DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Friday proposed sweeping changes in the way chicken and turkey meat is processed that are intended to reduce illnesses from food contamination but could require meat companies to make extensive changes to their operations.

Despite&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-iowa-agriculture-food-safety-93664bd92422447542090e51f74101d7">decades of efforts to try and reduce illnesses</a>&nbsp;caused by salmonella in food,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-health-agriculture-us-department-of-agriculture-salmonella-infections-348838812277c1c3bb4236915aa431c2">more than 1 million people are sickened every year</a>&nbsp;and nearly a fourth of those cases come from turkey and chicken meat.

As it stands, consumers bear much of the responsibility for avoiding illness from raw poultry by handling it carefully in the kitchen — following the usual advice to not wash raw chicken or turkey (it spreads the bacteria), using separate utensils when preparing meat and cooking to 165 degrees. The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service wants to do something about it by starting with the farmers that raise the birds and following through the processing plant where the meat is made.

Their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-us-news-health-poisoning-food-poisoning-b000965003cb409aaddfd2a4a79bb66a">food poisoning</a>&nbsp;target: Of the more than 2,500 salmonella serotypes, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified three that cause a third of all human illnesses from chicken and turkey products. The agency proposes limiting the presence of these on poultry products.

In 1994, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service took a similar step by declaring some strains of E. coli a contaminant in ground beef and launched a testing program for the pathogen which has significantly reduced illnesses from the meat.

In an effort to curtail salmonella outbreaks in poultry, the agency is proposing a regulatory framework that would include testing incoming flocks of chickens and turkeys for the bacterial disease that commonly affects the intestinal tract and affects 1.3 million people annually with symptoms that may include diarrhea, nausea and vomiting which could last for several days. Officials hope testing chickens and turkeys before they enter the slaughterhouse will encourage farmers to adopt practices that reduce the bacterial infection on the bird before they reach the point of meat processing.

A second measure would require enhanced monitoring for salmonella during processing by adopting sampling for the bacteria at multiple stages inside the processing facility. The third major change would be to establish a maximum level of bacterial contamination allowed and possibly limiting the three specific types of salmonella that can make people sick. Meat that would exceed the limits or that would contain the types of salmonella prohibited could be withheld from the market.

The FSIS will begin a lengthy process of proposing new rules by holding a public hearing on Nov. 3 to get input from the poultry industry and others. The government’s goal is to come up with new rules and regulations that could be rolled out beginning next year and completed within two years.

The agency said it is taking its time to roll out these ideas and get input before establishing firm regulations. The agency hopes to begin rulemaking in mid-2023 and complete it in two years, said USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety Sandra Eskin.

“We know this is quite a pivot from where the agency has been historically and for that reason we’re trying to be as transparent and deliberative and collaborative as possible,” Eskin said.

Consumer advocates have pushed for such action on poultry products for years. Eskin said the administration of President Joe Biden is pushing to make the changes.

Seattle-based lawyer Bill Marler, one of the nation’s leading lawyers to represent consumers sickened by food sources applauded the agency’s action which recognizes that controlling salmonella on animals before they reach processing plants is crucial to reducing meat contamination. He said FSIS should be bold and deem salmonella is a adulterant — a contaminant that can cause food-borne illness — in all meat as a starting point.

“What they’ve outlined is something that's really unique that they have not ever done before but it doesn’t have a time line and doesn’t have regulations attached that would show it’s actually going to be accomplished. That’s my criticism,” he said.

The industry has been unable to meet government targets for reducing food-borne salmonella infections for a couple of decades. Meeting the new target set for 2030 of 11.5 infections per 100,000 people a year would require a 25% reduction, Eskin said.

Eskin said the industry has managed to reduce the number of chicken samples contaminated with salmonella by 50% from 2017 to 2021, but the rate of salmonella illnesses over the last two decades has not significantly declined. More than 23% of foodborne salmonella illnesses are attributable to poultry consumption with nearly 17% coming from chicken meat and more than 6% from turkey meat.

The North American Meat Institute, the trade association representing U.S. packers and processors of beef, pork, lamb, veal and turkey said efforts to combat salmonella are a high priority.

“We are encouraged to see FSIS is going through the regular rulemaking process. We look forward to reviewing the proposal and providing comment from the industry,” said Julie Anna Potts, the group’s president and CEO.

A spokeswoman for the National Chicken Council, which represents the companies that raise and process chickens for meat said they support efforts to reduce salmonella on chicken products.

“We are concerned that the proposed framework currently lacks industry input, research and data to support it,” said Ashley Peterson, senior vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs for the group.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Friday proposed sweeping changes in the way chicken and turkey meat is processed that are intended to reduce illnesses from food contamination but could require meat companies to make extensive changes to their operations.Despite&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-iowa-agriculture-food-safety-93664bd92422447542090e51f74101d7">decades of efforts to try and reduce illnesses</a>&nbsp;caused by salmonella in food,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-health-agriculture-us-department-of-agriculture-salmonella-infections-348838812277c1c3bb4236915aa431c2">more than 1 million people are sickened every year</a>&nbsp;and nearly a fourth of those cases come from turkey and chicken meat.As it stands, consumers bear much of the responsibility for avoiding illness from raw poultry by handling it carefully in the kitchen — following the usual advice to not wash raw chicken or turkey (it spreads the bacteria), using separate utensils when preparing meat and cooking to 165 degrees. The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service wants to do something about it by starting with the farmers that raise the birds and following through the processing plant where the meat is made.Their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-us-news-health-poisoning-food-poisoning-b000965003cb409aaddfd2a4a79bb66a">food poisoning</a>&nbsp;target: Of the more than 2,500 salmonella serotypes, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified three that cause a third of all human illnesses from chicken and turkey products. The agency proposes limiting the presence of these on poultry products.In 1994, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service took a similar step by declaring some strains of E. coli a contaminant in ground beef and launched a testing program for the pathogen which has significantly reduced illnesses from the meat.In an effort to curtail salmonella outbreaks in poultry, the agency is proposing a regulatory framework that would include testing incoming flocks of chickens and turkeys for the bacterial disease that commonly affects the intestinal tract and affects 1.3 million people annually with symptoms that may include diarrhea, nausea and vomiting which could last for several days. Officials hope testing chickens and turkeys before they enter the slaughterhouse will encourage farmers to adopt practices that reduce the bacterial infection on the bird before they reach the point of meat processing.A second measure would require enhanced monitoring for salmonella during processing by adopting sampling for the bacteria at multiple stages inside the processing facility. The third major change would be to establish a maximum level of bacterial contamination allowed and possibly limiting the three specific types of salmonella that can make people sick. Meat that would exceed the limits or that would contain the types of salmonella prohibited could be withheld from the market.The FSIS will begin a lengthy process of proposing new rules by holding a public hearing on Nov. 3 to get input from the poultry industry and others. The government’s goal is to come up with new rules and regulations that could be rolled out beginning next year and completed within two years.The agency said it is taking its time to roll out these ideas and get input before establishing firm regulations. The agency hopes to begin rulemaking in mid-2023 and complete it in two years, said USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety Sandra Eskin.“We know this is quite a pivot from where the agency has been historically and for that reason we’re trying to be as transparent and deliberative and collaborative as possible,” Eskin said.Consumer advocates have pushed for such action on poultry products for years. Eskin said the administration of President Joe Biden is pushing to make the changes.Seattle-based lawyer Bill Marler, one of the nation’s leading lawyers to represent consumers sickened by food sources applauded the agency’s action which recognizes that controlling salmonella on animals before they reach processing plants is crucial to reducing meat contamination. He said FSIS should be bold and deem salmonella is a adulterant — a contaminant that can cause food-borne illness — in all meat as a starting point.“What they’ve outlined is something that's really unique that they have not ever done before but it doesn’t have a time line and doesn’t have regulations attached that would show it’s actually going to be accomplished. That’s my criticism,” he said.The industry has been unable to meet government targets for reducing food-borne salmonella infections for a couple of decades. Meeting the new target set for 2030 of 11.5 infections per 100,000 people a year would require a 25% reduction, Eskin said.Eskin said the industry has managed to reduce the number of chicken samples contaminated with salmonella by 50% from 2017 to 2021, but the rate of salmonella illnesses over the last two decades has not significantly declined. More than 23% of foodborne salmonella illnesses are attributable to poultry consumption with nearly 17% coming from chicken meat and more than 6% from turkey meat.The North American Meat Institute, the trade association representing U.S. packers and processors of beef, pork, lamb, veal and turkey said efforts to combat salmonella are a high priority.“We are encouraged to see FSIS is going through the regular rulemaking process. We look forward to reviewing the proposal and providing comment from the industry,” said Julie Anna Potts, the group’s president and CEO.A spokeswoman for the National Chicken Council, which represents the companies that raise and process chickens for meat said they support efforts to reduce salmonella on chicken products.“We are concerned that the proposed framework currently lacks industry input, research and data to support it,” said Ashley Peterson, senior vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs for the group.

Fighting food poisoning: Sweeping poultry changes proposed

KANSAS CITY (AP) — As the new school year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/back-to-school">swings into gear</a>, some students carry heavier worries than keeping up with homework: Demand has been growing steadily for children’s books that address traumatic events such as school shootings.

Sales of books for young readers on violence, grief, and emotions have increased for nine straight years, with nearly six million copies sold in 2021 — more than double the amount in 2012, according to NPD BookScan, which tracks U.S. retail sales of print books.

As&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mental-health-crisis-schools-768fed6a4e71d694ec0694c627d8fdca">anxiety and depression rates have soared</a>&nbsp;among young Americans, educators and advocates say children’s books can play a role in helping them cope.

“While it might be second nature to try to shield kids from the harsher realities of life and scary news, it’s proving difficult to avoid big society issues,” said Kristine Enderle, editorial director at Magination Press, the children’s book publishing arm of the American Psychological Association. “Kids face these issues and challenges in their day-to-day life.”

One book, “I’m Not Scared … I’m Prepared,” was reprinted several times to meet demand after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/uvalde-school-shooting">massacre at Uvalde’s Robb Elementary School</a>&nbsp;in May, according to the National Center for Youth Issues, the nonprofit group that published the book. The story, first published in 2014, features a teacher who shows children what to do when a “dangerous someone” is in their school.

