WASHINGTON (AP) — On the brink of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-congress-biden-trump-mccarthy-f1b06964cf549b09977677e5f70bf9ff">federal government shutdown</a>, the House on Saturday swiftly approved 45-day funding bill to keep federal agencies open as Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kevin-mccarthy">Kevin McCarthy</a>&nbsp;dropped demands for steep spending cuts and relied on Democratic votes for passage to send the package to the Senate.

The new approach would leave behind&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zelenskyy-biden-washington-visit-congress-ukraine-war-1d20574fb3ea4fb5efcc7db5458a33a3#:~:text=WASHINGTON%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20President%20Volodymyr,troops%20in%20the%20fight%20against">aid to Ukraine</a>, a White House priority opposed by a growing number of GOP lawmakers, but the plan would increase&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildfire-hurricane-flooding-fema-disaster-relief-budget-365fc3acd6a12c1f8e67b4926c8dc8b2">federal disaster assistance by $16 billion,</a>&nbsp;meeting President Joe Biden’s full request. The House vote was 335-91.

With hours to go for the midnight deadline to fund the government, the Senate was also in for a rare weekend session and prepared to act next.

“We’re going to do our job,” McCarthy said ahead of voting. “We’re going to be adults in the room. And we’re going to keep government open.”

With no deal in place before Sunday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-gop-federal-workers-congress-government-5978a4c7411eba06261d16c3aff3dfc5">federal workers will face furloughs</a>, more than 2 million active-duty and reserve military troops will work without pay and programs and services that Americans rely on from coast to coast will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-snap-benefits-loans-travel-97b3a3b30624704da6eb204837a9135c">begin to face shutdown disruptions</a>.

The House measure would fund government at current 2023 levels for 45 days, through Nov. 17, moving closer to the Senate's approach. But the Senate package would have added $6 billion for Ukraine to fight the war against Russia and $6 billion for U.S. disaster relief.

Both chambers came to a standstill as lawmakers assessed their options, some decrying the loss of Ukraine aid.

"The American people deserve better," said House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, warning in a lengthy floor speech that “extreme" Republicans were risking shutdown.

McConnell, of Kentucky, said Republican senators were waiting “to see what the House is doing."

For the House package to be approved, McCarthy, R-Calif., will be forced to rely on Democrats because the speaker's hard-right flank has said it will oppose any short-term measure. Republicans hold a 221-212 majority, with two vacancies.

Relying on Democratic votes and leaving his right-flank behind is something that the hard-right lawmakers have warned will risk McCarthy's job as speaker. They are almost certain to quickly file a motion to try to remove McCarthy from that office, though it is not at all certain there would be enough votes to topple the speaker.

"If somebody wants to remove me because I want to be the adult in the room, go ahead and try,” McCarthy said of the threat to oust him. “But I think this country is too important.”

The quick pivot comes after the collapse Friday of McCarthy's earlier plan to pass a Republican-only bill with steep spending cuts up to 30% to most government agencies that the White House and Democrats rejected as too extreme.

"Our options are slipping away every minute,” said one senior Republican, Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida.

The federal government is heading&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-congress-biden-trump-mccarthy-f1b06964cf549b09977677e5f70bf9ff">straight into a shutdown</a>&nbsp;that poses grave uncertainty for federal workers in states all across America and the people who depend on them — from troops to border control agents to office workers, scientists and others.

Families that rely on Head Start for children, food benefits and countless other programs large and small are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-snap-benefits-loans-travel-97b3a3b30624704da6eb204837a9135c">confronting potential interruptions or outright closures</a>. At the airports, Transportation Security Administration officers and air traffic controllers are expected to work without pay, but travelers could face delays in updating their U.S. passports or other travel documents.

An earlier McCarthy plan to keep the government open collapsed Friday due to opposition from a faction of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-votes-mccarthy-gop-caucus-gaetz-585c82607c00c2cfc45768faff6e1cda">21 hard-right holdouts</a>&nbsp;despite steep spending cuts of nearly 30% to many agencies and severe border security provisions.

The White House has brushed aside McCarthy's overtures to meet with Biden after the speaker walked away from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-debt-ceiling-budget-signing-f78a000d83cf85ffbaa2d08637844053#:~:text=Washington%20News-,Biden%20signs%20debt%20ceiling%20bill%20that%20pulls,from%20brink%20of%20unprecedented%20default&amp;text=WASHINGTON%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20With%20just,on%20the%20federal%20government's%20debt.">debt deal</a>&nbsp;they brokered earlier this year that set budget levels.

Catering to his hard-right flank, McCarthy had returned to the spending limits the conservatives demanded back in January as part of the deal-making to help him&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-house-of-representatives-kevin-mccarthy-us-republican-party-0938c7358f41c83759246f8949ac7c15">become the House speaker</a>.

After Friday's vote, McCarthy’s chief Republican critic, Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, said the speaker's bill “went down in flames as I’ve told you all week it would.”

Some of the Republican holdouts, including Gaetz, are allies of former President Donald Trump, who is Biden's chief rival in the 2024 race. Trump has been encouraging the Republicans to fight hard for their priorities and even to “shut it down.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1696100579610.png" alt="“We’re going to do our job,” McCarthy said ahead of voting. “We’re going to be adults in the room. And we’re going to keep government open.”-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>“We’re going to do our job,” McCarthy said ahead of voting. “We’re going to be adults in the room. And we’re going to keep government open.”-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — On the brink of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-congress-biden-trump-mccarthy-f1b06964cf549b09977677e5f70bf9ff">federal government shutdown</a>, the House on Saturday swiftly approved 45-day funding bill to keep federal agencies open as Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kevin-mccarthy">Kevin McCarthy</a>&nbsp;dropped demands for steep spending cuts and relied on Democratic votes for passage to send the package to the Senate.The new approach would leave behind&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zelenskyy-biden-washington-visit-congress-ukraine-war-1d20574fb3ea4fb5efcc7db5458a33a3#:~:text=WASHINGTON%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20President%20Volodymyr,troops%20in%20the%20fight%20against">aid to Ukraine</a>, a White House priority opposed by a growing number of GOP lawmakers, but the plan would increase&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildfire-hurricane-flooding-fema-disaster-relief-budget-365fc3acd6a12c1f8e67b4926c8dc8b2">federal disaster assistance by $16 billion,</a>&nbsp;meeting President Joe Biden’s full request. The House vote was 335-91.With hours to go for the midnight deadline to fund the government, the Senate was also in for a rare weekend session and prepared to act next.“We’re going to do our job,” McCarthy said ahead of voting. “We’re going to be adults in the room. And we’re going to keep government open.”With no deal in place before Sunday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-gop-federal-workers-congress-government-5978a4c7411eba06261d16c3aff3dfc5">federal workers will face furloughs</a>, more than 2 million active-duty and reserve military troops will work without pay and programs and services that Americans rely on from coast to coast will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-snap-benefits-loans-travel-97b3a3b30624704da6eb204837a9135c">begin to face shutdown disruptions</a>.The House measure would fund government at current 2023 levels for 45 days, through Nov. 17, moving closer to the Senate's approach. But the Senate package would have added $6 billion for Ukraine to fight the war against Russia and $6 billion for U.S. disaster relief.Both chambers came to a standstill as lawmakers assessed their options, some decrying the loss of Ukraine aid."The American people deserve better," said House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, warning in a lengthy floor speech that “extreme" Republicans were risking shutdown.McConnell, of Kentucky, said Republican senators were waiting “to see what the House is doing."For the House package to be approved, McCarthy, R-Calif., will be forced to rely on Democrats because the speaker's hard-right flank has said it will oppose any short-term measure. Republicans hold a 221-212 majority, with two vacancies.Relying on Democratic votes and leaving his right-flank behind is something that the hard-right lawmakers have warned will risk McCarthy's job as speaker. They are almost certain to quickly file a motion to try to remove McCarthy from that office, though it is not at all certain there would be enough votes to topple the speaker."If somebody wants to remove me because I want to be the adult in the room, go ahead and try,” McCarthy said of the threat to oust him. “But I think this country is too important.”The quick pivot comes after the collapse Friday of McCarthy's earlier plan to pass a Republican-only bill with steep spending cuts up to 30% to most government agencies that the White House and Democrats rejected as too extreme."Our options are slipping away every minute,” said one senior Republican, Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida.The federal government is heading&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-congress-biden-trump-mccarthy-f1b06964cf549b09977677e5f70bf9ff">straight into a shutdown</a>&nbsp;that poses grave uncertainty for federal workers in states all across America and the people who depend on them — from troops to border control agents to office workers, scientists and others.Families that rely on Head Start for children, food benefits and countless other programs large and small are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-snap-benefits-loans-travel-97b3a3b30624704da6eb204837a9135c">confronting potential interruptions or outright closures</a>. At the airports, Transportation Security Administration officers and air traffic controllers are expected to work without pay, but travelers could face delays in updating their U.S. passports or other travel documents.An earlier McCarthy plan to keep the government open collapsed Friday due to opposition from a faction of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-votes-mccarthy-gop-caucus-gaetz-585c82607c00c2cfc45768faff6e1cda">21 hard-right holdouts</a>&nbsp;despite steep spending cuts of nearly 30% to many agencies and severe border security provisions.The White House has brushed aside McCarthy's overtures to meet with Biden after the speaker walked away from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-debt-ceiling-budget-signing-f78a000d83cf85ffbaa2d08637844053#:~:text=Washington%20News-,Biden%20signs%20debt%20ceiling%20bill%20that%20pulls,from%20brink%20of%20unprecedented%20default&amp;text=WASHINGTON%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20With%20just,on%20the%20federal%20government's%20debt.">debt deal</a>&nbsp;they brokered earlier this year that set budget levels.Catering to his hard-right flank, McCarthy had returned to the spending limits the conservatives demanded back in January as part of the deal-making to help him&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-house-of-representatives-kevin-mccarthy-us-republican-party-0938c7358f41c83759246f8949ac7c15">become the House speaker</a>.After Friday's vote, McCarthy’s chief Republican critic, Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, said the speaker's bill “went down in flames as I’ve told you all week it would.”Some of the Republican holdouts, including Gaetz, are allies of former President Donald Trump, who is Biden's chief rival in the 2024 race. Trump has been encouraging the Republicans to fight hard for their priorities and even to “shut it down.”

