WASHINGTON (AP) — The IRS failed to pursue mandatory audits of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;on a timely basis during his presidency, a congressional panel found on Tuesday, raising questions about statements by the former president and leading members of his administration who claimed he could not release his tax filings because of the ongoing reviews.

(<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?c5047652/chair-richard-neal-audits-president-trumps-tax-returns-existent">Click here to watch</a>&nbsp;Committee Chair Rep.&nbsp;Richard Neal's statement on the investigation or <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23476419-committee-report-final">Click here to read the report.</a>)

A report released by the Democratic majority on the House Ways and Means Committee indicated the Trump administration may have disregarded an IRS requirement dating back to 1977 that mandates audits of a president's tax filings. The IRS only began to audit Trump's 2016 tax filings on April 3, 2019, more than two years into Trump's presidency and just months after Democrats took control of the House. That date coincides with Rep. Richard Neal, the panel chairman, asking the IRS for information related to Trump's tax returns.

There was no suggestion that Trump, who has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-2024-updates-cd5339d48064a149527e8f9a1aa7614e">announced</a>&nbsp;a third presidential run, sought to directly influence the IRS or discourage the agency from reviewing his tax information. But the report found that the audit process was “dormant, at best.”

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23476419-committee-report-final">29-page report</a>&nbsp;was published just hours after the committee voted along party lines to release Trump's tax returns in the coming days, raising the potential of additional revelations related to the finances of the onetime businessman who broke political norms by refusing to voluntarily release his returns as he sought the presidency. The vote was the culmination of a yearslong fight between Trump and Democrats that has played out everywhere from the campaign trail to the halls of Congress and the Supreme Court.

Democrats on the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee argued that transparency and the rule of law were at stake, while Republicans countered that the release would set a dangerous precedent with regard to the loss of privacy protections.

“This is about the presidency, not the president,” Neal, D-Mass., told reporters.

Texas Rep. Kevin Brady, the panel’s top GOP member, said, “Regrettably, the deed is done.”

“Over our objections in opposition, Democrats in the Ways and Means Committee have unleashed a dangerous new political weapon that overturns decades of privacy protections,” he told reporters. “The era of political targeting, and of Congress’s enemies list, is back and every American, every American taxpayer, who may get on the wrong side of the majority in Congress is now at risk.”

Trump spent much of Tuesday evening releasing statements on his social media platform that were unrelated to his tax returns. The IRS didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

But&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23476433-jct-report-final">an accompanying report</a>&nbsp;released by Congress' nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation also found repeated faults with the IRS’s approach toward auditing Trump and his companies.

IRS agents in charge of the audits repeatedly did not bring in specialists with expertise assessing the complicated structure of Trump’s holdings. They frequently determined that a limited examination was warranted because Trump hired a professional accounting firm that they assumed would make sure Trump “properly reports all income and deduction items correctly.”

“We must express disagreement with the decision not to engage any specialists when facing returns with a high degree of complexity,” the tax committee report states. “We also fail to understand why the fact that counsel and an accounting firm participated in tax preparation ensures the accuracy of the returns.”

The reports released Tuesday renewed scrutiny on one of the biggest questions that has surrounded Trump since he shifted from a reality television star to an unlikely presidential candidate: Why did he abandon the post-Watergate tradition of White House hopefuls releasing their tax returns? Trump and those around him have consistently said that IRS audits prevented him from doing so.

“I would love to give them, but I’m not going to do it while I’m under audit,” Trump said on April 10, 2019, before boarding the presidential helicopter.

There are no laws that would have barred Trump from voluntarily releasing his returns even if they were being audited. But when Trump spoke of being audited, it's unclear whether he was referring to the mandatory process specifically aimed at presidents or prior reviews that are more typical for wealthy individuals.

<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/09/27/us/donald-trump-taxes.html">The New York Times</a>&nbsp;found that before he entered the White House, Trump was facing an IRS audit potentially tied to a $72.9 million tax refund arising from $700 million in losses he claimed in 2009. The documents released Tuesday indicate that Trump continued to collect tax benefits from those losses through 2018.

“What happened?" said Steven Rosenthal, senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. "If it was not resolved, the IRS stalled. If it was resolved in Trump’s favor, then maybe the IRS rolled over and played dead. That’s what we have to find out.’’

The report raised multiple red flags about aspects of Trump's tax filings, including his carryover losses, deductions tied to conservation and charitable donations, and loans to his children that could be taxable gifts.

In response to the findings, the Ways and Means Committee is proposing legislation to beef up the IRS’s approach, requiring an initial report no later than 90 days from the filing of a president’s tax returns. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the chamber would “move swiftly” to advance the legislation.

Democrats argue that the IRS is ill-equipped to audit high-income, complex tax returns, and instead targets filers in lower-income brackets — something they have tried to remedy with their work on the panel.

“Because of the dismantling of funding to the IRS, they have not been able to do their job,” said Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev. “They did not have the specialized staff to do it for that high-income category — not just this person, but people who fall into that category.”

But Republicans have vowed to cut a recent influx of funding for more IRS agents. That's the first bill they will consider upon taking the House majority in less than two weeks.

The committee’s move represents yet another challenge for Trump. Just a day earlier, the House Jan. 6 committee voted to make a criminal referral to the Justice Department for Trump’s role in sparking the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. He’s also facing an intensifying investigation in Atlanta for efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia. And he’s the subject of growing criticism from fellow Republicans for contributing to the party’s underwhelming performance in last month’s midterms.

Trump's family business, The Trump Organization, was convicted earlier this month on tax fraud charges for helping some executives dodge taxes on company-paid perks such as apartments and luxury cars.

Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg told The Associated Press in an interview last week that his office’s investigation into Trump and his businesses continues.

“We’re going to follow the facts and continue to do our job,” Bragg said.

Trump has argued there is little to learn from his tax returns even as he has fought to keep them private.

“You can’t learn much from tax returns, but it is illegal to release them if they are not yours!” he complained on his social media network last weekend.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Democratic-controlled House Ways and Means Committee voted along party lines Tuesday to issue a report on Donald Trump’s tax returns — likely offering a deeper look into financial records that the former president tried to shield from the public.

(<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?c5047652/chair-richard-neal-audits-president-trumps-tax-returns-existent">Click here to watch</a>&nbsp;House Ways and Means Committee Chair Rep.&nbsp;Richard Neal's statement of the investigation.)

Lawmakers indicated after the vote that the world could see redacted copies Trump's tax filings within a couple of days.

The dueling mix of animosity and loyalty inspired by Trump has made the release of the tax forms into a fever-pitched and yearslong grind, one that could continue well after the public learns more details about the finances, foreign dealings and possible net worth of the one-term Republican president.

The report shows how much of a grip Trump still holds over U.S. politics despite losing reelection in 2020. Democratic lawmakers argued that transparency and the rule of law were at stake by voting to issue the report that legally rests on questions about IRS audits of the wealthy. Republicans countered that the release would set a dangerous precedent with regard to the loss of privacy protections.

Tuesday's vote comes after a multiyear battle that ultimately resulted in the Supreme Court clearing the way last month for the Treasury Department to send the returns to Congress. The committee received six years of tax returns for Trump and some of his businesses.

Democrats faced pressure to act aggressively in the final stretch of this year. With just two weeks left until Republicans formally take control of the House, Tuesday’s meeting was an opportunity for Democrats to disclose whatever information they have on Trump, a reputed multibillionaire who used his wealth as a selling point with voters to win the presidency in 2016.

Committee Chairman Richard Neal, D-Mass., said supporting materials will be released along with the report. Texas Rep. Kevin Brady, the committee's top Republican, raised concerns about privacy as the documents could contain information such as Social Security numbers.

Republicans have railed against the potential release, arguing that it would set a dangerous precedent.

Before Tuesday’s meeting, Brady called any release of Trump’s tax records a “dangerous new political weapon” that “even Democrats will come to regret.”

“Our concern is not whether the president should have made his tax returns public, as is traditional, nor about the accuracy of his tax returns,” Brady said. “Our concern is that, if taken, this committee action will set a terrible precedent that unleashes a dangerous new political weapon that reaches far beyond the former president and overturns decades of privacy protections for average Americans that have existed since the Watergate reforms.”

Trump has long had a complicated relationship with his personal income taxes.

As a presidential candidate in 2016, he broke decades of precedent by refusing to release his tax forms to the public. He bragged during a presidential debate that year that he was “smart” because he paid no federal taxes and later claimed he wouldn't personally benefit from the 2017 tax cuts he signed into law that favored people with extreme wealth, asking Americans to simply take him at his word.

Tax records would have been a useful metric for judging his success in business. The image of a savvy businessman was key to a political brand honed during his years as a tabloid magnet and star of “The Apprentice” television show. They also could reveal any financial obligations — including foreign debts — that could influence how he governed.

But Americans were largely in the dark about Trump's relationship with the IRS until October 2018 and September 2020, when The New York Times published two separate series based on leaked tax records.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/10/02/us/politics/donald-trump-tax-schemes-fred-trump.html">2018 articles</a>&nbsp;showed how Trump received a modern equivalent of at least $413 million from his father's real estate holdings, with much of that money coming from what the Times called “tax dodges” in the 1990s. Trump sued the Times and his niece, Mary Trump, in 2021 for providing the records to the newspaper. In November, Mary Trump asked an appeals court to overturn a judge’s decision to reject her claims that her uncle and two of his siblings defrauded her of millions of dollars in a 2001 family settlement.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/09/27/us/donald-trump-taxes.html">2020 articles</a>&nbsp;showed that Trump paid just $750 in federal income taxes in 2017 and 2018. Trump paid no income taxes at all in 10 of the past 15 years because he generally lost more money than he made.

The articles exposed deep inequities in the U.S. tax code as Trump, a reputed multi-billionaire, paid little in federal income taxes. IRS figures indicate that the average tax filer paid roughly $12,200 in 2017, about 16 times more than the former president paid.

Details about Trump's income from foreign operations and debt levels were also contained in the tax filings, which the former president derided as “fake news."

At the time of the 2020 articles, Neal said he saw an ethical problem in Trump overseeing a federal agency that he has also battled with legal filings.

"Now, Donald Trump is the boss of the agency he considers an adversary," Neal said in 2020. “It is essential that the IRS’s presidential audit program remain free of interference.”

The Manhattan district attorney’s office also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/manhattan-prosecutor-trump-tax-records-87f675d7ae8e24fbf2e8f33c480869d6">obtained copies of Trump’s tax records</a>&nbsp;in February 2021 after a protracted legal fight that included two trips to the Supreme Court.

The office, then led by District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., had subpoenaed Trump’s accounting firm in 2019, seeking access to eight years of Trump’s tax returns and related documents.

The DA’s office issued the subpoena after Trump’s former personal lawyer Michael Cohen told Congress that Trump had misled tax officials, insurers and business associates about the value of his assets. Those allegations are the subject of a fraud lawsuit that New York Attorney General Letitia James filed against Trump and his company in September.

Trump’s longtime accountant, Donald Bender, testified at the Trump Organization’s recent criminal trial that Trump reported losses on his tax returns every year for a decade, including nearly $700 million in 2009 and $200 million in 2010.

Bender, a partner at Mazars USA LLP who spent years preparing Trump’s personal tax returns, said Trump’s reported losses from 2009 to 2018 included net operating losses from some of the many businesses he owns through his Trump Organization.

The Trump Organization was convicted earlier this month on tax fraud charges for helping some executives dodge taxes on company-paid perks such as apartments and luxury cars.

The current Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, told The Associated Press in an interview last week that his office’s investigation into Trump and his businesses continues.