Bookstores around the country see interest in titles from the genre rise and fall depending on local and national headlines, according to bookseller Barnes &amp; Noble.

Some newer titles engage directly with real-world gun violence.

In “Numb to This,” a graphic novel released this month, author Kindra Neely details the 2015 Umpqua Community College shooting in Oregon, which she survived, and the aftermath as she tries to heal amid repeated shootings elsewhere. Initially, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers editorial director Andrea Colvin said she was shocked when Keely pitched the idea.

“I had to remember that, yes, this is what our stories are like now. This is what young people have experienced,” Colvin said.

Michele Gay, whose 7-year-old daughter Josephine was killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, turned to children's books herself to help her two surviving daughters. One picture book she read to them was “The Ant Hill Disaster,” about a boy ant who is afraid to go back to school after it is destroyed.

“It was one of many books that was of comfort to them and gave them a little bit of confidence to just face one more day, one more minute, because we can do it together,” said Gay, who advocates for improved security in schools through a nonprofit she co-founded, Safe and Sound Schools.

Parents should make sure books addressing trauma are age-appropriate and backed by psychologists, experts say.

It's important to be aware of whether children are aware of or feeling stress about frightening things in the news, said Aryeh Sova, a Chicago psychologist who works with children who attended the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/highland-park-chicago-shooting-updates-4e9e0cf0aaa9954ae4fee30c5dd28bc8">July 4 parade in suburban Highland Park, Illinois</a>, where seven people were killed in a shooting. A child asking lots of questions about an event may signify that they are anxious or fixated on it, he said.

“If it’s coming from the kid’s need, then books could be a great way for kids to learn and to read together with their parents and to review it on their own and to process it at their own speed, at their own pace,” Sova said.

But bringing up violence when a child isn’t worried about it could increase their anxiety unnecessarily, Sova said.

Some young children experience gun violence at alarmingly high rates,&nbsp;<a href="https://publichealth.jhu.edu/sites/default/files/2022-05/2020-gun-deaths-in-the-us-4-28-2022-b.pdf?ceid=7665871&amp;emci=02aeed4b-eac7-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&amp;emdi=243933db-17ca-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a">particularly in communities of color</a>.

For them, it is important to start early to address the effects, said Ian Ellis James, an Emmy award-winning Sesame Street writer known by his stage name William Electric Black. He is the author of the illustrated children’s book “&nbsp;<a href="https://www.williamelectricblack.com/a-gun-is-not-fun">A Gun Is Not Fun</a>.” He said young children in areas afflicted by gun violence are more aware of it than parents may think.

“They know about flowers and candles and cards in the street. They walk by them every day,” he said.

Through children’s literature and theater, Black works to reduce urban gun violence. “If you start when they’re 5, and you go back when you’re 6, 7, 8, 9, you’re going to change the behavior,” he said.

In the spring, he will collaborate with New York public school P.S. 155 in East Harlem with a series of gun violence awareness and prevention workshops for early readers, using puppets, storytelling and repetition.

“They won’t even get rid of assault weapons here in this country. So my thing is, we have to go in and we’ve got to help them help themselves save themselves,” Black said. “We’re really kind of failing at that.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665572002218.png" alt="Book by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19728589.Kindra_Neely">Kindra Neely</a>&nbsp;details the 2015 Umpqua Community College shooting in Oregon" />
 <figcaption>Book by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19728589.Kindra_Neely">Kindra Neely</a>&nbsp;details the 2015 Umpqua Community College shooting in Oregon</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — As the new school year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/back-to-school">swings into gear</a>, some students carry heavier worries than keeping up with homework: Demand has been growing steadily for children’s books that address traumatic events such as school shootings.Sales of books for young readers on violence, grief, and emotions have increased for nine straight years, with nearly six million copies sold in 2021 — more than double the amount in 2012, according to NPD BookScan, which tracks U.S. retail sales of print books.As&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mental-health-crisis-schools-768fed6a4e71d694ec0694c627d8fdca">anxiety and depression rates have soared</a>&nbsp;among young Americans, educators and advocates say children’s books can play a role in helping them cope.“While it might be second nature to try to shield kids from the harsher realities of life and scary news, it’s proving difficult to avoid big society issues,” said Kristine Enderle, editorial director at Magination Press, the children’s book publishing arm of the American Psychological Association. “Kids face these issues and challenges in their day-to-day life.”One book, “I’m Not Scared … I’m Prepared,” was reprinted several times to meet demand after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/uvalde-school-shooting">massacre at Uvalde’s Robb Elementary School</a>&nbsp;in May, according to the National Center for Youth Issues, the nonprofit group that published the book. The story, first published in 2014, features a teacher who shows children what to do when a “dangerous someone” is in their school.Bookstores around the country see interest in titles from the genre rise and fall depending on local and national headlines, according to bookseller Barnes &amp; Noble.Some newer titles engage directly with real-world gun violence.In “Numb to This,” a graphic novel released this month, author Kindra Neely details the 2015 Umpqua Community College shooting in Oregon, which she survived, and the aftermath as she tries to heal amid repeated shootings elsewhere. Initially, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers editorial director Andrea Colvin said she was shocked when Keely pitched the idea.“I had to remember that, yes, this is what our stories are like now. This is what young people have experienced,” Colvin said.Michele Gay, whose 7-year-old daughter Josephine was killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, turned to children's books herself to help her two surviving daughters. One picture book she read to them was “The Ant Hill Disaster,” about a boy ant who is afraid to go back to school after it is destroyed.“It was one of many books that was of comfort to them and gave them a little bit of confidence to just face one more day, one more minute, because we can do it together,” said Gay, who advocates for improved security in schools through a nonprofit she co-founded, Safe and Sound Schools.Parents should make sure books addressing trauma are age-appropriate and backed by psychologists, experts say.It's important to be aware of whether children are aware of or feeling stress about frightening things in the news, said Aryeh Sova, a Chicago psychologist who works with children who attended the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/highland-park-chicago-shooting-updates-4e9e0cf0aaa9954ae4fee30c5dd28bc8">July 4 parade in suburban Highland Park, Illinois</a>, where seven people were killed in a shooting. A child asking lots of questions about an event may signify that they are anxious or fixated on it, he said.“If it’s coming from the kid’s need, then books could be a great way for kids to learn and to read together with their parents and to review it on their own and to process it at their own speed, at their own pace,” Sova said.But bringing up violence when a child isn’t worried about it could increase their anxiety unnecessarily, Sova said.Some young children experience gun violence at alarmingly high rates,&nbsp;<a href="https://publichealth.jhu.edu/sites/default/files/2022-05/2020-gun-deaths-in-the-us-4-28-2022-b.pdf?ceid=7665871&amp;emci=02aeed4b-eac7-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a&amp;emdi=243933db-17ca-ec11-997e-281878b83d8a">particularly in communities of color</a>.For them, it is important to start early to address the effects, said Ian Ellis James, an Emmy award-winning Sesame Street writer known by his stage name William Electric Black. He is the author of the illustrated children’s book “&nbsp;<a href="https://www.williamelectricblack.com/a-gun-is-not-fun">A Gun Is Not Fun</a>.” He said young children in areas afflicted by gun violence are more aware of it than parents may think.“They know about flowers and candles and cards in the street. They walk by them every day,” he said.Through children’s literature and theater, Black works to reduce urban gun violence. “If you start when they’re 5, and you go back when you’re 6, 7, 8, 9, you’re going to change the behavior,” he said.In the spring, he will collaborate with New York public school P.S. 155 in East Harlem with a series of gun violence awareness and prevention workshops for early readers, using puppets, storytelling and repetition.“They won’t even get rid of assault weapons here in this country. So my thing is, we have to go in and we’ve got to help them help themselves save themselves,” Black said. “We’re really kind of failing at that.”

Demand soars for kids' books addressing violence, trauma

KANSAS CITY (AP) —United Methodists have for generations been a mainstay of the American religious landscape — one of the most geographically widespread of the major Protestant denominations, their steeples visible on urban streets, in county seats and along country roads, their ethos marked by a firm yet quiet faith, simple worship and earnest social service.

But the United Methodist Church is also the latest of several mainline Protestant denominations in America to begin fracturing, just as Episcopal, Lutheran and Presbyterian denominations lost significant minorities of churches and members this century amid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-religion-marriage-b6a4ec4a28ce2674932573ba6c850f4a">debates over sexuality and theology.</a>

In annual regional gatherings across the U.S. earlier this year, United Methodists approved requests of about 300 congregations to quit the denomination, according to United Methodist News Service. Special meetings in the second half of the year are expected to vote on as many as 1,000 more, according to the conservative advocacy group Wesleyan Covenant Association.

Scores of churches in Georgia, and hundreds in Texas, are considering disaffiliation. Some aren't waiting for permission to leave: More than 100 congregations in Florida and North Carolina have filed or threatened lawsuits to break out.

Those departing are still a fraction of the estimated 30,000 congregations in the United States alone, with nearly 13,000 more abroad, according to recent UMC statistics.

But large United Methodist congregations are moving to the exits, including some of the largest in Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas.

The flashpoints are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/st-louis-religion-ap-top-news-us-news-91f0eff9b0c14e35a794101b3dc60166">the denomination’s bans on same-sex marriages and ordaining openly LGBTQ clergy</a>&nbsp;— though many see these as symptoms for deeper differences in views on justice, theology and scriptural authority. The denomination has repeatedly upheld these bans at legislative General Conferences, but some U.S. churches and clergy have defied them.

This spring, conservatives launched a new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/asia-pacific-africa-religion-marriage-4edd474cb8062c4a9e3e8e0c22e965c0">Global Methodist Church</a>, where they are determined both to maintain and to enforce such bans.

A proposal to amicably divide the denomination and its assets, unveiled in early 2020, has lost its once-broad support after years of pandemic-related delays to the legislative General Conference, whose vote was needed to ratify it.

Now the breakup and the negotiations are happening piecemeal — one regional conference at a time.

New York Bishop Thomas Bickerton, president of the Council of Bishops, issued a statement in August denouncing “a constant barrage of negative rhetoric that is filled with falsehood and inaccuracies” by breakaway groups. In particular, he disputed allegations that the church is changing core doctrines.

But he said the denomination seeks to find a balance between encouraging churches to stay yet enabling them to go.

