November 11, 2020 (Lincoln, Neb.) – Today, Director Scott R. Frakes announced that four staff members with the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services (NDCS) are positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19). Three staff members are employed at the Nebraska State Penitentiary. The fourth person is employed at the Central Office. All four staff members are self-isolating at home.

Notification will be provided to those who live and work in those locations as to the positive cases.&nbsp; In addition, anyone who may have had close contact with the staff members will be directed to self-quarantine until cleared by a medical provider.

This brings the total number of NDCS staff members diagnosed with COVID-19 to 242. One hundred and eighty-five of those individuals have recovered from COVID-19.&nbsp;&nbsp;

November 11, 2020 (Lincoln, Neb.) – Today, Director Scott R. Frakes announced that four staff members with the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services (NDCS) are positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19). Three staff members are employed at the Nebraska State Penitentiary. The fourth person is employed at the Central Office. All four staff members are self-isolating at home.Notification will be provided to those who live and work in those locations as to the positive cases.&nbsp; In addition, anyone who may have had close contact with the staff members will be directed to self-quarantine until cleared by a medical provider.This brings the total number of NDCS staff members diagnosed with COVID-19 to 242. One hundred and eighty-five of those individuals have recovered from COVID-19.&nbsp;&nbsp;

NDOC Staff Members Test Positive For COVID-19

LINCOLN, Neb.-Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) have apprehended four people following a pursuit between Lincoln and Omaha Wednesday.

At approximately 12:05 p.m., NSP received information about a suspected theft of numerous articles of clothing from Dick’s Sporting Goods in Lincoln. The theft reportedly involved four persons who left the scene in a white Chrysler 200.

A short time later, a trooper observed the suspect vehicle at a gas station near Highway 6 and 84th&nbsp;street in Lincoln. Another trooper arrived to assist and the two troopers attempted to make contact with the occupants of the vehicle. At that time, the Chrysler fled on Highway 6 eastbound. The troopers initiated a pursuit.

The Chrysler entered Interstate 80 at the Waverly interchange and continued eastbound. During the pursuit, the suspect vehicle passed other vehicles on the shoulder and reached speeds of 130 miles per hour. Near mile marker 435, west of Omaha, troopers were able to successfully deploy stop sticks to slow the vehicle. It exited I-80 at mile marker 439 and then fled westbound on Highway 370. The vehicle came to a stop near 168th&nbsp;street and Highway 370.

The driver and one of the passengers fled on foot but were quickly taken into custody by troopers. The other two occupants remained with the vehicle and were apprehended without incident. Troopers located more than 20 jackets and three pairs of jeans that had been taken from Dick’s Sporting Goods. The entire pursuit lasted approximately 20 minutes.

The driver, Valaria Hogan, 21, of Omaha, was arrested for felony theft, obstructing a police officer, felony flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, and driving under suspension. The passenger who fled on foot, Jordyn Hunter, 23, of Omaha, was arrested for felony theft and obstructing a police officer. One of the remaining passengers, Dauhtria Giles, 20, of Omaha, was arrested for felony theft and active warrants from Douglas and Sarpy Counties. All three were lodged in Lancaster County Jail. The fourth occupant, a 17-year-old female from Omaha, was cited for felony theft and released to her parents.

News Release NSPLINCOLN, Neb.-Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) have apprehended four people following a pursuit between Lincoln and Omaha Wednesday.At approximately 12:05 p.m., NSP received information about a suspected theft of numerous articles of clothing from Dick’s Sporting Goods in Lincoln. The theft reportedly involved four persons who left the scene in a white Chrysler 200.A short time later, a trooper observed the suspect vehicle at a gas station near Highway 6 and 84th&nbsp;street in Lincoln. Another trooper arrived to assist and the two troopers attempted to make contact with the occupants of the vehicle. At that time, the Chrysler fled on Highway 6 eastbound. The troopers initiated a pursuit.The Chrysler entered Interstate 80 at the Waverly interchange and continued eastbound. During the pursuit, the suspect vehicle passed other vehicles on the shoulder and reached speeds of 130 miles per hour. Near mile marker 435, west of Omaha, troopers were able to successfully deploy stop sticks to slow the vehicle. It exited I-80 at mile marker 439 and then fled westbound on Highway 370. The vehicle came to a stop near 168th&nbsp;street and Highway 370.The driver and one of the passengers fled on foot but were quickly taken into custody by troopers. The other two occupants remained with the vehicle and were apprehended without incident. Troopers located more than 20 jackets and three pairs of jeans that had been taken from Dick’s Sporting Goods. The entire pursuit lasted approximately 20 minutes.The driver, Valaria Hogan, 21, of Omaha, was arrested for felony theft, obstructing a police officer, felony flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, and driving under suspension. The passenger who fled on foot, Jordyn Hunter, 23, of Omaha, was arrested for felony theft and obstructing a police officer. One of the remaining passengers, Dauhtria Giles, 20, of Omaha, was arrested for felony theft and active warrants from Douglas and Sarpy Counties. All three were lodged in Lancaster County Jail. The fourth occupant, a 17-year-old female from Omaha, was cited for felony theft and released to her parents.

Troopers arrest 4 following pursuit between Lincoln and Omaha

WASHINGTON (AP)—The popular video-sharing app TikTok, its future in limbo since President Donald Trump tried to shut it down earlier this fall, is asking a federal court to intervene.

TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, has until Thursday to sell off its U.S. operations under an executive order that Trump signed in August.

Trump in September gave his tentative blessing to a ByteDance proposal meant to resolve U.S. national security concerns by placing TikTok under the oversight of American companies Oracle and Walmart, each of which would also have a financial stake in the company. But TikTok said this week it’s received “no clarity” from the U.S. government about whether its proposals have been accepted.

The deal has been under a national-security review by the interagency Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS, which is led by the Treasury Department. The Treasury Department didn’t return emailed requests for comment this week.

“With the November 12 CFIUS deadline imminent and without an extension in hand, we have no choice but to file a petition in court to defend our rights and those of our more than 1,500 employees in the US,” TikTok said in a written statement Tuesday.

Trump has cited concerns that the Chinese government could spy on TikTok users if the app remains under Chinese ownership. TikTok has denied it’s a security threat but said it’s still trying to work with the administration to resolve its concerns.

The legal challenge is “a protection to ensure these discussions can take place,” the company said.

The Trump administration had earlier sought to ban the app from smartphone app stores and deprive it of vital technical services, but federal judges have so far blocked those actions.

TikTok is now looking to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to review Trump’s divestment order and the government’s national-security review.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596810871119.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP)—The popular video-sharing app TikTok, its future in limbo since President Donald Trump tried to shut it down earlier this fall, is asking a federal court to intervene.TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, has until Thursday to sell off its U.S. operations under an executive order that Trump signed in August.Trump in September gave his tentative blessing to a ByteDance proposal meant to resolve U.S. national security concerns by placing TikTok under the oversight of American companies Oracle and Walmart, each of which would also have a financial stake in the company. But TikTok said this week it’s received “no clarity” from the U.S. government about whether its proposals have been accepted.The deal has been under a national-security review by the interagency Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS, which is led by the Treasury Department. The Treasury Department didn’t return emailed requests for comment this week.“With the November 12 CFIUS deadline imminent and without an extension in hand, we have no choice but to file a petition in court to defend our rights and those of our more than 1,500 employees in the US,” TikTok said in a written statement Tuesday.Trump has cited concerns that the Chinese government could spy on TikTok users if the app remains under Chinese ownership. TikTok has denied it’s a security threat but said it’s still trying to work with the administration to resolve its concerns.The legal challenge is “a protection to ensure these discussions can take place,” the company said.The Trump administration had earlier sought to ban the app from smartphone app stores and deprive it of vital technical services, but federal judges have so far blocked those actions.TikTok is now looking to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to review Trump’s divestment order and the government’s national-security review.

Trump order: TikTok has hours left to sell U.S. operations 

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Police say they're investigating after a man reported $35,000 in medical supplies stolen from his Lincoln driveway. 

The Lincoln Journal Star reports that the theft happened on the southeastern edge of the city around 4 p.m. Monday after the man had placed the boxed spinal implants and medical instruments by his garage to be picked up for shipping.

