The Iola Register, Nov. 26, 2022

Couple heals by hiking

By SUSAN LYNN The Iola Register

This is a story with a hap py ending. But as with any adventure, it presented chal lenges.

For the last seven years, Fred and Judy Works’ lives had been somewhat on hold.

The couple continue to work in Allen County, though they now call Manhattan home. Judy is a nurse practi tioner for Monarch Cement’s health clinic in Humboldt. Fred is an attorney.

Their troubles began when Fred began experiencing id iopathic pulmonary issues,

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See HIKE | Page

Europe scrambles to keep Ukraine warm

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Eu ropean officials are scram bling to help Ukraine stay warm and keep functioning through the bitter winter months, pledging Friday to send more support that will mitigate the Russian mili tary’s efforts to turn off the heat and lights.

Nine months after Russia invaded its neighbor, the Kremlin’s forces have ze roed in on Ukraine’s power grid and other critical civil ian infrastructure in a bid to

tighten the screw on Kyiv. Of ficials estimate that around 50% of Ukraine’s energy fa cilities have been damaged in the recent strikes.

France is sending 100 high-powered generators to Ukraine to help people get through the coming months, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said Fri day.

She said Russia is “weap onizing” winter and plung ing Ukraine’s civilian popu

Council to talk about economic development

By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register

Iola City Council mem bers will discuss plans to increase the city’s econom ic development investment at their meeting Monday.

When drafting Iola’s 2023 spending plan earlier this year, Council members increased the budget au thority to $50,000 annually to Thrive Allen County for economic development, up from $20,000.

City Administrator Matt Rehder noted Iola spends significantly less than many other similar-sized commu nities across the state.

“This increase in funding doesn’t necessarily get us to the funding level of the sur rounding cities and coun ties but is definitely a step in the right direction,” Reh

der wrote in his agenda notes to the Council. “This funding amount will allow our eco nomic development director more flexibility in pursuing training and potential leads in attracting improvements to the community.”

Other entities also pay ing Thrive for economic de velopment are Allen Coun ty, $30,000, Iola Industries, $20,000, and Humboldt, $17,000.

Council members also will discuss year-end bud get amendments for the city’s gas, electric, stores, sales tax, water and special highway funds — nearly all of which are tied to higher costs associated with energy and supplies.

Monday’s 6 p.m. meeting is at the New Community Building at Riverside Park and is open to the public.

Recent rains a boon to farmers, but fall forage crops went bust

By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register

Mother Nature finally re lented, with periodic rains breaking a monthslong dry spell for area farmers.

While it was enough to prompt area counties to end burn bans as dormant vegeta tion once again showed mea ger signs of life, ponds and waterways remain woefully low.

Still, Zach Louk sees signs of hope.

Soybean yields, while mod

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est, exceeded his dire expecta tions.

“The soybeans turned out way better than I think any body could imagine,” he said.

“For the soybeans to be any thing at all was just phenom enal, and goes to show the resilience of the newer genet ics.”

But the fall forage crops “are nothing less than a trag edy,” Louk continued. “It’s been very difficult. The price of hay, with input costs be ing so high, and diesel fuel so high, the replacement value

of the lost forage is through the roof.”

Recent rains have replen ished moisture soil levels where farmers can make due through the dry winter months, Louk predicted.

As a sales director for Green Cover Seed, Louk re mains a staunch proponent of no-till farming, with cash crops replenished with cover crops in the offseason.

Doing so will help stave off erosion, he continued.

“It’s inevitable, every win

Examples of cover crops. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN

Fred and Judy Works hike to Mount Everest’s base camp in Nepal. COURTESY PHOTO

Judy Works stops at Everest Base Camp, altitude 17,598 feet.

Obituaries

Betty Larney

Betty Jo Larney, age 79, of Iola, died Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022, at St. Luke’s North, Kansas City, Mo.

She was born Dec, 30, 1942, in Blue Mound, to John Fosdick and June (Tullis) Fosdick.

She married John Larney on July 25, 1970, in Iola. He preceded her in death.

Survivors include sons, Joshua Larney, Iola, and Jason Larney, Iola; four grandchildren, Zeph Lar ney, Micaiah Larney, Keaton Larney, Konner Lar ney; and other relatives.

A visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. on Monday in The Venue at Feuerborn Family Funeral Service, 1883 US Highway 54, Iola. A funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday in the chapel at Feuerborn Fam ily Funeral Service. Interment will be in Highland Cemetery, Iola.

Memorials are suggested to Allen County Animal Rescue Facility (ACARF), which may be left with Feuerborn Family Funeral Service.

Charles Seeley

Charles W. Seeley, 82, passed away Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022 at Allen County Regional Hospital with his son Carl by his side.

Charles was born to John W. Seeley and Thelma F. Daily Seeley on June 10, 1940. He is survived by his son, Carl Wesley, Iola, and two brothers, Bill and Mike of Burlington.

He was preceded in death by his sisters, Wanita and Judy, and three brothers, Ernie, Johnny and Donald.

No services are planned at this time.

Public notices

DEFENDANTS.

Kansas braces for trifecta of viruses

By TIM CARPENTER Kansas Reflector

TOPEKA — Physi cians and public health researchers anticipate a surge in COVID-19 infection during the holiday months would complicate the medi cal response to rising prevalence of flu and a tricky influenza virus.

The trifecta of COVID-19, flu and re spiratory syncytial vi rus, or RSV, could lead to escalation of health problems and hospi talizations this winter as precautionary mea sures such as vacci nation, masking and isolation waned during 2022. In the winter of 2021-2022, Kansas expe rienced a surge in Delta and Omicron variants of COVID-19.

“We’re just kind of keeping our fingers crossed,” said Dana Hawkinson, director of infection control at the University of Kansas Health System.

Dana Hawkinson, a physician with University of Kansas Health System, said the flu season com bined with COVID-19 and a challenging influenza virus could make it harder for hospitals to deal with a surge in patients. (KANSAS REFLECTOR SCREEN CAPTURE FROM KU HEALTH SYSTEM’S FACEBOOK CHANNEL)

cases of COVID-19, with Johnson County’s 171,000 cases and Sedg wick County’s 164,000 cases contributing more than one-third of the state’s total.

The Kansas Depart ment of Health and Environment’s latest report showed 9,657 fa talities in Kansas had been associated with COVID-19 during the pandemic. The Kansas figure incorporated 2,613 deaths in 2022.

Risks of reinfection

IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF ALLEN COUNTY, KANSAS

JOSHUA WRESTLER & KELLY WRESTLER PLAINTIFF, v. KANSAS DEPARTMENT OF REVE NUE; 2005 CADILLAC ESCALADE VIN 1GYEK63N55R160186; Da vid Flowers, 934 Grand Street, Emporia, Kansas 66801; And the unknown heirs, executors, admin istrators, devisees, trustees, cred itors, and assigns; the unknown spouses of any defendants; the unknown officers, successors, trustees, creditors, and assigns of any defendants which are existing, dissolved, or dormant corporations; the unknown ex ecutors, administrators, devisees, trustees, creditors, successors, and assigns of any defendants who are or were partners or in partnership; the unknown guard ians, conservators, and trustees of any defendants who are minors or under any legal disability; and the unknown heirs, executors, administrators, devisees, trustees, creditors, and assigns of any per son alleged to be deceased and any person claiming an interest in the 2005 CADILLAC ESCALADE VIN 1GYEK63N55R160186

(Published in The Iola Register Nov. 26, 2022)

IN THE THIRTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT ALLEN COUNTY, KANSAS

In the Matter of the Estate of Jean M. Barber, a/k/a Jean Marie Barber, Deceased

AL-2022-PR-000032

NOTICE OF HEARING

THE STATE OF KANSAS TO ALL PERSONS CONCERNED:

You are hereby notified that a Petition has been filed in this Court by Barry N. Barber, the duly appointed, qualified and acting Executor of the Estate of Jean M. Barber, a/k/a Jean Marie Barber, deceased, praying Petitioner’s acts be approved; account be settled and allowed; the heirs be determined; the Will be con strued and the Estate be assigned to the persons entitled thereto;

NOTICE OF SUIT AND NOTICE OF HEARING STATE OF KANSAS TO THE ABOVENAMED DEFENDANTS, AND ALL OTHER PERSONS WHO ARE OR MAY BE CONCERNED:

You are hereby notified that a Petition has been filed in the District Court of Allen Coun ty, Kansas, by Joshua Wrestler and Kelly Wrestler, praying for a decree quieting the title to the following described vehicle: 2005 CADILLAC ESCALADE VIN 1GYEK63N55R160186.

You are required to plead to said Petition on or before the 13th day of January 2023, at 9:00 a.m. in said Court at Iola, Allen Coun ty, Kansas. Should you fail there in, judgment and decree will be entered in due course upon said Petition.

/s/JOSHUA WRESTLER /s/KELLY WRESTLER

JOHNSON SCHOWENGERDT, P.A. Jacob T. Manbeck, #27684 P.O. Box 866 Iola, Kansas 66749 (620) 365-3778/Fax (620)3806230

ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFFS (11) 26 (12) 3, 10

the Court find the allowances requested for attorneys’ fees and expenses are reasonable and should be allowed; the costs be determined and ordered paid; the administration of the Estate be closed; upon the filing of receipts the Executor be finally discharged as Executor of the Estate of Jean M. Barber, a/k/a Jean Marie Bar ber, deceased, and the Executor be released from further liability.

You are required to file your written defenses to the Petition on or before Friday, December 16, 2022 at 8:30 a.m. in the District Court, in Allen County, Kansas, at which time and place the cause will be heard. Should you fail to file your written defenses, judg ment and decree will be entered in due course upon the Petition.

Barry N. Barber, Executor

HEIM LAW OFFICES, P.A. 424 North Washington Iola, Kansas 6449 (620) 365-2222

Attorneys for Executor (11) 26 (12) 3, 10

Hawkinson said there was a two- to four-week lag between infection and hospital ization for COVID-19, and urged Kansans to be vaccinated and boosted to shield them selves from the most dangerous aspects of the virus.

Since COVID-19 spread into Kansas in March 2020, the state has documented nearly 900,000 cases. The actu al number is thought to be higher because test ing for the virus has dropped off. Eighteen counties in Kansas re ported more than 10,000

Nathan Bahr, asso ciate professor of in fectious diseases at the University of Kansas Medical Center, said there was reason to be concerned about research findings in dicating that people contracting COVID-19 multiple times were more susceptible to erosion of organ func tion. He compared it to someone who repeat edly injured a leg and eventually suffered a fracture.

“The more times that happens, the more risk you are for losing func tion,” he said.

Washington Univer sity in St. Louis said analysis of medical re

Free CPR class

LAHARPE — Joe Stotler is ready to teach some valuable life-saving skills.

And it’s all for free.

The LaHarpe Po lice Chief is offering a free CPR and first aid course 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10, at LaHarpe City Hall.

Students will learn proper CPR for adults, children and infants, as well as the correct way to use an automated external defibrillator (AED) in case of a cardiac event.

An AED, if used correctly, significant ly improves the chanc es of survival, Stotler noted.

A free lunch will be provided during the day.

Upon completion, students will have earned CPR certifica tion.

Such classes typi cally cost $75 or more, but are available free of charge, courtesy of a Health and Wellness grant, Stotler said.

To register, call (620) 496-2241.

cords of 5.4 million Vet erans Administration patients suggested indi viduals who contracted COVID-19 more than once were twice as like ly to have a heart attack compared to those who caught the virus once.

In addition, the re searchers said kidney, lung and gastrointes tinal health risks were greater among those infected multiple times.

Amber Schmidtke, chair of natural sci ences and mathematics at University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth, said the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention placed Kan sas in the second-high est category of five categories in terms of the incidence of in fluenza not requiring hospitalization. The in fluenza-like symptoms factoring into the CDC analysis were fever, cough and sore throat.

The CDC produced a color-coded map that placed Kansas in the “high” level and Mis souri in the “moderate” range on influenza. Flulike symptoms were the highest in the states of South Carolina, Ala bama, Tennessee and Virginia.

“This year the inten sity is so high, especial ly in the South, that the CDC had to add a new color to the very high category,” Schmidtke said on the KU Health System’s broadcast.

She recommended people get both a flu shot and COVID-19 booster. However, there is no vaccine for RSV available in the United States.

Sewer water sleuthing Marc Johnson, a pro

fessor of microbiology at the University of Mis souri and a researcher with Missouri’s waste water program to track the shifting nature of COVID-19, said the abil ity to detect emerging strains of the virus had been refined in the past two years. The holiday season is an opportune moment for the virus to spread and evolve with people in confined spac es, he said.

“Last year and the year before it was right about now where we started to see lineages. We started to see the numbers go up,” John son said.

He said the Delta surge and emergence of Omicron produced a “rough winter.”

“Fortunately,” John son said, “we’re getting a lot of new variants and none of them are doing what Delta did or what Omicron did. With Delta, this was re ally amazing, because we could see it moving through the state.”

In response to a ques tion about whether heavy rain led to mis leading conclusions about concentration of COVID-19 in wastewa ter samples, Johnson said the solution was to also test for presence of caffeine. The numbers can be compared to routine presence of the component of coffee, he said.

His research partner in the COVID-19 test ing, Chung-Ho Lin of the University of Mis souri’s agriculture col lege, said sewage was an important resource for assessing the health of a community.

“Wastewater never lies,” Lin said. “Give us 15 milliliters of water, and we can tell you a lot of stories.”

Get vaccinated and boosted to protect against flu and Covid

Walmart shooter left ‘death note;’ bought gun day of killing

CHESAPEAKE, Va.

(AP) — The Walmart supervisor who shot and killed six co-work ers in Virginia left be hind what he called a “death note” on his phone that apologized for what he was about to do while simultane ously blaming others for mocking him.

“Sorry everyone but I did not plan this I promise things just fell in place like I was led by the Satan,” Andre Bing wrote on a note that was left on his phone, Chesapeake Po lice said Friday.

Police also said the gun, a 9 mm handgun, was legally purchased on the morning of the shooting and that Bing had no criminal re cord.

The note was redact ed slightly to eliminate names of specific peo ple he mentioned.

He claimed he was “harassed by idiots with low intelligence and a lack of wis dom” and said he was pushed to the brink by a perception his phone was hacked.

