Experts: Consumer spending hurt, career decisions delayed by student debt

By CASEY QUINLAN,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/19/rural-hospitals-gird-for-unwinding-of-pandemic-medicaid-coverage/">States Newsroom</a>

Justin Brown, a father of a 2-year-old who lives with his wife in the St. Louis, Missouri area, has $20,000 in student loan debt. Before the pause on loan payments at the start of the pandemic in 2020, he paid $300 a month. But now that Brown has a family, his financial responsibilities have grown — paying for child care, a mortgage for a house he bought in 2022 and car notes, to name a few.

“I have to look at that $300, like where do I carve it from? Because my income is not going to increase in the next month, and maybe in the near future, but here and now it is what it is and my wife’s is what it is,” said Brown, who works in marketing. “I have to now make a sacrifice and the sacrifice is not going to come at the expense of my kid and it’s not going to come at the expense of my marriage. But it will come at the expense of something that I can live without that I otherwise would choose to [spend money on]. It may mean I may eat out two times a month instead of 10 times a month or that I won’t go to the movies ever again.”

Many borrowers, like Brown, are facing similar decisions this month as student loan payments resumed. Nearly 45 million Americans collectively owe more than&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/g19/HIST/cc_hist_memo_levels.html">$1.7 trillion</a>&nbsp;in 2023 and have an average outstanding loan balance of less than $25,000, according to a Federal Reserve&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/publications/2023-economic-well-being-of-us-households-in-2022-higher-ed-student-loans.htm">report</a>. They pay an average between $200 and $299 monthly, according to the Fed.

Economists say that hundreds of dollars spent on monthly student loan payments is a loss to the economy and could hurt consumer spending, affect workers’ decisions to stay at their current job or look elsewhere, and delay new home purchases or renting a nicer apartment.

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/curiosity/cnbc-invest-in-you-jan-2022/">According to</a>&nbsp;a CNBC online poll in January 2022 of 5,162 adults, 81% of borrowers surveyed said they delayed major decisions because of their debt, with 33% deferring a home purchase, 35% setting aside travel plans, and 12% waiting to look for a new job.

“It will be a decline in demand, a decline in overall spending in the economy,” said Mike Konczal, director of macroeconomic analysis at the Roosevelt Institute. “A year ago, people were very worried that there was too much spending in the economy. Now, there’s a little less worry about that and a lot more worry about the real uncertainty that’s going to happen over the next year.”

Konczal said that he sees the resumption of student loan payments as the biggest headwind the economy is facing right now. Less spending in the economy has historically helped trigger a recession, he said. Consumer spending represents&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.usbank.com/investing/financial-perspectives/market-news/consumer-spending.html#:~:text=Consumer%20spending%20plays%20the%20most,the%20nation%27s%20Gross%20Domestic%20Product.">two-thirds</a>&nbsp;of economic activity.

Higher education has been associated with higher homeownership rates, but having student debt is associated with lower rates of owning a home, according to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newyorkfed.org/press/pressbriefings/household-borrowing-student-loans-homeownership?campaign=homescomp10515">findings</a>&nbsp;from a 2017 New York Fed report.

Early in the pandemic with interest rates low and the pause on loan repayments, younger buyers took advantage of the market to buy homes. And while student debt isn’t the biggest roadblock today to home ownership (high mortgage rates are), such purchases will be impacted as potential buyers are faced with student loan repayments, instead of putting that money toward a down payment, according to Selm Hepp, chief economist for CoreLogic.

“If you’re saving that much on a monthly basis over a year, how much of that could help you with the down payment,” Hepp said.

The same holds true for those seeking to upgrade their rentals. “… While we expect to see rent growth go back to the rate that was pre-pandemic, which is like 3% to 4% on a year-over-year basis, which is what we’ve historically seen, that may be subdued because of the student loan payments. So people may not be able to upgrade to that nicer apartment but they’ll just kind of stick it out wherever they are because they now have that student loan [payment],” Hepp said.

Major retailers have already expressed concern over the impact of student loan payments on their businesses.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/americas-retailers-and-restaurants-brace-for-a-shock-from-student-loan-payments-175132890.html?guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAJvtFqMbXEixD7zsawwn8fbWf86qFE8j35WYaNBvL8QtTy8WumYTyvQZ2LqOZShhk2o9D_Vmw5UU5u3EQqr0ISxtpuNEhjTTG9NKRJ4JWAH0_4V1pn1K5XjqN-jnByuJmi3IkTjwqc1Yh96T9vDy07Tu-1GRdA6TWwGVQam1oJnM">Executives</a>&nbsp;from Macy’s, Walmart, and Target said in August that they were keeping it in mind as a source of financial pressure on consumers.

The Biden administration’s plans last year to cancel up to $20,000 of student loan debt would have helped many borrowers, particularly&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/bidens-loan-forgiveness-plan-heavily-impact-black-borrowers/story?id=88900684#:~:text=A%20typical%20Black%20borrower%20will,disproportionate%20burden%20of%20student%20debt.">Black and Latino borrowers</a>. But the U.S. Supreme Court&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/30/us/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-biden.html">struck down</a>&nbsp;the policy in June. Then in August, the administration&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/08/22/fact-sheet-the-biden-harris-administration-launches-the-save-plan-the-most-affordable-student-loan-repayment-plan-ever-to-lower-monthly-payments-for-millions-of-borrowers/#:~:text=Bring%20many%20borrowers%27%20loan%20payments%20to%20%240%20per%20month.&amp;text=The%20Department%20of%20Education%20estimates,needs%20instead%20of%20loan%20payments.">announced</a>&nbsp;steps to reduce the financial burden of making payments for some borrowers by basing them on their income and family size and not borrowers’ loan balance.

The Federal Reserve also has recognized the return of student loan payments as it considers future policy. On Sept. 20, Fed Chair Jerome Powell was asked what he thought the looming government shutdown, rising oil prices, and the UAW strike meant for the course of Fed policy.

Describing a “collection of risks,” Powell said “there is a long list and you hit some of them. It’s the strike, it’s the government shutdown, resumption of student loan payments, higher long-term rates, oil price shock. There are a lot of things that you can look at, so what we try to do is assess all of them and handicap all of them. Ultimately though, there’s so much uncertainty around these things.”

Economists point out that research has shown that student debt and debt cancellation affect borrowers’ decisions about the jobs they take or don’t take. When people have their loans discharged, they are more likely to move, which researchers say&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://cepr.org/voxeu/columns/effects-debt-relief-student-loan-market">suggests&nbsp;</a>they are able to pursue opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have with the student debt. Some research has also&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w13117">shown</a>&nbsp;that debt motivates graduates to favor higher-paying jobs over lower-paid jobs that are more focused on the public interest.

“There is evidence that holding student debt affects people’s choices early in their careers. I found that it affected people’s occupational choices,” said Jesse Rothstein, professor of public policy and economics at the University of California, Berkeley, and co-author of the research on job choices.

Because a college degree doesn’t bring the same accumulation of wealth that it once offered, economists are also concerned that there is little payoff for households constrained by payments. A St. Louis Fed&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://files.stlouisfed.org/files/htdocs/publications/review/2019/10/15/is-college-still-worth-it-the-new-calculus-of-falling-returns.pdf">report</a>&nbsp;released in 2019 found a decline in the wealth a college degree brings over the past few decades. Families whose head of the household was born in the 1980s have a weaker college wealth premium, “to the point of statistical insignificance.” The exception is white families where the head of the household has a bachelor’s degree, but even then the wealth enjoyed by those families is much smaller than in older groups.

Lissa Knudsen, a PhD candidate at the University of New Mexico studying health communication, has an 18-year-old who will head to college in a year herself. Knudsen has three streams of income as a freelance journalist, cheesemonger, and a teacher that have helped support her as she makes her way through school, which she said is not really enough for her to live on. She has $230,000 in student loan debt.

Unlike some borrowers, who look for well-paying jobs after graduation, she said that she is worried that if she takes a more lucrative job in her field of study, student debt will swallow up her income anyway.

“I’m afraid that there’s a disincentive for me to try to use my PhD to its fullest potential and to make say $70,000 or $80,000 a year because I think almost all of that would go to student loan payments,” she said. “Versus, if I stay in the lower income bracket, I might be able to have the minimum amount of payment. Then I could hopefully get some of it forgiven in a while. That would be great.”

Bilal Baydoun, director of policy and research at the Groundwork Collaborative, observed that the return of student loan payments will undo some of the positive changes the recovery brought to households that previously felt greater financial precarity. For example, the rise of younger people, many of them millennials,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.corelogic.com/intelligence/homeownership-accelerated-among-young-millennials-during-the-pandemic/">buying homes</a>&nbsp;earlier in the pandemic when interest rates were low and student debt payments were on pause, was a sign of a changing economic tide.

“My fear overall is that the sort of muscle memory of our pre-pandemic plutocracy is starting to redevelop … [Policymakers] want to grow different muscles. We want to grow the muscles that we’ve seen over the last couple of years of major public investment, of labor activity, of rising wages that outpace inflation and this really threatens all of that,” he said.

To address the burden of student debt on the U.S. economy, experts and economists say that the federal government needs to undertake major policy efforts on debt cancellation and overhauling the way higher education is financed.

Baydoun said that debt cancellation, once a fringe policy idea years ago, is “considered one of the most important interventions when it comes to our affordability crisis.”

“I think continuing to find ways to [cancel student debt] is not only great economic policy, it’s also great politics. All of these borrowers through the course of the pandemic, when payments were on hold for three years, they saw very clearly that nothing bad happened as a result of that … In fact, if anything, it was one of the factors that helped supercharge our economic recovery,” he said.

Not all borrowers plan to resume payments on their student loans. Kyle Guzik, a high school art teacher who lives in Richmond, Virginia, has more than $200,000 in student loan debt, most of it from William &amp; Mary, which he attended for graduate school. He spends $1,350 in rent each month and has more than $10,000 in medical debt, which he can’t pay. He said his daily life expenses take up the rest of his budget and that there simply isn’t anything left over.

“The money just disappears. It might seem like a lot at first but it just disappears and [student loan servicers] want whatever the amount is that they want. Alright. It isn’t there to be had,” he said. “ … You can’t get blood from a stone.”

Guzik said his decision is one of financial necessity. But he added that he hopes this refusal will result in policy changes.

“I hope that others in my situation will also think about what is really in their own rational self interest and that, by organizing a debt strike, we will collectively force a change in policy so that housing, healthcare, education, and a dignified retirement are recognized politically in this country as human rights,” he said.

Rothstein said he believes the pressure for policymakers to address student debt is building but that most of it has been around canceling payments rather than redesigning the college finance system.

