WASHINGTON (AP) — The National Archives on Wednesday made public nearly 1,500 documents related to the U.S. government’s investigation into the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.archives.gov/research/jfk/release2021" target="_blank">disclosure&nbsp;</a>of secret cables, internal memos and other documents satisfies a deadline set in October by President Joe Biden and is in keeping with a federal statute that calls for the government to release records in its possession concerning the Kennedy assassination. Additional documents are expected to be made public next year.

There was no immediate indication that the records contained new revelations that could radically reshape the public’s understanding of the events surrounding the Nov. 22, 1963, assassination of Kennedy in Dallas at the hands of gunman Lee Harvey Oswald.

But the latest tranche of documents was nonetheless eagerly anticipated by historians and others who, decades after the Kennedy killing, remain skeptical that at the height of the Cold War, a troubled young man with a mail-order rifle was solely responsible for an assassination that changed the course of American history.

The documents include CIA cables and memos discussing Oswald’s previously disclosed but never fully explained visits to the Soviet and Cuban embassies in Mexico City as well as discussion, in the days after the assassination, of the potential for Cuban involvement in the killing of Kennedy.

One CIA memo describes how Oswald phoned the Soviet embassy while in Mexico City to ask for a visa to visit the Soviet Union. He also visited the Cuban embassy, apparently interested in a travel visa that would permit him to visit Cuba and wait there for a Soviet visa. On Oct. 3, more than one month before the assassination, he drove back into the United States through a crossing point at the Texas border.

Another memo, dated the day after Kennedy’s assassination, says that according to an intercepted phone call in Mexico City, Oswald communicated with a KGB officer while at the Soviet embassy that September.

After Kennedy was killed, Mexican authorities arrested a Mexican employee of the Cuban embassy with whom Oswald had communicated, and she said Oswald had “professed to be a Communist and an admirer of Castro,” according to the memo. That’s a reference to Fidel Castro, the Cuban leader at the time and an adversary of the Kennedy White House.

One CIA document marked “Secret Eyes Only” details what it says were U.S. government plots to assassinate Castro, including a 1960 scheme “that involved the use of the criminal underworld with contacts inside Cuba.”

Another document made public Wednesday shows the U.S. government evaluating whether Oswald, while living in New Orleans, may have been swayed or affected in any way by the publication in the local newspaper of an interview an Associated Press correspondent conducted with Castro in which Castro warned of retribution if the U.S. were to try to help take out Cuban leaders.

The new files include several FBI reports on the bureau’s efforts to investigate and surveil major mafia figures like Santo Trafficante Jr. and Sam Giancana, who are often mentioned in conspiracy theories surrounding Kennedy’s assassination. The files also include several FBI reports showing the bureau kept regular tabs on anti-Castro groups operating in southern Florida and Puerto Rico in the 1960s.

Apart from the Kennedy investigation, some of the material would be of interest to scholars or anyone interested in the minutiae of 1960s counterespionage, with pages and pages of arcane details on such things as the methods, equipment and personnel used to surveil the Cuban and Soviet embassies in Mexico City.

In blocking the release of hundreds of records in 2017 because of concerns from the FBI and the CIA, President Donald Trump cited “potentially irreversible harm.” Even so, about 2,800 other records were released at that time.

The Warren Commission in 1964 concluded that Oswald had been the lone gunman, and another congressional probe in 1979 found no evidence to support the theory that the CIA had been involved. But other interpretations have persisted.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639658580146.png" alt="Image courtesy National Archives" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy National Archives</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The National Archives on Wednesday made public nearly 1,500 documents related to the U.S. government’s investigation into the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.archives.gov/research/jfk/release2021" target="_blank">disclosure&nbsp;</a>of secret cables, internal memos and other documents satisfies a deadline set in October by President Joe Biden and is in keeping with a federal statute that calls for the government to release records in its possession concerning the Kennedy assassination. Additional documents are expected to be made public next year.There was no immediate indication that the records contained new revelations that could radically reshape the public’s understanding of the events surrounding the Nov. 22, 1963, assassination of Kennedy in Dallas at the hands of gunman Lee Harvey Oswald.But the latest tranche of documents was nonetheless eagerly anticipated by historians and others who, decades after the Kennedy killing, remain skeptical that at the height of the Cold War, a troubled young man with a mail-order rifle was solely responsible for an assassination that changed the course of American history.The documents include CIA cables and memos discussing Oswald’s previously disclosed but never fully explained visits to the Soviet and Cuban embassies in Mexico City as well as discussion, in the days after the assassination, of the potential for Cuban involvement in the killing of Kennedy.One CIA memo describes how Oswald phoned the Soviet embassy while in Mexico City to ask for a visa to visit the Soviet Union. He also visited the Cuban embassy, apparently interested in a travel visa that would permit him to visit Cuba and wait there for a Soviet visa. On Oct. 3, more than one month before the assassination, he drove back into the United States through a crossing point at the Texas border.Another memo, dated the day after Kennedy’s assassination, says that according to an intercepted phone call in Mexico City, Oswald communicated with a KGB officer while at the Soviet embassy that September.After Kennedy was killed, Mexican authorities arrested a Mexican employee of the Cuban embassy with whom Oswald had communicated, and she said Oswald had “professed to be a Communist and an admirer of Castro,” according to the memo. That’s a reference to Fidel Castro, the Cuban leader at the time and an adversary of the Kennedy White House.One CIA document marked “Secret Eyes Only” details what it says were U.S. government plots to assassinate Castro, including a 1960 scheme “that involved the use of the criminal underworld with contacts inside Cuba.”Another document made public Wednesday shows the U.S. government evaluating whether Oswald, while living in New Orleans, may have been swayed or affected in any way by the publication in the local newspaper of an interview an Associated Press correspondent conducted with Castro in which Castro warned of retribution if the U.S. were to try to help take out Cuban leaders.The new files include several FBI reports on the bureau’s efforts to investigate and surveil major mafia figures like Santo Trafficante Jr. and Sam Giancana, who are often mentioned in conspiracy theories surrounding Kennedy’s assassination. The files also include several FBI reports showing the bureau kept regular tabs on anti-Castro groups operating in southern Florida and Puerto Rico in the 1960s.Apart from the Kennedy investigation, some of the material would be of interest to scholars or anyone interested in the minutiae of 1960s counterespionage, with pages and pages of arcane details on such things as the methods, equipment and personnel used to surveil the Cuban and Soviet embassies in Mexico City.In blocking the release of hundreds of records in 2017 because of concerns from the FBI and the CIA, President Donald Trump cited “potentially irreversible harm.” Even so, about 2,800 other records were released at that time.The Warren Commission in 1964 concluded that Oswald had been the lone gunman, and another congressional probe in 1979 found no evidence to support the theory that the CIA had been involved. But other interpretations have persisted._____

Additional secret JFK assassination files released

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress averted a catastrophic debt default early Wednesday morning after Democratic majorities in both chambers voted to send a $2.5 trillion increase in the nation’s borrowing authority to President Joe Biden over lockstep Republican opposition.

Capping a marathon day, the House gave final approval to the legislation early Wednesday morning on a near-party-line 221-209 vote, defusing a volatile issue until after the 2022 midterm elections. The action came just hours shy of a deadline set by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who warned last month that she was running out of maneuvering room to avoid the nation’s first-ever default.

“The full faith and credit of the United States should never be questioned,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi said from the House floor shortly before the vote.

Yet the bill — which drew only one Republican vote in the House, from Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger — also saddled vulnerable Democrats with a tough vote on the cusp of an election year when both chambers will be up for grabs.

Republicans, meanwhile, said they were perplexed by the Democrats’ scramble to act.

“Democrats have known this day is coming for two years and did absolutely nothing,“ said Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas.

Despite a seemingly straightforward name, the nation’s debt limit does little to curtail future debt. Established in 1917, it instead serves as a brake on spending decisions already endorsed by Republicans and Democrats alike — in some cases decades ago — that if left unpaid could cripple markets, send the economy into a tailspin and shake global confidence in the U.S.

That hasn’t stopped Republican saber-rattling. For months, they’ve used the debt limit to attack&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-joe-biden-business-health-congress-44c43fab00aa95a268a2cba420713d22">Democrats’ big-spending social and environmental agenda</a>&nbsp;while pledging to staunchly oppose the current effort to increase the threshold. As recently as October, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said he would not “be a party to any future effort to mitigate the consequences of Democratic mismanagement.”

Yet McConnell softened his opposition, striking a deal with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer last week that created a workaround that allowed Senate Democrats to approve legislation with a simple majority while avoiding a Republican filibuster.

“This is about paying debt accumulated by both parties,” Schumer, D-N.Y., said Tuesday while hailing the agreement.

McConnell’s backtracking angered some in his party. But it also gave him much of what he wanted: Democrats taking a politically difficult vote without Republican support, while increasing the limit by a staggering dollar figure that is sure to appear in future attack ads.

“If they jam through another taxing and spending spree this massive debt increase will just be the beginning,” the Kentucky Republican said Tuesday.

The decision didn’t sit well with Donald Trump.

The former president has railed against the deal repeatedly, calling McConnell a “Broken Old Crow” who “didn’t have the guts to play the Debt Ceiling card, which would have given the Republicans a complete victory on virtually everything.”

“GET RID OF MITCH!” Trump said in a statement issued Sunday.

Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah also criticized the intricate process Schumer and McConnell agreed to, which he warned could be used in the future to “launder” potentially unpopular votes.

Under the agreement, an amendment was made to an unrelated Medicare bill that passed last week with Republican votes. It created a one-time, fast-track process for raising the debt limit that allowed Democrats to do so with a simple majority, bypassing the 60-vote threshold to avoid a GOP filibuster.

Lee said the process was intended to make the Republican votes last week “appear as something other than helping Democrats raise the debt ceiling,” which he said Republican leadership “committed, in writing no less, not to do.”

Yet Republican arguments against debt limit increases often ignore inconvenient facts.

