>&nbsp;last month.

Even though confidence rose in the economy’s strength following this week’s strong run of reports, it is still likely slowing under the weight of high interest rates. That’s by design. The Federal Reserve’s goal has been trying to cool what was a hot job market by making it more expensive for companies and households to borrow and spend. The Fed did that that to remove upward pressure on inflation, which peaked at more than 9% two summers ago.

The question is whether the slowdown in the economy’s growth will overshoot and become a recession. That’s still to be determined, but the hope on Wall Street is that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-rate-cuts-federal-reserve-prices-economy-f4401cf6307e36022f8f4aa8f97009bd">an expected cut to interest rates</a>&nbsp;at the Fed’s next meeting in September will help forestall that.

The market’s focus will swing next week to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. That’s where Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell will give a speech late in the week, and the setting has been home to big policy announcements in the past.

Because the Fed has said its upcoming moves will depend in large part on what data reports at the time say, “it will be difficult for Powell to pre-commit to a particular trajectory at Jackson Hole,” say economists at Deutsche Bank led by Matthew Luzzetti.

But Powell could offer hints about whether the Fed is hoping to merely remove the brakes from the economy through rate cuts or give it an accelerant.

A second big concern for the market has focused on whether investors took the prices of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nvidia-artificial-intelligence-ai-gaming-1acc94ebbe6a59f728742ca20b3532cf">Nvidia</a>&nbsp;and other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wall-street-stocks-magnificent-seven-a6e1da1a8c85c0a56f9e9c85e001ebff">highly influential Big Tech stocks</a>&nbsp;too high in their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nvidia-chip-ai-apple-microsoft-51cc2b56e5871111907de6ad9cab59ae">frenzy around artificial-intelligence technology</a>.

That debate is still ongoing. Within just an hour on Friday morning, Nvidia went from being the single heaviest weight on the S&amp;P 500 to the strongest force lifting the index. It flipped from an early 1.4% drop to end with a rise of 1.4%.

Such swings have become typical for the stock that’s become the face of the AI craze. After soaring more than 170% through the year’s first six and a half months, Nvidia plunged more than 20% over the ensuing three weeks.

A third factor that’s caused global markets’ big swings is more technical, one triggered by a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-economy-rates-boj-yen-e00919b053412fabf7a800ed78a9ad7a">hike to interest rates</a>&nbsp;by the Bank of Japan. That forced hedge funds around the world to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-carry-japan-currency-9611229d14e547e11f7e0299f2a6d00a">abandon a popular trade en masse</a>, where they had borrowed Japanese yen at cheap rates to invest elsewhere.

The forced and sudden selling that ensued hit markets worldwide, but it calmed after a top Bank of Japan official said it won’t raise rates further as long as markets are unstable. Analysts, though, say more potential selling may still be left to uncoil in the system.

On Wall Street, H&amp;R Block leaped 12.1% for one of the market’s bigger gains after it reported a bigger-than-expected profit for the latest quarter. It also increased its dividend 17% and announced a stock buyback program of up to $1.5 billion.

All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 11.03 points to 5,554.25. The Dow gained 96.70 to 40,659.76, and the Nasdaq composite added 37.22 to 17,631.72.

In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 3.88% from 3.92% late Thursday. The two-year yield, which more closely tracks expectations for Fed action, fell to 4.05% from 4.10% late Thursday.

