WASHINGTON—By a bipartisan vote of 62-36, the U.S Senate passed U.S. Senator Roger Marshall’s resolution to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/republicans-to-force-vote-on-ending-covid-19-emergency-declaration-11663860630?mod=e2twp" target="_blank">end the COVID-19 national state of emergency</a>&nbsp;currently in effect under the National Emergencies Act (NEA).

Senator Marshall’s resolution followed President Joe Biden’s comments that the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biden-covid-pandemic-over/" target="_blank">coronavirus pandemic is over</a>, yet the national emergency for COVID-19 has yet to be terminated by the White House. Immediately after Senator Marshall’s resolution passed the Senate,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/SAP-SJRes63.docx.pdf" target="_blank">the White House threatened to veto the measure</a>.

Senator Marshall spoke on the Senate floor this evening to force a vote on his legislation. While you may click&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWBJuBY2aO8" target="_blank">HERE</a>&nbsp;or on the image below to watch Senator Marshall’s speech, he said in part,

Just two months ago, the President stated the coronavirus pandemic was “over” in a 60 Minutes interview. 

Yet, despite all the advances we’ve made in our fight against the virus and the victorious declaration by our Chief Executive, this administration insists the national emergency declaration remain in place, it was this government imposed state of emergency that justified their continued lockdowns of small businesses and schools that justified their mask and vaccine mandates, including a military vaccine mandate that has resulted in the removal of more than 8,000 active-duty troops, that justified President Biden and Congressional Democrats spending binge, increasing the total amount of government spending by more than $9 trillion since February 2021 and lighting the fire for record inflation that the President has used as justification to extend the payment pause and cancel up to $10,000 in outstanding federally held student loan balances, and even a more generous $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients.

 Congress must take the responsible action of reigning in this massive expansion of government and restore Americans fundamental rights by terminating the COVID-19 national emergency declaration…”

WASHINGTON—By a bipartisan vote of 62-36, the U.S Senate passed U.S. Senator Roger Marshall’s resolution to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/republicans-to-force-vote-on-ending-covid-19-emergency-declaration-11663860630?mod=e2twp" target="_blank">end the COVID-19 national state of emergency</a>&nbsp;currently in effect under the National Emergencies Act (NEA). <div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FWBJuBY2aO8?start=1" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Senator Marshall’s resolution followed President Joe Biden’s comments that the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biden-covid-pandemic-over/" target="_blank">coronavirus pandemic is over</a>, yet the national emergency for COVID-19 has yet to be terminated by the White House. Immediately after Senator Marshall’s resolution passed the Senate,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/SAP-SJRes63.docx.pdf" target="_blank">the White House threatened to veto the measure</a>.Senator Marshall spoke on the Senate floor this evening to force a vote on his legislation. While you may click&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWBJuBY2aO8" target="_blank">HERE</a>&nbsp;or on the image below to watch Senator Marshall’s speech, he said in part,Just two months ago, the President stated the coronavirus pandemic was “over” in a 60 Minutes interview. Yet, despite all the advances we’ve made in our fight against the virus and the victorious declaration by our Chief Executive, this administration insists the national emergency declaration remain in place, it was this government imposed state of emergency that justified their continued lockdowns of small businesses and schools that justified their mask and vaccine mandates, including a military vaccine mandate that has resulted in the removal of more than 8,000 active-duty troops, that justified President Biden and Congressional Democrats spending binge, increasing the total amount of government spending by more than $9 trillion since February 2021 and lighting the fire for record inflation that the President has used as justification to extend the payment pause and cancel up to $10,000 in outstanding federally held student loan balances, and even a more generous $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LFs8e1Jsd-U" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> Congress must take the responsible action of reigning in this massive expansion of government and restore Americans fundamental rights by terminating the COVID-19 national emergency declaration…”

🎥 Marshall’s resolution to end COVID national emergency passes Senate

TOPEKA – Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt Tuesday announced that his office has secured at least $15 million for Kansas as part of a settlement with Walmart to resolve allegations that the company contributed to the opioid addiction crisis by failing to appropriately oversee the dispensing of opioids at its stores.

As details are finalized, the Kansas share is likely to increase, perhaps substantially.

Schmidt said the settlement will provide more than $3 billion nationally and will require significant improvements in how Walmart’s pharmacies handle opioids. The proceeds from the settlement must be used to provide treatment and recovery services for people struggling with opioid use disorder, while Walmart must provide broad, court-ordered requirements to its pharmacy practices, including robust oversight to prevent fraudulent prescriptions and flag suspicious prescriptions.

The settlement requires acceptance from the 43 participating states by the end of 2022, allowing for certain additional parties to join during the first quarter of 2023. With this settlement, Schmidt’s office has now recovered more than $200 million related to unlawful opioid manufacturing, marketing and distribution. Additional national settlements have been reached with CVS Pharmacy for $5 billion and Walgreens Pharmacy for $3 billion. Terms for the state shares of the CVS and Walgreens settlements have not been finalized.

“We have worked tirelessly to hold these companies accountable for the addiction and human suffering caused by years of their unlawful business practices,” Schmidt said. “These settlements have been complex, but they are the fruits of the efforts of many to provide justice for the harm of past actions. The money Kansas receives will help repair broken lives.”

Schmidt said Kansas also is engaged in ongoing investigations and negotiations with other companies the state believes played a role in illegally fueling opioid addiction.

Under the Kansas Fights Addiction Act, proposed by Schmidt and enacted last year by the Legislature, money recovered by the attorney general pursuant to opioid litigation will be used to address substance abuse and help ensure addiction services are provided throughout the state. Funding will be available through a&nbsp;<a href="https://ag.ks.gov/about-the-office/affiliated-orgs/kansas-fights-addiction-act-grant-review-board">grant review board</a>&nbsp;created by the statute. State agencies, local governments and not-for-profit entities may apply for funding for addiction treatment and abatement through the board. Additional information on the grant application and review process will be announced soon.

Under Schmidt’s leadership, since 2011 the attorney general’s office has recovered more than $1 billion for Kansas consumers and taxpayers, far more than any prior administration.&nbsp;

Walmart proposed a $3.1 billion legal settlement on Tuesday over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/opioids">the toll of powerful prescription opioids sold at its pharmacies</a>, becoming the latest major drug industry player to promise major support to state, local and tribal governments still grappling with a crisis in overdose deaths.

The retail giant's announcement follows similar proposals on Nov. 2 from the two largest U.S. pharmacy chains,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-business-lawsuits-rhode-island-epidemics-50f3aa9cbe82b775cd3d7520c286ef25">CVS Health and Walgreen Co</a>., which each said they would pay about $5 billion.

Most of the drugmakers that produced the most opioids and the biggest drug distribution companies have already reached&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-opioids-camden-dec0982c4c40ad08b2b30b725471e000">settlements</a>. With the largest pharmacies now settling, it represents a shift in the opioid litigation saga. For years, the question was whether companies would be held accountable for an overdose crisis that a flood of prescription drugs helped spark.

With the crisis still raging, the focus now is on how the settlement dollars —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-ohio-lawsuits-covid-philanthropy-5e7a9cb18bd5a37061a6802059f9b15f">now totaling more than $50 billion</a>&nbsp;— will be used and whether they will help curtail record numbers of overdose deaths, even as prescription drugs have become a relatively small portion of the epidemic.

Bentonville, Arkansas-based Walmart said in a statement that it “strongly disputes" allegations in lawsuits from state and local governments that its pharmacies improperly filled prescriptions for the powerful prescription painkillers. The company does not admit liability with the settlement, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/earnings-2a4e7ee7cec82cf5e4a3ab1d02cb7d5d">would represent about 2% of its quarterly revenue</a>.

“Walmart believes the settlement framework is in the best interest of all parties and will provide significant aid to communities across the country in the fight against the opioid crisis, with aid reaching state and local governments faster than any other nationwide opioid settlement to date,” the company said in a statement.

Lawyers representing local governments said the company would pay most of the settlement over the next year if it is finalized.

New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a release that the company would have to comply with oversight measures, prevent fraudulent prescriptions and flag suspicious ones.

Some government lawyers suggested Walmart has acted more responsibly than other pharmacies when it came to opioids.

“Although Walmart filled significantly fewer prescriptions for opioids then CVS or Walgreens, since 2018 Walmart has been the most proactive in trying to monitor and control prescription opioid diversion attempted through its pharmacies,” Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson said in a statement.

The deals are the product of negotiations with a group of state attorneys general, but they are not final. The CVS and Walgreens deals would have to be accepted first by a critical mass of state and local governments before they are completed.

Walmart's plan would have to be approved by 43 states by Dec. 15, and local governments could sign on by March 31, 2023. Each state's allocation depends partly on how many local governments agree.

“Companies like Walmart need to step up and help by ensuring Pennsylvanians get the treatment and recovery resources they need,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, who last week was elected governor of his state, said in a statement. “This deal with Walmart adds to the important progress we’ve already achieved through our settlements with the opioid manufacturers and distributors – and we’re not done yet.”

The share of Walmart's proposed settlement going to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-health-native-americans-epidemics-opioids-9e609e2294824db5101cfffeaff455db">Native American tribes</a>&nbsp;is $78 million, to be divided among all the federally recognized tribes, said Robins Kaplan, a law firm representing tribes.

After governments used funds from tobacco settlements in the 1990s for purposes unrelated to public health, the opioid settlements have been crafted to ensure most of the money goes to fighting the crisis.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-ohio-lawsuits-covid-philanthropy-5e7a9cb18bd5a37061a6802059f9b15f">State and local governments</a>&nbsp;are devising spending plans now.

Opioids of all kinds have been linked to more than 500,000 deaths in the U.S. over the past two decades.

