Governor Vetoes Kansas Bill on Live Deliveries During Abortion
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed a bill on Friday that could have penalized doctors accused of not providing enough care to infants delivered alive during certain kinds of abortion procedures.
In a statement on her website, Kelly, a Democrat, called the legislation “misleading and unnecessary.”
The legislation could have subjected doctors to lawsuits and criminal charges in certain kinds of abortions and in circumstances when doctors induce labor to deliver a fetus that is expected to die within minutes or even seconds outside the womb. Kelly vetoed a similar bill in 2019.
“Federal law already protects newborns, and the procedure being described in this bill does not exist in Kansas in the era of modern medicine,” Kelly said Friday. “The intent of this bill is to interfere in medical decisions that should remain between doctors and their patients."
Kansas' Republican-controlled Legislature gave final passage to the bill earlier this month, and in both chambers, the bill passed with a veto-proof majority. Still, the bill's fate has been uncertain in a legal and political climate that's made Kansas an outlier on abortion policy among states with GOP-led legislatures.
Even if abortion opponents succeed in overriding any veto, the measure could still be challenged in court and not enforced. Lawsuits have prevented Kansas from enforcing a 2015 ban on a common second-trimester abortion procedure and a 2011 law imposing extra health and safety rules for abortion providers.
Kansas abortion opponents haven’t pushed to ban abortion outright despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in June 2022 that the U.S. Constitution allows it. The Kansas Supreme Court ruled in 2019 that access to abortion is a “fundamental” right under the state constitution, and in August 2022, voters decisively rejected a proposed change to strip away protections for abortion rights.
This bill applies not only to “botched” or “unsuccessful” abortions but also when doctors induce labor to deliver a fetus that is expected to die within minutes or even seconds outside the womb, which often occurs because of a severe medical issue. The measure was similar to a proposed law that Montana voters rejected in November.
The Kansas measure is similar to laws in several other states requiring infants delivered alive during labor and delivery abortions to go to a hospital and imposing criminal penalties for doctors who don’t provide the same care “a reasonably diligent and conscientious” provider would with other live births.
In Kansas, failing to provide reasonable care for such a newborn would be a felony, punishable by a year’s probation for a first-time offender. Also, the newborn’s parents and the parents or guardians of minors seeking abortions could sue providers.
Critics of the bill have said the state would be intervening in difficult medical and ethical decisions between doctors and parents. They also said parents could be forced to accept futile and expensive care.
Supporters have said the measure was necessary, and they considered it a humanitarian issue.
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UPDATE: Firefighters Battle Kansas Wildfires
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - The Kansas Division of Emergency Management continues to monitor wildfires across the state. One of those blazes, called the Haddam Wildfire, has been burning in Washington County since Thursday.
Wildfire resources - including airplanes and helicopters from the Kansas Forest Service and Kansas Army National Guard - will be available and prepared to respond quickly to any requests for assistance.
Much of the state remains under a Red Flag Warning with a high wind advisory. A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will shortly. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior. Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly and become very difficult to control.
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Kansas Governor Issues Emergency Disaster Declaration Due to Wildfires
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - Governor Laura Kelly has declared a disaster emergency following an outbreak of wildfires across the state. The declaration will allow the state to preposition assets for a quicker response to any new fires that erupt. State resources, including airplanes and helicopters, will be available and prepared to respond quickly to any requests for assistance. Extreme dryness across Kansas, combined with warmer temperatures and persistent gusty winds, have resulted in elevated fire concerns. Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly and become extremely difficult to control. Outdoor burning is not recommended. “The persistent drought is leaving the majority of Kansas very vulnerable to wildfires,” said Mark Neely, Fire Management Officer for the Kansas Forest Service.
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Kansas Lawmaker, Governor at Odds over Tax Plans
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - The richest Kansans would benefit the most from the state ditching its three bracket income tax code for a flat rate that cuts $300 million each year. The Kansas News Service reports that a dispute between the Republican-controlled Legislature and the Democratic governor could doom an overall tax relief package taking effect this year. The legislative plan sent to Governor Laura Kelly sets a flat 5.15% tax rate for almost all Kansas income earners. But Kelly has raised concerns about a flat tax. The governor likely would support a different part of the plan, the one that eliminates the sales tax on groceries. Her rejection of the GOP tax plan would set up another veto override fight with the Republican-controlled Legislature.
