By DAN MARGOLIES <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-07-06/trial-of-largest-sexual-abuse-scandal-in-history-of-va-begins-in-kck-federal-court">Kansas News Service</a>

A lawsuit brought by one of 100 military veterans who were sexually 
abused by a physician assistant at the VA hospital in Leavenworth will 
determine if the federal government is liable for damages in what the 
plaintiff’s lawyer described as “the largest sexual abuse scandal in the
 history of the VA.”

“Countless veterans have never gotten their 
day in court, have never gotten justice,” the lawyer, Daniel A. Thomas, 
said in opening statements at the federal trial, which began today. “And
 more importantly, not a single person from the VA has ever been held 
accountable.”

The physician assistant, Mark Wisner, was convicted 
at a criminal trial in 2017 of aggravated sexual battery and aggravated 
criminal sodomy and sentenced to 15 years and seven months in prison. 
Around 100 of his victims separately filed civil suits seeking damages 
against the federal government for his actions as an agent of the 
government.

<a href="https://www.kcur.org/health/2019-12-10/u-s-pays-7-million-to-veterans-who-were-sexually-molested-at-the-leavenworth-va-hospital" target="_blank">More than 80 of them settled their lawsuits</a>
 last year for a total of $7 million. But a few of them refused to 
settle, and the trial of the first of those cases, which got underway 
this morning via Zoom video conference, will determine whether the 
government will have to pay out additional damages.

The case is 
being tried without a jury in federal court in Kansas City, Kansas, 
before U.S. District Judge Daniel D. Crabtree. The trial is expected to 
last through the end of the week.

The plaintiff in the case is identified in court documents only by the fictitious name John Doe.

The
 government does not dispute that Wisner sexually molested veterans of 
America’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, including Doe, by conducting 
unnecessary genital and rectal exams on them and then overprescribing 
opioids and other pain medications to make them dependent on him.

“Indeed,
 all who have heard about these matters cannot help but be outraged,” 
Justice Department lawyer Larry Eiser, who represents the government in 
the case, said in his opening statement. “A sexual predator in the guise
 of a health care provider preying upon wounded warriors – outrageous.”

But the government says that it should not be held liable because 
Wisner’s conduct was outside the scope of his employment and because the
 damages Doe is seeking – payment for a lifetime of medical treatment – 
are excessive.

“We accept that plaintiff was abused by Mr. 
Wisner,” Eiser told Crabtree. “We accept his version of the facts of his
 encounters with Mr. Wisner. We will not dispute that he was subjected 
to unnecessary, ungloved genital examinations of two to three minutes in
 duration during each and every one of his nine encounters with Mr. 
Wisner over a two-year period in 2012 to 2014.”

But Eiser said 
that the plaintiff’s damage claims were unsupported by the evidence and 
“untethered to reality” because they asked the government to pay for 
treatment of mental health conditions and other ailments that preceded 
the plaintiff’s encounters with Wisner.

Thomas, the plaintiff’s 
attorney, said that his client’s PTSD was exacerbated by Wisner, whom he
 said was the subject of numerous complaints that the VA failed to 
follow up and investigate.

One of Wisner’s patients was admitted 
to a psychiatric unit after he was overheard threatening to kill Wisner,
 Thomas said. That patient later killed himself.

“They just didn’t
 believe the victim,” Thomas said. “It’s a scenario that played out 
repeatedly with Wisner’s victims over a period of years. One hundred 
victims over six years.”

Earlier this year, another federal judge,
 Carlos Murguia, threw out the plaintiff’s claims against the government
 for negligent supervision of Wisner. Murguia found that the plaintiff 
had failed to assert that claim during an earlier, administrative part 
of the case.

The case was reassigned to Crabtree in February after <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-02-18/federal-judge-in-kansas-city-kansas-resigns-following-reprimand-for-sexual-harassment" target="_blank">Murguia announced his resignation</a> from the court following his public reprimand for sexual harassment and workplace misconduct.

Dan Margolies is senior reporter and editor at KCUR. He can be reached by email at dan@kcur.org or on Twitter @DanMargolies.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594147873004.png" alt="Mark Wisner worked as a physician assistant at the Dwight D. Eisenhower VA Medical Center in Leavenworth, Kansas, pictured here. He is now serving a prison sentence of more than 15 years. www.leavenworth.va.gov / Dwight D. Eisenhower VA Medical Center" />
 <figcaption>Mark Wisner worked as a physician assistant at the Dwight D. Eisenhower VA Medical Center in Leavenworth, Kansas, pictured here. He is now serving a prison sentence of more than 15 years. www.leavenworth.va.gov / Dwight D. Eisenhower VA Medical Center</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAN MARGOLIES <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-07-06/trial-of-largest-sexual-abuse-scandal-in-history-of-va-begins-in-kck-federal-court">Kansas News Service</a>A lawsuit brought by one of 100 military veterans who were sexually 
abused by a physician assistant at the VA hospital in Leavenworth will 
determine if the federal government is liable for damages in what the 
plaintiff’s lawyer described as “the largest sexual abuse scandal in the
 history of the VA.”“Countless veterans have never gotten their 
day in court, have never gotten justice,” the lawyer, Daniel A. Thomas, 
said in opening statements at the federal trial, which began today. “And
 more importantly, not a single person from the VA has ever been held 
accountable.”The physician assistant, Mark Wisner, was convicted 
at a criminal trial in 2017 of aggravated sexual battery and aggravated 
criminal sodomy and sentenced to 15 years and seven months in prison. 
Around 100 of his victims separately filed civil suits seeking damages 
against the federal government for his actions as an agent of the 
government.<a href="https://www.kcur.org/health/2019-12-10/u-s-pays-7-million-to-veterans-who-were-sexually-molested-at-the-leavenworth-va-hospital" target="_blank">More than 80 of them settled their lawsuits</a>
 last year for a total of $7 million. But a few of them refused to 
settle, and the trial of the first of those cases, which got underway 
this morning via Zoom video conference, will determine whether the 
government will have to pay out additional damages.The case is 
being tried without a jury in federal court in Kansas City, Kansas, 
before U.S. District Judge Daniel D. Crabtree. The trial is expected to 
last through the end of the week.The plaintiff in the case is identified in court documents only by the fictitious name John Doe.The
 government does not dispute that Wisner sexually molested veterans of 
America’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, including Doe, by conducting 
unnecessary genital and rectal exams on them and then overprescribing 
opioids and other pain medications to make them dependent on him.“Indeed,
 all who have heard about these matters cannot help but be outraged,” 
Justice Department lawyer Larry Eiser, who represents the government in 
the case, said in his opening statement. “A sexual predator in the guise
 of a health care provider preying upon wounded warriors – outrageous.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594147941909.png" alt="Mark Wisner, a former physician assistant at the Leavenworth VA, was sentenced to 15 years and seven months in prison for aggravated sexual battery and aggravated criminal sodomy. Atchison County Detention Center" />
 <figcaption>Mark Wisner, a former physician assistant at the Leavenworth VA, was sentenced to 15 years and seven months in prison for aggravated sexual battery and aggravated criminal sodomy. Atchison County Detention Center</figcaption>
 </figure>But the government says that it should not be held liable because 
Wisner’s conduct was outside the scope of his employment and because the
 damages Doe is seeking – payment for a lifetime of medical treatment – 
are excessive.“We accept that plaintiff was abused by Mr. 
Wisner,” Eiser told Crabtree. “We accept his version of the facts of his
 encounters with Mr. Wisner. We will not dispute that he was subjected 
to unnecessary, ungloved genital examinations of two to three minutes in
 duration during each and every one of his nine encounters with Mr. 
Wisner over a two-year period in 2012 to 2014.”But Eiser said 
that the plaintiff’s damage claims were unsupported by the evidence and 
“untethered to reality” because they asked the government to pay for 
treatment of mental health conditions and other ailments that preceded 
the plaintiff’s encounters with Wisner.Thomas, the plaintiff’s 
attorney, said that his client’s PTSD was exacerbated by Wisner, whom he
 said was the subject of numerous complaints that the VA failed to 
follow up and investigate.One of Wisner’s patients was admitted 
to a psychiatric unit after he was overheard threatening to kill Wisner,
 Thomas said. That patient later killed himself.“They just didn’t
 believe the victim,” Thomas said. “It’s a scenario that played out 
repeatedly with Wisner’s victims over a period of years. One hundred 
victims over six years.”Earlier this year, another federal judge,
 Carlos Murguia, threw out the plaintiff’s claims against the government
 for negligent supervision of Wisner. Murguia found that the plaintiff 
had failed to assert that claim during an earlier, administrative part 
of the case.The case was reassigned to Crabtree in February after <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-02-18/federal-judge-in-kansas-city-kansas-resigns-following-reprimand-for-sexual-harassment" target="_blank">Murguia announced his resignation</a> from the court following his public reprimand for sexual harassment and workplace misconduct.Dan Margolies is senior reporter and editor at KCUR. He can be reached by email at dan@kcur.org or on Twitter @DanMargolies.

