WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A community task force reviewing the death of a Black teenager who was restrained for more than 30 minutes at a Kansas juvenile detention center found that an officer changed his answers on a form that otherwise would have led police to take the teen to a hospital instead of booking him into the detention center.

An official who oversees admissions to the Sedgwick County Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center, Jodi Tronsgard, told the task force last month that the officer initially reported that there were signs that 17-year-old Cedric Lofton needed medical attention before the officer changed his answers, The Wichita Eagle&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansas.com/news/local/article260099390.html" target="_blank">reported</a>.

“What I learned after the intake is that the officer had presented this form and initially said yes, that there were signs of acute illness that1 appear to need immediate medical care. Yes, there were signs of intoxication with significant impairment in functioning,” Tronsgard told the task force on March 7. “...So, he was informed that if you answer ‘yes’ to these questions, you have to leave and take the youth for a medical or mental health release. And then, hearing that, he goes and then responds ‘no’ to these questions.”

Interim police Chief Lem Moore said he wasn’t aware that the officer had changed his answers on the form until the newspaper asked about it. He said he has ordered a preliminary review of the case to determine if it’s possible the officer falsified information. “If issues are found, a full investigation will be conducted,” he said.

Lofton’s foster father called authorities in September seeking help because the teenager was hallucinating. Police initially tried to persuade him to go to a mental health facility, but body camera video shows him refusing to go and then resisting when officers tried to force him.

Lofton then was taken to the detention center, where he was restrained after a struggle with staff members. He had to be resuscitated after he was held facedown, and he died two days later.

Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett declined to charge the detention center workers in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wichita-kansas-a51f619b8b196987e74b046ac399680c">January</a>, citing the state’s stand-your-ground self-defense law.

He said told the newspaper for Sunday’s story that he also didn’t have enough evidence when he reviewed the case to charge the officer with falsifying information on the form, but that he would be willing to examine any new information.

Emails obtained by the newspaper show that Bennett raised concerns that the Kansas Bureau of Investigation agent who was investigating Lofton’s death had a pro-police bias, and the agent was later removed from the case. The agent did not ask the police officers who took Lofton to the detention center about the changed answers on the admission form.

Lofton’s family’s lawyer, Steven Hart, said the changed answers on the form raise additional questions about how police handled the case.

“That is the most disgusting display of a lack of professionalism — or care,” Hart said. “Essentially, it was easier for them to drop him off than do what they knew was necessary and right.”

County officials have said the FBI is reviewing Lofton’s death.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642880340757.png" alt="Cedric Lofton at the Juvenile Intake Assessment Center before his death as seen in the video released by Sedgwick County ." />
 <figcaption>Cedric Lofton at the Juvenile Intake Assessment Center before his death as seen in the video released by Sedgwick County .</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A community task force reviewing the death of a Black teenager who was restrained for more than 30 minutes at a Kansas juvenile detention center found that an officer changed his answers on a form that otherwise would have led police to take the teen to a hospital instead of booking him into the detention center.An official who oversees admissions to the Sedgwick County Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center, Jodi Tronsgard, told the task force last month that the officer initially reported that there were signs that 17-year-old Cedric Lofton needed medical attention before the officer changed his answers, The Wichita Eagle&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansas.com/news/local/article260099390.html" target="_blank">reported</a>.“What I learned after the intake is that the officer had presented this form and initially said yes, that there were signs of acute illness that1 appear to need immediate medical care. Yes, there were signs of intoxication with significant impairment in functioning,” Tronsgard told the task force on March 7. “...So, he was informed that if you answer ‘yes’ to these questions, you have to leave and take the youth for a medical or mental health release. And then, hearing that, he goes and then responds ‘no’ to these questions.”Interim police Chief Lem Moore said he wasn’t aware that the officer had changed his answers on the form until the newspaper asked about it. He said he has ordered a preliminary review of the case to determine if it’s possible the officer falsified information. “If issues are found, a full investigation will be conducted,” he said.Lofton’s foster father called authorities in September seeking help because the teenager was hallucinating. Police initially tried to persuade him to go to a mental health facility, but body camera video shows him refusing to go and then resisting when officers tried to force him.Lofton then was taken to the detention center, where he was restrained after a struggle with staff members. He had to be resuscitated after he was held facedown, and he died two days later.Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett declined to charge the detention center workers in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wichita-kansas-a51f619b8b196987e74b046ac399680c">January</a>, citing the state’s stand-your-ground self-defense law.He said told the newspaper for Sunday’s story that he also didn’t have enough evidence when he reviewed the case to charge the officer with falsifying information on the form, but that he would be willing to examine any new information.Emails obtained by the newspaper show that Bennett raised concerns that the Kansas Bureau of Investigation agent who was investigating Lofton’s death had a pro-police bias, and the agent was later removed from the case. The agent did not ask the police officers who took Lofton to the detention center about the changed answers on the admission form.Lofton’s family’s lawyer, Steven Hart, said the changed answers on the form raise additional questions about how police handled the case.“That is the most disgusting display of a lack of professionalism — or care,” Hart said. “Essentially, it was easier for them to drop him off than do what they knew was necessary and right.”County officials have said the FBI is reviewing Lofton’s death.

Police said Kan. teen didn't need medical help before his death

Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri had some of the highest 
rates of elevated blood lead levels in children

By ALLISON KITE and NIARA SAVAGE <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/04/11/known-to-be-toxic-for-a-century-lead-still-poisons-thousands-of-midwestern-kids/">Midwest Newsroom&nbsp;</a>

When
 the pediatrician recommended Lisa Pascoe have her then-toddler tested 
for lead poisoning, she thought there was no way he could be at risk. 
Everything in her South St. Louis home had been remodeled.&nbsp;

But
 then the nurse called to say her son’s blood lead level was dangerously
 high — five times the level federal health officials then deemed 
elevated.

Pascoe said she was “completely shocked” and “probably hysterical.”&nbsp;

“After
 you hang up on the phone, you kind of go through this process of ‘Oh my
 gosh, my kid is lead poisoned. What does that mean? What do I do?'” she
 said.

That same week, St. Louis city health workers came out to test the home to identify the source of the lead.

The
 culprit? The paint on the home’s front window. Friction caused by 
opening and closing the window caused lead dust to collect in the mulch 
and soil outside of the house, right where her son played every day.&nbsp;

A
 decade later, the psychological scars remain. Pascoe and her toddler 
ended up leaving their St. Louis home to escape lead hazards. To this 
day, she’s extra cautious about making sure her son, now a preteen, and 
her 2-year-old daughter aren’t exposed to lead so she doesn’t have to 
relive the nightmare.

Pascoe’s
 son was one of almost 4,700 Missouri children with dangerous levels of 
lead in their blood in the state’s 2012 report —&nbsp;decades after the U.S. 
started phasing lead out of gasoline and banned it in new residential 
paint and water pipes. Missouri’s lead poisoning reports run from July 
through June. Though cases have fallen precipitously since the mid-20th 
century, lead is a persistent poison that impacts thousands of families 
each year, particularly low-income communities and families of color.

Eradicating it has been a decades-long battle.&nbsp;

Omaha
 has been cleaning up contaminated soil from two smelters for more than 
20 years. The Argentine neighborhood of what is now Kansas City, Kansas,
 grew up around a smelter that produced tens of thousands of tons of 
lead as well as silver and zinc. About 60% of homes in Iowa were built 
before 1960, when residential lead-based paint was still used. Missouri 
is the <a target="_blank" href="https://health.mo.gov/living/environment/lead/">number one producer</a> of lead in the United States.

