KANSAS CITY (AP) — Trucking company&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yellow-corp-trucking-company-bankruptcy-d489652b6acd63dbb046047da9e2a074">Yellow Corp. has declared bankruptcy</a>&nbsp;after years of financial struggles and growing debt, marking a significant shift for the U.S. transportation industry and shippers nationwide.

The Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which was filed Sunday, comes just three years after Yellow received $700 million in pandemic-era loans from the federal government. While a Chapter 11 filing is used to restructure debt while operations continue, Yellow, like other trucking companies in recent years, will liquidate and the U.S. will join other creditors unlikely to recover funds extended to the company.

Yellow fell into severe financial stress after a long stretch of poor management and strategic decisions dating back decades.

In 2019 two trucking companies,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/c0becf88c3ed43c075e6d1216648551e">Celadon</a>&nbsp;and New England Motor Freight, file for bankruptcy protection and liquidated.

Former Yellow customers and shippers may face higher prices as they take their business to competitors, including FedEx or ABF Freight, experts say — noting Yellow historically offered the cheapest price points in the industry.

“It is with profound disappointment that Yellow announces that it is closing after nearly 100 years in business,” CEO Darren Hawkins said in a news release late Sunday. “For generations, Yellow provided hundreds of thousands of Americans with solid, good-paying jobs and fulfilling careers.”

Yellow, formerly known as YRC Worldwide Inc., is one of the nation’s largest less-than-truckload carriers. The Nashville, Tennessee-based company had 30,000 employees across the country.

The Teamsters, which represented Yellow’s 22,000 unionized workers, said last week that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yellow-trucking-bankruptcy-teamsters-freight-378048eb09cb8d497ff5fcec359c45b2">the company gave legal notice for a bankruptcy filing and shut down operations</a>&nbsp;in late July following layoffs of hundreds of nonunion employees.

Teamsters general president Sean O’Brien called the news “unfortunate but not surprising” in a July 31 statement — pointing to the financial chaos at Yellow. “This is a sad day for workers and the American freight industry,” he said.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/trucker-yellow-prepares-to-file-for-bankruptcy-as-customers-flee-281151a6">Wall Street Journal</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.freightwaves.com/news/yellow-executive-tells-sales-employees-company-will-file-bankruptcy-on-july-31">FreightWaves</a>&nbsp;reported in late July that the bankruptcy was coming — noting that customers had already started to leave the carrier in large numbers and that the company had stopped freight pickups.

Those reports arrived just days after Yellow averted a strike from the Teamsters amid heated contract negotiations. A pension fund agreed to extend health benefits for workers at two Yellow Corp. operating companies, avoiding a planned walkout — and giving Yellow "30 days to pay its bills,” notably a total of $50 million owed to the Central States Health and Welfare Fund. A Yellow spokesperson said Tuesday that the company previously request a short-term deferral of the pension contributions plus interest, but the funds denied that request.

Yellow blamed the nine-month talks for the demise of the company, saying it was unable to institute a new business plan to modernize operations and make it more competitive during that time.

The company said it has asked the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware for permission to make payments, including for employee wages and benefits, taxes and certain vendors essential to its businesses.

Yellow has racked up hefty bills over the years. As of late March, Yellow had an outstanding debt of about $1.5 billion. Of that, $729.2 million was owed to the federal government.

In 2020, under the Trump administration, the Treasury Department granted the company a $700 million pandemic-era loan on national security grounds. The Teamsters supported the $700 million loan when it was first announced.

A congressional probe recently concluded that the Treasury and Defense departments “made missteps” in the decision and noted that Yellow’s “precarious financial position at the time of the loan, and continued struggles, expose taxpayers to a significant risk of loss.”

As of June 30, Yellow had paid $67 million in cash interest on the loan, which is due in 2024, the company said.

The financial chaos at Yellow “is probably two decades in the making,” Stifel research director Bruce Chan said ahead of the filing late last month, pointing to poor management and strategic decisions dating back to the early 2000s. “At this point, after each party has bailed them out so many times, there is a limited appetite to do that anymore.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690827382488.jpeg" alt="Yellow Corp. trucks are seen at a YRC Freight terminal Friday, July 28, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)" />
 <figcaption>Yellow Corp. trucks are seen at a YRC Freight terminal Friday, July 28, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — Trucking company&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yellow-corp-trucking-company-bankruptcy-d489652b6acd63dbb046047da9e2a074">Yellow Corp. has declared bankruptcy</a>&nbsp;after years of financial struggles and growing debt, marking a significant shift for the U.S. transportation industry and shippers nationwide.The Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which was filed Sunday, comes just three years after Yellow received $700 million in pandemic-era loans from the federal government. While a Chapter 11 filing is used to restructure debt while operations continue, Yellow, like other trucking companies in recent years, will liquidate and the U.S. will join other creditors unlikely to recover funds extended to the company.Yellow fell into severe financial stress after a long stretch of poor management and strategic decisions dating back decades.In 2019 two trucking companies,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/c0becf88c3ed43c075e6d1216648551e">Celadon</a>&nbsp;and New England Motor Freight, file for bankruptcy protection and liquidated.Former Yellow customers and shippers may face higher prices as they take their business to competitors, including FedEx or ABF Freight, experts say — noting Yellow historically offered the cheapest price points in the industry.“It is with profound disappointment that Yellow announces that it is closing after nearly 100 years in business,” CEO Darren Hawkins said in a news release late Sunday. “For generations, Yellow provided hundreds of thousands of Americans with solid, good-paying jobs and fulfilling careers.”Yellow, formerly known as YRC Worldwide Inc., is one of the nation’s largest less-than-truckload carriers. The Nashville, Tennessee-based company had 30,000 employees across the country.The Teamsters, which represented Yellow’s 22,000 unionized workers, said last week that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/yellow-trucking-bankruptcy-teamsters-freight-378048eb09cb8d497ff5fcec359c45b2">the company gave legal notice for a bankruptcy filing and shut down operations</a>&nbsp;in late July following layoffs of hundreds of nonunion employees.Teamsters general president Sean O’Brien called the news “unfortunate but not surprising” in a July 31 statement — pointing to the financial chaos at Yellow. “This is a sad day for workers and the American freight industry,” he said.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/trucker-yellow-prepares-to-file-for-bankruptcy-as-customers-flee-281151a6">Wall Street Journal</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.freightwaves.com/news/yellow-executive-tells-sales-employees-company-will-file-bankruptcy-on-july-31">FreightWaves</a>&nbsp;reported in late July that the bankruptcy was coming — noting that customers had already started to leave the carrier in large numbers and that the company had stopped freight pickups.Those reports arrived just days after Yellow averted a strike from the Teamsters amid heated contract negotiations. A pension fund agreed to extend health benefits for workers at two Yellow Corp. operating companies, avoiding a planned walkout — and giving Yellow "30 days to pay its bills,” notably a total of $50 million owed to the Central States Health and Welfare Fund. A Yellow spokesperson said Tuesday that the company previously request a short-term deferral of the pension contributions plus interest, but the funds denied that request.Yellow blamed the nine-month talks for the demise of the company, saying it was unable to institute a new business plan to modernize operations and make it more competitive during that time.The company said it has asked the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware for permission to make payments, including for employee wages and benefits, taxes and certain vendors essential to its businesses.Yellow has racked up hefty bills over the years. As of late March, Yellow had an outstanding debt of about $1.5 billion. Of that, $729.2 million was owed to the federal government.In 2020, under the Trump administration, the Treasury Department granted the company a $700 million pandemic-era loan on national security grounds. The Teamsters supported the $700 million loan when it was first announced.A congressional probe recently concluded that the Treasury and Defense departments “made missteps” in the decision and noted that Yellow’s “precarious financial position at the time of the loan, and continued struggles, expose taxpayers to a significant risk of loss.”As of June 30, Yellow had paid $67 million in cash interest on the loan, which is due in 2024, the company said.The financial chaos at Yellow “is probably two decades in the making,” Stifel research director Bruce Chan said ahead of the filing late last month, pointing to poor management and strategic decisions dating back to the early 2000s. “At this point, after each party has bailed them out so many times, there is a limited appetite to do that anymore.”

30,000 out of work: U.S. trucking giant officially declares bankruptcy 

NORTON COUNTY—A high end supercell thunderstorm moved over&nbsp; the city of Almena in Norton County just before 8p.m. Saturday.

 The storm produced wind gusts up to an estimated 110 miles per hour along with hail ranging from golf ball to tennis ball in size, according to a report from the National Weather Service in Goodland.

 The wind caused damage to trees ranging from limbs being blown down to tree trunks being snapped.

The National Weather Service service said the thunderstorm began near Norton, where it quickly intensified east of town and moved northeast toward Almena, intensifying as it approached.

 As the thunderstorm moved over Almena, it continued to intensify, reaching a peak intensity as it moved over the community.  The worst of the wind occurred when the hail was the largest in size.  As the storm moved east of Almena it began to weaken.  The only damage that was visible northeast of town were two road block signs that had been bent to the northeast. There are no reports of injury.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691427486461.jpeg" alt="Part of a trunk from a mature Hackberry tree broken off.Photo courtesy National Weather Service Goodland" />
 <figcaption>Part of a trunk from a mature Hackberry tree broken off.Photo courtesy National Weather Service Goodland</figcaption>
 </figure>NORTON COUNTY—A high end supercell thunderstorm moved over&nbsp; the city of Almena in Norton County just before 8p.m. Saturday. The storm produced wind gusts up to an estimated 110 miles per hour along with hail ranging from golf ball to tennis ball in size, according to a report from the National Weather Service in Goodland.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691427755520.png" alt="Tree trunk of mature ash tree snapped.-photo NWS Goodland" />
 <figcaption>Tree trunk of mature ash tree snapped.-photo NWS Goodland</figcaption>
 </figure> The wind caused damage to trees ranging from limbs being blown down to tree trunks being snapped.The National Weather Service service said the thunderstorm began near Norton, where it quickly intensified east of town and moved northeast toward Almena, intensifying as it approached.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691427939057.png" alt="Track of Storm from NWS Survey" />
 <figcaption>Track of Storm from NWS Survey</figcaption>
 </figure> As the thunderstorm moved over Almena, it continued to intensify, reaching a peak intensity as it moved over the community. The worst of the wind occurred when the hail was the largest in size. As the storm moved east of Almena it began to weaken. The only damage that was visible northeast of town were two road block signs that had been bent to the northeast. There are no reports of injury.