“It’s a both/and,” Bickerton said in an interview. “We want people to know straight up front that we don’t want them to leave. We need traditionalists, we need centrists, we need progressives willing to engage in a healthy debate to discern what God’s will is.”

But more departures are expected next year.

In just the Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference, about 300 of its 800 churches have begun inquiring about the process of leaving by the end of 2023, according to the Wesleyan Covenant Association. Not all may follow through, but some see it as inevitable.

“We feel like to stay the same in our mission and theology, we need to change denominations,” said the Rev. Steve Cordle, lead pastor of Crossroads Church. Based in Oakdale, Pennsylvania, it's one of the largest congregations in the conference. It's considering going independent or joining the Global Methodist Church.

A few miles away in Bethel Park, another Pittsburgh suburb, Christ United Methodist Church remains committed to the denomination.

The Rev. Chris Morgan said his church has a “big tent” of liberals and conservatives with most congregants “leaning in toward the center." The church recently hosted an educational series on hot topics including the schism, guns, abortion and COVID-19.

“Instead of becoming like society, we’re trying to become an example of what it looks like to disagree and still treat people with respect and care and love,” Morgan said.

He was far from the only one to see a parallel between the Methodist debates and broader societal polarization.

"We live in a world of division. Just look at our political front,” said Bishop David Graves, who oversees the South Georgia and Alabama-West Florida conferences. Both conferences have dozens of congregations moving to the exits, though the large majority are staying so far.

Graves said he wants to help enable churches to leave if they want to but has spent long hours urging them to consider all the factors and be sure it is God's will.

“It’s very taxing,” he said. “Those are intense meetings."

Conservatives say denominational leaders are making it difficult for those who want to leave to do so, however.

Currently churches may leave after paying two years' worth of “apportionments” — essentially denominational dues — plus their share of unfunded pension liabilities. Conferences may also impose additional requirements, and some are asking for a percentage of the property value of church buildings.

“In many cases, (the requirements) are onerous, they are punitive,” said the Rev. Jay Therrell, president of the Wesleyan Covenant Association, a conservative advocacy group that is working to help churches jump to the Global Methodist Church.

Bishop Karen Oliveto of the UMC’s Mountain Sky region — who in 2016 became the UMC’s first openly lesbian bishop — said via email it is “extremely wounding to LGBTQ persons that our very personhood is being used as a wedge to disrupt unity in the church.” She expressed hope that UMC churches "will be safe places for all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.”

Conservatives have lamented that UMC has failed to enforce its Book of Discipline on standards for ordination and marriage.

Oliveto said, however, that sometimes “the Holy Spirit runs ahead of us and gives us a glimpse of the future to which we are called. This is certainly the case across the denomination, where LGBTQ persons have been examined at every step of the ordination process and found to possess the gifts and graces for ordained ministry.”

United Methodists are part of a global movement that traces their origins to the 18th-century English revivalist John Wesley, who emphasized personal piety, evangelism and social service.

American membership has declined to about 6.5 million, from a peak of 11 million in the 1960s. Overseas membership soared to match or exceed that of the U.S., fueled mostly by growth and mergers in Africa.

It's too early to say if there will be widespread departures from international churches. African churches, for instance, often combine conservative stances on sexual issues with progressive views on the economy and colonialism's legacy.

Several African bishops issued a statement denouncing conservative advocacy groups, including one called the Africa Initiative, for collaborating to “destroy our United Methodist Church.”

The Africa Initiative replied that it respected the bishops but would continue its efforts “to see biblical Christianity taught, lived and sustained.”

Neal Christie of the Love Your Neighbor Coalition, a partnership of progressive and ethnically based Methodist advocacy groups, said the “notion that outside the United States there’s one monolithic voice is a caricature."

The coalition is promoting a more decentralized church where regions could make their own decisions on issues such as LGBTQ inclusion based on their cultural contexts.

“We believe this is a big tent church, that the church is big enough for all,” he said.

But after decades of controversy, some are done.

“The traditionalists decided this is like a toxic relationship now, and we’re just harming each other,” said the Rev. Laura Saffell, chairperson of the Western Pennsylvania chapter of the Wesleyan Covenant Association. “The best we can do is bless and send” each other their separate ways.

By PETER SMITH&nbsp;KANSAS CITY (AP) —United Methodists have for generations been a mainstay of the American religious landscape — one of the most geographically widespread of the major Protestant denominations, their steeples visible on urban streets, in county seats and along country roads, their ethos marked by a firm yet quiet faith, simple worship and earnest social service.But the United Methodist Church is also the latest of several mainline Protestant denominations in America to begin fracturing, just as Episcopal, Lutheran and Presbyterian denominations lost significant minorities of churches and members this century amid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-religion-marriage-b6a4ec4a28ce2674932573ba6c850f4a">debates over sexuality and theology.</a>In annual regional gatherings across the U.S. earlier this year, United Methodists approved requests of about 300 congregations to quit the denomination, according to United Methodist News Service. Special meetings in the second half of the year are expected to vote on as many as 1,000 more, according to the conservative advocacy group Wesleyan Covenant Association.Scores of churches in Georgia, and hundreds in Texas, are considering disaffiliation. Some aren't waiting for permission to leave: More than 100 congregations in Florida and North Carolina have filed or threatened lawsuits to break out.Those departing are still a fraction of the estimated 30,000 congregations in the United States alone, with nearly 13,000 more abroad, according to recent UMC statistics.But large United Methodist congregations are moving to the exits, including some of the largest in Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas.The flashpoints are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/st-louis-religion-ap-top-news-us-news-91f0eff9b0c14e35a794101b3dc60166">the denomination’s bans on same-sex marriages and ordaining openly LGBTQ clergy</a>&nbsp;— though many see these as symptoms for deeper differences in views on justice, theology and scriptural authority. The denomination has repeatedly upheld these bans at legislative General Conferences, but some U.S. churches and clergy have defied them.This spring, conservatives launched a new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/asia-pacific-africa-religion-marriage-4edd474cb8062c4a9e3e8e0c22e965c0">Global Methodist Church</a>, where they are determined both to maintain and to enforce such bans.A proposal to amicably divide the denomination and its assets, unveiled in early 2020, has lost its once-broad support after years of pandemic-related delays to the legislative General Conference, whose vote was needed to ratify it.Now the breakup and the negotiations are happening piecemeal — one regional conference at a time.New York Bishop Thomas Bickerton, president of the Council of Bishops, issued a statement in August denouncing “a constant barrage of negative rhetoric that is filled with falsehood and inaccuracies” by breakaway groups. In particular, he disputed allegations that the church is changing core doctrines.But he said the denomination seeks to find a balance between encouraging churches to stay yet enabling them to go.“It’s a both/and,” Bickerton said in an interview. “We want people to know straight up front that we don’t want them to leave. We need traditionalists, we need centrists, we need progressives willing to engage in a healthy debate to discern what God’s will is.”But more departures are expected next year.In just the Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference, about 300 of its 800 churches have begun inquiring about the process of leaving by the end of 2023, according to the Wesleyan Covenant Association. Not all may follow through, but some see it as inevitable.“We feel like to stay the same in our mission and theology, we need to change denominations,” said the Rev. Steve Cordle, lead pastor of Crossroads Church. Based in Oakdale, Pennsylvania, it's one of the largest congregations in the conference. It's considering going independent or joining the Global Methodist Church.A few miles away in Bethel Park, another Pittsburgh suburb, Christ United Methodist Church remains committed to the denomination.The Rev. Chris Morgan said his church has a “big tent” of liberals and conservatives with most congregants “leaning in toward the center." The church recently hosted an educational series on hot topics including the schism, guns, abortion and COVID-19.“Instead of becoming like society, we’re trying to become an example of what it looks like to disagree and still treat people with respect and care and love,” Morgan said.He was far from the only one to see a parallel between the Methodist debates and broader societal polarization."We live in a world of division. Just look at our political front,” said Bishop David Graves, who oversees the South Georgia and Alabama-West Florida conferences. Both conferences have dozens of congregations moving to the exits, though the large majority are staying so far.Graves said he wants to help enable churches to leave if they want to but has spent long hours urging them to consider all the factors and be sure it is God's will.“It’s very taxing,” he said. “Those are intense meetings."Conservatives say denominational leaders are making it difficult for those who want to leave to do so, however.Currently churches may leave after paying two years' worth of “apportionments” — essentially denominational dues — plus their share of unfunded pension liabilities. Conferences may also impose additional requirements, and some are asking for a percentage of the property value of church buildings.“In many cases, (the requirements) are onerous, they are punitive,” said the Rev. Jay Therrell, president of the Wesleyan Covenant Association, a conservative advocacy group that is working to help churches jump to the Global Methodist Church.Bishop Karen Oliveto of the UMC’s Mountain Sky region — who in 2016 became the UMC’s first openly lesbian bishop — said via email it is “extremely wounding to LGBTQ persons that our very personhood is being used as a wedge to disrupt unity in the church.” She expressed hope that UMC churches "will be safe places for all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.”Conservatives have lamented that UMC has failed to enforce its Book of Discipline on standards for ordination and marriage.Oliveto said, however, that sometimes “the Holy Spirit runs ahead of us and gives us a glimpse of the future to which we are called. This is certainly the case across the denomination, where LGBTQ persons have been examined at every step of the ordination process and found to possess the gifts and graces for ordained ministry.”United Methodists are part of a global movement that traces their origins to the 18th-century English revivalist John Wesley, who emphasized personal piety, evangelism and social service.American membership has declined to about 6.5 million, from a peak of 11 million in the 1960s. Overseas membership soared to match or exceed that of the U.S., fueled mostly by growth and mergers in Africa.It's too early to say if there will be widespread departures from international churches. African churches, for instance, often combine conservative stances on sexual issues with progressive views on the economy and colonialism's legacy.Several African bishops issued a statement denouncing conservative advocacy groups, including one called the Africa Initiative, for collaborating to “destroy our United Methodist Church.”The Africa Initiative replied that it respected the bishops but would continue its efforts “to see biblical Christianity taught, lived and sustained.”Neal Christie of the Love Your Neighbor Coalition, a partnership of progressive and ethnically based Methodist advocacy groups, said the “notion that outside the United States there’s one monolithic voice is a caricature."The coalition is promoting a more decentralized church where regions could make their own decisions on issues such as LGBTQ inclusion based on their cultural contexts.“We believe this is a big tent church, that the church is big enough for all,” he said.But after decades of controversy, some are done.“The traditionalists decided this is like a toxic relationship now, and we’re just harming each other,” said the Rev. Laura Saffell, chairperson of the Western Pennsylvania chapter of the Wesleyan Covenant Association. “The best we can do is bless and send” each other their separate ways.