The
 four states have some of the most lead water pipes per capita in the 
country. While representative data on the prevalence of lead poisoning 
is hard to come by because screening rates lag in many areas, one study 
published last year found that the four states struggled with some of 
the highest rates of lead poisoning.

Over
 the next few months, The Missouri Independent and NPR’s Midwest 
Newsroom are collaborating to investigate high levels of lead in 
children of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. By analyzing scientific
 research, delving into state and local data and interviewing parents, 
experts and advocates from across the country, the project will shed 
light on a public health disaster that continues to poison children 
every year.

“We
 know that there is no safe level, that even at really low levels, it 
can affect intellectual growth, cognitive development. And we can 
prevent that type of harm,” said Elizabeth Friedman, a physician and 
director of the Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit for 
Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa. “So why wouldn’t we?”

David
 Cwiertny, director of the Center for Health Effects of Environmental 
Contamination at the University of Iowa, said it’s “unacceptable” for 
anyone to be exposed to lead.&nbsp;

“We should go to the ends of the Earth to invest in staff and preventing it from happening if we can,” Cwiertny said.

At
 Pascoe’s St. Louis home, workers encapsulated the flaking paint and 
replaced the top layer of tainted soil outside the home. During 
encapsulation, lead paint is coated and sealed to prevent the release of
 lead dust or paint chips. Her toddler’s blood lead level began to drop 
from its high of 25 micrograms per deciliter.

But that wasn’t enough to keep his lead level low.

Even
 though Pascoe kept her son&nbsp; from playing outside, cleaned regularly 
with a vacuum cleaner equipped with a HEPA filter provided by the health
 department and wiped off everything that could track lead dust in the 
home — from shoes to the family dog’s feet — her son’s level hovered at 
six micrograms per deciliter for nearly a year.&nbsp;

In
 2013, Pascoe and her son moved out of the city and into a home without 
lead in St. Louis County. Finally, his levels dropped below one.

Lead
 is a dangerous neurotoxin commonly used in water pipes, paint, gasoline
 and household products until the late 20th century, decades after 
scientists began sounding the alarm about its danger.&nbsp;

In
 high doses, lead can be fatal. Women in the 19th century used it to 
induce abortions and sometimes ended up poisoning themselves. Children 
who are lead poisoned now, however, have much lower levels and don’t 
show blatant or immediate symptoms.

Even after the source of the exposure is eliminated, long-term effects of the toxin linger.

“Once a kid is exposed to lead, it is not reversible,” said Dr. Justina Yohannan, a licensed psychologist based in Atlanta.&nbsp;

Officials with the World Health Organization warn there is no safe level of lead in blood. Even levels as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/lead-poisoning-and-health#:~:text=The%20neurological%20and%20behavioural%20effects,behavioural%20difficulties%20and%20learning%20problems.">low as five micrograms per deciliter</a> can cause behavioral difficulties and learning problems in children.

Lead-poisoned
 children may have trouble with language processing, memory, attention 
and impulsivity, Yohannan said. Many require special education services 
in school.&nbsp;

Now in sixth grade, Pascoe’s son has been diagnosed with autism and ADHD.&nbsp;

The
 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last year updated its blood 
lead reference value to 3.5 micrograms per deciliter from five. The 
reference value represents the 2.5% of children with the most elevated 
blood lead levels who should be prioritized for investigations and 
resources. It’s not a health standard, and CDC leaves it to the state 
and local authorities to determine at what levels they will take action 
depending on state laws, local ordinances and the resources they have 
available.

The
 Healthy Homes program in St. Louis County, where Pascoe now lives with 
her husband Daniel Pascoe, follows up with a home inspection&nbsp;only if a 
child’s blood lead level exceeds 10 micrograms per deciliter unless a 
family makes a request for an assessment below that level. The City of 
St. Louis separated from St. Louis County in the late 19th century and 
operates as a separate local government.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Follow-up on lower levels of exposure is focused mostly on educating parents and families about the risks and dangers of lead.&nbsp;

For
 higher levels of exposure, health workers use an X-ray fluorescence 
analyzer during assessments to test components of the home for lead.

“The
 most common source of lead exposure in the county is lead-based paint. 
So majority of the time, that’s our main focus,” said Tammi Holmes, 
supervisor of the Healthy Homes program.&nbsp;

“We’re
 looking for anything that’s original to the house, original windows, 
original doors, door casings, things like that, that may have lead based
 paint on them.”

Pascoe
 says she never saw her son eat lead paint chips. And while lead 
poisoning due to consumption of paint chips is fairly common, Holmes 
said it’s not always a factor.

“A
 lot of times people think that the only way kids are exposed is just by
 eating and ingesting lead based paint,” Holmes said. “But that’s not 
always the case. The main route of exposure, a lot of times, is 
inhalation and it’s the dust.”


  A sign warning of potential lead hazards at the site of the Pruitt 
Igoe Housing Apartment Complex in north St. Louis. The National 
Geospatial Intelligence Agency dropped the site as a potential space for
 its new headquarters, in part, due to the presence of toxins. (Brian 
Munoz/St. Louis Public Radio)

Lead poisoning disproportionately affects Black children and kids in low-income neighborhoods.

In
 predominantly Black neighborhoods of North St. Louis, across town from 
Pascoe’s old home, children suffer some of the highest rates of lead 
poisoning in the city. Black children in Missouri are nearly twice as 
likely to suffer lead poisoning as their white peers.&nbsp;

“And
 this has happened because of the racist historical practices and 
policies that continue to segregate children and families of color into 
older, sometimes less-maintained, overburdened and under-resourced 
neighborhoods where lead exposures are more common,” Friedman said.&nbsp;

Philip
 Landrigan, a lead researcher for 50 years, did research and testing 
near an enormous smelter in Kellogg, Idaho, in the early 1970s.&nbsp;

“And
 the doctor who was the doctor for the lead company … told me one time 
in a meeting that the only kids in Kellogg, Idaho, who got lead 
poisoning are ‘the dumb and the dirty,’” Landrigan said. “… And even 
though that was 50 years ago, that line of thinking is still alive and 
well.”

While
 many cities have grants or loans available to help remediate homes, 
low-income families in rental housing don’t always have the final say.

Amy
 Roberts, who runs the lead poisoning prevention program in Kansas City,
 Missouri, said landlords are often cooperative and allow for repairs 
when their tenants’ children are lead poisoned. But not always.

“Sometimes
 we get pushback from landlords who don’t want to do it, or they’ll do a
 little bit, or they’ll just take a long time,” Roberts said, “or 
they’ll evict the family.”

It’s
 illegal to evict a family because of lead exposure, Roberts said. But 
if a landlord has cause to evict a family that they haven’t acted on, 
they might do so rather than deal with the Health Department coming in.&nbsp;

“They’ll
 say, ‘Well, we didn’t evict them because of the lead. We evicted them 
because they were behind on their rent,’” Roberts said. “And so would 
they have allowed them to stay if we hadn’t gotten involved because of 
the lead? It’s hard to know.”

In Omaha, where an old lead smelter left behind contamination over 27 square miles centered on downtown, <a target="_blank" href="https://library.municode.com/ne/omaha/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIIMUCO_CH18NU">local ordinances</a>
 have more teeth. Naudia McCracken, the lead program supervisor for 
Douglas County, said landlords are required to repair any lead hazards.

