&nbsp;WASHINGTON —Vice presidential nominees JD Vance and Tim Walz met on the the debate stage Tuesday night in New York.&nbsp; &nbsp;Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall used his social media account to share his opinion of the outcome and a portion of his national television interview.

Marshall said. "JD Vance walked into the debate last night with a handful of aces and queens to share Donald Trump’s accomplishments, from the economy to the southern border."

"Tim Walz came with twos and threes and could barely defend Kamala’s failed policies."

<p>&nbsp;WASHINGTON —Vice presidential nominees JD Vance and Tim Walz met on the the debate stage Tuesday night in New York.&nbsp; &nbsp;Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall used his social media account to share his opinion of the outcome and a portion of his national television interview.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JDVance</a> walked into the debate last night with a handful of aces and queens to share Donald Trump’s accomplishments, from the economy to the southern border. <br><br>Tim Walz came with twos and threes and could barely defend Kamala’s failed policies. <a href="https://t.co/ujuVNKJ9KK">pic.twitter.com/ujuVNKJ9KK</a></p>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1841522065611849800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Marshall said. "JD Vance walked into the debate last night with a handful of aces and queens to share Donald Trump’s accomplishments, from the economy to the southern border."</p><p>"Tim Walz came with twos and threes and could barely defend Kamala’s failed policies."</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JDVance</a> was a true class act - he won tonights debate by a landslide. 🏆 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VPDebate2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VPDebate2024</a></p>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1841311773397303420?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JDVance</a> graduated from the school of hard knocks AND Yale. There’s no beating that combo- he’s lived the American Dream and no one better than him and Trump to keep it alive. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VPDebate?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VPDebate</a></p>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1841286609536225380?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">It almost seems like <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JDVance</a> did interviews to prepare for this… <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VPDebate2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VPDebate2024</a></p>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1841306293950202210?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Election Day is November 5.</p>

🎥Kansas U.S. Senator shares opinion of VP candidate debate

KANSAS CITY— Emergency crews were on the scene of a large gas leak in a Kansas City neighborhood that prompted evacuations.

Just after 10a.m. Wednesday, crews responded&nbsp;&nbsp;to a reported natural gas leak in the area of 69th Terrace and Oak, according to Kansas City Fire Department Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.

First responders reported that a large diameter natural gas line had been struck by crews performing construction in the area. Spire Gas was ordered to the scene to mitigate the problem. 

KC Fire crews using their four-gas meter checked the school and surrounding structures for elevated gas levels and found zero readings. 

As a precaution the school administrators at&nbsp;Académie Lafayette Oak Campus,&nbsp;6903 Oak Street,&nbsp; Kansas City, made the decision to evacuate their students from the structure. This order was not given by KCFD. 

After multiple checks zero readings have been noted in the school or surrounding structures. Due to an 8 mph wind out of the south multiple calls to the north have been made for the smell of gas. 

The Spire gas dig team was on the scene and working to correct the ruptured line. No injuries have been reported. KCFD remains on the scene and will until the flow of natural gas is stopped.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727887655326.png" alt="Students and staff were evacuated from Académie Lafayette Oak Campus, 6903 Oak Street,  Kansas City- Google image" />
                        <figcaption>Students and staff were evacuated from Académie Lafayette Oak Campus, 6903 Oak Street,  Kansas City- Google image</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>KANSAS CITY— Emergency crews were on the scene of a large gas leak in a Kansas City neighborhood that prompted evacuations.</p><p>Just after 10a.m. Wednesday, crews responded&nbsp;&nbsp;to a reported natural gas leak in the area of 69th Terrace and Oak, according to Kansas City Fire Department Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.</p><p>First responders reported that a large diameter natural gas line had been struck by crews performing construction in the area. Spire Gas was ordered to the scene to mitigate the problem. </p><p>KC Fire crews using their four-gas meter checked the school and surrounding structures for elevated gas levels and found zero readings. </p><p>As a precaution the school administrators at&nbsp;Académie Lafayette Oak Campus,&nbsp;6903 Oak Street,&nbsp; Kansas City, made the decision to evacuate their students from the structure. This order was not given by KCFD. </p><p>After multiple checks zero readings have been noted in the school or surrounding structures. Due to an 8 mph wind out of the south multiple calls to the north have been made for the smell of gas. </p><p>The Spire gas dig team was on the scene and working to correct the ruptured line. No injuries have been reported. KCFD remains on the scene and will until the flow of natural gas is stopped.</p>

School, homes evacuated after gas leak in KC neighborhood

LAWRENCE — It’s a record year for the University of Kansas.

KU has its largest freshman class and its highest overall enrollment in history, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://aire.ku.edu/enrollment">annual data released Wednesday</a>

The record-setting freshman class includes 5,323 new Jayhawks — an increase of 1.2% from last year’s class, which at the time was the largest in KU history, according to a media release from the university.

Beyond the freshman class, KU’s overall enrollment has grown 4.8% to 30,770, eclipsing the previous all-time mark of 30,102 set in 2008. This increase includes a 5.6% jump at the Lawrence and Edwards campuses (which are counted together) and a 0.1% decrease at the KU Medical Center campuses.

“This is a special year for the University of Kansas,” said Chancellor Douglas A. Girod. “We are pleased to welcome this historic freshman class and to have grown our overall enrollment to the highest level in the 159-year history of the institution. These numbers confirm that talented students from across Kansas and the world see the value of attending a leading research institution like KU. Additionally, these enrollment numbers speak to the work our faculty and staff do to recruit talented students and support them as they earn their degrees.”

Freshman class size, talent and diversity

In addition to its historic size, this year’s freshman class is talented and diverse. The class boasts a record-high average high school GPA of 3.68. Minority students comprise 26.5% of the class, while out-of-state students account for a record-high 45% of the class.

Moreover, these first-year Jayhawks are entering fields that benefit the Kansas economy and strengthen Kansas communities, with all-time high numbers of freshmen enrolled in the School of Business, School of Education &amp; Human Sciences and School of Journalism.

“While we are pleased to have grown the size of our freshman class,” Girod said, “we are especially proud to have grown with talented, diverse students who are poised to address Kansas’ workforce needs in high-impact fields. Kansas employers look to KU as an engine of economic growth, and these freshmen will help us fulfill that role.”

KU leaders attribute the historic class to the university’s academic reputation and course offerings, recruitment strategies, nationwide network of donors and alumni, athletics profile and financial support from Kansas lawmakers.

Today’s data also include record-setting retention and graduation rates. This year, KU retained a record-high 86.5% of last year’s freshmen while also notching record-high four-year, five-year and six-year graduation rates.

“The number of new freshmen is the metric that often grabs the headlines, but equally important to our mission and overall enrollment is ensuring that we retain and support existing students as they work toward their degrees,” Girod said. “That’s why we are so proud of this year’s record-setting retention and graduation rates, and that’s why we must remain committed to improving the student experience through teaching, curriculum, advising, health care and other areas that matter to students.”

Girod said KU must continue working to overcome challenges facing higher education.

“This is a historic year for the University of Kansas, and we should all pause to celebrate and be proud of the work we’ve done,” he said. “That said, we must continue our work to recruit and retain top students and create a university they want to attend. Higher education continues to face challenges, and enrollments nationally are projected to continue dropping in the coming years. That’s why we must continue to improve our university through our&nbsp;<a href="https://strategicplan.ku.edu/">strategic priorities</a>&nbsp;in alignment with the Kansas Board of Regents’ strategic plan, the needs of Kansas businesses and communities, and our aspirations as one of the nation’s leading research institutions.”

<i>EDITOR'S NOTE: After using headcount as the unit of measure for many years, the Board of Regents in 2018 transitioned to a full-time equivalency metric. KU continues to use the headcount metric for the convenience of media, policymakers and others who are tracking KU’s year-over-year enrollment progress and want to make an apples-to-apples comparison with previous years’ data.</i>

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/9/1569013305712.png" alt="" />
                        <figcaption></figcaption>
                    </figure><p>LAWRENCE — It’s a record year for the University of Kansas.</p><p>KU has its largest freshman class and its highest overall enrollment in history, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://aire.ku.edu/enrollment">annual data released Wednesday</a></p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">BIG news. ❤️ This year’s first-year students have broken the record for the largest incoming class in KU history! 💙 Their addition to our community brought the total number of enrolled students to 30,770, setting another historic record. 💛 Rock Chalk! <a href="https://t.co/Guz5jbIHFi">pic.twitter.com/Guz5jbIHFi</a></p>&mdash; University of Kansas (@UnivOfKansas) <a href="https://twitter.com/UnivOfKansas/status/1841508743550308509?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>The record-setting freshman class includes 5,323 new Jayhawks — an increase of 1.2% from last year’s class, which at the time was the largest in KU history, according to a media release from the university.</p><p>Beyond the freshman class, KU’s overall enrollment has grown 4.8% to 30,770, eclipsing the previous all-time mark of 30,102 set in 2008. This increase includes a 5.6% jump at the Lawrence and Edwards campuses (which are counted together) and a 0.1% decrease at the KU Medical Center campuses.</p><p>“This is a special year for the University of Kansas,” said Chancellor Douglas A. Girod. “We are pleased to welcome this historic freshman class and to have grown our overall enrollment to the highest level in the 159-year history of the institution. These numbers confirm that talented students from across Kansas and the world see the value of attending a leading research institution like KU. Additionally, these enrollment numbers speak to the work our faculty and staff do to recruit talented students and support them as they earn their degrees.”</p><h2>Freshman class size, talent and diversity</h2><p>In addition to its historic size, this year’s freshman class is talented and diverse. The class boasts a record-high average high school GPA of 3.68. Minority students comprise 26.5% of the class, while out-of-state students account for a record-high 45% of the class.</p><p>Moreover, these first-year Jayhawks are entering fields that benefit the Kansas economy and strengthen Kansas communities, with all-time high numbers of freshmen enrolled in the School of Business, School of Education &amp; Human Sciences and School of Journalism.</p><p>“While we are pleased to have grown the size of our freshman class,” Girod said, “we are especially proud to have grown with talented, diverse students who are poised to address Kansas’ workforce needs in high-impact fields. Kansas employers look to KU as an engine of economic growth, and these freshmen will help us fulfill that role.”</p><p>KU leaders attribute the historic class to the university’s academic reputation and course offerings, recruitment strategies, nationwide network of donors and alumni, athletics profile and financial support from Kansas lawmakers.</p><h2>Retention and graduation rates</h2><p>Today’s data also include record-setting retention and graduation rates. This year, KU retained a record-high 86.5% of last year’s freshmen while also notching record-high four-year, five-year and six-year graduation rates.</p><p>“The number of new freshmen is the metric that often grabs the headlines, but equally important to our mission and overall enrollment is ensuring that we retain and support existing students as they work toward their degrees,” Girod said. “That’s why we are so proud of this year’s record-setting retention and graduation rates, and that’s why we must remain committed to improving the student experience through teaching, curriculum, advising, health care and other areas that matter to students.”</p><h2>Additional highlights</h2><ul>
                        <li>Minority student enrollment is now at an all-time high in terms of total count (7,960 students) and percentage of overall enrollment (25.9%).</li><li>KU has 17,402 in-state students (the most of any university in Kansas) representing all 105 counties in Kansas, as well as 13,368 out-of-state students (the most of any university in Kansas) from 50 states and 116 countries. Surveys show approximately one-third of out-of-state students join the Kansas workforce after graduation, making KU the state’s predominant net importer of talent to address Kansas’ workforce needs.</li><li>KU has a record-high 2,258 veterans, active-duty and military-connected students. This is an increase of 17.4% from last year.</li>
                    </ul><h2>Looking ahead</h2><p>Girod said KU must continue working to overcome challenges facing higher education.</p><p>“This is a historic year for the University of Kansas, and we should all pause to celebrate and be proud of the work we’ve done,” he said. “That said, we must continue our work to recruit and retain top students and create a university they want to attend. Higher education continues to face challenges, and enrollments nationally are projected to continue dropping in the coming years. That’s why we must continue to improve our university through our&nbsp;<a href="https://strategicplan.ku.edu/">strategic priorities</a>&nbsp;in alignment with the Kansas Board of Regents’ strategic plan, the needs of Kansas businesses and communities, and our aspirations as one of the nation’s leading research institutions.”</p><p><i>EDITOR'S NOTE: After using headcount as the unit of measure for many years, the Board of Regents in 2018 transitioned to a full-time equivalency metric. KU continues to use the headcount metric for the convenience of media, policymakers and others who are tracking KU’s year-over-year enrollment progress and want to make an apples-to-apples comparison with previous years’ data.</i></p>

