BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">ARIANA FIGUEROA</a>

WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump on Monday hopscotched across swing states and prepared for what could be an exceedingly tense election night watch as the 2024 presidential election sped to a close.

So far, more than 80.6 million Americans have voted, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://election.lab.ufl.edu/early-vote/2024-early-voting/" target="_blank">the University of Florida’s Election Lab.</a>

In a presidential contest that pollsters say is virtually a toss-up, seven battleground states likely will determine the outcome of the election. The results could take days, election officials repeatedly&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/article/final-results-may-lag-deadlocked-presidential-contest-anxious-election-officials-warn">have warned</a>&nbsp;and stressed again Monday. The 2020 presidential race was called for President Joe Biden the Saturday following Election Day.

“Election Day is not results day,” said&nbsp;Quentin Turner, the Common Cause Michigan executive director, during a Monday webinar.

Jen O’Malley Dillon, chair of the Harris-Walz campaign, made similar remarks during a Monday call with reporters, but still issued predictions as to when the campaign expects to know some results from key states.

She said the campaign understands that results could take a while based on each state’s law. Some states begin counting votes after the polls close, some as they come in.

O’Malley Dillon said because of that, the campaign expects on election night to have “near complete results” for North Carolina, Michigan and Georgia, “and then partial results from Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Arizona.”

She said the campaign expects by Wednesday morning to have most of the “results in from Wisconsin and additional results from Pennsylvania and potentially Michigan.”

“And then on Wednesday and beyond, we expect additional results from Pennsylvania, Arizona, Nevada,” she said. “So we think some of this stuff will trickle in, but keep in mind that some ballots will continue to be counted for many days.”

Democracy groups like Common Cause said during the webinar that they are prepared for high voter turnout on Election Day.

Bob Phillips, the Common Cause North Carolina executive director, said he expects about 1 to 1.5 million voters in his state on Election Day.

“For the most part, we’ve seen a lot of voter enthusiasm,” he said.

He added that there have been more calls on the voter help hotline than in the previous elections.

“There is definitely higher tension, more emotion, particularly among the electioneering that goes on outside the precincts, as well as some issues since this is our first major election where we’ve had the voter ID requirements,”&nbsp;Phillips said.

Harris is closing out her campaign in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, which offers the most electoral votes of the swing states at 19.

O’Malley Dillon said the campaign will have get-out-the-vote rallies late Monday night in the seven swing states with Harris and surrogates.&nbsp;

“We’ve believed all along this race is going to be incredibly close, and so it’s really going to come down to mobilization, and that’s why an event like tonight matters so much,” she said.

Harris will head to Scranton and then to Allentown, a city with a large Puerto Rican population that Democrats have courted following racist remarks by a comedian at a Trump rally that referred to the island of Puerto Rico as “garbage.” She’ll then rally in Philadelphia with musical performances from The Roots and Lady Gaga among others.

Trump will make four stops in three states — starting in Raleigh, North Carolina, stopping twice in Pennsylvania at&nbsp;Reading and Pittsburgh and finishing in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

<a href="https://ncnewsline.com/2024/11/04/trump-in-final-nc-rally-looks-for-a-third-straight-win-harris-barnstorms-pennsylvania/" target="_blank">While at his first campaign stop in North Carolina</a>&nbsp;on Monday, he told supporters that if he wins another term he will levy a 25% tariff on Mexico if migrants continue to head from that country to the U.S.-Mexico border.

“You’re the first I’ve told this to,” Trump told the crowd. “And if that doesn’t work, we’ll go up to 50. And if that doesn’t work, we’ll go to 75.”

Trump will hold his election night watch party at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida. Harris will have hers at her alma mater at Howard University in Washington, D.C.

Polls published over the weekend still showed a tight race, but one in Iowa&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/article/harris-takes-slim-lead-over-trump-final-iowa-poll-2024-election">rattled the Trump campaign</a>, showing that Harris had a lead in a state that the former president easily won in 2016 and 2020.

The highly regarded pollster — somewhat of a Midwestern oracle — showed that independent and women voters were breaking for Harris.

Both candidates are within the margin of error in all seven swing states meaning any of the states — Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin — could tip to either one.

Over the weekend, Harris appeared on NBC’s live sketch comedy show, “Saturday Night Live.”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/nbc-donald-trump-campaign-free-ad-time-nascar-race-kamala-harris-snl-sketch-1236052709/" target="_blank">Trump also appeared</a>&nbsp;on a free commercial during NBC’s broadcast of a Sunday NASCAR race in compliance with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fcc.gov/sites/default/files/political_programming_fact_sheet.pdf" target="_blank">FCC’s Equal Time rule.</a>

<a href="https://michiganadvance.com/2024/11/04/harris-vows-to-end-war-in-gaza-during-final-michigan-rally-at-msu/" target="_blank">On Sunday, while at Michigan State University,</a>&nbsp;Harris pledged that she would do “everything in her power” to end the war in Gaza if she were to win the White House. Michigan has a high Arab American population that has been critical of Democrats’ handling of the Israel-Hamas war, where&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/longform/2023/10/9/israel-hamas-war-in-maps-and-charts-live-tracker" target="_blank">more than 44,000 Palestinians have been killed.</a>

<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/article/harris-takes-slim-lead-over-trump-final-iowa-poll-2024-election">During a Sunday rally</a>&nbsp;in Pennsylvania, Trump told supporters that he shouldn’t have left the White House after losing the 2020 presidential race and then he joked about not minding if journalists were shot while covering his campaign event.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730773867298.png" alt="Vice President Harris knocked on doors in Pennsylvania Monday night-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Vice President Harris knocked on doors in Pennsylvania Monday night-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">ARIANA FIGUEROA</a>WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump on Monday hopscotched across swing states and prepared for what could be an exceedingly tense election night watch as the 2024 presidential election sped to a close.So far, more than 80.6 million Americans have voted, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://election.lab.ufl.edu/early-vote/2024-early-voting/" target="_blank">the University of Florida’s Election Lab.</a><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730814909704.png" alt="Former President Donald Trump with his family on stage late Monday in Michigan. Image courtesy Margo Martin Deputy Director of Communications" />
 <figcaption>Former President Donald Trump with his family on stage late Monday in Michigan. Image courtesy Margo Martin Deputy Director of Communications</figcaption>
 </figure>In a presidential contest that pollsters say is virtually a toss-up, seven battleground states likely will determine the outcome of the election. The results could take days, election officials repeatedly&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/article/final-results-may-lag-deadlocked-presidential-contest-anxious-election-officials-warn">have warned</a>&nbsp;and stressed again Monday. The 2020 presidential race was called for President Joe Biden the Saturday following Election Day.“Election Day is not results day,” said&nbsp;Quentin Turner, the Common Cause Michigan executive director, during a Monday webinar.Jen O’Malley Dillon, chair of the Harris-Walz campaign, made similar remarks during a Monday call with reporters, but still issued predictions as to when the campaign expects to know some results from key states.She said the campaign understands that results could take a while based on each state’s law. Some states begin counting votes after the polls close, some as they come in.O’Malley Dillon said because of that, the campaign expects on election night to have “near complete results” for North Carolina, Michigan and Georgia, “and then partial results from Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Arizona.”She said the campaign expects by Wednesday morning to have most of the “results in from Wisconsin and additional results from Pennsylvania and potentially Michigan.”“And then on Wednesday and beyond, we expect additional results from Pennsylvania, Arizona, Nevada,” she said. “So we think some of this stuff will trickle in, but keep in mind that some ballots will continue to be counted for many days.”Democracy groups like Common Cause said during the webinar that they are prepared for high voter turnout on Election Day.Bob Phillips, the Common Cause North Carolina executive director, said he expects about 1 to 1.5 million voters in his state on Election Day.“For the most part, we’ve seen a lot of voter enthusiasm,” he said.He added that there have been more calls on the voter help hotline than in the previous elections.“There is definitely higher tension, more emotion, particularly among the electioneering that goes on outside the precincts, as well as some issues since this is our first major election where we’ve had the voter ID requirements,”&nbsp;Phillips said.<h2>It’s all about Pennsylvania (almost)</h2>Harris is closing out her campaign in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, which offers the most electoral votes of the swing states at 19.O’Malley Dillon said the campaign will have get-out-the-vote rallies late Monday night in the seven swing states with Harris and surrogates.&nbsp;“We’ve believed all along this race is going to be incredibly close, and so it’s really going to come down to mobilization, and that’s why an event like tonight matters so much,” she said.Harris will head to Scranton and then to Allentown, a city with a large Puerto Rican population that Democrats have courted following racist remarks by a comedian at a Trump rally that referred to the island of Puerto Rico as “garbage.” She’ll then rally in Philadelphia with musical performances from The Roots and Lady Gaga among others.Trump will make four stops in three states — starting in Raleigh, North Carolina, stopping twice in Pennsylvania at&nbsp;Reading and Pittsburgh and finishing in Grand Rapids, Michigan.<a href="https://ncnewsline.com/2024/11/04/trump-in-final-nc-rally-looks-for-a-third-straight-win-harris-barnstorms-pennsylvania/" target="_blank">While at his first campaign stop in North Carolina</a>&nbsp;on Monday, he told supporters that if he wins another term he will levy a 25% tariff on Mexico if migrants continue to head from that country to the U.S.-Mexico border.“You’re the first I’ve told this to,” Trump told the crowd. “And if that doesn’t work, we’ll go up to 50. And if that doesn’t work, we’ll go to 75.”Trump will hold his election night watch party at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida. Harris will have hers at her alma mater at Howard University in Washington, D.C.<h2>Polling puzzles</h2>Polls published over the weekend still showed a tight race, but one in Iowa&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/article/harris-takes-slim-lead-over-trump-final-iowa-poll-2024-election">rattled the Trump campaign</a>, showing that Harris had a lead in a state that the former president easily won in 2016 and 2020.The highly regarded pollster — somewhat of a Midwestern oracle — showed that independent and women voters were breaking for Harris.Both candidates are within the margin of error in all seven swing states meaning any of the states — Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin — could tip to either one.Over the weekend, Harris appeared on NBC’s live sketch comedy show, “Saturday Night Live.”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/nbc-donald-trump-campaign-free-ad-time-nascar-race-kamala-harris-snl-sketch-1236052709/" target="_blank">Trump also appeared</a>&nbsp;on a free commercial during NBC’s broadcast of a Sunday NASCAR race in compliance with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fcc.gov/sites/default/files/political_programming_fact_sheet.pdf" target="_blank">FCC’s Equal Time rule.</a><a href="https://michiganadvance.com/2024/11/04/harris-vows-to-end-war-in-gaza-during-final-michigan-rally-at-msu/" target="_blank">On Sunday, while at Michigan State University,</a>&nbsp;Harris pledged that she would do “everything in her power” to end the war in Gaza if she were to win the White House. Michigan has a high Arab American population that has been critical of Democrats’ handling of the Israel-Hamas war, where&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/longform/2023/10/9/israel-hamas-war-in-maps-and-charts-live-tracker" target="_blank">more than 44,000 Palestinians have been killed.</a><a href="https://kansasreflector.com/article/harris-takes-slim-lead-over-trump-final-iowa-poll-2024-election">During a Sunday rally</a>&nbsp;in Pennsylvania, Trump told supporters that he shouldn’t have left the White House after losing the 2020 presidential race and then he joked about not minding if journalists were shot while covering his campaign event.&nbsp;

