Today is Thursday, May 5, the 125th day of 2022. There are 240 days left in the year.

On May 5, 1961, astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr. became America's first space traveler as he made a 15-minute suborbital flight aboard Mercury capsule Freedom 7.

In 1494, during his second voyage to the Western Hemisphere, Christopher Columbus landed in Jamaica.

In 1821, Napoleon Bonaparte, 51, died in exile on the island of St. Helena.

In 1925, schoolteacher John T. Scopes was charged in Tennessee with violating a state law that prohibited teaching the theory of evolution. (Scopes was found guilty, but his conviction was later set aside.)

In 1942, wartime sugar rationing began in the United States.

In 1945, in the only fatal attack of its kind during World War II, a Japanese balloon bomb exploded on Gearhart Mountain in Oregon, killing the pregnant wife of a minister and five children. Denmark and the Netherlands were liberated as a German surrender went into effect.

In 1973, Secretariat won the Kentucky Derby, the first of his Triple Crown victories.

In 1981, Irish Republican Army hunger-striker Bobby Sands died at the Maze Prison in Northern Ireland on his 66th day without food.

In 1994, Singapore caned American teenager Michael Fay for vandalism, a day after the sentence was reduced from six lashes to four in response to an appeal by President Bill Clinton.

In 2009, Texas health officials confirmed the first death of a U.S. resident with swine flu.

In 2014, a narrowly divided Supreme Court upheld Christian prayers at the start of local council meetings.

In 2016, former Los Angeles trash collector Lonnie Franklin Jr. was convicted of 10 counts of murder in the "Grim Sleeper" serial killings that targeted poor, young Black women over two decades.

In 2020, Tyson Foods said it would resume limited operation of its huge pork processing plant in Waterloo, Iowa, with enhanced safety measures, more than two weeks after closing the facility because of a coronavirus outbreak among workers. Facebook said it had removed several accounts and pages linked to QAnon, taking action for the first time against the far-right conspiracy theory circulated among Trump supporters.

Ten years ago: Five Guantanamo Bay prisoners, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the self-proclaimed mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks, were arraigned in a proceeding that dragged on for 13 hours due to stalling tactics by the defendants.

Five years ago: President Donald Trump signed his first piece of major legislation, a $1 trillion spending bill to keep the government operating through September. The Labor Department reported a burst of hiring in April 2017 as employers added 211,000 jobs, more than double the weak showing in March.

One year ago: A federal judge in Washington ruled that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention exceeded its authority when it imposed a national eviction moratorium. (The moratorium would remain in place during a Justice Department appeal; it was allowed to expire at the end of July.) The Biden administration joined calls for lifting patent protections on COVID-19 vaccines to help poor parts of the world get more doses. Four months after Facebook suspended the accounts of former President Donald Trump, the company's quasi-independent oversight board upheld the bans, but told Facebook to specify how long they would last. Peloton recalled about 125,000 treadmills; the Tread+ treadmills had been linked to the death of one child and injuries to 29 others. A government report said the U.S. birth rate had fallen by 4% in 2021, the largest single-year decrease in nearly 50 years.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Pat Carroll is 95. Country singer-musician Roni Stoneman is 84. Actor Michael Murphy is 84. Actor Lance Henriksen is 82. Comedian-actor Michael Palin is 79. Actor John Rhys-Davies is 78. Rock correspondent Kurt Loder is 77. Rock musician Bill Ward (Black Sabbath) is 74. Actor Melinda Culea is 67. Actor Lisa Eilbacher is 65. Actor Richard E. Grant is 65. Former broadcast journalist John Miller is 64. Rock singer Ian McCulloch (Echo and the Bunnymen) is 63. Broadcast journalist Brian Williams is 63. Rock musician Shawn Drover (Megadeth) is 56. TV personality Kyan Douglas is 52. Actor Tina Yothers is 49. R&amp;B singer Raheem DeVaughn is 47. Actor Santiago Cabrera is 44. Actor Vincent Kartheiser is 43. Singer Craig David is 41. Actor Danielle Fishel is 41. Actor Henry Cavill is 39. Actor Clark Duke is 37. Soul singer Adele is 34. Rock singer Skye Sweetnam is 34. R&amp;B singer Chris Brown is 33. Figure skater Nathan Chen is 23.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573488868914.jpeg" alt="Photo of old book courtesy <a href="http://shutterstock.com">shutterstock</a>" />
 <figcaption>Photo of old book courtesy <a href="http://shutterstock.com">shutterstock</a></figcaption>
 </figure>By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSToday is Thursday, May 5, the 125th day of 2022. There are 240 days left in the year.Today's Highlight in History:On May 5, 1961, astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr. became America's first space traveler as he made a 15-minute suborbital flight aboard Mercury capsule Freedom 7.On this date:In 1494, during his second voyage to the Western Hemisphere, Christopher Columbus landed in Jamaica.In 1821, Napoleon Bonaparte, 51, died in exile on the island of St. Helena.In 1925, schoolteacher John T. Scopes was charged in Tennessee with violating a state law that prohibited teaching the theory of evolution. (Scopes was found guilty, but his conviction was later set aside.)In 1942, wartime sugar rationing began in the United States.In 1945, in the only fatal attack of its kind during World War II, a Japanese balloon bomb exploded on Gearhart Mountain in Oregon, killing the pregnant wife of a minister and five children. Denmark and the Netherlands were liberated as a German surrender went into effect.In 1973, Secretariat won the Kentucky Derby, the first of his Triple Crown victories.In 1981, Irish Republican Army hunger-striker Bobby Sands died at the Maze Prison in Northern Ireland on his 66th day without food.In 1994, Singapore caned American teenager Michael Fay for vandalism, a day after the sentence was reduced from six lashes to four in response to an appeal by President Bill Clinton.In 2009, Texas health officials confirmed the first death of a U.S. resident with swine flu.In 2014, a narrowly divided Supreme Court upheld Christian prayers at the start of local council meetings.In 2016, former Los Angeles trash collector Lonnie Franklin Jr. was convicted of 10 counts of murder in the "Grim Sleeper" serial killings that targeted poor, young Black women over two decades.In 2020, Tyson Foods said it would resume limited operation of its huge pork processing plant in Waterloo, Iowa, with enhanced safety measures, more than two weeks after closing the facility because of a coronavirus outbreak among workers. Facebook said it had removed several accounts and pages linked to QAnon, taking action for the first time against the far-right conspiracy theory circulated among Trump supporters.Ten years ago: Five Guantanamo Bay prisoners, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the self-proclaimed mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks, were arraigned in a proceeding that dragged on for 13 hours due to stalling tactics by the defendants.Five years ago: President Donald Trump signed his first piece of major legislation, a $1 trillion spending bill to keep the government operating through September. The Labor Department reported a burst of hiring in April 2017 as employers added 211,000 jobs, more than double the weak showing in March.One year ago: A federal judge in Washington ruled that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention exceeded its authority when it imposed a national eviction moratorium. (The moratorium would remain in place during a Justice Department appeal; it was allowed to expire at the end of July.) The Biden administration joined calls for lifting patent protections on COVID-19 vaccines to help poor parts of the world get more doses. Four months after Facebook suspended the accounts of former President Donald Trump, the company's quasi-independent oversight board upheld the bans, but told Facebook to specify how long they would last. Peloton recalled about 125,000 treadmills; the Tread+ treadmills had been linked to the death of one child and injuries to 29 others. A government report said the U.S. birth rate had fallen by 4% in 2021, the largest single-year decrease in nearly 50 years.Today's Birthdays: Actor Pat Carroll is 95. Country singer-musician Roni Stoneman is 84. Actor Michael Murphy is 84. Actor Lance Henriksen is 82. Comedian-actor Michael Palin is 79. Actor John Rhys-Davies is 78. Rock correspondent Kurt Loder is 77. Rock musician Bill Ward (Black Sabbath) is 74. Actor Melinda Culea is 67. Actor Lisa Eilbacher is 65. Actor Richard E. Grant is 65. Former broadcast journalist John Miller is 64. Rock singer Ian McCulloch (Echo and the Bunnymen) is 63. Broadcast journalist Brian Williams is 63. Rock musician Shawn Drover (Megadeth) is 56. TV personality Kyan Douglas is 52. Actor Tina Yothers is 49. R&amp;B singer Raheem DeVaughn is 47. Actor Santiago Cabrera is 44. Actor Vincent Kartheiser is 43. Singer Craig David is 41. Actor Danielle Fishel is 41. Actor Henry Cavill is 39. Actor Clark Duke is 37. Soul singer Adele is 34. Rock singer Skye Sweetnam is 34. R&amp;B singer Chris Brown is 33. Figure skater Nathan Chen is 23.

Today in History - May 5

Salina Public Schools has again determined a library book recently challenged, All Boys Aren’t Blue, by George M. Johnson, will remain on the shelf.

At a special meeting on May 4, the board of education voted to keep the book in the school library and adopt the findings of committees convened at the building and district levels.