In stock markets abroad, Japan’s Nikkei 225 jumped 3.6% to cap its best week in more than four years. It was a strong rebound from its sharp losses the week before, which included the worst day for the Japanese stock market since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-stocks-nikkei-markets-yen-9fc2c2d7b2f85be89e8dd2db4054b9c5">Black Monday crash of 1987</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1584366201093.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street coasted to the close of its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-market-inflation-rates-511bb4a1ada77aa6b1ff2918186b9d4d">best week</a>&nbsp;since November, as U.S. stocks drifted a bit higher Friday.The S&amp;P 500 rose 0.2% for a seventh straight gain and pulled back within 2% of its all-time high set last month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 96 points, or 0.2%, and the Nasdaq composite added 0.2%.Treasury yields eased in the bond market following a couple mixed reports on the U.S. economy. One showed homebuilders broke ground on fewer projects last month than forecast, which threw some cold water on the market. Optimism had been rising earlier in the week following a flurry of better-than-expected reports on everything from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-prices-interest-rates-economy-federal-reserve-f8de2672173407d3a126cc13493fed85">inflation</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/retailers-spending-consumers-inflation-stores-shoppers-economy-7032cf170e9fe2400715097dbffb74ab">sales at U.S. retailers</a>.But a report later in the morning suggested U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/consumers-sentiment-inflation-jobs-spending-federal-reserve-5b9ff4d6247272ffbb32d370693061d2">consumers are feeling better</a>&nbsp;about the economy than expected. That’s a big deal for Wall Street because their spending makes up the bulk of the economy.Friday’s relatively calm trading capped a manic week where strong economic data helped right Wall Street following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-china-inflation-rates-9b02c8c86f09d8b34f7406c3deb23ed9">a scary run</a>. The S&amp;P 500 had briefly dropped close to 10% below its record last week, as stocks reeled worldwide on a range of worries. Many of those questions are still hanging over the market, just not quite as precariously as before.One concern centered on the strength of the U.S. economy following a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-jobs-unemployment-federal-reserve-inflation-22095766804d9c1532b4fcc29565be49">surprisingly weak report on hiring</a>&nbsp;last month.Even though confidence rose in the economy’s strength following this week’s strong run of reports, it is still likely slowing under the weight of high interest rates. That’s by design. The Federal Reserve’s goal has been trying to cool what was a hot job market by making it more expensive for companies and households to borrow and spend. The Fed did that that to remove upward pressure on inflation, which peaked at more than 9% two summers ago.The question is whether the slowdown in the economy’s growth will overshoot and become a recession. That’s still to be determined, but the hope on Wall Street is that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-rate-cuts-federal-reserve-prices-economy-f4401cf6307e36022f8f4aa8f97009bd">an expected cut to interest rates</a>&nbsp;at the Fed’s next meeting in September will help forestall that.The market’s focus will swing next week to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. That’s where Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell will give a speech late in the week, and the setting has been home to big policy announcements in the past.Because the Fed has said its upcoming moves will depend in large part on what data reports at the time say, “it will be difficult for Powell to pre-commit to a particular trajectory at Jackson Hole,” say economists at Deutsche Bank led by Matthew Luzzetti.But Powell could offer hints about whether the Fed is hoping to merely remove the brakes from the economy through rate cuts or give it an accelerant.A second big concern for the market has focused on whether investors took the prices of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nvidia-artificial-intelligence-ai-gaming-1acc94ebbe6a59f728742ca20b3532cf">Nvidia</a>&nbsp;and other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wall-street-stocks-magnificent-seven-a6e1da1a8c85c0a56f9e9c85e001ebff">highly influential Big Tech stocks</a>&nbsp;too high in their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nvidia-chip-ai-apple-microsoft-51cc2b56e5871111907de6ad9cab59ae">frenzy around artificial-intelligence technology</a>.That debate is still ongoing. Within just an hour on Friday morning, Nvidia went from being the single heaviest weight on the S&amp;P 500 to the strongest force lifting the index. It flipped from an early 1.4% drop to end with a rise of 1.4%.Such swings have become typical for the stock that’s become the face of the AI craze. After soaring more than 170% through the year’s first six and a half months, Nvidia plunged more than 20% over the ensuing three weeks.A third factor that’s caused global markets’ big swings is more technical, one triggered by a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-economy-rates-boj-yen-e00919b053412fabf7a800ed78a9ad7a">hike to interest rates</a>&nbsp;by the Bank of Japan. That forced hedge funds around the world to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-carry-japan-currency-9611229d14e547e11f7e0299f2a6d00a">abandon a popular trade en masse</a>, where they had borrowed Japanese yen at cheap rates to invest elsewhere.The forced and sudden selling that ensued hit markets worldwide, but it calmed after a top Bank of Japan official said it won’t raise rates further as long as markets are unstable. Analysts, though, say more potential selling may still be left to uncoil in the system.On Wall Street, H&amp;R Block leaped 12.1% for one of the market’s bigger gains after it reported a bigger-than-expected profit for the latest quarter. It also increased its dividend 17% and announced a stock buyback program of up to $1.5 billion.All told, the S&amp;P 500 rose 11.03 points to 5,554.25. The Dow gained 96.70 to 40,659.76, and the Nasdaq composite added 37.22 to 17,631.72.In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 3.88% from 3.92% late Thursday. The two-year yield, which more closely tracks expectations for Fed action, fell to 4.05% from 4.10% late Thursday.In stock markets abroad, Japan’s Nikkei 225 jumped 3.6% to cap its best week in more than four years. It was a strong rebound from its sharp losses the week before, which included the worst day for the Japanese stock market since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-stocks-nikkei-markets-yen-9fc2c2d7b2f85be89e8dd2db4054b9c5">Black Monday crash of 1987</a>.

Wall Street closes its best week of the year with more gains

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/suzanneking/">SUZANNE KING</a>&nbsp;

Last year, when COVID vaccines were still free, barely one in five Americans rolled up their sleeves for the latest dose.

Now that some people will have to pay $100-plus for the shot, health officials expect even weaker demand when the next version of the vaccine comes out this fall.

Meanwhile, a surprisingly strong summer surge of COVID cases sweeps across Kansas and Missouri.

As students head back to school, more people are testing positive, ending up in emergency rooms and getting hospitalized with the virus,&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#datatracker-home" target="_blank">according</a>&nbsp;to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In Kansas City, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcmo.gov/city-hall/departments/health/weekly-covid-19-snapshots" target="_blank">reported case rate</a>&nbsp;at the end of July was more than double the same week last year and edging toward last winter’s rate. At the same time, wastewater testing in Kansas and Missouri&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nwss/rv/COVID19-statetrend.html" target="_blank">showed</a>&nbsp;viral activity that surpassed national and regional levels.

