By JENNI BERGAL <a href="https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2022/11/16/states-test-an-electrifying-idea-roads-that-can-recharge-your-ev">Stateline</a>

On two short stretches of road near downtown Detroit, Michigan transportation officials hope to make history.

Over the next two years, they plan to embed technology in the 
pavement that can charge electric vehicles while they’re being driven. 
The wireless system will be the first U.S. test of so-called inductive 
charging on public roadways, according to the Michigan Department of 
Transportation.

“We’re the auto capital. We continue to push technology 
advancements,” said Michele Mueller, a senior project manager at the 
agency.

In some other states, including Florida, Indiana, Pennsylvania and 
Utah, officials also plan to test inductive charging on public roads in 
the next several years.

“This is a great solution to a problem we have today of how to get to
 zero emissions,” said Tallis Blalack, managing director of the ASPIRE 
engineering research center headquartered at Utah State University, 
which focuses on electric vehicle infrastructure. “If we do this 
correctly, we can decrease the costs of transportation for everyone.”

Electromagnetic inductive charging is common in everyday life — 
setting a mobile phone on a wireless charger uses similar technology. On
 roadways, coils embedded in the pavement transfer magnetic energy to a 
receiver mounted beneath an electric vehicle to wirelessly charge its 
battery.

Eventually, wireless road systems could extend electric vehicles’ 
battery range, reduce the idle time required to recharge batteries and 
allow freight trucks to transition to electric by making it possible for
 them to use smaller, less expensive batteries, say proponents of the 
technology. They envision inductive charging along sections of highway 
across the country.

Drivers would use a phone app or vehicle control to choose whether to
 accept a charge from a road’s coils. Users would pay for kilowatts the 
same way they do at an EV charging station, though the system would be 
free to drivers during test pilots.

Blalack said the biggest challenge in getting to zero emissions 
nationally is figuring out how to move the 70% of freight that is now 
transported by truck.

Without an inductive charging system, it would cost an estimated 
$150,000 to put EV batteries into each long-haul electric semi, he said.
 Those batteries would weigh 20,000 pounds, a quarter of a truck’s 
payload. Charging truck batteries that large would require megawatt 
chargers to fast charge them, he added.

Inductive charging would eliminate the need for such heavy long-range
 batteries, Blalack said. Smaller truck batteries would require fewer 
natural resources to manufacture and would cost only about $15,000.

“We can reduce the cost of transportation for everybody if we have the infrastructure in place,” he said.

Blalack said his center estimates that it would require about $30 
billion a year to develop induction road-charging networks in some 
regions across the country by 2035, primarily on interstate highways.

“It seems like a lot of money, but you’re talking trillions of 
dollars to buy batteries for long-range vehicles,” he said. “It’s 
significantly cheaper for us to invest money in infrastructure than 
build out all these vehicles with long-range batteries.”

Some states already have experimented with wireless in-road charging,
 but it’s been on test tracks or at private facilities, rather than on 
public roads, according to Blalack, whose center is collaborating on 
wireless in-road charging pilots in several states.

The 2021 federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law requires $5 billion to
 be distributed among every state, the District of Columbia and Puerto 
Rico to help build a network of EV charging stations available every 50 
miles along federally designated highways. But that money isn’t meant to
 be used for induction charging road pilots.

States are using their own money to test inductive charging or are 
relying on companies that make the technology to share the cost.

In Michigan, transportation officials have partnered with Electreon, 
an Israeli company that develops wireless charging infrastructure, and 
plan to start testing by fall of 2023 on a quarter-mile stretch near the
 renovated Michigan Central Station, which Ford Motor Co. plans to make 
the centerpiece of a so-called mobility innovation district southwest of
 downtown. Officials will be outfitting an electric shuttle with the 
wireless receiver.

In 2024, the state will install the technology on a three-quarter 
mile stretch of a busy commercial street near downtown. A Detroit 
Department of Transportation electric bus will carry the receiver, as 
will a group of electric delivery vehicles, which also will be able to 
charge their batteries on static pads at certain spaces along the route,
 officials said.

Michigan is spending $1.9 million in state money for the $6 million 
project, according to Mueller. Electreon is picking up the rest of the 
tab.

Mueller said the goal is to understand the benefits and challenges of
 induction road charging networks and how they might work for public 
transit, passenger cars and commercial vehicles. Another aim is to 
reduce drivers’ “range anxiety” and decrease demand on the electric 
grid.

“If you can use inductive and static charging, then once you get 
home, you won’t have those peaks of everyone charging their EVs at once,
 so you won’t get spikes on the grid,” she said. “This will level off 
demand throughout the day.”

In Indiana, the state Department of Transportation and Purdue 
University are working on an inductive charging project that could power
 heavy-duty trucks on a state highway near the university in West 
Lafayette. Officials hope to start constructing the system in fall 2023,
 according to Blalack, whose center is collaborating on the project.

In Florida, the Central Florida Expressway Authority is planning a 
similar project for all vehicles on about a mile of the Lake/Orange 
Expressway near Orlando, a new roadway under construction that is 
scheduled for completion by 2026. The pilot will cost about $10 million.

In Utah, the ASPIRE center is working with the Utah Inland Port 
Authority in Salt Lake City on a project that will test high-power 
charging technology using electric trucks that move cargo from 
containers at the railyard to local distribution warehouses.

And the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission wants to install the 
technology on 3 to 5 miles of a planned section of road near Pittsburgh 
on the Mon/Fayette Expressway, though the final site hasn’t been 
selected, according to Keith Jack, the turnpike’s director of facilities
 operations. The agency hopes to launch the project between 2026 and 
2030.

Jack said officials first want to test medium and light cargo 
electric vehicles on the road, so no date has been set for when 
inductive charging would be available for public use. He noted that he’s
 a big supporter of using inductive charging rather than plugging a 
vehicle into an outlet.

“If you have to drive 600 miles, most EV vehicles don’t have the 
capacity to do that. You’re going to have to stop for 20 minutes and do 
fast charging,” he said. “If I’m going from here to Indiana, I’m not 
going to stop six times for 20 minutes. We’re trying to make 
long-distance travel easier.”

The turnpike hopes to use power generated from its own solar fields 
at maintenance facilities and service plazas to electrify portions of 
the induction roadway in future projects, Jack said. It already has one 
solar field in operation and six others planned.

“If we can produce the energy on the right of way or our maintenance 
sheds, we can apply it into the road,” he said. “As we transition to 
EVs, we have to think about the relationship we have with energy — where
 we make it and where we’re going to use it.”