On the brink of shutdown, House passes a 45-day funding plan 

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a man's murder and are asking the public for help to locate a woman as part of the investigation.

Just after 10:30 p.m. September 25, police responded to report of a shooting in the 2200 Block SW Plass Avenue in Topeka, according to a media release. First responders found a man suffering from a gunshot wound.&nbsp; The victim was transported to a local hospital with injuries considered to be life threatening.

On Wednesday, the victim identified as 39-year-old Durant R. Redmond of Topeka died of his injuries in the hospital.&nbsp;

Police are working to locate 31-year-old Chelsee A. Baugh (Retana) Topeka. Investigators believe she has information about the shooting and they would like to speak to her.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1696031364543.png" alt="Baugh-photo Topeka Police" />
 <figcaption>Baugh-photo Topeka Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a man's murder and are asking the public for help to locate a woman as part of the investigation.Just after 10:30 p.m. September 25, police responded to report of a shooting in the 2200 Block SW Plass Avenue in Topeka, according to a media release. First responders found a man suffering from a gunshot wound.&nbsp; The victim was transported to a local hospital with injuries considered to be life threatening.On Wednesday, the victim identified as 39-year-old Durant R. Redmond of Topeka died of his injuries in the hospital.&nbsp;Police are working to locate 31-year-old Chelsee A. Baugh (Retana) Topeka. Investigators believe she has information about the shooting and they would like to speak to her.

Police ask for help to locate Kan. woman in connection with murder

BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple drug allegations.

Just before 6p.m. Sept. 27, a Brown County deputy established probable cause to obtain a search warrant at a residence in Horton, Kansas, according to Sheriff John Merchant.

At 8pm., the warrant was granted and then executed at 240 W. 15th Street by the Brown County Sheriff's Office Drug Task Force. A juvenile in the home was placed in police protective custody. At the conclusion of the search warrant, Jade Spruill 32 Horton was arrested on requested charges of Possession of Meth, Possession of Stimulant,Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and ChildEndangerment.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695929096356.png" alt="Spruill photo Brown Co." />
 <figcaption>Spruill photo Brown Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple drug allegations.Just before 6p.m. Sept. 27, a Brown County deputy established probable cause to obtain a search warrant at a residence in Horton, Kansas, according to Sheriff John Merchant.At 8pm., the warrant was granted and then executed at 240 W. 15th Street by the Brown County Sheriff's Office Drug Task Force. A juvenile in the home was placed in police protective custody. At the conclusion of the search warrant, Jade Spruill 32 Horton was arrested on requested charges of Possession of Meth, Possession of Stimulant,Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and ChildEndangerment.&nbsp;

Child removed from Kan. home during drug investigation

By ALLISON KITE,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/epa-estimates-more-than-54000-lead-pipes-remain-in-kansas/">Kansas Reflector</a>

Time will tell whether an oil spill upstream on Rattlesnake Creek will harm the birds that flock to Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, a migratory bird stop in Stafford County.&nbsp;

Its manager, Mike Oldham, said the refuge, owned by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, had deployed absorbent barriers to catch any oil in case it made it downstream.

“We’re watching,” Oldham said. “We’re waiting. We’re monitoring.”

So far, the refuge hasn’t seen any oil reach its waters or contaminated birds fly in.

The spill took place earlier this month a few miles from the refuge where a lead line crossed Rattlesnake Creek. Linda Berry, spokeswoman for the Kansas Corporation Commission, which regulates oil and gas, said in an email that the wells using the line had previously been abandoned. When the wells turned back on, the line burst from the weight of the fluid.

About 10 barrels — or 420 gallons —&nbsp;of oil and 1,500 barrels of saltwater spilled into the creek.

Berry said the remediation is 99% complete, but staff will continue to inspect and take samples. She said no regulations had been violated in connection with the spill.

The spill poses another risk to the Quivira refuge, which is already threatened by insufficient water supply on Rattlesnake Creek.

Because of groundwater pumping upstream on Rattlesnake Creek,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/08/24/kansas-farm-irrigation-still-hinders-quivira-national-wildlife-refuge-water-rights/">Quivira is not getting all the water it’s entitled to</a>. Farm irrigation reduces the amount of groundwater that flows into the creek and becomes surface water.

The creek flows into the refuge, which contains more than 22,000 acres of grass, sand prairies and inland marshes.

The facility has a right to water under Kansas law that was established in 1957, making its water rights older than most others in the area. Under Kansas’ “first in time, first in right” policy, the refuge takes priority over junior water rights.

Quivira is entitled to more than 14,000 acre-feet of water each year, but has been impaired in about two out of every three years between 2008 and 2021.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service filed a request to secure water with the Kansas Department of Agriculture in February, a move criticized by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and Republican members of Congress.

Because there is virtually no streamflow from Rattlesnake Creek into the refuge, Oldham said, the oil and contaminated water hasn’t made its way to the refuge.

Flows into the refuge have generally been less than a cubic foot per second, Oldham said. But in early September, the water stopped flowing at all.

“As far as how it’s going to affect us, we don’t really know right now until we start getting a little more flow coming down the creek,” Oldham said, “and we’ll see if any oil comes our way.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1696013446266.png" alt=" A flock of green-winged teal settle on the marsh at Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. (Rachel Laubhan/USFWS)" />
 <figcaption> A flock of green-winged teal settle on the marsh at Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. (Rachel Laubhan/USFWS)</figcaption>
 </figure>By ALLISON KITE,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/epa-estimates-more-than-54000-lead-pipes-remain-in-kansas/">Kansas Reflector</a>Time will tell whether an oil spill upstream on Rattlesnake Creek will harm the birds that flock to Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, a migratory bird stop in Stafford County.&nbsp;Its manager, Mike Oldham, said the refuge, owned by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, had deployed absorbent barriers to catch any oil in case it made it downstream.“We’re watching,” Oldham said. “We’re waiting. We’re monitoring.”So far, the refuge hasn’t seen any oil reach its waters or contaminated birds fly in.The spill took place earlier this month a few miles from the refuge where a lead line crossed Rattlesnake Creek. Linda Berry, spokeswoman for the Kansas Corporation Commission, which regulates oil and gas, said in an email that the wells using the line had previously been abandoned. When the wells turned back on, the line burst from the weight of the fluid.About 10 barrels — or 420 gallons —&nbsp;of oil and 1,500 barrels of saltwater spilled into the creek.Berry said the remediation is 99% complete, but staff will continue to inspect and take samples. She said no regulations had been violated in connection with the spill.The spill poses another risk to the Quivira refuge, which is already threatened by insufficient water supply on Rattlesnake Creek.Because of groundwater pumping upstream on Rattlesnake Creek,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/08/24/kansas-farm-irrigation-still-hinders-quivira-national-wildlife-refuge-water-rights/">Quivira is not getting all the water it’s entitled to</a>. Farm irrigation reduces the amount of groundwater that flows into the creek and becomes surface water.The creek flows into the refuge, which contains more than 22,000 acres of grass, sand prairies and inland marshes.The facility has a right to water under Kansas law that was established in 1957, making its water rights older than most others in the area. Under Kansas’ “first in time, first in right” policy, the refuge takes priority over junior water rights.Quivira is entitled to more than 14,000 acre-feet of water each year, but has been impaired in about two out of every three years between 2008 and 2021.The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service filed a request to secure water with the Kansas Department of Agriculture in February, a move criticized by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and Republican members of Congress.Because there is virtually no streamflow from Rattlesnake Creek into the refuge, Oldham said, the oil and contaminated water hasn’t made its way to the refuge.Flows into the refuge have generally been less than a cubic foot per second, Oldham said. But in early September, the water stopped flowing at all.“As far as how it’s going to affect us, we don’t really know right now until we start getting a little more flow coming down the creek,” Oldham said, “and we’ll see if any oil comes our way.”

Oil spill into creek near Quivira National Wildlife Refuge 99% cleaned up

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly shooting and have made an arrest.

Just before 8:00 pm, police responded to report of a shooting at the Crown Point Apartment complex in the 3700 block of Park South Court, according to Police Lt. Donna Eubanks.

First responders found a man later identified as 44-year-old&nbsp;Jeremy L. Palmer of Topeka with life-threatening injuries. American Medical Response responded and pronounced him deceased.

As a result of the investigation police arrested 23-year-old Jacorey T. Porter of Topeka on requested charges of Murder in the 2nd degree, intentional, Aggravated endangering a child, reckless situation and&nbsp;Criminal restraint.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695989318841.png" alt="Porter-Photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Porter-Photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly shooting and have made an arrest.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695982111971.png" alt="Police on the scene of the accident photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the accident photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>Just before 8:00 pm, police responded to report of a shooting at the Crown Point Apartment complex in the 3700 block of Park South Court, according to Police Lt. Donna Eubanks.First responders found a man later identified as 44-year-old&nbsp;Jeremy L. Palmer of Topeka with life-threatening injuries. American Medical Response responded and pronounced him deceased.As a result of the investigation police arrested 23-year-old Jacorey T. Porter of Topeka on requested charges of Murder in the 2nd degree, intentional, Aggravated endangering a child, reckless situation and&nbsp;Criminal restraint.

Suspect arrested in Kansas apartment complex killing

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kevin-mccarthy">Kevin McCarthy's</a>&nbsp;last-ditch plan to keep the federal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-congress-biden-trump-mccarthy-f1b06964cf549b09977677e5f70bf9ff">government temporarily open</a>&nbsp;collapsed in dramatic fashion Friday as a robust faction of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-votes-mccarthy-gop-caucus-gaetz-585c82607c00c2cfc45768faff6e1cda">hard-right holdouts</a>&nbsp;rejected the package, making a shutdown almost certain.