“There’s no ifs, buts, maybes,” McCracken said. “They have to fix it.”

While
 Omaha has struggled with contamination brought on by the smelters, she 
said that legacy has allowed the county and city to be more aggressive 
in remediating contamination and preventing lead poisoning.

Omaha
 provides a home inspection to any family with a child whose blood lead 
level is greater than 3.5 micrograms per deciliter. And the city 
provides inspections to families in any house built before 1978.

Speaking
 only for herself, McCracken said she’d like to see more money go into 
removing lead paint and improving housing nationwide.

“In
 the majority of the country, in the way that the programs are, we’re 
waiting for there to be a child with (an elevated) lead level for action
 to take place,” she said. “And I think that’s kind of backward.”

The
 water crisis in Flint, Michigan, shone a light on the devastating 
effects of lead. Scientists’ conclusion there is no safe level of lead 
and President Joe Biden’s pledge to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/12/16/fact-sheet-the-biden-harris-lead-pipe-and-paint-action-plan/">remove the estimated 10 million water service lines</a> underground add momentum toward finally eradicating the metal.&nbsp;

Bruce
 Lanphear, a longtime lead researcher and professor at Simon Fraser 
University in Vancouver, said the U.S. has typically made progress on 
lead when crises or new research galvanized public support for action. 
But regulations and action to clean up lead contamination often depend 
on what is considered feasible.

Cwiertny noted the issue of lead poisoning through drinking water had risen in prominence following crises.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“The
 concern I have is people will — through the rhetoric of politicians 
talking about what great progress we’re making by getting $15 billion 
here and allocating recovery funds there to address this — is that 
people will think it’s a problem that gets solved and there won’t be any
 accountability,” Cwiertny said.&nbsp;

By
 the time the U.S. started phasing lead out of gasoline, banned it in 
residential paint in the 1970s and outlawed lead water pipes in 1986, 
scientists had been warning of the dangers of lead for decades.&nbsp;

In
 1925, as use of lead in gasoline gained momentum, Yandell Henderson, a 
professor at Yale University, told a gathering of engineers that it 
would slowly poison vast numbers of Americans.&nbsp;

“He said that if a man had his choice between the two diseases, he would choose tuberculosis rather than lead poisoning,” <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/1925/04/22/archives/sees-deadly-gas-a-peril-in-streets-dr-henderson-warns-public.html#:~:text=Billions%20Are%20Involved.%20%2D-,SEES%20DEADLY%20GAS%20A%20PERIL%20IN%20STREETS%3B%20Dr.,Describes%20Its%20Effects%20as%20Insidious.">the New York Times wrote at the time</a>.&nbsp;

A concerted effort by the lead industry staved off regulations, Lanphear said.&nbsp;

Lanphear said he was invited to speak to Omaha residents 20 years ago about lead poisoning. At the end, he took questions.

“T​here
 was this big burly guy with a flannel shirt, beard (who) got up 
—&nbsp;trucker’s hat — and he got teary and he said, ‘I worked at the smelter
 for years, and every morning, I was ordered to reverse the flow and 
discharge all the contaminants that they had scrubbed out during the 
day.’”

There
 are stories that “just break your heart” showing how flawed regulation 
was, Lanphear said, and how “irresponsible” the industry was.

The legacy of the lead is well-documented among adults who grew up surrounded by the metal.&nbsp;

Forty
 years ago, more than 90% of children had blood lead levels above 10 
micrograms per deciliter, almost triple the Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention’s new reference value, updated to 3.5 micrograms per 
deciliter in October.&nbsp;

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2118631119">Researchers estimated last month</a>
 that just over half of Americans alive today were exposed to high lead 
levels as children, especially those born between 1951 and 1980. On 
average, lead cost those people 2.6 IQ points.&nbsp;

Childhood exposure to the metal causes a 70% increase in the risk of cardiovascular disease mortality.&nbsp;

“But
 it was largely overlooked, largely forgotten,” Lanphear said. “All of 
the focus was on lifestyle choices, which was convenient. Industry 
didn’t have to do anything. Government didn’t have to change 
regulations.”

Acute
 lead poisoning results in noticeable symptoms, including loss of 
appetite, constipation and stomach pain, fatigue and a blue tinge around
 the gums.&nbsp;

But
 lead poisoning now is nearly always chronic, low-level poisoning that 
may not show obvious symptoms. It can manifest later in behavioral 
challenges, lowered IQ and increased risk of cardiovascular disease.&nbsp;

Scientists
 in the second half of the 20th century started documenting links 
between low-level lead poisoning and lowered IQs. In the early 1970s, 
there were children with lead levels above 40 micrograms per deciliter 
who experienced convulsions and comas, Landrigan said. Some children 
died of lead poisoning at that time.

Before
 1970, blood lead levels were considered elevated above 60 micrograms 
per deciliter. The surgeon general reduced that to 40 in 1970. The CDC 
reduced it to 30 in 1978; 25 in 1985; 10 in 1991; five in 2012; and 3.5 
last year.&nbsp;

“So
 we were really breaking new ground when we tested those children around
 the El Paso smelter and the Kellogg, Idaho, smelter and determined that
 children with no obvious symptoms had reduced IQs and slow reflexes,” 
Landrigan said.&nbsp;

Lanphear
 said it was difficult for researchers to come to grips with the fact 
that they had all been exposed to dangerous levels of lead when they 
were children.&nbsp;

“So
 there was sort of this disbelief, and I think that happened almost at 
every level,” he said. “How could it be that in the ’70s, virtually, by 
today’s standards, all kids were lead poisoned?”

The
 Pascoes are vigilant about researching the products the family uses 
now. Their 2-year-old daughter only uses toys and crayons that are 
lead-free, and the family eats from glass dishes to avoid contact with 
lead that could leach into food from ceramic plates and bowls.&nbsp;

Lisa
 avoids wearing jewelry the toddler might put in her mouth and doesn’t 
visit older or recently renovated homes that could be lead hazards.&nbsp;

Other parents are often shocked when Pascoe tells them about her son’s lead poisoning.&nbsp;

“Some
 people probably think kind of like I did initially. Like, ‘Oh well, 
that will never happen to me,’” she said. “Well that happened to my son 
and we weren’t thinking it could happen to him at all.”&nbsp;

She warns other families, especially in older houses, to get a home lead assessment.

“I thought it was a thing of the past,” she said, “that lead poisoning had just been something I’d heard about in the ’90s.”&nbsp;

Parents
 often blame themselves for their children’s lead poisoning, Lanphear 
said. And there are steps families can take to avoid lead and other 
contaminants: Adding landscaping to bare soil, dusting surfaces, 
avoiding plastic and canned foods. But he said it’s primarily up to 
federal health officials.&nbsp;

Once, Lanphear said, he was being interviewed for a book. The author asked him about his own family.&nbsp;

“He says, ‘You do this for a living, right?’ I said yes.&nbsp;

“‘Can you protect your own children?’&nbsp;

Toxic lead still poisoning thousands of Midwestern kids

NEW YORK (AP) — Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has a book coming this fall that covers his years in the Trump administration and, according to his publisher, offers “unvarnished appraisals of the deals made and characters encountered along the way.” 

