The Iola Register, Dec. 30, 2022

China’s COVID surge stirs world concern

BEIJING (AP) — Moves by several countries to mandate COVID-19 tests for passengers arriving from China reflect global concern that new variants could emerge in its ongoing explosive outbreak — and that the government may not inform the rest of the world quickly enough.

There have been no reports of new variants to date, but China has been accused of not being forthcoming about the virus since it first surfaced in the country in late 2019. The worry is that it may not be sharing data now on any signs of evolving strains that could spark fresh outbreaks elsewhere.

The U.S., Japan, India, South Korea, Taiwan and Italy have announced testing requirements for passengers from China. The U.S. cited both the surge in infections and what it

Dr. Gardner goes to Topeka

By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register

Fred Gardner has been getting better acquainted with the communities he will soon represent.

It’s a big change for the retired Garnett veterinarian, and he wants to be prepared.

It’s also a big change for area residents, who will have a different voice representing their interests in Topeka.

Gardner was elected Nov. 8 to serve District 9 in the Kansas House of Representatives after longtime Rep. Kent Thompson retired, and the district was redrawn to include all of Allen and Anderson counties, with small sections of Linn and Miami. It previously covered Allen County and part of Neosho, including Chanute.

The district’s new territory means Gardner will work with four county commissions, about a dozen city councils and several school boards. He’s spent the past few weeks meeting with many of those representatives, along with officials at

hospitals, health care clinics and mental health organizations.

“I’m trying to get acquainted with as many city and county government people

as I can. I’ve met most of the school superintendents and a lot of health care leaders, just to get to know them before the session begins,” Gardner said.

In a way, he considers it an extension of his campaign. During the weeks of running for office, he found many who are unfamiliar with how gov-

Manhattan Democrat to resign from Kansas Senate

By TIM CARPENTER Kansas Reflector

TOPEKA — Democratic Tom Hawk of Manhattan said Thursday he would retire Jan. 10 midway through his fouryear term in the Kansas Senate.

Hawk, 76, is a retired school superintendent and teacher who had a 33-year career in public education. He served three terms in the Kansas House before defeated for reelection in 2010. In 2012, he won the first of three elections for Kansas Senate.

He represents the 22nd District in the Senate that includes Riley, Geary and Clay counties.

“It has been one of the greatest honors of my life to serve our state and represent my pocket of Kansas in the Legislature,” Hawk said. “I am grateful to my neighbors for placing their trust in me to be their voice in Topeka over these past 10 plus years.”

The 2023 Legislature convenes Jan. 9. Hawk’s exit from the Senate would officially transpire the next day. He

Soviet Union’s terror, triumphs began 100 years ago

By JIM HEINTZ The Associated Press

MOSCOW (AP) — With its brutality, technological accomplishments and rigid ideology, the Soviet Union loomed over the world like an immortal colossus.

It led humankind into outer space, exploded the most powerful nuclear weapon ever, and inflicted bloody purges and cruel labor camps on its own citizens while portraying itself as the vanguard of enlightened revolution.

But its lifespan was less than the average human’s; born 100 years ago, it died days short of its 69th birthday.

The Soviet Union both inspired loyalty and provoked dismay among its 285 million citizens. The dichotomy was summarized by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who served in its notorious KGB security agency.

“Anyone who doesn’t regret the passing of the Soviet Union has no heart,” he said. “Anyone who wants it restored has no brains.”

On the centenary of the treaty that formed the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, The Associated Press reviews

the events of its rise and fall.

ESTABLISHMENT

Five years after the overthrow of Russia’s czarist government, four of the socialist republics that had formed in the aftermath signed a treaty on Dec. 30, 1922 to create the

USSR: Ukraine; Byelorussia; Transcaucasia, which spread over Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan; and Russia, including the old empire’s holdings in Central Asia. The USSR, which later expanded to include Moldova, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, left the republics with their own governments and national languages, but all subordinate to Moscow.

LENIN DIES

Vladimir Lenin, the first Soviet leader, was already in poor health when the USSR was formed and died little more than a year later. Josef Stalin outmaneuvered rivals in the ensuing power battle.

COLLECTIVIZATION

Stalin incorporated private landholdings into state and collective farms. Resistance to collectivization and the policy’s inefficiencies aggravated famines; Ukraine’s 1932-33 “Holodomor” killed

an estimated 4 million people, and many term it an outright genocide.

GREAT PURGE

Driven by Stalin’s fear of rivals, Soviet authorities in the 1930s launched show trials of prominent figures alleged to be enemies of the state and conducted widespread arrests and executions often based on little more than denunciation by neighbors. Estimates say as many as 1.2 million people died in 193738, the purge’s most intense period.

WWII World War II inflicted colossal suffering on the Soviet Union, but cemented its superpower status and swelled citizens’ hearts with the conviction that theirs was a virtuous and indomitable nation.

An estimated 27 million Soviets died. The Battle of

Rep. Fred Gardner, a retired veterinarian from Garnett, is getting ready for his first term in the Kansas Legislature. The session begins Jan. 9. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS

Soviet founder Vladimir Lenin, left, and Soviet leader Josef Stalin in 1922 just outside Moscow, Russia. PICRYL

Manhattan Democrat Sen. Tom Hawk, right, said he would resign from the Senate one day into the 2023 legislative session. Democrats will appoint his replacement. (KANSAS REFLECTOR SCREEN CAPTURE FROM KANSAS LEGISLATIVE YOUTUBE CHANNEL)

Kelly bans TikTok from all state devices

By RACHEL MIPRO Kansas Reflector

TOPEKA — Citing security concerns, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly banned TikTok from all stateowned devices in the executive branch and prohibited access to the social media platform on the state network.

Kelly signed an executive order banning it Wednesday, saying she was concerned about the security risks the app poses. TikTok’s parent company is run by a Chinese-owned company and has been under increased scrutiny in over the last month or so, with the FBI warning that user data is potentially being shared with the Chinese government.

Congress recently implemented a TikTok

ban on federal devices in the House of Representatives, with some lawmakers in the Senate calling for a complete ban throughout the United States. Several states — including Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska — have security policies covering TikTok in place.

The ban applies to all state-owned devices in the executive branch agencies, boards and commissions. Kelly said she encouraged other state entities, such as the Board of Regents, the Office of the Attorney General and the legislative branch, to follow her lead.

“Today, I am taking common-sense steps to protect Kansans’ privacy and security,” Kelly said in a news release. “TikTok mines users’

data and potentially makes it available to the Chinese Communist Party — a threat recognized by a growing group of bipartisan leaders across the United States.”

Under the order, active official State of Kansas TikTok accounts will be removed,

along with any TikTok applications on state-owned devices. Agencies have 30 days to begin blocking TikTok, and access to the TikTok website from state-managed networks will be blocked, with mechanisms put into place to prevent future app installation.

Obituary

Amanda King

Amanda Louise King, 47, Humboldt, died Thursday, Dec. 15, 2022, at the Kansas City Hospice House, Kansas City, Mo.

Amanda was born Dec. 9, 1975, in Wichita, to David Spearman and Karen (Bonham) Spearman.

She was united in marriage to Michael King on Oct. 12, 1996, in Fredonia.

She was preceded in death by her father, David Spearman.

Amanda is survived by her husband of 26 years, Michael; daughter, Kireston Thomas and husband Anthony; two sons, Travis King and Summer Marie Leandry and Taner King; four grandchildren; her mother, Karen (John) Link; and many other relatives.

Memorial services will be at 3 p.m. Friday, Dec. 30, at Faith Assembly of God Church, Humboldt. Amanda’s family will greet friends from 2 to 3 o’clock, prior to the service.

Arrangements are under the direction of Feuerborn Family Funeral Service, Iola. Services will be livestreamed through the church’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/ faithhumboldt.

Memorial contributions may be made to Stella’s Wish and may be left in care of the funeral home. Condolences may be sent to www.feuerbornfuneral.com.

Southwest meltdown a ‘perfect storm’ of well-known vulnerabilities

By GRACE TOOHEY, MARGOT ROOSEVELT ALEXANDRA E. PETRI Los Angeles Times/ TNS

As chaos at Southwest Airlines brought misery to thousands of frustrated travelers and growing scrutiny from U.S. regulators and lawmakers, many in the aviation industry said the massive cancellation of flights by the nation’s largest domestic carrier was far from surprising.

Industry experts and union leaders for Southwest employees cited the company’s outdated technology and vulnerable operations, both of which are particularly susceptible to any disruptions, much less multiple coast-to-coast weather events.

“This was the perfect storm,” William McGee, a senior fellow focused on aviation for the American Economic Liberties Project. “Other (airlines) dealt with this and came back from this; Southwest was sort of brought to its knees. It deserves to be blamed for not being more resilient.”

