WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is targeting the blood thinner Eliquis, diabetes treatment Jardiance and eight other medications for Medicare's first-ever drug price negotiations as it seeks to lower medical costs for Americans.

The administration on Tuesday released&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23930689-medicare-drug-price-negotiation-list">a list of the 10 drugs</a>&nbsp;for which prices will be negotiated directly with the manufacturer. The move is expected to cut costs for many patients, but it faces litigation from the drugmakers and heavy criticism from Republican lawmakers, and it could be years before consumers notice any savings.

The effort is a centerpiece of President Joe Biden's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-election-2024-president-democrats-trump-9c72115656855da89a41cac3f79aa65b">reelection pitch</a>&nbsp;as the Democrat seeks to show Americans he's deserving of a second term because of the work he's doing to lower costs for them while the country is struggling with inflation. But like the drug negotiations, many of Biden's biggest policy moves take time to roll out, and his challenge is to persuade the public to be patient.

“For many Americans, the cost of one drug is the difference between life and death, dignity and dependence, hope and fear,” Biden said in a statement. “That is why we will continue the fight to lower healthcare costs — and we will not stop until we finish the job.”

Biden plans to deliver a speech on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-lifestyle-health-care-costs-medicare-prescription-drugs-2fe3928665506b9a2d9c9c38bfd4f0c9">health care costs</a>&nbsp;from the White House later Tuesday. He’ll be joined by Vice President Kamala Harris.

The drugs on the list announced Tuesday accounted for more than $50 billion in Medicare prescription drug costs between June 1, 2022, and May 31, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS. The diabetes treatments Jardiance from Eli Lilly and Co. and Merck’s Januvia made the list, along with Amgen’s autoimmune disease treatment Enbrel. Other drugs include Entresto from Novartis, which is used to treat heart failure.

Medicare spent about $10 billion in 2020 on Eliquis, according to AARP research. The drug from Pfizer and Bristol-Myers Squibb treats blood clots in the legs and lungs and reduces the risk of stroke in people with an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation.

Senior administration officials said Tuesday that the 10 drugs selected for negotiation are among the most costly to the Medicare program. They said 8.2 million people with Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage take them.

Other drugs on the list include AstraZeneca’s diabetes and heart failure treatment Farxiga and three drugs from Johnson &amp; Johnson: the blood thinner Xarelto, the blood cancer treatment Imbruvica and it’s biggest seller, Stelara, an IV treatment for psoriasis and other inflammatory disorders.

The list also includes several versions of Novo Nordisk’s Fiasp, a fast-acting insulin taken around meals.

The Inflation Reduction Act already caps Medicare patient out-of-pocket costs for insulin at $35 a month. An administration official said Tuesday that upper limit will hold but there could be further changes in those costs.

The announcement is a significant step under the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-climate-health-tax-law-economy-inflation-f112d7c78abaa724d22964317d213deb">Inflation Reduction Act,</a>&nbsp;which was signed by Biden last year. The law requires the federal government for the first time to start negotiating directly with companies about the prices they charge for some of Medicare’s most expensive drugs.

More than 52 million people who either are 65 or older or have certain severe disabilities or illnesses get prescription drug coverage through Medicare’s Part D program, according to CMS.

About 9% of Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and older said in 2021 that they did not fill a prescription or skipped a drug dose due to cost, according to research by the Commonwealth Fund, which studies health care issues.

The agency aims to negotiate the lowest maximum fair price for drugs on the list released Tuesday. That could help some patients who have coverage but still face big bills like high deductible payments when they get a prescription.

Currently, pharmacy benefit managers that run Medicare prescription plans negotiate rebates off a drug's price. Those rebates sometimes help reduce premiums customers pay for coverage. But they may not change what a patient spends at the pharmacy counter.

The new drug price negotiations aim "to basically make drugs more affordable while also still allowing for profits to be made,” said Gretchen Jacobson, who researches Medicare issues at Commonwealth.

Drug companies that refuse to be a part of the new negotiation process will be heavily taxed.

The pharmaceutical industry has been gearing up for months to fight these rules. Already, the plan faces several lawsuits, including complaints filed by drugmakers Merck and Bristol-Myers Squibb and a key lobbying group, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, or PhRMA.

PhRMA said in a federal court complaint filed earlier this year that the act forces drugmakers to agree to a “government-dictated price” under the threat of a heavy tax and gives too much price-setting authority to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

PhRMA representatives also have said pharmacy benefit managers can still restrict access to drugs with negotiated prices by moving the drugs to a tier of their formulary — a list of covered drugs — that would require higher out-of-pocket payments. Pharmacy benefit managers also could require patients to try other drugs first or seek approval before a prescription can be covered.

Republican lawmakers also have blasted the Biden administration for its plan, saying companies might pull back on introducing new drugs that could be subjected to future haggling. They’ve also questioned whether the government knows enough to suggest prices for drugs.

CMS will start its negotiations on drugs for which it spends the most money. The drugs also must be ones that don't have generic competitors and are approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

CMS plans to meet this fall with drugmakers that have a drug on its list, and government officials say they also plan to hold patient-focused listening sessions. By February 2024, the government will make its first offer on a maximum fair price and then give drugmakers time to respond.

Any negotiated prices won't take hold until 2026. More drugs could be added to the program in the coming years.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is targeting the blood thinner Eliquis, diabetes treatment Jardiance and eight other medications for Medicare's first-ever drug price negotiations as it seeks to lower medical costs for Americans.The administration on Tuesday released&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23930689-medicare-drug-price-negotiation-list">a list of the 10 drugs</a>&nbsp;for which prices will be negotiated directly with the manufacturer. The move is expected to cut costs for many patients, but it faces litigation from the drugmakers and heavy criticism from Republican lawmakers, and it could be years before consumers notice any savings.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">No senior should have to overpay for life-saving drugs to pad Big Pharma’s pockets. My Administration is announcing the first 10 Medicare Part D drugs selected for price negotiation. We&#39;re ending the days of deciding between buying your medicine or putting food on the table. <a href="https://t.co/oEMkaXAjWb">pic.twitter.com/oEMkaXAjWb</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1696492901633585429?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 29, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The effort is a centerpiece of President Joe Biden's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-election-2024-president-democrats-trump-9c72115656855da89a41cac3f79aa65b">reelection pitch</a>&nbsp;as the Democrat seeks to show Americans he's deserving of a second term because of the work he's doing to lower costs for them while the country is struggling with inflation. But like the drug negotiations, many of Biden's biggest policy moves take time to roll out, and his challenge is to persuade the public to be patient.“For many Americans, the cost of one drug is the difference between life and death, dignity and dependence, hope and fear,” Biden said in a statement. “That is why we will continue the fight to lower healthcare costs — and we will not stop until we finish the job.”Biden plans to deliver a speech on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-lifestyle-health-care-costs-medicare-prescription-drugs-2fe3928665506b9a2d9c9c38bfd4f0c9">health care costs</a>&nbsp;from the White House later Tuesday. He’ll be joined by Vice President Kamala Harris.The drugs on the list announced Tuesday accounted for more than $50 billion in Medicare prescription drug costs between June 1, 2022, and May 31, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS. The diabetes treatments Jardiance from Eli Lilly and Co. and Merck’s Januvia made the list, along with Amgen’s autoimmune disease treatment Enbrel. Other drugs include Entresto from Novartis, which is used to treat heart failure.Medicare spent about $10 billion in 2020 on Eliquis, according to AARP research. The drug from Pfizer and Bristol-Myers Squibb treats blood clots in the legs and lungs and reduces the risk of stroke in people with an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation.Senior administration officials said Tuesday that the 10 drugs selected for negotiation are among the most costly to the Medicare program. They said 8.2 million people with Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage take them.Other drugs on the list include AstraZeneca’s diabetes and heart failure treatment Farxiga and three drugs from Johnson &amp; Johnson: the blood thinner Xarelto, the blood cancer treatment Imbruvica and it’s biggest seller, Stelara, an IV treatment for psoriasis and other inflammatory disorders.The list also includes several versions of Novo Nordisk’s Fiasp, a fast-acting insulin taken around meals.The Inflation Reduction Act already caps Medicare patient out-of-pocket costs for insulin at $35 a month. An administration official said Tuesday that upper limit will hold but there could be further changes in those costs.The announcement is a significant step under the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-climate-health-tax-law-economy-inflation-f112d7c78abaa724d22964317d213deb">Inflation Reduction Act,</a>&nbsp;which was signed by Biden last year. The law requires the federal government for the first time to start negotiating directly with companies about the prices they charge for some of Medicare’s most expensive drugs.More than 52 million people who either are 65 or older or have certain severe disabilities or illnesses get prescription drug coverage through Medicare’s Part D program, according to CMS.About 9% of Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and older said in 2021 that they did not fill a prescription or skipped a drug dose due to cost, according to research by the Commonwealth Fund, which studies health care issues.The agency aims to negotiate the lowest maximum fair price for drugs on the list released Tuesday. That could help some patients who have coverage but still face big bills like high deductible payments when they get a prescription.Currently, pharmacy benefit managers that run Medicare prescription plans negotiate rebates off a drug's price. Those rebates sometimes help reduce premiums customers pay for coverage. But they may not change what a patient spends at the pharmacy counter.The new drug price negotiations aim "to basically make drugs more affordable while also still allowing for profits to be made,” said Gretchen Jacobson, who researches Medicare issues at Commonwealth.Drug companies that refuse to be a part of the new negotiation process will be heavily taxed.The pharmaceutical industry has been gearing up for months to fight these rules. Already, the plan faces several lawsuits, including complaints filed by drugmakers Merck and Bristol-Myers Squibb and a key lobbying group, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, or PhRMA.PhRMA said in a federal court complaint filed earlier this year that the act forces drugmakers to agree to a “government-dictated price” under the threat of a heavy tax and gives too much price-setting authority to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.PhRMA representatives also have said pharmacy benefit managers can still restrict access to drugs with negotiated prices by moving the drugs to a tier of their formulary — a list of covered drugs — that would require higher out-of-pocket payments. Pharmacy benefit managers also could require patients to try other drugs first or seek approval before a prescription can be covered.Republican lawmakers also have blasted the Biden administration for its plan, saying companies might pull back on introducing new drugs that could be subjected to future haggling. They’ve also questioned whether the government knows enough to suggest prices for drugs.CMS will start its negotiations on drugs for which it spends the most money. The drugs also must be ones that don't have generic competitors and are approved by the Food and Drug Administration.CMS plans to meet this fall with drugmakers that have a drug on its list, and government officials say they also plan to hold patient-focused listening sessions. By February 2024, the government will make its first offer on a maximum fair price and then give drugmakers time to respond.Any negotiated prices won't take hold until 2026. More drugs could be added to the program in the coming years.___

Biden targets 10 Medicare Part D drugs for price negotiation

By LESLIE MANNING The Spotlight

Southeast of Saline USD 306 schools are off and running, with the majority of students returning to the building on Wednesday, Aug. 16; and kindergarteners on Friday, Aug. 18.