“We are going to need to redesign the way we pay for college and that will be a major lift before we get to the point where Congress passes something,’’ he said. “ … In the long run, our failure to do that is going to be a drag on educational attainments in this country and on economic growth.”

Editor’s note: Lissa Knudsen has freelanced for Source New Mexico, an affiliate of States Newsroom.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1675012264290.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Experts: Consumer spending hurt, career decisions delayed by student debt</h2>By CASEY QUINLAN,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/19/rural-hospitals-gird-for-unwinding-of-pandemic-medicaid-coverage/">States Newsroom</a>Justin Brown, a father of a 2-year-old who lives with his wife in the St. Louis, Missouri area, has $20,000 in student loan debt. Before the pause on loan payments at the start of the pandemic in 2020, he paid $300 a month. But now that Brown has a family, his financial responsibilities have grown — paying for child care, a mortgage for a house he bought in 2022 and car notes, to name a few.“I have to look at that $300, like where do I carve it from? Because my income is not going to increase in the next month, and maybe in the near future, but here and now it is what it is and my wife’s is what it is,” said Brown, who works in marketing. “I have to now make a sacrifice and the sacrifice is not going to come at the expense of my kid and it’s not going to come at the expense of my marriage. But it will come at the expense of something that I can live without that I otherwise would choose to [spend money on]. It may mean I may eat out two times a month instead of 10 times a month or that I won’t go to the movies ever again.”Many borrowers, like Brown, are facing similar decisions this month as student loan payments resumed. Nearly 45 million Americans collectively owe more than&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/g19/HIST/cc_hist_memo_levels.html">$1.7 trillion</a>&nbsp;in 2023 and have an average outstanding loan balance of less than $25,000, according to a Federal Reserve&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/publications/2023-economic-well-being-of-us-households-in-2022-higher-ed-student-loans.htm">report</a>. They pay an average between $200 and $299 monthly, according to the Fed.Economists say that hundreds of dollars spent on monthly student loan payments is a loss to the economy and could hurt consumer spending, affect workers’ decisions to stay at their current job or look elsewhere, and delay new home purchases or renting a nicer apartment.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/curiosity/cnbc-invest-in-you-jan-2022/">According to</a>&nbsp;a CNBC online poll in January 2022 of 5,162 adults, 81% of borrowers surveyed said they delayed major decisions because of their debt, with 33% deferring a home purchase, 35% setting aside travel plans, and 12% waiting to look for a new job.“It will be a decline in demand, a decline in overall spending in the economy,” said Mike Konczal, director of macroeconomic analysis at the Roosevelt Institute. “A year ago, people were very worried that there was too much spending in the economy. Now, there’s a little less worry about that and a lot more worry about the real uncertainty that’s going to happen over the next year.”Konczal said that he sees the resumption of student loan payments as the biggest headwind the economy is facing right now. Less spending in the economy has historically helped trigger a recession, he said. Consumer spending represents&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.usbank.com/investing/financial-perspectives/market-news/consumer-spending.html#:~:text=Consumer%20spending%20plays%20the%20most,the%20nation%27s%20Gross%20Domestic%20Product.">two-thirds</a>&nbsp;of economic activity.Higher education has been associated with higher homeownership rates, but having student debt is associated with lower rates of owning a home, according to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newyorkfed.org/press/pressbriefings/household-borrowing-student-loans-homeownership?campaign=homescomp10515">findings</a>&nbsp;from a 2017 New York Fed report.Early in the pandemic with interest rates low and the pause on loan repayments, younger buyers took advantage of the market to buy homes. And while student debt isn’t the biggest roadblock today to home ownership (high mortgage rates are), such purchases will be impacted as potential buyers are faced with student loan repayments, instead of putting that money toward a down payment, according to Selm Hepp, chief economist for CoreLogic.“If you’re saving that much on a monthly basis over a year, how much of that could help you with the down payment,” Hepp said.The same holds true for those seeking to upgrade their rentals. “… While we expect to see rent growth go back to the rate that was pre-pandemic, which is like 3% to 4% on a year-over-year basis, which is what we’ve historically seen, that may be subdued because of the student loan payments. So people may not be able to upgrade to that nicer apartment but they’ll just kind of stick it out wherever they are because they now have that student loan [payment],” Hepp said.Major retailers have already expressed concern over the impact of student loan payments on their businesses.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/americas-retailers-and-restaurants-brace-for-a-shock-from-student-loan-payments-175132890.html?guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAJvtFqMbXEixD7zsawwn8fbWf86qFE8j35WYaNBvL8QtTy8WumYTyvQZ2LqOZShhk2o9D_Vmw5UU5u3EQqr0ISxtpuNEhjTTG9NKRJ4JWAH0_4V1pn1K5XjqN-jnByuJmi3IkTjwqc1Yh96T9vDy07Tu-1GRdA6TWwGVQam1oJnM">Executives</a>&nbsp;from Macy’s, Walmart, and Target said in August that they were keeping it in mind as a source of financial pressure on consumers.The Biden administration’s plans last year to cancel up to $20,000 of student loan debt would have helped many borrowers, particularly&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/bidens-loan-forgiveness-plan-heavily-impact-black-borrowers/story?id=88900684#:~:text=A%20typical%20Black%20borrower%20will,disproportionate%20burden%20of%20student%20debt.">Black and Latino borrowers</a>. But the U.S. Supreme Court&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/30/us/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-biden.html">struck down</a>&nbsp;the policy in June. Then in August, the administration&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/08/22/fact-sheet-the-biden-harris-administration-launches-the-save-plan-the-most-affordable-student-loan-repayment-plan-ever-to-lower-monthly-payments-for-millions-of-borrowers/#:~:text=Bring%20many%20borrowers%27%20loan%20payments%20to%20%240%20per%20month.&amp;text=The%20Department%20of%20Education%20estimates,needs%20instead%20of%20loan%20payments.">announced</a>&nbsp;steps to reduce the financial burden of making payments for some borrowers by basing them on their income and family size and not borrowers’ loan balance.The Federal Reserve also has recognized the return of student loan payments as it considers future policy. On Sept. 20, Fed Chair Jerome Powell was asked what he thought the looming government shutdown, rising oil prices, and the UAW strike meant for the course of Fed policy.Describing a “collection of risks,” Powell said “there is a long list and you hit some of them. It’s the strike, it’s the government shutdown, resumption of student loan payments, higher long-term rates, oil price shock. There are a lot of things that you can look at, so what we try to do is assess all of them and handicap all of them. Ultimately though, there’s so much uncertainty around these things.”<h2>Labor market&nbsp;</h2>Economists point out that research has shown that student debt and debt cancellation affect borrowers’ decisions about the jobs they take or don’t take. When people have their loans discharged, they are more likely to move, which researchers say&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://cepr.org/voxeu/columns/effects-debt-relief-student-loan-market">suggests&nbsp;</a>they are able to pursue opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have with the student debt. Some research has also&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w13117">shown</a>&nbsp;that debt motivates graduates to favor higher-paying jobs over lower-paid jobs that are more focused on the public interest.“There is evidence that holding student debt affects people’s choices early in their careers. I found that it affected people’s occupational choices,” said Jesse Rothstein, professor of public policy and economics at the University of California, Berkeley, and co-author of the research on job choices.Because a college degree doesn’t bring the same accumulation of wealth that it once offered, economists are also concerned that there is little payoff for households constrained by payments. A St. Louis Fed&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://files.stlouisfed.org/files/htdocs/publications/review/2019/10/15/is-college-still-worth-it-the-new-calculus-of-falling-returns.pdf">report</a>&nbsp;released in 2019 found a decline in the wealth a college degree brings over the past few decades. Families whose head of the household was born in the 1980s have a weaker college wealth premium, “to the point of statistical insignificance.” The exception is white families where the head of the household has a bachelor’s degree, but even then the wealth enjoyed by those families is much smaller than in older groups.Lissa Knudsen, a PhD candidate at the University of New Mexico studying health communication, has an 18-year-old who will head to college in a year herself. Knudsen has three streams of income as a freelance journalist, cheesemonger, and a teacher that have helped support her as she makes her way through school, which she said is not really enough for her to live on. She has $230,000 in student loan debt.Unlike some borrowers, who look for well-paying jobs after graduation, she said that she is worried that if she takes a more lucrative job in her field of study, student debt will swallow up her income anyway.“I’m afraid that there’s a disincentive for me to try to use my PhD to its fullest potential and to make say $70,000 or $80,000 a year because I think almost all of that would go to student loan payments,” she said. “Versus, if I stay in the lower income bracket, I might be able to have the minimum amount of payment. Then I could hopefully get some of it forgiven in a while. That would be great.”<h2>Policy implications</h2>Bilal Baydoun, director of policy and research at the Groundwork Collaborative, observed that the return of student loan payments will undo some of the positive changes the recovery brought to households that previously felt greater financial precarity. For example, the rise of younger people, many of them millennials,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.corelogic.com/intelligence/homeownership-accelerated-among-young-millennials-during-the-pandemic/">buying homes</a>&nbsp;earlier in the pandemic when interest rates were low and student debt payments were on pause, was a sign of a changing economic tide.“My fear overall is that the sort of muscle memory of our pre-pandemic plutocracy is starting to redevelop … [Policymakers] want to grow different muscles. We want to grow the muscles that we’ve seen over the last couple of years of major public investment, of labor activity, of rising wages that outpace inflation and this really threatens all of that,” he said.To address the burden of student debt on the U.S. economy, experts and economists say that the federal government needs to undertake major policy efforts on debt cancellation and overhauling the way higher education is financed.Baydoun said that debt cancellation, once a fringe policy idea years ago, is “considered one of the most important interventions when it comes to our affordability crisis.”“I think continuing to find ways to [cancel student debt] is not only great economic policy, it’s also great politics. All of these borrowers through the course of the pandemic, when payments were on hold for three years, they saw very clearly that nothing bad happened as a result of that … In fact, if anything, it was one of the factors that helped supercharge our economic recovery,” he said.Not all borrowers plan to resume payments on their student loans. Kyle Guzik, a high school art teacher who lives in Richmond, Virginia, has more than $200,000 in student loan debt, most of it from William &amp; Mary, which he attended for graduate school. He spends $1,350 in rent each month and has more than $10,000 in medical debt, which he can’t pay. He said his daily life expenses take up the rest of his budget and that there simply isn’t anything left over.“The money just disappears. It might seem like a lot at first but it just disappears and [student loan servicers] want whatever the amount is that they want. Alright. It isn’t there to be had,” he said. “ … You can’t get blood from a stone.”Guzik said his decision is one of financial necessity. But he added that he hopes this refusal will result in policy changes.“I hope that others in my situation will also think about what is really in their own rational self interest and that, by organizing a debt strike, we will collectively force a change in policy so that housing, healthcare, education, and a dignified retirement are recognized politically in this country as human rights,” he said.Rothstein said he believes the pressure for policymakers to address student debt is building but that most of it has been around canceling payments rather than redesigning the college finance system.“We are going to need to redesign the way we pay for college and that will be a major lift before we get to the point where Congress passes something,’’ he said. “ … In the long run, our failure to do that is going to be a drag on educational attainments in this country and on economic growth.”Editor’s note: Lissa Knudsen has freelanced for Source New Mexico, an affiliate of States Newsroom.