‘Election Day is not results day’: Get ready for a wait to find out who’s president

KANSAS CITY —The Traffic Officer who was critically injured in a crash almost three weeks ago left the hospital Monday, according to Kansas City Police.

 He has a long road of recovery ahead and will rehab at an out-of-state hospital.

His fellow Traffic Officers and command staff escorted him and his family to the downtown airport in a show of support. "Please join us in wishing the officer strength, resilience, and a full recovery."

The crash occurred just after 9:30a.m. October 17, at the intersection of 72nd&nbsp;and Troost. Investigators determined the motorcycle officer was northbound when a southbound SUV turned left (east) in front of the officer causing a collision.

Responding officers and EMS administered aid and transported the officer to the hospital with what was reported to be Critical, life threatening injuries.&nbsp;

The other involved driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators.

KCPD was initially alerted to this crash thanks to some quick thinking by some nearby bystanders who rushed to the officer’s aid after hearing the crash. One person pushed the emergency button on the officer’s police radio while another person provided medical aid and CPR. Because of those citizen’s quick thinking first responders were alerted to the emergency, and able to locate the officer quickly, thanks to GPS on the police radio.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730756589616.png" alt="Photo KCPD" />
 <figcaption>Photo KCPD</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —The Traffic Officer who was critically injured in a crash almost three weeks ago left the hospital Monday, according to Kansas City Police.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730756623275.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure> He has a long road of recovery ahead and will rehab at an out-of-state hospital.His fellow Traffic Officers and command staff escorted him and his family to the downtown airport in a show of support. "Please join us in wishing the officer strength, resilience, and a full recovery."The crash occurred just after 9:30a.m. October 17, at the intersection of 72nd&nbsp;and Troost. Investigators determined the motorcycle officer was northbound when a southbound SUV turned left (east) in front of the officer causing a collision.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729105015166.png" alt="View of the crash scene -image courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>View of the crash scene -image courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>Responding officers and EMS administered aid and transported the officer to the hospital with what was reported to be Critical, life threatening injuries.&nbsp;The other involved driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators.KCPD was initially alerted to this crash thanks to some quick thinking by some nearby bystanders who rushed to the officer’s aid after hearing the crash. One person pushed the emergency button on the officer’s police radio while another person provided medical aid and CPR. Because of those citizen’s quick thinking first responders were alerted to the emergency, and able to locate the officer quickly, thanks to GPS on the police radio.

KC Officer injured in crash released from hospital

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man who admitted his role in a gunfight at a funeral in Wichita is going to prison.

On Monday, District Judge Eric Williams sentenced 20-year-old Demetrious Carter of Wichita, to 24 months in prison., according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. The sentence is to run consecutive to an earlier sentence of 92 months in a case where he rammed a police patrol car.&nbsp; The total number of years in the Kansas Department of Corrections is 116 month

In August, Carter pled guilty to aggravated endangering of a child, according to the District Attorney's office.&nbsp; He had&nbsp; originally been charged with with two counts of aggravated assault.

On June 16, 2023.&nbsp; police were dispatched to a shooting call at Life Center Church in the 1100 block of North Oliver in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.

First responders encountered a chaotic scene and a crowd of more than 50 people running in different directions. During the initial response officers located an 18-year-old victim with a gunshot wound to his right forearm and provided life-saving measures. The 18-year-old victim later identified as Carter was treated for his serious but not life-threatening injuries.

The investigation revealed that several suspects arrived at the parking lot of the church and confronted a large group of people attending a funeral right outside the main door.

After a brief verbal altercation between both groups, an unknown number of people from both groups started to shoot at each other. After initial interviews, officers arrested Carter and transported him to investigations for further questioning before an arrest.

During the incident, several vehicles, and residences around and in front of the church’s parking lot were hit with gunfire. Police also recovered several firearms from the scene.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687431619099.png" alt="Carter photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Carter photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man who admitted his role in a gunfight at a funeral in Wichita is going to prison.On Monday, District Judge Eric Williams sentenced 20-year-old Demetrious Carter of Wichita, to 24 months in prison., according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. The sentence is to run consecutive to an earlier sentence of 92 months in a case where he rammed a police patrol car.&nbsp; The total number of years in the Kansas Department of Corrections is 116 monthIn August, Carter pled guilty to aggravated endangering of a child, according to the District Attorney's office.&nbsp; He had&nbsp; originally been charged with with two counts of aggravated assault.On June 16, 2023.&nbsp; police were dispatched to a shooting call at Life Center Church in the 1100 block of North Oliver in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730756997295.png" alt="First responders at the church in June of 2023 -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>First responders at the church in June of 2023 -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>First responders encountered a chaotic scene and a crowd of more than 50 people running in different directions. During the initial response officers located an 18-year-old victim with a gunshot wound to his right forearm and provided life-saving measures. The 18-year-old victim later identified as Carter was treated for his serious but not life-threatening injuries.The investigation revealed that several suspects arrived at the parking lot of the church and confronted a large group of people attending a funeral right outside the main door.After a brief verbal altercation between both groups, an unknown number of people from both groups started to shoot at each other. After initial interviews, officers arrested Carter and transported him to investigations for further questioning before an arrest.During the incident, several vehicles, and residences around and in front of the church’s parking lot were hit with gunfire. Police also recovered several firearms from the scene.&nbsp;

Prison for Kansas man for gunfight outside a funeral

WASHINGTON (AP) —Federal law enforcement officials are working around the clock at a command post at FBI headquarters to monitor and respond to any threats surrounding the election.

The FBI runs a command post around every federal election, but this year’s is more “robust” with more federal agencies involved, according to James Barnacle, deputy assistant director of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division.

The command post brings officials from the FBI, Justice Department, Secret Service, Capitol Police, Department of Homeland Security, and other agencies together under one roof to allow law enforcement to quickly respond to any threats to election security.

“Those threats include criminal threats — such as threats to election workers — foreign malign influence, cyber threats and acts of domestic violence,” Barnacle said.

Barnacle said federal officials have seen “some foreign malign influence operations,” as well as attempted cyber attacks “where adversaries are trying to hit the secretaries of state or state governments or local governments and cause issues with their infrastructure.”

The command post will operate 24/7 through at least Saturday, Nov. 9, with about 80 people working per shift, he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730748693468.png" alt="Photo FBI" />
 <figcaption>Photo FBI</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —Federal law enforcement officials are working around the clock at a command post at FBI headquarters to monitor and respond to any threats surrounding the election.The FBI runs a command post around every federal election, but this year’s is more “robust” with more federal agencies involved, according to James Barnacle, deputy assistant director of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division.The command post brings officials from the FBI, Justice Department, Secret Service, Capitol Police, Department of Homeland Security, and other agencies together under one roof to allow law enforcement to quickly respond to any threats to election security.“Those threats include criminal threats — such as threats to election workers — foreign malign influence, cyber threats and acts of domestic violence,” Barnacle said.Barnacle said federal officials have seen “some foreign malign influence operations,” as well as attempted cyber attacks “where adversaries are trying to hit the secretaries of state or state governments or local governments and cause issues with their infrastructure.”The command post will operate 24/7 through at least Saturday, Nov. 9, with about 80 people working per shift, he said.

Federal officials monitoring threats from election command post

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a shooting on Halloween that left a 13-year-old dead&nbsp;issued a Felony Pick-Up for the arrest of Jermall Campbell, according to Wichita Police.

Just after 10:30p.m. Thursday, police responded to a report of gunfire at the QuikTrip located at Central and Oliver in Wichita, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.

Officers discovered evidence of a shooting and the convenience store. Simultaneously, a walk-in report was received from a local hospital indicating that a private vehicle had transported victims of this incident for treatment.

The victims included a 15-year-old boy from Wichita, who suffered a gunshot wound to the leg, and a 13-year-old boy who sustained a fatal gunshot wound and was pronounced deceased shortly after arrival at the hospital.

Initial investigations reveal that a disturbance occurred in the QuikTrip parking lot, leading to the suspect firing at a crowd, which tragically resulted in injuries to the two victims.