A process so that parents and guardians can notify the school of their oversight preference has been developed and will be included in handbooks. This would allow a concerned parent or guardian to put “parental permission” in place prior to their student checking out a book. The district’s process to manage any challenges to textbooks and instructional materials is clear*. The first step is a meeting between the concerned individual, the school principal and the library media specialist. The next steps are a building review committee and then a district-level review committee. The final step is a review of the reports by the board of education and a hearing for the complainants. This third level of appeal is the final level and the decision of the board of education is final. READ: <a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/a0219c80-3475-441f-95f2-d70d171630b2">Challenged book remains in USD 305 library</a>

USD 305Salina Public Schools has again determined a library book recently challenged, All Boys Aren’t Blue, by George M. Johnson, will remain on the shelf. At a special meeting on May 4, the board of education voted to keep the book in the school library and adopt the findings of committees convened at the building and district levels. A process so that parents and guardians can notify the school of their oversight preference has been developed and will be included in handbooks. This would allow a concerned parent or guardian to put “parental permission” in place prior to their student checking out a book. The district’s process to manage any challenges to textbooks and instructional materials is clear*. The first step is a meeting between the concerned individual, the school principal and the library media specialist. The next steps are a building review committee and then a district-level review committee. The final step is a review of the reports by the board of education and a hearing for the complainants. This third level of appeal is the final level and the decision of the board of education is final. READ: <a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/a0219c80-3475-441f-95f2-d70d171630b2">Challenged book remains in USD 305 library</a>

Challenged book remains in USD 305 library, again

ABILENE - You still have time to register for the next Ike's Book Club virtual presentation.

Al Ortolani with Humanities Kansas will lead the discussion about Grey Eminence: Fox Conner and the Art of Mentorship by Edward Cox. The presentation is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday.

The book club selections are all available to borrow from the Abilene Public Library or to purchase from the <a href="http://ilikeikestore.com/">online Ike Store</a>, according to information from the Eisenhower Presidential Library.

Register in advance at <a href="http://eisenhowerlibrary.gov">eisenhowerlibrary.gov</a> for Zoom login details.

By SALINA POSTABILENE - You still have time to register for the next Ike's Book Club virtual presentation.Al Ortolani with Humanities Kansas will lead the discussion about Grey Eminence: Fox Conner and the Art of Mentorship by Edward Cox. The presentation is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday.The book club selections are all available to borrow from the Abilene Public Library or to purchase from the <a href="http://ilikeikestore.com/">online Ike Store</a>, according to information from the Eisenhower Presidential Library.Register in advance at <a href="http://eisenhowerlibrary.gov">eisenhowerlibrary.gov</a> for Zoom login details.

Register now for next Ike Book Club presentation

BARTON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on out of state charges after a wild chase in Barton County.

Just before 12:30pm Tuesday, a man&nbsp;later identified as Kris Hanson, 57 of Wichita, came to the Barton County Sheriff’s Office to get a VIN inspection for an out-of-state title, according to the Sheriff Brian Bellendir.

In order to get an inspection, identification is required. The man provided the records clerk with a driver’s license, as is customary, the clerk ran a check for wants and warrants. The records officer discovered Hanson had outstanding warrants from Benton County, Arkansas for failing to appear on a larceny case.

The records clerk contacted detention officers and advised them of the situation. When deputies came to the lobby to arrest Hanson, he bolted and ran south on Kansas Street. Deputies gave chase.

At least two attempts to incapacitate the suspect with tasers failed. Hanson continued running south on Kansas Street, running between houses and at some point entered and ran through the Barton County Health Department and out an alley door.

Another deputy spotted Hanson in the alley and again gave chase. A third taser deployment was attempted, this time it was successful causing Hanson to fall to the ground. The suspect continued to resist arrest. After a short struggle the deputies were able to subdue Hanson and he was taken into custody.

Hanson was taken back to the Barton County Jail where he was booked on the Arkansas charges which carry no bond. Hanson was also booked on charges of resisting arrest with a bond of $2,500. One deputy was slightly injured in the altercation as was Hanson who fell while running and being tased.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1651676508592.jpeg" alt="Hanson-photo Barton Co." />
 <figcaption>Hanson-photo Barton Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>BARTON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on out of state charges after a wild chase in Barton County.Just before 12:30pm Tuesday, a man&nbsp;later identified as Kris Hanson, 57 of Wichita, came to the Barton County Sheriff’s Office to get a VIN inspection for an out-of-state title, according to the Sheriff Brian Bellendir.In order to get an inspection, identification is required. The man provided the records clerk with a driver’s license, as is customary, the clerk ran a check for wants and warrants. The records officer discovered Hanson had outstanding warrants from Benton County, Arkansas for failing to appear on a larceny case.The records clerk contacted detention officers and advised them of the situation. When deputies came to the lobby to arrest Hanson, he bolted and ran south on Kansas Street. Deputies gave chase.At least two attempts to incapacitate the suspect with tasers failed. Hanson continued running south on Kansas Street, running between houses and at some point entered and ran through the Barton County Health Department and out an alley door.Another deputy spotted Hanson in the alley and again gave chase. A third taser deployment was attempted, this time it was successful causing Hanson to fall to the ground. The suspect continued to resist arrest. After a short struggle the deputies were able to subdue Hanson and he was taken into custody.Hanson was taken back to the Barton County Jail where he was booked on the Arkansas charges which carry no bond. Hanson was also booked on charges of resisting arrest with a bond of $2,500. One deputy was slightly injured in the altercation as was Hanson who fell while running and being tased.

Kan. deputies chase wanted man through health department

By DAVID CONDOS <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2022-05-02/how-small-kansas-companies-bring-fast-internet-to-rural-places-that-telecom-giants-ignore">Kansas News Service</a>

With a family of five and a farming operation to run, Clay Scott’s home internet didn’t come close to cutting it.

Pulling
 up a weather page in a browser could take so long it produced an error 
message rather than a forecast. He tried installing a wireless security 
system, but it sucked up so much bandwidth that nothing else in the 
house would work. Once when his son needed to email a school project, 
the rest of the family had to log off just to give their connection 
enough capacity to send it.

“Today, we really expect it to be: Snap your fingers, here you go,” Scott said. “So it was definitely a challenge.”

Like
 many rural Americans, Scott’s home in southwest Kansas connected to the
 internet over an old copper wire. A better-than-nothing update on 
century-old telephone technology that struggles to handle Zoom calling, 
video streaming or a myriad of other internet uses that people in big 
cities largely take for granted.

Federal and state governments have <a href="https://www.jsonline.com/in-depth/news/2021/07/14/weve-spent-billions-provide-broadband-rural-areas-what-failed-wisconsin/7145014002/" target="_blank">poured billions</a>
 into trying to bring more bandwidth to the remote corners of the 
country. But for many people in rural places, it hasn’t made any 
difference. An estimated <a href="https://broadbandnow.com/research/fcc-broadband-overreporting-by-state" target="_blank">42 million</a> Americans still don’t have high-speed internet, or what most people today simply think of as internet.

With
 fiber-optic cable installation costing tens of thousands of dollars per
 mile, it’s unlikely that big national providers will ever find a way to
 make money — or even avoid losses — by hooking up people like Scott in 
rural Kansas.

But a growing number of small towns, farms and ranches are finally 
joining the Digital Age with help from small, local companies that have 
more of a stake in the rural areas they call home. They’ve found ways to
 stretch state and federal subsidies to strategically install 
high-capacity wires to homes, or construct over-the-air relays, to bring
 more robust speeds to remote outposts, town-by-town, 
farmstead-by-farmstead.

Now, with <a href="https://www.protocol.com/bulletins/davidson-starting-gun-maps" target="_blank">$42 billion</a>
 in new federal broadband funding about to go to state governments, 
those local companies say how much money they get could decide how many 
more rural Americans get connected.

A recent <a href="https://news.ku.edu/2022/03/23/speed-test-surveys-show-1-million-kansans-may-have-inadequate-internet" target="_blank">survey study</a>
 from the University of Kansas found that 95 Kansas ZIP codes — 
representing nearly 90,000 people — don’t have internet speeds that meet
 the federal definition of broadband.

And it’s not only a 
challenge in remote western Kansas communities. Rural parts of the 
state’s most populated counties — Johnson, Sedgwick and Shawnee — also 
fell below the broadband line.

KU economics professor Donna 
Ginther, who was the study’s principal investigator, said the reason is 
obvious: The economics of connecting such remote areas just don’t work 
out on paper.

“It’s really expensive to provide high-speed 
internet to a few people,” Ginther said. “That’s why you don't have that
 infrastructure out there.”

But local providers like Ulysses-based telecom cooperative <a href="https://www.pioncomm.net/" target="_blank">Pioneer</a> are finding ways to make the numbers work one mile at a time.

