OSAGE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.

Just after 10:30p.m. Feb. 25, an Osage County Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop at 229th and K-368 Highway, near Vassar, for a traffic violation, according to Sheriff Chris Wells. During the stop, the deputy found narcotics.

The driver of the vehicle, Andrea R. Conus, 46, of Ottawa, was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail on requested charges of Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of drug paraphernalia, Driving while license suspended and a&nbsp;Warrant. She has a previous drug conviction, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677520166811.png" alt="Conus has a previous drug conviction, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections-photo Osage Co." />
 <figcaption>Conus has a previous drug conviction, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections-photo Osage Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>OSAGE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.Just after 10:30p.m. Feb. 25, an Osage County Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop at 229th and K-368 Highway, near Vassar, for a traffic violation, according to Sheriff Chris Wells. During the stop, the deputy found narcotics.The driver of the vehicle, Andrea R. Conus, 46, of Ottawa, was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail on requested charges of Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of drug paraphernalia, Driving while license suspended and a&nbsp;Warrant. She has a previous drug conviction, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Sheriff: Wanted Kansas felon caught transporting meth

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is giving all federal agencies 30 days to wipe&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-canada-justin-trudeau-china-b10829a5503776fe9439ceb3d3835996">TikTok</a>&nbsp;off all government devices, as the Chinese-owned social media app comes under increasing scrutiny in Washington over security concerns.

The Office of Management and Budget calls the guidance, issued Monday, a “critical step forward in addressing the risks presented by the app to sensitive government data.” Some agencies, including the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security and State, already have restrictions in place; the guidance calls on the rest of the federal government to follow suit within 30 days.

The White House already does not allow TikTok on its devices.

“The Biden-Harris Administration has invested heavily in defending our nation’s digital infrastructure and curbing foreign adversaries’ access to Americans’ data,” said Chris DeRusha, the federal chief information security officer. “This guidance is part of the Administration’s ongoing commitment to securing our digital infrastructure and protecting the American people’s security and privacy.”

The guidance was first reported by Reuters.

Congress passed the “No TikTok on Government Devices Act” in December as part of a sweeping government funding package. The legislation does allow for TikTok use in certain cases, including for national security, law enforcement and research purposes.

TikTok spokesperson Brooke Oberwetter said Monday: “The ban of TikTok on federal devices passed in December without any deliberation, and unfortunately that approach has served as a blueprint for other world governments. These bans are little more than political theater."

House Republicans are expected to move forward Tuesday with a bill that would give Biden the power to ban TikTok nationwide. The legislation, proposed by Rep. Mike McCaul, looks to circumvent the challenges the administration would face in court if it moved forward with sanctions against the social media company.

If passed, the proposal would allow the administration to ban not only TikTok but any software applications that threaten national security. McCaul, the chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee, has been a vocal critic of the app, saying it is being used by the Chinese Communist Party to “manipulate and monitor its users while it gobbles up Americans’ data to be used for their malign activities.”

“Anyone with TikTok downloaded on their device has given the CCP a backdoor to all their personal information. It’s a spy balloon into your phone,” the Texas Republican said in a statement Monday.

Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., his counterpart in the Senate, did not shut down the idea of the chamber taking up a proposal that would empower Biden to take action against TikTok, saying it was “certainly something to consider.”

Oberwetter said: “We hope that when it comes to addressing national security concerns about TikTok beyond government devices, Congress will explore solutions that won’t have the effect of censoring the voices of millions of Americans.”

TikTok, owned by ByteDance Ltd., remains extremely popular and is used by two-thirds of teens in the U.S. But there is increasing concern that Beijing could obtain control of American user data that the app has obtained.

The company&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-politics-d33e58c76bb3c13297c72816ef4e6231">has been dismissive of the ban</a>&nbsp;for federal devices and has noted that it is developing security and data privacy plans as part of the Biden administration’s ongoing national security review.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-mobile-apps-canada-government-united-states-justin-trudeau-43b27a80a1c2bf3b55e5ccf2ce573684">Canada</a>&nbsp;also announced Monday that it is banning TikTok from all government-issued mobile devices. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-politics-united-states-government-privacy-business-29a52f0eee4177f6c2a596d12459feec">European Union’s executive branch</a>&nbsp;said last week it has temporarily banned TikTok from phones used by employees as a cybersecurity measure.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is giving all federal agencies 30 days to wipe&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-canada-justin-trudeau-china-b10829a5503776fe9439ceb3d3835996">TikTok</a>&nbsp;off all government devices, as the Chinese-owned social media app comes under increasing scrutiny in Washington over security concerns.The Office of Management and Budget calls the guidance, issued Monday, a “critical step forward in addressing the risks presented by the app to sensitive government data.” Some agencies, including the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security and State, already have restrictions in place; the guidance calls on the rest of the federal government to follow suit within 30 days.The White House already does not allow TikTok on its devices.“The Biden-Harris Administration has invested heavily in defending our nation’s digital infrastructure and curbing foreign adversaries’ access to Americans’ data,” said Chris DeRusha, the federal chief information security officer. “This guidance is part of the Administration’s ongoing commitment to securing our digital infrastructure and protecting the American people’s security and privacy.”The guidance was first reported by Reuters.Congress passed the “No TikTok on Government Devices Act” in December as part of a sweeping government funding package. The legislation does allow for TikTok use in certain cases, including for national security, law enforcement and research purposes.TikTok spokesperson Brooke Oberwetter said Monday: “The ban of TikTok on federal devices passed in December without any deliberation, and unfortunately that approach has served as a blueprint for other world governments. These bans are little more than political theater."House Republicans are expected to move forward Tuesday with a bill that would give Biden the power to ban TikTok nationwide. The legislation, proposed by Rep. Mike McCaul, looks to circumvent the challenges the administration would face in court if it moved forward with sanctions against the social media company.If passed, the proposal would allow the administration to ban not only TikTok but any software applications that threaten national security. McCaul, the chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee, has been a vocal critic of the app, saying it is being used by the Chinese Communist Party to “manipulate and monitor its users while it gobbles up Americans’ data to be used for their malign activities.”“Anyone with TikTok downloaded on their device has given the CCP a backdoor to all their personal information. It’s a spy balloon into your phone,” the Texas Republican said in a statement Monday.Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., his counterpart in the Senate, did not shut down the idea of the chamber taking up a proposal that would empower Biden to take action against TikTok, saying it was “certainly something to consider.”Oberwetter said: “We hope that when it comes to addressing national security concerns about TikTok beyond government devices, Congress will explore solutions that won’t have the effect of censoring the voices of millions of Americans.”TikTok, owned by ByteDance Ltd., remains extremely popular and is used by two-thirds of teens in the U.S. But there is increasing concern that Beijing could obtain control of American user data that the app has obtained.The company&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-politics-d33e58c76bb3c13297c72816ef4e6231">has been dismissive of the ban</a>&nbsp;for federal devices and has noted that it is developing security and data privacy plans as part of the Biden administration’s ongoing national security review.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-mobile-apps-canada-government-united-states-justin-trudeau-43b27a80a1c2bf3b55e5ccf2ce573684">Canada</a>&nbsp;also announced Monday that it is banning TikTok from all government-issued mobile devices. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-politics-united-states-government-privacy-business-29a52f0eee4177f6c2a596d12459feec">European Union’s executive branch</a>&nbsp;said last week it has temporarily banned TikTok from phones used by employees as a cybersecurity measure.

White House: No more TikTok on gov't devices within 30 days

DOUGLAS COUNTY —&nbsp; A Kansas man was sentenced Friday for child sex crimes.

&nbsp;Kenneth W. Mills, 36, of De Soto, was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility for parole for 25 years for criminal sodomy of a three- to four-year-old girl at the time of offense, according to Douglas County District Attorney&nbsp;Suzanne Valdez.

In August, a jury convicted Mills of engaging in sexual contact with a child who was under his care and residing in his Lawrence home in 2010 and 2011.

“Children are among the most vulnerable in our community,” District Attorney Valdez said. “Perpetrators never get to define the time, place or manner in which their victims disclose the assaults. These are always difficult cases and we will continue to pursue them to the best of our ability in order to uphold justice and community safety.”

Mills registered as a sex offender in August, according to online records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677339281866.png" alt="Mills-photo KBI Offender Registry" />
 <figcaption>Mills-photo KBI Offender Registry</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS COUNTY —&nbsp; A Kansas man was sentenced Friday for child sex crimes.&nbsp;Kenneth W. Mills, 36, of De Soto, was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility for parole for 25 years for criminal sodomy of a three- to four-year-old girl at the time of offense, according to Douglas County District Attorney&nbsp;Suzanne Valdez.In August, a jury convicted Mills of engaging in sexual contact with a child who was under his care and residing in his Lawrence home in 2010 and 2011.“Children are among the most vulnerable in our community,” District Attorney Valdez said. “Perpetrators never get to define the time, place or manner in which their victims disclose the assaults. These are always difficult cases and we will continue to pursue them to the best of our ability in order to uphold justice and community safety.”Mills registered as a sex offender in August, according to online records.