If you have any information regarding his whereabouts, please contact our investigators at 316-268-4407 or call 911. To remain anonymous, you may contact Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111 or scan the QR code provided. Your assistance is vital in helping us bring this case to a resolution.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730567909379.png" alt="Campbell photo Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>Campbell photo Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a shooting on Halloween that left a 13-year-old dead&nbsp;issued a Felony Pick-Up for the arrest of Jermall Campbell, according to Wichita Police.Just after 10:30p.m. Thursday, police responded to a report of gunfire at the QuikTrip located at Central and Oliver in Wichita, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730455429350.png" alt="Police on the scene Thursday evening -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene Thursday evening -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>Officers discovered evidence of a shooting and the convenience store. Simultaneously, a walk-in report was received from a local hospital indicating that a private vehicle had transported victims of this incident for treatment.The victims included a 15-year-old boy from Wichita, who suffered a gunshot wound to the leg, and a 13-year-old boy who sustained a fatal gunshot wound and was pronounced deceased shortly after arrival at the hospital.Initial investigations reveal that a disturbance occurred in the QuikTrip parking lot, leading to the suspect firing at a crowd, which tragically resulted in injuries to the two victims.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730567974750.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>If you have any information regarding his whereabouts, please contact our investigators at 316-268-4407 or call 911. To remain anonymous, you may contact Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111 or scan the QR code provided. Your assistance is vital in helping us bring this case to a resolution.

Search continues for suspect in Halloween killing of 13-year-old

SEATTLE (AP) — Factory workers at Boeing voted to accept&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-contract-vote-strike-machinists-union-614c4d5afd97d1f50ab9cfe1f4f94255">a contract offer</a>&nbsp;and end&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-strike-vote-ca1326b3512b577bba76bee9e9e66a17">their strike</a>&nbsp;after more than seven weeks, clearing the way for the aerospace giant to resume production of its bestselling airliner and generate much-needed cash.

Leaders of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers district in Seattle said 59% of members who cast ballots agreed to approve the company’s fourth formal offer and the third put to a vote. The deal includes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-strike-union-machinists-vote-1f9d66fb18e8b89e0d6751a5182baf6b">a 38% wage increase</a>&nbsp;over four years, and ratification and productivity bonuses.

However, Boeing refused to meet strikers’ demand to restore&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-pensions-labor-strike-contract-vote-f2c63d3ed3a55168c67ebf265728825c">a company pension plan</a>&nbsp;that was frozen nearly a decade ago.

The contract’s ratification on the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/election-2024-harris-trump-updates-11-4-2024">eve of Election Day</a>&nbsp;cleared the way for a major U.S. manufacturer and government contractor to restart Pacific Northwest assembly lines that the walkout idled for 53 days.

Bank of America analysts estimated last month that Boeing was losing about $50 million a day during the now-ended strike, which did not affect a nonunion plant in South Carolina where the company makes 787s.

Boeing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-ortberg-new-ceo-factory-visit-e5bada09a96d0e26b25f2d35d6d6cfc0">CEO Kelly Ortberg</a>&nbsp;said in a message to employees that he was pleased to have reached an agreement.

“While the past few months have been difficult for all of us, we are all part of the same team,” Ortberg said. “We will only move forward by listening and working together. There is much work ahead to return to the excellence that made Boeing an iconic company.”

According to the union, the 33,000 workers it represents can return to work as soon as Wednesday or as late as Nov. 12. Ortberg has said it might take “a couple of weeks” to resume production in part because some workers might need retraining.

The average annual pay of Boeing machinists is currently $75,608 and eventually will rise to $119,309 under the new contract, according to the company. The union said the compounded value of the promised pay raise would amount to an increase of more than 43% over the life of the agreement.

“It’s time for us to come together. This is a victory,” IAM District 751 President Jon Holden told members while announcing the tally late Monday. “You stood strong and you stood tall and you won.”

Reactions were mixed even among union members who voted to accept the contract.

Although she voted “yes,” Seattle-based calibration specialist Eep Bolaño said the outcome was “most certainly not a victory.” Bolaño said she and her fellow workers made a wise but infuriating choice to accept the offer.

“We were threatened by a company that was crippled, dying, bleeding on the ground, and us as one of the biggest unions in the country couldn't even extract two-thirds of our demands from them. This is humiliating," she said.

For other workers like William Gardiner, a lab lead in calibration services, the revised offer was a cause for celebration.

“I'm extremely pumped over this vote,” said Gardiner, who has worked for Boeing for 13 years. “We didn't fix everything — that's OK. Overall, it's a very positive contract.”

Union leaders had endorsed the latest proposal, saying they thought they had gotten all they could though negotiations and the strike. Along with the wage increase, the new contract gives each worker a $12,000 ratification bonus and retains a performance bonus the company wanted to eliminate.

“It is time for our members to lock in these gains and confidently declare victory,” the local union district said before the vote. “We believe asking members to stay on strike longer wouldn’t be right as we have achieved so much success.”

President Joe Biden congratulated the machinists and Boeing for coming to an agreement that he said supports fairness in the workplace and improves workers’ ability to retire with dignity. The contract, he said, is important for Boeing’s future as “a critical part of America’s aerospace sector.”

Biden's acting labor secretary, Julie Su, intervened in the negotiations several times, including when Boeing made its latest offer last week.

A continuing strike would have plunged Boeing into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-strike-56f2fb5071cbcec83c7670aac0cb977a">further financial peril</a>&nbsp;and uncertainty. Last month, Ortberg announced plans to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-layoffs-strike-airplane-factories-de637999cf525699577b42b72bff2a70">lay off about 17,000 people</a>&nbsp;and a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-strike-56f2fb5071cbcec83c7670aac0cb977a">stock sale</a>&nbsp;to prevent the company’s credit rating from being cut to junk status.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-strike-vote-machinists-12d008c0127bab57f8cc9941f48e3ac6">The strike began</a>&nbsp;Sept. 13 with an overwhelming 94.6% rejection of the company's offer to raise pay by 25% over four years — far less than the union’s original demand for 40% wage increases over three years.

Machinists voted down another offer — 35% raises over four years, and still no revival of pensions — on Oct. 23, the same day that Boeing reported a third-quarter&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-earnings-strike-vote-new-ceo-af6c6dab8747d5b8189df97a55e6b8d9">loss of more than $6 billion</a>.

The contract rejections reflected bitterness that built up after union concessions and small pay increases over the past decade.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-strike-workers-union-pay-e50b65fbbf34e74b42d4a65ef0d7da76">labor standoff</a>&nbsp;— the first strike by Boeing machinists since an eight-week walkout in 2008 — was the latest setback in a volatile year for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/boeing-co">the aerospace giant</a>. The 2008 strike lasted eight weeks and cost the company about $100 million daily in deferred revenue. A 1995 strike lasted 10 weeks.

Boeing came under several&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-alaska-airlines-door-plug-blowout-3b0bff9d5becb9124f402e545c94fd23">federal investigations</a>&nbsp;this year after a door plug&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jetliner-blowout-737-max-9-united-alaska-2f74f52bbad7fca26aa11786bd44c356">blew off a 737 Max plane</a>&nbsp;during an Alaska Airlines flight in January. Federal regulators put limits on Boeing airplane production that they said would last until they felt confident about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-senators-letter-justice-department-a9f4e3d5cd78cbbff899aab7c1a26759">manufacturing safety</a>&nbsp;at the company.

The door-plug incident renewed concerns about the safety of the 737 Max. Two of the planes had crashed less than five months apart in 2018 and 2019, killing 346 people. The CEO at the time, whose efforts to fix the company failed, announced in March that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-ceo-calhoun-0abff1ccc6262ffb03f97c6a619bd1ec">he would step down</a>. In July, Boeing agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud for deceiving regulators who approved the 737 Max.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said Monday's vote puts Boeing’s future back on more solid footing.

