Southeast of Saline basketball travels to Minneapolis Friday night to take on the Lions, and if you can't make it to the games, Salina Post and KINA have you covered!

You can watch a livestream of both the girls' and boys' varsity games right here on Salina Post. Just click the link below. The girls' game is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Friday, with the boys' game following at approximately 7:30 p.m.

You also can listen to the games on KINA (910 AM and 107.5 FM).

Southeast of Saline basketball travels to Minneapolis Friday night to take on the Lions, and if you can't make it to the games, Salina Post and KINA have you covered!You can watch a livestream of both the girls' and boys' varsity games right here on Salina Post. Just click the link below. The girls' game is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Friday, with the boys' game following at approximately 7:30 p.m.You also can listen to the games on KINA (910 AM and 107.5 FM).Click below to watch the games live.<figure>
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🎥Watch live as Southeast of Saline takes on Minneapolis tonight!

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Gov. Laura Kelly on Thursday eased or suspended Kansas licensing rules for medical personnel and nursing home workers in hopes of making it easier for them to attack&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-infectious-diseases-kansas-city-989fb124d926e2253ffca07ad499bd70">staffing shortages</a>&nbsp;during a surge of new COVID-19 cases.

Kelly issued two executive orders. One allows hospital staff to perform a broader range of duties. The other makes licensing of nursing home workers more flexible so homes can hire people whose licenses have lapsed and fill less-skilled jobs with workers who have relatively little or no previous training.

Her actions come as hospital officials say patients are dying in emergency rooms of small hospitals, larger hospitals struggle with soaring staff absences and ambulances are scrambling to find hospitals with room for their patients.

“Basically everybody’s drowning,” said Dr. Ryan Jacobsen, medical director for Johnson County EMS.

The governor declared an emergency for the next 15 days because of the stress faced by hospitals nursing homes, a move that allowed her to ease licensing requirements. The declaration also suspends rules and regulations if “strict compliance” would hinder efforts to address their problems.

“We’re creating flexibility to allow routine care to be provided by alternative staff so that the more complex and serious cases can be handled by clinical staff,” Kelly said during a Statehouse news conference.

As an example, Kelly said physician assistants and some nurses to order the collection of throat swabs for COVID-19 testing, freeing up doctors who would normally have to do it.

Kansas set a record for the seven-day average for new reported confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases, 4,311 cases per day for the seven days ending Wednesday, according to state health department data. Until this week, the previous high was 2,767 cases per day for the seven days ending Nov. 18, 2020.

The high COVID-19 spread prompted Wyandotte County to delay a manslaughter trial that had been scheduled to start there next week for a rural Kansas undersheriff&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/48f367e57fc14cb39febf89f3d501feb">accused of fatally shooting</a>&nbsp;an unarmed man with a beanbag round. Virgil Brewer was the undersheriff in Barber County at the time of the deadly encounter with Steven Myers on Oct. 6, 2017, outside a shed in Sun City County. No new trial date was immediately set.

In neighboring Johnson County, Jacobsen said ambulances frequently change direction as they are transporting patients because the hospital where they were headed was full, sometimes confusing family members who are following behind them.

“They call the next hospital, three and four hospitals, while they’re driving down the highway or road with the patient in the back, listening to the conversation on the radio where they’re saying, ‘Don’t bring them, don’t bring them, don’t bring them,’” he said.

The state’s emergency management laws limit Kelly’s latest declaration to 15 days unless lawmakers extend it, and the Democratic governor said she wants to keep it in place through March. The Republican-controlled Legislature opens its regular annual session Monday.

House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr., an Olathe Republican, said Kelly’s actions provide “temporary and necessary relief and flexibility.” Senate President Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican, questioned the need for an emergency declaration because lawmakers reconvene Monday but called Kelly’s actions “helpful.”

The GOP leaders said lawmakers will oppose measures that go beyond easing regulations.

Kelly said she plans no “sweeping mandates or closures.” But legislators rewrote the state’s emergency management laws in 2020 and 2021 to curb the governor’s power so that Kelly no longer can close schools or businesses or restrict public gatherings again, as she did earlier in the pandemic.

Kansas previously was under a state of emergency from March 2020 until June 2021.

As for the latest declaration, Kelly said: “Extending it to the end of March will get us through this surge.”

Kelly also said there’s cause for optimism: While Kansas has seen a record number of new cases, it has not seen a similarly large spike in hospitalizations or deaths.

Still, warnings from Kansas hospitals have become increasingly dire.

Jacobsen said that when half the hospitals in the Kansas City area divert patients because of high volumes, ambulances just take patients to the full hospitals anyway because there isn’t a choice.

He said the system has been hitting that point nearly every day, adding that even hospitals that aren’t diverting patients are warning that they don’t have beds or that their CT scanners aren’t available.

“It’s exhausting and it’s leading to burnout and it’s a mess,” he said.

The University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City, Kansas, is treating 133 COVID-19 patients, has 750 employees out because of COVID-19 and had to cancel half of its scheduled operations Wednesday.

“Those are people who need surgeries,” said Dr. Steve Stites, the chief medical officer. “It’s not like these are electives cases that just somebody wants to come get, you know, a tummy tuck done.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641508454205.png" alt="Gov. Laura Kelly at the Statehouse Thursday after she answered questions on signing the new State of Disaster Emergency-photo courtesy WIBW-TV" />
 <figcaption>Gov. Laura Kelly at the Statehouse Thursday after she answered questions on signing the new State of Disaster Emergency-photo courtesy WIBW-TV</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN HANNA and HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTHTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Gov. Laura Kelly on Thursday eased or suspended Kansas licensing rules for medical personnel and nursing home workers in hopes of making it easier for them to attack&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-infectious-diseases-kansas-city-989fb124d926e2253ffca07ad499bd70">staffing shortages</a>&nbsp;during a surge of new COVID-19 cases.Kelly issued two executive orders. One allows hospital staff to perform a broader range of duties. The other makes licensing of nursing home workers more flexible so homes can hire people whose licenses have lapsed and fill less-skilled jobs with workers who have relatively little or no previous training.Her actions come as hospital officials say patients are dying in emergency rooms of small hospitals, larger hospitals struggle with soaring staff absences and ambulances are scrambling to find hospitals with room for their patients.“Basically everybody’s drowning,” said Dr. Ryan Jacobsen, medical director for Johnson County EMS.The governor declared an emergency for the next 15 days because of the stress faced by hospitals nursing homes, a move that allowed her to ease licensing requirements. The declaration also suspends rules and regulations if “strict compliance” would hinder efforts to address their problems.“We’re creating flexibility to allow routine care to be provided by alternative staff so that the more complex and serious cases can be handled by clinical staff,” Kelly said during a Statehouse news conference.As an example, Kelly said physician assistants and some nurses to order the collection of throat swabs for COVID-19 testing, freeing up doctors who would normally have to do it.Kansas set a record for the seven-day average for new reported confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases, 4,311 cases per day for the seven days ending Wednesday, according to state health department data. Until this week, the previous high was 2,767 cases per day for the seven days ending Nov. 18, 2020.The high COVID-19 spread prompted Wyandotte County to delay a manslaughter trial that had been scheduled to start there next week for a rural Kansas undersheriff&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/48f367e57fc14cb39febf89f3d501feb">accused of fatally shooting</a>&nbsp;an unarmed man with a beanbag round. Virgil Brewer was the undersheriff in Barber County at the time of the deadly encounter with Steven Myers on Oct. 6, 2017, outside a shed in Sun City County. No new trial date was immediately set.In neighboring Johnson County, Jacobsen said ambulances frequently change direction as they are transporting patients because the hospital where they were headed was full, sometimes confusing family members who are following behind them.“They call the next hospital, three and four hospitals, while they’re driving down the highway or road with the patient in the back, listening to the conversation on the radio where they’re saying, ‘Don’t bring them, don’t bring them, don’t bring them,’” he said.The state’s emergency management laws limit Kelly’s latest declaration to 15 days unless lawmakers extend it, and the Democratic governor said she wants to keep it in place through March. The Republican-controlled Legislature opens its regular annual session Monday.House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr., an Olathe Republican, said Kelly’s actions provide “temporary and necessary relief and flexibility.” Senate President Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican, questioned the need for an emergency declaration because lawmakers reconvene Monday but called Kelly’s actions “helpful.”The GOP leaders said lawmakers will oppose measures that go beyond easing regulations.Kelly said she plans no “sweeping mandates or closures.” But legislators rewrote the state’s emergency management laws in 2020 and 2021 to curb the governor’s power so that Kelly no longer can close schools or businesses or restrict public gatherings again, as she did earlier in the pandemic.Kansas previously was under a state of emergency from March 2020 until June 2021.As for the latest declaration, Kelly said: “Extending it to the end of March will get us through this surge.”Kelly also said there’s cause for optimism: While Kansas has seen a record number of new cases, it has not seen a similarly large spike in hospitalizations or deaths.Still, warnings from Kansas hospitals have become increasingly dire.Jacobsen said that when half the hospitals in the Kansas City area divert patients because of high volumes, ambulances just take patients to the full hospitals anyway because there isn’t a choice.He said the system has been hitting that point nearly every day, adding that even hospitals that aren’t diverting patients are warning that they don’t have beds or that their CT scanners aren’t available.“It’s exhausting and it’s leading to burnout and it’s a mess,” he said.The University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City, Kansas, is treating 133 COVID-19 patients, has 750 employees out because of COVID-19 and had to cancel half of its scheduled operations Wednesday.“Those are people who need surgeries,” said Dr. Steve Stites, the chief medical officer. “It’s not like these are electives cases that just somebody wants to come get, you know, a tummy tuck done.”___

Kansas governor moves to help facilities hit by COVID surge

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden accused Donald Trump and his supporters of holding a “dagger at the throat of democracy” in a forceful speech Thursday marking the anniversary of the deadly breach of the U.S. Capitol. He warned that though it didn’t succeed, the insurrection remains a serious threat to America’s system of government.

(click below to listen to comments from President Biden)

Biden’s criticism was blistering of the defeated president whom he blamed for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-confirm-joe-biden-78104aea082995bbd7412a6e6cd13818">the attack</a>&nbsp;that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-ap-top-news-coronavirus-pandemic-7153ffc196f746883f57d4d407d38cf0">has fundamentally changed Congress</a>&nbsp;and the nation, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-elections-voting-rights-misinformation-democracy-dab61d6637fb858d84daa33a4f97ec48">raised global concerns about the future of American democracy</a>.