<a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/collections/broadside-books">Broadside Books, </a>a conservative imprint at HarperCollins Publishers, announced Wednesday that Pompeo’s book was scheduled for November and is currently untitled. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Pompeo “will draw readers deep into the innermost sanctums of government decision-making and reveal the stories and strategic thinking behind key actions regarding North Korea, China, Russia, Iran, Mexico, Israel, Afghanistan, support for international religious freedom, and many other countries and issues,” the announcement reads in part.

Pompeo, 58, is a Republican from Kansas who served three terms in Congress before President Donald Trump appointed him director of the Central Intelligence Agency in 2017, then secretary of state a year later. He has speculated about a 2024 presidential run, one that might find him in competition with his former boss. Other former&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-michael-pence-elections-coronavirus-pandemic-mike-pompeo-68ec57715adf39f1229213e5d5bd3fa3">Trump officials considered possible candidates&nbsp;</a>— and working on books — include Vice President Mike Pence and U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley.

Trump clashed with many of his cabinet officers, including Pompeo’s immediate predecessor at state, Rex Tillerson. But Pompeo remained on good terms with Trump and even broke with precedent for secretaries of state by recording a speech for the 2020 Republican National Convention. He continued to defend him after the Jan. 6 siege of the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters, a time when other officials resigned or distanced themselves, and less than two weeks later sent a tweet promoting Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647123002389.png" alt="Mike Pompeo was a member of the&nbsp;United States House of Representatives&nbsp;from 2011 to 2017, representing&nbsp;Kansas's 4th congressional district." />
 <figcaption>Mike Pompeo was a member of the&nbsp;United States House of Representatives&nbsp;from 2011 to 2017, representing&nbsp;Kansas's 4th congressional district.</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has a book coming this fall that covers his years in the Trump administration and, according to his publisher, offers “unvarnished appraisals of the deals made and characters encountered along the way.” <a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/collections/broadside-books">Broadside Books, </a>a conservative imprint at HarperCollins Publishers, announced Wednesday that Pompeo’s book was scheduled for November and is currently untitled. Financial terms were not disclosed. Pompeo “will draw readers deep into the innermost sanctums of government decision-making and reveal the stories and strategic thinking behind key actions regarding North Korea, China, Russia, Iran, Mexico, Israel, Afghanistan, support for international religious freedom, and many other countries and issues,” the announcement reads in part.Pompeo, 58, is a Republican from Kansas who served three terms in Congress before President Donald Trump appointed him director of the Central Intelligence Agency in 2017, then secretary of state a year later. He has speculated about a 2024 presidential run, one that might find him in competition with his former boss. Other former&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-michael-pence-elections-coronavirus-pandemic-mike-pompeo-68ec57715adf39f1229213e5d5bd3fa3">Trump officials considered possible candidates&nbsp;</a>— and working on books — include Vice President Mike Pence and U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley.Trump clashed with many of his cabinet officers, including Pompeo’s immediate predecessor at state, Rex Tillerson. But Pompeo remained on good terms with Trump and even broke with precedent for secretaries of state by recording a speech for the 2020 Republican National Convention. He continued to defend him after the Jan. 6 siege of the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters, a time when other officials resigned or distanced themselves, and less than two weeks later sent a tweet promoting Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Former Kan. congressman, Secretary of State has book out this fall

DICKINSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting on Interstate 70 and have made an arrest.

Just after 9 p.m. Sunday, the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office responded to 100 Dakota Drive (Dollar General) in Solomon for a report of a victim who had sustained a gunshot wound, according to a social media report from the sheriff's office.

 The investigators learned that 27-year-old Samantha E. Baum of Topeka sustained a single gunshot wound while driving westbound on Interstate 70 near Solomon. 

EMS transported Baum to Salina Regional Health Center where she died, according to the sheriff.

 As a result of the investigation, deputies arrested 48-year-old Eric S. Wymore of Beulah, Colo., on requested charges of involuntary manslaughter and booked him into the Dickinson County Detention Center where he was held without bond pending his first appearance in court.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649685060267.png" alt="Eric S. Wymore. Photo courtesy Dickinson County Jail" />
 <figcaption>Eric S. Wymore. Photo courtesy Dickinson County Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>DICKINSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting on Interstate 70 and have made an arrest.Just after 9 p.m. Sunday, the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office responded to 100 Dakota Drive (Dollar General) in Solomon for a report of a victim who had sustained a gunshot wound, according to a social media report from the sheriff's office. The investigators learned that 27-year-old Samantha E. Baum of Topeka sustained a single gunshot wound while driving westbound on Interstate 70 near Solomon. EMS transported Baum to Salina Regional Health Center where she died, according to the sheriff. As a result of the investigation, deputies arrested 48-year-old Eric S. Wymore of Beulah, Colo., on requested charges of involuntary manslaughter and booked him into the Dickinson County Detention Center where he was held without bond pending his first appearance in court.

Suspect in custody after woman dies in shooting on I-70

Today is Monday, April 11, the 101st day of 2022. There are 264 days left in the year.

On April 11, 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law the Civil Rights Act of 1968, which included the Fair Housing Act, a week after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

In 1814, Napoleon Bonaparte abdicated as Emperor of the French and was banished to the island of Elba. (Napoleon later escaped from Elba and returned to power in March 1815, until his downfall in the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815.)

In 1865, President Abraham Lincoln spoke to a crowd outside the White House, saying, "We meet this evening, not in sorrow, but in gladness of heart." (It was the last public address Lincoln would deliver.)

In 1899, the treaty ending the Spanish-American War was declared in effect.

In 1913, Postmaster General Albert S. Burleson, during a meeting of President Woodrow Wilson's Cabinet, proposed gradually segregating whites and Blacks who worked for the Railway Mail Service, a policy that went into effect and spread to other agencies.

In 1945, during World War II, American soldiers liberated the Nazi concentration camp Buchenwald in Germany.

In 1947, Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers played in an exhibition against the New York Yankees at Ebbets Field, four days before his regular-season debut that broke baseball's color line. (The Dodgers won, 14-6.)

In 1961, former SS officer Adolf Eichmann went on trial in Israel, charged with crimes against humanity for his role in the Nazi Holocaust. (Eichmann was convicted and executed.)

In 1970, Apollo 13, with astronauts James A. Lovell, Fred W. Haise and Jack Swigert, blasted off on its ill-fated mission to the moon. (The mission was aborted when an oxygen tank exploded April 13. The crew splashed down safely four days after the explosion.)

In 1980, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued regulations specifically prohibiting sexual harassment of workers by supervisors.

In 1996, 7-year-old Jessica Dubroff, who hoped to become the youngest person to fly cross-country, was killed along with her father and flight instructor when their plane crashed after takeoff from Cheyenne, Wyoming.

In 2013, comedian Jonathan Winters, 87, died in Montecito, California.

In 2020, the number of U.S. deaths from the coronavirus eclipsed Italy's for the highest in the world, topping 20,000. On the day before Easter, the Kansas Supreme Court allowed an executive order from Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly to remain in effect; it banned religious and funeral services of more than 10 people during the pandemic.

Ten years ago: George Zimmerman, the Florida neighborhood watch volunteer who fatally shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. (He was acquitted at trial.) A California prison panel denied parole to mass murderer Charles Manson in his 12th bid for freedom.

Five years ago: In Dortmund, Germany, three bomb explosions went off near Borussia Dortmund's team bus ahead of a Champions League quarterfinal match, injuring one of the soccer team's players. (Prosecutors alleged that the bomber bet that Borussia Dortmund's shares on the stock exchange would drop in value and tried to disguise the attack as Islamic terrorism; he was convicted of attempted murder and sentenced to 14 years in prison.) Guitarist J. Geils, founder of The J. Geils Band, died in his Massachusetts home at age 71. David Letterman's mother, Dorothy Mengering, a Midwestern homemaker who became an unlikely celebrity on her son's late-night talk show, died at age 95.

