I let my fiancée use my car to get back and forth to work, and it has a lot of miles on it and a few mechanical issues. The money we’ve put into the car to fix the issues is about the same or more than the car is actually worth. We just started your plan a couple of months ago, and we’ve almost got a beginner emergency fund saved up. We also have very little consumer debt to pay off. I’m afraid, though, if we get into a second $1,000 to $2,000 car, we’ll just experience the same kinds of issues and it will turn into another money pit. I bring home about $5,000 a month, and she works part-time and goes to school. How do you think we should handle things?&nbsp;

Well, if you’re serious about following&nbsp;<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/dave-ramsey-7-baby-steps" target="_blank">the plan</a>, you don’t really have a choice right now. But you’re bringing home a nice paycheck, man. You ought to be able to buy a better $1,500 to $2,000 car with cash in a month or so, just to give you some relief. Then, stick some money aside each month until spring and get something that’s a big step up in the $5,000 to $6,000 range.

Listen, I don’t want anyone driving around in a rust bucket longer than they have to. And it sounds like you really need to get up out of the junk. But if you do some research and buy wisely, you can get a good year or two out of a $1,500 car. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/askdave/saving/finding-a-used-car" target="_blank">car</a>&nbsp;may not look like much, but you’re not trying to catch a girl’s eye. You’ve already got a fiancée. If you find an old Honda or Toyota that’s still mechanically sound—and yes, they’re out there—it’ll get you by while you save up for something a lot better.

But remember, you and your fiancée don’t need to own anything together until you’re&nbsp;<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/recommends/life-insurance-for-married-couples" target="_blank">married</a>. The kind of arrangement you have now can cause real problems. If you guys get married and combine your resources and dreams, it’ll be better for everyone relationally&nbsp;and&nbsp;financially. You’re playing house already, so you might as well go ahead and get married and combine your lives on every level.

It’s time to paint or get off the ladder, dude!

<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/" target="_blank">Dave Ramsey</a>&nbsp;is a seven-time No. 1 national best-selling author, personal finance expert, and host of The Dave Ramsey Show, heard by more than 16 million listeners each week. He&nbsp;has appeared on Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Today Show, Fox News, CNN, Fox Business, and many more. Since 1992, Dave has helped people regain control of their money, build wealth and enhance their lives. He also serves as CEO for Ramsey Solutions.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596845065840.jpeg" alt="Dave Ramsey" />
 <figcaption>Dave Ramsey</figcaption>
 </figure>Dear Dave,I let my fiancée use my car to get back and forth to work, and it has a lot of miles on it and a few mechanical issues. The money we’ve put into the car to fix the issues is about the same or more than the car is actually worth. We just started your plan a couple of months ago, and we’ve almost got a beginner emergency fund saved up. We also have very little consumer debt to pay off. I’m afraid, though, if we get into a second $1,000 to $2,000 car, we’ll just experience the same kinds of issues and it will turn into another money pit. I bring home about $5,000 a month, and she works part-time and goes to school. How do you think we should handle things?&nbsp;ThaddeusDear Thaddeus,Well, if you’re serious about following&nbsp;<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/dave-ramsey-7-baby-steps" target="_blank">the plan</a>, you don’t really have a choice right now. But you’re bringing home a nice paycheck, man. You ought to be able to buy a better $1,500 to $2,000 car with cash in a month or so, just to give you some relief. Then, stick some money aside each month until spring and get something that’s a big step up in the $5,000 to $6,000 range.Listen, I don’t want anyone driving around in a rust bucket longer than they have to. And it sounds like you really need to get up out of the junk. But if you do some research and buy wisely, you can get a good year or two out of a $1,500 car. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/askdave/saving/finding-a-used-car" target="_blank">car</a>&nbsp;may not look like much, but you’re not trying to catch a girl’s eye. You’ve already got a fiancée. If you find an old Honda or Toyota that’s still mechanically sound—and yes, they’re out there—it’ll get you by while you save up for something a lot better.But remember, you and your fiancée don’t need to own anything together until you’re&nbsp;<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/recommends/life-insurance-for-married-couples" target="_blank">married</a>. The kind of arrangement you have now can cause real problems. If you guys get married and combine your resources and dreams, it’ll be better for everyone relationally&nbsp;and&nbsp;financially. You’re playing house already, so you might as well go ahead and get married and combine your lives on every level.It’s time to paint or get off the ladder, dude!Dave<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/" target="_blank">Dave Ramsey</a>&nbsp;is a seven-time No. 1 national best-selling author, personal finance expert, and host of The Dave Ramsey Show, heard by more than 16 million listeners each week. He&nbsp;has appeared on Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Today Show, Fox News, CNN, Fox Business, and many more. Since 1992, Dave has helped people regain control of their money, build wealth and enhance their lives. He also serves as CEO for Ramsey Solutions.

DAVE SAYS: Save up to get out of the rust bucket

As the need for blood donations continues to become ever-more critical, the American Red Cross is partnering with Eagle Radio to both raise awareness and funding for the organization.

In conjunction with the Robert E &amp; Patricia A. Schmidt Foundation, Eagle Radio markets in Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri will also be raising funds in an effort to help bolster the Red Cross vehicle fleet.

Donations will help the Red Cross purchase new community emergency vehicles that deliver critical blood needs across the region.

Donations will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the Schmidt Foundation.

“The mission of the American Red Cross is more important today than ever, and Eagle Radio is proud to help strengthen the organization and its life-saving efforts,” said Eagle Radio Chairman Gary Shorman, who is also the Schmidt Foundation chairman of the board. “We urge our listeners and readers to consider helping this great cause — and strengthen the health and safety of our community at the same time.”

• Text to give:&nbsp;You can be a part of our community emergency vehicle campaign by texting the word RCFLEET to 41411 to make a donation.&nbsp;

•&nbsp;<a href="https://bit.ly/donateeagleradioschmidt">Eagle Radio microsite</a>

•&nbsp;<a href="https://bit.ly/GoFundMeEagleRadioRedCross">GoFundMe</a>

• Mail:&nbsp;American Red Cross 707 N. Main St., Wichita, KS 67203. Please indicate&nbsp;Eagle Radio Blood Fleet Campaign&nbsp;on the memo line of your check. Or you can download a mail-in donation form&nbsp;<a href="https://www.redcross.org/content/dam/redcross/donations/2019_Updated%20IRF%20Form_v1_FINAL_RSG00000MCDF.PDF">HERE</a>.

Last year, in the Eagle Radio markets, Red Cross collected over 370,000 units of lifesaving blood in support of more than 200 area hospitals.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1604516844861.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>As the need for blood donations continues to become ever-more critical, the American Red Cross is partnering with Eagle Radio to both raise awareness and funding for the organization.In conjunction with the Robert E &amp; Patricia A. Schmidt Foundation, Eagle Radio markets in Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri will also be raising funds in an effort to help bolster the Red Cross vehicle fleet.Donations will help the Red Cross purchase new community emergency vehicles that deliver critical blood needs across the region.Donations will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the Schmidt Foundation.“The mission of the American Red Cross is more important today than ever, and Eagle Radio is proud to help strengthen the organization and its life-saving efforts,” said Eagle Radio Chairman Gary Shorman, who is also the Schmidt Foundation chairman of the board. “We urge our listeners and readers to consider helping this great cause — and strengthen the health and safety of our community at the same time.”Donations can be made by:• Text to give:&nbsp;You can be a part of our community emergency vehicle campaign by texting the word RCFLEET to 41411 to make a donation.&nbsp;•&nbsp;<a href="https://bit.ly/donateeagleradioschmidt">Eagle Radio microsite</a>•&nbsp;<a href="https://bit.ly/GoFundMeEagleRadioRedCross">GoFundMe</a>• Mail:&nbsp;American Red Cross 707 N. Main St., Wichita, KS 67203. Please indicate&nbsp;Eagle Radio Blood Fleet Campaign&nbsp;on the memo line of your check. Or you can download a mail-in donation form&nbsp;<a href="https://www.redcross.org/content/dam/redcross/donations/2019_Updated%20IRF%20Form_v1_FINAL_RSG00000MCDF.PDF">HERE</a>.Last year, in the Eagle Radio markets, Red Cross collected over 370,000 units of lifesaving blood in support of more than 200 area hospitals.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1604516806024.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

Eagle Radio teams with Red Cross to replenish vehicle fleet

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas City Chiefs' coordinators talked football with the media on Thursday. From The Kansas City Chiefs Facebook page:

You can listen to the Chiefs' games on KINA (910 AM and 107.5 FM) and 99KG (99.9 FM), your local Chiefs Radio Network stations.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas City Chiefs' coordinators talked football with the media on Thursday. From The Kansas City Chiefs Facebook page:<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FKansasCityChiefs%2Fvideos%2F869450577214939%2F&show_text=true&width=560" width="560" height="429" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>You can listen to the Chiefs' games on KINA (910 AM and 107.5 FM) and 99KG (99.9 FM), your local Chiefs Radio Network stations.

