TOPEKA —For the second time in recent months, New York City Mayor Eric Adams made remarks critical of Kansas.&nbsp; Governor Laura Kelly is asking for an apology.

(click to watch Mayor Adams' latest comment on Kansas)

At an interfaith breakfast this week, Adams criticized Topeka, according to his YouTube&nbsp; page.&nbsp; “God said, ‘I’m going to take the most broken person and I’m going to elevate him to the place of being the mayor of the most powerful city on the globe. He could have made me the mayor of Topeka, Kansas. He could have made me the mayor of some small town or village somewhere.”

“I was in NYC visiting my granddaughter when you disparaged my hometown Topeka Kansas,” Kelly wrote on twitter. “It was this granddaughter who, with her parents, delivered Kansas kindness to you at Gracie Mansion when you disparaged my state last September. Enough already. You owe Kansas an apology.”

In September, the 110th mayor of New York City said Kansas doesn't have a brand. "New York has a brand, and when people see it means something. Kansas doesn't have a brand. When you go there it's OK, you’re from Kansas," Adams said.&nbsp;

In October, Big 12 Conference commissioner Brett Yormark visited with Adams and took him a basketball jersey from the University of Kansas, the defending national champions.

TOPEKA —For the second time in recent months, New York City Mayor Eric Adams made remarks critical of Kansas.&nbsp; Governor Laura Kelly is asking for an apology.(click to watch Mayor Adams' latest comment on Kansas)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HfoSj55HEOU?start=3777" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>At an interfaith breakfast this week, Adams criticized Topeka, according to his YouTube&nbsp; page.&nbsp; “God said, ‘I’m going to take the most broken person and I’m going to elevate him to the place of being the mayor of the most powerful city on the globe. He could have made me the mayor of Topeka, Kansas. He could have made me the mayor of some small town or village somewhere.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/NYCMayor?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NYCMayor</a> I was in NYC visiting my granddaughter when you disparaged my hometown Topeka KS. It was this granddaughter who, with her parents, delivered Kansas kindness to you at Gracie Mansion when you disparaged my state last September. Enough already. You owe Kansas an apology.&mdash; Governor Laura Kelly (@GovLauraKelly) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovLauraKelly/status/1631703549137518635?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“I was in NYC visiting my granddaughter when you disparaged my hometown Topeka Kansas,” Kelly wrote on twitter. “It was this granddaughter who, with her parents, delivered Kansas kindness to you at Gracie Mansion when you disparaged my state last September. Enough already. You owe Kansas an apology.”In September, the 110th mayor of New York City said Kansas doesn't have a brand. "New York has a brand, and when people see it means something. Kansas doesn't have a brand. When you go there it's OK, you’re from Kansas," Adams said.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">It’s true, I got a BRAND new feeling about Kansas. <a href="https://t.co/iIKdjHpKjH">https://t.co/iIKdjHpKjH</a>&mdash; Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) <a href="https://twitter.com/NYCMayor/status/1580203094977044480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In October, Big 12 Conference commissioner Brett Yormark visited with Adams and took him a basketball jersey from the University of Kansas, the defending national champions.

🎥Kansas governor asks New York City mayor for an apology

Brooke Justin Barlow, 50, died February 28, 2023, at Ascension Via 
Christi St. Francis, Wichita. Born October 6, 1972, in Newton, Kansas. 
He was the son of Ronald V. and Laura J. (Michaelis) Barlow.&nbsp; Brooke 
graduated from Hoisington High School in 1991.

Brooke worked as a technician for the US Infrastructure Company in 
Wichita, Kansas.&nbsp; He was an outdoor enthusiast and loved hunting and 
fishing.&nbsp; He also loved spending time on the golf course and cooking for
 his family, especially anything that could be made on his smoker.&nbsp; His 
pride and joy were his three grandsons, which he loved spending time 
with, and he was excited to have his first granddaughter who is due in a
 few weeks.

Survivors include two daughters, Taylor Spresser and significant 
other Tayton Moreland of Russell, and Savannah Sidebottom and husband 
Bryce of Salina; three grandsons, Graham Spresser, Brynk Sidebottom and 
Boyd Sidebottom; and soon to be, granddaughter, Baby Zoey. He is also 
survived by a sister, Jessica Campbell of Hoisington; niece, Rylie 
Campbell, and nephew, Peyton Campbell.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Ron &amp; Laura Barlow, and 
grandparents, Reuben &amp; Babe Michaelis, and Dusty &amp; Helen Barlow.

Memorial service will be 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, March 14, 2023, at 
Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Hoisington, with Rhonda Templing, SAM 
presiding.&nbsp; Family will greet friends prior to the service starting at 
9:30 a.m. at the church.

Memorials may be made to Brooke Barlow Memorial Fund, in care of Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home, PO Box 146, Hoisington, KS 67544.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1677884327216.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Brooke Justin Barlow, 50, died February 28, 2023, at Ascension Via 
Christi St. Francis, Wichita. Born October 6, 1972, in Newton, Kansas. 
He was the son of Ronald V. and Laura J. (Michaelis) Barlow.&nbsp; Brooke 
graduated from Hoisington High School in 1991.Brooke worked as a technician for the US Infrastructure Company in 
Wichita, Kansas.&nbsp; He was an outdoor enthusiast and loved hunting and 
fishing.&nbsp; He also loved spending time on the golf course and cooking for
 his family, especially anything that could be made on his smoker.&nbsp; His 
pride and joy were his three grandsons, which he loved spending time 
with, and he was excited to have his first granddaughter who is due in a
 few weeks.Survivors include two daughters, Taylor Spresser and significant 
other Tayton Moreland of Russell, and Savannah Sidebottom and husband 
Bryce of Salina; three grandsons, Graham Spresser, Brynk Sidebottom and 
Boyd Sidebottom; and soon to be, granddaughter, Baby Zoey. He is also 
survived by a sister, Jessica Campbell of Hoisington; niece, Rylie 
Campbell, and nephew, Peyton Campbell.He was preceded in death by his parents, Ron &amp; Laura Barlow, and 
grandparents, Reuben &amp; Babe Michaelis, and Dusty &amp; Helen Barlow.Memorial service will be 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, March 14, 2023, at 
Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Hoisington, with Rhonda Templing, SAM 
presiding.&nbsp; Family will greet friends prior to the service starting at 
9:30 a.m. at the church.Memorials may be made to Brooke Barlow Memorial Fund, in care of Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home, PO Box 146, Hoisington, KS 67544.

Brooke Justin Barlow

Ronnie Arthur Patterson left this earth for his heavenly home on 
February 20, 2023, in Marlow, Oklahoma, at the age of 75. A memorial 
service for family and friends will be held on Saturday, March 4th, at 
11:00 AM at the Chisholm Trail Heritage Center in Duncan, Oklahoma. All 
are welcome. Care and arrangements have been entrusted to Whitt Funeral
 Home. Ronnie was born to Arthur and Estelle Patterson on 
October 7, 1947. The second of four children, Ronnie was raised amidst 
rows of cotton and melons in Hollis, Oklahoma. After graduating from the
 Hollis High School, Ronnie found work at Republic Gypsum in Duke. 
Later, Ronnie met and married Debra Talley. From this union were born 
Ronnie's two daughters, Rebekah and Kimberly. Life brought 
Ronnie to Marlow, Oklahoma, and to Cable's Meat. The art of butchery and 
the love of meat learned there followed Ronnie all his days. Ronnie's 
spare time in Marlow was spent attending college at the Oklahoma 
Missionary Bible College and photographing weddings and events. Ronnie
 later met and married his best friend and lifelong companion, Carol 
Marie Stephenson of Little River, Kansas. Ronnie and Carol made a home 
in Larned, Kansas. In Larned, Ronnie worked for the Youth Center at 
Larned (YCAL) where found his calling in the protection and service of 
at-risk children. Ronnie later earned his degree in Social Work from 
Fort Hays State University in his early '50s. Ronnie's purpose of 
protecting and serving our most vulnerable took them to several 
locations in Kansas until finally settling in New Mexico until his 
retirement in 2014. Ronnie and Carol were steadfast partners in 
travel and adventure, sharing their love of the mountains and the magic 
within them. From the golden aspens in Colorado to New Mexico green 
chiles, they experienced life together completely. When home, their 
family of cats kept them company. Any given weekend they could be found 
at the nearest venue listening to their favorite country singers in 
concert. No matter the destination, they were together. Always. Ronnie
 is preceded in death by his parents, Arthur and Estelle Patterson of 
Hollis, Oklahoma. Ronnie is survived by his wife, Carol Patterson of 
Marlow, Oklahoma, daughter Rebekah Herring and husband Ron of Velma, 
Oklahoma, and daughter Kimberly Smith and husband Dustin of Marlow, 
Oklahoma. Ronnie is further survived by his older brother JC Patterson 
and wife Mary, younger brother Tommy Patterson and wife Ada, and younger
 sister Betty Seba and husband Larry. Surviving grandchildren are Lily 
Swindell and husband Blake, Emma Herring, Nathan Herring, Addison 
Herring, and Lincoln Smith. Ronnie will be missed by countless cousins, 
nieces, nephews, brothers and sisters in law, and friends. Ronnie's
 family would like to extend a special and heartfelt thank you to the 
caring people at West Wind Assisted Living, Gregston's Nursing Home and 
Traditions Hospice.