The nation’s current debt load of $28.9 trillion has been racking up for decades. Major drivers include popular spending programs, like Social Security and Medicare, interest on the debt and recent COVID-19 relief packages. But taxation is also a major factor, and a series of tax cuts enacted by Republican presidents in recent decades has added to it, too.

That includes $7.8 trillion heaped onto the pile during Trump’s four-year presidency, an analysis of Treasury records shows. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-us-news-business-laws-2d9e099660064f2b8a8fc2237b4e7e4e">GOP-championed 2017 tax cut</a>&nbsp;is projected to add between $1 trillion and $2 trillion to the debt, according to the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress averted a catastrophic debt default early Wednesday morning after Democratic majorities in both chambers voted to send a $2.5 trillion increase in the nation’s borrowing authority to President Joe Biden over lockstep Republican opposition.Capping a marathon day, the House gave final approval to the legislation early Wednesday morning on a near-party-line 221-209 vote, defusing a volatile issue until after the 2022 midterm elections. The action came just hours shy of a deadline set by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who warned last month that she was running out of maneuvering room to avoid the nation’s first-ever default.“The full faith and credit of the United States should never be questioned,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi said from the House floor shortly before the vote.Yet the bill — which drew only one Republican vote in the House, from Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger — also saddled vulnerable Democrats with a tough vote on the cusp of an election year when both chambers will be up for grabs.Republicans, meanwhile, said they were perplexed by the Democrats’ scramble to act.“Democrats have known this day is coming for two years and did absolutely nothing,“ said Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas.Despite a seemingly straightforward name, the nation’s debt limit does little to curtail future debt. Established in 1917, it instead serves as a brake on spending decisions already endorsed by Republicans and Democrats alike — in some cases decades ago — that if left unpaid could cripple markets, send the economy into a tailspin and shake global confidence in the U.S.That hasn’t stopped Republican saber-rattling. For months, they’ve used the debt limit to attack&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-joe-biden-business-health-congress-44c43fab00aa95a268a2cba420713d22">Democrats’ big-spending social and environmental agenda</a>&nbsp;while pledging to staunchly oppose the current effort to increase the threshold. As recently as October, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said he would not “be a party to any future effort to mitigate the consequences of Democratic mismanagement.”Yet McConnell softened his opposition, striking a deal with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer last week that created a workaround that allowed Senate Democrats to approve legislation with a simple majority while avoiding a Republican filibuster.“This is about paying debt accumulated by both parties,” Schumer, D-N.Y., said Tuesday while hailing the agreement.McConnell’s backtracking angered some in his party. But it also gave him much of what he wanted: Democrats taking a politically difficult vote without Republican support, while increasing the limit by a staggering dollar figure that is sure to appear in future attack ads.“If they jam through another taxing and spending spree this massive debt increase will just be the beginning,” the Kentucky Republican said Tuesday.The decision didn’t sit well with Donald Trump.The former president has railed against the deal repeatedly, calling McConnell a “Broken Old Crow” who “didn’t have the guts to play the Debt Ceiling card, which would have given the Republicans a complete victory on virtually everything.”“GET RID OF MITCH!” Trump said in a statement issued Sunday.Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah also criticized the intricate process Schumer and McConnell agreed to, which he warned could be used in the future to “launder” potentially unpopular votes.Under the agreement, an amendment was made to an unrelated Medicare bill that passed last week with Republican votes. It created a one-time, fast-track process for raising the debt limit that allowed Democrats to do so with a simple majority, bypassing the 60-vote threshold to avoid a GOP filibuster.Lee said the process was intended to make the Republican votes last week “appear as something other than helping Democrats raise the debt ceiling,” which he said Republican leadership “committed, in writing no less, not to do.”Yet Republican arguments against debt limit increases often ignore inconvenient facts.The nation’s current debt load of $28.9 trillion has been racking up for decades. Major drivers include popular spending programs, like Social Security and Medicare, interest on the debt and recent COVID-19 relief packages. But taxation is also a major factor, and a series of tax cuts enacted by Republican presidents in recent decades has added to it, too.That includes $7.8 trillion heaped onto the pile during Trump’s four-year presidency, an analysis of Treasury records shows. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-us-news-business-laws-2d9e099660064f2b8a8fc2237b4e7e4e">GOP-championed 2017 tax cut</a>&nbsp;is projected to add between $1 trillion and $2 trillion to the debt, according to the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center.

Nation’s debt load of $28.9 Trillion going up by $2.5 Trillion

LAS VEGAS (AP) — O.J. Simpson is a free man. The 74-year-old former football hero and actor, acquitted California murder defendant and convicted Las Vegas armed robber was granted good behavior credits and discharged from parole effective Dec. 1, a day after a hearing before the Nevada Board of Parole, Nevada State Police spokeswoman Kim Yoko Smith said Tuesday.

“Mr. Simpson is a completely free man now,” said Malcolm LaVergne, Simpson’s lawyer in Las Vegas.

Simpson declined an immediate interview, his attorney said, and LaVergne declined to talk about Simpson’s future plans, including whether he intends to remain in Nevada.

He&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-entertainment-football-ap-top-news-us-news-d7e2b7929405481c8220adf59f0f232e">told parole officials</a>&nbsp;before his release from prison on Oct. 1, 2017, that he planned to move to Florida.

He instead moved to a gated community in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-football-ap-top-news-us-news-las-vegas-e2fea70fefb74c5580c3232d35d95459">Las Vegas where he plays golf</a>&nbsp;and frequently takes to Twitter to offer opinions about college and pro sports, especially football.

“Life is fine,” he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-sports-ap-top-news-us-news-crime-0fea103ed1014714a966bd75c475880d">told The Associated Press during a June 2019 interview</a>.

Simpson was convicted by a jury in Las Vegas in October 2008 and served nine years in prison for leading five men, including two with guns, in a September 2007 confrontation with two sports collectibles dealers at a Las Vegas casino hotel.

Simpson insisted he only wanted to retrieve personal mementoes and items stolen from him following his acquittal in Los Angeles in the 1994 slayings of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman.

He had been scheduled for discharge from parole Feb. 9, but the parole board granted him about three months of good time credits.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639516831265.png" alt="Simpson photo from his 2016 booking by the Nevada Dept. of Corrections" />
 <figcaption>Simpson photo from his 2016 booking by the Nevada Dept. of Corrections</figcaption>
 </figure>LAS VEGAS (AP) — O.J. Simpson is a free man. The 74-year-old former football hero and actor, acquitted California murder defendant and convicted Las Vegas armed robber was granted good behavior credits and discharged from parole effective Dec. 1, a day after a hearing before the Nevada Board of Parole, Nevada State Police spokeswoman Kim Yoko Smith said Tuesday.“Mr. Simpson is a completely free man now,” said Malcolm LaVergne, Simpson’s lawyer in Las Vegas.Simpson declined an immediate interview, his attorney said, and LaVergne declined to talk about Simpson’s future plans, including whether he intends to remain in Nevada.He&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-entertainment-football-ap-top-news-us-news-d7e2b7929405481c8220adf59f0f232e">told parole officials</a>&nbsp;before his release from prison on Oct. 1, 2017, that he planned to move to Florida.He instead moved to a gated community in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-football-ap-top-news-us-news-las-vegas-e2fea70fefb74c5580c3232d35d95459">Las Vegas where he plays golf</a>&nbsp;and frequently takes to Twitter to offer opinions about college and pro sports, especially football.“Life is fine,” he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-sports-ap-top-news-us-news-crime-0fea103ed1014714a966bd75c475880d">told The Associated Press during a June 2019 interview</a>.Simpson was convicted by a jury in Las Vegas in October 2008 and served nine years in prison for leading five men, including two with guns, in a September 2007 confrontation with two sports collectibles dealers at a Las Vegas casino hotel.Simpson insisted he only wanted to retrieve personal mementoes and items stolen from him following his acquittal in Los Angeles in the 1994 slayings of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman.He had been scheduled for discharge from parole Feb. 9, but the parole board granted him about three months of good time credits.

OJ Simpson a free man as parole ends early in Nevada

Donald Lee "Donnie" Lintel, age 87, of Oakley, Kansas passed away to 
join his eternal loved ones on December 11, 2021.&nbsp; 

A farmer, rancher and
 family man, his love of life and generous and kind nature will be his 
legacy, and will be continued through his family and loved ones. Donnie
 was born to Mary and Herman Lintel of Oakley, Kansas on October 18th, 
1934.&nbsp; He was their only son.&nbsp; Donnie was also blessed with seven 
sisters. A complete obituary is pending with Kennedy-Koster Funeral Home. A Funeral Mass will be 
held on Saturday, December 18, 2021 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 
Oakley with Fr. Luke Thielen officiating. A visitation is being planned and memorials in lieu of flowers will be announced when determined.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639492729367.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Donald Lee "Donnie" Lintel, age 87, of Oakley, Kansas passed away to 
join his eternal loved ones on December 11, 2021.&nbsp; A farmer, rancher and
 family man, his love of life and generous and kind nature will be his 
legacy, and will be continued through his family and loved ones. Donnie
 was born to Mary and Herman Lintel of Oakley, Kansas on October 18th, 
1934.&nbsp; He was their only son.&nbsp; Donnie was also blessed with seven 
sisters. A complete obituary is pending with Kennedy-Koster Funeral Home. A Funeral Mass will be 
held on Saturday, December 18, 2021 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 
Oakley with Fr. Luke Thielen officiating. A visitation is being planned and memorials in lieu of flowers will be announced when determined.

Donald Lee 'Donnie' Lintel

Mary (Rupp) Mermis, age 79 of Hays, Kansas died Friday, December 10, 2021, at the Good Society of Ellis Care Center, Ellis, Kansas.&nbsp; She was born October 11, 1942, in Hays, Kansas to Richard A. and Isabelle Clara (Geist) Rupp.&nbsp; She married Francis B. “Frank” Mermis on October 3, 1959, in Ellis, Kansas.