📹Chiefs' coordinators talk football with the media Thursday

Catholics split almost evenly in supporting Donald Trump or Joe Biden in the presidential election. Now they’re sharply divided over a declaration by the head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops that the president-elect’s support for abortion rights presents the church with a “difficult and complex situation.”

The USCCB’s president, Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez, made that statement Tuesday near the close of the conference’s national meeting and announced the formation of a working group of bishops to assess the dilemma. Some experts said it’s possible the group will discuss whether Biden — a practicing Roman Catholic — should be barred from partaking in Holy Communion.

Catholic anti-abortion activists hope the bishops follow through with tough words and action, making clear that Catholic politicians who support abortion are in breach of church teaching.

Biden’s policy agenda “is incompatible with the Catholic position on abortion and the protection of innocent human life,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, a leading anti-abortion group.

But others criticized the USCCB as setting the stage for potential conflict with the president-elect just days after he received a congratulatory call from Pope Francis. Biden said he hopes to work with the pontiff on issues such as climate change, poverty and immigration.

“The USCCB leadership simply can’t embrace the idea of engagement and goodwill that Pope Francis has asked of them,” said David Gibson, director of Fordham University’s Center on Religion and Culture. “That the pope called to congratulate Biden and discussed working together while the American bishops capped their meeting with plans to do battle with the incoming president says it all.”

Natalia Imperatori-Lee, a professor of religious studies at Manhattan College, also was dismayed by the USCCB.

“It seems they’d like to start an antagonistic relationship with only the second Catholic to be elected the president of this country,” she said via email. “This is appalling.”

“The bishops have chosen to continue the culture war that uses abortion to drive wedges in our church and our society, because they see that as a winning issue for them,” she wrote.

Gomez has welcomed many of Biden’s stances, including on immigration, racial justice and climate change. But some conservative bishops, citing the church’s opposition to abortion, have been outspoken in their criticism after Gomez congratulated Biden on his victory.

On Tuesday, as the USCCB ended the public portion of its meeting, Gomez read a statement that arose from discussions with some of the agitated bishops.

“The president-elect has given us reason to think he will support some good policies” but also some that “undermine our preeminent priority of the elimination of abortion,” the archbishop said.

“These policies pose a serious threat to the common good,” Gomez added. “When politicians who profess the Catholic faith support them ... it creates confusion among the faithful about what the church actually teaches on these questions.”

Gomez said he would form a working group to address the matter, headed by the USCCB’s vice president, Detroit Archbishop Allen Vigneron.

Two Catholic academics, responding to queries from The Associated Press, did not rule out the possibility that the working group could discuss whether Biden should be barred from partaking in Holy Communion because of his abortion stance.

That question “does not turn on what political office he holds, but on his public conduct as a Catholic,” said Edward Peters, professor of canon law at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit.

“His prominence in public life makes his case more visible, certainly,” Peters added. “But, in the end, it is his own behavior that determines whether he should be refused Holy Communion.”

Thomas Groome, a theology professor at Boston College, said conservative bishops on the working group would likely push for Biden to be denied Communion. But he noted that Biden’s support for abortion rights is, according to many surveys, shared by most U.S. Catholics.

Groome called Gomez’s statement “dreadfully unfortunate” and said “the bishops should be helping bring us together rather than driving us apart.”

Chieko Noguchi, a USCCB spokeswoman, said the working group has not yet met and declined to comment on whether it would discuss a potential Communion ban for Biden. There has been no response by Biden’s transition team to AP requests for comment.

Divisions within the USCCB’s ranks over the president-elect have been stark, with some, such as Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas, balking at recognizing his victory.

“I appreciate Archbishop Gomez’ acknowledgment that Vice President Biden’s proposed policies are divergent from Catholic teaching in significant ways,” Strickland tweeted Tuesday. “It remains troubling that the USCCB treats the election as certified when it is not &amp; it continues to be a source of division.”

Journalists for Catholic news outlets pointed out that the USCCB did not wait for election results to be certified in 2016, when it swiftly congratulated Trump after Election Day.

Kristan Hawkins, a Catholic who is president of Students for Life of America, said leaders of the U.S. church need to be blunter in condeming Catholic politicians who support abortion rights.

“This pretense that ending preborn life is negotiable with the church does create chaos and confusion,” Hawkins said. “This failure of leadership gives women who know that abortion is wrong the permission they’re looking for to get an abortion.”

However, Jamie Manson, president of Catholics for Choice, said Gomez’s claim that Biden’s position creates confusion among church members is “condescending.”

“They are, in fact, well-informed and have used their consciences in their choice both to elect President-elect Biden and to support reproductive health care,” she said.

In the election, 50% of Catholic voters backed Trump and 49% favored Biden, according to VoteCast, a survey of more than 110,000 voters nationwide conducted for The Associated Press by NORC at the University of Chicago.

The head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops told colleagues Tuesday that President-elect Joe Biden’s policy positions, including support for abortion rights, pose a “difficult and complex situation” for the church.

Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez, completing his first year as the USCCB’s president, welcomes many of Biden’s stances, including on immigration, racial justice and climate change. But some conservative bishops, noting the church’s strong opposition to abortion, were upset last week when Gomez congratulated Biden — a fellow Catholic — on his victory.

On Tuesday, as the USCCB ended the public portion of its two-day national meeting, Gomez departed from the official agenda to broach the issue.

“We are facing a unique moment in our history,” he said. “The president-elect has given us reason to think he will support some good policies" but also some that "undermine our preeminent priority of the elimination of abortion.”

“These policies pose a serious threat to the common good,” Gomez said. “When politicians who profess the Catholic faith support them ... it creates confusion among the faithful about what the church actually teaches on these questions.”

Gomez said he would form a working group to address the matter, headed by the USCCB's vice president, Detroit Archbishop Allen Vigneron.

There was no immediate response by Biden’s transition team to an AP request for comment.

Gomez’s unexpected remarks followed a two-hour session in which bishops from across the U.S., meeting online due to the coronavirus outbreak, shared their dioceses’ efforts to cope with the pandemic and to combat systemic racism.

Some who spoke during the racial injustice discussion represent communities that have seen protests and occasional violence after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May.

Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore was among several who described church-organized listening sessions for community members to share their experiences with racism and their thoughts on how to curtail it.

“These conversations can be difficult, painful,” Lori said. “A lot of people don’t think they need those conversations because they don’t have a racist bone in their body. The reality is much different.”

As one of several race-related initiatives, Lori said his archdiocese is building a new K-8 Catholic school in one of Baltimore’s poorest neighborhoods.

Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski of St. Louis said his archdiocese is seeking to promote racial equity in its hiring practices and has hired a diversity officer for a group of Catholic schools.

Rozanski recently toured predominantly Black neighborhoods including a stop in nearby Ferguson, where he prayed at the site where Michael Brown, an 18-year-old Black man, was fatally shot by a white police officern in 2014.

Mark Seitz, the bishop of El Paso, Texas, recalled the 2019 mass killing of 23 people at a Walmart by a gunman who said he was targeting Mexicans.

“It brought home the fact that white supremacy is not a harmless fringe ideology. It’s a death-dealing ideology,” Seitz said. “It reminded us that words matter — words that denigrate immigrants and other people of color really matter and feed into these ways of thinking.”

Seitz said the diocese is looking at forming a truth commission exploring the history and current status of racism in the region, and how it has impacted Native Americans, Hispanics, immigrants and others.

Tuesday's discussion was led by Bishop Shelton Fabre of the Louisiana diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, who heads the USCCB’s Committee Against Racism.

“The work is hard, the work is slow, but the work is being done,” he said. “In my diocese, hearts are being changed.”

Amid the protests following Floyd’s killing, some Black Catholics were outspoken in urging the church to take substantive steps conveying that their presence is valued. There have been calls for some form of reparations, and for the teaching of Black Catholic history in Catholic schools.

Black Catholics’ somewhat marginal place in the U.S. church is illustrated by statistics compiled by the USCCB: There are about 3 million African American members of the faith, roughly 4% of the nation’s 69 million Catholics, but as of January there were just 250 Black priests, or less than 1% of the total of 36,500.

Also Tuesday, a dozen bishops shared their experiences coping with the coronavirus pandemic, which has forced many dioceses to halt or sharply reduce in-person worship.

Bishop Oscar Cantú of San Jose, California, described outreach efforts aimed at sick and older adult parishioners and recounted the painful decision to lay off 15% of the diocese staff due to reduced income from offerings.

Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston, where several priests and an auxiliary bishop have died of COVID-19, said a specially trained team of priests that was equipped with state-of-the-art protective equipment won permission to administer end-of-life sacraments to Catholic patients in hospitals.

John Wester, the archbishop of Santa Fe, New Mexico, said many parishioners were angry when restrictions forced the cancellation of in-person Masses at which they could receive Holy Communion.