In the 2000s, most fatal opioid overdoses involved prescription drugs such as OxyContin and generic oxycodone. After governments, doctors and companies took steps to make them harder to obtain, people addicted to the drugs increasingly turned to heroin, which proved more deadly.

In recent years, opioid deaths have soared to record levels, around 80,000 a year. Most of those deaths involve illicitly produced version of the powerful lab-made drug&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-opioids-synthetic-government-and-politics-8f64b776b82d6e8bc2e324b732e4b6e2">fentanyl</a>, which is appearing throughout the U.S. supply of illegal drugs.

TOPEKA – Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt Tuesday announced that his office has secured at least $15 million for Kansas as part of a settlement with Walmart to resolve allegations that the company contributed to the opioid addiction crisis by failing to appropriately oversee the dispensing of opioids at its stores.As details are finalized, the Kansas share is likely to increase, perhaps substantially.Schmidt said the settlement will provide more than $3 billion nationally and will require significant improvements in how Walmart’s pharmacies handle opioids. The proceeds from the settlement must be used to provide treatment and recovery services for people struggling with opioid use disorder, while Walmart must provide broad, court-ordered requirements to its pharmacy practices, including robust oversight to prevent fraudulent prescriptions and flag suspicious prescriptions.The settlement requires acceptance from the 43 participating states by the end of 2022, allowing for certain additional parties to join during the first quarter of 2023. With this settlement, Schmidt’s office has now recovered more than $200 million related to unlawful opioid manufacturing, marketing and distribution. Additional national settlements have been reached with CVS Pharmacy for $5 billion and Walgreens Pharmacy for $3 billion. Terms for the state shares of the CVS and Walgreens settlements have not been finalized.“We have worked tirelessly to hold these companies accountable for the addiction and human suffering caused by years of their unlawful business practices,” Schmidt said. “These settlements have been complex, but they are the fruits of the efforts of many to provide justice for the harm of past actions. The money Kansas receives will help repair broken lives.”Schmidt said Kansas also is engaged in ongoing investigations and negotiations with other companies the state believes played a role in illegally fueling opioid addiction.Under the Kansas Fights Addiction Act, proposed by Schmidt and enacted last year by the Legislature, money recovered by the attorney general pursuant to opioid litigation will be used to address substance abuse and help ensure addiction services are provided throughout the state. Funding will be available through a&nbsp;<a href="https://ag.ks.gov/about-the-office/affiliated-orgs/kansas-fights-addiction-act-grant-review-board">grant review board</a>&nbsp;created by the statute. State agencies, local governments and not-for-profit entities may apply for funding for addiction treatment and abatement through the board. Additional information on the grant application and review process will be announced soon.Under Schmidt’s leadership, since 2011 the attorney general’s office has recovered more than $1 billion for Kansas consumers and taxpayers, far more than any prior administration.&nbsp;--------------------Walmart proposed a $3.1 billion legal settlement on Tuesday over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/opioids">the toll of powerful prescription opioids sold at its pharmacies</a>, becoming the latest major drug industry player to promise major support to state, local and tribal governments still grappling with a crisis in overdose deaths.The retail giant's announcement follows similar proposals on Nov. 2 from the two largest U.S. pharmacy chains,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-business-lawsuits-rhode-island-epidemics-50f3aa9cbe82b775cd3d7520c286ef25">CVS Health and Walgreen Co</a>., which each said they would pay about $5 billion.Most of the drugmakers that produced the most opioids and the biggest drug distribution companies have already reached&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-opioids-camden-dec0982c4c40ad08b2b30b725471e000">settlements</a>. With the largest pharmacies now settling, it represents a shift in the opioid litigation saga. For years, the question was whether companies would be held accountable for an overdose crisis that a flood of prescription drugs helped spark.With the crisis still raging, the focus now is on how the settlement dollars —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-ohio-lawsuits-covid-philanthropy-5e7a9cb18bd5a37061a6802059f9b15f">now totaling more than $50 billion</a>&nbsp;— will be used and whether they will help curtail record numbers of overdose deaths, even as prescription drugs have become a relatively small portion of the epidemic.Bentonville, Arkansas-based Walmart said in a statement that it “strongly disputes" allegations in lawsuits from state and local governments that its pharmacies improperly filled prescriptions for the powerful prescription painkillers. The company does not admit liability with the settlement, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/earnings-2a4e7ee7cec82cf5e4a3ab1d02cb7d5d">would represent about 2% of its quarterly revenue</a>.“Walmart believes the settlement framework is in the best interest of all parties and will provide significant aid to communities across the country in the fight against the opioid crisis, with aid reaching state and local governments faster than any other nationwide opioid settlement to date,” the company said in a statement.Lawyers representing local governments said the company would pay most of the settlement over the next year if it is finalized.New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a release that the company would have to comply with oversight measures, prevent fraudulent prescriptions and flag suspicious ones.Some government lawyers suggested Walmart has acted more responsibly than other pharmacies when it came to opioids.“Although Walmart filled significantly fewer prescriptions for opioids then CVS or Walgreens, since 2018 Walmart has been the most proactive in trying to monitor and control prescription opioid diversion attempted through its pharmacies,” Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson said in a statement.The deals are the product of negotiations with a group of state attorneys general, but they are not final. The CVS and Walgreens deals would have to be accepted first by a critical mass of state and local governments before they are completed.Walmart's plan would have to be approved by 43 states by Dec. 15, and local governments could sign on by March 31, 2023. Each state's allocation depends partly on how many local governments agree.“Companies like Walmart need to step up and help by ensuring Pennsylvanians get the treatment and recovery resources they need,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, who last week was elected governor of his state, said in a statement. “This deal with Walmart adds to the important progress we’ve already achieved through our settlements with the opioid manufacturers and distributors – and we’re not done yet.”The share of Walmart's proposed settlement going to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-health-native-americans-epidemics-opioids-9e609e2294824db5101cfffeaff455db">Native American tribes</a>&nbsp;is $78 million, to be divided among all the federally recognized tribes, said Robins Kaplan, a law firm representing tribes.After governments used funds from tobacco settlements in the 1990s for purposes unrelated to public health, the opioid settlements have been crafted to ensure most of the money goes to fighting the crisis.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-ohio-lawsuits-covid-philanthropy-5e7a9cb18bd5a37061a6802059f9b15f">State and local governments</a>&nbsp;are devising spending plans now.Opioids of all kinds have been linked to more than 500,000 deaths in the U.S. over the past two decades.In the 2000s, most fatal opioid overdoses involved prescription drugs such as OxyContin and generic oxycodone. After governments, doctors and companies took steps to make them harder to obtain, people addicted to the drugs increasingly turned to heroin, which proved more deadly.In recent years, opioid deaths have soared to record levels, around 80,000 a year. Most of those deaths involve illicitly produced version of the powerful lab-made drug&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-opioids-synthetic-government-and-politics-8f64b776b82d6e8bc2e324b732e4b6e2">fentanyl</a>, which is appearing throughout the U.S. supply of illegal drugs.

Kansas to receive $15M from $3.1B opioid settlement against Walmart

WASHINGTON (AP) — Staring down&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-house-control-nov15-0608a0c22be510cec983f605e6a305b3">the prospect of divided government</a>&nbsp;in the next Congress, Senate Democrats are moving forward with legislation this week to protect same sex and interracial marriages. It’s a vote that’s “as personal as it gets,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said.

Schumer is holding a test vote on the bill Wednesday, betting that at least 10 Republicans will vote with all 50 Democrats to move forward with the legislation to ensure that same-sex and interracial marriages are legally recognized nationwide. The bill has gained steady momentum since the Supreme Court’s June decision that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturned Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;and the federal right to an abortion. An opinion at that time from Justice Clarence Thomas suggested that an earlier high court decision protecting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-marriage-71af5f7862f8008299702f7b1a4147b5">same-sex marriage</a>&nbsp;could also come under threat.

If the Senate votes to move forward with the legislation, a final vote could come as soon as this week, or by the end of the month, while Democrats still control the House. Republicans are on the verge of winning the House majority and would be unlikely to take up the issue next year.

“I firmly believe that passing bipartisan marriage protections would be one of the more significant accomplishments in what’s already been a significantly productive Congress,” Schumer said on the Senate floor. “It will do so much good for so many people who want nothing more than to live their lives without the fear of discrimination.”

Congress has been moving to protect same-sex marriage as support from the general public — and from Republicans in particular — has sharply grown in recent years, as the Supreme Court’s 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision legalized gay marriage nationwide. Recent polling has found more than two-thirds of the public supports same-sex unions.

Still, it’s not yet certain whether Democrats have the 10 votes they need to overcome a filibuster on Wednesday and get a bill through the 50-50 Senate. So far, at least three Republicans have said they will vote for the legislation and are working with Democrats to pass it: Maine Sen. Susan Collins, North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis and Ohio Sen. Rob Portman.

Most Republicans have stayed quiet on whether they will support it, but those pushing the bill say they believe the 10 GOP votes are there. Democrats&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-us-supreme-court-race-and-ethnicity-religion-4952c4766a6d48a1cc64c5876fd38eaa">delayed consideration of the legislation</a>&nbsp;until after the midterm elections, hoping that would relieve political pressure for some Republicans who might be wavering on the bill.

And a proposed amendment to the legislation, negotiated by supporters to bring more Republicans on board, would clarify that it does not affect the rights of private individuals or businesses — rights that are already enshrined in law. Another tweak would make clear that a marriage is between two people, an effort to ward off some far-right criticism that the legislation could endorse polygamy.

