JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — In an aggressive move that angered Republicans, the Biden administration canceled the seven remaining oil and gas leases in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge on Wednesday, overturning sales held in the Trump administration's waning days, and proposed stronger protections against development on vast swaths of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska.

The Department of Interior's scrapping of the leases comes after the Biden administration disappointed environmental groups earlier this year by approving the Willow oil project in the petroleum reserve, a massive project by ConocoPhillips Alaska that could produce up to 180,000 barrels of oil a day on Alaska's petroleum-rich North Slope. Protections are proposed for more than 20,000 square miles (51,800 square kilometers) of land in the reserve in the western Arctic.

Some critics who said the approval of Willow flew in the face of Biden's pledges to address climate change lauded Wednesday's announcement. But they said more could be done. Litigation over the approval of the Willow project is pending.

"Alaska is home to many of America's most breathtaking natural wonders and culturally significant areas. As the climate crisis warms the Arctic more than twice as fast as the rest of the world, we have a responsibility to protect this treasured region for all ages," Biden said in a statement.

His actions "meet the urgency of the climate crisis" and will "protect our lands and waters for generations to come," Biden said.

Alaska's Republican governor condemned Biden's moves and threatened to sue. And at least one Democratic lawmaker said the decision could hurt Indigenous communities in an isolated region where oil development is an important economic driver.

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, who drew criticism for her role in the approval of the Willow project, said Wednesday that "no one will have rights to drill for oil in one of the most sensitive landscapes on earth." However, a 2017 law mandates another lease sale by late 2024. Administration officials said they intend to comply with the law.

The Biden administration also announced proposed rules aimed at providing stronger protections against new leasing and development in portions of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska that are designated as special areas for their wildlife, subsistence, scenic or other values. The proposal still must go through public comment. Willow lies within the reserve but was not expected to be affected by the proposed rules.

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge's 1.5-million-acre (600,000-hectare) coastal plain, which lies along the Beaufort Sea on Alaska's northeastern edge, is seen as sacred by the Indigenous Gwich'in because it is where caribou they rely on migrate and come to give birth. The plain is marked by hills, rivers and small lakes and tundra. Migratory birds and caribou pass through the plain, which provides habitat for wildlife including polar bears and wolves.

Alaska political leaders — including some Democrats — have long pushed to allow oil and gas drilling in the refuge in part because of its economic impact on Indigenous communities in an area with few other jobs. Many of those same voices pressed Biden to approve the Willow project for the same reason.

"I am deeply frustrated by the reversal of these leases in ANWR," said U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, a Democrat, using a common shorthand for the refuge. "This administration showed that it is capable of listening to Alaskans with the approval of the Willow Project, and it is some of those same Inupiat North Slope communities who are most impacted by this decision. I will continue to advocate for them and for Alaska's ability to explore and develop our natural resources."

Alaska's congressional delegation in 2017 succeeded in getting language added to a federal tax law that called for the U.S. government to hold two lease sales in the region by late 2024.

Drilling opponents on Wednesday urged Congress to repeal the leasing provision from the 2017 law and permanently make the coastal plain off limits to drilling.

"It is nearly impossible to overstate the importance of today's announcements for Arctic conservation," said Jamie Williams, president of the Wilderness Society. "Once again, the Arctic Refuge is free of oil leases. Our climate is a bit safer and there is renewed hope for permanently protecting one of the last great wild landscapes in America."

Alaska Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan denounced Biden's actions as the latest volley in what he called a "war on Alaska."

Two other leases that were issued as part of the first-of-its-kind sale for the refuge in January 2021 were previously given up by the small companies that held them amid legal wrangling and uncertainty over the drilling program.

After taking office, Biden issued an executive order calling for a temporary moratorium on activities related to the leasing program and for the Interior secretary to review the program. Haaland later in 2021 ordered a new environmental review after concluding there were "multiple legal deficiencies" underlying the Trump-era leasing program. Haaland halted activities related to the leasing program pending the new analysis.

A draft environmental review was released Wednesday.

The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, a state corporation that won seven leases in the 2021 sale, sued over the moratorium. But a federal judge recently found the delay by Interior to conduct a new review was not unreasonable.

The corporation obtained the leases to preserve drilling rights in case oil companies did not come forward. Major oil companies sat out the sale, held after prominent banks had announced they would not finance Arctic oil and gas projects.

Bernadette Demientieff, executive director of the Gwich'in Steering Committee, thanked the administration for the lease cancellation — but issued a warning.

"We know that our sacred land is only temporarily safe from oil and gas development," she said. "We urge the administration and our leaders in Congress to repeal the oil and gas program and permanently protect the Arctic Refuge."

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — In an aggressive move that angered Republicans, the Biden administration canceled the seven remaining oil and gas leases in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge on Wednesday, overturning sales held in the Trump administration's waning days, and proposed stronger protections against development on vast swaths of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Today, the Biden-Harris Administration is canceling all remaining oil and gas leases issued under the previous administration in the Arctic Refuge. The Administration also took new action to protect more than 13 million acres in the Western Arctic. <a href="https://t.co/YNStbtLKtZ">pic.twitter.com/YNStbtLKtZ</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1699614544316817445?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Department of Interior's scrapping of the leases comes after the Biden administration disappointed environmental groups earlier this year by approving the Willow oil project in the petroleum reserve, a massive project by ConocoPhillips Alaska that could produce up to 180,000 barrels of oil a day on Alaska's petroleum-rich North Slope. Protections are proposed for more than 20,000 square miles (51,800 square kilometers) of land in the reserve in the western Arctic.Some critics who said the approval of Willow flew in the face of Biden's pledges to address climate change lauded Wednesday's announcement. But they said more could be done. Litigation over the approval of the Willow project is pending."Alaska is home to many of America's most breathtaking natural wonders and culturally significant areas. As the climate crisis warms the Arctic more than twice as fast as the rest of the world, we have a responsibility to protect this treasured region for all ages," Biden said in a statement.His actions "meet the urgency of the climate crisis" and will "protect our lands and waters for generations to come," Biden said.Alaska's Republican governor condemned Biden's moves and threatened to sue. And at least one Democratic lawmaker said the decision could hurt Indigenous communities in an isolated region where oil development is an important economic driver.Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, who drew criticism for her role in the approval of the Willow project, said Wednesday that "no one will have rights to drill for oil in one of the most sensitive landscapes on earth." However, a 2017 law mandates another lease sale by late 2024. Administration officials said they intend to comply with the law.The Biden administration also announced proposed rules aimed at providing stronger protections against new leasing and development in portions of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska that are designated as special areas for their wildlife, subsistence, scenic or other values. The proposal still must go through public comment. Willow lies within the reserve but was not expected to be affected by the proposed rules.The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge's 1.5-million-acre (600,000-hectare) coastal plain, which lies along the Beaufort Sea on Alaska's northeastern edge, is seen as sacred by the Indigenous Gwich'in because it is where caribou they rely on migrate and come to give birth. The plain is marked by hills, rivers and small lakes and tundra. Migratory birds and caribou pass through the plain, which provides habitat for wildlife including polar bears and wolves.Alaska political leaders — including some Democrats — have long pushed to allow oil and gas drilling in the refuge in part because of its economic impact on Indigenous communities in an area with few other jobs. Many of those same voices pressed Biden to approve the Willow project for the same reason."I am deeply frustrated by the reversal of these leases in ANWR," said U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, a Democrat, using a common shorthand for the refuge. "This administration showed that it is capable of listening to Alaskans with the approval of the Willow Project, and it is some of those same Inupiat North Slope communities who are most impacted by this decision. I will continue to advocate for them and for Alaska's ability to explore and develop our natural resources."Alaska's congressional delegation in 2017 succeeded in getting language added to a federal tax law that called for the U.S. government to hold two lease sales in the region by late 2024.Drilling opponents on Wednesday urged Congress to repeal the leasing provision from the 2017 law and permanently make the coastal plain off limits to drilling."It is nearly impossible to overstate the importance of today's announcements for Arctic conservation," said Jamie Williams, president of the Wilderness Society. "Once again, the Arctic Refuge is free of oil leases. Our climate is a bit safer and there is renewed hope for permanently protecting one of the last great wild landscapes in America."Alaska Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan denounced Biden's actions as the latest volley in what he called a "war on Alaska."Two other leases that were issued as part of the first-of-its-kind sale for the refuge in January 2021 were previously given up by the small companies that held them amid legal wrangling and uncertainty over the drilling program.After taking office, Biden issued an executive order calling for a temporary moratorium on activities related to the leasing program and for the Interior secretary to review the program. Haaland later in 2021 ordered a new environmental review after concluding there were "multiple legal deficiencies" underlying the Trump-era leasing program. Haaland halted activities related to the leasing program pending the new analysis.A draft environmental review was released Wednesday.The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, a state corporation that won seven leases in the 2021 sale, sued over the moratorium. But a federal judge recently found the delay by Interior to conduct a new review was not unreasonable.The corporation obtained the leases to preserve drilling rights in case oil companies did not come forward. Major oil companies sat out the sale, held after prominent banks had announced they would not finance Arctic oil and gas projects.Bernadette Demientieff, executive director of the Gwich'in Steering Committee, thanked the administration for the lease cancellation — but issued a warning."We know that our sacred land is only temporarily safe from oil and gas development," she said. "We urge the administration and our leaders in Congress to repeal the oil and gas program and permanently protect the Arctic Refuge."___

Biden cancels remaining oil and gas leases in Alaska's Arctic

K-State cattle experts share advice on how to get calves to eat from the feedbunk

When dining at a new restaurant and the eating utensil is unexpectedly chopsticks instead of a fork, it can make for a challenging experience.

Similarly, newly weaned calves also have to adjust when they transition from a pasture to a dry lot and are expected to eat from an unfamiliar feedbunk, said the experts at Kansas State University’s Beef Cattle Institute on a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://ksubci.org/2023/09/01/listener-question-economic-questions-seedstock-producers-what-are-diseases-challenges/">Cattle Chat</a>&nbsp;podcast.

“Cattle need to know that there is feed in the bunk and if you just dump the concentrate in there they may not find it, so I recommend producers also put some long-stem hay in with the feed so the cattle see it,” said K-State beef cattle nutritionist Phillip Lancaster.

He also advises starting cattle out on high-quality hay.

“It will take calves two to three days to get adjusted to eating from the bunk,” Lancaster said.

Another decision that producers must evaluate is whether to deliver hay from a round bale feeder or grind the hay and mix it with the other feedstuffs, he said.

Lancaster and the other experts agree that there are pros and cons to that decision.

“Hay that has been mechanically chopped and offered as feed is a smaller particle size so it is more easily digested and will break down faster in the rumen than long-stem hay,” Lancaster said. “Because of this, cattle will consume more energy on a daily basis than they would if they were eating hay from a round bale.”

Cattle eating from a round bale will digest the hay slower and more of that will be absorbed in the digestive tract, he added.

“A downside of feeding hay from the round bale is that cattle will waste hay as they pick through the bale to eat and it ends up falling to the ground and getting stepped on,” said K-State veterinarian Bob Larson.

He added that the benefit of grinding the hay and adding it to the feed is that it is easier to control the portion size, especially in a limited feeding situation.

“Grinding the hay and mixing it with the concentrates allows me to control what they are eating,” Larson said.

While that is true, K-State veterinarian Brian Lubbers said there are drawbacks to grinding the hay.

“The downside to this feeding strategy is the cost of the equipment and the labor it takes to grind the hay and feed it,” Lubbers said.

But for producers who already have the equipment and labor available, the experts agree adding chopped hay to the ration is a good strategy.

“If I’ve got the ability to mix all my ingredients together, it is going to improve the feed efficiency of the calves,” Lancaster said.

