WASHINGTON — In an effort to provide American taxpayers with the 
service they deserve, the Internal Revenue Service announced today the 
latest expansion of its multilingual products, Braille, text, audio and 
large print products are now available in Spanish.

The agency's Alternative Media Center (AMC) is converting IRS Form 
1040, its main schedules and six publications in Spanish Braille and 
large print. This announcement highlights the agency's commitment to 
make alternative format documents and multilingual resources available 
to those who need them.

The IRS also has a <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/languages">Languages</a>
 webpage available in 20 languages to help taxpayers find basic tax 
information, such as how to check a refund status, pay taxes or file a 
federal tax return.

"It's critical that the IRS provides information to people in 
multiple languages and formats to help them meet their tax 
responsibilities and receive important tax credits," said IRS 
Commissioner Chuck Rettig. "This is another milestone in our ongoing 
efforts to expand our assistance to more people. I'm extremely proud of 
our employees' significant efforts and strong desire to make a huge, 
positive difference in this area during the last several years, which 
has been assisted by our partners in the nation's tax community. We are 
proud to continue focusing on this area."

Alternative media resources for blind, sight-impaired individuals

Taxpayers can download forms and instructions from the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/accessible-irs-tax-products">Accessible Forms and Publications</a> page of IRS.gov or request copies by calling 800-TAX-FORM (<a href="tel:800-829-3676">800-829-3676</a>).

Tax forms and publications are available in a variety of formats including:

Latest enhancement to IRS accessibility services

Taxpayers can complete <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f9000.pdf">Form 9000, Alternative Media Preference</a>&nbsp;PDF,
 to choose to receive their IRS notice or letter in Braille, large 
print, audio and electronic formats. Taxpayers can include the completed
 form with their tax return, mail it as a standalone form to the IRS or 
call 800-829-1040 to elect their preferred format. Form 9000 is also 
available in Spanish Braille and large print.

Taxpayers who have already received a notice or letter in print 
format and prefer Braille, large print, audio or text, and do not have 
an alternative media designation on file at the IRS can choose one of 
the options below to request their preference.

Visit the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/information-about-the-alternative-media-center">Information About the Alternative Media Center</a> page of IRS.gov for details.

How to get answers about IRS accessibility services

If a taxpayer has questions about IRS accessibility services, they can contact the Accessibility Helpline at <a href="tel:833-690-0598">833-690-0598</a>.
 Help for multilingual taxpayers is also available on the helpline 
through the over-the-phone interpreter service. This helpline does not
 have access to taxpayers' IRS accounts. Those needing help with tax 
law, refunds or other account-related issues, should visit the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/telephone-assistance">Let Us Help You</a> page on IRS.gov.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — In an effort to provide American taxpayers with the 
service they deserve, the Internal Revenue Service announced today the 
latest expansion of its multilingual products, Braille, text, audio and 
large print products are now available in Spanish.The agency's Alternative Media Center (AMC) is converting IRS Form 
1040, its main schedules and six publications in Spanish Braille and 
large print. This announcement highlights the agency's commitment to 
make alternative format documents and multilingual resources available 
to those who need them.The IRS also has a <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/languages">Languages</a>
 webpage available in 20 languages to help taxpayers find basic tax 
information, such as how to check a refund status, pay taxes or file a 
federal tax return."It's critical that the IRS provides information to people in 
multiple languages and formats to help them meet their tax 
responsibilities and receive important tax credits," said IRS 
Commissioner Chuck Rettig. "This is another milestone in our ongoing 
efforts to expand our assistance to more people. I'm extremely proud of 
our employees' significant efforts and strong desire to make a huge, 
positive difference in this area during the last several years, which 
has been assisted by our partners in the nation's tax community. We are 
proud to continue focusing on this area."<h2>Additional IRS multilingual resources</h2><ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free">IRS Free File</a> offers eight free electronic tax preparation and filing options in English and two in Spanish. 
	&nbsp;</li><li>The <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/telephone-assistance">Let Us Help You</a> page is available in seven languages. 
	&nbsp;</li><li>A <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040sp.pdf">Spanish language version of Form 1040</a>&nbsp;PDF and the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1040sp.pdf">related instructions</a>&nbsp;PDF are also available. 
	&nbsp;</li><li>Form 1040 Schedule LEP, in <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040lep.pdf">English</a>&nbsp;PDF and <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040les.pdf">Spanish</a>&nbsp;PDF, with <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1040lep.pdf">instructions</a>&nbsp;PDF
 available in English and 20 other languages, can be filed with a tax 
return by those taxpayers who prefer to communicate with the IRS in 
another language. 
	&nbsp;</li><li>The <a href="https://www.irs.gov/taxpayer-bill-of-rights">Taxpayer Bill of Rights</a>, outlined in Publication 1, Your Rights as a Taxpayer, is available in twenty languages. 
	&nbsp;</li><li>Taxpayers can view and download several tax forms and publications, such as <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-17">Publication 17, Your Federal Income Tax</a>, in Spanish, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Korean, Russian and Vietnamese.</li>
 </ul><h2>Alternative media resources for blind, sight-impaired individuals</h2>Taxpayers can download forms and instructions from the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/accessible-irs-tax-products">Accessible Forms and Publications</a> page of IRS.gov or request copies by calling 800-TAX-FORM (<a href="tel:800-829-3676">800-829-3676</a>).Tax forms and publications are available in a variety of formats including:<ul>
 <li>Text-only,</li><li>Braille ready files,</li><li>Browser-friendly HTML,</li><li>Accessible PDF and</li><li>Large print.</li>
 </ul><h2>Latest enhancement to IRS accessibility services</h2>Taxpayers can complete <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f9000.pdf">Form 9000, Alternative Media Preference</a>&nbsp;PDF,
 to choose to receive their IRS notice or letter in Braille, large 
print, audio and electronic formats. Taxpayers can include the completed
 form with their tax return, mail it as a standalone form to the IRS or 
call 800-829-1040 to elect their preferred format. Form 9000 is also 
available in Spanish Braille and large print.Taxpayers who have already received a notice or letter in print 
format and prefer Braille, large print, audio or text, and do not have 
an alternative media designation on file at the IRS can choose one of 
the options below to request their preference.<ul>
 <li>Fax their notice with a cover sheet to the AMC 
at 855-473-2006. The cover sheet should include their name, address, 
phone number and the desired format of the document.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Mail their notice or letter with a note stating their preferred format to:

	IRS Alternative Media Center
		400 N. 8th St., Room G39 
		Richmond, VA 23219
		</li><li>IRS Alternative Media Center
		400 N. 8th St., Room G39 
		Richmond, VA 23219
		</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Call the IRS Accessibility Helpline at <a href="tel:833-690-0598">833-690-0598</a> to get help with transcribing the information.</li>
 </ul>Visit the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/information-about-the-alternative-media-center">Information About the Alternative Media Center</a> page of IRS.gov for details.<h2>How to get answers about IRS accessibility services</h2>If a taxpayer has questions about IRS accessibility services, they can contact the Accessibility Helpline at <a href="tel:833-690-0598">833-690-0598</a>.
 Help for multilingual taxpayers is also available on the helpline 
through the over-the-phone interpreter service. This helpline does not
 have access to taxpayers' IRS accounts. Those needing help with tax 
law, refunds or other account-related issues, should visit the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/telephone-assistance">Let Us Help You</a> page on IRS.gov.

IRS offers tax aid in multiple languages, Spanish Braille

The Federal Trade Commission today
 took action against online customized merchandise platform CafePress 
over allegations that it failed to secure consumers’ sensitive personal 
data and covered up a major breach. The FTC alleges that CafePress 
failed to implement reasonable security measures to protect sensitive 
information stored on its network, including plain text Social Security 
numbers, inadequately encrypted passwords, and answers to password reset
 questions. The Commission’s proposed order requires the company to 
bolster its data security and requires its former owner to pay a half 
million dollars to compensate small businesses.

“CafePress employed careless security practices and concealed 
multiple breaches from consumers,” said Samuel Levine, Director of the 
FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “These orders dial up 
accountability for lax security practices, requiring redress for small 
businesses that were harmed, and specific controls, like multi-factor 
authentication, to better safeguard personal information.”

In a <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/system/temporary?file=CafePress-Complaint.pdf">complaint</a>&nbsp;filed
 against Residual Pumpkin Entity, LLC, the former owner of CafePress, 
and PlanetArt, LLC, which bought CafePress in 2020, the FTC alleged that
 CafePress failed to implement reasonable security measures to protect 
the sensitive information of buyers and sellers stored on its network. 
In addition to storing Social Security numbers and password reset 
answers in clear, readable text, CafePress retained the data longer than
 was necessary. The company also failed to apply readily available 
protections against well-known threats and adequately respond to 
security incidents, the complaint alleged. As a result of its shoddy 
security practices, CafePress’ network was breached multiple times.

According to the complaint, a hacker exploited the company’s security
 failures in February 2019 to access millions of email addresses and 
passwords with weak encryption; millions of unencrypted names, physical 
addresses, and security questions and answers; more than 180,000 
unencrypted Social Security numbers; and tens of thousands of partial 
payment card numbers and expiration dates. Some of the information was 
later found for sale on the Dark Web.

After being notified a month later that it had a security 
vulnerability and that hackers had obtained consumer data, CafePress 
patched the vulnerability but failed to properly investigate the breach 
for several months despite additional warnings, the complaint alleged. 
This included a warning in April 2019 from a foreign government, which 
notified the company that a hacker had illegally obtained CafePress 
customer account information and urged the company to notify affected 
customers. The company, however, withheld this essential information, 
and instead only told customers to reset their passwords as part of an 
update to its password policy.

The complaint alleges CafePress did not inform affected customers 
until September 2019—one month after the breach was reported widely. The
 company’s lax security practices, however, still left many consumers at
 risk. For example, the company continued to allow people to reset their
 passwords on the website by answering security questions associated 
with customer email addresses—the same information that had been 
previously stolen by hackers.

According to the complaint, CafePress was aware of problems with its 
data security prior to the 2019 data breach. Through at least January 
2018, when CafePress determined that certain accounts of shopkeepers had
 been hacked, CafePress closed the accounts and charged the victims a 
$25 account closure fee. The company also experienced several malware 
infections to its network prior to the 2019 hack but failed to 
investigate the source of such attacks.

In addition to its security failures, the FTC alleged the company 
misled users by using consumer email addresses for marketing despite its
 promises that such information would only be used to fulfill orders 
consumers had placed.

As part of the proposed settlement, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/Residual%20Pumpkin%20Agreement%20Containing%20Consent%20Order.pdf">Residual Pumpkin </a>and <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/system/temporary?file=PlanetArt%20Agreement%20to%20Containing%20Consent%20Order.pdf">PlanetArt</a>
 will be required to implement comprehensive information security 
programs that will address the problems that led to the data breaches at
 CafePress. This includes replacing inadequate authentication measures 
such as security questions with multi-factor authentication methods; 
minimizing the amount of data they collect and retain; and encrypting 
Social Security numbers.