“For the first time in our history, a president not just lost an election, he tried to prevent the peaceful transfer of power as a violent mob breached the Capitol,” Biden said. “You can’t love your country only when you win.”

His voice booming at times, filling the ornate Statuary Hall where rioters had laid siege, the president called on Americans to remember what they saw Jan. 6 with their own eyes: the mob attacking police, breaking windows, a Confederate flag inside the Capitol, gallows erected outside threatening to hang the vice president — all while Trump sat at the White House watching it on TV.

“The former president’s supporters are trying to rewrite history. They want you to see Election Day as the day of insurrection and the riot that took place here on January 6 as a true expression of the will of the people. Can you think of a more twisted way to look at this country, to look at America? I cannot.”

The president’s remarks launched the start of daylong remembrance, drawing a contrast between the truth of what happened and the false narratives that persist about the Capitol assault, including the continued&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-minnesota-presidential-elections-capitol-siege-elections-8d9e92a27a90511bf8f3f7f9540d44c2">refusal by many Republicans to affirm that Biden won</a>&nbsp;the 2020 election.

“We must be absolutely clear about what is true and what is a lie,” he said. “The former president of the United States of America has spread a web of lies about the 2020 election.”

He said: “We are in a battle for the soul of America.”

“I did not seek this fight, brought to this Capitol one year from today. But I will not shrink from it either. I will stand in this breach, I will defend this nation. I will allow no one to place a dagger at the throat of this democracy.”

Republican leaders and lawmakers are largely staying away from the day’s remembrance events, viewing them as overly politicized.

From Florida, Trump dashed off a statement claiming Biden was trying to “further divide America. This political theater is all just a distraction.”

Even among congressional Republicans who condemned the attack in the days afterward, most have stayed loyal to the former president.

“What brazen politicization of January 6 by President Biden,” tweeted Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a sometimes Trump confidant. Others, including Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, were absent, with a contingent attending the funeral for a former colleague Sen. Johnny Isakson in Georgia.

The division is a stark reminder of the rupture between the two parties, worsening since hundreds of Trump’s supporters violently pushed past police, used their fists and flagpoles to break through the windows of the Capitol and interrupted the certification of Biden’s victory.

Rep. Liz Cheney, chair of the House committee investigating the attack and one of the few GOP lawmakers attending the Capitol ceremonies, warned that “the threat continues.” Trump, she said, “continues to make the same claims that he knows caused violence on January 6.”

“Unfortunately, too many in my own party are embracing the former president, are looking the other way or minimizing the danger,” she told NBC’s “Today.” “That’s how democracies die. We simply cannot let that happen.”

In a bid to inform the public, Democrats investigating the insurrection plan to spend the coming months&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capital-siege-steve-bannon-elections-donald-trump-congress-bab0144274d996171b7160e051b29a75">telling the American people exactly what happened last Jan. 6</a>. But leaders will spend the anniversary appealing to broader patriotic instincts.

Biden and his administration have come under criticism from some in his party for not forcibly explaining to Americans the ways democracy is at risk, or pushing Congress hard enough to pass election and voting rights legislation that is stalled by a filibuster in the Senate.

Barack Obama, the former president, said “nothing is more important” on the anniversary than ensuring the right to vote.

“While the broken windows have been repaired and many of the rioters have been brought to justice, the truth is that our democracy is at greater risk today than it was back then,” Obama said in a statement.

Biden’s address, and that of Vice President Kamala Harris who is leading the administration’s efforts on the voting and elections legislation, appeared as a direct response to critics.

“We must pass voting rights bills,” said Harris, addressing those gathered. “We cannot sit on the sidelines. We must unite in defense of our democracy.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, too, is marking the anniversary with a high-minded appeal, telling The Associated Press&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-interview-nancy-pelosi-jan-6-capitol-siege-8daea575e6f2ced931a5abdc4a2a8049">in an interview Wednesday</a>&nbsp;that “democracy won that night,” when Congress returned to the Capitol after the riot and affirmed Biden’s victory.

To honor the anniversary, Pelosi has scheduled a moment of silence in the House, where many members were evacuated and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-capitol-siege-lawmakers-trauma-04e29724aa6017180259385642c1b990">some were trapped</a>&nbsp;as the rioters tried to break in. She will also deliver private remarks to Hill staff who, as she told AP, stayed to “protect our democracy.”

Later the Democratic leaders will hold a moderated discussion with historians Doris Kearns Goodwin and Jon Meacham; and a session featuring testimonials from members who were there that day. While many lawmakers will be absent due to concerns about COVID-19, several of the events will be livestreamed so they can participate. The Senate also marked the day with a moment of silence and planned speeches.

Biden’s sharp message and the Republicans’ distance from it come as lawmakers are adjusting to the new normal on Capitol Hill — the growing tensions that many worry will result in more violence or, someday, a legitimate election being overturned. Democrats and a handful of Republicans feel a desperate urgency to connect to a public in which some have come to believe Trump’s lies that the election was stolen from him and that the attack wasn’t violent at all.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-riots-donald-trump-only-on-ap-congress-3dc5964a8139ae964f7c5c66798a987d">A new poll</a>&nbsp;from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research showed that 3 in 10 Republicans say the attack was not violent, and about another 3 in 10 say it was somewhat violent. Around two-thirds of Americans described the day as very or extremely violent, including about 9 in 10 Democrats.

As Biden is prepared to direct blame toward the former president, the percentage of Americans who blame Trump for the Jan. 6 riot has grown slightly over the past year, with 57% saying he bears significant responsibility for what took place.

In an AP-NORC poll taken in the days after the attack, 50% said that.

Trump’s claims of widespread election fraud were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-courts-election-results-e1297d874f45d2b14bc99c403abd0457">rejected by the courts</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/barr-no-widespread-election-fraud-b1f1488796c9a98c4b1a9061a6c7f49d">refuted by his own Justice Department</a>.

An&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voter-fraud-election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-7fcb6f134e528fee8237c7601db3328f">investigation by the AP</a>&nbsp;found fewer than 475 cases of voter fraud among 25.5 million ballots cast in the six battleground states disputed by Trump, a minuscule number in percentage terms.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641478216460.png" alt="President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris entered Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol to mark the one year anniversary of the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol by supporters loyal to then-President Donald Trump.-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris entered Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol to mark the one year anniversary of the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol by supporters loyal to then-President Donald Trump.-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden accused Donald Trump and his supporters of holding a “dagger at the throat of democracy” in a forceful speech Thursday marking the anniversary of the deadly breach of the U.S. Capitol. He warned that though it didn’t succeed, the insurrection remains a serious threat to America’s system of government.(click below to listen to comments from President Biden)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F1330427914069423%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=590" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Biden’s criticism was blistering of the defeated president whom he blamed for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-confirm-joe-biden-78104aea082995bbd7412a6e6cd13818">the attack</a>&nbsp;that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-ap-top-news-coronavirus-pandemic-7153ffc196f746883f57d4d407d38cf0">has fundamentally changed Congress</a>&nbsp;and the nation, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-elections-voting-rights-misinformation-democracy-dab61d6637fb858d84daa33a4f97ec48">raised global concerns about the future of American democracy</a>.“For the first time in our history, a president not just lost an election, he tried to prevent the peaceful transfer of power as a violent mob breached the Capitol,” Biden said. “You can’t love your country only when you win.”His voice booming at times, filling the ornate Statuary Hall where rioters had laid siege, the president called on Americans to remember what they saw Jan. 6 with their own eyes: the mob attacking police, breaking windows, a Confederate flag inside the Capitol, gallows erected outside threatening to hang the vice president — all while Trump sat at the White House watching it on TV.“The former president’s supporters are trying to rewrite history. They want you to see Election Day as the day of insurrection and the riot that took place here on January 6 as a true expression of the will of the people. Can you think of a more twisted way to look at this country, to look at America? I cannot.”The president’s remarks launched the start of daylong remembrance, drawing a contrast between the truth of what happened and the false narratives that persist about the Capitol assault, including the continued&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-minnesota-presidential-elections-capitol-siege-elections-8d9e92a27a90511bf8f3f7f9540d44c2">refusal by many Republicans to affirm that Biden won</a>&nbsp;the 2020 election.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641479098818.png" alt="“We must be absolutely clear about what is true and what is a lie. Here’s the truth,” he said. “The former president of the United States of America has spread a web of lies about the 2020 election.”-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>“We must be absolutely clear about what is true and what is a lie. Here’s the truth,” he said. “The former president of the United States of America has spread a web of lies about the 2020 election.”-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>“We must be absolutely clear about what is true and what is a lie,” he said. “The former president of the United States of America has spread a web of lies about the 2020 election.”He said: “We are in a battle for the soul of America.”“I did not seek this fight, brought to this Capitol one year from today. But I will not shrink from it either. I will stand in this breach, I will defend this nation. I will allow no one to place a dagger at the throat of this democracy.”Republican leaders and lawmakers are largely staying away from the day’s remembrance events, viewing them as overly politicized.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641485411291.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>From Florida, Trump dashed off a statement claiming Biden was trying to “further divide America. This political theater is all just a distraction.”Even among congressional Republicans who condemned the attack in the days afterward, most have stayed loyal to the former president.“What brazen politicization of January 6 by President Biden,” tweeted Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a sometimes Trump confidant. Others, including Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, were absent, with a contingent attending the funeral for a former colleague Sen. Johnny Isakson in Georgia.The division is a stark reminder of the rupture between the two parties, worsening since hundreds of Trump’s supporters violently pushed past police, used their fists and flagpoles to break through the windows of the Capitol and interrupted the certification of Biden’s victory.Rep. Liz Cheney, chair of the House committee investigating the attack and one of the few GOP lawmakers attending the Capitol ceremonies, warned that “the threat continues.” Trump, she said, “continues to make the same claims that he knows caused violence on January 6.”“Unfortunately, too many in my own party are embracing the former president, are looking the other way or minimizing the danger,” she told NBC’s “Today.” “That’s how democracies die. We simply cannot let that happen.”In a bid to inform the public, Democrats investigating the insurrection plan to spend the coming months&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capital-siege-steve-bannon-elections-donald-trump-congress-bab0144274d996171b7160e051b29a75">telling the American people exactly what happened last Jan. 6</a>. But leaders will spend the anniversary appealing to broader patriotic instincts.Biden and his administration have come under criticism from some in his party for not forcibly explaining to Americans the ways democracy is at risk, or pushing Congress hard enough to pass election and voting rights legislation that is stalled by a filibuster in the Senate.Barack Obama, the former president, said “nothing is more important” on the anniversary than ensuring the right to vote.“While the broken windows have been repaired and many of the rioters have been brought to justice, the truth is that our democracy is at greater risk today than it was back then,” Obama said in a statement.Biden’s address, and that of Vice President Kamala Harris who is leading the administration’s efforts on the voting and elections legislation, appeared as a direct response to critics.“We must pass voting rights bills,” said Harris, addressing those gathered. “We cannot sit on the sidelines. We must unite in defense of our democracy.”House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, too, is marking the anniversary with a high-minded appeal, telling The Associated Press&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-interview-nancy-pelosi-jan-6-capitol-siege-8daea575e6f2ced931a5abdc4a2a8049">in an interview Wednesday</a>&nbsp;that “democracy won that night,” when Congress returned to the Capitol after the riot and affirmed Biden’s victory.To honor the anniversary, Pelosi has scheduled a moment of silence in the House, where many members were evacuated and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jan-6-capitol-siege-lawmakers-trauma-04e29724aa6017180259385642c1b990">some were trapped</a>&nbsp;as the rioters tried to break in. She will also deliver private remarks to Hill staff who, as she told AP, stayed to “protect our democracy.”Later the Democratic leaders will hold a moderated discussion with historians Doris Kearns Goodwin and Jon Meacham; and a session featuring testimonials from members who were there that day. While many lawmakers will be absent due to concerns about COVID-19, several of the events will be livestreamed so they can participate. The Senate also marked the day with a moment of silence and planned speeches.Biden’s sharp message and the Republicans’ distance from it come as lawmakers are adjusting to the new normal on Capitol Hill — the growing tensions that many worry will result in more violence or, someday, a legitimate election being overturned. Democrats and a handful of Republicans feel a desperate urgency to connect to a public in which some have come to believe Trump’s lies that the election was stolen from him and that the attack wasn’t violent at all.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-riots-donald-trump-only-on-ap-congress-3dc5964a8139ae964f7c5c66798a987d">A new poll</a>&nbsp;from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research showed that 3 in 10 Republicans say the attack was not violent, and about another 3 in 10 say it was somewhat violent. Around two-thirds of Americans described the day as very or extremely violent, including about 9 in 10 Democrats.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641479071719.png" alt="“Here is the God’s truth about Jan. 6, 2021,” Biden said. ”They were looking to subvert the Constitution.”-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>“Here is the God’s truth about Jan. 6, 2021,” Biden said. ”They were looking to subvert the Constitution.”-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>As Biden is prepared to direct blame toward the former president, the percentage of Americans who blame Trump for the Jan. 6 riot has grown slightly over the past year, with 57% saying he bears significant responsibility for what took place.In an AP-NORC poll taken in the days after the attack, 50% said that.Trump’s claims of widespread election fraud were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-courts-election-results-e1297d874f45d2b14bc99c403abd0457">rejected by the courts</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/barr-no-widespread-election-fraud-b1f1488796c9a98c4b1a9061a6c7f49d">refuted by his own Justice Department</a>.An&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voter-fraud-election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-7fcb6f134e528fee8237c7601db3328f">investigation by the AP</a>&nbsp;found fewer than 475 cases of voter fraud among 25.5 million ballots cast in the six battleground states disputed by Trump, a minuscule number in percentage terms.___