KU sets all-time marks for freshman class size, overall enrollment

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. ports from Maine to Texas shut down Tuesday when the union representing about 45,000 dockworkers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/port-strike-ila-dockworkers-begins-e5468e760f46a64e4322d1702beb1f72">went on strike</a>&nbsp;for the first time since 1977.

Workers began walking picket lines early Tuesday, picketing near ports all along the East Coast. Workers outside the Port of Philadelphia walked in a circle and chanted, “No work without a fair contract.”

A lengthy shutdown could raise prices on goods around the country and potentially cause shortages and price increases at big and small retailers alike as the holiday shopping season — along with a tight presidential election —&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/%E2%80%9CFirst%20and%20foremost,%20we%20can%20expect%20delays%20to%20market.%20And%20those%20delays%20depend%20on%20really%20what%20the%20commodities%20are%20and%20priorities%20at%20the%20ports%20and%20how%20quickly%20things%20move,%E2%80%9D%20said%20Mark%20Baxa,%20president%20of%20the%20Council%20of%20Supply%20Chain%20Management%20Professionals.">approaches</a>.

What are the issues in the dockworkers strike?

The International Longshoremen’s Association is demanding significantly higher wages and a total ban on the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/longshoremen-strike-pay-automation-ports-jobs-consumers-3aa66e0a05db25a49645fad404a5f000">automation of cranes, gates and container-moving trucks</a>&nbsp;that are used in the loading or unloading of freight at 36 U.S. ports. Those ports handle roughly half of the nations’ cargo from ships.

The contract between the ILA and the United States Maritime Alliance, which represents the ports, expired Tuesday. Some progress was reported in talks late Monday, but the union went on strike anyway.

The union’s opening offer was for a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/longshoremen-strike-pay-automation-ports-jobs-consumers-3aa66e0a05db25a49645fad404a5f000">77% pay raise over the six-year life of the contract</a>, with President Harold Daggett saying it’s necessary to make up for inflation and years of small raises. ILA members make a base salary of about $81,000 per year, but some can pull in over $200,000 annually with large amounts of overtime.

Monday evening, the alliance said it had increased its offer to 50% raises over six years, and it pledged to keep limits on automation in place from the old contract. The alliance also said its offer tripled employer contributions to retirement plans and strengthened health care options.

While any port can handle any type of goods, some ports are specialized to handle goods for a particular industry. The ports affected by the shutdown include Baltimore and Brunswick, Georgia, the top two busiest auto ports; Philadelphia, which gives priority to fruits and vegetables; and New Orleans, which handles coffee, mainly from South America and Southeast Asia, various chemicals from Mexico and North Europe, and wood products such as plywood from Asia and South America.

Other major ports affected include Boston; New York/New Jersey; Norfolk, Virginia; Wilmington, North Carolina; Charleston, South Carolina;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-port-strike-threat-longshoremen-savannah-georgia-d80689a9ab83fb3345df029e91b0abc8">Savannah, Georgia</a>; Tampa, Florida; Mobile, Alabama; and Houston.

If a strike were deemed a danger to U.S. economic health, President Joe Biden could, under the 1947 Taft-Hartley Act, seek a court order for an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ports-strike-biden-longshoreman-buttigieg-2d62f1ffd8fe686bc7dc0f6d6001f0a5">80-day cooling-off period</a>. This would suspend the strike.

But Biden, during an exchange with reporters on Sunday, said “no” when asked if he planned to intervene to plan a potential work stoppage impacting East Coast ports.

“Because it’s collective bargaining, I don’t believe in Taft-Hartley,” Biden said.

The strike could last weeks — or months. If the strike is resolved within a few weeks, consumers probably wouldn’t notice any major shortages of retail goods. But a strike that persists for more than a month would likely cause a shortage of some consumer products, although most holiday retail goods have already arrived from overseas. Shoppers could see higher prices on a vast array of goods, from fruit and vegetables to cars.

Since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-lifestyle-health-business-prices-66e5f5612c0a56c18ac218425e2cd20a">major supply chain disruption in 2021</a>&nbsp;caused by pandemic bottlenecks, retailers have adapted to supply chain disrupters being “the new norm,” said Rick Haase, owner of a mini-chain of Patina gift shops in and around the Twin Cities in Minnesota.

“The best approach for Patina has been to secure orders early and have the goods in our warehouse and back rooms to ensure we are in stock on key goods,” Haase said.

Jay Foreman, CEO of Basic Fun, a Boca Raton, Florida-based maker of such toys as Care Bears and Lincoln Logs, has been monitoring the port situation for months and planned for it by shifting all of its container shipments to the West Coast ports, primarily Los Angeles and Long Beach, away from ports in New York and Newark, New Jersey. But he said the shift added anywhere from 10% to 20% extra costs that his company will have to absorb. He noted that Basic Fun’s prices for the next 10 months are locked in with retailers, but he could see raising prices during the second half of 2025 if the strike is prolonged.

Daniel Vasquez, who owns Dynamic Auto Movers in Miami, which specializes in importing and exporting vehicles, increased inventory, specifically for vehicles that take longer to ship, in anticipation of a strike.

He has also stopped relying on one port or shipping partner and has expanded his relationship with smaller ports and shipping companies that can bypass congested&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/%E2%80%9CThis%20move%20provides%20us%20with%20an%20edge%20%E2%80%94%20having%20backup%20partners%20in%20place%20means%20we%20can%20reroute%20shipments%20efficiently%20if%20the%20strike%20hits%20hard,%E2%80%9D%20Vasquez%20said.">areas</a>.

How will a strike affect holiday shopping?

Jonathan Gold, vice president of the supply chain and customs policy at the National Retail Federation, the nation’s largest retail trade group, said the strike arrives with the supply network continuing to face challenges from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-red-sea-attacks-israel-hamas-war-2faa48176d4f773003b6a4a3ad5ca73d">Houthi attacks on commercial shipping</a>&nbsp;that have essentially shut down the use of the Red Sea and Suez Canal.

The uncertainty over the supply chain is taking place at the peak of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/holiday-shopping">holiday shipping season</a>&nbsp;for retailers, which traditionally runs from July through early November. Many big retailers, anticipating a strike, started shipping their goods to U.S. distribution centers in June, and Gold said that the majority of products ordered are already in the U.S.

But retailers will have a hard time replenishing items and are incurring extra warehouse costs to store goods longer. Gold also noted that carriers are already announcing surcharges on containers to address potential disruptions.

Greg Ahearn, president and CEO of The Toy Association, the nation’s leading toy trade group, noted that a strike would happen at an extremely critical time for toy sellers and makers — up to 60% of a toy company’s annual sales come during the fourth quarter.

The holiday shipping window for the toy industry is anywhere from six to eight weeks and started in July, though some toy companies tried to ship earlier or add more toys to shipments, Ahearn said.

“It hits many ways,” he said. “From a consumer perspective, it starts with delays in availability and then starts to surface as product shortages within toys. At retail for the toy industry, it results in potentially higher prices based on scarcity and increased costs.”

