We are very sad to announce the passing of Jackie Jean Goetz on December 13, 2022 in Kingsland, TX where she moved her residence this past year to be with family.

Jackie was born to Leo and Bertha Dwinelle in Fairport, KS on May 30, 1936. She married Donald Adair Goetz on October 9, 1954. Don worked overseas in the oilfield. He and Jackie spent many years raising their children in England, Holland, Malaysia, Singapore, and Iran. Upon returning to the states, Don and Jackie settled in Hallettsville, TX in 1977 where they started their own oilfield vacuum trucking business, Goetz Service. Jackie enjoyed gardening and was a great bowler, card, and domino player with a strong competitive spirit. Her family enjoyed many years visiting at her home with some great cooking followed by cards and dominos. She loved country music and always had the radio tuned in to the local station. When you came to visit, that was the first thing you would hear playing in the garage. She was a kind and gentle person. A quiet soft spoken sweet woman with a great sense of humor that you couldn’t help, but love. Jackie always put her family first. She was a wonderful loving mother, grandmother, and great grandmother who will be truly missed.

Jackie was preceeded in death by her husband, Donald A. Goetz; son, Donald G. Goetz; son, David A. Goetz.

Jackie is survived by her daughter, Jaylene Franke (husband Melvin Perryman) of Cypress, TX; daughter, Janna Johnson (husband Craig Johnson) of Kingsland, TX; 10 grandchildren; 12 great grandchildren.

Per her wishes, there will be no service. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the charity of your choice in her honor.

Jackie’s future and final resting place will be in Russell, Kansas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671291105611.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>We are very sad to announce the passing of Jackie Jean Goetz on December 13, 2022 in Kingsland, TX where she moved her residence this past year to be with family.Jackie was born to Leo and Bertha Dwinelle in Fairport, KS on May 30, 1936. She married Donald Adair Goetz on October 9, 1954. Don worked overseas in the oilfield. He and Jackie spent many years raising their children in England, Holland, Malaysia, Singapore, and Iran. Upon returning to the states, Don and Jackie settled in Hallettsville, TX in 1977 where they started their own oilfield vacuum trucking business, Goetz Service. Jackie enjoyed gardening and was a great bowler, card, and domino player with a strong competitive spirit. Her family enjoyed many years visiting at her home with some great cooking followed by cards and dominos. She loved country music and always had the radio tuned in to the local station. When you came to visit, that was the first thing you would hear playing in the garage. She was a kind and gentle person. A quiet soft spoken sweet woman with a great sense of humor that you couldn’t help, but love. Jackie always put her family first. She was a wonderful loving mother, grandmother, and great grandmother who will be truly missed.Jackie was preceeded in death by her husband, Donald A. Goetz; son, Donald G. Goetz; son, David A. Goetz.Jackie is survived by her daughter, Jaylene Franke (husband Melvin Perryman) of Cypress, TX; daughter, Janna Johnson (husband Craig Johnson) of Kingsland, TX; 10 grandchildren; 12 great grandchildren.Per her wishes, there will be no service. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the charity of your choice in her honor.Jackie’s future and final resting place will be in Russell, Kansas.

Jackie Jean Goetz

David “DJ” Joseph Dean Jr., 32, passed away December 12, 2022, in Osborne, KS.

David was born October 23, 1990, in Baltimore, Maryland, to Diane Dean Davis and David Dean Sr.

He worked at Tyson Foods in Lexington, NE for several years before working at Great Plains Manufacturing in Tipton, KS.

David’s
 greatest joy was his 3 boys.  In the summer, you could often see them 
at the playground or splash pad.  He enjoyed long walks, fishing, and 
was a fan of several sport teams.

David is survived by 
his wife Zandra Dean (married January 28th, 2015); 3 sons Matthew, Mark 
and Paul; Parents Diane and Paul Davis; David and Tina Dean Sr., Sister 
Danielle Barber and husband Ricky; Half Brother Cody Dean; 2 Step 
Sisters and 4 Step Brothers; Grandparents:  Gwedolyn Webster and Rodney 
Vierhile; Albert and Marguerite Dean; Aunts and Uncles:  Debbie and Ray 
Bryan, David Webster, Merriane Dean, Brenda Arvizu, Taylor and John 
Marsh; 7 Cousins; and&nbsp;&nbsp;7 Great Aunts and Uncles.

He is preceded in death by his Grandfather Darwell Webster and Grandmother Bernice Dean.

A Celebration of life Ceremony will be held in the spring of 2023.

Rentschler Family Mortuaries is in charge of arrangements.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671289424004.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>David “DJ” Joseph Dean Jr., 32, passed away December 12, 2022, in Osborne, KS.David was born October 23, 1990, in Baltimore, Maryland, to Diane Dean Davis and David Dean Sr.He worked at Tyson Foods in Lexington, NE for several years before working at Great Plains Manufacturing in Tipton, KS.David’s
 greatest joy was his 3 boys. In the summer, you could often see them 
at the playground or splash pad. He enjoyed long walks, fishing, and 
was a fan of several sport teams.David is survived by 
his wife Zandra Dean (married January 28th, 2015); 3 sons Matthew, Mark 
and Paul; Parents Diane and Paul Davis; David and Tina Dean Sr., Sister 
Danielle Barber and husband Ricky; Half Brother Cody Dean; 2 Step 
Sisters and 4 Step Brothers; Grandparents: Gwedolyn Webster and Rodney 
Vierhile; Albert and Marguerite Dean; Aunts and Uncles: Debbie and Ray 
Bryan, David Webster, Merriane Dean, Brenda Arvizu, Taylor and John 
Marsh; 7 Cousins; and&nbsp;&nbsp;7 Great Aunts and Uncles.He is preceded in death by his Grandfather Darwell Webster and Grandmother Bernice Dean.A Celebration of life Ceremony will be held in the spring of 2023.Rentschler Family Mortuaries is in charge of arrangements.

David 'DJ' Joseph Dean Jr.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Four new cases of bird flu at Iowa turkey farms in the past few days pushed the number of birds slaughtered nationwide this month to limit the spread of the virus up to nearly 700,000.

The latest cases announced by the Iowa Department of Agriculture only add to the toll of this year's ongoing outbreak that has prompted officials to kill more than 53 million birds in 47 states. Anytime the virus is found, the entire flock is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-business-bird-flu-flu-animals-189a7c08d848047f00b3f7b5bec39e67">killed</a>&nbsp;to help control the disease.

Iowa officials said the latest cases found involved 240,000 birds on turkey farms in Sac, Buena Vista, Cherokee and Ida counties all in the northwest corner of the state.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-iowa-des-moines-flu-us-department-of-agriculture-822360c4db84ca9917ac615b760b2b53">Iowa</a>&nbsp;leads all states with nearly 16 million chickens and turkeys slaughtered this year — more than double the next closest state of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-animals-nebraska-agriculture-omaha-ca8f94677d828d5838ecaff894403388">Nebraska</a>&nbsp;— largely because it is the nation's largest egg producer and egg farms can include millions of chickens.

Several other bird flu cases have been confirmed this month at other turkey farms in Iowa, South Dakota, Minnesota and Missouri. An upland gamebird producer in Colorado also had to slaughter 18,000 birds to limit the spread of the virus.

Experts believe the virus that causes bird flu is spread primarily by wild birds as they migrate across the country. The virus spreads easily through droppings or the nasal discharge of an infected bird, which can contaminate dust and soil and be carried onto farms on boots and clothing or on truck tires. Even though wild birds can often carry avian influenza without developing symptoms, the virus has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-business-minnesota-environment-0ec6d3f11b09ddd023d7d5d50ab7f8c1">killed a large number</a>&nbsp;of eagles, vultures, ducks and other wild birds.

Farmers take measures like requiring workers to change clothes before entering barns and sanitizing trucks as they enter the farm, but the disease is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-business-iowa-agriculture-f5a5c6fbf1d6b551413fb249086fdbec">difficult to control</a>.

This year's outbreak is different than most past ones because the virus&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-flu-prices-animals-1ec0f5a8e5485300fe117f87f8470f06">found a way to linger</a>&nbsp;throughout the summer when warmer temperatures usually largely kill off the virus. The U.S. Department of Agriculture&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-minnesota-animals-flu-animal-2f02b2d35e82feb05273d9a72e898170">resumed reporting</a>&nbsp;large numbers of birds infected in September when more than 6 million birds had to be killed. That was followed by another 2 million in October and nearly 4 million more in November.

Bird flu doesn’t represent a significant threat to human health because human cases are extremely rare and none of the infected birds are allowed into the nation’s food supply. And properly cooking poultry to 165 degrees Fahrenheit will kill any viruses.

But the bird flu outbreak — combined with the soaring cost of fuel and feed — has driven up the prices of eggs, chicken and turkey.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666346539753.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Four new cases of bird flu at Iowa turkey farms in the past few days pushed the number of birds slaughtered nationwide this month to limit the spread of the virus up to nearly 700,000.The latest cases announced by the Iowa Department of Agriculture only add to the toll of this year's ongoing outbreak that has prompted officials to kill more than 53 million birds in 47 states. Anytime the virus is found, the entire flock is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-business-bird-flu-flu-animals-189a7c08d848047f00b3f7b5bec39e67">killed</a>&nbsp;to help control the disease.Iowa officials said the latest cases found involved 240,000 birds on turkey farms in Sac, Buena Vista, Cherokee and Ida counties all in the northwest corner of the state.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-iowa-des-moines-flu-us-department-of-agriculture-822360c4db84ca9917ac615b760b2b53">Iowa</a>&nbsp;leads all states with nearly 16 million chickens and turkeys slaughtered this year — more than double the next closest state of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-animals-nebraska-agriculture-omaha-ca8f94677d828d5838ecaff894403388">Nebraska</a>&nbsp;— largely because it is the nation's largest egg producer and egg farms can include millions of chickens.Several other bird flu cases have been confirmed this month at other turkey farms in Iowa, South Dakota, Minnesota and Missouri. An upland gamebird producer in Colorado also had to slaughter 18,000 birds to limit the spread of the virus.Experts believe the virus that causes bird flu is spread primarily by wild birds as they migrate across the country. The virus spreads easily through droppings or the nasal discharge of an infected bird, which can contaminate dust and soil and be carried onto farms on boots and clothing or on truck tires. Even though wild birds can often carry avian influenza without developing symptoms, the virus has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-business-minnesota-environment-0ec6d3f11b09ddd023d7d5d50ab7f8c1">killed a large number</a>&nbsp;of eagles, vultures, ducks and other wild birds.Farmers take measures like requiring workers to change clothes before entering barns and sanitizing trucks as they enter the farm, but the disease is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-business-iowa-agriculture-f5a5c6fbf1d6b551413fb249086fdbec">difficult to control</a>.This year's outbreak is different than most past ones because the virus&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-flu-prices-animals-1ec0f5a8e5485300fe117f87f8470f06">found a way to linger</a>&nbsp;throughout the summer when warmer temperatures usually largely kill off the virus. The U.S. Department of Agriculture&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-minnesota-animals-flu-animal-2f02b2d35e82feb05273d9a72e898170">resumed reporting</a>&nbsp;large numbers of birds infected in September when more than 6 million birds had to be killed. That was followed by another 2 million in October and nearly 4 million more in November.Bird flu doesn’t represent a significant threat to human health because human cases are extremely rare and none of the infected birds are allowed into the nation’s food supply. And properly cooking poultry to 165 degrees Fahrenheit will kill any viruses.But the bird flu outbreak — combined with the soaring cost of fuel and feed — has driven up the prices of eggs, chicken and turkey.

Bird flu: 700,000 birds slaughtered nationwide in December

Ivan R. Edsall, age 76 of Victoria, Kansas, passed away Thursday, December 15, 2022, at Brookdale Assisted Living Center of Salina.