Pioneer
 CEO Catherine Moyer said the co-op’s goal is to connect everyone within
 its roughly 5,000-square-mile footprint in southwest Kansas. To do 
that, the co-op needs to get creative, stretching the financial 
feasibility limits with business plans that the AT&amp;Ts of the world 
might scoff at.

But, she said, the fact that Pioneer isn’t AT&amp;T is exactly what allows the co-op that flexibility.

“While
 we need to make money to continue to exist, we don’t answer to Wall 
Street,” Moyer said. “We don’t answer to shareholders. … We have 
member-owners.”

Christopher Ali, a University of Virginia professor and author of the book “<a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/farm-fresh-broadband" target="_blank">Farm Fresh Broadband</a>,” said this dynamic explains why local providers like Pioneer offer the strongest option for <a href="https://muninetworks.org/reports/cooperatives-fiberize-rural-america-trusted-model-internet-era-updated-may-2020" target="_blank">wiring rural America</a>
 — as opposed to national companies like AT&amp;T or Comcast. Their 
long-term business goals hinge on how to turn, say, $20,000 into a mile 
of fiber-optic cable in the countryside rather than a return to 
stockholders.

“If you think about it as an investment in the 
community, versus how much time you’re gonna need to recoup your return 
on investment,” Ali said, “that’s two very different ways of looking at 
that $20,000.”

Even though a local company like Pioneer and 
AT&amp;T might both be telecom providers, Ali said, they actually have 
entirely different business models.

For rural companies, seeing their region survive and thrive is the 
return on investment — and their best hope for staying in business.

“We
 interact with our customers on a daily basis. At church. At the grocery
 store. At the high school football game,” Moyer said. “So there's an 
interest in seeing communities succeed.”

Pioneer started in 1950 when local farmers <a href="https://www.pioncomm.net/about/history" target="_blank">banded together</a>
 to bring telephone service to the sparsely populated corner of Kansas. 
It now has around 100 employees and 10,000 broadband customers.

And roughly three out of every four customers are connected to fiber internet.

For
 those who aren’t, Moyer said, Pioneer plans to build fiber lines to 
reach them over the next several years. For example, the co-op is about 
to finish upgrading the town of Satanta from coaxial cable to fiber. 
That will give the community of around 1,000 people internet speeds up 
to <a href="https://www.pioncomm.net/fiber" target="_blank">250 megabits per second</a>.

Just over an hour’s drive from Satanta, another small southwest Kansas town — Bucklin, population 727 — got its own <a href="https://twitter.com/IdeaTek2/status/1509975688358633476" target="_blank">gigabit-speed broadband</a> installed a few weeks ago by another local provider, <a href="https://ideatek.com/" target="_blank">Ideatek</a>.

Bucklin
 is the latest in a line of several small towns along U.S. 54 in 
southwest Kansas that Ideatek has linked to fiber recently. Ideatek 
co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer Daniel Friesen said that at the 
start of the pandemic, the company took Meade County from 0% broadband 
connectivity to 95% broadband connectivity in the course of a few 
months.

Like Pioneer, Ideatek focuses on installing fiber to these
 rural places because it’s future-proof, with the speed and bandwidth to
 stay relevant for decades.

“While it may cost more,” Friesen said, “our position is that you need to do it right to really bridge the digital divide.”

But installing that fiber in a far-flung place like western Kansas is hard.

Even
 if a rural company can get funding for a project, finding the team of 
30 or 40 workers it takes to make it happen can be a challenge. 

Moyer
 said Pioneer had to pull in a team from the Upper Midwest to handle its
 fiber installation in Satanta. For another fiber project in Garden 
City, it got a team from Oklahoma. And small providers like Pioneer have
 to compete with bigger projects from out of state just to land those 
teams.

It’s only going to get more competitive as a new wave of federal broadband money goes out.

“Everybody’s building right now,” Moyer said. “So it’s a good problem, but it’s also tough to find the people to do it.”

Recent
 supply chain problems have made equipment, like the fiber itself, 
difficult to get. Moyer said supplies that used to take 30 days to get 
might now take 250 days.

Then there’s the sheer geographic distance to cross with those fiber wires.

Moyer said that out of Pioneer’s 5,000-square-mile footprint, only 
about 15 square miles are considered towns. And wiring the remaining 
4,985 square miles, where customers are spread far and wide, becomes way
 more expensive per capita.

Imagine a graph that shows how 
broadband installation costs increase as the connection points grow 
farther apart. When it comes to connecting the last 10% of Kansans in 
the most remote areas — where a single home or farm might be several 
miles from any other connection point — that graph line accelerates 
upward exponentially.

“Those expenses are just astronomical,” Friesen said. “There's just simply no way to do it without some level of subsidy.”

That’s where state or federal funding steps in to make construction possible.

But many rural areas don’t have enough <a href="https://www.hcn.org/articles/economy-why-rural-communities-struggle-to-bring-in-much-needed-federal-grants" target="_blank">workers and expertise</a> to adequately compete for their share of government infrastructure grants.

A <a href="https://headwaterseconomics.org/equity/rural-capacity-map/" target="_blank">new map</a>
 from Headwaters Economics that measures “rural capacity” — an area’s 
ability to handle everything it takes to apply for and implement state 
or federal money — shows that several western Kansas counties, including
 Morton, Gove and Cheyenne, rank among the most limited in the nation.

Headwaters’
 research concluded that Kansas ranks as the seventh-worst state in the 
country for this measure of rural capacity. And the Midwest ranks as 
America’s most limited region — with three out of four Midwestern 
communities struggling.

The way the government has distributed broadband funds in recent years hasn’t done rural areas any favors either.

Ali,
 the University of Virginia professor, said the rural-urban digital 
divide persists partly because American broadband policy over the past 
decade has specifically favored big national companies like Verizon and 
CenturyLink over local providers — to the detriment of both those 
smaller companies and the communities they serve.

“We basically gave a ton of money to national incumbent providers,” Ali said, “and they largely failed.”

He
 said a clear example of this was in 2015 when the Federal 
Communications Commission’s Connect America Fund gave a group of 10 big 
telecommunications companies <a href="https://www.fcc.gov/news-events/blog/2015/08/28/milestone-expanding-broadband-rural-america" target="_blank">$1.5 billion</a> a year for five years to deploy more rural broadband. By contrast, that same fund gave smaller local providers just <a href="https://www.fcc.gov/auction/903" target="_blank">$1.5 million</a> a year for ten years — and that relatively meager amount had to be split up among 103 companies.

To
 make matters worse, Ali said the billions that the federal government 
handed to those large companies didn’t come with enough rules to make 
sure it accomplished its goals.

For one, the fund didn’t require 
providers to build fiber connections with FCC minimum broadband speeds —
 25 megabits per second download. That meant companies could spend the 
money on outdated technology to give customers speeds that are already 
obsolete — <a href="https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2021/03/att-lobbies-against-nationwide-fiber-says-10mbps-uploads-are-good-enough/" target="_blank">10 megabits</a> per second. Some of the companies <a href="https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2020/01/centurylink-frontier-took-fcc-cash-failed-to-deploy-all-required-broadband/" target="_blank">didn’t even install</a> all the broadband they had been given money to do by the FCC deadline.

And the FCC maps that determine where the forthcoming federal broadband funds are sent could end up funneling money to the <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/11/29/fcc-broadband-maps-biden-523425" target="_blank">wrong places</a>
 because they don’t paint an accurate picture of which areas have the 
most need. Research from BroadbandNow shows that FCC numbers have likely
 undercounted the number of Americans without broadband by nearly <a href="https://broadbandnow.com/research/fcc-broadband-overreporting-by-state" target="_blank">30 million people</a>.

Ali
 said that combination of outdated technology, inaccurate information 
and poor accountability has put the country in a situation today where 
last year’s federal infrastructure bill included <a href="https://www.consumerreports.org/internet/infrastructure-bill-includes-65-billion-for-internet-access-a6861027212/" target="_blank">$65 billion</a> to improve Americans’ internet access — but that still might not be enough to connect everyone.

“We’ve
 got pockets of complete unconnectedness and then other pockets of total
 under connectivity,” Ali said, “because we’ve been funding bad 
technologies for almost a decade.”

And broadband access isn’t the 
only issue keeping rural Americans offline — there’s also affordability.
 Rural customers within reach of broadband pay an average of <a href="https://broadbandnow.com/research/digital-divide-broadband-pricing-state-zip-income-2019" target="_blank">37% more</a> than urban customers.

To
 truly bridge these access and affordability gaps, Ali said, the country
 needs to approach broadband’s expansion into rural areas much like it 
did with the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/home/learn/historyculture/ruralelect.htm" target="_blank">Rural Electrification Act</a> nearly a century ago.

“We
 didn't say, ‘Well, you get enough electricity for one light bulb, and 
that's enough,” Ali said. “That's the same mindset we need for 
broadband.”

Renewed interest in funding rural broadband projects at both the state and federal level could start to change that.

