By PETER SMITH and HOLLY MEYER, Associated Press

The Rev. Bill Farmer reached the point where he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/global-methodist-church-breakaway-lgbt-f599979835addfd354856ff5b2024989">couldn’t stay in the United Methodist Church</a>&nbsp;anymore — but the congregation he attended was staying.

Michael Hahn always wanted to stay in the UMC — but his congregation was leaving it.

Each has found new church homes, and they’re not alone.

Thousands of United Methodist congregations have been voting on whether to stay or quit one of the nation’s largest denominations amid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-gay-rights-f3fc3ec9e1f39501495d227d5a0963f8">intractable debates</a>&nbsp;over theology and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-gay-rights-marriage-1ed8df15ecbb36700cbe638b29dc6617">role of LGBTQ people</a>. There are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-religion-marriage-b6a4ec4a28ce2674932573ba6c850f4a">stark differences</a>&nbsp;over recognizing same-sex marriage and ordaining LGBTQ clergy.

But the dividing line isn’t just running between congregations. It’s running right through the pews of individual churches, separating people who had long worshipped together.

Those who come up on the short end of a disaffiliation vote face the dilemma of whether to stay or go.

The splintering — often grievous and tense — has spurred new initiatives to provide havens for the unmoored. Some United Methodist regional conferences have begun designating “Lighthouse” congregations — ones that actively welcome people who wanted to stay United Methodist but whose former churches voted to leave. Other conferences use different names, such as “Beacon” or “Oasis,” but the idea is the same.

"The pain is real, and there is a lot of grief and a lot of heartache over the split in the United Methodist Church,” said the Rev. Lynda Ferguson, the great-grandchild of a circuit-riding Methodist pastor.

Her North Carolina church, First United Methodist Asheboro, became a Lighthouse congregation. That assures newcomers that it’s committed to staying United Methodist, so they won’t have to worry about another disaffiliation vote. More than 400 congregations have disaffiliated in North Carolina.

Ferguson said she can personally relate to those from departing congregations. Her childhood church — the one that shaped her faith and where at age 12 she felt the call to ministry — also voted to leave.

"Part of the Lighthouse mission is to let people know the United Methodist Church is still here and still welcoming,” said the Rev. Ed McKinney, pastor of Stokesdale United Methodist Church in Stokesdale, North Carolina, which also became a Lighthouse congregation.

Michael Hahn and his family are among a group of newcomers who have begun participating in Stokesdale after their previous congregations left the denomination.

Hahn, whose family has been Methodist for generations, said he couldn’t imagine leaving the denomination, which he values for blending faith and rationality: “It’s a place where I don’t have to check my logic and reason at the door and blindly accept things.”

Hahn said he, his wife and daughters have found “a very warm and welcoming environment” in the Stokesdale congregation, with people saying, "We’re glad to have you here, we want to walk through this period with you.”

Many of the departing churches are joining the conservative Global Methodist Church, created last year. Others are going independent or joining different denominations.

While the Global Methodist Church doesn’t have a program like the Lighthouse initiative, it has begun launching or adopting congregations that can become homes for those who want to leave the United Methodist Church but whose congregations are staying.

That was the case with the founders of Grace Methodist Church. They launched the church in January in Homosassa, Florida, after their previous congregation voted to stay in the UMC. The new church immediately affiliated with the Global Methodist Church.

Grace Methodist has been renting a former lodge hall for its services and has already started Bible studies and community outreaches, while also working to attract attendees from their neighborhood.

“We’re not there just to go to church on Sunday for an hour; we’re there to help the community," said member Neil Kline. The enthusiasm of participants is evident, he said: “They can’t wait to get to church, and they don’t want to leave.”

Farmer came out of retirement to serve as the church's pastor.

The group's previous congregation “was a good church,” Farmer said, and he wished it well. But “my struggle was with the United Methodist structure, what’s going on in the United States, particularly."

The ongoing schism has been long in the making.

The United Methodist Church — with about 6.5 million members in the United States and at least that many abroad — has long debated its bans on same-sex marriages and the ordination of openly LGBTQ clergy.

The denomination has repeatedly upheld the bans, largely through the voting strength of the growing, more conservative churches abroad. But conservatives chose to form a new denomination amid growing defiance of the bans in U.S. churches.

More than 3,500 U.S. congregations have received their local conferences’ permission to disaffiliate from the UMC, according to United Methodist News Service. With conference season underway, disaffiliations are closing in on 4,000 and could rise even more by the end of the year, said the Rev. Jay Therrell, president of the Wesleyan Covenant Association, a conservative group advocating for departing congregations.

That’s a fraction of the United Methodists’ 30,000 U.S. churches, though several of the departing congregations are among the largest in their states.

Therrell said he had no problem with the Lighthouse concept but renewed his call to allow churches to disaffiliate on reasonable terms.

“I want everyone to be in the theological home that is the best fit,” Therrell said. “Certainly, the United Methodist Church is welcome to try to create churches to do that. I hope they would respect traditionalists and allow us to get to the place where we need to be.”

In the Arkansas Conference, more than 100 churches — out of roughly 600 total — have received permission to disaffiliate. That leaves parts of the state with few or no remaining United Methodist congregations, said the Rev. Michael Roberts, director of the conference’s new Restart Initiative, which is hoping to enlist congregations to be Beacon churches. Such churches would invite self-described “exiles, refugees, nomads” to worship services, help them start home groups or develop other ways to keep them connected.

“We’re just really simply inviting churches to consider how they can provide this kind of hospitality,” Roberts said. “I love the word ‘hospitality’ because the word ‘hospital’ comes from that word. It is about providing healing."

In the Western Pennsylvania Conference, 17 congregations officially became Lighthouse congregations as of May 1.

About a third of the estimated 800 churches in the Western Pennsylvania Conference — a sprawling 23-county region — are seeking to have their disaffiliations approved at the conference's June annual meeting, according to Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi.

“There have been very few votes where it was unanimous,” she said. For those on the short end of those votes — sometimes described as pilgrims — the Lighthouse congregations offer places where they can join or just find temporary harbor until they figure out next steps.

But Lighthouse churches aren’t places to settle into old routines, she said.

“This has been an opportunity to really think about folks who are unchurched, and how this nucleus of people looking for a church home might help us discern needs in the community and create faith communities” to reach people in new ways.

Added B.T. Gilligan, senior pastor at Nixon United Methodist Church, a Lighthouse congregation in Butler, Pennsylvania: “I really hope this extends and goes far beyond the disaffiliation, but allows for people who have been hurt by churches for all different kinds of reasons.”

