<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JOHN%20LEICESTER%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By JOHN LEICESTER Associated Press</a>

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Rolling blackouts across Ukraine may continue through March, according to one of the country’s energy chiefs, as Ukrainians brace for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-kyiv-europe-business-2b3c41d06740b6b3b5ad42497f7ebcae">a grim winter</a>&nbsp;after weeks of relentless Russian strikes against its power grid.

Sergey Kovalenko, CEO of private energy provider DTEK Yasno, said in a Facebook post late Monday that the company was under instructions from Ukraine’s state grid operator to resume emergency blackouts in the areas it covers, including the capital Kyiv and the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region.

“Although there are fewer blackouts now, I want everyone to understand: Most likely, Ukrainians will have to live with blackouts until at least the end of March,” Kovalenko warned.

“I think we need to be prepared for different options, even the worst ones. Stock up on warm clothes, blankets, think about what will help you wait out a long shutdown,” he said, addressing Ukrainian residents.

Russia has been pummeling Ukraine’s power grid and other infrastructure from the air for weeks, as the war approaches its nine-month milestone. That onslaught has caused widespread blackouts and deprived millions of Ukrainians of electricity, heat and water.

Temperatures commonly stick below freezing in Ukraine in the winter months. Ukrainian authorities have started&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-kyiv-europe-4694a38addce348a51bc122a240e9c0b">evacuating civilians</a>&nbsp;from recently liberated sections of the southern Kherson and Mykolaiv regions out of fear that the winter will be hard to survive.

Kovalenko added that even if no more Russian strikes occur, scheduled outages will be needed across Ukraine to ensure that power is evenly distributed across the battered energy grid.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russian missile strikes have damaged more than 50% of the country’s energy facilities, and the World Health Organization is warning that millions face a “life-threatening” winter in Ukraine.

The battle for terrain has continued unabated despite the deteriorating weather conditions, with Ukrainian forces pressing against Russian positions as part of a weeks-long counteroffensive and Moscow’s forces keeping up shelling and missile strikes.

In a key battlefield development, a Ukrainian official acknowledged that Kyiv’s forces are attacking Russian positions on the Kinburn Spit, which is a gateway to the Black Sea basin and parts of the southern Kherson region that are still under Russian control.

Despite an information blackout around the operation, Natalya Humenyuk, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian army’s Operational Command South, said in televised remarks that Ukrainian forces are “continuing a military operation” in the area.

The Kinburn Spit is Russia’s last outpost in Ukraine’s southern Mykolayiv region, directly west of Kherson. Ukrainian forces recently liberated other parts of the Kherson and Mykolaiv regions.

Moscow has used the Kinburn Spit as a staging ground for missile and artillery strikes on Ukrainian positions in the Mykolaiv province, and elsewhere along the Ukrainian-controlled Black Sea coast.

Ukraine recently recaptured the city of Kherson, on the western bank of the Dnieper River, and surrounding areas in a major battlefield advance.

Capturing the Kinburn Spit could help Ukrainian forces push into territory Russia still holds in the Kherson region “under significantly less Russian artillery fire” than an attempt at a direct crossing of the Dnieper would likely unleash, a Washington-based think tank said late Monday.

The Institute for the Study of War added that control of the area would help Kyiv alleviate Russian strikes on Ukraine’s southern seaports and allow Ukraine to increase its naval activity in the Black Sea.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s presidential office said Tuesday morning that at least eight civilians were killed and 16 were injured over the previous 24 hours, as Moscow’s forces once again used drones, rockets and heavy artillery to pound eight Ukrainian regions.

Since Russia invaded its neighbor on Feb. 24, the war has killed at least 16,784 civilians and injured 10,189, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights estimates.

In the eastern Donetsk region, fierce battles continued around the city of Bakhmut, where the Kremlin’s forces are keen to clinch an unambiguous victory after weeks of embarrassing military setbacks.

Speaking on Ukrainian TV, Donetsk Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said Russia launched missiles at the city of Kramatorsk, home to the local headquarters of the Ukrainian military, and on the strategic city of Avdiivka.

Kyrylenko added that power supplies and communications are non-existent in most of the Donetsk region.

According to the Ukrainian presidential office, one civilian was killed and three others were wounded after Russia shelled the city of Kherson, which Ukrainian forces recaptured Nov. 10.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JOHN%20LEICESTER%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By JOHN LEICESTER Associated Press</a>KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Rolling blackouts across Ukraine may continue through March, according to one of the country’s energy chiefs, as Ukrainians brace for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-kyiv-europe-business-2b3c41d06740b6b3b5ad42497f7ebcae">a grim winter</a>&nbsp;after weeks of relentless Russian strikes against its power grid.Sergey Kovalenko, CEO of private energy provider DTEK Yasno, said in a Facebook post late Monday that the company was under instructions from Ukraine’s state grid operator to resume emergency blackouts in the areas it covers, including the capital Kyiv and the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region.“Although there are fewer blackouts now, I want everyone to understand: Most likely, Ukrainians will have to live with blackouts until at least the end of March,” Kovalenko warned.“I think we need to be prepared for different options, even the worst ones. Stock up on warm clothes, blankets, think about what will help you wait out a long shutdown,” he said, addressing Ukrainian residents.Russia has been pummeling Ukraine’s power grid and other infrastructure from the air for weeks, as the war approaches its nine-month milestone. That onslaught has caused widespread blackouts and deprived millions of Ukrainians of electricity, heat and water.Temperatures commonly stick below freezing in Ukraine in the winter months. Ukrainian authorities have started&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-kyiv-europe-4694a38addce348a51bc122a240e9c0b">evacuating civilians</a>&nbsp;from recently liberated sections of the southern Kherson and Mykolaiv regions out of fear that the winter will be hard to survive.Kovalenko added that even if no more Russian strikes occur, scheduled outages will be needed across Ukraine to ensure that power is evenly distributed across the battered energy grid.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russian missile strikes have damaged more than 50% of the country’s energy facilities, and the World Health Organization is warning that millions face a “life-threatening” winter in Ukraine.The battle for terrain has continued unabated despite the deteriorating weather conditions, with Ukrainian forces pressing against Russian positions as part of a weeks-long counteroffensive and Moscow’s forces keeping up shelling and missile strikes.In a key battlefield development, a Ukrainian official acknowledged that Kyiv’s forces are attacking Russian positions on the Kinburn Spit, which is a gateway to the Black Sea basin and parts of the southern Kherson region that are still under Russian control.Despite an information blackout around the operation, Natalya Humenyuk, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian army’s Operational Command South, said in televised remarks that Ukrainian forces are “continuing a military operation” in the area.The Kinburn Spit is Russia’s last outpost in Ukraine’s southern Mykolayiv region, directly west of Kherson. Ukrainian forces recently liberated other parts of the Kherson and Mykolaiv regions.Moscow has used the Kinburn Spit as a staging ground for missile and artillery strikes on Ukrainian positions in the Mykolaiv province, and elsewhere along the Ukrainian-controlled Black Sea coast.Ukraine recently recaptured the city of Kherson, on the western bank of the Dnieper River, and surrounding areas in a major battlefield advance.Capturing the Kinburn Spit could help Ukrainian forces push into territory Russia still holds in the Kherson region “under significantly less Russian artillery fire” than an attempt at a direct crossing of the Dnieper would likely unleash, a Washington-based think tank said late Monday.The Institute for the Study of War added that control of the area would help Kyiv alleviate Russian strikes on Ukraine’s southern seaports and allow Ukraine to increase its naval activity in the Black Sea.Meanwhile, Ukraine’s presidential office said Tuesday morning that at least eight civilians were killed and 16 were injured over the previous 24 hours, as Moscow’s forces once again used drones, rockets and heavy artillery to pound eight Ukrainian regions.Since Russia invaded its neighbor on Feb. 24, the war has killed at least 16,784 civilians and injured 10,189, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights estimates.In the eastern Donetsk region, fierce battles continued around the city of Bakhmut, where the Kremlin’s forces are keen to clinch an unambiguous victory after weeks of embarrassing military setbacks.Speaking on Ukrainian TV, Donetsk Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said Russia launched missiles at the city of Kramatorsk, home to the local headquarters of the Ukrainian military, and on the strategic city of Avdiivka.Kyrylenko added that power supplies and communications are non-existent in most of the Donetsk region.According to the Ukrainian presidential office, one civilian was killed and three others were wounded after Russia shelled the city of Kherson, which Ukrainian forces recaptured Nov. 10.

'Stock up on blankets': Ukrainians brace for bleak winter

By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/11/21/kansas-child-welfare-panel-raises-issue-with-guardian-ad-litem-casa-programs/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Kansas legislators 
leveled criticism at programs designed to serve children subjected to 
abuse or neglect, alleging attorneys hired by courts to recommend 
resolution of cases fell short of expectations and asserting a volunteer
 advocacy initiative failed to mirror diversity of children served.

Sen. Molly Baumgardner, a Louisburg Republican, and Rep. Susan 
Concannon, a Republican from Beloit, expressed alarm during the Kansas 
Legislature’s hearings last week on child welfare issues that lawyers, 
or guardian ad litems, hired by the court to submit recommendations on 
cases of child neglect or abuse were overworked and insufficiently 
compensated.

They also said there were reports of attorneys ignoring their 
responsibility to meaningfully engage with children they’re assigned to 
serve. It’s alleged some attorneys don’t meet with the children before 
court appearances as required.

“We know that the guardian ad litems have a big case load and that 
they’re underpaid,” Concannon said. “That’s given, but I think that’s 
giving them an excuse. They come out in the hallway and call for a child
 and they don’t even know who they are.”

Baumgardner said guardian ad litems were heavily influenced by 
policies of DCF and conclusions of social workers at contractors hired 
by DCF. She said the problem emerged most frequently when considering 
whether to separate siblings and when evaluating whether to reintegrate 
families.

Baumgardner said the Legislature ought to address another common 
complaint about foster parents and relatives of children in foster care.

“Foster parents have no say, have no input. They are in a position 
of, ‘If you’re not an advocate, then you’re essentially the enemy of the
 agency,'” she said.

A majority of the Child Welfare System Oversight Committee agreed to 
make another attempt at embedding in state law a requirement Kansas 
maintain an Office of Child Advocate to investigate complaints about 
handling of child welfare cases.

