TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay plans to ask the Kansas Supreme Court to review a ruling that overturned the conviction of a former prison dentist. 

The Kansas Court of Appeals last month overturned the conviction of Tomas Co for having unlawful sexual relations with a female inmate at Topeka Correctional Facility. 

The court said Co's touching of the inmate was inappropriate but did not meet the legal definition of being lewd, which was required for a conviction of the charge he faces. Kagay says if the Supreme Court does not overturn the lower court's ruling, he will seek a legislative change to the related law cited by the appeals court.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A former dentist at a state prison for women acted inappropriately when he repeatedly touched a female inmate but his actions did not meet the legal definition of lewd, according to the Kansas Appeals Court.

The three-judge panel of the court last week overturned&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/9008c8518ea2308a4e927e3550180a59" target="_blank">the January 2020 conviction</a>&nbsp;of Tomas Co for having sexual relations with the inmate.

The court said that while Co touching the woman’s hand and her clothed leg above the knee was inappropriate and unwarranted, it was not “lewd,” which was required for conviction on the charge he faced.

Co supervised the dental clinic at the Topeka Correctional Facility, where female inmates made dental products such as dentures.

Prosecutors alleged that Co molested six inmates at the prison between 2011 and 2018 but he was found guilty on only one count. The conviction involved a woman whose complaints in January 2017 prompted an internal investigation that concluded Co should be fired.

He was sentenced in March 2020 to 32 months in prison but had remained free during his appeal.

Chris Joseph, one of Co’s attorneys, said Monday the behavior for which Co was convicted involved touching the inmate’s hands and knee while while helping her mold dentures.

TOPEKA, KAN. (AP) — A&nbsp;former Kansas&nbsp;prison dental instructor convicted of molesting a female inmate has been sentenced to 32 months in prison.

&nbsp;Shawnee County District Judge Cheryl Rios on Friday agreed to release Thomas Co on $50,000 bond pending appeal. He will have to register as a sex offender for 25 years.

Prosecutors had alleged that Co molested six inmates at the Topeka Correctional Facility between 2011 and 2018 but he was found guilty on only one count. The conviction involved a woman whose complaints in January 2017 prompted an internal investigation that concluded Co should be fired.

An investigation by the Capital-Journal revealed at least nine women in the dental lab complained for five years about sexual harassment and unwanted physical contact from Co.

Co’s daughter, Christine Co, attended the court hearing and said the accusations were false and the family would fight to clear her father's name.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1580496155136.png" alt="Tomas Co. photo Oklahoma Co. Jail" />
 <figcaption>Tomas Co. photo Oklahoma Co. Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay plans to ask the Kansas Supreme Court to review a ruling that overturned the conviction of a former prison dentist. The Kansas Court of Appeals last month overturned the conviction of Tomas Co for having unlawful sexual relations with a female inmate at Topeka Correctional Facility. The court said Co's touching of the inmate was inappropriate but did not meet the legal definition of being lewd, which was required for a conviction of the charge he faces. Kagay says if the Supreme Court does not overturn the lower court's ruling, he will seek a legislative change to the related law cited by the appeals court.-------TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A former dentist at a state prison for women acted inappropriately when he repeatedly touched a female inmate but his actions did not meet the legal definition of lewd, according to the Kansas Appeals Court.The three-judge panel of the court last week overturned&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/9008c8518ea2308a4e927e3550180a59" target="_blank">the January 2020 conviction</a>&nbsp;of Tomas Co for having sexual relations with the inmate.The court said that while Co touching the woman’s hand and her clothed leg above the knee was inappropriate and unwarranted, it was not “lewd,” which was required for conviction on the charge he faced.Co supervised the dental clinic at the Topeka Correctional Facility, where female inmates made dental products such as dentures.Prosecutors alleged that Co molested six inmates at the prison between 2011 and 2018 but he was found guilty on only one count. The conviction involved a woman whose complaints in January 2017 prompted an internal investigation that concluded Co should be fired.He was sentenced in March 2020 to 32 months in prison but had remained free during his appeal.Chris Joseph, one of Co’s attorneys, said Monday the behavior for which Co was convicted involved touching the inmate’s hands and knee while while helping her mold dentures.----------TOPEKA, KAN. (AP) — A&nbsp;former Kansas&nbsp;prison dental instructor convicted of molesting a female inmate has been sentenced to 32 months in prison.&nbsp;Shawnee County District Judge Cheryl Rios on Friday agreed to release Thomas Co on $50,000 bond pending appeal. He will have to register as a sex offender for 25 years.Prosecutors had alleged that Co molested six inmates at the Topeka Correctional Facility between 2011 and 2018 but he was found guilty on only one count. The conviction involved a woman whose complaints in January 2017 prompted an internal investigation that concluded Co should be fired.An investigation by the Capital-Journal revealed at least nine women in the dental lab complained for five years about sexual harassment and unwanted physical contact from Co.Co’s daughter, Christine Co, attended the court hearing and said the accusations were false and the family would fight to clear her father's name.

Kan. high court may decide if prison dentist's touching was lewd

Kan., Mo. hospitals may soon have to institute crisis standards

By SUZANNE PEREZ <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/2022-01-05/kansas-doctors-plead-for-you-to-take-covid-precautions-as-people-die-waiting-for-care-at-hospitals">Kansas News Service</a>

WICHITA&nbsp;— Health care officials across Kansas and 
Missouri issued a dire warning Wednesday that COVID-19 has reached new 
and alarming crisis levels throughout the region.

Hospitals 
struggling to care for sick coronavirus patients — the vast majority of 
them unvaccinated — find themselves short on staff after record numbers 
of health care workers are testing positive for the virus.

More 
people are dying in emergency rooms while waiting for care, doctors 
said. Non-critical surgeries and other procedures are being postponed. 
And more sick patients, including increasing numbers of children, wait 
hours or even days for hospital beds.

“This is, hands down, the 
toughest surge the medical community has had to face since the pandemic 
began in 2020,” said Dr. Steven Sites, chief medical officer at the 
University of Kansas Health System in Kansas City. “We are in crisis, 
and … it’s shocking to me that people want to declare victory when we’re
 at this point.”

In an online news conference, more than a dozen 
chief medical officers and infectious disease specialists urged people 
to get vaccinated and boosted. They pleaded for schools and communities 
to reinstate mask mandates and warned against large indoor gatherings.

Kimberly
 Megow, chief medical officer of HCA Midwest Health, said hospitals may 
soon have to institute crisis standards designed for catastrophic public
 health events.

“It is basically what the military does during 
wartime, which is deciding who gets care and who does not, who gets a 
chance at living and who is left to die,” she said. “That is really 
dire.”

Lisa Hays, chief medical officer for AdventHealth Kansas 
City, reported 48 active COVID-19 patients Wednesday. In November, that 
number was 12.

Sam Antonios of Ascension Via Christi said 
hospitals in that network had 140 COVID-19 patients Wednesday; 40 of 
those were in intensive care, 20 on ventilators. Four hospitalized COVID
 patients were children.

Similar numbers were repeated by administrators in urban and rural settings throughout the region.

Meanwhile,
 record numbers of health care workers are out sick, leaving hospitals 
scrambling to cover patients with COVID-19 and other ailments.

Several
 officials said a new state of emergency declaration would help. 
Staffing remains the primary issue, but Kansas can’t request assistance 
from the federal government for nurses or other skilled medical 
personnel without a state of emergency in place.

But that could 
prove difficult. The Kansas Legislature passed a bill in May 2020 that 
requires Gov. Laura Kelly to get legislative approval for emergency 
measures.

Dr. Jennifer Watts of Children’s Mercy Hospital in 
Kansas City urged schools to require masks, which are proven to curb the
 spread of the virus. She also voiced frustration at what she sees as a 
growing lack of trust in medical data.

“We were heroes last year, 
and people asked us for our opinions and asked us for our advice. And 
people listened to the medical experts,” Watts said. “We have come an 
entire 180 (degrees) now, and we are reacting to this. … So yeah, we are
 devastated that kids are not wearing masks in school.”

Jennifer 
Schrimsher, an infectious disease specialist at Lawrence Memorial 
Hospital, criticized a recent decision by the University of Kansas to <a href="https://www.kansan.com/sports/required-to-recommended-masks-in-allen-fieldhouse-are-now-optional/article_db23c842-6a7f-11ec-92e5-5f2e40ea479c.html" target="_blank">no longer require masks inside Allen Fieldhouse</a>.

“If
 you’ve got a ticket to the game right now, I’m going to ask you to 
watch it on television,” she said. “If you must go, please wear a mask. 
It's very simple: They work, they’re safe. And it’s frustrating.”

Kevin
 Dishman, chief medical officer of Stormont Vail Health in Topeka, said 
vaccinations are crucial, as well as masking and social distancing.

“People
 that have waved the flag of personal choice are extending this 
pandemic,” he said. “We must do everything we can to protect ourselves 
and protect each other. That is how we get through this pandemic.”