 Police say by the time FedEx showed up 20 minutes later, the supplies were already gone. 

The man reported the theft later that night. 

Police say neighbors saw a red pickup driving in the area around the time of the theft, and investigators want to speak to the driver.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Police say they're investigating after a man reported $35,000 in medical supplies stolen from his Lincoln driveway. The Lincoln Journal Star reports that the theft happened on the southeastern edge of the city around 4 p.m. Monday after the man had placed the boxed spinal implants and medical instruments by his garage to be picked up for shipping. Police say by the time FedEx showed up 20 minutes later, the supplies were already gone. The man reported the theft later that night. Police say neighbors saw a red pickup driving in the area around the time of the theft, and investigators want to speak to the driver.

$35,000 in medical supplies stolen from Lincoln driveway

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Arguments have been heard in Omaha's federal court in a lawsuit that accuses Omaha police of using excessive force when they responded to protests against police brutality and racial injustice earlier this year.

 The American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska filed the lawsuit challenging police tactics. 

The Omaha World-Herald reports that on Tuesday, the ACLU asked for an injunction to keep Omaha police from arresting and using chemical agents such as pepper spray and tear gas on peaceful protesters. 

An attorney for the city argued that such an injunction would hamstring officers trying to keep order.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Arguments have been heard in Omaha's federal court in a lawsuit that accuses Omaha police of using excessive force when they responded to protests against police brutality and racial injustice earlier this year. The American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska filed the lawsuit challenging police tactics. The Omaha World-Herald reports that on Tuesday, the ACLU asked for an injunction to keep Omaha police from arresting and using chemical agents such as pepper spray and tear gas on peaceful protesters. An attorney for the city argued that such an injunction would hamstring officers trying to keep order.

Federal judge hears arguments in Omaha protest lawsuit

Breast cancer diagnosis down 50%, sparking concerns that cancer won’t be detected soon enough

By NOAH TABORDA <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/11/10/women-imperiled-by-pandemic-skipping-breast-exams-and-battling-covid-19-with-cancer/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Amid a battle with breast cancer, Kari Rawley found herself combating a second potentially fatal condition — COVID-19.

The Kansas City, Missouri,
 woman thought she had done everything right to help herself in her 
immunocompromised state. Her family wore masks and practiced social 
distancing, but after a small going away party for her daughter with 
family and close friends, Rawley tested positive, and later so did 
several other family members.

Rawley’s coronavirus 
symptoms began as they often do with aches and pains before 
transitioning to severe fatigue, breathing problems and eventually 
pneumonia. Rawley was admitted to the hospital for treatment.

“The worst part was being 
in the hospital alone and not knowing,” Rawley said. “At home, I had 
three other family members that also had COVID, and a sister and her 
husband ended up being positive also. So, the fear of the unknown and 
not knowing if it would get better or the next day I was going to end up
 on a ventilator.”

COVID-19 risks are 
amplified for immunosuppressed breast cancer patients, and women 
nationwide are opting out of coming in for mammograms for fear of 
contracting the virus. This leaves women at risk of developing advanced 
breast cancer.

Those already diagnosed, 
like Rawley, often must cease treatment that suppresses their immune 
system. Rawley, for example, was asked to hold her medication from her 
COVID-19 diagnosis until she was clinically improving.

“COVID-19 infection this 
year has been a big hurdle in the cancer world to deal with because, as 
we know, cancer doesn’t stop for COVID,” said Lauren Nye, Rawley’s 
medical oncologist at the University of Kansas Health System. “We’ve had
 to figure out ways to continue on treatments and to continue our 
screening and still take care of our patients.”

Nye said altering 
treatment is often necessary so as not to put patients at further risk, 
but this can complicate their outcome. While telehealth is an option, 
she said coming into the clinic for cancer treatment is still one of the
 safest courses of action.

A concerning trend amid 
COVID-19, however, is curbing the number of patients receiving 
treatment. Since the pandemic began, there has been a 50% drop in the 
number of breast cancer diagnoses across the country.

Jamie Wagner, chief of the
 Breast Surgery Division at KU Health System, said this is not because 
there is less breast cancer, but rather because of a fear of contracting
 COVID-19 driving people to put off breast cancer screening.

“What that then leads to 
is women finding it at more advanced stages, and that’s when they’re 
finally coming in versus what that screening mammogram would have 
otherwise picked up at an early stage,” Wagner said. “That dramatically 
changes the breast cancer treatment that we then can offer patients, and
 a lot of times it’s much, much more significant types of treatments 
they are having to receive.”

Wagner said the number of 
diagnoses did rise in October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but not 
enough to offset the decrease amid the pandemic. She said women should 
still come in for a yearly screening and that they should not be worried
 about contracting coronavirus.

Patients are spaced out in
 waiting rooms, equipment is sterilized, and all technicians and 
physicians are using appropriate personal protective equipment. Online 
scheduling also allows increased flexibility and reduced chance of virus
 transmission.

“We’ve really settled on 
very good procedures. We have very good PPE stores now. There are masks 
available, and there is eye protection,” said Dana Hawkinson, medical 
director of infection prevention and control at KU Health System. “It’s 
all geared toward keeping the patients safe from each other, keeping the
 patient safe from the health care workers and keeping the health care 
workers safe from each other as well.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1605045425157.png" alt="Kari Rawley was already battling breast cancer when she was diagnosed with COVID-19. Like many breast cancer patients, Rawley had to cease treatment that suppressed her immune system. (Noah Taborda/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Kari Rawley was already battling breast cancer when she was diagnosed with COVID-19. Like many breast cancer patients, Rawley had to cease treatment that suppressed her immune system. (Noah Taborda/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Breast cancer diagnosis down 50%, sparking concerns that cancer won’t be detected soon enough</h2>By NOAH TABORDA <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/11/10/women-imperiled-by-pandemic-skipping-breast-exams-and-battling-covid-19-with-cancer/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Amid a battle with breast cancer, Kari Rawley found herself combating a second potentially fatal condition — COVID-19.The Kansas City, Missouri,
 woman thought she had done everything right to help herself in her 
immunocompromised state. Her family wore masks and practiced social 
distancing, but after a small going away party for her daughter with 
family and close friends, Rawley tested positive, and later so did 
several other family members.Rawley’s coronavirus 
symptoms began as they often do with aches and pains before 
transitioning to severe fatigue, breathing problems and eventually 
pneumonia. Rawley was admitted to the hospital for treatment.“The worst part was being 
in the hospital alone and not knowing,” Rawley said. “At home, I had 
three other family members that also had COVID, and a sister and her 
husband ended up being positive also. So, the fear of the unknown and 
not knowing if it would get better or the next day I was going to end up
 on a ventilator.”COVID-19 risks are 
amplified for immunosuppressed breast cancer patients, and women 
nationwide are opting out of coming in for mammograms for fear of 
contracting the virus. This leaves women at risk of developing advanced 
breast cancer.Those already diagnosed, 
like Rawley, often must cease treatment that suppresses their immune 
system. Rawley, for example, was asked to hold her medication from her 
COVID-19 diagnosis until she was clinically improving.“COVID-19 infection this 
year has been a big hurdle in the cancer world to deal with because, as 
we know, cancer doesn’t stop for COVID,” said Lauren Nye, Rawley’s 
medical oncologist at the University of Kansas Health System. “We’ve had
 to figure out ways to continue on treatments and to continue our 
screening and still take care of our patients.”Nye said altering 
treatment is often necessary so as not to put patients at further risk, 
but this can complicate their outcome. While telehealth is an option, 
she said coming into the clinic for cancer treatment is still one of the
 safest courses of action.A concerning trend amid 
COVID-19, however, is curbing the number of patients receiving 
treatment. Since the pandemic began, there has been a 50% drop in the 
number of breast cancer diagnoses across the country.Jamie Wagner, chief of the
 Breast Surgery Division at KU Health System, said this is not because 
there is less breast cancer, but rather because of a fear of contracting
 COVID-19 driving people to put off breast cancer screening.“What that then leads to 
is women finding it at more advanced stages, and that’s when they’re 
finally coming in versus what that screening mammogram would have 
otherwise picked up at an early stage,” Wagner said. “That dramatically 
changes the breast cancer treatment that we then can offer patients, and
 a lot of times it’s much, much more significant types of treatments 
they are having to receive.”Wagner said the number of 
diagnoses did rise in October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but not 
enough to offset the decrease amid the pandemic. She said women should 
still come in for a yearly screening and that they should not be worried
 about contracting coronavirus.Patients are spaced out in
 waiting rooms, equipment is sterilized, and all technicians and 
physicians are using appropriate personal protective equipment. Online 
scheduling also allows increased flexibility and reduced chance of virus
 transmission.“We’ve really settled on 
very good procedures. We have very good PPE stores now. There are masks 
available, and there is eye protection,” said Dana Hawkinson, medical 
director of infection prevention and control at KU Health System. “It’s 
all geared toward keeping the patients safe from each other, keeping the
 patient safe from the health care workers and keeping the health care 
workers safe from each other as well.”

