WASHINGTON — The House voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to prevent a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-mccarthy-congress-republicans-732baaa19c91f981e492fd0e6a76aba8">government shutdown</a>&nbsp;after new Republican Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;was forced to reach across the aisle to Democrats when hard-right conservatives revolted against his plan.

Johnson's proposal to temporarily fund the government into the new year passed on a bipartisan 336-95 tally, but 93 Republicans voted against it including two GOP members of the Kansas delegation First District Congressman Tracey Man and Fourth District Representative Ron Estes. Rep. Jake LaTurner and Democrat Sharice Davids voted for the bill.

In a statement from his office Estes wrote ,"The two-step CR will avoid another bloated omnibus spending bill at Christmastime, but it unfortunately doesn't go far enough to address our $33.6. trillion debt and doesn't even reduce spending to previously agreed levels in the Fiscal Responsibility Act."&nbsp;

 "2023 is a tipping point – we now borrow one out of every five dollars that we spend, and this is no time to govern through continuing resolutions. I look forward to working with Speaker Johnson to pass the remaining five appropriations bills for our current fiscal year, and then finally returning to regular order in 2024 to reduce wasteful government spending that has caused rampant inflation that is crushing Kansas families."

With $33.6 trillion in debt, now is not the time to govern by continuing resolution – much less one that doesn't cut spending to the levels agreed to in the Fiscal Responsibility Act.&nbsp;

Rep. Mann said about his no vote,“I did not come to Congress to be a caretaker in the slow demise of America. I came to fight and work to make it stronger. Right now, with our national debt topping $33 trillion, making America stronger means having a hard-fought battle over government spending. We cannot afford to pass another continuing resolution, which just enables more of the same reckless government waste that got our country into this financial mess in the first place. I remain committed to reducing and reprioritizing government spending, securing the southern border, and ending the weaponization of the federal government. This continuing resolution accomplishes none of that. It contains no spending reductions and no border security. We must get our country back on track.”&nbsp;

“The government borrows too much money, and it spends too much money,”&nbsp;said Rep. Mann.&nbsp;“The real solution to reducing Washington Democrat bloated spending is to return to regular order and pass 12 individual appropriations bills. We must keep working towards that commitment.”&nbsp;

The House Freedom Caucus also opposed the bill because it lacked the necessary spending cuts.

<a href="https://www.congress.gov/118/bills/hr6363/BILLS-118hr6363ih.pdf" target="_blank">H.R. 6363, the Furthering Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act</a>&nbsp;now goes to the U.S. Senate where it is expected to pass.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700006113080.png" alt="Moments after bill passed Tuesday in the House." />
 <figcaption>Moments after bill passed Tuesday in the House.</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON — The House voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to prevent a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-mccarthy-congress-republicans-732baaa19c91f981e492fd0e6a76aba8">government shutdown</a>&nbsp;after new Republican Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;was forced to reach across the aisle to Democrats when hard-right conservatives revolted against his plan.Johnson's proposal to temporarily fund the government into the new year passed on a bipartisan 336-95 tally, but 93 Republicans voted against it including two GOP members of the Kansas delegation First District Congressman Tracey Man and Fourth District Representative Ron Estes. Rep. Jake LaTurner and Democrat Sharice Davids voted for the bill.In a statement from his office Estes wrote ,"The two-step CR will avoid another bloated omnibus spending bill at Christmastime, but it unfortunately doesn't go far enough to address our $33.6. trillion debt and doesn't even reduce spending to previously agreed levels in the Fiscal Responsibility Act."&nbsp; "2023 is a tipping point – we now borrow one out of every five dollars that we spend, and this is no time to govern through continuing resolutions. I look forward to working with Speaker Johnson to pass the remaining five appropriations bills for our current fiscal year, and then finally returning to regular order in 2024 to reduce wasteful government spending that has caused rampant inflation that is crushing Kansas families."With $33.6 trillion in debt, now is not the time to govern by continuing resolution – much less one that doesn't cut spending to the levels agreed to in the Fiscal Responsibility Act.&nbsp;Rep. Mann said about his no vote,“I did not come to Congress to be a caretaker in the slow demise of America. I came to fight and work to make it stronger. Right now, with our national debt topping $33 trillion, making America stronger means having a hard-fought battle over government spending. We cannot afford to pass another continuing resolution, which just enables more of the same reckless government waste that got our country into this financial mess in the first place. I remain committed to reducing and reprioritizing government spending, securing the southern border, and ending the weaponization of the federal government. This continuing resolution accomplishes none of that. It contains no spending reductions and no border security. We must get our country back on track.”&nbsp;“The government borrows too much money, and it spends too much money,”&nbsp;said Rep. Mann.&nbsp;“The real solution to reducing Washington Democrat bloated spending is to return to regular order and pass 12 individual appropriations bills. We must keep working towards that commitment.”&nbsp;The House Freedom Caucus also opposed the bill because it lacked the necessary spending cuts.<a href="https://www.congress.gov/118/bills/hr6363/BILLS-118hr6363ih.pdf" target="_blank">H.R. 6363, the Furthering Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act</a>&nbsp;now goes to the U.S. Senate where it is expected to pass.

2 Kansas Reps vote against bill to prevent government shutdown

RENO COUNTY&nbsp;— Authorities are investigating the cause of an apartment fire in Reno County.

Just after 10a.m. Tuesday, the South Hutchinson Fire Department responded to an apartment fire at 103 E 7th Street, according to a media release.

The first arriving unit reported heavy smoke coming out of a second story apartment. The crew made an interior attack and found fire in a bedroom.

There was heavy smoke and fire damage to one apartment, three apartments suffered minor smoke damage. Unfortunately three cats that were in the apartment perished. Red Cross was called to assist the residents.

RENO COUNTY&nbsp;— Authorities are investigating the cause of an apartment fire in Reno County.Just after 10a.m. Tuesday, the South Hutchinson Fire Department responded to an apartment fire at 103 E 7th Street, according to a media release.The first arriving unit reported heavy smoke coming out of a second story apartment. The crew made an interior attack and found fire in a bedroom.There was heavy smoke and fire damage to one apartment, three apartments suffered minor smoke damage. Unfortunately three cats that were in the apartment perished. Red Cross was called to assist the residents.

3 cats die in Kansas apartment building fire

JOHNSON COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 6p.m. Tuesday in Johnson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1969 Chevy passenger car driven by Fred L. Bybee, 81, Lenexa, was merging onto northbound Interstate 35 from 75th Street.&nbsp;

The car rear-ended a 1997 Chevy SUV that slowed for traffic ahead. After impact the car traveled off the road to the right, struck and struck the barrier wall. The SUV fled the scene of the collision.

A passenger in the car identified as Sharon F.&nbsp;Bybee, 79, Lenexa, was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to the Johnson County Coroner's Office.&nbsp; EMS transported Fred Bybee to Overland Park Regional. The occupants of the car were properly restrained, according to the KHP. The accident remains under investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700045642684.png" alt="View of the accident scene from KCScout traffic cameras" />
 <figcaption>View of the accident scene from KCScout traffic cameras</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 6p.m. Tuesday in Johnson County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1969 Chevy passenger car driven by Fred L. Bybee, 81, Lenexa, was merging onto northbound Interstate 35 from 75th Street.&nbsp;The car rear-ended a 1997 Chevy SUV that slowed for traffic ahead. After impact the car traveled off the road to the right, struck and struck the barrier wall. The SUV fled the scene of the collision.A passenger in the car identified as Sharon F.&nbsp;Bybee, 79, Lenexa, was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to the Johnson County Coroner's Office.&nbsp; EMS transported Fred Bybee to Overland Park Regional. The occupants of the car were properly restrained, according to the KHP. The accident remains under investigation.

SUV fled after crash that killed Kansas woman

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas secretary of state's office received a letter Tuesday containing what Secretary Scott Schwab called “a suspicious substance." Officials evacuated the building for the rest of the day.

Schwab's office serves as the state's top elections authority, and the incident occurred less than a week after election offices&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-offices-workers-threats-letters-fentanyl-286f88eadef68d9ef08501809f95f8ff">in at least five states</a>&nbsp;states received threatening mail. Some of that mail contained the potentially dangerous opioid fentanyl.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation, taking the lead in the case, did not provide further details about the letter received Tuesday, and Schwab did not say what the suspicious substance was.

“With recent events, we take such things as a suspicious substance very serious,” Schwab said in a text to The Associated Press. “Our team is trained if they see something, say something.”

The KBI is working with the Kansas Highway Patrol, the state fire marshal's office and the state Department of Health and Environment, spokesperson Melissa Underwood said in an emailed statement. She said authorities evacuated the building, which also houses the Kansas attorney general's office, “out of an abundance of caution.” The building that was evacuated is located near the Statehouse.

“The investigation is ongoing,” Underwood said, adding that Kansas has experienced only one such incident so far.

An officer inside the building Tuesday afternoon said it still was being secured. Two people who worked there went to the main entrance to have officers retrieve items left behind. They declined to comment afterward.

Local television station&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wibw.com/2023/11/14/hazmat-teams-called-capital-citys-memorial-hall-following-evacuation/">WIBW reported</a>&nbsp;that its crews saw Topeka Fire Department hazardous materials teams entering the building shortly after it was evacuated. They were gone by the afternoon.