He wrote, “My only wish would have been

to start over from scratch and that my parents would have paid closer attention to my social deficit.” Bing died at the scene of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Coworkers of Bing who survived the shooting said he was difficult and known for being hostile with em ployees. One survivor said Bing seemed to target people and fired at some victims after they were already hit.

Jessica Wilczews ki said workers were gathered in a store break room to begin their overnight shift late Tuesday when Bing, a team leader, en tered and opened fire.

While another witness has described Bing as shooting wildly, Wil czewski said she ob served him target cer tain people.

“The way he was acting — he was going hunting,” Wilczewski told The Associated Press on Thursday. “The way he was look ing at people’s faces and the way he did what he did, he was picking people out.”

Soil: Conference

Continued from A1

ter we’ll have a storm with 50 mph winds and no snow and the dust will just blow,” he noted.

“We saw that at harvest.

For about a week, tra ditional tilled ground just blew dust across the landscape.

“People don’t realize those particles are or ganic matter,” he said. “That’s the part we want to keep on the farm.”

Worse still, barren fields face water erosion once the rainy season returns in the spring without any kind of organic growth to keep things intact.

“I’ve seen pretty stag gering pictures of black water running out of fields,” Louk said.

Still, it’s not too late to plant some varieties of cover crops such as cereal rye, even into De cember.

“To be able to protect and hold that, even if it’s not 100%, is better than bare soil going into the winter,” Louk said.

AND WHILE cold weather typically sends insects scurrying deep into the ground, cover crops may prove benefi cial against them come springtime, Louk said.

Soybean cyst nem atodes, microscopic parasitic worms no torious for attacking soybean roots, can find sustenance in nuisance weeds like henbit and purple nettle that spring up in untendered soil.

Rather than invest ing in chemicals such as herbicides or insec ticides, cover crops can prove a viable alterna tive, Louk said.

“Henbit hates compe tition,” he noted.

“We talk about the input cost, and it does cost some to put in a cover crop,” Louk con tinued. “But it’s one of the lower input costs in a farming operation. And what it does on the flip side, just strictly

for weed control be fore the next soybean crop, the difference is astronomical.”

Library speaker to share Little Golden books

A second-hand copy of “Tootle,” one of the first Little Golden Books for children, set Elle Dominquez, Moran, on a life-long course of read ing and a love for liter ature. She has now col lected more than 1,000 Little Golden Books.

Dominquez will dis cuss her collection at 7 p.m. Thursday at the li brary meeting room.

Some of her books will be on display along with items from her col lection of antique and vintage toys.

Simon & Schuster published the first Lit tle Golden Books for children in 1942. They published 12 titles si multaneously, including “The Poky Little Pup py,” “Three Little Kit tens,” and “The Little Red Hen.”

At a time when most children’s books cost $2 to $3, Little Golden Books sold for 25 cents. Each had 42 pages, 28 printed in two-color, and

14 in four-color. Three editions totaling 1.5 mil lion books sold out with in five months of publi cation.

Dominquez will re

turn to the library for a 2 p.m. Dec. 16 reading of holiday classics from her collection; she will be in the reception area of the main reading

room.

Throughout the month a small display of her collectible books and vintage toys is on display in the lobby.

Regulators want to slash Evergy’s energy efficiency plan

By ALLISON KITE Kansas Reflector

Regulators’ opposi tion could unravel a consensus plan to pro vide millions of dollars in energy efficiency pro grams to Evergy’s Kan sas customers.

Evergy, the largest electric utility in Kan sas, came to agreement with consumer and en vironmental advocates on a variety of pro grams meant to lower energy demand and save customers close to $100 million over four years.

The plan requires ap proval by the Kansas Corporation Commis sion. But objections by staff of the KCC mean there are now two pro

posals: the original and one that cuts the pro grams by more than 80%.

“The KCC staff and Evergy have basically stripped from the initial agreement almost every thing,” said Ty Gorman, Kansas representative for the Sierra Club’s Be yond Coal Campaign.

Evergy has had ener gy efficiency programs — including financing for home upgrades and weatherization — in Missouri for years. But establishing those same programs in Kansas has proven difficult.

The company filed with the KCC almost a year ago to establish a series of programs and later reached an

agreement with the Natural Resources De fense Council, the Sier ra Club, the Citizens’ Utility Ratepayer Board and other stakeholders that it estimated would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an amount comparable to taking tens of thousands of cars off the road.

But KCC staff object ed, saying the programs would benefit Evergy more than ratepayers. Now, commissioners will decide between the two competing propos als. Evergy has signed onto both, but advocates aren’t signing onto the version supported by KCC staff.

“We don’t believe it’s better than nothing,”

said Dave Nickel, con sumer counsel for the Citizens’ Utility Rate payer Board, which rep resents residential and small business energy users. “We think it goes the opposite way.”

CURB and environ mental groups worked for months to reach a consensus to both re duce emissions and pro vide programs to help low-income customers.

“It’s just awful what they agreed to, but there was agreement to move both the initial settle ment and this new set tlement forward and let the commissioners de cide,” said Ashok Gupta, senior energy economist for the Natural Resourc es Defense Council.

Elle Dominquez, Moran, will share her story and read Little Golden Books at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Iola Public Library. She has collected more than 1,000 of the books. COURTESY PHOTO

GREEN COVER Seed is hosting a twoday soil health con ference Wednesday and Thursday at 30 W. Davis St.

New York Times investigation shows how sports gambling industry exploited Kansas legislators

By SHERMAN SMITH Kansas Reflector

TOPEKA — A New York Times investiga tion into the gambling industry’s bare-knuck led lobbying efforts provides insight into concessions Kansas law makers provided when they legalized sports betting earlier this year.

Among the revela tions from the report, published Sunday as part of a series on “a relentless nationwide campaign” to expand sports betting: Kansas lawmakers slashed an already generous tax rate from 20% to 10%, and exempted some bets from being taxed at all, before passing the sports gambling pack age after midnight in the final hours of the legislative session.

The final vote came two days after a lobby ing event that prom ised “something for everyone.” There, the New York Times docu mented how Rep. John Barker, an Abilene Re publican who helped orchestrate the sports gambling package, rev eled in 30-year-old Irish whiskey while Sen. Jeff Pittman, a Leavenworth Democrat, secured an extra bag of pricey Honduras cigars. At the party, Pittman called it a “terrible” bill, but he voted in favor it anyway.

After the law took effect in September, Kansans wagered $350 million in the first two months — yielding just $271,000 in tax revenue.

Max Kautsch, presi dent of the Kansas Coa lition for Open Govern ment, said the New York Times report “drives home the need for great er transparency in the legislative process.”

“Kansans should be disappointed to learn this holiday season that our leaders in Topeka are more interested in

giving unprecedented tax breaks to the gam bling industry than in meeting their fiduciary duties to be good stew ards of public funds,” Kautsch said.

The sports gambling package exemplifies transparency concerns with the last-minute avalanche of bills the Legislature passes in the closing days of the session, often with un vetted policy provisions inserted under pressure from dark interests.

Kansas Reflector pre viously reported on this practice, which is de signed to avoid public scrutiny.

“Perhaps if Rep. Barker and his allies feared that their constit uents would learn about these acts against the public interest in real time,” Kautsch said, “rather than months lat er as the result of a na tionwide investigative report that chose to kick off an article totaling thousands upon thou sands of words with an anecdote about whiskey and cigars in the Kansas Statehouse, they would think twice before leav ing us with lumps of coal each legislative ses sion.”

Lobbying rules

The flyer for an April

26 lobbying event invit ed all 165 legislators and special guests to enjoy prime rib, seafood, des serts, wine, craft beer, fine cigars, classic cars, single malt scotch and single barrel bourbon.

Twenty-one lobbyists sponsored the event, titled Cigars, Cars and Bars, at M&D Clas sic Car Storage, a few blocks north of the Statehouse on Kansas Avenue.

A New York Times reporter and photogra pher found Barker with Redbreast Irish whiskey and a Don Tomas cigar from Honduras.

“They keep a special bottle for me up there — they know I like it,” Barker told the Times. “I’m in my element when I have a whiskey and a cigar.”

John Federico, a powerful lobbyist who cosponsored the gath ering, told the Times it was a social event and not a lobbying event.

Kansas law provides ample wiggle room for lobbyists and lawmak ers — and makes it vir tually impossible for journalists or the public to document the influ ence of such an event.

When every lawmak er is invited, lobbyists don’t need to itemize the costs on expense reports

with the state ethics commission. Rules that restrict gifts to lawmak ers provide exemptions for food and beverage.

And while Kansas law forbids gifts that cost more than $40, the cost of a gift can be split evenly among cospon sors to push it below the legal limit. A group of 10 lobbyists, for exam ple, could provide a $300 gift — such as an expen sive bottle of whiskey — to a legislator without violating the law.

Additionally, if the cost of a lobbying ex pense is less than $2 for a legislator, it doesn’t have to be reported. For an event with 165 legis lators and 21 sponsors, the threshold would be $6,930.

Hitting the jackpot

The gambling indus try’s fingerprints were on nearly every page of the 50-page sports gam bling bill, the New York Times reported.

Barker and oth er legislative leaders agreed to cut in half the planned 20% tax rate — already substantially lower than the tax rate in other states. The bill also allows gambling companies to deduct “free bets” and other promotions from their taxable income.

None of the $271,000 in taxes the state col lected on the first $350 million in bets will be used to fight gambling addiction.

Instead, lawmak ers agreed to set aside most of the revenue for the construction of a sports facility. The ques tionable idea to lure the Kansas City Chiefs across state lines came from real estate devel opers who own 400 acres of land near the NA SCAR racetrack, Sport ing Kansas City soccer stadium and Hollywood Casino on the west edge of Kansas City.

The sports gambling package ensured casi nos would get a cut of the action and expand ed where sports betting is allowed, including at the racetrack and soc cer stadium.

Barker wasn’t shy about inserting pro visions that benefited lobbyists, including Federico, whose clients include Sporting Kan sas City.

“John’s a good guy,” Barker told the Times. “I made sure they had something in our bill.”

Hollywood Casino funneled more than $60,000 in donations to campaign accounts, the Times found. Another $150,000 came from oth er casinos, lawyers and lobbyists.

Donors used net works of shell compa nies to skirt campaign finance laws that limit the amount of money a single candidate can receive, the New York Times reported.

Cover of darkness

The cigars at the April 26 “social event” were so expensive, leg islators could only take three.

Pittman dispatched an aide to secure more.

“I have a little scam going on here,” Pittman joked to a New York Times reporter.

He acknowledged problems with the gam bling package.

“The fact is, we’re not making that much mon ey,” Pittman said. “It looks terrible.”

Two days later, Pitt man’s “yes” vote helped the Senate pass the bill with the minimum num ber of votes required.

“Kansans are already betting on sports,” Pit tman said during the Senate debate. “Many do it on illegal platforms that take money out of the state. Sports betting is not for everyone. This is just another avenue for avid players.”

Lawmakers were forced to consider votes on a wide array of leg islation in the final two days of the session, in cluding bills that had undergone rapid trans formation. The official explanations provided to lawmakers seldom reveal the true effect of these last-minute, latenight deals, let alone the influence behind them.

The final hours of the session also includ ed votes on the state budget, a $1.1 billion investment in the state pension system and a law that would have banned any state or lo cal government official from imposing a mask mandate in response to an infectious disease outbreak.

During the debate on sports gambling, oppo nents raised concerns about gambling addic tion, the paltry amount of state tax revenue generated and the deci sion to set aside most of that cash for a spe cial fund to attract the Kansas City Chiefs to Kansas.

“We will destroy people’s lives,” said Sen. Mark Steffen, R-Hutchinson. “We don’t know their names right now. We don’t know what they look like. But we do know that will happen.”

Twitter, others slip on removing hate speech, EU review says

LONDON (AP) — Twitter took longer to review hateful content and removed less of it in 2022 compared with the previous year, according to European Union data released Thursday.

The EU figures were published as part of an annual evaluation of on line platforms’ compli ance with the 27-nation bloc’s code of conduct on disinformation.

Twitter wasn’t alone — most other tech com panies signed up to the voluntary code also scored worse. But the figures could foreshad ow trouble for Twitter in complying with the EU’s tough new online rules after owner Elon

Musk fired many of the platform’s 7,500 full-time workers and an untold number of contractors responsible for content moderation and other crucial tasks.

The EU report, car ried out over six weeks in the spring, found Twitter assessed just over half of the notifica tions it received about il legal hate speech within 24 hours, down from 82% in 2021.

In comparison, the amount of flagged mate rial Facebook reviewed within 24 hours fell to 64%, Instagram slipped to 56.9% and YouTube dipped to 83.3%. TikTok came in at 92%, the only company to improve.

The amount of hate speech Twitter removed after it was flagged up slipped to 45.4% from 49.8% the year before. TikTok’s removal rate fell by a quarter to 60%, while Facebook and Ins tagram only saw minor declines. Only YouTube’s takedown rate increased, surging to 90%.

“It’s worrying to see a downward trend in reviewing notifications related to illegal hate speech by social media platforms,” European Commission Vice Presi dent Vera Jourova tweet ed. “Online hate speech is a scourge of a digital age and platforms need to live up to their com mitments.”

Twitter didn’t respond to a request for com ment. Emails to several staff on the company’s European communica tions team bounced back as undeliverable.

Musk’s $44 billion acquisition of Twitter last month fanned wide spread concern that purveyors of lies and misinformation would be allowed to flourish on the site. The billionaire Tesla CEO, who has fre quently expressed his belief that Twitter had become too restrictive, has been reinstating sus pended accounts, includ ing former President Donald Trump’s.

Twitter faces more scrutiny in Europe by

the middle of next year, when new EU rules aimed at protecting in ternet users’ online safe ty will start applying to the biggest online plat forms. Violations could result in huge fines of up to 6% of a company’s annual global revenue.

France’s online regula tor Arcom said it received a reply from Twitter after writing to the company earlier this week to say it was concerned about the effect that staff depar

tures would have on Twit ter’s “ability maintain a safe environment for its users.”

Arcom also asked the company to confirm it can meet its “legal obli gations” in fighting on line hate speech and that it is committed to imple menting the new EU on line rules. Arcom said it received a response from Twitter and that it will “study their response,” without giving more de tails.