In addition, the proposed settlement requires Residual Pumpkin to pay
 $500,000 in redress to victims of the data breaches. PlanetArt will be 
required to notify consumers whose personal information was accessed as a
 result of CafePress’s data breaches and provide specific information 
about how consumers can protect themselves. Both companies will be 
required to have a third party assess their information security 
programs and provide the Commission with a redacted copy of that 
assessment suitable for public disclosure.

The Commission voted 4-0 to issue the proposed administrative complaint and to accept the consent agreement with the companies.

The FTC will publish a description of the consent agreement package 
in the Federal Register soon. The agreement will be subject to public 
comment for 30&nbsp;days after publication in the Federal Register after 
which the Commission will decide whether to make the proposed consent 
order final. Instructions for filing comments will appear in the 
published notice. Once processed, comments will be posted on 
Regulations.gov.

NOTE: The Commission issues an administrative 
complaint when it has “reason to believe” that the law has been or is 
being violated, and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in
 the public interest. When the Commission issues a consent order on a 
final basis, it carries the force of law with respect to future actions.
 Each violation of such an order may result in a civil penalty of up to 
$46,517.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619632629588.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FTCThe Federal Trade Commission today
 took action against online customized merchandise platform CafePress 
over allegations that it failed to secure consumers’ sensitive personal 
data and covered up a major breach. The FTC alleges that CafePress 
failed to implement reasonable security measures to protect sensitive 
information stored on its network, including plain text Social Security 
numbers, inadequately encrypted passwords, and answers to password reset
 questions. The Commission’s proposed order requires the company to 
bolster its data security and requires its former owner to pay a half 
million dollars to compensate small businesses.“CafePress employed careless security practices and concealed 
multiple breaches from consumers,” said Samuel Levine, Director of the 
FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “These orders dial up 
accountability for lax security practices, requiring redress for small 
businesses that were harmed, and specific controls, like multi-factor 
authentication, to better safeguard personal information.”In a <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/system/temporary?file=CafePress-Complaint.pdf">complaint</a>&nbsp;filed
 against Residual Pumpkin Entity, LLC, the former owner of CafePress, 
and PlanetArt, LLC, which bought CafePress in 2020, the FTC alleged that
 CafePress failed to implement reasonable security measures to protect 
the sensitive information of buyers and sellers stored on its network. 
In addition to storing Social Security numbers and password reset 
answers in clear, readable text, CafePress retained the data longer than
 was necessary. The company also failed to apply readily available 
protections against well-known threats and adequately respond to 
security incidents, the complaint alleged. As a result of its shoddy 
security practices, CafePress’ network was breached multiple times.According to the complaint, a hacker exploited the company’s security
 failures in February 2019 to access millions of email addresses and 
passwords with weak encryption; millions of unencrypted names, physical 
addresses, and security questions and answers; more than 180,000 
unencrypted Social Security numbers; and tens of thousands of partial 
payment card numbers and expiration dates. Some of the information was 
later found for sale on the Dark Web.After being notified a month later that it had a security 
vulnerability and that hackers had obtained consumer data, CafePress 
patched the vulnerability but failed to properly investigate the breach 
for several months despite additional warnings, the complaint alleged. 
This included a warning in April 2019 from a foreign government, which 
notified the company that a hacker had illegally obtained CafePress 
customer account information and urged the company to notify affected 
customers. The company, however, withheld this essential information, 
and instead only told customers to reset their passwords as part of an 
update to its password policy.The complaint alleges CafePress did not inform affected customers 
until September 2019—one month after the breach was reported widely. The
 company’s lax security practices, however, still left many consumers at
 risk. For example, the company continued to allow people to reset their
 passwords on the website by answering security questions associated 
with customer email addresses—the same information that had been 
previously stolen by hackers.According to the complaint, CafePress was aware of problems with its 
data security prior to the 2019 data breach. Through at least January 
2018, when CafePress determined that certain accounts of shopkeepers had
 been hacked, CafePress closed the accounts and charged the victims a 
$25 account closure fee. The company also experienced several malware 
infections to its network prior to the 2019 hack but failed to 
investigate the source of such attacks.In addition to its security failures, the FTC alleged the company 
misled users by using consumer email addresses for marketing despite its
 promises that such information would only be used to fulfill orders 
consumers had placed.As part of the proposed settlement, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/Residual%20Pumpkin%20Agreement%20Containing%20Consent%20Order.pdf">Residual Pumpkin </a>and <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/system/temporary?file=PlanetArt%20Agreement%20to%20Containing%20Consent%20Order.pdf">PlanetArt</a>
 will be required to implement comprehensive information security 
programs that will address the problems that led to the data breaches at
 CafePress. This includes replacing inadequate authentication measures 
such as security questions with multi-factor authentication methods; 
minimizing the amount of data they collect and retain; and encrypting 
Social Security numbers.In addition, the proposed settlement requires Residual Pumpkin to pay
 $500,000 in redress to victims of the data breaches. PlanetArt will be 
required to notify consumers whose personal information was accessed as a
 result of CafePress’s data breaches and provide specific information 
about how consumers can protect themselves. Both companies will be 
required to have a third party assess their information security 
programs and provide the Commission with a redacted copy of that 
assessment suitable for public disclosure.The Commission voted 4-0 to issue the proposed administrative complaint and to accept the consent agreement with the companies.The FTC will publish a description of the consent agreement package 
in the Federal Register soon. The agreement will be subject to public 
comment for 30&nbsp;days after publication in the Federal Register after 
which the Commission will decide whether to make the proposed consent 
order final. Instructions for filing comments will appear in the 
published notice. Once processed, comments will be posted on 
Regulations.gov.NOTE: The Commission issues an administrative 
complaint when it has “reason to believe” that the law has been or is 
being violated, and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in
 the public interest. When the Commission issues a consent order on a 
final basis, it carries the force of law with respect to future actions.
 Each violation of such an order may result in a civil penalty of up to 
$46,517.

FTC takes action against CafePress for alleged data breach coverup

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a robbery and have made two arrests.

Just before 7a.m. Sunday, police&nbsp;responded the 1600 block of SW 37th Terrace on the report of a possible robbery that occurred at a different location earlier in the day, according to Lt. John Trimble.

Officers arrived on scene and were able to determine the robbery took place in the 3800 block of SW Topeka Blvd. Officers responded to that location where they were able to locate a crime scene and suspects involved.

Police brought those suspects to the Law Enforcement Center for interviews and arrested&nbsp;29-year-old Taurean Ross on requested charges of&nbsp; Aggravated Robbery, Possession of Methamphetamine,&nbsp;Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. They also arrested 37-year-old Christina Wallace on requested charges of Aggravated Robbery and Promoting the Sale of Sexual Relations, according to Lt. Trimble.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647271920834.png" alt="Ross-photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Ross-photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a robbery and have made two arrests.Just before 7a.m. Sunday, police&nbsp;responded the 1600 block of SW 37th Terrace on the report of a possible robbery that occurred at a different location earlier in the day, according to Lt. John Trimble.Officers arrived on scene and were able to determine the robbery took place in the 3800 block of SW Topeka Blvd. Officers responded to that location where they were able to locate a crime scene and suspects involved.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647272244514.png" alt="Wallace-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Wallace-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Police brought those suspects to the Law Enforcement Center for interviews and arrested&nbsp;29-year-old Taurean Ross on requested charges of&nbsp; Aggravated Robbery, Possession of Methamphetamine,&nbsp;Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. They also arrested 37-year-old Christina Wallace on requested charges of Aggravated Robbery and Promoting the Sale of Sexual Relations, according to Lt. Trimble.

Suspects jailed for robbery, promoting prostitution in Kansas

ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a violent crime and have made an arrest.

In the early morning hours of January 16, police responded to a residence in the 1900 block Harper Drive in Atchison where an 18 year old female reported being the victim of a sexual battery and a 38 year old male reported being threatened with a firearm, according to police Chief Mike Wilson.

On Sunday, police arrested 27-year-old Joseph A. Evans of Atchison on a District Court warrant for aggravated assault and sexual battery.&nbsp;

Police arrested him on requested charges of domestic battery and bodily. harm in November of 2019, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647284682289.png" alt="Evans-photo Atchison Co." />
 <figcaption>Evans-photo Atchison Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a violent crime and have made an arrest.In the early morning hours of January 16, police responded to a residence in the 1900 block Harper Drive in Atchison where an 18 year old female reported being the victim of a sexual battery and a 38 year old male reported being threatened with a firearm, according to police Chief Mike Wilson.On Sunday, police arrested 27-year-old Joseph A. Evans of Atchison on a District Court warrant for aggravated assault and sexual battery.&nbsp;Police arrested him on requested charges of domestic battery and bodily. harm in November of 2019, according to online jail records.

Kansas man accused in sexual battery of 18-year-old

WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department says it’s paying more than $2 million per month to provide 24-hour security to former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and a former top aide, both of whom face “serious and credible” threats from Iran.

The department told Congress in a report that the cost of protecting Pompeo and former Iran envoy Brian Hook between August 2021 and February 2022 amounted to $13.1 million. The report, dated Feb. 14 and marked “sensitive but unclassified,” was obtained by The Associated Press on Saturday.

Pompeo and Hook led the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran and the report says U.S. intelligence assesses that the threats to them have remained constant since they left government and could intensify. The threats have persisted even as President Joe Biden’s administration has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-business-iran-bahamas-c0577bf7718055d730a3b72802c132c2">engaged in indirect negotiations with Iran</a>&nbsp;over a U.S. return to a landmark 2015 nuclear deal.

As a former secretary of state, Pompeo was automatically given 180 days of protection by the State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security after leaving office. But that protection has been repeatedly extended in 60-day increments by Secretary of State Antony Blinken due to “a serious and credible threat from a foreign power or agent of a foreign power arising from duties performed by former Secretary Pompeo while employed by the department,” the report said.

Hook, who along with Pompeo was often the public face of the Trump administration’s imposition of crippling sanctions against Iran, was granted the special protection by Blinken for the same reason as Pompeo immediately after he left government service. That has also been repeatedly renewed in 60-day increments.

The latest 60-day extensions will expire soon and the State Department, in conjunction with the Director of National Intelligence, must determine by March 16 if the protection should extended again, according to the report.

The report was prepared because the special protection budget will run out in June and require a new infusion of money if extensions are deemed necessary.

Current U.S. officials say the threats have been discusses in the nuclear talks in Vienna, where Iran is demanding the removal of all Trump-era sanctions. Those sanctions include a “foreign terrorist organization” designation of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that Pompeo and Hook were instrumental in approving.