In June, dozens of Republican officials in Kansas,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/montana-letters-white-powder-republicans-e0e48401f2973232be975755ebbcc9e1">Montana</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tennessee-white-powder-building-evacuated-82ba88e307efd5c1b4f0b95469f7b28d">Tennessee</a>&nbsp;received threatening&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-letters-white-powder-f59cfa50f3f35a5301e34c8d9b3cc0a1">letters containing white powder,</a>&nbsp;though tests did not detect toxins and no injuries were reported. Authorities have yet to announce arrests.

Schwab is a Republican who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-politics-donald-trump-arizona-9b675ed2223da37a90e5b53cfb6cf9b8">has pushed back</a>&nbsp;against baseless theories about the 2020 election being stolen. The motivation of anyone responsible for suspicious mail delivered in other states last week was unclear.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700017944580.png" alt="Authorities evacuated the building, which also houses the Kansas attorney general's office, “out of an abundance of caution.” The building that was evacuated is located near the Statehouse-photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Authorities evacuated the building, which also houses the Kansas attorney general's office, “out of an abundance of caution.” The building that was evacuated is located near the Statehouse-photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas secretary of state's office received a letter Tuesday containing what Secretary Scott Schwab called “a suspicious substance." Officials evacuated the building for the rest of the day.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">This political intimidation is absolutely unacceptable. No Kansan should ever feel unsafe because of their politics. Thank you to the KBI, KHP, and other law enforcement who are investigating this case and the letters sent this past summer. 2/2&mdash; Governor Laura Kelly (@GovLauraKelly) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovLauraKelly/status/1724610953050775750?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Schwab's office serves as the state's top elections authority, and the incident occurred less than a week after election offices&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-offices-workers-threats-letters-fentanyl-286f88eadef68d9ef08501809f95f8ff">in at least five states</a>&nbsp;states received threatening mail. Some of that mail contained the potentially dangerous opioid fentanyl.The Kansas Bureau of Investigation, taking the lead in the case, did not provide further details about the letter received Tuesday, and Schwab did not say what the suspicious substance was.“With recent events, we take such things as a suspicious substance very serious,” Schwab said in a text to The Associated Press. “Our team is trained if they see something, say something.”The KBI is working with the Kansas Highway Patrol, the state fire marshal's office and the state Department of Health and Environment, spokesperson Melissa Underwood said in an emailed statement. She said authorities evacuated the building, which also houses the Kansas attorney general's office, “out of an abundance of caution.” The building that was evacuated is located near the Statehouse.“The investigation is ongoing,” Underwood said, adding that Kansas has experienced only one such incident so far.An officer inside the building Tuesday afternoon said it still was being secured. Two people who worked there went to the main entrance to have officers retrieve items left behind. They declined to comment afterward.Local television station&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wibw.com/2023/11/14/hazmat-teams-called-capital-citys-memorial-hall-following-evacuation/">WIBW reported</a>&nbsp;that its crews saw Topeka Fire Department hazardous materials teams entering the building shortly after it was evacuated. They were gone by the afternoon.In June, dozens of Republican officials in Kansas,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/montana-letters-white-powder-republicans-e0e48401f2973232be975755ebbcc9e1">Montana</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tennessee-white-powder-building-evacuated-82ba88e307efd5c1b4f0b95469f7b28d">Tennessee</a>&nbsp;received threatening&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-letters-white-powder-f59cfa50f3f35a5301e34c8d9b3cc0a1">letters containing white powder,</a>&nbsp;though tests did not detect toxins and no injuries were reported. Authorities have yet to announce arrests.Schwab is a Republican who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-politics-donald-trump-arizona-9b675ed2223da37a90e5b53cfb6cf9b8">has pushed back</a>&nbsp;against baseless theories about the 2020 election being stolen. The motivation of anyone responsible for suspicious mail delivered in other states last week was unclear.

Kan. governor comments on suspicious mail at state building

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a series of vandalism in Lawrence identified a suspect thanks to help from the public and a popular 1970s song.

Last week, police in Lawrence posted a security camera video on social media and asked the public if they recognized the voice singing&nbsp; “Kung Fu Fighting”?&nbsp; &nbsp;The song was released by Carl Douglas in 1974.

 The video was newest lead in the North Lawrence Vandalism case. "The videos were not clear, and you can’t tell but the young man with the recognizable hair is wearing an oversized comfy red plaid hoodie and we know the North Lawrence community is tight, so take a close look."

 He’s wearing it in the first video and carrying it in the next. If these help you remember anything you may have seen the night of November 3rd, please call LKPD at 785.832.7509 or Douglas County CrimeStoppers.

Over the weekend, police reported the online video&nbsp; worked. Police identified the people in the video. Police thanked the public and We’ve removed the video as their investigation continues.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699835536587.png" alt="Image from the security camera video by Lawrence Police." />
 <figcaption>Image from the security camera video by Lawrence Police.</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a series of vandalism in Lawrence identified a suspect thanks to help from the public and a popular 1970s song.Last week, police in Lawrence posted a security camera video on social media and asked the public if they recognized the voice singing&nbsp; “Kung Fu Fighting”?&nbsp; &nbsp;The song was released by Carl Douglas in 1974. The video was newest lead in the North Lawrence Vandalism case. "The videos were not clear, and you can’t tell but the young man with the recognizable hair is wearing an oversized comfy red plaid hoodie and we know the North Lawrence community is tight, so take a close look." He’s wearing it in the first video and carrying it in the next. If these help you remember anything you may have seen the night of November 3rd, please call LKPD at 785.832.7509 or Douglas County CrimeStoppers.Over the weekend, police reported the online video&nbsp; worked. Police identified the people in the video. Police thanked the public and We’ve removed the video as their investigation continues.

70s song lyrics help police ID Kan. vandalism suspects

BARTON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect in connection with threats involving a witness in an upcoming court case.

On November 10, police were dispatched on a call for service in reference to alleged criminal threats, according to a media release.

Barton County Dispatch transferred the reporting person to an officer.&nbsp; The officer was informed that the suspect, Shae Emig, 48, Great Bend, made specific heinous threats of violence to a victim, and referenced a previous and pending court case.

Upon arrival, officers confirmed the previous case and the court date.&nbsp; Officers located Emig and arrested him on requested charges of aggravated intimidation of a witness and battery.&nbsp; Emig was booked into jail on a $40,000 bond.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699915473357.jpeg" alt="Emig photo Barton County" />
 <figcaption>Emig photo Barton County</figcaption>
 </figure>BARTON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect in connection with threats involving a witness in an upcoming court case.On November 10, police were dispatched on a call for service in reference to alleged criminal threats, according to a media release.Barton County Dispatch transferred the reporting person to an officer.&nbsp; The officer was informed that the suspect, Shae Emig, 48, Great Bend, made specific heinous threats of violence to a victim, and referenced a previous and pending court case.Upon arrival, officers confirmed the previous case and the court date.&nbsp; Officers located Emig and arrested him on requested charges of aggravated intimidation of a witness and battery.&nbsp; Emig was booked into jail on a $40,000 bond.&nbsp;

Kan. man jailed for allegedly threatening court witness

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to prevent a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-mccarthy-congress-republicans-732baaa19c91f981e492fd0e6a76aba8">government shutdown</a>&nbsp;after new Republican Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;was forced to reach across the aisle to Democrats when hard-right conservatives revolted against his plan.

The bipartisan tally — 336-95 with 93 Republicans voting no including Kansas 4th District Representative Ron Este.

The vote total showed Johnson’s willingness to leave his right-flank Republicans behind and work with Democrats to temporarily keep government running — the same political move that cost the last House speaker,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mccarthy-gaetz-speaker-motion-to-vacate-congress-327e294a39f8de079ef5e4abfb1fa555">Kevin McCarthy,</a>&nbsp;his job just weeks ago.

This time,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">Johnson</a>&nbsp;of Louisiana appeared on track for a temporarily better outcome. His approach, which the Senate is expected to approve by week’s end, effectively pushes a final showdown over government funding to the new year.

“Making sure that government stays in operation is a matter of conscience for all of us. We owe that to the American people," Johnson said earlier Tuesday at a news conference at the Capitol.

The new Republican leader faced the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-congress-budget-e7d934001b1e00817deb8f33a2b6852f">same political problem</a>&nbsp;that led to McCarthy's ouster — angry, frustrated, hard-right GOP lawmakers rejected his approach, demanded budget cuts and voted against the plan. Rather than the applause and handshakes that usually follow passage of a bill, several hardline conservatives animatedly confronted the speaker as they exited the chamber.

Without enough support from his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-speaker-mike-johnson-conservatives-republicans-92b118abced14e4b221f3ab0daf4e757#:~:text=WASHINGTON%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20New%20House,that%20toppled%20previous%20House%20speakers.">Republican majority</a>, Johnson had little choice but to rely on Democrats to ensure passage to keep the federal government running. Shortly before the Tuesday evening vote, House Democratic leaders issued a joint statement saying that the package met all their requirements and they would support it.