“We’re grateful for that devotion,” Wester said. “On the other hand, we’re trying to keep people safe."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1605698274321.png" alt="His Excellence Mgr José Horacio GOMEZ, Metropolitan Archbishop of Los Angeles and President of the USCCB during this week's virtual annual meeting-photo Catholic News Service" />
 <figcaption>His Excellence Mgr José Horacio GOMEZ, Metropolitan Archbishop of Los Angeles and President of the USCCB during this week's virtual annual meeting-photo Catholic News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAVID CRARY, Associated PressCatholics split almost evenly in supporting Donald Trump or Joe Biden in the presidential election. Now they’re sharply divided over a declaration by the head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops that the president-elect’s support for abortion rights presents the church with a “difficult and complex situation.”The USCCB’s president, Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez, made that statement Tuesday near the close of the conference’s national meeting and announced the formation of a working group of bishops to assess the dilemma. Some experts said it’s possible the group will discuss whether Biden — a practicing Roman Catholic — should be barred from partaking in Holy Communion.Catholic anti-abortion activists hope the bishops follow through with tough words and action, making clear that Catholic politicians who support abortion are in breach of church teaching.Biden’s policy agenda “is incompatible with the Catholic position on abortion and the protection of innocent human life,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, a leading anti-abortion group.But others criticized the USCCB as setting the stage for potential conflict with the president-elect just days after he received a congratulatory call from Pope Francis. Biden said he hopes to work with the pontiff on issues such as climate change, poverty and immigration.“The USCCB leadership simply can’t embrace the idea of engagement and goodwill that Pope Francis has asked of them,” said David Gibson, director of Fordham University’s Center on Religion and Culture. “That the pope called to congratulate Biden and discussed working together while the American bishops capped their meeting with plans to do battle with the incoming president says it all.”Natalia Imperatori-Lee, a professor of religious studies at Manhattan College, also was dismayed by the USCCB.“It seems they’d like to start an antagonistic relationship with only the second Catholic to be elected the president of this country,” she said via email. “This is appalling.”“The bishops have chosen to continue the culture war that uses abortion to drive wedges in our church and our society, because they see that as a winning issue for them,” she wrote.Gomez has welcomed many of Biden’s stances, including on immigration, racial justice and climate change. But some conservative bishops, citing the church’s opposition to abortion, have been outspoken in their criticism after Gomez congratulated Biden on his victory.On Tuesday, as the USCCB ended the public portion of its meeting, Gomez read a statement that arose from discussions with some of the agitated bishops.“The president-elect has given us reason to think he will support some good policies” but also some that “undermine our preeminent priority of the elimination of abortion,” the archbishop said.“These policies pose a serious threat to the common good,” Gomez added. “When politicians who profess the Catholic faith support them ... it creates confusion among the faithful about what the church actually teaches on these questions.”Gomez said he would form a working group to address the matter, headed by the USCCB’s vice president, Detroit Archbishop Allen Vigneron.Two Catholic academics, responding to queries from The Associated Press, did not rule out the possibility that the working group could discuss whether Biden should be barred from partaking in Holy Communion because of his abortion stance.That question “does not turn on what political office he holds, but on his public conduct as a Catholic,” said Edward Peters, professor of canon law at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit.“His prominence in public life makes his case more visible, certainly,” Peters added. “But, in the end, it is his own behavior that determines whether he should be refused Holy Communion.”Thomas Groome, a theology professor at Boston College, said conservative bishops on the working group would likely push for Biden to be denied Communion. But he noted that Biden’s support for abortion rights is, according to many surveys, shared by most U.S. Catholics.Groome called Gomez’s statement “dreadfully unfortunate” and said “the bishops should be helping bring us together rather than driving us apart.”Chieko Noguchi, a USCCB spokeswoman, said the working group has not yet met and declined to comment on whether it would discuss a potential Communion ban for Biden. There has been no response by Biden’s transition team to AP requests for comment.Divisions within the USCCB’s ranks over the president-elect have been stark, with some, such as Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas, balking at recognizing his victory.“I appreciate Archbishop Gomez’ acknowledgment that Vice President Biden’s proposed policies are divergent from Catholic teaching in significant ways,” Strickland tweeted Tuesday. “It remains troubling that the USCCB treats the election as certified when it is not &amp; it continues to be a source of division.”Journalists for Catholic news outlets pointed out that the USCCB did not wait for election results to be certified in 2016, when it swiftly congratulated Trump after Election Day.Kristan Hawkins, a Catholic who is president of Students for Life of America, said leaders of the U.S. church need to be blunter in condeming Catholic politicians who support abortion rights.“This pretense that ending preborn life is negotiable with the church does create chaos and confusion,” Hawkins said. “This failure of leadership gives women who know that abortion is wrong the permission they’re looking for to get an abortion.”However, Jamie Manson, president of Catholics for Choice, said Gomez’s claim that Biden’s position creates confusion among church members is “condescending.”“They are, in fact, well-informed and have used their consciences in their choice both to elect President-elect Biden and to support reproductive health care,” she said.In the election, 50% of Catholic voters backed Trump and 49% favored Biden, according to VoteCast, a survey of more than 110,000 voters nationwide conducted for The Associated Press by NORC at the University of Chicago.---------By DAVID CRARY, Associated PressThe head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops told colleagues Tuesday that President-elect Joe Biden’s policy positions, including support for abortion rights, pose a “difficult and complex situation” for the church.Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez, completing his first year as the USCCB’s president, welcomes many of Biden’s stances, including on immigration, racial justice and climate change. But some conservative bishops, noting the church’s strong opposition to abortion, were upset last week when Gomez congratulated Biden — a fellow Catholic — on his victory.On Tuesday, as the USCCB ended the public portion of its two-day national meeting, Gomez departed from the official agenda to broach the issue.“We are facing a unique moment in our history,” he said. “The president-elect has given us reason to think he will support some good policies" but also some that "undermine our preeminent priority of the elimination of abortion.”“These policies pose a serious threat to the common good,” Gomez said. “When politicians who profess the Catholic faith support them ... it creates confusion among the faithful about what the church actually teaches on these questions.”Gomez said he would form a working group to address the matter, headed by the USCCB's vice president, Detroit Archbishop Allen Vigneron.There was no immediate response by Biden’s transition team to an AP request for comment.Gomez’s unexpected remarks followed a two-hour session in which bishops from across the U.S., meeting online due to the coronavirus outbreak, shared their dioceses’ efforts to cope with the pandemic and to combat systemic racism.Some who spoke during the racial injustice discussion represent communities that have seen protests and occasional violence after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May.Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore was among several who described church-organized listening sessions for community members to share their experiences with racism and their thoughts on how to curtail it.“These conversations can be difficult, painful,” Lori said. “A lot of people don’t think they need those conversations because they don’t have a racist bone in their body. The reality is much different.”As one of several race-related initiatives, Lori said his archdiocese is building a new K-8 Catholic school in one of Baltimore’s poorest neighborhoods.Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski of St. Louis said his archdiocese is seeking to promote racial equity in its hiring practices and has hired a diversity officer for a group of Catholic schools.Rozanski recently toured predominantly Black neighborhoods including a stop in nearby Ferguson, where he prayed at the site where Michael Brown, an 18-year-old Black man, was fatally shot by a white police officern in 2014.Mark Seitz, the bishop of El Paso, Texas, recalled the 2019 mass killing of 23 people at a Walmart by a gunman who said he was targeting Mexicans.“It brought home the fact that white supremacy is not a harmless fringe ideology. It’s a death-dealing ideology,” Seitz said. “It reminded us that words matter — words that denigrate immigrants and other people of color really matter and feed into these ways of thinking.”Seitz said the diocese is looking at forming a truth commission exploring the history and current status of racism in the region, and how it has impacted Native Americans, Hispanics, immigrants and others.Tuesday's discussion was led by Bishop Shelton Fabre of the Louisiana diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, who heads the USCCB’s Committee Against Racism.“The work is hard, the work is slow, but the work is being done,” he said. “In my diocese, hearts are being changed.”Amid the protests following Floyd’s killing, some Black Catholics were outspoken in urging the church to take substantive steps conveying that their presence is valued. There have been calls for some form of reparations, and for the teaching of Black Catholic history in Catholic schools.Black Catholics’ somewhat marginal place in the U.S. church is illustrated by statistics compiled by the USCCB: There are about 3 million African American members of the faith, roughly 4% of the nation’s 69 million Catholics, but as of January there were just 250 Black priests, or less than 1% of the total of 36,500.Also Tuesday, a dozen bishops shared their experiences coping with the coronavirus pandemic, which has forced many dioceses to halt or sharply reduce in-person worship.Bishop Oscar Cantú of San Jose, California, described outreach efforts aimed at sick and older adult parishioners and recounted the painful decision to lay off 15% of the diocese staff due to reduced income from offerings.Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston, where several priests and an auxiliary bishop have died of COVID-19, said a specially trained team of priests that was equipped with state-of-the-art protective equipment won permission to administer end-of-life sacraments to Catholic patients in hospitals.John Wester, the archbishop of Santa Fe, New Mexico, said many parishioners were angry when restrictions forced the cancellation of in-person Masses at which they could receive Holy Communion.“We’re grateful for that devotion,” Wester said. “On the other hand, we’re trying to keep people safe."