The Vienna talks had been expected to produce an agreement soon to salvage the nuclear agreement that President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from in 2018.

But the talks have been thrown into doubt because of new demands made by Russia and a small number of unresolved U.S.-Iran issues, including the terrorism designation, according to U.S. officials.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647123002389.png" alt="Mike. Pompeo was a member of the&nbsp;United States House of Representatives&nbsp;from 2011 to 2017, representing&nbsp;Kansas's 4th congressional district.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Mike. Pompeo was a member of the&nbsp;United States House of Representatives&nbsp;from 2011 to 2017, representing&nbsp;Kansas's 4th congressional district.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department says it’s paying more than $2 million per month to provide 24-hour security to former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and a former top aide, both of whom face “serious and credible” threats from Iran.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Great to be in Taiwan with the freedom-loving Taiwanese people. The U.S. and Taiwan have a great relationship, and it’s critical that we keep it. <a href="https://t.co/lyoDAUXSUp">pic.twitter.com/lyoDAUXSUp</a>&mdash; Mike Pompeo (@mikepompeo) <a href="https://twitter.com/mikepompeo/status/1499465659851452432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The department told Congress in a report that the cost of protecting Pompeo and former Iran envoy Brian Hook between August 2021 and February 2022 amounted to $13.1 million. The report, dated Feb. 14 and marked “sensitive but unclassified,” was obtained by The Associated Press on Saturday.Pompeo and Hook led the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran and the report says U.S. intelligence assesses that the threats to them have remained constant since they left government and could intensify. The threats have persisted even as President Joe Biden’s administration has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-business-iran-bahamas-c0577bf7718055d730a3b72802c132c2">engaged in indirect negotiations with Iran</a>&nbsp;over a U.S. return to a landmark 2015 nuclear deal.As a former secretary of state, Pompeo was automatically given 180 days of protection by the State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security after leaving office. But that protection has been repeatedly extended in 60-day increments by Secretary of State Antony Blinken due to “a serious and credible threat from a foreign power or agent of a foreign power arising from duties performed by former Secretary Pompeo while employed by the department,” the report said.Hook, who along with Pompeo was often the public face of the Trump administration’s imposition of crippling sanctions against Iran, was granted the special protection by Blinken for the same reason as Pompeo immediately after he left government service. That has also been repeatedly renewed in 60-day increments.The latest 60-day extensions will expire soon and the State Department, in conjunction with the Director of National Intelligence, must determine by March 16 if the protection should extended again, according to the report.The report was prepared because the special protection budget will run out in June and require a new infusion of money if extensions are deemed necessary.Current U.S. officials say the threats have been discusses in the nuclear talks in Vienna, where Iran is demanding the removal of all Trump-era sanctions. Those sanctions include a “foreign terrorist organization” designation of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that Pompeo and Hook were instrumental in approving.The Vienna talks had been expected to produce an agreement soon to salvage the nuclear agreement that President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from in 2018.But the talks have been thrown into doubt because of new demands made by Russia and a small number of unresolved U.S.-Iran issues, including the terrorism designation, according to U.S. officials.

US pays $2M a month to protect former Kan. congressman from Iran threat

SEDGWICK COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal weekend accident have identified the victim as 9-year-old&nbsp;Armani Saucedo of Wichita, according to Officer Trevor Macy.

Just after 10p.m. Saturday, police responded to report of a three-car&nbsp; injury accident on eastbound Kellogg at Seneca, according to a statement from Wichita Police.&nbsp;

Investigators learned a 2007&nbsp; Ford Focus driven by a 27-year-old man was eastbound on Kellogg and side swiped a 2017 Ford F-150, causing the truck to collide with a 2004 Dodge Ram. 

The driver of the Ford Focus lost control of the car. It struck a bridge abutment and 9-year-old&nbsp;Saucedo was ejected. The boy was pronounced dead at the the scene, according to Macy. EMS transported a 27-year-old man to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Police reported no other injuries.&nbsp;Police continue investigating the cause of the accident.

SEDGWICK COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal weekend accident.

The driver of the Ford Focus lost control of the car. It struck a bridge abutment and a 9-year-old boy was ejected. The boy was pronounced dead at the the scene. EMS transported a 27-year-old man to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Police reported no other injuries.&nbsp;Police are investigating whether alcohol was a factor. Names of the victims have not been released.

SEDGWICK COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal weekend accident have identified the victim as 9-year-old&nbsp;Armani Saucedo of Wichita, according to Officer Trevor Macy.Just after 10p.m. Saturday, police responded to report of a three-car&nbsp; injury accident on eastbound Kellogg at Seneca, according to a statement from Wichita Police.&nbsp;Investigators learned a 2007&nbsp; Ford Focus driven by a 27-year-old man was eastbound on Kellogg and side swiped a 2017 Ford F-150, causing the truck to collide with a 2004 Dodge Ram. The driver of the Ford Focus lost control of the car. It struck a bridge abutment and 9-year-old&nbsp;Saucedo was ejected. The boy was pronounced dead at the the scene, according to Macy. EMS transported a 27-year-old man to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Police reported no other injuries.&nbsp;Police continue investigating the cause of the accident.-----------SEDGWICK COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal weekend accident.Just after 10p.m. Saturday, police responded to report of a three-car&nbsp; injury accident on eastbound Kellogg at Seneca, according to a statement from Wichita Police.&nbsp;Investigators learned a 2007&nbsp; Ford Focus driven by a 27-year-old man was eastbound on Kellogg and side swiped a 2017 Ford F-150, causing the truck to collide with a 2004 Dodge Ram. The driver of the Ford Focus lost control of the car. It struck a bridge abutment and a 9-year-old boy was ejected. The boy was pronounced dead at the the scene. EMS transported a 27-year-old man to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Police reported no other injuries.&nbsp;Police are investigating whether alcohol was a factor. Names of the victims have not been released.

Police ID 9-year-old Kan. boy who died in 3-vehicle crash

By NOAH TABORDA <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/03/14/streaming-services-seek-exemption-from-kansas-franchise-fee-as-local-governments-protest/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Kansas senators debated 
Monday extending an exemption from a local government-collected 
franchise fee to streaming giants such as Netflix and Hulu.

Under Kansas law, cable companies are required to pay up to 5% of 
their revenue to municipal governments because they rely on the public 
right of way to deliver services to customers. Companies are also 
required to register with the Kansas Corporation Commission and pay a 
fee to the state.

<a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb547/">Senate Bill 547</a>
 would ensure streaming services would not be subject to these 
requirements. The issue has come to a head in Fort Scott, where the city
 filed a lawsuit against Netflix and Hulu over these fees.

Erik Sartorius, executive director of the Kansas League of 
Municipalities, said proponents were seeking to legislate rather than 
defend themselves in court. Quoting the song “Undone (The Sweater Song)”
 by the band Weezer, he said the legislation was akin to bringing a 
Gatling gun to a skeet shoot — it would blow apart long-standing 
governance.

“The refrain is, ‘If you want to destroy my sweater, hold this thread
 as I walk away. Watch me unravel. I’ll soon be naked lying on the 
floor. I’ve come undone,’” Sartorius said. “That is what this bill is. 
It’s not snipping a little loose thread. It is beginning the unwinding 
of right of way statutes, franchise agreements and the whole 
comprehensive system used to oversee the provision of services.”

Local governments across the country find themselves in a similar 
spot to Fort Scott, as they receive cuts of profit from cable companies 
but not streaming firms. As streaming services grow in popularity and 
people cut cable from their budget, municipalities have reported a 
notable decline in revenue from cable companies.

Streaming services argue efforts to place them under these franchise fees are desperate attempts to recoup these lost funds.

Some stakeholders have expressed concerns a franchise fee would 
trickle down and cost Kansas consumers more money if subscription costs 
are raised to offset the tax.

The debate over this exemption left Sen. Rob Olson, chairman of the 
Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee, questioning whether 
extending this tax to streaming platforms would be appropriate in the 
first place.

“You’re not able to charge that tax at Blockbuster or whatever. The 
cities can’t tax everything,” the Olathe Republican said. “Where does 
this stop? Is it going to go to everything on the internet?”

The question raises the broader issue of state and federal laws not 
matching how residents consume media. Debate in Kansas has largely 
focused on whether to treat these streaming or digital services as a 
physical disc for tax purposes.

The tax proposal has stalled in recent years amid concerns it would 
disproportionately burden middle-class families using these platforms.

John Federico, a Topeka lobbyist who serves as president of the 
Kansas Cable Telecommunications Association, urged the panel to reject 
the legislation for now and instead take a measured approach to review 
the issue at large. If the bill were to pass, he said, it would be 
nearly impossible to make meaningful changes.

“Give some thoughtful consideration to looking at the laws on the 
books, what we are receiving for services, who’s providing these 
services and see if there’s a way to make this work and an opportunity 
to modernize our telecommunications taxes or fees,” Federico said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647289217916.png" alt="Erik Sartorious quoted the Weezer song Undone (The Sweater Song) to convey to Kansas senators an exemption for streaming services from franchise fees was too drastic a step to take. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Erik Sartorious quoted the Weezer song Undone (The Sweater Song) to convey to Kansas senators an exemption for streaming services from franchise fees was too drastic a step to take. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By NOAH TABORDA <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/03/14/streaming-services-seek-exemption-from-kansas-franchise-fee-as-local-governments-protest/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Kansas senators debated 
Monday extending an exemption from a local government-collected 
franchise fee to streaming giants such as Netflix and Hulu.Under Kansas law, cable companies are required to pay up to 5% of 
their revenue to municipal governments because they rely on the public 
right of way to deliver services to customers. Companies are also 
required to register with the Kansas Corporation Commission and pay a 
fee to the state.<a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/sb547/">Senate Bill 547</a>
 would ensure streaming services would not be subject to these 
requirements. The issue has come to a head in Fort Scott, where the city
 filed a lawsuit against Netflix and Hulu over these fees.Erik Sartorius, executive director of the Kansas League of 
Municipalities, said proponents were seeking to legislate rather than 
defend themselves in court. Quoting the song “Undone (The Sweater Song)”
 by the band Weezer, he said the legislation was akin to bringing a 
Gatling gun to a skeet shoot — it would blow apart long-standing 
governance.“The refrain is, ‘If you want to destroy my sweater, hold this thread
 as I walk away. Watch me unravel. I’ll soon be naked lying on the 
floor. I’ve come undone,’” Sartorius said. “That is what this bill is. 
It’s not snipping a little loose thread. It is beginning the unwinding 
of right of way statutes, franchise agreements and the whole 
comprehensive system used to oversee the provision of services.”Local governments across the country find themselves in a similar 
spot to Fort Scott, as they receive cuts of profit from cable companies 
but not streaming firms. As streaming services grow in popularity and 
people cut cable from their budget, municipalities have reported a 
notable decline in revenue from cable companies.Streaming services argue efforts to place them under these franchise fees are desperate attempts to recoup these lost funds.Some stakeholders have expressed concerns a franchise fee would 
trickle down and cost Kansas consumers more money if subscription costs 
are raised to offset the tax.The debate over this exemption left Sen. Rob Olson, chairman of the 
Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee, questioning whether 
extending this tax to streaming platforms would be appropriate in the 
first place.“You’re not able to charge that tax at Blockbuster or whatever. The 
cities can’t tax everything,” the Olathe Republican said. “Where does 
this stop? Is it going to go to everything on the internet?”The question raises the broader issue of state and federal laws not 
matching how residents consume media. Debate in Kansas has largely 
focused on whether to treat these streaming or digital services as a 
physical disc for tax purposes.The tax proposal has stalled in recent years amid concerns it would 
disproportionately burden middle-class families using these platforms.John Federico, a Topeka lobbyist who serves as president of the 
Kansas Cable Telecommunications Association, urged the panel to reject 
the legislation for now and instead take a measured approach to review 
the issue at large. If the bill were to pass, he said, it would be 
nearly impossible to make meaningful changes.“Give some thoughtful consideration to looking at the laws on the 
books, what we are receiving for services, who’s providing these 
services and see if there’s a way to make this work and an opportunity 
to modernize our telecommunications taxes or fees,” Federico said.