Johnson's proposal puts forward a unique — critics say bizarre —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-congress-budget-mike-johnson-d942acf1a8b163f0b52f209da42953c6">two-part process</a>&nbsp;that temporarily funds some federal agencies to Jan. 19 and others to Feb. 2. It’s a continuing resolution, or CR, that comes without any of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-mccarthy-house-republicans-spending-cuts-deff84c0e2ff7d3bd076b8c38e14cca4">deep cuts</a>&nbsp;conservatives have demanded all year. It also fails to include President Joe Biden’s request for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-ukraine-israel-budget-3762a0bdf00653e3c8a38175d3c3d3cb">nearly $106 billion</a>&nbsp;for Ukraine, Israel, border security and other supplemental funds.

“We're not surrendering,” Johnson assured after a closed-door meeting of House Republicans Tuesday morning, vowing he would not support another stopgap. “But you have to choose fights you can win.”

Johnson, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mike-johnson-donald-trump-2024-c0d8304f44bd7158415ac80673eb8c7f">announced his endorsement Tuesday of Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;as the Republican nominee for president, hit the airwaves to sell his approach and met privately Monday night with the conservative Freedom Caucus.

Johnson says the innovative approach would position House Republicans to “go into the fight” for deeper spending cuts in the new year, but many Republicans are skeptical there will be any better outcome in January.

The House Freedom Caucus announced its opposition, ensuring dozens of votes against the plan.

“I think it’s a very big mistake," said Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, a member of the hard-right group of lawmakers.

“It's wrong,” said Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn.

It left Johnson with few other options than to skip what's typically a party-only procedural vote, and rely on another process that requires a two-thirds tally with Democrats for passage.

Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries in a letter to colleagues noted that the GOP package met the Democratic demands to keep funding at current levels without steep reductions or divisive Republican policy priorities.

“Extreme MAGA Republicans have repeatedly demonstrated that they cannot govern without House Democrats,” Jeffries said on NPR. “That will be the case this week in the context of avoiding a government shutdown."

Winning bipartisan approval of a continuing resolution is the same move that led McCarthy’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kevin-mccarthy-republican-lawmakers-house-opponents-33c7d984964916f29d548b5b1dfe508b">hard-right flank</a>&nbsp;to oust him in October, days after the Sept. 30 vote to avert a federal shutdown. For now, Johnson appears to be benefiting from a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-speaker-johnson-israel-ukraine-9148bd12c1bfda97c3eff03cb1c6a4be">political honeymoon</a>&nbsp;in one of his first big tests on the job.

“Look, we’re going to trust the speaker’s move here," said Rep. Drew Ferguson, R-Ga.

But Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., a McCarthy ally who opposed his ouster, said Johnson should be held to the same standard. “What’s the point in throwing out one speaker if nothing changes? The only way to make sure that real changes happen is make the red line stay the same for every speaker.”

The Senate, where Democrats have a slim majority, has signaled its willingness to accept Johnson's package ahead of Friday's deadline to fund the government.

Senate Republican leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mitch-mcconnell">Mitch McConnell</a>&nbsp;called the House package “a solution” and said he expected it to pass Congress with bipartisan support.

“It’s nice to see us working together to avoid a government shutdown," he said.

But McConnell, R-Ky., has noted that Congress&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcconnell-ukraine-russia-senate-israel-bf8dc4899d1e99fd186028a387023b57">still has work to do</a>&nbsp;toward Biden's request to provide U.S. military aid for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Ukraine</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-live-updates-11-13-2023-b5c94b23717f5f2d8d19414baf8d7caa">Israel</a>&nbsp;and for other needs. Senators are trying to devise a separate package to fund U.S. supplies for the overseas wars and to bolster border security, but it remains a work in progress.

If approved, passage of the continuing resolution would be a less-than-triumphant capstone to the House GOP's first year in the majority. The Republicans have worked tirelessly to cut federal government spending only to find their own GOP colleagues unwilling to go along with the most conservative priorities. Two of the Republican bills collapsed last week as moderates revolted.

Instead, the Republicans are left funding the government essentially on autopilot at the levels that were set in bipartisan fashion at the end of 2022, when Democrats had control of Congress but the two parties came together to agree on budget terms.

All that could change in the new year when 1% cuts across the board to all departments would be triggered if Congress failed to agree to new budget terms and pass the traditional appropriation bills to fund the government by springtime.

The 1% automatic cuts, which would take hold in April, are despised by all sides — Republicans say they are not enough, Democrats say they are too steep and many lawmakers prefer to boost defense funds. But they are part of the debt deal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-debt-ceiling-budget-signing-f78a000d83cf85ffbaa2d08637844053#:~:text=The%20final%20agreement%2C%20passed%20by,election%20%E2%80%94%20and%20restricts%20government%20spending.">McCarthy and Biden struck</a>&nbsp;earlier this year. The idea was to push Congress to do better.

The legislation also extends farm bill programs through September, the end of the current fiscal year. That addition was an important win for some farm-state lawmakers. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., for example, warned that without the extension, milk prices would have soared and hurt producers back in his home state.

“The farm bill extension was the biggest sweetener for me,” said Pocan.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700005234771.png" alt="Speaker Mike Johnson's proposal puts forward a unique — critics say bizarre —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-congress-budget-mike-johnson-d942acf1a8b163f0b52f209da42953c6">two-part process</a>&nbsp;that temporarily funds some federal agencies to Jan. 19 and others to Feb. 2" />
 <figcaption>Speaker Mike Johnson's proposal puts forward a unique — critics say bizarre —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-congress-budget-mike-johnson-d942acf1a8b163f0b52f209da42953c6">two-part process</a>&nbsp;that temporarily funds some federal agencies to Jan. 19 and others to Feb. 2</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The House voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to prevent a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-mccarthy-congress-republicans-732baaa19c91f981e492fd0e6a76aba8">government shutdown</a>&nbsp;after new Republican Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;was forced to reach across the aisle to Democrats when hard-right conservatives revolted against his plan.The bipartisan tally — 336-95 with 93 Republicans voting no including Kansas 4th District Representative Ron Este.The vote total showed Johnson’s willingness to leave his right-flank Republicans behind and work with Democrats to temporarily keep government running — the same political move that cost the last House speaker,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mccarthy-gaetz-speaker-motion-to-vacate-congress-327e294a39f8de079ef5e4abfb1fa555">Kevin McCarthy,</a>&nbsp;his job just weeks ago.This time,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">Johnson</a>&nbsp;of Louisiana appeared on track for a temporarily better outcome. His approach, which the Senate is expected to approve by week’s end, effectively pushes a final showdown over government funding to the new year.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700006113080.png" alt="Just after the vote count ended on the House floor Tuesday photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Just after the vote count ended on the House floor Tuesday photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>“Making sure that government stays in operation is a matter of conscience for all of us. We owe that to the American people," Johnson said earlier Tuesday at a news conference at the Capitol.The new Republican leader faced the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-congress-budget-e7d934001b1e00817deb8f33a2b6852f">same political problem</a>&nbsp;that led to McCarthy's ouster — angry, frustrated, hard-right GOP lawmakers rejected his approach, demanded budget cuts and voted against the plan. Rather than the applause and handshakes that usually follow passage of a bill, several hardline conservatives animatedly confronted the speaker as they exited the chamber.Without enough support from his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-speaker-mike-johnson-conservatives-republicans-92b118abced14e4b221f3ab0daf4e757#:~:text=WASHINGTON%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20New%20House,that%20toppled%20previous%20House%20speakers.">Republican majority</a>, Johnson had little choice but to rely on Democrats to ensure passage to keep the federal government running. Shortly before the Tuesday evening vote, House Democratic leaders issued a joint statement saying that the package met all their requirements and they would support it.Johnson's proposal puts forward a unique — critics say bizarre —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-congress-budget-mike-johnson-d942acf1a8b163f0b52f209da42953c6">two-part process</a>&nbsp;that temporarily funds some federal agencies to Jan. 19 and others to Feb. 2. It’s a continuing resolution, or CR, that comes without any of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-mccarthy-house-republicans-spending-cuts-deff84c0e2ff7d3bd076b8c38e14cca4">deep cuts</a>&nbsp;conservatives have demanded all year. It also fails to include President Joe Biden’s request for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-ukraine-israel-budget-3762a0bdf00653e3c8a38175d3c3d3cb">nearly $106 billion</a>&nbsp;for Ukraine, Israel, border security and other supplemental funds.“We're not surrendering,” Johnson assured after a closed-door meeting of House Republicans Tuesday morning, vowing he would not support another stopgap. “But you have to choose fights you can win.”Johnson, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mike-johnson-donald-trump-2024-c0d8304f44bd7158415ac80673eb8c7f">announced his endorsement Tuesday of Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;as the Republican nominee for president, hit the airwaves to sell his approach and met privately Monday night with the conservative Freedom Caucus.Johnson says the innovative approach would position House Republicans to “go into the fight” for deeper spending cuts in the new year, but many Republicans are skeptical there will be any better outcome in January.The House Freedom Caucus announced its opposition, ensuring dozens of votes against the plan.“I think it’s a very big mistake," said Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, a member of the hard-right group of lawmakers.“It's wrong,” said Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn.It left Johnson with few other options than to skip what's typically a party-only procedural vote, and rely on another process that requires a two-thirds tally with Democrats for passage.Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries in a letter to colleagues noted that the GOP package met the Democratic demands to keep funding at current levels without steep reductions or divisive Republican policy priorities.“Extreme MAGA Republicans have repeatedly demonstrated that they cannot govern without House Democrats,” Jeffries said on NPR. “That will be the case this week in the context of avoiding a government shutdown."Winning bipartisan approval of a continuing resolution is the same move that led McCarthy’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kevin-mccarthy-republican-lawmakers-house-opponents-33c7d984964916f29d548b5b1dfe508b">hard-right flank</a>&nbsp;to oust him in October, days after the Sept. 30 vote to avert a federal shutdown. For now, Johnson appears to be benefiting from a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-speaker-johnson-israel-ukraine-9148bd12c1bfda97c3eff03cb1c6a4be">political honeymoon</a>&nbsp;in one of his first big tests on the job.“Look, we’re going to trust the speaker’s move here," said Rep. Drew Ferguson, R-Ga.But Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., a McCarthy ally who opposed his ouster, said Johnson should be held to the same standard. “What’s the point in throwing out one speaker if nothing changes? The only way to make sure that real changes happen is make the red line stay the same for every speaker.”The Senate, where Democrats have a slim majority, has signaled its willingness to accept Johnson's package ahead of Friday's deadline to fund the government.Senate Republican leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mitch-mcconnell">Mitch McConnell</a>&nbsp;called the House package “a solution” and said he expected it to pass Congress with bipartisan support.“It’s nice to see us working together to avoid a government shutdown," he said.But McConnell, R-Ky., has noted that Congress&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcconnell-ukraine-russia-senate-israel-bf8dc4899d1e99fd186028a387023b57">still has work to do</a>&nbsp;toward Biden's request to provide U.S. military aid for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Ukraine</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-live-updates-11-13-2023-b5c94b23717f5f2d8d19414baf8d7caa">Israel</a>&nbsp;and for other needs. Senators are trying to devise a separate package to fund U.S. supplies for the overseas wars and to bolster border security, but it remains a work in progress.If approved, passage of the continuing resolution would be a less-than-triumphant capstone to the House GOP's first year in the majority. The Republicans have worked tirelessly to cut federal government spending only to find their own GOP colleagues unwilling to go along with the most conservative priorities. Two of the Republican bills collapsed last week as moderates revolted.Instead, the Republicans are left funding the government essentially on autopilot at the levels that were set in bipartisan fashion at the end of 2022, when Democrats had control of Congress but the two parties came together to agree on budget terms.All that could change in the new year when 1% cuts across the board to all departments would be triggered if Congress failed to agree to new budget terms and pass the traditional appropriation bills to fund the government by springtime.The 1% automatic cuts, which would take hold in April, are despised by all sides — Republicans say they are not enough, Democrats say they are too steep and many lawmakers prefer to boost defense funds. But they are part of the debt deal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-debt-ceiling-budget-signing-f78a000d83cf85ffbaa2d08637844053#:~:text=The%20final%20agreement%2C%20passed%20by,election%20%E2%80%94%20and%20restricts%20government%20spending.">McCarthy and Biden struck</a>&nbsp;earlier this year. The idea was to push Congress to do better.The legislation also extends farm bill programs through September, the end of the current fiscal year. That addition was an important win for some farm-state lawmakers. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., for example, warned that without the extension, milk prices would have soared and hurt producers back in his home state.“The farm bill extension was the biggest sweetener for me,” said Pocan.

