By BLAISE MESA and ANDREW BAHL <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-09-20/kansas-inmates-say-medical-care-is-so-bad-they-will-let-someone-die-in-here-before-they-try-to-help">Kansas News Service</a>

Inmate Terry Bowen barely copes with the pain from a variety of medical problems.

Now he's on the verge of losing access to Tylenol — his over-the-counter pain reliever — at the Lansing Correctional Facility.

So
 when the aches of his arthritis flare up, he'll just have to bear 
through the pain. Worse yet, the grapefruit-sized hernia in his chest. 
More painful still: wires used to tie his ribs back together after an 
earlier procedure broke and remain pointing at his heart and torturing 
the inside of his chest.

Tylenol may not seem like much, but the pills offer Bowen at least some relief.

“Do
 you have wires inside your chest sticking you? Have you got arthritis, 
have you got degenerating discs in your neck?” said the 75-year-old 
Bowen. “Well, if you do and you can do without Tylenol, well then, I can
 do without it. But if you’ve got to deal with the pain, you just deal 
with the pain.”

Dozens of current and former inmates in the Kansas
 prison system told The Kansas News Service and The Topeka 
Capital-Journal their medical care threatens their health.

Complaints
 touch nearly every area of medical care. Delivery of medications can be
 delayed and even if the medicine comes, inmates say, they are sometimes
 given treatments that trigger allergic reactions. Meanwhile, cancer 
screenings and checkups get missed, and if inmates are unhappy with 
their care, some struggle to get a second opinion.

To ease some of
 his pain, Bowen could get surgery. But prison staff refuse to treat the
 hernia. They might operate on the wires in his chest, but they fear 
surgery would make Bowen’s condition worse. He’s complained about the 
issues for over a year while worrying that the wires could pierce his 
heart.

“There’s times when I feel like somebody’s stabbing an ice pick in me and I damn near dropped to my knee,” Bowen said.

While
 he says his nurse at Lansing Correctional Facility is pleasant, he 
argues the rest of the system has broken down for him. Bowen, who has 
been in prison since 2012, has seen multiple health contractors come and
 go with no improvement.

Prison medical care has been a perennial 
complaint from prisoners in Kansas. The system ditched its old provider 
in 2020. It hoped its new medical services contractor, Centurion of 
Kansas, would usher in an era of better care, but, as one inmate put it,
 “They will let someone die in here before they try to help.”

The 
Department of Corrections insists it’s satisfied with the care Centurion
 provides, pointing out that monthly informal complaints about medical 
care have dropped considerably from December 2021 to August 2022, 
dipping from 281 to 32 and saying formal audits of the contractor also 
show improvement.

The agency added that there were more than 6,000
 referrals for care, 11,323 off-site services were provided, 33,073 
resident visits to the facility physician or APRN, 17,043 dental visits 
and 124,797 prescriptions filled in the fiscal year that ended in July —
 all signs of a functioning system for thousands of inmates each year. 
For context, there are currently 8441 adult offenders in Kansas prisons.

“Providing
 medical care to a resident in need is not only the right thing to do, 
it is a requirement under state and federal law,” the corrections 
department said in a written response to questions. “The employees and 
leadership of Centurion have demonstrated themselves to provide good 
customer service for both the department and our residents. They are 
responsive to feedback and have improved the quality of care provided 
for our residents.”

Even basic medical care can be hard to access in Kansas prisons

Centurion
 is audited on its ability to meet a dozen performance metrics. The 
contractor has paid more than $900,000 in fines between January 2021 and
 May 2022 for failing to hit those marks. Centurion was fined just under
 5,000 times.

Centurion's contract, Department of Corrections records show totals $76.6 million over a two-year period.

The
 department said a bulk of those fines were in the early months of the 
contract and Centurion improved services and was fined fewer times as it
 went on. However, the company was hit with larger fines more often as 
time went on.

In March 2021, Centurion was fined 338 times for $50,450. A year 
later in March 2022, there were 144 compliance fines for $45,700.

The
 company’s best month was Aug. 2021 when it had 96 infractions, the only
 time it was fined under 100 times. That is still an average of three 
compliance mistakes a day.

An inmate in a state prison, who wanted
 to remain unnamed, said dental appointments and help for their injured 
knee are frustrating, at best, because they don't speak English well and
 their prison doctors don’t speak Spanish.

They went to the 
dentist because eating cold things hurts so much they might cry. A tooth
 in the back of their mouth hurts, but the prison dentist offered to 
pull their front two teeth. The dentist tried showing them X-rays of the
 teeth to highlight the problem, but that only confused them more.

“They
 are my teeth and I just saw my teeth. I didn’t see anything unusual,” 
they said in Spanish. “They wanted to take my teeth out, right then, 
right there. I didn’t.”

That story underscores that even accessing
 basic care can sometimes prove difficult, a claim the department 
disputes. Centurion declined to comment for this story and the Kansas 
Department of Corrections declined in-person interviews. Department 
spokesperson David Thomson said via email that none of the claims 
brought forth by reporters are something they can fix without more 
information.

Department leadership pointed to audits by KU Med 
that they say show Centurion is providing good care. Those audits track 
timeliness of non-emergency health calls, mental health screenings and 
periodic health assessments, among other metrics.

The documents 
show individual prisons achieved zero percent compliance in certain 
categories nine times and 50% or lower compliance more than 40 times. It
 isn’t clear what exactly Centurion is failing to do because the 
performance reports only list compliance in broad categories.

In 
February 2022, the Lansing Correctional Facility was compliant on only 
23% of its nonemergency sick calls. In February 2021, only 6% of El 
Dorado’s intake health reports were compliant. That same month, none of 
the Topeka Correctional Facility's Facilities’ intake health reports 
were compliant.

The El Dorado Correctional Facility had the most 
fines — almost $400,000 — of any prison. The Topeka Correctional 
Facility was penalized disproportionately. The women’s prison was fined 
more than the Larned, Winfield, Ellsworth, Norton and the youth prisons 
combined, despite those facilities housing around three times the people
 held in Topeka.

The agency countered that the number of fines per
 month decreased from around 900 in February of 2021 to around 200 in 
May, 2022.

Tiffany Trotter, a 31-year-old inmate who has been in 
prison since 2020, has diabetes and is allergic to some types of 
medication. Even though medical staff knew about her allergy, they twice
 prescribed her the medication. She had an allergic reaction the second 
time that meant care was further delayed.

She also has a nagging ear injury that prison doctors can’t seem to identify. If she could, she would have seen another doctor.

“They don’t send us (to) outside doctors very often unless you've got like a broken bone or something,” she said.

Meanwhile,
 inmate Shaqwania Mathis, a 26-year-old inmate who has been in prison 
since 2017, said staff delay procedures without reason.

“I lost count on how many days, months, weeks or years KDOC staff has let something go untreated,” she said.

Lawmakers say the department lacks transparency

Requests for the KU audits from the Kansas News Service and Topeka Capital-Journal was partially denied.

Monthly
 compliance reports were produced, but fuller audits made available to 
news media in 2018 were not. KDOC said the forms have changed and denied
 the request on the grounds that they contain personally identifiable 
medical information about inmates.

In a more detailed response, 
provided by Randall Bowman, KDOC’s director of public affairs, said “an 
apparent error” was made when the agency made the records public in 
2018.

“By making the peer review process public, that threatens the integrity of the peer review process itself,” Bowman wrote.

Rep. John Carmichael, a Wichita Democrat, said the agency needs to be more transparent.

“If they changed the form in a way so that now they can claim it’s exempt under the open records act,” he said. “That is wrong.”

The
 American Correctional Association lists all of Kansas’ prisons as fully
 accredited, though some are listed as still using the prior medical 
contractor, Corizon.

Reporters asked for more documents on the 
accreditation for each prison, but the Kansas Department of Corrections 
says it doesn’t have the documents.

Centurion of Kansas declined 
to provide the accreditation records and said it is a private company 
that doesn't need to fulfill records requests. Its contract with the 
state, however, specifically says it is subject to Kansas open records 
laws.

Centurion again declined to fulfill the request even after reporters pointed out the contract stipulation.

The
 news organizations also asked inmates to provide copies of their 
medical records in an effort to further corroborate key details about 
medical care, only to be told by the individuals that the prisons 
limited access to their own records.

“If I go over to get my 
medical records, they won't print them out for me,” said Bowen, the 
inmate at Lansing Correctional Facility. “They’ll give me 15 minutes on 
the computer to look up and write down what I need to.”

The department says this is to reduce the amount of sensitive medical information that is in prisons.

An
 inability for inmates and their families to access their own medical 
records is routinely a problem in Kansas, said Karen Russo, president of
 the Wrongful Death and Injury Institute in Kansas City, Mo., even if a 
family member has power of attorney.