The legislation would repeal the Clinton-era Defense of Marriage Act and require states to recognize all marriages that were legal where they were performed. The new Respect for Marriage Act would also protect interracial marriages by requiring states to recognize legal marriages regardless of “sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin."

Some Republicans say the changes are not enough. Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, who had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-wisconsin-gay-rights-marriage-congress-7cde68abdcb3c7c387cb98e9150a07b0">hinted that he might support it</a>&nbsp;before he won reelection last week, said this week that he would not, citing concerns about religious liberty.

Still, the growing GOP support for the issue is a sharp contrast from even a decade ago, when many Republicans vocally opposed same-sex marriages. The legislation&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-race-and-ethnicity-gay-rights-marriage-social-issues-77ec6e2a60b5990ceaf7c396fee42016">passed the House</a>&nbsp;in a July vote with the support of 47 Republicans — a larger-than-expected number that gave the measure a boost in the Senate.

On Tuesday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-relationships-gay-rights-utah-07847f4b7e3e96d81c10a298a199b860">The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints</a>&nbsp;became the most recent conservative-leaning group to back the legislation. In a statement, the Utah-based faith said church doctrine would continue to consider same-sex relationships to be against God’s commandments, but that it would support rights for same-sex couples as long as they didn’t infringe upon religious groups’ right to believe as they choose.

Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin, a Democrat who is the first openly gay senator and has been working on gay rights issues for almost four decades, says the newfound openness from many Republicans on the subject reminds her “of the arc of the LBGTQ movement to begin with, in the early days when people weren’t out and people knew gay people by myths and stereotypes.”

Baldwin says that as more individuals and families have become visible, hearts and minds have changed.

“And slowly laws have followed,” she said. “It is history.”

Schumer said the issue is personal to him, as well.

“Passing the Respect for Marriage Act is as personal as it gets for many senators and their staffs, myself included,” Schumer said. “My daughter and her wife are actually expecting a little baby in February. So it matters a lot to so many of us to get this done.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — Staring down&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-house-control-nov15-0608a0c22be510cec983f605e6a305b3">the prospect of divided government</a>&nbsp;in the next Congress, Senate Democrats are moving forward with legislation this week to protect same sex and interracial marriages. It’s a vote that’s “as personal as it gets,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said.Schumer is holding a test vote on the bill Wednesday, betting that at least 10 Republicans will vote with all 50 Democrats to move forward with the legislation to ensure that same-sex and interracial marriages are legally recognized nationwide. The bill has gained steady momentum since the Supreme Court’s June decision that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">overturned Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;and the federal right to an abortion. An opinion at that time from Justice Clarence Thomas suggested that an earlier high court decision protecting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-marriage-71af5f7862f8008299702f7b1a4147b5">same-sex marriage</a>&nbsp;could also come under threat.If the Senate votes to move forward with the legislation, a final vote could come as soon as this week, or by the end of the month, while Democrats still control the House. Republicans are on the verge of winning the House majority and would be unlikely to take up the issue next year.“I firmly believe that passing bipartisan marriage protections would be one of the more significant accomplishments in what’s already been a significantly productive Congress,” Schumer said on the Senate floor. “It will do so much good for so many people who want nothing more than to live their lives without the fear of discrimination.”Congress has been moving to protect same-sex marriage as support from the general public — and from Republicans in particular — has sharply grown in recent years, as the Supreme Court’s 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision legalized gay marriage nationwide. Recent polling has found more than two-thirds of the public supports same-sex unions.Still, it’s not yet certain whether Democrats have the 10 votes they need to overcome a filibuster on Wednesday and get a bill through the 50-50 Senate. So far, at least three Republicans have said they will vote for the legislation and are working with Democrats to pass it: Maine Sen. Susan Collins, North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis and Ohio Sen. Rob Portman.Most Republicans have stayed quiet on whether they will support it, but those pushing the bill say they believe the 10 GOP votes are there. Democrats&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-us-supreme-court-race-and-ethnicity-religion-4952c4766a6d48a1cc64c5876fd38eaa">delayed consideration of the legislation</a>&nbsp;until after the midterm elections, hoping that would relieve political pressure for some Republicans who might be wavering on the bill.And a proposed amendment to the legislation, negotiated by supporters to bring more Republicans on board, would clarify that it does not affect the rights of private individuals or businesses — rights that are already enshrined in law. Another tweak would make clear that a marriage is between two people, an effort to ward off some far-right criticism that the legislation could endorse polygamy.The legislation would repeal the Clinton-era Defense of Marriage Act and require states to recognize all marriages that were legal where they were performed. The new Respect for Marriage Act would also protect interracial marriages by requiring states to recognize legal marriages regardless of “sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin."Some Republicans say the changes are not enough. Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, who had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-wisconsin-gay-rights-marriage-congress-7cde68abdcb3c7c387cb98e9150a07b0">hinted that he might support it</a>&nbsp;before he won reelection last week, said this week that he would not, citing concerns about religious liberty.Still, the growing GOP support for the issue is a sharp contrast from even a decade ago, when many Republicans vocally opposed same-sex marriages. The legislation&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-race-and-ethnicity-gay-rights-marriage-social-issues-77ec6e2a60b5990ceaf7c396fee42016">passed the House</a>&nbsp;in a July vote with the support of 47 Republicans — a larger-than-expected number that gave the measure a boost in the Senate.On Tuesday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-relationships-gay-rights-utah-07847f4b7e3e96d81c10a298a199b860">The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints</a>&nbsp;became the most recent conservative-leaning group to back the legislation. In a statement, the Utah-based faith said church doctrine would continue to consider same-sex relationships to be against God’s commandments, but that it would support rights for same-sex couples as long as they didn’t infringe upon religious groups’ right to believe as they choose.Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin, a Democrat who is the first openly gay senator and has been working on gay rights issues for almost four decades, says the newfound openness from many Republicans on the subject reminds her “of the arc of the LBGTQ movement to begin with, in the early days when people weren’t out and people knew gay people by myths and stereotypes.”Baldwin says that as more individuals and families have become visible, hearts and minds have changed.“And slowly laws have followed,” she said. “It is history.”Schumer said the issue is personal to him, as well.“Passing the Respect for Marriage Act is as personal as it gets for many senators and their staffs, myself included,” Schumer said. “My daughter and her wife are actually expecting a little baby in February. So it matters a lot to so many of us to get this done.”___

Same-sex marriage faces test vote in the Senate 

RENO COUNTY — One person died in a fire Tuesday afternoon in Hutchinson.

Just before 12:30p.m. the Hutchinson Fire Department responded to the fire in 2 ½ story home at&nbsp;4506 East Avenue G, according to a media release.&nbsp;

Bystanders on scene informed HFD of a possible person in the home. As fire crews entered the home, crews located the victim and removed the person from the structure. Life saving measures were immediately started. HFD members along with Reno County EMS worked for approximately 40 minutes in an attempt to save the victim's life. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

HFD located one dog that did survive the fire that appeared to be doing well. The dog was turned over to the Hutchinson Animal Shelter for care.

&nbsp;HFD’s fire investigation team is working the case along with the State Fire Marshal's Office to determine the cause of the fire. Authorities have not released the victim's name.

RENO COUNTY — One person died in a fire Tuesday afternoon in Hutchinson.Just before 12:30p.m. the Hutchinson Fire Department responded to the fire in 2 ½ story home at&nbsp;4506 East Avenue G, according to a media release.&nbsp;Bystanders on scene informed HFD of a possible person in the home. As fire crews entered the home, crews located the victim and removed the person from the structure. Life saving measures were immediately started. HFD members along with Reno County EMS worked for approximately 40 minutes in an attempt to save the victim's life. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.HFD located one dog that did survive the fire that appeared to be doing well. The dog was turned over to the Hutchinson Animal Shelter for care.&nbsp;HFD’s fire investigation team is working the case along with the State Fire Marshal's Office to determine the cause of the fire. Authorities have not released the victim's name.

Investigators working to determine cause of fatal Kan. house fire

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?524197-1/fmr-president-trump-makes-campaign-announcement-mar-lago&amp;live">Click here to</a> watch the announcement

PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;said Tuesday that he will mount a third White House campaign, launching an early start to the 2024 contest. The announcement comes just a week after an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-donald-trump-00c770068d8b82f165a9f4871eee983b">underwhelming midterm showing for Republicans</a>&nbsp;and will force the party to decide whether to embrace a candidate whose refusal to accept defeat in 2020&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">pushed American democracy to the brink.</a>

“I am tonight announcing my candidacy for president of the United States,” Trump said to an audience of several hundred supporters, club members and gathered press in a chandeliered ballroom at his Mar-a-Lago club, where he stood flanked by more than 30 American flags and banners that read, “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

Trump enters the race in a moment of political vulnerability. He hoped to launch his campaign in the wake of resounding GOP midterm victories, fueled by candidates he elevated during this year’s primaries. Instead, many of those candidates lost, allowing Democrats to keep the Senate and leaving the GOP with a path to only a bare majority in the House.

Far from the undisputed leader of the party, Trump is now facing criticism from some of his own allies, who say it’s time for Republicans to look to the future, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis emerging as an early favorite White House contender.

The former president is still popular with the GOP base. But other Republicans, including former Vice President Mike Pence, are taking increasingly public steps toward campaigns of their own, raising the prospect that Trump will have to navigate a competitive GOP primary.

He’s launching his candidacy amid a series of escalating criminal investigations, including several that could lead to indictments. They include the probe into dozens of documents with classified markings that were seized by the FBI from Mar-a-Lago and ongoing state and federal inquiries into his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Another campaign is a remarkable turn for any former president, much less one who made history as the first to be impeached twice and whose term ended with his supporters violently storming the Capitol in a deadly bid to halt the peaceful transition of power on Jan. 6, 2021.

