SEDGWICK COUNTY —Administrators at Valley Center and Topeka high schools issued a joint statement Friday about the&nbsp; investigation of alleged racial taunting during the Dec. 3 basketball game at Valley Center.

Topeka High School Coach Geo Lyons said his team was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-basketball-education-race-and-ethnicity-racial-injustice-2e222bee3a9bbf91fa6d42b1d39c8700">subjected to “racial slurs, threats and disgusting taunts"</a>&nbsp;by students from Valley Center High School at the game. He also said Valley Center students taunted his team with a naked Black baby doll.

According to the statement from Valley Center principal&nbsp;Bruce Lolling and Topeka High principal Rebecca Morrisey,&nbsp; administrators from both schools thoroughly investigated reports following the game that included reviewing game&nbsp;footage and collecting statements from attendees, and the information was shared between the two schools. 

After&nbsp;conducting the investigations, several students at Valley Center received consequences for their behavior. Federal&nbsp;law (FERPA) prohibits the sharing of specific details regarding those consequences.

Valley Center High School and Topeka High School recognized the student-athletes for the manner in which&nbsp;they handled themselves during and immediately following the game given the circumstances. 

Additionally, Valley Center&nbsp;High School apologized for the students in the student section who acted&nbsp;inappropriately.&nbsp;

Both schools acknowledge that although some information that began circulating following the game was factual, there&nbsp;have been numerous reports that are exaggerated and/or inaccurate.

"This has led to responses from both communities&nbsp;that have become inflamed and disappointing. This is not appropriate, does not provide for a productive environment&nbsp;where true change can occur, and is currently being addressed by the schools and communities appropriately."

"Valley Center and Topeka High Schools are committed to work together to repair the harm that has been done, and to&nbsp;take actions both separately and together that will lead to positive and productive change with regards to addressing&nbsp;sportsmanship and racism."

"We truly believe that this incident can be used by both schools and communities, to provide an opportunity for&nbsp;education, growth and partnership."

WICHITA (AP) —Two Kansas high schools are investigating after students at one school reportedly yelled racist and offensive taunts at the other school's basketball team.

Topeka High School's team was subjected to “racial slurs, threats and disgusting taunts,” during a game on Saturday with Valley Center High School, Coach Geo Lyons said in a Change.org petition. He also said Valley Center students used a Black baby doll to taunt his team during the game.

Lyons has started a petition asking that Valley Center High School fans be removed from sporting events.

Lyons told KSN-TV that his son was shooting a free throw when the Valley Center student section chanted an expletive. He also alleged that racial epithets were used and his team was told they were going to be hanged.

"I had a down locker room, I’m talking about tears were flowing in that locker room,” Lyons said.

Valley Center officials issued an apology Monday to Topeka High School for “inappropriate language and behavior” by students during the game.

The district said in a statement that Topeka and Valley Center officials spent much of the weekend studying videos and interviewing people in attendance. As of Tuesday, the officials had not found evidence of specifically racist taunts but Valley Center acknowledged that students acted inappropriately.

It said students who chanted the expletive at the Topeka student were immediately removed and Valley Center officials worked to prevent any other negative interactions when the game ended.

The Black baby doll was part of a class assignment that requires students to “parent” the baby for a few days, the district said. It was not brought to the game intentionally to taunt Topeka High School but “without context, seeing the baby and images of the ‘baby’ caused hurt and concern to many, and for that we are very sorry,” the statement said.

Valley Center Superintendent Cory Gibson had a “fruitful” conversation about the incident with representatives of the NAACP on Tuesday, spokeswoman Amy Pavlacka said. Gibson and Valley Center High School Principal Bruce Lolling also visited with patrons from both cities to discuss the situation.

“As a district, we sent a letter to all VCHS families and students explaining there would be follow-up consequences for those students involved, and that we, as a community, should learn and grow from this experience,” the statement said.

On Tuesday, Valley Center called off school for Wednesday, Dec. 7 as a result of threats. "Out of an abundance of caution for all of our students and staff and after consulting with local law enforcement, all USD 262 buildings and schools will be closed, and all activities will be canceled, according to a statement sent from Dr. Gibson."&nbsp;

"Staff members are not to report to work unless specifically requested by their supervisor.&nbsp;The difficult decision to close our schools was a result of online threats received by our district this evening. Law enforcement is investigating these threats."

Topeka schools Superintendent Tiffany Anderson said in a letter to district patrons that the incident has been reported to the Kansas State High School Activities Association.

She said the Topeka district appreciated Valley Center's apology but they hope the district will take appropriate steps to address what occurred with those involved.

“I am so grateful for our coaches, principal (Rebecca) Morrisey and the mighty Trojans at Topeka High who modeled the conduct we expect from our students and we hope that it sets the example of what excellence looks like for others to learn from moving forward,” Anderson wrote.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670380837123.png" alt="-Image from the Saturday, Dec. 3 game courtesy Valley Center High School YouTube" />
 <figcaption>-Image from the Saturday, Dec. 3 game courtesy Valley Center High School YouTube</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Administrators at Valley Center and Topeka high schools issued a joint statement Friday about the&nbsp; investigation of alleged racial taunting during the Dec. 3 basketball game at Valley Center.Topeka High School Coach Geo Lyons said his team was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-basketball-education-race-and-ethnicity-racial-injustice-2e222bee3a9bbf91fa6d42b1d39c8700">subjected to “racial slurs, threats and disgusting taunts"</a>&nbsp;by students from Valley Center High School at the game. He also said Valley Center students taunted his team with a naked Black baby doll.According to the statement from Valley Center principal&nbsp;Bruce Lolling and Topeka High principal Rebecca Morrisey,&nbsp; administrators from both schools thoroughly investigated reports following the game that included reviewing game&nbsp;footage and collecting statements from attendees, and the information was shared between the two schools. After&nbsp;conducting the investigations, several students at Valley Center received consequences for their behavior. Federal&nbsp;law (FERPA) prohibits the sharing of specific details regarding those consequences.Valley Center High School and Topeka High School recognized the student-athletes for the manner in which&nbsp;they handled themselves during and immediately following the game given the circumstances. Additionally, Valley Center&nbsp;High School apologized for the students in the student section who acted&nbsp;inappropriately.&nbsp;Both schools acknowledge that although some information that began circulating following the game was factual, there&nbsp;have been numerous reports that are exaggerated and/or inaccurate."This has led to responses from both communities&nbsp;that have become inflamed and disappointing. This is not appropriate, does not provide for a productive environment&nbsp;where true change can occur, and is currently being addressed by the schools and communities appropriately.""Valley Center and Topeka High Schools are committed to work together to repair the harm that has been done, and to&nbsp;take actions both separately and together that will lead to positive and productive change with regards to addressing&nbsp;sportsmanship and racism.""We truly believe that this incident can be used by both schools and communities, to provide an opportunity for&nbsp;education, growth and partnership."---------WICHITA (AP) —Two Kansas high schools are investigating after students at one school reportedly yelled racist and offensive taunts at the other school's basketball team.Topeka High School's team was subjected to “racial slurs, threats and disgusting taunts,” during a game on Saturday with Valley Center High School, Coach Geo Lyons said in a Change.org petition. He also said Valley Center students used a Black baby doll to taunt his team during the game.Lyons has started a petition asking that Valley Center High School fans be removed from sporting events.Lyons told KSN-TV that his son was shooting a free throw when the Valley Center student section chanted an expletive. He also alleged that racial epithets were used and his team was told they were going to be hanged."I had a down locker room, I’m talking about tears were flowing in that locker room,” Lyons said.Valley Center officials issued an apology Monday to Topeka High School for “inappropriate language and behavior” by students during the game.The district said in a statement that Topeka and Valley Center officials spent much of the weekend studying videos and interviewing people in attendance. As of Tuesday, the officials had not found evidence of specifically racist taunts but Valley Center acknowledged that students acted inappropriately.It said students who chanted the expletive at the Topeka student were immediately removed and Valley Center officials worked to prevent any other negative interactions when the game ended.The Black baby doll was part of a class assignment that requires students to “parent” the baby for a few days, the district said. It was not brought to the game intentionally to taunt Topeka High School but “without context, seeing the baby and images of the ‘baby’ caused hurt and concern to many, and for that we are very sorry,” the statement said.Valley Center Superintendent Cory Gibson had a “fruitful” conversation about the incident with representatives of the NAACP on Tuesday, spokeswoman Amy Pavlacka said. Gibson and Valley Center High School Principal Bruce Lolling also visited with patrons from both cities to discuss the situation.“As a district, we sent a letter to all VCHS families and students explaining there would be follow-up consequences for those students involved, and that we, as a community, should learn and grow from this experience,” the statement said.On Tuesday, Valley Center called off school for Wednesday, Dec. 7 as a result of threats. "Out of an abundance of caution for all of our students and staff and after consulting with local law enforcement, all USD 262 buildings and schools will be closed, and all activities will be canceled, according to a statement sent from Dr. Gibson."&nbsp;"Staff members are not to report to work unless specifically requested by their supervisor.&nbsp;The difficult decision to close our schools was a result of online threats received by our district this evening. Law enforcement is investigating these threats."Topeka schools Superintendent Tiffany Anderson said in a letter to district patrons that the incident has been reported to the Kansas State High School Activities Association.She said the Topeka district appreciated Valley Center's apology but they hope the district will take appropriate steps to address what occurred with those involved.“I am so grateful for our coaches, principal (Rebecca) Morrisey and the mighty Trojans at Topeka High who modeled the conduct we expect from our students and we hope that it sets the example of what excellence looks like for others to learn from moving forward,” Anderson wrote.

