KANSAS CITY (AP) —A missing emergency room doctor from Missouri has been found dead in northwestern Arkansas, his brother said, but questions remain about what happened in the week since he was last seen.

Authorities said the body of Dr. John Forsyth, 49, was discovered in Benton County, Arkansas, roughly an hour-and-a-half drive from where the doctor's car was found near an aquatic park in Cassville, Missouri, his brother Richard Forsyth said in an interview Tuesday. Richard Forsyth said authorities had contacted family members with the information. He provided no other details.

The black Infiniti was unlocked with John Forsyth's wallet, two phones, a laptop and other items inside, his brother said. Police told the family there were no signs of foul play. An autopsy and official identification were pending.

“Right now, we really don’t have any breaks in the case,” Richard Forsyth said earlier Tuesday. “I’m confused, and I’m worried. And I don’t like this one bit.”

Police in Cassville announced Tuesday night that the Benton County Sheriff’s Office informed them a body had been found, the same day the brother said the family was told about the discovery.

Messages left Wednesday with the Benton County Sheriff’s Office and the Missouri State Highway Patrol were not immediately returned.

The last known person who communicated with John Forsyth was the woman he'd recently gotten engaged to, who texted with him at around 7 a.m. on Sunday, May 21, his brother said.

Police say he was reported missing when he failed to show up for work May 21 at Mercy Hospital in Cassville, a town of 3,100 residents deep in the Missouri Ozarks.

The last time his brother saw John Forsyth was at dinner on Wednesday, May 17.

“I told him this is the happiest I’d seen him in a long time. His divorce was final May 11, and I think that gave him energy for the future,” Richard Forsyth said.

John Forsyth had worked at the Cassville hospital for about 15 years, his brother said, describing him as a doting father, part-time math nerd and dedicated physician who stayed in his RV near the hospital when he was on-call.

“He really cared about his patients,” Richard Forsyth said. “And he loved his kids.”

When the doctor's vehicle was found, several law enforcement agencies searched about a 9-mile (15-kilometer) radius around the aquatic park using people, dogs and drones. Forsyth's family set up a Facebook page seeking information.

“My brother has now been missing for week,” his sister, Tiffany Andelin, wrote Monday. “I’m grieving, I’m afraid, and it feels like the world has tipped into sheer chaos.”

KANSAS CITY (AP) —The body of a Missouri emergency room doctor who has been missing for more than a week has been found in northwest Arkansas, his brother told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Dr. John Forsyth was last heard from in text messages around 7 a.m. May 21. His brother, Richard Forsyth, said authorities called the family Tuesday night to say his brother was found deceased. He said he and other family members were waiting for more details from detectives.

Messages left with the Missouri State Highway Patrol were not immediately returned.

Police said John Forsyth, 49, was reported missing when he failed to show up for work May 21 at Mercy Hospital in Cassville, a town of 3,100 residents deep in the Missouri Ozarks.

His black Infiniti was found parked in a remote area near an aquatic park in Cassville. The car was unlocked with his wallet, two phones and a laptop and other items inside.

“It doesn't seem like a person who left with a plan,” Richard Forsyth told the AP earlier Tuesday. “Right now, we really don't have any breaks in the case. I’m confused, and I’m worried. And I don’t like this one bit."

Several law enforcement agencies, including the Missouri State Highway Patrol, searched about a 9-mile radius around the park using people, dogs and drones. Forsyth's family set up a Facebook page seeking information.

“My brother has now been missing for week. I’m grieving, I’m afraid, and it feels like the world has tipped into sheer chaos,” his sister, Tiffany Andelin, wrote Monday.

Richard Forsyth said the last person his brother texted with was a woman to whom his brother had recently gotten engaged. The last time Richard saw him was a few days before he went missing.

“We had dinner Wednesday before he disappeared, and we sat and talked for three hours,” Richard Forsyth said. “I told him this is the happiest I’d seen him in a long time. His divorce was final May 11, and I think that gave him energy for the future.”

Phone and email messages left Tuesday with Cassville police were not immediately returned. Police have said there were no signs of foul play.

Richard Forsyth said his brother had been at the Cassville hospital for about 15 years. He described John Forsyth as a doting father, family physician and part-time math nerd.

“He really cared about his patients,” Richard Forsyth said, adding that his brother stayed in his RV near the hospital when he was on-call. “And he loved his kids.”

CASSVILLE, Mo. (AP) — Authorities in a small Missouri town continue to search for an emergency room physician a week-and-a-half after his mysterious disappearance.

Dr. John Forsyth, 49, was last heard from on May 21. Police said he was reported missing when he failed to show up for work that day at Mercy Hospital in Cassville, a town of 3,100 residents deep in the Missouri Ozarks.

“This is very unusual for him,” Forsyth’s brother, Richard Forsyth, told&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ozarksfirst.com/top-stories/search-continues-for-missing-cassville-doctor-family-reacts/">KOLR-TV</a>. “This is a punctual man who has never missed a day of work in his life, not even for being sick.”

Forsyth's black Infiniti was found in a remote area near an aquatic park in Cassville. The car was unlocked with his wallet, two phones and a laptop inside.

Several law enforcement agencies, including the Missouri State Highway Patrol, have joined in the search using people, dogs and drones. Forsyth's family set up a Facebook page seeking information.

“My brother has now been missing for week. I’m grieving, I’m afraid, and it feels like the world has tipped into sheer chaos,” his sister, Tiffany Andelin, wrote on Monday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685465277680.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) —A missing emergency room doctor from Missouri has been found dead in northwestern Arkansas, his brother said, but questions remain about what happened in the week since he was last seen.Authorities said the body of Dr. John Forsyth, 49, was discovered in Benton County, Arkansas, roughly an hour-and-a-half drive from where the doctor's car was found near an aquatic park in Cassville, Missouri, his brother Richard Forsyth said in an interview Tuesday. Richard Forsyth said authorities had contacted family members with the information. He provided no other details.The black Infiniti was unlocked with John Forsyth's wallet, two phones, a laptop and other items inside, his brother said. Police told the family there were no signs of foul play. An autopsy and official identification were pending.“Right now, we really don’t have any breaks in the case,” Richard Forsyth said earlier Tuesday. “I’m confused, and I’m worried. And I don’t like this one bit.”Police in Cassville announced Tuesday night that the Benton County Sheriff’s Office informed them a body had been found, the same day the brother said the family was told about the discovery.Messages left Wednesday with the Benton County Sheriff’s Office and the Missouri State Highway Patrol were not immediately returned.The last known person who communicated with John Forsyth was the woman he'd recently gotten engaged to, who texted with him at around 7 a.m. on Sunday, May 21, his brother said.Police say he was reported missing when he failed to show up for work May 21 at Mercy Hospital in Cassville, a town of 3,100 residents deep in the Missouri Ozarks.The last time his brother saw John Forsyth was at dinner on Wednesday, May 17.“I told him this is the happiest I’d seen him in a long time. His divorce was final May 11, and I think that gave him energy for the future,” Richard Forsyth said.John Forsyth had worked at the Cassville hospital for about 15 years, his brother said, describing him as a doting father, part-time math nerd and dedicated physician who stayed in his RV near the hospital when he was on-call.“He really cared about his patients,” Richard Forsyth said. “And he loved his kids.”When the doctor's vehicle was found, several law enforcement agencies searched about a 9-mile (15-kilometer) radius around the aquatic park using people, dogs and drones. Forsyth's family set up a Facebook page seeking information.“My brother has now been missing for week,” his sister, Tiffany Andelin, wrote Monday. “I’m grieving, I’m afraid, and it feels like the world has tipped into sheer chaos.”----------------KANSAS CITY (AP) —The body of a Missouri emergency room doctor who has been missing for more than a week has been found in northwest Arkansas, his brother told The Associated Press on Tuesday.Dr. John Forsyth was last heard from in text messages around 7 a.m. May 21. His brother, Richard Forsyth, said authorities called the family Tuesday night to say his brother was found deceased. He said he and other family members were waiting for more details from detectives.Messages left with the Missouri State Highway Patrol were not immediately returned.Police said John Forsyth, 49, was reported missing when he failed to show up for work May 21 at Mercy Hospital in Cassville, a town of 3,100 residents deep in the Missouri Ozarks.His black Infiniti was found parked in a remote area near an aquatic park in Cassville. The car was unlocked with his wallet, two phones and a laptop and other items inside.“It doesn't seem like a person who left with a plan,” Richard Forsyth told the AP earlier Tuesday. “Right now, we really don't have any breaks in the case. I’m confused, and I’m worried. And I don’t like this one bit."Several law enforcement agencies, including the Missouri State Highway Patrol, searched about a 9-mile radius around the park using people, dogs and drones. Forsyth's family set up a Facebook page seeking information.“My brother has now been missing for week. I’m grieving, I’m afraid, and it feels like the world has tipped into sheer chaos,” his sister, Tiffany Andelin, wrote Monday.Richard Forsyth said the last person his brother texted with was a woman to whom his brother had recently gotten engaged. The last time Richard saw him was a few days before he went missing.“We had dinner Wednesday before he disappeared, and we sat and talked for three hours,” Richard Forsyth said. “I told him this is the happiest I’d seen him in a long time. His divorce was final May 11, and I think that gave him energy for the future.”Phone and email messages left Tuesday with Cassville police were not immediately returned. Police have said there were no signs of foul play.Richard Forsyth said his brother had been at the Cassville hospital for about 15 years. He described John Forsyth as a doting father, family physician and part-time math nerd.“He really cared about his patients,” Richard Forsyth said, adding that his brother stayed in his RV near the hospital when he was on-call. “And he loved his kids.”-------------CASSVILLE, Mo. (AP) — Authorities in a small Missouri town continue to search for an emergency room physician a week-and-a-half after his mysterious disappearance.Dr. John Forsyth, 49, was last heard from on May 21. Police said he was reported missing when he failed to show up for work that day at Mercy Hospital in Cassville, a town of 3,100 residents deep in the Missouri Ozarks.“This is very unusual for him,” Forsyth’s brother, Richard Forsyth, told&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ozarksfirst.com/top-stories/search-continues-for-missing-cassville-doctor-family-reacts/">KOLR-TV</a>. “This is a punctual man who has never missed a day of work in his life, not even for being sick.”Forsyth's black Infiniti was found in a remote area near an aquatic park in Cassville. The car was unlocked with his wallet, two phones and a laptop inside.Several law enforcement agencies, including the Missouri State Highway Patrol, have joined in the search using people, dogs and drones. Forsyth's family set up a Facebook page seeking information.“My brother has now been missing for week. I’m grieving, I’m afraid, and it feels like the world has tipped into sheer chaos,” his sister, Tiffany Andelin, wrote on Monday.Phone and email messages left Tuesday with Cassville police were not immediately returned. Police have said there were no signs of foul play.