Suzanne Perez reports on education for KMUW in Wichita and the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter @SuzPerezICT.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641405474520.png" alt="Medical officers and infectious disease experts from across Kansas and Missouri urged people to get vaccinated and boosted, wear masks and avoid large indoor gatherings. Screenshot / University of Kansas Health System" />
 <figcaption>Medical officers and infectious disease experts from across Kansas and Missouri urged people to get vaccinated and boosted, wear masks and avoid large indoor gatherings. Screenshot / University of Kansas Health System</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Kan., Mo. hospitals may soon have to institute crisis standards</h2>By SUZANNE PEREZ <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/2022-01-05/kansas-doctors-plead-for-you-to-take-covid-precautions-as-people-die-waiting-for-care-at-hospitals">Kansas News Service</a>WICHITA&nbsp;— Health care officials across Kansas and 
Missouri issued a dire warning Wednesday that COVID-19 has reached new 
and alarming crisis levels throughout the region.Hospitals 
struggling to care for sick coronavirus patients — the vast majority of 
them unvaccinated — find themselves short on staff after record numbers 
of health care workers are testing positive for the virus.More 
people are dying in emergency rooms while waiting for care, doctors 
said. Non-critical surgeries and other procedures are being postponed. 
And more sick patients, including increasing numbers of children, wait 
hours or even days for hospital beds.“This is, hands down, the 
toughest surge the medical community has had to face since the pandemic 
began in 2020,” said Dr. Steven Sites, chief medical officer at the 
University of Kansas Health System in Kansas City. “We are in crisis, 
and … it’s shocking to me that people want to declare victory when we’re
 at this point.”<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4cZ0FOKctmI"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>In an online news conference, more than a dozen 
chief medical officers and infectious disease specialists urged people 
to get vaccinated and boosted. They pleaded for schools and communities 
to reinstate mask mandates and warned against large indoor gatherings.Kimberly
 Megow, chief medical officer of HCA Midwest Health, said hospitals may 
soon have to institute crisis standards designed for catastrophic public
 health events.“It is basically what the military does during 
wartime, which is deciding who gets care and who does not, who gets a 
chance at living and who is left to die,” she said. “That is really 
dire.”Lisa Hays, chief medical officer for AdventHealth Kansas 
City, reported 48 active COVID-19 patients Wednesday. In November, that 
number was 12.Sam Antonios of Ascension Via Christi said 
hospitals in that network had 140 COVID-19 patients Wednesday; 40 of 
those were in intensive care, 20 on ventilators. Four hospitalized COVID
 patients were children.Similar numbers were repeated by administrators in urban and rural settings throughout the region.Meanwhile,
 record numbers of health care workers are out sick, leaving hospitals 
scrambling to cover patients with COVID-19 and other ailments.Several
 officials said a new state of emergency declaration would help. 
Staffing remains the primary issue, but Kansas can’t request assistance 
from the federal government for nurses or other skilled medical 
personnel without a state of emergency in place.But that could 
prove difficult. The Kansas Legislature passed a bill in May 2020 that 
requires Gov. Laura Kelly to get legislative approval for emergency 
measures.Dr. Jennifer Watts of Children’s Mercy Hospital in 
Kansas City urged schools to require masks, which are proven to curb the
 spread of the virus. She also voiced frustration at what she sees as a 
growing lack of trust in medical data.“We were heroes last year, 
and people asked us for our opinions and asked us for our advice. And 
people listened to the medical experts,” Watts said. “We have come an 
entire 180 (degrees) now, and we are reacting to this. … So yeah, we are
 devastated that kids are not wearing masks in school.”Jennifer 
Schrimsher, an infectious disease specialist at Lawrence Memorial 
Hospital, criticized a recent decision by the University of Kansas to <a href="https://www.kansan.com/sports/required-to-recommended-masks-in-allen-fieldhouse-are-now-optional/article_db23c842-6a7f-11ec-92e5-5f2e40ea479c.html" target="_blank">no longer require masks inside Allen Fieldhouse</a>.“If
 you’ve got a ticket to the game right now, I’m going to ask you to 
watch it on television,” she said. “If you must go, please wear a mask. 
It's very simple: They work, they’re safe. And it’s frustrating.”Kevin
 Dishman, chief medical officer of Stormont Vail Health in Topeka, said 
vaccinations are crucial, as well as masking and social distancing.“People
 that have waved the flag of personal choice are extending this 
pandemic,” he said. “We must do everything we can to protect ourselves 
and protect each other. That is how we get through this pandemic.”Suzanne Perez reports on education for KMUW in Wichita and the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter @SuzPerezICT.

🎥 Doctors plead for COVID precautions to alleviate hospital crisis

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas has suspended two fraternities for five years following an investigation that accused the clubs of fostering a culture of hazing. 

The university on Tuesday informed Phi Gamma Delta and Phi Delta Theta in a letter that they will be removed from KU’s campus until the spring of 2027. 

The letter says investigations by national fraternity leadership and reviewed by a university panel found the fraternities engaged in a pattern of hazing, including action that hurt students. 

One instance attributed to Phi Gamma Delta says a pledge suffered a concussion after being thrown against a locker. Phi Delta Theta was also accused of causing harm to pledges through forced workouts and other actions.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas has suspended two fraternities for five years following an investigation that accused the clubs of fostering a culture of hazing. The university on Tuesday informed Phi Gamma Delta and Phi Delta Theta in a letter that they will be removed from KU’s campus until the spring of 2027. The letter says investigations by national fraternity leadership and reviewed by a university panel found the fraternities engaged in a pattern of hazing, including action that hurt students. One instance attributed to Phi Gamma Delta says a pledge suffered a concussion after being thrown against a locker. Phi Delta Theta was also accused of causing harm to pledges through forced workouts and other actions.

University of Kansas suspends 2 fraternities for alleged hazing

By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH Associated Press

MISSION, Kan. — What students are learning about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-confirm-joe-biden-78104aea082995bbd7412a6e6cd13818">the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6</a>&nbsp;may depend on where they live.

In a Boston suburb in heavily Democratic Massachusetts, history teacher Justin Voldman said his students will spend the day journaling about what happened and talking about the fragility of democracy.

“I feel really strongly that this needs to be talked about,” said Voldman, who teaches history at Natick High School, 15 miles (24 kilometers) west of Boston. As the grandson of a Holocaust survivor, he said “it is fair to draw parallels between what happened on Jan. 6 and the rise of fascism.”

Voldman said he feels fortunate: “There are other parts of the country where ... I would be scared to be a teacher.”

Liz Wagner, an eighth and ninth grade social studies teacher in a Des Moines suburb of increasingly Republican Iowa, got an email from an administrator last year, warning teachers to be careful in how they framed the discussion.

“I guess I was so, I don’t know if naïve is the appropriate word, perhaps exhausted from the pandemic teaching year last year, to understand how controversial this was going to be,” she said.

Some students questioned Wagner last year when she referred to what happened as an "insurrection." She responded by having them read the dictionary definition for the word. This year, she will probably show students videos of the protest and ask them to write about what the footage shows.

“This is kind of what I have to do to ensure that I’m not upsetting anybody,” Wagner said. “Last year I was on the front line of the COVID war, trying to dodge COVID, and now I’m on the front line of the culture war, and I don’t want to be there.”

With&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-education-coronavirus-pandemic-school-boards-35db5c9eec87b85ca8eb95a64c2f6dd7">crowds shouting at school board meetings</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elections-education-race-and-ethnicity-racial-injustice-school-boards-bed36a1460957cb6be4df9d18583a765">political action committees investing millions of dollars in races</a>&nbsp;to elect conservative candidates across the country, talking to students about what happened on Jan. 6 is increasingly fraught.

Teachers now are left to decide how — or whether — to instruct their students about the events that sit at the heart of the country’s division. And the lessons sometimes vary based on whether they are in a red state or a blue state.

Facing History and Ourselves, a nonprofit that helps teachers with difficult lessons on subjects like the Holocaust, offered&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facinghistory.org/educator-resources/current-events/responding-insurrection-us-capitol" target="_blank">tips on how to broach the topic</a>&nbsp;with students in the hours after the riot.

Within 18 hours of publication, it had 100,000 page views — a level of interest that Abby Weiss, who oversees the development of the nonprofit’s teaching tools, said was unlike anything the group has seen before.

In the year that has followed, Weiss said, Republican lawmakers and governors in many states have championed legislation to limit the teaching of material that explores how race and racism influence American politics, culture and law.

“Teachers are anxious,” she said. “On the face of it, if you read the laws, they’re quite vague and, you know, hard to know actually what’s permissible and what isn’t.”

Racial discussions are hard to avoid when discussing the riot because&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/white-supremacy-threats-capitol-riots-2d4ba4d1a3d55197489d773b3e0b0f32">white supremacists&nbsp;</a>were among those descending on the halls of power, said Jinnie Spiegler, director of curriculum and training for the Anti-Defamation League. She said the group is concerned that the insurrection could be used as a recruitment tool and wrote&nbsp;<a href="https://www.adl.org/education/resources/tools-and-strategies/extreme-measures-how-to-help-young-people-counter" target="_blank">a newly released guide</a>&nbsp;to help teachers and parents combat those radicalization efforts.

“To talk about white supremacy, to talk about white supremacist extremists, to talk about their racist Confederate flag, it’s fraught for so many reasons,” Spiegler said.

Anton Schulzki, the president of the National Council for the Social Studies, said students are often the ones bringing up the racial issues. Last year, he was just moments into discussing what happened when one of his honors students at William J. Palmer High School in Colorado Springs said, “’You know, if those rioters were all Black, they’d all be arrested by now.”

Since then, three conservative school board candidates won seats on the school board where Schulzki teaches, and the district dissolved its equity leadership team. He is covered by a contract that offers academic freedom protections, and has discussed the riot periodically over the past year.

“I do feel,” he said, “that there may be some teachers who are going to feel the best thing for me to do is to ignore this because I don’t want to put myself in jeopardy because I have my own bills to pay, my own house, to take care of, my own kids to take back and forth to school.”

Concerned teachers have been reaching out to the American Federation of Teachers, which last month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-lawsuits-discrimination-race-and-ethnicity-racial-injustice-3ad179f58e856873305541e1c95cdc14">sued over New Hampshire’s new limits</a>&nbsp;on the discussion of systemic racism and other topics.

“What I’m hearing now over and over and over again is that these laws that have been passed in different places are really intended to chill the discussion of current events,” said Randi Weingarten, the union’s president and a former social studies teacher. “I am very concerned about what it means in terms of the teaching as we get closer and closer to January 6th.”

The biggest fear for Paula Davis, a middle school special education teacher in a rural central Indiana district, is that the discussion about what happened could be used by teachers with a political agenda to indoctrinate students. She won’t discuss Jan. 6 in her classroom; her focus is math and English.

“I think it’s extremely important that any teacher that is addressing that topic does so from an unbiased perspective,” said Davis, a regional chapter chair for Moms for Liberty, a group whose members have protested mask and vaccine mandates and critical race theory. “If it cannot be done without bias, then it should not be done.”