Students disciplined for offensive chants at Kan. high school game

By JAZARI KUAL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-broadband-grants/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN
 — More than $20 million will be distributed in 37 grants from the 
Nebraska Broadband Bridge Program, the Nebraska Public Service 
Commission has announced.

“As expected, the second-year of the 
NBBP grant program has surpassed the initial funding year,” said NSC 
Chair Dan Watermeier. “We have a good process in place and are eager to 
provide funding to continue broadband buildout to unserved and 
underserved Nebraskans.”

The PSC received 115 grant applications and narrowed the pool to 103 submissions.

Funding all 103 projects would have 
exceeded the available funding, so the commission applied a scoring 
system based on the projects’ details and the applicants’ financial, 
legal and technical capability to build a broadband network.&nbsp;

The commission also ranked the applicants by priority in bringing broadband to entirely underserved areas first.

Grant recipients must complete their projects by June 6, 2024.&nbsp;

A list of approved projects and funding amounts is available on the <a target="_blank" href="https://psc.nebraska.gov/telecommunications/nebraska-broadband-bridge-program-nbbp">PSC website’s Nebraska Broadband Bridge Program</a> page or below.

By JAZARI KUAL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-broadband-grants/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN
 — More than $20 million will be distributed in 37 grants from the 
Nebraska Broadband Bridge Program, the Nebraska Public Service 
Commission has announced.“As expected, the second-year of the 
NBBP grant program has surpassed the initial funding year,” said NSC 
Chair Dan Watermeier. “We have a good process in place and are eager to 
provide funding to continue broadband buildout to unserved and 
underserved Nebraskans.”The PSC received 115 grant applications and narrowed the pool to 103 submissions.Funding all 103 projects would have 
exceeded the available funding, so the commission applied a scoring 
system based on the projects’ details and the applicants’ financial, 
legal and technical capability to build a broadband network.&nbsp;The commission also ranked the applicants by priority in bringing broadband to entirely underserved areas first.Grant recipients must complete their projects by June 6, 2024.&nbsp;A list of approved projects and funding amounts is available on the <a target="_blank" href="https://psc.nebraska.gov/telecommunications/nebraska-broadband-bridge-program-nbbp">PSC website’s Nebraska Broadband Bridge Program</a> page or below.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670618523322.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

Nebraska awards over $20M for broadband development

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden's administration on Thursday announced the infusion of nearly $36 billion to shore up a financially troubled union pension plan, preventing severe cuts to the retirement incomes of about 350,000 Teamster workers and retirees across the United States.

“It’s about everything you worked for,” Biden said, with union officials standing behind him. “It’s about finding a dignified retirement.”

The money for the Central States Pension Fund is the largest amount of federal aid provided for a pension plan, the Biden administration said. It comes from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-business-health-congress-310542ef5cddc914104960a00ae356e0">the American Rescue Plan,</a>&nbsp;a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package that he signed into law in 2021.

“This matters,” Biden said. “This matters for workers ... This matters for their spouses, this matters for their mothers and fathers who they're taking care of ... It matters for the country.”

Many union retirement plans have experienced financial pressure because of underfunding and other issues. Without the federal assistance, Teamster members could have seen their benefits reduced by an average of 60% starting within a couple of years.

“Union workers and their families are finally able to breathe a huge sigh of relief, knowing that their hard-earned retirement savings have been rescued from steep cuts,” said Lisa Gomez, assistant labor secretary for employee benefits security.

While bargaining for contracts in past years, union members chose to forgo raises and other benefits on the assumption they would would have “a prosperous retirement,” Teamsters General President Sean M. O'Brien said in a written statement. But when the retirement fund faltered, union members turned to lobbying the federal government for help.

“This is an issue of fairness — of this country keeping its word to hardworking, honest people who did everything they were supposed to do in life,” O'Brien said.

Multiemployer pension funds are created by agreements between unions and companies and are partially insured by the federal government's Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. The insurance program was on track to become insolvent in 2026, but the pandemic relief money is expected to keep it on firm footing through 2051.

Biden traveled to Ohio in July to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ohio-donald-trump-cleveland-bdef01e8e39628951433ea0f984e4133">highlight the final rules for the pension relief program</a>. Before Thursday, the program had awarded aid to 36 troubled pension plans, but none of those had received more than about $1.2 billion.

The amount going to the Central States Pension Fund represents somewhere between one-third and one-half of the total estimated cost of the federal aid program.

The retirement plan has participants in almost every state, with the largest concentration in the Midwest. There are about 40,000 participants in both Michigan and Ohio, nearly 28,000 in Missouri, 25,000 in Illinois and about 22,000 each in Texas and Wisconsin, according to figures provided by the White House.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden's administration on Thursday announced the infusion of nearly $36 billion to shore up a financially troubled union pension plan, preventing severe cuts to the retirement incomes of about 350,000 Teamster workers and retirees across the United States.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F669233211499331%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=247" width="560" height="314" 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>“It’s about everything you worked for,” Biden said, with union officials standing behind him. “It’s about finding a dignified retirement.”The money for the Central States Pension Fund is the largest amount of federal aid provided for a pension plan, the Biden administration said. It comes from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-business-health-congress-310542ef5cddc914104960a00ae356e0">the American Rescue Plan,</a>&nbsp;a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package that he signed into law in 2021.“This matters,” Biden said. “This matters for workers ... This matters for their spouses, this matters for their mothers and fathers who they're taking care of ... It matters for the country.”Many union retirement plans have experienced financial pressure because of underfunding and other issues. Without the federal assistance, Teamster members could have seen their benefits reduced by an average of 60% starting within a couple of years.“Union workers and their families are finally able to breathe a huge sigh of relief, knowing that their hard-earned retirement savings have been rescued from steep cuts,” said Lisa Gomez, assistant labor secretary for employee benefits security.While bargaining for contracts in past years, union members chose to forgo raises and other benefits on the assumption they would would have “a prosperous retirement,” Teamsters General President Sean M. O'Brien said in a written statement. But when the retirement fund faltered, union members turned to lobbying the federal government for help.“This is an issue of fairness — of this country keeping its word to hardworking, honest people who did everything they were supposed to do in life,” O'Brien said.Multiemployer pension funds are created by agreements between unions and companies and are partially insured by the federal government's Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. The insurance program was on track to become insolvent in 2026, but the pandemic relief money is expected to keep it on firm footing through 2051.Biden traveled to Ohio in July to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ohio-donald-trump-cleveland-bdef01e8e39628951433ea0f984e4133">highlight the final rules for the pension relief program</a>. Before Thursday, the program had awarded aid to 36 troubled pension plans, but none of those had received more than about $1.2 billion.The amount going to the Central States Pension Fund represents somewhere between one-third and one-half of the total estimated cost of the federal aid program.The retirement plan has participants in almost every state, with the largest concentration in the Midwest. There are about 40,000 participants in both Michigan and Ohio, nearly 28,000 in Missouri, 25,000 in Illinois and about 22,000 each in Texas and Wisconsin, according to figures provided by the White House.___

🎥Biden releases nearly $36B to aid pensions of union workers

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona announced Friday that she now has registered as an independent, but she does not plan to caucus with Republicans, ensuring Democrats will retain their narrow voting majority in the Senate.

Sinema has modeled her political approach on the renegade style of the late Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, and has frustrated Democratic colleagues at times with her overtures to Republicans and opposition to Democratic priorities Rather than assailing the Democratic Party in her statement, she said she was “declaring my independence from the broken partisan system in Washington.”

While unusual for a sitting senator to switch party affiliation, the move appears to hold more impact on Sinema’s own political brand than the operations of the Senate.

In a video explaining her decision, she said: “Registering as an independent and showing up to work with the title of independent is a reflection of who I’ve always been. ... Nothing’s going to change for me.’’

The first-term senator wrote in The Arizona Republic that she came into office pledging “to be independent and work with anyone to achieve lasting results. I committed I would not demonize people I disagreed with, engage in name-calling, or get distracted by political drama. I promised I would never bend to party pressure.”

She wrote that her approach is “rare in Washington and has upset partisans in both parties” but “has delivered lasting results for Arizona.” Sinema also said that she has “never fit perfectly in either national party.”

While bold and to some extent rare to have a senator switch party affiliation, the move appears to hold more impact on Sinema’s own political brand than the operations of the Senate.

Before Sinema's announcement, Democrats were set to hold a 51-49 edge in the new Senate come January after the victory Tuesday by Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock in Georgia's runoff election. Until then, the Senate will remain even, with Vice President Kamala Harris the tiebreaking vote for Democrats.

Sinema told Politico in an interview that she will not caucus with Republicans and that she plans to keep voting as she has since winning election to the Senate in 2018 after three House terms.

She is expected to maintain her committee assignments through the Democratic majority, according to a Senate Democratic aide. Two current independents, Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Angus King of Maine, caucus with Democrats and gain their committee seniority through the Democrats.

She is facing reelection in 2024 and is likely to be matched against a well-funded primary challenger after angering much of the Democratic base by blocking or watering down progressive priorities such as a minimum wage increase and President Joe Biden’s big social spending initiatives. She has not said whether she plans to seek another term.

Sinema’s most prominent potential primary challenger is Rep. Ruben Gallego, who has a long history of feuding with her.

The senator wrote that she was joining "the growing numbers of Arizonans who reject party politics by declaring my independence from the broken partisan system in Washington.”

Sinema bemoaned “the national parties' rigid partisanship” and said “pressures in both parties pull leaders to the edges — allowing the loudest, most extreme voices to determine their respective parties’ priorities, and expecting the rest of us to fall in line.”