Trial of 'largest sexual abuse scandal in history of VA' begins

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) —&nbsp;New York and New Jersey are now requiring people from Kansas and two additional states&nbsp; to quarantine for 14 days as more individuals are testing positive for COVID-19 nationwide.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a Tuesday press release that Kansas, Oklahoma and Delaware now join a total of 19 states that qualify under New York's metrics for community spread.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and&nbsp;Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont say visitors from those same three states must also quarantine for two weeks under an advisory aimed at travelers from COVID-19 hotspots.

Cuomo's advisory applies to states with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents over a 7-day rolling average, or states with a 10% or higher positivity rate over a 7-day rolling average.

“As states around the country experience increasing community spread, New York is taking action to ensure the continued safety of our phased reopening," Cuomo, a Democrat, said.

Cuomo said he hopes his travel advisory will prevent COVID-19 from spreading at high rates again in a state hard-hit by the pandemic.

Cuomo’s office said 836 people were hospitalized Monday — up 19 from Sunday, but down from 878 on July 1.

New York is seeing a smaller share of individuals test positive for COVID-19 even as the state amped up its testing and slowly reopened its economy.

About 600 individuals tested positive for COVID-19 Monday out of nearly 57,000 tested, according to Cuomo's office.

New York's testing has turned up nearly 400,000 positive test results since the spring, out of 4.2 million tests of individuals.

Cuomo said ten people with COVID-19 died in hospitals and nursing homes Monday. The state's numbers are likely an undercount — about 25,000 people with COVID-19 have died in hospitals and nursing homes since March, while New York City says another 4,600 people likely died of COVID-19.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1584719351022.png" alt="New York Governor Andrew Cuomo" />
 <figcaption>New York Governor Andrew Cuomo</figcaption>
 </figure>ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) —&nbsp;New York and New Jersey are now requiring people from Kansas and two additional states&nbsp; to quarantine for 14 days as more individuals are testing positive for COVID-19 nationwide.Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a Tuesday press release that Kansas, Oklahoma and Delaware now join a total of 19 states that qualify under New York's metrics for community spread.New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and&nbsp;Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont say visitors from those same three states must also quarantine for two weeks under an advisory aimed at travelers from COVID-19 hotspots.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Sad. Kansas in now, as of today, in the top 14 states for the MOST rapid COVID-19 spread and in the top 14 states for having the LEAST restrictions on activities. Do you think those two things are related? We were a shining example of success, only to squander it. <a href="https://t.co/A3e5CYrPJP">pic.twitter.com/A3e5CYrPJP</a>&mdash; Lee Norman (@SecNorman) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecNorman/status/1280549148102721536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 7, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Cuomo's advisory applies to states with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents over a 7-day rolling average, or states with a 10% or higher positivity rate over a 7-day rolling average.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594055033998.png" alt="July 6 2020, KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>July 6 2020, KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>“As states around the country experience increasing community spread, New York is taking action to ensure the continued safety of our phased reopening," Cuomo, a Democrat, said.Cuomo said he hopes his travel advisory will prevent COVID-19 from spreading at high rates again in a state hard-hit by the pandemic.Cuomo’s office said 836 people were hospitalized Monday — up 19 from Sunday, but down from 878 on July 1.New York is seeing a smaller share of individuals test positive for COVID-19 even as the state amped up its testing and slowly reopened its economy.About 600 individuals tested positive for COVID-19 Monday out of nearly 57,000 tested, according to Cuomo's office.New York's testing has turned up nearly 400,000 positive test results since the spring, out of 4.2 million tests of individuals.Cuomo said ten people with COVID-19 died in hospitals and nursing homes Monday. The state's numbers are likely an undercount — about 25,000 people with COVID-19 have died in hospitals and nursing homes since March, while New York City says another 4,600 people likely died of COVID-19.

New York, 2 other states require visitors from Kansas to quarantine

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A former police officer was sentenced Tuesday to four months in jail for causing a 2018 wreck that killed a Kansas teenager and injured two others outside the stadium where the Kansas City Chiefs play.

Thirty-five-year-old Terrell Watkins pleaded guilty in early June to first-degree involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree assault and a misdemeanor count of careless and imprudent driving in the October 2018 crash that killed 17-year-old Chandan Rajanna, of Overland Park, Kansas, and seriously injured Rajanna’s father and sister.

Watkins will begin serving 120 days in the Caldwell County Jail for the careless and imprudent drive charge on Wednesday after a judge suspended the execution of a 17-year sentence for the other charges.

Witnesses told police the van had been speeding and making numerous lane changes as it passed other vehicles in heavy pregame traffic. Investigators say at the time of the crash, Watkins was late for an off-duty security assignment at Arrowhead Stadium.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594137790683.png" alt="Fatal crash scene photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Fatal crash scene photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — A former police officer was sentenced Tuesday to four months in jail for causing a 2018 wreck that killed a Kansas teenager and injured two others outside the stadium where the Kansas City Chiefs play.Thirty-five-year-old Terrell Watkins pleaded guilty in early June to first-degree involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree assault and a misdemeanor count of careless and imprudent driving in the October 2018 crash that killed 17-year-old Chandan Rajanna, of Overland Park, Kansas, and seriously injured Rajanna’s father and sister.Watkins will begin serving 120 days in the Caldwell County Jail for the careless and imprudent drive charge on Wednesday after a judge suspended the execution of a 17-year sentence for the other charges.Witnesses told police the van had been speeding and making numerous lane changes as it passed other vehicles in heavy pregame traffic. Investigators say at the time of the crash, Watkins was late for an off-duty security assignment at Arrowhead Stadium.

Ex-officer sentenced for deadly crash near Arrowhead Stadium

SALINA —Law enforcement authorities are investigating fraud involving the theft of prepaid Visa cards at Walmart stores in Kansas.

The two suspects used the cards at the Walmart in Salina, according to&nbsp;Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester.

Investigators have learned that just after 7a.m. on May 17, two female suspects entered the Walmart, 2900 South Ninth in Salina and grabbed 20 Visa prepay cards off the rack, according to Forrester.

The suspects then split up and went to two different registers where they utilized an employee pin number to access the register and put funds on each of 10 of the cards. The total loss was $2,600.

The suspects have reportedly been traveling to different WalMart stores in Kansas conducting the same scheme, according to Forrester.

SALINA —Law enforcement authorities are investigating fraud involving the theft of prepaid Visa cards at Walmart stores in Kansas.The two suspects used the cards at the Walmart in Salina, according to&nbsp;Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester.Investigators have learned that just after 7a.m. on May 17, two female suspects entered the Walmart, 2900 South Ninth in Salina and grabbed 20 Visa prepay cards off the rack, according to Forrester.The suspects then split up and went to two different registers where they utilized an employee pin number to access the register and put funds on each of 10 of the cards. The total loss was $2,600.The suspects have reportedly been traveling to different WalMart stores in Kansas conducting the same scheme, according to Forrester.Police are reviewing surveillance video.

Police: 2 suspects stealing Visa prepay cards across Kansas

WASHINGTON (AP) — The government on Monday identified roughly 650,000 mostly small businesses and nonprofits that received taxpayer money through a federal program that was designed to soften job losses from the coronavirus but also benefited wealthy, well-connected companies and some celebrity owned firms.

The Treasury Department’s Payroll Protection Program approved applicants from a broad swath of industries. Some that were less directly impacted by the pandemic, such as manufacturing and construction, received a greater proportion of the loans than the hard-hit restaurant and hotel industries. Many law firms and private equity companies also obtained loans.

Businesses&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/b9544ec851527b8712ff63adf9180b47">owned by politicians&nbsp;</a>also borrowed from the program, including a minor league baseball team owned by the family of the governor of Ohio. A large franchisee of Wendy’s, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut restaurants, whose CEO is a major donor to President Donald Trump, received loans totaling $15 to $30 million.

Other recipients included Kanye West’s clothing and sneaker brand Yeezy, Ice Cube’s professional basketball league, Planned Parenthood clinics in more than two dozen states, the nonprofit arm of the anti-tax group headed by Grover Norquist, Americans for Tax Reform, as well as Rosenblatt Securities, one of the biggest names on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

As of June 30, the program had handed out $521 billion. The Treasury Department identified just a fraction of the total borrowers Monday, naming only companies that got more than $150,000. Those firms made up less than 15% of the nearly 5 million small companies and organizations that received loans.

