Kansas Governor Offers Revenue-Neutral Plan for Medicaid Expansion
UNDATED (KNS) — Kansas Democratic Governor Laura Kelly announced legislation Thursday that is aimed at expanding Medicaid at no additional cost to taxpayers. The Kansas News Service reports that after Kelly’s push for Medicaid expansion failed in the past, she is now taking a different approach with a plan she hopes Republicans would accept. A release from the Governor’s office says the legislation would be revenue-neutral, providing Medicaid health care coverage to 150,000 Kansans. The release says the federal government pays 90% of expenses to expand Medicaid while states pay 10%. The state’s portion would be paid by drug rebates, a hospital fee and other federal funding.
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Kansas Supreme Court Sends Voting Law Challenge Back to Kansas Court of Appeals
UNDATED (KNS) – The Kansas Supreme Court on Friday revived a legal challenge to a state law that caused some voter advocacy groups to stop holding registration drives. It’s a challenge brought by voting groups against a law that makes it a felony to impersonate an election official. The Court of Appeals previously knocked down the lawsuit saying the groups did not have standing. The Kansas News Service reports that the state Supreme Court has now reversed that and the legal challenge will proceed. Voting groups say the law is vaguely written and could result in felony charges for actions that help voters register.
“You're discouraging participation in our democracy, and so that's why it’s so important, because these kinds of statutes that make it more difficult to participate in our political process and in our democracy, are anti democratic,” said Teresa Woody, litigation director at the advocacy group Kansas Appleseed.
The Supreme Court ruling Friday sends the lawsuit back to the Kansas Court of Appeals for more consideration.
(–Additional reporting–)
Kansas's Top Court Says a GOP-Backed Election Law Is Vague and Revives a Lawsuit Against It
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas law that makes it a felony to impersonate an elections official is vague enough that voting rights advocates can pursue a legal challenge, the state's highest court ruled Friday, reviving a lawsuit that a lower court dismissed.
The Kansas Supreme Court's decision came in a challenge to a 2021 law that critics say hinders voter registration drives. Four groups argued in the lawsuit that their members could be prosecuted even if they were clear that they were not election officials but others still mistakenly believed they were. Backers of the law have scoffed at that argument.
The groups are pursuing another lawsuit against other elections restrictions that the Republican-led Legislature passed in 2021 over Democratic Governor Laura Kelly's veto amid false claims by some in the GOP that the 2020 presidential election wasn't valid. One of the groups, Loud Light, said the law at issue in Friday's ruling led it to stop registering voters even though it registered 10,000 in 2020.
“For two and a half years, the state and the attorney general’s office have said we’re just making this up — we’re crazy,” said Davis Hammet, Loud Light's executive director. “Here is the Supreme Court of the state saying, ‘Yeah, you should be scared.’”
But Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, a Republican, called Friday’s ruling merely “jurisdictional.”
Justice Caleb Stegall expressed skepticism in the court's opinion that the voting rights groups' members would be prosecuted for impersonating elections officials. But he said they still have reason to expect their registration drives to generate "innocent or unreasonable listener mistakes.”
“The statute simply does not provide clarity that truthful speech which generates an innocent or unreasonable listener mistake is outside of its scope,” wrote Stegall, who is seen as the seven-member court's most conservative member.
After reviving the group's lawsuit over the law against impersonating election officials, the Supreme Court followed up with another order saying that it intends to consolidate that case with the other lawsuit from the four groups.
A three-judge Kansas Court of Appeals panel last year ruled that the groups didn't have the legal right to challenge the anti-impersonation law because their members had not been prosecuted under it.
Although people and groups generally must show they have been injured to pursue a lawsuit, the state Supreme Court said that when a law is challenged as too vague, it is enough that it could cause someone to avoid constitutionally protected speech.
The law at issue in Friday's ruling prohibits “conduct that gives the appearance of being an election official” or conduct that causes someone else to believe they are. A first-time offender could be sentenced to 13 months in prison, though the typical sentence would be two years of probation.
Stegall wrote that the law did not provide “a high degree of specificity and clarity” to ensure that only fraud was covered.
In the other lawsuit, a Court of Appeals panel reviewed two different laws. One prohibits people from delivering more than 10 absentee ballots from other voters to elections officials. The other changed the rules for matching a voter's signature on an absentee ballot envelope with a signature already on file.