Of course, the virus is nothing like it used to be. At the height of the pandemic in January of 2021, the CDC&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#trends_weeklydeaths_weeklypctdeaths_00" target="_blank">reported</a>&nbsp;that almost 30% of weekly deaths in the U.S. could be attributed to COVID. For the week of Aug. 3, the disease was blamed for 1.5% of U.S. deaths.

But the picture would look quite different without the vaccine, experts said. At the same time, some health professionals trace August’s surge to low vaccination rates last September and October.

“The urgency of COVID has obviously gone down,” said Cecelia Thomas, a health policy consultant with Washington-based Venn Strategies. “People are now getting it or they’re seeing people get it and it’s like a cold. Not even a bad cold. But I don’t think they’re realizing that it’s not as bad because they are vaccinated.”

Immunity wanes over time as the virus mutates. Getting an updated COVID shot every year, doctors advise, helps your immune system keep pace with changes. But last year, as life seemed to have returned to normal for most people, many Americans took a pass on the COVID shot.

At the start of December, the height of vaccine season, only 16% of adults had&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2023/12/11/new-covid-vaccine-no-interest/" target="_blank">gotten</a>&nbsp;the updated shot. The rate had only ticked up to 22.5% by the middle of May.

Scientists have come to expect a summer rise in COVID cases because the virus is cyclical, ebbing and waning in temperate climates as seasons change. But the current COVID surge has caught some health experts by surprise. It’s infecting more people and sending more patients to hospitals.

Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, blames the higher than expected number of cases on last year’s lackluster vaccination rates.

“Many of the people being hospitalized today did not receive the vaccine last fall,” he said.

Hospitals&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2024/05/10/hospitals-can-stop-reporting-covid-data/" target="_blank">no longer report</a>&nbsp;the number of patients admitted with COVID. But at least anecdotally, doctors say, they’re seeing more people getting sick with the virus. And some people most at risk are getting really sick.

Dr. Dana Hawkinson, an infectious-disease doctor at the University of Kansas Health System, said people should be aware of the current risk, especially if their age or underlying health puts them at higher risk for getting severely ill.

“Have a plan,” he said, “especially if you are at high risk.”

That can include wearing a mask in crowded places, being careful about hand hygiene, avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth when in public and, of course, getting up to date on your vaccine.

An updated COVID vaccine, recommended annually for anyone 6 months and older, can prevent severe illness and reduce the chances that you’ll end up with long COVID.

But getting a current vaccine is about to get a lot harder, especially for patients who are uninsured.

COVID vaccines will likely cost more this fall

During the height of the pandemic, COVID vaccinations were free to everyone. People only needed to sign up for an appointment online and walk into a nearby pharmacy. No cash needed.

When the federal government lifted the Public Health Emergency in May of 2023, people covered by Medicare or Medicaid and most people with private insurance could still get the shot without paying a copay. People without insurance got free shots through the $1 billion federal Bridge Access Program.

That was meant to cover the gap so all COVID shots remained free through the end of 2024. In the meantime, the CDC promised to establish a new program to make sure uninsured adults could continue getting free COVID vaccines. It was to be modeled after the federal&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines-for-children/about/index.html" target="_blank">Vaccines for Children</a>&nbsp;program, which pays for vaccines for minors whose families can’t afford them.

But that program hasn’t come to fruition. And, thanks to congressional budget cuts, funding for the Bridge Access Program is running out early. Meanwhile, people with private insurance may have to pay a copay to get the shot.

For someone without insurance, the shot can cost more than $100. The Johnson County Department of Health and Environment’s website lists the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jocogov.org/department/health/respiratory-illness-guidance/covid-19-vaccine" target="_blank">out-of-pocket cost</a>&nbsp;for a COVID shot as $160.

Even when a shot is covered by insurance, many health departments charge an administration fee. In Johnson County and for the Wyandotte County Public Health Department, that amounts to $20 for COVID or any other vaccine.

Vaccine access will vary by health department

Public health officials around the Kansas City area are varied in how they plan to handle the lack of federal funding for COVID shots.

The Wyandotte County Public Health Department won’t offer any free COVID vaccines for adults this fall. Jackson County Public Health has allocated American Rescue Plan funds to cover the cost of offering free vaccines to uninsured adults through the end of the year. And Platte County is weighing how to allocate expected state funding for COVID and flu vaccines.

Money won’t stretch as far if the county chooses to offer the COVID shot, which is much more costly than the flu vaccine, said Aaron Smullin, Platte County Health Department spokesman.

“We are evaluating data on COVID/flu hospitalizations and deaths to decide how to allocate our resources,” Smullin wrote in an email response. “Without current (Bridge) funding, we face the difficult choice of whether to immunize 500 people against flu or 125 against COVID.”

Public health officials fear that any added expense and complication will lead many people to forego the shot again this fall. And that could mean more infections and hospitalizations during future a COVID surge.