Sen. Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican and chairman of the Small Business Committee that crafted the program, said the release of the data provided “much needed transparency.” He called the program “a historic lifeline” for small businesses during the pandemic.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer described the data release as a “good start” but lamented that it took so long and “so much pressure from Democrats” to make the information public. He said more transparency was needed ”to ensure that these taxpayer dollars went where Congress intended — to the truly small and underbanked small businesses.”

Economists generally credit the program with helping prevent the job market meltdown from being much worse. Employers added 7.5 million jobs in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/cddec060d38eacbb708a47120d34af51">May and June</a>, a solid increase that was probably driven in part by the PPP. The economy still has nearly 15 million fewer jobs than before the pandemic.

Research by the Federal Reserve&nbsp;<a href="https://bfi.uchicago.edu/working-paper/2020-58/" target="_blank">found that</a>&nbsp;companies with fewer than 50 workers before the pandemic saw their hiring rise 12% in May, while jobs grew just 5% in larger firms, suggesting PPP helped fuel rehiring.

But the program was only intended to carry the economy through a short interruption from the pandemic, which is now threatening to have a longer-lasting impact. The Treasury Department initially required the loans to be spent within eight weeks of being received, though that was later extended to 24 weeks.

Many small businesses have already run through their PPP money and still face sharply smaller demand, as consumers remain wary of returning to previous habits of shopping, visiting gyms, or eating out. Texas, Florida, California, New York and others states have reversed their reopenings, closing down bars and delaying the onset of indoor dining.

“The biggest issue is that PPP is short-term help,” said Adam Ozimek, chief economist at Upwork, a freelancing platform. “And now we’re dealing with a mid- to long-term problem.”

A survey by the National Federation of Independent Business found that as of mid-June, 14% of small businesses that borrowed from the PPP expected they would have to lay off some workers when their loan ran out.

The program provided loans of up to $10 million for small businesses to help them recover from the government-ordered shutdowns and revenue losses caused by the virus. The average loan amount for the entire program was $107,000, the Treasury Department said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/PPP-Results-Sunday.pdf" target="_blank">broad summary</a>&nbsp;of the program.

The loans can be forgiven if businesses mostly use the money to continue paying workers. The program initially was set to expire June 30 but was extended last week to Aug. 8, with $132 billion still available.

The recipients employed 51 million people before the pandemic began, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said. That amounts to about 85% of all workers at companies with fewer than 500 employees. The government will not know how many of these jobs were actually saved until companies apply to have the loans forgiven, a process that is just beginning.

A senior administration official said Monday that some small companies “will need additional support” in the coming months.

The public may never know the identity of more than 80% of the nearly 5 million beneficiaries to date because the administration has refused to release details on loans under $150,000. That secrecy spurred a lawsuit by news organizations including The Associated Press.

The Treasury Department has released only dollar ranges for the loan amounts, rather than exact figures.

High-profile evangelical megachurches, including several with pastors who have backed Trump, also received loans after religious entities were permitted to seek aid even if they performed only faith-based functions.

Among the Trump-linked churches that received PPP loans was First Baptist Dallas, the Texas megachurch where senior pastor and White House ally Robert Jeffress hosted Vice President Mike Pence for a pre-July 4 service. Jeffress’ church reported retaining nearly 300 jobs with its loan of between $2 million and $5 million.

Some major supporters of Trump also benefited. Muy Brands Inc., a San Antonio, Texas-based franchisee with more than 750 Wendy’s, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut restaurants, received between $15 million and $30 million between three entities. Muy Brands CEO James Bodenstedt is a major donor to the president. He has given $300,000 to the Trump Victory PAC since the start of this year, according to federal campaign finance records.

The hardest-hit restaurant and hotel industries lost nearly half of their pre-pandemic jobs in March and April. They ranked fifth on a list of recipients. Health care, professional and business services, construction and manufacturing received a greater share of loans.

And according to an analysis by Beth Ann Bovino, U.S. chief economist at Standard &amp; Poor’s, some states with the smallest increases in unemployment from the pandemic got more loans than harder-hit states.

“It didn’t reach the industries that needed it, and it looked like it didn’t reach the states that were hardest hit,” Bovino said.

Media companies, including Newsday and American Media, former owner of the National Enquirer, got loans of up to $5 million.

The data gave few details about loans to minority-owned businesses. Companies were not required to supply demographic data on their applications, and many entries about race and gender contained “unanswered.”

However, many minority-owned businesses are run by the owner, with few, if any, employees, so their loan amounts likely were under $150,000 and therefore not part of the data release. Senior administration officials who briefed reporters before the release said they hoped to get more information when owners submit applications for loan forgiveness over the next few months.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593545192155.png" alt="Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin prior to his testimony before the House Financial Services Committee&nbsp; June 30-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin prior to his testimony before the House Financial Services Committee&nbsp; June 30-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The government on Monday identified roughly 650,000 mostly small businesses and nonprofits that received taxpayer money through a federal program that was designed to soften job losses from the coronavirus but also benefited wealthy, well-connected companies and some celebrity owned firms.The Treasury Department’s Payroll Protection Program approved applicants from a broad swath of industries. Some that were less directly impacted by the pandemic, such as manufacturing and construction, received a greater proportion of the loans than the hard-hit restaurant and hotel industries. Many law firms and private equity companies also obtained loans.Businesses&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/b9544ec851527b8712ff63adf9180b47">owned by politicians&nbsp;</a>also borrowed from the program, including a minor league baseball team owned by the family of the governor of Ohio. A large franchisee of Wendy’s, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut restaurants, whose CEO is a major donor to President Donald Trump, received loans totaling $15 to $30 million.Other recipients included Kanye West’s clothing and sneaker brand Yeezy, Ice Cube’s professional basketball league, Planned Parenthood clinics in more than two dozen states, the nonprofit arm of the anti-tax group headed by Grover Norquist, Americans for Tax Reform, as well as Rosenblatt Securities, one of the biggest names on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1588075781384.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>As of June 30, the program had handed out $521 billion. The Treasury Department identified just a fraction of the total borrowers Monday, naming only companies that got more than $150,000. Those firms made up less than 15% of the nearly 5 million small companies and organizations that received loans.Sen. Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican and chairman of the Small Business Committee that crafted the program, said the release of the data provided “much needed transparency.” He called the program “a historic lifeline” for small businesses during the pandemic.Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer described the data release as a “good start” but lamented that it took so long and “so much pressure from Democrats” to make the information public. He said more transparency was needed ”to ensure that these taxpayer dollars went where Congress intended — to the truly small and underbanked small businesses.”Economists generally credit the program with helping prevent the job market meltdown from being much worse. Employers added 7.5 million jobs in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/cddec060d38eacbb708a47120d34af51">May and June</a>, a solid increase that was probably driven in part by the PPP. The economy still has nearly 15 million fewer jobs than before the pandemic.Research by the Federal Reserve&nbsp;<a href="https://bfi.uchicago.edu/working-paper/2020-58/" target="_blank">found that</a>&nbsp;companies with fewer than 50 workers before the pandemic saw their hiring rise 12% in May, while jobs grew just 5% in larger firms, suggesting PPP helped fuel rehiring.But the program was only intended to carry the economy through a short interruption from the pandemic, which is now threatening to have a longer-lasting impact. The Treasury Department initially required the loans to be spent within eight weeks of being received, though that was later extended to 24 weeks.Many small businesses have already run through their PPP money and still face sharply smaller demand, as consumers remain wary of returning to previous habits of shopping, visiting gyms, or eating out. Texas, Florida, California, New York and others states have reversed their reopenings, closing down bars and delaying the onset of indoor dining.“The biggest issue is that PPP is short-term help,” said Adam Ozimek, chief economist at Upwork, a freelancing platform. “And now we’re dealing with a mid- to long-term problem.”A survey by the National Federation of Independent Business found that as of mid-June, 14% of small businesses that borrowed from the PPP expected they would have to lay off some workers when their loan ran out.The program provided loans of up to $10 million for small businesses to help them recover from the government-ordered shutdowns and revenue losses caused by the virus. The average loan amount for the entire program was $107,000, the Treasury Department said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/PPP-Results-Sunday.pdf" target="_blank">broad summary</a>&nbsp;of the program.The loans can be forgiven if businesses mostly use the money to continue paying workers. The program initially was set to expire June 30 but was extended last week to Aug. 8, with $132 billion still available.The recipients employed 51 million people before the pandemic began, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said. That amounts to about 85% of all workers at companies with fewer than 500 employees. The government will not know how many of these jobs were actually saved until companies apply to have the loans forgiven, a process that is just beginning.A senior administration official said Monday that some small companies “will need additional support” in the coming months.The public may never know the identity of more than 80% of the nearly 5 million beneficiaries to date because the administration has refused to release details on loans under $150,000. That secrecy spurred a lawsuit by news organizations including The Associated Press.The Treasury Department has released only dollar ranges for the loan amounts, rather than exact figures.High-profile evangelical megachurches, including several with pastors who have backed Trump, also received loans after religious entities were permitted to seek aid even if they performed only faith-based functions.Among the Trump-linked churches that received PPP loans was First Baptist Dallas, the Texas megachurch where senior pastor and White House ally Robert Jeffress hosted Vice President Mike Pence for a pre-July 4 service. Jeffress’ church reported retaining nearly 300 jobs with its loan of between $2 million and $5 million.Some major supporters of Trump also benefited. Muy Brands Inc., a San Antonio, Texas-based franchisee with more than 750 Wendy’s, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut restaurants, received between $15 million and $30 million between three entities. Muy Brands CEO James Bodenstedt is a major donor to the president. He has given $300,000 to the Trump Victory PAC since the start of this year, according to federal campaign finance records.The hardest-hit restaurant and hotel industries lost nearly half of their pre-pandemic jobs in March and April. They ranked fifth on a list of recipients. Health care, professional and business services, construction and manufacturing received a greater share of loans.And according to an analysis by Beth Ann Bovino, U.S. chief economist at Standard &amp; Poor’s, some states with the smallest increases in unemployment from the pandemic got more loans than harder-hit states.“It didn’t reach the industries that needed it, and it looked like it didn’t reach the states that were hardest hit,” Bovino said.Media companies, including Newsday and American Media, former owner of the National Enquirer, got loans of up to $5 million.The data gave few details about loans to minority-owned businesses. Companies were not required to supply demographic data on their applications, and many entries about race and gender contained “unanswered.”However, many minority-owned businesses are run by the owner, with few, if any, employees, so their loan amounts likely were under $150,000 and therefore not part of the data release. Senior administration officials who briefed reporters before the release said they hoped to get more information when owners submit applications for loan forgiveness over the next few months.