NWS: Weekend storm brought 110mph winds to Kansas

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Authorities are investigating the cause of a Kansas house fire that injured a firefighter.

just before 2 a.m., crews responded to a house fire at 930 SW Jewell Avenue in Topeka, according to fire department spokesperson Rosie Nichols.

First responders&nbsp; found smoke and flames coming from the single-story house and two adults outside who advised they were the only occupants. 

One firefighter was transported by American Medical Response to a local hospital with non life-threatening injuries sustained in the fire.&nbsp; He has been released. One adult male occupant was treated at the scene by AMR for non life-threatening injuries.

The total estimated loss is $62,000, with $52,000 associated with structural loss and $10,000 associated with content loss.

The home did not have working smoke detectors, according to Nichols.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691416411554.png" alt="Monday morning house fire in Topeka -photo by Phil Anderson courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Monday morning house fire in Topeka -photo by Phil Anderson courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Authorities are investigating the cause of a Kansas house fire that injured a firefighter.just before 2 a.m., crews responded to a house fire at 930 SW Jewell Avenue in Topeka, according to fire department spokesperson Rosie Nichols.First responders&nbsp; found smoke and flames coming from the single-story house and two adults outside who advised they were the only occupants. One firefighter was transported by American Medical Response to a local hospital with non life-threatening injuries sustained in the fire.&nbsp; He has been released. One adult male occupant was treated at the scene by AMR for non life-threatening injuries.The total estimated loss is $62,000, with $52,000 associated with structural loss and $10,000 associated with content loss.The home did not have working smoke detectors, according to Nichols.

Firefighter injured fighting Kansas house fire

JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas police officer remains hospitalized in critical condition after a deadly exchange of gunfire.

City of Fairway, Kansas Chief of Police J.P. Thurlo has issued the following statement about the officer who was shot.

“As you are aware, one of our police officers was shot and critically wounded Sunday morning while trying to make an arrest in a neighboring community. Upon hearing the call for assistance, our officer courageously and without hesitation responded to help. These brave actions are reflective of the men and women in law enforcement in our community, and throughout this country, who put on the badge knowing the potential dangers they may face in the course of their duties. At this time, the officers condition remains critical."

"We will have more information about the officer in the coming days. I ask for thoughts and prayers for the officer and his family, and request privacy for the officer’s family and for the Fairway Police Department. We are grateful for those who have already expressed their support for our department, and who will in the days ahead.”

Just after 7:30 a.m., police responded to a stolen vehicle call at the QuikTrip at 95th Street and Interstate 35, according to a media release.

 Officers located that car and the suspect in the stolen vehicle struck one of Lenexa police department's patrol vehicles and drove away.

Police pursued the suspect northbound on Interstate 35 until the suspects left the vehicle and ran to a QuikTrip in the 4700 Block of Lamar Avenue in Mission.

Police from multiple agencies were trying to arrest the suspects when gunfire broke out. A suspect later identified as 40-year-old&nbsp;Shannon Wayne Marshall of Ashland City, Tennessee was shot and killed and a Fairway Kansas police officer was shot and hospitalized. 

The other suspect was arrested and later identified as 32-year-old Andrea Cothran of Portland Tennesee.

Cothran, a registered sex offender, is being held in Johnson County on&nbsp; requested charges of aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, according to online jail records.

She is listed on the Tennessee sex offender registry for a July 2019 conviction for solicitation to commit sexual exploitation of a minor.  She has three previous convictions for child abuse and a probation violation for drugs, according to the Tennessee offender registry. She is scheduled for a court appearance in the case at 1:30p.m. Monday, according to online jail records.

Police have identified the officer who was wounded. A Johnson County law enforcement team is investigating the officer-involved shooting.

JOHNSON COUNTY — A shooting early Sunday at a convenience store left a suspect dead and a Kansas police officer hospitalized after an exchange of gunfire, according to Lenexa police.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691356366635.png" alt="Police on the scene near the exchange of gunfire -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene near the exchange of gunfire -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas police officer remains hospitalized in critical condition after a deadly exchange of gunfire.City of Fairway, Kansas Chief of Police J.P. Thurlo has issued the following statement about the officer who was shot.“As you are aware, one of our police officers was shot and critically wounded Sunday morning while trying to make an arrest in a neighboring community. Upon hearing the call for assistance, our officer courageously and without hesitation responded to help. These brave actions are reflective of the men and women in law enforcement in our community, and throughout this country, who put on the badge knowing the potential dangers they may face in the course of their duties. At this time, the officers condition remains critical.""We will have more information about the officer in the coming days. I ask for thoughts and prayers for the officer and his family, and request privacy for the officer’s family and for the Fairway Police Department. We are grateful for those who have already expressed their support for our department, and who will in the days ahead.”Just after 7:30 a.m., police responded to a stolen vehicle call at the QuikTrip at 95th Street and Interstate 35, according to a media release. Officers located that car and the suspect in the stolen vehicle struck one of Lenexa police department's patrol vehicles and drove away.Police pursued the suspect northbound on Interstate 35 until the suspects left the vehicle and ran to a QuikTrip in the 4700 Block of Lamar Avenue in Mission.Police from multiple agencies were trying to arrest the suspects when gunfire broke out. A suspect later identified as 40-year-old&nbsp;Shannon Wayne Marshall of Ashland City, Tennessee was shot and killed and a Fairway Kansas police officer was shot and hospitalized. The other suspect was arrested and later identified as 32-year-old Andrea Cothran of Portland Tennesee.Cothran, a registered sex offender, is being held in Johnson County on&nbsp; requested charges of aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, according to online jail records.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691373333169.png" alt="Cothran is listed on the Tennessee sex offender registry for a July 2019 conviction for solicitation to commit sexual exploitation of a minor.&nbsp; She has three previous convictions for child abuse and a probation violation for drugs, according to the Tennessee offender registry." />
 <figcaption>Cothran is listed on the Tennessee sex offender registry for a July 2019 conviction for solicitation to commit sexual exploitation of a minor.&nbsp; She has three previous convictions for child abuse and a probation violation for drugs, according to the Tennessee offender registry.</figcaption>
 </figure>She is listed on the Tennessee sex offender registry for a July 2019 conviction for solicitation to commit sexual exploitation of a minor. She has three previous convictions for child abuse and a probation violation for drugs, according to the Tennessee offender registry. She is scheduled for a court appearance in the case at 1:30p.m. Monday, according to online jail records.Police have identified the officer who was wounded. A Johnson County law enforcement team is investigating the officer-involved shooting.---------------------JOHNSON COUNTY — A shooting early Sunday at a convenience store left a suspect dead and a Kansas police officer hospitalized after an exchange of gunfire, according to Lenexa police.Just after 7:30 a.m., police responded to a stolen vehicle call at the QuikTrip at 95th Street and Interstate 35, according to a media release. Officers located that car and the suspect in the stolen vehicle struck one of Lenexa police department's patrol vehicles and drove away.Police pursued the suspect northbound on Interstate 35 until the suspects left the vehicle and ran to a QuikTrip in the 4700 Block of Lamar Avenue in Mission.Police from multiple agencies were trying to arrest the suspects when gunfire broke out. A suspect later identified as 40-year-old&nbsp;Shannon Wayne Marshall of Ashland City, Tennessee was shot and killed and a Fairway Kansas police officer was shot and hospitalized. The other suspect was arrested and later identified as 32-year-old Andrea Cothran of Portland Tennesee.Cothran, a registered sex offender, is being held in Johnson County on&nbsp; requested charges of aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, according to online jail records.She is listed on the Tennessee sex offender registry for a July 2019 conviction for solicitation to commit sexual exploitation of a minor. She has three previous convictions for child abuse and a probation violation for drugs, according to the Tennessee offender registry. She is scheduled for a court appearance in the case at 1:30p.m. Monday, according to online jail records.Police have identified the officer who was wounded. A Johnson County law enforcement team is investigating the officer-involved shooting.

Police Chief asks for prayer for Kan. officer wounded in gun fight

More than 30 states prohibit cities from enacting rent control, but several states considered repeals.

By&nbsp;ROBBIE SEQUEIRA&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>

With rents soaring&nbsp;since the COVID-19 pandemic tightened the housing supply, more local governments are considering rent control to keep increases in check and, ideally, protect struggling tenants whose incomes haven’t&nbsp;kept pace.

At the same time, some states are enacting measures to prohibit cities from adopting rent control, a policy that has long divided economists and housing experts.

Some policy analysts say restrictions exacerbate the housing crunch by keeping tenants in place longer than they’d otherwise stay. And some research has raised questions about whether the true beneficiaries are renters with low incomes or those with high incomes.

Rent regulation policies — known as rent control or rent stabilization — dictate how often and by how much a landlord can increase rents. More than&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.naahq.org/rent-control-policy#:~:text=Currently%2C%2033%20states%20preempt%20local,the%20state%20or%20local%20level.">200 local governments</a>&nbsp;have a rent control policy in place, according to the National Apartment Association, an industry group.

More local governments are working to join the list.

Late last month,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www2.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgportalapps/Press_Detail.aspx?Item_ID=42953&amp;Dept=1">Maryland’s Montgomery County</a>&nbsp;— one of three Maryland counties to adopt rent control ordinances this year and the state’s largest at&nbsp;more than&nbsp;a million residents —&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://apps.montgomerycountymd.gov/ccllims/DownloadFilePage?FileName=2790_1_25174_Bill_15-23_Signed_20230724.pdf">capped annual rent increases</a>&nbsp;at 6%.

In Massachusetts, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and the City Council are struggling to push&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H3744">legislation</a>&nbsp;that would exempt the city from the state’s 30-year-old rent control ban.

And in Seattle, the City Council in July debated a rent control proposal; but at an Aug. 1 meeting — amid chants of “housing is a human right” — the proposal failed on a 6-2 vote.