Borrowers weigh personal, professional options as student loan payments resume

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;agreed on Friday to decide whether a Trump era-ban on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-us-news-ap-top-news-las-vegas-shootings-ff26110203da4a28bfd1d99022fb401c">bump stocks</a>, the gun attachments that allow semi-automatic weapons to fire rapidly like machine guns, violates federal law.

The justices will hear arguments early next year over a regulation put in place by the Justice Department after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-country-music-us-news-ap-top-news-music-4eeaef2efced49698855d13830de3327">a mass shooting in Las Vegas</a>&nbsp;in 2017.

Federal appeals courts have come to different decisions about whether the regulation defining a bump stock as a machine gun comports with federal law.

The justices said they will review the Biden administration's appeal of a ruling by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans that invalidated the ban.

The Supreme Court already is weighing a challenge to another federal law that seeks to keep guns away from people under domestic violence restraining orders, a case that stems from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-guns-decision-58d01ef8bd48e816d5f8761ffa84e3e8">the landmark decision in 2022</a>&nbsp;in which the six-justice conservative majority expanded gun rights.

The new case is not about the Second Amendment right to “keep and bear arms,” but rather whether the Trump administration followed federal law in changing the bump stock regulation.

The ban on bump stocks took effect in 2019. It stemmed from the Las Vegas shooting in which the gunman, a 64-year-old retired postal service worker and high-stakes gambler, used assault-style rifles to fire more than 1,000 rounds in 11 minutes into a crowd of 22,000 music fans.

Most of the rifles were fitted with bump stock devices and high-capacity magazines. A total of 58 people were killed in the shooting, and two died later. Hundreds were injured.

The Trump administration’s ban on bump stocks was an about-face for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. In 2010, under the Obama administration, the agency found that a bump stock should not be classified as a machine gun and therefore should not be banned under federal law.

Following the Las Vegas shooting, officials revisited that determination and found it incorrect.

Bump stocks harness the recoil energy of a semi-automatic firearm so that a trigger “resets and continues firing without additional physical manipulation of the trigger by the shooter,” according to the ATF.

A shooter must maintain constant forward pressure on the weapon with the non-shooting hand and constant pressure on the trigger with the trigger finger, according to court records.

The full U.S. 5th Circuit&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-new-orleans-texas-state-government-b5990ed60ebb617055cc8d5c36a84050">ruled 13-3</a>&nbsp;in January that Congress would have to change federal law to ban bump stocks.

“The definition of ‘machinegun’ as set forth in the National Firearms Act and Gun Control Act does not apply to bump stocks,” Judge Jennifer Walker Elrod wrote for the 5th Circuit.

But a panel of three judges on the federal appeals court in Washington looked at the same language and came to a different conclusion.

Judge Robert Wilkins wrote for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit that “under the best interpretation of the statute, a bump stock is a self-regulating mechanism that allows a shooter to shoot more than one shot through a single pull of the trigger. As such, it is a machine gun under the National Firearms Act and Gun Control Act.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;agreed on Friday to decide whether a Trump era-ban on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-us-news-ap-top-news-las-vegas-shootings-ff26110203da4a28bfd1d99022fb401c">bump stocks</a>, the gun attachments that allow semi-automatic weapons to fire rapidly like machine guns, violates federal law.The justices will hear arguments early next year over a regulation put in place by the Justice Department after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-country-music-us-news-ap-top-news-music-4eeaef2efced49698855d13830de3327">a mass shooting in Las Vegas</a>&nbsp;in 2017.Federal appeals courts have come to different decisions about whether the regulation defining a bump stock as a machine gun comports with federal law.The justices said they will review the Biden administration's appeal of a ruling by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans that invalidated the ban.The Supreme Court already is weighing a challenge to another federal law that seeks to keep guns away from people under domestic violence restraining orders, a case that stems from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-guns-decision-58d01ef8bd48e816d5f8761ffa84e3e8">the landmark decision in 2022</a>&nbsp;in which the six-justice conservative majority expanded gun rights.The new case is not about the Second Amendment right to “keep and bear arms,” but rather whether the Trump administration followed federal law in changing the bump stock regulation.The ban on bump stocks took effect in 2019. It stemmed from the Las Vegas shooting in which the gunman, a 64-year-old retired postal service worker and high-stakes gambler, used assault-style rifles to fire more than 1,000 rounds in 11 minutes into a crowd of 22,000 music fans.Most of the rifles were fitted with bump stock devices and high-capacity magazines. A total of 58 people were killed in the shooting, and two died later. Hundreds were injured.The Trump administration’s ban on bump stocks was an about-face for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. In 2010, under the Obama administration, the agency found that a bump stock should not be classified as a machine gun and therefore should not be banned under federal law.Following the Las Vegas shooting, officials revisited that determination and found it incorrect.Bump stocks harness the recoil energy of a semi-automatic firearm so that a trigger “resets and continues firing without additional physical manipulation of the trigger by the shooter,” according to the ATF.A shooter must maintain constant forward pressure on the weapon with the non-shooting hand and constant pressure on the trigger with the trigger finger, according to court records.The full U.S. 5th Circuit&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-new-orleans-texas-state-government-b5990ed60ebb617055cc8d5c36a84050">ruled 13-3</a>&nbsp;in January that Congress would have to change federal law to ban bump stocks.“The definition of ‘machinegun’ as set forth in the National Firearms Act and Gun Control Act does not apply to bump stocks,” Judge Jennifer Walker Elrod wrote for the 5th Circuit.But a panel of three judges on the federal appeals court in Washington looked at the same language and came to a different conclusion.Judge Robert Wilkins wrote for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit that “under the best interpretation of the statute, a bump stock is a self-regulating mechanism that allows a shooter to shoot more than one shot through a single pull of the trigger. As such, it is a machine gun under the National Firearms Act and Gun Control Act.”

Supreme Court to review ban on rapid-fire gun bump stocks

SHAWNEE COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting in Topeka have a second suspect in custody.

Just before 1:30a.m. October 21, police were dispatched to the 1500 block of SW 21st Street in Topeka reference a possible shooting, according to Topeka Police Lt. Donna Eubanks.

&nbsp;Officers located two adult male victims, one with possible life threatening injuries and one with non-life threatening injuries. Both victims were transported to a local hospital for treatment.&nbsp;

During the course of the investigation, police identified 22-year-old Rajhgerio Smith&nbsp; as a suspect. They arrested him on requested charges of Aggravated Battery.

On Friday, the Topeka Police Department asked the public for help in locating Tysuan E. White, 22, Topeka, as a person of interest in this investigation. 

With the public's help. police located and arrested Smith. He is being held in the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges&nbsp; of&nbsp; Aggravated Battery.

Police thanked the community for their help.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699193180106.png" alt="White-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>White-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting in Topeka have a second suspect in custody.Just before 1:30a.m. October 21, police were dispatched to the 1500 block of SW 21st Street in Topeka reference a possible shooting, according to Topeka Police Lt. Donna Eubanks.&nbsp;Officers located two adult male victims, one with possible life threatening injuries and one with non-life threatening injuries. Both victims were transported to a local hospital for treatment.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697942064704.png" alt="Smith-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Smith-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>During the course of the investigation, police identified 22-year-old Rajhgerio Smith&nbsp; as a suspect. They arrested him on requested charges of Aggravated Battery.On Friday, the Topeka Police Department asked the public for help in locating Tysuan E. White, 22, Topeka, as a person of interest in this investigation. With the public's help. police located and arrested Smith. He is being held in the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges&nbsp; of&nbsp; Aggravated Battery.Police thanked the community for their help.

Community helps police capture Kansas shooting suspect

JERUSALEM (AP)— Israel’s minister of Jewish heritage, Amihai Eliyahu, said that dropping an atomic bomb on the Gaza Strip is a possibility. His comments were immediately denounced by other Cabinet members.

Eliyahu, a junior minister in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyhau’s Cabinet, made the comment in an interview with Kol Beramah radio. He later tried to walk it back, saying, “Anyone reasonable would understand that the comment was metaphorical. But we definitely need to respond powerfully and disproportionately to terrorism."

Army Radio cited Netanyahu as saying that the remark was “divorced from reality.”

“Israel and the IDF operate according to the highest standards of international law to avoid hurting non-combatants — and will continue to do so until we achieve victory,” he was quoted as saying.

The radio said Netanyahu suspended Eliyahu from Cabinet meetings until further notice, a move that has no practical effect.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also criticized Eliyahu, saying, “It’s a good thing that people like this are not in charge of Israel’s security.”

Meanwhile, Giora Eiland, an adviser to Gallant, said Israel is far from vanquishing Hamas.

“We don’t see hundreds of people starting to surrender,” Eiland, a reserves general and former head of the National Security Council, told Army Radio. “You see very, very sophisticated attacks from the other side involving the successful coordinated use of paragliders, antitank missile fire and mortar fire. This requires a high degree of coordination among forces and they do it well.”

Meanwhile,&nbsp;U.S. Secretary of State&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/antony-blinken">Antony Blinken</a>&nbsp;brought his diplomatic push on the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel-Hamas war</a>&nbsp;to the occupied West Bank on Sunday, meeting with Palestinian President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mahmoud-abbas">Mahmoud Abbas</a>&nbsp;in the Biden administration's latest bid to ease civilian suffering in the Gaza Strip and begin to sketch out a post-conflict scenario for the territory.

On a stop not announced in advance, Blinken traveled to Ramallah in an armored motorcade and under tight security just hours after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-11-05-2023-eb1dfa6afe40ba267024c7d819e17194">Israeli planes</a>&nbsp;struck a refugee camp in Gaza, killing at least 40 people and wounding dozens, Gaza's Health Ministry said. Despite the secrecy and the U.S. State Department's refusal to confirm the trip until after Blinken had left the West Bank, there were protests against the diplomat's visit and U.S. support for Israel as word of his arrival leaked.

Neither man spoke as they greeted each other in front of cameras and their meeting ended without any public comment.