Kan. man sentenced for sex crimes involving 3-year-old

BROWN COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new charges after a traffic stop.

Just after 3a.m. Sunday, a sheriff's deputy made a traffic stop in the vicinity of 250th and Prairie in Brown County, according to Sheriff John Merchant.

The deputy arrested 40-year-old&nbsp; Zach Brown of Highland on requested charges of Possession of Meth, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug and Paraphernalia&nbsp; and Felony Parole Violation.

Brown has previous convictions for battery on a law enforcement officer, aggravated robbery, aggravated battery, flee or attempt to elude, destroy evidence in a federal case and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections. He had been out of prison since September.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677527282582.png" alt="Brown has previous convictions for battery on a law enforcement officer, aggravated robbery, aggravated battery, flee or attempt to elude, destroy evidence in a federal case and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections-photo Brown Co." />
 <figcaption>Brown has previous convictions for battery on a law enforcement officer, aggravated robbery, aggravated battery, flee or attempt to elude, destroy evidence in a federal case and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections-photo Brown Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new charges after a traffic stop.Just after 3a.m. Sunday, a sheriff's deputy made a traffic stop in the vicinity of 250th and Prairie in Brown County, according to Sheriff John Merchant.The deputy arrested 40-year-old&nbsp; Zach Brown of Highland on requested charges of Possession of Meth, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug and Paraphernalia&nbsp; and Felony Parole Violation.Brown has previous convictions for battery on a law enforcement officer, aggravated robbery, aggravated battery, flee or attempt to elude, destroy evidence in a federal case and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections. He had been out of prison since September.

Recently released Kansas felon accused of new crimes 

STAFFORD COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities and officials with USD 350 St. John-Hudson are investigating a break-in at the school over the weekend, according to Superintendent Josh Meyer. There were no classes in school in the district on Monday.

The intruder left graffiti on walls of the school that contained words that would be considered threatening in nature, according a letter from Meyer to the USD 350 school community.

“We have no information that would lead us to believe there is a specific plan for violence toward any individual or anyone here at the school," Meyer wrote. "The vandal is a current student and is being disciplined according to district policy."

There was glass in the building and a mess to clean up before having students back in the building.

Classes will resume on Tuesday with an increased police presence to help students feel safe, according to Meyer's letter. "We have a safety plan in place, as well as our Safe Defend system to protect staff and students."

STAFFORD COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities and officials with USD 350 St. John-Hudson are investigating a break-in at the school over the weekend, according to Superintendent Josh Meyer. There were no classes in school in the district on Monday.The intruder left graffiti on walls of the school that contained words that would be considered threatening in nature, according a letter from Meyer to the USD 350 school community.“We have no information that would lead us to believe there is a specific plan for violence toward any individual or anyone here at the school," Meyer wrote. "The vandal is a current student and is being disciplined according to district policy."There was glass in the building and a mess to clean up before having students back in the building.Classes will resume on Tuesday with an increased police presence to help students feel safe, according to Meyer's letter. "We have a safety plan in place, as well as our Safe Defend system to protect staff and students."

Police investigate vandalism that closed Kansas school

KANSAS CITY—U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg joined Kansas Lt. Governor David Toland, Kansas 3rd District Rep. Sharice Davids, Missouri 5th District Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, Missouri Governor Mike Parson, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas and a select group of invited guests to participate in the celebration for the completion of the new&nbsp;<a href="https://flykc.com/">Kansas City International Airport terminal.</a>&nbsp;

The terminal officially opens Tuesday.&nbsp;

This is third trip to Kansas for Buttigieg since joining the Biden administration.&nbsp;

On Monday he also visited the future site of the multibillion-dollar Panasonic electric vehicle battery plant  in De Soto, Kansas, 30 miles southwest of Kansas City and toured the Plaster Center during a stop at University of Missouri-Kansas City.

KANSAS CITY—U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg joined Kansas Lt. Governor David Toland, Kansas 3rd District Rep. Sharice Davids, Missouri 5th District Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, Missouri Governor Mike Parson, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas and a select group of invited guests to participate in the celebration for the completion of the new&nbsp;<a href="https://flykc.com/">Kansas City International Airport terminal.</a>&nbsp;The terminal officially opens Tuesday.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">America should have the world&#39;s best airports - so it&#39;s thrilling to be here in Kansas City to cut the ribbon here at <a href="https://twitter.com/KCIAirport?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KCIAirport</a>&#39;s world-class new terminal! <a href="https://t.co/G2W2Pg1u18">pic.twitter.com/G2W2Pg1u18</a>&mdash; Secretary Pete Buttigieg (@SecretaryPete) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecretaryPete/status/1630286240476983304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Look who joined me this morning to celebrate the opening of the new <a href="https://twitter.com/KCIAirport?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KCIAirport</a> terminal! I can’t wait for travelers from all over the world to see the food, business, and hospitality the KC area has to offer. <a href="https://twitter.com/SecretaryPete?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecretaryPete</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/LtGovToland?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LtGovToland</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MayorLucasKC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MayorLucasKC</a> <a href="https://t.co/bZ4eSLDJ1f">pic.twitter.com/bZ4eSLDJ1f</a>&mdash; Rep. Sharice Davids (@RepDavids) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepDavids/status/1630271685273305089?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>This is third trip to Kansas for Buttigieg since joining the Biden administration.&nbsp;On Monday he also visited the future site of the multibillion-dollar Panasonic electric vehicle battery plant in De Soto, Kansas, 30 miles southwest of Kansas City and toured the Plaster Center during a stop at University of Missouri-Kansas City.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">As you are patiently waiting for your new terminal, preview some of the new features and experiences you&#39;ll have on our brand new website <a href="https://t.co/pJT2MrpZdv">https://t.co/pJT2MrpZdv</a>. <a href="https://t.co/srrP1r7Sk0">pic.twitter.com/srrP1r7Sk0</a>&mdash; Kansas City International Airport (@KCIAirport) <a href="https://twitter.com/KCIAirport/status/1628858937742163969?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

🎥 Dignitaries cut ribbon for new KC International Airport

By RACHEL MIPRO <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/27/they-call-us-gay-for-a-reason-kansas-lgbtq-activists-talk-about-embracing-a-policy-of-love/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA
 — Melissa Stiehler remembers her experience as the first girl to come 
out at her high school, back in 2006, at the height of “don’t ask, don’t
 tell.”

She remembers seeing anti-gay 
marriage signs scattered across her neighborhood, and hearing homophobic
 rhetoric in the bathrooms and locker rooms.

“It was incredibly lonely,” Stiehler 
said. “I started LGBT activism at that point in time, basically, to make
 other gay friends, so I knew I wasn’t alone.”

Today, as an advocacy director with 
Loud Light, Stiehler is one of several activists embracing a policy of 
love amid a slew of anti-LGBTQ legislation. She and Jae Moyer, 
engagement coordinator with Mainstream Coalition, spoke about the 
current political climate during a Feb. 21 recording of the Kansas 
Reflector podcast.

Moyer’s journey followed a similar 
trajectory as Stiehler’s. Moyer was the first person in their high 
school to come out, as well — in the eighth grade, during former Gov. 
Sam Brownback’s administration.&nbsp;

By the time Moyer was a senior at 
their Overland Park high school, they were the president of their high 
school’s equality club and campaigning against anti-transgender bills. 
Years later, they are still making trips to the Statehouse to fight 
similar legislation.

Last week, the House <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/23/kansas-house-and-senate-both-pass-legislation-targeting-transgender-youth/">passed a transgender student athlete</a>
 ban and the Senate passed a bill banning doctors from providing 
gender-affirming care to minors. Some lawmakers described 
gender-affirming care as a form of mutilation.

One week in February was <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/13/kansas-democrats-describe-attempt-to-ban-transgender-student-athletes-as-crushing-weight/">referred to as “hate week,”</a>
 because of the amount of anti-LGBTQ legislation debated. During the 
week, Republican lawmakers argued for the removal of local 
anti-discrimination protections, as well as a bill that would ban 
transgender and intersex women from female-designated public spaces.

“It really does feel alienating,” 
Moyer said. “Especially when I remember what it was like to be an LGBTQ 
student, and to see now that our lawmakers are attacking our students in
 Kansas like this, it fills me with rage.”&nbsp;

The two said it can be emotionally 
draining to continually fight against harmful rhetoric, but are 
encouraged by their faith in Kansas communities. Stiehler said her 
activism was about love and acceptance in working to strengthen 
communities across Kansas.

