PITTSBURG (AP) —West Virginia basketball coach Bob Huggins has been arrested on suspicion of drunken driving, a month after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/huggins-homophobic-slur-west-virginia-xavier-77ce70b41112a0062421ad9405558473">university suspended him for three games</a>&nbsp;for using an anti-gay slur while also denigrating Catholics during a radio interview.P

Huggins, 69, of Morgantown, West Virginia, was pulled over by police in Pittsburgh on Friday night. He was charged with driving under the influence, was released from custody and will appear at a later date for a preliminary hearing, according to a police report.

An officer observed garbage bags with empty beer containers both inside the vehicle and in the trunk, according to a criminal complaint. Huggins said he had been to a basketball camp with his brother in Sherrodsville, Ohio. An officer said Huggins was asked multiple times what city he was in but never got a response. A breath test determined Huggins’ blood alcohol content was 0.21%, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08% in Pennsylvania. A blood sample also was taken from Huggins at a hospital before his release.

It was Huggins' second such arrest. The other occurred in 2004 when he was the head coach at Cincinnati.

West Virginia's athletic department said in a statement it was aware of Friday's incident. “We are gathering more information and will take appropriate action once the review is complete,” the statement said.

Officers observed a black SUV in the middle of a road blocking traffic just before 8:30 p.m. The vehicle had a flat and shredded tire, and the driver's side door was open, according to the police report.

Officers directed Huggins to move off the road so they could help with the tire, then activated their lights when they observed Huggins having trouble maneuvering the SUV to allow vehicles to pass. Upon questioning, officers suspected he was intoxicated and asked him to exit the vehicle. The report said he failed standard field sobriety tests, was taken into custody without incident and transported for further testing.

In June 2004, Huggins pleaded no contest to driving under the influence in a suburb of Cincinnati and was ordered to attend a three-day intervention program. The University of Cincinnati suspended him indefinitely with pay and told Huggins to rehabilitate himself.

Huggins was allowed to return to work two months later, saying that “I made a terrible mistake, and what bothers me most is I hurt other people. All I can do is work like crazy to be a better person, a better coach, be better at everything I do and make those people proud of me.”

By 2005, Huggins’ 16-year career at Cincinnati was over; he was fired amid a power struggle with the school’s president as well as the aftermath of the 2004 arrest.

After spending one season at Kansas State, Huggins took his dream job at West Virginia, his alma mater, in 2007.

Last month Huggins agreed to a three-game suspension, a $1 million salary reduction and sensitivity training for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/huggins-homophobic-slur-west-virginia-665dd3d31760b1c6f66d7d706e825727">using the slur</a>&nbsp;during an interview with Cincinnati radio station WLW. Huggins was asked about the transfer portal and whether he had a chance of landing a player at West Virginia from Xavier, a Jesuit school.

“Catholics don’t do that,” Huggins said. “I tell you what, any school that can throw rubber penises on the floor and then say they didn’t do it, by God they can get away with anything.

“It was the Crosstown Shootout. What it was, was all those (expletive), those Catholic (expletive), I think.”

In a joint statement later that week, West Virginia University President Gordon Gee and athletic director Wren Baker said the university “made it explicitly clear to Coach Huggins that any incidents of similar derogatory and offensive language will result in immediate termination.”

Huggins' salary of $4.15 million will be reduced by $1 million. That reduction will be used to directly support WVU’s LGBTQ+ Center, as well as a mental health center at the university and other groups that support marginalized communities. He is suspended for the first three games of the 2023-24 season. In addition, his contract will be amended from a multiyear agreement to a year-by-year agreement that began on May 10 of this year and ends on April 30, 2024.

Huggins entered the Basketball Hall of Fame last September. In 41 seasons, his teams have gone to 25 NCAA Tournaments, finished ranked in the top 10 of The Associated Press poll seven times and finished under .500 five times. The Mountaineers have 11 NCAA Tournament appearances under Huggins.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687028737005.png" alt="Huggins-photo courtesy University of West Virginia athletics" />
 <figcaption>Huggins-photo courtesy University of West Virginia athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>PITTSBURG (AP) —West Virginia basketball coach Bob Huggins has been arrested on suspicion of drunken driving, a month after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/huggins-homophobic-slur-west-virginia-xavier-77ce70b41112a0062421ad9405558473">university suspended him for three games</a>&nbsp;for using an anti-gay slur while also denigrating Catholics during a radio interview.P<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687028787636.png" alt="Police report on the Huggins arrest" />
 <figcaption>Police report on the Huggins arrest</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687028832105.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Huggins, 69, of Morgantown, West Virginia, was pulled over by police in Pittsburgh on Friday night. He was charged with driving under the influence, was released from custody and will appear at a later date for a preliminary hearing, according to a police report.An officer observed garbage bags with empty beer containers both inside the vehicle and in the trunk, according to a criminal complaint. Huggins said he had been to a basketball camp with his brother in Sherrodsville, Ohio. An officer said Huggins was asked multiple times what city he was in but never got a response. A breath test determined Huggins’ blood alcohol content was 0.21%, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08% in Pennsylvania. A blood sample also was taken from Huggins at a hospital before his release.It was Huggins' second such arrest. The other occurred in 2004 when he was the head coach at Cincinnati.West Virginia's athletic department said in a statement it was aware of Friday's incident. “We are gathering more information and will take appropriate action once the review is complete,” the statement said.Officers observed a black SUV in the middle of a road blocking traffic just before 8:30 p.m. The vehicle had a flat and shredded tire, and the driver's side door was open, according to the police report.Officers directed Huggins to move off the road so they could help with the tire, then activated their lights when they observed Huggins having trouble maneuvering the SUV to allow vehicles to pass. Upon questioning, officers suspected he was intoxicated and asked him to exit the vehicle. The report said he failed standard field sobriety tests, was taken into custody without incident and transported for further testing.In June 2004, Huggins pleaded no contest to driving under the influence in a suburb of Cincinnati and was ordered to attend a three-day intervention program. The University of Cincinnati suspended him indefinitely with pay and told Huggins to rehabilitate himself.Huggins was allowed to return to work two months later, saying that “I made a terrible mistake, and what bothers me most is I hurt other people. All I can do is work like crazy to be a better person, a better coach, be better at everything I do and make those people proud of me.”By 2005, Huggins’ 16-year career at Cincinnati was over; he was fired amid a power struggle with the school’s president as well as the aftermath of the 2004 arrest.After spending one season at Kansas State, Huggins took his dream job at West Virginia, his alma mater, in 2007.Last month Huggins agreed to a three-game suspension, a $1 million salary reduction and sensitivity training for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/huggins-homophobic-slur-west-virginia-665dd3d31760b1c6f66d7d706e825727">using the slur</a>&nbsp;during an interview with Cincinnati radio station WLW. Huggins was asked about the transfer portal and whether he had a chance of landing a player at West Virginia from Xavier, a Jesuit school.“Catholics don’t do that,” Huggins said. “I tell you what, any school that can throw rubber penises on the floor and then say they didn’t do it, by God they can get away with anything.“It was the Crosstown Shootout. What it was, was all those (expletive), those Catholic (expletive), I think.”In a joint statement later that week, West Virginia University President Gordon Gee and athletic director Wren Baker said the university “made it explicitly clear to Coach Huggins that any incidents of similar derogatory and offensive language will result in immediate termination.”Huggins' salary of $4.15 million will be reduced by $1 million. That reduction will be used to directly support WVU’s LGBTQ+ Center, as well as a mental health center at the university and other groups that support marginalized communities. He is suspended for the first three games of the 2023-24 season. In addition, his contract will be amended from a multiyear agreement to a year-by-year agreement that began on May 10 of this year and ends on April 30, 2024.Huggins entered the Basketball Hall of Fame last September. In 41 seasons, his teams have gone to 25 NCAA Tournaments, finished ranked in the top 10 of The Associated Press poll seven times and finished under .500 five times. The Mountaineers have 11 NCAA Tournament appearances under Huggins.___

Read police report on DUI arrest of coach Bob Huggins 

By SAM BAILEY <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Attorney General Kris Kobach testified about Kansas retail theft this week in Washington, D.C., during a U.S. House Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance hearing.

Kobach claimed Kansas is in the top 10 states hit by organized retail crime in terms of money lost. He highlighted cases such as&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmo/pr/pawn-shop-operator-pleads-guilty-3-million-scheme-sell-over-100000-stolen-items-online">the owner of a Kansas City, Missouri, pawn shop</a>&nbsp;pleading guilty in March to gathering items stolen from retailers and reselling them online.

“You typically see box stores being hit two to three times per week,” Kobach said. “The fence at the center is usually, in Kansas, is usually a pawnshop. But oftentimes, it’s just a warehouse that’s used to move the goods. Almost all of the products are sold online.”

A fence acts as a middleman in black market sales by knowingly purchasing stolen items and reselling them.&nbsp;

The hearing about a rise in organized retail crime and the threat to public safety began with an opening statement Rep. Andy Biggs, chairman of the subcommittee and an Arizona Republican, who said he was disappointed he needed to hold the hearing.

“We are coddling criminals and (fanning) the flames of this problem, and it’s open season on our stores, and criminal syndicates are taking advantage,” Biggs said.

Kobach listed factors in the legal system that worsen the problem, including a lack of prosecutorial capacity, the threshold amount that must be stolen in order to prosecute the theft, investigative capacity, bail being set too low and the speed at which suspects are released.

“I just want to end with a quick story,” Kobach said. “I went into a Walgreens recently and talked to a clerk, and her store is hit two, three times a day, and I asked her what she does. And she said, well, she finally decided to start following the boosters through the store, heckling them and harassing them, against store policy. I asked her why she did that, and she said because she can’t stand what’s happening to the reputation of her store in her neighborhood. She’s fighting to preserve our culture where the rule of law is intact.”