By PETER SMITH and HOLLY MEYER, Associated PressThe Rev. Bill Farmer reached the point where he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/global-methodist-church-breakaway-lgbt-f599979835addfd354856ff5b2024989">couldn’t stay in the United Methodist Church</a>&nbsp;anymore — but the congregation he attended was staying.Michael Hahn always wanted to stay in the UMC — but his congregation was leaving it.Each has found new church homes, and they’re not alone.Thousands of United Methodist congregations have been voting on whether to stay or quit one of the nation’s largest denominations amid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-gay-rights-f3fc3ec9e1f39501495d227d5a0963f8">intractable debates</a>&nbsp;over theology and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-gay-rights-marriage-1ed8df15ecbb36700cbe638b29dc6617">role of LGBTQ people</a>. There are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-religion-marriage-b6a4ec4a28ce2674932573ba6c850f4a">stark differences</a>&nbsp;over recognizing same-sex marriage and ordaining LGBTQ clergy.But the dividing line isn’t just running between congregations. It’s running right through the pews of individual churches, separating people who had long worshipped together.Those who come up on the short end of a disaffiliation vote face the dilemma of whether to stay or go.The splintering — often grievous and tense — has spurred new initiatives to provide havens for the unmoored. Some United Methodist regional conferences have begun designating “Lighthouse” congregations — ones that actively welcome people who wanted to stay United Methodist but whose former churches voted to leave. Other conferences use different names, such as “Beacon” or “Oasis,” but the idea is the same."The pain is real, and there is a lot of grief and a lot of heartache over the split in the United Methodist Church,” said the Rev. Lynda Ferguson, the great-grandchild of a circuit-riding Methodist pastor.Her North Carolina church, First United Methodist Asheboro, became a Lighthouse congregation. That assures newcomers that it’s committed to staying United Methodist, so they won’t have to worry about another disaffiliation vote. More than 400 congregations have disaffiliated in North Carolina.Ferguson said she can personally relate to those from departing congregations. Her childhood church — the one that shaped her faith and where at age 12 she felt the call to ministry — also voted to leave."Part of the Lighthouse mission is to let people know the United Methodist Church is still here and still welcoming,” said the Rev. Ed McKinney, pastor of Stokesdale United Methodist Church in Stokesdale, North Carolina, which also became a Lighthouse congregation.Michael Hahn and his family are among a group of newcomers who have begun participating in Stokesdale after their previous congregations left the denomination.Hahn, whose family has been Methodist for generations, said he couldn’t imagine leaving the denomination, which he values for blending faith and rationality: “It’s a place where I don’t have to check my logic and reason at the door and blindly accept things.”Hahn said he, his wife and daughters have found “a very warm and welcoming environment” in the Stokesdale congregation, with people saying, "We’re glad to have you here, we want to walk through this period with you.”Many of the departing churches are joining the conservative Global Methodist Church, created last year. Others are going independent or joining different denominations.While the Global Methodist Church doesn’t have a program like the Lighthouse initiative, it has begun launching or adopting congregations that can become homes for those who want to leave the United Methodist Church but whose congregations are staying.That was the case with the founders of Grace Methodist Church. They launched the church in January in Homosassa, Florida, after their previous congregation voted to stay in the UMC. The new church immediately affiliated with the Global Methodist Church.Grace Methodist has been renting a former lodge hall for its services and has already started Bible studies and community outreaches, while also working to attract attendees from their neighborhood.“We’re not there just to go to church on Sunday for an hour; we’re there to help the community," said member Neil Kline. The enthusiasm of participants is evident, he said: “They can’t wait to get to church, and they don’t want to leave.”Farmer came out of retirement to serve as the church's pastor.The group's previous congregation “was a good church,” Farmer said, and he wished it well. But “my struggle was with the United Methodist structure, what’s going on in the United States, particularly."The ongoing schism has been long in the making.The United Methodist Church — with about 6.5 million members in the United States and at least that many abroad — has long debated its bans on same-sex marriages and the ordination of openly LGBTQ clergy.The denomination has repeatedly upheld the bans, largely through the voting strength of the growing, more conservative churches abroad. But conservatives chose to form a new denomination amid growing defiance of the bans in U.S. churches.More than 3,500 U.S. congregations have received their local conferences’ permission to disaffiliate from the UMC, according to United Methodist News Service. With conference season underway, disaffiliations are closing in on 4,000 and could rise even more by the end of the year, said the Rev. Jay Therrell, president of the Wesleyan Covenant Association, a conservative group advocating for departing congregations.That’s a fraction of the United Methodists’ 30,000 U.S. churches, though several of the departing congregations are among the largest in their states.Therrell said he had no problem with the Lighthouse concept but renewed his call to allow churches to disaffiliate on reasonable terms.“I want everyone to be in the theological home that is the best fit,” Therrell said. “Certainly, the United Methodist Church is welcome to try to create churches to do that. I hope they would respect traditionalists and allow us to get to the place where we need to be.”In the Arkansas Conference, more than 100 churches — out of roughly 600 total — have received permission to disaffiliate. That leaves parts of the state with few or no remaining United Methodist congregations, said the Rev. Michael Roberts, director of the conference’s new Restart Initiative, which is hoping to enlist congregations to be Beacon churches. Such churches would invite self-described “exiles, refugees, nomads” to worship services, help them start home groups or develop other ways to keep them connected.“We’re just really simply inviting churches to consider how they can provide this kind of hospitality,” Roberts said. “I love the word ‘hospitality’ because the word ‘hospital’ comes from that word. It is about providing healing."In the Western Pennsylvania Conference, 17 congregations officially became Lighthouse congregations as of May 1.About a third of the estimated 800 churches in the Western Pennsylvania Conference — a sprawling 23-county region — are seeking to have their disaffiliations approved at the conference's June annual meeting, according to Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi.“There have been very few votes where it was unanimous,” she said. For those on the short end of those votes — sometimes described as pilgrims — the Lighthouse congregations offer places where they can join or just find temporary harbor until they figure out next steps.But Lighthouse churches aren’t places to settle into old routines, she said.“This has been an opportunity to really think about folks who are unchurched, and how this nucleus of people looking for a church home might help us discern needs in the community and create faith communities” to reach people in new ways.Added B.T. Gilligan, senior pastor at Nixon United Methodist Church, a Lighthouse congregation in Butler, Pennsylvania: “I really hope this extends and goes far beyond the disaffiliation, but allows for people who have been hurt by churches for all different kinds of reasons.”___

Some switching congregations amid United Methodist split over LGBTQ 

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy reached an "agreement in principle" to raise the nation's legal debt ceiling, but now Congress must rush to approve the spending cuts package in a matter of days to avert a potentially disastrous U.S. default.

The agreement risks angering both Democratic and Republican sides as lawmakers Sunday begin to unpack the the concessions made to compromise. Negotiators agreed to some Republican demands for increased work requirements for recipients of food stamps that had sparked an uproar from House Democrats as a nonstarter. But they stopped short of greater spending cuts overall that Republicans wanted.

Support from both parties will be needed to win congressional approval before a projected June 5 government default on U.S. debts.

The Democratic president and Republican speaker reached the agreement after the two spoke Saturday evening by phone. The country and the world have been watching and waiting for a resolution to a political standoff that threatened the U.S. and global economies.

"The agreement represents a compromise, which means not everyone gets what they want," Biden said in a statement late Saturday night. "That's the responsibility of governing," he said.

Biden called the agreement "good news for the American people, because it prevents what could have been a catastrophic default and would have led to an economic recession, retirement accounts devastated, and millions of jobs lost."

McCarthy in brief remarks at the Capitol said that "we still have a lot of work to do."

But the Republican speaker said: "I believe this is an agreement in principle that's worthy of the American people."

With the outlines of a deal in place, the legislative package could be drafted and shared with lawmakers in time for House votes as soon as Wednesday, and later next week in the Senate.

Central to the package is a two-year budget deal that would hold spending flat for 2024 and increase it by 1% for 2025 in exchange for raising the debt limit for two years, pushing the volatile political issue past the next presidential election.

Driving hard for a deal to impose tougher work requirements on government aid recipients, Republicans achieved some but not all of what they wanted. The agreement would raise the age for existing work requirements on able-bodied adults without children from 49 to 54, but Biden was able to secure waivers for veterans and the homeless.

The two sides had also reached for an ambitious overhaul of federal permitting to ease development of energy projects. Instead, the agreement would put in place changes in the landmark 1970s' National Environmental Policy Act that will designate "a single lead agency" to develop environmental reviews, in hopes of streamlining the process.

The deal came together after Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told Congress that the United States could default on its debt obligations by June 5 — four days later than previously estimated — if lawmakers did not act in time. Lifting he nation's debt limit, now at $31 trillion, allows more borrowing to pay the nation's already incurred bills.

Biden also spoke earlier in the day with Democratic leaders in Congress to discuss the status of the talks. White House officials will brief House Democrats on a Sunday video call.

McCarthy commands only a slim Republican majority in the House, powered by hard-right conservatives who may resist any deal as insufficient as they try to slash spending. But compromising with Democrats for votes, he risks losing support from his own rank-and-file, setting up a careerchallenging mo-ment for the new speaker.

Both sides have suggested one of the main holdups was a GOP effort to expand work requirements for recipients of food stamps and other federal aid programs, a longtime Republican goal that Democrats have strenuously opposed. The White House said the Republican proposals were "cruel and senseless."

Biden has said the work requirements for Medicaid would be a nonstarter. He had seemed potentially open to negotiating changes on food stamps, now known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, despite objections from rank-and-file Democrats.

Americans and the world were uneasily watching the negotiating brinkmanship that could throw the U.S. and global economy into chaos and sap world confidence in the nation's leadership.

Anxious retirees and others were already making contingency plans for missed checks, with the next Social Security payments due next week.

Yellen said failure to act by the new date would "cause severe hardship to American families, harm our global leadership position and raise questions about our ability to defend our national security interests."

Any deal would need to be a political compromise in a divided Congress. Many of the hard-right Trump-aligned Republicans in Congress have long been skeptical of the Treasury's projections, and they are pressing McCarthy to hold out.

Lawmakers are not expected to return to work from the Memorial Day weekend before Tuesday, at the earliest, and McCarthy has promised lawmakers he will abide by the rule to post any bill for 72 hours before voting.

Associated Press writers Stephen Groves, Fatima Hussein, Farnoush Amiri, Seung Min Kim and video journalist Rick Gentilo contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685236579953.png" alt="President Biden spoke to reporters on his way to Camp David Saturday evening-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>President Biden spoke to reporters on his way to Camp David Saturday evening-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy reached an "agreement in principle" to raise the nation's legal debt ceiling, but now Congress must rush to approve the spending cuts package in a matter of days to avert a potentially disastrous U.S. default.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Republicans are poised to deliver big, consequential change in Washington. Soon, we will vote for a responsible debt limit agreement that stops Democrats&#39; reckless spending, claws back unspent COVID funds, blocks Biden&#39;s new tax schemes, &amp; much, much more <a href="https://t.co/TQ7CblFsaM">https://t.co/TQ7CblFsaM</a>&mdash; Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerMcCarthy/status/1662627260401356800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 28, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The agreement risks angering both Democratic and Republican sides as lawmakers Sunday begin to unpack the the concessions made to compromise. Negotiators agreed to some Republican demands for increased work requirements for recipients of food stamps that had sparked an uproar from House Democrats as a nonstarter. But they stopped short of greater spending cuts overall that Republicans wanted.Support from both parties will be needed to win congressional approval before a projected June 5 government default on U.S. debts.The Democratic president and Republican speaker reached the agreement after the two spoke Saturday evening by phone. The country and the world have been watching and waiting for a resolution to a political standoff that threatened the U.S. and global economies."The agreement represents a compromise, which means not everyone gets what they want," Biden said in a statement late Saturday night. "That's the responsibility of governing," he said.Biden called the agreement "good news for the American people, because it prevents what could have been a catastrophic default and would have led to an economic recession, retirement accounts devastated, and millions of jobs lost."McCarthy in brief remarks at the Capitol said that "we still have a lot of work to do."But the Republican speaker said: "I believe this is an agreement in principle that's worthy of the American people."With the outlines of a deal in place, the legislative package could be drafted and shared with lawmakers in time for House votes as soon as Wednesday, and later next week in the Senate.Central to the package is a two-year budget deal that would hold spending flat for 2024 and increase it by 1% for 2025 in exchange for raising the debt limit for two years, pushing the volatile political issue past the next presidential election.Driving hard for a deal to impose tougher work requirements on government aid recipients, Republicans achieved some but not all of what they wanted. The agreement would raise the age for existing work requirements on able-bodied adults without children from 49 to 54, but Biden was able to secure waivers for veterans and the homeless.The two sides had also reached for an ambitious overhaul of federal permitting to ease development of energy projects. Instead, the agreement would put in place changes in the landmark 1970s' National Environmental Policy Act that will designate "a single lead agency" to develop environmental reviews, in hopes of streamlining the process.The deal came together after Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told Congress that the United States could default on its debt obligations by June 5 — four days later than previously estimated — if lawmakers did not act in time. Lifting he nation's debt limit, now at $31 trillion, allows more borrowing to pay the nation's already incurred bills.Biden also spoke earlier in the day with Democratic leaders in Congress to discuss the status of the talks. White House officials will brief House Democrats on a Sunday video call.McCarthy commands only a slim Republican majority in the House, powered by hard-right conservatives who may resist any deal as insufficient as they try to slash spending. But compromising with Democrats for votes, he risks losing support from his own rank-and-file, setting up a careerchallenging mo-ment for the new speaker.Both sides have suggested one of the main holdups was a GOP effort to expand work requirements for recipients of food stamps and other federal aid programs, a longtime Republican goal that Democrats have strenuously opposed. The White House said the Republican proposals were "cruel and senseless."Biden has said the work requirements for Medicaid would be a nonstarter. He had seemed potentially open to negotiating changes on food stamps, now known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, despite objections from rank-and-file Democrats.Americans and the world were uneasily watching the negotiating brinkmanship that could throw the U.S. and global economy into chaos and sap world confidence in the nation's leadership.Anxious retirees and others were already making contingency plans for missed checks, with the next Social Security payments due next week.Yellen said failure to act by the new date would "cause severe hardship to American families, harm our global leadership position and raise questions about our ability to defend our national security interests."Any deal would need to be a political compromise in a divided Congress. Many of the hard-right Trump-aligned Republicans in Congress have long been skeptical of the Treasury's projections, and they are pressing McCarthy to hold out.Lawmakers are not expected to return to work from the Memorial Day weekend before Tuesday, at the earliest, and McCarthy has promised lawmakers he will abide by the rule to post any bill for 72 hours before voting.___Associated Press writers Stephen Groves, Fatima Hussein, Farnoush Amiri, Seung Min Kim and video journalist Rick Gentilo contributed to this report.___