“They call us gay for a reason,” 
Stiehler said. “We have so much joy and love in our heart and for each 
other, and taking the time to celebrate that and to affirm each other 
and really build that kind of authentic community.”

Stiehler referenced Pride 
celebrations in Dodge City and Garden City, along with the growing 
prevalence of gay-straight alliances in school as evidence of a shift in
 ideology.

“We’re seeing just joyful movement 
work happening in some of the places that never in my little baby gay 
hopes and dreams I could have imagined,” Stiehler said.

Moyer agreed with her about the 
importance of community. While they are worried about the Legislature’s 
plans to pass laws regulating transgender Kansans’ lives, Moyer said 
they are comforted by the thought of their community ties.

“At the end of the day, we don’t know
 if it’s all going to go away and all of our rights are going to be 
stripped away, and that is the scariest thought on Earth,” Moyer said. 
“But we at least know that there are other people in this space that 
understand what we’re going through, and it helps a lot to know that 
those people are there for us.

“They can’t legislate away our joy. 
They can’t legislate away our love. They can’t legislate away the kind 
of chosen families that we build with each other.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677511854739.png" alt="Jae Moyer and Melissa Stiehler, LGBTQ activists, discuss the state’s political climate during a Feb. 21, 2023 podcast. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Jae Moyer and Melissa Stiehler, LGBTQ activists, discuss the state’s political climate during a Feb. 21, 2023 podcast. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>'They can’t legislate away our joy'</h2>By RACHEL MIPRO <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/27/they-call-us-gay-for-a-reason-kansas-lgbtq-activists-talk-about-embracing-a-policy-of-love/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA
 — Melissa Stiehler remembers her experience as the first girl to come 
out at her high school, back in 2006, at the height of “don’t ask, don’t
 tell.”She remembers seeing anti-gay 
marriage signs scattered across her neighborhood, and hearing homophobic
 rhetoric in the bathrooms and locker rooms.“It was incredibly lonely,” Stiehler 
said. “I started LGBT activism at that point in time, basically, to make
 other gay friends, so I knew I wasn’t alone.”Today, as an advocacy director with 
Loud Light, Stiehler is one of several activists embracing a policy of 
love amid a slew of anti-LGBTQ legislation. She and Jae Moyer, 
engagement coordinator with Mainstream Coalition, spoke about the 
current political climate during a Feb. 21 recording of the Kansas 
Reflector podcast.<div><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1453608433&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/kansas-reflector-podcast" title="Reflector Podcast" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Reflector Podcast</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/kansas-reflector-podcast/2023-02-27-podcast" title="LGBTQ activists in Kansas embrace love to fight hate" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">LGBTQ activists in Kansas embrace love to fight hate</a></div></div>Moyer’s journey followed a similar 
trajectory as Stiehler’s. Moyer was the first person in their high 
school to come out, as well — in the eighth grade, during former Gov. 
Sam Brownback’s administration.&nbsp;By the time Moyer was a senior at 
their Overland Park high school, they were the president of their high 
school’s equality club and campaigning against anti-transgender bills. 
Years later, they are still making trips to the Statehouse to fight 
similar legislation.Last week, the House <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/23/kansas-house-and-senate-both-pass-legislation-targeting-transgender-youth/">passed a transgender student athlete</a>
 ban and the Senate passed a bill banning doctors from providing 
gender-affirming care to minors. Some lawmakers described 
gender-affirming care as a form of mutilation.One week in February was <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/13/kansas-democrats-describe-attempt-to-ban-transgender-student-athletes-as-crushing-weight/">referred to as “hate week,”</a>
 because of the amount of anti-LGBTQ legislation debated. During the 
week, Republican lawmakers argued for the removal of local 
anti-discrimination protections, as well as a bill that would ban 
transgender and intersex women from female-designated public spaces.“It really does feel alienating,” 
Moyer said. “Especially when I remember what it was like to be an LGBTQ 
student, and to see now that our lawmakers are attacking our students in
 Kansas like this, it fills me with rage.”&nbsp;The two said it can be emotionally 
draining to continually fight against harmful rhetoric, but are 
encouraged by their faith in Kansas communities. Stiehler said her 
activism was about love and acceptance in working to strengthen 
communities across Kansas.“They call us gay for a reason,” 
Stiehler said. “We have so much joy and love in our heart and for each 
other, and taking the time to celebrate that and to affirm each other 
and really build that kind of authentic community.”Stiehler referenced Pride 
celebrations in Dodge City and Garden City, along with the growing 
prevalence of gay-straight alliances in school as evidence of a shift in
 ideology.“We’re seeing just joyful movement 
work happening in some of the places that never in my little baby gay 
hopes and dreams I could have imagined,” Stiehler said.Moyer agreed with her about the 
importance of community. While they are worried about the Legislature’s 
plans to pass laws regulating transgender Kansans’ lives, Moyer said 
they are comforted by the thought of their community ties.“At the end of the day, we don’t know
 if it’s all going to go away and all of our rights are going to be 
stripped away, and that is the scariest thought on Earth,” Moyer said. 
“But we at least know that there are other people in this space that 
understand what we’re going through, and it helps a lot to know that 
those people are there for us.“They can’t legislate away our joy. 
They can’t legislate away our love. They can’t legislate away the kind 
of chosen families that we build with each other.”

Kansas LGBTQ activists talk about embracing a policy of love

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;won't have far to look if it wants a personal take on the “crushing weight” of student debt that underlies the Biden administration’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-biden-plan-d9c8e18774a744187c9af634bf4eb728">college loan forgiveness plan</a>.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-gun-politics-gay-rights-marriage-b9062feb4f80c49de088c36b0f17aa7c">Justice Clarence Thomas</a>&nbsp;was in his mid-40s and in his third year on the nation's highest court when he paid off the last of his debt from his time at Yale Law School.

Thomas, the court's longest-serving justice and staunchest conservative, has been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/21a240_d18e.pdf">skeptical of other Biden administration initiatives</a>. And when the Supreme Court hears arguments Tuesday involving&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/student-loans">President Joe Biden's debt relief plan</a>&nbsp;that would wipe away up to $20,000 in outstanding student loans, Thomas is not likely to be a vote in the administration's favor.

But the justices' own experiences can be relevant in how they approach a case, and alone among them, Thomas has written about the role student loans played in his financial struggles.

A fellow law school student even suggested Thomas declare bankruptcy after graduating “to get out from under the crushing weight of all my student loans," the justice wrote in his best-selling 2007 memoir, “My Grandfather’s Son." He rejected the idea.

It’s not clear that any of the other justices borrowed money to attend college or law school or have done so for their children’s educations. Some justices grew up in relative wealth. Others reported they had scholarships to pay their way to some of the country's most expensive private institutions.

Of the seven justices on the court who are parents, four have signaled through their investments that they don't want their own children to be saddled with onerous college debt, and have piled money into tax-free college savings accounts that might limit any need for loans.

Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Neil Gorsuch have the most on hand, at least $600,000 and at least $300,000, respectively, according to annual disclosure reports the justices filed in 2022. Each has two children.

Justices Amy Coney Barrett, who has seven children, and Ketanji Brown Jackson, who has two, also have invested money in college-savings accounts, in which any earnings or growth is tax free if spent on education.

None of the justices would comment for this story, a court spokeswoman said.

Thomas wrote vividly about his past money woes in his up-from-poverty story, recounting how a bank once foreclosed on one of his loans because repayment and delinquency notices were sent to his grandparents’ house in Savannah, Georgia, instead of Thomas’ home at the time in Jefferson City, Missouri.

Thomas was able to take out another loan to repay the bank only because his mentor, John Danforth, then-Missouri attorney general and later a U.S. senator, vouched for him.

Thomas noted that he signed up for a tuition postponement program at Yale in which a group of students jointly paid for their outstanding loans according to their financial ability, with those earning the most paying the most.

At the time, Thomas' first wife, Kathy, was pregnant. “I didn't know what else to do, so I signed on the dotted line, and spent the next two decades paying off the money I borrowed during my last two years at Yale,” Thomas wrote.

When he was first nominated to be a federal judge in 1989, Thomas reported $10,000 in outstanding student loans, according to a news report at the time. The Biden administration has picked the same number as the amount of debt relief most borrowers would get under its plan.

Personal experience can shape the justices' questions in the courtroom and affect their private conversations about a case, even if it doesn't figure in the outcome.

“It is helpful to have people with life experiences that are varied just because it enriches the conversation,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?322339-1/ceremony-honor-supreme-court-justices&amp;start=5657&amp;transcriptQuery=experience">Justice Sonia Sotomayor has said</a>. Sotomayor, like Thomas, also grew up poor. She got a full scholarship to Princeton as an undergraduate, she has said, and went on to Yale for law school, as Thomas did.

