SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Fifty people died after being abandoned in a tractor-trailer in the sweltering Texas heat, one of the worst tragedies to claim the lives of migrants smuggled across the border from Mexico to the U.S. More than a dozen people had been taken to hospitals, including four children.

A city worker heard a cry for help from the truck on a San Antonio back road shortly before 6 p.m. Monday and discovered the gruesome scene, Police Chief William McManus said. Hours later, body bags lay spread on the ground near the trailer and bodies remained inside as authorities responded.

Forty-six people were found dead at the scene, authorities said. Four more later died after being taken to hospitals, said Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, the county’s top elected official,

Among the dead were 39 males and 11 females, he said.

San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg said those who died had “families who were likely trying to find a better life.”

“This is nothing short of a horrific human tragedy,” Nirenberg said.

Attempts to cross the U.S. border from Mexico have claimed thousands of lives in in both countries in recent decades.

President Joe Biden called the latest deaths “horrifying and heartbreaking.” He said initial reports were that smugglers or human traffickers were to blame.

“Exploiting vulnerable individuals for profit is shameful, as is political grandstanding around tragedy, and my administration will continue to do everything possible to stop human smugglers and traffickers from taking advantage of people who are seeking to enter the United States between ports of entry,” he said in a statement.

The home countries of all of the migrants and how long they were abandoned on the side of the road were not immediately known.

Twenty-two were from Mexico, seven from Guatemala and two from Honduras, Roberto Velasco Álvarez, head of the North America department in Mexico’s Foreign Relations Department, said on Twitter.

South Texas has long been the busiest area for illegal border crossings. Migrants ride in vehicles through Border Patrol checkpoints to San Antonio, the closest major city, from which point they disperse across the United States.

Wolff said Tuesday that authorities believe the truck came from Laredo, a border city about 150 miles (241 kilometer) south.

“They had just parked it on the side of the road,” Wolff said. “Apparently had mechanical problems and left it there. The sheriff thinks it came across from Laredo.”

Officials were asking neighboring counties to help with the number of bodies, he said.

San Antonio has been a recurring scene of tragedy and desperation in recent years involving migrants in the back of semitrailers.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/san-antonio-us-news-ap-top-news-ia-state-wire-laredo-cc2fe9b212b34619ab7777f2a4a830c9">Ten migrants died in 2017</a>&nbsp;after being trapped inside a truck parked at a San Antonio Walmart. In 2003, the bodies of 19 migrants were found in a sweltering truck southeast of the city. More than 50 migrants were found alive in a trailer in 2018, driven by a man who said he was to be paid $3,000 and was sentenced to more than five years in prison.

“These drivers, they take money from the cartels and so on,” said state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, a Democrat whose district includes the site of the abandoned truck discovered Monday. “I’m sure many times these trucks end up at their destination successfully. Unfortunately, this has now happened all too often.”

Other incidents have occurred long before migrants reached the U.S. border. In December, more than 50 died when a semitrailer filled with migrants rolled over on a highway in southern Mexico. In October, Mexican authorities&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/caribbean-united-states-central-america-mexico-8f7660031e45a9a2107e41f4228e4ac9">reported finding 652 migrants packed into six trailers</a>&nbsp;near the U.S. border. They were stopped at a military checkpoint.

The truck discovered Monday was abandoned on the outskirts of San Antonio, next to a railroad track in an area surrounded by auto scrapyards that brush up against a busy freeway.

Officers arrived to find a body on the ground outside the trailer and a partially opened gate to the trailer. Three people were taken into custody, but it was unclear if they were definitively connected with human trafficking, McManus said. The trailer was gone Tuesday morning, and access to the area where it was found remained blocked.

Sixteen people were taken hospitals with heat-related illnesses, with four later dying. At least four were in critical condition, according to the hospitals. Among those were a 23-year-old woman in serious condition and an adolescent male in critical condition at University Hospital in San Antonio, Wolff said.

Those taken to the hospital were hot to the touch and dehydrated, and no water was found in the trailer, said Fire Chief Charles Hood.

“They were suffering from heat stroke and exhaustion,” Hood said. “It was a refrigerated tractor-trailer, but there was no visible working AC unit on that rig.”

Those in the trailer were part of a presumed migrant smuggling attempt into the United States, and the investigation was being led by U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, McManus said.

Big rigs emerged as a popular smuggling method in the early 1990s amid a surge in U.S. border enforcement in San Diego and El Paso, Texas.

Before that, people paid small fees to mom-and-pop operators to get them across a largely unguarded border. As crossing became exponentially more difficult after the 2001 terror attacks in the U.S., migrants were led through more perilous terrain and paid thousands of dollars more.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/a10655ccefe64f4394518492b7ab114f">Heat poses a serious danger</a>, particularly when temperatures can rise severely inside vehicles. Temperatures in San Antonio on Monday approached 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius).

Some advocates drew a link to the Biden administration’s border policies. Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, policy director at the American Immigration Council, wrote that he had been dreading such a tragedy for months.

“With the border shut as tightly as it is today for migrants from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, people have been pushed into more and more dangerous routes. Truck smuggling is a way up,” he wrote on Twitter.

Migrants — largely from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador — have been expelled more than 2 million times under a pandemic-era rule in effect since March 2020 that denies them a chance to seek asylum but encourages repeat attempts because there are no legal consequences for getting caught.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported 557 deaths on the southwest border in the 12-month period ending Sept. 30, more than double the 247 deaths reported in the previous year and the highest since it began keeping track in 1998. Most are related to heat exposure.

CBP has not published a death tally for this year but said that the Border Patrol performed 14,278 “search-and-rescue missions” in a seven-month period through May, exceeding the 12,833 missions performed during the previous 12-month period and up from 5,071 the year before.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656432366900.png" alt="President Joe Biden says the deaths of migrants who were in the back of a tractor-trailer in Texas is "horrifying and heartbreaking-photo courtesy KSAT-TV" />
 <figcaption>President Joe Biden says the deaths of migrants who were in the back of a tractor-trailer in Texas is "horrifying and heartbreaking-photo courtesy KSAT-TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Fifty people died after being abandoned in a tractor-trailer in the sweltering Texas heat, one of the worst tragedies to claim the lives of migrants smuggled across the border from Mexico to the U.S. More than a dozen people had been taken to hospitals, including four children.A city worker heard a cry for help from the truck on a San Antonio back road shortly before 6 p.m. Monday and discovered the gruesome scene, Police Chief William McManus said. Hours later, body bags lay spread on the ground near the trailer and bodies remained inside as authorities responded.Forty-six people were found dead at the scene, authorities said. Four more later died after being taken to hospitals, said Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, the county’s top elected official,Among the dead were 39 males and 11 females, he said.San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg said those who died had “families who were likely trying to find a better life.”“This is nothing short of a horrific human tragedy,” Nirenberg said.Attempts to cross the U.S. border from Mexico have claimed thousands of lives in in both countries in recent decades.President Joe Biden called the latest deaths “horrifying and heartbreaking.” He said initial reports were that smugglers or human traffickers were to blame.“Exploiting vulnerable individuals for profit is shameful, as is political grandstanding around tragedy, and my administration will continue to do everything possible to stop human smugglers and traffickers from taking advantage of people who are seeking to enter the United States between ports of entry,” he said in a statement.The home countries of all of the migrants and how long they were abandoned on the side of the road were not immediately known.Twenty-two were from Mexico, seven from Guatemala and two from Honduras, Roberto Velasco Álvarez, head of the North America department in Mexico’s Foreign Relations Department, said on Twitter.South Texas has long been the busiest area for illegal border crossings. Migrants ride in vehicles through Border Patrol checkpoints to San Antonio, the closest major city, from which point they disperse across the United States.Wolff said Tuesday that authorities believe the truck came from Laredo, a border city about 150 miles (241 kilometer) south.“They had just parked it on the side of the road,” Wolff said. “Apparently had mechanical problems and left it there. The sheriff thinks it came across from Laredo.”Officials were asking neighboring counties to help with the number of bodies, he said.San Antonio has been a recurring scene of tragedy and desperation in recent years involving migrants in the back of semitrailers.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/san-antonio-us-news-ap-top-news-ia-state-wire-laredo-cc2fe9b212b34619ab7777f2a4a830c9">Ten migrants died in 2017</a>&nbsp;after being trapped inside a truck parked at a San Antonio Walmart. In 2003, the bodies of 19 migrants were found in a sweltering truck southeast of the city. More than 50 migrants were found alive in a trailer in 2018, driven by a man who said he was to be paid $3,000 and was sentenced to more than five years in prison.“These drivers, they take money from the cartels and so on,” said state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, a Democrat whose district includes the site of the abandoned truck discovered Monday. “I’m sure many times these trucks end up at their destination successfully. Unfortunately, this has now happened all too often.”Other incidents have occurred long before migrants reached the U.S. border. In December, more than 50 died when a semitrailer filled with migrants rolled over on a highway in southern Mexico. In October, Mexican authorities&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/caribbean-united-states-central-america-mexico-8f7660031e45a9a2107e41f4228e4ac9">reported finding 652 migrants packed into six trailers</a>&nbsp;near the U.S. border. They were stopped at a military checkpoint.The truck discovered Monday was abandoned on the outskirts of San Antonio, next to a railroad track in an area surrounded by auto scrapyards that brush up against a busy freeway.Officers arrived to find a body on the ground outside the trailer and a partially opened gate to the trailer. Three people were taken into custody, but it was unclear if they were definitively connected with human trafficking, McManus said. The trailer was gone Tuesday morning, and access to the area where it was found remained blocked.Sixteen people were taken hospitals with heat-related illnesses, with four later dying. At least four were in critical condition, according to the hospitals. Among those were a 23-year-old woman in serious condition and an adolescent male in critical condition at University Hospital in San Antonio, Wolff said.Those taken to the hospital were hot to the touch and dehydrated, and no water was found in the trailer, said Fire Chief Charles Hood.“They were suffering from heat stroke and exhaustion,” Hood said. “It was a refrigerated tractor-trailer, but there was no visible working AC unit on that rig.”Those in the trailer were part of a presumed migrant smuggling attempt into the United States, and the investigation was being led by U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, McManus said.Big rigs emerged as a popular smuggling method in the early 1990s amid a surge in U.S. border enforcement in San Diego and El Paso, Texas.Before that, people paid small fees to mom-and-pop operators to get them across a largely unguarded border. As crossing became exponentially more difficult after the 2001 terror attacks in the U.S., migrants were led through more perilous terrain and paid thousands of dollars more.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/a10655ccefe64f4394518492b7ab114f">Heat poses a serious danger</a>, particularly when temperatures can rise severely inside vehicles. Temperatures in San Antonio on Monday approached 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius).Some advocates drew a link to the Biden administration’s border policies. Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, policy director at the American Immigration Council, wrote that he had been dreading such a tragedy for months.“With the border shut as tightly as it is today for migrants from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, people have been pushed into more and more dangerous routes. Truck smuggling is a way up,” he wrote on Twitter.Migrants — largely from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador — have been expelled more than 2 million times under a pandemic-era rule in effect since March 2020 that denies them a chance to seek asylum but encourages repeat attempts because there are no legal consequences for getting caught.U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported 557 deaths on the southwest border in the 12-month period ending Sept. 30, more than double the 247 deaths reported in the previous year and the highest since it began keeping track in 1998. Most are related to heat exposure.CBP has not published a death tally for this year but said that the Border Patrol performed 14,278 “search-and-rescue missions” in a seven-month period through May, exceeding the 12,833 missions performed during the previous 12-month period and up from 5,071 the year before.