Ideatek and Pioneer applied for part of this year’s $5 million round of <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/12/08/kansas-broadband-efforts-receive-85-million-boost-to-bridge-digital-divide/" target="_blank">Broadband Acceleration Grant</a> funding from the state, which will be <a href="https://www.kansascommerce.gov/program/community-programs/broadband-acceleration-grant/" target="_blank">awarded May 18</a>. Starting May 16, Kansas will have the <a href="https://www.meritalk.com/articles/ntia-says-state-broadband-funding-window-opens-may-16/" target="_blank">chance to apply</a> for part of the $42 billion from federal infrastructure funding, which it could then dole out to local companies.

Meanwhile, many rural customers are stuck waiting.

“They’re
 going, ‘I needed that yesterday, and you’re telling me that … it could 
be a year or two years down the road,’” Moyer said. “That’s where I 
think the frustration lies.”

Even with great need and demonstrated
 success, Friesen said getting money from the state for broadband 
projects has been slow going. 

Kansas got <a href="https://covid.ks.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Fact-Sheet.pdf" target="_blank">more than $1 billion</a>
 in federal pandemic relief money last year that could go toward 
broadband projects in the state. But providers like Ideatek are still 
waiting for the state to distribute it, which Friesen said leaves Kansas
 lagging behind other states.

“If we as a state, or we as 
Americans, want to ensure that every person in Kansas or America has 
broadband service, there’s just simply no way to do it without some 
level of subsidy,” Friesen said. “Without it, there’s definitely a 
number of communities that would still likely be in the dark ages from a
 broadband perspective.”

Back at Clay Scott’s farm in Grant County, those dark ages are now over.

He’s
 planting corn this week with the help of four computer screens that 
access the internet for everything from GPS coordination to soil 
moisture monitoring to precise seed application. They all connect 
through a nearby Pioneer wireless tower.

“Once upon a time, we 
just hooked up the planter and filled it up with seed and went,” Scott 
said. “Today, it’s pretty technical.”

He said the amount of data 
he uses to manage his farm today is about triple what it was a decade 
ago. And having all that data at his fingertips has become critical to 
his operation’s efficiency, lowering his business costs and keeping seed
 and water from going to waste.

Pioneer recently installed fiber to Scott’s doorstep, too, more than doubling his internet speeds.

Even
 though his home is several miles outside of town in a remote part of 
Grant County — and likely cost a bundle to reach — his family now enjoys
 broadband that can rival just about any city in Kansas.

“They do 
it because it serves the community,” Scott said. “Sometimes it's not 
financially the best decision, but it darn sure is in terms of meeting 
their goal of community service.”

David Condos covers western Kansas for High Plains Public Radio and the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter<a href="http://twitter.com/davidcondos" target="_blank"> @davidcondos</a>.

Small Kan. companies bring fast internet to rural places telecom giants ignore

Meaghan Roths, Salina, is the recipient of the 2021-2022 Cash&nbsp;Hollistah&nbsp;Scholarship. 

Roths, a senior at Southeast of Saline High School in Gypsum,&nbsp;is a visual artist, actress, and vocalist who participates on the&nbsp;Youth Leadership Council of the Catholic&nbsp;Youth Organization. Roths&nbsp;is currently President of the Art Club and Teens Reaching Ultimate Success Together (TRUST), while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. A member of the National Honor Society, Roths&nbsp;will be attending Wichita State University in the fall, pursuing a degree in graphic design. The Cash Hollistah Scholarship, presented by Ad Astra Books &amp; Coffee House, is awarded to a graduating senior in central Kansas who shows merit in the field of community enrichment through poetry, music, art or design. For more information, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://thecashscholarship.org/?fbclid=IwAR3LIUWAxZHpvB-sortoZ9g_wxUjtVZlArqgR1U0z9M2TyPSyTbsbsFVYUc" target="_blank">thecashscholarship.org.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1651678939929.jpeg" alt="Meaghan Roths. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Meaghan Roths. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>SubmittedMeaghan Roths, Salina, is the recipient of the 2021-2022 Cash&nbsp;Hollistah&nbsp;Scholarship. Roths, a senior at Southeast of Saline High School in Gypsum,&nbsp;is a visual artist, actress, and vocalist who participates on the&nbsp;Youth Leadership Council of the Catholic&nbsp;Youth Organization. Roths&nbsp;is currently President of the Art Club and Teens Reaching Ultimate Success Together (TRUST), while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. A member of the National Honor Society, Roths&nbsp;will be attending Wichita State University in the fall, pursuing a degree in graphic design. The Cash Hollistah Scholarship, presented by Ad Astra Books &amp; Coffee House, is awarded to a graduating senior in central Kansas who shows merit in the field of community enrichment through poetry, music, art or design. For more information, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://thecashscholarship.org/?fbclid=IwAR3LIUWAxZHpvB-sortoZ9g_wxUjtVZlArqgR1U0z9M2TyPSyTbsbsFVYUc" target="_blank">thecashscholarship.org.</a>

SES's Meaghan Roths to receive Cash Hollistah Scholarship

WASHINGTON (AP) —The bombshell leak of a draft opinion suggesting the Supreme Court is poised to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade case legalizing abortion nationwide has set the country on course for an even more polarized and fluctuating landscape of abortion rights.

Almost immediately, Republicans who had fostered a decades-long push to end abortion rights cheered&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-is-roe-v-wade-33c08858dc8b0aa5f0450858b51a648a">Roe’s potential fall.&nbsp;</a>Democrats vowed to fight the possible loss of a constitutional right that has been in place for nearly a half-century.

The Supreme Court confirmed the leaked draft, first published by Politico, was an authentic document but said Tuesday “it does not represent a decision by the court or the final position of any member on the issues in the case.”

Though the draft opinion could change, Democrats and Republicans across the states pledged action&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/roe-wade-supreme-court-f6b899076faba20517b9ac1e82438c16">amid warnings such a ruling could also put other rights at risk</a>&nbsp;—battles that could likewise play out in the states.

In California, Democrats who wield control of the state Legislature and the governor’s office issued a joint statement late Monday announcing they would seek to amend the state’s constitution to enshrine abortion rights.

“California will not stand idly by as women across America are stripped of their rights and the progress so many have fought for gets erased,” California Democrats said. “We know we can’t trust the Supreme Court to protect reproductive rights, so California will build a firewall around this right in our state constitution. Women will remain protected here.”

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, said on Twitter she plans to immediately call a special legislative session “to save lives” if Roe is overturned. The state already has a so-called trigger law that would make abortion illegal if that happens and Noem’s office declined to say why a special session would be necessary. Her spokesman, Ian Fury, said the tweet, “speaks for itself.”

In Georgia, which is among several dozen states electing governors this year, candidates on both sides of the aisle proclaimed they would prioritize the issue if elected to the state’s top office.

Republican gubernatorial candidate David Perdue said he’d call state lawmakers into a special session to outlaw all abortions, while Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams said she would defend the right to abortion if she wins.

About half of U.S. states are expected to ban abortion if Roe falls, according to the abortion-rights think tank Guttmacher Institute. Twenty-two states, largely in the South and Midwest, already have total or near-total bans on the books. Aside from Texas, all are now blocked because of Roe.

States&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-donald-trump-us-supreme-court-health-religion-a9baf97e858cf27f2d143c4fd3ea1d86">have already been preparing for the protentional of the ruling being weakened or overturned</a>, and Republican-led states&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-abortion-health-covid-19-pandemic-medication-31791ed14247c4c8ad35ef078982078e">have also been working to restrict access to medication abortion</a>, which would allow women to get abortions without the burden of traveling to clinics that may be few and far between.

In addition to South Dakota, 12 other states have trigger laws that would immediately ban abortion if Roe is overturned.

One is Oklahoma, where Republican House Speaker Charles McCall declared Tuesday that “decades of steadfast prayer and unwavering legislative efforts to protect the lives of the unborn are finally on the doorsteps of success.”

“For close to 50 years, the silent cries of the millions who lost their lives before even having a chance to live have been heard through the voices of those of us fighting for their rights,” McCall said. “The pro-life movement won, securing those yet unborn the future and promise that comes with being born in the United States of America.”

A few states still have pre-Roe bans on the books, including Michigan, where Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has sued to remove it and pledged on Twitter Monday to “fight like hell to make sure abortion remains safe, legal, and accessible.”

The Kansas Supreme Court in 2019 declared that the state constitution protects abortion rights, but Republican lawmakers placed on the August primary ballot an initiative to overturn it.

In New Hampshire, Gov. Chris Sununu was a rare Republican governor who said he supports abortion rights and was committed to upholding Roe v. Wade. “So long as I am governor, these health care services for women will remain safe and legal,” Sununu said.

However, last year Sununu signed into law restrictions on abortion when he approved a measure banning abortion after 24 weeks of gestation, with exceptions only for pregnancies that threaten the mother’s life or health.

Polling shows relatively few Americans want to see Roe overturned. In 2020, AP VoteCast found that 69% of voters in the presidential election said the Supreme Court should leave the Roe v. Wade decision as is; just 29% said the court should overturn the decision. In general, AP-NORC polling finds a majority of the public favors abortion being legal in most or all cases.