To hear the full discussion, listen to the&nbsp;<a href="https://ksubci.org/2023/09/01/listener-question-economic-questions-seedstock-producers-what-are-diseases-challenges/">Cattle Chat</a>&nbsp;podcast online or through your preferred streaming platform.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694095530045.jpeg" alt="Charolais heifer eating from a feedbunk. KSRE Photo" />
 <figcaption>Charolais heifer eating from a feedbunk. KSRE Photo</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>K-State cattle experts share advice on how to get calves to eat from the feedbunk</h2>By LISA MOSER KSREWhen dining at a new restaurant and the eating utensil is unexpectedly chopsticks instead of a fork, it can make for a challenging experience.Similarly, newly weaned calves also have to adjust when they transition from a pasture to a dry lot and are expected to eat from an unfamiliar feedbunk, said the experts at Kansas State University’s Beef Cattle Institute on a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://ksubci.org/2023/09/01/listener-question-economic-questions-seedstock-producers-what-are-diseases-challenges/">Cattle Chat</a>&nbsp;podcast.“Cattle need to know that there is feed in the bunk and if you just dump the concentrate in there they may not find it, so I recommend producers also put some long-stem hay in with the feed so the cattle see it,” said K-State beef cattle nutritionist Phillip Lancaster.He also advises starting cattle out on high-quality hay.“It will take calves two to three days to get adjusted to eating from the bunk,” Lancaster said.Another decision that producers must evaluate is whether to deliver hay from a round bale feeder or grind the hay and mix it with the other feedstuffs, he said.Lancaster and the other experts agree that there are pros and cons to that decision.“Hay that has been mechanically chopped and offered as feed is a smaller particle size so it is more easily digested and will break down faster in the rumen than long-stem hay,” Lancaster said. “Because of this, cattle will consume more energy on a daily basis than they would if they were eating hay from a round bale.”Cattle eating from a round bale will digest the hay slower and more of that will be absorbed in the digestive tract, he added.“A downside of feeding hay from the round bale is that cattle will waste hay as they pick through the bale to eat and it ends up falling to the ground and getting stepped on,” said K-State veterinarian Bob Larson.He added that the benefit of grinding the hay and adding it to the feed is that it is easier to control the portion size, especially in a limited feeding situation.“Grinding the hay and mixing it with the concentrates allows me to control what they are eating,” Larson said.While that is true, K-State veterinarian Brian Lubbers said there are drawbacks to grinding the hay.“The downside to this feeding strategy is the cost of the equipment and the labor it takes to grind the hay and feed it,” Lubbers said.But for producers who already have the equipment and labor available, the experts agree adding chopped hay to the ration is a good strategy.“If I’ve got the ability to mix all my ingredients together, it is going to improve the feed efficiency of the calves,” Lancaster said.To hear the full discussion, listen to the&nbsp;<a href="https://ksubci.org/2023/09/01/listener-question-economic-questions-seedstock-producers-what-are-diseases-challenges/">Cattle Chat</a>&nbsp;podcast online or through your preferred streaming platform.

Cattle Chat: Options for feeding hay to newly weaned calves

Kansas City Chiefs VS Detroit Lions at Arrowhead Stadium, GEHA Field 6 p.m. (Listen LIVE on 910KINA)

Kpreps Kansas Pregame Show 6 p.m. (Listen LIVE on 910KINA) Southeast of Saline Trojans Football Pregame Show 6:30 p.m. (LIVE on 910KINA and Livestream Salina) Southeast of Saline Trojans vs. Beloit Trojans Football at Steve Fritz Field, Gypsum, 7 p.m. (Stream and Listen LIVE on Salina Post/910KINA)

Sacred Heart Knight VS Minneapolis Lions at Minneapolis Jr/Sr High School, Minneapolis, Kansas  7 p.m. (Streamed LIVE on Salina Post)

MRN&nbsp; Nascar Live&nbsp;8 a.m. (Listen LIVE on 910KINA) Kansas Wesleyan University Coyote Football Pregame Show 6:30 p.m. Kansas Wesleyan University Coyotes vs. Southwestern College Mound Builders at Richard L Jantz Stadium, Winfield, Kansas 7:30 p.m. (Stream and Listen LIVE on Salina Post/910KINA)

PRN&nbsp; The Pit Reporters&nbsp;9 a.m. (Listen LIVE on 910KINA) MRN&nbsp; Hollywood Casino&nbsp;400, Kansas Speedway, Kansas City, Kansas 1 p.m.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591971280271.jpeg" alt="KINA" />
 <figcaption>KINA</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Thursday</h2>Kansas City Chiefs VS Detroit Lions at Arrowhead Stadium, GEHA Field 6 p.m. (Listen LIVE on 910KINA)<h2>Friday</h2>Kpreps Kansas Pregame Show 6 p.m. (Listen LIVE on 910KINA) Southeast of Saline Trojans Football Pregame Show 6:30 p.m. (LIVE on 910KINA and Livestream Salina) Southeast of Saline Trojans vs. Beloit Trojans Football at Steve Fritz Field, Gypsum, 7 p.m. (Stream and Listen LIVE on Salina Post/910KINA)Sacred Heart Knight VS Minneapolis Lions at Minneapolis Jr/Sr High School, Minneapolis, Kansas 7 p.m. (Streamed LIVE on Salina Post)<h2>Saturday</h2>MRN&nbsp; Nascar Live&nbsp;8 a.m. (Listen LIVE on 910KINA) Kansas Wesleyan University Coyote Football Pregame Show 6:30 p.m. Kansas Wesleyan University Coyotes vs. Southwestern College Mound Builders at Richard L Jantz Stadium, Winfield, Kansas 7:30 p.m. (Stream and Listen LIVE on Salina Post/910KINA)<h2>Sunday</h2>PRN&nbsp; The Pit Reporters&nbsp;9 a.m. (Listen LIVE on 910KINA) MRN&nbsp; Hollywood Casino&nbsp;400, Kansas Speedway, Kansas City, Kansas 1 p.m.

910KINA/Salina Post Sports Schedule 

OPENING STATEMENT: “As far as injuries go, (Travis) Kelce hyperextended his knee today, so we’ll just see how he does going forward. Good day at practice before this challenge of playing the (Detroit) Lions, they’ve got a good football team. Our guys got a good week of prep and we’re looking forward, like I said to the challenge of playing a good football team. With that, time is yours.”

Q: Is there any status update on Travis Kelce?

REID: “No, they’re just looking at it now so we’ll just how it goes.”

Q: Are there guys who won’t play against the Lions due to injuries?

Q: What about Kadarius Toney, did he have a good week?

Q: How do you manage game planning when one of your main guys goes down?

REID: “The next guy steps in and we roll, and that’s what you do, if that’s the case.”

Q: Are you confident in Isiah Pacheco’s ability to play full speed in the first game of the season?

REID: “Again, if he’s up, he’s playing so he’ll be ready.”

Q: Is there an emotional resolution with the Chris Jones stuff?

REID: “Listen, I haven’t even gone there. We’re focused in on the guys who are here getting ready to play the (Detroit) Lions, that’s where I am at. If you’re not there, you’re not there. Unfortunately, that’s the name of the game so you can’t spend time, you’ve got to exhaust your time on the team you’re playing so that’s where we’re at.”

Q: Did you see what happened with Travis Kelce?

REID: “Yes, it was right in front of me. He hyperextended his knee.”

Q: How excited are you for the season to kick off?

PACHECO: “I’m very excited about it. (I’m) blessed to be here and I can’t wait to get out there and show the fans how hard we’ve been working this offseason.”

Q: What kind of challenge does the Detroit defensive front pose for you in the run game?

PACHECO: “They’re strong up front and a good unit. For us - just stay locked in and finish.”

Q: What do you remember about going into your first game last year?

PACHECO: “Just the noise, that everyone was talking about how fast the game is. For me the most important thing was to limit the distractions and that’s the mentality I need to have going forward and just keep it rolling.”

Q: Is that the same thing you tell the rookies to do going into a big first game?

PACHECO: “Yeah definitely. (I) told them there is going to be a lot of distractions and a lot of fan activities, (and) a lot of fans calling you names, so it’s exciting, but I’m saying you got a job ahead of you, you’ve got to lock in and eliminate distractions.”

Q: Can you talk about the excitement for the home opener on Thursday?

HUMPHREY: “Yeah, it’s obviously very exciting. Kicking off the season, first game, home game. There can be a lot of distractions for this game so really our focus is just on the game. That’s our sole focus right now, just preparing to go out there and play the way we play football.”

Q: The offensive line didn’t let anyone touch Patrick Mahomes during the preseason, what are you expecting from the Lions pass rush?

HUMPHREY: “They have a very talented front. They present a really good challenge for us. They’ve got a ton of talented players on that front seven. They do some good things so it’s definitely a challenge – it’s going to be a challenge for us for sure. We’re excited about it, it’s kind of why we play this game is the challenging parts of it, so we’re excited.”

Q: Now that you’ve been pro for a couple years, what are some of your strategies for such a big game like Thursday night?

HUMPHREY: “I try not to think of it as being such a big game. I think of it as just the next game that’s our focus, that’s our task and taking it play-by-play, that’s the way I think of it.”

Q: Thoughts on the two new tackles in Donovan Smith and Jawaan Taylor?

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691529941375.png" alt="Image Courtesy KC Chiefs" />
 <figcaption>Image Courtesy KC Chiefs</figcaption>
 </figure>Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid QuotesSeptember 5, 2023CHIEFS HEAD COACH ANDY REIDOPENING STATEMENT: “As far as injuries go, (Travis) Kelce hyperextended his knee today, so we’ll just see how he does going forward. Good day at practice before this challenge of playing the (Detroit) Lions, they’ve got a good football team. Our guys got a good week of prep and we’re looking forward, like I said to the challenge of playing a good football team. With that, time is yours.”Q: Is there any status update on Travis Kelce?REID: “No, they’re just looking at it now so we’ll just how it goes.”Q: Are there guys who won’t play against the Lions due to injuries?REID: “I think most guys are there.”Q: What about Kadarius Toney, did he have a good week?REID: “He had a good week, yeah.”Q: How do you manage game planning when one of your main guys goes down?REID: “The next guy steps in and we roll, and that’s what you do, if that’s the case.”Q: On Chris Jones.REID: “No progress.”Q: Are you confident in Isiah Pacheco’s ability to play full speed in the first game of the season?REID: “Again, if he’s up, he’s playing so he’ll be ready.”Q: Is there an emotional resolution with the Chris Jones stuff?REID: “Listen, I haven’t even gone there. We’re focused in on the guys who are here getting ready to play the (Detroit) Lions, that’s where I am at. If you’re not there, you’re not there. Unfortunately, that’s the name of the game so you can’t spend time, you’ve got to exhaust your time on the team you’re playing so that’s where we’re at.”Q: Did you see what happened with Travis Kelce?REID: “Yes, it was right in front of me. He hyperextended his knee.”<h2>Players Quotes</h2>RB ISIAH PACHECOQ: How excited are you for the season to kick off?PACHECO: “I’m very excited about it. (I’m) blessed to be here and I can’t wait to get out there and show the fans how hard we’ve been working this offseason.”Q: What kind of challenge does the Detroit defensive front pose for you in the run game?PACHECO: “They’re strong up front and a good unit. For us - just stay locked in and finish.”Q: What do you remember about going into your first game last year?PACHECO: “Just the noise, that everyone was talking about how fast the game is. For me the most important thing was to limit the distractions and that’s the mentality I need to have going forward and just keep it rolling.”Q: Is that the same thing you tell the rookies to do going into a big first game?PACHECO: “Yeah definitely. (I) told them there is going to be a lot of distractions and a lot of fan activities, (and) a lot of fans calling you names, so it’s exciting, but I’m saying you got a job ahead of you, you’ve got to lock in and eliminate distractions.”C CREED HUMPHREYQ: Can you talk about the excitement for the home opener on Thursday?HUMPHREY: “Yeah, it’s obviously very exciting. Kicking off the season, first game, home game. There can be a lot of distractions for this game so really our focus is just on the game. That’s our sole focus right now, just preparing to go out there and play the way we play football.”Q: The offensive line didn’t let anyone touch Patrick Mahomes during the preseason, what are you expecting from the Lions pass rush?HUMPHREY: “They have a very talented front. They present a really good challenge for us. They’ve got a ton of talented players on that front seven. They do some good things so it’s definitely a challenge – it’s going to be a challenge for us for sure. We’re excited about it, it’s kind of why we play this game is the challenging parts of it, so we’re excited.”Q: Now that you’ve been pro for a couple years, what are some of your strategies for such a big game like Thursday night?HUMPHREY: “I try not to think of it as being such a big game. I think of it as just the next game that’s our focus, that’s our task and taking it play-by-play, that’s the way I think of it.”Q: Thoughts on the two new tackles in Donovan Smith and Jawaan Taylor?