Wisconsin Republican Rep. Thomas Tiffany asked Kobach if he believed the lawlessness of the country and the “defund the police” movement contributed to the problem.

Defunding the police was a concept discussed after the death of George Floyd in 2020. It has been&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/how-we-rise/2021/05/19/7-myths-about-defunding-the-police-debunked/">mischaracterized by opponents of police reform</a>.

“I do, sir,” Kobach said. “And there’s, at the end of my comments I briefly noted on this, is there’s a cultural element here, too. It’s a lack of respect for the rule of law. And it gets to a point in certain areas where people feel like shoplifting is accepted, or at least tolerated, or nothing’s being done about it.”

Kobach said there are online communities sharing strategies about theft and there is a culture accepting the crime.

John Milhiser, a former U.S. attorney, and John Flynn, president of the National District Attorneys Association, also spoke about organized retail crime at the hearing.

Lorie Mohs testified as well. Her son, Blake Mohs, died in April during the theft of a phone charger from the California Home Depot where he worked as a guard.

The witnesses were all asked by members of the committee about how to combat theft and the effect it has on families.

Pennsylvania Democratic Rep. Madeleine Dean asked Mohs to tell more about her son.

“We are very, very sorry, and you just have my commitment that we will do everything possible to get our arms around this incredible problem,” Dean said. “Retail theft, obviously very serious, but violent crime and gun deaths in this country, when we lose 45, 46, 47,000 people to gun violence every single year to this country. And we have a party that, we tried to have a hearing last week, and no one on the other side of the aisle would give us a hearing room so that victims like you, survivors like you, could speak. We had to go over to the Senate’s side, so very interested in retail crime, not very interested in saving lives.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686739479370.png" alt="Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach during the testimony" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach during the testimony</figcaption>
 </figure>By SAM BAILEY <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Attorney General Kris Kobach testified about Kansas retail theft this week in Washington, D.C., during a U.S. House Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance hearing.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/n-D5Uz0aOaA?start=2900" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Kobach claimed Kansas is in the top 10 states hit by organized retail crime in terms of money lost. He highlighted cases such as&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmo/pr/pawn-shop-operator-pleads-guilty-3-million-scheme-sell-over-100000-stolen-items-online">the owner of a Kansas City, Missouri, pawn shop</a>&nbsp;pleading guilty in March to gathering items stolen from retailers and reselling them online.“You typically see box stores being hit two to three times per week,” Kobach said. “The fence at the center is usually, in Kansas, is usually a pawnshop. But oftentimes, it’s just a warehouse that’s used to move the goods. Almost all of the products are sold online.”A fence acts as a middleman in black market sales by knowingly purchasing stolen items and reselling them.&nbsp;The hearing about a rise in organized retail crime and the threat to public safety began with an opening statement Rep. Andy Biggs, chairman of the subcommittee and an Arizona Republican, who said he was disappointed he needed to hold the hearing.“We are coddling criminals and (fanning) the flames of this problem, and it’s open season on our stores, and criminal syndicates are taking advantage,” Biggs said.Kobach listed factors in the legal system that worsen the problem, including a lack of prosecutorial capacity, the threshold amount that must be stolen in order to prosecute the theft, investigative capacity, bail being set too low and the speed at which suspects are released.“I just want to end with a quick story,” Kobach said. “I went into a Walgreens recently and talked to a clerk, and her store is hit two, three times a day, and I asked her what she does. And she said, well, she finally decided to start following the boosters through the store, heckling them and harassing them, against store policy. I asked her why she did that, and she said because she can’t stand what’s happening to the reputation of her store in her neighborhood. She’s fighting to preserve our culture where the rule of law is intact.”Wisconsin Republican Rep. Thomas Tiffany asked Kobach if he believed the lawlessness of the country and the “defund the police” movement contributed to the problem.Defunding the police was a concept discussed after the death of George Floyd in 2020. It has been&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/how-we-rise/2021/05/19/7-myths-about-defunding-the-police-debunked/">mischaracterized by opponents of police reform</a>.“I do, sir,” Kobach said. “And there’s, at the end of my comments I briefly noted on this, is there’s a cultural element here, too. It’s a lack of respect for the rule of law. And it gets to a point in certain areas where people feel like shoplifting is accepted, or at least tolerated, or nothing’s being done about it.”Kobach said there are online communities sharing strategies about theft and there is a culture accepting the crime.John Milhiser, a former U.S. attorney, and John Flynn, president of the National District Attorneys Association, also spoke about organized retail crime at the hearing.Lorie Mohs testified as well. Her son, Blake Mohs, died in April during the theft of a phone charger from the California Home Depot where he worked as a guard.The witnesses were all asked by members of the committee about how to combat theft and the effect it has on families.Pennsylvania Democratic Rep. Madeleine Dean asked Mohs to tell more about her son.“We are very, very sorry, and you just have my commitment that we will do everything possible to get our arms around this incredible problem,” Dean said. “Retail theft, obviously very serious, but violent crime and gun deaths in this country, when we lose 45, 46, 47,000 people to gun violence every single year to this country. And we have a party that, we tried to have a hearing last week, and no one on the other side of the aisle would give us a hearing room so that victims like you, survivors like you, could speak. We had to go over to the Senate’s side, so very interested in retail crime, not very interested in saving lives.”

🎥 Kobach: Kansas is in the top 10 states hit by organized retail crime

NEW YORK (AP) — Unionized UPS workers voted overwhelmingly on Friday to authorize a strike, setting the stage for a potential work stoppage if the package delivery company and Teamsters can’t come to an agreement before their contract expires next month.

The Teamsters said 97% of unionized workers voted for the authorization, which the union urged for in order to have more leverage during negotiations with the company. But a yes vote does not mean a strike is imminent.

“If this multibillion-dollar corporation fails to deliver on the contract that our hardworking members deserve, UPS will be striking itself," Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien said in a prepared statement. "The strongest leverage our members have is their labor and they are prepared to withhold it to ensure UPS acts accordingly.”

The Teamsters represent about 340,000 UPS employees, more than half of the company’s workforce in the largest private-sector contract in North America. If a strike occurs, it would be the first since a 15-day walkout by 185,000 workers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/b198ce2db4be584f82c53afc0dee6930">crippled the company</a>&nbsp;a quarter century ago.

UPS has grown vastly since then and become even more engrained in the U.S. economy. The company says it delivers the equivalent of about 6% of nation’s gross domestic product. That means a strike would carry with it potentially far-reaching implications for the economy.

UPS said in a prepared statement the strike vote does not impact the company's current business operations.

“Authorization votes and approvals are normal steps in labor union negotiations,” the company said. “We continue to make progress on key issues and remain confident that we will reach an agreement that provides wins for our employees, the Teamsters, our company and our customers.”

UPS workers are still seething about the current contract, which they feel was forced on them by prior union leadership in 2018&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/4436d6e7384948039a1d83d8e88e0180">based on a technicality</a>. The contract created two hierarchies of workers with different pay scales, hours and benefits. The union wants it eliminated.

In addition to addressing part-time pay and what workers say is excessive overtime, the union wants improvements to driver safety, particularly the lack of air conditioning in delivery trucks, which has been blamed for the death of a driver and hospitalizations of others.

On Tuesday, the union and the company announced they reached a tentative agreement to equip more trucks with air conditioning equipment. Under the agreement, UPS said it would add air conditioning to U.S. small delivery vehicles purchased after January 1, 2024.

But those changes aren’t extending to vehicles already in operation - at least not yet. Instead, the union says two fans would be installed in all vehicles when a new contract is ratified. It also said the company agreed to add heat shield to some vehicles, and put air vents in all cars within 18 months of a new contract. Under the agreement, UPS says roughly 95% of its existing U.S. package delivery fleet will be enhanced.

Teamsters spokesperson Kara Deniz said there have been two dozen tentative agreements reached with UPS since the negotiations began in April. The current contract expires on July 31.

UPS delivers around 25 million packages a day, representing about a quarter of all U.S. parcel volume, according to the global shipping and logistics firm Pitney Bowes. That’s about 10 million parcels more than it delivered each day in the years leading up to the pandemic.

UPS profits have soared since the pandemic began in 2020 as millions of Americans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ups-strike-delivery-supply-chain-union-labor-16270bd5699419398de376e07ada06ba">grew to rely on the delivery</a>&nbsp;to their doorstops.

Annual profits at UPS in the past two years are close to three times what they were pre-pandemic. The Atlanta company returned about $8.6 billion to shareholders in the form of dividends and stock buybacks in 2022, and forecasts another $8.4 billion for shareholders this year.

The Teamsters say that profit growth is largely due to the hard work of UPS drivers and warehouse workers who carry everything from 50-pound bags of dog food and cases of wine to prescriptions.

The acrimony over the current contract was the impetus for workers rejecting a candidate to lead the Teamsters favored by longtime union head James Hoffa. Union members instead chose O’Brien, who has dug in on the Teamsters’ contract demands of UPS.

A win at UPS could also have implications for the organized labor outside the company.