Local Kan. governments protest exempting streaming services from fees

By TINGLONG DAI <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>

Francis Fukuyama, the American political scientist who once described the collapse of the Soviet Union as the “end of history,” <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ft.com/content/d0331b51-5d0e-4132-9f97-c3f41c7d75b3">suggested that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine</a>
 might be called “the end of the end of history.” He meant that Vladimir
 Putin’s aggression signals a rollback of the ideals of a free Europe 
that emerged after 1991. Some observers suggest it <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/01/opinion/russia-ukraine-cold-war.html">may kick off a new Cold War</a>, with an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/03/09/ukraine-russia-iron-curtain/">Iron Curtain separating the West from Russia</a>.

As an <a target="_blank" href="https://tinglongdai.com/research/#covid-related">expert in global supply chains</a>, I think the war portends the end of something else: global supply chains that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-06/why-global-supply-chains-will-be-rewritten-in-coming-years/100875330">Western companies built</a> after the Berlin Wall fell over three decades ago.

<a target="_blank" href="https://hub.jhu.edu/2021/11/01/supply-chain-issues-dai/">Supply chains</a>
 – often vast networks of resources, money, information and people that 
companies rely on to get goods or services to consumers – <a target="_blank" href="https://hub.jhu.edu/2021/11/01/supply-chain-issues-dai">were already in disarray</a> because of the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in massive shortages, disruptions and price inflation. The war and <a target="_blank" href="https://correctiv.org/en/latest-stories/2022/03/01/sanctions-tracker-live-monitoring-of-all-sanctions-against-russia/">resulting sanctions against Russia</a> have immediately put further strains on them, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/08/americans-are-paying-the-most-at-the-pump-on-record-amid-a-surge-in-energy-prices.html">prompting skyrocketing energy prices</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://inews.co.uk/news/putin-war-russia-ukraine-risks-global-catastrophe-wheat-prices-middle-east-africa-famine-1504866">even fears of famine</a>.

But beyond these short-term effects, I believe the war in Ukraine 
could drastically reshape global supply chains in a way the pandemic 
never did.

Russia accounts for less than <a target="_blank" href="https://www.worldometers.info/gdp/gdp-by-country/">2% of global gross domestic product</a>,
 while Ukraine accounts for only 0.14%. As a result, they have little 
direct impact on global supply chains – except in a few very important 
areas.

Let’s start with the most obvious one: energy. Russia supplies nearly 40% of Europe’s <a target="_blank" href="https://www.npr.org/2022/02/09/1079338002/russia-ukraine-europe-gas-nordstream2-energy">natural gas supply</a> and 65% of Germany’s. It is the third-largest oil exporter in the world, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-does-the-u-s-still-buy-russian-oil-11646151935">accounting for 7% of all crude oil</a>
 and petroleum product imports into the United States. After the Biden 
administration signaled it would stop importing Russian oil, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/quote/CL1:COM?sref=Hjm5biAW">price of crude topped US$130</a> per barrel for the first time in 13 years, and consumers in some parts of the U.S. have seen average gasoline prices <a target="_blank" href="https://ktla.com/news/local-news/l-a-gas-prices-surge-past-5-average-for-1st-time/">rise above $5</a> per gallon.

Less obviously, Russia and Ukraine account for nearly <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ft.com/content/457ba29e-f29b-4677-b69e-a6e5b973cad6">one-third</a>
 of all global wheat exports. Several countries, including Kazakhstan 
and Tanzania, import more than 90% of their wheat from Russia. The war 
has the potential to disrupt the still-recovering <a target="_blank" href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/agriculture/brief/food-security-and-covid-19">global food supply chain</a> and endanger the livelihoods of millions of people.

Even less obviously, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/breakingviews/ukraine-war-flashes-neon-warning-lights-chips-2022-02-24/">Ukraine produces 90%</a> of the semiconductor-grade neon used in the United States. Russia, on the other hand, provides the United States <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/white-house-tells-chip-industry-brace-russian-supply-disruptions-2022-02-11/">more than a third</a> of its palladium, a rare metal also required to make semiconductors. Although companies have <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/limited-impact-chips-yet-russia-invades-ukraine-future-uncertain-2022-02-24/">enough inventory</a>
 to fulfill immediate needs and may find alternative suppliers, some 
disruptions are inevitable. And this comes at a time when the world is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.barrons.com/articles/ford-stock-price-car-production-chip-shortage-51646399837">still suffering from a severe chip shortage</a>, which has slowed auto production and sent <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/20/business/car-prices-easing-2022/index.html">new and used car prices soaring</a>.

It is also worth noting that <a target="_blank" href="https://www-forbes-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.forbes.com/sites/willyshih/2022/03/06/the-titanium-supply-chain-for-the-aerospace-industry-goes-through-russia/amp/">Russia is a dominant</a>
 exporter of titanium and titanium forgings, which are popular in the 
aerospace industry because of their light weight. This war <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/boeing-says-us-russia-relations-weighing-business-2022-01-31/">will further stress</a> the aerospace supply chain.

While the direct effects of the war on supply chains are relatively 
limited, the impact on the global movement of goods and services has 
been significant – I believe even greater than from COVID-19.

After <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/map-shows-countries-that-closed-airspace-russia-over-ukraine-war-2022-3">36 countries</a>, including EU members, the U.S. and Canada, closed their airspace to Russian aircraft, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/russias-attack-on-ukraine-has-closed-airspace-and-disrupted-airline-routes-but-its-also-impacted-the-transportation-of-air-cargo-11646416225">Russia retaliated with the same restrictions</a>.
 As a result, goods transported by air freight from China to Europe or 
the Eastern U.S. may need to be rerouted or use slower or more expensive
 modes of transportation. The China-Europe rail freight route that goes 
through Russia, which <a target="_blank" href="https://qz.com/2102636/supply-chain-chaos-spurs-china-europe-rail-freight-revival/">was experiencing a boom</a> in 2021 because of congestion in major ports, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3169239/what-china-europe-railway-express-and-how-much-pressure-it">now faces mounting cancellations</a> from European clients.

The war has also had a devastating impact on global trade movements, with <a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-europe-middle-east-global-trade-12ba42660a05c0b3ff533aec4e73bbac">hundreds of tankers and bulk carriers</a>
 stranded at ports as a result of sanctions imposed on Russian-connected
 ships. It has also resulted in severe travel and transport restrictions
 imposed on Russia and Belarus in an <a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-europe-middle-east-global-trade-12ba42660a05c0b3ff533aec4e73bbac">unprecedentedly rapid and broad</a> manner that has been coordinated among multiple nations.

In addition, the disruption of the route from China to Europe and the U.S. could do severe damage to China’s “<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/chinas-massive-belt-and-road-initiative">Belts and Roads</a>”
 initiative. That’s the ambitious trillion-dollar project aimed at 
reshaping global trade and affirming the dominance of a China-centric 
global supply chain, especially in Europe and Asia. Because both Russia 
and Ukraine are critical links in the initiative, it will almost 
certainly need to scale back in size and scope.

The New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, a true believer in globalization, in 1996 <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/1996/12/08/opinion/foreign-affairs-big-mac-i.html">famously theorized</a>
 that no two countries that both have a McDonald’s would ever fight a 
war against each other. McDonald’s has about 850 restaurants in Russia 
and 100 in Ukraine, all of which <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/mcdonalds-to-temporarily-close-all-russian-locations-in-response-to-ukrainian-war">have now been temporarily closed</a>.

His point was that countries with economies and middle classes big 
enough to support a McDonald’s “don’t like to fight wars; they like to 
wait in line for burgers.” It was also based on the belief that rational
 economic calculations will always triumph over geopolitical conflicts –
 that is, leaders in such countries wouldn’t let their differences get 
in the way of trade and making money.

And the supply chains that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-06/why-global-supply-chains-will-be-rewritten-in-coming-years/100875330">companies erected</a> in the decades since then have crisscrossed the globe, ignoring old enemy lines for the sake of efficiency and higher profits.

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/25/opinion/putin-russia-ukraine.html">Friedman now concedes</a>
 Russia’s action has shattered that theory. I agree, and in fact the 
world may now be on the cusp of a new type of supply chain Iron Curtain 
with Russia and its allies on one side and the West on the other. 
Companies will no longer be able to separate business from geopolitics.

And those allies include China, which <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/05/business/economy/supply-chain-reshoring-us-manufacturing.html">remains pivotal to most Western companies’ supply chains</a>. Despite China’s <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/08/briefing/china-russia-xi-jinping-vladimir-putin.html">ambiguous</a> stance on the invasion, the war will likely serve as a catalyst to reduce that dependence, at least for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/02/24/the-biden-harris-plan-to-revitalize-american-manufacturing-and-secure-critical-supply-chains-in-2022">critical products</a> such as materials used for semiconductor manufacturing, medical supplies and electric batteries.