The current strains of COVID infecting most people this summer — known as FLiRT variants — are related to Omicron, the version of the virus that swept across the world in late 2021. The variants are highly contagious and spread readily.

They are also still mild for most people who test positive. That’s because most people have immunity, either from previous infections or from getting the vaccine. But the evolving virus could still become more dangerous again, scientists said, which is why vaccines are so important.

“These vaccines have saved millions of lives around the world, including in the United States,” Schaffner said. “But you can’t get protected if the vaccine is in the refrigerator. It’s got to be in your arm to work.”

In addition to getting vaccinated, public health officials warn that people should test if they have symptoms and isolate and take other precautions like wearing a mask to avoid spreading the virus if they get sick. When someone tests positive, a doctor can prescribe an antiviral medication to prevent severe disease.

<a href="https://testinglocator.cdc.gov/" target="_blank">No-cost testing</a>&nbsp;is still available at some pharmacies for people without insurance who have been exposed to COVID or have symptoms. And people who are infected, can&nbsp;<a href="https://treatments.hhs.gov/" target="_blank">apply</a>&nbsp;for free access to antiviral medication treatments like Paxlovid.

This&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2024/08/14/health-officials-warn-of-worsening-covid-surge-without-free-vaccines/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/" target="_blank">Beacon: Kansas City</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702563571528.png" alt="File photo A COVID-19 vacation appointments sign&nbsp; (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)" />
 <figcaption>File photo A COVID-19 vacation appointments sign&nbsp; (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/suzanneking/">SUZANNE KING</a>&nbsp;Last year, when COVID vaccines were still free, barely one in five Americans rolled up their sleeves for the latest dose.Now that some people will have to pay $100-plus for the shot, health officials expect even weaker demand when the next version of the vaccine comes out this fall.Meanwhile, a surprisingly strong summer surge of COVID cases sweeps across Kansas and Missouri.As students head back to school, more people are testing positive, ending up in emergency rooms and getting hospitalized with the virus,&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#datatracker-home" target="_blank">according</a>&nbsp;to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.In Kansas City, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcmo.gov/city-hall/departments/health/weekly-covid-19-snapshots" target="_blank">reported case rate</a>&nbsp;at the end of July was more than double the same week last year and edging toward last winter’s rate. At the same time, wastewater testing in Kansas and Missouri&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nwss/rv/COVID19-statetrend.html" target="_blank">showed</a>&nbsp;viral activity that surpassed national and regional levels.Of course, the virus is nothing like it used to be. At the height of the pandemic in January of 2021, the CDC&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#trends_weeklydeaths_weeklypctdeaths_00" target="_blank">reported</a>&nbsp;that almost 30% of weekly deaths in the U.S. could be attributed to COVID. For the week of Aug. 3, the disease was blamed for 1.5% of U.S. deaths.But the picture would look quite different without the vaccine, experts said. At the same time, some health professionals trace August’s surge to low vaccination rates last September and October.“The urgency of COVID has obviously gone down,” said Cecelia Thomas, a health policy consultant with Washington-based Venn Strategies. “People are now getting it or they’re seeing people get it and it’s like a cold. Not even a bad cold. But I don’t think they’re realizing that it’s not as bad because they are vaccinated.”Immunity wanes over time as the virus mutates. Getting an updated COVID shot every year, doctors advise, helps your immune system keep pace with changes. But last year, as life seemed to have returned to normal for most people, many Americans took a pass on the COVID shot.At the start of December, the height of vaccine season, only 16% of adults had&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2023/12/11/new-covid-vaccine-no-interest/" target="_blank">gotten</a>&nbsp;the updated shot. The rate had only ticked up to 22.5% by the middle of May.<h2>Surprise summer surge</h2>Scientists have come to expect a summer rise in COVID cases because the virus is cyclical, ebbing and waning in temperate climates as seasons change. But the current COVID surge has caught some health experts by surprise. It’s infecting more people and sending more patients to hospitals.Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, blames the higher than expected number of cases on last year’s lackluster vaccination rates.“Many of the people being hospitalized today did not receive the vaccine last fall,” he said.Hospitals&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2024/05/10/hospitals-can-stop-reporting-covid-data/" target="_blank">no longer report</a>&nbsp;the number of patients admitted with COVID. But at least anecdotally, doctors say, they’re seeing more people getting sick with the virus. And some people most at risk are getting really sick.Dr. Dana Hawkinson, an infectious-disease doctor at the University of Kansas Health System, said people should be aware of the current risk, especially if their age or underlying health puts them at higher risk for getting severely ill.