There have been prominent labor organization campaigns at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-new-york-business-oklahoma-city-3faca3dea5a53225f49f73a974a6d895">Apple</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-union-vote-buffalo-c7dc3c2ec8b838e9f4ed641f54fc9035">Starbucks</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-boulder-national-labor-relations-board-business-1cf43df416acd7314b7eaf266c040389">Trader Joe’s</a>, even&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/strippers-union-los-angeles-star-garden-4069df93b149076dc2e23a0bff16438b">strippers at a dance club</a>&nbsp;in Los Angeles. Teamsters are also attempting to organize workers at Amazon. On Friday, the new president of the United Auto Workers gave his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uaw-ford-gm-stellantis-labor-strike-eda3b48bfdfa04e0e7254ce7681972e0">strongest warning</a>&nbsp;yet that the union is preparing for strikes against Detroit’s three automakers when contracts expire in September.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686070070872.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Unionized UPS workers voted overwhelmingly on Friday to authorize a strike, setting the stage for a potential work stoppage if the package delivery company and Teamsters can’t come to an agreement before their contract expires next month.The Teamsters said 97% of unionized workers voted for the authorization, which the union urged for in order to have more leverage during negotiations with the company. But a yes vote does not mean a strike is imminent.“If this multibillion-dollar corporation fails to deliver on the contract that our hardworking members deserve, UPS will be striking itself," Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien said in a prepared statement. "The strongest leverage our members have is their labor and they are prepared to withhold it to ensure UPS acts accordingly.”The Teamsters represent about 340,000 UPS employees, more than half of the company’s workforce in the largest private-sector contract in North America. If a strike occurs, it would be the first since a 15-day walkout by 185,000 workers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/b198ce2db4be584f82c53afc0dee6930">crippled the company</a>&nbsp;a quarter century ago.UPS has grown vastly since then and become even more engrained in the U.S. economy. The company says it delivers the equivalent of about 6% of nation’s gross domestic product. That means a strike would carry with it potentially far-reaching implications for the economy.UPS said in a prepared statement the strike vote does not impact the company's current business operations.“Authorization votes and approvals are normal steps in labor union negotiations,” the company said. “We continue to make progress on key issues and remain confident that we will reach an agreement that provides wins for our employees, the Teamsters, our company and our customers.”UPS workers are still seething about the current contract, which they feel was forced on them by prior union leadership in 2018&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/4436d6e7384948039a1d83d8e88e0180">based on a technicality</a>. The contract created two hierarchies of workers with different pay scales, hours and benefits. The union wants it eliminated.In addition to addressing part-time pay and what workers say is excessive overtime, the union wants improvements to driver safety, particularly the lack of air conditioning in delivery trucks, which has been blamed for the death of a driver and hospitalizations of others.On Tuesday, the union and the company announced they reached a tentative agreement to equip more trucks with air conditioning equipment. Under the agreement, UPS said it would add air conditioning to U.S. small delivery vehicles purchased after January 1, 2024.But those changes aren’t extending to vehicles already in operation - at least not yet. Instead, the union says two fans would be installed in all vehicles when a new contract is ratified. It also said the company agreed to add heat shield to some vehicles, and put air vents in all cars within 18 months of a new contract. Under the agreement, UPS says roughly 95% of its existing U.S. package delivery fleet will be enhanced.Teamsters spokesperson Kara Deniz said there have been two dozen tentative agreements reached with UPS since the negotiations began in April. The current contract expires on July 31.UPS delivers around 25 million packages a day, representing about a quarter of all U.S. parcel volume, according to the global shipping and logistics firm Pitney Bowes. That’s about 10 million parcels more than it delivered each day in the years leading up to the pandemic.UPS profits have soared since the pandemic began in 2020 as millions of Americans&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ups-strike-delivery-supply-chain-union-labor-16270bd5699419398de376e07ada06ba">grew to rely on the delivery</a>&nbsp;to their doorstops.Annual profits at UPS in the past two years are close to three times what they were pre-pandemic. The Atlanta company returned about $8.6 billion to shareholders in the form of dividends and stock buybacks in 2022, and forecasts another $8.4 billion for shareholders this year.The Teamsters say that profit growth is largely due to the hard work of UPS drivers and warehouse workers who carry everything from 50-pound bags of dog food and cases of wine to prescriptions.The acrimony over the current contract was the impetus for workers rejecting a candidate to lead the Teamsters favored by longtime union head James Hoffa. Union members instead chose O’Brien, who has dug in on the Teamsters’ contract demands of UPS.A win at UPS could also have implications for the organized labor outside the company.There have been prominent labor organization campaigns at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-new-york-business-oklahoma-city-3faca3dea5a53225f49f73a974a6d895">Apple</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/starbucks-union-vote-buffalo-c7dc3c2ec8b838e9f4ed641f54fc9035">Starbucks</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-boulder-national-labor-relations-board-business-1cf43df416acd7314b7eaf266c040389">Trader Joe’s</a>, even&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/strippers-union-los-angeles-star-garden-4069df93b149076dc2e23a0bff16438b">strippers at a dance club</a>&nbsp;in Los Angeles. Teamsters are also attempting to organize workers at Amazon. On Friday, the new president of the United Auto Workers gave his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uaw-ford-gm-stellantis-labor-strike-eda3b48bfdfa04e0e7254ce7681972e0">strongest warning</a>&nbsp;yet that the union is preparing for strikes against Detroit’s three automakers when contracts expire in September.

UPS workers vote to authorize a strike this summer

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting at a funeral and have made an arrest.

Just after 2:00 pm, Friday, police were dispatched to a shooting call in the 1100 block of North Oliver in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.

First responders encountered a chaotic scene and a crowd of more than 50 people running in different directions. During the initial response officers located an 18-year-old victim with a gunshot wound to his right forearm and provided life-saving measures. The 18-year-old victim was treated for his serious but not life-threatening injuries.

The investigation revealed that several suspects arrived at the parking lot of a local church and confronted a large group of people attending a funeral right outside the main door.

After a brief verbal altercation between both groups, an unknown number of people from both groups started to shoot at each other. After initial interviews, officers arrested the 18-year-old victim and transported him to investigations for further questioning.

During the incident, several vehicles, and residences around and in front of the church’s parking lot were hit with gunfire. Police also recovered several firearms from the scene.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686967298655.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting at a funeral and have made an arrest.Just after 2:00 pm, Friday, police were dispatched to a shooting call in the 1100 block of North Oliver in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.First responders encountered a chaotic scene and a crowd of more than 50 people running in different directions. During the initial response officers located an 18-year-old victim with a gunshot wound to his right forearm and provided life-saving measures. The 18-year-old victim was treated for his serious but not life-threatening injuries.The investigation revealed that several suspects arrived at the parking lot of a local church and confronted a large group of people attending a funeral right outside the main door.After a brief verbal altercation between both groups, an unknown number of people from both groups started to shoot at each other. After initial interviews, officers arrested the 18-year-old victim and transported him to investigations for further questioning.During the incident, several vehicles, and residences around and in front of the church’s parking lot were hit with gunfire. Police also recovered several firearms from the scene.

Kan. teen wounded, arrested after gun fight outside funeral 

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncaa.org/news/2023/6/16/media-center-csmas-signals-its-support-for-removing-cannabis-from-banned-drug-list-and-drug-testing-protocols.aspx">An NCAA panel is calling for the removal of marijuana</a>&nbsp;from the organization's list of banned drugs, suggesting that testing should be limited to performance-enhancing substances.

The proposal released Friday from the Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports would mark a big change for the NCAA, which has been conducting drug tests at championship events since 1986. Committee members recommended halting cannabis tests at such events until a final decision is made, likely this fall.

Legislation would still have to be introduced and approved by all three NCAA divisions to take effect. Administrators in Divisions II and III had asked the committee to study the issue.

The recommendation comes as the U.S. is seeing more and more states&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/marijuana">allowing medical or recreational marijuana use.</a>

Earlier this year, the committee&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-sports-doping-dc6665133eec71d3c9a62f22f84ec5b0">increased the THC threshold needed for a positive test and recommended revamped penalties</a>&nbsp;for athletes. The threshold for THC — the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana — was raised from 35 to 150 nanograms per milliliter, matching that of the World Anti-Doping Agency.

The committee noted last December that marijuana and its byproducts are not considered performance-enhancing substances. Instead of focusing on penalties for cannabis use, the panel suggested stressing policies that focus on the potential threats from marijuana use and the need to reduce the harm and use of cannabis products.

It also recommended schools that test to use those results to help find “problematic” cannabis use. The committee also wants to provide schools with additional guidelines about cannabis.

Separately, the committee proposed setting a threshold of 0.1 nanograms per milliliter as a trace level for the hormone GW1516 in hopes of preventing athletes from becoming ineligible because of ingesting the substance unintentionally from contaminated supplements.

The substance was initially designed for diabetes treatment but was discontinued in 2007. It has been linked to positive doping tests in endurance-related sports.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599127929566.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>INDIANAPOLIS (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncaa.org/news/2023/6/16/media-center-csmas-signals-its-support-for-removing-cannabis-from-banned-drug-list-and-drug-testing-protocols.aspx">An NCAA panel is calling for the removal of marijuana</a>&nbsp;from the organization's list of banned drugs, suggesting that testing should be limited to performance-enhancing substances.The proposal released Friday from the Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports would mark a big change for the NCAA, which has been conducting drug tests at championship events since 1986. Committee members recommended halting cannabis tests at such events until a final decision is made, likely this fall.Legislation would still have to be introduced and approved by all three NCAA divisions to take effect. Administrators in Divisions II and III had asked the committee to study the issue.The recommendation comes as the U.S. is seeing more and more states&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/marijuana">allowing medical or recreational marijuana use.</a>Earlier this year, the committee&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-sports-doping-dc6665133eec71d3c9a62f22f84ec5b0">increased the THC threshold needed for a positive test and recommended revamped penalties</a>&nbsp;for athletes. The threshold for THC — the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana — was raised from 35 to 150 nanograms per milliliter, matching that of the World Anti-Doping Agency.The committee noted last December that marijuana and its byproducts are not considered performance-enhancing substances. Instead of focusing on penalties for cannabis use, the panel suggested stressing policies that focus on the potential threats from marijuana use and the need to reduce the harm and use of cannabis products.It also recommended schools that test to use those results to help find “problematic” cannabis use. The committee also wants to provide schools with additional guidelines about cannabis.Separately, the committee proposed setting a threshold of 0.1 nanograms per milliliter as a trace level for the hormone GW1516 in hopes of preventing athletes from becoming ineligible because of ingesting the substance unintentionally from contaminated supplements.The substance was initially designed for diabetes treatment but was discontinued in 2007. It has been linked to positive doping tests in endurance-related sports.