McCarthy’s right-flank Republicans refused to support the bill despite its steep spending cuts of nearly 30% to many agencies and severe border security provisions, calling it insufficient.

The White House and Democrats rejected the Republican approach as too extreme. The vote was 198-232, with 21 hard-right Republicans voting to sink the package. The Democrats voted against it.

The bill’s complete failure a day before Saturday’s deadline to fund the government leaves few options to prevent a shutdown that will furlough federal workers, keep the military working without pay and disrupt programs and services for millions of Americans.

A clearly agitated McCarthy left the House chamber. “It’s not the end yet; I've got other ideas,” he told reporters.

The outcome puts McCarthy’s speakership in serious jeopardy with almost no political leverage to lead the House at a critical moment that has pushed the government into crisis. Even the failed plan, an extraordinary concession to immediately slash spending by one-third for many agencies, was not enough to satisfy the hard right flank that has upturned his speakership.

Republican leaders planned to convene behind closed doors late Friday to assess next steps.

The federal government is heading straight into a shutdown after midnight Saturday that would leave 2 million military troops without pay, furlough federal workers and disrupt government services and programs that Americans rely on from coast to coast. Congress has been unable to fund the agencies or pass a temporary bill to keep offices open.

The Senate was pushing ahead Friday with its own plan favored by Republicans and Democrats to keep the government open while also bolstering Ukraine aid and U.S. disaster accounts. But that won't matter with the House in political chaos.

The White House has brushed aside McCarthy's overtures to meet with President Joe Biden after the speaker walked away from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-debt-ceiling-budget-signing-f78a000d83cf85ffbaa2d08637844053#:~:text=Washington%20News-,Biden%20signs%20debt%20ceiling%20bill%20that%20pulls,from%20brink%20of%20unprecedented%20default&amp;text=WASHINGTON%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20With%20just,on%20the%20federal%20government's%20debt.">debt deal</a>&nbsp;they brokered earlier this year that set budget levels.

“Extreme House Republicans are now tripling down on their demands to eviscerate programs millions of hardworking families count on,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

Jean-Pierre said, “The path forward to fund the government has been laid out by the Senate with bipartisan support — House Republicans just need to take it.”

His package would not have cut the Defense, Veterans or Homeland Security departments but would have slashed almost all other agencies by up to 30% — steep hits to a vast array of programs, services and departments Americans routinely depend on.

It also added strict new border security provisions that would kickstart building the wall at the southern border with Mexico, among other measures. Additionally, the package would have set up a bipartisan debt commission to address the nation's mounting debt load.

Ahead of voting, the Republican speaker all but dared his hold-out colleagues to oppose the package a day before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-snap-benefits-loans-travel-97b3a3b30624704da6eb204837a9135c">Saturday’s almost certain shutdown</a>. The House bill would have kept operations open through Oct. 31.

“Every member will have to go on record where they stand,” McCarthy said.

Asked if he had the votes, McCarthy quipped, “We’ll see.”

But as soon as the floor debate began, McCarthy’s chief Republican critic, Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, announced he would be voting against the package, urging his colleagues to “not surrender.”

The hard right, led by Gaetz, has been threatening McCarthy’s ouster, with a looming vote to try to remove him from the speaker’s office unless he meets the conservative demands. Still, it’s unclear if any other Republican would have support from the House majority to lead the party.

Gaetz said afterward that speaker's bill “went down in flames as I’ve told you all week it would.”

He and others rejecting the temporary measure want the House to instead keep pushing through the 12 individual spending bills needed to fund the government, typically a weeks-long process, as they pursue their conservative priorities.

Some of the Republican holdouts including Gaetz are allies of Donald Trump, who is Biden's chief rival in 2024. The former president has been encouraging the Republicans to fight hard for their priorities and even to “shut it down.”

The margin of defeat shocked even Republican members.

Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Calif., said, “I think what this does, if anything, I think it’s going to rally people around the speaker and go, ‘hey the dysfunction here is not coming from leadership in this case. The dysfunction is coming from individuals that don’t understand the implications of what we’re doing here.’”

Garcia said, “For the people that claim this isn’t good enough, I want to hear what good enough looks like.”

Another Republican Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina, a member of the Freedom Caucus who supported the package, suggested the House was losing its leverage with the failed vote: "We control the purse strings. We just ceded them to the Senate."

Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, criticized the proposed Republican cuts as hurting law enforcement, education and taking food out of the mouths of millions. She said 275,000 children would lose access to Head Start and make it harder for parents to work.

“This is a pointless charade with grave consequences for the American people,” DeLauro said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1696017766851.png" alt="A clearly agitated McCarthy left the House chamber. “It’s not the end yet; I've got other ideas,” he told reporters.-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>A clearly agitated McCarthy left the House chamber. “It’s not the end yet; I've got other ideas,” he told reporters.-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kevin-mccarthy">Kevin McCarthy's</a>&nbsp;last-ditch plan to keep the federal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-congress-biden-trump-mccarthy-f1b06964cf549b09977677e5f70bf9ff">government temporarily open</a>&nbsp;collapsed in dramatic fashion Friday as a robust faction of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-votes-mccarthy-gop-caucus-gaetz-585c82607c00c2cfc45768faff6e1cda">hard-right holdouts</a>&nbsp;rejected the package, making a shutdown almost certain.McCarthy’s right-flank Republicans refused to support the bill despite its steep spending cuts of nearly 30% to many agencies and severe border security provisions, calling it insufficient.The White House and Democrats rejected the Republican approach as too extreme. The vote was 198-232, with 21 hard-right Republicans voting to sink the package. The Democrats voted against it.The bill’s complete failure a day before Saturday’s deadline to fund the government leaves few options to prevent a shutdown that will furlough federal workers, keep the military working without pay and disrupt programs and services for millions of Americans.A clearly agitated McCarthy left the House chamber. “It’s not the end yet; I've got other ideas,” he told reporters.The outcome puts McCarthy’s speakership in serious jeopardy with almost no political leverage to lead the House at a critical moment that has pushed the government into crisis. Even the failed plan, an extraordinary concession to immediately slash spending by one-third for many agencies, was not enough to satisfy the hard right flank that has upturned his speakership.Republican leaders planned to convene behind closed doors late Friday to assess next steps.The federal government is heading straight into a shutdown after midnight Saturday that would leave 2 million military troops without pay, furlough federal workers and disrupt government services and programs that Americans rely on from coast to coast. Congress has been unable to fund the agencies or pass a temporary bill to keep offices open.The Senate was pushing ahead Friday with its own plan favored by Republicans and Democrats to keep the government open while also bolstering Ukraine aid and U.S. disaster accounts. But that won't matter with the House in political chaos.The White House has brushed aside McCarthy's overtures to meet with President Joe Biden after the speaker walked away from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-debt-ceiling-budget-signing-f78a000d83cf85ffbaa2d08637844053#:~:text=Washington%20News-,Biden%20signs%20debt%20ceiling%20bill%20that%20pulls,from%20brink%20of%20unprecedented%20default&amp;text=WASHINGTON%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20With%20just,on%20the%20federal%20government's%20debt.">debt deal</a>&nbsp;they brokered earlier this year that set budget levels.“Extreme House Republicans are now tripling down on their demands to eviscerate programs millions of hardworking families count on,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.Jean-Pierre said, “The path forward to fund the government has been laid out by the Senate with bipartisan support — House Republicans just need to take it.”Catering to his hard-right flank, McCarthy had returned to the spending limits the conservatives demanded back in January as part of the deal-making to help him&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-house-of-representatives-kevin-mccarthy-us-republican-party-0938c7358f41c83759246f8949ac7c15">become the House speaker</a>.His package would not have cut the Defense, Veterans or Homeland Security departments but would have slashed almost all other agencies by up to 30% — steep hits to a vast array of programs, services and departments Americans routinely depend on.It also added strict new border security provisions that would kickstart building the wall at the southern border with Mexico, among other measures. Additionally, the package would have set up a bipartisan debt commission to address the nation's mounting debt load.Ahead of voting, the Republican speaker all but dared his hold-out colleagues to oppose the package a day before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-snap-benefits-loans-travel-97b3a3b30624704da6eb204837a9135c">Saturday’s almost certain shutdown</a>. The House bill would have kept operations open through Oct. 31.“Every member will have to go on record where they stand,” McCarthy said.Asked if he had the votes, McCarthy quipped, “We’ll see.”But as soon as the floor debate began, McCarthy’s chief Republican critic, Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, announced he would be voting against the package, urging his colleagues to “not surrender.”The hard right, led by Gaetz, has been threatening McCarthy’s ouster, with a looming vote to try to remove him from the speaker’s office unless he meets the conservative demands. Still, it’s unclear if any other Republican would have support from the House majority to lead the party.Gaetz said afterward that speaker's bill “went down in flames as I’ve told you all week it would.”He and others rejecting the temporary measure want the House to instead keep pushing through the 12 individual spending bills needed to fund the government, typically a weeks-long process, as they pursue their conservative priorities.Some of the Republican holdouts including Gaetz are allies of Donald Trump, who is Biden's chief rival in 2024. The former president has been encouraging the Republicans to fight hard for their priorities and even to “shut it down.”The margin of defeat shocked even Republican members.Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Calif., said, “I think what this does, if anything, I think it’s going to rally people around the speaker and go, ‘hey the dysfunction here is not coming from leadership in this case. The dysfunction is coming from individuals that don’t understand the implications of what we’re doing here.’”Garcia said, “For the people that claim this isn’t good enough, I want to hear what good enough looks like.”Another Republican Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina, a member of the Freedom Caucus who supported the package, suggested the House was losing its leverage with the failed vote: "We control the purse strings. We just ceded them to the Senate."Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, criticized the proposed Republican cuts as hurting law enforcement, education and taking food out of the mouths of millions. She said 275,000 children would lose access to Head Start and make it harder for parents to work.“This is a pointless charade with grave consequences for the American people,” DeLauro said.