“Kansas is one of the worst 
states in the country for providing medical documents or any kind of 
information regarding inmates,” Russo said.

Medical care routinely is a bugaboo for states across the country

Prison medical care is routinely cited as a problem in states across the country.

A
 decade-plus long federal court case has raged over whether Arizona’s 
privatized prison care system adequately meets the needs of inmates. It 
implicates at least a triumvirate of private contractors, including 
Centurion and Corizon.

While being sued is a fact of life for 
prisons and their contractors, this one has had real teeth. A federal 
judge, for instance, fined the state millions for not complying with 
guidelines he set forth.

And one prison worker alleged Centurion had her file falsified reports in an effort to evade court sanctions.

Marc
 Stern, assistant professor for health systems at the University of 
Washington and an expert on prison medical care, said several factors 
make providing medical care in prisons particularly difficult.

While
 the decisions by states, including Kansas, to privatize care plays a 
role, he said the biggest problem comes from an unwillingness to spend 
more on health care.

But while many Kansans may be reluctant to spend more on caring for criminals, Stern argued doing so is a good idea.

Government might save money on an individual’s medical care while they are in prison, he acknowledged.

But
 taxpayers ultimately must pay the piper if that same person and their 
untreated conditions wind up on Medicaid or another form of public 
assistance. This can also drive up health care costs for private 
employers if an individual winds up being covered through their work.

“It
 would make more sense for the public to say ‘We do want to invest money
 in the quality of health care when people are in prison,’” Stern said. 
“Because they're going to come back to the community, and if we can make
 them healthier before they do, it's actually going to save us, as the 
taxpayer, money down the road.”

Andrew Bahl is a senior 
statehouse reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached at
 abahl@gannett.com or by phone at 443-979-6100. Blaise Mesa
 reports on criminal justice and social services for the Kansas News 
Service in Topeka. You can follow him on Twitter @Blaise_Mesa or email 
him at blaise@kcur.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663680763945.png" alt="Inmates in Kansas prison say medical care is so poor it threatens their health. The state disagrees. Carlos Moreno / KCUR" />
 <figcaption>Inmates in Kansas prison say medical care is so poor it threatens their health. The state disagrees. Carlos Moreno / KCUR</figcaption>
 </figure>By BLAISE MESA and ANDREW BAHL <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-09-20/kansas-inmates-say-medical-care-is-so-bad-they-will-let-someone-die-in-here-before-they-try-to-help">Kansas News Service</a>Inmate Terry Bowen barely copes with the pain from a variety of medical problems.Now he's on the verge of losing access to Tylenol — his over-the-counter pain reliever — at the Lansing Correctional Facility.So
 when the aches of his arthritis flare up, he'll just have to bear 
through the pain. Worse yet, the grapefruit-sized hernia in his chest. 
More painful still: wires used to tie his ribs back together after an 
earlier procedure broke and remain pointing at his heart and torturing 
the inside of his chest.Tylenol may not seem like much, but the pills offer Bowen at least some relief.“Do
 you have wires inside your chest sticking you? Have you got arthritis, 
have you got degenerating discs in your neck?” said the 75-year-old 
Bowen. “Well, if you do and you can do without Tylenol, well then, I can
 do without it. But if you’ve got to deal with the pain, you just deal 
with the pain.”Dozens of current and former inmates in the Kansas
 prison system told The Kansas News Service and The Topeka 
Capital-Journal their medical care threatens their health.Complaints
 touch nearly every area of medical care. Delivery of medications can be
 delayed and even if the medicine comes, inmates say, they are sometimes
 given treatments that trigger allergic reactions. Meanwhile, cancer 
screenings and checkups get missed, and if inmates are unhappy with 
their care, some struggle to get a second opinion.To ease some of
 his pain, Bowen could get surgery. But prison staff refuse to treat the
 hernia. They might operate on the wires in his chest, but they fear 
surgery would make Bowen’s condition worse. He’s complained about the 
issues for over a year while worrying that the wires could pierce his 
heart.“There’s times when I feel like somebody’s stabbing an ice pick in me and I damn near dropped to my knee,” Bowen said.While
 he says his nurse at Lansing Correctional Facility is pleasant, he 
argues the rest of the system has broken down for him. Bowen, who has 
been in prison since 2012, has seen multiple health contractors come and
 go with no improvement.Prison medical care has been a perennial 
complaint from prisoners in Kansas. The system ditched its old provider 
in 2020. It hoped its new medical services contractor, Centurion of 
Kansas, would usher in an era of better care, but, as one inmate put it,
 “They will let someone die in here before they try to help.”The 
Department of Corrections insists it’s satisfied with the care Centurion
 provides, pointing out that monthly informal complaints about medical 
care have dropped considerably from December 2021 to August 2022, 
dipping from 281 to 32 and saying formal audits of the contractor also 
show improvement.The agency added that there were more than 6,000
 referrals for care, 11,323 off-site services were provided, 33,073 
resident visits to the facility physician or APRN, 17,043 dental visits 
and 124,797 prescriptions filled in the fiscal year that ended in July —
 all signs of a functioning system for thousands of inmates each year. 
For context, there are currently 8441 adult offenders in Kansas prisons.“Providing
 medical care to a resident in need is not only the right thing to do, 
it is a requirement under state and federal law,” the corrections 
department said in a written response to questions. “The employees and 
leadership of Centurion have demonstrated themselves to provide good 
customer service for both the department and our residents. They are 
responsive to feedback and have improved the quality of care provided 
for our residents.” <h2>Even basic medical care can be hard to access in Kansas prisons</h2>Centurion
 is audited on its ability to meet a dozen performance metrics. The 
contractor has paid more than $900,000 in fines between January 2021 and
 May 2022 for failing to hit those marks. Centurion was fined just under
 5,000 times.Centurion's contract, Department of Corrections records show totals $76.6 million over a two-year period.The
 department said a bulk of those fines were in the early months of the 
contract and Centurion improved services and was fined fewer times as it
 went on. However, the company was hit with larger fines more often as 
time went on.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663680852568.png" alt="A bar graph showing the number of compliance fines month by month. KDOC" />
 <figcaption>A bar graph showing the number of compliance fines month by month. KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>In March 2021, Centurion was fined 338 times for $50,450. A year 
later in March 2022, there were 144 compliance fines for $45,700.The
 company’s best month was Aug. 2021 when it had 96 infractions, the only
 time it was fined under 100 times. That is still an average of three 
compliance mistakes a day.An inmate in a state prison, who wanted
 to remain unnamed, said dental appointments and help for their injured 
knee are frustrating, at best, because they don't speak English well and
 their prison doctors don’t speak Spanish.They went to the 
dentist because eating cold things hurts so much they might cry. A tooth
 in the back of their mouth hurts, but the prison dentist offered to 
pull their front two teeth. The dentist tried showing them X-rays of the
 teeth to highlight the problem, but that only confused them more.“They
 are my teeth and I just saw my teeth. I didn’t see anything unusual,” 
they said in Spanish. “They wanted to take my teeth out, right then, 
right there. I didn’t.”That story underscores that even accessing
 basic care can sometimes prove difficult, a claim the department 
disputes. Centurion declined to comment for this story and the Kansas 
Department of Corrections declined in-person interviews. Department 
spokesperson David Thomson said via email that none of the claims 
brought forth by reporters are something they can fix without more 
information.Department leadership pointed to audits by KU Med 
that they say show Centurion is providing good care. Those audits track 
timeliness of non-emergency health calls, mental health screenings and 
periodic health assessments, among other metrics.The documents 
show individual prisons achieved zero percent compliance in certain 
categories nine times and 50% or lower compliance more than 40 times. It
 isn’t clear what exactly Centurion is failing to do because the 
performance reports only list compliance in broad categories.In 
February 2022, the Lansing Correctional Facility was compliant on only 
23% of its nonemergency sick calls. In February 2021, only 6% of El 
Dorado’s intake health reports were compliant. That same month, none of 
the Topeka Correctional Facility's Facilities’ intake health reports 
were compliant.The El Dorado Correctional Facility had the most 
fines — almost $400,000 — of any prison. The Topeka Correctional 
Facility was penalized disproportionately. The women’s prison was fined 
more than the Larned, Winfield, Ellsworth, Norton and the youth prisons 
combined, despite those facilities housing around three times the people
 held in Topeka.The agency countered that the number of fines per
 month decreased from around 900 in February of 2021 to around 200 in 
May, 2022.Tiffany Trotter, a 31-year-old inmate who has been in 
prison since 2020, has diabetes and is allergic to some types of 
medication. Even though medical staff knew about her allergy, they twice
 prescribed her the medication. She had an allergic reaction the second 
time that meant care was further delayed.She also has a nagging ear injury that prison doctors can’t seem to identify. If she could, she would have seen another doctor.“They don’t send us (to) outside doctors very often unless you've got like a broken bone or something,” she said.Meanwhile,
 inmate Shaqwania Mathis, a 26-year-old inmate who has been in prison 
since 2017, said staff delay procedures without reason.“I lost count on how many days, months, weeks or years KDOC staff has let something go untreated,” she said.<h2>Lawmakers say the department lacks transparency</h2>Requests for the KU audits from the Kansas News Service and Topeka Capital-Journal was partially denied.Monthly
 compliance reports were produced, but fuller audits made available to 
news media in 2018 were not. KDOC said the forms have changed and denied
 the request on the grounds that they contain personally identifiable 
medical information about inmates.In a more detailed response, 
provided by Randall Bowman, KDOC’s director of public affairs, said “an 
apparent error” was made when the agency made the records public in 
2018.“By making the peer review process public, that threatens the integrity of the peer review process itself,” Bowman wrote.Rep. John Carmichael, a Wichita Democrat, said the agency needs to be more transparent.“If they changed the form in a way so that now they can claim it’s exempt under the open records act,” he said. “That is wrong.”The
 American Correctional Association lists all of Kansas’ prisons as fully
 accredited, though some are listed as still using the prior medical 
contractor, Corizon.Reporters asked for more documents on the 
accreditation for each prison, but the Kansas Department of Corrections 
says it doesn’t have the documents.Centurion of Kansas declined 
to provide the accreditation records and said it is a private company 
that doesn't need to fulfill records requests. Its contract with the 
state, however, specifically says it is subject to Kansas open records 
laws.Centurion again declined to fulfill the request even after reporters pointed out the contract stipulation.The
 news organizations also asked inmates to provide copies of their 
medical records in an effort to further corroborate key details about 
medical care, only to be told by the individuals that the prisons 
limited access to their own records.“If I go over to get my 
medical records, they won't print them out for me,” said Bowen, the 
inmate at Lansing Correctional Facility. “They’ll give me 15 minutes on 
the computer to look up and write down what I need to.”The department says this is to reduce the amount of sensitive medical information that is in prisons.An
 inability for inmates and their families to access their own medical 
records is routinely a problem in Kansas, said Karen Russo, president of
 the Wrongful Death and Injury Institute in Kansas City, Mo., even if a 
family member has power of attorney.“Kansas is one of the worst 
states in the country for providing medical documents or any kind of 
information regarding inmates,” Russo said. <h2>Medical care routinely is a bugaboo for states across the country</h2>Prison medical care is routinely cited as a problem in states across the country.A
 decade-plus long federal court case has raged over whether Arizona’s 
privatized prison care system adequately meets the needs of inmates. It 
implicates at least a triumvirate of private contractors, including 
Centurion and Corizon.While being sued is a fact of life for 
prisons and their contractors, this one has had real teeth. A federal 
judge, for instance, fined the state millions for not complying with 
guidelines he set forth.And one prison worker alleged Centurion had her file falsified reports in an effort to evade court sanctions.Marc
 Stern, assistant professor for health systems at the University of 
Washington and an expert on prison medical care, said several factors 
make providing medical care in prisons particularly difficult.While
 the decisions by states, including Kansas, to privatize care plays a 
role, he said the biggest problem comes from an unwillingness to spend 
more on health care.But while many Kansans may be reluctant to spend more on caring for criminals, Stern argued doing so is a good idea.Government might save money on an individual’s medical care while they are in prison, he acknowledged.But
 taxpayers ultimately must pay the piper if that same person and their 
untreated conditions wind up on Medicaid or another form of public 
assistance. This can also drive up health care costs for private 
employers if an individual winds up being covered through their work.“It
 would make more sense for the public to say ‘We do want to invest money
 in the quality of health care when people are in prison,’” Stern said. 
“Because they're going to come back to the community, and if we can make
 them healthier before they do, it's actually going to save us, as the 
taxpayer, money down the road.”Andrew Bahl is a senior 
statehouse reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached at
 abahl@gannett.com or by phone at 443-979-6100. Blaise Mesa
 reports on criminal justice and social services for the Kansas News 
Service in Topeka. You can follow him on Twitter @Blaise_Mesa or email 
him at blaise@kcur.org.