But Trump, according to people close to him, has been eager to return to politics and try to halt the rise of other potential challengers. Aides have spent the last months readying paperwork, identifying potential staff and sketching out the contours of a campaign that is being modeled on his 2016 operation, when a small clutch of aides zipping between rallies on his private jet defied the odds and defeated far better-funded and more experienced rivals by tapping into deep political fault lines and using shocking statements to drive relentless media attention.

Even after GOP losses, Trump remains the most powerful force in his party. For years he has consistently topped his fellow Republican contenders by wide margins in hypothetical head-to-head matchups. And even out of office, he consistently attracts thousands to his rallies and remains his party’s most prolific fundraiser, raising hundreds of millions of dollars.

But Trump is also a deeply polarizing figure. Fifty-four percent of voters in last week’s midterm elections viewed him very or somewhat unfavorably, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 94,000 voters nationwide. And an October AP-NORC poll found even Republicans have their reservations about him remaining the party’s standard-bearer, with 43% saying they don’t want to see him run for president in 2024.

Trump’s candidacy poses profound questions about America’s democratic future. The final days of his presidency were consumed by a desperate effort to stay in power, undermining the centuries-old tradition of a peaceful transfer. And in the two years since he lost, Trump’s persistent — and baseless — lies about widespread election fraud have eroded confidence in the nation’s political process. By late January 2021, about two-thirds of Republicans said they did not believe President Joe Biden was legitimately elected in 2020, an AP-NORC poll found.

VoteCast showed roughly as many Republican voters in the midterm elections continued to hold that belief.

Federal and state election officials and Trump’s own attorney general have said there is no credible evidence the 2020 election was tainted. The former president’s allegations of fraud were also roundly rejected by numerous courts, including by judges Trump appointed.

But that didn’t stop hundreds of midterm candidates from parroting his lies as they sought to win over his loyal base and score his coveted endorsement. In the end, many of those candidates went on to lose their races in a sign that voters rejected such extreme rhetoric.

While some Republicans with presidential ambitions, like former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, have long ruled out running against Trump, others have said he would not figure into their decisions, even before his midterm losses.

They include Pence, who released a book Tuesday, and Trump’s former secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, as well as former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who ran against Trump in 2016. Other potential candidates include Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Trump is also likely to face challenges from members of the anti-Trump wing of the party like Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, vice chair of the House committee that has been investigating Jan. 6.

But the person who has most occupied Trump and his allies in recent months is DeSantis, whose commanding reelection as governor last week was a bright spot for Republicans this cycle. The former congressman, who became a popular national figure among conservatives during the pandemic as he pushed back on COVID-19 restrictions, shares Trump’s pugilistic instincts and has embraced fights over social issues with similar zeal.

Even some enthusiastic Trump supporters say they are eager for DeSantis to run, seeing him as a natural successor to Trump but without the former president’s considerable baggage.

Trump has already begun to lash out at DeSantis publicly. On Tuesday, the Florida governor shot back.

“At the end of the day, I would just tell people to go check out the scoreboard from last Tuesday night,” DeSantis told reporters.

A crowded field of GOP rivals could ultimately play to Trump’s advantage, as it did in 2016, when he prevailed over more than a dozen other candidates who splintered the anti-Trump vote.

Trump’s decision paves the way for a potential rematch with Biden, who has said he intends to run for reelection despite concerns from some in his party over his age and low approval ratings. The two men were already the oldest presidential nominees ever when they ran in 2020. Trump, who is 76, would be 82 at the end of a second term in 2029. Biden, who is about to turn 80, would be 86.

If he is ultimately successful, Trump would be just the second U.S. president in history to serve two nonconsecutive terms, following Grover Cleveland’s wins in 1884 and 1892.

But Trump enters the race facing enormous challenges beyond his party’s growing trepidations. The former president is the subject of numerous investigations, including the monthslong probe into the hundreds of documents with classified markings found in boxes at Mar-a-Lago.

Meanwhile, Trump is facing Justice Department scrutiny over efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. In Georgia, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is investigating what she alleges was “a multi-state, coordinated plan by the Trump Campaign” to influence the 2020 results.

And in New York, Attorney General Letitia James has sued Trump, alleging his namesake company engaged in decades’ worth of fraudulent bookkeeping by misleading banks about the value of his assets. The Trump Organization is also now on trial, facing criminal tax fraud charges.

Some in Trump’s orbit believe that running will help shield him against potential indictment, but there is no legal statute that would prevent the Justice Department from moving forward — or prevent Trump from continuing to run if he is charged.

It wasn’t any secret what he had been planning.

At a White House Christmas party in December 2020, Trump told guests it had “been an amazing four years.”

“We are trying to do another four years,” he said. “Otherwise, I’ll see you in four years.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668564486692.png" alt="Trump made the announcement in from of several hundred supporters, club members and gathered press in a chandeliered ballroom at his Mar-a-Lago club-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Trump made the announcement in from of several hundred supporters, club members and gathered press in a chandeliered ballroom at his Mar-a-Lago club-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?524197-1/fmr-president-trump-makes-campaign-announcement-mar-lago&amp;live">Click here to</a> watch the announcementPALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;said Tuesday that he will mount a third White House campaign, launching an early start to the 2024 contest. The announcement comes just a week after an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-donald-trump-00c770068d8b82f165a9f4871eee983b">underwhelming midterm showing for Republicans</a>&nbsp;and will force the party to decide whether to embrace a candidate whose refusal to accept defeat in 2020&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">pushed American democracy to the brink.</a>“I am tonight announcing my candidacy for president of the United States,” Trump said to an audience of several hundred supporters, club members and gathered press in a chandeliered ballroom at his Mar-a-Lago club, where he stood flanked by more than 30 American flags and banners that read, “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668563887649.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Trump enters the race in a moment of political vulnerability. He hoped to launch his campaign in the wake of resounding GOP midterm victories, fueled by candidates he elevated during this year’s primaries. Instead, many of those candidates lost, allowing Democrats to keep the Senate and leaving the GOP with a path to only a bare majority in the House.Far from the undisputed leader of the party, Trump is now facing criticism from some of his own allies, who say it’s time for Republicans to look to the future, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis emerging as an early favorite White House contender.The former president is still popular with the GOP base. But other Republicans, including former Vice President Mike Pence, are taking increasingly public steps toward campaigns of their own, raising the prospect that Trump will have to navigate a competitive GOP primary.He’s launching his candidacy amid a series of escalating criminal investigations, including several that could lead to indictments. They include the probe into dozens of documents with classified markings that were seized by the FBI from Mar-a-Lago and ongoing state and federal inquiries into his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.Another campaign is a remarkable turn for any former president, much less one who made history as the first to be impeached twice and whose term ended with his supporters violently storming the Capitol in a deadly bid to halt the peaceful transition of power on Jan. 6, 2021.But Trump, according to people close to him, has been eager to return to politics and try to halt the rise of other potential challengers. Aides have spent the last months readying paperwork, identifying potential staff and sketching out the contours of a campaign that is being modeled on his 2016 operation, when a small clutch of aides zipping between rallies on his private jet defied the odds and defeated far better-funded and more experienced rivals by tapping into deep political fault lines and using shocking statements to drive relentless media attention.Even after GOP losses, Trump remains the most powerful force in his party. For years he has consistently topped his fellow Republican contenders by wide margins in hypothetical head-to-head matchups. And even out of office, he consistently attracts thousands to his rallies and remains his party’s most prolific fundraiser, raising hundreds of millions of dollars.But Trump is also a deeply polarizing figure. Fifty-four percent of voters in last week’s midterm elections viewed him very or somewhat unfavorably, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 94,000 voters nationwide. And an October AP-NORC poll found even Republicans have their reservations about him remaining the party’s standard-bearer, with 43% saying they don’t want to see him run for president in 2024.Trump’s candidacy poses profound questions about America’s democratic future. The final days of his presidency were consumed by a desperate effort to stay in power, undermining the centuries-old tradition of a peaceful transfer. And in the two years since he lost, Trump’s persistent — and baseless — lies about widespread election fraud have eroded confidence in the nation’s political process. By late January 2021, about two-thirds of Republicans said they did not believe President Joe Biden was legitimately elected in 2020, an AP-NORC poll found.VoteCast showed roughly as many Republican voters in the midterm elections continued to hold that belief.Federal and state election officials and Trump’s own attorney general have said there is no credible evidence the 2020 election was tainted. The former president’s allegations of fraud were also roundly rejected by numerous courts, including by judges Trump appointed.But that didn’t stop hundreds of midterm candidates from parroting his lies as they sought to win over his loyal base and score his coveted endorsement. In the end, many of those candidates went on to lose their races in a sign that voters rejected such extreme rhetoric.While some Republicans with presidential ambitions, like former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, have long ruled out running against Trump, others have said he would not figure into their decisions, even before his midterm losses.They include Pence, who released a book Tuesday, and Trump’s former secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, as well as former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who ran against Trump in 2016. Other potential candidates include Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Trump is also likely to face challenges from members of the anti-Trump wing of the party like Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, vice chair of the House committee that has been investigating Jan. 6.But the person who has most occupied Trump and his allies in recent months is DeSantis, whose commanding reelection as governor last week was a bright spot for Republicans this cycle. The former congressman, who became a popular national figure among conservatives during the pandemic as he pushed back on COVID-19 restrictions, shares Trump’s pugilistic instincts and has embraced fights over social issues with similar zeal.Even some enthusiastic Trump supporters say they are eager for DeSantis to run, seeing him as a natural successor to Trump but without the former president’s considerable baggage.Trump has already begun to lash out at DeSantis publicly. On Tuesday, the Florida governor shot back.“At the end of the day, I would just tell people to go check out the scoreboard from last Tuesday night,” DeSantis told reporters.A crowded field of GOP rivals could ultimately play to Trump’s advantage, as it did in 2016, when he prevailed over more than a dozen other candidates who splintered the anti-Trump vote.Trump’s decision paves the way for a potential rematch with Biden, who has said he intends to run for reelection despite concerns from some in his party over his age and low approval ratings. The two men were already the oldest presidential nominees ever when they ran in 2020. Trump, who is 76, would be 82 at the end of a second term in 2029. Biden, who is about to turn 80, would be 86.If he is ultimately successful, Trump would be just the second U.S. president in history to serve two nonconsecutive terms, following Grover Cleveland’s wins in 1884 and 1892.But Trump enters the race facing enormous challenges beyond his party’s growing trepidations. The former president is the subject of numerous investigations, including the monthslong probe into the hundreds of documents with classified markings found in boxes at Mar-a-Lago.Meanwhile, Trump is facing Justice Department scrutiny over efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. In Georgia, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is investigating what she alleges was “a multi-state, coordinated plan by the Trump Campaign” to influence the 2020 results.And in New York, Attorney General Letitia James has sued Trump, alleging his namesake company engaged in decades’ worth of fraudulent bookkeeping by misleading banks about the value of his assets. The Trump Organization is also now on trial, facing criminal tax fraud charges.Some in Trump’s orbit believe that running will help shield him against potential indictment, but there is no legal statute that would prevent the Justice Department from moving forward — or prevent Trump from continuing to run if he is charged.It wasn’t any secret what he had been planning.At a White House Christmas party in December 2020, Trump told guests it had “been an amazing four years.”“We are trying to do another four years,” he said. “Otherwise, I’ll see you in four years.”___