“Washington is home to the world’s most skilled aerospace workers, and they understandably took a stand for the respect and compensation they deserve,” Inslee said in a statement congratulating the workers.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730804690093.png" alt="Image courtesy IAM 571" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy IAM 571</figcaption>
 </figure>SEATTLE (AP) — Factory workers at Boeing voted to accept&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-contract-vote-strike-machinists-union-614c4d5afd97d1f50ab9cfe1f4f94255">a contract offer</a>&nbsp;and end&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-strike-vote-ca1326b3512b577bba76bee9e9e66a17">their strike</a>&nbsp;after more than seven weeks, clearing the way for the aerospace giant to resume production of its bestselling airliner and generate much-needed cash.Leaders of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers district in Seattle said 59% of members who cast ballots agreed to approve the company’s fourth formal offer and the third put to a vote. The deal includes&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-strike-union-machinists-vote-1f9d66fb18e8b89e0d6751a5182baf6b">a 38% wage increase</a>&nbsp;over four years, and ratification and productivity bonuses.However, Boeing refused to meet strikers’ demand to restore&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-pensions-labor-strike-contract-vote-f2c63d3ed3a55168c67ebf265728825c">a company pension plan</a>&nbsp;that was frozen nearly a decade ago.The contract’s ratification on the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/election-2024-harris-trump-updates-11-4-2024">eve of Election Day</a>&nbsp;cleared the way for a major U.S. manufacturer and government contractor to restart Pacific Northwest assembly lines that the walkout idled for 53 days.Bank of America analysts estimated last month that Boeing was losing about $50 million a day during the now-ended strike, which did not affect a nonunion plant in South Carolina where the company makes 787s.Boeing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-ortberg-new-ceo-factory-visit-e5bada09a96d0e26b25f2d35d6d6cfc0">CEO Kelly Ortberg</a>&nbsp;said in a message to employees that he was pleased to have reached an agreement.“While the past few months have been difficult for all of us, we are all part of the same team,” Ortberg said. “We will only move forward by listening and working together. There is much work ahead to return to the excellence that made Boeing an iconic company.”According to the union, the 33,000 workers it represents can return to work as soon as Wednesday or as late as Nov. 12. Ortberg has said it might take “a couple of weeks” to resume production in part because some workers might need retraining.The average annual pay of Boeing machinists is currently $75,608 and eventually will rise to $119,309 under the new contract, according to the company. The union said the compounded value of the promised pay raise would amount to an increase of more than 43% over the life of the agreement.“It’s time for us to come together. This is a victory,” IAM District 751 President Jon Holden told members while announcing the tally late Monday. “You stood strong and you stood tall and you won.”Reactions were mixed even among union members who voted to accept the contract.Although she voted “yes,” Seattle-based calibration specialist Eep Bolaño said the outcome was “most certainly not a victory.” Bolaño said she and her fellow workers made a wise but infuriating choice to accept the offer.“We were threatened by a company that was crippled, dying, bleeding on the ground, and us as one of the biggest unions in the country couldn't even extract two-thirds of our demands from them. This is humiliating," she said.For other workers like William Gardiner, a lab lead in calibration services, the revised offer was a cause for celebration.“I'm extremely pumped over this vote,” said Gardiner, who has worked for Boeing for 13 years. “We didn't fix everything — that's OK. Overall, it's a very positive contract.”Union leaders had endorsed the latest proposal, saying they thought they had gotten all they could though negotiations and the strike. Along with the wage increase, the new contract gives each worker a $12,000 ratification bonus and retains a performance bonus the company wanted to eliminate.“It is time for our members to lock in these gains and confidently declare victory,” the local union district said before the vote. “We believe asking members to stay on strike longer wouldn’t be right as we have achieved so much success.”President Joe Biden congratulated the machinists and Boeing for coming to an agreement that he said supports fairness in the workplace and improves workers’ ability to retire with dignity. The contract, he said, is important for Boeing’s future as “a critical part of America’s aerospace sector.”Biden's acting labor secretary, Julie Su, intervened in the negotiations several times, including when Boeing made its latest offer last week.A continuing strike would have plunged Boeing into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-strike-56f2fb5071cbcec83c7670aac0cb977a">further financial peril</a>&nbsp;and uncertainty. Last month, Ortberg announced plans to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-layoffs-strike-airplane-factories-de637999cf525699577b42b72bff2a70">lay off about 17,000 people</a>&nbsp;and a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-strike-56f2fb5071cbcec83c7670aac0cb977a">stock sale</a>&nbsp;to prevent the company’s credit rating from being cut to junk status.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-strike-vote-machinists-12d008c0127bab57f8cc9941f48e3ac6">The strike began</a>&nbsp;Sept. 13 with an overwhelming 94.6% rejection of the company's offer to raise pay by 25% over four years — far less than the union’s original demand for 40% wage increases over three years.Machinists voted down another offer — 35% raises over four years, and still no revival of pensions — on Oct. 23, the same day that Boeing reported a third-quarter&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-earnings-strike-vote-new-ceo-af6c6dab8747d5b8189df97a55e6b8d9">loss of more than $6 billion</a>.The contract rejections reflected bitterness that built up after union concessions and small pay increases over the past decade.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-strike-workers-union-pay-e50b65fbbf34e74b42d4a65ef0d7da76">labor standoff</a>&nbsp;— the first strike by Boeing machinists since an eight-week walkout in 2008 — was the latest setback in a volatile year for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/boeing-co">the aerospace giant</a>. The 2008 strike lasted eight weeks and cost the company about $100 million daily in deferred revenue. A 1995 strike lasted 10 weeks.Boeing came under several&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-alaska-airlines-door-plug-blowout-3b0bff9d5becb9124f402e545c94fd23">federal investigations</a>&nbsp;this year after a door plug&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jetliner-blowout-737-max-9-united-alaska-2f74f52bbad7fca26aa11786bd44c356">blew off a 737 Max plane</a>&nbsp;during an Alaska Airlines flight in January. Federal regulators put limits on Boeing airplane production that they said would last until they felt confident about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-senators-letter-justice-department-a9f4e3d5cd78cbbff899aab7c1a26759">manufacturing safety</a>&nbsp;at the company.The door-plug incident renewed concerns about the safety of the 737 Max. Two of the planes had crashed less than five months apart in 2018 and 2019, killing 346 people. The CEO at the time, whose efforts to fix the company failed, announced in March that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/boeing-ceo-calhoun-0abff1ccc6262ffb03f97c6a619bd1ec">he would step down</a>. In July, Boeing agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud for deceiving regulators who approved the 737 Max.Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said Monday's vote puts Boeing’s future back on more solid footing.“Washington is home to the world’s most skilled aerospace workers, and they understandably took a stand for the respect and compensation they deserve,” Inslee said in a statement congratulating the workers.___

Boeing factory strike ends as workers vote to accept contract

KANSAS CITY —A Jackson County judge on Friday convicted two Kansas City defendants of multiple felony and misdemeanor charges in connection with a gun battle on a January afternoon this year inside Crown Center, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

The judge convicted Brian Favela, 23, and Joel Olivas, 24, identified by prosecutors as East Side gang members of two counts of Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Class B felonies, and two counts of Armed Criminal Action, as well as three misdemeanor counts of Harassment in the 2nd Degree. The judge dismissed one count of Unlawful Use of a Weapon and Armed Criminal Action finding not enough evidence was shown to overcome Missouri's self-defense laws on those two counts.

"The verdict points to a level of accountability that this office will seek for individuals who engage in this kind of insidious conduct, even when the defendants are armored with Missouri's very generous self-defense laws," Baker stated. "We will take every step possible to hold offenders accountable for their own criminal behavior. I'm grateful for this trial team who worked so hard and so quickly to get these offenders to trial. And I am so grateful for the management team at Crown Center and Hallmark and the KCPD, who helped in every possible way to get today's verdict."

Jackson County prosecutors Dion Sankar, Kristiane Bryant and Devon Tarantino prosecuted the case on behalf of the state of Missouri.

The judge set a sentencing hearing for Dec. 12 at 2 p.m.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1709159745533.png" alt="Olivas photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Olivas photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Jackson County judge on Friday convicted two Kansas City defendants of multiple felony and misdemeanor charges in connection with a gun battle on a January afternoon this year inside Crown Center, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.The judge convicted Brian Favela, 23, and Joel Olivas, 24, identified by prosecutors as East Side gang members of two counts of Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Class B felonies, and two counts of Armed Criminal Action, as well as three misdemeanor counts of Harassment in the 2nd Degree. The judge dismissed one count of Unlawful Use of a Weapon and Armed Criminal Action finding not enough evidence was shown to overcome Missouri's self-defense laws on those two counts.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1705578003872.png" alt="File photo courtesy KMBC" />
 <figcaption>File photo courtesy KMBC</figcaption>
 </figure>"The verdict points to a level of accountability that this office will seek for individuals who engage in this kind of insidious conduct, even when the defendants are armored with Missouri's very generous self-defense laws," Baker stated. "We will take every step possible to hold offenders accountable for their own criminal behavior. I'm grateful for this trial team who worked so hard and so quickly to get these offenders to trial. And I am so grateful for the management team at Crown Center and Hallmark and the KCPD, who helped in every possible way to get today's verdict."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1709159804082.png" alt="Favela photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Favela photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Jackson County prosecutors Dion Sankar, Kristiane Bryant and Devon Tarantino prosecuted the case on behalf of the state of Missouri.The judge set a sentencing hearing for Dec. 12 at 2 p.m.

Judge found KC gang members guilty in Crown Center gunfight

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Pop superstar Taylor Swift returned to Arrowhead Stadium on Monday night to see the Kansas City Chiefs and her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after wrapping up the U.S. leg of her record-setting Eras Tour.

It wound up being a good night for both of them.

Swift was able to celebrate Kelce's big night, which included 14 catches for 100 yards in a driving rain, along with a victory for the Chiefs. They trailed by a touchdown in the fourth quarter, scored twice to take the lead, then headed to overtime, where they won the coin toss and drove for a touchdown that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buccaneers-chiefs-score-5efb3014555b148e2a07af73a057102a">gave them a 30-24 win.</a>

Kelce, who had fumbled earlier in the game, had two of his catches on the decisive drive in overtime. His total receptions was a career-best for a regular-season game, matching a 14-catch performance in a 2023 playoff win over Jacksonville, while his 16 targets from Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was just one shy of his career high.

“He does a great job of finding space,” Mahomes said, “and I think with having DeAndre (Hopkins) out there, it takes pressure off where not all the attention is on him the entire time. And whenever he gets going, man, he's hard to stop.”

Swift is finally getting a chance to stop herself after playing the last of three shows at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Sunday to conclude the U.S. portion of her tour. The rest of her tour heads to Canada with the first of six shows at Rogers Centre in Toronto on Nov. 14 and three shows in December at BC Place in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Swift began&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-travis-kelce-chiefs-broncos-b08b0e53fdd232dc0a468b5fa43b5b04">her high-profile romance with Kelce</a>&nbsp;last season, when he invited the “Anti-Hero” singer to watch him in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-kelce-chiefs-891e7df84295f5b35cfa97a5ec427721">a September matchup with the Bears</a>. Since then, the two have spent plenty of time together, often with cameras following every move.

