On this episode of the&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/category/post-podcast" target="_blank">Post Podcast</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ipifinancialservices.com/" target="_blank">IPI Financial Services</a> account executive Gene Stramel discusses Medicare updates with <a href="https://hayspost.com/" target="_blank">Hays Post</a>&nbsp;reporter Becky Kiser.

<div><iframe title="Post Podcast: IPI Financial Services shares Medicare updates" allowtransparency="true" height="600" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:600px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=7u7jb-1696028-pb&from=pb6admin&square=1&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=3267a3&font-color=auto&logo_link=podcast_page&btn-skin=60a0c8&size=600" loading="lazy" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>On this episode of the&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/category/post-podcast" target="_blank">Post Podcast</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ipifinancialservices.com/" target="_blank">IPI Financial Services</a> account executive Gene Stramel discusses Medicare updates with <a href="https://hayspost.com/" target="_blank">Hays Post</a>&nbsp;reporter Becky Kiser.

🎙 Post Podcast: IPI Financial Services shares Medicare updates

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>&nbsp; State's Newsroom

WASHINGTON — Congress plans to spend just 35 days between now and the end of the year in the nation’s capital, a fitting end to one of the least productive sessions in decades.

The deeply divided 118th Congress so far has placed just 78 public laws on the books, a fraction of the hundreds enacted during prior sessions, regardless of whether one party held control or voters elected a divided government. While there’s time left to enact a handful of laws, the number is nearly certain to remain low.

Over the past several decades, lawmakers have become accustomed to bundling several bills together into sweeping legislative packages instead of voting on them individually, but that doesn’t entirely account for how unproductive this Congress has been.

Members have sought to approve bipartisan legislation on immigration policy and border security, railway safety, the farm bill, tax law and children’s online safety at various points during the last 19 months — but all those major initiatives failed to make it across the finish line.

Lawmakers have been able to reach consensus on must-pass items like the annual government funding bills, but did so six months behind schedule. They are on track to miss their deadline again this year, which will mean yet another stopgap spending bill.

While election-year politics and a truncated amount of time on Capitol Hill hampered lawmakers’ productivity, there are numerous other factors dragging down this Congress.

Molly Reynolds, senior fellow in governance studies at the nonprofit Brookings Institution, said Democrats are working to flip control of the House away from Republicans’ narrow majority, while at the same time the GOP is projecting it will push Democrats out of power in the Senate.

Those ambitions add “an additional structural layer” to the typical disagreements within Congress, she said.

Infighting within each of the political parties, as well as Democrats and Republicans moving further away from each other on policy goals, has contributed to the intransigence, she said.

“Those divisions within the parties pale in comparison to the size of the difference between the parties,” Reynolds said. “And so, that does make it more challenging to find issues on which both sides are willing and interested to come to the table.”

A bipartisan trio of senators spent months negotiating a deal on immigration just to have the agreement disintegrate when Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump came out in opposition. That disappointing outcome makes members of Congress reluctant to tackle tough issues, she said.

“When members put in the hard work to try and reach a compromise and then don’t have the backing of their leadership, it doesn’t necessarily incentivize them to come back to the table and try to do that same thing again in the future,” Reynolds said.

The 118th Congress included more than its fair share of drama and bickering. The turmoil prevented the Republican House and Democratic Senate from agreeing on much of anything other than the bare minimum, with even must-pass legislation finalized months behind schedule.

House Republicans set the tone for their razor-thin majority in January 2023 when they trudged through 15 rounds of voting over several days and nights before California Rep. Kevin McCarthy secured the speaker’s gavel.

McCarthy made several backroom deals during the stalemate and elicited anger from members of the party’s right flank, who nearly came to blows on the floor as he sought to lock in the necessary support.

Less than nine months later, the House voted to oust McCarthy from the speaker’s office. The GOP then kept the chamber frozen for several weeks as members voted behind closed doors to put forward four nominees, before Louisiana’s Mike Johnson garnered the votes necessary on the floor to lead his party and the chamber.

McCarthy, who repeatedly swore he would never quit, then did just that in December.

The Senate has spent much of its time confirming President Joe Biden’s nominees, rarely breaking from that pattern to negotiate necessary items like the annual defense policy bill, government funding measures and legislation that avoided a default on the national debt.

Senators appeared to be&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/details-proposed-major-overhaul-us-immigration-law-global-aid-package-unveiled" target="_blank">on the cusp of making bipartisan changes</a>&nbsp;to the nation’s border security and immigration policy following painstaking negotiations between Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford, Connecticut Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy and Arizona independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. It would have been the most sweeping immigration legislation in years.

But that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-kills-immigration-overhaul-hits-stalemate-israel-ukraine-aid" target="_blank">fell apart in February&nbsp;</a>after Trump signaled he didn’t want to lose the border and immigration as an election issue or see Biden claim a victory.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, had said the deal was necessary to move an emergency spending bill for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan through the chamber, though he later reversed course.

Congress finally&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-sends-foreign-aid-bill-biden-mcconnell-chides-gop-isolationist-movement" target="_blank">approved $95 billion</a>&nbsp;in military and humanitarian assistance in April after House Republicans added in a ban on the social media app TikTok that would kick in if ByteDance, the Chinese parent company, didn’t sell the platform — one of the most significant laws of the year as it turned out.

Congress has also failed to negotiate a new version of the five-year farm bill, following months of delays and differences of opinion on how much nutrition assistance for low-income Americans should be in the package.

The 78 laws&nbsp;<a href="https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/laws/current.html" target="_blank">enacted</a>&nbsp;this Congress pale in comparison to earlier sessions.

During the 116th Congress, when the GOP controlled the Senate and Democrats held the House, lawmakers reached agreement on 344 measures that went on to become law.

When Democrats held control of both chambers and the presidency during the 117th Congress, they approved more than 360 measures that would later become law, the vast majority of which required bipartisan support to move through the Senate.

Lawmakers have consistently enacted more than 280 public laws during their two-year sessions, going back to at least the 82nd Congress, which began in 1951 and ended the following year.

During that seven-decade span, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/public-laws/84th-congress" target="_blank">number of laws</a>&nbsp;enacted per Congress fluctuated, reaching a low of 283 during the 112th Congress, which lasted from January 2011 through January 2013, and a high of 1,028 during the 84th Congress, which took place in 1955 and 1956. The number of laws enacted was consistently in the 400s or 500s, if not higher, during those years.

Reynolds pointed out during her interview with States Newsroom that not all laws are created equal — some simply rename post offices or are confined to one issue, while others bundle several major pieces of legislation together in one package and have a much greater impact than other public laws.

Congress, she noted, used to pass the annual government spending bills individually, but over time has settled into a pattern of approving just one or two omnibus spending packages, which roll together all dozen of the bills.

Other examples of this include the Democrats’ signature health care, tax and climate change package, approved in the summer of 2022, known as the Inflation Reduction Act. When the GOP had unified control of Congress during the first two years of the Trump administration, they passed an overhaul of the nation’s tax code in just one bill.

“If we look at the data on the number of public laws, and we look at the data on the number of pages of public laws, we do see that, on average, they have been getting longer,” Reynolds said. “Having said all of that, when we actually do dig into what the 118th Congress has been up to, it has not been an especially productive Congress.”

Lawmakers are set to return from their summer recess for a three-week session in September, before breaking again until after Election Day.

Members are expected to draft and vote on a stopgap spending bill to avoid a partial government shutdown when the new fiscal year begins on Oct. 1. But not much else is likely to move through as attention turns even more toward Nov. 5.

The House Appropriations Committee has approved all 12 of its spending bills for fiscal 2025 while the Senate committee has voted to send 11 to the floor. The two chambers, however, are working off very different spending levels and don’t seem inclined to conference their bills until after they learn who will control Congress next year.

The lame-duck session, which spans the time between the election and when the new Congress convenes, is scheduled to last five weeks spread through late November and December.

During that time, GOP leaders in the House and Democratic leaders in the Senate may seek to pass their overdue government funding bills and the annual defense policy bill.

There are several other bills that have passed one chamber or the other with bipartisan majorities or have strong bipartisan support through co-sponsors, which lawmakers could seek to move through to the president’s desk. But much of that will be determined by the outcome of the elections as well as whether there is any violence or unrest connected with the results.

Members of Congress interviewed by States Newsroom had varying answers for what they tell constituents back home about this Congress’ accomplishments.

Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat, said that he speaks with voters about the laws enacted during the previous Congress, when Democrats had unified control of government, as well as this Congress.

“Well, first of all, I tend to talk about the sweep of accomplishments, right? Both this Congress but also the previous Congress where we were enormously productive, right?” Van Hollen said. “So usually I don’t limit it to that timeline.”

Van Hollen said he was optimistic that Congress would be able to complete its work on the dozen annual government funding bills later this year.

“Obviously, we’ve been able to adequately fund government agencies,” Van Hollen said. “So that may be a low bar, but in this divided Congress, it is something that I point to, because we’ve worked on the Appropriations Committee, at least in the Senate, to have bipartisan products.”

Kansas GOP Sen. Jerry Moran said he predominantly talks with constituents about his work as ranking member on the Veterans Affairs Committee as well as the Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations subcommittee.

“I talk about my own particular accomplishments as compared to bragging about Congress in general,” Moran said.

Much of the work that members do while in Washington, D.C., he said, doesn’t resonate with constituents who are focused on their own lives and families.

“No, I don’t think so,” Moran said. “Most people are paying specific attention to things that matter to them.”

Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. Bob Casey, who faces a challenging reelection bid this November, said he tends to put more emphasis on the accomplishments of the upper chamber when talking with constituents back home.

“I think the Senate’s been a lot more productive than the House, but we’ll let voters sort that out,” Casey said.

While the Senate holds the advice and consent power to confirm certain presidential nominees, legislation must pass through both chambers of Congress and avoid the president’s veto pen, if it’s to become law.

Casey said there are several occasions where the House and Senate agreed on major issues, listing off the appropriations bills for the last fiscal year, the emergency spending package for Ukraine and other U.S. allies, and a bill to address fentanyl abuse.

“I think it’s a pretty long list and there’s still more work to do in the fall,” Casey said.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, criticized the number of days the chamber spends in session every week, saying the calendar has shortened during his decades in the chamber.

“When I came to the Senate 44 years ago, we used to start at 10 a.m. on Monday and go to 4 or 5 on Friday,” Grassley said.

The Senate typically comes into session around 3 p.m. on Monday, with its first vote at 5:30 p.m. The chamber usually holds its last vote of the week on Thursday around 1:45 p.m., with the vast majority of senators heading to cars to leave shortly afterward.

The House keeps to a similar four-day schedule, though its “fly-in day” is sometimes on Tuesday, pushing its “fly-out day” to Friday. That chamber takes its first vote of the week around 6:30 p.m. with its last vote before noon on the fourth day.

“There’s enough work for individual senators to do seven days a week if you want to work,” Grassley said. “But you can’t solve this country’s problems until you get 100 people together, and they’ve got to be together for more than two-and-a-half days a week.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1614817353591.png" alt="File photo Members of the Kansas Congressional delegation - Jake LaTurner, Ron Estes, Jerry Moran, Sharice Davids, Roger Marshall and Tracey Mann&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>File photo Members of the Kansas Congressional delegation - Jake LaTurner, Ron Estes, Jerry Moran, Sharice Davids, Roger Marshall and Tracey Mann&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>&nbsp; State's NewsroomWASHINGTON — Congress plans to spend just 35 days between now and the end of the year in the nation’s capital, a fitting end to one of the least productive sessions in decades.The deeply divided 118th Congress so far has placed just 78 public laws on the books, a fraction of the hundreds enacted during prior sessions, regardless of whether one party held control or voters elected a divided government. While there’s time left to enact a handful of laws, the number is nearly certain to remain low.Over the past several decades, lawmakers have become accustomed to bundling several bills together into sweeping legislative packages instead of voting on them individually, but that doesn’t entirely account for how unproductive this Congress has been.Members have sought to approve bipartisan legislation on immigration policy and border security, railway safety, the farm bill, tax law and children’s online safety at various points during the last 19 months — but all those major initiatives failed to make it across the finish line.Lawmakers have been able to reach consensus on must-pass items like the annual government funding bills, but did so six months behind schedule. They are on track to miss their deadline again this year, which will mean yet another stopgap spending bill.<h2>What is the problem?</h2>While election-year politics and a truncated amount of time on Capitol Hill hampered lawmakers’ productivity, there are numerous other factors dragging down this Congress.Molly Reynolds, senior fellow in governance studies at the nonprofit Brookings Institution, said Democrats are working to flip control of the House away from Republicans’ narrow majority, while at the same time the GOP is projecting it will push Democrats out of power in the Senate.Those ambitions add “an additional structural layer” to the typical disagreements within Congress, she said.Infighting within each of the political parties, as well as Democrats and Republicans moving further away from each other on policy goals, has contributed to the intransigence, she said.“Those divisions within the parties pale in comparison to the size of the difference between the parties,” Reynolds said. “And so, that does make it more challenging to find issues on which both sides are willing and interested to come to the table.”A bipartisan trio of senators spent months negotiating a deal on immigration just to have the agreement disintegrate when Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump came out in opposition. That disappointing outcome makes members of Congress reluctant to tackle tough issues, she said.“When members put in the hard work to try and reach a compromise and then don’t have the backing of their leadership, it doesn’t necessarily incentivize them to come back to the table and try to do that same thing again in the future,” Reynolds said.<h2>Speaker drama set the tone</h2>The 118th Congress included more than its fair share of drama and bickering. The turmoil prevented the Republican House and Democratic Senate from agreeing on much of anything other than the bare minimum, with even must-pass legislation finalized months behind schedule.House Republicans set the tone for their razor-thin majority in January 2023 when they trudged through 15 rounds of voting over several days and nights before California Rep. Kevin McCarthy secured the speaker’s gavel.McCarthy made several backroom deals during the stalemate and elicited anger from members of the party’s right flank, who nearly came to blows on the floor as he sought to lock in the necessary support.Less than nine months later, the House voted to oust McCarthy from the speaker’s office. The GOP then kept the chamber frozen for several weeks as members voted behind closed doors to put forward four nominees, before Louisiana’s Mike Johnson garnered the votes necessary on the floor to lead his party and the chamber.McCarthy, who repeatedly swore he would never quit, then did just that in December.<h2>Senate border deal goes to pieces</h2>The Senate has spent much of its time confirming President Joe Biden’s nominees, rarely breaking from that pattern to negotiate necessary items like the annual defense policy bill, government funding measures and legislation that avoided a default on the national debt.Senators appeared to be&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/details-proposed-major-overhaul-us-immigration-law-global-aid-package-unveiled" target="_blank">on the cusp of making bipartisan changes</a>&nbsp;to the nation’s border security and immigration policy following painstaking negotiations between Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford, Connecticut Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy and Arizona independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. It would have been the most sweeping immigration legislation in years.But that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-kills-immigration-overhaul-hits-stalemate-israel-ukraine-aid" target="_blank">fell apart in February&nbsp;</a>after Trump signaled he didn’t want to lose the border and immigration as an election issue or see Biden claim a victory.Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, had said the deal was necessary to move an emergency spending bill for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan through the chamber, though he later reversed course.Congress finally&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-sends-foreign-aid-bill-biden-mcconnell-chides-gop-isolationist-movement" target="_blank">approved $95 billion</a>&nbsp;in military and humanitarian assistance in April after House Republicans added in a ban on the social media app TikTok that would kick in if ByteDance, the Chinese parent company, didn’t sell the platform — one of the most significant laws of the year as it turned out.Congress has also failed to negotiate a new version of the five-year farm bill, following months of delays and differences of opinion on how much nutrition assistance for low-income Americans should be in the package.<h2>Few laws passed</h2>The 78 laws&nbsp;<a href="https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/laws/current.html" target="_blank">enacted</a>&nbsp;this Congress pale in comparison to earlier sessions.During the 116th Congress, when the GOP controlled the Senate and Democrats held the House, lawmakers reached agreement on 344 measures that went on to become law.When Democrats held control of both chambers and the presidency during the 117th Congress, they approved more than 360 measures that would later become law, the vast majority of which required bipartisan support to move through the Senate.Lawmakers have consistently enacted more than 280 public laws during their two-year sessions, going back to at least the 82nd Congress, which began in 1951 and ended the following year.During that seven-decade span, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/public-laws/84th-congress" target="_blank">number of laws</a>&nbsp;enacted per Congress fluctuated, reaching a low of 283 during the 112th Congress, which lasted from January 2011 through January 2013, and a high of 1,028 during the 84th Congress, which took place in 1955 and 1956. The number of laws enacted was consistently in the 400s or 500s, if not higher, during those years.Reynolds pointed out during her interview with States Newsroom that not all laws are created equal — some simply rename post offices or are confined to one issue, while others bundle several major pieces of legislation together in one package and have a much greater impact than other public laws.Congress, she noted, used to pass the annual government spending bills individually, but over time has settled into a pattern of approving just one or two omnibus spending packages, which roll together all dozen of the bills.Other examples of this include the Democrats’ signature health care, tax and climate change package, approved in the summer of 2022, known as the Inflation Reduction Act. When the GOP had unified control of Congress during the first two years of the Trump administration, they passed an overhaul of the nation’s tax code in just one bill.“If we look at the data on the number of public laws, and we look at the data on the number of pages of public laws, we do see that, on average, they have been getting longer,” Reynolds said. “Having said all of that, when we actually do dig into what the 118th Congress has been up to, it has not been an especially productive Congress.”<h2>Lame-duck session on the way</h2>Lawmakers are set to return from their summer recess for a three-week session in September, before breaking again until after Election Day.Members are expected to draft and vote on a stopgap spending bill to avoid a partial government shutdown when the new fiscal year begins on Oct. 1. But not much else is likely to move through as attention turns even more toward Nov. 5.The House Appropriations Committee has approved all 12 of its spending bills for fiscal 2025 while the Senate committee has voted to send 11 to the floor. The two chambers, however, are working off very different spending levels and don’t seem inclined to conference their bills until after they learn who will control Congress next year.The lame-duck session, which spans the time between the election and when the new Congress convenes, is scheduled to last five weeks spread through late November and December.During that time, GOP leaders in the House and Democratic leaders in the Senate may seek to pass their overdue government funding bills and the annual defense policy bill.There are several other bills that have passed one chamber or the other with bipartisan majorities or have strong bipartisan support through co-sponsors, which lawmakers could seek to move through to the president’s desk. But much of that will be determined by the outcome of the elections as well as whether there is any violence or unrest connected with the results.<h2>How to explain it</h2>Members of Congress interviewed by States Newsroom had varying answers for what they tell constituents back home about this Congress’ accomplishments.Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat, said that he speaks with voters about the laws enacted during the previous Congress, when Democrats had unified control of government, as well as this Congress.“Well, first of all, I tend to talk about the sweep of accomplishments, right? Both this Congress but also the previous Congress where we were enormously productive, right?” Van Hollen said. “So usually I don’t limit it to that timeline.”Van Hollen said he was optimistic that Congress would be able to complete its work on the dozen annual government funding bills later this year.“Obviously, we’ve been able to adequately fund government agencies,” Van Hollen said. “So that may be a low bar, but in this divided Congress, it is something that I point to, because we’ve worked on the Appropriations Committee, at least in the Senate, to have bipartisan products.”Kansas GOP Sen. Jerry Moran said he predominantly talks with constituents about his work as ranking member on the Veterans Affairs Committee as well as the Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations subcommittee.“I talk about my own particular accomplishments as compared to bragging about Congress in general,” Moran said.Much of the work that members do while in Washington, D.C., he said, doesn’t resonate with constituents who are focused on their own lives and families.“No, I don’t think so,” Moran said. “Most people are paying specific attention to things that matter to them.”Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. Bob Casey, who faces a challenging reelection bid this November, said he tends to put more emphasis on the accomplishments of the upper chamber when talking with constituents back home.“I think the Senate’s been a lot more productive than the House, but we’ll let voters sort that out,” Casey said.While the Senate holds the advice and consent power to confirm certain presidential nominees, legislation must pass through both chambers of Congress and avoid the president’s veto pen, if it’s to become law.Casey said there are several occasions where the House and Senate agreed on major issues, listing off the appropriations bills for the last fiscal year, the emergency spending package for Ukraine and other U.S. allies, and a bill to address fentanyl abuse.“I think it’s a pretty long list and there’s still more work to do in the fall,” Casey said.<h2>More time at work?</h2>Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, criticized the number of days the chamber spends in session every week, saying the calendar has shortened during his decades in the chamber.“When I came to the Senate 44 years ago, we used to start at 10 a.m. on Monday and go to 4 or 5 on Friday,” Grassley said.The Senate typically comes into session around 3 p.m. on Monday, with its first vote at 5:30 p.m. The chamber usually holds its last vote of the week on Thursday around 1:45 p.m., with the vast majority of senators heading to cars to leave shortly afterward.The House keeps to a similar four-day schedule, though its “fly-in day” is sometimes on Tuesday, pushing its “fly-out day” to Friday. That chamber takes its first vote of the week around 6:30 p.m. with its last vote before noon on the fourth day.“There’s enough work for individual senators to do seven days a week if you want to work,” Grassley said. “But you can’t solve this country’s problems until you get 100 people together, and they’ve got to be together for more than two-and-a-half days a week.”