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727829433100.png" alt="Photo courtesy ILA" />
                        <figcaption>Photo courtesy ILA</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. ports from Maine to Texas shut down Tuesday when the union representing about 45,000 dockworkers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/port-strike-ila-dockworkers-begins-e5468e760f46a64e4322d1702beb1f72">went on strike</a>&nbsp;for the first time since 1977.</p><p>Workers began walking picket lines early Tuesday, picketing near ports all along the East Coast. Workers outside the Port of Philadelphia walked in a circle and chanted, “No work without a fair contract.”</p><p>A lengthy shutdown could raise prices on goods around the country and potentially cause shortages and price increases at big and small retailers alike as the holiday shopping season — along with a tight presidential election —&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/%E2%80%9CFirst%20and%20foremost,%20we%20can%20expect%20delays%20to%20market.%20And%20those%20delays%20depend%20on%20really%20what%20the%20commodities%20are%20and%20priorities%20at%20the%20ports%20and%20how%20quickly%20things%20move,%E2%80%9D%20said%20Mark%20Baxa,%20president%20of%20the%20Council%20of%20Supply%20Chain%20Management%20Professionals.">approaches</a>.</p><h2>What are the issues in the dockworkers strike?</h2><p>The International Longshoremen’s Association is demanding significantly higher wages and a total ban on the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/longshoremen-strike-pay-automation-ports-jobs-consumers-3aa66e0a05db25a49645fad404a5f000">automation of cranes, gates and container-moving trucks</a>&nbsp;that are used in the loading or unloading of freight at 36 U.S. ports. Those ports handle roughly half of the nations’ cargo from ships.</p><p>The contract between the ILA and the United States Maritime Alliance, which represents the ports, expired Tuesday. Some progress was reported in talks late Monday, but the union went on strike anyway.</p><p>The union’s opening offer was for a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/longshoremen-strike-pay-automation-ports-jobs-consumers-3aa66e0a05db25a49645fad404a5f000">77% pay raise over the six-year life of the contract</a>, with President Harold Daggett saying it’s necessary to make up for inflation and years of small raises. ILA members make a base salary of about $81,000 per year, but some can pull in over $200,000 annually with large amounts of overtime.</p><p>Monday evening, the alliance said it had increased its offer to 50% raises over six years, and it pledged to keep limits on automation in place from the old contract. The alliance also said its offer tripled employer contributions to retirement plans and strengthened health care options.</p><h2>Which ports are affected?</h2><p>While any port can handle any type of goods, some ports are specialized to handle goods for a particular industry. The ports affected by the shutdown include Baltimore and Brunswick, Georgia, the top two busiest auto ports; Philadelphia, which gives priority to fruits and vegetables; and New Orleans, which handles coffee, mainly from South America and Southeast Asia, various chemicals from Mexico and North Europe, and wood products such as plywood from Asia and South America.</p><p>Other major ports affected include Boston; New York/New Jersey; Norfolk, Virginia; Wilmington, North Carolina; Charleston, South Carolina;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-port-strike-threat-longshoremen-savannah-georgia-d80689a9ab83fb3345df029e91b0abc8">Savannah, Georgia</a>; Tampa, Florida; Mobile, Alabama; and Houston.</p><h2>Can the government intervene?</h2><p>If a strike were deemed a danger to U.S. economic health, President Joe Biden could, under the 1947 Taft-Hartley Act, seek a court order for an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ports-strike-biden-longshoreman-buttigieg-2d62f1ffd8fe686bc7dc0f6d6001f0a5">80-day cooling-off period</a>. This would suspend the strike.</p><p>But Biden, during an exchange with reporters on Sunday, said “no” when asked if he planned to intervene to plan a potential work stoppage impacting East Coast ports.</p><p>“Because it’s collective bargaining, I don’t believe in Taft-Hartley,” Biden said.</p><h2>How will this affect consumers?</h2><p>The strike could last weeks — or months. If the strike is resolved within a few weeks, consumers probably wouldn’t notice any major shortages of retail goods. But a strike that persists for more than a month would likely cause a shortage of some consumer products, although most holiday retail goods have already arrived from overseas. Shoppers could see higher prices on a vast array of goods, from fruit and vegetables to cars.</p><h2>Businesses are making contingency plans</h2><p>Since the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-lifestyle-health-business-prices-66e5f5612c0a56c18ac218425e2cd20a">major supply chain disruption in 2021</a>&nbsp;caused by pandemic bottlenecks, retailers have adapted to supply chain disrupters being “the new norm,” said Rick Haase, owner of a mini-chain of Patina gift shops in and around the Twin Cities in Minnesota.</p><p>“The best approach for Patina has been to secure orders early and have the goods in our warehouse and back rooms to ensure we are in stock on key goods,” Haase said.</p><p>Jay Foreman, CEO of Basic Fun, a Boca Raton, Florida-based maker of such toys as Care Bears and Lincoln Logs, has been monitoring the port situation for months and planned for it by shifting all of its container shipments to the West Coast ports, primarily Los Angeles and Long Beach, away from ports in New York and Newark, New Jersey. But he said the shift added anywhere from 10% to 20% extra costs that his company will have to absorb. He noted that Basic Fun’s prices for the next 10 months are locked in with retailers, but he could see raising prices during the second half of 2025 if the strike is prolonged.</p><p>Daniel Vasquez, who owns Dynamic Auto Movers in Miami, which specializes in importing and exporting vehicles, increased inventory, specifically for vehicles that take longer to ship, in anticipation of a strike.</p><p>He has also stopped relying on one port or shipping partner and has expanded his relationship with smaller ports and shipping companies that can bypass congested&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/%E2%80%9CThis%20move%20provides%20us%20with%20an%20edge%20%E2%80%94%20having%20backup%20partners%20in%20place%20means%20we%20can%20reroute%20shipments%20efficiently%20if%20the%20strike%20hits%20hard,%E2%80%9D%20Vasquez%20said.">areas</a>.</p><h2>How will a strike affect holiday shopping?</h2><p>Jonathan Gold, vice president of the supply chain and customs policy at the National Retail Federation, the nation’s largest retail trade group, said the strike arrives with the supply network continuing to face challenges from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-red-sea-attacks-israel-hamas-war-2faa48176d4f773003b6a4a3ad5ca73d">Houthi attacks on commercial shipping</a>&nbsp;that have essentially shut down the use of the Red Sea and Suez Canal.</p><p>The uncertainty over the supply chain is taking place at the peak of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/holiday-shopping">holiday shipping season</a>&nbsp;for retailers, which traditionally runs from July through early November. Many big retailers, anticipating a strike, started shipping their goods to U.S. distribution centers in June, and Gold said that the majority of products ordered are already in the U.S.</p><p>But retailers will have a hard time replenishing items and are incurring extra warehouse costs to store goods longer. Gold also noted that carriers are already announcing surcharges on containers to address potential disruptions.</p><p>Greg Ahearn, president and CEO of The Toy Association, the nation’s leading toy trade group, noted that a strike would happen at an extremely critical time for toy sellers and makers — up to 60% of a toy company’s annual sales come during the fourth quarter.</p><p>The holiday shipping window for the toy industry is anywhere from six to eight weeks and started in July, though some toy companies tried to ship earlier or add more toys to shipments, Ahearn said.</p><p>“It hits many ways,” he said. “From a consumer perspective, it starts with delays in availability and then starts to surface as product shortages within toys. At retail for the toy industry, it results in potentially higher prices based on scarcity and increased costs.”</p><p>___</p>

Expect shortages, higher prices if a dockworkers strike drags on

BARTON COUNTY — The Barton County Sheriff's Office responded to discussion about an arrest made on September 30 and released body camera video of the encounter.&nbsp; The Sheriff's office in a social media report said much of that information discussed in the community is incorrect.

 Just after 2a.m. Monday, a deputy with the Barton County Sheriff’s office observed a vehicle traveling southbound on Main Street in the city of Great Bend, according to Sheriff Brian Bellendir.

The driver failed to stop behind the stop line at the intersection of 10th and Main.  The deputy initiated a traffic stop and the driver pulled into a convenience store at 10th and Morton.

The deputy approached the vehicle and politely identified himself and his agency as well as the reason for the stop. The driver was asked for his driver’s license and proof of insurance. 

The driver refused to give the deputy his driver’s license in violation of KSA 8-244. This statute is a misdemeanor and an arrestable offense. The driver was arguing about the reason for the traffic stop as well as stating he did not have to show the officer his license. 

The deputy opened the car door to place the driver under arrest at which time a struggle ensued. During the course of the struggle the deputy warned the suspect “I will tase you."&nbsp;

 The suspect was able to escape the deputy’s grasp and attempted to flee on foot, at which point the deputy deployed a Taser. The suspect was running away from the deputy and fell striking his face on the pavement when the effects of the Taser took place.

The deputy had called for assistance and officers from the Great Bend Police Department arrived at the scene and assisted in securing the suspect. 

The Great Bend Fire Department EMS service was called and examined the suspect. He was later transported to University of Kansas Health Systems for medical treatment and released at which time he was transported to the Barton County Jail.

The suspect was identified as Daniel Zuniga, 18 of Hoisington.  Zuniga was booked on requested charges of battery of a law enforcement officer, interference of a law enforcement officer and the traffic charges. He has since posted a $2500 bond and was released. The incident has been reviewed by the administrative staff at the Sheriff’s Office. We find no violations of department policy or Kansas Statutes.

<p>BARTON COUNTY — The Barton County Sheriff's Office responded to discussion about an arrest made on September 30 and released body camera video of the encounter.&nbsp; The Sheriff's office in a social media report said much of that information discussed in the community is incorrect.</p><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=311&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fbtsokansas%2Fvideos%2F1895057217654838%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=37" width="560" height="311" 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><p> Just after 2a.m. Monday, a deputy with the Barton County Sheriff’s office observed a vehicle traveling southbound on Main Street in the city of Great Bend, according to Sheriff Brian Bellendir.</p><p>The driver failed to stop behind the stop line at the intersection of 10th and Main.  The deputy initiated a traffic stop and the driver pulled into a convenience store at 10th and Morton.</p><p>The deputy approached the vehicle and politely identified himself and his agency as well as the reason for the stop. The driver was asked for his driver’s license and proof of insurance. </p><p>The driver refused to give the deputy his driver’s license in violation of KSA 8-244. This statute is a misdemeanor and an arrestable offense. The driver was arguing about the reason for the traffic stop as well as stating he did not have to show the officer his license. </p><p>The deputy opened the car door to place the driver under arrest at which time a struggle ensued. During the course of the struggle the deputy warned the suspect “I will tase you."&nbsp;</p><p> The suspect was able to escape the deputy’s grasp and attempted to flee on foot, at which point the deputy deployed a Taser. The suspect was running away from the deputy and fell striking his face on the pavement when the effects of the Taser took place.</p><p>The deputy had called for assistance and officers from the Great Bend Police Department arrived at the scene and assisted in securing the suspect. </p><p>The Great Bend Fire Department EMS service was called and examined the suspect. He was later transported to University of Kansas Health Systems for medical treatment and released at which time he was transported to the Barton County Jail.</p><p>The suspect was identified as Daniel Zuniga, 18 of Hoisington.  Zuniga was booked on requested charges of battery of a law enforcement officer, interference of a law enforcement officer and the traffic charges. He has since posted a $2500 bond and was released. The incident has been reviewed by the administrative staff at the Sheriff’s Office. We find no violations of department policy or Kansas Statutes.</p>

🎥Sheriff releases video after criticism on arrest of Kansas teen

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice presidential hopefuls&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tim-walz">Tim Walz</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jd-vance">JD Vance</a>&nbsp;focused their criticism on the top of the ticket on Tuesday as they engaged in a policy-heavy discussion that may be the last debate of the 2024 presidential campaign.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?538521-1/simulcast-cbs-news-vice-presidential-debate">Click here to watch a full replay of the debate&nbsp;&nbsp;</a>via CSPAN courtesy CBS&nbsp;

It was the first encounter between Minnesota’s Democratic governor and Ohio’s Republican senator, following last month’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-trump-debate-tuesday-6ad8c03f6bf1ae88870b7db26276236e">debate</a>&nbsp;between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. It comes just five weeks before Election Day and as millions of voters are now able to cast early ballots.

Tuesday’s confrontation played out as the stakes of the contest rose again after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-lebanon-hezbollah-gaza-news-10-01-2024-eb175dff6e46906caea8b9e43dfbd3da">Iran fired missiles</a>&nbsp;into Israel, while a devastating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rainfall-helene-carolina-tennessee-georgia-climate-change-flood-fcba634e14a0ffa1a8e1fa85d7e2b390">hurricane</a>&nbsp;and potentially debilitating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dockworkers-strike-ports-ila-longshoremen-91703e4798dbc9ee82185e983f31a3f6">port strike</a>&nbsp;roiled the country at home. Over and again, Walz and Vance outlined the policy and character differences between their running mates, while trying to introduce themselves to the country.

Here are some takeaways from Tuesday’s debate.

With Mideast in turmoil, Walz promises ‘steady leadership' and Vance offers ’peace through strength'

Iran’s ballistic missile attack on Israel on Tuesday elicited a contrast between the Democratic and Republican tickets on foreign policy: Walz promised “steady leadership” under Harris while Vance pledged a return to “peace through strength” if Trump is returned to the White House.

The differing visions of what American leadership should look like overshadowed the sharp policy differences between the two tickets.

The Iranian threat to the region and U.S. interests around the world opened the debate, with Walz pivoting the topic to criticism of Trump.

“What’s fundamental here is that steady leadership is going to matter,” Walz said, then referenced the “nearly 80-year-old Donald Trump talking about crowd sizes” and responding to global crises by tweet.

Vance, for his part, promised a return to “effective deterrence” under&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-north-america-donald-trump-iran-nuclear-politics-6c7bbec22af14e03b85daa568b46533d">Trump against Iran</a>, brushing back on Walz’s criticism of Trump by attacking Harris and her role in the Biden administration.