Dems help Johnson pass GOP bill to avoid government shutdown

POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting in rural Pottawatomie County and have made an arrest.

Just after 6a.m., sheriff's deputies responded to a 911 call of a shooting at a residence in the 4700 block of Blackjack Road in rural St. George,&nbsp; according to Sheriff Shane Jager.

First responders&nbsp; found an adult who had suffered a single gunshot wound. EMS transported the victim to a Topeka hospital.

During the investigation, deputies identified a suspect identified as 35-year-old Matthew R. Young of Rural Wamego. With the assistance of the Riley County Police Department, deputies located Young in Manhattan and arrested him on requested charges of Attempted Murder in second degree, according to Jager.

The sheriff's office did not release the name of the victim.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699978790341.png" alt="Law enforcement on the scene early Tuesday-photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Law enforcement on the scene early Tuesday-photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting in rural Pottawatomie County and have made an arrest.Just after 6a.m., sheriff's deputies responded to a 911 call of a shooting at a residence in the 4700 block of Blackjack Road in rural St. George,&nbsp; according to Sheriff Shane Jager.First responders&nbsp; found an adult who had suffered a single gunshot wound. EMS transported the victim to a Topeka hospital.During the investigation, deputies identified a suspect identified as 35-year-old Matthew R. Young of Rural Wamego. With the assistance of the Riley County Police Department, deputies located Young in Manhattan and arrested him on requested charges of Attempted Murder in second degree, according to Jager.The sheriff's office did not release the name of the victim.

Deputies capture suspect in rural Kansas shooting

WASHINGTON (AP) — A congressional hearing devolved into an angry confrontation between a senator and a witness on Tuesday after Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma challenged Sean O’Brien, the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, to “stand your butt up” and settle longstanding differences right there in the room.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, the chairman of the Senate panel that was holding the hearing, yelled at Mullin to sit down after he challenged O’Brien to a fight. Mullin had stood up from his seat at the dais and appeared to start taking his ring off.

“This is the time, this is the place,” Mullin told O’Brien after reading a series of critical tweets O’Brien had sent about him in the past. “If you want to run your mouth, we can be two consenting adults. We can finish it here.”

The two men never came face to face in the hearing room. But they hurled insults at each other for around six minutes as Sanders repeatedly banged his gavel and tried to cut them off. Sanders, a longtime union ally, pleaded with them to focus on the economic issues that were the focus of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing, which Sanders was holding to review how unions help working families.&nbsp;

“You are a United States senator!” Sanders yelled at Mullin at one point.&nbsp;Kansas Senator Roger Marshall is a member of the committee.

Mullin, a frequent critic of unions, and the Teamsters head have sparred before. Earlier this year, O’Brien posted repeatedly about Mullin on X, formerly known as Twitter, calling him a “moron” and “full of s---” after Mullin criticized him in a hearing.

In another social media post, which Mullin read aloud at Tuesday’s hearing, O’Brien appeared to challenge Mullin to a fight. “You know where to find me. Anyplace, Anytime cowboy,” O’Brien had posted.

The exchange escalated from there, with Mullin telling O’Brien that “this is the place” and asking if he wanted to do it right now.

“I’d love to do it right now,” O’Brien said.

Mullin replied: “Well, stand your butt up then.”

“You stand your butt up,” O’Brien shot back.

When Mullin got up from his chair, Sanders yelled at him to sit down, banged his gavel several times and told both of them to stop talking.

“This is a hearing, and God knows the American people have enough contempt for Congress, let’s not make it worse,” Sanders said.

As Mullin persisted, O’Brien retorted: “You challenged me to a cage match, acting like a twelve year old schoolyard bully."

The two traded angry insults for several more minutes — each called the other a “thug” — with Mullin at one point suggesting they fight for charity at an event next spring.

O’Brien declined, instead suggesting they meet for coffee and work out their differences. Mullin accepted, but the two kept shouting at each other until the next senator, Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, started her questioning by talking over them.

After the hearing, Sanders called the exchange “absurd.”

“We were there to be talking about, and did talk about, the crisis facing working families in this country, the growing gap between the very rich and everybody else and the role that unions are playing in improving the standard of living of the American people,” Sanders said. “We’re not there to talk about cage-fighting.”

Asked later about the skirmish, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell demurred. “It’s very difficult to control the behavior of everybody who is in the building,” McConnell said. “I don’t view that as my responsibility.”

Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota said that references were made to the back-and-forth in a GOP conference meeting after the hearing but that no one should take it too seriously.