Inmates: Medical care in Kansas prisons threatens their health

WASHINGTON (AP) — “God bless you, let’s have some music,” said Elton John.

With that, the White House South Lawn was transformed into a musical lovefest Friday night as John played a farewell gig to honor everyday “heroes” like teachers, nurses and AIDS activists. But as it turns out, the event was also to honor the 75-year-old British songwriter — President Joe Biden surprised him with the National Humanities Medal for being a “tidal wave” who helped people rise up for justice.

John seemed almost overcome by the accolades, telling the audience of 2,000 people: “I don’t know what to say. ... I don’t know how to take a compliment very well but it’s wonderful to be here amongst so many people who have helped my AIDS foundation and my heroes, that ones that work day to day on the front line.”

He said he’d played some beautiful venues before, but the stage in front of the White House, beneath a massive open-air tent on a perfect autumn night, was “probably the icing on the cake.”

He kicked off the show with “Your Song,” his first big international hit.

The intimate guest list included teachers, nurses, frontline workers and LGBTQ advocates, plus former first lady Laura Bush, civil rights advocate Ruby Bridges, education activist Malala Yousafzai and Jeanne White-Ginder, an AIDS activist and mother of Ryan White, who died from AIDS-related complications in 1990.

Biden and first lady Jill Biden talked about the British singer’s activism, the power of his music and his all-around goodness. The event was dreamed up and paid for by A+E and the History Channel.

“Seamus Heaney once wrote, and I quote, ’Once in a lifetime, the longed-for tidal wave of justice can rise up, and hope and history rhyme,” Biden said. “Throughout his incredible career, Sir Elton John has been that tidal wave, a tidal wave to help people rise up and make hope and history rhyme.”

The night, in fact, was called “A Night When Hope and History Rhyme,” a reference to the poem Biden quoted by Ireland’s Heaney.

Sir Elton —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/queen-elizabeth-ii-princess-diana-entertainment-concerts-royalty-ad4127ab5dd65ba6b629e25f40c3ac42">he was knighted in 1998 by Queen Elizabeth II</a>&nbsp;— has sold over 300 million records worldwide, played over 4,000 shows in 80 countries and recorded one of the best-selling singles of all time, his 1997 reworking of “Candle In The Wind” to eulogize Princess Diana, which sold 33 million copies.

John punctuated the hits Friday with emotional tidbits of his history, including a shoutout to Laura Bush and former president George W. Bush for his administration’s emergency plan for AIDS relief, and a story of how a dying Ryan White and his mother pushed him into advocacy in the first place, and helped him get sober.

“I wouldn’t be here talking tonight,” he said. “They saved my life.”

He then dedicated “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” to Ryan.

Despite the presence of plenty of lawmakers, the political speak was kept to a minimum, except for when John said, “I just wish America would be more bipartisan on everything.”

It was his first White House gig since he performed with Stevie Wonder at a state dinner in 1998 honoring British Prime Minister Tony Blair. John is on a farewell tour that began in July after performing for more than 50 years.

The show came together after A+E Networks and the History Channel asked the White House and John if they’d be up for a collaboration honoring “everyday history-makers” as well as John himself.

It’s not clear whether the show will be broadcast. John has worked with A+E in the past on his global HIV/AIDS charity, the Elton John Foundation, which has raised more than $525 million to combat the virus around the world.

John is sticking around to play a sold-out show at Nationals Park Saturday.

The president and first lady are big fans. Biden wrote in a 2017 memoir about singing “Crocodile Rock” to his two young boys as he drove them to school, and again later to son Beau before he died of cancer at age 46.

“I started singing the lyrics to Beau, quietly, so just the two of us could hear it,” Biden wrote. “Beau didn’t open his eyes, but I could see through my own tears that he was smiling.”

John played the song Friday, saying someone told him Biden used to sing it to his little boys. “I can’t imagine him singin’ it,” John quipped before suggesting the president come up on stage. He did not. But the whole crowd did do the “La-La-Las” from their seats.

Biden’s predecessor, Donald Trump, was also a fan of John. He tried to get John to perform at his 2017 inauguration but John declined, saying he didn’t think it was appropriate for a Brit to play at the swearing-in of an American president.

The White House insisted Friday’s show wasn’t an effort to troll Trump, who has praised John in his books and has often featured John’s music — including “Rocket Man” and “Tiny Dancer” — in his pre-rally playlists over the years. Trump nicknamed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un “rocket man” for his record of test-firing missiles.