Donna Ginther, a University of Kansas economist, says it could hurt the state economy by allowing high earners to save and not spend their wealth. She says that may spell trouble with a recession looming. “It’s not wholly irresponsible, (and) it’s still pricey, given a lot of economic uncertainty right now," she said.
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Battle Continues over Abortion Pills
UNDATED (KNS) - Kansas clinics are looking at how a federal appeals court ruling late Wednesday could change their medication abortion protocol. The court preserved partial access to the drug mifepristone. But starting today (FRI), the drug will only be FDA-approved for use up until seven weeks of pregnancy instead of the current 10 weeks. Kansas clinic officials say they’ll continue to offer medication abortion in some form. That type of abortion makes up nearly 70% of all abortions in Kansas.
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Education Commissioner: Kansas Needs to Boost Test Scores
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS/KMUW) - The state’s top education official says Kansas schools should make academic achievement a priority, and that includes raising test scores. Some state lawmakers have criticized Kansas schools for the growing number of students who score in the lowest level on state math and reading tests. That means they don’t have the skills needed for college or the job market. Education Commissioner Randy Watson says schools should refocus on — and put their money toward — raising those scores. Watson also called for boosting the state’s supply of teachers, engaging more with families, and improving school safety. Last year, about a third of Kansas students scored at the lowest level on the state math and reading tests.
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Ex-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Not Running for President
UNDATED (AP) – Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says he is not entering the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. The former secretary of state said during an interview Friday on Fox News that he would not seek the GOP nomination in a contest that would have put the devoted ally and defender of Donald Trump into competition with his former commander in chief. Pompeo would have been the second former Trump Cabinet member to enter the race to challenge the former president for the 2024 GOP nomination. Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley announced her campaign in February. Former Vice President Mike Pence is also considering entering the race.
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Six Accused of Using Drones to Deliver Contraband to Prison
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP/KPR) — Six people are accused in a federal indictment of conspiring to use a drone to fly contraband such as cell phones and marijuana into Leavenworth federal prison. The indictment was unsealed Wednesday after all the suspects were arrested. Two prisoners, 35-year-old Dale Gaver III and Melvin Edwards, allegedly arranged with four people outside the prison to deliver items requested by other inmates into the prison yard between August 2020 and May 2021. The items included cell phones, the synthetic drug K-2, marijuana and tobacco products. Transactions over the money phone application CashApp recorded illegal payments made as part of the smuggling operation. The defendants are Dale Gaver III, 54-year-old Dale Gaver II, 37-year-old Joshua Hamilton and 33-year-old Rex Hil, all originally from Omaha, Nebraska; and 44-year-old Melvin Edwards, and36-year-old Tamarae Hollman, of Riverside, California. They have all been charged with conspiracy to provide and possess contraband in prison.
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Kansas Health Care Company Hit by Ransomware Attack
COFFEYVILLE, Kan. (KSNW/KPR) — A southeast Kansas health care company has been hit by a ransomware attack. KSNW TV reports that Medicalodges, based in Coffeyville, is now one of two companies successfully targeted by the Karakurt Ransomware Extortion Group. Sources say the notorious group claims it has access to 170 GB worth of the company's data, including social security numbers and medical diagnoses. The group also claims it will start releasing the data on April 17. Medicalodges operates nursing homes and other medical facilities in Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. According to an FBI dossier on the group, the ransomware company does not always maintain the confidentiality of victim information even after a ransom has been paid.
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Remembering the Dust Bowl: Black Sunday, April 14, 1935
UNDATED (KPR) - Kansas has had more than its share of natural disasters. The history of the state is filled with floods, droughts, blizzards, wildfires and deadly tornadoes. But 88 years ago today (FRI), another calamity came to Kansas. The event came to be called Black Sunday. Decades of over-planting, combined with three years of severe drought, had turned a large swath of the Midwest - including Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Texas, and New Mexico – into an arid and desert-like area that came to be known as the Dust Bowl. Without crops to hold down the soil, dust storms were common occurrences. After several days of dust storms, Sunday, April 14, 1935, brought one of the worst walls of dust ever seen in the United States. Darkness immediately engulfed any town in the 800-mile path of the storm. Almost every account of that day describes conditions so dark that you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face. (Learn more.)