With the start of school are new faces at Southeast of Saline USD 306 schools, including a new secondary principal, Nick Owen, and several new teachers.

Education: Bachelors degree from Kansas Wesleyan University; masters in educational leadership from Kansas State University.

Experience: 15 years as a teacher and coach at Salina Central High School; 9-12 principal and athletic director at Solomon High School

Family: My wife Ava, and I, have three daughters who will enter kindergarten, eighth grade and tenth grade, respectively, beginning with the 2023-24 academic year. Ava is also in education as a high school math teacher and is nearing completion of a three-year program to earn a doctorate degree in curriculum and instruction.

According to the Thursday, March 16 issue of The Spotlight, the monthly newspaper that covers the SE Region of Saline County, Owen is supportive of increasing career pathways and partnership programs for students. He plans to first get an understanding of the local needs, then work together to provide opportunities for students at SES as he has done in the past.

“My personal opinion is that we listen to our community and business world about the soft skills needed for our students to be successful,” Owen said. “They can vary from district to district. Once we know what our stakeholders – outside of our walls – feel is important, we can have conversations on how to teach those skills within our curriculum so that our students are successful long after they leave USD 306.”

Not all students are college-bound and Owen feels the need to set them up for success whatever path they choose.

“We don’t want to pigeon-hole kids,” Owen said. “The world is changing. We’ve got to prepare kids; to teach kids to be successful. I feel it is vital that we prepare our students for jobs and careers that are not even created yet. Their lives and preparation for their lives will be much different than what we had for schooling, but the basic soft skills remain in every career.”

Creating opportunities for maximum potential with all kids requires an understanding of individual student’s needs.

“There are many ways to look at diversity,” Owen said. “We value every individual student, making sure they feel safe at school and creating a plan for their success. School is a safe place we provide in our building from 8 to 4. We’re doing what’s best for the kids. That’s what benefits kids the most.”

Education: Bachelor of Science in Physics from Kansas State University, M.S.E. in secondary education from Fort Hays State University

I enjoy math and physics, and love the idea of growing a love for math, science, and engineering for bright, young students.

Experience: Student teacher in physics/physical science at Central High School.

Family: Both of my parents live here in Salina. Furthermore, I have a brother and two nieces that live in Salina that I love to spend time with.

Hobbies and interests: I enjoy Netflix, video games, building legos, disc golf, and spending time with my friends and family.and family, reading and gardening.

Elementary Art and High School Tech Lab

Education: Bachelor of Arts degree in art education from Kansas State University

I chose teaching as my career because I am passionate about loving kids of all ages. I know each student comes from a unique home situation and I want each of them to know how valued and loved they truly are. They are also just a joy to be around and to spend time with.

Experience: My past teaching experience has consisted of being a para professional throughout college, substitute teaching throughout college, and student teaching at Southeast of Saline to wrap up my degree.

Family: My husband and I are coming right up on being married one year in September.

Hobbies and interests: In my spare time, I enjoy going on walks, chatting with new or old friends over coffee, and just spending time with people in general.

Education: Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education from Southwestern College; Master of Science in special education from Fort Hays State University

I knew I wanted to work with children and make a difference in their lives/education.

Experience: I have taught for 10 years, all of which have been in special education.

Family: My husband, Andrew and I have two children, Charlotte (6) and Lincoln (7 months).

Hobbies and interests: I enjoy being with friends and family, reading and gardening.

Family and Consumer Sciences/FCCLA

Education: Bachelor of Arts degree in Family and Consumer Sciences education from Kansas State University and Masters degree in education from Baker University

I love teaching everyday real life skills and leadership skills to students to better prepare them for their future adult lives.

Experience: I taught 8-12 FACS at Eureka Junion and Senior High, Yates Center High, and FACS at Lee’s Summit Campbell Middle School

Family: My daughter Isabela is a freshman at Fort Scott Community College on a rodeo scholarship this year. My boyfriend, Mike Davison, coaches and teaches at McPherson High School and his son Gable will be a second grader this year.

Hobbies and interests: I spend most of my spare time with my daughter at rodeos or in the stands watching football and wrestling. I love to fish, read, attempt to play golf, and go to the gym.

Education: Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education from Kansas Wesleyan University.

I found my passion for teaching growing up in 4-H and participating in leadership events, camp counseling, and volunteering. Many of my role models growing up were also teachers or coaches at my school.

Experience: I have taught for 10 years, I taught one year at Starting Point Preschool in Salina while I was completing my bachelors and last fall I was a student teacher at SES in the kindergarten. After I completed student teaching, I spent one semester at Heusner Elementary in Salina teaching second grade.

Family: I attended Hope High School for the entirety of my K-12 career. I then moved to Salina to attend college at Kansas Wesleyan University. While there I participated in cross country and track for one year and basketball for two years. I’ve hung around Salina ever since, and I’m excited to be part of a rural community again.

Hobbies and interests: In my spare time I love going to sporting events, reading, spending time with family, playing with my 2 kittens, and snuggling up with some coffee.

Barten will also be the assistant coach for junior high volleyball and junior high girls basketbal

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1693248484162.jpeg" alt="Southeast of Saline USD 306 new faculty join the building for the start of a new school year. Pictured are, Nick Owen, secondary principal; Joshua Nelson, math and physics; Kirsten Casada, elementary art and high school tech lab; Heather Manley, K-2 special education; Heather Lewis, Family and Consumer Sciences/FCCLA and Jessyka Barten, third grade. " />
 <figcaption>Southeast of Saline USD 306 new faculty join the building for the start of a new school year. Pictured are, Nick Owen, secondary principal; Joshua Nelson, math and physics; Kirsten Casada, elementary art and high school tech lab; Heather Manley, K-2 special education; Heather Lewis, Family and Consumer Sciences/FCCLA and Jessyka Barten, third grade. </figcaption>
 </figure>By LESLIE MANNING The SpotlightSoutheast of Saline USD 306 schools are off and running, with the majority of students returning to the building on Wednesday, Aug. 16; and kindergarteners on Friday, Aug. 18.With the start of school are new faces at Southeast of Saline USD 306 schools, including a new secondary principal, Nick Owen, and several new teachers.<h2>Nick Owen</h2>Secondary PrincipalEducation: Bachelors degree from Kansas Wesleyan University; masters in educational leadership from Kansas State University.Experience: 15 years as a teacher and coach at Salina Central High School; 9-12 principal and athletic director at Solomon High SchoolFamily: My wife Ava, and I, have three daughters who will enter kindergarten, eighth grade and tenth grade, respectively, beginning with the 2023-24 academic year. Ava is also in education as a high school math teacher and is nearing completion of a three-year program to earn a doctorate degree in curriculum and instruction.According to the Thursday, March 16 issue of The Spotlight, the monthly newspaper that covers the SE Region of Saline County, Owen is supportive of increasing career pathways and partnership programs for students. He plans to first get an understanding of the local needs, then work together to provide opportunities for students at SES as he has done in the past.“My personal opinion is that we listen to our community and business world about the soft skills needed for our students to be successful,” Owen said. “They can vary from district to district. Once we know what our stakeholders – outside of our walls – feel is important, we can have conversations on how to teach those skills within our curriculum so that our students are successful long after they leave USD 306.”Not all students are college-bound and Owen feels the need to set them up for success whatever path they choose.“We don’t want to pigeon-hole kids,” Owen said. “The world is changing. We’ve got to prepare kids; to teach kids to be successful. I feel it is vital that we prepare our students for jobs and careers that are not even created yet. Their lives and preparation for their lives will be much different than what we had for schooling, but the basic soft skills remain in every career.”Creating opportunities for maximum potential with all kids requires an understanding of individual student’s needs.“There are many ways to look at diversity,” Owen said. “We value every individual student, making sure they feel safe at school and creating a plan for their success. School is a safe place we provide in our building from 8 to 4. We’re doing what’s best for the kids. That’s what benefits kids the most.”<h2>Joshua Nelson</h2>Math and PhysicsEducation: Bachelor of Science in Physics from Kansas State University, M.S.E. in secondary education from Fort Hays State UniversityWhy did you choose teaching as a career?I enjoy math and physics, and love the idea of growing a love for math, science, and engineering for bright, young students.Experience: Student teacher in physics/physical science at Central High School.Family: Both of my parents live here in Salina. Furthermore, I have a brother and two nieces that live in Salina that I love to spend time with.Hobbies and interests: I enjoy Netflix, video games, building legos, disc golf, and spending time with my friends and family.and family, reading and gardening.<h2>Kirsten Casada</h2>Elementary Art and High School Tech Lab Education: Bachelor of Arts degree in art education from Kansas State UniversityWhy did you choose teaching as a career?I chose teaching as my career because I am passionate about loving kids of all ages. I know each student comes from a unique home situation and I want each of them to know how valued and loved they truly are. They are also just a joy to be around and to spend time with.Experience: My past teaching experience has consisted of being a para professional throughout college, substitute teaching throughout college, and student teaching at Southeast of Saline to wrap up my degree.Family: My husband and I are coming right up on being married one year in September.Hobbies and interests: In my spare time, I enjoy going on walks, chatting with new or old friends over coffee, and just spending time with people in general. <h2>Heather Manley</h2>K-2 Special EducationEducation: Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education from Southwestern College; Master of Science in special education from Fort Hays State UniversityWhy did you choose teaching as a career?I knew I wanted to work with children and make a difference in their lives/education.Experience: I have taught for 10 years, all of which have been in special education.Family: My husband, Andrew and I have two children, Charlotte (6) and Lincoln (7 months).Hobbies and interests: I enjoy being with friends and family, reading and gardening.<h2>Heather Lewis</h2>Family and Consumer Sciences/FCCLAEducation: Bachelor of Arts degree in Family and Consumer Sciences education from Kansas State University and Masters degree in education from Baker UniversityWhy did you choose teaching as a career?I love teaching everyday real life skills and leadership skills to students to better prepare them for their future adult lives.Experience: I taught 8-12 FACS at Eureka Junion and Senior High, Yates Center High, and FACS at Lee’s Summit Campbell Middle SchoolFamily: My daughter Isabela is a freshman at Fort Scott Community College on a rodeo scholarship this year. My boyfriend, Mike Davison, coaches and teaches at McPherson High School and his son Gable will be a second grader this year.Hobbies and interests: I spend most of my spare time with my daughter at rodeos or in the stands watching football and wrestling. I love to fish, read, attempt to play golf, and go to the gym.<h2>Jessyka Barten</h2>Third gradeEducation: Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education from Kansas Wesleyan University.Why did you choose teaching as a career?I found my passion for teaching growing up in 4-H and participating in leadership events, camp counseling, and volunteering. Many of my role models growing up were also teachers or coaches at my school.Experience: I have taught for 10 years, I taught one year at Starting Point Preschool in Salina while I was completing my bachelors and last fall I was a student teacher at SES in the kindergarten. After I completed student teaching, I spent one semester at Heusner Elementary in Salina teaching second grade.Family: I attended Hope High School for the entirety of my K-12 career. I then moved to Salina to attend college at Kansas Wesleyan University. While there I participated in cross country and track for one year and basketball for two years. I’ve hung around Salina ever since, and I’m excited to be part of a rural community again.Hobbies and interests: In my spare time I love going to sporting events, reading, spending time with family, playing with my 2 kittens, and snuggling up with some coffee.Barten will also be the assistant coach for junior high volleyball and junior high girls basketbal