Congress limps toward the end of a disappointing session, with just 78 laws to show

A man walks into a post office to send a package to his wife. The postmaster says, “This package is too heavy, you’ll need another stamp.” The man replies, “And how would that make it lighter?”

Join fans of KZ Country on Facebook:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.facebook.com/99KZCountry" target="_blank">http://www.facebook.com/99KZCountry</a>

A man walks into a post office to send a package to his wife. The postmaster says, “This package is too heavy, you’ll need another stamp.” The man replies, “And how would that make it lighter?”Join fans of KZ Country on Facebook:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.facebook.com/99KZCountry" target="_blank">http://www.facebook.com/99KZCountry</a>

KZ Country Cheesy Joke of the Day 08/12/24

By BECKY KISER Hays Post

Implementing the vision behind the recent affiliation initiative between Fort Hays State University, North Central Kansas Technical College in Hays and Beloit, and Northwest Kansas Technical College in Goodland is underway.

The nursing and allied health professionals teams at FHSU and what is now known as Fort Hays Tech North Central are leading the way in forming an affiliation partnership that will better serve rural Kansas's educational and workforce development needs.

One affiliation implementation team is addressing the nursing shortage and other challenges in health care, including opportunities for students to get credentialed in health care areas.

"We've worked very closely with Fort Hays Tech North Central, which has a very vibrant nursing program on its Hays campus and an emerging program at its Beloit campus," said Jeff Briggs, dean of the FHSU College of Health and Behavioral Sciences.

The schools' partnership is designed to make a student's transfer to FHSU seamless and enhance the pipeline of persons that will serve rural and remote communities, particularly in western and central Kansas.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"We're really concerned about the demographic decline and how that will devastate some of these communities," said Tisa Mason, FHSU president. "To be a strong state, we can't just focus on the urban areas."

Students interested in nursing can get an associate's degree at the technical college and then follow several seamless transfer pathways to a bachelor of science in nursing degree at FHSU.&nbsp;

"We've been able to create a host of courses that transfer directly, and we've opened up a number of courses students can take while they're pursuing their two-year degree. At the same time, they can take up to five courses in the baccalaureate program," Briggs said.

"It fast tracks these students to the BSN through this partnership. It prepares nurses much faster than what has been our historical pattern."&nbsp;

This academic year, the affiliation implementation will be creating a pathway for seamless admission to Fort Hays State from Fort Hays Tech North Central.

FHSU will also launch a hybrid program this year.&nbsp;

Students will be able to take lecture courses online and have clinical-intensive experiences throughout the semester, then sit for the registered nurse licensure.&nbsp;

Briggs credits the FHSU nursing faculty for developing the creative program concept.&nbsp;

"We know that students tend to stay within the parameters of where they're educated. If we can keep them in western Kansas for educational opportunities, it's often that they'll go back to populate and serve the rural region."&nbsp;

Allied health professionals are also needed in rural areas of Kansas.

Fort Hays Tech Northwest in Goodland offers respiratory care and medical assistant programs, and it is developing a medical specialist program.

"We're partnering with them as part of this affiliation so those students can then receive a baccalaureate degree through Fort Hays State University, advance their credentials. Perhaps pathway into a master's degree, move into administration."&nbsp;

Industry partners are critical for all FHSU allied health programs, and several professionals serve on the implementation team, including Terry Siek, chief nursing officer at HaysMed, Nicki Cleveland, chief nursing officer at Mitchell County Hospital in Beloit, and Jaron Caffrey of the Kansas Hospital Association.

"Independently, we work so closely with all our regional hospitals, our critical care access hospitals, and clinics for placing our students for clinical experiences. Then there are opportunities for them to recruit those students into employment upon completion of the program."

Briggs said the hands-on clinical experience is critically important for the original nursing certification.&nbsp;&nbsp;

FHSU and its partner schools have patient simulation labs on their campuses, where students can learn and practice techniques before entering the more organic real-life environment.

"They've had to think through the scenarios that they're presented. They're more work-ready when they do graduate," Briggs said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

FHSU students do a rural clinical rotation, which is a vastly different environment from an urban hospital such as Wesley Medical Center in Wichita.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The university has submitted an application for a competitive $4 million federal grant to support the rural clinical rotation program.&nbsp;

Thanks in part to $15 million in funding from the Kansas Legislature, Fort Hays State University is expanding its nursing program and adding to Stroup Hall, the nursing building.&nbsp;

Design plans are underway with a goal of opening the doors in 2027.

Community promotional events to celebrate the affiliation between FHSU and Fort Hays Tech North Central will be at 4:30 p.m. Sept. 12 in the Hays downtown pavilion and Sept. 14 in downtown Beloit.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721315314724.png" alt="&nbsp;Nursing and allied health are the education program teams most recently working on the affiliation implementation between FHSU, NCK Technical College and NWK Technical College.&nbsp;&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Nursing and allied health are the education program teams most recently working on the affiliation implementation between FHSU, NCK Technical College and NWK Technical College.&nbsp;&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>By BECKY KISER Hays PostImplementing the vision behind the recent affiliation initiative between Fort Hays State University, North Central Kansas Technical College in Hays and Beloit, and Northwest Kansas Technical College in Goodland is underway.The nursing and allied health professionals teams at FHSU and what is now known as Fort Hays Tech North Central are leading the way in forming an affiliation partnership that will better serve rural Kansas's educational and workforce development needs.One affiliation implementation team is addressing the nursing shortage and other challenges in health care, including opportunities for students to get credentialed in health care areas."We've worked very closely with Fort Hays Tech North Central, which has a very vibrant nursing program on its Hays campus and an emerging program at its Beloit campus," said Jeff Briggs, dean of the FHSU College of Health and Behavioral Sciences.The schools' partnership is designed to make a student's transfer to FHSU seamless and enhance the pipeline of persons that will serve rural and remote communities, particularly in western and central Kansas.&nbsp;&nbsp;"We're really concerned about the demographic decline and how that will devastate some of these communities," said Tisa Mason, FHSU president. "To be a strong state, we can't just focus on the urban areas."Students interested in nursing can get an associate's degree at the technical college and then follow several seamless transfer pathways to a bachelor of science in nursing degree at FHSU.&nbsp;"We've been able to create a host of courses that transfer directly, and we've opened up a number of courses students can take while they're pursuing their two-year degree. At the same time, they can take up to five courses in the baccalaureate program," Briggs said."It fast tracks these students to the BSN through this partnership. It prepares nurses much faster than what has been our historical pattern."&nbsp;This academic year, the affiliation implementation will be creating a pathway for seamless admission to Fort Hays State from Fort Hays Tech North Central.FHSU will also launch a hybrid program this year.&nbsp;Students will be able to take lecture courses online and have clinical-intensive experiences throughout the semester, then sit for the registered nurse licensure.&nbsp;Briggs credits the FHSU nursing faculty for developing the creative program concept.&nbsp;"We know that students tend to stay within the parameters of where they're educated. If we can keep them in western Kansas for educational opportunities, it's often that they'll go back to populate and serve the rural region."&nbsp;Allied health professionals are also needed in rural areas of Kansas.Fort Hays Tech Northwest in Goodland offers respiratory care and medical assistant programs, and it is developing a medical specialist program."We're partnering with them as part of this affiliation so those students can then receive a baccalaureate degree through Fort Hays State University, advance their credentials. Perhaps pathway into a master's degree, move into administration."&nbsp;Industry partners are critical for all FHSU allied health programs, and several professionals serve on the implementation team, including Terry Siek, chief nursing officer at HaysMed, Nicki Cleveland, chief nursing officer at Mitchell County Hospital in Beloit, and Jaron Caffrey of the Kansas Hospital Association."Independently, we work so closely with all our regional hospitals, our critical care access hospitals, and clinics for placing our students for clinical experiences. Then there are opportunities for them to recruit those students into employment upon completion of the program."Briggs said the hands-on clinical experience is critically important for the original nursing certification.&nbsp;&nbsp;FHSU and its partner schools have patient simulation labs on their campuses, where students can learn and practice techniques before entering the more organic real-life environment."They've had to think through the scenarios that they're presented. They're more work-ready when they do graduate," Briggs said.&nbsp;&nbsp;FHSU students do a rural clinical rotation, which is a vastly different environment from an urban hospital such as Wesley Medical Center in Wichita.&nbsp;&nbsp;The university has submitted an application for a competitive $4 million federal grant to support the rural clinical rotation program.&nbsp;Thanks in part to $15 million in funding from the Kansas Legislature, Fort Hays State University is expanding its nursing program and adding to Stroup Hall, the nursing building.&nbsp;Design plans are underway with a goal of opening the doors in 2027.Community promotional events to celebrate the affiliation between FHSU and Fort Hays Tech North Central will be at 4:30 p.m. Sept. 12 in the Hays downtown pavilion and Sept. 14 in downtown Beloit.&nbsp;