Biden calls 50 migrant deaths in abandoned trailer 'horrifying'

Watch out when selling big-ticket items on Facebook Marketplace. Scammers have a new trick up their sleeves! According to <a href="https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker" target="_blank">BBB Scam Tracker</a> reports, be wary of phony buyers who “need” you to upgrade your Zelle or another digital wallet app to accept money from them.

You list a big-ticket item worth several hundred dollars on Facebook 
Marketplace. You are quickly contacted by a buyer who wants to pay using
 a peer-to-peer payment app. Recent <a href="https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker" target="_blank">BBB Scam Tracker</a> reports reference Zelle, but this scam could also work with CashApp, <a href="https://www.bbb.org/us/ca/san-jose/profile/payment-processing-services/venmo-1216-634567" target="_blank">Venmo (a BBB Accredited Business)</a>, or another similar service. &nbsp;

Shortly after receiving the payment, you get an email, supposedly 
from Zelle. Allegedly, the buyer paid via a Zelle “business account.” 
Now, you also need to upgrade your account to business status to accept 
the transfer. To do so, the buyer will need to send you another $300. 
They are happy to do you a favor - if you promise to refund them.

One scam victim reported this experience: “I received an email from 
zelle@bankconfirmedpayment.com explaining that the funds were waiting, 
but the buyer had to send an additional $300 in order to upgrade my 
account because the transaction was over $600, and I would need a 
business account.” The scammer then “sent” the extra funds and included 
screenshots of his Zelle app with the money deducted from his account. 
Then, he started pressuring the victim into repaying him: “He was very 
upset and persistent that I needed to pay him back for the fees that he 
incurred on my behalf.”

If you refund the scammer, you’ll quickly realize that they never 
sent you any money in the first place. You’ll be out a few hundred 
dollars, and the scammer will disappear.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1579883951052.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BBBWatch out when selling big-ticket items on Facebook Marketplace. Scammers have a new trick up their sleeves! According to <a href="https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker" target="_blank">BBB Scam Tracker</a> reports, be wary of phony buyers who “need” you to upgrade your Zelle or another digital wallet app to accept money from them.<h2>How the scam works</h2>You list a big-ticket item worth several hundred dollars on Facebook 
Marketplace. You are quickly contacted by a buyer who wants to pay using
 a peer-to-peer payment app. Recent <a href="https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker" target="_blank">BBB Scam Tracker</a> reports reference Zelle, but this scam could also work with CashApp, <a href="https://www.bbb.org/us/ca/san-jose/profile/payment-processing-services/venmo-1216-634567" target="_blank">Venmo (a BBB Accredited Business)</a>, or another similar service. &nbsp;Shortly after receiving the payment, you get an email, supposedly 
from Zelle. Allegedly, the buyer paid via a Zelle “business account.” 
Now, you also need to upgrade your account to business status to accept 
the transfer. To do so, the buyer will need to send you another $300. 
They are happy to do you a favor - if you promise to refund them.One scam victim reported this experience: “I received an email from 
zelle@bankconfirmedpayment.com explaining that the funds were waiting, 
but the buyer had to send an additional $300 in order to upgrade my 
account because the transaction was over $600, and I would need a 
business account.” The scammer then “sent” the extra funds and included 
screenshots of his Zelle app with the money deducted from his account. 
Then, he started pressuring the victim into repaying him: “He was very 
upset and persistent that I needed to pay him back for the fees that he 
incurred on my behalf.”If you refund the scammer, you’ll quickly realize that they never 
sent you any money in the first place. You’ll be out a few hundred 
dollars, and the scammer will disappear.<h2>How to avoid scams when selling online:</h2><ul>
 <li>Don’t trust anyone willing to overpay you. Unless 
your item is rare and you receive multiple offers, be wary of buyers 
offering you more than your asking price. Consider it a red flag if 
someone is quick to send you more money than you are asking. </li><li>Check email addresses carefully. If you seem to 
have received an email from Zelle or another payment app, double-check 
the email address. Scammers use fake email addresses that are similar to
 official ones. </li><li>Get to know payment app policies before you use them.
 If someone claims you need a business account to accept payments, check
 the app’s official website or contact customer service to find out if 
the claim is true. Scammers often make up fake policies to trick their 
victims. </li><li>Report scams to Facebook Marketplace. If you spot a seller trying to pull off a scam, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/help/ipad-app/196126404168290" target="_blank">report them.</a> Your report can help protect other unsuspecting sellers.</li>
 </ul>

Scam alert: Crafty scheme targets Facebook Marketplace sellers

SHAWNEE COUNTY –&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) is investigating an officer-involved shooting that occurred Friday in Topeka.&nbsp; Officials continue working to ID the man who died. On Monday, an autopsy was performed on the man, according to the KBI.

At approximately 9 a.m. on Friday, officers from the Topeka Police Department (TPD) responded to the area of 4th&nbsp;St. and SE Holliday, near the railroad, after 911 callers reported that a male subject armed with a knife had threatened them. The Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office and BNSF Police Department also responded to the incident.

Preliminary information indicates that when officers arrived, they located the man and attempted to convince him to put down the knife. As they negotiated with him, he cut himself several times with his knife. 

Law enforcement officers deployed bean bag rounds and used other less than lethal methods to try to subdue the man. These efforts were unsuccessful and at around 10 a.m., the man charged toward a group of officers with the knife. Three officers from TPD fired toward the man striking him multiple times.

Officers secured the knife and rendered aid to the man. EMS transported him to Stormont Vail Hospital where he died from his injuries.

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal officer-involved shooting.

Just after 10:00 a.m. Friday, three police officers were involved in an officer-involved shooting with an armed individual near the Amtrak Station located at SE Holliday Place in Topeka, according to Police Lt. Manuel Munoz.&nbsp;

Police were on scene due to multiple citizen calls of a subject armed with a knife chasing and threatening people.

Officers made several attempts to negotiate with the armed individual to achieve a peaceful resolution, including the deployment of less-lethal munitions. Those attempts were ultimately unsuccessful, and the armed individual charged at the officers placing them in fear for their lives.

The involved officers were not injured in the incident, according to Munoz. American Medical Response transported the man to a local hospital with critical injuries. He was later pronounced deceased.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation has been notified and will investigate this incident. Per policy, the involved the police officers have been placed on paid administrative leave while the incident is investigated.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656093522642.png" alt="The officers involved were not injured -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>The officers involved were not injured -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY –&nbsp;The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) is investigating an officer-involved shooting that occurred Friday in Topeka.&nbsp; Officials continue working to ID the man who died. On Monday, an autopsy was performed on the man, according to the KBI.At approximately 9 a.m. on Friday, officers from the Topeka Police Department (TPD) responded to the area of 4th&nbsp;St. and SE Holliday, near the railroad, after 911 callers reported that a male subject armed with a knife had threatened them. The Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office and BNSF Police Department also responded to the incident.Preliminary information indicates that when officers arrived, they located the man and attempted to convince him to put down the knife. As they negotiated with him, he cut himself several times with his knife. Law enforcement officers deployed bean bag rounds and used other less than lethal methods to try to subdue the man. These efforts were unsuccessful and at around 10 a.m., the man charged toward a group of officers with the knife. Three officers from TPD fired toward the man striking him multiple times.Officers secured the knife and rendered aid to the man. EMS transported him to Stormont Vail Hospital where he died from his injuries.-----------SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal officer-involved shooting.Just after 10:00 a.m. Friday, three police officers were involved in an officer-involved shooting with an armed individual near the Amtrak Station located at SE Holliday Place in Topeka, according to Police Lt. Manuel Munoz.&nbsp;Police were on scene due to multiple citizen calls of a subject armed with a knife chasing and threatening people.Officers made several attempts to negotiate with the armed individual to achieve a peaceful resolution, including the deployment of less-lethal munitions. Those attempts were ultimately unsuccessful, and the armed individual charged at the officers placing them in fear for their lives.The involved officers were not injured in the incident, according to Munoz. American Medical Response transported the man to a local hospital with critical injuries. He was later pronounced deceased.The Kansas Bureau of Investigation has been notified and will investigate this incident. Per policy, the involved the police officers have been placed on paid administrative leave while the incident is investigated.

KBI: Identity of knife-wielding man killed by police still unknown

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that sent two victims to the hospital.