COVID-19 presents new dangers for women battling cancer, skipping exams

GILLETTE, Wyo. (AP) — The son of a Wyoming state representative who opposed COVID-19 public restrictions says his father was positive for the coronavirus when he died. 

The Gillette News Record reports Roy Edwards, 66, died Nov. 2 at Wyoming Medical Center in Casper after being hospitalized for more than a week with an undisclosed illness.

 Mitch Edwards says his father was initially told he had a sinus inflammation and did not need to be tested for COVID-19.

 Edwards continued to oppose public restrictions resulting from the pandemic during his recent campaign to retain his House seat. 

GILLETTE, Wyo. (AP) — The son of a Wyoming state representative who opposed COVID-19 public restrictions says his father was positive for the coronavirus when he died. The Gillette News Record reports Roy Edwards, 66, died Nov. 2 at Wyoming Medical Center in Casper after being hospitalized for more than a week with an undisclosed illness. Mitch Edwards says his father was initially told he had a sinus inflammation and did not need to be tested for COVID-19. Edwards continued to oppose public restrictions resulting from the pandemic during his recent campaign to retain his House seat. He was reelected the day after he died.

Wyoming state lawmaker had COVID-19 when he died, son says

By LAURA OLSON <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/11/10/biden-wants-mask-mandates-nationwide-we-can-save-tens-of-thousands-of-lives/">States Newsroom</a>

WASHINGTON
 — President-elect Joe Biden’s coronavirus response plan seeks to put a 
national mask mandate in place by calling on all governors to require 
face coverings in their states.

It is a move that public health experts say could dramatically reduce the number of COVID-19 infections and deaths.

But
 putting wider mask laws in place would be difficult if not impossible, 
given the resistance already in many states. On the federal level, 
Congress has shown little interest in mask requirements, and an 
executive order from Biden requiring face masks would be legally shaky, 
according to <a href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/LSB/LSB10530?utm_source=STAT+Newsletters&amp;utm_campaign=32190c42d7-dc_diagnosis_COPY_02&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_8cab1d7961-32190c42d7-124972617">an analysis from the Congressional Research Service.</a>

In his public remarks and <a href="https://buildbackbetter.com/priorities/covid-19/">on his transition website</a>,
 Biden has said his approach would be to urge governors and mayors to 
enact their own mandates that residents wear a mask when around people 
who aren’t from their household. Biden, who regularly wears a mask, 
intends to begin reaching out to governors as soon as this week to begin
 his personal-persuasion campaign, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/meet-the-press/blog/meet-press-blog-latest-news-analysis-data-driving-political-discussion-n988541/ncrd1247067#blogHeader">according to NBC News</a>.&nbsp;

A
 majority of states already have mask mandates. But Biden would have 
limited authority to convince skeptical, Republican-led states to 
implement such a requirement if they haven’t done so, with U.S. cases 
now topping 10 million.

In
 his first public remarks after Saturday’s victory speech, Biden 
repeatedly urged Americans to wear a face mask, describing the action as
 “a way to start pulling the country together.”

“It
 doesn’t matter who you voted for, where you stood before Election Day. 
It doesn’t matter your party, your point of view,” Biden said during a 
news conference Monday in Delaware. “We can save tens of thousands of 
lives if everyone would just wear a mask for the next few months. Not 
Democrat or Republican lives, American lives.”

According to <a href="https://www.nga.org/coronavirus-face-covering-policy/">tracking data from the National Governors Association</a>, 34 states already require wearing a face covering in public.

The
 NGA says those without statewide mask mandates are: Alaska, Arizona, 
Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New 
Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, 
Tennessee and Wyoming.

Most of those states have recommended that residents wear a mask, but officials declined to require them to do so.

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly 
issued a mask mandate in early July, but most counties initially opted 
out. As deaths and infections surge across Kansas, especially in rural 
areas without mask mandates, <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/10/28/kansas-gov-laura-kelly-legislators-agree-to-work-with-counties-on-mask-mandate/">Kelly said she would consider calling lawmakers into a special session</a> if Republican leaders are unable to help her convince more communities to adopt restrictions.

Other
 states without an overall mandate do require masks in specific limited 
settings: Arizona requires masks at gyms and for employees at 
barbershops, and South Carolina requires them in state government 
offices.

Cities
 or counties in some states without a mask mandate have enacted their 
own requirements in the absence of rules from their state governments.

Those
 local rules have made a difference in some states. Infections, 
hospitalizations and other key indicators began dropping in Arizona this
 summer after GOP Gov. Doug Ducey lifted his ban on cities and counties 
imposing mask mandates, <a href="https://www.azmirror.com/2020/11/10/arizona-sees-big-jump-in-covid-cases-most-since-mid-july/">according to the Arizona Mirror.&nbsp;</a>

Biden had pointed to Arizona as a cautionary tale last month, singling out <a href="https://www.azmirror.com/2020/11/10/arizona-sees-big-jump-in-covid-cases-most-since-mid-july/">the state’s early-summer spike in cases</a>, among the worst outbreaks in the country.&nbsp;

“Just
 look at what happened in Arizona. Republican governor initially tried 
to bar local governments from implementing mask mandates in their 
communities,” Biden said during an Oct. 23 press conference, <a href="https://ktar.com/story/3647102/biden-calls-out-arizonas-ducey-for-not-having-statewide-mask-mandate/">according to Arizona television station KTAR</a>. “In June, Arizona got hit with a surge of cases. Hospitals were flooded. The state health system was overwhelmed.”

Ducey responded to Biden’s criticism with <a href="https://twitter.com/dougducey/status/1319737677109837824">a thread of Twitter posts</a>
 defending his administration’s approach to face masks, arguing that its
 focus has been on “compliance and public health education.”

“We
 have promoted mask use and common sense. Masks work,” Ducey tweeted. 
“Today we see masks worn statewide in nearly every setting as part of 
reopening guidelines.”

Other governors also have taken steps that hindered local attempts to require mask wearing.&nbsp;

Georgia
 Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, sued Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance 
Bottoms,a Democrat, in part over the city’s mask requirement, <a href="https://georgiarecorder.com/2020/08/18/you-might-not-be-able-to-fight-city-hall-if-theres-a-mask-sign-at-the-entrance/">the Georgia Recorder reported</a>. Kemp later <a href="https://georgiarecorder.com/2020/08/19/kemp-pandemics-politics-to-blame-for-white-house-covid-19-report/">reversed course</a> to allow limited local mask rules.&nbsp;

When
 Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis fully reopened the state in 
September, his order undermined the ability of local governments to 
enforce their mask ordinances by suspending any fines or penalties 
assessed for non-compliance, <a href="https://www.floridaphoenix.com/2020/09/25/desantis-declares-florida-open-reopens-restaurants-but-leaves-room-for-local-limits/">according to the Florida Phoenix</a>.

Iowa
 Gov. Kim Reynolds has declined to require masks, even as the White 
House coronavirus task force encouraged her to do so. Reynolds has said 
she trusts Iowans to act responsibly, and that a mandate would be 
unenforceable, <a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2020/11/05/with-infections-and-deaths-surging-reynolds-says-election-validates-her-covid-19-response/">according to the Iowa Capital Dispatch</a>.&nbsp;

In Missouri, GOP Gov. Mike Parson has resisted calls for a statewide mask mandate, <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/white-house-recommends-missouri-reduce-restaurant-capacity-urges-residents-to-wear-masks/">the Missouri Independent has reported</a>.
 Parson, who tested positive for COVID-19 this fall, has dismissed the 
notion of requiring masks in certain regions of the state to stem rising
 case counts, even as the White House task force and state hospital 
administrators have urged stronger action.