“In catering to the fringes, neither party has demonstrated much tolerance for diversity of thought. Bipartisan compromise is seen as a rarely acceptable last resort, rather than the best way to achieve lasting progress,” she wrote.

She added: “My approach is rare in Washington, and has upset partisans in both parties."

Along with West Virginia's Joe Manchin, she has been one of two moderate Democrats in the 50-50 Senate, and her willingness to buck the rest of her party has at times limited the ambitions of Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

Sinema is a staunch defender of the filibuster, a Senate rule effectively requiring 60 votes to pass most legislation in the 100-member Senate. Many Democrats, including Biden, say the filibuster leads to gridlock by giving a minority of lawmakers the ability to veto.

Last January, leaders of the Arizona Democratic Party voted to censure Sinema, citing “her failure to do whatever it takes to ensure the health of our democracy″ — namely her refusal to go along with fellow Democrats to alter the Senate rule so they could overcome Republican opposition to a voting rights bill.

While that rebuke was symbolic, it came only a few years since Sinema was heralded for bringing the Arizona Senate seat back into the Democratic fold for the first time in a generation. The move also previewed the persistent opposition that Sinema was likely face within her own party in 2024.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670587177855.png" alt="Senator Krysten Sinema-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Senator Krysten Sinema-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona announced Friday that she now has registered as an independent, but she does not plan to caucus with Republicans, ensuring Democrats will retain their narrow voting majority in the Senate.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">In a natural extension of my service since I was first elected to Congress, I have joined the growing numbers of Arizonans who reject party politics by declaring my independence from the broken partisan system in Washington and formally registering as an Arizona Independent. 1/3 <a href="https://t.co/jUQHAeuxym">pic.twitter.com/jUQHAeuxym</a>&mdash; Kyrsten Sinema (@kyrstensinema) <a href="https://twitter.com/kyrstensinema/status/1601170136781664256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>Sinema has modeled her political approach on the renegade style of the late Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, and has frustrated Democratic colleagues at times with her overtures to Republicans and opposition to Democratic priorities Rather than assailing the Democratic Party in her statement, she said she was “declaring my independence from the broken partisan system in Washington.”While unusual for a sitting senator to switch party affiliation, the move appears to hold more impact on Sinema’s own political brand than the operations of the Senate.In a video explaining her decision, she said: “Registering as an independent and showing up to work with the title of independent is a reflection of who I’ve always been. ... Nothing’s going to change for me.’’The first-term senator wrote in The Arizona Republic that she came into office pledging “to be independent and work with anyone to achieve lasting results. I committed I would not demonize people I disagreed with, engage in name-calling, or get distracted by political drama. I promised I would never bend to party pressure.”She wrote that her approach is “rare in Washington and has upset partisans in both parties” but “has delivered lasting results for Arizona.” Sinema also said that she has “never fit perfectly in either national party.”While bold and to some extent rare to have a senator switch party affiliation, the move appears to hold more impact on Sinema’s own political brand than the operations of the Senate.Before Sinema's announcement, Democrats were set to hold a 51-49 edge in the new Senate come January after the victory Tuesday by Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock in Georgia's runoff election. Until then, the Senate will remain even, with Vice President Kamala Harris the tiebreaking vote for Democrats.Sinema told Politico in an interview that she will not caucus with Republicans and that she plans to keep voting as she has since winning election to the Senate in 2018 after three House terms.She is expected to maintain her committee assignments through the Democratic majority, according to a Senate Democratic aide. Two current independents, Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Angus King of Maine, caucus with Democrats and gain their committee seniority through the Democrats.She is facing reelection in 2024 and is likely to be matched against a well-funded primary challenger after angering much of the Democratic base by blocking or watering down progressive priorities such as a minimum wage increase and President Joe Biden’s big social spending initiatives. She has not said whether she plans to seek another term.Sinema’s most prominent potential primary challenger is Rep. Ruben Gallego, who has a long history of feuding with her.The senator wrote that she was joining "the growing numbers of Arizonans who reject party politics by declaring my independence from the broken partisan system in Washington.”Sinema bemoaned “the national parties' rigid partisanship” and said “pressures in both parties pull leaders to the edges — allowing the loudest, most extreme voices to determine their respective parties’ priorities, and expecting the rest of us to fall in line.”“In catering to the fringes, neither party has demonstrated much tolerance for diversity of thought. Bipartisan compromise is seen as a rarely acceptable last resort, rather than the best way to achieve lasting progress,” she wrote.She added: “My approach is rare in Washington, and has upset partisans in both parties."Along with West Virginia's Joe Manchin, she has been one of two moderate Democrats in the 50-50 Senate, and her willingness to buck the rest of her party has at times limited the ambitions of Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.Sinema is a staunch defender of the filibuster, a Senate rule effectively requiring 60 votes to pass most legislation in the 100-member Senate. Many Democrats, including Biden, say the filibuster leads to gridlock by giving a minority of lawmakers the ability to veto.Last January, leaders of the Arizona Democratic Party voted to censure Sinema, citing “her failure to do whatever it takes to ensure the health of our democracy″ — namely her refusal to go along with fellow Democrats to alter the Senate rule so they could overcome Republican opposition to a voting rights bill.While that rebuke was symbolic, it came only a few years since Sinema was heralded for bringing the Arizona Senate seat back into the Democratic fold for the first time in a generation. The move also previewed the persistent opposition that Sinema was likely face within her own party in 2024.

U.S. Senate scrambled; Kyrsten Sinema quits Democrats

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Brittney Griner returned to the United States early Friday, nearly 10 months after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-freed-viktor-bout-swap-us-russia-ee51f5c14f35dc4d4cf21224a8e44eaa">the basketball star’s detention</a>&nbsp;in Russia made her the most high-profile American jailed abroad and set off a political firestorm.

Griner's status as an openly gay Black woman, her prominence in women's basketball and her imprisonment in a country where authorities have been hostile to the LBGTQ community heightened concerns for her and brought tremendous attention to the case. Russia's invasion of Ukraine after her arrest complicated matters further.

The deal announced Thursday that saw Griner exchanged for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/viktor-bout-russian-arms-dealer-brittney-griner-2afb6b2096e40e5c6b6b1fd26b4fbba0">notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout</a>&nbsp;achieved a top goal for President Joe Biden. But the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-prisons-antony-blinken-united-states-government-and-politics-975a9e0cccd5d6a8ee74925f9eb3f352">failed to win freedom</a>&nbsp;for another American, Paul Whelan, who has been jailed for nearly four years.

Biden’s authorization to release Bout, the Russian felon once nicknamed “the Merchant of Death,” underscored the heightened urgency that his administration faced to get Griner home, particularly after the recent resolution of her criminal case on drug charges and her subsequent transfer to a penal colony.

Griner,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-wnba-dunk-talent-good-c42a6465a3f3afcd2987ae0f12a6ad61">a two-time Olympic gold medalist</a>&nbsp;and Phoenix Mercury pro basketball star, was seen getting off a plane that landed Friday at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas.

“So happy to have Brittney back on U.S. soil. Welcome home BG!” tweeted Roger Carstens, the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs.

The WNBA star, who also played pro basketball in Russia, was arrested at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport in February after Russian authorities said she was carrying vape canisters with cannabis oil. The U.S. State Department declared Griner to be “wrongfully detained” — a charge that Russia has sharply rejected.

Griner pleaded guilty in July but still faced trial because admitting guilt in Russia’s judicial system does not automatically end a case. She was sentenced to nine years.

She acknowledged in court that she possessed canisters with cannabis oil but said she had no criminal intent and accidentally packed them. Her defense team presented written statements that she had been prescribed cannabis to treat pain.

The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed Thursday's swap, saying in a statement carried by Russian news agencies that the exchange took place in Abu Dhabi and Bout had been flown home.

Biden spoke by phone with Griner. U.S. officials said she would be offered specialized medical services and counseling.

In releasing Bout, the U.S. freed a former Soviet Army lieutenant colonel whom the Justice Department once described as one of the world’s most prolific arms dealers. He was arrested in Thailand in 2008 and extradited to the U.S. in 2010.

Bout was serving a 25-year sentence on charges that he conspired to sell tens of millions of dollars in weapons that U.S officials said were to be used against Americans.

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — A plane believed to be carrying Brittney Griner landed in the United States early Friday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-freed-viktor-bout-swap-us-russia-ee51f5c14f35dc4d4cf21224a8e44eaa">nearly 10 months after the basketball star was detained in Russia</a>&nbsp;and became the most high-profile American jailed abroad.

Griner was exchanged for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/viktor-bout-russian-arms-dealer-brittney-griner-2afb6b2096e40e5c6b6b1fd26b4fbba0">notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout</a>. A plane believed to be carrying her touched down at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas.

The deal achieved a top goal for President Joe Biden — but failed to win freedom for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/bbf0c7e3029fea40d604b11fd271533f">another American, Paul Whelan</a>, who has been jailed for nearly four years.

Griner, who also played pro basketball in Russia, was arrested at an airport there after Russian authorities said she was carrying vape canisters with cannabis oil. Before her conviction, the U.S. State Department declared Griner to be “wrongfully detained” — a charge that Russia has sharply rejected.

Griner is a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-wnba-dunk-talent-good-c42a6465a3f3afcd2987ae0f12a6ad61">two-time Olympic gold medalist</a>, Baylor University All-American and Phoenix Mercury pro basketball star. Her status as an openly gay Black woman, locked up in a country where authorities have been hostile to the LBGTQ community, injected racial, gender and social dynamics into her legal saga and brought unprecedented attention to the population of wrongful detainees.