Chiefs Quotes: Head Coach Andy Reid, Pacheco, Humphrey

Neva Jean Eberhart, 99, passed away on August 28, 2023 at 5:30 AM at Smoky Hill Rehabilitation Center in Salina, KS.

Neva was born on May 15, 1924 in Salina, KS to parents Arthur and Sarah Lusk Main.

She loved to color pictures and share them with whoever wanted them. She loved attending church and sharing the word of the Lord to anyone who would listen and missed not being able to attend the last few years.

Preceded in death by her parents Sarah and Arthur Main; Husband: Floyd Eberhart; Daughter: Carolyn and her husband George Young; her son; Martin A. Eberhart, Sons - in - law: Wayne Boyd and Tee Tremper; Grandchildren: Debbie Comer, Penny Young, Theresa and Thomas Tremper.

Neva is survived by Children Deloris Boyd of Salina, KS, Sarah Tremper of Salina, KS, Danny Eberhart and spouse Pat of Niles, KS; Linda Eberhart (Daughter-in-Law) of Salina, KS; Numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren &amp; great-great-grandchildren.

Viewing will be on Thursday, September 7, 2023, from 5 - 7 PM in the Roselawn Memorial Heights Chapel. Funeral services will be held Friday, September 8, 2023, at 10:30 AM at Roselawn Memorial Heights Chapel in Salina, KS, with John Day officiating. Burial will follow in the Highland Cemetery in New Cambria, KS.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Roselawn Burial and Cremation Services; Online condolences can be sent to www.roselawnsalina.com.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693920961510.jpeg" alt="Neva Eberhart" />
 <figcaption>Neva Eberhart</figcaption>
 </figure>Neva Jean Eberhart, 99, passed away on August 28, 2023 at 5:30 AM at Smoky Hill Rehabilitation Center in Salina, KS.Neva was born on May 15, 1924 in Salina, KS to parents Arthur and Sarah Lusk Main.She loved to color pictures and share them with whoever wanted them. She loved attending church and sharing the word of the Lord to anyone who would listen and missed not being able to attend the last few years.Preceded in death by her parents Sarah and Arthur Main; Husband: Floyd Eberhart; Daughter: Carolyn and her husband George Young; her son; Martin A. Eberhart, Sons - in - law: Wayne Boyd and Tee Tremper; Grandchildren: Debbie Comer, Penny Young, Theresa and Thomas Tremper.Neva is survived by Children Deloris Boyd of Salina, KS, Sarah Tremper of Salina, KS, Danny Eberhart and spouse Pat of Niles, KS; Linda Eberhart (Daughter-in-Law) of Salina, KS; Numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren &amp; great-great-grandchildren.Viewing will be on Thursday, September 7, 2023, from 5 - 7 PM in the Roselawn Memorial Heights Chapel. Funeral services will be held Friday, September 8, 2023, at 10:30 AM at Roselawn Memorial Heights Chapel in Salina, KS, with John Day officiating. Burial will follow in the Highland Cemetery in New Cambria, KS.Arrangements have been entrusted to Roselawn Burial and Cremation Services; Online condolences can be sent to www.roselawnsalina.com.

Neva Eberhart

ASSISTANT&nbsp;HEAD COACH/SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR DAVE TOUB

Q:&nbsp;Does it feel good having a lot of guys coming back on special teams from last year?

TOUB:&nbsp;“Yeah,&nbsp;oh yeah. I’ve got a lot of guys back&nbsp;– we got several guys back like Leo Chenal and Jack Cochrane&nbsp;and all those guys are all&nbsp;second-year&nbsp;guys now.&nbsp;(They are) experienced. We still have some more rookies that are going to end up playing in this game so– I mean that’s life as a special teams coordinator,&nbsp;it’s ongoing and it’s game-to-game but I am happy with this group that we have.”

Q:&nbsp;Do you think Justyn Ross will factor into special teams?

TOUB:&nbsp;“Yeah he should&nbsp;– I mean if he’s up,&nbsp;active – we’ve got to decide who’s going to be up and who’s going to be down,&nbsp;that’s always a factor.&nbsp;Anybody who is up will be somebody who helps us, they won’t be up for no reason.”

Q:&nbsp;You can scout kickers and punters to know what they do and what type of hang time they get, but how hard is it in the moment for returners to know when to return and when to fair-catch?

TOUB:&nbsp;“It’s hard, that’s why you have to trust them to make&nbsp;thedecision. They have the keys to the car,&nbsp;it’s like a quarterback, they have to make good decisions. You can’t&nbsp;– I can sit there on the&nbsp;sideline&nbsp;and say ‘Oh return this one’ and it’s close&nbsp;and he doesn’t and you just have to go with it. You have to trust your players&nbsp;thatare on the field to make a big play and whatever it is we’re going to block it up. That’s what I told&nbsp;our guys:&nbsp;‘Block it up and make them (the returner) right.’ No matter what he&nbsp;(the returner)&nbsp;does,&nbsp;we’re blocking like he's coming out every time.”

Q:&nbsp;Do you anticipate seeing more squib kicks on kick-offs?

TOUB:&nbsp;“If a team wants&nbsp;to&nbsp;force you to return it&nbsp;(and)&nbsp;they kick a squib kick&nbsp;(then)&nbsp;you’ve got to return it – unless it goes for a touchback or goes out of bounds – you’ve got to do something with that, it’s a live football and you can’t fair catch it,&nbsp;so you’ve got to return it. We’ve practiced that a bunch,&nbsp;and if a team wants to force you – wants you to return it,&nbsp;they’re going to have to do that.”

Opening Statement:&nbsp;“Listen great to be standing here, regular season game getting ready for an opponent knowing we’re going to play our guys because I’ve been up here a little bit ‘Who’s going to play, who’s not going to play.’ The best guy is going to go out and play – it’s a great opponent we are playing. The more film you watch of Detroit and what they did and who they have – I mean I had respect for them before,&nbsp;but wow,&nbsp;talk about an elite group. And we hear all the things being said about them. They’ve got&nbsp;newweapons and good coaching and all that&nbsp;so great challenge for us. With that I’ll open it up.”

Q:&nbsp;What stands out to you on tape about the Detroit Lions?

SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“I think their system that they’ve put together&nbsp;–&nbsp;we call it eye candy&nbsp;and&nbsp;the movement&nbsp;and&nbsp;all the things that go on before the ball is even snapped I think&nbsp;they do an outstanding job of. The quarterback (Lions Quarterback Jared Goff) obviously is gathering all kinds of information and he’s really good at taking that information and putting them in a really good play. That on top of the skill they have, we all know about the running back they added&nbsp;(Lions Running Back Jahmyr Gibbs) and the receivers they have out there&nbsp;et cetera, et cetera. That all packaged together I think is a really tough challenge for us.”

Q:&nbsp;How do you prepare for a rookie like Lions Running Back Jahmyr Gibbs who has the potential to be a big factor but does not have a lot of tape?

SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“Yeah and he didn’t play a lot in the preseason, there were a couple snaps there. But we have looked at (University of) Alabama&nbsp;film. They found ways to get him the ball on the perimeter, we expect this team (the Lions) to do the same thing. He is really good with the ball in his hands. It’s all&nbsp;eyeballs&nbsp;on number 26&nbsp;(Lions Running Back Jahmyr Gibbs) when he goes in the game.That’s one of the things we’ve been talking about, know where he isand&nbsp;if he’s in the game because&nbsp;we&nbsp;certainly think with a guy that’s that explosive they’re going to try&nbsp;to find way to get him the ball.”

Q:&nbsp;What kind of player do you think you’re getting with&nbsp;Neil Farrell?

SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“A little bit of an unknown. Big, you know big strong football player. We’ll see, we really haven’t had&nbsp;him for that long.&nbsp;(Defensive Line Coach) Joe (Cullen) has had him in the meeting room, seems like he picks things up pretty well. It’s an unknown right now, we’ll see where we can get him to by the time Thursday rolls around,&nbsp;and we’ll have&nbsp;a better idea.”

Q:&nbsp;We know you like to blitz, how do you prepare for that with&nbsp;a group of guys&nbsp;at the&nbsp;beginning&nbsp;of the season you have not seen play together?

SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“Interesting question.&nbsp;I’m as curious as you guys to see what we have and what we can do with the players we have. We’ve talked about this before in this room that sometimes it takes a quarter of the season to figure out how it’s going to piece together, what you have. We think we have things in to take advantage of what our guys do, but we’ll see. We didn’t get a lot of snaps in the&nbsp;preseason,&nbsp;and we&nbsp;certainly obviously didn’t do a lot of things&nbsp;preseason wise. We’re going off of practice and hopefully we’ve prepared well and can get some of those things going.”

Q:&nbsp;Travis Kelce was just talking about the excitement for week one, how excited are you for week one against the Lions?

NAGY:&nbsp;“It’s exciting, you go through the tempo and monotony of the training camp, it’s a long training camp,&nbsp;but at the same time we know it’s needed. Then we’re all so many of us as players and coaches are creatures of habit. It’s nice to get to a schedule that you know how the day is going and yesterday being our in-season Wednesday practice for us even though it was a different day. Our first day of the week of true practice you could feel the juice and the energy and the vibe of the guys out there and he’s certainly one of them (Travis Kelce). The guys look to him to lead, and he’s been that way ever since I’ve been here.&nbsp;I think they – these guys really lock in right now,&nbsp;and today they’re&nbsp;not so much worried what happened in training camp or really what’s happening in the future, it’s about right now.”

Q:&nbsp;You guys are carrying seven receivers; do you see a path where they can all get some work?

NAGY:&nbsp;“Yeah, we do and&nbsp;it’s&nbsp;not new to us, we’ve been working with them since OTA’s. You just want to see now when you have these guys, what are their strengths. You don’t know until you draft Rashee (Rice) what his strengths – you think you know in college but how do you transfer it to what we do offensively. Then how do we do what he does well and place that too. Now that we’ve got a better picture of what everybody does, whatever (Head) Coach (Andy Reid) and (General Manager Brett) Veach decide to do every week with the active wide receivers,&nbsp;we got to make sure we have a plan like we talked about before, contingency plan on how to use them. We think we know;&nbsp;they think we know,&nbsp;but we won’t know-know until we start playing these games, especially for some of these young guys.”

Q:&nbsp;On Patrick Mahomes week one dominance.

NAGY:&nbsp;"That was brought to my attention just as we we’re talking about week one opponents, week one for us and just our players in general. He plays pretty well week one, he plays pretty well like every week (laughter). Week one in general when you look at some of the numbers he’s had and winning games and scoring points, you want him on your side. Again, with Pat (Patrick Mahomes) you look at somebody in training camp, OTA’s he’s always locked in but then you always feel – and I felt it last year and I felt it again yesterday – there’s just that little tick more of knowing that you’re&nbsp;now in quote-on-quote game week and it becomes like – using quotes ‘A little more real’ for all of us now, it’s here. Now you feel it in the week of practice, and I was fortunate enough to feel last year on game day how that is too before the game for him. Players like that go to different places and&nbsp;it’s&nbsp;fun to have on your side.”