This story <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2022/11/16/states-test-an-electrifying-idea-roads-that-can-recharge-your-ev">originally appeared in&nbsp;Stateline</a>, an initiative of the Pew Charitable Trusts. Republished under Creative Commons license (<a target="_blank" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode">CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0</a>).&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1669406330209.png" alt="A Utah State University electric bus outfitted for dynamic wireless charging passes over coils embedded in the pavement at the school’s Electric Vehicle and Roadway test track in Logan, Utah, in May 2016. Some states are planning pilot programs that will test wireless electric vehicle charging networks embedded in public roads. (Photo | Utah State University)" />
 <figcaption>A Utah State University electric bus outfitted for dynamic wireless charging passes over coils embedded in the pavement at the school’s Electric Vehicle and Roadway test track in Logan, Utah, in May 2016. Some states are planning pilot programs that will test wireless electric vehicle charging networks embedded in public roads. (Photo | Utah State University)</figcaption>
 </figure>By JENNI BERGAL <a href="https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2022/11/16/states-test-an-electrifying-idea-roads-that-can-recharge-your-ev">Stateline</a>On two short stretches of road near downtown Detroit, Michigan transportation officials hope to make history.Over the next two years, they plan to embed technology in the 
pavement that can charge electric vehicles while they’re being driven. 
The wireless system will be the first U.S. test of so-called inductive 
charging on public roadways, according to the Michigan Department of 
Transportation.“We’re the auto capital. We continue to push technology 
advancements,” said Michele Mueller, a senior project manager at the 
agency.In some other states, including Florida, Indiana, Pennsylvania and 
Utah, officials also plan to test inductive charging on public roads in 
the next several years.“This is a great solution to a problem we have today of how to get to
 zero emissions,” said Tallis Blalack, managing director of the ASPIRE 
engineering research center headquartered at Utah State University, 
which focuses on electric vehicle infrastructure. “If we do this 
correctly, we can decrease the costs of transportation for everyone.”<h2>Wireless charging</h2>Electromagnetic inductive charging is common in everyday life — 
setting a mobile phone on a wireless charger uses similar technology. On
 roadways, coils embedded in the pavement transfer magnetic energy to a 
receiver mounted beneath an electric vehicle to wirelessly charge its 
battery.Eventually, wireless road systems could extend electric vehicles’ 
battery range, reduce the idle time required to recharge batteries and 
allow freight trucks to transition to electric by making it possible for
 them to use smaller, less expensive batteries, say proponents of the 
technology. They envision inductive charging along sections of highway 
across the country.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1669406402396.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Drivers would use a phone app or vehicle control to choose whether to
 accept a charge from a road’s coils. Users would pay for kilowatts the 
same way they do at an EV charging station, though the system would be 
free to drivers during test pilots.Blalack said the biggest challenge in getting to zero emissions 
nationally is figuring out how to move the 70% of freight that is now 
transported by truck.Without an inductive charging system, it would cost an estimated 
$150,000 to put EV batteries into each long-haul electric semi, he said.
 Those batteries would weigh 20,000 pounds, a quarter of a truck’s 
payload. Charging truck batteries that large would require megawatt 
chargers to fast charge them, he added.Inductive charging would eliminate the need for such heavy long-range
 batteries, Blalack said. Smaller truck batteries would require fewer 
natural resources to manufacture and would cost only about $15,000.“We can reduce the cost of transportation for everybody if we have the infrastructure in place,” he said.Blalack said his center estimates that it would require about $30 
billion a year to develop induction road-charging networks in some 
regions across the country by 2035, primarily on interstate highways.“It seems like a lot of money, but you’re talking trillions of 
dollars to buy batteries for long-range vehicles,” he said. “It’s 
significantly cheaper for us to invest money in infrastructure than 
build out all these vehicles with long-range batteries.”Some states already have experimented with wireless in-road charging,
 but it’s been on test tracks or at private facilities, rather than on 
public roads, according to Blalack, whose center is collaborating on 
wireless in-road charging pilots in several states.<h2>No federal funding</h2>The 2021 federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law requires $5 billion to
 be distributed among every state, the District of Columbia and Puerto 
Rico to help build a network of EV charging stations available every 50 
miles along federally designated highways. But that money isn’t meant to
 be used for induction charging road pilots.States are using their own money to test inductive charging or are 
relying on companies that make the technology to share the cost.In Michigan, transportation officials have partnered with Electreon, 
an Israeli company that develops wireless charging infrastructure, and 
plan to start testing by fall of 2023 on a quarter-mile stretch near the
 renovated Michigan Central Station, which Ford Motor Co. plans to make 
the centerpiece of a so-called mobility innovation district southwest of
 downtown. Officials will be outfitting an electric shuttle with the 
wireless receiver.In 2024, the state will install the technology on a three-quarter 
mile stretch of a busy commercial street near downtown. A Detroit 
Department of Transportation electric bus will carry the receiver, as 
will a group of electric delivery vehicles, which also will be able to 
charge their batteries on static pads at certain spaces along the route,
 officials said.Michigan is spending $1.9 million in state money for the $6 million 
project, according to Mueller. Electreon is picking up the rest of the 
tab.Mueller said the goal is to understand the benefits and challenges of
 induction road charging networks and how they might work for public 
transit, passenger cars and commercial vehicles. Another aim is to 
reduce drivers’ “range anxiety” and decrease demand on the electric 
grid.“If you can use inductive and static charging, then once you get 
home, you won’t have those peaks of everyone charging their EVs at once,
 so you won’t get spikes on the grid,” she said. “This will level off 
demand throughout the day.”<h2>Projects around the country</h2>In Indiana, the state Department of Transportation and Purdue 
University are working on an inductive charging project that could power
 heavy-duty trucks on a state highway near the university in West 
Lafayette. Officials hope to start constructing the system in fall 2023,
 according to Blalack, whose center is collaborating on the project.In Florida, the Central Florida Expressway Authority is planning a 
similar project for all vehicles on about a mile of the Lake/Orange 
Expressway near Orlando, a new roadway under construction that is 
scheduled for completion by 2026. The pilot will cost about $10 million.In Utah, the ASPIRE center is working with the Utah Inland Port 
Authority in Salt Lake City on a project that will test high-power 
charging technology using electric trucks that move cargo from 
containers at the railyard to local distribution warehouses.And the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission wants to install the 
technology on 3 to 5 miles of a planned section of road near Pittsburgh 
on the Mon/Fayette Expressway, though the final site hasn’t been 
selected, according to Keith Jack, the turnpike’s director of facilities
 operations. The agency hopes to launch the project between 2026 and 
2030.Jack said officials first want to test medium and light cargo 
electric vehicles on the road, so no date has been set for when 
inductive charging would be available for public use. He noted that he’s
 a big supporter of using inductive charging rather than plugging a 
vehicle into an outlet.“If you have to drive 600 miles, most EV vehicles don’t have the 
capacity to do that. You’re going to have to stop for 20 minutes and do 
fast charging,” he said. “If I’m going from here to Indiana, I’m not 
going to stop six times for 20 minutes. We’re trying to make 
long-distance travel easier.”The turnpike hopes to use power generated from its own solar fields 
at maintenance facilities and service plazas to electrify portions of 
the induction roadway in future projects, Jack said. It already has one 
solar field in operation and six others planned.“If we can produce the energy on the right of way or our maintenance 
sheds, we can apply it into the road,” he said. “As we transition to 
EVs, we have to think about the relationship we have with energy — where
 we make it and where we’re going to use it.”This story <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2022/11/16/states-test-an-electrifying-idea-roads-that-can-recharge-your-ev">originally appeared in&nbsp;Stateline</a>, an initiative of the Pew Charitable Trusts. Republished under Creative Commons license (<a target="_blank" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode">CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0</a>).&nbsp;

States test electrifying idea: Roads that can recharge your EV

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — A federal judge has denied a new trial request by two men convicted of conspiring to kidnap Michigan’s Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Lawyers for Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr. alleged misconduct by a juror and unfairness by U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker following their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elections-presidential-michigan-gretchen-whitmer-grand-rapids-9ad8f100d32e7d5883b1be9d6c4cb8d5">conviction by a federal jury in August.</a>

Jonker in a written ruling Friday shot down claims of juror misconduct and said he found “no constitutional violation and no credible evidence” to convene a new hearing.

Fox and Croft face up to life in prison when they’re sentenced Dec. 28.

Whitmer, who was reelected Nov. 8 to a second term, was never physically harmed in the plot, which led to more than a dozen arrests in 2020.

Fox and Croft's first trial ended in a mistrial earlier this year when the jury was unable to come to a unanimous verdict.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/michigan-grand-rapids-adam-fox-whitmer-kidnap-plot-trial-d49fb2fbc25cb150117f154fe42a72c5">A motion for a third trial</a>&nbsp;was filed in September.

Defense lawyers said a juror seated in the second trial was described by a co-worker as “far-left leaning,” was eager to get on the jury and poised to convict before hearing evidence.

The defense team’s investigator said he interviewed two co-workers who said they had heard about it but had no firsthand knowledge. A third person declined to speak to him in the parking lot.

The allegation first was raised early in the second trial. Jonker said he spoke privately to the juror, who denied saying that a vote to convict was already settled.

Separately, defense lawyers said the judge violated the rights of Fox and Croft by imposing a time limit on the cross-examination of a star government witness.

“Defendants have neither demonstrated that the jury verdict is ‘against the manifest weight of the evidence’ nor that a ‘substantial legal error has occurred’ such that the interests of justice demand a new trial,” Jonker wrote in Friday's ruling.

Croft is from Bear, Delaware. Fox lived in the Grand Rapids area in western Michigan.

Two other men have pleaded guilty in the federal case, while two more were acquitted.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/michigan-gretchen-whitmer-jackson-adam-fox-kidnap-plot-trial-0a5a930cf86e74f8a1365040b783de0d">Three other men accused of supporting terrorism in the kidnapping plot were convicted in October</a>&nbsp;in state court.

Joe Morrison; Morrison's father-in-law, Pete Musico; and Paul Bellar were found guilty of supplying “material support” for a terrorist act as members of a group known as the Wolverine Watchmen. They await sentencing on Dec. 15.

They held gun training in rural Jackson County with Fox who was disgusted with Whitmer and other officials and said he wanted to snatch her.

Associated PressGRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — A federal judge has denied a new trial request by two men convicted of conspiring to kidnap Michigan’s Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.Lawyers for Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr. alleged misconduct by a juror and unfairness by U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker following their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elections-presidential-michigan-gretchen-whitmer-grand-rapids-9ad8f100d32e7d5883b1be9d6c4cb8d5">conviction by a federal jury in August.</a>Jonker in a written ruling Friday shot down claims of juror misconduct and said he found “no constitutional violation and no credible evidence” to convene a new hearing.Fox and Croft face up to life in prison when they’re sentenced Dec. 28.Whitmer, who was reelected Nov. 8 to a second term, was never physically harmed in the plot, which led to more than a dozen arrests in 2020.Fox and Croft's first trial ended in a mistrial earlier this year when the jury was unable to come to a unanimous verdict.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/michigan-grand-rapids-adam-fox-whitmer-kidnap-plot-trial-d49fb2fbc25cb150117f154fe42a72c5">A motion for a third trial</a>&nbsp;was filed in September.Defense lawyers said a juror seated in the second trial was described by a co-worker as “far-left leaning,” was eager to get on the jury and poised to convict before hearing evidence.The defense team’s investigator said he interviewed two co-workers who said they had heard about it but had no firsthand knowledge. A third person declined to speak to him in the parking lot.The allegation first was raised early in the second trial. Jonker said he spoke privately to the juror, who denied saying that a vote to convict was already settled.Separately, defense lawyers said the judge violated the rights of Fox and Croft by imposing a time limit on the cross-examination of a star government witness.“Defendants have neither demonstrated that the jury verdict is ‘against the manifest weight of the evidence’ nor that a ‘substantial legal error has occurred’ such that the interests of justice demand a new trial,” Jonker wrote in Friday's ruling.Croft is from Bear, Delaware. Fox lived in the Grand Rapids area in western Michigan.Two other men have pleaded guilty in the federal case, while two more were acquitted.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/michigan-gretchen-whitmer-jackson-adam-fox-kidnap-plot-trial-0a5a930cf86e74f8a1365040b783de0d">Three other men accused of supporting terrorism in the kidnapping plot were convicted in October</a>&nbsp;in state court.Joe Morrison; Morrison's father-in-law, Pete Musico; and Paul Bellar were found guilty of supplying “material support” for a terrorist act as members of a group known as the Wolverine Watchmen. They await sentencing on Dec. 15.They held gun training in rural Jackson County with Fox who was disgusted with Whitmer and other officials and said he wanted to snatch her.