A
 spokeswoman for Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, told a state 
television station this week that the governor’s position on a statewide
 mask mandate will not change under a Biden administration.

“The
 governor’s position has been pretty clear on statewide mandates, and 
that position remains the same regardless of who is in the White House,”
 Lee spokeswoman Gillum Ferguson <a href="https://fox17.com/news/local/tennessee-governor-wont-change-position-on-mask-mandate-regardless-of-whos-president-donald-trump-joe-biden-john-cooper-bill-lee-coronavirus">told WZTV in Nashville</a>.

Absent action from additional states, Biden could make a few limited changes: He has<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-biden-masks/biden-says-he-would-if-elected-mandate-masks-in-interstate-transportation-idUSKBN2782P6"> said</a> he would require mask-wearing in all federal buildings and all interstate transportation.&nbsp;

Beyond that, existing federal laws offer few avenues to a national mandate.&nbsp;

The
 most relevant federal statute appears to be the Public Health Service 
Act, which authorizes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to 
quarantine people and goods entering the country, <a href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/LSB/LSB10530?utm_source=STAT+Newsletters&amp;utm_campaign=32190c42d7-dc_diagnosis_COPY_02&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_8cab1d7961-32190c42d7-124972617">according to the Congressional Research Service</a>, but it’s not clear that authority could be extended to a nationwide mandate on face masks.

Laura covers the nation's capital as a senior reporter for States Newsroom, a network of nonprofit outlets that includes Kansas Reflector. Her areas of coverage include politics and policy, lobbying, elections, and campaign finance.

By LAURA OLSON <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/11/10/biden-wants-mask-mandates-nationwide-we-can-save-tens-of-thousands-of-lives/">States Newsroom</a>WASHINGTON
 — President-elect Joe Biden’s coronavirus response plan seeks to put a 
national mask mandate in place by calling on all governors to require 
face coverings in their states.It is a move that public health experts say could dramatically reduce the number of COVID-19 infections and deaths.But
 putting wider mask laws in place would be difficult if not impossible, 
given the resistance already in many states. On the federal level, 
Congress has shown little interest in mask requirements, and an 
executive order from Biden requiring face masks would be legally shaky, 
according to <a href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/LSB/LSB10530?utm_source=STAT+Newsletters&amp;utm_campaign=32190c42d7-dc_diagnosis_COPY_02&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_8cab1d7961-32190c42d7-124972617">an analysis from the Congressional Research Service.</a>In his public remarks and <a href="https://buildbackbetter.com/priorities/covid-19/">on his transition website</a>,
 Biden has said his approach would be to urge governors and mayors to 
enact their own mandates that residents wear a mask when around people 
who aren’t from their household. Biden, who regularly wears a mask, 
intends to begin reaching out to governors as soon as this week to begin
 his personal-persuasion campaign, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/meet-the-press/blog/meet-press-blog-latest-news-analysis-data-driving-political-discussion-n988541/ncrd1247067#blogHeader">according to NBC News</a>.&nbsp;A
 majority of states already have mask mandates. But Biden would have 
limited authority to convince skeptical, Republican-led states to 
implement such a requirement if they haven’t done so, with U.S. cases 
now topping 10 million.In
 his first public remarks after Saturday’s victory speech, Biden 
repeatedly urged Americans to wear a face mask, describing the action as
 “a way to start pulling the country together.”“It
 doesn’t matter who you voted for, where you stood before Election Day. 
It doesn’t matter your party, your point of view,” Biden said during a 
news conference Monday in Delaware. “We can save tens of thousands of 
lives if everyone would just wear a mask for the next few months. Not 
Democrat or Republican lives, American lives.”According to <a href="https://www.nga.org/coronavirus-face-covering-policy/">tracking data from the National Governors Association</a>, 34 states already require wearing a face covering in public.The
 NGA says those without statewide mask mandates are: Alaska, Arizona, 
Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New 
Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, 
Tennessee and Wyoming.Most of those states have recommended that residents wear a mask, but officials declined to require them to do so.Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly 
issued a mask mandate in early July, but most counties initially opted 
out. As deaths and infections surge across Kansas, especially in rural 
areas without mask mandates, <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/10/28/kansas-gov-laura-kelly-legislators-agree-to-work-with-counties-on-mask-mandate/">Kelly said she would consider calling lawmakers into a special session</a> if Republican leaders are unable to help her convince more communities to adopt restrictions.Other
 states without an overall mandate do require masks in specific limited 
settings: Arizona requires masks at gyms and for employees at 
barbershops, and South Carolina requires them in state government 
offices.Cities
 or counties in some states without a mask mandate have enacted their 
own requirements in the absence of rules from their state governments.Those
 local rules have made a difference in some states. Infections, 
hospitalizations and other key indicators began dropping in Arizona this
 summer after GOP Gov. Doug Ducey lifted his ban on cities and counties 
imposing mask mandates, <a href="https://www.azmirror.com/2020/11/10/arizona-sees-big-jump-in-covid-cases-most-since-mid-july/">according to the Arizona Mirror.&nbsp;</a>Biden had pointed to Arizona as a cautionary tale last month, singling out <a href="https://www.azmirror.com/2020/11/10/arizona-sees-big-jump-in-covid-cases-most-since-mid-july/">the state’s early-summer spike in cases</a>, among the worst outbreaks in the country.&nbsp;“Just
 look at what happened in Arizona. Republican governor initially tried 
to bar local governments from implementing mask mandates in their 
communities,” Biden said during an Oct. 23 press conference, <a href="https://ktar.com/story/3647102/biden-calls-out-arizonas-ducey-for-not-having-statewide-mask-mandate/">according to Arizona television station KTAR</a>. “In June, Arizona got hit with a surge of cases. Hospitals were flooded. The state health system was overwhelmed.”Ducey responded to Biden’s criticism with <a href="https://twitter.com/dougducey/status/1319737677109837824">a thread of Twitter posts</a>
 defending his administration’s approach to face masks, arguing that its
 focus has been on “compliance and public health education.”“We
 have promoted mask use and common sense. Masks work,” Ducey tweeted. 
“Today we see masks worn statewide in nearly every setting as part of 
reopening guidelines.”Other governors also have taken steps that hindered local attempts to require mask wearing.&nbsp;Georgia
 Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, sued Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance 
Bottoms,a Democrat, in part over the city’s mask requirement, <a href="https://georgiarecorder.com/2020/08/18/you-might-not-be-able-to-fight-city-hall-if-theres-a-mask-sign-at-the-entrance/">the Georgia Recorder reported</a>. Kemp later <a href="https://georgiarecorder.com/2020/08/19/kemp-pandemics-politics-to-blame-for-white-house-covid-19-report/">reversed course</a> to allow limited local mask rules.&nbsp;When
 Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis fully reopened the state in 
September, his order undermined the ability of local governments to 
enforce their mask ordinances by suspending any fines or penalties 
assessed for non-compliance, <a href="https://www.floridaphoenix.com/2020/09/25/desantis-declares-florida-open-reopens-restaurants-but-leaves-room-for-local-limits/">according to the Florida Phoenix</a>.Iowa
 Gov. Kim Reynolds has declined to require masks, even as the White 
House coronavirus task force encouraged her to do so. Reynolds has said 
she trusts Iowans to act responsibly, and that a mandate would be 
unenforceable, <a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2020/11/05/with-infections-and-deaths-surging-reynolds-says-election-validates-her-covid-19-response/">according to the Iowa Capital Dispatch</a>.&nbsp;In Missouri, GOP Gov. Mike Parson has resisted calls for a statewide mask mandate, <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/white-house-recommends-missouri-reduce-restaurant-capacity-urges-residents-to-wear-masks/">the Missouri Independent has reported</a>.
 Parson, who tested positive for COVID-19 this fall, has dismissed the 
notion of requiring masks in certain regions of the state to stem rising
 case counts, even as the White House task force and state hospital 
administrators have urged stronger action.A
 spokeswoman for Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, told a state 
television station this week that the governor’s position on a statewide
 mask mandate will not change under a Biden administration.“The
 governor’s position has been pretty clear on statewide mandates, and 
that position remains the same regardless of who is in the White House,”
 Lee spokeswoman Gillum Ferguson <a href="https://fox17.com/news/local/tennessee-governor-wont-change-position-on-mask-mandate-regardless-of-whos-president-donald-trump-joe-biden-john-cooper-bill-lee-coronavirus">told WZTV in Nashville</a>.Absent action from additional states, Biden could make a few limited changes: He has<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-biden-masks/biden-says-he-would-if-elected-mandate-masks-in-interstate-transportation-idUSKBN2782P6"> said</a> he would require mask-wearing in all federal buildings and all interstate transportation.&nbsp;Beyond that, existing federal laws offer few avenues to a national mandate.&nbsp;The
 most relevant federal statute appears to be the Public Health Service 
Act, which authorizes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to 
quarantine people and goods entering the country, <a href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/LSB/LSB10530?utm_source=STAT+Newsletters&amp;utm_campaign=32190c42d7-dc_diagnosis_COPY_02&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_8cab1d7961-32190c42d7-124972617">according to the Congressional Research Service</a>, but it’s not clear that authority could be extended to a nationwide mandate on face masks.Laura covers the nation's capital as a senior reporter for States Newsroom, a network of nonprofit outlets that includes Kansas Reflector. Her areas of coverage include politics and policy, lobbying, elections, and campaign finance.