She was an OR staff aid at the Hadley Hospital in Hays, and a homemaker.&nbsp; She grew up in Ellis and attended Hays High School.&nbsp; Mary also worked at the Bowling Alley, and the City Hotel Restaurant both in Ellis, Suburban Dry Cleaners, P &amp; B Packers, and Travenol Labs. Mary retired in 1986.&nbsp; She was a member of St. Ann Catholic Church, St. Ann Christian Mothers, Eucharistic Minister, and Lector.&nbsp; She was a member of St. Fidelis Daughters of Isabella and held a number of offices, the Victoria V.F.W. Auxiliary, a former member of the Ellis V.F.W. Auxiliary and Past President, a Past President of District 9 V.F.W. Auxiliary, and was on the V.F.W. Auxiliary State Color Guard Bearers.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Survivors include her husband, Frank B. Mermis, of the home; her children, Charlene Mermis, Hays, KS; Benita Meyers and husband, Steve; Jerry Mermis, Hays, KS; Julie Pfannenstiel, Hays, KS; her sister, Alice Schrant, Victoria, KS; her brother-in-law, Syl Rome, St. Peter, KS; her ten grandchildren, Jerald Mosier (Jewel); Wendy Gabel (Austin); Adrienne Bortz (Randy); Jarett Mermis (Audrey); Cassandra Davied (Scott); Rachel Klaus (Luke); Rebecca Brady (Aaron); Amanda Pfannenstiel; Lacey Pfannenstiel;&nbsp; Lindsey Pfannenstiel; and her great grandchildren, Samantha, Nathan and Emmett Mosier; Ethan and Aria Gabel; Audrey and Lily Bortz; Brinley Mermis; Evan, Levi and Adam Brady; DeShon Williams-Shepherd, Timothy Smith and Kingstin Smith.

She was preceded in death by her parents; three brothers, Francis Rupp; Robert Rupp; Marvin Rupp; her sisters, Dolores Flax; Firma Jean Rome; her great grandchild, Zachary Davied; and her son-in-law, Dale Pfannenstiel.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:00 A.M. Friday, December 17, 2021, at St. Ann’s Catholic Church, Walker, Kansas with Father Curtis Carlson O.F.M. Cap. officiating.&nbsp; Burial will be in St. Ann Cemetery, Walker, Kansas. &nbsp;

Visitation will be from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. Thursday, at Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary of Hays, 1919 E. 22nd Street, Hays, Kansas 67601, and from 9:00 to 10:00 A.M. Friday, at St. Ann Church.

A&nbsp; V.F.W.&nbsp; Auxiliary Memorial Service, a Daughters Of Isabelle and Christian Mothers rosary will be at 6:30 P.M. Thursday, followed by a Vigil Service at 700 P.M. all at Cline’s -Keithley Mortuary of Hays. &nbsp;

The family suggests memorials to St. Ann’s Cemetery Fund, in care of the mortuary.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639492566768.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Mary (Rupp) Mermis, age 79 of Hays, Kansas died Friday, December 10, 2021, at the Good Society of Ellis Care Center, Ellis, Kansas.&nbsp; She was born October 11, 1942, in Hays, Kansas to Richard A. and Isabelle Clara (Geist) Rupp.&nbsp; She married Francis B. “Frank” Mermis on October 3, 1959, in Ellis, Kansas.She was an OR staff aid at the Hadley Hospital in Hays, and a homemaker.&nbsp; She grew up in Ellis and attended Hays High School.&nbsp; Mary also worked at the Bowling Alley, and the City Hotel Restaurant both in Ellis, Suburban Dry Cleaners, P &amp; B Packers, and Travenol Labs. Mary retired in 1986.&nbsp; She was a member of St. Ann Catholic Church, St. Ann Christian Mothers, Eucharistic Minister, and Lector.&nbsp; She was a member of St. Fidelis Daughters of Isabella and held a number of offices, the Victoria V.F.W. Auxiliary, a former member of the Ellis V.F.W. Auxiliary and Past President, a Past President of District 9 V.F.W. Auxiliary, and was on the V.F.W. Auxiliary State Color Guard Bearers.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Survivors include her husband, Frank B. Mermis, of the home; her children, Charlene Mermis, Hays, KS; Benita Meyers and husband, Steve; Jerry Mermis, Hays, KS; Julie Pfannenstiel, Hays, KS; her sister, Alice Schrant, Victoria, KS; her brother-in-law, Syl Rome, St. Peter, KS; her ten grandchildren, Jerald Mosier (Jewel); Wendy Gabel (Austin); Adrienne Bortz (Randy); Jarett Mermis (Audrey); Cassandra Davied (Scott); Rachel Klaus (Luke); Rebecca Brady (Aaron); Amanda Pfannenstiel; Lacey Pfannenstiel;&nbsp; Lindsey Pfannenstiel; and her great grandchildren, Samantha, Nathan and Emmett Mosier; Ethan and Aria Gabel; Audrey and Lily Bortz; Brinley Mermis; Evan, Levi and Adam Brady; DeShon Williams-Shepherd, Timothy Smith and Kingstin Smith.She was preceded in death by her parents; three brothers, Francis Rupp; Robert Rupp; Marvin Rupp; her sisters, Dolores Flax; Firma Jean Rome; her great grandchild, Zachary Davied; and her son-in-law, Dale Pfannenstiel.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:00 A.M. Friday, December 17, 2021, at St. Ann’s Catholic Church, Walker, Kansas with Father Curtis Carlson O.F.M. Cap. officiating.&nbsp; Burial will be in St. Ann Cemetery, Walker, Kansas. &nbsp;Visitation will be from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. Thursday, at Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary of Hays, 1919 E. 22nd Street, Hays, Kansas 67601, and from 9:00 to 10:00 A.M. Friday, at St. Ann Church.A&nbsp; V.F.W.&nbsp; Auxiliary Memorial Service, a Daughters Of Isabelle and Christian Mothers rosary will be at 6:30 P.M. Thursday, followed by a Vigil Service at 700 P.M. all at Cline’s -Keithley Mortuary of Hays. &nbsp;The family suggests memorials to St. Ann’s Cemetery Fund, in care of the mortuary.Condolences can be sent via e-mail to <a href="mailto:clinesmortuary@eaglecom.net">clinesmortuary@eaglecom.net</a> or can be left at guest book at <a href="http://www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com">www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com</a>

Mary (Rupp) Mermis

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service joined today with several 
leading nonprofit groups to highlight a special tax provision that 
allows more people to deduct donations to qualifying charities on their 
2021 federal income tax return.

The Independent Sector and National Council of Nonprofits joined with
 the IRS to highlight this pandemic-related provision where married 
couples filing jointly can deduct up to $600 in cash donations and 
individual taxpayers can deduct up to $300 in donations.

Under the temporary law, taxpayers don't need to itemize deductions 
on their tax returns to take advantage of this, which creates 
tax-favorable donation options not normally available to about 90 
percent of tax filers. Ordinarily, people who choose to take the 
standard deduction cannot claim a deduction for their charitable 
contributions. But this special provision permits them to claim a 
limited deduction on their 2021 federal income tax returns for cash 
contributions made to qualifying charitable organizations by year's end,
 December 31, 2021.

At a time when many charitable groups are struggling during the 
pandemic, the IRS highlights the new provision and urges people to make 
sure they donate to a qualifying charity. The special <a href="https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/tax-exempt-organization-search">Tax Exempt Organization Search</a> tool on IRS.gov can help people make sure they donate to a qualified charity.

"The pandemic has created unique challenges for tax-exempt 
organizations, and we want to make sure people don't overlook this 
special tax deduction that's available this year," said Sunita Lough, 
IRS Commissioner of the Tax Exempt and Government Entities division. 
"Donations to qualifying charities can reduce people's tax bill when 
they file in 2022."

Leaders from the National Council of Nonprofits and the Independent 
Sector, two prominent organizations representing the nation's charitable
 groups, highlighted that the special tax provision can provide 
additional assistance to organizations hit hard by the pandemic. Some 
groups have seen reduced charitable donations and others have seen 
increased demand for their services during this unprecedented period.

"At a time when nonprofits continue to see immense demand for 
services, are facing significant challenges hiring and retaining staff 
to deliver those services--every donation counts," said David L. 
Thompson, Vice President of Public Policy at National Council of 
Nonprofits. "We're thankful that the universal (or non-itemizer) 
deduction is available through the end of the year to encourage every 
taxpayer give a little bit more to the missions they care about."

"Over the past two years, charities have helped America confront 
generational health, economic and social crises. They have answered the 
call to serve their communities despite facing lost revenue, disrupted 
operations and dramatically increased need," said Daniel J. Cardinali, 
president and CEO of Independent Sector. "Congress has sent a powerful 
message that everyone – not just those who itemize on their taxes – has a
 role to play in helping meet this moment, and we know people in America
 will respond in kind. We hope charitable contributions and deductions 
will increase in the coming years."

Included in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security 
(CARES) Act, enacted in March 2020, a more limited version of this 
temporary tax benefit originally only applied to tax-year 2020. The 
Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2020, enacted last 
December, generally extended it through the end of 2021.

Nearly nine in 10 taxpayers now take the standard deduction and could
 potentially qualify. Under this provision, tax year 2021 individual tax
 filers, including married individuals filing separate returns, can 
claim a deduction of up to $300 for cash contributions made to 
qualifying charities during 2021. The maximum deduction is increased to 
$600 for married individuals filing joint returns.

Cash contributions include those made by check, credit card or debit 
card as well as amounts incurred by an individual for unreimbursed 
out-of-pocket expenses in connection with their volunteer services to a 
qualifying charitable organization. Cash contributions don't include the
 value of volunteer services, securities, household items or other 
property.

The IRS reminds taxpayers that to receive a deduction, they must 
donate to a qualified charity. To check the status of a charity, they 
can use the IRS <a href="https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/tax-exempt-organization-search">Tax Exempt Organization Search</a> tool.