“Who has been the vice president for the last three and a half years and the answer is your running mate, not mine,” he said. He pointedly noted that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-rockets-airstrikes-tel-aviv-11fb98655c256d54ecb5329284fc37d2">Hamas attacks on Israel</a>&nbsp;on Oct. 7, 2023, happened “during the administration of Kamala Harris.”

Vance and Walz punch up rather than at each other

Vance and Walz trained the bulk of their attacks not on their onstage rivals, but on the running mates who weren’t in the room.

Both vice presidential nominees sought to convey a genial mien as they lobbed criticism at Harris and Trump, respectively.

It was a reflection of the fact that most voters don’t cast a ballot based on the vice president, and on a vice presidential nominee’s historic role in serving as the attack dog for their running mates.

Walz pointedly attacked Trump for failing to meet his pledge of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-immigration-mexico-473c8491da5061e8632a4dd5593ad3d4">building a physical barrier</a>&nbsp;across the entire U.S.-Mexico border at the country’s southern neighbor’s expense.

“Less than 2% of that wall got built and Mexico didn’t pay a dime,” Walz said.

Underscoring the focus on the top of the ticket, during a back-and-forth about immigration, Vance said to his opponent, “I think that you want to solve this problem, but I don’t think that Kamala Harris does.”

It was a wonky policy debate, with talk of risk pools, housing regulations and energy policy

In an age of world-class disses optimized for social media, Tuesday’s debate was a detour into substance. Both candidates took a low-key approach and both enthusiastically delved into the minutiae.

Walz dug into the drafting of the Affordable Care Act when he was in the House in 2009, and pushed Vance on the senator’s claim that Trump, who tried to eliminate the law, actually helped preserve it. Vance, defending his claim that illegal immigration pushes up housing prices, cited a Federal Reserve study to back himself up. Walz talked about how Minneapolis tinkered with local regulations to boost the housing supply. Both men talked about the overlap between energy policy, trade and climate change.

It was a very different style than often seen in presidential debates over the past several election cycles.

Walz pounced on Vance repeatedly over abortion access and reproductive rights as the Ohio senator tried to argue that a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">state-by-state matrix of abortion laws</a>&nbsp;is the ideal approach for the United States. Walz countered that a “basic right” for a woman should not be determined “by geography.”

“This is a very simple proposition: These are women’s decisions,” Walz said. “We trust women. We trust doctors.”

Walz sought to personalize the issue by referencing the death of Amber Thurman, who&nbsp;<a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/georgia-abortion-ban-amber-thurman-death">waited more than 20 hours</a>&nbsp;at the hospital for a routine medical procedure known as a D&amp;C to clear out remaining tissue after taking abortion pills. She developed sepsis and died.

Rather than sidestep the reference, Vance at one point agreed with Walz that “Amber Thurman should still be alive.”

Vance steered the conversation to the GOP ticket’s proposals he said would help women and children economically, thus avoiding the need for terminating pregnancies. But Walz retorted that such policies — tax credits, expanded childcare aid, a more even economy — can be pursued while still allowing women to make their own decisions about abortion.

Both candidates put a domestic spin on climate change

In the wake of the devastation of Hurricane Helene, Vance took a question about climate change and gave an answer about jobs and manufacturing, taking a detour around Trump's past claims that global warming is a “hoax.”

Vance contended that the best way to fight&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/climate-change">climate change</a>&nbsp;was to move more manufacturing to the United States, because the country has the world’s cleanest energy economy. It was a distinctly domestic spin on a global crisis, especially after Trump pulled the U.S. out of the international Paris climate accords during his administration.

Walz also kept the climate change focus domestic, touting the Biden administration’s renewable energy investments as well as record levels of oil and natural gas production. “You can see us becoming an energy superpower in the future,” Walz said.

It was a decidedly optimistic take on a pervasive and grim global problem.

Walz, Vance each blame opposing presidential candidate for immigration stalemate

The two running mates agreed that the number of migrants in the U.S. illegally is a problem. But each laid the blame on the opposing presidential nominee.

Vance echoed Trump by repeatedly calling Harris the “border czar” and suggested that she, as vice president, single-handedly rolled back the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/immigration">immigration</a>&nbsp;restrictions Trump had imposed as president. The result, in Vance’s telling, is an unchecked flow of fentanyl, strain on state and local resources and increased housing prices around the country.

Harris was never asked to be the “border czar” and she was never specifically given the responsibility for security on the border. She was tasked by Biden in March 2021 with tackling the “root causes” of migration from the Central American countries of Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador and pushing leaders there and in Mexico to enforce immigration laws. Harris was not empowered to set U.S. immigration policy — only the president can sign executive orders and Harris was not empowered as Biden’s proxy in negotiations with Congress on immigration law.

Walz advanced Democrats’ arguments that Trump single-handedly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-ukraine-aid-border-security-386dcc54b29a5491f8bd87b727a284f8">killed a bipartisan Senate deal</a>&nbsp;to tighten border security and boost the processing system for immigrants and asylum seekers. Republicans backed off the deal, Walz noted, only after Trump said it wasn’t good enough.

Both candidates leaned on tried-and-true debate tactics — including not answering tough questions

Asked directly whether Trump’s promise to deport millions of illegal immigrants would remove parents of U.S.-born children, Vance never answered the question. Instead, the senator tried to put his best spin on Trump’s plan to use the military to help with deportations and pivot to attacking Harris for a porous border. Asked to respond to Trump’s having called climate change a “hoax,” Vance also avoided a response.

The debate kicked off with Walz being asked if he’d support a preemptive strike by Israel against Iran. Walz praised Harris’ foreign policy leadership but never answered that question, either.

And at the end of the debate, Vance would not answer Walz’s direct question of whether Trump indeed lost the 2020 election.

Walz has stumbles and lands punches in uneven night

Walz had several verbal stumbles on a night in which he admitted to “misspeaking” often. In the debate’s opening moments, he confused Iran and Israel when discussing the Middle East.

At one point he said he had “become friends with school shooters,” and he stumbled through an explanation of inaccurate remarks about whether he was in Hong Kong during the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. (&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/walz-china-tiananmen-square-protests-8d433bf7184e8c430aa31d1f5460fe87">He was not</a>.)

But the governor noticeably put Vance on the defensive over abortion and, near the end of the debate, with a pointed question about whether Trump won the 2020 election.

Vance stays on a limb on Jan. 6 insurrection

The candidates went out of their way to be polite to each other until the very end, when Vance refused to back down from his statements that he wouldn’t have certified Trump's 2020 election loss.

Vance tried to turn the issue to claims that the “much bigger threat to democracy” was Democrats trying to censor people on social media. But Walz wouldn’t let go.

“This one is troubling to me,” said Walz, noting that he’d just been praising some of Vance’s answers. He rattled off the ways Trump tried to overturn his 2020 loss and noted that the candidate still insists he won that contest. Then Walz asked Vance if Trump actually lost the election.

Vance responded by asking if Harris censored people.

“That is a damning non-answer,” said Walz, noting that Trump’s former vice president, Mike Pence, wasn’t on the debate stage because he stood up to Trump on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">Jan. 6, 2021,</a>&nbsp;and presided over Congress’ certification of the former president’s loss.

“America,” Walz concluded, “I think you’ve got a really clear choice on this election of who’s going to honor that democracy and who’s going to honor Donald Trump.”