Judge denies bid for new trial in Whitmer kidnapping case

By RACHEL MIPRO <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/11/25/lawmakers-say-marijuana-is-workforce-issue-urge-caution-in-legalization-discussion-1/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA
 — Kansas lawmakers said marijuana legalization, political stances and 
state funding were potential roadblocks in addressing the state’s severe
 workforce shortage.

Sen. Virgil Peck, R-Havana, said the 
Special Committee on Workforce Development needed to talk about 
marijuana legalization before lawmakers discussed it during the upcoming
 legislative session.&nbsp;

Lawmakers passed a motion to make a 
recommendation that the legislature “proceed with caution” with 
marijuana legislation during the Monday committee hearing, by a 4-3 
vote.&nbsp;

Peck brought up the issue, saying the idea came to him earlier in that day while taking a shower.&nbsp;

“I didn’t think of it until taking a 
shower this morning, about 7:30. It came to me that that plays into 
workforce development,” he said.

Peck said marijuana was a significant
 problem in his part of the state, with employers not willing to hire 
employees who couldn’t pass a drug test. He said that marijuana was a 
safety liability, and could impede business where workers had to use 
heavy machinery and could be injured.&nbsp;

“Employers tell me constantly, we’ve 
got jobs going wanting, we can’t get the workers because they can’t pass
 a drug screening and various other things,” Peck said.&nbsp;

Rep. Sean Tarwater, R-Stilwell, said 
he agreed with Peck that people who imbibed marijuana could cause 
problems in the workplace.&nbsp;

Other lawmakers at the meeting said 
they weren’t able to vote on the recommendation, as the issue had not 
been discussed before the meeting. Sen. Brenda Dietrich, R-Topeka, 
abstained from the vote.&nbsp;

“I think my only concern is we’re 
inserting something that hasn’t been vetted in this committee at the 
last minute,” Dietrich said. “And I understand what you’re saying, it’s 
just not an appropriate position for us to take as a committee.”

Medical marijuana has long been a 
controversial topic in Kansas, with many advocating for the drug as a 
pain relief substitute that is less addictive than opioids

Rep. Stephanie Clayton, D-Overland 
Park, opposed the recommendation, saying that legislators didn’t have to
 be drug tested, so neither should Kansas workers.&nbsp;

“I don’t like the idea of imposing 
something on the people, setting different rules for us than them. So 
that’s a big issue, and I also have concerns, because I think — in fact,
 I know, medicinal and recreational cannabis will be helpful to a 
business development, in particular in the greater Kansas City area, 
where this is already legalized in Missouri,” Clayton said.&nbsp;

At the hearing, legislators also discussed Kansas’ declining college attendance rates for public and private institutions.&nbsp;

A report presented to the committee 
found that in 2015, 54.1% of Kansas high school graduates went to 
public, private or out-of-state colleges. In 2020, that rate fell to 
44.8%, with a slight decline in attendance every year.&nbsp;

The report also found that Kansas 
high school graduates were less ready for college, with a drop in the 
number of students meeting standardized testing benchmarks.&nbsp;

In a comparison of ACT benchmarks 
from 2013 to 2021, 72% of students met the English ACT benchmark in 
2o13, while only 53% of graduates in 2021 met the standard. Math ACT 
benchmark rates fell from 51$ in 2013 to 32% in 2021.&nbsp;

Recommendations to address the issue 
of falling college attendance&nbsp; included offering more financial aid to 
students, recruiting out-of-state students and enrolling more 
traditionally underserved Kansan groups.&nbsp;

Tarwater and Peck said they believed 
the drop in Kansas public universities could be linked to the liberal 
nature of these institutions.&nbsp;

“I’m wondering myself if it may not have to do with the fact that Kansans are still basically conservative-minded,&nbsp;and
 our in-state private colleges are not teaching some of the liberal woke
 things to our students that our public universities are teaching,” Peck
 said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1669406026334.png" alt="State Sen. Virgil Peck, shown in February, said employers were wary of hiring workers who couldn't pass a drug test, due to safety concerns. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Virgil Peck, shown in February, said employers were wary of hiring workers who couldn't pass a drug test, due to safety concerns. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By RACHEL MIPRO <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/11/25/lawmakers-say-marijuana-is-workforce-issue-urge-caution-in-legalization-discussion-1/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA
 — Kansas lawmakers said marijuana legalization, political stances and 
state funding were potential roadblocks in addressing the state’s severe
 workforce shortage.Sen. Virgil Peck, R-Havana, said the 
Special Committee on Workforce Development needed to talk about 
marijuana legalization before lawmakers discussed it during the upcoming
 legislative session.&nbsp;Lawmakers passed a motion to make a 
recommendation that the legislature “proceed with caution” with 
marijuana legislation during the Monday committee hearing, by a 4-3 
vote.&nbsp;Peck brought up the issue, saying the idea came to him earlier in that day while taking a shower.&nbsp;“I didn’t think of it until taking a 
shower this morning, about 7:30. It came to me that that plays into 
workforce development,” he said.Peck said marijuana was a significant
 problem in his part of the state, with employers not willing to hire 
employees who couldn’t pass a drug test. He said that marijuana was a 
safety liability, and could impede business where workers had to use 
heavy machinery and could be injured.&nbsp;“Employers tell me constantly, we’ve 
got jobs going wanting, we can’t get the workers because they can’t pass
 a drug screening and various other things,” Peck said.&nbsp;Rep. Sean Tarwater, R-Stilwell, said 
he agreed with Peck that people who imbibed marijuana could cause 
problems in the workplace.&nbsp;Other lawmakers at the meeting said 
they weren’t able to vote on the recommendation, as the issue had not 
been discussed before the meeting. Sen. Brenda Dietrich, R-Topeka, 
abstained from the vote.&nbsp;“I think my only concern is we’re 
inserting something that hasn’t been vetted in this committee at the 
last minute,” Dietrich said. “And I understand what you’re saying, it’s 
just not an appropriate position for us to take as a committee.”Medical marijuana has long been a 
controversial topic in Kansas, with many advocating for the drug as a 
pain relief substitute that is less addictive than opioidsRep. Stephanie Clayton, D-Overland 
Park, opposed the recommendation, saying that legislators didn’t have to
 be drug tested, so neither should Kansas workers.&nbsp;“I don’t like the idea of imposing 
something on the people, setting different rules for us than them. So 
that’s a big issue, and I also have concerns, because I think — in fact,
 I know, medicinal and recreational cannabis will be helpful to a 
business development, in particular in the greater Kansas City area, 
where this is already legalized in Missouri,” Clayton said.&nbsp;At the hearing, legislators also discussed Kansas’ declining college attendance rates for public and private institutions.&nbsp;A report presented to the committee 
found that in 2015, 54.1% of Kansas high school graduates went to 
public, private or out-of-state colleges. In 2020, that rate fell to 
44.8%, with a slight decline in attendance every year.&nbsp;The report also found that Kansas 
high school graduates were less ready for college, with a drop in the 
number of students meeting standardized testing benchmarks.&nbsp;In a comparison of ACT benchmarks 
from 2013 to 2021, 72% of students met the English ACT benchmark in 
2o13, while only 53% of graduates in 2021 met the standard. Math ACT 
benchmark rates fell from 51$ in 2013 to 32% in 2021.&nbsp;Recommendations to address the issue 
of falling college attendance&nbsp; included offering more financial aid to 
students, recruiting out-of-state students and enrolling more 
traditionally underserved Kansan groups.&nbsp;Tarwater and Peck said they believed 
the drop in Kansas public universities could be linked to the liberal 
nature of these institutions.&nbsp;“I’m wondering myself if it may not have to do with the fact that Kansans are still basically conservative-minded,&nbsp;and
 our in-state private colleges are not teaching some of the liberal woke
 things to our students that our public universities are teaching,” Peck
 said.

Kan. lawmakers: Legal marijuana a workforce issue, urge caution

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A federal judge has denied a request from a 19-year-old woman to allow her to watch her father’s death by injection, upholding a Missouri law that bars anyone under 21 from witnessing an execution.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/police-executions-missouri-3c5c00c2e09cc3d4639b827e374e45a1">Kevin Johnson</a>&nbsp;is set to be executed Tuesday for killing Kirkwood, Missouri, Police Officer William McEntee in 2005. Johnson’s lawyers have appeals pending that seek to spare his life.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/executions-kansas-city-missouri-american-civil-liberties-union-fb286220ab2c127df3b9f56db67c6d45">His daughter, Khorry Ramey, had sought</a>&nbsp;to attend the execution, and the American Civil Liberties Union had filed an emergency motion with a federal court in Kansas City. The ACLU’s court filing said the age requirement served no safety purpose and violates Ramey’s constitutional rights. But U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes ruled late Friday that Ramey's constitutional rights would not be violated by the law.