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Missouri to Limit Gender-Affirming Surgery and Medical Care for Minors, Adults
COLUMBIA. Mo. (AP) — Missouri's attorney general has announced new restrictions on gender-affirming care for adults in addition to minors in a move that is believed to be a first nationally. The move has advocacy groups threatening to sue. Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced plans to restrict transgender health care weeks ago, when protesters rallied at the Capitol to urge lawmakers to pass a law banning puberty blockers, hormones and sex-changing surgeries for children. But the discussion was focused on minors, not adults. Missouri Attorney General spokeswoman Madeline Sieren clarified in a statement Thursday that adults also would be covered. The ACLU and Lambda Legal said in a joint statement that they would "take any necessary legal action" to fight back. "We have serious concerns about how children are being treated throughout the state, but we believe everyone is entitled to evidence-based medicine and adequate mental health care," Sieren said. The rule, which incudes a required 18 months of therapy before receiving gender-affirming health care, is set to take effect April 27 and expire next February.
In a statement, the ACLU said the "Attorney General's so-called emergency rule is based on distorted, misleading, and debunked claims and ignores the overwhelming body of scientific and medical evidence supporting this care." The National Center for Transgender Equality called the order "deeply wrong" in a tweet, adding that "trans people of all ages across the state of Missouri deserve access to health care."
The restrictions are in response to a former employee's allegations of mistreatment at a transgender youth clinic in St. Louis run by Washington University. Bailey is investigating the center. "My office is stepping up to protect children throughout the state while we investigate the allegations and how they are harming children," Bailey said in a statement.
Moving forward, doctors who provide gender-affirming health care must first provide them a lengthy list of potential negative side effects and information warning against those treatments, according to a copy of the rule released Thursday. Critics of sex reassignment surgery for minors raise concerns about children changing their minds.
At least 13 states have now enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming care for minors: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, Utah, South Dakota and West Virginia. Bills are awaiting action from governors in Kansas, Montana and North Dakota. Federal judges have blocked enforcement of laws in Alabama and Arkansas, and nearly two dozen states are considering bills this year to restrict or ban care.
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Missouri Man Freed from Prison After 40 Years Files Lawsuit
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri man who was freed from prison after serving more than 40 years for a triple murder he did not commit alleges in a lawsuit that misconduct by some Kansas City police officers led to his conviction. Kevin Strickland filed a lawsuit this week against five former Kansas City officers and the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners, which oversees the police department. He alleges the officers attributed false statements to Strickland during the investigation and pressured the primary witness against him to say Strickland was the killer. Strickland was released in late 2021 after a judge ruled he was wrongfully convicted of the 1978 murders.
The Kansas City Police Department said it does not comment on pending lawsuits. Strickland has always maintained that he was home watching television and had nothing to do with the killings, which happened when he was 18 years old. According to his lawsuit, after Strickland refused to confess to the killings, the detectives concocted inflammatory statements they attributed to him about loving to "kill people." Two men later confessed to being involved in the killings and swore for decades that Strickland was not at the home where the victims were slain.
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Russell Stover to Attempt World Record in KC for Centennial Celebration
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Russell Stover Chocolates will try to set the record for the world’s largest box of chocolates on Monday, as it celebrates the company’s 100th anniversary. As part of the celebration, the Kansas City-based company is holding a $100,000 sweepstakes giveaway. KCTV reports that the world record attempt will take place at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts on April 17. Russell Stover is also partnering with Feed the Children and will host community food distribution events to raise funds throughout the year for the nonprofit.
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U.S. Urges Meat Companies to Ensure They Don't Use Child Labor
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Biden administration is urging U.S. meat processors to make sure children aren't being hired illegally to perform dangerous jobs at their plants. The call comes after an investigation over the past year found more than 100 kids working overnight for a company that cleans slaughterhouses handling dangerous equipment like skull splitters and razor-sharp bone saws. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack sent a letter Wednesday to the 18 largest meat and poultry producers urging them to examine the hiring practices at their companies and suppliers. The letter is part of a broader effort by the administration to crack down on the use of child labor. The Labor Department has reported a 69% increase since 2018 in the number of children being employed illegally in the U.S.