In memoriam and in lieu of flowers, Ronnie's family 
asks that any contributions be made to Horizons Child Advocacy Center, 
1600 N. Lorraine, Suite 202, Hutchinson, KS 67502. Online condolences can be made at www.whittfh.com.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1677879019158.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Ronnie Arthur Patterson left this earth for his heavenly home on 
February 20, 2023, in Marlow, Oklahoma, at the age of 75. A memorial 
service for family and friends will be held on Saturday, March 4th, at 
11:00 AM at the Chisholm Trail Heritage Center in Duncan, Oklahoma. All 
are welcome. Care and arrangements have been entrusted to Whitt Funeral
 Home. Ronnie was born to Arthur and Estelle Patterson on 
October 7, 1947. The second of four children, Ronnie was raised amidst 
rows of cotton and melons in Hollis, Oklahoma. After graduating from the
 Hollis High School, Ronnie found work at Republic Gypsum in Duke. 
Later, Ronnie met and married Debra Talley. From this union were born 
Ronnie's two daughters, Rebekah and Kimberly. Life brought 
Ronnie to Marlow, Oklahoma, and to Cable's Meat. The art of butchery and 
the love of meat learned there followed Ronnie all his days. Ronnie's 
spare time in Marlow was spent attending college at the Oklahoma 
Missionary Bible College and photographing weddings and events. Ronnie
 later met and married his best friend and lifelong companion, Carol 
Marie Stephenson of Little River, Kansas. Ronnie and Carol made a home 
in Larned, Kansas. In Larned, Ronnie worked for the Youth Center at 
Larned (YCAL) where found his calling in the protection and service of 
at-risk children. Ronnie later earned his degree in Social Work from 
Fort Hays State University in his early '50s. Ronnie's purpose of 
protecting and serving our most vulnerable took them to several 
locations in Kansas until finally settling in New Mexico until his 
retirement in 2014. Ronnie and Carol were steadfast partners in 
travel and adventure, sharing their love of the mountains and the magic 
within them. From the golden aspens in Colorado to New Mexico green 
chiles, they experienced life together completely. When home, their 
family of cats kept them company. Any given weekend they could be found 
at the nearest venue listening to their favorite country singers in 
concert. No matter the destination, they were together. Always. Ronnie
 is preceded in death by his parents, Arthur and Estelle Patterson of 
Hollis, Oklahoma. Ronnie is survived by his wife, Carol Patterson of 
Marlow, Oklahoma, daughter Rebekah Herring and husband Ron of Velma, 
Oklahoma, and daughter Kimberly Smith and husband Dustin of Marlow, 
Oklahoma. Ronnie is further survived by his older brother JC Patterson 
and wife Mary, younger brother Tommy Patterson and wife Ada, and younger
 sister Betty Seba and husband Larry. Surviving grandchildren are Lily 
Swindell and husband Blake, Emma Herring, Nathan Herring, Addison 
Herring, and Lincoln Smith. Ronnie will be missed by countless cousins, 
nieces, nephews, brothers and sisters in law, and friends. Ronnie's
 family would like to extend a special and heartfelt thank you to the 
caring people at West Wind Assisted Living, Gregston's Nursing Home and 
Traditions Hospice. In memoriam and in lieu of flowers, Ronnie's family 
asks that any contributions be made to Horizons Child Advocacy Center, 
1600 N. Lorraine, Suite 202, Hutchinson, KS 67502. Online condolences can be made at www.whittfh.com.

Ronnie Arthur Patterson

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Two defense attorneys who've questioned the fairness of a yearlong investigation in Kansas into Republican campaign activities accused the state ethics commission Thursday of violating Kansas' open meetings law.

The two attorneys represent people investigated by&nbsp;<a href="https://ethics.kansas.gov/">the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission,</a>&nbsp;and they filed their complaint with state Attorney General Kris Kobach. The complaint said internal documents show that commission members had illegal, secret “serial communications” by email in April 2022 and took official action without a public meeting.

Records obtained by them and The Associated Press show commission members and staff decided by email how to counter a short-lived effort by Republicans in the GOP-controlled Legislature&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-campaigns-legislature-kansas-elections-a0e42fb5eb9b235f49946747ce644e50">to oust the commission's executive director.</a>

That ouster effort came less than six weeks after the commission subpoenaed at least seven Kansas Republican Party officials in February 2022, demanding that they turn over seven months' worth of communications in 2020 with more than 20 other people.

A commission report justifying those subpoenas suggested that it is investigating whether Republicans funneled national GOP funds through various committees to the state party and legislative candidates in 2020 to avoid contribution limits.

The attorneys filing the opening meetings complaint, Kansas City-area law partners Ryan Kriegshauser and Joshua Ney, also argue that the commission has a history of enforcing ethics rules inconsistently and violating people's constitutionally protected rights to free speech and fair treatment under the law.

Some Republican lawmakers believe the commission is on a fishing expedition, and the Kansas House is considering a bill&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-republican-party-wichita-kansas-topeka-subpoenas-20f32f2198174f8db446bee2c4039d85">to overhaul campaign laws and reduce the commission's power</a>&nbsp;over issues raised by Krieghauser, Ney and others.

“Ninety-five percent of the punishment is just the cloud of having an ethics investigation, and so ultimately, the process is the punishment,” Ney said in an interview Thursday. “There is something seriously broken and dysfunctional with this agency.”

The ethics commission's executive director, Mark Skoglund, dismissed the complaint as an effort “to rally support for an absurd bill” that he said would “unleash an endless stream of dark money into Kansas."

Both Kobach and local District Attorney Mike Kagay, who also could wade in, are elected Republicans.

Several people who received the commission's subpoenas are asking a state district court judge to quash them. The commission report justifying the subpoenas listed transactions in 2020 involving Kansas Senate President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legislature-kansas-wichita-elections-topeka-b356a78372fd6db9d62ac996459ea641">Ty Masterson</a>&nbsp;and House Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legislature-kansas-topeka-wichita-dan-hawkins-00703940e631419a6347afeee59e342a">Dan Hawkins,</a>&nbsp;both Wichita-area Republicans, before they had those offices.

The report didn't accuse Masterson or Hawkins of wrongdoing, and no complaints have been filed with the commission over such transactions. Masterson said the commission dropped a demand for records from him, while Hawkins said last week that he was never subpoenaed.

Kriegshauser is the attorney for a GOP consultant under investigation and Ney has long represented people facing commission investigations and complaints. They filed an open records request with the commission in late January to obtain more than 100 pages of emails and other communications.

Skoglund released the same documents Wednesday to The Associated Press and said in emails to the AP that the commission already had reported the email chain questioned by the two attorneys to Kagay, the local district attorney. Skoglund said the commission has "a persistent interest in transparency.”

“There has been no determination of a violation and it is entirely possible that no violation occurred in this instance,” Skoglund said in email Thursday.

Kobach’s office confirmed that it received the attorneys’ complaint electronically but said it could not comment further. Kagay did not immediately return telephone and email messages seeking comment.

Internal documents show that on April 4, 2022, three days after legislators tried to oust Skoglund, the commission's general counsel, Brett Barry, emailed commission members a “reminder” that the Kansas Open Meetings Act greatly restricts discussing public business by email. Skoglund told The AP on Wednesday that the commission also had an open-meetings training session in October.

The documents also show that after Skoglund notified commission members about the legislative effort to oust him, one of them, Wichita banker Jane Deterding, emailed back, “Well, that sucks!!”

Hours later, after the ouster attempt fizzled, another commission member, Kansas City-area attorney Kyle Krull, suggested an “unofficial” commission-and-staff meeting “at an offsite venue” to host lawmakers and discuss the matter “socially.” His email also said “we can even dip into” commission funds to cover such an event.

That message prompted Skoglund to ask Berry to “gently remind” commissioners of the Open Meetings Act's restrictions, though he said of Krull, "I think he is likely joking.”

But Kriegshauser said such an email shows a troubling “cavalier attitude” from commission members about the power they wield.

By JOHN HANNA&nbsp;TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Two defense attorneys who've questioned the fairness of a yearlong investigation in Kansas into Republican campaign activities accused the state ethics commission Thursday of violating Kansas' open meetings law.The two attorneys represent people investigated by&nbsp;<a href="https://ethics.kansas.gov/">the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission,</a>&nbsp;and they filed their complaint with state Attorney General Kris Kobach. The complaint said internal documents show that commission members had illegal, secret “serial communications” by email in April 2022 and took official action without a public meeting.Records obtained by them and The Associated Press show commission members and staff decided by email how to counter a short-lived effort by Republicans in the GOP-controlled Legislature&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-campaigns-legislature-kansas-elections-a0e42fb5eb9b235f49946747ce644e50">to oust the commission's executive director.</a>That ouster effort came less than six weeks after the commission subpoenaed at least seven Kansas Republican Party officials in February 2022, demanding that they turn over seven months' worth of communications in 2020 with more than 20 other people.A commission report justifying those subpoenas suggested that it is investigating whether Republicans funneled national GOP funds through various committees to the state party and legislative candidates in 2020 to avoid contribution limits.The attorneys filing the opening meetings complaint, Kansas City-area law partners Ryan Kriegshauser and Joshua Ney, also argue that the commission has a history of enforcing ethics rules inconsistently and violating people's constitutionally protected rights to free speech and fair treatment under the law.Some Republican lawmakers believe the commission is on a fishing expedition, and the Kansas House is considering a bill&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-republican-party-wichita-kansas-topeka-subpoenas-20f32f2198174f8db446bee2c4039d85">to overhaul campaign laws and reduce the commission's power</a>&nbsp;over issues raised by Krieghauser, Ney and others.“Ninety-five percent of the punishment is just the cloud of having an ethics investigation, and so ultimately, the process is the punishment,” Ney said in an interview Thursday. “There is something seriously broken and dysfunctional with this agency.”The ethics commission's executive director, Mark Skoglund, dismissed the complaint as an effort “to rally support for an absurd bill” that he said would “unleash an endless stream of dark money into Kansas."Both Kobach and local District Attorney Mike Kagay, who also could wade in, are elected Republicans.Several people who received the commission's subpoenas are asking a state district court judge to quash them. The commission report justifying the subpoenas listed transactions in 2020 involving Kansas Senate President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legislature-kansas-wichita-elections-topeka-b356a78372fd6db9d62ac996459ea641">Ty Masterson</a>&nbsp;and House Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legislature-kansas-topeka-wichita-dan-hawkins-00703940e631419a6347afeee59e342a">Dan Hawkins,</a>&nbsp;both Wichita-area Republicans, before they had those offices.The report didn't accuse Masterson or Hawkins of wrongdoing, and no complaints have been filed with the commission over such transactions. Masterson said the commission dropped a demand for records from him, while Hawkins said last week that he was never subpoenaed.Kriegshauser is the attorney for a GOP consultant under investigation and Ney has long represented people facing commission investigations and complaints. They filed an open records request with the commission in late January to obtain more than 100 pages of emails and other communications.Skoglund released the same documents Wednesday to The Associated Press and said in emails to the AP that the commission already had reported the email chain questioned by the two attorneys to Kagay, the local district attorney. Skoglund said the commission has "a persistent interest in transparency.”“There has been no determination of a violation and it is entirely possible that no violation occurred in this instance,” Skoglund said in email Thursday.Kobach’s office confirmed that it received the attorneys’ complaint electronically but said it could not comment further. Kagay did not immediately return telephone and email messages seeking comment.Internal documents show that on April 4, 2022, three days after legislators tried to oust Skoglund, the commission's general counsel, Brett Barry, emailed commission members a “reminder” that the Kansas Open Meetings Act greatly restricts discussing public business by email. Skoglund told The AP on Wednesday that the commission also had an open-meetings training session in October.The documents also show that after Skoglund notified commission members about the legislative effort to oust him, one of them, Wichita banker Jane Deterding, emailed back, “Well, that sucks!!”“I'm all in to help,” she added.Hours later, after the ouster attempt fizzled, another commission member, Kansas City-area attorney Kyle Krull, suggested an “unofficial” commission-and-staff meeting “at an offsite venue” to host lawmakers and discuss the matter “socially.” His email also said “we can even dip into” commission funds to cover such an event.That message prompted Skoglund to ask Berry to “gently remind” commissioners of the Open Meetings Act's restrictions, though he said of Krull, "I think he is likely joking.”But Kriegshauser said such an email shows a troubling “cavalier attitude” from commission members about the power they wield.