At least eight GOP-led states have already passed new restrictions this year, expecting change from the conservative majority on the high court. Arizona and Florida banned the procedure after 15 weeks, without exceptions for rape or incest. Others,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-reproductive-rights-oklahoma-2810e6accef0fa3c6fdb0e53fed90664">like Oklahoma, went further</a>&nbsp;and made it a felony as of this summer to perform an abortion, with an exception only for the life of the mother.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-business-texas-idaho-87992ce80b3c9e55100444e34bdcb173">Idaho&nbsp;</a>followed Texas and allowed people to sue over abortions — including potential family members of the embryo.

Sixteen states and the District of Columbia, meanwhile, have protected access to abortion in state law, and several states moved to expand or strengthen those protections this year.

States like Washington and Connecticut, for example, have protected abortion providers in their states from lawsuits.

The Democratic leaders in Connecticut’s statehouse,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-lifestyle-religion-connecticut-268fa7ed40d190a0709e3d2be8e960f5">which over the weekend sent legislation&nbsp;</a>to that state’s governor that would protect abortion providers, said in a joint statement Monday night they had feared a proposed decision like the one in the draft opinion and “now this nightmare appears to be all too real.”

“America is likely headed down a dark path where individual states will adopt conflicting statutes leading to additional divisions in an already divided nation,” Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff said.

Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said her state would “welcome with open arms” those who need access to abortion.

In Hawaii, state Sen. Roz Baker, a Democrat, questioned what more the ruling, if issued by the court, could bring.

“Are they going to go back and go after the LGBTQ community next?” she said. “Are they going to go after immigrants? Are they going to go after any of the vulnerable populations?”

In some cases, abortion laws may divide states as well.

GOP-led Tennessee also has a trigger law banning abortion if Roe is overturned, but Nashville’s district attorney on Monday tweeted that he would not prosecute any doctor who performed an abortion.

WASHINGTON (AP) —The bombshell leak of a draft opinion suggesting the Supreme Court is poised to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade case legalizing abortion nationwide has set the country on course for an even more polarized and fluctuating landscape of abortion rights.Almost immediately, Republicans who had fostered a decades-long push to end abortion rights cheered&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/what-is-roe-v-wade-33c08858dc8b0aa5f0450858b51a648a">Roe’s potential fall.&nbsp;</a>Democrats vowed to fight the possible loss of a constitutional right that has been in place for nearly a half-century.The Supreme Court confirmed the leaked draft, first published by Politico, was an authentic document but said Tuesday “it does not represent a decision by the court or the final position of any member on the issues in the case.”Though the draft opinion could change, Democrats and Republicans across the states pledged action&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/roe-wade-supreme-court-f6b899076faba20517b9ac1e82438c16">amid warnings such a ruling could also put other rights at risk</a>&nbsp;—battles that could likewise play out in the states.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1651593865137.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>In California, Democrats who wield control of the state Legislature and the governor’s office issued a joint statement late Monday announcing they would seek to amend the state’s constitution to enshrine abortion rights.“California will not stand idly by as women across America are stripped of their rights and the progress so many have fought for gets erased,” California Democrats said. “We know we can’t trust the Supreme Court to protect reproductive rights, so California will build a firewall around this right in our state constitution. Women will remain protected here.”South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, said on Twitter she plans to immediately call a special legislative session “to save lives” if Roe is overturned. The state already has a so-called trigger law that would make abortion illegal if that happens and Noem’s office declined to say why a special session would be necessary. Her spokesman, Ian Fury, said the tweet, “speaks for itself.”In Georgia, which is among several dozen states electing governors this year, candidates on both sides of the aisle proclaimed they would prioritize the issue if elected to the state’s top office.Republican gubernatorial candidate David Perdue said he’d call state lawmakers into a special session to outlaw all abortions, while Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams said she would defend the right to abortion if she wins.About half of U.S. states are expected to ban abortion if Roe falls, according to the abortion-rights think tank Guttmacher Institute. Twenty-two states, largely in the South and Midwest, already have total or near-total bans on the books. Aside from Texas, all are now blocked because of Roe.States&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-donald-trump-us-supreme-court-health-religion-a9baf97e858cf27f2d143c4fd3ea1d86">have already been preparing for the protentional of the ruling being weakened or overturned</a>, and Republican-led states&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-abortion-health-covid-19-pandemic-medication-31791ed14247c4c8ad35ef078982078e">have also been working to restrict access to medication abortion</a>, which would allow women to get abortions without the burden of traveling to clinics that may be few and far between.In addition to South Dakota, 12 other states have trigger laws that would immediately ban abortion if Roe is overturned.One is Oklahoma, where Republican House Speaker Charles McCall declared Tuesday that “decades of steadfast prayer and unwavering legislative efforts to protect the lives of the unborn are finally on the doorsteps of success.”“For close to 50 years, the silent cries of the millions who lost their lives before even having a chance to live have been heard through the voices of those of us fighting for their rights,” McCall said. “The pro-life movement won, securing those yet unborn the future and promise that comes with being born in the United States of America.”A few states still have pre-Roe bans on the books, including Michigan, where Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has sued to remove it and pledged on Twitter Monday to “fight like hell to make sure abortion remains safe, legal, and accessible.”The Kansas Supreme Court in 2019 declared that the state constitution protects abortion rights, but Republican lawmakers placed on the August primary ballot an initiative to overturn it.In New Hampshire, Gov. Chris Sununu was a rare Republican governor who said he supports abortion rights and was committed to upholding Roe v. Wade. “So long as I am governor, these health care services for women will remain safe and legal,” Sununu said.However, last year Sununu signed into law restrictions on abortion when he approved a measure banning abortion after 24 weeks of gestation, with exceptions only for pregnancies that threaten the mother’s life or health.Polling shows relatively few Americans want to see Roe overturned. In 2020, AP VoteCast found that 69% of voters in the presidential election said the Supreme Court should leave the Roe v. Wade decision as is; just 29% said the court should overturn the decision. In general, AP-NORC polling finds a majority of the public favors abortion being legal in most or all cases.At least eight GOP-led states have already passed new restrictions this year, expecting change from the conservative majority on the high court. Arizona and Florida banned the procedure after 15 weeks, without exceptions for rape or incest. Others,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-reproductive-rights-oklahoma-2810e6accef0fa3c6fdb0e53fed90664">like Oklahoma, went further</a>&nbsp;and made it a felony as of this summer to perform an abortion, with an exception only for the life of the mother.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-business-texas-idaho-87992ce80b3c9e55100444e34bdcb173">Idaho&nbsp;</a>followed Texas and allowed people to sue over abortions — including potential family members of the embryo.Sixteen states and the District of Columbia, meanwhile, have protected access to abortion in state law, and several states moved to expand or strengthen those protections this year.States like Washington and Connecticut, for example, have protected abortion providers in their states from lawsuits.The Democratic leaders in Connecticut’s statehouse,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-lifestyle-religion-connecticut-268fa7ed40d190a0709e3d2be8e960f5">which over the weekend sent legislation&nbsp;</a>to that state’s governor that would protect abortion providers, said in a joint statement Monday night they had feared a proposed decision like the one in the draft opinion and “now this nightmare appears to be all too real.”“America is likely headed down a dark path where individual states will adopt conflicting statutes leading to additional divisions in an already divided nation,” Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff said.Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said her state would “welcome with open arms” those who need access to abortion.In Hawaii, state Sen. Roz Baker, a Democrat, questioned what more the ruling, if issued by the court, could bring.“Are they going to go back and go after the LGBTQ community next?” she said. “Are they going to go after immigrants? Are they going to go after any of the vulnerable populations?”In some cases, abortion laws may divide states as well.GOP-led Tennessee also has a trigger law banning abortion if Roe is overturned, but Nashville’s district attorney on Monday tweeted that he would not prosecute any doctor who performed an abortion.

Possible overturning of Roe sends abortion fight to states

Today is Wednesday, May 4, the 124th day of 2022. There are 241 days left in the year.

On May 4, 1970, Ohio National Guardsmen opened fire during an anti-war protest at Kent State University, killing four students and wounding nine others.

In 1776, Rhode Island declared its freedom from England, two months before the Declaration of Independence was adopted.

In 1886, at Haymarket Square in Chicago, a labor demonstration for an 8-hour work day turned into a deadly riot when a bomb exploded.

In 1904, the United States took over construction of the Panama Canal from the French.

In 1932, mobster Al Capone, convicted of income-tax evasion, entered the federal penitentiary in Atlanta. (Capone was later transferred to Alcatraz Island.)

In 1942, the Battle of the Coral Sea, the first naval clash fought entirely with carrier aircraft, began in the Pacific during World War II. (The outcome was considered a tactical victory for Japan, but ultimately a strategic one for the Allies.)

In 1945, during World War II, German forces in the Netherlands, Denmark and northwest Germany agreed to surrender.