Of the more than 3,000 flights canceled Tuesday across the U.S., about 85% were Southwest‘s, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware. Thousands of the airline’s passengers were stranded in airports across the nation — not to mention its crew members. In California, hundreds of flights have been delayed or canceled through the end of the week — making up much of the Southwest schedule.

The U.S. Department of Transportation said this week it plans an inquiry into the source of the airline’s massive problems.

Although the company acknowledged delays and cancellations and blamed most of the headaches on bad weather, leaders have offered little explanation or plans for relief.

“Our heartfelt apologies for this are just beginning,” the airline said in a statement. “We recognize falling short and sincerely apologize.”

Michael Santoro, vice president of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Assn., said Southwest has failed to invest in an updated software sys-

tem used for flight routing and staffing, which is crucial to avoid continual problems.

“The catalyst was the big storm,” Santoro said in an interview. “But our internal software can’t handle massive cancellations. The company hasn’t invested the money into scheduling infrastructure to support the network they have developed.

“So pilots are calling in asking, I’m done with this flight — where do I go next? Am I running another plane? Do I spend the night here? And pilots are on hold for hours trying to figure out what to do next.”

The cancellations are expected to continue.

Southwest Chief Executive Bob Jordan told the Wall Street Journal the airline planned to operate at around one-third of regular capacity as it tries to regroup and get the schedule back on track.

“This is not hyperbole, I’ve never seen an airline meltdown of this size and magnitude,” said McGee, who has worked in and around U.S. airlines for almost four decades.

Although McGee and union leaders pointed directly to technology shortcomings for the unprecedented delays this week, experts said they could also be due in part to the way Southwest does business. The U.S. airline giant has no partnerships with other airlines to assist with rebookings, it operates with few open seats or backup crews and its unique flight patterns — running from destination to destination instead of in and out of certain hubs — leave little room for error, meaning delays can quickly spiral.

“They just keep domino-ing and cascading,” McGee said. “It will take weeks to try to just accommodate all the people who have been displaced.”

Southwest’s flight patterns mean that “if one flight is canceled or delayed, it’s going to make a mess for everyone the whole day,” said Brian Sumers, editor of the Airline Observer newsletter. “It’s a complicated airline.”

Santoro said Southwest’s point-to-point network is “super-complex” but works well when there are no unforeseen storms. “It’s a great network,” he said. “It just needs to be supported correctly, and it hasn’t been.”

Michael Massoni, first vice president of Transport Workers Union Local 556, said the flight attendants union has complained about Southwest’s “antiquated technology” for a decade.

“When you have a weather event, airplanes get stuck and crews get stuck,” Massoni said. “But the software literally can’t keep up with where the airplanes are and where the flight attendants are.”

What ensues, he said,

is “chaos,” and Southwest’s only option is to deal with the problem manually.

Union officials agree with the company that the flight interruptions are not due to staffing issues, saying there were enough pilots and crews scheduled for the holidays.

With existing software, “the network spirals out of control,” Capt. Casey Murray, president of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Assn., said in a statement to members. “The company’s failed solution? Hire more. ... We aren’t undermanned. … Even with the correct number of pilots on any given day, the house of cards fails, and fail it does with ever-increasing frequency and severity.”

Many industry analysts said there’s still much to investigate about this breakdown.

“We just don’t know what’s really happened there to cause such an unprecedented cancellation pattern,” said Kathleen Bangs, spokesperson for FlightAware. “What was the system failure?”

The record for most U.S. flight cancellations in 2022 was set Feb. 3

— when a storm in the South and Midwest briefly closed Dallas Fort Worth International Airport — but that was surpassed Dec. 23, Bangs said.

In February, many flights were preemptively canceled to deal with the weather, but Southwest didn’t take that step this past week, she said.

“With it being the holidays, it’s really tough to preemptively cancel flights,” Bangs said. “It just really backfired.”

The chaos at Southwest prompted criticism from federal lawmakers as well.

Sens. Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., members of the Senate Commerce Committee, said Southwest should not be able to claim flight cancellations were caused by recent winter storms, which would allow the airline to avoid reimbursing travelers.

Compensation should include not only rebooked flights, refunds, hotels, meals and transportation but also “significant monetary compensation for the disruption to their holiday plans,” the two senators said in a statement.

Southwest’s meltdown reached the Oval Office, with President Biden posting on Twitter that airlines would be held responsible and directing aggrieved travelers to the Department of Transportation website to determine whether they’re entitled to compensation.

“Our administration

is working to ensure airlines are held accountable,” Biden tweeted Tuesday.

Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, said Tuesday that the committee will examine the causes of the disruptions and their effects on consumers.

“The problems at Southwest Airlines over the last several days go beyond weather,” Cantwell said in a statement.

“Many airlines fail to adequately communicate with consumers during flight cancellations. Consumers deserve strong protections, including an updated consumer refund rule.”

Furious and weary travelers flooded Southwest on Twitter with reports of long lines that extended outside airport terminals, missing luggage that in some cases traveled onward despite canceled flights or piled up unclaimed for days. Southwest passengers were also forced to wait hours to reach consumer support representatives on the phone or were repeatedly getting disconnected, and struggled to navigate a glitchy website.

Passengers are blaming Southwest workers for the delays, Santoro said, which has become embarrassing.

“We apologize and apologize,” Santoro said. “But it’s not our fault. We’re ready to work. We’re showing up. But we just need Southwest to put us on an airplane — tell us which airplane to fly.”

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly has banned TikTok from state-owned devices in the Kansas executive branch, saying the app is a security risk. GETTY IMAGES/KEVIN FRAYER/KANSAS REFLECTOR

Southwest Airlines ticketing agents were busy Wednesday getting passengers on canceled flights rebooked. DAVID MONTESINO/TNS

Soviets: Review the rise and fall of an empire in just 69 years

from A1

Stalingrad was among the bloodiest in history; Nazi and affiliated forces besieged Leningrad for more than two years.

The Red Army doggedly pushed back and slowly advanced until reaching Berlin, ending the war’s European theater.

The war left Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia incorporated into the Soviet Union, as well as what later became Moldova. Stalin used wartime conferences to demand a Soviet sphere of influence in Eastern Europe, eventually drawing Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Bulgaria and East Germany behind the “Iron Curtain.”

STALIN DIES

Stalin’s death in 1953 was traumatic for Soviets who venerated him. Huge crowds gathered to pay their respects and more than 100 people reportedly died in the crush. He left no designated successor, and the country’s leadership became embroiled in jockeying for power. Nikita Khrushchev cemented his position at the top in 1955.

KHRUSHCHEV THAW

Formerly a loyal functionary, Khrushchev turned on his predecessor once firmly in power. In a speech to a Communist Party congress, he railed for hours against Stalin’s brutality and the “cult of personality” he engendered. He later had Stalin’s body removed from the Red Square mausoleum where Lenin’s body also lay.

The speech was a key point in what became known as the Khrushchev Thaw, a period of relaxed repression and censorship.

Khrushchev was ousted in 1964 in a vote by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, which was led by Leonid Brezhnev. He became the

USSR’s leader.

SPACE RACE

The 1957 launch of Sputnik-1, the first artificial satellite, sparked enormous concern in the United States that the Soviets were speeding ahead technologically. The U.S. accelerated its space program, but the USSR sent the first human into outer space, Yuri Gagarin, four years later. American Alan Shepard’s 15-minute suborbital flight the next month only emphasized the space gap.

CUBAN MISSILE

CRISIS

Perhaps the closest the world ever came to full nuclear war was the 1962 confrontation between the U.S. and the USSR over the presence in Cuba of Soviet nuclear missiles, which Khrushchev sent in response to U.S. nuclear-capable missiles placed in Turkey. The U.S. ordered a naval blockade of the island and tensions soared, but the Soviets agreed to pull back the missiles in return for the removal of U.S. missiles from

Turkey. The positive offshoot was the establishment of a U.S.-USSR hotline to facilitate crisis communications.

DETENTE

In the Brezhnev years, Washington and Moscow engaged in the so-called “detente” period that saw several arms treaties signed, improved trade relations and the Apollo-Soyuz spacecraft docking, the first joint mission in outer space. That ended after the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. Brezhnev died in 1982, and relations withered under successors Yuri Andropov and Konstantin Chernenko, who were in ill health and died after less than 15 months in office.

AFGHANISTAN WAR

Despite Afghanistan’s reputation as “the graveyard of empires,” the Soviets sent in troops in 1979, assassinating the country’s leader and installing a compliant successor. Fighting dragged on for nearly a decade. Soviet troops — 115,000 at the war’s height — were bat-

tered by resistance fighters used to the rough terrain. Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev began a withdrawal in 1987 and completed it in 1989. More than 14,000 Red Army troops died in the conflict that eroded the image of Soviet military superiority.

STAGNATION

“They pretend to pay us and we pretend to work.” This sarcastic line became popular in the Brezhnev era as the economy staggered through low and even negative growth. The rigidity of central planning was seen as a major cause along with high defense spending.

