Jury Convicts KU Professor of Wire Fraud for Secret China Work
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP/KNS) — - A researcher at the University of Kansas was convicted Thursday of illegally concealing work he was doing for China while employed at KU. But U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson continues to weigh a defense motion to dismiss the case against Feng "Franklin" Tao of Lawrence. Jurors found him guilty of three counts of wire fraud and one count of false statements for not disclosing on conflict of interest forms that he had been named to a Chinese talent program, the Changjiang Professorship, on grant applications. As part of that program he traveled to China to set up a laboratory and recruit staff for Fuzhou University, telling the University of Kansas he was in Germany instead. Peter Zeidenberg, one of Tao’s attorneys, said he was disappointed in the verdict but noted the judge said there were significant issues with the evidence in the case. The verdict followed a two-week-long trial that drew the attention of civil rights activists, who claimed the case unfairly targeted Chinese Americans.
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Governor Likely to Veto Bill Banning Transgender Athletes from Women's Sports
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) — A bill passed by the Kansas Legislature to ban transgender athletes from competing in girl’s and women’s sports is likely headed for a veto. The bill - pushed by Republicans - would prohibit transgender girls and women from participating in interscholastic female sports. Governor Laura Kelly vetoed a similar measure last year. She says she’s leaning that way again. “Do I know what I’m going to do? Most likely, it’s very reminiscent of what they put before me before," Kelly said. Supporters of the bill say it’s about fairness. Opponents say it’s about placating conservative voters. The measure got more than enough votes to pass both the House and Senate, but not enough to signal that Kelly would be overridden if she vetoes it.
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Kansas Senators Moran and Marshall Vote Against Jackson Nomination
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed Thursday as the first Black woman to serve on the United States Supreme Court. Both U.S. Senators from Kansas, Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall, voted against Jackson’s nomination. Marshall announced his no vote in March, saying that Jackson would support President Joe Biden’s quote "left-wing agenda." In a statement, Moran says he voted against Jackson's nomination due to her lack of a judicial philosophy. Jackson will begin hearing cases during the court’s next term in October following the retirement of Justice Stephen Breyer.
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Political Scientists Testify in Redistricting Lawsuit
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KNS) — -Several political scientists testified this week about how they think Republicans gerrymandered the new Kansas congressional map.The judge presiding over a trial to toss out the map has called the evidence overwhelming. The political scientists argued that analysis shows the Kansas Legislature’s redrawing of the districts carves up racially diverse voters and Democratic strongholds. Attorneys defending the map argued that there is no standard in Kansas to prove what is and isn’t gerrymandering. But Judge Bill Klapper said from the bench that the political scientists used different tests that all came to the same conclusion. He said the question is whether gerrymandering violates the state constitution. The trial is scheduled to continue next week and a ruling is expected about a week later.
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Board: Physician-Legislator's COVID Directive Has No Weight
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas board that licenses health care providers raised concerns Friday about a letter that a physician-legislator sent to doctors suggesting that they prescribe ivermectin and other medications that aren’t approved to treat the virus. The Kansas Board of Healing Arts said that the “unprecedented” letter from Kansas state Senator Mark Steffen carried no legal or regulatory weight but has caused “confusion and concern” in the Kansas medical community. The Kansas City Star reports that Steffen, who is an anesthesiologist, said that health care providers will be shielded from the board’s “interference” in the letter that he sent last week on Senate stationery. The Hutchinson Republican said previously that the board is investigating him.
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Kansas State Senator Mark Steffen Sends Letters to Physicians on COVID-19
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas physician-legislator who has acknowledged that he is under investigation by the state medical board after supporting the deworming drug ivermectin is instructing doctors on COVID-19 treatment in a letter. The Wichita Eagle reports that Kansas Senator Mark Steffen sent a letter on official Senate stationery to health care providers telling them that the way COVID-19 patients are treated has changed and that they will be shielded from Board of Healing Arts “interference.” The Hutchinson Republican cites the recent Senate passage of a measure that specifically authorizes doctors to prescribe ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine, among other drugs, to treat COVID-19. But the proposal remains bogged down in negotiations with the House.
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Wildfire Forces Evacuation of Southern Nebraska Town; Volunteer Fire Chief Dies
EDISON, Neb. (AP) — A wildfire in southern Nebraska fueled by dry conditions and strong winds forced the evacuation of the small village of Edison and a rural fire chief was killed in a crash while he was responding to the blaze. The Nebraska State Patrol called for a mandatory evacuation Thursday night of the Furnas County community of about 130 people about 187 miles southwest of Lincoln as a large fire neared the town. The patrol also said that Elwood Volunteer Fire Chief Darren Krull died after the emergency SUV he was a passenger in collided with a water tanker as smoke from the fire cut visibility to zero. Critical fire weather conditions were forecast for Friday from the central Plains to the northwestern Gulf Coast, including parts of Texas and Louisiana. Much of Nebraska and Kansas could see wind gusts of up to 35 mph.