Questions remain: Body of missing Missouri doctor found 

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Pudgie, a 50-year-old hippopotamus at the Sedgwick County Zoo died Tuesday.

 She succumbed to ongoing health issues and declining mobility due to her advanced age, according to a media release from the zoo.

In recent years, keepers and veterinarians at the zoo had been providing specialized geriatric care to keep Pudgie comfortable and ensure she maintained a good quality of life. 

However, she recently took an obvious downward turn and it became clear that her pain was too difficult to manage. The very tough decision was made to compassionately and humanely euthanize her in order to prevent any suffering. 

A necropsy (animal autopsy) will be performed to further understand the extent of Pudgie’s health conditions. &nbsp;

Pudgie was born Oct. 18, 1972, at Houston Zoo and has called Sedgwick County Zoo home since 1973, when she joined hippo Sweetie Pie in the Zoo’s African Veldt habitat. The two have lived together at the zoo for the past five decades.

Keepers affectionately describe Pudgie as “bossy” – making sure she always gets what she wants and only on her terms. They’ll miss her stubborn personality, always greeting them with a “laugh” each morning and begging for treats and tongue scratches.

Not only was Pudgie cared for by numerous keepers during her time in Wichita, but she was also loved and adored by thousands of guests who have shared touching stories about what it was like to see a hippo for the very first time. Zoo-goers loved watching Pudgie drink from the firehose or smash whole watermelons in her mouth – they were her favorite treat.

Without her best friend around, Sweetie Pie will have some adjusting to do. Keepers will be devoting extra time to not only monitor her behavior and well-being, but to give her plenty of love and extra attention.

No doubt one of the most iconic animals at the Sedgwick County Zoo, Pudgie will be deeply missed by everyone who knew her. Pudgie’s keepers encourage her fans to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SedgwickCountyZoo/">share their memories with the zoo</a> on social media as a way to commemorate the amazing life she shared with the community.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685546080191.png" alt="Pudgie, Nile Hippopotamus photo courtesy Sedgwick County Zoo" />
 <figcaption>Pudgie, Nile Hippopotamus photo courtesy Sedgwick County Zoo</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Pudgie, a 50-year-old hippopotamus at the Sedgwick County Zoo died Tuesday. She succumbed to ongoing health issues and declining mobility due to her advanced age, according to a media release from the zoo.In recent years, keepers and veterinarians at the zoo had been providing specialized geriatric care to keep Pudgie comfortable and ensure she maintained a good quality of life. However, she recently took an obvious downward turn and it became clear that her pain was too difficult to manage. The very tough decision was made to compassionately and humanely euthanize her in order to prevent any suffering. A necropsy (animal autopsy) will be performed to further understand the extent of Pudgie’s health conditions. &nbsp;Pudgie was born Oct. 18, 1972, at Houston Zoo and has called Sedgwick County Zoo home since 1973, when she joined hippo Sweetie Pie in the Zoo’s African Veldt habitat. The two have lived together at the zoo for the past five decades.Keepers affectionately describe Pudgie as “bossy” – making sure she always gets what she wants and only on her terms. They’ll miss her stubborn personality, always greeting them with a “laugh” each morning and begging for treats and tongue scratches.Not only was Pudgie cared for by numerous keepers during her time in Wichita, but she was also loved and adored by thousands of guests who have shared touching stories about what it was like to see a hippo for the very first time. Zoo-goers loved watching Pudgie drink from the firehose or smash whole watermelons in her mouth – they were her favorite treat.Without her best friend around, Sweetie Pie will have some adjusting to do. Keepers will be devoting extra time to not only monitor her behavior and well-being, but to give her plenty of love and extra attention.No doubt one of the most iconic animals at the Sedgwick County Zoo, Pudgie will be deeply missed by everyone who knew her. Pudgie’s keepers encourage her fans to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SedgwickCountyZoo/">share their memories with the zoo</a> on social media as a way to commemorate the amazing life she shared with the community.

 Popular 50-year-old hippo at Kansas zoo has died

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a woman's beating death and have made an arrest.

Just before 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to report of a&nbsp; clubbing in the area of 5700 E. Central in Wichita, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.

First responders located the victim identified 46-year-old Kacey Joel of Wichita, laying in the back yard of a residence with visible injuries.

Officers immediately rendered aid and she was transported to a local area hospital. She sustained significant trauma to her body and later died from her injuries, according to Gupilan.

Eyewitnesses reported that her son, 21-year-old Devin Joel, was seen running from the scene. Officers quickly were able to locate him after a brief foot pursuit. He made comments that he was going to die by suicide by cop and was yielding a knife when officers confronted him.

 The officers were able to get him to put the knife down and he was taken into custody without incident. He is being held on requested charges of First-Degree Murder. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685534788085.png" alt="Joel-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Joel-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a woman's beating death and have made an arrest.Just before 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to report of a&nbsp; clubbing in the area of 5700 E. Central in Wichita, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.First responders located the victim identified 46-year-old Kacey Joel of Wichita, laying in the back yard of a residence with visible injuries.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685527814365.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation Tuesday afternoon-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation Tuesday afternoon-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>Officers immediately rendered aid and she was transported to a local area hospital. She sustained significant trauma to her body and later died from her injuries, according to Gupilan.Eyewitnesses reported that her son, 21-year-old Devin Joel, was seen running from the scene. Officers quickly were able to locate him after a brief foot pursuit. He made comments that he was going to die by suicide by cop and was yielding a knife when officers confronted him. The officers were able to get him to put the knife down and he was taken into custody without incident. He is being held on requested charges of First-Degree Murder.

Police: Kansas man accused of mother's beating death

By ASHLEY MURRAY <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>

WASHINGTON — The holiday weekend debt ceiling deal struck by President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy preserves in part new work requirements for some food stamp recipients but now with exceptions for certain populations, including veterans.

The agreement released late Saturday night showed concessions from both sides — from GOP members, who wanted to tighten eligibility for not just food stamps but also low-income health care, and from the Democrats, who called such restrictions a nonstarter.

The Biden administration and the Republican House majority arrived at a compromise, titled the Fiscal Responsibility Act, the day after Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://newjerseymonitor.com/2023/05/27/treasury-secretary-pinpoints-june-5-as-earliest-date-for-u-s-debt-default/">warned</a>&nbsp;the U.S. would default if a deal wasn’t brokered by June 5.

Work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, and other government benefits were a sticking point during the months of stalemate leading right up to the edge of Treasury exhausting all reserves to pay the nation’s bills.

The House is expected to vote on the deal by late evening Wednesday, after which the bill will head to the Democratic-led Senate.

The Fiscal Responsibility Act proposes additional work requirements, with a sunset date of 2030, for adults without dependents age 18 to 55, unless the recipient has veteran status, is a homeless person or is under 24 and aging out of the foster care system.