Rep. Susan Humphries, a Wichita Republican with two adopted children,
 said the existing created by executive order of Democratic Gov. Laura 
Kelly left open potential for conflicts of interest. The current system 
is too cozy, she said, because the governor appoints the child advocate 
and the secretary of the state agency with jurisdiction over the 
privatized foster care system.

She said the child advocate’s office ought to be supervised by the 
Legislature or the attorney general. In 2021, the Senate wanted that job
 placed with Attorney General Derek Schmidt. The House preferred the 
Legislature. The deadlock was never resolved so Kelly created the 
position administratively.

“As much as I appreciate the person who is in the office of the child
 advocate, I don’t feel like it is truly independent when the governor 
is appointing the same person as secretary of DCF and the office of the 
child advocate,” Humphries said.

In December 2021, Kelly selected Kerrie Lonard to lead the division 
of child advocate. Lonard, an attorney and former social worker, is 
expected to issue herr first annual report before start of the 2023 
legislative session in January. It will outline inquiries into alleged 
misconduct.

Some members of the committee shared interest in adding $350,000 to 
the budget of CASA, or Court Appointed Special Advocate, to serve 
interests of abused or neglected children.

Caitlyn Eakin, state director of the Kansas CASA Association, said 21
 local programs coordinate trained volunteers. The caseload is small, 
she said, to give volunteers opportunity to talk with the child, family 
members, educators, doctors, therapists and others involved in the 
child’s life.

She said CASA volunteers were the lone consistent positive role model
 in the lives of many children who experienced abuse or neglect.

“Kansas CASA and our programs around the state know the importance of
 following due diligence to prevent an unnecessary separation of a child
 from their biological family,” she said. “We are also aware that there 
are many unfortunate circumstances where there is no other option, and 
for the safety and benefit of the child, they need to be placed in state
 custody.”

Sen. Oletha Faust-Goudeau, a Wichita Democrat on the child welfare 
committee, said CASA deployed an insufficient number of Black people to 
assist children of color disproportionately represented in the state’s 
foster care population.

“If we talk of the lack of African-Americans who are foster parents 
or want to be CASAs, I know a host of them who are applying, have the 
status, but they’re not included,” the senator said. “No disrespect to 
anybody, but the CASA issue, you know, don’t lay it on me. I’ve been 
talking for 18 years to be more inclusive. We talk about diversity. We 
show the films and all of that. Every year, I go home and it’s the same 
representation. I hear the same things from my constituents.”

The legislative committee also proposed integrating foster care 
caseworkers back into the state employee system rather than continue to 
have those people work directly for the contractors. There also was 
discussion of adopting a foster care bill of rights.

During 15 hours of meetings, a diverse collection of foster parents, 
academics, lawyers, contractors, state officials and others delved into 
their experiences with a system responsible for 7,000 children in need 
of care.

Megan Monsour, a Wichita adoption and foster care attorney for nearly
 15 years, presented the oversight committee unvarnished observations 
through eyes of a lawyer operating in the high-stakes environment.

“This is a very tough job, one that you all have and also that DCF 
has and the agencies have,” Monsour said. “We’re asking these foster 
parents to do an impossible job. I will tell you — maybe I shouldn’t 
admit to this — I have people call me and ask about foster care versus 
private adoption and I’m like, ‘Well, it is really hard for me to advise
 people to do foster care, because of the cases I get. I will tear up 
now. It’s hard, because you have to be ready to let a child go.”

Rick Gaskill, who had a 46-year career in community mental health 
counseling, said formation of active, affectionate, reciprocal, social 
and emotional bonds between parent and child were important factors in 
terms of foster care and adoption.

He said careless movement of vulnerable children among caregivers, 
sometimes known as attachment disruption, threatened to break these 
vital bonds with lifelong consequences.

“This attachment process is being created by neurons that are 
connecting together in certain patterns and that these patterns are 
lifelong,” he told lawmakers. “A lot of these decisions you all are 
making are going to determine how this brain is going to knit itself 
together and what perceptions, what possibilities are available to this 
child and then to future generations.”

He said any child able to maintain attachment with an adult would be better off in life.

“Attachment is the single-most defining milestone in human social 
development. Attachment will predict many things in our lives. It 
predicts success on a job. It predicts successful relationships with 
other people. It predicts criminal behavior,” Gaskill said.

Matt Stephens, a vice president at Saint Francis Ministries, said the
 foster care contractor responsible for most of western Kansas and 
Sedgwick County was struggling to hold down the number of residential 
transfers of youth in foster care. In some instances, he said, it was 
twice as high as desired.

“We need to continue to look at and evaluate to understand who is 
bouncing and experiencing placement instability,” he said. “National 
research would indicate that older youth have elevated risk of placement
 instability. And, the Kansas data mirrors that. Really what we’re 
seeing is older youth, ages 13 to 18, that have higher levels of 
disability or needs or higher acuity, they’re experiencing a lot of 
placement instability.”

He said staff turnover at Saint Francis Ministries in the past year 
hit 41%, but employee morale wasn’t shaken by the recent indictment by 
federal prosecutors of two former Saint Francis executives who alleged 
stole millions of dollars.

“When you look back at the former employees who have been indicted, 
that’s been two years ago from when they left our employment at Saint 
Francis Ministries. So, it’s been a long journey to get where we’re at 
today. I think a lot of people feel validated of what they saw at the 
time. We appreciate the diligence exhibited by the pursuit of justice. I
 don’t think our morale has taken a hit by the recent news.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1669065812939.png" alt="Megan Monsour, a Wichita adoption and foster care attorney for nearly 15 years, said she struggled at times to recommend foster care over private adoption because “you have to be ready to let a child go.” (Kansas Reflector screen capture from Kansas Legislature YouTube channel)" />
 <figcaption>Megan Monsour, a Wichita adoption and foster care attorney for nearly 15 years, said she struggled at times to recommend foster care over private adoption because “you have to be ready to let a child go.” (Kansas Reflector screen capture from Kansas Legislature YouTube channel)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/11/21/kansas-child-welfare-panel-raises-issue-with-guardian-ad-litem-casa-programs/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Kansas legislators 
leveled criticism at programs designed to serve children subjected to 
abuse or neglect, alleging attorneys hired by courts to recommend 
resolution of cases fell short of expectations and asserting a volunteer
 advocacy initiative failed to mirror diversity of children served.Sen. Molly Baumgardner, a Louisburg Republican, and Rep. Susan 
Concannon, a Republican from Beloit, expressed alarm during the Kansas 
Legislature’s hearings last week on child welfare issues that lawyers, 
or guardian ad litems, hired by the court to submit recommendations on 
cases of child neglect or abuse were overworked and insufficiently 
compensated.They also said there were reports of attorneys ignoring their 
responsibility to meaningfully engage with children they’re assigned to 
serve. It’s alleged some attorneys don’t meet with the children before 
court appearances as required.“We know that the guardian ad litems have a big case load and that 
they’re underpaid,” Concannon said. “That’s given, but I think that’s 
giving them an excuse. They come out in the hallway and call for a child
 and they don’t even know who they are.”Baumgardner said guardian ad litems were heavily influenced by 
policies of DCF and conclusions of social workers at contractors hired 
by DCF. She said the problem emerged most frequently when considering 
whether to separate siblings and when evaluating whether to reintegrate 
families.Baumgardner said the Legislature ought to address another common 
complaint about foster parents and relatives of children in foster care.“Foster parents have no say, have no input. They are in a position 
of, ‘If you’re not an advocate, then you’re essentially the enemy of the
 agency,'” she said.<h2>Office of child advocate</h2>A majority of the Child Welfare System Oversight Committee agreed to 
make another attempt at embedding in state law a requirement Kansas 
maintain an Office of Child Advocate to investigate complaints about 
handling of child welfare cases.Rep. Susan Humphries, a Wichita Republican with two adopted children,
 said the existing created by executive order of Democratic Gov. Laura 
Kelly left open potential for conflicts of interest. The current system 
is too cozy, she said, because the governor appoints the child advocate 
and the secretary of the state agency with jurisdiction over the 
privatized foster care system.She said the child advocate’s office ought to be supervised by the 
Legislature or the attorney general. In 2021, the Senate wanted that job
 placed with Attorney General Derek Schmidt. The House preferred the 
Legislature. The deadlock was never resolved so Kelly created the 
position administratively.“As much as I appreciate the person who is in the office of the child
 advocate, I don’t feel like it is truly independent when the governor 
is appointing the same person as secretary of DCF and the office of the 
child advocate,” Humphries said.In December 2021, Kelly selected Kerrie Lonard to lead the division 
of child advocate. Lonard, an attorney and former social worker, is 
expected to issue herr first annual report before start of the 2023 
legislative session in January. It will outline inquiries into alleged 
misconduct.<h2>Cash for CASA</h2>Some members of the committee shared interest in adding $350,000 to 
the budget of CASA, or Court Appointed Special Advocate, to serve 
interests of abused or neglected children.Caitlyn Eakin, state director of the Kansas CASA Association, said 21
 local programs coordinate trained volunteers. The caseload is small, 
she said, to give volunteers opportunity to talk with the child, family 
members, educators, doctors, therapists and others involved in the 
child’s life.She said CASA volunteers were the lone consistent positive role model
 in the lives of many children who experienced abuse or neglect.“Kansas CASA and our programs around the state know the importance of
 following due diligence to prevent an unnecessary separation of a child
 from their biological family,” she said. “We are also aware that there 
are many unfortunate circumstances where there is no other option, and 
for the safety and benefit of the child, they need to be placed in state
 custody.”Sen. Oletha Faust-Goudeau, a Wichita Democrat on the child welfare 
committee, said CASA deployed an insufficient number of Black people to 
assist children of color disproportionately represented in the state’s 
foster care population.“If we talk of the lack of African-Americans who are foster parents 
or want to be CASAs, I know a host of them who are applying, have the 
status, but they’re not included,” the senator said. “No disrespect to 
anybody, but the CASA issue, you know, don’t lay it on me. I’ve been 
talking for 18 years to be more inclusive. We talk about diversity. We 
show the films and all of that. Every year, I go home and it’s the same 
representation. I hear the same things from my constituents.”The legislative committee also proposed integrating foster care 
caseworkers back into the state employee system rather than continue to 
have those people work directly for the contractors. There also was 
discussion of adopting a foster care bill of rights.<h2>‘Let a child go’</h2>During 15 hours of meetings, a diverse collection of foster parents, 
academics, lawyers, contractors, state officials and others delved into 
their experiences with a system responsible for 7,000 children in need 
of care.Megan Monsour, a Wichita adoption and foster care attorney for nearly
 15 years, presented the oversight committee unvarnished observations 
through eyes of a lawyer operating in the high-stakes environment.“This is a very tough job, one that you all have and also that DCF 
has and the agencies have,” Monsour said. “We’re asking these foster 
parents to do an impossible job. I will tell you — maybe I shouldn’t 
admit to this — I have people call me and ask about foster care versus 
private adoption and I’m like, ‘Well, it is really hard for me to advise
 people to do foster care, because of the cases I get. I will tear up 
now. It’s hard, because you have to be ready to let a child go.”Rick Gaskill, who had a 46-year career in community mental health 
counseling, said formation of active, affectionate, reciprocal, social 
and emotional bonds between parent and child were important factors in 
terms of foster care and adoption.He said careless movement of vulnerable children among caregivers, 
sometimes known as attachment disruption, threatened to break these 
vital bonds with lifelong consequences.“This attachment process is being created by neurons that are 
connecting together in certain patterns and that these patterns are 
lifelong,” he told lawmakers. “A lot of these decisions you all are 
making are going to determine how this brain is going to knit itself 
together and what perceptions, what possibilities are available to this 
child and then to future generations.”He said any child able to maintain attachment with an adult would be better off in life.“Attachment is the single-most defining milestone in human social 
development. Attachment will predict many things in our lives. It 
predicts success on a job. It predicts successful relationships with 
other people. It predicts criminal behavior,” Gaskill said.<h2>The federal indictment</h2>Matt Stephens, a vice president at Saint Francis Ministries, said the
 foster care contractor responsible for most of western Kansas and 
Sedgwick County was struggling to hold down the number of residential 
transfers of youth in foster care. In some instances, he said, it was 
twice as high as desired.“We need to continue to look at and evaluate to understand who is 
bouncing and experiencing placement instability,” he said. “National 
research would indicate that older youth have elevated risk of placement
 instability. And, the Kansas data mirrors that. Really what we’re 
seeing is older youth, ages 13 to 18, that have higher levels of 
disability or needs or higher acuity, they’re experiencing a lot of 
placement instability.”He said staff turnover at Saint Francis Ministries in the past year 
hit 41%, but employee morale wasn’t shaken by the recent indictment by 
federal prosecutors of two former Saint Francis executives who alleged 
stole millions of dollars.“When you look back at the former employees who have been indicted, 
that’s been two years ago from when they left our employment at Saint 
Francis Ministries. So, it’s been a long journey to get where we’re at 
today. I think a lot of people feel validated of what they saw at the 
time. We appreciate the diligence exhibited by the pursuit of justice. I
 don’t think our morale has taken a hit by the recent news.”