John played both Friday, to thunderous applause.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1664027969628.png" alt="President Joe Biden surprised Elton John with the National Humanities Medal Friday night-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>President Joe Biden surprised Elton John with the National Humanities Medal Friday night-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — “God bless you, let’s have some music,” said Elton John.With that, the White House South Lawn was transformed into a musical lovefest Friday night as John played a farewell gig to honor everyday “heroes” like teachers, nurses and AIDS activists. But as it turns out, the event was also to honor the 75-year-old British songwriter — President Joe Biden surprised him with the National Humanities Medal for being a “tidal wave” who helped people rise up for justice.John seemed almost overcome by the accolades, telling the audience of 2,000 people: “I don’t know what to say. ... I don’t know how to take a compliment very well but it’s wonderful to be here amongst so many people who have helped my AIDS foundation and my heroes, that ones that work day to day on the front line.”He said he’d played some beautiful venues before, but the stage in front of the White House, beneath a massive open-air tent on a perfect autumn night, was “probably the icing on the cake.”He kicked off the show with “Your Song,” his first big international hit.The intimate guest list included teachers, nurses, frontline workers and LGBTQ advocates, plus former first lady Laura Bush, civil rights advocate Ruby Bridges, education activist Malala Yousafzai and Jeanne White-Ginder, an AIDS activist and mother of Ryan White, who died from AIDS-related complications in 1990.Biden and first lady Jill Biden talked about the British singer’s activism, the power of his music and his all-around goodness. The event was dreamed up and paid for by A+E and the History Channel.“Seamus Heaney once wrote, and I quote, ’Once in a lifetime, the longed-for tidal wave of justice can rise up, and hope and history rhyme,” Biden said. “Throughout his incredible career, Sir Elton John has been that tidal wave, a tidal wave to help people rise up and make hope and history rhyme.”The night, in fact, was called “A Night When Hope and History Rhyme,” a reference to the poem Biden quoted by Ireland’s Heaney.Sir Elton —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/queen-elizabeth-ii-princess-diana-entertainment-concerts-royalty-ad4127ab5dd65ba6b629e25f40c3ac42">he was knighted in 1998 by Queen Elizabeth II</a>&nbsp;— has sold over 300 million records worldwide, played over 4,000 shows in 80 countries and recorded one of the best-selling singles of all time, his 1997 reworking of “Candle In The Wind” to eulogize Princess Diana, which sold 33 million copies.John punctuated the hits Friday with emotional tidbits of his history, including a shoutout to Laura Bush and former president George W. Bush for his administration’s emergency plan for AIDS relief, and a story of how a dying Ryan White and his mother pushed him into advocacy in the first place, and helped him get sober.“I wouldn’t be here talking tonight,” he said. “They saved my life.”He then dedicated “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” to Ryan.Despite the presence of plenty of lawmakers, the political speak was kept to a minimum, except for when John said, “I just wish America would be more bipartisan on everything.”It was his first White House gig since he performed with Stevie Wonder at a state dinner in 1998 honoring British Prime Minister Tony Blair. John is on a farewell tour that began in July after performing for more than 50 years.The show came together after A+E Networks and the History Channel asked the White House and John if they’d be up for a collaboration honoring “everyday history-makers” as well as John himself.It’s not clear whether the show will be broadcast. John has worked with A+E in the past on his global HIV/AIDS charity, the Elton John Foundation, which has raised more than $525 million to combat the virus around the world.John is sticking around to play a sold-out show at Nationals Park Saturday.The president and first lady are big fans. Biden wrote in a 2017 memoir about singing “Crocodile Rock” to his two young boys as he drove them to school, and again later to son Beau before he died of cancer at age 46.“I started singing the lyrics to Beau, quietly, so just the two of us could hear it,” Biden wrote. “Beau didn’t open his eyes, but I could see through my own tears that he was smiling.”John played the song Friday, saying someone told him Biden used to sing it to his little boys. “I can’t imagine him singin’ it,” John quipped before suggesting the president come up on stage. He did not. But the whole crowd did do the “La-La-Las” from their seats.Biden’s predecessor, Donald Trump, was also a fan of John. He tried to get John to perform at his 2017 inauguration but John declined, saying he didn’t think it was appropriate for a Brit to play at the swearing-in of an American president.The White House insisted Friday’s show wasn’t an effort to troll Trump, who has praised John in his books and has often featured John’s music — including “Rocket Man” and “Tiny Dancer” — in his pre-rally playlists over the years. Trump nicknamed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un “rocket man” for his record of test-firing missiles.John played both Friday, to thunderous applause.

Biden surprised Elton John with the National Humanities Medal

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A Missouri county has agreed to pay $405,000 to settle two lawsuits filed in a dispute that began when some underwire bras set off metal detectors at the county detention center.

The Jackson County Legislature approved the settlement this week for two longtime jail employees who alleged in sexual discrimination lawsuits that they were reprimanded and given different duties when they repeatedly failed to pass the screening machines at the jail, The Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/Read%20more%20at:%20https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article266142766.html#storylink=cpy">reported</a>.

The dispute started in May 2019 when the county installed metal detectors at the detention center to keep weapons, cellphones and other contraband out of the jail in downtown Kansas City.

When underwire bras set off the detectors, attorneys were told they either had to remove them or meet with their clients via phone and separated by a window.

About 75 female attorneys and their supporters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/151a544d2e9f46af99b939349b304726">staged a public protest</a>&nbsp;carrying signs such as “We need support!” when Jackson County Sheriff Daryl Forte and detention center director Diana Turner refused to find a solution.

Eventually,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/a59fcdc1acb540519362f37261ea69a1">a secondary screening system</a>&nbsp;was set up for attorneys and other visitors who might have contact with inmates — but not for female jail employees.

Employees Charlotte Hardin and Linda Hengel sued after unsuccessful attempts to comply with the screening process, including taking off their bras and putting them back on after they cleared the machine.

But jail management said undergarments were not allowed in the bins that went through an X-ray machine, although men were allowed to take off belts and put them back on after going through the machines.

In their lawsuits, Hardin and Hengel said they were assigned to other duties outside the secure area for repeatedly failing to get through the machine.

Hengel, who was inmate services coordinator, retired early because the new jobs aggravated her medical conditions.

At one point, Hardin&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cadb39fdb0fd406b98cf0714b5714838">was put on leave</a>&nbsp;for removing her bra and putting it through the X-ray machine. She said she was treated unfairly and denied a pay raise for complaining about what she saw as a discriminatory policy.

Under the settlement, Hardin will be paid $255,000 and Hengel will be paid $150,000. Attorney Katherine Myers, who represented both women, will share in those settlements.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663937514224.png" alt="Protest outside the Jackson County Detention Center in June of 2019-photo courtesy KSHB" />
 <figcaption>Protest outside the Jackson County Detention Center in June of 2019-photo courtesy KSHB</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — A Missouri county has agreed to pay $405,000 to settle two lawsuits filed in a dispute that began when some underwire bras set off metal detectors at the county detention center.The Jackson County Legislature approved the settlement this week for two longtime jail employees who alleged in sexual discrimination lawsuits that they were reprimanded and given different duties when they repeatedly failed to pass the screening machines at the jail, The Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/Read%20more%20at:%20https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article266142766.html#storylink=cpy">reported</a>.The dispute started in May 2019 when the county installed metal detectors at the detention center to keep weapons, cellphones and other contraband out of the jail in downtown Kansas City.When underwire bras set off the detectors, attorneys were told they either had to remove them or meet with their clients via phone and separated by a window.About 75 female attorneys and their supporters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/151a544d2e9f46af99b939349b304726">staged a public protest</a>&nbsp;carrying signs such as “We need support!” when Jackson County Sheriff Daryl Forte and detention center director Diana Turner refused to find a solution.Eventually,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/a59fcdc1acb540519362f37261ea69a1">a secondary screening system</a>&nbsp;was set up for attorneys and other visitors who might have contact with inmates — but not for female jail employees.Employees Charlotte Hardin and Linda Hengel sued after unsuccessful attempts to comply with the screening process, including taking off their bras and putting them back on after they cleared the machine.But jail management said undergarments were not allowed in the bins that went through an X-ray machine, although men were allowed to take off belts and put them back on after going through the machines.In their lawsuits, Hardin and Hengel said they were assigned to other duties outside the secure area for repeatedly failing to get through the machine.Hengel, who was inmate services coordinator, retired early because the new jobs aggravated her medical conditions.At one point, Hardin&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cadb39fdb0fd406b98cf0714b5714838">was put on leave</a>&nbsp;for removing her bra and putting it through the X-ray machine. She said she was treated unfairly and denied a pay raise for complaining about what she saw as a discriminatory policy.Under the settlement, Hardin will be paid $255,000 and Hengel will be paid $150,000. Attorney Katherine Myers, who represented both women, will share in those settlements.