Small business virus relief went beyond hard-hit companies, data show

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas set a new record Monday for its worst two-week spike in reported coronavirus cases since the pandemic began, prompting its Democratic governor to issue a stern public warning meant to push the public and local officials in her red state into accepting masks in public as necessary.

Gov. Laura Kelly said the state has seen at least seven new clusters of two or more reported cases in the past five days directly related to bars and restaurants. She recommended during a Statehouse news conference that counties delay lifting their last restrictions on public gatherings.

Kelly issued&nbsp;<a href="https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/20200702093130003.pdf" target="_blank">an order</a>&nbsp;requiring people to wear masks in public and in their workplaces, and it took effect Friday. But Kansas counties can opt out, and some have done so. Commissioners in Shawnee County, home to the state capital of Topeka, adopted a less restrictive mask mandate Monday.

“Kansas is at a make-it or break-it moment,” Kelly said.

The state Department of Health and Environment reported 982 more confirmed coronavirus cases since Friday, an increase of 6% that brought the total to 16,901. It also reported another three COVID-19-related deaths to bring the total for the pandemic to 280.

During the past two weeks, Kansas reported an average of 317 new coronavirus cases a day. That was nearly 15% higher than the 276 for the two weeks that ended Friday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f492431f603ac1ad9610ccc32bb2c0c2">previously the largest spike.</a>&nbsp;The state had seen its average number of new cases decline from mid-May through mid-June until cases began to surge again.

“I’m fully aware it’s going in the wrong direction,” Kelly said after her news conference Monday.

The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.

Mask mandates are in place in three of the state’s most populous counties, Johnson and Wyandotte counties in the Kansas City area, and Douglas County in northeast Kansas, home to the main University of Kansas campus. Sedgwick County commissioners opted out of a mandate, but the city of Wichita, where 76% of the county’s residents live, voted to impose one.

Shawnee County commissioners last week opted out of Kelly’s mandate and voted 2-1 Monday to impose looser rules allowing people to wear face shields instead of cloth coverings. The commission heard complaints from business owners that in summer, it will be too hot for many people to wear masks.

The county has seen a 60% increase in reported cases in the past two weeks, and county health officer Gianfranco Pezzino told commissioners that if the same surge had happened at the beginning of the pandemic in March, “it would be a lockdown.”

“As unpleasant as this measure is, I think at this point in time, this is necessary,” Pezzino said. “Is it going to be two weeks? Is it going to be two months? I cannot tell you.”

Meanwhile, one of the state’s largest public school districts, Shawnee Mission in Johnson County, canceled in-person graduation ceremonies it had set for July 14-16 because of a surge in coronavirus cases,&nbsp;<a href="https://fox4kc.com/news/shawnee-mission-school-district-cancels-in-person-graduation-amid-surge-in-coronavirus-cases/" target="_blank">WDAF-TV reported.</a>

The state’s 105 counties have been setting the rules for businesses and public gathering since May 26, when Kelly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/a5e30a0ec7a5943ada9f03af22ee1970">lifted statewide restrictions.</a><a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li_2020s/b2020s/measures/documents/summary_hb_2016_2020special" target="_blank">The state law</a>&nbsp;allowing counties to opt out of her health orders was enacted last month and resulted from a compromise between Kelly and the Republican-controlled Legislature, which had complained that she was too slow to reopen the state’s economy.

State and local officials across the U.S. have faced resistance to mask requirements from conservative Republicans, particularly President Donald Trump’s supporters. Some GOP lawmakers in Kansas have suggested that Kelly’s order infringes on personal liberties.

Some legislators and local officials also have questioned how a mask mandate will be enforced. Kelly’s order allows local officials to pursue fines of up to $2,500 for violations. However, she said Monday that she expects counties largely to educate violators about the importance of wearing masks.

In eastern Kansas, Anderson County’s GOP chairman, who owns a weekly newspaper, posted a cartoon Friday on its Facebook page equating Kelly’s order to the mass murder of Jews during the Holocaust. He removed the cartoon Sunday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/14c464d55ec75051a29358c1a58f8403">and apologized</a>&nbsp;publicly for unintentionally using “deeply hurtful” imagery.

Patrick Miller, a University of Kansas political scientist, said Republican officials’ rhetoric on masks has shifted in recent weeks, so that many encourage wearing masks but oppose a mandate. GOP officials are less likely to mock mask-wearing now, Miller said.

Texas is among states with Republican governors that have imposed mask mandates.