🎥 Biden condemns Trump on anniversary of Capitol riots

Kan., Mo. hospitals may soon have to institute crisis standards

By SUZANNE PEREZ <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/2022-01-05/kansas-doctors-plead-for-you-to-take-covid-precautions-as-people-die-waiting-for-care-at-hospitals">Kansas News Service</a>

WICHITA&nbsp;— Health care officials across Kansas and 
Missouri issued a dire warning Wednesday that COVID-19 has reached new 
and alarming crisis levels throughout the region.

Hospitals 
struggling to care for sick coronavirus patients — the vast majority of 
them unvaccinated — find themselves short on staff after record numbers 
of health care workers are testing positive for the virus.

More 
people are dying in emergency rooms while waiting for care, doctors 
said. Non-critical surgeries and other procedures are being postponed. 
And more sick patients, including increasing numbers of children, wait 
hours or even days for hospital beds.

“This is, hands down, the 
toughest surge the medical community has had to face since the pandemic 
began in 2020,” said Dr. Steven Sites, chief medical officer at the 
University of Kansas Health System in Kansas City. “We are in crisis, 
and … it’s shocking to me that people want to declare victory when we’re
 at this point.”

In an online news conference, more than a dozen 
chief medical officers and infectious disease specialists urged people 
to get vaccinated and boosted. They pleaded for schools and communities 
to reinstate mask mandates and warned against large indoor gatherings.

Kimberly
 Megow, chief medical officer of HCA Midwest Health, said hospitals may 
soon have to institute crisis standards designed for catastrophic public
 health events.

“It is basically what the military does during 
wartime, which is deciding who gets care and who does not, who gets a 
chance at living and who is left to die,” she said. “That is really 
dire.”

Lisa Hays, chief medical officer for AdventHealth Kansas 
City, reported 48 active COVID-19 patients Wednesday. In November, that 
number was 12.

Sam Antonios of Ascension Via Christi said 
hospitals in that network had 140 COVID-19 patients Wednesday; 40 of 
those were in intensive care, 20 on ventilators. Four hospitalized COVID
 patients were children.

Similar numbers were repeated by administrators in urban and rural settings throughout the region.

Meanwhile,
 record numbers of health care workers are out sick, leaving hospitals 
scrambling to cover patients with COVID-19 and other ailments.

Several
 officials said a new state of emergency declaration would help. 
Staffing remains the primary issue, but Kansas can’t request assistance 
from the federal government for nurses or other skilled medical 
personnel without a state of emergency in place.

But that could 
prove difficult. The Kansas Legislature passed a bill in May 2020 that 
requires Gov. Laura Kelly to get legislative approval for emergency 
measures.

Dr. Jennifer Watts of Children’s Mercy Hospital in 
Kansas City urged schools to require masks, which are proven to curb the
 spread of the virus. She also voiced frustration at what she sees as a 
growing lack of trust in medical data.

“We were heroes last year, 
and people asked us for our opinions and asked us for our advice. And 
people listened to the medical experts,” Watts said. “We have come an 
entire 180 (degrees) now, and we are reacting to this. … So yeah, we are
 devastated that kids are not wearing masks in school.”

Jennifer 
Schrimsher, an infectious disease specialist at Lawrence Memorial 
Hospital, criticized a recent decision by the University of Kansas to <a href="https://www.kansan.com/sports/required-to-recommended-masks-in-allen-fieldhouse-are-now-optional/article_db23c842-6a7f-11ec-92e5-5f2e40ea479c.html" target="_blank">no longer require masks inside Allen Fieldhouse</a>.

“If
 you’ve got a ticket to the game right now, I’m going to ask you to 
watch it on television,” she said. “If you must go, please wear a mask. 
It's very simple: They work, they’re safe. And it’s frustrating.”

Kevin
 Dishman, chief medical officer of Stormont Vail Health in Topeka, said 
vaccinations are crucial, as well as masking and social distancing.

“People
 that have waved the flag of personal choice are extending this 
pandemic,” he said. “We must do everything we can to protect ourselves 
and protect each other. That is how we get through this pandemic.”

Suzanne Perez reports on education for KMUW in Wichita and the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter @SuzPerezICT.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641405474520.png" alt="Medical officers and infectious disease experts from across Kansas and Missouri urged people to get vaccinated and boosted, wear masks and avoid large indoor gatherings. Screenshot / University of Kansas Health System" />
 <figcaption>Medical officers and infectious disease experts from across Kansas and Missouri urged people to get vaccinated and boosted, wear masks and avoid large indoor gatherings. Screenshot / University of Kansas Health System</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Kan., Mo. hospitals may soon have to institute crisis standards</h2>By SUZANNE PEREZ <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/2022-01-05/kansas-doctors-plead-for-you-to-take-covid-precautions-as-people-die-waiting-for-care-at-hospitals">Kansas News Service</a>WICHITA&nbsp;— Health care officials across Kansas and 
Missouri issued a dire warning Wednesday that COVID-19 has reached new 
and alarming crisis levels throughout the region.Hospitals 
struggling to care for sick coronavirus patients — the vast majority of 
them unvaccinated — find themselves short on staff after record numbers 
of health care workers are testing positive for the virus.More 
people are dying in emergency rooms while waiting for care, doctors 
said. Non-critical surgeries and other procedures are being postponed. 
And more sick patients, including increasing numbers of children, wait 
hours or even days for hospital beds.“This is, hands down, the 
toughest surge the medical community has had to face since the pandemic 
began in 2020,” said Dr. Steven Sites, chief medical officer at the 
University of Kansas Health System in Kansas City. “We are in crisis, 
and … it’s shocking to me that people want to declare victory when we’re
 at this point.”<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4cZ0FOKctmI"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>In an online news conference, more than a dozen 
chief medical officers and infectious disease specialists urged people 
to get vaccinated and boosted. They pleaded for schools and communities 
to reinstate mask mandates and warned against large indoor gatherings.Kimberly
 Megow, chief medical officer of HCA Midwest Health, said hospitals may 
soon have to institute crisis standards designed for catastrophic public
 health events.“It is basically what the military does during 
wartime, which is deciding who gets care and who does not, who gets a 
chance at living and who is left to die,” she said. “That is really 
dire.”Lisa Hays, chief medical officer for AdventHealth Kansas 
City, reported 48 active COVID-19 patients Wednesday. In November, that 
number was 12.Sam Antonios of Ascension Via Christi said 
hospitals in that network had 140 COVID-19 patients Wednesday; 40 of 
those were in intensive care, 20 on ventilators. Four hospitalized COVID
 patients were children.Similar numbers were repeated by administrators in urban and rural settings throughout the region.Meanwhile,
 record numbers of health care workers are out sick, leaving hospitals 
scrambling to cover patients with COVID-19 and other ailments.Several
 officials said a new state of emergency declaration would help. 
Staffing remains the primary issue, but Kansas can’t request assistance 
from the federal government for nurses or other skilled medical 
personnel without a state of emergency in place.But that could 
prove difficult. The Kansas Legislature passed a bill in May 2020 that 
requires Gov. Laura Kelly to get legislative approval for emergency 
measures.Dr. Jennifer Watts of Children’s Mercy Hospital in 
Kansas City urged schools to require masks, which are proven to curb the
 spread of the virus. She also voiced frustration at what she sees as a 
growing lack of trust in medical data.“We were heroes last year, 
and people asked us for our opinions and asked us for our advice. And 
people listened to the medical experts,” Watts said. “We have come an 
entire 180 (degrees) now, and we are reacting to this. … So yeah, we are
 devastated that kids are not wearing masks in school.”Jennifer 
Schrimsher, an infectious disease specialist at Lawrence Memorial 
Hospital, criticized a recent decision by the University of Kansas to <a href="https://www.kansan.com/sports/required-to-recommended-masks-in-allen-fieldhouse-are-now-optional/article_db23c842-6a7f-11ec-92e5-5f2e40ea479c.html" target="_blank">no longer require masks inside Allen Fieldhouse</a>.“If
 you’ve got a ticket to the game right now, I’m going to ask you to 
watch it on television,” she said. “If you must go, please wear a mask. 
It's very simple: They work, they’re safe. And it’s frustrating.”Kevin
 Dishman, chief medical officer of Stormont Vail Health in Topeka, said 
vaccinations are crucial, as well as masking and social distancing.“People
 that have waved the flag of personal choice are extending this 
pandemic,” he said. “We must do everything we can to protect ourselves 
and protect each other. That is how we get through this pandemic.”Suzanne Perez reports on education for KMUW in Wichita and the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter @SuzPerezICT.