Southeast Trojans start school with new secondary principal; new teachers

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LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;Kansas Football will kick off its 132nd season on Friday, September 1 under the lights when the Jayhawks host Missouri State at 7 p.m. CT from David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. The game will air on ESPN+ with Chuckie Kempf (Play-by-Play) and Ahman Green (Analyst) on the call.

Friday night’s season opener kicks off a highly anticipated season for the Jayhawks, who enter year three under head coach Lance Leipold. Kansas returns a wealth of experience, returning 17 starters, 398 career starts and the most offensive production in the country from a season ago (91%).

Kansas and Missouri State will meet for the third time in program history, with the previous meetings coming in 2002 (Kansas 44, Missouri State 24) and 2001 (Kansas 24, Missouri State 10). For the third-consecutive season, Kansas will make its season debut on a Friday night, following last year’s 56-10 win over Tennessee Tech and a 17-14 victory over South Dakota in 2021. Prior to 2021, Kansas hadn’t opened the season with a Friday night home game since beating Washburn, 47-0, to open the 1944 season.

The Jayhawks enter the 2023 season after a 6-7 (3-6 Big 12) finish in 2022, resulting in Kansas’ first bowl appearance since 2008. Kansas is led by Preseason Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year Jalon Daniels, alongside Preseason All-Big 12 First Team selections in running back Devin Neal, center Mike Novitksy and cornerback Cobee Bryant.

Neal enters the 2023 season as the Big 12’s leading returning rusher from a season ago, rushing for 1,090 yards on 180 attempts and nine touchdowns. Neal became Kansas’ 13th individual to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season. Kansas’ 29 rushing touchdowns in 2022 were the most by the Jayhawks in a single season since 2007.&nbsp;

Defensively, Kansas returns seven starters, including 81% of its returning production from the 2022 season. The Jayhawks return their top-three tacklers from 2022, including Logan Jr. (106), Miller (94) and Young (60).

Missouri State enters Friday night’s matchup under first year head coach Ryan Beard, who became the program’s youngest head coach in school history. The Bears compiled a 5-6 (3-5 MVFC) record in 2022 and return eight starters from a season ago.

Following Friday’s season opener, Kansas will return home to host Illinois to David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on Friday, September 8 at 6:30 p.m.

Fans can purchase single-game tickets to all seven of Kansas Football’s home games this season, including Missouri State (Sept. 1), Illinois (Sept. 8), BYU (Sept. 23), UCF (Oct. 7), Oklahoma (Oct. 28), Texas Tech (Nov. 11) and Kansas State (Nov. 18).

In addition to season tickets, fans can purchase the Friday Night ticket package for tickets to Missouri State and Illinois for just $65. Season tickets, recent grad packages mini plans and more are available by&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetGroupList?groupCode=FB&amp;linkID=kansas&amp;shopperContext=&amp;caller=&amp;appCode=" target="_blank">clicking here</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1693246874990.jpeg" alt="KU Football Photo" />
 <figcaption>KU Football Photo</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://kuathletics.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/23-FB-GameNotes1-MSU.pdf" target="_blank">Kansas Notes</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=472957" target="_blank">Live Stats</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/e8f0643d-0370-4090-8350-99874dced5de" target="_blank">Watch</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.leanplayer.com/" target="_blank">Listen</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetGroupList?groupCode=FB&amp;linkID=kansas&amp;shopperContext=&amp;caller=&amp;appCode=" target="_blank">Tickets</a>LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;Kansas Football will kick off its 132nd season on Friday, September 1 under the lights when the Jayhawks host Missouri State at 7 p.m. CT from David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. The game will air on ESPN+ with Chuckie Kempf (Play-by-Play) and Ahman Green (Analyst) on the call.Friday night’s season opener kicks off a highly anticipated season for the Jayhawks, who enter year three under head coach Lance Leipold. Kansas returns a wealth of experience, returning 17 starters, 398 career starts and the most offensive production in the country from a season ago (91%).Kansas and Missouri State will meet for the third time in program history, with the previous meetings coming in 2002 (Kansas 44, Missouri State 24) and 2001 (Kansas 24, Missouri State 10). For the third-consecutive season, Kansas will make its season debut on a Friday night, following last year’s 56-10 win over Tennessee Tech and a 17-14 victory over South Dakota in 2021. Prior to 2021, Kansas hadn’t opened the season with a Friday night home game since beating Washburn, 47-0, to open the 1944 season.The Jayhawks enter the 2023 season after a 6-7 (3-6 Big 12) finish in 2022, resulting in Kansas’ first bowl appearance since 2008. Kansas is led by Preseason Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year Jalon Daniels, alongside Preseason All-Big 12 First Team selections in running back Devin Neal, center Mike Novitksy and cornerback Cobee Bryant.Neal enters the 2023 season as the Big 12’s leading returning rusher from a season ago, rushing for 1,090 yards on 180 attempts and nine touchdowns. Neal became Kansas’ 13th individual to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season. Kansas’ 29 rushing touchdowns in 2022 were the most by the Jayhawks in a single season since 2007.&nbsp;Defensively, Kansas returns seven starters, including 81% of its returning production from the 2022 season. The Jayhawks return their top-three tacklers from 2022, including Logan Jr. (106), Miller (94) and Young (60).Missouri State enters Friday night’s matchup under first year head coach Ryan Beard, who became the program’s youngest head coach in school history. The Bears compiled a 5-6 (3-5 MVFC) record in 2022 and return eight starters from a season ago.Following Friday’s season opener, Kansas will return home to host Illinois to David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on Friday, September 8 at 6:30 p.m.Fans can purchase single-game tickets to all seven of Kansas Football’s home games this season, including Missouri State (Sept. 1), Illinois (Sept. 8), BYU (Sept. 23), UCF (Oct. 7), Oklahoma (Oct. 28), Texas Tech (Nov. 11) and Kansas State (Nov. 18).In addition to season tickets, fans can purchase the Friday Night ticket package for tickets to Missouri State and Illinois for just $65. Season tickets, recent grad packages mini plans and more are available by&nbsp;<a href="https://kuathletics.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetGroupList?groupCode=FB&amp;linkID=kansas&amp;shopperContext=&amp;caller=&amp;appCode=" target="_blank">clicking here</a>.

Kansas football set for Friday night season opener against Missouri State

On Aug. 28, 1963, more than 200,000 people listened as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.&nbsp;

In 1862, the Second Battle of Bull Run (also known as Second Manassas) began in Prince William County, Virginia, during the Civil War; the result was a Confederate victory.