The bill would have created a trigger law that would go into effect in the event that Washington state’s 42-year ban on local rent control is overturned. Councilmember Kshama Sawant, the bill’s main sponsor, said during the vote that the bill was necessary to prompt the state legislature to repeal the law.

In 2020, Montgomery County responded to the pandemic by passing an emergency rent control act that&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/council/Resources/Files/agenda/col/2022/20220726/20220726_24.pdf">capped</a>&nbsp;annual rent increases at 4%. When regular rent increases resumed in August 2022, rents in the county —&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/OLO/Resources/Files/2023_reports/OLOReport2023-5.pdf">where 40% of residents are renters</a>&nbsp;—&nbsp;skyrocketed and more people were evicted, said Natali Fani-Gonzalez, a Democratic member of the Montgomery County council who introduced the rent control measure.

“This huge push for rent stabilization across city government is one of the consequences of the pandemic,” Fani-Gonzalez said.

The measure approved in July, which passed on a 7-4 vote, takes effect in October.

Fani-Gonzalez told Stateline that the new ordinance was “controversial” and contentious among the 11-person board but that she believes it will help ensure short- and long-term housing affordability.

“The heart of the whole piece of legislation is the cap for renting prices. … But managing to do so — that was a happy medium for renters and investment in our real estate,” she said.

“I saw this as an anti-rent-gouging effort, and during the pandemic, we had a measure in place that acted as rent control,” she added. “But it was temporary and when it ended, rent rose, and it put a burden on our residents.”

But Councilmember Gabe Albornoz, a Democrat who voted no, said he worried that it would disrupt the housing marketplace. Democratic Councilmember Marilyn Balcombe feared the bill would end up reducing the housing supply, pushing up prices.

In 2019, Oregon became the first to pass a statewide rent control law, capping increases at 7% a year plus inflation. Later that year,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB1482">California followed by capping rent increases at 10%</a>&nbsp;per year.

Both states have seen actions to expand rent control.

In Oregon, renters were stunned when last year’s high inflation led to legal rent increases of more than 14%. In response, lawmakers this year amended the law to cap rent&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2023/05/04/watered-down-rent-control-bill-clears-oregon-senate-panel/">increases</a>&nbsp;at either 10% or 7% plus inflation, whichever is lower.

In California, voters could change the scope of rent control if they pass the Justice for Renters Act&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/initiatives/pdfs/22-0008%20%28%20%26quot%3BJustice%20for%20Renters%20Act%26quot%3B%20%29.pdf">proposal</a>&nbsp;in 2024. The ballot initiative would repeal the<a target="_blank" href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=CIV&amp;division=3.&amp;title=5.&amp;part=4.&amp;chapter=2.7.&amp;article=">&nbsp;Costa-Hawkins Rental Act</a>, a 1995 law that exempts single-family homes and condominiums, plus post-1995 construction, from rent control.

Dan Yukelson, executive director of the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles, said California’s rent regulation policies are “oppressive” on the rental industry, with many mom-and-pop landlords hamstrung by rising costs of managing properties.

Yukelson said one of the harms in a possible repeal of the Costa-Hawkins Act is the elimination of vacancy decontrol, which sets the rent amount at market or near market levels when the unit is vacant. He says the act helps smaller landlords compete in a tight California housing market.

“Smaller owners who just can’t deal with these layers of regulation are getting out of the [rental] business,” Yukelson told Stateline. “There’s a complete misunderstanding on the side of elected officials on what it takes to operate rental housing. So, either the government needs to run all the rental housing, or there needs to be some easing up on these regulations.”

At least 30 states&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.naahq.org/rent-control-policy#:~:text=Currently%2C%2033%20states%20preempt%20local,the%20state%20or%20local%20level.">preempt local governments</a>&nbsp;from adopting rent control laws. Five states without statewide rent regulations — Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey and New York, along with Washington, D.C. — allow rent control at the local level.

The National Multifamily Housing Council tracked 23 states that had measures related to rent control enactment in the works heading into 2023, but none has led to a statewide measure or repeal.

However, a few states were successful in strengthening preemption laws this year.

In March, Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed off on a bill&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/102/ByCategory">preventing local rent control.</a>

Montana enacted a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://laws.leg.mt.gov/legprd/LAW0210W$BSIV.ActionQuery?P_BILL_NO1=105&amp;P_BLTP_BILL_TYP_CD=SB&amp;Z_ACTION=Find&amp;P_SESS=20231">rent control ban</a>&nbsp;on private and commercial property. State Sen. Steve Fitzpatrick, a high-ranking Republican in the legislature, told Stateline that rent control measures could discourage landlords from investing in the state’s real estate market.

“This was a way for us to fill some of the gaps in our previous laws, where a particular cap measure could be implemented on certain property,” Fitzpatrick said.

So far this year, efforts to repeal these preemptions have fallen short.

<a target="_blank" href="https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb23-1115">Legislation</a>&nbsp;that would have repealed Colorado’s 4-decade-old ban on local rent control died in a committee. Similar bills&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20232024/214154">in Georgia</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/23%20Regular/bills/senate/SB0099.pdf">New Mexico</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://webservices.ncleg.gov/ViewBillDocument/2023/1419/0/DRS15099-NK-56B">North Carolina</a>&nbsp;also failed to advance.

Economists and housing experts disagree on whether rent control is effective. One challenge is that rent regulation differs so greatly from city to city, according to Jen Butler, a spokesperson for the National Low Income Housing Coalition, an advocacy group.

“This diversity in rent stabilization policies has resulted in mixed evidence as to the impact of them on the rental housing supply and rents,” Butler said in an interview. “These policies protect renters currently in homes covered by the policy from unaffordable rent increases — but they can also encourage these same renters to remain in place longer than they typically would, while renters in homes not covered by the policy are left without similar protections.”

Proponents of rent control, among them Rutgers University economist Mark Paul, say arguments against rent control lack empirical evidence.

“I think it’s important to note that rent control does not say landlords can’t profit off their property. That’s not the point of rent control,” said Paul. “Rent control is limiting the ability of landlords, or corporately owned property owners from raising the rent by 6, 8 or 12% a year and pricing people out of their homes.”

A&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cura.umn.edu/research/minneapolis-rent-stabilization-study">2021 University of Minnesota study</a>&nbsp;published by the university’s Center for Urban and Regional Affairs suggests that rent control policies increased housing stability, and there is little evidence that those policies negatively impacted new construction — which is dependent on localized economic cycles and credit markets.

That same study, which reviewed rent control policies of four cities (Oakland, California; Newark, New Jersey; Sacramento, California; and Portland, Oregon) pointed out that there is debate on whether most rent regulation benefits are going to the neediest renters.

When Minneapolis floated the possibility of rent stabilization earlier this year, a study requested by the city council advised against it, suggesting it would not offer much help to city residents.

The No. 1 driver of long-term U.S. homelessness, housing policy experts and advocates said recently&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RJYszWSs2A&amp;feature=youtu.be">during a joint press call with media members</a>, is rising rents.

“For 75 years, the long-term trend has been that the cost of modest rental housing has been going up faster than modest income,” said Steve Berg, chief policy officer for the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

Between 2019 and 2021,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cbpp.org/among-lowest-income-renters-latine-and-black-renters-experienced-greatest-rent-increase">median rents</a>&nbsp;went up by 12% for renters in households making less than $15,000, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a left-leaning think tank.

Those increases, said Peggy Bailey, vice president of housing and income security for the center, “were not met with corresponding increases in income” and<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cbpp.org/among-lowest-income-renters-latine-and-black-renters-experienced-greatest-rent-increase">&nbsp;disproportionately affected Black and Latino renters</a>.

According to 2017-2021 census data, more than 19 million renters in the United States are considered rent-burdened, spending more than 30% of their income on rent. In New York City, renters on average spend more than 68% of their income on rent, according to a January Moody’s Analytics&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://cre.moodysanalytics.com/insights/market-insights/q4-2022-housing-affordability-update/">report</a>.

There also is a dearth of affordable rental housing. Low-cost rentals fell by 3.9 million units over the past decade, according to the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies’ State of the Nation’s Housing&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/reports/files/Harvard_JCHS_The_State_of_the_Nations_Housing_2023.pdf">report</a>.

In Indiana, which&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iga.in.gov/laws/2022/ic/titles/32#32-31-1-20">prohibits local rent control</a>, Indiana University McKinney School of Law professor Fran Quigley has had his law students working closely with tenants in Indiana’s eviction court. Rent control, Quigley believes, could change housing outcomes in the Hoosier State, where&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://evictionresearch.net/indiana/">evictions</a>&nbsp;surpassed historical average levels in March 2022.

“I think rent control momentum is going to continue to build, because we have 44 million rental households in this nation and that’s a really powerful political block,” said Quigley. “Folks get mobilized, speak out, and rent control on the ballot does very well. … That works in the favor of momentum going forward.”