He was born October 19, 1946, at Hays, Kansas, to Theron C. and Anna Barbara (Weber) Edsall. &nbsp;He married Kathleen Ann (Braun)-Spiess {his favorite fishing partner} on March 23, 1996, at Hays, Kansas. &nbsp;She preceded him in death on December 16, 2017.

He retired from Dreiling Oil of Victoria, Kansas, in 2018, as production foreman. &nbsp;He worked for Dreiling Oil for over 45 years, and prior to the oil division he worked on the Dreiling’s farm for ten years. &nbsp;Ivan grew up on the family farm North of Victoria, was a graduate of Victoria High School, and a member of The Basilica of St. Fidelis.

Survivors include his stepchildren, Jason Spiess, Paradise, KS; Kelly Wellbrock and husband, Brett, Salina, KS; Melanie Dennis and husband, Travis, Salina, KS; his step grandchildren, Sophia,&nbsp;Gage, and&nbsp;Jace&nbsp;Spiess; &nbsp;Carson and Julia Wellbrock; James and&nbsp;Michael Dennis; and his four legged friend, Coco.

Ivan was preceded in death by his parents, Claude and Anna;&nbsp;his wife, Kathy;&nbsp;his brothers, Frank and Daniel Edsall. &nbsp;

Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:00 A.M. Thursday, December 22, 2022, at The Basilica of St. Fidelis, Victoria, Kansas with Father James Moster O.F.M. Cap. &nbsp;officiation. &nbsp;Inurnment will be in &nbsp;St. Fidelis Cemetery, Victoria, Kansas.

A vigil service and rosary will be at 6:30 P.M. Wednesday, at Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary,&nbsp;412 Main&nbsp;Street,&nbsp;Victoria, Kansas&nbsp;67671.

Visitation will be from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. Wednesday, at Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary, Victoria, Kansas 67671, and from 9:00 to 10:00 A.M. Thursday, at The Basilica of St. Fidelis.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials made payable to:&nbsp;Interim Healthcare of Salina (Hospice) in care of the mortuary.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Condolences can be sent via e-mail to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:clinesmortuary@eaglecom.net">clinesmortuary@eaglecom.net</a>&nbsp;or can be left at guest book at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com/">www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671246804458.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Ivan R. Edsall, age 76 of Victoria, Kansas, passed away Thursday, December 15, 2022, at Brookdale Assisted Living Center of Salina.He was born October 19, 1946, at Hays, Kansas, to Theron C. and Anna Barbara (Weber) Edsall. &nbsp;He married Kathleen Ann (Braun)-Spiess {his favorite fishing partner} on March 23, 1996, at Hays, Kansas. &nbsp;She preceded him in death on December 16, 2017.He retired from Dreiling Oil of Victoria, Kansas, in 2018, as production foreman. &nbsp;He worked for Dreiling Oil for over 45 years, and prior to the oil division he worked on the Dreiling’s farm for ten years. &nbsp;Ivan grew up on the family farm North of Victoria, was a graduate of Victoria High School, and a member of The Basilica of St. Fidelis.Survivors include his stepchildren, Jason Spiess, Paradise, KS; Kelly Wellbrock and husband, Brett, Salina, KS; Melanie Dennis and husband, Travis, Salina, KS; his step grandchildren, Sophia,&nbsp;Gage, and&nbsp;Jace&nbsp;Spiess; &nbsp;Carson and Julia Wellbrock; James and&nbsp;Michael Dennis; and his four legged friend, Coco.Ivan was preceded in death by his parents, Claude and Anna;&nbsp;his wife, Kathy;&nbsp;his brothers, Frank and Daniel Edsall. &nbsp;Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:00 A.M. Thursday, December 22, 2022, at The Basilica of St. Fidelis, Victoria, Kansas with Father James Moster O.F.M. Cap. &nbsp;officiation. &nbsp;Inurnment will be in &nbsp;St. Fidelis Cemetery, Victoria, Kansas.A vigil service and rosary will be at 6:30 P.M. Wednesday, at Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary,&nbsp;412 Main&nbsp;Street,&nbsp;Victoria, Kansas&nbsp;67671.Visitation will be from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. Wednesday, at Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary, Victoria, Kansas 67671, and from 9:00 to 10:00 A.M. Thursday, at The Basilica of St. Fidelis.In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials made payable to:&nbsp;Interim Healthcare of Salina (Hospice) in care of the mortuary.&nbsp;&nbsp;Condolences can be sent via e-mail to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:clinesmortuary@eaglecom.net">clinesmortuary@eaglecom.net</a>&nbsp;or can be left at guest book at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com/">www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com</a>

Ivan R. Edsall

Shelby Andrews, 83, died December 13, 2022, at Brookdale Senior Living
 Center in Dodge City. She was born on December 15, 1938, at Colorado 
Springs, Colorado, the daughter of Howard and Martina Betz. &nbsp;

She married Gerald Gene Schwien on October 12, 1957, in Ness City; he 
preceded her in death on November 14, 1961. She then married Carrol Neal 
McCain on June 5, 1965, in Ness City; he preceded her in death on 
December 6, 1994. She later married Don G. Andrews on October 23, 1997,&nbsp; in Branson, Missouri; he preceded her in death on July 11, 2017. Mrs. 
Andrews loved spending time with her family especially her 
grandchildren. She also loved to keep a very clean and tidy home. Mrs. 
Andrews always looked forward to a great day of shopping.

She was a member of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

She is survived by two sons Troy McCain and wife Sarah of Dodge City;
 Rory Schwien and wife Theresa of Denver, Colorado. She is also survived
 by her seven grandchildren Megan, Melanie, Tanner, McKenzie, Creighton,
 Cecilia and Sierra. Mrs. Andrews is also survived by four great 
grandchildren Zayne, Avery, Rhylie and Kaysone.

She was preceded in death by her parents and three husbands Gerald 
Gene Schwien, Carrol McCain and Don Andrews and one sister Shiela McBee.

Funeral Mass will be held at Sacred Heart Catholic Church on Monday 
December 19, 2022, at 1:30 PM with Rev. John Stang presiding.&nbsp; Burial 
will follow at Maple Grove Cemetery in Dodge City. Visitation will be 
held at Swaim Funeral Chapel on Sunday, December 18, 2022, from 12:00 PM 
to 6:00 PM. Vigil service will be held 7:00 PM Sunday, December 18, 2022,&nbsp; at Swaim Funeral Chapel. 

Memorials are suggested to Alzheimer’s 
Association in care of the funeral home. Thoughts and memories may be 
shared in the online guest book at www.swaimfuneralhome.com.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671229926919.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Shelby Andrews, 83, died December 13, 2022, at Brookdale Senior Living
 Center in Dodge City. She was born on December 15, 1938, at Colorado 
Springs, Colorado, the daughter of Howard and Martina Betz. &nbsp;She married Gerald Gene Schwien on October 12, 1957, in Ness City; he 
preceded her in death on November 14, 1961. She then married Carrol Neal 
McCain on June 5, 1965, in Ness City; he preceded her in death on 
December 6, 1994. She later married Don G. Andrews on October 23, 1997,&nbsp; in Branson, Missouri; he preceded her in death on July 11, 2017. Mrs. 
Andrews loved spending time with her family especially her 
grandchildren. She also loved to keep a very clean and tidy home. Mrs. 
Andrews always looked forward to a great day of shopping.She was a member of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe.She is survived by two sons Troy McCain and wife Sarah of Dodge City;
 Rory Schwien and wife Theresa of Denver, Colorado. She is also survived
 by her seven grandchildren Megan, Melanie, Tanner, McKenzie, Creighton,
 Cecilia and Sierra. Mrs. Andrews is also survived by four great 
grandchildren Zayne, Avery, Rhylie and Kaysone.She was preceded in death by her parents and three husbands Gerald 
Gene Schwien, Carrol McCain and Don Andrews and one sister Shiela McBee.Funeral Mass will be held at Sacred Heart Catholic Church on Monday 
December 19, 2022, at 1:30 PM with Rev. John Stang presiding.&nbsp; Burial 
will follow at Maple Grove Cemetery in Dodge City. Visitation will be 
held at Swaim Funeral Chapel on Sunday, December 18, 2022, from 12:00 PM 
to 6:00 PM. Vigil service will be held 7:00 PM Sunday, December 18, 2022,&nbsp; at Swaim Funeral Chapel. Memorials are suggested to Alzheimer’s 
Association in care of the funeral home. Thoughts and memories may be 
shared in the online guest book at www.swaimfuneralhome.com.&nbsp;

Shelby Andrews

Gary Gene DeBey was born on October 16, 1947, in Beloit, Kansas, the 
son of Gene and Thelma Fenton DeBey. He died on Tuesday, December 13, 
2022, at the Downs Care and Rehab Center in Downs, Kansas, at the age of 
75.

He grew up in the Mitchell County area, where he attended schools.
 Following high school, he attended Fort Hays State before entering the 
military, serving in the United States Navy.

Gary returned to Mitchell County, where he farmed near Cawker 
City. He greatly enjoyed his farming, hunting, fishing, traveling with 
family, as well as amateur radio. He was a life member of the American 
Legion Post #379, as well as the USS Wainwright Veterans Association.

Gary is survived by his wife Linda of the home; son, Grant and 
wife Nikki of Cawker City; brother, Wayne of Salina; sister, Mary Beth 
of Clay Center; and a host of other relatives and friends.

Graveside services will be at 10 AM Monday, December 19, at the 
Prairie Grove Cemetery in Cawker City. Visitation will be from 3-5 PM 
Sunday, December 18, at the Waconda Funeral Chapel in Cawker City.

Gary Gene DeBey was born on October 16, 1947, in Beloit, Kansas, the 
son of Gene and Thelma Fenton DeBey. He died on Tuesday, December 13, 
2022, at the Downs Care and Rehab Center in Downs, Kansas, at the age of 
75.He grew up in the Mitchell County area, where he attended schools.
 Following high school, he attended Fort Hays State before entering the 
military, serving in the United States Navy.Gary returned to Mitchell County, where he farmed near Cawker 
City. He greatly enjoyed his farming, hunting, fishing, traveling with 
family, as well as amateur radio. He was a life member of the American 
Legion Post #379, as well as the USS Wainwright Veterans Association.He was preceded in death by his parents.Gary is survived by his wife Linda of the home; son, Grant and 
wife Nikki of Cawker City; brother, Wayne of Salina; sister, Mary Beth 
of Clay Center; and a host of other relatives and friends.Graveside services will be at 10 AM Monday, December 19, at the 
Prairie Grove Cemetery in Cawker City. Visitation will be from 3-5 PM 
Sunday, December 18, at the Waconda Funeral Chapel in Cawker City.

Gary Gene DeBey

Charles Newell Eberle was born on September 16, 1929, on a farm in 
Jewell County, Kansas, the son of Charlie Earl and Violet Gish Eberle. 
He died Tuesday, December 13, 2022, at the Andbe Home in Norton, Kansas 
at the age of 93.

He grew up around Glen Elder, and graduated from Glen Elder High 
School. Following graduation, he served in the United States Army from 
October 1950 to October 1952.

On February 28, 1952, he was united in marriage with Gayle Louise 
Moran. Four children were born to this union, Steven Charles, Dana 
Gayle, Kurtis Earl, and Kelly Rae. They were privileged to spend more 
than 25 years of marriage together when she died in December, 1977.

On August 2, 1980, he was united in marriage with Luella Maud 
Gilbert, and they spent more than 26 years of marriage together when she
 died in February, 2007.

Charles worked for Farmway COOP at the Glen Elder Elevator until 
January 1975 before moving to Norton to manage the COOP Elevator. He 
later managed the COOP Elevator in Natoma before moving back to the Glen
 Elder area in 1981, managing several elevators until his retirement. 
Following his retirement, he dedicated his time raising llamas, sheep, 
and goats on his farm in Glen Elder. He enjoyed taking his llamas to 
petting zoos, fairs, and parades. He also loved history, and was always 
known as the family historian after his Uncle Leo passed away.