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Kansas Hopes to Modernize Unemployment Processing System
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - The Kansas Department of Labor has selected a company to modernize its aging unemployment system. That system failed to keep up with skyrocketing unemployment claims during the COVID-19 pandemic. The backlog of Kansas unemployment claims during the early part of the pandemic led Republicans to criticize Democratic Governor Laura Kelly's administration. But Kelly blamed the problems on an outdated computer system that lawmakers and past governors had failed to update. Tata Consultancy Services will now update the state’s infrastructure for processing unemployment claims. Overhauling the system could cost tens of millions of dollars. The current system was launched over four decades ago. Tata Consultancy has worked on similar projects in Mississippi, Missouri and New York.
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Kansas Lawmakers May Still Move to Reduce State Sales Tax on Food
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - Kansas lawmakers failed to vote on a measure to reduce the sales tax on groceries before adjourning for a long break. But the bill will be on their to-do list when they come back at the end of the month to wrap up the 2022 session. At the start of the session, Democratic Governor Laura Kelly called on lawmakers to quickly send her a bill exempting groceries from the state’s 6.5% sales tax. That didn’t happen. But with the end of the session looming, House and Senate negotiators buckled down and came up with a compromise. It would reduce the tax to 4% starting in January and then, says Republican Representative Adam Smith, "phase it out." "It takes three years to get all the way to zero, but it gets there," he said. That gradual approach, Smith says, will spread out the impact on the state treasury. He says while the bill doesn’t follow the governor’s timetable, it’s as close as lawmakers could come. “I think we’ve reached a good compromise and I hope she’d see that favorably," Smith said. The governor hasn’t yet said whether she would sign the compromise bill.
(-Related-)
Kansas Set to Slash Taxes Again, this Time with Democrats Joining
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Republican-controlled Kansas Legislature is poised to slash taxes again only a decade after a GOP governor launched a tax-cutting experiment that became nationally notorious for the budget shortfalls that followed. This time, Democrats aren’t warning that big tax cuts will tank the budget. Instead, they’re arguing about how taxes should be cut, favoring proposals from Democratic Governor Laura Kelly to lower the cost of groceries and give Kansas residents $250 income tax rebates. While Republicans remain wary of Kelly's proposals, legislators could cut taxes by nearly $1.5 billion over the next three years. Proposed tax cuts await them when they return April 25 from their annual spring break.
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15 Taken to the Hospital After Kansas City Apartment Fire
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Fifteen people were taken to the hospital after a fire erupted early Friday at a Kansas City apartment building, including five adults who were seriously injured when they jumped from the second floor to escape the flames. A fire department spokesman said the top two floors of the three-story building were ablaze when crews arrived around 12:30 am. He said crews used ladders to reach the residents. Nine of the injured were children, with two of them listed in critical condition. The cause of the blaze has not yet been determined.
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Kansas Police Identify 3 Dead in Suspected Murder-Suicide
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — Police in suburban Kansas City, Kansas, have identified three people killed in a suspected murder-suicide. Overland Park police said in a news release that officers went to the home Thursday morning after a woman was unable to contact her family inside the home. Upon entering the home, officers found the three bodies, along with a dead family pet. Police have identified the three dead as 71-year-old Johnnie Hill, 64-year-old Susan Hill and 34-year-old Desiree Hill. Police have not said who they suspect the shooter was and say the investigation is still being conducted.
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Woman Dies in Suburban Kansas City House Fire
BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. (AP) - Authorities say a woman has died after being pulled from a burning home in suburban Kansas City this week. The Kansas City Star reports that the 70-year-old woman died Wednesday, two days after firefighters were called to a fire at a duplex in Blue Springs and found her in the burning home. She was rushed her to a hospital with critical injuries. Officials have not yet released the woman's name. The Central Jackson County Fire Protection District says an investigation will determine the cause of the fire.
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Study: Broadband Internet Elusive in Rural Kansas
HAYS, Kan. (KNS) - A new study has pinpointed where fast internet is most elusive in Kansas - in rural parts of the state. In 95 Kansas ZIP codes, people lack what the federal government defines as broadband. That includes nearly 90,000 people in rural areas from Jefferson County in the northeast to Stevens County in the southwest, who can’t get 25 megabits per second. Donna Ginther, who led the University of Kansas survey, says those slow speeds can disrupt the lives of the people who live in rural areas. "They have to drive to town and sit in the parking lot outside of McDonald's or go to the library to do their homework," she said. The study also says more than one million Kansans — including some near Wichita and Topeka — still don’t have internet speeds of 100 megabits per second, the baseline for doing things like attending school remotely or getting telehealth services.
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Parole Revoked for Iowa Man Convicted of Lottery Rigging in Kansas, Other States
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A man serving a 25-year prison sentence for rigging computers to win lottery jackpots has had his parole revoked after he got into trouble in prison just before his scheduled release. The Iowa Board of Parole approved Eddie Tipton for release in January for good behavior, after he had served nearly five years of his 25-year sentence. The board reversed its decision and rescinded his parole in March after a major disciplinary incident occurred and prison officials recommended revocation of his parole. Tipton pleaded guilty in 2017 to ongoing criminal conduct and was ordered to repay $2.2 million in ill-gotten winnings from lotteries in Colorado, Wisconsin, Kansas and Oklahoma.