Complaint: Kansas agency probing GOP broke open meetings law

October 19, 1926 - February 28, 2023

Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to noon March 4 at&nbsp;Stinemetz Funeral Home,&nbsp;522 N. Pomeroy Ave.,&nbsp;Hill City, KS 67642.

The funeral service will be at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, March 4 at the United Methodist Church, Hill City, 118 N. Fourth Ave.,&nbsp; Hill City, KS 67642.

Her final resting place will be at Memorial Lawn, Highway 283, Hill City, KS 67642.

Memorial contributions may be made to the&nbsp;Graham County Hospital or&nbsp;Graham County Public Library.

Janice Ann Richmeier<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1677774905244.png" alt="Janice Ann Richmeier" />
 <figcaption>Janice Ann Richmeier</figcaption>
 </figure>October 19, 1926 - February 28, 2023 Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to noon March 4 at&nbsp;Stinemetz Funeral Home,&nbsp;522 N. Pomeroy Ave.,&nbsp;Hill City, KS 67642.The funeral service will be at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, March 4 at the United Methodist Church, Hill City, 118 N. Fourth Ave.,&nbsp; Hill City, KS 67642.Her final resting place will be at Memorial Lawn, Highway 283, Hill City, KS 67642.Memorial contributions may be made to the&nbsp;Graham County Hospital or&nbsp;Graham County Public Library.

Janice Ann Richmeier

By SHERRIENE JONES-SONTAG Kansas Chamber

TOPEKA, Kan. — The Kansas Chamber announced Wednesday its 2023 Leadership Kansas class. It includes two participants from Hays, Nikki Pfannenstiel of Sunflower Electric Power Corporation and Wesley Rathbun, owner of 8th Street Liquor, Golden Q, The Fort and Rathbun Enterprises.&nbsp;

As one of the oldest and most prestigious statewide leadership programs in the country, Leadership Kansas, or LK, is focused on developing and motivating Kansas leaders from across the state.

"The Kansas Chamber is excited to welcome the newest Leadership Kansas class - a great representation of the state's demographics," said Kansas Chamber President &amp; CEO Alan Cobb (LK '21). "

Since 1979, LK has fostered greater awareness and understanding of statewide economic, business, and political issues among the leaders of our state. Graduates of the LK program have gone on to take on key leadership roles at the local, state, and national levels.

Leadership Kansas received more than 600 nominations for the 2023 program. After a thorough&nbsp;and thoughtful application and selection process, the selection committee chose 40 individuals for the 2023 class.&nbsp;

The committee and the Leadership Kansas Board of Advisors make every effort to ensure the class reflects the state in regard to geographic, ethnic, occupational, and gender diversity.&nbsp;The program begins in April with an orientation session in Lawrence and ends in October with graduation after the completion of seven sessions.

The other cities the 2023 class will visit for this year's program include Garden City, Overland Park, Olathe, Lenexa, Kansas City, Kan., Leavenworth, Salina, Pittsburg, Hutchinson, Wichita, El Dorado, Manhattan, and Topeka.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Throughout the seven-month program, the class interacts with a variety of experts and community leaders through three-day educational training sessions. The diverse discussion topics include business, education, agriculture, public policy, societal health, economic development, and government.&nbsp;

"Participants in the Leadership Kansas program receive once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to meet many of Kansas’ distinguished business and government leaders. They become stronger leaders, better prepared to contribute to their communities and our state," said LK Executive Director Aaron Miller (LK '16).

Leadership Kansas has more than 1,500 alumni.

By SHERRIENE JONES-SONTAG Kansas ChamberTOPEKA, Kan. — The Kansas Chamber announced Wednesday its 2023 Leadership Kansas class. It includes two participants from Hays, Nikki Pfannenstiel of Sunflower Electric Power Corporation and Wesley Rathbun, owner of 8th Street Liquor, Golden Q, The Fort and Rathbun Enterprises.&nbsp;As one of the oldest and most prestigious statewide leadership programs in the country, Leadership Kansas, or LK, is focused on developing and motivating Kansas leaders from across the state. "The Kansas Chamber is excited to welcome the newest Leadership Kansas class - a great representation of the state's demographics," said Kansas Chamber President &amp; CEO Alan Cobb (LK '21). "Since 1979, LK has fostered greater awareness and understanding of statewide economic, business, and political issues among the leaders of our state. Graduates of the LK program have gone on to take on key leadership roles at the local, state, and national levels.Leadership Kansas received more than 600 nominations for the 2023 program. After a thorough&nbsp;and thoughtful application and selection process, the selection committee chose 40 individuals for the 2023 class.&nbsp;The committee and the Leadership Kansas Board of Advisors make every effort to ensure the class reflects the state in regard to geographic, ethnic, occupational, and gender diversity.&nbsp;The program begins in April with an orientation session in Lawrence and ends in October with graduation after the completion of seven sessions.The other cities the 2023 class will visit for this year's program include Garden City, Overland Park, Olathe, Lenexa, Kansas City, Kan., Leavenworth, Salina, Pittsburg, Hutchinson, Wichita, El Dorado, Manhattan, and Topeka.&nbsp;&nbsp;Throughout the seven-month program, the class interacts with a variety of experts and community leaders through three-day educational training sessions. The diverse discussion topics include business, education, agriculture, public policy, societal health, economic development, and government.&nbsp;"Participants in the Leadership Kansas program receive once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to meet many of Kansas’ distinguished business and government leaders. They become stronger leaders, better prepared to contribute to their communities and our state," said LK Executive Director Aaron Miller (LK '16).Leadership Kansas has more than 1,500 alumni.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1677690761482.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

Hays residents in 2023 Leadership Kansas class

WASHINGTON (AP) —<a href="https://www.lilly.com/resources/insulin-affordability">Eli Lilly will cut prices</a>&nbsp;for some older insulins later this year and immediately give more patients access to a cap on the costs they pay to fill prescriptions.

The moves announced Wednesday promise critical relief to some people with diabetes who can face thousands of dollars in annual costs for insulin they need in order to live. Lilly’s changes also come as lawmakers and patient advocates pressure drugmakers to do something about soaring prices.

Lilly said it will cut the list prices for its most commonly prescribed insulin, Humalog, and for another insulin, Humulin, by 70% or more in the fourth quarter, which starts in October.

List prices are what a drugmaker initially sets for a product and what people who have no insurance or plans with high deductibles are sometimes stuck paying.

A Lilly spokeswoman said the current list price for a 10-milliliter vial of the fast-acting, mealtime insulin Humalog is $274.70. That will fall to $66.40.

Likewise, she said the same amount of Humulin currently lists at $148.70. That will change to $44.61.

Lilly CEO David Ricks said Wednesday that his company was making these changes to address issues that affect the price patients ultimately pay for its insulins.

He noted that discounts Lilly offers from its list prices often don't reach patients through insurers or pharmacy benefit managers. High-deductible coverage can lead to big bills at the pharmacy counter, particularly at the start of the year when the deductibles renew.

“We know the current U.S. health care system has gaps,” he said. “This makes a tough disease like diabetes even harder to manage.”

Patient advocates have long called for insulin price cuts to help uninsured people who would not be affected by price caps tied to insurance coverage. They have noted that high insulin prices force many people to ration doses, which can be dangerous for their health.

The advocacy group Public Citizen said in a statement that Lilly’s price cut was overdue and “an acknowledgement that insulin prices are a deadly outrage.”

Lilly’s planned cuts “could actually provide some substantial price relief,” said Stacie Dusetzina, a health policy professor at Vanderbilt University who studies drug costs.

She noted that the moves likely won’t affect Lilly much financially because the insulins are older, and some already face competition.

Lilly also said Wednesday that it will cut the price of its authorized generic version of Humalog to $25 a vial starting in May.

Lilly also is launching in April a biosimilar insulin to compete with Sanofi’s Lantus.

Ricks said that it will take time for insurers and the pharmacy system to implement its price cuts, so the drugmaker will immediately cap monthly out-of-pocket costs for all of its insulins at $35 for people who are not covered by Medicare’s prescription drug program.

The drugmaker said the cap applies to people with commercial coverage and at most retail pharmacies.

Lilly said people without insurance can find savings cards to receive insulin for the same amount at its&nbsp;<a href="https://insulinaffordability.com/">InsulinAffordability.com</a>&nbsp;website.