“It’s a dynamic place," Cramer said. "We don’t wear the white wigs anymore.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — A congressional hearing devolved into an angry confrontation between a senator and a witness on Tuesday after Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma challenged Sean O’Brien, the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, to “stand your butt up” and settle longstanding differences right there in the room.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SenMullin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenMullin</a> (R-OK) challenges Teamster President Sean O&#39;Brian to fight during a Senate hearing on cooperate greed. Chairman <a href="https://twitter.com/BernieSanders?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BernieSanders</a> tried multiple times to reclaim order and asked the Senator to direct a question to the witness. <a href="https://t.co/C7PAXicoD2">pic.twitter.com/C7PAXicoD2</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1724503185019015251?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, the chairman of the Senate panel that was holding the hearing, yelled at Mullin to sit down after he challenged O’Brien to a fight. Mullin had stood up from his seat at the dais and appeared to start taking his ring off.“This is the time, this is the place,” Mullin told O’Brien after reading a series of critical tweets O’Brien had sent about him in the past. “If you want to run your mouth, we can be two consenting adults. We can finish it here.”The two men never came face to face in the hearing room. But they hurled insults at each other for around six minutes as Sanders repeatedly banged his gavel and tried to cut them off. Sanders, a longtime union ally, pleaded with them to focus on the economic issues that were the focus of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing, which Sanders was holding to review how unions help working families.&nbsp;“You are a United States senator!” Sanders yelled at Mullin at one point.&nbsp;Kansas Senator Roger Marshall is a member of the committee.Mullin, a frequent critic of unions, and the Teamsters head have sparred before. Earlier this year, O’Brien posted repeatedly about Mullin on X, formerly known as Twitter, calling him a “moron” and “full of s---” after Mullin criticized him in a hearing.In another social media post, which Mullin read aloud at Tuesday’s hearing, O’Brien appeared to challenge Mullin to a fight. “You know where to find me. Anyplace, Anytime cowboy,” O’Brien had posted.The exchange escalated from there, with Mullin telling O’Brien that “this is the place” and asking if he wanted to do it right now.“I’d love to do it right now,” O’Brien said.Mullin replied: “Well, stand your butt up then.”“You stand your butt up,” O’Brien shot back.When Mullin got up from his chair, Sanders yelled at him to sit down, banged his gavel several times and told both of them to stop talking.“This is a hearing, and God knows the American people have enough contempt for Congress, let’s not make it worse,” Sanders said.As Mullin persisted, O’Brien retorted: “You challenged me to a cage match, acting like a twelve year old schoolyard bully."The two traded angry insults for several more minutes — each called the other a “thug” — with Mullin at one point suggesting they fight for charity at an event next spring.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said &quot;its very difficult to control the behavior&quot; of those in the building and that it was the responsibility of Capitol Police to deal with the behavior on the Hill, not his. <a href="https://t.co/ALiEr8XdOS">pic.twitter.com/ALiEr8XdOS</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1724533244132045197?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>O’Brien declined, instead suggesting they meet for coffee and work out their differences. Mullin accepted, but the two kept shouting at each other until the next senator, Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, started her questioning by talking over them.After the hearing, Sanders called the exchange “absurd.”“We were there to be talking about, and did talk about, the crisis facing working families in this country, the growing gap between the very rich and everybody else and the role that unions are playing in improving the standard of living of the American people,” Sanders said. “We’re not there to talk about cage-fighting.”Asked later about the skirmish, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell demurred. “It’s very difficult to control the behavior of everybody who is in the building,” McConnell said. “I don’t view that as my responsibility.”Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota said that references were made to the back-and-forth in a GOP conference meeting after the hearing but that no one should take it too seriously.“It’s a dynamic place," Cramer said. "We don’t wear the white wigs anymore.”

🎥U.S. Senator challenges witness to fight during hearing

COWLEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a knife attack and have made an arrest.

Just before 11p.m. November 10, police were dispatched to Chestnut Avenue and Summit Street in Arkansas City, according to a media release.

First responders found a 40-year-old man who had injuries, including stab wounds.&nbsp; EMS transported the victim to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita for treatment.&nbsp;

Through their initial investigation, officers learned there was an altercation in the area of C Street in Arkansas City. Officers quickly identified a group of juveniles involved in the incident. One juvenile was arrested. Police said charges will be presented to the Cowley County Attorney’s office in the coming days for the remaining juveniles.

The victim has been released from the hospital.

COWLEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a knife attack and have made an arrest.Just before 11p.m. November 10, police were dispatched to Chestnut Avenue and Summit Street in Arkansas City, according to a media release.First responders found a 40-year-old man who had injuries, including stab wounds.&nbsp; EMS transported the victim to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita for treatment.&nbsp;Through their initial investigation, officers learned there was an altercation in the area of C Street in Arkansas City. Officers quickly identified a group of juveniles involved in the incident. One juvenile was arrested. Police said charges will be presented to the Cowley County Attorney’s office in the coming days for the remaining juveniles.The victim has been released from the hospital.

Police: Juveniles accused of knife attack on 40-year-old Kan. man

McALLEN, Texas (AP) — The Biden administration’s plan to build new barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border in South Texas calls for a “movable” design that frustrates both environmentalists and advocates of stronger border enforcement.

The plans for the nearly 20 miles (32 kilometers) of new barrier in Starr County were made public in September when the federal government sought public input. The following month, the administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/border-wall-biden-immigration-texas-rio-grande-147d7ab497e6991e9ea929242f21ceb2">waived 26 federal laws</a>&nbsp;protecting the environment and certain species to speed up the construction process.

“The United States Border Patrol did not ask for this downgraded border wall," Rodney Scott, a former U.S. Border Patrol chief said.

Construction is moving forward despite President Joe Biden's campaign promise not to build&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-mexico-immigration-nancy-pelosi-0524645024b4ff1919aa35fc3f3e7db8">more wall</a>&nbsp;and amid an increase in migrants coming to the nation's southern border from across Latin America and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chinese-emigration-us-mexico-border-darien-381c215ff30f0f2349c2ea118aa280c6">other parts of the world</a>&nbsp;to seek&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-biden-border-title-42-mexico-asylum-be4e0b15b27adb9bede87b9bbefb798d">asylum</a>. Illegal crossings&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/border-arrests-venezuela-mexico-a89f66759ac97c7ec62e4559af4e48a3">topped 2 million</a>&nbsp;for the second year in a row for the government’s budget year that ended Sept. 30.

People such as Scott who want more border security believe the barriers won't be strong enough to stop people from crossing illegally. Environmentalists, meanwhile, say the design actually poses a greater risk to animal habitat than former President Donald Trump’s border wall.

Biden has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-us-mexico-border-wall-immigration-texas-f99fd10257292a898618236df3613979">defended the administration's decision</a>&nbsp;by saying he had to use the Trump-era funding for it. The law requires the funding for the new barriers to be used as approved and for the construction to be completed in 2023.

Most barriers on the border were erected in the last 20 years under Trump and former President George W. Bush. Those sections of border wall include Normandy-style fencing that resembles big X's and bollard-style fencing made of upright steel posts.

Biden's barrier will be much shorter than the 18- to 30- foot (5.5 to 9-meter) concrete-filled steel bollard panels of Trump’s wall. It also could be temporary.

An example of the style of barrier his administration will use can be seen in Brownsville, about 100 miles (161 kilometers) southeast of Starr County. Metal bollards embedded into 4-foot-high (1.2-meter-high) cement blocks that taper toward the top sit along the southern part of a neighborhood not far from the curving Rio Grande.

Over the last year, the Rio Grande Valley region was the fourth-busiest area for the number of people crossing into the U.S. illegally, though it was the busiest in previous years.

With the design planned for Starr County, federal border agents will be able to move around the fencing, said Democratic U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, who represents Starr County. “So it’s one of those things where if they want to direct traffic, they can move it.”

Scott agreed that the “moveable” fences can be used as an emergency stopgap measure to block off access in some areas. But he warned that if the fencing isn't placed far enough into the ground, someone might be able to use a vehicle to shove it out of the way, provided they don't mind damaging the vehicle.

Laiken Jordahl, a conservation advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity, said mountain lions, bobcats, javelinas, coyotes, white-tail deer, armadillos, jack rabbits, ground squirrels, and two endangered, federally protected plants — Zapata bladderpod and prostrate milkweed — may be affected.

Jordahl said the design the Biden administration is using “will block even the smallest species of animals from passing through the barrier.”

“The one advantage for making it shorter is, I guess if somebody falls while they’re climbing over it, they aren’t falling as far,” Scott Nicol, a board member of the Friends of the Wildlife Corridor, said.

Nicol, who lives in the Rio Grande Valley, is familiar with the type of barriers Biden's administration will use, the terrain, and the weather in Starr County. He is concerned about unintended consequences, particularly on the Rio Grande that separates U.S. and Mexico.

“You know, if Starr County gets hit by a big rainstorm and the water has to drain into the river, these walls — whether it’s the bollard walls or the Jersey barrier walls — are going to block the movement of that water and dam it up,” Nicol said.