This story was produced by&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>, an affiliate of States Newsroom.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691426453470.png" alt="Residents of Montgomery County, Maryland, show up at council chambers in support of a rent control ordinance. In July, the county passed rent control measures, capping rent increases at 6%. (Montgomery County)" />
 <figcaption>Residents of Montgomery County, Maryland, show up at council chambers in support of a rent control ordinance. In July, the county passed rent control measures, capping rent increases at 6%. (Montgomery County)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>More than 30 states prohibit cities from enacting rent control, but several states considered repeals.</h2>By&nbsp;ROBBIE SEQUEIRA&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>With rents soaring&nbsp;since the COVID-19 pandemic tightened the housing supply, more local governments are considering rent control to keep increases in check and, ideally, protect struggling tenants whose incomes haven’t&nbsp;kept pace.At the same time, some states are enacting measures to prohibit cities from adopting rent control, a policy that has long divided economists and housing experts.Some policy analysts say restrictions exacerbate the housing crunch by keeping tenants in place longer than they’d otherwise stay. And some research has raised questions about whether the true beneficiaries are renters with low incomes or those with high incomes.Rent regulation policies — known as rent control or rent stabilization — dictate how often and by how much a landlord can increase rents. More than&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.naahq.org/rent-control-policy#:~:text=Currently%2C%2033%20states%20preempt%20local,the%20state%20or%20local%20level.">200 local governments</a>&nbsp;have a rent control policy in place, according to the National Apartment Association, an industry group.More local governments are working to join the list.Late last month,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www2.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgportalapps/Press_Detail.aspx?Item_ID=42953&amp;Dept=1">Maryland’s Montgomery County</a>&nbsp;— one of three Maryland counties to adopt rent control ordinances this year and the state’s largest at&nbsp;more than&nbsp;a million residents —&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://apps.montgomerycountymd.gov/ccllims/DownloadFilePage?FileName=2790_1_25174_Bill_15-23_Signed_20230724.pdf">capped annual rent increases</a>&nbsp;at 6%.In Massachusetts, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and the City Council are struggling to push&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H3744">legislation</a>&nbsp;that would exempt the city from the state’s 30-year-old rent control ban.And in Seattle, the City Council in July debated a rent control proposal; but at an Aug. 1 meeting — amid chants of “housing is a human right” — the proposal failed on a 6-2 vote.The bill would have created a trigger law that would go into effect in the event that Washington state’s 42-year ban on local rent control is overturned. Councilmember Kshama Sawant, the bill’s main sponsor, said during the vote that the bill was necessary to prompt the state legislature to repeal the law.<h2>Housing shortages</h2>In 2020, Montgomery County responded to the pandemic by passing an emergency rent control act that&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/council/Resources/Files/agenda/col/2022/20220726/20220726_24.pdf">capped</a>&nbsp;annual rent increases at 4%. When regular rent increases resumed in August 2022, rents in the county —&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/OLO/Resources/Files/2023_reports/OLOReport2023-5.pdf">where 40% of residents are renters</a>&nbsp;—&nbsp;skyrocketed and more people were evicted, said Natali Fani-Gonzalez, a Democratic member of the Montgomery County council who introduced the rent control measure.“This huge push for rent stabilization across city government is one of the consequences of the pandemic,” Fani-Gonzalez said.The measure approved in July, which passed on a 7-4 vote, takes effect in October.Fani-Gonzalez told Stateline that the new ordinance was “controversial” and contentious among the 11-person board but that she believes it will help ensure short- and long-term housing affordability.“The heart of the whole piece of legislation is the cap for renting prices. … But managing to do so — that was a happy medium for renters and investment in our real estate,” she said.“I saw this as an anti-rent-gouging effort, and during the pandemic, we had a measure in place that acted as rent control,” she added. “But it was temporary and when it ended, rent rose, and it put a burden on our residents.”But Councilmember Gabe Albornoz, a Democrat who voted no, said he worried that it would disrupt the housing marketplace. Democratic Councilmember Marilyn Balcombe feared the bill would end up reducing the housing supply, pushing up prices.<h2>State laws</h2>In 2019, Oregon became the first to pass a statewide rent control law, capping increases at 7% a year plus inflation. Later that year,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB1482">California followed by capping rent increases at 10%</a>&nbsp;per year.Both states have seen actions to expand rent control.In Oregon, renters were stunned when last year’s high inflation led to legal rent increases of more than 14%. In response, lawmakers this year amended the law to cap rent&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2023/05/04/watered-down-rent-control-bill-clears-oregon-senate-panel/">increases</a>&nbsp;at either 10% or 7% plus inflation, whichever is lower.In California, voters could change the scope of rent control if they pass the Justice for Renters Act&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/initiatives/pdfs/22-0008%20%28%20%26quot%3BJustice%20for%20Renters%20Act%26quot%3B%20%29.pdf">proposal</a>&nbsp;in 2024. The ballot initiative would repeal the<a target="_blank" href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=CIV&amp;division=3.&amp;title=5.&amp;part=4.&amp;chapter=2.7.&amp;article=">&nbsp;Costa-Hawkins Rental Act</a>, a 1995 law that exempts single-family homes and condominiums, plus post-1995 construction, from rent control.Dan Yukelson, executive director of the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles, said California’s rent regulation policies are “oppressive” on the rental industry, with many mom-and-pop landlords hamstrung by rising costs of managing properties.Yukelson said one of the harms in a possible repeal of the Costa-Hawkins Act is the elimination of vacancy decontrol, which sets the rent amount at market or near market levels when the unit is vacant. He says the act helps smaller landlords compete in a tight California housing market.“Smaller owners who just can’t deal with these layers of regulation are getting out of the [rental] business,” Yukelson told Stateline. “There’s a complete misunderstanding on the side of elected officials on what it takes to operate rental housing. So, either the government needs to run all the rental housing, or there needs to be some easing up on these regulations.”At least 30 states&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.naahq.org/rent-control-policy#:~:text=Currently%2C%2033%20states%20preempt%20local,the%20state%20or%20local%20level.">preempt local governments</a>&nbsp;from adopting rent control laws. Five states without statewide rent regulations — Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey and New York, along with Washington, D.C. — allow rent control at the local level.The National Multifamily Housing Council tracked 23 states that had measures related to rent control enactment in the works heading into 2023, but none has led to a statewide measure or repeal.However, a few states were successful in strengthening preemption laws this year.In March, Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed off on a bill&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/102/ByCategory">preventing local rent control.</a>Montana enacted a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://laws.leg.mt.gov/legprd/LAW0210W$BSIV.ActionQuery?P_BILL_NO1=105&amp;P_BLTP_BILL_TYP_CD=SB&amp;Z_ACTION=Find&amp;P_SESS=20231">rent control ban</a>&nbsp;on private and commercial property. State Sen. Steve Fitzpatrick, a high-ranking Republican in the legislature, told Stateline that rent control measures could discourage landlords from investing in the state’s real estate market.“This was a way for us to fill some of the gaps in our previous laws, where a particular cap measure could be implemented on certain property,” Fitzpatrick said.So far this year, efforts to repeal these preemptions have fallen short.<a target="_blank" href="https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb23-1115">Legislation</a>&nbsp;that would have repealed Colorado’s 4-decade-old ban on local rent control died in a committee. Similar bills&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20232024/214154">in Georgia</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/23%20Regular/bills/senate/SB0099.pdf">New Mexico</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://webservices.ncleg.gov/ViewBillDocument/2023/1419/0/DRS15099-NK-56B">North Carolina</a>&nbsp;also failed to advance.<h2>Little consensus on rent regulation</h2>Economists and housing experts disagree on whether rent control is effective. One challenge is that rent regulation differs so greatly from city to city, according to Jen Butler, a spokesperson for the National Low Income Housing Coalition, an advocacy group.“This diversity in rent stabilization policies has resulted in mixed evidence as to the impact of them on the rental housing supply and rents,” Butler said in an interview. “These policies protect renters currently in homes covered by the policy from unaffordable rent increases — but they can also encourage these same renters to remain in place longer than they typically would, while renters in homes not covered by the policy are left without similar protections.”Proponents of rent control, among them Rutgers University economist Mark Paul, say arguments against rent control lack empirical evidence.“I think it’s important to note that rent control does not say landlords can’t profit off their property. That’s not the point of rent control,” said Paul. “Rent control is limiting the ability of landlords, or corporately owned property owners from raising the rent by 6, 8 or 12% a year and pricing people out of their homes.”A&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cura.umn.edu/research/minneapolis-rent-stabilization-study">2021 University of Minnesota study</a>&nbsp;published by the university’s Center for Urban and Regional Affairs suggests that rent control policies increased housing stability, and there is little evidence that those policies negatively impacted new construction — which is dependent on localized economic cycles and credit markets.That same study, which reviewed rent control policies of four cities (Oakland, California; Newark, New Jersey; Sacramento, California; and Portland, Oregon) pointed out that there is debate on whether most rent regulation benefits are going to the neediest renters.When Minneapolis floated the possibility of rent stabilization earlier this year, a study requested by the city council advised against it, suggesting it would not offer much help to city residents.<h2>Rising rents</h2>The No. 1 driver of long-term U.S. homelessness, housing policy experts and advocates said recently&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RJYszWSs2A&amp;feature=youtu.be">during a joint press call with media members</a>, is rising rents.“For 75 years, the long-term trend has been that the cost of modest rental housing has been going up faster than modest income,” said Steve Berg, chief policy officer for the National Alliance to End Homelessness.Between 2019 and 2021,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cbpp.org/among-lowest-income-renters-latine-and-black-renters-experienced-greatest-rent-increase">median rents</a>&nbsp;went up by 12% for renters in households making less than $15,000, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a left-leaning think tank.Those increases, said Peggy Bailey, vice president of housing and income security for the center, “were not met with corresponding increases in income” and<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cbpp.org/among-lowest-income-renters-latine-and-black-renters-experienced-greatest-rent-increase">&nbsp;disproportionately affected Black and Latino renters</a>.According to 2017-2021 census data, more than 19 million renters in the United States are considered rent-burdened, spending more than 30% of their income on rent. In New York City, renters on average spend more than 68% of their income on rent, according to a January Moody’s Analytics&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://cre.moodysanalytics.com/insights/market-insights/q4-2022-housing-affordability-update/">report</a>.There also is a dearth of affordable rental housing. Low-cost rentals fell by 3.9 million units over the past decade, according to the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies’ State of the Nation’s Housing&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/reports/files/Harvard_JCHS_The_State_of_the_Nations_Housing_2023.pdf">report</a>.In Indiana, which&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iga.in.gov/laws/2022/ic/titles/32#32-31-1-20">prohibits local rent control</a>, Indiana University McKinney School of Law professor Fran Quigley has had his law students working closely with tenants in Indiana’s eviction court. Rent control, Quigley believes, could change housing outcomes in the Hoosier State, where&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://evictionresearch.net/indiana/">evictions</a>&nbsp;surpassed historical average levels in March 2022.“I think rent control momentum is going to continue to build, because we have 44 million rental households in this nation and that’s a really powerful political block,” said Quigley. “Folks get mobilized, speak out, and rent control on the ballot does very well. … That works in the favor of momentum going forward.”This story was produced by&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>, an affiliate of States Newsroom.