The federal government in January started applying that cap to patients with coverage through its Medicare program for people age 65 and older or those who have certain disabilities or illnesses.

President Joe Biden brought up that cost cap during his annual&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/state-of-the-union-biden-2023-b9bebd876a42a9510f068a04a3f2a348">State of the Union</a>&nbsp;address last month. He called for insulin costs for everyone to be capped at $35.

Biden said in a statement Wednesday that Lilly responded to his call.

“It’s a big deal, and it’s time for other manufacturers to follow,” Biden said.

He also noted that Americans “for far too long” have faced much higher drug costs than people in other countries.

Aside from Eli Lilly and the French drugmaker Sanofi, other top insulin makers include the Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk.

Representatives for both Sanofi and Novo Nordisk said their companies offer several programs that limit costs for people with and without coverage.

Researchers with non-profit Kaiser Family Foundation have found that more than 25% of those who take insulin and are covered either through a small employer or by individual insurance that meets Affordable Care Act standards would benefit from a $35 monthly cap. Likewise, about 20% of insulin users with coverage through a big employer also would save.

Insulin is made by the pancreas and used by the body to convert food into energy. People who have diabetes don’t produce enough insulin.

People with Type 1 diabetes must take insulin every day to survive. More than 8 million Americans use insulin, according to the American Diabetes Association.

Research has shown that prices for insulin have more than tripled in the last two decades. Pressure is growing on drugmakers to help patients.

The state of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-california-diabetes-government-and-politics-f846c58d4cb327578d1c7b3a9495d496">California has said it plans to explore making its own cheaper insulin</a>. Drugmakers also may face competition from companies like the nonprofit Civica, which plans to produce three insulins at a recommended price of no more than $30 a vial, a spokeswoman said.

Drugmakers may be seeing “the writing on the wall that high prices can’t persist forever,” said Larry Levitt, an executive vice president with Kaiser.

“Lilly is trying to get out ahead of the issue and look to the public like the good guy,” Levitt said, adding that there's nothing stopping Lilly from raising prices again in the future.

Lilly officials said Wednesday that they have not raised the price of any of their insulins since 2017.

Ricks, the Lilly CEO, said the drugmaker made the changes announced Wednesday “because it's time and it's the right thing to do.”

Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Co. became the first company to commercialize insulin in 1923, two years after University of Toronto scientists discovered it. The drugmaker then built its reputation around producing insulin even as it branched into cancer treatments, antipsychotics and other drugs.

Humulin and Humalog and its authorized generic brought in a total of more than $3 billion in revenue for Lilly last year. They rang up more than $3.5 billion the year before that.

“These are treatments that have had a really long and successful life and should be less costly to patients,” Dusetzina said.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1677718119575.png" alt="A vial of Eli Lilly's Humalog insulin-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>A vial of Eli Lilly's Humalog insulin-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —<a href="https://www.lilly.com/resources/insulin-affordability">Eli Lilly will cut prices</a>&nbsp;for some older insulins later this year and immediately give more patients access to a cap on the costs they pay to fill prescriptions.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">We capped the cost of insulin for seniors on Medicare at $35. But in my State of the Union, I said we needed to finish the job. Well, today, Eli Lilly announced that they’re lowering prices for everyone else to $35. Let’s keep it going. <a href="https://t.co/XXBXe4HnR4">pic.twitter.com/XXBXe4HnR4</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1631043167297368066?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The moves announced Wednesday promise critical relief to some people with diabetes who can face thousands of dollars in annual costs for insulin they need in order to live. Lilly’s changes also come as lawmakers and patient advocates pressure drugmakers to do something about soaring prices.Lilly said it will cut the list prices for its most commonly prescribed insulin, Humalog, and for another insulin, Humulin, by 70% or more in the fourth quarter, which starts in October.List prices are what a drugmaker initially sets for a product and what people who have no insurance or plans with high deductibles are sometimes stuck paying.A Lilly spokeswoman said the current list price for a 10-milliliter vial of the fast-acting, mealtime insulin Humalog is $274.70. That will fall to $66.40.Likewise, she said the same amount of Humulin currently lists at $148.70. That will change to $44.61.Lilly CEO David Ricks said Wednesday that his company was making these changes to address issues that affect the price patients ultimately pay for its insulins.He noted that discounts Lilly offers from its list prices often don't reach patients through insurers or pharmacy benefit managers. High-deductible coverage can lead to big bills at the pharmacy counter, particularly at the start of the year when the deductibles renew.“We know the current U.S. health care system has gaps,” he said. “This makes a tough disease like diabetes even harder to manage.”Patient advocates have long called for insulin price cuts to help uninsured people who would not be affected by price caps tied to insurance coverage. They have noted that high insulin prices force many people to ration doses, which can be dangerous for their health.The advocacy group Public Citizen said in a statement that Lilly’s price cut was overdue and “an acknowledgement that insulin prices are a deadly outrage.”Lilly’s planned cuts “could actually provide some substantial price relief,” said Stacie Dusetzina, a health policy professor at Vanderbilt University who studies drug costs.She noted that the moves likely won’t affect Lilly much financially because the insulins are older, and some already face competition.Lilly also said Wednesday that it will cut the price of its authorized generic version of Humalog to $25 a vial starting in May.Lilly also is launching in April a biosimilar insulin to compete with Sanofi’s Lantus.Ricks said that it will take time for insurers and the pharmacy system to implement its price cuts, so the drugmaker will immediately cap monthly out-of-pocket costs for all of its insulins at $35 for people who are not covered by Medicare’s prescription drug program.The drugmaker said the cap applies to people with commercial coverage and at most retail pharmacies.Lilly said people without insurance can find savings cards to receive insulin for the same amount at its&nbsp;<a href="https://insulinaffordability.com/">InsulinAffordability.com</a>&nbsp;website.The federal government in January started applying that cap to patients with coverage through its Medicare program for people age 65 and older or those who have certain disabilities or illnesses.President Joe Biden brought up that cost cap during his annual&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/state-of-the-union-biden-2023-b9bebd876a42a9510f068a04a3f2a348">State of the Union</a>&nbsp;address last month. He called for insulin costs for everyone to be capped at $35.Biden said in a statement Wednesday that Lilly responded to his call.“It’s a big deal, and it’s time for other manufacturers to follow,” Biden said.He also noted that Americans “for far too long” have faced much higher drug costs than people in other countries.Aside from Eli Lilly and the French drugmaker Sanofi, other top insulin makers include the Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk.Representatives for both Sanofi and Novo Nordisk said their companies offer several programs that limit costs for people with and without coverage.Researchers with non-profit Kaiser Family Foundation have found that more than 25% of those who take insulin and are covered either through a small employer or by individual insurance that meets Affordable Care Act standards would benefit from a $35 monthly cap. Likewise, about 20% of insulin users with coverage through a big employer also would save.Insulin is made by the pancreas and used by the body to convert food into energy. People who have diabetes don’t produce enough insulin.People with Type 1 diabetes must take insulin every day to survive. More than 8 million Americans use insulin, according to the American Diabetes Association.Research has shown that prices for insulin have more than tripled in the last two decades. Pressure is growing on drugmakers to help patients.The state of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-california-diabetes-government-and-politics-f846c58d4cb327578d1c7b3a9495d496">California has said it plans to explore making its own cheaper insulin</a>. Drugmakers also may face competition from companies like the nonprofit Civica, which plans to produce three insulins at a recommended price of no more than $30 a vial, a spokeswoman said.Drugmakers may be seeing “the writing on the wall that high prices can’t persist forever,” said Larry Levitt, an executive vice president with Kaiser.“Lilly is trying to get out ahead of the issue and look to the public like the good guy,” Levitt said, adding that there's nothing stopping Lilly from raising prices again in the future.Lilly officials said Wednesday that they have not raised the price of any of their insulins since 2017.Ricks, the Lilly CEO, said the drugmaker made the changes announced Wednesday “because it's time and it's the right thing to do.”Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Co. became the first company to commercialize insulin in 1923, two years after University of Toronto scientists discovered it. The drugmaker then built its reputation around producing insulin even as it branched into cancer treatments, antipsychotics and other drugs.Humulin and Humalog and its authorized generic brought in a total of more than $3 billion in revenue for Lilly last year. They rang up more than $3.5 billion the year before that.“These are treatments that have had a really long and successful life and should be less costly to patients,” Dusetzina said.&nbsp;

Relief for millions: Drugmaker cuts insulin price 70 percent

KANSAS CITY —U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will visit the Kansas City area again Monday, according to Mayor Quinton Lucas.&nbsp; 

Buttigieg, who has visited the region several times since he joined the Biden administration, will participate in the celebration for the completion of the new <a href="https://flykc.com/">Kansas City International Airport terminal.</a>&nbsp;The terminal officially opens Tuesday.&nbsp;

He is also scheduled to visit the future site of the multibillion-dollar Panasonic electric vehicle battery plant&nbsp; in De Soto, Kansas, 30 miles southwest of Kansas City.

In January of 2022, Buttigieg stopped in Kansas City to promote the President's&nbsp; infrastructure legislation with a visit to the Rock Island railroad bridge and the Cesar Chavez Bridge that carries vehicles over the Kansas River.