Keeping people from avoiding the kinds of difficult choices Thomas faced is a key part of the administration's argument for loan forgiveness.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/22/22-506/251435/20230104222942852_22-506tsUnitedStates.pdf">The administration says</a>&nbsp;that without additional help, many borrowers will fall behind on their payments once a hold in place since the start of the coronavirus pandemic three years ago is lifted, no later than this summer.

Under a plan announced in August but so far blocked by federal courts, $10,000 in federal loans would be canceled for people making less than $125,000 or for households with less than $250,000 in income. Recipients of&nbsp;<a href="https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/grants/pell">Pell Grants</a>, who tend to have fewer financial resources, would get an additional $10,000 in debt forgiven.

The White House says 26 million people already have applied and 16 million have been approved for relief. The program is estimated to cost $400 billion over the next three decades.

The legal fight could turn on any of several elements, including whether the Republican-led states and individuals suing over the plan have legal standing to go to court and whether Biden has the authority under federal law for so extensive a loan forgiveness program.

Nebraska and other states challenging the program argue that far from falling behind, 20 million borrowers would get a "windfall” because their entire student debt would be erased, Nebraska Attorney General Michael Hilgers wrote in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/22/22-506/253353/20230127155912043_2023.01.27%20-%20Respondents%20Brief%20FINAL.pdf">states' main Supreme Court brief</a>.

Which of those arguments resonate with the court may become clear on Tuesday.

When she was dean of Harvard Law School, Justice Elena Kagan showed her own concern about the high cost of law school, especially for students who were considering lower-paying jobs.

<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/18/us/18law.html">Kagan established a program</a>&nbsp;that would allow students to attend their final year tuition-free if they agreed to a five-year commitment to work in the public sector. While that program no longer exists, Harvard offers grants to students for public service work.

At the time the program was created,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.law.com/nationallawjournal/almID/1206040364238/">Kagan said she wanted students</a>&nbsp;to be able to go to work where they “can make the biggest difference, but that isn’t the case now.” Instead, she said: “They often go to work where they don’t want to work because of the debt burden.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673377040107.png" alt="Under a plan announced in August but so far blocked by federal courts, $10,000 in federal loans would be canceled for people making less than $125,000 or for households with less than $250,000 in income." />
 <figcaption>Under a plan announced in August but so far blocked by federal courts, $10,000 in federal loans would be canceled for people making less than $125,000 or for households with less than $250,000 in income.</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;won't have far to look if it wants a personal take on the “crushing weight” of student debt that underlies the Biden administration’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-biden-plan-d9c8e18774a744187c9af634bf4eb728">college loan forgiveness plan</a>.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-gun-politics-gay-rights-marriage-b9062feb4f80c49de088c36b0f17aa7c">Justice Clarence Thomas</a>&nbsp;was in his mid-40s and in his third year on the nation's highest court when he paid off the last of his debt from his time at Yale Law School.Thomas, the court's longest-serving justice and staunchest conservative, has been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/21a240_d18e.pdf">skeptical of other Biden administration initiatives</a>. And when the Supreme Court hears arguments Tuesday involving&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/student-loans">President Joe Biden's debt relief plan</a>&nbsp;that would wipe away up to $20,000 in outstanding student loans, Thomas is not likely to be a vote in the administration's favor.But the justices' own experiences can be relevant in how they approach a case, and alone among them, Thomas has written about the role student loans played in his financial struggles.A fellow law school student even suggested Thomas declare bankruptcy after graduating “to get out from under the crushing weight of all my student loans," the justice wrote in his best-selling 2007 memoir, “My Grandfather’s Son." He rejected the idea.It’s not clear that any of the other justices borrowed money to attend college or law school or have done so for their children’s educations. Some justices grew up in relative wealth. Others reported they had scholarships to pay their way to some of the country's most expensive private institutions.Of the seven justices on the court who are parents, four have signaled through their investments that they don't want their own children to be saddled with onerous college debt, and have piled money into tax-free college savings accounts that might limit any need for loans.Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Neil Gorsuch have the most on hand, at least $600,000 and at least $300,000, respectively, according to annual disclosure reports the justices filed in 2022. Each has two children.Justices Amy Coney Barrett, who has seven children, and Ketanji Brown Jackson, who has two, also have invested money in college-savings accounts, in which any earnings or growth is tax free if spent on education.None of the justices would comment for this story, a court spokeswoman said.Thomas wrote vividly about his past money woes in his up-from-poverty story, recounting how a bank once foreclosed on one of his loans because repayment and delinquency notices were sent to his grandparents’ house in Savannah, Georgia, instead of Thomas’ home at the time in Jefferson City, Missouri.Thomas was able to take out another loan to repay the bank only because his mentor, John Danforth, then-Missouri attorney general and later a U.S. senator, vouched for him.Thomas noted that he signed up for a tuition postponement program at Yale in which a group of students jointly paid for their outstanding loans according to their financial ability, with those earning the most paying the most.At the time, Thomas' first wife, Kathy, was pregnant. “I didn't know what else to do, so I signed on the dotted line, and spent the next two decades paying off the money I borrowed during my last two years at Yale,” Thomas wrote.When he was first nominated to be a federal judge in 1989, Thomas reported $10,000 in outstanding student loans, according to a news report at the time. The Biden administration has picked the same number as the amount of debt relief most borrowers would get under its plan.Personal experience can shape the justices' questions in the courtroom and affect their private conversations about a case, even if it doesn't figure in the outcome.“It is helpful to have people with life experiences that are varied just because it enriches the conversation,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?322339-1/ceremony-honor-supreme-court-justices&amp;start=5657&amp;transcriptQuery=experience">Justice Sonia Sotomayor has said</a>. Sotomayor, like Thomas, also grew up poor. She got a full scholarship to Princeton as an undergraduate, she has said, and went on to Yale for law school, as Thomas did.Keeping people from avoiding the kinds of difficult choices Thomas faced is a key part of the administration's argument for loan forgiveness.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/22/22-506/251435/20230104222942852_22-506tsUnitedStates.pdf">The administration says</a>&nbsp;that without additional help, many borrowers will fall behind on their payments once a hold in place since the start of the coronavirus pandemic three years ago is lifted, no later than this summer.Under a plan announced in August but so far blocked by federal courts, $10,000 in federal loans would be canceled for people making less than $125,000 or for households with less than $250,000 in income. Recipients of&nbsp;<a href="https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/grants/pell">Pell Grants</a>, who tend to have fewer financial resources, would get an additional $10,000 in debt forgiven.The White House says 26 million people already have applied and 16 million have been approved for relief. The program is estimated to cost $400 billion over the next three decades.The legal fight could turn on any of several elements, including whether the Republican-led states and individuals suing over the plan have legal standing to go to court and whether Biden has the authority under federal law for so extensive a loan forgiveness program.Nebraska and other states challenging the program argue that far from falling behind, 20 million borrowers would get a "windfall” because their entire student debt would be erased, Nebraska Attorney General Michael Hilgers wrote in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/22/22-506/253353/20230127155912043_2023.01.27%20-%20Respondents%20Brief%20FINAL.pdf">states' main Supreme Court brief</a>.Which of those arguments resonate with the court may become clear on Tuesday.When she was dean of Harvard Law School, Justice Elena Kagan showed her own concern about the high cost of law school, especially for students who were considering lower-paying jobs.<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/18/us/18law.html">Kagan established a program</a>&nbsp;that would allow students to attend their final year tuition-free if they agreed to a five-year commitment to work in the public sector. While that program no longer exists, Harvard offers grants to students for public service work.At the time the program was created,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.law.com/nationallawjournal/almID/1206040364238/">Kagan said she wanted students</a>&nbsp;to be able to go to work where they “can make the biggest difference, but that isn’t the case now.” Instead, she said: “They often go to work where they don’t want to work because of the debt burden.”

Supreme Court set to hear case on student loan debt relief

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an alleged arson.

Just before noon Sunday, police arrested&nbsp;Joseph Bauer Jr., 18, of Manhattan. It was reported Bauer threw a piece of clothing onto a stove and turned the stove on in an attempt to set it on fire, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.

The piece of clothing was removed by a separate party before it became inflamed.&nbsp; Bauer remains confined in the Riley County Jail on a requested charge of attempted arson with a total bond of $3,000.

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an alleged arson.Just before noon Sunday, police arrested&nbsp;Joseph Bauer Jr., 18, of Manhattan. It was reported Bauer threw a piece of clothing onto a stove and turned the stove on in an attempt to set it on fire, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.The piece of clothing was removed by a separate party before it became inflamed.&nbsp; Bauer remains confined in the Riley County Jail on a requested charge of attempted arson with a total bond of $3,000.

