The Iola Register, June 8, 2024

Employers

WASHINGTON (AP)

— America’s employers added a strong 272,000 jobs in May, accelerating from April and a sign that companies are still confident enough in the economy to keep hiring despite persistently high interest rates. Last month’s sizable job gain suggests that the economy is still growing steadily, propelled by consumer spending on travel, entertainment and other services. U.S. airports, for example, re-

by the Allen County Multi-Agency Team and the Allen County Farmers Market. SARAH HANEY/REGISTER

Chiefs incentives plans split Missourians

By JASON HANCOCK KCUR.ORG

The leading candidates to be Missouri’s next governor disagree on whether the state should offer incentives to keep the Kansas City Chiefs from relocating to Kansas.

On Tuesday, the top Republican lawmakers in Kansas announced that they had reached out to the Chiefs organization to urge the team

to consider moving across the state line. To sweeten the deal, the state could consider issuing hundreds of millions of dollars in bonds to finance construction of a new stadium.

Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican and Chiefs superfan, has said he will “do what he can to keep the Chiefs in Missouri.” But he’s leaving office this year due to term limits. So

with the Chiefs’ current lease at Arrowhead set to expire in January 2031, the issue could ultimately fall into the lap of whoever is elected to replace him in November.

And there is a deep divide among the candidates about what, if anything, to do.

Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, the leading Republican candidate for governor, said

ACC asks city for rezoning

Iola city council members will address a rezoning request on behalf of Allen Community College and continue a conversation with Shane Lamb regarding his requests for help in the rehabilitation of a former nursing home, at Monday night’s city council meeting. ACC seeks to rezone recently purchased property just north of the college from R-1 (Single Family Residential) to C-2 (General Business). The current zoning will not allow for the land to be used by the college for educational purposes. College trustees have eyed the property for a new Career and Technical Education building. Council members will also continue considerations from their May 28 meeting of various requests from Shane Lamb, acting as Invest America Group (IAG). Lamb’s most recent request pertains to the rehabilitation of the main building at what was once Arkhaven Nursing Home at 1336 N. Walnut St. Council members had requested that Lamb present them with a more detailed plan regarding a $300,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) he is pursuing. Lamb is turning the former

Senate GOP blocks contraception bill

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans have blocked legislation designed to protect women’s access to contraception, arguing that the bill was just a political stunt as Democrats mount an election-year effort to put GOP senators on the record on reproductive rights issues,

The test vote won a 51-39 majority, but that was well short of the 60 votes to move ahead on the legislation.

Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall voted in opposition.

The Sunflower State’s other Senator, Jerry Moran, did not cast a vote. It came as the Senate has abandoned hopes of doing serious bipartisan legislation before the election. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and his Democrats are trying to instead spotlight issues they believe can help them win the presidency and keep the Senate in November. A similar vote on ensuring nationwide access to in vitro fertilization is expected next week. That bill is expected to

similarly stall in the Senate, where Democrats need 60 votes to move forward on legislation. Schumer said Tuesday that Democrats will “put reproductive freedoms front and center before this chamber, so that the American people can see for themselves who will stand up to defend their fundamental liberties.”

The effort comes as Democrats worry that reproductive rights will be further threatened after the Supreme Court overturned the nationwide right to an abortion two years ago and as they continue to see that access as one of their most potent election-year issues.

President Joe Biden’s campaign has embraced reproductive rights as a key to winning undecided voters, especially women.

“Contraception is health care, essential health care, that millions of people rely on,” said Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono, a Democrat. She said the court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade “foretold more chaos to come.”

GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Kansas City Chiefs. TNS FILE PHOTO

Farm bill hung up on SNAP benefits

By ELIZABETH REMBERT Harvest Public Media

The long-stalled farm bill took a step forward in the House of Representatives last month as a Republican-led proposal made it out of the agriculture committee.

The clock is ticking as the extension of the 2018 Farm Bill, which expired eight months ago, ends in September. Yet food assistance will likely be a flashpoint in the discussions ahead.

More than 41 million Americans rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program monthly to put food on the table. The program takes a lot of funding –about 80% of the farm bill’s massive budget goes to SNAP.

House farm bill

proposal

The House draft suggests placing limits on how the Thrifty Food Plan is updated in the future. The Thrifty Food Plan is a basket of foods that represents a “nutritious, practical, cost-effective diet prepared at home” for a family of four, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The money people receive through SNAP is calculated by how much that basket of food costs.

Right now, the plan is updated every five years based on food prices, food composition data, consumer data and dietary standards. The new proposal suggests updating the cost of the plan only for inflation.

According to House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson – a Republican from Pennsylvania — the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates the limit would cut SNAP by $30 billion over the next 10 years.

“The cut would take away a day’s worth of benefits from the participants each month, then it would rise to two days of benefits each month,” said Democratic Rep. Jahana Hayes from Connecticut during discussions. “You may think losing one or two days of food is not significant. But I do think it’s quite significant for a low-income family trying to make ends meet.”

But Republican Rep.

Del Shields performs tonight

HUMBOLDT — Del Shields will provide entertainment at 7 o’clock tonight as part of his annual High Trail Ranch Ride and Concert, according to The Humboldt Union. The action takes place at the High Trail Ranch, 2475 90th Rd.

Sharing the stage will be guitarist and cowboy poet Danny McCurry.

This year also marks the 20th anniversary of Shields’ career as a co-host on the “Best of America on Horseback” TV program, the Union reported.

“It’s really exciting and humbling to be on the air that long,” Shields told the Union.

Rep. Jahana Hayes of Connecticut, above, contends the proposed cuts to food benefits are too deep. “Losing one or two days of food is significant for a low-income family trying to make ends meet.”

(KEVIN DIETSCH/GETTY IMAGES/TNS)

Mark Alford of Missouri said he’s focused on making the program more efficient, not slashing benefits.

dress erroneous payments and other inefficiencies

• Allow individuals with past drug offenses to receive SNAP

but cuts to SNAP is a “pretty problematic characterization, because it would erode SNAP’s buying power over time.”

“So while families wouldn’t see their benefits go down in an immediate sense, SNAP would be increasingly less efficient as time goes on,” she said. “What we would see is a decline in how well the program actually works in people’s lives.”

Hamann said she hopes the Senate’s farm bill proposal can find support, which would maintain the regular re-evaluation of SNAP benefits.

Obituary

‘Gin’ Peters

Virginia “Gin” Lea Peters, age 72, passed away Tuesday, June 4, 2024, in Iola, Kan.

She was born May 7, 1952, in Nowata, Okla., to Enve McDaniel and Mae (Buck) Morris.

In 1970, Gin was united in marriage to Mark Peters.

She is survived by her husband; children Brenda and Bryan; siblings, Ron (Anita) McDaniel, Don (Norma) McDaniel, Juanita Burris, Wanda (Art) Mangus, and Nancy Adams, and five grandchildren.

A memorial service is at 10 a.m. Friday, June 14, at Feuerborn Family Funeral Service, 1883 US Highway 54 in Iola. Memorial contributions may be made to Allen County Animal Rescue Facility (ACARF) and left in the care of the funeral home.

craft show on tap

HUMBOLDT — Looking to spruce up your home?

“Democrats feel like we’re trying to cut the program. And that’s not the case,” Alford said. “If we can move to a program that has more integrity, more health benefits, it is going to be greater for our nation and greater for our taxpayers.”

Alford points to parts of the bill that would allow frozen and canned produce to be covered, create an accountability office and expand eligibility for the program.

Other SNAP proposals in the House’s farm bill draft would:

• Add frozen, fresh, canned and dried fruits and vegetables as SNAP-eligible products

• Create an office of program integrity to focus on SNAP and ad-

• Direct the USDA to issue formal guidance on notifying eligible college students that they qualify for SNAP

“We don’t feel there are cuts to SNAP — we’re just tightening up some of the issues,” Alford said. “I don’t want anyone who is truly hungry, truly needy and can’t work to go to bed hungry at night.” Megan Hamann, a community organizer focused on food and nutrition access with Nebraska Appleseed, said framing limits to the Thrifty Food Plan as anything

The House’s draft has a long way to go before it makes it into law as the new farm bill; it will need final passage in the House and endorsement from the Senate.

“Everyone knows that this bill would never become law. The Senate won’t accept it and the administration won’t accept it,” Rep. David Scott of Georgia, the ranking Democrat on the House’s Agriculture committee, said during discussions. “And while this bill is a giant misstep, it nevertheless begins our journey toward passing a farm bill.”

From knickknacks to essentials, Humboldt’s Third Saturday

Rep. Mark Alford

Humboldt

No Labels group: Kansas GOP operative is a fraud

By SHERMAN SMITH Kansas Reflector

TOPEKA — The national chief strategist for No Labels says Kansas GOP political operative Kris Van Meteren is unaffiliated with the party and “fraudulently misrepresented himself” when he filed nominations under the party’s name. Those nominations were invalidated by Secretary of State Scott Schwab, igniting a fiery rebuke from Van Meteren, who claims he seized ownership of No Labels Kansas in a series of moves Monday morning, shortly before the candidate filing deadline for this year’s election cycle. Van Meteren set off alarms by nominating state Sen. Marci Francisco, D-Lawrence, against her will, and his wife, Republican Echo Van Meteren, who is also running for a Senate seat. In doing so, he guaranteed the candidates would have a spot on the November ballot — under their chosen party if they win the primary, or under No Labels if they lose, creating three-

way races.

Francisco faces a primary challenge from Rep. Christina Haswood, while Echo Van Meteren faces GOP challenger Jeff Klemp, who is backed by the powerful Kansas Chamber.

Last year, No Labels Kansas gathered signatures and submitted paperwork to the Kansas Secretary of State in order to be formally recognized as a party. But officers associated with the national movement took no action to nominate candidates in Kansas.

Kris Van Meteren filed paperwork on Monday to incorporate No Labels Kansas as a business entity. In his version of events, he then called a convention, elected himself chairman and nominated the two candidates.

Schwab said the nominations were invalid because they were made by Kris Van Meteren, rather than Glenda Reynolds, a Democrat who was designated chairwoman when the party submitted paperwork last year. “At the time that it applied

for ballot qualification in 2023, No Labels Kansas designated a state leadership team and submitted adopted bylaws to the Secretary of State,” said Ryan Clancy, the national No Labels chief strategist. “That leadership team and those bylaws remain unchanged, with Glenda Reynolds as the chair of No Labels Kansas.

“We understand that a longtime Republican operative fraudulently misrepresented himself to the secretary as the chair of No Labels Kansas, when he has no affiliation whatsoever with the state party committee, and proposed action that would have violated No Labels Kansas’ bylaws. We are pleased that the secretary disregarded this obvious attempt at election manipulation and expect that the Republican operative will be prosecuted for impersonating a party officer” under state law.

The alleged crime is a Class A misdemeanor.

Kris Van Meteren owns the political consulting group

Singularis and is a longtime player in Kansas politics.

In recent years, he is best known for the high-profile split with his former business partner, Jared Suhn, which spawned a lawsuit and an ethics inquiry.

In an email to Kansas Reflector, Kris Van Meteren said he followed state law as he registered to vote under the No Labels Kansas party, incorporated the name, secured nonprofit political party status with the IRS, called a convention, was elected chairman, and made nominations.

He provided copies of supporting documentation, including video of the nominating commission.

“Clearly, they don’t have all of the pertinent facts in hand and are making wild-eyed claims without understanding Kansas law,” he said. “The truth is that I’ve gone to considerable lengths to abide by the statutes and regulations in play.”

He also noted that the national No Labels movement had hired petition gath-

ers who now face criminal charges for allegedly forging signatures in Kansas.

“I, of course, had nothing to do with the hiring of these charlatans,” he said.

In a lengthy post on his personal Facebook page, Kris Van Meteren lashed out at Republican forces who are aligned with Suhn. He accused Schwab of orchestrating an “obvious political stunt, executed on behalf of both Democratic and Republican fever swampers.”