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727831426274.png" alt="Image courtesy CBS via CSPAN" />
                        <figcaption>Image courtesy CBS via CSPAN</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice presidential hopefuls&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/tim-walz">Tim Walz</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jd-vance">JD Vance</a>&nbsp;focused their criticism on the top of the ticket on Tuesday as they engaged in a policy-heavy discussion that may be the last debate of the 2024 presidential campaign.</p><p><a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?538521-1/simulcast-cbs-news-vice-presidential-debate">Click here to watch a full replay of the debate&nbsp;&nbsp;</a>via CSPAN courtesy CBS&nbsp;</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Gov. <a href="https://twitter.com/Tim_Walz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Tim_Walz</a> on abortion: &quot;This is about health care. In Minnesota we are ranked first in health care for a reason. We trust women. We trust doctors.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/3YZpr6jrbz">pic.twitter.com/3YZpr6jrbz</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1841298078038438056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sen. <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JDVance</a> on abortion: &quot;My party, we&#39;ve got to do so much better of a job at earning the American people&#39;s trust back on this issue where they, frankly, they just don&#39;t trust us...I want us as a Republican Party to be pro family is the fullest sense of the word.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/l1GE9Qfhzx">pic.twitter.com/l1GE9Qfhzx</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1841298293181038670?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/margbrennan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@margbrennan</a>: &quot;The audience can&#39;t hear you because your mics are cut.&quot; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VPDebate2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VPDebate2024</a> <a href="https://t.co/2BNCEhcK3l">pic.twitter.com/2BNCEhcK3l</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1841293277384856041?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sen. <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JDVance</a> on his past comments on Donald Trump: &quot;I was wrong on Donald Trump.&quot; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VPDebate2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VPDebate2024</a> <a href="https://t.co/EmbDyD6dER">pic.twitter.com/EmbDyD6dER</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1841297881279467778?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sen. <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JDVance</a> on building new homes: &quot;We don&#39;t want to blame immigrants for higher housing prices. But, we do want to blame Kamala Harris for letting in millions of illegal aliens into this country which does drive up costs.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/eeIrIPhXZM">pic.twitter.com/eeIrIPhXZM</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1841302412025327877?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">During exchange on gun violence: <br><br>Sen. <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JDVance</a>: &quot;We have to empower law enforcement...our schools, we&#39;ve got to talk about more security.&quot;<br><br>Gov. <a href="https://twitter.com/Tim_Walz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Tim_Walz</a>: &quot;I sat in that office with those Sandy Hook parents. I&#39;ve become friends with school shooters. I&#39;ve seen it.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/idFExcHbef">pic.twitter.com/idFExcHbef</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1841308417744425458?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Gov. <a href="https://twitter.com/Tim_Walz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Tim_Walz</a>: &quot;Did he lose the 2020 election?&quot;<br><br>Sen. <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JDVance</a>: &quot;Tim, I&#39;m focused on the future. Did Kamala Harris censor Americans from speaking their mind in the wake of the 2020 COVID situation?&quot;<br><br>Walz: &quot;That&#39;s a damning non-answer.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/v0PXnbuewL">pic.twitter.com/v0PXnbuewL</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1841309223096897957?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Gov. <a href="https://twitter.com/Tim_Walz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Tim_Walz</a> closing statement. <a href="https://t.co/iyjc6DT8Mu">pic.twitter.com/iyjc6DT8Mu</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1841312345404182981?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sen. <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JDVance</a> closing statement. <a href="https://t.co/E4q4WtYkNu">pic.twitter.com/E4q4WtYkNu</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1841312447740739940?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>It was the first encounter between Minnesota’s Democratic governor and Ohio’s Republican senator, following last month’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-trump-debate-tuesday-6ad8c03f6bf1ae88870b7db26276236e">debate</a>&nbsp;between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. It comes just five weeks before Election Day and as millions of voters are now able to cast early ballots.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727835042038.png" alt="Image courtesy CBS via CSPAN" />
                        <figcaption>Image courtesy CBS via CSPAN</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>Tuesday’s confrontation played out as the stakes of the contest rose again after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-lebanon-hezbollah-gaza-news-10-01-2024-eb175dff6e46906caea8b9e43dfbd3da">Iran fired missiles</a>&nbsp;into Israel, while a devastating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rainfall-helene-carolina-tennessee-georgia-climate-change-flood-fcba634e14a0ffa1a8e1fa85d7e2b390">hurricane</a>&nbsp;and potentially debilitating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dockworkers-strike-ports-ila-longshoremen-91703e4798dbc9ee82185e983f31a3f6">port strike</a>&nbsp;roiled the country at home. Over and again, Walz and Vance outlined the policy and character differences between their running mates, while trying to introduce themselves to the country.</p><p>Here are some takeaways from Tuesday’s debate.</p><h2>With Mideast in turmoil, Walz promises ‘steady leadership' and Vance offers ’peace through strength'</h2><p>Iran’s ballistic missile attack on Israel on Tuesday elicited a contrast between the Democratic and Republican tickets on foreign policy: Walz promised “steady leadership” under Harris while Vance pledged a return to “peace through strength” if Trump is returned to the White House.</p><p>The differing visions of what American leadership should look like overshadowed the sharp policy differences between the two tickets.</p><p>The Iranian threat to the region and U.S. interests around the world opened the debate, with Walz pivoting the topic to criticism of Trump.</p><p>“What’s fundamental here is that steady leadership is going to matter,” Walz said, then referenced the “nearly 80-year-old Donald Trump talking about crowd sizes” and responding to global crises by tweet.</p><p>Vance, for his part, promised a return to “effective deterrence” under&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-north-america-donald-trump-iran-nuclear-politics-6c7bbec22af14e03b85daa568b46533d">Trump against Iran</a>, brushing back on Walz’s criticism of Trump by attacking Harris and her role in the Biden administration.</p><p>“Who has been the vice president for the last three and a half years and the answer is your running mate, not mine,” he said. He pointedly noted that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-rockets-airstrikes-tel-aviv-11fb98655c256d54ecb5329284fc37d2">Hamas attacks on Israel</a>&nbsp;on Oct. 7, 2023, happened “during the administration of Kamala Harris.”</p><h2>Vance and Walz punch up rather than at each other</h2><p>Vance and Walz trained the bulk of their attacks not on their onstage rivals, but on the running mates who weren’t in the room.</p><p>Both vice presidential nominees sought to convey a genial mien as they lobbed criticism at Harris and Trump, respectively.</p><p>It was a reflection of the fact that most voters don’t cast a ballot based on the vice president, and on a vice presidential nominee’s historic role in serving as the attack dog for their running mates.</p><p>Walz pointedly attacked Trump for failing to meet his pledge of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-immigration-mexico-473c8491da5061e8632a4dd5593ad3d4">building a physical barrier</a>&nbsp;across the entire U.S.-Mexico border at the country’s southern neighbor’s expense.</p><p>“Less than 2% of that wall got built and Mexico didn’t pay a dime,” Walz said.</p><p>Underscoring the focus on the top of the ticket, during a back-and-forth about immigration, Vance said to his opponent, “I think that you want to solve this problem, but I don’t think that Kamala Harris does.”</p><h2>It was a wonky policy debate, with talk of risk pools, housing regulations and energy policy</h2><p>In an age of world-class disses optimized for social media, Tuesday’s debate was a detour into substance. Both candidates took a low-key approach and both enthusiastically delved into the minutiae.</p><p>Walz dug into the drafting of the Affordable Care Act when he was in the House in 2009, and pushed Vance on the senator’s claim that Trump, who tried to eliminate the law, actually helped preserve it. Vance, defending his claim that illegal immigration pushes up housing prices, cited a Federal Reserve study to back himself up. Walz talked about how Minneapolis tinkered with local regulations to boost the housing supply. Both men talked about the overlap between energy policy, trade and climate change.</p><p>It was a very different style than often seen in presidential debates over the past several election cycles.</p><h2>Vance stays on the defensive on abortion</h2><p>Walz pounced on Vance repeatedly over abortion access and reproductive rights as the Ohio senator tried to argue that a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">state-by-state matrix of abortion laws</a>&nbsp;is the ideal approach for the United States. Walz countered that a “basic right” for a woman should not be determined “by geography.”</p><p>“This is a very simple proposition: These are women’s decisions,” Walz said. “We trust women. We trust doctors.”</p><p>Walz sought to personalize the issue by referencing the death of Amber Thurman, who&nbsp;<a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/georgia-abortion-ban-amber-thurman-death">waited more than 20 hours</a>&nbsp;at the hospital for a routine medical procedure known as a D&amp;C to clear out remaining tissue after taking abortion pills. She developed sepsis and died.</p><p>Rather than sidestep the reference, Vance at one point agreed with Walz that “Amber Thurman should still be alive.”</p><p>Vance steered the conversation to the GOP ticket’s proposals he said would help women and children economically, thus avoiding the need for terminating pregnancies. But Walz retorted that such policies — tax credits, expanded childcare aid, a more even economy — can be pursued while still allowing women to make their own decisions about abortion.</p><h2>Both candidates put a domestic spin on climate change</h2><p>In the wake of the devastation of Hurricane Helene, Vance took a question about climate change and gave an answer about jobs and manufacturing, taking a detour around Trump's past claims that global warming is a “hoax.”</p><p>Vance contended that the best way to fight&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/climate-change">climate change</a>&nbsp;was to move more manufacturing to the United States, because the country has the world’s cleanest energy economy. It was a distinctly domestic spin on a global crisis, especially after Trump pulled the U.S. out of the international Paris climate accords during his administration.</p><p>Walz also kept the climate change focus domestic, touting the Biden administration’s renewable energy investments as well as record levels of oil and natural gas production. “You can see us becoming an energy superpower in the future,” Walz said.</p><p>It was a decidedly optimistic take on a pervasive and grim global problem.</p><h2>Walz, Vance each blame opposing presidential candidate for immigration stalemate</h2><p>The two running mates agreed that the number of migrants in the U.S. illegally is a problem. But each laid the blame on the opposing presidential nominee.</p><p>Vance echoed Trump by repeatedly calling Harris the “border czar” and suggested that she, as vice president, single-handedly rolled back the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/immigration">immigration</a>&nbsp;restrictions Trump had imposed as president. The result, in Vance’s telling, is an unchecked flow of fentanyl, strain on state and local resources and increased housing prices around the country.</p><p>Harris was never asked to be the “border czar” and she was never specifically given the responsibility for security on the border. She was tasked by Biden in March 2021 with tackling the “root causes” of migration from the Central American countries of Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador and pushing leaders there and in Mexico to enforce immigration laws. Harris was not empowered to set U.S. immigration policy — only the president can sign executive orders and Harris was not empowered as Biden’s proxy in negotiations with Congress on immigration law.</p><p>Walz advanced Democrats’ arguments that Trump single-handedly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-ukraine-aid-border-security-386dcc54b29a5491f8bd87b727a284f8">killed a bipartisan Senate deal</a>&nbsp;to tighten border security and boost the processing system for immigrants and asylum seekers. Republicans backed off the deal, Walz noted, only after Trump said it wasn’t good enough.</p><h2>Both candidates leaned on tried-and-true debate tactics — including not answering tough questions</h2><p>Asked directly whether Trump’s promise to deport millions of illegal immigrants would remove parents of U.S.-born children, Vance never answered the question. Instead, the senator tried to put his best spin on Trump’s plan to use the military to help with deportations and pivot to attacking Harris for a porous border. Asked to respond to Trump’s having called climate change a “hoax,” Vance also avoided a response.</p><p>The debate kicked off with Walz being asked if he’d support a preemptive strike by Israel against Iran. Walz praised Harris’ foreign policy leadership but never answered that question, either.</p><p>And at the end of the debate, Vance would not answer Walz’s direct question of whether Trump indeed lost the 2020 election.</p><h2>Walz has stumbles and lands punches in uneven night</h2><p>Walz had several verbal stumbles on a night in which he admitted to “misspeaking” often. In the debate’s opening moments, he confused Iran and Israel when discussing the Middle East.</p><p>At one point he said he had “become friends with school shooters,” and he stumbled through an explanation of inaccurate remarks about whether he was in Hong Kong during the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. (&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/walz-china-tiananmen-square-protests-8d433bf7184e8c430aa31d1f5460fe87">He was not</a>.)</p><p>But the governor noticeably put Vance on the defensive over abortion and, near the end of the debate, with a pointed question about whether Trump won the 2020 election.</p><h2>Vance stays on a limb on Jan. 6 insurrection</h2><p>The candidates went out of their way to be polite to each other until the very end, when Vance refused to back down from his statements that he wouldn’t have certified Trump's 2020 election loss.</p><p>Vance tried to turn the issue to claims that the “much bigger threat to democracy” was Democrats trying to censor people on social media. But Walz wouldn’t let go.</p><p>“This one is troubling to me,” said Walz, noting that he’d just been praising some of Vance’s answers. He rattled off the ways Trump tried to overturn his 2020 loss and noted that the candidate still insists he won that contest. Then Walz asked Vance if Trump actually lost the election.</p><p>Vance responded by asking if Harris censored people.</p><p>“That is a damning non-answer,” said Walz, noting that Trump’s former vice president, Mike Pence, wasn’t on the debate stage because he stood up to Trump on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">Jan. 6, 2021,</a>&nbsp;and presided over Congress’ certification of the former president’s loss.</p><p>“America,” Walz concluded, “I think you’ve got a really clear choice on this election of who’s going to honor that democracy and who’s going to honor Donald Trump.”</p>

🎥 The best of the Walz, Vance Vice Presidential debate

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a shooting and high-speed chase.

Just after 5:30p.m. September 28,&nbsp; police were dispatched to report of a shooting in 2200 block of NE Town Centre Boulevard in Lee's Summit, according to a media release.

Police located an unlocked back door,&nbsp; made entry into the residence and located a single victim inside the home who was suffering from several gunshot wounds. 

EMS transported the victim, a 43-year-old man to a local hospital where he remains in the ICU with critical injuries. Officers worked with the Kansas City Missouri Police Department to identify a 33-year-old female victim who had been kidnapped from the shooting scene along with a juvenile. 

The female and a juvenile were located safely in Kansas City. 

Just after 11p.m. Sunday, the Missouri State Highway Patrol located the suspect vehicle and initiated a traffic stop. The suspect vehicle failed to yield and Missouri State Highway Patrol pursued the suspect vehicle. 

The pursuit ended when the suspect driver lost control of the vehicle. Officers arrested the suspect, 33-year-old Kody Michael Holmes and located a juvenile passenger unharmed.&nbsp; Holmes is being held on requested charges of 1st Degree Assault, Kidnapping and Armed Criminal Action with a bond of $500,000 cash only.