🎥Donald Trump announces 2024 presidential campaign

JACKSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man on drug allegations.

Just after 5p.m. Nov. 11, sheriff's deputies&nbsp;conducted a traffic stop on a 2014 Dodge Journey near 162nd and U.S. Highway 75, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.&nbsp; A search of the vehicle resulted in the discovery of illegal substances and drug paraphernalia. Deputies located 26 individually packaged bags of cocaine and other assorted drugs and paraphernalia. 

Deputies arrested the driver Ernest Russell Davis, 60, of Topeka, on requested charges that include distribution of cocaine, possession of a hallucinogenic drug and drug paraphernalia, according to Morse.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668447607014.png" alt="Davis-photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Davis-photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man on drug allegations.Just after 5p.m. Nov. 11, sheriff's deputies&nbsp;conducted a traffic stop on a 2014 Dodge Journey near 162nd and U.S. Highway 75, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.&nbsp; A search of the vehicle resulted in the discovery of illegal substances and drug paraphernalia. Deputies located 26 individually packaged bags of cocaine and other assorted drugs and paraphernalia. Deputies arrested the driver Ernest Russell Davis, 60, of Topeka, on requested charges that include distribution of cocaine, possession of a hallucinogenic drug and drug paraphernalia, according to Morse.

Kan. deputies find bags of cocaine during traffic stop

PAWNEE COUNTY – A Pawnee County judge charged a Kansas man with child sex during a hearing on November 10.&nbsp;

James Speer, 30, Larned, is&nbsp; charged with Rape of a Child Under 14 years of age and Oral Sodomy of a Child Under 14 years of age, according to Pawnee County Attorney Doug McNett.

The crimes are alleged to have occurred at a residence in Garfield, Kansas on or about May 25th or 26th, 2013. Law enforcement, however, was not notified of the allegations until November of 2020. The Pawnee County Sheriff handled the investigation.

If convicted, Speer faces a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole until he has served at least 25 years.

Arraignment is scheduled for February 13, 2023, according to McNett. Speer is currently in the custody of the Kansas Department of Corrections after convictions that include 4 sex crimes, obstruction, aggravated intimidation of a witness and criminal threat, according to the KDOC.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668512042910.png" alt="Speer-photo. Pawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Speer-photo. Pawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>PAWNEE COUNTY – A Pawnee County judge charged a Kansas man with child sex during a hearing on November 10.&nbsp;James Speer, 30, Larned, is&nbsp; charged with Rape of a Child Under 14 years of age and Oral Sodomy of a Child Under 14 years of age, according to Pawnee County Attorney Doug McNett.The crimes are alleged to have occurred at a residence in Garfield, Kansas on or about May 25th or 26th, 2013. Law enforcement, however, was not notified of the allegations until November of 2020. The Pawnee County Sheriff handled the investigation.If convicted, Speer faces a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole until he has served at least 25 years.Arraignment is scheduled for February 13, 2023, according to McNett. Speer is currently in the custody of the Kansas Department of Corrections after convictions that include 4 sex crimes, obstruction, aggravated intimidation of a witness and criminal threat, according to the KDOC.

Kan. man in prison for sex crimes, charged with child sex crimes

By BECKY GOFF Little Apple Post

MANHATTAN — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a burglary in Manhattan.

On Monday, officers with the Riley County Police Department were called to the American Legion Pearce-Keller Post #17 on McCall Road in Manhattan on the report of a burglary, theft and criminal damage to property, according to a media release.

Upon arrival, American Legion staff reported the doors to the building had been damaged, along with an ATM and a safe within the building being damaged and cash stolen.

An estimated $4,800 in cash was stolen from the ATM and safe, and approximately $3,300 of additional loss for the damage to the doors, ATM and safe.

American Legion and Blue Sky LLC were listed as the victims in this incident.

Anyone with information can contact RCPD or the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=353#">Manhattan Riley County Crime Stoppers</a>. Using the Crime Stoppers service can allow you to remain anonymous and could qualify you for a cash reward of up to $1,000.&nbsp;&nbsp;

By BECKY GOFF Little Apple PostMANHATTAN — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a burglary in Manhattan.On Monday, officers with the Riley County Police Department were called to the American Legion Pearce-Keller Post #17 on McCall Road in Manhattan on the report of a burglary, theft and criminal damage to property, according to a media release.Upon arrival, American Legion staff reported the doors to the building had been damaged, along with an ATM and a safe within the building being damaged and cash stolen.An estimated $4,800 in cash was stolen from the ATM and safe, and approximately $3,300 of additional loss for the damage to the doors, ATM and safe.American Legion and Blue Sky LLC were listed as the victims in this incident.Anyone with information can contact RCPD or the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=353#">Manhattan Riley County Crime Stoppers</a>. Using the Crime Stoppers service can allow you to remain anonymous and could qualify you for a cash reward of up to $1,000.&nbsp;&nbsp;

$4,800 in cash taken from ATM at American Legion Post in Kansas

SHAWNEE COUNTY—A man critically injured in an apartment building fire November 10 identified as 42-year-old Brandon J. Harries of Topeka has died, according to Fire Marshal Alan Stahl.

Just after 8p.m. on Thursday, fire crews responded to a three-alarm fire at a three-story apartment building located at 115 NE Redbud Circle in Topeka, Kansas, according to Fire Marshal Alan Stahl.&nbsp;

Due to the advanced fire conditions, crews began a defensive fire attack in an attempt to keep the fire contained to the structure. A nearby building received heat damage to its exterior. Firefighters performed a primary search and found Harries with life-threatening injuries. 

Harries was transported to a local hospital.&nbsp; One other adult was also transported for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.&nbsp;

There were ten occupied apartments and the total damage is estimated to be $1.5 million, with $1 million associated with structural loss and $500,000 associated with content loss.

Officials continue to investigate the cause of the fire.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668177955338.png" alt="Crews fighting the apartment building fire on Thursday -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Crews fighting the apartment building fire on Thursday -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—A man critically injured in an apartment building fire November 10 identified as 42-year-old Brandon J. Harries of Topeka has died, according to Fire Marshal Alan Stahl.Just after 8p.m. on Thursday, fire crews responded to a three-alarm fire at a three-story apartment building located at 115 NE Redbud Circle in Topeka, Kansas, according to Fire Marshal Alan Stahl.&nbsp;Due to the advanced fire conditions, crews began a defensive fire attack in an attempt to keep the fire contained to the structure. A nearby building received heat damage to its exterior. Firefighters performed a primary search and found Harries with life-threatening injuries. Harries was transported to a local hospital.&nbsp; One other adult was also transported for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.&nbsp;There were ten occupied apartments and the total damage is estimated to be $1.5 million, with $1 million associated with structural loss and $500,000 associated with content loss.Officials continue to investigate the cause of the fire.

Man critically injured in Kansas apartment building fire has died

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Law-abiding marijuana enthusiasts could find themselves in a bit of a predicament following voter approval of a recreational cannabis initiative in Missouri.

Though it soon will become legal for adults to possess and ingest cannabis, it could take a couple more months before they can legally buy it.

Maryland residents will have to wait even longer — until the middle of next year — before a recreational marijuana measure approved this past week can take effect.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marijuana-legalization-2022-midterm-elections-c693f5e23e0faf2f39168df6a2f80ab2">With the addition of Maryland and Missouri</a>, 21 states have legalized recreational marijuana for adults over the past decade — even though it remains illegal under federal law.

Marijuana advocates are pressing forward with similar efforts elsewhere, undeterred by defeats last week in Arkansas, North Dakota and South Dakota.

Efforts to legalize psychedelic drugs for personal use also appear likely to spread, after supporters poured millions of dollars into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/colorado-decriminalizes-psychedelic-mushrooms-4feb4848005fc355eef7b54b451460be">a Colorado measure that won approval</a>.

Here's a look at what's next in the effort to reshape state drug laws.

Recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older will become legal in Missouri on Dec. 8. That’s the same day the state’s existing medical marijuana businesses can apply for licenses to grow, manufacture, transport and sell cannabis for recreational purposes.

But there won't be any immediate deals — at least not legally.

The newly approved constitutional amendment gives the state health department until Feb. 6 to consider applications. Though officials could act more quickly, the department doesn’t expect to approve recreational cannabis licenses until February, said the department's communications director, Lisa Cox.

In the meantime, people potentially could get free marijuana from those with medical cards or turn to the black market.

“No one needs to say how or where they acquired their cannabis in order for it to be legal,” said Dan Viets, Missouri coordinator for the drug policy group NORML.

Maryland’s new constitutional amendment legalizes the possession and use of marijuana for adults 21 and older effective July 1, and directs the General Assembly to come up with laws regulating it.

In the meantime, a law set to be in place from Jan. 1 through June 30 makes the possession of a personal supply of marijuana — defined as up to 1.5 ounces — a civil offense with a fine of up to $100.

Both states also have provisions to gradually expunge some past marijuana offenses for people.

The next vote on legalizing recreational marijuana for adults will occur in Oklahoma. Republican&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elections-marijuana-oklahoma-general-ee1bab3b4b25fda860d1477ac109e077">Gov. Kevin Stitt set a March election</a>&nbsp;after a delay in counting initiative signatures and legal challenges prevented the measure from appearing on the November ballot.

Oklahoma already has one of the nation's most robust medical marijuana programs, with&nbsp;<a href="https://oklahoma.gov/omma/about/licensing-and-tax-data.html">about 2,500 licensed dispensaries</a>. About 380,000 people, nearly 10% of all residents, have state-issued medical cards allowing them to buy, grow and consume marijuana.

After Oklahoma, Ohio could vote next on cannabis legalization. A group that originally sought to get a measure on the November ballot reached a legal settlement with legislative leaders that could&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-marijuana-legislature-columbus-9baf0aae7ebf4e11a9886d6d00f3822d">allow supporters to submit petition signatures</a>&nbsp;for a 2023 vote.

After Democratic victories in last week's legislative and gubernatorial elections,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-marijuana-recreational-legislature-sd-state-wire-7329cffd1156a64b5895a7ec14c1ef0b">Minnesota could be poised to legalize recreational marijuana</a>&nbsp;next year without needing to go to voters. Legislative approval of recreational marijuana also could be pursued next year in Democratic-led Hawaii, said Matthew Schweich, deputy director of the Marijuana Policy Project, a nonprofit advocacy group based in Washington, D.C.

New citizen-led ballot initiatives are possible in Florida, Idaho, Nebraska, Wyoming and the three states where ballot measures recently failed.

This year was "probably the worst election cycle for cannabis reform since the first ones passed in 2012, but there’s still a belief that we can go win more states in 2024,” said Schweich, who ran this year's campaign in South Dakota.

Marijuana legalization campaigns raised about $24 million in the five states where they were on the ballot, according to pre-election finance reports. The vast majority of that was in Arkansas and Missouri, where&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-marijuana-industry-donors-d97a216994afd9933d0f733b3def6742">more than 85% of contributions</a>&nbsp;came from donors associated with medical marijuana licensees, according to an Associated Press analysis.

In Arkansas, some marijuana advocates opposed the initiative because it benefitted the existing industry while lacking provisions for people to grow their own cannabis and expunge past marijuana convictions. But advocates hope to return to voters in two years with a revised plan.

“I think the people still truly want to see this," said Eddie Armstrong, chairman of the group that campaigned for the Arkansas initiative.

Voters in Colorado made it the second state, behind Oregon, to legalize psychedelic mushrooms for personal use by people 21 and older.

Though the hallucinogenic drug remains illegal under federal law and won't be sold in Colorado stores, it will be available for use under supervision at state-regulated “healing centers.” Residents also will be able to grow psychedelic mushrooms at home and use them without civil or criminal penalties.

The initiative won't take effect until 2024. By then, similar legalization efforts already may have spread to other states.

The Colorado measure is “at the forefront of a new trend,” said Mandy Zoch, who tracks ballot measures at the National Conference of State Legislatures. "I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw more measures relating to things like psilocybin and other psychedelic drugs in the future.”

Legislatures in several states, including California and New Jersey, are likely to consider psychedelic drug measures in 2023, said Graham Boyd, executive director of the drug policy group New Approach.

After spending more than $4 million on the Colorado initiative, New Approach expects donors concerned about veterans and mental health issues to step forward with more money for future initiatives.

“I think that we are at the beginning of a very hopeful period of expanding options for dealing with mental health. That’s what this is all about,” Boyd said.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Law-abiding marijuana enthusiasts could find themselves in a bit of a predicament following voter approval of a recreational cannabis initiative in Missouri.Though it soon will become legal for adults to possess and ingest cannabis, it could take a couple more months before they can legally buy it.Maryland residents will have to wait even longer — until the middle of next year — before a recreational marijuana measure approved this past week can take effect.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marijuana-legalization-2022-midterm-elections-c693f5e23e0faf2f39168df6a2f80ab2">With the addition of Maryland and Missouri</a>, 21 states have legalized recreational marijuana for adults over the past decade — even though it remains illegal under federal law.Marijuana advocates are pressing forward with similar efforts elsewhere, undeterred by defeats last week in Arkansas, North Dakota and South Dakota.Efforts to legalize psychedelic drugs for personal use also appear likely to spread, after supporters poured millions of dollars into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/colorado-decriminalizes-psychedelic-mushrooms-4feb4848005fc355eef7b54b451460be">a Colorado measure that won approval</a>.Here's a look at what's next in the effort to reshape state drug laws.MISSOURI AND MARYLANDRecreational marijuana for adults 21 and older will become legal in Missouri on Dec. 8. That’s the same day the state’s existing medical marijuana businesses can apply for licenses to grow, manufacture, transport and sell cannabis for recreational purposes.But there won't be any immediate deals — at least not legally.The newly approved constitutional amendment gives the state health department until Feb. 6 to consider applications. Though officials could act more quickly, the department doesn’t expect to approve recreational cannabis licenses until February, said the department's communications director, Lisa Cox.In the meantime, people potentially could get free marijuana from those with medical cards or turn to the black market.“No one needs to say how or where they acquired their cannabis in order for it to be legal,” said Dan Viets, Missouri coordinator for the drug policy group NORML.Maryland’s new constitutional amendment legalizes the possession and use of marijuana for adults 21 and older effective July 1, and directs the General Assembly to come up with laws regulating it.In the meantime, a law set to be in place from Jan. 1 through June 30 makes the possession of a personal supply of marijuana — defined as up to 1.5 ounces — a civil offense with a fine of up to $100.Both states also have provisions to gradually expunge some past marijuana offenses for people.OKLAHOMA AND BEYONDThe next vote on legalizing recreational marijuana for adults will occur in Oklahoma. Republican&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elections-marijuana-oklahoma-general-ee1bab3b4b25fda860d1477ac109e077">Gov. Kevin Stitt set a March election</a>&nbsp;after a delay in counting initiative signatures and legal challenges prevented the measure from appearing on the November ballot.Oklahoma already has one of the nation's most robust medical marijuana programs, with&nbsp;<a href="https://oklahoma.gov/omma/about/licensing-and-tax-data.html">about 2,500 licensed dispensaries</a>. About 380,000 people, nearly 10% of all residents, have state-issued medical cards allowing them to buy, grow and consume marijuana.After Oklahoma, Ohio could vote next on cannabis legalization. A group that originally sought to get a measure on the November ballot reached a legal settlement with legislative leaders that could&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-marijuana-legislature-columbus-9baf0aae7ebf4e11a9886d6d00f3822d">allow supporters to submit petition signatures</a>&nbsp;for a 2023 vote.After Democratic victories in last week's legislative and gubernatorial elections,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-marijuana-recreational-legislature-sd-state-wire-7329cffd1156a64b5895a7ec14c1ef0b">Minnesota could be poised to legalize recreational marijuana</a>&nbsp;next year without needing to go to voters. Legislative approval of recreational marijuana also could be pursued next year in Democratic-led Hawaii, said Matthew Schweich, deputy director of the Marijuana Policy Project, a nonprofit advocacy group based in Washington, D.C.New citizen-led ballot initiatives are possible in Florida, Idaho, Nebraska, Wyoming and the three states where ballot measures recently failed.This year was "probably the worst election cycle for cannabis reform since the first ones passed in 2012, but there’s still a belief that we can go win more states in 2024,” said Schweich, who ran this year's campaign in South Dakota.Marijuana legalization campaigns raised about $24 million in the five states where they were on the ballot, according to pre-election finance reports. The vast majority of that was in Arkansas and Missouri, where&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-marijuana-industry-donors-d97a216994afd9933d0f733b3def6742">more than 85% of contributions</a>&nbsp;came from donors associated with medical marijuana licensees, according to an Associated Press analysis.In Arkansas, some marijuana advocates opposed the initiative because it benefitted the existing industry while lacking provisions for people to grow their own cannabis and expunge past marijuana convictions. But advocates hope to return to voters in two years with a revised plan.“I think the people still truly want to see this," said Eddie Armstrong, chairman of the group that campaigned for the Arkansas initiative.PSYCHEDELIC DRUGSVoters in Colorado made it the second state, behind Oregon, to legalize psychedelic mushrooms for personal use by people 21 and older.Though the hallucinogenic drug remains illegal under federal law and won't be sold in Colorado stores, it will be available for use under supervision at state-regulated “healing centers.” Residents also will be able to grow psychedelic mushrooms at home and use them without civil or criminal penalties.The initiative won't take effect until 2024. By then, similar legalization efforts already may have spread to other states.The Colorado measure is “at the forefront of a new trend,” said Mandy Zoch, who tracks ballot measures at the National Conference of State Legislatures. "I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw more measures relating to things like psilocybin and other psychedelic drugs in the future.”Legislatures in several states, including California and New Jersey, are likely to consider psychedelic drug measures in 2023, said Graham Boyd, executive director of the drug policy group New Approach.After spending more than $4 million on the Colorado initiative, New Approach expects donors concerned about veterans and mental health issues to step forward with more money for future initiatives.“I think that we are at the beginning of a very hopeful period of expanding options for dealing with mental health. That’s what this is all about,” Boyd said.