"The use of illegal child labor — particularly requiring that children undertake dangerous tasks — is inexcusable, and companies must consider both their legal and moral responsibilities to ensure they and their suppliers, subcontractors, and vendors fully comply with child labor laws," Vilsack said in the letter.
Just last year, the Labor Department found that more than 3,800 children had been working illegally at 835 companies in various industries. In the most egregious recent case, Packers Sanitation Services Inc., or PSSI, agreed earlier this year to pay a $1.5 million fine and reform its hiring practices after investigators confirmed that at least 102 kids were working for the company at 13 meat processing plants nationwide. PSSI, which is based in Wisconsin, employs about 17,000 people working at more than 700 locations, making it one of the largest food-processing-plant cleaning companies. The plants where PSSI was found to be employing minors were in Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Arkansas, Indiana, Minnesota, Tennessee and Texas.
The Labor Department says it has more than 600 child labor investigations underway and officials are concerned about the exploitation of children, particularly migrants who may not even have a parent in the United States. Several federal agencies launched a broad effort to combat child labor earlier this year, and officials asked Congress to increase the penalty for violations because the current maximum fine of $15,138 per child isn't enough of a deterrent to big companies.
One major meat producer, Smithfield Foods, said Wednesday it was not aware of any violations at its facilities. "Smithfield Foods and all of its affiliates comply with all child labor laws, both federal and state," the company said. "We require all of our contractors to do so as well."
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New Kansas Law Will Reduce Blinking Lights on Wind Turbines
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas residents who live near wind farms could eventually get a break from the nearly constant blinking of the red lights on wind turbines under a bill signed Thursday by Governor Laura Kelly. Starting July 1, developers of new projects will be required to apply to the Federal Aviation Administration for light mitigation technology. The technology turns off the lights except when aircraft are near — a rare occurrence in rural Kansas. The developers would have two years to install the technology. Beginning July 1, 2026, existing developments would have to apply to the FAA within six months of signing a new power offtake agreement, the Topeka Capital-Journal reported. Because that could take several years, the law allows counties to use bonds to help pay for the expensive technology earlier. System installation costs about $2 million, with $100,000 in annual costs for a typical wind farm. Rep. Lisa Moser, a Republican from Wheaton, who has wind farms near her home, has said she and thousands of Kansans see red blinking lights every three seconds, 24 hours a day. Kansas has about about 4,000 turbines now, with plans to add another 6,000.
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Canadian Pacific, Kansas City Southern Officially Merge Friday
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KPR) - The merger of Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern becomes official on Friday, when the two companies unite to become Canadian Pacific Kansas City. The merger comes just one month after the two railroads got approval to merge from the U.S. Surface Transportation Board. The combined rail line will touch Canada, Mexico and the United States, the first railroad to serve all three countries. With more than 19,000 miles of track, the combined railroad will still be the smallest of the six largest railroads. On Friday, top officials from both companies are expected to gather in Kansas City for a celebration of the merger. They'll be joined by local, federal and state officials from Missouri.
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Judge Blocks EPA Rules Intended to Protect Nation's Waterways
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked a federal rule in 24 states that is intended to protect thousands of small streams, wetlands and other waterways throughout the nation. U.S. District Judge Daniel L. Hovland in Bismarck, North Dakota, halted the regulations from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers pending the outcome of a lawsuit filed by the 24 states, most of which are led by Republicans. The regulations were finalized in December 2022, repealing a rule implemented during President Donald Trump's administration but thrown out by federal courts. Opponents of the regulations, which define which “waters of the United States” are protected by the Clean Water Act, have called the rules an example of federal overreach and argued they would unfairly burden farmers and ranchers.
The preliminary injunction affects Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Iowa, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming. An injunction was previously issued that halted the rules in Texas and Idaho. In his 45-page order, Hovland wrote that the federal regulation "raises a litany of ... statutory and constitutional concerns and would cause great harm to the states."
The injunction comes less than a week after President Joe Biden vetoed a congressional resolution that would have overturned the rule. The House and Senate had used the Congressional Review Act to block the regulations, with several Democrats joining Republicans in opposing the regulations.