But there is no way Dylan Huisken will avoid the topic in his middle school classroom in the Missoula, Montana, area town of Bonner. He plans to use the anniversary to teach his students to use their voice constructively by doing things like writing to lawmakers.

“Not addressing the attack,” Huisken said, “is to suggest that the civic ideals we teach exist in a vacuum and don’t have any real-world application, that civic knowledge is mere trivia.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1614042711157.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH Associated PressMISSION, Kan. — What students are learning about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-confirm-joe-biden-78104aea082995bbd7412a6e6cd13818">the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6</a>&nbsp;may depend on where they live.In a Boston suburb in heavily Democratic Massachusetts, history teacher Justin Voldman said his students will spend the day journaling about what happened and talking about the fragility of democracy.“I feel really strongly that this needs to be talked about,” said Voldman, who teaches history at Natick High School, 15 miles (24 kilometers) west of Boston. As the grandson of a Holocaust survivor, he said “it is fair to draw parallels between what happened on Jan. 6 and the rise of fascism.”Voldman said he feels fortunate: “There are other parts of the country where ... I would be scared to be a teacher.”Liz Wagner, an eighth and ninth grade social studies teacher in a Des Moines suburb of increasingly Republican Iowa, got an email from an administrator last year, warning teachers to be careful in how they framed the discussion.“I guess I was so, I don’t know if naïve is the appropriate word, perhaps exhausted from the pandemic teaching year last year, to understand how controversial this was going to be,” she said.Some students questioned Wagner last year when she referred to what happened as an "insurrection." She responded by having them read the dictionary definition for the word. This year, she will probably show students videos of the protest and ask them to write about what the footage shows.“This is kind of what I have to do to ensure that I’m not upsetting anybody,” Wagner said. “Last year I was on the front line of the COVID war, trying to dodge COVID, and now I’m on the front line of the culture war, and I don’t want to be there.”With&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-education-coronavirus-pandemic-school-boards-35db5c9eec87b85ca8eb95a64c2f6dd7">crowds shouting at school board meetings</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elections-education-race-and-ethnicity-racial-injustice-school-boards-bed36a1460957cb6be4df9d18583a765">political action committees investing millions of dollars in races</a>&nbsp;to elect conservative candidates across the country, talking to students about what happened on Jan. 6 is increasingly fraught.Teachers now are left to decide how — or whether — to instruct their students about the events that sit at the heart of the country’s division. And the lessons sometimes vary based on whether they are in a red state or a blue state.Facing History and Ourselves, a nonprofit that helps teachers with difficult lessons on subjects like the Holocaust, offered&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facinghistory.org/educator-resources/current-events/responding-insurrection-us-capitol" target="_blank">tips on how to broach the topic</a>&nbsp;with students in the hours after the riot.Within 18 hours of publication, it had 100,000 page views — a level of interest that Abby Weiss, who oversees the development of the nonprofit’s teaching tools, said was unlike anything the group has seen before.In the year that has followed, Weiss said, Republican lawmakers and governors in many states have championed legislation to limit the teaching of material that explores how race and racism influence American politics, culture and law.“Teachers are anxious,” she said. “On the face of it, if you read the laws, they’re quite vague and, you know, hard to know actually what’s permissible and what isn’t.”Racial discussions are hard to avoid when discussing the riot because&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/white-supremacy-threats-capitol-riots-2d4ba4d1a3d55197489d773b3e0b0f32">white supremacists&nbsp;</a>were among those descending on the halls of power, said Jinnie Spiegler, director of curriculum and training for the Anti-Defamation League. She said the group is concerned that the insurrection could be used as a recruitment tool and wrote&nbsp;<a href="https://www.adl.org/education/resources/tools-and-strategies/extreme-measures-how-to-help-young-people-counter" target="_blank">a newly released guide</a>&nbsp;to help teachers and parents combat those radicalization efforts.“To talk about white supremacy, to talk about white supremacist extremists, to talk about their racist Confederate flag, it’s fraught for so many reasons,” Spiegler said.Anton Schulzki, the president of the National Council for the Social Studies, said students are often the ones bringing up the racial issues. Last year, he was just moments into discussing what happened when one of his honors students at William J. Palmer High School in Colorado Springs said, “’You know, if those rioters were all Black, they’d all be arrested by now.”Since then, three conservative school board candidates won seats on the school board where Schulzki teaches, and the district dissolved its equity leadership team. He is covered by a contract that offers academic freedom protections, and has discussed the riot periodically over the past year.“I do feel,” he said, “that there may be some teachers who are going to feel the best thing for me to do is to ignore this because I don’t want to put myself in jeopardy because I have my own bills to pay, my own house, to take care of, my own kids to take back and forth to school.”Concerned teachers have been reaching out to the American Federation of Teachers, which last month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-lawsuits-discrimination-race-and-ethnicity-racial-injustice-3ad179f58e856873305541e1c95cdc14">sued over New Hampshire’s new limits</a>&nbsp;on the discussion of systemic racism and other topics.“What I’m hearing now over and over and over again is that these laws that have been passed in different places are really intended to chill the discussion of current events,” said Randi Weingarten, the union’s president and a former social studies teacher. “I am very concerned about what it means in terms of the teaching as we get closer and closer to January 6th.”The biggest fear for Paula Davis, a middle school special education teacher in a rural central Indiana district, is that the discussion about what happened could be used by teachers with a political agenda to indoctrinate students. She won’t discuss Jan. 6 in her classroom; her focus is math and English.“I think it’s extremely important that any teacher that is addressing that topic does so from an unbiased perspective,” said Davis, a regional chapter chair for Moms for Liberty, a group whose members have protested mask and vaccine mandates and critical race theory. “If it cannot be done without bias, then it should not be done.”But there is no way Dylan Huisken will avoid the topic in his middle school classroom in the Missoula, Montana, area town of Bonner. He plans to use the anniversary to teach his students to use their voice constructively by doing things like writing to lawmakers.“Not addressing the attack,” Huisken said, “is to suggest that the civic ideals we teach exist in a vacuum and don’t have any real-world application, that civic knowledge is mere trivia.”

Teachers at culture war frontlines with Jan. 6 education

Health officials in Hays reported the state's first case of COVID and flu in a patient.

During Wednesday's online news conference, with more than a dozen chief medical officers from Kansas and Missouri, Dr. Heather Harris, chief medical officer at HaysMed, said that as of Tuesday night, the hospital had its first case of COVID and flu diagnosed in a patient.

(Click below to hear Dr. Harris comments)

The patient resides outside of Ellis County and had not been vaccinated for either the flu or COVID, Harris told Hays Post, noting Ellis County numbers are climbing and with at-home testing, officials are probably only seeing a portion of the positives.&nbsp;

"Vaccination is the best way to stay well," she said, also encouraging residents to stay home if they are sick.

Flurona refers to a patient with influenza and COVID at the same time.&nbsp;This patient was one of five in the ICU at Hays Medical Center. Israel reported one of the world's first dual cases last week, according to <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/flurona-israel-records-its-first-case-of-patient-with-covid-and-flu-at-same-time/">the Times of Israel.&nbsp;</a>

Harris also said Hays Medical Center currently had 14 active COVID cases and nine recovering. Among the five in the ICU,&nbsp; three of were on ventilators.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641407370791.png" alt="Heather Harris, chief medical officer at HaysMed, during Wednesday's online news conference hosted by the University of Kansas Medical Center." />
 <figcaption>Heather Harris, chief medical officer at HaysMed, during Wednesday's online news conference hosted by the University of Kansas Medical Center.</figcaption>
 </figure>Health officials in Hays reported the state's first case of COVID and flu in a patient.During Wednesday's online news conference, with more than a dozen chief medical officers from Kansas and Missouri, Dr. Heather Harris, chief medical officer at HaysMed, said that as of Tuesday night, the hospital had its first case of COVID and flu diagnosed in a patient.(Click below to hear Dr. Harris comments)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Nz62gGguXhw?start=1585" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>The patient resides outside of Ellis County and had not been vaccinated for either the flu or COVID, Harris told Hays Post, noting Ellis County numbers are climbing and with at-home testing, officials are probably only seeing a portion of the positives.&nbsp;"Vaccination is the best way to stay well," she said, also encouraging residents to stay home if they are sick.Flurona refers to a patient with influenza and COVID at the same time.&nbsp;This patient was one of five in the ICU at Hays Medical Center. Israel reported one of the world's first dual cases last week, according to <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/flurona-israel-records-its-first-case-of-patient-with-covid-and-flu-at-same-time/">the Times of Israel.&nbsp;</a>Harris also said Hays Medical Center currently had 14 active COVID cases and nine recovering. Among the five in the ICU,&nbsp; three of were on ventilators.&nbsp;

🎥 Hospital in Hays reports state's first case of Flurona 

TOPEKA — The number of confirmed coronavirus cases* (see below) in Kansas increased by 15,322 to a total of 549,721, the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The state reported 15 additional COVID-19 deaths for a total of 7,059

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

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

As of August 1, 2021, in accordance with an&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/" target="_blank">updated CDC/CSTE surveillance case definition</a>, a confirmed case is defined as a person who tested positive by molecular detection (e.g., PCR, NAA) or identification of SARS-CoV-2 through genetic sequencing. A probable case is defined as a person with: a) presumptive lab evidence (antigen) or b) no lab testing but meeting clinical case criteria and is epi-linked. A person will be counted as a new surveillance case (e.g. reinfection) if they test positive for SARS-CoV-2 by a diagnostic test (i.e., molecular, antigen) and it has been greater than 90 days since the previous positive diagnostic test. In addition, a person with sequencing results identifying different SARS-CoV-2 lineages regardless of the time since the previous specimen sequenced will be counted as a new surveillance case.&nbsp;

Cases occurring between&nbsp;September 1, 2020&nbsp;and July 29, 2021 were classified by&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/" target="_blank">previous CDC/CSTE case definition,&nbsp;</a>and cases prior to September 1, 2020 were classified by the&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/case-definitions/coronavirus-disease-2019-2020/" target="_blank">original case definition</a>.