County settles underwire bra jail dispute for $405K

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration acknowledged this week that its response to the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/baby-formula-shortage-what-to-know-735cef06e68ed9c5a46233bdfcf0573d">infant formula shortage</a>&nbsp;was slowed by delays in processing a whistleblower complaint and test samples from the nation’s largest formula factory.

A 10-page report from the agency offers its first formal account of the factors that led to the ongoing shortage, which has forced the U.S. to airlift millions of pounds of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-health-government-and-politics-53857b4ba1006a8bf85caad251517f4c">powdered formula from overseas.</a>

The review zeroed in on several key problems at the agency, including outdated data-sharing systems, inadequate staffing and training among its food inspectors, and poor visibility into formula supply chains and manufacturing procedures.

“For things that are critical to the public health, if you don’t have some understanding of how all the pieces fit together, then when you get into a crisis or a shortage you have a real problem,” FDA Commissioner Robert Califf told The Associated Press in an interview. “To a large extent that’s what happened here.”

Califf said the FDA will seek new authority to compel companies to turn over key information.

One consumer advocate said the evaluation doesn’t go far enough to fix the problems.

“This internal evaluation treats the symptoms of the disease rather than offering a cure,” Scott Faber of the Environmental Working Group said in a statement. “Nothing in this evaluation addresses the fragmented leadership structure that led to critical communication failures.”

The FDA report was overseen by a senior official who interviewed dozens of agency staffers. It comes nearly eight months after the FDA shuttered Abbott’s Michigan plant due to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-business-health-michigan-a4205025fc781b1fb902cdd9e1264b41">safety concerns</a>, quickly slashing domestic production within the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-science-health-government-and-politics-a99273eaded440aeeb3942ab61b77d88">highly concentrated formula industry.</a>

A company whistleblower had tried to warn the FDA of problems at the plant in September 2021, but government inspectors didn’t investigate the complaints until February after four infants became sick, resulting in two deaths. The FDA is still investigating links between those illnesses and the formula.

The FDA previously&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-robert-califf-cce94aeeb3b53af5617d32086df01410">told Congress</a>&nbsp;that top agency officials didn’t learn about the complaint until February because of mail delays and a failure to escalate the Abbott employee’s allegations. The new report stated that FDA’s “inadequate processes and lack of clarity related to whistleblower complaints,” may have delayed getting inspectors to the plant.

“Whistleblower complaints come into the agency in many different ways, from many different sources,” said Dr. Steven Solomon, an FDA veterinary medicine official who oversaw the review. “One of the actions we’ve already taken is to make sure that however they come into the agency, they get triaged and escalated to the right leadership levels.”

FDA inspectors collected bacterial samples from the plant for testing, but shipping issues by “third party delivery companies” delayed the results, according to the report. The FDA also faced challenges ramping up its testing capacity for cronobacter, a rare but potentially deadly bacteria repeatedly linked to outbreaks in baby formula.

The FDA also noted that it had to reschedule its initial inspection of the Abbott plant due to cases of COVID-19 among company staff. That delay came on top of earlier missed inspections because the agency&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-climate-and-environment-business-1bc7272f40d01e8d1f89d077fe867a58">pulled its inspectors</a>&nbsp;from the field during the pandemic.

The report concluded by listing new resources that Congress would need to authorize to improve infant formula inspections and standards, including:

— Increased funding and hiring authority to recruit experts to FDA’s food division;

— Improved information technology to share data on FDA inspections, consumer complaints and testing results;

— New authority to compel manufacturers to turn over samples and records on manufacturing supply chains, manufacturing quality and safety.

U.S. inventories of baby formula have been improving, hitting in-stock rates above 80% last week, according to IRI, a market research firm. That’s up from a low of 69% in mid-July. The U.S. has imported the equivalent of more than 80 million bottles of formula since May, according to White House figures, and the Biden administration is working to help&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-united-states-government-and-politics-38745bd583dc0861dbe66a3ca7f828b4">foreign manufacturers stay on the market</a>&nbsp;long term to diversify supply.

Califf has commissioned a separate external review of FDA’s food division citing “fundamental questions about the structure, function, funding and leadership” of the program. That review is being led by former FDA commissioner Dr. Jane Henney, who led the agency during the final years of the Clinton administration.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653255522967.png" alt="One consumer advocate said the evaluation doesn’t go far enough to fix the problems.-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>One consumer advocate said the evaluation doesn’t go far enough to fix the problems.-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration acknowledged this week that its response to the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/baby-formula-shortage-what-to-know-735cef06e68ed9c5a46233bdfcf0573d">infant formula shortage</a>&nbsp;was slowed by delays in processing a whistleblower complaint and test samples from the nation’s largest formula factory.A 10-page report from the agency offers its first formal account of the factors that led to the ongoing shortage, which has forced the U.S. to airlift millions of pounds of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-health-government-and-politics-53857b4ba1006a8bf85caad251517f4c">powdered formula from overseas.</a>The review zeroed in on several key problems at the agency, including outdated data-sharing systems, inadequate staffing and training among its food inspectors, and poor visibility into formula supply chains and manufacturing procedures.“For things that are critical to the public health, if you don’t have some understanding of how all the pieces fit together, then when you get into a crisis or a shortage you have a real problem,” FDA Commissioner Robert Califf told The Associated Press in an interview. “To a large extent that’s what happened here.”Califf said the FDA will seek new authority to compel companies to turn over key information.One consumer advocate said the evaluation doesn’t go far enough to fix the problems.“This internal evaluation treats the symptoms of the disease rather than offering a cure,” Scott Faber of the Environmental Working Group said in a statement. “Nothing in this evaluation addresses the fragmented leadership structure that led to critical communication failures.”The FDA report was overseen by a senior official who interviewed dozens of agency staffers. It comes nearly eight months after the FDA shuttered Abbott’s Michigan plant due to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-business-health-michigan-a4205025fc781b1fb902cdd9e1264b41">safety concerns</a>, quickly slashing domestic production within the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-science-health-government-and-politics-a99273eaded440aeeb3942ab61b77d88">highly concentrated formula industry.</a>A company whistleblower had tried to warn the FDA of problems at the plant in September 2021, but government inspectors didn’t investigate the complaints until February after four infants became sick, resulting in two deaths. The FDA is still investigating links between those illnesses and the formula.The FDA previously&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-robert-califf-cce94aeeb3b53af5617d32086df01410">told Congress</a>&nbsp;that top agency officials didn’t learn about the complaint until February because of mail delays and a failure to escalate the Abbott employee’s allegations. The new report stated that FDA’s “inadequate processes and lack of clarity related to whistleblower complaints,” may have delayed getting inspectors to the plant.“Whistleblower complaints come into the agency in many different ways, from many different sources,” said Dr. Steven Solomon, an FDA veterinary medicine official who oversaw the review. “One of the actions we’ve already taken is to make sure that however they come into the agency, they get triaged and escalated to the right leadership levels.”FDA inspectors collected bacterial samples from the plant for testing, but shipping issues by “third party delivery companies” delayed the results, according to the report. The FDA also faced challenges ramping up its testing capacity for cronobacter, a rare but potentially deadly bacteria repeatedly linked to outbreaks in baby formula.The FDA also noted that it had to reschedule its initial inspection of the Abbott plant due to cases of COVID-19 among company staff. That delay came on top of earlier missed inspections because the agency&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-climate-and-environment-business-1bc7272f40d01e8d1f89d077fe867a58">pulled its inspectors</a>&nbsp;from the field during the pandemic.The report concluded by listing new resources that Congress would need to authorize to improve infant formula inspections and standards, including:— Increased funding and hiring authority to recruit experts to FDA’s food division;— Improved information technology to share data on FDA inspections, consumer complaints and testing results;— New authority to compel manufacturers to turn over samples and records on manufacturing supply chains, manufacturing quality and safety.U.S. inventories of baby formula have been improving, hitting in-stock rates above 80% last week, according to IRI, a market research firm. That’s up from a low of 69% in mid-July. The U.S. has imported the equivalent of more than 80 million bottles of formula since May, according to White House figures, and the Biden administration is working to help&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-united-states-government-and-politics-38745bd583dc0861dbe66a3ca7f828b4">foreign manufacturers stay on the market</a>&nbsp;long term to diversify supply.Califf has commissioned a separate external review of FDA’s food division citing “fundamental questions about the structure, function, funding and leadership” of the program. That review is being led by former FDA commissioner Dr. Jane Henney, who led the agency during the final years of the Clinton administration.