“It could be very indicative of where we’re going,” Miller said. “Some politicians are going to evolve on this. I think we’re still seeing that evolution occur.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594062014716.png" alt="Photo courtesy Office of Governor Laura Kelly" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Office of Governor Laura Kelly</figcaption>
 </figure> By JOHN HANNATOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas set a new record Monday for its worst two-week spike in reported coronavirus cases since the pandemic began, prompting its Democratic governor to issue a stern public warning meant to push the public and local officials in her red state into accepting masks in public as necessary.Gov. Laura Kelly said the state has seen at least seven new clusters of two or more reported cases in the past five days directly related to bars and restaurants. She recommended during a Statehouse news conference that counties delay lifting their last restrictions on public gatherings.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FGovLauraKelly%2Fvideos%2F285653772527001%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Kelly issued&nbsp;<a href="https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/20200702093130003.pdf" target="_blank">an order</a>&nbsp;requiring people to wear masks in public and in their workplaces, and it took effect Friday. But Kansas counties can opt out, and some have done so. Commissioners in Shawnee County, home to the state capital of Topeka, adopted a less restrictive mask mandate Monday.“Kansas is at a make-it or break-it moment,” Kelly said.The state Department of Health and Environment reported 982 more confirmed coronavirus cases since Friday, an increase of 6% that brought the total to 16,901. It also reported another three COVID-19-related deaths to bring the total for the pandemic to 280.During the past two weeks, Kansas reported an average of 317 new coronavirus cases a day. That was nearly 15% higher than the 276 for the two weeks that ended Friday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f492431f603ac1ad9610ccc32bb2c0c2">previously the largest spike.</a>&nbsp;The state had seen its average number of new cases decline from mid-May through mid-June until cases began to surge again.“I’m fully aware it’s going in the wrong direction,” Kelly said after her news conference Monday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594055033998.png" alt="Monday July 6, 2020 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Monday July 6, 2020 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.Mask mandates are in place in three of the state’s most populous counties, Johnson and Wyandotte counties in the Kansas City area, and Douglas County in northeast Kansas, home to the main University of Kansas campus. Sedgwick County commissioners opted out of a mandate, but the city of Wichita, where 76% of the county’s residents live, voted to impose one.Shawnee County commissioners last week opted out of Kelly’s mandate and voted 2-1 Monday to impose looser rules allowing people to wear face shields instead of cloth coverings. The commission heard complaints from business owners that in summer, it will be too hot for many people to wear masks.The county has seen a 60% increase in reported cases in the past two weeks, and county health officer Gianfranco Pezzino told commissioners that if the same surge had happened at the beginning of the pandemic in March, “it would be a lockdown.”“As unpleasant as this measure is, I think at this point in time, this is necessary,” Pezzino said. “Is it going to be two weeks? Is it going to be two months? I cannot tell you.”Meanwhile, one of the state’s largest public school districts, Shawnee Mission in Johnson County, canceled in-person graduation ceremonies it had set for July 14-16 because of a surge in coronavirus cases,&nbsp;<a href="https://fox4kc.com/news/shawnee-mission-school-district-cancels-in-person-graduation-amid-surge-in-coronavirus-cases/" target="_blank">WDAF-TV reported.</a>The state’s 105 counties have been setting the rules for businesses and public gathering since May 26, when Kelly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/a5e30a0ec7a5943ada9f03af22ee1970">lifted statewide restrictions.</a><a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li_2020s/b2020s/measures/documents/summary_hb_2016_2020special" target="_blank">The state law</a>&nbsp;allowing counties to opt out of her health orders was enacted last month and resulted from a compromise between Kelly and the Republican-controlled Legislature, which had complained that she was too slow to reopen the state’s economy.State and local officials across the U.S. have faced resistance to mask requirements from conservative Republicans, particularly President Donald Trump’s supporters. Some GOP lawmakers in Kansas have suggested that Kelly’s order infringes on personal liberties.Some legislators and local officials also have questioned how a mask mandate will be enforced. Kelly’s order allows local officials to pursue fines of up to $2,500 for violations. However, she said Monday that she expects counties largely to educate violators about the importance of wearing masks.In eastern Kansas, Anderson County’s GOP chairman, who owns a weekly newspaper, posted a cartoon Friday on its Facebook page equating Kelly’s order to the mass murder of Jews during the Holocaust. He removed the cartoon Sunday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/14c464d55ec75051a29358c1a58f8403">and apologized</a>&nbsp;publicly for unintentionally using “deeply hurtful” imagery.Patrick Miller, a University of Kansas political scientist, said Republican officials’ rhetoric on masks has shifted in recent weeks, so that many encourage wearing masks but oppose a mandate. GOP officials are less likely to mock mask-wearing now, Miller said.Texas is among states with Republican governors that have imposed mask mandates.“It could be very indicative of where we’re going,” Miller said. “Some politicians are going to evolve on this. I think we’re still seeing that evolution occur.”

🎥  Record COVID-19 spike prompts warning from Kansas governor

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting and have arrested a suspect.

Just after 5a.m. a.m., Monday, June 29, police&nbsp; responded to a shooting call in the 6900 block of E. Ayesbury Circle in Wichita, according to officer Paul Cruz.

 Upon arrival, they located 25-year-old Joshua Steele, who was injured and unresponsive from a gunshot wound. 

Medical personnel were called to the scene and performed life-saving measures. However, Steele was pronounced deceased at the scene. 

The investigation revealed that Steele and his girlfriend were at the home of a friend on Ayesbury Circle.&nbsp; Zachary Province, 37, Haysville, arrived at the home, and a disturbance ensued concerning property. During the disturbance, multiple shots were fired, striking Steele.

Recently, Province arrived at an area hospital where he was treated for a gunshot wound to his body. He was released Sunday afternoon and booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on requested charges of 2nd-degree murder and criminal possession of a firearm, according to Cruz.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594056090110.png" alt="Province" />
 <figcaption>Province</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting and have arrested a suspect.Just after 5a.m. a.m., Monday, June 29, police&nbsp; responded to a shooting call in the 6900 block of E. Ayesbury Circle in Wichita, according to officer Paul Cruz. Upon arrival, they located 25-year-old Joshua Steele, who was injured and unresponsive from a gunshot wound. Medical personnel were called to the scene and performed life-saving measures. However, Steele was pronounced deceased at the scene. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593453975258.png" alt="Police on the scene June 29 -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene June 29 -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>The investigation revealed that Steele and his girlfriend were at the home of a friend on Ayesbury Circle.&nbsp; Zachary Province, 37, Haysville, arrived at the home, and a disturbance ensued concerning property. During the disturbance, multiple shots were fired, striking Steele.Recently, Province arrived at an area hospital where he was treated for a gunshot wound to his body. He was released Sunday afternoon and booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on requested charges of 2nd-degree murder and criminal possession of a firearm, according to Cruz.

Arrest made: Kan. man dead after disturbance with girlfriend, 2 suspects

LINN COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 3:30p.m. Monday in Linn County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2020 Freightliner straight truck driven by Kevin T. Loving, 53, Colony,&nbsp; was westbound on Kansas 31 Highway just west of Irwin Lake.

The truck&nbsp; left the roadway to the right and overturned

&nbsp;Loving was pronounced dead at the scene. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

LINN COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 3:30p.m. Monday in Linn County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2020 Freightliner straight truck driven by Kevin T. Loving, 53, Colony,&nbsp; was westbound on Kansas 31 Highway just west of Irwin Lake.The truck&nbsp; left the roadway to the right and overturned&nbsp;Loving was pronounced dead at the scene. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Kansas man dies after truck overturns 

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a stabbing&nbsp;

Just after 3:30a.m. Sunday,&nbsp;&nbsp;deputies were dispatched to the 1300 block of SW 72nd Place in Shawnee County on a report of a stabbing, according to Sgt. Todd Stallbaumer.

While responding to the residence, deputies located a vehicle in the 5300 block of S. Topeka boulevard with occupants who had suffered injuries from the stabbing incident.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Deputies administered first aid to a 34-year-old man until AMR could arrive on scene.&nbsp;&nbsp;AMR arrived and transported the man to a local hospital.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A 33-year-old woman was also treated on scene for minor injuries associated with the stabbing.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The stabbing was a result of an altercation at a residence on SW 72nd Place, according to Stallbaumer.&nbsp; All of the individuals involved in the incident have been identified.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1593981792219.png" alt="Deputies on the scene of the investigation early Sunday -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Deputies on the scene of the investigation early Sunday -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a stabbing&nbsp;Just after 3:30a.m. Sunday,&nbsp;&nbsp;deputies were dispatched to the 1300 block of SW 72nd Place in Shawnee County on a report of a stabbing, according to Sgt. Todd Stallbaumer.While responding to the residence, deputies located a vehicle in the 5300 block of S. Topeka boulevard with occupants who had suffered injuries from the stabbing incident.&nbsp;&nbsp;Deputies administered first aid to a 34-year-old man until AMR could arrive on scene.&nbsp;&nbsp;AMR arrived and transported the man to a local hospital.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A 33-year-old woman was also treated on scene for minor injuries associated with the stabbing.&nbsp;&nbsp;The stabbing was a result of an altercation at a residence on SW 72nd Place, according to Stallbaumer.&nbsp; All of the individuals involved in the incident have been identified.&nbsp;Deputies have not reported an arrest.

Kan. man hospitalized, woman treated at scene after stabbing

TOPEKA&nbsp;–&nbsp; Governor Kelly issued Drought Declarations for Kansas counties with Executive Order #20-54 on Monday.

 The declaration includes 74 out of 105 counties either in an emergency, warning or watch status.

“Unfortunately, the majority of the state of Kansas has been considered in drought or abnormally dry conditions for the past several weeks, which has led to high risk of fire hazard,” said Governor Kelly. “This declaration will allow affected communities to access the water they need. I encourage Kansans to continue to be mindful of drought conditions, and work to minimize the threat of fires across the state.”

The drought declaration placed 13 counties in emergency status, 18 into a warning status and 44 into a watch status. This action was recommended by Earl Lewis, Director of the Kansas Water Office and Chair of the Governor’s Drought Response Team. Most of the state has received fewer than 70% of its normal rainfall since January, and many southwestern counties have received less than half of their normal precipitation.