Cash contributions to most charitable organizations qualify for a 
deduction. But contributions made either to supporting organizations or 
to establish or maintain a donor advised fund do not. Contributions 
carried forward from prior years do not qualify, nor do contributions to
 most private foundations and most cash contributions to charitable 
remainder trusts.

In general, a donor-advised fund is a fund or account maintained by a
 charity in which a donor can, because of their donor status, advise the
 fund on how to distribute or invest amounts contributed by the donor 
and held in the fund. A supporting organization is a charity that 
carries out its exempt purposes by supporting other exempt 
organizations, usually other public charities.

The IRS encourages all donors to be wary of scams masked as 
charitable solicitations. Criminals create fake charities to take 
advantage of the public's generosity. Fake charities once again made the
 IRS's <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-dirty-dozen-list-warns-people-to-watch-out-for-tax-related-scams-involving-fake-charities-ghost-preparers-and-other-schemes">Dirty Dozen</a>&nbsp;list of tax scams for 2021. In October, the IRS also <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-joins-international-organizations-in-fighting-charity-fraud-during-special-awareness-week">joined international organizations</a> and other regulators in highlighting the fight against charity fraud.

Special recordkeeping rules apply to any taxpayer claiming a 
charitable contribution deduction. Usually, this includes obtaining an 
acknowledgment letter from the charity before filing a return and 
retaining a cancelled check or credit card receipt for contributions of 
cash.

For details on the recordkeeping rules for substantiating gifts to charity, see <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-526">Publication 526, Charitable Contributions</a>, available on IRS.gov.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service joined today with several 
leading nonprofit groups to highlight a special tax provision that 
allows more people to deduct donations to qualifying charities on their 
2021 federal income tax return.The Independent Sector and National Council of Nonprofits joined with
 the IRS to highlight this pandemic-related provision where married 
couples filing jointly can deduct up to $600 in cash donations and 
individual taxpayers can deduct up to $300 in donations.Under the temporary law, taxpayers don't need to itemize deductions 
on their tax returns to take advantage of this, which creates 
tax-favorable donation options not normally available to about 90 
percent of tax filers. Ordinarily, people who choose to take the 
standard deduction cannot claim a deduction for their charitable 
contributions. But this special provision permits them to claim a 
limited deduction on their 2021 federal income tax returns for cash 
contributions made to qualifying charitable organizations by year's end,
 December 31, 2021.At a time when many charitable groups are struggling during the 
pandemic, the IRS highlights the new provision and urges people to make 
sure they donate to a qualifying charity. The special <a href="https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/tax-exempt-organization-search">Tax Exempt Organization Search</a> tool on IRS.gov can help people make sure they donate to a qualified charity."The pandemic has created unique challenges for tax-exempt 
organizations, and we want to make sure people don't overlook this 
special tax deduction that's available this year," said Sunita Lough, 
IRS Commissioner of the Tax Exempt and Government Entities division. 
"Donations to qualifying charities can reduce people's tax bill when 
they file in 2022."Leaders from the National Council of Nonprofits and the Independent 
Sector, two prominent organizations representing the nation's charitable
 groups, highlighted that the special tax provision can provide 
additional assistance to organizations hit hard by the pandemic. Some 
groups have seen reduced charitable donations and others have seen 
increased demand for their services during this unprecedented period."At a time when nonprofits continue to see immense demand for 
services, are facing significant challenges hiring and retaining staff 
to deliver those services--every donation counts," said David L. 
Thompson, Vice President of Public Policy at National Council of 
Nonprofits. "We're thankful that the universal (or non-itemizer) 
deduction is available through the end of the year to encourage every 
taxpayer give a little bit more to the missions they care about.""Over the past two years, charities have helped America confront 
generational health, economic and social crises. They have answered the 
call to serve their communities despite facing lost revenue, disrupted 
operations and dramatically increased need," said Daniel J. Cardinali, 
president and CEO of Independent Sector. "Congress has sent a powerful 
message that everyone – not just those who itemize on their taxes – has a
 role to play in helping meet this moment, and we know people in America
 will respond in kind. We hope charitable contributions and deductions 
will increase in the coming years."Included in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security 
(CARES) Act, enacted in March 2020, a more limited version of this 
temporary tax benefit originally only applied to tax-year 2020. The 
Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2020, enacted last 
December, generally extended it through the end of 2021.Nearly nine in 10 taxpayers now take the standard deduction and could
 potentially qualify. Under this provision, tax year 2021 individual tax
 filers, including married individuals filing separate returns, can 
claim a deduction of up to $300 for cash contributions made to 
qualifying charities during 2021. The maximum deduction is increased to 
$600 for married individuals filing joint returns.Cash contributions include those made by check, credit card or debit 
card as well as amounts incurred by an individual for unreimbursed 
out-of-pocket expenses in connection with their volunteer services to a 
qualifying charitable organization. Cash contributions don't include the
 value of volunteer services, securities, household items or other 
property.The IRS reminds taxpayers that to receive a deduction, they must 
donate to a qualified charity. To check the status of a charity, they 
can use the IRS <a href="https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/tax-exempt-organization-search">Tax Exempt Organization Search</a> tool.Cash contributions to most charitable organizations qualify for a 
deduction. But contributions made either to supporting organizations or 
to establish or maintain a donor advised fund do not. Contributions 
carried forward from prior years do not qualify, nor do contributions to
 most private foundations and most cash contributions to charitable 
remainder trusts.In general, a donor-advised fund is a fund or account maintained by a
 charity in which a donor can, because of their donor status, advise the
 fund on how to distribute or invest amounts contributed by the donor 
and held in the fund. A supporting organization is a charity that 
carries out its exempt purposes by supporting other exempt 
organizations, usually other public charities.The IRS encourages all donors to be wary of scams masked as 
charitable solicitations. Criminals create fake charities to take 
advantage of the public's generosity. Fake charities once again made the
 IRS's <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-dirty-dozen-list-warns-people-to-watch-out-for-tax-related-scams-involving-fake-charities-ghost-preparers-and-other-schemes">Dirty Dozen</a>&nbsp;list of tax scams for 2021. In October, the IRS also <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-joins-international-organizations-in-fighting-charity-fraud-during-special-awareness-week">joined international organizations</a> and other regulators in highlighting the fight against charity fraud.<h2>Keep good records</h2>Special recordkeeping rules apply to any taxpayer claiming a 
charitable contribution deduction. Usually, this includes obtaining an 
acknowledgment letter from the charity before filing a return and 
retaining a cancelled check or credit card receipt for contributions of 
cash.For details on the recordkeeping rules for substantiating gifts to charity, see <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-526">Publication 526, Charitable Contributions</a>, available on IRS.gov.

Special tax benefit will allow for additional tax-deductible gifts

WASHINGTON (AP) — Government reports on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/latest-inflation-numbers-consumer-prices-616055db3bf67691b4fdc0015fc00783">rising inflation</a>&nbsp;and the potential costs of President Joe Biden’s social and environment legislation raised fresh questions about the bill’s fate, with both sides hoping the new numbers would influence pivotal Sen. Joe Manchin.

The moderate Manchin, D-W.Va., has spent months forcing Democrats to trim&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-business-health-congress-161b5e35f8db33bb664b55cd7a74a681">the 10-year, $2 trillion package</a>, arguing it’s too expensive and at times citing growing inflation as a reason to slow work on the bill. On Friday, the Labor Department said consumer prices grew last month at an annual rate of 6.8%, the highest in 39 years.

A separate report from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said that if many of the bill’s temporary spending boosts and tax cuts were made permanent, it would add $3 trillion to the price tag. That would more than double its 10-year cost to around $5 trillion. Democrats called the projections from the Republican-requested report fictitious.

On Monday, Manchin said in a brief interview that he wanted to know “where we are in inflation and where we are on the true price” of the bill, adding he was “very concerned.” He said he expects to meet with Biden late Monday.

The latest inflation figures prompted Biden to use some of his strongest language yet, telling reporters at the White House on Friday, “I think this is the peak of the crisis.” While the numbers illustrate a clear political danger for the administration, the recent performance of financial markets suggests investors don’t see inflation as a long-term problem.

Friday’s reports popped out two weeks before Christmas, by when Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., hopes to end months of talks among Democrats and finally push a compromise bill through the Senate. The House approved an initial version last month.

With Manchin still seeking cuts in a measure that originally cost $3.5 trillion, the day’s reports at the least increased his leverage in a tortuous process that’s already seen several near-death moments caused by Democratic infighting. At worst, the numbers fueled worries that Manchin might abandon the package, sinking it.

“I don’t know the answer to that,” Biden said at the White House when asked if he could win Manchin’s support.

Every Democrat in the 50-50 chamber will have to back the bill so Vice President Kamala Harris can cast a tie-breaking vote to approve it.

The political sensitivity of inflation and its impact on the Democratic bill, a collection of family services, health care and climate change priorities, was illustrated as leaders of both parties tried to spin the numbers to their advantage.

Democrats argued that the inflation report intensified the need to approve the measure. They said the legislation’s spending and tax credits for health care, children’s costs, education and other programs would help families cope with rising prices. Most of the bill is paid for with tax boosts on the wealthy and big corporations.

The legislation’s impact will be “reducing costs for ordinary people,” Biden said.

Republicans said the legislation’s expenditures would further feed inflation, which has been driven by supply chain delays making products less available and spending prompted by a strong underlying economy.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said inflation means “the average American has gotten a pay cut,” adding, “It is unthinkable that Senate Democrats would try to respond to this inflation report by ramming through another massive socialist spending package in a matter of days.”

Possibly mitigating the political impact of Friday’s inflation numbers was that they were expected and represented a modest rise from October’s 6.2%.

Adding any additional juice to the economy might worsen inflation. But the extra fiscal stimulus over the next several years in Democrats’ bill would be less than 1% the size of the entire U.S. economy, making its likely inflationary impact mild, said the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

Democrats limited the duration of many initiatives in their package to help contain the bill’s price tag. That includes extending enhancements to the child tax credit for just one year and free, universal pre-school for only six years.