He was an active member of the American Legion, Christian Church, 
Order of the Eastern Star, and the Masonic Lodge in Glen Elder.

In addition to his wives, he was preceded in death by his parents, sons, Steven and Kurtis, and son-in-law, Kevin Lyon.

Charles is survived by his daughters, Dana Madden and husband 
Barry, and Kelly Lyon, and daughter-in-law, Lisa, all of Norton; 
step-daughters, Valerie Thrasher and husband Pat of Salina and Krystal 
Schwenn and husband Larry of Kensington; brother, Lowell Eberle of 
Lawrence; 8 grandchildren, Heath and Sherry Eberle of Little River, 
Heather LaRocque of Westmoreland, Aaron and Andrea Eberle of Glen Elder,
 Casey Madden of Norton, Clay Madden of Norton, Dakota Eberle of Garden 
City, Chelsey and Tom Huber of Norton, and Tosha and Kyle Kats of 
Norton; 2 step-grandsons; 15 great-grandchildren; 3 
great-great-grandchildren, and one on the way; and many relatives and 
friends.

Funeral services will be at 2 PM Tuesday, December 20, at the Glen 
Elder Christian Church. Visitation with family present will be from 5-7 
PM Monday, December 19 at the Roberts Family Funeral Home. Memorials may
 be given to the Glen Elder American Legion or the Andbe Home of Norton.

Charles Newell Eberle was born on September 16, 1929, on a farm in 
Jewell County, Kansas, the son of Charlie Earl and Violet Gish Eberle. 
He died Tuesday, December 13, 2022, at the Andbe Home in Norton, Kansas 
at the age of 93.He grew up around Glen Elder, and graduated from Glen Elder High 
School. Following graduation, he served in the United States Army from 
October 1950 to October 1952.On February 28, 1952, he was united in marriage with Gayle Louise 
Moran. Four children were born to this union, Steven Charles, Dana 
Gayle, Kurtis Earl, and Kelly Rae. They were privileged to spend more 
than 25 years of marriage together when she died in December, 1977.On August 2, 1980, he was united in marriage with Luella Maud 
Gilbert, and they spent more than 26 years of marriage together when she
 died in February, 2007.Charles worked for Farmway COOP at the Glen Elder Elevator until 
January 1975 before moving to Norton to manage the COOP Elevator. He 
later managed the COOP Elevator in Natoma before moving back to the Glen
 Elder area in 1981, managing several elevators until his retirement. 
Following his retirement, he dedicated his time raising llamas, sheep, 
and goats on his farm in Glen Elder. He enjoyed taking his llamas to 
petting zoos, fairs, and parades. He also loved history, and was always 
known as the family historian after his Uncle Leo passed away.He was an active member of the American Legion, Christian Church, 
Order of the Eastern Star, and the Masonic Lodge in Glen Elder.In addition to his wives, he was preceded in death by his parents, sons, Steven and Kurtis, and son-in-law, Kevin Lyon.Charles is survived by his daughters, Dana Madden and husband 
Barry, and Kelly Lyon, and daughter-in-law, Lisa, all of Norton; 
step-daughters, Valerie Thrasher and husband Pat of Salina and Krystal 
Schwenn and husband Larry of Kensington; brother, Lowell Eberle of 
Lawrence; 8 grandchildren, Heath and Sherry Eberle of Little River, 
Heather LaRocque of Westmoreland, Aaron and Andrea Eberle of Glen Elder,
 Casey Madden of Norton, Clay Madden of Norton, Dakota Eberle of Garden 
City, Chelsey and Tom Huber of Norton, and Tosha and Kyle Kats of 
Norton; 2 step-grandsons; 15 great-grandchildren; 3 
great-great-grandchildren, and one on the way; and many relatives and 
friends.Funeral services will be at 2 PM Tuesday, December 20, at the Glen 
Elder Christian Church. Visitation with family present will be from 5-7 
PM Monday, December 19 at the Roberts Family Funeral Home. Memorials may
 be given to the Glen Elder American Legion or the Andbe Home of Norton.

Charles Newell Eberle

AMARILLO, Texas (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked the Biden administration from ending a Trump-era policy requiring asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico for hearings in U.S. immigration court.

U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Texas stayed the termination until legal challenges by Texas and Missouri are settled but didn't order the policy reinstated. The impact on the program wasn't immediately clear.

“It’s a common sense policy to prevent people from entering our country illegally,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted after the ruling. “Texas wins again, for now.”

The&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.txnd.346680/gov.uscourts.txnd.346680.178.0.pdf">ruling</a>&nbsp;could prove to be a temporary setback for the Biden administration, which may appeal.

An email requesting comment from the Department of Homeland Security wasn't immediately returned.

Under President Donald Trump, about 70,000 asylum-seekers were forced to wait in Mexico for U.S. hearings under the policy introduced in January 2019. President Joe Biden — who said it “goes against everything we stand for as a nation of immigrants” — suspended the policy on his first day in office.

That sparked a long and tortured legal and administrative path.

Kacsmaryk, a Trump appointee in Amarillo, ordered that the policy be reinstated in 2021. The Biden administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-joe-biden-mexico-texas-missouri-1eb0b6dd1d0676e33702aec7f07e75ac">complied</a>&nbsp;with the order after agreeing to changes and additions demanded by Mexico. But it didn't enforce the policy widely and only a few thousand people were sent back to wait in Mexico.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in June that Biden had the ability to end what technically are known as Migrant Protection Protocols. But it threw back to Kacsmaryk one main issue: determining whether the administration’s action was “arbitrary and capricious” and thus violated federal law for crafting regulations.

In his 35-page ruling, the judge said it was likely an October 2021 memo that was the administration's latest effort to nail down termination of the policy did indeed appear to violate the law.

Among other things, the administration failed to consider the benefits of the policy, including reducing illegal immigration and “unmeritorious asylum claims,” the ruling said.

Trump made the policy a centerpiece of border enforcement, which critics said was inhumane for exposing migrants to extreme violence in Mexico and making access to attorneys far more difficult.

Kacsmaryk said the Biden administration memo mentioned conditions that migrants might face while in Mexico but not the hardships they face “when making the dangerous journey to the southern border” in the first place.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632317716965.png" alt="The&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.txnd.346680/gov.uscourts.txnd.346680.178.0.pdf">ruling</a>&nbsp;could prove to be a temporary setback for the Biden administration, which may appeal.-photo Rep. Tony Gonzales" />
 <figcaption>The&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.txnd.346680/gov.uscourts.txnd.346680.178.0.pdf">ruling</a>&nbsp;could prove to be a temporary setback for the Biden administration, which may appeal.-photo Rep. Tony Gonzales</figcaption>
 </figure>AMARILLO, Texas (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked the Biden administration from ending a Trump-era policy requiring asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico for hearings in U.S. immigration court.U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Texas stayed the termination until legal challenges by Texas and Missouri are settled but didn't order the policy reinstated. The impact on the program wasn't immediately clear.“It’s a common sense policy to prevent people from entering our country illegally,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted after the ruling. “Texas wins again, for now.”The&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.txnd.346680/gov.uscourts.txnd.346680.178.0.pdf">ruling</a>&nbsp;could prove to be a temporary setback for the Biden administration, which may appeal.An email requesting comment from the Department of Homeland Security wasn't immediately returned.Under President Donald Trump, about 70,000 asylum-seekers were forced to wait in Mexico for U.S. hearings under the policy introduced in January 2019. President Joe Biden — who said it “goes against everything we stand for as a nation of immigrants” — suspended the policy on his first day in office.That sparked a long and tortured legal and administrative path.Kacsmaryk, a Trump appointee in Amarillo, ordered that the policy be reinstated in 2021. The Biden administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-joe-biden-mexico-texas-missouri-1eb0b6dd1d0676e33702aec7f07e75ac">complied</a>&nbsp;with the order after agreeing to changes and additions demanded by Mexico. But it didn't enforce the policy widely and only a few thousand people were sent back to wait in Mexico.The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in June that Biden had the ability to end what technically are known as Migrant Protection Protocols. But it threw back to Kacsmaryk one main issue: determining whether the administration’s action was “arbitrary and capricious” and thus violated federal law for crafting regulations.In his 35-page ruling, the judge said it was likely an October 2021 memo that was the administration's latest effort to nail down termination of the policy did indeed appear to violate the law.Among other things, the administration failed to consider the benefits of the policy, including reducing illegal immigration and “unmeritorious asylum claims,” the ruling said.Trump made the policy a centerpiece of border enforcement, which critics said was inhumane for exposing migrants to extreme violence in Mexico and making access to attorneys far more difficult.Kacsmaryk said the Biden administration memo mentioned conditions that migrants might face while in Mexico but not the hardships they face “when making the dangerous journey to the southern border” in the first place.

US judge blocks Biden bid to end 'Remain in Mexico' policy

A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories 
and visuals of the week. None of these are legit, even though they were 
shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked them out. 
Here are the facts:

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-excess-deaths-covid-died-suddenly-793316776380">Article misrepresents CDC data, falsely links deaths to COVID vaccines</a>

CLAIM:
 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention quietly confirmed that 
at least 118,000 children and young adults have “died suddenly” in the 
U.S. since the COVID-19 vaccines rolled out.

THE FACTS: The CDC 
has confirmed no such thing. The claim misrepresents CDC data around 
excess deaths — the difference between the observed number of deaths and
 the expected number in a specific period. A misleading article 
spreading widely online attempts to link recent child and young adult 
deaths in the U.S. to COVID-19 vaccines. “CDC quietly confirms at least 
118k Children &amp; Young Adults have ‘Died Suddenly’ in the USA since 
the roll-out of the COVID Vaccines,” reads its headline. The article 
originally appeared in November on The Exposé, a website that has 
repeatedly <a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-checking-818000433358">spread COVID-19 misinformation</a>.
 A screenshot of the article’s headline was shared in multiple Facebook 
and Instagram posts. As evidence, the article cites CDC data as 
published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development,
 an <a href="https://www.oecd.org/about/members-and-partners/">intergovernmental organization</a>
 that promotes sustainable growth. As presented by The Exposé, the data 
shows that there were about 118,000 excess U.S. deaths in the 0-to-44 
age group between December 2020 and October 2022, compared to the 
2015-2019 average. The article suggests that these deaths are the result
 of the COVID-19 vaccines, saying that the “‘mysterious’ sudden rise 
which has contributed to half a million American children and young 
adults dying since late 2020, is most likely due to the Covid-19 
injections.” But Brian Tsai, a spokesperson for the CDC’s National 
Center for Health Statistics, told The Associated Press that the claim 
distorts CDC data. Tsai said that from the start of 2021 to the 43rd 
week of 2022, there have been about 124,000 excess deaths in the U.S. 
among 0- to 44-year-olds compared to the 2015-2019 average. Tsai said 
his number is higher than those published by OECD because the CDC’s data
 is now more complete. There’s no indication COVID-19 vaccines caused 
these excess deaths, he said. Confirmed reports of deaths caused by 
vaccination are <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/safety/adverse-events.html">extremely rare</a>,
 even with millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses having been administered 
in the U.S. Scott Pauley, a spokesperson for the CDC, told the AP that 
outside of nine deaths confirmed to be associated with rare blood clots 
following the Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine, the agency has “not 
detected any unusual or unexpected patterns for deaths following 
immunization that would indicate that COVID vaccines are causing or 
contributing to deaths.” Tsai said likely reasons for excess deaths in 
this age group since 2020 include suicides, homicides, heart diseases, 
liver disease, diabetes and accidental deaths including drug overdoses. 
He added that a substantial number of the excess deaths are the result 
of COVID-19 itself. A surge in excess deaths among children and young 
adults in the summer of 2021, for example, corresponded with the delta 
variant of the coronavirus hitting the U.S., which affected younger 
people more than previous variants of the virus, Tsai said. CDC data 
from December 2021 indicated that COVID-19 was the third leading cause 
of death in the U.S., behind heart disease and cancer. Experts have said
 drug overdoses also contributed to higher-than-expected death rates in 
2021, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-health-pandemics-covid-19-pandemic-8117abd8e4367eaa6cb9b7ae78875734">the AP reported.</a>
 Tsai also refuted the headline’s claim that the CDC has “quietly” 
confirmed data about children and young adults dying “suddenly.” The 
CDC’s excess death data has long been public, he said, and “there is no 
way to really determine from the data whether people died suddenly or 
not.” Experts told the AP that there is no evidence to support the claim
 that the vaccines caused the excess deaths. "Excess deaths so obviously
 increased dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic that we’re able to,
 with some level of confidence, say that COVID was causing those excess 
deaths,” said Spencer Fox, an assistant professor in epidemiology and 
biostatistics at the University of Georgia. OECD and The Exposé did not 
respond to requests for comment.

