The divisive and powerful 9/11-era vice president was also a devoted husband, avid outdoorsman and close advisor to his daughter, Liz Cheney.

by&nbsp;<a href="https://wyofile.com/author/katie-klingsporn/">Katie Klingsporn</a> <a href="https://wyofile.com/">WyoFile</a>

Dick Cheney, the Wyoming oilman and politician who was widely considered to be the most powerful vice president in America’s history, died on Monday. He was 84.&nbsp;

Cheney, who grew up largely in Casper, served as Wyoming’s sole U.S. representative in Congress from 1979-1989. It was among his many roles in Washington. At age 34, he became the youngest presidential chief of staff in history when President Gerald Ford appointed him to the post. He served as secretary of defense under George H.W. Bush, and years later joined the ticket of George W. Bush to become vice president, serving two terms.

He and his wife of 61 years, Lynne, continued to live part-time in Jackson, and often hosted family there. Later in his life, Cheney became a close political advisor to his eldest daughter, Liz Cheney, who followed in his footsteps with a career in politics —&nbsp;and one that also grew polarizing.

Cheney was famously in D.C. as terrorists attacked America on Sept. 11, 2001, the defining event of his career. With President Bush in Florida that day, Cheney&nbsp;<a href="https://www.archives.gov/files/declassification/iscap/pdf/2012-163-doc-1-release-material.pdf">presided over the chaotic and terrifying early hours of the attack</a>&nbsp;from the Presidential Emergency Operations Center located underneath the White House — authorizing military force against civilian airplanes. He later became the chief architect of the war on terror.&nbsp;

While Cheney had admirers who respected his clear-eyed decisiveness, formidable intelligence and enduring patriotism, he also had detractors. The latter camp decried the surveillance and interrogation tactics implemented under his leadership as blatant civil liberties violations, and portrayed him as a Darth-Vaderesque figure — a sinister, secretive force orchestrating behind the scenes of the Bush administration.&nbsp;

In a nod to that, Cheney once showed up&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66FRAcBu9PA">dressed as the “Star Wars” villain for a “Tonight Show” interview with Jay Leno</a>. That, friends say, is an example of his sense of humor and proof that he was far more complicated than he was portrayed to be.

“He was fun and he could be funny, but he was also very serious,” said Judy Legerski of Lander, who has known Cheney since she worked on his first congressional campaign. “He was just a good, solid person. And a real guy.”

Friends remember Cheney as a cool-headed man of steely loyalty and deep consideration for others. He was a devoted husband and father, an avid fisherman and an accomplished outdoorsman. (He did find himself the subject of jokes after accidentally shooting an acquaintance during a 2006 hunting trip.) He wasn’t one for small talk, but if engaged on the right topic, he would expound at length.&nbsp;

“Dick’s one of the smartest people I’ve ever known in my life,” Legerski said. “His abilities of analysis were remarkable. You could ask a question, and he’d answer it like he’d done a research study on the topic two days before.”

Cheney was even-keeled and straightforward, a scholar of American history who loved dogs and was never one for the drama.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“He looked you right in the face if you had something to say,” remembers John McConnell, who was Cheney’s speechwriter in the White House. “He kind of had a way of tilting his head and listening to you, and he just was always great to work with. He was the most considerate and appreciative person I’ve ever worked for.”

He was hard-working and deeply committed to serving the country, said Steve Hadley, who served with Cheney at the Pentagon then in the White House as national security adviser.&nbsp;

“I would hope that [Americans] would recognize him as a man of integrity and talent, who loved the country, who put service to the country as his top priority, and was a terrific vice president in being supportive of the president and doing what the president needed him to do in order to keep this country safe,” Hadley said.

Cheney is survived by his wife, Lynne, daughters Liz and Mary, and several grandchildren.

Richard Bruce Cheney was born in Lincoln, Nebraska on Jan. 30, 1941 to a family of New Deal Democrats. His father was quiet, his mother high-spirited and convivial. His family moved to Casper when he was 13 after the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Soil Conservation Service reassigned his father to a new post.

As an adolescent, he played sports, explored the high plains with his brother, Bob, and developed a fishing addiction. Though a voracious reader of history, he was never a great student. In high school, he met and fell in love with Lynne Vincent, a bright and pretty student who was the state champion baton twirler. During their senior year at Natrona County High School, he was class president and she was homecoming queen. (The school’s football field&nbsp;<a href="https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/vicepresident/vpphotoessay/cheneyalumnifield/peindex.html">now bears his name</a>.)

Though a bit aimless, Cheney was advised by Casper oilman Tom Stroock to apply to Yale. Stroock assured Cheney the elite East Coast university was interested in geographic diversity. Cheney was accepted and awarded a full scholarship.&nbsp;

But after arriving in New Haven, Cheney fell in with a group of boys more interested in a good time than good grades, according to his memoir, “In My Time.” After two false starts, Cheney failed out.&nbsp;

He returned to Wyoming to “work in the tools” as a union member on jobs like installing electrical transmission lines. The work, which was physical and could be dangerous, paid well, but Cheney fell deeper into drinking with his work buddies. He was arrested twice for driving under the influence. The second arrest became a crucial fulcrum point in his life.

“Lynne, after spending a semester in Europe, had graduated summa cum laude from Colorado College,” Cheney recalled in his memoir. “And I was sleeping off a hangover in the Rock Springs jail.”

Determined to turn his life around, he stopped frequenting bars and enrolled at the University of Wyoming. In 1964, Lynne accepted his marriage proposal. They were married in August that year, and Cheney turned his focus to a career and fatherhood.

Cheney studied political science at UW, and got his first taste of political machinations as an intern in the Wyoming Legislature. Though he and Lynne had both planned to become college professors, his interests led him instead into politics. His first job came during the Nixon administration in 1969, when then-Director of the Office of Economic Opportunity Donald Rumsfeld hired Cheney as a congressional relations aide. That was the beginning of a decades-long mentorship and working relationship with Rumsfeld.&nbsp;

When Rumsfeld became President Gerald Ford’s chief of staff in 1974, Cheney acted as his deputy. And when Rumsfeld was bumped to secretary of defense in 1975, Cheney was promoted to fill the chief of staff vacancy.&nbsp;

After Ford lost his re-election bid to Jimmy Carter in 1976, Cheney decided to run for office himself. Not long after he moved Lynne and their two daughters back to Casper, he set his sights on the state’s lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. That’s when Legerski met him.&nbsp;

“Dick and two others were running on the Republican primary, and at the time, I was, for whatever reason, a hot political commodity around here,” Legerski said. “So each of these three people came and talked to me, and after talking to them, I determined that Dick was the guy I would support.”

She was impressed with his intellect and demeanor, she said.

That first primary, when Cheney vied against Ed Witzenburger and Jack Gage for the GOP nomination, was the toughest of his six campaigns for House, Cheney recalled in his memoir. After many previous years in D.C., one of his major tasks was convincing residents that he was in touch with them. He embarked on a dizzying tour of Wyoming diners, radio stations and town halls.&nbsp;

He was campaigning in Cheyenne in June 1978 when he awoke in the middle of the night with tingling in his left hand. Cheney, 37 at the time, was having a heart attack.&nbsp;

He was treated and released with instructions to rest. He quit smoking and began to eat healthier. Meanwhile, Lynne filled in on his campaign events. After winning the primary, he beat the Democratic challenger.&nbsp;

Cheney was re-elected five times, serving until 1989.&nbsp;

He honed his national security knowledge, assembled a team of Wyoming staffers and worked alongside Republicans such as Newt Gingrich and Phil Gramm. Cheney served as House Minority Whip and chairman of the House Republican Conference.

Among his legislative achievements, he was particularly proud of the 1984 Wyoming Wilderness Act, which added nearly 1 million acres to the state’s wilderness areas. Cheney worked closely with fellow Wyoming congressmen Alan Simpson and Malcolm Wallop to pass the legislation.

The campaign heart attack, however, would be the first of a string of health troubles to plague Cheney. He experienced a second heart attack in 1984, and a third in 1988. He underwent quadruple bypass surgery, suffered a fourth attack in 2000 and received a ventricular assist device implant in 2010. In 2012, at the age of 71, he received a heart transplant, which bought him several more years of life.

Cheney left the House in 1989 after President H.W. Bush appointed him secretary of defense. In that post, he oversaw Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm — key phases of the Gulf War. After Bill Clinton’s presidential election, Cheney took the opportunity to do some fishing, plying blue-ribbon waters from British Columbia to Oregon and New Zealand.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Then he went into the private sector, working as chairman and CEO of the energy juggernaut Halliburton, headquartered in Dallas. The proximity allowed him to get to know George W. Bush, who was governor of Texas. Bush’s camp first asked Cheney to run Bush’s presidential campaign, which he declined.&nbsp;

They came back with a new request: help search for a veep. Cheney agreed. Early efforts, however, were fruitless. Bush eventually persuaded Cheney to accept the post.&nbsp;

Legerski remembers where she was — riding the elevator at Little America in Salt Lake — when Cheney called to give her the news. “And I said, ‘Dick, I remember you telling me you were never hitching your wagon onto someone else’s star.’ And he said, ‘When your president asks, the only answer is yes,’” she said. “And that’s the kind of guy he was.”