Some cities are pushing for rent control. They’re meeting resistance

LOS ANGELES (AP) — William Friedkin, the Oscar winning director who became a top filmmaker in his 30s with the gripping “The French Connection” and the horrifying “The Exorcist” and struggled in the following decades to match his early success has died. He was 87.

Friedkin, who won the best director Oscar for “The French Connection,” died Monday in Los Angeles, Marcia Franklin, his executive assistant for 24 years, told The Associated Press on behalf of his family and wife, former studio head Sherry Lansing.

“The French Connection,” based on a true story, deals with the efforts of maverick New York City police Detective James “Popeye” Doyle to track down Frenchman Fernando Rey, mastermind of a large drug pipeline funneling heroin into the United States. It contains one of the most thrilling chase scenes ever filmed.

Doyle, played by Gene Hackman in an Oscar-winning performance, barely misses making the arrest on a subway train, then hurries to his police car to follow the train as it emerges on an elevated railway. He races underneath, dodging cars, trucks and pedestrians, including a woman pushing a baby buggy, before abandoning the pursuit.

The movie also won Academy Awards for best picture, screenplay and film editing and led critics to hail Friedkin, then just 32, as a leading member of a new generation of filmmakers.

He followed with an even bigger blockbuster, “The Exorcist,” based on William Peter Blatty’s best-selling novel about a 12-year-old girl possessed by the devil.

The harrowing scenes of the girl’s possession and a splendid cast, including Linda Blair as the girl, Ellen Burstyn as her mother and Max Von Sydow and Jason Miller as the priests who try to exorcise the devil from her, helped make the film a box-office sensation. It was so scary for its era that many viewers fled the theater before it was over and some reported being unable to sleep for days afterward.

It received 10 Oscar nominations, including one for Friedkin as director, and won two, for Blatty’s script and for sound.

With that second success, Friedkin would go on to direct movies and TV shows well into the 21st century. But he would never again come close to matching the success of those early works.

Other film credits included “To Live and Die in L.A.,” “Cruising,” “Rules of Engagement” and a TV remake of the classic play and Sidney Lumet movie “12 Angry Men.” Friedkin also directed episodes for such TV shows as “The Twilight Zone,” “Rebel Highway” and “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.”

Born in Chicago on Aug. 29, 1939, he began working in local TV productions as a teenager. By age 16 he was directing live shows.

“My main influence was dramatic radio when I was a kid,” he said in a 2001 interview. “I remember listening to it in the dark, Everything was left to the imagination. It was just sound. I think of the sounds first and then the images.”

He moved from live shows to documentaries, making “The People Versus Paul Crump,” in 1962. It was the story of a prison inmate who rehabilitates himself on Death Row after being sentenced for the murder of a guard during a botched robbery at a Chicago food plant.

Producer David Wolper was so impressed with it that he brought Friedkin to Hollywood to direct network TV shows.

After working on such shows as “The Bold Ones,” “The Alfred Hitchcock Hour” and the documentary “The Thin Blue Line,” Friedkin landed his first film, 1967’s “Good Times.” It was a lighthearted musical romp headlined by the pop duo Sonny and Cher in what would be their only movie appearance together.

He followed that with “The Night They Raided Minsky’s,” about backstage life at a burlesque theater, and “The Birthday Party,” from a Harold Pinter play. He then gained critical attention with 1970’s “The Boys in the Band,” a landmark film about gay men.

Friedkin had three brief marriages in the 1970s and ’80s, to French actress Jeanne Moreau; British actress Lesley-Anne Down, with whom he had a son; and longtime Los Angeles TV news anchor Kelly Lange. In 1991 he married Paramount studio executive Lansing.

In recent years, Friedkin was often called on to reflect on his career around the 50th anniversaries of his classics and was always candid. He also wrote a memoir, “The Friedkin Connection,” which came out in 2012. And he wasn't done working yet: A new film, “The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial,” starring Kiefer Sutherland, is set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival next month.

Thinking back to the iconic car chase sequence in “The French Connection,” Friedkin told NBC News in 2021 that it was legitimately life-threatening and that he'd never do it again.

“Everything you see, we actually did. There was no CGI then. There was no way to fake it. I just put the pedal to the metal, and we went 90 miles an hour in city traffic,” he said. “The fact that nobody got hurt is a miracle. The fact that I didn’t get killed, the fact that some of the crew members didn’t get hurt or killed. That’s a chance I would never take again. I was young and I didn’t give a damn. I just went out and did it. I set out to make a great chase scene and I didn’t care about the consequences, and now I do.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691432511273.png" alt="“The Exorcist,” based on William Peter Blatty’s best-selling novel about a 12-year-old girl possessed by the devil." />
 <figcaption>“The Exorcist,” based on William Peter Blatty’s best-selling novel about a 12-year-old girl possessed by the devil.</figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) — William Friedkin, the Oscar winning director who became a top filmmaker in his 30s with the gripping “The French Connection” and the horrifying “The Exorcist” and struggled in the following decades to match his early success has died. He was 87.Friedkin, who won the best director Oscar for “The French Connection,” died Monday in Los Angeles, Marcia Franklin, his executive assistant for 24 years, told The Associated Press on behalf of his family and wife, former studio head Sherry Lansing.“The French Connection,” based on a true story, deals with the efforts of maverick New York City police Detective James “Popeye” Doyle to track down Frenchman Fernando Rey, mastermind of a large drug pipeline funneling heroin into the United States. It contains one of the most thrilling chase scenes ever filmed.Doyle, played by Gene Hackman in an Oscar-winning performance, barely misses making the arrest on a subway train, then hurries to his police car to follow the train as it emerges on an elevated railway. He races underneath, dodging cars, trucks and pedestrians, including a woman pushing a baby buggy, before abandoning the pursuit.The movie also won Academy Awards for best picture, screenplay and film editing and led critics to hail Friedkin, then just 32, as a leading member of a new generation of filmmakers.He followed with an even bigger blockbuster, “The Exorcist,” based on William Peter Blatty’s best-selling novel about a 12-year-old girl possessed by the devil.The harrowing scenes of the girl’s possession and a splendid cast, including Linda Blair as the girl, Ellen Burstyn as her mother and Max Von Sydow and Jason Miller as the priests who try to exorcise the devil from her, helped make the film a box-office sensation. It was so scary for its era that many viewers fled the theater before it was over and some reported being unable to sleep for days afterward.It received 10 Oscar nominations, including one for Friedkin as director, and won two, for Blatty’s script and for sound.With that second success, Friedkin would go on to direct movies and TV shows well into the 21st century. But he would never again come close to matching the success of those early works.Other film credits included “To Live and Die in L.A.,” “Cruising,” “Rules of Engagement” and a TV remake of the classic play and Sidney Lumet movie “12 Angry Men.” Friedkin also directed episodes for such TV shows as “The Twilight Zone,” “Rebel Highway” and “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.”Born in Chicago on Aug. 29, 1939, he began working in local TV productions as a teenager. By age 16 he was directing live shows.“My main influence was dramatic radio when I was a kid,” he said in a 2001 interview. “I remember listening to it in the dark, Everything was left to the imagination. It was just sound. I think of the sounds first and then the images.”He moved from live shows to documentaries, making “The People Versus Paul Crump,” in 1962. It was the story of a prison inmate who rehabilitates himself on Death Row after being sentenced for the murder of a guard during a botched robbery at a Chicago food plant.Producer David Wolper was so impressed with it that he brought Friedkin to Hollywood to direct network TV shows.After working on such shows as “The Bold Ones,” “The Alfred Hitchcock Hour” and the documentary “The Thin Blue Line,” Friedkin landed his first film, 1967’s “Good Times.” It was a lighthearted musical romp headlined by the pop duo Sonny and Cher in what would be their only movie appearance together.He followed that with “The Night They Raided Minsky’s,” about backstage life at a burlesque theater, and “The Birthday Party,” from a Harold Pinter play. He then gained critical attention with 1970’s “The Boys in the Band,” a landmark film about gay men.Friedkin had three brief marriages in the 1970s and ’80s, to French actress Jeanne Moreau; British actress Lesley-Anne Down, with whom he had a son; and longtime Los Angeles TV news anchor Kelly Lange. In 1991 he married Paramount studio executive Lansing.In recent years, Friedkin was often called on to reflect on his career around the 50th anniversaries of his classics and was always candid. He also wrote a memoir, “The Friedkin Connection,” which came out in 2012. And he wasn't done working yet: A new film, “The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial,” starring Kiefer Sutherland, is set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival next month.Thinking back to the iconic car chase sequence in “The French Connection,” Friedkin told NBC News in 2021 that it was legitimately life-threatening and that he'd never do it again.“Everything you see, we actually did. There was no CGI then. There was no way to fake it. I just put the pedal to the metal, and we went 90 miles an hour in city traffic,” he said. “The fact that nobody got hurt is a miracle. The fact that I didn’t get killed, the fact that some of the crew members didn’t get hurt or killed. That’s a chance I would never take again. I was young and I didn’t give a damn. I just went out and did it. I set out to make a great chase scene and I didn’t care about the consequences, and now I do.”

William Friedkin, Oscar-winning director, dead at 87

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly stabbing in Kansas City.

Just before 6p.m. Sunday, police were dispatched to report of a stabbing at 20th and Main, according to interim Jackson County Sheriff Daryl Forte.

First responders found an unresponsive man. EMS transported him to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Police have reported no additional details including possible suspect information.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691425738186.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo Sheriff Daryl Forte" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo Sheriff Daryl Forte</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly stabbing in Kansas City.Just before 6p.m. Sunday, police were dispatched to report of a stabbing at 20th and Main, according to interim Jackson County Sheriff Daryl Forte.First responders found an unresponsive man. EMS transported him to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.&nbsp;&nbsp;Police have reported no additional details including possible suspect information.

Man dead after reported stabbing in Kansas City

TOPEKA&nbsp;–&nbsp;As Kansas students prepare to head back to school this month, Governor Laura Kelly announced that families in all 105 counties across Kansas have applied for the Kansas Education Enrichment Program (KEEP), according to a media release from her governor's office.