Nursing, allied health programs grow with FHSU, Fort Hays Tech North Central affiliation

KANSAS CITY– A&nbsp; Kansas City area man was sentenced in federal court last week for a sextortion scheme in which he threatened victims, including minors, to extort them into sending him pornographic images and videos of themselves.

Marek Redding, 20, Lee's Summit, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Redding to 25 years of supervised release following incarceration. Redding will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.

On April 9, 2024, Redding pleaded guilty to two counts of producing child pornography, one count of distributing child pornography, and one count of extortion.

Redding, using a fake female persona on the Snapchat app, received nude photographs from multiple females, including minors. According to court documents, some victims reported that Redding threatened to distribute or publicly post their images if they did not continue sending nude images, some of which constituted child pornography.

Redding admitted that he induced two minor victims to produce child pornography in January 2022 and March 2022, and that he distributed the child pornography. Redding also admitted that he transmitted threats to injure the reputation of an adult victim in April 2022 in order to obtain more photographs from the victim.

According to court documents, the adult victim told investigators she had sent nude images to Redding. When she attempted to stop, Redding threatened to disclose her images to her family, school, and employer.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599845246253.png" alt="Snapchat" />
 <figcaption>Snapchat</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY– A&nbsp; Kansas City area man was sentenced in federal court last week for a sextortion scheme in which he threatened victims, including minors, to extort them into sending him pornographic images and videos of themselves.Marek Redding, 20, Lee's Summit, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Redding to 25 years of supervised release following incarceration. Redding will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.On April 9, 2024, Redding pleaded guilty to two counts of producing child pornography, one count of distributing child pornography, and one count of extortion.Redding, using a fake female persona on the Snapchat app, received nude photographs from multiple females, including minors. According to court documents, some victims reported that Redding threatened to distribute or publicly post their images if they did not continue sending nude images, some of which constituted child pornography.Redding admitted that he induced two minor victims to produce child pornography in January 2022 and March 2022, and that he distributed the child pornography. Redding also admitted that he transmitted threats to injure the reputation of an adult victim in April 2022 in order to obtain more photographs from the victim.According to court documents, the adult victim told investigators she had sent nude images to Redding. When she attempted to stop, Redding threatened to disclose her images to her family, school, and employer.

KC area man admits role in child porn, sextortion scheme

PARIS (AP) — U.S. Olympic officials say they will appeal a court ruling that resulted in American gymnast&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-olympics-paris-gymnastics-4004ae4869ac2eafbb89b68ee5966110">Jordan Chiles being asked to return the bronze medal</a>&nbsp;she won in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games">Paris Olympics</a>&nbsp;floor exercise.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) voided an on-floor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/olympics-2024-romania-inquiry-007b6136128a934b4a5c900ad8fb608f">appeal by Chiles' coach</a>&nbsp;that vaulted her to third, saying the appeal came 4 seconds beyond the 1-minute time limit for scoring inquiries.

The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) said Saturday night it would respect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-olympics-jordan-chiles-bronze-5a7db5537e2defb3ebe57b0b746556f3">the court's decision</a>&nbsp;and elevate Barbosu to third. The International Olympic Committee confirmed the ruling Sunday, announcing that it was reallocating the bronze from last Monday’s women’s floor final to Romanian Ana Barbosu.

“We firmly believe that Jordan rightfully earned the bronze medal, and there were critical errors in both the initial scoring by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) and the subsequent CAS appeal process that need to be addressed,” the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee statement said.

CAS ruled Saturday that Team USA coach Cecile Landi's inquiry to have 0.1 added to Chiles’ score came outside the 1-minute window allowed by the FIG. The CAS ad hoc committee wrote that Landi’s inquiry came 1 minute, 4 seconds after Chiles' initial score was posted.

The IOC said in a statement it will be in touch with the USOPC regarding the return of Chiles' bronze and will work with the Romanian Olympic Committee to discuss a reallocation ceremony honoring Barbosu.

“The initial error occurred in the scoring by FIG, and the second error was during the CAS appeal process, where the USOPC was not given adequate time or notice to effectively challenge the decision,” said the USOPC statement, which was released Sunday.

It was unclear the exact process the appeal would take first. The two potential places the USOPC could take the appeal would be to Switzerland’s highest court, the Swiss Tribunal, or the European Court of Human Rights.

CAS wrote Saturday that the initial finishing order should be restored, with Barbosu third, Romanian Sabrina Maneca-Voinea fourth and Chiles fifth. The organization added the FIG should determine the final ranking “in accordance with the above decision,” but left it up to the federation to decide who would get the medal behind gold winner Rebeca Andrade of Brazil and silver medalist Simone Biles of the U.S.

The FIG said it was the IOC’s call on whether to reallocate the medal. The IOC confirmed Sunday it would respect FIG's decision and seek to have Chiles' medal returned.

The rapid turn of events adds another layer to what has been a difficult few days for all three athletes.

Romanian gymnastics legend and 1976 Olympic champion Nadia Comaneci feared for Barbosu’s mental health because of the wrenching sequence in which she went from bronze medalist to fourth-place finisher.

“I can’t believe we play with athletes mental health and emotions like this… let’s protect them,” Comaneci&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/nadiacomaneci10/status/1820483816848605506">posted on X</a>&nbsp;earlier in the week.

Comaneci, at the same time, criticized the judges for the way they scored Maneca-Voinea’s routine — the gymnast was docked 0.1 points for stepping out of bounds, but viral replays showed she narrowly stayed inbounds. Comaneci urged the Romanian Olympic Committee to protest, which it did, but CAS denied that appeal.

Chiles hinted at the decision in an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/jordanchiles/">Instagram story</a>&nbsp;on Saturday, indicating she is heartbroken and is “taking this time and removing myself from social media for my mental health, thank you.”

Jazmin Chiles, Jordan's sister, said on Instagram that Chiles was stripped of a medal “not because she wasn't good enough. But because the judges failed to give her difficulty and forced an inquiry to be made.”

U.S. teammates offered support to Chiles, a two-time Olympian.

"Sending you so much love Jordan,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/simonebiles/?hl=en">American star Simone Biles posted on Instagram</a>. “Keep your chin up ‘Olympic champ’ we love you.”

“All this talk about the athlete, what about the judges?”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/sunisalee/?hl=en">six-time Olympic medalist Sunisa Lee</a>&nbsp;added on Instagram. “Completely unacceptable, this is awful and I’m gutted for jordan.”

USA Gymnastics said in a statement on Saturday it is “devastated” by the ruling.

“The inquiry into the Difficulty Value of Jordan Chiles’ floor exercise routine was filed in good faith and, we believed, in accordance with FIG rules to ensure accurate scoring,” the organization wrote.

Barbosu and Maneca-Voinea were left outside the medals in the floor final after finishing with matching scores of 13.700. Barbosu thought she had won bronze over Maneca-Voinea via a tiebreaker — a higher execution score — and began celebrating with a Romanian flag.

Chiles was the last athlete to compete and initially given a score of 13.666 that placed her fifth, right behind Maneca-Voinea. Landi called for an inquiry on Chiles’ score was announced.

“At this point, we had nothing to lose, so I was like ‘We’re just going to try,‘” Landi said after the awards ceremony. “I honestly didn’t think it was going to happen, but when I heard her scream, I turned around and was like ‘What?’”