— Associated Press writers Karena Phan in Los Angeles and Ali Swenson in New York contributed this report.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-health-covid-pandemic-flu-465037589830">COVID-19 and flu cases both rising, despite claims online</a>

CLAIM:
 In a normal year, there is a lot of flu but no COVID-19, while during 
the pandemic there has been a lot of COVID-19 and no flu.

THE 
FACTS: While flu cases plummeted as COVID-19 cases soared early in the 
pandemic, coronavirus and flu cases are both on the rise globally, 
according to the World Health Organization. In the U.S., the Centers for
 Disease Control and Prevention reports thousands of hospitalizations 
and deaths from the flu and a significant rise in COVID cases and deaths
 through the fall and early winter. The flu and the coronavirus are 
distinct viruses, contrary to claims that they are the same. As the 
winter cold and flu season takes hold, social media users are 
misrepresenting the prevalence of flu and COVID cases compared to prior 
years. One popular Instagram post features a meme containing two 
screenshots of actor John Krasinski in his role on the television sitcom
 “The Office.” In the first image, he points to a board with text that 
says: “Normal Year Flu 2.9 million COVID 0. The second image shows 
Krasinski next to the same board with text that says “Plandemic Flu 0 
COVID 2.9 million.” The term “plandemic” refers to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-us-news-ap-top-news-social-media-technology-732e69c3c22010eeda3114ee68504652">baseless conspiracy theory</a>
 that the coronavirus was intentionally developed and set upon the 
global population. In another popular post, a woman claims in an 
Instagram reel that the U.S. is dealing with “record high cases of the 
flu” even though there were no cases of the illness “on the whole 
planet” last year. The post had been liked more than 16,600 times as of 
Friday. But the flu never vanished. "Whatever point they’re trying to 
make is silly,” said William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist
 at Vanderbilt University’s medical school in Nashville, Tennessee. “It 
doesn’t comport with reality.” Thomas Russo, chief of the infectious 
diseases division at the University at Buffalo medical school in New 
York, agreed, noting that early in the pandemic, flu cases dropped 
dramatically as countries imposed strict measures to limit transmission 
of COVID-19. But as nations lifted lockdowns, mask mandates and social 
distancing rules last year, flu cases reemerged and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-seniors-covid-nursing-homes-government-and-politics-1d8182dbc11706018739331cdbe310ab">COVID cases surged</a>,
 he said. Compared with prior flu seasons, last year was a relatively 
mild wave of the illness, with an estimated 9 million cases, 10,000 
hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths, according to <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/preliminary-in-season-estimates.htm#:~:text=During%20the%202021%2D2022%20influenza,during%20the%202011%2D2012%20season.">the CDC.</a>
 “It seemed that COVID was stopping the flu, really in the first year 
and mostly the second year,” Russo said, referring to 2020 and 2021. 
“But the flu has come back with a vengeance this year.” A <a href="https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/influenza/influenza-updates/2022/2022_12_12_surveillance_update_434.pdf?sfvrsn=b7677a7d_1&amp;download=true">WHO report</a>
 released Monday looking at this year’s flu season confirms that cases 
of influenza and COVID-19 are increasing worldwide. In late October, WHO
 Director-General Tedros Adhanom <a href="https://www.who.int/director-general/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-27-october-2022">Ghebreyesus said</a>
 the world is “turning a corner on the COVID-19 pandemic,” but warned it
 is far from over as he also emphasized the potential for a more 
widespread flu outbreak. In the U.S., health officials have reported the
 flu season <a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-pandemics-covid-flu-7c784678637e51d4a8508f5dde70cded">kicked off earlier</a>
 than usual this year. The season typically ramps up in December or 
January but by early November, the CDC estimated there were already 
roughly 1.6 million flu cases. The agency <a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-covid-flu-6b5b3a2e04f2c63683e44013e7814177">reported earlier this month</a>
 that 44 states were experiencing high flu activity and that the illness
 had resulted in at least 78,000 hospitalizations and 4,500 deaths so 
far. New cases of COVID-19, meanwhile, have risen from an average of 
roughly 39,300 a day on Nov. 28 to about 62,300 as of Dec. 12, according
 to data from Johns Hopkins University. Deaths from the virus also rose 
over the same two-week period, from an average of 309 a day to nearly 
404 daily. The meme “might have been representative of 2020-2021 and 
(less so) 2021-2022,” Kate Grusich, a CDC spokesperson wrote in an email
 Wednesday. “But it is not an accurate representation of current COVID 
and flu activity levels.”

— Associated Press writer Philip Marcelo in New York contributed this report.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-katie-porter-lgbtq-737253122123">Posts mischaracterize congresswoman’s comments on anti-LGBTQ rhetoric</a>

CLAIM:
 Rep. Katie Porter said in a hearing before the House Oversight and 
Reform Committee that pedophilia is an identity, not a crime.

THE 
FACTS: Porter’s comments from the committee’s Wednesday hearing on the 
rise of anti-LGBTQ violence were taken out of context. The California 
Democrat was agreeing with Human Rights Watch President Kelley Robinson,
 who spoke about online rhetoric painting LGBTQ people as “groomers” and
 “pedophiles.” Porter said that such rhetoric amounts to falsely 
“alleging that a person is criminal somehow and engaged in criminal acts
 merely because of their identity — their sexual orientation, their 
gender identity.” Misleading posts about Porter’s appearance at the 
hearing spread widely on social media, distorting comments she made on 
anti-LGBTQ rhetoric. “Rep Katie Porter (D) says pedophilia isn’t a 
crime- it’s an identity,” one tweet that shared a truncated version of 
Porter’s comments claimed. It had received nearly 21,000 likes and 
nearly 10,000 shares as of Thursday. But a <a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?524793-1/survivors-club-shooting-activists-testify-anti-lgbtq-violence">full recording of the hearing</a>, held in response to the recent <a href="https://apnews.com/article/shootings-colorado-gun-politics-springs-7f079c7feebc32cc8ad46f2724844c18">Club Q shooting</a> in Colorado, shows a <a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?c5046774/user-clip-katie-porter-comments-re-grooming">longer exchange</a> between Porter and Robinson. Porter first refers to a <a href="https://hrc-prod-requests.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/CCDH-HRC-Digital-Hate-Report-2022-single-pages.pdf">Human Rights Watch report</a>
 published in August that analyzed tweets containing “grooming content.”
 Such content refers to the false narrative that members of the LGBTQ 
community are pedophiles who <a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-gender-identity-adf10ff5f169fae9c9af4d08a7b0c2bc">groom children</a> in order to abuse them. Other posts advancing this narrative — including <a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-drag-queen-story-hour-photo-965766299271">images</a> and video taken <a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-and-politics-a26e7eee15df0bbc2bb98071b683b1f4">out of context</a>
 — have also spread online. “The groomer narrative is an age-old lie to 
position LGBTQ+ people as a threat to kids,” Porter begins. “And what it
 does is deny them access to public spaces, it stokes fear and can even 
stoke violence. In response, Robinson, who describes herself as queer in
 her <a href="https://www.hrc.org/about/staff/kelley-robinson">professional biography</a>,
 explains that “when we use phrases and words like groomers and 
pedophiles to describe people — individuals in our communities that are 
mothers, that are fathers, that are teachers, that are doctors — it is 
dangerous.” She added that the purpose of such rhetoric is “to 
dehumanize us and make us feel like we are not a part of this American 
society” and that “it has real-life consequences.” Porter then agreed 
with Robinson’s assessment, stating: “I think you’re absolutely right 
and it’s not — this allegation of groomer and pedophile — it is alleging
 that a person is criminal somehow and engaged in criminal acts merely 
because of their identity — their sexual orientation, their gender 
identity.” In reference to the posts mischaracterizing Porter’s 
comments, Jordan Wong, a spokesperson for Porter, told The Associated 
Press that “it’s clear it’s not true.”

— Associated Press writer Melissa Goldin in New York contributed this report.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-grant-wahl-vaccine-false-550141070405">World Cup reporter’s fatal heart condition unrelated to COVID vaccine</a>

CLAIM: Longtime sports journalist Grant Wahl, who died in Qatar last week, was killed by the COVID-19 vaccine.

THE
 FACTS: Wahl died of a ruptured blood vessel in his heart — an injury 
unrelated to any vaccine, his wife, Dr. Céline Gounder, confirmed to The
 Associated Press. The COVID-19 vaccines have not been associated with 
the heart condition that killed Wahl, experts told the AP. Wahl, 49, was
 in Doha to cover the World Cup when he fell ill. He tested negative for
 COVID-19 and sought treatment for what he described at the time as <a href="https://grantwahl.substack.com/p/world-cup-daily-day-22">“pressure and discomfort</a>
 ” in his chest. But on Dec. 9, he collapsed during a soccer match 
between Argentina and the Netherlands, and died the following day. 
Wahl’s sudden decline caught the attention of vaccine skeptics on social
 media, who shared posts falsely tying his death to COVID-19 
vaccination. “Let’s be frank,” wrote one Twitter user, in a post that 
had gained more than 2,000 likes by Wednesday night. “The Covid 19 
vaccine killed Grant Wahl.” Qatari authorities <a href="https://apnews.com/article/journalist-grant-wahl-dies-in-qatar-covering-world-cup-82829df66ec0635bdbba3e8edccea96d">did not immediately announce</a>
 his cause of death. On Wednesday, Gounder, a physician and infectious 
disease expert, said an autopsy by the New York City medical examiner’s 
office found Wahl had died from a slow-growing aneurysm within his 
aorta, the body’s largest artery. “His death was unrelated to COVID,” 
Gounder wrote in a <a href="https://grantwahl.substack.com/p/a-note-from-grants-wife-celine-gounder">newsletter entry</a>
 on her husband’s site. “His death was unrelated to vaccination status. 
There was nothing nefarious about his death.” She confirmed that 
information to the AP. Julie Bolcer, a spokesperson for the New York 
City medical examiner’s office, referred comment to the Wahl family. Dr.
 Roland Assi, a professor of cardiac surgery at Yale School of Medicine,
 told the AP that there is “no evidence or suggestion” of a link with 
COVID-19 vaccines. “If anything, COVID infection is known to be linked 
to an increased risk of cardiovascular events, and possibly acute aortic
 events,” Assi wrote in an email. Similarly, Dr. Shinichi Fukuhara, an 
aortic surgeon at the University of Michigan’s medical school, wrote in 
an email that he didn’t know of any data tying the vaccines to the kind 
of aneurysm that killed Wahl. Pfizer’s and Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines 
have caused some cardiac side effects — namely myocarditis, an 
inflammation of the heart. But cases of vaccine-induced myocarditis are <a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-checking-943798356497">exceedingly rare</a> and the condition is <a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-checking-552859079506">often mild</a>.