🎥Biden, GOP reach tentative deal to raise debt ceiling, avoid US default

LOS ANGELES (AP) —Ed Ames, the youngest member of the popular 1950s singing group the Ames Brothers, who later became a successful actor in television and musical theater, has died. He was 95.

The last survivor of the four singing brothers, Ames died May 21 from Alzheimer's disease, his wife, Jeanne Ames, said Saturday.

On television, Ames was likely best known for his role as Mingo, the Oxford-educated Native American in the 1960s adventure series “Daniel Boone” that starred Fess Parker as the famous frontiersman. He also was the center of a bit on “The Tonight Show” that — thanks to his painfully uncanny aim with a hatchet — became one of the show's most memorable surprise moments.

Ames had guest roles in TV series such as “Murder, She Wrote” and “In the Heat of the Night,” and toured frequently in musicals, performing such popular songs as “Try to Remember” and the song that became his biggest hit single, “My Cup Runneth Over.”

As part of the 1950s music scene, he and his brothers were one of numerous pop quartets that included the Four Aces, Four Lads, Gaylords, Hilltoppers, Lancers, Four Knights, Ink Spots and, still around from a previous era, the Mills Brothers. But the Ames Brothers — Ed, Joe, Gene and Vic — had a unique tone: they were basses and baritones, not tenors.

Their recordings of “Rag Mop,” “Sentimental Me” and “Undecided” became big hits, and they launched a busy career appearing on TV variety shows, recording 40 albums and playing in night clubs and auditoriums across the country.

By the end of the 1950s, rock 'n' roll had overtaken the pop charts and singing quartets were on the decline. The Ameses, meanwhile, had tired of the constant travel and absence from their growing families. The finale for Ed came when he arrived home unexpectedly and his wife called to their 3-year-old daughter: “Who is it?” The girl replied, “One of the Ames Brothers.”

“That did it,” he told a reporter. “My brothers and I agreed that we had all had it and should go our separate ways.” The group, which was earning $20,000 a week, played its last engagement at the Sahara in Las Vegas on New Year's 1961.

Ed's efforts to establish himself as a solo singer were not immediately successful and he turned to acting. He almost lost his house before he found a role in a production of Arthur Miller's “The Crucible.”

In the long-running musical “The Fantasticks,” he sang “Try to Remember,” which became one of his theme songs. He joined the traveling company of Gower Champion's “Carnival” and transferred to the New York company until the show's final performance.

In a role that presaged his future role on “Daniel Boone,” he then won attention as the stoic Native American in the 1963 Broadway play “One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest” with Kirk Douglas and Gene Wilder in the adaptation of Ken Kesey's novel.

Ames earned top money at Las Vegas casinos and in hotel supper clubs and toured extensively in the musicals “Man of La Mancha,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” “South Pacific” and “I Do, I Do.”

“I Do, I Do” provided his biggest hit single, “My Cup Runneth Over,” a gold record winner in 1967. He had another hit in 1968 with “Who Will Answer?”

It was during his run on “Daniel Boone” that he contributed to what was called the longest sustained burst of laughter in the history of “The Tonight Show.”

For a 1965 episode he was persuaded to demonstrate the hatchet-throwing skills he learned as Mingo. The silhouette of a cowboy was painted on a piece of wood, and Ames threw a hatchet at the target. It landed squarely on the cowboy's crotch.

Ames was born Edmund Dantes Urick in Malden, Massachusetts, the youngest of 11 children, four who died in childhood. Their parents were Ukrainian immigrants and their mother taught the children to read Shakespeare and to appreciate music they heard every Saturday on the Metropolitan Opera broadcasts.

The four youngest boys began singing at local events as the Urick Brothers. Ed was still in high school when they moved to night clubs, but as a husky six-footer with a deep voice, he was able to pass for 21.

In New York, comedy writer Abe Burrows advised a name change because Urick was hard to remember. Ames was the brothers' choice.

After the four brothers split up, the other brothers also continued performing and recording, but gained less notice than Ed. Vic died in 1978, Gene in 1997 and Joe in December 2007.

Ames and his first wife, Sara Cacheiro, had three children: Sonja, Ronald and Linda. The couple divorced in 1978, and in 1998 he married Jeanne Arnold.

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685276856522.png" alt="" />
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 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) —Ed Ames, the youngest member of the popular 1950s singing group the Ames Brothers, who later became a successful actor in television and musical theater, has died. He was 95.The last survivor of the four singing brothers, Ames died May 21 from Alzheimer's disease, his wife, Jeanne Ames, said Saturday.“He had a wonderful life,” she said.On television, Ames was likely best known for his role as Mingo, the Oxford-educated Native American in the 1960s adventure series “Daniel Boone” that starred Fess Parker as the famous frontiersman. He also was the center of a bit on “The Tonight Show” that — thanks to his painfully uncanny aim with a hatchet — became one of the show's most memorable surprise moments.Ames had guest roles in TV series such as “Murder, She Wrote” and “In the Heat of the Night,” and toured frequently in musicals, performing such popular songs as “Try to Remember” and the song that became his biggest hit single, “My Cup Runneth Over.”As part of the 1950s music scene, he and his brothers were one of numerous pop quartets that included the Four Aces, Four Lads, Gaylords, Hilltoppers, Lancers, Four Knights, Ink Spots and, still around from a previous era, the Mills Brothers. But the Ames Brothers — Ed, Joe, Gene and Vic — had a unique tone: they were basses and baritones, not tenors.Their recordings of “Rag Mop,” “Sentimental Me” and “Undecided” became big hits, and they launched a busy career appearing on TV variety shows, recording 40 albums and playing in night clubs and auditoriums across the country.By the end of the 1950s, rock 'n' roll had overtaken the pop charts and singing quartets were on the decline. The Ameses, meanwhile, had tired of the constant travel and absence from their growing families. The finale for Ed came when he arrived home unexpectedly and his wife called to their 3-year-old daughter: “Who is it?” The girl replied, “One of the Ames Brothers.”“That did it,” he told a reporter. “My brothers and I agreed that we had all had it and should go our separate ways.” The group, which was earning $20,000 a week, played its last engagement at the Sahara in Las Vegas on New Year's 1961.Ed's efforts to establish himself as a solo singer were not immediately successful and he turned to acting. He almost lost his house before he found a role in a production of Arthur Miller's “The Crucible.”In the long-running musical “The Fantasticks,” he sang “Try to Remember,” which became one of his theme songs. He joined the traveling company of Gower Champion's “Carnival” and transferred to the New York company until the show's final performance.In a role that presaged his future role on “Daniel Boone,” he then won attention as the stoic Native American in the 1963 Broadway play “One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest” with Kirk Douglas and Gene Wilder in the adaptation of Ken Kesey's novel.Ames earned top money at Las Vegas casinos and in hotel supper clubs and toured extensively in the musicals “Man of La Mancha,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” “South Pacific” and “I Do, I Do.”“I Do, I Do” provided his biggest hit single, “My Cup Runneth Over,” a gold record winner in 1967. He had another hit in 1968 with “Who Will Answer?”It was during his run on “Daniel Boone” that he contributed to what was called the longest sustained burst of laughter in the history of “The Tonight Show.”For a 1965 episode he was persuaded to demonstrate the hatchet-throwing skills he learned as Mingo. The silhouette of a cowboy was painted on a piece of wood, and Ames threw a hatchet at the target. It landed squarely on the cowboy's crotch.Ames was born Edmund Dantes Urick in Malden, Massachusetts, the youngest of 11 children, four who died in childhood. Their parents were Ukrainian immigrants and their mother taught the children to read Shakespeare and to appreciate music they heard every Saturday on the Metropolitan Opera broadcasts.The four youngest boys began singing at local events as the Urick Brothers. Ed was still in high school when they moved to night clubs, but as a husky six-footer with a deep voice, he was able to pass for 21.In New York, comedy writer Abe Burrows advised a name change because Urick was hard to remember. Ames was the brothers' choice.After the four brothers split up, the other brothers also continued performing and recording, but gained less notice than Ed. Vic died in 1978, Gene in 1997 and Joe in December 2007.Ames and his first wife, Sara Cacheiro, had three children: Sonja, Ronald and Linda. The couple divorced in 1978, and in 1998 he married Jeanne Arnold.___

Ed Ames, pop singer,  star of TV series ‘Daniel Boone has died

KANSAS CITY— Law enforcement authorities continue searching for 21-year-old Jae’veon Marquice Mitchell-Locke, a suspect in the April 5, shooting of three Kansas police officers during an undercover fentanyl trafficking investigation, according&nbsp; to the Platte County Sheriff's office.