“To hear lefty reporters breathlessly tell it, I’m a half-crazed, ultra-conservative gypsy who showed up in politics yesterday, bent on swindling the good people of Kansas into buying some kind of dangerous electoral snake oil,” Kris Van Metersen said. “Obviously, potentially giving general election voters more options is such dangerous medicine. The buzz phrase du jour within the political establishment is ‘election interference’ and fever swamp dwellers are seizing the opportunity to accuse me of it.”

Judge reduces $2.2B fine against Monsanto by more than 80%

By NICK VADALA Philadelphia Inquirer

PHILADELPHIA — A Philadelphia judge has substantially reduced a $2.25 billion verdict against agricultural giant Monsanto, ruling that a Pennsylvania man who contended he developed cancer from the company’s weed killer Roundup ought to receive $400 million.

Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas

Judge Susan Schulman’s ruling comes following a Philadelphia jury’s January verdict in favor of John McKivison, of Lycoming County, who used Roundup to control weeds at his home for about two decades. Exposure to Roundup, McKivison claimed, caused him to later develop non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of blood cancer.

The jury found in favor of McKivison, and ordered Monsanto to pay $250 million in compensatory damages and $2 billion in punitive damages.

Now, Schulman’s ruling has reduced that penalty by more than 80%, to $50 million in compensatory

Monsanto’s Roundup

damages and $350 million in punitive damages.

McKivison’s attorneys, Tom Kline of Kline & Specter in Philadelphia and Jason Itkin of Houston-based Arnold & Itkin, said they will appeal the reduction ruling.

“We are pleased that the trial judge, like many other judges, overruled all of Monsanto’s attempts to derail the message behind the jury’s verdict — namely, that Roundup causes cancer,” Kline and Itkin said in a statement. “However, we also believe the

reduction of the amount of the jury’s verdict is a clear departure from established Pennsylvania law that we plan to address in an appeal seeking reinstatement of the jury’s full damage award to compensate John McKivison and deter Monsanto’s unapologetic behavior for selling its carcinogenic product to unsuspecting consumers.”

Following the January verdict, German pharmaceutical giant Bayer, Monsanto’s parent company, said it would appeal, calling the $2.25 billion award “uncon-

stitutionally excessive.” Now, with the award reduced, Monsanto said it plans to further appeal the verdict to the Superior Court of Pennsylvania.

“While the court’s decision reduces the unconstitutionally excessive damage award, we still disagree with the ruling on the liability verdict, as the trial was marred by significant and reversible errors that misled and inflamed the jury,” the company said in a statement.

Monsanto and Bayer have been sued thou-

Olympic rings added to iconic Eiffel Tower

PARIS (AP) — The Paris Olympics organizers on Friday unveiled a display of the five Olympic rings mounted on the Eiffel Tower as the French capital marks 50 days until the start of the Summer Games.

The structure of rings, made of recycled French steel, was displayed on the south side of the 135-year-old landmark in central Paris, overlooking the Seine River. Each ring is 30 feet in diameter.

Thousands of athletes will parade through the heart of the French capital on boats on the Seine along a 3.7-mile route in the opening ceremony at sunset on July 26.

There will be no shortage of iconic venues at the Paris Olympics.

The tower, nicknamed La Dame de Fer (The Iron Lady), will feature prominently in the July 26Aug. 11 Paris Games and the following Paralympics.

Men’s and women’s volleyball players will compete at the foot of the

1,083-foot monument. They will be watched by nearly 13,000 fans at the temporary Eiffel Tower Stadium on the nearby Champ de Mars, where Parisians and tourists like to have picnics on the grass or watch July 14 firework displays.

The Olympic medals iare being embedded with pieces from a hexagonal chunk of iron taken from the tower.

The hugely popular landmark in central Paris has seen soaring visitor numbers in the leadup to the 2024 Games.

sands of times in cases linking Roundup to cancer. At issue in the cases is the chemical glyphosate, Roundup’s active ingredient, which has become one of the world’s most widely used herbicides. Despite concerns that the chemical may cause cancer, world health agencies have not come to a consensus on glyphosate’s carcinogenic properties.

Monsanto said in its statement that it “stands behind Roundup,” and contended that scientific research and assessments “support the safety of glyphosate-based products.”

“It is clear that when trials focus on the science and regulatory consensus, the company prevails” at trial, the company said, adding that it “has resolved the overwhelming majority

of claims in this litigation.”

Among cases with favorable outcomes for Monsanto was one Philadelphia case in March in which a Lansdale man alleged that Roundup caused his cancer. That case’s jury voted unanimously in Monsanto’s favor.

are seen for sale at a retail store in Glendale, California. GETTY IMAGES/AFP/ROBYN BECK/TNS

Irish, Czech voters to go polls on Day 2 of EU elections

BRUSSELS (AP) — Voters in Ireland and the Czech Republic, two countries where immigration was a key issue on the campaign trail, took to the polls Friday on the second day of the elections for the European Parliament, where a surge of the far-right across the 27-nation bloc was likely to emerge from the electoral marathon.

Final results will not be released until Sunday night, once voting is completed in every country. However, an exit poll Thursday after the elections kicked off in the

Netherlands confirmed that Geert Wilders’ far-right PVV party should make big gains.

Although a coalition of pro-European parties pushed the PVV into second place amid a bigger turnout than at the previous EU elections, Wilders’ party looked to have made the biggest gains of the night.

Since the last EU election in 2019, populist, far-right and extremist parties have taken over governments in three EU nations, are part of governing coalitions in several others, and appear to have surging

public support across the continent. Far-right parties in France, Belgium, Austria and Italy are frontrunners in the EU elections.

Immigration has risen up Ireland’s political agenda, with independent candidates calling for tighter controls expected to win many votes. Ireland does not have a large far-right party capable of consolidating anti-immigrant sentiment.

The immigration issue is eroding support for left-ofcenter Sinn Fein, the party once linked to the Irish Re-

publican Army, which had been on track to become Ireland’s most popular party.

In the Czech election campaign, the far-right and farleft were united over the condemnation of the EU’s plans to tackle immigration and climate change, as well as their strong opposition against military support for Ukraine.

Former populist prime Minister Andrej Babis and his centrist ANO (YES) movement campaigned under the headline “No to immigration and the green madness.” Babis es-

pouses a strong anti-migrant rhetoric, which unites him with another anti-migration champion, Viktor Orban, the Hungarian prime minister. ANO led the polls ahead of the center-right Together coalition, which consists of the conservative Civic Democratic Party of Prime Minister Petr Fiala, Christian Democrats and the liberal-conservative TOP 09 party. Two other government parties, the Pirate Party and STAN, a group of mayors and independent candidates, are also expected to win seats.

Market: Report shows job growth, wage improvement

Continued from A1

ported near-record traffic over the Memorial Day weekend. A healthy job market typically drives consumer spending, the economy’s principal fuel. Though some recent signs had raised concerns about economic weakness, May’s jobs report should help assuage those fears.

Even so, Friday’s report from the government included some signs of a potential slowdown. The unemployment rate, for example, edged up for a second straight month, to a stilllow 4%, from 3.9%, ending a 27-month streak of unemployment below 4%. That streak had matched the longest such run since the late 1960s.

President Joe Biden pointed to Friday’s jobs report as a sign of the economy’s robust health under his administration. He also charged that congressional Republicans would worsen inflation by cutting health care subsidies and widening the deficit

through tax cuts.

The presumptive Republican nominee, Donald Trump, has focused his criticism of Biden’s economic policies on the surge in inflation, which polls show still weighs heavily in voters’ assessment of the economy. At a rally in Phoenix on Thursday, he blamed illegal immigration for contributing to higher prices.

Economists say the mixed signals from Friday’s report — a surge in jobs alongside a slight rise in unemployment — are likely

City: Council

Continued from A1

nursing home into apartments. His requests include applying for a CDBG grant on behalf of IAG; acting as administrator of the grant via a contract between the city and a third-party administrator; waiving nearly $91,000 in material and labor costs to provide electrical infrastructure on the city-side; and payment for infrastructure on the private side of a transformer. At the May 28 meeting, Council member Jon Wells said the city has granted similar favors to other private entitites.

IN OTHER NEWS, council will present a proclamation declaring June 10 as Iola High School Forensics Day in recognition of their stellar success. IHS juniors Cole Moyer, Everett Glaze, Max Andersen and Demarco Ross secured gold medals at the state competition in their 3A division this spring.

As a team, Iola took fourth place overall, an accomplishment IHS instructor and Forensics coach Regina Christenson says is the highest in her 13 years and believes may be the best in school history.

a sign that the job market is normalizing after years of distortions related to the pandemic. After the brutal pandemic recession, when unemployment rocketed to nearly 15%, hiring soared in 2022 and 2023 as the economy quickly recovered. Wages, before adjusting for inflation, also jumped as businesses desperately sought to fill jobs.

“Employment growth is continuing at a solid pace, but there are ample signs that the heat in the labor market over the past few years largely has been removed,” said Sarah House, an economist at Wells Fargo.

The number of open jobs, while still elevated, has fallen to a three-year low, the government said this week. Fewer workers are quitting their jobs, after quits had soared after the pandemic. Many employers say it’s become easier to find workers to fill their open jobs.

But after months of cooling, growth in

hourly paychecks accelerated last month, a welcome gain for workers, but one that could contribute to stickier inflation. Hourly wages rose 4.1% from a year ago, faster than the rate of inflation and more quickly than in April. Some companies may raise their prices to offset their higher wage costs.

The Federal Reserve’s inflation fighters would like to see the economy cool a bit as they consider when to begin cutting their benchmark rate. The Fed sharply raised interest rates in 2022 and 2023 after the vigorous recovery from the pandemic recession ignited the worst inflation in 40 years.

Friday’s report will likely underscore Fed officials’ intention to delay any cuts to their benchmark interest rate while they monitor inflation and economic data. Most economists expect no Fed rate reductions before September at the earliest. Once the cuts do begin, lower rates on many consumer and business loans, including for mortgages and autos, should follow.

Though Chair Jerome Powell has said he expects inflation to con-

tinue to ease, he has stressed that the Fed’s policymakers need “greater confidence” that inflation will fall back to their 2% target before they would reduce borrowing costs. Annual inflation has declined to 2.7% by the Fed’s preferred measure, from a peak above 7% in 2022.

“This report is going to complicate the Fed’s job,” said Julia Pollak, chief economist for ZipRecruiter. “No one’s getting those very clear signals that they were hoping for that a rate cut is appropriate in July or September.”

Last month’s hiring occurred broadly across most of the economy. But job gains were particularly robust in health care, which added 84,000, and restaurants, hotels, and entertainment providers, which gained 42,000.

Chiefs: MO gubernatorial hopefuls split on incentives

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he is “opposed to providing taxpayer subsidies to keep sports teams.”

Instead, Ashcroft said, if elected he would focus on public safety, education and lowering taxes “so that Missouri will be a destination state for teams, their players and all economic freedom loving Americans.”

State Sen. Bill Eigel, also a Republican candidate, said he’s confident that “the Chiefs will make the right decision and remain in Missouri, but it won’t be because of taxpayer handouts for sports teams or stadiums on my watch.”

Government, Eigel said, “shouldn’t be in the business of picking winners and losers. I’m going to ensure Missouri is a place where all people can thrive.”

On the other side of the issue in the GOP primary is Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe. His campaign manager, Derek Coats, said Missouri deserves a governor “who will fight for jobs and economic growth.”

“Mike Kehoe will not watch passively as other states poach our businesses,” Coats

said. “As governor, he will use every tool at his disposal to ensure Missouri is a state that welcomes investment, creates jobs and spurs economic growth.”

State Rep. Crystal Quade, a Democrat running for governor, said that any candidate who “claims they don’t care about the Arrowhead-sized hole losing the Chiefs would create is lying.