GORBACHEV RISES

The dour torpor that set in during the late ‘70s lifted when Gorbachev was chosen Communist Party leader after Chernenko’s death. Personable, a relative youngster at 54 and accompanied by his fashionable wife, Raisa, Gorbachev brought a strongly human touch to a grim and opaque government, sparking enthusiasm dubbed “Gorbymania” in the West. Within months, he was campaigning to end economic and political stagnation, using “glasnost,” or openness, to pursue the goal of “perestroika” — restructuring.

He signed two landmark arms agreements with the U.S., freed political prisoners, allowed open debate, multi-candidate elections and freedom to travel, and halted religious oppression.

But the forces he unleashed quickly escaped his control. Long-suppressed ethnic tensions flared into strife in areas such as the southern Caucasus. Strikes and labor unrest followed price increases and consumer good shortages so severe that even showpiece Moscow stores

were bare.

CHERNOBYL

Gorbachev’s standing in the West was undermined when a reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded in 1986, spewing radioactive fallout over much of Europe for a week.

Despite Gorbachev’s vaunted glasnost, the Soviets did not inform the outside world, or even their own citizens, of the disaster for two days. They allowed a large May Day event in Kyiv despite elevated radiation levels.

BERLIN WALL FALLS

Although the USSR had sent troops to put down uprisings in the satellite states of Hungary and Czechoslovakia in 1956 and 1968, it did not intervene when democratization and waves of dissent spread

halt to all political activities. Tanks and troops ground through the streets of Moscow, but crowds gathered to defy them. Russian President Boris Yeltsin clambered onto a tank outside the parliament building to denounce the coup plotters. The attempt collapsed in three days and Gorbachev returned to Moscow, albeit with his power severely weakened.

COLLAPSE

Over the next four months, the USSR disintegrated with the slow drama of a calving glacier, as several republics, including Ukraine, declared independence. Yeltsin banned Communist Party activities in Russia.

The leaders of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus in early December signed an accord stating the

The collapse of the Soviet Union was one of those occasions in history that are believed to be unthinkable until they become inevitable.

through East Bloc countries in 1989. The most vivid consequence of standing back came when East Germany opened passage to West Germany: Jubilant demonstrators swarmed the Berlin Wall that had blocked off the city’s Soviet sector since 1961, and hammered chunks off it.

COUP ATTEMPT

The Soviet prime minister, defense minister, KGB head and other top officials, alarmed at growing separatism and economic troubles, on August 19, 1991, put Gorbachev under house arrest at his vacation dacha and ordered a

Soviet Union had ceased to exist. On Dec. 25, Gorbachev resigned and the USSR’s flag was lowered from the Kremlin.

Debate persists on what felled the colossus: its repressive ways, poor decisions by ailing leaders, adherence to an arguably unviable ideology — all could have played a part.

Thirty years later, analyst Dmitri Trenin, then-director of the Moscow Carnegie Center, told The Associated Press: “The collapse of the Soviet Union was one of those occasions in history that are believed to be unthinkable until they become inevitable.”

Russia hits key infrastructure with missiles across Ukraine

KYIV, Ukraine (AP)

— Russian missiles hit Ukraine Thursday in the biggest wave of strikes in weeks, damaging power stations and other critical infrastructure during freezing winter weather.

Russia fired 69 missiles at energy facilities and Ukrainian forces shot down 54, Ukrainian military chief Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi said.

Local officials said attacks killed at least two people around Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city. The strikes also wounded at least six people across the country, although the toll of the attacks was growing as officials assessed the day’s events.

Russia dispatched explosive drones to selected regions overnight before broadening the barrage with air and sea-based missiles, the Ukrainian air force said. Air-raid sirens rang out across the country, and the military activated air-defense systems in Kyiv, the regional administration said.

Russia has attacked Ukrainian power and water supplies almost weekly since October while its ground forces struggle to hold ground and advance. Mayor Vi-

tali Klitschko warned of power outages in the capital, asking people to stockpile water and to charge their electronic devices.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called the attacks”senseless barbarism.”

“There can be no ‘neutrality’ in the face of such mass war crimes. Pretending to be ‘neutral’ equals taking Russia’s side,” Kuleba tweeted.

After more than 10 months of fighting, Russia and Ukraine are locked in a grinding battle of attrition. The Ukrainian military has reclaimed swaths of Russian-occupied territory in the country’s northeast and south, and continues to resist persistent Russia attempts to seize all of the industrial Donbas region in the east.

At the same time, Moscow has targeted Ukrainian power facilities and other key infrastructure in a bid to weaken the country’s resolve and force it to negotiate on Russian terms. The time between strikes has increased in recent weeks, though, leading some commentators to theorize Russia is trying to

ration its missile supply.

The Ukrainian military has reported success in shooting down incoming Russian missiles and explosive drones in earlier attacks but many cities have gone without heat, internet and electricity for hours or days at a time.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said a number of energy facilities were damaged during what he said was the 10th such large-scale attack on his country.

“Russia is trying to deprive Ukrainians of light before the New Year,” Shmyhal wrote in a Telegram post. He said that emergency black-

outs may be necessary “in some areas.”

About 90% of Lviv was without electricity, Mayor Andriy Sadovyi wrote on Telegram. Trams and trolley buses were not working, and residents might experience water interruptions, he said.

Meanwhile, a Telegram channel affiliated with the presidential press service of Belarus said a Ukrainian S-300 air defense missile landed in Belarusian territory of Belarus early Thursday. It said the missile could have veered off course accidentally and there were no casualties.

The Belarusian Defense Ministry said lat-

er that the missile was downed by the Belarusian air defense over the western Brest region and fell into a field, according to a statement carried by the state Belta news agency Belarus served as a staging ground for Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine.

The governor of Rus-

sia’s Saratov region, Roman Busargin, said Russian air defenses downed an “unidentified object” near the city of Engels, home to a Russian air base that serves as the main hub for nuclear-capable strategic bombers that are engaged in launching missile strikes on Ukraine.

Then-Vice President George Bush, former President Ronald Reagan and former Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev meet in 1988. PICRYL

— Dmitri Trenin, former director of the Moscow Carnegie Center

Aid groups: Afghans will die because of ban on women in NGOs

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Major aid agencies on Thursday warned that Afghans will die because of the Taliban order banning women from working at nongovernmental groups, and stressed that female staff are crucial for the delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance across war-battered Afghanistan.

The dire prediction came after the Economy Ministry last week said women can no longer work at international or domestic NGOs, allegedly because they are not wearing the Islamic headscarf, or hijab, correctly at their workplace.

The order was the latest blow to women’s rights and freedoms since the Taliban took

power in August 2021.

The move has triggered international condemnation and calls for the Taliban to reverse their decision immediately, as the country grapples with a spiraling humanitarian crisis, a harsh winter, and an economic collapse.

Save the Children, Care, World Vision and the Norwegian Refugee Council have suspended their operations in Afghanistan. They held a joint press briefing on Thursday.

“If we’re not able to start our programming, children will die. Hundreds and thousands of people will die, that’s how serious the situation is,” said Inger Ashing, the CEO of Save the Children International.

“If we’re not able to be there for Afghan people, we will lose them. They will die,” she said.

The four agencies also said at the briefing that Afghanistan is grappling with one of the worst hunger crises on record, with 6 million people on the brink of famine.

Despite initially promising a more moderate rule respecting rights for women and minorities, the Taliban have widely implemented their interpretation of Islamic law, or Sharia, since their takeover of the country.

They have banned girls from middle school, high school and university, barred women from most fields of employment and ordered them to wear head-to-toe clothing in public. Wom-

en are also banned from parks and gyms. The Afghan society, while largely traditional, had increasingly embraced the education of girls and women over the past two decades under a U.S.backed government.

On Wednesday, the United Nations said some of its “time-critical” programs have stopped temporarily in Afghanistan due to lack of female staff. The U.N. stressed that its female staff are key to the humanitarian response in the country, accessing a population men cannot and safeguarding the communities being served.

“Banning women from humanitarian work has immediate life-threatening consequences for all Afghans,” the U.N.

warned in its statement.

“This comes at a time when more than 28 million people in Afghanistan, including millions of women and children, require assistance to survive as the country grapples with the risk of famine conditions, economic decline, entrenched poverty and a brutal winter,” the U.N. added.

The NGO ban came days after the ban on female higher education, triggering international condemnation and and an outcry at home.

A minister for higher education in the Taliban government, Nida Mohammad Nadim, has defended the ban, saying it is necessary to prevent the mixing

China: Countries concerned about COVID cases

said was a lack of information, including genomic sequencing of the virus strains in the country.

Authorities in Taiwan and Japan have expressed similar concern.

“Right now the pandemic situation in China is not transparent,” Wang Pi-Sheng, the head of Taiwan’s epidemic command center, told The Associated Press. “We have a very limited grasp on its information, and it’s not very accurate.”