Kansas panel raises issue with guardian ad litem, CASA programs

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22BROOKE%20SCHULTZ%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By BROOKE SCHULTZ </a> <a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22BROOKE%20SCHULTZ%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">Associated Press/Report for America</a>

Some of Taylor Swift’s fans want you to know three things: They’re not still 16, they have careers and resources and, right now, they’re angry. That’s a powerful political motivator, researchers say.

It started Nov. 15, when millions crowded a presale for Swift’s long-awaited Eras Tour,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-concert-tickets-parents-34399cca6403c97f0983a5c69c7edec0">resulting in crashes, prolonged waits and frantic purchases.</a>&nbsp;By Thursday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-sale-canceled-music-concert-tour-70c8a21059174c37a06b7a8475239b06">Ticketmaster had canceled the general sale,</a>&nbsp;citing insufficient remaining tickets and inciting a firestorm of outrage from fans. Swift herself said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-taylor-swift-af5d58d2a8c6def368ded1bd2ddd8a6f">the ordeal “really pisses me off.”</a>

Ticketmaster apologized but the bad blood had already been sowed. And now fans — and politicians — have started acting on it.

U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez directed Swifties to where they could make U.S. Department of Justice complaints. Multiple&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/josh-shapiro-business-taylor-swift-tennessee-e157badef297f7c302615b3a6080ba2a">state attorneys general</a>&nbsp;— including in Pennsylvania and Tennessee, key states in Swift’s origin story — have announced investigations.

Stephanie Aly, a New York-based professional who has worked on community organizing for progressive politics, for years has thought mobilizing fandoms for social progress could be beneficial.

“Fandoms are natural organizers,” said the 33-year-old Swiftie. “If you find the right issues and you activate them and engage them then you can effect real change.”

In 2020, for instance, K-pop fans organized to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/death-of-george-floyd-music-ap-top-news-south-korea-entertainment-09aaf5560b48385f5adf8ae7a6af3740">back the Black Lives Matter movement</a>&nbsp;and sought to&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/[https://apnews.com/article/pop-music-music-donald-trump-us-news-united-states-2f18f18a8b40a4635fd3590fd159241c">inflate registration</a>&nbsp;for a Donald Trump rally. Aly and Swifties from different industries — law, public relations, cybersecurity and more — have joined forces to create Vigilante Legal, a group targeting Ticketmaster by creating email templates to petition attorneys general and providing antitrust information. Thousands have expressed interest in helping or learning more.

“The level of anger that you’ve just seen in the country around this issue is astounding,” said Jean Sinzdak, associate director for the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. “People are really sharing their feelings about that and building a movement about that online, which I really think is quite fascinating. It’s certainly an opportunity to engage people politically. Whether it lasts is hard to say, but it certainly feels like a real opportunity.”

In one way, said Sinzdak, this is giving Swift’s large following of younger people a direct line to seeing how policy takes shape. It’s also targeting a demographic that is seldom courted by politicians during election season.

“Nobody goes out and thinks, ‘Let’s target young women,’” said Gwen Nisbett, a University of North Texas professor who researches the intersection of political engagement and pop culture. “Be it about abortion or student loans, that age group is super mobilized and young women are super mobilized.”

Fan culture and community has boosted that tendency toward mobilization. Nisbett was studying parasocial relationships — when fans have strong one-way relationships with celebrities — in 2018, when the previously apolitical Swift posted an endorsement of Democratic candidates to social media. Nisbett found that while such posts may not determine fans' votes, they still led to the increased likelihood fans would look for more information about voting — and actually vote.

For the record:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-votecast-quirky-polls-e9c117cb5be549f91ca7d98d249c5f9d">AP VoteCast,</a>&nbsp;an extensive survey of the U.S. electorate, showed about a third of Tennessee voters in 2018 said they had a favorable opinion of Swift, and among them, a large majority — about 7 in 10 — backed Democrat Phil Bredesen in the Senate contest. That was in clear contrast to the roughly third of voters who had an unfavorable opinion of Swift and overwhelmingly backed Republican Marsha Blackburn.

For Swifties, the ire for Ticketmaster is not just about a ticket: “It’s the fact that you can’t participate in your community and your fandom and it’s part of your identity,” Nisbett said.

This isn’t even the first time a fandom or an artist has targeted Ticketmaster.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/063fca1ccd36ad2fe398537b71426d21">Pearl Jam took aim at the company</a>&nbsp;in 1994, although the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/c3efaa2c4026495236f2035e93fe8a3f">Justice Department ultimately declined</a>&nbsp;to bring a case. More recently, Bruce Springsteen fans were enraged over high ticket costs because of the platform’s dynamic pricing system.

“It’s not just about getting vengeance for Swifties. It’s not about getting an extra million Taylor Swift fans tickets, or all of us going to a secret session,” said Jordan Burger, 28, who is using his law background to help the cause. “It’s about fundamental equality. And when you have a monopolist like that, it’s just so representative of the class structure of a society where there isn’t equality anymore, there isn’t fairness.”

The sheer power and size of Swift’s fandom has spurred conversations about economic inequality, merely symbolized by Ticketmaster.

Aly noted that quite a few of the members of the group did get tickets; the issue is is bigger than Ticketmaster, she said.

“We’ve gotten some feedback that, ‘This is too big, let the government handle it.’ Have you seen the U.S. government? The government only functions when the people push it to and when the people demand that it function and the people are involved,” she said. “Even when something seems too big to fail or too powerful to fail, there are always enough of us to make a difference. Your involvement may be the thing that pushes it over the edge that forces the government to act.”

Aly says many grown-up Swifties have 10-15 years’ experience of being bullied for liking the singer — but what fans have in mind might be better than revenge.

“We have thick skin and nothing to lose, really,” Aly said.