The Johnson County Missouri Sheriff’s Office, Warrensburg Police Department and Cass County Sheriff’s Office all assisted with the pursuit.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727779381989.png" alt="Holmes photo Lee's Summit Police" />
                        <figcaption>Holmes photo Lee's Summit Police</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a shooting and high-speed chase.</p><p>Just after 5:30p.m. September 28,&nbsp; police were dispatched to report of a shooting in 2200 block of NE Town Centre Boulevard in Lee's Summit, according to a media release.</p><p>Police located an unlocked back door,&nbsp; made entry into the residence and located a single victim inside the home who was suffering from several gunshot wounds. </p><p>EMS transported the victim, a 43-year-old man to a local hospital where he remains in the ICU with critical injuries. Officers worked with the Kansas City Missouri Police Department to identify a 33-year-old female victim who had been kidnapped from the shooting scene along with a juvenile. </p><p>The female and a juvenile were located safely in Kansas City. </p><p>Just after 11p.m. Sunday, the Missouri State Highway Patrol located the suspect vehicle and initiated a traffic stop. The suspect vehicle failed to yield and Missouri State Highway Patrol pursued the suspect vehicle. </p><p>The pursuit ended when the suspect driver lost control of the vehicle. Officers arrested the suspect, 33-year-old Kody Michael Holmes and located a juvenile passenger unharmed.&nbsp; Holmes is being held on requested charges of 1st Degree Assault, Kidnapping and Armed Criminal Action with a bond of $500,000 cash only.</p><p>The Johnson County Missouri Sheriff’s Office, Warrensburg Police Department and Cass County Sheriff’s Office all assisted with the pursuit.</p>

Police capture Kansas City shooting, kidnapping suspect

TOPEKA&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly announced that the total tax collections were $1.02 billion in September. That is $8.0 million, or 0.8% above the estimate. Total tax collections are up 3.2% from September 2023, according to a media release from the Kansas Department of Revenut.

Click&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fcontent.govdelivery.com%2Fattachments%2FKSOG%2F2024%2F10%2F01%2Ffile_attachments%2F3016895%2F03_September_Revenue_FY2025_10-01-2024_Final.pdf/1/0101019249775fc7-04f2c43f-514f-4982-8464-98bba9484b91-000000/VVCbbl6wgzuSwnGj9y3QorhKV_OBfy6viqBJwBy7_Jg=373">here</a>&nbsp;to view the September 2024 revenue numbers.

“While total revenues align with our monthly estimates, we remain committed to being fiscally responsible to continue to build on the work we’ve done to restore the state’s fiscal health while providing tax relief,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.

Individual income tax collections were $468.1 million, which is $68.1 million or 17.0% above the estimate and up 19.8% from September 2023. Corporate income tax collections were $228.1 million, which is $61.9 million, or 21.4%, below the estimate and down 12.8% from September 2023.

Combined retail sales and compensating use tax receipts were $296.4 million, which is $4.4 million, or 1.5% above the estimate, but down $8.7 million, or 2.8%, from September 2023.

<p>TOPEKA&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly announced that the total tax collections were $1.02 billion in September. That is $8.0 million, or 0.8% above the estimate. Total tax collections are up 3.2% from September 2023, according to a media release from the Kansas Department of Revenut.</p><p>Click&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fcontent.govdelivery.com%2Fattachments%2FKSOG%2F2024%2F10%2F01%2Ffile_attachments%2F3016895%2F03_September_Revenue_FY2025_10-01-2024_Final.pdf/1/0101019249775fc7-04f2c43f-514f-4982-8464-98bba9484b91-000000/VVCbbl6wgzuSwnGj9y3QorhKV_OBfy6viqBJwBy7_Jg=373">here</a>&nbsp;to view the September 2024 revenue numbers.</p><p>“While total revenues align with our monthly estimates, we remain committed to being fiscally responsible to continue to build on the work we’ve done to restore the state’s fiscal health while providing tax relief,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.</p><p>Individual income tax collections were $468.1 million, which is $68.1 million or 17.0% above the estimate and up 19.8% from September 2023. Corporate income tax collections were $228.1 million, which is $61.9 million, or 21.4%, below the estimate and down 12.8% from September 2023.</p><p>Combined retail sales and compensating use tax receipts were $296.4 million, which is $4.4 million, or 1.5% above the estimate, but down $8.7 million, or 2.8%, from September 2023.</p>

Kansas total tax collections up from September 2023

WILSON COUNTY –&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), the Neodesha Police Department, and the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office positively identified the man whose skeletal remains were found in rural Wilson County, and have made an arrest connected to the case, according to a media release from the KBI.

The victim was identified as Levi Ellis, 39, of Neodesha. An autopsy was conducted on his remains.

KBI agents, with assistance from officers with the Neodesha Police Department, developed a suspect in the case. An arrest warrant was issued for first-degree murder connected to the death of Ellis.

Just after 1 p.m. Tuesday, officers from the Broken Arrow Police Department in Oklahoma arrested Joseph D. Ferraro, 56, of Neodesha, at the Clarion Hotel at 2600 N. Aspen Ave. in Broken Arrow.

He was booked into the Tulsa County Jail in Tulsa. Extradition will be pursued. The investigation is ongoing.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727820537934.png" alt="Ferraro photo Tulsa County" />
                        <figcaption>Ferraro photo Tulsa County</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>WILSON COUNTY –&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), the Neodesha Police Department, and the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office positively identified the man whose skeletal remains were found in rural Wilson County, and have made an arrest connected to the case, according to a media release from the KBI.</p><p>The victim was identified as Levi Ellis, 39, of Neodesha. An autopsy was conducted on his remains.</p><p>KBI agents, with assistance from officers with the Neodesha Police Department, developed a suspect in the case. An arrest warrant was issued for first-degree murder connected to the death of Ellis.</p><p>Just after 1 p.m. Tuesday, officers from the Broken Arrow Police Department in Oklahoma arrested Joseph D. Ferraro, 56, of Neodesha, at the Clarion Hotel at 2600 N. Aspen Ave. in Broken Arrow.</p><p>He was booked into the Tulsa County Jail in Tulsa. Extradition will be pursued. The investigation is ongoing.</p>

Police ID remains found in Kan., arrest murder suspect at hotel

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sherman-smith/">SHERMAN SMITH</a><br><a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Kansas plans to continue to waive child care licensing fees for another year by tapping into federal pandemic relief aid.

Gov. Laura Kelly announced Monday the state would cover the cost of licensing, background checks, fingerprinting fees and licensing renewals through 2025, or until funds are exhausted. The state has covered initial and renewal licensing fees since 2021.

“I’m committed to expanding access to affordable, high-quality child care opportunities for Kansas children and families,” Kelly said in a news release. “These funds allow for continued support for child care providers by removing financial barriers.”

A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kdhe.ks.gov/374/Types-of-Licensed-Care" target="_blank">license for a child care facility</a>&nbsp;costs $75, plus $1 for each child the facility has the capacity to serve. Grace Hoge, a spokeswoman for the governor, said the Kansas Bureau of Investigation charges $57 for a background check and fingerprint.

The state has used discretionary funding through the federal Child Care Development Fund to cover the cost of fees. To extend the waiver of fees, the state will use funding from the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief program.&nbsp; The funding will be administered by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, which is responsible for child care licensing, and the Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund, an organization created by the Legislature in 1999 to oversee expenditures from the tobacco settlement to improve the health of Kansas kids.

“This additional funding, and Governor Kelly’s commitment to directing it to child care licensing, will go a long way in allowing potential and current child care providers to continue the important work of creating and sustaining quality child care options for Kansas families,” said KDHE secretary Janet Stanek in a news release.

Child care providers will still have to pay fees from local governments.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727812291128.png" alt="Gov. Laura Kelly answers reporters questions about the upcoming special session after a June 17, 2024, event at the Statehouse in Topeka. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
                        <figcaption>Gov. Laura Kelly answers reporters questions about the upcoming special session after a June 17, 2024, event at the Statehouse in Topeka. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sherman-smith/">SHERMAN SMITH</a><br><a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a></p><p>TOPEKA — Kansas plans to continue to waive child care licensing fees for another year by tapping into federal pandemic relief aid.</p><p>Gov. Laura Kelly announced Monday the state would cover the cost of licensing, background checks, fingerprinting fees and licensing renewals through 2025, or until funds are exhausted. The state has covered initial and renewal licensing fees since 2021.</p><p>“I’m committed to expanding access to affordable, high-quality child care opportunities for Kansas children and families,” Kelly said in a news release. “These funds allow for continued support for child care providers by removing financial barriers.”</p><p>A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kdhe.ks.gov/374/Types-of-Licensed-Care" target="_blank">license for a child care facility</a>&nbsp;costs $75, plus $1 for each child the facility has the capacity to serve. Grace Hoge, a spokeswoman for the governor, said the Kansas Bureau of Investigation charges $57 for a background check and fingerprint.</p><p>The state has used discretionary funding through the federal Child Care Development Fund to cover the cost of fees. To extend the waiver of fees, the state will use funding from the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief program.&nbsp; The funding will be administered by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, which is responsible for child care licensing, and the Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund, an organization created by the Legislature in 1999 to oversee expenditures from the tobacco settlement to improve the health of Kansas kids.</p><p>“This additional funding, and Governor Kelly’s commitment to directing it to child care licensing, will go a long way in allowing potential and current child care providers to continue the important work of creating and sustaining quality child care options for Kansas families,” said KDHE secretary Janet Stanek in a news release.</p><p>Child care providers will still have to pay fees from local governments.</p>

Kansas to waive child care licensing fees through 2025

SEDGWICK COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 8p.m. Monday in rural Sedgwick County.

A Kia Optima driven by 24-year-old Curtis W. Vickers of Wichita was southbound in the 9600 Block of Broadway, according to the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office. The car crossed the center line and struck a northbound Chevy Silverado head-on.

EMS pronounced Vickers deceased at the scene.&nbsp; The male driver and female passenger of the Silverado were transported to a local hospital.

The accident remains under investigation` by the Sheriff’s Office.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1727814214580.png" alt="FIrst responders on the scene -photo courtesy KWCH" />
                        <figcaption>FIrst responders on the scene -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>SEDGWICK COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 8p.m. Monday in rural Sedgwick County.</p><p>A Kia Optima driven by 24-year-old Curtis W. Vickers of Wichita was southbound in the 9600 Block of Broadway, according to the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office. The car crossed the center line and struck a northbound Chevy Silverado head-on.</p><p>EMS pronounced Vickers deceased at the scene.&nbsp; The male driver and female passenger of the Silverado were transported to a local hospital.</p><p>The accident remains under investigation` by the Sheriff’s Office.</p>

Kansas man killed, 2 injured after head-on crash

JERUSALEM (AP) — Iran launched at least 180 missiles into Israel on Tuesday, the latest in a series of escalating attacks in a yearslong conflict between Israel and Iran and its Arab allies that threatens to push the Middle East closer toward a regionwide war.

The orange glow of missiles streaked across Israel's night sky as air raid sirens sounded and millions of residents scrambled into bomb shelters. Israel vowed retaliation for Iran’s missile barrage, which it said had caused only a few injuries.

Before Iran's attack, Israel had landed a series of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-israel-hezbollah-airstrikes-suburb-617575d9c5d7c711bc02e7b81d2ba4ad">devastating blows</a>&nbsp;in recent weeks against the leadership of Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon. It then ratcheted up the pressure on the militant group — which has been firing rockets into Israel since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">the war in Gaza</a>&nbsp;began — by launching what it said is a limited ground incursion in southern Lebanon.