Catholics divided as bishops examine Biden's abortion stance

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach&nbsp;Andy Reid and players Patrick Mahomes, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, and Charvarius Ward fielded media questions Wednesday. From <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KansasCityChiefs/">The Kansas City Chiefs</a> Facebook page:

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach&nbsp;Andy Reid and players Patrick Mahomes, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, and Charvarius Ward fielded media questions Wednesday. From <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KansasCityChiefs/">The Kansas City Chiefs</a> Facebook page:<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FKansasCityChiefs%2Fvideos%2F423656135320343%2F&show_text=true&width=560" width="560" height="429" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>You can listen to the Chiefs' games on KINA (910 AM and 107.5 FM) and 99KG (99.9 FM), your local Chiefs Radio Network stations.

📹Chiefs' Reid, Mahomes, Edwards-Helaire, and Ward talk football

KANSAS CITY (AP) —Despite painstaking efforts to keep election sites safe, some poll workers who came in contact with voters on Election Day have tested positive for the coronavirus, including more than two dozen in Missouri and others in New York, Iowa, Indiana and Virginia.

The infections cannot be tied definitively to polling places. Because COVID-19 is spreading rapidly in the U.S., there is no way to determine yet whether in-person voting on Election Day contributed to the surge, public health experts said.

Still, the infections among poll workers raise concerns because of how many people passed through voting sites, which implemented social-distancing rules, erected protective barriers and stocked sanitizer, masks, gloves and other safety gear. In most places, poll workers were required to wear masks.

The cases emerged while election workers continued counting thousands of ballots. As a hand tally of the presidential race began in Georgia, the state’s top election official placed himself under quarantine after his wife tested positive for the coronavirus.

In Cedar Rapids, Iowa, which is in a county considered a national virus hot spot, an election official who worked an early voting site later tested positive.

“I’m actually surprised that we don’t have more cases,” said Linn County Election Commissioner Joel Miller, who noted that several county workers in his building tested positive in the last week. “It actually seems kind of far-fetched that we didn’t have more, but they might not be reporting it to us.”

Election workers in Jackson County, Missouri, which includes Kansas City, seem to be the hardest hit so far, with about 28 staffers testing positive in the past couple of weeks.

Tammy Brown, head of the Jackson County Election Board, said her staffers urged voters who felt ill to avoid coming inside, though she suspects not everyone listened. The board dealt with nearly 200,000 voters, including more than 60,000 who cast early ballots.

“We, as election officials, all knew we were at risk,” Brown said. “I don’t think this was shocking to any of us.”

With transmission rates high in Missouri, health officials are not ready to link the cases to polling places. They say the workers could have become infected anywhere.

The county offered drive-thru voting for people with COVID-19 or who were quarantining because of contact with someone who was infected. When part-time workers became ill, full-time election board staff worked the drive-thru line.

It’s difficult to trace cases back to polling places because the virus manifests in different ways, and some people never get symptoms. Infections also are spiking as people gather with extended family or friends and return to more crowded public settings.

The U.S. on Sunday surpassed 11 million confirmed COVID-19 cases, with the most recent million coming in less than a week, according to Johns Hopkins University. The virus has now killed more than 246,000 people in the United States, and the disease is spreading faster across the country than at any time since the pandemic started.

While that spread increases the likelihood poll workers may have contracted the disease elsewhere, there have been calls for their co-workers to quarantine and voters to be tested as a precaution.

In New York, more than 1,600 people who voted at a site in the Hudson Valley on Election Day have been advised to get tested after a poll worker tested positive. Officials said colleagues who had sustained contact with the worker will be tested, but they described the risk to voters as minimal because the person wore a mask, kept distance and followed other safety measures.

Similarly, officials in Virginia’s Carroll County said two poll workers in different precincts have tested positive. A health official said that because both were in their infectious periods on Election Day, testing has been offered to workers and voters.

Virginia officials statewide had masks, face shields, gloves, hand sanitizer and other supplies for polling places, and they trained people in safety practices, said Jessica Bowman, deputy commissioner of the Virginia Department of Elections.

It could be several weeks before the effect of in-person voting nationwide is known. Polling places that used safety measures could have greatly minimized transmission rates, perhaps making them less risky than going to a restaurant with friends, said M. Kumi Smith, an assistant professor with the epidemiology division at the University of Minnesota.

“A super-spreader event is a lot easier to identify when you’re still at an early stage of an epidemic or when there’s a really discrete event that’s really unlike anything else that anyone else is doing,” she said. “But given the real range of activities that are going on here, I would probably be a little bit more skeptical of someone who declares that this is definitively a super-spreading event.”

No major reports of safety lapses or risky voting conditions have emerged.

States had varying rules for masks. But even in places with mandates, officials balked at requiring face coverings while voting. Instead, they opted for a strong recommendation or offered options such as curbside voting or booths away from others.

In Indiana, a poll worker who later tested positive did not show symptoms, practiced social distancing and “wore a mask at all times” on Election Day, said Bartholomew County Clerk Jay Phelps. As a precaution, seven colleagues are quarantining for two weeks.

He said election officials spent a lot of time and money making polling places as safe as possible. Poll workers wore masks, and machines, tables and doorknobs were constantly sanitized.

“We worked really hard to make sure that every polling location had protocols in place,” Phelps said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1605527673357.png" alt="Voters wait in line on November 3 in Johnson County, Kansas" />
 <figcaption>Voters wait in line on November 3 in Johnson County, Kansas</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) —Despite painstaking efforts to keep election sites safe, some poll workers who came in contact with voters on Election Day have tested positive for the coronavirus, including more than two dozen in Missouri and others in New York, Iowa, Indiana and Virginia.The infections cannot be tied definitively to polling places. Because COVID-19 is spreading rapidly in the U.S., there is no way to determine yet whether in-person voting on Election Day contributed to the surge, public health experts said.Still, the infections among poll workers raise concerns because of how many people passed through voting sites, which implemented social-distancing rules, erected protective barriers and stocked sanitizer, masks, gloves and other safety gear. In most places, poll workers were required to wear masks.The cases emerged while election workers continued counting thousands of ballots. As a hand tally of the presidential race began in Georgia, the state’s top election official placed himself under quarantine after his wife tested positive for the coronavirus.In Cedar Rapids, Iowa, which is in a county considered a national virus hot spot, an election official who worked an early voting site later tested positive.“I’m actually surprised that we don’t have more cases,” said Linn County Election Commissioner Joel Miller, who noted that several county workers in his building tested positive in the last week. “It actually seems kind of far-fetched that we didn’t have more, but they might not be reporting it to us.”Election workers in Jackson County, Missouri, which includes Kansas City, seem to be the hardest hit so far, with about 28 staffers testing positive in the past couple of weeks.Tammy Brown, head of the Jackson County Election Board, said her staffers urged voters who felt ill to avoid coming inside, though she suspects not everyone listened. The board dealt with nearly 200,000 voters, including more than 60,000 who cast early ballots.“We, as election officials, all knew we were at risk,” Brown said. “I don’t think this was shocking to any of us.”With transmission rates high in Missouri, health officials are not ready to link the cases to polling places. They say the workers could have become infected anywhere.The county offered drive-thru voting for people with COVID-19 or who were quarantining because of contact with someone who was infected. When part-time workers became ill, full-time election board staff worked the drive-thru line.It’s difficult to trace cases back to polling places because the virus manifests in different ways, and some people never get symptoms. Infections also are spiking as people gather with extended family or friends and return to more crowded public settings.The U.S. on Sunday surpassed 11 million confirmed COVID-19 cases, with the most recent million coming in less than a week, according to Johns Hopkins University. The virus has now killed more than 246,000 people in the United States, and the disease is spreading faster across the country than at any time since the pandemic started.While that spread increases the likelihood poll workers may have contracted the disease elsewhere, there have been calls for their co-workers to quarantine and voters to be tested as a precaution.In New York, more than 1,600 people who voted at a site in the Hudson Valley on Election Day have been advised to get tested after a poll worker tested positive. Officials said colleagues who had sustained contact with the worker will be tested, but they described the risk to voters as minimal because the person wore a mask, kept distance and followed other safety measures.Similarly, officials in Virginia’s Carroll County said two poll workers in different precincts have tested positive. A health official said that because both were in their infectious periods on Election Day, testing has been offered to workers and voters.Virginia officials statewide had masks, face shields, gloves, hand sanitizer and other supplies for polling places, and they trained people in safety practices, said Jessica Bowman, deputy commissioner of the Virginia Department of Elections.It could be several weeks before the effect of in-person voting nationwide is known. Polling places that used safety measures could have greatly minimized transmission rates, perhaps making them less risky than going to a restaurant with friends, said M. Kumi Smith, an assistant professor with the epidemiology division at the University of Minnesota.“A super-spreader event is a lot easier to identify when you’re still at an early stage of an epidemic or when there’s a really discrete event that’s really unlike anything else that anyone else is doing,” she said. “But given the real range of activities that are going on here, I would probably be a little bit more skeptical of someone who declares that this is definitively a super-spreading event.”No major reports of safety lapses or risky voting conditions have emerged.States had varying rules for masks. But even in places with mandates, officials balked at requiring face coverings while voting. Instead, they opted for a strong recommendation or offered options such as curbside voting or booths away from others.In Indiana, a poll worker who later tested positive did not show symptoms, practiced social distancing and “wore a mask at all times” on Election Day, said Bartholomew County Clerk Jay Phelps. As a precaution, seven colleagues are quarantining for two weeks.He said election officials spent a lot of time and money making polling places as safe as possible. Poll workers wore masks, and machines, tables and doorknobs were constantly sanitized.“We worked really hard to make sure that every polling location had protocols in place,” Phelps said.___

Poll workers contract virus, but Election Day link unclear

You’ve been there. You open up a holiday sale email, and the colorful images of trendy new items make you drool a little. You click into the store, ready to shop for Christmas gifts. There’s a gorgeous handbag that immediately makes you think of your best friend, but even the sale price is more than you planned to spend on her.