United Methodists are breaking up in a slow-motion schism

VERNON COUNTY—A Kansas woman died in an accident just before 9:30p.m. Saturday in Vernon County, Missouri.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Ford Fusion driven by Torie N. Thomas, 21, Pittsburgh, Kansas, was southbound on Missouri Highway 43 two miles north of Moundville.

The car traveled off the road, struck driveway entrance and overturned. Thomas was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Ferry Funeral Home in Nevada, Missouri. She was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP.

VERNON COUNTY—A Kansas woman died in an accident just before 9:30p.m. Saturday in Vernon County, Missouri. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Ford Fusion driven by Torie N. Thomas, 21, Pittsburgh, Kansas, was southbound on Missouri Highway 43 two miles north of Moundville.The car traveled off the road, struck driveway entrance and overturned. Thomas was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Ferry Funeral Home in Nevada, Missouri. She was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP.

21-year-old Kansas woman dies after car overturns

KANSAS CITY&nbsp; (AP) — There are few surprises expected on Election Day in solidly Republican Arkansas, where Donald Trump's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-arkansas-primary-governor-92c3770dc9fd23d80e0e3a4bc6797597">former press secretary</a>&nbsp;is heavily favored in the race for governor and other GOP candidates are considered locks.

But one big exception is the campaign to make Arkansas the first state in the South to legalize recreational marijuana.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-arkansas-marijuana-recreational-supreme-court-bb2ec7c849bb46a793537ccfb9946420">A proposal to change the state's constitution</a>&nbsp;is drawing millions of dollars from opponents and supporters of legalization, with ads crowding the airwaves.

President Joe Biden's recent announcement that he will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-marijuana-government-and-politics-2d5e3d9e2cfbbbe3ee114536738894a8">pardon thousands of people</a>&nbsp;for simple marijuana possession has shined a new spotlight on the legalization efforts in Arkansas and four other states. Voters in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/larry-hogan-maryland-marijuana-constitutional-amendments-constitutions-1f60d69c21e364499b81b0e76caf65ed">Maryland</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-marijuana-recreational-medical-missouri-d09e1ab128d572495edca73bb52bb241">Missouri</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marijuana-recreational-north-dakota-sd-state-wire-d6dbbc3c512ae80f09f5505de87b7441">North Dakota</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-sd-state-wire-south-dakota-marijuana-legalization-recreational-9426bf3208b9b53aa5804fb2b33b9bb9">South Dakota</a>&nbsp;are also taking up measures on recreational marijuana.

<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2022/10/06/granting-pardon-for-the-offense-of-simple-possession-of-marijuana/">Biden's step</a>&nbsp;toward decriminalizing the drug could provide a boost for legalization in some of the most conservative parts of the country, experts say.

“The most powerful elected leader in the world has publicly declared it was a mistake to criminalize people for using cannabis and I think that will go a long way with voters who may be on the fence," said Mason Tvert, partner at VS Strategies, a cannabis policy and public affairs firm.

Biden's announcement only covers people convicted under the federal law. But he has called on governors to issue similar pardons for those convicted of state marijuana offenses, which reflect the vast majority of marijuana possession cases. The president also directed his&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/10/06/statement-from-president-biden-on-marijuana-reform/">health secretary and attorney general</a>&nbsp;to review how marijuana is scheduled under federal law.

The moves come as opposition to legalization has softened around the country, with recreational marijuana legal in 19 states, despite resistance at the federal level. Advocates say it shows that states are ahead of the federal government on the issue.

“I think it's an example of state level leadership and citizens pushing the federal government in the right direction," said Eddie Armstrong, a former state legislator who leads the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.responsiblegrowtharkansas.com/about">Responsible Growth Arkansas</a>&nbsp;group campaigning for legalization.

In 2016, Arkansas became the first Bible Belt state to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/539c26f41a4b4f2e90905f4448a28d48">approve medical marijuana</a>, with voters approving a legalization measure.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.healthy.arkansas.gov/programs-services/topics/medical-marijuana">More than 91,000 people have cards</a>&nbsp;to legally buy marijuana from state-licensed dispensaries,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marijuana-us-news-arkansas-medical-marijuana-ar-state-wire-94ad1c34506b4c22b1868011de720bca">which opened in 2019</a>. Patients have spent more than $200 million so far this year, the state says.

An ad by Responsible Growth Arkansas points to benefits such as the thousands of jobs it says legalization would create. The main group opposing the measure is running an ad that urges voters to “protect Arkansas from big marijuana.”

The proposal faces opposition from Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a former head of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration who criticized Biden's pardon announcement. Former White House press secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-arkansas-race-and-ethnicity-election-2020-little-rock-510eba764a340c9d316969aca9f494b7">Sarah Sanders</a>, the Republican front-runner to succeed Hutchinson, has said she will vote against the measure. Her Democratic rival, Chris Jones, said he supports it.

In neighboring Missouri, a proposed constitutional amendment would legalize recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-marijuana-recreational-constitutions-missouri-65e4a10bb7d99fdf9fca2ea57e07d0c1">expunge records</a>&nbsp;of past arrests and convictions for nonviolent marijuana offenses, except for selling to minors or driving under the influence.

Supporters said they do not expect Biden’s pardon announcement for some federal marijuana offenses to have much of an impact on the Missouri measure, which could expunge several hundred thousand state marijuana offenses.

“There is some danger of confusion, but I think most people understand the distinction of the federal and state processes,” said John Payne, campaign manager for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.legalmo22.com/">Legal Missouri 2022</a>.

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican and former sheriff, opposes the ballot measure but has not aggressively campaigned against it. He has no plans to emulate Biden’s pardon announcement.

Parson has granted pardons “to individuals who demonstrate a changed life-style, commitment to rehabilitation, contrition and contribution to their communities — rather than as a blanket approach to undermine existing law,” said Parson spokesperson Kelli Jones.

Similarly, North Dakota's legalization campaign does not expect to incorporate Biden's pardons into its messaging. Mark Friese, treasurer of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newapproachnd.org/">New Approach Initiative</a>&nbsp;backing the legalization ballot proposal, said he doubts Biden’s pardon will have much of an impact in North Dakota or sway the legalization effort.

“The number of North Dakotans convicted in federal court is small,” said Friese, a prominent North Dakota lawyer and former police officer. “Small amounts of marijuana are typically and historically not prosecuted in North Dakota.”

Matt Schwiech, who is running South Dakota’s ballot initiative campaign to legalize recreational marijuana possession for adults, said the president’s pardons may hand the campaign a boost with older Democrats. It also underscores the campaign’s message that convictions for pot possession hurt people on job or rental applications, as well as that enforcing pot possession laws are a waste of time and resources for law enforcement, he said.

South Dakotans, including a sizable number of Republicans, voted to legalize marijuana possession in 2020, but that law was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-business-marijuana-legalization-recreational-marijuana-marijuana-987c36ced5a5dc2188a0667e9a8879cb">struck down by the state Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;in part because the proposal was coupled with medical marijuana and hemp. This year, recreational pot is standing by itself as it goes before voters.

It remains unclear whether Biden's pardon move will inject party politics into an issue that supporters say crosses partisan lines. For example, Arkansas voters in 2016 approved medical marijuana the same year they overwhelmingly backed Trump.

All of the states with recreational marijuana on the ballot next month, except for Maryland, voted for Trump in the 2020 presidential election. And the issue is going before voters as GOP candidates have been stepping up their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-gun-violence-new-york-race-and-ethnicity-campaigns-dfba652ac7409c64311efcd7c908ed08">anti-crime rhetoric</a>.

“From our perspective the people of Arkansas, they didn’t vote for Biden initially and so we don’t anticipate this really having any sort of influence over anybody’s decision,” said Tyler Beaver, campaign manager for&nbsp;<a href="https://safeandsecurecommunities.com/">Safe and Secure Communities</a>, the main group campaigning against the proposal.