“It has been a very dry winter and spring, especially in western Kansas, and forecasts into the coming summer months predict higher temperatures and fewer chances of precipitation,” said Lewis. “The Governor’s Drought Response Team will continue to monitor the situation closely as future outlooks call for drought persisting and make recommendations to the Governor as necessary.”

Counties who are in emergency stage are eligible for emergency use of water from certain state fishing lakes due to the Kansas Water Office (KWO) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Kansas Department of Wildlife Parks and Tourism (KDWPT).

Individuals and communities need to contact KWO for a water supply request prior to any withdrawals from lakes. They will in turn be referred to the appropriate KDWPT office to obtain the necessary permit to withdraw the water.

This Executive Order shall remain in effect for those counties so identified until rescinded by Executive Order or superseded by a subsequent Executive Order revising the drought stage status of the affected counties. Effective immediately:

The Governor’s Drought Response Team will continue to watch the situation closely and work to minimize the effects the drought has on Kansans.

For more detailed information about current conditions, see the Kansas Climate Summary and Drought Report on the Kansas Water Office website at:&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kwo.ks.gov%2F&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7C537c9c8a26a143dfd68408d821f837c6%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637296697246826777&amp;sdata=dt08ibjIIg4MPFpQAhYV7GGMhQi%2FGURsbXZnTXi8CFY%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">www.kwo.ks.gov</a>

Drought Emergency:&nbsp; Finney, Grant, Greeley, Hamilton, Haskell, Kearny, Morton, Scott, Seward, Stanton, Stevens, Wallace, Wichita

Drought Warning:&nbsp; Barber, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Clark, Comanche, Crawford, Ford, Gray, Hodgeman, Jewell, Lane, Logan, Meade, Ness, Rawlins, Sherman, Smith, Thomas

Drought Watch:&nbsp; Allen, Anderson, Barton, Bourbon, Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Coffey, Cowley, Decatur, Dickinson, Edwards, Elk, Ellis, Gove, Graham, Greenwood, Harper, Harvey, Johnson, Kiowa, Labette, Linn, Lyon, Marion, Miami, Mitchell, Montgomery, Morris, Neosho, Norton, Osborne, Pawnee, Phillips, Republic, Rooks, Rush, Sedgwick, Sheridan, Sumner, Trego, Wilson, Woodson, Wyandotte

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594123143059.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA&nbsp;–&nbsp; Governor Kelly issued Drought Declarations for Kansas counties with Executive Order #20-54 on Monday. The declaration includes 74 out of 105 counties either in an emergency, warning or watch status.“Unfortunately, the majority of the state of Kansas has been considered in drought or abnormally dry conditions for the past several weeks, which has led to high risk of fire hazard,” said Governor Kelly. “This declaration will allow affected communities to access the water they need. I encourage Kansans to continue to be mindful of drought conditions, and work to minimize the threat of fires across the state.”The drought declaration placed 13 counties in emergency status, 18 into a warning status and 44 into a watch status. This action was recommended by Earl Lewis, Director of the Kansas Water Office and Chair of the Governor’s Drought Response Team. Most of the state has received fewer than 70% of its normal rainfall since January, and many southwestern counties have received less than half of their normal precipitation.“It has been a very dry winter and spring, especially in western Kansas, and forecasts into the coming summer months predict higher temperatures and fewer chances of precipitation,” said Lewis. “The Governor’s Drought Response Team will continue to monitor the situation closely as future outlooks call for drought persisting and make recommendations to the Governor as necessary.”Counties who are in emergency stage are eligible for emergency use of water from certain state fishing lakes due to the Kansas Water Office (KWO) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Kansas Department of Wildlife Parks and Tourism (KDWPT).Individuals and communities need to contact KWO for a water supply request prior to any withdrawals from lakes. They will in turn be referred to the appropriate KDWPT office to obtain the necessary permit to withdraw the water.This Executive Order shall remain in effect for those counties so identified until rescinded by Executive Order or superseded by a subsequent Executive Order revising the drought stage status of the affected counties. Effective immediately:<ul>
 <li>Declare a Drought Emergency, Warning or Drought Watch for the counties identified below;</li><li>Authorize and direct all agencies under the jurisdiction of the Governor to implement the appropriate watch or warning level-drought response actions assigned in the Operations Plan of the Governor’s Drought Response Team.</li>
 </ul>The Governor’s Drought Response Team will continue to watch the situation closely and work to minimize the effects the drought has on Kansans.For more detailed information about current conditions, see the Kansas Climate Summary and Drought Report on the Kansas Water Office website at:&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kwo.ks.gov%2F&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7C537c9c8a26a143dfd68408d821f837c6%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637296697246826777&amp;sdata=dt08ibjIIg4MPFpQAhYV7GGMhQi%2FGURsbXZnTXi8CFY%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">www.kwo.ks.gov</a>County Drought Stage Declarations:Drought Emergency:&nbsp; Finney, Grant, Greeley, Hamilton, Haskell, Kearny, Morton, Scott, Seward, Stanton, Stevens, Wallace, WichitaDrought Warning:&nbsp; Barber, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Clark, Comanche, Crawford, Ford, Gray, Hodgeman, Jewell, Lane, Logan, Meade, Ness, Rawlins, Sherman, Smith, ThomasDrought Watch:&nbsp; Allen, Anderson, Barton, Bourbon, Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Coffey, Cowley, Decatur, Dickinson, Edwards, Elk, Ellis, Gove, Graham, Greenwood, Harper, Harvey, Johnson, Kiowa, Labette, Linn, Lyon, Marion, Miami, Mitchell, Montgomery, Morris, Neosho, Norton, Osborne, Pawnee, Phillips, Republic, Rooks, Rush, Sedgwick, Sheridan, Sumner, Trego, Wilson, Woodson, Wyandotte

Governor declares drought emergency for Kansas counties

GREAT BEND – A Florida man was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 100 years after pleading guilty to two counts of first-degree murder, according to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt.

Michael Fowler, Jr., 56, of Sarasota, Florida, was sentenced Monday in Barton County District Court by Judge Mike Keeley.

Fowler was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for 50 years on each of two counts of first-degree murder. Keeley ordered the two sentences to run consecutively. Fowler was also sentenced to 21 months in prison for theft. Keeley ordered that sentence to run concurrently to the murder sentences.

Fowler pleaded guilty to the charges in March 2019. Fowler was charged with the crimes in connection with the July 2018 deaths of Alfred “Sonny” Carpenter and Pauline Carpenter.

Their bodies&nbsp; were discovered in July in shallow graves near Van Buren, Arkansas. Prosecutors say the Carpenters were killed at the Barton County Fair, where they were vendors. Fowler and other suspects worked for the carnival company at the fair.

The case was investigated by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the Great Bend Police Department in Kansas, as well as the Van Buren Police Department and Crawford County Sheriff’s Office in Arkansas.&nbsp;

Two additional defendants have been convicted on related charges and are awaiting sentencing.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1582143499597.png" alt="Fowler photo Crawford Co. Arkansas sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Fowler photo Crawford Co. Arkansas sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>GREAT BEND – A Florida man was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 100 years after pleading guilty to two counts of first-degree murder, according to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt. Michael Fowler, Jr., 56, of Sarasota, Florida, was sentenced Monday in Barton County District Court by Judge Mike Keeley. Fowler was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for 50 years on each of two counts of first-degree murder. Keeley ordered the two sentences to run consecutively. Fowler was also sentenced to 21 months in prison for theft. Keeley ordered that sentence to run concurrently to the murder sentences. Fowler pleaded guilty to the charges in March 2019. Fowler was charged with the crimes in connection with the July 2018 deaths of Alfred “Sonny” Carpenter and Pauline Carpenter.Their bodies&nbsp; were discovered in July in shallow graves near Van Buren, Arkansas. Prosecutors say the Carpenters were killed at the Barton County Fair, where they were vendors. Fowler and other suspects worked for the carnival company at the fair.The case was investigated by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the Great Bend Police Department in Kansas, as well as the Van Buren Police Department and Crawford County Sheriff’s Office in Arkansas.&nbsp; Two additional defendants have been convicted on related charges and are awaiting sentencing.

Florida man sentenced for murders of couple at Barton Co. Fair

By CORINNE BOYER <a href="https://www.hppr.org/post/look-sizable-pool-candidates-hoping-represent-kansas-big-1st">Kansas News Service</a>

GARDEN CITY, Kansas — Four Republicans and two 
Democrats are running for Kansas’ 1st Congressional District seat. It’s 
open because Republican U.S. Rep. Roger Marshall hopes to win the&nbsp; U.S. 
Senate seat held by Pat Robers, who is retiring.