Biden wants mask mandates nationwide: ‘We can save tens of thousands of lives’

By LUKE X. MARTIN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/history/2020-11-09/the-countrys-first-vice-president-of-color-was-a-native-american-from-the-kansas-territory">Kansas News Service</a>

When Vice President-elect Kamala Harris takes the oath of office on 
Jan. 20, she will be the first woman, first South Asian and first 
African American to fill the role. 

But she won't be the first person of color.

That title belongs to a Kansan — Charles Curtis, member of the Kaw Nation and President Herbert Hoover's vice president.

Curtis
 was born in 1860 in Topeka while Kansas was still a territory, and he 
spent his early years living in both white and Native American 
communities.

His mother, Ellen Pappan, was one-quarter Kaw, and 
was the great granddaughter of White Plume, a chief who offered 
assistance to the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1804, according to <a href="https://www.senate.gov/about/officers-staff/vice-president/VP_Charles_Curtis.htm" target="_blank">Curtis' U.S. Senate biography</a>. Pappan died when her son was 3 years old.

His
 father, Orren Curtis, a white man, fought in the Civil War and had a 
reputation for drinking. He was eventually dishonorably discharged from 
the Union Army and court martialed for killing three prisoners.

"He's
 always remarrying, divorcing, gone fishing, gone to the army, and he's 
just gone," says Kansas historian Deb Goodrich, who is working on a book
 about Curtis' life. 

Before he spoke English, Curtis learned 
French and Kansa from his mother and her parents, whom he lived with on a
 Kaw reservation in Council Grove, Kansas, after her death. Despite the 
harsh conditions there, Curtis loved life on the reservation.

But Kansas was in turmoil. It was just emerging from the Bleeding Kansas era, and <a href="https://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/plains-wars/14570" target="_blank">the Plains Indian Wars</a> were in full bloom, says Goodrich.

In
 1873, the Kaw were forced to move from Kansas to what is now Oklahoma, 
and Curtis had a choice to make: Go south with his maternal grandparents
 or return to Topeka and live with his father's parents. 

The 
decision, Goodrich says, was largely made for him: Go back to Topeka, 
get an education, and make something of yourself, his grandmother told 
him.

"I took her splendid advice and the next morning as the 
wagons pulled out for the south, bound for Indian Territory, I mounted 
my pony and with my belongings in a flour sack, returned to Topeka and 
school," Curtis said later, according to his Senate biography. "No man 
or boy ever received better advice, it was the turning point in my 
life."

Back in Topeka, Curtis worked hard and studied hard, and 
the political proclivities of his fraternal grandmother began to rub off
 on him, according to Goodrich.

"His Grandmother Curtis was 
described as a staunch Methodist and a staunch Republican, and they 
weren't sure which one was the strongest," Goodrich says. "They had a 
big family and she brought a lot of votes to the table."

By 1881, 
Curtis had been admitted to the Kansas Bar and began practicing in 
Topeka. Three years later, at the age of 24, he was elected Shawnee 
County attorney, where he took a hard line enforcing the state's 
prohibition laws.

Reflecting on a political tour he took with 
Curtis in 1891, journalist William Allen White said he'd never met 
anyone who could charm a hostile audience as effectively. White also 
noted Curtis' way of remembering all the Republicans in each town, using
 a little book that he filled with all their names.

Curtis made the jump to national politics in 1893, winning a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives and serving seven terms.

As a Congressman, he crafted and navigated <a href="https://nativeheritageproject.com/2013/08/17/the-curtis-act-of-1898/" target="_blank">the Curtis Act of 1898</a> through Congress and into law. It was his most lasting legacy as a lawmaker, according to Goodrich.

"The
 Curtis Act, unfortunately, was a death knell to the tribal sovereignty 
for many of the American Indian tribes," she says. "And I don't think 
that Curtis meant it that way, but he also believed in assimilation, 
because this is how he had survived."

The law abolished tribal governments, broke up communal lands and allowed members of <a href="https://www.cherokeeheritage.org/cherokeeheritagegenealogy-html/dawes-commission/" target="_blank">the Dawes Commission</a> in Washington, but not tribes themselves, to determine who was and who was not a tribal member.

"It's
 one of those ironies that Natives were not considered citizens and that
 dissolving the tribal sovereignty was a step in making them U.S. 
citizens," Goodrich says. "And that's just one of the great tragedies of
 our republic."

Curtis served two terms in the U.S. Senate, first 
appointed to the post by the Kansas Legislature in 1907 and serving 
until 1913, when Democrats took control of the Statehouse.

With 
the passage of the 17th Amendment, which allowed voters to elect 
Senators directly, Curtis was sent back to Washington in 1915 and he 
served 14 more years.

While in the Senate, Curtis served as Senate
 president pro tempore, minority whip and Republican majority leader. He
 also led the Senate floor debate for the 19th Amendment, which granted 
women the right to vote.

"He definitely championed women's 
suffrage, and he was very proud of that,"  Goodrich says. "And one of 
the Washington correspondents famously said, 'Charlie can never be 
accused of being a progressive, but the feminists considered him their 
friend.'"

Idaho Sen. William Borah called him "a great reconciler,
 a walking political encyclopedia and one of the best political poker 
players in America."

It would be more than 63 years before another Native American, Colorado's <a href="https://www.congress.gov/member/ben-campbell/C000077?searchResultViewType=expanded" target="_blank">Ben Nighthorse Campbell</a>, served as U.S. Senator after Curtis resigned in 1929 to become vice president.

Though Curtis had long held presidential ambitions and worked hard 
behind the scenes to make it happen, his rise to the upper echelons of 
the executive branch was ultimately unsatisfying.

At the 
Republican National Convention in 1928 at Kansas City's Convention Hall,
 Curtis was paired up with Hoover. It was on odd pairing, considering 
the two had been at odds since at least 1918, when Hoover had campaigned
 for Democratic candidates.

That tension extended through their 
time in the White House, although Curtis spent little time there, 
according to Goodrich, and largely neutered his ability to get anything 
done.

"The joke at the time was that if Curtis wanted to go to the
 White House, he would have had to buy a ticket on one of the tours," 
she says.

The Hoover-Curtis ticket lost its reelection bid in 
1932, three years into the Great Depression, to Democrats Franklin 
Roosevelt and John Nance Garner.

Having been been fully ensconced 
in Washington's political scene for decades, Curtis stayed there after 
his term ended and practiced law. He died of a heart attack in 1936 and 
was buried at the Topeka Cemetery.

"I do think that Charles Curtis
 has mostly been forgotten," Goodrich says. "I think part of that is he 
was in an administration as vice president that people wanted to 
forget."