NCAA committee recommends dropping marijuana from banned drug list for athletes

BUTLER COUNTY —A toddler died from injuries in an accident Friday in rural Butler County.

Just after 4p.m., emergency crews responded to the report of an unresponsive child in the 500 block of S. Main in Leon, Kansas, according to Butler County Undersheriff Daimon Cundiff.

 The 21-month-old boy had been run over by a vehicle in the driveway of the home by a family member.&nbsp; Butler County EMS transported the child to Wesley Medical Center, in extremely critical condition, where he later died.

The incident is being investigated as accidental. The child’s name is not being released because of their age. The accident is not believed to be alcohol or drug related at this time, according to Cundiff.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686966501599.png" alt="First responders on the scene Friday-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>First responders on the scene Friday-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>BUTLER COUNTY —A toddler died from injuries in an accident Friday in rural Butler County.Just after 4p.m., emergency crews responded to the report of an unresponsive child in the 500 block of S. Main in Leon, Kansas, according to Butler County Undersheriff Daimon Cundiff. The 21-month-old boy had been run over by a vehicle in the driveway of the home by a family member.&nbsp; Butler County EMS transported the child to Wesley Medical Center, in extremely critical condition, where he later died.The incident is being investigated as accidental. The child’s name is not being released because of their age. The accident is not believed to be alcohol or drug related at this time, according to Cundiff.

Toddler dies after being run over at rural Kansas home

TOPEKA&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), the Office of the State Fire Marshal, the Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP), and several local police departments and fire departments responded Friday after mail was received by legislators and other public officials containing a suspicious white powder, according to a media release from the KBI.

As of 4 p.m. Friday afternoon, over 30 letters containing a suspicious white powder have been reported across the state.

Republican Rep. Paul Waggoner, who serves portions of Reno and McPherson Counties, sent Hutch Post two photos of the letter he received.&nbsp;

He said that the return address on his envelope, 4310 North Monroe, matched the address of the church he attends, Crossroads Christian Church and that it was 'very creepy'.

He compared the powder to flour, but doesn't know what it was.

Leadership told Waggoner to call the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, which he did about 5 p.m. Friday.

Waggoner believes the mail may have come from transgender activists, saying, "They were the most negative and hateful mail we received all session."

Law enforcement is working to safely collect the letters and investigate the incidents. Currently, no injuries have been reported, but we ask everyone to remain vigilant in handling mail. Any similar incidents should be reported to the KBI at 1-800-KSCRIME.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686969013876.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Rep. Paul Waggoner" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Rep. Paul Waggoner</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), the Office of the State Fire Marshal, the Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP), and several local police departments and fire departments responded Friday after mail was received by legislators and other public officials containing a suspicious white powder, according to a media release from the KBI.As of 4 p.m. Friday afternoon, over 30 letters containing a suspicious white powder have been reported across the state.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686969061366.jpeg" alt="photo Courtesy Rep. Paul Waggoner" />
 <figcaption>photo Courtesy Rep. Paul Waggoner</figcaption>
 </figure> Republican Rep. Paul Waggoner, who serves portions of Reno and McPherson Counties, sent Hutch Post two photos of the letter he received.&nbsp;He said that the return address on his envelope, 4310 North Monroe, matched the address of the church he attends, Crossroads Christian Church and that it was 'very creepy'.He compared the powder to flour, but doesn't know what it was.Leadership told Waggoner to call the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, which he did about 5 p.m. Friday.Waggoner believes the mail may have come from transgender activists, saying, "They were the most negative and hateful mail we received all session."Law enforcement is working to safely collect the letters and investigate the incidents. Currently, no injuries have been reported, but we ask everyone to remain vigilant in handling mail. Any similar incidents should be reported to the KBI at 1-800-KSCRIME.

State Rep. has idea on where mail with ‘suspicious white powder’ originated

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on sex crime allegations involving patients at a Wichita hospital.

Just after 2a.m. Thursday, police responded to a call of an officer was in trouble at Ascension Via Christi St. Francis Hospital, 929, St. Francis Street in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.

A hospital security officer was in a physical altercation with a suspect.

When Wichita Police arrived they learned three adult female patients were allegedly sexually assaulted.

Officers arrested <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=740544">28-year-old Miguel Rodela</a> of Wichita on requested charges of rape. He is not an employee or a patient of the hospital, according to Rebolledo.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686922520098.png" alt="Rodela-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Rodela-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on sex crime allegations involving patients at a Wichita hospital.Just after 2a.m. Thursday, police responded to a call of an officer was in trouble at Ascension Via Christi St. Francis Hospital, 929, St. Francis Street in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.A hospital security officer was in a physical altercation with a suspect.When Wichita Police arrived they learned three adult female patients were allegedly sexually assaulted.Officers arrested <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=740544">28-year-old Miguel Rodela</a> of Wichita on requested charges of rape. He is not an employee or a patient of the hospital, according to Rebolledo.&nbsp;

Suspect accused of sexually assaulting patients at Kan. hospital

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal shooting and car crash have arrested a 16-year-old from Wichita.

Just after 10 p.m. on June 10, police responded to a shooting call at the 2300 block of East Macarthur in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.

First responders located&nbsp;27-year-old Rashaad Hollingsworth of Wichita. inside a vehicle with a single gunshot wound to his upper body. Hollingsworth was transported to a local hospital where he was later pronounced deceased by medical staff.

During the investigation, detectives learned that Hollingsworth was driving his 2011 Chevy Traverse when the incident occurred. The suspect produced a handgun and shot Hollingsworth. 

Hollingsworth lost control of the vehicle and collided with a structure on the side of the road. The suspect fled the scene prior to the arrival of officers.

Due to the relentless efforts of our investigation department, detectives were able to develop some leads that led to the identification and arrest of the 16-year-old suspect.

The teen is being held on requested charges of murder in the first degree.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal shooting and car crash have arrested a 16-year-old from Wichita.Just after 10 p.m. on June 10, police responded to a shooting call at the 2300 block of East Macarthur in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.First responders located&nbsp;27-year-old Rashaad Hollingsworth of Wichita. inside a vehicle with a single gunshot wound to his upper body. Hollingsworth was transported to a local hospital where he was later pronounced deceased by medical staff.During the investigation, detectives learned that Hollingsworth was driving his 2011 Chevy Traverse when the incident occurred. The suspect produced a handgun and shot Hollingsworth. Hollingsworth lost control of the vehicle and collided with a structure on the side of the road. The suspect fled the scene prior to the arrival of officers.Due to the relentless efforts of our investigation department, detectives were able to develop some leads that led to the identification and arrest of the 16-year-old suspect.The teen is being held on requested charges of murder in the first degree.

Police: 16-year-old passenger killed driver, ran from Kan. crash

NEW YORK (AP) — Daniel Ellsberg, the history-making whistleblower who by leaking the Pentagon Papers revealed longtime government doubts and deceit about the Vietnam War and inspired acts of retaliation by President Richard Nixon that helped lead to his resignation, has died.

Ellsberg, who announced in February that he was terminally ill with pancreatic cancer, died Friday morning, according to a letter from his family released by a spokeswoman, Julia Pacetti.

Until the early 1970s, when he revealed that he was the source for the stunning media reports on the 47-volume, 7,000-page Defense Department study of the U.S. role in Indochina, Ellsberg was a well-placed member of the government-military elite. He was a Harvard graduate and self-defined “cold warrior” who served as a private and government consultant on Vietnam throughout the 1960s, risked his life on the battlefield, received the highest security clearances and came to be trusted by officials in Democratic and Republican administrations.

He was especially valued, he would later note, for his “talent for discretion.”

But like millions of other Americans, in and out of government, he had turned against the yearslong war in Vietnam, the government’s claims that the battle was winnable and that a victory for the North Vietnamese over the U.S.-backed South would lead to the spread of communism throughout the region. Unlike so many other war opponents, he was in a special position to make a difference.

“An entire generation of Vietnam-era insiders had become just as disillusioned as I with a war they saw as hopeless and interminable,” he wrote in his 2002 memoir, “Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers.” “By 1968, if not earlier, they all wanted, as I did, to see us out of this war.”

As much as anyone, Ellsberg embodied the individual of conscience — who answered only to his sense of right and wrong, even if the price was his own freedom. David Halberstam, the late author and Vietnam War correspondent who had known Ellsberg since both were posted overseas, would describe him as no ordinary convert. He was highly intelligent, obsessively curious and profoundly sensitive, a born proselytizer who “saw political events in terms of moral absolutes” and demanded consequences for abuses of power.

As much as anyone, Ellsberg also embodied the fall of American idealism in foreign policy in the 1960s and 1970s and the upending of the post-World War II consensus that Communism, real or suspected, should be opposed worldwide.

The Pentagon Papers had been commissioned in 1967 by then-Defense Secretary Robert S. McNamara, a leading public advocate of the war who wanted to leave behind a comprehensive history of the U.S. and Vietnam and to help his successors avoid the kinds of mistakes he would only admit to long after. The papers covered more than 20 years, from France’s failed efforts at colonization in the 1940s and 1950s to the growing involvement of the U.S., including the bombing raids and deployment of hundreds of thousands of ground troops during Lyndon Johnson’s administration. Ellsberg was among those asked to work on the study, focusing on 1961, when the newly-elected President John F. Kennedy began adding advisers and support units.