TOPEKA — The number of confirmed coronavirus cases* (see below) in Kansas increased by 15,322 to a total of 549,721, the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;&nbsp;The state reported 15 additional COVID-19 deaths for a total of 7,059<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641405485803.png" alt="Wednesday January 5, 2022 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Wednesday January 5, 2022 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a> about the COVID-19 vaccine.<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional virus numbers from the KDHE.As of August 1, 2021, in accordance with an&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/" target="_blank">updated CDC/CSTE surveillance case definition</a>, a confirmed case is defined as a person who tested positive by molecular detection (e.g., PCR, NAA) or identification of SARS-CoV-2 through genetic sequencing. A probable case is defined as a person with: a) presumptive lab evidence (antigen) or b) no lab testing but meeting clinical case criteria and is epi-linked. A person will be counted as a new surveillance case (e.g. reinfection) if they test positive for SARS-CoV-2 by a diagnostic test (i.e., molecular, antigen) and it has been greater than 90 days since the previous positive diagnostic test. In addition, a person with sequencing results identifying different SARS-CoV-2 lineages regardless of the time since the previous specimen sequenced will be counted as a new surveillance case.&nbsp;Cases occurring between&nbsp;September 1, 2020&nbsp;and July 29, 2021 were classified by&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/" target="_blank">previous CDC/CSTE case definition,&nbsp;</a>and cases prior to September 1, 2020 were classified by the&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/case-definitions/coronavirus-disease-2019-2020/" target="_blank">original case definition</a>.

KDHE: 15,000 new case, 15 more COVID deaths

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20035776">Kansas felon jailed </a>for the alleged fatal stabbing of a Kansas woman in her home is scheduled for a return to court Wednesday afternoon, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. The&nbsp; hearing could determine when his case goes to trial.

Goldy Metcalf, 36, is<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20035776"> charged with 1st&nbsp;degree</a> murder, attempted 1st&nbsp;degree murder, aggravated burglary, burglary, theft, two counts of criminal damage to property, criminal damage to property and criminal trespass, according to the Sedgwick County District attorney's office.

Just after 8 a.m. Dec. 4, police responded to a disturbance with a weapon at a home in the 600 block of South Green in Wichita, according to Officer Charley Davidson.

 Upon arrival, officers located a 64-year-old woman and a 73-year-old man with multiple stab wounds. 

EMS transported both victims to an area hospital where the 64-year-old woman died, according to Davidson. The 73-year-old man had serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

The investigation revealed at approximately 5 a.m. on Dec. 4, officers responded to a call in the 1800 block of North Kansas regarding a citizen who had 36-year-old Goldy L. Metcalf of Wichita at gunpoint for unlawfully entering his vehicle.&nbsp; 

Metcalf was cooperative with officers, cited for misdemeanor tampering with an automobile, and given a courtesy transport to St. Francis Hospital for medical treatment due to a previous injury to his mouth, according to Davidson.

Metcalf left St. Francis Hospital against medical advice and at approximately 8 a.m. stole a blue Ford pick-up in the 600 block of North Waco that was left running.

Metcalf fled in the truck and crashed it into a building in the 600 block of South Green. He then fled the scene and forced his way into the residence on South Green, where he stabbed the two victims. Metcalf fled from that residence and entered an unoccupied residence in 600 block of South Erie, and attempted to gain access to a church in the same block. Thanks to information provided by citizens, police responded quickly, located&nbsp; Metcalf and arrested him.

Metcalf was paroled from prison in July and has prior convictions for aggravated battery, criminal possession of a firearm, burglary, flee law enforcement, and aggravated robbery, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.&nbsp; He<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20035776"> is jailed on </a>a bond $507,500.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638721469657.png" alt="Metcalf-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Metcalf-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20035776">Kansas felon jailed </a>for the alleged fatal stabbing of a Kansas woman in her home is scheduled for a return to court Wednesday afternoon, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. The&nbsp; hearing could determine when his case goes to trial.Goldy Metcalf, 36, is<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20035776"> charged with 1st&nbsp;degree</a> murder, attempted 1st&nbsp;degree murder, aggravated burglary, burglary, theft, two counts of criminal damage to property, criminal damage to property and criminal trespass, according to the Sedgwick County District attorney's office.Just after 8 a.m. Dec. 4, police responded to a disturbance with a weapon at a home in the 600 block of South Green in Wichita, according to Officer Charley Davidson. Upon arrival, officers located a 64-year-old woman and a 73-year-old man with multiple stab wounds. EMS transported both victims to an area hospital where the 64-year-old woman died, according to Davidson. The 73-year-old man had serious but non-life-threatening injuries.The investigation revealed at approximately 5 a.m. on Dec. 4, officers responded to a call in the 1800 block of North Kansas regarding a citizen who had 36-year-old Goldy L. Metcalf of Wichita at gunpoint for unlawfully entering his vehicle.&nbsp; Metcalf was cooperative with officers, cited for misdemeanor tampering with an automobile, and given a courtesy transport to St. Francis Hospital for medical treatment due to a previous injury to his mouth, according to Davidson.Metcalf left St. Francis Hospital against medical advice and at approximately 8 a.m. stole a blue Ford pick-up in the 600 block of North Waco that was left running.Metcalf fled in the truck and crashed it into a building in the 600 block of South Green. He then fled the scene and forced his way into the residence on South Green, where he stabbed the two victims. Metcalf fled from that residence and entered an unoccupied residence in 600 block of South Erie, and attempted to gain access to a church in the same block. Thanks to information provided by citizens, police responded quickly, located&nbsp; Metcalf and arrested him.Metcalf was paroled from prison in July and has prior convictions for aggravated battery, criminal possession of a firearm, burglary, flee law enforcement, and aggravated robbery, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.&nbsp; He<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20035776"> is jailed on </a>a bond $507,500.&nbsp;

Felon who left hospital, killed Kan. woman in her home due in court

KANOPOLIS STATE PARK - Sections of trails in Kanopolis State Park have been closed due to bald eagles nesting in the area, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/KanopolisStatePark/">Kanopolis State Park - Kansas Wildlife &amp; Parks</a> Facebook.

*BALD EAGLE NESTING AREAS ARE CLOSED*

A couple sections of trails have been closed for Bald Eagle Nesting.  The Split Boulder Trail will be closed through June 17th.  Trailhead "A" from Rockin K' to about Trailhead "B" will be closed until May 20th.  Signs are posted.  No horse, mountain bike, or foot traffic will be allowed in these areas at this time.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641401633585.png" alt="Map courtesy <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KanopolisStatePark/">Kanopolis State Park&nbsp; - Kansas Wildlife &amp; Parks </a>Facebook page" />
 <figcaption>Map courtesy <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KanopolisStatePark/">Kanopolis State Park&nbsp; - Kansas Wildlife &amp; Parks </a>Facebook page</figcaption>
 </figure>KANOPOLIS STATE PARK - Sections of trails in Kanopolis State Park have been closed due to bald eagles nesting in the area, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/KanopolisStatePark/">Kanopolis State Park - Kansas Wildlife &amp; Parks</a> Facebook.*BALD EAGLE NESTING AREAS ARE CLOSED*A couple sections of trails have been closed for Bald Eagle Nesting. The Split Boulder Trail will be closed through June 17th. Trailhead "A" from Rockin K' to about Trailhead "B" will be closed until May 20th. Signs are posted. No horse, mountain bike, or foot traffic will be allowed in these areas at this time.

Kanopolis State Park closes part of trails due to bald eagle nesting

WASHINGTON (AP) — The suspect was covered from head to toe, skulking through the dark streets of the nation’s capital before methodically placing two explosives outside the offices of the Republican and Democratic national committees.

Only 17 hours later — and just before the U.S. Capitol was stormed by a sea of pro-Trump rioters — were the pipe bombs discovered. It quickly became one of the highest-priority investigations for the FBI and the Justice Department.

But the trail grew cold almost immediately. A year later, federal investigators are no closer to learning the person’s identity. And a key question remains: Was there a connection between the pipe bombs and the riot at the Capitol?

The suspect is among hundreds of people still being sought by the FBI following last January’s deadly insurrection. So far, 250 people seen on video assaulting police at the Capitol still haven’t been fully identified and apprehended by the FBI, and another 100 are being sought for other crimes tied to the riot.

The investigation has been a massive undertaking for federal law enforcement officials. More than 700 people have been charged with federal crimes stemming from the Jan. 6 attack, and arrests are still being made regularly.

But for the FBI agents working on the cases, the job is far from over. Agents and investigative analysts have been poring over thousands of hours of surveillance video, going second by second in each video to try to capture clear images of people who attacked officers inside the Capitol.

“This investigation takes time because it is a lot of lot of work, a lot of painstaking work that they look at the video kind of frame by frame,” said Steven D’Antuono, the assistant director in charge of the FBI’s field office in Washington.

In one case, police body camera footage captures a man using a cane with electric prods on the end jabbing at officers and shocking them as they fight to hold back the riotous crowd trying to break through a barricaded line of officers at one of the doors of the Capitol. The crackling sound of the electricity can be heard as he prods his cane into one of the officers. The man, known only as “AFO114” — using shorthand for “assaulting a federal officer” — is still being sought.

“The assaults against the police officers are extremely serious,” D’Antuono said. More than 100 police officers were attacked by rioters on Jan. 6, some attacked by multiple people and some attacked multiple times, he said.

In another video, a man is seen repeatedly bashing a police officer over the head with a 6-foot (1.8-meter) metal pole as he tries to push his way into the Capitol. And a third shows a man spraying some kind of chemical from a can into the faces of other officers.

“There is still a lot of work to be done on this,” D’Antuono said. “There were a lot of people up there at the Capitol, a lot of people that either committed violence up there did other unlawful actions up there.”

In the search for the person who left the pipe bombs at the RNC and DNC offices, investigators have interviewed more than 900 people, collected 39,000 video files and examined more than 400 leads. They have dived into the components of the explosives and have been working to try to discern anything they can about the suspect, from analyzing the person's gait to trying to collect information about purchases of the distinctive Nike sneakers the person wore.