KANSAS CITY&nbsp; (AP) — There are few surprises expected on Election Day in solidly Republican Arkansas, where Donald Trump's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-arkansas-primary-governor-92c3770dc9fd23d80e0e3a4bc6797597">former press secretary</a>&nbsp;is heavily favored in the race for governor and other GOP candidates are considered locks.But one big exception is the campaign to make Arkansas the first state in the South to legalize recreational marijuana.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-arkansas-marijuana-recreational-supreme-court-bb2ec7c849bb46a793537ccfb9946420">A proposal to change the state's constitution</a>&nbsp;is drawing millions of dollars from opponents and supporters of legalization, with ads crowding the airwaves.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. Hear from <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> on the three steps he is taking to right these wrongs. <a href="https://t.co/IqOxHxjgue">pic.twitter.com/IqOxHxjgue</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1578108939174281218?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>President Joe Biden's recent announcement that he will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-marijuana-government-and-politics-2d5e3d9e2cfbbbe3ee114536738894a8">pardon thousands of people</a>&nbsp;for simple marijuana possession has shined a new spotlight on the legalization efforts in Arkansas and four other states. Voters in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/larry-hogan-maryland-marijuana-constitutional-amendments-constitutions-1f60d69c21e364499b81b0e76caf65ed">Maryland</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-marijuana-recreational-medical-missouri-d09e1ab128d572495edca73bb52bb241">Missouri</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marijuana-recreational-north-dakota-sd-state-wire-d6dbbc3c512ae80f09f5505de87b7441">North Dakota</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-sd-state-wire-south-dakota-marijuana-legalization-recreational-9426bf3208b9b53aa5804fb2b33b9bb9">South Dakota</a>&nbsp;are also taking up measures on recreational marijuana.<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2022/10/06/granting-pardon-for-the-offense-of-simple-possession-of-marijuana/">Biden's step</a>&nbsp;toward decriminalizing the drug could provide a boost for legalization in some of the most conservative parts of the country, experts say.“The most powerful elected leader in the world has publicly declared it was a mistake to criminalize people for using cannabis and I think that will go a long way with voters who may be on the fence," said Mason Tvert, partner at VS Strategies, a cannabis policy and public affairs firm.Biden's announcement only covers people convicted under the federal law. But he has called on governors to issue similar pardons for those convicted of state marijuana offenses, which reflect the vast majority of marijuana possession cases. The president also directed his&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/10/06/statement-from-president-biden-on-marijuana-reform/">health secretary and attorney general</a>&nbsp;to review how marijuana is scheduled under federal law.The moves come as opposition to legalization has softened around the country, with recreational marijuana legal in 19 states, despite resistance at the federal level. Advocates say it shows that states are ahead of the federal government on the issue.“I think it's an example of state level leadership and citizens pushing the federal government in the right direction," said Eddie Armstrong, a former state legislator who leads the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.responsiblegrowtharkansas.com/about">Responsible Growth Arkansas</a>&nbsp;group campaigning for legalization.In 2016, Arkansas became the first Bible Belt state to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/539c26f41a4b4f2e90905f4448a28d48">approve medical marijuana</a>, with voters approving a legalization measure.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.healthy.arkansas.gov/programs-services/topics/medical-marijuana">More than 91,000 people have cards</a>&nbsp;to legally buy marijuana from state-licensed dispensaries,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marijuana-us-news-arkansas-medical-marijuana-ar-state-wire-94ad1c34506b4c22b1868011de720bca">which opened in 2019</a>. Patients have spent more than $200 million so far this year, the state says.An ad by Responsible Growth Arkansas points to benefits such as the thousands of jobs it says legalization would create. The main group opposing the measure is running an ad that urges voters to “protect Arkansas from big marijuana.”The proposal faces opposition from Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a former head of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration who criticized Biden's pardon announcement. Former White House press secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-arkansas-race-and-ethnicity-election-2020-little-rock-510eba764a340c9d316969aca9f494b7">Sarah Sanders</a>, the Republican front-runner to succeed Hutchinson, has said she will vote against the measure. Her Democratic rival, Chris Jones, said he supports it.In neighboring Missouri, a proposed constitutional amendment would legalize recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-marijuana-recreational-constitutions-missouri-65e4a10bb7d99fdf9fca2ea57e07d0c1">expunge records</a>&nbsp;of past arrests and convictions for nonviolent marijuana offenses, except for selling to minors or driving under the influence.Supporters said they do not expect Biden’s pardon announcement for some federal marijuana offenses to have much of an impact on the Missouri measure, which could expunge several hundred thousand state marijuana offenses.“There is some danger of confusion, but I think most people understand the distinction of the federal and state processes,” said John Payne, campaign manager for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.legalmo22.com/">Legal Missouri 2022</a>.Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican and former sheriff, opposes the ballot measure but has not aggressively campaigned against it. He has no plans to emulate Biden’s pardon announcement.Parson has granted pardons “to individuals who demonstrate a changed life-style, commitment to rehabilitation, contrition and contribution to their communities — rather than as a blanket approach to undermine existing law,” said Parson spokesperson Kelli Jones.Similarly, North Dakota's legalization campaign does not expect to incorporate Biden's pardons into its messaging. Mark Friese, treasurer of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newapproachnd.org/">New Approach Initiative</a>&nbsp;backing the legalization ballot proposal, said he doubts Biden’s pardon will have much of an impact in North Dakota or sway the legalization effort.“The number of North Dakotans convicted in federal court is small,” said Friese, a prominent North Dakota lawyer and former police officer. “Small amounts of marijuana are typically and historically not prosecuted in North Dakota.”Matt Schwiech, who is running South Dakota’s ballot initiative campaign to legalize recreational marijuana possession for adults, said the president’s pardons may hand the campaign a boost with older Democrats. It also underscores the campaign’s message that convictions for pot possession hurt people on job or rental applications, as well as that enforcing pot possession laws are a waste of time and resources for law enforcement, he said.South Dakotans, including a sizable number of Republicans, voted to legalize marijuana possession in 2020, but that law was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-business-marijuana-legalization-recreational-marijuana-marijuana-987c36ced5a5dc2188a0667e9a8879cb">struck down by the state Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;in part because the proposal was coupled with medical marijuana and hemp. This year, recreational pot is standing by itself as it goes before voters.It remains unclear whether Biden's pardon move will inject party politics into an issue that supporters say crosses partisan lines. For example, Arkansas voters in 2016 approved medical marijuana the same year they overwhelmingly backed Trump.All of the states with recreational marijuana on the ballot next month, except for Maryland, voted for Trump in the 2020 presidential election. And the issue is going before voters as GOP candidates have been stepping up their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-gun-violence-new-york-race-and-ethnicity-campaigns-dfba652ac7409c64311efcd7c908ed08">anti-crime rhetoric</a>.“From our perspective the people of Arkansas, they didn’t vote for Biden initially and so we don’t anticipate this really having any sort of influence over anybody’s decision,” said Tyler Beaver, campaign manager for&nbsp;<a href="https://safeandsecurecommunities.com/">Safe and Secure Communities</a>, the main group campaigning against the proposal.

Biden's pot pardons could boost states' legalization drives

The Nebraska State Patrol has been able to positively identify the deceased woman found inside the trunk of a car involved in a pursuit Friday afternoon.

The female has been identified as Michelle Roenz, 49. Roenz has been the subject of a law enforcement alert issued in Harris County, Texas on Thursday. Roenz’s body was located in the trunk of a vehicle that had fled from an attempted traffic stop on Interstate 80 near Grand Island.

The 17-year-old male who was apprehended has been transferred from St. Francis Hospital in Grand Island to an Omaha hospital for ongoing treatment of injuries suffered when he crashed his vehicle, ending the pursuit.

The Nebraska State Patrol is coordinating with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office of Texas for extradition of the minor once he is released from the hospital. All inquiries regarding the homicide investigation should be made to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.

Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol have apprehended the subject of a law enforcement alert from Texas and discovered a deceased individual in the trunk of a car. The discovery came after troopers located and pursued a vehicle suspected to be involved in a homicide in Texas.

At approximately 2:45 p.m. Friday, NSP was alerted by authorities with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office in Texas that a vehicle believed to be involved in a homicide was traveling in Nebraska. Troopers were able to locate the vehicle, a Mazda 3, less than 15 minutes later as it was traveling westbound on Interstate 80 near Grand Island.

A trooper attempted a traffic stop, but the driver of the vehicle fled at a high rate of speed. The trooper initiated a pursuit. The suspect vehicle continued westbound with speeds in excess of 110 miles per hour.

After approximately nine miles, the Mazda attempted to slow down, but struck the rear of a semi, left the roadway, and struck a tree in the ditch near mile marker 299. Troopers were on scene immediately and located the driver with severe injuries. Troopers then located a deceased woman in the trunk of the car. NSP is currently working to positively identify the victim.

The driver is a 17-year-old male from Texas. The driver has been transported to St. Francis Hospital in Grand Island with what are believed to be non-life-threatening injuries.

<a href="https://northplattepost.com/posts/2ddcec21-000f-4ace-b19e-4250120d6629">&nbsp;&nbsp;Download The Post app for iOs or Android</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665832754255.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By NEBRASKA STATE PATROLUPDATE 10/15/2022 10:10 p.m.The Nebraska State Patrol has been able to positively identify the deceased woman found inside the trunk of a car involved in a pursuit Friday afternoon.The female has been identified as Michelle Roenz, 49. Roenz has been the subject of a law enforcement alert issued in Harris County, Texas on Thursday. Roenz’s body was located in the trunk of a vehicle that had fled from an attempted traffic stop on Interstate 80 near Grand Island.The 17-year-old male who was apprehended has been transferred from St. Francis Hospital in Grand Island to an Omaha hospital for ongoing treatment of injuries suffered when he crashed his vehicle, ending the pursuit.The Nebraska State Patrol is coordinating with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office of Texas for extradition of the minor once he is released from the hospital. All inquiries regarding the homicide investigation should be made to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol have apprehended the subject of a law enforcement alert from Texas and discovered a deceased individual in the trunk of a car. The discovery came after troopers located and pursued a vehicle suspected to be involved in a homicide in Texas.At approximately 2:45 p.m. Friday, NSP was alerted by authorities with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office in Texas that a vehicle believed to be involved in a homicide was traveling in Nebraska. Troopers were able to locate the vehicle, a Mazda 3, less than 15 minutes later as it was traveling westbound on Interstate 80 near Grand Island.A trooper attempted a traffic stop, but the driver of the vehicle fled at a high rate of speed. The trooper initiated a pursuit. The suspect vehicle continued westbound with speeds in excess of 110 miles per hour.After approximately nine miles, the Mazda attempted to slow down, but struck the rear of a semi, left the roadway, and struck a tree in the ditch near mile marker 299. Troopers were on scene immediately and located the driver with severe injuries. Troopers then located a deceased woman in the trunk of the car. NSP is currently working to positively identify the victim.The driver is a 17-year-old male from Texas. The driver has been transported to St. Francis Hospital in Grand Island with what are believed to be non-life-threatening injuries.<a href="https://northplattepost.com/posts/2ddcec21-000f-4ace-b19e-4250120d6629">&nbsp;&nbsp;Download The Post app for iOs or Android</a><figure>
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Nebraska troopers identify body found in trunk 

By DAVE BERGMEIER <a href="https://www.hpj.com/ag_news/driverless-tractors-machinery-finding-their-way-onto-fields/article_beb709ec-4640-11ed-8044-373be8fca6b5.html">High Plains Journal</a>

In recent years few innovations have caught the fancy of farmers more than autonomous tractors.

Automation
 is technologically advanced and a farmer can put a driverless tractor 
into a field. Specialty crop production has included autonomous orchard 
harvesters and strawberry harvesters, said Austin Gellings, agriculture 
services manager for the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, 
Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

There are some autonomous 
machines available in the marketplace and experts believe that will 
continue to accelerate. Experts say operators have to make a decision 
based on their own situation.

“The
 agriculture industry is challenged with feeding, clothing and providing
 fuel for an ever-growing population with less land, less resources and 
less inputs,” said Christopher Murray, marketing manager at John Deere, 
Moline, Illinois. “Artificial intelligence has bridged the gap from the 
days of doing more with more, to getting more with less.”