The appeals panel for the second lawsuit had different judges. It concluded that voting is a fundamental right and that restrictions cannot stand unless they are written narrowly and address an existing and compelling issue. If the state Supreme Court agrees, voting rights advocates will likely have an easier time challenging rules set by Republican lawmakers.
The state Supreme Court heard arguments from attorneys in the second lawsuit in November and has not said when it will rule.
“The vast majority of our election rules would come under fire,” Kobach told reporters after those arguments. “And many of them would probably fall.”
Republican legislators argued that they were trying to prevent fraud such as “ballot harvesting” and to keep ballots from being lost, though there has been no evidence of either being a significant problem.
Critics of the two laws contend that they handcuff efforts to help poor, elderly and disabled voters and make it more likely that some valid ballots will be rejected.
In November, Elizabeth Frost, an attorney for the four groups, told the state Supreme Court that most Kansas election laws still would pass a strict test “just fine.”
But the justices appeared to struggle to balance their concerns about legal votes not being counted with potentially jeopardizing long-standing rules, including limits on when polls are open.
Justice Eric Rosen, who was appointed by a Democratic governor, said from the bench, “How does that line get drawn?”
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Democratic Lawmaker from Olathe Resigns from Kansas House
OLATHE, Kan. (TCJ) - A state representative from Olathe is resigning his position in the Kansas House. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Brad Boyd is leaving the seat he filled in January. With more than a year left in his term, Boyd says he's leaving the seat for family reasons. Boyd narrowly won his Kansas House seat in the 49th District by defeating Republican candidate Kristen Clark. Boyd’s replacement in the House will be determined by a precinct committee in his district. He served on the Education Budget committee, the Health and Human Services committee and the Federal and State Affairs committee.
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Kansas Court System Coming Back Online After Cyberattack
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas courts are starting to bring their computer systems back online after a foreign cyberattack. Two months ago, a cyberattack prompted Kansas courts to shut down, forcing attorneys to revert to using paper documents and fax machines.
The case management systems for district courts in 28 of the state's 105 counties are expected to be back online by Monday, with others following by the end of the week. Online access to documents for the public will be restored after that, though counties that go back online will be able to offer access through terminals at their courthouses.
The courts also have restored systems that allow people to apply for marriage licenses online and file electronic requests for orders to protect them from abuse, stalking and human trafficking.
The Kansas Supreme Court's seven justices, who oversee administration of the state courts, said last month that the judicial branch was the victim of a “sophisticated foreign cyberattack.” Criminals stole data and threatened to post it on a dark website “if their demands were not met," the justices said.
However, judicial branch officials have not publicly disclosed the hackers' demands, whether a ransom was paid or how much the state has spent in restoring judicial branch systems. Asked about a ransom Thursday, judicial branch spokesperson Lisa Taylor referred to last month's statement.
“Restoring our district court case management system is a much-anticipated milestone in our recovery plan, but we still have a lot of work to do,” Supreme Court Chief Justice Marla Luckert said in a statement Thursday.
The outages affected courts in 104 of the state's 105 counties — all but the state’s most populous county, Johnson, in the Kansas City area. Johnson County has its own systems and isn't scheduled to join the state's systems until next year.
The judicial branch initially described the attack as a “security incident,” but cybersecurity experts said that it had the hallmarks of a ransomware attack — including in how court officials gave few details about what happened.
The long outage has forced courts in the affected counties to return to having documents filed on paper. Judicial branch officials acknowledged that it could take weeks for the courts to electronically log all of the filings since the October 12 shutdown.
The electronic filing and case management systems for the state Court of Appeals and Supreme Court will come back online after the district courts are done.
A risk assessment of the state’s court system, issued in February 2022, is kept “permanently confidential” under state law, as is one issued in June 2020.
Last month, state Rep. Kyle Hoffman, the chair of the Legislature's information technology committee, told reporters after a meeting that the results of the 2020 audit were terrible, but he provided no details. He said the 2022 audit showed a lot of improvement, again without disclosing any details.
Two recent audits of other state agencies identified cybersecurity weaknesses. The most recent one, released in July, said “agency leaders don’t know or sufficiently prioritize their IT security responsibilities.”