At approximately 3:47 a.m. this morning, officers were dispatched to the Quick Trip located in the 2800 block of South Hydraulic for a shooting call, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.

At the scene, officers located two victims, a 33-year-old man and a 39-year-old man with gunshot wounds. Both were transported to an area hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

Due to the lack of cooperation from the individuals involved, investigators had not been able to determine the circumstances of what led up to the shooting. 

While officers were responding to the initial location, police communication received multiple calls of a shooting at an apartment complex located in the 4400 block of South Hydraulic, where a scene was located. This was not a random incident, according to Rebolledo.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656332105428.png" alt="Police at the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police at the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that sent two victims to the hospital.At approximately 3:47 a.m. this morning, officers were dispatched to the Quick Trip located in the 2800 block of South Hydraulic for a shooting call, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.At the scene, officers located two victims, a 33-year-old man and a 39-year-old man with gunshot wounds. Both were transported to an area hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.Due to the lack of cooperation from the individuals involved, investigators had not been able to determine the circumstances of what led up to the shooting. While officers were responding to the initial location, police communication received multiple calls of a shooting at an apartment complex located in the 4400 block of South Hydraulic, where a scene was located. This was not a random incident, according to Rebolledo.

2 Kan. shooting victims not cooperating with police investigation

WASHINGTON (AP) — Facebook and Instagram have begun promptly removing posts that offer abortion pills to women who may not be able to access them following a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">Supreme Court decision that stripped away constitutional protections</a>&nbsp;for the procedure.

Such social media posts ostensibly aimed to help women living in states where preexisting laws banning abortion suddenly snapped into effect on Friday. That’s when the high court overruled Roe v. Wade, its 1973 decision that declared access to abortion a constitutional right.

Memes and status updates explaining how women could legally obtain abortion pills in the mail exploded across social platforms. Some even offered to mail the prescriptions to women living in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-ruling-states-a767801145ad01617100e57410a0a21d">states that now ban the procedure</a>.

Almost immediately, Facebook and Instagram began removing some of these posts, just as millions across the U.S. were searching for clarity around abortion access. General mentions of abortion pills, as well as posts mentioning specific versions such as mifepristone and misoprostol, suddenly spiked Friday morning across Twitter, Facebook, Reddit and TV broadcasts, according to an analysis by the media intelligence firm Zignal Labs.

By Sunday, Zignal had counted more than 250,000 such mentions.

The AP obtained a screenshot on Friday of one Instagram post from a woman who offered to purchase or forward abortion pills through the mail, minutes after the court ruled to overturn the constitutional right to an abortion.

“DM me if you want to order abortion pills, but want them sent to my address instead of yours,” the post on Instagram read.

Instagram took it down within moments. Vice Media first reported on Monday that Meta, the parent of both Facebook and Instagram, was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/m7gav3/facebook-is-banning-people-who-say-they-will-mail-abortion-pills" target="_blank">taking down posts about abortion pills</a>.

On Monday, an AP reporter tested how the company would respond to a similar post on Facebook, writing: “If you send me your address, I will mail you abortion pills.”

The Facebook account was immediately put on a “warning” status for the post, which Facebook said violated its standards on “guns, animals and other regulated goods.”

Yet, when the AP reporter made the same exact post but swapped out the words “abortion pills” for “a gun,” the post remained untouched. A post with the same exact offer to mail “weed” was also left up and not considered a violation.

Marijuana is illegal under federal law and it is illegal to send it through the mail.

Abortion pills, however, can legally be obtained through the mail after an online consultation from prescribers who have undergone certification and training.

In an email, a Meta spokesperson pointed to company policies that prohibit the sale of certain items, including guns, alcohol, drugs and pharmaceuticals. The company did not explain the apparent discrepancies in its enforcement of that policy.

Meta spokesperson Andy Stone confirmed in a tweet Monday that the company will not allow&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/andymstone/status/1541489203434897408" target="_blank">individuals to gift or sell pharmaceuticals on its platform</a>, but will allow content that shares information on how to access pills. Stone acknowledged some problems with enforcing that policy across its platforms, which include Facebook and Instagram.

“We’ve discovered some instances of incorrect enforcement and are correcting these,” Stone said in the tweet.

Attorney General Merrick Garland said Friday that states should not ban mifepristone, the medication used to induce an abortion.

“States may not ban mifepristone based on disagreement with the FDA’s expert judgment about its safety and efficacy,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">Garland said in a Friday statement</a>.

But some Republicans have already tried to stop their residents from obtaining abortion pills through the mail,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-ruling-states-a767801145ad01617100e57410a0a21d">with some states like West Virginia and Tennessee prohibiting</a>&nbsp;providers from prescribing the medication through telemedicine consultation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1581004285984.jpeg" alt="Credit Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>Credit Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Facebook and Instagram have begun promptly removing posts that offer abortion pills to women who may not be able to access them following a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">Supreme Court decision that stripped away constitutional protections</a>&nbsp;for the procedure.Such social media posts ostensibly aimed to help women living in states where preexisting laws banning abortion suddenly snapped into effect on Friday. That’s when the high court overruled Roe v. Wade, its 1973 decision that declared access to abortion a constitutional right.Memes and status updates explaining how women could legally obtain abortion pills in the mail exploded across social platforms. Some even offered to mail the prescriptions to women living in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-ruling-states-a767801145ad01617100e57410a0a21d">states that now ban the procedure</a>.Almost immediately, Facebook and Instagram began removing some of these posts, just as millions across the U.S. were searching for clarity around abortion access. General mentions of abortion pills, as well as posts mentioning specific versions such as mifepristone and misoprostol, suddenly spiked Friday morning across Twitter, Facebook, Reddit and TV broadcasts, according to an analysis by the media intelligence firm Zignal Labs.By Sunday, Zignal had counted more than 250,000 such mentions.The AP obtained a screenshot on Friday of one Instagram post from a woman who offered to purchase or forward abortion pills through the mail, minutes after the court ruled to overturn the constitutional right to an abortion.“DM me if you want to order abortion pills, but want them sent to my address instead of yours,” the post on Instagram read.Instagram took it down within moments. Vice Media first reported on Monday that Meta, the parent of both Facebook and Instagram, was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/m7gav3/facebook-is-banning-people-who-say-they-will-mail-abortion-pills" target="_blank">taking down posts about abortion pills</a>.On Monday, an AP reporter tested how the company would respond to a similar post on Facebook, writing: “If you send me your address, I will mail you abortion pills.”The post was removed within one minute.The Facebook account was immediately put on a “warning” status for the post, which Facebook said violated its standards on “guns, animals and other regulated goods.”Yet, when the AP reporter made the same exact post but swapped out the words “abortion pills” for “a gun,” the post remained untouched. A post with the same exact offer to mail “weed” was also left up and not considered a violation.Marijuana is illegal under federal law and it is illegal to send it through the mail.Abortion pills, however, can legally be obtained through the mail after an online consultation from prescribers who have undergone certification and training.In an email, a Meta spokesperson pointed to company policies that prohibit the sale of certain items, including guns, alcohol, drugs and pharmaceuticals. The company did not explain the apparent discrepancies in its enforcement of that policy.Meta spokesperson Andy Stone confirmed in a tweet Monday that the company will not allow&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/andymstone/status/1541489203434897408" target="_blank">individuals to gift or sell pharmaceuticals on its platform</a>, but will allow content that shares information on how to access pills. Stone acknowledged some problems with enforcing that policy across its platforms, which include Facebook and Instagram.“We’ve discovered some instances of incorrect enforcement and are correcting these,” Stone said in the tweet.Attorney General Merrick Garland said Friday that states should not ban mifepristone, the medication used to induce an abortion.“States may not ban mifepristone based on disagreement with the FDA’s expert judgment about its safety and efficacy,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">Garland said in a Friday statement</a>.But some Republicans have already tried to stop their residents from obtaining abortion pills through the mail,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-ruling-states-a767801145ad01617100e57410a0a21d">with some states like West Virginia and Tennessee prohibiting</a>&nbsp;providers from prescribing the medication through telemedicine consultation.___

Social media sites remove posts offering abortion pills

WASHINGTON&nbsp;– U.S. Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall announced Monday that the Architect of the Capitol approved the placement of Amelia Earhart’s statue in the U.S. Capitol. The Congressional Statue Dedication Ceremony will take place on July 27, 2022, according to a media release from Moran's office.

“The statue of Amelia Earhart – the most famous woman in aviation and in Kansas history – will officially be placed in the United States Capitol,”&nbsp;said Sen. Moran.&nbsp;“A bold and inspiring aviator, Amelia Earhart soared into the history books, setting flight records and breaking barriers. She led the way for thousands of women to pursue their dreams – whether that was in aviation or to break their own, new barriers. Next month, the statue of Amelia Earhart will join President Dwight D. Eisenhower as bronze beacons representing Kansas in our nation’s capital. I want to thank the Atchison Amelia Earhart Foundation, the Earhart family and the City of Atchison for their persistent work to bring Amelia to the Capitol.”

“Amelia Earhart was a true Kansas pioneer who exemplifies our state motto: Ad Astra Per Aspera – To The Stars with Difficulty. It is fitting that Earhart replaces John James Ingalls statue in our Nation’s capital – who in 1861 as Secretary of the state senate added this motto to the Kansas state seal.&nbsp; Ingalls’ vision for Kansas comes to fruition in Amelia Earhart’s courageous spirit,”&nbsp;said Sen. Marshall. “Today, Kansas is known as the Air Capitol of the World and the placement of the Earhart Statue in our nation’s capital furthers our commitment&nbsp;to that industry. As the birthplace of Earhart, we commend the city of Atchison and its leaders who worked diligently to make this statue possible. We all look forward to the opening of the Amelia Earhart Hanger Museum in 2023 which will hold an identical statue at home in our state.”