Trump, who refused to release his returns during his 2016 presidential campaign and his four years in the White House while claiming that he was under IRS audit, has argued there is little to be gleaned from the tax returns even as he has fought to keep them private.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671588054320.png" alt="House Ways and Means Committee Chair Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/person/?6103/RichardNeal">Richard Neal&nbsp;</a>(D-MA) held a press conference following the committee’s vote to release the materials surrounding Donald Trump’s tax returns. photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>House Ways and Means Committee Chair Rep.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.c-span.org/person/?6103/RichardNeal">Richard Neal&nbsp;</a>(D-MA) held a press conference following the committee’s vote to release the materials surrounding Donald Trump’s tax returns. photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The IRS failed to pursue mandatory audits of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;on a timely basis during his presidency, a congressional panel found on Tuesday, raising questions about statements by the former president and leading members of his administration who claimed he could not release his tax filings because of the ongoing reviews.(<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?c5047652/chair-richard-neal-audits-president-trumps-tax-returns-existent">Click here to watch</a>&nbsp;Committee Chair Rep.&nbsp;Richard Neal's statement on the investigation or <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23476419-committee-report-final">Click here to read the report.</a>)<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671623474434.png" alt="Image House Ways and Means Committee" />
 <figcaption>Image House Ways and Means Committee</figcaption>
 </figure>A report released by the Democratic majority on the House Ways and Means Committee indicated the Trump administration may have disregarded an IRS requirement dating back to 1977 that mandates audits of a president's tax filings. The IRS only began to audit Trump's 2016 tax filings on April 3, 2019, more than two years into Trump's presidency and just months after Democrats took control of the House. That date coincides with Rep. Richard Neal, the panel chairman, asking the IRS for information related to Trump's tax returns.There was no suggestion that Trump, who has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-2024-updates-cd5339d48064a149527e8f9a1aa7614e">announced</a>&nbsp;a third presidential run, sought to directly influence the IRS or discourage the agency from reviewing his tax information. But the report found that the audit process was “dormant, at best.”The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23476419-committee-report-final">29-page report</a>&nbsp;was published just hours after the committee voted along party lines to release Trump's tax returns in the coming days, raising the potential of additional revelations related to the finances of the onetime businessman who broke political norms by refusing to voluntarily release his returns as he sought the presidency. The vote was the culmination of a yearslong fight between Trump and Democrats that has played out everywhere from the campaign trail to the halls of Congress and the Supreme Court.Democrats on the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee argued that transparency and the rule of law were at stake, while Republicans countered that the release would set a dangerous precedent with regard to the loss of privacy protections.“This is about the presidency, not the president,” Neal, D-Mass., told reporters.Texas Rep. Kevin Brady, the panel’s top GOP member, said, “Regrettably, the deed is done.”“Over our objections in opposition, Democrats in the Ways and Means Committee have unleashed a dangerous new political weapon that overturns decades of privacy protections,” he told reporters. “The era of political targeting, and of Congress’s enemies list, is back and every American, every American taxpayer, who may get on the wrong side of the majority in Congress is now at risk.”Trump spent much of Tuesday evening releasing statements on his social media platform that were unrelated to his tax returns. The IRS didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.But&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23476433-jct-report-final">an accompanying report</a>&nbsp;released by Congress' nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation also found repeated faults with the IRS’s approach toward auditing Trump and his companies.IRS agents in charge of the audits repeatedly did not bring in specialists with expertise assessing the complicated structure of Trump’s holdings. They frequently determined that a limited examination was warranted because Trump hired a professional accounting firm that they assumed would make sure Trump “properly reports all income and deduction items correctly.”“We must express disagreement with the decision not to engage any specialists when facing returns with a high degree of complexity,” the tax committee report states. “We also fail to understand why the fact that counsel and an accounting firm participated in tax preparation ensures the accuracy of the returns.”The reports released Tuesday renewed scrutiny on one of the biggest questions that has surrounded Trump since he shifted from a reality television star to an unlikely presidential candidate: Why did he abandon the post-Watergate tradition of White House hopefuls releasing their tax returns? Trump and those around him have consistently said that IRS audits prevented him from doing so.“I would love to give them, but I’m not going to do it while I’m under audit,” Trump said on April 10, 2019, before boarding the presidential helicopter.There are no laws that would have barred Trump from voluntarily releasing his returns even if they were being audited. But when Trump spoke of being audited, it's unclear whether he was referring to the mandatory process specifically aimed at presidents or prior reviews that are more typical for wealthy individuals.<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/09/27/us/donald-trump-taxes.html">The New York Times</a>&nbsp;found that before he entered the White House, Trump was facing an IRS audit potentially tied to a $72.9 million tax refund arising from $700 million in losses he claimed in 2009. The documents released Tuesday indicate that Trump continued to collect tax benefits from those losses through 2018.“What happened?" said Steven Rosenthal, senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. "If it was not resolved, the IRS stalled. If it was resolved in Trump’s favor, then maybe the IRS rolled over and played dead. That’s what we have to find out.’’The report raised multiple red flags about aspects of Trump's tax filings, including his carryover losses, deductions tied to conservation and charitable donations, and loans to his children that could be taxable gifts.In response to the findings, the Ways and Means Committee is proposing legislation to beef up the IRS’s approach, requiring an initial report no later than 90 days from the filing of a president’s tax returns. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the chamber would “move swiftly” to advance the legislation.Democrats argue that the IRS is ill-equipped to audit high-income, complex tax returns, and instead targets filers in lower-income brackets — something they have tried to remedy with their work on the panel.“Because of the dismantling of funding to the IRS, they have not been able to do their job,” said Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev. “They did not have the specialized staff to do it for that high-income category — not just this person, but people who fall into that category.”But Republicans have vowed to cut a recent influx of funding for more IRS agents. That's the first bill they will consider upon taking the House majority in less than two weeks.The committee’s move represents yet another challenge for Trump. Just a day earlier, the House Jan. 6 committee voted to make a criminal referral to the Justice Department for Trump’s role in sparking the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. He’s also facing an intensifying investigation in Atlanta for efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia. And he’s the subject of growing criticism from fellow Republicans for contributing to the party’s underwhelming performance in last month’s midterms.Trump's family business, The Trump Organization, was convicted earlier this month on tax fraud charges for helping some executives dodge taxes on company-paid perks such as apartments and luxury cars.Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg told The Associated Press in an interview last week that his office’s investigation into Trump and his businesses continues.“We’re going to follow the facts and continue to do our job,” Bragg said.Trump has argued there is little to learn from his tax returns even as he has fought to keep them private.“You can’t learn much from tax returns, but it is illegal to release them if they are not yours!” he complained on his social media network last weekend.-----------------WASHINGTON (AP) — The Democratic-controlled House Ways and Means Committee voted along party lines Tuesday to issue a report on Donald Trump’s tax returns — likely offering a deeper look into financial records that the former president tried to shield from the public.(<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?c5047652/chair-richard-neal-audits-president-trumps-tax-returns-existent">Click here to watch</a>&nbsp;House Ways and Means Committee Chair Rep.&nbsp;Richard Neal's statement of the investigation.)Lawmakers indicated after the vote that the world could see redacted copies Trump's tax filings within a couple of days.The dueling mix of animosity and loyalty inspired by Trump has made the release of the tax forms into a fever-pitched and yearslong grind, one that could continue well after the public learns more details about the finances, foreign dealings and possible net worth of the one-term Republican president.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671623474434.png" alt="Image House Ways and Means Committee" />
 <figcaption>Image House Ways and Means Committee</figcaption>
 </figure>The report shows how much of a grip Trump still holds over U.S. politics despite losing reelection in 2020. Democratic lawmakers argued that transparency and the rule of law were at stake by voting to issue the report that legally rests on questions about IRS audits of the wealthy. Republicans countered that the release would set a dangerous precedent with regard to the loss of privacy protections.Tuesday's vote comes after a multiyear battle that ultimately resulted in the Supreme Court clearing the way last month for the Treasury Department to send the returns to Congress. The committee received six years of tax returns for Trump and some of his businesses.Democrats faced pressure to act aggressively in the final stretch of this year. With just two weeks left until Republicans formally take control of the House, Tuesday’s meeting was an opportunity for Democrats to disclose whatever information they have on Trump, a reputed multibillionaire who used his wealth as a selling point with voters to win the presidency in 2016.Committee Chairman Richard Neal, D-Mass., said supporting materials will be released along with the report. Texas Rep. Kevin Brady, the committee's top Republican, raised concerns about privacy as the documents could contain information such as Social Security numbers.Republicans have railed against the potential release, arguing that it would set a dangerous precedent.Before Tuesday’s meeting, Brady called any release of Trump’s tax records a “dangerous new political weapon” that “even Democrats will come to regret.”“Our concern is not whether the president should have made his tax returns public, as is traditional, nor about the accuracy of his tax returns,” Brady said. “Our concern is that, if taken, this committee action will set a terrible precedent that unleashes a dangerous new political weapon that reaches far beyond the former president and overturns decades of privacy protections for average Americans that have existed since the Watergate reforms.”Trump has long had a complicated relationship with his personal income taxes.As a presidential candidate in 2016, he broke decades of precedent by refusing to release his tax forms to the public. He bragged during a presidential debate that year that he was “smart” because he paid no federal taxes and later claimed he wouldn't personally benefit from the 2017 tax cuts he signed into law that favored people with extreme wealth, asking Americans to simply take him at his word.Tax records would have been a useful metric for judging his success in business. The image of a savvy businessman was key to a political brand honed during his years as a tabloid magnet and star of “The Apprentice” television show. They also could reveal any financial obligations — including foreign debts — that could influence how he governed.But Americans were largely in the dark about Trump's relationship with the IRS until October 2018 and September 2020, when The New York Times published two separate series based on leaked tax records.The Pulitzer Prize-winning&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/10/02/us/politics/donald-trump-tax-schemes-fred-trump.html">2018 articles</a>&nbsp;showed how Trump received a modern equivalent of at least $413 million from his father's real estate holdings, with much of that money coming from what the Times called “tax dodges” in the 1990s. Trump sued the Times and his niece, Mary Trump, in 2021 for providing the records to the newspaper. In November, Mary Trump asked an appeals court to overturn a judge’s decision to reject her claims that her uncle and two of his siblings defrauded her of millions of dollars in a 2001 family settlement.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/09/27/us/donald-trump-taxes.html">2020 articles</a>&nbsp;showed that Trump paid just $750 in federal income taxes in 2017 and 2018. Trump paid no income taxes at all in 10 of the past 15 years because he generally lost more money than he made.The articles exposed deep inequities in the U.S. tax code as Trump, a reputed multi-billionaire, paid little in federal income taxes. IRS figures indicate that the average tax filer paid roughly $12,200 in 2017, about 16 times more than the former president paid.Details about Trump's income from foreign operations and debt levels were also contained in the tax filings, which the former president derided as “fake news."At the time of the 2020 articles, Neal said he saw an ethical problem in Trump overseeing a federal agency that he has also battled with legal filings."Now, Donald Trump is the boss of the agency he considers an adversary," Neal said in 2020. “It is essential that the IRS’s presidential audit program remain free of interference.”The Manhattan district attorney’s office also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/manhattan-prosecutor-trump-tax-records-87f675d7ae8e24fbf2e8f33c480869d6">obtained copies of Trump’s tax records</a>&nbsp;in February 2021 after a protracted legal fight that included two trips to the Supreme Court.The office, then led by District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., had subpoenaed Trump’s accounting firm in 2019, seeking access to eight years of Trump’s tax returns and related documents.The DA’s office issued the subpoena after Trump’s former personal lawyer Michael Cohen told Congress that Trump had misled tax officials, insurers and business associates about the value of his assets. Those allegations are the subject of a fraud lawsuit that New York Attorney General Letitia James filed against Trump and his company in September.Trump’s longtime accountant, Donald Bender, testified at the Trump Organization’s recent criminal trial that Trump reported losses on his tax returns every year for a decade, including nearly $700 million in 2009 and $200 million in 2010.Bender, a partner at Mazars USA LLP who spent years preparing Trump’s personal tax returns, said Trump’s reported losses from 2009 to 2018 included net operating losses from some of the many businesses he owns through his Trump Organization.The Trump Organization was convicted earlier this month on tax fraud charges for helping some executives dodge taxes on company-paid perks such as apartments and luxury cars.The current Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, told The Associated Press in an interview last week that his office’s investigation into Trump and his businesses continues.“We’re going to follow the facts and continue to do our job,” Bragg said.Trump, who refused to release his returns during his 2016 presidential campaign and his four years in the White House while claiming that he was under IRS audit, has argued there is little to be gleaned from the tax returns even as he has fought to keep them private.“You can’t learn much from tax returns, but it is illegal to release them if they are not yours!” he complained on his social media network last weekend.

