PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Federal workplace safety regulators have proposed fining Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus $7,000 for an accident during a hair-hanging stunt that seriously injured eight acrobats in Rhode Island.

The proposed fine announced Tuesday by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is the maximum allowed by law.

The acrobats were injured May 4 when a carabiner clip snapped, sending them plummeting 15 feet to the floor. A ninth worker, on the ground, was also hurt.

OSHA says the carabiner was overloaded in violation of industry practice and manufacturer instructions.

The circus’ parent company has 15 days to either pay the fine or contest it.

A spokesman says the circus disagrees with some of OSHA’s findings and has not yet decided whether to appeal.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas Hospital now has its own television studio for medical news.

The Dolph C. Simons Family Broadcast Studio was dedicated Monday, launching the hospital’s Medical News Network. The fully functioning television studio includes cameras, audio equipment, lighting and green-screen capabilities. It will give media access to medical experts and allows the hospital to distribute video and information about medical research, technology and other subjects.

The Lawrence Journal-World reports the Medical News Network was used last month to distribute information across the world when the hospital had a patient who was tested for Ebola. The man did not have the disease.

Dolph Simons Jr., editor of the Journal-World and chairman of The World Company, and his family donated an undisclosed amount to fund the network.

DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — Ford is recalling more than 202,000 vehicles in North America to fix gas leaks, air bag sensors, stalling and other issues.

The largest of five recalls announced Tuesday affects about 135,000 F-150 pickups and Ford Flex family haulers from the 2014 model year. Faulty passenger seat weight sensors can stop air bags from inflating in crashes. Dealers will recalibrate the sensors.

About 38,600 Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Cars from 2005 to 2011 are being recalled for a second time to fix steering shafts. Improper repairs can cause loss of steering. Dealers will inspect and replace parts if needed.

Ford also is recalling 27,600 Transit Connect small vans from 2014 for potential fuel line leaks.

And two smaller recalls cover 2015 Transit vans and 2014 F-150 pickups.

United States Attorney

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced  that Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Nelson will lead the efforts of the office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the Nov. 4, 2014, general elections.

Nelson has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer for the Western District of Missouri, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the district’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department headquarters in Washington, D.C.

The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on election day.

Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice.

Nelson, in his capacity as District Election Officer, represents the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Missouri on the Missouri Elections Integrity Task Force. The task force, which includes local, state and federal law enforcement and election authorities, will coordinate efforts to ensure Missouri elections remain fair, secure and accessible.

In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses on Nov. 4, 2014, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, Nelson will be on duty in this district while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at 816-426-3000.

In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 855-527-2847.

Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington, D.C., by phone at 1-800-253-3931 or (202) 307-2767, by fax at (202) 307-3961, by email to [email protected] or by complaint form at http://www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake/index.php.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A letter obtained by The Kansas City Star shows a developer withdrew plans to renovate Kemper Arena after the American Royal Association threatened a lawsuit.

The newspaper  reports an attorney for American Royal, which hosts livestock exhibitions and professional rodeos, told Foutch Brothers in a letter to quit its efforts to have Kemper Arena declared a historic structure.

The designation would have helped with financing for Foutch’s proposal to turn the arena into a youth sports facility.

Foutch and American Royal have spent months pitching plans for the future of the arena. While Foutch’s proposal would preserve the arena, plans by American Royal call for tearing it down and replacing it with a multipurpose building.

The letter claims a historic designation would negatively affect American Royal’s lease with the city for the American Royal Complex that includes the arena.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missourians have been weighing in on an unusually large number of proposed changes to the state constitution this year.

Tuesday’s ballot features four proposals, including an amendment to base teacher evaluations largely on student performance data. Proposed Constitutional Amendment 3 is opposed by public education groups, and the sponsors have quit campaigning for it.

Proposed constitutional amendment 6 would create a six-day, no-excuses-needed early voting period for general elections, but only if the state provides funding.

Proposed constitutional amendment 2 would allow allegations of past criminal acts to be used against those facing sex-related charges involving victims under 18 years old.

Proposed constitutional amendment 10 would allow lawmakers to override a governor’s decision to freeze or slow spending on items in the state budget.

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican’s top bioethics official calls “reprehensible” the suicide of an American woman suffering terminal brain cancer who stated she wanted to die with dignity.

Monsignor Ignacio Carrasco de Paula, the head of the Pontifical Academy for Life, told the ANSA news agency on Tuesday that “dignity is something other than putting an end to one’s own life.”

Brittany Maynard’s suicide in Oregon on Saturday, following a public declaration of her motives aimed at sparking political action on the issue, has stirred debate over assisted suicide for the terminally ill.

Carrasco de Paula said “Brittany Maynard’s act is in itself reprehensible, but what happened in the consciousness we do not know.”

He cautioned that he was not judging individuals “but the gesture in and of itself should be condemned.”

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A southeast Kansas man was sentenced to more than three years in federal prison for receiving millions of dollars in false tax refunds.

Federal prosecutors say 49-year-old Jerold D. Fisher, of Arma, was sentenced Monday to 41 months in prison. He was also ordered to pay restitution of more than $4 million.

Fisher pleaded guilty to one count of filing a false federal tax return. He admitted that while he worked for Fisher Alfalfa Farms from 2006 to 2009, he prepared false federal tax returns for himself and his mother to receive tax refunds they were not owed.

By 2009, he fraudulently claimed withholding of more than $3.8 million on income of more than $8 million.

DAVID KOENIG, AP Airlines Writer

DALLAS (AP) — The federal government is suing Southwest Airlines Co. after failing to reach a settlement with the carrier over charges that repairs to dozens of planes didn’t meet safety standards.

The Justice Department sued Southwest on Monday in federal district court in Washington state. The lawsuit seeks to enforce $12 million in civil penalties that the Federal Aviation Administration announced in July.

The government says that starting in 2006 Southwest hired a contractor to make extensive repairs on 44 planes to prevent the aluminum skin from cracking. The FAA says the contractor failed to follow proper procedures.

Southwest says it disputes the FAA’s charges.