“Guided by Amelia’s legacy of perseverance, we are excited to finally bring Earhart’s statue to National Statuary Hall to honor her enduring impact as a world-renown American aviator and advocate for women’s equal rights,”&nbsp;said Jacque Pregont, chair of the Amelia Earhart Statuary Hall Selection Committee and board member of the Atchison Amelia Earhart Foundation.&nbsp;“Amelia’s statue will stand as an inspiring symbol — particularly for women and girls —&nbsp; to boldly pursue their dreams”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656419377717.png" alt="The Congressional Statue Dedication Ceremony will take place on July 27-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>The Congressional Statue Dedication Ceremony will take place on July 27-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON&nbsp;– U.S. Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall announced Monday that the Architect of the Capitol approved the placement of Amelia Earhart’s statue in the U.S. Capitol. The Congressional Statue Dedication Ceremony will take place on July 27, 2022, according to a media release from Moran's office.“The statue of Amelia Earhart – the most famous woman in aviation and in Kansas history – will officially be placed in the United States Capitol,”&nbsp;said Sen. Moran.&nbsp;“A bold and inspiring aviator, Amelia Earhart soared into the history books, setting flight records and breaking barriers. She led the way for thousands of women to pursue their dreams – whether that was in aviation or to break their own, new barriers. Next month, the statue of Amelia Earhart will join President Dwight D. Eisenhower as bronze beacons representing Kansas in our nation’s capital. I want to thank the Atchison Amelia Earhart Foundation, the Earhart family and the City of Atchison for their persistent work to bring Amelia to the Capitol.”“Amelia Earhart was a true Kansas pioneer who exemplifies our state motto: Ad Astra Per Aspera – To The Stars with Difficulty. It is fitting that Earhart replaces John James Ingalls statue in our Nation’s capital – who in 1861 as Secretary of the state senate added this motto to the Kansas state seal.&nbsp; Ingalls’ vision for Kansas comes to fruition in Amelia Earhart’s courageous spirit,”&nbsp;said Sen. Marshall. “Today, Kansas is known as the Air Capitol of the World and the placement of the Earhart Statue in our nation’s capital furthers our commitment&nbsp;to that industry. As the birthplace of Earhart, we commend the city of Atchison and its leaders who worked diligently to make this statue possible. We all look forward to the opening of the Amelia Earhart Hanger Museum in 2023 which will hold an identical statue at home in our state.”“Guided by Amelia’s legacy of perseverance, we are excited to finally bring Earhart’s statue to National Statuary Hall to honor her enduring impact as a world-renown American aviator and advocate for women’s equal rights,”&nbsp;said Jacque Pregont, chair of the Amelia Earhart Statuary Hall Selection Committee and board member of the Atchison Amelia Earhart Foundation.&nbsp;“Amelia’s statue will stand as an inspiring symbol — particularly for women and girls —&nbsp; to boldly pursue their dreams”Items of note:<ul>
 <li>The National Statuary Hall Collection consists of 100 statues – two contributed by each state. The statues are placed throughout the U.S. Capitol.</li><li>Kansas first sent marble statues of U.S. Sen. John James Ingalls and Kansas Governor George Washington Glick to the U.S. Capitol.</li><li>The Kansas State Legislature voted in 1999 to replace the two statues with President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Amelia Earhart.</li><li>The bronze statue of Earhart was created by George and Mark Lundeen and will be a twin to an Amelia Earhart statue that will be placed at the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum in Atchison.</li><li>The Atchison Amelia Earhart Foundation was formed in 2016 to lead funding for the Earhart statue and to build the new Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum opening in 2023 in Atchison, Earhart’s hometown</li><li>The Amelia Earhart statue will be the 10th woman represented in the 100 statues in the National Statuary Hall Collection.</li>
 </ul>

Amelia Earhart statue flies into Statuary Hall at U.S. Capitol

WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice announced today that it has filed a lawsuit in federal court in the District of Kansas against the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), to protect the employment rights of Army National Guard Staff Sergeant (SSG) Stacy Gonzales, according to a media release from the department of justice.

The Department of Justice alleges that KDHE violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) when it took action to eliminate SSG Gonzales’ position because she had an upcoming military deployment.

“This lawsuit reinforces the Justice Department’s strong commitment to protecting the rights of those who serve in our country’s armed forces,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the

Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. “We owe a solemn duty to members of the National Guard and Reserve to act when any employer seeks to deny them an opportunity to earn a living because they are called to duty.”

“Any attempt to deny someone employment based upon their dedicated military service to this country is wrong and a violation of that person’s civil rights,” said U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard for the District of Kansas. “It is the responsibility of the Justice Department to take action to support our servicemembers and we take that responsibility very seriously.”

According to the complaint, SSG Gonzales was employed as a Disease Intervention Specialist (DIS) with the Finney County, Kansas, Department of Health from 2001 to 2010, a position funded by and under the direct control and supervision of KDHE. During this time, she also performed active military service including deployments to Iraq and Kuwait, as well as periodic training. The complaint alleges that upon her return from active service overseas in 2007, SSG Gonzales began to experience hostility from KDHE regarding her military obligations. The complaint further alleges that upon notice that Gonzales had orders for an overseas deployment in 2010, KDHE eliminated the funding for SSG Gonzales’ DIS position, thereby eliminating the position. The lawsuit seeks the recovery of SSG Gonzales’ lost wages and other employment benefits, as well as liquidated damages.

USERRA protects the rights of uniformed servicemembers to retain their civilian employment following absences due to military service obligations, and provides that service members shall not be discriminated against because of their military obligations. 

WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice announced today that it has filed a lawsuit in federal court in the District of Kansas against the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), to protect the employment rights of Army National Guard Staff Sergeant (SSG) Stacy Gonzales, according to a media release from the department of justice.The Department of Justice alleges that KDHE violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) when it took action to eliminate SSG Gonzales’ position because she had an upcoming military deployment.“This lawsuit reinforces the Justice Department’s strong commitment to protecting the rights of those who serve in our country’s armed forces,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of theJustice Department's Civil Rights Division. “We owe a solemn duty to members of the National Guard and Reserve to act when any employer seeks to deny them an opportunity to earn a living because they are called to duty.”“Any attempt to deny someone employment based upon their dedicated military service to this country is wrong and a violation of that person’s civil rights,” said U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard for the District of Kansas. “It is the responsibility of the Justice Department to take action to support our servicemembers and we take that responsibility very seriously.”According to the complaint, SSG Gonzales was employed as a Disease Intervention Specialist (DIS) with the Finney County, Kansas, Department of Health from 2001 to 2010, a position funded by and under the direct control and supervision of KDHE. During this time, she also performed active military service including deployments to Iraq and Kuwait, as well as periodic training. The complaint alleges that upon her return from active service overseas in 2007, SSG Gonzales began to experience hostility from KDHE regarding her military obligations. The complaint further alleges that upon notice that Gonzales had orders for an overseas deployment in 2010, KDHE eliminated the funding for SSG Gonzales’ DIS position, thereby eliminating the position. The lawsuit seeks the recovery of SSG Gonzales’ lost wages and other employment benefits, as well as liquidated damages.USERRA protects the rights of uniformed servicemembers to retain their civilian employment following absences due to military service obligations, and provides that service members shall not be discriminated against because of their military obligations.

U.S. Justice Dept. sues after KDHE fired National Guard Member

MOSCOW (AP) — Shackled and looking wary, WNBA star Brittney Griner was ordered to stand trial Friday by a court near Moscow on cannabis possession charges, about 4 1/2 months after her arrest at an airport while returning to play for a Russian team.

The Phoenix Mercury center and two-time U.S. Olympic gold medalist also was ordered to remain in custody for the duration of her criminal trial. Griner could face 10 years in prison if convicted on charges of large-scale transportation of drugs. Fewer than 1% of defendants in Russian criminal cases are acquitted, and unlike in the U.S., acquittals can be overturned.

At Monday’s closed-door preliminary hearing at the court in the Moscow suburb of Khimki, Griner’s detention was extended for another six months. Photos obtained by The Associated Press showed the 31-year-old in handcuffs and looking straight ahead, unlike a previous court appearance where she kept her head down and covered with a hood.

Her detention and trial come at an extraordinarily low point in Moscow-Washington relations. She was arrested at Sheremetyevo Airport less than a week before Russia sent troops into Ukraine, which aggravated already-high tensions with sweeping sanctions by the United States and Russia’s denunciation of U.S. weapon supplies to Ukraine.

Amid the tensions, Griner’s supporters had taken a low profile in hopes of a quiet resolution, until May, when the State Department reclassified her as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-sports-business-phoenix-mercury-united-states-b6aaaeee14b825bd247e2d853a9d708c">wrongfully detained</a>&nbsp;and shifted oversight of her case to its special presidential envoy for hostage affairs — effectively the U.S. government’s chief negotiator.

Griner’s wife, Cherelle, urged President Joe Biden in May to secure her release, calling her “a political pawn.”

Her supporters have encouraged a prisoner swap like the one in April that brought home Marine veteran Trevor Reed in exchange for a Russian pilot convicted of drug trafficking conspiracy.

Russian news media have repeatedly raised speculation that she could be swapped for Russian arms trader Viktor Bout, nicknamed “The Merchant of Death,” who is serving a 25-year sentence on conviction of conspiracy to kill U.S. citizens and providing aid to a terrorist organization.

Russia has agitated for Bout’s release for years. But the discrepancy between Griner’s case — she allegedly was found in possession of vape cartridges containing cannabis oil — and Bout’s global dealings in deadly weapons could make such a swap unpalatable to the U.S.

Others have suggested that she&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-sports-paul-whelan-government-and-politics-537c7eb77baee6f0342dbde07c184763">could be traded in tandem with Paul Whelan</a>, a former Marine and security director serving a 16-year sentence on an espionage conviction that the United States has repeatedly described as a set-up.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, asked Sunday on CNN whether a joint swap of Griner and Whelan for Bout was being considered, sidestepped the question.