Last-ditch plan to keep the government open collapses, shutdown almost certain

ELLIS COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an alleged arson fire in Hays.

Just before 8:30p.m. Thursday, fire crews responded to a report of a fire in an apartment complex at 527 E. 8th Street in Hays, according to a media release.&nbsp;

Fire crews found smoke and flames coming from the apartment and deployed an attack line to extinguish the fire and it was quickly brought under control. Crews stayed on scene for several hours to clear out smoke and carbon monoxide gases in neighboring apartments. Fire damage was limited to the original apartment.

Several occupants were treated on scene and one was transported to the hospital with non-life threating injuries.

The cause of the fire is determined to be incendiary.&nbsp;

"It was intentionally set," Shane Preston, deputy fire chief said Friday morning. "The incident is currently under investigation by the Hays Fire and Hays Police departments."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1696001711350.jpeg" alt="Photo by Becky Kiser-Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Becky Kiser-Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>ELLIS COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an alleged arson fire in Hays.Just before 8:30p.m. Thursday, fire crews responded to a report of a fire in an apartment complex at 527 E. 8th Street in Hays, according to a media release.&nbsp;Fire crews found smoke and flames coming from the apartment and deployed an attack line to extinguish the fire and it was quickly brought under control. Crews stayed on scene for several hours to clear out smoke and carbon monoxide gases in neighboring apartments. Fire damage was limited to the original apartment.Several occupants were treated on scene and one was transported to the hospital with non-life threating injuries.The cause of the fire is determined to be incendiary.&nbsp;"It was intentionally set," Shane Preston, deputy fire chief said Friday morning. "The incident is currently under investigation by the Hays Fire and Hays Police departments."

One hospitalized after intentionally set Kansas  fire

WASHINGTON —House Republicans launched a formal impeachment hearing Thursday against President Joe Biden, saying they intend to “provide accountability” as they&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-hunter-house-republicans-impeachment-inquiry-f679eb1239cd4f7b5f06949cc1445567">make their case</a>&nbsp;to the public, their colleagues and skeptics in the Senate.

Near the end of the morning session, Kansas second district Representative Jake LaTurner finally had his turn to make a statement.

(click below to watch Rep. LaTurner during the hearing)

"The&nbsp;mischaracterization of what this hearing is about by my colleagues on the other side is astounding," LaTurner said.&nbsp;

"Throughout the Presidency of Joe Biden, the White House has attempted to claim that the President did not talk to his son Hunter about his business dealings. Joe Biden even said during a 2020 presidential debate that no members of his family received money from China."

"Joe Biden said and I quote, "My son has not made money in terms of this thing about China. Nobody else has made money from China."

"The White House strategy has been to&nbsp; deny, deny and deny, lie and then counter attack," LaTurner continued. "The evidence and facts have forced the White House to change its story time and time again."&nbsp;

"The White House handlers continue to shift the goal posts and President Biden continues to lie. How can President Bident continue to maintain that Hunter's private business was simply that,&nbsp; private?"

"It's clear from bank records, emails and text messages and testimony that Joe Biden was intimately involved in Hunter's pay to play scheme and crooked foreign business dealings."

"This image shows an email between Hunter Biden and his business associates stating the setup of equity in a Chinese owned energy venture. This particular business deal was with a Chinese owned energy conglomerate and lays out the payment structure for equity in the company which was known to be tied to the Chinese Communist Party through its owner chairman."

"The committee's investigation into the Biden family including evidence turned over through various document production has shown that these men including&nbsp;Tony Bobolinski were all in business with Hunter Biden at one time or another."

"Bobolinski, Rob Walker and other Hunter business partrners have confirmed what this email said. They were all getting a cut. Who else was getting a cut? According to this email 10 percent was going to the Big Guy. What I'm sure my colleagues on the other side are asking themselves, who is the Big Guy?"

"Well let me tell you," LaTurner continued. "We learned in the FBI's 1023 that Joe Biden was referred to as the Big Guy. Tony Bobolinski has also confirmed Joe Biden is the Big Guy. Rob Walker and IRS whistle blowers confirmed that Joe Biden is the Big Guy. And finally, the Justice Department obstructed investigators in Delaware wanted to look into the Big Guy."

"Listen folks, it is obvious Joe Biden is the Big Guy. And so, what do we have here? The President is saying that he had nothing to do with it. That Hunter Biden did not profit from China and the Big Guy was getting 10 percent."

"Let me read for you the definition of a trendy word here lately. Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation in which an abuse attempts to gain power and control over the other person by distorting&nbsp; reality and forcing them to question their own judgement and intuition."

"I would say to the American people. Look at the evidence before you and make a judgement and do not allow the White House or our colleagues on the other side to try to convince you that what you are seeing isn't the truth and to convince you that you are crazy."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695923176770.png" alt="LaTurner: Who is the Big Guy?"" />
 <figcaption>LaTurner: Who is the Big Guy?"</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —House Republicans launched a formal impeachment hearing Thursday against President Joe Biden, saying they intend to “provide accountability” as they&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-hunter-house-republicans-impeachment-inquiry-f679eb1239cd4f7b5f06949cc1445567">make their case</a>&nbsp;to the public, their colleagues and skeptics in the Senate.Near the end of the morning session, Kansas second district Representative Jake LaTurner finally had his turn to make a statement.(click below to watch Rep. LaTurner during the hearing)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DIvCY6VvZaU?si=LHTQaDrHbQ1N508f&amp;start=13966" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>"The&nbsp;mischaracterization of what this hearing is about by my colleagues on the other side is astounding," LaTurner said.&nbsp;"Throughout the Presidency of Joe Biden, the White House has attempted to claim that the President did not talk to his son Hunter about his business dealings. Joe Biden even said during a 2020 presidential debate that no members of his family received money from China.""Joe Biden said and I quote, "My son has not made money in terms of this thing about China. Nobody else has made money from China.""The White House strategy has been to&nbsp; deny, deny and deny, lie and then counter attack," LaTurner continued. "The evidence and facts have forced the White House to change its story time and time again."&nbsp;"The White House handlers continue to shift the goal posts and President Biden continues to lie. How can President Bident continue to maintain that Hunter's private business was simply that,&nbsp; private?""It's clear from bank records, emails and text messages and testimony that Joe Biden was intimately involved in Hunter's pay to play scheme and crooked foreign business dealings."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695924766437.png" alt="image courtesy House Oversight Committee" />
 <figcaption>image courtesy House Oversight Committee</figcaption>
 </figure>"This image shows an email between Hunter Biden and his business associates stating the setup of equity in a Chinese owned energy venture. This particular business deal was with a Chinese owned energy conglomerate and lays out the payment structure for equity in the company which was known to be tied to the Chinese Communist Party through its owner chairman.""The committee's investigation into the Biden family including evidence turned over through various document production has shown that these men including&nbsp;Tony Bobolinski were all in business with Hunter Biden at one time or another."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695923242788.png" alt="Kansas 2nd District Congressman Jake LaTurner during a confrontation from Democrat members of the Committee during the impeachment inquiry hearing. -image House Oversight&nbsp; Committee" />
 <figcaption>Kansas 2nd District Congressman Jake LaTurner during a confrontation from Democrat members of the Committee during the impeachment inquiry hearing. -image House Oversight&nbsp; Committee</figcaption>
 </figure>"Bobolinski, Rob Walker and other Hunter business partrners have confirmed what this email said. They were all getting a cut. Who else was getting a cut? According to this email 10 percent was going to the Big Guy. What I'm sure my colleagues on the other side are asking themselves, who is the Big Guy?""Well let me tell you," LaTurner continued. "We learned in the FBI's 1023 that Joe Biden was referred to as the Big Guy. Tony Bobolinski has also confirmed Joe Biden is the Big Guy. Rob Walker and IRS whistle blowers confirmed that Joe Biden is the Big Guy. And finally, the Justice Department obstructed investigators in Delaware wanted to look into the Big Guy.""Listen folks, it is obvious Joe Biden is the Big Guy. And so, what do we have here? The President is saying that he had nothing to do with it. That Hunter Biden did not profit from China and the Big Guy was getting 10 percent.""Let me read for you the definition of a trendy word here lately. Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation in which an abuse attempts to gain power and control over the other person by distorting&nbsp; reality and forcing them to question their own judgement and intuition.""I would say to the American people. Look at the evidence before you and make a judgement and do not allow the White House or our colleagues on the other side to try to convince you that what you are seeing isn't the truth and to convince you that you are crazy."

🎥 Kan. congressman at impeachment hearing: Who is the big guy? 

LAWRENCE (AP) —Kansas basketball player Arterio Morris was charged Friday with one count of rape and dismissed from the Jayhawks' program, the latest in a string of legal trouble that has followed the former prep standout from his days at Texas.

Morris was booked in Douglas County and his bond was set at $75,000, public records showed. His arrest came after an incident report came to light this month that detailed an alleged rape that occurred at McCarthy Hall, which houses the Jayhawks' men's basketball team along with other residents and is located near Allen Fieldhouse.

Morris was not named in the incident report, but he was subsequently suspended from the basketball program.

“We are now aware he has been arrested and charged, and he was dismissed from the program,” Jayhawks coach Bill Self said in a statement to The Associated Press. "As this is an ongoing legal matter, we are not able to comment further at this time.”

Morris transferred to Kansas despite facing a misdemeanor assault charge in Texas, where he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-texas-morris-arrest-assault-84dac6d707b7558e4b8285b686d0e195">spent his freshman season playing</a>&nbsp;for the Longhorns. According to Frisco police, he was arrested after officers were called to his ex-girlfriend’s house, where she told police that he had grabbed her arm, pulled her off a bed and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-texas-morris-arrest-assault-84dac6d707b7558e4b8285b686d0e195">caused an injury to her neck</a>.