FDA concedes delays in response to baby formula shortage

TOPEKA&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly Friday unveiled the Walk of Honor plaque dedicated to former Senator Pat Roberts. The Walk of Honor is located within the sidewalks surrounding the Kansas State Capitol Visitors Center grounds. It features people who are major figures on a state and national level and have a significant connection to Kansas.

“I’ve known Pat for more than 30 years, and he’s become a close friend,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.&nbsp;“During his time in public service, Pat worked in a bipartisan manner, and as a result, delivered enormous victories for veterans, for our Ag industry, and for Kansans in every corner of the state. He has proved time and again that he is more than deserving of this great honor.”

Senator Roberts is a fourth generation Kansan who rose to the rank of captain in the United States Marine Corps. Following his time in the service, he worked as a staffer for U.S. Senator Frank Carlson of Kansas and U.S. Congressman Keith Sebelius.

Roberts was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1980, representing Kansas’ first congressional district, and then was reelected seven times. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1996, serving for four terms. He retired in 2021 as the only person to have chaired both the House and Senate Agriculture Committees.

“The Kansas Walk of Honor highlights people who have made significant contributions to state and national history,”&nbsp;Patrick Zollner, Interim Executive Director of the Kansas Historical Society, said.&nbsp;“We are pleased to add Senator Pat Roberts to this list. Our state is fortunate to have a rich history of innovation, leadership, arts, and science.”

Attendees included Roberts’ family, friends, former staff members, and several current and former state legislators.

“Senator Pat Roberts’ many contributions in Congress are a testimony to the hardworking Kansans he represented,”&nbsp;Senator Roger Marshall said. “During his four decades in service, he represented Kansans’ values and rights while championing the priorities of our farmers, ranchers, and producers. His leadership helped create a thriving Kansas ag economy that benefits not only the citizens of our state, that not only helps feed our entire nation, but a hungry world. When future generations of Kansans pass by the Pat Roberts plaque on the grounds of the Kansas Statehouse, they will hear stories about a legendary, dedicated legislator who tirelessly represented their state with fondness, heart, and dignity.”

“No one is more deserving of a plaque on the Kansas Walk of Honor than Senator Pat Roberts. Senator Roberts dedicated his entire life to public service and spent four decades fighting tirelessly in the House and Senate for Kansas farmers, families, and businesses,”&nbsp;Representative Jake Laturner, (KS-02), said.&nbsp;“Pat always put our Kansas values first in Washington, and I'm grateful to have been able to call him my Senator for so many years.”

“Former Senator Pat Roberts was one of the first people to call me when I took office, and he has always been a great source of knowledge and advice for the entire Kansas delegation,”&nbsp;Representative Sharice Davids, (KS-03), said.” He is a dedicated public servant and has certainly earned his place on the Statehouse Walk of Honor.”

“Pat Roberts’ service to our country didn’t begin in the halls of the Capitol, but when he was a young Kansan who answered the call to serve in the United States Marine Corps. His Sunflower State roots gave him the fortitude to take the hill as a Marine and in Congress, no matter the challenge,”&nbsp;Representative Ron Estes, (KS-04), said.&nbsp;“Besides a legacy of excellent representation for farmers and ranchers on the House and then Senate Ag committees, including chairmanship of both, Senator Roberts is probably most recognized for his impeccable wit and amusing stories. He is highly deserving of this honor, and it’s a fitting tribute to place his plaque close to his friend, mentor and fellow veteran, Bob Dole.”

The Kansas Historical Society oversees the Walk of Honor.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663971853383.png" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly Friday unveiled the Walk of Honor plaque dedicated to former Senator Pat Roberts. The Walk of Honor is located within the sidewalks surrounding the Kansas State Capitol Visitors Center grounds. It features people who are major figures on a state and national level and have a significant connection to Kansas.“I’ve known Pat for more than 30 years, and he’s become a close friend,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.&nbsp;“During his time in public service, Pat worked in a bipartisan manner, and as a result, delivered enormous victories for veterans, for our Ag industry, and for Kansans in every corner of the state. He has proved time and again that he is more than deserving of this great honor.”Senator Roberts is a fourth generation Kansan who rose to the rank of captain in the United States Marine Corps. Following his time in the service, he worked as a staffer for U.S. Senator Frank Carlson of Kansas and U.S. Congressman Keith Sebelius.Roberts was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1980, representing Kansas’ first congressional district, and then was reelected seven times. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1996, serving for four terms. He retired in 2021 as the only person to have chaired both the House and Senate Agriculture Committees.“The Kansas Walk of Honor highlights people who have made significant contributions to state and national history,”&nbsp;Patrick Zollner, Interim Executive Director of the Kansas Historical Society, said.&nbsp;“We are pleased to add Senator Pat Roberts to this list. Our state is fortunate to have a rich history of innovation, leadership, arts, and science.”Attendees included Roberts’ family, friends, former staff members, and several current and former state legislators.“Senator Pat Roberts’ many contributions in Congress are a testimony to the hardworking Kansans he represented,”&nbsp;Senator Roger Marshall said. “During his four decades in service, he represented Kansans’ values and rights while championing the priorities of our farmers, ranchers, and producers. His leadership helped create a thriving Kansas ag economy that benefits not only the citizens of our state, that not only helps feed our entire nation, but a hungry world. When future generations of Kansans pass by the Pat Roberts plaque on the grounds of the Kansas Statehouse, they will hear stories about a legendary, dedicated legislator who tirelessly represented their state with fondness, heart, and dignity.”“No one is more deserving of a plaque on the Kansas Walk of Honor than Senator Pat Roberts. Senator Roberts dedicated his entire life to public service and spent four decades fighting tirelessly in the House and Senate for Kansas farmers, families, and businesses,”&nbsp;Representative Jake Laturner, (KS-02), said.&nbsp;“Pat always put our Kansas values first in Washington, and I'm grateful to have been able to call him my Senator for so many years.”“Former Senator Pat Roberts was one of the first people to call me when I took office, and he has always been a great source of knowledge and advice for the entire Kansas delegation,”&nbsp;Representative Sharice Davids, (KS-03), said.” He is a dedicated public servant and has certainly earned his place on the Statehouse Walk of Honor.”“Pat Roberts’ service to our country didn’t begin in the halls of the Capitol, but when he was a young Kansan who answered the call to serve in the United States Marine Corps. His Sunflower State roots gave him the fortitude to take the hill as a Marine and in Congress, no matter the challenge,”&nbsp;Representative Ron Estes, (KS-04), said.&nbsp;“Besides a legacy of excellent representation for farmers and ranchers on the House and then Senate Ag committees, including chairmanship of both, Senator Roberts is probably most recognized for his impeccable wit and amusing stories. He is highly deserving of this honor, and it’s a fitting tribute to place his plaque close to his friend, mentor and fellow veteran, Bob Dole.”The Kansas Historical Society oversees the Walk of Honor.

Kan. Capitol plaque honors former U.S Senator Pat Roberts

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

Sara Dykman bicycled more than 10,000 miles following both the spring and fall migrations of the monarch butterfly in 2017.

She chronicles her story in her book "Bicycling with Butterflies." Dykman, who is from Kansas City, made her first in-person book tour appearance at the Hays Public Library on Sept. 8.

Dykman said if her audience only learned one thing from the presentation she wanted them to know that monarch butterfly caterpillars eat milkweed, a flower with 90 native species in the U.S, Mexico and Canada.

"The monarch is 100 percent connected to this plant this male butterfly is nectaring on, which is milkweed. No milkweed, no monarchs," she said. 

Milkweed is the only plant that monarch caterpillars will eat. It makes them poisonous and helps to protect them from predators.

"It's not only good [for monarchs]," she said of the milkweed, "it is the only way we are going to save them."

The latest estimates are monarchs need 1 billion stems of milkweed to maintain their migration. 

The adult butterflies also need flowers from which they drink nectar.

Dykman started her journey in March in Mexico as the monarchs were leaving their overwintering site in the Oyamel fir forests of Mexico. 

She said this was the most butterflies she would see until the butterflies started to regroup for their migration back south. Most of her journey, she would only see a few per day.

Monarchs are the only butterfly known to make a two-way annual migration. The butterflies migrate from southern Canada to Mexico each fall. They overwinter in Michoacán, Mexico, and then begin their journey north in the spring.

As they encounter milkweed, females lay their eggs and then die. The butterflies continue to reproduce and die as they move north. Several generations later, butterflies that were never in Mexico make the migration south in the fall to the overwintering site.

"That never gets old to me," Dykman said. "To look at a little egg next to a railroad track in Illinois and be like 'You are going to metamorphose and you are going to fly to a tree that your great-great-great grandma was on."