“We need to elect leaders who will work with the Chiefs,” she said, “to make sure all sides get a fair deal and keep our Super Bowl Champs playing football in Missouri for decades to come.”

Springfield businessman Mike Hamra, who is also a candidate in the Democratic primary, said Missourians take pride in being the home to the Chiefs.

“State leaders,” he said, “should explore every reasonable option to keep the Chiefs in Missouri.”

Kansas City Chiefs Chairman Clark Hunt has previously expressed interest in remaining in the Truman Sports Complex, which is where the Chiefs and Royals have had venues

since 1973.

But Hunt made it clear that all options were on the table moving forward after Jackson County voters rejected a sales tax measure earlier this year that would have helped fund renovations to Arrowhead Stadium and build a new downtown ballpark for the Kansas City Royals.

Missouri currently spends $3 million annually on the Truman Sports Complex, part of a deal cut in 1989 to secure financing for construction of the St. Louis stadium now referred to as The Dome at America’s Center.

That 1989 bill was

signed into law by Ashcroft’s father, former Republican Gov. John Ashcroft. Those payments would end if the current leaseholders — the Chiefs and Royals — are not using the facilities.

Missouri’s current fiscal year budget also includes $50 million from general revenue for “stadium and ground modifications, transportation, marketing, and additional event support” around Arrowhead for the FIFA World Cup.

THE KANSAS Legislature will be in Topeka for a special session starting June 18. The

focus is tax legislation, but there is no limit on topics lawmakers might consider, which opens the door for discussing an incentives package for the Chiefs.

Near the end of the regular legislative session, Kansas lawmakers briefly considered a proposal to use bonds with 30-year terms to pay up to 100% of the cost of building a new stadium.

The proposal never came up for a vote.

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, has said she would welcome the chance to lure the Chiefs out of Missouri but that she doesn’t think the state is in a fi-

nancial position to successfully recruit them.

Missouri legislative leaders told the Kansas City Star Wednesday that they are in no rush to put together a counter offer or reconvene in a special session to discuss the issue.

In 2019, Kelly and Parson both signed off on a truce to the longstanding economic border war between the two states, pledging to end the use of tax incentives to lure companies across the state line that do not create new jobs for the region. This story was originally published in the Missouri Independent.

KS lawmakers ready to roll out red carpet

By DANIEL CAUDILL Kansas News Service

Top Republicans in Kansas are officially inviting the Kansas City Chiefs to relocate across state lines.

Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson and House Speaker Dan Hawkins, both Republicans, sent a letter Tuesday evening to the team’s owners, asking them to consider a plan in the state Legislature that would help build a new stadium in Kansas City, Kansas.

“(The plan) represents, in our view, the best economic development partnership the franchise will find in America,” the letter reads. “With our strategic location, a vibrant fan base, robust economic incentives, and the exceptional tools at our disposal, we are poised to make the Kansas City Chiefs even stronger.”

Lawmakers never voted on a bill to bring the Chiefs or another sports team to Kansas before adjourning in May, but they will return to the Statehouse on June 18 for what’s expected to be a brief special session about tax cuts. Hawkins and Masterson say lawmakers also will consider the sports bill then.

The letter coincided with a mass text message inviting people to visit a website describing the plan and asking them to urge their state representatives to support it. The site, paid for by “Scoop and Score, Inc.,” makes a number of claims

about the project, including that it would come at no expense to taxpayers.

While the plan would not necessarily require an immediate increase in taxes, it would help finance the stadium through sales tax revenue bonds, or STAR bonds. The state issues those bonds for certain developments and essentially diverts the sales tax revenue those developments generate in future years to pay off the debt.

Proponents say STAR bonds boost economic activity and the diverted sales tax revenue wouldn’t exist without the new projects. But critics say the projects often fall short of economic expectations.

The bill would also require the Chiefs or any other team to contribute hundreds of millions of dollars to a potential stadium project. It would allow the state to recruit up to two professional sports teams.

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly has previously said she doesn’t believe the state is in the right financial position to attract the team. She says she’s not involved in any efforts to recruit them across state lines but says she wouldn’t “stand in their way,” either.

“Probably over half the people in the stands any given Sunday are Kansans,” she told the Kansas News Service in April. “We claim them as our team – but we recognize that it’s probably in their best interest to stay where they are, so we (the governor and her office) won’t be making any overtures to the Chiefs.”

Kelly called the upcoming special session so lawmakers could pass tax cuts she’s willing to sign, but lawmakers are also allowed to vote on bills related to other subjects.

In a recent interview with KCUR, state Rep. Sean Tarwater, the Republican lawmaker

who sponsored the STAR bonds bill, says it’s the one piece of legislation he could see passing during the special session other than tax cuts.

“As you were walking through the Statehouse on the last day of session, … there was a heck of a lot of talk and a lot of excitement over the STAR bond bill that would bring the Royals or the Chiefs or both to town,” he said.

Other officials, like Republican former House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr., have pointed at revenue from sports betting as a potential funding source.

When Kansas legalized sports betting in 2022, it designated 80% of the state revenue toward attracting professional sports teams. But that fund is expected to hold $10 million by 2025 – a far cry from the billions it would take to build a new stadium.

Speculation that the Chiefs might relocate to Kansas began after residents in Jackson County, Missouri, voted in April to reject an attempt to renew a 3/8th-cent sales tax that would have funded renovations at Arrowhead Stadium and built a new downtown Kansas City ballpark for the Royals. That sales tax will now end in 2031, when the leases of both teams are set to expire.

Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson sent a letter asking the Kansas City Chiefs to consider a plan that would help build a new stadium in Kansas City, Kansas. KANSAS

REFLECTOR/RACHEL MIPRO

Saturday, June 8, 2024

Court ruling highlights frailty of voting rights

On May 31, the Kansas Supreme Court ruled on a case challenging the state’s 2021 election laws that made it more difficult for Kansas citizens to vote.

In its majority decision, the Court states that there is no right to vote enshrined in the Kansas Bill of Rights, but that voting rights are explicitly given in Articles 4 and 5 of the Constitution.

As I was reading the news on the Court’s decision, I found myself recalling a book I recently read, “Tyranny of the Minority,” by prominent political scientists Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt.

In the book, Levitsky and Ziblatt state that the whole point of a democratic constitution is to establish a set of rights that are protected from the fleeting whims of present day policymakers. (They were of course discussing the U.S. Constitution, but the same idea applies to state constitutions.)

They also argue that it is imperative we not forget that even the most well-intentioned constitutions are fallible. Even the most brilliant constitutional framers are not perfect, they cannot foresee what undemocratic challenges their document may face in a distant future.

The protection of voting rights is one such example.

Our state constitution was adopted six short years before voting rights were added to the US Constitution via the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments, which allowed Kansas to build upon some of the US Constitution’s shortcomings by in-

Alexandra Middlewood Insight Kansas

cluding voting rights.

As Levitsky and Ziblatt discuss in more detail, the Founders’ ideas regarding democracy were certainly novel and also quite radical for the time, but their goal was not to build what we would today consider to be a modern democracy.

Many Americans revere the Constitution as a virtually infallible document. But this is not reality. The Constitution was not a well-thought-out master plan for democracy. It was built on improvisation and compromise.

We should take care to view our constitutions for exactly what they are, imperfect governing documents that are meant to evolve with the changing societal and political needs of a democracy and its citizenry.

THE KANSAS Supreme Court’s decision furthers the need for this approach.

The decision can be interpreted in such a way that the state constitution only protects procedural representation — the right of citizens to vote for government representatives. As the Court’s dissenting opinion points out, there is a question of whether the Constitution protects substantive representation — the representation of citizens’ interests in the policymaking process.

The dissenting justices argued that substantive representa-

~ Journalism that makes a difference

tion is protected by the state’s constitution, but the majority opinion disregarded this interpretation.

In other words, the Court ruled that citizens do indeed have a right to vote, but their elected representatives are not required to act in accordance with citizens’ wishes and interests.

This is concerning. A modern democracy is not simply a system of majority rule; it combines majority rule and minority rights.

To once again borrow from Levitsky and Ziblatt: democracies must create mechanisms that protect the democratic process from forces that would undermine it.

Democracy cannot exist without free and fair elections. But not everything can or should be up for grabs by officials who are elected, or appointed, to represent us, especially voting rights.

It is exceedingly concerning that the state’s highest court would exclude substantive representation as an important aspect of protecting voting rights.

The ruling exposes a significant oversight in the interpretation of voting rights within the state constitution.

It is crucial for citizens to remain vigilant and advocate for policies that protect and expand voting rights for all citizens, ensuring that our state democracy reflects its core values of inclusivity and participation.

About the author: Alexandra Middlewood, PhD, is the Department Chair of Political Science at Wichita State University.

The Iola Register

Still tops at age 100

By SUSAN LYNN Register editor

Growing up, I regarded a few of my parents’ friends as a cast of characters; some of whom had a larger than usual influence on my life.

Marlene Lenski was irreverent and intimidating; and thus very, very mysterious to me. Judge Robert Stadler quizzed me on words, what books I was reading and hung around for the answers, just like Atticus Finch of “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

And then there was Alice Hastings, who seemed to walk right out of a fairy tale, her beauty and manner so perfect, a quality I found unparalleled but one which I think at times could vex my mother.

I distinctly remember one summer day when Alice “popped by.”

My mother came in from working in the yard. Red-faced. Damp.

While Alice looked as if she’d just come from a Better Homes & Garden photo shoot. She smelled of lilacs. My mother, weed killer.

ALICE GARCELON Lincoln Hastings turns 100 Saturday.

Today, she is a somewhat diminished version of herself. And yet, what have always been her best qualities shine through even more.

It’s not that Alice hasn’t faced challenges, but that she has seemed able to keep them from overwhelming her.

A few simple things keep her anchored today. Family. A peaceful view out her window. Reading. And maintaining a grateful nature.

Alice is a six-year resident at Heartland Meadows, an assisted living care facility, where she resides in a simple and spare room.

“I don’t miss a thing,” she said of the transition from her longtime home in the Meadowbrook sub-

As sweet as ever, Alice Hastings turns 100 Saturday. When I visited her Thursday morning, she rose out of her chair — quite easily! — to give me a warm hug.

division, where her favorite room — an expansive screened-in porch — looked out over a field.

“I don’t need to be there. I’ll see it in my mind forever,” she said. She looks around her room and smiles.

“I have everything I need here. I’m just as pleased and happy as I can be,” she said.

BORN IN Ebor City, Florida on June 8, 1924, Alice graduated from Florida State College for Women in Tallahassee — today’s Florida State University — with an accounting degree. She married Jack Hastings in 1946. The couple moved to Iola in 1949. Hastings took on with The Register’s advertising department in 1952, where he remained until 2012. He died at age 90 in 2014.

For much of their 68year marriage, Alice took care of the couple’s finances, she said, in addition to being a stay-athome mom with sons Mark and Ladd.

“She likes things a certain way,” daughter-inlaw Chardelle Hastings said Thursday. Does now. Always did.

On a table in her room are three small bottles of Coke, each facing forward. She’ll straighten

them if they’re askew, Chardelle said. “When you only have one room to care for, you want it like you want it, right?”

An avid gardener, Chardelle commented on how Alice’s food preferences have changed over the years.

“It used to be we’d share our produce with her, but not anymore. Things she used to really love; she steers away from now.

“I’ll bring her homemade coffee ice cream for her birthday. We’ll see if she still likes that.”

A small Christmas tree is perched on a narrow table. Its lights serve as a nightlight. A single Santa stands guard.

A slight deafness somewhat hampers Alice’s ability to participate in our conversation. Even so, she’s quick to rise from her chair unassisted, and is steady on her feet.

Most of her 10 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren will be in town Saturday to celebrate her 100th.

“I don’t have to remember their names anymore,” she quipped. “I have others who do that work for me.”

At the thought, she breaks into a mischievous smile and her eyes twinkle. Still.