Rep. John Barker, an Abilene Republican who spearheaded legislation to the benefit of the sports gambling industry, appears during April 27, 2022, negotia tions between the House and Senate. (SHERMAN SMITH/KANSAS REFLECTOR)

Omicron still driving COVID surges and worries

By LAURA UNGAR The Associated Press

A year after omicron began its assault on hu manity, the ever-morph ing coronavirus mutant drove COVID-19 case counts higher in many places just as Americans gathered for Thanksgiv ing. It was a prelude to a wave that experts expect to soon wash over the U.S.

Phoenix-area emer gency physician Dr. Nicholas Vasquez said his hospital admitted a growing number of chronically ill peo ple and nursing home residents with severe COVID-19 this month.

“It’s been quite a while since we needed to have COVID wards,” he said. “It’s making a clear comeback.”

Nationally, new COVID cases averaged around 39,300 a day as of Tuesday — far lower than last winter but a vast undercount because of reduced testing and reporting. About 28,000 people with COVID were hospitalized daily and about 340 died.

Cases and deaths were up from two weeks earlier. Yet a fifth of the U.S. population hasn’t been vaccinated, most Americans haven’t got ten the latest boosters and many have stopped wearing masks.

Meanwhile, the virus keeps finding ways to avoid defeat.

The omicron variant arrived in the U.S. just after Thanksgiving last year and caused the pan demic’s biggest wave of cases. Since then, it has spawned a large extend ed family of sub-vari ants, such as those most common in the U.S. now: BQ.1, BQ.1.1 and BA.5. They edged out compet itors by getting better at evading immunity from vaccines and previous illness — and sickening millions.

Carey Johnson’s family got hit twice. She came down with COVID-19 in January during the first omicron wave, suffering flu-like symptoms and terrible pain that kept her down for a week. Her son Fa bian Swain, 16, suffered much milder symptoms in September when the BA.5 variant was domi nant.

Fabian recovered quickly, but Johnson had a headache for weeks. Other problems lingered longer.

“I was like, ‘I cannot get it together.’ I could not get my thoughts to gether. I couldn’t get my

energy together” said Johnson, 42, of German town, Maryland. “And it went on for months like that.”

HOT SPOTS EMERGE

Some communities are being particular ly hard hit right now.

Tracking by the Mayo Clinic shows cases trending up in states such as Florida, Arizo na, Colorado and New Mexico.

In Arizona’s Navajo County, the average dai ly case rate is more than double the state average.

Dr. James McAuley said 25 to 50 people a day are testing positive for the coronavirus at the Indi an Health Service facil ity where he works. Be fore, they saw just a few cases daily.

McAuley, clinical di rector of the Whiteriver Indian Hospital, which serves the White Moun tain Apache Tribe, said they are “essentially back to where we were with our last big peak” in February.

COVID-19 is part of a triple threat that also in cludes flu and the virus known as RSV.

Dr. Vincent Hsu, who oversees infection con trol for AdventHealth, said the system’s pediat ric hospital in Orlando is nearly full with kids sickened by these vi ruses. Dr. Greg Martin, past president of the Society of Critical Care Medicine, sees a similar trend elsewhere.

Pediatric hospitals’ emergency departments and urgent care clinics are busier than ever, said Martin, who prac tices mostly at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta. “This is a re cord compared to any month, any week, any day in the past,” he said.

Looking to the future,

experts see the seeds of a widespread U.S. wave. They point to what’s happening internation ally — a BA.5 surge in Japan, a combination of variants pushing up cases in South Korea, the start of a new wave in Norway.

Some experts said a U.S. wave could begin during the holidays as people gather indoors.

Trevor Bedford, a biolo gist and genetics expert at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Cen ter, said it could peak at around 150,000 new cas es a day, about what the nation saw in July.

A new wave would be rough, said Dr. Mark Griffiths, medical direc tor of the emergency de partment of Children’s Health Care of Atlan ta-Spalding Hospital. “So many systems are on the brink of just be ing totally overburdened that if we get another COVID surge on top of this, it’s going to make some systems crack.”

One bright spot? Deaths are likely to be much lower than earlier in the pandemic. About 1 in 2,000 infections lead to death now, compared with about 1 in 200 in the first half of 2020, Bedford said.

OMICRON’S YEARLONG REIGN

The same widespread immunity that reduced deaths also pushed the coronavirus to mutate. By the end of last year, many people had gotten infected, vaccinated or both. That “created the initial niche for omicron to spread,” Bedford said, since the virus had sig nificantly evolved in its ability to escape exist ing immunity.

Omicron thrived. Mara Aspinall, who teaches biomedical diagnostics at

Arizona State University, noted that the first omi cron strain represented 7.5% of circulating vari ants by mid-December and 80% just two weeks later. U.S. cases at one point soared to a million a day. Omicron generally caused less severe dis ease than previous vari ants, but hospitalizations and deaths shot up given the sheer numbers of in fected people.

The giant wave ebbed by mid-April. The virus mutated quickly into a series of sub-variants adept at evading im munity. A recent study in the journal Science Immunology says this ability to escape anti bodies is due to more than 30 changes in the spike protein studding the surface of the virus.

Omicron evolved so much in a year, Bedford said, it’s now “a mean ingless term.”

That rapid mutation is likely to continue.

“There’s much more pressure for the virus to diversify,” said Shi shi Luo, head of infec tious diseases for Helix, a company that supplies viral sequencing infor mation to the U.S. Cen ters for Disease Control and Prevention.

Doctors said the best protection against the bubbling stew of sub-variants remains vaccination. And offi cials said Americans who got the new com bination booster tar geting omicron and the original coronavirus are currently better protect ed than others against symptomatic infection.

Dr. Peter Hotez, co-di rector of the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Children’s Hos pital, said getting the booster, if you’re eligi ble, is “the most impact ful thing you could do.”

Beijing on edge as city adds new quarantine centers

BEIJING (AP) —

Residents of some parts of China’s capi tal were emptying su permarket shelves and overwhelming delivery apps Friday as the city government ordered faster construction of COVID-19 quarantine centers and field hos pitals.

Uncertainty and scattered, unconfirmed reports of lockdowns in at least some Beijing districts have fueled demand for food and other supplies, some thing not seen in the city for months.

Unusually large numbers of shoppers in the city’s northern suburbs left shelves bare in markets, but customers were rela tively few in the center of the city of 21 mil lion, where supplies re mained abundant.

Daily cases of COVID-19 across the country are hitting records, with 32,695 reported Friday. Of those, 1,860 were in Bei jing, the majority of them asymptomatic.

Improvised quar antine centers and field hospitals hastily thrown up in gymna siums, exhibition cen ters and other large, open indoor spaces have become notorious for overcrowding, poor sanitation, scarce food supplies and lights that stay on 24 hours.

Most residents of the city have already been advised not to leave their compounds, some of which are be ing fenced in. At en trances, workers clad head to toe in white hazmat suits stop un authorized people and make sure residents show a recent negative COVID-19 test result on their cellphone health apps to gain entry.

Several university campuses have been closed off and students in lower grades have been shifted to online classes.

Meanwhile, some of Beijing’s grocery delivery services have reached capacity.

An increase in de mand combined with a worker shortage left some customers unable to book same-day deliv ery slots on Friday for food and supplies from popular online grocery services such as Ali

baba’s Freshippo and Meituan Maicai.

Online, some Chi nese users said some delivery personnel were unable to work be cause their compounds were locked down. The reports could not be verified.

Alibaba did not im mediately comment.

At a Friday after noon news confer ence, city government spokesperson Xu He jian said it was nec essary “to strengthen the management and service guarantee” of quarantine centers and field hospitals where people who test positive for COVID-19 or have been in close contact with an infect ed person are taken by police.

Authorities must “further accelerate” their construction and “coordinate the alloca tion of space, facilities, materials, personnel and other resources,” Xu said.

Officials have in re cent days repeatedly in sisted that China must stick with its hard-line “zero-COVID” policy that mandates lock downs, mass testing and quarantines for anyone suspected of having come into con tact with the virus.

The policy is seen as taking a harsh toll on the economy and up ending lives in many Chinese cities, leading the World Health Or ganization and others to call for a change in tack — calls the ruling Communist Party has angrily rejected.

While the number of cases and deaths in China is relatively low compared to the U.S. and other countries, the party remains com mitted to the strategy, which aims to isolate every case and elimi nate the virus entirely. Most other govern ments have eased an ti-virus controls and now rely on vaccina tions and immunity from past infections to help prevent deaths and serious illness.

Harsher measures have been enacted in many other parts of China, despite the gov ernment urging more precise and targeted measures to reduce the social burden and eco nomic costs.

Nationally, new COVID cases averaged around 39,300 a day as of Tuesday — far lower than last winter but a vast undercount because of reduced testing and reporting. About 28,000 people with COVID were hospitalized daily and about 340 died. TNS

Saturday, November 26, 2022

Kansas sports fans, savor these moments

Sunday night, I sat on the couch watching Chiefs quar terback Patrick Mahomes trot onto the field. Trailing the Los Angeles Chargers by four, Kansas City needed to drive 75 yards in the final 1:46 to score a touchdown. A field goal would not be enough.

And yet, there I reclined on the sofa.

I didn’t pace the room. I didn’t check the Chiefs’ win probability. Like so many oth er fans of Kansas City-area teams through the past de cade, I waited for my team’s preordained win.

Supporting the region’s teams the past 10 years has been like that old video game, Frogger — only without the splat. We have scooted across the road, from the joy of one team to the championships of another.

As the Royals tanked, Sporting Kansas City topped their league. As Sporting fad ed, the Chiefs surged. When the Chiefs lost in the playoffs, the Jayhawks won in March Madness. If you are willing to abandon your ardent fan dom of one descending team for the rise of another, the Kansas City area has been the place to be a fan.

My 13-year-old son has real ly never known the darkness of living in a sports quag mire. Liberated by a day off school in 2015, he boarded a bus for downtown Kansas City to get a glimpse of the Royals’ World Series parade.

Four years later, we watched the Chiefs board double-decker buses for their own celebration. Sporting KC offered us a chance to see two players who represented the United States in the World Cup. Kansas City pro sports has offered him a glimmering local team at all times.

This year, he also traced the Jayhawks men’s basket ball team on his bracket to the championship. The Uni versity of Kansas’ streak of dominance in Big 12 basket ball bordered on absurdity during our last decade, and even before. Big 12 basketball teams can earn the regular season title, the conference tournament title or both. The Jayhawks have won or shared the regular season title 20 times. The other 11 teams? Only 11 titles combined. In the conference tournament, a format that much more easily bounces out superior teams through one bad result, the Jayhawks have still won near ly half.

(And who would have thought the 2022 football Jay hawks would execute this screeching U-turn of a sea son?)

It hasn’t always been this way. The Royals and Chiefs have tested fans with long stretches of misery. To call the futility that flanks the Royals’ 2014 and 2015 seasons simply “losing seasons” understates the dismal nature of those

Eric Thomas Kansas Reflector

teams. Since 2002, Royals fans endured six seasons with 100 or more losses.

Likewise, the Chiefs claim an era of sour football — es pecially when compared with the current golden age. The recent teams are unprece dentedly hot, winning a re cord six consecutive AFC West division titles. They are poised to win another. Over the past seven seasons (not including this current one), the Chiefs have won 83 games.

Here is your trivia ques tion: How many seasons would it have taken to earn 83 wins if you started count ing in 1972? The answer: 14 — double the number during the Andy Reid era.

Consider the psychic drain of living in a city that lost so often. And consider how in vincible it makes us feel to have a winner in the region at all times.

It certainly can lead us to arrogance. Or, as I experi enced Sunday while watching Mahomes rally the Chiefs, it breeds a chill confidence, a re laxed assurance that we fans don’t need to fret. It’s going to be OK. We believe that we will win.

With less than two minutes to manage, Mahomes flung one pass and then another to dissolve the Chargers’ de fense. The touchdown to tight end Travis Kelce felt less like surprising fan euphoria and more like déjà vu. Like Loren zo Cain making a circus catch in the outfield in 2015. Like opening a sports app on our phones to find Sporting KC advancing in its tournament.

Like Bill Self smirking as he climbed the ladder to cut down the nets.

The danger of a run like this is forgetting to savor it. Just ask the fans in Detroit, with four major sports teams, most of them failing to post winning records much less advance meaningfully in the playoffs.

Cincinnati, despite three Super Bowl appearances, doesn’t have a single trophy. Add this to Cincinnati’s suf fering: the hapless Reds who haven’t won their division in the past 10 years.

I ask this of you as fellow fans. Deploy all of your su perstitions to keep this streak going. Don’t wash the lucky socks. Drive the same way to the stadium every week. Eat the same pregame meal of sauerkraut and bratwursts.

But whatever you do, don’t close your eyes. This is too rare — and fun — to miss.

~ Journalism that makes a difference

Pets are also a casualty of war

By YEHOR FIRSOV Guest Opinion for The Washington Post

When we think of the ca sualties of the Ukraine war, we obviously think of the human cost — the lives lost, the wounded and injured, the families displaced. But there are other, smaller ca sualties of this war. They’re not announced on the televi sion news, but I see them in the war zone every day.

They are the many home less, abandoned animals that roam the streets of front-line towns and villages leveled by the Russian assault.

Most of these animals, and there are hundreds, even thousands, of them, are former pets — dogs and cats left behind by owners who’ve fled or died. In many places, they outnumber any remaining human residents. In fact, it seems that the less human life there is in a place, the more animal life there is.

While serving in the Kyiv Territorial Defense Forces, I participated in the mopup operation in Bucha after the Russians left. I remem ber that strange feeling of walking along an empty street — it’s broad daylight and not a single soul in sight. But suddenly there’s a movement: The gate shakes. It’s the wind, you think, but then you open it — and there stands a dog or a cat. You reach down to stroke it and ask, “Hey, how’re you do ing?”

Sometimes, these animals amaze us with their human ity. In one yard, we find the corpses of four people and a pit bull. Nearby lies a hag gard German shepherd, still alive. It has stayed with its owners, guarding their de composing bodies and refus ing to leave, even though we can tell they have been dead for some time. It won’t aban don those who once gave it their love.