The island will start testing everyone arriving from China on Jan. 1, ahead of the expected return of about 30,000 Taiwanese for the Lunar New Year holiday later in the month. The new Japanese rules, which restrict flights from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao to designated airports beginning Friday, are already disrupting holiday travel plans.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin noted Thursday that many countries have not changed their policies for travelers from China and said that any measures should treat people from all countries equally.

Every new infection offers a chance for the coronavirus to mutate, and it is spreading rapidly in China. Scientists can’t say whether that means the surge will unleash a new mutant on the world — but they worry that might happen.

Chinese health officials have said the current outbreak is being driven by versions of the omicron variant that have also been detected elsewhere, and a surveillance system has been set up to identify any potentially worrisome new versions of the virus. Wu Zunyou, the chief epidemiologist at China’s Center for Disease Control, said Thursday that China has always reported the virus strains it has found in a timely way.

“We keep nothing secret,” he said. “All work is shared with the world.”

Italy’s health minister told the Senate that sequencing indicates that the variants detected in passengers arriving from China are already in circulation in Europe. “This is the most important and re-

assuring news,” Orazio Schillaci said.

That squares with what the European Union’s executive branch has said. The EU refrained Thursday from immediately following member Italy in requiring tests for visitors from China, but is assessing the situation.

More broadly, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said the body needs more information on the severity of the outbreak in China, particularly on hospital and ICU admissions, “in order to make a comprehensive risk assessment of the situation on the ground.”

China rolled back many of its tough pandemic restrictions earlier this month, allowing the virus to spread rapidly in a country

that had seen relatively few infections since an initial devastating outbreak in the city of Wuhan. Spiraling infections have led to shortages of cold medicine, long lines at fever clinics, and at-capacity emergency rooms turning away patients. Cremations have risen several-fold, with a request from overburdened funeral homes in one city for families to postpone funeral services until next month.

Chinese state media has not reported the fallout from the surge widely and government officials have blamed Western media for hyping up the situation.

The global concerns, tinged with anger, are a direct result of the ruling Communist Party’s sudden exit from some of the world’s most stringent anti-virus

policies, said Miles Yu, director of the China Center at the Hudson Institute, a conservative think tank in Washington.

“You can’t conduct the lunacy of ‘zero-COVID’ lockdowns for such a long period of time … and then suddenly unleash a multitude of the infected from a caged China to the world,” risking major outbreaks elsewhere, Yu said in an email.

Dr. David Dowdy, an infectious disease expert at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said the move by the U.S. may be more about increasing pressure on China to share more information than stopping a new variant from entering the country.

China has been accused of masking the virus situation in the country before. An AP investigation found that the government sat on the release of genetic information about the virus for more than a week after decoding it, frustrating WHO officials.

The government also tightly controlled the dissemination of Chinese research on the virus, impeding cooperation with international scientists.

Research into the origins of the virus has also been stymied. A WHO expert group said that “key pieces of data” were missing on how the pandemic began and called for a more in-depth investigation.

of genders in universities and because, according to him, some subjects violate Islamic and Afghan values.

A spokesman for the private universities’ union, Mohammad Karim Nasiri, said Thursday that 35 institutions risk closure because of the ban. Male students have also been boycotting classes and exams in solidarity with their female counterparts, he added.

Senate

serves on the Senate’s budget, transportation and utilities committees.

Senate Democratic Leader Dinah Sykes, of Lenexa, said residents of Hawk’s district were fortunate to be represented by Hawk. She said his work to secure K-12 and university funding and to advance bipartisan legislation, including the state highway plan, would benefit the state for generations.

“His intellect, attention to detail and inimitable wit made our team stronger,” Sykes said. “Our caucus will feel a little emptier and a lot less funny without Tom Hawk in the room every day. “ His seat in the Kansas Senate will be filled through a selection process organized by the Kansas Democratic Party. Republicans in the Kansas Senate hold a 29-11 advantage over the minority party. The full Senate doesn’t face reelection until 2024.

Meanwhile, state Sen. Gene Suellentrop, a Wichita Republican, plans to step down from the chamber Jan. 2. He will be replaced by Chase Blasi, a former staff member of Senate President Ty Masterson of Andover.

Suellentrop was arrested during March 2021 in Topeka after he drove the wrong way on Interstate 70 at speeds approaching 100 mph before stopped by the Kansas Highway Patrol. He tested at 0.17% blood-alcohol level and was quoted in a KHP affidavit calling a trooper “donut boy” and asserting he could beat him in a wrestling match. He was ousted from his position as Senate majority leader and subsequently entered a no-contest plea to DUI and reckless driving.

Passengers go through immigration at the airport in Hong Kong on Wednesday. Hong Kong authorities asked Japan to remove restrictions on direct flights from the city, which were imposed following the explosion of coronavirus cases in mainland China. (PETER PARKS/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES/TNS)

The Iola Register

~ Journalism that makes a difference

Baby boomers won’t come to job market’s rescue this time

Statistically, it should come as no surprise that the United States is in a tight labor market.

Baby boomers are retiring. And fast.

The COVID-19 pandemic started the wave. Rather than return to the office or classroom, those age 60-70 are staying home.

Of the 3.5 million people considered missing from the labor force, almost 2 million are of retirement age.

So why the surprise? Recent history taught us otherwise.

Once the 2008 Great Recession was ushered out, baby boomers, then in their late 50s and 60s, flooded the job market because not only had their savings been eroded but they also weren’t ready to retire — a significant change from previous generations.

The difference meant an influx of almost 10 million workers of which a whopping 98 percent were 55 and older.

They’re not called baby boomers for nothing. The post-World War II spike in birth rates continues to represent a substantial portion of the world’s population. For the United States, baby boomers now number 71.6 million. Today’s millennials, those born between 1981 and 1996 and just starting careers and families, come in at 72.1 million.

Today’s employment scenario is very different from that of 12 years ago in other ways as well.

Besides baby boomers aging out, many are able to comfortably retire thanks to generous COVID-19 federal stimulus subsidies and a stock market that defied the odds.

It took three years for Americans to regain ground lost to the Great Recession. As for the response to COVID-19, the economy was back in gear only four months after the pandemic came ashore in February 2020.

So, no, those recent retirees aren’t coming back. Which leaves us in a pickle.

Today, 1.7 jobs are available for every unemployed

worker. Nationwide unemployment is 3.7 percent, a 50-year low.

The tight labor market also helps explain why inflation is high.

With employees in demand, wages are up. To meet payroll, businesses have no choice but to charge more for their goods.

Outside forces also are driving up costs. The persistence of COVID-19 continues to create supply chain bottlenecks. And Russia’s invading Ukraine is directly affecting energy supplies.

In general, today’s high prices are caused by too few cars, computer chips, lumber, fuel, etc., to meet the demand and people with the means to purchase them.

As 2022’s robust holiday sales prove — up 7.6 percent over 2021 — today’s workers, despite inflation, are spending lots, fueling the untenable high-wage, high-cost cycle.

INFLATION

TAMING

while keeping maximum employment is the goal.

The government’s most effective tool is to raise interest rates, making it more expensive for consumers and businesses to borrow money to pay wages, buy inventory and pay the rent.

In 2022, the Federal Reserve raised the federal funds rate seven times. In February, rates sat at zero. Today they are at 4.25 - 4.5 percent.

Is it working?

In June, the cost of goods had soared by 9.1 percent. Today, inflation is at 7.1 percent. The Federal Reserve’s goal for 2023 is to bring it down to a realistic 5.1 percent with its overall goal of returning to 2 percent.

So far, businesses have been able to weather the rate increases without significant cuts or layoffs.

The goal is a slow but steady retraction that allows inflation to continue to fall, easing us away from the precipice of a full recession.

Here’s hoping for that soft landing.

— Susan Lynn

A look back in t me. A look back in t me.

55 Years Ago December 1967

Twenty new jobs will be created in Iola the first week in January when an egg processing plant goes into operation at 212 N. Jefferson. Corbett Thompson, who will be general manager, told the Register that applications for employment are being accepted now.

Thompson said the plant will be known as Tyson’s Pride of Kansas. It is being established by Tyson industries which operate egg and poultry production complexes in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri. Automatic equipment to wash, grade and package up to 80 cases of eggs an hour is being installed in the building on North Jefferson formerly

occupied by James Implement. Thompson said purchase contracts would be offered to area producers and the hopes are that as many as 300,000 laying hens will be on area farms.

*****

HUMBOLDT — The city council has accepted a gift of $2,500 from L. T. Cannon, long-time attorney, to build a shelter house in the city park along U.S. 169. Cannon suggested that it be built in the northeast corner of the park. Cannon donated land for the park, a full block, several years ago and made provisions in his will for construction of a shelter house and explained his gift by saying he decided he would like to see it built during his lifetime.