In October 0f 2022, Buttigieg  addressed a rally for Democrat candidates in Kansas City, Kansas. Senate candidate Mark Holland, Kansas State Treasurer Lynn Rogers and KCMO Mayor Quinton Lucas attended. Governor Laura Kelly did not attend the event. She was on a tour of Quest Diagnostics in nearby Lenexa that afternoon.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677461584778.png" alt="Buttigieg and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Buttigieg and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will visit the Kansas City area again Monday, according to Mayor Quinton Lucas.&nbsp; Buttigieg, who has visited the region several times since he joined the Biden administration, will participate in the celebration for the completion of the new <a href="https://flykc.com/">Kansas City International Airport terminal.</a>&nbsp;The terminal officially opens Tuesday.&nbsp;He is also scheduled to visit the future site of the multibillion-dollar Panasonic electric vehicle battery plant&nbsp; in De Soto, Kansas, 30 miles southwest of Kansas City.In January of 2022, Buttigieg stopped in Kansas City to promote the President's&nbsp; infrastructure legislation with a visit to the Rock Island railroad bridge and the Cesar Chavez Bridge that carries vehicles over the Kansas River.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666233119638.png" alt="Buttigieg and U.S. Senate candidate Mark Holland during an October 2022 campaign stop in Kansas." />
 <figcaption>Buttigieg and U.S. Senate candidate Mark Holland during an October 2022 campaign stop in Kansas.</figcaption>
 </figure>In October 0f 2022, Buttigieg addressed a rally for Democrat candidates in Kansas City, Kansas. Senate candidate Mark Holland, Kansas State Treasurer Lynn Rogers and KCMO Mayor Quinton Lucas attended. Governor Laura Kelly did not attend the event. She was on a tour of Quest Diagnostics in nearby Lenexa that afternoon.&nbsp;

Transportation Sec. Buttigieg to visit Kansas again Monday

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration moved Friday to require patients see a doctor in person before getting attention deficit disorder medication or addictive painkillers, toughening access to the drugs against the backdrop of a deepening opioid crisis.

The proposal could overhaul the way millions of Americans get some prescriptions after three years of relying on telehealth for doctor’s appointments by computer or phone during the pandemic.

The Drug Enforcement Administration said late Friday it plans to reinstate once longstanding federal requirements for powerful drugs that were waived once COVID-19 hit, enabling doctors to write millions of prescriptions for drugs such as OxyContin or Adderall without ever meeting patients in person.

Patients will need to see a doctor in person at least once to get an initial prescription for drugs that the federal government says have the the most potential to be abused — Vicodin, OxyContin, Adderall and Ritalin, for example. Refills could be prescribed over telehealth appointments.

The agency will also clamp down on how doctors can prescribe other, less addictive drugs to patients they've never physically met. Substances like codeine, taken to alleviate pain or coughing, Xanax, used to treat anxiety, Ambien, a sleep aid, and buprenorphine, a narcotic used to treat opioid addiction, can be prescribed over telehealth for an initial 30-day dose. Patients would need to see a doctor at least once in person to get a refill.

Patients will still be able to get common prescriptions like antibiotics, skin creams, birth control and insulin prescribed through telehealth visits.

The new rule seeks to keep expanded access to telehealth that's important for patients like those in rural areas while also balancing safety, an approach DEA Administrator Anne Milgram referred to as “expansion of telemedicine with guardrails.”

The ease with each Americans have accessed certain medications during the pandemic has helped many get needed treatment, but concerns have also mounted that some companies may take advantage of the lax rules and be overprescribing medications to people who don’t need them, said David Herzberg, a historian of drugs at the University of Buffalo.

“Both sides of this tension have really good points,” said Herzberg. “You don’t want barriers in the way of getting people prescriptions they need. But anytime you remove those barriers it’s also an opportunity for profit seekers to exploit the lax rules and sell the medicines to people who may not need them.”

U.S. overdose deaths hit a record in 2021, about three-quarters of those from opioids during a crisis that was first spun into the making by drug makers, pharmacies and doctors that pushed the drugs to patients decades ago. But the grim toll from synthetic opioids like fentanyl far outstripped deaths related to prescription drugs that year, according to Centers for Disease Control Data. Fentanyl is increasingly appearing on the illicit market, pressed into fake prescription pills or mixed into other drugs.

The proposed rules deliver a major blow to a booming telehealth industry, with tech startups launching in recent years to treat and prescribe medications for mental health or attention deficit disorders. The industry has largely benefitted from the reprieve on in-person visits for drugs brought on by the pandemic, although some national retailers stopped filling drug orders generated by some telehealth apps over the last year.

The DEA has grown increasingly concerned over the last two years that some of those startup telehealth companies are improperly prescribing addictive substances like opioids or attention deficit disorder medication, putting patients in danger, a DEA official told The Associated Press on Friday.

The official said the agency plans to have the new rule in place before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-united-states-government-district-of-columbia-covid-public-health-2a80b547f6d55706a6986debc343b9fe">the COVID-19 public health emergency expires</a>&nbsp;on May 11, which will effectively end the loosened rules. That could mean people who may seeking treatment from a doctor who is hundreds of miles away need to start developing plans for in-person visits with their doctors now, pointed out Boston-based attorney Jeremy Sherer, who represents telehealth companies. Patients will have six months to visit their doctor in person when the regulation is enacted.

“Providers and their patients need to know what that treatment is going to look like moving forward and whether, once the public health emergency ends in May, if they’re going to need to figure out a way to have a visit in person before continuing treatment, and that can be a real challenge," he said.

Many states have already moved to restore limitations for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-business-covid-cancer-56deaf3a9ff108775dc36e3bd767175e">telehealth care across state lines</a>. By October, nearly 40 states and Washington, D.C., had ended emergency declarations that made it easier for doctors to see patients in other states.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration moved Friday to require patients see a doctor in person before getting attention deficit disorder medication or addictive painkillers, toughening access to the drugs against the backdrop of a deepening opioid crisis.The proposal could overhaul the way millions of Americans get some prescriptions after three years of relying on telehealth for doctor’s appointments by computer or phone during the pandemic.The Drug Enforcement Administration said late Friday it plans to reinstate once longstanding federal requirements for powerful drugs that were waived once COVID-19 hit, enabling doctors to write millions of prescriptions for drugs such as OxyContin or Adderall without ever meeting patients in person.Patients will need to see a doctor in person at least once to get an initial prescription for drugs that the federal government says have the the most potential to be abused — Vicodin, OxyContin, Adderall and Ritalin, for example. Refills could be prescribed over telehealth appointments.The agency will also clamp down on how doctors can prescribe other, less addictive drugs to patients they've never physically met. Substances like codeine, taken to alleviate pain or coughing, Xanax, used to treat anxiety, Ambien, a sleep aid, and buprenorphine, a narcotic used to treat opioid addiction, can be prescribed over telehealth for an initial 30-day dose. Patients would need to see a doctor at least once in person to get a refill.Patients will still be able to get common prescriptions like antibiotics, skin creams, birth control and insulin prescribed through telehealth visits.The new rule seeks to keep expanded access to telehealth that's important for patients like those in rural areas while also balancing safety, an approach DEA Administrator Anne Milgram referred to as “expansion of telemedicine with guardrails.”The ease with each Americans have accessed certain medications during the pandemic has helped many get needed treatment, but concerns have also mounted that some companies may take advantage of the lax rules and be overprescribing medications to people who don’t need them, said David Herzberg, a historian of drugs at the University of Buffalo.“Both sides of this tension have really good points,” said Herzberg. “You don’t want barriers in the way of getting people prescriptions they need. But anytime you remove those barriers it’s also an opportunity for profit seekers to exploit the lax rules and sell the medicines to people who may not need them.”U.S. overdose deaths hit a record in 2021, about three-quarters of those from opioids during a crisis that was first spun into the making by drug makers, pharmacies and doctors that pushed the drugs to patients decades ago. But the grim toll from synthetic opioids like fentanyl far outstripped deaths related to prescription drugs that year, according to Centers for Disease Control Data. Fentanyl is increasingly appearing on the illicit market, pressed into fake prescription pills or mixed into other drugs.The proposed rules deliver a major blow to a booming telehealth industry, with tech startups launching in recent years to treat and prescribe medications for mental health or attention deficit disorders. The industry has largely benefitted from the reprieve on in-person visits for drugs brought on by the pandemic, although some national retailers stopped filling drug orders generated by some telehealth apps over the last year.The DEA has grown increasingly concerned over the last two years that some of those startup telehealth companies are improperly prescribing addictive substances like opioids or attention deficit disorder medication, putting patients in danger, a DEA official told The Associated Press on Friday.The official said the agency plans to have the new rule in place before&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-united-states-government-district-of-columbia-covid-public-health-2a80b547f6d55706a6986debc343b9fe">the COVID-19 public health emergency expires</a>&nbsp;on May 11, which will effectively end the loosened rules. That could mean people who may seeking treatment from a doctor who is hundreds of miles away need to start developing plans for in-person visits with their doctors now, pointed out Boston-based attorney Jeremy Sherer, who represents telehealth companies. Patients will have six months to visit their doctor in person when the regulation is enacted.“Providers and their patients need to know what that treatment is going to look like moving forward and whether, once the public health emergency ends in May, if they’re going to need to figure out a way to have a visit in person before continuing treatment, and that can be a real challenge," he said.Many states have already moved to restore limitations for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-business-covid-cancer-56deaf3a9ff108775dc36e3bd767175e">telehealth care across state lines</a>. By October, nearly 40 states and Washington, D.C., had ended emergency declarations that made it easier for doctors to see patients in other states.

Feds seek to limit telehealth prescriptions for some drugs

Shelly Beth Shelton, 71, returned home to the heavenly Father and 
took her place once again by her husband on February 23, 2023, in 
Salina. She was born on April 28, 1951, to Ivan S. &amp; Betty (Eastes) 
Freeman. She married her one true love, Douglas Shelton on January 16, 
1970, in Great Bend. He died October 17, 2014.

A long time Great Bend resident, Shelly was the office manager of 
Farley Machine Works until her retirement in 2014 to be by Doug’s side 
during his illness. She also had previously worked for Sunflower 
Diversified Services and Tomlinson Oil Company. Family and her love for 
them were most important to her. Next was her love for animals. Shelly 
always had a houseful and room for more.

Survivors include her son, Jason Shelton and wife Jenny, of Stafford;
 her daughter, Tasha Di Loreto and husband, Dan, of Salina; seven 
grandchildren, Austin McGinnes of Hutchinson, Jarod Shelton of Stafford,
 Jena Shelton of Stafford, McKenzie Green of Wichita, Lexus Di Loreto of
 Salina, Trista Shelton of Stafford and Danny Di Loreto of Salina; and 
four great-grandchildren, Jensyn and Caisyn Smith, Aidyn McGinnes, and 
Hadley Green, with another great-grandchild on the way. Also surviving 
her are her sisters-in-law, Melody Cell, Rhonda Shelton, and Sharon 
Wondra, and husband Harold, all of Great Bend and Michelle Shelton of 
Salina; as well as numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in 
death by her parents; and her husband, Doug Shelton.