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Cases of Sexually Transmitted Diseases on the Rise in Kansas
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - The number of reported cases for sexually transmitted infections in Kansas continues to rise. That's according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The number of reported cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis were up from 2020 in Kansas. Brett Hogan is the executive director for the group Positive Directions, which offers free testing. He says office appointments are booked out about two weeks. Of those getting tested, there has been an increase in STI cases. “I'd say at least 15% of them are going to be positive for something and normally it's gonorrhea, chlamydia, and or syphilis," he said. He’s urging people to seek out testing and practice safe sex. According to data from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, STIs disproportionately affect Black and young people.
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Boeing Max Production Could Be Slowed by Issue with Parts
UNDATED (AP) – Boeing has a new problem with its 737 Max planes. The company said Thursday that production and delivery of a significant number of Max jets could be delayed because of questions about parts from a supplier. Boeing says the supplier, Spirit AeroSystems, used a non-standard manufacturing process to install fittings in the rear fuselage of some 737s. Boeing says it's not an immediate safety issue, but it's working on a plan to inspect Max jets and replace the fittings if necessary. It's the latest setback for Boeing, which has seen deliveries of another jet, the 787, halted several times over production issues.
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ADHD Drug Shortage Continues to Affect Kansas City Area
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KNS) - People in the Kansas City area with ADHD are grappling with an ongoing shortage of commonly used medications. In October, the FDA reported a supply chain issue around the drug Adderall. Jeremy Didier, of ADHD KC, says that’s causing a domino effect. People without access to Adderall are turning to other options and those drugs are becoming scarce. “I've talked to people who have had to call anywhere from 10 to 20 different pharmacies to find their prescriptions. Some people just give up at that point," he said. The FDA previously suggested the shortage could be resolved by early this month, but it now appears it will stretch on for several more weeks.
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Belle Plaine Implements Quiet Zone, Limiting Frequency of Train Horns
BELLE PLAINE, Kan. (KWCH) - With the exception of an emergency, the sound of a train horn blowing will be one you’ll soon hear far less often in Belle Plaine. It’s now a federally regulated “quiet zone.” KWCH TV reports that the designation limits train conductors on being allowed to sound their horns as they travel through town. The Bartlett Arboretum and the Belle Plaine residents spearheaded the project. Each day, more than 50 trains travel through the crossing on Kansas Highway 55. With that often comes a disruption to the arboretum, a place associated with peace and quiet. Bartlett Arboretum owner Robin Macy said nearly 200 trains pass by each day during peak season. "That is one train every five to seven minutes, blowing its horn at 98 to 107 decibels,” Macy said.
Quiet zones have additional safety measures at crossings since trains don’t use horns. These include concrete barriers with pylons installed in the roadway to prevent drivers from going around crossing arms. A grant from the Kansas Department of Transportation and donations helped pay for the project. Dodge City and Overland Park are among seven other Kansas communities who’ve also applied for quiet zone designations.
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Man Convicted over Threatening Call to Colorado Elections Official
DENVER (AP) — A man accused of making a threatening phone call to the office of Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold last year has been convicted of one count of retaliation against an elected official, prosecutors said Thursday. A jury deliberated for about three hours Wednesday before finding 52-year-old Kirk Wertz guilty of the felony count. The Denver District Attorney's Office said Wertz was accused of calling Griswold's office on June 30, 2022, and asking the call-taker to tell Griswold, the state's top election official, that “the angel of death is coming for her in the name of Jesus Christ,” according to a court document explaining why he was arrested. He was taken into custody in suburban Denver after investigators tracked his cell phone moving from Goodland, Kansas, to the Denver area. When a trooper called Wertz back at the number he used to call Griswold's office, he would not say whether he planned to physically hurt Griswold. Wertz asked the trooper if he knew about the First Amendment and also said, “And I’m an Oath Taker and an Oath Keeper and I owe you no explanation.” The document did not elaborate on whether Wertz was affiliated with the Oath Keepers, a far-right extremist group. The details about what he said to the call-taker and the state trooper who called him back were redacted from the document at the time of his arrest but have since been made available. Wertz is represented by public defenders, who do not comment on cases. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Monday. Last year, a Nebraska man pleaded guilty in Denver federal court to making death threats to Griswold on social media. Officials said it was the first such plea obtained by a federal task force devoted to protecting elections workers across the U.S., who have been subject to increasing threats since the 2020 presidential election.