Military academy gets priorities straight

Like everything at West Point, it’s all organized and planned. According to the superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy, Lt. Gen. Steve Gilland, while the Corps of Cadets is away this winter break, the beautiful campus overlooking the Hudson is being stripped of its shameful Confederate symbols.

Heading out are likenesses of Robert E. Lee (including him wearing his Confederate uniform) to a bronze triptych plaque at the Bartlett Hall Science Center depicting a hooded and armed Klansman (he is clearly labeled “Ku Klux Klan”).

When the cadets return from their vacation, the disturbing portrayals will have been properly removed and sent to storage. This is not about sanitizing history. West

Point was the focal point of the Union’s heroic effort in defeating the traitorous Confederacy, a slavocracy that tried to destroy the Constitution and caused the bloodiest war ever in American lives, both North and South.

Although a distinguished grad of West Point and later its superintendent, making him Gilland’s predecessor, Lee unforgivingly led a rebellion against this nation and executed a brutal Civil War that killed hundreds of thousands of soldiers of the United States Army who fought to suppress it.

There is no place for Lee in such a place of reverence to our Army. Appropriately, a quote from Lee inscribed at Honor Plaza will be replaced in the spring. Likewise, there will be changes at Reconcilia-

tion Plaza.

Lee Road, Beauregard Place and Hardee Place will get new names, as will Lee Barracks, Lee Housing Area and even the Lee Child Development Center.

The Long Gray Line going back to 1802 refers to the gray cadet uniforms and their motto of “Duty, Honor, Country,” not the Confederate colors led by Lee that tried to perpetuate slavery and destroy the Union.

Lee, a masterful military strategist who refused a top command in the Union Army and resigned his commission to instead lead the Army of Northern Virginia, should be studied in West Point’s classrooms, but not saluted on her fields of honor.

— New York Daily News

e value of strong public schools

Traditionally during the holidays, thoughtful moments of gratitude, goodwill and peace push away the frenzy of gift giving and parties with fancy food. We take stock of the past and look toward the coming year.

Recent months have seen much worried talk about the fragility of Kansas public schools.

Critics point to deep, structural weaknesses that emerge from lack of accountability.

Because we live in a democratic society, public school policy is always an open discussion and not value neutral. Our schools exist amid dissent about their effectiveness and always have.

Continuously attacked but surprisingly resilient, Kansas schools remain strong due to unfaltering dedication to their core mission — to grow students’ knowledge and prepare them for citizenship.

The beginning of a new year seems the right time to reflect on the power of public education for positive change and how the past foreshadows a crucial challenge to Kansas schools today.

As most Kansans know, in 1951, Oliver Brown filed suit against the Topeka Board of Education because his daughter, Linda Brown, was denied admission to Topeka’s white-only schools. The resulting U.S. Supreme Court decision ruled separate was not equal education and ended racial segregation in schools across the nation.

Despite tenacious resistance to desegregation and enrollment flight to Kansas suburbs, the impact of the Brown v. Board of Education eventually opened all public

Sharon Iorio

Insight Kansas

places. Today about 90 percent of students in Kansas attend racially integrated public schools and graduation rates are up since the 1950s when they hovered around 50 percent nationally.

In 2019, U. S. Department of Education statistics show graduation rates for black students nationally at 79.6 and in Kansas at 80 percent. The graduation rate for all students in Kansas was 87.23 percent.

According to the last census, the Kansas population is 86 percent white. Yet, from Dodge City to Wichita to Johnson County, Kansas is becoming an increasingly multi-cultural and multi-racial society. Kansas schools now face a different struggle, one that deals less with attendance than the guarantee of equal educational opportunities.

insults in classrooms and talk-back to teachers.

Though a small minority, the students who act out are visible symptoms of the deeper, largely unspoken but hard to eradicate, racism and disrespect of others that lingers in our society. Racism and lack of acceptance toward others’ culture, religion, disability, age or gender can be found throughout Kansas and the nation.

TEACHERS and administrators are striving not to indoctrinate but provide inclusiveness for students. Schools work to bring us together through creating sound school-wide safety measures, communicating the worth of all individuals and teaching history that shows both the positive and negative aspects of our shared past.

Public education, arguably, is the most unifying and important of all American institutions. ... A free public education is the single institution that prepares our children to be responsible citizens.

Lessons learned from the Brown decision show that positive social change is possible, but the lessons appear to have little influence on the disrespectful and disruptive Kansas youth who recently mocked their peers of another race at a sports event or those who brought guns to school or who now exchange

Public education, arguably, is the most unifying and important of all American institutions. In a country built on individual rights, free public education is the single nationwide institution that offers all children 12-plus years of schooling to enhance their personal lives and prepare them to be responsible citizens.

Public schools are the dominate form of education for Kansas students—a powerful influence on the future of the state.

It’s time to appreciate the gift of public education.

A view of West Point Military Academy from across the Hudson River. (NANCY KENNEDY/DREAMSTIME/TNS)

ernment or community programs work, the services they provide, if they are qualified or how to access those programs.

For example, he learned when it comes to education, some families may not know about tutoring programs or that some schools provide medical clinics. In mental health, those who most need treatment are often those less likely to receive it.

On Wednesday, he met with representatives of the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, and learned more about the barriers people face with accessing health care.

“We have quite an extensive list of services available in this part of the state. Quite a few people seem to struggle to understand the systems that are in place and who they need to talk to,” Gardner said.

“I’m not sure I have a solution to that problem, but it surprised me to learn about it. A lot of services are available and those things are not a secret. But getting access to those services can be a problem.”

The conversations and lessons he is learning now will be useful in committee work.

Gardner will serve on committees for local government, health and human services, and agriculture and natural resources.

The agriculture committee was Gardner’s first choice of assignments, because of his experience in the agriculture industry as a large-animal veterinarian. He specializes in horses. Many of his customers have agricultural backgrounds, which gives him an understanding of the challenges they face.

He’s also looking forward to serving on the local government committee, as he believes it’s important for lawmakers in Topeka to have good communication with their peers at the grassroots levels.

He points to Allen County Commissioner David Lee as an example he hopes to follow. Lee organized meetings that introduced Garner to county employees and residents, who shared their concerns and educated him about county operations.

“He is a good example of how those in government can interface with the people,” Gardner said.

“I would like to see the state government more accessible to the people, and help people understand a bit more about what goes on in government.”

Gardner said he plans to offer updates to local news media about the session, and hopes to set up digital newsletters.

As for his work on the health and human services committee, he’s been meeting various health officials. In addition to CHC, he’s also met the administrator of hospitals in Allen and Anderson counties and others in the Saint Luke’s Health System.

GARDNER’S preparation also included visits to Topeka for orientation and to select leadership for the Republican Party.

Again, he took a methodical approach by

meeting with leadership candidates, and speaking to other lawmakers who have served with them on committees.

He’ll share an office — 512J in the Capitol building — with newly elected Rep. Lewis “Bill” Bloom, a farmer and stockman from Clay Center picked to represent District 64. The two were loosely acquainted, as Gardner went to college with Bloom’s wife and both have ties to agriculture.

THE LEGISLATIVE session starts Monday, Jan. 9.

It’s difficult, especially for a new lawmaker, to predict what bills may come up for debate.

Gardner shared his thoughts on what topics he expects to face:

Water

With all of the state facing at least some drought conditions over the past year, water rights and distribution are expected to be a key issue facing lawmakers.

“It doesn’t impact us here as much as it does in Western Kansas, but if we aren’t careful how we implement water policy it could greatly impact production agriculture all across the state,” Gardner said. “We need to have a good, fair and reasonable plan for the long term.”

Sales tax on food

Gov. Laura Kelly has made it known she wants to speed up the phased-in approach to eliminate the state’s food sales tax this year.

As of Jan. 1, the food sales tax will drop from 6.5% to 4%, then go down another 2% next year and be totally eliminated in 2025.

Gardner said he is satisfied with the current plan.

“My thinking is that the legislature should probably put their horsepower and their efforts into other issues. That is going to come to pass and it does help people now,” he said.

However, he’s willing to look at other related tax issues, such as eliminating taxes on such things as diapers or feminine hygiene products, or perhaps a tax holiday on school supplies.

“Maybe we should take a broader look at tax relief for the people,” he said. “I’m willing to look at the governor’s proposals.”

Medicaid expansion

The state’s more conservative lawmakers historically have been reluctant to approve Medicaid expansion, in spite of being just one of 12 states not to do so. Expansion would grant health coverage to those with incomes up to 138% of the poverty level.

Gardner appears to agree with those opposed to expansion, citing concerns about cost. The federal government pays about 90% of the

cost. Taxpayers in states that haven’t expanded Medicaid still contribute to the federal effort — $152 billion has been collected from non-expansion states since 2014 and that money is used to fund expansion in other states.

But Gardner said he doesn’t trust the federal government to continue to fund Medicaid as promised. He’s afraid if the state agrees, the federal government will cut its funding and Kansas will have to pay to cover the costs.