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Zoos Hiding Birds as Avian Flu Spreads in North America
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Zoos across North America are moving their birds indoors and away from people and wildlife as they try to protect them from the highly contagious and potentially deadly avian influenza. Penguins may be the only birds visitors to many zoos can see right now, because they already are kept inside and usually protected behind glass in their exhibits. Nearly 23 million chickens and turkeys have already been killed across the United States to limit the spread of the virus. Zoos are working hard to prevent any of their birds from meeting the same fate. Birds spread the virus through droppings and nasal discharge. Experts say it can be spread through contaminated equipment, clothing, boots and vehicles carrying supplies.
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Prosecutors Won't Retry Kansas City Man for 2003 Killing
Prosecutors say they won’t seek to retry a Kansas City man after the Missouri Supreme Court overturned his conviction because the case is “tainted from all directions.” The Jackson County prosecutor’s office said in a statement Friday that there is insufficient evidence to prove that Keith Carnes fatally shot a rival drug dealer, 24-year-old Larry White, in 2003 in a Kansas City parking garage. The announcement came just three days after the Missouri Supreme Court set aside Carnes’ first-degree murder and armed criminal action convictions, ordering him to be released from prison within 30 days unless prosecutors move to retry him.
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New App Helps Bring Comics to Life for Visually Impaired
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) - A researcher at Wichita State University is developing an app to bring comic books to life for visually impaired readers. The Kansas News Service reports the technology could have uses far beyond superhero stories. Wichita State English Professor Darren DeFrain and former student Aaron Rodriguez created Vizling — an app that uses audio narration along with sensory clues to describe image-heavy materials. Visually impaired readers drag their fingers across a screen to get a full description of what’s on the page. That’s helpful with comics, but DeFrain says it could also help with charts, medical illustrations — even IKEA instructions. “So you would get little triggers that would give you like a ‘bzzz-bzzz,’ you know, telling you, ‘Oops, you’re moving in the wrong direction with the narrative," he said. DeFrain’s team has received nearly $400,000 in grants to develop the app. They’re testing a prototype and hope to release the app for free this summer.
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Parade Through Lawrence Set for Sunday to Celebrate Jayhawks' Championship
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) _ Fans of the Kansas Jayhawks basketball team will celebrate the team’s world championship victory on Sunday with a parade through downtown Lawrence. KU athletics officials say the parade will run south on Massachusetts Street from 6th Street to 19th Street beginning at 2:00 pm. The parade will feature the team along with the university's Kansas Spirit Squad and the KU band. Massachusetts Street will be closed to traffic from early Sunday morning until two hours after the parade ends. (Read the news release from KU Athletics.)
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Royals Agree with All-Star Whit Merrifield on Restructured Deal
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — All-Star outfielder Whit Merrifield and the Kansas City Royals agreed to a restructured contract late Wednesday in which the club exercised its option for next season and the two sides added a mutual option for 2024. Merrifield, who made his second All-Star team last season, will earn $7 million this season and $2.75 million in 2023, a figure that would escalate by $4 million if he spends 109 days or fewer on the injured list this season. The mutual option is for $18 million with a $500,000 buyout.
The 33-year-old Merrifield hit .277 with an American League-leading 40 stolen bases and 42 doubles last season, becoming the first player since Charlie Gehringer in 1929 to lead the AL in both categories. Merrifield also had 40-plus doubles and 40-plus steals in 2018, making him one of seven players in big league history with at least two such seasons. Merrifield's value to the Royals is more than just his bat and base-running ability. One of baseball's most versatile players, Merrifield is also capable of playing first base, second base and third base along with all three outfield positions.
The growth of second baseman Nicky Lopez last season, and the arrival of top prospect Bobby Witt Jr. at third base this season, means Merrifield will play mostly in the outfield again. In the Thursday afternoon season opener, Merrifield extended his club record — and the longest active streak in the majors — to 470 consecutive games played.
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Witt a Debut! Royals Rookie Stars in 3-1 Win over Guardians
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. capped his highly anticipated big league debut with his first hit, a go-ahead double with two outs in the eighth inning, sending the Kansas City Royals to a 3-1 victory over the rechristened Cleveland Guardians. Andrew Benintendi drove in Witt after his clutch hit, giving Royals reliever Scott Barlow a cushion. And after a perfect eighth, Barlow struck out Myles Straw with runners on the corners in the ninth to end it. In a matchup of former Cy Young Award winners, Cleveland ace Shane Bieber and erstwhile Royals star Zach Greinke dueled to a 1-all stalemate before turning the game over to the bullpens on a cold day at Kauffman Stadium.
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These area headlines are curated by KPR news staffers, including J. Schafer, Laura Lorson, Kaye McIntyre, and Tom Parkinson. Our headlines are generally posted by 10 am weekdays, 11 am weekends. This news summary is made possible by KPR listener-members. Become one today!