First published in The New York Times in June 1971, with The Washington Post, The Associated Press and more than a dozen others following, the classified papers documented that the U.S. had defied a 1954 settlement barring a foreign military presence in Vietnam, questioned whether South Vietnam had a viable government, secretly expanded the war to neighboring countries and had plotted to send American soldiers even as Johnson vowed he wouldn’t.

NEW YORK (AP) — Daniel Ellsberg, the history-making whistleblower who by leaking the Pentagon Papers revealed longtime government doubts and deceit about the Vietnam War and inspired acts of retaliation by President Richard Nixon that helped lead to his resignation, has died.He was 92.Ellsberg, who announced in February that he was terminally ill with pancreatic cancer, died Friday morning, according to a letter from his family released by a spokeswoman, Julia Pacetti.Until the early 1970s, when he revealed that he was the source for the stunning media reports on the 47-volume, 7,000-page Defense Department study of the U.S. role in Indochina, Ellsberg was a well-placed member of the government-military elite. He was a Harvard graduate and self-defined “cold warrior” who served as a private and government consultant on Vietnam throughout the 1960s, risked his life on the battlefield, received the highest security clearances and came to be trusted by officials in Democratic and Republican administrations.He was especially valued, he would later note, for his “talent for discretion.”But like millions of other Americans, in and out of government, he had turned against the yearslong war in Vietnam, the government’s claims that the battle was winnable and that a victory for the North Vietnamese over the U.S.-backed South would lead to the spread of communism throughout the region. Unlike so many other war opponents, he was in a special position to make a difference.“An entire generation of Vietnam-era insiders had become just as disillusioned as I with a war they saw as hopeless and interminable,” he wrote in his 2002 memoir, “Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers.” “By 1968, if not earlier, they all wanted, as I did, to see us out of this war.”As much as anyone, Ellsberg embodied the individual of conscience — who answered only to his sense of right and wrong, even if the price was his own freedom. David Halberstam, the late author and Vietnam War correspondent who had known Ellsberg since both were posted overseas, would describe him as no ordinary convert. He was highly intelligent, obsessively curious and profoundly sensitive, a born proselytizer who “saw political events in terms of moral absolutes” and demanded consequences for abuses of power.As much as anyone, Ellsberg also embodied the fall of American idealism in foreign policy in the 1960s and 1970s and the upending of the post-World War II consensus that Communism, real or suspected, should be opposed worldwide.The Pentagon Papers had been commissioned in 1967 by then-Defense Secretary Robert S. McNamara, a leading public advocate of the war who wanted to leave behind a comprehensive history of the U.S. and Vietnam and to help his successors avoid the kinds of mistakes he would only admit to long after. The papers covered more than 20 years, from France’s failed efforts at colonization in the 1940s and 1950s to the growing involvement of the U.S., including the bombing raids and deployment of hundreds of thousands of ground troops during Lyndon Johnson’s administration. Ellsberg was among those asked to work on the study, focusing on 1961, when the newly-elected President John F. Kennedy began adding advisers and support units.First published in The New York Times in June 1971, with The Washington Post, The Associated Press and more than a dozen others following, the classified papers documented that the U.S. had defied a 1954 settlement barring a foreign military presence in Vietnam, questioned whether South Vietnam had a viable government, secretly expanded the war to neighboring countries and had plotted to send American soldiers even as Johnson vowed he wouldn’t.

Vietnam-era whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg, who leaked Pentagon Papers, dies at 92

SEDGWICK COUNTY&nbsp; —Registered nurses in Kansas and Texas at three Ascension hospitals will participate in historic one-day strikes on Tuesday, June 27 to protest the health care giant’s refusal to address its endemic staffing crisis, according to a media release from National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU). 

During contract negotiations, management has dismissed nurses’ solutions for safe staffing protections and nurse recruitment and retention, both critical factors for ensuring patient safety.

In recent weeks, nurses at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nationalnursesunited.org/press/nurses-at-ascension-christi-st-joseph-overwhelmingly-vote-to-strike">Ascension via Christi St. Joseph Hospital</a>&nbsp;(Wichita, Kan.),&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nationalnursesunited.org/press/st-francis-nurses-vote-overwhelmingly-to-strike">Ascension via Christi St. Francis Hospital</a>&nbsp;(Wichita, Kan.), and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nationalnursesunited.org/press/ascension-seton-nurses-overwhelmingly-vote-to-authorize-strike">Ascension Seton Medical Center</a>&nbsp;(Austin, Texas) have voted to authorize one-day strikes by overwhelming majorities.

Nurses always give at least 10 days of advance notice to their hospitals to allow for alternative plans to be made for patient care.

“Ascension management pushed nurses to this position by failing to listen to or implement our solutions to address the staffing crisis,” said Monica Gonzalez, a registered nurse in the neurology unit at Ascension Seton Medical Center in Austin, where nurses have been in negotiations for seven months. “Ascension management has the power to settle a strong contract now, if they are serious about staffing up and improving nurses’ ability to provide safe patient care. ”

In the past year, these 2,000 Ascension nurses have made history, creating some of the largest private-sector nurse unions in states with laws hostile to worker organizing. Driving the surge of unionization at Ascension is a systematic failure of the hospital system to invest its resources – including the tens of millions of dollars it does not pay in federal taxes, due to its nonprofit status – back into its communities and workforce.

“Ascension nurses are fighting for our patients and the sustainability of our profession,” said Marvin Ruckle, a registered nurse in the neonatal intensive care unit at Ascension Via Christi St. Joseph Hospital in Wichita. “Our commitment to winning strong contracts is unbreakable, like our bond to our patients. Executives can’t get away with empty promises while rejecting our commonsense solutions to improve staffing and patient care. Just as the nurse-patient relationship is important for healing, strong contracts are the best way for us to solve our staffing crisis for the sake of our patients’ health and well-being.”

Chronic short-staffing imposed by Ascension hospital management –&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/15/business/hospital-staffing-ascension.html">a practice that began well before the Covid-19 pandemic to boost profits and executive compensation</a>&nbsp;– makes it challenging for nurses to provide the highest quality of care to their patients because it drastically limits how much time a nurse can spend on each patient. Short-staffing also creates a revolving door of nursing staff, who suffer moral injury and distress because they can’t provide the care they know results in the best patient outcomes.

“Union nurses across Ascension stand united for our patients and against management’s profiteering,” Lisa Watson, a registered nurse in the medical intensive care unit at Ascension via Christi St. Francis Hospital&nbsp;in Wichita. “It’s disrespectful to be asked to take care of more patients with fewer resources. These conditions have everything to do with management’s decision-making and nothing to do with the excuse of the so-called ‘nursing shortage’ that’s actually a staffing crisis they created.”

The latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the National Council of State Boards of Nursing shows that there are more than a million registered nurses with active licenses who are choosing not to work at the bedside.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nationalnursesunited.orga/sites/default/files/nnu/documents/Reporter_Memo_Hospital_Staffing_Crisis.pdf">More information and data debunking the nurse "shortage” myth can be found here.</a>

The conditions driving Austin and Wichita nurses to take unprecedented collective action at their hospitals are part of a broader pattern of Ascension negligence and greed, which has garnered the scrutiny of local and national news media and federal regulators, including:

"As a self-professed 'ministry' that claims a commitment to ‘holistic care’ that ‘sustains and improves the health of individuals and communities', safe staffing is foundational to Ascension's moral and legal obligations,” said Zenei Triunfo-Cortez, RN, and a president of NNU. “Nurses have every right to demand and strike for contracts that meet Ascension’s own standards.”&nbsp;

