ELK COUNTY — A juvenile died in an accident just after 12:30p.m. Tuesday in Elk County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2010 Polaris Ranger driven by&nbsp; Ariadna&nbsp;Ascenio, 17, Wichita, was westbound on a Wind Farm Road approximately 5.8 miles north of U.S. 160.

The vehicle turned southbound, overturned and the juvenile passenger was ejected and pronounced deceased.&nbsp; Ascenio was not injured.&nbsp;

ELK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal crash that occurred just after 12:30p.m. Tuesday in Elk County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a vehicle was westbound on a Wind Farm Road approximately 5.8 miles north of U.S. 160.

The vehicle turned southbound, overturned and the passenger was ejected. The KHP released no additional details Tuesday evening.&nbsp;

Check the Post for more information as it becomes available.

ELK COUNTY — A juvenile died in an accident just after 12:30p.m. Tuesday in Elk County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2010 Polaris Ranger driven by&nbsp; Ariadna&nbsp;Ascenio, 17, Wichita, was westbound on a Wind Farm Road approximately 5.8 miles north of U.S. 160.The vehicle turned southbound, overturned and the juvenile passenger was ejected and pronounced deceased.&nbsp; Ascenio was not injured.&nbsp;------ELK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal crash that occurred just after 12:30p.m. Tuesday in Elk County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a vehicle was westbound on a Wind Farm Road approximately 5.8 miles north of U.S. 160.The vehicle turned southbound, overturned and the passenger was ejected. The KHP released no additional details Tuesday evening.&nbsp;Check the Post for more information as it becomes available.

Juvenile dies after ejected from UTV driven by Kan. teen

&nbsp;SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas felon has been sentenced for shooting at officers during a June of 2020 protest in Wichita.

(Click below watch a video of the incident )

&nbsp;Henry Parker, 30, Wichita, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for shooting at officers&nbsp;in Wichita during a protest in 2020 after the death of George Floyd, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

According to police, Parker fired multiple shots at responding officers, and one officer’s helmet was struck by bullet pieces that had ricocheted near the officers.  A second officer's helmet is believed to have been grazed by a bullet.&nbsp;

Through witness interviews, technology, and community tips, Parker was identified in being involved with the shooting.&nbsp; Police located Parker&nbsp; in the 3800 block of West 21st,&nbsp;and he was arrested without incident.&nbsp;

An arrest affidavit in the criminal case says Parker admitted to a co-worker that he’d fired on officers on June 2 but told her “don't tell on me." Parker denied any involvement in the shooting.

None of the officers was shot, but police said one officer’s helmet was hit by bullet pieces that had ricocheted near the officers.

The Wichita Police Chief at the time of the crime had previously said officers fired tear gas, smoke rounds, flash grenades and foam bullets into the crowd that morning after rioters threw objects at police and refused to leave. The unrest followed a mostly peaceful protest calling for the end of police brutality in response to the May 25 death of George Floyd.

Parker had previously been arrested and convicted on charges of fleeing and eluding law enforcement, theft, criminal possession of a firearm on school property, aggravated weapons violations, felon in possession of a firearm, and criminal threats.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591127610629.png" alt="-Officer's helmet grazed by a bullet -photo Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>-Officer's helmet grazed by a bullet -photo Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas felon has been sentenced for shooting at officers during a June of 2020 protest in Wichita.(Click below watch a video of the incident )<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWichitaPolice%2Fvideos%2F529036301099374%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>&nbsp;Henry Parker, 30, Wichita, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for shooting at officers&nbsp;in Wichita during a protest in 2020 after the death of George Floyd, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.According to police, Parker fired multiple shots at responding officers, and one officer’s helmet was struck by bullet pieces that had ricocheted near the officers. A second officer's helmet is believed to have been grazed by a bullet.&nbsp;Through witness interviews, technology, and community tips, Parker was identified in being involved with the shooting.&nbsp; Police located Parker&nbsp; in the 3800 block of West 21st,&nbsp;and he was arrested without incident.&nbsp;An arrest affidavit in the criminal case says Parker admitted to a co-worker that he’d fired on officers on June 2 but told her “don't tell on me." Parker denied any involvement in the shooting.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591371389592.png" alt="Parker-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Parker-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>None of the officers was shot, but police said one officer’s helmet was hit by bullet pieces that had ricocheted near the officers.The Wichita Police Chief at the time of the crime had previously said officers fired tear gas, smoke rounds, flash grenades and foam bullets into the crowd that morning after rioters threw objects at police and refused to leave. The unrest followed a mostly peaceful protest calling for the end of police brutality in response to the May 25 death of George Floyd.Parker had previously been arrested and convicted on charges of fleeing and eluding law enforcement, theft, criminal possession of a firearm on school property, aggravated weapons violations, felon in possession of a firearm, and criminal threats.

🎥Prison for Kan. felon who shot at police during Floyd protest

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Three Kansas City police officers were shot and wounded while searching a suspected drug house, prompting a standoff that ended about 18 hours later with the discovery of a body, authorities said Wednesday.

Missouri, patrol spokesman Sgt. Bill Lowe said the SWAT team entered around 3:30 p.m., finding the body and an uninjured woman.

She has been taken into custody, along with two others who surrendered from the home hours earlier.

One of those who surrendered, 50-year-old Jimmie Lewis Jr., was charged Wednesday with meth-dealing and two other federal counts stemming from a November 2021 police pursuit.

No charges were immediately filed in the shooting. And the names of the other two suspects weren't immediately released, Lowe said. Identification of the slain man and his cause of death also wasn't released, pending an autopsy and notification of his relatives.

It all started around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday when tactical response team officers forced entry into the house and were fired upon, Kansas City police Chief Stacey Graves told reporters outside a hospital.

The officers shot back. They were taken to the hospital, where they were in non-life-threatening condition, Graves said.

Lewis surrendered late Tuesday and another suspect early Wednesday. But Lowe said law enforcement waited to enter the home until they could get robotics inside to determine it was safe.

The case started as a federal drug investigation. The patrol said the Jackson County Drug Task Force, which works with federal agencies, requested the assistance of the Kansas City SWAT team to serve the search warrant.

The officers had announced that they were police before trying to enter the home, Graves said.

“They are highly trained, good men,” Graves said of the wounded officers. “And, you know, we’re just so thankful tonight that each one of them, I was able to to physically talk to them.”

According to an affidavit filed against Lewis in the unrelated federal case, he fled from Independence police after he was spotted driving a pickup truck that matched the description of a stolen vehicle.

He reached speeds of more than 100 mph and ran stop signs before he struck a curb and flattened a tire, the affidavit said. Lewis then fled on foot but was apprehended with $2,084 in his pocket.

Inside his backpack, officers found a loaded handgun and nine plastic bags filled with methamphetamine. More meth was found under the passenger seat of the truck, the affidavit said.

Lewis is charged with one count each of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Federal prosecutors said in a news release that he has multiple prior felony convictions.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1677717053405.png" alt="The injured officers were taken to the hospital, where they were in non-life-threatening condition-photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>The injured officers were taken to the hospital, where they were in non-life-threatening condition-photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Three Kansas City police officers were shot and wounded while searching a suspected drug house, prompting a standoff that ended about 18 hours later with the discovery of a body, authorities said Wednesday.Missouri, patrol spokesman Sgt. Bill Lowe said the SWAT team entered around 3:30 p.m., finding the body and an uninjured woman.She has been taken into custody, along with two others who surrendered from the home hours earlier.One of those who surrendered, 50-year-old Jimmie Lewis Jr., was charged Wednesday with meth-dealing and two other federal counts stemming from a November 2021 police pursuit.No charges were immediately filed in the shooting. And the names of the other two suspects weren't immediately released, Lowe said. Identification of the slain man and his cause of death also wasn't released, pending an autopsy and notification of his relatives.It all started around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday when tactical response team officers forced entry into the house and were fired upon, Kansas City police Chief Stacey Graves told reporters outside a hospital.The officers shot back. They were taken to the hospital, where they were in non-life-threatening condition, Graves said.Lewis surrendered late Tuesday and another suspect early Wednesday. But Lowe said law enforcement waited to enter the home until they could get robotics inside to determine it was safe.The case started as a federal drug investigation. The patrol said the Jackson County Drug Task Force, which works with federal agencies, requested the assistance of the Kansas City SWAT team to serve the search warrant.The officers had announced that they were police before trying to enter the home, Graves said.“They are highly trained, good men,” Graves said of the wounded officers. “And, you know, we’re just so thankful tonight that each one of them, I was able to to physically talk to them.”According to an affidavit filed against Lewis in the unrelated federal case, he fled from Independence police after he was spotted driving a pickup truck that matched the description of a stolen vehicle.He reached speeds of more than 100 mph and ran stop signs before he struck a curb and flattened a tire, the affidavit said. Lewis then fled on foot but was apprehended with $2,084 in his pocket.Inside his backpack, officers found a loaded handgun and nine plastic bags filled with methamphetamine. More meth was found under the passenger seat of the truck, the affidavit said.Lewis is charged with one count each of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime and being a felon in possession of a firearm.Federal prosecutors said in a news release that he has multiple prior felony convictions.

Body found in home where 3 Kansas City officers were shot

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri lawmakers argued Wednesday over a bill that would ban most LGBTQ education subjects for all grades in the state's public schools.