The House GOP majority maintains the new rules would “lift Americans out of poverty” and that the “consequential reforms” will “save taxpayer dollars, get Americans back to work, and grow the economy,” according to a document released Saturday by the office of GOP Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota.

The move softens McCarthy’s&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://tennesseelookout.com/2023/04/26/u-s-house-gop-plan-would-expand-work-requirements-for-food-aid-for-older-adults/">original proposal</a>&nbsp;that raised the work requirements for food assistance beneficiaries without dependents up to age 55 without exceptions for veterans,&nbsp; homeless people or young adults exiting foster care.

As the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/work-requirements">law stands now</a>, all recipients of federal nutrition aid ages 16 to 59 must either be looking for work, enrolled in a SNAP employment training program, or pulling in wages equivalent to 30 hours per week at the federal minimum wage.

Some exceptions exist, for example, for people who already have a job, are physically or mentally unable, or are caring for a child under 6.

Those considered able-bodied adults ages 18 to 49 are subject to additional rules and must work for pay, attend a training program or volunteer 80 hours a month — though some states can waive these requirements depending on unemployment figures and other factors.

Beneficiaries in that age range who don’t meet the current additional work requirements, and cannot secure an exemption, can only receive SNAP benefits, formerly called food stamps, for three months over a three-year period.

The left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://tennesseelookout.com/2023/04/26/u-s-house-gop-plan-would-expand-work-requirements-for-food-aid-for-older-adults/">estimated</a>&nbsp;that raising the age to 55 would have put food assistance in jeopardy for roughly 1 million adults without dependents.

In a statement Sunday, the center’s president, Sharon Parrott, called the new proposal a “significant improvement over the radical House bill.”

But she continued: “It is not the deal the country deserves. There are a number of troubling elements, including the provision that will put at risk food assistance for very low-income older adults. This policy will increase hunger and poverty among that group, runs contrary to our nation’s values, and should be rejected. The nation must pay its bills — but that shouldn’t mean enacting legislation that leaves people who already struggle to afford the basics worse off.”

The most conservative wing of the GOP&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2023/01/07/u-s-house-gop-backs-mccarthy-as-speaker-after-tense-and-chaotic-late-night-session/">demanded</a>&nbsp;McCarthy tie spending cuts to a debt ceiling increase in exchange for their support in securing McCarthy the speaker’s gavel.

The original debt ceiling proposal — the Limit, Save, Grow Act that was narrowly approved by the GOP House majority — included the expanded SNAP work rules along with new work requirements for Medicaid recipients, and for the poorest Americans who rely on Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF.

Together those expanded welfare requirements would have cut $100 billion and $120 billion in government spending over the next ten years, according to respective analyses from the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.crfb.org/blogs/whats-limit-save-grow-act">Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.moodysanalytics.com/-/media/article/2023/debt-limit-drama.pdf">Moody’s Analytics</a>. But, as both analyses concluded, the Limit, Save, Grow Act’s clawback of new IRS funding, passed in 2022 to modernize tax collection, would have offset that savings by costing the government roughly $100 billion over the next decade.

“Oh, Republicans want to reduce the deficit? I’ve got an easy idea – tax the rich,”&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/RepJayapal/status/1662925238378610689?s=20">tweeted</a>&nbsp;Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal, Washington congresswoman and head of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, which is criticizing the White House for agreeing to any new SNAP work requirements.

Some limitations on TANF made it into Saturday’s agreement, but work requirements for Medicaid were dropped.

The Congressional Budget Office, the nonpartisan body that calculates the cost and savings of legislation, has not yet released its score of the Fiscal Responsibility Act.

Shalanda Young, director of the U.S. Office Management and Budget, said Tuesday at the White House press briefing that the administration does not yet have an estimate for how many SNAP recipients will be subject to the new work requirements.

“Some people who have these requirements now will no longer if they’re homeless, if they’re veterans, if they’re foster youth aged out of the system up to 24. So the analysis is being finalized, but we believe those who are off of those requirements because of those exemptions, will be about the same number as those who are phased in on age,” said Young, who was among the negotiators for the new deal.

“And you have to remember this: This entire SNAP change (will) sunset in 2030 to give Congress a chance to see how the new exemptions work and how the new ages work,” she continued. “And (Congress) can opine on a future farm bill if these changes have made a difference in the SNAP program.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers SNAP, analyzes the number of beneficiaries and any changes to the program. Nutrition programs make up the majority of the multi-year omnibus legislation referred to as the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF12047#:~:text=The%20farm%20bill%20extends%20authorizations,would%20be%20costly%20if%20restored.">farm bill</a>.

Congress is in the process of negotiating a new farm bill, which reauthorizes spending for food and agriculture programs.

The idea for expanding SNAP work requirements&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2023/03/14/south-dakota-congressman-advocates-expansion-of-work-requirements-for-federal-food-aid/">gained traction in March</a>&nbsp;when Republican Rep. Dusty Johnson of South Dakota, a member of the House Committee on Agriculture, introduced the America Works Act, which proposed adjusting the work rules for recipients up to 65.

Johnson’s office did not respond to an inquiry on whether the congressman would push for the tightened rules under the farm bill.

A congressional aide for the GOP-led House Agriculture Committee said the effort is unlikely. Attempts to re-litigate work requirements for SNAP during the farm bill process would present an unnecessary hurdle in drafting and passing a timely, bipartisan farm bill, the aide said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/10/1571410354379.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By ASHLEY MURRAY <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>WASHINGTON — The holiday weekend debt ceiling deal struck by President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy preserves in part new work requirements for some food stamp recipients but now with exceptions for certain populations, including veterans.The agreement released late Saturday night showed concessions from both sides — from GOP members, who wanted to tighten eligibility for not just food stamps but also low-income health care, and from the Democrats, who called such restrictions a nonstarter.The Biden administration and the Republican House majority arrived at a compromise, titled the Fiscal Responsibility Act, the day after Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://newjerseymonitor.com/2023/05/27/treasury-secretary-pinpoints-june-5-as-earliest-date-for-u-s-debt-default/">warned</a>&nbsp;the U.S. would default if a deal wasn’t brokered by June 5.Work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, and other government benefits were a sticking point during the months of stalemate leading right up to the edge of Treasury exhausting all reserves to pay the nation’s bills.The House is expected to vote on the deal by late evening Wednesday, after which the bill will head to the Democratic-led Senate.<h2>New work rules</h2>The Fiscal Responsibility Act proposes additional work requirements, with a sunset date of 2030, for adults without dependents age 18 to 55, unless the recipient has veteran status, is a homeless person or is under 24 and aging out of the foster care system.The House GOP majority maintains the new rules would “lift Americans out of poverty” and that the “consequential reforms” will “save taxpayer dollars, get Americans back to work, and grow the economy,” according to a document released Saturday by the office of GOP Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota.The move softens McCarthy’s&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://tennesseelookout.com/2023/04/26/u-s-house-gop-plan-would-expand-work-requirements-for-food-aid-for-older-adults/">original proposal</a>&nbsp;that raised the work requirements for food assistance beneficiaries without dependents up to age 55 without exceptions for veterans,&nbsp; homeless people or young adults exiting foster care.As the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/work-requirements">law stands now</a>, all recipients of federal nutrition aid ages 16 to 59 must either be looking for work, enrolled in a SNAP employment training program, or pulling in wages equivalent to 30 hours per week at the federal minimum wage.Some exceptions exist, for example, for people who already have a job, are physically or mentally unable, or are caring for a child under 6.Those considered able-bodied adults ages 18 to 49 are subject to additional rules and must work for pay, attend a training program or volunteer 80 hours a month — though some states can waive these requirements depending on unemployment figures and other factors.Beneficiaries in that age range who don’t meet the current additional work requirements, and cannot secure an exemption, can only receive SNAP benefits, formerly called food stamps, for three months over a three-year period.The left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://tennesseelookout.com/2023/04/26/u-s-house-gop-plan-would-expand-work-requirements-for-food-aid-for-older-adults/">estimated</a>&nbsp;that raising the age to 55 would have put food assistance in jeopardy for roughly 1 million adults without dependents.In a statement Sunday, the center’s president, Sharon Parrott, called the new proposal a “significant improvement over the radical House bill.”But she continued: “It is not the deal the country deserves. There are a number of troubling elements, including the provision that will put at risk food assistance for very low-income older adults. This policy will increase hunger and poverty among that group, runs contrary to our nation’s values, and should be rejected. The nation must pay its bills — but that shouldn’t mean enacting legislation that leaves people who already struggle to afford the basics worse off.”The most conservative wing of the GOP&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2023/01/07/u-s-house-gop-backs-mccarthy-as-speaker-after-tense-and-chaotic-late-night-session/">demanded</a>&nbsp;McCarthy tie spending cuts to a debt ceiling increase in exchange for their support in securing McCarthy the speaker’s gavel.The original debt ceiling proposal — the Limit, Save, Grow Act that was narrowly approved by the GOP House majority — included the expanded SNAP work rules along with new work requirements for Medicaid recipients, and for the poorest Americans who rely on Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF.Together those expanded welfare requirements would have cut $100 billion and $120 billion in government spending over the next ten years, according to respective analyses from the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.crfb.org/blogs/whats-limit-save-grow-act">Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.moodysanalytics.com/-/media/article/2023/debt-limit-drama.pdf">Moody’s Analytics</a>. But, as both analyses concluded, the Limit, Save, Grow Act’s clawback of new IRS funding, passed in 2022 to modernize tax collection, would have offset that savings by costing the government roughly $100 billion over the next decade.“Oh, Republicans want to reduce the deficit? I’ve got an easy idea – tax the rich,”&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/RepJayapal/status/1662925238378610689?s=20">tweeted</a>&nbsp;Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal, Washington congresswoman and head of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, which is criticizing the White House for agreeing to any new SNAP work requirements.Some limitations on TANF made it into Saturday’s agreement, but work requirements for Medicaid were dropped.The Congressional Budget Office, the nonpartisan body that calculates the cost and savings of legislation, has not yet released its score of the Fiscal Responsibility Act.Shalanda Young, director of the U.S. Office Management and Budget, said Tuesday at the White House press briefing that the administration does not yet have an estimate for how many SNAP recipients will be subject to the new work requirements.“Some people who have these requirements now will no longer if they’re homeless, if they’re veterans, if they’re foster youth aged out of the system up to 24. So the analysis is being finalized, but we believe those who are off of those requirements because of those exemptions, will be about the same number as those who are phased in on age,” said Young, who was among the negotiators for the new deal.“And you have to remember this: This entire SNAP change (will) sunset in 2030 to give Congress a chance to see how the new exemptions work and how the new ages work,” she continued. “And (Congress) can opine on a future farm bill if these changes have made a difference in the SNAP program.”<h2>Farm bill</h2>The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers SNAP, analyzes the number of beneficiaries and any changes to the program. Nutrition programs make up the majority of the multi-year omnibus legislation referred to as the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF12047#:~:text=The%20farm%20bill%20extends%20authorizations,would%20be%20costly%20if%20restored.">farm bill</a>.Congress is in the process of negotiating a new farm bill, which reauthorizes spending for food and agriculture programs.The idea for expanding SNAP work requirements&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2023/03/14/south-dakota-congressman-advocates-expansion-of-work-requirements-for-federal-food-aid/">gained traction in March</a>&nbsp;when Republican Rep. Dusty Johnson of South Dakota, a member of the House Committee on Agriculture, introduced the America Works Act, which proposed adjusting the work rules for recipients up to 65.Johnson’s office did not respond to an inquiry on whether the congressman would push for the tightened rules under the farm bill.A congressional aide for the GOP-led House Agriculture Committee said the effort is unlikely. Attempts to re-litigate work requirements for SNAP during the farm bill process would present an unnecessary hurdle in drafting and passing a timely, bipartisan farm bill, the aide said.