Most of the monarchs that migrate to Mexico come from east of the Rocky Mountains. Most of the monarchs west of the Rockies overwinter in southern California. A few of the eastern monarchs overwinter in Florida.

The migratory monarch butterflies recently made the International Union for Conservation of Nature endangered list. Although monarch butterflies can be found worldwide, their migration in North America is under threat due to habitat destruction, use of pesticides and herbicides, and climate change.

The IUCN list is not the U.S. federal endangered species list that would give the butterflies and their habitat more protection in the United States.

"This migration is what's at stake," Dykman said. "This multi-generational, multi-national migration is what we're fighting to save."

Dykman gave presentations to schools and community groups on her journey. With the exception of her presentation stops, she said she "threw everything I needed on that bike, and I just didn't have a plan."

"When I was hungry, I would stop and cook," she said. "When I was tired, I would stop and camp."

She said camping in unestablished camp spots, was very cheap and she was separate from people who might be a threat.

She said bike touring makes her grateful for the smallest things.

"I always say my most two favorite things are an outlet, close to lunch time, even more than a shower, and a tree to lean your bike up against at night," she said.

She said it also gave her a better understanding of monarch habitat.

"If it's safe during the first mile and the last mile, that doesn't matter if it's not safe the middle mile," she said. "It's the same with the monarchs. They can have all the habitat they need in Mexico. They can have all the habitat they need in Canada, but if they don't have habitat in Kansas, the whole trip doesn't matter."

Dykman said designating wild lands as national and state parks and wildlife refuges will not help monarchs unless there are milkweed and nectar-producing flowers all along their migration route.

"There's a movement going on right now to get these native gardens at every single person's house and every single planter box and every single church and every single library. Any place there's green grass, if we can get native plants there, we're offering a caterpillar a home."

Now is the time to plant milkweed seeds, as they need to go through a process of cold and wet to germinate in the spring.

Dykman said she stopped often to view and take photographs of monarchs and other insects and animals during her trip. She would look for caterpillar poop or the distinctive horseshow-shaped holes in milkweed leaves that indicated a young monarch caterpillar had been eating a milkweed leaf.

"This is what my trip was about. It was seeing the world through the lens of a monarch," she said.

However, she said she saw habitat destruction that she didn't want to see.

Mowing roadside ditches, especially in the fall during the monarch migration, not only destroys monarch food, but it is likely to kill monarch caterpillars that are feeding on milkweed in those ditches, Dykman said.

Dykman urged local residents to contact their municipalities to urge officials not to mow, leave areas native or at least delay mowing until after the migration.

"I think that is one of the most important lessons that the monarchs taught me is that you're going to be depressed unless you go out and try to do something and try to fix it," she said.

"You can't just complain without a solution. My solution was to be their voice."

Species like frogs are very particular about their habitat.

"Monarchs don't mind if there's 99 percent pavement here, I'll put an egg on this milkweed in this planter box," she said.

&nbsp;Dykman urged her audience that even if monarchs are not your thing, pick something else in the environment to champion. 

"If your protecting frogs, you're protecting monarch. If you're protecting monarchs, you're protecting frogs. It's all connected," she said. "It doesn't matter what calls you. Find something that does and go take care of that thing."

You can learn more about Dykman's work on butterfly conservation on her website <a href="http://www.beyondabook.org/">Beyond A Book.</a> There is also a link on that site to order her book.

Other resources on monarch butterflies <a href="https://www.monarchwatch.org/">Monarch Watch</a> <a href="https://monarchjointventure.org/">Monarch Joint Venture</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663695791312.jpeg" alt="Sara Dykman, author of "Bicycling with Butterflies," on her bike during a multi-country bicycle tour that followed the migration of the monarch butterfly. Photo courtesy of Sara Dykman" />
 <figcaption>Sara Dykman, author of "Bicycling with Butterflies," on her bike during a multi-country bicycle tour that followed the migration of the monarch butterfly. Photo courtesy of Sara Dykman</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostSara Dykman bicycled more than 10,000 miles following both the spring and fall migrations of the monarch butterfly in 2017.She chronicles her story in her book "Bicycling with Butterflies." Dykman, who is from Kansas City, made her first in-person book tour appearance at the Hays Public Library on Sept. 8.Dykman said if her audience only learned one thing from the presentation she wanted them to know that monarch butterfly caterpillars eat milkweed, a flower with 90 native species in the U.S, Mexico and Canada. "The monarch is 100 percent connected to this plant this male butterfly is nectaring on, which is milkweed. No milkweed, no monarchs," she said. Milkweed is the only plant that monarch caterpillars will eat. It makes them poisonous and helps to protect them from predators."It's not only good [for monarchs]," she said of the milkweed, "it is the only way we are going to save them."The latest estimates are monarchs need 1 billion stems of milkweed to maintain their migration. The adult butterflies also need flowers from which they drink nectar.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663695881987.jpeg" alt="Monarch butterflies in flight in the overwintering site in Mexico. Photo courtesy of Sara Dykman " />
 <figcaption>Monarch butterflies in flight in the overwintering site in Mexico. Photo courtesy of Sara Dykman </figcaption>
 </figure>Dykman started her journey in March in Mexico as the monarchs were leaving their overwintering site in the Oyamel fir forests of Mexico. She said this was the most butterflies she would see until the butterflies started to regroup for their migration back south. Most of her journey, she would only see a few per day. Monarchs are the only butterfly known to make a two-way annual migration. The butterflies migrate from southern Canada to Mexico each fall. They overwinter in Michoacán, Mexico, and then begin their journey north in the spring.As they encounter milkweed, females lay their eggs and then die. The butterflies continue to reproduce and die as they move north. Several generations later, butterflies that were never in Mexico make the migration south in the fall to the overwintering site."That never gets old to me," Dykman said. "To look at a little egg next to a railroad track in Illinois and be like 'You are going to metamorphose and you are going to fly to a tree that your great-great-great grandma was on."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663696667225.jpeg" alt="Monarch butterflies group for warmth in their overwintering location in Michoacán, Mexico. Photo courtesy of Sara Dykman" />
 <figcaption>Monarch butterflies group for warmth in their overwintering location in Michoacán, Mexico. Photo courtesy of Sara Dykman</figcaption>
 </figure>Most of the monarchs that migrate to Mexico come from east of the Rocky Mountains. Most of the monarchs west of the Rockies overwinter in southern California. A few of the eastern monarchs overwinter in Florida.The migratory monarch butterflies recently made the International Union for Conservation of Nature endangered list. Although monarch butterflies can be found worldwide, their migration in North America is under threat due to habitat destruction, use of pesticides and herbicides, and climate change.The IUCN list is not the U.S. federal endangered species list that would give the butterflies and their habitat more protection in the United States."This migration is what's at stake," Dykman said. "This multi-generational, multi-national migration is what we're fighting to save."Dykman gave presentations to schools and community groups on her journey. With the exception of her presentation stops, she said she "threw everything I needed on that bike, and I just didn't have a plan.""When I was hungry, I would stop and cook," she said. "When I was tired, I would stop and camp."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663696900945.jpeg" alt="Monarch butterflies in mass at their overwintering site in Mexico. Ten monarchs weigh about as much as a dime. The monarchs concentrate in such quantities at the overwintering site that they can bend and break branches. Photo courtesy of Sara Dykman" />
 <figcaption>Monarch butterflies in mass at their overwintering site in Mexico. Ten monarchs weigh about as much as a dime. The monarchs concentrate in such quantities at the overwintering site that they can bend and break branches. Photo courtesy of Sara Dykman</figcaption>
 </figure>She said camping in unestablished camp spots, was very cheap and she was separate from people who might be a threat."I felt really, really safe," she said.She said bike touring makes her grateful for the smallest things."I always say my most two favorite things are an outlet, close to lunch time, even more than a shower, and a tree to lean your bike up against at night," she said. She said it also gave her a better understanding of monarch habitat."If it's safe during the first mile and the last mile, that doesn't matter if it's not safe the middle mile," she said. "It's the same with the monarchs. They can have all the habitat they need in Mexico. They can have all the habitat they need in Canada, but if they don't have habitat in Kansas, the whole trip doesn't matter."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663697107455.jpeg" alt="A monarch butterfly caterpillar eats a milkweed leaf. Milkweed is the only plant that monarch caterpillars eat. Photo courtesy of Sara Dykman" />
 <figcaption>A monarch butterfly caterpillar eats a milkweed leaf. Milkweed is the only plant that monarch caterpillars eat. Photo courtesy of Sara Dykman</figcaption>
 </figure>Dykman said designating wild lands as national and state parks and wildlife refuges will not help monarchs unless there are milkweed and nectar-producing flowers all along their migration route."There's a movement going on right now to get these native gardens at every single person's house and every single planter box and every single church and every single library. Any place there's green grass, if we can get native plants there, we're offering a caterpillar a home."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663697315480.jpeg" alt="A monarch butterfly on a thistle. Photo courtesy of Sara Dykman" />
 <figcaption>A monarch butterfly on a thistle. Photo courtesy of Sara Dykman</figcaption>
 </figure>Now is the time to plant milkweed seeds, as they need to go through a process of cold and wet to germinate in the spring. Dykman said she stopped often to view and take photographs of monarchs and other insects and animals during her trip. She would look for caterpillar poop or the distinctive horseshow-shaped holes in milkweed leaves that indicated a young monarch caterpillar had been eating a milkweed leaf. "This is what my trip was about. It was seeing the world through the lens of a monarch," she said.However, she said she saw habitat destruction that she didn't want to see. Mowing roadside ditches, especially in the fall during the monarch migration, not only destroys monarch food, but it is likely to kill monarch caterpillars that are feeding on milkweed in those ditches, Dykman said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663697435225.png" alt="Sara Dykman's book "Bicycling with Butterflies" " />
 <figcaption>Sara Dykman's book "Bicycling with Butterflies" </figcaption>
 </figure>Dykman urged local residents to contact their municipalities to urge officials not to mow, leave areas native or at least delay mowing until after the migration."I think that is one of the most important lessons that the monarchs taught me is that you're going to be depressed unless you go out and try to do something and try to fix it," she said."You can't just complain without a solution. My solution was to be their voice." <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663697643117.jpeg" alt="Sara Dykman, author of "Bicycling with Butterflies" speaks to a group on Sept. 8 at the Hays Public Library. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post " />
 <figcaption>Sara Dykman, author of "Bicycling with Butterflies" speaks to a group on Sept. 8 at the Hays Public Library. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post </figcaption>
 </figure>Species like frogs are very particular about their habitat."Monarchs don't mind if there's 99 percent pavement here, I'll put an egg on this milkweed in this planter box," she said.&nbsp;Dykman urged her audience that even if monarchs are not your thing, pick something else in the environment to champion. "If your protecting frogs, you're protecting monarch. If you're protecting monarchs, you're protecting frogs. It's all connected," she said. "It doesn't matter what calls you. Find something that does and go take care of that thing." You can learn more about Dykman's work on butterfly conservation on her website <a href="http://www.beyondabook.org/">Beyond A Book.</a> There is also a link on that site to order her book.Other resources on monarch butterflies <a href="https://www.monarchwatch.org/">Monarch Watch</a> <a href="https://monarchjointventure.org/">Monarch Joint Venture</a>