Happy endings, though, are the exception. Walk through the ruined, half-emp ty cities of Bakhmut or Av diivka, and you’ll come upon scores of wandering cats and dogs. Even Pokrovsk, 25 miles from the front lines, is overflowing with homeless cats. When our unit was at drill there, I saw a dozen or more hanging around the local store. I bought some sausages for them and got to talking with an elderly woman named Lyudmyla. She was also trying to feed the strays huddling near her home. “I made a house for them,” she told me, point ing to a large cardboard box, “but as soon as the snow falls, it will certain ly be hard for the animals. I feel so sorry for them. But I can’t take all of them into the house — I could only take three kit tens.”

often give shelter to one or more dogs. My unit took in one that wandered into our position. We’ve named him Yur. He’s just an ordinary mutt, but when I look into his eyes, it’s like looking at a wise old man who deeply un derstands everything going on around him.

I asked the soldiers wheth er having him around helped them. “At night it feels safer with the dog,” one said. “He helps the duty officer see if the enemy is approaching.” But really, Yur is more like a therapist. Whenever the soldiers have a minute, they come over and pet him — it seems to relieve their stress and makes them feel better.

Sometimes, these animals amaze us with their humanity. In one yard, we find the corpses of four people and a pit bull. Nearby lies a haggard German shepherd, still alive. It has stayed with its owners, guarding their decomposing bodies and refusing to leave.

There will be more and more kittens and puppies, because many of the animals are not fixed and continue to breed. “Calculate for your self. A cat is able to breed up to five times a year and can bring several kittens in a lit ter,” one animal rights activ ist from the Donetsk region wrote to me on social media. With thousands of homeless cats, there could be tens of thousands of kittens in a few months.

On the very front line, in the trenches, military units often give shel ter to one or more dogs. My unit took in one that wandered into our position. We’ve named him Yur. He’s just an ordinary mutt, but when I look into his eyes, it’s like looking at a wise old man who deeply un derstands everything going on around him.

I asked the soldiers wheth er having him around helped them. “At night it feels safer with the dog,” one said. “He helps the duty officer see if the enemy is approaching.”

Dear editor,

I am sick and tired of people throwing their trash out the windows of vehicles along city streets, highways and country roads.

My husband, John Kress, even with stage 3 cancer, would walk up and down the gravel road to pick up trash until he didn’t have the strength to do so.

I now do the same thing on my road, on the highway and even in town.

I have picked up large box

es on Highway 54 three times in the past two years. Plastic is worse for the environment than glass. When I was a kid we’d get paid to turn in our empty pop bottles.

Oceans have “trash is lands” twice the size of Tex as.

When will people realize their trash hurts the envi ronment not only for animals but their children and grand children?

— Alzina Kress, Iola, Kan.

Elsewhere, we come upon a bombed-out high-rise apartment building. There’s not a single window left in the facade — the surround ing ground is completely covered in broken glass. Suddenly, we hear someone quietly stepping on the glass behind us. We turn around — a gray tabby cat. I pick it up, and even though its wounded paws leave traces of blood on my clothes, it immediately starts to purr. I can’t leave it there. It’s well groomed and clearly someone’s pet. I don’t know whether its owners are dead or alive, but when I post a picture on social media, they come forward to claim it. I’m sad to give it up, but it’s a happy ending for the kitty.

Now our unit is stationed in Bakhmut, on the front line. In one yard, I meet a woman cooking over an open fire, surrounded by at least a dozen cats. “Are they all yours?” I ask her. “No, just one is mine,” she says. “These are all the cats of my neighbors. They left, and we feed their pets.”

On the very front line, in the trenches, military units

But really, Yur is more like a therapist. Whenever the soldiers have a minute, they come over and pet him — it seems to relieve their stress and makes them feel better.

As for me, I’ve adopted a cat. You might not be sur prised to hear that it looks a lot like the one I had to give up. And that it’s just as kind and loving — and reminds me that even in the midst of war, it’s possible to expe rience fleeting moments of grace.

The author’s military unit poses with its adopted dog, Yur, in Bakhmut, Ukraine, in October. (COURTESY OF YEHOR FIRSOV)

The author with his cat in Bakhmut, Ukraine, in October. (COURTESY OF YEHOR FIRSOV)

Ukraine: Russia tries to break resolve

lation into hardship.

British Foreign Sec retary James Cleverly, arriving Friday in Kyiv for an unannounced visit, said a promised air-defense package, which Britain valued at 50 million pounds ($60 million), would help Ukraine defend itself against Russia’s bom bardments.

“Words are not enough. Words won’t keep the lights on this winter. Words won’t de fend against Russian missiles,” Cleverly said in a tweet about the mil itary aid.

The package includes radar and other tech nology to counter the Iran-supplied exploding drones that Russia has used against Ukrainian targets, especially the power grid. It comes on top of a delivery of more than 1,000 anti-air missiles that Britain announced earlier this month.

“As winter sets in, Russia is continuing to try and break Ukrainian resolve through its bru tal attacks on civilians, hospitals and energy in frastructure,” Cleverly said.

Russian officials have claimed they are hitting legitimate targets. But the U.N. High Commis sioner for Human Rights on Friday expressed his shock at the depth of ci vilian suffering caused by the bombing, amid broader allegations of abuses.

“Millions are being plunged into extreme hardship and appalling

conditions of life by these strikes,” Volker Türk said in a state ment Friday. “Taken as a whole, this raises seri ous problems under in ternational humanitari an law, which requires a concrete and direct mili tary advantage for each object attacked.”

The U.N. humanitar ian office also chimed in with its concerns. “Ukraine is turning in creasingly cold without power, without steady water supply and with out heating,” Jens Laerke, a spokesman for the office, said Friday.

He said the global body and its partners were sending hundreds of generators to Ukraine to help the government there in its efforts to keep people warm and maintain essential ser vices, such as health care. The World Health Organization said it is sending generators to hospitals.

Cleverly’s visit came a day after European offi cials launched a scheme called “Generators of Hope,” which calls on more than 200 cities across the continent to donate power gen erators and electricity transformers.

The generators are intended to help keep essential Ukrainian fa cilities running, provid ing power to hospitals, schools and water pump ing stations, among oth er infrastructure.

Generators may provide only a tiny amount of the energy that Ukraine will need during the cold and dark

winter months.

But the comfort and relief they provide is already evident, as winter begins in ear nest and power outag es occur regularly. The whine and rumble of generators is becoming commonplace, allowing stores that have them to stay open and Ukraine’s ubiquitous coffee shops to keep serving hot drinks that maintain a semblance of normality.

Despite strong wind, rain, sub-zero tem peratures at night, ic ing and broken power lines, more than 70% of Ukraine’s electricity re quirements were being met on Friday morning, the country’s state pow er grid operator Ukren ergo said in a statement.

The electricity supply has been at least partial ly restored in all regions of Ukraine, and the country’s energy grid was once again connect ed to that of the Euro pean Union, the head of the state power grid said on Friday.

Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, CEO of Ukrenergo, added that despite that progress, about half of Ukrainian residents continue to experience disruption. He added that all three of Ukraine’s nuclear plants located in areas controlled by Kyiv have resumed operation.

“In one to two days, nuclear power plants will reach their normal scheduled capacity, and we expect that it will be possible to trans fer our consumers to a planned shutdown (re

gime) instead of emer gency (blackouts),” Kudrytskyi said on Ukrainian TV.

Ukrainian authorities are opening thousands of so-called “points of invincibility” — heat ed and powered spac es offering hot meals, electricity and internet connections. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said late Thursday that almost 4,400 such spaces have opened across most of the country.

He scoffed at Mos cow’s attempts to intim idate Ukrainian civil ians, saying that was the Russian military’s only option after a string of battlefield setbacks. “Ei ther energy terror, or ar tillery terror, or missile terror — that’s all that Russia has dwindled to under its current lead ers,” Zelenskyy said.

Elsewhere, Ukrainian officials and energy workers continued their push to restore supplies after a nationwide bar rage Wednesday left tens of millions without power and water.

Crime-tracking system halfway completed

By RACHEL MIPRO Kansas Reflector

TOPEKA — The Kansas Bureau of In vestigation director said the agency’s new data tracking system is about halfway com plete and will create a better overview of the state’s crime problem, including a potential rise in fentanyl cases.

During a Tuesday legislative budget hearing, KBI director Kirk Thompson said the new system would store details about criminals that the old system isn’t equipped for, including socio economic conditions, geographic details and other relevant case fea tures.

“We’ll know a lot more about each indi vidual case. Whether it was homicide by knife, homicide by firearm and much, much more granular information about crime in our state,” Thompson said.

The old data sys tem, the Kansas Inci dent Based Reporting System, hasn’t been changed in decades. It contains all the data from criminal reports submitted by law enforcement agen cies across the state. Thompson said more than 250,000 offense and arrest reports are added into the system each year, and are used to gain a sense of Kan sas crime rates and ar eas of concern.

Thompson said he was concerned the old system would break down, because it was built with technolo gy that is no longer used today, and that it can only provide ba sic crime statistics.

KIBRS was created in 1993 and was last up dated in 2001.

“This particular sys tem is well beyond its effective lifecycle, and the technologies it’s built upon are no longer supported,” Thompson said. “The data security of those technologies is questionable, and it’s absolutely inflexible as to questions regarding what is going on in our state.”

Thompson said the new information sys tem being developed will provide much more detailed and timely crime data. The system was funded through an $3 million federal grant, along with some internal funding for an assessment of system priorities and needs.

Sen. Rick Billinger, R-Goodland, said the KBI needs to examine data surrounding fen tanyl cases.

“I think this is just coming into Kansas like water, and I think if we don’t get a handle on it, we’re going to have so many young people dead, it’s going to be a sad day,” Billinger said.

Thompson said the update was urgently needed for examining data in all criminal cas es.

“There’s really noth ing we can do with this antiquated system,” Thompson said. “It can’t be changed.”

During the hearing, predictions of revenue for the upcoming year also were discussed. Forecasts show rough times ahead for farmers across the state.

Kansas has experi enced steady growth in farm income over the past few years, ac cording to the Kansas Legislative Research Department and Kan sas Division of the Budget, which released estimates ahead of Tues day’s budget hearing.

Residents in the village of Vodohin collect water after infrastructure damage following missile strikes on Thursday, in Vodohin, Ukraine. Kyiv and several other cities were hit by another wave of Russian missile strikes yesterday, further damaging the country’s energy infrastructure and other utilities. (JEFF J MITCHELL/ GETTY IMAGES/TNS)

sues, limiting his activ ities for the better part of two years. Out of nowhere, he would find it difficult to breathe. A simple walk could be taxing, let alone hiking in their beloved Sangre de Cristo Mountains in Colorado where Judy’s family has a cabin.

The fear of when it could strike was debili tating.

Then five years ago, Fred broke his leg in several places while hik ing in Chile, requiring many surgeries. Since then, he’s also had sur gery for a broken arm and several repairs to a bum knee. He was on crutches for 18 months.

The effect was cumu lative.

At age 65, “I felt like an old man,” he said.

Increasingly, Fred’s health concerns be gan to make both their worlds feel smaller. Con stricted.

So, it came as a sur prise when their son, Colby, age 24, suggested last year they embark on a Himalayan expedi tion, including a hike up to base camp on Mount Everest, altitude 17,598 feet.

In spring 2021, Colby spent a month in Nepal hiking, as had his older brother, Dylan, sever al years earlier. Their sister, Abby, has also toured the region.

With a solid year of proper training, Colby advised, the elder Work ses should have no prob lem.

Depressed by the lim itations his health had created; it took Fred some time to get on board.

“I wanted to do the trip. But I had doubts whether I could,” Fred said.

Judy, age 63, however, jumped at the idea.

“If we didn’t do it now, we wouldn’t be do ing it at all,” she said.

EARLIER this month, the couple re turned from four weeks in Nepal.

Their successful goal of reaching Mount Ev erest’s base camp pales in comparison to what it’s meant to them per sonally.

For Fred, it’s a new lease on life. “I could go hiking tomorrow,” he said.

For Judy, her husband is back in the fold of life. But it was not without its hiccups.

Once committed, Judy began serious training.

Fred did not.

For Christmas, Judy gave him a gym mem bership.

It sat unused.

Fred’s procrastina tion wore on Judy.

“By this last summer, I decided that if he’s not ready, I’m still going,” Judy said. “This was really important to me and something I really, really wanted to achieve with him. But I couldn’t

force him.”

If Judy ventured alone, “it would have created serious friction in our marriage,” she admitted.

Thankfully, they didn’t have to test that scenario.

Two things motivated Fred to do more than go on long walks across the Konza Prairie.

A July trip to Chicago included a hotel room on the 15th floor. The couple took the stairs several times a day, a challenge Fred found in vigorating.

A few weeks later, a trip to Colorado gave him the confidence he had healed sufficiently to hike.

At that point, he had a little more than two months before the planned trip.

Judy feared it was too little, too late.

“I didn’t know if I’d be able to make the climb,” said Judy. “But at least if I failed, I knew I’d worked really hard for 18 months to get into shape. I did my best to have a chance at succeeding.

“If Fred couldn’t make it after training for only two months, in my mind that’s a differ ent type of failure,” she said.

After 38 years of mar riage, Fred is accus tomed to Judy’s frank ness.

What’s also true, Judy admitted, was her inability to appreciate Fred’s fear of falling af ter his Chilean hiking ordeal.

“I was terrified of any kind of downhill,” he said, recollecting his fall had been caused by simply slipping on loose rock. “That was a huge mental barrier.”

With those fears put to rest after hiking in Colorado, Fred put Ju dy’s Christmas gift into action and began work ing with a trainer to improve his endurance, strength and balance.

“He’d come home from a workout and say,

‘I feel so much better!’”

Judy learned how dif ficult it is to smile while biting your tongue.

As a nurse, Judy knows all about how to be healthy and how aging can be a compli

administration build ing. Three times a week, 90-minutes apiece.

“I’m not sure if there hadn’t been a goal that I would be where I am now,” she admitted. “That deadline made a difference.”

THE WORKSES are experienced hik ers. Both have pushed themselves in terms of distance, altitude and exposure.

The Himalayas, they discovered, demanded deeper reservoirs.

They hiked six to

eight hours a day for 19 days straight, at soaring altitudes.