Police: Kansas teen used stove in attempted arson

SEWARD COUNTY —Parts of southwest Kansas, Oklahoma and northwest Texas counted the injured and surveyed the damage Monday after tornadoes and other powerful winds swept through.

Police in Norman, Oklahoma, responded Sunday night to storm damage in parts of the city, about 20 miles south of Oklahoma City. Officials said there were 12 confirmed weather-related injuries there, none considered critical.

Crews canvassed the damaged area looking for others who might be injured. Possible tornadoes and wind gusts as high as 90 mph&nbsp; were reported in Oklahoma, with downed trees and power lines, road closures and damage to homes around Norman and Shawnee.

Frances Tabler, of Norman,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.koco.com/article/oklahoma-norman-storm-damage-tornado-police/43088223">told KOCO-TV</a>&nbsp;that she suffered a small cut on her head when a storm hit her home, tearing off much of its roof and sending debris flying. She said it was a miracle her children weren't hurt, although her daughter was trapped for awhile in a bedroom.

“I could hear the wind coming. All of a sudden all the back windows, where the kids bedrooms are, I could hear them just crashing, busting out. And I got up, and then the wind just threw me back, and I’m screaming," Tabler told KOCO. “It was just like a blizzard in the house with all the debris flying. I was screaming for my kids.”

Tornadoes touched down Sunday near Liberal, Kansas and near Ingalls in Gray County Kansas according to the National Weather Service. More than a dozen homes were reported damaged.

There were reports of nine tornadoes in Kansas, Oklahoma and northwestern Texas, said Bob Oravec, a lead forecaster for the weather service. Weather service teams planned to survey storm damage Monday to determine the strength of the tornadoes.

SEWARD COUNTY— Severe weather rolled across Kansas Sunday night with tornadoes, damaging winds and heavy rain.

The National Weather Service confirmed tornadoes in Seward and Gray County. In Liberal, several homes, trailer houses, highway signs and sheds were damaged, according to Sgt. Efrain Chavez with the Seward County Sheriff's office.&nbsp; Portions of the county also had a brief power outage.&nbsp;

Some buildings were damaged and power poles down in Gray County, according to Emergency Management Preparedness Coordinator Sean Wendel.

In Finney County,&nbsp;U.S. 50 from Holcomb to Anderson Road in both directions is closed the next two days as crews repair downed power lines from Sunday's storm. Tyson employees, other motorists are advised they cannot take the highway to the plant.

Wind gusts of over 80 miles per hour in Sublette downed power poles and damaged a bowling alley at&nbsp;1103 West La Lande Avenue, according to the Haskell County Sheriff's office. There are no reports of injuries from the storm.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677521233983.png" alt="&nbsp;A 345-kv transmission line belonging to Sunflower Electric, the&nbsp; power supplier for Wheatland Electric that was damaged in Sunday's storms-photo courtesy Wheatland Electric" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;A 345-kv transmission line belonging to Sunflower Electric, the&nbsp; power supplier for Wheatland Electric that was damaged in Sunday's storms-photo courtesy Wheatland Electric</figcaption>
 </figure>SEWARD COUNTY —Parts of southwest Kansas, Oklahoma and northwest Texas counted the injured and surveyed the damage Monday after tornadoes and other powerful winds swept through.Police in Norman, Oklahoma, responded Sunday night to storm damage in parts of the city, about 20 miles south of Oklahoma City. Officials said there were 12 confirmed weather-related injuries there, none considered critical.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677497478715.png" alt="80 mph winds in Haskell County in southwest Kansas caused damage Sunday night.-photo courtesy Thunder Strike Bowling in Sublette" />
 <figcaption>80 mph winds in Haskell County in southwest Kansas caused damage Sunday night.-photo courtesy Thunder Strike Bowling in Sublette</figcaption>
 </figure>Crews canvassed the damaged area looking for others who might be injured. Possible tornadoes and wind gusts as high as 90 mph&nbsp; were reported in Oklahoma, with downed trees and power lines, road closures and damage to homes around Norman and Shawnee.Frances Tabler, of Norman,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.koco.com/article/oklahoma-norman-storm-damage-tornado-police/43088223">told KOCO-TV</a>&nbsp;that she suffered a small cut on her head when a storm hit her home, tearing off much of its roof and sending debris flying. She said it was a miracle her children weren't hurt, although her daughter was trapped for awhile in a bedroom.“I could hear the wind coming. All of a sudden all the back windows, where the kids bedrooms are, I could hear them just crashing, busting out. And I got up, and then the wind just threw me back, and I’m screaming," Tabler told KOCO. “It was just like a blizzard in the house with all the debris flying. I was screaming for my kids.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">GARDEN CITY: U.S. 50 from Holcomb to Garden City both directions is CLOSED due to downed power lines from high winds. Traffic is being routed on Old U.S. 50 to Anderson RD. At this time there is no estimated time on when the highway will reopen. <a href="https://t.co/B6CB8H6ouQ">pic.twitter.com/B6CB8H6ouQ</a>&mdash; SWKansasKDOT (@SWKansasKDOT) <a href="https://twitter.com/SWKansasKDOT/status/1630000850360754181?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Tornadoes touched down Sunday near Liberal, Kansas and near Ingalls in Gray County Kansas according to the National Weather Service. More than a dozen homes were reported damaged.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677517599030.png" alt="NWS Dodge City" />
 <figcaption>NWS Dodge City</figcaption>
 </figure>There were reports of nine tornadoes in Kansas, Oklahoma and northwestern Texas, said Bob Oravec, a lead forecaster for the weather service. Weather service teams planned to survey storm damage Monday to determine the strength of the tornadoes.----------------SEWARD COUNTY— Severe weather rolled across Kansas Sunday night with tornadoes, damaging winds and heavy rain.The National Weather Service confirmed tornadoes in Seward and Gray County. In Liberal, several homes, trailer houses, highway signs and sheds were damaged, according to Sgt. Efrain Chavez with the Seward County Sheriff's office.&nbsp; Portions of the county also had a brief power outage.&nbsp;Some buildings were damaged and power poles down in Gray County, according to Emergency Management Preparedness Coordinator Sean Wendel.In Finney County,&nbsp;U.S. 50 from Holcomb to Anderson Road in both directions is closed the next two days as crews repair downed power lines from Sunday's storm. Tyson employees, other motorists are advised they cannot take the highway to the plant.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">GARDEN CITY: U.S. 50 from Holcomb to Garden City both directions is CLOSED due to downed power lines from high winds. Traffic is being routed on Old U.S. 50 to Anderson RD. At this time there is no estimated time on when the highway will reopen. <a href="https://t.co/B6CB8H6ouQ">pic.twitter.com/B6CB8H6ouQ</a>&mdash; SWKansasKDOT (@SWKansasKDOT) <a href="https://twitter.com/SWKansasKDOT/status/1630000850360754181?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Wind gusts of over 80 miles per hour in Sublette downed power poles and damaged a bowling alley at&nbsp;1103 West La Lande Avenue, according to the Haskell County Sheriff's office. There are no reports of injuries from the storm.

9 tornadoes Sunday in Kansas, Oklahoma and NW Texas

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved the first combination test for flu and C<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">OVID-19</a>&nbsp;that can be used at home, giving consumers an easy way to determine if a runny nose is caused by either disease.

The Lucira COVID-19 &amp; Flu Home test, which can be purchased without a prescription, uses self-collected nasal swab samples and delivers results in about 30 minutes, the agency said.

While at-home COVID tests are readily available, this is the first home test for influenza A and B, commonly known as the flu. The test was granted an emergency use authorization, which facilitates the availability of “medical countermeasures” during public health emergencies.

Jeff Shuren, director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, called the authorization “a major milestone in bringing greater consumer access to diagnostic tests that can be performed entirely at home.”

The agency said the test is for individuals “with signs and symptoms consistent with a respiratory tract infection” and said it can be used on children as young as 2, with adults collecting the samples.

It recommends that tests be reported to healthcare providers and cautions that there is a risk of false positive and negative results. “Individuals who test negative and continue to experience symptoms of fever, cough and-or shortness of breath may still have a respiratory infection and should seek follow-up care with their healthcare provider,” the agency said.