But they are still no closer to finding the suspect’s identity and are hoping renewed attention on the video of the person may spark a tip to crack the case.

The explosive devices were placed outside the two buildings between 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 5, 2021, but weren’t located by law enforcement until the next day. U.S. Capitol Police and agents from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were called to the Republican National Committee’s office around 12:45 p.m. on Jan. 6. About 30 minutes later, as the agents and bomb technicians were still investigating at the RNC, another call came in for a similar explosive device found at the Democratic National Committee headquarters nearby. The bombs were rendered safe, and no one was hurt.

Video released by the FBI shows a person in a gray hooded sweatshirt, a face mask and gloves appearing to place one of the explosives under a bench outside the DNC and separately shows the person walking in an alley near the RNC before the bomb was placed there. The person wore black and light gray Nike Air Max Speed Turf sneakers with a yellow logo.

“We’ve used and continue to use every investigative tool that we lawfully have to find this individual,” D’Antuono said. But, a year later, investigators still don’t know whether the suspect is a man or a woman. The person carried the bombs — made of threaded galvanized pipes, kitchen timers and homemade black powder — in a backpack.

“We’re still nose to the grindstone here and trying to find this individual, trying to bring the person to justice,” D'Antuono said. “But there is hopefully maybe somebody still out there that knows the person or sees the video again.”

It is unclear whether the bombs were related to planning for the insurrection or whether they were unrelated to the deadly riot. Both buildings are within a few blocks of the Capitol.

And the fact the suspect was covered from head to toe has made identifying the person extremely difficult for the FBI.

“In normal times, like if this wasn’t COVID,” D’Antuono said, “a person walking down the street in D.C. covered from head to toe with a mask on, glasses and gloves would have been a red flag.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — The suspect was covered from head to toe, skulking through the dark streets of the nation’s capital before methodically placing two explosives outside the offices of the Republican and Democratic national committees.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GNmjMIyoxHo?start=11" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Only 17 hours later — and just before the U.S. Capitol was stormed by a sea of pro-Trump rioters — were the pipe bombs discovered. It quickly became one of the highest-priority investigations for the FBI and the Justice Department.But the trail grew cold almost immediately. A year later, federal investigators are no closer to learning the person’s identity. And a key question remains: Was there a connection between the pipe bombs and the riot at the Capitol?The suspect is among hundreds of people still being sought by the FBI following last January’s deadly insurrection. So far, 250 people seen on video assaulting police at the Capitol still haven’t been fully identified and apprehended by the FBI, and another 100 are being sought for other crimes tied to the riot.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641396762471.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The investigation has been a massive undertaking for federal law enforcement officials. More than 700 people have been charged with federal crimes stemming from the Jan. 6 attack, and arrests are still being made regularly.But for the FBI agents working on the cases, the job is far from over. Agents and investigative analysts have been poring over thousands of hours of surveillance video, going second by second in each video to try to capture clear images of people who attacked officers inside the Capitol.“This investigation takes time because it is a lot of lot of work, a lot of painstaking work that they look at the video kind of frame by frame,” said Steven D’Antuono, the assistant director in charge of the FBI’s field office in Washington.In one case, police body camera footage captures a man using a cane with electric prods on the end jabbing at officers and shocking them as they fight to hold back the riotous crowd trying to break through a barricaded line of officers at one of the doors of the Capitol. The crackling sound of the electricity can be heard as he prods his cane into one of the officers. The man, known only as “AFO114” — using shorthand for “assaulting a federal officer” — is still being sought.“The assaults against the police officers are extremely serious,” D’Antuono said. More than 100 police officers were attacked by rioters on Jan. 6, some attacked by multiple people and some attacked multiple times, he said.In another video, a man is seen repeatedly bashing a police officer over the head with a 6-foot (1.8-meter) metal pole as he tries to push his way into the Capitol. And a third shows a man spraying some kind of chemical from a can into the faces of other officers.“There is still a lot of work to be done on this,” D’Antuono said. “There were a lot of people up there at the Capitol, a lot of people that either committed violence up there did other unlawful actions up there.”In the search for the person who left the pipe bombs at the RNC and DNC offices, investigators have interviewed more than 900 people, collected 39,000 video files and examined more than 400 leads. They have dived into the components of the explosives and have been working to try to discern anything they can about the suspect, from analyzing the person's gait to trying to collect information about purchases of the distinctive Nike sneakers the person wore.But they are still no closer to finding the suspect’s identity and are hoping renewed attention on the video of the person may spark a tip to crack the case.The explosive devices were placed outside the two buildings between 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 5, 2021, but weren’t located by law enforcement until the next day. U.S. Capitol Police and agents from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were called to the Republican National Committee’s office around 12:45 p.m. on Jan. 6. About 30 minutes later, as the agents and bomb technicians were still investigating at the RNC, another call came in for a similar explosive device found at the Democratic National Committee headquarters nearby. The bombs were rendered safe, and no one was hurt.Video released by the FBI shows a person in a gray hooded sweatshirt, a face mask and gloves appearing to place one of the explosives under a bench outside the DNC and separately shows the person walking in an alley near the RNC before the bomb was placed there. The person wore black and light gray Nike Air Max Speed Turf sneakers with a yellow logo.“We’ve used and continue to use every investigative tool that we lawfully have to find this individual,” D’Antuono said. But, a year later, investigators still don’t know whether the suspect is a man or a woman. The person carried the bombs — made of threaded galvanized pipes, kitchen timers and homemade black powder — in a backpack.“We’re still nose to the grindstone here and trying to find this individual, trying to bring the person to justice,” D'Antuono said. “But there is hopefully maybe somebody still out there that knows the person or sees the video again.”It is unclear whether the bombs were related to planning for the insurrection or whether they were unrelated to the deadly riot. Both buildings are within a few blocks of the Capitol.And the fact the suspect was covered from head to toe has made identifying the person extremely difficult for the FBI.“In normal times, like if this wasn’t COVID,” D’Antuono said, “a person walking down the street in D.C. covered from head to toe with a mask on, glasses and gloves would have been a red flag.”

🎥 FBI still hunting Jan. 6 suspects, pipe bomber a year later

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Federal prosecutors are asking a judge to set a hearing to discuss the mental health of a man charged with killing six people in Kansas and Missouri.

The U.S. Attorney's office in St. Louis filed a motion asking for a hearing to determine if 26-year-old Perez Deshay Reed, of Bellefontaine Neighbors, is mentally competent to stand trial on federal gun charges, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

Reed is charged in federal court with transporting a gun across state lines with the intent to commit a felony.

He is also charged with killing two people in St. Louis, two others in St. Louis County and two in Kansas City, Kansas, in September and October.

Prosecutors believe Reed used the same weapon in all six killings.&nbsp;

State prosecutors had not filed a similar request for a mental exam. Reed, who is due in St. Louis Circuit Court on Jan. 26, is currently jailed without bail. Reed has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1636462416961.png" alt="Reed-photo Wyandotte Co." />
 <figcaption>Reed-photo Wyandotte Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — Federal prosecutors are asking a judge to set a hearing to discuss the mental health of a man charged with killing six people in Kansas and Missouri.The U.S. Attorney's office in St. Louis filed a motion asking for a hearing to determine if 26-year-old Perez Deshay Reed, of Bellefontaine Neighbors, is mentally competent to stand trial on federal gun charges, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.Reed is charged in federal court with transporting a gun across state lines with the intent to commit a felony.He is also charged with killing two people in St. Louis, two others in St. Louis County and two in Kansas City, Kansas, in September and October.Prosecutors believe Reed used the same weapon in all six killings.&nbsp;State prosecutors had not filed a similar request for a mental exam. Reed, who is due in St. Louis Circuit Court on Jan. 26, is currently jailed without bail. Reed has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Federal prosecutors seek evaluation of Kan. serial killer suspect

WASHINGTON — The IRS urges taxpayers to check into their options to 
avoid being subject to estimated tax penalties, which apply when someone
 underpays their taxes. Taxpayers who paid too little tax during 2021 
can still avoid a surprise tax-time bill and possible penalty by making a
 quarterly <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments">estimated tax payment</a>
 now, directly to the Internal Revenue Service. The deadline for making a
 payment for the fourth quarter of 2021 is Tuesday, January 18, 2022.

Income taxes are <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/pay-as-you-go-so-you-wont-owe-a-guide-to-withholding-estimated-taxes-and-ways-to-avoid-the-estimated-tax-penalty">pay-as-you-go</a>.
 This means that taxpayers need to pay most of their tax during the year
 as income is earned or received. There are two ways to do this:

Either payment method--withholding or estimated tax payments--or a 
combination of the two, can help avoid a surprise tax bill at tax time 
and the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/estimated-taxes">accompanying penalty</a> that often applies.

If a taxpayer failed to make required quarterly estimated tax 
payments earlier in the year, making a payment soon to cover these 
missed payments will usually lessen and may even eliminate any possible 
penalty. Because the penalty calculation considers the date on which the
 payment or payments were made, even making a payment now, rather than 
waiting until the April filing deadline, often helps.

People who owed tax when they filed their 2020 tax return may find 
themselves in the same situation again when they file for 2021. This 
will likely be true, especially if they failed to take action to avoid 
another shortfall by increasing their withholding during 2021.

People in this situation often include those who itemized in the past
 but are now taking the standard deduction, two wage-earner households, 
employees with non-wage sources of income and those with complex tax 
situations.

In addition, families who received advance payments of the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/2021-child-tax-credit-and-advance-child-tax-credit-payments-topic-h-reconciling-your-advance-child-tax-credit-payments-on-your-2021-tax-return">Child Tax Credit</a>
 during 2021 but don't expect to qualify for the credit when they file 
their 2021 return, may need to make an estimated tax payment.

The <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/tax-withholding-estimator">Tax Withholding Estimator</a>, available on IRS.gov, can often help people determine if they need to make an estimated tax payment.