Q:&nbsp;When you try to explain to somebody what sets Patrick Mahomes apart in general, what couple things does it simmer down to?

NAGY:&nbsp;"Well number one is competitiveness. There’s no one around that’s as competitive as him, nobody. It’s just as simple as that. I’ve been around a lot of people, and no one is as competitive as him,&nbsp;so he’s one and there’s no one-A. Number two is just his focus. Then number three is he doesn’t miss anything, he sees everything. Whatever that is, if it’s in a conversation, if it’s watching video or tape. I always joke about it like we could be in the middle of the game on the sideline, I witnessed it last year, you know we’re going through the tablet and going through plays and what the defense just did and all of a sudden out of&nbsp;nowhere&nbsp;he looks up and sees the score of another game or something. It’s like&nbsp;‘how do you do that?’&nbsp;(laughter)&nbsp;It’s rare. It’s different (and) then he goes right back to what the blitz that they’re doing, and you’re just like this is cool (laughter).”

ASSISTANT&nbsp;HEAD COACH/SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR DAVE TOUBQ:&nbsp;Does it feel good having a lot of guys coming back on special teams from last year?TOUB:&nbsp;“Yeah,&nbsp;oh yeah. I’ve got a lot of guys back&nbsp;– we got several guys back like Leo Chenal and Jack Cochrane&nbsp;and all those guys are all&nbsp;second-year&nbsp;guys now.&nbsp;(They are) experienced. We still have some more rookies that are going to end up playing in this game so– I mean that’s life as a special teams coordinator,&nbsp;it’s ongoing and it’s game-to-game but I am happy with this group that we have.”Q:&nbsp;Do you think Justyn Ross will factor into special teams?TOUB:&nbsp;“Yeah he should&nbsp;– I mean if he’s up,&nbsp;active – we’ve got to decide who’s going to be up and who’s going to be down,&nbsp;that’s always a factor.&nbsp;Anybody who is up will be somebody who helps us, they won’t be up for no reason.”Q:&nbsp;You can scout kickers and punters to know what they do and what type of hang time they get, but how hard is it in the moment for returners to know when to return and when to fair-catch?TOUB:&nbsp;“It’s hard, that’s why you have to trust them to make&nbsp;thedecision. They have the keys to the car,&nbsp;it’s like a quarterback, they have to make good decisions. You can’t&nbsp;– I can sit there on the&nbsp;sideline&nbsp;and say ‘Oh return this one’ and it’s close&nbsp;and he doesn’t and you just have to go with it. You have to trust your players&nbsp;thatare on the field to make a big play and whatever it is we’re going to block it up. That’s what I told&nbsp;our guys:&nbsp;‘Block it up and make them (the returner) right.’ No matter what he&nbsp;(the returner)&nbsp;does,&nbsp;we’re blocking like he's coming out every time.”Q:&nbsp;Do you anticipate seeing more squib kicks on kick-offs?TOUB:&nbsp;“If a team wants&nbsp;to&nbsp;force you to return it&nbsp;(and)&nbsp;they kick a squib kick&nbsp;(then)&nbsp;you’ve got to return it – unless it goes for a touchback or goes out of bounds – you’ve got to do something with that, it’s a live football and you can’t fair catch it,&nbsp;so you’ve got to return it. We’ve practiced that a bunch,&nbsp;and if a team wants to force you – wants you to return it,&nbsp;they’re going to have to do that.”DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR STEVE SPAGNUOLOOpening Statement:&nbsp;“Listen great to be standing here, regular season game getting ready for an opponent knowing we’re going to play our guys because I’ve been up here a little bit ‘Who’s going to play, who’s not going to play.’ The best guy is going to go out and play – it’s a great opponent we are playing. The more film you watch of Detroit and what they did and who they have – I mean I had respect for them before,&nbsp;but wow,&nbsp;talk about an elite group. And we hear all the things being said about them. They’ve got&nbsp;newweapons and good coaching and all that&nbsp;so great challenge for us. With that I’ll open it up.”Q:&nbsp;What stands out to you on tape about the Detroit Lions?SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“I think their system that they’ve put together&nbsp;–&nbsp;we call it eye candy&nbsp;and&nbsp;the movement&nbsp;and&nbsp;all the things that go on before the ball is even snapped I think&nbsp;they do an outstanding job of. The quarterback (Lions Quarterback Jared Goff) obviously is gathering all kinds of information and he’s really good at taking that information and putting them in a really good play. That on top of the skill they have, we all know about the running back they added&nbsp;(Lions Running Back Jahmyr Gibbs) and the receivers they have out there&nbsp;et cetera, et cetera. That all packaged together I think is a really tough challenge for us.”Q:&nbsp;How do you prepare for a rookie like Lions Running Back Jahmyr Gibbs who has the potential to be a big factor but does not have a lot of tape?SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“Yeah and he didn’t play a lot in the preseason, there were a couple snaps there. But we have looked at (University of) Alabama&nbsp;film. They found ways to get him the ball on the perimeter, we expect this team (the Lions) to do the same thing. He is really good with the ball in his hands. It’s all&nbsp;eyeballs&nbsp;on number 26&nbsp;(Lions Running Back Jahmyr Gibbs) when he goes in the game.That’s one of the things we’ve been talking about, know where he isand&nbsp;if he’s in the game because&nbsp;we&nbsp;certainly think with a guy that’s that explosive they’re going to try&nbsp;to find way to get him the ball.”Q:&nbsp;What kind of player do you think you’re getting with&nbsp;Neil Farrell?SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“A little bit of an unknown. Big, you know big strong football player. We’ll see, we really haven’t had&nbsp;him for that long.&nbsp;(Defensive Line Coach) Joe (Cullen) has had him in the meeting room, seems like he picks things up pretty well. It’s an unknown right now, we’ll see where we can get him to by the time Thursday rolls around,&nbsp;and we’ll have&nbsp;a better idea.”Q:&nbsp;We know you like to blitz, how do you prepare for that with&nbsp;a group of guys&nbsp;at the&nbsp;beginning&nbsp;of the season you have not seen play together?SPAGNUOLO:&nbsp;“Interesting question.&nbsp;I’m as curious as you guys to see what we have and what we can do with the players we have. We’ve talked about this before in this room that sometimes it takes a quarter of the season to figure out how it’s going to piece together, what you have. We think we have things in to take advantage of what our guys do, but we’ll see. We didn’t get a lot of snaps in the&nbsp;preseason,&nbsp;and we&nbsp;certainly obviously didn’t do a lot of things&nbsp;preseason wise. We’re going off of practice and hopefully we’ve prepared well and can get some of those things going.”OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR MATT NAGY&nbsp;Q:&nbsp;Travis Kelce was just talking about the excitement for week one, how excited are you for week one against the Lions?NAGY:&nbsp;“It’s exciting, you go through the tempo and monotony of the training camp, it’s a long training camp,&nbsp;but at the same time we know it’s needed. Then we’re all so many of us as players and coaches are creatures of habit. It’s nice to get to a schedule that you know how the day is going and yesterday being our in-season Wednesday practice for us even though it was a different day. Our first day of the week of true practice you could feel the juice and the energy and the vibe of the guys out there and he’s certainly one of them (Travis Kelce). The guys look to him to lead, and he’s been that way ever since I’ve been here.&nbsp;I think they – these guys really lock in right now,&nbsp;and today they’re&nbsp;not so much worried what happened in training camp or really what’s happening in the future, it’s about right now.”Q:&nbsp;You guys are carrying seven receivers; do you see a path where they can all get some work?NAGY:&nbsp;“Yeah, we do and&nbsp;it’s&nbsp;not new to us, we’ve been working with them since OTA’s. You just want to see now when you have these guys, what are their strengths. You don’t know until you draft Rashee (Rice) what his strengths – you think you know in college but how do you transfer it to what we do offensively. Then how do we do what he does well and place that too. Now that we’ve got a better picture of what everybody does, whatever (Head) Coach (Andy Reid) and (General Manager Brett) Veach decide to do every week with the active wide receivers,&nbsp;we got to make sure we have a plan like we talked about before, contingency plan on how to use them. We think we know;&nbsp;they think we know,&nbsp;but we won’t know-know until we start playing these games, especially for some of these young guys.”Q:&nbsp;On Patrick Mahomes week one dominance.NAGY:&nbsp;"That was brought to my attention just as we we’re talking about week one opponents, week one for us and just our players in general. He plays pretty well week one, he plays pretty well like every week (laughter). Week one in general when you look at some of the numbers he’s had and winning games and scoring points, you want him on your side. Again, with Pat (Patrick Mahomes) you look at somebody in training camp, OTA’s he’s always locked in but then you always feel – and I felt it last year and I felt it again yesterday – there’s just that little tick more of knowing that you’re&nbsp;now in quote-on-quote game week and it becomes like – using quotes ‘A little more real’ for all of us now, it’s here. Now you feel it in the week of practice, and I was fortunate enough to feel last year on game day how that is too before the game for him. Players like that go to different places and&nbsp;it’s&nbsp;fun to have on your side.”Q:&nbsp;When you try to explain to somebody what sets Patrick Mahomes apart in general, what couple things does it simmer down to?NAGY:&nbsp;"Well number one is competitiveness. There’s no one around that’s as competitive as him, nobody. It’s just as simple as that. I’ve been around a lot of people, and no one is as competitive as him,&nbsp;so he’s one and there’s no one-A. Number two is just his focus. Then number three is he doesn’t miss anything, he sees everything. Whatever that is, if it’s in a conversation, if it’s watching video or tape. I always joke about it like we could be in the middle of the game on the sideline, I witnessed it last year, you know we’re going through the tablet and going through plays and what the defense just did and all of a sudden out of&nbsp;nowhere&nbsp;he looks up and sees the score of another game or something. It’s like&nbsp;‘how do you do that?’&nbsp;(laughter)&nbsp;It’s rare. It’s different (and) then he goes right back to what the blitz that they’re doing, and you’re just like this is cool (laughter).”

Chiefs Quotes: Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Dave Toub

&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>

Support for unions is growing amid shifting working conditions and labor disputes around the country, according to Liz Shuler, the president of the largest labor group in the country.

In Shuler’s comments Tuesday at the AFL-CIO’s first State of the Unions event in Washington, she cited polling that showed support for unions cut across party lines. The AFL-CIO commissioned<a target="_blank" href="https://aflcio.org/sites/default/files/2023-08/GBAO%20AFL-CIO%20Labor%20Day%20Poll%20Memo.pdf">&nbsp;a poll</a>&nbsp;by GBAO, a Democratic polling and research firm, that found 91% of Democratic respondents and 52% of Republicans approved of unions, with even higher numbers supporting the right to strike.

United Auto Workers at Detroit’s “Big Three” car companies<a target="_blank" href="https://michiganadvance.com/blog/get-strike-ready-uaw-votes-to-authorize-strike-against-detroit-automakers/">&nbsp;voted overwhelmingly</a>&nbsp;Aug. 25 to authorize a strike if a deal with Ford, General Motors and Stellantis is not reached before their contract expires Sept. 14.

Shuler characterized that vote as part of a trend in stronger union activity in the face of “a systematic attack” on labor, including many state laws that make union organizing more difficult and the 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision that allowed workers in unionized workplaces to opt out of paying union dues.

“What’s different about this Labor Day is the awakening happening all across this country,” Shuler said. “It’s up in Detroit, where just a few days ago, 97% of our UAW members said they were ready to walk off the job and push back against the Big Three.”

More than 200 strikes comprising 320,000 workers have happened so far this year, she said, noting that was 10 times the number of striking workers than just two years ago.

“It’s been a long time since this country has seen workers united like this,” she said. “A long time.”

Support for unions reflects an uncertain future for many Americans, Shuler said.

The shift toward a gig economy has left workers unsure about their long-term financial security, she said.

Technological advances in artificial intelligence can help workers do their jobs better, she said, but also threaten workers. She urged companies adopting artificial intelligence to listen to labor concerns about the technology.