“Have a plan,” he said, “especially if you are at high risk.”That can include wearing a mask in crowded places, being careful about hand hygiene, avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth when in public and, of course, getting up to date on your vaccine.An updated COVID vaccine, recommended annually for anyone 6 months and older, can prevent severe illness and reduce the chances that you’ll end up with long COVID.But getting a current vaccine is about to get a lot harder, especially for patients who are uninsured.<h2>COVID vaccines will likely cost more this fall</h2>During the height of the pandemic, COVID vaccinations were free to everyone. People only needed to sign up for an appointment online and walk into a nearby pharmacy. No cash needed.When the federal government lifted the Public Health Emergency in May of 2023, people covered by Medicare or Medicaid and most people with private insurance could still get the shot without paying a copay. People without insurance got free shots through the $1 billion federal Bridge Access Program.That was meant to cover the gap so all COVID shots remained free through the end of 2024. In the meantime, the CDC promised to establish a new program to make sure uninsured adults could continue getting free COVID vaccines. It was to be modeled after the federal&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines-for-children/about/index.html" target="_blank">Vaccines for Children</a>&nbsp;program, which pays for vaccines for minors whose families can’t afford them.But that program hasn’t come to fruition. And, thanks to congressional budget cuts, funding for the Bridge Access Program is running out early. Meanwhile, people with private insurance may have to pay a copay to get the shot.For someone without insurance, the shot can cost more than $100. The Johnson County Department of Health and Environment’s website lists the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jocogov.org/department/health/respiratory-illness-guidance/covid-19-vaccine" target="_blank">out-of-pocket cost</a>&nbsp;for a COVID shot as $160.Even when a shot is covered by insurance, many health departments charge an administration fee. In Johnson County and for the Wyandotte County Public Health Department, that amounts to $20 for COVID or any other vaccine.<h2>Vaccine access will vary by health department</h2>Public health officials around the Kansas City area are varied in how they plan to handle the lack of federal funding for COVID shots.The Wyandotte County Public Health Department won’t offer any free COVID vaccines for adults this fall. Jackson County Public Health has allocated American Rescue Plan funds to cover the cost of offering free vaccines to uninsured adults through the end of the year. And Platte County is weighing how to allocate expected state funding for COVID and flu vaccines.Money won’t stretch as far if the county chooses to offer the COVID shot, which is much more costly than the flu vaccine, said Aaron Smullin, Platte County Health Department spokesman.“We are evaluating data on COVID/flu hospitalizations and deaths to decide how to allocate our resources,” Smullin wrote in an email response. “Without current (Bridge) funding, we face the difficult choice of whether to immunize 500 people against flu or 125 against COVID.”Public health officials fear that any added expense and complication will lead many people to forego the shot again this fall. And that could mean more infections and hospitalizations during future a COVID surge.The current strains of COVID infecting most people this summer — known as FLiRT variants — are related to Omicron, the version of the virus that swept across the world in late 2021. The variants are highly contagious and spread readily.They are also still mild for most people who test positive. That’s because most people have immunity, either from previous infections or from getting the vaccine. But the evolving virus could still become more dangerous again, scientists said, which is why vaccines are so important.“These vaccines have saved millions of lives around the world, including in the United States,” Schaffner said. “But you can’t get protected if the vaccine is in the refrigerator. It’s got to be in your arm to work.”In addition to getting vaccinated, public health officials warn that people should test if they have symptoms and isolate and take other precautions like wearing a mask to avoid spreading the virus if they get sick. When someone tests positive, a doctor can prescribe an antiviral medication to prevent severe disease.<a href="https://testinglocator.cdc.gov/" target="_blank">No-cost testing</a>&nbsp;is still available at some pharmacies for people without insurance who have been exposed to COVID or have symptoms. And people who are infected, can&nbsp;<a href="https://treatments.hhs.gov/" target="_blank">apply</a>&nbsp;for free access to antiviral medication treatments like Paxlovid.This&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2024/08/14/health-officials-warn-of-worsening-covid-surge-without-free-vaccines/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/" target="_blank">Beacon: Kansas City</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.<figure>
 <img src="https://thebeaconnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/iconbeacon-150x150.png?crop=1" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://thebeaconnews.org/?republication-pixel=true&amp;post=23793" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