🎥 Doctors plead for COVID precautions to alleviate hospital crisis

<a href="https://www.ryanmortuary.com/obituary/Lloyd-Smith">Obituary for Lloyd T. Smith | Ryan Mortuary</a>

October 29, 1926 ~ January 1, 2022 (age 95)

Lloyd T. Smith&nbsp;passed away January 1, 2022. He was born October 29, 1926, to Thomas and Lulu Smith in Chillicothe, IL. The family, including Lloyd's older sisters, Oneta, Irma, and Bessie lived in Illinois several years before moving to Hanibal, Missouri. Two more siblings, Shirley and Kenneth were born in Missouri. &nbsp;

Lloyd worked on the family farm when he was young, and attended school in Mt. Vernon, MO. After leaving home he worked for the International Harvester Company in Canton, IL.

 Lloyd served in the Merchant Marines for two years near the end of World War II and some months after the war. He made trips across both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans with military supplies. Later he was drafted to serve in the army during the Korean War, giving him four years of military service. 

After returning from the army, Lloyd married Ann Sandoz of Gordon, Nebraska. Lloyd and Ann had four children: Lana, Doyle, Scott, and Sondra. 

Lloyd worked as a ranch hand in their early years of marriage and then for 30 years was employed by his friend, Henry Freed at Freed's Fine Furnishings in Chadron, NE. Lloyd also had rental properties in Chadron and in his retirement years enjoyed doing yard work for many in Chadron. During their marriage, Lloyd and Ann enjoyed traveling to many faraway places including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Korea, Hawaii and Alaska.

Ann passed away in Dec. of 1999. In May 2001 Lloyd married Irene Gilliland in Denver, CO. They lived in his home in Chadron for seven years before moving to Goodland, KS to be closer to family. Lloyd gained three stepchildren through his second marriage — Kim, Karla, and Clayton.

Lloyd is survived by his wife Irene; one sister, Shirley Strang of Davenport, Iowa; children Lana (and Grant) Lonseth of Lethbridge, Alberta, Doyle Smith of Salem, Oregon, Scott (and Karen) Smith of Seneca, South Carolina, and Sondra (and Marvin) Shelbourn of Commerce City, Colorado; stepchildren Kim Nation, of Salina Kansas, Karla (and Christopher) Thompson of Salina, and Clayton Gilliland (and Shara) of Farmington Utah. Lloyd has seven grandchildren, Erika and Matthew Lonseth, Sebastian Smith, Drake Shelbourn, Katie Workman, Shane Shelbourn, Rachel Ramey, and six step-grandchildren, Derek Nation, Sophia and Margaux Thompson, and Cole, Sydney, and Skye Gilliland, 12 great-grandchildren Leo and Miles Shelbourn, Bryson, Alayna, Jenika, and Eliza Workman, Kaden, Hadley, Karter and Kolson Shelbourn, and Charlotte, and Mikayla Ramey.

Lloyd was preceded in death by his first wife Ann, sisters Oneta Curless, Irma Thom, and Bessie Spinner, and brothers Kenneth Smith, and one year-old infant brother Stanley.

Lloyd listened to and accepted the gospel early in life. He made his choice to serve God at age 14...a choice that brought him a lot of satisfaction, peace and joy all his life. He made many friends along the way. Lloyd will be greatly missed by many, but we are most thankful he lived for what is eternal and the resulting influence very much lives on with us.

Funeral service will be 2 p.m. Thursday, January 6, 2022 at Ryan Mortuary with visitation from 1-2 p.m. Burial will take place Saturday, January 8, 2022 at the Greenwood Cemetery, following the service at 10:30 a.m. at the Chamberlain Chapel, Chadron, NE.

To&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ryanmortuary.com/obituary/Lloyd-Smith/sympathy">send flowers</a>&nbsp;to the family or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ryanmortuary.com/obituary/Lloyd-Smith/1074854/memorial-tree">plant a tree</a>&nbsp;in memory of Lloyd, please&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ryanmortuary.com/obituary/Lloyd-Smith/sympathy">visit our floral store.</a>

<h2>Lloyd T. Smith</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641402561825.jpeg" alt="Lloyd T. Smith" />
 <figcaption>Lloyd T. Smith</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.ryanmortuary.com/obituary/Lloyd-Smith">Obituary for Lloyd T. Smith | Ryan Mortuary</a>October 29, 1926 ~ January 1, 2022 (age 95)Lloyd T. Smith&nbsp;passed away January 1, 2022. He was born October 29, 1926, to Thomas and Lulu Smith in Chillicothe, IL. The family, including Lloyd's older sisters, Oneta, Irma, and Bessie lived in Illinois several years before moving to Hanibal, Missouri. Two more siblings, Shirley and Kenneth were born in Missouri. &nbsp;Lloyd worked on the family farm when he was young, and attended school in Mt. Vernon, MO. After leaving home he worked for the International Harvester Company in Canton, IL. Lloyd served in the Merchant Marines for two years near the end of World War II and some months after the war. He made trips across both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans with military supplies. Later he was drafted to serve in the army during the Korean War, giving him four years of military service. After returning from the army, Lloyd married Ann Sandoz of Gordon, Nebraska. Lloyd and Ann had four children: Lana, Doyle, Scott, and Sondra. Lloyd worked as a ranch hand in their early years of marriage and then for 30 years was employed by his friend, Henry Freed at Freed's Fine Furnishings in Chadron, NE. Lloyd also had rental properties in Chadron and in his retirement years enjoyed doing yard work for many in Chadron. During their marriage, Lloyd and Ann enjoyed traveling to many faraway places including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Korea, Hawaii and Alaska.Ann passed away in Dec. of 1999. In May 2001 Lloyd married Irene Gilliland in Denver, CO. They lived in his home in Chadron for seven years before moving to Goodland, KS to be closer to family. Lloyd gained three stepchildren through his second marriage — Kim, Karla, and Clayton.Lloyd is survived by his wife Irene; one sister, Shirley Strang of Davenport, Iowa; children Lana (and Grant) Lonseth of Lethbridge, Alberta, Doyle Smith of Salem, Oregon, Scott (and Karen) Smith of Seneca, South Carolina, and Sondra (and Marvin) Shelbourn of Commerce City, Colorado; stepchildren Kim Nation, of Salina Kansas, Karla (and Christopher) Thompson of Salina, and Clayton Gilliland (and Shara) of Farmington Utah. Lloyd has seven grandchildren, Erika and Matthew Lonseth, Sebastian Smith, Drake Shelbourn, Katie Workman, Shane Shelbourn, Rachel Ramey, and six step-grandchildren, Derek Nation, Sophia and Margaux Thompson, and Cole, Sydney, and Skye Gilliland, 12 great-grandchildren Leo and Miles Shelbourn, Bryson, Alayna, Jenika, and Eliza Workman, Kaden, Hadley, Karter and Kolson Shelbourn, and Charlotte, and Mikayla Ramey.Lloyd was preceded in death by his first wife Ann, sisters Oneta Curless, Irma Thom, and Bessie Spinner, and brothers Kenneth Smith, and one year-old infant brother Stanley.Lloyd listened to and accepted the gospel early in life. He made his choice to serve God at age 14...a choice that brought him a lot of satisfaction, peace and joy all his life. He made many friends along the way. Lloyd will be greatly missed by many, but we are most thankful he lived for what is eternal and the resulting influence very much lives on with us.Funeral service will be 2 p.m. Thursday, January 6, 2022 at Ryan Mortuary with visitation from 1-2 p.m. Burial will take place Saturday, January 8, 2022 at the Greenwood Cemetery, following the service at 10:30 a.m. at the Chamberlain Chapel, Chadron, NE.To&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ryanmortuary.com/obituary/Lloyd-Smith/sympathy">send flowers</a>&nbsp;to the family or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ryanmortuary.com/obituary/Lloyd-Smith/1074854/memorial-tree">plant a tree</a>&nbsp;in memory of Lloyd, please&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ryanmortuary.com/obituary/Lloyd-Smith/sympathy">visit our floral store.</a>

Lloyd T. Smith

“It has been tough!” lament many teachers and school administrators. Before 2020, the numbers of college students pursuing K–12 teaching credentials was already falling, and shortages were growing in science, special education—and in some geographic regions—all fields of teaching. Now only the more affluent schools have been able to maintain qualified teachers.

Many teachers faced a double workload, with up to half their students in face-to-face classes while also providing “equivalent” online coursework to other students at home. Many feel overworked and exhausted from having to teach in constrained classroom conditions and with ineffective media.