Associated Press journalist Hannah Fingerhut contributed to this report from Washington. Brooke Schultz is a Harrisburg, Pennsylvania-based corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reportforamerica.org/">Report for America</a>&nbsp;is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22BROOKE%20SCHULTZ%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By BROOKE SCHULTZ </a> <a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22BROOKE%20SCHULTZ%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">Associated Press/Report for America</a>Some of Taylor Swift’s fans want you to know three things: They’re not still 16, they have careers and resources and, right now, they’re angry. That’s a powerful political motivator, researchers say.Look what Ticketmaster made them do.It started Nov. 15, when millions crowded a presale for Swift’s long-awaited Eras Tour,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-concert-tickets-parents-34399cca6403c97f0983a5c69c7edec0">resulting in crashes, prolonged waits and frantic purchases.</a>&nbsp;By Thursday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-sale-canceled-music-concert-tour-70c8a21059174c37a06b7a8475239b06">Ticketmaster had canceled the general sale,</a>&nbsp;citing insufficient remaining tickets and inciting a firestorm of outrage from fans. Swift herself said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-taylor-swift-af5d58d2a8c6def368ded1bd2ddd8a6f">the ordeal “really pisses me off.”</a>Ticketmaster apologized but the bad blood had already been sowed. And now fans — and politicians — have started acting on it.U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez directed Swifties to where they could make U.S. Department of Justice complaints. Multiple&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/josh-shapiro-business-taylor-swift-tennessee-e157badef297f7c302615b3a6080ba2a">state attorneys general</a>&nbsp;— including in Pennsylvania and Tennessee, key states in Swift’s origin story — have announced investigations.Stephanie Aly, a New York-based professional who has worked on community organizing for progressive politics, for years has thought mobilizing fandoms for social progress could be beneficial.“Fandoms are natural organizers,” said the 33-year-old Swiftie. “If you find the right issues and you activate them and engage them then you can effect real change.”In 2020, for instance, K-pop fans organized to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/death-of-george-floyd-music-ap-top-news-south-korea-entertainment-09aaf5560b48385f5adf8ae7a6af3740">back the Black Lives Matter movement</a>&nbsp;and sought to&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/[https://apnews.com/article/pop-music-music-donald-trump-us-news-united-states-2f18f18a8b40a4635fd3590fd159241c">inflate registration</a>&nbsp;for a Donald Trump rally. Aly and Swifties from different industries — law, public relations, cybersecurity and more — have joined forces to create Vigilante Legal, a group targeting Ticketmaster by creating email templates to petition attorneys general and providing antitrust information. Thousands have expressed interest in helping or learning more.“The level of anger that you’ve just seen in the country around this issue is astounding,” said Jean Sinzdak, associate director for the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. “People are really sharing their feelings about that and building a movement about that online, which I really think is quite fascinating. It’s certainly an opportunity to engage people politically. Whether it lasts is hard to say, but it certainly feels like a real opportunity.”In one way, said Sinzdak, this is giving Swift’s large following of younger people a direct line to seeing how policy takes shape. It’s also targeting a demographic that is seldom courted by politicians during election season.“Nobody goes out and thinks, ‘Let’s target young women,’” said Gwen Nisbett, a University of North Texas professor who researches the intersection of political engagement and pop culture. “Be it about abortion or student loans, that age group is super mobilized and young women are super mobilized.”Fan culture and community has boosted that tendency toward mobilization. Nisbett was studying parasocial relationships — when fans have strong one-way relationships with celebrities — in 2018, when the previously apolitical Swift posted an endorsement of Democratic candidates to social media. Nisbett found that while such posts may not determine fans' votes, they still led to the increased likelihood fans would look for more information about voting — and actually vote.For the record:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-votecast-quirky-polls-e9c117cb5be549f91ca7d98d249c5f9d">AP VoteCast,</a>&nbsp;an extensive survey of the U.S. electorate, showed about a third of Tennessee voters in 2018 said they had a favorable opinion of Swift, and among them, a large majority — about 7 in 10 — backed Democrat Phil Bredesen in the Senate contest. That was in clear contrast to the roughly third of voters who had an unfavorable opinion of Swift and overwhelmingly backed Republican Marsha Blackburn.For Swifties, the ire for Ticketmaster is not just about a ticket: “It’s the fact that you can’t participate in your community and your fandom and it’s part of your identity,” Nisbett said.This isn’t even the first time a fandom or an artist has targeted Ticketmaster.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/063fca1ccd36ad2fe398537b71426d21">Pearl Jam took aim at the company</a>&nbsp;in 1994, although the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/c3efaa2c4026495236f2035e93fe8a3f">Justice Department ultimately declined</a>&nbsp;to bring a case. More recently, Bruce Springsteen fans were enraged over high ticket costs because of the platform’s dynamic pricing system.“It’s not just about getting vengeance for Swifties. It’s not about getting an extra million Taylor Swift fans tickets, or all of us going to a secret session,” said Jordan Burger, 28, who is using his law background to help the cause. “It’s about fundamental equality. And when you have a monopolist like that, it’s just so representative of the class structure of a society where there isn’t equality anymore, there isn’t fairness.”The sheer power and size of Swift’s fandom has spurred conversations about economic inequality, merely symbolized by Ticketmaster.Aly noted that quite a few of the members of the group did get tickets; the issue is is bigger than Ticketmaster, she said.“We’ve gotten some feedback that, ‘This is too big, let the government handle it.’ Have you seen the U.S. government? The government only functions when the people push it to and when the people demand that it function and the people are involved,” she said. “Even when something seems too big to fail or too powerful to fail, there are always enough of us to make a difference. Your involvement may be the thing that pushes it over the edge that forces the government to act.”Aly says many grown-up Swifties have 10-15 years’ experience of being bullied for liking the singer — but what fans have in mind might be better than revenge.“We have thick skin and nothing to lose, really,” Aly said.___Associated Press journalist Hannah Fingerhut contributed to this report from Washington. Brooke Schultz is a Harrisburg, Pennsylvania-based corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reportforamerica.org/">Report for America</a>&nbsp;is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

Taylor Swift ticket trouble could drive political engagement

CRAWFORD COUNTY — One person was killed and another seriously injured after a head-on collision at 7:50 p.m. Monday in Crawford County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1999 Dodge Dakota — driven by Dakota L. Jones, 33, Weir — was eastbound on U400 in the westbound lanes. It struck a westbound 2014 Buick Lacrosse driven by Kenneth K. Messer, 36, McCune.

Jones was pronounced dead and Messer was transported to Freeman Hospital West in Joplin, Mo., for treatment. Messer was properly restrained. The KHP reported it was unknown if Jones was wearing a seat belt.

CRAWFORD COUNTY — One person was killed and another seriously injured after a head-on collision at 7:50 p.m. Monday in Crawford County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1999 Dodge Dakota — driven by Dakota L. Jones, 33, Weir — was eastbound on U400 in the westbound lanes. It struck a westbound 2014 Buick Lacrosse driven by Kenneth K. Messer, 36, McCune.Jones was pronounced dead and Messer was transported to Freeman Hospital West in Joplin, Mo., for treatment. Messer was properly restrained. The KHP reported it was unknown if Jones was wearing a seat belt.

Kansas man killed when vehicles collide head-on

CIANJUR, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian rescuers used jackhammers, 
circular saws and sometimes their bare hands Tuesday to shift the rubble
 of flattened buildings as they searched for the dead and missing from <a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-indonesia-jakarta-earthquakes-java-9211ab02fd6fb574cab63b94f31d6512">an earthquake</a> that killed at least 268 people.

With
 many missing, some remote areas still unreachable and more than 1,000 
people injured in the 5.6 magnitude quake, the death toll was likely to 
rise. Hospitals near the epicenter on the densely populated island of 
Java were already overwhelmed, and patients hooked up to IV drips lay on
 stretchers and cots in tents set up outside, awaiting further 
treatment.

Indonesia is frequently hit by earthquakes, many much 
stronger than Monday's whose magnitude would typically be expected to 
cause light damage. But experts said <a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-indonesia-jakarta-earthquakes-java-fad6cd6597650037de65350f8bb96633">the shallowness of the quake</a>
 and inadequate infrastructure contributed to the severe damage, 
including caved-in roofs and large piles of bricks, concrete, and 
corrugated metal.

The quake was centered on the rural, mountainous
 Cianjur district, where one woman said her home started “shaking like 
it was dancing.”

“I was crying and immediately grabbed my husband 
and children,” said Partinem, who like many Indonesians only goes by 
only one name. The house collapsed shortly after she escaped with her 
family.

“If I didn’t pull them out, we might have also been victims,” she said, gazing over the pile of broken concrete and timber.

More than 2.5 million people live in Cianjur district, including about 175,000 in the main town of the same name.

The
 quake struck at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) and also caused 
panic in the capital of Jakarta, about a three hour-drive away, where 
high-rises swayed and some people evacuated.

National Disaster 
Mitigation Agency head Suharyanto, who uses one name, told reporters 
that 1,083 people were injured and at least 151 missing. But not all of 
the dead have been identified, so it’s possible some the bodies pulled 
from the rubble are of people on the missing list.

Rescue 
operations were focused on about a dozen locations in Cianjur, where 
people are still believed trapped, said Endra Atmawidjaja, the public 
works and housing spokesperson.

“We are racing against time to rescue people,” Atmawidjaja said.

Initial
 rescue attempts were hampered by damaged roads and bridges and power 
outages, and a lack of equipment to help move the heavy rubble. By 
Tuesday, power supplies and phone communications had begun to improve, 
and Atmawidjaja said that seven excavators and 10 large trucks had been 
deployed from neighboring areas to clear roads.

In the village of 
Cijedil, the quake triggered a landslide that blocked streets and buried
 several houses, said Henri Alfiandi, chief of the National Search and 
Rescue Agency.

“We are maximizing operations at several points 
where it is suspected that there are still casualties. Our team is also 
trying to reach remote areas,” he said.

Many of the dead were 
public school students who had finished their classes for the day and 
were taking extra lessons at Islamic schools when the buildings 
collapsed, West Java Gov. Ridwan Kamil said.

More than 13,000 
people whose homes were heavily damaged were taken to evacuation 
centers, Kamil said, though thousands spent the night in the open 
fearing aftershocks.

Cargo trucks carrying food, tents, blankets 
and other supplies from the capital, Jakarta arrived early Tuesday in 
temporary shelters.

Outside the Cianjur Regional Hospital, hundreds waited for treatment.

“I
 was working inside my office building. The building was not damaged, 
but as the quake shook very strongly, many things fell. My leg was hit 
by heavy stuff,” said Dwi Sarmadi, who works for an Islamic educational 
foundation in a neighboring district.

He was waiting near a tent 
outside the hospital after some overwhelmed clinics were unable to see 
him. Many people were arriving in worse shape. “I really hope they can 
handle me soon,” he said.

Hasan, a construction worker who uses one name, was also taken to the hospital.

“I
 fainted. It was very strong,” Hasan recalled. “I saw my friends running
 to escape from the building. But it was too late to get out, and I was 
hit by the wall.”

President Joko Widodo visited Cianjur on Tuesday
 and pledged to rebuild infrastructure, including the main bridge 
connecting Cianjur to other cities, and to provide government assistance
 up to 50 million rupiah ($3,180) to each resident whose house was 
damaged.

“On behalf of myself and on behalf of the government, I 
would like to express my deep condolences to the victims and their 
families in this Cianjur earthquake,” he said after visiting survivors 
in shelters on a soccer field.

The country of more than 270 
million people is frequently struck by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions 
and tsunamis because of its location on the arc of volcanoes and fault 
lines in the Pacific Basin known as the “Ring of Fire.”

In 
February, a magnitude-6.2 earthquake killed at least 25 people and 
injured more than 460 in West Sumatra province. In January 2021, a 
magnitude-6.2 earthquake killed more than 100 people and injured nearly 
6,500 in West Sulawesi province.