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Kansas House Speaker: Private School Vouchers Will Be Priority in 2024 Session
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) — Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins says private school vouchers will be a priority for Republican lawmakers in the upcoming session. Last session, both the House and Senate passed a measure to give qualifying families up to $5,000 dollars in tax money to use for private school or homeschooling … but Democratic Governor Laura Kelly vetoed it. Proponents of the so-called “school choice” bill say it gives families more alternatives to public schools. Critics say it’s an attempt to defund and undermine public schools. Hawkins, a Republican from Wichita, made the comments in Wichita on Wednesday. The session begins January 8th.
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Kansas Senate President Says He's Open to Medical Marijuana, Wants More Data
UNDATED (KCUR) — Kansas lawmakers return to Topeka next month and it’s expected medical marijuana will be back for debate. Senate President Ty Masterson, a Republican from Andover, almost single handedly prevented the bill from passing last year, saying it was too close to fully legalizing marijuana use in Kansas. He says he's open to having a discussion on the issue.
“I’m actually open to true medical marijuana or to palliative care. I am open to that. I am not saying no. I just saying we don’t have any real studies on dosing and distribution,” he said in an interview with KCUR's program "Up to Date."
In the latest Kansas Speaks poll, 67 percent of respondents said they support legalizing recreational marijuana. Missouri and Colorado have recreational weed. Oklahoma has medical marijuana and Nebraska has decriminalized it.
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COVID-19 Surge Could Lead to Review of Masking Requirements at KU Health System Facilities
UNDATED (KCUR) – A surge in serious COVID-19 cases at the University of Kansas Health System could lead hospital officials to consider new masking requirements. KCUR reports that the hospital recorded an increase from 19 active COVID-19 cases last week to 33 this week. Seven of those cases are in the ICU. Chief medical officer Steven Stites says that some hospital departments are choosing to do so.
"We have some individual units here - Our rehab units have gone back to masking and our transplant unit never really left masking. We just have to pay attention to what our in-hospital numbers are," Stites explained.
Stites says there has been a slight increase in masking among patients and within the community.
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Contract Employee Group at Spirit AeroSystems Votes to Unionize
A group of contract employees who work at Spirit AeroSystems voted Thursday to unionize. KMUW reports that workers at D.B. Schenker voted 59 percent in favor of unionizing with the Machinists. The union will represent about 160 employees at the company. This is the second time workers at the German-based logistics company have voted on unionizing. During last year’s union drive, they voted not to organize by just 17 votes. D.B. Schenker agreed to let workers vote again after the Machinists threatened to sue the company over what it calls illegal anti-union activity ahead of last year’s vote. No timetable has been set yet for contract negotiations. The Machinists represent 15,000 workers in Kansas, including thousands of Spirit employees.
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Kansas Attorney General Refiles Price-Gouging Lawsuit Against Natural Gas Company
TOPEKA, Kan. (TCJ) — Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach has refiled a $50 million natural gas price gouging lawsuit against Macquarie Energy, a company that serves as a middleman for Kansas gas utilities. The Topeka Capital Journal reports that the suit alleges Macquarie manipulated prices during a severe winter storm in February 2021, resulting in overcharges to Kansas consumers. Kobach calls it "disgraceful” that the company would artificially manipulate prices at a time when Kansans were suffering under the heavy winter storm. The company has maintained it did nothing wrong and has pledged to continue to defend any claims brought against it. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Topeka, comes after a previous suit was dismissed on a technicality.
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KU Professor Argues for A.I. “Bill of Rights” in Education
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) — Should students be using ChatGPT and other forms of Artificial Intelligence in the classroom? Is this technology helpful, or just a new way to cheat? Given that ChatGPT and other forms of A.I. can churn out passable essays on, say, “Romeo and Juliet,” those who work in higher education are on the front lines of the changes posed by emerging technology. For the past year, University of Kansas English Professor Kathryn Conrad has been thinking deeply about this issue and discussing the implications of AI with her peers. This led her to compose a "Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights in Education,” published online this fall in the new journal, Critical AI. In the latest KU podcast "When Experts Attack!," professor Conrad discusses the subject with Rick Hellman of the KU News Service.
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Cattle Rounded Up After Escaping from Overturned Semi in Western Kansas
BREWSTER, Kan. (KSNW) — Cattle have been rounded up in western Kansas after escaping from an overturned semi-truck and trailer. The Thomas County Sheriff's Office says the semi veered off of I-70 near Brewster Thursday morning and ended up on its side. Cattle in the trailer escaped. KSNW TV reports that several local ranchers, along with members of the Colby Community College rodeo team, helped wrangle the loose cattle. The driver of the semi was not seriously hurt.