Alternatively, taxpayers can use the worksheet included with estimated tax <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1040-es">Form 1040-ES</a>, also available on IRS.gov. In addition, <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-505">Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax</a>,
 has additional details, including worksheets and examples, that can be 
especially helpful to those who have dividend or capital gain income, 
owe alternative minimum tax or self-employment tax, or have other 
special situations.

The fastest and easiest way to make an estimated tax payment is to do so electronically using IRS <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/direct-pay">Direct Pay</a>. Taxpayers can schedule a payment in advance for the January deadline.

Taxpayers can now also make a payment through their <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/your-online-account">IRS Online Account</a>. There they can see their payment history, any pending or recent payments and other useful tax information.

The IRS does not charge a fee for these services. Plus, using these 
or other electronic payment options ensures that a payment gets credited
 promptly.

For information on other payment options, visit <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments">IRS.gov/payments</a>.

Though it's too early to file a 2021 return, it's never too early to 
get ready for the tax-filing season ahead. For more tips and resources, 
check out the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/steps-to-take-now-to-get-a-jump-on-next-years-taxes">Get Ready</a> page on IRS.gov.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — The IRS urges taxpayers to check into their options to 
avoid being subject to estimated tax penalties, which apply when someone
 underpays their taxes. Taxpayers who paid too little tax during 2021 
can still avoid a surprise tax-time bill and possible penalty by making a
 quarterly <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments">estimated tax payment</a>
 now, directly to the Internal Revenue Service. The deadline for making a
 payment for the fourth quarter of 2021 is Tuesday, January 18, 2022.Income taxes are <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/pay-as-you-go-so-you-wont-owe-a-guide-to-withholding-estimated-taxes-and-ways-to-avoid-the-estimated-tax-penalty">pay-as-you-go</a>.
 This means that taxpayers need to pay most of their tax during the year
 as income is earned or received. There are two ways to do this:<ul>
 <li>Withholding from paychecks, pension payments and some government
 payments, such as Social Security benefits or unemployment 
compensation. Most people pay their tax this way.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Making quarterly <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments">estimated tax payments</a> throughout the year to the IRS. Self-employed people and investors, among others, often pay tax this way.</li>
 </ul><h2>Act now to avoid a penalty</h2>Either payment method--withholding or estimated tax payments--or a 
combination of the two, can help avoid a surprise tax bill at tax time 
and the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/estimated-taxes">accompanying penalty</a> that often applies.If a taxpayer failed to make required quarterly estimated tax 
payments earlier in the year, making a payment soon to cover these 
missed payments will usually lessen and may even eliminate any possible 
penalty. Because the penalty calculation considers the date on which the
 payment or payments were made, even making a payment now, rather than 
waiting until the April filing deadline, often helps.<h2>Who needs to make a payment</h2>People who owed tax when they filed their 2020 tax return may find 
themselves in the same situation again when they file for 2021. This 
will likely be true, especially if they failed to take action to avoid 
another shortfall by increasing their withholding during 2021.People in this situation often include those who itemized in the past
 but are now taking the standard deduction, two wage-earner households, 
employees with non-wage sources of income and those with complex tax 
situations.In addition, families who received advance payments of the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/2021-child-tax-credit-and-advance-child-tax-credit-payments-topic-h-reconciling-your-advance-child-tax-credit-payments-on-your-2021-tax-return">Child Tax Credit</a>
 during 2021 but don't expect to qualify for the credit when they file 
their 2021 return, may need to make an estimated tax payment.<h2>Additional points to consider:</h2><ul>
 <li>Most income is taxable. Besides wages, interest and other investment income, which also includes income related to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/virtual-currencies">virtual currencies</a>, refund interest and income from the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/gig-economy-tax-center">gig economy</a> are taxable.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/what-if-i-receive-unemployment-compensation">Unemployment compensation</a>
 is fully taxable in 2021. The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 allowed 
an exclusion of unemployment compensation of up to $10,200 for 2020 
only. Often, this means that an estimated tax payment should be made, 
especially if no federal income tax was withheld from these payments.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Various financial transactions, especially late in the 
year, can often have an unexpected tax impact. Examples include year-end
 and holiday bonuses, stock dividends, capital gain distributions from 
mutual funds, and stocks, bonds, virtual currency, real estate or other 
property sold at a profit.</li>
 </ul>The <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/tax-withholding-estimator">Tax Withholding Estimator</a>, available on IRS.gov, can often help people determine if they need to make an estimated tax payment.Alternatively, taxpayers can use the worksheet included with estimated tax <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1040-es">Form 1040-ES</a>, also available on IRS.gov. In addition, <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-505">Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax</a>,
 has additional details, including worksheets and examples, that can be 
especially helpful to those who have dividend or capital gain income, 
owe alternative minimum tax or self-employment tax, or have other 
special situations.<h2>How to make an estimated tax payment</h2>The fastest and easiest way to make an estimated tax payment is to do so electronically using IRS <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/direct-pay">Direct Pay</a>. Taxpayers can schedule a payment in advance for the January deadline.Taxpayers can now also make a payment through their <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/your-online-account">IRS Online Account</a>. There they can see their payment history, any pending or recent payments and other useful tax information.The IRS does not charge a fee for these services. Plus, using these 
or other electronic payment options ensures that a payment gets credited
 promptly.For information on other payment options, visit <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments">IRS.gov/payments</a>.<h2>Planning ahead</h2>Though it's too early to file a 2021 return, it's never too early to 
get ready for the tax-filing season ahead. For more tips and resources, 
check out the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/steps-to-take-now-to-get-a-jump-on-next-years-taxes">Get Ready</a> page on IRS.gov.

IRS: Make quarterly payment soon to avoid a surprise bill, penalty

Three-fourths say employers should decide on COVID vaccination mandate

By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/01/04/kansas-chamber-survey-reveals-businesses-plan-to-expand-jobs-anxious-about-labor-pool/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The Kansas Chamber’s 
annual business poll showed a record 35% of owners or executives 
surveyed expect to add jobs in the upcoming year and revealed 
apprehension about availability of quality workers as the state economy 
grapples with fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The business lobbying organization produced the assessment to check 
the pulse of business leaders ahead of the state legislative session 
opening Jan. 10.

Thirty-five percent believed Kansas had the best business climate in 
the United States — an increase of five percentage points since 2019 and
 the highest mark in 17 years of comparable surveying by the Kansas 
Chamber. The portion disagreeing with that premise stood at 57%.

Quality workforce was a top issue in the Business Leaders Poll 
conducted Nov. 30 to Dec. 7, easily surpassing concerns about taxation, 
COVID-19, political leadership or government regulation. Workforce 
satisfaction slipped to 51%, tied with 2017 as the lowest mark in the 
annual surveying. Most expressed alarm with non-technical skills of 
people in the market for a job, including the ability to show up on time
 or dress appropriately.

“This year’s poll found concerns about the Kansas workforce are 
skyrocketing,” said Alan Cobb, president of the Kansas Chamber. “While 
more than a third plan to increase their staffs during the next year, 
business leaders believe the quality of the state’s workforce is the top
 issue they face.”

Among 300 business owners or executives participating in the survey, 
44% said lowering taxes was the best approach to improving profitability
 of Kansas businesses. Other avenues to better company profit: cutting 
government mandates, 30%; managing health care costs, 27%; lowering 
energy costs, 26%; and limiting government, 25%.

Sixty-two percent of respondents said they paid too much in taxes, 
but there was divergence on what tax ought to be lowered. Two-thirds 
supported dropping property taxes, half favored reducing individual 
income taxes and 45% were on board with slashing sales taxes. 
Seventy-one percent objected to a hypothetical sales tax on professional
 services, such as the transactions of accountants, doctors, engineers 
and lawyers.

Eighty-one percent of those surveyed indicated Kansas government officials should cut state spending rather than boost taxes.

“Limiting the growth of government also is higher than ever and 
energy costs are the highest since 2013,” said Pat McFerron, president 
of the polling firm Cole Hargrave Snodgrass and Associates. “Ultimately,
 however, these are all dwarfed by concerns about taxation.”

In terms of the pandemic, 72% of those taking part in the poll said 
individual businesses should decide whether to mandate vaccination of 
their employees. Ten percent preferred government order vaccinations for
 COVID-19, while 19% were opposed to such government directives.

“In 2020,” McFerron said, “it was all about either instituting or not
 instituting restrictions. This year the message is clear. Businesses do
 not want government in the middle of their relationships with their 
employees as they continue to work to navigate the virus’ ongoing 
impact.”

A majority in the poll, or 53%, were opposed to any law preventing 
businesses from taking adverse action against employees who declined to 
be vaccinated. Forty percent of those in the survey supported a 
prohibition on businesses and 8% were undecided.

In a special session in November, the Kansas Legislature passed a 
bill crafted by GOP leaders and signed by Gov. Laura Kelly providing for
 the unquestioned moral, religious and medical exemptions to COVID-19 
vaccine requirements and ensured unemployment compensation for anyone 
fired because of their vaccine status anyway. Under the statute, Kansas 
businesses risk up to $50,000 fines for refusing to accept a worker’s 
exemption request.

On the issue of education, 62% of business leaders in the poll 
expressed satisfaction with the state’s public education system — a 
decline of 10 percentage points from the previous year. A majority of 
respondents said the objective of increased state aid to K-12 school 
should to improve student academic performance.

Cobb said findings of the annual survey would influence the Kansas 
Chamber’s priorities and could be of use to the Kansas Legislature and 
the governor.

“Hearing directly from Kansas business leaders is vital to the 
economic growth of our state,” Cobb said. “It is our hope the governor 
and state lawmakers keep these poll findings in mind as they consider 
the many important decisions they will make during the 2022 legislative 
session.”