The proposal is modeled after a Florida education law passed last year, touted by supporters as protecting “parent's rights” and dubbed by opponents as a “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-lifestyle-education-florida-ron-desantis-322e0a40da909f48954b8b1bd9190750">Don't Say Gay</a>&nbsp;” law.

The Missouri bill debated in a state House committee hearing would ban K-12 public school staff from teaching about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-missouri-state-government-sex-education-florida-mike-moon-5f0a24af8e7428e63e59f19560a74d50">gender identity and sexual orientation</a>.

The Florida law only prohibits teaching those subjects from kindergarten through third grade, although any lessons on those topics for students of any grade are also banned if they are not age-appropriate.

“Exposure to such topics is inappropriate for children, creating confusion which may then cause doubt in their identities,” said Rep. Ann Kelley, a former teacher and the Republican sponsor of the Missouri bill. "It is not the place of the school to indoctrinate our children by exposing them to gender and sexual identity curriculums and courses.”

Kelley said her bill will need to be amended so it does not limit teaching for Advanced Placement courses.

In response to a question from a committee member, Kelley said she assumes that under her bill, educators would be banned from explaining the 2015&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-courts-marriage-supreme-court-of-the-united-states-united-states-government-9e1933cd1e1a4e969ab45f5952bbb45f">U.S. Supreme Court ruling</a>&nbsp;in Obergefell v. Hodges that legalized same-sex marriage.

“It seems like the things that you want to prohibit are targeted to one particular group that you find disfavorable," Republican Rep. Phil Christofanelli told Kelley.

Democratic Rep. Ian Mackey, a former teacher who is openly gay, asked Kelley if him “being gay in the classroom” and not hiding that from students would be limited under her bill.

“Did you ever inform your students on your beliefs?” Kelley asked Mackey.

“They did know I was gay,” Mackey said. “They would see my wedding ring and they would ask about it, and I would say I have a husband.”

A committee vote on the bill was not scheduled as of Wednesday afternoon.

The White House,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ron-desantis-politics-florida-state-government-36ec16b56ac6e72b9efcce26defdd0d8">Disney</a>, and LGBTQ advocates criticized the passage of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-dont-say-gay-law-signed-56aee61f075a12663f25990c7b31624d">the Florida bill</a>&nbsp;last year. Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the bill was a victory for parents and would prevent “indoctrination."

Some Florida schools have since moved library books and debated changing textbooks&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-education-ron-desantis-gender-identity-49dfb9a4f63b2497846df8e96fd652cc">in response</a>&nbsp;to the new law. Some teachers have worried that family pictures on their desks could get them in trouble.

A federal judge in February again&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-tallahassee-education-lawsuits-c568376af04807379346b23e0e2d7769">dismissed a lawsuit</a>&nbsp;challenging the Florida law's constitutionality. The judge ruled that the students, parents and teachers who filed the lawsuit didn’t have legal standing.

The Missouri Senate is considering a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/teaching-sex-education-missouri-jefferson-city-c265ee7758ea0a718174d1ad625617ca">similar bill</a>&nbsp;requiring public school teachers and staff to tell parents if their children “express discomfort or confusion."

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri lawmakers argued Wednesday over a bill that would ban most LGBTQ education subjects for all grades in the state's public schools.The proposal is modeled after a Florida education law passed last year, touted by supporters as protecting “parent's rights” and dubbed by opponents as a “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-lifestyle-education-florida-ron-desantis-322e0a40da909f48954b8b1bd9190750">Don't Say Gay</a>&nbsp;” law.The Missouri bill debated in a state House committee hearing would ban K-12 public school staff from teaching about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-missouri-state-government-sex-education-florida-mike-moon-5f0a24af8e7428e63e59f19560a74d50">gender identity and sexual orientation</a>.The Florida law only prohibits teaching those subjects from kindergarten through third grade, although any lessons on those topics for students of any grade are also banned if they are not age-appropriate.“Exposure to such topics is inappropriate for children, creating confusion which may then cause doubt in their identities,” said Rep. Ann Kelley, a former teacher and the Republican sponsor of the Missouri bill. "It is not the place of the school to indoctrinate our children by exposing them to gender and sexual identity curriculums and courses.”Kelley said her bill will need to be amended so it does not limit teaching for Advanced Placement courses.In response to a question from a committee member, Kelley said she assumes that under her bill, educators would be banned from explaining the 2015&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-courts-marriage-supreme-court-of-the-united-states-united-states-government-9e1933cd1e1a4e969ab45f5952bbb45f">U.S. Supreme Court ruling</a>&nbsp;in Obergefell v. Hodges that legalized same-sex marriage.“It seems like the things that you want to prohibit are targeted to one particular group that you find disfavorable," Republican Rep. Phil Christofanelli told Kelley.Democratic Rep. Ian Mackey, a former teacher who is openly gay, asked Kelley if him “being gay in the classroom” and not hiding that from students would be limited under her bill.“Did you ever inform your students on your beliefs?” Kelley asked Mackey.“They did know I was gay,” Mackey said. “They would see my wedding ring and they would ask about it, and I would say I have a husband.”A committee vote on the bill was not scheduled as of Wednesday afternoon.The White House,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ron-desantis-politics-florida-state-government-36ec16b56ac6e72b9efcce26defdd0d8">Disney</a>, and LGBTQ advocates criticized the passage of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-dont-say-gay-law-signed-56aee61f075a12663f25990c7b31624d">the Florida bill</a>&nbsp;last year. Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the bill was a victory for parents and would prevent “indoctrination."Some Florida schools have since moved library books and debated changing textbooks&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-education-ron-desantis-gender-identity-49dfb9a4f63b2497846df8e96fd652cc">in response</a>&nbsp;to the new law. Some teachers have worried that family pictures on their desks could get them in trouble.A federal judge in February again&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-tallahassee-education-lawsuits-c568376af04807379346b23e0e2d7769">dismissed a lawsuit</a>&nbsp;challenging the Florida law's constitutionality. The judge ruled that the students, parents and teachers who filed the lawsuit didn’t have legal standing.The Missouri Senate is considering a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/teaching-sex-education-missouri-jefferson-city-c265ee7758ea0a718174d1ad625617ca">similar bill</a>&nbsp;requiring public school teachers and staff to tell parents if their children “express discomfort or confusion."

Missouri debates ban on LGBTQ education for all grades

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting and asking the public for help to locate a vehicle.

Just before 8:30p.m. Feb. 15, police responded to&nbsp;the area of N. 11th and Haskell in Kansas City, Kansas where they found 18-year-old Richard Apodaca who had been fatally shot, according to a media release.

Police are looking for an older model pickup truck in connection with killing.&nbsp; The vehicle is described as dark, possibly black, has an extended cab, has duct tape on the drivers door, a tool box on the back and two different style of wheels on the drivers side.

&nbsp;If you think you’ve seen it anywhere in the KC metro area, you are asked to call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS. You should also call if you think you know who owns it.

You might qualify for a $5,000 reward if your tip leads to an arrest in this case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1677670915313.png" alt="Photo KCPD" />
 <figcaption>Photo KCPD</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting and asking the public for help to locate a vehicle.Just before 8:30p.m. Feb. 15, police responded to&nbsp;the area of N. 11th and Haskell in Kansas City, Kansas where they found 18-year-old Richard Apodaca who had been fatally shot, according to a media release.Police are looking for an older model pickup truck in connection with killing.&nbsp; The vehicle is described as dark, possibly black, has an extended cab, has duct tape on the drivers door, a tool box on the back and two different style of wheels on the drivers side.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1677670896013.png" alt="photo KCPD" />
 <figcaption>photo KCPD</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;If you think you’ve seen it anywhere in the KC metro area, you are asked to call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS. You should also call if you think you know who owns it.You might qualify for a $5,000 reward if your tip leads to an arrest in this case.

Police work to locate pickup in connection with Kan. homicide

NEW YORK (AP) — The fate of President Joe Biden's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-hearing-2128da75fc27ff3bcc0c3804ebd98aa7">student loan forgiveness plan is up in the air</a>&nbsp;after Supreme Court justices questioned whether his administration has the authority to broadly cancel federal student loans.

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2022/22-506">Click here to listen&nbsp;to a replay</a>&nbsp;of the oral arguments in Biden v. Nebraska

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2022/22-535">Click here to listen&nbsp;to a replay</a>&nbsp;of the oral arguments in Board of Ed v. Brown

At stake is debt forgiveness for up to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-biden-plan-d9c8e18774a744187c9af634bf4eb728">43 million Americans</a>. Nearly half could have their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-student-loans-cd9d00103c04f4bb906b9127e9e06fef">federal student debt wiped out</a>&nbsp;entirely. But in hearing two cases challenging the plan, the Republican-appointed majority on the Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-hearing-2128da75fc27ff3bcc0c3804ebd98aa7?utm_source=apnewsnav&amp;utm_medium=featured">seemed likely to block it</a>.

Already, about 26 million people have applied for debt forgiveness, and 16 million applications have been approved. However, because of court rulings, all the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-business-education-st-louis-student-loans-cf8136bfc75bd70839e9326cabbbf029">relief is on hold</a>. The Education Department&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-business-education-student-loans-government-and-politics-06a1160237717b16091ec864b2a56e4d">stopped taking applications</a>&nbsp;in November because of legal challenges to the plan.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-clarence-thomas-scotus-9c248eeea0e8d8e24445ca95a74ec0dc">Supreme Court will have the ultimate say</a>&nbsp;on whether Biden can wipe out student loan debt,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-Biden-63cf586156ad9cf7f71fe3656cf898f8">fulfilling a campaign pledge</a>&nbsp;he made in 2020. Here's what to know if you're waiting for debt relief:

WHEN WILL THE SUPREME COURT DECIDE THE STUDENT LOANS CASES?

The Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday, but there won’t be a decision for months. The court usually issues all of its decisions by the end of June.

WHO QUALIFIES FOR BIDEN’S STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS?

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-program-explained-d248f3b049c292856bb1c74be6aedef2">plan Biden announced last August</a>&nbsp;would cancel $10,000 in federal student loan debt for those earning less than $125,000 or households with less than $250,000 in income.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-education-higher-pell-grant-fce8a300f7d7400283891dc223cbc378">Pell Grant</a>&nbsp;recipients, who typically come from lower-income households, would receive an additional $10,000 in debt forgiveness, for a total of $20,000.

Federal student loans for both undergraduate and graduate school, including Graduate PLUS loans, can qualify for forgiveness under the plan.

Borrowers would qualify if their federal student loans were disbursed before July 1.

Under the plan, if you paid off your loans during the pandemic, you can&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/how-to-get-student-loan-refund-if-you-paid-during-pandemic-ac42ffdca1d37d1fe8d1d63f6faeaa6f">request a refund</a>&nbsp;and then apply for forgiveness.

HOW DO I KNOW IF MY STUDENT LOANS WILL BE FORGIVEN?

The relief under Biden’s plan is on hold until the court cases finish — even for people who applied for student loan forgiveness before courts blocked it.

If the justices allow the plan to proceed, Biden’s debt forgiveness is for borrowers holding federal student loans, not private loans.

To determine what kind of loans you hold, log in to the Federal Student Aid website,&nbsp;<a href="https://studentaid.gov/">studentaid.gov</a>. Direct loans, including Parent Plus loans, qualify. Some older FFEL and Perkins loans are also eligible, if owned by the Department of Education. For people holding older FFEL loans, consolidating those loans can lead to credit for forgiveness under certain income-driven repayment plans.

If you’ve already applied and been approved, you should have received an email telling you this. But you’ll still have to wait for the Supreme Court ruling to find out whether those loans will be wiped out for good.

HOW IS THE SUPREME COURT EXPECTED TO RULE ON STUDENT LOANS?

The Supreme Court is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-clarence-thomas-scotus-9c248eeea0e8d8e24445ca95a74ec0dc">dominated 6-3 by conservatives</a>, and those justices' questions in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-hearing-2128da75fc27ff3bcc0c3804ebd98aa7?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_01">oral arguments Tuesday</a>&nbsp;showed skepticism about the legality of Biden's student loans plan. The court seemed likely to rule in a way that would doom the student loan forgiveness plan.

Several conservative justices suggested the administration had exceeded its authority with the program. Chief Justice John Roberts mentioned the program's cost — an estimated $400 billion over 30 years — and its wide impact on millions of Americans. Most observers, he said, would think “that’s something for Congress to act on.”

Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh pointed out Congress had declined to pass student loan relief, so Biden did it himself. That, he said, “seems problematic.”

The only hope for Biden's plan appeared to be a legal technicality. The oral arguments&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-hearing-2128da75fc27ff3bcc0c3804ebd98aa7?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_01">left a slim possibility</a>&nbsp;that the court finds the states and people challenging Biden's plan lacked the legal right to sue. We won't know for sure how the court is going to rule&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-case-explained-8c62622e87c4ebff995f971263d932fc">until the decision is announced</a>.

WHO WOULD PAY FOR BIDEN'S STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS?

Ultimately, the cost would become part of the equation used to figure the federal deficit. Biden’s plan for student debt cancellation would cost the federal government about $400 billion over the next 30 years, according to the latest estimates from the Congressional Budget Office. The office cautioned that its estimates are “highly uncertain” because it’s hard to know exactly how much borrowers would have paid in the future without Biden’s action.

Biden has said those costs would be offset by other measures to reduce the federal deficit. He has pointed to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economic-bill-house-vote-be99d8db5bd610c5b1d78bc047a03e77">bill signed into law in August</a>&nbsp;that's estimated to raise around $740 billion over a decade, from a combination of government savings from lower drug prices, higher taxes on large corporations, levies on companies that repurchase their own stock and stronger IRS tax collections.

WILL THE PAUSE IN STUDENT LOAN PAYMENTS CONTINUE?

During the pandemic, two presidential administrations paused payments for those holding federal student loans. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-government-and-politics-f524c55faae26c2066b6795a9d29bc8d">pause has been extended</a>&nbsp;to as late as this summer.

Payments are set to resume, along with the accrual of interest, 60 days after the court cases are resolved. For example, if legal issues remain at the end of June, payments would restart at the end of August. If the court issues a ruling in March, repayment could restart as early as May or June.

If the cases haven’t been resolved by June 30, payments will start 60 days after that.

IS IT POSSIBLE BIDEN’S STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS WON’T HAPPEN AT ALL?

Yes. Biden's student loan forgiveness might not happen, period. Other loan forgiveness programs, such as those for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-congress-student-loans-education-cecef88ebeebe2f524022f603f22a83b">teachers or nonprofit workers</a>, or for people who have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-education-student-loans-miguel-cardona-ccf550c96fa2557433b8b2907f1532e6">defrauded by a for-profit college</a>, would continue.

The administration has not given insight into a Plan B if it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-hearing-2128da75fc27ff3bcc0c3804ebd98aa7?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_01">loses the Supreme Court cases</a>.

“We’re focused on ‘Plan A’ because we’re confident in our legal authority to carry out this program,” White House spokeswoman Olivia Dalton told reporters aboard Air Force One on Tuesday.

Still, advocates point to other ways the debt might be forgiven, including through the Higher Education Act.

HOW SHOULD I PREPARE FOR STUDENT LOANS PAYMENTS TO RESTART?

Betsy Mayotte, President of the Institute of Student Loan Advisors, encourages people not to make any payments until the pause has ended. Instead, she says, put your payment amount into a savings account.

“Then you’ve maintained the habit of making the payment, but earning a little bit of interest as well. There’s no reason to send that money to the student loans until the last minute of the 0% interest rate.”

Mayotte recommends borrowers use the&nbsp;<a href="https://studentaid.gov/loan-simulator">loan-simulator tool at StudentAid.gov</a>&nbsp;or the one on&nbsp;<a href="https://freestudentloanadvice.org/repayment-plan/">TISLA’s website</a>&nbsp;to find the payment plan that best fits their needs. The calculators tell you what your monthly payment would be under each available plan, as well as your long-term costs.

“I really want to emphasize the long-term,” Mayotte said.

Sometimes, when borrowers are in a financial bind, they’ll choose the option with the lowest monthly payment, which can cost more over the life of the loan, Mayotte said. Rather than “setting it and forgetting it,” she encourages borrowers to reevaluate when their financial situation improves.

CAN I SET UP A PAYMENT PLAN FOR MY STUDENT LOANS?

Yes, but some advocates encourage borrowers to wait for now, since there’s no financial penalty during the pause on payments and interest accrual.

That said, Katherine Welbeck of the&nbsp;<a href="https://protectborrowers.org/events/">Student Borrower Protection Center</a>&nbsp;recommends&nbsp;<a href="https://studentaid.gov/">logging on to your account</a>&nbsp;and making sure you know the name of your servicer, your due date and whether you’re enrolled in the best income-driven repayment plan.

If your budget doesn’t allow you to resume payments, it’s important to know how to navigate the possibility of&nbsp;<a href="https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/default">default and delinquency on a student loan</a>. Both can hurt your credit rating, which would make you ineligible for additional aid.

If you’re in a short-term financial bind, you may qualify for a deferment or a forbearance —&nbsp;<a href="https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/lower-payments/get-temporary-relief">allowing you to temporarily suspend payment</a>.

HOW CAN I REDUCE COSTS WHEN PAYING OFF MY STUDENT LOANS?

— If you sign up for automatic payments, the servicer takes a quarter of a percent off your interest rate, Mayotte says.

— Income-driven repayment plans aren’t right for everyone. That said, if you know you will eventually qualify for forgiveness under the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-philanthropy-student-loans-us-department-of-f9b57d058fc41ad8be7d1268e33c4718">Public Service Loan Forgiveness program</a>, it makes sense to make the lowest monthly payments possible, as the remainder of your debt will be cancelled once that decade of payments is complete.

— Reevaluate your monthly student loan repayment during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/internal-revenue-service-business-taxes-f626db81e3941974c8fa0fffa45e7295">tax season</a>, when you already have all your financial information in front of you. “Can you afford to increase it? Or do you need to decrease it?” Mayotte said.

— Break up payments into whatever ways work best for you. You could consider two installments per month, instead of one large monthly sum.

ARE STUDENT LOANS FORGIVEN AFTER 10 YEARS?

If you’ve worked for a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-student-loans-us-department-of-9184f38730a2d4278495d33b870c3dad">government agency or a nonprofit</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-congress-student-loans-education-cecef88ebeebe2f524022f603f22a83b">Public Service Loan Forgiveness program offers cancellation</a>&nbsp;after 10 years of regular payments, and some income-driven repayment plans cancel the remainder of a borrower’s debt after 20 to 25 years.