COVID surges across Kansas and Missouri as free shots go away

KANSAS CITY —A Missouri woman was arrested Friday morning on federal charges in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud Elvis Presley’s family of millions of dollars and steal the family’s ownership interest in Graceland, the former home of Elvis Presley, located in Memphis, Tennessee, according to the United State's Attorney.

Lisa Jeanine Findley, also known as Lisa Holden, Lisa Howell, Gregory Naussany, Kurt Naussany, Lisa Jeanine Sullins, and Carolyn Williams, 53, of Kimberling City, Missouri, was charged in a criminal complaint unsealed Friday after her arrest. Findley will make her initial appearance later Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri.

“As alleged in the complaint, the defendant orchestrated a scheme to conduct a fraudulent sale of Graceland, falsely claiming that Elvis Presley’s daughter had pledged the historic landmark as collateral for a loan that she failed to repay before her death,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “As part of the brazen scheme, we allege that the defendant created numerous false documents and sought to extort a settlement from the Presley family. Now she is facing federal charges. The Criminal Division and its partners are committed to holding fraudsters to account.”

“As a Memphian, I know that Graceland is a national treasure,” said U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee. “This defendant allegedly used a brazen scheme to try to defraud the Presley family of their interest in this singularly important landmark. Of course, all homeowners deserve to have their property protected from fraud, and the Department of Justice will vigorously prosecute anyone who commits financial crimes or identity theft.”

According to court documents, Findley allegedly posed as three different individuals affiliated with a fictitious private lender named Naussany Investments &amp; Private Lending LLC (Naussany Investments). Findley allegedly claimed falsely that Elvis Presley’s daughter had borrowed $3.8 million in 2018 from Naussany Investments, pledged Graceland as collateral for the loan, and failed to repay the debt. 

To settle the purported claim, Findley allegedly sought $2.85 million from Elvis Presley’s family. Findley allegedly fabricated loan documents on which Findley forged the signatures of Elvis Presley’s daughter and a Florida State notary public. 

Findley then allegedly filed a false creditor’s claim with the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles, and a fake deed of trust with the Shelby County Register’s Office in Memphis. Findley also allegedly published a fraudulent foreclosure notice in&nbsp;The Commercial Appeal, one of Memphis’s daily newspapers, announcing that Naussany Investments planned to auction Graceland to the highest bidder on May 23. Finally, when Naussany Investments was sued by Elvis Presley’s family in Tennessee state court as part of an effort to stop the sale of Graceland, Findley allegedly submitted false court filings.

After the scheme attracted global media attention, Findley allegedly wrote to representatives of Elvis Presley’s family, the Tennessee state court, and the media to claim falsely that the person responsible for the scheme was a Nigerian identity thief located in Nigeria.

“Fame and money are magnets for criminals who look to capitalize on another person’s celebrity status,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Criminal Investigations Group. 

“In this case, Ms. Findley allegedly took advantage of the very public and tragic occurrences in the Presley family as an opportunity to prey on the name and financial status of the heirs to the Graceland estate, attempting to steal what rightfully belongs to the Presley family for her personal gain. 

Postal Inspectors and their law enforcement partners put an end to her alleged scheme, protecting the Presley family from continued harm and stress. This is an example of our relentless investigative work and commitment to bringing criminals to justice for their illegal activity.”

“Today’s announcement of charges and law enforcement action shows our broad approach to investigating allegations of identity theft and mail fraud, which can affect people from all walks of life,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Memphis Field Office. “We will continue to vigorously pursue cases against individuals, in the United States and abroad, who would steal an identity and use fraud to benefit themselves personally.”

Findley is charged with mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. If convicted, she faces a mandatory minimum of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for mail fraud.

USPIS and the FBI Memphis Field Office are investigating the case with significant assistance from the FBI Kansas City Field Office. &nbsp;

Assistant Chief Cory E. Jacobs and Trial Attorney Christopher Fenton of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carroll L. André III for the Western District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case, with significant assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri.

KANSAS CITY —A Missouri woman was arrested Friday morning on federal charges in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud Elvis Presley’s family of millions of dollars and steal the family’s ownership interest in Graceland, the former home of Elvis Presley, located in Memphis, Tennessee, according to the United State's Attorney.Lisa Jeanine Findley, also known as Lisa Holden, Lisa Howell, Gregory Naussany, Kurt Naussany, Lisa Jeanine Sullins, and Carolyn Williams, 53, of Kimberling City, Missouri, was charged in a criminal complaint unsealed Friday after her arrest. Findley will make her initial appearance later Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri.“As alleged in the complaint, the defendant orchestrated a scheme to conduct a fraudulent sale of Graceland, falsely claiming that Elvis Presley’s daughter had pledged the historic landmark as collateral for a loan that she failed to repay before her death,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “As part of the brazen scheme, we allege that the defendant created numerous false documents and sought to extort a settlement from the Presley family. Now she is facing federal charges. The Criminal Division and its partners are committed to holding fraudsters to account.”“As a Memphian, I know that Graceland is a national treasure,” said U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee. “This defendant allegedly used a brazen scheme to try to defraud the Presley family of their interest in this singularly important landmark. Of course, all homeowners deserve to have their property protected from fraud, and the Department of Justice will vigorously prosecute anyone who commits financial crimes or identity theft.”According to court documents, Findley allegedly posed as three different individuals affiliated with a fictitious private lender named Naussany Investments &amp; Private Lending LLC (Naussany Investments). Findley allegedly claimed falsely that Elvis Presley’s daughter had borrowed $3.8 million in 2018 from Naussany Investments, pledged Graceland as collateral for the loan, and failed to repay the debt. To settle the purported claim, Findley allegedly sought $2.85 million from Elvis Presley’s family. Findley allegedly fabricated loan documents on which Findley forged the signatures of Elvis Presley’s daughter and a Florida State notary public. Findley then allegedly filed a false creditor’s claim with the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles, and a fake deed of trust with the Shelby County Register’s Office in Memphis. Findley also allegedly published a fraudulent foreclosure notice in&nbsp;The Commercial Appeal, one of Memphis’s daily newspapers, announcing that Naussany Investments planned to auction Graceland to the highest bidder on May 23. Finally, when Naussany Investments was sued by Elvis Presley’s family in Tennessee state court as part of an effort to stop the sale of Graceland, Findley allegedly submitted false court filings.After the scheme attracted global media attention, Findley allegedly wrote to representatives of Elvis Presley’s family, the Tennessee state court, and the media to claim falsely that the person responsible for the scheme was a Nigerian identity thief located in Nigeria.“Fame and money are magnets for criminals who look to capitalize on another person’s celebrity status,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Criminal Investigations Group. “In this case, Ms. Findley allegedly took advantage of the very public and tragic occurrences in the Presley family as an opportunity to prey on the name and financial status of the heirs to the Graceland estate, attempting to steal what rightfully belongs to the Presley family for her personal gain. Postal Inspectors and their law enforcement partners put an end to her alleged scheme, protecting the Presley family from continued harm and stress. This is an example of our relentless investigative work and commitment to bringing criminals to justice for their illegal activity.”“Today’s announcement of charges and law enforcement action shows our broad approach to investigating allegations of identity theft and mail fraud, which can affect people from all walks of life,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Memphis Field Office. “We will continue to vigorously pursue cases against individuals, in the United States and abroad, who would steal an identity and use fraud to benefit themselves personally.”Findley is charged with mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. If convicted, she faces a mandatory minimum of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for mail fraud.USPIS and the FBI Memphis Field Office are investigating the case with significant assistance from the FBI Kansas City Field Office. &nbsp;Assistant Chief Cory E. Jacobs and Trial Attorney Christopher Fenton of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carroll L. André III for the Western District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case, with significant assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri.