Visitation will be held from Noon to 8:00 p.m., Tuesday, February 28,
 2023, at Bryant Funeral Home, with family to receive friends from 5:00 
to 7:00 p.m. Graveside service will be held at 1:00 p.m., Wednesday, 
March 1, 2023, at the Great Bend Cemetery, with Pastor Tom Swain 
presiding. 

In lieu of flowers, memorials have been designated to the Camp
 Discovery &amp; Sweet Betes Kansas, in care of Bryant Funeral Home.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677347343634.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Shelly Beth Shelton, 71, returned home to the heavenly Father and 
took her place once again by her husband on February 23, 2023, in 
Salina. She was born on April 28, 1951, to Ivan S. &amp; Betty (Eastes) 
Freeman. She married her one true love, Douglas Shelton on January 16, 
1970, in Great Bend. He died October 17, 2014.A long time Great Bend resident, Shelly was the office manager of 
Farley Machine Works until her retirement in 2014 to be by Doug’s side 
during his illness. She also had previously worked for Sunflower 
Diversified Services and Tomlinson Oil Company. Family and her love for 
them were most important to her. Next was her love for animals. Shelly 
always had a houseful and room for more.Survivors include her son, Jason Shelton and wife Jenny, of Stafford;
 her daughter, Tasha Di Loreto and husband, Dan, of Salina; seven 
grandchildren, Austin McGinnes of Hutchinson, Jarod Shelton of Stafford,
 Jena Shelton of Stafford, McKenzie Green of Wichita, Lexus Di Loreto of
 Salina, Trista Shelton of Stafford and Danny Di Loreto of Salina; and 
four great-grandchildren, Jensyn and Caisyn Smith, Aidyn McGinnes, and 
Hadley Green, with another great-grandchild on the way. Also surviving 
her are her sisters-in-law, Melody Cell, Rhonda Shelton, and Sharon 
Wondra, and husband Harold, all of Great Bend and Michelle Shelton of 
Salina; as well as numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in 
death by her parents; and her husband, Doug Shelton.Visitation will be held from Noon to 8:00 p.m., Tuesday, February 28,
 2023, at Bryant Funeral Home, with family to receive friends from 5:00 
to 7:00 p.m. Graveside service will be held at 1:00 p.m., Wednesday, 
March 1, 2023, at the Great Bend Cemetery, with Pastor Tom Swain 
presiding. In lieu of flowers, memorials have been designated to the Camp
 Discovery &amp; Sweet Betes Kansas, in care of Bryant Funeral Home.

Shelly Beth Shelton

Leona Helen Boor, 89, Hays, died Thursday, February 23, 2023, at her home.

She was born September 24, 1933, in 
Hoxie, the daughter of William and Louise (Gaede) Rall.&nbsp;&nbsp;Leona graduated
 from Hoxie High School, and on October 8, 1951, she was united in 
marriage to Harold G. Boor in Grinnell.&nbsp;&nbsp;They celebrated 63 years of 
marriage before he preceded her in death on January 25, 2015.&nbsp;&nbsp;Leona was
 a devout member of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church where she 
served as a Eucharistic Minister, helped with funeral dinners, and was a
 Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Adorer. &nbsp;She was also a member&nbsp;of 
Christian Mothers, Daughters of Isabella Circle #254, and the Extension 
Homemakers Unit.&nbsp;&nbsp;Leona was employed at Travenol and St. John’s Nursing 
Home, and a volunteer worker at the Community Assistance Center. &nbsp;She 
was a devoted wife, mother, and homemaker, and enjoyed sewing, 
gardening, and crafting.

Survivors include two sons: Doug Boor 
and wife Joyce of Hutchinson, Stan Boor and wife Cindy of Hays, two 
daughters: Cheryl Grabbe and husband Richard of Overland Park, Missy 
Gollhofer and husband Phil of Fort Worth, TX, two brothers: Kurt and 
Gaeheart Rall, 14 grandchildren, 15 great grandchildren, and numerous 
nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her 
parents, husband Harold, a son: Harlan Boor, a step grandson: Aaron 
Koehn, six brothers: Ted, Ervin, Bob, Bill, Elmer, and Lorenz, and five 
sisters: Rose, Wilma, Louise, Mary, and Helen.

Mass of Christian Burial will be at 
10:00 am on Monday, February 27, 2023, at Immaculate Heart of Mary 
Catholic Church, with Fr. Nick Parker officiating.&nbsp;&nbsp;Burial will follow 
in St. Joseph Cemetery.&nbsp;&nbsp;Visitation will be from 5:00 pm until 8:00 on 
Sunday, and from 9:00 am until 9:45 on Monday, all at Hays Memorial 
Chapel Funeral Home.&nbsp;&nbsp;A combined Daughters of Isabella and Perpetual 
Eucharistic Adoration Adorers rosary will be at 5:30 pm followed by a 
vigil service at 7:15 pm, all on Sunday at the funeral home.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Memorials 
are suggested and payable to Hospice of HaysMed, Immaculate Heart of 
Mary Church, or for masses.&nbsp;&nbsp;Condolences and memories of Leona may be 
shared with her family at <a href="http://www.haysmemorial.com">www.haysmemorial.com</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677246979959.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Leona Helen Boor, 89, Hays, died Thursday, February 23, 2023, at her home.She was born September 24, 1933, in 
Hoxie, the daughter of William and Louise (Gaede) Rall.&nbsp;&nbsp;Leona graduated
 from Hoxie High School, and on October 8, 1951, she was united in 
marriage to Harold G. Boor in Grinnell.&nbsp;&nbsp;They celebrated 63 years of 
marriage before he preceded her in death on January 25, 2015.&nbsp;&nbsp;Leona was
 a devout member of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church where she 
served as a Eucharistic Minister, helped with funeral dinners, and was a
 Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Adorer. &nbsp;She was also a member&nbsp;of 
Christian Mothers, Daughters of Isabella Circle #254, and the Extension 
Homemakers Unit.&nbsp;&nbsp;Leona was employed at Travenol and St. John’s Nursing 
Home, and a volunteer worker at the Community Assistance Center. &nbsp;She 
was a devoted wife, mother, and homemaker, and enjoyed sewing, 
gardening, and crafting.Survivors include two sons: Doug Boor 
and wife Joyce of Hutchinson, Stan Boor and wife Cindy of Hays, two 
daughters: Cheryl Grabbe and husband Richard of Overland Park, Missy 
Gollhofer and husband Phil of Fort Worth, TX, two brothers: Kurt and 
Gaeheart Rall, 14 grandchildren, 15 great grandchildren, and numerous 
nieces and nephews.She was preceded in death by her 
parents, husband Harold, a son: Harlan Boor, a step grandson: Aaron 
Koehn, six brothers: Ted, Ervin, Bob, Bill, Elmer, and Lorenz, and five 
sisters: Rose, Wilma, Louise, Mary, and Helen.Mass of Christian Burial will be at 
10:00 am on Monday, February 27, 2023, at Immaculate Heart of Mary 
Catholic Church, with Fr. Nick Parker officiating.&nbsp;&nbsp;Burial will follow 
in St. Joseph Cemetery.&nbsp;&nbsp;Visitation will be from 5:00 pm until 8:00 on 
Sunday, and from 9:00 am until 9:45 on Monday, all at Hays Memorial 
Chapel Funeral Home.&nbsp;&nbsp;A combined Daughters of Isabella and Perpetual 
Eucharistic Adoration Adorers rosary will be at 5:30 pm followed by a 
vigil service at 7:15 pm, all on Sunday at the funeral home.&nbsp;&nbsp;Memorials 
are suggested and payable to Hospice of HaysMed, Immaculate Heart of 
Mary Church, or for masses.&nbsp;&nbsp;Condolences and memories of Leona may be 
shared with her family at <a href="http://www.haysmemorial.com">www.haysmemorial.com</a>

Leona Helen Boor

Donna Rae Crist passed away on Wednesday, February 22, 2023, at the Phillips County Hospital, Phillipsburg, at the age of 85.

She was born on October 10, 1937, in Belleville, KS the daughter of Clarence A. “Abbie” and Fannie (Bates) Williams.

On October 10, 1953, in Phillipsburg, KS, she was united in marriage 
to Garth Junior Crist.&nbsp; The couple was blessed with two sons, Mark and 
Daniel “D.C."

Donna was a homemaker.&nbsp; She and Garth could be found most evenings 
watching the world pass by at the square in Phillipsburg.&nbsp; She was known
 as a jokester to friends and family and was always looking for a way to
 put a smile on your face.&nbsp; Her grandchildren were her greatest pride 
and joy.

She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers Wayne, Dennis, 
Bob, and Norman Williams; sister Nancy Banks; and her husband Garth in 
1996.

Survivors include her sons Mark and wife JoAnn of McPherson and D.C. 
and wife Pam of Phillipsburg; 5 grandchildren: Renee Anderson and 
husband Mark, Erica Matyak and husband Luke, Travis Crist and wife 
Megan, Lucas Crist and wife Addie, and Tanner Crist and fiancé Rylea 
Rains; 5 great grandchildren; sister Catherine Derowitsch of Belleville,
 KS; and 3 sisters-in-law Alma Williams of Sedgwick, KS, Virginia 
Williams of Belleville, KS, and Carol Williams of Derby, KS.

Those that knew Donna, knew her faith in God was abundant, and her 
memory will be carried on through her children, grandchildren, 
great-grandchildren, and the many, many people whose lives she touched.