The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed the swap, saying in a statement carried by Russian news agencies that the exchange took place in Abu Dhabi and Bout had been flown home.

Following Griner’s arrest at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport in February, she pleaded guilty in July but still faced trial because admitting guilt in Russia’s judicial system does not automatically end a case.

She acknowledged in court that she possessed canisters with cannabis oil but said she had no criminal intent and she accidentally packed them. Her defense team presented written statements that she had been prescribed cannabis to treat pain.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670583590715.png" alt="In this image made from video provided by Russian Federal Security Service, WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner sits in the plane as she flies to Abu Dhabi to be exchanged for Russian citizen Viktor Bout, in Russia, Friday, Dec. 9, 2022. (Russian Federal Security Service via AP)" />
 <figcaption>In this image made from video provided by Russian Federal Security Service, WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner sits in the plane as she flies to Abu Dhabi to be exchanged for Russian citizen Viktor Bout, in Russia, Friday, Dec. 9, 2022. (Russian Federal Security Service via AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Brittney Griner returned to the United States early Friday, nearly 10 months after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-freed-viktor-bout-swap-us-russia-ee51f5c14f35dc4d4cf21224a8e44eaa">the basketball star’s detention</a>&nbsp;in Russia made her the most high-profile American jailed abroad and set off a political firestorm.Griner's status as an openly gay Black woman, her prominence in women's basketball and her imprisonment in a country where authorities have been hostile to the LBGTQ community heightened concerns for her and brought tremendous attention to the case. Russia's invasion of Ukraine after her arrest complicated matters further.The deal announced Thursday that saw Griner exchanged for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/viktor-bout-russian-arms-dealer-brittney-griner-2afb6b2096e40e5c6b6b1fd26b4fbba0">notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout</a>&nbsp;achieved a top goal for President Joe Biden. But the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-prisons-antony-blinken-united-states-government-and-politics-975a9e0cccd5d6a8ee74925f9eb3f352">failed to win freedom</a>&nbsp;for another American, Paul Whelan, who has been jailed for nearly four years.Biden’s authorization to release Bout, the Russian felon once nicknamed “the Merchant of Death,” underscored the heightened urgency that his administration faced to get Griner home, particularly after the recent resolution of her criminal case on drug charges and her subsequent transfer to a penal colony.Griner,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-wnba-dunk-talent-good-c42a6465a3f3afcd2987ae0f12a6ad61">a two-time Olympic gold medalist</a>&nbsp;and Phoenix Mercury pro basketball star, was seen getting off a plane that landed Friday at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas.“So happy to have Brittney back on U.S. soil. Welcome home BG!” tweeted Roger Carstens, the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs.The WNBA star, who also played pro basketball in Russia, was arrested at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport in February after Russian authorities said she was carrying vape canisters with cannabis oil. The U.S. State Department declared Griner to be “wrongfully detained” — a charge that Russia has sharply rejected.Griner pleaded guilty in July but still faced trial because admitting guilt in Russia’s judicial system does not automatically end a case. She was sentenced to nine years.She acknowledged in court that she possessed canisters with cannabis oil but said she had no criminal intent and accidentally packed them. Her defense team presented written statements that she had been prescribed cannabis to treat pain.The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed Thursday's swap, saying in a statement carried by Russian news agencies that the exchange took place in Abu Dhabi and Bout had been flown home.Biden spoke by phone with Griner. U.S. officials said she would be offered specialized medical services and counseling.In releasing Bout, the U.S. freed a former Soviet Army lieutenant colonel whom the Justice Department once described as one of the world’s most prolific arms dealers. He was arrested in Thailand in 2008 and extradited to the U.S. in 2010.Bout was serving a 25-year sentence on charges that he conspired to sell tens of millions of dollars in weapons that U.S officials said were to be used against Americans.___SAN ANTONIO (AP) — A plane believed to be carrying Brittney Griner landed in the United States early Friday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-freed-viktor-bout-swap-us-russia-ee51f5c14f35dc4d4cf21224a8e44eaa">nearly 10 months after the basketball star was detained in Russia</a>&nbsp;and became the most high-profile American jailed abroad.Griner was exchanged for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/viktor-bout-russian-arms-dealer-brittney-griner-2afb6b2096e40e5c6b6b1fd26b4fbba0">notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout</a>. A plane believed to be carrying her touched down at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas.The deal achieved a top goal for President Joe Biden — but failed to win freedom for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/bbf0c7e3029fea40d604b11fd271533f">another American, Paul Whelan</a>, who has been jailed for nearly four years.Biden’s authorization to release Bout, the Russian felon once nicknamed “the Merchant of Death,” underscored the heightened urgency that his administration faced to get Griner home, particularly after the recent resolution of her criminal case on drug charges and her subsequent transfer to a penal colony.Griner, who also played pro basketball in Russia, was arrested at an airport there after Russian authorities said she was carrying vape canisters with cannabis oil. Before her conviction, the U.S. State Department declared Griner to be “wrongfully detained” — a charge that Russia has sharply rejected.Griner is a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-wnba-dunk-talent-good-c42a6465a3f3afcd2987ae0f12a6ad61">two-time Olympic gold medalist</a>, Baylor University All-American and Phoenix Mercury pro basketball star. Her status as an openly gay Black woman, locked up in a country where authorities have been hostile to the LBGTQ community, injected racial, gender and social dynamics into her legal saga and brought unprecedented attention to the population of wrongful detainees.The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed the swap, saying in a statement carried by Russian news agencies that the exchange took place in Abu Dhabi and Bout had been flown home.Biden spoke by phone with Griner. U.S. officials said she would be offered specialized medical services and counseling.In releasing Bout, the U.S. freed a former Soviet Army lieutenant colonel whom the Justice Department once described as one of the world’s most prolific arms dealers. He was arrested in Thailand in 2008 and extradited to the U.S. in 2010.Bout was serving a 25-year sentence on charges that he conspired to sell tens of millions of dollars in weapons that U.S officials said were to be used against Americans.Following Griner’s arrest at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport in February, she pleaded guilty in July but still faced trial because admitting guilt in Russia’s judicial system does not automatically end a case.She acknowledged in court that she possessed canisters with cannabis oil but said she had no criminal intent and she accidentally packed them. Her defense team presented written statements that she had been prescribed cannabis to treat pain.___

Brittney Griner back home in US after Russian prisoner swap

WASHINGTON (AP) —U.S. regulators on Thursday cleared doses of the updated COVID-19 vaccines for children younger than age 5.

The Food and <a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-authorizes-updated-bivalent-covid-19-vaccines-children-down-6-months">Drug Administration’s decision</a> aims to better protect the littlest kids from severe COVID-19 at a time when children’s hospitals already are packed with tots suffering from a variety of respiratory illnesses.

Omicron-targeted booster shots made by Moderna and rival Pfizer already were open to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-business-covid-daaf1a4e5223d3b1251c4606b422ee0d">everyone 5 and older.</a>

The FDA now has cleared their use in tots starting at age 6 months -- but just who is eligible depends on what vaccinations they’ve already had, and which kind. Few youngsters have gotten the full primary series since shots for the littlest kids&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-rochelle-walensky-222bc528985a897c2a2d6173cd3659a9">began in June.</a>

--Children under age 6 who’ve already gotten two original doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine can get a single booster of Moderna’s updated formula if it’s been at least two months since their last shot.

--Pfizer’s vaccine requires three initial doses for tots under age 5 -- and those who haven’t finished that vaccination series will get the original formula for the first two shots and the omicron-targeted version for their third shot.

--Children under 5 who already got all three Pfizer doses aren’t yet eligible for an updated booster. Data expected next month should help the FDA determine if and when those tots need the omicron-targeted booster.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to sign off soon, the final step for shots to begin.

Just 3% of tots under 2 and nearly 5% of those 2 to 4 have gotten their primary doses so far, according to the CDC.

“Vaccines remain the best defense against the most devastating consequences of disease caused by the currently circulating omicron variant,” FDA vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks said in a statement.

The updated vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer are combination shots, containing half the original vaccine and half tweaked to match the BA.4 and BA.5 omicron strains that until recently were dominant. Now BA.5 descendants are responsible for most COVID-19 cases.