Caitlan Clark’s only ‘crime’ is being supremely talented

Whoopi Goldberg and Sunny Hostin of “The View” have not been helping the Women’s National Basketball Association nor its most famous star, Caitlin Clark. Nor have they been doing right by the Chicago Sky’s Chennedy Carter or any of the other fine athletes deservedly and belatedly getting the attention they have long deserved.

“I do think there is a thing called pretty privilege,” Hostin said May 23 on the talk show, suggesting there is more to Clark’s fame and paycheck than her extraordinary record at the University of Iowa. “There is a thing called white privilege. There is a thing called tall privilege.” Sure. When it comes to the game of basketball, though, all of those are eclipsed by talent privilege, which is why fans shell out the big bucks to watch professional games played by women and men, of all races, rather than just standing courtside at the local park. Moreover, those who have talent privilege, just like “pretty privilege,” “white privilege” and

“tall privilege,” cannot do a darn thing about their gifts, beyond being humble, appreciative of their fans and family, and paying forward their good fortune.

For Clark on Saturday, all of those alleged privileges turned into an undeserved target on her back.

The foul committed by Chicago Sky guard Chennedy Carter was egregious. Outside of a sporting contest, it would have been seen as an assault. Even within a sporting context, it was bad: before the ball even was inbounded, Carter came up from behind Clark, shoving her at the hip and knocking her over. Lip readers simultaneously construed a five-letter epithet dancing on the Sky player’s lips. She should have been ejected from the game.

Let’s be clear. Clark has done nothing to deserve this other than bringing attention to her sport and playing it superbly well. All of her public pronouncements have been supportive of her sport, her fellow players and her many mentors and idols (Black and

white). A large influx of fans are tuning into the sport for the first time, mainly due to the Clark effect (although Sky rookie Angel Reese and some others are drawing notice as well). Sure, players on competing teams have no obligation to go easy on Clark, and you might argue that some jealousy is inevitable, but the Saturday incident went beyond any of that, especially since Carter’s teammate Reese appeared to applaud the foul.

None other than Charles Barkley, America’s unofficial secretary of common sense, called out the league’s players not named Caitlin Clark two weeks ago, well before Saturday. “Y’all should be thanking that girl for getting y’all … private charters,” he said. “All the money and visibility she’s bringing to the WNBA. Don’t be petty like dudes. What she’s accomplished — give her her flowers. Stop being petty all you women out there.”

Games can get heated, and if Carter had apologized and said some version of, look, I’m competitive and I got car-

ried away, we’d be more sympathetic. But, in fact, she doubled down on social media, effectively deriding Clark as nothing but a 3-point shooter. At the news conference after the game, Carter said, in answer to a softball request to explain what happened with Clark, “I ain’t answering no Caitlin Clark questions,” as if she were not under any obligation to do so when, in fact, she should have offered an apology. When at least one reporter asked to speak to Reese and she declined, Reese was fined $1,000 by the league and the Sky was fined an additional $5,000 for violating media availability rules. Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon apologized on Carter’s behalf Monday afternoon. Not before time.

On Sunday, when the Indiana Fever played again in New York, all of this appeared to be having an effect on Clark, who looked to be off her game. Who would not be? She must be wishing she were back in Iowa City.

On Monday, Goldberg indefensively defended Carter

on “The View” with “Get over yourselves, they’re athletes.” They also are human beings and, in Clark’s case, a rookie player on whose shoulder rests more pressure than most if not all other players in the league are feeling. She has to compete on her own merits, but basketball has rules and if the WNBA chews her up and spits her out because it is too afraid of being called racist to protect her from racially tinged animosity, or indeed from fouls such as the one Carter committed, it will have done a huge disservice to its own game, now at a major inflection point, thanks in no small measure to, yes, Clark. It’s also incumbent among the experienced WNBA players to nip this nonsense in the bud, before it’s too late.

As for Goldberg and Hostin? Enough with the privilege talk and get-over-it nonsense and start calling this behavior out for what everyone could see it to be. Something not to be repeated.

— The Chicago Tribune

GOP targets Hutch representative

By TIM CARPENTER Kansas Reflector

TOPEKA — Republicans Kyler Sweely and Tyson Thrall took circuitous routes to becoming candidates for the Kansas House district centered on Hutchinson.

The two candidates will go head-to-head in the Aug. 6 primary for the GOP nomination in the 102nd District, which is held by Democratic state Rep. Jason Probst. He is seeking reelection in the district he has represented for seven years.

Sweely, a 26-yearold veteran of the U.S. Army who deployed twice overseas, transferred his official voting address May 30 from Harvey County to Reno County. He submitted paperwork the next day to file as a GOP candidate in the 102nd District. Election records indicated he voted in Harvey County elections during 2020 and 2022.

During the 2024 legislative session, Sweely resided in Topeka while working as administrative assistant to the House Transportation and Public Safety Budget Committee chaired by Rep. Avery Anderson, R-Newton.

Sweely said in an interview that he had been offered employment in Reno County, but hadn’t accepted a position so he could focus on his primary campaign.

“I always had a drive to serve,” said Sweely, who was intrigued by the possibility of defeating Probst in the November general election. “It felt there was a good chance we could flip that seat.”

Probst said in an interview at the Capitol that House Republicans engaged in “district shopping” to import Sweely, who had “no connection to our community.”

District flip-flop

Tyson Thrall, the second Republican candidate in the 102nd District primary, has ties

to Reno County. Thrall voted in Reno County in 2020 and ran unsuccessfully for Hutchinson school board in 2021.

Candidate records indicate, however, Thrall asserted his home address was in Nickerson when he filed May 10 to be a candidate for the Kansas House in the 114th District. That seat is up for grabs because the district’s current representative, Republican Mike Murphy of Sylvia, chose to run for the Kansas Senate.

Less than one week after filing in the 114th District, Thrall withdrew from that House contest. On May 24, he declared his address for voting purposes was in Hutchinson — not Nickerson — and filed as a candidate for the 102nd District seat held by Probst. It’s not clear Thrall has taken up residence at the 21st Avenue address in Hutchinson listed on documents filed with the Kansas secretary of state.

He didn’t respond to a request for comment about his decision to terminate his campaign for Murphy’s seat and enter the race for Probst’s spot in the House.

Probst said Thrall also appeared to have engaged in district shopping at the behest of supporters of outgoing Rep. Murphy and retiring Hutchinson Sen. Mark Steffen, both Republicans. Murphy

News briefs

Jan. 6 Capitol police officers booed HARRISBURG, Pa. —

As the Pennsylvania House of Representatives recognized two police officers Wednesday who defended the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021 riot, several House Republicans booed or walked off the floor in protest and at least one state official yelled “traitor” at the men.

Lawmakers routinely bring special guests with them to be recognized, such as a local sports team that won a state championship, a school club, or a civic association. Democratic House Speaker Joanna McClinton typically reads the list of visitors, and House members applaud.

That wasn’t the case, when the two U.S. Capitol police officers visited Wednesday. The officers — Harry Dunn and Aquilino Gonell — stopped in Harrisburg as they trav-

eled the state in support of President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign. Both officers testified before the U.S. House’s Jan. 6th Select Committee about how they were treated during the riot.

—The Philadelphia Inquirer

Positive test not needed for long COVID diagnosis

LOS ANGELES — People do not need to have tested positive for the coronavirus to be considered for a diagnosis of long COVID, a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine concludes. The report, produced by a committee of experts at the request of the U.S. Social Security Administration, aims to summarize what is known about long COVID, a complex condition that was estimated to affect more than 9 million people in the United States in 2022.

I know very little about these candidates — their experience, ideas or how they plan to help Hutchinson. This interest in the 102nd District seems to have very little to do with Hutchinson or me as a candidate and legislator. It appears to be rooted in a broader political game where every seat is a piece on a political board game.

— Rep. Jason Probst, D-Hutchinson

is seeking Steffen’s seat in the Senate and has a primary battle of his own against GOP candidate Bob Fee of Hutchinson.

The supermajority

Probst, who has lived in Hutchinson for more than 20 years, was appointed in June 2017 to fill the unexpired term of the late Rep. Patsy Terrell.

He faced no opposition in 2018 when he won election to a full term in the House. Probst survived close general election races against Republican nominee John Whitesel in 2020 and 2022.

Probst has no Democratic primary rival in August, but would have to contend in November with winner of the Sweely-Thrall showdown.

“I know very little about these candidates — their experience, ideas or how they plan to help Hutchinson,”

Probst said. “This interest in the 102nd District seems to have

Among its conclusions: Because testing has not always been available to people with COVID-19 — and because some who tested themselves at home never reported the results to healthcare systems — many who were infected never received formal documentation of their illness. Some long COVID cases “have arisen from

very little to do with Hutchinson or me as a candidate and legislator. It appears to be rooted in a broader political game where every seat is a piece on a political board game. That’s what bothers me the most.”

Kansas Democrats have made no secret of their intention to trim the GOP’s 85-40 numerical advantage in the House. If Democrats captured two more seats in the House, the shift would end the two-thirds supermajority controlled by Republicans that made it easier to override vetoes by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. Likewise, GOP House leaders have placed emphasis on expanding the Republican roster in the House.

“The Republicans desperately want to hold onto their supermajority,” Probst said. “If they lose it, things like Medicaid expansion and marijuana legalization might actually happen.”

the early days of the epidemic, before testing was even generally available,” said Dr. Paul Volberding, professor of medicine at the University of California San Francisco, who served as chair of the committee. As the pandemic has evolved, some “people live in areas where they might not have easy access to tests.”

— Los Angeles Times

Vt. police mock shooting upsets high-schoolers

By DAVE MATTHEWS New York Daily News/ TNS

The Burlington, Vermont, Police Department issued an apology on Thursday after staging a mock mass shooting during a high school field trip. The ordeal terrorized the students and even left some injured, according to local outlet Seven Days.

The incident took place Wednesday at the Burlington police station as roughly 20 students were watching a presentation on how detectives solve crimes, when suddenly they heard screams from behind them.

A masked gunman then burst into the room and started firing fake rounds, leading the teens to duck for cover as loud gunshot noises filled the room.

The students said they were not told about drill beforehand.

“I’m shaking and crying because I’m like, ‘Oh my god, I’m gonna get shot.’ It felt so real,” one Burlington High School student told Seven Days, adding that she texted her mother, believing she was on the verge of being killed.

Another student scraped her knee while diving for cover.

The students said

they eventually realized the incident was fake when they noticed the cops in the room weren’t trying to stop the shooter.

In an email sent to parents, teachers said they didn’t know the drill would happen abruptly without warning. They added the officers had assured them they’d performed the drill — which they wanted to be “as realistic as possible” — before with college students and adults.

“The detectives did apologize after they realized that the reenactment did not translate well to high school students,” the teachers wrote.

On Thursday, the police department told Seven Days the “realistic demonstration” was meant to depict a robbery scenario and be part of a lesson on witness fallibility. They added the school district had approved the drill ahead of time.

However, the department apologized to any students “who were upset by the specific scenario and crime scene portion of the presentation.”

“I’m baffled,” one outraged mother told the outlet. “It is a very real threat to kids these days to have a school shooting.”

Quakes rattle Calif.

By HUNTER LEE Orange County Register/TNS

LOS ANGELES — A

3.6-magnitude earthquake shook parts of Orange County on Thursday, June 6, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

The quake was centered a mile southeast of Costa Mesa, according to the USGS.

The quake occurred at a depth of roughly 7.5 miles and could be felt across the county and elsewhere. In Costa

Mesa, it felt like a few hard jolts.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

A 3.4-magnitude aftershock followed a few minutes later and was roughly the same depth as the initial quake.

On Wednesday around 1:45 p.m., a magnitude 2.6 earthquake struck Newport Beach. That epicenter also was just southeast of Costa Mesa. Weak shaking was reported along the Orange and LA county coasts.