In 1922, the first-ever radio commercial aired on station WEAF in New York City; the 10-minute advertisement was for the Queensboro Realty Co., which had paid a fee of $100.&nbsp;

In 1941, Japan’s ambassador to the U.S., Kichisaburo Nomura, presented a note to President Franklin D. Roosevelt from Japan’s prime minister, Prince Fumimaro Konoye, expressing a desire for improved relations.&nbsp;

In 1955, Emmett Till, a Black teen from Chicago, was abducted from his uncle’s home in Money, Mississippi, by two white men after he had supposedly whistled at a white woman; he was found brutally slain three days later.&nbsp;

In 1968, police and anti-war demonstrators clashed in the streets of Chicago as the Democratic National Convention nominated Hubert H. Humphrey for president.&nbsp;

In 1988, 70 people were killed when three Italian stunt planes collided during an air show at the U.S. Air Base in Ramstein (RAHM’-shtyn), West Germany.&nbsp;

In 1996, the troubled 15-year marriage of Britain’s Prince Charles and Princess Diana officially ended with the issuing of a divorce decree.&nbsp;

In 2005, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin (NAY’-gin) ordered everyone in the city to evacuate after Hurricane Katrina grew to a monster storm.&nbsp;

In 2013, a military jury sentenced Maj. Nidal Hasan to death for the 2009 shooting rampage at Fort Hood that claimed 13 lives. On the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.‘s “I Have a Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial, President Barack Obama stood on the same steps as he challenged new generations to seize the cause of racial equality.&nbsp;

In 2016, six scientists completed a yearlong Mars simulation in Hawaii, where they emerged after living in a dome in near isolation on a Mauna Loa mountain.&nbsp;

In 2018, a white former police officer, Roy Oliver, was convicted of murder for fatally shooting a Black 15-year-old boy, Jordan Edwards, while firing into a car packed with teenagers in suburban Dallas; Oliver was sentenced the following day to 15 years in prison.&nbsp;

In 2020, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, Shinzo Abe, said he was stepping down because a chronic illness had resurfaced. (Abe was succeeded by his right-hand man, Yoshihide Suga. Abe was assassinated in July 2022.)

<h2>Today’s Highlight in History:</h2>On Aug. 28, 1963, more than 200,000 people listened as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.&nbsp;<h2>On this date:&nbsp;</h2>In 1862, the Second Battle of Bull Run (also known as Second Manassas) began in Prince William County, Virginia, during the Civil War; the result was a Confederate victory.In 1922, the first-ever radio commercial aired on station WEAF in New York City; the 10-minute advertisement was for the Queensboro Realty Co., which had paid a fee of $100.&nbsp;In 1941, Japan’s ambassador to the U.S., Kichisaburo Nomura, presented a note to President Franklin D. Roosevelt from Japan’s prime minister, Prince Fumimaro Konoye, expressing a desire for improved relations.&nbsp;In 1955, Emmett Till, a Black teen from Chicago, was abducted from his uncle’s home in Money, Mississippi, by two white men after he had supposedly whistled at a white woman; he was found brutally slain three days later.&nbsp;In 1968, police and anti-war demonstrators clashed in the streets of Chicago as the Democratic National Convention nominated Hubert H. Humphrey for president.&nbsp;In 1988, 70 people were killed when three Italian stunt planes collided during an air show at the U.S. Air Base in Ramstein (RAHM’-shtyn), West Germany.&nbsp;In 1996, the troubled 15-year marriage of Britain’s Prince Charles and Princess Diana officially ended with the issuing of a divorce decree.&nbsp;In 2005, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin (NAY’-gin) ordered everyone in the city to evacuate after Hurricane Katrina grew to a monster storm.&nbsp;In 2013, a military jury sentenced Maj. Nidal Hasan to death for the 2009 shooting rampage at Fort Hood that claimed 13 lives. On the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.‘s “I Have a Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial, President Barack Obama stood on the same steps as he challenged new generations to seize the cause of racial equality.&nbsp;In 2016, six scientists completed a yearlong Mars simulation in Hawaii, where they emerged after living in a dome in near isolation on a Mauna Loa mountain.&nbsp;In 2018, a white former police officer, Roy Oliver, was convicted of murder for fatally shooting a Black 15-year-old boy, Jordan Edwards, while firing into a car packed with teenagers in suburban Dallas; Oliver was sentenced the following day to 15 years in prison.&nbsp;In 2020, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, Shinzo Abe, said he was stepping down because a chronic illness had resurfaced. (Abe was succeeded by his right-hand man, Yoshihide Suga. Abe was assassinated in July 2022.)

Today in History, Aug. 28

By CASEY QUINLAN <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/19/rural-hospitals-gird-for-unwinding-of-pandemic-medicaid-coverage/">States Newsroom</a>

Almost two months after workplace accommodations for pregnant workers became law, the rules surrounding what employers can and cannot do have yet to be finalized — but that doesn’t mean the protections are not in place.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s proposed regulations are expected to offer more clarity once finalized, but workers can still access their rights under the new Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and employers are still required to understand the law and follow it.

Here’s what you need to know about why workers say the law was needed, what workers’ rights are under the law and employers’ obligations to employees.

Other federal laws cover the rights of pregnant workers but advocates have long argued that many of them are too narrow to address the situations pregnant workers face when they seek accommodations. The Americans with Disabilities Act, for instance, does not consider pregnancy to be a disability but pregnancy-related complications, such as preeclampsia, do qualify. Under the ADA, a pregnant worker can’t seek out an accommodation in the hope of preventing dangerous pregnancy-related complications.

The Pregnancy Discrimination Act, passed in 1978, prohibits discrimination against pregnant employees, but it’s difficult in practice for workers to receive accommodations under the law, because it requires finding another worker who received accommodations like the ones they’re seeking. This can be a challenging and time-consuming process because workers may not be aware of what kinds of accommodations their coworkers are seeking or may not have access to this information in the way their employer does.

Despite those laws,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://bipartisanpolicy.org/blog/bpc-morning-consult-pregnancy-discrimination/">23%</a>&nbsp;of mothers said in a survey last year that they had weighed whether or not to leave their job because their workplace lacked reasonable accommodations or they were worried about pregnancy discrimination.

The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which passed in December, has been in the works for a decade.&nbsp;In the intervening years, states began taking their own action. As of April, 30 states — including Alaska, Colorado, Minnesota, and Tennessee — as well as the District of Columbia, and four localities, had similar laws to the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, some of which may offer stronger protections in certain situations than the PWFA,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.abetterbalance.org/resources/pregnant-worker-fairness-legislative-successes/">according to</a>&nbsp;A Better Balance, a worker advocacy nonprofit. Twenty states did not have state protections like these at the time of its state analysis, including Alabama, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan. The nonprofit has a comprehensive&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.abetterbalance.org/resources/pregnant-worker-fairness-legislative-successes/">list</a>&nbsp;of state policies on pregnant workers’ rights.

Congress and federal agencies, employment agencies, labor organizations, private employers with 15 or more workers, and state and local governments with 15 or more workers are subject to the law, according to the EEOC.

While the rules haven’t been finalized, if you think your rights have been violated, you can already take action. On June 27, the EEOC began allowing workers to file charges under the law for violations that occurred on that day or later. Workers need to take this step before they can file a lawsuit against their employer. The law protects employees and job applicants who need accommodations because of pregnancy, childbirth, or conditions related to pregnancy and childbirth. Under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, pregnant workers should be able to make requests for reasonable accommodations, such as closer parking, uniforms in their size, and additional rest time.

The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act is similar in many ways to the Americans with Disabilities Act. It does not require an employer to provide an accommodation if doing so would bring it “undue hardship,” or in other words, it would come at great difficulty or expense to the employer.

But the law is also a bit different than the ADA. Unlike the ADA, where the employee has to be able to do the essential functions of their job or they no longer qualify for accommodations, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act says that workers do not always have to be able to perform an essential function temporarily because of their pregnancy. It is expected that they will be able to resume those duties in the near future.

The EEOC’s proposed rules define the “near future,” or when workers will be able to perform essential functions of their job after being temporarily unable to do so, as generally going up to 40 weeks. This does not mean workers will always have 40 weeks but that needing 40 weeks doesn’t disqualify an employee for the accommodations. The regulations also say that if there are multiple options for effective accommodations, the employer should favor the worker’s preferred accommodation.

Liz Morris, deputy director for the Center for WorkLife Law, said applicants and new employees who want to work remotely because of their pregnancy will also be covered in the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. Applicants can request accommodations during the hiring process itself, such as making modifications to a physical test. If a pregnant applicant anticipates that they will need adjustments from an employer because of their pregnancy, the applicant can agree to a general policy without accommodations and then request them once they are employed.

The EEOC regulations also get into detail about pregnancy-related medical conditions that apply to workers under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, A Better Balance Vice President Elizabeth Gedmark said.

“…&nbsp;The proposed rule discusses pregnancy-related issues ranging from preterm labor to anxiety and depression while also making clear that limitations can also be ‘modest, minor, and/or episodic,’” she told States Newsroom over email.

Lactation, potential pregnancy, miscarriage, infertility and fertility treatments, and having an abortion are also listed in the regulation. An employee who needs to take leave because of a limitation due to a condition related to pregnancy and childbirth should qualify for that leave under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, according to the proposed rules. The EEOC gives miscarriage and childbirth as examples of reasons for workers to take different forms of leave. The same definition of “near future” also applies. I

A Better Balance provides&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.abetterbalance.org/resources/sample-letters-to-give-to-your-employer-about-the-pregnant-workers-fairness-act/">sample letters</a>&nbsp;for employees to use when requesting work accommodations related to pregnancy.

The rules are going through a public comment period through Oct. 10, and Victor Chen, director of communications at the EEOC, told States Newsroom that employers are not required to follow the proposed rules just yet. But he added that the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act itself provides direction for employers. He suggested employers read the EEOC’s list of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.eeoc.gov/wysk/what-you-should-know-about-pregnant-workers-fairness-act">commonly asked questions</a>&nbsp;and listen to its&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftxYyTlXetE">webinar</a>. He said the EEOC “will move as quickly as possible to finalize the regulation” after the comment period closes.

Morris said that although the regulations aren’t set in stone, “If I were an employer, I would certainly follow them for now, as they are an excellent indication of how the law will ultimately be interpreted.”

The rules specify that employers can’t deny work to an applicant or employee because of their need for an accommodation, make a decision for a pregnant worker without any discussion on which accommodation they will receive or force them to go on leave if there is an accommodation they could take to continue working. They also can’t retaliate against workers for advocating for themselves under the law and reporting discrimination nor can they try to stop workers from enjoying their legal protections.

Michael Fallings, the managing partner of Tully Rinckey PLLC’s Austin office, who specializes in federal employment law, said he thinks it will be useful for employers to have more information on how to fairly treat pregnant workers seeking reasonable accommodations.