Citing the impact of COVID and RSV, another respiratory infection, the FDA said it “recognizes the benefits that home testing can provide” and would work to increase the number of tests available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677419539318.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved the first combination test for flu and C<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">OVID-19</a>&nbsp;that can be used at home, giving consumers an easy way to determine if a runny nose is caused by either disease.The Lucira COVID-19 &amp; Flu Home test, which can be purchased without a prescription, uses self-collected nasal swab samples and delivers results in about 30 minutes, the agency said.While at-home COVID tests are readily available, this is the first home test for influenza A and B, commonly known as the flu. The test was granted an emergency use authorization, which facilitates the availability of “medical countermeasures” during public health emergencies.Jeff Shuren, director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, called the authorization “a major milestone in bringing greater consumer access to diagnostic tests that can be performed entirely at home.”The agency said the test is for individuals “with signs and symptoms consistent with a respiratory tract infection” and said it can be used on children as young as 2, with adults collecting the samples.It recommends that tests be reported to healthcare providers and cautions that there is a risk of false positive and negative results. “Individuals who test negative and continue to experience symptoms of fever, cough and-or shortness of breath may still have a respiratory infection and should seek follow-up care with their healthcare provider,” the agency said.Citing the impact of COVID and RSV, another respiratory infection, the FDA said it “recognizes the benefits that home testing can provide” and would work to increase the number of tests available.

First at-home test for COVID and flu authorized by FDA

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect in connection with a shooting.

Early Sunday, police were dispatched to the 3200 block of SE Topeka Blvd. on multiple reports of gunfire in the area, according to LT. John Trimble.

Police located one person suffering from non-life threatening gunshot wounds. A short time later two more victims arrived at local hospital with non-life threatening gunshot wounds.&nbsp;

Later Sunday morning, police investigators identified and arrested a suspect Michael E. Moten II, 27, of Topeka on requested charges of Criminal Discharge of a Firearm at a vehicle.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677452871962.png" alt="Moten-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Moten-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect in connection with a shooting.Early Sunday, police were dispatched to the 3200 block of SE Topeka Blvd. on multiple reports of gunfire in the area, according to LT. John Trimble.Police located one person suffering from non-life threatening gunshot wounds. A short time later two more victims arrived at local hospital with non-life threatening gunshot wounds.&nbsp;Later Sunday morning, police investigators identified and arrested a suspect Michael E. Moten II, 27, of Topeka on requested charges of Criminal Discharge of a Firearm at a vehicle.

Police: 3 hospitalized, Kan. man accused of shooting at vehicle

KANSAS CITY —U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will visit the Kansas City area again Monday, according to Mayor Quinton Lucas.&nbsp; 

Buttigieg, who has visited the region several times since he joined the Biden administration, will participate in the celebration for the completion of the new <a href="https://flykc.com/">Kansas City International Airport terminal.</a>&nbsp;The terminal officially opens Tuesday.&nbsp;

He is also scheduled to visit the future site of the multibillion-dollar Panasonic electric vehicle battery plant&nbsp; in De Soto, Kansas, 30 miles southwest of Kansas City.

In January of 2022, Buttigieg stopped in Kansas City to promote the President's&nbsp; infrastructure legislation with a visit to the Rock Island railroad bridge and the Cesar Chavez Bridge that carries vehicles over the Kansas River.

In October 0f 2022, Buttigieg  addressed a rally for Democrat candidates in Kansas City, Kansas. Senate candidate Mark Holland, Kansas State Treasurer Lynn Rogers and KCMO Mayor Quinton Lucas attended. Governor Laura Kelly did not attend the event. She was on a tour of Quest Diagnostics in nearby Lenexa that afternoon.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677461584778.png" alt="Buttigieg and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Buttigieg and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will visit the Kansas City area again Monday, according to Mayor Quinton Lucas.&nbsp; Buttigieg, who has visited the region several times since he joined the Biden administration, will participate in the celebration for the completion of the new <a href="https://flykc.com/">Kansas City International Airport terminal.</a>&nbsp;The terminal officially opens Tuesday.&nbsp;He is also scheduled to visit the future site of the multibillion-dollar Panasonic electric vehicle battery plant&nbsp; in De Soto, Kansas, 30 miles southwest of Kansas City.In January of 2022, Buttigieg stopped in Kansas City to promote the President's&nbsp; infrastructure legislation with a visit to the Rock Island railroad bridge and the Cesar Chavez Bridge that carries vehicles over the Kansas River.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666233119638.png" alt="Buttigieg and U.S. Senate candidate Mark Holland during an October 2022 campaign stop in Kansas." />
 <figcaption>Buttigieg and U.S. Senate candidate Mark Holland during an October 2022 campaign stop in Kansas.</figcaption>
 </figure>In October 0f 2022, Buttigieg addressed a rally for Democrat candidates in Kansas City, Kansas. Senate candidate Mark Holland, Kansas State Treasurer Lynn Rogers and KCMO Mayor Quinton Lucas attended. Governor Laura Kelly did not attend the event. She was on a tour of Quest Diagnostics in nearby Lenexa that afternoon.&nbsp;

Transportation Sec. Buttigieg to visit Kansas again Monday

Wilmington, Del. (AP) — Republican lawmakers on Sunday criticized the Biden administration for not sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, as tensions simmer about whether China could send weapons to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">help Russia in the year-long war</a>.

But White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said they're providing Ukraine with the military aid needed to retake territory seized by Russia and that China has yet to supply military equipment. The domestic politics of support for Ukraine are also complicated by some Republican lawmakers who say the administration should pull back and focus more on domestic needs.

Texas Rep. Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee, told ABC's “This Week” that planes and long-range artillery could help end the war on a faster timeline.

“This whole thing is taking too long,” McCaul said. “And it really didn't have to happen this way.”

Ukraine won support last month from Baltic nations and Poland in its quest to obtain Western fighter jets, but there have been no signs that larger nations like the U.S. and Britain will change their stance of refusing to provide warplanes to Kyiv. Biden said in an ABC News interview on Friday that he’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-us-department-of-the-treasury-government-janet-yellen-business-f85483ad976990a056c9bfc6b504a07d">“ruling it out for now,"</a>&nbsp;saying that they are not the weaponry that Ukrainians need in the near term.

McCaul described the relationship between Russia and China as an “unholy alliance” and stressed the risks that could come from an upcoming meeting between&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/xi-jinping">Chinese President Xi Jinping</a>&nbsp;and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

On NBC's “Meet the Press,” Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, said the White House has been slow in providing the military equipment that Ukraine seeks, including jets. “That has been a pattern with this administration from the beginning, where they have slow-rolled critical military weapons systems," he said.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the U.S. is already providing parts to keep Ukraine's fleet of Soviet-era jets flying, but supplying F-16s “is really a question for another day, for another phase” of the war, he told NBC.

Sullivan also played down tensions about possible Chinese support for Russia's military.

“We have not seen China yet provide military equipment to Russia for purposes of fighting the war in Ukraine,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan said he does not think it is in China's interest to provide weapons to Russia, saying it would “alienate them from a number of countries in the world, including our European allies.” He also noted that providing those weapons would put China in a place of “responsibility” for “the kinds of war crimes and bombardment of civilians and atrocities that the Russians are committing in Ukraine,” though he said the choice ultimately belongs to China.

China has submitted the outlines of a peace plan between Russia and Ukraine. But Sullivan said that Xi has not spoken with Ukrainian President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/volodymyr-zelenskyy">Volodymyr Zelenskyy</a>&nbsp;since the war began. The Ukrainian leader said he would like to speak with his Chinese counterpart.

“It's very difficult to advance any kind of peace initiative when there's that kind of one-sided diplomacy going on," Sullivan said.

On Monday, Biden made a surprise visit to Ukraine where he re-affirmed the U.S. commitment. Some Republican lawmakers criticized him for not going instead to East Palestine, Ohio, where&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-pete-buttigieg-evacuations-ohio-explosions-64908a6416662b5866809387f210aee5">a Feb. 3 train derailment</a>&nbsp;has led to concerns about the release of toxic chemicals.