Swift's arrival in a black outfit and Chiefs coat Monday night came on the eve of the presidential election, in which the 14-time Grammy winner has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-endorse-kamala-harris-president-3a36b6f9695c20153891bba35c47f21d">thrown her support behind Vice President Kamala Harris</a>. That generated a stir when Harris' rival, Donald Trump, began to reference Swift's friend and Mahomes' wife, Brittany, as a supporter of his campaign.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/patrick-mahomes-wife-donald-trump-chiefs-nfl-b2ba221de1c83138c2fac126223e46bb">Patrick Mahomes has declined to endorse anyone in the election</a>, instead urging people to register to vote.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730767045701.jpeg" alt="Singer Taylor Swift enteres the stadium before an NFL football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>Singer Taylor Swift enteres the stadium before an NFL football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Pop superstar Taylor Swift returned to Arrowhead Stadium on Monday night to see the Kansas City Chiefs and her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after wrapping up the U.S. leg of her record-setting Eras Tour.It wound up being a good night for both of them.Swift was able to celebrate Kelce's big night, which included 14 catches for 100 yards in a driving rain, along with a victory for the Chiefs. They trailed by a touchdown in the fourth quarter, scored twice to take the lead, then headed to overtime, where they won the coin toss and drove for a touchdown that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buccaneers-chiefs-score-5efb3014555b148e2a07af73a057102a">gave them a 30-24 win.</a>Kelce, who had fumbled earlier in the game, had two of his catches on the decisive drive in overtime. His total receptions was a career-best for a regular-season game, matching a 14-catch performance in a 2023 playoff win over Jacksonville, while his 16 targets from Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was just one shy of his career high.“He does a great job of finding space,” Mahomes said, “and I think with having DeAndre (Hopkins) out there, it takes pressure off where not all the attention is on him the entire time. And whenever he gets going, man, he's hard to stop.”Swift is finally getting a chance to stop herself after playing the last of three shows at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Sunday to conclude the U.S. portion of her tour. The rest of her tour heads to Canada with the first of six shows at Rogers Centre in Toronto on Nov. 14 and three shows in December at BC Place in Vancouver, British Columbia.Swift began&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-travis-kelce-chiefs-broncos-b08b0e53fdd232dc0a468b5fa43b5b04">her high-profile romance with Kelce</a>&nbsp;last season, when he invited the “Anti-Hero” singer to watch him in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-kelce-chiefs-891e7df84295f5b35cfa97a5ec427721">a September matchup with the Bears</a>. Since then, the two have spent plenty of time together, often with cameras following every move.Swift's arrival in a black outfit and Chiefs coat Monday night came on the eve of the presidential election, in which the 14-time Grammy winner has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-endorse-kamala-harris-president-3a36b6f9695c20153891bba35c47f21d">thrown her support behind Vice President Kamala Harris</a>. That generated a stir when Harris' rival, Donald Trump, began to reference Swift's friend and Mahomes' wife, Brittany, as a supporter of his campaign.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/patrick-mahomes-wife-donald-trump-chiefs-nfl-b2ba221de1c83138c2fac126223e46bb">Patrick Mahomes has declined to endorse anyone in the election</a>, instead urging people to register to vote.

Taylor Swift watches Kelce and the Chiefs beat the Buccaneers after wrapping US leg of Eras Tour

RENO COUNTY —&nbsp;A Kansas woman accused in a violent domestic assault pleaded guilty to lesser charges in the case.

Last week, 55-year-old Cambi Leigh Colley of Hutchinson pleaded guilty&nbsp; to two counts of endangerment, a class A Misdemeanor. She was originally charged with attempted murder. That charge was dismissed.

In January, a complaint was filed against her in Reno County District Court for an incident that occurred January 21 in Reno County. According to the complaint, Colley tried to kill Mavice L Reed-Butters on January 21.

Further, the state alleged that the crime in this case was connected with domestic violence.

Colley will serve 12 months in the Reno County Correctional Facility for each of the counts. The counts will run consecutively for a controlling sentence of 24 months.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710169798216.png" alt="Colley-photo Reno Co." />
 <figcaption>Colley-photo Reno Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>RENO COUNTY —&nbsp;A Kansas woman accused in a violent domestic assault pleaded guilty to lesser charges in the case.Last week, 55-year-old Cambi Leigh Colley of Hutchinson pleaded guilty&nbsp; to two counts of endangerment, a class A Misdemeanor. She was originally charged with attempted murder. That charge was dismissed.In January, a complaint was filed against her in Reno County District Court for an incident that occurred January 21 in Reno County. According to the complaint, Colley tried to kill Mavice L Reed-Butters on January 21.Further, the state alleged that the crime in this case was connected with domestic violence.Colley will serve 12 months in the Reno County Correctional Facility for each of the counts. The counts will run consecutively for a controlling sentence of 24 months.

Kansas woman takes plea deal for violent domestic attack

WASHINGTON (AP) — Some Republican-led states say they will block the Justice Department's election monitors from going inside polling places on Election Day, pushing back on federal authorities'&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-voting-rights-government-and-politics-a6ac1197dd47f784536c410a8d902bea">decades-long practice</a>&nbsp;of watching for violations of federal voting laws.

Officials in&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/FLSecofState/status/1852449643021447625/photo/1">Florida</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/TXsecofstate/status/1852511234819596772">Texas</a>&nbsp;have said they won't allow federal election monitors into polling sites on Tuesday. And on Monday, Missouri filed a federal lawsuit seeking a court order to block federal officials from observing inside polling places.

The Justice Department announced last week that it's deploying election monitors in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-monitor-polls-27-states-compliance-federal-voting-rights-laws">86 jurisdictions across 27 states</a>&nbsp;on Election Day. The Justice Department declined to comment on Monday on the Missouri lawsuit and the moves by other Republican-led states.

The race between Democratic nominee&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;and Republican nominee&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;is a dead heat, and both sides are bracing for potential legal challenges to vote tallies. The Justice Department’s election monitoring effort, a long practice under both Democratic and Republican administrations, is meant to ensure that federal voting rights are being followed.

Here's a look at election monitors and the states' actions:

Election monitors are lawyers who work for the Justice Department, including in the civil rights division and U.S. attorney's offices across the country. They are not law enforcement officers or federal agents.

For decades, the Justice Department's civil rights division has sent attorneys and staff members to monitor polling places across the country in both federal and non-federal elections. The monitors are tasked with ensuring the compliance of federal voting rights laws.

The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division enforces a number of statutes protecting the right to vote. That includes Voting Rights Act, which prohibits intimidation and threats against those who are casting ballots or counting votes. And it includes the Americans with Disabilities Act, which mandates that election officials ensure people with disabilities have the full and equal opportunity to vote.

The 86 jurisdictions that the Justice Department will send monitors to on Tuesday include&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/maricopa-county-election-2024/">Maricopa County, Arizona</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ruby-freeman-shaye-moss-gateway-pundit-settlement-3c55e2c7cf75cf0f8dc6496da14b094e">Fulton County, Georgia,</a>&nbsp;which in 2020 became the center of election conspiracy theories spread by Trump and other Republicans. Another place on the list is Portage County, Ohio, where a sheriff came under fire for a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-sheriff-social-media-harris-yard-signs-fb116241e7119cac51f4a03a8b6c4cf1">social media post</a>&nbsp;in which he said people with Harris yard signs should have their addresses recorded so that immigrants can be sent to live with them if the Democrat wins the presidency

Other areas where federal monitors will be sent include Detroit, Michigan; Queens, New York; Providence, Rhode Island; Jackson County, South Dakota; Salem, Massachusetts; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Manassas, Virginia; Cuyahoga County, Ohio and Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska. The Justice Department's monitors will be in St. Louis, Missouri; four jurisdictions in Florida and eight jurisdictions in Texas.

In filing the lawsuit on Monday, Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft said state law “clearly and specifically limits who may be in polling places." He also accused the federal government of "attempting to illegally interfere in Missouri’s elections.”

The lawsuit states that Missouri law “permits only certain categories of persons to be present in voting locations, including voters, minor children accompanying voters, poll workers, election judges, etc.,” and not federal officials.

The Justice Department also sought to monitor polling places in Missouri in 2022. The agency planned to have officials at Cole County, which includes Jefferson City, the state capital. County Clerk Steve Korsmeyer had said he wouldn’t let them in if they show up.

The federal agency backed down after Ashcroft showed Justice Department officials the state law, Ashcroft said. He says the Justice Department is now “trying to go through the back door" by contacting local election officials for access.

Messages were left Monday with the St. Louis Board of Election Commissioners.

The St. Louis Board of Election Commissioners reached a settlement in 2021 with the Justice Department aimed at ensuring people with mobility and vision impairments can access to polling places after federal officials found problems, such as ramps that were too steep and inaccessible parking, according to the court papers. The settlement, which expires next year, says the board must “cooperate fully” with Justice Department's efforts to monitor compliance, “including but not limited to providing the United States with timely access to polling places (including on Election Day).”

In a letter to the Justice Department on Friday, Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson said wrote that “Texas law is clear: Justice Department monitors are not permitted inside polling places where ballots are being cast or a central counting station where ballots are being counted.”

“Texas has a robust processes and procedures in place to ensure that eligible voters may participate in a free and fair election," Nelson wrote.

In a similar letter Friday, Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd told the Justice Department that Florida law lists who is allowed inside the state's polling places and that Justice Department officials are not included. Byrd said that Florida is sending its own monitors to the four jurisdictions the Justice Department plans to send staff to and they will “ensure there is no interference with the voting process.”