Hutchinson Democratic Rep, Jason Probst’s two Republican challengers for the 102nd District seat in the Kansas House appear to have engaged in “district shopping” to find a race they might be able to win in 2024. (SHERMAN SMITH/KANSAS REFLECTOR)

Putins warns of retaliation

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — President Vladimir Putin warned Wednesday that Russia could provide long-range weapons to others to strike Western targets in response to NATO allies allowing Ukraine to use their arms to attack Russian territory.

Putin also reaffirmed Moscow’s readiness to use nuclear weapons if it sees a threat to its sovereignty.

American arms to be used for the limited purpose of defending Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city. The official was not authorized to comment publicly on the sensitive matter and spoke on condition of anonymity.

nal are clearly spelled out in Moscow’s security doctrine.

“For some reason, they believe in the West that Russia will never use it,” he said.

By CHRIS MEGERIAN and ZEKE MILLER Associated Press

PARIS (AP) — U.S.

President Joe Biden on Friday for the first time publicly apologized to Ukraine for a monthslong congressional holdup in American military assistance that let Russia make gains on the battlefield.

Biden met in Paris with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who appealed for bipartisan U.S. support going forward “like it was during World War II.”

A day earlier, the two had attended cer emonies marking the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Nor mandy, where Biden had drawn common cause between the al lied forces that helped free Europe from Nazi Germany and today’s ef fort to support Ukraine against Russia’s inva sion and Zelenskyy had been greeted with a rapt ovation.

“I apologize for those weeks of not knowing what’s going to happen in terms of funding,” Biden said, referring to the six-month holdup by conservative Repub licans in Congress to a $61 billion military aid package for Ukraine. Still, the Democrat ic president insisted that the American peo ple were standing by Ukraine for the long haul. “We’re still in. Completely. Thorough ly,” he said.

The apology — and Zelenskyy’s plea for rock-solid support akin to the allied coalition in WWII — served as a reminder that for all of Biden’s talk of an unflagging U.S com mitment to Ukraine, recalcitrance among congressional Republi cans and an isolationist strain in American politics have exposed its fragility. And, although unremarked upon, the specter of Donald Trump’s candidacy loomed over the discussion, as the Republican former president and the presumptive nominee has spoken positively of Russian President Vladimir Putin and sparked Ukrainian concerns that he would call for it to cede territory to end the conflict.

that in this unity, United States of America, all American people stay with Ukraine like it was during World War II,” Zelenskyy said.

“How the United States helped to save human lives, to save Europe. And we count on your continuing support in standing with us shoulder to shoulder.”

The United States is by far Kyiv’s biggest supplier of wartime support, and Ukraine is trying to fend off an intense Russian offensive in eastern areas of the country. The push is focused on the Ukrainian

The offensive is seeking to exploit Kyiv’s shortages of ammunition and troops along the roughly 620-mile front line.

The slow pace of delivery of pledged Western weaponry has long frustrated Zelenskyy, as has Biden’s hesitation over supplying more hardware for fear of provoking Russian President Vladimir Putin. That has caused tension in their relationship.

The U.S. will send about $225 million in military aid to Ukraine, Biden announced Friday. The latest package

The recent actions by the West will further undermine international security and could lead to “very serious problems,” he said, taking questions from international journalists — something that has become extremely rare since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine.

“That would mark their direct involvement in the war against the Russian Federation, and we reserve the right to act the same way,” Putin added.

The United States and Germany recently authorized Ukraine to hit some targets on Russian soil with the long-range weapons they are supplying to Kyiv.

On Wednesday, a Western official and a U.S. senator said Ukraine has used U.S. weapons to strike inside Russia under newly approved guidance from President Joe Biden that allows

Putin claimed that using some Western-supplied weapons involves military personnel of those countries controlling the missiles and selecting targets, and therefore he said Moscow could take “asymmetrical” steps elsewhere in the world. The U.S. military said it does not control the missiles it provides to Ukraine or the targets.

“If they consider it possible to deliver such weapons to the combat zone to launch strikes on our territory and create problems for us, why don’t we have the right to supply weapons of the same type to some regions of the world where they can be used to launch strikes on sensitive facilities of the countries that do it to Russia?” he said.

“We will think about it,” he told the journalists on the sidelines of the annual St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

Asked whether Russia could resort to using nuclear arms, Putin said the conditions for utilizing that arse-

“Look at what is written there,” he said of Russia’s nuclear doctrine. “If somebody’s actions threaten our sovereignty and territorial integrity, we consider it possible to use all means at our disposal.”

Even Russia’s battlefield nuclear weapons are much more powerful than what the U.S. used against Japan in World War II, Putin said.

Asked by the AP about the case of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, Putin said the U.S. is “taking energetic steps” to secure his release. Gershkovich was jailed over a year ago while on a reporting trip and charged with espionage. The journalist, his employer and the U.S. have denied the allegations, and Washington has declared him to be wrongfully detained.

Putin said that any such releases “aren’t decided via mass media” but through a “discreet, calm and professional approach.”

“And they certainly should be decided only on the basis of reciprocity,” he added, an allusion to a potential prisoner swap.

Zelenskyy pressed for all Americans to support his country’s defense against Russia’s invasion, and he thanked lawmakers for eventually coming together to approve the weapons package, which has allowed Ukraine to stem Russian advances in recent weeks.

“It’s very important

President Joe Biden shakes hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Paris, Friday, June 7, 2024. (AP PHOTO/EVAN VUCCI)

Sports Daily B

Scare sends KC player to hospital

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs backup B.J. Thompson was taken to a hospital in stable condition Thursday after the defensive lineman experienced a cardiac event during a team meeting, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.

The person, speaking to the AP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the event, said team trainers and medical staff were able to react quickly and treat Thompson until paramedics arrived.

The Chiefs planned to wrap up their voluntary offseason workouts on Thursday, but a team spokesman said the practice would be pushed to Friday. That is when Chiefs coach Andy Reid and other players will speak to reporters.

The 27-year-old Thompson was a fifth-round pick of the Chiefs out of Stephen F. Austin in last year’s draft. The only game Thompson appeared in was their regular-season finale against the Los Angeles Chargers. Thompson had two tackles in that game.

Saturday, June 8, 2024

Rain relents, summer ball season opens

After rainy weather washed out play earlier in the week, the 2024 summer ball season got underway Thursday at Riverside Park. Among the participants are, clockwise from uppper left, Gracelynn Yoder of Allen County Regional Hospital in Jr. Ponytal League action; Hayes Chester of Sonic Drive-In in a Jr. Bitty Ball League game; Maicy Winner of Nelson Quarries’ Jr. Ponytail League team; and Braxten Thompson of American Family Insurance in Jr. Bitty Ball League play. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN

Results from Thursday’s

Iola Recreation Department action:

Jr. Bitty Ball

American Family Insurance 12, Sonic Drive-In 5. Hits for American Family: Vincent Ramirez, 3 s; Arlo Franklin, 4 s; Hoyt George, 3 s; Braxten Thompson, 2 s; Jakobi Morton, 3 s; Hudson Ellis, 2 s; Nolan Hutton, 2 s. Hits for Sonic: Camden Lisher, 3 s; Nicholas Adamson,3 s; Lucas Neely, 2 s; Ty Carpenter, 2 s; Wesson Buck, 2 s; Russell Unruh, 2 s; Titus Klaassen, s. Manbeck Law 10, A&W 5. Hits for Manbeck: Kaleb Vega, 3 s; Byron Franklin, 3 s; Ryler Chapman, 3 s; Dax Hufferd, 3 s; Mason Cook, 2 s; Royce Mathis, 2 s; Ben Cromer, s; Winston Chapman, 2 s. Hits for A&W: Max Stinnett, s; Victor Sigg, 2 s; Trey Kratzberg, s; River Kinzle, 2 s; Elias Jackson, 2 s; Hank Stinnett, s; Adrian Jackson, 2 s; Liam Richards, 2 s; Isaiah Richards, 2 s; Jaxxen Oakman, s.

Jr. Ponytail

Nelson Quarries 8, Allen County Regional Hospital 2. Hits for Nelson Quarries: Chloey Boan, 2,

Aubree Stewart, 2; Maicy Winner, 2; Aaliyah Rhodes, 1; Bryn Wilson, 1; Kyleigh Chapman-Burris, 1; Kinzley Fountain, 2 ; Jazmyn Potter, 1; Ember Friend, 1; Wren Clift, s. Hits for ACRH: Leanna Flory, 2 s; Gracelynn Yoder, s; Blayke Folk, 2 s; Sophia Doty, s; Nebby Burris, s. Dairy Queen 7, Allen County Regional Hospital 6. Hits for Dairy Queen: Kashyn Curry, 3 ; Hannah Thompson 2; Abigail Boeken,

Iola Seahorses host Chanute, Humboldt

Iola’s swim team hosted squads from Chanute and Humboldt to open the 2024 season under spectacular weather conditions.

Iola’s and Humboldt’s results follow:

Girls 6 and under 25-yd backstroke — 4. Marin Coffield, 58.11; 6. Nellie Sigg, 1:14.23; 8. Charlee Granere, 1:20.31; 9. Jewell Chapman, 1:23.40 25-yd freestyle — 1. Sigg, 42.67; 4. Coffield, 1:03.72; 5. Chapman, 1:10.66; 10. Granere, 1:48.99

Boys 6 and under 25-yd backstroke — 1. Royce Mathis, 1:20.68

Girls 7-8 25-yd backstroke — 4. Emersyn Higginbotham, 29.69; 9. Pexleigh Lowell, 45.77; 10. Jol-

Mariah Mathis of the Iola Seahorses competes in a freestyle race at the swim team’s opening meet of the year Wednesday at Iola’s Riverside Park. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN ee Westervelt, 45.82 25-yd freestyle — 4. Higginbotham, 25.98; 9. Westervelt, 38.78; 12. Lowell, 47.43

Boys 7-8 25-yd butterfly — 4. Brigham Smith, 33.65; 5. Cohen Sigg, 33.86; 7. Gavin Granere, 54.90 25-yd backstroke — 3. Smith,

31.37; 5. Daxton Beecher, 40.66; 7. Gavin Granere, 41.83

25-yd breaststroke — 1. Smith, 34.69; 3. Fisher Frazell, 36.62; 4. Sigg, 36.64

25-yd freestyle — 3. Smith, 25.96; 6. Sigg, 28.29; 7. Frazell, 29.02; 9. Beecher, 39.83; 10. Granere, 41.64

Mixed 7-8 years

100-yd freestyle relay — 2. Iola (Fisher Frazell, Cohen Sigg, Emersyn Higginbotham, Brigham Smith), 1:54.27; 5. Iola (Daxton Beecher, Pexleigh Lowell, Jolee Westervelt, Gavin Grnere), 2:52.44

Girls 9-10

25-yd backstroke — 3. Wren Clift, 22.22; 5. Raina Borjas, 24.85; 6. Luuly Tran, 25.03; 11. Ellisyn Kent, 35.13 25-yd breaststroke — 3. Clift, 25.78; 4. Tran, 27.07; 5. Borjas, 31.38; 13. Kent, 41.68 25-yd freestyle — 2. Clift, 18.92; 4. Tran, 22.63; 6. Borjas, 29.30; 13. Kent, 29.10

3; Cora

Boren, 2; Chloe Boan, 1. Hits for ACRH: Leanna Flory, 1; Gracelynn Yoder, 1; Kiptyn Barnett, 1; Rylee West, 1; Blayke Folk, 1; Sophia Doty, 1; Nebby Burris, 1; Kahdrien Boeken, 1; Payton Holt, 1.