Officials at the Platte County, Missouri Detention Center released him inadvertently on April 20.

Mitchell-Locke and two other suspects in the gunfight are charged in Wyandotte County with attempted murder, aggravated battery against law enforcement, criminal discharge of a firearm at an occupied building or vehicle, aggravated endangering a child, aggravated assault of law enforcement officers and distribution or possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1682111930463.png" alt="Mitchell-Locke-photo Platte County" />
 <figcaption>Mitchell-Locke-photo Platte County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY— Law enforcement authorities continue searching for 21-year-old Jae’veon Marquice Mitchell-Locke, a suspect in the April 5, shooting of three Kansas police officers during an undercover fentanyl trafficking investigation, according&nbsp; to the Platte County Sheriff's office.Officials at the Platte County, Missouri Detention Center released him inadvertently on April 20.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681993393030.png" alt="Scene of the shooting investigation on April 5 -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Scene of the shooting investigation on April 5 -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>Mitchell-Locke and two other suspects in the gunfight are charged in Wyandotte County with attempted murder, aggravated battery against law enforcement, criminal discharge of a firearm at an occupied building or vehicle, aggravated endangering a child, aggravated assault of law enforcement officers and distribution or possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, according to online jail records.

Suspect in Kan. officer shooting released by mistake is still missing

KANSAS CITY —A&nbsp; judge sentenced a Lee's Summit man to 30 years in a prison after he pleaded guilty to fatally shooting his father last year at a Lee's Summit residence, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

The judge sentenced 24-year-old Michael E. Hamilton&nbsp; to 15 years in prison for pleading to Voluntary Manslaughter and 15 years in prison for Armed Criminal Action. The judge set the sentences to run consecutively.

According to court records, in September 2022, police were dispatched to the 1100 block of SW Arborfair Drive in Lee's Summit on a reported death. 

Officers found the victim, Robert Hamilton, on the kitchen floor. A family member was crying on top of him. A family member told police that the defendant had been living in the residence recently. She had driven to the residence and had found the victim inside on the floor in blood. 

She could not locate the defendant. Lee's Summit police pinged the defendant's phone. He was eventually located in Cooper County, Missouri. 

Officers took him into custody and found weapons, including a 9 mm handgun. The Kansas City Police Department's crime lab quickly concluded that a spent bullet recovered from the victim was fired from the 9 mm handgun recovered from the defendant.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662234543988.png" alt="Hamilton-photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Hamilton-photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A&nbsp; judge sentenced a Lee's Summit man to 30 years in a prison after he pleaded guilty to fatally shooting his father last year at a Lee's Summit residence, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.The judge sentenced 24-year-old Michael E. Hamilton&nbsp; to 15 years in prison for pleading to Voluntary Manslaughter and 15 years in prison for Armed Criminal Action. The judge set the sentences to run consecutively.According to court records, in September 2022, police were dispatched to the 1100 block of SW Arborfair Drive in Lee's Summit on a reported death. Officers found the victim, Robert Hamilton, on the kitchen floor. A family member was crying on top of him. A family member told police that the defendant had been living in the residence recently. She had driven to the residence and had found the victim inside on the floor in blood. She could not locate the defendant. Lee's Summit police pinged the defendant's phone. He was eventually located in Cooper County, Missouri. Officers took him into custody and found weapons, including a 9 mm handgun. The Kansas City Police Department's crime lab quickly concluded that a spent bullet recovered from the victim was fired from the 9 mm handgun recovered from the defendant.&nbsp;

Kansas City-area man sentenced for killing his father

LABETTE COUNTY —Three people died in an accident just after 11:30p.m. Friday in Labette County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Dodge Ram 2500 pickup driven by Jimmy C. Bond, 81, Edna, Kansas, was eastbound on U.S. 166 six miles east of U.S. 169.

The vehicle struck&nbsp;a steer on the highway causing vehicle failure. The&nbsp; pickup then traveled into the westbound lane. A westbound 2020 Peterbilt semi driven by Dusty R.&nbsp;Elbrader, 42, Garden City, Missouri,&nbsp;attempted to avoid the crash.&nbsp; The vehicles collided head-on.

Bond and two passengers identified as 21-year-old Colton J. Bond and 79-year-old Barbara J. Bond both of Edna, Kansas, were pronounced dead at the scene. 

EMS transported Elbrader to&nbsp;Coffeyville Regional Medical Center. The occupants of the pickup were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.

LABETTE COUNTY —Three people died in an accident just after 11:30p.m. Friday in Labette County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Dodge Ram 2500 pickup driven by Jimmy C. Bond, 81, Edna, Kansas, was eastbound on U.S. 166 six miles east of U.S. 169.The vehicle struck&nbsp;a steer on the highway causing vehicle failure. The&nbsp; pickup then traveled into the westbound lane. A westbound 2020 Peterbilt semi driven by Dusty R.&nbsp;Elbrader, 42, Garden City, Missouri,&nbsp;attempted to avoid the crash.&nbsp; The vehicles collided head-on.Bond and two passengers identified as 21-year-old Colton J. Bond and 79-year-old Barbara J. Bond both of Edna, Kansas, were pronounced dead at the scene. EMS transported Elbrader to&nbsp;Coffeyville Regional Medical Center. The occupants of the pickup were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.

3 Kansans dead after, pickup strikes steer, collides head-on with semi

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals court dealt a legal setback to the Biden administration on guns this week in a lawsuit challenging&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-national-rifle-association-us-republican-party-gun-politics-362e5d6dfc78c896b7a376e5368c770b">tighter regulations on stabilizing braces</a>, an accessory that has been used in several mass shootings in the U.S.

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily blocked the Biden administration's rule from going into effect for the gun owners and groups who filed the lawsuit. The order came shortly before a deadline that would have required people to register stabilizing braces and pay a fee, or remove the braces from their weapons.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-national-rifle-association-us-republican-party-gun-politics-362e5d6dfc78c896b7a376e5368c770b">finalized the rule</a>&nbsp;earlier this year after finding the accessories make pistols as dangerously powerful and easy to conceal as short-barreled rifles or sawed-off shotguns, weapons that have been highly regulated since the days of Al Capone.

The rule was quickly challenged by gun-rights groups that argued it violated Second Amendment protections by requiring millions of people to alter or register their weapons. They argued the ATF found a decade ago that the braces did not make pistols like short-barreled rifles.

The accessories, also known as pistol braces, let a shooter fire one handed by attaching to the back of a gun, lengthening the weapon and strapping to the arm. The were originally developed for disabled veterans, though gun-control groups say they became a loophole exploited by gunmakers to make weapons more deadly.

At least three million guns with stabilizing braces are in circulation in the U.S., according to the ATF. Other estimates place the number much higher.

The full impact of the decision wasn't immediately clear. The order applied only to the plaintiffs in the case: two gun owners, a company that makes pistols with stabilizing braces, and a gun-rights group. The appeals court did not say whether the rule was blocked for others, including people who buy the guns from the company, Maxim Defense Industries, and members of the Firearms Policy Coalition.

An attorney on the case, Erik Jaffe, said they were pleased with the ruling and looking forward to arguments in the case, which the Fifth Circuit also ordered be argued quickly.

The lawsuit came before the court after the Firearms Policy Coalition appealed a lower-court order from a Texas judge who declined to block enforcement of the rule as the case played out.

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;first announced the regulation in 2021, after a man using a stabilizing brace&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shootings-colorado-74ad3bbbe6dea7e9122b946e22b1cef3">killed 10 people at a grocery store</a>&nbsp;in Boulder, Colorado. A stabilizing brace was also used in a shooting in Dayton, Ohio, that left nine people dead in 2019. In March, a shooter&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nashville-school-shooting-covenant-school-5da45b469ccb6c9533bbddf20c1bfe16">who killed three students</a>&nbsp;and three staff members at a Christian school in Nashville also used one.

Attorney General Merrick Garland said when the rule was finalized that it would help keep communities safe from gun violence.

The ruling comes amid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-mississippi-state-government-delaware-california-massachusetts-3983cecfd1107c263d5309ec0d80a966">upheaval in the legal landscape</a>&nbsp;for guns after the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority set new standards for reviewing the nation’s firearm laws, requiring that they be “consistent with the Nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation.”