Borrowers should make sure they’re signed up for the&nbsp;<a href="https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/repayment/plans/income-driven">best possible income-driven repayment plan</a>&nbsp;to qualify for these programs. You can find out more about those plans here.

Borrowers who have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-education-student-loans-miguel-cardona-ccf550c96fa2557433b8b2907f1532e6">defrauded by for-profit colleges</a>&nbsp;may also apply for borrower defense and receive relief.

These programs won't be affected by the Supreme Court ruling.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677600500744.png" alt="Student debt relief advocates gather outside the Supreme Court on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023, ahead of arguments over President Joe Biden's student debt relief plan. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)" />
 <figcaption>Student debt relief advocates gather outside the Supreme Court on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023, ahead of arguments over President Joe Biden's student debt relief plan. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — The fate of President Joe Biden's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-hearing-2128da75fc27ff3bcc0c3804ebd98aa7">student loan forgiveness plan is up in the air</a>&nbsp;after Supreme Court justices questioned whether his administration has the authority to broadly cancel federal student loans.<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2022/22-506">Click here to listen&nbsp;to a replay</a>&nbsp;of the oral arguments in Biden v. Nebraska<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2022/22-535">Click here to listen&nbsp;to a replay</a>&nbsp;of the oral arguments in Board of Ed v. BrownAt stake is debt forgiveness for up to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-biden-plan-d9c8e18774a744187c9af634bf4eb728">43 million Americans</a>. Nearly half could have their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-student-loans-cd9d00103c04f4bb906b9127e9e06fef">federal student debt wiped out</a>&nbsp;entirely. But in hearing two cases challenging the plan, the Republican-appointed majority on the Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-hearing-2128da75fc27ff3bcc0c3804ebd98aa7?utm_source=apnewsnav&amp;utm_medium=featured">seemed likely to block it</a>.Already, about 26 million people have applied for debt forgiveness, and 16 million applications have been approved. However, because of court rulings, all the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-business-education-st-louis-student-loans-cf8136bfc75bd70839e9326cabbbf029">relief is on hold</a>. The Education Department&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-business-education-student-loans-government-and-politics-06a1160237717b16091ec864b2a56e4d">stopped taking applications</a>&nbsp;in November because of legal challenges to the plan.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-clarence-thomas-scotus-9c248eeea0e8d8e24445ca95a74ec0dc">Supreme Court will have the ultimate say</a>&nbsp;on whether Biden can wipe out student loan debt,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-Biden-63cf586156ad9cf7f71fe3656cf898f8">fulfilling a campaign pledge</a>&nbsp;he made in 2020. Here's what to know if you're waiting for debt relief:WHEN WILL THE SUPREME COURT DECIDE THE STUDENT LOANS CASES?The Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday, but there won’t be a decision for months. The court usually issues all of its decisions by the end of June.WHO QUALIFIES FOR BIDEN’S STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS?The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-program-explained-d248f3b049c292856bb1c74be6aedef2">plan Biden announced last August</a>&nbsp;would cancel $10,000 in federal student loan debt for those earning less than $125,000 or households with less than $250,000 in income.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-education-higher-pell-grant-fce8a300f7d7400283891dc223cbc378">Pell Grant</a>&nbsp;recipients, who typically come from lower-income households, would receive an additional $10,000 in debt forgiveness, for a total of $20,000.Federal student loans for both undergraduate and graduate school, including Graduate PLUS loans, can qualify for forgiveness under the plan.Borrowers would qualify if their federal student loans were disbursed before July 1.Under the plan, if you paid off your loans during the pandemic, you can&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/how-to-get-student-loan-refund-if-you-paid-during-pandemic-ac42ffdca1d37d1fe8d1d63f6faeaa6f">request a refund</a>&nbsp;and then apply for forgiveness.HOW DO I KNOW IF MY STUDENT LOANS WILL BE FORGIVEN?The relief under Biden’s plan is on hold until the court cases finish — even for people who applied for student loan forgiveness before courts blocked it.If the justices allow the plan to proceed, Biden’s debt forgiveness is for borrowers holding federal student loans, not private loans.To determine what kind of loans you hold, log in to the Federal Student Aid website,&nbsp;<a href="https://studentaid.gov/">studentaid.gov</a>. Direct loans, including Parent Plus loans, qualify. Some older FFEL and Perkins loans are also eligible, if owned by the Department of Education. For people holding older FFEL loans, consolidating those loans can lead to credit for forgiveness under certain income-driven repayment plans.If you’ve already applied and been approved, you should have received an email telling you this. But you’ll still have to wait for the Supreme Court ruling to find out whether those loans will be wiped out for good.HOW IS THE SUPREME COURT EXPECTED TO RULE ON STUDENT LOANS?The Supreme Court is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-clarence-thomas-scotus-9c248eeea0e8d8e24445ca95a74ec0dc">dominated 6-3 by conservatives</a>, and those justices' questions in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-hearing-2128da75fc27ff3bcc0c3804ebd98aa7?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_01">oral arguments Tuesday</a>&nbsp;showed skepticism about the legality of Biden's student loans plan. The court seemed likely to rule in a way that would doom the student loan forgiveness plan.Several conservative justices suggested the administration had exceeded its authority with the program. Chief Justice John Roberts mentioned the program's cost — an estimated $400 billion over 30 years — and its wide impact on millions of Americans. Most observers, he said, would think “that’s something for Congress to act on.”Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh pointed out Congress had declined to pass student loan relief, so Biden did it himself. That, he said, “seems problematic.”The only hope for Biden's plan appeared to be a legal technicality. The oral arguments&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-hearing-2128da75fc27ff3bcc0c3804ebd98aa7?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_01">left a slim possibility</a>&nbsp;that the court finds the states and people challenging Biden's plan lacked the legal right to sue. We won't know for sure how the court is going to rule&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-case-explained-8c62622e87c4ebff995f971263d932fc">until the decision is announced</a>.WHO WOULD PAY FOR BIDEN'S STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS?Ultimately, the cost would become part of the equation used to figure the federal deficit. Biden’s plan for student debt cancellation would cost the federal government about $400 billion over the next 30 years, according to the latest estimates from the Congressional Budget Office. The office cautioned that its estimates are “highly uncertain” because it’s hard to know exactly how much borrowers would have paid in the future without Biden’s action.Biden has said those costs would be offset by other measures to reduce the federal deficit. He has pointed to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economic-bill-house-vote-be99d8db5bd610c5b1d78bc047a03e77">bill signed into law in August</a>&nbsp;that's estimated to raise around $740 billion over a decade, from a combination of government savings from lower drug prices, higher taxes on large corporations, levies on companies that repurchase their own stock and stronger IRS tax collections.WILL THE PAUSE IN STUDENT LOAN PAYMENTS CONTINUE?During the pandemic, two presidential administrations paused payments for those holding federal student loans. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-government-and-politics-f524c55faae26c2066b6795a9d29bc8d">pause has been extended</a>&nbsp;to as late as this summer.Payments are set to resume, along with the accrual of interest, 60 days after the court cases are resolved. For example, if legal issues remain at the end of June, payments would restart at the end of August. If the court issues a ruling in March, repayment could restart as early as May or June.If the cases haven’t been resolved by June 30, payments will start 60 days after that.IS IT POSSIBLE BIDEN’S STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS WON’T HAPPEN AT ALL?Yes. Biden's student loan forgiveness might not happen, period. Other loan forgiveness programs, such as those for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-congress-student-loans-education-cecef88ebeebe2f524022f603f22a83b">teachers or nonprofit workers</a>, or for people who have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-education-student-loans-miguel-cardona-ccf550c96fa2557433b8b2907f1532e6">defrauded by a for-profit college</a>, would continue.The administration has not given insight into a Plan B if it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-hearing-2128da75fc27ff3bcc0c3804ebd98aa7?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_01">loses the Supreme Court cases</a>.“We’re focused on ‘Plan A’ because we’re confident in our legal authority to carry out this program,” White House spokeswoman Olivia Dalton told reporters aboard Air Force One on Tuesday.Still, advocates point to other ways the debt might be forgiven, including through the Higher Education Act.HOW SHOULD I PREPARE FOR STUDENT LOANS PAYMENTS TO RESTART?Betsy Mayotte, President of the Institute of Student Loan Advisors, encourages people not to make any payments until the pause has ended. Instead, she says, put your payment amount into a savings account.“Then you’ve maintained the habit of making the payment, but earning a little bit of interest as well. There’s no reason to send that money to the student loans until the last minute of the 0% interest rate.”Mayotte recommends borrowers use the&nbsp;<a href="https://studentaid.gov/loan-simulator">loan-simulator tool at StudentAid.gov</a>&nbsp;or the one on&nbsp;<a href="https://freestudentloanadvice.org/repayment-plan/">TISLA’s website</a>&nbsp;to find the payment plan that best fits their needs. The calculators tell you what your monthly payment would be under each available plan, as well as your long-term costs.“I really want to emphasize the long-term,” Mayotte said.Sometimes, when borrowers are in a financial bind, they’ll choose the option with the lowest monthly payment, which can cost more over the life of the loan, Mayotte said. Rather than “setting it and forgetting it,” she encourages borrowers to reevaluate when their financial situation improves.CAN I SET UP A PAYMENT PLAN FOR MY STUDENT LOANS?Yes, but some advocates encourage borrowers to wait for now, since there’s no financial penalty during the pause on payments and interest accrual.That said, Katherine Welbeck of the&nbsp;<a href="https://protectborrowers.org/events/">Student Borrower Protection Center</a>&nbsp;recommends&nbsp;<a href="https://studentaid.gov/">logging on to your account</a>&nbsp;and making sure you know the name of your servicer, your due date and whether you’re enrolled in the best income-driven repayment plan.If your budget doesn’t allow you to resume payments, it’s important to know how to navigate the possibility of&nbsp;<a href="https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/default">default and delinquency on a student loan</a>. Both can hurt your credit rating, which would make you ineligible for additional aid.If you’re in a short-term financial bind, you may qualify for a deferment or a forbearance —&nbsp;<a href="https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/lower-payments/get-temporary-relief">allowing you to temporarily suspend payment</a>.HOW CAN I REDUCE COSTS WHEN PAYING OFF MY STUDENT LOANS?— If you sign up for automatic payments, the servicer takes a quarter of a percent off your interest rate, Mayotte says.— Income-driven repayment plans aren’t right for everyone. That said, if you know you will eventually qualify for forgiveness under the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-philanthropy-student-loans-us-department-of-f9b57d058fc41ad8be7d1268e33c4718">Public Service Loan Forgiveness program</a>, it makes sense to make the lowest monthly payments possible, as the remainder of your debt will be cancelled once that decade of payments is complete.— Reevaluate your monthly student loan repayment during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/internal-revenue-service-business-taxes-f626db81e3941974c8fa0fffa45e7295">tax season</a>, when you already have all your financial information in front of you. “Can you afford to increase it? Or do you need to decrease it?” Mayotte said.— Break up payments into whatever ways work best for you. You could consider two installments per month, instead of one large monthly sum.ARE STUDENT LOANS FORGIVEN AFTER 10 YEARS?If you’ve worked for a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-student-loans-us-department-of-9184f38730a2d4278495d33b870c3dad">government agency or a nonprofit</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-congress-student-loans-education-cecef88ebeebe2f524022f603f22a83b">Public Service Loan Forgiveness program offers cancellation</a>&nbsp;after 10 years of regular payments, and some income-driven repayment plans cancel the remainder of a borrower’s debt after 20 to 25 years.Borrowers should make sure they’re signed up for the&nbsp;<a href="https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/repayment/plans/income-driven">best possible income-driven repayment plan</a>&nbsp;to qualify for these programs. You can find out more about those plans here.Borrowers who have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-education-student-loans-miguel-cardona-ccf550c96fa2557433b8b2907f1532e6">defrauded by for-profit colleges</a>&nbsp;may also apply for borrower defense and receive relief.These programs won't be affected by the Supreme Court ruling.