B.J. Thompson, left, at a 2023 Kansas City Chiefs training camp session. TNS

Swim team: Iola hosts Chanute, Humboldt in opener

Continued from B1

Boys 9-10

25-yd butterfly — 3. Liam Ilimaleota, 26.38; 5. Easton Higginbotham, 33.71

25-yd breaststroke — 1. Ilimaleota, 23.73; 7. Cooper Cook, 39.20; 8. Higginbotham, 39.95; 9. Remy Jernigan, 43.26

25-yd freestyle — 3. Ilimaleota, 18.88; 6. Higginbotham, 22.55; 7. Cook, 23.58; 10. John Nickolson, 26.87; 12. Jernigan, 40.01

Mixed 9-10

100-yd medley relay — 2. Iola (Easton Higginbotham, Liam Iliamaleota, Wren Clift, Raina Borjas), 1:42.00

100-yd freestyle relay — 1. Iola (Higginbotham, Borjas, Clift, Ilimaleota), 45.43; 4. Iola (John Nickolson, Luuly Tran, Cooper Cook, Ellisyn Kent), 1;41.88

Girls 10 and under 50-yd freestyle —2. Wren Clift, 41.65; 6. Raina Borjas, 51.26; 8. Ellisyn Kent, 1:05.14; 10. Emersyn Higginbotham, 1:15.09; 11. Jolee Westervelt, 1:34.18

100-yd individual medley — 2. Clift, 1:55.10; 6. Borjas, 2:20.91

Boys 10 and under 50-yd freestyle — 3. Liam Ilimaleota, 42.73; 5. Easton Higginbotham, 450.48; 7. Cooper Coo,, 54.74; 8. Brigham Smith, 1:02.69; 9. Cohen Sigg, 1:08.86; 10. Fisher Frazell, 1:10.34; 11. Daxton Beecher, 1:28.39

100-yd individual medley — 1. Ilimaleota, 1:49.83; 4. Smith, 2:46.03

Girls 11-12

100-yd freestyle — 1. Mariah Mathis, 1:33.40; 2. Anna Klubek, 1:50.39

50-yd butterfly — 1. Ember Friend, 51.14; 2. Klubek, 55.92; 3. Mathis, 55.93; 4. Helena Morrison, 1:06.65

50-yard backstroke — 1.

Mathis, 45.14; 2. Klubek, 56.41

50-yd breaststroke — 1. Mathis, 48.13; 2. Morrison, 54.05; 3. Elliot Sigg, 1:01.55; 4. Klubek, 1:04.75

50-yd freestyle — 1. Morrison, 21.46; 2. Mathis, 41.52; 4. Friend, 47.77; 5. Sigg, 50.79; 6. Klubek, 51.24; 7. Seattle Nagy, 1:05.76

100-yd individual medley — 1. Morrison, 1:01.04; 2. Mathis, 1:54.03; 4. Klubek, 2:16.31

Boys 11-12

50-yd butterfly — 3. Lee Wanker, 52.40

Boys 13-14

50-yd backstroke — 4. Michael Hancock, 51.51; 7. Wanker, 54.25; 11. Jyler Granere, 1;26.04

50-yd breaststroke — 5. Hancock, 57.67; 7. Wanker, 1:05.05

50-yd freestyle — 4. Hancock, 39.50; 7. Wanker, 41.19; 12. Wilder Schooler, 1:02.81; 13. Granere, 1:13.95

100-yd individual medley — 4. Wanker, 1:59.93

Mixed 11-12

200-yd freestyle relay — 2. Iola (Anna Klubek, Lee Wanker, Mariah Mathis,

Michael Hancock), 2:52.17; 4. Iola (Seattle Nagy, Ember Friend, Jyler Granere, Elliot Sigg), 4:05.35

Girls 13-14

50-yd butterfly — 5. Evie Schooler, 1:05.79

50-yd backstroke — 4. Isabelle Chapman, 53.13; 6. Schooler, 1:08.11

50-yd breaststroke — 3. Chapman, 53.77; 6. Schooler, 1:14.73

50-yd freestyle — 4. Chapman, 41.06; 6. Schooler, 1:00.69

50-yd backstroke — 5. Adam Klubek, 59.10

50-yd freestyle — 5. Klubek, 37.68

100-yd individual medley — 5. Klubek, 1:53.67

Boys 15-18

50-yd breaststroke — 5. Toby Veal-Jernigan, 50.90

50-yd freestyle — 6. Veal-Jernigan, 34.93

Mixed 15-18

200-yd medley relay — 4. Iola (Isabelle Chapman, Evie Schooler, Toby VealJernigan, Adam Klubek), 3:12.17

200-yd freestyle relay — 2. Iola (Chapman, Klubek, Schooler, VealJernigan), 2:51.99

Humboldt Swim Team

Girls 6 and under 25-yd butterfly — 1. Carter Mitchell, 1:30.62

25-yd backstroke — 1. C. Mitchell, 35.89; 3. Parker Mitchell, 51.27; 11. Trudy Francis, 1:27.46

25-yd breaststroke — 1. C. Mitchell, 58.23; 2. P. Mitchell, 58.27

25-yd freestyle — 2. C. Mitchell, 45.13; 7. P. Mitchell, 1:17.22

Boys 6 and under 25-yd breaststroke — 1. Ryker Barnhart, 1:23.36

25-yd freestyle — 1. Barnhart, 1:05.61

Girls 7-8

25-yd backstroke — 11. Suttyn Hillmon, 46.12; 13. Wren Schultz, 57.88

Barnhart, 42.63

25-yd freestyle — 4. Barnhart, 26.41

Girls 9-10

25 yd butterfly — 4. Aubree Trim, 28.20; 7. Sofia Schomaker, 36.69

25-yd backstroke — 8. Schomaker, 29.16; 9. Stella Walls, 30..09; 13. Trim, 35.73; 15. Fitzmaurice, 45.14

25-yd breaststroke — 7. Trim, 33.07; 12. Schomaker, 39.65

25-yd freestyle — 9. Trim, 27.02; 11. Walls, 27.96; 14. Schomaker, 34.14

Boys 9-10

25-yd butterfly — 6. Ryker Roach, 36.77

25-yd backstroke — 10. Roach, 31.16

Mixed 9-10

100-yd freestyle relay — 5. Humboldt (Ryker Roach, Aubree Trim, Sofia Schomaker, Stella Ward), 1:49.72

Girls 13-14

50-yd butterfly — 1. Adalyn Hillmon, 26.06

Girls 15-18

50-yd butterfly — 4. Ricklyn Hillmon, 36.21

50-yd backstroke — 4. Hillmon, 39.18

40-yd breaststroke — 4. Hillmon, 41.12

50-yd freestyle — 4. Hillmon, 30.73

100-yd individual medley — 4. Hillmon, 1:27.08

25-yd breaststroke — 10. Roach, 48.54 25-yd freestyle — 9. Roach, 26.72

25-yd breaststroke — 5. Hillmon, 42.71; 6. Schultz, 49.82; 25-yd freestyle — 10. Schultz, 40.20; 11. Hillmon, 45.49

Boys 7-8

25-yd butterfly — 3. Korben Barnhart, 30.99

25-yd backstroke — 4. Barnhart, 39.40

25-yd breaststroke — 8.

Wren Clift of the Iola swim team competes in the Seahorses’ season-opening meet Wednesday at Iola’s Riverside Park. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN

Among those competing at a swim meet in Iola are, above from left, Carter Mitchell of the Humboldt swim team, and Iola Seahorses swimmer Gavin Granere.

Above, Iola’s Brigham Smith awaits the start of a race at a swim meet Wednesday at Riverside Park. Below, Iola’s Helena Morrison competes in the butterfly.

Celtics rout Dallas for 1-0 NBA Finals lead

BOSTON (AP) — Kristaps Porzingis didn’t want to make predictions about how his body would respond heading into the NBA Finals after he spent more than a month on the sideline with a calf injury.

Just fine, it turned out.

Jaylen Brown scored 22 points, Porzingis made an immediate impact off the bench and added 20 and the Boston Celtics powered past the Dallas Mavericks 107-89 on Thursday night in Game 1.

Derrick White finished with 15 points for Boston, which led by 29 points in the first half and connected on 16 3-pointers in a powerful start to its quest for an 18th NBA title.

Porzingis, a 7-footer who had been sidelined since April 29, added six rebounds and three blocks in 21 minutes.

“Tonight was affirmation to myself that I’m pretty good,” Porzingis said. “I’m not perfect but I can play like this and I can add to this team.”

The last Celtics player to enter the court for pregame warmups, he said he received a jolt of energy from a home crowd, which erupted when he emerged from the tunnel.

“The adrenaline was pumping through my veins,” Porzingis said.

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla wasn’t concerned about the layoff affecting Porzingis’ aggressiveness.

“That’s the KP that helped us get to where we are today,” Mazzulla said. “It doesn’t matter how long the guy is

off, he’s going to make plays.”

All-Star Jayson Tatum finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Six players scored in double figures for the Celtics, who host Game 2 on Sunday.

“Getting back to this point and being here is really a big deal,” Tatum said. “But two years ago we won the first game and we know the outcome of that series. We still have a lot of work to do.”

Dallas cut the deficit to eight points in the third quarter, but Boston answered with a 14-0 run to quickly pull away again.

“That’s when the game started,” Brown said.

Luka Doncic led Dal-

las with 30 points. P.J. Washington added 14 points and eight rebounds. But Dallas couldn’t find offensive consistency beyond that, totaling just nine assists on its 35 field goals for the game. The Mavericks didn’t score 25 points in any quarter.

Doncic said the lopsided loss wouldn’t diminish the spirit of a team that lost the opening game in three of four series this postseason.

“Either you lose or you win,” Doncic said. “First to four, we’ve got to focus on the next game.”

Former Celtic Kyrie Irving struggled throughout, finishing with 12 points. He received a loud and extended

Tyson, Jake Paul fight rescheduled

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Mike Tyson’s fight with Jake Paul is now set for Nov. 15 after the former world heavyweight champion fell ill on a flight last month.

The fight was originally set for July 20 in Arlington, Texas, home to the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, and will be aired on Netflix.

Tyson became nauseous and dizzy during the final hour of a flight from Miami to Los Angeles. His plane was met by first responders, while Tyson’s camp attributed the episode to an ulcer problem and said he would need to do light training for several

weeks.

Tyson turns 58 on June 30.

“Although we had to postpone the fight, I will resume training shortly. I am thankful to the medical staff that treated me and to MVP, Netflix, and AT&T Stadium for working diligently to find the best reschedule date for all parties,” Tyson said in a statement released by Netflix. “While we have a new date, the result will be the same no matter when we fight. Jake Paul is getting knocked out.”

The fight was originally slated for a Saturday, but will be held on a Friday as the Cowboys prepare to host the Houston Texans

on Nov. 18 for Monday Night Football.

“Our team has worked diligently with all parties involved to reschedule this monumental fight to a date that ensures both Jake Paul and Mike Tyson are fully prepared, with equal training time, as well as allowing us to keep the event at AT&T stadium in the midst of the Cowboys season,” said Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions.

Tyson hasn’t fought professionally since June 2005, but he has been training regularly for several years. He fought Roy Jones Jr. in an entertaining exhibition in Los Angeles in November 2020.

chorus of boos Thursday when he was introduced before the game. It continued throughout the game whenever he touched the ball.

The treatment came after Irving sparred with Boston fans and was fined for using an obscene gesture during a 2022 playoff visit to TD Garden.

“I thought it was going to be a little louder in here. I’m expecting the same thing (in Game 2). The crowd’s trying to get me out of my element,” Irving said. “It’s not the first time I’ve lost in Boston. I don’t want to make it a habit.”

The Celtics, seeking their first championship since 2008, showed little rust from their 10-day layoff after sweeping the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern

Conference finals.

They flowed with energy throughout, sharing the ball in the halfcourt and getting the ball to shooters for open 3s. They also attacked the interior of the Dallas defense and got to the rim for several dunks.

Meanwhile, apart from Doncic, who shot 12 of 26 from the field, Dallas struggled early to get into its sets and couldn’t find a consistent groove offensively.

The Mavericks led by one midway through the first quarter. The Celtics responded by outscoring them 44-16 to make it 58-29 in the second.