You know what? Last year, your friend bought your daughter an animatronic Disney princess carriage. So, you kind of owe it to her to splurge on her gift. And the sale price on the bag is truly a good deal. You can just imagine the look on her face when she opens such a beautiful gift.

You immediately go to your email inbox again, and seeing that order confirmation email makes you feel so accomplished. But what you’re really feeling are the effects of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/blog/stop-impulse-buys" target="_blank">emotional spending</a>. That twinge of happiness and excitement is dopamine rushing through your brain like a drug. You can get the same effect by going for a run, listening to your favorite music, or eating sugar.

The crazy thing is, retailers know you get that hit when you place an order, and you can get it again when they send you that little email saying your order has shipped. And you’ll get it again when you see that coveted package waiting on your doorstep.

Three in four people said that buying something impulsively during the pandemic has positively affected their mood.<a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/americans-increased-impulse-spending-by-18-percent-during-the-covid-19-pandemic-according-to-new-survey-commissioned-by-slickdeals-301055530.html" target="_blank">1</a>&nbsp;We’re all a little scared, the future is kind of up in the air, and it feels good to just dull the stress and spark some joy with a little harmless shopping. And you know what feels even better than spending money on yourself? Spending money on other people.

Now that the holidays are upon us, every commercial you see or email you read is full of ideas for gift giving. And there’s nothing wrong with giving—if it’s in your budget and you can afford the gift. Giving truly is the most fun you can have with money. But just like in the example above, at some point, we’ve all spent more money than we planned on Christmas presents. Maybe we’re trying to buy “Christmas spirit” or approval from others. Whatever the motivation, it comes from a place of emotion, and that can get you into trouble with money.

The people in your life don’t need more presents—what they truly want is your&nbsp;presence. If you want to feel at peace this holiday season, make a plan for your money before you spend it. A budget gives you permission to spend on the people you love without putting yourself in a bad place financially. That way, when January rolls around, you’ll have meaningful memories without the guilt!

Rachel Cruze&nbsp;is a two-time No. 1 national best-selling author, financial expert and host of&nbsp;The Rachel Cruze Show.&nbsp;She has appeared on Good Morning America, TODAY Show and Live! With Kelly &amp; Ryan, among others. Since 2010, Rachel has served at Ramsey Solutions, where she teaches people to avoid debt, save money, budget and how to win with money at any stage in life. Follow Rachel on&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/rachelcruze" target="_blank">Twitter</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/rachelcruze/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/rachelramseycruze" target="_blank">Facebook</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/rachelcruze" target="_blank">YouTube</a>&nbsp;or online at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rachelcruze.com/" target="_blank">rachelcruze.com</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596976282095.jpeg" alt="Rachel Cruze" />
 <figcaption>Rachel Cruze</figcaption>
 </figure>By RACHEL CRUZEYou’ve been there. You open up a holiday sale email, and the colorful images of trendy new items make you drool a little. You click into the store, ready to shop for Christmas gifts. There’s a gorgeous handbag that immediately makes you think of your best friend, but even the sale price is more than you planned to spend on her.You know what? Last year, your friend bought your daughter an animatronic Disney princess carriage. So, you kind of owe it to her to splurge on her gift. And the sale price on the bag is truly a good deal. You can just imagine the look on her face when she opens such a beautiful gift.Order now!&nbsp;Boom!You immediately go to your email inbox again, and seeing that order confirmation email makes you feel so accomplished. But what you’re really feeling are the effects of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/blog/stop-impulse-buys" target="_blank">emotional spending</a>. That twinge of happiness and excitement is dopamine rushing through your brain like a drug. You can get the same effect by going for a run, listening to your favorite music, or eating sugar.The crazy thing is, retailers know you get that hit when you place an order, and you can get it again when they send you that little email saying your order has shipped. And you’ll get it again when you see that coveted package waiting on your doorstep.Three in four people said that buying something impulsively during the pandemic has positively affected their mood.<a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/americans-increased-impulse-spending-by-18-percent-during-the-covid-19-pandemic-according-to-new-survey-commissioned-by-slickdeals-301055530.html" target="_blank">1</a>&nbsp;We’re all a little scared, the future is kind of up in the air, and it feels good to just dull the stress and spark some joy with a little harmless shopping. And you know what feels even better than spending money on yourself? Spending money on other people.Now that the holidays are upon us, every commercial you see or email you read is full of ideas for gift giving. And there’s nothing wrong with giving—if it’s in your budget and you can afford the gift. Giving truly is the most fun you can have with money. But just like in the example above, at some point, we’ve all spent more money than we planned on Christmas presents. Maybe we’re trying to buy “Christmas spirit” or approval from others. Whatever the motivation, it comes from a place of emotion, and that can get you into trouble with money.The people in your life don’t need more presents—what they truly want is your&nbsp;presence. If you want to feel at peace this holiday season, make a plan for your money before you spend it. A budget gives you permission to spend on the people you love without putting yourself in a bad place financially. That way, when January rolls around, you’ll have meaningful memories without the guilt!Rachel Cruze&nbsp;is a two-time No. 1 national best-selling author, financial expert and host of&nbsp;The Rachel Cruze Show.&nbsp;She has appeared on Good Morning America, TODAY Show and Live! With Kelly &amp; Ryan, among others. Since 2010, Rachel has served at Ramsey Solutions, where she teaches people to avoid debt, save money, budget and how to win with money at any stage in life. Follow Rachel on&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/rachelcruze" target="_blank">Twitter</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/rachelcruze/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/rachelramseycruze" target="_blank">Facebook</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/rachelcruze" target="_blank">YouTube</a>&nbsp;or online at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rachelcruze.com/" target="_blank">rachelcruze.com</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

CRUZE: How to avoid overspending on Christmas

My mother-in-law is 60. She works hard and has no debt, but she also has no savings or retirement accounts. However, she owns a couple of paid-for rental properties that are worth about $350,000 each, and her home is worth $700,000. What can I do to help her plan for the future?&nbsp;

The best plan would be to first see if she’s already got a plan. I understand you’re worried about her not having any savings or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chrishogan360.com/riq/" target="_blank">retirement</a>. That makes you a good son-in-law. But it sounds to me like she’s got the makings of a pretty good retirement situation lined up, even if she didn’t go the traditional route to get there. You just told me she’s sitting on nearly $1.5 million in paid-for real estate. Dude, she’s a millionaire!

If the time comes where she decides she doesn’t like landlording anymore or just wants to retire, she can always sell the rental properties, invest that big pile of cash in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/blog/what-are-mutual-funds" target="_blank">mutual funds</a>, and live off the income. I’ve got a feeling this lady isn’t going to be starving or depending on Social Insecurity.

If you’re concerned about things, just sit down with her and let her know. Ask her if she needs any help with her money situation and plans for retirement. If she doesn’t want to talk about it right now, that’s fine, but making the offer shows you care. And, having a good, strong&nbsp;<a href="https://www.everydollar.com/guide-to-budgeting-dave-says" target="_blank">game plan</a>&nbsp;means fewer worries!

My wife and I have two kids and one on the way. We’re debt-free except for our home, and we have our emergency fund in place. We’ve also been saving for retirement, with me putting 15% into a 401(k) and her putting 10 percent into her retirement account. On top of all this, we’re putting a little money toward college funds for the kids. We talked the other night, and after that we started thinking about pulling back from retirement saving and getting the house paid off. What do you think about that? &nbsp;

I teach people to start&nbsp;<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/smartvestor/investment-calculator?snid=tools.investingcalc" target="_blank">investing</a>&nbsp;15% of their household income for retirement after they’ve completed Baby Step 3, which is saving three to six months of expenses for an emergency fund. Baby Step 4 would be both of you putting 15% of your income into retirement, and you’re not quite doing that yet. Saving for college comes next in Baby Step 5.

I don’t teach people to put less than 15% of their income into retirement in order to pay off the house a little earlier. It’s tempting when you’ve got the debt-free bug, but it’s not the shortest distance between where you are right now and wealth. The average person who follows my plan—the Baby Steps—can&nbsp;<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/mortgage-payoff-calculator" target="_blank">pay off their home</a>&nbsp;in about seven years.