Not everyone, though, wants to forget. In 1993, Donald and Nova Cottrell purchased Curtis' former home in Topeka.

"It was actually slated to be demolished by the city because nobody was interested in purchasing the building," <a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?325370-1/charles-curtis-house" target="_blank">Nova Cottrell told C-SPAN in 2015</a>.

The <a href="http://www.vpcharlescurtis.net/ksstudies/chome.html" target="_blank">Charles Curtis House Museum</a>, at 1101 SW Topeka Blvd. in Topeka, is now on the National Register of Historic Places.

Luke X. Martin is a reporter focusing on race, culture and ethnicity for KCUR 89.3. Contact him at luke@kcur.org or on Twitter, @lukexmartin.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1605018233401.png" alt="Charles Curtis with a Native American in 1929. Harris &amp; Ewing / Library of Congress, Prints &amp; Photographs Division" />
 <figcaption>Charles Curtis with a Native American in 1929. Harris &amp; Ewing / Library of Congress, Prints &amp; Photographs Division</figcaption>
 </figure>By LUKE X. MARTIN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/history/2020-11-09/the-countrys-first-vice-president-of-color-was-a-native-american-from-the-kansas-territory">Kansas News Service</a>When Vice President-elect Kamala Harris takes the oath of office on 
Jan. 20, she will be the first woman, first South Asian and first 
African American to fill the role. But she won't be the first person of color.That title belongs to a Kansan — Charles Curtis, member of the Kaw Nation and President Herbert Hoover's vice president.Curtis
 was born in 1860 in Topeka while Kansas was still a territory, and he 
spent his early years living in both white and Native American 
communities.His mother, Ellen Pappan, was one-quarter Kaw, and 
was the great granddaughter of White Plume, a chief who offered 
assistance to the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1804, according to <a href="https://www.senate.gov/about/officers-staff/vice-president/VP_Charles_Curtis.htm" target="_blank">Curtis' U.S. Senate biography</a>. Pappan died when her son was 3 years old.His
 father, Orren Curtis, a white man, fought in the Civil War and had a 
reputation for drinking. He was eventually dishonorably discharged from 
the Union Army and court martialed for killing three prisoners."He's
 always remarrying, divorcing, gone fishing, gone to the army, and he's 
just gone," says Kansas historian Deb Goodrich, who is working on a book
 about Curtis' life. Before he spoke English, Curtis learned 
French and Kansa from his mother and her parents, whom he lived with on a
 Kaw reservation in Council Grove, Kansas, after her death. Despite the 
harsh conditions there, Curtis loved life on the reservation.But Kansas was in turmoil. It was just emerging from the Bleeding Kansas era, and <a href="https://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/plains-wars/14570" target="_blank">the Plains Indian Wars</a> were in full bloom, says Goodrich.In
 1873, the Kaw were forced to move from Kansas to what is now Oklahoma, 
and Curtis had a choice to make: Go south with his maternal grandparents
 or return to Topeka and live with his father's parents. The 
decision, Goodrich says, was largely made for him: Go back to Topeka, 
get an education, and make something of yourself, his grandmother told 
him."I took her splendid advice and the next morning as the 
wagons pulled out for the south, bound for Indian Territory, I mounted 
my pony and with my belongings in a flour sack, returned to Topeka and 
school," Curtis said later, according to his Senate biography. "No man 
or boy ever received better advice, it was the turning point in my 
life."Back in Topeka, Curtis worked hard and studied hard, and 
the political proclivities of his fraternal grandmother began to rub off
 on him, according to Goodrich."His Grandmother Curtis was 
described as a staunch Methodist and a staunch Republican, and they 
weren't sure which one was the strongest," Goodrich says. "They had a 
big family and she brought a lot of votes to the table."By 1881, 
Curtis had been admitted to the Kansas Bar and began practicing in 
Topeka. Three years later, at the age of 24, he was elected Shawnee 
County attorney, where he took a hard line enforcing the state's 
prohibition laws.Reflecting on a political tour he took with 
Curtis in 1891, journalist William Allen White said he'd never met 
anyone who could charm a hostile audience as effectively. White also 
noted Curtis' way of remembering all the Republicans in each town, using
 a little book that he filled with all their names.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1605018314760.png" alt="Charles Curtis throws a baseball in this 1932 photograph. Harris &amp; Ewing" />
 <figcaption>Charles Curtis throws a baseball in this 1932 photograph. Harris &amp; Ewing</figcaption>
 </figure>Curtis made the jump to national politics in 1893, winning a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives and serving seven terms.As a Congressman, he crafted and navigated <a href="https://nativeheritageproject.com/2013/08/17/the-curtis-act-of-1898/" target="_blank">the Curtis Act of 1898</a> through Congress and into law. It was his most lasting legacy as a lawmaker, according to Goodrich."The
 Curtis Act, unfortunately, was a death knell to the tribal sovereignty 
for many of the American Indian tribes," she says. "And I don't think 
that Curtis meant it that way, but he also believed in assimilation, 
because this is how he had survived."The law abolished tribal governments, broke up communal lands and allowed members of <a href="https://www.cherokeeheritage.org/cherokeeheritagegenealogy-html/dawes-commission/" target="_blank">the Dawes Commission</a> in Washington, but not tribes themselves, to determine who was and who was not a tribal member."It's
 one of those ironies that Natives were not considered citizens and that
 dissolving the tribal sovereignty was a step in making them U.S. 
citizens," Goodrich says. "And that's just one of the great tragedies of
 our republic."Curtis served two terms in the U.S. Senate, first 
appointed to the post by the Kansas Legislature in 1907 and serving 
until 1913, when Democrats took control of the Statehouse.With 
the passage of the 17th Amendment, which allowed voters to elect 
Senators directly, Curtis was sent back to Washington in 1915 and he 
served 14 more years.While in the Senate, Curtis served as Senate
 president pro tempore, minority whip and Republican majority leader. He
 also led the Senate floor debate for the 19th Amendment, which granted 
women the right to vote."He definitely championed women's 
suffrage, and he was very proud of that," Goodrich says. "And one of 
the Washington correspondents famously said, 'Charlie can never be 
accused of being a progressive, but the feminists considered him their 
friend.'"Idaho Sen. William Borah called him "a great reconciler,
 a walking political encyclopedia and one of the best political poker 
players in America."It would be more than 63 years before another Native American, Colorado's <a href="https://www.congress.gov/member/ben-campbell/C000077?searchResultViewType=expanded" target="_blank">Ben Nighthorse Campbell</a>, served as U.S. Senator after Curtis resigned in 1929 to become vice president.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1605018369999.png" alt="Charles Curtis, left, with Herbert Hoover in 1928. Harris &amp; Ewing" />
 <figcaption>Charles Curtis, left, with Herbert Hoover in 1928. Harris &amp; Ewing</figcaption>
 </figure>Though Curtis had long held presidential ambitions and worked hard 
behind the scenes to make it happen, his rise to the upper echelons of 
the executive branch was ultimately unsatisfying.At the 
Republican National Convention in 1928 at Kansas City's Convention Hall,
 Curtis was paired up with Hoover. It was on odd pairing, considering 
the two had been at odds since at least 1918, when Hoover had campaigned
 for Democratic candidates.That tension extended through their 
time in the White House, although Curtis spent little time there, 
according to Goodrich, and largely neutered his ability to get anything 
done."The joke at the time was that if Curtis wanted to go to the
 White House, he would have had to buy a ticket on one of the tours," 
she says.The Hoover-Curtis ticket lost its reelection bid in 
1932, three years into the Great Depression, to Democrats Franklin 
Roosevelt and John Nance Garner.Having been been fully ensconced 
in Washington's political scene for decades, Curtis stayed there after 
his term ended and practiced law. He died of a heart attack in 1936 and 
was buried at the Topeka Cemetery."I do think that Charles Curtis
 has mostly been forgotten," Goodrich says. "I think part of that is he 
was in an administration as vice president that people wanted to 
forget."Not everyone, though, wants to forget. In 1993, Donald and Nova Cottrell purchased Curtis' former home in Topeka."It was actually slated to be demolished by the city because nobody was interested in purchasing the building," <a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?325370-1/charles-curtis-house" target="_blank">Nova Cottrell told C-SPAN in 2015</a>.The <a href="http://www.vpcharlescurtis.net/ksstudies/chome.html" target="_blank">Charles Curtis House Museum</a>, at 1101 SW Topeka Blvd. in Topeka, is now on the National Register of Historic Places.Luke X. Martin is a reporter focusing on race, culture and ethnicity for KCUR 89.3. Contact him at luke@kcur.org or on Twitter, @lukexmartin.&nbsp;

Country's first VP of color was a Native American from the Kan. Territory

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans controlling the Senate unveiled a government-wide, $1.4 trillion spending bill on Tuesday, a largely bipartisan measure that faces uncertain odds during this period of post-election tumult in Washington.