 🎤Supreme Court student loan hearing: What you need to know

By RACHEL MIPRO <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/28/who-let-the-dogs-in-kansas-breweries-and-health-officials-clash-over-indoors-pet-ban/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA
 — From 2019 to 2022, Transport Brewery was a dog lover’s paradise, with
 dogs allowed in the taprooms and patios, pet adoption events and even a
 dog picture calendar.

Then came the Kansas Department of 
Agriculture inspector, who informed the Shawnee brewery that the state 
no longer allowed dogs inside the taproom. Gone were the days of dogs 
dressed in holiday sweaters, or miniature sports gear. Signs had to be 
put up telling customers that dogs were no longer allowed.

Brewery owner Mike McVey said the dog
 ban damaged his business, testifying in support of legislation that 
would allow dogs in microbreweries during a House Committee on Commerce,
 Labor and Economic Development hearing.

“The economic impact on the business 
of the brewery is both noticeable and difficult to calculate,” McVey 
said. “We no longer have families or groups of friends who visit the 
brewery together to visit one another’s pets. The pets no longer attend 
holiday parties in their Chiefs or Christmas sweaters.”

McVey, along with other microbrewery owners and patrons, supports <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2291/">House Bill 2291</a>,
 which would allow microbreweries to welcome dogs inside and outside, as
 long as the dogs stay out of food or drink preparation areas.

The bill also would allow all food 
establishments to have dogs in outside areas, as long as sanitation 
conditions are met, such as having the dog remained leashed and having 
employees wash their hands after dog interactions.

Under the current version of the 
Kansas food code, nonservice dogs aren’t allowed in any food 
establishment, though licensed places can apply to have dogs allowed in 
outdoor patio spaces.

The Kansas Department of Agriculture 
is working on updating this code to allow dogs in outdoor patios without
 going through the application process, but deputy agriculture secretary
 Kelsey Olson said the department drew the line at allowing dogs inside.

In testimony opposing the bill, Olson
 said dogs were unsanitary and could transmit germs to patrons. One 
concern raised by Olson was dog hair, as dogs, unlike humans, can’t 
control their shedding.

“There are not caps or nets which 
will mitigate the shedding of dog hair,” Olson said. “Allowing dogs in 
dining areas increases the risk that food may become contaminated with 
dog hair.”

Last week, the House passed the legislation on a&nbsp;108-14 vote. The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.

Rep. Jason Probst, a Hutchinson 
Democrat, described the bill during Feb. 22 debate on the House floor as
 a way to help out microbreweries in the state.

“This, I think, moves us more in line
 with what we see in other states, where it’s pretty common that you’ll 
have people bringing their pets to the brewery, bringing their dogs to 
the brewery,” Probst said. “The environment is pretty welcoming to 
that.”

Probst also introduced a bill 
amendment that would change beverage definitions to benefit breweries 
like one in Hutchinson that nearly lost its license last year.

Under the amendment, any beer 
containing 6% or less alcohol by volume and sold individually by a 
microbrewery would be considered a cereal malt beverage instead of beer,
 to get around Kansas law regarding the balance between liquor and food 
sales.

Some Kansas counties require a drinking establishment to get at least 30% of annual profits from food sales. Sixty-three counties in the state operate with the 30% food sales rule, according to Kansas Department of Revenue 2021 data.

For bigger drinking establishments, 
the 30% rule isn’t an issue, as most have full kitchens and dedicated 
kitchen staff. Small microbreweries, however, often struggle to meet the
 requirement.

“If you have a cereal malt beverage 
license instead of a drinking establishment license, you can sell up to 
6% alcohol, beer, and it’s not counted as an intoxicating liquor,” 
Probst said.

Probst mentioned Sandhills Brewing, the Hutchinson microbrewery that <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/09/21/hutchinson-microbrewery-avoids-losing-liquor-license-with-plea-to-buy-food/">almost lost its liquor license</a>
 because of the food sales requirement. He said he knew of several 
microbreweries that have had to get creative to stay in business.

“One that I know of reduced the price
 of their beer to $1 and sold every beer with a bag of chips for $5,” 
Probst said. “So the total package was $6. Whether you wanted a bag of 
chips with your beer or not, you were getting it, but they had to do 
these sorts of creative things in order to comply with the law. And this
 I think would help.”

The House accepted Probst’s amendment before passing the bill.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677622722108.png" alt="Rep. Jason Probst, a Hutchinson Democrat seen in the back of a Dec. 5, 2022, hearing at the Statehouse, spoke in favor of legislation that would allow dogs inside microbreweries. He also introduced an amendment easing restrictions on required food sales for microbreweries. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Jason Probst, a Hutchinson Democrat seen in the back of a Dec. 5, 2022, hearing at the Statehouse, spoke in favor of legislation that would allow dogs inside microbreweries. He also introduced an amendment easing restrictions on required food sales for microbreweries. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By RACHEL MIPRO <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/28/who-let-the-dogs-in-kansas-breweries-and-health-officials-clash-over-indoors-pet-ban/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA
 — From 2019 to 2022, Transport Brewery was a dog lover’s paradise, with
 dogs allowed in the taprooms and patios, pet adoption events and even a
 dog picture calendar.Then came the Kansas Department of 
Agriculture inspector, who informed the Shawnee brewery that the state 
no longer allowed dogs inside the taproom. Gone were the days of dogs 
dressed in holiday sweaters, or miniature sports gear. Signs had to be 
put up telling customers that dogs were no longer allowed.Brewery owner Mike McVey said the dog
 ban damaged his business, testifying in support of legislation that 
would allow dogs in microbreweries during a House Committee on Commerce,
 Labor and Economic Development hearing.“The economic impact on the business 
of the brewery is both noticeable and difficult to calculate,” McVey 
said. “We no longer have families or groups of friends who visit the 
brewery together to visit one another’s pets. The pets no longer attend 
holiday parties in their Chiefs or Christmas sweaters.”McVey, along with other microbrewery owners and patrons, supports <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2291/">House Bill 2291</a>,
 which would allow microbreweries to welcome dogs inside and outside, as
 long as the dogs stay out of food or drink preparation areas.The bill also would allow all food 
establishments to have dogs in outside areas, as long as sanitation 
conditions are met, such as having the dog remained leashed and having 
employees wash their hands after dog interactions.Under the current version of the 
Kansas food code, nonservice dogs aren’t allowed in any food 
establishment, though licensed places can apply to have dogs allowed in 
outdoor patio spaces.The Kansas Department of Agriculture 
is working on updating this code to allow dogs in outdoor patios without
 going through the application process, but deputy agriculture secretary
 Kelsey Olson said the department drew the line at allowing dogs inside.In testimony opposing the bill, Olson
 said dogs were unsanitary and could transmit germs to patrons. One 
concern raised by Olson was dog hair, as dogs, unlike humans, can’t 
control their shedding.“There are not caps or nets which 
will mitigate the shedding of dog hair,” Olson said. “Allowing dogs in 
dining areas increases the risk that food may become contaminated with 
dog hair.”Last week, the House passed the legislation on a&nbsp;108-14 vote. The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.Rep. Jason Probst, a Hutchinson 
Democrat, described the bill during Feb. 22 debate on the House floor as
 a way to help out microbreweries in the state.“This, I think, moves us more in line
 with what we see in other states, where it’s pretty common that you’ll 
have people bringing their pets to the brewery, bringing their dogs to 
the brewery,” Probst said. “The environment is pretty welcoming to 
that.”Probst also introduced a bill 
amendment that would change beverage definitions to benefit breweries 
like one in Hutchinson that nearly lost its license last year.Under the amendment, any beer 
containing 6% or less alcohol by volume and sold individually by a 
microbrewery would be considered a cereal malt beverage instead of beer,
 to get around Kansas law regarding the balance between liquor and food 
sales.Some Kansas counties require a drinking establishment to get at least 30% of annual profits from food sales. Sixty-three counties in the state operate with the 30% food sales rule, according to Kansas Department of Revenue 2021 data.For bigger drinking establishments, 
the 30% rule isn’t an issue, as most have full kitchens and dedicated 
kitchen staff. Small microbreweries, however, often struggle to meet the
 requirement.“If you have a cereal malt beverage 
license instead of a drinking establishment license, you can sell up to 
6% alcohol, beer, and it’s not counted as an intoxicating liquor,” 
Probst said.Probst mentioned Sandhills Brewing, the Hutchinson microbrewery that <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/09/21/hutchinson-microbrewery-avoids-losing-liquor-license-with-plea-to-buy-food/">almost lost its liquor license</a>
 because of the food sales requirement. He said he knew of several 
microbreweries that have had to get creative to stay in business.“One that I know of reduced the price
 of their beer to $1 and sold every beer with a bag of chips for $5,” 
Probst said. “So the total package was $6. Whether you wanted a bag of 
chips with your beer or not, you were getting it, but they had to do 
these sorts of creative things in order to comply with the law. And this
 I think would help.”The House accepted Probst’s amendment before passing the bill.