Although each state uses unique assessments, most measures show student learning loss in language arts of about 40 percent; in math, 60 percent. No recognition is given to the unique traits of different disciplines. Many students advanced their reading while at home because there is a variety of interesting material available—the “Harry Potter” effect. But mathematics requires day-by-day discipline to gradually nibble more difficult math problems. Meanwhile science is meaningless without hands-on labs.

Great emphasis has been placed on social-emotional learning (SEL), ignoring that students (and the public in general) would have far less distress if they had received a far better science education. &nbsp; Education Week, the newspaper of record for K–12 education, has detailed studies showing the loss of education, as well as teacher commentaries indicating their exhaustion with double-teaching and with administrators who are not listening to them. Next to the printed research are advertisements from the Ed-Tech Industrial Complex bragging about how successful distance learning was and how the old-school Luddite teachers have now been forced to use modern technology.&nbsp; Therefore, the U.S. is likely to be one of the few places where extensive use of disastrous media will continue. &nbsp;

The massive shift to online learning has been good for the video-game business. According to the&nbsp;Washington Post, spending on video-games rose 22 percent this last year. In addition, chat platforms dedicated to gamers saw a doubling to 140 million users. Over the prior two decades, roughly 15 percent of male students have dropped out of the academic pipeline due to video-game addiction due to their greater susceptibility (only 3 percent of females are addicted). This was already contributing to the increased proportion of female students in higher education worldwide that already exceeds 60 percent. The significantly higher dropout of males from community colleges over the last two years may be one result of increased video-game addiction and may likely contribute to ongoing declines.&nbsp; As video-games become the dominant form of youth culture, academics is declining further.

Early parent protests centered around babysitting. With younger students staying home, this constrained parents going to work, and especially mothers who gave up far more jobs. The shutdown of school sports and competition likewise revealed the American obsession with sports.

K–12 school boards, normally routine non-partisan management meetings, became highly politicized events requiring police presence with occasional arrests of unruly protesters. Early disputes centered on masking requirements and COVID mitigation, but soon moved to curriculum issues concerning baseless allegations about teaching critical race theory, sex and gender education, and anything that would make their little child “uncomfortable.” Censorship of classroom and library books and media surged. Some citizens also hope the Supreme Court will permit state tax funding to go to religious schools.

Many states have seen an increase in state tax revenues. On average, half of state taxes go toward funding K–12 education. Although extra federal funding has paid for time-limited extra needs during this pandemic, few states have taken any actions to increase teacher salaries and some are looking to cut tax rates. Today, American schools have our highest number of unqualified faculty in the classroom.

The one possible good from this last year of pandemic realities has been the need for some administrators to return to the classroom as the number of teacher absences increased and exceeded&nbsp; available substitute teachers. While classes were often outside of the principal’s teaching field and added to the “babysitting” effect, many teachers reported how it did result in the administrators finally getting realistic when they found themselves in their teachers' shoes.&nbsp;&nbsp;

John Richard Schrock has trained biology teachers for more than 30 years in Kansas. He also has lectured at 27 universities in 20 trips to China. He holds the distinction of “Faculty Emeritus” at Emporia State University.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573490075841.jpeg" alt="John Richard Schrock" />
 <figcaption>John Richard Schrock</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN RICHARD SCHROCK“It has been tough!” lament many teachers and school administrators. Before 2020, the numbers of college students pursuing K–12 teaching credentials was already falling, and shortages were growing in science, special education—and in some geographic regions—all fields of teaching. Now only the more affluent schools have been able to maintain qualified teachers. Many teachers faced a double workload, with up to half their students in face-to-face classes while also providing “equivalent” online coursework to other students at home. Many feel overworked and exhausted from having to teach in constrained classroom conditions and with ineffective media. Although each state uses unique assessments, most measures show student learning loss in language arts of about 40 percent; in math, 60 percent. No recognition is given to the unique traits of different disciplines. Many students advanced their reading while at home because there is a variety of interesting material available—the “Harry Potter” effect. But mathematics requires day-by-day discipline to gradually nibble more difficult math problems. Meanwhile science is meaningless without hands-on labs. Great emphasis has been placed on social-emotional learning (SEL), ignoring that students (and the public in general) would have far less distress if they had received a far better science education. &nbsp; Education Week, the newspaper of record for K–12 education, has detailed studies showing the loss of education, as well as teacher commentaries indicating their exhaustion with double-teaching and with administrators who are not listening to them. Next to the printed research are advertisements from the Ed-Tech Industrial Complex bragging about how successful distance learning was and how the old-school Luddite teachers have now been forced to use modern technology.&nbsp; Therefore, the U.S. is likely to be one of the few places where extensive use of disastrous media will continue. &nbsp; The massive shift to online learning has been good for the video-game business. According to the&nbsp;Washington Post, spending on video-games rose 22 percent this last year. In addition, chat platforms dedicated to gamers saw a doubling to 140 million users. Over the prior two decades, roughly 15 percent of male students have dropped out of the academic pipeline due to video-game addiction due to their greater susceptibility (only 3 percent of females are addicted). This was already contributing to the increased proportion of female students in higher education worldwide that already exceeds 60 percent. The significantly higher dropout of males from community colleges over the last two years may be one result of increased video-game addiction and may likely contribute to ongoing declines.&nbsp; As video-games become the dominant form of youth culture, academics is declining further. Early parent protests centered around babysitting. With younger students staying home, this constrained parents going to work, and especially mothers who gave up far more jobs. The shutdown of school sports and competition likewise revealed the American obsession with sports. K–12 school boards, normally routine non-partisan management meetings, became highly politicized events requiring police presence with occasional arrests of unruly protesters. Early disputes centered on masking requirements and COVID mitigation, but soon moved to curriculum issues concerning baseless allegations about teaching critical race theory, sex and gender education, and anything that would make their little child “uncomfortable.” Censorship of classroom and library books and media surged. Some citizens also hope the Supreme Court will permit state tax funding to go to religious schools. Many states have seen an increase in state tax revenues. On average, half of state taxes go toward funding K–12 education. Although extra federal funding has paid for time-limited extra needs during this pandemic, few states have taken any actions to increase teacher salaries and some are looking to cut tax rates. Today, American schools have our highest number of unqualified faculty in the classroom. The one possible good from this last year of pandemic realities has been the need for some administrators to return to the classroom as the number of teacher absences increased and exceeded&nbsp; available substitute teachers. While classes were often outside of the principal’s teaching field and added to the “babysitting” effect, many teachers reported how it did result in the administrators finally getting realistic when they found themselves in their teachers' shoes.&nbsp;&nbsp;John Richard Schrock has trained biology teachers for more than 30 years in Kansas. He also has lectured at 27 universities in 20 trips to China. He holds the distinction of “Faculty Emeritus” at Emporia State University.

EDUCATION FRONTLINES: The year in K–12 education

With all the commercials and marketing that accompany the holiday season, how can parents teach their young children about giving and putting others first at this time of year?

Christmas is a traditional time to give and help others. But even for adults, it’s easy to get so caught up the glitz that we end up forgetting to teach our kids how to give and why it’s so important. How do we make sure they learn the satisfaction of giving to others at an early age? Here are a few easy ideas.  

Send an extra snack with them to school. Then, at lunch they can give it to a friend. When they get back home, find out who they shared the snack with and talk about what happened. It can be as simple as that. Also, encourage your kids to pass along compliments. Sharing a kind word with a classmate, or even their teacher, will go a long way toward brightening someone’s day any time of year.  

When you’re involved in giving or helping others in any way, take your kids with you. If you’re sponsoring a family through your church, or participating in a charity drive, let your kids be part of the buying and delivery process. When you make giving memories together, they’ll stick with your kids for years to come.

If you really want to make the kids part of the process, you could let them pick a charity to help. If you give them a commission for doing jobs around the house, or if they’re older and have a part-time job, they can start saving a percentage to donate. Another idea might be giving away old toys. Take some time to gather up all the toys they don’t play with and don’t want anymore. Search the closet together, and choose things to take to Goodwill or another charitable organization.

Remember, you’re the adult. That means it’s your job to set an example and create teachable moments. So, this year give your kids nice gifts within your budget. But take time to create situations that allow them to participate in wonderful giving experiences, as well — because giving truly is better than receiving.

Dave Ramsey&nbsp;is a seven-time No. 1 national best-selling author, personal finance expert, and host of&nbsp;The Ramsey Show, heard by more than 18 million listeners each week. He&nbsp;has appeared on Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Today Show, Fox News, CNN, Fox Business, and many more. Since 1992, Dave has helped people regain control of their money, build wealth and enhance their lives. He also serves as CEO for Ramsey Solutions.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596845065840.jpeg" alt="Dave Ramsey&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Dave Ramsey&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>Dear Dave,With all the commercials and marketing that accompany the holiday season, how can parents teach their young children about giving and putting others first at this time of year?MarynDear Maryn,Christmas is a traditional time to give and help others. But even for adults, it’s easy to get so caught up the glitz that we end up forgetting to teach our kids how to give and why it’s so important. How do we make sure they learn the satisfaction of giving to others at an early age? Here are a few easy ideas. Send an extra snack with them to school. Then, at lunch they can give it to a friend. When they get back home, find out who they shared the snack with and talk about what happened. It can be as simple as that. Also, encourage your kids to pass along compliments. Sharing a kind word with a classmate, or even their teacher, will go a long way toward brightening someone’s day any time of year. When you’re involved in giving or helping others in any way, take your kids with you. If you’re sponsoring a family through your church, or participating in a charity drive, let your kids be part of the buying and delivery process. When you make giving memories together, they’ll stick with your kids for years to come.If you really want to make the kids part of the process, you could let them pick a charity to help. If you give them a commission for doing jobs around the house, or if they’re older and have a part-time job, they can start saving a percentage to donate. Another idea might be giving away old toys. Take some time to gather up all the toys they don’t play with and don’t want anymore. Search the closet together, and choose things to take to Goodwill or another charitable organization.Remember, you’re the adult. That means it’s your job to set an example and create teachable moments. So, this year give your kids nice gifts within your budget. But take time to create situations that allow them to participate in wonderful giving experiences, as well — because giving truly is better than receiving.Merry Christmas, Maryn!DaveDave Ramsey&nbsp;is a seven-time No. 1 national best-selling author, personal finance expert, and host of&nbsp;The Ramsey Show, heard by more than 18 million listeners each week. He&nbsp;has appeared on Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Today Show, Fox News, CNN, Fox Business, and many more. Since 1992, Dave has helped people regain control of their money, build wealth and enhance their lives. He also serves as CEO for Ramsey Solutions.