A powerful Indian Ocean quake and tsunami in 2004 killed 230,000 people in a dozen countries, most of them in Indonesia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1669121986365.jpeg" alt="Rescuers carry the body of a victim recovered from under the rubble at a village affected by an earthquake-triggered landslide in Cianjur, West Java, Indonesia, Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022. The earthquake has toppled buildings on Indonesia's densely populated main island, killing a number of people and injuring hundreds. (AP Photo/Rangga Firmansyah)" />
 <figcaption>Rescuers carry the body of a victim recovered from under the rubble at a village affected by an earthquake-triggered landslide in Cianjur, West Java, Indonesia, Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022. The earthquake has toppled buildings on Indonesia's densely populated main island, killing a number of people and injuring hundreds. (AP Photo/Rangga Firmansyah)</figcaption>
 </figure>CIANJUR, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian rescuers used jackhammers, 
circular saws and sometimes their bare hands Tuesday to shift the rubble
 of flattened buildings as they searched for the dead and missing from <a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-indonesia-jakarta-earthquakes-java-9211ab02fd6fb574cab63b94f31d6512">an earthquake</a> that killed at least 268 people.With
 many missing, some remote areas still unreachable and more than 1,000 
people injured in the 5.6 magnitude quake, the death toll was likely to 
rise. Hospitals near the epicenter on the densely populated island of 
Java were already overwhelmed, and patients hooked up to IV drips lay on
 stretchers and cots in tents set up outside, awaiting further 
treatment.Indonesia is frequently hit by earthquakes, many much 
stronger than Monday's whose magnitude would typically be expected to 
cause light damage. But experts said <a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-indonesia-jakarta-earthquakes-java-fad6cd6597650037de65350f8bb96633">the shallowness of the quake</a>
 and inadequate infrastructure contributed to the severe damage, 
including caved-in roofs and large piles of bricks, concrete, and 
corrugated metal.The quake was centered on the rural, mountainous
 Cianjur district, where one woman said her home started “shaking like 
it was dancing.”“I was crying and immediately grabbed my husband 
and children,” said Partinem, who like many Indonesians only goes by 
only one name. The house collapsed shortly after she escaped with her 
family.“If I didn’t pull them out, we might have also been victims,” she said, gazing over the pile of broken concrete and timber.More than 2.5 million people live in Cianjur district, including about 175,000 in the main town of the same name.The
 quake struck at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) and also caused 
panic in the capital of Jakarta, about a three hour-drive away, where 
high-rises swayed and some people evacuated.National Disaster 
Mitigation Agency head Suharyanto, who uses one name, told reporters 
that 1,083 people were injured and at least 151 missing. But not all of 
the dead have been identified, so it’s possible some the bodies pulled 
from the rubble are of people on the missing list.Rescue 
operations were focused on about a dozen locations in Cianjur, where 
people are still believed trapped, said Endra Atmawidjaja, the public 
works and housing spokesperson.“We are racing against time to rescue people,” Atmawidjaja said.Initial
 rescue attempts were hampered by damaged roads and bridges and power 
outages, and a lack of equipment to help move the heavy rubble. By 
Tuesday, power supplies and phone communications had begun to improve, 
and Atmawidjaja said that seven excavators and 10 large trucks had been 
deployed from neighboring areas to clear roads.In the village of 
Cijedil, the quake triggered a landslide that blocked streets and buried
 several houses, said Henri Alfiandi, chief of the National Search and 
Rescue Agency.“We are maximizing operations at several points 
where it is suspected that there are still casualties. Our team is also 
trying to reach remote areas,” he said.Many of the dead were 
public school students who had finished their classes for the day and 
were taking extra lessons at Islamic schools when the buildings 
collapsed, West Java Gov. Ridwan Kamil said.More than 13,000 
people whose homes were heavily damaged were taken to evacuation 
centers, Kamil said, though thousands spent the night in the open 
fearing aftershocks.Cargo trucks carrying food, tents, blankets 
and other supplies from the capital, Jakarta arrived early Tuesday in 
temporary shelters.Outside the Cianjur Regional Hospital, hundreds waited for treatment.“I
 was working inside my office building. The building was not damaged, 
but as the quake shook very strongly, many things fell. My leg was hit 
by heavy stuff,” said Dwi Sarmadi, who works for an Islamic educational 
foundation in a neighboring district.He was waiting near a tent 
outside the hospital after some overwhelmed clinics were unable to see 
him. Many people were arriving in worse shape. “I really hope they can 
handle me soon,” he said.Hasan, a construction worker who uses one name, was also taken to the hospital.“I
 fainted. It was very strong,” Hasan recalled. “I saw my friends running
 to escape from the building. But it was too late to get out, and I was 
hit by the wall.”President Joko Widodo visited Cianjur on Tuesday
 and pledged to rebuild infrastructure, including the main bridge 
connecting Cianjur to other cities, and to provide government assistance
 up to 50 million rupiah ($3,180) to each resident whose house was 
damaged.“On behalf of myself and on behalf of the government, I 
would like to express my deep condolences to the victims and their 
families in this Cianjur earthquake,” he said after visiting survivors 
in shelters on a soccer field.The country of more than 270 
million people is frequently struck by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions 
and tsunamis because of its location on the arc of volcanoes and fault 
lines in the Pacific Basin known as the “Ring of Fire.”In 
February, a magnitude-6.2 earthquake killed at least 25 people and 
injured more than 460 in West Sumatra province. In January 2021, a 
magnitude-6.2 earthquake killed more than 100 people and injured nearly 
6,500 in West Sulawesi province.A powerful Indian Ocean quake and tsunami in 2004 killed 230,000 people in a dozen countries, most of them in Indonesia.

Indonesian rescuers search through rubble of quake; 268 dead

WASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission this week clarified that callers must obtain a consumer’s consent before delivering “ringless voicemail,” a message left in a consumer’s mailbox without ringing their cell phone.  The unanimous decision by the full Commission finds that ringless voicemails are, in fact, “calls” that require consumers’ prior express consent.  

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), which protects consumers from unwanted robocalls, prohibits making any non-emergency call using an automatic telephone dialing system or an artificial or prerecorded voice to a wireless telephone number without the prior express consent of the called party.  The Commission today has clarified that ringless voicemail is a form of robocall and is illegal if the caller did not have the consumer’s prior express consent.  Violations can be enforced by the FCC or the consumer can sue in court.

“Imagine finding robocallers leaving junk voicemails on your phone without it ever having rung.  It’s annoying and it’s happening to too many of us.  Today we’re taking action to ensure these deceptive practices don’t find a way around our robocall rules and into consumers’ inboxes,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.  

The Declaratory Ruling and Order denies a petition filed by All About the Message, LLC, which asked the Commission to find that delivery of a message directly to a consumer’s cell phone voicemail is not a call protected by the TCPA.  The FCC is acting on its own motion after the petitioner and two other similar petitions sought to withdraw their requests for clarification after the FCC sought public comment and received overwhelming negative reaction from commenters.  The FCC has also received dozens consumer complaints annually related to ringless voicemail.  The ruling goes into effect upon Monday's release of the decision.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1584977952684.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FCCWASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission this week clarified that callers must obtain a consumer’s consent before delivering “ringless voicemail,” a message left in a consumer’s mailbox without ringing their cell phone. The unanimous decision by the full Commission finds that ringless voicemails are, in fact, “calls” that require consumers’ prior express consent. The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), which protects consumers from unwanted robocalls, prohibits making any non-emergency call using an automatic telephone dialing system or an artificial or prerecorded voice to a wireless telephone number without the prior express consent of the called party. The Commission today has clarified that ringless voicemail is a form of robocall and is illegal if the caller did not have the consumer’s prior express consent. Violations can be enforced by the FCC or the consumer can sue in court.“Imagine finding robocallers leaving junk voicemails on your phone without it ever having rung. It’s annoying and it’s happening to too many of us. Today we’re taking action to ensure these deceptive practices don’t find a way around our robocall rules and into consumers’ inboxes,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. The Declaratory Ruling and Order denies a petition filed by All About the Message, LLC, which asked the Commission to find that delivery of a message directly to a consumer’s cell phone voicemail is not a call protected by the TCPA. The FCC is acting on its own motion after the petitioner and two other similar petitions sought to withdraw their requests for clarification after the FCC sought public comment and received overwhelming negative reaction from commenters. The FCC has also received dozens consumer complaints annually related to ringless voicemail. The ruling goes into effect upon Monday's release of the decision.

FCC: 'Ringless voicemails' subject to robocalling regulations

By WILLIAM CHITTENDEN <a href="https://theconversation.com/student-loan-cancellation-got-blocked-now-what-3-questions-answered-194973">The Conversation</a>

1. Why was Biden’s student loan cancellation program blocked?

It was found to be <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/10/federal-judge-in-texas-declares-bidens-student-debt-relief-plan-unlawful-.html">unconstitutional</a>.
 That determination was made on Nov. 10, 2022, by Judge Mark Pittman of 
the U.S. District Court of Northern Texas, who ruled that the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/108th-congress/house-bill/1412">Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act of 2003</a> – or Heroes Act – <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2022/11/14/biden-administration-appeals-debt-relief-ruling">“does not provide the executive branch clear congressional authorization”</a> for a student loan forgiveness program. He said further that the program was <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/bidens-student-debt-forgiveness-plan-012246385.html">“an unconstitutional exercise of Congress’s legislative power and must be vacated.”</a>

The judge’s ruling prevents any student loans from being forgiven <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-was-student-loan-forgiveness-blocked-texas-judge-debt-relief-2022-11">“until a final verdict is made”</a> in the case. Technically it could go to the Supreme Court, but it may also be settled at the appellate court level.

In a separate case, on Nov. 14, a three-judge panel with the United States Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit <a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-business-education-st-louis-student-loans-cf8136bfc75bd70839e9326cabbbf029">temporarily blocked the program</a> until the case is resolved in court. The 8th Circuit covers seven states, including Missouri, which is one of several <a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-health-lawsuits-covid-missouri-862d783188de45b698c54b00820d3616">Republican-led states seeking to block the program</a>.

Both rulings effectively block Biden’s plan to forgive up to $20,000 in student loans per borrower.

Both court decisions could be reversed. The Biden administration has argued that the <a href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/LSB/LSB10818">Heroes Act of 2003</a> <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/18/politics/student-debt-relief-supreme-court">allows the Secretary of Education to forgive student loans</a> for those affected by the pandemic.