Concerns felt more broadly across the country also impacted union members, Shuler said, referencing issues that may have appealed more to labor’s traditional Democratic supporters than the bipartisan support shown in polling.

Workers are concerned about climate change and democratic issues such as voting rights, abortion rights and censorship in schools, she said. Unions will work to elect politicians who reflect those values, she said.

“We will not be silent while extremist politicians attack our rights: Our right to vote and have our votes counted, our right to read the books we want to read, our right to think and speak freely on or off the job,” she said. “We will show up and organize and vote.”

Unions would support President Joe Biden in his reelection campaign next year, Shuler said, praising the president’s work to deliver federal infrastructure spending.

Biden campaigned on infrastructure improvements and supported the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/biden-signs-historic-infrastructure-bill">&nbsp;Congress passed in 2021</a>.

The law supports millions of jobs, she said, not only in construction and transportation but in the service industry as well. Every job created by the federal spending should be a union position, Shuler said.

Biden<a target="_blank" href="https://michiganadvance.com/2023/08/16/ahead-of-potential-auto-worker-strike-biden-calls-for-cooperation-in-union-negotiations/">&nbsp;has called for</a>&nbsp;autoworkers and manufacturers to work together to come to an agreement before their contract expires.

Biden said the day of the UAW vote he’d “been talking to” the union and was “concerned” about the prospect of a strike, according to a White House pool report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1693566762046.png" alt="UAW members rally for a new contract at the labor organization’s Region 1 headquarters on Aug. 20, 2023 (UAW photo)." />
 <figcaption>UAW members rally for a new contract at the labor organization’s Region 1 headquarters on Aug. 20, 2023 (UAW photo).</figcaption>
 </figure>By JACOB FISCHLER&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>Support for unions is growing amid shifting working conditions and labor disputes around the country, according to Liz Shuler, the president of the largest labor group in the country.In Shuler’s comments Tuesday at the AFL-CIO’s first State of the Unions event in Washington, she cited polling that showed support for unions cut across party lines. The AFL-CIO commissioned<a target="_blank" href="https://aflcio.org/sites/default/files/2023-08/GBAO%20AFL-CIO%20Labor%20Day%20Poll%20Memo.pdf">&nbsp;a poll</a>&nbsp;by GBAO, a Democratic polling and research firm, that found 91% of Democratic respondents and 52% of Republicans approved of unions, with even higher numbers supporting the right to strike.United Auto Workers at Detroit’s “Big Three” car companies<a target="_blank" href="https://michiganadvance.com/blog/get-strike-ready-uaw-votes-to-authorize-strike-against-detroit-automakers/">&nbsp;voted overwhelmingly</a>&nbsp;Aug. 25 to authorize a strike if a deal with Ford, General Motors and Stellantis is not reached before their contract expires Sept. 14.Shuler characterized that vote as part of a trend in stronger union activity in the face of “a systematic attack” on labor, including many state laws that make union organizing more difficult and the 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision that allowed workers in unionized workplaces to opt out of paying union dues.“What’s different about this Labor Day is the awakening happening all across this country,” Shuler said. “It’s up in Detroit, where just a few days ago, 97% of our UAW members said they were ready to walk off the job and push back against the Big Three.”More than 200 strikes comprising 320,000 workers have happened so far this year, she said, noting that was 10 times the number of striking workers than just two years ago.“It’s been a long time since this country has seen workers united like this,” she said. “A long time.”Support for unions reflects an uncertain future for many Americans, Shuler said.The shift toward a gig economy has left workers unsure about their long-term financial security, she said.Technological advances in artificial intelligence can help workers do their jobs better, she said, but also threaten workers. She urged companies adopting artificial intelligence to listen to labor concerns about the technology.Concerns felt more broadly across the country also impacted union members, Shuler said, referencing issues that may have appealed more to labor’s traditional Democratic supporters than the bipartisan support shown in polling.Workers are concerned about climate change and democratic issues such as voting rights, abortion rights and censorship in schools, she said. Unions will work to elect politicians who reflect those values, she said.“We will not be silent while extremist politicians attack our rights: Our right to vote and have our votes counted, our right to read the books we want to read, our right to think and speak freely on or off the job,” she said. “We will show up and organize and vote.”Unions would support President Joe Biden in his reelection campaign next year, Shuler said, praising the president’s work to deliver federal infrastructure spending.Biden campaigned on infrastructure improvements and supported the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/biden-signs-historic-infrastructure-bill">&nbsp;Congress passed in 2021</a>.The law supports millions of jobs, she said, not only in construction and transportation but in the service industry as well. Every job created by the federal spending should be a union position, Shuler said.Biden<a target="_blank" href="https://michiganadvance.com/2023/08/16/ahead-of-potential-auto-worker-strike-biden-calls-for-cooperation-in-union-negotiations/">&nbsp;has called for</a>&nbsp;autoworkers and manufacturers to work together to come to an agreement before their contract expires.Biden said the day of the UAW vote he’d “been talking to” the union and was “concerned” about the prospect of a strike, according to a White House pool report.

Labor leader touts union support as possible auto strikes loom

The Southeast of Saline Trojans travel to Rock Creek to take on the Mustangs Friday night. If you can't make it to the game, we have some options for you!

You can listen to it on KINA (910 AM and 107.5 FM). Devin Hanney has the call. You also can watch a live stream of the game on Salina Post thanks to L&amp;L Advisors!

Click the link below to watch the game Friday at 7 p.m.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1693506406072.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By SALINA POSTThe Southeast of Saline Trojans travel to Rock Creek to take on the Mustangs Friday night. If you can't make it to the game, we have some options for you!You can listen to it on KINA (910 AM and 107.5 FM). Devin Hanney has the call. You also can watch a live stream of the game on Salina Post thanks to L&amp;L Advisors!Click the link below to watch the game Friday at 7 p.m.<div><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bwPiGt8hKNU?si=IUV8jYSs3KI7-iIp" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Video by Bryan Dennett

🖥️ Watch Southeast of Saline takes on Rock Creek 

OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Alright,&nbsp;so I don’t have any injuries for you. I’ll&nbsp;tell&nbsp;you that everybody practiced yesterday but other than that it looks good so far. With that, time’s yours.”

Q:&nbsp;Do you plan on utilizing all&nbsp;seven&nbsp;wide&nbsp;receivers?

REID:&nbsp;“We’re kind of going through&nbsp;all of&nbsp;that now, there’s a chance&nbsp;though that we have all seven&nbsp;up, yeah.”

Q:&nbsp;You kept&nbsp;Chris&nbsp;Oladokun&nbsp;on the practice squad but not Shane&nbsp;Buechele, did you have a choice there? And if&nbsp;so&nbsp;why did you&nbsp;pick&nbsp;Chris&nbsp;Oladokun?

REID:&nbsp;“Chris&nbsp;(Oladokun)&nbsp;is a good football player, he doesn’t have a lot of experience&nbsp;now, but he’s gaining it.&nbsp;You saw his athletic ability and his arm and so on through the preseason, he did a nice job with that. You know Shane (Buechele) made the decision to go to&nbsp;(the)&nbsp;Buffalo&nbsp;(Bills)&nbsp;and it’s a good new start for him and&nbsp;I’m&nbsp;sure&nbsp;that is&nbsp;what he was thinking about.”

Q:&nbsp;What is your confidence level with the defensive line&nbsp;withChris Jones being absent?

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah,&nbsp;so&nbsp;I would tell&nbsp;you,&nbsp;you move on. I mean as a coach, when a player is not here, then the next guy is up and rolling. Chris (Jones) is a great&nbsp;player,&nbsp;but we’ve got other good players. They’ll have to step their game up to fill the role of defensive tackle, defensive end and so on. Everybody just&nbsp;has toplay their best and then you work through it. But to think that you’re going to fill&nbsp;in for Chris, that’s not what&nbsp;you’re&nbsp;doing.&nbsp;You’re&nbsp;just – the next man comes up and you try to utilize his strengths and let him get in there and play. We’ve had success doing that and so we’ll do it again. I know the guys are excited to get in and play.”

Q:&nbsp;Do you have any indication when Chris&nbsp;Jones&nbsp;will show up?

REID:&nbsp;“No, there’s no indication, either way. They talked the other day, I know (General Manager) Brett (Veach) filled you in on that so I’m just working with the guys we have and making sure we’re set there.”

Q:&nbsp;How long do you think Chris Jones will need as a ramp up period once he gets here?

REID:&nbsp;“Well one thing about Chris (Jones) is that he keeps himself in good shape so I would anticipate – I haven’t seen him,&nbsp;but I’d anticipate that he’d come back in relatively good shape. Just kind of getting himself – working himself into football shape.&nbsp;As long as&nbsp;he’s physically in good shape, you can kind of start working him in and getting him going. Then you play it by ear after that.”

Q:&nbsp;What’s the sense around how the team feels about Chris Jones hold out?

REID:&nbsp;“Everybody makes their own decisions, I mean, that’s the way it is in life and that’s the way it is in football. Certain guys do it one-way, certain guys do it another way.&nbsp;Chris (Jones) has chosen to go this route, some other guys have chosen to get their deals done and come in and play. Listen, I am not here to criticize one way or the other. We’ve had a lot of success with the guys that we&nbsp;have&nbsp;and we go with it. My standpoint is we’ve got a heck of a Lions team coming in here and with the guys we’ve got we’re going to get those guys ready to play against the Lions and I know they’ll be fired up to play. Other than that, I take the distractions and throw them out the door and let’s get on with what’s real and that means the guys that are here,&nbsp;you know, the Lions are going to show up with a good football team.”

Q:&nbsp;How do you handle the event and atmosphere of having the pregame ceremony with the Super Bowl banner and making sure you focus in on the game?

REID:&nbsp;“Again for us, once we got done with the ring ceremony we’ve focused in on the job at hand. There’s a number of guys (who) weren’t part of that team (that won Super Bowl LVII)&nbsp;so I’ve stressed to our guys this is a new year. The (banner) ceremony is probably more for the fans than it is for the team itself. We’ll be out there and do our thing but like I said we’ve got our hands full with a good football team and the game following up this ceremony, so we’ve got to keep our focus on that and that’s where our energy is going.”

Q:&nbsp;What stands out to you about this Detroit Lions team?

REID:&nbsp;“We look forward to this challenge, this is a big, big challenge for us. They finished absolutely on fire,&nbsp;(last season) they play aggressive football. (Lions Head Coach) Dan (Campbell) has done a great job up there with his&nbsp;guys&nbsp;so I know we’ve got to really have a great week of preparation going forward. Between (Lions&nbsp;Defensive Coordinator)&nbsp;Aaron&nbsp;(Glenn) and (Lions&nbsp;Offensive Coordinator)&nbsp;Ben&nbsp;(Johnson) they’ve got good coordinators, both their schemes are good on both sides of the ball. Like I said they’ve got good talent. Our guys will come in here and focus on that, they’ll study the&nbsp;players&nbsp;and they’ll study the schemes and by the time we get to Thursday we’ll have all the different situations down, so it’s a normal week. Today for me is a Monday, in the football world so that’s how we’re doing it as a staff, the players are off on Mondays during the season if it’s a Sunday game. We’ll start the regular week tomorrow with the players in here lifting and doing their stuff there then we’ll follow up with our Wednesday and Thursday practices from there.”

Q:&nbsp;Last year the Lions struggled defensively. What changes have you seen and what challenges from their defense do you foresee?

REID:&nbsp;“Yeah&nbsp;they kind of answered that, midway through the season. I thought they really were playing good football as it went down the stretch there defensively. I know they’ve made some upgrades to their defense – some of the players we know, one of their safeties (C.J. Gardner-Johnson) was in the Super Bowl against us. Anyway, there are players there that I’m familiar with that are really good football&nbsp;players&nbsp;so we’ve got to be sharp from an offensive standpoint.”