— Associated Press writer Graph Massara in San Francisco contributed this report.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-maricopa-county-map-447390498107">Maricopa County displays voter maps for both parties, contrary to claim</a>

CLAIM:
 Election officials in Arizona’s Maricopa County displayed a map of 
Republican voters in the county at its central tabulation facility in 
Phoenix, but did not have a comparable Democrat voter map.

THE 
FACTS: Heat maps showing past Republican and Democrat voter turnout are 
both displayed in the Maricopa County Elections Department’s central 
tabulation facility, according to a spokesperson for the department and a
 photograph she provided to The Associated Press. A Monday blog post 
asserted that Maricopa County displayed a heat map of “expected” GOP 
voters and that the elections department “did not have a similar 
Democrat heat map hanging on their wall.” Mark Finchem, a Republican <a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-biden-government-and-politics-mark-finchem-0fddc6553fd0edb627105c202ce03606">who lost</a>
 his bid for Arizona secretary of state in the midterm election, shared 
the false information on Twitter stating, “Maricopa’s Heat Map of GOP 
voters. No Heat Map of Independents. No Heat Map of Democrats. Just 
Republicans.” But that’s not correct. Maps showing both past Republican 
and Democrat voter turnout are displayed in a hallway at the county's 
central tabulation facility in downtown Phoenix, Megan Gilbertson, a 
spokesperson for the Maricopa County Elections Department, wrote in an 
email to the AP. They show in-person voter turnout in the 2020 general 
election. A photo taken Monday that Gilbertson provided to the AP shows 
three maps in the hallway at the facility: a Republican in-person voter 
turnout map, a Democrat in-person voter map, and a total in-person voter
 turnout version. The blue Democrat map is right next to the red 
Republican one. The maps are used to make “data-driven decisions on the 
best places to have voting locations in future elections,” she 
explained. “The Maricopa County Recorder’s Office has a Geographic 
Information System (GIS) team that makes all of the maps in-house,” 
Gilbertson added. “We use the turnout data by party for elections such 
as the Presidential Preference Election, which is a party-only election.
 We use the all-voter maps for future planning for Primary and General 
elections.” The maps were made in late 2020 and were hung in the 
facility hallway in January 2021, according to Gilbertson. One of the 
blogs that shared the false claim about the county only having a 
Republican map has since published an additional post acknowledging that
 a Democrat map was also installed. Finchem did not respond to the AP’s 
request for comment.

— Associated Press writer Josh Kelety in Phoenix contributed this report.

NOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn't happen this week

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

A former Ellis County District Court administrator who was charged with identity fraud after allegedly using electronic signatures to sign performance evaluations has entered into a diversion agreement.

Amanda Truan was charged in June with nine felony counts of identity fraud that were discovered during an Office of Judicial Administration audit in October 2021. 

The diversion agreement was registered on Dec. 5.

Truan is no longer an employee of the judicial district.

An affidavit in the case said employees were not aware nor did they authorize the submission of the evaluations or the use of their electronic signatures on the evaluations.

Kayla Acosta, who became the Ellis County District Court Clerk in May 2021, told investigators she did not recall having an evaluation since 2018.

The employee evaluations are used as performance indicators for each employee by the Office of Judicial Administration. The employee's evaluation has a direct effect on the employee's job and whether the employee will receive any type of wage enhancements or promotions. 

Each count of identity fraud could have been punishable by up to 23 months in prison and/or up to a $100,000 fine.

Truan had been on bond waiting for the resolution of the case.

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostA former Ellis County District Court administrator who was charged with identity fraud after allegedly using electronic signatures to sign performance evaluations has entered into a diversion agreement.Amanda Truan was charged in June with nine felony counts of identity fraud that were discovered during an Office of Judicial Administration audit in October 2021. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671125265075.png" alt="Amanda Truan" />
 <figcaption>Amanda Truan</figcaption>
 </figure>The diversion agreement was registered on Dec. 5. Truan is no longer an employee of the judicial district.An affidavit in the case said employees were not aware nor did they authorize the submission of the evaluations or the use of their electronic signatures on the evaluations.Kayla Acosta, who became the Ellis County District Court Clerk in May 2021, told investigators she did not recall having an evaluation since 2018.The employee evaluations are used as performance indicators for each employee by the Office of Judicial Administration. The employee's evaluation has a direct effect on the employee's job and whether the employee will receive any type of wage enhancements or promotions. Each count of identity fraud could have been punishable by up to 23 months in prison and/or up to a $100,000 fine.Truan had been on bond waiting for the resolution of the case.

Former Ellis Co. court employee enters into diversion agreement on fraud charges

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a murder and asking the public for help to locate 28-year-old&nbsp;Glenn A. Pulluaim Jr., according to Kansas City police.

Pulluaim is charged with 2 counts of 1st degree murder and 2 counts of armed criminal action in connection with a double murder on October 22 at 8748 Chestnut Circle in Kansas City. The victims have been identified as Austin Scott and Chantell Gipson.

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>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a murder and asking the public for help to locate 28-year-old&nbsp;Glenn A. Pulluaim Jr., according to Kansas City police.Pulluaim is charged with 2 counts of 1st degree murder and 2 counts of armed criminal action in connection with a double murder on October 22 at 8748 Chestnut Circle in Kansas City. The victims have been identified as Austin Scott and Chantell Gipson.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 ask for help to locate Kansas City double-murder suspect

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve reinforced its inflation fight Wednesday by raising its key interest rate for the seventh time this year and signaling more hikes to come. But the Fed announced a smaller hike than it had in its past four meetings at a time when inflation is showing signs of easing.

The Fed boosted its benchmark rate a half-point to a range of 4.25% to 4.5%, its highest level in 15 years. Though lower than its previous three-quarter-point hikes, the latest move will further increase the costs of many consumer and business loans and the risk of a recession.

The policymakers also forecast that their key short-term rate will reach a range of 5% to 5.25% by the end of 2023. That suggests that the Fed is prepared to raise its benchmark rate by an additional three-quarters of a point and leave it there through next year. Some economists had expected that the Fed would project only an additional half-point increase.

The prospect of higher-than-expected borrowing rates disappointed Wall Street. Investors immediately sent stock prices falling.

The latest rate hike was announced one day after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-november-report-c3764250d475b1149d344462adff53d6">an encouraging report showed that inflation</a>&nbsp;in the United States slowed in November for a fifth straight month. The year-over-year increase of 7.1%, though still high, was sharply below a recent peak of 9.1% in June.

“The inflation data in October and November show a welcome reduction,” Chair Jerome Powell said at a news conference. “But it will take substantially more evidence to give confidence that inflation is on a sustained downward path.”

In its updated forecasts, the Fed’s policymakers predicted slower growth and higher unemployment for next year and 2024. The unemployment rate is envisioned to jump to 4.6% by the end of 2023, from 3.7% today. That would mark a significant increase in joblessness that typically would reflect a recession.

Consistent with a sharp slowdown, the officials also projected that the economy will barely grow next year, expanding just 0.5%, less than half the forecast it had made in September.

In recent weeks, Fed officials have indicated that they see some evidence of progress in their drive to defeat the worst inflation bout in four decades and to bring inflation back down to their 2% annual target. The national average for a gallon of regular gas, for example, has&nbsp;<a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/">tumbled from $5 in June to $3.21</a>.

Many supply chains are no longer clogged, thereby helping reduce goods prices. The better-than-expected November inflation data showed that the prices of used cars, furniture and toys all declined last month.

So did the costs of services from hotels to airfares to car rentals. Rental and home prices are falling, too, though those declines have yet to feed into the government’s data.

And one measure the Fed tracks closely — “core” prices, which exclude volatile food and energy costs for a clearer snapshot of underlying inflation — rose only slightly for a second straight month.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-europe-business-prices-consumer-87922b5a6473b1228681e757c007f1f7">Inflation has also eased slightly in Europe</a>&nbsp;and the United Kingdom, leading analysts to expect the European Central Bank and the Bank of England to slow their pace of rate hikes at their meetings Thursday. Both are expected to raise rates by half a point to target still painfully high prices spikes after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/british-politics-inflation-germany-economy-prices-8b7274fd39c584c7675dc5b2de9a76bf">big three-quarter-point increases</a>.

Inflation in the 19 countries using the euro currency&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-europe-business-prices-consumer-87922b5a6473b1228681e757c007f1f7">fell to 10%</a>&nbsp;from 10.6% in October, the first decline since June 2021. The rate is so far above the bank’s 2% goal that rate hikes are expected to continue into next year.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-business-dec23d793aa97d73da0391f4049e7efb">Britain’s inflation also eased</a>&nbsp;from a 41-year record of 11.1% in October to a still-high 10.7% in November.

At the Fed, Powell has made clear that the central bank isn’t close to declaring victory over high inflation. Fed officials will likely want to see further moderate inflation readings before they would be comfortable suspending their rate hikes.

One reason for caution is that inflation gauges can sometimes reignite after initially slowing. In 2021, for example, core price increases slowed for a couple of months in the summer before accelerating again and reaching new heights.

Cumulatively, the Fed’s hikes have led to much costlier borrowing rates for consumers as well as companies, ranging from mortgages to auto and business loans. The hikes have sent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-association-of-realtors-business-home-sales-a0a45edabb18e5cfd5374255ff54ab6a">home sales plummeting</a>&nbsp;and are starting to reduce rents on new apartments, a leading source of high inflation.

The officials have said they want rates to reach “restrictive” levels that slow growth and hiring and bring inflation down to their annual target of 2%. Worries have grown that the Fed is raising rates so much in its drive to curb inflation that it will trigger a recession next year.

The policymakers have stressed that more important than how fast they raise rates is how long they keep them at or near their peak. Wall Street investors are betting that the Fed will reverse course and start cutting rates before the end of next year.