The decision vaulted him into the national spotlight, where every aspect of his life was under scrutiny. That included his views on gay rights. Cheney’s daughter, Mary, had come out as gay to the family years before, and he supported her. When asked in a debate about gay marriage, he was careful, answering that while people should be free to enter any relationship they want, gay marriage should be left to individual states, not subject to federal policy.

Famously, the Bush v. Gore election was controversial, with the U.S. Supreme Court settling the recount dispute in Bush’s favor in December 2000. It was a bumpy start for Cheney, who had suffered another heart attack during the prolonged recount process. It also foretold a difficult era.&nbsp;

Less than a year later, terrorists attacked America on Sept. 11. That morning, a special agent burst through Cheney’s office door, hoisted him by his belt and hustled him down to the emergency operation room, telling Cheney an unidentified aircraft was heading toward the White House.&nbsp;

As with the rest of the country, 9/11 left indelible impacts on Cheney. He became determined to quash terrorists and their supporters with whatever tools of national power were accessible.&nbsp;

“I think that had a searing effect on him,” said Pete Williams, a former NBC news correspondent who worked as Cheney’s press secretary for seven years. “I think he felt that virtually anything that was conceivable to prosecute the war on terror, he was willing to consider.”

Pete Williams sits on WyoFile’s board of directors.&nbsp;

In the years that followed, Cheney was criticized for authorizing controversial counterterrorism policies, promoting the inaccurate claim that Iraq was linked to 9/11 and helping to expand executive power. Critics said Cheney committed war crimes, citing the country’s use of domestic spying, torture and indefinite detention.&nbsp;

“He never flinched when the going got tough, or when the criticism became heated as it did,” McConnell said.&nbsp;

The actions also stem from Cheney’s interpretation of the job, Hadley said. “I think he would say that the first responsibility of the president and vice president was to keep the nation secure, and he took that very seriously.”&nbsp;

Other factors led to Cheney exerting power in ways beyond previous VPs, who had mainly been figureheads. Unlike Bush, Cheney possessed decades of foreign policy, White House and congressional experience. Bush delegated meaningful tasks to him, which meant he served as a kind of chief operating officer for the president, exerting major influence in policy decisions.

As a vice president, Cheney divided the public in unprecedented fashion. People either viewed him with deep admiration, or as a secretive and corrupt man who orchestrated a dark chapter in America’s history — and not much in between.&nbsp;

The latter view was made manifest in&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vice_(2018_film)">“Vice,” a 2018 film</a>&nbsp;starring Christian Bale as Cheney, a cunning and ruthlessly ambitious sociopath.&nbsp;

Reconciling the man and the reputation&nbsp;

Those who knew Cheney personally are adamant that the “Vice” character couldn’t be further from the truth.&nbsp;

“The last thing I would describe him as is taciturn or sour,” said Williams. “He was thoughtful, he was serious, he was highly focused. I very quickly realized that Dick Cheney did not do small talk … but I found him to have a great sense of humor, a very self-deprecating sense of humor.”

When it came to the war on terror, Williams said, “I think he felt that was the right thing to do to save the country.”

Legerski can see why Cheney could come off as remote. “I think in some ways, his gravitas was off-putting to some people,” she said. But she remembers a warm and considerate family man. The first time Liz Cheney ran for Congress, Legerski remembers, one of the drawbacks was that she wouldn’t be available to chauffeur her daughter to rodeos.&nbsp;

“So Dick got a truck, and he hauled [his granddaughter] and her horse to all the summer rodeos,” Legerski said. He&nbsp;<a href="https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/dick-cheney-embraces-the-darth-vader-meme-msna609146">adorned the pickup’s trailer hitch cover with an image of Darth Vader</a>.

Cheney largely disappeared from the public eye until the aftermath of Jan. 6. Republican support of Cheney and Liz fractured after the younger&nbsp;<a href="https://wyofile.com/a-year-later-cheneys-jan-6-response-divides-wyoming/">Cheney became a prominent critic of Donald Trump’s</a>&nbsp;actions related to the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2022/01/06/dick-cheney-liz-cheney-only-gop-january-6-house-floor-nr-sot-vpx.cnn">Cheney backed</a>&nbsp;his daughter.

He had a refreshing straightforwardness, McConnell said.&nbsp;

“He had high expectations, but he was always fair, easy to deal with in the sense that you knew where you stood with him,” he said. McConnell remembers getting irritated when Cheney would be attacked in the press. Cheney seemed to accept it as part of the gig, and was too busy doing his job to spend much effort refuting the flak. McConnell often wondered if Cheney took the heat so that Bush didn’t have to.

“He wasn’t out there to improve his own image, he was there to serve the president and the country,” he said.

In a&nbsp;<a href="https://med.stanford.edu/news/insights/2014/02/dick-cheney-on-his-heart-transplant-its-the-gift-of-life-itself.html">2014 article in Stanford Medicine</a>&nbsp;about Cheney’s long-standing heart issues, Cheney told the publication that before his transplant, he had confronted his mortality.&nbsp;