__ Associated Press writer Brendan Farrington in Tallahassee contributed reporting, Salter reported from O’Fallon, Missouri.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730677370347.png" alt="Photo Johnson County election office" />
 <figcaption>Photo Johnson County election office</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Some Republican-led states say they will block the Justice Department's election monitors from going inside polling places on Election Day, pushing back on federal authorities'&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-voting-rights-government-and-politics-a6ac1197dd47f784536c410a8d902bea">decades-long practice</a>&nbsp;of watching for violations of federal voting laws.Officials in&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/FLSecofState/status/1852449643021447625/photo/1">Florida</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/TXsecofstate/status/1852511234819596772">Texas</a>&nbsp;have said they won't allow federal election monitors into polling sites on Tuesday. And on Monday, Missouri filed a federal lawsuit seeking a court order to block federal officials from observing inside polling places.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨BREAKING: I filed suit against the Biden-Harris DOJ for sending unauthorized poll monitors to Missouri polling locations. The law is clear that <a href="https://twitter.com/KamalaHarris?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KamalaHarris</a> can’t just send unvetted individuals into our polling places. It’s illegal and undermines trust in our elections.&mdash; Attorney General Andrew Bailey (@AGAndrewBailey) <a href="https://twitter.com/AGAndrewBailey/status/1853454846088659431?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 4, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Justice Department announced last week that it's deploying election monitors in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-monitor-polls-27-states-compliance-federal-voting-rights-laws">86 jurisdictions across 27 states</a>&nbsp;on Election Day. The Justice Department declined to comment on Monday on the Missouri lawsuit and the moves by other Republican-led states.The race between Democratic nominee&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kamala-harris">Kamala Harris</a>&nbsp;and Republican nominee&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;is a dead heat, and both sides are bracing for potential legal challenges to vote tallies. The Justice Department’s election monitoring effort, a long practice under both Democratic and Republican administrations, is meant to ensure that federal voting rights are being followed.Here's a look at election monitors and the states' actions:_____<h2>Who are the election monitors?</h2>Election monitors are lawyers who work for the Justice Department, including in the civil rights division and U.S. attorney's offices across the country. They are not law enforcement officers or federal agents.For decades, the Justice Department's civil rights division has sent attorneys and staff members to monitor polling places across the country in both federal and non-federal elections. The monitors are tasked with ensuring the compliance of federal voting rights laws.The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division enforces a number of statutes protecting the right to vote. That includes Voting Rights Act, which prohibits intimidation and threats against those who are casting ballots or counting votes. And it includes the Americans with Disabilities Act, which mandates that election officials ensure people with disabilities have the full and equal opportunity to vote.<h2>Where are election monitors being sent?</h2>The 86 jurisdictions that the Justice Department will send monitors to on Tuesday include&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/projects/maricopa-county-election-2024/">Maricopa County, Arizona</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ruby-freeman-shaye-moss-gateway-pundit-settlement-3c55e2c7cf75cf0f8dc6496da14b094e">Fulton County, Georgia,</a>&nbsp;which in 2020 became the center of election conspiracy theories spread by Trump and other Republicans. Another place on the list is Portage County, Ohio, where a sheriff came under fire for a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-sheriff-social-media-harris-yard-signs-fb116241e7119cac51f4a03a8b6c4cf1">social media post</a>&nbsp;in which he said people with Harris yard signs should have their addresses recorded so that immigrants can be sent to live with them if the Democrat wins the presidencyOther areas where federal monitors will be sent include Detroit, Michigan; Queens, New York; Providence, Rhode Island; Jackson County, South Dakota; Salem, Massachusetts; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Manassas, Virginia; Cuyahoga County, Ohio and Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska. The Justice Department's monitors will be in St. Louis, Missouri; four jurisdictions in Florida and eight jurisdictions in Texas.<h2>What's happening in Missouri?</h2>In filing the lawsuit on Monday, Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft said state law “clearly and specifically limits who may be in polling places." He also accused the federal government of "attempting to illegally interfere in Missouri’s elections.”The lawsuit states that Missouri law “permits only certain categories of persons to be present in voting locations, including voters, minor children accompanying voters, poll workers, election judges, etc.,” and not federal officials.The Justice Department also sought to monitor polling places in Missouri in 2022. The agency planned to have officials at Cole County, which includes Jefferson City, the state capital. County Clerk Steve Korsmeyer had said he wouldn’t let them in if they show up.The federal agency backed down after Ashcroft showed Justice Department officials the state law, Ashcroft said. He says the Justice Department is now “trying to go through the back door" by contacting local election officials for access.Messages were left Monday with the St. Louis Board of Election Commissioners.The St. Louis Board of Election Commissioners reached a settlement in 2021 with the Justice Department aimed at ensuring people with mobility and vision impairments can access to polling places after federal officials found problems, such as ramps that were too steep and inaccessible parking, according to the court papers. The settlement, which expires next year, says the board must “cooperate fully” with Justice Department's efforts to monitor compliance, “including but not limited to providing the United States with timely access to polling places (including on Election Day).”<h2>What are the other states saying?</h2>In a letter to the Justice Department on Friday, Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson said wrote that “Texas law is clear: Justice Department monitors are not permitted inside polling places where ballots are being cast or a central counting station where ballots are being counted.”“Texas has a robust processes and procedures in place to ensure that eligible voters may participate in a free and fair election," Nelson wrote.In a similar letter Friday, Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd told the Justice Department that Florida law lists who is allowed inside the state's polling places and that Justice Department officials are not included. Byrd said that Florida is sending its own monitors to the four jurisdictions the Justice Department plans to send staff to and they will “ensure there is no interference with the voting process.”__ Associated Press writer Brendan Farrington in Tallahassee contributed reporting, Salter reported from O’Fallon, Missouri.

Some GOP-led states refuse to let Justice Dept. monitors into polling places

DOUGLAS COUNTY—A 56-year-old man is recovering after a disturbance resulted in him being stabbed, according to police in Lawrence.

Just after 3a.m. Monday, police were called to 3250 Michigan Street in Lawrence where the victim told police a 46-year-old man had slashed his arm with a knife. The victim was transported to the hospital with nonlife-threatening injuries, and he is expected to recover, according to police.

Police asked the public for help locating 46-year-old Rashidi "Rocky" McClelland in connection with the incident. 

If you know where he is, please call the Douglas County Emergency Communications Center at (785)832-7509. Anonymous tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers of Lawrence and Douglas County at (785)843-TIPS(8477).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1730743188862.png" alt="McClelland photo Lawrence Police" />
 <figcaption>McClelland photo Lawrence Police</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS COUNTY—A 56-year-old man is recovering after a disturbance resulted in him being stabbed, according to police in Lawrence.Just after 3a.m. Monday, police were called to 3250 Michigan Street in Lawrence where the victim told police a 46-year-old man had slashed his arm with a knife. The victim was transported to the hospital with nonlife-threatening injuries, and he is expected to recover, according to police.Police asked the public for help locating 46-year-old Rashidi "Rocky" McClelland in connection with the incident. If you know where he is, please call the Douglas County Emergency Communications Center at (785)832-7509. Anonymous tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers of Lawrence and Douglas County at (785)843-TIPS(8477).

Police ask for help to find suspect in Kan. knife attack

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — An Iranian-American journalist who once worked for a U.S. government-funded broadcaster is believed to have been detained by Iran for months now, authorities said Sunday, further raising the stakes as Tehran threatens to retaliate over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-attack-shahroud-guard-base-satellite-photos-b9cdb18b252d6dd9014dc4dcb3dd4b2f">an Israeli attack on the country</a>.

The imprisonment of Reza Valizadeh was confirmed to The Associated Press by the U.S. State Department as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/10e62420e55c4eff9ddb96319f704fbc">Iran marked the 45th anniversary of the takeover of the American Embassy</a>&nbsp;and hostage crisis on Sunday. It also followed a threat by Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei a day earlier to provide&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bakersfield.com/ap/national/irans-supreme-leader-threatens-israel-and-us-with-a-crushing-response-over-israeli-attack/article_7a23d4f9-73e2-58ae-86b9-119f381e44f6.html">"a crushing response”</a>&nbsp;to Israel and the U.S. as long-range B-52 bombers reached the Middle East in an attempt to deter Tehran.

Valizadeh had worked for Radio Farda, an outlet under Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that's overseen by the U.S. Agency for Global Media. In February, he wrote on the social platform X that his family members had been detained in an effort to make him return to Iran.

In August, Valizadeh apparently posted two messages suggesting he had returned to Iran despite Radio Farda being viewed by Iran's theocracy as a hostile outlet.

“I arrived in Tehran on March 6, 2024. Before that, I had unfinished negotiations with the (Revolutionary Guard's) intelligence department,” the message read in part. “Eventually I came back to my country after 13 years without any security guarantee, even a verbal one.”

Valizadeh added the name of a man who he claimed belonged to Iran's Intelligence Ministry. The AP could not verify if the person worked for the ministry.

Rumors have been circulating for weeks that Valizadeh had been detained. The Human Rights Activists News Agency, which monitors cases in Iran, said that he had been detained on arrival to the country earlier this year but later released.

He was then rearrested and sent to Evin prison, where he now faces a case in Iran's Revolutionary Court, which routinely holds closed-door hearings in which defendants face secret evidence, the agency reported. Valizadeh had faced arrest in 2007 as well, it said.

The State Department told the AP that it was “aware of reports that this dual U.S.-Iranian citizen has been arrested in Iran" when asked about Valizadeh.

“We are working with our Swiss partners who serve as the protecting power for the United States in Iran to gather more information about this case,” the State Department said. “Iran routinely imprisons U.S. citizens and other countries’ citizens unjustly for political purposes. This practice is cruel and contrary to international law.”

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty separately said that Valizadeh “has been detained in Iran.”

“We have had no official confirmation of the charges against him,” it said in a statement. "Reza, a U.S.-Iranian national, left RFE/RL in November 2022. We are profoundly concerned about the continued arrest, harassment and threats against media professionals by the Iranian regime.”

Iran has not acknowledged detaining Valizadeh. Iran's mission to the United Nations did not respond to a request for comment.

The Voice of America, another U.S. government-funded media outlet overseen by the Agency for Global Media, first reported that the State Department was acknowledging Valizadeh's detention in Iran.

Since the 1979 U.S. Embassy crisis, in which dozens of hostages were released after 444 days in captivity, Iran has used prisoners with Western ties as bargaining chips in negotiations with the world. In September 2023,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-prisoner-swap-sanctions-assets-4e1fa477f8e6af45fb764acd259c2f1a">five Americans detained for years in Iran were freed in exchange</a>&nbsp;for five Iranians in U.S. custody and for $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets to be released by South Korea.

Valizadeh is the first American known to be detained by Iran since then.

Meanwhile, Iranian state television broadcast video Sunday of different cities across the country marking the anniversary of the embassy takeover.

Gen. Hossein Salami, the head of the Guard, also spoke in Tehran, where he repeated a pledge made the day before by Khamenei.

“The resistance front and Iran will equip itself with whatever necessary to confront and defeat the enemy,” he said, referring to militant groups like Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah backed by Tehran.