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Former North KC Coach Found Guilty of Raping 15-Year-Old
LIBERTY, Mo. (WDAF) — A former North Kansas City football coach has been found guilty of rape. A jury in Clay County, Missouri, found Joshua Hood guilty of second-degree statutory rape after a trial that lasted more than three days. The former Park Hill coach was indicted in 2021 for the rape of a 15-year-old, which happened in 2010. Hood worked in the North Kansas City School District from 2006-2013. While the jury recommended a five-year prison sentence, WDAF TV reports that a judge will hold a hearing in February to ultimately decide his punishment.
Just days after Clay County prosecutors announced Hood’s rape charge, he pleaded guilty to five counts of statutory sodomy, two counts of statutory rape and one count of child molestation in Jackson County, Missouri. When those charges were announced in 2020, Hood was football coach at Park Hill High School. In that case, prosecutors said Hood sexually assaulted a student multiple times in Lee’s Summit in 2003. Hood was around 26 years old at the time, coaching at Holden High School, and the victim was 16. For the Jackson County case, Hood received a suspended prison sentence and probation. He was also forced to surrender his teaching license.
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Three Leavenworth Prison Inmates Charged in Separate Indictments
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KPR) – A federal grand jury in Kansas City has returned separate indictments charging federal prison inmates with crimes. Prosecutors say 45-year-old Thaddeus D. Daniel allegedly attacked a corrections officer at the federal prison in Leavenworth, where Daniel is an inmate. The attack took place on April 19. The FBI is investigating.
In a separate case, 44-year-old Jeremiah L. Harris has been indicted on one count of escape on June 23. Harris is serving a sentence in Leavenworth following a conviction in western Missouri. The U.S. Marshals Service is investigating that case.
And in yet another case, 50-year-old James Thompson has been indicted on one count of escape from custody on November 9. Thompson is serving a sentence in Leavenworth following a conviction in Georgia. The U.S. Marshals Service is investigating that case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Lansing Inmate Death Ruled as a Homicide
LANSING, Kan. (KNS) — An inmate’s death at a prison in Lansing has been ruled a homicide. Preliminary autopsy results indicate 29 year old inmate Darionce Terrell Charles-Lott died by strangulation. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation was notified of his death on November 25 when he was found in his cell unresponsive and life saving measures failed. Charles-Lott had been at the Lansing prison since November of 2011. He was serving a 14-year sentence for aggravated battery with intent to harm. The KBI says that a male suspect at the Lansing prison has been identified but no charges have been filed.
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Increasing Number of Kansas Students Now Qualifying for Special Education Services
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – More Kansas students are qualifying for special education services at school. The Kansas News Service reports that part of the increase is due to rising rates of autism. State education leaders say more than 91,000 students qualified for special education services last year. That’s about 18% of the total student population.
Bert Moore, who oversees special-ed services for the state Department of Education, notes that much of the increase is due to rising rates of autism across the country.
“We are seeing a trend line that shows that autism is being found more often than not, and more and more physicians are diagnosing students with autism at younger and younger ages,” he said.
A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says one out of every 36 children has autism. In 2006, the rate was 1 in 110.
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Johnson County Man Pleads Guilty in DUI Manslaughter Case
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KSHB) — An 18-year-old Shawnee man has pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and DUI aggravated battery in a crash that killed one man and critically injured a woman. KSHB TV reports that Zakary Ignowski pleaded guilty Thursday in Johnson County. The crash happened in May at the intersection of Blackfish Parkway and Lackman Road. A Shawnee man, 71-year-old Leland R. Scott, died in the crash and a 69-year-old female passenger was seriously injured. Ignowski is scheduled to be sentenced in February.
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Garden City Launches Investigation of School Resource Officer
LIBERAL, Kan. (KNS) – Garden City police say they are investigating a school resource officer’s actions after cell phone video showed him slamming a student to the ground last week. The Kansas News Service reports that the officer, Scott Ptacek, was breaking up a fight when he grabbed a student in a bear hug and slammed the 13-year-old boy on the concrete. The student was then motionless.
A group that advocates for changes in the juvenile justice system, Progeny, said schools should change when and how resource officers are used.
Medical workers evaluated the student for injuries and released him. A spokesperson for the Garden City police department says the officer will remain on duty during the investigation.