Cremation is planned.&nbsp; Services are pending.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Logan Manor c/o Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel, Phillipsburg.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677180145186.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Donna Rae Crist passed away on Wednesday, February 22, 2023, at the Phillips County Hospital, Phillipsburg, at the age of 85.She was born on October 10, 1937, in Belleville, KS the daughter of Clarence A. “Abbie” and Fannie (Bates) Williams.On October 10, 1953, in Phillipsburg, KS, she was united in marriage 
to Garth Junior Crist.&nbsp; The couple was blessed with two sons, Mark and 
Daniel “D.C."Donna was a homemaker.&nbsp; She and Garth could be found most evenings 
watching the world pass by at the square in Phillipsburg.&nbsp; She was known
 as a jokester to friends and family and was always looking for a way to
 put a smile on your face.&nbsp; Her grandchildren were her greatest pride 
and joy.She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers Wayne, Dennis, 
Bob, and Norman Williams; sister Nancy Banks; and her husband Garth in 
1996.Survivors include her sons Mark and wife JoAnn of McPherson and D.C. 
and wife Pam of Phillipsburg; 5 grandchildren: Renee Anderson and 
husband Mark, Erica Matyak and husband Luke, Travis Crist and wife 
Megan, Lucas Crist and wife Addie, and Tanner Crist and fiancé Rylea 
Rains; 5 great grandchildren; sister Catherine Derowitsch of Belleville,
 KS; and 3 sisters-in-law Alma Williams of Sedgwick, KS, Virginia 
Williams of Belleville, KS, and Carol Williams of Derby, KS.Those that knew Donna, knew her faith in God was abundant, and her 
memory will be carried on through her children, grandchildren, 
great-grandchildren, and the many, many people whose lives she touched.Cremation is planned.&nbsp; Services are pending.Memorial contributions may be made to the Logan Manor c/o Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel, Phillipsburg.

Donna Rae Crist

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — One year into Russia's war against Ukraine, China is offering a 12-point proposal to end the fighting.

<a href="https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/wjdt_665385/2649_665393/202302/t20230224_11030713.html">Click here to read</a> the proposal

The proposal follows China's recent announcement that it is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-politics-united-states-government-qin-gang-dc73aa6268321fa5722db4eb067b4209">trying to act as mediator</a>&nbsp;in the war that has re-energized Western alliances viewed by Beijing and Moscow as rivals. China's top diplomat indicated that the plan was coming at a security conference this week in Munich, Germany.

With its release, President Xi Jinping's government is reiterating China's claim to being neutral, despite blocking efforts at the United Nations to condemn the invasion. The document echoes Russian claims that Western governments are to blame for the Feb. 24, 2022 invasion and criticizes sanctions on Russia.

At the Munich meeting, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed skepticism about Beijing's position before the plan's release. He said China has provided non-lethal assistance that supports Russian President Vladimir Putin's war effort and said the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-politics-antony-blinken-xi-jinping-4501b49359d73b6efbac87b2af54f189">has intelligence</a>&nbsp;that Beijing is “considering providing lethal support.” China has called the allegation a “smear” and said it lacks evidence.

China’s proposal calls for a cease-fire and peace talks, and an end to sanctions against Russia.

China placed responsibility for sanctions on other “relevant countries” without naming them. These countries, it says, “should stop abusing unilateral sanctions” and “do their share in de-escalating the Ukraine crisis.”

Many of the 12 points were very general and did not contain specific proposals.

Without mentioning either Russia or Ukraine, it says sovereignty of all countries should be upheld. It didn't specify what that would look like for Ukraine, and the land taken from it since Russia seized Crimea in 2014.

The proposal also condemns a “Cold War mentality,” a term that often refers to the United States and the U.S.-European military alliance NATO. “The security of a region should not be achieved by strengthening or expanding military blocs,” the proposal says. Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded a promise that Ukraine will not join the bloc before the invasion.

Other points call for a cease-fire, peace talks, protection for prisoners of war and stopping attacks on civilians, without elaborating, as well as keeping nuclear power plants safe and facilitating grain exports.

“The basic tone and the fundamental message in the policy is quite pro-Russia,” said Li Mingjiang, a professor of Chinese foreign policy and international security at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University.

DOES CHINA BACK RUSSIA IN ITS WAR ON UKRAINE?

China has offered contradictory statements regarding its stance. It says Russia was provoked into taking action by NATO’s eastward expansion, but has also claimed neutrality on the war.

Ahead of Russia's attack, Xi and Putin attended the opening of last year's Winter Olympics in Beijing and issued a statement that their governments had a “no limits” friendship. China has since ignored Western criticism and reaffirmed that pledge.

Putin has said he expects Xi to visit Russia in the next few months. China has yet to confirm that.

China is “trying to have it both ways,” Blinken said Sunday on NBC.

“Publicly, they present themselves as a country striving for peace in Ukraine, but privately, as I said, we’ve seen already over these past months the provision of non-lethal assistance that does go directly to aiding and abetting Russia’s war effort.”

China’s support for Russia has been largely rhetorical and political. Beijing has helped to prevent efforts to condemn Moscow at the United Nations. There is no public evidence it is currently supplying arms to Russia, but the U.S. has said China is providing non-lethal support already and may do more.

Blinken, at the Munich conference, said the United States has long been concerned that China would provide weapons to Russia. “We have information that gives us concern that they are considering providing lethal support to Russia,” he said.

Blinken said he expressed to the Chinese envoy to the meeting, Wang Yi, that “this would be a serious problem.”

NATO's chief said Wednesday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-nato-politics-jens-stoltenberg-e8874580698b31cdfac96a60f13eef5b">he had seen some signs that</a>&nbsp;China may be ready to provide arms and warned that would be it would be supporting a violation of international law.

Russian and Chinese forces have held joint drills since the invasion, most recently with the South African navy in a shipping lane off the South African coast.

Ukraine’s defense minister Oleksii Reznikov expressed doubt about China's willingness to send lethal aid to Russia.

“I think that if China will help them … it will not (be) weaponry. It will (be) some kinds of like clothes,” Reznikov said in Kyiv Monday.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. General Assembly approved a nonbinding resolution Thursday that calls for Russia to end hostilities in Ukraine and withdraw its forces, sending a strong message on the eve of the first anniversary of the invasion that Moscow's aggression must stop.

The resolution, drafted by Ukraine in consultation with its allies, passed 141-7, with 32 abstentions.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the vote was more evidence that not only the West backs his country.

“This vote defies the argument that the global south does not stand on Ukraine’s side," Kuleba said. "Many countries representing Latin America, Africa, Asia voted in favor.”

The General Assembly has become the most important U.N. body dealing with Ukraine because the Security Council, which is charged with maintaining international peace and security, is paralyzed by Russia’s veto power. General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, unlike Security Council resolutions, but serve as a barometer of world opinion.

The seven countries voting against Thursday's resolution were Belarus, Nicaragua, Russia, Syria, North Korea, Eritrea and Mali, which has developed close military ties with Russia. Amendments proposed by Belarus would have weakened or stripped much of the language but were resoundingly defeated.

The vote was slightly below the highest total for the five previous resolutions approved by the 193-member world body since Russia sent troops and tanks across the border into its smaller neighbor on Feb. 24, 2022. That tally, in an October resolution against Russia’s illegal annexations, won approval by 143 countries.

Foreign ministers and diplomats from more than 75 countries addressed the assembly during two days of debate, with many urging support for the resolution that upholds Ukraine’s territorial integrity, a basic principle of the U.N. Charter that all countries must subscribe to when they join the world organization.

The war has killed tens of thousands on both sides and has reduced entire Ukrainian cities to ruins and its impact has been felt worldwide in higher food and fuel costs and rising inflation.

Venezuela’s deputy ambassador addressed the council on behalf of 16 countries that either voted against or abstained on almost all of five previous resolutions on Ukraine: Belarus, Bolivia, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Eritrea, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Laos, Mali, Nicaragua, North Korea, St. Vincent, Syria, Venezuela and Zimbabwe.

While other countries focused on Russia’s actions, Venezuelan Deputy Ambassador Joaquín Pérez Ayestarán said Wednesday that all countries without exception “must stringently comply with the United Nations Charter,” a barely veiled dig at an international order long dominated by the U.S. and Europe, and at what some call violations of the charter.

Ayestarán said the countries in his group were against what he called divisive action in the General Assembly, and for “a spirit of compromise.”

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters that the aggressor and the victim can’t be put on equal footing.

“Russia has not sent any positive signal of any minimum willingness to work for a peace,” Borrell said. Instead, Russia is intensifying attacks, firing 50,000 rounds every day, and has put 300,000 soldiers on the front lines, double the 150,000 it massed before the invasion, he said.

Facing this reality, Borrell said, the EU and the West have to support Ukraine militarily, impose sanctions on Russia, and try to isolate Moscow diplomatically which is what Kyiv’s supporters are trying to do at the United Nations this week.

China’s deputy U.N. ambassador, Dai Bing, told the assembly Thursday: “We support Russia and Ukraine in moving towards each other. ... The international community should make joint efforts to facilitate peace talks.”

China says it is neutral in the conflict and an advocate of peace talks, but has not criticized the invasion or described it as such. Beijing has condemned the U.S. and its allies over sanctions on Moscow and military assistance to Ukraine. China and Russia have increasingly aligned their foreign policies to oppose the U.S.-led international order.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi reaffirmed the strength of those ties when he met Russian leader Vladimir Putin during a visit to Moscow this week.

More broadly, Russia and Ukraine have been trying to win support from around the world.

The head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s presidential office, Andriy Yermak, spoke Tuesday about the U.N. resolution with India's national security adviser because “Ukraine is interested in the broadest possible support for the resolution, in particular from the countries of the global south,” a statement from Zelenskyy’s office said.

India had a Cold War dependence on the Soviet Union and has abstained several times from voting on U.N. Security Council resolutions demanding that Russia cease its invasion.

Less-powerful countries, including many in Africa, also have been caught up in the diplomatic wrangling.

“We were colonized, and we forgive those who colonized us. Now the colonizers are asking us to be enemies with Russia, who never colonized us; is that fair?” Uganda’s foreign minister, Abubaker Jeje Odongo, told the Sputnik news agency this month.