“I’m heartbroken that I won’t be able to be with my dad in his last moments,” Ramey said in a statement. “My dad is the most important person in my life. He has been there for me my whole life, even though he’s been incarcerated."

While the judge acknowledged that the law would cause emotional harm for Ramey, he found that was just one part of the court's consideration and the law did not violate her constitutional rights.

Ramey said she was praying that Gov. Michael Parson would grant her father clemency. Johnson’s lawyers have filed appeals seeking to halt the execution. They don’t challenge his guilt but claim racism played a role in the decision to seek the death penalty, and in the jury’s decision to sentence him to die. Johnson is Black and McEntee was white.

Johnson’s lawyers also have asked the courts to intervene for other reasons, including a history of mental illness and his age — he was 19 at the time of the crime. Courts have increasingly moved away from sentencing teen offenders to death since the Supreme Court in 2005 banned the execution of offenders who were younger than 18 at the time of their crime.

In a court filing to the U.S. Supreme Court, the Missouri Attorney General’s Office stated there were no grounds for court intervention.

“The surviving victims of Johnson’s crimes have waited long enough for justice, and every day longer that they must wait is a day they are denied the chance to finally make peace with their loss,” the state petition stated.

Associated PressST. LOUIS (AP) — A federal judge has denied a request from a 19-year-old woman to allow her to watch her father’s death by injection, upholding a Missouri law that bars anyone under 21 from witnessing an execution.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/police-executions-missouri-3c5c00c2e09cc3d4639b827e374e45a1">Kevin Johnson</a>&nbsp;is set to be executed Tuesday for killing Kirkwood, Missouri, Police Officer William McEntee in 2005. Johnson’s lawyers have appeals pending that seek to spare his life.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/executions-kansas-city-missouri-american-civil-liberties-union-fb286220ab2c127df3b9f56db67c6d45">His daughter, Khorry Ramey, had sought</a>&nbsp;to attend the execution, and the American Civil Liberties Union had filed an emergency motion with a federal court in Kansas City. The ACLU’s court filing said the age requirement served no safety purpose and violates Ramey’s constitutional rights. But U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes ruled late Friday that Ramey's constitutional rights would not be violated by the law.“I’m heartbroken that I won’t be able to be with my dad in his last moments,” Ramey said in a statement. “My dad is the most important person in my life. He has been there for me my whole life, even though he’s been incarcerated."While the judge acknowledged that the law would cause emotional harm for Ramey, he found that was just one part of the court's consideration and the law did not violate her constitutional rights.Ramey said she was praying that Gov. Michael Parson would grant her father clemency. Johnson’s lawyers have filed appeals seeking to halt the execution. They don’t challenge his guilt but claim racism played a role in the decision to seek the death penalty, and in the jury’s decision to sentence him to die. Johnson is Black and McEntee was white.Johnson’s lawyers also have asked the courts to intervene for other reasons, including a history of mental illness and his age — he was 19 at the time of the crime. Courts have increasingly moved away from sentencing teen offenders to death since the Supreme Court in 2005 banned the execution of offenders who were younger than 18 at the time of their crime.In a court filing to the U.S. Supreme Court, the Missouri Attorney General’s Office stated there were no grounds for court intervention.“The surviving victims of Johnson’s crimes have waited long enough for justice, and every day longer that they must wait is a day they are denied the chance to finally make peace with their loss,” the state petition stated.

Judge denies 19-year-old's ask to attend father's execution

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22SAM%20MEDNICK%20and%20JAMEY%20KEATEN%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By SAM MEDNICK and JAMEY KEATEN Associated Press</a>

KHERSON, Ukraine (AP) — Fleeing shelling, civilians on Saturday streamed out of the southern Ukrainian city whose recapture they had celebrated just weeks earlier as the country remembered a Stalin-era famine and sought to ensure that Russia's war in Ukraine doesn’t deprive others worldwide of its vital food exports.

A line of trucks, vans and cars, some towing trailers or ferrying out pets and other belongings, stretched a kilometer or more on the outskirts of the city of Kherson.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-11bd38a125fa8e6d34ccb1fc62df8e3e">Days of intensive shelling</a>&nbsp;by Russian forces prompted a bittersweet exodus: Many civilians&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-business-46c1061fc44458c903cf12fa442c57e1">were happy</a>&nbsp;that their city had been won back, but lamented that they couldn't stay.

“It is sad that we are leaving our home,” said Yevhen Yankov, as a van he was in inched forward. "Now we are free, but we have to leave, because there is shelling, and there are dead among the population.”

Poking her head out from the back, Svitlana Romanivna added: “We went through real hell. Our neighborhood was burning, it was a nightmare. Everything was in flames.”

Emilie Fourrey, emergency project coordinator for aid group Doctors Without Borders in Ukraine, said an evacuation of 400 patients of Kherson's psychiatric hospital, which is situated near both an electrical plant and the frontline, had begun on Thursday and was set to continue in the coming days.

Kherson was one of many cities in recent days to face a blistering onslaught of Russian artillery fire and drone attacks, with the shelling especially intense there. Elsewhere, the barrage largely targeted infrastructure, though civilian casualties were reported. Repair crews across the country were scrambling Saturday to restore heat, electricity and water services that were blasted into disrepair.

Russia has ratcheted up its attacks on critical infrastructure after suffering battlefield setbacks. A prominent Russian nationalist said Saturday the Russian military doesn't have enough doctors, in what was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-moscow-fa5db922708b22b212f546b2f84a7cfb">a rare public admission</a>&nbsp;of problems within the military.

In the capital Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy oversaw a busy day of diplomacy, welcoming several European Union leaders for meetings and hosting an “International Summit on Food Security” to discuss food security and agricultural exports from the country.

The prime ministers of Belgium, Poland and Lithuania and the president of Hungary were on hand, and many others participated by video.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Ukraine — despite its own financial straits — has allocated 900 million hryvna ($24 million) to purchase corn for countries including Yemen, Sudan, Kenya and Nigeria.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine was working to get its grain on ships and to countries that need it.

“Our goal is ambitious and specific – to save at least 5 million people from hunger," Zelenskyy said.

The reminder about food supplies was timely: Ukrainians were marking the 90th anniversary of the start of the “Holodomor,” or Great Famine, which killed more than 3 million people over two years as the Soviet government under dictator Josef Stalin confiscated food and grain supplies and deported many Ukrainians.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz marked the commemoration by drawing parallels with the impact of the war on Ukraine on world markets. Exports from Ukraine have resumed under a U.N.-brokered deal but have still been far short of pre-war levels, driving up global prices.

“Today, we stand united in stating that hunger must never again be used as a weapon,” Scholz said in a video message. “That is why we cannot tolerate what we are witnessing: The worst global food crisis in years with abhorrent consequences for millions of people – from Afghanistan to Madagascar, from the Sahel to the Horn of Africa.”

He said Germany, with the U.N.'s World Food Program, will provide an additional 15 million euros for further grain shipments from Ukraine.

Scholz spokes as a cross-party group of lawmakers in Germany are seeking to pass a parliamentary resolution next week that would recognize the 1930s famine as “genocide.”

Last year Ukraine and Russia provided around 30% of the world’s exported wheat and barley, 20% of its corn, and over 50% of its sunflower oil, the U.N. has said.

In a post on the Telegram social network on Saturday, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said more than 3,000 specialists for a local utility continued to work “around the clock” and had succeeded in restoring heat to more than more than 90% of residential buildings. While about one-quarter of Kyiv residents remained without electricity, he said water serviced had been returned to all in the city.

The scramble to restore power came as Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo met Saturday with Zelenskyy in Kyiv.

“This might be a difficult winter,” he said, alluding to Belgium's contributions of generators, and support for schools and hospitals in Ukraine, as well as military aid such as “fuel, machine guns, propelled artillery and so on.”

“And by standing here, we hope that we provide you hope and resilience in fighting through this difficult period.”