Last month, the Center for Biological Diversity along with about 100 other organizations sent the U.S. government a letter pleading for reconsideration of environmental protection laws. To date, they have not received an answer.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699711082093.png" alt="A truck passes through a section of border fence in Brownsville, Texas, on Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023. The Biden administration's plan to build new barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border calls for a "movable" design that frustrates both environmentalists and advocates of stronger border enforcement. (AP Photo/Valerie Gonzalez)" />
 <figcaption>A truck passes through a section of border fence in Brownsville, Texas, on Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023. The Biden administration's plan to build new barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border calls for a "movable" design that frustrates both environmentalists and advocates of stronger border enforcement. (AP Photo/Valerie Gonzalez)</figcaption>
 </figure>McALLEN, Texas (AP) — The Biden administration’s plan to build new barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border in South Texas calls for a “movable” design that frustrates both environmentalists and advocates of stronger border enforcement.The plans for the nearly 20 miles (32 kilometers) of new barrier in Starr County were made public in September when the federal government sought public input. The following month, the administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/border-wall-biden-immigration-texas-rio-grande-147d7ab497e6991e9ea929242f21ceb2">waived 26 federal laws</a>&nbsp;protecting the environment and certain species to speed up the construction process.“The United States Border Patrol did not ask for this downgraded border wall," Rodney Scott, a former U.S. Border Patrol chief said.Construction is moving forward despite President Joe Biden's campaign promise not to build&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-mexico-immigration-nancy-pelosi-0524645024b4ff1919aa35fc3f3e7db8">more wall</a>&nbsp;and amid an increase in migrants coming to the nation's southern border from across Latin America and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chinese-emigration-us-mexico-border-darien-381c215ff30f0f2349c2ea118aa280c6">other parts of the world</a>&nbsp;to seek&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-biden-border-title-42-mexico-asylum-be4e0b15b27adb9bede87b9bbefb798d">asylum</a>. Illegal crossings&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/border-arrests-venezuela-mexico-a89f66759ac97c7ec62e4559af4e48a3">topped 2 million</a>&nbsp;for the second year in a row for the government’s budget year that ended Sept. 30.People such as Scott who want more border security believe the barriers won't be strong enough to stop people from crossing illegally. Environmentalists, meanwhile, say the design actually poses a greater risk to animal habitat than former President Donald Trump’s border wall.Biden has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-us-mexico-border-wall-immigration-texas-f99fd10257292a898618236df3613979">defended the administration's decision</a>&nbsp;by saying he had to use the Trump-era funding for it. The law requires the funding for the new barriers to be used as approved and for the construction to be completed in 2023.Most barriers on the border were erected in the last 20 years under Trump and former President George W. Bush. Those sections of border wall include Normandy-style fencing that resembles big X's and bollard-style fencing made of upright steel posts.Biden's barrier will be much shorter than the 18- to 30- foot (5.5 to 9-meter) concrete-filled steel bollard panels of Trump’s wall. It also could be temporary.An example of the style of barrier his administration will use can be seen in Brownsville, about 100 miles (161 kilometers) southeast of Starr County. Metal bollards embedded into 4-foot-high (1.2-meter-high) cement blocks that taper toward the top sit along the southern part of a neighborhood not far from the curving Rio Grande.Over the last year, the Rio Grande Valley region was the fourth-busiest area for the number of people crossing into the U.S. illegally, though it was the busiest in previous years.With the design planned for Starr County, federal border agents will be able to move around the fencing, said Democratic U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, who represents Starr County. “So it’s one of those things where if they want to direct traffic, they can move it.”Scott agreed that the “moveable” fences can be used as an emergency stopgap measure to block off access in some areas. But he warned that if the fencing isn't placed far enough into the ground, someone might be able to use a vehicle to shove it out of the way, provided they don't mind damaging the vehicle.Laiken Jordahl, a conservation advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity, said mountain lions, bobcats, javelinas, coyotes, white-tail deer, armadillos, jack rabbits, ground squirrels, and two endangered, federally protected plants — Zapata bladderpod and prostrate milkweed — may be affected.Jordahl said the design the Biden administration is using “will block even the smallest species of animals from passing through the barrier.”“The one advantage for making it shorter is, I guess if somebody falls while they’re climbing over it, they aren’t falling as far,” Scott Nicol, a board member of the Friends of the Wildlife Corridor, said.Nicol, who lives in the Rio Grande Valley, is familiar with the type of barriers Biden's administration will use, the terrain, and the weather in Starr County. He is concerned about unintended consequences, particularly on the Rio Grande that separates U.S. and Mexico.“You know, if Starr County gets hit by a big rainstorm and the water has to drain into the river, these walls — whether it’s the bollard walls or the Jersey barrier walls — are going to block the movement of that water and dam it up,” Nicol said.Last month, the Center for Biological Diversity along with about 100 other organizations sent the U.S. government a letter pleading for reconsideration of environmental protection laws. To date, they have not received an answer.

Biden's movable wall criticized by those who want more border security

KANSAS CITY —A man has been charged in connection with the shootings at the Independence Center that injured three persons, including one critically, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

MarkAnthony Greer, 21, Independence faces three counts of Unlawful Use of a Weapon and three counts of Armed Criminal Action charges.

According to court records, on Nov. 10, officers responded to Independence Center Mall on a reported shooting. An officer on off-duty assignment at Dillards arrived on the shooting scene first. 

He found three injured victims. One of the three was a woman who was most critically injured and reportedly was pregnant. 

Surveillance video showed a group that included the critically injured woman, encountered a second group in the mall that included Geer.

 The two groups passed each other at the mall entrance. A verbal argument began. A victim uninvolved with either group was shot in the leg. The rest of the second group ran to the parking lot. The female victim had not followed closely with her group when it encountered the other group. She appeared to be sitting down on a bench about 30 feet away. Witnesses identified the shooter as Geer or a man who matched his appearance.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699966010607.png" alt="Greer-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Greer-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A man has been charged in connection with the shootings at the Independence Center that injured three persons, including one critically, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.MarkAnthony Greer, 21, Independence faces three counts of Unlawful Use of a Weapon and three counts of Armed Criminal Action charges.According to court records, on Nov. 10, officers responded to Independence Center Mall on a reported shooting. An officer on off-duty assignment at Dillards arrived on the shooting scene first. He found three injured victims. One of the three was a woman who was most critically injured and reportedly was pregnant. Surveillance video showed a group that included the critically injured woman, encountered a second group in the mall that included Geer. The two groups passed each other at the mall entrance. A verbal argument began. A victim uninvolved with either group was shot in the leg. The rest of the second group ran to the parking lot. The female victim had not followed closely with her group when it encountered the other group. She appeared to be sitting down on a bench about 30 feet away. Witnesses identified the shooter as Geer or a man who matched his appearance.

Suspect charged in mall shooting that critically injured pregnant woman

HARVEY COUNTY —The Harvey County Commission approved regulation updates at its meeting Tuesday that will ban commercial wind and utility-scale solar renewable energy projects in the county. The vote was unanimous, according to a media release.

The regulations will take effect once legal notification has been published in the County’s newspaper of record.

The Commission approved updating Harvey County Unified Development Code Section 16.14, which addresses commercial renewable energy. The revisions prohibit commercial wind and utility-scale solar projects, while allowing limited-scale solar construction. Personal wind and solar energy installations, such as those used at residences, are permitted.

The changes to the code were recommended by the Harvey County Planning and Zoning Advisory Board. The advisory board voted at its Oct. 17 meeting to approve updating Section 16.14, which sent the revisions to the Harvey County Commission for review.

In October 2022, the county commission revised its commercial renewable energy regulations to update language regarding setback distance, permissible locations, restrictions and financial protections. Later, the Planning and Zoning Advisory Board requested the county commission institute a six-month moratorium on commercial renewable energy construction.

The county commission put a six-month moratorium in place on Feb. 21. The moratorium was later extended on Aug. 1 to continue through Dec. 5, 2023.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1614369153575.png" alt="Photo by Lacey Newlin" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Lacey Newlin</figcaption>
 </figure>HARVEY COUNTY —The Harvey County Commission approved regulation updates at its meeting Tuesday that will ban commercial wind and utility-scale solar renewable energy projects in the county. The vote was unanimous, according to a media release.The regulations will take effect once legal notification has been published in the County’s newspaper of record.The Commission approved updating Harvey County Unified Development Code Section 16.14, which addresses commercial renewable energy. The revisions prohibit commercial wind and utility-scale solar projects, while allowing limited-scale solar construction. Personal wind and solar energy installations, such as those used at residences, are permitted.The changes to the code were recommended by the Harvey County Planning and Zoning Advisory Board. The advisory board voted at its Oct. 17 meeting to approve updating Section 16.14, which sent the revisions to the Harvey County Commission for review.In October 2022, the county commission revised its commercial renewable energy regulations to update language regarding setback distance, permissible locations, restrictions and financial protections. Later, the Planning and Zoning Advisory Board requested the county commission institute a six-month moratorium on commercial renewable energy construction.The county commission put a six-month moratorium in place on Feb. 21. The moratorium was later extended on Aug. 1 to continue through Dec. 5, 2023.

Kansas county bans commercial wind, some solar projects 

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

WASHINGTON — Congress on Monday appeared to be on the edge of approving another short-term government funding bill this week, though several hurdles remain if lawmakers want to stave off a partial government shutdown when the current funding law expires at the end of the week.

Democratic leaders and President Joe Biden expressed some skepticism about House Republicans’ so-called “laddered” stopgap spending bill on Monday, but they didn’t rule out voting for the measure that would fund parts of the government through mid-January and other programs through early February. Approving it would mean lawmakers could leave for the Thanksgiving holiday without an immediate spending crisis hanging over them.

The top three House Democrats — Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Whip Katherine Clark of Massachusetts and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar of California — wrote in a “Dear Colleague” letter they were “carefully evaluating the proposal.”

“While House Republicans have abandoned a laddered funding approach with multiple expiration dates, we remain concerned with the bifurcation of the continuing resolution in January and February 2024,” they wrote. “In addition, the failure of House Republicans to address the national security and domestic supplemental funding priorities of the American people is also troublesome.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, offered lukewarm comments about the stopgap spending bill that’s often referred to as a continuing resolution, or CR. It would avert a partial shutdown when the current CR ends on Friday at midnight.

“For now, I am pleased that Speaker Johnson seems to be moving in our direction by advancing a CR that does not include the highly partisan cuts that Democrats have warned against,” Schumer said, referring to House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican.

“The speaker’s proposal is far from perfect, but the most important thing is that it refrains from making steep cuts, while also extending funding for Defense in the second tranche of bills in February, not the first in January,” he said.

Schumer noted there could be obstacles to getting the short-term funding bill out of the House, given growing opposition from far-right members of the House Republican Conference.

“The next few days will tell all in the House and I hope the speaker does not buckle to the loud voices on his hard right flank to add partisan cuts as the price for keeping the government open,” Schumer said.

Biden didn’t commit to signing or vetoing the short-term spending bill on Monday, saying he wants to see what happens.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, backed the House’s short-term spending bill, saying it would avoid a partial government shutdown from beginning just before Thanksgiving and allow Congress to keep working on must-pass legislation.