Powell’s biggest focus has been on services prices, which he has said are likely to stay persistently high. In part, that’s because&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-business-pandemics-jerome-powell-federal-reserve-system-01ca0f8ac5439f764827fb89d18a51e7">sharp increases in wages are becoming a key contributor to inflation</a>. Services companies, like hotels and restaurants, are particularly labor-intensive. And with average wages growing at a brisk 5%-6% a year, price pressures keep building in that sector of the economy.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve reinforced its inflation fight Wednesday by raising its key interest rate for the seventh time this year and signaling more hikes to come. But the Fed announced a smaller hike than it had in its past four meetings at a time when inflation is showing signs of easing.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Fed Chair Powell: &quot;Today, the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FOMC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FOMC</a> raised our policy interest rate by a half percentage point.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/TjxcgVqNFZ">pic.twitter.com/TjxcgVqNFZ</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1603112305259995136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Fed boosted its benchmark rate a half-point to a range of 4.25% to 4.5%, its highest level in 15 years. Though lower than its previous three-quarter-point hikes, the latest move will further increase the costs of many consumer and business loans and the risk of a recession.The policymakers also forecast that their key short-term rate will reach a range of 5% to 5.25% by the end of 2023. That suggests that the Fed is prepared to raise its benchmark rate by an additional three-quarters of a point and leave it there through next year. Some economists had expected that the Fed would project only an additional half-point increase.The prospect of higher-than-expected borrowing rates disappointed Wall Street. Investors immediately sent stock prices falling.The latest rate hike was announced one day after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-november-report-c3764250d475b1149d344462adff53d6">an encouraging report showed that inflation</a>&nbsp;in the United States slowed in November for a fifth straight month. The year-over-year increase of 7.1%, though still high, was sharply below a recent peak of 9.1% in June.“The inflation data in October and November show a welcome reduction,” Chair Jerome Powell said at a news conference. “But it will take substantially more evidence to give confidence that inflation is on a sustained downward path.”In its updated forecasts, the Fed’s policymakers predicted slower growth and higher unemployment for next year and 2024. The unemployment rate is envisioned to jump to 4.6% by the end of 2023, from 3.7% today. That would mark a significant increase in joblessness that typically would reflect a recession.Consistent with a sharp slowdown, the officials also projected that the economy will barely grow next year, expanding just 0.5%, less than half the forecast it had made in September.In recent weeks, Fed officials have indicated that they see some evidence of progress in their drive to defeat the worst inflation bout in four decades and to bring inflation back down to their 2% annual target. The national average for a gallon of regular gas, for example, has&nbsp;<a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/">tumbled from $5 in June to $3.21</a>.Many supply chains are no longer clogged, thereby helping reduce goods prices. The better-than-expected November inflation data showed that the prices of used cars, furniture and toys all declined last month.So did the costs of services from hotels to airfares to car rentals. Rental and home prices are falling, too, though those declines have yet to feed into the government’s data.And one measure the Fed tracks closely — “core” prices, which exclude volatile food and energy costs for a clearer snapshot of underlying inflation — rose only slightly for a second straight month.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-europe-business-prices-consumer-87922b5a6473b1228681e757c007f1f7">Inflation has also eased slightly in Europe</a>&nbsp;and the United Kingdom, leading analysts to expect the European Central Bank and the Bank of England to slow their pace of rate hikes at their meetings Thursday. Both are expected to raise rates by half a point to target still painfully high prices spikes after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/british-politics-inflation-germany-economy-prices-8b7274fd39c584c7675dc5b2de9a76bf">big three-quarter-point increases</a>.Inflation in the 19 countries using the euro currency&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-europe-business-prices-consumer-87922b5a6473b1228681e757c007f1f7">fell to 10%</a>&nbsp;from 10.6% in October, the first decline since June 2021. The rate is so far above the bank’s 2% goal that rate hikes are expected to continue into next year.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-business-dec23d793aa97d73da0391f4049e7efb">Britain’s inflation also eased</a>&nbsp;from a 41-year record of 11.1% in October to a still-high 10.7% in November.At the Fed, Powell has made clear that the central bank isn’t close to declaring victory over high inflation. Fed officials will likely want to see further moderate inflation readings before they would be comfortable suspending their rate hikes.One reason for caution is that inflation gauges can sometimes reignite after initially slowing. In 2021, for example, core price increases slowed for a couple of months in the summer before accelerating again and reaching new heights.Cumulatively, the Fed’s hikes have led to much costlier borrowing rates for consumers as well as companies, ranging from mortgages to auto and business loans. The hikes have sent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/national-association-of-realtors-business-home-sales-a0a45edabb18e5cfd5374255ff54ab6a">home sales plummeting</a>&nbsp;and are starting to reduce rents on new apartments, a leading source of high inflation.The officials have said they want rates to reach “restrictive” levels that slow growth and hiring and bring inflation down to their annual target of 2%. Worries have grown that the Fed is raising rates so much in its drive to curb inflation that it will trigger a recession next year.The policymakers have stressed that more important than how fast they raise rates is how long they keep them at or near their peak. Wall Street investors are betting that the Fed will reverse course and start cutting rates before the end of next year.Powell’s biggest focus has been on services prices, which he has said are likely to stay persistently high. In part, that’s because&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-business-pandemics-jerome-powell-federal-reserve-system-01ca0f8ac5439f764827fb89d18a51e7">sharp increases in wages are becoming a key contributor to inflation</a>. Services companies, like hotels and restaurants, are particularly labor-intensive. And with average wages growing at a brisk 5%-6% a year, price pressures keep building in that sector of the economy.

🎥Fed raises key interest rate again and signals more to come

By CASEY QUINLAN <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/12/13/heres-why-food-prices-remain-stubbornly-high-even-as-inflation-cools/">States Newsroom</a>

Shoppers
 hoping for a little relief at the grocery store for their holiday meals
 will be disappointed by the Consumer Price Index released Tuesday. The 
CPI shows inflation cooling, but food prices — particularly for some 
holiday staples — remain high.

The CPI <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm">increased</a> 0.1% in November, which was lower than some economists <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/12/consumer-inflation-expected-to-have-continued-cooling-in-november-but-still-high.html">expected</a>.
 Over the last 12 months, it rose 7.1%. Food went up 0.5% last month 
after an increase of 0.6% in October. The food index climbed 10.6% over 
last year.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“The headline inflation numbers are 
encouraging for the general economy but consumers are not being relieved
 at the grocery store,” said David Ortega, associate professor at the 
department of agricultural food and resource economics at Michigan State
 University. “We’re looking at November being the ninth consecutive 
month of double-digit grocery price inflation. Grocery prices are still 
12% higher than they were a year ago.”

In August, the cost of food shot up 11.4% over last year, which is a level not seen since May 1979, according to Marketwatch’s <a target="_blank" href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/we-have-yet-to-see-a-peak-in-food-inflation-food-prices-see-highest-increase-since-1979-with-one-item-up-nearly-40-on-last-year-11663097731">analysis</a> of government data.

“The good news is that food price 
increases and grocery price increases peaked in August,” Ortega added, 
“They’re just slowly starting to come down. We’re headed in the right 
direction but consumers are still not feeling relief at the store and 
that’s because inflation captures the rate of price increases over time,
 so just because the inflation rate starts to calm down a bit doesn’t 
mean that things are getting cheaper. They’re just not rising in price 
as quickly.”

Supply chain disruptions, the conflict in Ukraine, climate change, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/avian-flu-outbreak-wipes-out-5054-mln-us-birds-record-2022-11-24/">deadliest</a>
 bird flu in U.S. history, transportation costs, and increased consumer 
spending on food, are all drivers of higher food prices, Ortega 
explained.&nbsp;

“We have supply chain disruptions and
 they’re starting to ease from the pandemic. But then we have the 
conflict in Ukraine that led to a surge in commodity prices earlier this
 year. Those have come down significantly, but it takes time for that to
 be fully realized at the grocery store.”

Climate change has also affected 
agricultural output, he said, which has meant less food out in the 
market and increased prices. Ortega said that although it’s hard to say 
when food prices will begin to come down, he expects that it could 
happen in the next six months or so. The International Monetary Fund <a target="_blank" href="https://www.imf.org/en/Blogs/Articles/2022/12/09/global-food-prices-to-remain-elevated-amid-war-costly-energy-la-nina">released</a>
 a report in October that said Federal Reserve interest rate increases 
will put “downward pressure on prices through the end of next year.”&nbsp;

Donna McCallister, assistant 
professor at the department of agricultural and applied economics at 
Texas Tech University, said prices always increase this time of year, 
compounding the problem for many Americans this month. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bankrate.com/banking/federal-reserve/inflation-holiday-essentials-rising-most/">According to</a>
 Bankrate’s Nov. 23 analysis of the cost of holiday essentials, six of 
10 of the most inflated prices were for food, including turkey, bakery 
items, eggs, flour and prepared mixes.&nbsp;

Consumers preparing a Christmas ham, 
buying a frozen pie, or making sugar cookies for a party this month will
 find significantly higher prices than last year. Ham is up 7.8% year 
over year, frozen and refrigerated bakery products are up 19.4%, and 
eggs are up 49.1%, the CPI. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cpi.pdf">shows</a>.

“A lot of that has to do with 
increased cost of production and transportation, but also increased 
demand for these things like butter, where people go out and buy things 
like eggs, butter, and flour for their cooking, so there’s also a demand
 story here as well,” Ortega said.

McCallister suggests cutting down on 
food waste by going to stores more frequently for specific meals, buying
 some items in bulk, or switching from name brand to store brand to save
 money this holiday season.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670968091843.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By CASEY QUINLAN <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/12/13/heres-why-food-prices-remain-stubbornly-high-even-as-inflation-cools/">States Newsroom</a>Shoppers
 hoping for a little relief at the grocery store for their holiday meals
 will be disappointed by the Consumer Price Index released Tuesday. The 
CPI shows inflation cooling, but food prices — particularly for some 
holiday staples — remain high.The CPI <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm">increased</a> 0.1% in November, which was lower than some economists <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/12/consumer-inflation-expected-to-have-continued-cooling-in-november-but-still-high.html">expected</a>.
 Over the last 12 months, it rose 7.1%. Food went up 0.5% last month 
after an increase of 0.6% in October. The food index climbed 10.6% over 
last year.&nbsp;&nbsp;“The headline inflation numbers are 
encouraging for the general economy but consumers are not being relieved
 at the grocery store,” said David Ortega, associate professor at the 
department of agricultural food and resource economics at Michigan State
 University. “We’re looking at November being the ninth consecutive 
month of double-digit grocery price inflation. Grocery prices are still 
12% higher than they were a year ago.”In August, the cost of food shot up 11.4% over last year, which is a level not seen since May 1979, according to Marketwatch’s <a target="_blank" href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/we-have-yet-to-see-a-peak-in-food-inflation-food-prices-see-highest-increase-since-1979-with-one-item-up-nearly-40-on-last-year-11663097731">analysis</a> of government data.“The good news is that food price 
increases and grocery price increases peaked in August,” Ortega added, 
“They’re just slowly starting to come down. We’re headed in the right 
direction but consumers are still not feeling relief at the store and 
that’s because inflation captures the rate of price increases over time,
 so just because the inflation rate starts to calm down a bit doesn’t 
mean that things are getting cheaper. They’re just not rising in price 
as quickly.”Supply chain disruptions, the conflict in Ukraine, climate change, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/avian-flu-outbreak-wipes-out-5054-mln-us-birds-record-2022-11-24/">deadliest</a>
 bird flu in U.S. history, transportation costs, and increased consumer 
spending on food, are all drivers of higher food prices, Ortega 
explained.&nbsp;“We have supply chain disruptions and
 they’re starting to ease from the pandemic. But then we have the 
conflict in Ukraine that led to a surge in commodity prices earlier this
 year. Those have come down significantly, but it takes time for that to
 be fully realized at the grocery store.”Climate change has also affected 
agricultural output, he said, which has meant less food out in the 
market and increased prices. Ortega said that although it’s hard to say 
when food prices will begin to come down, he expects that it could 
happen in the next six months or so. The International Monetary Fund <a target="_blank" href="https://www.imf.org/en/Blogs/Articles/2022/12/09/global-food-prices-to-remain-elevated-amid-war-costly-energy-la-nina">released</a>
 a report in October that said Federal Reserve interest rate increases 
will put “downward pressure on prices through the end of next year.”&nbsp;Donna McCallister, assistant 
professor at the department of agricultural and applied economics at 
Texas Tech University, said prices always increase this time of year, 
compounding the problem for many Americans this month. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bankrate.com/banking/federal-reserve/inflation-holiday-essentials-rising-most/">According to</a>
 Bankrate’s Nov. 23 analysis of the cost of holiday essentials, six of 
10 of the most inflated prices were for food, including turkey, bakery 
items, eggs, flour and prepared mixes.&nbsp;Consumers preparing a Christmas ham, 
buying a frozen pie, or making sugar cookies for a party this month will
 find significantly higher prices than last year. Ham is up 7.8% year 
over year, frozen and refrigerated bakery products are up 19.4%, and 
eggs are up 49.1%, the CPI. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cpi.pdf">shows</a>.“A lot of that has to do with 
increased cost of production and transportation, but also increased 
demand for these things like butter, where people go out and buy things 
like eggs, butter, and flour for their cooking, so there’s also a demand
 story here as well,” Ortega said.McCallister suggests cutting down on 
food waste by going to stores more frequently for specific meals, buying
 some items in bulk, or switching from name brand to store brand to save
 money this holiday season.

Why food prices remain stubbornly high even as inflation cools

Genevieve (Jean) Ann Noel was born on May 8, 1936, on Uncle John Kitzke’s&nbsp; Farm southwest of Densmore to John and Josephine (Glennemeier) Noel. 

Jean was the youngest of ten children. She passed away on December 12, 2022, at the Sidney Regional Medical Center in Sidney, Neb., at the age of 86.