After election marijuana advocates look to next states

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia pounded Ukraine’s energy facilities Tuesday with its biggest barrage of missiles yet, striking targets across the country and causing widespread blackouts. A senior U.S. intelligence official said missiles crossed into NATO member Poland and killed two people.

A second person confirmed to The Associate Press that apparent Russian missiles struck a site in Poland about 15 miles from the Ukrainian border.

Adrienne Watson, a spokesperson for the National Security Council, said on Twitter that the agency had seen reports out of Poland and was working with the Polish government to gather more information.

If confirmed, the strike would mark the first time in the war that Russian weapons have come down on a NATO country.

The Russian Defense Ministry denied being behind “any strikes on targets near the Ukrainian-Polish border” and said in a statement that photos of purported damage “have nothing to do” with Russian weapons.

A NATO official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the alliance was looking into reports of a strike in Poland. The U.S. National Security Council said it was also checking into the reports.

Polish government spokesman Piotr Mueller confirmed that an explosion had killed two people and said some military units were put on alert while officials investigated.

Polish media reported that the strike took place in an area where grain was drying in Przewodów, a village near the border with Ukraine.

The barrage also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-moldova-power-outages-edfd0a2990ee1a151e970755657ee73b">affected neighboring Moldova</a>. It reported massive power outages after the strikes knocked out a key power line that supplies the small nation, an official said.

The missile strikes plunged much of Ukraine into darkness and drew defiance from President Volodymr Zelenskyy, who shook his fist and declared: “We will survive everything.”

In his nightly address, the Ukrainian leader characterized the reported strikes in Poland as “a very significant escalation” that offered proof that “terror is not limited by our state borders.”

"We need to put the terrorist in its place. The longer Russia feels impunity, the more threats there will be for everyone within the reach of Russian missiles,” Zelenskyy said.

Russia fired at least 85 missiles, most of them aimed at the country's power facilities, and blacked out many cities, he said.

The Ukrainian energy minister said the attack was “the most massive” bombardment of power facilities in the nearly 9-month-old Russian invasion, striking both power generation and transmission systems.

The minister, Herman Haluschenko, described the missile strikes as “another attempt at terrorist revenge” after military and diplomatic setbacks for the Kremlin. He accused Russia of “trying to cause maximum damage to our energy system on the eve of winter.”

The aerial assault, which resulted in at least one death in a residential building in the capital, Kyiv, followed days of euphoria in Ukraine sparked by one of its biggest military successes — the retaking last week of the southern city of Kherson.

The power grid was already battered by previous attacks that destroyed an estimated 40% of the country’s energy infrastructure. Zelenskyy said the number of Ukrainians without power had fallen from 10 million to 2 million by Tuesday evening.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has not commented on the retreat from Kherson since his troops pulled out in the face of a Ukrainian offensive. But the stunning scale of Tuesday’s strikes spoke volumes and hinted at anger in the Kremlin.

By striking targets in the late afternoon, not long before dusk began to fall, the Russian military forced rescue workers to labor in the dark and gave repair crews scant time to assess the damage by daylight.

More than a dozen regions — among them Lviv in the west, Kharkiv in the northeast and others in between — reported strikes or efforts by their air defenses to shoot missiles down. At least a dozen regions reported power outages, affecting cities that together have millions of people. Almost half of the Kyiv region lost power, authorities said.

Zelenskyy warned that more strikes were possible and urged people to stay safe and seek shelter.

“Most of the hits were recorded in the center and in the north of the country. In the capital, the situation is very difficult,” said a senior official, Kyrylo Tymoshenko.

He said a total of 15 energy targets were damaged and claimed that 70 missiles were shot down. A Ukrainian Air Force spokesman said Russia used X-101 and X-555 cruise missiles.

As city after city reported attacks, Tymoshenko urged Ukrainians to “hang in there.”

With its battlefield losses mounting, Russia has increasingly resorted to targeting Ukraine’s power grid, seemingly hoping to turn the approach of winter into a weapon by leaving people in the cold and dark.

In Kyiv, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said authorities found a body in one of three residential buildings that were struck in the capital, where emergency blackouts were also announced by power provider DTEK.

Video published by a presidential aide showed a five-story, apparently residential building in Kyiv on fire, with flames licking through apartments. Klitschko said air defense units also shot down some missiles.

Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra took to a bomb shelter in Kyiv after meeting his Ukrainian counterpart and, from his place of safety, described the bombardment as "an enormous motivation to keep standing shoulder-to-shoulder” with Ukraine.

“There can be only one answer, and that is: Keep going. Keep supporting Ukraine, keep delivering weapons, keep working on accountability, keep working on humanitarian aid," he said.

The strikes came as authorities were already working furiously to get Kherson back on its feet and beginning to investigate alleged Russian abuses there and in the surrounding area.

The southern city is without power and water, and the head of the U.N. human rights office’s monitoring mission in Ukraine, Matilda Bogner, on Tuesday decried a “dire humanitarian situation” there.

Speaking from Kyiv, Bogner said her teams are looking to travel to Kherson to try to verify allegations of nearly 80 cases of forced disappearances and arbitrary detention.

The head of the National Police of Ukraine, Igor Klymenko, said authorities are to start investigating reports from Kherson residents that Russian forces set up at least three alleged torture sites in now-liberated parts of the wider Kherson region.

The retaking of Kherson dealt another stinging blow to the Kremlin. Zelenskyy likened the recapture to the Allied landings in France on D-Day in World War II, saying both were watershed events on the road to eventual victory.

But large parts of eastern and southern Ukraine remain under Russian control, and fighting continues.

In other developments, leaders of most of the world’s economic powers were drawing closer to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/g20-summit-russia-ukraine-war-28ec9b6a9c0e7efd829e91d731fb4e21">approval of a declaration strongly denouncing Russia’s invasion</a>.

On Tuesday, U.S. President Joe Biden and Zelenskyy pressed fellow G20 leaders at the summit in Indonesia for a robust condemnation of Russia’s nuclear threats and food embargoes. More discussion and a possible vote come Wednesday.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A Russian missile barrage on the Ukrainian power grid sent the war spilling over into neighboring countries Tuesday, hitting NATO member Poland and cutting electricity to much of Moldova.

It was Russia's biggest barrage yet, and some of the missiles crossed into Poland, where two people were killed, according to a U.S. official. It marked the first time in the war that Russian weapons have come down on a NATO country.

Polish government spokesman Piotr Mueller did not immediately confirm the information from a senior U.S. intelligence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the situation. But Mueller said top leaders were holding an emergency meeting due to a “crisis situation.”

Polish media reported that two people died Tuesday afternoon after a projectile struck an area where grain was drying in Przewodów, a Polish village near the border with Ukraine.

Neighboring Moldova&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-power-outages-europe-moldova-edfd0a2990ee1a151e970755657ee73b">was also affected</a>. It reported massive power outages after the strikes knocked out a key power line that supplies the small nation, an official said.

Zelenskyy said Russia fired at least 85 missiles, most of them aimed at the country's power facilities, and blacked out many cities.