Judges awarded the appeal, leapfrogging Chiles past Barbosu and Maneca-Voinea.

Barbosu made it a point after returning home to Romania that she had no problem with Chiles.

“I only want for everybody to be fair, we don’t want to start picking on other athletes of any nationality,” Barbosu told reporters. “We as athletes don’t deserve something like that, we only want to perform as best as we can and to be rewarded based on our performance. The problems lie with the judges, with their calculations and decisions.”

Chiles’ mother, Gina Chiles, called out the critics in a post, writing she was “tired” of the derogatory comments being leveled at Jordan.

“My daughter is a highly decorated Olympian with the biggest heart and a level of sportsmanship that is unmatched,” Gina Chiles posted. “And she’s being called disgusting things.”

The uncertainty also tinges what had been a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-olympics-biles-andrade-02e953a669403456aeaf3aee9cf40457">beautiful moment</a>&nbsp;on the medal stand, when Chiles and Biles knelt to honor Andrade after the Brazilian star won her fourth medal in Paris.

“It was just the right thing to do,” Biles said about a moment that soon went viral, with even the&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/MuseeLouvre/status/1820468503910261176">Louvre</a>&nbsp;itself suggesting it might be worthy enough for a spot somewhere in the vicinity of the Mona Lisa.

That memory now carries a complicated and emotional postscript.

PARIS (AP) — American gymnast&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-olympics-paris-gymnastics-4004ae4869ac2eafbb89b68ee5966110">Jordan Chiles must return the bronze medal</a>&nbsp;she won in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games">Paris Olympics</a>&nbsp;floor exercise after sport's highest court voided an on-floor appeal by Chiles' coach that vaulted Chiles to third, the International Olympic Committee confirmed Sunday.

The IOC announced early Sunday it was reallocating the bronze from last Monday's women's floor final to Romanian Ana Barbosu after the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) said Saturday night it would respect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-olympics-jordan-chiles-bronze-5a7db5537e2defb3ebe57b0b746556f3">the court's decision</a>&nbsp;and elevate Barbosu to third.

The decision came less than 24 hours after the Court of Arbitration for Sport&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/olympics-2024-romania-inquiry-007b6136128a934b4a5c900ad8fb608f">voided a scoring appeal</a>&nbsp;made by Team USA coach Cecile Landi during the competition that placed Chiles on the podium.

CAS ruled Saturday that Landi's appeal to have 0.1 added to Chiles’ score came outside the 1-minute window allowed by the FIG. The ad hoc committee wrote that Landi’s inquiry came 1 minute, 4 seconds after Chiles' initial score was posted.

The IOC said in a statement it will be in touch with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee regarding the return of Chiles' bronze and will work with the Romanian Olympic Committee to discuss a reallocation ceremony honoring Barbosu.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721752151522.png" alt="FILE -&nbsp; (AP Photo/Thibault Campus, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE -&nbsp; (AP Photo/Thibault Campus, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>PARIS (AP) — U.S. Olympic officials say they will appeal a court ruling that resulted in American gymnast&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-olympics-paris-gymnastics-4004ae4869ac2eafbb89b68ee5966110">Jordan Chiles being asked to return the bronze medal</a>&nbsp;she won in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games">Paris Olympics</a>&nbsp;floor exercise.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">USA Gymnastics has submitted additional evidence to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. <a href="https://t.co/GOKymbAtcq">pic.twitter.com/GOKymbAtcq</a>&mdash; USA Gymnastics (@USAGym) <a href="https://twitter.com/USAGym/status/1822724122951991331?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) voided an on-floor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/olympics-2024-romania-inquiry-007b6136128a934b4a5c900ad8fb608f">appeal by Chiles' coach</a>&nbsp;that vaulted her to third, saying the appeal came 4 seconds beyond the 1-minute time limit for scoring inquiries.The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) said Saturday night it would respect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-olympics-jordan-chiles-bronze-5a7db5537e2defb3ebe57b0b746556f3">the court's decision</a>&nbsp;and elevate Barbosu to third. The International Olympic Committee confirmed the ruling Sunday, announcing that it was reallocating the bronze from last Monday’s women’s floor final to Romanian Ana Barbosu.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Forever THAT GIRL ❤️ <a href="https://t.co/U6ylsOxSuK">pic.twitter.com/U6ylsOxSuK</a>&mdash; Team USA (@TeamUSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/TeamUSA/status/1822604940147118222?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“We firmly believe that Jordan rightfully earned the bronze medal, and there were critical errors in both the initial scoring by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) and the subsequent CAS appeal process that need to be addressed,” the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee statement said.CAS ruled Saturday that Team USA coach Cecile Landi's inquiry to have 0.1 added to Chiles’ score came outside the 1-minute window allowed by the FIG. The CAS ad hoc committee wrote that Landi’s inquiry came 1 minute, 4 seconds after Chiles' initial score was posted.The IOC said in a statement it will be in touch with the USOPC regarding the return of Chiles' bronze and will work with the Romanian Olympic Committee to discuss a reallocation ceremony honoring Barbosu.“The initial error occurred in the scoring by FIG, and the second error was during the CAS appeal process, where the USOPC was not given adequate time or notice to effectively challenge the decision,” said the USOPC statement, which was released Sunday.It was unclear the exact process the appeal would take first. The two potential places the USOPC could take the appeal would be to Switzerland’s highest court, the Swiss Tribunal, or the European Court of Human Rights.CAS wrote Saturday that the initial finishing order should be restored, with Barbosu third, Romanian Sabrina Maneca-Voinea fourth and Chiles fifth. The organization added the FIG should determine the final ranking “in accordance with the above decision,” but left it up to the federation to decide who would get the medal behind gold winner Rebeca Andrade of Brazil and silver medalist Simone Biles of the U.S.The FIG said it was the IOC’s call on whether to reallocate the medal. The IOC confirmed Sunday it would respect FIG's decision and seek to have Chiles' medal returned.The rapid turn of events adds another layer to what has been a difficult few days for all three athletes.Romanian gymnastics legend and 1976 Olympic champion Nadia Comaneci feared for Barbosu’s mental health because of the wrenching sequence in which she went from bronze medalist to fourth-place finisher.“I can’t believe we play with athletes mental health and emotions like this… let’s protect them,” Comaneci&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/nadiacomaneci10/status/1820483816848605506">posted on X</a>&nbsp;earlier in the week.Comaneci, at the same time, criticized the judges for the way they scored Maneca-Voinea’s routine — the gymnast was docked 0.1 points for stepping out of bounds, but viral replays showed she narrowly stayed inbounds. Comaneci urged the Romanian Olympic Committee to protest, which it did, but CAS denied that appeal.Chiles hinted at the decision in an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/jordanchiles/">Instagram story</a>&nbsp;on Saturday, indicating she is heartbroken and is “taking this time and removing myself from social media for my mental health, thank you.”Jazmin Chiles, Jordan's sister, said on Instagram that Chiles was stripped of a medal “not because she wasn't good enough. But because the judges failed to give her difficulty and forced an inquiry to be made.”U.S. teammates offered support to Chiles, a two-time Olympian."Sending you so much love Jordan,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/simonebiles/?hl=en">American star Simone Biles posted on Instagram</a>. “Keep your chin up ‘Olympic champ’ we love you.”“All this talk about the athlete, what about the judges?”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/sunisalee/?hl=en">six-time Olympic medalist Sunisa Lee</a>&nbsp;added on Instagram. “Completely unacceptable, this is awful and I’m gutted for jordan.”USA Gymnastics said in a statement on Saturday it is “devastated” by the ruling.“The inquiry into the Difficulty Value of Jordan Chiles’ floor exercise routine was filed in good faith and, we believed, in accordance with FIG rules to ensure accurate scoring,” the organization wrote.Barbosu and Maneca-Voinea were left outside the medals in the floor final after finishing with matching scores of 13.700. Barbosu thought she had won bronze over Maneca-Voinea via a tiebreaker — a higher execution score — and began celebrating with a Romanian flag.Chiles was the last athlete to compete and initially given a score of 13.666 that placed her fifth, right behind Maneca-Voinea. Landi called for an inquiry on Chiles’ score was announced.“At this point, we had nothing to lose, so I was like ‘We’re just going to try,‘” Landi said after the awards ceremony. “I honestly didn’t think it was going to happen, but when I heard her scream, I turned around and was like ‘What?’”Judges awarded the appeal, leapfrogging Chiles past Barbosu and Maneca-Voinea.Barbosu made it a point after returning home to Romania that she had no problem with Chiles.“I only want for everybody to be fair, we don’t want to start picking on other athletes of any nationality,” Barbosu told reporters. “We as athletes don’t deserve something like that, we only want to perform as best as we can and to be rewarded based on our performance. The problems lie with the judges, with their calculations and decisions.”Chiles’ mother, Gina Chiles, called out the critics in a post, writing she was “tired” of the derogatory comments being leveled at Jordan.“My daughter is a highly decorated Olympian with the biggest heart and a level of sportsmanship that is unmatched,” Gina Chiles posted. “And she’s being called disgusting things.”The uncertainty also tinges what had been a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-olympics-biles-andrade-02e953a669403456aeaf3aee9cf40457">beautiful moment</a>&nbsp;on the medal stand, when Chiles and Biles knelt to honor Andrade after the Brazilian star won her fourth medal in Paris.“It was just the right thing to do,” Biles said about a moment that soon went viral, with even the&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/MuseeLouvre/status/1820468503910261176">Louvre</a>&nbsp;itself suggesting it might be worthy enough for a spot somewhere in the vicinity of the Mona Lisa.That memory now carries a complicated and emotional postscript.___PARIS (AP) — American gymnast&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-olympics-paris-gymnastics-4004ae4869ac2eafbb89b68ee5966110">Jordan Chiles must return the bronze medal</a>&nbsp;she won in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games">Paris Olympics</a>&nbsp;floor exercise after sport's highest court voided an on-floor appeal by Chiles' coach that vaulted Chiles to third, the International Olympic Committee confirmed Sunday.The IOC announced early Sunday it was reallocating the bronze from last Monday's women's floor final to Romanian Ana Barbosu after the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) said Saturday night it would respect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-olympics-jordan-chiles-bronze-5a7db5537e2defb3ebe57b0b746556f3">the court's decision</a>&nbsp;and elevate Barbosu to third.The decision came less than 24 hours after the Court of Arbitration for Sport&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/olympics-2024-romania-inquiry-007b6136128a934b4a5c900ad8fb608f">voided a scoring appeal</a>&nbsp;made by Team USA coach Cecile Landi during the competition that placed Chiles on the podium.CAS ruled Saturday that Landi's appeal to have 0.1 added to Chiles’ score came outside the 1-minute window allowed by the FIG. The ad hoc committee wrote that Landi’s inquiry came 1 minute, 4 seconds after Chiles' initial score was posted.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Forever THAT GIRL ❤️ <a href="https://t.co/U6ylsOxSuK">pic.twitter.com/U6ylsOxSuK</a>&mdash; Team USA (@TeamUSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/TeamUSA/status/1822604940147118222?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The IOC said in a statement it will be in touch with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee regarding the return of Chiles' bronze and will work with the Romanian Olympic Committee to discuss a reallocation ceremony honoring Barbosu.CAS wrote Saturday that the initial finishing order should be restored, with Barbosu third, Romanian Sabrina Maneca-Voinea fourth and Chiles fifth. The organization added the FIG should determine the final ranking “in accordance with the above decision,” but left it up to the federation to decide who would get the medal behind gold winner Rebeca Andrade of Brazil and silver medalist Simone Biles of the U.S.The FIG said it was the IOC’s call on whether to reallocate the medal. The IOC confirmed Sunday it would respect FIG's decision and seek to have Chiles' medal returned.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Joint Statement from USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic &amp; Paralympic Committee regarding the CAS decision on the women’s floor final: CAS Decision: <a href="https://t.co/KR6DYsfxEk">https://t.co/KR6DYsfxEk</a> <a href="https://t.co/r1e6QKmKA4">pic.twitter.com/r1e6QKmKA4</a>&mdash; USA Gymnastics (@USAGym) <a href="https://twitter.com/USAGym/status/1822320407589929220?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The rapid turn of events adds another layer to what has been a difficult few days for all three athletes.Romanian gymnastics legend and 1976 Olympic champion Nadia Comaneci feared for Barbosu’s mental health because of the wrenching sequence in which she went from bronze medalist to fourth-place finisher.“I can’t believe we play with athletes mental health and emotions like this… let’s protect them,” Comaneci&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/nadiacomaneci10/status/1820483816848605506">posted on X</a>&nbsp;earlier in the week.Comaneci, at the same time, criticized the judges for the way they scored Maneca-Voinea’s routine — the gymnast was docked 0.1 points for stepping out of bounds, but viral replays showed she narrowly stayed inbounds. Comaneci urged the Romanian Olympic Committee to protest, which it did, but CAS denied that appeal.Chiles hinted at the decision in an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/jordanchiles/">Instagram story</a>&nbsp;on Saturday, indicating she is heartbroken and is “taking this time and removing myself from social media for my mental health, thank you.”Jazmin Chiles, Jordan's sister, said on Instagram that Chiles was stripped of a medal “not because she wasn't good enough. But because the judges failed to give her difficulty and forced an inquiry to be made.”U.S. teammates offered support to Chiles, a two-time Olympian."Sending you so much love Jordan,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/simonebiles/?hl=en">American star Simone Biles posted on Instagram</a>. “Keep your chin up ‘Olympic champ’ we love you.”“All this talk about the athlete, what about the judges?”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/sunisalee/?hl=en">six-time Olympic medalist Sunisa Lee</a>&nbsp;added on Instagram. “Completely unacceptable, this is awful and I’m gutted for jordan.”USA Gymnastics said in a statement on Saturday it is “devastated” by the ruling.“The inquiry into the Difficulty Value of Jordan Chiles’ floor exercise routine was filed in good faith and, we believed, in accordance with FIG rules to ensure accurate scoring,” the organization wrote.Barbosu and Maneca-Voinea were left outside the medals in the floor final after finishing with matching scores of 13.700. Barbosu thought she had won bronze over Maneca-Voinea via a tiebreaker — a higher execution score — and began celebrating with a Romanian flag.Chiles was the last athlete to compete and initially given a score of 13.666 that placed her fifth, right behind Maneca-Voinea. Landi called for an inquiry on Chiles’ score was announced.“At this point, we had nothing to lose, so I was like ‘We’re just going to try,‘” Landi said after the awards ceremony. “I honestly didn’t think it was going to happen, but when I heard her scream, I turned around and was like ‘What?’”Judges awarded the appeal, leapfrogging Chiles past Barbosu and Maneca-Voinea.Barbosu made it a point after returning home to Romania that she had no problem with Chiles.“I only want for everybody to be fair, we don’t want to start picking on other athletes of any nationality,” Barbosu told reporters. “We as athletes don’t deserve something like that, we only want to perform as best as we can and to be rewarded based on our performance. The problems lie with the judges, with their calculations and decisions.”Chiles’ mother, Gina Chiles, called out the critics in a post, writing she was “tired” of the derogatory comments being leveled at Jordan.“My daughter is a highly decorated Olympian with the biggest heart and a level of sportsmanship that is unmatched,” Gina Chiles posted. “And she’s being called disgusting things.”The uncertainty also tinges what had been a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-olympics-biles-andrade-02e953a669403456aeaf3aee9cf40457">beautiful moment</a>&nbsp;on the medal stand, when Chiles and Biles knelt to honor Andrade after the Brazilian star won her fourth medal in Paris.“It was just the right thing to do,” Biles said about a moment that soon went viral, with even the&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/MuseeLouvre/status/1820468503910261176">Louvre</a>&nbsp;itself suggesting it might be worthy enough for a spot somewhere in the vicinity of the Mona Lisa.That memory now carries a complicated and emotional postscript.___