“I thought about it, I guess, I was at peace,” Cheney said in the article. “I had come to that point where I fully expected that I had lived a wonderful and remarkable life. I had a tremendous family. I had everything a man could ask for.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762260671709.png" alt="then-U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney and her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, in Cody July 30, 2022. photo by Dewey Vanderhoff" />
 <figcaption>then-U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney and her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, in Cody July 30, 2022. photo by Dewey Vanderhoff</figcaption>
 </figure>The divisive and powerful 9/11-era vice president was also a devoted husband, avid outdoorsman and close advisor to his daughter, Liz Cheney.by&nbsp;<a href="https://wyofile.com/author/katie-klingsporn/">Katie Klingsporn</a> <a href="https://wyofile.com/">WyoFile</a>Dick Cheney, the Wyoming oilman and politician who was widely considered to be the most powerful vice president in America’s history, died on Monday. He was 84.&nbsp;Cheney, who grew up largely in Casper, served as Wyoming’s sole U.S. representative in Congress from 1979-1989. It was among his many roles in Washington. At age 34, he became the youngest presidential chief of staff in history when President Gerald Ford appointed him to the post. He served as secretary of defense under George H.W. Bush, and years later joined the ticket of George W. Bush to become vice president, serving two terms.He and his wife of 61 years, Lynne, continued to live part-time in Jackson, and often hosted family there. Later in his life, Cheney became a close political advisor to his eldest daughter, Liz Cheney, who followed in his footsteps with a career in politics —&nbsp;and one that also grew polarizing.Cheney was famously in D.C. as terrorists attacked America on Sept. 11, 2001, the defining event of his career. With President Bush in Florida that day, Cheney&nbsp;<a href="https://www.archives.gov/files/declassification/iscap/pdf/2012-163-doc-1-release-material.pdf">presided over the chaotic and terrifying early hours of the attack</a>&nbsp;from the Presidential Emergency Operations Center located underneath the White House — authorizing military force against civilian airplanes. He later became the chief architect of the war on terror.&nbsp;While Cheney had admirers who respected his clear-eyed decisiveness, formidable intelligence and enduring patriotism, he also had detractors. The latter camp decried the surveillance and interrogation tactics implemented under his leadership as blatant civil liberties violations, and portrayed him as a Darth-Vaderesque figure — a sinister, secretive force orchestrating behind the scenes of the Bush administration.&nbsp;In a nod to that, Cheney once showed up&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66FRAcBu9PA">dressed as the “Star Wars” villain for a “Tonight Show” interview with Jay Leno</a>. That, friends say, is an example of his sense of humor and proof that he was far more complicated than he was portrayed to be.“He was fun and he could be funny, but he was also very serious,” said Judy Legerski of Lander, who has known Cheney since she worked on his first congressional campaign. “He was just a good, solid person. And a real guy.”Friends remember Cheney as a cool-headed man of steely loyalty and deep consideration for others. He was a devoted husband and father, an avid fisherman and an accomplished outdoorsman. (He did find himself the subject of jokes after accidentally shooting an acquaintance during a 2006 hunting trip.) He wasn’t one for small talk, but if engaged on the right topic, he would expound at length.&nbsp;“Dick’s one of the smartest people I’ve ever known in my life,” Legerski said. “His abilities of analysis were remarkable. You could ask a question, and he’d answer it like he’d done a research study on the topic two days before.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762260606545.png" alt="Vice President Dick Cheney in the President’s Emergency Operations Center on Sept. 11, 2001. (U.S. National Archives)" />
 <figcaption>Vice President Dick Cheney in the President’s Emergency Operations Center on Sept. 11, 2001. (U.S. National Archives)</figcaption>
 </figure>Cheney was even-keeled and straightforward, a scholar of American history who loved dogs and was never one for the drama.&nbsp;&nbsp;“He looked you right in the face if you had something to say,” remembers John McConnell, who was Cheney’s speechwriter in the White House. “He kind of had a way of tilting his head and listening to you, and he just was always great to work with. He was the most considerate and appreciative person I’ve ever worked for.”He was hard-working and deeply committed to serving the country, said Steve Hadley, who served with Cheney at the Pentagon then in the White House as national security adviser.&nbsp;“I would hope that [Americans] would recognize him as a man of integrity and talent, who loved the country, who put service to the country as his top priority, and was a terrific vice president in being supportive of the president and doing what the president needed him to do in order to keep this country safe,” Hadley said.Cheney is survived by his wife, Lynne, daughters Liz and Mary, and several grandchildren.<h2>Early life</h2>Richard Bruce Cheney was born in Lincoln, Nebraska on Jan. 30, 1941 to a family of New Deal Democrats. His father was quiet, his mother high-spirited and convivial. His family moved to Casper when he was 13 after the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Soil Conservation Service reassigned his father to a new post.As an adolescent, he played sports, explored the high plains with his brother, Bob, and developed a fishing addiction. Though a voracious reader of history, he was never a great student. In high school, he met and fell in love with Lynne Vincent, a bright and pretty student who was the state champion baton twirler. During their senior year at Natrona County High School, he was class president and she was homecoming queen. (The school’s football field&nbsp;<a href="https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/vicepresident/vpphotoessay/cheneyalumnifield/peindex.html">now bears his name</a>.)Though a bit aimless, Cheney was advised by Casper oilman Tom Stroock to apply to Yale. Stroock assured Cheney the elite East Coast university was interested in geographic diversity. Cheney was accepted and awarded a full scholarship.&nbsp;But after arriving in New Haven, Cheney fell in with a group of boys more interested in a good time than good grades, according to his memoir, “In My Time.” After two false starts, Cheney failed out.&nbsp;He returned to Wyoming to “work in the tools” as a union member on jobs like installing electrical transmission lines. The work, which was physical and could be dangerous, paid well, but Cheney fell deeper into drinking with his work buddies. He was arrested twice for driving under the influence. The second arrest became a crucial fulcrum point in his life.“Lynne, after spending a semester in Europe, had graduated summa cum laude from Colorado College,” Cheney recalled in his memoir. “And I was sleeping off a hangover in the Rock Springs jail.”Determined to turn his life around, he stopped frequenting bars and enrolled at the University of Wyoming. In 1964, Lynne accepted his marriage proposal. They were married in August that year, and Cheney turned his focus to a career and fatherhood.<h2>Politics&nbsp;</h2>Cheney studied political science at UW, and got his first taste of political machinations as an intern in the Wyoming Legislature. Though he and Lynne had both planned to become college professors, his interests led him instead into politics. His first job came during the Nixon administration in 1969, when then-Director of the Office of Economic Opportunity Donald Rumsfeld hired Cheney as a congressional relations aide. That was the beginning of a decades-long mentorship and working relationship with Rumsfeld.&nbsp;When Rumsfeld became President Gerald Ford’s chief of staff in 1974, Cheney acted as his deputy. And when Rumsfeld was bumped to secretary of defense in 1975, Cheney was promoted to fill the chief of staff vacancy.&nbsp;After Ford lost his re-election bid to Jimmy Carter in 1976, Cheney decided to run for office himself. Not long after he moved Lynne and their two daughters back to Casper, he set his sights on the state’s lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. That’s when Legerski met him.&nbsp;“Dick and two others were running on the Republican primary, and at the time, I was, for whatever reason, a hot political commodity around here,” Legerski said. “So each of these three people came and talked to me, and after talking to them, I determined that Dick was the guy I would support.”She was impressed with his intellect and demeanor, she said.That first primary, when Cheney vied against Ed Witzenburger and Jack Gage for the GOP nomination, was the toughest of his six campaigns for House, Cheney recalled in his memoir. After many previous years in D.C., one of his major tasks was convincing residents that he was in touch with them. He embarked on a dizzying tour of Wyoming diners, radio stations and town halls.&nbsp;He was campaigning in Cheyenne in June 1978 when he awoke in the middle of the night with tingling in his left hand. Cheney, 37 at the time, was having a heart attack.&nbsp;He was treated and released with instructions to rest. He quit smoking and began to eat healthier. Meanwhile, Lynne filled in on his campaign events. After winning the primary, he beat the Democratic challenger.&nbsp;Cheney was re-elected five times, serving until 1989.&nbsp;He honed his national security knowledge, assembled a team of Wyoming staffers and worked alongside Republicans such as Newt Gingrich and Phil Gramm. Cheney served as House Minority Whip and chairman of the House Republican Conference.Among his legislative achievements, he was particularly proud of the 1984 Wyoming Wilderness Act, which added nearly 1 million acres to the state’s wilderness areas. Cheney worked closely with fellow Wyoming congressmen Alan Simpson and Malcolm Wallop to pass the legislation.The campaign heart attack, however, would be the first of a string of health troubles to plague Cheney. He experienced a second heart attack in 1984, and a third in 1988. He underwent quadruple bypass surgery, suffered a fourth attack in 2000 and received a ventricular assist device implant in 2010. In 2012, at the age of 71, he received a heart transplant, which bought him several more years of life.<h2>Road to veep&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2>Cheney left the House in 1989 after President H.W. Bush appointed him secretary of defense. In that post, he oversaw Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm — key phases of the Gulf War. After Bill Clinton’s presidential election, Cheney took the opportunity to do some fishing, plying blue-ribbon waters from British Columbia to Oregon and New Zealand.&nbsp;&nbsp;Then he went into the private sector, working as chairman and CEO of the energy juggernaut Halliburton, headquartered in Dallas. The proximity allowed him to get to know George W. Bush, who was governor of Texas. Bush’s camp first asked Cheney to run Bush’s presidential campaign, which he declined.&nbsp;They came back with a new request: help search for a veep. Cheney agreed. Early efforts, however, were fruitless. Bush eventually persuaded Cheney to accept the post.&nbsp;Legerski remembers where she was — riding the elevator at Little America in Salt Lake — when Cheney called to give her the news. “And I said, ‘Dick, I remember you telling me you were never hitching your wagon onto someone else’s star.’ And he said, ‘When your president asks, the only answer is yes,’” she said. “And that’s the kind of guy he was.”The decision vaulted him into the national spotlight, where every aspect of his life was under scrutiny. That included his views on gay rights. Cheney’s daughter, Mary, had come out as gay to the family years before, and he supported her. When asked in a debate about gay marriage, he was careful, answering that while people should be free to enter any relationship they want, gay marriage should be left to individual states, not subject to federal policy.Famously, the Bush v. Gore election was controversial, with the U.S. Supreme Court settling the recount dispute in Bush’s favor in December 2000. It was a bumpy start for Cheney, who had suffered another heart attack during the prolonged recount process. It also foretold a difficult era.&nbsp;Less than a year later, terrorists attacked America on Sept. 11. That morning, a special agent burst through Cheney’s office door, hoisted him by his belt and hustled him down to the emergency operation room, telling Cheney an unidentified aircraft was heading toward the White House.&nbsp;As with the rest of the country, 9/11 left indelible impacts on Cheney. He became determined to quash terrorists and their supporters with whatever tools of national power were accessible.&nbsp;“I think that had a searing effect on him,” said Pete Williams, a former NBC news correspondent who worked as Cheney’s press secretary for seven years. “I think he felt that virtually anything that was conceivable to prosecute the war on terror, he was willing to consider.”Pete Williams sits on WyoFile’s board of directors.&nbsp;In the years that followed, Cheney was criticized for authorizing controversial counterterrorism policies, promoting the inaccurate claim that Iraq was linked to 9/11 and helping to expand executive power. Critics said Cheney committed war crimes, citing the country’s use of domestic spying, torture and indefinite detention.&nbsp;“He never flinched when the going got tough, or when the criticism became heated as it did,” McConnell said.&nbsp;The actions also stem from Cheney’s interpretation of the job, Hadley said. “I think he would say that the first responsibility of the president and vice president was to keep the nation secure, and he took that very seriously.”&nbsp;Other factors led to Cheney exerting power in ways beyond previous VPs, who had mainly been figureheads. Unlike Bush, Cheney possessed decades of foreign policy, White House and congressional experience. Bush delegated meaningful tasks to him, which meant he served as a kind of chief operating officer for the president, exerting major influence in policy decisions.As a vice president, Cheney divided the public in unprecedented fashion. People either viewed him with deep admiration, or as a secretive and corrupt man who orchestrated a dark chapter in America’s history — and not much in between.&nbsp;The latter view was made manifest in&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vice_(2018_film)">“Vice,” a 2018 film</a>&nbsp;starring Christian Bale as Cheney, a cunning and ruthlessly ambitious sociopath.&nbsp;<h2>Reconciling the man and the reputation&nbsp;</h2>Those who knew Cheney personally are adamant that the “Vice” character couldn’t be further from the truth.&nbsp;“The last thing I would describe him as is taciturn or sour,” said Williams. “He was thoughtful, he was serious, he was highly focused. I very quickly realized that Dick Cheney did not do small talk … but I found him to have a great sense of humor, a very self-deprecating sense of humor.”When it came to the war on terror, Williams said, “I think he felt that was the right thing to do to save the country.”Legerski can see why Cheney could come off as remote. “I think in some ways, his gravitas was off-putting to some people,” she said. But she remembers a warm and considerate family man. The first time Liz Cheney ran for Congress, Legerski remembers, one of the drawbacks was that she wouldn’t be available to chauffeur her daughter to rodeos.&nbsp;“So Dick got a truck, and he hauled [his granddaughter] and her horse to all the summer rodeos,” Legerski said. He&nbsp;<a href="https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/dick-cheney-embraces-the-darth-vader-meme-msna609146">adorned the pickup’s trailer hitch cover with an image of Darth Vader</a>.Cheney largely disappeared from the public eye until the aftermath of Jan. 6. Republican support of Cheney and Liz fractured after the younger&nbsp;<a href="https://wyofile.com/a-year-later-cheneys-jan-6-response-divides-wyoming/">Cheney became a prominent critic of Donald Trump’s</a>&nbsp;actions related to the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2022/01/06/dick-cheney-liz-cheney-only-gop-january-6-house-floor-nr-sot-vpx.cnn">Cheney backed</a>&nbsp;his daughter.He had a refreshing straightforwardness, McConnell said.&nbsp;“He had high expectations, but he was always fair, easy to deal with in the sense that you knew where you stood with him,” he said. McConnell remembers getting irritated when Cheney would be attacked in the press. Cheney seemed to accept it as part of the gig, and was too busy doing his job to spend much effort refuting the flak. McConnell often wondered if Cheney took the heat so that Bush didn’t have to.“He wasn’t out there to improve his own image, he was there to serve the president and the country,” he said.In a&nbsp;<a href="https://med.stanford.edu/news/insights/2014/02/dick-cheney-on-his-heart-transplant-its-the-gift-of-life-itself.html">2014 article in Stanford Medicine</a>&nbsp;about Cheney’s long-standing heart issues, Cheney told the publication that before his transplant, he had confronted his mortality.&nbsp;“I thought about it, I guess, I was at peace,” Cheney said in the article. “I had come to that point where I fully expected that I had lived a wonderful and remarkable life. I had a tremendous family. I had everything a man could ask for.”