New work requirements for some SNAP recipients included in debt limit deal

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating alleged aggravated assault.

Just before midnight Saturday, deputies with the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to the 8200 block of SW 10th Street for a disturbance involving a firearm, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

A family of four riding their 2023 Polaris Rzr ATV&nbsp; told deputies that an&nbsp;individual in a pickup truck threatened them with a firearm.

Deputies were able to locate the truck and the driver. A search warrant was executed and a firearm matching the description was located.

Deputies then arrested 50-year-old Fabian R. Tinajero of Topeka, and booked him into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685464616228.png" alt="Tinajero-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Tinajero-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating alleged aggravated assault.Just before midnight Saturday, deputies with the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to the 8200 block of SW 10th Street for a disturbance involving a firearm, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.A family of four riding their 2023 Polaris Rzr ATV&nbsp; told deputies that an&nbsp;individual in a pickup truck threatened them with a firearm.Deputies were able to locate the truck and the driver. A search warrant was executed and a firearm matching the description was located.Deputies then arrested 50-year-old Fabian R. Tinajero of Topeka, and booked him into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Sheriff: Kansas man with a gun threatened family on ATV

LYON COUNTY —Detectives investigating alleged inappropriate touching of students by an adult at a middle school dance in Emporia on May 12, are near the completion of their work on the case, according to Police Captain Lisa Hayes.

Over 30 interviews have been conducted and several days were spent reviewing videos from inside the school.

All alleged victims, their parents or guardians were given the opportunity to view the video footage with a detective at the Emporia Police Department.

The investigation has revealed no probable cause to believe any adult(s) intentionally touched any students in an inappropriate manner. Probable cause has been established, however, to believe 4 juveniles made false reports to the Emporia Police Department regarding this incident.&nbsp;

Police intend to propose to the Lyon County Attorney’s Office, the 4 juveniles be formally charged with Falsely Reporting a Crime.

The Emporia Police Department also thanked USD 253 for their cooperation in this investigation. 

LYON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating alleged inappropriate touching by an adult at a middle school dance in Emporia on Friday,&nbsp;according to Police Captain Lisa Hayes.

Police have conducted interviews and are reviewing security video from inside the school, according to Hayes.&nbsp; USD 253 Emporia and the alleged suspect have been cooperative with the investigation.

Police expect to conduct additional interviews and ask those with 'firsthand' information and directly witnessed the incident to contact them at 620-343-4225.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684147771319.png" alt="The Emporia Police Department thanked USD 253 for their cooperation in this investigation.-Google image" />
 <figcaption>The Emporia Police Department thanked USD 253 for their cooperation in this investigation.-Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>LYON COUNTY —Detectives investigating alleged inappropriate touching of students by an adult at a middle school dance in Emporia on May 12, are near the completion of their work on the case, according to Police Captain Lisa Hayes.Over 30 interviews have been conducted and several days were spent reviewing videos from inside the school.All alleged victims, their parents or guardians were given the opportunity to view the video footage with a detective at the Emporia Police Department.The investigation has revealed no probable cause to believe any adult(s) intentionally touched any students in an inappropriate manner. Probable cause has been established, however, to believe 4 juveniles made false reports to the Emporia Police Department regarding this incident.&nbsp;Police intend to propose to the Lyon County Attorney’s Office, the 4 juveniles be formally charged with Falsely Reporting a Crime.The Emporia Police Department also thanked USD 253 for their cooperation in this investigation. ----------LYON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating alleged inappropriate touching by an adult at a middle school dance in Emporia on Friday,&nbsp;according to Police Captain Lisa Hayes.Police have conducted interviews and are reviewing security video from inside the school, according to Hayes.&nbsp; USD 253 Emporia and the alleged suspect have been cooperative with the investigation.Police expect to conduct additional interviews and ask those with 'firsthand' information and directly witnessed the incident to contact them at 620-343-4225.&nbsp;

Students accused of false reports of incident at Kan. school dance

By JENNIFER SHUTT AND&nbsp;ARIANA FIGUEROA&nbsp;&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>

WASHINGTON — Congress began moving the bipartisan debt limit package forward Tuesday, though frustrations with provisions in the bill could make for narrow passage in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate.

<a href="https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20230529/BILLS-118hrPIH-fiscalresponsibility.pdf">Click here to read&nbsp;</a>the bill

Conservative Republicans and progressive Democrats both aired their disappointment with the agreement&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/biden-mccarthy-say-they-have-brokered-debt-limit-deal-avert-us-default">forged over the weekend</a>, but only GOP lawmakers are looking to possibly remove Kevin McCarthy as speaker because of the deal.

U.S. House Freedom Caucus Chair Scott Perry said Tuesday that conservative Republicans will do whatever they can to block the legislation, arguing the agreement “totally fails to deliver” on conservative priorities.

Perry, a Pennsylvania Republican, declined to directly answer questions about whether the group of about a dozen conservative lawmakers at the press conference would use the so-called motion to vacate to remove McCarthy as speaker.

“I am focused on defeating this bill,” Perry said. “What happens post that … we will decide once we’ve determined the disposition of this bill.”

Texas GOP Rep. Chip Roy said there will be a “reckoning” if the debt limit package moves forward following a floor vote and North Carolina Rep. Dan Bishop indicated he may move for the floor vote to oust McCarthy as speaker.

The House is expected to vote on Wednesday around 8:30 p.m. Eastern to send the legislation to the Senate, where lawmakers need to approve the measure before Monday. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/treasury-secretary-pinpoints-june-5-earliest-date-us-debt-default">warned last week</a>&nbsp;that if the debt limit is not addressed before that date, the country would begin a default.