The Biden administration has already <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/where-does-the-biden-student-loan-forgiveness-program-stand-after-texas-judge-stepped-in-to-block-it-01668206695">filed a notice to appeal</a> the Nov. 10 ruling by Pittman.

On Nov, 18, the Biden administration <a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/justice-department-asks-supreme-court-lift-ruling-against-bidens-student-loan-2022-11-18/">asked the Supreme Court</a>
 to vacate the order by the Court of Appeals blocking student loan 
forgiveness. The Supreme Court has asked the plaintiffs in the case to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/18/politics/student-debt-relief-supreme-court">provide their response by Nov. 23, 2022</a>.

It is unclear how the full court might rule. However, in two previous instances, Justice Amy Coney Barrett has <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/04/politics/scotus-biden-student-loans">shot down</a> attempts to block the student loan forgiveness plan.

3. What kind of relief can student loan borrowers get in the meantime?

Currently, student loan payments are paused but are scheduled to <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2022/11/17/student-loan-forgiveness-isnt-dead-heres-narrow-path-forward/10712059002/">start again in January 2023</a>. The Biden administration could <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/16/biden-student-debt-forgiveness-blocked-whats-next-for-borrowers.html">extend the payment pause beyond December 2022</a>. However, in August 2022 – <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/08/25/student-loan-repayments-refunded-forgiven/7895863001/">when the most recent payment pause extension was announced</a> – the White House stated that it was supposed to be the <a href="https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/biden-harris-administration-announces-final-student-loan-pause-extension-through-december-31-and-targeted-debt-cancellation-smooth-transition-repayment">final extension</a>.

Despite the setback for widespread student loan forgiveness, some 
borrowers may still qualify for one or more targeted student loan 
forgiveness programs. These groups include borrowers who <a href="https://www.savingforcollege.com/article/how-to-get-rid-of-student-loans">attended a school that shut down</a>. Student loans may also be forgiven for those who are <a href="https://disabilitydischarge.com/">totally and permanently disabled</a>. Students who were <a href="https://studentaid.gov/borrower-defense/">defrauded by their school</a> – such as by being misled about job placement rates for graduates or the true cost to attend the school – may also be eligible.

In November 2022, the Biden administration <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/biden-administration-to-make-it-easier-to-dismiss-student-loans-in-bankruptcy-11668706819?mod=article_inline">released new rules to make it easier for student loans to be discharged in bankruptcy</a>.
 If a student loan borrower can prove their expenses are equal to or 
greater than their income, the student loan debt may qualify to be 
eliminated in bankruptcy.

William Chittenden is an Associate Professor of Finance at Texas State University.

By WILLIAM CHITTENDEN <a href="https://theconversation.com/student-loan-cancellation-got-blocked-now-what-3-questions-answered-194973">The Conversation</a><h2>1. Why was Biden’s student loan cancellation program blocked?</h2>It was found to be <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/10/federal-judge-in-texas-declares-bidens-student-debt-relief-plan-unlawful-.html">unconstitutional</a>.
 That determination was made on Nov. 10, 2022, by Judge Mark Pittman of 
the U.S. District Court of Northern Texas, who ruled that the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/108th-congress/house-bill/1412">Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act of 2003</a> – or Heroes Act – <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2022/11/14/biden-administration-appeals-debt-relief-ruling">“does not provide the executive branch clear congressional authorization”</a> for a student loan forgiveness program. He said further that the program was <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/bidens-student-debt-forgiveness-plan-012246385.html">“an unconstitutional exercise of Congress’s legislative power and must be vacated.”</a>The judge’s ruling prevents any student loans from being forgiven <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-was-student-loan-forgiveness-blocked-texas-judge-debt-relief-2022-11">“until a final verdict is made”</a> in the case. Technically it could go to the Supreme Court, but it may also be settled at the appellate court level.In a separate case, on Nov. 14, a three-judge panel with the United States Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit <a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-business-education-st-louis-student-loans-cf8136bfc75bd70839e9326cabbbf029">temporarily blocked the program</a> until the case is resolved in court. The 8th Circuit covers seven states, including Missouri, which is one of several <a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-health-lawsuits-covid-missouri-862d783188de45b698c54b00820d3616">Republican-led states seeking to block the program</a>.Both rulings effectively block Biden’s plan to forgive up to $20,000 in student loans per borrower.<h2>2. Can it be unblocked?</h2>Both court decisions could be reversed. The Biden administration has argued that the <a href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/LSB/LSB10818">Heroes Act of 2003</a> <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/18/politics/student-debt-relief-supreme-court">allows the Secretary of Education to forgive student loans</a> for those affected by the pandemic.The Biden administration has already <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/where-does-the-biden-student-loan-forgiveness-program-stand-after-texas-judge-stepped-in-to-block-it-01668206695">filed a notice to appeal</a> the Nov. 10 ruling by Pittman.On Nov, 18, the Biden administration <a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/justice-department-asks-supreme-court-lift-ruling-against-bidens-student-loan-2022-11-18/">asked the Supreme Court</a>
 to vacate the order by the Court of Appeals blocking student loan 
forgiveness. The Supreme Court has asked the plaintiffs in the case to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/18/politics/student-debt-relief-supreme-court">provide their response by Nov. 23, 2022</a>.It is unclear how the full court might rule. However, in two previous instances, Justice Amy Coney Barrett has <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/04/politics/scotus-biden-student-loans">shot down</a> attempts to block the student loan forgiveness plan.<h2>3. What kind of relief can student loan borrowers get in the meantime?</h2>Currently, student loan payments are paused but are scheduled to <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2022/11/17/student-loan-forgiveness-isnt-dead-heres-narrow-path-forward/10712059002/">start again in January 2023</a>. The Biden administration could <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/16/biden-student-debt-forgiveness-blocked-whats-next-for-borrowers.html">extend the payment pause beyond December 2022</a>. However, in August 2022 – <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/08/25/student-loan-repayments-refunded-forgiven/7895863001/">when the most recent payment pause extension was announced</a> – the White House stated that it was supposed to be the <a href="https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/biden-harris-administration-announces-final-student-loan-pause-extension-through-december-31-and-targeted-debt-cancellation-smooth-transition-repayment">final extension</a>.Despite the setback for widespread student loan forgiveness, some 
borrowers may still qualify for one or more targeted student loan 
forgiveness programs. These groups include borrowers who <a href="https://www.savingforcollege.com/article/how-to-get-rid-of-student-loans">attended a school that shut down</a>. Student loans may also be forgiven for those who are <a href="https://disabilitydischarge.com/">totally and permanently disabled</a>. Students who were <a href="https://studentaid.gov/borrower-defense/">defrauded by their school</a> – such as by being misled about job placement rates for graduates or the true cost to attend the school – may also be eligible.In November 2022, the Biden administration <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/biden-administration-to-make-it-easier-to-dismiss-student-loans-in-bankruptcy-11668706819?mod=article_inline">released new rules to make it easier for student loans to be discharged in bankruptcy</a>.
 If a student loan borrower can prove their expenses are equal to or 
greater than their income, the student loan debt may qualify to be 
eliminated in bankruptcy.William Chittenden is an Associate Professor of Finance at Texas State University.<div><iframe src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/194973/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></iframe></div>

Student loan cancellation got blocked. Now what? 

FINNEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting and have made an arrest.

On Friday, police responded to St. Catherine Hospital for a report of a gunshot wound victim, according to a media release.

Officers learned that a man with a gunshot wound had been brought to the hospital by 20-year-old David Oliver of Garden City. The investigation revealed that a verbal argument occurred between Oliver and the victim at Oliver’s residence in the 900 block of N. 9th Street in Garden City.

 Following the argument, Oliver was handling a firearm while intoxicated when the firearm discharged and struck the victim. The victim was flown to Wichita due to the extent of his injuries.

Police arrested Oliver on requested charges of Aggravated Battery, Criminal Discharge of Firearm, and Interference with law enforcement; falsely report a felony intending to obstruct, according to online jail records.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1669047875849.png" alt="Oliver-photo Finney County" />
 <figcaption>Oliver-photo Finney County</figcaption>
 </figure>FINNEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting and have made an arrest.On Friday, police responded to St. Catherine Hospital for a report of a gunshot wound victim, according to a media release.Officers learned that a man with a gunshot wound had been brought to the hospital by 20-year-old David Oliver of Garden City. The investigation revealed that a verbal argument occurred between Oliver and the victim at Oliver’s residence in the 900 block of N. 9th Street in Garden City. Following the argument, Oliver was handling a firearm while intoxicated when the firearm discharged and struck the victim. The victim was flown to Wichita due to the extent of his injuries.Police arrested Oliver on requested charges of Aggravated Battery, Criminal Discharge of Firearm, and Interference with law enforcement; falsely report a felony intending to obstruct, according to online jail records.&nbsp;

Police: SW Kansas man was handling firearm while intoxicated

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man has been charged in connection with the fatal shooting of Nicolett Marshall in an Independence, Missouri apartment, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

Bobby G. Peoples III, 29, faces charges of Murder 2nd Degree, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm and two counts of Armed Criminal Action.

According to court records, on Nov. 16, police responded to a shooting call on at an apartment on Larkspur Lane. Officers found the victim, Nicolett Marshall, in the kitchen. She had been fatally wounded. The Medical Examiner confirmed she died as a result of the gunshot.

 A witness at the scene identified the shooter. A vehicle at the scene of the homicide was connected to a woman with the defendant on the day of the murder. She was driving the vehicle during another incident that Independence police responded to. Prosecutors requested a $150,000 cash bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668876053027.png" alt="Peoples-photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Peoples-photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man has been charged in connection with the fatal shooting of Nicolett Marshall in an Independence, Missouri apartment, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.Bobby G. Peoples III, 29, faces charges of Murder 2nd Degree, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm and two counts of Armed Criminal Action.According to court records, on Nov. 16, police responded to a shooting call on at an apartment on Larkspur Lane. Officers found the victim, Nicolett Marshall, in the kitchen. She had been fatally wounded. The Medical Examiner confirmed she died as a result of the gunshot. A witness at the scene identified the shooter. A vehicle at the scene of the homicide was connected to a woman with the defendant on the day of the murder. She was driving the vehicle during another incident that Independence police responded to. Prosecutors requested a $150,000 cash bond.