The 20-year-old Morris was scheduled to appear at a jury trial next week, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arterio-morris-assault-charge-plea-38d0793e4028bef514814cdd861ada3a">it was canceled earlier this month</a>, when he entered a no contest plea to a Class C charge and ordered to pay a $362 fine.

In announcing that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-arterio-morris-transfer-9954090b704101c1da788cf556fa1272">Morris had transferred to Kansas</a>, Self said the school was aware of the charges he was facing in Texas, and that school administrators had spoken with compliance officers at the University of Texas and within its athletic department.

“Based on these discussions, we are comfortable welcoming Arterio to the University of Kansas," Self said at the time, "and he is well aware of the high standards and expectations that come with being a member of the Kansas men’s basketball program. We fully expect him to meet those daily.”

Morris was a top-20 recruit coming out of Kimball High School in Dallas. He signed with the Longhorns and appeared in 38 games last season, helping beat them Kansas in the Big 12 title game and advance to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.

But the 6-foot-3 guard never made the impact that most expected in Austin, averaging just 4.6 points, and Morris hoped that by transferring to Kansas his basketball career would get off to a fresh start.

Even without him on the roster, the Jayhawks are likely to be preseason No. 1 when the AP Top 25 debuts next month. They return starters Dajuan Harris Jr., KJ Adams and Kevin McCullar Jr., welcome a trio of elite freshman recruits and landed two of the nation's top transfers in former Michigan forward Hunter Dickinson and Towson sharpshooter Nick Timberlake.

Kansas begins the season Nov. 6 against North Carolina Central.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1696006772212.png" alt="Morris transferred to Kansas despite facing a misdemeanor assault charge in Texas, where he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-texas-morris-arrest-assault-84dac6d707b7558e4b8285b686d0e195">spent his freshman season playing</a>&nbsp;for the Longhorns.-photo courtesy University of Texas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Morris transferred to Kansas despite facing a misdemeanor assault charge in Texas, where he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-texas-morris-arrest-assault-84dac6d707b7558e4b8285b686d0e195">spent his freshman season playing</a>&nbsp;for the Longhorns.-photo courtesy University of Texas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE (AP) —Kansas basketball player Arterio Morris was charged Friday with one count of rape and dismissed from the Jayhawks' program, the latest in a string of legal trouble that has followed the former prep standout from his days at Texas.Morris was booked in Douglas County and his bond was set at $75,000, public records showed. His arrest came after an incident report came to light this month that detailed an alleged rape that occurred at McCarthy Hall, which houses the Jayhawks' men's basketball team along with other residents and is located near Allen Fieldhouse.Morris was not named in the incident report, but he was subsequently suspended from the basketball program.“We are now aware he has been arrested and charged, and he was dismissed from the program,” Jayhawks coach Bill Self said in a statement to The Associated Press. "As this is an ongoing legal matter, we are not able to comment further at this time.”Morris transferred to Kansas despite facing a misdemeanor assault charge in Texas, where he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-texas-morris-arrest-assault-84dac6d707b7558e4b8285b686d0e195">spent his freshman season playing</a>&nbsp;for the Longhorns. According to Frisco police, he was arrested after officers were called to his ex-girlfriend’s house, where she told police that he had grabbed her arm, pulled her off a bed and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-texas-morris-arrest-assault-84dac6d707b7558e4b8285b686d0e195">caused an injury to her neck</a>.The 20-year-old Morris was scheduled to appear at a jury trial next week, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arterio-morris-assault-charge-plea-38d0793e4028bef514814cdd861ada3a">it was canceled earlier this month</a>, when he entered a no contest plea to a Class C charge and ordered to pay a $362 fine.In announcing that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-arterio-morris-transfer-9954090b704101c1da788cf556fa1272">Morris had transferred to Kansas</a>, Self said the school was aware of the charges he was facing in Texas, and that school administrators had spoken with compliance officers at the University of Texas and within its athletic department.“Based on these discussions, we are comfortable welcoming Arterio to the University of Kansas," Self said at the time, "and he is well aware of the high standards and expectations that come with being a member of the Kansas men’s basketball program. We fully expect him to meet those daily.”Morris was a top-20 recruit coming out of Kimball High School in Dallas. He signed with the Longhorns and appeared in 38 games last season, helping beat them Kansas in the Big 12 title game and advance to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.But the 6-foot-3 guard never made the impact that most expected in Austin, averaging just 4.6 points, and Morris hoped that by transferring to Kansas his basketball career would get off to a fresh start.Even without him on the roster, the Jayhawks are likely to be preseason No. 1 when the AP Top 25 debuts next month. They return starters Dajuan Harris Jr., KJ Adams and Kevin McCullar Jr., welcome a trio of elite freshman recruits and landed two of the nation's top transfers in former Michigan forward Hunter Dickinson and Towson sharpshooter Nick Timberlake.Kansas begins the season Nov. 6 against North Carolina Central.

KU guard Arterio Morris charged with rape, dismissed from basketball team

DETROIT (AP) — The United Auto Workers union says its two-week strike against Detroit automakers will spread to 7,000 more workers at a Ford plant in Chicago and a General Motors assembly factory near Lansing, Michigan.

Union President Shawn Fain told workers on a video appearance Friday that negotiations haven’t broken down but Ford and GM have refused to make meaningful progress. Jeep maker Stellantis was spared from the third round of strikes.

The GM plant in Delta Township, near Lansing, makes large crossover SUVs such as the Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Enclave. A nearby metal parts stamping plant will remain open, Fain said.

The Chicago Ford plant makes the Ford Explorer and Explorer Police Interceptors, as well as the Lincoln Aviator SUV. The Explorer interceptor is the nation's top selling police vehicle.

“Sadly, despite our willingness to bargain, Ford and GM have refused to make meaningful progress at the table,” Fain said in explaining the two new strike locations.

Fain said union bargainers are still talking to all three companies. “I’m still very hopeful that we can reach a deal that reflects the incredible sacrifices and contributions that our members have made over the last decade,” he said.

Stellantis, he said, made significant progress "moments” before the Facebook Live broadcast by agreeing to unspecified cost-of-living pay raises, the right not to cross a picket line and the right to strike over plant closures.

"We are excited about this momentum at Stellantis and hope it continues,” Fain said. “Our strategy is working.”

But General Motors was less optimistic, with manufacturing head Gerald Johnson accusing the union of calling more strikes "just for the headlines, not real progress."

In a note to workers, Johnson said the company has not yet received a counter offer from union leaders to an economic proposal it made on Sept. 21.

“We continue to stand ready and willing to negotiate in good faith to reach an agreement that benefits you and doesn’t let the non-union manufacturers win,” Johnson wrote, calling the counter offer a record proposal with historic wage increases and job security.

Ford scheduled a 1 p.m. briefing by CEO Jim Farley for industry analysts and reporters to discuss the talks.

Automakers have long said that they're willing to give raises to workers, but fear that too rich of a contract will drive up the prices of their vehicles, making them higher than those made at nonunion U.S. plants run by foreign automakers, largely in the south. The union counters that labor costs are only 4% to 5% of the cost of a vehicle, and the companies are making billions in profits and can afford big raises.

Wedbush analyst Dan Ives wrote in a note to investors that the union's expansion of strikes shows that both sides are digging in for what could be a could be a long battle.

Current offers on the table from the companies will add $3,000 to $5,000 to the cost of an average electric vehicle that would be passed on to consumers , costs that would be passed on to consumers, Ives wrote. Such costs “would ultimately be a torpedo to the future business models” of the automakers, he wrote.

The UAW has vowed to hit automakers harder if it does not receive what it calls substantially improved contract offers as part of an unprecedented, simultaneous labor campaign against all three Detroit automakers.

Additional walkouts were to begin at noon Friday.

The automakers' last known wage offers were around 20% over the life of a four-year contract, a little more than half of what the union has demanded. Other contract improvements, such as cost of living increases, restoration of defined benefit pensions for newly hired workers and an end to tiers of wages within the union are also on the table.

The union went on strike Sept. 15 when it couldn’t reach agreements on new contracts with the companies. Contracts expired at 11:59 p.m. Sept. 14.

The UAW initially targeted one assembly plant from each company. Last week it added 38 parts distribution centers run by GM and Stellantis. Ford was spared the second escalation because talks with the union were progressing at that time.

The union has structured its walkouts in a way that has allowed the companies to keep making pickup trucks and large SUVs, their top-selling and most profitable vehicles. Previously it shut down assembly plants in Missouri, Ohio and Michigan that make midsize pickup trucks, commercial vans and midsize SUVs, all of which are profitable but don’t make as much money as the larger vehicles.

But the new strikes against GM and Ford target SUVs that are big moneymakers for both companies.

In the past the union had picked one company as a potential strike target and reached a contract agreement with that company that would serve as a pattern for the others.

But this year Fain introduced a novel strategy of targeting a limited number of facilities at all three automakers, while threatening to add more if the companies do not come up with better offers.

About 25,000, or about 17%, of the union’s 146,000 workers at the three automakers are on strike, allowing it to preserve a strike fund that was worth $825 million before Sept. 14.