“As a general proposition ... I have got no higher priority than making sure that Americans who are being illegally detained in one way or another around the world come home,” he said. But “I can’t comment in any detail on what we’re doing, except to say this is an absolute priority.”

Any swap would apparently require Griner to first be convicted and sentenced, then apply for a presidential pardon, Maria Yarmush, a lawyer specializing in international civil affairs, told Kremlin-funded TV channel RT.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646510097872.png" alt="The 31-year-old Griner, one of the most recognizable players in women’s basketball, has won two Olympic gold medals with the U.S., a WNBA championship with the Phoenix Mercury and a national championship at Baylor. She is a seven-time All-Star and three-time Big 12 Player of the year at Baylor-photo courtesy Phoenix Mercury" />
 <figcaption>The 31-year-old Griner, one of the most recognizable players in women’s basketball, has won two Olympic gold medals with the U.S., a WNBA championship with the Phoenix Mercury and a national championship at Baylor. She is a seven-time All-Star and three-time Big 12 Player of the year at Baylor-photo courtesy Phoenix Mercury</figcaption>
 </figure>MOSCOW (AP) — Shackled and looking wary, WNBA star Brittney Griner was ordered to stand trial Friday by a court near Moscow on cannabis possession charges, about 4 1/2 months after her arrest at an airport while returning to play for a Russian team.The Phoenix Mercury center and two-time U.S. Olympic gold medalist also was ordered to remain in custody for the duration of her criminal trial. Griner could face 10 years in prison if convicted on charges of large-scale transportation of drugs. Fewer than 1% of defendants in Russian criminal cases are acquitted, and unlike in the U.S., acquittals can be overturned.At Monday’s closed-door preliminary hearing at the court in the Moscow suburb of Khimki, Griner’s detention was extended for another six months. Photos obtained by The Associated Press showed the 31-year-old in handcuffs and looking straight ahead, unlike a previous court appearance where she kept her head down and covered with a hood.Her detention and trial come at an extraordinarily low point in Moscow-Washington relations. She was arrested at Sheremetyevo Airport less than a week before Russia sent troops into Ukraine, which aggravated already-high tensions with sweeping sanctions by the United States and Russia’s denunciation of U.S. weapon supplies to Ukraine.Amid the tensions, Griner’s supporters had taken a low profile in hopes of a quiet resolution, until May, when the State Department reclassified her as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-sports-business-phoenix-mercury-united-states-b6aaaeee14b825bd247e2d853a9d708c">wrongfully detained</a>&nbsp;and shifted oversight of her case to its special presidential envoy for hostage affairs — effectively the U.S. government’s chief negotiator.Griner’s wife, Cherelle, urged President Joe Biden in May to secure her release, calling her “a political pawn.”Her supporters have encouraged a prisoner swap like the one in April that brought home Marine veteran Trevor Reed in exchange for a Russian pilot convicted of drug trafficking conspiracy.Russian news media have repeatedly raised speculation that she could be swapped for Russian arms trader Viktor Bout, nicknamed “The Merchant of Death,” who is serving a 25-year sentence on conviction of conspiracy to kill U.S. citizens and providing aid to a terrorist organization.Russia has agitated for Bout’s release for years. But the discrepancy between Griner’s case — she allegedly was found in possession of vape cartridges containing cannabis oil — and Bout’s global dealings in deadly weapons could make such a swap unpalatable to the U.S.Others have suggested that she&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-sports-paul-whelan-government-and-politics-537c7eb77baee6f0342dbde07c184763">could be traded in tandem with Paul Whelan</a>, a former Marine and security director serving a 16-year sentence on an espionage conviction that the United States has repeatedly described as a set-up.U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, asked Sunday on CNN whether a joint swap of Griner and Whelan for Bout was being considered, sidestepped the question.“As a general proposition ... I have got no higher priority than making sure that Americans who are being illegally detained in one way or another around the world come home,” he said. But “I can’t comment in any detail on what we’re doing, except to say this is an absolute priority.”Any swap would apparently require Griner to first be convicted and sentenced, then apply for a presidential pardon, Maria Yarmush, a lawyer specializing in international civil affairs, told Kremlin-funded TV channel RT.

Former Big 12 star Brittney Griner ordered to trial in Russia

SALINE COUNTY —The Rolling Hills Zoo family is grieving the loss of Boo Boo, their male Andean bear, at the age of 28. 

The median lifespan of an Andean bear, also known as the spectacled bear, is 20 years old in human care, and in the wild is unknown.

As the keepers were doing their morning checks they discovered that Boo Boo was experiencing acute mobility issues. Upon further examination by the animal care staff it became clear that recovery was not possible and the quality of his life would be severely impacted. It was determined that humanly euthanizing him was the kindest option available.

Born on February 12, 1994, at the Lincoln Children’s Zoo, Lincoln Neb., Boo Boo moved to Rolling Hills Zoo in 2007 on a breeding recommendation to breed with Japura, Rolling Hills Zoo’s female Andean bear. Sadly they were never able to conceive.

A long-time fan favorite at Rolling Hills Zoo, Boo Boo could often be found enjoying the cooling waters of his pool, relaxing in his hammock, or forging for special treats left for him in his yard by the keepers.

Boo Boo was a smart bear, and the keepers were convinced he could count. 

“To get him inside at night we had to give him five peanuts,” explained Vickie Musselman, Rolling Hills Zoo register. “As we would give the peanuts to him one by one, he would hold them in his mouth until you gave him five. Once you gave him the fifth one he would drop them on the ground and proceed to eat them, but not until he had five.”

“Boo Boo’s favorite food was peanut butter, honey, and salmon,” said Anna Klaas, Rolling Hills Zoo keeper. “He loved sitting in his pond for a nice soak on a hot day, and was a gentlemen to Japura, letting her sit in his hammocks even though she would vocalize at him to move. He would also call for her every morning afternoon and evening.”

“It has been a rough couple of weeks. It’s always tough to lose animals friends as they age,” said Ryan VanZant, Rolling Hills Zoo executive director. “Boo Boo was beloved by our staff and guests. He certainly embodied our mission statement by touching the hearts of our guests, and he was quite an ambassador for his species by igniting a passion to save them in the wild.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656366418979.jpeg" alt="Boo Boo the&nbsp;Andean bear. Photo courtesy Rolling Hills Zoo" />
 <figcaption>Boo Boo the&nbsp;Andean bear. Photo courtesy Rolling Hills Zoo</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY —The Rolling Hills Zoo family is grieving the loss of Boo Boo, their male Andean bear, at the age of 28. The median lifespan of an Andean bear, also known as the spectacled bear, is 20 years old in human care, and in the wild is unknown.As the keepers were doing their morning checks they discovered that Boo Boo was experiencing acute mobility issues. Upon further examination by the animal care staff it became clear that recovery was not possible and the quality of his life would be severely impacted. It was determined that humanly euthanizing him was the kindest option available.Born on February 12, 1994, at the Lincoln Children’s Zoo, Lincoln Neb., Boo Boo moved to Rolling Hills Zoo in 2007 on a breeding recommendation to breed with Japura, Rolling Hills Zoo’s female Andean bear. Sadly they were never able to conceive.A long-time fan favorite at Rolling Hills Zoo, Boo Boo could often be found enjoying the cooling waters of his pool, relaxing in his hammock, or forging for special treats left for him in his yard by the keepers.Boo Boo was a smart bear, and the keepers were convinced he could count. “To get him inside at night we had to give him five peanuts,” explained Vickie Musselman, Rolling Hills Zoo register. “As we would give the peanuts to him one by one, he would hold them in his mouth until you gave him five. Once you gave him the fifth one he would drop them on the ground and proceed to eat them, but not until he had five.”“Boo Boo’s favorite food was peanut butter, honey, and salmon,” said Anna Klaas, Rolling Hills Zoo keeper. “He loved sitting in his pond for a nice soak on a hot day, and was a gentlemen to Japura, letting her sit in his hammocks even though she would vocalize at him to move. He would also call for her every morning afternoon and evening.”“It has been a rough couple of weeks. It’s always tough to lose animals friends as they age,” said Ryan VanZant, Rolling Hills Zoo executive director. “Boo Boo was beloved by our staff and guests. He certainly embodied our mission statement by touching the hearts of our guests, and he was quite an ambassador for his species by igniting a passion to save them in the wild.”

Kansas zoo grieves loss of 28-year-old Andean bear Boo Boo

By LILY O'SHEA BECKER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/06/16/hospital-staffing-shortages-contribute-to-lower-hospital-bed-availability-across-kansas/">Kansas Reflector</a>

Hospital bed availability is lower across Kansas than it was at this time last year, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.motient.io/about/">Motient</a>, which operates <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/09/10/inside-mission-control-hospital-capacity-in-kansas-at-its-worst-with-latest-covid-19-surge/">software that assists health systems with medical transports</a>.

The Kansas Hospital Association 
attributes the bed space to a statewide staffing shortage that has 
lingered along with the COVID-19 pandemic.

“However, as I’ve been visiting with 
our hospitals, it seems as though that we’re still able to accommodate 
all the patient needs that are being requested for health care services 
at this point,” said Chad Austin, president and CEO of the association.

Motient calls approximately 40 of 
Kansas’ receiving and potential receiving hospitals — hospitals equipped
 to serve patients in critical condition — twice a day to get an update 
on hospital bed availability. Motient ranks hospital bed availability on
 a scale from one to three, with one representing hospital beds 
available and three representing low hospital bed availability.

“Last summer, going into June, July, again, we were 1.5, 1.6, 1.7. Well, now we’re 2.4, 2.3,” said Richard Watson, co-founder of Motient.

For the University of Kansas Health 
System, an academic medical hospital, bed availability is always low, as
 patients are sometimes subjected to a waiting list for advanced medical
 care, according to spokeswoman Jill Chadwick.

Chadwick wrote in an email that COVID-19 is contributing to the hospital staff shortage.