U.S. will appeal after star gymnast stripped of a gymnastics bronze medal

By GEOFF MULVIHILL and KIMBERLEE KRUESI&nbsp;

KANSAS CITY (AP) —The number of women getting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">abortions</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. actually went up in the first three months of 2024 compared with before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, a report released Wednesday found, reflecting the lengths that Democratic-controlled states went to expand access.

A major reason for the increase is that some Democratic-controlled states enacted laws to protect doctors who use telemedicine to see patients in places that have abortion bans, according to the quarterly #WeCount report for the Society of Family Planning, which supports abortion access.

The data comes ahead of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024">November elections</a>&nbsp;in which abortion-rights supporters hope the issue will drive voters to the polls. In some places, voters will have a chance to enshrine or reject state-level abortion protections.

Fallout from the Supreme Court’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">June 2022 ruling</a>&nbsp;in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization has remade the way abortion works across the country. The #WeCount data, which has been collected in a monthly survey since April 2022, shows how those providing and seeking abortion have adapted to changing laws.

The survey found that the number of abortions fell to nearly zero in states that ban abortion in all stages of pregnancy and declined by about half in places that ban it after six weeks of pregnancy, before many women know they are pregnant. Fourteen states are enforcing bans on abortion at all stages of pregnancy, with some exceptions, and four others bar it after about six weeks of pregnancy.

Numbers went up in places where abortion remains legal until further into pregnancy — and especially in states such as Illinois, Kansas and New Mexico, which border states with bans.

The report estimates that if not for the post-Dobbs bans, there would have been about 9,900 more abortions per month — and 208,000 total since — in those states. The numbers were up by more than 2,600 per month in Illinois, about 1,300 in Virginia, 1,200 in Kansas and more than 500 in New Mexico.

Abortion pills and telemedicine play a key role. In March, doctors in states with laws to protect medical providers used telemedicine to prescribe abortion pills to nearly 10,000 patients in states with bans or restrictions on abortion by telehealth — accounting for about 1 in 10 abortions in the U.S.

Laws to protect medical providers who use telemedicine to prescribe abortion pills started taking effect in some Democratic-led states last year.

“It eases the burden on clinics,” said Ushma Upadhyay, a University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine professor who co-leads #WeCount. “So it creates more space for the people who are coming to clinics.”

Abortion opponents say the fight over the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mifepristone-abortion-pill-supreme-court-2814cfe39174580c8cd4eb63a8e8b3cd">abortion drug mifepristone</a>&nbsp;isn’t over after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-mifepristone-8b6ac57709fa72e9ce433852582f5fde">a narrow Supreme Court ruling</a>&nbsp;that preserved access to it for now. But so far there have not been legal challenges to shield laws.

The latest edition of the survey covers the first three months of this year, when it counted an average of just under 99,000 abortions per month, compared with 84,000 in the two months before Dobbs. January was the first time since the survey began that it has counted more than 100,000 abortions across the country in a single month.