DAVE SAYS: Teach them to be givers…and be an example

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs had no additional positive COVID-19 tests Wednesday, one day after seven players were added to the reserve list, a promising sign that an outbreak that infected 16 players in all may have subsided.

Now, the question facing the Chiefs — and many other teams — is whether they will have such stars as wide receiver Tyreek Hill, tight end Travis Kelce and defensive tackle Chris Jones available in time for Sunday's game against Pittsburgh.

Or for that matter, whether they will even play the Steelers on Sunday.

"It's part of the world we live in today," Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said after Wednesday's practice. "Guys have done a good job so far of trying to stay away from people. But at the end of the day, COVID can hit anyone. We have a lot of great guys in the locker room. We have full trust they can get the job done."

The Chiefs had as many as 16 players on the reserve list this week — 13 from the active roster and three from the practice squad — but got a couple of them back Wednesday. 

Wide receiver Josh Gordon and linebacker Willie Gay Jr., both of whom missed last week's win over the Chargers, were cleared to return to practice and should be available Sunday.

Jones also missed the game against Los Angeles, but has not been cleared to return to practice.

Still on the reserve list with Hill, Kelce and Jones are starting defensive backs Charvarius Ward and Rashad Fenton; starting linebacker Nick Bolton; kicker Harrison Butker; starting right tackle Lucas Niang and backup offensive lineman Kyle Long; backup tight end Blake Bell; backup safety Armani Watts.

In some positive news, cornerback L'Jarius Sneed returned to practice Wednesday. He's missed the past two games since his older brother, TQ Harrison, was stabbed to death in his hometown of Minden, La.

"L'Jarius has gone through a couple rough weeks here," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, "but he's in a good place and ready to go. That's great, great to get him back in there. I think it's good for our team. I also think it's good for him overall to keep his mind off the other thing, and be able to move forward from there."

Reid said he's not aware of any discussions to move the game against Pittsburgh from Sunday. The NFL pushed three games back in Week 15 to provide teams that were particularly hard hit by COVID-19 with more time to clear players for kickoff.

That means the Chiefs, trying protect the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoff race and clinch their sixth straight AFC West title, are busy getting a whole slew of fill-ins ready to go for a game with major postseason implications.

Gordon and Byron Pringle are in line to get more playing time alongside wide receiver Mecole Hardman should Hill be unable to play. Hill is second in the league to Cooper Kupp with 102 receptions this season.

The Chiefs already have tight end Jody Fortson on injured reserve. Losing Kelce and Hill leaves only rookie Noah Gray on the active roster at an important position in the Kansas City offense. 

Andrew Wylie would slide back into the starting job at right tackle. He's played extensively this season with starter Mike Remmers on injured reserve and Niang having missed several games with a rib injury.

On defense, the Chiefs remain hopeful that Jones will test negative and be available against Pittsburgh. The Chiefs struggled to get pressure on Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert when he was out of the lineup last week.

Gay's return should help the Chiefs deal with the potential loss of Bolton, their standout rookie linebacker, who leads the team with 102 tackles despite not assuming a starting role until midway through this season.

In the defensive backfield, Sneed is expected to start opposite Mike Hughes, who has played well the past several weeks at cornerback. Tyrann Mathieu, who tested positive for COVID-19 before the season, would continue to start alongside Juan Thornhill at safety with Daniel Sorensen backing them up.

The Chiefs added Elliott Fry to the active roster to handle kicking duties with Butker out.

"Listen, we have plenty of bodies and guys that want to play, so nothing has really changed," Reid said. "We went this long without (an outbreak) and now we're kind of working through it. You see different teams going through these stretches where that happens, and that's kind of where we're at. I don't know what is going to happen going forward."

NOTES: Practice squad wide receivers Gehrig Dieter and Daurice Fountain and linebacker Darius Harris also remain on the reserve list. ... Defensive end Joshua Kaindoh was at practice Wednesday, a sign that he's been designated to return from injured reserve. The rookie was placed on IR in October with an ankle injury and now has 21 days to return to the active roster. "He's made great progress and we're glad that he's back and healthy," Reid said, "and we'll just see how things go here."

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports WriterKANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs had no additional positive COVID-19 tests Wednesday, one day after seven players were added to the reserve list, a promising sign that an outbreak that infected 16 players in all may have subsided.Now, the question facing the Chiefs — and many other teams — is whether they will have such stars as wide receiver Tyreek Hill, tight end Travis Kelce and defensive tackle Chris Jones available in time for Sunday's game against Pittsburgh.Or for that matter, whether they will even play the Steelers on Sunday."It's part of the world we live in today," Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said after Wednesday's practice. "Guys have done a good job so far of trying to stay away from people. But at the end of the day, COVID can hit anyone. We have a lot of great guys in the locker room. We have full trust they can get the job done."The Chiefs had as many as 16 players on the reserve list this week — 13 from the active roster and three from the practice squad — but got a couple of them back Wednesday. Wide receiver Josh Gordon and linebacker Willie Gay Jr., both of whom missed last week's win over the Chargers, were cleared to return to practice and should be available Sunday.Jones also missed the game against Los Angeles, but has not been cleared to return to practice.Still on the reserve list with Hill, Kelce and Jones are starting defensive backs Charvarius Ward and Rashad Fenton; starting linebacker Nick Bolton; kicker Harrison Butker; starting right tackle Lucas Niang and backup offensive lineman Kyle Long; backup tight end Blake Bell; backup safety Armani Watts.In some positive news, cornerback L'Jarius Sneed returned to practice Wednesday. He's missed the past two games since his older brother, TQ Harrison, was stabbed to death in his hometown of Minden, La."L'Jarius has gone through a couple rough weeks here," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, "but he's in a good place and ready to go. That's great, great to get him back in there. I think it's good for our team. I also think it's good for him overall to keep his mind off the other thing, and be able to move forward from there."Reid said he's not aware of any discussions to move the game against Pittsburgh from Sunday. The NFL pushed three games back in Week 15 to provide teams that were particularly hard hit by COVID-19 with more time to clear players for kickoff.That means the Chiefs, trying protect the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoff race and clinch their sixth straight AFC West title, are busy getting a whole slew of fill-ins ready to go for a game with major postseason implications.Gordon and Byron Pringle are in line to get more playing time alongside wide receiver Mecole Hardman should Hill be unable to play. Hill is second in the league to Cooper Kupp with 102 receptions this season.The Chiefs already have tight end Jody Fortson on injured reserve. Losing Kelce and Hill leaves only rookie Noah Gray on the active roster at an important position in the Kansas City offense. Andrew Wylie would slide back into the starting job at right tackle. He's played extensively this season with starter Mike Remmers on injured reserve and Niang having missed several games with a rib injury.On defense, the Chiefs remain hopeful that Jones will test negative and be available against Pittsburgh. The Chiefs struggled to get pressure on Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert when he was out of the lineup last week.Gay's return should help the Chiefs deal with the potential loss of Bolton, their standout rookie linebacker, who leads the team with 102 tackles despite not assuming a starting role until midway through this season.In the defensive backfield, Sneed is expected to start opposite Mike Hughes, who has played well the past several weeks at cornerback. Tyrann Mathieu, who tested positive for COVID-19 before the season, would continue to start alongside Juan Thornhill at safety with Daniel Sorensen backing them up.The Chiefs added Elliott Fry to the active roster to handle kicking duties with Butker out."Listen, we have plenty of bodies and guys that want to play, so nothing has really changed," Reid said. "We went this long without (an outbreak) and now we're kind of working through it. You see different teams going through these stretches where that happens, and that's kind of where we're at. I don't know what is going to happen going forward."NOTES: Practice squad wide receivers Gehrig Dieter and Daurice Fountain and linebacker Darius Harris also remain on the reserve list. ... Defensive end Joshua Kaindoh was at practice Wednesday, a sign that he's been designated to return from injured reserve. The rookie was placed on IR in October with an ankle injury and now has 21 days to return to the active roster. "He's made great progress and we're glad that he's back and healthy," Reid said, "and we'll just see how things go here."

Chiefs with no new COVID-19 positives; Gordon, Gay return

WASHINGTON (AP) — Fighting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/omicron-majority-us-cases-833001ef99862bd6ac17935f65c896cf">the omicron variant</a>&nbsp;surging through the country, President Joe Biden announced the government will provide 500 million free rapid home-testing kits, increase support for hospitals under strain and redouble vaccination and boosting efforts.

Click below to listen to the President's statement on vaccine misinformation.

At the White House on Tuesday, Biden detailed major changes to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/videos-0b3c9530137646c0b261750472007d27">his COVID-19 winter plan</a>, his hand forced by the fast-spreading variant, whose properties are not yet fully understood by scientists. Yet his message was clear that the winter holidays could be close to normal for the vaccinated while potentially dangerous for the unvaccinated.

His pleas are not political, he emphasized. He noted that former President Donald Trump has gotten his booster shot, and he said it’s Americans’ “patriotic duty” to get vaccinated.

“It’s the only responsible thing to do,” the president said. “Omicron is serious and potentially deadly business for unvaccinated people.”

Biden chastised social media and people on cable TV who have made misleading statements to discourage people from getting vaccinated.

The outbreak from this latest strain of the coronavirus has required the federal government to get more aggressive in addressing the wave of infections, but Biden promised a weary nation that there would not be a mass lockdown of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-nhl-technology-entertainment-sports-4e3dde5757172cc9124774e13ea7c47a">schools or businesses.</a>

“I know you’re tired, and I know you’re frustrated. We all want this to be over. But we’re still in it,” Biden said. “We also have more tools than we had before. We’re ready, we’ll get through this.”

Scientists don’t know everything about omicron yet, but they do know that vaccination should offer strong protection against severe illness and death. The variant has spread at such an alarming rate since it was identified in South Africa about a month ago that the Biden administration snapped into action to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/12/21/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-new-actions-to-protect-americans-and-help-communities-and-hospitals-battle-omicron/" target="_blank">offer new tests and additional aid</a>. Still more is needed, some medical experts said.

A cornerstone of the plan is for the government to purchase 500 million&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-home-testing-kits-supply-demand-57f8ec4b7bc78d0e70216b91717287ee">coronavirus rapid tests</a>&nbsp;for free shipment to Americans starting in January. People will use a new website to order their tests, which will then be sent by U.S. mail at no charge. The 500 million could be increased, depending on developments.