Q:&nbsp;Is there a point where you might want to get involved with the Chris Jones negotiations?

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid&nbsp;QuotesSeptember&nbsp;1,&nbsp;2023HEAD COACH ANDY REIDOPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“Alright,&nbsp;so I don’t have any injuries for you. I’ll&nbsp;tell&nbsp;you that everybody practiced yesterday but other than that it looks good so far. With that, time’s yours.”Q:&nbsp;Do you plan on utilizing all&nbsp;seven&nbsp;wide&nbsp;receivers?REID:&nbsp;“We’re kind of going through&nbsp;all of&nbsp;that now, there’s a chance&nbsp;though that we have all seven&nbsp;up, yeah.”Q:&nbsp;You kept&nbsp;Chris&nbsp;Oladokun&nbsp;on the practice squad but not Shane&nbsp;Buechele, did you have a choice there? And if&nbsp;so&nbsp;why did you&nbsp;pick&nbsp;Chris&nbsp;Oladokun?REID:&nbsp;“Chris&nbsp;(Oladokun)&nbsp;is a good football player, he doesn’t have a lot of experience&nbsp;now, but he’s gaining it.&nbsp;You saw his athletic ability and his arm and so on through the preseason, he did a nice job with that. You know Shane (Buechele) made the decision to go to&nbsp;(the)&nbsp;Buffalo&nbsp;(Bills)&nbsp;and it’s a good new start for him and&nbsp;I’m&nbsp;sure&nbsp;that is&nbsp;what he was thinking about.”Q:&nbsp;What is your confidence level with the defensive line&nbsp;withChris Jones being absent?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah,&nbsp;so&nbsp;I would tell&nbsp;you,&nbsp;you move on. I mean as a coach, when a player is not here, then the next guy is up and rolling. Chris (Jones) is a great&nbsp;player,&nbsp;but we’ve got other good players. They’ll have to step their game up to fill the role of defensive tackle, defensive end and so on. Everybody just&nbsp;has toplay their best and then you work through it. But to think that you’re going to fill&nbsp;in for Chris, that’s not what&nbsp;you’re&nbsp;doing.&nbsp;You’re&nbsp;just – the next man comes up and you try to utilize his strengths and let him get in there and play. We’ve had success doing that and so we’ll do it again. I know the guys are excited to get in and play.”Q:&nbsp;Do you have any indication when Chris&nbsp;Jones&nbsp;will show up?REID:&nbsp;“No, there’s no indication, either way. They talked the other day, I know (General Manager) Brett (Veach) filled you in on that so I’m just working with the guys we have and making sure we’re set there.”Q:&nbsp;How long do you think Chris Jones will need as a ramp up period once he gets here?REID:&nbsp;“Well one thing about Chris (Jones) is that he keeps himself in good shape so I would anticipate – I haven’t seen him,&nbsp;but I’d anticipate that he’d come back in relatively good shape. Just kind of getting himself – working himself into football shape.&nbsp;As long as&nbsp;he’s physically in good shape, you can kind of start working him in and getting him going. Then you play it by ear after that.”Q:&nbsp;What’s the sense around how the team feels about Chris Jones hold out?REID:&nbsp;“Everybody makes their own decisions, I mean, that’s the way it is in life and that’s the way it is in football. Certain guys do it one-way, certain guys do it another way.&nbsp;Chris (Jones) has chosen to go this route, some other guys have chosen to get their deals done and come in and play. Listen, I am not here to criticize one way or the other. We’ve had a lot of success with the guys that we&nbsp;have&nbsp;and we go with it. My standpoint is we’ve got a heck of a Lions team coming in here and with the guys we’ve got we’re going to get those guys ready to play against the Lions and I know they’ll be fired up to play. Other than that, I take the distractions and throw them out the door and let’s get on with what’s real and that means the guys that are here,&nbsp;you know, the Lions are going to show up with a good football team.”Q:&nbsp;How do you handle the event and atmosphere of having the pregame ceremony with the Super Bowl banner and making sure you focus in on the game?REID:&nbsp;“Again for us, once we got done with the ring ceremony we’ve focused in on the job at hand. There’s a number of guys (who) weren’t part of that team (that won Super Bowl LVII)&nbsp;so I’ve stressed to our guys this is a new year. The (banner) ceremony is probably more for the fans than it is for the team itself. We’ll be out there and do our thing but like I said we’ve got our hands full with a good football team and the game following up this ceremony, so we’ve got to keep our focus on that and that’s where our energy is going.”Q:&nbsp;What stands out to you about this Detroit Lions team?REID:&nbsp;“We look forward to this challenge, this is a big, big challenge for us. They finished absolutely on fire,&nbsp;(last season) they play aggressive football. (Lions Head Coach) Dan (Campbell) has done a great job up there with his&nbsp;guys&nbsp;so I know we’ve got to really have a great week of preparation going forward. Between (Lions&nbsp;Defensive Coordinator)&nbsp;Aaron&nbsp;(Glenn) and (Lions&nbsp;Offensive Coordinator)&nbsp;Ben&nbsp;(Johnson) they’ve got good coordinators, both their schemes are good on both sides of the ball. Like I said they’ve got good talent. Our guys will come in here and focus on that, they’ll study the&nbsp;players&nbsp;and they’ll study the schemes and by the time we get to Thursday we’ll have all the different situations down, so it’s a normal week. Today for me is a Monday, in the football world so that’s how we’re doing it as a staff, the players are off on Mondays during the season if it’s a Sunday game. We’ll start the regular week tomorrow with the players in here lifting and doing their stuff there then we’ll follow up with our Wednesday and Thursday practices from there.”Q:&nbsp;Last year the Lions struggled defensively. What changes have you seen and what challenges from their defense do you foresee?REID:&nbsp;“Yeah&nbsp;they kind of answered that, midway through the season. I thought they really were playing good football as it went down the stretch there defensively. I know they’ve made some upgrades to their defense – some of the players we know, one of their safeties (C.J. Gardner-Johnson) was in the Super Bowl against us. Anyway, there are players there that I’m familiar with that are really good football&nbsp;players&nbsp;so we’ve got to be sharp from an offensive standpoint.”Q:&nbsp;Is there a point where you might want to get involved with the Chris Jones negotiations?

Chiefs Quotes Sept. 1: Head Coach Andy Reid 

OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“As always, this time of year is (a) bittersweet time. We’re certainly excited for the start of the regular season next week especially coming off the Super Bowl victory. (We’re) excited to lower that Super Bowl championship banner in front of our home fans, should be an exciting night and certainly an amazing game. The Detroit Lions will certainly come here ready to play – (we have) all the respect in the world for them, so it’s going to be an exciting night next Thursday. We’re looking forward to that. On one end, we’re super excited to release our 53-man roster and we have some practice squad additions that we’ve made, and we’ll probably have a couple as the days go on to add to that list, but it’s always tough when you have to say goodbye to some players that have been here sometimes for years, sometimes since the spring. Overall, just can’t thank those players enough for their hard work during this offseason and training camp. (We) thank all the coaches for the great job they do, and certainly my staff for all the extra hours they put in, especially this time of year. It’s never easy and sometimes these roster compositions are tough deals. Our guys are the best at what they do, again, can’t thank them enough. With that I’ll open it up and take some questions.”

Q:&nbsp;What has your communication been like with Chris Jones recently? Do you expect him to be here in time to play against the Lions?

VEACH:&nbsp;“Listen, we’re certainly hopeful for that. We have been in communication, and actually just the last few days, we’ve been in more communication. We’re going to continue to press on and work hard. (There is) a lot of respect on both sides of this thing. It’s been obviously well stated how we feel about Chris (Jones), and he feels the same way. Again, we’re just going to keep working on this thing, and we’re looking forward to next Thursday and hopefully he’s in the lineup and he’s ready to go.”

Q:&nbsp;What did you like about the two new additions Neil Farrell Jr. and Darius Rush? Particularly with Neil Farrell Jr. do you see him being more than a first and second down guy?

VEACH:&nbsp;“Well we hope so, that’s always the goal and the plan for anytime you add someone on the defensive line that they can be a complete player. But right off the bat, just a bigger body, that was one of the things we put an emphasis on. He (Neil Farrell Jr.) is 6’ 4” and change. He’s just a bigger, longer body, and as you guys know, (Defensive Coordinator) Steve (Spagnuolo) like’s that prototype and we certainly do as well. (We) Liked him coming out of college, that thing (the trade) picked up late yesterday; (we) worked through it pretty quick actually because that was – you know every time you make cuts in your mind you have some roster management and games you want to play, then you are trying to project practice squads, who gets claimed, and who won’t. Going into this thing we were looking for a bigger, longer defensive end. We had one of those at the tackle, we were looking for an athletic corner that has size length and speed. Just in the last two days we were able to get two of those guys – a longer DT and an athletic corner that fits the measurables that we’re looking for. Certainly, liked both those players coming out and the tape was – it seems like we just watched the tape yesterday on (Darius) Rush and then the DT (Neil Farrell Jr.) just came out last year – he was a fourth-round pick last year. Again, two young guys we get to add to our roster along with the draft picks – I think all of them earned their way on the roster this year, as well as one undrafted free agent.”

Q:&nbsp;Are Kadarius Toney or L'Jarius Sneed candidates for the IR, if not will they be ready to play week one?

VEACH:&nbsp;“They will be on the 53 (man-roster). Again, I don’t want to speak for the coaches or for (Vice President of Sports Medicine and Performance) Rick (Burkholder), but they have a good chance to be where they need to be week one, we’ll see. I’ll let Rick make those decisions, him in conjunction with the players, they have a great relationship with all our players but especially those two (Kadarius Toney and L'Jarius Sneed). Credit to Kadarius (Toney) and (L'Jarius Sneed) LJ and (Tershawn) Turk Wharton – really all of the guys. You think about Kadarius and LJ and Turk Wharton right off the bat, (I) just give them so much credit and Rick and (Assistant Athletic Trainer) Julie (Frymyer) and (Assistant Athletic Trainer David) Glove (Glover) and (Assistant Athletic Trainer) Evan (Craft), (Assistant Athletic Trainer) Tiff (Tiffany Morton) the whole staff down there, those guys have worked their tail off around the clock to put themselves in a position to play Thursday. I think they certainly have a chance, and we’ll see how it goes.”

Q:&nbsp;How can you get value out of all seven receivers on the roster?

VEACH:&nbsp;“We have different types of receivers whether they are guys like Richie James that handle a bunch of stuff with the return game, then you have (Justyn) Ross who’s a size guy. We lost Jody (Fortson) that was someone (Head) Coach (Andy Reid) always had packages in for short yardage and red zone, but I don’t think there is ever a short coming in creativity with our coaches. We have a talented deep receiving core. They’re all different in their ways, and Coach just does a great job of trying to maximize what they can do and implementing packages for guys. We’ll have a core group of guys that can handle every package and be involved in every package. Then we’ll have a group of guys that are tailored and tweaked to what they can do and there’re going to highlight what they can do and their skillset. I think having those seven receivers gives us a variety of different ways to attack a defense. (I) Certainty trust our coaching staff to maximize their abilities as they’ve done in the past with different types of wide outs.”

Q:&nbsp;When you say there has been communication with Chris Jones is that progress towards an extension or just him reporting without an extension?

VEACH:&nbsp;“We’ve been in communication. I like to keep all those communications between us and them (Chris Jones and his agents) and the whole process in the hopes that we can work to get something done.”

Q:&nbsp;What led you to trade for Neil Farrell Jr. to add to your defensive line and does Tershawn Wharton’s progress make you more hopeful about that group without Chris Jones?