Moreover, the growing emphasis of shareholders and regulators on <a target="_blank" href="https://theconversation.com/esg-investing-has-a-blind-spot-that-puts-the-35-trillion-industrys-sustainability-promises-in-doubt-supply-chains-170199">environmental, social and governance</a> issues means how a company does in each category can affect its <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mckinsey.com/%7E/media/mckinsey/dotcom/client_service/high%20tech/pdfs/shaping_the_future1.ashx">daily operations</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.msci.com/www/blog-posts/esg-and-the-cost-of-capital/01726513589">cost of capital</a>. On the issue of Ukraine, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/08/after-russia-exit-moves-corporations-face-a-much-trickier-end-game.html">push to be more socially responsible</a> is one reason companies have <a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-europe-middle-east-global-trade-12ba42660a05c0b3ff533aec4e73bbac">overcomplied with sanctions</a>. It’s also prompting them to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/08/after-russia-exit-moves-corporations-face-a-much-trickier-end-game.html">proactively avoid geopolitical risks</a>, which can involve <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/08/after-russia-exit-moves-corporations-face-a-much-trickier-end-game.html">retreating from an entire economy</a>.

Russia’s war against Ukraine is still ongoing, and there’s no way to 
know for certain how long the sanctions will remain in place or whether <a target="_blank" href="https://theconversation.com/why-apple-disney-ikea-and-hundreds-of-other-western-companies-are-abandoning-russia-with-barely-a-shrug-178516">companies that have chosen to leave Russia</a>
 will return. But I believe one thing is certain: Global supply chains, 
like the rest of the world, will never be the same again as a result of 
this war.

This article is republished from <a target="_blank" href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a target="_blank" href="https://theconversation.com/ukraine-war-and-anti-russia-sanctions-on-top-of-covid-19-mean-even-worse-trouble-lies-ahead-for-global-supply-chains-178486">original article</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647291264019.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By TINGLONG DAI <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>Francis Fukuyama, the American political scientist who once described the collapse of the Soviet Union as the “end of history,” <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ft.com/content/d0331b51-5d0e-4132-9f97-c3f41c7d75b3">suggested that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine</a>
 might be called “the end of the end of history.” He meant that Vladimir
 Putin’s aggression signals a rollback of the ideals of a free Europe 
that emerged after 1991. Some observers suggest it <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/01/opinion/russia-ukraine-cold-war.html">may kick off a new Cold War</a>, with an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/03/09/ukraine-russia-iron-curtain/">Iron Curtain separating the West from Russia</a>.As an <a target="_blank" href="https://tinglongdai.com/research/#covid-related">expert in global supply chains</a>, I think the war portends the end of something else: global supply chains that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-06/why-global-supply-chains-will-be-rewritten-in-coming-years/100875330">Western companies built</a> after the Berlin Wall fell over three decades ago.<a target="_blank" href="https://hub.jhu.edu/2021/11/01/supply-chain-issues-dai/">Supply chains</a>
 – often vast networks of resources, money, information and people that 
companies rely on to get goods or services to consumers – <a target="_blank" href="https://hub.jhu.edu/2021/11/01/supply-chain-issues-dai">were already in disarray</a> because of the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in massive shortages, disruptions and price inflation. The war and <a target="_blank" href="https://correctiv.org/en/latest-stories/2022/03/01/sanctions-tracker-live-monitoring-of-all-sanctions-against-russia/">resulting sanctions against Russia</a> have immediately put further strains on them, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/08/americans-are-paying-the-most-at-the-pump-on-record-amid-a-surge-in-energy-prices.html">prompting skyrocketing energy prices</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://inews.co.uk/news/putin-war-russia-ukraine-risks-global-catastrophe-wheat-prices-middle-east-africa-famine-1504866">even fears of famine</a>.But beyond these short-term effects, I believe the war in Ukraine 
could drastically reshape global supply chains in a way the pandemic 
never did.<h2>Immediate effects: Fuel and famine</h2>Russia accounts for less than <a target="_blank" href="https://www.worldometers.info/gdp/gdp-by-country/">2% of global gross domestic product</a>,
 while Ukraine accounts for only 0.14%. As a result, they have little 
direct impact on global supply chains – except in a few very important 
areas.Let’s start with the most obvious one: energy. Russia supplies nearly 40% of Europe’s <a target="_blank" href="https://www.npr.org/2022/02/09/1079338002/russia-ukraine-europe-gas-nordstream2-energy">natural gas supply</a> and 65% of Germany’s. It is the third-largest oil exporter in the world, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-does-the-u-s-still-buy-russian-oil-11646151935">accounting for 7% of all crude oil</a>
 and petroleum product imports into the United States. After the Biden 
administration signaled it would stop importing Russian oil, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/quote/CL1:COM?sref=Hjm5biAW">price of crude topped US$130</a> per barrel for the first time in 13 years, and consumers in some parts of the U.S. have seen average gasoline prices <a target="_blank" href="https://ktla.com/news/local-news/l-a-gas-prices-surge-past-5-average-for-1st-time/">rise above $5</a> per gallon.Less obviously, Russia and Ukraine account for nearly <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ft.com/content/457ba29e-f29b-4677-b69e-a6e5b973cad6">one-third</a>
 of all global wheat exports. Several countries, including Kazakhstan 
and Tanzania, import more than 90% of their wheat from Russia. The war 
has the potential to disrupt the still-recovering <a target="_blank" href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/agriculture/brief/food-security-and-covid-19">global food supply chain</a> and endanger the livelihoods of millions of people.Even less obviously, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/breakingviews/ukraine-war-flashes-neon-warning-lights-chips-2022-02-24/">Ukraine produces 90%</a> of the semiconductor-grade neon used in the United States. Russia, on the other hand, provides the United States <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/white-house-tells-chip-industry-brace-russian-supply-disruptions-2022-02-11/">more than a third</a> of its palladium, a rare metal also required to make semiconductors. Although companies have <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/limited-impact-chips-yet-russia-invades-ukraine-future-uncertain-2022-02-24/">enough inventory</a>
 to fulfill immediate needs and may find alternative suppliers, some 
disruptions are inevitable. And this comes at a time when the world is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.barrons.com/articles/ford-stock-price-car-production-chip-shortage-51646399837">still suffering from a severe chip shortage</a>, which has slowed auto production and sent <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/20/business/car-prices-easing-2022/index.html">new and used car prices soaring</a>.It is also worth noting that <a target="_blank" href="https://www-forbes-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.forbes.com/sites/willyshih/2022/03/06/the-titanium-supply-chain-for-the-aerospace-industry-goes-through-russia/amp/">Russia is a dominant</a>
 exporter of titanium and titanium forgings, which are popular in the 
aerospace industry because of their light weight. This war <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/boeing-says-us-russia-relations-weighing-business-2022-01-31/">will further stress</a> the aerospace supply chain.<h2>Snarling trade</h2>While the direct effects of the war on supply chains are relatively 
limited, the impact on the global movement of goods and services has 
been significant – I believe even greater than from COVID-19.After <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/map-shows-countries-that-closed-airspace-russia-over-ukraine-war-2022-3">36 countries</a>, including EU members, the U.S. and Canada, closed their airspace to Russian aircraft, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/russias-attack-on-ukraine-has-closed-airspace-and-disrupted-airline-routes-but-its-also-impacted-the-transportation-of-air-cargo-11646416225">Russia retaliated with the same restrictions</a>.
 As a result, goods transported by air freight from China to Europe or 
the Eastern U.S. may need to be rerouted or use slower or more expensive
 modes of transportation. The China-Europe rail freight route that goes 
through Russia, which <a target="_blank" href="https://qz.com/2102636/supply-chain-chaos-spurs-china-europe-rail-freight-revival/">was experiencing a boom</a> in 2021 because of congestion in major ports, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3169239/what-china-europe-railway-express-and-how-much-pressure-it">now faces mounting cancellations</a> from European clients.The war has also had a devastating impact on global trade movements, with <a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-europe-middle-east-global-trade-12ba42660a05c0b3ff533aec4e73bbac">hundreds of tankers and bulk carriers</a>
 stranded at ports as a result of sanctions imposed on Russian-connected
 ships. It has also resulted in severe travel and transport restrictions
 imposed on Russia and Belarus in an <a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-europe-middle-east-global-trade-12ba42660a05c0b3ff533aec4e73bbac">unprecedentedly rapid and broad</a> manner that has been coordinated among multiple nations.In addition, the disruption of the route from China to Europe and the U.S. could do severe damage to China’s “<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/chinas-massive-belt-and-road-initiative">Belts and Roads</a>”
 initiative. That’s the ambitious trillion-dollar project aimed at 
reshaping global trade and affirming the dominance of a China-centric 
global supply chain, especially in Europe and Asia. Because both Russia 
and Ukraine are critical links in the initiative, it will almost 
certainly need to scale back in size and scope.<h2>A supply chain Iron Curtain</h2>The New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, a true believer in globalization, in 1996 <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/1996/12/08/opinion/foreign-affairs-big-mac-i.html">famously theorized</a>
 that no two countries that both have a McDonald’s would ever fight a 
war against each other. McDonald’s has about 850 restaurants in Russia 
and 100 in Ukraine, all of which <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/mcdonalds-to-temporarily-close-all-russian-locations-in-response-to-ukrainian-war">have now been temporarily closed</a>.His point was that countries with economies and middle classes big 
enough to support a McDonald’s “don’t like to fight wars; they like to 
wait in line for burgers.” It was also based on the belief that rational
 economic calculations will always triumph over geopolitical conflicts –
 that is, leaders in such countries wouldn’t let their differences get 
in the way of trade and making money.And the supply chains that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-06/why-global-supply-chains-will-be-rewritten-in-coming-years/100875330">companies erected</a> in the decades since then have crisscrossed the globe, ignoring old enemy lines for the sake of efficiency and higher profits.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/25/opinion/putin-russia-ukraine.html">Friedman now concedes</a>
 Russia’s action has shattered that theory. I agree, and in fact the 
world may now be on the cusp of a new type of supply chain Iron Curtain 
with Russia and its allies on one side and the West on the other. 
Companies will no longer be able to separate business from geopolitics.And those allies include China, which <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/05/business/economy/supply-chain-reshoring-us-manufacturing.html">remains pivotal to most Western companies’ supply chains</a>. Despite China’s <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/08/briefing/china-russia-xi-jinping-vladimir-putin.html">ambiguous</a> stance on the invasion, the war will likely serve as a catalyst to reduce that dependence, at least for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/02/24/the-biden-harris-plan-to-revitalize-american-manufacturing-and-secure-critical-supply-chains-in-2022">critical products</a> such as materials used for semiconductor manufacturing, medical supplies and electric batteries.Moreover, the growing emphasis of shareholders and regulators on <a target="_blank" href="https://theconversation.com/esg-investing-has-a-blind-spot-that-puts-the-35-trillion-industrys-sustainability-promises-in-doubt-supply-chains-170199">environmental, social and governance</a> issues means how a company does in each category can affect its <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mckinsey.com/%7E/media/mckinsey/dotcom/client_service/high%20tech/pdfs/shaping_the_future1.ashx">daily operations</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.msci.com/www/blog-posts/esg-and-the-cost-of-capital/01726513589">cost of capital</a>. On the issue of Ukraine, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/08/after-russia-exit-moves-corporations-face-a-much-trickier-end-game.html">push to be more socially responsible</a> is one reason companies have <a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-europe-middle-east-global-trade-12ba42660a05c0b3ff533aec4e73bbac">overcomplied with sanctions</a>. It’s also prompting them to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/08/after-russia-exit-moves-corporations-face-a-much-trickier-end-game.html">proactively avoid geopolitical risks</a>, which can involve <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/08/after-russia-exit-moves-corporations-face-a-much-trickier-end-game.html">retreating from an entire economy</a>.Russia’s war against Ukraine is still ongoing, and there’s no way to 
know for certain how long the sanctions will remain in place or whether <a target="_blank" href="https://theconversation.com/why-apple-disney-ikea-and-hundreds-of-other-western-companies-are-abandoning-russia-with-barely-a-shrug-178516">companies that have chosen to leave Russia</a>
 will return. But I believe one thing is certain: Global supply chains, 
like the rest of the world, will never be the same again as a result of 
this war.This article is republished from <a target="_blank" href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a target="_blank" href="https://theconversation.com/ukraine-war-and-anti-russia-sanctions-on-top-of-covid-19-mean-even-worse-trouble-lies-ahead-for-global-supply-chains-178486">original article</a>.