The CDC&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-covid-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-government-politics-cac663e28e4d6e44800f57c8ad50c707">last month</a>&nbsp;released the first real-world data showing that an updated booster, using either company’s version, does offer added protection to adults. The analysis found the greatest benefit was in people who’d never had a prior booster, just two doses of the original COVID-19 vaccine -- but that even those who’d had a summertime dose were more protected than if they’d skipped the newest shot.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635537216378.png" alt="The FDA now has cleared their use in tots starting at age 6 months -- but just who is eligible depends on what vaccinations they’ve already had.-Photo courtesy Pfizer" />
 <figcaption>The FDA now has cleared their use in tots starting at age 6 months -- but just who is eligible depends on what vaccinations they’ve already had.-Photo courtesy Pfizer</figcaption>
 </figure>By LAURAN NEERGAARDWASHINGTON (AP) —U.S. regulators on Thursday cleared doses of the updated COVID-19 vaccines for children younger than age 5.The Food and <a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-authorizes-updated-bivalent-covid-19-vaccines-children-down-6-months">Drug Administration’s decision</a> aims to better protect the littlest kids from severe COVID-19 at a time when children’s hospitals already are packed with tots suffering from a variety of respiratory illnesses.Omicron-targeted booster shots made by Moderna and rival Pfizer already were open to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-business-covid-daaf1a4e5223d3b1251c4606b422ee0d">everyone 5 and older.</a>The FDA now has cleared their use in tots starting at age 6 months -- but just who is eligible depends on what vaccinations they’ve already had, and which kind. Few youngsters have gotten the full primary series since shots for the littlest kids&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-rochelle-walensky-222bc528985a897c2a2d6173cd3659a9">began in June.</a>The FDA decided that:--Children under age 6 who’ve already gotten two original doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine can get a single booster of Moderna’s updated formula if it’s been at least two months since their last shot.--Pfizer’s vaccine requires three initial doses for tots under age 5 -- and those who haven’t finished that vaccination series will get the original formula for the first two shots and the omicron-targeted version for their third shot.--Children under 5 who already got all three Pfizer doses aren’t yet eligible for an updated booster. Data expected next month should help the FDA determine if and when those tots need the omicron-targeted booster.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to sign off soon, the final step for shots to begin.Just 3% of tots under 2 and nearly 5% of those 2 to 4 have gotten their primary doses so far, according to the CDC.“Vaccines remain the best defense against the most devastating consequences of disease caused by the currently circulating omicron variant,” FDA vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks said in a statement.The updated vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer are combination shots, containing half the original vaccine and half tweaked to match the BA.4 and BA.5 omicron strains that until recently were dominant. Now BA.5 descendants are responsible for most COVID-19 cases.The CDC&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-covid-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-government-politics-cac663e28e4d6e44800f57c8ad50c707">last month</a>&nbsp;released the first real-world data showing that an updated booster, using either company’s version, does offer added protection to adults. The analysis found the greatest benefit was in people who’d never had a prior booster, just two doses of the original COVID-19 vaccine -- but that even those who’d had a summertime dose were more protected than if they’d skipped the newest shot.—-

FDA clears updated COVID-19 vaccines for kids under age 5

By JOHN HANNA and HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH&nbsp;

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An oil spill in a creek in northeastern Kansas shut down a major pipeline that carries oil from Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast, briefly causing oil prices to rise on Thursday.

Canada-based TC Energy said it shut down its Keystone system Wednesday night following a drop in pipeline pressure. It said oil spilled into a creek in Washington County, Kansas, about 150 miles (241 kilometers) northwest of Kansas City.

The company said in a news release that the pipeline segment where the spill occurred had been “isolated” and that the company was using booms, or barriers, to keep the spilled oil from moving downstream. It didn't say how much oil was spilled or what caused the spill.

“People are sometimes not aware of of the havoc that these things can wreak until the disaster happens,” said Zack Pistora, who lobbies the Kansas Legislature for the Sierra Club's state chapter.

Concerns that spills could pollute waterways spurred opposition to plans by TC Energy to build another crude oil pipeline in the Keystone system, the 1,200-mile Keystone XL, which would have cut across Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. Critics also argued that using crude from western Canada's oil sands would make climate change worse, and President Joe Biden's cancelation of a U.S. permit for the project led the company&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-joe-biden-keystone-pipeline-canada-environment-and-nature-141eabd7cca6449dfbd2dab8165812f2">to pull the plug last year.</a>

In 2019, the Keystone pipeline&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nd-state-wire-ne-state-wire-us-news-mo-state-wire-sd-state-wire-d3f301c4e5014981949be28fae8e15d7">leaked an estimated 383,000 gallons</a>&nbsp;(1.4 million liters) of oil in eastern North Dakota, damaging about five acres.

Janet Kleeb, who founded the Bold Nebraska environmental and landowner rights group that campaigned against the Keystone XL, said there have been at least 22 spills along the original Keystone pipeline since it went into service in 2010. She said federal studies have shown that the type of heavy tar sands oil the pipeline carries can be especially difficult to clean up in water because it tends to sink.

“All oil spills are difficult, but tar sands in particular are very toxic and very difficult, so I’m awfully concerned,” said Kleeb, who is also the Nebraska Democratic Party's chair.

But the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said there were no known effects yet on drinking water wells or the public. Randy Hubbard, the Washington County Emergency Management coordinator, said there had been no evacuations because the break happened in a rural area in the middle of a pasture.

Keystone said in its statement: “Our primary focus right now is the health and safety of onsite staff and personnel, the surrounding community, and mitigating risk to the environment through the deployment of booms downstream as we work to contain and prevent further migration of the release.”

There was a brief surge in oil prices midday Thursday as word of the spill in Kansas began to spread, with the cost for a barrel of oil for near-term contracts rising by nearly 5%, and above the cost of oil contracts further into the future. That typically suggests there is anxiety in the market over immediate supply.

A U.S. Energy Information Administration spokesperson said the Keystone pipeline moves about 600,000 barrels of oil per day from Canada to Cushing, Oklahoma, where it can connect to another pipeline to the Gulf Coast. That’s compared to the total of 3.5 million to 4 million barrels of Canadian oil imported into the U.S. every day.

Past Keystone spills have led to outages that lasted about two weeks, but this outage could possibly be longer because it involves a body of water, said analysts at RBC Capital Markets in a note to investors. Depending on the spill’s location, it’s possible that a portion of the pipeline could restart sooner, they said.

“It’s something to keep an eye on, but not necessarily an immediate impact for now,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, which tracks gasoline prices. “It could eventually impact oil supplies to refiners, which could be severe if it lasts more than a few days.”

The spill was 5 miles (8 kilometers) northeast of Washington, the county seat of about 1,100 residents. Paul Stewart, an area farmer, said part of it was contained on his land using yellow booms and a dam of dirt. The spill occurred in Mill Creek, which flows into the Little Blue River. That river feeds the Big Blue River, which flows into Tuttle Creek Lake, north of Manhattan, home of Kansas State University.

Dan Thalmann, the publisher and editor of The Washington County News, a weekly publication, said crews were creating a rock path to the creek because recent rains made the fields too soft to move heavy machinery over them.

“Gosh, the traffic past my house is unbelievable — trucks after trucks after trucks,” said Stewart, who took down an electric fence he'd finished putting up Wednesday, fearing that heavy equipment might knock it down and drag it into a field.

Chris Pannbacker said the pipeline runs through her family's farm. She and her husband drove north of the family's farmhouse and across a bridge over Mill Creek.

“We looked at it from both sides, and it was black on both sides,” said Pannbacker, who also is a reporter for the Marysville Advocate newspaper.

Junior Roop, the sexton of a cemetery near the site of the spill, said people could smell the oil in town.

“It was about like driving by a refinery,” he said.

“Much of the oil through Keystone gets exported, so we expect little to no impact on domestic gasoline prices,” said Andrew Gross, spokesman for AAA. “Any spike in reaction will likely subside quickly as other news takes over.”

Randy Hubbard, the Washington County Emergency Management coordinator, said there had been no evacuations because the break happened in a rural area in the middle of a pasture. He didn’t know the name of the creek or what body of water it flows into.

He said the pipeline operator hasn’t disclosed how much oil was discharged and that it could take a day and a half to get that data.

He said he hadn’t been to the site but is supporting investigators with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and and Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

The Kansas department's spokesman, Matt Lara, said it was sending a team to the site but had no information. The EPA didn't immediately respond to a request for comment and officials with the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration didn’t immediately respond to questions about the oil spill Thursday.

“Everyone is in their fact-finding process,” Hubbard said.

Canada-based TC Energy said it shut down its Keystone system Wednesday night following a drop in pipeline pressure. It said oil spilled into a creek in Washington County, Kansas, about 150 miles northwest of Kansas City.

There was a brief surge in oil prices midday Thursday as word of the spill began to spread, with the cost for a barrel of oil for near-term contracts rising by nearly 5%, and above the cost of oil contracts further into the future. That typically suggests there is anxiety in the market over immediate supply.