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22SAM%20MEDNICK%20and%20JAMEY%20KEATEN%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By SAM MEDNICK and JAMEY KEATEN Associated Press</a>KHERSON, Ukraine (AP) — Fleeing shelling, civilians on Saturday streamed out of the southern Ukrainian city whose recapture they had celebrated just weeks earlier as the country remembered a Stalin-era famine and sought to ensure that Russia's war in Ukraine doesn’t deprive others worldwide of its vital food exports.A line of trucks, vans and cars, some towing trailers or ferrying out pets and other belongings, stretched a kilometer or more on the outskirts of the city of Kherson.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-11bd38a125fa8e6d34ccb1fc62df8e3e">Days of intensive shelling</a>&nbsp;by Russian forces prompted a bittersweet exodus: Many civilians&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-business-46c1061fc44458c903cf12fa442c57e1">were happy</a>&nbsp;that their city had been won back, but lamented that they couldn't stay.“It is sad that we are leaving our home,” said Yevhen Yankov, as a van he was in inched forward. "Now we are free, but we have to leave, because there is shelling, and there are dead among the population.”Poking her head out from the back, Svitlana Romanivna added: “We went through real hell. Our neighborhood was burning, it was a nightmare. Everything was in flames.”Emilie Fourrey, emergency project coordinator for aid group Doctors Without Borders in Ukraine, said an evacuation of 400 patients of Kherson's psychiatric hospital, which is situated near both an electrical plant and the frontline, had begun on Thursday and was set to continue in the coming days.Kherson was one of many cities in recent days to face a blistering onslaught of Russian artillery fire and drone attacks, with the shelling especially intense there. Elsewhere, the barrage largely targeted infrastructure, though civilian casualties were reported. Repair crews across the country were scrambling Saturday to restore heat, electricity and water services that were blasted into disrepair.Russia has ratcheted up its attacks on critical infrastructure after suffering battlefield setbacks. A prominent Russian nationalist said Saturday the Russian military doesn't have enough doctors, in what was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-moscow-fa5db922708b22b212f546b2f84a7cfb">a rare public admission</a>&nbsp;of problems within the military.In the capital Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy oversaw a busy day of diplomacy, welcoming several European Union leaders for meetings and hosting an “International Summit on Food Security” to discuss food security and agricultural exports from the country.The prime ministers of Belgium, Poland and Lithuania and the president of Hungary were on hand, and many others participated by video.Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Ukraine — despite its own financial straits — has allocated 900 million hryvna ($24 million) to purchase corn for countries including Yemen, Sudan, Kenya and Nigeria.Zelenskyy said Ukraine was working to get its grain on ships and to countries that need it.“Our goal is ambitious and specific – to save at least 5 million people from hunger," Zelenskyy said.The reminder about food supplies was timely: Ukrainians were marking the 90th anniversary of the start of the “Holodomor,” or Great Famine, which killed more than 3 million people over two years as the Soviet government under dictator Josef Stalin confiscated food and grain supplies and deported many Ukrainians.German Chancellor Olaf Scholz marked the commemoration by drawing parallels with the impact of the war on Ukraine on world markets. Exports from Ukraine have resumed under a U.N.-brokered deal but have still been far short of pre-war levels, driving up global prices.“Today, we stand united in stating that hunger must never again be used as a weapon,” Scholz said in a video message. “That is why we cannot tolerate what we are witnessing: The worst global food crisis in years with abhorrent consequences for millions of people – from Afghanistan to Madagascar, from the Sahel to the Horn of Africa.”He said Germany, with the U.N.'s World Food Program, will provide an additional 15 million euros for further grain shipments from Ukraine.Scholz spokes as a cross-party group of lawmakers in Germany are seeking to pass a parliamentary resolution next week that would recognize the 1930s famine as “genocide.”Last year Ukraine and Russia provided around 30% of the world’s exported wheat and barley, 20% of its corn, and over 50% of its sunflower oil, the U.N. has said.In a post on the Telegram social network on Saturday, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said more than 3,000 specialists for a local utility continued to work “around the clock” and had succeeded in restoring heat to more than more than 90% of residential buildings. While about one-quarter of Kyiv residents remained without electricity, he said water serviced had been returned to all in the city.The scramble to restore power came as Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo met Saturday with Zelenskyy in Kyiv.“This might be a difficult winter,” he said, alluding to Belgium's contributions of generators, and support for schools and hospitals in Ukraine, as well as military aid such as “fuel, machine guns, propelled artillery and so on.”“And by standing here, we hope that we provide you hope and resilience in fighting through this difficult period.”

Civilians escape Kherson after Russian strikes on freed city

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22HUIZHONG%20WU%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By HUIZHONG WU Associated Press</a>

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen resigned as head of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party following local election losses on Saturday in which voters chose the opposition Nationalist party in several major races across the self-ruled island.

Concerns about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taiwan-technology-science-business-china-35b2b91bcf82de7f86e784388f0a0245">threats from rival China,</a>&nbsp;which claims Taiwan as its territory, took a backseat to more local issues in the elections.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-taiwan-europe-china-tsai-ing-wen-57bb77e6d3591a3848f12e4264c49e72">Tsai had spoken out many times</a>&nbsp;about “opposing China and defending Taiwan” in the course of campaigning for her party. But the party’s candidate Chen Shih-chung, who lost his battle for mayor of Taipei, only raised the issue of the Chinese Communist Party’s threat a few times before he quickly switched back to local issues as there was little interest.

Tsai offered her resignation on Saturday evening, a tradition after a major loss, in a short speech in which she also thanked supporters.

“I must shoulder all the responsibility,” she said. “Faced with a result like this, there are many areas that we must deeply review.”

While international observers and the ruling party have attempted to link the elections to the long-term existential threat that is Taiwan’s neighbor, many local experts do not think China had a large role to play this time around.

“The international community has raised the stakes too high. They’ve raised a local election to this international level, and Taiwan’s survival,” said Yeh-lih Wang, a political science professor at National Taiwan University.

During campaigning, there were few mentions of the large-scale military exercises targeting Taiwan that China held in August in reaction to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit.

“So I think if you can’t even raise this issue in Taipei, you don’t even need to consider it in cities in the south,” Wang said.

Candidates from the Nationalist party won the mayoral seat in Taipei, Taiwan's capital, as well as in Taoyuan, Taichung and New Taipei city.

Taiwanese were picking mayors, city council members and other local leaders in all 13 counties and in nine cities. There was also a referendum to lower the voting age from 20 to 18, which was defeated, according to local media.

Chiang Wan-an, the new Taipei mayor, declared victory Saturday night in a large rally. “I will let the world see Taipei's greatness,” he said.

Not all votes had been formally counted by the time of his speech, but Chiang and the other candidates' numerical lead allowed them to declare victory.

Kao Hung-an, a candidate in the relatively new Taiwan People's Party, won the mayoral seat in Hsinchu, home to many of Taiwan's semi-conductor companies.

Campaigns had resolutely focused on the local: air pollution in the central city of Taichung, traffic snarls in Taipei’s tech hub Nangang, and the island’s COVID-19 vaccine purchasing strategies, which had left the island in short supply during an outbreak last year.

The defeat for the ruling DPP may be partly due to how it handled the pandemic.

“The public has some dissatisfaction with the DPP on this, even though Taiwan has done well relatively speaking in pandemic prevention,” said Weihao Huang, a political science professor at National Sun Yat-sen University.

At an elementary school in New Taipei City, the city that surrounds Taipei, voters young and old came early despite the rain.

Yu Mei-zhu, 60, said she came to cast her ballot for the incumbent Mayor Hou You-yi. “I think he has done well, so I want to continue to support him. I believe in him, and that he can improve our environment in New Taipei City and our transportation infrastructure."

Tsai came out early Saturday morning to cast her ballot, catching many voters by surprise as her security and entourage swept through the school.

“If the DPP loses many county seats, then their ability to rule will face a very strong challenge,” said You Ying-lung, chair at the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation that regularly conducts public surveys on political issues.

The election results will in some ways also reflect the public's attitude toward the ruling party's performance in the last two years, You said.

Some felt apathetic to the local race. “It feels as if everyone is almost the same, from the policy standpoint,” said 26-year-old Sean Tai, an employee at a hardware store.

Tai declined to say who he voted for, but wants someone who will raise Taipei's profile and bring better economic prospects while keeping the status quo with China. “We don’t want to be completely sealed off. I really hope that Taiwan can be seen internationally," he said.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22HUIZHONG%20WU%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By HUIZHONG WU Associated Press</a>TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen resigned as head of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party following local election losses on Saturday in which voters chose the opposition Nationalist party in several major races across the self-ruled island.Concerns about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taiwan-technology-science-business-china-35b2b91bcf82de7f86e784388f0a0245">threats from rival China,</a>&nbsp;which claims Taiwan as its territory, took a backseat to more local issues in the elections.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-taiwan-europe-china-tsai-ing-wen-57bb77e6d3591a3848f12e4264c49e72">Tsai had spoken out many times</a>&nbsp;about “opposing China and defending Taiwan” in the course of campaigning for her party. But the party’s candidate Chen Shih-chung, who lost his battle for mayor of Taipei, only raised the issue of the Chinese Communist Party’s threat a few times before he quickly switched back to local issues as there was little interest.Tsai offered her resignation on Saturday evening, a tradition after a major loss, in a short speech in which she also thanked supporters.“I must shoulder all the responsibility,” she said. “Faced with a result like this, there are many areas that we must deeply review.”While international observers and the ruling party have attempted to link the elections to the long-term existential threat that is Taiwan’s neighbor, many local experts do not think China had a large role to play this time around.“The international community has raised the stakes too high. They’ve raised a local election to this international level, and Taiwan’s survival,” said Yeh-lih Wang, a political science professor at National Taiwan University.During campaigning, there were few mentions of the large-scale military exercises targeting Taiwan that China held in August in reaction to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit.“So I think if you can’t even raise this issue in Taipei, you don’t even need to consider it in cities in the south,” Wang said.Candidates from the Nationalist party won the mayoral seat in Taipei, Taiwan's capital, as well as in Taoyuan, Taichung and New Taipei city.Taiwanese were picking mayors, city council members and other local leaders in all 13 counties and in nine cities. There was also a referendum to lower the voting age from 20 to 18, which was defeated, according to local media.Chiang Wan-an, the new Taipei mayor, declared victory Saturday night in a large rally. “I will let the world see Taipei's greatness,” he said.Not all votes had been formally counted by the time of his speech, but Chiang and the other candidates' numerical lead allowed them to declare victory.Kao Hung-an, a candidate in the relatively new Taiwan People's Party, won the mayoral seat in Hsinchu, home to many of Taiwan's semi-conductor companies.Campaigns had resolutely focused on the local: air pollution in the central city of Taichung, traffic snarls in Taipei’s tech hub Nangang, and the island’s COVID-19 vaccine purchasing strategies, which had left the island in short supply during an outbreak last year.The defeat for the ruling DPP may be partly due to how it handled the pandemic.“The public has some dissatisfaction with the DPP on this, even though Taiwan has done well relatively speaking in pandemic prevention,” said Weihao Huang, a political science professor at National Sun Yat-sen University.At an elementary school in New Taipei City, the city that surrounds Taipei, voters young and old came early despite the rain.Yu Mei-zhu, 60, said she came to cast her ballot for the incumbent Mayor Hou You-yi. “I think he has done well, so I want to continue to support him. I believe in him, and that he can improve our environment in New Taipei City and our transportation infrastructure."Tsai came out early Saturday morning to cast her ballot, catching many voters by surprise as her security and entourage swept through the school.“If the DPP loses many county seats, then their ability to rule will face a very strong challenge,” said You Ying-lung, chair at the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation that regularly conducts public surveys on political issues.The election results will in some ways also reflect the public's attitude toward the ruling party's performance in the last two years, You said.Some felt apathetic to the local race. “It feels as if everyone is almost the same, from the policy standpoint,” said 26-year-old Sean Tai, an employee at a hardware store.Tai declined to say who he voted for, but wants someone who will raise Taipei's profile and bring better economic prospects while keeping the status quo with China. “We don’t want to be completely sealed off. I really hope that Taiwan can be seen internationally," he said.