You’ve got offense and defense to think about, Callen. Defense is getting rid of debt, and the offense is building wealth. You don’t want to let your guard down on offense in order to just play defense and get the house paid off. What you’re talking about is a normal reaction for lots of folks in your position, but it’s not what I would recommend right now.

I love your fire, but follow the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/dave-ramsey-7-baby-steps" target="_blank">Baby Steps</a>&nbsp;as they’re laid out. My goal isn’t just helping people get out of debt. It’s to teach people how to become wealthy as a result of being out of debt and encouraging them be outrageously generous along the way!

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596845065840.jpeg" alt="Dave Ramsey" />
 <figcaption>Dave Ramsey</figcaption>
 </figure>Will my mother-in-law be okay?Dear Dave,My mother-in-law is 60. She works hard and has no debt, but she also has no savings or retirement accounts. However, she owns a couple of paid-for rental properties that are worth about $350,000 each, and her home is worth $700,000. What can I do to help her plan for the future?&nbsp;PaulDear Paul,The best plan would be to first see if she’s already got a plan. I understand you’re worried about her not having any savings or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chrishogan360.com/riq/" target="_blank">retirement</a>. That makes you a good son-in-law. But it sounds to me like she’s got the makings of a pretty good retirement situation lined up, even if she didn’t go the traditional route to get there. You just told me she’s sitting on nearly $1.5 million in paid-for real estate. Dude, she’s a millionaire!If the time comes where she decides she doesn’t like landlording anymore or just wants to retire, she can always sell the rental properties, invest that big pile of cash in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/blog/what-are-mutual-funds" target="_blank">mutual funds</a>, and live off the income. I’ve got a feeling this lady isn’t going to be starving or depending on Social Insecurity.If you’re concerned about things, just sit down with her and let her know. Ask her if she needs any help with her money situation and plans for retirement. If she doesn’t want to talk about it right now, that’s fine, but making the offer shows you care. And, having a good, strong&nbsp;<a href="https://www.everydollar.com/guide-to-budgeting-dave-says" target="_blank">game plan</a>&nbsp;means fewer worries!DaveGet dialed inDear Dave,My wife and I have two kids and one on the way. We’re debt-free except for our home, and we have our emergency fund in place. We’ve also been saving for retirement, with me putting 15% into a 401(k) and her putting 10 percent into her retirement account. On top of all this, we’re putting a little money toward college funds for the kids. We talked the other night, and after that we started thinking about pulling back from retirement saving and getting the house paid off. What do you think about that? &nbsp;CallenDear Callen,I teach people to start&nbsp;<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/smartvestor/investment-calculator?snid=tools.investingcalc" target="_blank">investing</a>&nbsp;15% of their household income for retirement after they’ve completed Baby Step 3, which is saving three to six months of expenses for an emergency fund. Baby Step 4 would be both of you putting 15% of your income into retirement, and you’re not quite doing that yet. Saving for college comes next in Baby Step 5.I don’t teach people to put less than 15% of their income into retirement in order to pay off the house a little earlier. It’s tempting when you’ve got the debt-free bug, but it’s not the shortest distance between where you are right now and wealth. The average person who follows my plan—the Baby Steps—can&nbsp;<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/mortgage-payoff-calculator" target="_blank">pay off their home</a>&nbsp;in about seven years.You’ve got offense and defense to think about, Callen. Defense is getting rid of debt, and the offense is building wealth. You don’t want to let your guard down on offense in order to just play defense and get the house paid off. What you’re talking about is a normal reaction for lots of folks in your position, but it’s not what I would recommend right now.I love your fire, but follow the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/dave-ramsey-7-baby-steps" target="_blank">Baby Steps</a>&nbsp;as they’re laid out. My goal isn’t just helping people get out of debt. It’s to teach people how to become wealthy as a result of being out of debt and encouraging them be outrageously generous along the way!Dave<a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/" target="_blank">Dave Ramsey</a>&nbsp;is a seven-time No. 1 national best-selling author, personal finance expert, and host of The Dave Ramsey Show, heard by more than 16 million listeners each week. He&nbsp;has appeared on Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Today Show, Fox News, CNN, Fox Business, and many more. Since 1992, Dave has helped people regain control of their money, build wealth and enhance their lives. He also serves as CEO for Ramsey Solutions.

DAVE SAYS: Concern for MIL; continue saving level or pay off home?

The undefeated Southeast of Saline Trojans continue their charge through the 3A playoffs as they travel south Friday night to take on the 9-1 Wichita Collegiate Spartans.

If you can't travel to the game, you can listen to it on KINA (910 AM and 107.5 FM) or you can watch a livestream of the game on <a href="http://SalinaPost.com">SalinaPost.com</a>. The link to the livestream will be available Friday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1605143318184.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The undefeated Southeast of Saline Trojans continue their charge through the 3A playoffs as they travel south Friday night to take on the 9-1 Wichita Collegiate Spartans.The game kicks at 7 p.m. Friday. If you can't travel to the game, you can listen to it on KINA (910 AM and 107.5 FM) or you can watch a livestream of the game on <a href="http://SalinaPost.com">SalinaPost.com</a>. The link to the livestream will be available Friday.

SES takes on Wichita Collegiate Friday; watch it live on Salina Post!

It's beginning to sound a lot like Christmas!

At noon today, Eagle Radio's 94.5 Prime FM began playing Christmas music.

"If you find the word Christmas offensive, this won't be the station for you because we say it a lot!! We're very proud to be Salina's Christmas Station!" said Shane McClintock, program director for 94.5 Prime FM. "There's something about Christmas music isn't there? Andy Williams, Bing Crosby, I mean these are songs from the 1940s that still stand the test of time! Christmas is such a small window, so this gives us a unique opportunity to spend the entire Christmas season directly with you."

Through Dec. 25, you can listen to a variety of Christmas music on 94.5 Prime FM. You can listen locally at 94.5 FM or regionally, if you have an HD radio, on 99KG HD2. You also can listen online. Just go to the top of SalinaPost.com and click on the Prime FM logo. Or, you can <a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/cwa/index.cfm?stationCallSign=KSKGHD2">click here</a> to listen.

"You would be hard pressed to find a station in America playing all Christmas that sounds as good as 94.5 Prime FM! There's magic in being able to program this to a point that automatically puts you in a good mood when you're listening!" McClintock said.

Merry Christmas from Eagle Radio and 94.5 Prime FM!

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1605029398202.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>It's beginning to sound a lot like Christmas!At noon today, Eagle Radio's 94.5 Prime FM began playing Christmas music."If you find the word Christmas offensive, this won't be the station for you because we say it a lot!! We're very proud to be Salina's Christmas Station!" said Shane McClintock, program director for 94.5 Prime FM. "There's something about Christmas music isn't there? Andy Williams, Bing Crosby, I mean these are songs from the 1940s that still stand the test of time! Christmas is such a small window, so this gives us a unique opportunity to spend the entire Christmas season directly with you."Through Dec. 25, you can listen to a variety of Christmas music on 94.5 Prime FM. You can listen locally at 94.5 FM or regionally, if you have an HD radio, on 99KG HD2. You also can listen online. Just go to the top of SalinaPost.com and click on the Prime FM logo. Or, you can <a href="https://radio.securenetsystems.net/cwa/index.cfm?stationCallSign=KSKGHD2">click here</a> to listen."You would be hard pressed to find a station in America playing all Christmas that sounds as good as 94.5 Prime FM! There's magic in being able to program this to a point that automatically puts you in a good mood when you're listening!" McClintock said.Merry Christmas from Eagle Radio and 94.5 Prime FM!

Prime FM: Salina's Christmas music station

WASHINGTON (AP) — When the Supreme Court weighs the fate of “Obamacare,” arguments will revolve around arcane points of law like severability — whether the justices can surgically snip out part of the law and leave the rest.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?471185-1/health-care-law-supreme-court-oral-argument">Click here to listen </a>to the oral arguments that begin 9a.m. CST

But what’s at stake has real-world consequences for just about every American, as well as the health care industry, a major source of jobs and tax revenues. Whether the Affordable Care Act stays, goes or is significantly changed will affect the way life is lived in the U.S.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/603cc3601dbb8dfa268c1b73c532300d">argument against the law</a>&nbsp;from the Trump administration and conservative states is that the 10-year-old statute was rendered unconstitutional in its entirety when Congress dialed down to zero a penalty on those remaining uninsured. The court has shifted solidly to the political right under President Donald Trump. Here’s a look at some of what’s at stake if the opponents of the law prevail:

Before the ACA, insurers could turn a person down for an individual policy, or charge them more, based on their medical history. The nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that about 54 million working-age adults have health issues that would have made them “uninsurable” before former President Barack Obama’s signature law.

Tens of millions more have issues that could have led to higher premiums. Female gender was one, as insurers routinely charged women more.

COVID-19 would become America’s newest pre-existing condition, for&nbsp;<a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html" target="_blank">more than 10 million people who have tested positive</a>&nbsp;so far.