In 1961, the first group of "Freedom Riders" left Washington, D.C., to challenge racial segregation on interstate buses and in bus terminals.

In 1998, Unabomber Theodore Kaczynski was given four life sentences plus 30 years by a federal judge in Sacramento, California, under a plea agreement that spared him the death penalty.

In 2001, Bonny Lee Bakley, wife of actor Robert Blake, was shot to death as she sat in a car near a restaurant in Los Angeles. (Blake, accused of Bakley's murder, was acquitted in a criminal trial but found liable by a civil jury and ordered to pay damages.)

In 2006, a federal judge sentenced Zacarias Moussaoui to life in prison for his role in the 9/11 attacks, telling the convicted terrorist, "You will die with a whimper."

In 2011, President Barack Obama said he had decided not to release death photos of Osama bin Laden because their graphic nature could incite violence and create national security risks. Officials told The Associated Press that the Navy SEALs who'd stormed bin Laden's compound in Pakistan shot and killed him after they saw him appear to lunge for a weapon.

In 2020, New York state reported more than 1,700 previously undisclosed coronavirus deaths at nursing homes and adult care facilities. Struggling fashion brand J.Crew became the first major retailer to file for bankruptcy protection since the start of the pandemic. Former Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula died at 90; he'd won more games than any other NFL coach.

Ten years ago: The U.S. and China outlined a tentative deal to send Chen Guangcheng, a blind legal activist, to America for study and potentially bring a face-saving end to a delicate diplomatic crisis. (Chen left China on May 19, 2012.) Adam Yauch, 47, the gravelly-voiced rapper who helped make The Beastie Boys one of the seminal groups in hip-hop, died in New York.

Five years ago: President Donald Trump met with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull aboard the USS Intrepid, a decommissioned aircraft carrier in New York, to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the World War II Battle of the Coral Sea, which reinforced the ties between the U.S. and Australia. A U.S. service member was killed in Somalia during an operation against the extremist group al-Shabab, the first American combat death there in more than two decades. Buckingham Palace announced that Queen Elizabeth II's 95-year-old husband, Prince Philip, was retiring from royal duties.

One year ago: President Joe Biden set a new vaccination goal to deliver at least one shot to 70% of adult Americans by July Fourth. (The effort would fall short, with a 67% vaccination rate.) Crews in Mexico City untangled train carriages from the steel and concrete wreckage that fell onto a roadway a day earlier, killing 26 people. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu missed a midnight deadline to put together a new governing coalition; his Likud party would be pushed into the opposition for the first time in 12 years.

Today's Birthdays: Katherine Jackson, matriarch of the Jackson musical family, is 92. Jazz musician Ron Carter is 85. Pulitzer Prize-winning political commentator George Will is 81. Pop singer Peggy Santiglia Davison (The Angels) is 78. Actor Richard Jenkins is 75. Country singer Stella Parton is 73. Actor-turned-clergyman Hilly Hicks is 72. Irish musician Darryl Hunt (The Pogues) is 72. Singer Jackie Jackson (The Jacksons) is 71. Singer-actor Pia Zadora is 70. R&amp;B singer Oleta Adams is 69. Violinist Soozie Tyrell (Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band) is 65. Country singer Randy Travis is 63. Actor Mary McDonough is 61. Comedian Ana Gasteyer is 55. Actor Will Arnett is 52. Rock musician Mike Dirnt (Green Day) is 50. Contemporary Christian singer Chris Tomlin is 50. TV personality and fashion designer Kimora Lee Simmons is 47. Sports reporter Erin Andrews is 44. Singer Lance Bass ('N Sync) is 43. Actor Ruth Negga is 41. Rapper/singer Jidenna is 37. Actor Alexander Gould is 28. Country singer RaeLynn is 28. Actor Amara Miller is 22. Actor Brooklynn Prince (Film: "The Florida Project") is 12.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573488868914.jpeg" alt="Photo of old book courtesy <a href="http://shutterstock.com">shutterstock</a>" />
 <figcaption>Photo of old book courtesy <a href="http://shutterstock.com">shutterstock</a></figcaption>
 </figure>By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSToday is Wednesday, May 4, the 124th day of 2022. There are 241 days left in the year.Today's Highlight in History:On May 4, 1970, Ohio National Guardsmen opened fire during an anti-war protest at Kent State University, killing four students and wounding nine others.On this date:In 1776, Rhode Island declared its freedom from England, two months before the Declaration of Independence was adopted.In 1886, at Haymarket Square in Chicago, a labor demonstration for an 8-hour work day turned into a deadly riot when a bomb exploded.In 1904, the United States took over construction of the Panama Canal from the French.In 1932, mobster Al Capone, convicted of income-tax evasion, entered the federal penitentiary in Atlanta. (Capone was later transferred to Alcatraz Island.)In 1942, the Battle of the Coral Sea, the first naval clash fought entirely with carrier aircraft, began in the Pacific during World War II. (The outcome was considered a tactical victory for Japan, but ultimately a strategic one for the Allies.)In 1945, during World War II, German forces in the Netherlands, Denmark and northwest Germany agreed to surrender.In 1961, the first group of "Freedom Riders" left Washington, D.C., to challenge racial segregation on interstate buses and in bus terminals.In 1998, Unabomber Theodore Kaczynski was given four life sentences plus 30 years by a federal judge in Sacramento, California, under a plea agreement that spared him the death penalty.In 2001, Bonny Lee Bakley, wife of actor Robert Blake, was shot to death as she sat in a car near a restaurant in Los Angeles. (Blake, accused of Bakley's murder, was acquitted in a criminal trial but found liable by a civil jury and ordered to pay damages.)In 2006, a federal judge sentenced Zacarias Moussaoui to life in prison for his role in the 9/11 attacks, telling the convicted terrorist, "You will die with a whimper."In 2011, President Barack Obama said he had decided not to release death photos of Osama bin Laden because their graphic nature could incite violence and create national security risks. Officials told The Associated Press that the Navy SEALs who'd stormed bin Laden's compound in Pakistan shot and killed him after they saw him appear to lunge for a weapon.In 2020, New York state reported more than 1,700 previously undisclosed coronavirus deaths at nursing homes and adult care facilities. Struggling fashion brand J.Crew became the first major retailer to file for bankruptcy protection since the start of the pandemic. Former Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula died at 90; he'd won more games than any other NFL coach.Ten years ago: The U.S. and China outlined a tentative deal to send Chen Guangcheng, a blind legal activist, to America for study and potentially bring a face-saving end to a delicate diplomatic crisis. (Chen left China on May 19, 2012.) Adam Yauch, 47, the gravelly-voiced rapper who helped make The Beastie Boys one of the seminal groups in hip-hop, died in New York.Five years ago: President Donald Trump met with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull aboard the USS Intrepid, a decommissioned aircraft carrier in New York, to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the World War II Battle of the Coral Sea, which reinforced the ties between the U.S. and Australia. A U.S. service member was killed in Somalia during an operation against the extremist group al-Shabab, the first American combat death there in more than two decades. Buckingham Palace announced that Queen Elizabeth II's 95-year-old husband, Prince Philip, was retiring from royal duties.One year ago: President Joe Biden set a new vaccination goal to deliver at least one shot to 70% of adult Americans by July Fourth. (The effort would fall short, with a 67% vaccination rate.) Crews in Mexico City untangled train carriages from the steel and concrete wreckage that fell onto a roadway a day earlier, killing 26 people. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu missed a midnight deadline to put together a new governing coalition; his Likud party would be pushed into the opposition for the first time in 12 years.Today's Birthdays: Katherine Jackson, matriarch of the Jackson musical family, is 92. Jazz musician Ron Carter is 85. Pulitzer Prize-winning political commentator George Will is 81. Pop singer Peggy Santiglia Davison (The Angels) is 78. Actor Richard Jenkins is 75. Country singer Stella Parton is 73. Actor-turned-clergyman Hilly Hicks is 72. Irish musician Darryl Hunt (The Pogues) is 72. Singer Jackie Jackson (The Jacksons) is 71. Singer-actor Pia Zadora is 70. R&amp;B singer Oleta Adams is 69. Violinist Soozie Tyrell (Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band) is 65. Country singer Randy Travis is 63. Actor Mary McDonough is 61. Comedian Ana Gasteyer is 55. Actor Will Arnett is 52. Rock musician Mike Dirnt (Green Day) is 50. Contemporary Christian singer Chris Tomlin is 50. TV personality and fashion designer Kimora Lee Simmons is 47. Sports reporter Erin Andrews is 44. Singer Lance Bass ('N Sync) is 43. Actor Ruth Negga is 41. Rapper/singer Jidenna is 37. Actor Alexander Gould is 28. Country singer RaeLynn is 28. Actor Amara Miller is 22. Actor Brooklynn Prince (Film: "The Florida Project") is 12.