The tracking effort collects monthly data from providers across the country, creating a snapshot of abortion trends. In some states, a portion of the data is estimated. The effort makes data public with less than a six-month lag, giving a picture of trends far faster than annual reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where the most recent report covers abortion in 2021.

Before the shield laws began kicking in and #WeCount started tallying them, people were still getting some pills in places with bans.

One of the states where abortions increased was Florida.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-abortion-ban-9509a806453e1eab50d118aaecffa2f1#:~:text=(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20Florida's%20ban%20on,access%20to%20needed%20health%20care.">That changed in April</a>, when a ban after six weeks' gestation took effect. The data doesn't yet reflect that change.

The policy could change again through a November ballot measure that would make abortion legal until viability, generally considered to be around 23 or 24 weeks into pregnancy. It needs at least 60% approval to be added to the state constitution.

One vote against it will come from Mia Adkins, a 20-year-old senior at Florida International University.

“Instead of pushing for more abortion legal later in pregnancy, we should be pushing for laws that protect these pregnant parents and students and provide them with the support that they need,” said Akins, a senior at Florida International University.

Florida is one of six states where abortion-related measures are already on the ballot. Determinations from elections officials about adding similar questions are pending in four more states. In one, Nebraska, there are dueling amendments: One to allow access until viability and one to keep the current ban on most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy.

Abortion-rights supporters have prevailed in all seven abortion ballot questions in the U.S. since 2022. That tracks with public opinion polling that has shown growing support for abortion rights, including a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-trump-biden-election-2024-dobbs-498d14f6e2bbfe1f313f006ad089de4e">Associated Press-NORC poll</a>&nbsp;that found 6 in 10 Americans think their state should allow someone to obtain a legal abortion if they don't want to be pregnant for any reason.

An&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-abortion-ballot-petitions-83cb053919be342d7bbb60217129fe49">amendment to protect access</a>&nbsp;could be on the ballot in Arizona, a political battleground state where court cases have swung abortion policy — and access — since the Dobbs ruling.

The state Supreme Court ruled in April that Arizona should enforce an 1864 ban on abortions at all stages of pregnancy, only for lawmakers to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-abortion-1864-ban-repeal-24578e546b69ca087e01034bcaf4aa01">repeal that law.</a>&nbsp;The state's ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy remains. The ballot measure would expand it to 24 weeks.

Natalie Harper, a 23-year-old independent who usually doesn't vote, said the potential of bringing back the Civil War-era ban “absolutely” impacts her decision to vote for the ballot measure this November. “Seeing that as a possibility really made me realize that everyone’s pro-choice voices need to be heard in hopes it never goes in that direction again,” she said.

In Missouri, which has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-missouri-government-and-politics-7bb5798bae32c3f15abad3a10941dfb5">outlawed almost all abortions</a>&nbsp;and where nearly none were reported in the new data, election officials could soon certify whether a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-missouri-constitution-amendment-ballot-voter-d6c3098ca082772954b36e03287f5b10">proposed constitutional amendment</a>&nbsp;guaranteeing abortion rights received enough petition signatures to qualify for the ballot in the reliably Republican state.

University of Missouri political scientist Peverill Squire said that if the measure is on the ballot, it could draw out enough Democratic voters to help swing a few competitive legislative races.

“They can seize on the personal freedom arguments the Republicans have generally owned over the recent elections,” he said.

Associated Press writers Sejal Govindarao in Phoenix and David A. Lieb in Jefferson City, Missouri, contributed to this report.

By GEOFF MULVIHILL and KIMBERLEE KRUESI&nbsp;KANSAS CITY (AP) —The number of women getting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">abortions</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. actually went up in the first three months of 2024 compared with before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, a report released Wednesday found, reflecting the lengths that Democratic-controlled states went to expand access.A major reason for the increase is that some Democratic-controlled states enacted laws to protect doctors who use telemedicine to see patients in places that have abortion bans, according to the quarterly #WeCount report for the Society of Family Planning, which supports abortion access.The data comes ahead of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024">November elections</a>&nbsp;in which abortion-rights supporters hope the issue will drive voters to the polls. In some places, voters will have a chance to enshrine or reject state-level abortion protections.Fallout from the Supreme Court’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">June 2022 ruling</a>&nbsp;in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization has remade the way abortion works across the country. The #WeCount data, which has been collected in a monthly survey since April 2022, shows how those providing and seeking abortion have adapted to changing laws.The survey found that the number of abortions fell to nearly zero in states that ban abortion in all stages of pregnancy and declined by about half in places that ban it after six weeks of pregnancy, before many women know they are pregnant. Fourteen states are enforcing bans on abortion at all stages of pregnancy, with some exceptions, and four others bar it after about six weeks of pregnancy.Numbers went up in places where abortion remains legal until further into pregnancy — and especially in states such as Illinois, Kansas and New Mexico, which border states with bans.The report estimates that if not for the post-Dobbs bans, there would have been about 9,900 more abortions per month — and 208,000 total since — in those states. The numbers were up by more than 2,600 per month in Illinois, about 1,300 in Virginia, 1,200 in Kansas and more than 500 in New Mexico.Abortion pills and telemedicine play a key role. In March, doctors in states with laws to protect medical providers used telemedicine to prescribe abortion pills to nearly 10,000 patients in states with bans or restrictions on abortion by telehealth — accounting for about 1 in 10 abortions in the U.S.Laws to protect medical providers who use telemedicine to prescribe abortion pills started taking effect in some Democratic-led states last year.“It eases the burden on clinics,” said Ushma Upadhyay, a University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine professor who co-leads #WeCount. “So it creates more space for the people who are coming to clinics.”Abortion opponents say the fight over the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mifepristone-abortion-pill-supreme-court-2814cfe39174580c8cd4eb63a8e8b3cd">abortion drug mifepristone</a>&nbsp;isn’t over after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-mifepristone-8b6ac57709fa72e9ce433852582f5fde">a narrow Supreme Court ruling</a>&nbsp;that preserved access to it for now. But so far there have not been legal challenges to shield laws.The latest edition of the survey covers the first three months of this year, when it counted an average of just under 99,000 abortions per month, compared with 84,000 in the two months before Dobbs. January was the first time since the survey began that it has counted more than 100,000 abortions across the country in a single month.The tracking effort collects monthly data from providers across the country, creating a snapshot of abortion trends. In some states, a portion of the data is estimated. The effort makes data public with less than a six-month lag, giving a picture of trends far faster than annual reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where the most recent report covers abortion in 2021.Before the shield laws began kicking in and #WeCount started tallying them, people were still getting some pills in places with bans.One of the states where abortions increased was Florida.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-abortion-ban-9509a806453e1eab50d118aaecffa2f1#:~:text=(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20Florida's%20ban%20on,access%20to%20needed%20health%20care.">That changed in April</a>, when a ban after six weeks' gestation took effect. The data doesn't yet reflect that change.The policy could change again through a November ballot measure that would make abortion legal until viability, generally considered to be around 23 or 24 weeks into pregnancy. It needs at least 60% approval to be added to the state constitution.One vote against it will come from Mia Adkins, a 20-year-old senior at Florida International University.“Instead of pushing for more abortion legal later in pregnancy, we should be pushing for laws that protect these pregnant parents and students and provide them with the support that they need,” said Akins, a senior at Florida International University.Florida is one of six states where abortion-related measures are already on the ballot. Determinations from elections officials about adding similar questions are pending in four more states. In one, Nebraska, there are dueling amendments: One to allow access until viability and one to keep the current ban on most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy.Abortion-rights supporters have prevailed in all seven abortion ballot questions in the U.S. since 2022. That tracks with public opinion polling that has shown growing support for abortion rights, including a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-trump-biden-election-2024-dobbs-498d14f6e2bbfe1f313f006ad089de4e">Associated Press-NORC poll</a>&nbsp;that found 6 in 10 Americans think their state should allow someone to obtain a legal abortion if they don't want to be pregnant for any reason.An&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-abortion-ballot-petitions-83cb053919be342d7bbb60217129fe49">amendment to protect access</a>&nbsp;could be on the ballot in Arizona, a political battleground state where court cases have swung abortion policy — and access — since the Dobbs ruling.The state Supreme Court ruled in April that Arizona should enforce an 1864 ban on abortions at all stages of pregnancy, only for lawmakers to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arizona-abortion-1864-ban-repeal-24578e546b69ca087e01034bcaf4aa01">repeal that law.</a>&nbsp;The state's ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy remains. The ballot measure would expand it to 24 weeks.Natalie Harper, a 23-year-old independent who usually doesn't vote, said the potential of bringing back the Civil War-era ban “absolutely” impacts her decision to vote for the ballot measure this November. “Seeing that as a possibility really made me realize that everyone’s pro-choice voices need to be heard in hopes it never goes in that direction again,” she said.In Missouri, which has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-missouri-government-and-politics-7bb5798bae32c3f15abad3a10941dfb5">outlawed almost all abortions</a>&nbsp;and where nearly none were reported in the new data, election officials could soon certify whether a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-missouri-constitution-amendment-ballot-voter-d6c3098ca082772954b36e03287f5b10">proposed constitutional amendment</a>&nbsp;guaranteeing abortion rights received enough petition signatures to qualify for the ballot in the reliably Republican state.University of Missouri political scientist Peverill Squire said that if the measure is on the ballot, it could draw out enough Democratic voters to help swing a few competitive legislative races.“They can seize on the personal freedom arguments the Republicans have generally owned over the recent elections,” he said.___Associated Press writers Sejal Govindarao in Phoenix and David A. Lieb in Jefferson City, Missouri, contributed to this report.