The poll of business leaders was designed to reflect company sizes 
and industry sectors making up the Kansas business community rather than
 an assessment of opinion among members of the Kansas Chamber. The 
telephone survey had a margin of error of 5.6%.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641329404812.png" alt="The annual Kansas Chamber survey of 300 business owners or executives showed one-third expect to expand hiring but questions remain about quality of available workers. Thirty-five percent of those surveyed believe Kansas has the best business climate in the United States. (Screen capture/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>The annual Kansas Chamber survey of 300 business owners or executives showed one-third expect to expand hiring but questions remain about quality of available workers. Thirty-five percent of those surveyed believe Kansas has the best business climate in the United States. (Screen capture/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Three-fourths say employers should decide on COVID vaccination mandate</h2>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/01/04/kansas-chamber-survey-reveals-businesses-plan-to-expand-jobs-anxious-about-labor-pool/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The Kansas Chamber’s 
annual business poll showed a record 35% of owners or executives 
surveyed expect to add jobs in the upcoming year and revealed 
apprehension about availability of quality workers as the state economy 
grapples with fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.The business lobbying organization produced the assessment to check 
the pulse of business leaders ahead of the state legislative session 
opening Jan. 10.Thirty-five percent believed Kansas had the best business climate in 
the United States — an increase of five percentage points since 2019 and
 the highest mark in 17 years of comparable surveying by the Kansas 
Chamber. The portion disagreeing with that premise stood at 57%.Quality workforce was a top issue in the Business Leaders Poll 
conducted Nov. 30 to Dec. 7, easily surpassing concerns about taxation, 
COVID-19, political leadership or government regulation. Workforce 
satisfaction slipped to 51%, tied with 2017 as the lowest mark in the 
annual surveying. Most expressed alarm with non-technical skills of 
people in the market for a job, including the ability to show up on time
 or dress appropriately.“This year’s poll found concerns about the Kansas workforce are 
skyrocketing,” said Alan Cobb, president of the Kansas Chamber. “While 
more than a third plan to increase their staffs during the next year, 
business leaders believe the quality of the state’s workforce is the top
 issue they face.”Among 300 business owners or executives participating in the survey, 
44% said lowering taxes was the best approach to improving profitability
 of Kansas businesses. Other avenues to better company profit: cutting 
government mandates, 30%; managing health care costs, 27%; lowering 
energy costs, 26%; and limiting government, 25%.Sixty-two percent of respondents said they paid too much in taxes, 
but there was divergence on what tax ought to be lowered. Two-thirds 
supported dropping property taxes, half favored reducing individual 
income taxes and 45% were on board with slashing sales taxes. 
Seventy-one percent objected to a hypothetical sales tax on professional
 services, such as the transactions of accountants, doctors, engineers 
and lawyers.Eighty-one percent of those surveyed indicated Kansas government officials should cut state spending rather than boost taxes.“Limiting the growth of government also is higher than ever and 
energy costs are the highest since 2013,” said Pat McFerron, president 
of the polling firm Cole Hargrave Snodgrass and Associates. “Ultimately,
 however, these are all dwarfed by concerns about taxation.”In terms of the pandemic, 72% of those taking part in the poll said 
individual businesses should decide whether to mandate vaccination of 
their employees. Ten percent preferred government order vaccinations for
 COVID-19, while 19% were opposed to such government directives.“In 2020,” McFerron said, “it was all about either instituting or not
 instituting restrictions. This year the message is clear. Businesses do
 not want government in the middle of their relationships with their 
employees as they continue to work to navigate the virus’ ongoing 
impact.”A majority in the poll, or 53%, were opposed to any law preventing 
businesses from taking adverse action against employees who declined to 
be vaccinated. Forty percent of those in the survey supported a 
prohibition on businesses and 8% were undecided.In a special session in November, the Kansas Legislature passed a 
bill crafted by GOP leaders and signed by Gov. Laura Kelly providing for
 the unquestioned moral, religious and medical exemptions to COVID-19 
vaccine requirements and ensured unemployment compensation for anyone 
fired because of their vaccine status anyway. Under the statute, Kansas 
businesses risk up to $50,000 fines for refusing to accept a worker’s 
exemption request.On the issue of education, 62% of business leaders in the poll 
expressed satisfaction with the state’s public education system — a 
decline of 10 percentage points from the previous year. A majority of 
respondents said the objective of increased state aid to K-12 school 
should to improve student academic performance.Cobb said findings of the annual survey would influence the Kansas 
Chamber’s priorities and could be of use to the Kansas Legislature and 
the governor.“Hearing directly from Kansas business leaders is vital to the 
economic growth of our state,” Cobb said. “It is our hope the governor 
and state lawmakers keep these poll findings in mind as they consider 
the many important decisions they will make during the 2022 legislative 
session.”The poll of business leaders was designed to reflect company sizes 
and industry sectors making up the Kansas business community rather than
 an assessment of opinion among members of the Kansas Chamber. The 
telephone survey had a margin of error of 5.6%.

Kan. chamber survey reveals plans to expand jobs, labor pool anxiety

The Federal Trade Commission<a href="https://www.ftc.gov/reports/biennial-report-congress-under-do-not-call-registry-fee-extension-act-2007"> issued its biennial report to Congress</a>
 on the National Do Not Call (DNC) Registry. The new report details the 
number of consumers – now totaling more than 244 million – who have 
placed their telephone numbers on the Registry over the past two years. 
It also states the FTC received more than five million <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/reports/national-do-not-call-registry-data-book-fiscal-year-2021/dnc_data_book_2021.pdf">Do Not Call complaints in fiscal year (FY) 2021</a>, with people overwhelmingly reporting these violations came via robocalls, as opposed to live telemarketing.

Imposter
 scam and warranty protection scam calls led list of commonly reported 
call topics in FY 2021, followed by calls related to reducing debt and 
medical needs and prescriptions. Since the pandemic began, the FTC has 
received more than 18,000 COVID-related Do Not Call complaints, 
according to the report. In response to the consistently high number of 
complaints from the public about impersonator scams, the FTC recently 
launched a rulemaking initiative to combat <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2021/12/ftc-launches-rulemaking-combat-sharp-spike-impersonation-fraud">business and government impersonation fraud</a>.

The
 report notes that the DNC Registry exists to provide consumers with a 
choice regarding whether or not to receive telemarketing calls. 
Accordingly, it is important that the FTC continue to work alongside the
 Federal Communications Commission to ensure that the Registry is 
effective and accessible for both consumers and telemarketers. As new 
technology provides new challenges, both agencies actively seek to 
address and confront them by, among other things, encouraging private 
industry, other government agencies, academia, and other interested 
parties to create and develop new strategies to help consumers avoid 
unwanted telemarketing calls.

The report also includes the number 
of entities paying fees to access the Registry and the amount of the 
fees; the impact on the Registry of the five-year re-registration 
requirement (which was subsequently rescinded), new telecommunications 
technology, and number portability and abandoned telephone numbers; and 
the impact of the established business relationship exception on 
businesses and consumers. The final section includes updates on recent 
DNC-related enforcement actions, including recent cases against VoIP 
service providers, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2020/09/globex-telecom-associates-will-pay-21-million-settling-ftcs-first">Globex Telecom, Inc.</a>, and <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2020/12/ftc-takes-action-against-second-voip-service-provider">Alcazar Networks, Inc.</a>

The
 DNC Registry currently has 244.3 million active registrations, an 
increase of more than 2.8 million from the previous fiscal year. 
According to the report, during FY 2021, 2,000 businesses and other 
entities paid nearly $13 million to access the Registry. More than 
12,000 entities subscribed to access the Registry, including 9,595 who 
registered for five or fewer area codes free of charge, and 512 entities
 (such as charitable organizations) claimed “exempt organization” status
 and received free access to the Registry. 

In FY 2020, 1,952 
entities paid Registry access fees totaling nearly $12.5 million. That 
year, 10,420 entities subscribed to Registry, including those who 
registered to access five or fewer area codes at no charge, and 556 
entities claimed “exempt organization” status and accessed the Registry 
without paying a fee.

The Commission also publishes an annual <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2021/11/ftc-releases-2021-do-not-call-registry-data-book-reports">Do Not Call Registry Data Book</a>
 that provides substantial detail on registration numbers and other 
statistical information about the Registry. Similar information is also 
available the FTC’s <a href="https://public.tableau.com/profile/federal.trade.commission#!/vizhome/ DoNotCallComplaints/Maps">Tableau public page(link is external)</a>, which is updated regularly and allows users to interact with the data to drill down to state or county data.

The Commission vote approving the report and its submission to Congress was 4-0.