In Tehran, thousands of people at the gate of the former U.S. Embassy chanted “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.” Some burned flags of the countries and effigies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

They also carried images of killed top figures of Iran’s allied militant groups, including Lebanese Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Palestinian Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. The crowd in the state-organized rallies chanted that they were ready to defend the Palestinians.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — An Iranian-American journalist who once worked for a U.S. government-funded broadcaster is believed to have been detained by Iran for months now, authorities said Sunday, further raising the stakes as Tehran threatens to retaliate over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-attack-shahroud-guard-base-satellite-photos-b9cdb18b252d6dd9014dc4dcb3dd4b2f">an Israeli attack on the country</a>.The imprisonment of Reza Valizadeh was confirmed to The Associated Press by the U.S. State Department as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/10e62420e55c4eff9ddb96319f704fbc">Iran marked the 45th anniversary of the takeover of the American Embassy</a>&nbsp;and hostage crisis on Sunday. It also followed a threat by Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei a day earlier to provide&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bakersfield.com/ap/national/irans-supreme-leader-threatens-israel-and-us-with-a-crushing-response-over-israeli-attack/article_7a23d4f9-73e2-58ae-86b9-119f381e44f6.html">"a crushing response”</a>&nbsp;to Israel and the U.S. as long-range B-52 bombers reached the Middle East in an attempt to deter Tehran.Valizadeh had worked for Radio Farda, an outlet under Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that's overseen by the U.S. Agency for Global Media. In February, he wrote on the social platform X that his family members had been detained in an effort to make him return to Iran.In August, Valizadeh apparently posted two messages suggesting he had returned to Iran despite Radio Farda being viewed by Iran's theocracy as a hostile outlet.“I arrived in Tehran on March 6, 2024. Before that, I had unfinished negotiations with the (Revolutionary Guard's) intelligence department,” the message read in part. “Eventually I came back to my country after 13 years without any security guarantee, even a verbal one.”Valizadeh added the name of a man who he claimed belonged to Iran's Intelligence Ministry. The AP could not verify if the person worked for the ministry.Rumors have been circulating for weeks that Valizadeh had been detained. The Human Rights Activists News Agency, which monitors cases in Iran, said that he had been detained on arrival to the country earlier this year but later released.He was then rearrested and sent to Evin prison, where he now faces a case in Iran's Revolutionary Court, which routinely holds closed-door hearings in which defendants face secret evidence, the agency reported. Valizadeh had faced arrest in 2007 as well, it said.The State Department told the AP that it was “aware of reports that this dual U.S.-Iranian citizen has been arrested in Iran" when asked about Valizadeh.“We are working with our Swiss partners who serve as the protecting power for the United States in Iran to gather more information about this case,” the State Department said. “Iran routinely imprisons U.S. citizens and other countries’ citizens unjustly for political purposes. This practice is cruel and contrary to international law.”Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty separately said that Valizadeh “has been detained in Iran.”“We have had no official confirmation of the charges against him,” it said in a statement. "Reza, a U.S.-Iranian national, left RFE/RL in November 2022. We are profoundly concerned about the continued arrest, harassment and threats against media professionals by the Iranian regime.”Iran has not acknowledged detaining Valizadeh. Iran's mission to the United Nations did not respond to a request for comment.The Voice of America, another U.S. government-funded media outlet overseen by the Agency for Global Media, first reported that the State Department was acknowledging Valizadeh's detention in Iran.Since the 1979 U.S. Embassy crisis, in which dozens of hostages were released after 444 days in captivity, Iran has used prisoners with Western ties as bargaining chips in negotiations with the world. In September 2023,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-prisoner-swap-sanctions-assets-4e1fa477f8e6af45fb764acd259c2f1a">five Americans detained for years in Iran were freed in exchange</a>&nbsp;for five Iranians in U.S. custody and for $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets to be released by South Korea.Valizadeh is the first American known to be detained by Iran since then.Meanwhile, Iranian state television broadcast video Sunday of different cities across the country marking the anniversary of the embassy takeover.Gen. Hossein Salami, the head of the Guard, also spoke in Tehran, where he repeated a pledge made the day before by Khamenei.“The resistance front and Iran will equip itself with whatever necessary to confront and defeat the enemy,” he said, referring to militant groups like Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah backed by Tehran.In Tehran, thousands of people at the gate of the former U.S. Embassy chanted “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.” Some burned flags of the countries and effigies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.They also carried images of killed top figures of Iran’s allied militant groups, including Lebanese Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Palestinian Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. The crowd in the state-organized rallies chanted that they were ready to defend the Palestinians.___

US: Iranian-American held in Iran as tensions high following Israeli attack

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>

WASHINGTON — Voters are determining whether the next president enters office with a friendly Congress or a hostile one set on blocking their policies and nominees — and as the election roars into its last moments it’s still very unclear what the makeup of the House and Senate might be.

Most House races are not competitive. But House leaders are closely watching about two dozen toss-up contests to see whether Democrats or Republicans end up with the magic 218 lawmakers needed to control the speaker’s gavel, the agenda and the floor schedule.

The GOP’s razor-thin majority during the last two years created significant obstacles for leadership’s legislative goals and ended Kevin McCarthy’s speakership.

Neither political party is expected to gain a large House majority during the next Congress, set to begin in January. There’s even a possibility the majority party has less wiggle room than the 220-212 split that currently exists, along with three vacancies. Experts warn it may not be known on election night or for some time who’s won the House.

Senate leaders have been equally focused on hard-fought and close campaigns in Arizona, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Any one of them could deliver control of the upper chamber.

Republicans are favored to turn over the West Virginia seat occupied by Joe Manchin III, potentially pushing them past the 50-member benchmark if they hold onto seats occupied by incumbents Ted Cruz in Texas, Deb Fischer in Nebraska and Rick Scott in Florida.

If Democrats keep 50 seats, that would mean whichever party holds the vice presidency controls the Senate, making even just one pickup in either direction a priority for both political parties.

The outcome in both the House and Senate will have sweeping implications for the country’s future, including whether the GOP overhauls Obamacare, how lawmakers address core aspects of Republicans’ 2017 tax law set to expire in the coming months and whether the country defaults on its debts for the first time in history.

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report with Amy Walter&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/senate-race-ratings" target="_blank">rates</a>&nbsp;four Senate races as toss-ups, meaning there’s a relatively even chance for Democrats or Republicans to win.

While the campaigns have shifted around a bit during the last few months, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin are all considered neck and neck heading into Election Day.

Arizona and Nevada are categorized as leaning toward Democrats and Montana is expected to lean toward a Republican pickup, potentially giving the GOP its 51st seat and a narrow majority.

It’s also possible there could be upsets in Republican-held states traditionally considered safer, like Florida, Nebraska and Texas.That could alter the math for both Democrats and Republicans, depending on how things shake out after all the votes are counted, recounts finalized and lawsuits settled in the days and weeks following Nov. 5.

Jessica Taylor, editor for U.S. Senate and Governors at the Cook Political Report, said in a statement released Friday the “battle for the Senate fundamentally ends where the cycle began — with an overwhelmingly favorable map that very likely portends a GOP majority.”

Her projections show the GOP picking up two to five seats, giving the party a majority between 51 and 54 members.

A narrower majority, Taylor said, would allow “moderates like Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Maine Sen. Susan Collins to wield outsized influence in the next Congress.”

Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said during an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?539651-1/sen-gary-peters-discusses-senate-races" target="_blank">interview</a>&nbsp;with Washington Post Live in late October that he expects voters in Montana and Ohio will split their tickets.

He acknowledged getting voters to support Democratic Sens. Jon Tester in Montana and Sherrod Brown in Ohio, while also voting for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, will be much more challenging than in the past.

“Certainly, it’s not easy if there’s a lot of political gravity,” Peters said. “I’m not going to sugarcoat that in any way.”

But, he said, both Tester and Brown have been consistently polling within the margin of error against their GOP challengers.

“It’s about who’s going to get their voters out and do the kind of ground campaign necessary to win,” Peters said. “We’re doing that in Montana. We’re doing that in Ohio as well.”

The Senate is more important to the next president than the House, since the upper chamber is responsible for vetting and confirming the next commander-in-chief’s selections for their Cabinet as well as judicial nominees.

A GOP Senate would be a gift for Trump but likely tough for Vice President Kamala Harris.

The opposite could also be true — a Democratic majority in the Senate could put the brakes on many of Trump’s plans for a second term, while it would aid Harris in setting up her administration and potentially confirming a Supreme Court justice or two.

The Senate is the more bipartisan of the two chambers, thanks to the legislative filibuster — the rule requiring at least 60 senators agree to advance legislation toward final passage.

Without bipartisan support, bills and some nominees will be stuck in limbo, regardless of which party runs the Senate or controls the White House.

Philip Wallach, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative-leaning think tank, said a Harris administration and a Republican Senate would need to work out an agreement quickly “or risk going into some kind of protracted standoff over executive branch nominations.”

Both Trump and President Joe Biden had the luxury of same-party Senate control during their full terms and former President Barack Obama had a Democratic Senate during his first six years in office. Harris possibly having to work with the opposing party to establish her Cabinet would be especially challenging, Wallach said in an interview.