Missouri woman charged with trying to defraud Elvis Presley's family

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are asking the public for help to locate a suspect who didn't show up for a scheduled sentencing hearing for his role in a homicide that occurred in 2023.

According to Wichita Police, 64-year-old&nbsp;Kevin Harris was out on bond&nbsp; and&nbsp; cut off his ankle monitor.

In August of 2023, police arrested Harris of Lawrence after a 16-hour standoff in Lawrence for the death of&nbsp;51-year-old Jose Lumbreras of Wichita.

Just after 11 p.m. August 22, police learned Harris had fled Wichita and was believed to be inside an apartment in the 1400 block of Bristol Terrace in Lawrence, according to Police Sgt. Drew Fennelly

While working to gather more information from Wichita, officers in Lawrence set up a perimeter on the apartment building, and gathered information that led investigators to believe Harris was there.

The Lawrence Police Crisis Response Team was activated and responded to the area, as well our Crisis Response Negotiators and&nbsp; the Unoccupied Aerial Vehicle team.

Crisis Negotiators were able to establish contact with people in the apartment and verified Harris was there. The Lawrence Police tactical team then began methodically evacuating the apartment building when it was clear the suspect was not going to come out, and was allegedly armed.

After multiple hours of discussion, negotiators were able to convince Harris to allow a woman in the apartment to leave.&nbsp; Following multiple additional hours of discussion, negotiators convinced Harris to also leave the apartment and he peacefully surrendered at&nbsp;3:30 p.m., according to Fennelly.

If you know Harris or know where he is call police.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723748372094.png" alt="Harris photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Harris photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are asking the public for help to locate a suspect who didn't show up for a scheduled sentencing hearing for his role in a homicide that occurred in 2023.According to Wichita Police, 64-year-old&nbsp;Kevin Harris was out on bond&nbsp; and&nbsp; cut off his ankle monitor.In August of 2023, police arrested Harris of Lawrence after a 16-hour standoff in Lawrence for the death of&nbsp;51-year-old Jose Lumbreras of Wichita.Just after 11 p.m. August 22, police learned Harris had fled Wichita and was believed to be inside an apartment in the 1400 block of Bristol Terrace in Lawrence, according to Police Sgt. Drew FennellyWhile working to gather more information from Wichita, officers in Lawrence set up a perimeter on the apartment building, and gathered information that led investigators to believe Harris was there.The Lawrence Police Crisis Response Team was activated and responded to the area, as well our Crisis Response Negotiators and&nbsp; the Unoccupied Aerial Vehicle team.Crisis Negotiators were able to establish contact with people in the apartment and verified Harris was there. The Lawrence Police tactical team then began methodically evacuating the apartment building when it was clear the suspect was not going to come out, and was allegedly armed.After multiple hours of discussion, negotiators were able to convince Harris to allow a woman in the apartment to leave.&nbsp; Following multiple additional hours of discussion, negotiators convinced Harris to also leave the apartment and he peacefully surrendered at&nbsp;3:30 p.m., according to Fennelly.If you know Harris or know where he is call police.

Kan. man who skipped sentencing for role in murder is still missing

The relationship between real estate agents and those selling or buying a home will change dramatically this weekend.&nbsp; &nbsp;The change that begins Saturday should make it easier for buyers and sellers.