It’s an accounting move both parties have used to make their budget plans seem more affordable — even though they would like their proposals to be permanent and some may be extended because they are popular. Republicans used such phaseouts robustly for their big tax cuts in 2001 and 2017.

“If you believe these programs go away after one, two or three years, you shouldn’t have a driver’s license,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, top Republican on the Senate Budget Committee, who requested the CBO estimates. He said the bill’s higher price tag and rising inflation meant Democrats’ legislation would be “lethal to the economy and lethal to your paycheck.”

Democrats argued the estimated added $3 trillion cost was bogus because if they decided to seek any future extensions of their initiatives, they would propose savings to pay for them.

As if sharing a script, Psaki called the GOP claims “fundamentally dishonest” and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Republicans were using “fake scores based on mistruths.” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., called the numbers “a phony score of an imaginary bill.”

Outside groups have produced similar estimates about the legislation’s cost if its programs were permanent. CBO numbers usually have more clout in Congress because the agency’s impartiality is respected.

Much about the legislation remains in play. Manchin still wants to remove a paid family leave program and curb or eliminate some tax breaks aimed at encouraging a shift to cleaner energy. Moderate Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., has also pushed to trim the measure.

Democrats have also had differences over how to ease limits on federal tax deductions that people can take on state and local taxes. In addition, the Senate parliamentarian must decide whether some provisions — including a top party priority of letting millions of migrants remain in the U.S. — violate the chamber’s rules and should be removed.

That’s left it unclear whether Schumer will be able to meet his Christmas deadline.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639015686812.png" alt="President Biden spent a day in Kansas City last week to sell his his $2Trillion plan and said, "the legislation’s impact will be reducing costs for ordinary people." -photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>President Biden spent a day in Kansas City last week to sell his his $2Trillion plan and said, "the legislation’s impact will be reducing costs for ordinary people." -photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Government reports on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/latest-inflation-numbers-consumer-prices-616055db3bf67691b4fdc0015fc00783">rising inflation</a>&nbsp;and the potential costs of President Joe Biden’s social and environment legislation raised fresh questions about the bill’s fate, with both sides hoping the new numbers would influence pivotal Sen. Joe Manchin.The moderate Manchin, D-W.Va., has spent months forcing Democrats to trim&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-business-health-congress-161b5e35f8db33bb664b55cd7a74a681">the 10-year, $2 trillion package</a>, arguing it’s too expensive and at times citing growing inflation as a reason to slow work on the bill. On Friday, the Labor Department said consumer prices grew last month at an annual rate of 6.8%, the highest in 39 years.A separate report from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said that if many of the bill’s temporary spending boosts and tax cuts were made permanent, it would add $3 trillion to the price tag. That would more than double its 10-year cost to around $5 trillion. Democrats called the projections from the Republican-requested report fictitious.On Monday, Manchin said in a brief interview that he wanted to know “where we are in inflation and where we are on the true price” of the bill, adding he was “very concerned.” He said he expects to meet with Biden late Monday.The latest inflation figures prompted Biden to use some of his strongest language yet, telling reporters at the White House on Friday, “I think this is the peak of the crisis.” While the numbers illustrate a clear political danger for the administration, the recent performance of financial markets suggests investors don’t see inflation as a long-term problem.Friday’s reports popped out two weeks before Christmas, by when Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., hopes to end months of talks among Democrats and finally push a compromise bill through the Senate. The House approved an initial version last month.With Manchin still seeking cuts in a measure that originally cost $3.5 trillion, the day’s reports at the least increased his leverage in a tortuous process that’s already seen several near-death moments caused by Democratic infighting. At worst, the numbers fueled worries that Manchin might abandon the package, sinking it.“I don’t know the answer to that,” Biden said at the White House when asked if he could win Manchin’s support.Every Democrat in the 50-50 chamber will have to back the bill so Vice President Kamala Harris can cast a tie-breaking vote to approve it.The political sensitivity of inflation and its impact on the Democratic bill, a collection of family services, health care and climate change priorities, was illustrated as leaders of both parties tried to spin the numbers to their advantage.Democrats argued that the inflation report intensified the need to approve the measure. They said the legislation’s spending and tax credits for health care, children’s costs, education and other programs would help families cope with rising prices. Most of the bill is paid for with tax boosts on the wealthy and big corporations.The legislation’s impact will be “reducing costs for ordinary people,” Biden said.Republicans said the legislation’s expenditures would further feed inflation, which has been driven by supply chain delays making products less available and spending prompted by a strong underlying economy.Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said inflation means “the average American has gotten a pay cut,” adding, “It is unthinkable that Senate Democrats would try to respond to this inflation report by ramming through another massive socialist spending package in a matter of days.”Possibly mitigating the political impact of Friday’s inflation numbers was that they were expected and represented a modest rise from October’s 6.2%.Adding any additional juice to the economy might worsen inflation. But the extra fiscal stimulus over the next several years in Democrats’ bill would be less than 1% the size of the entire U.S. economy, making its likely inflationary impact mild, said the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.Democrats limited the duration of many initiatives in their package to help contain the bill’s price tag. That includes extending enhancements to the child tax credit for just one year and free, universal pre-school for only six years.It’s an accounting move both parties have used to make their budget plans seem more affordable — even though they would like their proposals to be permanent and some may be extended because they are popular. Republicans used such phaseouts robustly for their big tax cuts in 2001 and 2017.“If you believe these programs go away after one, two or three years, you shouldn’t have a driver’s license,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, top Republican on the Senate Budget Committee, who requested the CBO estimates. He said the bill’s higher price tag and rising inflation meant Democrats’ legislation would be “lethal to the economy and lethal to your paycheck.”Democrats argued the estimated added $3 trillion cost was bogus because if they decided to seek any future extensions of their initiatives, they would propose savings to pay for them.As if sharing a script, Psaki called the GOP claims “fundamentally dishonest” and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Republicans were using “fake scores based on mistruths.” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., called the numbers “a phony score of an imaginary bill.”Outside groups have produced similar estimates about the legislation’s cost if its programs were permanent. CBO numbers usually have more clout in Congress because the agency’s impartiality is respected.Much about the legislation remains in play. Manchin still wants to remove a paid family leave program and curb or eliminate some tax breaks aimed at encouraging a shift to cleaner energy. Moderate Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., has also pushed to trim the measure.Democrats have also had differences over how to ease limits on federal tax deductions that people can take on state and local taxes. In addition, the Senate parliamentarian must decide whether some provisions — including a top party priority of letting millions of migrants remain in the U.S. — violate the chamber’s rules and should be removed.That’s left it unclear whether Schumer will be able to meet his Christmas deadline.

Rising inflation places Biden's $2T spending bill in jeopardy


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — Dr. Rex Degner, Chief Medical Officer at Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System believes getting a COVID-19 booster is a good idea for those who have already been vaccinated.

"I do believe that boosters are a very reasonable thing," Degner said. "I received my booster in October, as have the rest of my family. I think that they are very safe. I think that they do help the overall situation, both personally and as a community."

Degner strongly encourages boosters if it has been more than six months since your second COVID-19 shot, if you had a two-shot series, or more than two months if you received the one shot Johnson and Johnson vaccine.

"Omicron, the jury is still out on that," Degner said. "It appears initially, right now, that it may be a little bit more infectious, more people may get it than the other variants but it appears to be less virulent and they may not be getting as sick. That's the good news."

Viruses attempt to become more diverse in an effort to stay alive, and Degner expects that with COVID-19, as well. 

"I believe that we're switching from a pandemic, which was the initial big push of all of the COVID, to COVID now being what we call endemic," Degner said. "It's in the community. It's in the world. It's in the state and it probably is never going to completely go away, so the idea will be to mitigate it as much as possible, so as people get vaccinated, as people get natural immunity, it will help knock down the spread, so it won't be as severe."

Degner expects there may be booster recommendations in future years, just like people are encouraged to get their flu shot.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1604662016880.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>
By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — Dr. Rex Degner, Chief Medical Officer at Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System believes getting a COVID-19 booster is a good idea for those who have already been vaccinated."I do believe that boosters are a very reasonable thing," Degner said. "I received my booster in October, as have the rest of my family. I think that they are very safe. I think that they do help the overall situation, both personally and as a community."Degner strongly encourages boosters if it has been more than six months since your second COVID-19 shot, if you had a two-shot series, or more than two months if you received the one shot Johnson and Johnson vaccine."Omicron, the jury is still out on that," Degner said. "It appears initially, right now, that it may be a little bit more infectious, more people may get it than the other variants but it appears to be less virulent and they may not be getting as sick. That's the good news."Viruses attempt to become more diverse in an effort to stay alive, and Degner expects that with COVID-19, as well. "I believe that we're switching from a pandemic, which was the initial big push of all of the COVID, to COVID now being what we call endemic," Degner said. "It's in the community. It's in the world. It's in the state and it probably is never going to completely go away, so the idea will be to mitigate it as much as possible, so as people get vaccinated, as people get natural immunity, it will help knock down the spread, so it won't be as severe."Degner expects there may be booster recommendations in future years, just like people are encouraged to get their flu shot.

Hutchinson doctor recommends COVID-19 boosters 

By MATT O'BRIEN and FRANK BAJAK, Associated Press

Robotic vacuum cleaners wouldn’t start. Doorbell cameras stopped watching for package thieves, though some of those deliveries were canceled anyway. Netflix and Disney movies got interrupted and The Associated Press had trouble publishing the news.

A major outage in Amazon’s cloud computing network Tuesday severely disrupted services at a wide range of U.S. companies for hours, raising questions about the vulnerability of the internet and its concentration in the hands of a few firms.

Amazon has still said nothing about what, exactly, went wrong. The company limited its communications Tuesday to terse technical explanations on an Amazon Web Services dashboard and a brief statement delivered via spokesperson Richard Rocha that acknowledged the outage had affected Amazon’s own warehouse and delivery operations but said the company was “working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.” It didn’t immediately respond to further questions Wednesday.