Ascension is the second-largest and wealthiest nonprofit and Catholic health system in the country. In fiscal year 2021, Ascension reported a net income of more than $6.4 billion, and the system’s CEO took home a compensation package worth more than $13 million. Additionally, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://reports.adviserinfo.sec.gov/reports/ADV/159767/PDF/159767.pdf">a 2022 Securities and Exchange Commission filing</a>, Ascension runs an investment company that manages more than $41 billion.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686927459677.png" alt="Photo courtesy National Nurses United" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy National Nurses United</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY&nbsp; —Registered nurses in Kansas and Texas at three Ascension hospitals will participate in historic one-day strikes on Tuesday, June 27 to protest the health care giant’s refusal to address its endemic staffing crisis, according to a media release from National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU). During contract negotiations, management has dismissed nurses’ solutions for safe staffing protections and nurse recruitment and retention, both critical factors for ensuring patient safety.In recent weeks, nurses at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nationalnursesunited.org/press/nurses-at-ascension-christi-st-joseph-overwhelmingly-vote-to-strike">Ascension via Christi St. Joseph Hospital</a>&nbsp;(Wichita, Kan.),&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nationalnursesunited.org/press/st-francis-nurses-vote-overwhelmingly-to-strike">Ascension via Christi St. Francis Hospital</a>&nbsp;(Wichita, Kan.), and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nationalnursesunited.org/press/ascension-seton-nurses-overwhelmingly-vote-to-authorize-strike">Ascension Seton Medical Center</a>&nbsp;(Austin, Texas) have voted to authorize one-day strikes by overwhelming majorities. Nurses always give at least 10 days of advance notice to their hospitals to allow for alternative plans to be made for patient care.“Ascension management pushed nurses to this position by failing to listen to or implement our solutions to address the staffing crisis,” said Monica Gonzalez, a registered nurse in the neurology unit at Ascension Seton Medical Center in Austin, where nurses have been in negotiations for seven months. “Ascension management has the power to settle a strong contract now, if they are serious about staffing up and improving nurses’ ability to provide safe patient care. ”In the past year, these 2,000 Ascension nurses have made history, creating some of the largest private-sector nurse unions in states with laws hostile to worker organizing. Driving the surge of unionization at Ascension is a systematic failure of the hospital system to invest its resources – including the tens of millions of dollars it does not pay in federal taxes, due to its nonprofit status – back into its communities and workforce.“Ascension nurses are fighting for our patients and the sustainability of our profession,” said Marvin Ruckle, a registered nurse in the neonatal intensive care unit at Ascension Via Christi St. Joseph Hospital in Wichita. “Our commitment to winning strong contracts is unbreakable, like our bond to our patients. Executives can’t get away with empty promises while rejecting our commonsense solutions to improve staffing and patient care. Just as the nurse-patient relationship is important for healing, strong contracts are the best way for us to solve our staffing crisis for the sake of our patients’ health and well-being.”Chronic short-staffing imposed by Ascension hospital management –&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/15/business/hospital-staffing-ascension.html">a practice that began well before the Covid-19 pandemic to boost profits and executive compensation</a>&nbsp;– makes it challenging for nurses to provide the highest quality of care to their patients because it drastically limits how much time a nurse can spend on each patient. Short-staffing also creates a revolving door of nursing staff, who suffer moral injury and distress because they can’t provide the care they know results in the best patient outcomes.“Union nurses across Ascension stand united for our patients and against management’s profiteering,” Lisa Watson, a registered nurse in the medical intensive care unit at Ascension via Christi St. Francis Hospital&nbsp;in Wichita. “It’s disrespectful to be asked to take care of more patients with fewer resources. These conditions have everything to do with management’s decision-making and nothing to do with the excuse of the so-called ‘nursing shortage’ that’s actually a staffing crisis they created.”The latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the National Council of State Boards of Nursing shows that there are more than a million registered nurses with active licenses who are choosing not to work at the bedside.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nationalnursesunited.orga/sites/default/files/nnu/documents/Reporter_Memo_Hospital_Staffing_Crisis.pdf">More information and data debunking the nurse "shortage” myth can be found here.</a>The conditions driving Austin and Wichita nurses to take unprecedented collective action at their hospitals are part of a broader pattern of Ascension negligence and greed, which has garnered the scrutiny of local and national news media and federal regulators, including:<ul>
 <li>A&nbsp;November 2021&nbsp;<a href="https://www.statnews.com/2021/11/16/ascension-investigation-moonlighting-private-equity-firm/">STAT News investigation</a>&nbsp;describing Ascension as a hospital system “moonlighting as a private equity firm.”&nbsp;</li><li>A&nbsp;December 2022&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/15/business/hospital-staffing-ascension.html">New York Times investigation</a>&nbsp;into Ascension’s staffing conditions finding the hospital “spent years reducing its staffing levels in an effort to improve profitability, even though the chain is a nonprofit organization with nearly $18 billion of cash reserves.”&nbsp;</li><li>Two&nbsp;<a href="https://www.milwaukeemag.com/special-report-how-staff-shortages-are-undermining-care-at-columbia-st-marys-hospital/">separate</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/investigations/public-investigator/2023/01/26/ascensions-columbia-st-marys-hospital-in-milwaukee-under-fire/69791985007/">reports</a>&nbsp;in&nbsp;January 2023&nbsp;from Milwaukee, Wis., demonstrating “disruptions to patient care, long wait times in the emergency department, delayed surgeries and staff concerns about patient safety” at Ascension facilities.&nbsp;</li><li>A&nbsp;February 2023&nbsp;<a href="https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/ascension_financial_letter_final.pdf">letter to CEO Joseph Impicciche by U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin</a>&nbsp;calling into question Ascension’s nonprofit status and mission-driven values.</li>
 </ul>"As a self-professed 'ministry' that claims a commitment to ‘holistic care’ that ‘sustains and improves the health of individuals and communities', safe staffing is foundational to Ascension's moral and legal obligations,” said Zenei Triunfo-Cortez, RN, and a president of NNU. “Nurses have every right to demand and strike for contracts that meet Ascension’s own standards.”&nbsp;Ascension is the second-largest and wealthiest nonprofit and Catholic health system in the country. In fiscal year 2021, Ascension reported a net income of more than $6.4 billion, and the system’s CEO took home a compensation package worth more than $13 million. Additionally, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://reports.adviserinfo.sec.gov/reports/ADV/159767/PDF/159767.pdf">a 2022 Securities and Exchange Commission filing</a>, Ascension runs an investment company that manages more than $41 billion.

Nurses at 2 Wichita hospitals announce historic one-day strike

By MARGARET STAFFORD and JOHN HANNA&nbsp;

CASSVILLE, Mo. (AP) — John Forsyth was known as a hard-working doctor who cared deeply for his patients and often teased nurses in the emergency room to ease tension. He was a father of eight and newly engaged. He also co-founded a cryptocurrency business with his brother.

His sudden disappearance from a southwestern Missouri town last month — and the eventual&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-doctor-missing-ozarks-f7f68205ec6db1f866e99ec4707443af">discovery of his body</a>&nbsp;in an Arkansas lake — has led many to wonder what happened to the man who seemed happier than he’d been for some time. A lack of information from law enforcement has only deepened the mystery, prompting amateur sleuths to espouse theories on Facebook.

“It’s like the world dropped on us; we’re just in shock” said his sister Tiffany Forsyth. “There’s a part of me that’s not quite sure this is real yet. I guess it comes in steps.”

Forsyth disappeared on May 21 from a parking area at a public swimming pool. His body, which had suffered an apparent gunshot wound, was found nine days later. An autopsy was done, but a report isn't expected for at least two months. Law enforcement officers have released almost no details, except to say there is no danger to the public.

The doctor's family is adamant that his death wasn’t a suicide: He had just recently become engaged, and his fiancee was pregnant.

Some true-crime followers on social media have speculated that his death may have been connected to the cryptocurrency company that he co-founded with his brother, Richard Forsyth. Multiple other theories also have surfaced in a Facebook discussion group that has grown to more than 1,000 members. Posts in that group are now closed to public view.

Only 10 days before his disappearance, a judge had finalized Forsyth's divorce — his second from the same woman. The split was amicable, according to family members and the ex-wife's attorney, Ryan Ricketts, who said she was “devastated” by the doctor’s death.

Richard Forsyth said his brother was excited about his upcoming marriage and new child and had a plane ticket to go see one of his daughters.

“He said, ‘I can’t wait to introduce her to you. We’re going to have a wonderful life together. We’re all going to spend a lot of time together,’” Richard Forsyth said. " ... I hadn't seen him that happy for a long time.”

Forsyth even texted his fiancee on the day of his disappearance, saying he would see her soon, according to his brother. The fiancee did not answer a social media request for an interview.

Alongside hopeful comments about his future life, however, John Forsyth had recently made cryptic remarks about possibly being in danger, his brother said, adding, “I think he crossed paths with some bad folks and he didn’t tell me about them."

There has been some confusion about what happened near the public pool where John Forsyth was last seen in Cassville, 40 miles (64 kilometers) west of the Ozark Mountains tourist destination of Branson and about half a mile from a hospital where he worked. On May 21, the pool had yet to open for the summer season. Beaver Lake, a man-made reservoir used for recreation and where his body was found, is at least an hour’s drive away from Cassville, over twisty highways that snake through the Ozarks.

Initially, Richard Forsyth said security camera footage showed his brother getting into someone else’s vehicle. He now says the footage shows that a few minutes after the doctor parked his car, a white SUV arrived, then left shortly afterward. About 10 or 15 minutes after that, the doctor got out of his car and walked away, never to be seen alive again, Richard Forsyth said. Found inside his unlocked car were two cellphones, a laptop and important documents, he said.

So far, authorities — who have stressed a need to investigate thoroughly before releasing information — have not said whether the SUV was related to Forsyth's disappearance, or whether they've found the gun used to shoot him or identified any suspects.

Richard Forsyth said family members have been told it could be a long wait for answers, but they have confidence in the investigating officers.

Authorities have also not indicated how deeply they are looking into Forsyth’s connections to crypto.

Online publications covering the industry quickly took note of his death, which was confirmed just seven weeks after authorities in the San Francisco area charged a tech consultant with the stabbing death of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cash-app-bob-lee-founder-stabbed-13dab701a332328c531b3c6c444983fd">Cash App founder Bob Lee.</a>

John and Richard Forsyth founded Onfo LLC, what they called a “network mining” venture, in 2018. At that time, Onfo’s website said account holders could earn credits without putting up cash, by referring others to the company.

Onfo's website features a nearly eight-minute video titled, “The U.S. Dollar is Doomed,” which says all governments’ currencies could collapse. The video promoting the launch of Onfo portrayed bankers and political officials as pigs in suits, describing them as, “drunk on expensive liquor, resting in palaces.”

<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/lukefitzpatrick/2020/04/27/bitcoin-halving-a-new-class-of-bitcoin-millionaires-may-emerge/?sh=2453ff1e61fc">An online Forbes magazine story</a>&nbsp;in 2020 described John Forsyth as a bitcoin millionaire.

But Richard Forsyth said he and his brother were looking to give large numbers of people, including poor people in developing nations, a chance to invest in decentralized, digital currency. He described Onfo as fighting what the brothers believed crypto had become: driven by greed, “about Lamborghinis” and “billionaires and tax evasion.”

Paul Sibenik, lead case manager for CipherBlade, an agency that investigates cybercrimes involving crypto, said Onfo’s business model resembles pyramid schemes, which rely on an ever-growing number of referrals and cannot be sustained.

“There is not a single legitimate cryptocurrency project that operates in this way,” Sibenik said in an email to The Associated Press.