🎥Panel: Trump tax audits required by IRS were delayed

JACKSON COUNTY— A Kansas City man has been charged in the October double-murder of Chantell Gipson and Austin Scott, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

Glenn A. Pulluaim II, 28, who is still at large, faces two Murder 1st Degree charges and two Armed Criminal Action charges.

According to court records, on Oct. 17, Kansas City police&nbsp; were dispatched to the 8700 block of Chestnut Circle to check on the welfare of an individual. 

Inside an apartment, police officers found the body of Chantell Gipson. She had been shot. In another bedroom they found the second victim, Austin Scott, Gipson's cousin. 

Witnesses helped identify Pulluaiam. His DNA profile was founnd&nbsp; on spent shells found at the crime scene.

Pulluaim fled the scene im the victim's vehicle. Police recovered the vehicle and have exhausted all leads in an attempted to find him.&nbsp;

Pulluaim is described as 6-foot,&nbsp;&nbsp;thin build with&nbsp; shoulder length dreadlocks. He should be considered armed and dangerous. The FBI is assisting with the investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671103315937.png" alt="Pulluaim-photo KCPD" />
 <figcaption>Pulluaim-photo KCPD</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY— A Kansas City man has been charged in the October double-murder of Chantell Gipson and Austin Scott, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.Glenn A. Pulluaim II, 28, who is still at large, faces two Murder 1st Degree charges and two Armed Criminal Action charges.According to court records, on Oct. 17, Kansas City police&nbsp; were dispatched to the 8700 block of Chestnut Circle to check on the welfare of an individual. Inside an apartment, police officers found the body of Chantell Gipson. She had been shot. In another bedroom they found the second victim, Austin Scott, Gipson's cousin. Witnesses helped identify Pulluaiam. His DNA profile was founnd&nbsp; on spent shells found at the crime scene.Pulluaim fled the scene im the victim's vehicle. Police recovered the vehicle and have exhausted all leads in an attempted to find him.&nbsp;Pulluaim is described as 6-foot,&nbsp;&nbsp;thin build with&nbsp; shoulder length dreadlocks. He should be considered armed and dangerous. The FBI is assisting with the investigation.

Police: Kansas CIty double murder suspect still at large

October 12, 1957
 &nbsp;-&nbsp;
 December 19, 2022

An obituary is pending with Stinemetz Funeral Home.

Click <a href="https://www.stinemetzfh.com/obituaries/Robert-Rob-Blackford?obId=26703414#/obituaryInfo">HERE</a> for service details.

October 12, 1957
 &nbsp;-&nbsp;
 December 19, 2022An obituary is pending with Stinemetz Funeral Home.Click <a href="https://www.stinemetzfh.com/obituaries/Robert-Rob-Blackford?obId=26703414#/obituaryInfo">HERE</a> for service details.

Robert 'Rob' Blackford

Mitzi Lee Naylor Schwien was born to Santa Monica, California couple Harold Lee Jr. and Carol Jean Naylor on October 24, 1963, less than a year after her “Irish twin” sister, Tami Lynne (Lloyd) Pruett, who survives her. The following year, her brother, Michael Shawn, who awaits her in heaven, was born sleeping. She is also survived by her sister Sandra Amato. Mitzi’s parents both predecease her. 

As a young child, Mitzi’s family relocated to Arizona, which will forever be home to a piece of Mitzi’s heart. While in Arizona, Mitzi brought her four precious children into this world, all of whom survive her: Douglas Lee Allen, Lynette Marie Allen, James Joseph Hack, Jr., and Sasha Ann Hack. Mitzi’s children were her world, and she never missed an opportunity to boast how proud she was of their many accomplishments. Mother was the most important job for Mitzi. 

In 1994, Mitzi and her young children moved to Kansas where she finally met and married her one true soulmate, Mitchell Lee Schwien, at their favorite spot in Antioch Park. Mitch and his three young sons, Jason (Jennifer), Joshua, and Jacob Schwien, all of whom also survive Mitzi, were welcomed into her world to be doted on, cooked for, and treated like her own. Mitch and Mitzi gave their seven rambunctious kids a home full of love. Mitzi also loved being a grandma and aunt. Mitzi’s grandchildren are Benjamin, David, Nolan, Adrian, Ahnalee, Lydia, and Gabriel. She had four nieces and nephews and a dozen great-nieces and nephews. All survive her and will miss her dearly. Mitch’s sisters, Torri and Michelle, considered Mitzi a sister too and spent hours gabbing with her every chance they got. In her later years in Western Kansas, Mitzi and Mitch became close to Jim Mollenkamp, their mailman by chance and best friend by choice. Mitzi also endeared herself to individuals all over the world via internet, so the ripples of her passing travel thousands of miles. Countless pets in heaven now have their two-legged momma back. If you were lucky enough to be loved by Mitzi, then you got phone calls on your birthday, an abundance of “squishy hugs,” gifts for no reason, healing stones and prayers when you were unwell, and the blessing of a real friend. Mitzi endeavored to know her purpose in life, the good in all people, the wonder of nature, and the miracle of what’s beyond. She never met a stranger. A lifelong learner, Mitzi earned several degrees, had a deep thirst for knowledge, and read dozens of books each year. On December 8, 2022, at home with her husband by her side, Mitzi passed away peacefully. She was taken too young but has been spared the pain of her debilitating condition. In lieu of flowers, please recognize Mitzi another way. Connect with a long-lost relative or friend, learn something new, feed a stranger, make a difference in someone’s day, or just loan your ear and maybe your shoulder to a person who’s hurting. When given an opportunity like that, just ask yourself, what would Mitzi do, and do it in her honor.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671562493339.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Mitzi Lee Naylor Schwien was born to Santa Monica, California couple Harold Lee Jr. and Carol Jean Naylor on October 24, 1963, less than a year after her “Irish twin” sister, Tami Lynne (Lloyd) Pruett, who survives her. The following year, her brother, Michael Shawn, who awaits her in heaven, was born sleeping. She is also survived by her sister Sandra Amato. Mitzi’s parents both predecease her. As a young child, Mitzi’s family relocated to Arizona, which will forever be home to a piece of Mitzi’s heart. While in Arizona, Mitzi brought her four precious children into this world, all of whom survive her: Douglas Lee Allen, Lynette Marie Allen, James Joseph Hack, Jr., and Sasha Ann Hack. Mitzi’s children were her world, and she never missed an opportunity to boast how proud she was of their many accomplishments. Mother was the most important job for Mitzi. In 1994, Mitzi and her young children moved to Kansas where she finally met and married her one true soulmate, Mitchell Lee Schwien, at their favorite spot in Antioch Park. Mitch and his three young sons, Jason (Jennifer), Joshua, and Jacob Schwien, all of whom also survive Mitzi, were welcomed into her world to be doted on, cooked for, and treated like her own. Mitch and Mitzi gave their seven rambunctious kids a home full of love. Mitzi also loved being a grandma and aunt. Mitzi’s grandchildren are Benjamin, David, Nolan, Adrian, Ahnalee, Lydia, and Gabriel. She had four nieces and nephews and a dozen great-nieces and nephews. All survive her and will miss her dearly. Mitch’s sisters, Torri and Michelle, considered Mitzi a sister too and spent hours gabbing with her every chance they got. In her later years in Western Kansas, Mitzi and Mitch became close to Jim Mollenkamp, their mailman by chance and best friend by choice. Mitzi also endeared herself to individuals all over the world via internet, so the ripples of her passing travel thousands of miles. Countless pets in heaven now have their two-legged momma back. If you were lucky enough to be loved by Mitzi, then you got phone calls on your birthday, an abundance of “squishy hugs,” gifts for no reason, healing stones and prayers when you were unwell, and the blessing of a real friend. Mitzi endeavored to know her purpose in life, the good in all people, the wonder of nature, and the miracle of what’s beyond. She never met a stranger. A lifelong learner, Mitzi earned several degrees, had a deep thirst for knowledge, and read dozens of books each year. On December 8, 2022, at home with her husband by her side, Mitzi passed away peacefully. She was taken too young but has been spared the pain of her debilitating condition. In lieu of flowers, please recognize Mitzi another way. Connect with a long-lost relative or friend, learn something new, feed a stranger, make a difference in someone’s day, or just loan your ear and maybe your shoulder to a person who’s hurting. When given an opportunity like that, just ask yourself, what would Mitzi do, and do it in her honor.

Mitzi Schwien

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Democratic-controlled House Ways and Means Committee met Tuesday to vote on whether to publicly release years of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump's</a>&nbsp;tax returns, which the former president has long tried to shield.

Committee Chairman Richard Neal, D-Mass., has kept a close hold on the actions of the panel, which planned to vote on the release in a closed session that could span several hours. And if lawmakers move forward with plans to release the returns, it's unclear how quickly that would happen.

But after a yearslong battle that ultimately resulted in the Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-donald-trump-business-john-roberts-congress-8ea516dace48875ad7c5dd472dd16dcf">clearing the way</a>&nbsp;last month for the Treasury Department to send the returns to Congress, Democrats are under pressure to act aggressively. The committee received&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-business-donald-trump-personal-taxes-congress-7cc1a1a0d10de7bdfc1252603f53ab69">six years of tax returns</a>&nbsp;for Trump and some of his businesses. And with just two weeks left until Republicans formally take control of the House, Tuesday's meeting could be the last opportunity for Democrats to disclose whatever information they have gleaned.