“I think it could be helpful for employers because I think some employers are in fear of litigation at times and now that you have a law in place that says what you can or cannot do, it provides some basis for the employers,” he said.

Morris said that employers should keep in mind that they need to swiftly provide accommodations and if they can’t, they should think about interim accommodations. The proposed EEOC regulations explain that an “unnecessary delay” could result in a violation of the law.

The future of the law and its regulations

The law’s regulations may be tweaked during the rulemaking process and could be eventually challenged in the courts. The Alliance Defending Freedom, which has been involved in numerous lawsuits challenging abortion rights,&nbsp; called the proposed regulations&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://adflegal.org/press-release/biden-admin-hijacks-pregnant-workers-law-impose-illegal-abortion-mandate">“federal overreach.”</a>&nbsp;The ADF, a legal advocacy group, has argued that the administration doesn’t have the legal authority to include abortion in its implementation. Morris said that accommodations related to abortion are reasonable to include because the EEOC has always defined pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions in the courts as including abortion.

Organizations that supported or opposed the law will also have the opportunity to suggest changes to the regulations. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce advocated for the passage of the law and will provide a public comment on parts of the rule that could be changed, the group told States Newsroom, but declined to elaborate on what should be revised.

Morris said her organization also plans to submit a public comment on the proposed EEOC regulations. She wants to see some revisions on the issue of medical certification to make it even easier for employees to receive accommodations.

“A shocking number of people don’t receive prenatal care because they don’t have access to it either because of financial barriers or because they live in a remote area where it’s difficult to travel to, to receive prenatal care,” she said.

By CASEY QUINLAN <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/19/rural-hospitals-gird-for-unwinding-of-pandemic-medicaid-coverage/">States Newsroom</a>Almost two months after workplace accommodations for pregnant workers became law, the rules surrounding what employers can and cannot do have yet to be finalized — but that doesn’t mean the protections are not in place.The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s proposed regulations are expected to offer more clarity once finalized, but workers can still access their rights under the new Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and employers are still required to understand the law and follow it.Here’s what you need to know about why workers say the law was needed, what workers’ rights are under the law and employers’ obligations to employees.<h2>Why the law was needed</h2>Other federal laws cover the rights of pregnant workers but advocates have long argued that many of them are too narrow to address the situations pregnant workers face when they seek accommodations. The Americans with Disabilities Act, for instance, does not consider pregnancy to be a disability but pregnancy-related complications, such as preeclampsia, do qualify. Under the ADA, a pregnant worker can’t seek out an accommodation in the hope of preventing dangerous pregnancy-related complications.The Pregnancy Discrimination Act, passed in 1978, prohibits discrimination against pregnant employees, but it’s difficult in practice for workers to receive accommodations under the law, because it requires finding another worker who received accommodations like the ones they’re seeking. This can be a challenging and time-consuming process because workers may not be aware of what kinds of accommodations their coworkers are seeking or may not have access to this information in the way their employer does.Despite those laws,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://bipartisanpolicy.org/blog/bpc-morning-consult-pregnancy-discrimination/">23%</a>&nbsp;of mothers said in a survey last year that they had weighed whether or not to leave their job because their workplace lacked reasonable accommodations or they were worried about pregnancy discrimination.The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which passed in December, has been in the works for a decade.&nbsp;In the intervening years, states began taking their own action. As of April, 30 states — including Alaska, Colorado, Minnesota, and Tennessee — as well as the District of Columbia, and four localities, had similar laws to the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, some of which may offer stronger protections in certain situations than the PWFA,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.abetterbalance.org/resources/pregnant-worker-fairness-legislative-successes/">according to</a>&nbsp;A Better Balance, a worker advocacy nonprofit. Twenty states did not have state protections like these at the time of its state analysis, including Alabama, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan. The nonprofit has a comprehensive&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.abetterbalance.org/resources/pregnant-worker-fairness-legislative-successes/">list</a>&nbsp;of state policies on pregnant workers’ rights.<h2>What your employee rights are</h2>Congress and federal agencies, employment agencies, labor organizations, private employers with 15 or more workers, and state and local governments with 15 or more workers are subject to the law, according to the EEOC.While the rules haven’t been finalized, if you think your rights have been violated, you can already take action. On June 27, the EEOC began allowing workers to file charges under the law for violations that occurred on that day or later. Workers need to take this step before they can file a lawsuit against their employer. The law protects employees and job applicants who need accommodations because of pregnancy, childbirth, or conditions related to pregnancy and childbirth. Under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, pregnant workers should be able to make requests for reasonable accommodations, such as closer parking, uniforms in their size, and additional rest time.The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act is similar in many ways to the Americans with Disabilities Act. It does not require an employer to provide an accommodation if doing so would bring it “undue hardship,” or in other words, it would come at great difficulty or expense to the employer.But the law is also a bit different than the ADA. Unlike the ADA, where the employee has to be able to do the essential functions of their job or they no longer qualify for accommodations, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act says that workers do not always have to be able to perform an essential function temporarily because of their pregnancy. It is expected that they will be able to resume those duties in the near future.The EEOC’s proposed rules define the “near future,” or when workers will be able to perform essential functions of their job after being temporarily unable to do so, as generally going up to 40 weeks. This does not mean workers will always have 40 weeks but that needing 40 weeks doesn’t disqualify an employee for the accommodations. The regulations also say that if there are multiple options for effective accommodations, the employer should favor the worker’s preferred accommodation.Liz Morris, deputy director for the Center for WorkLife Law, said applicants and new employees who want to work remotely because of their pregnancy will also be covered in the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. Applicants can request accommodations during the hiring process itself, such as making modifications to a physical test. If a pregnant applicant anticipates that they will need adjustments from an employer because of their pregnancy, the applicant can agree to a general policy without accommodations and then request them once they are employed.The EEOC regulations also get into detail about pregnancy-related medical conditions that apply to workers under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, A Better Balance Vice President Elizabeth Gedmark said.“…&nbsp;The proposed rule discusses pregnancy-related issues ranging from preterm labor to anxiety and depression while also making clear that limitations can also be ‘modest, minor, and/or episodic,’” she told States Newsroom over email.Lactation, potential pregnancy, miscarriage, infertility and fertility treatments, and having an abortion are also listed in the regulation. An employee who needs to take leave because of a limitation due to a condition related to pregnancy and childbirth should qualify for that leave under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, according to the proposed rules. The EEOC gives miscarriage and childbirth as examples of reasons for workers to take different forms of leave. The same definition of “near future” also applies. IA Better Balance provides&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.abetterbalance.org/resources/sample-letters-to-give-to-your-employer-about-the-pregnant-workers-fairness-act/">sample letters</a>&nbsp;for employees to use when requesting work accommodations related to pregnancy.<h2>What employers need to know</h2>The rules are going through a public comment period through Oct. 10, and Victor Chen, director of communications at the EEOC, told States Newsroom that employers are not required to follow the proposed rules just yet. But he added that the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act itself provides direction for employers. He suggested employers read the EEOC’s list of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.eeoc.gov/wysk/what-you-should-know-about-pregnant-workers-fairness-act">commonly asked questions</a>&nbsp;and listen to its&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftxYyTlXetE">webinar</a>. He said the EEOC “will move as quickly as possible to finalize the regulation” after the comment period closes.Morris said that although the regulations aren’t set in stone, “If I were an employer, I would certainly follow them for now, as they are an excellent indication of how the law will ultimately be interpreted.”The rules specify that employers can’t deny work to an applicant or employee because of their need for an accommodation, make a decision for a pregnant worker without any discussion on which accommodation they will receive or force them to go on leave if there is an accommodation they could take to continue working. They also can’t retaliate against workers for advocating for themselves under the law and reporting discrimination nor can they try to stop workers from enjoying their legal protections.Michael Fallings, the managing partner of Tully Rinckey PLLC’s Austin office, who specializes in federal employment law, said he thinks it will be useful for employers to have more information on how to fairly treat pregnant workers seeking reasonable accommodations.“I think it could be helpful for employers because I think some employers are in fear of litigation at times and now that you have a law in place that says what you can or cannot do, it provides some basis for the employers,” he said.Morris said that employers should keep in mind that they need to swiftly provide accommodations and if they can’t, they should think about interim accommodations. The proposed EEOC regulations explain that an “unnecessary delay” could result in a violation of the law.<h2>The future of the law and its regulations</h2>The law’s regulations may be tweaked during the rulemaking process and could be eventually challenged in the courts. The Alliance Defending Freedom, which has been involved in numerous lawsuits challenging abortion rights,&nbsp; called the proposed regulations&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://adflegal.org/press-release/biden-admin-hijacks-pregnant-workers-law-impose-illegal-abortion-mandate">“federal overreach.”</a>&nbsp;The ADF, a legal advocacy group, has argued that the administration doesn’t have the legal authority to include abortion in its implementation. Morris said that accommodations related to abortion are reasonable to include because the EEOC has always defined pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions in the courts as including abortion.Organizations that supported or opposed the law will also have the opportunity to suggest changes to the regulations. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce advocated for the passage of the law and will provide a public comment on parts of the rule that could be changed, the group told States Newsroom, but declined to elaborate on what should be revised.Morris said her organization also plans to submit a public comment on the proposed EEOC regulations. She wants to see some revisions on the issue of medical certification to make it even easier for employees to receive accommodations.“A shocking number of people don’t receive prenatal care because they don’t have access to it either because of financial barriers or because they live in a remote area where it’s difficult to travel to, to receive prenatal care,” she said.

Pregnant workers have new protections. Here’s what to expect

By SAM BAILEY <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Kylie Forney spent her whole life training to play collegiate softball, a dream deferred by a year because of a shoulder injury easily avoided with better attention for women in athletics.

She had experienced pain in her shoulder for years until it became unbearable the summer before she entered her freshman year on the softball team at the University of Texas at San Antonio in 2022. She had torn the labrum and rotator cuff in her shoulder.