LOS ANGELES (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-association-of-realtors-agent-commissions-lawsuits-d62a66cb80639be3c4c3b429053a22c5">Earlier this year</a>, the National Association of Realtors and several major real estate brokerages agreed to pay over $950 million to settle federal lawsuits claiming they forced homeowners to pay inflated commissions to sell their homes.

The industry also agreed to policy changes aimed at creating more transparency around how brokers and agents are paid for their services.

Real estate brokerage Re/Max last year agreed to pay $55 million to settle litigation over agent compensation. President Amy Lessinger spoke with The Associated Press about what homebuyers and sellers can expect from the industry rule changes taking effect this month.

Q: What changes will the new rules have in store for homebuyers and sellers?

A: As it pertains to the settlement, there are just two changes. The first is that offers of compensation can no longer take place on the MLS. And buyers working with an MLS purchase have to sign a written buyer’s agreement. It’s already required in roughly 20 states.

Q: Should a buyer expect that agents will ask for a specific commission or other type of fee structure?

A: Per the settlement terms, it will be spelled out. As far as exactly how that agent is compensated, that is between the buyer and the agent. It could be a flat fee model. It could be that a buyer directs their agent and says, ‘I would like you to negotiate the fee with the seller as part of the contract and if the seller will not offer that, then I may not opt to buy the house.’ But the buyer has to be in control of how the directive is given. And then, obviously, they need to come to terms in an agreement about what happens if the seller isn’t willing to offer compensation. How will that agent be paid and in what way?

Q: Sellers can still opt to make an offer of compensation to a buyer’s agent, even if they can’t include it in their listing on the MLS. Do you expect many will decline to do so?

A: By and large, I have not heard of a wave of ‘we’re not offering compensation’ among the sellers. I think it’s a discussion between the agent and the seller as to the benefit of why they would want to offer it or may not want to offer it. And ultimately, commissions are negotiable, and it is up to the seller as to what they desire in that situation.

Q: Are we likely to see lower commissions?

A: That remains to be seen. I think people just need to largely decide what the value is of having a trusted professional represent my best interests, negotiate on my behalf, provide me with their local expertise and walk me through the process?

Q: How do you expect these rule changes to affect real estate agents in the long-term?

A: For educated professionals in this business, such as our agents, this is an industry shift that they will navigate with professionalism and diligence. Agents who perhaps are very, very part-time or haven’t sold a lot of houses over the course of their career, it may be a challenge for them.

The relationship between real estate agents and those selling or buying a home will change dramatically this weekend.&nbsp; &nbsp;The change that begins Saturday should make it easier for buyers and sellers.BY ALEX VEIGALOS ANGELES (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-association-of-realtors-agent-commissions-lawsuits-d62a66cb80639be3c4c3b429053a22c5">Earlier this year</a>, the National Association of Realtors and several major real estate brokerages agreed to pay over $950 million to settle federal lawsuits claiming they forced homeowners to pay inflated commissions to sell their homes.The industry also agreed to policy changes aimed at creating more transparency around how brokers and agents are paid for their services.Real estate brokerage Re/Max last year agreed to pay $55 million to settle litigation over agent compensation. President Amy Lessinger spoke with The Associated Press about what homebuyers and sellers can expect from the industry rule changes taking effect this month.<h2>Q: What changes will the new rules have in store for homebuyers and sellers?</h2>A: As it pertains to the settlement, there are just two changes. The first is that offers of compensation can no longer take place on the MLS. And buyers working with an MLS purchase have to sign a written buyer’s agreement. It’s already required in roughly 20 states.<h2>Q: Should a buyer expect that agents will ask for a specific commission or other type of fee structure?</h2>A: Per the settlement terms, it will be spelled out. As far as exactly how that agent is compensated, that is between the buyer and the agent. It could be a flat fee model. It could be that a buyer directs their agent and says, ‘I would like you to negotiate the fee with the seller as part of the contract and if the seller will not offer that, then I may not opt to buy the house.’ But the buyer has to be in control of how the directive is given. And then, obviously, they need to come to terms in an agreement about what happens if the seller isn’t willing to offer compensation. How will that agent be paid and in what way?<h2>Q: Sellers can still opt to make an offer of compensation to a buyer’s agent, even if they can’t include it in their listing on the MLS. Do you expect many will decline to do so?</h2>A: By and large, I have not heard of a wave of ‘we’re not offering compensation’ among the sellers. I think it’s a discussion between the agent and the seller as to the benefit of why they would want to offer it or may not want to offer it. And ultimately, commissions are negotiable, and it is up to the seller as to what they desire in that situation.<h2>Q: Are we likely to see lower commissions?</h2>A: That remains to be seen. I think people just need to largely decide what the value is of having a trusted professional represent my best interests, negotiate on my behalf, provide me with their local expertise and walk me through the process?<h2>Q: How do you expect these rule changes to affect real estate agents in the long-term?</h2>A: For educated professionals in this business, such as our agents, this is an industry shift that they will navigate with professionalism and diligence. Agents who perhaps are very, very part-time or haven’t sold a lot of houses over the course of their career, it may be a challenge for them.