“We still have people testing positive who aren’t all that sick, but they can’t come to work,” she wrote.

The longer-term question, according to Watson, is rural hospital viability. Sixty-eight percent of hospitals in Kansas are in rural areas, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kha-net.org/DataProductsandServices/STAT/HospitalCharacteristics/CommunityHospitalsbyBedSize/">according to the Kansas Hospital Association</a>.

Rural hospitals have less staff and 
therefore are affected by staff turnover, said Ron Marshall, director of
 preparedness and regulatory affairs at the Kansas Hospital Association.

“Going into fall, if we do have a 
surge, it’s not going to take much to really put us right back in the 
spot we were last year,” Watson said. “I think that’s the message year 
on year, it just looks more fragile this fall or this summer than it did
 last summer.”

The seven-day average of Kansas 
COVID-19 hospitalizations for the week of June 14, 2021, was 138. A year
 later, the average is 140, <a target="_blank" href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/region/us/kansas">according to John Hopkins University</a>. COVID-19 cases are higher than they were at this time last year.

The Kansas Department for Health and Environment reported 3,949 new 
cases and 3 new deaths from COVID-19 last week. The virus has killed 
8,943 Kansans since the start of the pandemic, according to KDHE 
numbers.

Motient saw <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/12/15/our-greatest-challenge-latest-covid-19-surge-threatens-kansas-hospitals-again-as-omicron-looms/">a turning point in December</a>,
 when hospitals were most overwhelmed. There was a 5% increase in death 
rates while patients waited to be transferred to receiving hospitals, 
according to Watson. The company then put an emphasis on ensuring 
patients were being transferred appropriately.

“One of Motient’s biggest support or 
supportive tools to hospitals was that they were helping transfer 
patients,” said Cindy Samuelson, spokeswoman for the Kansas Hospital 
Association.

Watson recommends — when applicable —
 “moving patients backwards.” He said there is an ability to transfer 
patients back to local hospitals once they’ve reached a stable enough 
condition in receiving hospitals.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655487867340.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By LILY O'SHEA BECKER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/06/16/hospital-staffing-shortages-contribute-to-lower-hospital-bed-availability-across-kansas/">Kansas Reflector</a>Hospital bed availability is lower across Kansas than it was at this time last year, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.motient.io/about/">Motient</a>, which operates <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/09/10/inside-mission-control-hospital-capacity-in-kansas-at-its-worst-with-latest-covid-19-surge/">software that assists health systems with medical transports</a>.The Kansas Hospital Association 
attributes the bed space to a statewide staffing shortage that has 
lingered along with the COVID-19 pandemic.“However, as I’ve been visiting with 
our hospitals, it seems as though that we’re still able to accommodate 
all the patient needs that are being requested for health care services 
at this point,” said Chad Austin, president and CEO of the association.Motient calls approximately 40 of 
Kansas’ receiving and potential receiving hospitals — hospitals equipped
 to serve patients in critical condition — twice a day to get an update 
on hospital bed availability. Motient ranks hospital bed availability on
 a scale from one to three, with one representing hospital beds 
available and three representing low hospital bed availability.“Last summer, going into June, July, again, we were 1.5, 1.6, 1.7. Well, now we’re 2.4, 2.3,” said Richard Watson, co-founder of Motient.For the University of Kansas Health 
System, an academic medical hospital, bed availability is always low, as
 patients are sometimes subjected to a waiting list for advanced medical
 care, according to spokeswoman Jill Chadwick.Chadwick wrote in an email that COVID-19 is contributing to the hospital staff shortage.“We still have people testing positive who aren’t all that sick, but they can’t come to work,” she wrote.The longer-term question, according to Watson, is rural hospital viability. Sixty-eight percent of hospitals in Kansas are in rural areas, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kha-net.org/DataProductsandServices/STAT/HospitalCharacteristics/CommunityHospitalsbyBedSize/">according to the Kansas Hospital Association</a>.Rural hospitals have less staff and 
therefore are affected by staff turnover, said Ron Marshall, director of
 preparedness and regulatory affairs at the Kansas Hospital Association.“Going into fall, if we do have a 
surge, it’s not going to take much to really put us right back in the 
spot we were last year,” Watson said. “I think that’s the message year 
on year, it just looks more fragile this fall or this summer than it did
 last summer.”The seven-day average of Kansas 
COVID-19 hospitalizations for the week of June 14, 2021, was 138. A year
 later, the average is 140, <a target="_blank" href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/region/us/kansas">according to John Hopkins University</a>. COVID-19 cases are higher than they were at this time last year.The Kansas Department for Health and Environment reported 3,949 new 
cases and 3 new deaths from COVID-19 last week. The virus has killed 
8,943 Kansans since the start of the pandemic, according to KDHE 
numbers.Motient saw <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/12/15/our-greatest-challenge-latest-covid-19-surge-threatens-kansas-hospitals-again-as-omicron-looms/">a turning point in December</a>,
 when hospitals were most overwhelmed. There was a 5% increase in death 
rates while patients waited to be transferred to receiving hospitals, 
according to Watson. The company then put an emphasis on ensuring 
patients were being transferred appropriately.“One of Motient’s biggest support or 
supportive tools to hospitals was that they were helping transfer 
patients,” said Cindy Samuelson, spokeswoman for the Kansas Hospital 
Association.Watson recommends — when applicable —
 “moving patients backwards.” He said there is an ability to transfer 
patients back to local hospitals once they’ve reached a stable enough 
condition in receiving hospitals.Cover image courtesy Pixabay

Staffing shortages contribute to lack of hospital beds in Kansas

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man accused in a Super Bowl weekend killing made his first court appearance Thursday.

<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=18849204">Justin Macormac, 25 of Wichita, </a>is charged with two counts of 1st degree murder, aggravated robbery, and criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

On Valentine's Day while conducting a follow-up investigations of a drive by shooting that occurred on February 7 near 13th and Lavon in Wichita, investigators identified Macormac as the suspect, according to Officer Charley Davidson.

 Officers from the Violent Crimes Community Response Team, along with assistance from the US Marshal’s Task Force, apprehended Macormac at a Wichita gas station.&nbsp;&nbsp;

While taking him into custody, officers located a stolen 9mm carbine with a high capacity magazine. Macormac is a convicted felon prohibited from possessing a firearm. He was originally booked charges of criminal possession of a firearm, possession of controlled substances, aggravated assault and criminal discharge of a firearm.

His next court appearance is June 30.&nbsp; He remains jailed on a$250,000 bond, according to the district attorney.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655924835194.png" alt="Macormac photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Macormac photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man accused in a Super Bowl weekend killing made his first court appearance Thursday.<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=18849204">Justin Macormac, 25 of Wichita, </a>is charged with two counts of 1st degree murder, aggravated robbery, and criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655924767929.png" alt="While taking him into custody, officers located a stolen 9mm carbine with a high capacity magazine-photo Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>While taking him into custody, officers located a stolen 9mm carbine with a high capacity magazine-photo Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>On Valentine's Day while conducting a follow-up investigations of a drive by shooting that occurred on February 7 near 13th and Lavon in Wichita, investigators identified Macormac as the suspect, according to Officer Charley Davidson. Officers from the Violent Crimes Community Response Team, along with assistance from the US Marshal’s Task Force, apprehended Macormac at a Wichita gas station.&nbsp;&nbsp;While taking him into custody, officers located a stolen 9mm carbine with a high capacity magazine. Macormac is a convicted felon prohibited from possessing a firearm. He was originally booked charges of criminal possession of a firearm, possession of controlled substances, aggravated assault and criminal discharge of a firearm.His next court appearance is June 30.&nbsp; He remains jailed on a$250,000 bond, according to the district attorney.&nbsp;

Kan. murder suspect had stolen gun with high capacity magazine

ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect after a weekend chase across state lines.

Just before 5 a.m. Saturday, officers attempted to stop a pickup truck pulling a trailer in the area of 10th and U.S.59, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.&nbsp; Police were following a tip&nbsp;that the truck was stolen. 

The vehicle fled westbound on U.S.59 and subsequently into the Branchton area and then back to U.S.59 where it went eastbound and into Missouri. 

At that point an Atchison County sheriff's deputy pursued the vehicle into Missouri. The vehicle continued to flee but returned eastbound and was on the Amelia Earhart bridge when he saw APD patrol cars on the west side of the bridge and turned around on the bridge and was again eastbound on U.S.59. 

A police officer on the east end of the bridge deployed stop sticks and while doing so the stop stick cord, which the officer was holding, made contact with the fleeing vehicle and trailer and injured the officer's hand. 

&nbsp;The officer was treated for that injury at an area hospital and released, according to Wilson.

The Atchison County Sheriff's deputy continued to pursue the vehicle into Platte County where the vehicle was stopped by Platte County deputies and took the driver identified as 29-year-old Michael Diblasi0, according to online jail records,&nbsp; into custody. He remains jailed without bond.

There was a motorcycle on that trailer that had been stolen from the 200 block North 9th Street in Atchison, according to Wilson.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656342859008.png" alt="Diblasio-photo Platt County" />
 <figcaption>Diblasio-photo Platt County</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect after a weekend chase across state lines.Just before 5 a.m. Saturday, officers attempted to stop a pickup truck pulling a trailer in the area of 10th and U.S.59, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.&nbsp; Police were following a tip&nbsp;that the truck was stolen. The vehicle fled westbound on U.S.59 and subsequently into the Branchton area and then back to U.S.59 where it went eastbound and into Missouri. At that point an Atchison County sheriff's deputy pursued the vehicle into Missouri. The vehicle continued to flee but returned eastbound and was on the Amelia Earhart bridge when he saw APD patrol cars on the west side of the bridge and turned around on the bridge and was again eastbound on U.S.59. A police officer on the east end of the bridge deployed stop sticks and while doing so the stop stick cord, which the officer was holding, made contact with the fleeing vehicle and trailer and injured the officer's hand. &nbsp;The officer was treated for that injury at an area hospital and released, according to Wilson.The Atchison County Sheriff's deputy continued to pursue the vehicle into Platte County where the vehicle was stopped by Platte County deputies and took the driver identified as 29-year-old Michael Diblasi0, according to online jail records,&nbsp; into custody. He remains jailed without bond.There was a motorcycle on that trailer that had been stolen from the 200 block North 9th Street in Atchison, according to Wilson.