Richard Forsyth acknowledged that others might question whether Onfo was a “multi-level marketing” operation, but added, “The key difference is that we never sold anything.” And, he said, it's probably cost them millions of dollars, rather than turning a profit.

“What we are just doing is saying to people, ‘Let’s build this together,’" he said.

John Forsyth had substantial crypto currency holdings when his second divorce became final last month. The divorce decree evenly split his and his ex-wife's holdings in bitcoin and another digital currency, Ethereum, valuing them at more than $800,000. The decree also required him to pay an additional $15,000 a month to his ex-wife as well as $3,999 a month to support four of their children, ages 10 to 18. The decree estimated the value of John Forsyth’s business interests outside his cryptocurrency holdings at $1 million.

John and Richard Forsyth were among seven siblings in an extended family with more than 100 cousins. The brothers grew up both in southwest Missouri and Alberta, Canada, and had dual American and Canadian citizenship, Richard Forsyth said.

The family had a private funeral Saturday, followed by a public vigil Sunday night in a park in Monett just north of Cassville. There, about 40 people, mostly family members, lit memorial candles and shared poignant and humorous stories about him.

Colleagues remembered how Forsyth often tried to lighten the mood in the intense emergency room of a hospital in the town of Aurora where he worked. Nurse Leah Tate remarked that he liked to see “just how much he could annoy you,” drawing chuckles from those gathered for the memorial service. She said Forsyth once made it his mission to get a nurse to throw something at him at least once a day.

Louise Hensley, a Monett resident and former neighbor of John Forsyth, said he treated her husband, who had Lou Gehrig's disease, for several years.

“He was always so caring about his patients. He was so helpful to my husband and me during that time," said Hensley, who described Forsyth's death as “tragic.”

"I was just shocked when I heard a doctor was missing and then saw it was him.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685465277680.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By MARGARET STAFFORD and JOHN HANNA&nbsp;CASSVILLE, Mo. (AP) — John Forsyth was known as a hard-working doctor who cared deeply for his patients and often teased nurses in the emergency room to ease tension. He was a father of eight and newly engaged. He also co-founded a cryptocurrency business with his brother.His sudden disappearance from a southwestern Missouri town last month — and the eventual&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-doctor-missing-ozarks-f7f68205ec6db1f866e99ec4707443af">discovery of his body</a>&nbsp;in an Arkansas lake — has led many to wonder what happened to the man who seemed happier than he’d been for some time. A lack of information from law enforcement has only deepened the mystery, prompting amateur sleuths to espouse theories on Facebook.“It’s like the world dropped on us; we’re just in shock” said his sister Tiffany Forsyth. “There’s a part of me that’s not quite sure this is real yet. I guess it comes in steps.”Forsyth disappeared on May 21 from a parking area at a public swimming pool. His body, which had suffered an apparent gunshot wound, was found nine days later. An autopsy was done, but a report isn't expected for at least two months. Law enforcement officers have released almost no details, except to say there is no danger to the public.The doctor's family is adamant that his death wasn’t a suicide: He had just recently become engaged, and his fiancee was pregnant.Some true-crime followers on social media have speculated that his death may have been connected to the cryptocurrency company that he co-founded with his brother, Richard Forsyth. Multiple other theories also have surfaced in a Facebook discussion group that has grown to more than 1,000 members. Posts in that group are now closed to public view.Only 10 days before his disappearance, a judge had finalized Forsyth's divorce — his second from the same woman. The split was amicable, according to family members and the ex-wife's attorney, Ryan Ricketts, who said she was “devastated” by the doctor’s death.Richard Forsyth said his brother was excited about his upcoming marriage and new child and had a plane ticket to go see one of his daughters.“He said, ‘I can’t wait to introduce her to you. We’re going to have a wonderful life together. We’re all going to spend a lot of time together,’” Richard Forsyth said. " ... I hadn't seen him that happy for a long time.”Forsyth even texted his fiancee on the day of his disappearance, saying he would see her soon, according to his brother. The fiancee did not answer a social media request for an interview.Alongside hopeful comments about his future life, however, John Forsyth had recently made cryptic remarks about possibly being in danger, his brother said, adding, “I think he crossed paths with some bad folks and he didn’t tell me about them."CONFLICTING INFORMATION There has been some confusion about what happened near the public pool where John Forsyth was last seen in Cassville, 40 miles (64 kilometers) west of the Ozark Mountains tourist destination of Branson and about half a mile from a hospital where he worked. On May 21, the pool had yet to open for the summer season. Beaver Lake, a man-made reservoir used for recreation and where his body was found, is at least an hour’s drive away from Cassville, over twisty highways that snake through the Ozarks.Initially, Richard Forsyth said security camera footage showed his brother getting into someone else’s vehicle. He now says the footage shows that a few minutes after the doctor parked his car, a white SUV arrived, then left shortly afterward. About 10 or 15 minutes after that, the doctor got out of his car and walked away, never to be seen alive again, Richard Forsyth said. Found inside his unlocked car were two cellphones, a laptop and important documents, he said.So far, authorities — who have stressed a need to investigate thoroughly before releasing information — have not said whether the SUV was related to Forsyth's disappearance, or whether they've found the gun used to shoot him or identified any suspects.Richard Forsyth said family members have been told it could be a long wait for answers, but they have confidence in the investigating officers.CRYPTO CONNECTIONS Authorities have also not indicated how deeply they are looking into Forsyth’s connections to crypto.Online publications covering the industry quickly took note of his death, which was confirmed just seven weeks after authorities in the San Francisco area charged a tech consultant with the stabbing death of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cash-app-bob-lee-founder-stabbed-13dab701a332328c531b3c6c444983fd">Cash App founder Bob Lee.</a>John and Richard Forsyth founded Onfo LLC, what they called a “network mining” venture, in 2018. At that time, Onfo’s website said account holders could earn credits without putting up cash, by referring others to the company.Onfo's website features a nearly eight-minute video titled, “The U.S. Dollar is Doomed,” which says all governments’ currencies could collapse. The video promoting the launch of Onfo portrayed bankers and political officials as pigs in suits, describing them as, “drunk on expensive liquor, resting in palaces.”<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/lukefitzpatrick/2020/04/27/bitcoin-halving-a-new-class-of-bitcoin-millionaires-may-emerge/?sh=2453ff1e61fc">An online Forbes magazine story</a>&nbsp;in 2020 described John Forsyth as a bitcoin millionaire.But Richard Forsyth said he and his brother were looking to give large numbers of people, including poor people in developing nations, a chance to invest in decentralized, digital currency. He described Onfo as fighting what the brothers believed crypto had become: driven by greed, “about Lamborghinis” and “billionaires and tax evasion.”Paul Sibenik, lead case manager for CipherBlade, an agency that investigates cybercrimes involving crypto, said Onfo’s business model resembles pyramid schemes, which rely on an ever-growing number of referrals and cannot be sustained.“There is not a single legitimate cryptocurrency project that operates in this way,” Sibenik said in an email to The Associated Press.Richard Forsyth acknowledged that others might question whether Onfo was a “multi-level marketing” operation, but added, “The key difference is that we never sold anything.” And, he said, it's probably cost them millions of dollars, rather than turning a profit.“What we are just doing is saying to people, ‘Let’s build this together,’" he said.John Forsyth had substantial crypto currency holdings when his second divorce became final last month. The divorce decree evenly split his and his ex-wife's holdings in bitcoin and another digital currency, Ethereum, valuing them at more than $800,000. The decree also required him to pay an additional $15,000 a month to his ex-wife as well as $3,999 a month to support four of their children, ages 10 to 18. The decree estimated the value of John Forsyth’s business interests outside his cryptocurrency holdings at $1 million.A FRIENDS' AND FAMILY'S FAREWELL John and Richard Forsyth were among seven siblings in an extended family with more than 100 cousins. The brothers grew up both in southwest Missouri and Alberta, Canada, and had dual American and Canadian citizenship, Richard Forsyth said.The family had a private funeral Saturday, followed by a public vigil Sunday night in a park in Monett just north of Cassville. There, about 40 people, mostly family members, lit memorial candles and shared poignant and humorous stories about him.Colleagues remembered how Forsyth often tried to lighten the mood in the intense emergency room of a hospital in the town of Aurora where he worked. Nurse Leah Tate remarked that he liked to see “just how much he could annoy you,” drawing chuckles from those gathered for the memorial service. She said Forsyth once made it his mission to get a nurse to throw something at him at least once a day.Louise Hensley, a Monett resident and former neighbor of John Forsyth, said he treated her husband, who had Lou Gehrig's disease, for several years.“He was always so caring about his patients. He was so helpful to my husband and me during that time," said Hensley, who described Forsyth's death as “tragic.”"I was just shocked when I heard a doctor was missing and then saw it was him.”

Authorities aren't talking: Doctor's death is steeped in mystery, speculation

By SHERMAN SMITH <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/kansas-house-agrees-to-raise-legal-smoking-age-to-21/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The Kansas Republican Party settled a lawsuit and apologized for a campaign mailer sent in 2020 that falsely accused a developer of corruption in an attempt to discredit a Shawnee Democrat running for state Senate.

Mike Brown, who&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/11/kansas-republicans-select-2020-election-conspiracy-theorist-to-serve-as-party-chairman/">took over as chairman of the Kansas GOP</a>&nbsp;earlier this year, seized the opportunity to criticize his predecessor, Mike Kuckelman, in the latest public showing of discord within the party. Kuckelman responded by pointing to the party’s perilous financial position and Brown’s willingness to cave to “political bullying.”

For Lindsey Constance, the Democrat who lost to Republican Sen. Mike Thompson, the settlement was a reminder of the “sea of misinformation” surrounding their race.