The Fifth Circuit&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-mississippi-state-government-delaware-california-massachusetts-3983cecfd1107c263d5309ec0d80a966">also ruled in February</a>&nbsp;that the government can’t stop people who have domestic violence restraining orders against them from owning guns.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals court dealt a legal setback to the Biden administration on guns this week in a lawsuit challenging&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-national-rifle-association-us-republican-party-gun-politics-362e5d6dfc78c896b7a376e5368c770b">tighter regulations on stabilizing braces</a>, an accessory that has been used in several mass shootings in the U.S.The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily blocked the Biden administration's rule from going into effect for the gun owners and groups who filed the lawsuit. The order came shortly before a deadline that would have required people to register stabilizing braces and pay a fee, or remove the braces from their weapons.The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-national-rifle-association-us-republican-party-gun-politics-362e5d6dfc78c896b7a376e5368c770b">finalized the rule</a>&nbsp;earlier this year after finding the accessories make pistols as dangerously powerful and easy to conceal as short-barreled rifles or sawed-off shotguns, weapons that have been highly regulated since the days of Al Capone.The rule was quickly challenged by gun-rights groups that argued it violated Second Amendment protections by requiring millions of people to alter or register their weapons. They argued the ATF found a decade ago that the braces did not make pistols like short-barreled rifles.The accessories, also known as pistol braces, let a shooter fire one handed by attaching to the back of a gun, lengthening the weapon and strapping to the arm. The were originally developed for disabled veterans, though gun-control groups say they became a loophole exploited by gunmakers to make weapons more deadly.At least three million guns with stabilizing braces are in circulation in the U.S., according to the ATF. Other estimates place the number much higher.The full impact of the decision wasn't immediately clear. The order applied only to the plaintiffs in the case: two gun owners, a company that makes pistols with stabilizing braces, and a gun-rights group. The appeals court did not say whether the rule was blocked for others, including people who buy the guns from the company, Maxim Defense Industries, and members of the Firearms Policy Coalition.An attorney on the case, Erik Jaffe, said they were pleased with the ruling and looking forward to arguments in the case, which the Fifth Circuit also ordered be argued quickly.The lawsuit came before the court after the Firearms Policy Coalition appealed a lower-court order from a Texas judge who declined to block enforcement of the rule as the case played out.<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;first announced the regulation in 2021, after a man using a stabilizing brace&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shootings-colorado-74ad3bbbe6dea7e9122b946e22b1cef3">killed 10 people at a grocery store</a>&nbsp;in Boulder, Colorado. A stabilizing brace was also used in a shooting in Dayton, Ohio, that left nine people dead in 2019. In March, a shooter&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nashville-school-shooting-covenant-school-5da45b469ccb6c9533bbddf20c1bfe16">who killed three students</a>&nbsp;and three staff members at a Christian school in Nashville also used one.Attorney General Merrick Garland said when the rule was finalized that it would help keep communities safe from gun violence.The ruling comes amid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-mississippi-state-government-delaware-california-massachusetts-3983cecfd1107c263d5309ec0d80a966">upheaval in the legal landscape</a>&nbsp;for guns after the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority set new standards for reviewing the nation’s firearm laws, requiring that they be “consistent with the Nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation.”The Fifth Circuit&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-mississippi-state-government-delaware-california-massachusetts-3983cecfd1107c263d5309ec0d80a966">also ruled in February</a>&nbsp;that the government can’t stop people who have domestic violence restraining orders against them from owning guns.

Appeals court ruling deals setback to Biden in gun stabilizing brace case

WEST GLACIER, Mont.&nbsp; – Glacier National Park has released the identity of the victim of Monday’s Avalanche Creek drowning as University of Kansas student 28-year-old Atheer Abdulrahman S. Alquahtani from Saudi Arabia and current resident of Lawrence, according to a statement from the park service. On Monday afternoon, Alquahtani fell off a rocky overhang into Avalanche Creek and was swept into the gorge. She was spotted in the creek passing under the bridge of Trail of the Cedars by bystanders who waded into the water to pull her out. They immediately began CPR and sent people to notify rangers and call 911. Flathead County Dispatch received and diverted the call to Glacier National Park Dispatch. NPS staff, ALERT and Three Rivers Ambulance mobilized after learning about the incident. Alquahtani was declared deceased by ALERT personnel at the side of the creek. Rangers litter carried her out to Avalanche Lake Trailhead where she was then transferred to funeral services. According to friends traveling with Alquahtani, she had just finished her first year of her master’s degree at University of Kansas and was on a road trip tour of national parks to celebrate. Friends described her as a risk taker who loved getting in and being near water. Law enforcement investigators say there are no indications of foul play. The area where this incident occurred is off-trail and many visitors take the same risk. Water related incidents like this are the number one cause of death at Glacier National Park. Visitors are asked to take extra precautions when approaching areas with water, especially during spring runoff.

WEST GLACIER, Mont.&nbsp; – Glacier National Park has released the identity of the victim of Monday’s Avalanche Creek drowning as University of Kansas student 28-year-old Atheer Abdulrahman S. Alquahtani from Saudi Arabia and current resident of Lawrence, according to a statement from the park service. On Monday afternoon, Alquahtani fell off a rocky overhang into Avalanche Creek and was swept into the gorge. She was spotted in the creek passing under the bridge of Trail of the Cedars by bystanders who waded into the water to pull her out. They immediately began CPR and sent people to notify rangers and call 911. Flathead County Dispatch received and diverted the call to Glacier National Park Dispatch. NPS staff, ALERT and Three Rivers Ambulance mobilized after learning about the incident. Alquahtani was declared deceased by ALERT personnel at the side of the creek. Rangers litter carried her out to Avalanche Lake Trailhead where she was then transferred to funeral services. According to friends traveling with Alquahtani, she had just finished her first year of her master’s degree at University of Kansas and was on a road trip tour of national parks to celebrate. Friends described her as a risk taker who loved getting in and being near water. Law enforcement investigators say there are no indications of foul play. The area where this incident occurred is off-trail and many visitors take the same risk. Water related incidents like this are the number one cause of death at Glacier National Park. Visitors are asked to take extra precautions when approaching areas with water, especially during spring runoff.

Woman who died after fall at Glacier National Park was KU student

By ASHLEY MURRAY <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>

WASHINGTON — Lawmakers in the U.S. House passed bipartisan legislation Thursday in an effort to curb staggering overdose deaths from illegal fentanyl substances that are illicitly produced and up to 50 times stronger than heroin.

The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/467/text?s=5&amp;r=3&amp;q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22H.R.+467%22%5D%7D">HALT Fentanyl Act</a>, passed on a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2023237">289-133</a>&nbsp;vote with 74 Democratic votes and support from the Biden administration, would permanently categorize lab-made substances with&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_chem_info/frs.pdf">similar chemical structures</a>&nbsp;to fentanyl among the most strictly regulated drugs under U.S. law.

The Drug Enforcement Administration in 2015&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/LSB/LSB10404">temporarily</a>&nbsp;defined 17 fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I — the category carrying the most severe criminal penalties. Congress has since extended the temporary scheduling multiple times.

While proponents who point to record-breaking overdose deaths say the legislation would hold traffickers accountable, numerous advocacy groups argue the bill is under researched and risks criminal charges for those in possession of small amounts of “harmless and inert substances,” according to a letter signed by 150 organizations.

Drug overdose rates in the U.S. have risen fivefold in the past two decades, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db457.htm#:~:text=Drug%20overdose%20deaths%20have%20risen,increased%20from%2017.1%20to%2019.6.">study</a>&nbsp;published in December.

The study shows that deaths attributed to synthetic opioids, including fentanyl and its many analogues, have been steadily on the rise, with a staggering jump in recent years.

The CDC&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/nchs_press_releases/2022/202205.htm">tracked</a>&nbsp;a record 107,622 overdose deaths in 2021 — 71,238 of them due to manmade, illegal fentanyl substances.

The DEA&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.dea.gov/fentanylawareness">attributes</a>&nbsp;more deaths to illegal fentanyl among Americans under 50 than any cause of death, including heart disease, cancer, homicide, suicide and other accidents.

Of particular concern is that illicit fentanyl substances are often cut into other recreational drugs, including cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin, with users unaware of its presence.

“The HALT Fentanyl Act would ban fentanyl analogues and strip the drug cartels and other criminals of the incentive to create new versions of fentanyl to skirt around the law,” GOP Rep. Brett Guthrie of Kentucky said on the House floor late Wednesday. “This bill is a key step to help get these poisons off our streets and give law enforcement the tools they need to crack down on illicit fentanyl traffic trafficking.”

Sunday will mark nine months since Deb and Ray Cullen, of Shippingport, Pennsylvania, lost their 23-year-old son Zachary to a drug overdose.

The Shippensburg University student had traveled with two friends to Harrisburg for a birthday weekend trip.

“They were having dinner, having drinks, enjoying themselves. And then at some point, the detective told us that he thinks that they were targeted by a dealer. He doesn’t think they were looking for anything but thinks somebody came up to them and offered, and they made the choice to purchase some cocaine. And the cocaine was laced with fentanyl,” Deb said.

The morning they received the news, Ray and Deb say, they turned on Zachary’s laptop to find that he had left open study materials for his university course in managerial economics.

“He passed away. His friend survived, but with some physical issues. So we’re here trying to just make a difference so that other families don’t have to go through this,” she said Thursday shortly after the vote while sitting in the office of GOP Rep. John Joyce, her representative and a co-sponsor of the bill.

The parents said they hope to see more awareness and an end to the stigma around those with substance use disorder and those who experiment with drugs that they are unaware are laced with illicit fentanyl.