Kansas breweries, health officials clash over indoors pet ban

The United States is ratcheting up national security concerns about TikTok, mandating that all federal employees delete the Chinese-owned social media app from government-issued mobile phones. Other Western governments are pursuing similar bans, citing espionage fears.

So how serious is the threat? And should TikTok users who don’t work for the government be worried about the app, too?

The answers depend somewhat on whom you ask, and how concerned you are in general about technology companies gathering and sharing personal data.

HOW ARE THE U.S. AND OTHER GOVERNMENTS BLOCKING TIKTOK?

The White House said Monday it is giving U.S. federal agencies 30 days to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-politics-united-states-government-ap-top-news-business-95491774cf8f0fe3e2b9634658a22e56">delete TikTok</a>&nbsp;from all government-issued mobile devices.

Congress, the White House, U.S. armed forces and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-politics-united-states-government-china-privacy-26b0ee0d4c8421fa7f58b06f76651dc1">more than half of U.S. states</a>&nbsp;had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-politics-d33e58c76bb3c13297c72816ef4e6231">already banned TikTok</a>&nbsp;amid concerns that its parent company, ByteDance, would give user data — such as browsing history and location — to the Chinese government, or push propaganda and misinformation on its behalf.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-politics-united-states-government-privacy-business-29a52f0eee4177f6c2a596d12459feec">The European Union's executive branch</a>&nbsp;has temporarily banned TikTok from employee phones, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-politics-denmark-government-mobile-apps-europe-41d1cf56a492ea9c6e0f7885c866e131">Denmark</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-mobile-apps-canada-government-united-states-justin-trudeau-43b27a80a1c2bf3b55e5ccf2ce573684">Canada</a>&nbsp;have announced efforts to block TikTok on government-issued phones.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-china-reacts-fdaad1ac8494815262491077356c2984">China says the bans reveal the United States' insecurities</a>&nbsp;and are an abuse of state power. But they come at a time when Western technology companies, including Airbnb, Yahoo and LinkedIn, have been leaving China or downsizing operations there because of Beijing's strict privacy law that specifies how companies can collect and store data.

Both the FBI and the Federal Communications Commission have warned that ByteDance could share TikTok user data with China’s authoritarian government.

A law China implemented in 2017 requires companies to give the government any personal data relevant to the country’s national security. There’s no evidence that TikTok has turned over such data, but fears abound due to the vast amount of user data it collects.

Concerns were heightened in December when ByteDance said it fired four employees who accessed data on two journalists from Buzzfeed News and The Financial Times while attempting to track down the source of a leaked report about the company. TikTok spokesperson Brooke Oberwetter said the breach was an “egregious misuse” of the employees' authority.

There is also concern about TikTok’s content and whether it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-health-mental-health-1925956c0f4baa672aa75bd490d24e3a">harms teenagers’ mental health</a>. Researchers from the nonprofit Center for Countering Digital Hate said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://counterhate.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/CCDH-Deadly-by-Design_120922.pdf">report released in December</a>&nbsp;that eating disorder content on the platform had amassed 13.2 billion views. Roughly two-thirds of U.S. teens use TikTok, according to the Pew Research Center.

In 2020,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-asia-pacific-asia-792eac94014d5b15abe293093587e42f">then-President Donald Trump and his administration</a>&nbsp;sought to force ByteDance to sell off its U.S. assets and ban TikTok from app stores. Courts blocked Trump’s efforts, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-wechat-technology-biden-trump-d866cf95c7f1b802ffb88b2834117f0b">President Joe Biden rescinded Trump’s orders</a>&nbsp;after taking office but ordered an in-depth study of the issue. A planned sale of TikTok’s U.S. assets was shelved.

In Congress, concern about the app has been bipartisan. Congress passed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-politics-d33e58c76bb3c13297c72816ef4e6231">“No TikTok on Government Devices Act”</a>&nbsp;in December as part of a sweeping government funding package. The legislation does allow for TikTok use in certain cases, including for national security, law enforcement and research purposes.

House Republicans are expected to move forward Tuesday with a bill that would give Biden the power to ban TikTok nationwide. The legislation, proposed by Rep. Mike McCaul, looks to circumvent the challenges the administration would face in court if it moved forward with sanctions against the company.

The bill has received pushback from civil liberties organizations. In a letter sent Monday to McCaul and Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, the American Civil Liberties Union said a nationwide TikTok ban would be unconstitutional and would “likely result in banning many other businesses and applications as well.”

U.S. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco has expressed concerns that the Chinese government could gain access to user data.

“I don’t use TikTok, and I would not advise anyone to do so," Monaco said earlier this month at the policy institute Chatham House in London.

TikTok said in a blog post in June that it will route all data from U.S. users to servers controlled by Oracle, the Silicon Valley company it chose as its U.S. tech partner in 2020 in an effort to avoid a nationwide ban. But it is storing backups of the data in its own servers in the U.S. and Singapore. The company said it expects to delete U.S. user data from its own servers, but it did not provide a timeline as to when that would occur.

But the amount of information TikTok collects might not be that different from other popular social media sites, experts say.

In an analysis published in 2021, the University of Toronto’s nonprofit Citizen Lab said TikTok and Facebook collect similar amounts of user data, including device identifiers that can be used to track a user and other information that can piece together a user's behavior across different platforms. It's valuable information for advertisers.

“If you are not comfortable with that level of data collection and sharing, you should avoid using the app,” the Citizen Lab report said.

While the potential abuse of privacy by the Chinese government is concerning, “it’s equally concerning that the US government, and many other governments, already abuse and exploit the data collected by every other U.S.-based tech company with the same data-harvesting business practices,” said Evan Greer, director of the nonprofit advocacy group Fight for the Future.

“If policy makers want to protect Americans from surveillance, they should advocate for a basic privacy law that bans all companies from collecting so much sensitive data about us in the first place, rather than engaging in what amounts to xenophobic showboating that does exactly nothing to protect anyone,” Greer said.

Others say there is legitimate reason for concern.

People who use TikTok might think they're not doing anything that would be of interest to a foreign government, but that's not always the case, said Anton Dahbura, executive director of the Johns Hopkins University Information Security Institute. Important information about the United States is not strictly limited to nuclear power plants or military facilities; it extends to other sectors, such as food processing, the finance industry and universities, Dahbura said.

Its unclear how much the government-wide TikTok ban might impact the company. Oberwetter, the TikTok spokesperson, said it has “no way” of knowing whether its users are government employees.

The company, though, has questioned the bans, saying it has not been given an opportunity to answer questions and that governments were cutting themselves off from a platform beloved by millions.