<a href="https://www.keep.ks.gov/">Click to apply</a>

She is encouraging more qualifying parents and guardians to take advantage of the one-time award of $1,000 per child to cover educational goods and services, including school supplies, tutoring, music lessons, and academic camps.&nbsp;

“The KEEP program is providing Kansas families the support they need to encourage their child’s learning over the summer and long after, whether that’s through new books, tutoring, or school supplies,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.&nbsp;“I encourage all who qualify to join the other families who have applied and to take advantage of this resource.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

In June, Governor Kelly expanded eligibility for KEEP to students with household incomes of less than 300% of federal poverty guidelines. The Kansas Office of Recovery partners with&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm1lcml0cy5jb20vIiwiYnVsbGV0aW5faWQiOiIyMDIzMDgwNC44MDY4NDk2MSJ9.0ms4JVCTdG08QDTFikSKO8F2sgZHOUQs3xGb5Kk10pU/s/1419840138/br/223749410480-l" target="_blank">Merit</a>&nbsp;to implement KEEP.&nbsp;

“As students head back to school, Merit is pleased to help facilitate the diverse and enriching educational experiences Kansas children will receive through KEEP,”&nbsp;said Tomer Kagan, CEO, Merit.&nbsp;“Merit’s online education marketplace connects parents and guardians with educational goods and services provided by approved service providers.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Parents can spend their student’s program funds on a variety of academic enrichment opportunities such as:&nbsp;

The funds are not eligible for private school tuition.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Students in a current foster care placement are also eligible regardless of household income. More information on how families can apply for and receive funds is available on the KEEP program website:&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMzAxMzEuNzA3MzYzNTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vd3d3LmtlZXAua3MuZ292In0.1fS9uhRT_Arm_cDADA_g88Nxp5UCA3U_k9IDjNxk1Uo/s/2951266933/br/153714684592-l" target="_blank">www.keep.ks.gov</a>.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691175023901.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA&nbsp;–&nbsp;As Kansas students prepare to head back to school this month, Governor Laura Kelly announced that families in all 105 counties across Kansas have applied for the Kansas Education Enrichment Program (KEEP), according to a media release from her governor's office.<a href="https://www.keep.ks.gov/">Click to apply</a>She is encouraging more qualifying parents and guardians to take advantage of the one-time award of $1,000 per child to cover educational goods and services, including school supplies, tutoring, music lessons, and academic camps.&nbsp;“The KEEP program is providing Kansas families the support they need to encourage their child’s learning over the summer and long after, whether that’s through new books, tutoring, or school supplies,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.&nbsp;“I encourage all who qualify to join the other families who have applied and to take advantage of this resource.”&nbsp;&nbsp;In June, Governor Kelly expanded eligibility for KEEP to students with household incomes of less than 300% of federal poverty guidelines. The Kansas Office of Recovery partners with&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm1lcml0cy5jb20vIiwiYnVsbGV0aW5faWQiOiIyMDIzMDgwNC44MDY4NDk2MSJ9.0ms4JVCTdG08QDTFikSKO8F2sgZHOUQs3xGb5Kk10pU/s/1419840138/br/223749410480-l" target="_blank">Merit</a>&nbsp;to implement KEEP.&nbsp;“As students head back to school, Merit is pleased to help facilitate the diverse and enriching educational experiences Kansas children will receive through KEEP,”&nbsp;said Tomer Kagan, CEO, Merit.&nbsp;“Merit’s online education marketplace connects parents and guardians with educational goods and services provided by approved service providers.”&nbsp;&nbsp;Parents can spend their student’s program funds on a variety of academic enrichment opportunities such as:&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>The purchase of curriculum and educational materials, including school supplies and certain allowed technological devices&nbsp;</li><li>Camps with academic-related curriculum such as music, arts, science, technology, agriculture, mathematics, and engineering&nbsp;</li><li>Tutoring&nbsp;</li><li>Language classes&nbsp;</li><li>Musical instruments and lessons&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>The funds are not eligible for private school tuition.&nbsp;&nbsp;Students in a current foster care placement are also eligible regardless of household income. More information on how families can apply for and receive funds is available on the KEEP program website:&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMzAxMzEuNzA3MzYzNTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vd3d3LmtlZXAua3MuZ292In0.1fS9uhRT_Arm_cDADA_g88Nxp5UCA3U_k9IDjNxk1Uo/s/2951266933/br/153714684592-l" target="_blank">www.keep.ks.gov</a>.&nbsp;

Gov. Kelly: Need money for school supplies? KEEP program helps

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City-area man faces three felony charges, including Murder 2nd&nbsp;Degree, in connection with the shooting Wednesday of a man in his vehicle outside a Grandview residence, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

Cameron K. Harper, 22, Grandview, currently faces Murder 2nd Degree, Armed Criminal Action and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm. The charging documents were originally under a court ordered seal to further the investigative process. That seal has been lifted.

According to court records filed Thursday, Grandview police were dispatched Wednesday evening to a residence in Grandview and found the victim of a shooting in a white vehicle. 

The incident was near two other shootings that evening. Upon arrival, police found four bullet holes in the windshield and seven bullet holes in the driver's side window. The suspect was driving a vehicle described as a green pickup truck with a lawn mower in the back. 

The defendant was picked up by Kansas City police and officers recovered a phone and a vehicle key, as well as a backpack and found a mask. A search of the green truck produced .40 shell casings in the second row of the vehicle, along with prescription bottles and documents with the defendant's name. 

Shell casings that matched to the crime scene also were found, as well as a .40 caliber handgun. Detectives also determined the key found on the suspect by police matched the truck.

Prosecutors filed charges against the defendant and asked a Jackson County judge to place them under seal in order to protect the on-going investigation. By late afternoon Thursday, prosecutors requested that the case be unsealed.&nbsp;

An investigation continues into at least two other nearby shootings Wednesday evening and allegations of earlier crimes.&nbsp;

"Much more work will be required by law enforcement and my office to complete investigations of what appear to be related shootings in south Kansas City and Grandview," Prosecutor Baker stated. "My office greatly appreciates the prompt and promising efforts by law enforcement officers in multiple jurisdictions and the prosecutors who responded. We also want to thank those in our community who stepped up to advance solving this case."

"This is a tragic loss of life but the investigation continues for the others injured in this crime spree. We're grateful that this arrest and these charges will protect our community." Prosecutors requested a $750,000 bond.

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a homicide and asking the public for help&nbsp;in identifying the suspect vehicle.

The homicide and several shootings occurred just after 8 a.m. Wednesday in the 11900 block of Smalley in the Kansas City suburb of Grandview Missouri, according to Police Captain Corey Carlisle. Police do not have a description of the driver of the vehicle. Police initially reported the suspect was Black male in a skull mask.

If anyone has information on the vehicle or its occupants call detectives at 816-234-5227 or 816-474-TIPS.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1690992870073.png" alt="Law enforcement authorities investigating a homicide asked the public for help in identifying the suspect and vehicle.-photo KCPD" />
 <figcaption>Law enforcement authorities investigating a homicide asked the public for help in identifying the suspect and vehicle.-photo KCPD</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City-area man faces three felony charges, including Murder 2nd&nbsp;Degree, in connection with the shooting Wednesday of a man in his vehicle outside a Grandview residence, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691153144673.png" alt="Harper-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Harper-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Cameron K. Harper, 22, Grandview, currently faces Murder 2nd Degree, Armed Criminal Action and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm. The charging documents were originally under a court ordered seal to further the investigative process. That seal has been lifted.According to court records filed Thursday, Grandview police were dispatched Wednesday evening to a residence in Grandview and found the victim of a shooting in a white vehicle. The incident was near two other shootings that evening. Upon arrival, police found four bullet holes in the windshield and seven bullet holes in the driver's side window. The suspect was driving a vehicle described as a green pickup truck with a lawn mower in the back. The defendant was picked up by Kansas City police and officers recovered a phone and a vehicle key, as well as a backpack and found a mask. A search of the green truck produced .40 shell casings in the second row of the vehicle, along with prescription bottles and documents with the defendant's name. Shell casings that matched to the crime scene also were found, as well as a .40 caliber handgun. Detectives also determined the key found on the suspect by police matched the truck.Prosecutors filed charges against the defendant and asked a Jackson County judge to place them under seal in order to protect the on-going investigation. By late afternoon Thursday, prosecutors requested that the case be unsealed.&nbsp;An investigation continues into at least two other nearby shootings Wednesday evening and allegations of earlier crimes.&nbsp;"Much more work will be required by law enforcement and my office to complete investigations of what appear to be related shootings in south Kansas City and Grandview," Prosecutor Baker stated. "My office greatly appreciates the prompt and promising efforts by law enforcement officers in multiple jurisdictions and the prosecutors who responded. We also want to thank those in our community who stepped up to advance solving this case.""This is a tragic loss of life but the investigation continues for the others injured in this crime spree. We're grateful that this arrest and these charges will protect our community." Prosecutors requested a $750,000 bond.----------KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a homicide and asking the public for help&nbsp;in identifying the suspect vehicle.The homicide and several shootings occurred just after 8 a.m. Wednesday in the 11900 block of Smalley in the Kansas City suburb of Grandview Missouri, according to Police Captain Corey Carlisle. Police do not have a description of the driver of the vehicle. Police initially reported the suspect was Black male in a skull mask.If anyone has information on the vehicle or its occupants call detectives at 816-234-5227 or 816-474-TIPS.&nbsp;

KC shooting suspect identified by green pickup charged with murder

BY:&nbsp;TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

Review of KanCare applicants plagued by mail delays, call center backlog

TOPEKA — Lengthy delays in mail delivery, unprecedented call center volume and a surge in unsigned applications contributed to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s tribulations in processing Medicaid renewal applications that led to suspension of benefits on procedural grounds for more than 60,000 Kansans.

KDHE’s extension of application deadlines, deployment of additional staff and collaboration with organizations working on behalf of Medicaid clients reduced obstacles to determining who could remain in Kansas’ Medicaid program, a KDHE official said. The federal government triggered the wave of eligibility reviews after ending a three-year ban imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Participation in KanCare, the Medicaid program in Kansas, surged during the pandemic from 410,000 to 540,000. The nationwide process of evaluating Medicaid rolls to identify people no longer eligible, known as unwinding, began in March and must be completed in early 2024.