“These
 challenges represent opportunities for our customers. At John Deere, we
 have been focused on integrating technology over the last 30 years into
 our machines that help us enable farmers to feed, clothe and fuel the 
world. We see advanced technology growing up in farming operations to 
meet the ever-growing needs from the world population.”

Manufacturers
 have been incorporating some level of autonomy into machinery dating 
back to the 1990s with technology such as Autosteer, Gellings said. 
“Since then we have seen numerous other aspects of farm machinery 
becoming automated and over the last few years begun to see more and 
more fully autonomous solutions. However, there are industries like 
mining that have been operating fully autonomous for quite some time and
 have a stellar track record with it.”

By
 deploying an autonomous machine in agriculture, farmers will be able to
 tend to priority jobs while that machine handles other work the farmer 
may not have time or available labor to do, Murray said. Autonomous 
gives farmers back valuable time they can use to spend getting other 
jobs done or spending time with family and friends.

“It
 could be the difference between a farmer working through the evening or
 getting home to enjoy a warm meal with their family,” Murray said. 
“Deploying an autonomous machine benefits farmers’ bottom line, their 
livelihoods and the world at large as food demand and hunger increase.”

The drive for using autonomous 
machines in production agriculture makes sense to Gellings, who says it 
offers benefits such as taking operators out of harm’s way and with 
increased efficiency the machines could run for many more hours and one 
person could monitor several machines at once. Autonomous equipment does
 take someone who has technical savvy, Gellings said. Anyone who has 
proficiency in running a farm, incorporating Autosteer and other 
technologies that require a user interface may already have a level of 
familiarity.

“From a 
mechanical maintenance standpoint most aspects of the machine are 
similar to other conventional machines,” Gellings said.

As
 farmers update their fleet of equipment, they should consider how the 
new piece of equipment and the available technology will help increase 
productivity, performance, yields, sustainability, and quality of life, 
Murray said.

“At John 
Deere, our technology stack allows farmers to meet their goals and 
stretch further into automation with each piece of John Deere 
equipment,” he said. “Our John Deere dealers have helped farmers realize
 the value of technology, from the core hardware and software that 
customer use such as AutoTrac, yield documentation, and John Deere 
Operations Center, to our most advanced technology available in our 
automation packages.”

Many
 customers choose to order Deere equipment with automation packages that
 automate many of the functions on the piece of the equipment, Murray 
said. For example, with Tractor Automation 4.0, the customer gets 
AutoTrac Turn Automation, AutoPath, AutoTrac Implement Guidance and 
Machine Sync. The technologies build upon the core technology to make 
the farmer more productive and increase yields throughout each 
production step—field preparation, planting, fertilizer application, and
 during harvest.

“All these available 
technologies are valuable building blocks to autonomy,” Murray said. 
“The farmers using our most advanced technologies today will be able to 
easily make the next step into autonomy once it is available to the 
industry.”

Case IH, 
Racine, Wisconsin, has also been a pioneer in autonomous machinery 
market, and company officials said are continuing to build on a 
portfolio that meets the needs of growers.

During
 the recent Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa, Case IH and Raven 
Industries introduced an autonomous spreader—the Case IH Trident 5550 
applicator with Raven Autonomy. The technology stack is powered by 
guidance and steering propulsion control, perception and path planning 
software developed by Raven.

According to the companies, 
from a mobile device operators can plan and complete an entire field 
operation based on mapped field boundaries. Through a series of advanced
 cameras and radar systems, the Raven Autonomy perception system is 
constantly sensing a 360-degree environment around the machine for 
obstacles and motion initiation while operating. With artificial 
intelligence, Raven’s perception controller processes the continuous 
stream of images, which interprets and detects obstacles. The remove 
operator can view the cameras through the mobile device at any time.

While
 costs may be higher the savings in labor can make autonomous machinery 
closer to a reality, Gellings said. “This is not just an investment to 
improve one’s current operation, but it is also a pathway to engage the 
next generation of farmers who are more interested in technology.”

Gellings
 said broadband limitations may not be as major of an obstacle for 
growers but are a key factor in being able to use equipment to its 
fullest potential both from an autonomy standpoint and being able to 
fully use other aspects such as data-driven decisions.

While
 much of the attention has been on large scale tractors there is also a 
demand for other pieces of autonomous equipment, he said. They include 
orchard and strawberry harvesters, Gellings said.

John Deere announced the autonomy for tillage at the Consumer Electronics Show this past January.

“Autonomy
 will open the door for us to continue to innovate more solutions to 
keep serving our customers in new ways and for the tasks that are most 
demanding on them,” Murray said. “We will prioritize autonomy for the 
jobs that occur at the busiest times of the year—like during planting 
and harvesting—when farmers must contend with limited labor, lots of 
variables and show windows of times to get things done.”

Farmers,
 just like any business are always looking to innovate to meet their 
goals that help increase productivity, performance yields, 
sustainability, and quality of life, he said. With those goals in mind 
Deere expects further automation with machinery, further learning about 
machines, more artificial intelligence, and more autonomy.

“Technology
 has helped farmers get closer to meeting their goals and will continue 
to push boundaries in the future,” Murray said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665753318832.png" alt="The Case IH Trident 5550 applicator with Raven Autonomy allows for one or more driverless machines in the field without an operator present in the cab, providing the flexibility of full control in or out of the cab. (Courtesy photo.)" />
 <figcaption>The Case IH Trident 5550 applicator with Raven Autonomy allows for one or more driverless machines in the field without an operator present in the cab, providing the flexibility of full control in or out of the cab. (Courtesy photo.)</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAVE BERGMEIER <a href="https://www.hpj.com/ag_news/driverless-tractors-machinery-finding-their-way-onto-fields/article_beb709ec-4640-11ed-8044-373be8fca6b5.html">High Plains Journal</a>In recent years few innovations have caught the fancy of farmers more than autonomous tractors.Automation
 is technologically advanced and a farmer can put a driverless tractor 
into a field. Specialty crop production has included autonomous orchard 
harvesters and strawberry harvesters, said Austin Gellings, agriculture 
services manager for the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, 
Milwaukee, Wisconsin.There are some autonomous 
machines available in the marketplace and experts believe that will 
continue to accelerate. Experts say operators have to make a decision 
based on their own situation.“The
 agriculture industry is challenged with feeding, clothing and providing
 fuel for an ever-growing population with less land, less resources and 
less inputs,” said Christopher Murray, marketing manager at John Deere, 
Moline, Illinois. “Artificial intelligence has bridged the gap from the 
days of doing more with more, to getting more with less.”“These
 challenges represent opportunities for our customers. At John Deere, we
 have been focused on integrating technology over the last 30 years into
 our machines that help us enable farmers to feed, clothe and fuel the 
world. We see advanced technology growing up in farming operations to 
meet the ever-growing needs from the world population.”<h2>Early roots</h2>Manufacturers
 have been incorporating some level of autonomy into machinery dating 
back to the 1990s with technology such as Autosteer, Gellings said. 
“Since then we have seen numerous other aspects of farm machinery 
becoming automated and over the last few years begun to see more and 
more fully autonomous solutions. However, there are industries like 
mining that have been operating fully autonomous for quite some time and
 have a stellar track record with it.”By
 deploying an autonomous machine in agriculture, farmers will be able to
 tend to priority jobs while that machine handles other work the farmer 
may not have time or available labor to do, Murray said. Autonomous 
gives farmers back valuable time they can use to spend getting other 
jobs done or spending time with family and friends.“It
 could be the difference between a farmer working through the evening or
 getting home to enjoy a warm meal with their family,” Murray said. 
“Deploying an autonomous machine benefits farmers’ bottom line, their 
livelihoods and the world at large as food demand and hunger increase.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665753409090.png" alt="John Deere’s autonomous tractor has six pairs of stereo cameras, which enables 360-degree obstacle detection and the calculation of distance. Images captured by the cameras are passed through a deep neural network that classifies each pixel in approximately 100 milliseconds and determines if the machine continues to move or stops, depending on if an obstacle is detected. The autonomous tractor is also continuously checking its position relative to a geofence, ensuring it is operating where it is supposed to, and is accurate to within less than 1 inch. (Courtesy photo.)" />
 <figcaption>John Deere’s autonomous tractor has six pairs of stereo cameras, which enables 360-degree obstacle detection and the calculation of distance. Images captured by the cameras are passed through a deep neural network that classifies each pixel in approximately 100 milliseconds and determines if the machine continues to move or stops, depending on if an obstacle is detected. The autonomous tractor is also continuously checking its position relative to a geofence, ensuring it is operating where it is supposed to, and is accurate to within less than 1 inch. (Courtesy photo.)</figcaption>
 </figure>The drive for using autonomous 
machines in production agriculture makes sense to Gellings, who says it 
offers benefits such as taking operators out of harm’s way and with 
increased efficiency the machines could run for many more hours and one 
person could monitor several machines at once. Autonomous equipment does
 take someone who has technical savvy, Gellings said. Anyone who has 
proficiency in running a farm, incorporating Autosteer and other 
technologies that require a user interface may already have a level of 
familiarity.“From a 
mechanical maintenance standpoint most aspects of the machine are 
similar to other conventional machines,” Gellings said.As
 farmers update their fleet of equipment, they should consider how the 
new piece of equipment and the available technology will help increase 
productivity, performance, yields, sustainability, and quality of life, 
Murray said.“At John 
Deere, our technology stack allows farmers to meet their goals and 
stretch further into automation with each piece of John Deere 
equipment,” he said. “Our John Deere dealers have helped farmers realize
 the value of technology, from the core hardware and software that 
customer use such as AutoTrac, yield documentation, and John Deere 
Operations Center, to our most advanced technology available in our 
automation packages.”<h2>Features familiarity</h2>Many
 customers choose to order Deere equipment with automation packages that
 automate many of the functions on the piece of the equipment, Murray 
said. For example, with Tractor Automation 4.0, the customer gets 
AutoTrac Turn Automation, AutoPath, AutoTrac Implement Guidance and 
Machine Sync. The technologies build upon the core technology to make 
the farmer more productive and increase yields throughout each 
production step—field preparation, planting, fertilizer application, and
 during harvest.“All these available 
technologies are valuable building blocks to autonomy,” Murray said. 
“The farmers using our most advanced technologies today will be able to 
easily make the next step into autonomy once it is available to the 
industry.”Case IH, 
Racine, Wisconsin, has also been a pioneer in autonomous machinery 
market, and company officials said are continuing to build on a 
portfolio that meets the needs of growers.During
 the recent Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa, Case IH and Raven 
Industries introduced an autonomous spreader—the Case IH Trident 5550 
applicator with Raven Autonomy. The technology stack is powered by 
guidance and steering propulsion control, perception and path planning 
software developed by Raven.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665753460991.png" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>According to the companies, 
from a mobile device operators can plan and complete an entire field 
operation based on mapped field boundaries. Through a series of advanced
 cameras and radar systems, the Raven Autonomy perception system is 
constantly sensing a 360-degree environment around the machine for 
obstacles and motion initiation while operating. With artificial 
intelligence, Raven’s perception controller processes the continuous 
stream of images, which interprets and detects obstacles. The remove 
operator can view the cameras through the mobile device at any time.<h2>Technical reality</h2>While
 costs may be higher the savings in labor can make autonomous machinery 
closer to a reality, Gellings said. “This is not just an investment to 
improve one’s current operation, but it is also a pathway to engage the 
next generation of farmers who are more interested in technology.”Gellings
 said broadband limitations may not be as major of an obstacle for 
growers but are a key factor in being able to use equipment to its 
fullest potential both from an autonomy standpoint and being able to 
fully use other aspects such as data-driven decisions.While
 much of the attention has been on large scale tractors there is also a 
demand for other pieces of autonomous equipment, he said. They include 
orchard and strawberry harvesters, Gellings said.John Deere announced the autonomy for tillage at the Consumer Electronics Show this past January.“Autonomy
 will open the door for us to continue to innovate more solutions to 
keep serving our customers in new ways and for the tasks that are most 
demanding on them,” Murray said. “We will prioritize autonomy for the 
jobs that occur at the busiest times of the year—like during planting 
and harvesting—when farmers must contend with limited labor, lots of 
variables and show windows of times to get things done.”Farmers,
 just like any business are always looking to innovate to meet their 
goals that help increase productivity, performance yields, 
sustainability, and quality of life, he said. With those goals in mind 
Deere expects further automation with machinery, further learning about 
machines, more artificial intelligence, and more autonomy.“Technology
 has helped farmers get closer to meeting their goals and will continue 
to push boundaries in the future,” Murray said.Republished with permission