The incident at Amazon Web Services mostly affected the eastern U.S., but still impacted everything from airline reservations and auto dealerships to payment apps and video streaming services to Amazon’s own massive e-commerce operation.

Amazon Web Services is a cloud-service operation — it stores its customers’ data, runs their online activities and more — and a huge profit center for Amazon. It holds roughly 40% of the $64 billion global cloud infrastructure market, a larger share than its closest rivals Microsoft, Alibaba and Google, combined, according to research firm Gartner.

It was formerly run by Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, who succeeded founder Jeff Bezos in July.

Some cybersecurity experts have warned for years about the potentially ugly consequences of allowing a handful of big tech companies to dominate key internet operations.

“The latest AWS outage is a prime example of the danger of centralized network infrastructure,” said Sean O’Brien, a visiting lecturer in cybersecurity at Yale Law School. “Though most people browsing the internet or using an app don’t know it, Amazon is baked into most of the apps and websites they use each day.” O’Brien said it’s important to build a new network model that resembles the peer-to-peer roots of the early internet. Big outages have already knocked huge swaths of the world offline, as happened&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/facebook-outage-global-reaction-281fded63f1478193d7e5e3e799833fc">during an October Facebook incident</a>.

Even under the current model, companies do have some options to split their services between different cloud providers, although it can be complicated, or to at least make sure they can move their services to a different region run by the same provider. Tuesday’s outage mostly affected Amazon’s “US East 1” region.

“Which means if you had critical systems only available in that region, you were in trouble,” said Servaas Verbiest, lead cloud evangelist at Sungard Availability Services. “If you heavily embraced the AWS ecosystem and are locked into using solely their services and functions, you must ensure you balance your workloads between regions.”

Yes. The last major AWS outage was in November 2020. There have been been numerous other disruptive and lengthy internet outages involving other providers. In June, the behind-the-scenes content distributor Fastly suffered a failure that briefly took down dozens of major internet sites including CNN, The New York Times and Britain’s government home page. Another that month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-b372a6796f95a3f51fbbb2bc8f6b40bf">affected provider Akamai</a>&nbsp;during peak business hours in Asia in June.

In the October outage, Facebook — now known as Meta Platforms — blamed a “faulty configuration change” for an hours-long worldwide outage that took down Instagram and WhatsApp in addition to its titular platform.

It was unclear how, or whether, Tuesday’s outage affected governments, but many of them also rely on Amazon and its rivals.

Among the most influential organizations to rethink its approach of depending on a single cloud provider was the Pentagon, which in July canceled a disputed cloud-computing contract with Microsoft that could eventually have been worth $10 billion. It will instead pursue a deal with both Microsoft and Amazon and possibly other cloud service providers such as Google, Oracle and IBM.

The National Security Agency earlier this year awarded Amazon a contract with a potential estimated value of $10 billion to be the sole manager of the NSA’s own migration to cloud computing. The contract is known by its agency code name “Wild and Stormy.” The General Accountability Office in October sustained a bid protest by Microsoft, finding that certain parts of the NSA’s decision were “unreasonable,” although the full decision is classified.

By MATT O'BRIEN and FRANK BAJAK, Associated PressRobotic vacuum cleaners wouldn’t start. Doorbell cameras stopped watching for package thieves, though some of those deliveries were canceled anyway. Netflix and Disney movies got interrupted and The Associated Press had trouble publishing the news.A major outage in Amazon’s cloud computing network Tuesday severely disrupted services at a wide range of U.S. companies for hours, raising questions about the vulnerability of the internet and its concentration in the hands of a few firms.HOW DID IT HAPPEN?Amazon has still said nothing about what, exactly, went wrong. The company limited its communications Tuesday to terse technical explanations on an Amazon Web Services dashboard and a brief statement delivered via spokesperson Richard Rocha that acknowledged the outage had affected Amazon’s own warehouse and delivery operations but said the company was “working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.” It didn’t immediately respond to further questions Wednesday.The incident at Amazon Web Services mostly affected the eastern U.S., but still impacted everything from airline reservations and auto dealerships to payment apps and video streaming services to Amazon’s own massive e-commerce operation.Amazon Web Services is a cloud-service operation — it stores its customers’ data, runs their online activities and more — and a huge profit center for Amazon. It holds roughly 40% of the $64 billion global cloud infrastructure market, a larger share than its closest rivals Microsoft, Alibaba and Google, combined, according to research firm Gartner.It was formerly run by Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, who succeeded founder Jeff Bezos in July.TOO MANY EGGS IN ONE BASKET?Some cybersecurity experts have warned for years about the potentially ugly consequences of allowing a handful of big tech companies to dominate key internet operations.“The latest AWS outage is a prime example of the danger of centralized network infrastructure,” said Sean O’Brien, a visiting lecturer in cybersecurity at Yale Law School. “Though most people browsing the internet or using an app don’t know it, Amazon is baked into most of the apps and websites they use each day.” O’Brien said it’s important to build a new network model that resembles the peer-to-peer roots of the early internet. Big outages have already knocked huge swaths of the world offline, as happened&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/facebook-outage-global-reaction-281fded63f1478193d7e5e3e799833fc">during an October Facebook incident</a>.Even under the current model, companies do have some options to split their services between different cloud providers, although it can be complicated, or to at least make sure they can move their services to a different region run by the same provider. Tuesday’s outage mostly affected Amazon’s “US East 1” region.“Which means if you had critical systems only available in that region, you were in trouble,” said Servaas Verbiest, lead cloud evangelist at Sungard Availability Services. “If you heavily embraced the AWS ecosystem and are locked into using solely their services and functions, you must ensure you balance your workloads between regions.”HASN’T THIS HAPPENED BEFORE?Yes. The last major AWS outage was in November 2020. There have been been numerous other disruptive and lengthy internet outages involving other providers. In June, the behind-the-scenes content distributor Fastly suffered a failure that briefly took down dozens of major internet sites including CNN, The New York Times and Britain’s government home page. Another that month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-b372a6796f95a3f51fbbb2bc8f6b40bf">affected provider Akamai</a>&nbsp;during peak business hours in Asia in June.In the October outage, Facebook — now known as Meta Platforms — blamed a “faulty configuration change” for an hours-long worldwide outage that took down Instagram and WhatsApp in addition to its titular platform.WHAT ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT?It was unclear how, or whether, Tuesday’s outage affected governments, but many of them also rely on Amazon and its rivals.Among the most influential organizations to rethink its approach of depending on a single cloud provider was the Pentagon, which in July canceled a disputed cloud-computing contract with Microsoft that could eventually have been worth $10 billion. It will instead pursue a deal with both Microsoft and Amazon and possibly other cloud service providers such as Google, Oracle and IBM.The National Security Agency earlier this year awarded Amazon a contract with a potential estimated value of $10 billion to be the sole manager of the NSA’s own migration to cloud computing. The contract is known by its agency code name “Wild and Stormy.” The General Accountability Office in October sustained a bid protest by Microsoft, finding that certain parts of the NSA’s decision were “unreasonable,” although the full decision is classified.——

What caused Amazon's outage? Will there be more?

By BECKY KISER Hays Post

"We're at the finish line of the application for the Rural Housing Incentive District (RHID)&nbsp; application for the Frontier Apartments," Kim Rupp, Hays finance director, announced at the beginning of Thursday night's public hearing during the city commission meeting.

The commission previously adopted a <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/90c93372-2fbd-46d9-9156-f1b1352c38cf">resolution </a>with findings of the need for middle-income housing. The Kansas Secretary of Commerce approved of the RHID creation in mid-October.&nbsp;The process is detailed, with many steps required by state law and the city's economic development policy.

Atchison developer Justin Pregont, Frontier Apartments, LLC, plans to rehab the former St. Joseph School, 210 W. 13th Street, into high quality apartments for moderate income renters.&nbsp;

"The last remaining domino for us to really kick it into high gear is figure out whether or not we've received a moderate-income housing award through the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation," Pregont said, "... and whether this is going to go forward immediately or whether we're going to push the pause button and try again next year to receive that same pot of money."&nbsp;&nbsp;

Frontier Apartments has applied for a state $360,000 Moderate-Income Housing Grant (MIHG) from the state. Applications have also been made for state and federal historic tax credits for the limestone structure built in 1908 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places.&nbsp;

Pregont told commissioners he has "some level of optimism" that there seems to some bipartisan momentum in the state legislature for expanding the moderate housing program.&nbsp;

SEE RELATED STORY: <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/2af8b5d6-38a3-4da4-b591-f944eecf52bc">State housing survey: State needs to add housing stock at all levels</a>

"The city of Hays and Ellis County have never received an award through the (MIHG) program.

"I think we put together a great application. I hope we can get that award."

If that doesn't happen by the end of the year, Pregont pledged to resubmit the application for 2022 funding.

"I am anticipating positive news, but in the event that we don't, don't be disappointed. We'll be back next time around. If it doesn't come to be this time, I'm really confident that it would be next time."

The developer estimates that approximately $1.78 million of the total&nbsp;$2.18 million project costs are RHID-eligible expenses under state law and the city’s economic development policy. The RHID would generate approximately $450,000 in incremental property tax revenues over the 20-year term of the RHID.

"Our design plan is about 40 percent finished." Pregont said. "We've developed a really good relationship with Paul-Wertenberger Construction of Hays to be the contractor on that project and we went and visited Horizon Appliances this afternoon to get that process going."

The development encompasses an adaptive reuse and historic preservation project in downtown Hays featuring eight one-bedroom units averaging 770 square feet, and four two-bedroom units averaging 1,000 square feet.

"We're just excited at this prospect," said Sandy Jacobs, mayor. "Thank you for your collaboration," Pregont added.&nbsp;

After closing the public hearing, commissioners unanimously approved an ordinance establishing the Frontier Apartments RHID, adopting the development plan and authorizing execution of the development agreement.