"These bans are little more than political theater,” Oberwetter said.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is set to testify next month before Congress. The House Energy and Commerce Committee will ask about the company's privacy and data-security practices, as well as its relationship with the Chinese government.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646257491889.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By HALELUYA HADERO Associated PressThe United States is ratcheting up national security concerns about TikTok, mandating that all federal employees delete the Chinese-owned social media app from government-issued mobile phones. Other Western governments are pursuing similar bans, citing espionage fears.So how serious is the threat? And should TikTok users who don’t work for the government be worried about the app, too?The answers depend somewhat on whom you ask, and how concerned you are in general about technology companies gathering and sharing personal data.Here’s what to know:HOW ARE THE U.S. AND OTHER GOVERNMENTS BLOCKING TIKTOK?The White House said Monday it is giving U.S. federal agencies 30 days to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-politics-united-states-government-ap-top-news-business-95491774cf8f0fe3e2b9634658a22e56">delete TikTok</a>&nbsp;from all government-issued mobile devices.Congress, the White House, U.S. armed forces and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-politics-united-states-government-china-privacy-26b0ee0d4c8421fa7f58b06f76651dc1">more than half of U.S. states</a>&nbsp;had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-politics-d33e58c76bb3c13297c72816ef4e6231">already banned TikTok</a>&nbsp;amid concerns that its parent company, ByteDance, would give user data — such as browsing history and location — to the Chinese government, or push propaganda and misinformation on its behalf.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-politics-united-states-government-privacy-business-29a52f0eee4177f6c2a596d12459feec">The European Union's executive branch</a>&nbsp;has temporarily banned TikTok from employee phones, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-politics-denmark-government-mobile-apps-europe-41d1cf56a492ea9c6e0f7885c866e131">Denmark</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-mobile-apps-canada-government-united-states-justin-trudeau-43b27a80a1c2bf3b55e5ccf2ce573684">Canada</a>&nbsp;have announced efforts to block TikTok on government-issued phones.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-china-reacts-fdaad1ac8494815262491077356c2984">China says the bans reveal the United States' insecurities</a>&nbsp;and are an abuse of state power. But they come at a time when Western technology companies, including Airbnb, Yahoo and LinkedIn, have been leaving China or downsizing operations there because of Beijing's strict privacy law that specifies how companies can collect and store data.WHAT ARE THE CONCERNS ABOUT TIKTOK?Both the FBI and the Federal Communications Commission have warned that ByteDance could share TikTok user data with China’s authoritarian government.A law China implemented in 2017 requires companies to give the government any personal data relevant to the country’s national security. There’s no evidence that TikTok has turned over such data, but fears abound due to the vast amount of user data it collects.Concerns were heightened in December when ByteDance said it fired four employees who accessed data on two journalists from Buzzfeed News and The Financial Times while attempting to track down the source of a leaked report about the company. TikTok spokesperson Brooke Oberwetter said the breach was an “egregious misuse” of the employees' authority.There is also concern about TikTok’s content and whether it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-health-mental-health-1925956c0f4baa672aa75bd490d24e3a">harms teenagers’ mental health</a>. Researchers from the nonprofit Center for Countering Digital Hate said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://counterhate.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/CCDH-Deadly-by-Design_120922.pdf">report released in December</a>&nbsp;that eating disorder content on the platform had amassed 13.2 billion views. Roughly two-thirds of U.S. teens use TikTok, according to the Pew Research Center.WHO HAS PUSHED FOR TIKTOK RESTRICTIONS?In 2020,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-asia-pacific-asia-792eac94014d5b15abe293093587e42f">then-President Donald Trump and his administration</a>&nbsp;sought to force ByteDance to sell off its U.S. assets and ban TikTok from app stores. Courts blocked Trump’s efforts, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-wechat-technology-biden-trump-d866cf95c7f1b802ffb88b2834117f0b">President Joe Biden rescinded Trump’s orders</a>&nbsp;after taking office but ordered an in-depth study of the issue. A planned sale of TikTok’s U.S. assets was shelved.In Congress, concern about the app has been bipartisan. Congress passed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-politics-d33e58c76bb3c13297c72816ef4e6231">“No TikTok on Government Devices Act”</a>&nbsp;in December as part of a sweeping government funding package. The legislation does allow for TikTok use in certain cases, including for national security, law enforcement and research purposes.House Republicans are expected to move forward Tuesday with a bill that would give Biden the power to ban TikTok nationwide. The legislation, proposed by Rep. Mike McCaul, looks to circumvent the challenges the administration would face in court if it moved forward with sanctions against the company.The bill has received pushback from civil liberties organizations. In a letter sent Monday to McCaul and Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, the American Civil Liberties Union said a nationwide TikTok ban would be unconstitutional and would “likely result in banning many other businesses and applications as well.”HOW RISKY IS TIKTOK?It depends on who you ask.U.S. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco has expressed concerns that the Chinese government could gain access to user data.“I don’t use TikTok, and I would not advise anyone to do so," Monaco said earlier this month at the policy institute Chatham House in London.TikTok said in a blog post in June that it will route all data from U.S. users to servers controlled by Oracle, the Silicon Valley company it chose as its U.S. tech partner in 2020 in an effort to avoid a nationwide ban. But it is storing backups of the data in its own servers in the U.S. and Singapore. The company said it expects to delete U.S. user data from its own servers, but it did not provide a timeline as to when that would occur.But the amount of information TikTok collects might not be that different from other popular social media sites, experts say.In an analysis published in 2021, the University of Toronto’s nonprofit Citizen Lab said TikTok and Facebook collect similar amounts of user data, including device identifiers that can be used to track a user and other information that can piece together a user's behavior across different platforms. It's valuable information for advertisers.“If you are not comfortable with that level of data collection and sharing, you should avoid using the app,” the Citizen Lab report said.WHAT ARE OTHER EXPERTS SAYING?While the potential abuse of privacy by the Chinese government is concerning, “it’s equally concerning that the US government, and many other governments, already abuse and exploit the data collected by every other U.S.-based tech company with the same data-harvesting business practices,” said Evan Greer, director of the nonprofit advocacy group Fight for the Future.“If policy makers want to protect Americans from surveillance, they should advocate for a basic privacy law that bans all companies from collecting so much sensitive data about us in the first place, rather than engaging in what amounts to xenophobic showboating that does exactly nothing to protect anyone,” Greer said.Others say there is legitimate reason for concern.People who use TikTok might think they're not doing anything that would be of interest to a foreign government, but that's not always the case, said Anton Dahbura, executive director of the Johns Hopkins University Information Security Institute. Important information about the United States is not strictly limited to nuclear power plants or military facilities; it extends to other sectors, such as food processing, the finance industry and universities, Dahbura said.WHAT DOES TIKTOK SAY?Its unclear how much the government-wide TikTok ban might impact the company. Oberwetter, the TikTok spokesperson, said it has “no way” of knowing whether its users are government employees.The company, though, has questioned the bans, saying it has not been given an opportunity to answer questions and that governments were cutting themselves off from a platform beloved by millions."These bans are little more than political theater,” Oberwetter said.TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is set to testify next month before Congress. The House Energy and Commerce Committee will ask about the company's privacy and data-security practices, as well as its relationship with the Chinese government.

Why TikTok is being banned on gov’t phones in US and beyond

NEW YORK&nbsp;– On Tuesday, S&amp;P Global, a worldwide credit rating agency, announced it has improved its credit outlook for the State of Kansas to ‘positive’ from ‘stable,’ citing Governor Laura Kelly’s efforts to close the Bank of KDOT, balance the state budget, pay off KPERS debt, and achieve record-low unemployment rates, according to a media release from Kelly's office.

This increases the likelihood that within the next two years the agency will improve Kansas’ credit rating, which dropped during Governor Sam Brownback’s administration due to his failed tax experiment. S&amp;P affirmed Kansas’ credit rating as AA-. &nbsp;

S&amp;P also improved its credit outlook to ‘positive’ from ‘stable’ and affirmed its AA credit rating on the Kansas Department of Transportation’s highway revenue bonds outstanding.

“This is great news for Kansas’ budget and economic outlook, making it even more likely that our state will be seen as a smart investment,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.&nbsp;“It is clear that we have put Kansas back on track by growing our economy and paying off debts. I will continue to promote fiscal responsibility and cut taxes for working families in a way that maintains a balanced budget.”

In its report, S&amp;P cited Governor Kelly’s recommended budgets for fiscal years 2023 and 2024 as indicators of continued fiscal responsibility that could lead to a credit rating upgrade and warned against irresponsible tax plans that could lead to a credit rating downgrade.

“The upward revision in our outlook from stable to positive is a clear sign that our steadfast efforts to restore the state’s fiscal health are working,”&nbsp;said Budget Director and Acting Secretary of Administration Adam Proffitt. “S&amp;P’s review points to healthy stabilization fund balances and consistent structural balances as strengths in our outlook, reinforcing the Governor’s position of looking across the horizon when building this year’s budget. With continued budget stability, Kansas will be poised to see a well-deserved credit rating upgrade in the near future.”