Dick Cheney, Wyoming oilman and former vice president, dies at 84

KANSAS CITY —Authorities are investigating the cause of another fire in the same apartment complex in Kansas cCity.

Just before 3:30a.m. Monday, crews&nbsp;responded to a reported apartment fire in the area of 16th Street and Brooklyn Avenue, according to Battalion Chief Riley Nolan.

&nbsp;The fire was located in the 2100 block of 16th Street, which is in the Parade Park Complex. Crews reported heavy fire and smoke from two story vacant structure and initiated interior operations with multiple handlines.&nbsp;

Searches of the structure came back all clear. The fire was brought under control at 3:50 a.m.&nbsp;No injuries were reported at this incident.&nbsp; Dangerous Buildings and City Planning were called to the scene.&nbsp;KCFD has run multiple fires in this complex over the past several months.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762206808634.png" alt="Photo Kansas City Fire Department" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas City Fire Department</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Authorities are investigating the cause of another fire in the same apartment complex in Kansas cCity. Just before 3:30a.m. Monday, crews&nbsp;responded to a reported apartment fire in the area of 16th Street and Brooklyn Avenue, according to Battalion Chief Riley Nolan.&nbsp;The fire was located in the 2100 block of 16th Street, which is in the Parade Park Complex. Crews reported heavy fire and smoke from two story vacant structure and initiated interior operations with multiple handlines.&nbsp;Searches of the structure came back all clear. The fire was brought under control at 3:50 a.m.&nbsp;No injuries were reported at this incident.&nbsp; Dangerous Buildings and City Planning were called to the scene.&nbsp;KCFD has run multiple fires in this complex over the past several months.

Crews respond to another fire in Kansas City apartment complex

FRESNO COUNTY —A hunter missing for almost three weeks in the California wilderness is alive and well.

Over the weekend hunters found 65-year-old Ron Dailey of Selma, California alive on the Swamp Lake trail Deputies and EMS have made contact with him, according to a statement from the Fresno County Sheriff's office.

Dailey had been missing since October 13, when he did not return from a hunting trip.&nbsp;

Fresno County Sheriff's deputies and volunteers with the county Search and Rescue Unit actively searched for Dailey. He left home on the morning of Monday, October 13, and was supposed to be back home that same evening, but had not been seen or heard from since.  He told family he was going to the Shaver Lake / Courtright Reservoir area of Fresno County.  The latest information we have is that when hunting, Ron was known to travel down small roads, dirt paths off of Dinkey Creek Road and McKinley Grove Road.

Ron is 5-foot-7,&nbsp; 190 lbs. with brown eyes, brown hair and a beard.  He does have underlying medical conditions.  He was driving a silver, 4-door, 2002 Dodge Dakota with California license plate 16028S2. The sheriff's office released no other details on Monday until authorities can interview him.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762224116242.png" alt="Photo Fresno County SAR Posse" />
 <figcaption>Photo Fresno County SAR Posse</figcaption>
 </figure>FRESNO COUNTY —A hunter missing for almost three weeks in the California wilderness is alive and well.Over the weekend hunters found 65-year-old Ron Dailey of Selma, California alive on the Swamp Lake trail Deputies and EMS have made contact with him, according to a statement from the Fresno County Sheriff's office.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpermalink.php%3Fstory_fbid%3Dpfbid0djFr4G8ziWmDU3s4jxeuUDRp8hycoXTpgJimnhDWeiWVAsddMx9Hz5wYZnRhYnScl%26id%3D61565747247079&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="734" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>Dailey had been missing since October 13, when he did not return from a hunting trip.&nbsp;Fresno County Sheriff's deputies and volunteers with the county Search and Rescue Unit actively searched for Dailey. He left home on the morning of Monday, October 13, and was supposed to be back home that same evening, but had not been seen or heard from since. He told family he was going to the Shaver Lake / Courtright Reservoir area of Fresno County. The latest information we have is that when hunting, Ron was known to travel down small roads, dirt paths off of Dinkey Creek Road and McKinley Grove Road.Ron is 5-foot-7,&nbsp; 190 lbs. with brown eyes, brown hair and a beard. He does have underlying medical conditions. He was driving a silver, 4-door, 2002 Dodge Dakota with California license plate 16028S2. The sheriff's office released no other details on Monday until authorities can interview him.

Sheriff: Hunter missing for 20 days in wilderness found alive

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City area man faces charges&nbsp;after he crashed a vehicle into a home in Independence, Missouri.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2751/Keith-Clausen-Complaint">Keith R. Clausen</a>, 53,&nbsp; faces one count of 2nd Degree Assault, one count of 4th Degree Assault, and one count of Operating a Vehicle in a Careless and Imprudent Manner Involving an Accident., according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2752/2025-67891-PC-Statement-Keith-Clausen_Redacted">According to court records</a>, Independence police were dispatched to a residence on Oct. 28 regarding a crash. During the investigation, it was revealed that the defendant was driving a black Chevrolet Silverado when he lost control of the vehicle and struck the corner of the residence. &nbsp;

When the vehicle struck the residence, it struck two victims inside, asleep in their bedroom. Both victims were knocked from their bed. One victim sustained serious injuries, including broken ribs, a punctured lung, and deep lacerations to his head and legs. The second victim sustained multiple abrasions and bruises.&nbsp;

Officers at the scene observed Clausen had indicators of being under the influence of an impairing substance. Clausen consented to a blood test, and the results are pending.&nbsp; He told detectives he smoked seven to eight rocks of crack cocaine.&nbsp;

Prosecutors anticipate additional charges. He&nbsp;is being held on a $100,000 bond.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Clausen has an extensive criminal history including multiple arrests for fraud, drug violations, assaults, resisting officers, and making false police reports