The RHID will be created unless the Hays USD 489 Board of
Education or the Ellis County Commission adopts a resolution
in opposition within 30 days after the public hearing.

A $147,984 construction engineering agreement was approved with Kirkham Michael Engineers, Ellsworth, related to reconstruction of south Vine Street from just south of 13th Street to the south city limit.

In July 2019, Hays received a $1 million Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) City Connecting Link Improvement Program (CCLIP) grant for the project .

The KDOT project is estimated to cost nearly $4 million with construction to begin in the spring.&nbsp;&nbsp;

After input from residents and the Hays Police Department, commissioners approved five speed limit changes as recommended by city staff.

They are located on 32nd/33rd Street, south Main Street,
east and west 8th Street, and east 13th Street.&nbsp;The school zone speed limit in front of Hays High School will also change from 20 to 25 mph.

Commissioner Shaun Musil voted against the ordinance citing disapproval of the speed increase on south Main.

"I know you say it's wide enough." Musil said. "I'm just conscious of all the housing down there and us wanting to increase it, along with the pool and a kid-related business that's going to be down there. I just don't think it's a good idea."

Hays Police Chief Don Scheibler said he'd had no feedback from local drivers about the changes.&nbsp;&nbsp;

* Approved a pool reimbursement request of $42,497 from the Hays Recreation Commission for the 2021 municipal pool operating loss. * Approved minor updates to the Comprehensive Financial Management Policy adopted in * Approved a resolution authorizing the City Manager Toby Dougherty to execute agreements related to the recent national opioid settlement action. Cities in Kansas will receive 25 percent of any settlement funds the state receives. * Heard a progress report of recent activities by city departments. * Were advised of upcoming community events during December.

Commissioner Ron Mellick was absent from the meeting. The other commissioners thanked Mellick for his 12 years of service as a city commissioner, with Jacobs calling him "one of the best public servants I've been around in terms of being informed, making sure he's connected with all the projects that the city is doing."&nbsp;

A 15-minute executive session was called at the end of the meeting by City Manager Toby Dougherty to discuss property acquisition. No action was taken.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1626378684098.jpeg" alt="Hays city commissioners approved an ordinance Thursday establishing a Rural Housing Incentive District (RHID) at the former St. Joseph School/Parish Center, 210 W. 13th Street. (Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post)" />
 <figcaption>Hays city commissioners approved an ordinance Thursday establishing a Rural Housing Incentive District (RHID) at the former St. Joseph School/Parish Center, 210 W. 13th Street. (Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post)</figcaption>
 </figure>By BECKY KISER Hays Post"We're at the finish line of the application for the Rural Housing Incentive District (RHID)&nbsp; application for the Frontier Apartments," Kim Rupp, Hays finance director, announced at the beginning of Thursday night's public hearing during the city commission meeting.The commission previously adopted a <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/90c93372-2fbd-46d9-9156-f1b1352c38cf">resolution </a>with findings of the need for middle-income housing. The Kansas Secretary of Commerce approved of the RHID creation in mid-October.&nbsp;The process is detailed, with many steps required by state law and the city's economic development policy.Atchison developer Justin Pregont, Frontier Apartments, LLC, plans to rehab the former St. Joseph School, 210 W. 13th Street, into high quality apartments for moderate income renters.&nbsp;"The last remaining domino for us to really kick it into high gear is figure out whether or not we've received a moderate-income housing award through the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation," Pregont said, "... and whether this is going to go forward immediately or whether we're going to push the pause button and try again next year to receive that same pot of money."&nbsp;&nbsp;Frontier Apartments has applied for a state $360,000 Moderate-Income Housing Grant (MIHG) from the state. Applications have also been made for state and federal historic tax credits for the limestone structure built in 1908 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places.&nbsp;<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OmBuG114ncM"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Pregont told commissioners he has "some level of optimism" that there seems to some bipartisan momentum in the state legislature for expanding the moderate housing program.&nbsp;SEE RELATED STORY: <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/2af8b5d6-38a3-4da4-b591-f944eecf52bc">State housing survey: State needs to add housing stock at all levels</a>"The city of Hays and Ellis County have never received an award through the (MIHG) program."I think we put together a great application. I hope we can get that award."If that doesn't happen by the end of the year, Pregont pledged to resubmit the application for 2022 funding."I am anticipating positive news, but in the event that we don't, don't be disappointed. We'll be back next time around. If it doesn't come to be this time, I'm really confident that it would be next time."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632449003881.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The developer estimates that approximately $1.78 million of the total&nbsp;$2.18 million project costs are RHID-eligible expenses under state law and the city’s economic development policy. The RHID would generate approximately $450,000 in incremental property tax revenues over the 20-year term of the RHID."Our design plan is about 40 percent finished." Pregont said. "We've developed a really good relationship with Paul-Wertenberger Construction of Hays to be the contractor on that project and we went and visited Horizon Appliances this afternoon to get that process going."The development encompasses an adaptive reuse and historic preservation project in downtown Hays featuring eight one-bedroom units averaging 770 square feet, and four two-bedroom units averaging 1,000 square feet."We're just excited at this prospect," said Sandy Jacobs, mayor. "Thank you for your collaboration," Pregont added.&nbsp;After closing the public hearing, commissioners unanimously approved an ordinance establishing the Frontier Apartments RHID, adopting the development plan and authorizing execution of the development agreement.The RHID will be created unless the Hays USD 489 Board of
Education or the Ellis County Commission adopts a resolution
in opposition within 30 days after the public hearing.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639119698465.jpeg" alt="Reconstruction of South Vine Street will begin in the spring of 2022." />
 <figcaption>Reconstruction of South Vine Street will begin in the spring of 2022.</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>South Vine Street Reconstruction</h2>A $147,984 construction engineering agreement was approved with Kirkham Michael Engineers, Ellsworth, related to reconstruction of south Vine Street from just south of 13th Street to the south city limit.In July 2019, Hays received a $1 million Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) City Connecting Link Improvement Program (CCLIP) grant for the project .The KDOT project is estimated to cost nearly $4 million with construction to begin in the spring.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639120779468.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Speed Limit Changes</h2>After input from residents and the Hays Police Department, commissioners approved five speed limit changes as recommended by city staff.They are located on 32nd/33rd Street, south Main Street,
east and west 8th Street, and east 13th Street.&nbsp;The school zone speed limit in front of Hays High School will also change from 20 to 25 mph.Commissioner Shaun Musil voted against the ordinance citing disapproval of the speed increase on south Main."I know you say it's wide enough." Musil said. "I'm just conscious of all the housing down there and us wanting to increase it, along with the pool and a kid-related business that's going to be down there. I just don't think it's a good idea."Hays Police Chief Don Scheibler said he'd had no feedback from local drivers about the changes.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Other Business</h2>In other business, commissioners:* Approved a pool reimbursement request of $42,497 from the Hays Recreation Commission for the 2021 municipal pool operating loss. * Approved minor updates to the Comprehensive Financial Management Policy adopted in * Approved a resolution authorizing the City Manager Toby Dougherty to execute agreements related to the recent national opioid settlement action. Cities in Kansas will receive 25 percent of any settlement funds the state receives. * Heard a progress report of recent activities by city departments. * Were advised of upcoming community events during December.Commissioner Ron Mellick was absent from the meeting. The other commissioners thanked Mellick for his 12 years of service as a city commissioner, with Jacobs calling him "one of the best public servants I've been around in terms of being informed, making sure he's connected with all the projects that the city is doing."&nbsp;A 15-minute executive session was called at the end of the meeting by City Manager Toby Dougherty to discuss property acquisition. No action was taken.

🎥 Ordinance establishes new Frontier Apartments RHID in historic building

Football star and TV celebrity Michael Strahan caught a ride to space with Jeff Bezos’ rocket-launching company Saturday, sharing the trip with the daughter of America’s first astronaut.

Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket blasted off from West Texas, sending the capsule on a 10-minute flight with the two VIP guests and four paying customers. Their automated capsule soared to an altitude of about 66 miles (106 kilometers), providing a few minutes of weightlessness before parachuting into the desert. The booster also came back to land successfully.

It was five minutes and 50 miles shorter than Alan Shepard’s Mercury flight from Cape Canaveral on May 5, 1961. His eldest daughter, Laura Shepard Churchley, took along a tiny piece of his Freedom 7 capsule as well as mementos from his Apollo 14 moonshot. She also packed some golf balls; her dad hit a couple on the lunar surface.

A co-host of ABC's “Good Morning America," Strahan bubbled over with excitement in updates for the show all week. He took along his Super Bowl ring and retired New York Giants jersey No. 92. Bezos stashed a football on board that will go to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

“It was unreal," Strahan said after emerging from the capsule.

He said he wants to go again — but Bezos joked he'd have to buy his own ticket next time.

Bezos, who flew to space in the same capsule, accompanied the six passengers to the launch pad near Van Horn and greeted them afterward. He had “Light this candle” painted on the launch tower’s bridge, borrowing from Alan Shepard's famous gripe from inside Freedom 7 as the delays mounted: “Why don’t you fix your little problem and light this candle?”

This time, “Laura yelled, let’s light this candle,” Strahan said, mimicking the growling voice of her father. They had to wait two extra days to fly because of high wind.

Shepard Churchley, who volunteered for Blue Origin’s third passenger flight, said she practiced her late father's phrase every time they went into the capsule. She heads the board of trustees for the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation.

“I thought about Daddy coming down and thought, gosh he didn’t even get to enjoy any of what I’m getting to enjoy," Shepard Churchley said following touchdown. “He was working. He had to do it himself. I went up for the ride!”

Bezos, who founded Amazon six years before Blue Origin, was on the debut launch in July. The second, in October, included actor William Shatner — Captain James Kirk of TV’s original “Star Trek.” The late Leonard Nimoy’s daughter sent up a necklace with a “Vulcan Salute” charm on this flight, in honor of the show's original Mr. Spock.