The injury, requiring her to wear a sling and receive a medical redshirt her first collegiate softball season, could have been avoided with gender-specific resources and weight training. As a student-athlete at Andover High School, she often lifted too-heavy weights above her head and strained muscles in her body when she overcompensated to complete the lift.

When Forney tried to receive medical attention for her shoulder and other injuries accumulated throughout her career, she found that football players and other male athletes received priority. Sometimes, she said, women are left waiting for treatment if a man needs something.

“I feel they think we are sissies, and weak, and that we have a low tolerance for pain,” Forney said. “That we come off as if we are complaining about every injury. Whereas in my mind, being a college athlete, we worked so hard our entire childhood to get here. Why would we complain about an injury that can keep us from playing the game we love?”

In April, the Kansas Legislature overrode Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto and passed&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2238/">House Bill 2238</a>. The law bans transgender girls from playing sports at publicly funded educational institutions or at a private postsecondary institution that competes against the public entities.

Opponents of the “fairness in women’s sports act,” as the bill is called, said the attack on transgender children was a solution to a problem that didn’t exist and ignored real fairness problems that female athletes face.

The Kansas State High School Activities Association reported approximately two student athletes in Kansas would be affected by the legislation.

“Let’s be clear about what this bill is all about — politics,” Kelly said. “It won’t increase any test scores. It won’t help any kids read or write. It won’t help any teachers prepare our kids for the real world. Here’s what this bill would actually do: harm the mental health of our students.”

HB 2238 opened the conversation in Kansas about fairness in women’s sports, but women have been battling equality issues in athletics for decades. None of those sometimes dangerous imbalances are mentioned in the “fairness in women’s sports act.”

In Kansas, 16,000 more boys played high school sports than girls in the 2022 school year,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nfhs.org/media/5989280/2021-22_participation_survey.pdf">according to a survey</a>&nbsp;conducted by the National Federation of State High School Associations.

In December, the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/03635465221131281">American Journal of Sports Medicine</a>&nbsp;released a study reviewing more than 650 sports medicine studies. They found only 8.8% of the studies focused solely on female athletes, while 70.7% focused solely on male athletes and 20.5% focused on both.

Donnavan Dillon,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.loudlight.org/">Loud Light’s</a>&nbsp;Topeka and Lawrence organizer and a junior at the University of Kansas, followed LGBTQ legislation last session and said the law isn’t about transgender issues, but sexism in general. He said there were experts who came to the legislative sessions to speak about the science behind being transgender, but politicians didn’t listen.

Dillon said while the bill is framed around protecting women in sports, there is no progress being made on paying women’s coaches more, gaining resources for athletes, and equality in funding.

It’s “sexism from a new lens,” he said.

“All this boils down to sexism, and the Legislature (is) putting forward policies that just show how much they hate women and are sexist — whether it’s abortion bans, this bill, there’s just so many instances of that throughout the legislative session,” Dillon said. “I think it’s appalling.”

This year, more than 520 anti-LGBTQ bills were introduced in state legislatures, according to the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.hrc.org/press-releases/roundup-of-anti-lgbtq-legislation-advancing-in-states-across-the-country">Human Rights Campaign</a>.

Seventeen states — including Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma — have banned transgender students from competing in sports consistent with their gender identity, according to the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.lgbtmap.org/equality-maps/youth/sports_participation_bans">Movement Advancement Project</a>. Five other states have court orders blocking similar bans.

Last year, Mayah Martin, a University of Kansas club rugby player, was tabling at an event to spread the word about her team. She received multiple comments from men about how rugby is too rough for girls and how different it must be from the male side of the sport.&nbsp;

She said even in her personal life, when she brings up playing, she hears comments about how there’s no way she plays rugby.

“I’m quite the girly-girl of the group, I would say, so people automatically assume that I’m either lying for whatever reason, or that there’s no possible way a girl could be playing a sport like that,” Martin said. “People need to just realize that it shouldn’t be as taboo as it is, and if you want to play a sport, you can. It shouldn’t be some huge controversy that I like to tackle people.”

Martin said having the public constantly question you can shake your confidence. She said she’s glad to have such a deep-rooted love for sports that it doesn’t bother her, but such doubts have the potential to affect someone just coming into athletics.

In the 2021-2022 school year, 4.4 million boys and 3.2 million girls played sports in United States high schools,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nfhs.org/media/5989280/2021-22_participation_survey.pdf">according to a survey</a>&nbsp;conducted by NFHS. In the 1971-1972 school year, 3.7 million boys and about 300,000 girls played.

That means, in 2022, fewer girls participated in high school sports than boys did in 1972.

The legislation created to increase fairness in these sports does not reference any incentive to increase participation of girls in sports — it only stops transgender girls from competing with their peers.

At the collegiate level, widespread participation in women’s sports only began to surface in the 1960s.

Joyce Pigge, a political science professor at Bethany College who retired recently after 50 years of teaching and coaching, took charge of the women’s intramural sports program after graduating from college in 1967.

When she was growing up in Illinois, there were no opportunities for girls or women to play sports. But always being around athletics, she found herself in charge of the program. In 1971, she noticed great potential in the women athletes and asked to start a basketball team.

The first year, they played only two or three games. The team ended the latest season 20-8.

Pigge also had a hand in creating the women’s volleyball, softball and tennis teams at Bethany. Elsewhere in Kansas, Pigge said, the pioneers of women’s sports were making history.

In 1968, Kansas State University held its first women’s intercollegiate basketball game. At the University of Kansas, Marlene Mawson helped&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/06/24/how-we-worked-to-establish-womens-intercollegiate-athletics-in-kansas-before-title-ix/">build the foundation</a>&nbsp;for women’s intercollegiate athletics.

“I look back on those times fondly, because it didn’t matter if you were big KU or a little Bethany, we were all in the same place,” Pigge said. “We were playing each other. We were scheduling together. It was just camaraderie, because it was all about offering opportunities for the women who were on our campuses.”

In 1972, Richard Nixon signed Title IX into law, prohibiting sex discrimination in any federally funded programs and requiring equal opportunities for men and women.

The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/a-title-ix-timeline/">NCAA challenged</a>&nbsp;the legality of Title IX and lost.

NiJaree Canady graduated from Topeka High School in 2022 and completed her first year at Stanford University as a pitcher for the softball team. Last season, the team played in the Women’s College World Series, and she secured the win against Washington University to send Stanford into the semifinals.

Before her success at the collegiate level, she played basketball and softball in high school, qualifying for the state tournament three times in basketball and winning back-to-back state titles her junior and senior year in softball.

“If you Googled ‘Topeka High basketball schedule,’ our male schedule would come up, even though we were one of the most dominating teams in the state at that time,” she said.

Canady said there is an imbalance in expectations of women in sports. Thinking back to her basketball career, she said if she and her teammates got excited in the game, they would often receive a warning. Then she would watch the boy’s game and sometimes see players yelling at the referees, being far more aggressive, and not receive a warning.

She said she found herself at the beginning of her career being quiet, shutting herself down and not saying anything that could be seen as emotional.

However, she eventually learned if the men could do it, so could she, asking: “Why should female athletes have to conform?”

Canady said she sees the pressure to push down emotion in coaches who are women. She believes they aren’t allowed to speak and act as freely as their male counterparts.

Laura Moreno serves as dean of athletics at Bethany and is the first woman to do so. She said people sometimes only see emotion coming from a passion for sports. She also said how that passion is perceived and accepted can be different between men and women.

“The passion and dedication and prioritization that you show as a female in athletics, I think, can be taken very differently than it is as a male in athletics,” Moreno said, “If a female celebrates or comes across with fiery passion, that can be looked at in a much different light than it is when a male does that same thing.”

The way the public views women’s athletics is a part of the history of women’s sports, from early rulebooks written as less competitive than men’s sports to women athletes being brought into the mainstream and men suddenly showing interest.

The NCAA hosted its first women’s championship, previously held by the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women, in 1982. Throughout the increase of women’s sports, the coaching positions started to be paid more, and in turn, men began to want to coach the teams. Additionally, since women were now integrated into the established sports of the universities, the women who administered the women’s divisions in the schools&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/women-college-sports-ncaa-aiaw-11617422325">lost their jobs</a>.

Pigge said through this time, and even now, people often blame women if a men’s sport gets cut, saying it is the women’s fault because they want to be equal.

“Title IX obviously did much to change the landscape of things, but it’s still an issue where a school will eliminate a team and they say, ‘We have to comply with Title IX and it’s because of the women that we’re having to do it,’ and stuff like that,” she said. “I mean, that stuff still happens. But it’s absurd.”

Moreno, who coached softball at Bethany before her time as dean of athletics, said while successes like Title IX work to move things in the right direction, athletics need to get to the point where the opportunities for women are truly equal to those available for men, and women being in a high position in athletics or a coach to the opposite sex isn’t an anomaly.

The equality women gained through legislative support like Title IX stands in sharp contrast to anti-LGBTQ legislation that limits opportunities.

Forney is about to enter her sophomore year at UTSA after her shoulder injury kept her from competing last year. She said increased gender-specific coaching could have reduced the injuries she suffered growing up.

During her junior year at Andover High School, Forney fractured her leg during one of the last plays of a softball game. When she went to get an X-ray, they missed the break and she played for another month until she was in so much pain it made her nauseous. When she went back for another X-ray, the bone had completely broken, causing her to miss about six months of competing.

Coming back from physical therapy, she entered her senior year basketball season, where in one game had a severe concussion and neck sprain that put her out for about two months.

Senior year was also when her shoulder injury started to progress from the pain she had played through since freshman year to an unbearable level. When she finally received an MRI after fighting with insurance, she was told it was probably bicep tendonitis and to go to physical therapy. She asked for doctors to look in the shoulder anyway, and they found her torn labrum and rotator cuff.