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761907553120.png" alt="Clausen photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Clausen photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City area man faces charges&nbsp;after he crashed a vehicle into a home in Independence, Missouri.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2751/Keith-Clausen-Complaint">Keith R. Clausen</a>, 53,&nbsp; faces one count of 2nd Degree Assault, one count of 4th Degree Assault, and one count of Operating a Vehicle in a Careless and Imprudent Manner Involving an Accident., according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2752/2025-67891-PC-Statement-Keith-Clausen_Redacted">According to court records</a>, Independence police were dispatched to a residence on Oct. 28 regarding a crash. During the investigation, it was revealed that the defendant was driving a black Chevrolet Silverado when he lost control of the vehicle and struck the corner of the residence. &nbsp;When the vehicle struck the residence, it struck two victims inside, asleep in their bedroom. Both victims were knocked from their bed. One victim sustained serious injuries, including broken ribs, a punctured lung, and deep lacerations to his head and legs. The second victim sustained multiple abrasions and bruises.&nbsp;Officers at the scene observed Clausen had indicators of being under the influence of an impairing substance. Clausen consented to a blood test, and the results are pending.&nbsp; He told detectives he smoked seven to eight rocks of crack cocaine.&nbsp;Prosecutors anticipate additional charges. He&nbsp;is being held on a $100,000 bond.&nbsp;&nbsp;Clausen has an extensive criminal history including multiple arrests for fraud, drug violations, assaults, resisting officers, and making false police reports

Driver smoked rock cocaine before crash into KC area home

KANSAS CITY, KAN. –A federal grand jury in Kansas City returned an indictment charging a Kansas man with making straw purchases of firearms.

According to court documents, N’Darius Sullivan, 24, of Kansas City, Kansas, was indicted on two counts of false statements during two separate firearm purchases.

In 2024, Sullivan is accused of knowingly making false written statements to a licensed firearms dealer to obtain two Glock, Model 22, .40 caliber pistols. On two different occasions Sullivan allegedly lied by indicating he was not purchasing the firearms on behalf of another person.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1756561623116.png" alt="Sullivan from an earlier arrest in Johnson County" />
 <figcaption>Sullivan from an earlier arrest in Johnson County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, KAN. –A federal grand jury in Kansas City returned an indictment charging a Kansas man with making straw purchases of firearms.According to court documents, N’Darius Sullivan, 24, of Kansas City, Kansas, was indicted on two counts of false statements during two separate firearm purchases.In 2024, Sullivan is accused of knowingly making false written statements to a licensed firearms dealer to obtain two Glock, Model 22, .40 caliber pistols. On two different occasions Sullivan allegedly lied by indicating he was not purchasing the firearms on behalf of another person.The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case.

Indictment: Kan. man made false statements during firearms purchases

SALINE COUNTY —Wildlife officials are investigating after a&nbsp;deer was&nbsp; poached and left headless in Saline County.

&nbsp;Just after 11:30a.m. October 31, Friday a resident who lives near the 1900 block of North Kipp Road reported of finding a headless white-tailed deer, according to the Saline County Sheriff's Office.

The day before, the resident heard a gunshot at around 4:30 pm. He then found tire tracks, which led him to find the headless deer.

Rifle season for deer in the state is&nbsp;December 3 through December 14, 2025, according to the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.

SALINE COUNTY —Wildlife officials are investigating after a&nbsp;deer was&nbsp; poached and left headless in Saline County.&nbsp;Just after 11:30a.m. October 31, Friday a resident who lives near the 1900 block of North Kipp Road reported of finding a headless white-tailed deer, according to the Saline County Sheriff's Office.The day before, the resident heard a gunshot at around 4:30 pm. He then found tire tracks, which led him to find the headless deer.Rifle season for deer in the state is&nbsp;December 3 through December 14, 2025, according to the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.

Sheriff: Deer poached, left headless ahead of rifle season in Kansas

RENO COUNTY —Cleanup is underway and authorities are investigating the cause of a train derailment in Hutchinson.

At about 1 a.m.&nbsp; Monday, approximately two dozen Union Pacific rail cars derailed in Hutchinson, according to a statement from Union Pacific. The incident occurred near 17th Avenue and N. Halstead Street. There were no injuries or releases.&nbsp;

The railroad crossing at 17th Avenue has reopened. One northbound lane of K-61&nbsp; from 17th to 39th Avenue remains closed.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762178755778.jpeg" alt="Hutch Post Photo/Sean Boston" />
 <figcaption>Hutch Post Photo/Sean Boston</figcaption>
 </figure>RENO COUNTY —Cleanup is underway and authorities are investigating the cause of a train derailment in Hutchinson.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762178739883.jpeg" alt="Hutch Post Photo/Sean Boston" />
 <figcaption>Hutch Post Photo/Sean Boston</figcaption>
 </figure>At about 1 a.m.&nbsp; Monday, approximately two dozen Union Pacific rail cars derailed in Hutchinson, according to a statement from Union Pacific. The incident occurred near 17th Avenue and N. Halstead Street. There were no injuries or releases.&nbsp;The railroad crossing at 17th Avenue has reopened. One northbound lane of K-61&nbsp; from 17th to 39th Avenue remains closed.

Cleanup underway after train derailment in Kansas

By:<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jacob-fischler/">Jacob Fischler</a>

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will pay for a portion of November benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, the department said Monday in a brief to a federal court in Rhode Island.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71820142/21/rhode-island-state-council-of-churches-v-rollins/" target="_blank">four-page report</a>&nbsp;from the USDA answered U.S. District Chief Judge John J. McConnell Jr.’s order that President Donald Trump’s administration pay at least a portion of benefits to the 42 million people who receive assistance through the program by the end of Wednesday.

McConnell on Saturday laid out two options for the administration: pay for partial benefits by the end of Wednesday through a contingency fund holding about $5.5 billion, or pay for a full month of benefits by tapping other reserve sources such as the child nutrition program by the end of Monday.&nbsp;

USDA opted to use the contingency fund, giving the department until the end of Wednesday to pay out benefits.

A month of SNAP benefits costs the federal government about $9 billion.

USDA “will fulfill its obligation to expend the full amount of SNAP contingency funds today by generating the table required for States to calculate the benefits available for each eligible household in that State,” Monday’s brief said. “USDA will therefore have made the necessary funds available and have authorized the States to begin disbursements once the table is issued.”

By:<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jacob-fischler/">Jacob Fischler</a><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762195854495.png" alt=" A sign in a convenience store along Barlowe Road in Hyattsville, Maryland, on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, advertises that it accepts SNAP benefits. (Photo by Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)" />
 <figcaption> A sign in a convenience store along Barlowe Road in Hyattsville, Maryland, on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, advertises that it accepts SNAP benefits. (Photo by Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)</figcaption>
 </figure>The U.S. Department of Agriculture will pay for a portion of November benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, the department said Monday in a brief to a federal court in Rhode Island.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71820142/21/rhode-island-state-council-of-churches-v-rollins/" target="_blank">four-page report</a>&nbsp;from the USDA answered U.S. District Chief Judge John J. McConnell Jr.’s order that President Donald Trump’s administration pay at least a portion of benefits to the 42 million people who receive assistance through the program by the end of Wednesday.McConnell on Saturday laid out two options for the administration: pay for partial benefits by the end of Wednesday through a contingency fund holding about $5.5 billion, or pay for a full month of benefits by tapping other reserve sources such as the child nutrition program by the end of Monday.&nbsp;USDA opted to use the contingency fund, giving the department until the end of Wednesday to pay out benefits.A month of SNAP benefits costs the federal government about $9 billion.USDA “will fulfill its obligation to expend the full amount of SNAP contingency funds today by generating the table required for States to calculate the benefits available for each eligible household in that State,” Monday’s brief said. “USDA will therefore have made the necessary funds available and have authorized the States to begin disbursements once the table is issued.”

Trump admin. to pay partial November SNAP benefits by Wednesday

WYANDOTTE COUNTY—One person died in an accident just after 9a.m. Sunday in Wyandotte County.

According to Kansas City, Kansas Police, a truck was southbound on College Parkway when it collided with a car, with three occupants that was crossing College Parkway from Delaware Drive. 

The driver and one passenger from the car were taken to a nearby hospital, where the passenger, an adult female, died from her injuries.

