By SUZANNE PEREZ <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-07-05/burned-out-as-more-educators-leave-kansas-faces-its-worst-ever-teacher-shortage">Kansas News Service</a>

WICHITA, Kansas — First came the school year where a killer 
virus sent everybody home early. Then the maddening online year. 
Followed by the half-and-half year.

Amid all that, teachers — or public schools writ large — became the 
enemy. Hostility boiled over about wearing masks, banning library books 
or teaching about history and race. And fears continued about gunmen 
storming classrooms.


Many teachers, principals and superintendents found themselves burned
 out, or merely worn out, and they’re calling it quits — heading for 
retirement or other jobs.


Now Kansas finds itself facing the most severe teacher shortage it’s 
ever known. Roughly 4% of teaching jobs — about 1,400 — are unfilled, 
and by the time the first bell rings this fall, it’s likely to be worse,
 not better.


“Forty years ago, there were up to 100 applicants for every 
(teaching) job in Kansas,” said Education Commissioner Randy Watson. 
This fall, even large districts will be lucky to get 10, he said. “We’ll
 have shortages.”


The problem has been building for years. But <a href="https://www.rand.org/education-and-labor/projects/state-of-the-american-teacher-and-the-american-principal.html" target="_blank">new research by the RAND Corporation</a> shows that the COVID-19 pandemic increased teachers’ levels of stress and burnout and may be accelerating the exodus.

The RAND think tank’s national survey of teachers and principals in 
January found educators faring far worse than other working adults on 
several indicators of overall well-being.


Nearly three-fourths of teachers and 85% of principals complained of 
frequent stress from their jobs. That’s more than double most adults. 
Fifty-nine percent of teachers and 48% of principals say they’re burned 
out.


Nearly a third of teachers and principals said they were likely to 
leave their current job by the end of the school year, an increase since
 <a href="https://www.rand.org/education-and-labor/projects/state-of-the-american-teacher-and-the-american-principal/related-research.html" target="_blank">RAND’s survey in 2021</a>. Teachers of color were more likely than white teachers to say they intended to leave.

For several years now, the survey has painted “a picture of stress 
and of some job dissatisfaction for many educators,” said Elizabeth 
Steiner, a policy researcher and co-author of the report.


The RAND survey found that supportive school environments — in which 
teachers are involved in decision-making and have positive relationships
 with their colleagues — lead to better well-being and a decreased 
likelihood of leaving the profession.


“They still love their jobs, want to be there for their students … 
love teaching, love leading schools,” Steiner said. “For many of them, 
it’s the context that they are teaching in, not teaching itself, that 
they find to be stressful and difficult.”


Cindy Deutsch <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/the-range/2022-06-17/let-the-children-play-a-wichita-kindergarten-teacher-looks-back-on-37-years-in-the-classroom" target="_blank">retired this spring</a>
 after teaching kindergarten for 37 years in Wichita. Early in her 
career, she had lots of flexibility and independence in the classroom, 
she said. Not now.

“We’re micromanaged a lot, where we’re told exactly what we’re 
supposed to be teaching, when we’re supposed to be teaching it,” she 
said.


A major frustration was an intense focus on testing even the youngest
 students, Deutsch said. When she started teaching, there were four 
categories to mark on kids’ report cards for reading and writing. Last 
year, there were more than 20.


At times, she said, she felt like she was testing more than teaching:


“We weigh the cow and we weigh the cow, but we don’t have time to feed the cow because we’re weighing the cow so much.”


Jarred Fuhrman struggled over his decision to leave his job as principal of <a href="https://blhs.usd458.org/" target="_blank">Basehor-Linwood High School</a>,
 but he finally decided in May to try something new. Fuhrman accepted a 
position in human resources for a Kansas City-area company.

“For me, it was a family decision,” said Fuhrman, who has two 
school-age children. “Being a high school principal is one of the more 
challenging positions in education.”


Fuhrman said there were days he’d get to school at 7 a.m. and not leave until after 10 p.m.


“It just wears on you. It’s just exhausting,” he said. “I was just tired.”


“The last couple years have been pretty hard with COVID and just all 
the different changes that schools have been going through,” he said. “I
 do worry about the teacher shortage. I think it’s going to be a little 
scary the next couple of years, and I don’t know that I have a good 
answer for that.”