“There’s a lot of recreational cocaine and drug use. There was (someone yesterday) who said that had (the users) not done something illegal, that they would still be here,” Ray said. “I’m like, ‘Well, there’s a lot of things that get done illegally that you don’t die from.’”

“I think people that are dealing this drug, they need to be held accountable,” Deb added.

Joyce said he has been following up with the family since they emailed his office shortly after their son’s death.

“I went over to Speaker McCarthy (today) and said ‘Up there in the gallery, there are parents who have lost their son, and they’re courageous and they continue to work to spread this message and have taken time out of their busy lives to come to Washington and drive down here for this vote,’” Joyce said.

“This is an initial step. We need to take additional steps to (go after) the active ingredients which are shipped from China, to Mexico to the cartels, formulated and brought through our borders to kill our family or neighbors or friends,” Joyce continued.

Unlike legal fentanyl that doctors prescribe after surgery or for advanced stage cancer patients, illicit fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances are produced in underground labs by&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF10890">transnational criminal organizations</a>.

More than 150 harm reduction, criminal justice and civil liberties organizations have come out against the bill, which was introduced this Congress by GOP Reps. Morgan Griffith of Virginia and Robert Latta of Ohio.

In a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/05/23/more-150-groups-urge-congress-vote-no-halt-fentanyl-act">letter</a>&nbsp;Wednesday to House leadership, groups including the American Civil Liberties Union and Human Rights Watch urged lawmakers to vote against the legislation.

“The classwide scheduling policy expands the application of existing severe mandatory minimum sentencing laws enacted by Congress in the 1980s to a newly scheduled class of fentanyl-related compounds,” the letter said. “For example, just a trace amount of a fentanyl analogue in a mixture with a combined weight of 10 grams — 10 paper clips — can translate into a five-year mandatory minimum with no evidence needed that the seller even knew it contained fentanyl.”

Other advocacy groups who co-signed the letter included the Association of Black Social Workers in Virginia, the Florida Harm Reduction Collective, Progressive Maryland and HEAL Ohio.

Though the bill outlines registration processes for researchers to continue to test the fentanyl-related substances, the advocacy groups say that lawmakers are classifying chemical compounds before their effects are known.

“… the HALT Fentanyl Act does not include an offramp to reschedule or remove (fentanyl related substances) that research has proven to be pharmacologically inactive or do not meet schedule I criteria,” the letter continues.

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/schedules/">Criteria</a>&nbsp;used by the Department of Justice to classify Schedule I drugs include high abuse potential and “no currently accepted medical use in the United States.”

Marijuana, LSD, ecstasy and peyote are listed as Schedule I.

“In committee, Democrats offered amendments to improve the (bill),” Rep. Frank Pallone of New Jersey said on the House floor Wednesday. “We asked that Republicans consider additions to the bill that reflect the Biden administration’s commonsense interagency proposal.”

Pallone, ranking member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Committee, which marked up the bill, said the amendments rejected by GOP leadership would have promised “a scientific and equitable approach.”

Despite the opposition from many Democrats, 74 of the party members voted in favor of the HALT Fentanyl Act.

“To stop this effort now is just not right. Fentanyl related substances are highly toxic and we should treat them as such with blanket permanent scheduling,” said Rep. Chris Pappas of New Hampshire.

Pappas is the sponsor of a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/568/text?s=9&amp;r=3&amp;q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22fentanyl+pappas%22%5D%7D">bill</a>&nbsp;that permanently schedules fentanyl related substances but also adjusts criminal penalties and establishes a process to declassify compounds found to be safe.

“This is the beginning of the legislative process. This bill … would likely come back to the House after the Senate puts its mark on it. So we’re gonna continue to advocate for those commonsense provisions,” Pappas said.

The Biden administration issued a statement earlier this week supporting the HALT Fentanyl Act but said that its other recommendations to lawmakers included compelling agencies to root out which substances do not pose high potential for abuse and to study the effects of the blanket scheduling.

“The Administration calls on Congress to pass all of these critical measures to improve public safety and save lives,” the statement said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685113794321.png" alt=" Deb and Ray Cullen, of Shippingport, Pa., center and right, show a photo of their son, Zachary, in the office of their congressman, GOP Rep. John Joyce, left. Zachary died nine months ago at 23 of a drug overdose involving cocaine laced with illicit fentanyl. The Cullens traveled to the U.S. Capitol Thursday, May 25 to watch the House vote on the HALT Fentanyl Act (Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)." />
 <figcaption> Deb and Ray Cullen, of Shippingport, Pa., center and right, show a photo of their son, Zachary, in the office of their congressman, GOP Rep. John Joyce, left. Zachary died nine months ago at 23 of a drug overdose involving cocaine laced with illicit fentanyl. The Cullens traveled to the U.S. Capitol Thursday, May 25 to watch the House vote on the HALT Fentanyl Act (Ashley Murray/States Newsroom).</figcaption>
 </figure>By ASHLEY MURRAY <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>WASHINGTON — Lawmakers in the U.S. House passed bipartisan legislation Thursday in an effort to curb staggering overdose deaths from illegal fentanyl substances that are illicitly produced and up to 50 times stronger than heroin.The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/467/text?s=5&amp;r=3&amp;q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22H.R.+467%22%5D%7D">HALT Fentanyl Act</a>, passed on a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2023237">289-133</a>&nbsp;vote with 74 Democratic votes and support from the Biden administration, would permanently categorize lab-made substances with&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_chem_info/frs.pdf">similar chemical structures</a>&nbsp;to fentanyl among the most strictly regulated drugs under U.S. law.The Drug Enforcement Administration in 2015&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/LSB/LSB10404">temporarily</a>&nbsp;defined 17 fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I — the category carrying the most severe criminal penalties. Congress has since extended the temporary scheduling multiple times.While proponents who point to record-breaking overdose deaths say the legislation would hold traffickers accountable, numerous advocacy groups argue the bill is under researched and risks criminal charges for those in possession of small amounts of “harmless and inert substances,” according to a letter signed by 150 organizations.Drug overdose rates in the U.S. have risen fivefold in the past two decades, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db457.htm#:~:text=Drug%20overdose%20deaths%20have%20risen,increased%20from%2017.1%20to%2019.6.">study</a>&nbsp;published in December.The study shows that deaths attributed to synthetic opioids, including fentanyl and its many analogues, have been steadily on the rise, with a staggering jump in recent years.The CDC&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/nchs_press_releases/2022/202205.htm">tracked</a>&nbsp;a record 107,622 overdose deaths in 2021 — 71,238 of them due to manmade, illegal fentanyl substances.The DEA&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.dea.gov/fentanylawareness">attributes</a>&nbsp;more deaths to illegal fentanyl among Americans under 50 than any cause of death, including heart disease, cancer, homicide, suicide and other accidents.Of particular concern is that illicit fentanyl substances are often cut into other recreational drugs, including cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin, with users unaware of its presence.“The HALT Fentanyl Act would ban fentanyl analogues and strip the drug cartels and other criminals of the incentive to create new versions of fentanyl to skirt around the law,” GOP Rep. Brett Guthrie of Kentucky said on the House floor late Wednesday. “This bill is a key step to help get these poisons off our streets and give law enforcement the tools they need to crack down on illicit fentanyl traffic trafficking.”<h2>Effect on loved ones</h2>Sunday will mark nine months since Deb and Ray Cullen, of Shippingport, Pennsylvania, lost their 23-year-old son Zachary to a drug overdose.The Shippensburg University student had traveled with two friends to Harrisburg for a birthday weekend trip.“They were having dinner, having drinks, enjoying themselves. And then at some point, the detective told us that he thinks that they were targeted by a dealer. He doesn’t think they were looking for anything but thinks somebody came up to them and offered, and they made the choice to purchase some cocaine. And the cocaine was laced with fentanyl,” Deb said.The morning they received the news, Ray and Deb say, they turned on Zachary’s laptop to find that he had left open study materials for his university course in managerial economics.“He passed away. His friend survived, but with some physical issues. So we’re here trying to just make a difference so that other families don’t have to go through this,” she said Thursday shortly after the vote while sitting in the office of GOP Rep. John Joyce, her representative and a co-sponsor of the bill.The parents said they hope to see more awareness and an end to the stigma around those with substance use disorder and those who experiment with drugs that they are unaware are laced with illicit fentanyl.“There’s a lot of recreational cocaine and drug use. There was (someone yesterday) who said that had (the users) not done something illegal, that they would still be here,” Ray said. “I’m like, ‘Well, there’s a lot of things that get done illegally that you don’t die from.’”“I think people that are dealing this drug, they need to be held accountable,” Deb added.Joyce said he has been following up with the family since they emailed his office shortly after their son’s death.“I went over to Speaker McCarthy (today) and said ‘Up there in the gallery, there are parents who have lost their son, and they’re courageous and they continue to work to spread this message and have taken time out of their busy lives to come to Washington and drive down here for this vote,’” Joyce said.“This is an initial step. We need to take additional steps to (go after) the active ingredients which are shipped from China, to Mexico to the cartels, formulated and brought through our borders to kill our family or neighbors or friends,” Joyce continued.Unlike legal fentanyl that doctors prescribe after surgery or for advanced stage cancer patients, illicit fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances are produced in underground labs by&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF10890">transnational criminal organizations</a>.<h2>Concerns over mandatory minimums</h2>More than 150 harm reduction, criminal justice and civil liberties organizations have come out against the bill, which was introduced this Congress by GOP Reps. Morgan Griffith of Virginia and Robert Latta of Ohio.In a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/05/23/more-150-groups-urge-congress-vote-no-halt-fentanyl-act">letter</a>&nbsp;Wednesday to House leadership, groups including the American Civil Liberties Union and Human Rights Watch urged lawmakers to vote against the legislation.“The classwide scheduling policy expands the application of existing severe mandatory minimum sentencing laws enacted by Congress in the 1980s to a newly scheduled class of fentanyl-related compounds,” the letter said. “For example, just a trace amount of a fentanyl analogue in a mixture with a combined weight of 10 grams — 10 paper clips — can translate into a five-year mandatory minimum with no evidence needed that the seller even knew it contained fentanyl.”Other advocacy groups who co-signed the letter included the Association of Black Social Workers in Virginia, the Florida Harm Reduction Collective, Progressive Maryland and HEAL Ohio.Though the bill outlines registration processes for researchers to continue to test the fentanyl-related substances, the advocacy groups say that lawmakers are classifying chemical compounds before their effects are known.“… the HALT Fentanyl Act does not include an offramp to reschedule or remove (fentanyl related substances) that research has proven to be pharmacologically inactive or do not meet schedule I criteria,” the letter continues.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/schedules/">Criteria</a>&nbsp;used by the Department of Justice to classify Schedule I drugs include high abuse potential and “no currently accepted medical use in the United States.”Marijuana, LSD, ecstasy and peyote are listed as Schedule I.“In committee, Democrats offered amendments to improve the (bill),” Rep. Frank Pallone of New Jersey said on the House floor Wednesday. “We asked that Republicans consider additions to the bill that reflect the Biden administration’s commonsense interagency proposal.”Pallone, ranking member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Committee, which marked up the bill, said the amendments rejected by GOP leadership would have promised “a scientific and equitable approach.”<h2>Support from across the aisle</h2>Despite the opposition from many Democrats, 74 of the party members voted in favor of the HALT Fentanyl Act.“To stop this effort now is just not right. Fentanyl related substances are highly toxic and we should treat them as such with blanket permanent scheduling,” said Rep. Chris Pappas of New Hampshire.Pappas is the sponsor of a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/568/text?s=9&amp;r=3&amp;q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22fentanyl+pappas%22%5D%7D">bill</a>&nbsp;that permanently schedules fentanyl related substances but also adjusts criminal penalties and establishes a process to declassify compounds found to be safe.“This is the beginning of the legislative process. This bill … would likely come back to the House after the Senate puts its mark on it. So we’re gonna continue to advocate for those commonsense provisions,” Pappas said.The Biden administration issued a statement earlier this week supporting the HALT Fentanyl Act but said that its other recommendations to lawmakers included compelling agencies to root out which substances do not pose high potential for abuse and to study the effects of the blanket scheduling.“The Administration calls on Congress to pass all of these critical measures to improve public safety and save lives,” the statement said.