By Day 2, they were hiking at an elevation of 12,000 feet, with each successive day going higher.

“That’s where the dif ficulty came,” said Fred. “It wasn’t sore joints or weak muscles. It was just a lack of oxygen.”

By necessity, they hiked slowly so their bodies could acclimatize to the altitude.

“It was frustrating be cause I’ve never had to hike that slowly,” said Judy. “I had to find a pace where I could keep going and not have to suck air. Once I did, it was comfortable, but slow. Sometimes I felt I was walking in slow mo tion,” she said.

“Our 30-year-old guide, Pemba, had nev er taken anyone as old, or slow, as we are,” said Judy. “We were his learning curve. He said that after climbing Mount Everest, we were his next biggest achieve ment!”

Unlike in Colorado, the Himalayan trails don’t include switch backs.

“In the morning, you walk out of your teahouse and the trail goes straight up, literal ly,” said Fred.

In some cases, the trails are steep rock steps cut into the moun tainside.

They still shake their heads at the memory

of porters hiking up the trails in flip-flops or slides while hoisting 200 lb. packs.

“They just flew by us,” Fred said, in awe of their strength and stamina.

An important lesson they learned from their son Dylan was “don’t forget to look up!” to enjoy the spectacular vista.

It was only on their descent that Fred and Judy realized their achievement.

“Going up, you’re just plodding along. It’s an intimidating hike. Go ing down made us real ize how steep the trail was,” Judy said. “We were so proud of our selves.”

JUDY IS especially proud of Fred.

“He did so great. Of the three senior mem bers on the trip, he was the strongest.”

They also became philosophical.

For one thing, fear is a terrible inhibitor.

“I had become an old person because I was afraid to trust my body,” Fred said.

And though she may not have let on, Judy was in the same boat. “I’ve been worried about Fred for seven years,” she said.

“We create barriers for ourselves that limit us,” Judy said. “Some times you just have to dream big to break through.”

cation. She ticked off “fun” facts: After age 40 the body loses 1% mus cle mass every year; for every year after 50 the body will further dete riorate without a good diet and exercise.

Yeah. Yeah.

“My goal had always been to be a healthy 95. Now, I’d settle for 85 and healthy. But I realized if I didn’t start changing my lifestyle, I’m not go ing to reach either.”

“So, I started address ing my excuses,” she said.

One bad habit was going to her computer after work to read the “stupid news.”

“All that did was make me mad for the next hour.”

Instead, she hit the gym or went for a vigor ous walk.

At work, she began climbing the two stories of stairs in the main

Neymar to miss Brazil’s next World Cup match

DOHA, Qatar (AP) —

Neymar will miss Brazil’s second World Cup match but will remain with the squad undergoing treat ment for his ankle injury, the team doctor said Friday.

Rodrigo Lasmar said tests conducted on his right ankle showed that Neymar has a ligament injury and will not be fit to play against Switzerland on Monday.

“It’s important to remain calm, an evaluation will be conducted daily so we can have more information and take the most appropriate decisions,” Lasmar said, adding that “the goal is to have him recover” in time to still play in the tourna ment.

Lasmar did not give a timetable for Neymar’s recovery. He said the situ ation of defender Danilo, who has a left ankle injury, was similar to Neymar’s and he would also miss the game against Switzerland.

Neymar was receiving treatment at the team’s ho tel Friday after getting in jured in the 2-0 win against Serbia in Brazil’s opener.

The Paris Saint-Ger main striker sprained his ankle in the second half of a bruising match against Serbia on Thursday. He was in tears while sitting on the bench with ice around his ankle and limped off the field on his way to the lock er room.

“Difficult game, but it was important to win,” Neymar said on his social media accounts not long after he left Lusail Stadi um without talking to the media. “Congratulations team, first step taken. Six more to go.”

In an Instagram story af ter the match, Neymar post ed a text that mentioned the need to “have faith.”

“It’s about believing that everything will be OK de spite the chaos. It’s the cer tainty that the best is yet to come. It’s understanding that everything has its own timing,” the text said.

Brazil coach Tite had al ready expressed optimism about Neymar’s condition.

“You can be sure that Neymar will still play in this World Cup,” he said af ter the match. “I’m certain about that.”

Neymar was substituted in the 79th minute, about 10 minutes after hurting his ankle while being tackled by Serbia defender Nikola Milenković.

Neymar had already been tackled many times before during the match, and was seen grimacing and limping a few other oc casions. He was fouled nine times, the most of all World Cup players after the first round of matches in the group stage.

“We’ll remain upbeat, it’s the characteristic of this

No. 3 KU survives OT scare

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas (AP) — Kansas’ Pettiford Jr. stood all the way out near midcourt, al most on the Battle 4 Atlan tis logo, when he saw his teammate launch a shot for the lead with only a few seconds left in overtime.

“I mean, I normally don’t crash but that’s the one time I get to crash,” Pettiford said.

He sprinted all the way under the basket just in time to see a loose rebound pop to him. Pettiford then made a twisting reverse layup with 0.2 seconds left to give No. 3 Kansas a 69-68 win against Wisconsin on Thursday in a tournament semifinal game.

Pettiford’s layup marked his only points of the game, capping a thriller that saw Wisconsin ral ly from 15 down early in the second half behind a strong performance from Tyler Wahl.

Trailing 68-67, Kan sas’ final play appeared stuck when Jalen Wilson had to kick out a pass to

The ball went right to Pettiford.

“I had kind of a good an gle but I mean, kind of a little bit of luck and skill at the same time,” he said. “So I just kind of hoped it went in.”

Pettiford landed on the floor as he watched the ball go through the net, then ex tended his fists in front of him and yelled as he start ed to sit up. Wisconsin’s Max Klesmit crouched down into a squat, in dis belief.

By the time Pettiford had gotten on his feet, he had a big smile while his team mates began to hug him near the baseline corner to celebrate. The team left the court to chants of “Bobby! Bobby!” as they headed to Friday’s championship

game.

Wilson scored 29 points and had 14 rebounds for the reigning national champion Jayhawks (6-0), and Kevin McCullar Jr. had 18 points and nine re bounds — and a 3 with 11.8 seconds left in regulation to force overtime.

“We had nothing going (in the second half) and they had outplayed us to tally,” coach Bill Self said. “Obviously we make two plays at the end of regula tion and the end of over time that basically gave us the win. We were not the best team today.”

Wahl led the Badgers (4-1) with 23 points and 10 rebounds. He scored 14 points in the second half in what was at times a oneman comeback, includ ing a run of nine straight points with his team down eight in the final 3½ min utes of regulation.

His last score was a spin ning drive against a falling Wilson for a layup and the 68-67 lead with 21 seconds

See NO. 3 KU | Page B7

Lamb sets table on Thanksgiving

France’s Girard, Mbappe hungry

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Ol ivier Giroud will overtake Thierry Henry to become France’s all-time leading scorer with 52 goals if he scores against Denmark at the World Cup on Saturday. If Kylian Mbappe finds the net he will move level with another France great.

A victory against the Danes at Stadium 974 will also qualify Les Bleus for the knockout round, and as group winners if Tunisia and Australia draw in the other Group D game.

So there’s plenty to look forward to, although France captain Hugo Lloris is still striking a cautious note.

“If you look too far ahead in a competition that’s when you can stumble. There’s a big mountain for us to climb tomorrow,” Llo ris said Friday. “It will be a battle; the fact the Danes drew against Tunisia means they need to win.”

Giroud and Mbappe looked sharp together and both scored in Tuesday’s 4-1 win against Australia.

Another goal for Mbappe would bring his tally to 30 for France.

That would move him level with Just Fontaine, whose 13 goals at the 1958 World Cup remains a tour nament record. In those days players were not earn ing massive salaries or en dorsements, so Fontaine’s prize for leading scorer in Sweden was a hunter’s rifle.

It was an appropriate reward for such a ruthless sharpshooter, who scored his 30 in just 21 games be fore his career was wrecked by a knee injury.

So Giroud and Mbappe are in illustrious company, and they’re doing well to gether. Mbappe scored one goal and set up Giroud’s second against Australia.

Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand was asked if he fears Mbappe.

“I don’t think it’s good to be frightened of anything. We have no plans to stop him,” Hjulmand joked, be fore adding. “Of course we do. When we played him in Copenhagen we had a structure in place, but he still had great chances to score. Whatever you do, you can’t keep a top player like that down.”

He will deploy central de fender Simon Kjaer to con tain his 36-year-old AC Mi lan clubmate Giroud, who Hjulmand thinks is only improving with age.

“Giroud has shown he’s probably even better than before. But Simon knows him well. Hopefully that’s an advantage,” he said.

The Giroud-Mbappe part nership is significant for the goals but also because for a long time they were consid ered incompatible. Mbappe

CeeDee

Zach Clemence beyond the 3-point arc with about 5 seconds left. Clemence launched the long 3 that banged off the basket, but Wilson kept the play alive by tipping the ball enough to keep Wahl from snag ging the rebound.

KUs Jalen Wilson registered a team-high 29 points in the Jayhawks’ overtime victory over Wisconsin in the Bad Boys Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis on Thanksgiving morning. TNS

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Dak Prescott threw two touchdown passes to tight end Dalton Schultz, Ezekiel Elliott ran for a score and the Dallas Cowboys beat the New York Giants 28-20. The victory end ed a three-game losing streak on the holiday for the Cow boys. Dallas moved a game ahead of the Giants in the NFC East while sweeping the season series. Rookie Peyton Hendershot ran for a 2-yard TD before directing all three of his fellow tight ends into a giant Salvation Army red kettle for a Whac-A-Mole cele bration. The Giants have lost three of their past four games.

Lamb could only smile when officials upheld

an out-of-bounds call on what the Dallas receiver hoped would be a touchdown on his second one-handed catch of

the game. He had to settle for setting up three TDs instead.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Ceedee Lamb. TNS

See LAMB | Page B6

Vikings rebound, beat Pats

MINNEAPOLIS (AP)

— The Minnesota Vi kings have quickly be come a confident and resilient team under rookie coach Kevin O’Connell and his staff, and they sure showed it in this short week.

Kirk Cousins threw for 299 yards and three touchdowns, the last a go-ahead score to Adam Thielen with 9:34 left to push Minnesota past the New England Patriots in a 33-26 victory Thursday night.

Justin Jefferson had 139 receiving yards and one of the touchdown passes from Cousins, who delivered the clutch performance against a formidable defense the Vikings (9-2) needed to bounce back from a blowout loss four days before.

They rebounded mul tiple times within the game, too. After an over throw by Cousins was intercepted by Jonathan Jones and returned 55 yards to set up a field goal in the first quarter, the Vikings scored on five straight possessions excluding a kneel-down to end the first half.

“Kevin has empow ered me so much. This team has empowered me so much,” said Cousins, who went 30 for 37. “At

times, it almost brings me to tears the way these guys support me.”

Mac Jones passed for a career-high 382 yards and two scores to snap a lagging offense to life for the Patriots (6-5), but they ran out of steam down the stretch. Their fourth quarter included two three-and-out punts, a turnover on downs at the Minnesota 39 and a brief desperation last drive.

Jones found Hunter Henry for a wide-open 37-yard touchdown pass to start the second half for a 23-16 lead. Kene Nwangwu scored on a 97-yard kickoff return to strike right back for the Vikings.

Jones — who has com pleted more than 77% of his passes over the last two games — appeared to hit Henry for another score on the next pos session with a twisting catch at the goal line that was ruled a touch down on the field. The replay reversal to an incomplete pass forced the Patriots to settle for Nick Folk’s fourth field goal of the game.

“My hand was under it even when it hit the ground,” Henry said.

Another vital call went the Vikings way a few minutes later when

Pierre Strong Jr. was called for running into punter Ryan Wright. With a fresh set of downs, Cousins and the Vikings cruised up the field for the go-ahead touchdown.

“We definitely had to come in and show peo ple that last week, it just wasn’t our week,” Jef ferson said.

O’Connell also got the bonus of a win over Bill Belichick, who drafted him with the Patriots in 2008.

MOVING ON UP

Jefferson had his foot prints all over this game from the start, when his 3-yard reception on a crossing route in the end zone capped the opening drive. He made catch af ter improbable catch in tight coverage, includ ing a 36-yard grab on a go route right before he was sandwiched by Jon athan Jones and Devin McCourty. Thielen’s touchdown came on the next play.

“His ability to not hear footsteps and not alliga tor-arm it but bring it in and get popped, that’s one of his many traits,” Cousins said.

Jefferson set the NFL record for most receiv ing yards in a player’s first three seasons to pass Randy Moss.

Neymar: to miss next match

Continued from B1

this team,” Brazil goal keeper Alisson said. “These adverse circum stances will only make the group stronger.”

The five-time world champions end their group-stage campaign against Cameroon on Dec. 2. Brazil leads Group G along with Switzerland, which opened with a win against Cameroon.

If Neymar can’t play, his replacement would likely be Ro drygo, who came in as a second-half substi tute against Serbia on Thursday.

The 30-year-old Ney mar was also hurt at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, when his tour nament ended with a back injury in the quarterfinals against Colombia. He had to be taken off the field on a stretcher, and Brazil ended up losing to Ger many 7-1 in the semifi nals.

Neymar’s right foot has caused him prob lems in the past, being among the series of injuries he suffered since the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Anoth er right ankle sprain led him to miss the

2019 Copa América that Brazil won.

Neymar has yet to win a major title with the national team. He helped the “Seleção” win the 2013 Confeder

Don’t miss a SINGLE STORY.

ations Cup and its first Olympic gold medal at the 2016 Rio Games.

With 75 goals for the national team, he is two shy of Pelé’s scoring re cord.

Cheshmi sends Iran to 2-0 victory over Wales

By ANNE PETERSON The Associated Press

Al RAYYAN, Qa tar (AP) — Rouzbeh Cheshmi scored in the eighth minute of stoppage time to break a scoreless stalemate and Iran went on to defeat Wales 2-0 at the World Cup on Fri day. Cheshmi’s strike from outside the box was just beyond the diving reach of Wales backup goalkeeper Danny Ward, who was pressed into duty when starter Wayne Hennessey was sent off with a red card in the 86th minute.