DETROIT (AP) — The United Auto Workers union says its two-week strike against Detroit automakers will spread to 7,000 more workers at a Ford plant in Chicago and a General Motors assembly factory near Lansing, Michigan.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">UAW President Shawn Fain Livestream Update 9/29/23 <a href="https://t.co/6TtSoViarO">https://t.co/6TtSoViarO</a>&mdash; UAW (@UAW) <a href="https://twitter.com/UAW/status/1707759748462809109?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Union President Shawn Fain told workers on a video appearance Friday that negotiations haven’t broken down but Ford and GM have refused to make meaningful progress. Jeep maker Stellantis was spared from the third round of strikes.The GM plant in Delta Township, near Lansing, makes large crossover SUVs such as the Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Enclave. A nearby metal parts stamping plant will remain open, Fain said.The Chicago Ford plant makes the Ford Explorer and Explorer Police Interceptors, as well as the Lincoln Aviator SUV. The Explorer interceptor is the nation's top selling police vehicle.“Sadly, despite our willingness to bargain, Ford and GM have refused to make meaningful progress at the table,” Fain said in explaining the two new strike locations.Fain said union bargainers are still talking to all three companies. “I’m still very hopeful that we can reach a deal that reflects the incredible sacrifices and contributions that our members have made over the last decade,” he said.Stellantis, he said, made significant progress "moments” before the Facebook Live broadcast by agreeing to unspecified cost-of-living pay raises, the right not to cross a picket line and the right to strike over plant closures."We are excited about this momentum at Stellantis and hope it continues,” Fain said. “Our strategy is working.”But General Motors was less optimistic, with manufacturing head Gerald Johnson accusing the union of calling more strikes "just for the headlines, not real progress."In a note to workers, Johnson said the company has not yet received a counter offer from union leaders to an economic proposal it made on Sept. 21.“We continue to stand ready and willing to negotiate in good faith to reach an agreement that benefits you and doesn’t let the non-union manufacturers win,” Johnson wrote, calling the counter offer a record proposal with historic wage increases and job security.Ford scheduled a 1 p.m. briefing by CEO Jim Farley for industry analysts and reporters to discuss the talks.Automakers have long said that they're willing to give raises to workers, but fear that too rich of a contract will drive up the prices of their vehicles, making them higher than those made at nonunion U.S. plants run by foreign automakers, largely in the south. The union counters that labor costs are only 4% to 5% of the cost of a vehicle, and the companies are making billions in profits and can afford big raises.Wedbush analyst Dan Ives wrote in a note to investors that the union's expansion of strikes shows that both sides are digging in for what could be a could be a long battle.Current offers on the table from the companies will add $3,000 to $5,000 to the cost of an average electric vehicle that would be passed on to consumers , costs that would be passed on to consumers, Ives wrote. Such costs “would ultimately be a torpedo to the future business models” of the automakers, he wrote.The UAW has vowed to hit automakers harder if it does not receive what it calls substantially improved contract offers as part of an unprecedented, simultaneous labor campaign against all three Detroit automakers.Additional walkouts were to begin at noon Friday.The automakers' last known wage offers were around 20% over the life of a four-year contract, a little more than half of what the union has demanded. Other contract improvements, such as cost of living increases, restoration of defined benefit pensions for newly hired workers and an end to tiers of wages within the union are also on the table.The union went on strike Sept. 15 when it couldn’t reach agreements on new contracts with the companies. Contracts expired at 11:59 p.m. Sept. 14.The UAW initially targeted one assembly plant from each company. Last week it added 38 parts distribution centers run by GM and Stellantis. Ford was spared the second escalation because talks with the union were progressing at that time.The union has structured its walkouts in a way that has allowed the companies to keep making pickup trucks and large SUVs, their top-selling and most profitable vehicles. Previously it shut down assembly plants in Missouri, Ohio and Michigan that make midsize pickup trucks, commercial vans and midsize SUVs, all of which are profitable but don’t make as much money as the larger vehicles.But the new strikes against GM and Ford target SUVs that are big moneymakers for both companies.In the past the union had picked one company as a potential strike target and reached a contract agreement with that company that would serve as a pattern for the others.But this year Fain introduced a novel strategy of targeting a limited number of facilities at all three automakers, while threatening to add more if the companies do not come up with better offers.About 25,000, or about 17%, of the union’s 146,000 workers at the three automakers are on strike, allowing it to preserve a strike fund that was worth $825 million before Sept. 14.

🎥 UAW expands strike against Big 3 automakers

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations in connection with a robbery.

Just before 10 p.m. Sept. 26, police responded to a disturbance in the 1100 block of SW Cottonwood in Topeka according to Police Lt. Donna Eubanks. Officers found that a man identified as Dustin J. Franklin, 36, Topeka, had forced his way inside the facility and threatened a person inside. 

Franklin left prior to officers’ arrival, but was later located nearby and taken into custody.

Franklin is jailed on requested charges of Aggravated Robbery; Armed w/dangerous weapon, Aggravated burglary; Locked dwelling for felony, theft, DV, sexually motivated, Aggravated Kidnapping, Aggravated assault; Use of a deadly weapon, Aggravated battery; Knowingly use physical contact in angry/rude manner w/weapon, Interference with LEO; obstruct/resist/oppose felony warrant service or execution, Aggravated assault of LEO; Use of a deadly weapon and Battery on LEO; Physical contact with country or city officer on duty.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695857164929.png" alt="Franklin-Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Franklin-Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations in connection with a robbery.Just before 10 p.m. Sept. 26, police responded to a disturbance in the 1100 block of SW Cottonwood in Topeka according to Police Lt. Donna Eubanks. Officers found that a man identified as Dustin J. Franklin, 36, Topeka, had forced his way inside the facility and threatened a person inside. Franklin left prior to officers’ arrival, but was later located nearby and taken into custody.Franklin is jailed on requested charges of Aggravated Robbery; Armed w/dangerous weapon, Aggravated burglary; Locked dwelling for felony, theft, DV, sexually motivated, Aggravated Kidnapping, Aggravated assault; Use of a deadly weapon, Aggravated battery; Knowingly use physical contact in angry/rude manner w/weapon, Interference with LEO; obstruct/resist/oppose felony warrant service or execution, Aggravated assault of LEO; Use of a deadly weapon and Battery on LEO; Physical contact with country or city officer on duty.

Kansas man arrested for alleged violent armed robbery

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, a centrist Democrat who was elected to the Senate in 1992 in the “Year of the Woman” and broke gender barriers throughout her long career in local and national politics, has died. She was 90.

Three people familiar with the situation confirmed her death to The Associated Press on Friday.

Feinstein, the oldest sitting U.S. senator, was a passionate advocate for liberal priorities important to her state -- including environmental protection, reproductive rights and gun control -- but was also known as a pragmatic lawmaker who reached out to Republicans and sought middle ground.

She was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1969 and became its first female president in 1978, the same year Mayor George Moscone was gunned down alongside Supervisor Harvey Milk at City Hall by Dan White, a disgruntled former supervisor. Feinstein found Milk’s body.

After Moscone’s death, Feinstein became San Francisco's first female mayor. In the Senate, she was one of California’s first two female senators, the first woman to head the Senate Intelligence Committee and the first woman to serve as the Judiciary committee’s top Democrat.

Although Feinstein was not always embraced by the feminist movement, her experiences colored her outlook through her five decades in politics.

"I recognize that women have had to fight for everything they have gotten, every right," she told The Associated Press in 2005, as the Judiciary Committee prepared to hold hearings on President George W. Bush's nomination of John Roberts to replace Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court.

"So I must tell you, I try to look out for women's rights. I also try to solve problems as I perceive them, with legislation, and reaching out where I can, and working across the aisle," she said.

Her tendency for bipartisanship helped her notch legislative wins throughout her career. But it also proved to be a liability in her later years in Congress, as her state became more liberal and as the Senate and the electorate became increasingly polarized.

A fierce debater who did not suffer fools, the California senator was long known for her verbal zingers and sharp comebacks when challenged on the issues about which she was most fervent. But she lost that edge in her later years in the Senate, as her health visibly declined and she often became confused when answering questions or speaking publicly. In February 2023, she said she would not run for a sixth term the next year. And within weeks of that announcement, she was absent for the Senate for more than two months as she recovered from a bout of shingles.

Amid the concerns about her health, Feinstein stepped down as the top Democrat on the Judiciary panel after the 2020 elections, just as her party was about to take the majority. In 2023, she said she would not serve as the Senate president pro tempore, or the most senior member of the majority party, even though she was in line to do so. The president pro tempore opens the Senate every day and holds other ceremonial duties.

One of Feinstein’s most significant legislative accomplishments was early in her career, when the Senate approved her amendment to ban manufacturing and sales of certain types of assault weapons as part of a crime bill that President Bill Clinton signed into law in 1994. Though the assault weapons ban expired 10 years later and was never renewed or replaced, it was a poignant win after her career had been significantly shaped by gun violence.

Feinstein remembered finding Milk’s body, her finger slipping into a bullet hole as she felt for a pulse. It was a story she would retell often in the years ahead as she pushed for stricter gun control measures.

She had little patience for Republicans and others who opposed her on that issue, though she was often challenged. In 1993, during debate on the assault weapons ban, Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, accused her of having an insufficient knowledge of guns and the gun control issue.

Feinstein spoke fiercely of the violence she’d lived through in San Francisco and retorted: ''Senator, I know something about what firearms can do.”

Two decades later, after 20 children and six educators were killed in a horrific school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, first-term Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas similarly challenged Feinstein during debate on legislation that would have permanently banned the weapons.

"I'm not a sixth grader,” Feinstein snapped back at the much younger Cruz -- a moment that later went viral. She added: "It's fine you want to lecture me on the Constitution. I appreciate it. Just know I've been here a long time."

Feinstein became mayor of San Francisco after the 1978 slayings of Moscone and Milk, leading the city during one of the most turbulent periods in its history. Even her critics credited Feinstein with a calming influence, and she won reelection on her own to two four-year terms.

With her success and growing recognition statewide came visibility on the national political stage.

In 1984, Feinstein was viewed as a vice presidential possibility for Walter Mondale but faced questions about the business dealings of her husband, Richard Blum. In 1990, she used news footage of her announcement of the assassinations of Moscone and Milk in a television ad that helped her win the Democratic nomination for California governor, making her the first female major-party gubernatorial nominee in the state's history.

Although she narrowly lost the general election to Republican Pete Wilson, the stage was set for her election to the Senate two years later to fill the Senate seat Wilson had vacated to run for governor.

Feinstein campaigned jointly with Barbara Boxer, who was running for the state's other U.S. Senate seat, and both won, benefiting from positive news coverage and excitement over their historic race. California had never had a female U.S. senator, and female candidates and voters had been galvanized by the Supreme Court hearings in which the all-male Senate Judiciary Committee questioned Anita Hill about her sexual harassment allegations against nominee Clarence Thomas.