Israel has said it will continue to strike Hezbollah until it is safe for citizens displaced from homes near the Lebanon border to return. Hezbollah has vowed to keep firing rockets into Israel until there is a cease-fire in Gaza with Hamas, which is also supported by Iran.

Israeli military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said the country’s air defenses intercepted many of the incoming missiles, though some landed in central and southern Israel.

“This strike will have consequences,” he said. He said the attack had caused only “very few” injuries, but did not elaborate.

Israel and Iran have fought a shadow war for years, but rarely have they come into direct conflict.

Israel considers Iran to be its greatest foe -- citing Iran’s repeated calls for Israel’s destruction, its support for Arab militant groups and its nuclear program. Iran denies Israeli accusations that it is developing a nuclear weapon.

Moments before Iran launched its missiles, a shooting attack in Tel Aviv left six people dead, police said, adding that the two suspects who had opened fire on a boulevard in the Jaffa neighborhood had also been killed.

In the U.S., White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan called Iran’s missile attack a “significant escalation,” although he said it was ultimately “defeated and ineffective,” in part because of assistance from the U.S. military in shooting down some of the inbound missiles.

Iran launched another direct attack on Israel in April, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-ballistic-missiles-israel-retaliation-gaza-war-edccddf7a871b78cd5528e265e1e7317">few of its projectiles reached their targets</a>. Many were shot down by a U.S.-led coalition, while others apparently failed at launch or crashed in flight.

Iran said it fired the missiles into Israel as retaliation for attacks that killed leaders of Hezbollah, Hamas and the Iranian military. It referenced Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Revolutionary Guard Gen. Abbas Nilforushan, both killed in an Israeli airstrike last week in Beirut. It also mentioned Ismail Haniyeh, a top leader in Hamas who was assassinated in Tehran in a suspected Israeli attack in July.

Earlier on Tuesday, Israel said it had begun limited ground operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

Israeli airstrikes and artillery fire pounded southern Lebanese villages, and Hezbollah responded with a barrage of rockets into Israel. There was no immediate word on casualties.

While Hezbollah denied Israeli troops had entered Lebanon, the Israeli army announced it had also carried out dozens of ground raids into southern Lebanon going back nearly a year.

If true, it would be another humiliating blow for Hezbollah, the most powerful armed group in the Middle East. Hezbollah has been reeling from weeks of targeted strikes that killed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/obituary-nasrallah-lebanon-israel-2da3789a02fd4e2e88511a7f59174d19">Nasrallah</a>&nbsp;and several of his top commanders.

On Tuesday morning, Israel warned people in southern Lebanon to evacuate to the north of the Awali River, some 60 kilometers (36 miles) from the border and much farther than the Litani River, which marks the northern edge of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unsc-resolution-1701-lebanon-israel-hezbollah-addf018ee9da719329e1726f7156d456">a U.N.-declared zone</a>&nbsp;intended to serve as a buffer between Israel and Hezbollah after their 2006 war.

The border region has largely emptied out over the past year as the two sides have traded fire. But the scope of the evacuation warning raised questions as to how deep Israel plans to send its forces into Lebanon.

JERUSALEM (AP) — Iran said it fired dozens of missiles into Israel on Tuesday, a sharp escalation of the monthslong conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed militias Hezbollah and Hamas. There were no immediate reports of casualties as Israel ordered residents to head to bomb shelters and as air raid sirens sounded across the country.

A series of window-shaking explosions were heard in Tel Aviv and near Jerusalem, though it was not immediately clear whether the sounds were from missiles landing or being intercepted by Israeli defenses, or both.

Israel and the United States have warned there would be severe consequences in the event of an attack on Israel from Iran, which backs the militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris monitored the attack on Israel from the White House Situation Room.

Israeli army spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said the country's air defense system was fully operational, detecting and intercepting threats. “However, the defense is not hermetic,” he said.

Orders to shelter in place were sent to Israelis’ mobile phones and announced on national television.

Iran took responsibility for launching dozens of ballistic missiles at Israel. The claim was made in a statement read aloud on state television.

In its statement, Iran referenced Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Revolutionary Guard Gen. Abbas Nilforushan, both killed in an Israeli airstrike last week in Beirut. It also mentioned Ismail Haniyeh, a top leader in Hamas who was assassinated in Tehran in a suspected Israeli attack in July. It warned this attack represented only a “first wave,” without elaborating.

The air raid alerts in Israel came a day after Israel said it had begun limited ground operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

Israeli airstrikes and artillery fire pounded southern Lebanese villages where people were ordered to evacuate, and Hezbollah militants responded by firing a barrage of rockets into Israel. There was no immediate word on casualties as fighting intensified and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-lebanon-hezbollah-gaza-ceasefire-talks-challenges-71b59e0db03f0014ce06d4aa21bc2907">concerns of a wider regional war</a>&nbsp;grew.

A senior White House official warned of “severe consequences” should Iran launch a ballistic missile against Israel. U.S. ships and aircraft are positioned in the region to assist Israel in the event of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-mideast-tensions-hezbollah-lebanon-analysis-5020aeed3c88790d5483fdf40c9ba392">an attack from Iran</a>. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence.

Hagari also warned of consequences if Iran fired missiles into Israel.

He urged the public to stay close to sheltered areas. “The Iranian strike could be widespread,” he said.

Iranian officials could not be immediately reached for comment.

Iran launched an unprecedented direct attack on Israel in April, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-ballistic-missiles-israel-retaliation-gaza-war-edccddf7a871b78cd5528e265e1e7317">few of its projectiles reached their targets</a>. Many were shot down by a U.S.-led coalition, while others apparently failed at launch or crashed in flight.

While Hezbollah denied Israeli troops had entered Lebanon, the Israeli army announced it had also carried out dozens of ground raids into southern Lebanon going back nearly a year. Israel released video footage purporting to show its soldiers operating in homes and tunnels where Hezbollah kept weapons.

If true, it would be another humiliating blow for Iran-backed Hezbollah, the most powerful armed group in the Middle East. Hezbollah has been reeling from weeks of targeted strikes that killed its leader,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/obituary-nasrallah-lebanon-israel-2da3789a02fd4e2e88511a7f59174d19">Hassan Nasrallah,</a>&nbsp;and several of his top commanders.

On Tuesday morning, Israel warned people to evacuate to the north of the Awali River, some 60 kilometers (36 miles) from the border and much farther than the Litani River, which marks the northern edge of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unsc-resolution-1701-lebanon-israel-hezbollah-addf018ee9da719329e1726f7156d456">a U.N.-declared zone</a>&nbsp;intended to serve as a buffer between Israel and Hezbollah after their 2006 war.