ANALYSIS: War, sanctions mean more trouble ahead for global supply chains

ALLEN COUNTY—Two people died in an accident just after 6:30a.m. Monday in Allen County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2001 Chevrolet Silverado driven by&nbsp;Gordon Edward Lane, 62, Ottawa, was southbound on&nbsp;U.S. 169 one mile east of Humboldt.

The pickup traveled left of center and struck a northbound 2019 Ford F150 driven by Jaime Lynn Ellis, 45, Iola, head-on.

Lane and Ellis were pronounced dead at the scene and were transported to Frontier Forensics.

EMS transported passengers in the Ford David Daniel Glaze, 42, Carbondale to Overland Park Regional Medical and a 6-year-old girl from Iola to Children's Mercy. All four were properly restrained according to the KHP.

ALLEN COUNTY—Two people died in an accident just after 6:30a.m. Monday in Allen County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2001 Chevrolet Silverado driven by&nbsp;Gordon Edward Lane, 62, Ottawa, was southbound on&nbsp;U.S. 169 one mile east of Humboldt.The pickup traveled left of center and struck a northbound 2019 Ford F150 driven by Jaime Lynn Ellis, 45, Iola, head-on.Lane and Ellis were pronounced dead at the scene and were transported to Frontier Forensics.EMS transported passengers in the Ford David Daniel Glaze, 42, Carbondale to Overland Park Regional Medical and a 6-year-old girl from Iola to Children's Mercy. All four were properly restrained according to the KHP.

2 dead, 6-year-old Kan. girl injured after head-on crash

WASHINGTON (AP) — Russia’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-boris-johnson-business-europe-united-nations-bf2bcfb3a499d688e3075f2d4cf54989">invasion of Ukraine</a>&nbsp;has given the smaller nation’s embassy in Washington an unexpected role: recruitment center for Americans who want to join the fight.

Diplomats working out of the embassy, in a townhouse in the Georgetown section of the city, are fielding thousands of offers from volunteers seeking to fight for Ukraine, even as they work on the far more pressing matter of securing weapons to defend against an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-kyiv-europe-evacuations-kharkiv-01693b3373cf8bcf2400ae29af992bbe">increasingly brutal Russian onslaught</a>.

“They really feel that this war is unfair, unprovoked,” said Ukraine’s military attaché, Maj. Gen. Borys Kremenetskyi. “They feel that they have to go and help.”

U.S. volunteers represent just a small subset of foreigners seeking to fight for Ukraine, who in turn comprise just a tiny fraction of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-europe-philanthropy-7a08176a4b6c6822fcbfc0afc548969a">international assistance</a>&nbsp;that has flowed into the country. Still, it is a reflection of the passion, supercharged in an era of social media, that the attack and the mounting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-lifestyle-kyiv-ed0e4c3b29d4b287afaa4e43aead4f0e">civilian casualties</a>&nbsp;have stirred.

“This is not mercenaries who are coming to earn money,” Kremenetskyi said. “This is people of goodwill who are coming to assist Ukraine to fight for freedom.”

The U.S. government discourages Americans from going to fight in Ukraine, which raises legal and national security issues.

Since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-russia-moscow-kyiv-626a8c5ec22217bacb24ece60fac4fe1">the Feb. 24 invasion</a>, the embassy in Washington has heard from at least 6,000 people inquiring about volunteering for service, the “vast majority” of them American citizens, said Kremenetskyi, who oversees the screening of potential U.S. recruits.

Half the potential volunteers were quickly rejected and didn’t even make it to the Zoom interview, the general said. They lacked the required military experience, had a criminal background or weren’t suitable for other reasons such as age, including a 16-year-old boy and a 73-year-old man.

Some who expressed interest were rejected because the embassy said it couldn’t do adequate vetting. The general didn’t disclose the methods used to screen people.

Kremenetskyi, who spoke to The Associated Press just after returning from the Pentagon for discussions on the military hardware his country needs for its defense, said he appreciates the support from both the U.S. government and the public.

“Russians can be stopped only with hard fists and weapons,” he said.

So far, about 100 U.S. citizens have made the cut. They include veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with combat experience, including some helicopter pilots, the attaché said.

They must make their own way to Poland, where they are to cross at a specified point, with their own protective gear but without a weapon, which they will get after they arrive. They will be required to sign a contract to serve, without pay, in the International Legion for the Territorial Defense of Ukraine.

The Ukrainian government says about 20,000 foreigners from various nations have already joined.

Borys Wrzesnewskyj, a former Liberal lawmaker in Canada who is helping to facilitate recruitment there, said about 1,000 Canadians have applied to fight for Ukraine, the vast majority of whom don’t have any ties to the country.

“The volunteers, a very large proportion are ex-military, these are people that made that tough decision that they would enter the military to stand up for the values that we subscribe to,” Wrzesnewskyj said. “And when they see what is happening in Ukraine they can’t stand aside.”

It’s not clear how many U.S. citizens seeking to fight have actually reached Ukraine, a journey the State Department has urged people not to make.

“We’ve been very clear for some time, of course, in calling on Americans who may have been resident in Ukraine to leave, and making clear to Americans who may be thinking of traveling there not to go,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters recently.

U.S. citizens aren’t required to register overseas. The State Department says it’s not certain how many have entered Ukraine since the Russian invasion.

Under some circumstances, Americans could face criminal penalties, or even risk losing their citizenship, by taking part in an overseas conflict, according to a senior federal law enforcement official.

But the legal issues are only one of many concerns for U.S. authorities, who worry about what could happen if an American is killed or captured or is recruited while over there to work for a foreign intelligence service upon their return home, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive security matters.

The official and independent security experts say some of the potential foreign fighters may be white supremacists, who are believed to be fighting on both sides of the conflict. They could become more radicalized and gain military training in Ukraine, thereby posing an increased danger when they return home.

“These are men who want adventure, a sense of significance and are harking back to World War II rhetoric,” said Anne Speckhard, who has extensively studied foreigners who fought in Syria and elsewhere as director of the International Center for the Study of Violent Extremism.

Ukraine may be getting around some of the potential legal issues by only facilitating the overseas recruitment, and directing volunteers to sign their contracts, and receive a weapon, once they arrive in the country. Also, by assigning them to the territorial defense forces, and not front-line units, it reduces the chance of direct combat with Russians, though it’s by no means eliminated.

The general acknowledges the possibility that any foreigners who are captured could be used for propaganda purposes. But he didn’t dwell on the issue, focusing instead on the need for his country to defend itself against Russia.