Prior to Governor Kelly’s administration, the State of Kansas’ S&amp;P credit rating and outlook was downgraded four times between 2014 and 2017. The state’s credit rating was downgraded from AA+ to AA in August 2014, put on a negative credit watch in 2016, downgraded again to an AA- in the same year, and the outlook downgraded from ‘stable’ to ‘negative’ in 2017. S&amp;P improved the state’s credit outlook from ‘negative’ to ‘stable’ in 2018 after lawmakers rolled back the Brownback tax experiment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677614820776.png" alt="“This is great news for Kansas’ budget and economic outlook, making it even more likely that our state will be seen as a smart investment,” Governor Laura Kelly said." />
 <figcaption>“This is great news for Kansas’ budget and economic outlook, making it even more likely that our state will be seen as a smart investment,” Governor Laura Kelly said.</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK&nbsp;– On Tuesday, S&amp;P Global, a worldwide credit rating agency, announced it has improved its credit outlook for the State of Kansas to ‘positive’ from ‘stable,’ citing Governor Laura Kelly’s efforts to close the Bank of KDOT, balance the state budget, pay off KPERS debt, and achieve record-low unemployment rates, according to a media release from Kelly's office.This increases the likelihood that within the next two years the agency will improve Kansas’ credit rating, which dropped during Governor Sam Brownback’s administration due to his failed tax experiment. S&amp;P affirmed Kansas’ credit rating as AA-. &nbsp;S&amp;P also improved its credit outlook to ‘positive’ from ‘stable’ and affirmed its AA credit rating on the Kansas Department of Transportation’s highway revenue bonds outstanding.“This is great news for Kansas’ budget and economic outlook, making it even more likely that our state will be seen as a smart investment,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.&nbsp;“It is clear that we have put Kansas back on track by growing our economy and paying off debts. I will continue to promote fiscal responsibility and cut taxes for working families in a way that maintains a balanced budget.”In its report, S&amp;P cited Governor Kelly’s recommended budgets for fiscal years 2023 and 2024 as indicators of continued fiscal responsibility that could lead to a credit rating upgrade and warned against irresponsible tax plans that could lead to a credit rating downgrade.“The upward revision in our outlook from stable to positive is a clear sign that our steadfast efforts to restore the state’s fiscal health are working,”&nbsp;said Budget Director and Acting Secretary of Administration Adam Proffitt. “S&amp;P’s review points to healthy stabilization fund balances and consistent structural balances as strengths in our outlook, reinforcing the Governor’s position of looking across the horizon when building this year’s budget. With continued budget stability, Kansas will be poised to see a well-deserved credit rating upgrade in the near future.”Prior to Governor Kelly’s administration, the State of Kansas’ S&amp;P credit rating and outlook was downgraded four times between 2014 and 2017. The state’s credit rating was downgraded from AA+ to AA in August 2014, put on a negative credit watch in 2016, downgraded again to an AA- in the same year, and the outlook downgraded from ‘stable’ to ‘negative’ in 2017. S&amp;P improved the state’s credit outlook from ‘negative’ to ‘stable’ in 2018 after lawmakers rolled back the Brownback tax experiment.

Credit rating agency: Kansas credit outlook continues to improve

TOPEKA — The Kansas Department of&nbsp;Health reported 1,943&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">&nbsp;new</a> <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">coronavirus cases</a> in Kansas from Feb. 22 to March 1, for a total of 936,123 cases.&nbsp;&nbsp;The state reported 1,975 cases the previous week.

On Wednesday, <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">the state reported&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;21 additional COVID-19 deaths since the report on Feb. 22, for a total of 10,055 since the state started reporting COVID illness and deaths.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a>&nbsp;about the COVID-19 vaccine.

<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">Click here</a>&nbsp;for additional virus numbers from the KDHE.

Kansas is providing fewer updates of its data about COVID-19 now that Gov. Laura Kelly formally declared that the state is moving toward treating COVID-19 as a disease like the flu that spreads regularly and isn't considered a pandemic.&nbsp;The health department plans to update data about cases and vaccinations each Wednesday.

The state continues to support access to free COVID-19 testing, works to ensure that vulnerable populations can get vaccinated, see that providers serve a broad population and give “comprehensive guidance” about the virus. She called the new phase “endemic normalcy.”

The health department updates data about cases and vaccinations each Wednesday.

TOPEKA — The Kansas Department of&nbsp;Health reported 1,943&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">&nbsp;new</a> <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">coronavirus cases</a> in Kansas from Feb. 22 to March 1, for a total of 936,123 cases.&nbsp;&nbsp;The state reported 1,975 cases the previous week.On Wednesday, <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">the state reported&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;21 additional COVID-19 deaths since the report on Feb. 22, for a total of 10,055 since the state started reporting COVID illness and deaths.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1677691839343.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a>&nbsp;about the COVID-19 vaccine.<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">Click here</a>&nbsp;for additional virus numbers from the KDHE.Kansas is providing fewer updates of its data about COVID-19 now that Gov. Laura Kelly formally declared that the state is moving toward treating COVID-19 as a disease like the flu that spreads regularly and isn't considered a pandemic.&nbsp;The health department plans to update data about cases and vaccinations each Wednesday.The state continues to support access to free COVID-19 testing, works to ensure that vulnerable populations can get vaccinated, see that providers serve a broad population and give “comprehensive guidance” about the virus. She called the new phase “endemic normalcy.”The health department updates data about cases and vaccinations each Wednesday.

KDHE reports drop in COVID cases; 21 more deaths

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Three Kansas City police officers were shot and wounded while executing a search warrant, prompting a standoff at a home early Wednesday, authorities said.

The tactical response team officers had begun to breach a door around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday when they were fired upon, Kansas City police Chief Stacey Graves told reporters outside a hospital.

The officers returned fire and were taken to the hospital, where they were in non-life-threatening condition, Graves said.

Two people came out of the house between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. and were taken into custody, said Missouri Highway Patrol spokesman Andy Bell. Their names weren't immediately released and no charges have been filed yet.

Bell said law enforcement remained outside the house Wednesday morning while trying to determine whether anyone else was still inside.

"We’re trying to get robotics or drones or any any technology to take a look inside the house before we would ask an officer to go inside the house because last time an officer went inside the house three officers got shot," he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1677668846378.png" alt="Police on the scene of the standoff overnight-photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the standoff overnight-photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Three Kansas City police officers were shot and wounded while executing a search warrant, prompting a standoff at a home early Wednesday, authorities said.The tactical response team officers had begun to breach a door around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday when they were fired upon, Kansas City police Chief Stacey Graves told reporters outside a hospital.The officers returned fire and were taken to the hospital, where they were in non-life-threatening condition, Graves said.Two people came out of the house between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. and were taken into custody, said Missouri Highway Patrol spokesman Andy Bell. Their names weren't immediately released and no charges have been filed yet.Bell said law enforcement remained outside the house Wednesday morning while trying to determine whether anyone else was still inside."We’re trying to get robotics or drones or any any technology to take a look inside the house before we would ask an officer to go inside the house because last time an officer went inside the house three officers got shot," he said.He said the case started as a federal drug investigation. The patrol said the Jackson County Drug Task Force, which works with federal agencies, requested the assistance of the Kansas City SWAT team to serve the search warrant.The officers had announced that they were police before trying to enter the home, Graves said.“They are highly trained, good men,” Graves said of the wounded officers. “And, you know, we’re just so thankful tonight that each one of them, I was able to to physically talk to them.”--------------------KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Three Kansas City police officers were shot and wounded while executing a search warrant, prompting a standoff at a home early Wednesday, authorities said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">We’ve been reminded too much lately in Kansas City how dangerous police work can be. I am praying for a full recovery for our three officers injured this evening and that everyone on duty gets home to their families safely.&mdash; Mayor Q (@QuintonLucasKC) <a href="https://twitter.com/QuintonLucasKC/status/1630784749936467970?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The tactical response team officers had begun to breach a door around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday when they were fired upon, Kansas City police Chief Stacey Graves told reporters outside a hospital.The officers returned fire and were taken to the hospital, where they were in non-life-threatening condition, Graves said.The chief said no one was immediately taken into custody and it wasn't immediately clear whether more than one person in the home fired shots.The Independence Police Department took over the law enforcement response at the home Tuesday night, Graves said.The Missouri Highway Patrol said on Twitter early Wednesday that it was relieving the Independence department after providing assistance overnight. The Highway Patrol said the standoff was continuing as of 6:30 a.m. Wednesday.The Jackson County Drug Task Force had requested assistance from Kansas City police to serve the search warrant, the Highway Patrol tweeted earlier.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Troop A’s SWAT was requested early this morning to relieve Independence Police Department’s SWAT after providing assistance overnight. No new information regarding the presence of additional occupants inside the residence. The standoff continues. <a href="https://twitter.com/kcpolice?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kcpolice</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/IndepMoPolice?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IndepMoPolice</a> <a href="https://t.co/MszkSbJtHp">pic.twitter.com/MszkSbJtHp</a>&mdash; MSHP Troop A (@MSHPTrooperA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSHPTrooperA/status/1630906047937368066?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The officers had announced that they were police before trying to enter the home, Graves said.“They are highly trained, good men,” Graves said of the wounded officers. “And, you know, we’re just so thankful tonight that each one of them, I was able to to physically talk to them.”---------------KANSAS CITY —Three Kansas City police officers were wounded on Tuesday, according to KCPD and Mayor Quinton Lucas.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">We’ve been reminded too much lately in Kansas City how dangerous police work can be. I am praying for a full recovery for our three officers injured this evening and that everyone on duty gets home to their families safely.&mdash; Mayor Q (@QuintonLucasKC) <a href="https://twitter.com/QuintonLucasKC/status/1630784749936467970?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Just after 9:30p.m. the officers were attempting to serve a search warrant at a home&nbsp;in the 2300 block of Blue Ridge Boulevard when someone fired shots, according to Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves.The officers were hospitalized and are expected to survive, according to Graves. Police have not reported an arrest and released no additional details early Wednesday.Check the Post for more information as it becomes available.