Ramin Rezaeian added a second goal moments later and Iran wildly celebrated while some of the Welsh players dropped in disbelief to the field. Outside Ah mad bin Ali Stadium, the ongoing protests in Iran spilled over to the World Cup with pro-government fans harassing anti-govern ment national team supporters.

As protests that have gripped Iran emerged at the World Cup, its national team rallied late for its first win at the tournament in Qatar.

Rouzbeh Cheshmi scored in the eighth minute of second-half stoppage time to break a scoreless stalemate and Iran went on to defeat Wales 2-0 on Friday.

Goal celebrations by the team were in contrast to the scene outside Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, where pro-government fans harassed anti-govern ment national team supporters.

Iran’s victory came after a disastrous loss 6-2 to England in the opener in Qatar, as players were dogged by questions about the

unrest back in Iran.

“I believe this was the solidarity between the team members that we were able to achieve this result,” Cheshmi said after ward through a trans lator.

His strike from outside the box was just beyond the div ing reach of Wales backup goalkeeper Danny Ward, who was pressed into duty when starter Wayne Hennessey was sent off in the 86th minute for a high challenge on Mehdi Taremi.

Ramin Rezaeian added a second goal moments later and Iran wildly celebrated — tossing coach Car los Queiroz in the air — while Welsh players dropped in disbelief to the field.

“It was really very emotional, especially because we rebounded from a difficult situ ation,” Queiroz said, “Nobody likes to lose, and especially when you lose by those num bers. It is a tough job. But this is the beauty of the game, there is only one game in front of you.”

Iran goes on the play the United States on Tuesday for its final match in Group B. The U.S. was set to play En gland on Friday night.

Gareth Bale made his 110th appearance for Wales, the most all-

time for the national team, but the Welsh appeared sluggish ear ly after a 1-1 draw with the United States in their Group B opener.

Wales, which fell to last place in the group with the loss, faces a tough challenge in En gland on Tuesday.

“We want to finish the competition on a on a high, it’s out of our hands in regards to going through, but we want to finish with a good performance and a win,” Wales coach Rob Page said.

Wales is making just its second appearance at the World Cup and first since 1958.

Bale, who played for Major League Soccer’s LAFC this past season, remained stuck on 41 goals for the national team, despite surpass ing teammate Chris Gunter (109) for most all-time appearances.

Recovering from the crushing defeat to En gland, Iran fared bet ter against Wales for its first World Cup win over a European oppo nent. Iran has never advanced to the knock out round at a World Cup.

The Iranian team has been peppered since its arrival in Qatar with questions about unrest back home. The players,

From left, Iran’s defender Ehsan Hajsafi (03), Iran’s goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand (01) and Iran’s defender Morteza Pouraliganji (08) listen to the national anthem ahead of the Qatar 2022 World Cup Group B football match against England. TNS

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen smiles to the crowd after scoring a touchdown against New England on Thursday. The Vikings beat the Patriots, 33-26. (JOHN AUTEY / PIONEER PRESS)

France’s: Girard, Mbappe hungry against Denmark

Mbappe was more

alongside Karim Benze ma, who took Giroud’s place at last year’s Eu ropean Championship, while Giroud struck up a good partnership with Antoine Griezmann at Euro 2016 and the last World Cup.

With Benzema out in jured and Griezmann dropping into a midfield role, the Mbappe-Giroud partnership has hap pened circumstantially. Both are well served by

the speed and crossing of winger Ousmane Dem bele, who’s also back in the side.

“His pass for Mbappe’s header (against Austra lia) was magnificent,” Deschamps said. “He al ways has that ability to beat a player.”

The trio are important to France’s chances of re taining its title.

But however strong the French attack looks, there are evident weak nesses in an injury-hit defense. Lucas Hernan dez was the latest to join the list after sustaining a ruptured ACL in his right knee against the Austra lians.

Central defender Ra phael Varane hasn’t played since a ham string injury with Man chester United on Oct. 11.

Deschamps hinted that Varane will start Saturday.

France desperate ly needs him after a patched-up and inexpe rienced back four was easily breached on Aus tralia’s first goal.

“We gave away four chances against Austra lia,” Deschamps said. “There are things to im

prove.”

The Danes beat France twice during the Nations League this year and Deschamps thinks they don’t get enough credit.

“I think they are un derestimated consid ering their true qual ity,” Deschamps said. “They’re able to change systems easily through out a match and that causes problems.”

Hjulmand said that even an injury-hit France squad will be a tough opponent.

Kylian Mbappe avoids a defender. ANNE-CHRSTINE POU JOULAT/GETTY IMAGES/TNS

Not just fast food; baby comes quickly at Atlanta McDonald’s

ATLANTA (AP) — Yes, they’ve nicknamed the baby “Nugget,” after a woman delivered a girl at an Atlanta McDonald’s.

Alandria Worthy tells WXIATV that her labor was intensify ing and her fiancé was driving her to the hospital Wednesday morning when they stopped so she could use the bathroom at the fast food restaurant.

“I went into the bathroom and my water broke immediately,” Worthy said.

Worthy said she started screaming. Restaurant manager Tunisia Woodward went to see what was happening.

“I open this door, didn’t see anyone, but I saw feet (under the door),” Woodward said. “I opened, and she was on this toi let lying back, screaming. Then I knew to tell my crew, ‘We’re hav ing a baby today.’”

Woodward and two workers be

gan to help. The fiancé, Deandre Phillips, came in to check what was taking so long, only to find Worthy giving birth.

“I was trying to calm her down because she was frantic,” Phillips said. “I was like, ‘Just breathe.’ I got her on the floor, and I took off my clothes. The ladies at Mc Donald’s were at her front side, holding her hands, I had her feet propped up on my knees. We told her to push three pushes. She was a fighter.”

Less than fifteen minutes later, Nandi Ariyah Moremi Phillips was born.

“Oh, my God, it’s still crazy that it happened,” Worthy said.

“Yes, she popped out onto my hand,” Phillips said.

The parents tell the TV station “divine intervention” brought them to McDonald’s where three women could help.

“We all are mothers and so we

put our heads together and all we needed daddy to do was catch the baby. And he did,” Woodward said of herself and her cowork ers, Sha’querria Kaigler and Kei sha Blue-Murray.

Although the baby’s birth cer tificate reads “Nandi Ariyah Mo remi Phillips,” the McDonald’s crew gave the baby girl another name.

“I said, we’re going to name her Little Nugget. That’s her nickname: McDonald’s Little Nugget,” Woodward said.

That nickname may stick.

“She’s definitely a nugget,” Phillips agreed. “My parents loved the name, too. We were like, OK, it fits her. My little nug get.”

Steve Akinboro, who owns the franchise, awarded the employ ees $250 gift cards. Woodward said she’ll spend all the money on Nandi.

High-flying balloon characters star in Thanksgiving parade

NEW YORK (AP) —

Throngs of spectators lined the streets of New York on Thursday as colorful, high-flying bal loons helped usher in the holiday season dur ing the Macy’s Thanks giving Day Parade.

The annual tradition, which dates back nearly a century, packed streets as a procession of giant inflatables and floats streamed for more than 40 blocks from Central Park to Herald Square.

Children balanced atop metal barricades and hung from scaf folding to watch the balloons amid mostly sunny skies and a slight breeze.

“Blue, Blue. There’s Blue,” yelled Divyam Kumar, 6, as his father

helped balance him and his 4-year-old brother Aanu Aryan on a metal rail.

The youngster was re ferring to the star of the animated show “Blue’s Clues” — not to be con fused with the interna tional cartoon sensation Bluey, an Australian cattle pup making her parade debut.

Bluey’s balloon tow ered as tall as a fourstory building and stretched as wide as seven taxi cabs.

Stuart, the one-eyed Minion, was also there to thrill the crowd.

But it was Snoopy that especially caught the eye of Brenner Chenenko, 8, even more so than the more con temporary pups.

“It’s one of the clas sics,” said the young ster from Rochester, New York, who lined the parade route with his father Nate and grand father John Wopperer.

It was the first time the father and son had seen the parade in per son. Wopperer last saw a parade live three years ago, before the pandem ic sidelined the event for a year.

Snoopy, dressed as an astronaut, was followed by another old-time fa vorite, Papa Smurf.

This year’s parade featured 16 giant bal loons, 28 floats, 40 nov elty and heritage in flatables, 12 marching bands, 10 performance groups, 700 clowns and one Santa Claus.

The procession of characters were joined by singer Paula Abdul, in her first parade ap pearance; indie pop band Fitz and the Tan trums; boy band Big Time Rush; “Blue’s Clues & You!” host Josh Dela Cruz; singer Gloria Estefan; gospel singer Kirk Franklin; actor Mario Lopez; reg gae star Ziggy Marley; and Miss America 2022 Emma Broyles.

Singers Joss Stone, Jordin Sparks and Betty Who were also part of the festivities, as were the stars of Peacock’s “Pitch Perfect: Bum per in Berlin” — Adam Devine, Sarah Hyland and Flula Borg. Jimmy Fallon & The Roots were on a float celebrating

Central Park.

President Biden and Jill Biden called into the parade, as he did last year. Biden thanked firefighters, police offi cers and first respond ers, saying, “They never take a break.”

They thanked the troops and Biden said he would be reaching out to speak to some to day.

Asked about their plans for the day in Nantucket, Massachu setts, the Bidens said it would involve family, and some time spent lo cally, thanking first re sponders.

In Plymouth, Mas sachusetts, the English settlement founded by the Pilgrims who ar rived on the Mayflower,

two annual events were being held to embrace “all aspects” of the holi day, town officials said.

Costumed partici pants were re-enacting their annual Thanks giving Day “Pilgrim Progress” procession, representing the 51 sur vivors of that first bru tal winter of 1621 — al though Thursday’s crew had better conditions, with sunny skies and temperatures in the 40s.

There also was a “Na tional Day of Mourn ing” honoring indig enous ancestors and protesting against rac ism and oppression. “We are not vanquishing, We are not conquered, We are as strong as ever,” a sign behind the speak ers read.

Restaurants and friends’ little kids don’t mix

Dear Carolyn: When I invite my friends who have babies or toddlers to go out to a restau rant, how can I politely request they not bring their children? — AdultOnly

Adult-Only: This isn’t a polite-request sit uation. This is a conver sation situation, where you discuss the valid issues that arise when needy, screamy little people join your previ ously adults-only club.

You prefer completing your sentences. Totally fair. There’s a reason virtually every parent of small children I’ve ever known feels as starved for that as you do.

Your friends prefer to avoid sitter hassles and (I’m guessing) want to have their friends be part of their chil dren’s lives. Maybe not as best-ever honorary aunties/unclies, though that can happen — but there’s so much possible value: The parents get to model friendship for their kids. The kids get a community and adult presence beyond their parents. The non-kidded friends get some level of inclusion in their parent-friends’ family experience, which, no

way around it, is a huge part of them now. Many become like family, or at least learn what it’s like when a kid steals your heart.

These parent-friends also have (again, guess ing) logistical challeng es. Even when you have full agreement on justadults restaurant out ings, that doesn’t guar antee that they will have full staffing or funding for one. Child care is sometimes expensive, often scarce (especially now), doesn’t always preempt reservationbusting departure-time tantrums and occasion ally calls in sick.

So, you talk — mind ful this is their child, not their Chia Pet. “What’s your take on kids vs. no kids when we go to res taurants? Does the type of restaurant matter?

I don’t want to assume anything.” The way your friends respond will signal your room to maneuver.

Assuming you even

want it. Some would rather lose the friends than rally for their kids, and if that’s you, then you might as well own it. But keeper friends are honest speakers and attentive listeners, and they’re willing partners in the mutual give-andtake that changing lives require. They involve and evolve. Both parties.

Bonus: When both have proved over time their willingness to put the friendship’s inter ests above their own sometimes, it’s easier for one of them to say inof fensively, “Whoo, I need a night with adults.”

Dear Carolyn: I’m in love with someone. The feelings are not recipro cated.

I never expected to feel this way again (I’m in my mid-70s), to carry such sadness for some thing that cannot be.

I can’t seem to get over my feelings, despite the reality I accept — in tellectually.

I’m taking steps to help myself, but I still feel emotionally stuck. Suggestions short of go ing into therapy? I am angry with myself and sad. — Anonymous Anonymous: It’s like asking a genie to make

Will I go blind from detachment in eye?

Dear Dr. Roach: I vis ited an eye doctor, and I have a posterior vitreous detachment (PVD). I am a 59-year-old female. Can you advise me? Can I go blind? I am very, very scared. — T.R.

Answer: The poste rior chamber of the eye contains a large, gelfilled structure called the vitreous body, which is in contact with the ret ina, the part of the eye with the light sensors. There is a thin mem brane that separates the vitreous from the retina, and this may become detached. Posterior vit reous detachments are common, especially as

we age. This is not the same as a retinal de tachment, because in a PVD, the retina remains in place, and so the vi sion is not necessarily threatened in a person with PVD, whereas a retinal detachment is an emergency that needs immediate care. Floaters and flashing lights can be symptoms both of a retina tear and a PVD, so these symptoms should

be promptly evaluated.

The main concern with a PVD are compli cations, especially a tear of the retina, which hap pens roughly 15% of the time in people with a PVD. A retina tear usu ally happens at the same time as the PVD. Anoth er complication is called an epiretinal membrane, a type of scar tissue that can sometimes affect vi sion. This occasionally needs surgery.

Changes in the eye can definitely be scary, but the symptoms of a posterior vitreous detachment sub side in a few months for most people, and no spe cific treatment is needed.

us feel young again, and getting awkwardness, heartbreak and zits.

I understand why you’re gutted: Loss is loss, and it’s awful. I’m sorry. Every instance of not be ing loved back leaves a scar, for me at least. But your anger I don’t understand. You cared! Affirmed life! Took a chance. Be proud of your gutted, stuck self. Might as well. Be cause all you’ve got is the power of your mind over this matter — and some self-love is a lowrisk, high-yield start. Your heart is hopeful and brave, and let no one second-guess that, least of all you.

You never expected this feeling “again,” meaning you’ve felt this before and recovered enough to achieve com placency. Okay then. You still have every mental tool you used when ever (mine: distraction, self-care, time, fresh air), plus what you’ve learned since. Trust it.

Be open to therapy, unless you live on the moon — and maybe to love again, too.