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As Earth Warms, More 'Flash Droughts' Suck Soil, Plants Dry
Climate change is making droughts faster and more furious, especially a specific fast-developing heat-driven kind that catch farmers by surprise, a new study found. The study in Thursday’s journal Science found droughts in general are being triggered faster. But it also showed that a special and particularly nasty sudden kind — called “flash droughts” by experts — is casting an ever bigger crop-killing footprint. It comes only in the growing season – mostly summer, but also spring and fall – and is insidious because it’s caused not just by the lack of rain or snow that's behind a typical slow-onset drought, hydrologists and meteorologists said. What happens is the air gets so hot and so dry that it sucks water right out of plants and soil. “It’s the increasing thirstiness of the atmosphere,” said UCLA and National Center for Atmospheric Research climate scientist Daniel Swain, who wasn’t part of the study. Swain called the issue “very relevant in a warming climate.”
The term flash drought was coined around 2000 but it really took off in 2012, when a $30 billion sudden drought struck the central United States, one of the worst droughts since the infamous Dust Bowl devastated the Plains in the 1930s, according to the study. “Because it occurs very, very fast people started to focus on this new phenomenon,” said study lead author Xing Yuan, dean of the School of Hydrology and Water Resources at Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology in China. “For the 2012 drought, actually the drought just developed in a very severe condition just within a month.”
Most of China’s Yangtze River basin last summer was struck by a flash drought that developed within only a month due to high temperatures, which also triggered wildfires, Yuan said. Parts of the river dried up and there was an energy shortage in southern China because hydropower wouldn’t work, he said. “It developed very fast so you don’t have enough time to prepare for this drought,” Yuan said.
Another sudden drought happened in the U.S. Southeast in 2016 and was a factor in devastating wildfires in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, said Jason Otkin, a study co-author and an atmospheric scientist at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
The current drought in the Oklahoma-Texas panhandle and Kansas started two years ago as a rapid onset drought, said Joel Lisonbee, a climatologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Integrated Drought Information System in Colorado. He wasn’t part of the study but praised it, saying “essentially a warmer world allows for faster onset of drought.”
Yuan, Otkin and their research team looked back at droughts, how fast they occurred and what kind they were, across the globe since 1951 and found flash droughts are happening more often in nearly three-quarters of the climate regions of the world. They also found droughts of all kinds happening faster. Although they couldn’t quantify how much faster because of the variability in places and times, Yuan said it would be fair to say droughts are happening weeks earlier than they once did. Yuan said some of the bigger increases in sudden droughts have been in Europe and Australia. Outside experts pointed to the Amazon as prone to them. “We have to pay attention to this phenomenon because it’s increasing,” Yuan said. Yuan’s team also used computer simulations – both with worst-case warming and more moderate warming – and projected that the proportion of flash droughts will increase in a warmer world and droughts will continue to keep happening faster.
By definition, flash droughts – because they result from low soil moisture levels – are especially bad for agriculture, experts said. The trouble is there has been an old way of thinking that “we have months or years before we need to worry about drought,” said Mark Svoboda, director of the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. That’s the reason why Svoboda, who wasn’t part of this study, said he pioneered the term “flash drought’’ and wanted to “dispel the notion that droughts only manifest themselves over long period of time.” Svoboda's agency recommends that farmers, ranchers, municipal water suppliers and hydropower plants come up with plans for droughts. For example, farmers and ranchers should know how susceptible they are to drought and have alternative plans for plantings or foraging.
NOAA's Lisonbee said in an email that the problem is “in a slowly evolving drought if a farmer thinks the season ahead will be dry, they may consider a more drought-tolerant crop that season, but when a flash drought occurs it is likely the crops are already in the ground and there is little that can be done.”
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This summary of area news is curated by KPR news staffers, including J. Schafer, Laura Lorson, Tom Parkinson and Kaye McIntyre. Our headlines are generally posted by 10 am weekdays and updated throughout the day. These ad-free headlines are made possible by KPR members. Become one today. And follow KPR News on Twitter.