Today in History - May 4

<a href="https://memorials.martinbeckercarlson.com/donald-coup/4916021/obituary.php?_ga=2.230718559.1519270917.1651069621-1202697284.1612194326">Donald Coup Obituary - Abilene, KS | Martin-Becker-Carlson Funeral Home (martinbeckercarlson.com)</a>

&nbsp;January 12th, 1941 - April 26th, 2022

Donald E. Coup of Abilene, KS passed away on April 26, 2022 at the age of 81. Don was born on January 12th, 1941 in Manchester, KS to Frank and Ruth Coup (Oard).

As the son of a farmer in rural Dickinson County, Don grew up appreciating so much, while having so little. His humble upbringing instilled gratitude, hard work, and dedication to family that was recognized by all who knew him and a lot more that did not. In high school Don played many sports sparking his lifelong appreciation for fitness. He graduated from Dickinson County Community High School in 1959 then attended Emporia State University.

In 1963 he enlisted in the Navy and served on the USS Saratoga (CVA-60) as Aviation Storekeeper touring throughout the Mediterranean. In 1975 after his military service, he settled in as a postal carrier that would span nearly three decades. Don walked thirteen miles a day for over 27 years 9 months 21 days, was bitten by dogs four times, out ran many more dogs, ate too many Christmas pound cakes and all within the extremely adverse rain, blistery cold and scorching hot weather of Kansas. Don married Sharon K. Williams (Tunget) on November 8th, 1980 in Talmage, KS and spent their married life in Abilene, KS. Don was blessed with a large and loving family. Don retired and was widowed in 2003, spending his time with family, woodworking, traveling, and being an avid bicycle rider. Don was known for his friendly and caring nature along with his everlasting smile. Survivors include one daughter, Shelly Ihnken of Mt Pleasant, TX; one son, Jon Williams of Abilene; his brother, Larry of Talmage; twelve grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and many other relatives. He was preceded in death by his wife, Sharon; father, Frank; and mother, Ruth. Don’s celebration of life will be held 12 o’clock (noon), June 11th, 2022 at his home of 1002 N Walnut, Abilene, KS to allow family and friends to travel and book tickets.

Memorial contributions can made to Martin Becker Funeral Home in Abilene, KS for the Eisenhower Park Rose Garden.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<h2>Donald E. Coup, Abilene</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1651611579677.png" alt="Donald E. Coup" />
 <figcaption>Donald E. Coup</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://memorials.martinbeckercarlson.com/donald-coup/4916021/obituary.php?_ga=2.230718559.1519270917.1651069621-1202697284.1612194326">Donald Coup Obituary - Abilene, KS | Martin-Becker-Carlson Funeral Home (martinbeckercarlson.com)</a>&nbsp;January 12th, 1941 - April 26th, 2022Donald E. Coup of Abilene, KS passed away on April 26, 2022 at the age of 81. Don was born on January 12th, 1941 in Manchester, KS to Frank and Ruth Coup (Oard). As the son of a farmer in rural Dickinson County, Don grew up appreciating so much, while having so little. His humble upbringing instilled gratitude, hard work, and dedication to family that was recognized by all who knew him and a lot more that did not. In high school Don played many sports sparking his lifelong appreciation for fitness. He graduated from Dickinson County Community High School in 1959 then attended Emporia State University. In 1963 he enlisted in the Navy and served on the USS Saratoga (CVA-60) as Aviation Storekeeper touring throughout the Mediterranean. In 1975 after his military service, he settled in as a postal carrier that would span nearly three decades. Don walked thirteen miles a day for over 27 years 9 months 21 days, was bitten by dogs four times, out ran many more dogs, ate too many Christmas pound cakes and all within the extremely adverse rain, blistery cold and scorching hot weather of Kansas. Don married Sharon K. Williams (Tunget) on November 8th, 1980 in Talmage, KS and spent their married life in Abilene, KS. Don was blessed with a large and loving family. Don retired and was widowed in 2003, spending his time with family, woodworking, traveling, and being an avid bicycle rider. Don was known for his friendly and caring nature along with his everlasting smile. Survivors include one daughter, Shelly Ihnken of Mt Pleasant, TX; one son, Jon Williams of Abilene; his brother, Larry of Talmage; twelve grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and many other relatives. He was preceded in death by his wife, Sharon; father, Frank; and mother, Ruth. Don’s celebration of life will be held 12 o’clock (noon), June 11th, 2022 at his home of 1002 N Walnut, Abilene, KS to allow family and friends to travel and book tickets. Memorial contributions can made to Martin Becker Funeral Home in Abilene, KS for the Eisenhower Park Rose Garden.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Donald E. Coup

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Tuesday blasted a “radical” draft Supreme Court opinion that would throw out the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion rights ruling that has stood for a half century and warned that other rights including same-sex marriage and birth control are at risk if the court follows through.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/publicinfo/press/pressreleases/pr_05-03-22" target="_blank">Across the nation, Americans grappled</a>&nbsp;with what might come next.

The court confirmed the authenticity of the leaked draft, which was dated to February, and Chief Justice John&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/publicinfo/press/pressreleases/pr_05-03-22" target="_blank">Roberts said he had ordered an investigation</a>&nbsp;into what he called an “egregious breach of trust.” A court statement emphasized that the draft is not the justices’ final word.

Opinions often change in ways big and small in the drafting process, and a final ruling has not been expected until the end of the court’s term in late June or early July.

A decision to overrule Roe would lead to abortion bans in roughly half the states, spark new efforts in Democratic-leaning states to protect access to abortion, and potentially reshape the contours of this year’s hotly contested midterm elections.

The draft was published by the news outlet Politico late Monday.

Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One, Biden said he hoped the draft wouldn’t be finalized by justices, contending it reflects a “fundamental shift in American jurisprudence” that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/roe-wade-supreme-court-state-fight-e53b2b46d9606dc9468b8044a0b42ed0">threatens “other basic rights” like access to birth control and marriage.</a>

He added: “If this decision holds, it’s really quite a radical decision.” He said the “basic fairness and the stability of our law demand” that the court not overturn Roe.

“If the court does overturn Roe, it will fall on our nation’s elected officials at all levels of government to protect a woman’s right to choose,” Biden said. “And it will fall on voters to elect pro-choice officials this November. At the federal level, we will need more pro-choice Senators and a pro-choice majority in the House to adopt legislation that codifies Roe, which I will work to pass and sign into law.”

Though past efforts have failed, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he intended to hold a vote.

“This is as urgent and real as it gets,” Schumer said on the Senate floor Tuesday. “Every American is going to see on which side every senator stands.”

Whatever the outcome, the Politico report late Monday represented an extremely rare&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stephen-breyer-us-supreme-court-c6a923f6e370672f4a5ccfd3be325786">breach of the court’s secretive deliberation process</a>, and on a case of surpassing importance.

“Roe was egregiously wrong from the start,” the draft opinion states. It was signed by Justice Samuel Alito, a member of the court’s 6-3 conservative majority who was appointed by former President George W. Bush.

The document was labeled a “1st Draft” of the “Opinion of the Court” in a case challenging Mississippi’s ban on abortion after 15 weeks, a case known as Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

The draft opinion in effect states there is no constitutional right to abortion services. It would allow individual states to more heavily regulate or outright ban the procedure.

“We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled,” it states, referencing the 1992 case Planned Parenthood v. Casey that affirmed Roe’s finding of a constitutional right to abortion services but allowed states to place some constraints on the practice. “It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives.”

The draft opinion strongly suggests that when the justices met in private shortly after arguments in the case on Dec. 1, at least five — all the conservatives except perhaps Chief Justice John Roberts — voted to overrule Roe and Casey, and Alito was assigned the task of writing the court’s majority opinion.

Votes and opinions in a case aren’t final until a decision is announced or, in a change wrought by the coronavirus pandemic, posted on the court’s website.

Politico said only that it received “a copy of the draft opinion from a person familiar with the court’s proceedings in the Mississippi case along with other details supporting the authenticity of the document.”

The report comes amid a legislative push to restrict abortion in several Republican-led states — Oklahoma being the most recent — even before the court issues its decision. Critics of those measures have said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-laws-raising-children-e620ca2a871bfd9ce5b6d6c76e092c31">low-income and minority women will disproportionately bear the burden</a>&nbsp;of the new restrictions.

The leak jumpstarted the intense political reverberations that the high court’s ultimate decision was expected to have in the midterm election year. Already, politicians on both sides of the aisle were seizing on the report to fundraise and energize their supporters on both sides of the issue.

Democrats contended that several&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-election-2020-amy-coney-barrett-brett-kavanaugh-confirmation-hearings-084bd8c246cce2418f7cc49a1cd31cd5">conservative justices misled senators</a>&nbsp;about their feelings.x

And Maine Republican Susan Collins, who supports abortion rights but was a pivotal GOP vote for the confirmations of Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, said if the draft reflects the final opinion of the court, “it would be completely inconsistent with what Justice Gorsuch and Justice Kavanaugh said in their hearings and in our meetings in my office.”

Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, told reporters on Capitol Hill that “my confidence in the court has been rocked,” and said her proposal with Collins to legislate abortion rights should be reinvigorated.

An&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-reproductive-rights-bd86cf1c8ddbfd09c5e221c7a9d41e01">AP-NORC poll</a>&nbsp;in December found that Democrats increasingly see protecting abortion rights as a high priority for the government.

Other polling shows relatively few Americans want to see Roe overturned. In 2020, AP VoteCast found that 69% of voters in the presidential election said the Supreme Court should leave the Roe v. Wade decision as is; just 29% said the court should overturn the decision. In general, AP-NORC polling finds a majority of the public favors abortion being legal in most or all cases.

Still, when asked about abortion policy generally, Americans have nuanced attitudes on the issue, and many don’t think that abortion should be possible after the first trimester or that women should be able to obtain a legal abortion for any reason.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1651593955487.png" alt="President Joe Biden said Tuesday that the “basic fairness and the stability of our law demand” that the court not overturn Roe-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>President Joe Biden said Tuesday that the “basic fairness and the stability of our law demand” that the court not overturn Roe-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Tuesday blasted a “radical” draft Supreme Court opinion that would throw out the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion rights ruling that has stood for a half century and warned that other rights including same-sex marriage and birth control are at risk if the court follows through.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/publicinfo/press/pressreleases/pr_05-03-22" target="_blank">Across the nation, Americans grappled</a>&nbsp;with what might come next.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden: &quot;If this decision holds, it&#39;s really quite a radical decision...I think the codification of Roe makes a lot of sense.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/LN9NEB1T1k">pic.twitter.com/LN9NEB1T1k</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1521516325851615232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 3, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">My statement on the reported Supreme Court decision draft. <a href="https://t.co/Kt3bP0kzqU">pic.twitter.com/Kt3bP0kzqU</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1521485987133771782?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 3, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The court confirmed the authenticity of the leaked draft, which was dated to February, and Chief Justice John&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/publicinfo/press/pressreleases/pr_05-03-22" target="_blank">Roberts said he had ordered an investigation</a>&nbsp;into what he called an “egregious breach of trust.” A court statement emphasized that the draft is not the justices’ final word.Opinions often change in ways big and small in the drafting process, and a final ruling has not been expected until the end of the court’s term in late June or early July.A decision to overrule Roe would lead to abortion bans in roughly half the states, spark new efforts in Democratic-leaning states to protect access to abortion, and potentially reshape the contours of this year’s hotly contested midterm elections.The draft was published by the news outlet Politico late Monday.Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One, Biden said he hoped the draft wouldn’t be finalized by justices, contending it reflects a “fundamental shift in American jurisprudence” that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/roe-wade-supreme-court-state-fight-e53b2b46d9606dc9468b8044a0b42ed0">threatens “other basic rights” like access to birth control and marriage.</a>He added: “If this decision holds, it’s really quite a radical decision.” He said the “basic fairness and the stability of our law demand” that the court not overturn Roe.“If the court does overturn Roe, it will fall on our nation’s elected officials at all levels of government to protect a woman’s right to choose,” Biden said. “And it will fall on voters to elect pro-choice officials this November. At the federal level, we will need more pro-choice Senators and a pro-choice majority in the House to adopt legislation that codifies Roe, which I will work to pass and sign into law.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">This is the time to fight for women and our country with everything we have. My statement on the Supreme Court decision draft on Roe v. Wade. <a href="https://t.co/5tvjOUTmZ2">pic.twitter.com/5tvjOUTmZ2</a>&mdash; Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) <a href="https://twitter.com/VP/status/1521532537083813888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 3, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Though past efforts have failed, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he intended to hold a vote.“This is as urgent and real as it gets,” Schumer said on the Senate floor Tuesday. “Every American is going to see on which side every senator stands.”Whatever the outcome, the Politico report late Monday represented an extremely rare&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stephen-breyer-us-supreme-court-c6a923f6e370672f4a5ccfd3be325786">breach of the court’s secretive deliberation process</a>, and on a case of surpassing importance.“Roe was egregiously wrong from the start,” the draft opinion states. It was signed by Justice Samuel Alito, a member of the court’s 6-3 conservative majority who was appointed by former President George W. Bush.The document was labeled a “1st Draft” of the “Opinion of the Court” in a case challenging Mississippi’s ban on abortion after 15 weeks, a case known as Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.The draft opinion in effect states there is no constitutional right to abortion services. It would allow individual states to more heavily regulate or outright ban the procedure.“We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled,” it states, referencing the 1992 case Planned Parenthood v. Casey that affirmed Roe’s finding of a constitutional right to abortion services but allowed states to place some constraints on the practice. “It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives.”The draft opinion strongly suggests that when the justices met in private shortly after arguments in the case on Dec. 1, at least five — all the conservatives except perhaps Chief Justice John Roberts — voted to overrule Roe and Casey, and Alito was assigned the task of writing the court’s majority opinion.Votes and opinions in a case aren’t final until a decision is announced or, in a change wrought by the coronavirus pandemic, posted on the court’s website.Politico said only that it received “a copy of the draft opinion from a person familiar with the court’s proceedings in the Mississippi case along with other details supporting the authenticity of the document.”The report comes amid a legislative push to restrict abortion in several Republican-led states — Oklahoma being the most recent — even before the court issues its decision. Critics of those measures have said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-laws-raising-children-e620ca2a871bfd9ce5b6d6c76e092c31">low-income and minority women will disproportionately bear the burden</a>&nbsp;of the new restrictions.The leak jumpstarted the intense political reverberations that the high court’s ultimate decision was expected to have in the midterm election year. Already, politicians on both sides of the aisle were seizing on the report to fundraise and energize their supporters on both sides of the issue.Democrats contended that several&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-election-2020-amy-coney-barrett-brett-kavanaugh-confirmation-hearings-084bd8c246cce2418f7cc49a1cd31cd5">conservative justices misled senators</a>&nbsp;about their feelings.xAnd Maine Republican Susan Collins, who supports abortion rights but was a pivotal GOP vote for the confirmations of Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, said if the draft reflects the final opinion of the court, “it would be completely inconsistent with what Justice Gorsuch and Justice Kavanaugh said in their hearings and in our meetings in my office.”Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, told reporters on Capitol Hill that “my confidence in the court has been rocked,” and said her proposal with Collins to legislate abortion rights should be reinvigorated.An&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-reproductive-rights-bd86cf1c8ddbfd09c5e221c7a9d41e01">AP-NORC poll</a>&nbsp;in December found that Democrats increasingly see protecting abortion rights as a high priority for the government.Other polling shows relatively few Americans want to see Roe overturned. In 2020, AP VoteCast found that 69% of voters in the presidential election said the Supreme Court should leave the Roe v. Wade decision as is; just 29% said the court should overturn the decision. In general, AP-NORC polling finds a majority of the public favors abortion being legal in most or all cases.Still, when asked about abortion policy generally, Americans have nuanced attitudes on the issue, and many don’t think that abortion should be possible after the first trimester or that women should be able to obtain a legal abortion for any reason.Alito, in the draft, said the court can’t predict how the public might react and shouldn’t try. “We cannot allow our decisions to be affected by any extraneous influences such as concern about the public’s reaction to our work,” Alito wrote in the draft opinion, according to Politico.Police in Washington prepared for the potential of large demonstrations outside the Supreme Court and U.S. Capitol. People on both sides of the issue gathered outside the curt waving signs and chanting on a balmy Monday night following the release of the Politico report, and again on Tuesday.Outside Washington, Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said people seeking abortions could head to her state. “For anyone who needs access to care, our state will welcome you with open arms. Abortion will always be safe &amp; accessible in New York,” Hochul said in a tweet.Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch said in a statement, “We will let the Supreme Court speak for itself and wait for the Court’s official opinion.” But local officials were praising the draft.“This puts the decision making back into the hands of the states, which is where it should have always been,” said Mississippi state Rep. Becky Currie.At Supreme Court arguments in December, all six conservative justices signaled that they would uphold the Mississippi law, and five asked questions that suggested that overruling Roe and Casey was a possibility.Only Roberts seemed prepared to take the smaller step of upholding the 15-week ban, though that too would be a significant weakening of abortion rights.Until now, the court has allowed states to regulate but not ban abortion before the point of viability, around 24 weeks.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1651593821281.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Twenty-six states are certain or likely to ban abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned, according to the pro-abortion rights think tank the Guttmacher Institute. Of those, 22 states already have total or near-total bans on the books that are currently blocked by Roe, aside from Texas. The Texas law banning it after six weeks has been allowed to go into effect by the Supreme Court due to its unusual civil enforcement structure. Four more states are considered likely to quickly pass bans if Roe is overturned.Sixteen states and the District of Columbia, meanwhile, have protected access to abortion in state law.The Supreme Court justices generally spend May and June finishing their writing in cases that have been argued and then issuing the remaining opinions before going on a summer break. On the court’s calendar, the next day opinions might normally be expected is May 16.