The Keystone pipeline&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nd-state-wire-ne-state-wire-us-news-mo-state-wire-sd-state-wire-d3f301c4e5014981949be28fae8e15d7">in 2019 leaked</a>&nbsp;an estimated 383,000 gallons (1.4 million liters) of oil in eastern North Dakota, damaging about five acres.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670525599435.png" alt="Oil spilled into a creek in Washington County, Kansas, about 150 miles northwest of Kansas City.- Photo courtesy TC Energy&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Oil spilled into a creek in Washington County, Kansas, about 150 miles northwest of Kansas City.- Photo courtesy TC Energy&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN HANNA and HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH&nbsp;TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An oil spill in a creek in northeastern Kansas shut down a major pipeline that carries oil from Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast, briefly causing oil prices to rise on Thursday.Canada-based TC Energy said it shut down its Keystone system Wednesday night following a drop in pipeline pressure. It said oil spilled into a creek in Washington County, Kansas, about 150 miles (241 kilometers) northwest of Kansas City.The company said in a news release that the pipeline segment where the spill occurred had been “isolated” and that the company was using booms, or barriers, to keep the spilled oil from moving downstream. It didn't say how much oil was spilled or what caused the spill.“People are sometimes not aware of of the havoc that these things can wreak until the disaster happens,” said Zack Pistora, who lobbies the Kansas Legislature for the Sierra Club's state chapter.Concerns that spills could pollute waterways spurred opposition to plans by TC Energy to build another crude oil pipeline in the Keystone system, the 1,200-mile Keystone XL, which would have cut across Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. Critics also argued that using crude from western Canada's oil sands would make climate change worse, and President Joe Biden's cancelation of a U.S. permit for the project led the company&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-joe-biden-keystone-pipeline-canada-environment-and-nature-141eabd7cca6449dfbd2dab8165812f2">to pull the plug last year.</a>In 2019, the Keystone pipeline&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nd-state-wire-ne-state-wire-us-news-mo-state-wire-sd-state-wire-d3f301c4e5014981949be28fae8e15d7">leaked an estimated 383,000 gallons</a>&nbsp;(1.4 million liters) of oil in eastern North Dakota, damaging about five acres.Janet Kleeb, who founded the Bold Nebraska environmental and landowner rights group that campaigned against the Keystone XL, said there have been at least 22 spills along the original Keystone pipeline since it went into service in 2010. She said federal studies have shown that the type of heavy tar sands oil the pipeline carries can be especially difficult to clean up in water because it tends to sink.“All oil spills are difficult, but tar sands in particular are very toxic and very difficult, so I’m awfully concerned,” said Kleeb, who is also the Nebraska Democratic Party's chair.But the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said there were no known effects yet on drinking water wells or the public. Randy Hubbard, the Washington County Emergency Management coordinator, said there had been no evacuations because the break happened in a rural area in the middle of a pasture.Keystone said in its statement: “Our primary focus right now is the health and safety of onsite staff and personnel, the surrounding community, and mitigating risk to the environment through the deployment of booms downstream as we work to contain and prevent further migration of the release.”There was a brief surge in oil prices midday Thursday as word of the spill in Kansas began to spread, with the cost for a barrel of oil for near-term contracts rising by nearly 5%, and above the cost of oil contracts further into the future. That typically suggests there is anxiety in the market over immediate supply.A U.S. Energy Information Administration spokesperson said the Keystone pipeline moves about 600,000 barrels of oil per day from Canada to Cushing, Oklahoma, where it can connect to another pipeline to the Gulf Coast. That’s compared to the total of 3.5 million to 4 million barrels of Canadian oil imported into the U.S. every day.Past Keystone spills have led to outages that lasted about two weeks, but this outage could possibly be longer because it involves a body of water, said analysts at RBC Capital Markets in a note to investors. Depending on the spill’s location, it’s possible that a portion of the pipeline could restart sooner, they said.“It’s something to keep an eye on, but not necessarily an immediate impact for now,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, which tracks gasoline prices. “It could eventually impact oil supplies to refiners, which could be severe if it lasts more than a few days.”The spill was 5 miles (8 kilometers) northeast of Washington, the county seat of about 1,100 residents. Paul Stewart, an area farmer, said part of it was contained on his land using yellow booms and a dam of dirt. The spill occurred in Mill Creek, which flows into the Little Blue River. That river feeds the Big Blue River, which flows into Tuttle Creek Lake, north of Manhattan, home of Kansas State University.Dan Thalmann, the publisher and editor of The Washington County News, a weekly publication, said crews were creating a rock path to the creek because recent rains made the fields too soft to move heavy machinery over them.“Gosh, the traffic past my house is unbelievable — trucks after trucks after trucks,” said Stewart, who took down an electric fence he'd finished putting up Wednesday, fearing that heavy equipment might knock it down and drag it into a field.Chris Pannbacker said the pipeline runs through her family's farm. She and her husband drove north of the family's farmhouse and across a bridge over Mill Creek.“We looked at it from both sides, and it was black on both sides,” said Pannbacker, who also is a reporter for the Marysville Advocate newspaper.Junior Roop, the sexton of a cemetery near the site of the spill, said people could smell the oil in town.“It was about like driving by a refinery,” he said.------------TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An oil spill in a creek in northeastern Kansas shut down a major pipeline that carries oil from Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast, briefly causing oil prices to rise on Thursday.Canada-based TC Energy said it shut down its Keystone system Wednesday night following a drop in pipeline pressure. It said oil spilled into a creek in Washington County, Kansas, about 150 miles (241 kilometers) northwest of Kansas City.The company said in a news release that the pipeline segment where the spill occurred had been “isolated” and that the company was using booms, or barriers, to keep the spilled oil from moving downstream. It didn't say how much oil was spilled or what caused the spill.Concerns that spills could pollute waterways spurred opposition to plans by TC Energy to build another crude oil pipeline in the Keystone system, the 1,200-mile Keystone XL, which would have cut across Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. Critics also argued that using crude from western Canada's oil sands would make climate change worse, and President Joe Biden's cancelation of a U.S. permit for the project led the company&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-joe-biden-keystone-pipeline-canada-environment-and-nature-141eabd7cca6449dfbd2dab8165812f2">to pull the plug last year.</a>In 2019, the Keystone pipeline&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nd-state-wire-ne-state-wire-us-news-mo-state-wire-sd-state-wire-d3f301c4e5014981949be28fae8e15d7">leaked an estimated 383,000 gallons</a>&nbsp;(1.4 million liters) of oil in eastern North Dakota, damaging about five acres.There was a brief surge in oil prices midday Thursday as word of the spill in Kansas began to spread, with the cost for a barrel of oil for near-term contracts rising by nearly 5%, and above the cost of oil contracts further into the future. That typically suggests there is anxiety in the market over immediate supply.“It’s something to keep an eye on, but not necessarily an immediate impact for now,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, which tracks gasoline prices. “It could eventually impact oil supplies to refiners, which could be severe if it lasts more than a few days.”Past Keystone spills have led to outages that lasted about two weeks, but this outage could possibly be longer because it involves a body of water, said analysts at RBC Capital Markets in a note to investors. Depending on the spill’s location, it’s possible that a portion of the pipeline could restart sooner, they said.“Much of the oil through Keystone gets exported, so we expect little to no impact on domestic gasoline prices,” said Andrew Gross, spokesman for AAA. “Any spike in reaction will likely subside quickly as other news takes over.”Randy Hubbard, the Washington County Emergency Management coordinator, said there had been no evacuations because the break happened in a rural area in the middle of a pasture. He didn’t know the name of the creek or what body of water it flows into.He said the pipeline operator hasn’t disclosed how much oil was discharged and that it could take a day and a half to get that data.He said he hadn’t been to the site but is supporting investigators with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and and Kansas Department of Health and Environment.Keystone said in its statement: “Our primary focus right now is the health and safety of onsite staff and personnel, the surrounding community, and mitigating risk to the environment through the deployment of booms downstream as we work to contain and prevent further migration of the release.”The Kansas department's spokesman, Matt Lara, said it was sending a team to the site but had no information. The EPA didn't immediately respond to a request for comment and officials with the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration didn’t immediately respond to questions about the oil spill Thursday.“Everyone is in their fact-finding process,” Hubbard said.-------TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An oil spill in a creek in northeastern Kansas shut down a major pipeline that carries oil from Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast, briefly causing oil prices to rise on Thursday.Canada-based TC Energy said it shut down its Keystone system Wednesday night following a drop in pipeline pressure. It said oil spilled into a creek in Washington County, Kansas, about 150 miles northwest of Kansas City.The company said in a news release that the pipeline segment where the spill occurred had been “isolated” and that the company was using booms, or barriers, to keep the spilled oil from moving downstream. It didn't say how much oil was spilled or what caused the spill.There was a brief surge in oil prices midday Thursday as word of the spill began to spread, with the cost for a barrel of oil for near-term contracts rising by nearly 5%, and above the cost of oil contracts further into the future. That typically suggests there is anxiety in the market over immediate supply.“It’s something to keep an eye on, but not necessarily an immediate impact for now,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, which tracks gasoline prices. “It could eventually impact oil supplies to refiners, which could be severe if it lasts more than a few days.”Past Keystone spills have led to outages that lasted about two weeks, but this outage could possibly be longer because it involves a body of water, said analysts at RBC Capital Markets in a note to investors. Depending on the spill’s location, it’s possible that a portion of the pipeline could restart sooner, they said.“Much of the oil through Keystone gets exported, so we expect little to no impact on domestic gasoline prices,” said Andrew Gross, spokesman for AAA. “Any spike in reaction will likely subside quickly as other news takes over.”Randy Hubbard, the Washington County Emergency Management coordinator, said there had been no evacuations because the break happened in a rural area in the middle of a pasture. He didn’t know the name of the creek or what body of water it flows into.He said the pipeline operator hasn’t disclosed how much oil was discharged and that it could take a day and a half to get that data.He said he hadn’t been to the site but is supporting investigators with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and and Kansas Department of Health and Environment.The Kansas department's spokesman, Matt Lara, said it was sending a team to the site but had no information. The EPA didn't immediately respond to a request for comment and officials with the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration didn’t immediately respond to questions about the oil spill Thursday.“Everyone is in their fact-finding process,” Hubbard said.The Keystone pipeline&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nd-state-wire-ne-state-wire-us-news-mo-state-wire-sd-state-wire-d3f301c4e5014981949be28fae8e15d7">in 2019 leaked</a>&nbsp;an estimated 383,000 gallons (1.4 million liters) of oil in eastern North Dakota, damaging about five acres.

Oil spill in rural Kansas creek shuts down pipeline

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House gave final approval Thursday to legislation protecting same-sex marriages, a monumental step in a decadeslong battle for nationwide recognition of such unions that reflects a stunning turnaround in societal attitudes.

(Click below to watch Speaker Pelosi and Members of the Equality Caucus, sign the Respect for Marriage Act.)

President Joe Biden is expected to promptly sign the measure, which requires all states to recognize same-sex marriages, a relief for hundreds of thousands of couples who have married since the Supreme Court’s 2015 decision that legalized those marriages nationwide.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-religion-gay-rights-marriage-clarence-thomas-2d09d9213472d04195c64d09644f124c">bipartisan legislation,</a>&nbsp;which passed 258-169 with almost 40 Republican votes, would also protect interracial unions by requiring states to recognize legal marriages regardless of “sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin.” Kansas 3rd District Congresswoman Sharice Davids was the only member of the Kansas House delegation to vote in favor of the bill.