Developer Kevin Tubbesing and his wife, Dawn, sued the Kansas GOP over the mailer in 2021 in Johnson County District Court. In a statement, Brown said Kuckelman made an error in judgment by authorizing the mailer, which led to an “unnecessarily long and expensive legal process.”

“I want to assure both the Tubbesings, as well as Republicans throughout Kansas, that we will never let a situation like this happen again while I am chairman,” Brown said. “This situation should never have reached this point, and we are happy this case has been resolved. Our party can now turn its full attention to ensuring the election of Republican leadership across this great state.”

In an email, Kevin Tubbesing said the parties agreed not to disclose the settlement amount.

“For going on three years now, all we have sought is an apology, and now reimbursement of legal expenses, for this unprovoked attack, and I’m glad that we now have it behind us,” Kevin Tubbesing said.

The 2020 campaign mailer attacked Constance, who had served on the Shawnee City Council, for voting in favor of a $3.1 million incentive package to support Kevin Tubbesing’s development of luxury apartments. Constance received a $250 donation from Dawn Tubbesing before and after voting on the project.

The mailer’s colorful language included the following lines:

In an interview for this story, Constance said it was “laughable” that a $250 donation could influence a vote.

“It is incredibly hard to go up against a person and a party saying things that are completely false,” Constance said. “And I don’t think I expected that level of disinformation when I got into it.”

She said one flyer didn’t make a difference in the race, but it wasn’t the only example of misinformation. Another flyer said she wanted to defund the police, even though she had the endorsement of a former police chief, and during a debate, Thompson falsely claimed the students at the public school where Constance works as an educator have an average GPA of 1.7.

Thompson defeated Constance by 1,604 votes in a race where more than 43,000 ballots were counted.

“Fighting back in a sea of misinformation is really difficult, especially if you’re committed to telling the truth. It’s just really hard,” Constance said. “I feel like nobody prepares you in life for debating those kinds of things.”

Kevin Tubbesing said the Kansas GOP coordinated with Thompson’s campaign to generate the mailer, which was delivered “to thousands of our neighbors in Shawnee.”

“We demanded an apology and a retraction but the party chairman at that time, Michael Kuckelman refused, despite numerous requests from other statewide party leaders,” Kevin Tubbesing said. “Having no other choice to defend our good intentions and honor, we sued.”

The Kansas GOP spokesman at the time, C.J. Grover,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article249095990.html">told the Kansas City Star</a>&nbsp;the party would prevail against the “frivolous lawsuit.” Grover, who later became the spokesman for GOP gubernatorial nominee Derek Schmidt, said “everything in the mail piece was true, and the law protecting free political speech is on our side.”

Kuckelman, an attorney, said in a statement for this story that he was disappointed by Brown’s decision to settle the lawsuit.

“I was informed by party insiders close to Brown that the party could no longer afford to pay its attorneys to litigate the case,” Kuckelman said. “Apparently, fundraising by the Kansas Republican Party is at an all-time low.”

The long-term implications of surrendering free political speech are “quite serious” and will hurt the party, Kuckelman said.

“Political opponents now realize that under the Kansas Republican Party’s current chair, the party will not stand up to political bullying, even when constitutional rights are at risk,” Kuckelman said.

Kevin Tubbesing said Brown agreed to settle after he took over the party earlier this year, reviewed the case, and “saw the absurdity of Kuckelman’s position.”

“It is our hope that attention to this settlement can bring us all a few step(s) back from divisive politics, saturated by personal attacks, that has marked our political discourse recently,” the couple said in a statement. “Respecting differing views, while working fervently for policies that align to each of our ideals, strengthens the fabric of our society and our American democracy.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686919170988.png" alt=" Kansas GOP chairman Mike Brown blamed his predecessor for authorizing a false attack in a 2020 campaign mailer that led to a costly legal fight. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Kansas GOP chairman Mike Brown blamed his predecessor for authorizing a false attack in a 2020 campaign mailer that led to a costly legal fight. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By SHERMAN SMITH <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/kansas-house-agrees-to-raise-legal-smoking-age-to-21/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The Kansas Republican Party settled a lawsuit and apologized for a campaign mailer sent in 2020 that falsely accused a developer of corruption in an attempt to discredit a Shawnee Democrat running for state Senate.Mike Brown, who&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/11/kansas-republicans-select-2020-election-conspiracy-theorist-to-serve-as-party-chairman/">took over as chairman of the Kansas GOP</a>&nbsp;earlier this year, seized the opportunity to criticize his predecessor, Mike Kuckelman, in the latest public showing of discord within the party. Kuckelman responded by pointing to the party’s perilous financial position and Brown’s willingness to cave to “political bullying.”For Lindsey Constance, the Democrat who lost to Republican Sen. Mike Thompson, the settlement was a reminder of the “sea of misinformation” surrounding their race.Developer Kevin Tubbesing and his wife, Dawn, sued the Kansas GOP over the mailer in 2021 in Johnson County District Court. In a statement, Brown said Kuckelman made an error in judgment by authorizing the mailer, which led to an “unnecessarily long and expensive legal process.”“I want to assure both the Tubbesings, as well as Republicans throughout Kansas, that we will never let a situation like this happen again while I am chairman,” Brown said. “This situation should never have reached this point, and we are happy this case has been resolved. Our party can now turn its full attention to ensuring the election of Republican leadership across this great state.”In an email, Kevin Tubbesing said the parties agreed not to disclose the settlement amount.“For going on three years now, all we have sought is an apology, and now reimbursement of legal expenses, for this unprovoked attack, and I’m glad that we now have it behind us,” Kevin Tubbesing said.The 2020 campaign mailer attacked Constance, who had served on the Shawnee City Council, for voting in favor of a $3.1 million incentive package to support Kevin Tubbesing’s development of luxury apartments. Constance received a $250 donation from Dawn Tubbesing before and after voting on the project.The mailer’s colorful language included the following lines:<ul>
 <li>“Lindsey Constance gives expensive gifts to her special interest donors — and you pay for it.”</li><li>“Lindsey Constance’s corruption is a love letter to crony corruption.”</li>
 </ul>In an interview for this story, Constance said it was “laughable” that a $250 donation could influence a vote.“It is incredibly hard to go up against a person and a party saying things that are completely false,” Constance said. “And I don’t think I expected that level of disinformation when I got into it.”She said one flyer didn’t make a difference in the race, but it wasn’t the only example of misinformation. Another flyer said she wanted to defund the police, even though she had the endorsement of a former police chief, and during a debate, Thompson falsely claimed the students at the public school where Constance works as an educator have an average GPA of 1.7.Thompson defeated Constance by 1,604 votes in a race where more than 43,000 ballots were counted.“Fighting back in a sea of misinformation is really difficult, especially if you’re committed to telling the truth. It’s just really hard,” Constance said. “I feel like nobody prepares you in life for debating those kinds of things.”Kevin Tubbesing said the Kansas GOP coordinated with Thompson’s campaign to generate the mailer, which was delivered “to thousands of our neighbors in Shawnee.”“We demanded an apology and a retraction but the party chairman at that time, Michael Kuckelman refused, despite numerous requests from other statewide party leaders,” Kevin Tubbesing said. “Having no other choice to defend our good intentions and honor, we sued.”The Kansas GOP spokesman at the time, C.J. Grover,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article249095990.html">told the Kansas City Star</a>&nbsp;the party would prevail against the “frivolous lawsuit.” Grover, who later became the spokesman for GOP gubernatorial nominee Derek Schmidt, said “everything in the mail piece was true, and the law protecting free political speech is on our side.”Kuckelman, an attorney, said in a statement for this story that he was disappointed by Brown’s decision to settle the lawsuit.“I was informed by party insiders close to Brown that the party could no longer afford to pay its attorneys to litigate the case,” Kuckelman said. “Apparently, fundraising by the Kansas Republican Party is at an all-time low.”The long-term implications of surrendering free political speech are “quite serious” and will hurt the party, Kuckelman said.“Political opponents now realize that under the Kansas Republican Party’s current chair, the party will not stand up to political bullying, even when constitutional rights are at risk,” Kuckelman said.Kevin Tubbesing said Brown agreed to settle after he took over the party earlier this year, reviewed the case, and “saw the absurdity of Kuckelman’s position.”“It is our hope that attention to this settlement can bring us all a few step(s) back from divisive politics, saturated by personal attacks, that has marked our political discourse recently,” the couple said in a statement. “Respecting differing views, while working fervently for policies that align to each of our ideals, strengthens the fabric of our society and our American democracy.”

Kan. GOP chairman apologizes for predecessor’s campaign attack ad, settles lawsuit

BARTON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on drug allegations after a traffic stop in Barton County.

Just after 1a.m. June 14, 1:12 a.m.,&nbsp; police were dispatched to report of a disturbance in the 1200 block of Jefferson in Great Bend, according to a media release.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1686838485520.jpeg" alt="photo Barton Co." />
 <figcaption>photo Barton Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>BARTON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on drug allegations after a traffic stop in Barton County.Just after 1a.m. June 14, 1:12 a.m.,&nbsp; police were dispatched to report of a disturbance in the 1200 block of Jefferson in Great Bend, according to a media release. While responding to the area, the reporting party advised a man and woman left in a white Ford pickup. Officers located the pickup in the 1000 block of Adams Street and conducted a traffic stop. While speaking with the occupants, officers observed drug paraphernalia inside the vehicle. During a search of the vehicle, officers found suspected methamphetamine, prescription narcotics and more drug paraphernalia.Police arrested the the juvenile driver and the passenger identified as 27-year-old Martez Tyus. If you have any information on these or any other crimes please contact the Great Bend Police Department at 620-793-4120 or Barton County Crime Stoppers at 620-792-1300 or online at p3tips.com.