Wilmington, Del. (AP) — Republican lawmakers on Sunday criticized the Biden administration for not sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, as tensions simmer about whether China could send weapons to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">help Russia in the year-long war</a>.But White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said they're providing Ukraine with the military aid needed to retake territory seized by Russia and that China has yet to supply military equipment. The domestic politics of support for Ukraine are also complicated by some Republican lawmakers who say the administration should pull back and focus more on domestic needs.Texas Rep. Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee, told ABC's “This Week” that planes and long-range artillery could help end the war on a faster timeline.“This whole thing is taking too long,” McCaul said. “And it really didn't have to happen this way.”Ukraine won support last month from Baltic nations and Poland in its quest to obtain Western fighter jets, but there have been no signs that larger nations like the U.S. and Britain will change their stance of refusing to provide warplanes to Kyiv. Biden said in an ABC News interview on Friday that he’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-us-department-of-the-treasury-government-janet-yellen-business-f85483ad976990a056c9bfc6b504a07d">“ruling it out for now,"</a>&nbsp;saying that they are not the weaponry that Ukrainians need in the near term.McCaul described the relationship between Russia and China as an “unholy alliance” and stressed the risks that could come from an upcoming meeting between&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/xi-jinping">Chinese President Xi Jinping</a>&nbsp;and Russian President Vladimir Putin.On NBC's “Meet the Press,” Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, said the White House has been slow in providing the military equipment that Ukraine seeks, including jets. “That has been a pattern with this administration from the beginning, where they have slow-rolled critical military weapons systems," he said.White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the U.S. is already providing parts to keep Ukraine's fleet of Soviet-era jets flying, but supplying F-16s “is really a question for another day, for another phase” of the war, he told NBC.Sullivan also played down tensions about possible Chinese support for Russia's military.“We have not seen China yet provide military equipment to Russia for purposes of fighting the war in Ukraine,” Sullivan said.Sullivan said he does not think it is in China's interest to provide weapons to Russia, saying it would “alienate them from a number of countries in the world, including our European allies.” He also noted that providing those weapons would put China in a place of “responsibility” for “the kinds of war crimes and bombardment of civilians and atrocities that the Russians are committing in Ukraine,” though he said the choice ultimately belongs to China.China has submitted the outlines of a peace plan between Russia and Ukraine. But Sullivan said that Xi has not spoken with Ukrainian President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/volodymyr-zelenskyy">Volodymyr Zelenskyy</a>&nbsp;since the war began. The Ukrainian leader said he would like to speak with his Chinese counterpart.“It's very difficult to advance any kind of peace initiative when there's that kind of one-sided diplomacy going on," Sullivan said.On Monday, Biden made a surprise visit to Ukraine where he re-affirmed the U.S. commitment. Some Republican lawmakers criticized him for not going instead to East Palestine, Ohio, where&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-pete-buttigieg-evacuations-ohio-explosions-64908a6416662b5866809387f210aee5">a Feb. 3 train derailment</a>&nbsp;has led to concerns about the release of toxic chemicals.

GOP lawmakers assail Biden for not sending F-16s to Ukraine

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting and have identified a suspect identified as 43-year-old Larry Powell. He is described 5-foot 4, 217 pounds and is believed to be driving a dark colored van with 60-day tags.

Just after 5p.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to a shooting at a motel in the 5700 block of West Kellogg Drive in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.

First responders located a 50-year-old man unconscious and not breathing with a gunshot wound to his upper body. Officers began providing life-saving efforts until EMS arrived. 

The victim, from Santa Cruz, California, was transported to a local hospital where he was later pronounced deceased.&nbsp;

The investigation revealed that the victim had a verbal altercation with Powell. That argument turned physical at which point the Powell allegedly started shooting and striking the victim once.

Investigators are still working to determine the circumstances leading up to the shooting and the relationship between the victim and the Powell.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677097918663.png" alt="Powell photo Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>Powell photo Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting and have identified a suspect identified as 43-year-old Larry Powell. He is described 5-foot 4, 217 pounds and is believed to be driving a dark colored van with 60-day tags.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677098093011.png" alt="Photo Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 5p.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to a shooting at a motel in the 5700 block of West Kellogg Drive in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.First responders located a 50-year-old man unconscious and not breathing with a gunshot wound to his upper body. Officers began providing life-saving efforts until EMS arrived. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677085113323.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>The victim, from Santa Cruz, California, was transported to a local hospital where he was later pronounced deceased.&nbsp;The investigation revealed that the victim had a verbal altercation with Powell. That argument turned physical at which point the Powell allegedly started shooting and striking the victim once.Investigators are still working to determine the circumstances leading up to the shooting and the relationship between the victim and the Powell.

Search continues for suspect in Kansas motel killing

COWLEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities continue working to identify the driver in a fatal accident that occurred just after 11p.m. Saturday Feb. 18, in Cowley County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1995 Chevy Camaro was eastbound on 33rd Avenue at Meadowlark in Winfield. The car crossed the centerline, left the roadway, rolled and struck a telephone pole.

A passenger in the car identified as Nicholas R. Morris, 27, Arkansas City, was pronounced dead at the scene and transported Miles Mortuary. The driver of the vehicle fled the scene of the accident.&nbsp; 

Authorities are waiting for additional evidence to confirm the identity of the driver, according to the KHP.&nbsp;&nbsp;

COWLEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities continue working to identify the driver in a fatal accident that occurred just after 11p.m. Saturday Feb. 18, in Cowley County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1995 Chevy Camaro was eastbound on 33rd Avenue at Meadowlark in Winfield. The car crossed the centerline, left the roadway, rolled and struck a telephone pole.A passenger in the car identified as Nicholas R. Morris, 27, Arkansas City, was pronounced dead at the scene and transported Miles Mortuary. The driver of the vehicle fled the scene of the accident.&nbsp; Authorities are waiting for additional evidence to confirm the identity of the driver, according to the KHP.&nbsp;&nbsp;------------

KHP continues work to ID driver in fatal Kansas crash

KANSAS CITY– A former Kansas City man who moved to Mexico and lived under another name, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to producing child pornography.

Wyatt Christopher Maxwell, also known as “Louis Whitaker,” 23, was charged in a five-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City on Feb. 7, 2023, according to the United State's Attorney.

 That indictment has been unsealed and made public upon Maxwell’s arrest in Mexico on Feb. 14, 2023, and initial court appearance in the Central District of California (in Los Angeles, Calif.) on Feb. 16, 2023.

Maxwell lived in Kansas City at the time of the alleged offenses, but afterward moved to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where he went by the name “Louis Whitaker” as a cabaret singer.

The federal indictment alleges that Maxwell used a minor victim to produce child pornography between July 31, 2020, and Feb. 1, 2021. The indictment also alleges that Maxwell transported the minor victim across state lines from Kansas to Missouri to engage in illegal sexual activity.

Maxwell is also charged with two counts of distributing child pornography over the internet and one count of possessing child pornography.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677451252783.png" alt="Maxwell "Louis Whitaker" photo courtesy Out and About Puerto Vallarta" />
 <figcaption>Maxwell "Louis Whitaker" photo courtesy Out and About Puerto Vallarta</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY– A former Kansas City man who moved to Mexico and lived under another name, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to producing child pornography.Wyatt Christopher Maxwell, also known as “Louis Whitaker,” 23, was charged in a five-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City on Feb. 7, 2023, according to the United State's Attorney. That indictment has been unsealed and made public upon Maxwell’s arrest in Mexico on Feb. 14, 2023, and initial court appearance in the Central District of California (in Los Angeles, Calif.) on Feb. 16, 2023.Maxwell lived in Kansas City at the time of the alleged offenses, but afterward moved to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where he went by the name “Louis Whitaker” as a cabaret singer.The federal indictment alleges that Maxwell used a minor victim to produce child pornography between July 31, 2020, and Feb. 1, 2021. The indictment also alleges that Maxwell transported the minor victim across state lines from Kansas to Missouri to engage in illegal sexual activity.Maxwell is also charged with two counts of distributing child pornography over the internet and one count of possessing child pornography.

Indictment: KC child porn suspect moved to Mexico, changed name

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple charges after an overnight arrest.

Just before 12:30a.m. Sunday, police were dispatched to the 1900 block of SE Washington in Topeka for an alleged aggravated assault, according to Police Sgt. Jake Cobbler. 

Upon officers arriving in the area a subject wanted in connection to the assault was located and stopped in a traffic stop. Officers made contact with 38-year-old Julian Everett who initiated several short low speed vehicle pursuits and eventually stopped in the 1200 block of SE Washington in Topeka. Everett told officers he had a firearm.

TPD’s Response Team and Crisis Negotiators responded to the scene and attempted to make contact with Everett.

Just after 3a.m. police took Everett into custody without incident and

transported him to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Aggravated Assault, Felony Flee and attempt to Elude Law Enforcement Officer, Interference with Law Enforcement Officer and Multiple Traffic Offenses.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677452360157.png" alt="Everett-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Everett-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple charges after an overnight arrest.Just before 12:30a.m. Sunday, police were dispatched to the 1900 block of SE Washington in Topeka for an alleged aggravated assault, according to Police Sgt. Jake Cobbler. Upon officers arriving in the area a subject wanted in connection to the assault was located and stopped in a traffic stop. Officers made contact with 38-year-old Julian Everett who initiated several short low speed vehicle pursuits and eventually stopped in the 1200 block of SE Washington in Topeka. Everett told officers he had a firearm.TPD’s Response Team and Crisis Negotiators responded to the scene and attempted to make contact with Everett.Just after 3a.m. police took Everett into custody without incident andtransported him to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Aggravated Assault, Felony Flee and attempt to Elude Law Enforcement Officer, Interference with Law Enforcement Officer and Multiple Traffic Offenses.