Before Tuesday’s meeting, Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas, the committee’s top Republican, called any release of Trump’s tax records a “dangerous new political weapon” that “even Democrats will come to regret.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671573521427.png" alt="Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, Republican leader of the House Ways and Means Committee, speaks before the House Ways &amp; Means Committee holds a hearing regarding tax returns from former President Donald Trump -photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, Republican leader of the House Ways and Means Committee, speaks before the House Ways &amp; Means Committee holds a hearing regarding tax returns from former President Donald Trump -photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Democratic-controlled House Ways and Means Committee met Tuesday to vote on whether to publicly release years of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump's</a>&nbsp;tax returns, which the former president has long tried to shield.Committee Chairman Richard Neal, D-Mass., has kept a close hold on the actions of the panel, which planned to vote on the release in a closed session that could span several hours. And if lawmakers move forward with plans to release the returns, it's unclear how quickly that would happen.But after a yearslong battle that ultimately resulted in the Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-donald-trump-business-john-roberts-congress-8ea516dace48875ad7c5dd472dd16dcf">clearing the way</a>&nbsp;last month for the Treasury Department to send the returns to Congress, Democrats are under pressure to act aggressively. The committee received&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-business-donald-trump-personal-taxes-congress-7cc1a1a0d10de7bdfc1252603f53ab69">six years of tax returns</a>&nbsp;for Trump and some of his businesses. And with just two weeks left until Republicans formally take control of the House, Tuesday's meeting could be the last opportunity for Democrats to disclose whatever information they have gleaned.Republicans have railed against the potential release, arguing that it would set a dangerous precedent.Before Tuesday’s meeting, Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas, the committee’s top Republican, called any release of Trump’s tax records a “dangerous new political weapon” that “even Democrats will come to regret.”“Our concern is not whether the president should have made his tax returns public, as is traditional, nor about the accuracy of his tax returns,” Brady said. “Our concern is that, if taken, this committee action will set a terrible precedent that unleashes a dangerous new political weapon that reaches far beyond the former president and overturns decades of privacy protections for average Americans that have existed since the Watergate reforms.”Trump has long had a complicated relationship with his personal income taxes.As a presidential candidate in 2016, he broke decades of precedent by refusing to release his tax forms to the public. He bragged during a presidential debate that year that he was “smart” because he paid no federal taxes and later claimed he wouldn't personally benefit from the 2017 tax cuts he signed into law that favored people with extreme wealth, asking Americans to simply take him at his word.Tax records would have been a useful metric for judging his success in business. The image of a savvy businessman was key to a political brand honed during his years as a tabloid magnet and star of “The Apprentice” television show. They also could reveal any financial obligations — including foreign debts — that could influence how he governed.But Americans were largely in the dark about Trump's relationship with the IRS until October 2018 and September 2020, when The New York Times published two separate series based on leaked tax records.The Pulitzer Prize-winning&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/10/02/us/politics/donald-trump-tax-schemes-fred-trump.html">2018 articles</a>&nbsp;showed how Trump received a modern equivalent of at least $413 million from his father's real estate holdings, with much of that money coming from what the Times called “tax dodges” in the 1990s. Trump sued the Times and his niece, Mary Trump, in 2021 for providing the records to the newspaper. In November, Mary Trump asked an appeals court to overturn a judge’s decision to reject her claims that her uncle and two of his siblings defrauded her of millions of dollars in a 2001 family settlement.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/09/27/us/donald-trump-taxes.html">2020 articles</a>&nbsp;showed that Trump paid just $750 in federal income taxes in 2017 and 2018. Trump paid no income taxes at all in 10 of the past 15 years because he generally lost more money than he made.The articles exposed deep inequities in the U.S. tax code as Trump, a reputed multi-billionaire, paid little in federal income taxes. IRS figures indicate that the average tax filer paid roughly $12,200 in 2017, about 16 times more than the former president paid.Details about Trump's income from foreign operations and debt levels were also contained in the tax filings, which the former president derided as “fake news."At the time of the 2020 articles, Neal said he saw an ethical problem in Trump overseeing a federal agency that he has also battled with legal filings."Now, Donald Trump is the boss of the agency he considers an adversary," Neal said in 2020. “It is essential that the IRS’s presidential audit program remain free of interference.”The Manhattan district attorney’s office also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/manhattan-prosecutor-trump-tax-records-87f675d7ae8e24fbf2e8f33c480869d6">obtained copies of Trump’s tax records</a>&nbsp;in February 2021 after a protracted legal fight that included two trips to the Supreme Court.The office, then led by District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., had subpoenaed Trump’s accounting firm in 2019, seeking access to eight years of Trump’s tax returns and related documents.The DA’s office issued the subpoena after Trump’s former personal lawyer Michael Cohen told Congress that Trump had misled tax officials, insurers and business associates about the value of his assets. Those allegations are the subject of a fraud lawsuit that New York Attorney General Letitia James filed against Trump and his company in September.Trump’s longtime accountant, Donald Bender, testified at the Trump Organization’s recent criminal trial that Trump reported losses on his tax returns every year for a decade, including nearly $700 million in 2009 and $200 million in 2010.Bender, a partner at Mazars USA LLP who spent years preparing Trump’s personal tax returns, said Trump’s reported losses from 2009 to 2018 included net operating losses from some of the many businesses he owns through his Trump Organization.The Trump Organization was convicted earlier this month on tax fraud charges for helping some executives dodge taxes on company-paid perks such as apartments and luxury cars.The current Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, told The Associated Press in an interview last week that his office’s investigation into Trump and his businesses continues.“We’re going to follow the facts and continue to do our job,” Bragg said.Trump, who refused to release his returns during his 2016 presidential campaign and his four years in the White House while claiming that he was under IRS audit, has argued there is little to be gleaned from the tax returns even as he has fought to keep them private.“You can’t learn much from tax returns, but it is illegal to release them if they are not yours!” he complained on his social media network last weekend.

Trump taxes: House panel mulls releasing long-sought returns

Barbara “Pauline” Cheney, 88, died peacefully at her home Dec. 7, 
2022, in Hill City, Kansas. She was born on her family farm near 
Blackwell, Kay County, Oklahoma. Pauline was the sixth child of Vernon 
Lee and Myrtle Orene (Curtis) Rowe. She attended grade school in rural 
Kay County, and graduated in 1952 from Blackwell High School. In her 
youth, she was a Blackwell Church of God member and loved to sing gospel
 in harmony with her sisters. She worked as copy editor for the local 
newspaper, and everyone who knew Pauline, knew her spelling and 
handwriting was impeccable. A young man waited outside of her church to 
ask Pauline’s dad for permission to date her, and a love story that 
lasted decades began. She married Kenneth Edwin Cheney October 9, 1952, 
in Blackwell, Oklahoma. To this union, three children were born: Kenneth
 Greg, Kirk Alan, and Kim Rene’.

The Army took Kenneth 
and Pauline to El Paso, Texas, and Boston, Massachusetts. Pauline stayed
 in Oklahoma with their firstborn son, while Kenneth finished his tour 
in Alaska. Afterwards, the couple lived in southeastern Kansas until the
 oilfield transferred them to Hill City in 1961, where Pauline spent the
 majority of her remaining life (with the exception of a few years in 
Great Bend) as a homemaker and much more. She was office manager and 
partner in Cheney Testing Company for 15 years, then supported her 
husband in their farm and cattle business. After Kenneth passed, she 
managed books and shared in the farm operation with her son.

Many
 local kids grew up calling Pauline “Grandma Cheney”; she and Kenneth 
opened up their home, swimming pool, and travels to them. The couple 
loved to host friends and family. Friday nights out with friends, 
followed by cards, was rarely missed. Family summers were spent at local
 lakes. They took trips to Ozark cabins with friends and family, where 
Pauline loved to attend her favorite Branson shows. She enjoyed year 
round trips to the Lake Dillon area. On vacation, Pauline could be found
 relaxing by Rocky Mountain lakes and streams, or holding on for dear 
life as Kenneth “explored” the Rockies in their jeep! Pauline seldom 
missed morning coffee at the cafe with her friends. She was an avid 
reader, who often read one book per day. She embroidered, and discovered
 the love of quilting in her middle years. She was an amazing cook - her
 fried chicken and her Hershey’s chocolate cake were among everyone’s 
favorites. She loved hosting holidays, and even in her later years, 
family gathered at “Grandma’s." Great-Grandma always had a special 
cookie stash by her chair for little ones visiting and she hardly ever 
missed Wheel of Fortune. Pauline loved to decorate her home for the 
holidays which brought much joy to her family. Pauline dearly loved her 
children, grandchildren and great -grandchildren. She enjoyed attending 
grand’s and great’s birthdays and events, and when she couldn’t be with 
family, she cherished viewing their online photos over and over again.

Pauline
 is preceded in death by her parents, her husband Kenneth, her brother 
George Rowe, and sisters Ollie Crawford, Laverne Wilson, Dorothy 
Fauchier and Francis Wilson. Pauline leaves behind these to grieve her 
passing: sons Greg (Dana) Cheney of Lenexa, Kansas, and Kirk Cheney 
(Brenda Dinkel) of Bogue, and daughter Kim (Wayne) Pfeifer of Hill City;
 grandchildren Jason (Mandy) Cheney, Valley Center; Kendra (Wiley) 
McBride and children McKena, Kaden and Kamden of Hays; Aaron (Julia) 
Cheney and daughters Nichole and Melissa of Olathe; Casey (Jamie) Quint 
and sons Devin and Finley of Weldona, Colo.; Erica (Ian) Kohart and son 
Sam of Tomball, Texas; Zachary Cheney of Kansas City, Mo. and his 
daughter Leia of Broken Arrow, Okla.; Collin Pfeifer and Trista Wysong 
and their son Kenneth of Hill City; sister-in-law Norma Peres, Braman, 
Okla., numerous nieces and nephews, and special caregivers Carla Burch 
and Miranda Pimlott.

<a href="https://www.stinemetzfh.com/obituaries/Barbara--Pauline-Cheney?obId=26597036#/obituaryInfo">Stinemetz Funeral Home</a> is in charge of arrangments.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671556743238.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Barbara “Pauline” Cheney, 88, died peacefully at her home Dec. 7, 
2022, in Hill City, Kansas. She was born on her family farm near 
Blackwell, Kay County, Oklahoma. Pauline was the sixth child of Vernon 
Lee and Myrtle Orene (Curtis) Rowe. She attended grade school in rural 
Kay County, and graduated in 1952 from Blackwell High School. In her 
youth, she was a Blackwell Church of God member and loved to sing gospel
 in harmony with her sisters. She worked as copy editor for the local 
newspaper, and everyone who knew Pauline, knew her spelling and 
handwriting was impeccable. A young man waited outside of her church to 
ask Pauline’s dad for permission to date her, and a love story that 
lasted decades began. She married Kenneth Edwin Cheney October 9, 1952, 
in Blackwell, Oklahoma. To this union, three children were born: Kenneth
 Greg, Kirk Alan, and Kim Rene’.The Army took Kenneth 
and Pauline to El Paso, Texas, and Boston, Massachusetts. Pauline stayed
 in Oklahoma with their firstborn son, while Kenneth finished his tour 
in Alaska. Afterwards, the couple lived in southeastern Kansas until the
 oilfield transferred them to Hill City in 1961, where Pauline spent the
 majority of her remaining life (with the exception of a few years in 
Great Bend) as a homemaker and much more. She was office manager and 
partner in Cheney Testing Company for 15 years, then supported her 
husband in their farm and cattle business. After Kenneth passed, she 
managed books and shared in the farm operation with her son.Many
 local kids grew up calling Pauline “Grandma Cheney”; she and Kenneth 
opened up their home, swimming pool, and travels to them. The couple 
loved to host friends and family. Friday nights out with friends, 
followed by cards, was rarely missed. Family summers were spent at local
 lakes. They took trips to Ozark cabins with friends and family, where 
Pauline loved to attend her favorite Branson shows. She enjoyed year 
round trips to the Lake Dillon area. On vacation, Pauline could be found
 relaxing by Rocky Mountain lakes and streams, or holding on for dear 
life as Kenneth “explored” the Rockies in their jeep! Pauline seldom 
missed morning coffee at the cafe with her friends. She was an avid 
reader, who often read one book per day. She embroidered, and discovered
 the love of quilting in her middle years. She was an amazing cook - her
 fried chicken and her Hershey’s chocolate cake were among everyone’s 
favorites. She loved hosting holidays, and even in her later years, 
family gathered at “Grandma’s." Great-Grandma always had a special 
cookie stash by her chair for little ones visiting and she hardly ever 
missed Wheel of Fortune. Pauline loved to decorate her home for the 
holidays which brought much joy to her family. Pauline dearly loved her 
children, grandchildren and great -grandchildren. She enjoyed attending 
grand’s and great’s birthdays and events, and when she couldn’t be with 
family, she cherished viewing their online photos over and over again.Pauline
 is preceded in death by her parents, her husband Kenneth, her brother 
George Rowe, and sisters Ollie Crawford, Laverne Wilson, Dorothy 
Fauchier and Francis Wilson. Pauline leaves behind these to grieve her 
passing: sons Greg (Dana) Cheney of Lenexa, Kansas, and Kirk Cheney 
(Brenda Dinkel) of Bogue, and daughter Kim (Wayne) Pfeifer of Hill City;
 grandchildren Jason (Mandy) Cheney, Valley Center; Kendra (Wiley) 
McBride and children McKena, Kaden and Kamden of Hays; Aaron (Julia) 
Cheney and daughters Nichole and Melissa of Olathe; Casey (Jamie) Quint 
and sons Devin and Finley of Weldona, Colo.; Erica (Ian) Kohart and son 
Sam of Tomball, Texas; Zachary Cheney of Kansas City, Mo. and his 
daughter Leia of Broken Arrow, Okla.; Collin Pfeifer and Trista Wysong 
and their son Kenneth of Hill City; sister-in-law Norma Peres, Braman, 
Okla., numerous nieces and nephews, and special caregivers Carla Burch 
and Miranda Pimlott.<a href="https://www.stinemetzfh.com/obituaries/Barbara--Pauline-Cheney?obId=26597036#/obituaryInfo">Stinemetz Funeral Home</a> is in charge of arrangments.