Things changed over the next 12 minutes of game action when Dallas used a 35-14 run, including 15 points by Doncic, to cut Bos-

ton’s lead to 72-64. But the Celtics were back up 86-66 entering the fourth.

Dallas had just five assists through the first three quarters, the fewest any NBA team has had through 36 minutes in any game in the last three seasons.

“We’ve got to move the ball,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. “The ball got stuck too much.”

Porzingis ended his 10-game hiatus when he came off the bench with 7:17 left in the first quarter in place of starter Al Horford. With the exception of a white compression sleeve on his right leg, it was hard to tell Porzingis was coming off an injury.

He got into the mix quickly, knocking down a pair of free throws after being fouled by Doncic. A possession later, the Latvian connected in his first field goal when he dropped on a short jumper over Doncic.

He wasn’t done. Minutes later he got loose in the paint for a two-handed dunk over Derrick Lively. On Dallas’ next possession, Porzingis was there to swat away Jaden Hardy’s layup attempt. The Celtics pushed the ball up the court and got the ball back to their big man, who calmly buried a 16-footer.

It was part of a 17-5 surge by Boston over the final 5:24 of the quarter that saw Porzingis go 4 for 5 from the field, score 11 points, block two shots and grab three rebounds. Boston carried a 37-20 lead into the second quarter. Porzingis finished the half with 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting.

using body bars and resistance bands. This low-intensity muscle-strengthening workout will focus heavily on building strong core muscles and can promote flexibility, mobility, and posture.

YOGA TUESDAY 6:00 P.M. Our yoga class is a mix between the slow-paced style of yin restorative yoga and vinyasa flow yoga. This yoga class synchronizes your breath with each pose and lets fresh oxygen rejuvenate the muscles.

SUMMER BURN

TUESDAY & THURSDAY 8:00 A.M.

This 30-40-minute outdoor class will focus on functional fitness incorporating multi-plane, multi-joint, and multi-muscle movements which means high fat-burning as well as better all-around fitness.

RUMBLE: PUNCHES, KICKS & STICKS

WEDNESDAY 5:30 P.M.

This authentic cardio mixed martial arts class is designed for group fitness fun. Using the RUMBLE stick, you’ll create a higher degree of training and is an extension of your body, which enhances spatial awareness and overall movement. No martial arts experience required.

HIIT CIRCUIT

THURSDAY 5:30 P.M.

A fast-paced class that will utilize stations with a variety of equipment and bodyweight exercises to work in intervals combining functional resistance and cardiovascular training to give you a full body workout.

HEALTHY FOR LIFE

MONDAY, WEDNESDAY & FRIDAY 9:30 A.M.

As you age, it is more important than ever to stay active. In this 40–45-minute class, we’ll focus on strength, cardiovascular endurance, balance, and coordination for a total body

SIT AND BE FIT

MONDAY,

The Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum (0) reacts as he dunks the ball against the Dallas Mavericks’ Maxi Kleber (42) during the second quarter in Game 1 of the NBA Finals at TD Garden on Thursday in Boston.

GETTY IMAGES/MADDIE MEYER/TNS

PAPERS AVAILABLE at the Iola Register Office. $3 per bundle.

Will buy copies of The Annals of Iola and Allen County, 1868-1945, Vols. 1 and 2. Call the Iola Register, 620-365-2111 or email susan@iolaregister. com

HR Generalist

The Monarch Cement Company in Humboldt, KS has an opening for a HR Generalist in the Corporate HR Department.

The HR Generalist performs human resource related duties at the professional level and will carry out responsibilities in some or all the following related functional areas: employee relations, training, employment, labor relations, a rmative action, and employment equity programs. The position requires candidates to have a bachelor’s degree in human resources or a related eld, one or two years of related experience, or a combination that will allow successful performance and completion of the duties required for the position. HR certi cation is preferred.

The position also requires a high level of con dentiality, pro ciency in a variety of computer software attention to detail, ability to work as part of a team and excellent communication skills. The position is open until lled. Salary is DOQ and some travel is required.

Please mail or deliver cover letter, application and resumé to: Corporate HR Department, The Monarch Cement Company, PO Box 1000, Humboldt, KS 66748 Or email cover letter, application and resumé to: hr.dept@monarchcement.com

Applications and other necessary documents can be found a monarchcement.com. Previous applicants should complete new application.

The Monarch Cement Company is an EOE. We encourage quali ed minority, female, veteran and disabled candidates to apply and be considered for open positions. First round of review will be on June 24, 2024.

Yesterday’s Cryptoquote: I

PARIS (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz reached his first French Open final by beating Jannik Sinner 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 on Friday, making the 21-year-old from Spain the youngest man to reach a Grand Slam title match on three surfaces.

Alcaraz won the U.S. Open in 2022 on hard courts, Wimbledon in 2023 on grass and now will play for the championship on the red clay at Roland Garros. The No. 3-seeded Alcaraz will face Alexander Zverev or Casper Ruud in Sunday’s final. It is the first men’s title match at the French Open since 2004 without any of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic or Roger Federer. Djokovic was the defending champion in Paris, but withdrew be-

fore the quarterfinals after tearing the meniscus in his right knee and had surgery this week. Because he failed to get back to the final, he will drop from atop the ATP rankings, allowing Sinner to rise a spot from No. 2, despite his defeat on Friday.

Sinner entered the semifinals with a 13-0 record in Grand Slam play in 2024 after winning the Australian Open in January. But the 22-year-old Italian also showed up in Paris with a lingering hip injury that forced him to sit out the clay-court tournament in Rome last month.

No. 4 Zverev of Germany and No. 7 Ruud of Norway were scheduled to meet in the second semifinal Friday. Zverev’s domestic abuse case in Berlin

ended earlier in the day, when he reached an out-of-court settlement with his accuser, a former girlfriend. Both he and Ruud are trying to win a first Grand Slam title. Zverev was the runner-up at the 2020 U.S. Open and lost in the French Open semifinals each of the past three years. Ruud is a third-time finalist at majors, including losing in Paris to Nadal in 2022 and to Djokovic in 2023. Against Sinner, Alcaraz kept falling behind and kept turning things around. Before dealing with some physical issues that required multiple visits from a trainer, Sinner led by a break and a set at 2-0 in the second. Alcaraz then took five games in a row and evened things.

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Today in sports history

June 8

2002 — British-Canadian Lennox Lewis retains boxing’s WBC Heavyweight title with eighth-round knockout of American Mike Tyson.

22008 — Rafael Nadal wins his fourth consecutive French Open title in a rout, again spoiling Roger Federer’s bid to complete a career Grand Slam. Dominating the

world’s No. 1 player with astounding ease, Nadal wins in three sets, 6-1, 6-3, 6-0. 2012 — I’ll Have

Another’s bid for the first Triple Crown in 34 years ends shockingly in the barn and not on the racetrack when the colt is scratched the day before the Belmont Stakes and retires from racing with a swollen tendon.

Theatre/Communication

Mitchell

Minimum

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Yankees slugger ailing

NEW YORK (AP) —

Yankees slugger Juan Soto was removed from Thursday night’s game against the Minnesota Twins with left forearm discomfort.

Soto will undergo imaging Friday. New York manager Aaron Boone said it’s too early to tell if the right fielder will need to miss time.

“I don’t know what it's going to show,” Soto said. “Just woke up one day, felt the tightness and discomfort in my forearm and we’ve been working on it and we’ve been trying to get away with it, and it hasn’t (gone away).”

Soto was lifted to start the top of the sixth inning when play resumed following a 56-minute rain delay. Aaron Judge moved from left field to Soto’s spot in right, and Alex Verdugo came off the bench to play left.

“Once we shut it down with the rain delay, that soreness was there so just kind of didn't feel like it was the right thing to go back out there,” Boone said. “Hoping that we’re just being cautious here, you know, on a long night with a delay. ... Just decided to play it safe.”

After the Yankees won 8-5 for their season-high eighth straight victory, Soto said his forearm has been bothering him for about 1 1/2 or two weeks.

“Kind of just been grinding through it,” he said. “It’s kind of funny. It doesn't hurt when I throw, or hitting, i’s more like soreness that I feel any kind of move that I make with my arm. But it definitely doesn’t stop me from anything baseball-wise.”

Soto, who throws and bats left-handed, was 0 for 1 with two walks. He has started all 64 games in his first season with New York after being acquired from the San Diego Padres in a blockbuster trade last December.

ZITS by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

BEETLE BAILEY by Mort Walker

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE by Chris Browne

BLONDIE by Young and Drake

MUTTS by Patrick McDonell

MARVIN by Tom Armstrong HI AND LOIS

by Chance Browne

NFL teams gear up for kickoff rules changes

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs are considering the possibility of safety Justin Reid handling some kickoffs.

The Dallas Cowboys are hoping tiny return man KaVontae Turpin might finally break a big one two years after he basically made the team doing exactly that in the preseason.

Mostly, coaches and players in the NFL are wondering what they’re getting into with radical changes to the kickoff rule.

It’s no longer a “ dead, ceremonial play,” as league executive and former player Troy Vincent so flatly described it late last season, about three months before owners voted to change a rule that had been adopted in the name of safety, by reducing highspeed collisions.

The NFL is bringing the kickoff back to life, starting with teams investing time in offseason workouts — with plans for plenty more in training camps — into something that had become a pointless exercise.

“I haven’t (planned) training camp practices yet, but every day we’re going to be working either kickoff or kickoff return,” Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub said. “You still have to work punt, punt return and everything. I don’t need more time. I just need to change the schedule a little bit.”

There’s a lot to digest with changes that have their roots in the spring football leagues, with the NFL adding some of its own twists while wanting to ensure there wasn’t an increase in injuries.

HERE’S AN easy place to start: Most players can’t move while the kick is in the air.

“I think everyone that sees it for the first time, it’s really strange because you see the kickoff and I’m standing right here and, it’s like you’re in space. You never see that happen without everyone moving,” San Francisco special teams coordinator Brian Schneider said.

“And so, it’s really like the

MLB standings

Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker (7) converts a 24yard field goal in the fourth quarter against the San Francisco 49ers during Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium on Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. GETTY IMAGES/JAMIE SQUIRE/TNS

music went off and everything, I was like in the ‘Twilight Zone’ and then when it happens, it’s just, it’s really fast.”

The standard kickoff is from the 35-yard line with the 10 coverage players lined up at the opposing 40. The return team has at least nine blockers lined up in a “set up zone” between their 30 and 35.

Two returners are inside the 20, and they’re the only ones besides the kicker who can move until either they catch the ball or it hits the ground. That’s when the coverage players and blockers converge.

The rule tries to build incentive for teams not to blast the ball into or beyond the end zone by moving touchbacks to the 30 from the 25.

The Chiefs would consider Reid for kickoffs on the theory that an extra tackler is needed, rather than a kicker with a usually slender build that would be considered a liability.

While it’s likely traditional kick return guys — think diminutive, shifty and speedy — would still have a role, there is a question of whether prototypical run-

(Woods Richardson

at Pittsburgh (TBD), 3:05 p.m. San Francisco (TBD) at Texas (Heaney 2-6), 3:05 p.m.

Atlanta (Morton 3-2) at Washington (Gore 4-5), 3:05 p.m.

Toronto (Gausman 4-4) at Oakland (Medina 0-0), 3:07 p.m.

Baltimore (Rodriguez 6-2) at Tampa Bay (Bradley 1-3), 3:10 p.m. Boston (Bello 6-2) at Chicago

White Sox (Nastrini 0-5), 3:10

ning backs could be useful.

“There’s a lot of people speculating it’s going to be more like an offensive or defensive outside zone running play,” said Cowboys special teams coordinator John Fassel, one of the strong advocates for change. “I still feel like it’s a kickoff return play.”

Teams are adding players to their 90-man rosters for the offseason and training camp with the new kickoff rule in mind.