“We are fighting for our existence,” he said. “We are fighting for our families, for our land. And we are not going to give up.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — Russia’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-boris-johnson-business-europe-united-nations-bf2bcfb3a499d688e3075f2d4cf54989">invasion of Ukraine</a>&nbsp;has given the smaller nation’s embassy in Washington an unexpected role: recruitment center for Americans who want to join the fight.Diplomats working out of the embassy, in a townhouse in the Georgetown section of the city, are fielding thousands of offers from volunteers seeking to fight for Ukraine, even as they work on the far more pressing matter of securing weapons to defend against an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-kyiv-europe-evacuations-kharkiv-01693b3373cf8bcf2400ae29af992bbe">increasingly brutal Russian onslaught</a>.“They really feel that this war is unfair, unprovoked,” said Ukraine’s military attaché, Maj. Gen. Borys Kremenetskyi. “They feel that they have to go and help.”U.S. volunteers represent just a small subset of foreigners seeking to fight for Ukraine, who in turn comprise just a tiny fraction of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-europe-philanthropy-7a08176a4b6c6822fcbfc0afc548969a">international assistance</a>&nbsp;that has flowed into the country. Still, it is a reflection of the passion, supercharged in an era of social media, that the attack and the mounting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-lifestyle-kyiv-ed0e4c3b29d4b287afaa4e43aead4f0e">civilian casualties</a>&nbsp;have stirred.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">❗❗❗ ASSISTANCE FOR LOGISTICAL AND MEDICAL SUPPORT OF THE ARMED FORCES OF UKRAINE ⤵️<a href="https://t.co/BRjxM36pt5">https://t.co/BRjxM36pt5</a>&mdash; UKR Embassy in USA (@UKRintheUSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/UKRintheUSA/status/1498324103597596682?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“This is not mercenaries who are coming to earn money,” Kremenetskyi said. “This is people of goodwill who are coming to assist Ukraine to fight for freedom.”The U.S. government discourages Americans from going to fight in Ukraine, which raises legal and national security issues.Since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-russia-moscow-kyiv-626a8c5ec22217bacb24ece60fac4fe1">the Feb. 24 invasion</a>, the embassy in Washington has heard from at least 6,000 people inquiring about volunteering for service, the “vast majority” of them American citizens, said Kremenetskyi, who oversees the screening of potential U.S. recruits.Half the potential volunteers were quickly rejected and didn’t even make it to the Zoom interview, the general said. They lacked the required military experience, had a criminal background or weren’t suitable for other reasons such as age, including a 16-year-old boy and a 73-year-old man.Some who expressed interest were rejected because the embassy said it couldn’t do adequate vetting. The general didn’t disclose the methods used to screen people.Kremenetskyi, who spoke to The Associated Press just after returning from the Pentagon for discussions on the military hardware his country needs for its defense, said he appreciates the support from both the U.S. government and the public.“Russians can be stopped only with hard fists and weapons,” he said.So far, about 100 U.S. citizens have made the cut. They include veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with combat experience, including some helicopter pilots, the attaché said.They must make their own way to Poland, where they are to cross at a specified point, with their own protective gear but without a weapon, which they will get after they arrive. They will be required to sign a contract to serve, without pay, in the International Legion for the Territorial Defense of Ukraine.The Ukrainian government says about 20,000 foreigners from various nations have already joined.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Tristan, from Belgium: “I came to join the International Legion of Defense of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ukraine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ukraine</a> for freedom in Europe. I had to come &amp; do what I can do best, do what I can do to protect Ukrainian people” Freedom is a choice. Join the brave!<a href="https://t.co/QyUOgKPFQx">https://t.co/QyUOgKPFQx</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StopRussianAggression?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StopRussianAggression</a> <a href="https://t.co/4nU8SD8KLX">pic.twitter.com/4nU8SD8KLX</a>&mdash; MFA of Ukraine 🇺🇦 (@MFA_Ukraine) <a href="https://twitter.com/MFA_Ukraine/status/1503400183685648392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Borys Wrzesnewskyj, a former Liberal lawmaker in Canada who is helping to facilitate recruitment there, said about 1,000 Canadians have applied to fight for Ukraine, the vast majority of whom don’t have any ties to the country.“The volunteers, a very large proportion are ex-military, these are people that made that tough decision that they would enter the military to stand up for the values that we subscribe to,” Wrzesnewskyj said. “And when they see what is happening in Ukraine they can’t stand aside.”It’s not clear how many U.S. citizens seeking to fight have actually reached Ukraine, a journey the State Department has urged people not to make.“We’ve been very clear for some time, of course, in calling on Americans who may have been resident in Ukraine to leave, and making clear to Americans who may be thinking of traveling there not to go,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters recently.U.S. citizens aren’t required to register overseas. The State Department says it’s not certain how many have entered Ukraine since the Russian invasion.Under some circumstances, Americans could face criminal penalties, or even risk losing their citizenship, by taking part in an overseas conflict, according to a senior federal law enforcement official.But the legal issues are only one of many concerns for U.S. authorities, who worry about what could happen if an American is killed or captured or is recruited while over there to work for a foreign intelligence service upon their return home, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive security matters.The official and independent security experts say some of the potential foreign fighters may be white supremacists, who are believed to be fighting on both sides of the conflict. They could become more radicalized and gain military training in Ukraine, thereby posing an increased danger when they return home.“These are men who want adventure, a sense of significance and are harking back to World War II rhetoric,” said Anne Speckhard, who has extensively studied foreigners who fought in Syria and elsewhere as director of the International Center for the Study of Violent Extremism.Ukraine may be getting around some of the potential legal issues by only facilitating the overseas recruitment, and directing volunteers to sign their contracts, and receive a weapon, once they arrive in the country. Also, by assigning them to the territorial defense forces, and not front-line units, it reduces the chance of direct combat with Russians, though it’s by no means eliminated.The general acknowledges the possibility that any foreigners who are captured could be used for propaganda purposes. But he didn’t dwell on the issue, focusing instead on the need for his country to defend itself against Russia.“We are fighting for our existence,” he said. “We are fighting for our families, for our land. And we are not going to give up.”

U.S. discourages Americans from going to fight in Ukraine

By FRANK MORRIS <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-03-13/kansas-oil-companies-scramble-to-increase-production-but-there-is-no-spigot">Kansas News Service</a>

To understand why oil prices are high today, you have to go back two years, to the early days of the pandemic. 

Oil prices hit the floor in April 2020. In fact, they fell right through the floor. For a while, oil producers had to pay companies to take oil off their hands. One day, the price in Kansas even hit a negative $47 a barrel.

Some small oil companies went under. In Kansas alone, companies took almost 5,000 wells off-line and production plummeted. 

But between then and now, the price of oil has increased about $160 a barrel.

“It’s
 probably the most dramatic price swing in the history of the oil 
business,” said Mickey Thompson, past president of the Oklahoma 
Independent Petroleum Association. “And that’s not good for anybody.”

With
 the ban on Russian oil imports, domestic crude is now selling for about
 $110 a barrel. That, of course, isn’t good for consumers, who’ve seen 
gasoline prices break records.

The pain falls especially hard on 
lower-income workers, who often drive older cars miles to work each day 
and spend more of their paychecks filling their tanks. It’s sparked 
demands from fossil fuel users and politicians to get more domestic oil 
to consumers — as if oil companies can just turn the flow back on.

“There
 is no spigot,” Thompson said. “Wells capable of producing crude oil and
 natural gas in this country are producing at close to maximum 
capacity.”

But oil companies, especially smaller ones, are having a tough time expanding production.

“They’re
 having trouble getting pipe. They’re having trouble with 
transportation. They’re having trouble finding crews,” said Dan Naatz, 
executive vice president of the Independent Petroleum Association of 
America.

Oil companies have been trying to scale up for months 
now, and that’s made basic supplies of the trade, like piping, both 
scarce and expensive. And pandemic-related shipping problems have made 
just getting supplies from factories to the oil fields a major obstacle.
 On top of that, there’s a labor shortage.

“Labor challenges are at the top of the list,” said Ed Cross, president of the Kansas Independent Oil and Gas Association.

Small
 oil Kansas companies cut as much as a quarter of their employees in the
 lean days of 2020, Cross said. Those are skilled, technical, often 
physically demanding jobs, so staffing up again is another major hurdle.

“It’s
 a busy time and we're seeing production starting to recover, but we're a
 long way from where we were before the COVID pandemic,” Cross said.

In
 Kansas, production is down almost 16% from 2019, when gas and oil 
prices were much lower. It’s hard to predict how long it will take just 
to get back to 2019 domestic oil production levels, but most of the 
experts say that won’t happen until next year, at best.

Meantime, 
Thompson said, consumers and politicians are going to have to show some 
patience as everyone tries to work through the next few months.

“You
 need to understand that nobody in this country, nobody — not the oil 
and gas industry, not the federal government, not the regulators, not 
the banks — nobody's the enemy on this deal,” Thompson said.

“Putin
 is the enemy and he and his army and his military are creating the 
situation," he added. "And we need to offer some grace to ourselves and 
our neighbors and people who are doing the best they can to alleviate 
the pain.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647274142642.png" alt="Scott Canon / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>Scott Canon / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By FRANK MORRIS <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-03-13/kansas-oil-companies-scramble-to-increase-production-but-there-is-no-spigot">Kansas News Service</a>To understand why oil prices are high today, you have to go back two years, to the early days of the pandemic. Oil prices hit the floor in April 2020. In fact, they fell right through the floor. For a while, oil producers had to pay companies to take oil off their hands. One day, the price in Kansas even hit a negative $47 a barrel. Some small oil companies went under. In Kansas alone, companies took almost 5,000 wells off-line and production plummeted. But between then and now, the price of oil has increased about $160 a barrel.“It’s
 probably the most dramatic price swing in the history of the oil 
business,” said Mickey Thompson, past president of the Oklahoma 
Independent Petroleum Association. “And that’s not good for anybody.” <h2>There is no spigot</h2>With
 the ban on Russian oil imports, domestic crude is now selling for about
 $110 a barrel. That, of course, isn’t good for consumers, who’ve seen 
gasoline prices break records.The pain falls especially hard on 
lower-income workers, who often drive older cars miles to work each day 
and spend more of their paychecks filling their tanks. It’s sparked 
demands from fossil fuel users and politicians to get more domestic oil 
to consumers — as if oil companies can just turn the flow back on.“There
 is no spigot,” Thompson said. “Wells capable of producing crude oil and
 natural gas in this country are producing at close to maximum 
capacity.”But oil companies, especially smaller ones, are having a tough time expanding production.“They’re
 having trouble getting pipe. They’re having trouble with 
transportation. They’re having trouble finding crews,” said Dan Naatz, 
executive vice president of the Independent Petroleum Association of 
America.Oil companies have been trying to scale up for months 
now, and that’s made basic supplies of the trade, like piping, both 
scarce and expensive. And pandemic-related shipping problems have made 
just getting supplies from factories to the oil fields a major obstacle.
 On top of that, there’s a labor shortage.“Labor challenges are at the top of the list,” said Ed Cross, president of the Kansas Independent Oil and Gas Association.Small
 oil Kansas companies cut as much as a quarter of their employees in the
 lean days of 2020, Cross said. Those are skilled, technical, often 
physically demanding jobs, so staffing up again is another major hurdle.“It’s
 a busy time and we're seeing production starting to recover, but we're a
 long way from where we were before the COVID pandemic,” Cross said.In
 Kansas, production is down almost 16% from 2019, when gas and oil 
prices were much lower. It’s hard to predict how long it will take just 
to get back to 2019 domestic oil production levels, but most of the 
experts say that won’t happen until next year, at best.Meantime, 
Thompson said, consumers and politicians are going to have to show some 
patience as everyone tries to work through the next few months.“You
 need to understand that nobody in this country, nobody — not the oil 
and gas industry, not the federal government, not the regulators, not 
the banks — nobody's the enemy on this deal,” Thompson said.“Putin
 is the enemy and he and his army and his military are creating the 
situation," he added. "And we need to offer some grace to ourselves and 
our neighbors and people who are doing the best they can to alleviate 
the pain.”

Kan. oil companies scramble to increase production, but 'there is no spigot' 

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/03/14/lawmakers-easily-advance-bill-to-allow-year-round-daylight-saving-time/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN
 — Economic activity and tax revenue would increase and deaths would 
decrease if Nebraska went to year-around daylight saving time, a state 
senator argued Monday.

State
 Sen. Tom Briese of Albion introduced a bill that would, under certain 
conditions, make daylight saving time year-round in the state.

Legislative
 Bill 283 was given first-round approval on a 40-3 vote. The debate came
 a day after Nebraskans made the switch to daylight saving time by 
adjusting their clocks one hour ahead.

Nebraska
 would switch to year-round daylight saving time only if that was 
permitted by the federal government and if three adjoining states also 
approved the switch.&nbsp;

Right
 now, the feds permit states to allow either permanent standard time (as
 Arizona does) or to follow a system of switching back and forth. A 
subcommittee of the U.S. House&nbsp;Energy and Commerce Committee held a <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/03/10/congress-hates-changing-the-clocks-just-like-everyone-else/">hearing</a> last week on the proposal to switch to year-round daylight saving time.

At
 least 19 states have passed bills seeking a change to year-round 
daylight saving time. Briese, who introduced LB 283 along with 22 
cosponsors, said 28 other states are considering bills like his this 
year.

None of Nebraska’s neighbors has approved the switch, although&nbsp;Iowa’s House <a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/briefs/house-passes-year-round-daylight-saving-time-proposal/">recently</a> passed a bill to switch to year-round daylight saving time, pending federal action.

Currently,
 Nebraska operates on daylight saving time from the second Sunday in 
March to the first Sunday in November, operating on standard time during
 the late fall and winter.