Witness IDs Kansas City man as suspect in woman's death

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A suspect captured after the abduction of a 6-year-old Kansas girl remains in an Oklahoma jail.

Just before 7p.m. p.m. Sunday, police responded to the 2300 block of N. Amidon in Wichita for an auto theft, kidnapping in a liquor store parking lot, according to Officer Trevor Macy.

A 35-year-old man reported that while he had gone into the store, an unknown man stole his&nbsp;gold/tan Lexus Rx330  with his 6-year-old daughter still inside.

Officers immediately began checking the area for the vehicle and the juvenile and&nbsp; utilized Flock cameras and other License Plate Reader (LPR) technology and learned that the vehicle had entered the Kansas Turnpike headed South at approximately 7:02 p.m.

Neighboring counties, the Kansas Highway Patrol, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Tulsa Police Department were notified of the circumstances and the vehicle's last known location. 

At 8 p.m., Troopers with Oklahoma Highway Patrol were able to stop the car approximately 22 miles south of the Kansas/Oklahoma state line and recover the girl.

A suspect, identified as 34-year-old Benjamin Brady, was taken into custody by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and booked into the Kay County, Oklahoma jail for charges from their jurisdiction – awaiting extradition back to Kansas. The girl was brought safely back to Wichita, where she was interviewed by detectives from the Exploited and Missing Child Unit (EMCU) before reuniting with her family.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1669067284425.png" alt="Brady is being held on requested charges of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, abduction of individual under age 15 and cross ing state line, driving under suspended license, failure to stop for law enforcement and attempt to elude law enforcement, according to online jail records-photo Kay County Oklahoma&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Brady is being held on requested charges of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, abduction of individual under age 15 and cross ing state line, driving under suspended license, failure to stop for law enforcement and attempt to elude law enforcement, according to online jail records-photo Kay County Oklahoma&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A suspect captured after the abduction of a 6-year-old Kansas girl remains in an Oklahoma jail.Just before 7p.m. p.m. Sunday, police responded to the 2300 block of N. Amidon in Wichita for an auto theft, kidnapping in a liquor store parking lot, according to Officer Trevor Macy.A 35-year-old man reported that while he had gone into the store, an unknown man stole his&nbsp;gold/tan Lexus Rx330 with his 6-year-old daughter still inside.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1669028649764.png" alt="photo Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>photo Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>Officers immediately began checking the area for the vehicle and the juvenile and&nbsp; utilized Flock cameras and other License Plate Reader (LPR) technology and learned that the vehicle had entered the Kansas Turnpike headed South at approximately 7:02 p.m.Neighboring counties, the Kansas Highway Patrol, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Tulsa Police Department were notified of the circumstances and the vehicle's last known location. At 8 p.m., Troopers with Oklahoma Highway Patrol were able to stop the car approximately 22 miles south of the Kansas/Oklahoma state line and recover the girl.A suspect, identified as 34-year-old Benjamin Brady, was taken into custody by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and booked into the Kay County, Oklahoma jail for charges from their jurisdiction – awaiting extradition back to Kansas. The girl was brought safely back to Wichita, where she was interviewed by detectives from the Exploited and Missing Child Unit (EMCU) before reuniting with her family.

Suspect in Kan. girl's abduction remains in Oklahoma jail

ATLANTA (AP) — Reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley were sentenced Monday to lengthy prison terms after being convicted earlier this year on charges including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-california-atlanta-indictments-059e5939277464502d581a75c142ab1d">bank fraud and tax evasion</a>.

U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross in Atlanta gave Todd Chrisley 12 years in prison plus 16 months of probation, while Julie Chrisley got seven years behind bars and 16 months of probation, news outlets reported.

The Chrisleys gained fame with their show “Chrisley Knows Best,” which follows their tight-knit, boisterous family. Federal prosecutors said the couple&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-california-atlanta-indictments-059e5939277464502d581a75c142ab1d">engaged in</a>&nbsp;an extensive bank fraud scheme and then hid their wealth from tax authorities while flaunting their lavish lifestyle.

“The Chrisleys have built an empire based on the lie that their wealth came from dedication and hard work,” prosecutors wrote. “The jury's unanimous verdict sets the record straight: Todd and Julie Chrisley are career swindlers who have made a living by jumping from one fraud scheme to another, lying to banks, stiffing vendors, and evading taxes at every corner.”

Todd Chrisley's attorneys had argued in a court filing that he should not face more than nine years in prison. Julie Chrisley's lawyers said a reasonable sentence for her would be probation with special conditions and no prison time.

The Chrisleys were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-julie-chrisley-todd-atlanta-business-994090f5f18e0dd2bfd1e95c3521c85f">convicted in June</a>&nbsp;on charges of bank fraud, tax evasion and conspiring to defraud the IRS. Julie Chrisley was also convicted of wire fraud and obstruction of justice.

Prosecutors have said the couple submitted fake documents to banks and managed to secure more than $30 million in fraudulent loans. Once that scheme fell apart, they walked away from their responsibility to repay the loans when Todd Chrisley declared bankruptcy. While in bankruptcy, they started their reality show and “flaunted their wealth and lifestyle to the American public,” prosecutors wrote, and then hid the millions they made from the show from the IRS.

The Chrisleys also submitted a false document to a grand jury that was investigating their crimes and then convinced friends and family members to lie under oath during their trial, prosecutors argued. Neither has shown any remorse and they have, instead, blamed others for their criminal conduct, prosecutors wrote.

“The Chrisleys are unique given the varied and wide-ranging scope of their fraudulent conduct and the extent to which they engaged in fraud and obstructive behavior for a prolonged period of time,” prosecutors said.

Todd Chrisley's lawyers said in a filing that the government never produced any evidence that he meant to defraud the banks, and that the loss amount calculated was incorrect. They also noted that the offenses were committed a long time ago and said he has no serious criminal history and has medical conditions that “would make imprisonment disproportionately harsh.”

His lawyers had also submitted letters from friends and business associates that show “a history of good deeds and striving to help others.” People who rely on Chrisley — including his mother and the many people employed by his television shows — will be harmed while he's in prison, they argued.

They urged the judge to give him a prison sentence below the guideline range followed by supervised release and restitution.

Julie Chrisley's lawyers contended that she played a minimal role in the conspiracy and was not involved when the loans discussed in sentencing documents were obtained. She has no prior convictions, is an asset to her community and has “extraordinary family obligations,” her lawyers wrote, as they asked for a sentence of probation, restitution and community service.

The Chrisleys have three children together, including one who is 16, and also full custody of the 10-year-old daughter of Todd Chrisley's son from a prior marriage. Julie Chrisley is the primary caregiver to her ailing mother-in-law, according to the filing.

Her lawyers also submitted letters from character witnesses describing her as “hard-working, unfailingly selfless, devoted to her family and friend, highly respected by all who know her, and strong of character.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1669079805529.png" alt="Todd Chrisley, left, and his wife, Julie Chrisley, pose for photos at the 52nd annual Academy of Country Music Awards on April 2, 2017, in Las Vegas. Todd and Julie Chrisley were driven by greed as they engaged in an extensive bank fraud scheme and then hid their wealth from tax authorities while flaunting their lavish lifestyle, federal prosecutors said, arguing the reality television stars should receive lengthy prison sentences. They were found guilty on federal charges in June and are set to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross in a hearing that begins Monday, Nov. 21. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)" />
 <figcaption>Todd Chrisley, left, and his wife, Julie Chrisley, pose for photos at the 52nd annual Academy of Country Music Awards on April 2, 2017, in Las Vegas. Todd and Julie Chrisley were driven by greed as they engaged in an extensive bank fraud scheme and then hid their wealth from tax authorities while flaunting their lavish lifestyle, federal prosecutors said, arguing the reality television stars should receive lengthy prison sentences. They were found guilty on federal charges in June and are set to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross in a hearing that begins Monday, Nov. 21. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>ATLANTA (AP) — Reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley were sentenced Monday to lengthy prison terms after being convicted earlier this year on charges including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-california-atlanta-indictments-059e5939277464502d581a75c142ab1d">bank fraud and tax evasion</a>.U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross in Atlanta gave Todd Chrisley 12 years in prison plus 16 months of probation, while Julie Chrisley got seven years behind bars and 16 months of probation, news outlets reported.The Chrisleys gained fame with their show “Chrisley Knows Best,” which follows their tight-knit, boisterous family. Federal prosecutors said the couple&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-california-atlanta-indictments-059e5939277464502d581a75c142ab1d">engaged in</a>&nbsp;an extensive bank fraud scheme and then hid their wealth from tax authorities while flaunting their lavish lifestyle.“The Chrisleys have built an empire based on the lie that their wealth came from dedication and hard work,” prosecutors wrote. “The jury's unanimous verdict sets the record straight: Todd and Julie Chrisley are career swindlers who have made a living by jumping from one fraud scheme to another, lying to banks, stiffing vendors, and evading taxes at every corner.”Todd Chrisley's attorneys had argued in a court filing that he should not face more than nine years in prison. Julie Chrisley's lawyers said a reasonable sentence for her would be probation with special conditions and no prison time.The Chrisleys were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-julie-chrisley-todd-atlanta-business-994090f5f18e0dd2bfd1e95c3521c85f">convicted in June</a>&nbsp;on charges of bank fraud, tax evasion and conspiring to defraud the IRS. Julie Chrisley was also convicted of wire fraud and obstruction of justice.Prosecutors have said the couple submitted fake documents to banks and managed to secure more than $30 million in fraudulent loans. Once that scheme fell apart, they walked away from their responsibility to repay the loans when Todd Chrisley declared bankruptcy. While in bankruptcy, they started their reality show and “flaunted their wealth and lifestyle to the American public,” prosecutors wrote, and then hid the millions they made from the show from the IRS.The Chrisleys also submitted a false document to a grand jury that was investigating their crimes and then convinced friends and family members to lie under oath during their trial, prosecutors argued. Neither has shown any remorse and they have, instead, blamed others for their criminal conduct, prosecutors wrote.“The Chrisleys are unique given the varied and wide-ranging scope of their fraudulent conduct and the extent to which they engaged in fraud and obstructive behavior for a prolonged period of time,” prosecutors said.Todd Chrisley's lawyers said in a filing that the government never produced any evidence that he meant to defraud the banks, and that the loss amount calculated was incorrect. They also noted that the offenses were committed a long time ago and said he has no serious criminal history and has medical conditions that “would make imprisonment disproportionately harsh.”His lawyers had also submitted letters from friends and business associates that show “a history of good deeds and striving to help others.” People who rely on Chrisley — including his mother and the many people employed by his television shows — will be harmed while he's in prison, they argued.They urged the judge to give him a prison sentence below the guideline range followed by supervised release and restitution.Julie Chrisley's lawyers contended that she played a minimal role in the conspiracy and was not involved when the loans discussed in sentencing documents were obtained. She has no prior convictions, is an asset to her community and has “extraordinary family obligations,” her lawyers wrote, as they asked for a sentence of probation, restitution and community service.The Chrisleys have three children together, including one who is 16, and also full custody of the 10-year-old daughter of Todd Chrisley's son from a prior marriage. Julie Chrisley is the primary caregiver to her ailing mother-in-law, according to the filing.Her lawyers also submitted letters from character witnesses describing her as “hard-working, unfailingly selfless, devoted to her family and friend, highly respected by all who know her, and strong of character.”