One year ago: A Black motorist, 20-year-old Daunte Wright, was shot and killed by a white police officer, Kim Potter, in suburban Minneapolis during a traffic stop. (Potter, who said she had confused her handgun for her Taser, would be convicted of first- and second-degree manslaughter and sentenced to two years in prison.) Iran's underground Natanz atomic facility was struck by a blackout that Iran blamed on "nuclear terrorism." Hideki Matsuyama won the Masters golf tournament in Augusta, Georgia, becoming the first Japanese golfer to claim the green jacket.

Today's Birthdays: Ethel Kennedy is 94. Actor Joel Grey is 90. Actor Louise Lasser is 83. Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Ellen Goodman is 81. Movie writer-director John Milius is 78. Actor Peter Riegert is 75. Movie director Carl Franklin is 73. Actor Bill Irwin is 72. Country singer-songwriter Jim Lauderdale is 65. Songwriter-producer Daryl Simmons is 65. Rock musician Nigel Pulsford is 61. Actor Lucky Vanous is 61. Country singer Steve Azar is 58. Singer Lisa Stansfield is 56. Actor Johnny Messner is 53. Rock musician Dylan Keefe (Marcy Playground) is 52. Actor Vicellous Shannon is 51. Rapper David Banner is 48. Actor Tricia Helfer is 48. Rock musician Chris Gaylor (The All-American Rejects) is 43. Actor Kelli Garner is 38. Singer Joss Stone is 35. Actor-dancer Kaitlyn Jenkins is 30.

<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 Monday, April 11, the 101st day of 2022. There are 264 days left in the year.Today's Highlight in History:On April 11, 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law the Civil Rights Act of 1968, which included the Fair Housing Act, a week after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.On this date:In 1814, Napoleon Bonaparte abdicated as Emperor of the French and was banished to the island of Elba. (Napoleon later escaped from Elba and returned to power in March 1815, until his downfall in the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815.)In 1865, President Abraham Lincoln spoke to a crowd outside the White House, saying, "We meet this evening, not in sorrow, but in gladness of heart." (It was the last public address Lincoln would deliver.)In 1899, the treaty ending the Spanish-American War was declared in effect.In 1913, Postmaster General Albert S. Burleson, during a meeting of President Woodrow Wilson's Cabinet, proposed gradually segregating whites and Blacks who worked for the Railway Mail Service, a policy that went into effect and spread to other agencies.In 1945, during World War II, American soldiers liberated the Nazi concentration camp Buchenwald in Germany.In 1947, Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers played in an exhibition against the New York Yankees at Ebbets Field, four days before his regular-season debut that broke baseball's color line. (The Dodgers won, 14-6.)In 1961, former SS officer Adolf Eichmann went on trial in Israel, charged with crimes against humanity for his role in the Nazi Holocaust. (Eichmann was convicted and executed.)In 1970, Apollo 13, with astronauts James A. Lovell, Fred W. Haise and Jack Swigert, blasted off on its ill-fated mission to the moon. (The mission was aborted when an oxygen tank exploded April 13. The crew splashed down safely four days after the explosion.)In 1980, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued regulations specifically prohibiting sexual harassment of workers by supervisors.In 1996, 7-year-old Jessica Dubroff, who hoped to become the youngest person to fly cross-country, was killed along with her father and flight instructor when their plane crashed after takeoff from Cheyenne, Wyoming.In 2013, comedian Jonathan Winters, 87, died in Montecito, California.In 2020, the number of U.S. deaths from the coronavirus eclipsed Italy's for the highest in the world, topping 20,000. On the day before Easter, the Kansas Supreme Court allowed an executive order from Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly to remain in effect; it banned religious and funeral services of more than 10 people during the pandemic.Ten years ago: George Zimmerman, the Florida neighborhood watch volunteer who fatally shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. (He was acquitted at trial.) A California prison panel denied parole to mass murderer Charles Manson in his 12th bid for freedom.Five years ago: In Dortmund, Germany, three bomb explosions went off near Borussia Dortmund's team bus ahead of a Champions League quarterfinal match, injuring one of the soccer team's players. (Prosecutors alleged that the bomber bet that Borussia Dortmund's shares on the stock exchange would drop in value and tried to disguise the attack as Islamic terrorism; he was convicted of attempted murder and sentenced to 14 years in prison.) Guitarist J. Geils, founder of The J. Geils Band, died in his Massachusetts home at age 71. David Letterman's mother, Dorothy Mengering, a Midwestern homemaker who became an unlikely celebrity on her son's late-night talk show, died at age 95.One year ago: A Black motorist, 20-year-old Daunte Wright, was shot and killed by a white police officer, Kim Potter, in suburban Minneapolis during a traffic stop. (Potter, who said she had confused her handgun for her Taser, would be convicted of first- and second-degree manslaughter and sentenced to two years in prison.) Iran's underground Natanz atomic facility was struck by a blackout that Iran blamed on "nuclear terrorism." Hideki Matsuyama won the Masters golf tournament in Augusta, Georgia, becoming the first Japanese golfer to claim the green jacket.Today's Birthdays: Ethel Kennedy is 94. Actor Joel Grey is 90. Actor Louise Lasser is 83. Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Ellen Goodman is 81. Movie writer-director John Milius is 78. Actor Peter Riegert is 75. Movie director Carl Franklin is 73. Actor Bill Irwin is 72. Country singer-songwriter Jim Lauderdale is 65. Songwriter-producer Daryl Simmons is 65. Rock musician Nigel Pulsford is 61. Actor Lucky Vanous is 61. Country singer Steve Azar is 58. Singer Lisa Stansfield is 56. Actor Johnny Messner is 53. Rock musician Dylan Keefe (Marcy Playground) is 52. Actor Vicellous Shannon is 51. Rapper David Banner is 48. Actor Tricia Helfer is 48. Rock musician Chris Gaylor (The All-American Rejects) is 43. Actor Kelli Garner is 38. Singer Joss Stone is 35. Actor-dancer Kaitlyn Jenkins is 30.

Today in History - April 11

<a href="https://www.bachelor-surber.com/obituary/RebeccaBecky-Davidson">Obituary for Rebecca "Becky" Davidson | Bachelor-Surber Funeral Home</a>

November 1, 1960 ~ April 8, 2022 (age 61)

Rebecca S. “Becky” Davidson, the daughter of Gerald Lee Buethe and Emil Nell (Fuller) Buethe, was born November 1, 1960 at Moody AFB in Valdosta, Georgia and passed away on April 8, 2022 at her home in Scandia, Kansas at the age of 61 years, 5 months, and 7 days.

Becky received an associate’s degree in applied science degree in nursing and was a registered nurse at Mt Joseph and Sunset Nursing Home in Concordia, Kansas and also at St. John’s in Victoria, Kansas for several years.

On July 14, 1982, she was united in marriage to William A. Davidson and Kristi, Paul, Chris, and Melissa came to bless the home.

Becky was preceded in death by her parents Gerald and Emil Buethe; one son, Paul Davidson, and one sister, Hope Rodgers, great-nephew, Jerry Scott Hill.