Known as the 
Big 1st, the congressional district encompasses 63 counties (more than 
half in the state) and starts just past Manhattan in eastern Kansas, 
going south to Hutchinson and west all the way to the Colorado border.&nbsp;

The Kansas News Service interviewed five of <a href="https://www.sos.ks.gov/elections/elections_upcoming_candidate_display.aspx?id=27">the candidates</a> ahead of the Aug. 4 primary to find out where they stand on major issues; Republican <a href="https://michaelsoetaertforcongress.com/">Michael Soetaert</a> did not respond to requests for an interview. The candidates are divided by party, and listed in alphabetical order after that.

Kali Barnett Age: 35&nbsp;&nbsp; Lives in: Manhattan&nbsp;

About her: Barnett was born and grew up in Garden 
City. She grew up singing with her dad in church, eventually becoming a 
public school music teacher.

Why she’s running: 
Barnett was inspired by the number of women who ran for Congress in 2018
 and the massive teacher strikes during the same year. “I’m incredibly 
passionate about fighting for our education system, especially our 
public schools and especially our rural communities and the need for our
 schools to be thriving,” she said.

Government’s handling of COVID-19:
 On the state level, Barnett thinks Gov. Laura Kelly made sound 
decisions and acted quickly. But she said that wasn’t the case for the 
federal government’s response: “As a country, there’s been a lot of 
division on what the best decisions have been and how to act quickly on 
that.”

Killing of George Floyd and police violence:
 “My thoughts go out to the family of George Floyd and all of the 
families who have experienced this brutality and their life ending too 
soon because .... being at the hands of the police.” She said she 
doesn’t condone violent protests, adding, “I understand the sadness, the
 hurt and the rage that our black communities and our people of color 
are experiencing … and have experienced for decades.” If elected, 
Barnett said she will continue to “stand up for justice and our 
communities, and that includes our people of color that are here.”

Agriculture:
 Barnett supports farmers and ranchers and said issues like trade 
instability and the farm-economy need to be addressed to help 
agriculture thrive. “It’s incredibly important that we are a voice for 
our family farms and their interests and not corporations,” she said. 
Barnett’s family in 2002 lost their wheat farm, the only source of 
income, when she was 17. She said a few weeks later, she sang with her 
dad in a wedding in the morning, and he died from a heart attack at 47 
that afternoon.

Immigration: Barnett said there 
should be “a path to citizenship that is created for our immigrant 
families and communities, especially people that have been here for a 
very, very long time.” She added: “It is really important that we 
support all of our people here in the 1st district.”

Health care:
 Barnett wants to “build off of” the health care system President Barack
 Obama put into law, saying “we cannot eliminate that right now.” She 
supports universal health care, saying that it “includes mental health 
care, eye care and dental care.” Telemedicine is also an important part 
of health care in the largely rural district, she said.

Climate change:
 Whether dealing with flooding or drought, Barnett said ranchers and 
farmers will continue dealing with extreme weather. She wants to reduce 
carbon emissions and work with farmers and ranchers “to not put 
regulations that will hinder them, but that will empower people to have 
this positive change.” She pointed to Kansas’s wind energy industry as a
 renewable source that is working well.

Christy Davis Age: 45 Lives in: Cottonwood Falls

About her: Davis grew up in Harvey County and has 
worked in all 105 Kansas counties. She and her husband have an 
8-year-old son, and Davis owns her own historic preservation company. 
She’s been involved with the Democratic Party for about 20 years and 
worked on now-Gov. Laura Kelly’s state Senate campaign in 2004.

Why she’s running:
 Davis wants to be a voice for rural communities. “People in rural 
communities have pretty strong opinions about things, and I know a lot 
of folks ... feel like they're being left out,” Davis said. In the past,
 she said people in communities dealing with rural hospital and 
community development issues have asked for her help. “And over time 
then there came to be an open seat,” she said, “So that was an 
opportunity.” Davis has received endorsements from former Kansas Gov. 
John Carlin, former Kansas U.S. Rep. Nancy Boyda and former U.S. 
Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman.

Government’s handling of COVID-19:
 She said she applauds Kelly’s handling of the public health crisis. 
Davis said it’s important that people have access to information and had
 more of it been available, it could have saved lives. She said some 
good leadership came from the federal government: “When you don’t have 
good administration, it’s hard to keep those good public employees. So 
I’m grateful given the situation that we've had with dismantling 
government, that we've had some good folks remain.”

Killing of George Floyd and police violence:
 “I’m not of the camp that all police are bad,” Davis said. “I’m out of 
the camp that there are bad apples, but there are systematic changes 
that should be taking place.” For Davis, everyone should have the right 
to experience life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. “We have folks
 who haven't had access to those basic values,” Davis said, adding that 
her experience with police differs from what people experience in big 
cities. “Nobody should be in a situation where they live in fear of the 
people who are supposed to be protecting us,” she said.

Agriculture:
 Davis grew up on a dairy farm until she was 11. “In the ’80s, like a 
lot of dairy farms, it went under,” she said, likening that decade to 
the present where consolidation and bankruptcies are impacting family 
farms. Producers, she said, aren’t benefiting from meat prices, but they
 should be. “Because of my background, because of the folks that I work 
with every day, I’m going to err on the side of the producers … family 
farmers (and) family ranchers.”

Immigration: 
Looking back at the history immigration in the 19th century, Davis said 
immigrants contributed to and “played central roles in communities, and 
that there was also a pretty fast-track way for folks to become 
citizens.” She wants people to have the opportunity to immigrate here 
legally.

Health care: She is concerned about the
 Republican candidates who want to see the health care law eliminated. 
She advocated for the act, passed in 2010, after her sister, who was a 
doctor in Salina, told her about low-income people who don’t have access
 to health care. Davis's sister died from a rare form of cancer. It’s 
not a perfect solution, Davis said, but it is important to her because 
it protects people with pre-existing conditions. “I have the BRC1 gene,”
 she said. “In order to address the concerns, as far as my risk for 
(breast) cancer, that could kill me, I had to have prophylactic 
surgery.”&nbsp;

Climate change: Because farmers and 
ranchers’ “entire livelihood depends on climate” and is “tied to weather
 on both a macro and micro level,” Davis said the conversation should 
start with them: “I'm going to be the person who is advocating, getting 
lots of different perspectives and identifying specific approaches that 
folks should take when addressing the issue.”

Two GOP candidates took part in a
 June debate that included a guest speaker from the organization 
Understanding the Threat, which says on its website that “the mission … 
is to empower citizens, elected officials and police to dismantle the 
Marxist/communist and jihadi networks inside the United States and 
re-establish America’s founding principles in their communities.” We 
asked those candidates about the organization, and their answers are 
below.

Bill Clifford Age: 65 (66 in July) Lives in: Garden City

About him: At 17, Clifford left his home state of 
New Jersey, eventually joined the Air Force and became a fighter pilot. 
Clifford is an ophthalmologist and has lived in Garden City for 25 
years; the couple adopted five children and have six kids.

Why he’s running: Clifford
 thought being a Finney County Commissioner would be his “terminal 
service to community.” But once the congressional seat opened up, people
 asked him to consider running. “I wasn't seeking it, but they said ‘You
 are the right kind of person; you have the right attitude. You can get 
along with people.’” He says his ideology also matches the district 
well: He’s conservative, pro-life and supports President Donald Trump.

Government’s handling of coronavirus: As
 a physician, Clifford said his perspective is unique. He has close 
friends working in ICU units who are in constant contact with people who
 have the virus. He said Finney County has had to modify its reopening 
because of the number of cases. But he says there’s been an overreach in
 blue states. “I do think this pandemic has brought it home to citizens 
how arbitrarily their rights can be taken away by government,” Clifford 
said, “and as a conservative, I totally disagree with that approach.”

Killing of George Floyd and police violence: Clifford
 said he sends prayers to the family of Floyd and called his death, 
which happened when a Minneapolis officer kneeled on his neck for almost
 nine minutes, “a great tragedy.” He supports free speech and protests. 
“My support ends when windows start breaking and vehicles start being 
torched and first responders are attacked,” he said, adding that he 
backs Trump’s “law and order approach.”

Agriculture and immigration: Clifford’s
 grandparents immigrated from Ireland, and he said he understands the 
immigrant story. He also sees the importance of immigration to 
agriculture, as Kansas’ cattle, grain operations and dairies rely on 
immigrant labor. First, he wants the border secured and backs Trump’s 
efforts to do that. “But then we’ve got to get these visa processes 
correct,” he said, also noting the government needs to get the 
guest-worker program “right.”