Taiwan president resigns as party leader after election loss

WASHINGTON (AP) — State-level law enforcement units created after the
 2020 presidential election to investigate voter fraud are looking into 
scattered complaints more than two weeks after the <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections">midterms</a> but have provided no indication of systemic problems.

That's
 just what election experts had expected and led critics to suggest that
 the new units were more about politics than rooting out widespread 
abuses. Most election-related fraud cases already are investigated and 
prosecuted at the local level.

Florida, Georgia and Virginia 
created special state-level units after the 2020 election, all pushed by
 Republican governors, attorneys general or legislatures.

“I am 
not aware of any significant detection of fraud on Election Day, but 
that’s not surprising,” said Paul Smith, senior vice president of the 
Campaign Legal Center. “The whole concept of voter impersonation fraud 
is such a horribly exaggerated problem. It doesn’t change the outcome of
 the election, it's a felony, you risk getting put in jail and you have a
 high possibility of getting caught. It's a rare phenomena.”

The absence of widespread fraud is important because <a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-michael-pence-electoral-college-elections-health-2d9bd47a8bd3561682ac46c6b3873a10">the lies</a> surrounding the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-claims-biden-won-explained-bd53b14ce871412b462cb3fe2c563f18">2020 presidential election</a>
 spread by former President Donald Trump and his allies have penetrated 
deeply into the Republican Party and eroded trust in elections. In the 
run-up to this year's elections, 45% of Republicans had <a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-presidential-election-2020-democracy-33823de7f22a601a192fc82eeb88e630">little to no confidence</a> that votes would be counted accurately.

An Associated Press investigation found there was <a href="https://apnews.com/article/voter-fraud-election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-7fcb6f134e528fee8237c7601db3328f">no widespread fraud</a> in Georgia or the five other <a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-arizona-donald-trump-voter-registration-tucson-c64bba90b8c074bf8bdfd2c751b6b0f2">battleground states</a> where Trump disputed his 2020 loss, and so far there is no indication of that in this year's elections. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-nevada-michigan-election-recounts-a2df6e14df54c99d6398985ebf465692">Certification of the results</a> is going smoothly in most states, with few complaints.

In
 Georgia, where Trump tried to pressure state officials to “find” enough
 votes to overturn his loss, a new law gives the state’s top law 
enforcement agency, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, authority to 
initiate investigations of alleged election fraud without a request from
 election officials. The alleged violation would have to be significant 
enough to change or create doubt about the outcome of an election.

GBI
 spokesperson Nelly Miles said the agency has not initiated any 
investigations under the statute. The agency is assisting the secretary 
of state’s office in an investigation of <a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-technology-lawsuits-donald-trump-voting-6a1324cc6cf45c95ca086a5c81617b15">a breach of voting equipment in Coffee County</a> in 2021, but that is its only recent election fraud investigation, she said in an email.

That
 breach, which came to light earlier this year, involved local officials
 in a county that voted for Trump by nearly 40 percentage points in 2020
 and some high-profile supporters of the former president.

State 
Rep. Jasmine Clark, a Democrat who opposed the additional authority for 
the bureau, said the lack of investigations validates the criticism that
 the law was unnecessary. But she said just the prospect of a GBI 
investigation could intimidate people who want to serve as poll workers 
or take on some other role in the voting process.

“In this 
situation, there was no actual problem to be solved,” Clark said. “This 
was a solution looking for a problem, and that’s never the way that we 
should legislate.”

Florida has been the most visible state, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-covid-health-crime-florida-5fad57fac85e0944b6e8eeb423b195b7">creating its Office of Election Crimes and Security</a> amid much fanfare this year and keeping <a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-crime-police-florida-voting-6faba6b361ef699eb3f90988a849d33c">a pledge that Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis made</a> in 2021 to combat unspecified election fraud.

The
 office is under the Florida Department of State. It reviews allegations
 and then tasks state law enforcement with pursuing violations.

DeSantis this summer announced the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-voting-rights-florida-presidential-bfbf3d7d4f5dea4fa2a11589e4235c71">election unit had arrested 20</a>
 people for illegally voting in the 2020 election, when the state had 
14.4 million registered voters. That was the first major election since a
 state constitutional amendment restored voting rights for felons, 
except for those convicted of murder or felony sex crimes or those who 
still owe fines, fees or restitution.

Court records show the 20 
people were able to register to vote despite prior felony convictions, 
apparently leading them to believe they could legally cast ballots. At 
least part of the confusion stems from language in the voter 
registration forms that requires applicants to swear they are not a 
felon — or if they are, that they have had their rights restored. The 
forms do not inquire specifically about past convictions for murder and 
felony sexual assault.

One of the people charged, 56-year-old 
Robert Lee Wood, had his home surrounded early one morning by law 
enforcement officers who banged on his door and arrested him. He spent 
two days in jail. Wood’s lawyer, Larry Davis, said his client did not 
think he was breaking the law because he was able to register to vote 
without issue. Davis called the law enforcement reaction “over the top” 
in this case.

Wood’s case was dismissed by a Miami judge in late 
October on jurisdictional grounds, because it was brought by the Office 
of the Statewide Prosecutor rather than local prosecutors in Miami. The 
state is appealing the ruling.

Andrea Mercado, executive director 
of Florida Rising, an independent political activist organization 
focused on economic and racial justice in the state, said the 
disproportionate targeting of such would-be voters was sending a 
“chilling message to all returning citizens who want to register to 
vote.” She said her group found that many of them were confused about 
the requirements.

“You have to go to 67 counties' websites and 
find their individual county processes to see if you have a fine or 
fee,” she said. “It’s a labyrinthian ordeal.”

Weeks before the 
Nov. 8 election, the Office of Election Crimes and Security began 
notifying Florida counties of hundreds of registered voters who 
potentially were ineligible to vote because of prior convictions. In 
letters to the counties, state officials asked that election officials 
verify the information and then take action to prevent ineligible voters
 from casting ballots.

“We’ve heard stories about voters who are 
eligible to vote but have a criminal conviction in their past, and they 
are now scared to register and vote," said Michael Pernick, a voting 
rights attorney with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. He called it “deeply 
concerning.”

A spokesman for the new office did not provide 
information related to any other actions it might have taken or 
investigations it might have underway related to this year’s primary and
 general elections.

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares 
announced he was forming his own Election Integrity Unit in September, 
saying it would “work to help restore confidence in our democratic 
process in the Commonwealth.”

The formation of the unit came in a state where Republicans <a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-day-2021-virginia-2bbad4e99c1a9bd4b5b943551b0ba303">swept the three statewide offices</a> in 2021 elections, including Miyares' defeat of a Democratic incumbent.

His
 spokeswoman, Victoria LaCivita, said in a written response to questions
 from The Associated Press that the office had received complaints 
connected to this month's elections, but she could not comment on 
whether any investigations had resulted.

In addition, “the EIU 
successfully got a demurrer and a motion to dismiss” an attempt to force
 the state to abandon its use of electronic voting machines to count 
ballots and institute a statewide hand count.

Miyares' office said
 he was not available for an interview, but in a letter to the editor in
 The Washington Post in October he stated there was no widespread fraud 
in Virginia or anywhere else during the 2020 election. He said his 
office already had jurisdiction in election-related issues but that he 
was restructuring it into a unit to work more cooperatively with the 
election community to allay any doubts about the fairness of elections.