The GOP-drafted measure contains funding for President Donald Trump’s border wall and other provisions opposed by Democrats, but top leaders in both parties want to try to mount a drive to enact the unfinished spending bills — which, along with a separate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-virus-outbreak-donald-trump-amy-coney-barrett-elections-96d013dc9c7223eb4e728d73022cd7ce">COVID-19 relief effort</a>&nbsp;and annual defense policy bill, represent the bulk of Capitol Hill’s unfinished business for the year.

Success depends on getting the signature of Trump, however, whose unpredictability and toxic relationships with Democrats threaten to doom the effort. The recent history of lame-duck sessions conducted as the White House is turning over has been that unfinished spending bills get kicked into the next year, with existing funding simply left on auto-pilot.

“I’ve had this argument before and so far I’ve lost. I argued 12 years ago, the Obama transition, that the best thing you could do to help the new president was to get this year’s work done, and we didn’t get it done,” said Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo. “Four years ago I argued that ... and we didn’t get it done.”

At issue is the roughly one-third of the federal budget that is written annually by Congress under a time-tested bipartisan process. The overall spending amount has been set in law by last year’s bipartisan budget mini-deal, so any delay into next year won’t likely result in more money for the Biden administration. Current funding expires Dec. 12.

The 12 spending measures, released by Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby, R-Ala., have been stalled for months, trapped by fights over COVID relief and potential battles over police reform issues. But he has the backing of top panel Democrat Patrick Leahy of Vermont, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer of New York to at least pursue the effort. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., herself a long-ago veteran of the Appropriations Committee, also would like to wrap up the unfinished business.

“By and large, these bills are the product of bipartisan cooperation among members of the committee,” Shelby said in a statement. “Time after time, we have demonstrated our willingness to work together and get the job done. We have before us the opportunity to deliver for the American people once again.”

But Leahy carefully avoided endorsing the measure outright and instead criticized the legislation for ignoring COVID-19 relief, shortchanging safety net programs and the environment, and wasting money on unused detention beds for immigrants entering the country illegally.

Large swaths of the measure are indeed bipartisan, including a $696 billion defense budget that adds 96 F-35 fighters to the Pentagon’s ranks, funds nine Navy ships, and provides $69 billion for overseas military operations. It adopts $2 billion for 82 miles of border wall, certain to be fought by Democrats, along with $8.8 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement that Democrats charge isn’t needed because there are fewer apprehensions of illegal border-crossers.

NASA, health research, and veterans’ programs all would be rewarded with healthy increases, while foreign aid and education programs would get smaller increases.

If the catch-all bill is to advance it would have to contain COVID relief such as funding to help schools reopen, vaccinate the country, help the jobless, and boost the economy.

“This country is headed for a deadly winter and it is long past time for us to provide the resources the country needs to get this virus under control and our economy back open,” Leahy said in a statement. “These bills do not provide any such relief. It is imperative that we do what is necessary to stop this pandemic from spreading.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans controlling the Senate unveiled a government-wide, $1.4 trillion spending bill on Tuesday, a largely bipartisan measure that faces uncertain odds during this period of post-election tumult in Washington.The GOP-drafted measure contains funding for President Donald Trump’s border wall and other provisions opposed by Democrats, but top leaders in both parties want to try to mount a drive to enact the unfinished spending bills — which, along with a separate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-virus-outbreak-donald-trump-amy-coney-barrett-elections-96d013dc9c7223eb4e728d73022cd7ce">COVID-19 relief effort</a>&nbsp;and annual defense policy bill, represent the bulk of Capitol Hill’s unfinished business for the year.Success depends on getting the signature of Trump, however, whose unpredictability and toxic relationships with Democrats threaten to doom the effort. The recent history of lame-duck sessions conducted as the White House is turning over has been that unfinished spending bills get kicked into the next year, with existing funding simply left on auto-pilot.“I’ve had this argument before and so far I’ve lost. I argued 12 years ago, the Obama transition, that the best thing you could do to help the new president was to get this year’s work done, and we didn’t get it done,” said Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo. “Four years ago I argued that ... and we didn’t get it done.”At issue is the roughly one-third of the federal budget that is written annually by Congress under a time-tested bipartisan process. The overall spending amount has been set in law by last year’s bipartisan budget mini-deal, so any delay into next year won’t likely result in more money for the Biden administration. Current funding expires Dec. 12.The 12 spending measures, released by Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby, R-Ala., have been stalled for months, trapped by fights over COVID relief and potential battles over police reform issues. But he has the backing of top panel Democrat Patrick Leahy of Vermont, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer of New York to at least pursue the effort. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., herself a long-ago veteran of the Appropriations Committee, also would like to wrap up the unfinished business.“By and large, these bills are the product of bipartisan cooperation among members of the committee,” Shelby said in a statement. “Time after time, we have demonstrated our willingness to work together and get the job done. We have before us the opportunity to deliver for the American people once again.”But Leahy carefully avoided endorsing the measure outright and instead criticized the legislation for ignoring COVID-19 relief, shortchanging safety net programs and the environment, and wasting money on unused detention beds for immigrants entering the country illegally.Large swaths of the measure are indeed bipartisan, including a $696 billion defense budget that adds 96 F-35 fighters to the Pentagon’s ranks, funds nine Navy ships, and provides $69 billion for overseas military operations. It adopts $2 billion for 82 miles of border wall, certain to be fought by Democrats, along with $8.8 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement that Democrats charge isn’t needed because there are fewer apprehensions of illegal border-crossers.NASA, health research, and veterans’ programs all would be rewarded with healthy increases, while foreign aid and education programs would get smaller increases.If the catch-all bill is to advance it would have to contain COVID relief such as funding to help schools reopen, vaccinate the country, help the jobless, and boost the economy.“This country is headed for a deadly winter and it is long past time for us to provide the resources the country needs to get this virus under control and our economy back open,” Leahy said in a statement. “These bills do not provide any such relief. It is imperative that we do what is necessary to stop this pandemic from spreading.”

Senate $1.4T spending bill includes no COVID relief 

LINCOLN&nbsp; — Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol arrested two people following multiple pursuits with the same vehicle Monday evening, near Lincoln.

At approximately 5:15 p.m. Monday, a trooper performed a traffic stop on a Chevrolet pickup on Highway 2, east of Lincoln, for failure to signal. During the traffic stop, while the trooper was standing next to the pickup, the driver accelerated and fled the traffic stop. The pickup fled westbound on Highway 2. As the vehicle entered Lincoln, the trooper discontinued the pursuit out of concern for public safety.

Approximately one hour later, another trooper observed the same vehicle traveling westbound on Interstate 80 near mile marker 393, just west of Lincoln. The trooper attempted a traffic stop, but the vehicle again fled. Troopers were able to successfully deploy stop sticks to bring the pickup to a stop at mile marker 387.

Both occupants of the vehicle were taken into custody without further incident. Inside the vehicle, troopers found drug paraphernalia, a concealed knife, and multiple credit cards that did not belong to either occupant.

The driver, Samantha Shipley, 43, of Johnson City, Tennessee, was arrested for flight to avoid arrest, driving with a revoked license, reckless driving, criminal possession of financial transaction devices, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of drug paraphernalia, and theft by unlawful taking. The passenger, Ronell Leeson, 31, of Johnson City, Tennessee, was arrested for criminal possession of financial transaction devices, theft by unlawful taking, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Both were lodged in Lancaster County Jail.