Study: US abortion numbers have risen slightly since Roe overturned

BY TONY GUERRERO Hays Post

American Field Service is looking to bring diverse cultures to Hays by placing international exchange students with local families.

The program helps international students become tomorrow's leaders while host families gain a deeper understanding of cultures.

"Our mission is to empower active global citizens to create a more just and peaceful world,"&nbsp;AFS-USA Development Manager of Scholarships and External Communications Candace O'Malley said.

The nonprofit is a leader in international high school exchanges, with almost 3,000 volunteers supporting families, students and schools across the country.

O'Malley said AFS has the potential to host international students at Hays High School and is seeking families for the 2024-2025 school year.

Students are chosen to participate in AFS programs through an application process, allowing host families to select the best fit for their home from a range of options.

"We work with 80 countries around the world, bringing in over 1,000 students across the United States to stay in volunteer host families every year," O'Malley said.

Host families must introduce the student to daily family activities and events, offer the same care, support, and comfort as any other family member, provide a bed, and provide three quality meals a day.

Students will have their own spending money for social and school activities and clothing for their stay, which ranges from five to 10 months. Host parents are eligible for a tax deduction each month they host a student.

"Bring the world to your home and have an intercultural exchange in your home to develop lifelong relationships," O'Malley said.

Host parents are also responsible for providing school-related transportation. Medical insurance, school enrollment and travel expenses are covered by the student’s family or through scholarships.

Local volunteer teams offer assistance through monthly check-ins and additional support, including an assigned "liaison."

While AFS recommends students to families based on different criteria, host families choose which student to welcome into their home.

"Some families choose based on a country of interest or culture of interest," O'Malley said. "There's flexibility for host families to choose the student or students that you'd like to host."

 AFS takes responsibility for relocating the participant to another family if the match between the family and student does not work out.

Host families must complete an <a href="https://usa.afsglobal.org/HostFamily/signup?_ga=2.257900559.564273184.1722875092-1372071699.1722534773">application </a>about their family, undergo a criminal background check and participate in an interview with an AFS representative.

All types of families can apply, including those with children, childless couples, single adults or parents and LGBTQ+ families or individuals.

With the support of AFS scholarships, U.S. students can also study abroad in roughly 50 international destinations, such as Italy, Egypt, Brazil, Argentina and South Africa.

AFS sends about 400 U.S. students abroad each year.

The organization started as a volunteer group for ambulance drivers during World War I and World War II, who emerged from the wars with a bold mission.

"AFS members wanted to figure out how to avoid another world war and thought, 'let's bring young people together from different countries to have a cultural exchange,'" O'Malley said.

Since then, AFS has evolved into one of the largest and longest-standing high school student exchange organizations and is always looking for host families.

You can find more information on&nbsp;American Field Service-USA on its <a href="https://www.afsusa.org/">website </a>and follow them on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AFSUSA/">Facebook</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722882750882.jpg" alt="Photo Courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>BY TONY GUERRERO Hays PostAmerican Field Service is looking to bring diverse cultures to Hays by placing international exchange students with local families.The program helps international students become tomorrow's leaders while host families gain a deeper understanding of cultures."Our mission is to empower active global citizens to create a more just and peaceful world,"&nbsp;AFS-USA Development Manager of Scholarships and External Communications Candace O'Malley said.The nonprofit is a leader in international high school exchanges, with almost 3,000 volunteers supporting families, students and schools across the country.O'Malley said AFS has the potential to host international students at Hays High School and is seeking families for the 2024-2025 school year.Students are chosen to participate in AFS programs through an application process, allowing host families to select the best fit for their home from a range of options."We work with 80 countries around the world, bringing in over 1,000 students across the United States to stay in volunteer host families every year," O'Malley said.Host families must introduce the student to daily family activities and events, offer the same care, support, and comfort as any other family member, provide a bed, and provide three quality meals a day.Students will have their own spending money for social and school activities and clothing for their stay, which ranges from five to 10 months. Host parents are eligible for a tax deduction each month they host a student."Bring the world to your home and have an intercultural exchange in your home to develop lifelong relationships," O'Malley said.Host parents are also responsible for providing school-related transportation. Medical insurance, school enrollment and travel expenses are covered by the student’s family or through scholarships.Local volunteer teams offer assistance through monthly check-ins and additional support, including an assigned "liaison."While AFS recommends students to families based on different criteria, host families choose which student to welcome into their home."Some families choose based on a country of interest or culture of interest," O'Malley said. "There's flexibility for host families to choose the student or students that you'd like to host." AFS takes responsibility for relocating the participant to another family if the match between the family and student does not work out.Host families must complete an <a href="https://usa.afsglobal.org/HostFamily/signup?_ga=2.257900559.564273184.1722875092-1372071699.1722534773">application </a>about their family, undergo a criminal background check and participate in an interview with an AFS representative.All types of families can apply, including those with children, childless couples, single adults or parents and LGBTQ+ families or individuals.With the support of AFS scholarships, U.S. students can also study abroad in roughly 50 international destinations, such as Italy, Egypt, Brazil, Argentina and South Africa.AFS sends about 400 U.S. students abroad each year.The organization started as a volunteer group for ambulance drivers during World War I and World War II, who emerged from the wars with a bold mission."AFS members wanted to figure out how to avoid another world war and thought, 'let's bring young people together from different countries to have a cultural exchange,'" O'Malley said.Since then, AFS has evolved into one of the largest and longest-standing high school student exchange organizations and is always looking for host families.You can find more information on&nbsp;American Field Service-USA on its <a href="https://www.afsusa.org/">website </a>and follow them on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AFSUSA/">Facebook</a>.

AFS-USA seeking Hays host families for international students 

By GERARD WELLBROCK Hays Post

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723332192548.jpeg" alt="Fort Hays State offensive coordinator Tom Ross gives instruction during practice on Saturday, August 10, 2024 in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Ryan Prickett)" />
 <figcaption>Fort Hays State offensive coordinator Tom Ross gives instruction during practice on Saturday, August 10, 2024 in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Ryan Prickett)</figcaption>
 </figure>By GERARD WELLBROCK Hays PostHAYS – When Tom Ross was let go with the rest of the Morehead
State (Ky.) coaching staff this past December, he never could have imagined that
he’d be an offensive coordinator in his next job, but that’s the case for the
first year FHSU assistant.Ross spent four seasons at the NCAA Division I FCS program
where he was most recently the quarterbacks coach and director of video. The Gilbert,
Ariz. native who was originally from Omaha, was hired by FHSU head coach Chris
Brown to be the Tigers quarterbacks coach but was promoted to offensive coordinator
when that position became available. “You never know when an opportunity is gonna come about, and
you always have to be ready.” Ross said following practice Saturday morning at
Lewis Field. “I got a little lucky and here we are. And you know, that's kind
of the message I preach to, to my quarterbacks, to the whole team, you never
know what's going to happen in front of you, so if you got to prepare like
you're the starter, you got to be ready. And so it's always next guy up. And,
you know, sometimes in the coaching world, it's the same thing.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723332326149.jpeg" alt="Fort Hays State offensive coordinator Tom Ross observes practice on Saturday, August 10, 2024 in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Ryan Prickett)" />
 <figcaption>Fort Hays State offensive coordinator Tom Ross observes practice on Saturday, August 10, 2024 in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Ryan Prickett)</figcaption>
 </figure>The Tigers have 20 of their 22 starters returning from their
7-4 season a year ago. Ross inherits an offense that finished third in the MIAA
in passing and fourth in total yards per game.“We've got a lot of returning players who have made it
really, really easy on me.” Ross said. “I think they're playing really, really
hard. We've got really good leaders on this football team, and we try and be a
player led team, a player led offense and that's exactly what we've got.”Ross and the Tigers closed out their first week of practice Saturday
morning under an overcast sky and unseasonably cool temperatures. That’s where
the former Adams State quarterback shared his offensive philosophy.“We want to push the tempo a little bit, and we want to
control the tempo. We want to dictate. We want to run what we want to run, and
we want to make the defense defend us. And it's kind of a fine line between
playing fast and still creating matchups and letting our guys play free. We want
to spread the field a little bit. We've got some good defenses in the
conference, but we feel like we've got some pretty good skills, and so we're
going to try and utilize them the best that we can.”Jack Dawson is the incumbent at the quarterback position.
The Arlington, Texas redshirt junior was third in the MIAA in passing yards per
game (257.5) and touchdown passes (27) but his 12 interceptions tied for second
most in the conference. The two-year starter is being pushed by redshirt sophomore
Caleb Heavner who saw action in three games last season.“It's been a blessing and a curse to some extent.” Ross said.
“We're gonna have a tough decision here in about two weeks to name the starter,
but we've got two guys that are playing really, really well. I can't speak highly
enough of those guys. They're setting the tone for this football team and it's
a good problem to have.”Regardless of who is named the starting quarterback for the
season opener against Angelo State on August 29, Ross says they won’t see a big
change from what they’re used to. “I didn't want to come in and just change everything,
because it's only one guy learning it, compared to 70 guys learning it. There
will be a few new wrinkles here and there, but for the most part, it's not fair
for me to change everything for them. We had a lot of success offensively last
year, they all were part of that success. Now it's my job to try and improve
and into trying and increase the success rate and the productivity.”