Reality TV's Chrisleys sentenced for bank fraud, tax evasion

KANSAS CITY – A Kansas City woman has pleaded guilty in federal court to fraudulently receiving a $10,000 Economic Injury Disaster Loan, a program that was part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, according to the United State's Attorney.

Nicole R. Cortez, 41, waived her right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough on Nov. 17, to a federal information that charges her with one count of wire fraud.

The purpose of the CARES Act was to provide emergency financial assistance due to the economic impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized the Small Business Administration to provide Economic Injury Disaster Loans to eligible small businesses that experienced substantial financial disruption due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

By pleading guilty today, Cortez admitted that she provided her personal identification information to a co-conspirator (identified in court documents as C1), who then used that information to submit an online loan application. The loan application fraudulently claimed that Cortez was the owner of a business called “Cortez Shoez Inc,” and provided false information regarding gross revenue and the number of employees. In reality, there is no such business associated with Cortez.

Cortez completed and signed a loan authorization and agreement for the Cortez Shoez loan on Aug. 8, 2020, falsely certifying that all of the information was correct and that loan proceeds would be used “solely as working capital to alleviate economic injury caused by disaster occurring in the month of January 31, 2020, and continuing thereafter.”

The Small Business Administration approved the loan and deposited $10,000 into Cortez’s bank account on Aug. 11, 2020. She spent the loan proceeds on personal expenses, such as car payments, restaurant purchases, and cash withdrawals.

Under federal statutes, Cortez is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be held on April 20, 2023.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585671962588.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY – A Kansas City woman has pleaded guilty in federal court to fraudulently receiving a $10,000 Economic Injury Disaster Loan, a program that was part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, according to the United State's Attorney.Nicole R. Cortez, 41, waived her right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough on Nov. 17, to a federal information that charges her with one count of wire fraud.The purpose of the CARES Act was to provide emergency financial assistance due to the economic impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized the Small Business Administration to provide Economic Injury Disaster Loans to eligible small businesses that experienced substantial financial disruption due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.By pleading guilty today, Cortez admitted that she provided her personal identification information to a co-conspirator (identified in court documents as C1), who then used that information to submit an online loan application. The loan application fraudulently claimed that Cortez was the owner of a business called “Cortez Shoez Inc,” and provided false information regarding gross revenue and the number of employees. In reality, there is no such business associated with Cortez.Cortez completed and signed a loan authorization and agreement for the Cortez Shoez loan on Aug. 8, 2020, falsely certifying that all of the information was correct and that loan proceeds would be used “solely as working capital to alleviate economic injury caused by disaster occurring in the month of January 31, 2020, and continuing thereafter.”The Small Business Administration approved the loan and deposited $10,000 into Cortez’s bank account on Aug. 11, 2020. She spent the loan proceeds on personal expenses, such as car payments, restaurant purchases, and cash withdrawals.Under federal statutes, Cortez is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be held on April 20, 2023.

KC woman admits using COVID relief money for personal use

Bonne Terre, Missouri (AP)—&nbsp;A 19-year-old woman is asking a federal court to allow her to watch her father's death by injection, despite a Missouri law barring anyone under 21 from witnessing an execution.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/police-executions-missouri-3c5c00c2e09cc3d4639b827e374e45a1">Kevin Johnson faces execution Nov. 29</a>&nbsp;for killing Kirkwood, Missouri, Police Officer William McEntee in 2005. Johnson's lawyers have appeals pending that seek to spare his life.

Meanwhile, Johnson has requested that his daughter, Khorry Ramey, attend the execution, and she wants to be there. On Monday, the American Civil Liberties Union filed an emergency motion with a federal court in Kansas City. The ACLU's court filing said the law barring under 21s serves no safety purpose and violates Ramey's Constitutional rights.

Ramey, in a court declaration, called Johnson “the most important person in my life.”

“If my father were dying in the hospital, I would sit by his bed holding his hand and praying for him until his death, both as a source of support for him, and as a support for me as a necessary part of my grieving process and for my peace of mind," Ramey said.

Johnson, now 37, has been incarcerated since Ramey was 2. The ACLU said the two have been able to built a bond through visits, phone calls, emails and letters. Last month, she brought her newborn son to the prison to meet his grandfather.

ACLU attorney Anthony Rothert said if Ramey can't attend the execution it will cause her “irreparable harm.”

Meanwhile, Johnson's lawyers have filed appeals seeking to halt the execution. They don't challenge his guilt but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/executions-st-louis-missouri-814be73066ab19b7d7ae52dcad6cd0b7">claim racism played a role</a>&nbsp;in the decision to seek the death penalty, and in the jury's decision to sentence him to die. Johnson is Black and McEntee was white.

Johnson’s lawyers also have asked the courts to intervene for other reasons, including a history of mental illness and his age — he was 19 at the time of the crime. Courts have increasingly moved away from sentencing teen offenders to death since the Supreme Court in 2005 banned the execution of offenders who were younger than 18 at the time of their crime.

In a court filing last week to the U.S. Supreme Court, the Missouri Attorney General’s Office stated there were no grounds for court intervention.

“The surviving victims of Johnson’s crimes have waited long enough for justice, and every day longer that they must wait is a day they are denied the chance to finally make peace with their loss,” the state petition stated.

McEntee, a husband and father of three, was among the police officers sent to Johnson’s home on July 5, 2005, to serve a warrant for his arrest. Johnson was on probation for assaulting his girlfriend, and police believed he had violated probation.

Johnson saw officers arrive and awoke his 12-year-old brother, Joseph “Bam Bam” Long, who ran next door to their grandmother’s house. Once there, the boy, who suffered from a congenital heart defect, collapsed and began having a seizure.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661445268889.png" alt="Johnson-photo MODOC" />
 <figcaption>Johnson-photo MODOC</figcaption>
 </figure>Bonne Terre, Missouri (AP)—&nbsp;A 19-year-old woman is asking a federal court to allow her to watch her father's death by injection, despite a Missouri law barring anyone under 21 from witnessing an execution.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/police-executions-missouri-3c5c00c2e09cc3d4639b827e374e45a1">Kevin Johnson faces execution Nov. 29</a>&nbsp;for killing Kirkwood, Missouri, Police Officer William McEntee in 2005. Johnson's lawyers have appeals pending that seek to spare his life.Meanwhile, Johnson has requested that his daughter, Khorry Ramey, attend the execution, and she wants to be there. On Monday, the American Civil Liberties Union filed an emergency motion with a federal court in Kansas City. The ACLU's court filing said the law barring under 21s serves no safety purpose and violates Ramey's Constitutional rights.Ramey, in a court declaration, called Johnson “the most important person in my life.”“If my father were dying in the hospital, I would sit by his bed holding his hand and praying for him until his death, both as a source of support for him, and as a support for me as a necessary part of my grieving process and for my peace of mind," Ramey said.Johnson, now 37, has been incarcerated since Ramey was 2. The ACLU said the two have been able to built a bond through visits, phone calls, emails and letters. Last month, she brought her newborn son to the prison to meet his grandfather.ACLU attorney Anthony Rothert said if Ramey can't attend the execution it will cause her “irreparable harm.”Meanwhile, Johnson's lawyers have filed appeals seeking to halt the execution. They don't challenge his guilt but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/executions-st-louis-missouri-814be73066ab19b7d7ae52dcad6cd0b7">claim racism played a role</a>&nbsp;in the decision to seek the death penalty, and in the jury's decision to sentence him to die. Johnson is Black and McEntee was white.Johnson’s lawyers also have asked the courts to intervene for other reasons, including a history of mental illness and his age — he was 19 at the time of the crime. Courts have increasingly moved away from sentencing teen offenders to death since the Supreme Court in 2005 banned the execution of offenders who were younger than 18 at the time of their crime.In a court filing last week to the U.S. Supreme Court, the Missouri Attorney General’s Office stated there were no grounds for court intervention.“The surviving victims of Johnson’s crimes have waited long enough for justice, and every day longer that they must wait is a day they are denied the chance to finally make peace with their loss,” the state petition stated.McEntee, a husband and father of three, was among the police officers sent to Johnson’s home on July 5, 2005, to serve a warrant for his arrest. Johnson was on probation for assaulting his girlfriend, and police believed he had violated probation.Johnson saw officers arrive and awoke his 12-year-old brother, Joseph “Bam Bam” Long, who ran next door to their grandmother’s house. Once there, the boy, who suffered from a congenital heart defect, collapsed and began having a seizure.Johnson testified at trial that McEntee kept his mother from entering the house to aid his brother, who died a short time later at a hospital.Later that evening, McEntee returned to the neighborhood to check on unrelated reports of fireworks being shot off. That’s when he encountered Johnson.Johnson pulled a gun and shot the officer. He then approached the wounded, kneeling officer and shot him again, killing him.The execution would be the first of three in the coming months in Missouri. The state plans to execute convicted killers Scott McLaughlin on Jan. 3 and Leonard Taylor on Feb. 7.Sixteen men have been executed in the U.S. this year. Alabama inmate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alabama-executions-fd4937918b0529c07c005ace7a357b84">Kenneth Eugene Smith</a>&nbsp;had been scheduled to die Thursday for killing a preacher's wife in a murder-for-hire plot, but the execution was halted because state officials couldn't find a suitable vein to inject the lethal drugs.