Under the ACA, a coronavirus case cannot be used to deny someone coverage or charge them more. If Obamacare is gone, that becomes a real question.

Trump promised to always protect people with preexisting conditions, but never said how he’d do it.

The ACA’s two main programs for covering uninsured people would be wiped out if the law is overturned, leaving more than 20 million people uninsured unless a divided Congress can put a new safety net in place.

About 12 million low-income people are covered through the health law’s Medicaid expansion, now available in most states. Most of them are adults working in jobs that don’t pay all that much, and don’t come with health insurance. Some have lost jobs in businesses like hotels, restaurants, and movie theaters, which continue to struggle because of the pandemic.

Another group, more than 11 million people, has private coverage purchased through taxpayer-subsidized private markets such as HealthCare.gov That’s also in jeopardy.

Most American women now pay nothing out of their own pockets for birth control. That’s covered as a preventive service, free of charge to the patient, under the ACA.

Many other services, from colonoscopies to flu shots, are also free.

If people again face copays for routine preventive care, that may discourage some to go for tests shown to detect diseases like cancer at early stages when they are easier to treat.

“Obamacare” took the first major steps to close Medicare’s unpopular “doughnut hole,” a coverage gap that used to leave older Americans on the hook for hundreds of dollars in prescriptions drug costs. Congress later accelerated the timetable.

Repealing the ACA would mean the return of the coverage gap, sure to infuriate older voters, many of whom say their medications still cost too much.

That’s just one of many potential consequences to Medicare. The ACA slowed payments to hospitals and insurers to extend the life of the Medicare trust fund.

One of the earliest benefits to take effect after the passage of “Obamacare” was a requirement that insurers allow young adults to stay on a parent’s plan until they turned 26.

That provided a longer economic runway for millions of young adults, who back then were struggling with the lingering effects of the Great Recession. Nowadays it’s the consequences of the coronavirus economy.

Before the ACA’s coverage extension, insurers routinely cut off young adults upon graduation.

“Obamacare” raised taxes on upper income individuals to help finance its coverage expansion.

If the entire law is repealed, that would deliver a tax cut to well-to-do people, many of whom have escaped the economic shock of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/virus-outbreak">the COVID-19 pandemic</a>&nbsp;because stock market investors have continued to do well.

Passing the 900-page-plus ACA was a political challenge that took more than a year at a time when Democrats controlled the White House and both chambers in Congress.

Putting together a replacement under a divided government would be the ultimate political puzzle. Neither Democrats nor Republicans agree even within their own ranks what that should look like.

President-elect Joe Biden would build on the ACA by improving it and adding a new public health insurance option. But party liberals want a government-run system for all Americans, including the 160 million covered through employer plans.

Many Republicans, meanwhile, want to scale back the government’s support for health care. They would make deep cuts to Medicaid financing, and leave the ACA’s insurance markets as a state option. Protections for people with pre-existing conditions could be eroded under new rules.

Trump once famously said,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/7e3e0f2bf5c249e7ab995ad4dd704dfd">“nobody knew health care could be so complicated.”</a>&nbsp;That was in 2017, when he and a Republican-controlled Congress harbored hopes they could “repeal and replace” the ACA.

It didn’t happen then because Republicans could never agree on what a replacement would look like.

Fast forward to 2020. Health care has only gotten more complicated.

WASHINGTON (AP) — When the Supreme Court weighs the fate of “Obamacare,” arguments will revolve around arcane points of law like severability — whether the justices can surgically snip out part of the law and leave the rest.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?471185-1/health-care-law-supreme-court-oral-argument">Click here to listen </a>to the oral arguments that begin 9a.m. CSTBut what’s at stake has real-world consequences for just about every American, as well as the health care industry, a major source of jobs and tax revenues. Whether the Affordable Care Act stays, goes or is significantly changed will affect the way life is lived in the U.S.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/603cc3601dbb8dfa268c1b73c532300d">argument against the law</a>&nbsp;from the Trump administration and conservative states is that the 10-year-old statute was rendered unconstitutional in its entirety when Congress dialed down to zero a penalty on those remaining uninsured. The court has shifted solidly to the political right under President Donald Trump. Here’s a look at some of what’s at stake if the opponents of the law prevail:COVID-19 A NEW PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONBefore the ACA, insurers could turn a person down for an individual policy, or charge them more, based on their medical history. The nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that about 54 million working-age adults have health issues that would have made them “uninsurable” before former President Barack Obama’s signature law.Tens of millions more have issues that could have led to higher premiums. Female gender was one, as insurers routinely charged women more.COVID-19 would become America’s newest pre-existing condition, for&nbsp;<a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html" target="_blank">more than 10 million people who have tested positive</a>&nbsp;so far.Under the ACA, a coronavirus case cannot be used to deny someone coverage or charge them more. If Obamacare is gone, that becomes a real question.Trump promised to always protect people with preexisting conditions, but never said how he’d do it.COVERAGE FOR MORE THAN 20 MILLIONThe ACA’s two main programs for covering uninsured people would be wiped out if the law is overturned, leaving more than 20 million people uninsured unless a divided Congress can put a new safety net in place.About 12 million low-income people are covered through the health law’s Medicaid expansion, now available in most states. Most of them are adults working in jobs that don’t pay all that much, and don’t come with health insurance. Some have lost jobs in businesses like hotels, restaurants, and movie theaters, which continue to struggle because of the pandemic.Another group, more than 11 million people, has private coverage purchased through taxpayer-subsidized private markets such as HealthCare.gov That’s also in jeopardy.PREVENTIONMost American women now pay nothing out of their own pockets for birth control. That’s covered as a preventive service, free of charge to the patient, under the ACA.Many other services, from colonoscopies to flu shots, are also free.If people again face copays for routine preventive care, that may discourage some to go for tests shown to detect diseases like cancer at early stages when they are easier to treat.RETURN OF A MEDICARE GAP“Obamacare” took the first major steps to close Medicare’s unpopular “doughnut hole,” a coverage gap that used to leave older Americans on the hook for hundreds of dollars in prescriptions drug costs. Congress later accelerated the timetable.Repealing the ACA would mean the return of the coverage gap, sure to infuriate older voters, many of whom say their medications still cost too much.That’s just one of many potential consequences to Medicare. The ACA slowed payments to hospitals and insurers to extend the life of the Medicare trust fund.LONGER RUNWAY SHORTENEDOne of the earliest benefits to take effect after the passage of “Obamacare” was a requirement that insurers allow young adults to stay on a parent’s plan until they turned 26.That provided a longer economic runway for millions of young adults, who back then were struggling with the lingering effects of the Great Recession. Nowadays it’s the consequences of the coronavirus economy.Before the ACA’s coverage extension, insurers routinely cut off young adults upon graduation.TAX CUT FOR THE WEALTHY“Obamacare” raised taxes on upper income individuals to help finance its coverage expansion.If the entire law is repealed, that would deliver a tax cut to well-to-do people, many of whom have escaped the economic shock of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/virus-outbreak">the COVID-19 pandemic</a>&nbsp;because stock market investors have continued to do well.POLITICAL RUBIK’S CUBEPassing the 900-page-plus ACA was a political challenge that took more than a year at a time when Democrats controlled the White House and both chambers in Congress.Putting together a replacement under a divided government would be the ultimate political puzzle. Neither Democrats nor Republicans agree even within their own ranks what that should look like.President-elect Joe Biden would build on the ACA by improving it and adding a new public health insurance option. But party liberals want a government-run system for all Americans, including the 160 million covered through employer plans.Many Republicans, meanwhile, want to scale back the government’s support for health care. They would make deep cuts to Medicaid financing, and leave the ACA’s insurance markets as a state option. Protections for people with pre-existing conditions could be eroded under new rules.Trump once famously said,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/7e3e0f2bf5c249e7ab995ad4dd704dfd">“nobody knew health care could be so complicated.”</a>&nbsp;That was in 2017, when he and a Republican-controlled Congress harbored hopes they could “repeal and replace” the ACA.It didn’t happen then because Republicans could never agree on what a replacement would look like.Fast forward to 2020. Health care has only gotten more complicated.

🎤  Supreme Court weighs future of 'Obamacare'

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid talks with the media before the team's bye week. From <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KansasCityChiefs">The Kansas City Chiefs</a> Facebook page:

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid talks with the media before the team's bye week. From <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KansasCityChiefs">The Kansas City Chiefs</a> Facebook page:<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FKansasCityChiefs%2Fvideos%2F457272515238312%2F&show_text=true&width=560" width="560" height="429" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>You can listen to the Chiefs' games on KINA (910 AM and 107.5 FM) and 99KG (99.9 FM), your local Chiefs Radio Network stations.

📹Chiefs' Reid fields media questions before bye week

KANSAS CITY (AP) —U.S. voters went to the polls starkly divided on how they see President Donald Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. But in places where the virus is most rampant now, Trump enjoyed enormous support.