She is survived by her husband William (Bill) Davidson of Scandia, KS;&nbsp; son Chris (Angie) Stout of Bentonville, Arkansas; two daughters, Kristi (Errick) Clark of Beloit, KS and Melissa (Jeremy) Miller of Courtland, Kansas; 13 grandchildren, Preston, Tanner, Laura, Brady, Zach, Colton, Sadie, Gage, Addyson, Hayden, Chase, Ryker, and Riley; one brother, Jerry (Terri) Buethe of Bel Aire, KS; three sisters, Annette Crandall of Oakley, KS, Donna (Keith) Green of Wellsville, KS; and Cyndy Haight of Hawthorn, CA; nieces&nbsp; Jess, Danielle and Nellie; many other nieces and nephews; special daughter, Ashley Adolf of Topeka, KS; other relatives, and friends.&nbsp;

Cremation was selected and memorial services will held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, April 14, 2022 at the United Methodist Church, Scandia, Kansas with Pastor Sandra Jellison-Knock, officiating.

Inurnment graveside services will be held at 3:00 p.m., Thursday, at the Glasco Cemetery, Glasco, Kansas.

Friends may sign the register book prior to the services at the Church from 9:30 AM until service time on Thursday.

Memorials are suggested to Solomon Valley Hospice.

Online condolences at www.bachelor-surber.com.

Bachelor-Surber Funeral Home, Scandia, KS assisted the family with the arrangements.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Rebecca "Becky" Davidson, please visit our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bachelor-surber.com/obituary/RebeccaBecky-Davidson/sympathy">floral store.</a>

<h2>Rebecca 'Becky' Davidson, Scandia</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649629677866.jpeg" alt="Rebecca 'Becky' Davidson" />
 <figcaption>Rebecca 'Becky' Davidson</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.bachelor-surber.com/obituary/RebeccaBecky-Davidson">Obituary for Rebecca "Becky" Davidson | Bachelor-Surber Funeral Home</a>November 1, 1960 ~ April 8, 2022 (age 61)Rebecca S. “Becky” Davidson, the daughter of Gerald Lee Buethe and Emil Nell (Fuller) Buethe, was born November 1, 1960 at Moody AFB in Valdosta, Georgia and passed away on April 8, 2022 at her home in Scandia, Kansas at the age of 61 years, 5 months, and 7 days.Becky received an associate’s degree in applied science degree in nursing and was a registered nurse at Mt Joseph and Sunset Nursing Home in Concordia, Kansas and also at St. John’s in Victoria, Kansas for several years.On July 14, 1982, she was united in marriage to William A. Davidson and Kristi, Paul, Chris, and Melissa came to bless the home.Becky was preceded in death by her parents Gerald and Emil Buethe; one son, Paul Davidson, and one sister, Hope Rodgers, great-nephew, Jerry Scott Hill.She is survived by her husband William (Bill) Davidson of Scandia, KS;&nbsp; son Chris (Angie) Stout of Bentonville, Arkansas; two daughters, Kristi (Errick) Clark of Beloit, KS and Melissa (Jeremy) Miller of Courtland, Kansas; 13 grandchildren, Preston, Tanner, Laura, Brady, Zach, Colton, Sadie, Gage, Addyson, Hayden, Chase, Ryker, and Riley; one brother, Jerry (Terri) Buethe of Bel Aire, KS; three sisters, Annette Crandall of Oakley, KS, Donna (Keith) Green of Wellsville, KS; and Cyndy Haight of Hawthorn, CA; nieces&nbsp; Jess, Danielle and Nellie; many other nieces and nephews; special daughter, Ashley Adolf of Topeka, KS; other relatives, and friends.&nbsp;Cremation was selected and memorial services will held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, April 14, 2022 at the United Methodist Church, Scandia, Kansas with Pastor Sandra Jellison-Knock, officiating.Inurnment graveside services will be held at 3:00 p.m., Thursday, at the Glasco Cemetery, Glasco, Kansas.Friends may sign the register book prior to the services at the Church from 9:30 AM until service time on Thursday.Memorials are suggested to Solomon Valley Hospice.Online condolences at www.bachelor-surber.com.Bachelor-Surber Funeral Home, Scandia, KS assisted the family with the arrangements.To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Rebecca "Becky" Davidson, please visit our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bachelor-surber.com/obituary/RebeccaBecky-Davidson/sympathy">floral store.</a>

Rebecca 'Becky' Davidson

By ARIANA FIGUEROA <a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/more-1500-books-have-been-banned-public-schools-and-us-house-panel-asks-why">States Newsroom</a>

WASHINGTON — A U.S. House Oversight and Reform Committee panel on 
Thursday examined why thousands of books, predominantly written by 
marginalized authors, have been banned from public schools, and the 
impact of those actions on students and teachers.

“Most books being targeted for censorship are books that introduce 
ideas about diversity or our common humanity, books that teach children 
to recognize and respect humanity in one another,” said the chair of the
 Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, Rep. Jamie Raskin.

Raskin, a Maryland Democrat, cited a new&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://pen.org/banned-in-the-usa/#conclusion">report</a>&nbsp;by
 PEN America — an organization that advocates for the protection of free
 speech — that found from July 2021 to the end of March this year, more 
than 1,500 books were banned&nbsp;in 86 school districts in 26 states.

The report found that of the banned books, 467 — or 41% —&nbsp; contained 
main or secondary characters of color; 247, or 22%, addressed racism; 
and 379, or 33%, of books contained LGBTQ+ themes.

Raskin held up a children’s book that administrators have tried to 
remove from school libraries. The book was written by Ruby Bridges, a 
civil rights icon who was the first Black child to desegregate an 
all-white Louisiana school. Bridges, who was 6 years old at the time, 
was a witness at the hearing.

“The truth is that rarely do children of color or immigrants see 
themselves in these textbooks we are forced to use,” Bridges said. “I 
write because I want them to understand the contributions their 
ancestors have made to our great country, whether that contribution was 
made as slaves or volunteers.”

Her book, “This Is Your Time,” is being reviewed for possible removal
 in a school district in Texas. Books written about her story have been 
banned in classrooms in Pennsylvania.

The hearing began with testimony from several high school students.

Olivia Pituch and Christina Ellis, of York, Pennsylvania, said it is 
important for students to see books written by authors who are people of
 color, LGBTQ+, Black and Indigenous, and with characters from 
marginalized groups.

Pituch, who identifies with the LGBTQ+ community, said that if she 
had been able to have access to books with queer representation, she 
would have “been able to embrace and love myself a lot earlier on.”

“I deserve to walk into my school library and find a book with someone like me,” she said.

Ellis, who is Black, said that books that center on characters who 
are people of color also benefit white students, so those students are 
educated about different cultures.

She talked about how growing up, classmates would make fun of the 
Caribbean food she brought from&nbsp; home and how her classmates and 
sometimes teachers would touch her hair.

“Books that highlight our differences, and that teach others how to 
address diversity, are crucial,” she said. “Books can help kids educate 
themselves on various cultures and ways of life.”

Mindy Freeman, a parent from Pennsylvania, said a book called “George
 (Now Melissa)” was able to help her daughter, in fourth grade at the 
time, understand what she was going through as a transgender girl. 
Freeman said her daughter’s access to an age-appropriate book provided 
her the support and visibility she needed.

“No book made my child become transgender any more than a book could have turned her eyes from brown to blue,” Freedman said.

Republicans on the panel, Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio and Andy Biggs of 
Arizona, focused on freedom of speech on college campuses, and argued 
that these places were not welcoming to conservatives.