The driver of the truck was treated at an area hospital for minor injuries, and is cooperating with the investigation. This incident is under investigation by the KCKPD Traffic Division.&nbsp;

WYANDOTTE COUNTY—One person died in an accident just after 9a.m. Sunday in Wyandotte County.According to Kansas City, Kansas Police, a truck was southbound on College Parkway when it collided with a car, with three occupants that was crossing College Parkway from Delaware Drive. The driver and one passenger from the car were taken to a nearby hospital, where the passenger, an adult female, died from her injuries.The driver of the truck was treated at an area hospital for minor injuries, and is cooperating with the investigation. This incident is under investigation by the KCKPD Traffic Division.&nbsp;

Woman killed, 2 injured after 2-vehicle Kansas crash

CAMDEN COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 11p.m. Sunday in Camden County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2011 Chevy Impala driven by a 19-year-old Steelville man was northbound on MO 5 just north of Dry Hollow Road. The car crossed the center of the road and struck a 2022 Peterbilt semi head-on.&nbsp;

The teen driver was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Allee Holman-Howe Funeral Home. The 45-year-old Owenville, Missouri semi driver was not injured.&nbsp; The teen was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

CAMDEN COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 11p.m. Sunday in Camden County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2011 Chevy Impala driven by a 19-year-old Steelville man was northbound on MO 5 just north of Dry Hollow Road. The car crossed the center of the road and struck a 2022 Peterbilt semi head-on.&nbsp;The teen driver was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Allee Holman-Howe Funeral Home. The 45-year-old Owenville, Missouri semi driver was not injured.&nbsp; The teen was not wearing a seat belt, according to the MSHP. The Patrol no longer releases names of accident victims.

Missouri teen killed in head-on crash with a semi

KANSAs CITY —Law enforcement are investigating an officer involved shooting involving a Kansas City, Missouri police officer, according to a statement from the the Missouri State Highway Patrol's Division of Drug and Crime Control. One person was transported to the hospital with critical injuries.&nbsp;

Just after 3:30p.m. Sunday, Kansas City Police were dispatched to a disturbance&nbsp;in the 3500 block of Independence Avenue. A man was reportedly shooting a gun into the air. When officers arrived at the scene, one officer deployed a taser. Another officer fired his duty weapon striking the man. EMS transported the man to an area hospital in critical condition. No officers were injured. Investigators recovered a handgun at the scene.&nbsp;

The Missouri&nbsp;State Highway Patrol's Division of Drug and Crime Control is in charge of investigating the officer-shooting. Authorities released no additional details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762168565158.png" alt="Near the scene of the shooting investigation -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Near the scene of the shooting investigation -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAs CITY —Law enforcement are investigating an officer involved shooting involving a Kansas City, Missouri police officer, according to a statement from the the Missouri State Highway Patrol's Division of Drug and Crime Control. One person was transported to the hospital with critical injuries.&nbsp;Just after 3:30p.m. Sunday, Kansas City Police were dispatched to a disturbance&nbsp;in the 3500 block of Independence Avenue. A man was reportedly shooting a gun into the air. When officers arrived at the scene, one officer deployed a taser. Another officer fired his duty weapon striking the man. EMS transported the man to an area hospital in critical condition. No officers were injured. Investigators recovered a handgun at the scene.&nbsp;The Missouri&nbsp;State Highway Patrol's Division of Drug and Crime Control is in charge of investigating the officer-shooting. Authorities released no additional details.

Man critically injured in Kansas City police officer shooting 

President Trump was the opening interview on 60 minutes Sunday. He taped the interview with Norah O'Donnell in Florida after his return from a successful trip to Asia. 

This was his first interview with the show since CBS parent company Paramount settled a lawsuit filed by President Trump over editing of the 60 minutes interview with Kamala Harris ahead of the 2024 election. The White House released the full 73 minute unedited video of President Trump's interview. The program only used 27 minutes on their broadcast.

President Trump was the opening interview on 60 minutes Sunday. He taped the interview with Norah O'Donnell in Florida after his return from a successful trip to Asia. <div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">See President Donald J. Trump&#39;s FULL interview on <a href="https://twitter.com/60Minutes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@60Minutes</a> — all 73+ minutes, without the network&#39;s edits and cuts. WATCH IN FULL: <a href="https://t.co/i95cQ3Gqei">pic.twitter.com/i95cQ3Gqei</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1985162774041804844?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>This was his first interview with the show since CBS parent company Paramount settled a lawsuit filed by President Trump over editing of the 60 minutes interview with Kamala Harris ahead of the 2024 election. The White House released the full 73 minute unedited video of President Trump's interview. The program only used 27 minutes on their broadcast.

White House releases unedited President Trump 60 Minutes interview

KANSAS CITY—Four&nbsp; people were injured in an accident during a pursuit with law enforcement just after midnight Sunday in Kansas City.

A preliminary investigation revealed that a Highway Patrol Trooper was pursuing a silver Infinity G35 for speeding and careless driving, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina.

 At some point during the pursuit, on Interstate 35 South, past the NE Vivion exit, the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the embankment. 

EMS transported all four occupants to an area hospital. One occupant&nbsp; had life-threatening injuries and remained in critical condition with life-threatening injuries late Sunday, according to Becchina.

KANSAS CITY—Four&nbsp; people were injured in an accident during a pursuit with law enforcement just after midnight Sunday in Kansas City.A preliminary investigation revealed that a Highway Patrol Trooper was pursuing a silver Infinity G35 for speeding and careless driving, according to KCPD Captain Jake Becchina. At some point during the pursuit, on Interstate 35 South, past the NE Vivion exit, the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the embankment. EMS transported all four occupants to an area hospital. One occupant&nbsp; had life-threatening injuries and remained in critical condition with life-threatening injuries late Sunday, according to Becchina.

Police: 4 injured in crash during chase involving State Troopers

Morris’ public service covers 16 years on local school board, 20 years in Senate

By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Former Kansas Senate President Steve Morris, who served southwest Kansas for more than three decades as an elected school board member and state legislator, died Saturday. He was 79.

Morris died unexpectedly at home in Hugoton. He had undergone a series of bypass surgeries and underwent treatment for prostate cancer, said a daughter, Stephanie Heger.

“He was definitely someone who only wanted what was best and for people to work together,” Heger said in an interview Sunday. “He wanted to be a policymaker instead of a politician.”

As a father, she said, Morris was kind, humble and adhered to the biblical concept of “do to others as you you would have them do to you.”

“He was one of the people who never said a negative thing about anyone,” Heger said.

Morris was born in Garden City and raised in rural Hugoton. He graduated from Hugoton High School in 1964 and from Kansas State University in 1969. He served on active duty as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force from 1969 to 1974 before moving to the Air Force Reserve and returning to Hugoton to farm. His was married to Barbara Morris and they had three daughters — Susan Morris, Sara Tasset and Heger.

He was on the Hugoton Board of Education from 1977 to 1993 and the K-State Alumni Association Board of Directors from 1985 to 1991.

In 1992, Morris was elected to the Kansas Senate by defeating Democrat Leroy Hayden. Morris, a Republican, was a member of the Senate for 20 years.

He served as the chamber’s president from 2005 to 2013 during a period in which the Legislature grappled with controversial casino gambling legislation and court cases on funding of K-12 education. He was involved in shaping major bills on the budget, taxation, transportation and energy issues.

He lost a campaign for reelection in 2012 when defeated by Republican Larry Powell in the August primary. GOP Gov. Sam Brownback and Koch political interests had targeted Morris and one-half dozen other Senate Republicans they viewed as political moderates.

“Americans for Prosperity and Kansas Chamber sent out I think something like 40 negative, large postcards in the last two weeks of the campaign,” Morris said in an&nbsp;<a href="https://ksoralhistory.org/interview/interview-of-steve-morris-by-rex-buchanan-august-22-2024" target="_blank">August 2024 interview with Kansas Oral History Project</a>. “People had never seen something like that before. They assumed all those things were true, which they weren’t.”

Morris also was&nbsp;<a href="https://ksoralhistory.org/interview/interview-of-steve-morris-by-joan-wagnon-july-15-2020" target="_blank">interviewed by Kansas Oral History Project in July 2020</a>&nbsp;regarding his legislative career.

Morris said that after leaving the Legislature he missed “the good people we worked with” and that “overall it was a good experience.”

&nbsp;In 2014, Morris played a role in Republicans for Kansas Values, which supported Democratic state Rep. Paul Davis’ unsuccessful campaign for governor against Brownback.

U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, said he was saddened by the passing of a longtime friend and dedicated public servant. Moran and Morris served together in the state Senate.