Marijuana Gardner is opposed to approving medical or recreational marijuana in Kansas.

Medical marijuana should be subjected to rigorous testing and regulation like any other medicinal product, he said.

“The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is one branch of the federal government that has worked well,” he said.

“In my opinion, the State of Kansas and the legislature have no business taking on the responsibility for purity, safety, regulation, packing and distribution of these medical products. I acknowledge there may be medical benefits from THC and CBD but we need to be patient and let the medical approval system work through that. The medical community and not the state legislature should be the ones determining that.”

He is willing to consider other related issues, such as changes to the penalty system. Many have been sentenced to years in prison for possessing something that is now legal in most states.

“The next best step would be to put into law some changes to the legal and penalty system that more clearly reflect the danger to the public,” he said.

Census reclassifies urban areas

By MIKE SCHNEIDER The Associated Press

Almost 1,000 cities, towns and villages in the U.S. lost their status as urban areas on Thursday as the U.S. Census Bureau released a new list of places considered urban based on revised criteria.

Around 3.5 million residents living in the small cities, hamlets, towns and villages that lost their urban designation were bumped into the rural category. The new criteria raised the population threshold from 2,500 to 5,000 people and housing units were added to the definition.

The change matters because rural and urban areas often qualify for different types of federal funding for transportation, housing, health care, education and agriculture. The federal government doesn’t have a standard definition of urban or rural, but the Census Bureau’s definition often provides a baseline.

“The whole thing about urban and rural is all about money,” said Mary Craigle, bureau chief for Montana’s Research and Information Services. “Places that qualify as urban are eligible for transportation dollars that rural areas aren’t, and then rural areas are eligible for dollars that urban areas are not.”

The Census Bureau this year made the biggest modification in decades to the definition of an urban area. The bureau adjusts the definition every decade after a census to address any changes or needs of policymakers and researchers. The bureau says it is done for statistical purposes and it has no control over how government agencies use the definitions to distribute funding.

There were 2,646 urban areas in the main-

land U.S., Puerto Rico and U.S. islands on the new list released Thursday.

“This change in definition is a big deal and a substantial change from the Census Bureau’s long-standing procedures,” said Kenneth Johnson, a senior demographer at the University of New Hampshire. “It has significant implications both for policy and for researchers.”

Under the old criteria, an urbanized area needed to have at least 50,000 residents. An urban cluster was defined as having at least 2,500 people, a threshold that had been around since 1910. Under this definition, 81% of the U.S. was urban and 19% was rural over the past decade.

Under the new definition, hammered out after the 2020 census, the minimum population required for an area to be considered urban doubled to 5,000 people. Originally, the Census Bureau proposed raising the threshold to 10,000 people but pulled back amid opposition. The new criteria for urban areas shift the urban-rural ratio slightly, to 79.6% and 20.4%, respectively.

In 1910, a town with 2,500 residents had a lot more goods and services than a town that size does today, “and these new definitions acknowledge that,” said Michael Cline, North Carolina’s state demographer.

With the new criteria, the distinction between

an urbanized area and an urban cluster has been eliminated since the Census Bureau determined there was little difference in economic activities between communities larger and smaller than 50,000 residents.

For the first time, the Census Bureau is adding housing units to the definition of an urban area. A place can be considered urban if it has at least 2,000 housing units, based on the calculation that the average household has 2.5 people.

Among the beneficiaries of using housing instead of people are resort towns in ski or beach destinations, or other places with lots of vacation homes, since they can qualify as urban based on the number of homes instead of full-time residents.

“There are many seasonal communities in North Carolina and this change in definition to housing units may be helpful in acknowledging that these areas are built up with roads, housing, and for at least one part of the year, host many thousands of people,” Cline said.

Housing, instead of population, is also going to be used for density measures at the level of census blocks, which typically have several hundred people and are the building blocks of urban areas. The Census Bureau said using housing units instead of population will allow it to make updates in fast-growing areas in between the censuses.

Photo by April Kroenke Photography

Almost 1,000 cities, towns and villages in the U.S. lost their status as urban areas. PIXABAY.COM

Liberty Bowl blues

KU rallies, but falls in 3-OT classic

Wichita State falls to Central Fla.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) —

Darius Johnson’s 15 points helped Central Florida defeat Wichita State 52-45 Wednesday night to open American Athletic Conference play. Johnson added five rebounds and four steals for the Knights (10-3). Taylor Hendricks scored nine points while going 4 of 11 (1 for 4 from distance), and added five rebounds. Brandon Suggs finished 4 of 5 from the field to finish with nine points.

Melvion Flanagan finished with 11 points for the Shockers (7-6). Jaron Pierre Jr. added seven points for Wichita State.

UCF led Wichita State at the half, 26-23, with Suggs (five points) their high scorer before the break. UCF outscored Wichita State by four points in the final half, while Johnson led the way with a team-high 12 second-half points.

By PHIL STUKENBORG The Associated Press

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP)

— Arkansas coach Sam Pittman admitted he was exhausted after more than four hours of football. Who could blame him after the Razorbacks and Kansas combined for 108 points?

KJ Jefferson passed to Rashod Dubinion for a 2-point conversion in the third overtime and Arkansas held off a furious second-half rally by Kansas for a 55-53 win in

the AutoZone Liberty Bowl on Wednesday night.

The Jayhawks had rallied from 25 points down in the second half to force overtime, but failed on a 2-point conversion pass from Jason Bean to Lawrence Arnold in the third OT to end the marathon.

“What a game, what a crowd,” Pittman said. “I’m exhausted. I’m beat up. And I never played a snap.”

The longest game in the Liberty Bowl’s 64-year history set 24 records, includ-

Jefferson

“I just wanted to put my teammates in the best position to win and be able to tell the story (of winning the bowl game),” said Jefferson, the game’s MVP. “I’m proud

Raiders bench QB Carr

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr has missed only three games in nine years, all because of injury.

Now, for the first time, he won’t play because of what coach Josh McDaniels said Wednesday were offensive performance reasons.

McDaniels not only will start Jarrett Stidham the final two weeks, including Sunday’s home game against the San Francisco 49ers, but Carr will be inactive. Practice squad quarterback Chase Garbers will be the backup.

The Raiders (6-9) have lost two of the past three games to all but fall out of the playoff race just a year after making the postseason.

Carr has not completed more than 55% of his passes in any of the past four games, and he has thrown seven interceptions and six touchdown passes in that span.

“I don’t think anybody feels like we’ve done enough offensively certainly in a couple of these games,” McDaniels said. “We couldn’t put enough points on the board, so I don’t think anybody’s really happy with what we’ve done.”

Wide receiver Davante Adams, who also played with Carr at Fresno State, helped orchestrate a trade from the Green Bay Packers in March largely because he wanted to play with him.

“I don’t think anybody was excited about it in here,” Ad-

MIAMI (AP) — It was 2006.

LeBron James wasn’t even midway through his first stint in Cleveland. He made the playoffs for the first time, was already a globally recognized star and well on his way to becoming the game’s best player.

As a 21-year-old, he averaged 30.2 points.

Fast forward 16 years. He’s left Cleveland, gone to Miami, won two championships, gotten married, became a father of three, gone back to Cleveland, won another championship, left for Los Angeles, won a fourth championship with the Lakers, still a giant star, still in the best-player conversation.

As a 37-year-old, he averaged 30.1 points.

James turns 38 on Friday, midway through his 20th season. Nobody in NBA history has averaged so many points as a 37-year-old. Not even close. Karl Malone averaged 23.2 points at that age, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar averaged 20.2 and Julius Erving averaged 20.2. There have been

was 8.3 points per game.

Yet

he did at 22. Or 23. Or 24. Or any other age over the last 16 years.

“I know how feverishly he works on his game,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “Just being in the gym, see-

ing him in the gym ... you know, he’s not just out there playing his own individual game of H-O-R-S-E. He actually works on the shots and

Arkansas quarterback KJ Je erson (1) attempts a pass during the rst half of the AutoZone Liberty Bowl against Kansas Wednesday. GETTY IMAGES/JUSTIN FORD/TNS

ing total points (108), total offense by one team (681 yards by Arkansas) and first downs (32 by Kansas).

passed for 287 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 130 yards and two more scores to lead the Razorbacks.

150 players in NBA history who played at 37; the average scoring clip of the other 149

here is James, simply not slowing down. He averaged more points at 37 then

At 38, LeBron is clear; he still wants title shots

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) dribbles the basketball as Dallas Mavericks forward Tim Hardaway Jr. (11) blocks him Sunday. LOLA GOMEZ/TNS

Director of Talent Search Project Salary: $35,000 - $40,000

Director of Development Salary: $50,000 - $60,000

Assistant Director of Residence & Student Life Salary: $23,000 - $28,000

STARS Math Specialist Salary: $30,160 - $34,600

Safety Officer Part-time Minimum starting wage: $15.50

Assistant Spirit Coach Salary: $21,000

When dating people from good families just feels bad

Adapted from an online discussion.