A senior American official traveling with Blinken said stressed the U.S. commitment to pressing Israel to protect civilians in Gaza, increase humanitarian aid supplies and rein in and punish extremist Jewish settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

Blinken also told Abbas that the U.S. was pushing Israel to fully restore suspended tax remittance transfers to the Palestinian Authority. Those funds were partially unblocked last week, but the Palestinians want the whole amount. In addition, Blinken said the U.S. envisions the Palestinian Authority as “playing a central role” in any post-Hamas administration in Gaza, according to the official, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity to detail private discussions.

Abbas, meantime, said the Palestinian Authority would only assume power in Gaza as part of a “comprehensive political solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, according to the official WAFA news agency. Abbas condemned Israel’s bombardment of Gaza as a “genocidal war” and urged Blinken “to immediately stop them from committing such crimes,” the agency reported.

He called for an immediate cession of the war, and the delivery of humanitarian aid and fuel, and the restoration of water and electricity in Gaza. The Palestinian leader said “military and security solutions” would not bring security to Israel, but that “security and peace” would be achieved only through ending the occupation and establishing a Palestinian state on the pre-1967 Mideast war borders with east Jerusalem its capital, according to the report.

Earlier, the U.S. State Department said Blinken reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to the delivery of humanitarian assistance and the resumption of essential services in Gaza and made clear that Palestinians must not be forcibly displaced. Blinken and Abbas discussed efforts to restore calm and stability in the West Bank, including the need to stop the violence against Palestinians and bring to account those who are responsible, in reference to attacks by Israeli settlers.

The meeting with Abbas, whose Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority has not been a factor in Gaza since Hamas took it over by force in 2007, came at the start of Blinken’s third day of his latest Mideast mission, his second since the surprise Hamas attack against Israel on Oct. 7. Blinken visited Israel and met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/blinken-mideast-diplomacy-gaza-israel-hamas-war-9d9ada872b84699424f17f13df1c3560">meeting in Jordan with Arab ministers</a>&nbsp;Saturday.

At each stop, Blinken has offered firm U.S. support for Israel’s right to defend itself but also stressed that it must adhere to the laws of war, protect civilians and increase humanitarian aid supplies to Gaza. To do that, as well as to ease the flow of foreigners fleeing Gaza, he has made the case that Israel should implement rolling humanitarian pauses to its airstrikes and ground operations, something that Netanyahu has thus far flatly rejected.

U.S. officials believe that Netanyahu may soften his opposition if he can be convinced that it is in Israel’s strategic interests to ease the plight of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. The soaring death toll has sparked growing international anger,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-palestinians-protests-europe-193a9aaca97df2c5c6a515f756a40a34">with tens of thousands from Washington to Berlin taking to the streets</a>&nbsp;over the weekend to demand an immediate cease-fire.

The Arab foreign ministers with whom Blinken met in Amman – from Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates – issued the same demand. But Blinken said the U.S. would not push for one.

Arab states are resisting American suggestions that they play a larger role in resolving crisis, expressing outrage at the civilian toll of the Israeli military operations but believing Gaza to be a problem largely of Israel’s own making.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699029329853.png" alt="U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday to urge protections for civilians in the fighting with Hamas-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday to urge protections for civilians in the fighting with Hamas-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>JERUSALEM (AP)— Israel’s minister of Jewish heritage, Amihai Eliyahu, said that dropping an atomic bomb on the Gaza Strip is a possibility. His comments were immediately denounced by other Cabinet members.Eliyahu, a junior minister in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyhau’s Cabinet, made the comment in an interview with Kol Beramah radio. He later tried to walk it back, saying, “Anyone reasonable would understand that the comment was metaphorical. But we definitely need to respond powerfully and disproportionately to terrorism."Army Radio cited Netanyahu as saying that the remark was “divorced from reality.”“Israel and the IDF operate according to the highest standards of international law to avoid hurting non-combatants — and will continue to do so until we achieve victory,” he was quoted as saying.The radio said Netanyahu suspended Eliyahu from Cabinet meetings until further notice, a move that has no practical effect.Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also criticized Eliyahu, saying, “It’s a good thing that people like this are not in charge of Israel’s security.”Meanwhile, Giora Eiland, an adviser to Gallant, said Israel is far from vanquishing Hamas.“We don’t see hundreds of people starting to surrender,” Eiland, a reserves general and former head of the National Security Council, told Army Radio. “You see very, very sophisticated attacks from the other side involving the successful coordinated use of paragliders, antitank missile fire and mortar fire. This requires a high degree of coordination among forces and they do it well.”Meanwhile,&nbsp;U.S. Secretary of State&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/antony-blinken">Antony Blinken</a>&nbsp;brought his diplomatic push on the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">Israel-Hamas war</a>&nbsp;to the occupied West Bank on Sunday, meeting with Palestinian President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mahmoud-abbas">Mahmoud Abbas</a>&nbsp;in the Biden administration's latest bid to ease civilian suffering in the Gaza Strip and begin to sketch out a post-conflict scenario for the territory.On a stop not announced in advance, Blinken traveled to Ramallah in an armored motorcade and under tight security just hours after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-11-05-2023-eb1dfa6afe40ba267024c7d819e17194">Israeli planes</a>&nbsp;struck a refugee camp in Gaza, killing at least 40 people and wounding dozens, Gaza's Health Ministry said. Despite the secrecy and the U.S. State Department's refusal to confirm the trip until after Blinken had left the West Bank, there were protests against the diplomat's visit and U.S. support for Israel as word of his arrival leaked.Neither man spoke as they greeted each other in front of cameras and their meeting ended without any public comment.A senior American official traveling with Blinken said stressed the U.S. commitment to pressing Israel to protect civilians in Gaza, increase humanitarian aid supplies and rein in and punish extremist Jewish settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.Blinken also told Abbas that the U.S. was pushing Israel to fully restore suspended tax remittance transfers to the Palestinian Authority. Those funds were partially unblocked last week, but the Palestinians want the whole amount. In addition, Blinken said the U.S. envisions the Palestinian Authority as “playing a central role” in any post-Hamas administration in Gaza, according to the official, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity to detail private discussions.Abbas, meantime, said the Palestinian Authority would only assume power in Gaza as part of a “comprehensive political solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, according to the official WAFA news agency. Abbas condemned Israel’s bombardment of Gaza as a “genocidal war” and urged Blinken “to immediately stop them from committing such crimes,” the agency reported.He called for an immediate cession of the war, and the delivery of humanitarian aid and fuel, and the restoration of water and electricity in Gaza. The Palestinian leader said “military and security solutions” would not bring security to Israel, but that “security and peace” would be achieved only through ending the occupation and establishing a Palestinian state on the pre-1967 Mideast war borders with east Jerusalem its capital, according to the report.Earlier, the U.S. State Department said Blinken reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to the delivery of humanitarian assistance and the resumption of essential services in Gaza and made clear that Palestinians must not be forcibly displaced. Blinken and Abbas discussed efforts to restore calm and stability in the West Bank, including the need to stop the violence against Palestinians and bring to account those who are responsible, in reference to attacks by Israeli settlers.The meeting with Abbas, whose Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority has not been a factor in Gaza since Hamas took it over by force in 2007, came at the start of Blinken’s third day of his latest Mideast mission, his second since the surprise Hamas attack against Israel on Oct. 7. Blinken visited Israel and met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/blinken-mideast-diplomacy-gaza-israel-hamas-war-9d9ada872b84699424f17f13df1c3560">meeting in Jordan with Arab ministers</a>&nbsp;Saturday.At each stop, Blinken has offered firm U.S. support for Israel’s right to defend itself but also stressed that it must adhere to the laws of war, protect civilians and increase humanitarian aid supplies to Gaza. To do that, as well as to ease the flow of foreigners fleeing Gaza, he has made the case that Israel should implement rolling humanitarian pauses to its airstrikes and ground operations, something that Netanyahu has thus far flatly rejected.U.S. officials believe that Netanyahu may soften his opposition if he can be convinced that it is in Israel’s strategic interests to ease the plight of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. The soaring death toll has sparked growing international anger,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-palestinians-protests-europe-193a9aaca97df2c5c6a515f756a40a34">with tens of thousands from Washington to Berlin taking to the streets</a>&nbsp;over the weekend to demand an immediate cease-fire.The Arab foreign ministers with whom Blinken met in Amman – from Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates – issued the same demand. But Blinken said the U.S. would not push for one.Arab states are resisting American suggestions that they play a larger role in resolving crisis, expressing outrage at the civilian toll of the Israeli military operations but believing Gaza to be a problem largely of Israel’s own making.

Atomic bomb: Israel Minister threatens using nuke on Gaza

By&nbsp;RACHEL MIPRO&nbsp; <a href="http://www.kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — A dragon spitting fire at the Kansas Statehouse, depicted in a Vincent Van Gogh style, illuminated the possibilities of Artificial Intelligence to lawmakers during a Wednesday meeting.

An overview of AI creative designs provided some levity before legislators turned to discussion of the state’s changing internet landscape — one that IT officials have repeatedly warned needs to be better secured.

“I’d like to improve our ability to respond and recover from cyber incidents, including testing, tracking and training for known unlikely eventualities,” said Michael Murphy, security engineer with the Kansas Legislative Office of Information Technology.

Murphy said he and other legislative IT staff would look into system security upgrades and improvements before the upcoming legislative session.

“The first priority right now is security awareness training,” Murphy said. “Like I said, the biggest point of failure is going to be the people. So we need to make sure everybody’s trained up on how to do things properly.”

The renewed discussion on internet security comes after a “security incident” that shut down online operations for most of the state’s courts. Kansas’ judicial branch publicly announced the issue on Oct. 12, later indicating that clerks in 104 counties were unable to receive online filings. The Johnson County District Court, which operates its own e-filing and case management system separately from the state, is the only state district court not affected.

While courts are still operating, all filings have to be submitted in paper. The investigation into the incident is ongoing, with little information publicly released.

“We also have to figure out how to stop these bad actors from doing things that screw everything up, like they’ve done in judiciary,” said committee lawmaker Rep. Barb Wasinger, R-Hays, before lawmakers withdrew to speak privately about judiciary IT security during an executive session.

Though last year’s risk assessment of the state’s court system has been earmarked as confidential, previous audits of several state agencies have shown several weaknesses. A cybersecurity investigation by accounting firm FORVIS into the Department of Labor’s IT system found data breaches that led to record-high identity theft and unemployment insurance fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the closed-door meeting, lawmakers talked with Marisa Bayless, special counsel to the supreme court chief justice, along with IT personnel.

“We know that this is a difficult process,” Bayless said after the closed session. “It’s not ideal. And we are going to continue examining our systems, understanding what happened, how it happened, and how we can bring the system back online in a very safe environment.”