Smith,
 of the Campaign Legal Center, said there are real issues related to 
election security, including protecting voters, poll workers and 
elections staff, and securing voting equipment. But he said Republican 
steps to boost what they often refer to as “election integrity” to 
combat voter fraud often are about something else.

“It’s a myth that’s created so they can justify making it harder for people to vote,” he said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — State-level law enforcement units created after the
 2020 presidential election to investigate voter fraud are looking into 
scattered complaints more than two weeks after the <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections">midterms</a> but have provided no indication of systemic problems.That's
 just what election experts had expected and led critics to suggest that
 the new units were more about politics than rooting out widespread 
abuses. Most election-related fraud cases already are investigated and 
prosecuted at the local level.Florida, Georgia and Virginia 
created special state-level units after the 2020 election, all pushed by
 Republican governors, attorneys general or legislatures.“I am 
not aware of any significant detection of fraud on Election Day, but 
that’s not surprising,” said Paul Smith, senior vice president of the 
Campaign Legal Center. “The whole concept of voter impersonation fraud 
is such a horribly exaggerated problem. It doesn’t change the outcome of
 the election, it's a felony, you risk getting put in jail and you have a
 high possibility of getting caught. It's a rare phenomena.”The absence of widespread fraud is important because <a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-michael-pence-electoral-college-elections-health-2d9bd47a8bd3561682ac46c6b3873a10">the lies</a> surrounding the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-claims-biden-won-explained-bd53b14ce871412b462cb3fe2c563f18">2020 presidential election</a>
 spread by former President Donald Trump and his allies have penetrated 
deeply into the Republican Party and eroded trust in elections. In the 
run-up to this year's elections, 45% of Republicans had <a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-presidential-election-2020-democracy-33823de7f22a601a192fc82eeb88e630">little to no confidence</a> that votes would be counted accurately.An Associated Press investigation found there was <a href="https://apnews.com/article/voter-fraud-election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-7fcb6f134e528fee8237c7601db3328f">no widespread fraud</a> in Georgia or the five other <a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-arizona-donald-trump-voter-registration-tucson-c64bba90b8c074bf8bdfd2c751b6b0f2">battleground states</a> where Trump disputed his 2020 loss, and so far there is no indication of that in this year's elections. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-nevada-michigan-election-recounts-a2df6e14df54c99d6398985ebf465692">Certification of the results</a> is going smoothly in most states, with few complaints.In
 Georgia, where Trump tried to pressure state officials to “find” enough
 votes to overturn his loss, a new law gives the state’s top law 
enforcement agency, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, authority to 
initiate investigations of alleged election fraud without a request from
 election officials. The alleged violation would have to be significant 
enough to change or create doubt about the outcome of an election.GBI
 spokesperson Nelly Miles said the agency has not initiated any 
investigations under the statute. The agency is assisting the secretary 
of state’s office in an investigation of <a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-technology-lawsuits-donald-trump-voting-6a1324cc6cf45c95ca086a5c81617b15">a breach of voting equipment in Coffee County</a> in 2021, but that is its only recent election fraud investigation, she said in an email.That
 breach, which came to light earlier this year, involved local officials
 in a county that voted for Trump by nearly 40 percentage points in 2020
 and some high-profile supporters of the former president.State 
Rep. Jasmine Clark, a Democrat who opposed the additional authority for 
the bureau, said the lack of investigations validates the criticism that
 the law was unnecessary. But she said just the prospect of a GBI 
investigation could intimidate people who want to serve as poll workers 
or take on some other role in the voting process.“In this 
situation, there was no actual problem to be solved,” Clark said. “This 
was a solution looking for a problem, and that’s never the way that we 
should legislate.”Florida has been the most visible state, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-covid-health-crime-florida-5fad57fac85e0944b6e8eeb423b195b7">creating its Office of Election Crimes and Security</a> amid much fanfare this year and keeping <a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-crime-police-florida-voting-6faba6b361ef699eb3f90988a849d33c">a pledge that Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis made</a> in 2021 to combat unspecified election fraud.The
 office is under the Florida Department of State. It reviews allegations
 and then tasks state law enforcement with pursuing violations.DeSantis this summer announced the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-voting-rights-florida-presidential-bfbf3d7d4f5dea4fa2a11589e4235c71">election unit had arrested 20</a>
 people for illegally voting in the 2020 election, when the state had 
14.4 million registered voters. That was the first major election since a
 state constitutional amendment restored voting rights for felons, 
except for those convicted of murder or felony sex crimes or those who 
still owe fines, fees or restitution.Court records show the 20 
people were able to register to vote despite prior felony convictions, 
apparently leading them to believe they could legally cast ballots. At 
least part of the confusion stems from language in the voter 
registration forms that requires applicants to swear they are not a 
felon — or if they are, that they have had their rights restored. The 
forms do not inquire specifically about past convictions for murder and 
felony sexual assault.One of the people charged, 56-year-old 
Robert Lee Wood, had his home surrounded early one morning by law 
enforcement officers who banged on his door and arrested him. He spent 
two days in jail. Wood’s lawyer, Larry Davis, said his client did not 
think he was breaking the law because he was able to register to vote 
without issue. Davis called the law enforcement reaction “over the top” 
in this case.Wood’s case was dismissed by a Miami judge in late 
October on jurisdictional grounds, because it was brought by the Office 
of the Statewide Prosecutor rather than local prosecutors in Miami. The 
state is appealing the ruling.Andrea Mercado, executive director 
of Florida Rising, an independent political activist organization 
focused on economic and racial justice in the state, said the 
disproportionate targeting of such would-be voters was sending a 
“chilling message to all returning citizens who want to register to 
vote.” She said her group found that many of them were confused about 
the requirements.“You have to go to 67 counties' websites and 
find their individual county processes to see if you have a fine or 
fee,” she said. “It’s a labyrinthian ordeal.”Weeks before the 
Nov. 8 election, the Office of Election Crimes and Security began 
notifying Florida counties of hundreds of registered voters who 
potentially were ineligible to vote because of prior convictions. In 
letters to the counties, state officials asked that election officials 
verify the information and then take action to prevent ineligible voters
 from casting ballots.“We’ve heard stories about voters who are 
eligible to vote but have a criminal conviction in their past, and they 
are now scared to register and vote," said Michael Pernick, a voting 
rights attorney with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. He called it “deeply 
concerning.”A spokesman for the new office did not provide 
information related to any other actions it might have taken or 
investigations it might have underway related to this year’s primary and
 general elections.Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares 
announced he was forming his own Election Integrity Unit in September, 
saying it would “work to help restore confidence in our democratic 
process in the Commonwealth.”The formation of the unit came in a state where Republicans <a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-day-2021-virginia-2bbad4e99c1a9bd4b5b943551b0ba303">swept the three statewide offices</a> in 2021 elections, including Miyares' defeat of a Democratic incumbent.His
 spokeswoman, Victoria LaCivita, said in a written response to questions
 from The Associated Press that the office had received complaints 
connected to this month's elections, but she could not comment on 
whether any investigations had resulted.In addition, “the EIU 
successfully got a demurrer and a motion to dismiss” an attempt to force
 the state to abandon its use of electronic voting machines to count 
ballots and institute a statewide hand count.Miyares' office said
 he was not available for an interview, but in a letter to the editor in
 The Washington Post in October he stated there was no widespread fraud 
in Virginia or anywhere else during the 2020 election. He said his 
office already had jurisdiction in election-related issues but that he 
was restructuring it into a unit to work more cooperatively with the 
election community to allay any doubts about the fairness of elections.Smith,
 of the Campaign Legal Center, said there are real issues related to 
election security, including protecting voters, poll workers and 
elections staff, and securing voting equipment. But he said Republican 
steps to boost what they often refer to as “election integrity” to 
combat voter fraud often are about something else.“It’s a myth that’s created so they can justify making it harder for people to vote,” he said.

New state voter fraud units finding few cases from midterms

By BRENT MARTIN St. Joseph Post

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — A disruption in the supply chain has already had negative
ripple effects through the economy.

A possible rail strike looms after another railroad union
rejected an agreement brokered by the Biden administration.

Northern Missouri Congressman Sam Graves, the ranking
Republican on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, says there
is a very good chance Congress will have to intervene to prevent a rail strike
that could cripple the economy.

“It does worry me with Christmas coming on and what we’re
seeing,” Graves tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “We are still under Speaker Pelosi,
her leadership, up until January 3rd and she’s going to have to make
a decision.”

The possibility of a rail strike grew earlier this week when
one of the biggest rail unions rejected the compromise, joining three other
unions that contend rail freight companies haven’t agreed to ease demanding
schedules and offer paid sick time.

Unions could call for a strike as early as December 9th.

Congress has stepped in before. A strike in 1992 lasted all of
two days before Congress imposed a contract. A 1926 law governing rail
negotiations makes it very difficult for rail workers to go on strike.

Railroads
haul about 40% of the nation's freight each year. Railroads estimate a strike
would cost the national economy $2 billion a day. Trucking would not be able to
pick up the slack if railroads shut down.

Graves says the timing couldn’t be much worse with the
Christmas shopping season underway. Graves says Congress might be forced to
intervene.

“It would be nice if they could come to an agreement, but if
they won’t, then Congress needs to intervene, because it could cripple the
country,” Graves says.