In the summer of 2022, Forney was introduced to Anna Woods, a strength trainer who specializes in women’s health. The athlete saw a huge improvement in her body and realized how much she had been doing wrong with weight programs not designed for her. She realized that her injuries, especially to her shoulder, could have been avoided.

Pete Manely, director of athlete training services at Sterling College, said focused research and internal programs can help both boys and girls increase strength and avoid injury. He said weight training, and learning balance and precision, can go a long way for athletes.

While injuries happen in all sports, Manely said, it’s more common for women to experience injuries to their ACL, a ligament in the knee. He said a football weight program should not look the same as a volleyball training regimen.

In his experience, about 80% of women have lifted weights in high school while 100% of the men lifted.

“Girls having the opportunity to not only have a weight room access, but someone who can actually train them not only the right techniques but the right lifts, the right weights, the right — just right everything,” Manely said. “It could absolutely help with decreased injuries, maybe decrease ACLs. That’d be the hope.”

Martin, the KU rugby player, said if lawmakers really cared about women’s sports, female athletes wouldn’t have nearly as many problems.

“We have to come together to support ourselves,” she said, “because no one else seems to want to do it for us.”

During legislative debate this year over the ban on transgender athletes, Rep. Lindsay Vaughn, D-Overland Park, talked about the inequities she faced as a high school athlete.

“We got hand-me-down uniforms, we often shared practice space, and our events were never promoted as much as the guys’ teams,” Vaughn said. “So if we really cared about fairness in girls sports, why are we not advocating for equal funding and resources for female athletes?

“Or what’s more, why aren’t we demanding pay equality for professional female athletes? Or why aren’t we fighting to eliminate or extend the statute of limitations on child sexual abuse cases to seek justice for the many female athletes who are sexually abused as children? The reason is because this bill is not about fairness. It’s about discrimination.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692719265721.png" alt=" Kylie Forney works out Aug. 8. Forney is about to enter her first softball season after a shoulder injury that she said could have been avoided with more attention to women's athletics. (Sam Bailey/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Kylie Forney works out Aug. 8. Forney is about to enter her first softball season after a shoulder injury that she said could have been avoided with more attention to women's athletics. (Sam Bailey/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By SAM BAILEY <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Kylie Forney spent her whole life training to play collegiate softball, a dream deferred by a year because of a shoulder injury easily avoided with better attention for women in athletics.She had experienced pain in her shoulder for years until it became unbearable the summer before she entered her freshman year on the softball team at the University of Texas at San Antonio in 2022. She had torn the labrum and rotator cuff in her shoulder.The injury, requiring her to wear a sling and receive a medical redshirt her first collegiate softball season, could have been avoided with gender-specific resources and weight training. As a student-athlete at Andover High School, she often lifted too-heavy weights above her head and strained muscles in her body when she overcompensated to complete the lift.When Forney tried to receive medical attention for her shoulder and other injuries accumulated throughout her career, she found that football players and other male athletes received priority. Sometimes, she said, women are left waiting for treatment if a man needs something.“I feel they think we are sissies, and weak, and that we have a low tolerance for pain,” Forney said. “That we come off as if we are complaining about every injury. Whereas in my mind, being a college athlete, we worked so hard our entire childhood to get here. Why would we complain about an injury that can keep us from playing the game we love?”In April, the Kansas Legislature overrode Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto and passed&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2238/">House Bill 2238</a>. The law bans transgender girls from playing sports at publicly funded educational institutions or at a private postsecondary institution that competes against the public entities.Opponents of the “fairness in women’s sports act,” as the bill is called, said the attack on transgender children was a solution to a problem that didn’t exist and ignored real fairness problems that female athletes face.The Kansas State High School Activities Association reported approximately two student athletes in Kansas would be affected by the legislation.“Let’s be clear about what this bill is all about — politics,” Kelly said. “It won’t increase any test scores. It won’t help any kids read or write. It won’t help any teachers prepare our kids for the real world. Here’s what this bill would actually do: harm the mental health of our students.”HB 2238 opened the conversation in Kansas about fairness in women’s sports, but women have been battling equality issues in athletics for decades. None of those sometimes dangerous imbalances are mentioned in the “fairness in women’s sports act.”In Kansas, 16,000 more boys played high school sports than girls in the 2022 school year,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nfhs.org/media/5989280/2021-22_participation_survey.pdf">according to a survey</a>&nbsp;conducted by the National Federation of State High School Associations.In December, the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/03635465221131281">American Journal of Sports Medicine</a>&nbsp;released a study reviewing more than 650 sports medicine studies. They found only 8.8% of the studies focused solely on female athletes, while 70.7% focused solely on male athletes and 20.5% focused on both.Donnavan Dillon,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.loudlight.org/">Loud Light’s</a>&nbsp;Topeka and Lawrence organizer and a junior at the University of Kansas, followed LGBTQ legislation last session and said the law isn’t about transgender issues, but sexism in general. He said there were experts who came to the legislative sessions to speak about the science behind being transgender, but politicians didn’t listen.Dillon said while the bill is framed around protecting women in sports, there is no progress being made on paying women’s coaches more, gaining resources for athletes, and equality in funding.It’s “sexism from a new lens,” he said.“All this boils down to sexism, and the Legislature (is) putting forward policies that just show how much they hate women and are sexist — whether it’s abortion bans, this bill, there’s just so many instances of that throughout the legislative session,” Dillon said. “I think it’s appalling.”This year, more than 520 anti-LGBTQ bills were introduced in state legislatures, according to the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.hrc.org/press-releases/roundup-of-anti-lgbtq-legislation-advancing-in-states-across-the-country">Human Rights Campaign</a>.Seventeen states — including Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma — have banned transgender students from competing in sports consistent with their gender identity, according to the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.lgbtmap.org/equality-maps/youth/sports_participation_bans">Movement Advancement Project</a>. Five other states have court orders blocking similar bans.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692719135554.png" alt=" Mayah Martin in Holcom Park in Lawrence where her Rugby team practices. (Sam Bailey/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Mayah Martin in Holcom Park in Lawrence where her Rugby team practices. (Sam Bailey/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Facing off against doubts&nbsp;</h2>Last year, Mayah Martin, a University of Kansas club rugby player, was tabling at an event to spread the word about her team. She received multiple comments from men about how rugby is too rough for girls and how different it must be from the male side of the sport.&nbsp;She said even in her personal life, when she brings up playing, she hears comments about how there’s no way she plays rugby.“I’m quite the girly-girl of the group, I would say, so people automatically assume that I’m either lying for whatever reason, or that there’s no possible way a girl could be playing a sport like that,” Martin said. “People need to just realize that it shouldn’t be as taboo as it is, and if you want to play a sport, you can. It shouldn’t be some huge controversy that I like to tackle people.”Martin said having the public constantly question you can shake your confidence. She said she’s glad to have such a deep-rooted love for sports that it doesn’t bother her, but such doubts have the potential to affect someone just coming into athletics.In the 2021-2022 school year, 4.4 million boys and 3.2 million girls played sports in United States high schools,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nfhs.org/media/5989280/2021-22_participation_survey.pdf">according to a survey</a>&nbsp;conducted by NFHS. In the 1971-1972 school year, 3.7 million boys and about 300,000 girls played.That means, in 2022, fewer girls participated in high school sports than boys did in 1972.The legislation created to increase fairness in these sports does not reference any incentive to increase participation of girls in sports — it only stops transgender girls from competing with their peers.At the collegiate level, widespread participation in women’s sports only began to surface in the 1960s.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692719194730.png" alt=" Joyce Pigge in a huddle with the 1972-1973 Bethany College basketball team in Lindsborg. (Submitted)" />
 <figcaption> Joyce Pigge in a huddle with the 1972-1973 Bethany College basketball team in Lindsborg. (Submitted)</figcaption>
 </figure>Joyce Pigge, a political science professor at Bethany College who retired recently after 50 years of teaching and coaching, took charge of the women’s intramural sports program after graduating from college in 1967.When she was growing up in Illinois, there were no opportunities for girls or women to play sports. But always being around athletics, she found herself in charge of the program. In 1971, she noticed great potential in the women athletes and asked to start a basketball team.The first year, they played only two or three games. The team ended the latest season 20-8.Pigge also had a hand in creating the women’s volleyball, softball and tennis teams at Bethany. Elsewhere in Kansas, Pigge said, the pioneers of women’s sports were making history.In 1968, Kansas State University held its first women’s intercollegiate basketball game. At the University of Kansas, Marlene Mawson helped&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/06/24/how-we-worked-to-establish-womens-intercollegiate-athletics-in-kansas-before-title-ix/">build the foundation</a>&nbsp;for women’s intercollegiate athletics.“I look back on those times fondly, because it didn’t matter if you were big KU or a little Bethany, we were all in the same place,” Pigge said. “We were playing each other. We were scheduling together. It was just camaraderie, because it was all about offering opportunities for the women who were on our campuses.”In 1972, Richard Nixon signed Title IX into law, prohibiting sex discrimination in any federally funded programs and requiring equal opportunities for men and women.The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/a-title-ix-timeline/">NCAA challenged</a>&nbsp;the legality of Title IX and lost.<h2>Dangers of doubt</h2>NiJaree Canady graduated from Topeka High School in 2022 and completed her first year at Stanford University as a pitcher for the softball team. Last season, the team played in the Women’s College World Series, and she secured the win against Washington University to send Stanford into the semifinals.Before her success at the collegiate level, she played basketball and softball in high school, qualifying for the state tournament three times in basketball and winning back-to-back state titles her junior and senior year in softball.“If you Googled ‘Topeka High basketball schedule,’ our male schedule would come up, even though we were one of the most dominating teams in the state at that time,” she said.Canady said there is an imbalance in expectations of women in sports. Thinking back to her basketball career, she said if she and her teammates got excited in the game, they would often receive a warning. Then she would watch the boy’s game and sometimes see players yelling at the referees, being far more aggressive, and not receive a warning.She said she found herself at the beginning of her career being quiet, shutting herself down and not saying anything that could be seen as emotional.However, she eventually learned if the men could do it, so could she, asking: “Why should female athletes have to conform?”Canady said she sees the pressure to push down emotion in coaches who are women. She believes they aren’t allowed to speak and act as freely as their male counterparts.Laura Moreno serves as dean of athletics at Bethany and is the first woman to do so. She said people sometimes only see emotion coming from a passion for sports. She also said how that passion is perceived and accepted can be different between men and women.“The passion and dedication and prioritization that you show as a female in athletics, I think, can be taken very differently than it is as a male in athletics,” Moreno said, “If a female celebrates or comes across with fiery passion, that can be looked at in a much different light than it is when a male does that same thing.”The way the public views women’s athletics is a part of the history of women’s sports, from early rulebooks written as less competitive than men’s sports to women athletes being brought into the mainstream and men suddenly showing interest.The NCAA hosted its first women’s championship, previously held by the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women, in 1982. Throughout the increase of women’s sports, the coaching positions started to be paid more, and in turn, men began to want to coach the teams. Additionally, since women were now integrated into the established sports of the universities, the women who administered the women’s divisions in the schools&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/women-college-sports-ncaa-aiaw-11617422325">lost their jobs</a>.Pigge said through this time, and even now, people often blame women if a men’s sport gets cut, saying it is the women’s fault because they want to be equal.“Title IX obviously did much to change the landscape of things, but it’s still an issue where a school will eliminate a team and they say, ‘We have to comply with Title IX and it’s because of the women that we’re having to do it,’ and stuff like that,” she said. “I mean, that stuff still happens. But it’s absurd.”Moreno, who coached softball at Bethany before her time as dean of athletics, said while successes like Title IX work to move things in the right direction, athletics need to get to the point where the opportunities for women are truly equal to those available for men, and women being in a high position in athletics or a coach to the opposite sex isn’t an anomaly.The equality women gained through legislative support like Title IX stands in sharp contrast to anti-LGBTQ legislation that limits opportunities.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692719043392.png" alt=" Kylie Forney does dumbbell sideways lunge holds Aug. 8. (Sam Bailey/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Kylie Forney does dumbbell sideways lunge holds Aug. 8. (Sam Bailey/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Focused programs</h2>Forney is about to enter her sophomore year at UTSA after her shoulder injury kept her from competing last year. She said increased gender-specific coaching could have reduced the injuries she suffered growing up.During her junior year at Andover High School, Forney fractured her leg during one of the last plays of a softball game. When she went to get an X-ray, they missed the break and she played for another month until she was in so much pain it made her nauseous. When she went back for another X-ray, the bone had completely broken, causing her to miss about six months of competing.Coming back from physical therapy, she entered her senior year basketball season, where in one game had a severe concussion and neck sprain that put her out for about two months.Senior year was also when her shoulder injury started to progress from the pain she had played through since freshman year to an unbearable level. When she finally received an MRI after fighting with insurance, she was told it was probably bicep tendonitis and to go to physical therapy. She asked for doctors to look in the shoulder anyway, and they found her torn labrum and rotator cuff.In the summer of 2022, Forney was introduced to Anna Woods, a strength trainer who specializes in women’s health. The athlete saw a huge improvement in her body and realized how much she had been doing wrong with weight programs not designed for her. She realized that her injuries, especially to her shoulder, could have been avoided.Pete Manely, director of athlete training services at Sterling College, said focused research and internal programs can help both boys and girls increase strength and avoid injury. He said weight training, and learning balance and precision, can go a long way for athletes.While injuries happen in all sports, Manely said, it’s more common for women to experience injuries to their ACL, a ligament in the knee. He said a football weight program should not look the same as a volleyball training regimen.In his experience, about 80% of women have lifted weights in high school while 100% of the men lifted.“Girls having the opportunity to not only have a weight room access, but someone who can actually train them not only the right techniques but the right lifts, the right weights, the right — just right everything,” Manely said. “It could absolutely help with decreased injuries, maybe decrease ACLs. That’d be the hope.”<h2>Abandoned by changemakers</h2>Martin, the KU rugby player, said if lawmakers really cared about women’s sports, female athletes wouldn’t have nearly as many problems.“We have to come together to support ourselves,” she said, “because no one else seems to want to do it for us.”During legislative debate this year over the ban on transgender athletes, Rep. Lindsay Vaughn, D-Overland Park, talked about the inequities she faced as a high school athlete.“We got hand-me-down uniforms, we often shared practice space, and our events were never promoted as much as the guys’ teams,” Vaughn said. “So if we really cared about fairness in girls sports, why are we not advocating for equal funding and resources for female athletes?“Or what’s more, why aren’t we demanding pay equality for professional female athletes? Or why aren’t we fighting to eliminate or extend the statute of limitations on child sexual abuse cases to seek justice for the many female athletes who are sexually abused as children? The reason is because this bill is not about fairness. It’s about discrimination.”