Bayless said the return to online operations would be done in phases, and the court systems would look at providing services through public portals and clerk stations in the meantime.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699034126873.png" alt="= IT security officers have previously warned state agencies to tighten cybersecurity measures. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>= IT security officers have previously warned state agencies to tighten cybersecurity measures. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;RACHEL MIPRO&nbsp; <a href="http://www.kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — A dragon spitting fire at the Kansas Statehouse, depicted in a Vincent Van Gogh style, illuminated the possibilities of Artificial Intelligence to lawmakers during a Wednesday meeting.An overview of AI creative designs provided some levity before legislators turned to discussion of the state’s changing internet landscape — one that IT officials have repeatedly warned needs to be better secured.“I’d like to improve our ability to respond and recover from cyber incidents, including testing, tracking and training for known unlikely eventualities,” said Michael Murphy, security engineer with the Kansas Legislative Office of Information Technology.Murphy said he and other legislative IT staff would look into system security upgrades and improvements before the upcoming legislative session.“The first priority right now is security awareness training,” Murphy said. “Like I said, the biggest point of failure is going to be the people. So we need to make sure everybody’s trained up on how to do things properly.”The renewed discussion on internet security comes after a “security incident” that shut down online operations for most of the state’s courts. Kansas’ judicial branch publicly announced the issue on Oct. 12, later indicating that clerks in 104 counties were unable to receive online filings. The Johnson County District Court, which operates its own e-filing and case management system separately from the state, is the only state district court not affected.While courts are still operating, all filings have to be submitted in paper. The investigation into the incident is ongoing, with little information publicly released.“We also have to figure out how to stop these bad actors from doing things that screw everything up, like they’ve done in judiciary,” said committee lawmaker Rep. Barb Wasinger, R-Hays, before lawmakers withdrew to speak privately about judiciary IT security during an executive session.Though last year’s risk assessment of the state’s court system has been earmarked as confidential, previous audits of several state agencies have shown several weaknesses. A cybersecurity investigation by accounting firm FORVIS into the Department of Labor’s IT system found data breaches that led to record-high identity theft and unemployment insurance fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic.During the closed-door meeting, lawmakers talked with Marisa Bayless, special counsel to the supreme court chief justice, along with IT personnel.“We know that this is a difficult process,” Bayless said after the closed session. “It’s not ideal. And we are going to continue examining our systems, understanding what happened, how it happened, and how we can bring the system back online in a very safe environment.”Bayless said the return to online operations would be done in phases, and the court systems would look at providing services through public portals and clerk stations in the meantime.

‘It’s not ideal’: Kan. lawmakers on incident that took down online court access

JERUSALEM&nbsp; (AP)— The U.S. Central Command says the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group arrived in the Middle East and the CENTCOM area of responsibility as part of the increase in regional posture.

The Eisenhower sailed into the Mediterranean last Saturday as the American forces expand their presence in the Middle East to deter Iran and its proxy militant groups from trying to widen the Israel-Hamas war.

The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier and its strike group had moved through the Strait of Gibraltar earlier this week, putting two American carriers in the Mediterranean Sea, a rare sight in recent years.

The USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group is already in the eastern Mediterranean, part of a buildup of forces as the U.S. supports Israel in its war against Hamas.

Meanwhile, the U.S. is trying to persuade Israel to take a humanitarian pause from airstrikes on Gaza, where Palestinians reported on Saturday that there were multiple fatalities across the besieged enclave.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is making a new push to help civilians, and met with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/blinken-mideast-diplomacy-gaza-israel-hamas-war-9d9ada872b84699424f17f13df1c3560">Arab foreign ministers</a>&nbsp;on Saturday in Jordan. That was after his talks in Israel with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who insisted there could be no temporary cease-fire&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-news-11-3-2023-94d5d0b58bc10a14be6ac191060e47e1">until all hostages held by Hamas are released</a>. President Joe Biden suggested Saturday that progress is being made on the humanitarian pause.

The Palestinian death toll in the Israel-Hamas war has reached 9,448, according to the Hamas-run&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">Health Ministry in Gaza</a>. In the occupied West Bank, more than 140 Palestinians have been killed in violence and Israeli raids. The UNRWA says 72 of its staff members have been killed.

More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, most of them in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-rockets-airstrikes-tel-aviv-11fb98655c256d54ecb5329284fc37d2">Oct. 7 Hamas attack</a>&nbsp;that started the fighting, and 242 hostages were taken from Israel into Gaza by the militant group.

Roughly 1,100 people have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-rafah-crossing-egypt-foreigners-israel-restrictions-border-fe17f8fbbeaea039ccfba081019bcdaf">left the Gaza Strip</a>&nbsp;through the Rafah crossing since Wednesday under an apparent agreement among the United States, Egypt, Israel and Qatar, which mediates with Hamas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699124273212.png" alt="Photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>Photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>JERUSALEM&nbsp; (AP)— The U.S. Central Command says the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group arrived in the Middle East and the CENTCOM area of responsibility as part of the increase in regional posture.The Eisenhower sailed into the Mediterranean last Saturday as the American forces expand their presence in the Middle East to deter Iran and its proxy militant groups from trying to widen the Israel-Hamas war.The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier and its strike group had moved through the Strait of Gibraltar earlier this week, putting two American carriers in the Mediterranean Sea, a rare sight in recent years.The USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group is already in the eastern Mediterranean, part of a buildup of forces as the U.S. supports Israel in its war against Hamas.Meanwhile, the U.S. is trying to persuade Israel to take a humanitarian pause from airstrikes on Gaza, where Palestinians reported on Saturday that there were multiple fatalities across the besieged enclave.U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is making a new push to help civilians, and met with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/blinken-mideast-diplomacy-gaza-israel-hamas-war-9d9ada872b84699424f17f13df1c3560">Arab foreign ministers</a>&nbsp;on Saturday in Jordan. That was after his talks in Israel with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who insisted there could be no temporary cease-fire&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-news-11-3-2023-94d5d0b58bc10a14be6ac191060e47e1">until all hostages held by Hamas are released</a>. President Joe Biden suggested Saturday that progress is being made on the humanitarian pause.The Palestinian death toll in the Israel-Hamas war has reached 9,448, according to the Hamas-run&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">Health Ministry in Gaza</a>. In the occupied West Bank, more than 140 Palestinians have been killed in violence and Israeli raids. The UNRWA says 72 of its staff members have been killed.More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, most of them in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-rockets-airstrikes-tel-aviv-11fb98655c256d54ecb5329284fc37d2">Oct. 7 Hamas attack</a>&nbsp;that started the fighting, and 242 hostages were taken from Israel into Gaza by the militant group.Roughly 1,100 people have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-rafah-crossing-egypt-foreigners-israel-restrictions-border-fe17f8fbbeaea039ccfba081019bcdaf">left the Gaza Strip</a>&nbsp;through the Rafah crossing since Wednesday under an apparent agreement among the United States, Egypt, Israel and Qatar, which mediates with Hamas.

More U.S. warships arrive in the Middle East

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man accused of child abuse made his first court appearance in the case this week.

Ronald Leyman Jr, 27, was charged&nbsp; with two counts of abuse of a child, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Just before 4a a.m. Friday, police received a report of&nbsp; child abuse at a local area hospital. The victim had suffered abusive injuries and was going to be admitted to the hospital, according to Office Kris Gupilan.

A sibling twin of the child, who also lived in the home, was taken into Police Protective Custody and transported to an area hospital for evaluation. It was determined this child also had abusive injuries. 

Police conducted interviews of those involved and a suspect was identified as a Leyman. He is being on a $300,000 bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698494853456.png" alt="Leyman-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Leyman-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man accused of child abuse made his first court appearance in the case this week.Ronald Leyman Jr, 27, was charged&nbsp; with two counts of abuse of a child, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.Just before 4a a.m. Friday, police received a report of&nbsp; child abuse at a local area hospital. The victim had suffered abusive injuries and was going to be admitted to the hospital, according to Office Kris Gupilan.A sibling twin of the child, who also lived in the home, was taken into Police Protective Custody and transported to an area hospital for evaluation. It was determined this child also had abusive injuries. Police conducted interviews of those involved and a suspect was identified as a Leyman. He is being on a $300,000 bond.

Kansas man accused of abuse of two children

WICHITA – A Kansas man pleaded guilty to one count of receiving child pornography.

According to court documents, Eric Caleb Carlson, 43, of Wichita admits to downloading and receiving videos and images depicting prepubescent children subjected to sex acts, according to the United State's Attorney.

In June 2023, Synchronoss Technologies submitted two reports to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding files uploaded to its cloud-based backup service containing child sexual abuse/exploitation material.

 Law enforcement investigators linked the account to Eric Carlson based on evidence including a photograph of Carlson’s driver’s license, a selfie of Carlson, and photographs taken at Wichita Unified School District 259, where Carlson formerly worked in the IT division.

Carlson was arrested at the USD 259 office (his now former place of employment), and his phone was seized. A search of his phone revealed numerous images and videos of child sex abuse material located in a password protected private folder.

Carlson also had the Onion Router (“Tor”) on his device, which is a free and open source software for enabling anonymous communications and access to the dark web. Investigators reviewed Carlson’s Tor browser history and found cached darknet webpages he had visited that offered access to child exploitation materials. 

In July 2023, Carlson downloaded and received a zip file from the dark web containing child sex abuse material. 

Carlson is scheduled to be sentenced on January 22, 2024. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC)

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699060632838.png" alt="Carlson photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Carlson photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA – A Kansas man pleaded guilty to one count of receiving child pornography.According to court documents, Eric Caleb Carlson, 43, of Wichita admits to downloading and receiving videos and images depicting prepubescent children subjected to sex acts, according to the United State's Attorney.In June 2023, Synchronoss Technologies submitted two reports to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding files uploaded to its cloud-based backup service containing child sexual abuse/exploitation material. Law enforcement investigators linked the account to Eric Carlson based on evidence including a photograph of Carlson’s driver’s license, a selfie of Carlson, and photographs taken at Wichita Unified School District 259, where Carlson formerly worked in the IT division.Carlson was arrested at the USD 259 office (his now former place of employment), and his phone was seized. A search of his phone revealed numerous images and videos of child sex abuse material located in a password protected private folder.Carlson also had the Onion Router (“Tor”) on his device, which is a free and open source software for enabling anonymous communications and access to the dark web. Investigators reviewed Carlson’s Tor browser history and found cached darknet webpages he had visited that offered access to child exploitation materials. In July 2023, Carlson downloaded and received a zip file from the dark web containing child sex abuse material. Carlson is scheduled to be sentenced on January 22, 2024. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC)

Former Kan. school employee downloaded child porn from dark web

WASHINGTON(AP) — Thousands of mostly young people filled the streets of downtown Washington D.C. on Saturday afternoon to protest the Biden administration’s support of Israel and its continued military campaign in Gaza.