Biggs asked the Republican witness, Jonathan Pidluzny, what action 
should be taken so that conservatives are not barred from speaking on 
college campuses. Pidluzny is the vice president of academic affairs for
 the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, which is an organization 
that supports free speech across universities.

“We need to learn to tolerate the speech we abhor,” Pidluzny said.

Two Republicans, Reps. Byron Donalds of Florida and ranking member 
Nancy Mace of South Carolina, asked witnesses about district decisions 
about school curriculum and school administrators’ decisions to ban 
books.

“Taxpayers should have the ability to review that material because they pay for it,” Donalds said.

He, along with Mace, argued that there were other ways that students 
could get books, such as buying them or going to a public library.

“They can get a book from a lot of different places,” Mace said. “Is 
there anything that prevents a kid from going to a public library?”

Two of the witnesses, Samantha Hull, a librarian from Lancaster 
County, Pennsylvania, and Jessica Berg, a teacher from Loudoun County, 
Virginia, said not every student has the financial means to buy books or
 has adequate access to transportation to visit public libraries to read
 books where they see themselves represented.

Berg said visceral attacks on education from Republicans almost 
caused her to quit her job. She said she has received death threats from
 members of her own community as well as continued questioning of her 
expertise.

“Books … offer a mirror to readers so they can see themselves 
reflected in some way, be it their gender, race, culture, identity or 
experience, and it makes them feel less alone in the world,” she said. 
“When I think about the books frequently being challenged, the only 
connection I see between them is that they are the books that give voice
 to the most marginalized in our society.”

Mace agreed that history, especially “problematic chapters in our 
history,” should be taught in schools, but said books dealing with adult
 topics expose young kids to inappropriate topics.

“We should be teaching critical thinking skills,” Mace said, adding 
that she’s disturbed by reports of colleges “stifling speech to coddle 
young adults.”

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Florida Democrat, held up a graphic 
novel about the Holocaust that was the latest book to be banned in 
Tennessee classrooms, “Maus.” She said with the rise in white 
nationalism, antisemitism and racism, books like “Maus” are now more 
important than ever.

“We know that bigotry is learned,” Wasserman Schultz said, adding that “we also know it can be unlearned.”

She asked Hall what removing books like “Maus” and ones that have diverse characters does to students.

“It’s my opinion when books are removed … students are erased,” Hall 
said. “They feel their identities are not valued in the school and 
outside the school.”

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., did not ask any of the witnesses 
questions but expressed the fear of discrimination her two Muslim sons 
might face growing up.

“Our children, they just simply want to exist as they are,” she said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649428729081.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By ARIANA FIGUEROA <a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/more-1500-books-have-been-banned-public-schools-and-us-house-panel-asks-why">States Newsroom</a>WASHINGTON — A U.S. House Oversight and Reform Committee panel on 
Thursday examined why thousands of books, predominantly written by 
marginalized authors, have been banned from public schools, and the 
impact of those actions on students and teachers.“Most books being targeted for censorship are books that introduce 
ideas about diversity or our common humanity, books that teach children 
to recognize and respect humanity in one another,” said the chair of the
 Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, Rep. Jamie Raskin.Raskin, a Maryland Democrat, cited a new&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://pen.org/banned-in-the-usa/#conclusion">report</a>&nbsp;by
 PEN America — an organization that advocates for the protection of free
 speech — that found from July 2021 to the end of March this year, more 
than 1,500 books were banned&nbsp;in 86 school districts in 26 states.The report found that of the banned books, 467 — or 41% —&nbsp; contained 
main or secondary characters of color; 247, or 22%, addressed racism; 
and 379, or 33%, of books contained LGBTQ+ themes.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649428794909.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Raskin held up a children’s book that administrators have tried to 
remove from school libraries. The book was written by Ruby Bridges, a 
civil rights icon who was the first Black child to desegregate an 
all-white Louisiana school. Bridges, who was 6 years old at the time, 
was a witness at the hearing.“The truth is that rarely do children of color or immigrants see 
themselves in these textbooks we are forced to use,” Bridges said. “I 
write because I want them to understand the contributions their 
ancestors have made to our great country, whether that contribution was 
made as slaves or volunteers.”Her book, “This Is Your Time,” is being reviewed for possible removal
 in a school district in Texas. Books written about her story have been 
banned in classrooms in Pennsylvania.<h2>High school students speak out</h2>The hearing began with testimony from several high school students.Olivia Pituch and Christina Ellis, of York, Pennsylvania, said it is 
important for students to see books written by authors who are people of
 color, LGBTQ+, Black and Indigenous, and with characters from 
marginalized groups.Pituch, who identifies with the LGBTQ+ community, said that if she 
had been able to have access to books with queer representation, she 
would have “been able to embrace and love myself a lot earlier on.”“I deserve to walk into my school library and find a book with someone like me,” she said.Ellis, who is Black, said that books that center on characters who 
are people of color also benefit white students, so those students are 
educated about different cultures.She talked about how growing up, classmates would make fun of the 
Caribbean food she brought from&nbsp; home and how her classmates and 
sometimes teachers would touch her hair.“Books that highlight our differences, and that teach others how to 
address diversity, are crucial,” she said. “Books can help kids educate 
themselves on various cultures and ways of life.”Mindy Freeman, a parent from Pennsylvania, said a book called “George
 (Now Melissa)” was able to help her daughter, in fourth grade at the 
time, understand what she was going through as a transgender girl. 
Freeman said her daughter’s access to an age-appropriate book provided 
her the support and visibility she needed.“No book made my child become transgender any more than a book could have turned her eyes from brown to blue,” Freedman said.<h2>Freedom of speech on campus</h2>Republicans on the panel, Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio and Andy Biggs of 
Arizona, focused on freedom of speech on college campuses, and argued 
that these places were not welcoming to conservatives.Biggs asked the Republican witness, Jonathan Pidluzny, what action 
should be taken so that conservatives are not barred from speaking on 
college campuses. Pidluzny is the vice president of academic affairs for
 the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, which is an organization 
that supports free speech across universities.“We need to learn to tolerate the speech we abhor,” Pidluzny said.Two Republicans, Reps. Byron Donalds of Florida and ranking member 
Nancy Mace of South Carolina, asked witnesses about district decisions 
about school curriculum and school administrators’ decisions to ban 
books.“Taxpayers should have the ability to review that material because they pay for it,” Donalds said.He, along with Mace, argued that there were other ways that students 
could get books, such as buying them or going to a public library.“They can get a book from a lot of different places,” Mace said. “Is 
there anything that prevents a kid from going to a public library?”Two of the witnesses, Samantha Hull, a librarian from Lancaster 
County, Pennsylvania, and Jessica Berg, a teacher from Loudoun County, 
Virginia, said not every student has the financial means to buy books or
 has adequate access to transportation to visit public libraries to read
 books where they see themselves represented.Berg said visceral attacks on education from Republicans almost 
caused her to quit her job. She said she has received death threats from
 members of her own community as well as continued questioning of her 
expertise.“Books … offer a mirror to readers so they can see themselves 
reflected in some way, be it their gender, race, culture, identity or 
experience, and it makes them feel less alone in the world,” she said. 
“When I think about the books frequently being challenged, the only 
connection I see between them is that they are the books that give voice
 to the most marginalized in our society.”Mace agreed that history, especially “problematic chapters in our 
history,” should be taught in schools, but said books dealing with adult
 topics expose young kids to inappropriate topics.“We should be teaching critical thinking skills,” Mace said, adding 
that she’s disturbed by reports of colleges “stifling speech to coddle 
young adults.”<h2>Tennessee book banning</h2>Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Florida Democrat, held up a graphic 
novel about the Holocaust that was the latest book to be banned in 
Tennessee classrooms, “Maus.” She said with the rise in white 
nationalism, antisemitism and racism, books like “Maus” are now more 
important than ever.“We know that bigotry is learned,” Wasserman Schultz said, adding that “we also know it can be unlearned.”She asked Hall what removing books like “Maus” and ones that have diverse characters does to students.“It’s my opinion when books are removed … students are erased,” Hall 
said. “They feel their identities are not valued in the school and 
outside the school.”Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., did not ask any of the witnesses 
questions but expressed the fear of discrimination her two Muslim sons 
might face growing up.“Our children, they just simply want to exist as they are,” she said.