Russia is Africa’s top arms supplier and Odongo also noted that most of his country’s military equipment is Russian-made.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677205747640.png" alt="China abstained Thursday when the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-politics-china-united-nations-6965d19c953c2f6e45f483c1dfe04a7f">U.N. General Assembly</a>&nbsp;approved a nonbinding resolution that calls for Russia to end hostilities in Ukraine and withdraw its forces. It is one of 16 countries that either voted against or abstained on almost all of five previous U.N. resolutions on Ukraine." />
 <figcaption>China abstained Thursday when the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-politics-china-united-nations-6965d19c953c2f6e45f483c1dfe04a7f">U.N. General Assembly</a>&nbsp;approved a nonbinding resolution that calls for Russia to end hostilities in Ukraine and withdraw its forces. It is one of 16 countries that either voted against or abstained on almost all of five previous U.N. resolutions on Ukraine.</figcaption>
 </figure>TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — One year into Russia's war against Ukraine, China is offering a 12-point proposal to end the fighting.<a href="https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/wjdt_665385/2649_665393/202302/t20230224_11030713.html">Click here to read</a> the proposalThe proposal follows China's recent announcement that it is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-politics-united-states-government-qin-gang-dc73aa6268321fa5722db4eb067b4209">trying to act as mediator</a>&nbsp;in the war that has re-energized Western alliances viewed by Beijing and Moscow as rivals. China's top diplomat indicated that the plan was coming at a security conference this week in Munich, Germany.With its release, President Xi Jinping's government is reiterating China's claim to being neutral, despite blocking efforts at the United Nations to condemn the invasion. The document echoes Russian claims that Western governments are to blame for the Feb. 24, 2022 invasion and criticizes sanctions on Russia.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The General Assembly has called for an end to the war in Ukraine and demanded Russia’s immediate withdrawal from the country, in line with the UN Charter. The special <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UNGA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UNGA</a> session comes one year after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. <a href="https://t.co/HTW3SeutBj">https://t.co/HTW3SeutBj</a> <a href="https://t.co/HGIkLIE0Hq">pic.twitter.com/HGIkLIE0Hq</a>&mdash; United Nations (@UN) <a href="https://twitter.com/UN/status/1628892411345661955?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>At the Munich meeting, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed skepticism about Beijing's position before the plan's release. He said China has provided non-lethal assistance that supports Russian President Vladimir Putin's war effort and said the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-politics-antony-blinken-xi-jinping-4501b49359d73b6efbac87b2af54f189">has intelligence</a>&nbsp;that Beijing is “considering providing lethal support.” China has called the allegation a “smear” and said it lacks evidence.WHAT HAS CHINA PROPOSED?China’s proposal calls for a cease-fire and peace talks, and an end to sanctions against Russia.China placed responsibility for sanctions on other “relevant countries” without naming them. These countries, it says, “should stop abusing unilateral sanctions” and “do their share in de-escalating the Ukraine crisis.”Many of the 12 points were very general and did not contain specific proposals.Without mentioning either Russia or Ukraine, it says sovereignty of all countries should be upheld. It didn't specify what that would look like for Ukraine, and the land taken from it since Russia seized Crimea in 2014.The proposal also condemns a “Cold War mentality,” a term that often refers to the United States and the U.S.-European military alliance NATO. “The security of a region should not be achieved by strengthening or expanding military blocs,” the proposal says. Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded a promise that Ukraine will not join the bloc before the invasion.Other points call for a cease-fire, peace talks, protection for prisoners of war and stopping attacks on civilians, without elaborating, as well as keeping nuclear power plants safe and facilitating grain exports.“The basic tone and the fundamental message in the policy is quite pro-Russia,” said Li Mingjiang, a professor of Chinese foreign policy and international security at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University.DOES CHINA BACK RUSSIA IN ITS WAR ON UKRAINE?China has offered contradictory statements regarding its stance. It says Russia was provoked into taking action by NATO’s eastward expansion, but has also claimed neutrality on the war.Ahead of Russia's attack, Xi and Putin attended the opening of last year's Winter Olympics in Beijing and issued a statement that their governments had a “no limits” friendship. China has since ignored Western criticism and reaffirmed that pledge.Putin has said he expects Xi to visit Russia in the next few months. China has yet to confirm that.China is “trying to have it both ways,” Blinken said Sunday on NBC.“Publicly, they present themselves as a country striving for peace in Ukraine, but privately, as I said, we’ve seen already over these past months the provision of non-lethal assistance that does go directly to aiding and abetting Russia’s war effort.”HAS CHINA PROVIDED SUPPORT TO RUSSIA?China’s support for Russia has been largely rhetorical and political. Beijing has helped to prevent efforts to condemn Moscow at the United Nations. There is no public evidence it is currently supplying arms to Russia, but the U.S. has said China is providing non-lethal support already and may do more.Blinken, at the Munich conference, said the United States has long been concerned that China would provide weapons to Russia. “We have information that gives us concern that they are considering providing lethal support to Russia,” he said.Blinken said he expressed to the Chinese envoy to the meeting, Wang Yi, that “this would be a serious problem.”NATO's chief said Wednesday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-nato-politics-jens-stoltenberg-e8874580698b31cdfac96a60f13eef5b">he had seen some signs that</a>&nbsp;China may be ready to provide arms and warned that would be it would be supporting a violation of international law.Russian and Chinese forces have held joint drills since the invasion, most recently with the South African navy in a shipping lane off the South African coast.Ukraine’s defense minister Oleksii Reznikov expressed doubt about China's willingness to send lethal aid to Russia.“I think that if China will help them … it will not (be) weaponry. It will (be) some kinds of like clothes,” Reznikov said in Kyiv Monday.----------UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. General Assembly approved a nonbinding resolution Thursday that calls for Russia to end hostilities in Ukraine and withdraw its forces, sending a strong message on the eve of the first anniversary of the invasion that Moscow's aggression must stop.The resolution, drafted by Ukraine in consultation with its allies, passed 141-7, with 32 abstentions.Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the vote was more evidence that not only the West backs his country.“This vote defies the argument that the global south does not stand on Ukraine’s side," Kuleba said. "Many countries representing Latin America, Africa, Asia voted in favor.”The General Assembly has become the most important U.N. body dealing with Ukraine because the Security Council, which is charged with maintaining international peace and security, is paralyzed by Russia’s veto power. General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, unlike Security Council resolutions, but serve as a barometer of world opinion.The seven countries voting against Thursday's resolution were Belarus, Nicaragua, Russia, Syria, North Korea, Eritrea and Mali, which has developed close military ties with Russia. Amendments proposed by Belarus would have weakened or stripped much of the language but were resoundingly defeated.The vote was slightly below the highest total for the five previous resolutions approved by the 193-member world body since Russia sent troops and tanks across the border into its smaller neighbor on Feb. 24, 2022. That tally, in an October resolution against Russia’s illegal annexations, won approval by 143 countries.Foreign ministers and diplomats from more than 75 countries addressed the assembly during two days of debate, with many urging support for the resolution that upholds Ukraine’s territorial integrity, a basic principle of the U.N. Charter that all countries must subscribe to when they join the world organization.The war has killed tens of thousands on both sides and has reduced entire Ukrainian cities to ruins and its impact has been felt worldwide in higher food and fuel costs and rising inflation.Venezuela’s deputy ambassador addressed the council on behalf of 16 countries that either voted against or abstained on almost all of five previous resolutions on Ukraine: Belarus, Bolivia, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Eritrea, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Laos, Mali, Nicaragua, North Korea, St. Vincent, Syria, Venezuela and Zimbabwe.While other countries focused on Russia’s actions, Venezuelan Deputy Ambassador Joaquín Pérez Ayestarán said Wednesday that all countries without exception “must stringently comply with the United Nations Charter,” a barely veiled dig at an international order long dominated by the U.S. and Europe, and at what some call violations of the charter.Ayestarán said the countries in his group were against what he called divisive action in the General Assembly, and for “a spirit of compromise.”European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters that the aggressor and the victim can’t be put on equal footing.“Russia has not sent any positive signal of any minimum willingness to work for a peace,” Borrell said. Instead, Russia is intensifying attacks, firing 50,000 rounds every day, and has put 300,000 soldiers on the front lines, double the 150,000 it massed before the invasion, he said.Facing this reality, Borrell said, the EU and the West have to support Ukraine militarily, impose sanctions on Russia, and try to isolate Moscow diplomatically which is what Kyiv’s supporters are trying to do at the United Nations this week.China’s deputy U.N. ambassador, Dai Bing, told the assembly Thursday: “We support Russia and Ukraine in moving towards each other. ... The international community should make joint efforts to facilitate peace talks.”China says it is neutral in the conflict and an advocate of peace talks, but has not criticized the invasion or described it as such. Beijing has condemned the U.S. and its allies over sanctions on Moscow and military assistance to Ukraine. China and Russia have increasingly aligned their foreign policies to oppose the U.S.-led international order.Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi reaffirmed the strength of those ties when he met Russian leader Vladimir Putin during a visit to Moscow this week.More broadly, Russia and Ukraine have been trying to win support from around the world.The head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s presidential office, Andriy Yermak, spoke Tuesday about the U.N. resolution with India's national security adviser because “Ukraine is interested in the broadest possible support for the resolution, in particular from the countries of the global south,” a statement from Zelenskyy’s office said.India had a Cold War dependence on the Soviet Union and has abstained several times from voting on U.N. Security Council resolutions demanding that Russia cease its invasion.Less-powerful countries, including many in Africa, also have been caught up in the diplomatic wrangling.“We were colonized, and we forgive those who colonized us. Now the colonizers are asking us to be enemies with Russia, who never colonized us; is that fair?” Uganda’s foreign minister, Abubaker Jeje Odongo, told the Sputnik news agency this month.Russia is Africa’s top arms supplier and Odongo also noted that most of his country’s military equipment is Russian-made.“Countries in Africa have traditionally been attached in the Cold War division to the Soviet Union, having the old nostalgia, but also Russia has good tools, how to motivate them to be on their side,” Slovak Foreign Minister Rastislav Káčer told reporters in New York on Thursday. “And then there are others, like China, who are big powers, and are very carefully following what’s going on, and calculating what’s good for them.”___