Barbara 'Pauline' Cheney

Charlotta M. “Char” Klaus, 81, Hays, died Sunday, December 18, 2022, at Downs Care and Rehab.

She was born February 17, 1941, in Hays,
 the daughter of Herman and Oma (Schutts) Haddock.&nbsp; In 1959, she 
graduated from Hays High School.&nbsp; On November 18, 1960, she was united 
in marriage to Nicholas J. Klaus, Jr., and they were married nearly 46 
years before he preceded her in death on October 14, 2006. &nbsp;&nbsp;She was a 
longtime member of Hays Church of the Nazarene and a homemaker who loved
 to sew clothes for her daughters, help as an assistant leader with the 
Girl Scouts, and stay active with her children as she took them to their
 many activities.&nbsp; Charlotta was a fan of Elvis Presley and John Wayne, 
enjoyed reading romance novels, and had a love for animals and children.

Survivors include her three sons: 
Sammual Klaus and wife Amy, Craig Klaus, and Kristopher McCormick and 
wife Jordynne, all of Hays, three daughters: Terri (Klaus) Wagstaff and 
husband Russ, Dee (Klaus) Beougher, and Nicole (Klaus) Nansel and 
husband Mark, all of Hays, two brothers: David Haddock and wife Cathy of
 Hays and Jack Haddock and wife JoAnn of Munjor, two sisters: Judy Allen
 of Topeka and Oma Dee Milledge and husband Rick of Kiowa, two 
sisters-in-law: Carolyn Haddock of Attica and Toni Haddock of Casper, 
WY, 21 grandchildren, and 25 great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her 
parents, husband Nicholas, a son-in-law: Philip Beougher, two brothers: 
Donald and Gary Haddock, a sister: Joyce Haddock, and a granddaughter: 
Jamie Symns.

Funeral services will be at 10:00 am on
 Wednesday, December 28, 2022, at Hays Memorial Chapel Funeral Home, with
 Rev. Delbert Stanton officiating.&nbsp; Burial will follow in Kansas 
Veterans’ Cemetery in WaKeeney.&nbsp; Visitation will be from 5:00 pm until 
7:00 on Tuesday and from 9:00 am until service time on Wednesday, all at
 Hays Memorial Chapel Funeral Home.&nbsp; 

Memorials are suggested to the 
Humane Society of the High Plains.&nbsp; Condolences and memories of 
Charlotta may be shared with her family at <a href="http://www.haysmemorial.com">www.haysmemorial.com</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671550317746.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Charlotta M. “Char” Klaus, 81, Hays, died Sunday, December 18, 2022, at Downs Care and Rehab.She was born February 17, 1941, in Hays,
 the daughter of Herman and Oma (Schutts) Haddock.&nbsp; In 1959, she 
graduated from Hays High School.&nbsp; On November 18, 1960, she was united 
in marriage to Nicholas J. Klaus, Jr., and they were married nearly 46 
years before he preceded her in death on October 14, 2006. &nbsp;&nbsp;She was a 
longtime member of Hays Church of the Nazarene and a homemaker who loved
 to sew clothes for her daughters, help as an assistant leader with the 
Girl Scouts, and stay active with her children as she took them to their
 many activities.&nbsp; Charlotta was a fan of Elvis Presley and John Wayne, 
enjoyed reading romance novels, and had a love for animals and children.Survivors include her three sons: 
Sammual Klaus and wife Amy, Craig Klaus, and Kristopher McCormick and 
wife Jordynne, all of Hays, three daughters: Terri (Klaus) Wagstaff and 
husband Russ, Dee (Klaus) Beougher, and Nicole (Klaus) Nansel and 
husband Mark, all of Hays, two brothers: David Haddock and wife Cathy of
 Hays and Jack Haddock and wife JoAnn of Munjor, two sisters: Judy Allen
 of Topeka and Oma Dee Milledge and husband Rick of Kiowa, two 
sisters-in-law: Carolyn Haddock of Attica and Toni Haddock of Casper, 
WY, 21 grandchildren, and 25 great grandchildren.She was preceded in death by her 
parents, husband Nicholas, a son-in-law: Philip Beougher, two brothers: 
Donald and Gary Haddock, a sister: Joyce Haddock, and a granddaughter: 
Jamie Symns.Funeral services will be at 10:00 am on
 Wednesday, December 28, 2022, at Hays Memorial Chapel Funeral Home, with
 Rev. Delbert Stanton officiating.&nbsp; Burial will follow in Kansas 
Veterans’ Cemetery in WaKeeney.&nbsp; Visitation will be from 5:00 pm until 
7:00 on Tuesday and from 9:00 am until service time on Wednesday, all at
 Hays Memorial Chapel Funeral Home.&nbsp; Memorials are suggested to the 
Humane Society of the High Plains.&nbsp; Condolences and memories of 
Charlotta may be shared with her family at <a href="http://www.haysmemorial.com">www.haysmemorial.com</a>

Charlotta M. 'Char' Klaus

Patsy Lynn Ostmeyer, 87, Oakley, Kansas, passed away Saturday, December 
17, 2022, at Logan County Hospital. Patsy was born March 13, 1935, in 
Oakley, Kansas, the daughter of Harry C. and Vivian (Turner) Sowers. She
 married Don Ostmeyer on October 29, 1956. She worked at Dean Organ 
Jewelry for several years and worked on the Ostmeyer family farm as a 
homemaker. Once retired to Grinnell, Kansas, she managed the Hometown 
Grocery Store where she worked until 2014. She moved to her most recent 
home in 2017 as a resident of the Logan County Hospital Independent 
Living Apartments in Oakley, Kansas. 
Patsy touched many lives as a hardworking, friendly and kind-hearted 
person. Alongside being a devoted wife, she was dedicated to being 
present in her children’s lives. She never missed a sporting event. 
Christmas was her favorite time of year, especially since she loved to 
see family. Patsy was multifaceted and could tell a story like no other —
 especially the farm stories of her driving the tractor or assisting 
with the cattle. She was an excellent cook (her fried chicken and 
cinnamon bread were remarkable). She loved to dance, play golf, card 
games (bridge, pitch), and to be around her friends. Anyone that knew 
Patsy knew she had a passion for the Kansas City Chiefs and kept that 
spirit alive for over 50 years. 
She was a member of the Angelus and Grinnell Alter Society. 
Patsy was preceded in death by her parents, Harry C. and Vivian Sowers; 
husband, Donald Fred Ostmeyer; her siblings, Juanita Beckman, Harry Dean
 Sowers, LoRee Jolly and Jay Sowers. 
She is survived by her children, Grant (Maureen) Ostmeyer, Stacy (Greg) 
Tholen, Toni (Randall) Hubert, and Jill (Jim) Alexander; her 
grandchildren, Chris (Lesley Schmidt) Ostmeyer, Chase (Faren) Ostmeyer, 
Jay (Katie) Ostmeyer, Tyler Tholen, Tanner (Leslie) Tholen, Trisha 
(Tracy) Hageman, Tenille (Tuker) Gillespie, Austin (Nicole) Hubert, 
Camille Hubert, Blake (Becca Svoboda) Hubert, Josh (Jessica) Alexander 
and Jonathan Alexander; her great grandchildren, Kayden Ostmeyer, Baily 
Ostmeyer, Kanon Hageman, Knox Hageman, Madix Hageman, Hutten Gillespie, 
Andie Hubert, and Easton Hubert. 
Visitation will be held Wednesday, December 21, 2022, from 5-7:00 p.m., 
followed by the Vigil at the Immaculate Conception Parish Center, in 
Grinnell, Kansas. The Funeral Mass will be held Thursday, December 22, 
2022, at 10:30 a.m. at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 
Grinnell, with burial in the Immaculate Conception Cemetery.

Memorials 
may be made to the Logan County Hospital Independent Living Apartments 
or the Immaculate Conception Church and sent in care of Baalmann 
Mortuary, PO Box 391, Colby, KS 67701. For information or condolences,&nbsp; visit www.baalmannmortuary.com.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671475515668.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Patsy Lynn Ostmeyer, 87, Oakley, Kansas, passed away Saturday, December 
17, 2022, at Logan County Hospital. Patsy was born March 13, 1935, in 
Oakley, Kansas, the daughter of Harry C. and Vivian (Turner) Sowers. She
 married Don Ostmeyer on October 29, 1956. She worked at Dean Organ 
Jewelry for several years and worked on the Ostmeyer family farm as a 
homemaker. Once retired to Grinnell, Kansas, she managed the Hometown 
Grocery Store where she worked until 2014. She moved to her most recent 
home in 2017 as a resident of the Logan County Hospital Independent 
Living Apartments in Oakley, Kansas. 
Patsy touched many lives as a hardworking, friendly and kind-hearted 
person. Alongside being a devoted wife, she was dedicated to being 
present in her children’s lives. She never missed a sporting event. 
Christmas was her favorite time of year, especially since she loved to 
see family. Patsy was multifaceted and could tell a story like no other —
 especially the farm stories of her driving the tractor or assisting 
with the cattle. She was an excellent cook (her fried chicken and 
cinnamon bread were remarkable). She loved to dance, play golf, card 
games (bridge, pitch), and to be around her friends. Anyone that knew 
Patsy knew she had a passion for the Kansas City Chiefs and kept that 
spirit alive for over 50 years. 
She was a member of the Angelus and Grinnell Alter Society. 
Patsy was preceded in death by her parents, Harry C. and Vivian Sowers; 
husband, Donald Fred Ostmeyer; her siblings, Juanita Beckman, Harry Dean
 Sowers, LoRee Jolly and Jay Sowers. 
She is survived by her children, Grant (Maureen) Ostmeyer, Stacy (Greg) 
Tholen, Toni (Randall) Hubert, and Jill (Jim) Alexander; her 
grandchildren, Chris (Lesley Schmidt) Ostmeyer, Chase (Faren) Ostmeyer, 
Jay (Katie) Ostmeyer, Tyler Tholen, Tanner (Leslie) Tholen, Trisha 
(Tracy) Hageman, Tenille (Tuker) Gillespie, Austin (Nicole) Hubert, 
Camille Hubert, Blake (Becca Svoboda) Hubert, Josh (Jessica) Alexander 
and Jonathan Alexander; her great grandchildren, Kayden Ostmeyer, Baily 
Ostmeyer, Kanon Hageman, Knox Hageman, Madix Hageman, Hutten Gillespie, 
Andie Hubert, and Easton Hubert. 
Visitation will be held Wednesday, December 21, 2022, from 5-7:00 p.m., 
followed by the Vigil at the Immaculate Conception Parish Center, in 
Grinnell, Kansas. The Funeral Mass will be held Thursday, December 22, 
2022, at 10:30 a.m. at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 
Grinnell, with burial in the Immaculate Conception Cemetery. Memorials 
may be made to the Logan County Hospital Independent Living Apartments 
or the Immaculate Conception Church and sent in care of Baalmann 
Mortuary, PO Box 391, Colby, KS 67701. For information or condolences,&nbsp; visit www.baalmannmortuary.com.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Patsy Lynn Ostmeyer

Nella G. Funk, age 101, passed away on 
Saturday, December 17, 2022, at the Scott County Hospital in Scott City, 
Kansas.&nbsp; She was born on February 5, 1921, in Manford, Oklahoma, the 
daughter of Robert James and Belle Zickaffos Lewis.&nbsp; A resident of Scott
 City, Kansas since 1939 moving from Ness City, Kansas, she was a Avon 
Salesman and a homemaker.

She was a member of the First Baptist Church of Scott City, Kansas.

On October 26, 1939, she married Herman Funk in Ness City, Kansas.&nbsp; He passed away on February 29, 2000, in Scott City, Kansas.