Steiner, the RAND researcher, said a majority of teachers and 
principals intend to stay in their jobs and are leaning on each other to
 cope with job-related stress.


“They turn to their friends and colleagues to vent, to seek solutions, or sometimes just to hang out,” she said.


Steiner said school leaders should ask teachers what contributes to their stress and try to fix those problems.


“If there’s anything district and school leaders can do to address 
the things that teachers find difficult about their job,” she said, “it 
could help improve educators’ mental health.”


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/2022/7/1657138583709.png" alt="Nearly a third of teachers and principals said they were likely to leave their current job by the end of the school year, according to a survey by the RAND Corporation. Carlos Moreno/KCUR 89.3" />
 <figcaption>Nearly a third of teachers and principals said they were likely to leave their current job by the end of the school year, according to a survey by the RAND Corporation. Carlos Moreno/KCUR 89.3</figcaption>
 </figure>By SUZANNE PEREZ <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-07-05/burned-out-as-more-educators-leave-kansas-faces-its-worst-ever-teacher-shortage">Kansas News Service</a>WICHITA, Kansas — First came the school year where a killer 
virus sent everybody home early. Then the maddening online year. 
Followed by the half-and-half year.
Amid all that, teachers — or public schools writ large — became the 
enemy. Hostility boiled over about wearing masks, banning library books 
or teaching about history and race. And fears continued about gunmen 
storming classrooms.
Many teachers, principals and superintendents found themselves burned
 out, or merely worn out, and they’re calling it quits — heading for 
retirement or other jobs.
Now Kansas finds itself facing the most severe teacher shortage it’s 
ever known. Roughly 4% of teaching jobs — about 1,400 — are unfilled, 
and by the time the first bell rings this fall, it’s likely to be worse,
 not better.
“Forty years ago, there were up to 100 applicants for every 
(teaching) job in Kansas,” said Education Commissioner Randy Watson. 
This fall, even large districts will be lucky to get 10, he said. “We’ll
 have shortages.”
The problem has been building for years. But <a href="https://www.rand.org/education-and-labor/projects/state-of-the-american-teacher-and-the-american-principal.html" target="_blank">new research by the RAND Corporation</a> shows that the COVID-19 pandemic increased teachers’ levels of stress and burnout and may be accelerating the exodus.
The RAND think tank’s national survey of teachers and principals in 
January found educators faring far worse than other working adults on 
several indicators of overall well-being.
Nearly three-fourths of teachers and 85% of principals complained of 
frequent stress from their jobs. That’s more than double most adults. 
Fifty-nine percent of teachers and 48% of principals say they’re burned 
out.
Nearly a third of teachers and principals said they were likely to 
leave their current job by the end of the school year, an increase since
 <a href="https://www.rand.org/education-and-labor/projects/state-of-the-american-teacher-and-the-american-principal/related-research.html" target="_blank">RAND’s survey in 2021</a>. Teachers of color were more likely than white teachers to say they intended to leave.
For several years now, the survey has painted “a picture of stress 
and of some job dissatisfaction for many educators,” said Elizabeth 
Steiner, a policy researcher and co-author of the report.
The RAND survey found that supportive school environments — in which 
teachers are involved in decision-making and have positive relationships
 with their colleagues — lead to better well-being and a decreased 
likelihood of leaving the profession.
“They still love their jobs, want to be there for their students … 
love teaching, love leading schools,” Steiner said. “For many of them, 
it’s the context that they are teaching in, not teaching itself, that 
they find to be stressful and difficult.”
<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1657138676699.png" alt="Cindy Deutsch recently retired after 37 years of teaching, most of it in kindergarten classrooms in Wichita. Suzanne Perez / KMUW" />
 <figcaption>Cindy Deutsch recently retired after 37 years of teaching, most of it in kindergarten classrooms in Wichita. Suzanne Perez / KMUW</figcaption>
 </figure>Cindy Deutsch <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/the-range/2022-06-17/let-the-children-play-a-wichita-kindergarten-teacher-looks-back-on-37-years-in-the-classroom" target="_blank">retired this spring</a>
 after teaching kindergarten for 37 years in Wichita. Early in her 
career, she had lots of flexibility and independence in the classroom, 
she said. Not now.
“We’re micromanaged a lot, where we’re told exactly what we’re 
supposed to be teaching, when we’re supposed to be teaching it,” she 
said.
A major frustration was an intense focus on testing even the youngest
 students, Deutsch said. When she started teaching, there were four 
categories to mark on kids’ report cards for reading and writing. Last 
year, there were more than 20.
At times, she said, she felt like she was testing more than teaching:
“We weigh the cow and we weigh the cow, but we don’t have time to feed the cow because we’re weighing the cow so much.”
Jarred Fuhrman struggled over his decision to leave his job as principal of <a href="https://blhs.usd458.org/" target="_blank">Basehor-Linwood High School</a>,
 but he finally decided in May to try something new. Fuhrman accepted a 
position in human resources for a Kansas City-area company.
“For me, it was a family decision,” said Fuhrman, who has two 
school-age children. “Being a high school principal is one of the more 
challenging positions in education.”
Fuhrman said there were days he’d get to school at 7 a.m. and not leave until after 10 p.m.
“It just wears on you. It’s just exhausting,” he said. “I was just tired.”
“The last couple years have been pretty hard with COVID and just all 
the different changes that schools have been going through,” he said. “I
 do worry about the teacher shortage. I think it’s going to be a little 
scary the next couple of years, and I don’t know that I have a good 
answer for that.”
Steiner, the RAND researcher, said a majority of teachers and 
principals intend to stay in their jobs and are leaning on each other to
 cope with job-related stress.
“They turn to their friends and colleagues to vent, to seek solutions, or sometimes just to hang out,” she said.
Steiner said school leaders should ask teachers what contributes to their stress and try to fix those problems.
“If there’s anything district and school leaders can do to address 
the things that teachers find difficult about their job,” she said, “it 
could help improve educators’ mental health.”
Suzanne Perez reports on education for KMUW in Wichita and the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter @SuzPerezICT.