An Associated Press analysis reveals that in 376 counties with the highest number of new cases per capita, the overwhelming majority — 93% of those counties — went for Trump, a rate above other less severely hit areas.

Most were rural counties in Montana, the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and Wisconsin — the kinds of areas that often have lower rates of adherence to social distancing, mask-wearing and other public health measures, and have been a focal point for much of the latest surge in cases.

Taking note of the contrast, state health officials are pausing for a moment of introspection. Even as they worry about rising numbers of hospitalizations and deaths, they hope to reframe their messages and aim for a reset on public sentiment now that the election is over.

“Public health officials need to step back, listen to and understand the people who aren’t taking the same stance” on mask-wearing and other control measures, said Dr. Marcus Plescia of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

“I think there’s the potential for things to get less charged and divisive,” he said, adding that there’s a chance a retooled public health message might unify Americans around lowering case counts so hospitals won’t get swamped during the winter months.

The electoral divide comes amid an explosion in cases and hospitalizations in the U.S. and globally.

The U.S. broke another record in the 7-day rolling average for daily new cases, hitting nearly 90,000. The tally for new cases Thursday was on track for another day above 100,000, with massive numbers reported all around the country, including a combined nearly 25,000 in Texas, Illinois and Florida. Iowa and Indiana each reported more than 4,000 cases as well.

The AP’s analysis was limited to counties in which at least 95% of precincts had reported results, and grouped counties into six categories based on the rates of COVID-19 cases they’d experienced per 100,000 residents.

Polling, too, shows voters who split on Republican Trump vs. Democrat Joe Biden differed on whether the pandemic is under control.

Thirty-six percent of Trump voters described the pandemic as completely or mostly under control, and another 47% said it was somewhat under control, according to AP VoteCast, a nationwide survey of more than 110,000 voters conducted for the AP by NORC at the University of Chicago. Meanwhile, 82% of Biden voters said the pandemic is not at all under control.

The pandemic was considered at least somewhat under control by slim majorities of voters in many red states, including Alabama (60%), Missouri (54%), Mississippi (58%), Kentucky (55%), Texas (55%), Tennessee (56%) and South Carolina (56%).

In Wisconsin, where the virus surged just before the election, 57% said the pandemic was not under control. In Washington state, where the virus is more in control now compared to earlier in the year, 55% said the same. Voters in New York and New Hampshire, where the virus is more controlled now after early surges, were roughly divided in their assessments, similar to voters nationwide.

Trump voters interviewed by AP reporters said they value individual freedom and believed the president was doing as well as anyone could in response to the coronavirus.

Michaela Lane, a 25-year-old Republican, dropped her ballot off last week at a polling site at an outdoor mall in Phoenix. She cast her vote for Trump.

“I feel like the most important issue facing the country as a whole is liberty at large,” Lane said. “Infringing on people’s freedom, government overrule, government overreach, chaos in a lot of issues currently going on and just giving people back their rights.”

About half of Trump voters called the economy and jobs the top issue facing the nation, roughly twice the percentage who named the pandemic, according to VoteCast. By contrast, a majority of Biden voters — about 6 in 10 — said the pandemic was the most important issue.

In Madison, Wisconsin, Eric Engstrom, a 31-year-old investment analyst and his wife, Gwen, voted absentee by mail in early October.

Trump’s failure to control the pandemic sealed his vote for Biden, Engstrom said, calling the coronavirus the most immediate threat the nation faces. He and his wife are expecting their first child, a girl, in January and fear “the potential of one of us or both of us being sick when the baby is born,” he said.

Engstrom called Trump’s response to the virus abysmal. “If there was any chance that I was going to vote for Trump, it was eliminated because of the pandemic,” he said.

The political temperature has added to the stress of public health officials, Plescia said. “Our biggest concern is how long can they sustain this pace?” he said.

Since the start of the pandemic, 74 state and local public health officials in 31 states have resigned, retired or been fired, according to an ongoing analysis by AP and Kaiser Health News.

As the election mood dissipates, rising hospitalizations amid colder weather create “a really pivotal moment” in the pandemic, said Sema Sgaier, executive director of the Surgo Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that worked with Harvard University-affiliated Ariadne Labs to develop a tool for estimating vaccine needs in states.

“We really need to get our act together. When I say ‘we’ I mean collectively,” Sgaier said. Finding common ground may become easier if one of more of the vaccine candidates proves safe and effective and gains government approval, she said.

KANSAS CITY (AP) —U.S. voters went to the polls starkly divided on how they see President Donald Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. But in places where the virus is most rampant now, Trump enjoyed enormous support.An Associated Press analysis reveals that in 376 counties with the highest number of new cases per capita, the overwhelming majority — 93% of those counties — went for Trump, a rate above other less severely hit areas.Most were rural counties in Montana, the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and Wisconsin — the kinds of areas that often have lower rates of adherence to social distancing, mask-wearing and other public health measures, and have been a focal point for much of the latest surge in cases.Taking note of the contrast, state health officials are pausing for a moment of introspection. Even as they worry about rising numbers of hospitalizations and deaths, they hope to reframe their messages and aim for a reset on public sentiment now that the election is over.“Public health officials need to step back, listen to and understand the people who aren’t taking the same stance” on mask-wearing and other control measures, said Dr. Marcus Plescia of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.“I think there’s the potential for things to get less charged and divisive,” he said, adding that there’s a chance a retooled public health message might unify Americans around lowering case counts so hospitals won’t get swamped during the winter months.The electoral divide comes amid an explosion in cases and hospitalizations in the U.S. and globally.The U.S. broke another record in the 7-day rolling average for daily new cases, hitting nearly 90,000. The tally for new cases Thursday was on track for another day above 100,000, with massive numbers reported all around the country, including a combined nearly 25,000 in Texas, Illinois and Florida. Iowa and Indiana each reported more than 4,000 cases as well.The AP’s analysis was limited to counties in which at least 95% of precincts had reported results, and grouped counties into six categories based on the rates of COVID-19 cases they’d experienced per 100,000 residents.Polling, too, shows voters who split on Republican Trump vs. Democrat Joe Biden differed on whether the pandemic is under control.Thirty-six percent of Trump voters described the pandemic as completely or mostly under control, and another 47% said it was somewhat under control, according to AP VoteCast, a nationwide survey of more than 110,000 voters conducted for the AP by NORC at the University of Chicago. Meanwhile, 82% of Biden voters said the pandemic is not at all under control.The pandemic was considered at least somewhat under control by slim majorities of voters in many red states, including Alabama (60%), Missouri (54%), Mississippi (58%), Kentucky (55%), Texas (55%), Tennessee (56%) and South Carolina (56%).In Wisconsin, where the virus surged just before the election, 57% said the pandemic was not under control. In Washington state, where the virus is more in control now compared to earlier in the year, 55% said the same. Voters in New York and New Hampshire, where the virus is more controlled now after early surges, were roughly divided in their assessments, similar to voters nationwide.Trump voters interviewed by AP reporters said they value individual freedom and believed the president was doing as well as anyone could in response to the coronavirus.Michaela Lane, a 25-year-old Republican, dropped her ballot off last week at a polling site at an outdoor mall in Phoenix. She cast her vote for Trump.“I feel like the most important issue facing the country as a whole is liberty at large,” Lane said. “Infringing on people’s freedom, government overrule, government overreach, chaos in a lot of issues currently going on and just giving people back their rights.”About half of Trump voters called the economy and jobs the top issue facing the nation, roughly twice the percentage who named the pandemic, according to VoteCast. By contrast, a majority of Biden voters — about 6 in 10 — said the pandemic was the most important issue.In Madison, Wisconsin, Eric Engstrom, a 31-year-old investment analyst and his wife, Gwen, voted absentee by mail in early October.Trump’s failure to control the pandemic sealed his vote for Biden, Engstrom said, calling the coronavirus the most immediate threat the nation faces. He and his wife are expecting their first child, a girl, in January and fear “the potential of one of us or both of us being sick when the baby is born,” he said.Engstrom called Trump’s response to the virus abysmal. “If there was any chance that I was going to vote for Trump, it was eliminated because of the pandemic,” he said.The political temperature has added to the stress of public health officials, Plescia said. “Our biggest concern is how long can they sustain this pace?” he said.Since the start of the pandemic, 74 state and local public health officials in 31 states have resigned, retired or been fired, according to an ongoing analysis by AP and Kaiser Health News.As the election mood dissipates, rising hospitalizations amid colder weather create “a really pivotal moment” in the pandemic, said Sema Sgaier, executive director of the Surgo Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that worked with Harvard University-affiliated Ariadne Labs to develop a tool for estimating vaccine needs in states.“We really need to get our act together. When I say ‘we’ I mean collectively,” Sgaier said. Finding common ground may become easier if one of more of the vaccine candidates proves safe and effective and gains government approval, she said.“The vaccine provides the reset button,” Sgaier said.Dr. Anthony Fauci may be another unifying force. According to VoteCast, 73% of voters nationwide approve of the way Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has been handling the pandemic.Even among Trump voters, 53% approve of Fauci’s performance. About 9 in 10 Biden voters approve.___