Survivors include her Three Sons - Larry &amp; Sharolyn Funk of 
Garden City, Kansas, Robert &amp; Anita Funk of Scott City, Kansas, 
Kelly Funk of Scott City, Kansas, One Daughter - &nbsp;Sheila &amp; Roy Boyd 
of Scott City, Kansas, Eleven Grandchildren, Eighteen Great 
Grandchildren, and Sixteen Great Great Grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her Parents, Husband - Herman, One 
Daughter - Judith Kitch, One Granddaughter - Toni Kitch and One Great 
Grandson - Anthony Chase Berning.

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 22, 
2022 at Price &amp; Sons Funeral Home in Scott City, Kansas with the 
Rev. Jeff Goetzinger presiding.

Memorials can be written to the Park Lane Nursing Home or SC Animal 
Rescue both in care of Price &amp; Sons Funeral Home, PO Box 553, Scott 
City, Kansas, 67871.

Interment will be in the Scott County Cemetery in Scott City, Kansas.

Visitation will be from 2:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, and 4:00 
p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Wednesday at Price &amp; Sons Funeral Home 401 S. 
Washington Street, Scott City, Kansas, 67871.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671459975525.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Nella G. Funk, age 101, passed away on 
Saturday, December 17, 2022, at the Scott County Hospital in Scott City, 
Kansas.&nbsp; She was born on February 5, 1921, in Manford, Oklahoma, the 
daughter of Robert James and Belle Zickaffos Lewis.&nbsp; A resident of Scott
 City, Kansas since 1939 moving from Ness City, Kansas, she was a Avon 
Salesman and a homemaker.She was a member of the First Baptist Church of Scott City, Kansas.On October 26, 1939, she married Herman Funk in Ness City, Kansas.&nbsp; He passed away on February 29, 2000, in Scott City, Kansas.Survivors include her Three Sons - Larry &amp; Sharolyn Funk of 
Garden City, Kansas, Robert &amp; Anita Funk of Scott City, Kansas, 
Kelly Funk of Scott City, Kansas, One Daughter - &nbsp;Sheila &amp; Roy Boyd 
of Scott City, Kansas, Eleven Grandchildren, Eighteen Great 
Grandchildren, and Sixteen Great Great Grandchildren.She was preceded in death by her Parents, Husband - Herman, One 
Daughter - Judith Kitch, One Granddaughter - Toni Kitch and One Great 
Grandson - Anthony Chase Berning.Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 22, 
2022 at Price &amp; Sons Funeral Home in Scott City, Kansas with the 
Rev. Jeff Goetzinger presiding.Memorials can be written to the Park Lane Nursing Home or SC Animal 
Rescue both in care of Price &amp; Sons Funeral Home, PO Box 553, Scott 
City, Kansas, 67871.Interment will be in the Scott County Cemetery in Scott City, Kansas.Visitation will be from 2:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, and 4:00 
p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Wednesday at Price &amp; Sons Funeral Home 401 S. 
Washington Street, Scott City, Kansas, 67871.

Nella G. Funk

WASHINGTON (AP) — Since the pandemic began, the United States has been using a public health rule designed to limit the spread of disease to expel asylum-seekers on the southern border.

Title 42, as it's called, has been used more than 2.5 million times to expel migrants since March 2020, although that number includes people who repeatedly attempted to cross the border.

But because of a judge's ruling, starting next Wednesday immigration authorities can no longer use Title 42 to quickly expel prospective asylum-seekers. The change comes as surging numbers of people are seeking to enter the country through the southern border, and with Republicans intent on making immigration a key issue when they take control of the House in January.

A look at Title 42 and the potential impact of the ruling:

In March 2020, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/pdf/CDC-Order-Prohibiting-Introduction-of-Persons_Final_3-20-20_3-p.pdf">issued an order limiting migration</a>&nbsp;across the southern and northern borders, saying it was necessary to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. The virus was ravaging the U.S., schools were shutting down and hospitals filling up, and President Donald Trump was trying numerous ways to limit migration, his signature political issue.

The order authorized Customs and Border Protection to immediately remove migrants, including people seeking asylum, to prevent the spread of the virus. The order said areas where migrants were held often weren't designed to quarantine people or allow for social distancing and could put border personnel and others at risk.

“The public health risks of inaction are stark," it said.

The Biden administration continued the policy. While many Democrats pushed President Joe Biden to overturn Trump's anti-immigration measures, some — especially in border states — have advocated to keep Title 42, saying the U.S. is unprepared for an increase in asylum-seekers. When the CDC moved to lift it earlier this year, moderate Democrats, including Sens. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Raphael Warnock of Georgia, wanted it to stay.

In 2021, a group representing immigrants who were denied the right to seek asylum sued to end the use of Title 42.

As that case made its way through the courts, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/s0401-title-42.html">CDC announced last April that</a>&nbsp;the rule was no longer needed because vaccines and treatments were becoming much more widespread.

That sparked Republican-leaning states to file their own lawsuit aimed at keeping Title 42 in place. The states argued that ending the rule would lead to a surge in migrants to their states that would in turn take a toll on their services. That argument found favor with a Trump-appointed judge in Louisiana who ordered keeping the restrictions in place. The judge found Biden’s administration failed to follow administrative procedures requiring public notice and time to gather public comment on the plan to end the restrictions.

But that ruling was effectively blocked by another federal judge in a separate lawsuit in Washington. That judge, appointed by Democratic President Bill Clinton, ruled on Nov. 15 that the Biden administration must lift the asylum restrictions by Dec. 21. That ruling, addressing broader questions about Title 42, took precedence over the Texas ruling, cheering immigration advocates. In a key development, the federal government did not appeal to keep the public health restrictions in place.

“The court was correct to find that banning migrants, while allowing the rest of the country to open up, is unlawfully arbitrary, causes grave harm to desperate asylum-seekers, and overrides the United States’ legal commitments to provide a safe haven for those fleeing persecution," said Lee Gelernt, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union.

But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-united-states-public-immigration-covid-5d5f77e27cba4a8063d36d0f384aa893">a group of conservative states</a>&nbsp;is asking the courts to keep Title 42 in place. The appeal argues that the cancellation of Title 42 “will cause an enormous disaster at the border” and the additional migrants will increase the states' costs for law enforcement, education and health care. A decision could come as early as Friday.

Not really. The Biden administration has not used it with children traveling alone, only single adults or families. And the ban has been unevenly enforced by nationality, falling largely on migrants from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador — in addition to Mexicans — because Mexico allows them to be returned from the United States. Last month, Mexico began accepting Venezuelans who are expelled from the United States under Title 42, causing a sharp drop in Venezuelans seeking asylum at the U.S. border.

Some other nationalities are less likely to be subject to Title 42 because costs or frayed relations with their home countries, Cuba for example, make it difficult for the U.S. to send them back. People from these countries have become a growing presence at the border, confident they will be released in the United States to pursue their immigration cases. In October, Cubans were the second-largest nationality at the border after Mexicans, followed by Venezuelans and Nicaraguans.

If it goes away, asylum-seekers will be interviewed by asylum officers who will determine if they have a “credible fear” of being persecuted in their home countries. If they're found to face a credible threat, they can stay in the U.S. until a final determination is made.

That can take years. While some are detained while their asylum process plays out, the vast majority are freed into the United States with notices to appear in immigration court or report to immigration authorities.

The Department of Homeland Security said in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/2022-12/22_1213_plcy_update-sw-border-security-preparedness.pdf">a memo this week</a>&nbsp;that the current system is not designed "to handle the current volume of migration nor the increased volume we expect over the coming weeks and months.”

It said it is preparing for a possible surge by cracking down on smuggling networks, speeding removal of those found to have little basis to stay in the U.S., and working with international partners to stem migration. It said it's also seeking more money from Congress.

Republicans, who will control the House come January, are expected to make immigration a major issue. Already there have been calls to impeach the Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

Some Democrats have also voiced concern about what happens when Title 42 goes away. In a letter to Biden this week, Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas joined two Texas Republicans — Sen. John Cornyn and Rep. Tony Gonzales — in asking Biden to keep Title 42 in place, saying there was a crisis at the southern border and that DHS hadn't presented a plan to maintain control there.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632317716965.png" alt="But because of a judge's ruling, starting Wednesday immigration authorities can no longer use Title 42 to quickly expel prospective asylum-seekers.&nbsp;photo courtesy Rep. Tony Gonzales" />
 <figcaption>But because of a judge's ruling, starting Wednesday immigration authorities can no longer use Title 42 to quickly expel prospective asylum-seekers.&nbsp;photo courtesy Rep. Tony Gonzales</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Since the pandemic began, the United States has been using a public health rule designed to limit the spread of disease to expel asylum-seekers on the southern border.Title 42, as it's called, has been used more than 2.5 million times to expel migrants since March 2020, although that number includes people who repeatedly attempted to cross the border.But because of a judge's ruling, starting next Wednesday immigration authorities can no longer use Title 42 to quickly expel prospective asylum-seekers. The change comes as surging numbers of people are seeking to enter the country through the southern border, and with Republicans intent on making immigration a key issue when they take control of the House in January.A look at Title 42 and the potential impact of the ruling:HOW IT STARTEDIn March 2020, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/pdf/CDC-Order-Prohibiting-Introduction-of-Persons_Final_3-20-20_3-p.pdf">issued an order limiting migration</a>&nbsp;across the southern and northern borders, saying it was necessary to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. The virus was ravaging the U.S., schools were shutting down and hospitals filling up, and President Donald Trump was trying numerous ways to limit migration, his signature political issue.The order authorized Customs and Border Protection to immediately remove migrants, including people seeking asylum, to prevent the spread of the virus. The order said areas where migrants were held often weren't designed to quarantine people or allow for social distancing and could put border personnel and others at risk.“The public health risks of inaction are stark," it said.The Biden administration continued the policy. While many Democrats pushed President Joe Biden to overturn Trump's anti-immigration measures, some — especially in border states — have advocated to keep Title 42, saying the U.S. is unprepared for an increase in asylum-seekers. When the CDC moved to lift it earlier this year, moderate Democrats, including Sens. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Raphael Warnock of Georgia, wanted it to stay.THE COURT FIGHTIn 2021, a group representing immigrants who were denied the right to seek asylum sued to end the use of Title 42.As that case made its way through the courts, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/s0401-title-42.html">CDC announced last April that</a>&nbsp;the rule was no longer needed because vaccines and treatments were becoming much more widespread.That sparked Republican-leaning states to file their own lawsuit aimed at keeping Title 42 in place. The states argued that ending the rule would lead to a surge in migrants to their states that would in turn take a toll on their services. That argument found favor with a Trump-appointed judge in Louisiana who ordered keeping the restrictions in place. The judge found Biden’s administration failed to follow administrative procedures requiring public notice and time to gather public comment on the plan to end the restrictions.But that ruling was effectively blocked by another federal judge in a separate lawsuit in Washington. That judge, appointed by Democratic President Bill Clinton, ruled on Nov. 15 that the Biden administration must lift the asylum restrictions by Dec. 21. That ruling, addressing broader questions about Title 42, took precedence over the Texas ruling, cheering immigration advocates. In a key development, the federal government did not appeal to keep the public health restrictions in place.“The court was correct to find that banning migrants, while allowing the rest of the country to open up, is unlawfully arbitrary, causes grave harm to desperate asylum-seekers, and overrides the United States’ legal commitments to provide a safe haven for those fleeing persecution," said Lee Gelernt, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union.But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-united-states-public-immigration-covid-5d5f77e27cba4a8063d36d0f384aa893">a group of conservative states</a>&nbsp;is asking the courts to keep Title 42 in place. The appeal argues that the cancellation of Title 42 “will cause an enormous disaster at the border” and the additional migrants will increase the states' costs for law enforcement, education and health care. A decision could come as early as Friday.DOES TITLE 42 AFFECT ALL ASYLUM-SEEKERS?Not really. The Biden administration has not used it with children traveling alone, only single adults or families. And the ban has been unevenly enforced by nationality, falling largely on migrants from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador — in addition to Mexicans — because Mexico allows them to be returned from the United States. Last month, Mexico began accepting Venezuelans who are expelled from the United States under Title 42, causing a sharp drop in Venezuelans seeking asylum at the U.S. border.Some other nationalities are less likely to be subject to Title 42 because costs or frayed relations with their home countries, Cuba for example, make it difficult for the U.S. to send them back. People from these countries have become a growing presence at the border, confident they will be released in the United States to pursue their immigration cases. In October, Cubans were the second-largest nationality at the border after Mexicans, followed by Venezuelans and Nicaraguans.WHAT HAPPENS IF TITLE 42 ENDS?If it goes away, asylum-seekers will be interviewed by asylum officers who will determine if they have a “credible fear” of being persecuted in their home countries. If they're found to face a credible threat, they can stay in the U.S. until a final determination is made.That can take years. While some are detained while their asylum process plays out, the vast majority are freed into the United States with notices to appear in immigration court or report to immigration authorities.The Department of Homeland Security said in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/2022-12/22_1213_plcy_update-sw-border-security-preparedness.pdf">a memo this week</a>&nbsp;that the current system is not designed "to handle the current volume of migration nor the increased volume we expect over the coming weeks and months.”It said it is preparing for a possible surge by cracking down on smuggling networks, speeding removal of those found to have little basis to stay in the U.S., and working with international partners to stem migration. It said it's also seeking more money from Congress.Republicans, who will control the House come January, are expected to make immigration a major issue. Already there have been calls to impeach the Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.Some Democrats have also voiced concern about what happens when Title 42 goes away. In a letter to Biden this week, Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas joined two Texas Republicans — Sen. John Cornyn and Rep. Tony Gonzales — in asking Biden to keep Title 42 in place, saying there was a crisis at the southern border and that DHS hadn't presented a plan to maintain control there.