When Jean and her sister Marcella started school, they stayed with Grandma Glennemier in Logan the first year. The next year Jean’s parents bought the Logan House Hotel and that was home for several years. Around the year 1947, Jean started taking tickets at the theater.&nbsp; Jean worked there until her mom sold the hotel and bought the grocery store. Jean worked at the store and went back to work at the theater at night selling popcorn.

On May 25, 1953, Jean married Leo Noel at St. John’s Catholic Church in Logan, and they started their married life on Leo’s Uncle Frank's farm northwest of Logan. All their children were born while living on the farm. Thomas Leo, Karen Sue, Catherine Ann, Anna Marie and David Paul.&nbsp;&nbsp; Catherine only lived a few hours.

When David started kindergarten, Jean started working at the creamery until it closed. In October 1968 Jean went to work for Nola McClellan’s dry goods store. She worked there for 10 years. On January 15, 1979, Jean started a new job at the Hansen Trust and Foundation. Jean worked there until her retirement.&nbsp; In June 1986, Leo and Jean bought the Liquor Store from the Jandera’s and ran it for six years. They closed the store and Leo retired.

Visitation will be from 3 to 6 p.m. Dec. 18 at the Logan Funeral Home in Logan.&nbsp; The Rosary will follow at 6 p.m.

Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. on Monday at St. John’s Catholic Church with burial at the Logan Cemetery following Mass.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Logan Intergenerational Project in honor of Jean.

Jean was a member of the North Star Home Demonstration Unit and the Logan Women’s Club. She was also a member of the St. John’s Ladies Guild and the Ralph DeFors American Legion Auxiliary.

Jean moved to Sidney, Neb., 10 years ago after Leo passed away to be closer to her kids and grandkids. Jean loved being around all the new babies and spoiling them.

Jean is survived by her children Thomas (Linda) Noel Sidney, Neb., Karen (Floyd) Long Kimball, Neb., Anna (Dale) Brophy Commerce City, Colo., and David (Brenda) Noel Sidney, Neb., and&nbsp; 10 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren.&nbsp;

She is preceded in death by both her parents John and Josephine; her husband, Leo; infant daughter Catherine; her brothers, Lawrence, Henry, Raymond, and Joseph; and sisters Louise, Agnes, Angeline, Rosemary and Marcella.

Genevieve (Jean) Ann Noel was born on May 8, 1936, on Uncle John Kitzke’s&nbsp; Farm southwest of Densmore to John and Josephine (Glennemeier) Noel. Jean was the youngest of ten children. She passed away on December 12, 2022, at the Sidney Regional Medical Center in Sidney, Neb., at the age of 86.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670969448324.jpeg" alt="Genevieve (Jean) Ann Noel " />
 <figcaption>Genevieve (Jean) Ann Noel </figcaption>
 </figure>When Jean and her sister Marcella started school, they stayed with Grandma Glennemier in Logan the first year. The next year Jean’s parents bought the Logan House Hotel and that was home for several years. Around the year 1947, Jean started taking tickets at the theater.&nbsp; Jean worked there until her mom sold the hotel and bought the grocery store. Jean worked at the store and went back to work at the theater at night selling popcorn.On May 25, 1953, Jean married Leo Noel at St. John’s Catholic Church in Logan, and they started their married life on Leo’s Uncle Frank's farm northwest of Logan. All their children were born while living on the farm. Thomas Leo, Karen Sue, Catherine Ann, Anna Marie and David Paul.&nbsp;&nbsp; Catherine only lived a few hours.When David started kindergarten, Jean started working at the creamery until it closed. In October 1968 Jean went to work for Nola McClellan’s dry goods store. She worked there for 10 years. On January 15, 1979, Jean started a new job at the Hansen Trust and Foundation. Jean worked there until her retirement.&nbsp; In June 1986, Leo and Jean bought the Liquor Store from the Jandera’s and ran it for six years. They closed the store and Leo retired.Visitation will be from 3 to 6 p.m. Dec. 18 at the Logan Funeral Home in Logan.&nbsp; The Rosary will follow at 6 p.m.Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. on Monday at St. John’s Catholic Church with burial at the Logan Cemetery following Mass.In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Logan Intergenerational Project in honor of Jean.Jean was a member of the North Star Home Demonstration Unit and the Logan Women’s Club. She was also a member of the St. John’s Ladies Guild and the Ralph DeFors American Legion Auxiliary.Jean moved to Sidney, Neb., 10 years ago after Leo passed away to be closer to her kids and grandkids. Jean loved being around all the new babies and spoiling them.Jean is survived by her children Thomas (Linda) Noel Sidney, Neb., Karen (Floyd) Long Kimball, Neb., Anna (Dale) Brophy Commerce City, Colo., and David (Brenda) Noel Sidney, Neb., and&nbsp; 10 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren.&nbsp;She is preceded in death by both her parents John and Josephine; her husband, Leo; infant daughter Catherine; her brothers, Lawrence, Henry, Raymond, and Joseph; and sisters Louise, Agnes, Angeline, Rosemary and Marcella.

Genevieve 'Jean' Ann Noel

By HANNAH RECHT <a href="https://dailymontanan.com/2022/12/12/paxlovid-has-been-free-now-comes-the-sticker-shock/">Kaiser Health News, courtesy Daily Montanan</a>

Nearly 6 million Americans have taken Paxlovid for free, courtesy of 
the federal government. The Pfizer pill has helped prevent many people 
infected with COVID-19 from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7148e2.htm">being hospitalized</a> or dying, and it may even <a target="_blank" href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.11.03.22281783v1">reduce the risk</a>
 of developing long COVID. But the government plans to stop footing the 
bill within months, and millions of people who are at the highest risk 
of severe illness and are least able to afford the drug — the uninsured 
and seniors — may have to pay the full price.

And that means fewer people will get the potentially lifesaving treatments, experts said.

“I think the numbers will go way down,” said Jill Rosenthal, director
 of public health policy at the Center for American Progress, a 
left-leaning think tank. A bill for several hundred dollars or more 
would lead many people to decide the medication isn’t worth the price, 
she said.

In response to the unprecedented public health crisis caused by 
COVID, the federal government spent billions of dollars on developing 
new vaccines and treatments, to swift success: Less than a year after 
the pandemic was declared, medical workers got their first vaccines. But
 as many people have refused the shots and stopped wearing masks, the 
virus still rages and mutates. In 2022 alone, 250,000 Americans <a target="_blank" href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#trends_totaldeaths_select_00">have died</a> from COVID, <a target="_blank" href="https://data.cdc.gov/NCHS/Monthly-Provisional-Counts-of-Deaths-by-Select-Cau/9dzk-mvmi/data">more than</a> from strokes or diabetes.

But soon the Department of Health and Human Services will stop 
supplying COVID treatments, and pharmacies will purchase and bill for 
them the same way they do for antibiotic pills or asthma inhalers. 
Paxlovid is expected to hit the private market in mid-2023, according to
 HHS plans shared in an October meeting with state health officials and 
clinicians. Merck’s Lagevrio, a less-effective COVID treatment pill, and
 AstraZeneca’s Evusheld, a preventive therapy for the immunocompromised,
 are on track to be commercialized sooner, sometime in the winter.

The U.S. government has so far purchased <a target="_blank" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/04/26/fact-sheet-biden-administration-increases-access-to-covid-19-treatments-and-boosts-patient-and-provider-awareness/">20 million courses</a>
 of Paxlovid, priced at about $530 each, a discount for buying in bulk 
that Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla called “really very attractive” to the 
federal government in a July earnings call. The drug will cost far more 
on the private market, although in a statement to KHN, Pfizer declined 
to share the planned price. The government will also stop paying for the
 company’s COVID vaccine next year — those shots will <a target="_blank" href="https://khn.org/news/article/pfizer-covid-cash-marketing-drugs/">quadruple in price</a>, from the discount rate the government pays of $30 to about $120.

Bourla told investors in November that he expects the move will make 
Paxlovid and its COVID vaccine “a multibillion-dollars franchise.”

Nearly <a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/11/28/covid-who-is-dying/">9 in 10 people</a> dying from the virus now are 65 or older. Yet federal law restricts Medicare Part D — the prescription drug program that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/other/state-indicator/medicare-beneficiaries-enrolled-in-part-d-coverage/?currentTimeframe=0&amp;sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Location%22,%22sort%22:%22asc%22%7D">covers nearly 50 million seniors</a>
 — from covering the COVID treatment pills. The medications are meant 
for those most at risk of serious illness, including seniors.

Paxlovid and the other treatments are currently available under an 
emergency use authorization from the FDA, a fast-track review used in 
extraordinary situations. Although Pfizer <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-release/press-release-detail/pfizer-announces-submission-new-drug-application-us-fda">applied for full approval</a>
 in June, the process can take anywhere from several months to years. 
And Medicare Part D can’t cover any medications without that full stamp 
of approval.

Paying out-of-pocket would be “a substantial barrier” for seniors on 
Medicare — the very people who would benefit most from the drug, wrote <a target="_blank" href="https://aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1072f5093254224ac902ca395387085c/coverage-considerations-covid-19.pdf">federal health experts</a>.

“From a public health perspective, and even from a health care 
capacity and cost perspective, it would just defy reason to not continue
 to make these drugs readily available,” said Dr. Larry Madoff, medical 
director of Massachusetts’ Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory 
Sciences. He’s hopeful that the federal health agency will find a way to
 set aside unused doses for seniors and people without insurance.

In mid-November, the White House requested that Congress approve an 
additional $2.5 billion for COVID therapeutics and vaccines to make sure
 people can afford the medications when they’re no longer free. But 
there’s little hope it will be approved — the Senate <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/senate-votes-to-end-covid-19-emergency-declaration-11668559887">voted that same day to end</a> the public health emergency and denied similar requests in recent months.

Many Americans have already faced hurdles just <a target="_blank" href="https://khn.org/news/article/test-to-treat-biden-covid-failing-patients-pharmacies-cvs/">getting a prescription</a> for COVID treatment. Although the federal government <a target="_blank" href="https://khn.org/news/article/paxlovid-covid-pill-antiviral-access-data/">doesn’t track</a> who’s gotten the drug, a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7143a2.htm">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study</a>
 using data from 30 medical centers found that Black and Hispanic 
patients with COVID were much less likely to receive Paxlovid than white
 patients. (Hispanic people can be of any race or combination of races.)
 And when the government is no longer picking up the tab, experts 
predict that these gaps by race, income, and geography will widen.

People in Northeastern states used the drug far more often than those
 in the rest of the country, according to a Kaiser Health News analysis 
of Paxlovid use in September and October. But it wasn’t because people 
in the region were getting sick from COVID at much higher rates — 
instead, many of those states offered better <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/hus/report.htm">access to health care</a> to begin with and created special programs to get Paxlovid to their residents.

About 10 mostly Democratic states and several large counties in the 
Northeast and elsewhere created free “test-to-treat” programs that allow
 their residents to get an immediate doctor visit and prescription for 
treatment after testing positive for COVID. In Massachusetts, more than 
20,000 residents have used the state’s <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mass.gov/info-details/free-telehealth-for-covid-19-treatment-with-paxlovid">video and phone hotline</a>,
 which is available seven days a week in 13 languages. Massachusetts, 
which has the highest insurance rate in the country and relatively low 
travel times to pharmacies, had the second-highest Paxlovid usage rate 
among states this fall.

States with higher COVID death rates, like Florida and Kentucky, 
where residents must travel farther for health care and are more likely 
to be uninsured, used the drug less often. Without no-cost test-to-treat
 options, <a target="_blank" href="https://khn.org/news/article/test-to-treat-biden-covid-failing-patients-pharmacies-cvs/">residents have struggled</a> to get prescriptions even though the drug itself is still free.

“If you look at access to medications for people who are uninsured, I
 think that there’s no question that will widen those disparities,” 
Rosenthal said.

People who get insurance through their jobs could face high copays at
 the register, too, just as they do for insulin and other expensive or 
brand-name drugs.