Dear Carolyn: My family is really dysfunctional. I’ve made peace with it, except for when I date someone from a big, happy, close family, which just highlights the weirdness, such as when they ask what they think are harmless questions, and I’m left either dodging them or answering: “No, I don’t have a favorite food my mom makes, because she stopped cooking after my dad threw a hot casserole at her when I was 9, so it was cold sandwiches until I learned to cook.” Or: “Nope, I don’t see my dad on Father’s Day. My visit would interfere with his drinking.”

Or: “No, we don’t really have holiday traditions, because my mom joined

Carolyn Hax

so many weird cults.”

At first I tried telling the truth, because a therapist once said to “own” my past, but that was so awkward. Lately, I’ve been dodging, and it’s exhausting.

So I’ve decided not to date anyone unless they come from a similar background. My friend says that’s an “incredibly limiting and selfdestructive choice,” but I don’t see another option. Do you?

— Exhausted

Exhausted: I do, and I agree with your friend.

There is vast acreage between dodging completely and telling en-

tire truths every time. For Father’s Day queries: “Not a big thing in my family.” It’s a truth, complete unto itself, and covers a functional family that skips Hallmark holidays, or a “really dysfunctional” one. Only you know the difference until you choose to share.

Same with favorite foods from Mom: “Sandwiches? Mom didn’t cook.” True, and true enough. People aren’t as attentive to your history as you are. Or tell truths without the sledgehammer: “Mom joining cults was our tradition. My childhood was … ‘interesting.’” [Air quotes.]

I’m thinking you know this, though — and maybe your erf-itI’m-done-with-happyfamilies is less about what to say than how to

stop being constantly reminded of the chances you didn’t have. And if so? Absolutely fair.

But, back to your friend’s observation: Denying yourself an entire category of people — one that almost by definition won’t reenact your family trauma on you — seems like a permanent, self-defeating fix to a temporary problem.

Last thing: Close families have their weird, too. They’re people. Can’t help themselves. You fit in more than you think.

Last last thing: A healthy, compassionate family will welcome you and not treat you like an exhibit.

Readers say:

• Do yourself a favor, and date the happy

family! You are worthy, regardless of your parents’ choices. I dated dysfunction for years so I wouldn’t be rejected by healthy families. Thank goodness I didn’t marry until I realized I belonged at a healthy table, too. My husband’s family welcomed me, even with my extended family struggles. Hugs to you, friend!

• Stick to people who take you at your word about the weirdness. I have a family of real oddballs, and I wouldn’t date anyone who said, “Oh, that couldn’t really have happened,” or, “I’m sure they meant well.”

• When I want to give the straight dope on my crappy family, it’s usually because I’m sad, insecure, jealous or angry — but, most of all, resentful — that others didn’t have to grow up

with the kind of abuse I experienced. When I can accept that none of what happened to me was my fault? I don’t feel that need to slam on the conversation brakes with a shocker about my mom. Resentment is not something you want to bring into any relationship; might be worth exploring what triggers it. And if you need to hear it: You do deserve to be happy.

BY JAY BOBBIN

As new episodes of “The Chase” begin airing, do you feel your comfor t level as host of the game has increased greatly?

always say that when I learn something, have to learn the way it’s been done before I can shake it up and make it my own. It does take me a minute to feel like I’ve gotten down the basic rules of what it should look like, and I feel this season allows me to elbow my own space out and make it mine.

Does that comfor t level extend to your relationships with the newest trivia exper ts, if Chasers, to join the show?

Well, they came in so excited to be par t of the show, and they’re all per fectionists. They judge themselves ver y much on whether they win or lose, and they take it ver y personally

When I see them beat themselves up on something they missed, I can relate to that so much, and that makes me want to really make them comfor table. Ever yone’s better then, the players and the Chasers. And me!

Since the contestants often are near you, how are the health protocols on the “Chase” set working now?

We still have them, but there’s a lot more freedom, with all the testing of the people on the stage. That’s kind of nice, because I’m a touchy, sensitive person. When I see someone who’s excited or hur ting, I want to be able to touch them.

It was really hard the first year In fact, that was almost the hardest par t, to not be able to have that connection with the other people. Because this version of “The Chase” was born during the pandemic, it has yet to have a studio audience.

Our bodies have good bacteria, too

DEAR DR. ROACH: After a patient has had megadoses of IV and oral antibiotics, is there anything they should do to restore the balance in their bodies, such as eating probiotics or yogurt, or is that just all nonsense? — N.W.

ANSWER: The idea makes perfect sense: Antibiotics not only kill the bad bacteria that is infecting us, they also kill many of the healthy bacteria that help us with digestion and other

Dr. Keith Roach

To Your Good Health

functions. (The whole suite of healthy bacteria living in our gut is termed the “microbiome.”) Why not help the gut return to normal by giving it some healthy bacteria, such as those found in yogurt with live cultures, or specific pro-

biotics, which are just the healthy bacteria?

The answer is that it has been very hard to prove that there is any benefit in doing so. In people with no symptoms after finishing an antibiotic course, there probably aren’t any benefits. At least one study showed what researchers called a “very severe disturbance” in the person’s microbiome and actually slowed the return to a person’s normal microbiome,

which they had prior to antibiotics. Worse still, very rarely, infections have been transmitted through probiotics.

Symptoms after antibiotic therapy, especially diarrhea and fever, could indicate a very severe infection called Closteroides dificile (“C. diff”), which does not respond to probiotics and usually needs powerful antibiotics to treat. Probiotics have also not been found to prevent C. diff.

LeBron: Still dominating in 20th season

Continued from B1

just being ready to be able to strike from any zone or any distance.”

James is closing in on passing Abdul-Jabbar for the NBA career scoring record — they’re separated by only 574 points — and he’s as prolific a scorer as he’s ever been.

“I do know how much I put into the game,” James said. “I know how much I put into my body, into my mind, and all of those things. But I kind of surprise myself sometimes, just at the level. When you look at the history of the game... doesn’t seem like many have played at this level for this many years and this many miles and things on their resume.”

Not many. If any. Not at 37, anyway.

He averaged not just the 30.1 points, but 8.5 rebounds and 6.2 assists during this lap around the sun. Only six players at that age averaged more rebounds, only four players — Steve Nash, Chris Paul, Jason Kidd and John Stockton, four of the best point guards ever — averaged more assists at 37.

At his current pace, James could catch Abdul-Jabbar for the scoring record by early February. And he doesn’t intend to stop playing

anytime soon, either, so that record might be way out of reach by the time James is actually done.

“He constantly works at his craft,” said Miami coach Erik Spoelstra, the only coach to win more than one championship with James. “So, he’s going to continue to develop new skills to put in his toolkit. He doesn’t get bored with that process. You can tell. He’s like a computer. When he sees another player work on something, or do something in the game, he says, ‘Oh, I want to try that.’ ... He never gets bored with that.”

He has, however, gotten bored with losing.

The Lakers are 14-21 and are without perennial All-Star big man Anthony Davis, who remains out with a foot injury with no timetable for his return. They’re mired near the bottom of the NBA and need a big rally in order to avoid missing the playoffs for a second consecutive season. Since James and Davis led the Lakers to the 2020 NBA title, the team hasn’t won a playoff series; it went out in the first round in 2021, and didn’t make it in 2022.

James is averaging 27.8 points, 8.1 rebounds

and 6.6 assists this season. He’s never finished a season with averages that high in all three of those categories — not even in any of his four MVP seasons.

And, right now, it seems like it’s going for naught.

“I don’t want to finish my career playing at this level, from a team aspect,” James said. “I want to still be able to compete for championships because I know what I can still bring to any ballclub with the right pieces.”

He’ll be a 38-year-old All-Star when the game rolls around in February; only five other players have been in that game at 38 or older. The Lakers are only three games out of the last play-in tournament spot, so it’s not like there’s no hope for this season.

But he’s not playing for All-Star longevity marks, or the chance to squeak into the playoffs, or even scoring records. He doesn’t know how much longer he wants to play, but knows what he still wants to do.

“I’m a winner. And I want to win,” James said. “I want to win and give myself a chance to win and still compete for championships. That has always been my pas-

sion, my goal since I entered the league, an 18-year-old kid out of Akron, Ohio. I know it takes steps to get there. And once you get there, you know how to get there.

“Playing basketball at this level just to be playing basketball, it’s not in my DNA. It’s not in my DNA anymore. So, we’ll see what happens. We’ll see how fresh my mind stays over the next couple of years.”

Wednesday’s Cryptoquote: Kindness is like snow. It beautifies everything it covers. — Kahlil Gibran

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

AND LOIS by Chance Browne

Carr: Raiders bench quarterback

Continued from B1

ams said of Carr’s benching. “I wouldn’t be here right now if he wasn’t here. I think everybody knows how I feel about him. ... Obviously, I support my guy.”