“From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” chanted demonstrators. They wore black and white keffiyehs as an enormous Palestinian flag was unfurled by a crowd that filled Pennsylvania Avenue, the street leading up to the White House.

Dozens of small white body bags with the names of children killed lined the street and demonstrators held signs calling for an immediate cease-fire.

Meanwhile,&nbsp;Palestinians in Gaza said Israeli airstrikes left multiple fatalities across the besieged enclave, including in the south where Israel had told civilians to seek refuge as its ground operation intensifies in northern Gaza.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is making a new push to ease the plight of civilians. He met with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/blinken-mideast-diplomacy-gaza-israel-hamas-war-9d9ada872b84699424f17f13df1c3560">Arab foreign ministers</a>&nbsp;on Saturday in Jordan, the day after talks in Israel with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who insisted there could be no temporary cease-fire&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-news-11-3-2023-94d5d0b58bc10a14be6ac191060e47e1">until all hostages held by Hamas are released</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699135631316.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON(AP) — Thousands of mostly young people filled the streets of downtown Washington D.C. on Saturday afternoon to protest the Biden administration’s support of Israel and its continued military campaign in Gaza.“From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” chanted demonstrators. They wore black and white keffiyehs as an enormous Palestinian flag was unfurled by a crowd that filled Pennsylvania Avenue, the street leading up to the White House.Dozens of small white body bags with the names of children killed lined the street and demonstrators held signs calling for an immediate cease-fire.Meanwhile,&nbsp;Palestinians in Gaza said Israeli airstrikes left multiple fatalities across the besieged enclave, including in the south where Israel had told civilians to seek refuge as its ground operation intensifies in northern Gaza.U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is making a new push to ease the plight of civilians. He met with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/blinken-mideast-diplomacy-gaza-israel-hamas-war-9d9ada872b84699424f17f13df1c3560">Arab foreign ministers</a>&nbsp;on Saturday in Jordan, the day after talks in Israel with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who insisted there could be no temporary cease-fire&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-news-11-3-2023-94d5d0b58bc10a14be6ac191060e47e1">until all hostages held by Hamas are released</a>.The Palestinian death toll in the Israel-Hamas war has reached 9,448, according to the Hamas-run&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">Health Ministry in Gaza</a>. In the occupied West Bank, more than 140 Palestinians have been killed in violence and Israeli raids. The UNRWA says 72 of its staff members have been killed.More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, most of them in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-rockets-airstrikes-tel-aviv-11fb98655c256d54ecb5329284fc37d2">Oct. 7 Hamas attack</a>&nbsp;that started the fighting, and 242 hostages were taken from Israel into Gaza by the militant group.Roughly 1,100 people have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-rafah-crossing-egypt-foreigners-israel-restrictions-border-fe17f8fbbeaea039ccfba081019bcdaf">left the Gaza Strip</a>&nbsp;through the Rafah crossing since Wednesday under an apparent agreement among the United States, Egypt, Israel and Qatar, which mediates with Hamas.

Thousands in D.C. protest Biden administration's support of Israel 

NEW YORK (AP) —With 170 million Americans using the app, the United States has one of the largest concentrations of Instagram users worldwide. But statistics show that the image-based social media app is also among the country’s least favorite.

A 2021 study by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2021/10/07/7-facts-about-americans-and-instagram/">Pew Research Center</a>&nbsp;revealed that four in every ten Americans use Instagram. In a&nbsp;<a href="https://backlinko.com/instagram-users#">Backlinko</a>&nbsp;global ranking of countries with the most monthly Instagram users, the U.S. landed in second place. Of U.S. users, 71% fall between ages 18 and 29.

Despite&nbsp;<a href="https://wealthofgeeks.com/alternatives-to-instagram/">Instagram’s</a>&nbsp;massive domestic market, research from&nbsp;<a href="https://vpnoverview.com/privacy/apps/most-deleted-apps-in-united-states/">VPNoverview</a>&nbsp;finds the social media platform to be losing favor among American audiences. The 2023 study found more than one million monthly Google searches in the U.S. contained keywords related to deleting or deactivating Instagram.

Instagram was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Instagram">officially launched</a>&nbsp;in October of 2010, and has amassed over two billion worldwide users. The platform allows users to share photos and videos while connecting with other accounts through likes, follows, and direct messages.

In 2012, Facebook acquired Instagram in a successful $1 billion deal.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.businessofapps.com/data/instagram-statistics/">Business of Apps</a>&nbsp;reports the platform generated over $51 billion in 2022, accounting for over 40% of Facebook’s total revenue. Of the over 170 million American users that access Instagram monthly, the majority range in age from 13 to 29, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2021/10/07/7-facts-about-americans-and-instagram/">Pew Research Center</a>. In a 2022 survey of U.S. teens between 13 and 17, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2022/08/10/teens-social-media-and-technology-2022/">Center</a>&nbsp;found that 62% of respondents reported using Instagram.

As the number of Instagram users worldwide has grown, so has criticism of the app. A 2023&nbsp;<a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/236726/us-customer-satisfaction-index-of-social-media-sites/">Statista</a>&nbsp;survey of American user satisfaction with different online platforms found Instagram ranked second to last out of eleven companies.

Concerns over increased usage of Instagram and other photo and video-sharing apps have grown in recent years. This frustration is mainly due to a growing body of research demonstrating social media platforms’ potentially harmful effects on mental health. Young people between the ages of 13 and 17,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/325587/instagram-global-age-group/">8% of Instagram users</a>&nbsp;worldwide, are especially vulnerable to these negative consequences.

Other common issues plaguing Instagram range from the prevalence of bot accounts to the spreading of false information, as well as concerns over personal information security. Many users are also dissatisfied that Instagram has begun promoting more advertisements and sponsored content.

“Instagram just isn’t fun anymore. I used to be able to connect with a community and share the things I love. It’s a struggle to reach anyone through Instagram, so it feels pointless,” says Megan Elliott, luxury travel blogger at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.lushtoblush.com/">Lush to Blush</a>&nbsp;and member of the diverse travel blogger group&nbsp;<a href="http://www.babesthatwander.com/">Babes That Wander</a>. “It’s all spammers and ads that push mindless spending—I clicked on an ad for&nbsp;<a href="https://whatthefab.com/polene-bags.html">Polene bags</a>&nbsp;once, and now I’m getting inundated with them.”

Research on the harmful effects of social media in general on mental health has also emerged in recent years.

A&nbsp;<a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2018-15210-001">2019 study</a>&nbsp;published in the journal Psychology of Popular Media Culture examined the relationship between Instagram use and different psychological behaviors. One hundred twenty-nine women aged 18 to 35 participated in the study, which found a direct correlation between time spent on Instagram and feelings of depression, anxiety, and other negative emotions. Women make up almost 57% of American Instagram users, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://thesocialshepherd.com/blog/instagram-statistics#:~:text=Worldwide%2C%2051.8%25%20of%20Instagram%27s%20Users%20are%20Male&amp;text=51.8%25%20of%20users%20are%20male,almost%2030%25%20of%20females%20are.">The Social Shepherd</a>.

The effects of frequent Instagram use by young people under 18 are also of particular concern. A 2023 Social Media and Youth Mental Health Advisory by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/05/23/surgeon-general-issues-new-advisory-about-effects-social-media-use-has-youth-mental-health.html">U.S. Surgeon General</a>&nbsp;reveals that 95% of American youth between the ages of 13 and 17 report using some form of social media. Frequent use of Instagram and other social media platforms can significantly affect critical cognitive development during adolescence.

But experts say you can enjoy the app responsibly and minimize adverse effects. New research even shows that using social media platforms can benefit mental health.

How to Have a Healthy Relationship with Instagram

The 2023 U.S. Surgeon General Advisory found that most young people surveyed felt social media gave them a sense of belonging and a space to be creative.

Similarly, a 2019&nbsp;<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1090198119863768">survey</a>&nbsp;of over 1,000 participants revealed a positive correlation between social media use and feelings of connection with others. Engaging with Instagram and other apps in an intentional way allows users to capitalize on the positives of social media while minimizing adverse effects.

Experts agree one of the best ways to cultivate a healthy relationship with social media is by reducing overall scrolling time. A 2022&nbsp;<a href="https://studentnews.manchester.ac.uk/2022/03/23/how-to-create-a-positive-relationship-with-social-media/">University of Manchester</a>&nbsp;article suggests browsing social media for 30 minutes or less per day to improve mental health.

In a 2023 study,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2023/06/14/limiting-social-media">Iowa State University</a>&nbsp;researchers found that college students who reduced social media usage to 30 minutes per day reported lower levels of anxiety, depression, and loneliness.

Be Intentional When Engaging with Accounts

Another critical factor in having a positive relationship with Instagram and other apps is to be intentional during engagements. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apa.org/monitor/2022/03/feature-minimize-instagram-effects">American Psychological Association</a>&nbsp;says social comparison on Instagram leads to adverse outcomes like body image insecurity and eating disorders. To combat this negativity, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/February-2019/How-to-Have-a-Healthy-Relationship-with-Social-Media">National Alliance on Mental Illness</a>&nbsp;recommends unfollowing accounts that adversely affect self-esteem and confidence.

Specific demographics, like new mothers, are significantly affected by unrealistic ideals promoted by lifestyle and advice accounts. Kelsey Waddell, a writer for the parenting blog&nbsp;<a href="https://stroller-envy.com/">Stroller Envy</a>, started using Instagram for tips and tricks on raising young children.

“After scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, my feed, I never felt more confident in my parenting abilities,” she says. “Only more dejected and more certain that I’d never do things right.”

Once Kelsey realized that social media negatively impacted confidence in her parenting abilities, she took action. “I started by limiting my use of the app in my phone settings to 10 minutes a day, and I was shocked by how quickly my time was up,” she explains. “My next step was deleting it from my phone altogether.”

Another concern of excessive Instagram and social media use is the replacement of in-person socialization with digital interactions. While worldwide engagement on social media can be beneficial, it shouldn’t completely replace real-life connections.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/social-media-and-mental-health.htm">HelpGuide</a>&nbsp;encourages Instagram users to set aside regular times to meet friends or participate in activities.