Feinstein was appointed to the Judiciary panel and eventually the Senate Intelligence Committee, becoming the chairperson in 2009. She was the first woman to lead the intelligence panel, a high-profile perch that gave her a central oversight role over U.S. intelligence controversies, setbacks and triumphs, from the killing of Osama bin Laden to leaks about National Security Agency surveillance.

Under Feinstein’s leadership, the intelligence committee conducted a wide-ranging, five-year investigation into CIA interrogation techniques during President George W. Bush’s administration, including waterboarding of terrorism suspects at secret overseas prisons. The resulting 6,300-page “torture report” concluded among other things that waterboarding and other "enhanced interrogation techniques" did not provide key evidence in the hunt for bin Laden. A 525-page executive summary was released in late 2014, but the rest of the report has remained classified.

The Senate investigation was full of intrigue at the time, including documents that mysteriously disappeared and accusations traded between the Senate and the CIA that the other was stealing information. The drama was captured in a 2019 movie about the investigation called “The Report,” and actor Annette Bening was nominated for a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Feinstein.

In the years since, Feinstein has continued to push aggressively for eventual declassification of the report.

"It's my very strong belief that one day this report should be declassified," Feinstein said. "This must be a lesson learned: that torture doesn't work."

Feinstein sometimes frustrated liberals by adopting moderate or hawkish positions that put her at odds with the left wing of the Democratic Party, as well as with the more liberal Boxer, who retired from the Senate in 2017. Feinstein defended the Obama administration’s expansive collection of Americans' phone and email records as necessary for protecting the country, for example, even as other Democratic senators voiced protests. “It’s called protecting America,” Feinstein said then.

That tension escalated during Donald Trump’s presidency, when many Democrats had little appetite for compromise. Feinstein become the top Democrat on the Judiciary panel in 2016 and led her party’s messaging through three Supreme Court nominations -- a role that angered liberal advocacy groups that wanted to see a more aggressive partisan in charge.

Feinstein closed out confirmation hearings for Justice Amy Coney Barrett with an embrace of Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and a public thanks to him for a job well done. “This has been one of the best set of hearings that I’ve participated in,” Feinstein said at the end of the hearing.

Liberal advocacy groups that had fiercely opposed Barrett's nomination to replace the late liberal icon Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg were furious and called for her to step down from the committee leadership.

A month later, Feinstein announced she would remain on the committee but step down as the top Democrat. The senator, then 87 years old, did not say why. In a statement, she said she would “continue to do my utmost to bring about positive change in the coming years.”

Feinstein was born on June 22, 1933. Her father, Leon Goldman, was a prominent surgeon and medical school professor in San Francisco, but her mother was an abusive woman with a violent temper that was often directed at Feinstein and her two younger sisters.

Feinstein graduated from Stanford University in 1955, with a bachelor’s degree in history. She married young and was a divorced single mother of her daughter, Katherine, in 1960, at a time when such a status was still unusual.

In 1961, Feinstein was appointed by then-Gov. Pat Brown to the women's parole board, on which she served before running for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Typical of the era, much of the early coverage of her entrance into public life focused on her appearance, and she was invariably described as stunning, tall, slender and raven-haired.

Feinstein's second husband, Bert Feinstein, was 19 years older than she, but she described the marriage as "a 10" and kept his name even after his death from cancer in 1978. In 1980, she married investment banker Richard Blum, and thanks to his wealth, she was one of the richest members of the Senate. He died in February 2022.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681478968321.png" alt="A fierce debater who did not suffer fools, the California senator was long known for her verbal zingers and sharp comebacks when challenged on the issues about which she was most fervent- photo CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>A fierce debater who did not suffer fools, the California senator was long known for her verbal zingers and sharp comebacks when challenged on the issues about which she was most fervent- photo CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, a centrist Democrat who was elected to the Senate in 1992 in the “Year of the Woman” and broke gender barriers throughout her long career in local and national politics, has died. She was 90.Three people familiar with the situation confirmed her death to The Associated Press on Friday.Feinstein, the oldest sitting U.S. senator, was a passionate advocate for liberal priorities important to her state -- including environmental protection, reproductive rights and gun control -- but was also known as a pragmatic lawmaker who reached out to Republicans and sought middle ground.She was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1969 and became its first female president in 1978, the same year Mayor George Moscone was gunned down alongside Supervisor Harvey Milk at City Hall by Dan White, a disgruntled former supervisor. Feinstein found Milk’s body.After Moscone’s death, Feinstein became San Francisco's first female mayor. In the Senate, she was one of California’s first two female senators, the first woman to head the Senate Intelligence Committee and the first woman to serve as the Judiciary committee’s top Democrat.Although Feinstein was not always embraced by the feminist movement, her experiences colored her outlook through her five decades in politics."I recognize that women have had to fight for everything they have gotten, every right," she told The Associated Press in 2005, as the Judiciary Committee prepared to hold hearings on President George W. Bush's nomination of John Roberts to replace Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court."So I must tell you, I try to look out for women's rights. I also try to solve problems as I perceive them, with legislation, and reaching out where I can, and working across the aisle," she said.Her tendency for bipartisanship helped her notch legislative wins throughout her career. But it also proved to be a liability in her later years in Congress, as her state became more liberal and as the Senate and the electorate became increasingly polarized.A fierce debater who did not suffer fools, the California senator was long known for her verbal zingers and sharp comebacks when challenged on the issues about which she was most fervent. But she lost that edge in her later years in the Senate, as her health visibly declined and she often became confused when answering questions or speaking publicly. In February 2023, she said she would not run for a sixth term the next year. And within weeks of that announcement, she was absent for the Senate for more than two months as she recovered from a bout of shingles.Amid the concerns about her health, Feinstein stepped down as the top Democrat on the Judiciary panel after the 2020 elections, just as her party was about to take the majority. In 2023, she said she would not serve as the Senate president pro tempore, or the most senior member of the majority party, even though she was in line to do so. The president pro tempore opens the Senate every day and holds other ceremonial duties.One of Feinstein’s most significant legislative accomplishments was early in her career, when the Senate approved her amendment to ban manufacturing and sales of certain types of assault weapons as part of a crime bill that President Bill Clinton signed into law in 1994. Though the assault weapons ban expired 10 years later and was never renewed or replaced, it was a poignant win after her career had been significantly shaped by gun violence.Feinstein remembered finding Milk’s body, her finger slipping into a bullet hole as she felt for a pulse. It was a story she would retell often in the years ahead as she pushed for stricter gun control measures.She had little patience for Republicans and others who opposed her on that issue, though she was often challenged. In 1993, during debate on the assault weapons ban, Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, accused her of having an insufficient knowledge of guns and the gun control issue.Feinstein spoke fiercely of the violence she’d lived through in San Francisco and retorted: ''Senator, I know something about what firearms can do.”Two decades later, after 20 children and six educators were killed in a horrific school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, first-term Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas similarly challenged Feinstein during debate on legislation that would have permanently banned the weapons."I'm not a sixth grader,” Feinstein snapped back at the much younger Cruz -- a moment that later went viral. She added: "It's fine you want to lecture me on the Constitution. I appreciate it. Just know I've been here a long time."Feinstein became mayor of San Francisco after the 1978 slayings of Moscone and Milk, leading the city during one of the most turbulent periods in its history. Even her critics credited Feinstein with a calming influence, and she won reelection on her own to two four-year terms.With her success and growing recognition statewide came visibility on the national political stage.In 1984, Feinstein was viewed as a vice presidential possibility for Walter Mondale but faced questions about the business dealings of her husband, Richard Blum. In 1990, she used news footage of her announcement of the assassinations of Moscone and Milk in a television ad that helped her win the Democratic nomination for California governor, making her the first female major-party gubernatorial nominee in the state's history.Although she narrowly lost the general election to Republican Pete Wilson, the stage was set for her election to the Senate two years later to fill the Senate seat Wilson had vacated to run for governor.Feinstein campaigned jointly with Barbara Boxer, who was running for the state's other U.S. Senate seat, and both won, benefiting from positive news coverage and excitement over their historic race. California had never had a female U.S. senator, and female candidates and voters had been galvanized by the Supreme Court hearings in which the all-male Senate Judiciary Committee questioned Anita Hill about her sexual harassment allegations against nominee Clarence Thomas.Feinstein was appointed to the Judiciary panel and eventually the Senate Intelligence Committee, becoming the chairperson in 2009. She was the first woman to lead the intelligence panel, a high-profile perch that gave her a central oversight role over U.S. intelligence controversies, setbacks and triumphs, from the killing of Osama bin Laden to leaks about National Security Agency surveillance.Under Feinstein’s leadership, the intelligence committee conducted a wide-ranging, five-year investigation into CIA interrogation techniques during President George W. Bush’s administration, including waterboarding of terrorism suspects at secret overseas prisons. The resulting 6,300-page “torture report” concluded among other things that waterboarding and other "enhanced interrogation techniques" did not provide key evidence in the hunt for bin Laden. A 525-page executive summary was released in late 2014, but the rest of the report has remained classified.The Senate investigation was full of intrigue at the time, including documents that mysteriously disappeared and accusations traded between the Senate and the CIA that the other was stealing information. The drama was captured in a 2019 movie about the investigation called “The Report,” and actor Annette Bening was nominated for a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Feinstein.In the years since, Feinstein has continued to push aggressively for eventual declassification of the report."It's my very strong belief that one day this report should be declassified," Feinstein said. "This must be a lesson learned: that torture doesn't work."Feinstein sometimes frustrated liberals by adopting moderate or hawkish positions that put her at odds with the left wing of the Democratic Party, as well as with the more liberal Boxer, who retired from the Senate in 2017. Feinstein defended the Obama administration’s expansive collection of Americans' phone and email records as necessary for protecting the country, for example, even as other Democratic senators voiced protests. “It’s called protecting America,” Feinstein said then.That tension escalated during Donald Trump’s presidency, when many Democrats had little appetite for compromise. Feinstein become the top Democrat on the Judiciary panel in 2016 and led her party’s messaging through three Supreme Court nominations -- a role that angered liberal advocacy groups that wanted to see a more aggressive partisan in charge.Feinstein closed out confirmation hearings for Justice Amy Coney Barrett with an embrace of Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and a public thanks to him for a job well done. “This has been one of the best set of hearings that I’ve participated in,” Feinstein said at the end of the hearing.Liberal advocacy groups that had fiercely opposed Barrett's nomination to replace the late liberal icon Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg were furious and called for her to step down from the committee leadership.A month later, Feinstein announced she would remain on the committee but step down as the top Democrat. The senator, then 87 years old, did not say why. In a statement, she said she would “continue to do my utmost to bring about positive change in the coming years.”Feinstein was born on June 22, 1933. Her father, Leon Goldman, was a prominent surgeon and medical school professor in San Francisco, but her mother was an abusive woman with a violent temper that was often directed at Feinstein and her two younger sisters.Feinstein graduated from Stanford University in 1955, with a bachelor’s degree in history. She married young and was a divorced single mother of her daughter, Katherine, in 1960, at a time when such a status was still unusual.In 1961, Feinstein was appointed by then-Gov. Pat Brown to the women's parole board, on which she served before running for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Typical of the era, much of the early coverage of her entrance into public life focused on her appearance, and she was invariably described as stunning, tall, slender and raven-haired.Feinstein's second husband, Bert Feinstein, was 19 years older than she, but she described the marriage as "a 10" and kept his name even after his death from cancer in 1978. In 1980, she married investment banker Richard Blum, and thanks to his wealth, she was one of the richest members of the Senate. He died in February 2022.