“There’s a lot of work left to do — aside from the remaining full-year appropriations bills, glaring national security priorities continue to demand our attention from Israel to Ukraine to the Indo-Pacific and of course our southern border.” McConnell said.

“House Republicans have produced a responsible measure that will keep the lights on, avoid a harmful lapse in government funding and provide the time and space to finish that important work,” McConnell added.

Johnson, facing his first real test of governing, on Saturday released the “laddered” spending bill that would fund some of the federal government through mid-January and the rest through early February.

That, in theory, could give Congress and the Biden administration more time to reach agreement on the dozen, full-year government funding bills that were supposed to become law by the start of the fiscal year on Oct. 1.

The 32-page&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://rules.house.gov/sites/republicans.rules118.house.gov/files/FY24CR2FINAL_xml%5B76%5D.pdf">stopgap spending bill</a>&nbsp;would provide funding until Jan. 19 for the departments and agencies within the Agriculture-FDA, Energy-Water, Military Construction-VA and Transportation-HUD spending bills.

The remaining federal programs funded in the other eight spending bills would be covered until Feb. 2. Those include the Commerce-Justice-Science, Defense, Financial Services, Homeland Security, Interior-Environment, Labor-HHS-Education, Legislative Branch and State-Foreign Operations bills.

The legislation would also extend many of the programs within the farm bill through Sept, 30, 2024, giving lawmakers significantly more time to work out a bipartisan version of the legislation that passes every five years.

The House could vote on the bill as soon as Tuesday, showing whether Democrats are willing to support the legislation.

Several House Republicans have already announced their opposition to the bill, including Ohio’s Warren Davidson, Georgia’s Marjorie Taylor Greene, Virginia’s Bob Good and Pennsylvania’s Scott Perry.

“I will not support a status quo that fails to acknowledge fiscal irresponsibility, and changes absolutely nothing while emboldening a do-nothing Senate and a fiscally illiterate President,” Perry wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Davidson wrote on X that the “current short-term funding proposal includes a 1-year extension of the Farm Bill (no reform), status quo policies, and status quo funding levels. Disappointing is as polite as I can muster. I will be voting NO.”

“Hopefully, the consensus will result in a more reasonable bill,” Davidson wrote.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699976489623.png" alt="U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La.&nbsp; during a Tuesday press conference -photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La.&nbsp; during a Tuesday press conference -photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>BY&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>WASHINGTON — Congress on Monday appeared to be on the edge of approving another short-term government funding bill this week, though several hurdles remain if lawmakers want to stave off a partial government shutdown when the current funding law expires at the end of the week.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The two-step CR achieves the critical goal of avoiding a disastrous Christmas omnibus spending package. We are changing the way Washington works. <a href="https://t.co/6dvjYgcS6F">pic.twitter.com/6dvjYgcS6F</a>&mdash; Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson/status/1724425911603245197?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Democratic leaders and President Joe Biden expressed some skepticism about House Republicans’ so-called “laddered” stopgap spending bill on Monday, but they didn’t rule out voting for the measure that would fund parts of the government through mid-January and other programs through early February. Approving it would mean lawmakers could leave for the Thanksgiving holiday without an immediate spending crisis hanging over them.The top three House Democrats — Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Whip Katherine Clark of Massachusetts and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar of California — wrote in a “Dear Colleague” letter they were “carefully evaluating the proposal.”“While House Republicans have abandoned a laddered funding approach with multiple expiration dates, we remain concerned with the bifurcation of the continuing resolution in January and February 2024,” they wrote. “In addition, the failure of House Republicans to address the national security and domestic supplemental funding priorities of the American people is also troublesome.”Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, offered lukewarm comments about the stopgap spending bill that’s often referred to as a continuing resolution, or CR. It would avert a partial shutdown when the current CR ends on Friday at midnight.“For now, I am pleased that Speaker Johnson seems to be moving in our direction by advancing a CR that does not include the highly partisan cuts that Democrats have warned against,” Schumer said, referring to House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican.“The speaker’s proposal is far from perfect, but the most important thing is that it refrains from making steep cuts, while also extending funding for Defense in the second tranche of bills in February, not the first in January,” he said.Schumer noted there could be obstacles to getting the short-term funding bill out of the House, given growing opposition from far-right members of the House Republican Conference.“The next few days will tell all in the House and I hope the speaker does not buckle to the loud voices on his hard right flank to add partisan cuts as the price for keeping the government open,” Schumer said.Biden didn’t commit to signing or vetoing the short-term spending bill on Monday, saying he wants to see what happens.Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, backed the House’s short-term spending bill, saying it would avoid a partial government shutdown from beginning just before Thanksgiving and allow Congress to keep working on must-pass legislation.“There’s a lot of work left to do — aside from the remaining full-year appropriations bills, glaring national security priorities continue to demand our attention from Israel to Ukraine to the Indo-Pacific and of course our southern border.” McConnell said.“House Republicans have produced a responsible measure that will keep the lights on, avoid a harmful lapse in government funding and provide the time and space to finish that important work,” McConnell added.<h2>Spending bill has two new deadlines</h2>Johnson, facing his first real test of governing, on Saturday released the “laddered” spending bill that would fund some of the federal government through mid-January and the rest through early February.That, in theory, could give Congress and the Biden administration more time to reach agreement on the dozen, full-year government funding bills that were supposed to become law by the start of the fiscal year on Oct. 1.The 32-page&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://rules.house.gov/sites/republicans.rules118.house.gov/files/FY24CR2FINAL_xml%5B76%5D.pdf">stopgap spending bill</a>&nbsp;would provide funding until Jan. 19 for the departments and agencies within the Agriculture-FDA, Energy-Water, Military Construction-VA and Transportation-HUD spending bills.The remaining federal programs funded in the other eight spending bills would be covered until Feb. 2. Those include the Commerce-Justice-Science, Defense, Financial Services, Homeland Security, Interior-Environment, Labor-HHS-Education, Legislative Branch and State-Foreign Operations bills.The legislation would also extend many of the programs within the farm bill through Sept, 30, 2024, giving lawmakers significantly more time to work out a bipartisan version of the legislation that passes every five years.The House could vote on the bill as soon as Tuesday, showing whether Democrats are willing to support the legislation.Several House Republicans have already announced their opposition to the bill, including Ohio’s Warren Davidson, Georgia’s Marjorie Taylor Greene, Virginia’s Bob Good and Pennsylvania’s Scott Perry.“I will not support a status quo that fails to acknowledge fiscal irresponsibility, and changes absolutely nothing while emboldening a do-nothing Senate and a fiscally illiterate President,” Perry wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.Davidson wrote on X that the “current short-term funding proposal includes a 1-year extension of the Farm Bill (no reform), status quo policies, and status quo funding levels. Disappointing is as polite as I can muster. I will be voting NO.”“Hopefully, the consensus will result in a more reasonable bill,” Davidson wrote.

🎥Congress nears another government shutdown deadline is Friday at midnight

JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating two suspects in connection with a shooting&nbsp; at a Kansas mall are asking the public for any phone videos or photos taken of the incident, according to a social media report from Overland Park Police.

Just before 4:30p.m. Sunday, police responded to an armed disturbance at the Oak Park Mall in 11400 block of W.95th in Overland Park, according to Officer John Lacy.

  As the two male suspects were trying to exit the mall near the food court, three plain clothes detectives identified themselves and attempted to apprehend both suspects. 

 During the apprehension, one male suspect resisted arrest, a struggle occurred, and the suspect was able to obtain one of the detective’s issued firearm. 

 The suspect was able to pull the trigger, firing one shot. This suspect was apprehended.  The other suspect ran north of the mall and was immediately apprehended.  No one was injured in this incident.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699835246647.png" alt="Police on the scene of the incident Sunday evening -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the incident Sunday evening -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating two suspects in connection with a shooting&nbsp; at a Kansas mall are asking the public for any phone videos or photos taken of the incident, according to a social media report from Overland Park Police.Just before 4:30p.m. Sunday, police responded to an armed disturbance at the Oak Park Mall in 11400 block of W.95th in Overland Park, according to Officer John Lacy. As the two male suspects were trying to exit the mall near the food court, three plain clothes detectives identified themselves and attempted to apprehend both suspects. During the apprehension, one male suspect resisted arrest, a struggle occurred, and the suspect was able to obtain one of the detective’s issued firearm. The suspect was able to pull the trigger, firing one shot. This suspect was apprehended. The other suspect ran north of the mall and was immediately apprehended. No one was injured in this incident.Police released no additional details.

Police need video, photos of gunfire at Kan. shopping mall

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court" target="_blank">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Monday adopted its first code of ethics, in the face of sustained criticism over undisclosed trips and gifts from wealthy benefactors to some justices.

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/about/Code-of-Conduct-for-Justices_November_13_2023.pdf">Click here to read</a> the 15-page document

<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24164533-supreme-court-code-of-conduct" target="_blank">The policy</a>, agreed to by all nine justices, does not appear to impose any significant new requirements on them, and, indeed, they said in an unsigned statement that they have long adhered to ethics standards.

“The absence of a Code, however, has led in recent years to the misunderstanding that the Justices of this Court, unlike all other jurists in this country, regard themselves as unrestricted by any ethics rules,” the justices wrote. “To dispel this misunderstanding, we are issuing this Code, which largely represents a codification of principles that we have long regarded as governing our conduct.”