After months of talks, the Senate passed the bill last week with 12 Republican votes.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In debate ahead of the vote, several gay members of Congress talked about what it would mean for them and their families. Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., said he was set to marry “the love of my life” next year and that it is “unthinkable” that his marriage might not be recognized in some states.

Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., said he and his husband should be able to visit each other in the hospital just like any other married couple and receive spousal benefits “regardless of if your spouse’s name Samuel or Samantha.”

Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I., said that the idea of marriage equality used to be a “far fetched idea, Now it’s the law of the land and supported by the vast majority of Americans.”

Democrats moved the bill quickly through the House and Senate after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">Supreme Court’s June decision that overturned the federal right to an abortion.</a>&nbsp;That ruling included a concurring opinion from Justice Clarence Thomas that suggested same-sex marriage should also be reconsidered.

The legislation lost some Republican support since July, when 47 Republicans voted for it — a robust and unexpected show of support that kick-started serious negotiations in the Senate. But most of those lawmakers held firm.

“To me this is really just standing with the Constitution,” said Republican Rep. Ann Wagner of Missouri, who voted for it both times. She pushed back on GOP arguments that it would affect religious rights of those who don't believe in same sex marriage.

“No one’s religious. liberties are affected in any way, shape or form,” Wagner said.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., presided over the vote as one of her last acts in leadership before stepping aside in January. She said the legislation "will ensure that “the federal government will never again stand in the way of marrying the person you love.”

The legislation would not require states to allow same-sex couples to marry, as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-courts-marriage-supreme-court-of-the-united-states-united-states-government-9e1933cd1e1a4e969ab45f5952bbb45f">Supreme Court's 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision now does</a>. But it would require states to recognize all marriages that were legal where they were performed and it would protect current same-sex unions if the Obergefell decision were overturned.

While it's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-oklahoma-couples-marriage-fd530c9c3042503f134d5e09af9afb8f">not everything</a>&nbsp;advocates may have wanted, passage of the legislation represents a watershed moment. Just a decade ago, many Republicans openly campaigned on blocking same-sex marriages; today more than two-thirds of the public support them.

Still, most Republicans opposed the legislation and some conservative advocacy groups lobbied aggressively against it in recent weeks, arguing that it doesn’t do enough to protect those who want to refuse services for same-sex couples.

“God’s perfect design is indeed marriage between one man and one woman for life,” said Rep. Bob Good, R-Va, ahead of the vote. “And it doesn’t matter what you think or what I think, that’s what the Bible says.”

Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R-Mo., choked up as she begged colleagues to vote against the bill, which she said undermines “natural marriage” between a man and a woman.

“I’ll tell you my priorities,” Hartzler said. “Protect religious liberty, protect people of faith and protect Americans who believe in the true meaning of marriage.”

Democrats in the Senate, led by Wisconsin's Tammy Baldwin and Arizona's Kyrsten Sinema, tried to address those GOP concerns by negotiating an amendment that would clarify that the legislation does not affect the rights of private individuals or businesses that are already enshrined in current law. The amended bill would also make clear that a marriage is between two people, an effort to ward off some far-right criticism that the legislation could endorse polygamy.

In the end, several religious groups, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-relationships-gay-rights-utah-07847f4b7e3e96d81c10a298a199b860">came out</a>&nbsp;in support of the bill. The Mormon church said it would support rights for same-sex couples as long as they didn’t infringe upon religious groups’ right to believe as they choose.

Thursday's vote came as the LGBTQ community has faced violent attacks, such as the shooting earlier this month at a gay nightclub in Colorado that killed five people and injured at least 17.

“We have been through a lot,” said Kelley Robinson, the incoming president of the advocacy group Human Rights Campaign. But Robinson says the votes show “in such an important way” that the country values LBGTQ people.

“We are part of the full story of what it means to be an American,” said Robinson, who was inside the Senate chamber for last week’s vote with her wife and young son. “It really speaks to them validating our love.”

The vote was personal for many senators, too. The day the bill passed their chamber, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was wearing the tie he wore at his daughter’s wedding to another woman. He recalled that day as “one of the happiest moments of my life.”

Baldwin, the first openly gay senator who has been working on gay rights issues for almost four decades, tearfully hugged Schumer as the final vote was underway. She tweeted thanks to the same-sex and interracial couples who she said made the moment possible.

“By living as your true selves, you changed the hearts and minds of people around you,” she wrote.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670518871901.png" alt="House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Leader Chuck Schumer celebrate passage of HR 8404, the Respect for Marriage Act." />
 <figcaption>House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Leader Chuck Schumer celebrate passage of HR 8404, the Respect for Marriage Act.</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The House gave final approval Thursday to legislation protecting same-sex marriages, a monumental step in a decadeslong battle for nationwide recognition of such unions that reflects a stunning turnaround in societal attitudes.(Click below to watch Speaker Pelosi and Members of the Equality Caucus, sign the Respect for Marriage Act.)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FNancyPelosi%2Fvideos%2F1336075067163768%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=126" width="560" height="314" 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>President Joe Biden is expected to promptly sign the measure, which requires all states to recognize same-sex marriages, a relief for hundreds of thousands of couples who have married since the Supreme Court’s 2015 decision that legalized those marriages nationwide.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-religion-gay-rights-marriage-clarence-thomas-2d09d9213472d04195c64d09644f124c">bipartisan legislation,</a>&nbsp;which passed 258-169 with almost 40 Republican votes, would also protect interracial unions by requiring states to recognize legal marriages regardless of “sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin.” Kansas 3rd District Congresswoman Sharice Davids was the only member of the Kansas House delegation to vote in favor of the bill.After months of talks, the Senate passed the bill last week with 12 Republican votes.&nbsp;&nbsp;In debate ahead of the vote, several gay members of Congress talked about what it would mean for them and their families. Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., said he was set to marry “the love of my life” next year and that it is “unthinkable” that his marriage might not be recognized in some states.Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., said he and his husband should be able to visit each other in the hospital just like any other married couple and receive spousal benefits “regardless of if your spouse’s name Samuel or Samantha.”Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I., said that the idea of marriage equality used to be a “far fetched idea, Now it’s the law of the land and supported by the vast majority of Americans.”Democrats moved the bill quickly through the House and Senate after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">Supreme Court’s June decision that overturned the federal right to an abortion.</a>&nbsp;That ruling included a concurring opinion from Justice Clarence Thomas that suggested same-sex marriage should also be reconsidered.The legislation lost some Republican support since July, when 47 Republicans voted for it — a robust and unexpected show of support that kick-started serious negotiations in the Senate. But most of those lawmakers held firm.“To me this is really just standing with the Constitution,” said Republican Rep. Ann Wagner of Missouri, who voted for it both times. She pushed back on GOP arguments that it would affect religious rights of those who don't believe in same sex marriage.“No one’s religious. liberties are affected in any way, shape or form,” Wagner said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670513089801.png" alt="House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the legislation "will ensure that “the federal government will never again stand in the way of marrying the person you love.”-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the legislation "will ensure that “the federal government will never again stand in the way of marrying the person you love.”-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., presided over the vote as one of her last acts in leadership before stepping aside in January. She said the legislation "will ensure that “the federal government will never again stand in the way of marrying the person you love.”The legislation would not require states to allow same-sex couples to marry, as the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-courts-marriage-supreme-court-of-the-united-states-united-states-government-9e1933cd1e1a4e969ab45f5952bbb45f">Supreme Court's 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision now does</a>. But it would require states to recognize all marriages that were legal where they were performed and it would protect current same-sex unions if the Obergefell decision were overturned.While it's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-oklahoma-couples-marriage-fd530c9c3042503f134d5e09af9afb8f">not everything</a>&nbsp;advocates may have wanted, passage of the legislation represents a watershed moment. Just a decade ago, many Republicans openly campaigned on blocking same-sex marriages; today more than two-thirds of the public support them.Still, most Republicans opposed the legislation and some conservative advocacy groups lobbied aggressively against it in recent weeks, arguing that it doesn’t do enough to protect those who want to refuse services for same-sex couples.“God’s perfect design is indeed marriage between one man and one woman for life,” said Rep. Bob Good, R-Va, ahead of the vote. “And it doesn’t matter what you think or what I think, that’s what the Bible says.”Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R-Mo., choked up as she begged colleagues to vote against the bill, which she said undermines “natural marriage” between a man and a woman.“I’ll tell you my priorities,” Hartzler said. “Protect religious liberty, protect people of faith and protect Americans who believe in the true meaning of marriage.”Democrats in the Senate, led by Wisconsin's Tammy Baldwin and Arizona's Kyrsten Sinema, tried to address those GOP concerns by negotiating an amendment that would clarify that the legislation does not affect the rights of private individuals or businesses that are already enshrined in current law. The amended bill would also make clear that a marriage is between two people, an effort to ward off some far-right criticism that the legislation could endorse polygamy.In the end, several religious groups, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-relationships-gay-rights-utah-07847f4b7e3e96d81c10a298a199b860">came out</a>&nbsp;in support of the bill. The Mormon church said it would support rights for same-sex couples as long as they didn’t infringe upon religious groups’ right to believe as they choose.Thursday's vote came as the LGBTQ community has faced violent attacks, such as the shooting earlier this month at a gay nightclub in Colorado that killed five people and injured at least 17.“We have been through a lot,” said Kelley Robinson, the incoming president of the advocacy group Human Rights Campaign. But Robinson says the votes show “in such an important way” that the country values LBGTQ people.“We are part of the full story of what it means to be an American,” said Robinson, who was inside the Senate chamber for last week’s vote with her wife and young son. “It really speaks to them validating our love.”The vote was personal for many senators, too. The day the bill passed their chamber, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was wearing the tie he wore at his daughter’s wedding to another woman. He recalled that day as “one of the happiest moments of my life.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">PASSED: H.R. 8404 The Respect for Marriage Act 🏳️‍🌈 This is the first major LGBTQ+ civil rights bill to pass Congress in a decade. This bipartisan legislation provides crucial safeguards for same-sex &amp; interracial couples.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LoveWins?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LoveWins</a> <a href="https://t.co/Y0fZoLJgLb">pic.twitter.com/Y0fZoLJgLb</a>&mdash; LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus (@LGBTEqCaucus) <a href="https://twitter.com/LGBTEqCaucus/status/1600889118845997057?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Baldwin, the first openly gay senator who has been working on gay rights issues for almost four decades, tearfully hugged Schumer as the final vote was underway. She tweeted thanks to the same-sex and interracial couples who she said made the moment possible.“By living as your true selves, you changed the hearts and minds of people around you,” she wrote.