Dianne Feinstein dies at 90; longest-serving woman in U.S. Senate

WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government is just hours<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-mccarthy-biden-trump-18ef8a03363d31742c5b4c5ecb23506f">&nbsp;away from a shutdown</a>&nbsp;that will disrupt many services, squeeze workers and roil politics as Republicans in the House, fueled by hard-right demands, force a confrontation over federal spending.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695951910798.png" alt="FILE - A sign reading "Because of the Federal Government SHUTDOWN All National Parks are Closed" is posted on a barricade in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, Oct. 1, 2013. The federal government is heading toward a shutdown at month's end that will disrupt many services, squeeze workers and roil politics. It comes as Republicans in the House, fueled by hard-right demands for deep cuts, force a confrontation over federal spending. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - A sign reading "Because of the Federal Government SHUTDOWN All National Parks are Closed" is posted on a barricade in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, Oct. 1, 2013. The federal government is heading toward a shutdown at month's end that will disrupt many services, squeeze workers and roil politics. It comes as Republicans in the House, fueled by hard-right demands for deep cuts, force a confrontation over federal spending. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government is just hours<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-mccarthy-biden-trump-18ef8a03363d31742c5b4c5ecb23506f">&nbsp;away from a shutdown</a>&nbsp;that will disrupt many services, squeeze workers and roil politics as Republicans in the House, fueled by hard-right demands, force a confrontation over federal spending.While some government entities will be exempt — Social Security checks, for example, will still go out — other functions will be severely curtailed. Federal agencies will stop all actions deemed non-essential, and millions of federal employees, including members of the military, won't receive paychecks.A look at what's ahead if&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-mccarthy-congress-house-republicans-biden-249d83636e9d61cdd2aabdf34a129514">the government shuts down</a>&nbsp;on Sunday.WHAT IS A GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN?A shutdown happens when Congress fails to pass some type of funding legislation that is signed into law by the president. Lawmakers are supposed to pass 12 different spending bills to fund agencies across the government, but the process is time-consuming. They often resort to passing a temporary extension, called a continuing resolution or CR, to allow the government to keep operating.When no funding legislation is enacted, federal agencies have to stop all nonessential work and will not send paychecks as long as the shutdown lasts.Although employees deemed essential to public safety such as air traffic controllers and law enforcement officers still have to report to work, other federal employees are furloughed. Under a 2019 law, those same workers are slated to receive backpay once the funding impasse is resolved.WHEN WOULD A SHUTDOWN BEGIN AND HOW LONG WILL IT LAST?Government funding expires Oct. 1, the start of the federal budget year. A shutdown will effectively begin at 12:01 a.m. Sunday if Congress is unable to pass a funding plan that the president signs into law.It is impossible to predict how long a shutdown would last. The Democratic-held Senate and Republican-controlled House are working on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-mccarthy-biden-trump-republicans-e4c37673b6507deaed2902f2166ef759">vastly different plans</a>&nbsp;to avert a shutdown, and House Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kevin-mccarthy">Kevin McCarthy</a>&nbsp;is struggling to win&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-mccarthy-biden-trump-18ef8a03363d31742c5b4c5ecb23506f">any support from hard-right</a>&nbsp;conservatives to keep the government open.Many are bracing for a stoppage that could last weeks.WHO DOES A SHUTDOWN AFFECT?Millions of federal workers face delayed paychecks when the government shuts down, including many of the roughly 2 million military personnel and more than 2 million civilian workers across the nation.Nearly 60% of federal workers are stationed in the Department of Defense, Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security.While all of the military's active-duty troops and reservists would continue to work, more than half of the Department of Defense's civilian workforce, which is roughly 440,000 people, would be furloughed.Across federal agencies, workers are stationed in all 50 states and have direct interaction with taxpayers — from Transportation Security Administration agents who operate security at airports to Postal Service workers who deliver mail.U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has said new training for air traffic controllers will be halted and another 1,000 controllers in the midst of training will be furloughed. Even a shutdown that lasts a few days will mean the department won't hit its hiring and staffing targets for next year, he said.“Imagine the pressure that a controller is already under every time they take their position at work, and then imagine the added stress of coming to that job from a household with a family that can no longer count on that paycheck," Buttigieg said.Beyond federal workers, a shutdown could have far-reaching effects on government services. People applying for government services like clinical trials, firearm permits and passports could see delays.Some federal offices will also have to close or face shortened hours during a shutdown.Businesses closely connected to the federal government, such as federal contractors or tourist services around national parks, could see disruptions and downturns. The travel sector could lose $140 million daily in a shutdown, according to the U.S. Travel Industry Association.Lawmakers also warn that a shutdown could rattle financial markets. Goldman Sachs has estimated that a shutdown would reduce economic growth by 0.2% every week it lasted, but growth would then bounce back after the government reopens.Others say the disruption in government services has far-reaching impacts because it shakes confidence in the government to fulfill its basic duties. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce warned, “A well-functioning economy requires a functioning government.”WHAT ABOUT COURT CASES, THE WORK OF CONGRESS AND PRESIDENTIAL PAY?The president and members of Congress will continue to work and get paid. However, any members of their staff who are not deemed essential will be furloughed.The Supreme Court, which begins its new term Monday, would be unaffected by a short shutdown because it can draw on a pot of money provided by court fees, including charges for filing lawsuits and other documents, court spokeswoman Patricia McCabe said.The rest of the federal judiciary also would operate normally for at least the first two weeks of October, said Peter Kaplan, a spokesman for the judiciary.Even in a longer shutdown, the entire judiciary would not shut down, and decisions about what activities would continue would be made by each court around the country. The justices and all federal judges would continue to be paid because of the constitutional prohibition on reducing judges’ pay during their tenure, according to the Congressional Research Service.Notably, funding for the three special counsels appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland would not be affected by a government shutdown because they are paid for through a permanent, indefinite appropriation, an area that’s been exempted from shutdowns in the past.That means the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indicted-jan-6-investigation-special-counsel-debb59bb7a4d9f93f7e2dace01feccdc">two federal cases</a>&nbsp;against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>, the former president, as well as the case against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hunter-biden">Hunter Biden</a>, the son of President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>, would not be interrupted. Trump has demanded that Republicans defund the prosecutions against him as a condition of funding the government, declaring it their “last chance” to act.HAS THIS HAPPENED BEFORE?Prior to the 1980s, lapses in government funding did not result in government operations significantly shuttering. But then-U.S. Attorney General Benjamin Civiletti, in a series of legal opinions in 1980 and 1981, argued that government agencies cannot legally operate during a funding gap.Federal officials have since operated under an understanding they can make exemptions for functions that are “essential” for public safety and constitutional duties.Since 1976, there have been 22 funding gaps, with 10 of them leading to workers being furloughed. But most of the significant shutdowns have taken place since Bill Clinton's presidency, when then-Speaker Newt Gingrich and his conservative House majority demanded budget cuts.The longest government shutdown happened between 2018 and 2019 when then-President Trump and congressional Democrats entered a standoff over his demand for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2f4affc2b2ed426e823fd62102696670">funding for a border wall</a>. The disruption lasted 35 days, through the holiday season, but was also only a partial government shutdown because Congress had passed some appropriations bills to fund parts of the government.WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO END A SHUTDOWN?It's the responsibility of Congress to fund the government. The House and Senate have to agree to fund the government in some way, and the president has to sign the legislation into law.The two sides are deeply entrenched and nowhere near reaching a deal to avert a shutdown.But if the shutdown lasts for weeks, pressure will build to end the impasse, particularly if active-duty military members miss pay dates on Oct. 13 or Nov. 1. If the wider public starts seeing disruptions in air travel or border security as workers go unpaid, it will further goad Congress to act.Congress often relies on a so-called continuing resolution, or CR, to provide stopgap money to open government offices at current levels as budget talks are underway. Money for pressing national priorities, such as emergency assistance for victims of natural disasters, is often attached to a short-term bill.But hardline Republicans say any temporary bill is a non-starter for them. They are pushing to keep the government shut down until Congress negotiates all 12 bills that fund the government, which is historically a laborious undertaking that isn't resolved until December, at the earliest.Trump, who is Biden's top rival heading into the 2024 election, is urging on the Republican hardliners.If they are successful, the shutdown could last weeks, perhaps even longer.

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