Fentanyl drugs permanently made criminal under bill passed by U.S. House

PHOENIX (AP) — Attorneys general across the U.S. joined in a lawsuit against a telecommunications company accused of making more than 7.5 billion robocalls to people on the national Do Not Call Registry.

The 141-page lawsuit was filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Phoenix against Avid Telecom, its owner Michael D. Lansky and company vice president Stacey S. Reeves. It seeks a jury trial to determine damages.

The lawsuit arises from the nationwide, bipartisan Anti-Robocall Multistate Litigation Task Force of 51 attorneys general and the District of Columbia. It was formed last year to investigate and take legal action against telecommunications companies routing volumes of robocall traffic.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said nearly 197 million of the robocalls were made to Arizona phone numbers between December 2018 and January 2023.

“Every day, countless Arizona consumers are harassed and annoyed by a relentless barrage of unwanted robocalls — and in some instances these illegal calls threaten consumers with lawsuits and arrest,” Mayes said in a statement. “More disturbingly, many of these calls are scams designed to pressure frightened consumers, often senior citizens, into handing over their hard-earned money.”

The lawsuit said Avid Telecom used spoofed or invalid caller ID numbers, including more than 8.4 million calls that appeared to be coming from government and law enforcement agencies as well as private companies.

The company also allegedly sent or transmitted scam calls about the Social Security Administration, Medicare, Amazon and DirecTV, as well as auto warranties, employment and credit card interest rate reductions.

“Americans are sick and tired of their phones ringing off the hook with fraudulent robocalls,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement. “Seniors and vulnerable consumers have been scammed out of millions because of these illegal robocalls.”

The lawsuit alleges Lansky and Reeves violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the Telemarketing Sales Rule and other federal and state telemarketing and consumer laws.

“Contrary to the allegations in the complaint, Avid Telecom operates in a manner that is compliant with all applicable state and federal laws and regulations,” said Neil Ende, the company’s outside legal counsel. “The company has never been found by any court or regulatory authority to have transmitted unlawful traffic and it is prepared to meet with the attorneys general, as it has on many occasions in the past, to further demonstrate its good faith and lawful conduct.

“In this context, the company is disappointed that the attorneys’ general chose not to communicate their concerns directly before filing the lawsuit," Ende added. “While the company always prefers to work with regulators and law enforcement to address issues of concern, as necessary, the company will defend itself vigorously and vindicate its rights and reputation through the legal process.”

Robocalls have also been an issue during elections in recent years. During the 2020 election, voters across the U.S. received anonymous robocalls in the weeks leading up to Election Day telling them to “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-investigates-robocalls-warning-voter-b93c02e5dbec291bf04566e02e87c8be">stay safe and stay home</a>.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-michigan-ohio-cleveland-california-9fd2a1c998ff26412fd53c83cb3efc09">Two conservative hoaxers</a>&nbsp;were convicted of fraud for making over 85,000 robocalls to Black voters in five states.

The calls falsely stated giving information in mail-in ballots could lead to arrest, debt collection or forced vaccination. Their sentence included spending 500 hours registering voters in low-income neighborhoods of Washington, D.C.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684936669199.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>PHOENIX (AP) — Attorneys general across the U.S. joined in a lawsuit against a telecommunications company accused of making more than 7.5 billion robocalls to people on the national Do Not Call Registry.The 141-page lawsuit was filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Phoenix against Avid Telecom, its owner Michael D. Lansky and company vice president Stacey S. Reeves. It seeks a jury trial to determine damages.The lawsuit arises from the nationwide, bipartisan Anti-Robocall Multistate Litigation Task Force of 51 attorneys general and the District of Columbia. It was formed last year to investigate and take legal action against telecommunications companies routing volumes of robocall traffic.Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said nearly 197 million of the robocalls were made to Arizona phone numbers between December 2018 and January 2023.“Every day, countless Arizona consumers are harassed and annoyed by a relentless barrage of unwanted robocalls — and in some instances these illegal calls threaten consumers with lawsuits and arrest,” Mayes said in a statement. “More disturbingly, many of these calls are scams designed to pressure frightened consumers, often senior citizens, into handing over their hard-earned money.”The lawsuit said Avid Telecom used spoofed or invalid caller ID numbers, including more than 8.4 million calls that appeared to be coming from government and law enforcement agencies as well as private companies.The company also allegedly sent or transmitted scam calls about the Social Security Administration, Medicare, Amazon and DirecTV, as well as auto warranties, employment and credit card interest rate reductions.“Americans are sick and tired of their phones ringing off the hook with fraudulent robocalls,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement. “Seniors and vulnerable consumers have been scammed out of millions because of these illegal robocalls.”The lawsuit alleges Lansky and Reeves violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the Telemarketing Sales Rule and other federal and state telemarketing and consumer laws.“Contrary to the allegations in the complaint, Avid Telecom operates in a manner that is compliant with all applicable state and federal laws and regulations,” said Neil Ende, the company’s outside legal counsel. “The company has never been found by any court or regulatory authority to have transmitted unlawful traffic and it is prepared to meet with the attorneys general, as it has on many occasions in the past, to further demonstrate its good faith and lawful conduct.“In this context, the company is disappointed that the attorneys’ general chose not to communicate their concerns directly before filing the lawsuit," Ende added. “While the company always prefers to work with regulators and law enforcement to address issues of concern, as necessary, the company will defend itself vigorously and vindicate its rights and reputation through the legal process.”Robocalls have also been an issue during elections in recent years. During the 2020 election, voters across the U.S. received anonymous robocalls in the weeks leading up to Election Day telling them to “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-investigates-robocalls-warning-voter-b93c02e5dbec291bf04566e02e87c8be">stay safe and stay home</a>.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-michigan-ohio-cleveland-california-9fd2a1c998ff26412fd53c83cb3efc09">Two conservative hoaxers</a>&nbsp;were convicted of fraud for making over 85,000 robocalls to Black voters in five states.The calls falsely stated giving information in mail-in ballots could lead to arrest, debt collection or forced vaccination. Their sentence included spending 500 hours registering voters in low-income neighborhoods of Washington, D.C.

Do not call: Kansas joins lawsuit over billions of robocalls

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said a deal to resolve the government's debt ceiling crisis seemed “very close” late Friday, even as the deadline for a potentially catastrophic default was pushed back four days until a week from Monday.

The later “X-date” threatened to open another week of frustrating negotiation between House Republicans and the White House over the risk of a default that could throw the U.S. economy into chaos and sap world confidence in the nation's lleadership.

Yet President Joe Biden was upbeat as he left for the Memorial Day weekend at Camp David, declaring, “It's very close, and I'm optimistic.”

With Republican at the Capitol talking with Biden's team at the White House, the president said, “There’s a negotiation going on. I’m hopeful we’ll know by tonight whether we’re going to be able to have a deal.”

The new date, set out in a letter from Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, came with Americans and the world concerned about U.S. brinkmanship.