Driverless tractors, machinery finding their way onto fields

Elon Musk has a penchant for the letter “X.” He calls his son with the singer Grimes, whose actual name is a collection of letters and symbols, “X.” He named the company he created to buy Twitter "X Holdings." His rocket company is, naturally, SpaceX.

Now he also apparently intends to&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1577428272056389633">morph Twitter into an “everything app”</a>&nbsp;he calls X.

For months, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO has expressed interest in creating his own version of China’s WeChat — a “super app” that does video chats, messaging, streaming and payments — for the rest of the world.. At least, that is, once he's done&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-inc-technology-business-f52c7655942aaab05ee5be7a1388e0fd">buying Twitter</a>&nbsp;after months of legal infighting over the $44 billion purchase agreement he signed in April.

There are just a few obstacles. First is that a Musk-owned Twitter wouldn't be the only global company in pursuit of this goal, and in fact would probably be playing catch-up with its rivals. Next is the question of whether anyone really wants a Twitter-based everything app— or any other super app — to begin with.

Start with the competition and consumer demand. Facebook parent Meta has spent years trying to make its flagship platform a destination for everything online, adding payments, games, shopping and even dating features to its social network. So far, it's had little success; nearly all of its revenue still comes from advertising.

Google, Snap, TikTok, Uber and others have also tried to jump on the super app bandwagon, expanding their offerings in an effort to become indispensable to people as they go about their day. None have set the world on fire so far, not least because people already have a number of apps at their disposal to handle shopping, communicating and payments.

“Old habits are hard to break, and people in the U.S. are used to using different apps for different activities," said Jasmine Enberg, principal analyst at Insider Intelligence. Enberg also notes that super apps would likely suck up more personal data at a time when trust in social platforms has deteriorated significantly.

Musk kicked off the latest round of speculation on Oct. 4, the day he reversed his attempts to get out of the deal and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-inc-technology-business-f52c7655942aaab05ee5be7a1388e0fd">announced that he wanted to acquire Twitter after all</a>. “Buying Twitter is an accelerant to creating X, the everything app,” he tweeted without further explanation.

But he's provided at least a little more detail in the past. During Tesla’s annual shareholder meeting in August, Musk told the crowd at a factory near Austin, Texas, that he thinks he's “got a good sense of where to point the engineering team with Twitter to make it radically better.”

And he's dropped some strong hints that handling payments for goods and services would be a key part of the app. Musk said he has a “grander vision” for what X.com, an online bank he started early in his career that eventually became part of PayPal, could have been.

“Obviously that could be started from scratch, but I think Twitter would help accelerate that by three to five years,” Musk said in August. “So it’s kind of something that I thought would be quite useful for a long time. I know what to do.”

But it's not clear that WeChat's success in China means the same idea would translate for a U.S. or global audience. WeChat usage in almost universal in China, where most people never had a computer at home and skipped straight to going online by mobile phone.

Operated by tech giant Tencent Holding Ltd., the platform has made itself a one-stop shop for payments and other services and is starting to compete in entertainment. It is also a platform for health code apps the public is required to use prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

China has 1 billion internet users, and nearly all of them go online by mobile phone, according to the government-sanctioned China Internet Network Information Center. Only 33% use desktop computers at all — and mostly in addition to mobile phones. Tencent says WeChat had 1.3 billion users worldwide as of the end of June.

Tencent and its main Chinese competitor, e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, aim to make apps that offer so many services that users can't easily switch to another app. They're not the only ones.

WeChat has added video calls and other message features as well as shopping, entertainment and other features. Government agencies use it to send out health, traffic and other announcements. WeChat’s payment function, meanwhile, is so widely used that coffee shops, museums and some other businesses refuse cash and will take payment only through WeChat or the rival Ant app.

There is no comparable app in the U.S., despite tech companies' efforts.

It's worth remembering that Musk's grand visions don't always work out the way he appears to expect. Humans are nowhere near colonizing Mars and his promised&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-elon-musk-austin-texas-c29b5ab7dda15f1829d4c9de929fe0f3">fleet of robotaxis</a>&nbsp;remains about as far from reality as the metaverse.

Twitter's user base is also tiny relative to those at its social-platform competitors. While Facebook, Instagram and TikTok all passed the 1 billion mark long ago, Twitter has about 240 million daily users.

“Musk would not only have to overcome the hurdle of convincing consumers to change how they behave online, but also that Twitter is the place to do it,” Enberg said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/8/1565281787584.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSElon Musk has a penchant for the letter “X.” He calls his son with the singer Grimes, whose actual name is a collection of letters and symbols, “X.” He named the company he created to buy Twitter "X Holdings." His rocket company is, naturally, SpaceX.Now he also apparently intends to&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1577428272056389633">morph Twitter into an “everything app”</a>&nbsp;he calls X.For months, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO has expressed interest in creating his own version of China’s WeChat — a “super app” that does video chats, messaging, streaming and payments — for the rest of the world.. At least, that is, once he's done&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-inc-technology-business-f52c7655942aaab05ee5be7a1388e0fd">buying Twitter</a>&nbsp;after months of legal infighting over the $44 billion purchase agreement he signed in April.There are just a few obstacles. First is that a Musk-owned Twitter wouldn't be the only global company in pursuit of this goal, and in fact would probably be playing catch-up with its rivals. Next is the question of whether anyone really wants a Twitter-based everything app— or any other super app — to begin with.Start with the competition and consumer demand. Facebook parent Meta has spent years trying to make its flagship platform a destination for everything online, adding payments, games, shopping and even dating features to its social network. So far, it's had little success; nearly all of its revenue still comes from advertising.Google, Snap, TikTok, Uber and others have also tried to jump on the super app bandwagon, expanding their offerings in an effort to become indispensable to people as they go about their day. None have set the world on fire so far, not least because people already have a number of apps at their disposal to handle shopping, communicating and payments.“Old habits are hard to break, and people in the U.S. are used to using different apps for different activities," said Jasmine Enberg, principal analyst at Insider Intelligence. Enberg also notes that super apps would likely suck up more personal data at a time when trust in social platforms has deteriorated significantly.Musk kicked off the latest round of speculation on Oct. 4, the day he reversed his attempts to get out of the deal and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-inc-technology-business-f52c7655942aaab05ee5be7a1388e0fd">announced that he wanted to acquire Twitter after all</a>. “Buying Twitter is an accelerant to creating X, the everything app,” he tweeted without further explanation.But he's provided at least a little more detail in the past. During Tesla’s annual shareholder meeting in August, Musk told the crowd at a factory near Austin, Texas, that he thinks he's “got a good sense of where to point the engineering team with Twitter to make it radically better.”And he's dropped some strong hints that handling payments for goods and services would be a key part of the app. Musk said he has a “grander vision” for what X.com, an online bank he started early in his career that eventually became part of PayPal, could have been.“Obviously that could be started from scratch, but I think Twitter would help accelerate that by three to five years,” Musk said in August. “So it’s kind of something that I thought would be quite useful for a long time. I know what to do.”But it's not clear that WeChat's success in China means the same idea would translate for a U.S. or global audience. WeChat usage in almost universal in China, where most people never had a computer at home and skipped straight to going online by mobile phone.Operated by tech giant Tencent Holding Ltd., the platform has made itself a one-stop shop for payments and other services and is starting to compete in entertainment. It is also a platform for health code apps the public is required to use prevent the spread of the coronavirus.China has 1 billion internet users, and nearly all of them go online by mobile phone, according to the government-sanctioned China Internet Network Information Center. Only 33% use desktop computers at all — and mostly in addition to mobile phones. Tencent says WeChat had 1.3 billion users worldwide as of the end of June.Tencent and its main Chinese competitor, e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, aim to make apps that offer so many services that users can't easily switch to another app. They're not the only ones.WeChat has added video calls and other message features as well as shopping, entertainment and other features. Government agencies use it to send out health, traffic and other announcements. WeChat’s payment function, meanwhile, is so widely used that coffee shops, museums and some other businesses refuse cash and will take payment only through WeChat or the rival Ant app.There is no comparable app in the U.S., despite tech companies' efforts.It's worth remembering that Musk's grand visions don't always work out the way he appears to expect. Humans are nowhere near colonizing Mars and his promised&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-elon-musk-austin-texas-c29b5ab7dda15f1829d4c9de929fe0f3">fleet of robotaxis</a>&nbsp;remains about as far from reality as the metaverse.Twitter's user base is also tiny relative to those at its social-platform competitors. While Facebook, Instagram and TikTok all passed the 1 billion mark long ago, Twitter has about 240 million daily users.“Musk would not only have to overcome the hurdle of convincing consumers to change how they behave online, but also that Twitter is the place to do it,” Enberg said.<a href="https://northplattepost.com/posts/2ddcec21-000f-4ace-b19e-4250120d6629">&nbsp;&nbsp;Download The Post app for iOs or Android</a><figure>
 <img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/trH4ObZdMVo-eptgfXNwGNkKuUwqkCO_zLPxG1RKOHx2Up3ZQdnkO1-9aSlTWMQ90calC_0Csg8dtiaIlOqlAStoQUVOZWcfix2B9j6aX1WoS5f9fwP140MX6vqWZGjAYEbUv7GvGqZclzMOqZ19WUSxEqZrm9lcFH5YE5A2F5XiqT-8qKZdH3FZ" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