Suspect arrested after 2-state chase in stolen truck

KANSAS CITY (AP) —The Supreme Court’s decision to end the nation’s constitutional protections for abortion has catapulted businesses of all types into the most divisive corner of politics.

Some companies that stayed silent last month — when a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-draft-opinion-07439f9fc4542f1500ab78dfd34036b1">draft opinion by Justice Samuel Alito was leaked to Politico</a>&nbsp;— spoke up for the first time Friday, including The Walt Disney Company, which said it will reimburse employees who must travel out of state to get an abortion.

Facebook parent Meta, American Express, Bank of America and Goldman Sachs also said they would cover employee travel costs while others like Apple, Starbucks, Lyft and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-covid-technology-politics-health-f948ba6b05102ed11273a003b0d20de6">Yelp</a>&nbsp;reiterated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-abortion-us-supreme-court-health-business-52cbf7dd6ec4391c8e3be766bc7c6f66">previous announcements</a>&nbsp;taking similar action. Outdoor clothing maker Patagonia went so far as to post on LinkedIn Friday that it would provide “training and bail for those who peacefully protest for reproductive justice” and time off to vote.

But of the dozens of big businesses that The Associated Press reached out to Friday, many like McDonald’s, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, General Motors, Tyson and Marriott did not respond. Arkansas-based Walmart — the nation’s largest employer with a good portion of its stores in states that will immediately trigger abortion bans following the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">Friday’s Supreme Court ruling</a>&nbsp;— also kept quiet.

Meanwhile, the Business Roundtable, an organization that represents some of the nation’s most powerful companies, said it “does not have a position on the merits of the case.”

A lot is at stake for companies, many of which have publicly pledged to promote women’s equality and advancement in the workplace. For those in states with restrictive abortion laws, they could now face big challenges in attracting college-educated workers who can easily move around.

Luis von Ahn, the CEO of the language app Duolingo, sent a tweet Friday aimed at lawmakers in Pennsylvania, where the company is headquartered: “If PA makes abortion illegal, we won’t be able to attract talent and we’ll have to grow our offices elsewhere.”

The ruling and the coming patchwork of abortion bans also threatens the technology boom in places like Austin, Texas as companies like Dell -- which was already becoming more flexible to remote work because of the tight labor market -- struggle to recruit newly minted tech graduates to their corporate hubs, said Steven Pedigo, a professor who studies economic development at the University of Texas at Austin.

“Rather than stay in Austin, do you go to New York or Seattle or the Bay Area? I think that’s a real possibility,” Pedigo said. “It becomes much more challenging, particularly when you’re looking at a young, progressive workforce, which is what technology workers tend to be.”

Emily M. Dickens, chief of staff and head of government affairs for the Society for Human Resource Management, said in a statement that nearly a quarter of organizations in a recent poll agreed that offering a health savings account to cover travel for reproductive care in another state will enhance their ability to compete for talent.

“But how these policies interact with state laws is unclear, and employers should be aware of the legal risks involved,” she said.

Dickens noted that companies that use third-party administrator to process claims on their behalf — typically big employers — are subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act rather than state law. But companies that have to buy their own health insurance for their employees — typically small businesses — are subject to state regulations and have less flexibility in designing benefits.

Offering to cover travel expenses could also make companies a target for anti-abortion lawmakers. In March, Texas State Representative Briscoe Cain, a Republican, sent a cease-and-desist letter to Citigroup, saying he would propose legislation barring localities in the state from doing business with any company that provides travel benefits for employees seeking abortions.

In his concurring opinion released Friday, Justice Brett Kavanaugh suggested it would be unconstitutional for a state to bar residents from traveling to another state to get an abortion.

“In my view, the answer is no based on the constitutional right to interstate travel,” Kavanaugh wrote.

But a corporation’s right to fund what would be an illegal act in another state is still questionable, argues Teresa Collett, a law professor at the University of St. Thomas.

“That’s not an interstate commerce question, per se,” she said. “So you’d need the right plaintiff.”

Meanwhile, tech companies are facing tough questions about what they’ll do if some of their millions of customers in the U.S. are prosecuted for having an abortion. Services like Apple, Google, Facebook and Microsoft routinely hand over digital data sought by law enforcement agencies pursuing criminal investigations. That’s raised concerns from privacy advocates about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-technology-health-government-and-politics-f372714bd13846d62e2ac8c5d8e233d5">enforcers of abortion laws tapping into period apps</a>, phone location data and other sensitive online health information.

A letter Friday from four Democrats in Congress&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-technology-data-privacy-mobile-phones-30999c52b3144490c7c97d89f9a6451d">called on the Federal Trade Commission</a>&nbsp;to investigate the phone-tracking practices of Google and Apple, warning that location identifiers used for advertising could fall into the hands of prosecutors or bounty hunters looking “to hunt down women who have obtained or are seeking an abortion.”

The Supreme Court ruling comes at a time when companies have become increasingly reliant on women to fill jobs, and especially as they face a nationwide labor shortage. Women now account for nearly 50% of the U.S. workforce, up dramatically from 37.5% in 1970 — three years before the Supreme Court ruled abortions to be legal in Roe vs. Wade — according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Denied access to abortion could hit low-income workers the hardest because they’re typically in jobs with fewer protections and that are also demanding, from loading groceries onto store shelves to working as a health aide.

“As a direct result of this ruling, more women will be forced to choose between paying their rent or traveling long distances to receive safe abortion care,” said Mary Kay Henry, international president of the Service Employees International Union, which represents nearly 2 million janitors, health care workers and teachers in the U.S. “Working women are already struggling in poverty-wage jobs without paid leave and many are also shouldering the caregiving responsibilities for their families, typically unpaid.”

Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants told The Associated Press that the ruling was “devastating.”

“It cuts to the core of all the work that our union has done for 75 years,” she said. “This decision is not about whether or not someone supports abortion. That’s the distraction ... This is about whether or not we respect the rights of women to determine their own future.”

Maurice Schweitzer, a professor at University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, said the handful of companies are taking a stand on the court’s ruling because their customers and employees are expecting them to speak out.

“We’re in this moment in time where we’re expecting corporate leaders to also be leaders in the political sphere,” he said. “A lot of employees expect to work in companies that not only pay them well, but whose values are aligned with theirs.”

But the vast majority of executives will likely avoid the thorny topic and focus on things like inflation or supply chain disruptions, he said.

“They can either support travel for out-of-state care and risk lawsuits and the ire of local politicians, or they can not include this coverage and risk the ire of employees,” Schweitzer said.