“He was a thoughtful, principled and dedicated statesman who represented Kansans well,” Moran said. “Robba and I send our deepest condolences to his wife Barbara, his family and all those whose lives he touched. We will miss him deeply.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762170439514.png" alt=" Former Kansas Senate President Steve Morris, a moderate Republican, died unexpectedly Saturday in Hugoton. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from Kansas Oral History Project video)" />
 <figcaption> Former Kansas Senate President Steve Morris, a moderate Republican, died unexpectedly Saturday in Hugoton. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from Kansas Oral History Project video)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Morris’ public service covers 16 years on local school board, 20 years in Senate</h2>By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Former Kansas Senate President Steve Morris, who served southwest Kansas for more than three decades as an elected school board member and state legislator, died Saturday. He was 79.Morris died unexpectedly at home in Hugoton. He had undergone a series of bypass surgeries and underwent treatment for prostate cancer, said a daughter, Stephanie Heger.“He was definitely someone who only wanted what was best and for people to work together,” Heger said in an interview Sunday. “He wanted to be a policymaker instead of a politician.”As a father, she said, Morris was kind, humble and adhered to the biblical concept of “do to others as you you would have them do to you.”“He was one of the people who never said a negative thing about anyone,” Heger said.She said services were pending.Morris was born in Garden City and raised in rural Hugoton. He graduated from Hugoton High School in 1964 and from Kansas State University in 1969. He served on active duty as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force from 1969 to 1974 before moving to the Air Force Reserve and returning to Hugoton to farm. His was married to Barbara Morris and they had three daughters — Susan Morris, Sara Tasset and Heger.He was on the Hugoton Board of Education from 1977 to 1993 and the K-State Alumni Association Board of Directors from 1985 to 1991.In 1992, Morris was elected to the Kansas Senate by defeating Democrat Leroy Hayden. Morris, a Republican, was a member of the Senate for 20 years.He served as the chamber’s president from 2005 to 2013 during a period in which the Legislature grappled with controversial casino gambling legislation and court cases on funding of K-12 education. He was involved in shaping major bills on the budget, taxation, transportation and energy issues.He lost a campaign for reelection in 2012 when defeated by Republican Larry Powell in the August primary. GOP Gov. Sam Brownback and Koch political interests had targeted Morris and one-half dozen other Senate Republicans they viewed as political moderates.“Americans for Prosperity and Kansas Chamber sent out I think something like 40 negative, large postcards in the last two weeks of the campaign,” Morris said in an&nbsp;<a href="https://ksoralhistory.org/interview/interview-of-steve-morris-by-rex-buchanan-august-22-2024" target="_blank">August 2024 interview with Kansas Oral History Project</a>. “People had never seen something like that before. They assumed all those things were true, which they weren’t.”Morris also was&nbsp;<a href="https://ksoralhistory.org/interview/interview-of-steve-morris-by-joan-wagnon-july-15-2020" target="_blank">interviewed by Kansas Oral History Project in July 2020</a>&nbsp;regarding his legislative career.Morris said that after leaving the Legislature he missed “the good people we worked with” and that “overall it was a good experience.”&nbsp;In 2014, Morris played a role in Republicans for Kansas Values, which supported Democratic state Rep. Paul Davis’ unsuccessful campaign for governor against Brownback.U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, said he was saddened by the passing of a longtime friend and dedicated public servant. Moran and Morris served together in the state Senate.“He was a thoughtful, principled and dedicated statesman who represented Kansans well,” Moran said. “Robba and I send our deepest condolences to his wife Barbara, his family and all those whose lives he touched. We will miss him deeply.”

Former moderate GOP Kansas Senate President Steve Morris dies at 79

WYANDOTTE COUNTY–Law enforcement are investigating a weekend homicide in Kansas City.

Just before 4:30 a.m. Saturday officers with the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department were called the area of North 11th Street and Barnett Avenue to investigate a shooting.

When officers arrived on the scene they located a woman, outside of her home, that had been shot.&nbsp;She was taken to the hospital, where she died from her injuries.

The KCK Major Case Squad went to the scene to gather evidence and are trying to find out what led to the shooting.&nbsp; Anyone with information is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-TIPS.&nbsp;

WYANDOTTE COUNTY–Law enforcement are investigating a weekend homicide in Kansas City.Just before 4:30 a.m. Saturday officers with the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department were called the area of North 11th Street and Barnett Avenue to investigate a shooting.When officers arrived on the scene they located a woman, outside of her home, that had been shot.&nbsp;She was taken to the hospital, where she died from her injuries.The KCK Major Case Squad went to the scene to gather evidence and are trying to find out what led to the shooting.&nbsp; Anyone with information is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-TIPS.&nbsp;

Police: Woman killed in shooting outside Kan. home

OSAGE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.

On October 30, an Osage County Sheriff’s Office Investigator conducted a traffic stop&nbsp; on Interstate 35 in Osage County for an alleged traffic violation, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.&nbsp; During the stop, illegal narcotics were located.&nbsp;

The deputy arrested&nbsp; Jessica A. Meade, 28, of Lebo on requested charges of&nbsp;Possession of methamphetamine, Possession of marijuana and Possession of drug paraphernalia

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761945543981.png" alt="Meade photo Osage County" />
 <figcaption>Meade photo Osage County</figcaption>
 </figure>OSAGE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.On October 30, an Osage County Sheriff’s Office Investigator conducted a traffic stop&nbsp; on Interstate 35 in Osage County for an alleged traffic violation, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.&nbsp; During the stop, illegal narcotics were located.&nbsp;The deputy arrested&nbsp; Jessica A. Meade, 28, of Lebo on requested charges of&nbsp;Possession of methamphetamine, Possession of marijuana and Possession of drug paraphernalia

Sheriff: Kansas woman caught with meth and marijuana

By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/juanvassallo/">Juan Vassallo</a>-

Soybeans sit in storage, farm bankruptcies are rising, and total farm debt continues to climb. By nearly every measure, American farmers are struggling.

Experts say financial pressures are expected to continue mounting.

Due to rising costs, low crop prices and the effects of the trade war, economists project that growers could see roughly $44 billion in net cash income losses from their 2025–26 crops.

At a September&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagofed.org/events/2025/midwest-agriculture-conference" target="_blank">conference</a>&nbsp;on agriculture and trade uncertainty hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank, Shawn Arita, professor at North Dakota State University and former senior economist with the USDA, presented projections showing losses across nine major crops.

With production costs far outpacing revenue, Arita and his team at the NDSU Agricultural Risk Policy Center estimate losses of about $20 billion for corn, $10 billion for soybeans and $8.5 billion for wheat — with peanuts, cotton, barley, oats, grain sorghum and rice adding another $6 billion combined.

Since 2023, U.S. farmers have struggled with high input costs and weak commodity prices, a squeeze economists attribute partly to the Russia-Ukraine war.

But this squeeze is made worse by the loss of key export markets — particularly China.

“The tariffs are creating challenges, but it’s not fair to say they are the main culprit,” Arita said. “Certainly, they are exacerbating the issue.”

Arita also noted that the crop sector tends to follow trade cycles more closely than inflation trends. “[China is] not going to start buying soybeans until they get something out of these negotiations,” he said during his presentation.

Still, the main problem remains high costs across the board — tractors, machinery, fertilizers and other inputs, many of which are imported. Although it’s too early to determine whether President Trump’s tariffs will have an effect on these prices, Arita said it’s “simple economics”: higher taxes on these products inevitably lead to higher production costs.

While some farmers are expected to receive financial assistance through the Big Beautiful Bill, that support isn’t set to arrive until October 2026.

This&nbsp;<a href="https://investigatemidwest.org/2025/10/28/us-farmers-face-44-billion-in-losses-as-costs-rise-and-markets-shrink/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://investigatemidwest.org/" target="_blank">Investigate Midwest</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a&nbsp;<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762051424365.jpg" alt="Image Pixaby" />
 <figcaption>Image Pixaby</figcaption>
 </figure>By:<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/juanvassallo/">Juan Vassallo</a>-Soybeans sit in storage, farm bankruptcies are rising, and total farm debt continues to climb. By nearly every measure, American farmers are struggling.Experts say financial pressures are expected to continue mounting.Due to rising costs, low crop prices and the effects of the trade war, economists project that growers could see roughly $44 billion in net cash income losses from their 2025–26 crops.At a September&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chicagofed.org/events/2025/midwest-agriculture-conference" target="_blank">conference</a>&nbsp;on agriculture and trade uncertainty hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank, Shawn Arita, professor at North Dakota State University and former senior economist with the USDA, presented projections showing losses across nine major crops.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762051269695.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>With production costs far outpacing revenue, Arita and his team at the NDSU Agricultural Risk Policy Center estimate losses of about $20 billion for corn, $10 billion for soybeans and $8.5 billion for wheat — with peanuts, cotton, barley, oats, grain sorghum and rice adding another $6 billion combined.Since 2023, U.S. farmers have struggled with high input costs and weak commodity prices, a squeeze economists attribute partly to the Russia-Ukraine war.But this squeeze is made worse by the loss of key export markets — particularly China.“The tariffs are creating challenges, but it’s not fair to say they are the main culprit,” Arita said. “Certainly, they are exacerbating the issue.”Arita also noted that the crop sector tends to follow trade cycles more closely than inflation trends. “[China is] not going to start buying soybeans until they get something out of these negotiations,” he said during his presentation.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762051344746.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Still, the main problem remains high costs across the board — tractors, machinery, fertilizers and other inputs, many of which are imported. Although it’s too early to determine whether President Trump’s tariffs will have an effect on these prices, Arita said it’s “simple economics”: higher taxes on these products inevitably lead to higher production costs.While some farmers are expected to receive financial assistance through the Big Beautiful Bill, that support isn’t set to arrive until October 2026.This&nbsp;<a href="https://investigatemidwest.org/2025/10/28/us-farmers-face-44-billion-in-losses-as-costs-rise-and-markets-shrink/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://investigatemidwest.org/" target="_blank">Investigate Midwest</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a&nbsp;<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.