Kansas athletes point out inequities in face of anti-LGBTQ law

Join 910KINA's Saturday Morning Show hosts Dave and Sam this Saturday from 9-11 a.m. on 910AM.

Hear highlights about community events, public affairs, and all things happening in Salina. Their approach is friendly, informative, and entertaining. They're committed to making a difference in their community and keeping listeners up-to-date with updates from new and returning guests.

To listen to past 910KINA Saturday Morning Shows head on over to the KINA podcast homepage <a href="https://streamdb7web.securenetsystems.net/cirrusencore/KINA&amp;embedOpened=true&amp;embedOpenedApp=song&amp;embedOpenedSong=910683and6831076845683KINA&amp;embedOpenedArtist=&amp;embedOpenedAlbum=">here.</a>

9:05 am&nbsp; Natasha Cundy, Deputy Director of Emergency Management on General Preparedness. 9:30 a.m.&nbsp; Julie Govert-Walters, Executive Director of the North Central Flint Hills Area on Aging and Board Member Archie Riggs on the Sunflower Senior Fair 10:05 a.m.&nbsp; Whitney Wagner, coordinator for Brookville Labor Day Celebration, and Jessica Kindlesparger on Brookville Community Foundation 10:20 a.m.&nbsp; Devin Hanney on Friday Night High School Football changes with KINA. 10:30 a.m.&nbsp; Jody Craddock Iselin, USD 305 Director of Support Services on Support Opportunities in USD 305.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691172591916.png" alt="Dave and Sam" />
 <figcaption>Dave and Sam</figcaption>
 </figure>By SALINA POSTJoin 910KINA's Saturday Morning Show hosts Dave and Sam this Saturday from 9-11 a.m. on 910AM.Hear highlights about community events, public affairs, and all things happening in Salina. Their approach is friendly, informative, and entertaining. They're committed to making a difference in their community and keeping listeners up-to-date with updates from new and returning guests.To listen to past 910KINA Saturday Morning Shows head on over to the KINA podcast homepage <a href="https://streamdb7web.securenetsystems.net/cirrusencore/KINA&amp;embedOpened=true&amp;embedOpenedApp=song&amp;embedOpenedSong=910683and6831076845683KINA&amp;embedOpenedArtist=&amp;embedOpenedAlbum=">here.</a>9:05 am&nbsp; Natasha Cundy, Deputy Director of Emergency Management on General Preparedness. 9:30 a.m.&nbsp; Julie Govert-Walters, Executive Director of the North Central Flint Hills Area on Aging and Board Member Archie Riggs on the Sunflower Senior Fair 10:05 a.m.&nbsp; Whitney Wagner, coordinator for Brookville Labor Day Celebration, and Jessica Kindlesparger on Brookville Community Foundation 10:20 a.m.&nbsp; Devin Hanney on Friday Night High School Football changes with KINA. 10:30 a.m.&nbsp; Jody Craddock Iselin, USD 305 Director of Support Services on Support Opportunities in USD 305.

910KINA Saturday Morning Show lineup

<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Archive=22617&amp;type=Archive" target="_blank">Watch Coach Klieman’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/podcasts/chris-klieman-press-conference-august-22-2023/4813" target="_blank">Listen to Coach Klieman’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/podcasts/player-breakout-interviews-august-22-2023/4814" target="_blank">Listen to Player Breakout Interviews</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692737623424.jpeg" alt="k-State head football coach" />
 <figcaption>k-State head football coach</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Archive=22617&amp;type=Archive" target="_blank">Watch Coach Klieman’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/podcasts/chris-klieman-press-conference-august-22-2023/4813" target="_blank">Listen to Coach Klieman’s Press Conference</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/podcasts/player-breakout-interviews-august-22-2023/4814" target="_blank">Listen to Player Breakout Interviews</a> MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State head coach&nbsp;Chris Klieman&nbsp;and select players met with members of the media on Tuesday as the Wildcats are in their final week of preseason practices prior to the first game week of the 2023 season. Links to video and audio of Klieman’s press conference – which was streamed live on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ – in addition to audio from player breakout interviews are above, while a transcript of Klieman’s opening statement is below.CHRIS KLIEMAN, HEAD COACHOpening Statement…“Good afternoon, everyone. We are into a simulated game week, getting a lot of stuff done for our first game against SEMO. We are also doing a lot of evaluation still with some of our younger players as well as on special teams, because we know that we've got to continue to push some of the younger players that are going to have to help us throughout the year. So, we're not doing exclusive scout team stuff, but we're doing a little bit of that, and then quite a bit of K-State versus K-State still,&nbsp; just because we need to continue to evaluate players. Then, next week, we'll pour all of our attention into SEMO.“But, we finished up fall camp really good. We had a lot of bumps and bruises like a lot of teams do. I don't think we lost anybody for a significant time. There will be some guys that will be gametime decisions, but for the most part, we had a pretty successful fall camp as far as the injury bug is concerned. We're excited about where we are with our team. We know where our strengths are at certain positions. We know where our depth is. We have to continue to push some younger players. That’s part of the reason why we're having the schedule like we are this week, but a lot of work still to be done here before we get into game week.”