VEACH:&nbsp;“Well I think all that comes into play, so we’re working hard – our hopes are to get Chris (Jones) in here as soon as possible and we continue to work through that. There will be an acclimation phase for him. (Tershawn) Turk (Wharton) as I mentioned has busted his tail to get back here, he’s progressed, and it was great to see him come out of that last preseason game without any injuries. Those are still things you’re working through. Then you have a young guy in Keondre Coburn that got a chance to go out there and play and produce in some preseason games, but the reality of it is these rookies have played a game, if that, you figure a couple of quarters in three preseason games it adds up to like a game. Just wanted to get some depth from an injury standpoint, from a depth standpoint. Again, just from a body type – we were trying to get a little bigger too, so I think it fit a bunch of needs for us. That’s why when we had the opportunity, we ran with it yesterday.”

Q:&nbsp;What type of receivers do you foresee Justyn Ross being?

VEACH:&nbsp;“First, go back to credit to the kid and credit to our training staff. He came in here last year and had some injuries at Clemson and had another injury that progressively got worse here last year, but our doctors identified it right off the bat and shut him down. We really put our trust in the kid and our training staff to get him where he needs to be. Did that, came out here in OTA’s, it was a little bit of a feeling out process, and I think halfway through the OTA’s you could really see him get that confidence up and that belief up, he’s just progressively gotten better. These young guys – as all of you guys know there’s so much verbiage in this playbook and so much dialog and there’s so many tweaks to every assignment in regard to where they align and how they look at coverage and how they alter routes. It’s super complicated and these guys over time start to figure it out. I think we’ll see a big jump with Skyy (Moore) and I think what you’ll see from both Justyn Ross and Rashee (Rice) as the games goes on, you’ll see them probably have certain packages and that will bleed into – hopefully they continue to grow and progress and produce on the field. That will lead into more utilization within the offense and graduating from a package player to an every down receiver. The hopes with all these young guys is to gradually make that transition. I think we have a bunch of guys that are candidates to do that on this roster and I think in the meantime (Head) Coach (Andy Reid) does a great job in finding what they do and putting them in position to gain their confidence and to help us on game day. Like I said if they are able to do that and naturally progress over the volume they can handle for the course of a season.”

Q:&nbsp;With the one big cut, how different was it this year regarding making deals?

VEACH:&nbsp;“That’s a good question. Potentially (it was) a little harder, is my first gut reaction to that question just because – and I joked with the guys yesterday – I mean we usually are getting calls 2, 3, 4 days prior to the deadline or right after the second preseason game things start to heat up and there was kind of a huge silence period there. Really until Vegas called about the potential DT (Neil Farrell Jr.) I think that was the first call we heard all - basically all preseason camp. I think a lot of that had to do with there are so many guys that hadn’t been cut yet and a lot of teams, sometimes they try to hide players and not play guys that play good the first week. Teams know they can't take them on their roster and I think teams are just waiting to see the actual list to see what was real and what was just kind of hearsay through social media. I think it probably made it a little bit harder to execute trades, (it) put a little bit more stress on our staff last night. I mean even though we picked 32nd on the waiver wire we were here till 12:30/1 o'clock in the morning just making sure if we did have a chance, we put in for players. It did work out for us, we got a corner that we liked so I just think that the communication was probably delayed and it potentially could have negated some maybe earlier trades, I don't know. I just know from my end; I can't speak for other teams, other than that Vegas call yesterday, (it) was really kind of quiet right through cut down.”

Q:&nbsp;Will you have to place any players on IR?

VEACH:&nbsp;“As we sit here, I think we’re good. All of this stuff can change and again, I don’t want to speak for (Vice President of Sports Medicine and Performance) Rick (Burkholder) or the coaches but I would say there’ll be no one that gets an injury designation within a day unless there’s a swap. I think these guys are good to go, doesn’t mean that they’re 100% and will be active gameday, but as we sit here, I think these guys will all be practicing this week. I think that’s probably a better way and it makes sense for you guys to hear that. These guys should be on the practice field.”

VEACH:&nbsp;“Yeah, that was a tough one and we've gone in different directions different years. We just - sometimes when you just try to keep some young guys too it's difficult and you do try to project some guys that you can get on the practice squad. Keeping six linebackers was something that is a little bit of an oddity too in some regards but when you have these young guys that are likely to be gone, you want to see that through. I think sometimes you have to make tough decisions; you know obviously Shane (Buechele) is a good football player and we loved having him around, certainly going to miss him. It was just one of those things where at the end of the day – we always say this to all the guys, at the end of the day make our jobs (hard) and put it on tape and that is where Blaine (Gabbert) came out and won the job. So, it doesn’t make it any easier because I think there was a lot of trust and belief in Shane Buechele, and (I) love him as a player but it wasn’t an easy decision. I think just from a roster management standpoint and trying to navigate through the D-line and (Charles) Omenihu’s suspension and wanting some extra corners because they’re young, there’s just – sometimes roster decisions that you have to make and that was what we felt was best at the time.”

Q:&nbsp;Regarding trades, extensions, and deals, what factors are important in satisfying both sides?

VEACH:&nbsp;“I think it’s a business on one end. I think guys have to be in a place where they check boxes in regards to if it’s a free agency deal but then I think it comes down to winning and having the opportunity to play with a great coaching staff and playing in front of a great fan base. There’s a (Patrick) Pat Mahomes, Travis Kelce factor, I’m sure and a Chris Jones factor so I think that there’s – I mean that’s kind of a loaded question there’s so many things that go into all of these things: what other offers they have from a team trade standpoint, scheme fit, personality and cultural fit. I mean those things – that’s why these things take a lot of time to go through whether that be the draft process whether that be the trade process, whether that be the free agency process. There are layers and layers of factors that go into everything and if you are off in one of those categories with those factors, sometimes it doesn’t work out, and listen, these things are never an exact science and sometimes you get the short end of all of those things. I think that there is an unknown aspect to every trade, signing, draft pick, what have you. That is why you do as much work as you can on the person, and the fit to start. Then you just let the natural course of all of the other things that come to play – and there are so many of them and you just try to exhaust all the information you have.”

Q:&nbsp;On the wide receiver room and how hard it was to decide who to keep.