House panel questions why 1,500 books have been banned in public schools

From the Salina Public Library Facebook page:

See what's new this week at the Salina Public Library at:

*** <a href="http://wowbrary.org/nu.aspx?fb&amp;p=5578-447&amp;fbclid=IwAR0XGuzpOjvzGyJnCL_hV1Il9hOKCsDQKP9jKbv1vMYgFmcPKVfj719Mkh0" target="_blank">http://wowbrary.org/nu.aspx?fb&amp;p=5578-447</a> ***

There are 27 new movies, 26 new music CDs, one new children's book, and three other new books. The new movies this week include "Uncharted," "The Last Waltz [Blu-ray]," and "Dog."&nbsp;&nbsp;

From the Salina Public Library Facebook page:See what's new this week at the Salina Public Library at:*** <a href="http://wowbrary.org/nu.aspx?fb&amp;p=5578-447&amp;fbclid=IwAR0XGuzpOjvzGyJnCL_hV1Il9hOKCsDQKP9jKbv1vMYgFmcPKVfj719Mkh0" target="_blank">http://wowbrary.org/nu.aspx?fb&amp;p=5578-447</a> ***There are 27 new movies, 26 new music CDs, one new children's book, and three other new books. The new movies this week include "Uncharted," "The Last Waltz [Blu-ray]," and "Dog."&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649555350655.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

Check out what's new at the Salina Public Library

Today is Sunday, April 10, the 100th day of 2022. There are 265 days left in the year.

On April 10, 1912, the British liner RMS Titanic set sail from Southampton, England, on its ill-fated maiden voyage.

In 1866, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was incorporated.

In 1932, German President Paul Von Hindenburg was reelected in a runoff, with Adolf Hitler coming in second.

In 1947, Brooklyn Dodgers President Branch Rickey purchased the contract of Jackie Robinson from the Montreal Royals.

In 1963, the fast-attack nuclear submarine USS Thresher (SSN-593) sank during deep-diving tests east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in a disaster that claimed 129 lives.

In 1971, a table tennis team from the United States arrived in China at the invitation of the communist government for a goodwill visit that came to be known as "ping-pong diplomacy."

<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 Sunday, April 10, the 100th day of 2022. There are 265 days left in the year.Today's Highlight in History:On April 10, 1912, the British liner RMS Titanic set sail from Southampton, England, on its ill-fated maiden voyage.On this date:In 1866, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was incorporated.In 1932, German President Paul Von Hindenburg was reelected in a runoff, with Adolf Hitler coming in second.In 1947, Brooklyn Dodgers President Branch Rickey purchased the contract of Jackie Robinson from the Montreal Royals.In 1963, the fast-attack nuclear submarine USS Thresher (SSN-593) sank during deep-diving tests east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in a disaster that claimed 129 lives.In 1971, a table tennis team from the United States arrived in China at the invitation of the communist government for a goodwill visit that came to be known as "ping-pong diplomacy."In 1972, the United States and the Soviet Union joined some 70 nations in signing an agreement banning biological warfare.In 1974, Golda Meir announced her resignation as prime minister of Israel.In 1998, the Northern Ireland peace talks concluded as negotiators reached a landmark settlement to end 30 years of bitter rivalries and bloody attacks.In 2005, Tiger Woods won his fourth Masters with a spectacular finish of birdies and bogeys.In 2010, Polish President Lech Kaczynski, 60, was killed in a plane crash in western Russia that also claimed the lives of his wife and top Polish political, military, and church officials.In 2019, scientists released the first image ever made of a black hole, revealing a fiery, doughnut-shaped object in a galaxy 53 million light-years from earth.In 2020, on Good Friday, Pope Francis presided over a torch-lit procession in St. Peter's Square, which was otherwise empty because of the coronavirus; nurses and doctors were among those holding a cross.Ten years ago: Rick Santorum quit the presidential race, clearing the way for Mitt Romney to claim the Republican nomination. Syrian troops defied a U.N.-brokered cease-fire plan, launching fresh attacks on rebellious areas.Five years ago: Justice Neil Gorsuch took his place as the newest addition on the bench of the Supreme Court, restoring a narrow conservative majority. Alabama Republican Gov. Robert Bentley resigned rather than face impeachment and pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor campaign violations that arose during an investigation of his alleged affair with a top aide. The New York Daily News and ProPublica won the Pulitzer Prize for public service for uncovering how police abused eviction rules to oust hundreds of people, mostly poor minorities, from their homes; Colson Whitehead's novel "The Underground Railroad" won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction.One year ago: Speaking to Republican donors at his new home inside his Mar-a-Lago resort, former President Donald Trump slammed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell as a "stone-cold loser" and mocked McConnell's wife, Elaine Chao, who had been Trump's transportation secretary. Reports from Myanmar said at least 82 people had been killed the previous day in a crackdown by security forces on pro-democracy protesters. Rachael Blackmore became the first female jockey to win the grueling Grand National horse race, riding Minella Times to victory at the race in England.Today's Birthdays: Actor Liz Sheridan is 93. Actor Steven Seagal is 70. Folk-pop singer Terre Roche (The Roches) is 69. Actor Peter MacNicol is 68. Actor Olivia Brown is 65. Rock musician Steven Gustafson (10,000 Maniacs) is 65. Singer-producer Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds is 64. Rock singer-musician Brian Setzer is 63. Rock singer Katrina Leskanich is 62. Olympic gold medal speedskater Cathy Turner is 60. Rock musician Tim "Herb" Alexander is 57. R&amp;B singer Kenny Lattimore is 55. Actor-comedian Orlando Jones is 54. Rock musician Mike Mushok (Staind) is 53. Rapper Q-Tip (AKA Kamaal) is 52. Actor David Harbour is 47. Blues singer Shemekia Copeland is 43. Actor Laura Bell Bundy is 41. Actor Harry Hadden-Paton is 41. Actor Chyler Leigh is 40. Pop musician Andrew Dost (fun.) is 39. Actor Ryan Merriman is 39. Singer Mandy Moore is 38. Actor Barkhad Abdi is 37. Actor Shay Mitchell is 35. Actor Haley Joel Osment is 34. Actor Molly Bernard (TV: "Younger") is 34. Country singer Maren Morris is 32. Actor Alex Pettyfer is 32. Actor-singer AJ (AKA Amanda) Michalka is 31. Actor Daisy Ridley is 30. Singer-actor Sofia Carson is 29. Actor Audrey Whitby is 26. Actor Ruby Jerins is 24.