“We’re working, will restore everything. We will survive everything," the president vowed. His energy minister said the attack was “the most massive” bombardment of power facilities in the nearly 9-month-old Russian invasion, striking both power generation and transmission systems.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia pounded Ukraine’s energy facilities Tuesday with its biggest barrage of missiles yet, striking targets across the country and causing widespread blackouts. A senior U.S. intelligence official said missiles crossed into NATO member Poland and killed two people.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/PentagonPresSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PentagonPresSec</a>: &quot;When it comes to our security commitments and Article 5 we&#39;ve been crystal clear that we will defend every inch of NATO territory.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/2RaJDUSSdM">pic.twitter.com/2RaJDUSSdM</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1592599710602129409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>A second person confirmed to The Associate Press that apparent Russian missiles struck a site in Poland about 15 miles from the Ukrainian border.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">We&#39;ve seen these reports out of Poland and are working with the Polish government to gather more information. We cannot confirm the reports or any of the details at this time. We will determine what happened and what the appropriate next steps would be.&mdash; Adrienne Watson (@NSC_Spox) <a href="https://twitter.com/NSC_Spox/status/1592606767975870464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Adrienne Watson, a spokesperson for the National Security Council, said on Twitter that the agency had seen reports out of Poland and was working with the Polish government to gather more information.If confirmed, the strike would mark the first time in the war that Russian weapons have come down on a NATO country.The Russian Defense Ministry denied being behind “any strikes on targets near the Ukrainian-Polish border” and said in a statement that photos of purported damage “have nothing to do” with Russian weapons.A NATO official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the alliance was looking into reports of a strike in Poland. The U.S. National Security Council said it was also checking into the reports.Polish government spokesman Piotr Mueller confirmed that an explosion had killed two people and said some military units were put on alert while officials investigated.Polish media reported that the strike took place in an area where grain was drying in Przewodów, a village near the border with Ukraine.The barrage also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-moldova-power-outages-edfd0a2990ee1a151e970755657ee73b">affected neighboring Moldova</a>. It reported massive power outages after the strikes knocked out a key power line that supplies the small nation, an official said.The missile strikes plunged much of Ukraine into darkness and drew defiance from President Volodymr Zelenskyy, who shook his fist and declared: “We will survive everything.”In his nightly address, the Ukrainian leader characterized the reported strikes in Poland as “a very significant escalation” that offered proof that “terror is not limited by our state borders.”"We need to put the terrorist in its place. The longer Russia feels impunity, the more threats there will be for everyone within the reach of Russian missiles,” Zelenskyy said.Russia fired at least 85 missiles, most of them aimed at the country's power facilities, and blacked out many cities, he said.The Ukrainian energy minister said the attack was “the most massive” bombardment of power facilities in the nearly 9-month-old Russian invasion, striking both power generation and transmission systems.The minister, Herman Haluschenko, described the missile strikes as “another attempt at terrorist revenge” after military and diplomatic setbacks for the Kremlin. He accused Russia of “trying to cause maximum damage to our energy system on the eve of winter.”The aerial assault, which resulted in at least one death in a residential building in the capital, Kyiv, followed days of euphoria in Ukraine sparked by one of its biggest military successes — the retaking last week of the southern city of Kherson.The power grid was already battered by previous attacks that destroyed an estimated 40% of the country’s energy infrastructure. Zelenskyy said the number of Ukrainians without power had fallen from 10 million to 2 million by Tuesday evening.Russian President Vladimir Putin has not commented on the retreat from Kherson since his troops pulled out in the face of a Ukrainian offensive. But the stunning scale of Tuesday’s strikes spoke volumes and hinted at anger in the Kremlin.By striking targets in the late afternoon, not long before dusk began to fall, the Russian military forced rescue workers to labor in the dark and gave repair crews scant time to assess the damage by daylight.More than a dozen regions — among them Lviv in the west, Kharkiv in the northeast and others in between — reported strikes or efforts by their air defenses to shoot missiles down. At least a dozen regions reported power outages, affecting cities that together have millions of people. Almost half of the Kyiv region lost power, authorities said.Zelenskyy warned that more strikes were possible and urged people to stay safe and seek shelter.“Most of the hits were recorded in the center and in the north of the country. In the capital, the situation is very difficult,” said a senior official, Kyrylo Tymoshenko.He said a total of 15 energy targets were damaged and claimed that 70 missiles were shot down. A Ukrainian Air Force spokesman said Russia used X-101 and X-555 cruise missiles.As city after city reported attacks, Tymoshenko urged Ukrainians to “hang in there.”With its battlefield losses mounting, Russia has increasingly resorted to targeting Ukraine’s power grid, seemingly hoping to turn the approach of winter into a weapon by leaving people in the cold and dark.In Kyiv, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said authorities found a body in one of three residential buildings that were struck in the capital, where emergency blackouts were also announced by power provider DTEK.Video published by a presidential aide showed a five-story, apparently residential building in Kyiv on fire, with flames licking through apartments. Klitschko said air defense units also shot down some missiles.Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra took to a bomb shelter in Kyiv after meeting his Ukrainian counterpart and, from his place of safety, described the bombardment as "an enormous motivation to keep standing shoulder-to-shoulder” with Ukraine.“There can be only one answer, and that is: Keep going. Keep supporting Ukraine, keep delivering weapons, keep working on accountability, keep working on humanitarian aid," he said.The strikes came as authorities were already working furiously to get Kherson back on its feet and beginning to investigate alleged Russian abuses there and in the surrounding area.The southern city is without power and water, and the head of the U.N. human rights office’s monitoring mission in Ukraine, Matilda Bogner, on Tuesday decried a “dire humanitarian situation” there.Speaking from Kyiv, Bogner said her teams are looking to travel to Kherson to try to verify allegations of nearly 80 cases of forced disappearances and arbitrary detention.The head of the National Police of Ukraine, Igor Klymenko, said authorities are to start investigating reports from Kherson residents that Russian forces set up at least three alleged torture sites in now-liberated parts of the wider Kherson region.The retaking of Kherson dealt another stinging blow to the Kremlin. Zelenskyy likened the recapture to the Allied landings in France on D-Day in World War II, saying both were watershed events on the road to eventual victory.But large parts of eastern and southern Ukraine remain under Russian control, and fighting continues.In other developments, leaders of most of the world’s economic powers were drawing closer to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/g20-summit-russia-ukraine-war-28ec9b6a9c0e7efd829e91d731fb4e21">approval of a declaration strongly denouncing Russia’s invasion</a>.On Tuesday, U.S. President Joe Biden and Zelenskyy pressed fellow G20 leaders at the summit in Indonesia for a robust condemnation of Russia’s nuclear threats and food embargoes. More discussion and a possible vote come Wednesday.--------------KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A Russian missile barrage on the Ukrainian power grid sent the war spilling over into neighboring countries Tuesday, hitting NATO member Poland and cutting electricity to much of Moldova.It was Russia's biggest barrage yet, and some of the missiles crossed into Poland, where two people were killed, according to a U.S. official. It marked the first time in the war that Russian weapons have come down on a NATO country.Polish government spokesman Piotr Mueller did not immediately confirm the information from a senior U.S. intelligence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the situation. But Mueller said top leaders were holding an emergency meeting due to a “crisis situation.”Polish media reported that two people died Tuesday afternoon after a projectile struck an area where grain was drying in Przewodów, a Polish village near the border with Ukraine.Neighboring Moldova&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-power-outages-europe-moldova-edfd0a2990ee1a151e970755657ee73b">was also affected</a>. It reported massive power outages after the strikes knocked out a key power line that supplies the small nation, an official said.Zelenskyy said Russia fired at least 85 missiles, most of them aimed at the country's power facilities, and blacked out many cities.“We’re working, will restore everything. We will survive everything," the president vowed. His energy minister said the attack was “the most massive” bombardment of power facilities in the nearly 9-month-old Russian invasion, striking both power generation and transmission systems.The minister, Herman Haluschenko, described the missile strikes as “another attempt at terrorist revenge” after military and diplomatic setbacks for the Kremlin. He accused Russia of “trying to cause maximum damage to our energy system on the eve of winter.”The aerial assault, which resulted in at least one death in a residential building in the capital, Kyiv, followed days of euphoria in Ukraine sparked by one of its biggest military successes — the retaking last week of the southern city of Kherson.The power grid was already battered by previous attacks that destroyed an estimated 40% of the country’s energy infrastructure.Russian President Vladimir Putin has not commented on the retreat from Kherson since his troops pulled out in the face of a Ukrainian offensive. But the stunning scale of Tuesday’s strikes spoke volumes and hinted at anger in the Kremlin.By striking targets in the late afternoon, not long before dusk began to fall, the Russian military forced rescue workers to labor in the dark and gave repair crews scant time to assess the damage by daylight.More than a dozen regions — among them Lviv in the west, Kharkiv in the northeast and others in between — reported strikes or efforts by their air defenses to shoot missiles down. At least a dozen regions reported power outages, affecting cities that together have millions of people. Almost half of the Kyiv region lost power, authorities said. Ukrainian Railways announced nationwide train delays.Zelenskyy warned that more strikes were possible and urged people to stay safe and seek shelter.“Most of the hits were recorded in the center and in the north of the country. In the capital, the situation is very difficult,” said a senior official, Kyrylo Tymoshenko.He said a total of 15 energy targets were damaged and claimed that 70 missiles were shot down. A Ukrainian Air Force spokesman said Russia used X-101 and X-555 cruise missiles.As city after city reported attacks, Tymoshenko urged Ukrainians to “hang in there.”With its battlefield losses mounting, Russia has increasingly resorted to targeting Ukraine’s power grid, seemingly hoping to turn the approach of winter into a weapon by leaving people in the cold and dark.In Kyiv, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said authorities found a body in one of three residential buildings that were struck in the capital, where emergency blackouts were also announced by power provider DTEK.Video published by a presidential aide showed a five-story, apparently residential building in Kyiv on fire, with flames licking through apartments. Klitschko said air defense units also shot down some missiles.Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra took to a bomb shelter in Kyiv after meeting his Ukrainian counterpart and, from his place of safety, described the bombardment as "an enormous motivation to keep standing shoulder-to-shoulder” with Ukraine.“There can be only one answer, and that is: Keep going. Keep supporting Ukraine, keep delivering weapons, keep working on accountability, keep working on humanitarian aid," he said.Ukraine had seen a period of comparative calm since previous waves of drone and missile attacks several weeks ago.The strikes came as authorities were already working furiously to get Kherson back on its feet and beginning to investigate alleged Russian abuses there and in the surrounding area.The southern city is without power and water, and the head of the U.N. human rights office’s monitoring mission in Ukraine, Matilda Bogner, on Tuesday decried a “dire humanitarian situation” there.Speaking from Kyiv, Bogner said her teams are looking to travel to Kherson to try to verify allegations of nearly 80 cases of forced disappearances and arbitrary detention.The head of the National Police of Ukraine, Igor Klymenko, said authorities are to start investigating reports from Kherson residents that Russian forces set up at least three alleged torture sites in now-liberated parts of the wider Kherson region and that “our people may have been detained and tortured there.”The retaking of Kherson dealt another stinging blow to the Kremlin. Zelenskyy likened the recapture to the Allied landings in France on D-Day in World War II, saying both were watershed events on the road to eventual victory.But large parts of eastern and southern Ukraine remain under Russian control, and fighting continues.Zelenskyy warned of possible more grim news ahead.“Everywhere, when we liberate our land, we see one thing — Russia leaves behind torture chambers and mass burials. … How many mass graves are there in the territory that still remains under the control of Russia?" Zelenskyy asked.