It marks a major shift for Biden, who earlier had called for many Americans to purchase the hard-to-find tests on their own and then seek reimbursement from health insurance. For the first time, the U.S. government will send free COVID-19 tests directly to Americans, after more than a year of urging by public health experts.

Experts had criticized Biden’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-9939eee264b651fbc88f66c957a5e6e4">initial buy-first, get-paid-later approach</a>&nbsp;as unwieldy and warned that the U.S. would face another round of testing problems at a critical time. Testing advocates point to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-lifestyle-holidays-europe-f225f13329feb22eb525bb8931ac7e4c">nations including the U.K. and Germany,</a>&nbsp;which have distributed billions of tests to the public and recommend people test themselves twice a week.

The federal government will also establish new testing sites and use&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-2019-2020-coronavirus-pandemic-bbb0f14dd5032760657c563565ecfe06">the Defense Production Act</a>&nbsp;to help manufacture more tests. The first new federally supported testing site&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-new-york-new-york-city-nyc-state-wire-bc53a7d561a965a660f24db7e657b3fb">will open in New York</a>&nbsp;this week. The new sites will add to 20,000 already available. White House officials said they’re working with Google so that people will be able to find them by searching “free COVID test near me.”

Still, Biden’s testing surge would need to be supported by a further jump in production for all Americans to test at the recommended rate of twice weekly. The U.S. would need 2.3 billion tests per month for everyone 12 and older to do that, according to the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation. That’s nearly five times the half-billion tests Biden will deploy.

Currently, the U.S. can conduct about 600 million tests per month, with home tests accounting for about half, according to researchers from Arizona State University.

In another prong to Biden’s amped-up plan, he is prepared to deploy an additional 1,000 troops with medical skills to assist hospitals buckling under the virus surge. Also, he is immediately sending federal medical personnel to Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Arizona, New Hampshire and Vermont. And there are plans to ready additional ventilators and protective equipment from the national stockpile, expanding hospital resources.

As a backstop, the Federal Emergency Management Agency will deploy hundreds of ambulances and paramedic teams so that if one hospital fills up, it can transport patients to open beds in another. Ambulances are already headed to New York and Maine, and paramedic teams are going to New Hampshire, Vermont and Arizona.

But vaccination remains the main defense, since it can head off disease in the first place. The government will support multiple vaccination sites and provide hundreds of personnel to administer shots. New rules will make it easier for pharmacists to work across state lines to administer a broader range of shots.

Biden said in response to a question that he may lift the Southern Africa travel ban that was imposed to delay omicron from reaching the U.S.

Some prominent experts said that Biden’s new actions are a step in the right direction but he hasn’t gone far enough, given the risks of infections and hospitals being overwhelmed.

“I don’t know that the measures being proposed are going to be adequate,” said Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

Hotez said the government may need to authorize a second booster shot for health care workers to prevent infections that would sideline clinicians when all hands are needed.

Dr. Eric Topol, professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research in La Jolla, California, said the administration “finally sees the light” with Biden’s plan to ship 500 million tests, but “we need to pull out all the stops, and we’re not doing that still.”

“We don’t have control of this pandemic here,” said Topol.

He said the government could redefine “fully vaccinated” as three shots instead of two of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, Biden could order a ban on air travel by people who are not fully vaccinated, and the government could use its authority to ramp up production of high quality masks for free distribution.

“There’s a lack of boldness,” Topol said. “I am disappointed.”

Scientists say omicron spreads even more easily than other coronavirus strains, including delta. It accounted for nearly three-quarters of new U.S. infections last week.

Underscoring the reach of the virus, the White House said late Monday that Biden had been in close contact with a staff member who later tested positive for COVID-19. The staffer spent about 30 minutes around the president on Air Force One on Friday. The staffer, who was fully vaccinated and boosted, tested positive Monday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.

Psaki said Biden has tested negative twice since Sunday and will test again on Wednesday. He cleared his throat several times at Tuesday’s event but spoke firmly and appeared fine.

In New York City,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-omicron-coronavirus-holidays-179cd759ed851789db86fa206986a736">nearly 42,600 people citywide tested positive</a>&nbsp;from Wednesday through Saturday — compared with fewer than 35,800 in the entire month of November. The city has never had so many people test positive in such a short period of time since testing became widely available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640115794186.png" alt="At the White House on Tuesday, President Biden asked those on social media and cable TV who he believes are spreading COVID vaccine misinformation to "stop it, stop it now!"" />
 <figcaption>At the White House on Tuesday, President Biden asked those on social media and cable TV who he believes are spreading COVID vaccine misinformation to "stop it, stop it now!"</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Fighting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/omicron-majority-us-cases-833001ef99862bd6ac17935f65c896cf">the omicron variant</a>&nbsp;surging through the country, President Joe Biden announced the government will provide 500 million free rapid home-testing kits, increase support for hospitals under strain and redouble vaccination and boosting efforts.Click below to listen to the President's statement on vaccine misinformation.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/95NfeWiJfRs?start=699" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>At the White House on Tuesday, Biden detailed major changes to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/videos-0b3c9530137646c0b261750472007d27">his COVID-19 winter plan</a>, his hand forced by the fast-spreading variant, whose properties are not yet fully understood by scientists. Yet his message was clear that the winter holidays could be close to normal for the vaccinated while potentially dangerous for the unvaccinated.His pleas are not political, he emphasized. He noted that former President Donald Trump has gotten his booster shot, and he said it’s Americans’ “patriotic duty” to get vaccinated.“It’s the only responsible thing to do,” the president said. “Omicron is serious and potentially deadly business for unvaccinated people.”Biden chastised social media and people on cable TV who have made misleading statements to discourage people from getting vaccinated.The outbreak from this latest strain of the coronavirus has required the federal government to get more aggressive in addressing the wave of infections, but Biden promised a weary nation that there would not be a mass lockdown of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-nhl-technology-entertainment-sports-4e3dde5757172cc9124774e13ea7c47a">schools or businesses.</a>“I know you’re tired, and I know you’re frustrated. We all want this to be over. But we’re still in it,” Biden said. “We also have more tools than we had before. We’re ready, we’ll get through this.”Scientists don’t know everything about omicron yet, but they do know that vaccination should offer strong protection against severe illness and death. The variant has spread at such an alarming rate since it was identified in South Africa about a month ago that the Biden administration snapped into action to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/12/21/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-new-actions-to-protect-americans-and-help-communities-and-hospitals-battle-omicron/" target="_blank">offer new tests and additional aid</a>. Still more is needed, some medical experts said.A cornerstone of the plan is for the government to purchase 500 million&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-home-testing-kits-supply-demand-57f8ec4b7bc78d0e70216b91717287ee">coronavirus rapid tests</a>&nbsp;for free shipment to Americans starting in January. People will use a new website to order their tests, which will then be sent by U.S. mail at no charge. The 500 million could be increased, depending on developments.It marks a major shift for Biden, who earlier had called for many Americans to purchase the hard-to-find tests on their own and then seek reimbursement from health insurance. For the first time, the U.S. government will send free COVID-19 tests directly to Americans, after more than a year of urging by public health experts.Experts had criticized Biden’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-9939eee264b651fbc88f66c957a5e6e4">initial buy-first, get-paid-later approach</a>&nbsp;as unwieldy and warned that the U.S. would face another round of testing problems at a critical time. Testing advocates point to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-lifestyle-holidays-europe-f225f13329feb22eb525bb8931ac7e4c">nations including the U.K. and Germany,</a>&nbsp;which have distributed billions of tests to the public and recommend people test themselves twice a week.The federal government will also establish new testing sites and use&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-2019-2020-coronavirus-pandemic-bbb0f14dd5032760657c563565ecfe06">the Defense Production Act</a>&nbsp;to help manufacture more tests. The first new federally supported testing site&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-new-york-new-york-city-nyc-state-wire-bc53a7d561a965a660f24db7e657b3fb">will open in New York</a>&nbsp;this week. The new sites will add to 20,000 already available. White House officials said they’re working with Google so that people will be able to find them by searching “free COVID test near me.”Still, Biden’s testing surge would need to be supported by a further jump in production for all Americans to test at the recommended rate of twice weekly. The U.S. would need 2.3 billion tests per month for everyone 12 and older to do that, according to the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation. That’s nearly five times the half-billion tests Biden will deploy.Currently, the U.S. can conduct about 600 million tests per month, with home tests accounting for about half, according to researchers from Arizona State University.In another prong to Biden’s amped-up plan, he is prepared to deploy an additional 1,000 troops with medical skills to assist hospitals buckling under the virus surge. Also, he is immediately sending federal medical personnel to Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Arizona, New Hampshire and Vermont. And there are plans to ready additional ventilators and protective equipment from the national stockpile, expanding hospital resources.As a backstop, the Federal Emergency Management Agency will deploy hundreds of ambulances and paramedic teams so that if one hospital fills up, it can transport patients to open beds in another. Ambulances are already headed to New York and Maine, and paramedic teams are going to New Hampshire, Vermont and Arizona.But vaccination remains the main defense, since it can head off disease in the first place. The government will support multiple vaccination sites and provide hundreds of personnel to administer shots. New rules will make it easier for pharmacists to work across state lines to administer a broader range of shots.Biden said in response to a question that he may lift the Southern Africa travel ban that was imposed to delay omicron from reaching the U.S.Some prominent experts said that Biden’s new actions are a step in the right direction but he hasn’t gone far enough, given the risks of infections and hospitals being overwhelmed.“I don’t know that the measures being proposed are going to be adequate,” said Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.Hotez said the government may need to authorize a second booster shot for health care workers to prevent infections that would sideline clinicians when all hands are needed.Dr. Eric Topol, professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research in La Jolla, California, said the administration “finally sees the light” with Biden’s plan to ship 500 million tests, but “we need to pull out all the stops, and we’re not doing that still.”“We don’t have control of this pandemic here,” said Topol.He said the government could redefine “fully vaccinated” as three shots instead of two of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, Biden could order a ban on air travel by people who are not fully vaccinated, and the government could use its authority to ramp up production of high quality masks for free distribution.“There’s a lack of boldness,” Topol said. “I am disappointed.”Scientists say omicron spreads even more easily than other coronavirus strains, including delta. It accounted for nearly three-quarters of new U.S. infections last week.Underscoring the reach of the virus, the White House said late Monday that Biden had been in close contact with a staff member who later tested positive for COVID-19. The staffer spent about 30 minutes around the president on Air Force One on Friday. The staffer, who was fully vaccinated and boosted, tested positive Monday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.Psaki said Biden has tested negative twice since Sunday and will test again on Wednesday. He cleared his throat several times at Tuesday’s event but spoke firmly and appeared fine.In New York City,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-omicron-coronavirus-holidays-179cd759ed851789db86fa206986a736">nearly 42,600 people citywide tested positive</a>&nbsp;from Wednesday through Saturday — compared with fewer than 35,800 in the entire month of November. The city has never had so many people test positive in such a short period of time since testing became widely available.___

🎥 Biden on vaccine misinformation: Stop it, stop it now!

