STEPHEN OHLEMACHER, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The government says millions of older Americans who rely on federal benefits will get a 1.7 percent increase in their monthly payments next year.

Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism

PRATT – A deer hunter from Labette County got a surprise recently when he checked his trail camera he had set up for deer. He found a single image of a mountain lion walking away, down the trail, the characteristic long tail prominently displayed. Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) staff visited the site last week and verified the photo’s authenticity. This is the tenth mountain lion verified by KDWPT since 2007, but the first in almost two years.

The first confirmed mountain lion in 2007 was killed by an individual in Barber County. Since then, most of the sightings have been confirmed with photographs taken by remote, motion-triggered cameras commonly used by deer hunters to keep track of deer movement near their stands.

In each instance, KDWPT staff traveled to the sites where photos were taken to validate the photographs. Staff investigates sightings whenever evidence, such as tracks, a cached kill or a photograph exists. Biologists assume most sightings are of transient young males, coming from established populations in nearby states.

“It’s not uncommon for young males to travel great distances looking for home ranges,” said Matt Peek, KDWPT furbearer biologist. “So far, these animals appear to be passing through, rather than staying and establishing home ranges in Kansas.”

BRIAN MELLEY, Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A federal judge has fined a California company $25 million for misleading 110,000 people to buy into a work-at-home scheme that almost never paid off.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Secret Service has apprehended a man who jumped over the White House fence.

This latest incident comes about a month after a previous White House fence jumper sprinted across the lawn, past armed uniformed agents and entered the mansion. The fallout from that September incident and other Secret Service breaches in security for the president led Julia Pierson to step down as director of the agency.

Video of the incident Wednesday night taken by TV news cameras shows a man in white shorts just inside the White House fence on Pennsylvania Avenue.

The video shows the man lifting his shirt as if to show agents that he has no weapons. The man is then seen kicking and punching two Secret Service dogs that were released on him.

PHOENIX (AP) — Charges have been dropped against one of three men accused of alcohol-related violations in connection with the fatal fall of an Arizona State University student.

Court documents say prosecutors failed to provide probable cause to continue the case against 21-year-old Alex Kraus.

Kraus’ attorney says his client was the victim of mistaken identity and should never have been linked to the case.

David Siegel and Matthew Farberov, both 20, are charged with minor possession of liquor and failing to require identification.

Naomi McClendon plunged 10 floors to her death March 30 from an apartment complex near ASU’s campus.

Tempe police say the 18-year-old woman from Manhattan, Kansas, initially attended an “all-you-can-drink” party thrown by ASU fraternity members.

Surveillance video showed her stumbling and intoxicated when she entered the residential building.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (AP) — Google is introducing an application designed to make it easier for its Gmail users to find and manage important information that can often become buried in their inboxes.

The service, called Inbox, can sort electronic receipts and bank statements into bundles so they can be quickly fetched. This method is similar to the way that Gmail currently separates promotional emails from other communications sent to its Gmail users.

Google says Inbox can also figure out the key points of an email, such as travel itineraries, event times and photos, and highlight the information.

Inbox can also be used to create to-do lists.

Invitations to test Inbox will begin to be sent out Wednesday. Recipients can then invite their friends and families to check out Inbox.

THOMAS BEAUMONT, Associated Press
JOHN D. HANNA, Associated Press

OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Embattled three-term incumbent Republican Sen. Pat Roberts is taking the endorsement of a former governor and seeking votes in the rural west of Kansas, where he needs to win big to fend off independent challenger Greg Orman.

Orman is pushing themes centered on dissatisfaction with Washington government, where Roberts has been working for more than 40 years. Orman plans to campaign in Olathe, his home turf and the heart of the more politically diverse and bustling Kansas City suburbs.

In this unlikeliest of battleground states, the Senate candidates are entering the final weeks to Election Day by trying to shore up supporters before focusing on undecided voters. Polls show the race is a dead heat.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Gov. Jay Nixon is seeking a federal disaster declaration for 20 northern Missouri counties that were raked by severe storms last month.

Nixon said Wednesday that the storm system on Sept. 9-10 spawned high winds that damaged schools and other public buildings and dumped heavy rains that caused widespread flooding.

If approved, the disaster declaration would allow federal reimbursements for the costs of responding to and repairing public infrastructure and buildings.

The request covers the counties of Adair, Andrew, Atchison, Daviess, Gentry, Grundy, Harrison, Holt, Knox, Lewis, Linn, Livingston, Macon, Mercer, Nodaway, Putnam, Ralls, Shelby, Sullivan and Worth.