The Federal Trade Commission works to <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/bureaus-offices/bureau-competition">promote competition</a>, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/bureaus-offices/bureau-consumer-protection">stop deceptive and unfair business practices and scams</a>, and <a href="https://consumer.ftc.gov/">educate consumers</a>. Report fraud, scams, or bad business practices at <a href="https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/">ReportFraud.ftc.gov</a>. Get consumer advice at <a href="https://consumer.ftc.gov/">consumer.ftc.gov</a>. Also, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/social-media">follow the FTC on social media</a>, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/stay-connected">subscribe to press releases</a>, and read the FTC’s <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs">blogs</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619632629588.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FTCThe Federal Trade Commission<a href="https://www.ftc.gov/reports/biennial-report-congress-under-do-not-call-registry-fee-extension-act-2007"> issued its biennial report to Congress</a>
 on the National Do Not Call (DNC) Registry. The new report details the 
number of consumers – now totaling more than 244 million – who have 
placed their telephone numbers on the Registry over the past two years. 
It also states the FTC received more than five million <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/reports/national-do-not-call-registry-data-book-fiscal-year-2021/dnc_data_book_2021.pdf">Do Not Call complaints in fiscal year (FY) 2021</a>, with people overwhelmingly reporting these violations came via robocalls, as opposed to live telemarketing. Imposter
 scam and warranty protection scam calls led list of commonly reported 
call topics in FY 2021, followed by calls related to reducing debt and 
medical needs and prescriptions. Since the pandemic began, the FTC has 
received more than 18,000 COVID-related Do Not Call complaints, 
according to the report. In response to the consistently high number of 
complaints from the public about impersonator scams, the FTC recently 
launched a rulemaking initiative to combat <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2021/12/ftc-launches-rulemaking-combat-sharp-spike-impersonation-fraud">business and government impersonation fraud</a>.The
 report notes that the DNC Registry exists to provide consumers with a 
choice regarding whether or not to receive telemarketing calls. 
Accordingly, it is important that the FTC continue to work alongside the
 Federal Communications Commission to ensure that the Registry is 
effective and accessible for both consumers and telemarketers. As new 
technology provides new challenges, both agencies actively seek to 
address and confront them by, among other things, encouraging private 
industry, other government agencies, academia, and other interested 
parties to create and develop new strategies to help consumers avoid 
unwanted telemarketing calls.The report also includes the number 
of entities paying fees to access the Registry and the amount of the 
fees; the impact on the Registry of the five-year re-registration 
requirement (which was subsequently rescinded), new telecommunications 
technology, and number portability and abandoned telephone numbers; and 
the impact of the established business relationship exception on 
businesses and consumers. The final section includes updates on recent 
DNC-related enforcement actions, including recent cases against VoIP 
service providers, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2020/09/globex-telecom-associates-will-pay-21-million-settling-ftcs-first">Globex Telecom, Inc.</a>, and <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2020/12/ftc-takes-action-against-second-voip-service-provider">Alcazar Networks, Inc.</a>Biennial Report DataThe
 DNC Registry currently has 244.3 million active registrations, an 
increase of more than 2.8 million from the previous fiscal year. 
According to the report, during FY 2021, 2,000 businesses and other 
entities paid nearly $13 million to access the Registry. More than 
12,000 entities subscribed to access the Registry, including 9,595 who 
registered for five or fewer area codes free of charge, and 512 entities
 (such as charitable organizations) claimed “exempt organization” status
 and received free access to the Registry. In FY 2020, 1,952 
entities paid Registry access fees totaling nearly $12.5 million. That 
year, 10,420 entities subscribed to Registry, including those who 
registered to access five or fewer area codes at no charge, and 556 
entities claimed “exempt organization” status and accessed the Registry 
without paying a fee.The Commission also publishes an annual <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2021/11/ftc-releases-2021-do-not-call-registry-data-book-reports">Do Not Call Registry Data Book</a>
 that provides substantial detail on registration numbers and other 
statistical information about the Registry. Similar information is also 
available the FTC’s <a href="https://public.tableau.com/profile/federal.trade.commission#!/vizhome/ DoNotCallComplaints/Maps">Tableau public page(link is external)</a>, which is updated regularly and allows users to interact with the data to drill down to state or county data.The Commission vote approving the report and its submission to Congress was 4-0.The Federal Trade Commission works to <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/bureaus-offices/bureau-competition">promote competition</a>, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/bureaus-offices/bureau-consumer-protection">stop deceptive and unfair business practices and scams</a>, and <a href="https://consumer.ftc.gov/">educate consumers</a>. Report fraud, scams, or bad business practices at <a href="https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/">ReportFraud.ftc.gov</a>. Get consumer advice at <a href="https://consumer.ftc.gov/">consumer.ftc.gov</a>. Also, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/social-media">follow the FTC on social media</a>, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/stay-connected">subscribe to press releases</a>, and read the FTC’s <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs">blogs</a>.Cover image courtesy Pixabay

FTC issues new report on Do Not Call Registry

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden urged concern but not alarm Tuesday as the U.S. set new records for daily reported COVID-19 cases and his administration struggled to ease concerns about testing shortages, school closures and other disruptions caused by the surging omicron variant.

Speaking ahead of a meeting with his COVID-19 response team at the White House, Biden looked both to convey his administration's urgency toward addressing the new variant and to convince wary Americans that the current surge bears little resemblance to the onset of the pandemic or last year's deadly winter. The president emphasized that vaccines, booster shots and therapeutic drugs have mitigated the danger for the overwhelming majority of Americans who are fully vaccinated.

“You can still get COVID, but it’s highly unlikely, very unlikely, that you’ll become seriously ill," Biden said of vaccinated people.

“There’s no excuse, there’s no excuse for anyone being unvaccinated," he added. "This continues to be a pandemic of the unvaccinated.”

Compared to last year, more Americans are employed, most kids are in classrooms, and instances of death and serious illness are down — precipitously so among the vaccinated.

Still, over the past several weeks Americans have seen dire warnings about hospitals reaching capacity amid staffing shortages, thousands of holiday flight cancellations in part because crews were ill or in quarantine, and intermittent reports of school closures because of the more-transmissible variant.

“I believe schools should remain open,” Biden said, adding that they have the funding needed for testing and other mitigation measures to stay open during the surge.

On Tuesday, Biden was set to announce that the U.S. is doubling its order for an anti-viral pill produced by Pfizer that was recently authorized by the FDA to prevent serious illness and death from COVID-19. That means 20 million doses, with the first 10 million pills to be delivered by June.

A senior administration official said that combined with other therapies, such as monoclonal antibodies and convalescent plasma, 4 million treatments that are effective against the omicron variant would be available by the end of January.

“They’re a game changer and have the potential to dramatically alter the impact of COVID-19, the impact it’s had on this country and our people,” Biden said of the pills.

Biden, though, is facing new pressure to ease a nationwide testing shortage, as people seek to determine if they or their family members have been infected with the variant. Long lines and chaotic scenes over the holidays marred the administration's image as having the pandemic in hand.

“On testing, I know this remains frustrating. Believe me it's frustrating to me, but we're making improvements,” Biden said.

In a reversal, the White House announced last month that it would make 500 million rapid antigen tests available free to requesting Americans, but it will be weeks, if not months, before those tests are widely available. The administration notes those tests are on top of existing supply of rapid tests and that even a small increase will help ease some of the shortages. Additionally, private insurers will be required to cover the cost of at-home tests starting later this month.

Test manufacturers have until Tuesday night to respond to the government's contract request, and the first awards are expected to be made this week. Meanwhile, the administration is still developing a system for Americans to order the tests as well as a means to ship them to peoples' homes.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641323717358.png" alt="“There’s no excuse, there’s no excuse for anyone being unvaccinated," he added. "This continues to be a pandemic of the unvaccinated.”" />
 <figcaption>“There’s no excuse, there’s no excuse for anyone being unvaccinated," he added. "This continues to be a pandemic of the unvaccinated.”</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden urged concern but not alarm Tuesday as the U.S. set new records for daily reported COVID-19 cases and his administration struggled to ease concerns about testing shortages, school closures and other disruptions caused by the surging omicron variant.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F226587086315586%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=58" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Speaking ahead of a meeting with his COVID-19 response team at the White House, Biden looked both to convey his administration's urgency toward addressing the new variant and to convince wary Americans that the current surge bears little resemblance to the onset of the pandemic or last year's deadly winter. The president emphasized that vaccines, booster shots and therapeutic drugs have mitigated the danger for the overwhelming majority of Americans who are fully vaccinated.“You can still get COVID, but it’s highly unlikely, very unlikely, that you’ll become seriously ill," Biden said of vaccinated people.“There’s no excuse, there’s no excuse for anyone being unvaccinated," he added. "This continues to be a pandemic of the unvaccinated.”Compared to last year, more Americans are employed, most kids are in classrooms, and instances of death and serious illness are down — precipitously so among the vaccinated.Still, over the past several weeks Americans have seen dire warnings about hospitals reaching capacity amid staffing shortages, thousands of holiday flight cancellations in part because crews were ill or in quarantine, and intermittent reports of school closures because of the more-transmissible variant.“I believe schools should remain open,” Biden said, adding that they have the funding needed for testing and other mitigation measures to stay open during the surge.On Tuesday, Biden was set to announce that the U.S. is doubling its order for an anti-viral pill produced by Pfizer that was recently authorized by the FDA to prevent serious illness and death from COVID-19. That means 20 million doses, with the first 10 million pills to be delivered by June.A senior administration official said that combined with other therapies, such as monoclonal antibodies and convalescent plasma, 4 million treatments that are effective against the omicron variant would be available by the end of January.“They’re a game changer and have the potential to dramatically alter the impact of COVID-19, the impact it’s had on this country and our people,” Biden said of the pills.Biden, though, is facing new pressure to ease a nationwide testing shortage, as people seek to determine if they or their family members have been infected with the variant. Long lines and chaotic scenes over the holidays marred the administration's image as having the pandemic in hand.“On testing, I know this remains frustrating. Believe me it's frustrating to me, but we're making improvements,” Biden said.In a reversal, the White House announced last month that it would make 500 million rapid antigen tests available free to requesting Americans, but it will be weeks, if not months, before those tests are widely available. The administration notes those tests are on top of existing supply of rapid tests and that even a small increase will help ease some of the shortages. Additionally, private insurers will be required to cover the cost of at-home tests starting later this month.Test manufacturers have until Tuesday night to respond to the government's contract request, and the first awards are expected to be made this week. Meanwhile, the administration is still developing a system for Americans to order the tests as well as a means to ship them to peoples' homes.“We’ll set up a free and easy system, including a new website to get these tests out to Americans,” COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients said last week. “We’re actively working to finalize that distribution mechanism, which includes a website where people will be able to order tests for free. And we’ll share more details in the weeks ahead -- days and weeks ahead.”In a Monday letter, GOP Sens. Richard Burr and Roy Blunt, the top Republicans on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, pressed the Department of Health and Human Services for answers on how the administration was working to address nationwide testing shortages.“With over $82.6 billion specifically appropriated for testing, and flexibility within the department to allocate additional funds from COVID-19 supplemental bills or annual appropriations if necessary, it is unclear to us why we are facing such dire circumstances now," they wrote. “It does not appear to be because of lack of funding, but a more fundamental lack of strategy and a failure to anticipate future testing needs by the administration.”White House officials have noted that the spike in testing demand is driven not just by omicron, but by people seeking to travel safely during the holidays and return to school after, and that the shortages are global in nature.“Turns out, Omicron is driving a spike in demand for testing...everywhere,” tweeted Ben Wakana, the deputy director of strategic communications &amp; engagement for the White House's COVID-19 response team, highlighting similar shortages in the U.K., Canada and Australia.