Immigration expected to surge as asylum rule ends

By JAMES BELL 
Hays Post

Ellis County residents are generally satisfied with the
quality of life in Ellis County across various indicators, according to a
recent survey commissioned by the Imagine Ellis County Committee.

The Docking Institute’s Center for Survey Research conducted
the survey from September 16 to October 27. 

“One of the things we felt
like we needed to do was kind of level set, do a survey as to where things
stand,” said Grow Hays executive director Doug Williams. “We were fortunate
enough to get a grant from the Schmidt Foundation to give us some money to
engage the Docking Institute to do a quality-of-life survey for us.”

Finding that baseline is essential
for the committee to address the desires and needs of Ellis County residents,
he said.

“This is a survey that the
Imagine Ellis County Committee, which is a committee that we started, which includes
a pretty large group of local citizens who got together and are trying to look
at what shortcomings we have in Ellis County and identify our strengths or
weaknesses and opportunities,” Williams said.

Overall satisfaction with the quality of life in Ellis
County is high, as well as high in six specific aspects of living in the county,
according to the report’s executive summary. 

“I think the number one thing
is that there's a very high satisfaction among people who live here,” Williams
said. 

The survey found that 90 percent of respondents are
satisfied or very satisfied with Ellis County as a place to live.

The report found dissatisfaction was also low on all six
items specific aspects questioned in the survey but noticeably higher in two
areas, recreation and citizen engagement.

As a place to enjoy diverse recreational opportunities, 27.1
percent reported being dissatisfied, according to the survey.

“If
there was dissatisfaction, it's with recreational things to do,” Williams said.
“We always hear that there's not enough for youth to do, and they'd like more
things in terms of recreation, hiking trails, and walking paths.”

As a place where citizens can be engaged in public
decision-making, 26.1 percent reported being overall dissatisfied.

Only 5.2 percent of respondents reported being very
dissatisfied.

Satisfaction
with Ellis County as a place to retire was generally rated high, with 15.3
percent overall reporting dissatisfaction.

“I think
it gives me a little bit of direction,” Williams said.

He
credits the dissatisfaction as a function of housing.

“You
know, we believe we have a lot of very positive things for retirees here with
the amazing health care and that type of thing,” Williams said. “But at the
base, the foundational thing is housing. And we've got to have more appropriate
housing for retirees. And that's one of the things we're working diligently on
to try and get more of.”

Dissatisfaction operating a
business in Ellis County ranked fourth in terms of discontent, with less than
10 percent overall reporting dissatisfaction.

The category was affected
significantly, however, as a majority of respondents, 51.2 percent, responded
they did not know the impact due to a lack of experience running a business.

As a place to work, 90.7 percent
of respondents reported being satisfied or “didn’t know. 

The lowest dissatisfaction found in the six areas was with
Ellis County as a place to raise a family, with less than four percent
reporting dissatisfaction overall.

Highest areas of desired improvement found in retail,
outdoor recreation 

In an open response category asking
for up to five enhancements, they would like to see in Ellis County, adding retail
stores was listed most, at 10.9 percent, and outdoor recreation was second, being
noted in 7.5 percent of responses. &nbsp;

Creating off-street walking and hiking trails had the greatest
amount of respondents list them as a priority, with 40.4 percent rating it as a
very high or high priority, according to the study. Further, about “35 percent
consider increasing indoor recreation options and creating off-street bicycle
trails at least a high priority. Enhancing playgrounds has 32.8 percent rating
it at least a high priority, but this item also has the largest single
percentage rating it a moderate priority.”

Williams said the desire for
additional outdoor recreational opportunities like walking paths was valuable
feedback and reinforced anecdotal evidence reported in the community.

“That
was a bit of a surprise,” he said. “But a good direction. “If that's important
to people, I'm glad we're working on plans to try and resolve some of those
things and add some things to the community in that area.”

Expanding
retail and restaurant options as a desire of Ellis County residents has been a long-time
effort, Williams said, but this survey supports that work.

“This
proves that people want more choices when it comes to retail, and they want
more choices when it comes to dining out and the type of food services that we
have here,” Williams said. “The good news is, there's a lot going on in the
restaurant world right now. Several new (restaurants) have either opened or
will be opening pretty soon, with a little more diversity and in the type of
food that they offer. And shopping, we've got some good prospects.”

“I think
over the next couple of years, we'll see some expansion in that area,” he
continued. “Maybe not to the point where people have everything they want, but
some additional options. And then you look downtown. There have been some new
stores opened downtown, and in the mall, so we're making some headway in all
those areas.”

The survey
found the top recreational priorities also included additional indoor recreation,
bike trails, and enhanced playgrounds among respondents' top priorities.

Overall, Williams said the survey
would shape the focus of development efforts in Ellis County.

“I think
it validates some of the activity we're working on all the time,” he said. “Whether
it be housing or retail recruitment, or restaurant recruitment, it's good to
have that validation that that is indeed what people want.”

“It
tells us on the recreational side that we maybe need to be focusing a little
bit more on – we talk about things like a trampoline park or go-kart place or
more things for kids to do,” he continued. “And I think we maybe need to heed
some of what it is saying.”

But even
as the direction of economic expansion efforts is better defined with the
survey, Williams said bringing the desired improvements to Ellis County is a
slow process.

“A lot
of it is just to stay the course in what we're doing and try and achieve some
results on the efforts that we're already putting forth out there in the market
and try and get some of these things brought to fruition,” he said. “Whether
it's housing development or commercial development, nothing happens very
quickly. It's a slow process. It's maddening how long it takes, but you've just
got to show up every day and try and keep working on it and, bit by bit, you
may have some successes and get to where you're trying to get to, which takes
more time than you would like.”

The full survey results are
expected to be released on the Grow Hays website,<a href="https://www.growhays.com/"> growhays.com, soon.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671413203614.jpg" alt="Image courtesy Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By JAMES BELL 
Hays PostEllis County residents are generally satisfied with the
quality of life in Ellis County across various indicators, according to a
recent survey commissioned by the Imagine Ellis County Committee.The Docking Institute’s Center for Survey Research conducted
the survey from September 16 to October 27. “One of the things we felt
like we needed to do was kind of level set, do a survey as to where things
stand,” said Grow Hays executive director Doug Williams. “We were fortunate
enough to get a grant from the Schmidt Foundation to give us some money to
engage the Docking Institute to do a quality-of-life survey for us.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671413856257.png" alt="Survey results. Image courtesy Grow Hays." />
 <figcaption>Survey results. Image courtesy Grow Hays.</figcaption>
 </figure>Finding that baseline is essential
for the committee to address the desires and needs of Ellis County residents,
he said.“This is a survey that the
Imagine Ellis County Committee, which is a committee that we started, which includes
a pretty large group of local citizens who got together and are trying to look
at what shortcomings we have in Ellis County and identify our strengths or
weaknesses and opportunities,” Williams said.<div><iframe title="Survey finds high satisfaction with life in Ellis Co., highlights priorities" allowtransparency="true" height="300" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=8mmf3-133fd88-pb&from=pb6admin&square=1&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=3267a3&font-color=auto&logo_link=podcast_page&btn-skin=3267a3&size=300" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>Overall satisfaction with the quality of life in Ellis
County is high, as well as high in six specific aspects of living in the county,
according to the report’s executive summary. “I think the number one thing
is that there's a very high satisfaction among people who live here,” Williams
said. The survey found that 90 percent of respondents are
satisfied or very satisfied with Ellis County as a place to live.The report found dissatisfaction was also low on all six
items specific aspects questioned in the survey but noticeably higher in two
areas, recreation and citizen engagement.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671413683492.png" alt="Survey results. Image courtesy Grow Hays." />
 <figcaption>Survey results. Image courtesy Grow Hays.</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Recreation</h2>As a place to enjoy diverse recreational opportunities, 27.1
percent reported being dissatisfied, according to the survey.“If
there was dissatisfaction, it's with recreational things to do,” Williams said.
“We always hear that there's not enough for youth to do, and they'd like more
things in terms of recreation, hiking trails, and walking paths.”<h2>Citizen engagement</h2>As a place where citizens can be engaged in public
decision-making, 26.1 percent reported being overall dissatisfied.Only 5.2 percent of respondents reported being very
dissatisfied.<h2>Retirement</h2>Satisfaction
with Ellis County as a place to retire was generally rated high, with 15.3
percent overall reporting dissatisfaction.“I think
it gives me a little bit of direction,” Williams said.He
credits the dissatisfaction as a function of housing.“You
know, we believe we have a lot of very positive things for retirees here with
the amazing health care and that type of thing,” Williams said. “But at the
base, the foundational thing is housing. And we've got to have more appropriate
housing for retirees. And that's one of the things we're working diligently on
to try and get more of.”<h2>Business operations</h2>Dissatisfaction operating a
business in Ellis County ranked fourth in terms of discontent, with less than
10 percent overall reporting dissatisfaction.The category was affected
significantly, however, as a majority of respondents, 51.2 percent, responded
they did not know the impact due to a lack of experience running a business.<h2>Work </h2>As a place to work, 90.7 percent
of respondents reported being satisfied or “didn’t know. <h2>Family life</h2>The lowest dissatisfaction found in the six areas was with
Ellis County as a place to raise a family, with less than four percent
reporting dissatisfaction overall.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671414016559.png" alt="Survey results. Image courtesy Grow Hays." />
 <figcaption>Survey results. Image courtesy Grow Hays.</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Highest areas of desired improvement found in retail,
outdoor recreation </h2>In an open response category asking
for up to five enhancements, they would like to see in Ellis County, adding retail
stores was listed most, at 10.9 percent, and outdoor recreation was second, being
noted in 7.5 percent of responses. &nbsp;Creating off-street walking and hiking trails had the greatest
amount of respondents list them as a priority, with 40.4 percent rating it as a
very high or high priority, according to the study. Further, about “35 percent
consider increasing indoor recreation options and creating off-street bicycle
trails at least a high priority. Enhancing playgrounds has 32.8 percent rating
it at least a high priority, but this item also has the largest single
percentage rating it a moderate priority.”Williams said the desire for
additional outdoor recreational opportunities like walking paths was valuable
feedback and reinforced anecdotal evidence reported in the community.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671414106483.png" alt="Survey results. Image courtesy Grow Hays." />
 <figcaption>Survey results. Image courtesy Grow Hays.</figcaption>
 </figure>“That
was a bit of a surprise,” he said. “But a good direction. “If that's important
to people, I'm glad we're working on plans to try and resolve some of those
things and add some things to the community in that area.”Expanding
retail and restaurant options as a desire of Ellis County residents has been a long-time
effort, Williams said, but this survey supports that work.“This
proves that people want more choices when it comes to retail, and they want
more choices when it comes to dining out and the type of food services that we
have here,” Williams said. “The good news is, there's a lot going on in the
restaurant world right now. Several new (restaurants) have either opened or
will be opening pretty soon, with a little more diversity and in the type of
food that they offer. And shopping, we've got some good prospects.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671414213999.png" alt="Survey results. Image courtesy Grow Hays." />
 <figcaption>Survey results. Image courtesy Grow Hays.</figcaption>
 </figure>“I think
over the next couple of years, we'll see some expansion in that area,” he
continued. “Maybe not to the point where people have everything they want, but
some additional options. And then you look downtown. There have been some new
stores opened downtown, and in the mall, so we're making some headway in all
those areas.”The survey
found the top recreational priorities also included additional indoor recreation,
bike trails, and enhanced playgrounds among respondents' top priorities.Overall, Williams said the survey
would shape the focus of development efforts in Ellis County.“I think
it validates some of the activity we're working on all the time,” he said. “Whether
it be housing or retail recruitment, or restaurant recruitment, it's good to
have that validation that that is indeed what people want.”“It
tells us on the recreational side that we maybe need to be focusing a little
bit more on – we talk about things like a trampoline park or go-kart place or
more things for kids to do,” he continued. “And I think we maybe need to heed
some of what it is saying.”But even
as the direction of economic expansion efforts is better defined with the
survey, Williams said bringing the desired improvements to Ellis County is a
slow process.“A lot
of it is just to stay the course in what we're doing and try and achieve some
results on the efforts that we're already putting forth out there in the market
and try and get some of these things brought to fruition,” he said. “Whether
it's housing development or commercial development, nothing happens very
quickly. It's a slow process. It's maddening how long it takes, but you've just
got to show up every day and try and keep working on it and, bit by bit, you
may have some successes and get to where you're trying to get to, which takes
more time than you would like.”The full survey results are
expected to be released on the Grow Hays website,<a href="https://www.growhays.com/"> growhays.com, soon.</a>