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Public Hearing Monday on $900 Million Industrial Project in Southeast Kansas
INDEPENDENCE, Kan. (Montgomery County Chronicle) — A public hearing is scheduled for Monday about a mammoth industrial prospect for Montgomery County, in southeast Kansas. The Montgomery County Chronicle reports that the item remains on the docket for the next meeting of the Montgomery County Commission. Commissioners will hold a public hearing Monday morning about the Azure 2023 Project. That's the name given to a $900 million industrial project to be built near the Bartlett Grain soybean processing plant. The Bartlett plant remains under construction east of the U.S. 160-169 highway junction, south of Cherryvale. The plant is expected to open in 2024.
Details about the Azure 2023 Project have been under wraps because of confidentiality agreements, but those restrictions will be lifted Monday. The Chronicle has learned of a partnership between a Canadian-based company known as Azure Sustainable Fuels, and Savage, the parent company of Bartlett Grain.
In the past two years, Azure has taken increased interest in the production of sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, for jet airplanes. In October, Azure Sustainable Fuels signed a “strategic partnership” agreement with Savage to create a SAF production program utilizing Savage’s transportation and shipping networks and Bartlett Grain’s connection to the soybean industry.
Bartlett Grain’s new soybean processing plant in Montgomery County will be the largest of its kind in the Midwest, where it will process soy products. The Bartlett project itself represents a $450 million investment.
Monday's public hearing will be held to discuss the issuance of $900 million in industrial revenue bonds for the Azure 2023 Project. If county commissioners approve the issuance of those bonds, which is anticipated, it will represent the single-largest investment of private money into a local industrial project in the history of Montgomery County and will be among the top five largest industrial projects in Kansas.
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EPA Fines Lawrence Landfill over Methane Violations
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) — The owners of a landfill near Lawrence will have to pay more than $34,000 in upgrades and penalties for violating clean air regulations. The Environmental Protection Agency announced the fine this week for The Hamm landfill, which is just north of Lawrence. During an inspection in March 2022, the EPA found the landfill was emitting an illegal volume of methane gas and failed to correct it. Methane, like carbon dioxide, is a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change by trapping heat. But it’s far more potent. Landfills can release huge amounts of methane, contributing to both climate change and air pollution that can harm the health of area residents. In a news release, the EPA said Hamm will pay a $4,206 penalty and spend about $30,000 to better monitor air pollution.
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Army Corps of Engineers Meets with Midwestern Governors to Discuss Missouri River Issues
UNDATED (HPM) — Governors from Iowa, Nebraska and Missouri and representatives from Kansas met with the Army Corps of Engineers in Omaha on Thursday. Harvest Public Media reports that they discussed issues connected with the Missouri River. The meeting was one of a running series between the four states and the Corps of Engineers. The group kicked off the partnership in 2019 after that year’s floods caused billions of dollars in damages to the region. Four years later, the governors say levee improvements have made their states more prepared for future floods.
Missouri Governor Mike Parson spoke at the science museum in Omaha. He stressed that focusing on flood control is important even while the region is suffering from a years-long drought. "But you cannot let up on what we’re doing. I don’t want to go back to the old days, just because we haven’t had a flood, so now it’s kind of ‘out of sight, out of mind,’" Parson said. The group says their meetings on river management will continue indefinitely.
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Missouri Launches Prescription Drug Database to Help Doctors Spot Opioid Addictions
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri now has a statewide database to help doctors track opioid prescriptions. The program launched Wednesday. It's aimed at helping health care providers identify possible prescription drug addiction. Doctors and pharmacists can check the database to see if patients have been receiving painkillers and other opioids from multiple providers. Prescription information in the database can only be used for patient care and cannot be shared with law enforcement. Missouri in 2021 became the last state to adopt a statewide prescription drug monitoring program. It's taken about two years to implement.
The Missouri Legislature in 2021 passed a law creating the program after years of resistance from a small number of skeptical lawmakers who raised concerns about sensitive patient data being misused. Most Missouri health care providers had already been sharing controlled substance information with a St. Louis County database following local buy-in from 75 cities and other municipalities. Advocates argued that a more expansive program would give lawmakers greater oversight and prevent people from loading up on painkillers in uncovered areas. The St. Louis County database now will be absorbed into the statewide system.