The code leaves compliance to the justices themselves and does not create any other means of enforcement.

The issue has vexed the court for several months, over a series of stories questioning&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utXfYIM7kZI" target="_blank">the ethical practices of the justices</a>. Many of those stories focused on Justice Clarence Thomas and his failure to disclose travel and other financial ties with wealthy conservative donors including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-ethics-finances-justices-thomas-alito-08ec6e88a7c29c55c9d3991903ca0db7" target="_blank">Harlan Crow</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/clarence-thomas-secretly-attended-koch-brothers-donor-events-scotus" target="_blank">the Koch brothers</a>. But Justices&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alito-supreme-court-ethics-fishing-trip-thomas-924606543d555cdfc87595428fd7619c" target="_blank">Samuel Alito</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-sotomayor-book-sales-ethics-colleges-b2cb93493f927f995829762cb8338c02" target="_blank">Sonia Sotomayor</a>&nbsp;also have been under scrutiny.

Three justices,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-justice-amy-coney-barrett-ethics-9088cbf33256ff6995b740087f78c698" target="_blank">Amy Coney Barrett</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elena-kagan-supreme-court-oregon-ethics-4b70b05db01eabfee58fd245d75b8cbb" target="_blank">Elena Kagan</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-justice-kavanaugh-ethics-thomas-76c1e5474093d17127707535ccdea852" target="_blank">Brett Kavanaugh</a>, have voiced support for an ethics code in recent months. In May, Chief Justice John Roberts said there was more the court could do to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-john-roberts-ethics-5a3a356831e418140a7da78624718ef6" target="_blank">“adhere to the highest ethical standards,”</a>&nbsp;without providing any specifics.

Public trust in and approval of the court is hovering near record lows, according to a Gallup Poll released just before the court’s new term began on Oct. 2.

As recently as last week, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the justices could quiet some of the criticism and a Democratic push to impose an ethics code on the court by putting in place their own policy.

Durbin’s panel has been planning to subpoena Crow and conservative activist&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eea7dac688f0408b97be0ebf605a583e" target="_blank">Leonard Leo</a>&nbsp;about their roles in organizing and paying for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-clarence-thomas-ethics-trips-920da69fb952beaa69f84ad16562f60f" target="_blank">justices’ luxury travel</a>.

The committee has been investigating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-ethics-documents-conflicts-9fa2847e60e11601c872c3ba3eea12a3" target="_blank">the court’s ethics</a>&nbsp;and passed an ethics code, though all 10 Republicans on the panel voted against it.

Republicans complained that Democrats were mostly reacting to decisions they didn’t like from the conservative-dominated court,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0" target="_blank">including overturning the nationwide right to an abortion</a>.

The proposal would require that justices provide more information about potential conflicts of interest. It would allow impartial panels of judges to review justices’ decisions not to step aside from cases and require public, written explanations about their decisions not to recuse. It would also seek to improve transparency around gifts received by justices and set up a process to investigate and enforce violations around required disclosures. The Democratic bill had little prospect of becoming law in the Republican-controlled House, much less the closely divided Senate.

The push for an ethics code was jump-started by a series of stories by the investigative news site ProPublica detailing the relationship between Crow and Thomas. Crow has for more than two decades paid for nearly annual vacations, purchased from Thomas and others&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/clarence-thomas-harlan-crow-supreme-court-ethics-7e5d967b1174f224497e53955c55434f" target="_blank">the Georgia home</a>&nbsp;in which the justice’s mother still lives and helped pay for the private schooling for a relative.

ProPublica also reported on Alito’s Alaskan fishing trip with a GOP donor, travel that Leo helped arrange.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-ethics-donors-politics-4b6dc4ae23aac75d4fccb1bcff0b7e0b" target="_blank">The Associated Press reported</a>&nbsp;that Sotomayor, aided by her staff, has advanced sales of her books through college visits over the past decade.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1672235865420.png" alt="Supreme Court Credit: Fred Schilling, Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States" />
 <figcaption>Supreme Court Credit: Fred Schilling, Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court" target="_blank">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Monday adopted its first code of ethics, in the face of sustained criticism over undisclosed trips and gifts from wealthy benefactors to some justices.<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/about/Code-of-Conduct-for-Justices_November_13_2023.pdf">Click here to read</a> the 15-page document<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24164533-supreme-court-code-of-conduct" target="_blank">The policy</a>, agreed to by all nine justices, does not appear to impose any significant new requirements on them, and, indeed, they said in an unsigned statement that they have long adhered to ethics standards.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699905899449.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>“The absence of a Code, however, has led in recent years to the misunderstanding that the Justices of this Court, unlike all other jurists in this country, regard themselves as unrestricted by any ethics rules,” the justices wrote. “To dispel this misunderstanding, we are issuing this Code, which largely represents a codification of principles that we have long regarded as governing our conduct.”The code leaves compliance to the justices themselves and does not create any other means of enforcement.The issue has vexed the court for several months, over a series of stories questioning&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utXfYIM7kZI" target="_blank">the ethical practices of the justices</a>. Many of those stories focused on Justice Clarence Thomas and his failure to disclose travel and other financial ties with wealthy conservative donors including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-ethics-finances-justices-thomas-alito-08ec6e88a7c29c55c9d3991903ca0db7" target="_blank">Harlan Crow</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/clarence-thomas-secretly-attended-koch-brothers-donor-events-scotus" target="_blank">the Koch brothers</a>. But Justices&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alito-supreme-court-ethics-fishing-trip-thomas-924606543d555cdfc87595428fd7619c" target="_blank">Samuel Alito</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-sotomayor-book-sales-ethics-colleges-b2cb93493f927f995829762cb8338c02" target="_blank">Sonia Sotomayor</a>&nbsp;also have been under scrutiny.Three justices,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-justice-amy-coney-barrett-ethics-9088cbf33256ff6995b740087f78c698" target="_blank">Amy Coney Barrett</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elena-kagan-supreme-court-oregon-ethics-4b70b05db01eabfee58fd245d75b8cbb" target="_blank">Elena Kagan</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-justice-kavanaugh-ethics-thomas-76c1e5474093d17127707535ccdea852" target="_blank">Brett Kavanaugh</a>, have voiced support for an ethics code in recent months. In May, Chief Justice John Roberts said there was more the court could do to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-john-roberts-ethics-5a3a356831e418140a7da78624718ef6" target="_blank">“adhere to the highest ethical standards,”</a>&nbsp;without providing any specifics.Public trust in and approval of the court is hovering near record lows, according to a Gallup Poll released just before the court’s new term began on Oct. 2.As recently as last week, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the justices could quiet some of the criticism and a Democratic push to impose an ethics code on the court by putting in place their own policy.Durbin’s panel has been planning to subpoena Crow and conservative activist&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/eea7dac688f0408b97be0ebf605a583e" target="_blank">Leonard Leo</a>&nbsp;about their roles in organizing and paying for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-clarence-thomas-ethics-trips-920da69fb952beaa69f84ad16562f60f" target="_blank">justices’ luxury travel</a>.The committee has been investigating&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-ethics-documents-conflicts-9fa2847e60e11601c872c3ba3eea12a3" target="_blank">the court’s ethics</a>&nbsp;and passed an ethics code, though all 10 Republicans on the panel voted against it.Republicans complained that Democrats were mostly reacting to decisions they didn’t like from the conservative-dominated court,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0" target="_blank">including overturning the nationwide right to an abortion</a>.The proposal would require that justices provide more information about potential conflicts of interest. It would allow impartial panels of judges to review justices’ decisions not to step aside from cases and require public, written explanations about their decisions not to recuse. It would also seek to improve transparency around gifts received by justices and set up a process to investigate and enforce violations around required disclosures. The Democratic bill had little prospect of becoming law in the Republican-controlled House, much less the closely divided Senate.ADVERTISEMENTThe push for an ethics code was jump-started by a series of stories by the investigative news site ProPublica detailing the relationship between Crow and Thomas. Crow has for more than two decades paid for nearly annual vacations, purchased from Thomas and others&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/clarence-thomas-harlan-crow-supreme-court-ethics-7e5d967b1174f224497e53955c55434f" target="_blank">the Georgia home</a>&nbsp;in which the justice’s mother still lives and helped pay for the private schooling for a relative.ProPublica also reported on Alito’s Alaskan fishing trip with a GOP donor, travel that Leo helped arrange.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-ethics-donors-politics-4b6dc4ae23aac75d4fccb1bcff0b7e0b" target="_blank">The Associated Press reported</a>&nbsp;that Sotomayor, aided by her staff, has advanced sales of her books through college visits over the past decade.The court’s initial step on ethics, in the spring, did not mollify critics. Roberts declined an invitation from Durbin to testify before the Judiciary panel, but the chief justice provided a “Statement on Ethics Principles and Practices” signed by all nine justices that described the ethical rules they follow about travel, gifts and outside income.The statement provided by Roberts said that the nine justices “reaffirm and restate foundational ethics principles and practices to which they subscribe in carrying out their responsibilities as Members of the Supreme Court of the United States.”The statement promised at least some small additional disclosure when one or more among them opts not to take part in a case. But the justices have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-ethics-thomas-kagan-alito-a398a4093576eff1694dcfc3374b2a1a" target="_blank">inconsistent in doing so</a>&nbsp;since.