Among the the four space tourists paying unspecified millions each were the first father-son combo: financier Lane Bess and his son Cameron. Also flying: Voyager Space chairman and CEO Dylan Taylor and investor Evan Dick.

Blue Origin dedicated Saturday’s launch to Glen de Vries, who launched into space with Shatner in October, but died one month later in a plane crash.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639241980104.png" alt="Michael Strahan visits with Jeff Bezos after the successful launch and return to earth-photo courtesy Blue Origin" />
 <figcaption>Michael Strahan visits with Jeff Bezos after the successful launch and return to earth-photo courtesy Blue Origin</figcaption>
 </figure>By MARCIA DUNN, AP Aerospace WriterFootball star and TV celebrity Michael Strahan caught a ride to space with Jeff Bezos’ rocket-launching company Saturday, sharing the trip with the daughter of America’s first astronaut.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MpaiuDg_DN4?start=6774" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket blasted off from West Texas, sending the capsule on a 10-minute flight with the two VIP guests and four paying customers. Their automated capsule soared to an altitude of about 66 miles (106 kilometers), providing a few minutes of weightlessness before parachuting into the desert. The booster also came back to land successfully.It was five minutes and 50 miles shorter than Alan Shepard’s Mercury flight from Cape Canaveral on May 5, 1961. His eldest daughter, Laura Shepard Churchley, took along a tiny piece of his Freedom 7 capsule as well as mementos from his Apollo 14 moonshot. She also packed some golf balls; her dad hit a couple on the lunar surface.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639241532727.png" alt=" Astronaut Michael Strahan during training for the NS-19 Mission on Monday. Photo courtesy Blue Origin" />
 <figcaption> Astronaut Michael Strahan during training for the NS-19 Mission on Monday. Photo courtesy Blue Origin</figcaption>
 </figure>A co-host of ABC's “Good Morning America," Strahan bubbled over with excitement in updates for the show all week. He took along his Super Bowl ring and retired New York Giants jersey No. 92. Bezos stashed a football on board that will go to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.“It was unreal," Strahan said after emerging from the capsule.He said he wants to go again — but Bezos joked he'd have to buy his own ticket next time.Bezos, who flew to space in the same capsule, accompanied the six passengers to the launch pad near Van Horn and greeted them afterward. He had “Light this candle” painted on the launch tower’s bridge, borrowing from Alan Shepard's famous gripe from inside Freedom 7 as the delays mounted: “Why don’t you fix your little problem and light this candle?”This time, “Laura yelled, let’s light this candle,” Strahan said, mimicking the growling voice of her father. They had to wait two extra days to fly because of high wind.Shepard Churchley, who volunteered for Blue Origin’s third passenger flight, said she practiced her late father's phrase every time they went into the capsule. She heads the board of trustees for the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation.“I thought about Daddy coming down and thought, gosh he didn’t even get to enjoy any of what I’m getting to enjoy," Shepard Churchley said following touchdown. “He was working. He had to do it himself. I went up for the ride!”Bezos, who founded Amazon six years before Blue Origin, was on the debut launch in July. The second, in October, included actor William Shatner — Captain James Kirk of TV’s original “Star Trek.” The late Leonard Nimoy’s daughter sent up a necklace with a “Vulcan Salute” charm on this flight, in honor of the show's original Mr. Spock.Among the the four space tourists paying unspecified millions each were the first father-son combo: financier Lane Bess and his son Cameron. Also flying: Voyager Space chairman and CEO Dylan Taylor and investor Evan Dick.Blue Origin dedicated Saturday’s launch to Glen de Vries, who launched into space with Shatner in October, but died one month later in a plane crash.___

🎥 NFL, TV's Strahan flies in space with astronaut's daughter

By NOAH TABORDA <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/12/09/kansas-classroom-safety-panel-grows-increasingly-concerned-as-students-mental-health-issues-rise/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — A rise in youth suicide rates, accompanied by increased 
reports of anxiety and depression among school-age children, has a 
Kansas panel focused on pandemic safety in the classroom concerned as 
the pandemic drags on.

Kelli Netson, a neuropsychologist, kicked off a panel discussion on 
pandemic-related mental health issues in Kansas by noting statistics 
that suggest upward of 50% of youths are reporting increased distress 
levels. This has manifested itself in anxiety and depression, so while 
they may not have a diagnosis, they are reporting much higher levels of 
stress than in years past.

While the holidays and winter break may provide an outlet for some to
 relieve stress, Netson said, for some going home can be just as 
difficult.

“I have concerns about what the next six weeks look like,” Netson 
said. “We as parents should be listening to what our kids are seeking, 
listening to what kids are experiencing, validating those experiences 
and then just letting your kids talk.”

The Safer Classrooms Workgroup’s discussion on Wednesday came after the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/07/science/pandemic-adolescents-depression-anxiety.html">nation’s top physician reported</a>
 young people are facing “devastating” mental health effects as a result
 of the pandemic. The 53-page report noted emergency room visits from 
youths suffering from mental health issues are on the rise.

Emergency room visits for suicide attempts increased by 51% for 
adolescent girls and 4% for boys in early 2021 compared with the same 
period in 2019.

Stephanie Kuhlmann, a panel member and pediatric hospitalist division
 director at Wesley Children’s Hospital, said the mental health issues 
extend to hospital staff treating these students and teachers working to
 educate them.

“The resurgence of COVID numbers in our rural communities, and even 
here in our higher-populated communities, which comes at the time of the
 holidays, continues to put a stress and burden on our already burnt-out
 workers,” Kuhlmann said.

In October, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy 
of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the Children’s Hospital 
Association joined to declare “a national emergency” in youth mental 
health. One issue is an increase in deaths from overdoses because of 
self-medication.

Kimber Kasitz, director of health for Wichita Public Schools, also 
has been working with the School Mental Health Advisory Council, which 
is considering both ongoing and future issues that could arise.

“We’re really empowering the school districts to not just identify 
kids with these issues, but what happens after they go into an inpatient
 hospital setting for psychiatric treatment,” Kasitz said. “What does 
that process look like while still maintaining confidentiality for that 
child, while also communicating with the parents and the hospital, the 
clinic, whoever, so that we can develop a safety plan.”

The frequently changing dynamics of the pandemic has led to increased
 stressors for youths and teachers, said Kansas education commissioner 
Randy Watson. Currently there are 49 active outbreaks in schools across 
the state, down from 53 last week.

Watson acknowledged the uncertainty ahead. Wednesday’s meeting of the safer classrooms panel is the last one scheduled.

“We’re in a constant churn of kids being quarantined or being taken 
out because of viral load,” Watson said. “And a teacher every day 
doesn’t know what they are going to have to plan for. Sometimes when 
you’re in the daily fight, as all of us are, you lose sight of where 
we’ve been since (the beginning of the pandemic) and the different ways 
in which we’ve all had to respond to this crisis.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639077370810.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By NOAH TABORDA <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/12/09/kansas-classroom-safety-panel-grows-increasingly-concerned-as-students-mental-health-issues-rise/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — A rise in youth suicide rates, accompanied by increased 
reports of anxiety and depression among school-age children, has a 
Kansas panel focused on pandemic safety in the classroom concerned as 
the pandemic drags on.Kelli Netson, a neuropsychologist, kicked off a panel discussion on 
pandemic-related mental health issues in Kansas by noting statistics 
that suggest upward of 50% of youths are reporting increased distress 
levels. This has manifested itself in anxiety and depression, so while 
they may not have a diagnosis, they are reporting much higher levels of 
stress than in years past.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639077434541.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>While the holidays and winter break may provide an outlet for some to
 relieve stress, Netson said, for some going home can be just as 
difficult.“I have concerns about what the next six weeks look like,” Netson 
said. “We as parents should be listening to what our kids are seeking, 
listening to what kids are experiencing, validating those experiences 
and then just letting your kids talk.”The Safer Classrooms Workgroup’s discussion on Wednesday came after the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/07/science/pandemic-adolescents-depression-anxiety.html">nation’s top physician reported</a>
 young people are facing “devastating” mental health effects as a result
 of the pandemic. The 53-page report noted emergency room visits from 
youths suffering from mental health issues are on the rise.Emergency room visits for suicide attempts increased by 51% for 
adolescent girls and 4% for boys in early 2021 compared with the same 
period in 2019.Stephanie Kuhlmann, a panel member and pediatric hospitalist division
 director at Wesley Children’s Hospital, said the mental health issues 
extend to hospital staff treating these students and teachers working to
 educate them.“The resurgence of COVID numbers in our rural communities, and even 
here in our higher-populated communities, which comes at the time of the
 holidays, continues to put a stress and burden on our already burnt-out
 workers,” Kuhlmann said.In October, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy 
of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the Children’s Hospital 
Association joined to declare “a national emergency” in youth mental 
health. One issue is an increase in deaths from overdoses because of 
self-medication.Kimber Kasitz, director of health for Wichita Public Schools, also 
has been working with the School Mental Health Advisory Council, which 
is considering both ongoing and future issues that could arise.“We’re really empowering the school districts to not just identify 
kids with these issues, but what happens after they go into an inpatient
 hospital setting for psychiatric treatment,” Kasitz said. “What does 
that process look like while still maintaining confidentiality for that 
child, while also communicating with the parents and the hospital, the 
clinic, whoever, so that we can develop a safety plan.”The frequently changing dynamics of the pandemic has led to increased
 stressors for youths and teachers, said Kansas education commissioner 
Randy Watson. Currently there are 49 active outbreaks in schools across 
the state, down from 53 last week.Watson acknowledged the uncertainty ahead. Wednesday’s meeting of the safer classrooms panel is the last one scheduled.“We’re in a constant churn of kids being quarantined or being taken 
out because of viral load,” Watson said. “And a teacher every day 
doesn’t know what they are going to have to plan for. Sometimes when 
you’re in the daily fight, as all of us are, you lose sight of where 
we’ve been since (the beginning of the pandemic) and the different ways 
in which we’ve all had to respond to this crisis.”