“I would expect Republicans to try to come up with some pretty concrete asks as a conference: To say, ‘If we’re going to put any of your nominees up for a vote, here’s what we want in return, and here’s what kind of nominees we will accept.’ And, you know, I expect that would play out as a fairly heated public confrontation,” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720316487639.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>WASHINGTON — Voters are determining whether the next president enters office with a friendly Congress or a hostile one set on blocking their policies and nominees — and as the election roars into its last moments it’s still very unclear what the makeup of the House and Senate might be.Most House races are not competitive. But House leaders are closely watching about two dozen toss-up contests to see whether Democrats or Republicans end up with the magic 218 lawmakers needed to control the speaker’s gavel, the agenda and the floor schedule.The GOP’s razor-thin majority during the last two years created significant obstacles for leadership’s legislative goals and ended Kevin McCarthy’s speakership.Neither political party is expected to gain a large House majority during the next Congress, set to begin in January. There’s even a possibility the majority party has less wiggle room than the 220-212 split that currently exists, along with three vacancies. Experts warn it may not be known on election night or for some time who’s won the House.Senate leaders have been equally focused on hard-fought and close campaigns in Arizona, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Any one of them could deliver control of the upper chamber.Republicans are favored to turn over the West Virginia seat occupied by Joe Manchin III, potentially pushing them past the 50-member benchmark if they hold onto seats occupied by incumbents Ted Cruz in Texas, Deb Fischer in Nebraska and Rick Scott in Florida.If Democrats keep 50 seats, that would mean whichever party holds the vice presidency controls the Senate, making even just one pickup in either direction a priority for both political parties.The outcome in both the House and Senate will have sweeping implications for the country’s future, including whether the GOP overhauls Obamacare, how lawmakers address core aspects of Republicans’ 2017 tax law set to expire in the coming months and whether the country defaults on its debts for the first time in history.<h2>Four tense toss-ups in the Senate</h2>The nonpartisan Cook Political Report with Amy Walter&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/senate-race-ratings" target="_blank">rates</a>&nbsp;four Senate races as toss-ups, meaning there’s a relatively even chance for Democrats or Republicans to win.While the campaigns have shifted around a bit during the last few months, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin are all considered neck and neck heading into Election Day.Arizona and Nevada are categorized as leaning toward Democrats and Montana is expected to lean toward a Republican pickup, potentially giving the GOP its 51st seat and a narrow majority.It’s also possible there could be upsets in Republican-held states traditionally considered safer, like Florida, Nebraska and Texas.That could alter the math for both Democrats and Republicans, depending on how things shake out after all the votes are counted, recounts finalized and lawsuits settled in the days and weeks following Nov. 5.Jessica Taylor, editor for U.S. Senate and Governors at the Cook Political Report, said in a statement released Friday the “battle for the Senate fundamentally ends where the cycle began — with an overwhelmingly favorable map that very likely portends a GOP majority.”Her projections show the GOP picking up two to five seats, giving the party a majority between 51 and 54 members.A narrower majority, Taylor said, would allow “moderates like Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Maine Sen. Susan Collins to wield outsized influence in the next Congress.”<h2>Will some voters split their tickets?</h2>Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said during an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?539651-1/sen-gary-peters-discusses-senate-races" target="_blank">interview</a>&nbsp;with Washington Post Live in late October that he expects voters in Montana and Ohio will split their tickets.He acknowledged getting voters to support Democratic Sens. Jon Tester in Montana and Sherrod Brown in Ohio, while also voting for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, will be much more challenging than in the past.“Certainly, it’s not easy if there’s a lot of political gravity,” Peters said. “I’m not going to sugarcoat that in any way.”But, he said, both Tester and Brown have been consistently polling within the margin of error against their GOP challengers.“It’s about who’s going to get their voters out and do the kind of ground campaign necessary to win,” Peters said. “We’re doing that in Montana. We’re doing that in Ohio as well.”The Senate is more important to the next president than the House, since the upper chamber is responsible for vetting and confirming the next commander-in-chief’s selections for their Cabinet as well as judicial nominees.A GOP Senate would be a gift for Trump but likely tough for Vice President Kamala Harris.The opposite could also be true — a Democratic majority in the Senate could put the brakes on many of Trump’s plans for a second term, while it would aid Harris in setting up her administration and potentially confirming a Supreme Court justice or two.The Senate is the more bipartisan of the two chambers, thanks to the legislative filibuster — the rule requiring at least 60 senators agree to advance legislation toward final passage.Without bipartisan support, bills and some nominees will be stuck in limbo, regardless of which party runs the Senate or controls the White House.<h2>Possible standoff</h2>Philip Wallach, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative-leaning think tank, said a Harris administration and a Republican Senate would need to work out an agreement quickly “or risk going into some kind of protracted standoff over executive branch nominations.”Both Trump and President Joe Biden had the luxury of same-party Senate control during their full terms and former President Barack Obama had a Democratic Senate during his first six years in office. Harris possibly having to work with the opposing party to establish her Cabinet would be especially challenging, Wallach said in an interview.“I would expect Republicans to try to come up with some pretty concrete asks as a conference: To say, ‘If we’re going to put any of your nominees up for a vote, here’s what we want in return, and here’s what kind of nominees we will accept.’ And, you know, I expect that would play out as a fairly heated public confrontation,” he said.Trump and a Republican Senate would likely agree on some nominees and policy goals, though there would be significant differences over issues like&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-vows-levy-horrible-tariffs-imports-rejecting-fears-inflation-spike" target="_blank">tariffs</a>.“I think there are a lot of Republican senators who want to see some real limits to that, who still think of themselves as basically in favor of free trade and making sure that American businesses don’t find themselves on the wrong end of a trade war,” Wallach said. “Especially in the Senate, I just don’t think they’re that eager to just march to Trump’s tune.”A Trump administration, he said, could also disagree with GOP lawmakers on the specific details of how to address tax policy.“I think it’s a very live possibility that there could be a much more confrontational kind of dynamic this time around, in part, because Trump and some of the people right around him have this idea that playing nicely in 2017 was a big mistake,” Wallach said.<h2>House ‘as close as it’s ever been’</h2>Control of the 435-member House is more uncertain than the Senate, with 22 races&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/house-race-ratings" target="_blank">rated as toss-ups</a>&nbsp;by the Cook Political Report.Twelve of those are held by Republicans, while 10 are occupied by Democratic lawmakers. At the moment, 205 House seats are at least leaning toward a Democratic win, with 208 districts at least leaning toward Republicans.The Cook Political Report’s final projections range from Republicans adding five seats to their majority to Democrats picking up 10 seats and taking over the majority again.“The race for control of the U.S. House remains as close as it’s ever been,”Erin Covey, editor for the House at CPR, said in a written statement.“The battleground is confined to a few dozen seats, with neither party having a clear advantage in a majority of seats,” Covey added. “And with several competitive races in West Coast states that take longer to count their ballots, it’s highly possible we won’t know which party has control on election night.”The House is essential to turning bills into law, though it doesn’t have any role in confirming presidential nominees. And unlike the Senate, there’s no legislative filibuster, which means the majority party can approve any bills it wants without buy-in from the minority party, as long as the leaders in the majority have the votes from their own members.Republican control of at least one chamber of Congress and a Harris victory would force significant bipartisan compromise on must-pass legislation, like the dozen annual government funding bills and the defense policy bill known as the National Defense Authorization Act.It could also lead to the types of bipartisan legislation that Biden made a hallmark of his term in office, including the bipartisan infrastructure law.That type of divided government is unlikely to produce the sweeping changes to home ownership, prescription drug prices, price gouging and reproductive rights that Harris has highlighted throughout her campaign.But it could lead Republicans and Democrats to resurrect&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/bipartisan-border-bill-loses-support-fails-procedural-vote-us-senate" target="_blank">the bipartisan immigration and border security bill</a>&nbsp;that Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford, Connecticut Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy and Arizona independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema agreed to earlier this year.Trump in the White House and Democrats holding onto at least one chamber in Congress could also force bipartisan compromise, though likely with a far different tone and approach than under a Harris-Republican Congress scenario.<h2>GOP trifecta?</h2>Trump regaining the presidency along with GOP control of Congress would give the party at least two chances to use the complex budget reconciliation process to pass certain legislation.The party would likely use one of those opportunities to address provisions in the 2017 Republican tax law that have expired or are about to.The budget reconciliation process, which has considerable rules and restrictions, is how Republicans passed the tax bill during Trump’s first term in office.It doesn’t require at least 60 senators to advance the bill. But it does include something known as a vote-a-rama, where the Senate holds dozens of votes on amendments to the bill. The process typically lasts throughout the night and gives the party not in power a chance to force their colleagues across the aisle to vote on tough issues.Budget reconciliation is the process Republicans used to try to repeal and replace the 2010 health care law that’s often referred to as the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, during Trump’s first term in office.Speaker Mike Jonson, R-La., said in late October on Fox Business that some of his<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/speaker-johnson-criticizes-obamacare-promises-massive-reform-trump-win-rcna177853" target="_blank">&nbsp;prior comments</a>&nbsp;about overhauling the ACA were taken out of context and that he wants to make changes to the program, but not entirely end it.“I said the ACA, unfortunately, is deeply ingrained in our health care system now,” he said. “Do we need further improvements? Absolutely. We need to expand quality of care, access to care and obviously lower the cost of health care.”Johnson said during the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRGW9IVOaP4" target="_blank">interview</a>&nbsp;that he was “convinced” Republicans would gain unified control of government following the election and that he had compiled a “two-hour slide show presentation” detailing what the GOP would do with that power.“We will secure the border on day one with a President Trump executive order and then legislation to follow, and we will turn immediately to the economy,” Johnson said. “Energy policy will be the center of that as well.”Deeply conservative House bills might not garner the support needed to overcome the Senate’s legislative filibuster.Unified Republican control of Congress and the White House would challenge the GOP to address the nation’s debt limit mostly on its own during the first half of next year after&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-sends-biden-debt-limit-legislation-ahead-monday-default-deadline" target="_blank">the current law</a>&nbsp;expires.A default on the nation’s debt is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-hit-debt-limit-much-sooner-expected-thrusting-congress-showdown" target="_blank">vastly different from a partial government shutdown</a>, which takes place when Congress doesn’t pass an appropriations package on time.Failing to either raise or suspend the nation’s debt limit, before what’s known as extraordinary measures runs out, would likely cause a global financial crisis.The GOP has been extremely vocal about cutting government spending, but that is separate from addressing the nation’s debt limit, which gives the Treasury Department the borrowing authority to ensure all of the country’s bills are paid in full and on time.