Burned out: Kansas faces its worst-ever teacher shortage

HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
For Creighton University economist Ernie Goss the news is not good as far as the trend of the overall economy.

"We're adding jobs, but unfortunately, productivity is down," Goss said. "When you put those together, the Atlanta Fed came out with their report, their look at the second quarter, which we just finished, they expect that number to come in negative. If that happens to be the case, that would be two consecutive quarters of negative GDP."

That is what most economists would call a recession.

"The inflation number is going to come down," Goss said. "The Federal Reserve is raising rates. They raised three quarters of a percent at their last meeting. They're going to raise rates again on July 27. It may be as high as three quarters of a percent again, then they are probably going to raise rates in September. That's slowing the overall economy, but inflation is still well above what most of us are getting in raises."

That productivity number, output per worker, hasn't been this low since 1947.

"Workers are standing around with these supply chain disruptions," Goss said. "They are waiting on inputs to come in to their company or they are waiting until transportation arrives to send outputs out. That's one of the real keys right now. We need to see those productivity numbers get better. We need to see supply chain disruptions get less."

That's why confidence among those Goss is surveying is particularly low looking out six months, as it may take at least that long to get the supply chain kinks worked out, even if we don't have another COVID spike in the fall and winter.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1622642233344.jpeg" alt="Creighton Professor Ernie Goss, PhD" />
 <figcaption>Creighton Professor Ernie Goss, PhD</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
For Creighton University economist Ernie Goss the news is not good as far as the trend of the overall economy."We're adding jobs, but unfortunately, productivity is down," Goss said. "When you put those together, the Atlanta Fed came out with their report, their look at the second quarter, which we just finished, they expect that number to come in negative. If that happens to be the case, that would be two consecutive quarters of negative GDP."That is what most economists would call a recession."The inflation number is going to come down," Goss said. "The Federal Reserve is raising rates. They raised three quarters of a percent at their last meeting. They're going to raise rates again on July 27. It may be as high as three quarters of a percent again, then they are probably going to raise rates in September. That's slowing the overall economy, but inflation is still well above what most of us are getting in raises."That productivity number, output per worker, hasn't been this low since 1947."Workers are standing around with these supply chain disruptions," Goss said. "They are waiting on inputs to come in to their company or they are waiting until transportation arrives to send outputs out. That's one of the real keys right now. We need to see those productivity numbers get better. We need to see supply chain disruptions get less."That's why confidence among those Goss is surveying is particularly low looking out six months, as it may take at least that long to get the supply chain kinks worked out, even if we don't have another COVID spike in the fall and winter.