Yesterday’s Cryptoquote:

All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them. — Walt Disney

ZITS by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

BEETLE BAILEY by Mort Walker

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE by Chris Browne FUNKY WINKERBEAN by Tom Batiuk

BLONDIE

by Young and Drake

MARVIN

by Tom Armstrong

HI AND LOIS by Chance Browne

Carolyn Hax

Dr. Keith Roach

To Your Good Health

Bills overcome deficit, rally to beat Lions

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Quarter

back Josh Allen and receiver Stefon Diggs were much like the rest of their Buffalo Bills teammates — ex hausted and relieved while sharing a hug on the sideline after rally ing to beat the Detroit Lions. In overcom ing a 22-19 deficit for a 28-25 win, the Bills showed their mettle during one of the more chaotic weeks in team history. Buffalo won at Detroit’s Ford Field for a second time in five days after being the “home” team least Sunday while beating Cleveland. Allen put aside the pain he’s ex periencing in a hurt throwing elbow by overseeing two scor ing drives in the final nine minutes.

Allen looked ex hausted on the sideline after the final whistle blew, when the Buffa lo Bills quarterback turned and wrapped his arms around re ceiver Stefon Diggs to give his teammate a big, long hug.

Allen, with his wonky and sore throw ing elbow, and Diggs, following several un characteristic drops, had just overcome their deficiencies to help rally Buffalo to a 28-25 victory over the Detroit Lions. In doing so, they put a capper on one of the more chaotic two-week stretches in team his

tory — three if you in clude the gut punch of a 33-30 overtime loss to Minnesota in which the Bills squandered a 17-point lead.

Allen and Diggs found relief Thursday in being buoyed rather than beaten.

“I rejoiced,” Diggs said. “We didn’t get off to the best start, but you keep rolling with the punches.

Things aren’t going to be perfect, but I’m rid ing with my guy.”

The Bills (8-3) are far from perfect, and they face numerous chal lenges ahead, starting with the uncertain sta tus of star pass rusher Von Miller, who was carted off the sideline in the first half after hurting his right knee.

There also is the is sue of their schedule, which will determine whether Buffalo can win a third consec utive AFC East title.

The Bills already have lost to Miami (7-3) and the New York Jets (6-4) and finish the season with four of their final six games against di vision rivals, starting with a trip to New En gland (6-5) on Thurs day.

What is becoming unquestioned is the mettle this team has shown in light of the obstacles — from inju ries to snowstorms — thrown in its path.

Buffalo became the NFL’s first team to win games at the same away venue in a span of five days. The Bills

were coming off a 3123 “home” win over Cleveland on Sunday in a game played at Detroit’s Ford Field af ter a storm dumped as much as 7 feet of snow on western New York.

Against Detroit, Buffalo already was down two defensive ends, starter Greg Rousseau and A.J. Epenesa, before Miller went down. The Bills’ secondary has been depleted by a rash of injuries all season, though starting cor nerback Tre’Davious White was eased back in against Detroit. He played 16 snaps in his first game since tear ing a left knee liga ment a year ago on Thanksgiving. And then there’s the

issue of Allen’s arm, which has not looked the same since being wrenched awkward ly in the closing mo ments of a 20-17 loss to the Jets on Nov. 6.

On Thursday, Allen continued misfiring passes and threw his 11th interception and fourth in the red zone. He finished 24 of 42 for 253 yards with two touchdowns, and a TD rushing. The 253 yards passing were Allen’s fourth fewest with 42 or more attempts, and he now has turned the ball over eight times (seven interceptions and a lost fumble) in his past five outings.

“If anybody’s play ing injury free in this league, they’re prob ably lying to you,” Allen said. “If I’m going to be the guy that I think I am and my teammates think I am, I’ve got to be that guy. That’s all there is to it.”

Allen was when it counted the most.

Trailing 22-19 with 8:59 remaining, he went a combined 8 of 9 for 85 yards and a TD, and he added 29 yards rushing on Buf falo’s final two drives. Diggs, meanwhile, caught five of those passes for 65 yards and a touchdown.

“That’s what great players do,” coach Sean McDermott said. “They step up in those big moments.” WHAT’S WORKING

Fourth-quarter comebacks. Three of Buffalo’s wins this season have been de cided in the final 64 seconds.

WHAT NEEDS HELP Red-zone offense. Though Buffalo scored three TDs on four trips inside the Lions 20, Allen’s inter ception was the Bills’ sixth turnover in the red zone this season. Buffalo committed a combined five redzone turnovers from 2019-21.

STOCK UP DT Ed Oliver. The fourth-year player was in on six tackles, two of them for loss es, including a sack of Jared Goff for a safe ty, and forced a fum ble.

STOCK DOWN CB Dane Jackson. The third-year starter struggled in covering Amon-Ra St. Brown, who had nine catches for 122 yards and a TD.

INJURIES

Aside from Miller, starting left tackle Dion Dawkins did not return after hurting his ankle.

KEY NUMBER 4-2 — Bills’ record in games decided by one score this season. Buffalo was 0-6 last year, including play offs.

NEXT STEPS Buffalo opens a stretch of three straight outings against division ri vals at New England.

Lamb: sets the table for Cowboys Thanksgiving feast

Continued from B1

Lamb put the Cowboys in position for one of Dak Prescott’s two scor ing passes to Schultz and Elliott’s TD run in a 28-20 victory over the New York Giants on Thanksgiving Day.

The toe-tapping TD Lamb thought he set up for himself instead became rookie Peyton Hendershot running for the 2-yard score, then directing all three of his fellow tight ends into a gi ant Salvation Army red kettle for a Whac-A-Mole celebration with Dallas an extra point away from a 28-13 lead.

“I definitely thought the CeeDee catch was a touchdown,” Prescott said after his 10th con secutive victory over the Giants (7-4). “I went to the sideline, dropped my hel met and everything.

“The Whac-A-Mole was great. The guys told me about it early in the week. They were wor ried about getting fined or getting a penalty. We said, ‘Make sure you’re up two touchdowns. We got a couple of guys that can help with the fine. So, go for it.’”

The victory ended a three-game Thanks giving losing streak for the Cowboys (8-3), who moved a game ahead of the Giants in the NFC East while sweeping the season series. Philadel phia (9-1) leads the divi sion.

Saquon Barkley was held to 39 yards rushing with a 1-yard TD behind a makeshift offensive line missing three starters be cause of injury in New York’s third loss in the past four games.

Dallas, the NFL lead er in sacks coming in,

dropped Daniel Jones three times while limit ing him to 14 yards rush ing after he ran for first downs seven times in the first meeting, a 23-16 Dal las win.

Jones’ TD pass to Richie James in the fi nal seconds was too late for the Giants to take advantage of a 2-0 take away edge in the second Thanksgiving meeting out of 122 overall in the storied rivalry.

“It’s a divisional game and we didn’t play our best. That’s always dis appointing,” Jones said. “We’ve got a really good opportunity with big games down the stretch. We’ve put ourselves in a good position. We’re still confident.”

The Giants thought they had the game’s first touchdown on Jones’ pass Isaiah Hodgins, but Tyre Phillips, playing out of position at right tackle, was flagged as an ineligible receiver downfield.

New York coach Bri an Daboll screamed in disagreement to one of the officials, and the Gi ants ended up settling for a field goal.

“You’ll have to ask the officials,” Daboll said when asked about the negated TD, in one of several curt replies to re porters after the game.

Prescott’s TD tosses to Schultz came about five minutes apart in the third quarter, turn ing a 13-7 deficit into a 21-13 lead. The first was a 15-yarder on third-andgoal.

The Dallas quarter back’s winning streak against the Giants start ed after he lost to them twice when the Cowboys went 13-3 his rookie year

in 2016.

Lamb, who finished with six catches for 106 yards, had a 25-yard grab over the middle before El liott’s 6-yard scoring run on the first play of the second quarter.

The first one-hand ed grab by Lamb was a 15-yarder before Schul tz’s second TD. A 23-yard er put Dallas at the 2, and Lamb thought he made another one-handed catch in the back of the end zone.

Mike McCarthy chal lenged the ruling that the toe-tapper was out of bounds. Referee Scott Novak was quite specif ic in upholding the call, saying a heel touched the back line before the sec ond foot got down.

The Cowboys — and Lamb — were so confi dent about it being over turned, they had their

PAT unit on the field after seeing the replay.

“I didn’t have a clean view of it, just based off the information, so I re ally wasn’t sure if he did get the heel down or not,” McCarthy said. “I did know he had the front part of his foot in based off what we saw up top.”

Elliott had a sea son-high 92 yards rush ing, and the Cowboys overcame two intercep tions from Prescott, who threw for 261 yards.

TWO MORE AGAIN Dallas pass-rushing star Micah Parsons had his sixth two-sack game of the season, accounting for all of his team-leading 12. “I said, ‘If you get one, you’ve always got to get seconds,’” Parsons said.

RECORD-TYING KICK Graham Gano tied the New York record for longest field goal with

a 57-yarder in the first quarter. The kick came on fourth-and-32 after the negated TD and an inten tional grounding penalty on Jones.

INJURIES

Illness sidelined three Cowboys who would have been active in DT Johnathan Hankins, DE Tarell Basham and CB Kelvin Joseph. ... Giants CB Cor’Dale Flott left in the third quarter to be evaluated for a concus

sion.

UP NEXT Giants: Washington visits Dec. 4 in the first of three consecutive NFC East games for the Gi ants. The third of those is another meeting with the Commanders.

Cowboys: A threegame homestand contin ues Dec. 4 against Indi anapolis. Another AFC South opponent (Hous ton) follows Dec. 11 to fin ish that home stretch.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) is tackled by Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph (31) during an NFL football game between the Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills on Thanksgiving, Nov. 24, 2022. TNS

Kiffin will return, No. 20 Ole Miss falls

OXFORD, Miss. (AP)

— Will Rogers passed for two touchdowns and Mississippi State stopped a potential game-tying 2-point conversion with 1:25 remaining to preserve a 24-22 Egg Bowl win over No. 20 Mississip pi. Mississippi State rallied from a 16-7 deficit in the second quarter with a 10-point outburst in the fourth quarter. Massimo Bis cardi hit a go-ahead 34yard field goal before Rogers connected on a 22-yard touchdown pass to Rara Thomas to build the 24-16 lead with 7:58 remaining. Ole Miss answered when Jaxson Dart threw a 23-yard touch down pass to Dayton Wade with 1:25 left, capping a 99-yard drive and closing within 2422. But, the 2-point try failed. Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin said after the game he plans on returning next season.

Mississippi State coach Mike Leach ad mitted the Egg Bowl series with Ole Miss ranks among the na tion’s elite rivalries in unpredictability.

“Both sides let the other think they’d won it,” Leach said. “It was erratic on both sides. Just about the time you think it couldn’t get any crazier, it did.”

Will Rogers passed for two touchdowns and Mississippi State stopped a potential game-tying 2-point conversion with 1:25 remaining to preserve a 24-22 Egg Bowl win over No. 20 Mississippi on Thursday night.

“This game had a season’s worth of ex citement in it,” Leach said. “It was a wild game. An up and down game.”

The build-up to the Egg Bowl was domi

nated by conflicting re ports whether Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin will leave to become head coach at Auburn, re placing Bryan Harsin, who was fired in Octo ber.

Kiffin met privately with his team Wednes day confirming his plans to remain. How ever, WCBI-TV of Co lumbus, Mississippi, reported Kiffin will be announced as the Auburn head coach as soon as Friday. Kiffin denied the report on social media Wednes day.

When asked after the game if he planned on being the head coach at Ole Miss next season, Kiffin simply said, “Yes I do.”

Mississippi State (8-4, 4-4 SEC), which snapped a two-game losing streak in the se ries, rallied from a 16-7 deficit in the second quarter with a 10-point outburst in the fourth quarter. Massimo Bis cardi hit a go-ahead 34yard field goal before Rogers connected on a 22-yard touchdown pass to Rara Thomas to build the 24-16 lead with 7:58 remaining.

Ole Miss (8-4, 4-4 SEC) answered when Jaxson Dart threw a 23yard touchdown pass to Dayton Wade with 1:25 left, capping a 99yard drive and closing within 24-22.

After two Ole Miss timeouts to set up the two-point try, Missis sippi State defensive tackle Randy Charlton batted down a shut tle pass from Dart to preserve Mississippi State’s the advantage.

J.P. Purvis recovered the ensuring onside kick to seal it, setting off a postgame cele bration undimmed by steady rain.

“It’s a great win. A

great win,” Leach said. “We responded in some really tough situations. It’s a great win for the program, a great win for the players and they’re really excited about it.”

Rogers finished 27 of 39 passing for 239 yards, converting 8 of 16 on third down.

Jo’quavious Marks led the Bulldogs with 74 yards rushing on 14 carries, including a 1-yard touchdown run.

Dart was 30 of 38 passing for 250 yards and two touchdown, in cluding a 2-yard touch down to J.J. Pegues in the second quarter. Ole Miss was limited to a season-low 331 to tal yards. Quinshon Judkins had 87 yards on 21 rushes, but the Rebels finished with 74 rushing yards after two sacks.

“Really didn’t think we did a really good job coaching in game with adjustments,” Kiffin said. “Credit Missis sippi State, too. They played hard.”

GAME CHANGING SERIES

Trailing 16-7 with 1:55 remaining in the first half, Mississippi State responded with a 12-play, 75-yard touch down drive, capped by a 19-yard pass from Rogers to Lideatrick Griffin, with 8 seconds remaining.

“That was big. We struggled in the first half but mentally that drive helped us fight our way out of it,” Leach said. “The drive did a really good job of setting the stage for what we did in the sec ond half.”

Rogers was 8 of 10 passing for 66 yards in the drive, converting twice on third-down situations to pull the Bulldogs within 16-14 at halftime, setting up

10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter for a 24-16 lead that proved decisive.

THE TAKEAWAY Mississippi State: This win checked off a lot of boxes, especially for Mike Leach after consecutive losses in a spirited in-state rivalry.

Since 2020, the Bull dogs have won seven games against AP Top25 opponents, extended a double-digit streak of bowl appearances and consistently rank among the nation’s most productive pass ing offenses.