And there have been some wild suggestions, such as Pittsburgh running back Jaylen Warren saying on a teammate Cam Heyward’s podcast that the Steelers were considering using newly acquired quarterback Justin Fields as a return man.

Fields pretty much shot down that idea, but the point is, a lot of personnel considerations will be in play.

It’s worth noting that kicking teams are likely to work on bouncing the ball to the returners because it could give their coverage players a little bit of a head start before the returner gains possession.

“It’s all about the ball,” Schneider said. “So, is it go-

p.m.

Seattle (Castillo 5-6) at Kansas

City (Marsh 4-3), 3:10 p.m.

Chicago Cubs (Brown 1-2) at Cincinnati (Abbott 4-5), 3:10 p.m.

Milwaukee (Peralta 4-3) at Detroit (Mize 1-3), 3:10 p.m.

Colorado (Feltner 1-5) at St.

Louis (Gibson 4-2), 3:15 p.m.

L.A. Dodgers (Stone 6-2) at N.Y. Yankees (Cortes 3-4), 6:35 p.m.

Arizona (Nelson 3-4) at San Diego (Waldron 3-5), 7:40 p.m.

ing to be like a shortstop? What type of fielding balls are you going to get? And then what type of runners are there? Is it going to be better to have a bigger back where you can break through the arm tackles? Is it going to be a quicker guy?”

With touchbacks placed at the 25, about 22% of kickoffs were returned last season, Fassel said while adding the hope is to get that number above 50%.

As for Fassel’s own guy, Turpin had just 10 kickoff returns in 2023, after 21 as a rookie. Turpin had the freedom to return any kick as long as it wasn’t deeper than 6 yards into the end zone. It didn’t help.

“I’m very hopeful with this new rule just because now, it’s going to be harder to kick it away from me,” said Turpin, who returned a punt and a kickoff for touchdowns in the same 2022 preseason game but doesn’t have one in the regular season. “It’s a better opportunity.” No matter what special

teams coaches try in minicamps, training camps and preseason games, the effect of the new rule isn’t like to take shape until the regular season. The rule is in place for this season and will be reviewed for 2025.

“There’s going to be a lot of chaos in the first four or five weeks of the season before everyone kind of gets a handle of what it is,” New York Jets coach Robert Saleh said. “I think you’re adding a game-changing element back to the game. So, it’s exciting to have it back in football.”

Not all coaches would choose “exciting.” But special teams ace C.J. Goodwin of the Cowboys would.

“It adds that excitement back to my livelihood,” Goodwin said. “You can’t just walk away and go to the concession stands at this time. You’ve got to stay because anything can happen.”

At the very least, the new rule has teams thinking about kickoffs in practice again.

Oklahoma Sooners make it a softball four-peat

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP)

— Patty Gasso’s Oklahoma Sooners have done it again. Oklahoma slugged its way to a record fourth straight NCAA softball title, getting a go-ahead, bases-clearing double from Cydney Sanders and beating Texas 8-4 on Thursday night for a twogame sweep of the Women’s College World Series championship.

The Sooners won their eighth title overall, all under coach Gasso, and moved into a tie with Arizona for the second-most World Series championships behind UCLA’s 12.

Jayda Coleman, Tiare Jennings, Kinzie Hansen, Rylie Boone and pitcher Nicole May were significant contributors to each of the Sooners’ past four championship teams.

“They’ve cemented this program in history,” Gasso said. “They’ve cemented themselves in history. History can change, but these guys will never, ever be forgotten.”

The Sooners felt the pres-

sure along the way.

“’Heavy is a head that wears the crown’ is the one thing that really stuck out,” Gasso said. “I heard someone say that. That really has felt true. It’s been exhausting. These players are exhausted, but they keep going.”

Kelly Maxwell, an Oklahoma State transfer, was named Most Outstanding Player. The graduate student went 3-0 with a save at the World Series, allowing seven earned runs in 27 innings. She was criticized for transferring to Oklahoma State’s biggest rival, but she feels it was worth it.

“I received a lot of hate, a lot of doubt,” Maxwell said. “But I’m just thankful for these girls and this team and this staff, just to pick me up and have my back.”

Second-seeded Oklahoma (59-7) scored eight runs in each of the two games against top-seeded Texas and pounded 21 hits total against a Longhorns team that came in having thrown three con-

secutive one-hit shutouts in the World Series.

“Congratulations to the University of Oklahoma on their fourth championship in a row,” Texas coach Mike White said. “It’s an incredible feat. We know how tough it is just to get here, let alone win four. It’s an amazing achievement.”

Kasidi Pickering hit a tworun homer in the second inning for the Sooners, and Ella Parker had a two-run single in the sixth that padded Oklahoma’s lead. Gasso used five pitchers, with Maxwell getting the last four outs for the save a day after her complete-game victory in Game 1.

Karlie Keeney got the start for Oklahoma, followed by Paytn Monticelli, Kierston Deal, May and Maxwell. Deal worked the fourth and was credited with the win.

Mac Morgan, who threw a one-hitter against Florida earlier in the World Series, started Game 2 against Oklahoma and gave up two runs

on five hits in two innings. Estelle Czech took the loss, allowing three runs on four hits in two innings.

TEXAS (55-10) still hasn’t won a national title. The Longhorns lost to the Sooners in the 2022 championship series. This year, Texas won the Big 12 regular-season title, but Oklahoma beat the Longhorns in the Big 12 tournament.

Both programs are leaving the Big 12 for the Southeastern Conference next season.

“Texas always makes us better,” Gasso said. “I think that we could both agree that we do that for each other. That’s how we get here. That’s why we’re looking at each other on the national championship stage.”

Freshman Kayden Henry had two hits for Texas and drove in the Longhorns’ first run.

A baserunning mistake by Texas’ Mia Scott ended the Longhorns’ chance of tying the game or taking the lead

in the sixth inning. Scott’s two-out, RBI infield single got Texas within 5-4 and advanced Ashton Maloney to third base, but Scott went too far rounding first. Oklahoma second baseman Avery Hodge flipped the ball to first baseman Sanders, who tagged Scott out before she could get back.

“It was huge,” Maxwell said. “I mean, they definitely had the momentum in that moment. ... I saw Mia Scott kind of come off the bag. I was just telling Avery, ‘Turn around, turn around, let’s get her, c’mon.’ She finally heard me. We got it done.”

Two innings earlier, Hodge’s fielding error allowed Texas to take a 3-2 lead. Texas could learn from the experience. White has a young team that he expects to return to the World Series.

“As I told the team, I want to be on the other side of the podium here one of the these days making that last speech more enjoyable than it is right now,” he said.

MRACING THIS WEEK

Cindric outduels (outfuels) Blaney

ADISON, Ill. – Surprise and elation were the watchwords for Team Penske driver Austin Cindric, who won Sunday’s Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway at the expense of teammate Ryan Blaney.

The race was Blaney’s to win—until the reigning Cup Series champ ran out of fuel on the next-to-last lap and handed the lead to his teammate. Cindric charged past Blaney at the finish line and completed the checkered-flag lap as Blaney rolled slowly to 24th-place result.

The victory was Cindric’s first since he won the 2022 DAYTONA 500 as a rookie, a dry spell that lasted 85 races. Nevertheless, Cindric expressed conflicting emotions after he climbed from his No. 2 Ford.

“This weekend was a great weekend for everybody involved,” Cindric said. “But, yeah, to have two cars in the fight, eventual 1-2. Heartbroken for those guys.

“This is huge for me. This is huge for this team. I’m so glad I was able to get a win with Brian (Wilson) as my crew chief in the Cup Series. You never know when it’s going to happen again. Just drove my butt off, hope for the best.”

All three Team Penske drivers— Cindric, Blaney and Joey Logano—made only three pit stops to at least four for all other competitors. They stayed out under caution for the Stage 2 break and restarted 1-2-3 on Lap 149.

After pitting early in the ensuing cycle (Blaney on Lap 176, Cindric on Lap 177 and Logano on Lap 179, Blaney gained a spot on Cindric and began working his way through the field, improving his position as cars ahead of him came to pit road.

On Lap 217, when Kyle Larson pitted, Blaney assumed the lead, but with the race’s fastest car—the No. 20 Toyota of Christopher Bell—in hot pursuit. Bell soon caught Blaney and pulled alongside several times before engine issues caused Bell to slow dramatically.

“I’m blowing up, I’m blowing up,” Bell radioed to his crew.

But Bell, who had won the first two stages, nursed his car to the finish with help from Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Martin Truex Jr. Three laps down and mired in 34th place, Truex repeatedly

Xfinity finish: Shane Van Gisbergen takes the checkered flag to win the Pacific Office Automation 147 at Portland International Saturday. M. Oliphant/Getty

(Logan Riely/Getty Images)

pushed Bell’s Camry in the closing laps.

Then it was Blaney’s turn to suffer game-changing misfortune.

“Never thought in my mind we were short,” Blaney said. “One of those things. Gosh, proud of the 12 boys. We were fast. Had my work cut out for me holding off Christopher. That was a fun battle. I don’t know what happened to him.

“Yeah, one lap short, which just stinks. Congrats to the 2 team. They did a good job all day. Props to them, Austin.

Proud for Team Penske and Ford.

“Really happy with our showing today. I don’t know what I’ve got to do to get some luck on our side. Gosh, wrecked the last two points races. Thought we had a great shot to win today. Ended up bad.”

Bell was fresh from victory in the rainshortened May 26 Coca-Cola 600 and had a car that was dominant from the outset. He passed pole winner Michael McDowell on Lap 41 to win Stage 1 and stayed on the track under caution for Josh Berry’s collision with the Turn 3 wall to win Stage 2. In the closing laps, it seemed inevitable that Bell would overtake Blaney, until Bell’s engine turned sour.

“I have no idea what happened,” said Bell, who rolled to a seventh-place finish. “Some sort of motor issue. I’m surprised that I made it to the end. Glad we were able to salvage something out of it.

“You don’t get race cars like that very often. Whenever you do, you need to take advantage of it. Disappointing day.”

Tyler Reddick finished fourth and Logano fifth, followed by Austin Dillon, Bell, Sunoco rookie Carson Hocevar (a career-best eighth), Justin Haley and Larson.

On Lap 140, the final circuit of Stage 2, Kyle Busch and Larson were battling in close quarters for the seventh position when Larson’s No. 5 Chevrolet broke loose underneath Busch’s No. 8 Camaro, sending both cars sliding into the outside

Sonoma (CA) Raceway

3:30 p.m. ET Sunday, FOX

• Located about one hour north of San Francisco on approximately 1,600 acres, the multi-use complex is the largest motorsports facility in Northern California and features a 2.52-mile road course and an NHRAsanctioned 1/4 mile drag strip.

• The raceway hosts the only NASCAR events held in the Northern California region. In addition to the major NASCAR races, the track hosts several professional racing series, including the NHRA Drag Racing Series, Ferrari Challenge, GT World Challenge America and much more.

• After a year of NASCAR removing stage break cautions from road courses, they will be bringing them back, potentially offering more hard racing (and excitement for fans).

TRACK RECORDS - NASCAR Most Wins: 5, Jeff Gordon Most Poles: 5, Jeff Gordon Most Top Fives: 14, Jeff Gordon Most Top 10s: 18, Jeff Gordon Most Lead Changes: 13; 2 times, recently 6/6/21 Fewest Lead Changes: 3, 6/11/23 Most Leaders: 10, 6/25/17 Fewest Leaders: 3, 6/11/23 Most Cautions: 9, 6/10/90 Fewest Cautions: 3, 6/11/89 Most Wins by a Manufacturer: 13, Chevrolet Closest Margin of Victory: 0.197 seconds, 6/27/99 Greatest Margin of Victory: 10.513

Thursday of every month

Austin Cindric, driver of the #2 Freightliner Ford, takes the checkered flag to win the Cup Series Enjoy Illinois 300 at WWT Raceway on Sunday.