In a blunt warning, Yellen said failure to act by the new date would “cause severe hardship to American families, harm our global leadership position and raise questions about our ability to defend our national security interests.” Anxious retirees were already making contingency plans for missed checks, with the next Social Security payments due next week.

The new deadline, a week from Monday, is four days later than earlier expected. Yellen said all “extraordinary measures” Treasury has resorted to would be exhausted.

Biden and Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy have seemed to be narrowing on a two-year budget-slashing deal that would also extend the debt limit past the next presidential election. After frustrating rounds of closed-door talks, a compromise had appeared to be nearing on Friday.

Republicans have made some headway in their drive for steep spending cuts that Democrats oppose. However, the sides are particularly “dug in” over McCarthy's demands for tougher work requirements on government food stamp recipients that Democrats say is a nonstarter.

Earlier Friday, McCarthy said his Republican&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-ceiling-biden-mccarthy-default-negotiations-cb0646c6301f1df97211896897df3723">debt negotiators</a>&nbsp;and the White House had hit “crunch” time, straining to wrap up an agreement with Biden as lawmakers broke for the long Memorial Day holiday weekend.

Any deal would need to be a political compromise, with support from both Democrats and Republicans to pass the divided Congress. Failure to lift the borrowing limit, now $31 trillion, to pay the nation's incurred bills, would send shockwaves through the U.S. and global economy.

But many of the hard-right Trump-aligned Republicans in Congress have long been skeptical of Treasury's projections, and they are pressing McCarthy to hold out.

The deal's within reach, it just has to be agreed to," said Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., one of the negotiators.

In remarks optimistic comments earlier at the White House before Yellen's letter was released, Biden gave a shoutout to one of this&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-kevin-mccarthy-debt-limit-graves-6e39e70b683616a4b73e6bbe9e72cd08">top negotiators</a>&nbsp;saying she's “putting together a deal, hopefully.”

He was referring to Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young who attended a salute to the Louisiana State women's national basketball champions.

While the contours of the deal have been taking shape to cut spending for 2024 and impose a 1% cap on spending growth for 2025, the two sides remain stuck on various provisions. The debt ceiling, now at $31 trillion, would be lifted for two years to pay the nation’s incurred bills.

A person familiar with the talks said the two sides were “dug in” on whether or not to agree to Republican demands to impose stiffer&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-work-requirements-snap-medicaid-biden-66270829cfc0009ddb5f59eb12a6ba7a">work requirements</a>&nbsp;on people who receive government food stamps, cash assistance and health care aid.

House Democrats have called such requirements for health care and food aid a nonstarter.

Asked if Republicans would relent on work requirements Graves, fumed: “Hell no, not a chance."

House Republicans had pushed the issue to the brink, displaying risky political bravado in leaving town for the Memorial Day holiday. Lawmakers are tentatively not expected back at work until Tuesday, but now their return is uncertain.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685187420073.png" alt="U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, speaks with reporters about debt limit and government spending negations inside the Capitol this week photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, speaks with reporters about debt limit and government spending negations inside the Capitol this week photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said a deal to resolve the government's debt ceiling crisis seemed “very close” late Friday, even as the deadline for a potentially catastrophic default was pushed back four days until a week from Monday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685154260391.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The later “X-date” threatened to open another week of frustrating negotiation between House Republicans and the White House over the risk of a default that could throw the U.S. economy into chaos and sap world confidence in the nation's lleadership.Yet President Joe Biden was upbeat as he left for the Memorial Day weekend at Camp David, declaring, “It's very close, and I'm optimistic.”With Republican at the Capitol talking with Biden's team at the White House, the president said, “There’s a negotiation going on. I’m hopeful we’ll know by tonight whether we’re going to be able to have a deal.”The new date, set out in a letter from Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, came with Americans and the world concerned about U.S. brinkmanship.In a blunt warning, Yellen said failure to act by the new date would “cause severe hardship to American families, harm our global leadership position and raise questions about our ability to defend our national security interests.” Anxious retirees were already making contingency plans for missed checks, with the next Social Security payments due next week.The new deadline, a week from Monday, is four days later than earlier expected. Yellen said all “extraordinary measures” Treasury has resorted to would be exhausted.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden thinks we should raise taxes when the federal government has more money coming in than at any point in American history. I’ve made it perfectly clear—Washington has a spending problem, NOT a revenue problem.&mdash; Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerMcCarthy/status/1662216992710103040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Biden and Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy have seemed to be narrowing on a two-year budget-slashing deal that would also extend the debt limit past the next presidential election. After frustrating rounds of closed-door talks, a compromise had appeared to be nearing on Friday.Republicans have made some headway in their drive for steep spending cuts that Democrats oppose. However, the sides are particularly “dug in” over McCarthy's demands for tougher work requirements on government food stamp recipients that Democrats say is a nonstarter.Earlier Friday, McCarthy said his Republican&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-ceiling-biden-mccarthy-default-negotiations-cb0646c6301f1df97211896897df3723">debt negotiators</a>&nbsp;and the White House had hit “crunch” time, straining to wrap up an agreement with Biden as lawmakers broke for the long Memorial Day holiday weekend.Any deal would need to be a political compromise, with support from both Democrats and Republicans to pass the divided Congress. Failure to lift the borrowing limit, now $31 trillion, to pay the nation's incurred bills, would send shockwaves through the U.S. and global economy.But many of the hard-right Trump-aligned Republicans in Congress have long been skeptical of Treasury's projections, and they are pressing McCarthy to hold out.The deal's within reach, it just has to be agreed to," said Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., one of the negotiators.In remarks optimistic comments earlier at the White House before Yellen's letter was released, Biden gave a shoutout to one of this&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-kevin-mccarthy-debt-limit-graves-6e39e70b683616a4b73e6bbe9e72cd08">top negotiators</a>&nbsp;saying she's “putting together a deal, hopefully.”He was referring to Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young who attended a salute to the Louisiana State women's national basketball champions.While the contours of the deal have been taking shape to cut spending for 2024 and impose a 1% cap on spending growth for 2025, the two sides remain stuck on various provisions. The debt ceiling, now at $31 trillion, would be lifted for two years to pay the nation’s incurred bills.A person familiar with the talks said the two sides were “dug in” on whether or not to agree to Republican demands to impose stiffer&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-work-requirements-snap-medicaid-biden-66270829cfc0009ddb5f59eb12a6ba7a">work requirements</a>&nbsp;on people who receive government food stamps, cash assistance and health care aid.House Democrats have called such requirements for health care and food aid a nonstarter.Asked if Republicans would relent on work requirements Graves, fumed: “Hell no, not a chance."House Republicans had pushed the issue to the brink, displaying risky political bravado in leaving town for the Memorial Day holiday. Lawmakers are tentatively not expected back at work until Tuesday, but now their return is uncertain.“The world is watching,” said International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva after meeting Friday with Yellen. “Let’s remember we are now in the 12th hour.”Weeks of negotiations between Republicans and the White House have failed to produce a deal — in part because the Biden administration resisted negotiating with McCarthy over the debt limit, arguing that the country's full faith and credit should not be used as leverage to extract other partisan priorities.“We have to spend less than we spent last year. That is the starting point,” said McCarthy.One idea is to set the topline budget numbers but then add a “snap-back” provision to enforce cuts if Congress is unable during its annual appropriations process to meet the new goals.On work requirements for aid recipients, the White House is particularly resisting measures that could drive more people into poverty or take their health care, said the person familiar with the talks, who was granted anonymity to describe behind-closed-door discussions.Over the Republican demand to rescind money for the Internal Revenue Service, it's still an “open issue” whether the sides will compromise by allowing the funding to be pushed into other domestic programs, the person said.In one potential development, Republicans may be easing their demand to boost defense spending beyond what Biden had proposed in his budget, instead offering to keep it at his proposed levels, according to another person familiar with the talks.The teams are also eyeing a proposal to boost energy transmission line development from Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., to facilitate the buildout of an interregional power grid.Meanwhile, McCarthy is feeling pressure from the House's right flank not to give in to any deal, even if it means blowing past the Treasury deadline.McCarthy said Donald Trump, the former president who is again running for office, told him, “Make sure you get a good agreement.”Watchful Democrats, though, are also pressing Biden. The top three House Democratic leaders led by Rep. Hakeem Jeffries spoke late Thursday with the White House.McCarthy has promised lawmakers he will abide by the rule to post any bill for 72 hours before voting. The Democratic-held Senate has vowed to move quickly to send the package to Biden’s desk, right before next Thursday's possible deadline.Meanwhile, Fitch Ratings agency placed the United States’ AAA credit on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-credit-rating-downgrade-warning-default-b906c014ed2b8124917f4a107a543964">“ratings watch negative,”</a>&nbsp;warning of a possible downgrade.The White House has continued to argue that deficits can be reduced by ending tax breaks for wealthier households and some corporations, but McCarthy said he told the president as early as their February meeting that raising revenue from tax hikes was off the table.While Biden has ruled out, for now,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/14th-amendment-biden-debt-ceiling-explained-92ebc0db703d49eab2c91d4d4a354cdf">invoking the 14th Amendment</a>&nbsp;to raise the debt limit on his own, Democrats in the House announced they have all signed on to a legislative “discharge” process that would force a debt ceiling vote. But they need five Republicans to break with their party and tip the majority to set the plan forward.They are all but certain to claw back some $30 billion in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-coronavirus-relief-funds-9c60de5ad51a922bae1c2cf2fa284be3">unspent COVID-19 funds</a>&nbsp;now that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-covid19-coronavirus-national-emergency-e3a52722b57a6b4f24187426c27b3b39">pandemic emergency has officially been lifted</a>.