KANSAS CITY (AP) —The Supreme Court’s decision to end the nation’s constitutional protections for abortion has catapulted businesses of all types into the most divisive corner of politics.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/TvOX7rNkkr">pic.twitter.com/TvOX7rNkkr</a>&mdash; DICK&#39;S Sporting Goods (@DICKS) <a href="https://twitter.com/DICKS/status/1540399862688223234?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Some companies that stayed silent last month — when a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-draft-opinion-07439f9fc4542f1500ab78dfd34036b1">draft opinion by Justice Samuel Alito was leaked to Politico</a>&nbsp;— spoke up for the first time Friday, including The Walt Disney Company, which said it will reimburse employees who must travel out of state to get an abortion.Facebook parent Meta, American Express, Bank of America and Goldman Sachs also said they would cover employee travel costs while others like Apple, Starbucks, Lyft and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-covid-technology-politics-health-f948ba6b05102ed11273a003b0d20de6">Yelp</a>&nbsp;reiterated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-abortion-us-supreme-court-health-business-52cbf7dd6ec4391c8e3be766bc7c6f66">previous announcements</a>&nbsp;taking similar action. Outdoor clothing maker Patagonia went so far as to post on LinkedIn Friday that it would provide “training and bail for those who peacefully protest for reproductive justice” and time off to vote.But of the dozens of big businesses that The Associated Press reached out to Friday, many like McDonald’s, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, General Motors, Tyson and Marriott did not respond. Arkansas-based Walmart — the nation’s largest employer with a good portion of its stores in states that will immediately trigger abortion bans following the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">Friday’s Supreme Court ruling</a>&nbsp;— also kept quiet.Meanwhile, the Business Roundtable, an organization that represents some of the nation’s most powerful companies, said it “does not have a position on the merits of the case.”A lot is at stake for companies, many of which have publicly pledged to promote women’s equality and advancement in the workplace. For those in states with restrictive abortion laws, they could now face big challenges in attracting college-educated workers who can easily move around.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Starbucks will always ensure partners have access to quality healthcare. Enrolled partners will be offered reimbursement for eligible travel expenses when accessing abortion or gender-affirming procedures not available within 100 miles of their home. <a href="https://t.co/K2gQYdxIMZ">https://t.co/K2gQYdxIMZ</a>&mdash; Starbucks News (@StarbucksNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/StarbucksNews/status/1526200591579594753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 16, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Luis von Ahn, the CEO of the language app Duolingo, sent a tweet Friday aimed at lawmakers in Pennsylvania, where the company is headquartered: “If PA makes abortion illegal, we won’t be able to attract talent and we’ll have to grow our offices elsewhere.”The ruling and the coming patchwork of abortion bans also threatens the technology boom in places like Austin, Texas as companies like Dell -- which was already becoming more flexible to remote work because of the tight labor market -- struggle to recruit newly minted tech graduates to their corporate hubs, said Steven Pedigo, a professor who studies economic development at the University of Texas at Austin.“Rather than stay in Austin, do you go to New York or Seattle or the Bay Area? I think that’s a real possibility,” Pedigo said. “It becomes much more challenging, particularly when you’re looking at a young, progressive workforce, which is what technology workers tend to be.”Emily M. Dickens, chief of staff and head of government affairs for the Society for Human Resource Management, said in a statement that nearly a quarter of organizations in a recent poll agreed that offering a health savings account to cover travel for reproductive care in another state will enhance their ability to compete for talent.“But how these policies interact with state laws is unclear, and employers should be aware of the legal risks involved,” she said.Dickens noted that companies that use third-party administrator to process claims on their behalf — typically big employers — are subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act rather than state law. But companies that have to buy their own health insurance for their employees — typically small businesses — are subject to state regulations and have less flexibility in designing benefits.Offering to cover travel expenses could also make companies a target for anti-abortion lawmakers. In March, Texas State Representative Briscoe Cain, a Republican, sent a cease-and-desist letter to Citigroup, saying he would propose legislation barring localities in the state from doing business with any company that provides travel benefits for employees seeking abortions.In his concurring opinion released Friday, Justice Brett Kavanaugh suggested it would be unconstitutional for a state to bar residents from traveling to another state to get an abortion.“In my view, the answer is no based on the constitutional right to interstate travel,” Kavanaugh wrote.But a corporation’s right to fund what would be an illegal act in another state is still questionable, argues Teresa Collett, a law professor at the University of St. Thomas.“That’s not an interstate commerce question, per se,” she said. “So you’d need the right plaintiff.”Meanwhile, tech companies are facing tough questions about what they’ll do if some of their millions of customers in the U.S. are prosecuted for having an abortion. Services like Apple, Google, Facebook and Microsoft routinely hand over digital data sought by law enforcement agencies pursuing criminal investigations. That’s raised concerns from privacy advocates about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-technology-health-government-and-politics-f372714bd13846d62e2ac8c5d8e233d5">enforcers of abortion laws tapping into period apps</a>, phone location data and other sensitive online health information.A letter Friday from four Democrats in Congress&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-technology-data-privacy-mobile-phones-30999c52b3144490c7c97d89f9a6451d">called on the Federal Trade Commission</a>&nbsp;to investigate the phone-tracking practices of Google and Apple, warning that location identifiers used for advertising could fall into the hands of prosecutors or bounty hunters looking “to hunt down women who have obtained or are seeking an abortion.”The Supreme Court ruling comes at a time when companies have become increasingly reliant on women to fill jobs, and especially as they face a nationwide labor shortage. Women now account for nearly 50% of the U.S. workforce, up dramatically from 37.5% in 1970 — three years before the Supreme Court ruled abortions to be legal in Roe vs. Wade — according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.Denied access to abortion could hit low-income workers the hardest because they’re typically in jobs with fewer protections and that are also demanding, from loading groceries onto store shelves to working as a health aide.“As a direct result of this ruling, more women will be forced to choose between paying their rent or traveling long distances to receive safe abortion care,” said Mary Kay Henry, international president of the Service Employees International Union, which represents nearly 2 million janitors, health care workers and teachers in the U.S. “Working women are already struggling in poverty-wage jobs without paid leave and many are also shouldering the caregiving responsibilities for their families, typically unpaid.”Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants told The Associated Press that the ruling was “devastating.”“It cuts to the core of all the work that our union has done for 75 years,” she said. “This decision is not about whether or not someone supports abortion. That’s the distraction ... This is about whether or not we respect the rights of women to determine their own future.”Maurice Schweitzer, a professor at University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, said the handful of companies are taking a stand on the court’s ruling because their customers and employees are expecting them to speak out.“We’re in this moment in time where we’re expecting corporate leaders to also be leaders in the political sphere,” he said. “A lot of employees expect to work in companies that not only pay them well, but whose values are aligned with theirs.”But the vast majority of executives will likely avoid the thorny topic and focus on things like inflation or supply chain disruptions, he said.That, too, comes with risks.“They can either support travel for out-of-state care and risk lawsuits and the ire of local politicians, or they can not include this coverage and risk the ire of employees,” Schweitzer said.___

Abortion ruling thrusts companies into divisive arena

SALINA —As a result of a pilot shortage having an acute impact on the regional airline industry, SkyWest Airlines, Inc. operator of United Express service at the Salina Regional Airport filed a notice to terminate their service at 29 regional airports across the country. Salina Regional Airport was part of this original filing on March 10, 2022.&nbsp;&nbsp;

On Friday, SkyWest Airlines, Inc. filed a Withdrawal of Termination Notice for Salina with the U.S. Department of Transportation, according to a statement from the air carrier.

 The withdrawal ends weeks of uncertainty concerning the continuation of United Express flights operated by SkyWest Airlines at the Salina Regional Airport.

Salina passengers can be reassured that United Express flights to Denver and Chicago will continue without interruption. Monthly and weekly passenger enplanements at the Salina Airport continue to set new record highs when compared to prior years.

Record passenger enplanements are a result of SkyWest’s partnership with United Airlines and Salina community leaders. SkyWest and United have demonstrated their ability to grow the Salina market and connect Salina to national and international destinations. SkyWest’s United Express service has been a key factor in Salina’s recent economic growth that has been led by the CJ Group (Seoul, South Korea) and Kubota (Osaka, Japan).

Kent Buer, Chairman of the Salina Airport Authority board of directors said “this is good news for the Salina region and for the airport.&nbsp;United Airlines has a strong following in Salina and the service offered by SkyWest Airlines has been nothing short of exemplary.&nbsp;&nbsp;We thank SkyWest leadership for their efforts to keep the Salina Airport as part of their system.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1609799151484.jpeg" alt="The withdrawal ends weeks of uncertainty concerning the continuation of United Express flights operated by SkyWest Airlines at the Salina Regional Airport.-photo courtesy Skywest" />
 <figcaption>The withdrawal ends weeks of uncertainty concerning the continuation of United Express flights operated by SkyWest Airlines at the Salina Regional Airport.-photo courtesy Skywest</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINA —As a result of a pilot shortage having an acute impact on the regional airline industry, SkyWest Airlines, Inc. operator of United Express service at the Salina Regional Airport filed a notice to terminate their service at 29 regional airports across the country. Salina Regional Airport was part of this original filing on March 10, 2022.&nbsp;&nbsp; On Friday, SkyWest Airlines, Inc. filed a Withdrawal of Termination Notice for Salina with the U.S. Department of Transportation, according to a statement from the air carrier. The withdrawal ends weeks of uncertainty concerning the continuation of United Express flights operated by SkyWest Airlines at the Salina Regional Airport.Salina passengers can be reassured that United Express flights to Denver and Chicago will continue without interruption. Monthly and weekly passenger enplanements at the Salina Airport continue to set new record highs when compared to prior years.Record passenger enplanements are a result of SkyWest’s partnership with United Airlines and Salina community leaders. SkyWest and United have demonstrated their ability to grow the Salina market and connect Salina to national and international destinations. SkyWest’s United Express service has been a key factor in Salina’s recent economic growth that has been led by the CJ Group (Seoul, South Korea) and Kubota (Osaka, Japan).Kent Buer, Chairman of the Salina Airport Authority board of directors said “this is good news for the Salina region and for the airport.&nbsp;United Airlines has a strong following in Salina and the service offered by SkyWest Airlines has been nothing short of exemplary.&nbsp;&nbsp;We thank SkyWest leadership for their efforts to keep the Salina Airport as part of their system.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

SkyWest withdraws service termination notice for Salina 

By MATT PIKE&nbsp; St. Joseph Post&nbsp;

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Nationwide farmers are having issues buying new farm equipment, which is also making it difficult to buy used farm equipment. &nbsp;

By MATT PIKE&nbsp; St. Joseph Post&nbsp;ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Nationwide farmers are having issues buying new farm equipment, which is also making it difficult to buy used farm equipment. &nbsp;Greg
 Peterson, better known as Machinery Pete, says there are a couple 
different factors that are causing the rise in the price of used farm 
equipment. &nbsp;"One, is that farm income is up," Peterson 
tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "Commodity prices went up in the fall of 
2020 and have been pushing to very high levels so, that's number one."&nbsp;And number two is the current trend of high prices on new farm equipment&nbsp;"Supply
 chain issues are actually getting worse so manufacturers like John 
Deere or Case IH, they can't make enough," Peterson explains. "Farmers 
want to buy new to update their equipment line."&nbsp;Peterson says 
though those manufacturers can't produce enough equipment to keep up 
with the demand.&nbsp; For example, if you were looking for a new planter 
earlier this spring, all of those were pre ordered last fall. &nbsp;Peterson says the problem is nationwide and so far, is showing no signs of letting up anytime soon&nbsp;"Things
 are always subject to change but I don't see any tea leaves right now 
that would point to a cooling off, in fact it's getting hotter" Peterson
 points out. "In fact, our data, I've got three plus decades of tracking
 data patterns, and normally from middle of March through the summer is 
the soft time of year."&nbsp;Peterson says that the soft time of year is while crops are in the ground and farmers can wait and see how they come out.&nbsp;He
 says they then become aggressive near the end of the year to figure out
 what equipment they might need to replace, but right now. &nbsp;"That's all out the window right now, you have to be proactive and plan ahead," he explains. &nbsp;Peterson says the market has continued to go higher since April. &nbsp;Recently,
 Peterson says he saw a 24-year-old John Deere tractor sold in Illinois 
for 21-thousand 500 dollars, selling even higher than it did brand new. &nbsp;But is there any state where the used farm equipment problem is worse off?&nbsp;"Nope,
 they're all on fire, and I've never seen that before," Peterson sadly 
says. "And we cover the US and Canada so usually there's always been 
somewhere where used values are softer, and there just isn't now."&nbsp;Peterson says normally you might see prices differ depending on the region farm equipment is coming from &nbsp;But,
 since 2021, Peterson says a data point he's seen is the tightness of 
farm equipment is making prices mostly stay the same, no matter the 
region it comes from.&nbsp;Cover image courtesy Pixabay