The House Rules Committee voted 7-6 Tuesday to advance the bill dealing with the federal debt ceiling to the full House, with two Republicans joining Democrats to oppose.

The House must vote Wednesday to approve the rule before it can move on to formally debate and vote on the bill.

In one late development, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the spending restrictions in the package would reduce deficits by $1.5 trillion over the decade, a top goal for the Republicans trying to curb the debt load.

But in a surprise that could further erode Republican support, the GOP's drive to impose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-work-requirements-snap-medicaid-biden-66270829cfc0009ddb5f59eb12a6ba7a">work requirements on older Americans receiving food stamps</a>&nbsp;ends up boosting spending by $2.1 billion over the time period. That's because the final deal exempted veterans and homeless people, expanding the food stamp rolls by some 78,000 people monthly, the CBO said.

Democrats will be key to moving the bill through the Republican-controlled House, even if some of their members are not entirely happy with the outcome.

Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal said Tuesday the group was undergoing its whip count and determining whether to take an official position on the package.

Jayapal, a Washington Democrat, said the Republican Party “did not win any major concessions on spending” in the agreement, but said the legislation does include some provisions she is “seriously concerned about.”

Jayapal said she is in talks with the White House about how exactly the handshake agreements that aren’t included in bill text would work, especially the promise that some of the funds being clawed back will be redirected to domestic spending in the annual appropriations bills.

She also expressed concerns about the changes to work requirements for two federal safety net programs — Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — and for energy permitting.

“That is a significant problem,” Jayapal said. “I’ve said before that the United States is the only industrialized country that puts these kinds of bureaucratic red tape requirements on people who are just trying to get food for their families.”

Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young, who had a heavy hand in negotiations, said during a White House press briefing Tuesday the deal “represents a compromise, which means no one gets everything that they want, and hard choices had to be made.”

Young said the agreement with House Republican leaders protects key legislative priorities of the Biden administration, such as the climate provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act.

Here’s a look at what’s in the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20230529/BILLS-118hrPIH-fiscalresponsibility.pdf">99-page bill</a>:

Debt limit:&nbsp;It would suspend the nation’s debt limit through Jan. 1, 2025, meaning whoever wins the 2024 presidential election will likely negotiate the next agreement with that Congress.

Federal government spending levels:&nbsp;The agreement would cap discretionary spending at $886.35 billion for defense and $703.65 billion for nondefense during fiscal 2024, set to begin Oct. 1. That’s about a 3% increase for defense and roughly flat funding for nondefense.

Spending levels for the following fiscal year, 2025, would be set at $895.21 billion for defense and $710.69 billion for nondefense. That would represent about a 1% boost for nondefense accounts.

Discretionary spending accounts for about one-third of federal spending while mandatory spending on programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security make up the other two-thirds.

Nondefense accounts fund the vast majority of federal departments and agencies, including Agriculture, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs, while defense funding goes predominantly to the Pentagon.

Some of the spending on nondefense programs would be paid for by moving around, or repurposing, unspent COVID-19 funding and part of the $80 billion Democrats approved last year for the Internal Revenue Service.

In order to actually achieve those spending levels, the House, Senate and Biden administration must reach agreement on all dozen of the annual appropriations bills in the months ahead.

Tax code:&nbsp;The deal doesn’t include any changes to the tax code, something President Joe Biden pushed for but McCarthy rejected.

Work requirements:&nbsp;The legislation doesn’t alter Medicaid eligibility, but it does make changes to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Changes to all three were pushed for by Republicans.

TANF recipients could experience some changes to the program on Oct. 1, 2024, while others would go into place a year later on Oct. 1, 2025.

The program now requires states to have 50% of TANF recipients working, though states can lower that threshold based on how much their caseload has fallen since 2005, according to a White House official.

This legislation would set that year to 2015, give states two years to implement the changes and “allow states to do things like spending additional TANF dollars and in exchange being able to get a lower work participation rate because of that,” according to the White House official.

SNAP’s current work requirements for many able-bodied adults extend from age 18 through 49. This bill text says it would raise the ceiling to age 51 during the current fiscal year, to age 53 during the fiscal year slated to begin Oct. 1 and to 55 during fiscal 2025.

Veterans, homeless individuals and people 24 or younger who were in the foster care system when they turned 18 wouldn’t be subject to SNAP’s time limits, according to the White House.

The changes to SNAP would sunset on Oct. 1, 2030.

Energy permitting, student loan repayment

Energy permitting:&nbsp;Members of both political parties&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/overhaul-federal-permitting-part-debt-limit-deal-not-easy-it-sounds">have expressed interest&nbsp;</a>in overhauling how the federal government permits energy projects under the National Environmental Policy Act, known as NEPA.

NEPA requires federal agencies to consider the environmental effects of major federal actions, and the process can take years. Democrats have sought to speed construction for renewable energy projects, and Republicans have complained for years that the burdens of federal permitting restrict development.

The bill amends NEPA by limiting requirements on some projects and requires environmental reviews to be completed in a one- to- two-year time frame.

Separately, the White House agreed to streamline permits for the more than&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.mountainvalleypipeline.info/overview/">$6 billion Mountain Valley Pipeline</a>, a decision that has angered environmentalists and climate conscious Democrats.

West Virginia’s Sens. Joe Manchin III, a centrist Democrat, and Shelley Moore Capito, a Republican, have lobbied for the approval of the outstanding permits for the more than 300 miles of Mountain Valley Pipeline, also known as MVP, that would deliver gas from West Virginia into Virginia.

As part of the deal, the White House agreed to expedite permits for the long-disputed Appalachian natural gas pipeline, which has been on halt due to court cases brought on by environmentalists who have fought for years to prevent its construction.

Permits for the Mountain Valley Pipeline will be issued within 21 days after the debt ceiling bill is signed into law, according to the bill text. It also bars any judicial review of permits issued for the pipeline project by any government agency.

“I am pleased Speaker McCarthy and his leadership team see the tremendous value in completing the MVP to increase domestic energy production and drive down costs across America and especially in West Virginia,” Manchin, the chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources panel, said in a statement. “I am proud to have fought for this critical project and to have secured the bipartisan support necessary to get it across the finish line.”

The MVP has had more than 500 violations in state environmental laws, regulations and permit conditions,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://appvoices.org/resources/reports/MVP_Report_2023_AppalachianVoices.pdf">according to a report</a>&nbsp;by the environmental group Appalachian Voices.

COVID-19 funds:&nbsp;The agreement rescinds, or claws back, about $28 billion in some of the unspent federal funding that was approved during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Federal student loan repayment pause:&nbsp;The bill would codify the end of the pause on federal student loan repayments by August and bar the administration from reinstating a pause on repayments unless approved by Congress.

The Biden administration<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/11/27/student-loan-repayment-pause-extended-by-white-house-amid-legal-battles-over-relief-plan/">&nbsp;announced last year</a>&nbsp;its plans to resume requiring repayments on student loans either after the Supreme Court’s decision on the administration’s student debt cancellation policy or 60 days after June 30.

A pause on student loan repayments was first enacted in 2020 by the Trump administration due to the coronavirus pandemic, and later extended by the Biden administration.

The Biden administration’s one-time student debt cancellation has been a target for Republicans.<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/05/24/biden-student-debt-relief-plan-revoked-in-u-s-house-vote/">&nbsp;Last week</a>, the House voted to overturn the policy that would cancel up to $20,000 in federal student loan debt for borrowers who qualify. The Senate is expected to vote on the resolution of disapproval this week, where if passed, it would block the policy. The White House has vowed to veto it.

Internal Revenue Service funding:&nbsp;The agreement would allow Congress to pull $10 billion during fiscal 2024 and another $10 billion during fiscal 2025 from the IRS to pay for other domestic spending initiatives, according to the White House.

The money would come from the $80 billion boost to the IRS that Democrats approved last August as part of their signature climate change, health care and tax package known as the Inflation Reduction Act, or IRA.

The $20 billion claw back provision is not in the bill text, which only includes a $1.39 billion rescission to that IRS funding.