Also, a
freight rail shutdown would nearly bring passenger rail to a halt. Around half
of all commuter trains run over tracks owned by freight railroads. Nearly all
long-distance Amtrak routes run over freight tracks.

Nationally, retailers appear set for this Christmas, but that
doesn’t mean they don’t have concerns about a possible rail strike.

“We
don’t see, you know, canceling Christmas and that kind of narrative,” Jess
Dankert, the vice president for supply chain at the Retail Industry Leaders
Association, Dankert said. “But I think we will see the generalized disruption
of really anything that moves by rail.”

David
Garfield, a managing director with the consulting firm AlixPartners, said a
rail strike could still impact holiday items shipped to stores later in
December, and would definitely hamper stocking of next season’s goods.

Retailers
are also concerned about online orders. Shippers like FedEx and UPS use rail
cars that hold roughly 2,000 packages in each car.

Associated
Press Writers David Pitt in Des Moines, Iowa, and Dee-Ann Durbin in Detroit
contributed to this report.

By BRENT MARTIN St. Joseph PostST. JOSEPH, Mo. — A disruption in the supply chain has already had negative
ripple effects through the economy.It could get worse.A possible rail strike looms after another railroad union
rejected an agreement brokered by the Biden administration.Northern Missouri Congressman Sam Graves, the ranking
Republican on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, says there
is a very good chance Congress will have to intervene to prevent a rail strike
that could cripple the economy.“It does worry me with Christmas coming on and what we’re
seeing,” Graves tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “We are still under Speaker Pelosi,
her leadership, up until January 3rd and she’s going to have to make
a decision.”The possibility of a rail strike grew earlier this week when
one of the biggest rail unions rejected the compromise, joining three other
unions that contend rail freight companies haven’t agreed to ease demanding
schedules and offer paid sick time.Unions could call for a strike as early as December 9th.Congress has stepped in before. A strike in 1992 lasted all of
two days before Congress imposed a contract. A 1926 law governing rail
negotiations makes it very difficult for rail workers to go on strike.Railroads
haul about 40% of the nation's freight each year. Railroads estimate a strike
would cost the national economy $2 billion a day. Trucking would not be able to
pick up the slack if railroads shut down.Graves says the timing couldn’t be much worse with the
Christmas shopping season underway. Graves says Congress might be forced to
intervene.“It would be nice if they could come to an agreement, but if
they won’t, then Congress needs to intervene, because it could cripple the
country,” Graves says.Also, a
freight rail shutdown would nearly bring passenger rail to a halt. Around half
of all commuter trains run over tracks owned by freight railroads. Nearly all
long-distance Amtrak routes run over freight tracks.Nationally, retailers appear set for this Christmas, but that
doesn’t mean they don’t have concerns about a possible rail strike.“We
don’t see, you know, canceling Christmas and that kind of narrative,” Jess
Dankert, the vice president for supply chain at the Retail Industry Leaders
Association, Dankert said. “But I think we will see the generalized disruption
of really anything that moves by rail.”David
Garfield, a managing director with the consulting firm AlixPartners, said a
rail strike could still impact holiday items shipped to stores later in
December, and would definitely hamper stocking of next season’s goods.Retailers
are also concerned about online orders. Shippers like FedEx and UPS use rail
cars that hold roughly 2,000 packages in each car.Associated
Press Writers David Pitt in Des Moines, Iowa, and Dee-Ann Durbin in Detroit
contributed to this report.

Congressman: Congress might have to intervene to prevent rail strike

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22MARK%20KENNEDY%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer</a>

NEW YORK (AP) — Oscar, Golden Globe and two-time Grammy winning singer-actress Irene Cara, who starred and sang the title cut from the 1980 hit movie “Fame” and then belted out the era-defining hit “Flashdance ... What a Feeling” from 1983's “Flashdance,” has died. She was 63.

Her publicist, Judith A. Moose, announced the news on social media, writing that a cause of death was “currently unknown.” Moose also confirmed the death to an Associated Press reporter on Saturday. Cara died at her home in Florida. The exact day of her death was not disclosed.

“Irene’s family has requested privacy as they process their grief,” Moose wrote. “She was a beautifully gifted soul whose legacy will live forever through her music and films.”

During her career, Cara had three Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including “Breakdance,” “Out Here On My Own,” “Fame” and “Flashdance ... What A Feeling,” which spent six weeks at No. 1. She was behind some of the most joyful, high-energy pop anthems of the early ’80s.

Tributes poured in on Saturday on social media, including from Deborah Cox, who called Cara an inspiration, and Holly Robinson Peete, who recalled seeing Cara perform: "The insane combination of talent and beauty was overwhelming to me. This hurts my heart so much.”

She first came to prominence among the young actors playing performing arts high schoolers in Alan Parker's “Fame,” with co-stars Debbie Allen, Paul McCrane and Anne Mear. Cara played Coco Hernandez, a striving dancer who endures all manner of deprivations, including a creepy nude photo shoot.

“How bright our spirits go shooting out into space, depends on how much we contributed to the earthly brilliance of this world. And I mean to be a major contributor!” she says in the movie.

Cara sang on the soaring title song with the chorus — “Remember my name/I’m gonna live forever/I’m gonna learn how to fly/I feel it coming together/People will see me and cry” — which would go on to be nominated for an Academy Award for best original song. She also sang on “Out Here on My Own,” "Hot Lunch Jam" and “I Sing the Body Electric.”

Allen took to Twitter Saturday to mourn, posting pictures of them together and calling Cara a “a gifted and beautiful genius. Her talent and her music will live forever! Forever remember her name!”

Three years later, she and the songwriting team of “Flashdance” — music by Giorgio Moroder, lyrics by Keith Forsey and Cara — was accepting the Oscar for best original song for “Flashdance ... What a Feeling.”

The movie starred Jennifer Beals as a steel-town girl who dances in a bar at night and hopes to attend a prestigious dance conservatory. It included the hit song “Maniac,” featuring Beals’ character leaping, spinning, stomping her feet and the slow-burning theme song.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22MARK%20KENNEDY%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer</a>NEW YORK (AP) — Oscar, Golden Globe and two-time Grammy winning singer-actress Irene Cara, who starred and sang the title cut from the 1980 hit movie “Fame” and then belted out the era-defining hit “Flashdance ... What a Feeling” from 1983's “Flashdance,” has died. She was 63.Her publicist, Judith A. Moose, announced the news on social media, writing that a cause of death was “currently unknown.” Moose also confirmed the death to an Associated Press reporter on Saturday. Cara died at her home in Florida. The exact day of her death was not disclosed.“Irene’s family has requested privacy as they process their grief,” Moose wrote. “She was a beautifully gifted soul whose legacy will live forever through her music and films.”During her career, Cara had three Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including “Breakdance,” “Out Here On My Own,” “Fame” and “Flashdance ... What A Feeling,” which spent six weeks at No. 1. She was behind some of the most joyful, high-energy pop anthems of the early ’80s.Tributes poured in on Saturday on social media, including from Deborah Cox, who called Cara an inspiration, and Holly Robinson Peete, who recalled seeing Cara perform: "The insane combination of talent and beauty was overwhelming to me. This hurts my heart so much.”She first came to prominence among the young actors playing performing arts high schoolers in Alan Parker's “Fame,” with co-stars Debbie Allen, Paul McCrane and Anne Mear. Cara played Coco Hernandez, a striving dancer who endures all manner of deprivations, including a creepy nude photo shoot.“How bright our spirits go shooting out into space, depends on how much we contributed to the earthly brilliance of this world. And I mean to be a major contributor!” she says in the movie.Cara sang on the soaring title song with the chorus — “Remember my name/I’m gonna live forever/I’m gonna learn how to fly/I feel it coming together/People will see me and cry” — which would go on to be nominated for an Academy Award for best original song. She also sang on “Out Here on My Own,” "Hot Lunch Jam" and “I Sing the Body Electric.”Allen took to Twitter Saturday to mourn, posting pictures of them together and calling Cara a “a gifted and beautiful genius. Her talent and her music will live forever! Forever remember her name!”Three years later, she and the songwriting team of “Flashdance” — music by Giorgio Moroder, lyrics by Keith Forsey and Cara — was accepting the Oscar for best original song for “Flashdance ... What a Feeling.”The movie starred Jennifer Beals as a steel-town girl who dances in a bar at night and hopes to attend a prestigious dance conservatory. It included the hit song “Maniac,” featuring Beals’ character leaping, spinning, stomping her feet and the slow-burning theme song.“There aren’t enough words to express my love and my gratitude,” Cara told the Oscar crowd in her thanks. “And last but not least, a very special gentlemen who I guess started it all for me many years ago. To Alan Parker, wherever you may be tonight, I thank him.”The New York-born Cara began her career on Broadway, with small parts in short-lived shows, although a musical called “The Me Nobody Knows” ran over 300 performances. She toured in the musical “Jesus Christ Superstar" as Mary Magdalene in the mid-1990s and a tour of the musical ”Flashdance" toured 2012-14 with her songs.She also created the all-female band Irene Cara Presents Hot Caramel and put out a double CD with the single “How Can I Make You Luv Me.” Her movie credits include ”Sparkle" and “D.C. Cab.”