Musk has a 'super app' plan for Twitter. It's super vague

DENVER (AP) — One person was killed and others were hurt in a shooting at a house party just north of Denver early Saturday, according to the Adams County Sheriff's Office.

At about 3 a.m. deputies responded to 911 calls related to shots fired at a house party The Sheriff’s Office said on Twitter.

Multiple shooting victims were taken to hospitals, officials said. One person was pronounced dead at a hospital, according to officials.

Officials said to avoid the area of Greenwood Boulevard and Dakin Street in the Sherrelwood area, where an investigation was ongoing.

No further information was immediately released.

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSDENVER (AP) — One person was killed and others were hurt in a shooting at a house party just north of Denver early Saturday, according to the Adams County Sheriff's Office.At about 3 a.m. deputies responded to 911 calls related to shots fired at a house party The Sheriff’s Office said on Twitter.Multiple shooting victims were taken to hospitals, officials said. One person was pronounced dead at a hospital, according to officials.Officials said to avoid the area of Greenwood Boulevard and Dakin Street in the Sherrelwood area, where an investigation was ongoing.No further information was immediately released.

Sheriff: 1 killed, others hurt in house party shooting

Acting United States Attorney Steve Russell announced that Spencer Lile, 42, formerly of Exeter, Nebraska, was sentenced today in Lincoln, Nebraska, by Judge John M. Gerrard for receipt of child pornography. Lile was sentenced to 7 years in prison, 5 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. There is no parole in the federal system.&nbsp; Liles was additionally ordered to pay $15,000 in restitution.

On August 4, 2021, Spencer Lile was arrested on state charges of theft and possession of a controlled substance.&nbsp; A search warrant for the search of Lile’s cellphone related to those offenses was received by the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office.&nbsp; On August 5, 2021, a download of the cellphone was completed, and child pornography was located on the device.&nbsp; Based on the discovery of apparent child pornography on the phone, a federal search warrant to search the phone for child pornography evidence was received on September 27, 2021.&nbsp; A review of Lile’s cellphone revealed 424 files of child pornography which included 302 of video files.&nbsp;

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.projectsafechildhood.gov/" target="_blank">www.projectsafechildhood.gov</a>.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.

By UNITED STATES ATTORNEYActing United States Attorney Steve Russell announced that Spencer Lile, 42, formerly of Exeter, Nebraska, was sentenced today in Lincoln, Nebraska, by Judge John M. Gerrard for receipt of child pornography. Lile was sentenced to 7 years in prison, 5 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. There is no parole in the federal system.&nbsp; Liles was additionally ordered to pay $15,000 in restitution.On August 4, 2021, Spencer Lile was arrested on state charges of theft and possession of a controlled substance.&nbsp; A search warrant for the search of Lile’s cellphone related to those offenses was received by the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office.&nbsp; On August 5, 2021, a download of the cellphone was completed, and child pornography was located on the device.&nbsp; Based on the discovery of apparent child pornography on the phone, a federal search warrant to search the phone for child pornography evidence was received on September 27, 2021.&nbsp; A review of Lile’s cellphone revealed 424 files of child pornography which included 302 of video files.&nbsp;This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.projectsafechildhood.gov/" target="_blank">www.projectsafechildhood.gov</a>.This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.

Exeter man sentenced to prison on child porn charges

Abbott is initiating a proactive, voluntary recall of certain lots of 2 fluid ounce/ 59 milliliter bottles of Ready-to-Feed liquid products for infants and children, including the brands Similac®&nbsp;Pro-Total ComfortTM, Similac®&nbsp;360 Total Care®, Similac 360 Total Care Sensitive, Similac®&nbsp;Special Care®&nbsp;24, Similac Stage 1, Similac®&nbsp;NeoSure®, Similac Water (Sterilized) and Pedialyte Electrolyte Solution. The products included in the recall were manufactured at our Columbus, Ohio, manufacturing facility, according to a statement from the company.

These products are being recalled because a small percentage of bottles (less than 1%) in the recalled lots have bottle caps that may not have sealed completely, which could result in spoilage. If spoiled product is consumed, gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting may occur.

This recall does not include any other liquid or powder formula brands or other nutrition products produced in our Columbus facility or elsewhere within our global nutrition manufacturing network. It also does not include any amino acid-based formulas or metabolic nutrition formulas.

This recall equates to less than one day's worth of the total number of ounces of infant formula fed in the U.S. and is not expected to impact the overall U.S. infant formula supply. Abbott is continuing production of Similac 2 fluid ounce/59 milliliter Ready-to-Feed liquid formula products for hospitals and healthcare providers' offices on a different production line. Similac infant formula will continue to be produced in alternative product sizes and formats for delivery to retail locations, in addition to increased production throughout our global manufacturing network.

The products included in the recall were distributed primarily to hospitals and to some doctors’ offices, distributors and retailers in the U.S., including Puerto Rico; one lot of products was sent to Barbados, Bermuda, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Croix and St. Thomas; and two lots were sent to Canada, Curacao, Panama, and Trinidad and Tobago.

What Parents and Caregivers Should Do

If a product is included in the recall,&nbsp;do not use the product.&nbsp;For all feeding-related questions or questions about your child’s health, contact a healthcare professional.

To identify if your product is included, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.similacrecall.com/us/en/home.html?utm_campaign=abb-rcl-liquid-recall&amp;utm_medium=tag-referral&amp;utm_source=abb-rcl-link-sim-com&amp;utm_content=abb-2022-sim-dot-come-rcl-link-to-recall-site-oct&amp;utm_term=please-visit-recall-oct" target="_blank">similacrecall.com</a>&nbsp;to view a list of impacted lot numbers or use the lot number checker on the webpage.

"We take our responsibility to deliver high-quality products very seriously," said Joe Manning, executive vice president, nutritional products, Abbott. "We internally identified the issue, are addressing it, and will work with our customers to minimize inconvenience and get them the products they need."

If you have questions, please contact Abbott's Consumer Relations hotline 1-800-986-8540

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665842624320.png" alt="photo courtesy Abbot" />
 <figcaption>photo courtesy Abbot</figcaption>
 </figure>Abbott is initiating a proactive, voluntary recall of certain lots of 2 fluid ounce/ 59 milliliter bottles of Ready-to-Feed liquid products for infants and children, including the brands Similac®&nbsp;Pro-Total ComfortTM, Similac®&nbsp;360 Total Care®, Similac 360 Total Care Sensitive, Similac®&nbsp;Special Care®&nbsp;24, Similac Stage 1, Similac®&nbsp;NeoSure®, Similac Water (Sterilized) and Pedialyte Electrolyte Solution. The products included in the recall were manufactured at our Columbus, Ohio, manufacturing facility, according to a statement from the company. These products are being recalled because a small percentage of bottles (less than 1%) in the recalled lots have bottle caps that may not have sealed completely, which could result in spoilage. If spoiled product is consumed, gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting may occur. This recall does not include any other liquid or powder formula brands or other nutrition products produced in our Columbus facility or elsewhere within our global nutrition manufacturing network. It also does not include any amino acid-based formulas or metabolic nutrition formulas. This recall equates to less than one day's worth of the total number of ounces of infant formula fed in the U.S. and is not expected to impact the overall U.S. infant formula supply. Abbott is continuing production of Similac 2 fluid ounce/59 milliliter Ready-to-Feed liquid formula products for hospitals and healthcare providers' offices on a different production line. Similac infant formula will continue to be produced in alternative product sizes and formats for delivery to retail locations, in addition to increased production throughout our global manufacturing network. The products included in the recall were distributed primarily to hospitals and to some doctors’ offices, distributors and retailers in the U.S., including Puerto Rico; one lot of products was sent to Barbados, Bermuda, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Croix and St. Thomas; and two lots were sent to Canada, Curacao, Panama, and Trinidad and Tobago.What Parents and Caregivers Should DoIf a product is included in the recall,&nbsp;do not use the product.&nbsp;For all feeding-related questions or questions about your child’s health, contact a healthcare professional.To identify if your product is included, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.similacrecall.com/us/en/home.html?utm_campaign=abb-rcl-liquid-recall&amp;utm_medium=tag-referral&amp;utm_source=abb-rcl-link-sim-com&amp;utm_content=abb-2022-sim-dot-come-rcl-link-to-recall-site-oct&amp;utm_term=please-visit-recall-oct" target="_blank">similacrecall.com</a>&nbsp;to view a list of impacted lot numbers or use the lot number checker on the webpage. "We take our responsibility to deliver high-quality products very seriously," said Joe Manning, executive vice president, nutritional products, Abbott. "We internally identified the issue, are addressing it, and will work with our customers to minimize inconvenience and get them the products they need." If you have questions, please contact Abbott's Consumer Relations hotline 1-800-986-8540