-The Associated Press contributed to this report

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685494918057.png" alt="U.S. House Freedom Caucus Chair Scott Perry said Tuesday that conservative Republicans will do whatever they can to block the legislation." />
 <figcaption>U.S. House Freedom Caucus Chair Scott Perry said Tuesday that conservative Republicans will do whatever they can to block the legislation.</figcaption>
 </figure>By JENNIFER SHUTT AND&nbsp;ARIANA FIGUEROA&nbsp;&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>WASHINGTON — Congress began moving the bipartisan debt limit package forward Tuesday, though frustrations with provisions in the bill could make for narrow passage in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate.<a href="https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20230529/BILLS-118hrPIH-fiscalresponsibility.pdf">Click here to read&nbsp;</a>the billConservative Republicans and progressive Democrats both aired their disappointment with the agreement&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/biden-mccarthy-say-they-have-brokered-debt-limit-deal-avert-us-default">forged over the weekend</a>, but only GOP lawmakers are looking to possibly remove Kevin McCarthy as speaker because of the deal.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">CBO’s Estimate of the Budgetary Effects of H.R. 3746, the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 <a href="https://t.co/k8rMbCevVk">https://t.co/k8rMbCevVk</a>&mdash; CBO Cost Estimates (@USCBOcostest) <a href="https://twitter.com/USCBOcostest/status/1663683359535513600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>U.S. House Freedom Caucus Chair Scott Perry said Tuesday that conservative Republicans will do whatever they can to block the legislation, arguing the agreement “totally fails to deliver” on conservative priorities.Perry, a Pennsylvania Republican, declined to directly answer questions about whether the group of about a dozen conservative lawmakers at the press conference would use the so-called motion to vacate to remove McCarthy as speaker.“I am focused on defeating this bill,” Perry said. “What happens post that … we will decide once we’ve determined the disposition of this bill.”Texas GOP Rep. Chip Roy said there will be a “reckoning” if the debt limit package moves forward following a floor vote and North Carolina Rep. Dan Bishop indicated he may move for the floor vote to oust McCarthy as speaker.The House is expected to vote on Wednesday around 8:30 p.m. Eastern to send the legislation to the Senate, where lawmakers need to approve the measure before Monday. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/treasury-secretary-pinpoints-june-5-earliest-date-us-debt-default">warned last week</a>&nbsp;that if the debt limit is not addressed before that date, the country would begin a default.The House Rules Committee voted 7-6 Tuesday to advance the bill dealing with the federal debt ceiling to the full House, with two Republicans joining Democrats to oppose.The House must vote Wednesday to approve the rule before it can move on to formally debate and vote on the bill.In one late development, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the spending restrictions in the package would reduce deficits by $1.5 trillion over the decade, a top goal for the Republicans trying to curb the debt load.But in a surprise that could further erode Republican support, the GOP's drive to impose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-work-requirements-snap-medicaid-biden-66270829cfc0009ddb5f59eb12a6ba7a">work requirements on older Americans receiving food stamps</a>&nbsp;ends up boosting spending by $2.1 billion over the time period. That's because the final deal exempted veterans and homeless people, expanding the food stamp rolls by some 78,000 people monthly, the CBO said.<h2>Concern among progressives</h2>Democrats will be key to moving the bill through the Republican-controlled House, even if some of their members are not entirely happy with the outcome.Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal said Tuesday the group was undergoing its whip count and determining whether to take an official position on the package.Jayapal, a Washington Democrat, said the Republican Party “did not win any major concessions on spending” in the agreement, but said the legislation does include some provisions she is “seriously concerned about.”Jayapal said she is in talks with the White House about how exactly the handshake agreements that aren’t included in bill text would work, especially the promise that some of the funds being clawed back will be redirected to domestic spending in the annual appropriations bills.She also expressed concerns about the changes to work requirements for two federal safety net programs — Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — and for energy permitting.“That is a significant problem,” Jayapal said. “I’ve said before that the United States is the only industrialized country that puts these kinds of bureaucratic red tape requirements on people who are just trying to get food for their families.”Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young, who had a heavy hand in negotiations, said during a White House press briefing Tuesday the deal “represents a compromise, which means no one gets everything that they want, and hard choices had to be made.”Young said the agreement with House Republican leaders protects key legislative priorities of the Biden administration, such as the climate provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act.<h2>Debt limit, tax code, work requirements</h2>Here’s a look at what’s in the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20230529/BILLS-118hrPIH-fiscalresponsibility.pdf">99-page bill</a>:Debt limit:&nbsp;It would suspend the nation’s debt limit through Jan. 1, 2025, meaning whoever wins the 2024 presidential election will likely negotiate the next agreement with that Congress.Federal government spending levels:&nbsp;The agreement would cap discretionary spending at $886.35 billion for defense and $703.65 billion for nondefense during fiscal 2024, set to begin Oct. 1. That’s about a 3% increase for defense and roughly flat funding for nondefense.Spending levels for the following fiscal year, 2025, would be set at $895.21 billion for defense and $710.69 billion for nondefense. That would represent about a 1% boost for nondefense accounts.Discretionary spending accounts for about one-third of federal spending while mandatory spending on programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security make up the other two-thirds.Nondefense accounts fund the vast majority of federal departments and agencies, including Agriculture, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs, while defense funding goes predominantly to the Pentagon.Some of the spending on nondefense programs would be paid for by moving around, or repurposing, unspent COVID-19 funding and part of the $80 billion Democrats approved last year for the Internal Revenue Service.In order to actually achieve those spending levels, the House, Senate and Biden administration must reach agreement on all dozen of the annual appropriations bills in the months ahead.Tax code:&nbsp;The deal doesn’t include any changes to the tax code, something President Joe Biden pushed for but McCarthy rejected.Work requirements:&nbsp;The legislation doesn’t alter Medicaid eligibility, but it does make changes to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Changes to all three were pushed for by Republicans.TANF recipients could experience some changes to the program on Oct. 1, 2024, while others would go into place a year later on Oct. 1, 2025.The program now requires states to have 50% of TANF recipients working, though states can lower that threshold based on how much their caseload has fallen since 2005, according to a White House official.This legislation would set that year to 2015, give states two years to implement the changes and “allow states to do things like spending additional TANF dollars and in exchange being able to get a lower work participation rate because of that,” according to the White House official.SNAP’s current work requirements for many able-bodied adults extend from age 18 through 49. This bill text says it would raise the ceiling to age 51 during the current fiscal year, to age 53 during the fiscal year slated to begin Oct. 1 and to 55 during fiscal 2025.Veterans, homeless individuals and people 24 or younger who were in the foster care system when they turned 18 wouldn’t be subject to SNAP’s time limits, according to the White House.The changes to SNAP would sunset on Oct. 1, 2030.<h2>Energy permitting, student loan repayment</h2>Energy permitting:&nbsp;Members of both political parties&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/overhaul-federal-permitting-part-debt-limit-deal-not-easy-it-sounds">have expressed interest&nbsp;</a>in overhauling how the federal government permits energy projects under the National Environmental Policy Act, known as NEPA.NEPA requires federal agencies to consider the environmental effects of major federal actions, and the process can take years. Democrats have sought to speed construction for renewable energy projects, and Republicans have complained for years that the burdens of federal permitting restrict development.The bill amends NEPA by limiting requirements on some projects and requires environmental reviews to be completed in a one- to- two-year time frame.Separately, the White House agreed to streamline permits for the more than&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.mountainvalleypipeline.info/overview/">$6 billion Mountain Valley Pipeline</a>, a decision that has angered environmentalists and climate conscious Democrats.West Virginia’s Sens. Joe Manchin III, a centrist Democrat, and Shelley Moore Capito, a Republican, have lobbied for the approval of the outstanding permits for the more than 300 miles of Mountain Valley Pipeline, also known as MVP, that would deliver gas from West Virginia into Virginia.As part of the deal, the White House agreed to expedite permits for the long-disputed Appalachian natural gas pipeline, which has been on halt due to court cases brought on by environmentalists who have fought for years to prevent its construction.Permits for the Mountain Valley Pipeline will be issued within 21 days after the debt ceiling bill is signed into law, according to the bill text. It also bars any judicial review of permits issued for the pipeline project by any government agency.“I am pleased Speaker McCarthy and his leadership team see the tremendous value in completing the MVP to increase domestic energy production and drive down costs across America and especially in West Virginia,” Manchin, the chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources panel, said in a statement. “I am proud to have fought for this critical project and to have secured the bipartisan support necessary to get it across the finish line.”The MVP has had more than 500 violations in state environmental laws, regulations and permit conditions,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://appvoices.org/resources/reports/MVP_Report_2023_AppalachianVoices.pdf">according to a report</a>&nbsp;by the environmental group Appalachian Voices.COVID-19 funds:&nbsp;The agreement rescinds, or claws back, about $28 billion in some of the unspent federal funding that was approved during the COVID-19 pandemic.Federal student loan repayment pause:&nbsp;The bill would codify the end of the pause on federal student loan repayments by August and bar the administration from reinstating a pause on repayments unless approved by Congress.The Biden administration<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/11/27/student-loan-repayment-pause-extended-by-white-house-amid-legal-battles-over-relief-plan/">&nbsp;announced last year</a>&nbsp;its plans to resume requiring repayments on student loans either after the Supreme Court’s decision on the administration’s student debt cancellation policy or 60 days after June 30.A pause on student loan repayments was first enacted in 2020 by the Trump administration due to the coronavirus pandemic, and later extended by the Biden administration.The Biden administration’s one-time student debt cancellation has been a target for Republicans.<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/05/24/biden-student-debt-relief-plan-revoked-in-u-s-house-vote/">&nbsp;Last week</a>, the House voted to overturn the policy that would cancel up to $20,000 in federal student loan debt for borrowers who qualify. The Senate is expected to vote on the resolution of disapproval this week, where if passed, it would block the policy. The White House has vowed to veto it.Internal Revenue Service funding:&nbsp;The agreement would allow Congress to pull $10 billion during fiscal 2024 and another $10 billion during fiscal 2025 from the IRS to pay for other domestic spending initiatives, according to the White House.The money would come from the $80 billion boost to the IRS that Democrats approved last August as part of their signature climate change, health care and tax package known as the Inflation Reduction Act, or IRA.The $20 billion claw back provision is not in the bill text, which only includes a $1.39 billion rescission to that IRS funding.-The Associated Press contributed to this report

Debt limit deal hits turbulence in Congress as leaders prep for vote

KANSAS CITY —A judge sentenced a Kansas City-area man to 20 years in prison for a 2021 knife attack of a woman in an Independence, Missouri, public park, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

The defendant&nbsp; 30-year-old Ronald L. Thompson pleaded guilty to Assault 1st Degree as part of a plea agreement. The judge sentenced the to 20 years in prison on the Assault 1st conviction.