Briese
 said he hears almost universal complaining about the current “spring 
forward, fall back” routine. It is a hard adjustment for many, including
 those who follow a schedule for medications, he said.

The
 senator also told colleagues studies have shown that heart attacks and 
strokes rise by about 24% to 25% in the aftermath of a time change.

“This practice, of changing our clocks twice a year, is actually hurting and killing people,” Briese said.

He
 said providing an additional hour of sunlight after 5 p.m. in the 
winter months would increase consumer spending and productivity.

The
 JPMorgan Chase Institute concluded in a 2016 study that the start of 
daylight saving time in the Los Angeles area sparked an increase of 
daily credit card spending of 0.9%. By contrast, the end of daylight 
saving time decreased consumer spending by 3.5%.

Thus, Briese said, year-round daylight saving times would be a “valuable tool” in growing the economy.

Bayard
 Sen. Steve Erdman objected to a switch to permanent daylight saving 
time, saying it would mean that more schoolchildren would be walking and
 busing to school in the dark.

He
 said he liked that the sun was at its highest point at noon and argued 
that if people didn’t want to adjust their clocks twice a year, going to
 year-round standard time was the answer.

“If it’s good enough for God, it’s good enough for me,” Erdman said.

He added that if people want to golf, they should just adjust their work hours so they get off an hour earlier.

The
 federal government would have to pass a law allowing states to choose 
year-round daylight saving time, Briese said. But, he added, if enough 
states pass bills like LB 283, that would probably happen.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647279718653.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/03/14/lawmakers-easily-advance-bill-to-allow-year-round-daylight-saving-time/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN
 — Economic activity and tax revenue would increase and deaths would 
decrease if Nebraska went to year-around daylight saving time, a state 
senator argued Monday.State
 Sen. Tom Briese of Albion introduced a bill that would, under certain 
conditions, make daylight saving time year-round in the state.Legislative
 Bill 283 was given first-round approval on a 40-3 vote. The debate came
 a day after Nebraskans made the switch to daylight saving time by 
adjusting their clocks one hour ahead.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647279776153.jpeg" alt="Sen. Tom Briese of Albion (Rebecca S. Gratz for the Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Sen. Tom Briese of Albion (Rebecca S. Gratz for the Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Nebraska
 would switch to year-round daylight saving time only if that was 
permitted by the federal government and if three adjoining states also 
approved the switch.&nbsp;Right
 now, the feds permit states to allow either permanent standard time (as
 Arizona does) or to follow a system of switching back and forth. A 
subcommittee of the U.S. House&nbsp;Energy and Commerce Committee held a <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/03/10/congress-hates-changing-the-clocks-just-like-everyone-else/">hearing</a> last week on the proposal to switch to year-round daylight saving time.<h2>Several states pass bills</h2>At
 least 19 states have passed bills seeking a change to year-round 
daylight saving time. Briese, who introduced LB 283 along with 22 
cosponsors, said 28 other states are considering bills like his this 
year.None of Nebraska’s neighbors has approved the switch, although&nbsp;Iowa’s House <a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/briefs/house-passes-year-round-daylight-saving-time-proposal/">recently</a> passed a bill to switch to year-round daylight saving time, pending federal action.Currently,
 Nebraska operates on daylight saving time from the second Sunday in 
March to the first Sunday in November, operating on standard time during
 the late fall and winter.Briese
 said he hears almost universal complaining about the current “spring 
forward, fall back” routine. It is a hard adjustment for many, including
 those who follow a schedule for medications, he said.<h2>Medical issues</h2>The
 senator also told colleagues studies have shown that heart attacks and 
strokes rise by about 24% to 25% in the aftermath of a time change.“This practice, of changing our clocks twice a year, is actually hurting and killing people,” Briese said.He
 said providing an additional hour of sunlight after 5 p.m. in the 
winter months would increase consumer spending and productivity.The
 JPMorgan Chase Institute concluded in a 2016 study that the start of 
daylight saving time in the Los Angeles area sparked an increase of 
daily credit card spending of 0.9%. By contrast, the end of daylight 
saving time decreased consumer spending by 3.5%.Thus, Briese said, year-round daylight saving times would be a “valuable tool” in growing the economy.<h2>Busing in the dark</h2>Bayard
 Sen. Steve Erdman objected to a switch to permanent daylight saving 
time, saying it would mean that more schoolchildren would be walking and
 busing to school in the dark.He
 said he liked that the sun was at its highest point at noon and argued 
that if people didn’t want to adjust their clocks twice a year, going to
 year-round standard time was the answer.“If it’s good enough for God, it’s good enough for me,” Erdman said.He added that if people want to golf, they should just adjust their work hours so they get off an hour earlier.The
 federal government would have to pass a law allowing states to choose 
year-round daylight saving time, Briese said. But, he added, if enough 
states pass bills like LB 283, that would probably happen.

Neb. lawmakers advance year-round daylight saving time bill

TOPEKA — The number of confirmed coronavirus cases* (see below) in Kansas increased by 95 to a total of 768,820, the state health department reported Monday.

The state reported 22 additional COVID-19 deaths for a total of 8028.

<a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a> about the COVID-19 vaccine.

<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional virus numbers from the KDHE.

As of August 1, 2021, in accordance with an&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/" target="_blank">updated CDC/CSTE surveillance case definition</a>, a confirmed case is defined as a person who tested positive by molecular detection (e.g., PCR, NAA) or identification of SARS-CoV-2 through genetic sequencing. A probable case is defined as a person with: a) presumptive lab evidence (antigen) or b) no lab testing but meeting clinical case criteria and is epi-linked. A person will be counted as a new surveillance case (e.g. reinfection) if they test positive for SARS-CoV-2 by a diagnostic test (i.e., molecular, antigen) and it has been greater than 90 days since the previous positive diagnostic test. In addition, a person with sequencing results identifying different SARS-CoV-2 lineages regardless of the time since the previous specimen sequenced will be counted as a new surveillance case.&nbsp;

Cases occurring between&nbsp;September 1, 2020&nbsp;and July 29, 2021 were classified by&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/" target="_blank">previous CDC/CSTE case definition,&nbsp;</a>and cases prior to September 1, 2020 were classified by the&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/case-definitions/coronavirus-disease-2019-2020/" target="_blank">original case definition</a>.

TOPEKA — The number of confirmed coronavirus cases* (see below) in Kansas increased by 95 to a total of 768,820, the state health department reported Monday.The state reported 22 additional COVID-19 deaths for a total of 8028.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647276897242.png" alt="Monday March 14, 2022 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Monday March 14, 2022 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a> about the COVID-19 vaccine.<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional virus numbers from the KDHE.As of August 1, 2021, in accordance with an&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/" target="_blank">updated CDC/CSTE surveillance case definition</a>, a confirmed case is defined as a person who tested positive by molecular detection (e.g., PCR, NAA) or identification of SARS-CoV-2 through genetic sequencing. A probable case is defined as a person with: a) presumptive lab evidence (antigen) or b) no lab testing but meeting clinical case criteria and is epi-linked. A person will be counted as a new surveillance case (e.g. reinfection) if they test positive for SARS-CoV-2 by a diagnostic test (i.e., molecular, antigen) and it has been greater than 90 days since the previous positive diagnostic test. In addition, a person with sequencing results identifying different SARS-CoV-2 lineages regardless of the time since the previous specimen sequenced will be counted as a new surveillance case.&nbsp;Cases occurring between&nbsp;September 1, 2020&nbsp;and July 29, 2021 were classified by&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/" target="_blank">previous CDC/CSTE case definition,&nbsp;</a>and cases prior to September 1, 2020 were classified by the&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/case-definitions/coronavirus-disease-2019-2020/" target="_blank">original case definition</a>.

KDHE reports 22 additional COVID 19 deaths

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (AP) — A commercial flight from Huntsville, Alabama, to Denver was diverted to Wichita, Kansas, after a passenger became unruly. News outlets report the problem occurred Sunday morning on a United Airlines flight operated by SkyWest Airlines. 

A passenger tells WAFF-TV a woman was asking for more alcohol, refusing to wear a face mask and cursing. She was identified as 33-year-old Clara s. Lambert of New Market Alabama,<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20074791"> according to the Sedgwick County booking report.</a>

The flight landed in Wichita and officers came on board to remove Lambert. A manager at Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport says federal authorities were notified. The flight continued on to Denver. Lambert was still in custody early Monday, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647265148095.png" alt="Clara S. Lambert -photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Clara S. Lambert -photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (AP) — A commercial flight from Huntsville, Alabama, to Denver was diverted to Wichita, Kansas, after a passenger became unruly. News outlets report the problem occurred Sunday morning on a United Airlines flight operated by SkyWest Airlines. A passenger tells WAFF-TV a woman was asking for more alcohol, refusing to wear a face mask and cursing. She was identified as 33-year-old Clara s. Lambert of New Market Alabama,<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20074791"> according to the Sedgwick County booking report.</a>The flight landed in Wichita and officers came on board to remove Lambert. A manager at Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport says federal authorities were notified. The flight continued on to Denver. Lambert was still in custody early Monday, according to online jail records.

Flight diverted to Wichita due to unruly passenger

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina Post

SALINE COUNTY —A pole barn and some of its contents were destroyed by fire Saturday morning northwest of Salina.

Just after 9a.m. Saturday, a 45-year-old woman looked out a window and saw smoke coming from her pole barn in the 4600 block of W. Shipton Road, according to&nbsp;Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan.

Personnel from Rural Fire District No. 7 responded and extinguished the blaze.

&nbsp;A 30-by 50-foot pole barn, a horse trailer, some tack, and other miscellaneous items were destroyed in the fire. The total loss was estimated at $92,500, according to Soldan.

No definitive cause of the fire had been determined. Soldan said the barn had utilities.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647273506930.png" alt="A pole barn and horse trailer are ablaze. Photos courtesy Saline County Sheriff's Office" />
 <figcaption>A pole barn and horse trailer are ablaze. Photos courtesy Saline County Sheriff's Office</figcaption>
 </figure>By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina PostSALINE COUNTY —A pole barn and some of its contents were destroyed by fire Saturday morning northwest of Salina.Just after 9a.m. Saturday, a 45-year-old woman looked out a window and saw smoke coming from her pole barn in the 4600 block of W. Shipton Road, according to&nbsp;Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan.Personnel from Rural Fire District No. 7 responded and extinguished the blaze.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647273669113.png" alt="The aftermath of the fire." />
 <figcaption>The aftermath of the fire.</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;A 30-by 50-foot pole barn, a horse trailer, some tack, and other miscellaneous items were destroyed in the fire. The total loss was estimated at $92,500, according to Soldan.No definitive cause of the fire had been determined. Soldan said the barn had utilities.