Mississippi State tends to fly under the national radar, but in the last two seasons, the Bulldogs are a solid 1510 overall and 8-8 in the SEC.

Ole Miss: Just over a month ago, the Rebels were 7-0, ranked No. 7 in the AP Poll, mentioned as a dark horse in the CFP conversation and the head coaching sta tus of Lane Kiffin was unquestioned.

The Egg Bowl loss capped a disappointing 1-4 finish. What hap pened? More impor tantly, what happens with Lane Kiffin?

POLL IMPLICATIONS

The loss for No. 20 Ole Miss jeopardizes a 29-week streak of hold ing a slot in the AP Poll. The Rebels advanced to No. 7 before losing four of the final five games.

Mississippi State re ceived votes, but would need a considerable bump to pass eight other similar teams to break into the AP Poll.

UP NEXT Mississippi State: Awaiting a bowl bid, marking 13 consecutive bowl appearances.

Ole Miss: Awaiting a bowl bid, marking 40 bowl appearances, the third consecutive un der Kiffin.

No. 3 KU: survives overtime vs Wisconsin

Continued from B1

left in OT.

The Badgers just couldn’t get a final stop.

“We’re not into mor al victories, but this group showed me a lot today,” Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said. “And we also learned we have a lot of things we can continue to get better at.”

BIG PICTURE

Wisconsin: The same team that strug gled to crack 40 points

— or make a shot, frankly — in the first round of the tourna ment against Dayton looked to be on its way to another bad offen sive showing. Instead, Wahl and the Badgers showed resilience and climbed back in it, they stayed shot for shot with Kansas down the stretch.

“He kicked our butt,” Self said of Wahl.

Kansas: The Jay hawks didn’t have an easy time of their At

lantis debut on Thurs day, needing to battle to the final minutes against North Carolina State. This time, Pet tiford was in the right place at the right time after Wilson tipped the ball from Wahl’s reach for a rebound off Zach Clemence’s missed 3-pointer. Just like that, Kansas was still unbeaten with a 17game winning streak dating to last year’s run to Self’s second NCAA title.

UP NEXT Wisconsin: The Bad gers will face Southern California, which lost to No. 22 Tennessee, in Friday’s third-place game.

Kansas: The Jay hawks advanced to Fri day’s championship game to face the Vol unteers in a rankedagainst-ranked finale.

World Cup fans put off by costly Qatar

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Travel at this World Cup was supposed to be easy in the tiny host nation of Qatar, after fans had to take long flights between cities at the last three tour naments.

The eight stadiums in Qatar are in or near the capital, so fans don’t have to go too far to get to matches — in theory. The country billed its World Cup as environmentally sustainable in part be cause of how compact it is, but the reality is quite different.

Tens of thousands of foreign fans are turning to shuttle flights between Doha and neighboring Dubai for a number of reasons — high hotel prices, a scarcity of accommodation and alcohol limits.

It might sound ex treme, expensive and environmentally ques tionable, but the daily flights have become a popular choice as fans opt to sleep somewhere other than Qatar.

Dubai, the free wheeling commercial capital of the United Arab Emirates, is the region’s top destina tion outside Doha. State airlines like Fly Dubai, the emirate’s budget carrier, are marshaling resourc es, operating 10 times the number of usual flights to Doha.

Neighboring Abu Dhabi and Saudi Ara bia also have orga nized air shuttles to cash in on the World Cup tourism boom. Ev ery few minutes, a Boe ing or Airbus rumbles overhead Doha’s old airport.

The concept of air shuttles isn’t new to the Gulf, where many

who live and work in ultraconservative Sau di Arabia or dry Ku wait hop over to Dubai for the weekend to drink freely and have fun in the glittering metropolis.

Unlike fans who had to take long-distance flights at the World Cups in South Africa (2010), Brazil (2014) and Russia (2018), the Dubai-Doha route is shorter in most cases.

But short flights, often defined as trips shorter than 500 kilo meters (311 miles), are more polluting than long ones per person for every kilometer traveled because of how much fuel is used for take off and land ing.

More than a dozen World Cup fans inter viewed Thursday who chose to stay in neigh boring countries said it came down to cost. Many couldn’t find an affordable place to sleep in Doha, or any place at all. As hotel prices soared in the months leading up to the tournament, fru gal fans scrambled for spots in Qatar’s farflung fan villages filled with canvas tents or shipping containers.

“We wanted to stay for five days in Doha. But it was too expen sive. We didn’t want those weird fan zones,” said Ana Santos, a Brazilian fan arriv ing at Doha’s airport on Thursday with her husband.

“In Dubai, we found a fancy hotel for not too much money. ... The flights are so crowded so we’re not the only ones.”

After eight years of lying idle, Doha’s for

Cheshmi

Continued from B2

who did not sing the country’s national an them in their opener in an apparent show of solidarity with pro testors, linked arms and sang on Friday.

“Our job it is to pro duce joy, happiness, pride for the people. That’s our job. We’re not indifferent to any thing that happens in the world. But we – like doctors, like engineers, like pilots – we need to do our jobs,” Queiroz said “We hope that this 90 minutes of entertain ment really helps the people to feel that joy.”

World: Cup fans put off by costly prices of Qatar

Continued from B7

mer airport is back to life as thousands of shuttle flight passen gers squeeze through its halls. On Thursday, Qataris in traditional dress passed out juicy dates and Arabic coffee to arriving fans who cheered and snapped photos while draped in their national flags.

Other fans on shut tle flights were turned off by Qatar’s alcohol restrictions. The city’s few hotels are almost the only places allowed to serve alcohol, after a last-minute ban on beer

in stadiums. Doha’s sole liquor store is open only to Qatari residents with an official permit.

Meanwhile Dubai’s pulsing nightclubs, pubs, bars and other tourist spots are awash with spirits — and at lower prices than in Doha, where a single beer goes for $14 at the official fan festival. Even in Abu Dhabi, the Unit ed Arab Emirates’ more conservative capital, tourists can buy alcohol at liquor stores without a license.

“We want to have a Dubai experience. That’s more interesting for us,”

said Bernard Boatengh Duah, a doctor from western Ghana who bought an all-inclusive Dubai hotel package that gives him matchday flights, as well as un limited food and alcohol. “We wanted more free dom.”

Many fans described the shuttles as a fairly seamless process — ar riving at the Dubai air port less than an hour before takeoff, zipping through lines without luggage and flying for about 50 minutes before landing in Doha just in time for their game.

But others found it

RACING THIS WEEK

TEAM NOTES

A natural move for Ty Gibbs and crew

Joe Gibbs Racing announced that Xfinity Series champion Ty Gibbs will move to the Cup Series full-time next season, taking the roster spot left open by Kyle Busch and marking the next step in his speedy ascent to stock-car racing’s major leagues.

Gibbs is set to drive the No. 54 Toyota for the team owned by his grandfather, Joe Gibbs. The 20-year-old driver will bring the car number he campaigned in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with him, marking a departure from the No. 18 that’s been with the JGR organization since its Cup Series debut in 1992. Although Gibbs will be in the No. 54 car, Joe Gibbs Racing intends to use the No. 18 in the Cup Series in future years.

Chris Gayle, who served as crew chief during Gibbs’ championship season, will move with him to serve as crew chief in the Cup Series.

Gibbs has excelled at each stage of his rapid climb up the NASCAR ladder. He concluded the season as a seven-time winner this year in the Xfinity Series, capping his first full season of Xfinity competition with a title-clinching victory at Phoenix Raceway. That triumph was marked by tragedy with the death of his father, Coy Gibbs, in the overnight hours just after his Phoenix win.

In parts of two Xfinity seasons, he’s already won 11 times, including prevailing in his series debut in 2021 at Daytona International Speedway’s road course. But Gibbs also made an unplanned jump to the Cup Series this year, filling in with 23XI Racing — a JGR affiliate — when former series champion Kurt Busch was sidelined by a concussion after a crash during qualifying on July 23 at Pocono Raceway.

Gibbs was pressed into duty for his Cup Series debut the next day, and he filled in for Busch in 15 races the rest of the year. He withdrew from the Cup season finale after his father’s death.

Joe Gibbs Racing’s high-profile vacancy on its four-car team officially opened Sept. 13, when Kyle Busch and Richard Childress Racing announced they would join forces, starting next season. The move ended a partnership that dated back to 2008, a long-running union that produced two Cup Series championships and 56 of Busch’s 60 career wins.

The younger Gibbs’ rise to NASCAR’s top level has been marked by success and a dab of controversy. Even as he nearly immediately rounded into a consistent challenger for Xfinity Series wins on a part-time schedule last season, Gibbs cruised to a championship in the ARCA Menards Series, prevailing in 10 of the 20 races in 2021. He’s an 18-time winner on that circuit, and he also has multiple victories in each of the two ARCA regional tours.

Gibbs’ aggressive nature has helped him land in Victory Lane, but it’s also ruffled some of his competitors. He was assessed a behavioral penalty and fined $15,000 in April for making contact with Sam Mayer’s car on pit road after an Xfinity race at Martinsville Speedway. That disagreement led to fisticuffs between the two. On the Cup Series side, Gibbs also angrily bumped alongside Ty Dillon’s car on pit road during a Sept. 25 race at Texas Motor Speedway, drawing scrutiny and a $75,000 fine for unsafe driving near race officials and pit-crew personnel.

The controversy came to a head in the Xfinity Series’ penultimate race, when Gibbs bumped teammate Brandon Jones into a last-lap crash at Martinsville Speedway. The maneuver denied another JGR driver from making the Championship 4 field, and a repentant Gibbs apologized for the move.

stressful and draining.

“These are long days. It’s exhausting,” said Steven Carroll, a lab technician from Wales, whose flight back to Dubai was delayed an hour, returning him to his Dubai hotel worn-out at 4.a.m after a 24-hour day.

“The problem is you have to arrive in Qatar a good while before the match and you have to allow even more time to go through the airport.”

Fernando Moya, a 65-year-old Ecuador fan from New York, said he regretted flying in from Abu Dhabi. A technical

Smoke

problem with his friends’ Hayya cards, which act as Qatar entry visas, stranded his companions in the UAE capital.

Moya spent his Thurs day speaking to custom er service in the Doha airport and shelled out nearly $2,000 to fly them over on a new flight.

“The logistics of this whole system are very complicated for people,” he said.

The airport on Thurs day was teeming with fans from Saudi Ara bia, whose citizens have bought more World Cup tickets than any other nationality.

Gibbs drove the No. 18 during his ARCA successes, flying the car number that his grandfather used when he created Joe Gibbs Racing as a single-car outfit with Dale Jarrett as his driver 31 years ago. As an Xfinity regular, though, he established his own identity with the No. 54. The last time the No. 18 was not in regular rotation in the NASCAR Cup Series was 1991. JGR drivers account for all but one of the car number’s 80 wins — Marvin Burke was the first, winning in his only Cup appearance in 1951. Three of JGR’s five Cup Series championships have come with the No. 18 — Bobby Labonte’s 2000 title and the two crowns claimed by Kyle Busch (2015, 2019). The No. 54 has not been used fulltime in the Cup Series since 2003, when driver Todd Bodine paired with team owner Travis Carter. The No. 54 has won just three times in NASCAR’s top division, most recently in 1978 when Lennie Pond posted his only Cup Series win at Talladega Superspeedway.

JR Motorsports makes driver, crew chief moves

JR Motorsports has revamped its crew chief roster for the 2023 X nity Series season. Returning veterans Jason Burdett and Taylor Moyer will assume crew chief duties with the Nos. 9 and 8 entries, respectively, while the addition of Jim Pohlman on the No. 7 and Mardy Lindley with the No. 1 team completes the crew chief lineup.

Entering his ninth season with JRM, Burdett is the company’s winningest crew chief with 18 victories. Burdett, who led Justin Allgaier to Championship 4 appearances in ve of the last seven seasons, will transition to the No. 9 Menards team with JRM’s newest driver Brandon Jones. Through his rst eight years with the company, Burdett racked up an impressive 110 top- ve and 183 top-10 nishes.

Moyer moves to the No. 8 team with driver Josh Berry for 2023 to ll the role vacated by Mike Bumgarner, now serving as JRM’s director of competition. In 2019-20, Moyer served as crew chief of JRM’s No. 8 Chevrolet and its rotating roster of drivers. He has spent the past two seasons atop the pit box for Berry and Sam Mayer, leading Mayer to 12 top ves, 25 top 10s and a playo berth through to the Round of 8 in 2022.

TEAM NOTES

Preece

SHR promotion for Preece

Stewart-Haas Racing announced that Ryan Preece will join the organization in a full-time capacity to drive the No. 41 Ford Mustang in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season.

The 32-year-old Preece has most recently been a reserve driver for the team but will be brought into the full-time fold to compete for next year’s championship. The Berlin, Connecticut, native will join 2014 Cup champion Kevin Harvick and returning drivers Aric Almirola and Chase Briscoe to round out the team’s quartet.

Preece replaces incumbent Cole Custer, who piloted the No. 41 for the past three seasons and is moving to the X nity Series to team with Riley Herbst.

“This is the opportunity I’ve been working for,” Preece said in a team release. “Nothing was guaranteed at the start of this year, but I felt like if I put in the time, whether it was in a race car or in a simulator, that SHR was the place for me. It’s a company built by racers, for racers, and it’s exactly where I want to be.

“I know this season just nished and most people are looking to take a break, but I can’t wait to get going.”

Preece appeared in a pair of Cup Series races in 2022, driving the No. 15 Rick Ware Racing Ford to a best nish of 25th at Dover Motor Speedway. He also made a combined 13 starts across X nity Series and Camping World Truck Series action, winning in the No. 17 David Gilliland Racing Ford F-150 in June at Nashville Superspeedway.

Custer landed three top 10s and a pole in 2022, and won at Kentucky Speedway during his rookie season in 2020.

“Cole Custer has been a part of SHR since 2017 and we’re glad to have him stay with us,” team co-owner and three-time Cup Series champion Tony Stewart said. “Cole’s experience will be invaluable to Riley Herbst as he continues his development in the X nity Series.”

SHR did not announce Preece’s crew chief.

TY GIBBS is set to drive the No. 54 Toyota for the team owned by his grandfather, Joe Gibbs.

show: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, celebrates with a sweet burnout after winning the 2022 Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway Nov. 6.