LINCOLN&nbsp; — Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol arrested two people following multiple pursuits with the same vehicle Monday evening, near Lincoln.At approximately 5:15 p.m. Monday, a trooper performed a traffic stop on a Chevrolet pickup on Highway 2, east of Lincoln, for failure to signal. During the traffic stop, while the trooper was standing next to the pickup, the driver accelerated and fled the traffic stop. The pickup fled westbound on Highway 2. As the vehicle entered Lincoln, the trooper discontinued the pursuit out of concern for public safety.Approximately one hour later, another trooper observed the same vehicle traveling westbound on Interstate 80 near mile marker 393, just west of Lincoln. The trooper attempted a traffic stop, but the vehicle again fled. Troopers were able to successfully deploy stop sticks to bring the pickup to a stop at mile marker 387.Both occupants of the vehicle were taken into custody without further incident. Inside the vehicle, troopers found drug paraphernalia, a concealed knife, and multiple credit cards that did not belong to either occupant.The driver, Samantha Shipley, 43, of Johnson City, Tennessee, was arrested for flight to avoid arrest, driving with a revoked license, reckless driving, criminal possession of financial transaction devices, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of drug paraphernalia, and theft by unlawful taking. The passenger, Ronell Leeson, 31, of Johnson City, Tennessee, was arrested for criminal possession of financial transaction devices, theft by unlawful taking, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Both were lodged in Lancaster County Jail.

Troopers arrest two on several charges following multiple pursuits

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is brushing aside results of last week’s presidential election showing that President Donald Trump lost his bid for a second term.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?477982-1/secretary-pompeo-there-smooth-transition-trump-administration">Click here </a>to watch his comments

Pompeo told reporters Tuesday with a grin that the “transition” to a second Trump term would be “smooth,” but later said the State Department was prepared for any eventuality. Trump has refused to concede to President-elect Joe Biden.

Pompeo ignored results showing that Biden had won the election, and he also dismissed as “ridiculous” questions about whether the U.S. had lost credibility as a judge of other countries’ election because of Trump’s unproven claims of fraud at the polls.

“There will be a smooth transition to second Trump administration, “ Pompeo said with a chuckle, before reverting to a more nuanced response. “We’re ready. The world is watching what’s taking place here. We’re going to count all the votes.”

He said the “world should have every confidence” that the State Department is “successful today” and that it will be “successful with the president who’s in office on Jan. 20 a minute after noon.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1605036065360.png" alt="Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during Tuesday news conference -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during Tuesday news conference -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is brushing aside results of last week’s presidential election showing that President Donald Trump lost his bid for a second term.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?477982-1/secretary-pompeo-there-smooth-transition-trump-administration">Click here </a>to watch his commentsPompeo told reporters Tuesday with a grin that the “transition” to a second Trump term would be “smooth,” but later said the State Department was prepared for any eventuality. Trump has refused to concede to President-elect Joe Biden.Pompeo ignored results showing that Biden had won the election, and he also dismissed as “ridiculous” questions about whether the U.S. had lost credibility as a judge of other countries’ election because of Trump’s unproven claims of fraud at the polls.“There will be a smooth transition to second Trump administration, “ Pompeo said with a chuckle, before reverting to a more nuanced response. “We’re ready. The world is watching what’s taking place here. We’re going to count all the votes.”He said the “world should have every confidence” that the State Department is “successful today” and that it will be “successful with the president who’s in office on Jan. 20 a minute after noon.”

🎥  Former Kan. Rep., Secretary of State on Trump transition 

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — Bass Pro Shops is being sued by a Louisiana seafood company that alleges the outdoor retailer did not buy enough alligator meat.

Big Pop's Fresh Louisiana Seafood alleges in a federal lawsuit filed last week that Bass Pro agreed to buy 600,000 pounds of alligator meat, starting in 2016.

The company said Missouri-based Bass Pro breached its contract by buying only 283,432 pounds during the four-year contract, which expired in July.

According to the lawsuit, Big Pop said it lost more than $75,000 during the contract. The seafood distributor is seeking damages from Bass Pro.

A spokesperson for Bass Pro Shops said the company does not comment on litigation, The Springfield News-Leader&nbsp;<a href="https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/ozarks/2020/11/10/bass-pro-shops-sued-alleged-lack-alligator-meat-orders/6220968002/">reported.</a>

Online court records indicate the case has been assigned to the federal courts mediation program.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — Bass Pro Shops is being sued by a Louisiana seafood company that alleges the outdoor retailer did not buy enough alligator meat.Big Pop's Fresh Louisiana Seafood alleges in a federal lawsuit filed last week that Bass Pro agreed to buy 600,000 pounds of alligator meat, starting in 2016.The company said Missouri-based Bass Pro breached its contract by buying only 283,432 pounds during the four-year contract, which expired in July.According to the lawsuit, Big Pop said it lost more than $75,000 during the contract. The seafood distributor is seeking damages from Bass Pro.A spokesperson for Bass Pro Shops said the company does not comment on litigation, The Springfield News-Leader&nbsp;<a href="https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/ozarks/2020/11/10/bass-pro-shops-sued-alleged-lack-alligator-meat-orders/6220968002/">reported.</a>Online court records indicate the case has been assigned to the federal courts mediation program.

Bass Pro Shop facing lawsuit over alligator meat purchases

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha man who accidentally shot himself in the leg told police he was trying to make sure his handgun was safe when the shooting happened.

 The Omaha World-Herald reports the shooting happened Saturday night as the 26-year-old man was sitting in a car in a northwest Omaha parking lot. 

Police say the man told officers he was about to meet friends for drinks when he removed the gun's magazine, pointed it at his feet and pulled the trigger, thinking it was empty. 

However, a round was still in the chamber and hit him just above his left ankle.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha man who accidentally shot himself in the leg told police he was trying to make sure his handgun was safe when the shooting happened. The Omaha World-Herald reports the shooting happened Saturday night as the 26-year-old man was sitting in a car in a northwest Omaha parking lot. Police say the man told officers he was about to meet friends for drinks when he removed the gun's magazine, pointed it at his feet and pulled the trigger, thinking it was empty. However, a round was still in the chamber and hit him just above his left ankle.

Man says he was checking safety of gun when he shot himself

BLAIR, Neb. (AP) — Dollar General plans to build a new $85 million distribution center in eastern Nebraska.

 The 800,000-square-foot facility in Blair will employ about 400 people after it opens in early 2022. 

The facility will handle both dry goods and fresh items that are sold by the discount retailer. 

The company said it picked Nebraska for the new distribution facility because of its proximity to its stores and the local business environment, including incentives the community offered. 

The facility will serve roughly 1,500 stores across the region. 

Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts said the new distribution center will boost the economy in Blair and add to recent job growth in the area.

BLAIR, Neb. (AP) — Dollar General plans to build a new $85 million distribution center in eastern Nebraska. The 800,000-square-foot facility in Blair will employ about 400 people after it opens in early 2022. The facility will handle both dry goods and fresh items that are sold by the discount retailer. The company said it picked Nebraska for the new distribution facility because of its proximity to its stores and the local business environment, including incentives the community offered. The facility will serve roughly 1,500 stores across the region. Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts said the new distribution center will boost the economy in Blair and add to recent job growth in the area.

Dollar General plans $85M distribution center in Nebraska

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming health officials are reporting 646 new coronavirus cases Sunday. 

That's the second-highest single-day total of the pandemic in the state, which reported 966 new cases on Friday. 

The Casper Star-Tribune reports that at least 114 people have died of the coronavirus in the state and that more than 14,690 people have tested positive. 

The new totals come amid a rapid surge in the numbers of cases in Wyoming and throughout much of the U.S. Gov. Mark Gordon has said he is not considering implementing a statewide face mask order but has urged residents to wear masks.

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming health officials are reporting 646 new coronavirus cases Sunday. That's the second-highest single-day total of the pandemic in the state, which reported 966 new cases on Friday. The Casper Star-Tribune reports that at least 114 people have died of the coronavirus in the state and that more than 14,690 people have tested positive. The new totals come amid a rapid surge in the numbers of cases in Wyoming and throughout much of the U.S. Gov. Mark Gordon has said he is not considering implementing a statewide face mask order but has urged residents to wear masks.

Wyoming health officials report 646 new coronavirus cases

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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