Health care: Clifford
 said access to health care is a problem: “You could give everybody 
insurance, but there aren’t enough doctors, nurse practitioners, 
physicians, assistants to see all those people.” He’d like to see the 
Medicare budget increased “so we can get more physicians trained.” 
Prescription drug coverage and availability is something Clifford’s 
patients say affects them, and his solution is to bring drug production 
back to the U.S. As far as the affordability of health care, Clifford 
supports “free-market solutions rather than government solutions” 
because he says competition will push down costs.

Climate change: Clifford
 pays attention to scientific data, and said the Earth goes through cold
 and hot cycles. “I do feel we are in a cycle of warming. I think we may
 just find ourselves back in the cooling phase,” he said. Clifford added
 that he doesn’t support “actions, especially unilateral actions by our 
country that would be harmful to our economy.”

On Understanding the Threat organization:
 Clifford said he had not heard of the organization. He said he doesn’t 
need to agree with the group to have participated in the debate, and 
thinks more people running for office should be opening to ideas from 
the left, right and center. Clifford also said he lived in Saudi Arabia 
for a year and understands Islam: “I would disagree with anyone who 
would truncate our ability to worship freely in this country, because 
that's a founding principle.”

Tracey Mann Age: 43&nbsp; Lives in: Salina

About him: Mann grew up in Quinter in Gove County, 
where his family has farmed and raised cattle for more than a century. 
He played eight-man football growing up and attended Kansas State 
University where he studied agricultural economics. Mann, who has four 
children, said the bulk of his career has been as a realtor and property
 developer. He also was the state’s 50th lieutenant governor, serving in
 former Gov. Jeff Colyer’s administration.

Why he’s running: Mann
 said he wants “to take Kansas conservative values and to advocate for 
agriculture in Washington, D.C.,” adding: “I see what’s happening in 
D.C. with A.O.C. (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) and The Squad and Bernie 
Sanders and this march toward socialism, and it really alarms me.”

Government’s handling of coronavirus: In
 early June, Mann said it was past time to reopen and “get back to 
work.” “Steps were taken to flatten the curb early on but those things 
are behind us and we need to restart the economy,” he said.

Killing of George Floyd and police violence: Mann
 called Floyd’s killing horrible. “It was murder, as I see it, from a 
police officer, and that person should be charged to the fullest extent 
of the law,” he said. Mann agrees with peaceful protests,but, he said, 
“As protests become violent and they damage other people’s property, 
that is not right either, and we’ve got to be a country of law and 
order.”

Agriculture: Mann said he’s a proponent 
for agriculture, and has the backing of the Kansas Farm Bureau. He said 
the industry is facing a number of issues like “low commodity prices, 
lack of free trade or trade barriers” and “burdensome regulation from 
the EPA and others.” He added that “free trade is the future of ag.” By 
increasing demand, Mann said that will improve commodity prices, “which 
will help main streets in Garden City, Scott City, throughout southwest 
Kansas and throughout the entire state.”

Immigration: Mann
 supports legal immigration and Trump’s border wall. He said securing 
the border is the first step. “Beyond that, we need a system in place 
where people can come to the country legally and do jobs needed for our 
economy,” Mann said.

Health care: It begins with
 having “good doctors,” Mann said. Having the University of Kansas 
School of Medicine in Salina helps “because (there’s a) much higher 
likelihood that those students will stay in our more rural underserved 
areas,” he said. As far as health care coverage, Mann said he “rejects 
Obamacare. I do not think that government should take over our medical 
system.”

Climate change: Mann said scientific 
data shows that the “climate is changing” and “scientific data that says
 it’s not.” He doesn’t think any changes need to be made to the economy 
because of climate change. “I hear stories about smog and various 
things, the climate and how it was decades ago, and is getting much 
better,” he said. “I don’t believe the federal government needs to be 
adding more regulations at this time.”

On Understanding the Threat organization: Mann
 also said he had not heard of the group. He said America is a democracy
 and debates are fundamental to a democracy. “I’m delighted to talk 
about issues with whoever arrives,” he said, adding: “Freedom of 
religion is one of our basic founding principles.”

Jerry Molstad Age: 63&nbsp;&nbsp; Lives in: La Crosse

About him: Molstad grew up in Colby and has served 
in the military — from the Army National Guard in Dodge City and 
Missouri, as well as the Air Force Reserves in Wichita and Colorado. The
 physicians assistant in family practice and emergency room medicine 
used to be a pharmaceutical sales representative for Eli Lilly in 
western Kansas. He has six kids and is also one of six siblings.&nbsp;

Why he’s running: He
 ran as a Democrat in the 1st District in 1992, but since then, he’s 
“been outside the box of on the military side” and as a first responder.
 “All my life ... I was in ambulances and fire departments and ERs.” He 
doesn’t think being a congressman or a senator should be a lifetime 
appointment, and wants to “make a bigger difference” in a “short amount 
of time.”

Government’s handling of coronavirus: Overall,
 he thinks the government did a good job handling the pandemic, but that
 cities like New York weren’t prepared. He remembers the September 11 
terrorist attacks.“You have to put this (on) the same page as a 
biochemical attack and you do need the resources, the ventilators, the 
masks,” he said. His job gave him a front-row seat on how the virus 
affected the rural 1st district. “Little places out here in western 
Kansas, we could handle so much,” he said. “Then you have to go to a 
referral center like St. Catherine's or even here at Hays Medical 
Center, it was overwhelming.”

Killing of George Floyd and police violence: Molstad
 watched the video and said it was “absolutely painful.” He also said he
 doesn’t want to stigmatize police, but “the race issues that are going 
on, I understand it. I really do.” He has discussed it with his 
coworkers, saying: “We don't understand how a peaceful thing can turn 
into a free-for-all breaking into businesses that goes against 
everything I think about protesting.”

Agriculture: Molstad
 has cattle in Scott County and used to have farm ground in Thomas 
County. He said cattle producers are getting hurt by prices. “They feed 
them, take care of them, and then when you try to sell them, no one 
wants to pay a premium dollar for them,” he said, adding, “Someone's 
making money off this now, but it sure as heck isn’t the Kansas 
rancher.”

Immigration: “Without the Hispanic 
population in southwest Kansas, there would be no beef in this industry 
whatsoever,” he said. He wants immigrants to be able to get visas and 
work because they are doing jobs like driving grain trucks and working 
in meatpacking, that other people don’t want to do. Those industries “be
 high and dry without these people that have a really high work ethic,” 
he said.

Health care: Molstad said Obama’s 
health care law was a good start, but thinks the standards should be 
loosened because he knows there are people who can’t afford insurance. 
“There's people who just make $1 more than they should, and they're 
ineligible for Medicare, Medicaid or Medicaid or (KanCare)” he said.

Climate change: Molstad
 said climate change is happening, and it should be up to individuals to
 change their own habits. “Don’t use your car, don't drive all over. Be 
efficient with your use of energy.” Taxing industries, like airlines, 
won’t help, he said, rather, “it just runs the cost up,” he said.

Clarification: This story previously stated a Democrat last held the seat in the 1950s. Congressional district borders change over time. A southwest Kansas Democrat served in Congress in the 1960s.

Corinne Boyer covers western Kansas for High Plains Public Radio and the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter<a href="https://twitter.com/Corinne_Boyer"> @corinne_boyer</a> or email cboyer@hppr.org.

Sizable pool of candidates hoping to represent Big First 

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that injured a 20-year-old man with life threatening injuries and 21-year-old male with non-life threatening injuries.

Just after 12:30 a.m. Monday police responded to a shooting in the area of Kellogg and Grove, according to office Paul Cruz.

Upon arrival, officers located a 20-year-old victim who had several gunshot wounds to his body. Also, a 21-year-old male arrived to an area hospital via a private vehicle with multiple gunshots wounds to his body.

The initial investigation revealed an unknown suspect shot at the victim’s vehicle while on the eastbound lanes of Kellogg. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594066090533.png" alt="Police conducting their investigation early Monday -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police conducting their investigation early Monday -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that injured a 20-year-old man with life threatening injuries and 21-year-old male with non-life threatening injuries.Just after 12:30 a.m. Monday police responded to a shooting in the area of Kellogg and Grove, according to office Paul Cruz. Upon arrival, officers located a 20-year-old victim who had several gunshot wounds to his body. Also, a 21-year-old male arrived to an area hospital via a private vehicle with multiple gunshots wounds to his body.The initial investigation revealed an unknown suspect shot at the victim’s vehicle while on the eastbound lanes of Kellogg. Investigators are still trying to determine what led up to the shooting and are asking for the public’s help.&nbsp;