According to court records, police responded on Dec. 23, 2021 to Mill Creek park on N. River Blvd. in Independence after a caller to police dispatch reported a woman was screaming for help in the park. 

The woman was saying she had been stabbed. An officer located the woman who had suffered cuts and a laceration to her neck. She named her attacker.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685392008964.png" alt="Thompson" />
 <figcaption>Thompson</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A judge sentenced a Kansas City-area man to 20 years in prison for a 2021 knife attack of a woman in an Independence, Missouri, public park, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.The defendant&nbsp; 30-year-old Ronald L. Thompson pleaded guilty to Assault 1st Degree as part of a plea agreement. The judge sentenced the to 20 years in prison on the Assault 1st conviction.According to court records, police responded on Dec. 23, 2021 to Mill Creek park on N. River Blvd. in Independence after a caller to police dispatch reported a woman was screaming for help in the park. The woman was saying she had been stabbed. An officer located the woman who had suffered cuts and a laceration to her neck. She named her attacker.

Man sentenced for knife attack on woman at KC-area park

FINNEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating three suspects in connection with an alleged robbery.

Just before midnight Saturday, police were dispatched to the 2600 block of N. Main Street in Garden City and met with a delivery driver who had just been robbed, according to a media release.

Officers learned that the victim was delivering pizza to a residence and upon arrival, three individuals forcefully took the food and the victim’s belongings.

Through the investigation, police identified&nbsp;Alicia Cisneros, 30, Joshua Rincones, 37, and Frankie Rivera, 29, as being involved in the robbery. 

They were subsequently located and taken into custody.

Rincones and Rivera are being held on a requested charge of Robbery. Cisneros is in custody on requested charges of Robbery, Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685454256477.png" alt="Rincones-photo FInney County" />
 <figcaption>Rincones-photo FInney County</figcaption>
 </figure>FINNEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating three suspects in connection with an alleged robbery.Just before midnight Saturday, police were dispatched to the 2600 block of N. Main Street in Garden City and met with a delivery driver who had just been robbed, according to a media release.Officers learned that the victim was delivering pizza to a residence and upon arrival, three individuals forcefully took the food and the victim’s belongings.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685454312397.png" alt="Rivera-photo Finney Co." />
 <figcaption>Rivera-photo Finney Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Through the investigation, police identified&nbsp;Alicia Cisneros, 30, Joshua Rincones, 37, and Frankie Rivera, 29, as being involved in the robbery. They were subsequently located and taken into custody.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685454148092.png" alt="Cisneros-photo Finney Co." />
 <figcaption>Cisneros-photo Finney Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Rincones and Rivera are being held on a requested charge of Robbery. Cisneros is in custody on requested charges of Robbery, Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Three accused of robbing southwest Kan. pizza delivery driver

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A man died in an accident just before 11a.m. Tuesday in Sedgwick County.

Emergency crews responded to the 2800 Block W. Keywest Court where a bulldozer and the operator, went into the water while working, according to a social media report from the Wichita Fire Department.

Rescue teams worked in and on the water with divers and equipment. The bulldozer and operator were located 30 to 40 feet out. EMS attempted CPR, but the operator was  pronounced dead. It is not known if the worker had a medical related incident, according to emergency crews.&nbsp; Authorities released no additional details including the name of the victim Tuesday afternoon.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685488483385.png" alt="Photos courtesy Wichita Fire Department" />
 <figcaption>Photos courtesy Wichita Fire Department</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A man died in an accident just before 11a.m. Tuesday in Sedgwick County.Emergency crews responded to the 2800 Block W. Keywest Court where a bulldozer and the operator, went into the water while working, according to a social media report from the Wichita Fire Department.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685488214978.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Rescue teams worked in and on the water with divers and equipment. The bulldozer and operator were located 30 to 40 feet out. EMS attempted CPR, but the operator was pronounced dead. It is not known if the worker had a medical related incident, according to emergency crews.&nbsp; Authorities released no additional details including the name of the victim Tuesday afternoon.

Man dead after bulldozer collapse into Kansas lake

BRYAN, Texas (AP) — Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes entered a Texas prison Tuesday where she could spend the next 11 years for overseeing a blood-testing hoax that became a parable&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elizabeth-holmes-fraud-theranos-prison-silicon-valley-9552b17d0c03f81c71b53fb4a994462b">about greed and hubris in Silicon Valley.</a>

Holmes, 39, could be seen from outside the prison’s gates walking into the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elizabeth-holmes-federal-prison-camp-bryan-texas-e5d4d3980ee6c3e6dfd0987a2d35b90d">federal women’s prison camp located in Bryan, Texas</a>, wearing jeans, a brown sweater and smiling as she spoke with two prison employees accompanying her.

The minimum-security facility — where the federal judge who sentenced Holmes in November recommended she be incarcerated — is about 95 miles (150 kilometers) northwest of Houston, where she grew up aspiring to become a technology visionary along the lines of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.

As she begins her sentence, Holmes is leaving behind two young children — a son born in July 2021 a few weeks before the start of her trial and a 3-month old daughter who was conceived after a jury&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elizabeth-holmes-trial-theranos-ceo-fb79a29d3c426a5cadee7ec5734b6f24">convicted her on four felony counts of fraud and conspiracy</a>&nbsp;in January 2022.

She was free on bail up until Tuesday, most recently living in the San Diego area with the children's father, William “Billy” Evans. The couple met in 2017 around the same time Holmes was under investigation for the collapse of Theranos, a startup she founded after dropping out of Stanford University when she was just 19.

While she was building up Theranos, Holmes grew closer to Ramesh, “Sunny” Balwani, who would become her romantic partner as well as an investor and fellow executive in the Palo Alto, California, company.

Together, Holmes and Balwani promised Theranos would revolutionize health care with a technology that could quickly scan for diseases and other problems with a few drops of blood taken with a finger prick.

The hype surrounding that purported breakthrough helped Theranos raise nearly $1 billion from enthralled investors, assemble an influential board of directors that include former Presidential cabinet members George Shultz, Henry Kissinger and James Mattis and turned Holmes into a Silicon Valley sensation with a fortune valued at $4.5 billion on paper in 2014.

But it all blew up after serious dangerous flaws in Theranos' technology&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/theranos-has-struggled-with-blood-tests-1444881901">were exposed in a series of explosive articles in The Wall Street Journal</a>&nbsp;that Holmes and Balwani tried to thwart. Holmes and Balwani, who had been secretly living together while running Theranos, broke up after the Journal's revelations and the company collapsed. In 2018, the U.S. Justice Department charged both with a litany of white-collar crimes in a case aimed at putting a stop to the Silicon Valley practice of overselling the capabilities of a still-developing technology — a technique that became known as “fake it 'til you make it.”

Holmes admitted making mistakes at Theranos, but steadfastly denied committing crimes during seven often-fascinating days of testimony on the witness stand during her trial. At one point, she told the jury&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-health-elizabeth-holmes-027bb063c784b99034e0a9840cb03a08">about being sexually and emotionally abused by Balwani</a>&nbsp;while he controlled her in ways that she said clouded her thinking. Balwani's attorney steadfastly denied Holmes allegations, which was one of the key reasons they were tried separately.

Balwani, 57, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ramesh-balwani-theranos-verdict-d9fb19f13a1c930a6ff091dff10a0b5d">convicted on 12 felony counts of fraud and conspiracy</a>&nbsp;in a trial that began two months after Holmes' ended. He is currently serving&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elizabeth-holmes-technology-business-crime-sentencing-d3ce3925bbe9e82708054730d4dcf75c">a nearly 13-year sentence</a>&nbsp;in a Southern California prison.