US farmers face $44 billion in losses as costs rise and markets shrink

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>

Legislature expanded office’s powers to examine social welfare programs

TOPEKA — The first audit under expanded powers from the Kansas inspector general’s office identified more than a dozen problems within organizations providing health care through Kansas’ Medicaid program.

The audit is just the beginning of a campaign to weed out fraud and inefficiencies within social welfare programs, following the 2025 Legislature’s approval of broadening the office’s authority to encompass oversight of cash, food&nbsp;and health assistance.

Steven Anderson, the state inspector general, presented 17 findings with accompanying recommendations based on hospital complaints about delays, discrepancies and a potential conflict of interest. He spoke to the Senate Committee on Government Efficiency at an Oct. 21 hearing.&nbsp;

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ag.ks.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/24654/638950012792900000" target="_blank">audit</a>&nbsp;analyzed hospital complaints from 2023 to determine whether organizations prolonged reviews, manipulated patient statuses and lacked consistency in determining post-visit levels of care. The audit also identified a potential conflict of interest within United Healthcare, one of three managed care organizations that have offered services under KanCare, as Medicaid is known in Kansas.

The inspector general’s office, which is housed within the Kansas Attorney General’s Office, interviewed staff at six Kansas hospitals, representatives from the three KanCare managed care organizations at the time of the report, staff from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, and representatives from the Kansas Hospital Association. KDHE agreed with most, but not all, of the audit’s recommendations.

The audit found that managed care organizations refused to reimburse claims that involved returns to a hospital within 30 days of the initial visit, even if the visits were unrelated.

The hospitals typically eat those costs, Anderson said.

“It’s probably incalculable how much money is lost through all this,” said Sen. Mike Thompson, a Shawnee Republican.

The percentage of denied claims for hospital services across the organizations averaged 6% in 2023. However, the value of hospital service claim denials makes up a disproportionate amount of all denials.

One organization denied $1.8 billion in claims in 2023. Hospital claim denials made up 70%, or $1.3 billion, of those denials. Another denied $1.02 billion in claims, and hospital denials accounted for 69%, or $707 million. The third organization denied $1.8 billion in claims, and hospital denials accounted for 62% or $1.1 million.

Anderson said the amounts have grown larger every year.

“The reality is, if I’m going to deny claims, I’m going to look for the higher-dollar ones,” he said. “We can draw some conclusions, maybe, that they were approving the smaller-dollar ones, but the big money ones were oftentimes denied.”

The audit also found that United Healthcare used its proprietary health care criteria and billing system to judge its own claims.

“So they own the process from front to back,” Anderson said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762029006382.png" alt="Kansas inspector general Steven Anderson, who spoke on Oct. 21, 2025, to the Senate Committee on Government Efficiency, earned expanded authority from the 2025 Legislature to scrutinize public health, food and cash assistance programs. (Kansas Reflector screen capture of Kansas Legislature video)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas inspector general Steven Anderson, who spoke on Oct. 21, 2025, to the Senate Committee on Government Efficiency, earned expanded authority from the 2025 Legislature to scrutinize public health, food and cash assistance programs. (Kansas Reflector screen capture of Kansas Legislature video)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a><h2>Legislature expanded office’s powers to examine social welfare programs</h2>TOPEKA — The first audit under expanded powers from the Kansas inspector general’s office identified more than a dozen problems within organizations providing health care through Kansas’ Medicaid program.The audit is just the beginning of a campaign to weed out fraud and inefficiencies within social welfare programs, following the 2025 Legislature’s approval of broadening the office’s authority to encompass oversight of cash, food&nbsp;and health assistance.Steven Anderson, the state inspector general, presented 17 findings with accompanying recommendations based on hospital complaints about delays, discrepancies and a potential conflict of interest. He spoke to the Senate Committee on Government Efficiency at an Oct. 21 hearing.&nbsp;The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ag.ks.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/24654/638950012792900000" target="_blank">audit</a>&nbsp;analyzed hospital complaints from 2023 to determine whether organizations prolonged reviews, manipulated patient statuses and lacked consistency in determining post-visit levels of care. The audit also identified a potential conflict of interest within United Healthcare, one of three managed care organizations that have offered services under KanCare, as Medicaid is known in Kansas.The inspector general’s office, which is housed within the Kansas Attorney General’s Office, interviewed staff at six Kansas hospitals, representatives from the three KanCare managed care organizations at the time of the report, staff from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, and representatives from the Kansas Hospital Association. KDHE agreed with most, but not all, of the audit’s recommendations.The audit found that managed care organizations refused to reimburse claims that involved returns to a hospital within 30 days of the initial visit, even if the visits were unrelated.The hospitals typically eat those costs, Anderson said.“It’s probably incalculable how much money is lost through all this,” said Sen. Mike Thompson, a Shawnee Republican.The percentage of denied claims for hospital services across the organizations averaged 6% in 2023. However, the value of hospital service claim denials makes up a disproportionate amount of all denials.One organization denied $1.8 billion in claims in 2023. Hospital claim denials made up 70%, or $1.3 billion, of those denials. Another denied $1.02 billion in claims, and hospital denials accounted for 69%, or $707 million. The third organization denied $1.8 billion in claims, and hospital denials accounted for 62% or $1.1 million.Anderson said the amounts have grown larger every year.“The reality is, if I’m going to deny claims, I’m going to look for the higher-dollar ones,” he said. “We can draw some conclusions, maybe, that they were approving the smaller-dollar ones, but the big money ones were oftentimes denied.”The audit also found that United Healthcare used its proprietary health care criteria and billing system to judge its own claims.“So they own the process from front to back,” Anderson said.He said the organization “controls so much of the narrative,” and United Healthcare’s use of a system owned by one of its subsidiaries “looks bad on the surface.”However, he acknowledged his office cannot prove United Healthcare uses its system inappropriately. KDHE said in a response in the audit that state Medicaid programs must follow certain conflict of interest provisions, “but to date, United acquiring billing and other health care companies and continuing to use those products is not a conflict per the current standards.”The tools were used by all three contracted organizations at the time, KDHE said. Trying to restrict United Healthcare’s use of the systems and allowing other organizations to continue would create “additional dynamics.”“These tools are widely used and accepted by healthcare providers across the nation to make medical decisions and validate claims,” KDHE said.A spokesperson for the company said in an emailed statement: “We remain committed to transparency and accountability and will address these recommendations with our state partners, including clarifying that Change Healthcare is a division of Optum. UnitedHealthcare and Optum are separate entities and subsidiary businesses of UnitedHealth Group, which maintains strict governance policies and compliance standards to ensure that each subsidiary operates independently and in the best interest of its clients and members.”Anderson said his office, the managed care organizations and KDHE are scheduling a meeting to discuss the audit’s findings.“I’m thrilled to hear that,” said Sen. Renee Erickson, a Wichita Republican and chairwoman of the committee.The best solution, she said, is to get stakeholders together to sort out their differences.“I always say, if you want the Legislature to do it, no one’s going to be happy with that fix,” she said, “so I’d rather the entities get together and work it out.”Ultimately, the audit poses the question of whether the state’s contracts reflect what Kansans need, Erickson said.Upcoming audits span government assistance programs, according to Anderson. One examines data sharing between the state agencies that oversee KanCare and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to verify eligibility for those programs based on comparing residency, household composition and income reporting. Anderson promoted another audit that will look at what he called the pregnant women program to identify whether those accessing it qualify.The state facilitates the Special Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program for Women, Infants and Children, often called WIC, which would fall under Anderson’s purview.He said his office also plans to release audits of Kansas’ waiver programs, which assist elderly and disabled Kansans through Medicaid, and the pharmaceutical drug program, which is also operated through Medicaid.Sen. Michael Murphy, a Republican from Sylvia in Reno County, commended Anderson’s work.“I’m a simple guy,” Murphy said, “and I think when you find you have a hole in the fence, you shouldn’t be surprised when the cows get out.”