Police arrest Kansas assault suspect after standoff

By SAMANTHA HORTON <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2023-02-22/despite-a-federal-rule-its-still-hard-to-comparison-shop-hospital-care-in-kansas">Kansas News Service</a>

Two years after federal rules first required hospitals to tell you 
what they’re charging for different services, one report suggests only 
15% of Kansas hospitals hit the mark.

The consumer group Patient Rights Advocate’s <a href="https://www.patientrightsadvocate.org/february-semi-annual-compliance-report-2023" target="_blank">February report </a>found
 three of the 20 hospital systems that it reviews in the state — the 
organization focused on the largest hospital systems — fully comply with
 the federal price transparency rule. The group said several on the list
 were partially complying.

“We can count on what milk is going to 
be charged, or even eggs. We know eggs have gone up because of supply 
and demand. But we will know what those prices are,” Patient Rights 
Advocate founder Cynthia Fisher said. “It’s not like you find out what 
the dozen eggs costs, weeks or months later, and it’s 100 times more 
than you would have ever expected.”

The group’s report reviewed 2,000 hospitals nationwide and focused on
 the larger health systems in the country. The national rate of 25% of 
hospitals in compliance, by the group’s accounting, is almost double 
what it found in Kansas.

“We applaud those hospitals that are 
fully posting all of their prices,” Fisher said. “However, that shows 
you that the other largest hospitals in Kansas are flouting the law.”

The
 report strongly conflicts with a more limited sampling conducted by the
 federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The government 
agency released a <a href="https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/hospital-price-transparency-progress-and-commitment-achieving-its-potential" target="_blank">report this month</a>
 that said 70% of the 600 hospitals it reviewed met the website 
assessment criteria. They include machine-readable files and 
consumer-friendly displays such as a price estimate tool. That marked a 
27% improvement from what CMS found a year ago.

The Patients Right
 Advocate report shows that Centura Health, which runs two St. Catherine
 hospital locations in western Kansas, did not live up to the federal 
rules. That hospital group challenged the findings.

“We encourage 
our patients to request a patient-specific price estimate to help them 
determine their costs,” the organization said in a statement. 
“Additionally, Centura Health and our 19 hospitals are compliant with 
federal law regarding price transparency.”

Mercy Hospital in 
Columbus, Kansas, was also listed as non-compliant. But officials there 
say they have met all the CMS requirements.

“CMS determines 
hospitals’ compliance with these regulations, and while political groups
 continue to ask for new rules and regulation, they don't set the 
requirements,” a hospital spokesperson said in a statement. “We stand by
 our transparency efforts, which are supported by the fact we acted 
quickly to correct a single request raised by CMS in 2021. We would do 
the same if CMS had other concerns.”

Turquoise Health collects 
data from hospitals and grades them on price transparency. It scores 
Centura’s St. Catherine-Garden City hospital five out of five stars and 
Mercy Hospital in Columbus two out of five stars on compliance. 
Centura’s St. Catherine-Dodge City does not have a scorecard.

Even when hospitals make the numbers available, they often do so in confusing ways. A <a href="https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/brief/ongoing-challenges-with-hospital-price-transparency/" target="_blank">recent analysis</a>
 by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that hospitals are inconsistent 
with where the price transparency data is located on the website and how
 the files are organized.

“Even if there was a specific condition 
that the patient’s trying to price shop on, there’s a lot of times key 
information missing in the data,” co-author Krutika Amin said. “And when
 the data is available for the patient, it might be difficult to figure 
out what all different pieces go into the service that they’re seeking.”

Amin
 said to get a true estimate one might have to combine different costs 
that would be bundled in a medical bill but are listed individually 
online.

“It might take some maneuvering for even an expert to cobble together the pieces that make up the costs for care,” she said.

Missing codes also can make it difficult to know the difference in charges between inpatient and outpatient settings, Amin said.

Fisher,
 the Patient Rights Advocate founder, said CMS needs to enforce its 
rules more aggressively. The federal agency has sent warning letters to 
about 500 hospitals, but it has only fined two hospitals — both in 
Georgia in 2022. The two became compliant after they were fined.

Starting
 this year, the Biden Administration increased possible fines for 
failing to comply. They range from $300 to $5,500 per day.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677076250175.png" alt="St. Catherine Hospital located in Garden City was listed in a report about hospitals not fully complying with federal price transparency guidelines. David Condos / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>St. Catherine Hospital located in Garden City was listed in a report about hospitals not fully complying with federal price transparency guidelines. David Condos / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By SAMANTHA HORTON <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2023-02-22/despite-a-federal-rule-its-still-hard-to-comparison-shop-hospital-care-in-kansas">Kansas News Service</a>Two years after federal rules first required hospitals to tell you 
what they’re charging for different services, one report suggests only 
15% of Kansas hospitals hit the mark.The consumer group Patient Rights Advocate’s <a href="https://www.patientrightsadvocate.org/february-semi-annual-compliance-report-2023" target="_blank">February report </a>found
 three of the 20 hospital systems that it reviews in the state — the 
organization focused on the largest hospital systems — fully comply with
 the federal price transparency rule. The group said several on the list
 were partially complying.“We can count on what milk is going to 
be charged, or even eggs. We know eggs have gone up because of supply 
and demand. But we will know what those prices are,” Patient Rights 
Advocate founder Cynthia Fisher said. “It’s not like you find out what 
the dozen eggs costs, weeks or months later, and it’s 100 times more 
than you would have ever expected.”The group’s report reviewed 2,000 hospitals nationwide and focused on
 the larger health systems in the country. The national rate of 25% of 
hospitals in compliance, by the group’s accounting, is almost double 
what it found in Kansas.“We applaud those hospitals that are 
fully posting all of their prices,” Fisher said. “However, that shows 
you that the other largest hospitals in Kansas are flouting the law.”The
 report strongly conflicts with a more limited sampling conducted by the
 federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The government 
agency released a <a href="https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/hospital-price-transparency-progress-and-commitment-achieving-its-potential" target="_blank">report this month</a>
 that said 70% of the 600 hospitals it reviewed met the website 
assessment criteria. They include machine-readable files and 
consumer-friendly displays such as a price estimate tool. That marked a 
27% improvement from what CMS found a year ago.The Patients Right
 Advocate report shows that Centura Health, which runs two St. Catherine
 hospital locations in western Kansas, did not live up to the federal 
rules. That hospital group challenged the findings.“We encourage 
our patients to request a patient-specific price estimate to help them 
determine their costs,” the organization said in a statement. 
“Additionally, Centura Health and our 19 hospitals are compliant with 
federal law regarding price transparency.”Mercy Hospital in 
Columbus, Kansas, was also listed as non-compliant. But officials there 
say they have met all the CMS requirements.“CMS determines 
hospitals’ compliance with these regulations, and while political groups
 continue to ask for new rules and regulation, they don't set the 
requirements,” a hospital spokesperson said in a statement. “We stand by
 our transparency efforts, which are supported by the fact we acted 
quickly to correct a single request raised by CMS in 2021. We would do 
the same if CMS had other concerns.”Turquoise Health collects 
data from hospitals and grades them on price transparency. It scores 
Centura’s St. Catherine-Garden City hospital five out of five stars and 
Mercy Hospital in Columbus two out of five stars on compliance. 
Centura’s St. Catherine-Dodge City does not have a scorecard.Even when hospitals make the numbers available, they often do so in confusing ways. A <a href="https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/brief/ongoing-challenges-with-hospital-price-transparency/" target="_blank">recent analysis</a>
 by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that hospitals are inconsistent 
with where the price transparency data is located on the website and how
 the files are organized.“Even if there was a specific condition 
that the patient’s trying to price shop on, there’s a lot of times key 
information missing in the data,” co-author Krutika Amin said. “And when
 the data is available for the patient, it might be difficult to figure 
out what all different pieces go into the service that they’re seeking.”Amin
 said to get a true estimate one might have to combine different costs 
that would be bundled in a medical bill but are listed individually 
online.“It might take some maneuvering for even an expert to cobble together the pieces that make up the costs for care,” she said.Missing codes also can make it difficult to know the difference in charges between inpatient and outpatient settings, Amin said.Fisher,
 the Patient Rights Advocate founder, said CMS needs to enforce its 
rules more aggressively. The federal agency has sent warning letters to 
about 500 hospitals, but it has only fined two hospitals — both in 
Georgia in 2022. The two became compliant after they were fined.Starting
 this year, the Biden Administration increased possible fines for 
failing to comply. They range from $300 to $5,500 per day.Fisher said the first step in addressing high health care costs is making hospitals reveal prices easily readable by consumers.“The
 only way we can get there is to be able to see the wide variety of 
prices that there are now and to comparatively see what's happening 
across the state of Kansas on pricing,” she said, “and how that compares
 to adjacent states.”Samantha Horton covers health care for KCUR and the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/SamHorton5" target="_blank">@SamHorton5</a>.