Adams said his focus is on the final two games rather than what his options might look like after the season.

Carr was not at the Raiders’ facility, and Stidham was expected

to address reporters Thursday.

“You’ve got to kind of take the emotions out of it and realize the only thing that can be productive is support Jarrett going forward,” tight end Darren Waller said. “The guys are excited about him being able to get an opportunity, so we’re rallying around him and letting him know we believe in him.”

By not playing Carr,

the Raiders eliminate the possibility of a serious injury affecting his contract status. The club has until Feb. 15 to decide whether to release or trade Carr — who has a no-trade clause but could waive it — or he would receive $33 million for 2023. A serious injury would guarantee that money plus another $7.5 million for 2024.

Even before Wednesday’s announcement,

there were questions whether the Raiders wanted to continue to invest in a quarterback who has led the team to just two playoff appearances.

“We’re all accountable to where we’re at, and I think this (decision) is more about an opportunity to see a guy that we haven’t seen play in a situation like this against a couple of good teams, really good teams,” McDaniels said.

Three takeaways from a triple-OT Liberty Bowl classic

By SHREVAS LADDHA The Kansas City Star

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Kansas football team’s fairytale season ended in heartbreaking fashion Wednesday night.

Arkansas defeated the Jayhawks, 55-53, in a triple-overtime Liberty Bowl thriller at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium — KU’s first bowl appearance since 2008.

After coming back from a 25-point deficit, the Jayhawks’ fate was sealed when they failed to convert a twopoint conversion in the third overtime.

The Razorbacks jumped to a 31-7 lead and led 38-13 midway through the third quarter. But Kansas made a furious comeback in the second half. After recovering an onside kick, the Jayhawks had a four-play, 50-yard drive and converted the two-point conversion to make it 38-all.

The teams traded touchdowns in the first overtime to force a second overtime.

After the Jayhawks scored a touchdown that cut the deficit to two points at 53-51, KU quarterback Jalon Daniels was leveled on a two-point conversion attempt. A targeting penalty was whistled on Arkansas, giving the Jayhawks another chance.

They made good on the redo, tying the game again, 53-

53, with Daniels’ pass to tight end Jared Casey.

In the third and final overtime, KU ran a reverse that put the ball in the hands of backup quarterback Jason Bean. Instead of running for the goal line, Bean attempted a pass that sailed high through the end zone.

Daniels finished 37 of 55 for 544 total yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions. He also ran for a touchdown. His six total touchdowns and passing-yardage total were new Liberty Bowl records.

With the loss, the Jayhawks (6-7, 3-5 Big 12) fail to finish over .500 for the 13th straight year. Kansas is now 6-7 in bowls and 0-2 in the Liberty Bowl.

Arkansas (7-6, 3-5 SEC) won a bowl for the second consecutive year, improving to 17-243 in postseason games. The Razorbacks are now 3-3 in the Liberty Bowl.

KU starts spring football on Feb. 28. The Jayhawks will have plenty of time to figure out how to improve their weaknesses.

Here is some instant reaction from the game:

Early mistakes put KU in a hole

For the first eight minutes of the first quarter, it felt like it could be anybody’s game.

Then Arkansas took flight.

Razorback quarterback KJ Jefferson connected with

wide receiver Matt Landers for a 59-yard touchdown pass on busted coverage by KU’s defensive back. That put Arkansas up 10-7 with 6:05 left in the first.

On the subsequent kickoff, KU fumbled the ball on the return, giving the Razorbacks the ball in the red zone. One play later, Jefferson found Ty Washington for a 17-yard touchdown.

On the Jayhawks’ next drive, Daniels marched KU down the field only to throw a pick. Arkansas answered with an 11-play, 73-yard touchdown drive to take a 24-7 lead.

The Razorbacks’ 24 first-period points were a Liberty Bowl record for a quarter.

Daniels’ tale of two halves Daniels had quite a start to the game.

He led the Jayhawks on a six-play, 75-yard scoring drive on their first possession — KU led 7-3 at that point — but struggled throug the remainder of the first half.

Early on, the Razorbacks did a great job of causing Daniels to force passes in tight windows. Daniels came into the game having thrown just two interceptions in 175 pass attempts but tossed two in his first 14 attempts Wednesday.

He’s known for extending plays with his scrambling ability, but Arkansas mostly succeeded in containing him. Seemingly every time

KU: Jayhawks fall to Arkansas

Continued from B1

of everyone.”

The Razorbacks (76) held leads of 38-13 (midway through the third quarter) and 3823 (early in the fourth), but couldn’t stop the Jayhawks, who scored 25 straight to force the overtime. Kansas tied the game at 38 with 41 seconds left in regulation after recovering an onside kick with 1:05 to go. Jayhawks’ quarterback Jalon Daniels found Luke Grimm on 21-yard pass play and converted the 2-point conversion pass to Lawrence Arnold.

“We dug down deep and kept battling; we just couldn’t close it out,” Kansas coach Lance Leipold said.

Arkansas celebrated the win prematurely in the second overtime after stopping Daniels

just shy of the goal line on a 2-point conversion try. But a targeting call on Arkansas’ Quincey McAdoo gave the Jayhawks another try, and they converted.

In the third overtime (only 2-point conversion attempts), Arkansas got the ball first and converted. Kansas (6-7) did not.

Daniels passed for 544 yards and five touchdowns. He set Liberty Bowl records for passing yards, touchdown passes, completions (37) and total TDs scored (6).

“It was a fun game to play in,” Daniels said. “The whole second half I played calm. A few times in the first half, I played outside myself. I’m sure after the first half a lot of people tuned us out.”

Arkansas and Kansas met for the first time in

116 years, and the Razorbacks used an old-school rushing attack to build their leads. Arkansas gained 394 of its 681 total yards on the ground. Dubinion added 112 yards for the Razorbacks.

Kansas played in its first bowl game since 2008, but was unable to stop a late-season streak in which it lost seven of its last eight games.

Arkansas was dominating despite playing with a roster thinned by opt-outs and transfer portal departures. The Razorbacks dressed only 51 scholarship players.

After leading 31-13 at halftime, Arkansas pushed its advantage to 38-13 midway through the third quarter on a 2-yard run by Dubinion. The TD punctuated an 80-yard drive.

But the 25-point

he left the pocket to buy himself time, Arkansas did just enough to disrupt his throws and prevent big runs.

In the second half, however, Daniels came alive. He progressed through his reads, didn’t force passes and converted crucial plays.

KU’s defense must improve Kansas defensive coordinator Brian Borland expected Arkansas to run the ball plenty: Jefferson and star back Rahiem Sanders are both more than capable on the ground.

Sanders went out with an injury early in the game, but freshman Rashod Dubinion stepped into the Hogs’ backfield and wreaked his own havoc on the ground. Dubinion finished with 212 total yards.

Arkansas ran it well against KU and had no issues passing the ball, either. The Razorbacks racked up 31 points and 378 yards of offense in the first half.

On Monday, Borland mentioned how hard it would be to tackle Jefferson to the ground, and the Arkansas QB proved him right late in the second quarter. He broke two tackles en route to a 32-yard run.

Line play was pivotal Arkansas’ line — on both sides of the ball — gave Kansas fits.

The Razorbacks’ defensive line pushed its way through a KU offensive line that had allowed just nine sacks all season. Arkansas sacked Daniels three times Wednesday night.

The Arkansas offensive line, meanwhile, created big holes for Jefferson and the Razorbacks’ running backs. Jefferson was not sacked and had ample time to throw.

Bowl berth meant a lot Coming into the season, the Jayhawks were picked to finish last in the conference by the league’s coaches.

Few expected a bowl berth in coach Lance Leipold’s second season. It seemed that the only people who believed in KU were the Jayhawks’ players and coaches.

Making a bowl game should be celebrated as a huge step for the program. And the Jayhawks showed fight to the final whistle. They rallied from a monumental deficit and nearly won the game.

The excitement around the program was palatable Wednesday evening. Perhaps 55% of the announced 52,847 fans at the game wore Kansas gear.

Now, Leipold has roughly two months to figure out what he needs from the transfer portal, and his staff, in order to take KU to the next level next season.

deficit ignited the Jayhawks. Daniels passed for 342 yards and three touchdowns in the second half

“I do think there were so many situations where Kansas had to make the play and they did,” Pittman said. “Until the last one.”

Kansas was 2-10 in 2021 and finished last in the Big 12. But Leipold engineered a turnaround in 2022 that included a 5-1 start. The Jayhawks averaged more than seven yards per play this season to break a school record set in 1950 (6.4). “Things are moving in the right direction,” Leipold said. “Sometimes I like to defer to you guys (Kansas media) and ask your opinion. I’m not being sarcastic. But I do think we’re trending in the right direction.”

Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels, left, says Jarrett Stidham (3) will replace Derek Carr (4) as starting quarterback. TNS