Going offline and prioritizing in-person socialization also helps users stay more engaged and present in the moment. A study by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.leehealth.org/health-and-wellness/healthy-news-blog/mental-health/are-you-addicted-to-social-media#:~:text=Using%20social%20media%20can%20lead,in%20neurological%20and%20physiological%20functioning.">Lee Health</a>&nbsp;explains that using social media triggers a release of dopamine, “the feel good chemical,” in the brain, sometimes leading to addiction.

“As a travel blogger whose business relies on social media, sometimes Instagram takes me out of the present moment, and I’m always thinking about getting content or what I should post,” says Elise Armitage, founder of travel and lifestyle blog What the Fab. “If I’m packing my&nbsp;<a href="https://whatthefab.com/beis-luggage.html">luggage</a>&nbsp;for an exciting trip, I think, ‘should I post an Instagram story of this to tease my upcoming travels?’”

“I have so many examples of this,” Armitage continues. “When I was at my sister’s bachelorette party, I realized I was spending too much time Googling ‘&nbsp;<a href="https://whatthefab.com/bachelorette-party-instagram-captions.html">bachelorette party Instagram captions</a>&nbsp;‘ to come up with the perfect one-liner for my Instagram post. I had to consciously put my phone away to be present.”

As the number of Instagram accounts in the U.S. and worldwide continues to grow, rates of dissatisfaction among users will likely rise, as well. Instagram’s leaders can address some of these concerns to meet the needs of vulnerable users.

However, some responsibility does fall on Instagram users to engage with the platform with focus and intention. Reducing daily usage, unfollowing harmful accounts, and making time for offline activities are vital steps toward forming a more positive relationship with&nbsp;<a href="https://wealthofgeeks.com/social-media-shake-up-the-apps-users-are-ditching/">social media apps</a>.

This article was produced by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mediadecision.com/lifestyle/the-most-hated-app-in-america-more-than-1-million-americans-delete-or-deactivate-instagram/article_3c037eb6-66f8-11ee-9e8b-7bd323831693.html">Media Decision</a>&nbsp;and syndicated by&nbsp;<a href="https://wealthofgeeks.com/delete-instagram/">Wealth of Geeks</a>.

NEW YORK (AP) —With 170 million Americans using the app, the United States has one of the largest concentrations of Instagram users worldwide. But statistics show that the image-based social media app is also among the country’s least favorite.A 2021 study by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2021/10/07/7-facts-about-americans-and-instagram/">Pew Research Center</a>&nbsp;revealed that four in every ten Americans use Instagram. In a&nbsp;<a href="https://backlinko.com/instagram-users#">Backlinko</a>&nbsp;global ranking of countries with the most monthly Instagram users, the U.S. landed in second place. Of U.S. users, 71% fall between ages 18 and 29.Despite&nbsp;<a href="https://wealthofgeeks.com/alternatives-to-instagram/">Instagram’s</a>&nbsp;massive domestic market, research from&nbsp;<a href="https://vpnoverview.com/privacy/apps/most-deleted-apps-in-united-states/">VPNoverview</a>&nbsp;finds the social media platform to be losing favor among American audiences. The 2023 study found more than one million monthly Google searches in the U.S. contained keywords related to deleting or deactivating Instagram.The Rise of InstagramInstagram was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Instagram">officially launched</a>&nbsp;in October of 2010, and has amassed over two billion worldwide users. The platform allows users to share photos and videos while connecting with other accounts through likes, follows, and direct messages.In 2012, Facebook acquired Instagram in a successful $1 billion deal.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.businessofapps.com/data/instagram-statistics/">Business of Apps</a>&nbsp;reports the platform generated over $51 billion in 2022, accounting for over 40% of Facebook’s total revenue. Of the over 170 million American users that access Instagram monthly, the majority range in age from 13 to 29, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2021/10/07/7-facts-about-americans-and-instagram/">Pew Research Center</a>. In a 2022 survey of U.S. teens between 13 and 17, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2022/08/10/teens-social-media-and-technology-2022/">Center</a>&nbsp;found that 62% of respondents reported using Instagram.Growing Resentment Towards InstagramAs the number of Instagram users worldwide has grown, so has criticism of the app. A 2023&nbsp;<a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/236726/us-customer-satisfaction-index-of-social-media-sites/">Statista</a>&nbsp;survey of American user satisfaction with different online platforms found Instagram ranked second to last out of eleven companies.Concerns over increased usage of Instagram and other photo and video-sharing apps have grown in recent years. This frustration is mainly due to a growing body of research demonstrating social media platforms’ potentially harmful effects on mental health. Young people between the ages of 13 and 17,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/325587/instagram-global-age-group/">8% of Instagram users</a>&nbsp;worldwide, are especially vulnerable to these negative consequences.Other common issues plaguing Instagram range from the prevalence of bot accounts to the spreading of false information, as well as concerns over personal information security. Many users are also dissatisfied that Instagram has begun promoting more advertisements and sponsored content.“Instagram just isn’t fun anymore. I used to be able to connect with a community and share the things I love. It’s a struggle to reach anyone through Instagram, so it feels pointless,” says Megan Elliott, luxury travel blogger at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.lushtoblush.com/">Lush to Blush</a>&nbsp;and member of the diverse travel blogger group&nbsp;<a href="http://www.babesthatwander.com/">Babes That Wander</a>. “It’s all spammers and ads that push mindless spending—I clicked on an ad for&nbsp;<a href="https://whatthefab.com/polene-bags.html">Polene bags</a>&nbsp;once, and now I’m getting inundated with them.”Research on the harmful effects of social media in general on mental health has also emerged in recent years.A&nbsp;<a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2018-15210-001">2019 study</a>&nbsp;published in the journal Psychology of Popular Media Culture examined the relationship between Instagram use and different psychological behaviors. One hundred twenty-nine women aged 18 to 35 participated in the study, which found a direct correlation between time spent on Instagram and feelings of depression, anxiety, and other negative emotions. Women make up almost 57% of American Instagram users, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://thesocialshepherd.com/blog/instagram-statistics#:~:text=Worldwide%2C%2051.8%25%20of%20Instagram%27s%20Users%20are%20Male&amp;text=51.8%25%20of%20users%20are%20male,almost%2030%25%20of%20females%20are.">The Social Shepherd</a>.The effects of frequent Instagram use by young people under 18 are also of particular concern. A 2023 Social Media and Youth Mental Health Advisory by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/05/23/surgeon-general-issues-new-advisory-about-effects-social-media-use-has-youth-mental-health.html">U.S. Surgeon General</a>&nbsp;reveals that 95% of American youth between the ages of 13 and 17 report using some form of social media. Frequent use of Instagram and other social media platforms can significantly affect critical cognitive development during adolescence.But experts say you can enjoy the app responsibly and minimize adverse effects. New research even shows that using social media platforms can benefit mental health.How to Have a Healthy Relationship with InstagramThe 2023 U.S. Surgeon General Advisory found that most young people surveyed felt social media gave them a sense of belonging and a space to be creative.Similarly, a 2019&nbsp;<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1090198119863768">survey</a>&nbsp;of over 1,000 participants revealed a positive correlation between social media use and feelings of connection with others. Engaging with Instagram and other apps in an intentional way allows users to capitalize on the positives of social media while minimizing adverse effects.Limit Daily UsageExperts agree one of the best ways to cultivate a healthy relationship with social media is by reducing overall scrolling time. A 2022&nbsp;<a href="https://studentnews.manchester.ac.uk/2022/03/23/how-to-create-a-positive-relationship-with-social-media/">University of Manchester</a>&nbsp;article suggests browsing social media for 30 minutes or less per day to improve mental health.In a 2023 study,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2023/06/14/limiting-social-media">Iowa State University</a>&nbsp;researchers found that college students who reduced social media usage to 30 minutes per day reported lower levels of anxiety, depression, and loneliness.Be Intentional When Engaging with AccountsAnother critical factor in having a positive relationship with Instagram and other apps is to be intentional during engagements. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apa.org/monitor/2022/03/feature-minimize-instagram-effects">American Psychological Association</a>&nbsp;says social comparison on Instagram leads to adverse outcomes like body image insecurity and eating disorders. To combat this negativity, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/February-2019/How-to-Have-a-Healthy-Relationship-with-Social-Media">National Alliance on Mental Illness</a>&nbsp;recommends unfollowing accounts that adversely affect self-esteem and confidence.Specific demographics, like new mothers, are significantly affected by unrealistic ideals promoted by lifestyle and advice accounts. Kelsey Waddell, a writer for the parenting blog&nbsp;<a href="https://stroller-envy.com/">Stroller Envy</a>, started using Instagram for tips and tricks on raising young children.“After scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling, my feed, I never felt more confident in my parenting abilities,” she says. “Only more dejected and more certain that I’d never do things right.”Once Kelsey realized that social media negatively impacted confidence in her parenting abilities, she took action. “I started by limiting my use of the app in my phone settings to 10 minutes a day, and I was shocked by how quickly my time was up,” she explains. “My next step was deleting it from my phone altogether.”Balance Use with Offline ActivitiesAnother concern of excessive Instagram and social media use is the replacement of in-person socialization with digital interactions. While worldwide engagement on social media can be beneficial, it shouldn’t completely replace real-life connections.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/social-media-and-mental-health.htm">HelpGuide</a>&nbsp;encourages Instagram users to set aside regular times to meet friends or participate in activities.Going offline and prioritizing in-person socialization also helps users stay more engaged and present in the moment. A study by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.leehealth.org/health-and-wellness/healthy-news-blog/mental-health/are-you-addicted-to-social-media#:~:text=Using%20social%20media%20can%20lead,in%20neurological%20and%20physiological%20functioning.">Lee Health</a>&nbsp;explains that using social media triggers a release of dopamine, “the feel good chemical,” in the brain, sometimes leading to addiction.“As a travel blogger whose business relies on social media, sometimes Instagram takes me out of the present moment, and I’m always thinking about getting content or what I should post,” says Elise Armitage, founder of travel and lifestyle blog What the Fab. “If I’m packing my&nbsp;<a href="https://whatthefab.com/beis-luggage.html">luggage</a>&nbsp;for an exciting trip, I think, ‘should I post an Instagram story of this to tease my upcoming travels?’”“I have so many examples of this,” Armitage continues. “When I was at my sister’s bachelorette party, I realized I was spending too much time Googling ‘&nbsp;<a href="https://whatthefab.com/bachelorette-party-instagram-captions.html">bachelorette party Instagram captions</a>&nbsp;‘ to come up with the perfect one-liner for my Instagram post. I had to consciously put my phone away to be present.”Can Instagram Win Americans Back?As the number of Instagram accounts in the U.S. and worldwide continues to grow, rates of dissatisfaction among users will likely rise, as well. Instagram’s leaders can address some of these concerns to meet the needs of vulnerable users.However, some responsibility does fall on Instagram users to engage with the platform with focus and intention. Reducing daily usage, unfollowing harmful accounts, and making time for offline activities are vital steps toward forming a more positive relationship with&nbsp;<a href="https://wealthofgeeks.com/social-media-shake-up-the-apps-users-are-ditching/">social media apps</a>.This article was produced by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mediadecision.com/lifestyle/the-most-hated-app-in-america-more-than-1-million-americans-delete-or-deactivate-instagram/article_3c037eb6-66f8-11ee-9e8b-7bd323831693.html">Media Decision</a>&nbsp;and syndicated by&nbsp;<a href="https://wealthofgeeks.com/delete-instagram/">Wealth of Geeks</a>.