“Obviously, we’ve never done an unwinding before in the state of Kansas or anywhere in the nation,” said KDHE deputy secretary Christine Osterlund. “In these first four months, we’ve learned a lot. We’ve made some missteps. We’ve corrected some things.”

Rep. Brenda Landwehr, a Wichita Republican on the Legislature’s Medicaid committee, said individuals no longer eligible for KanCare should be urged to seek health insurance under provisions of the Affordable Care Act signed by President Barack Obama.

“I had some people call me that got canceled,” Landwehr said. “Four of those individuals … got Obamacare insurance. You know, one was a zero premium, one was $10 dollars and one was $15. Are we making sure that they have information so that they know that’s an option?”

Child advocacy groups have been alarmed children made up two-thirds of Kansans declared ineligible for KanCare due to procedural issues with applications, including missed deadlines and missing signatures. Those concerns were raised Wednesday and Thursday at the Capitol during meetings of the joint House and Senate committee responsible for Medicaid oversight.

“We suspect that because nearly 72% of KanCare enrollees are children, thousands of Kansas kids have already had their coverage discontinued and thousands more will in the future,” said Heather Braum, health policy director of Kansas Action for Children. “A lack of health coverage means these kids will be less likely to get medical treatments on time, will fall behind in therapies and could have the long-term trajectory of their lives negatively impacted.”

Sean Gatewood, of KanCare Advocates Network, said continuous coverage was important for children and for adults with chronic health conditions.

“We recognize the challenges that come with restarting eligibility reviews after three years of continuous coverage during the pandemic,” Gatewood said. “Our partners report that KanCare members continue to be either unaware or confused about process. Ongoing confusion among members and problems associated with paperwork issues seem to indicate the need for additional communication and outreach.”

He urged KDHE to allow the three managed-care organizations under contract with the state to operate the privatized KanCare program to work with applicants subject to renewal.

“KanCare members need a simple renewal process that is easy to complete to continue their health care, their medications and therapies,” Gatewood said.

Osterlund said KDHE decided to conduct KanCare renewals in a chronological order rather than subjectively prioritize children, people with serious medical challenges, individuals in long-term care or other populations. So far, KDHE has sent notices to individuals or families with renewal dates in April, May, June and July.

KDHE said renewal applications submitted by the deadline allowed members to retain eligibility while the renewal was processed, but the state has been instructed to sever eligibility for people who didn’t submit renewals on time. Families or persons losing KanCare eligibility for procedural issues have been given an additional 30 days to complete the application and, if approved, would have benefits backdated to address the coverage gap.

“I know there’s a gap in coverage and that’s stressful for the families,” Osterlund said. “I’m not minimizing that, but we do kind of provide this second chance, if you will, to go ahead and get that review in and be able to have their eligibility backdated.”

Osterlund said the volume of calls received by KDHE’s help line exceeded the agency’s projections by about 2,000 calls per day. She said the number of calls climbed from 19,000 in April to more than 37,000 in May and June. The response time at outset of unwinding in April was 43 minutes and more than half of callers chose to hang up.

KDHE’s call center contractor gradually reduced the call-waiting time to 12 minutes and the level of call abandonment to 16% in July by adding staff, changing work schedules and allowing for overtime.

KDHE was surprised by the slow pace at which the agency’s Medicaid renewal notices were moved by the U.S. Postal Service to Kansans and how much time it took for applications to be returned once placed in the postal system. In the past, KDHE said, it might take two or three days for a KanCare client’s letter to reach Topeka.

KDHE discovered it was taking up to 10 days for mail to reach an applicant and another 10 days for mailed responses to reach clearinghouse staff in Topeka, which left applicants only 10 days during the original window to submit paperwork.

KDHE responded by pausing Medicaid discontinuances and expanded the period allotted for applicants to receive and return necessary documents, Osterlund said.

She said KDHE also encountered an increase in the proportion of applicants who didn’t sign paperwork in compliance with federal regulations. Unsigned applications must be sent back by KDHE to the family.

Given the escalation in mail sent to KDHE, officials said, agency staff were reassigned to the mailroom and eight additional scanners were obtained to address backlogs in the mail department.

Osterlund said KDHE’s computer system in place since 2016 wasn’t constructed to accommodate a national health emergency nor a three-year suspension of eligibility reviews for Medicaid. She said the agency had received many requests for detailed data about the unwinding that the current IT system wasn’t programmed to handle.

“It’s not even an option. We would have to do massive system changes,” she said. “Again, no one anticipated wanting the level of detail we are being asked for.”

KDHE was able in mid-July to release information on KanCare renewals by county and by age of applicants. That prompted alarm among KanCare activists who concluded two-thirds of rejections in Kansas involved children.

Osterlund cautioned unwinding information released by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services showing Kansas had a 70% disenrollment rate could be misinterpreted. She said point-in-time data submitted by KDHE to CMS each month could be outdated within a single day. She said state-by-state comparisons of data from CMS weren’t typically valid given variation in how the review process was conducted.

KanCare Advocates Network and Kansas Action for Children continued to press KDHE for greater statistical insight into why people were losing Medicaid benefits. KDHE’s initial breakdown by age and county was helpful, they said, but more robust data and targeted communication could assist KanCare members in retention of coverage.

“Without aggregated demographic data,” Gatewood said, “stakeholders don’t know where to target outreach. The stakes are high for people who depend on Medicaid for their health care needs.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691181866636.png" alt="Rep. Brenda Landwehr, R-Wichita, said Kansans determined to be ineligible for the state’s Medicaid program should be urged to seek health insurance under provisions of the Affordable Care Act. Kansas has resumed KanCare eligibility reviews after pausing for three years due to COVID-19. (Sam Bailey/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Brenda Landwehr, R-Wichita, said Kansans determined to be ineligible for the state’s Medicaid program should be urged to seek health insurance under provisions of the Affordable Care Act. Kansas has resumed KanCare eligibility reviews after pausing for three years due to COVID-19. (Sam Bailey/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a><h2>Review of KanCare applicants plagued by mail delays, call center backlog</h2>TOPEKA — Lengthy delays in mail delivery, unprecedented call center volume and a surge in unsigned applications contributed to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s tribulations in processing Medicaid renewal applications that led to suspension of benefits on procedural grounds for more than 60,000 Kansans.KDHE’s extension of application deadlines, deployment of additional staff and collaboration with organizations working on behalf of Medicaid clients reduced obstacles to determining who could remain in Kansas’ Medicaid program, a KDHE official said. The federal government triggered the wave of eligibility reviews after ending a three-year ban imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic.Participation in KanCare, the Medicaid program in Kansas, surged during the pandemic from 410,000 to 540,000. The nationwide process of evaluating Medicaid rolls to identify people no longer eligible, known as unwinding, began in March and must be completed in early 2024.“Obviously, we’ve never done an unwinding before in the state of Kansas or anywhere in the nation,” said KDHE deputy secretary Christine Osterlund. “In these first four months, we’ve learned a lot. We’ve made some missteps. We’ve corrected some things.”Rep. Brenda Landwehr, a Wichita Republican on the Legislature’s Medicaid committee, said individuals no longer eligible for KanCare should be urged to seek health insurance under provisions of the Affordable Care Act signed by President Barack Obama.“I had some people call me that got canceled,” Landwehr said. “Four of those individuals … got Obamacare insurance. You know, one was a zero premium, one was $10 dollars and one was $15. Are we making sure that they have information so that they know that’s an option?”<h2>Concerns expressed</h2>Child advocacy groups have been alarmed children made up two-thirds of Kansans declared ineligible for KanCare due to procedural issues with applications, including missed deadlines and missing signatures. Those concerns were raised Wednesday and Thursday at the Capitol during meetings of the joint House and Senate committee responsible for Medicaid oversight.“We suspect that because nearly 72% of KanCare enrollees are children, thousands of Kansas kids have already had their coverage discontinued and thousands more will in the future,” said Heather Braum, health policy director of Kansas Action for Children. “A lack of health coverage means these kids will be less likely to get medical treatments on time, will fall behind in therapies and could have the long-term trajectory of their lives negatively impacted.”Sean Gatewood, of KanCare Advocates Network, said continuous coverage was important for children and for adults with chronic health conditions.“We recognize the challenges that come with restarting eligibility reviews after three years of continuous coverage during the pandemic,” Gatewood said. “Our partners report that KanCare members continue to be either unaware or confused about process. Ongoing confusion among members and problems associated with paperwork issues seem to indicate the need for additional communication and outreach.”He urged KDHE to allow the three managed-care organizations under contract with the state to operate the privatized KanCare program to work with applicants subject to renewal.“KanCare members need a simple renewal process that is easy to complete to continue their health care, their medications and therapies,” Gatewood said.<h2>Call center avalanche</h2>Osterlund said KDHE decided to conduct KanCare renewals in a chronological order rather than subjectively prioritize children, people with serious medical challenges, individuals in long-term care or other populations. So far, KDHE has sent notices to individuals or families with renewal dates in April, May, June and July.KDHE said renewal applications submitted by the deadline allowed members to retain eligibility while the renewal was processed, but the state has been instructed to sever eligibility for people who didn’t submit renewals on time. Families or persons losing KanCare eligibility for procedural issues have been given an additional 30 days to complete the application and, if approved, would have benefits backdated to address the coverage gap.“I know there’s a gap in coverage and that’s stressful for the families,” Osterlund said. “I’m not minimizing that, but we do kind of provide this second chance, if you will, to go ahead and get that review in and be able to have their eligibility backdated.”Osterlund said the volume of calls received by KDHE’s help line exceeded the agency’s projections by about 2,000 calls per day. She said the number of calls climbed from 19,000 in April to more than 37,000 in May and June. The response time at outset of unwinding in April was 43 minutes and more than half of callers chose to hang up.KDHE’s call center contractor gradually reduced the call-waiting time to 12 minutes and the level of call abandonment to 16% in July by adding staff, changing work schedules and allowing for overtime.<h2>Postal delivery</h2>KDHE was surprised by the slow pace at which the agency’s Medicaid renewal notices were moved by the U.S. Postal Service to Kansans and how much time it took for applications to be returned once placed in the postal system. In the past, KDHE said, it might take two or three days for a KanCare client’s letter to reach Topeka.KDHE discovered it was taking up to 10 days for mail to reach an applicant and another 10 days for mailed responses to reach clearinghouse staff in Topeka, which left applicants only 10 days during the original window to submit paperwork.KDHE responded by pausing Medicaid discontinuances and expanded the period allotted for applicants to receive and return necessary documents, Osterlund said.She said KDHE also encountered an increase in the proportion of applicants who didn’t sign paperwork in compliance with federal regulations. Unsigned applications must be sent back by KDHE to the family.Given the escalation in mail sent to KDHE, officials said, agency staff were reassigned to the mailroom and eight additional scanners were obtained to address backlogs in the mail department.<h2>Availability of data</h2>Osterlund said KDHE’s computer system in place since 2016 wasn’t constructed to accommodate a national health emergency nor a three-year suspension of eligibility reviews for Medicaid. She said the agency had received many requests for detailed data about the unwinding that the current IT system wasn’t programmed to handle.“It’s not even an option. We would have to do massive system changes,” she said. “Again, no one anticipated wanting the level of detail we are being asked for.”KDHE was able in mid-July to release information on KanCare renewals by county and by age of applicants. That prompted alarm among KanCare activists who concluded two-thirds of rejections in Kansas involved children.Osterlund cautioned unwinding information released by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services showing Kansas had a 70% disenrollment rate could be misinterpreted. She said point-in-time data submitted by KDHE to CMS each month could be outdated within a single day. She said state-by-state comparisons of data from CMS weren’t typically valid given variation in how the review process was conducted.KanCare Advocates Network and Kansas Action for Children continued to press KDHE for greater statistical insight into why people were losing Medicaid benefits. KDHE’s initial breakdown by age and county was helpful, they said, but more robust data and targeted communication could assist KanCare members in retention of coverage.“Without aggregated demographic data,” Gatewood said, “stakeholders don’t know where to target outreach. The stakes are high for people who depend on Medicaid for their health care needs.”