<p>JERUSALEM (AP) — Iran launched at least 180 missiles into Israel on Tuesday, the latest in a series of escalating attacks in a yearslong conflict between Israel and Iran and its Arab allies that threatens to push the Middle East closer toward a regionwide war.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/PentagonPresSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PentagonPresSec</a>: The U.S. military coordinated closely with Israeli Defense Forces to help defend Israel. U.S. Navy destroyers deployed to the Middle East region supported the defense of Israel by firing approximately a dozen interceptors against the incoming Iranian missiles. <a href="https://t.co/hbE36qVR1H">pic.twitter.com/hbE36qVR1H</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1841202874954440848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>The orange glow of missiles streaked across Israel's night sky as air raid sirens sounded and millions of residents scrambled into bomb shelters. Israel vowed retaliation for Iran’s missile barrage, which it said had caused only a few injuries.</p><p>Before Iran's attack, Israel had landed a series of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-israel-hezbollah-airstrikes-suburb-617575d9c5d7c711bc02e7b81d2ba4ad">devastating blows</a>&nbsp;in recent weeks against the leadership of Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon. It then ratcheted up the pressure on the militant group — which has been firing rockets into Israel since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">the war in Gaza</a>&nbsp;began — by launching what it said is a limited ground incursion in southern Lebanon.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">White House National Security Adviser <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeSullivan46?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JakeSullivan46</a>: &quot;Today Iran launched nearly 200 ballistic missiles towards targets in Israel...at this time we do not know of any deaths in Israel...We do not know of any damage to aircraft or strategic military assets in Israel.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/tGhw87QvNp">pic.twitter.com/tGhw87QvNp</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1841191582583619877?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Israel has said it will continue to strike Hezbollah until it is safe for citizens displaced from homes near the Lebanon border to return. Hezbollah has vowed to keep firing rockets into Israel until there is a cease-fire in Gaza with Hamas, which is also supported by Iran.</p><p>Israeli military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said the country’s air defenses intercepted many of the incoming missiles, though some landed in central and southern Israel.</p><p>“This strike will have consequences,” he said. He said the attack had caused only “very few” injuries, but did not elaborate.</p><p>Israel and Iran have fought a shadow war for years, but rarely have they come into direct conflict.</p><p>Israel considers Iran to be its greatest foe -- citing Iran’s repeated calls for Israel’s destruction, its support for Arab militant groups and its nuclear program. Iran denies Israeli accusations that it is developing a nuclear weapon.</p><p>Moments before Iran launched its missiles, a shooting attack in Tel Aviv left six people dead, police said, adding that the two suspects who had opened fire on a boulevard in the Jaffa neighborhood had also been killed.</p><p>In the U.S., White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan called Iran’s missile attack a “significant escalation,” although he said it was ultimately “defeated and ineffective,” in part because of assistance from the U.S. military in shooting down some of the inbound missiles.</p><p>Iran launched another direct attack on Israel in April, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-ballistic-missiles-israel-retaliation-gaza-war-edccddf7a871b78cd5528e265e1e7317">few of its projectiles reached their targets</a>. Many were shot down by a U.S.-led coalition, while others apparently failed at launch or crashed in flight.</p><p>Iran said it fired the missiles into Israel as retaliation for attacks that killed leaders of Hezbollah, Hamas and the Iranian military. It referenced Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Revolutionary Guard Gen. Abbas Nilforushan, both killed in an Israeli airstrike last week in Beirut. It also mentioned Ismail Haniyeh, a top leader in Hamas who was assassinated in Tehran in a suspected Israeli attack in July.</p><p>Earlier on Tuesday, Israel said it had begun limited ground operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.</p><p>Israeli airstrikes and artillery fire pounded southern Lebanese villages, and Hezbollah responded with a barrage of rockets into Israel. There was no immediate word on casualties.</p><p>While Hezbollah denied Israeli troops had entered Lebanon, the Israeli army announced it had also carried out dozens of ground raids into southern Lebanon going back nearly a year.</p><p>If true, it would be another humiliating blow for Hezbollah, the most powerful armed group in the Middle East. Hezbollah has been reeling from weeks of targeted strikes that killed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/obituary-nasrallah-lebanon-israel-2da3789a02fd4e2e88511a7f59174d19">Nasrallah</a>&nbsp;and several of his top commanders.</p><p>On Tuesday morning, Israel warned people in southern Lebanon to evacuate to the north of the Awali River, some 60 kilometers (36 miles) from the border and much farther than the Litani River, which marks the northern edge of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unsc-resolution-1701-lebanon-israel-hezbollah-addf018ee9da719329e1726f7156d456">a U.N.-declared zone</a>&nbsp;intended to serve as a buffer between Israel and Hezbollah after their 2006 war.</p><p>The border region has largely emptied out over the past year as the two sides have traded fire. But the scope of the evacuation warning raised questions as to how deep Israel plans to send its forces into Lebanon.</p><p>-------------</p><p>JERUSALEM (AP) — Iran said it fired dozens of missiles into Israel on Tuesday, a sharp escalation of the monthslong conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed militias Hezbollah and Hamas. There were no immediate reports of casualties as Israel ordered residents to head to bomb shelters and as air raid sirens sounded across the country.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">RAW FOOTAGE: Watch as Iranian missiles rain over the Old City in Jerusalem, a holy site for Muslims, Christians and Jews.<br><br>This is the target of the Iranian regime: everyone. <a href="https://t.co/rIqUZWN3zy">pic.twitter.com/rIqUZWN3zy</a></p>&mdash; Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) <a href="https://twitter.com/IDF/status/1841167289984397726?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>A series of window-shaking explosions were heard in Tel Aviv and near Jerusalem, though it was not immediately clear whether the sounds were from missiles landing or being intercepted by Israeli defenses, or both.</p><p>Israel and the United States have warned there would be severe consequences in the event of an attack on Israel from Iran, which backs the militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris monitored the attack on Israel from the White House Situation Room.</p><p>Israeli army spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said the country's air defense system was fully operational, detecting and intercepting threats. “However, the defense is not hermetic,” he said.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Approx. 10 million civilians are the targets of Iranian projectiles. <a href="https://t.co/680uDJm3CJ">pic.twitter.com/680uDJm3CJ</a></p>&mdash; Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) <a href="https://twitter.com/IDF/status/1841159354914898024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Orders to shelter in place were sent to Israelis’ mobile phones and announced on national television.</p><p>Iran took responsibility for launching dozens of ballistic missiles at Israel. The claim was made in a statement read aloud on state television.</p><p>In its statement, Iran referenced Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Revolutionary Guard Gen. Abbas Nilforushan, both killed in an Israeli airstrike last week in Beirut. It also mentioned Ismail Haniyeh, a top leader in Hamas who was assassinated in Tehran in a suspected Israeli attack in July. It warned this attack represented only a “first wave,” without elaborating.</p><p>The air raid alerts in Israel came a day after Israel said it had begun limited ground operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.</p><p>Israeli airstrikes and artillery fire pounded southern Lebanese villages where people were ordered to evacuate, and Hezbollah militants responded by firing a barrage of rockets into Israel. There was no immediate word on casualties as fighting intensified and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-lebanon-hezbollah-gaza-ceasefire-talks-challenges-71b59e0db03f0014ce06d4aa21bc2907">concerns of a wider regional war</a>&nbsp;grew.</p><p>A senior White House official warned of “severe consequences” should Iran launch a ballistic missile against Israel. U.S. ships and aircraft are positioned in the region to assist Israel in the event of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-mideast-tensions-hezbollah-lebanon-analysis-5020aeed3c88790d5483fdf40c9ba392">an attack from Iran</a>. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence.</p><p>Hagari also warned of consequences if Iran fired missiles into Israel.</p><p>He urged the public to stay close to sheltered areas. “The Iranian strike could be widespread,” he said.</p><p>Iranian officials could not be immediately reached for comment.</p><p>Iran launched an unprecedented direct attack on Israel in April, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-ballistic-missiles-israel-retaliation-gaza-war-edccddf7a871b78cd5528e265e1e7317">few of its projectiles reached their targets</a>. Many were shot down by a U.S.-led coalition, while others apparently failed at launch or crashed in flight.</p><p>While Hezbollah denied Israeli troops had entered Lebanon, the Israeli army announced it had also carried out dozens of ground raids into southern Lebanon going back nearly a year. Israel released video footage purporting to show its soldiers operating in homes and tunnels where Hezbollah kept weapons.</p><p>If true, it would be another humiliating blow for Iran-backed Hezbollah, the most powerful armed group in the Middle East. Hezbollah has been reeling from weeks of targeted strikes that killed its leader,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/obituary-nasrallah-lebanon-israel-2da3789a02fd4e2e88511a7f59174d19">Hassan Nasrallah,</a>&nbsp;and several of his top commanders.</p><p>On Tuesday morning, Israel warned people to evacuate to the north of the Awali River, some 60 kilometers (36 miles) from the border and much farther than the Litani River, which marks the northern edge of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unsc-resolution-1701-lebanon-israel-hezbollah-addf018ee9da719329e1726f7156d456">a U.N.-declared zone</a>&nbsp;intended to serve as a buffer between Israel and Hezbollah after their 2006 war.</p><p>The border region has largely emptied out over the past year as the two sides have traded fire. But the scope of the evacuation warning raised questions as to how deep Israel plans to send its forces into Lebanon.</p><p>An Israeli airstrike hit a residential building near Beirut Tuesday, causing damage but with no immediate reports of casualties. The strike appeared to hit an apartment about 100 meters from the Iranian Embassy.</p><p>Anticipating more rocket attacks from Hezbollah, the Israeli army announced new restrictions on public gatherings and closed beaches in northern and central Israel. The military also said it was calling up thousands more reserve soldiers to serve on the northern border.</p><p>--------------</p><p>JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel warned Lebanese people to evacuate border communities Tuesday to avoid harm from limited ground operations it said were launched against Hezbollah, and said it would retaliate if Hezbollah ally Iran launched a missile attack on Israel that a senior U.S. official said could come “imminently.”</p><p>Israeli airstrikes and artillery fire pounded southern Lebanese villages where people were ordered to evacuate, and Hezbollah militants responded by firing a barrage of rockets into Israel. There was no immediate word on casualties as fighting intensified and concerns of a wider regional war grew.</p><p>A U.S. official warned of “severe consequences” should Iran launch a ballistic missile against Israel. U.S. ships and aircraft are positioned in the region to assist Israel in the event of an attack from Iran, which a second official said could happen tonight. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence.</p><p>Israeli military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari also warned of consequences if Iran fired missiles into Israel. Iran’s state media has not suggested an attack is imminent, and Iranian officials could not be immediately reached for comment.</p><p>White House officials did not immediately offer any evidence backing the intelligence finding.</p><p>Iran launched an unprecedented direct attack on Israel in April, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-ballistic-missiles-israel-retaliation-gaza-war-edccddf7a871b78cd5528e265e1e7317">few of its projectiles reached their targets</a>. Many were shot down by a U.S.-led coalition, while others apparently failed at launch or crashed in flight.</p><p>While Hezbollah denied Israeli troops had entered Lebanon, the Israeli army announced it had also carried out dozens of ground raids into southern Lebanon going back nearly a year. Israel released video footage purporting to show its soldiers operating in homes and tunnels where Hezbollah kept weapons.</p><p>If true, it would be another humiliating blow for Iran-backed Hezbollah, the most powerful armed group in the Middle East. Hezbollah has been reeling from weeks of targeted strikes that killed its leader,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/obituary-nasrallah-lebanon-israel-2da3789a02fd4e2e88511a7f59174d19">Hassan Nasrallah,</a>&nbsp;and several of his top commanders.</p><p>On Tuesday morning, Israel warned people to evacuate to the north of the Awali River, some 60 kilometers (36 miles) from the border and much farther than the Litani River, which marks the northern edge of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unsc-resolution-1701-lebanon-israel-hezbollah-addf018ee9da719329e1726f7156d456">a U.N.-declared zone</a>&nbsp;intended to serve as a buffer between Israel and Hezbollah after their 2006 war.</p><p>The border region has largely emptied out over the past year as the two sides have traded fire. But the scope of the evacuation warning raised questions as to how deep Israel plans to send its forces into Lebanon.</p><p>An Israeli airstrike hit a residential building near Beirut Wednesday, causing damage and blowing out windows in the area. The strike appeared to hit an apartment about 100 meters from the Iranian Embassy. There was no immediate word on casualties.</p><p>Anticipating more rocket attacks from Hezbollah, the Israeli army announced new restrictions on public gatherings and closed beaches in northern and central Israel. The military also said it was calling up thousands more reserve soldiers to serve on the northern border.</p><p>----------------</p><p>JERUSALEM (AP) — Iran is preparing to “imminently” launch a ballistic missile attack on Israel, according to a senior U.S. administration official, who warned Tuesday of “severe consequences” should it take place.</p><p>The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the intelligence, said the U.S. is actively supporting Israeli defensive preparations. This comes after the Israeli military on Tuesday warned people to evacuate nearly two dozen Lebanese border communities hours after announcing what it said were limited ground operations against Hezbollah.</p><p>White House officials did not immediately offer any evidence backing its intelligence finding. The official added that the administration was confident in the determination.</p><p>Iran’s state media has not suggested any attack is imminent. Iranian officials could not be immediately reached for comment.</p><p>Iran already launched an unprecedented direct attack on Israel in April, but few of the Iranian projectiles reached their targets. Many were shot down by a U.S.-led coalition, while others apparently failed at launch or crashed while in flight. Even those that reached Israel appeared to miss their marks, experts and an AP analysis in September showed.</p><p>Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a Tuesday statement that Israel is facing “large challenges” as it fights an Iranian axis. In the videotaped statement, he urges the public to listen to public safety guidelines from the army’s Home Front Command. He made no direct mention of a missile threat.</p><p>Hezbollah denied Israeli troops had entered Lebanon, but hours later the Israeli army announced it had also carried out dozens of ground raids into southern Lebanon going back nearly a year. Israel released video footage purporting to show its soldiers operating in homes and tunnels where Hezbollah kept weapons.</p><p>If true, it would be another humiliating blow for Iran-backed Hezbollah, the most powerful armed group in the Middle East. Hezbollah has been reeling from weeks of targeted strikes that killed its leader,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/obituary-nasrallah-lebanon-israel-2da3789a02fd4e2e88511a7f59174d19">Hassan Nasrallah,</a>&nbsp;and several of his top commanders.</p><p>U.S. ships and aircraft are already positioned in the region to assist Israel in the event of an attack from Iran. There are three U.S. Navy destroyers in the Mediterranean Sea, an aircraft carrier in the Gulf of Oman and fighter jets arrayed throughout the region. All have the abilities to shoot down incoming missiles.</p><p>Israel advised people to evacuate to the north of the Awali River, some 60 kilometers (36 miles) from the border and much farther than the Litani River, which marks the northern edge of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/unsc-resolution-1701-lebanon-israel-hezbollah-addf018ee9da719329e1726f7156d456">a U.N.-declared zone</a>&nbsp;that was intended to serve as a buffer between Israel and Hezbollah after their 2006 war.</p><p>“You must immediately head north of the Awali River to save yourselves, and leave your houses immediately,” said the statement posted by the Israeli military on the platform X. The warning applied to communities south of the Litani.</p><p>The border region has largely emptied out over the past year as the two sides have traded fire. But the scope of the evacuation warning raised questions as to how deep Israel plans to send its forces into Lebanon as it presses ahead with a rapidly escalating campaign against Hezbollah.</p>