Most private insurance companies will end up covering COVID 
therapeutics to some extent, said Sabrina Corlette, a research professor
 at Georgetown University’s Center on Health Insurance Reforms. After 
all, the pills are cheaper than a hospital stay. But for most people who
 get insurance through their jobs, there are “really no rules at all,” 
she said. Some insurers could take months to add the drugs to their 
plans or decide not to pay for them.

And the additional cost means many people will go without the medication.

“We know from lots of research that when people face cost sharing for
 these drugs that they need to take, they will often forgo or cut back,”
 Corlette said.

One group doesn’t need to worry about sticker shock. Medicaid, the 
public insurance program for low-income adults and children, will cover 
the treatments in full until at least early 2024.

HHS officials could set aside any leftover taxpayer-funded medication
 for people who can’t afford to pay the full cost, but they haven’t 
shared any concrete plans to do so. The government purchased 20 million 
courses of Paxlovid and 3 million of Lagevrio. Fewer than a third have 
been used, and usage has fallen in recent months, according to KHN’s 
analysis of the data from HHS.

Sixty percent of the government’s supply of Evusheld is also still available, although the COVID prevention therapy is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-releases-important-information-about-risk-covid-19-due-certain-variants-not-neutralized-evusheld">less effective</a> against new strains of the virus. The health department in one state, <a target="_blank" href="https://files.constantcontact.com/8088728e101/558b11b0-e00f-47d7-8ec1-645904ec1905.pdf">New Mexico</a>, has recommended against using it.

HHS did not make officials available for an interview or answer written questions about the commercialization plans.

The government created a potential workaround when they moved 
bebtelovimab, another COVID treatment, to the private market this 
summer. It now retails for $2,100 per patient. The agency set aside the 
remaining 60,000 government-purchased doses that hospitals could use to 
treat uninsured patients in a convoluted <a target="_blank" href="https://aspr.hhs.gov/COVID-19/Therapeutics/Products/Bebtelovimab/Pages/default.aspx">dose-replacement process</a>. But it’s hard to tell how well that setup would work for Paxlovid: Bebtelovimab was already much less popular, and the FDA <a target="_blank" href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-announces-bebtelovimab-not-currently-authorized-any-us-region">halted its use</a> on Nov. 30 because it’s less effective against current strains of the virus.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670875530434.png" alt="CDC image" />
 <figcaption>CDC image</figcaption>
 </figure>By HANNAH RECHT <a href="https://dailymontanan.com/2022/12/12/paxlovid-has-been-free-now-comes-the-sticker-shock/">Kaiser Health News, courtesy Daily Montanan</a>Nearly 6 million Americans have taken Paxlovid for free, courtesy of 
the federal government. The Pfizer pill has helped prevent many people 
infected with COVID-19 from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7148e2.htm">being hospitalized</a> or dying, and it may even <a target="_blank" href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.11.03.22281783v1">reduce the risk</a>
 of developing long COVID. But the government plans to stop footing the 
bill within months, and millions of people who are at the highest risk 
of severe illness and are least able to afford the drug — the uninsured 
and seniors — may have to pay the full price.And that means fewer people will get the potentially lifesaving treatments, experts said.“I think the numbers will go way down,” said Jill Rosenthal, director
 of public health policy at the Center for American Progress, a 
left-leaning think tank. A bill for several hundred dollars or more 
would lead many people to decide the medication isn’t worth the price, 
she said.In response to the unprecedented public health crisis caused by 
COVID, the federal government spent billions of dollars on developing 
new vaccines and treatments, to swift success: Less than a year after 
the pandemic was declared, medical workers got their first vaccines. But
 as many people have refused the shots and stopped wearing masks, the 
virus still rages and mutates. In 2022 alone, 250,000 Americans <a target="_blank" href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#trends_totaldeaths_select_00">have died</a> from COVID, <a target="_blank" href="https://data.cdc.gov/NCHS/Monthly-Provisional-Counts-of-Deaths-by-Select-Cau/9dzk-mvmi/data">more than</a> from strokes or diabetes.But soon the Department of Health and Human Services will stop 
supplying COVID treatments, and pharmacies will purchase and bill for 
them the same way they do for antibiotic pills or asthma inhalers. 
Paxlovid is expected to hit the private market in mid-2023, according to
 HHS plans shared in an October meeting with state health officials and 
clinicians. Merck’s Lagevrio, a less-effective COVID treatment pill, and
 AstraZeneca’s Evusheld, a preventive therapy for the immunocompromised,
 are on track to be commercialized sooner, sometime in the winter.The U.S. government has so far purchased <a target="_blank" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/04/26/fact-sheet-biden-administration-increases-access-to-covid-19-treatments-and-boosts-patient-and-provider-awareness/">20 million courses</a>
 of Paxlovid, priced at about $530 each, a discount for buying in bulk 
that Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla called “really very attractive” to the 
federal government in a July earnings call. The drug will cost far more 
on the private market, although in a statement to KHN, Pfizer declined 
to share the planned price. The government will also stop paying for the
 company’s COVID vaccine next year — those shots will <a target="_blank" href="https://khn.org/news/article/pfizer-covid-cash-marketing-drugs/">quadruple in price</a>, from the discount rate the government pays of $30 to about $120.Bourla told investors in November that he expects the move will make 
Paxlovid and its COVID vaccine “a multibillion-dollars franchise.”Nearly <a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/11/28/covid-who-is-dying/">9 in 10 people</a> dying from the virus now are 65 or older. Yet federal law restricts Medicare Part D — the prescription drug program that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/other/state-indicator/medicare-beneficiaries-enrolled-in-part-d-coverage/?currentTimeframe=0&amp;sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Location%22,%22sort%22:%22asc%22%7D">covers nearly 50 million seniors</a>
 — from covering the COVID treatment pills. The medications are meant 
for those most at risk of serious illness, including seniors.Paxlovid and the other treatments are currently available under an 
emergency use authorization from the FDA, a fast-track review used in 
extraordinary situations. Although Pfizer <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-release/press-release-detail/pfizer-announces-submission-new-drug-application-us-fda">applied for full approval</a>
 in June, the process can take anywhere from several months to years. 
And Medicare Part D can’t cover any medications without that full stamp 
of approval.Paying out-of-pocket would be “a substantial barrier” for seniors on 
Medicare — the very people who would benefit most from the drug, wrote <a target="_blank" href="https://aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1072f5093254224ac902ca395387085c/coverage-considerations-covid-19.pdf">federal health experts</a>.“From a public health perspective, and even from a health care 
capacity and cost perspective, it would just defy reason to not continue
 to make these drugs readily available,” said Dr. Larry Madoff, medical 
director of Massachusetts’ Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory 
Sciences. He’s hopeful that the federal health agency will find a way to
 set aside unused doses for seniors and people without insurance.In mid-November, the White House requested that Congress approve an 
additional $2.5 billion for COVID therapeutics and vaccines to make sure
 people can afford the medications when they’re no longer free. But 
there’s little hope it will be approved — the Senate <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/senate-votes-to-end-covid-19-emergency-declaration-11668559887">voted that same day to end</a> the public health emergency and denied similar requests in recent months.Many Americans have already faced hurdles just <a target="_blank" href="https://khn.org/news/article/test-to-treat-biden-covid-failing-patients-pharmacies-cvs/">getting a prescription</a> for COVID treatment. Although the federal government <a target="_blank" href="https://khn.org/news/article/paxlovid-covid-pill-antiviral-access-data/">doesn’t track</a> who’s gotten the drug, a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7143a2.htm">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study</a>
 using data from 30 medical centers found that Black and Hispanic 
patients with COVID were much less likely to receive Paxlovid than white
 patients. (Hispanic people can be of any race or combination of races.)
 And when the government is no longer picking up the tab, experts 
predict that these gaps by race, income, and geography will widen.People in Northeastern states used the drug far more often than those
 in the rest of the country, according to a Kaiser Health News analysis 
of Paxlovid use in September and October. But it wasn’t because people 
in the region were getting sick from COVID at much higher rates — 
instead, many of those states offered better <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/hus/report.htm">access to health care</a> to begin with and created special programs to get Paxlovid to their residents.About 10 mostly Democratic states and several large counties in the 
Northeast and elsewhere created free “test-to-treat” programs that allow
 their residents to get an immediate doctor visit and prescription for 
treatment after testing positive for COVID. In Massachusetts, more than 
20,000 residents have used the state’s <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mass.gov/info-details/free-telehealth-for-covid-19-treatment-with-paxlovid">video and phone hotline</a>,
 which is available seven days a week in 13 languages. Massachusetts, 
which has the highest insurance rate in the country and relatively low 
travel times to pharmacies, had the second-highest Paxlovid usage rate 
among states this fall.States with higher COVID death rates, like Florida and Kentucky, 
where residents must travel farther for health care and are more likely 
to be uninsured, used the drug less often. Without no-cost test-to-treat
 options, <a target="_blank" href="https://khn.org/news/article/test-to-treat-biden-covid-failing-patients-pharmacies-cvs/">residents have struggled</a> to get prescriptions even though the drug itself is still free.“If you look at access to medications for people who are uninsured, I
 think that there’s no question that will widen those disparities,” 
Rosenthal said.People who get insurance through their jobs could face high copays at
 the register, too, just as they do for insulin and other expensive or 
brand-name drugs.Most private insurance companies will end up covering COVID 
therapeutics to some extent, said Sabrina Corlette, a research professor
 at Georgetown University’s Center on Health Insurance Reforms. After 
all, the pills are cheaper than a hospital stay. But for most people who
 get insurance through their jobs, there are “really no rules at all,” 
she said. Some insurers could take months to add the drugs to their 
plans or decide not to pay for them.And the additional cost means many people will go without the medication.“We know from lots of research that when people face cost sharing for
 these drugs that they need to take, they will often forgo or cut back,”
 Corlette said.One group doesn’t need to worry about sticker shock. Medicaid, the 
public insurance program for low-income adults and children, will cover 
the treatments in full until at least early 2024.HHS officials could set aside any leftover taxpayer-funded medication
 for people who can’t afford to pay the full cost, but they haven’t 
shared any concrete plans to do so. The government purchased 20 million 
courses of Paxlovid and 3 million of Lagevrio. Fewer than a third have 
been used, and usage has fallen in recent months, according to KHN’s 
analysis of the data from HHS.Sixty percent of the government’s supply of Evusheld is also still available, although the COVID prevention therapy is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-releases-important-information-about-risk-covid-19-due-certain-variants-not-neutralized-evusheld">less effective</a> against new strains of the virus. The health department in one state, <a target="_blank" href="https://files.constantcontact.com/8088728e101/558b11b0-e00f-47d7-8ec1-645904ec1905.pdf">New Mexico</a>, has recommended against using it.HHS did not make officials available for an interview or answer written questions about the commercialization plans.The government created a potential workaround when they moved 
bebtelovimab, another COVID treatment, to the private market this 
summer. It now retails for $2,100 per patient. The agency set aside the 
remaining 60,000 government-purchased doses that hospitals could use to 
treat uninsured patients in a convoluted <a target="_blank" href="https://aspr.hhs.gov/COVID-19/Therapeutics/Products/Bebtelovimab/Pages/default.aspx">dose-replacement process</a>. But it’s hard to tell how well that setup would work for Paxlovid: Bebtelovimab was already much less popular, and the FDA <a target="_blank" href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-announces-bebtelovimab-not-currently-authorized-any-us-region">halted its use</a> on Nov. 30 because it’s less effective against current strains of the virus.Federal officials and insurance companies would have good reason to 
make sure patients can continue to afford covid drugs: They’re far 
cheaper than if patients land in the emergency room.“The medications are so worthwhile,” said Madoff, the Massachusetts 
health official. “They’re not expensive in the grand scheme of health 
care costs.”<a target="_blank" href="https://www.khn.org/about-us">KHN</a> 
(Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth 
journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and 
Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/about-us">KFF</a> (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.