KC author talks about ride following monarch migration

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A University of Utah student was arrested and charged with making terrorist threats on Wednesday after police said she threatened to detonate a nuclear reactor if the school’s football team failed to win a game last Saturday.

Charging documents filed in Salt Lake City on Wednesday allege the 21-year old student posted threats before Utah’s game against San Diego State University on Saturday, warning that she “was going to detonate the nuclear reactor that is located in the University of Utah causing a mass destruction.”

The threats were allegedly posted on YikYak, a social media platform that allows users to post anonymously and which rose to prominence on college campuses a decade ago.

According to the charging documents, the student studied engineering and had knowledge of the university’s nuclear reactor.

The University of Utah is among more than two dozen U.S. universities including Kansas State with nuclear engineering programs that use reactors for faculty and student research.

The university of Utah said in a statement on Thursday that the reactor was secured and campus law enforcement had protocols in place to ensure no breaches are made. Officials said the student, who it did not name, admitted to posting the threat and told investigators on Wednesday that it was meant as a joke.

“We have a zero-tolerance policy for these kinds of threats,” University of Utah Police Chief Jason Hinojosa said.

&nbsp;Kansas State University's<a href="https://www.mne.k-state.edu/research/reactor/#:~:text=The%20Kansas%20State%20University%20TRIGA,for%20a%20radiation%2Ddetection%20course.">&nbsp;TRIGA Mark II nuclear reactor</a>&nbsp;facility supports academic and education programs, research, industrial service and outreach,<a href="https://www.mne.k-state.edu/research/reactor/#:~:text=The%20Kansas%20State%20University%20TRIGA,for%20a%20radiation%2Ddetection%20course.">&nbsp;according to university website.</a>&nbsp;It is licensed&nbsp; to operate at up to 1.25 MW.

Court records did not list an attorney representing the student. A call made to her family’s listed home phone number went unanswered on Thursday.

Utah defeated San Diego State in Saturday’s game, 35-7.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663939741069.png" alt="Image courtesy University of Utah" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy University of Utah</figcaption>
 </figure>SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A University of Utah student was arrested and charged with making terrorist threats on Wednesday after police said she threatened to detonate a nuclear reactor if the school’s football team failed to win a game last Saturday.Charging documents filed in Salt Lake City on Wednesday allege the 21-year old student posted threats before Utah’s game against San Diego State University on Saturday, warning that she “was going to detonate the nuclear reactor that is located in the University of Utah causing a mass destruction.”The threats were allegedly posted on YikYak, a social media platform that allows users to post anonymously and which rose to prominence on college campuses a decade ago.According to the charging documents, the student studied engineering and had knowledge of the university’s nuclear reactor.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">University statement: Reactor detonation bomb threat <a href="https://t.co/mDw8smghKQ">https://t.co/mDw8smghKQ</a>&mdash; University of Utah (@UUtah) <a href="https://twitter.com/UUtah/status/1573075484296052738?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The University of Utah is among more than two dozen U.S. universities including Kansas State with nuclear engineering programs that use reactors for faculty and student research.The university of Utah said in a statement on Thursday that the reactor was secured and campus law enforcement had protocols in place to ensure no breaches are made. Officials said the student, who it did not name, admitted to posting the threat and told investigators on Wednesday that it was meant as a joke.“We have a zero-tolerance policy for these kinds of threats,” University of Utah Police Chief Jason Hinojosa said.&nbsp;Kansas State University's<a href="https://www.mne.k-state.edu/research/reactor/#:~:text=The%20Kansas%20State%20University%20TRIGA,for%20a%20radiation%2Ddetection%20course.">&nbsp;TRIGA Mark II nuclear reactor</a>&nbsp;facility supports academic and education programs, research, industrial service and outreach,<a href="https://www.mne.k-state.edu/research/reactor/#:~:text=The%20Kansas%20State%20University%20TRIGA,for%20a%20radiation%2Ddetection%20course.">&nbsp;according to university website.</a>&nbsp;It is licensed&nbsp; to operate at up to 1.25 MW.Court records did not list an attorney representing the student. A call made to her family’s listed home phone number went unanswered on Thursday.Utah defeated San Diego State in Saturday’s game, 35-7.

College student charged for terrorism threat over football game

ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man for alleged theft.

Just before Noon on Thursday officers responded to Walmart at 1920 U.S.73 in Atchison to investigate a theft in progress, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.

 Officers located 28-year-old Tong Yang as he was leaving the store with sports cards that had a total value of $3,777 in a large tote container that was also stolen from the store.

Police arrested Tong Yang on requested charges of theft. He remains in custody without bond, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663960420564.png" alt="Yang-photo Atchison Co." />
 <figcaption>Yang-photo Atchison Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man for alleged theft.Just before Noon on Thursday officers responded to Walmart at 1920 U.S.73 in Atchison to investigate a theft in progress, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson. Officers located 28-year-old Tong Yang as he was leaving the store with sports cards that had a total value of $3,777 in a large tote container that was also stolen from the store.Police arrested Tong Yang on requested charges of theft. He remains in custody without bond, according to online jail records.

Kansas man accused of theft involving $3700 in sports cards

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Three Topeka police officers who&nbsp;shot and killed a man&nbsp;this summer were justified because the man charged at them with a knife, Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656093522642.png" alt="Police on the scene of the shooting investigation -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the shooting investigation -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Three Topeka police officers who&nbsp;shot and killed a man&nbsp;this summer were justified because the man charged at them with a knife, Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay said.The officers shot Christopher Kelley, a 38-year-old Black man, on June 24 after responding to a report that a man was threatening a BNSF employee with a knife.Kelley, who struggled with mental health issues, cut himself several times with the knife before charging at the officers, who shot him, Topeka Police Chief Bryan Wheeles said.Kagay said in a statement released Thursday an autopsy found Kelley had methamphetamine and marijuana in his system.The officers negotiated with Kelley for about an hour and used less lethal means, such as bean bags and foam/rubber projectiles. Kelley did not respond to those efforts and continued cutting himself before he charged at the officers, Kagay said.The officers' names have not been made public.