Most Hated app in America? 1 Million delete this every month

FORD COUNTY — The Dodge City Police is investigating a deadly shooting&nbsp;&nbsp;at a bar and grill in Dodge City have extradited the suspect to a jail in Kansas.

According to online jail records, 36-year-old Ricardo Cadena-Garcia is now being held in the Ford County Jail after an arrest in Beaver, County Oklahoma.

Just after 1 a.m., Sunday 911 calls were placed reporting shots being fired at Central Station Bar and Grill,&nbsp; 207 E. Wyatt Earp Blvd., in Dodge City. When officers from the Dodge City Police Department and deputies from the Ford County Sheriff’s Office arrived they found four men who had suffered gunshot wounds.

Preliminary information indicates that an altercation occurred and&nbsp; Cadena-Garcia used a small caliber handgun to shoot and kill two

Police identified the victims as 28-year=old Abraham Morales-Santos, and 29-year-old Antonio A. Cabrera both of Dodge City, according to a media release from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

A 40-year-old shooting victim was hospitalized in Wichita. The fourth victim who was 27-years-old, was treated and released from the hospital.

Kansas authorities tracked Cadena-Garcia as he fled into Oklahoma. The Beaver County Sheriff’s Office sent deputies to search the area. They located Cadena-Garcia’s white Dodg Ram pickup 1.5 miles outside of Forgan, Oklahoma, according to the KBI.

The truck was disabled due to a blown front tire. Cadena-Garcia was waiting for assistance from an area tire shop when deputies approached his truck. He was arrested without incident.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1698851028044.png" alt="Cadena-Garcia photo Beaver Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Cadena-Garcia photo Beaver Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>FORD COUNTY — The Dodge City Police is investigating a deadly shooting&nbsp;&nbsp;at a bar and grill in Dodge City have extradited the suspect to a jail in Kansas.According to online jail records, 36-year-old Ricardo Cadena-Garcia is now being held in the Ford County Jail after an arrest in Beaver, County Oklahoma.Just after 1 a.m., Sunday 911 calls were placed reporting shots being fired at Central Station Bar and Grill,&nbsp; 207 E. Wyatt Earp Blvd., in Dodge City. When officers from the Dodge City Police Department and deputies from the Ford County Sheriff’s Office arrived they found four men who had suffered gunshot wounds.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699042470481.png" alt="Cadena-Garcia-photo Ford Co." />
 <figcaption>Cadena-Garcia-photo Ford Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Preliminary information indicates that an altercation occurred and&nbsp; Cadena-Garcia used a small caliber handgun to shoot and kill twoPolice identified the victims as 28-year=old Abraham Morales-Santos, and 29-year-old Antonio A. Cabrera both of Dodge City, according to a media release from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.A 40-year-old shooting victim was hospitalized in Wichita. The fourth victim who was 27-years-old, was treated and released from the hospital.Kansas authorities tracked Cadena-Garcia as he fled into Oklahoma. The Beaver County Sheriff’s Office sent deputies to search the area. They located Cadena-Garcia’s white Dodg Ram pickup 1.5 miles outside of Forgan, Oklahoma, according to the KBI.The truck was disabled due to a blown front tire. Cadena-Garcia was waiting for assistance from an area tire shop when deputies approached his truck. He was arrested without incident.

SW  Kansas murder suspect moved from Oklahoma jail

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. infant mortality rate rose 3% last year — the largest increase in two decades, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

White and Native American infants, infant boys and babies born at 37 weeks or earlier had significant death rate increases. The CDC's report, published Wednesday, also noted larger increases for two of the leading causes of infant deaths — maternal complications and bacterial meningitis.

“It’s definitely concerning, given that it’s going in the opposite direction from what it has been,” said Marie Thoma, a University of Maryland researcher who studies maternal and infant mortality.

Dr. Eric Eichenwald, a Philadelphia-based neonatologist, called the new data “disturbing,” but said experts at this point can only speculate as to why a statistic that generally has been falling for decades rose in 2022.

RSV and flu infections rebounded last fall after two years of pandemic precautions, filling pediatric emergency rooms across the country. “That could potentially account for some of it,” said Eichenwald, who chairs an American Academy of Pediatrics committee that writes guidelines for medical care of newborns.

Infant mortality is the measure of how many babies die before they reach their first birthday. Because the number of babies born in the U.S. varies from year to year, researchers instead calculate rates to better compare infant mortality over time. The U.S. infant mortality rate has been worse than other high-income countries, which experts have attributed to poverty, inadequate prenatal care and other possibilities. But even so, the U.S. rate generally gradually improved because of medical advances and public health efforts.

“Today’s data underscores that our failure to better support moms before, during, and after birth is among the factors contributing to poor infant health outcomes,” Dr. Elizabeth Cherot, chief executive of the March of Dimes, said in a statement.

The national rate rose to 5.6 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2022, up from from 5.44 per 1,000 the year before, the new report said.

The increase may seem small, but it’s the first statistically significant jump in the rate since the increase between 2001 and 2002, said Danielle Ely, the CDC report's lead author. She also said researchers could not establish whether the 2022 rise was a one-year statistical blip — or the beginning of a more lasting trend.

Overall in the U.S., the death rate&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7218a3.htm">fell 5%</a>&nbsp;in 2022 — a general decrease that's been attributed to the waning impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially on people 65 and older. U.S. maternal deaths also fell last year.

More than 30 states saw at least slight rises in infant mortality rates in 2022, but four states had statistically significant increases — Georgia, Iowa, Missouri and Texas.

In numbers, U.S. infant deaths surpassed 20,500 in 2022 — 610 more than the year before nationwide. But Georgia had 116 more infant deaths than the year before, and Texas had 251 more.

“It would appear that some of the states could be having a larger impact on the (national) rate,” Ely said, adding that smaller increases elsewhere also have an effect — and that it’s hard to parse out exactly what places, policies or other factors are behind the national statistic.

Georgia health officials said they are working to understand infant mortality trends in that state, and noted the 2022 rate was similar to rates in 2018 and 2019.

There may have been incomplete reporting in 2020 and 2021 during the first years of the pandemic, Georgia Department of Public Health spokeswoman Nancy Nydam said in an email, and “the 2022 numbers may be more a reflection of what was actually happening all along.”

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. infant mortality rate rose 3% last year — the largest increase in two decades, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.White and Native American infants, infant boys and babies born at 37 weeks or earlier had significant death rate increases. The CDC's report, published Wednesday, also noted larger increases for two of the leading causes of infant deaths — maternal complications and bacterial meningitis.“It’s definitely concerning, given that it’s going in the opposite direction from what it has been,” said Marie Thoma, a University of Maryland researcher who studies maternal and infant mortality.Dr. Eric Eichenwald, a Philadelphia-based neonatologist, called the new data “disturbing,” but said experts at this point can only speculate as to why a statistic that generally has been falling for decades rose in 2022.RSV and flu infections rebounded last fall after two years of pandemic precautions, filling pediatric emergency rooms across the country. “That could potentially account for some of it,” said Eichenwald, who chairs an American Academy of Pediatrics committee that writes guidelines for medical care of newborns.Infant mortality is the measure of how many babies die before they reach their first birthday. Because the number of babies born in the U.S. varies from year to year, researchers instead calculate rates to better compare infant mortality over time. The U.S. infant mortality rate has been worse than other high-income countries, which experts have attributed to poverty, inadequate prenatal care and other possibilities. But even so, the U.S. rate generally gradually improved because of medical advances and public health efforts.“Today’s data underscores that our failure to better support moms before, during, and after birth is among the factors contributing to poor infant health outcomes,” Dr. Elizabeth Cherot, chief executive of the March of Dimes, said in a statement.The national rate rose to 5.6 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2022, up from from 5.44 per 1,000 the year before, the new report said.The increase may seem small, but it’s the first statistically significant jump in the rate since the increase between 2001 and 2002, said Danielle Ely, the CDC report's lead author. She also said researchers could not establish whether the 2022 rise was a one-year statistical blip — or the beginning of a more lasting trend.Overall in the U.S., the death rate&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7218a3.htm">fell 5%</a>&nbsp;in 2022 — a general decrease that's been attributed to the waning impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially on people 65 and older. U.S. maternal deaths also fell last year.More than 30 states saw at least slight rises in infant mortality rates in 2022, but four states had statistically significant increases — Georgia, Iowa, Missouri and Texas.In numbers, U.S. infant deaths surpassed 20,500 in 2022 — 610 more than the year before nationwide. But Georgia had 116 more infant deaths than the year before, and Texas had 251 more.“It would appear that some of the states could be having a larger impact on the (national) rate,” Ely said, adding that smaller increases elsewhere also have an effect — and that it’s hard to parse out exactly what places, policies or other factors are behind the national statistic.Georgia health officials said they are working to understand infant mortality trends in that state, and noted the 2022 rate was similar to rates in 2018 and 2019.There may have been incomplete reporting in 2020 and 2021 during the first years of the pandemic, Georgia Department of Public Health spokeswoman Nancy Nydam said in an email, and “the 2022 numbers may be more a reflection of what was actually happening all along.”

CDC: US infant mortality rate saw largest increase in 2 decades

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 4:30a.m. Saturday in Wyandotte County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Mazda 6 driven by Alex Gomez, 21, Kansas City, Kansas, was southbound on U.S. 69 just south of Metropolitan Avenue.

The driver lost control of the car. It struck the right barrier wall, rolled, struck the right guardrail over Ruby Avenue and came to a rest on its top.

Gomez was pronounced dead at the scene. He was not wearing a sat belt, according to the KHP.

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 4:30a.m. Saturday in Wyandotte County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Mazda 6 driven by Alex Gomez, 21, Kansas City, Kansas, was southbound on U.S. 69 just south of Metropolitan Avenue.The driver lost control of the car. It struck the right barrier wall, rolled, struck the right guardrail over Ruby Avenue and came to a rest on its top.Gomez was pronounced dead at the scene. He was not wearing a sat belt, according to the KHP.