Michael Gene Hart, age 70, formerly of Concordia, Kansas, passed away on Friday, December 17, 2021 at Autumn Oaks Caring Center in Mountain Grove, Missouri. He was born on August 1, 1951 to Norman E. and Joyce (Ellis) Hart Hammang.

Michael attended Concordia Public Schools.

Michael worked for Combustion Engineering in Concordia for several years.

He enjoyed playing pool and listening to music.

Michael is survived by two sisters, Michelle Reed (Doyle) of Concordia, and Lonnie Yockers of Bartlesville, OK; and a brother, Mark Hart of Fremont, NE.

He was preceded in death by his parents Norman E. Hart and Joyce E. Hammang; a brother, Danny Hart; and sister-in-law, Alice Hart, brother-in-law, Lanny Yockers.

Visitation will be held from 1-5 pm on Tuesday, January 4, 2022 at the Chaput-Buoy Funeral Home, Concordia, Kansas. 

A private Family graveside service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, January 5, 2022, at the Sulphur Springs Cemetery rural, Concordia, Kansas.

Memorial contributions may be given to the Freedom Club, Concordia in care of Chaput-Buoy Funeral Home, PO Box 606, Concordia, KS 66901.  For online condolences, please visit www.chaputbuoy.com.

Michael Gene Hart, age 70, formerly of Concordia, Kansas, passed away on Friday, December 17, 2021 at Autumn Oaks Caring Center in Mountain Grove, Missouri. He was born on August 1, 1951 to Norman E. and Joyce (Ellis) Hart Hammang.Michael attended Concordia Public Schools.Michael worked for Combustion Engineering in Concordia for several years.He enjoyed playing pool and listening to music.Michael is survived by two sisters, Michelle Reed (Doyle) of Concordia, and Lonnie Yockers of Bartlesville, OK; and a brother, Mark Hart of Fremont, NE.He was preceded in death by his parents Norman E. Hart and Joyce E. Hammang; a brother, Danny Hart; and sister-in-law, Alice Hart, brother-in-law, Lanny Yockers.Visitation will be held from 1-5 pm on Tuesday, January 4, 2022 at the Chaput-Buoy Funeral Home, Concordia, Kansas. A private Family graveside service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, January 5, 2022, at the Sulphur Springs Cemetery rural, Concordia, Kansas.Memorial contributions may be given to the Freedom Club, Concordia in care of Chaput-Buoy Funeral Home, PO Box 606, Concordia, KS 66901. For online condolences, please visit www.chaputbuoy.com.

Michael Gene Hart

My wife and I are trying to help our son and daughter-in-law. They are both 29-years old, and they have been married for three years. They have good jobs, but the problem is they ask for money on a regular basis. Helping them out hasn’t been a strain, because we’re in good shape financially, but we have started encouraging them to live on a monthly budget. They always say they will try, but it never seems to happen. At this point, it feels like we may be enabling them instead of helping. How can we make sure we are doing the best thing?

The first thing you and your wife need to do is sit down and have a loving, but serious, talk with these&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/relationships/why-kids-need-value-hard-work?int_cmpgn=no_campaign&amp;int_dept=dr_blog_bu&amp;int_lctn=Blog-Text_Link&amp;int_fmt=text&amp;int_dscpn=ways_to_teach_kids_about_money_blog-inline_link_why_kids_need_value_hard_work" target="_blank">kids</a>. If they’ve asked for money before, and this is something that has turned into a habit, you have every right to know more about their spending and other circumstances.

Don’t be surprised if they act defensive, or maybe even get angry. People are often embarrassed to admit to, or talk about, their&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/real-estate/4-mistakes-to-avoid-when-renting" target="_blank">mistakes</a>. They may even tell you these things are none of your business. If they do, that’s fine. But they should understand you two won’t be opening your checkbook again if they don’t open up about their financial behavior. This isn’t about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/relationships/talk-to-your-parents-about-money" target="_blank">mom and dad</a>&nbsp;being controlling or snooping around, it’s about you and your wife making sure you’re not enabling what you consider to be bad behavior going forward.

It always hurts parents to see their kids go through things like this. But if they’re acting irresponsibly with money, they need to suffer the consequences of their actions. Who knows? That, along with your love and guidance, might help put them on the right track to win with money!

<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/" target="_blank">Dave Ramsey</a>&nbsp;is a seven-time #1 national best-selling author, personal finance expert, and host of&nbsp;The Ramsey Show, heard by more than 18 million listeners each week. He&nbsp;has appeared on Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Today Show, Fox News, CNN, Fox Business, and many more. Since 1992, Dave has helped people regain control of their money, build wealth and enhance their lives. He also serves as CEO for Ramsey Solutions.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596845065840.jpeg" alt="Dave Ramsey" />
 <figcaption>Dave Ramsey</figcaption>
 </figure>Dear Dave,My wife and I are trying to help our son and daughter-in-law. They are both 29-years old, and they have been married for three years. They have good jobs, but the problem is they ask for money on a regular basis. Helping them out hasn’t been a strain, because we’re in good shape financially, but we have started encouraging them to live on a monthly budget. They always say they will try, but it never seems to happen. At this point, it feels like we may be enabling them instead of helping. How can we make sure we are doing the best thing?C.M.Dear C.M.,The first thing you and your wife need to do is sit down and have a loving, but serious, talk with these&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/relationships/why-kids-need-value-hard-work?int_cmpgn=no_campaign&amp;int_dept=dr_blog_bu&amp;int_lctn=Blog-Text_Link&amp;int_fmt=text&amp;int_dscpn=ways_to_teach_kids_about_money_blog-inline_link_why_kids_need_value_hard_work" target="_blank">kids</a>. If they’ve asked for money before, and this is something that has turned into a habit, you have every right to know more about their spending and other circumstances.Don’t be surprised if they act defensive, or maybe even get angry. People are often embarrassed to admit to, or talk about, their&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/real-estate/4-mistakes-to-avoid-when-renting" target="_blank">mistakes</a>. They may even tell you these things are none of your business. If they do, that’s fine. But they should understand you two won’t be opening your checkbook again if they don’t open up about their financial behavior. This isn’t about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/relationships/talk-to-your-parents-about-money" target="_blank">mom and dad</a>&nbsp;being controlling or snooping around, it’s about you and your wife making sure you’re not enabling what you consider to be bad behavior going forward.It always hurts parents to see their kids go through things like this. But if they’re acting irresponsibly with money, they need to suffer the consequences of their actions. Who knows? That, along with your love and guidance, might help put them on the right track to win with money!Dave<a href="https://www.ramseysolutions.com/" target="_blank">Dave Ramsey</a>&nbsp;is a seven-time #1 national best-selling author, personal finance expert, and host of&nbsp;The Ramsey Show, heard by more than 18 million listeners each week. He&nbsp;has appeared on Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Today Show, Fox News, CNN, Fox Business, and many more. Since 1992, Dave has helped people regain control of their money, build wealth and enhance their lives. He also serves as CEO for Ramsey Solutions.

DAVE SAYS: What’s the best thing?

Darrell Ward, 72, of Salina, passed away December 10, 2021 at home peacefully in his sleep. He was born March 1, 1949 in Russell, Kansas to Dean and Helen (Strecker) Ward. He married Ileta Hoffman June 16, 1979 in Navarrre, Kansas. Darrell attended school at Russell and Plainville. He served in the United States Army for 4 years. Darrell worked 22 years at Exide in Salina before retiring from Kriz-Davis. His love for music started in his younger years when he played trumpet in a band. You could always find him in his garage listening to music. He is survived by his wife, Ileta of Salina; sons, Christopher Ward (Elizabeth) of Independence, Brian Baldridge of Hutchinson and daughter, Lisa Bunch of Salina; brother, Brad Ward of Tomball, Texas; 7 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren. Darrell was preceded in death by his parents; and brother, Larry. A memorial service will be held at 10:00 am, Monday December 27th at Carlson-Geisendorf Funeral Home. Memorial donations may be made to the family in care of Carlson-Geisendorf Funeral Home,&nbsp;500 S. Ohio St., Salina, Kansas 67401. To send an online condolence, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.carlsonfh.net/" target="_blank">www.carlsonfh.net</a>&nbsp;or on Facebook.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639536077107.jpeg" alt="Darrell Ward" />
 <figcaption>Darrell Ward</figcaption>
 </figure>Darrell Ward, 72, of Salina, passed away December 10, 2021 at home peacefully in his sleep. He was born March 1, 1949 in Russell, Kansas to Dean and Helen (Strecker) Ward. He married Ileta Hoffman June 16, 1979 in Navarrre, Kansas. Darrell attended school at Russell and Plainville. He served in the United States Army for 4 years. Darrell worked 22 years at Exide in Salina before retiring from Kriz-Davis. His love for music started in his younger years when he played trumpet in a band. You could always find him in his garage listening to music. He is survived by his wife, Ileta of Salina; sons, Christopher Ward (Elizabeth) of Independence, Brian Baldridge of Hutchinson and daughter, Lisa Bunch of Salina; brother, Brad Ward of Tomball, Texas; 7 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren. Darrell was preceded in death by his parents; and brother, Larry. A memorial service will be held at 10:00 am, Monday December 27th at Carlson-Geisendorf Funeral Home. Memorial donations may be made to the family in care of Carlson-Geisendorf Funeral Home,&nbsp;500 S. Ohio St., Salina, Kansas 67401. To send an online condolence, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.carlsonfh.net/" target="_blank">www.carlsonfh.net</a>&nbsp;or on Facebook.&nbsp;&nbsp;