Maintaining she was treated unfairly during the trial, Holmes sought to remain free while she appeals her conviction. But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elizabeth-holmes-prison-theranos-fraud-conviction-46471e11f615b8ce16114c22551477aa">that bid was rejected by U.S. District Judge Edward Davila,</a>&nbsp;who presided over her trial, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elizabeth-holmes-theranos-prison-e1f8ebdd48455d7e0c87f450d665a404">the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals,</a>&nbsp;leaving her no other avenue left to follow but the one that will take her to prison nearly 20 years after she founded Theranos.

Attorneys representing Holmes did not immediately respond when contacted by The Associated Press for statement on Tuesday.

FPC Bryan, a minimum-security prison camp located encompasses about 37 acres (15 hectares) of land and houses about 650 women — including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fraud-park-city-7b2be37b6ef11f380077726c919ec9ef">“Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star Jennifer Shah</a>, who was sentenced earlier this year to 6 1/2 years in prison for defrauding thousands of people in a yearslong telemarketing scam.

Most federal prison camps don’t even have fences and house those the Bureau of Prisons considers to be the lowest security risk. The prison camps also often have minimal staffing and many of the people incarcerated there work at prison jobs.

According to a 2016 FPC Bryan inmate handbook, those in the Texas facility who are eligible to work can earn between 12 cents and $1.15 per hour in their job assignments, which include food service roles and factory employment operated by Federal Prison Industries.

Federal prison camps were originally designed with low security to make operations easier and to allow inmates tasked with performing work at the prison, like landscaping and maintenance, to avoid repeatedly checking in and out of a main prison facility. But the lax security opened a gateway for contraband, such as drugs, cellphones and weapons. The limited security has also led to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-and-politics-prisons-prison-breaks-business-c1979d6ad6e7b3531968dab0e61eb22d">a number of escapes</a>&nbsp;from prison camps.

In November, a man incarcerated at another federal prison camp in Arizona&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prisons-arizona-tucson-government-and-politics-319595c5a1a393f0734641443dd46df4">pulled out a smuggled gun</a>&nbsp;in a visitation area and tried to shoot his wife in the head. The gun jammed and no one was injured. But the incident exposed major security flaws at the facility and the agency’s director&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prisons-arizona-tucson-protocols-government-and-politics-3239362e75ad9a6c9a81f1a53210ad13">ordered a review of security</a>&nbsp;at all federal prison camps around the U.S.

BRYAN, Texas (AP) — Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes entered a Texas prison Tuesday where she could spend the next 11 years for overseeing a blood-testing hoax that became a parable&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elizabeth-holmes-fraud-theranos-prison-silicon-valley-9552b17d0c03f81c71b53fb4a994462b">about greed and hubris in Silicon Valley.</a><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Disgraced Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes arrives at the Texas prison where she’ll serve her 11-year sentence for overseeing a blood-testing hoax that garnered national attention.<a href="https://t.co/fhOVVYa0b0">https://t.co/fhOVVYa0b0</a> <a href="https://t.co/uNYDv7CcIA">pic.twitter.com/uNYDv7CcIA</a>&mdash; The Associated Press (@AP) <a href="https://twitter.com/AP/status/1663615507801714688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Holmes, 39, could be seen from outside the prison’s gates walking into the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elizabeth-holmes-federal-prison-camp-bryan-texas-e5d4d3980ee6c3e6dfd0987a2d35b90d">federal women’s prison camp located in Bryan, Texas</a>, wearing jeans, a brown sweater and smiling as she spoke with two prison employees accompanying her.The minimum-security facility — where the federal judge who sentenced Holmes in November recommended she be incarcerated — is about 95 miles (150 kilometers) northwest of Houston, where she grew up aspiring to become a technology visionary along the lines of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.As she begins her sentence, Holmes is leaving behind two young children — a son born in July 2021 a few weeks before the start of her trial and a 3-month old daughter who was conceived after a jury&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elizabeth-holmes-trial-theranos-ceo-fb79a29d3c426a5cadee7ec5734b6f24">convicted her on four felony counts of fraud and conspiracy</a>&nbsp;in January 2022.She was free on bail up until Tuesday, most recently living in the San Diego area with the children's father, William “Billy” Evans. The couple met in 2017 around the same time Holmes was under investigation for the collapse of Theranos, a startup she founded after dropping out of Stanford University when she was just 19.While she was building up Theranos, Holmes grew closer to Ramesh, “Sunny” Balwani, who would become her romantic partner as well as an investor and fellow executive in the Palo Alto, California, company.Together, Holmes and Balwani promised Theranos would revolutionize health care with a technology that could quickly scan for diseases and other problems with a few drops of blood taken with a finger prick.The hype surrounding that purported breakthrough helped Theranos raise nearly $1 billion from enthralled investors, assemble an influential board of directors that include former Presidential cabinet members George Shultz, Henry Kissinger and James Mattis and turned Holmes into a Silicon Valley sensation with a fortune valued at $4.5 billion on paper in 2014.But it all blew up after serious dangerous flaws in Theranos' technology&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/theranos-has-struggled-with-blood-tests-1444881901">were exposed in a series of explosive articles in The Wall Street Journal</a>&nbsp;that Holmes and Balwani tried to thwart. Holmes and Balwani, who had been secretly living together while running Theranos, broke up after the Journal's revelations and the company collapsed. In 2018, the U.S. Justice Department charged both with a litany of white-collar crimes in a case aimed at putting a stop to the Silicon Valley practice of overselling the capabilities of a still-developing technology — a technique that became known as “fake it 'til you make it.”Holmes admitted making mistakes at Theranos, but steadfastly denied committing crimes during seven often-fascinating days of testimony on the witness stand during her trial. At one point, she told the jury&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-health-elizabeth-holmes-027bb063c784b99034e0a9840cb03a08">about being sexually and emotionally abused by Balwani</a>&nbsp;while he controlled her in ways that she said clouded her thinking. Balwani's attorney steadfastly denied Holmes allegations, which was one of the key reasons they were tried separately.Balwani, 57, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ramesh-balwani-theranos-verdict-d9fb19f13a1c930a6ff091dff10a0b5d">convicted on 12 felony counts of fraud and conspiracy</a>&nbsp;in a trial that began two months after Holmes' ended. He is currently serving&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elizabeth-holmes-technology-business-crime-sentencing-d3ce3925bbe9e82708054730d4dcf75c">a nearly 13-year sentence</a>&nbsp;in a Southern California prison.Maintaining she was treated unfairly during the trial, Holmes sought to remain free while she appeals her conviction. But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elizabeth-holmes-prison-theranos-fraud-conviction-46471e11f615b8ce16114c22551477aa">that bid was rejected by U.S. District Judge Edward Davila,</a>&nbsp;who presided over her trial, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elizabeth-holmes-theranos-prison-e1f8ebdd48455d7e0c87f450d665a404">the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals,</a>&nbsp;leaving her no other avenue left to follow but the one that will take her to prison nearly 20 years after she founded Theranos.Attorneys representing Holmes did not immediately respond when contacted by The Associated Press for statement on Tuesday.FPC Bryan, a minimum-security prison camp located encompasses about 37 acres (15 hectares) of land and houses about 650 women — including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fraud-park-city-7b2be37b6ef11f380077726c919ec9ef">“Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star Jennifer Shah</a>, who was sentenced earlier this year to 6 1/2 years in prison for defrauding thousands of people in a yearslong telemarketing scam.Most federal prison camps don’t even have fences and house those the Bureau of Prisons considers to be the lowest security risk. The prison camps also often have minimal staffing and many of the people incarcerated there work at prison jobs.According to a 2016 FPC Bryan inmate handbook, those in the Texas facility who are eligible to work can earn between 12 cents and $1.15 per hour in their job assignments, which include food service roles and factory employment operated by Federal Prison Industries.Federal prison camps were originally designed with low security to make operations easier and to allow inmates tasked with performing work at the prison, like landscaping and maintenance, to avoid repeatedly checking in and out of a main prison facility. But the lax security opened a gateway for contraband, such as drugs, cellphones and weapons. The limited security has also led to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-and-politics-prisons-prison-breaks-business-c1979d6ad6e7b3531968dab0e61eb22d">a number of escapes</a>&nbsp;from prison camps.In November, a man incarcerated at another federal prison camp in Arizona&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prisons-arizona-tucson-government-and-politics-319595c5a1a393f0734641443dd46df4">pulled out a smuggled gun</a>&nbsp;in a visitation area and tried to shoot his wife in the head. The gun jammed and no one was injured. But the incident exposed major security flaws at the facility and the agency’s director&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prisons-arizona-tucson-protocols-government-and-politics-3239362e75ad9a6c9a81f1a53210ad13">ordered a review of security</a>&nbsp;at all federal prison camps around the U.S.____________