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KU Football Considering Temporary Move to Arrowhead Stadium
LAWRENCE, Kan. (WDAF) — The University of Kansas Jayhawks football program is considering a temporary move while demolition and construction work continues at KU’s David Booth Memorial Stadium in Lawrence. But where will the KU football team will play in the 2024 season? WDAF TV reports that KU is considering several options, including a possible move to Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri for the season. University leadership is in discussions with the Kansas City Chiefs about moving KU games to Arrowhead while the nearly $450 million renovation continues at Memorial Stadium. The discussions are causing concern for restaurants in downtown Lawrence. Some report that their business often doubles during KU games. KU officials say several other venues in the region are under consideration, but there are no firm commitments yet for where the team might play in the fall.
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Chiefs Head to New England with Hopes of Avoiding More Travel in the Playoffs
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs are heading to New England on Sunday with the hopes of avoiding some more travel in the NFL playoffs. Kansas City is holding onto an unexpectedly slim one-game lead over red-hot Denver in the AFC West. Even if the Chiefs manage to win the division for the eighth straight time, the NFL's postseason format could force them to play a road playoff game for the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era. The defending Super Bowl champions have lost two straight games. The good news for them is that they play three losing teams in their last four games.
Travis Kelce could be spending some more time on the road in 2024 — and not just to see Taylor Swift in concert. The diva-dating tight end and the rest of the Kansas City Chiefs (8-5) are in an unexpected fight for the division title and might have to play their first AFC playoff road game of the Patrick Mahomes era. The Chiefs are the No. 3 seed in the conference heading into Sunday's game against New England (3-10), which could force them to play twice on the road to defend their Super Bowl title.
"The division is tight. The AFC is tight," Mahomes said this week as he prepared to try and snap a two-game losing streak. "We have to go out there and play our best football and try to get better this week and try to find a way to get a win."
With the Denver Broncos winning six of their last seven games, Kansas City is down to a one-game lead in the division — closer than it's been in more than two months. Even if the Chiefs hold on to win the AFC West for the eighth straight year, the NFL's 14-team playoff bracket could force them onto the road for the first time since 2015.
The good news: Their remaining schedule pits them against New England, Las Vegas (5-8), Cincinnati (7-6) and the Chargers (5-8). "It's week-to-week in the league. I think our players understand that," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. "They know what they need to do. We just have to get it done."
SWIFT SIGHTING?
There's been no word on whether Swift, who has been watching Kelce's games when she isn't on tour, will attend. Swift is familiar with Gillette Stadium, having played three nights there on her current Eras Tour and in other concerts as far back as 2010. The pop icon and Time magazine Person of the Year does not head back on tour until February.
OUT AND ABOUT
The Patriots have already been eliminated from the playoffs with four games remaining — the first time that's happened for New England since 2000. In the ensuing 22 seasons — combined — they only took the field twice with no hope of reaching the postseason. The poor showing led to Sunday's game being flexed out of "Monday Night Football" — an NFL first. But that doesn't mean the rest of the season is meaningless.
With the worst record in the AFC — and tied with Arizona for the second-worst in the league — New England is on track for the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 draft. The Patriots are two games better than Carolina (1-12), which has traded its first-rounder to the Bears.
Many Patriots fans have turned their attention to the draft, where the six-time Super Bowl champions could begin with a top pick like Southern California quarterback Caleb Williams, North Carolina QB Drake Maye or Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. But that's not the mood in the locker room. "We ain't here to give games up," defensive lineman Christian Barmore said. "We're here to play football."
CLOSE CALLS
One thing the Chiefs have lacked this season is the killer instinct they displayed during Mahomes' first six seasons as the starting quarterback. They have had eight games decided by one possession, including four of the past five — and three of those were losses. In fact, four of the Chiefs' five losses this season have been by a touchdown or less. "We all want to win. We all believe in each other," Chiefs safety Justin Reid said. "We just have to pull a little bit harder and find one or two plays to go out and get the win."
GETTING DEFENSIVE
With so much anxiety surrounding the Kansas City offense these days, it is easy to overlook just how well its defense has played, especially in the secondary.
Defensive back L'Jarius Sneed held Buffalo star Stefon Diggs to four catches on 11 targets for 24 yards last week. Trent McDuffie has been one of the best cornerbacks in the league when he hasn't been a terror on the blitz — he has three sacks — and as a whole, the secondary held the Bills' Josh Allen to 233 yards on 42 attempts. "We have everything we need to go be great out there," McDuffie said. "I think it's just a little details thing."
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