Kansas official points to mistakes, improvements in processing Medicaid eligibility renewals

MORRIS COUNTY—A Kansas teen died in an accident just before 11a.m. Sunday in Morris County.

According to the sheriff's department, the&nbsp;Life Alert 360 mobile phone app, notified the sheriff's office of a possible car crash near 1800 Road and Z Ave. in Morris County.

A Sheriff’s Deputy responded to the accident location and found a 2003 Chevy S10 pickup driven by Kolter L. Litke, 15, of Council Grove had been involved in an accident.

The Deputy immediately started CPR. EMS transported Kolter to the Morris County Hospital with life threatening injuries. He was later pronounced deceased.

&nbsp;The preliminary investigation indicated the truck was traveling eastbound on Z Avenue near 1800 Road when it left the roadway and struck a concrete bridge rail.

MORRIS COUNTY—A Kansas teen died in an accident just before 11a.m. Sunday in Morris County.According to the sheriff's department, the&nbsp;Life Alert 360 mobile phone app, notified the sheriff's office of a possible car crash near 1800 Road and Z Ave. in Morris County.A Sheriff’s Deputy responded to the accident location and found a 2003 Chevy S10 pickup driven by Kolter L. Litke, 15, of Council Grove had been involved in an accident.The Deputy immediately started CPR. EMS transported Kolter to the Morris County Hospital with life threatening injuries. He was later pronounced deceased.&nbsp;The preliminary investigation indicated the truck was traveling eastbound on Z Avenue near 1800 Road when it left the roadway and struck a concrete bridge rail.

Sheriff: 15-year-old Kan. boy dies after crash into bridge rail

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691373333169.png" alt="Cothran is listed on the Tennessee sex offender registry for a July 2019 conviction for solicitation to commit sexual exploitation of a minor.&nbsp; She has three previous convictions for child abuse and a probation violation for drugs, according to the Tennessee offender registry." />
 <figcaption>Cothran is listed on the Tennessee sex offender registry for a July 2019 conviction for solicitation to commit sexual exploitation of a minor.&nbsp; She has three previous convictions for child abuse and a probation violation for drugs, according to the Tennessee offender registry.</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY — A shooting early Sunday at a convenience store left a suspect dead and a Kansas police officer hospitalized after an exchange of gunfire, according to Lenexa police.Just after 7:30 a.m., police responded to a stolen vehicle call at the QuikTrip at 95th Street and Interstate 35, according to a media release. Officers located that car and the suspect in the stolen vehicle struck one of Lenexa police department's patrol vehicles and drove away.Police pursued the suspect northbound on Interstate 35 until the suspects left the vehicle and ran to a QuikTrip in the 4700 Block of Lamar Avenue in Mission.Police from multiple agencies were trying to arrest the suspects when gunfire broke out. A suspect later identified as 40-year-old&nbsp;Shannon Wayne Marshall of Ashland City, Tennessee was shot and killed and a Fairway Kansas police officer was shot and hospitalized. The other suspect was arrested and later identified as 32-year-old Andrea Cothran of Portland Tennesee.Cothran, a registered sex offender, is being held in Johnson County on&nbsp; requested charges of aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, according to online jail records.She is listed on the Tennessee sex offender registry for a July 2019 conviction for solicitation to commit sexual exploitation of a minor. She has three previous convictions for child abuse and a probation violation for drugs, according to the Tennessee offender registry. She is scheduled for a court appearance in the case at 1:30p.m. Monday, according to online jail records.Police have identified the officer who was wounded. A Johnson County law enforcement team is investigating the officer-involved shooting.

Sex offender jailed after chase, fatal gunfight that injured Kan. officer

WASHINGTON (AP) —Two conservative groups are asking a federal court to block the Biden administration's plan to cancel $39 billion in student loans for more than 800,000 borrowers.

In a lawsuit filed Friday in Michigan, the groups argue that the administration overstepped its power when it announced the forgiveness in July, just weeks after the Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-653c2e9c085863bdbf81f125f87669fa">struck down a broader cancellation plan</a>&nbsp;pushed by President Joe Biden.

It asks a judge to rule the cancellation illegal and stop the Education Department from carrying it out while the case is decided. The suit was filed by the New Civil Liberties Alliance on behalf of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy and the Cato Institute.

The Education Department called the suit “a desperate attempt from right wing special interests to keep hundreds of thousands of borrowers in debt.”

“We are not going to back down or give an inch when it comes to defending working families,” the department said in a statement.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1661367707782.png" alt="The Biden administration announced July 14 that it would soon forgive loans for 804,000 borrowers enrolled in income-driven repayment plans.-file photo White House" />
 <figcaption>The Biden administration announced July 14 that it would soon forgive loans for 804,000 borrowers enrolled in income-driven repayment plans.-file photo White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —Two conservative groups are asking a federal court to block the Biden administration's plan to cancel $39 billion in student loans for more than 800,000 borrowers.In a lawsuit filed Friday in Michigan, the groups argue that the administration overstepped its power when it announced the forgiveness in July, just weeks after the Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-653c2e9c085863bdbf81f125f87669fa">struck down a broader cancellation plan</a>&nbsp;pushed by President Joe Biden.It asks a judge to rule the cancellation illegal and stop the Education Department from carrying it out while the case is decided. The suit was filed by the New Civil Liberties Alliance on behalf of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy and the Cato Institute.The Education Department called the suit “a desperate attempt from right wing special interests to keep hundreds of thousands of borrowers in debt.”“We are not going to back down or give an inch when it comes to defending working families,” the department said in a statement.It’s part of a wave of legal challenges Republicans have leveled at the Biden administration’s efforts to reduce or eliminate student debt for millions of Americans. Biden has said he will pursue a different cancellation plan after the Supreme Court decision, and his administration is separately unrolling a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loans-debt-college-cancellation-forgiveness-34152bb5000128a413efd2287887a37a">more generous repayment plan</a>&nbsp;that opponents call a “backdoor attempt” at cancellation.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689354752515.png" alt="" />
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 </figure>The Biden administration announced July 14 that it would soon forgive loans for 804,000 borrowers enrolled in income-driven repayment plans. The plans have long offered cancellation after borrowers make 20 or 25 years of payments, but “past administrative failures” resulted in inaccurate payments counts that set borrowers back on their progress toward forgiveness, the department said.The new action was announced as a “one-time adjustment” that would count certain periods of past nonpayment as if borrowers had been making payments during that time. It moved 804,000 borrowers across the 20- or 25-year mark needed for cancellation, and it moved millions of others closer to that threshold.It’s meant to address a practice known as forbearance steering, in which student loan servicers hired by the government wrongly pushed borrowers to go into forbearance — a temporary pause on payments because of hardship — even if they would have been better served by enrolling in one of the income-driven repayment plans.Under the one-time fix, past periods in forbearance were also counted as progress toward&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pslf-public-service-loan-forgiveness-program-student-loans-e840af29f8879512199ed6fce226c722">Public Service Loan Forgiveness</a>, a program that offers cancellation after 10 years of payments while working in a government or nonprofit job.Biden's action was illegal, the lawsuit says, because it wasn’t authorized by Congress and didn’t go through a federal rulemaking process that invites public feedback.“No authority allows the Department to count non-payments as payments,” the lawsuit says. It adds that the action came in “a press release that neither identified the policy’s legal authority nor considered its exorbitant price tag.”The conservative groups say Biden’s plan undercuts Public Service Loan Forgiveness. The Mackinac Center and Cato Institute say they employ borrowers who are working toward student loan cancellation through the program. They say Biden’s action illegally accelerates progress toward relief, diminishing the benefit for nonprofit employers.“This unlawful reduction in the PSLF service requirement injures public service employers that rely on PSLF to recruit and retain college-educated employees,” the suit alleges.The Cato Institute previously sued the administration over the cancellation plan that was struck down by the Supreme Court. The Mackinac Center is separately challenging Biden’s pause on student loan payments, which is scheduled to end this fall with payments resuming Oct. 1.___