🎥Bill protecting same-sex marriage going to Biden for his signature

WASHINGTON (AP) — Russia freed WNBA star Brittney Griner on Thursday in a dramatic high-level prisoner exchange, with the U.S. releasing notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, the White House said. The swap, at a time of heightened tensions over Ukraine, achieved a top goal for President Joe Biden, but carried a heavy price — and left behind an American jailed for nearly four years in Russia.

Click below watch the statement from the President and Cherelle Griner.

“She’s safe, she’s on a plane, she’s on her way home," Biden said from the White House, where he was accompanied by Griner's wife, Cherelle, and administration officials.

The deal, the second such exchange in eight months with Russia, procured the release of the most prominent American detained abroad. Griner is a two-time Olympic gold medalist whose monthslong imprisonment on drug charges brought unprecedented attention to the population of wrongful detainees.

Biden's authorization to release a Russian felon once nicknamed “the Merchant of Death" underscored the escalating pressure that his administration faced to get Griner home, particularly after the recent resolution of her criminal case and her&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=brittney+griner+apnews+penal+colony&amp;rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS917US917&amp;oq=brittney+griner+apnews+penal+colony&amp;aqs=chrome..69i57j33i160j33i299l2.4982j0j4&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">subsequent transfer to a penal colony.</a>

The Russian Foreign Ministry also confirmed the swap, saying in a statement carried by Russian news agencies that the exchange took place in Abu-Dhabi and that Bout has been flown home

Russian and U.S. officials had conveyed cautious optimism in recent weeks after months of strained negotiations,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=biden+apnews+hopeful+griner&amp;rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS917US917&amp;sxsrf=ALiCzsaPtI5zlZPVtSI7pfSj2KywAlWLRA%3A1670495004369&amp;ei=HLuRY5eNFoShptQPpPmByA4&amp;ved=0ahUKEwiXi9bq5un7AhWEkIkEHaR8AOkQ4dUDCBA&amp;uact=5&amp;oq=biden+apnews+hopeful+griner&amp;gs_lcp=Cgxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAQAzoKCAAQRxDWBBCwAzoFCCEQoAE6BQghEKsCSgQIQRgASgQIRhgAULkDWOIIYLcJaAFwAXgAgAFqiAHMBJIBAzYuMZgBAKABAcgBCMABAQ&amp;sclient=gws-wiz-serp">with Biden saying in November</a>&nbsp;that he was hopeful that Russia would engage in a deal now that the midterm elections were completed. A top Russian official&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-entertainment-sports-moscow-paul-whelan-1606112a3e89f85be2deecc0e476d333">said last week</a>&nbsp;that a deal was possible before year's end.

Even so, the fact that the deal was a one-for-one swap was a surprise given that U.S. officials had for months expressed their their determination to bring home both Griner and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/paul-whelan">Paul Whelan,</a>&nbsp;a Michigan corporate security executive jailed in Russia since December 2018 on espionage charges that his family and the U.S. government has said are baseless.

“We’ve not forgotten about Paul Whelan,” Biden said. “We will keep negotiating in good faith for Paul’s release.”

Whelan's brother David said in a statement he was “so glad” for Griner's release but also disappointed for his family. He credited the White House with giving the Whelan family advance notice and said he did not fault officials for making the deal.

“The Biden Administration made the right decision to bring Ms. Griner home, and to make the deal that was possible, rather than waiting for one that wasn’t going to happen,” he said.

In releasing Bout, the U.S. freed a a former Soviet Army lieutenant colonel whom the Justice Department once described as one of the world's most prolific arms dealers. Bout, whose exploits inspired a Hollywood movie, was serving a 25-year sentence on charges that he conspired to sell tens of millions of dollars in weapons that U.S officials said were to be used against Americans.

The Biden administration was ultimately willing to exchange Bout if it meant Griner's freedom. The detention of one of the greatest players in WNBA history contributed to a swirl of unprecedented public attention for an individual detainee case — not to mention intense pressure on the White House.

Griner’s arrest in February made her&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-sports-europe-basketball-arrests-c8796efac2149da8d097b7fce98b6332">the most high-profile American jailed abroad</a>. Her status as an openly gay Black woman, locked up in a country where authorities have been hostile to the LBGTQ community, infused racial, gender and social dynamics into her legal saga and made each development a matter of international importance.

Her case not only brought unprecedented publicity to the dozens of Americans wrongfully detained by foreign governments, but it also emerged as a major inflection point in U.S.-Russia diplomacy at a time of deteriorating relations prompted by Moscow’s war against Ukraine.

The exchange was carried out despite deteriorating relations between the powers. But the imprisonment of Americans produced a rare diplomatic opening, yielding the highest-level known contact between Washington and Moscow —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-moscow-antony-blinken-sergey-lavrov-paul-whelan-54d694915c7c6c7222d2bb8893f93b04">a phone call between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov</a>&nbsp;— in more than five months.

In an extraordinary move during otherwise secret negotiations,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=substantial+proposal+blinken+apnews+eric+tucker&amp;rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS917US917&amp;oq=substantial+proposal+blinken+apnews+eric+tucker&amp;aqs=chrome..69i57.5839j1j4&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">Blinken revealed publicly</a>&nbsp;in July that the U.S. had made a “substantial proposal” to Russia for Griner and Whelan. Though he did not specify the terms, people familiar with it said the U.S. had offered Bout.

Such a public overture drew a chiding rebuke from the Russians, who said they preferred to resolve such cases in private, and carried the risk of weakening the U.S. government's negotiating hand for this and future deals by making the administration appear too desperate. But the announcement was also meant to communicate to the public that Biden was doing what he could and to ensure pressure on the Russians.

Besides the efforts of U.S. officials, the release also followed months of back channel negotiations involving Bill Richardson, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and a frequent emissary in hostage talks, and his top deputy, Mickey Bergman.

Griner was arrested at the Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport in February when customs officials said they found vape canisters with cannabis oil in her luggage.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-russia-trial-live-updates-bc4c1d9efd490eed0eb522c8c59e9197">She pleaded guilty in July</a>, though still faced trial because admitting guilt in Russia's judicial system does not automatically end a case.

She acknowledged in court that she possessed the canisters, but said she had no criminal intent and said their presence in her luggage was due to hasty packing.

<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=griner+sentenced+apnews&amp;rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS917US917&amp;oq=griner+sentenced+apnews+&amp;aqs=chrome..69i57j33i160l4.3326j0j4&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">Before being sentenced on Aug. 4</a>&nbsp;and receiving a punishment her lawyers said was out of line for the offense, an emotional Griner apologized "for my mistake that I made and the embarrassment that I brought on them.” She added: “I hope in your ruling it does not end my life.”

Her supporters had largely stayed quiet for weeks after her arrest, but that approach changed in May once the State Department&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-sports-business-phoenix-mercury-united-states-b6aaaeee14b825bd247e2d853a9d708c">designated her as unlawfully detained</a>. A separate trade, Marine veteran&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-united-states-prisoner-exchange-8fd1e58e690350019c7aab55af41bbbf">Trevor Reed for Konstantin Yaroshenko</a>, a Russian pilot convicted in the U.S. in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy, spurred hope that additional such exchanges could be in the works.

Whelan has been held in Russia since December 2018. The U.S. government also classified him as wrongfully detained. He was sentenced in 2020 to 16 years in prison.

Whelan was not included in the Reed prisoner swap, escalating pressure on the Biden administration to ensure that any deal that brought home Griner also included him.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Russia freed WNBA star&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/brittney-griner">Brittney Griner</a>&nbsp;on Thursday in a dramatic high-level prisoner exchange, with the U.S. releasing notorious Russian arms dealer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=viktor+bout+apnews&amp;rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS917US917&amp;oq=viktor+&amp;aqs=chrome.0.69i59j69i57j46i433i512l2j0i433i512j0i131i433i512l2j46i433i512j0i433i512l2.1068j0j4&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">Viktor Bout</a>, American and Russian officials said. The swap, at a time of heightened tensions over Ukraine, achieved a top goal for President Joe Biden, but carried a heavy price — and left behind an American jailed for nearly four years in Russia.

The swap was confirmed by U.S. officials with direct knowledge of the negotiations who were not authorized to publicly discuss the deal before a White House announcement and spoke on condition of anonymity. Biden spoke with Griner on the phone Thursday while her wife, Cherelle, was in the Oval Office. The president was to address reporters later in the morning.

“Moments ago I spoke to Brittney Griner. She is safe. She is on a plane. She is on her way home,” Biden tweeted.