🎙 Survey finds high satisfaction with life in Ellis Co., highlights priorities

The Respect for Marriage Act provides stronger federal safeguards for married same-sex couples in Kansas. Bipartisan majorities passed it through Congress and President Joe Biden recently signed it into law.&nbsp;

You might think that marriage is a settled debate. However, as recent politics shows, conservatives in the politics industry are prioritizing the culture war beyond just abortion, especially targeting transgender children and gay and lesbian Americans.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In our recent Kansas gubernatorial election, Republicans dedicated entire campaign advertisements to transgender students playing sports, hyping that issue above water, energy, or certain key economic matters.&nbsp;

In October, Republicans promoted a false British tabloid story about supposed taxpayer-funded drag shows in Kansas. On Twitter, Senator Roger Marshall used that story to validate homophobic stereotypes of gay people as sexual predators “grooming” children.&nbsp;

This past summer, conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas urged the court to “reconsider” past rulings that legalized contraception (Griswold), same-sex sexual relations (Lawrence), and same-sex marriage (Obergefell).&nbsp;

How does the RMA fit into this mounting conservative emphasis on LGBT people? And, what does that mean for gay and lesbian Kansans, especially the estimated 4,000 same-sex married couples in Kansas?&nbsp;

The Kansas Constitution contains an unenforceable provision banning same-sex marriage. Much has changed since voters approved this in 2005. Young people, including young Republicans, generally support same-sex marriage in surveys, and no Kansans under roughly age 35 today voted on that ban.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Repealing this marriage ban requires the legislature to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot. Conservatives realize that most Kansans today support same-sex marriage—roughly 60-ish percent in most surveys since 2017. They know how you would vote on this, so don’t expect conservatives to allow a marriage ban repeal vote anytime soon.&nbsp;

Kansas law also criminalizes sex between consenting same-sex adults, making it a misdemeanor punishable by six months incarceration. The 2003&nbsp;Lawrence&nbsp;decision makes this law unenforceable, but Kansas conservatives have repeatedly refused to repeal the law.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The RMA doesn’t address state laws regulating sex, but it does guarantee federal recognition to same-sex marriages. Simplifying things, it also clarifies that the Full Faith and Credit clause of the U.S. Constitution requires that marriages in one state must be recognized in others, including same-sex marriages. Meanwhile, it gives explicit exemptions for religious non-profits that oppose same-sex relationships.&nbsp;

So, what if Thomas prevails on marriage and sex, and Kansas changes no laws?&nbsp;&nbsp;

Kansas government could stop issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples and might try nullifying existing marriage licenses issued here. Thanks to the RMA, though, same-sex couples willing and able to travel could marry in another state and Kansas would have to recognize those marriages. However, it would still be illegal for same-sex spouses to have sex in Kansas.&nbsp;

Most Kansans agree that the ideology of big government conservatism that desires to regulate marriage and sex among two consenting adults is outdated. Conservative politicians are playing to a narrow strain of identity politics on the political right with their positions on these issues.&nbsp;&nbsp;

That political game comes at the expense of average gay and lesbian Kansans that these positions risk harming. If that’s not you, maybe it's a friend or loved one. That’s not what most Kansans want in 2022, but it’s up to average Kansans to hold politicians accountable on that.&nbsp;

Patrick R. Miller is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Kansas.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575644168170.png" alt="Patrick R. Miller is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Kansas.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Patrick R. Miller is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Kansas.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>The Respect for Marriage Act provides stronger federal safeguards for married same-sex couples in Kansas. Bipartisan majorities passed it through Congress and President Joe Biden recently signed it into law.&nbsp;You might think that marriage is a settled debate. However, as recent politics shows, conservatives in the politics industry are prioritizing the culture war beyond just abortion, especially targeting transgender children and gay and lesbian Americans.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>In our recent Kansas gubernatorial election, Republicans dedicated entire campaign advertisements to transgender students playing sports, hyping that issue above water, energy, or certain key economic matters.&nbsp;In October, Republicans promoted a false British tabloid story about supposed taxpayer-funded drag shows in Kansas. On Twitter, Senator Roger Marshall used that story to validate homophobic stereotypes of gay people as sexual predators “grooming” children.&nbsp;This past summer, conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas urged the court to “reconsider” past rulings that legalized contraception (Griswold), same-sex sexual relations (Lawrence), and same-sex marriage (Obergefell).&nbsp;How does the RMA fit into this mounting conservative emphasis on LGBT people? And, what does that mean for gay and lesbian Kansans, especially the estimated 4,000 same-sex married couples in Kansas?&nbsp;Let’s start with Kansas law.&nbsp;The Kansas Constitution contains an unenforceable provision banning same-sex marriage. Much has changed since voters approved this in 2005. Young people, including young Republicans, generally support same-sex marriage in surveys, and no Kansans under roughly age 35 today voted on that ban.&nbsp;&nbsp;Repealing this marriage ban requires the legislature to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot. Conservatives realize that most Kansans today support same-sex marriage—roughly 60-ish percent in most surveys since 2017. They know how you would vote on this, so don’t expect conservatives to allow a marriage ban repeal vote anytime soon.&nbsp;Kansas law also criminalizes sex between consenting same-sex adults, making it a misdemeanor punishable by six months incarceration. The 2003&nbsp;Lawrence&nbsp;decision makes this law unenforceable, but Kansas conservatives have repeatedly refused to repeal the law.&nbsp;&nbsp;The RMA doesn’t address state laws regulating sex, but it does guarantee federal recognition to same-sex marriages. Simplifying things, it also clarifies that the Full Faith and Credit clause of the U.S. Constitution requires that marriages in one state must be recognized in others, including same-sex marriages. Meanwhile, it gives explicit exemptions for religious non-profits that oppose same-sex relationships.&nbsp;So, what if Thomas prevails on marriage and sex, and Kansas changes no laws?&nbsp;&nbsp;Kansas government could stop issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples and might try nullifying existing marriage licenses issued here. Thanks to the RMA, though, same-sex couples willing and able to travel could marry in another state and Kansas would have to recognize those marriages. However, it would still be illegal for same-sex spouses to have sex in Kansas.&nbsp;Most Kansans agree that the ideology of big government conservatism that desires to regulate marriage and sex among two consenting adults is outdated. Conservative politicians are playing to a narrow strain of identity politics on the political right with their positions on these issues.&nbsp;&nbsp;That political game comes at the expense of average gay and lesbian Kansans that these positions risk harming. If that’s not you, maybe it's a friend or loved one. That’s not what most Kansans want in 2022, but it’s up to average Kansans to hold politicians accountable on that.&nbsp;Patrick R. Miller is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Kansas.&nbsp;

INSIGHT KANSAS: Respect for Marriage Act and its impact on Kansas 

Suspect charged in Kansas City double murder still missing

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis has revealed in an interview published Sunday that shortly after being elected pontiff in 2013 he wrote a resignation letter in case medical problems impede him from carrying out his duties.

Speaking to the Spanish newspaper ABC, Francis said he gave the note to Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who then was the Vatican secretary of state. The pontiff added that he presumes that the prelate currently in that Vatican No. 2 role, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, now has the written instruction.

Francis, who turned 86 on Saturday, had surgery in 2021 to repair a bowel narrowing and has been hobbled by knee pain that for months saw him use a wheelchair. Lately, he has increasingly used a cane instead of the wheelchair to get around in public.

Asked what happens if health issues or an accident suddenly leaves a pope unable to do his job, and whether there should be a rule for such instances, Francis replied, “In practice there is already a rule.”

“I have already signed my renunciation," Francis revealed, noting that he did so early in the papacy.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603292366279.png" alt="Pope Francis turned 86 on Saturday -photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Pope Francis turned 86 on Saturday -photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>ROME (AP) — Pope Francis has revealed in an interview published Sunday that shortly after being elected pontiff in 2013 he wrote a resignation letter in case medical problems impede him from carrying out his duties.Speaking to the Spanish newspaper ABC, Francis said he gave the note to Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who then was the Vatican secretary of state. The pontiff added that he presumes that the prelate currently in that Vatican No. 2 role, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, now has the written instruction.Francis, who turned 86 on Saturday, had surgery in 2021 to repair a bowel narrowing and has been hobbled by knee pain that for months saw him use a wheelchair. Lately, he has increasingly used a cane instead of the wheelchair to get around in public.Asked what happens if health issues or an accident suddenly leaves a pope unable to do his job, and whether there should be a rule for such instances, Francis replied, “In practice there is already a rule.”“I have already signed my renunciation," Francis revealed, noting that he did so early in the papacy.“I signed it and said: ‘If I should become impaired for medical reasons or whatever, here is my resignation. Here you have it,'” he said, referring to Cardinal Bertone, who stepped down as secretary of state in October 2013, in the first months of Francis' papacy.The pontiff quipped that now that he has revealed the existence of his resignation note, “someone will run up to Bertone (saying), ‘Give me that piece of paper.’”Francis said he was sure Bertone would have passed on the letter to the current secretary of state, Parolin.In past remarks, Francis has hailed the decision of his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, to resign because he felt due to advancing age he wouldn't be best able to carry out his duties. Benedict, who is living in a monastery on the Vatican's grounds, was the first pontiff to resign in 600 years, and his stepping down paved the way for Francis' election as the first pope from South America.Francis in the interview played down his mobility challenge, saying “One governs with the head, not the knee.”Catholic church law requires a papal resignation be “freely and properly manifested” — as was the case when Benedict startled the world when he announced his resignation to a gathering of prelates at the Vatican in February 2013.