VEACH:&nbsp;“It was really tough because we had a bunch of young players, a bunch of talented players, and a bunch of players that provide different elements to the game for us. You talk about (Carolina Panthers WR) Ihmir (Smith-Marsette) and he was the guy who took advantage of every opportunity. It goes back to what coach always says you know, one – take the decision out of our hands and then two – this is also an audition for all (other) 31 teams. You know, Ihmir certainly made the most of that opportunity. We typically keep five or six wideouts and with the progressions of Justyn Ross and then having Ihmir Smith-Marsette come in here and answer the call and make plays every preseason game, credit to the kid. When I called to talk to him to tell him about the trade, I told him that he’s earned this and he has a chance to not have to worry and stress on that cut down day because when a team trades for you, you know you made a roster. Not only that, but I think he has a good chance to be active. There’s one element where these guys want to make an active roster, but then they want to be active on gameday. So, he put himself in a position, came in here with the right mindset and although the receiver room was very crowded and the odds were against him, he just went out and put the blinders on and took advantage of every opportunity he had. Made it tough on us but then also showcased his talent to those other teams and I’m sure there’s a few other teams that would’ve put in a claim for him, maybe they didn’t want to trade with us and then Carolina, credit to them for reaching out just to make sure they get him even though they were high on the claim. Now he has a chance to not only be on a 53-man roster but go out there and prove something on Sundays so certainly happy for him and wishing him nothing but the best.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691529941375.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>OPENING STATEMENT:&nbsp;“As always, this time of year is (a) bittersweet time. We’re certainly excited for the start of the regular season next week especially coming off the Super Bowl victory. (We’re) excited to lower that Super Bowl championship banner in front of our home fans, should be an exciting night and certainly an amazing game. The Detroit Lions will certainly come here ready to play – (we have) all the respect in the world for them, so it’s going to be an exciting night next Thursday. We’re looking forward to that. On one end, we’re super excited to release our 53-man roster and we have some practice squad additions that we’ve made, and we’ll probably have a couple as the days go on to add to that list, but it’s always tough when you have to say goodbye to some players that have been here sometimes for years, sometimes since the spring. Overall, just can’t thank those players enough for their hard work during this offseason and training camp. (We) thank all the coaches for the great job they do, and certainly my staff for all the extra hours they put in, especially this time of year. It’s never easy and sometimes these roster compositions are tough deals. Our guys are the best at what they do, again, can’t thank them enough. With that I’ll open it up and take some questions.”Q:&nbsp;What has your communication been like with Chris Jones recently? Do you expect him to be here in time to play against the Lions?VEACH:&nbsp;“Listen, we’re certainly hopeful for that. We have been in communication, and actually just the last few days, we’ve been in more communication. We’re going to continue to press on and work hard. (There is) a lot of respect on both sides of this thing. It’s been obviously well stated how we feel about Chris (Jones), and he feels the same way. Again, we’re just going to keep working on this thing, and we’re looking forward to next Thursday and hopefully he’s in the lineup and he’s ready to go.”Q:&nbsp;What did you like about the two new additions Neil Farrell Jr. and Darius Rush? Particularly with Neil Farrell Jr. do you see him being more than a first and second down guy?VEACH:&nbsp;“Well we hope so, that’s always the goal and the plan for anytime you add someone on the defensive line that they can be a complete player. But right off the bat, just a bigger body, that was one of the things we put an emphasis on. He (Neil Farrell Jr.) is 6’ 4” and change. He’s just a bigger, longer body, and as you guys know, (Defensive Coordinator) Steve (Spagnuolo) like’s that prototype and we certainly do as well. (We) Liked him coming out of college, that thing (the trade) picked up late yesterday; (we) worked through it pretty quick actually because that was – you know every time you make cuts in your mind you have some roster management and games you want to play, then you are trying to project practice squads, who gets claimed, and who won’t. Going into this thing we were looking for a bigger, longer defensive end. We had one of those at the tackle, we were looking for an athletic corner that has size length and speed. Just in the last two days we were able to get two of those guys – a longer DT and an athletic corner that fits the measurables that we’re looking for. Certainly, liked both those players coming out and the tape was – it seems like we just watched the tape yesterday on (Darius) Rush and then the DT (Neil Farrell Jr.) just came out last year – he was a fourth-round pick last year. Again, two young guys we get to add to our roster along with the draft picks – I think all of them earned their way on the roster this year, as well as one undrafted free agent.”Q:&nbsp;Are Kadarius Toney or L'Jarius Sneed candidates for the IR, if not will they be ready to play week one?VEACH:&nbsp;“They will be on the 53 (man-roster). Again, I don’t want to speak for the coaches or for (Vice President of Sports Medicine and Performance) Rick (Burkholder), but they have a good chance to be where they need to be week one, we’ll see. I’ll let Rick make those decisions, him in conjunction with the players, they have a great relationship with all our players but especially those two (Kadarius Toney and L'Jarius Sneed). Credit to Kadarius (Toney) and (L'Jarius Sneed) LJ and (Tershawn) Turk Wharton – really all of the guys. You think about Kadarius and LJ and Turk Wharton right off the bat, (I) just give them so much credit and Rick and (Assistant Athletic Trainer) Julie (Frymyer) and (Assistant Athletic Trainer David) Glove (Glover) and (Assistant Athletic Trainer) Evan (Craft), (Assistant Athletic Trainer) Tiff (Tiffany Morton) the whole staff down there, those guys have worked their tail off around the clock to put themselves in a position to play Thursday. I think they certainly have a chance, and we’ll see how it goes.”Q:&nbsp;How can you get value out of all seven receivers on the roster?VEACH:&nbsp;“We have different types of receivers whether they are guys like Richie James that handle a bunch of stuff with the return game, then you have (Justyn) Ross who’s a size guy. We lost Jody (Fortson) that was someone (Head) Coach (Andy Reid) always had packages in for short yardage and red zone, but I don’t think there is ever a short coming in creativity with our coaches. We have a talented deep receiving core. They’re all different in their ways, and Coach just does a great job of trying to maximize what they can do and implementing packages for guys. We’ll have a core group of guys that can handle every package and be involved in every package. Then we’ll have a group of guys that are tailored and tweaked to what they can do and there’re going to highlight what they can do and their skillset. I think having those seven receivers gives us a variety of different ways to attack a defense. (I) Certainty trust our coaching staff to maximize their abilities as they’ve done in the past with different types of wide outs.”Q:&nbsp;When you say there has been communication with Chris Jones is that progress towards an extension or just him reporting without an extension?VEACH:&nbsp;“We’ve been in communication. I like to keep all those communications between us and them (Chris Jones and his agents) and the whole process in the hopes that we can work to get something done.”Q:&nbsp;What led you to trade for Neil Farrell Jr. to add to your defensive line and does Tershawn Wharton’s progress make you more hopeful about that group without Chris Jones?VEACH:&nbsp;“Well I think all that comes into play, so we’re working hard – our hopes are to get Chris (Jones) in here as soon as possible and we continue to work through that. There will be an acclimation phase for him. (Tershawn) Turk (Wharton) as I mentioned has busted his tail to get back here, he’s progressed, and it was great to see him come out of that last preseason game without any injuries. Those are still things you’re working through. Then you have a young guy in Keondre Coburn that got a chance to go out there and play and produce in some preseason games, but the reality of it is these rookies have played a game, if that, you figure a couple of quarters in three preseason games it adds up to like a game. Just wanted to get some depth from an injury standpoint, from a depth standpoint. Again, just from a body type – we were trying to get a little bigger too, so I think it fit a bunch of needs for us. That’s why when we had the opportunity, we ran with it yesterday.”Q:&nbsp;What type of receivers do you foresee Justyn Ross being?VEACH:&nbsp;“First, go back to credit to the kid and credit to our training staff. He came in here last year and had some injuries at Clemson and had another injury that progressively got worse here last year, but our doctors identified it right off the bat and shut him down. We really put our trust in the kid and our training staff to get him where he needs to be. Did that, came out here in OTA’s, it was a little bit of a feeling out process, and I think halfway through the OTA’s you could really see him get that confidence up and that belief up, he’s just progressively gotten better. These young guys – as all of you guys know there’s so much verbiage in this playbook and so much dialog and there’s so many tweaks to every assignment in regard to where they align and how they look at coverage and how they alter routes. It’s super complicated and these guys over time start to figure it out. I think we’ll see a big jump with Skyy (Moore) and I think what you’ll see from both Justyn Ross and Rashee (Rice) as the games goes on, you’ll see them probably have certain packages and that will bleed into – hopefully they continue to grow and progress and produce on the field. That will lead into more utilization within the offense and graduating from a package player to an every down receiver. The hopes with all these young guys is to gradually make that transition. I think we have a bunch of guys that are candidates to do that on this roster and I think in the meantime (Head) Coach (Andy Reid) does a great job in finding what they do and putting them in position to gain their confidence and to help us on game day. Like I said if they are able to do that and naturally progress over the volume they can handle for the course of a season.”Q:&nbsp;With the one big cut, how different was it this year regarding making deals?VEACH:&nbsp;“That’s a good question. Potentially (it was) a little harder, is my first gut reaction to that question just because – and I joked with the guys yesterday – I mean we usually are getting calls 2, 3, 4 days prior to the deadline or right after the second preseason game things start to heat up and there was kind of a huge silence period there. Really until Vegas called about the potential DT (Neil Farrell Jr.) I think that was the first call we heard all - basically all preseason camp. I think a lot of that had to do with there are so many guys that hadn’t been cut yet and a lot of teams, sometimes they try to hide players and not play guys that play good the first week. Teams know they can't take them on their roster and I think teams are just waiting to see the actual list to see what was real and what was just kind of hearsay through social media. I think it probably made it a little bit harder to execute trades, (it) put a little bit more stress on our staff last night. I mean even though we picked 32nd on the waiver wire we were here till 12:30/1 o'clock in the morning just making sure if we did have a chance, we put in for players. It did work out for us, we got a corner that we liked so I just think that the communication was probably delayed and it potentially could have negated some maybe earlier trades, I don't know. I just know from my end; I can't speak for other teams, other than that Vegas call yesterday, (it) was really kind of quiet right through cut down.”Q:&nbsp;Will you have to place any players on IR?VEACH:&nbsp;“As we sit here, I think we’re good. All of this stuff can change and again, I don’t want to speak for (Vice President of Sports Medicine and Performance) Rick (Burkholder) or the coaches but I would say there’ll be no one that gets an injury designation within a day unless there’s a swap. I think these guys are good to go, doesn’t mean that they’re 100% and will be active gameday, but as we sit here, I think these guys will all be practicing this week. I think that’s probably a better way and it makes sense for you guys to hear that. These guys should be on the practice field.”Q:&nbsp;On the QB room decision.VEACH:&nbsp;“Yeah, that was a tough one and we've gone in different directions different years. We just - sometimes when you just try to keep some young guys too it's difficult and you do try to project some guys that you can get on the practice squad. Keeping six linebackers was something that is a little bit of an oddity too in some regards but when you have these young guys that are likely to be gone, you want to see that through. I think sometimes you have to make tough decisions; you know obviously Shane (Buechele) is a good football player and we loved having him around, certainly going to miss him. It was just one of those things where at the end of the day – we always say this to all the guys, at the end of the day make our jobs (hard) and put it on tape and that is where Blaine (Gabbert) came out and won the job. So, it doesn’t make it any easier because I think there was a lot of trust and belief in Shane Buechele, and (I) love him as a player but it wasn’t an easy decision. I think just from a roster management standpoint and trying to navigate through the D-line and (Charles) Omenihu’s suspension and wanting some extra corners because they’re young, there’s just – sometimes roster decisions that you have to make and that was what we felt was best at the time.”Q:&nbsp;Regarding trades, extensions, and deals, what factors are important in satisfying both sides?VEACH:&nbsp;“I think it’s a business on one end. I think guys have to be in a place where they check boxes in regards to if it’s a free agency deal but then I think it comes down to winning and having the opportunity to play with a great coaching staff and playing in front of a great fan base. There’s a (Patrick) Pat Mahomes, Travis Kelce factor, I’m sure and a Chris Jones factor so I think that there’s – I mean that’s kind of a loaded question there’s so many things that go into all of these things: what other offers they have from a team trade standpoint, scheme fit, personality and cultural fit. I mean those things – that’s why these things take a lot of time to go through whether that be the draft process whether that be the trade process, whether that be the free agency process. There are layers and layers of factors that go into everything and if you are off in one of those categories with those factors, sometimes it doesn’t work out, and listen, these things are never an exact science and sometimes you get the short end of all of those things. I think that there is an unknown aspect to every trade, signing, draft pick, what have you. That is why you do as much work as you can on the person, and the fit to start. Then you just let the natural course of all of the other things that come to play – and there are so many of them and you just try to exhaust all the information you have.”Q:&nbsp;On the wide receiver room and how hard it was to decide who to keep.VEACH:&nbsp;“It was really tough because we had a bunch of young players, a bunch of talented players, and a bunch of players that provide different elements to the game for us. You talk about (Carolina Panthers WR) Ihmir (Smith-Marsette) and he was the guy who took advantage of every opportunity. It goes back to what coach always says you know, one – take the decision out of our hands and then two – this is also an audition for all (other) 31 teams. You know, Ihmir certainly made the most of that opportunity. We typically keep five or six wideouts and with the progressions of Justyn Ross and then having Ihmir Smith-Marsette come in here and answer the call and make plays every preseason game, credit to the kid. When I called to talk to him to tell him about the trade, I told him that he’s earned this and he has a chance to not have to worry and stress on that cut down day because when a team trades for you, you know you made a roster. Not only that, but I think he has a good chance to be active. There’s one element where these guys want to make an active roster, but then they want to be active on gameday. So, he put himself in a position, came in here with the right mindset and although the receiver room was very crowded and the odds were against him, he just went out and put the blinders on and took advantage of every opportunity he had. Made it tough on us but then also showcased his talent to those other teams and I’m sure there’s a few other teams that would’ve put in a claim for him, maybe they didn’t want to trade with us and then Carolina, credit to them for reaching out just to make sure they get him even though they were high on the claim. Now he has a chance to not only be on a 53-man roster but go out there and prove something on Sundays so certainly happy for him and wishing him nothing but the best.”

Chiefs Quotes, General Manager Brett Veach

Ground has been broken in St. Joseph as the University of
Missouri-Kansas City expands its medical program in the city with a $14.5
million building.

The building will be located on Faraon Street across from the Mosaic
Life Care complex and will expand a program begun by UMKC at Mosaic three years
ago.

State Rep. Brenda Shields of St. Joseph remembered the first meeting
between UMKC and Mosaic officials in April of 2019, praising Mosaic officials
for the reception they gave UMKC’s proposal.

“They took the meeting and they listened to UMKC’s proposal of
creating a school in a rural setting to train rural doctors,” Shields said
during a ceremony held at the site. “Creating the school is important, because
we know that doctors that train in rural settings set up their practice in
rural settings.”

Shields praised the UMKC students who came to Mosaic at the
beginning of the program to begin their academic career.

“Who took a risk in January of 2021 to come here and go to
school, that they bought into our idea that we were creating the premiere
school in the nation to train rural physicians,” Shields said.

The elaborate ground-breaking ceremony under a huge white tent
at Faraon and Riverside attracted a wide variety of officials: &nbsp;political, medical, and academic.

The project took a huge step forward when former U.S. Sen. Roy
Blunt secured $13 million in federal funds. The state of Missouri contributed
$1.5 million. The money will finance construction of a 22,000 square foot building
expected to open in 2025.

The building will have the capacity to train 80 students with
a graduating class of 20 each year, designed specifically to address rural
health care needs.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1693333807511.jpeg" alt="UMKC School of Medicine Dean Mary Anne Jackson addressed the crowd during the groundbreaking ceremony/Photo by Brent Martin" />
 <figcaption>UMKC School of Medicine Dean Mary Anne Jackson addressed the crowd during the groundbreaking ceremony/Photo by Brent Martin</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostGround has been broken in St. Joseph as the University of
Missouri-Kansas City expands its medical program in the city with a $14.5
million building.The building will be located on Faraon Street across from the Mosaic
Life Care complex and will expand a program begun by UMKC at Mosaic three years
ago.State Rep. Brenda Shields of St. Joseph remembered the first meeting
between UMKC and Mosaic officials in April of 2019, praising Mosaic officials
for the reception they gave UMKC’s proposal.“They took the meeting and they listened to UMKC’s proposal of
creating a school in a rural setting to train rural doctors,” Shields said
during a ceremony held at the site. “Creating the school is important, because
we know that doctors that train in rural settings set up their practice in
rural settings.”Shields praised the UMKC students who came to Mosaic at the
beginning of the program to begin their academic career.“Who took a risk in January of 2021 to come here and go to
school, that they bought into our idea that we were creating the premiere
school in the nation to train rural physicians,” Shields said.The elaborate ground-breaking ceremony under a huge white tent
at Faraon and Riverside attracted a wide variety of officials: &nbsp;political, medical, and academic.The project took a huge step forward when former U.S. Sen. Roy
Blunt secured $13 million in federal funds. The state of Missouri contributed
$1.5 million. The money will finance construction of a 22,000 square foot building
expected to open in 2025.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1693333901598.jpeg" alt="Photo by Brent Martin" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Brent Martin</figcaption>
 </figure>The building will have the capacity to train 80 students with
a graduating class of 20 each year, designed specifically to address rural
health care needs.University of Missouri system president Mun Choi attended the ground-breaking
ceremonies in St. Joseph and got a chance to speak with UMKC students seeking
their degree at Mosaic.“I had a chance to meet a few of the students. I’m going to
meet all of you before the day is out,” Choi told the large audience in
attendance. “And I asked them the question, ‘Will you serve you serve rural
Missouri?’ And, to a person, they said yes. I’m going to hold you to it.”The UMKC program is designed specifically to address medical
needs in rural parts of the area.