Goss: Trend in economy is not good, even if inflation comes down

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. will send another $400 million in military equipment to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine?utm_source=apnewsnav&amp;utm_medium=featured">Ukraine</a>, including four more advanced rocket systems, a senior defense official said Friday, in an effort to bolster Ukrainian efforts to strike deeper behind Russian frontlines in the eastern Donbas region.

The aid comes as Moscow this week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-army-donetsk-89326e201d66191b815971ceb1a1c6b2">claimed full control of Ukraine’s Luhansk province</a>&nbsp;in the Donbas, but Ukrainian officials say their troops still control a small part of the province and fierce fighting continues in several villages.

The defense official said that the eight High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, that were previously sent are still being used by Ukraine forces in the fight. And this will give them four more to help hit Russian command and control nodes, logistics capabilities and other systems that are further back behind the battlefront. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet made public.

Russia in recent days has launched dozens of missiles across Ukraine and pinned down Ukrainian forces with continuous long-range fire for sometimes hours at a time. Ukraine’s leaders have publicly called on Western allies to quickly send more ammunition and advanced systems that will help them narrow the gap in equipment and manpower. The precision weapons can help Ukraine hit Russian weapons that are farther away and are being used to bombard Ukrainian locations.

The latest aid is the 15th package of military weapons and equipment transferred to Ukraine from Defense Department stocks since last August. In addition to the HIMARS, the U.S. will also send 1,000 rounds of 155 millimeter artillery which has an increased precision capability that also will help Ukraine hit specific targets. The package also will include three tactical vehicles, counter battery radar systems, spare parts and other equipment.

Looking ahead to the coming months, the official said that a key goal is to build up Ukraine’s logistics and repair capabilities so troops can maintain its weapons systems and continue the fight into the future.

Overall, the U.S. has sent about $7.3 billion in aid to Ukraine since the war began in late February.

Luhansk is one of two provinces that make up the Donbas, a region of mines and factories where pro-Moscow separatists have fought Ukraine’s army for eight years and declared independent republics that Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized before he sent troops into Ukraine.

Putin on Thursday warned that Kyiv should accept Moscow’s terms or brace for the worst, saying that Russia hasn’t yet “started anything in earnest.”

U.S. and other western officials have said that Russia has been making slow, incremental progress in the Donbas but has not made gains as rapidly as Moscow initially intended. President Joe Biden has said that the U.S. is giving Ukrainians the aid needed to continue to resist Russian aggression.

“I don’t know how it’s going to end, but it will not end with a Russian defeat of Ukraine in Ukraine,” Biden said last week.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. will send another $400 million in military equipment to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine?utm_source=apnewsnav&amp;utm_medium=featured">Ukraine</a>, including four more advanced rocket systems, a senior defense official said Friday, in an effort to bolster Ukrainian efforts to strike deeper behind Russian frontlines in the eastern Donbas region.The aid comes as Moscow this week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-army-donetsk-89326e201d66191b815971ceb1a1c6b2">claimed full control of Ukraine’s Luhansk province</a>&nbsp;in the Donbas, but Ukrainian officials say their troops still control a small part of the province and fierce fighting continues in several villages.The defense official said that the eight High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, that were previously sent are still being used by Ukraine forces in the fight. And this will give them four more to help hit Russian command and control nodes, logistics capabilities and other systems that are further back behind the battlefront. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet made public.Russia in recent days has launched dozens of missiles across Ukraine and pinned down Ukrainian forces with continuous long-range fire for sometimes hours at a time. Ukraine’s leaders have publicly called on Western allies to quickly send more ammunition and advanced systems that will help them narrow the gap in equipment and manpower. The precision weapons can help Ukraine hit Russian weapons that are farther away and are being used to bombard Ukrainian locations.The latest aid is the 15th package of military weapons and equipment transferred to Ukraine from Defense Department stocks since last August. In addition to the HIMARS, the U.S. will also send 1,000 rounds of 155 millimeter artillery which has an increased precision capability that also will help Ukraine hit specific targets. The package also will include three tactical vehicles, counter battery radar systems, spare parts and other equipment.Looking ahead to the coming months, the official said that a key goal is to build up Ukraine’s logistics and repair capabilities so troops can maintain its weapons systems and continue the fight into the future.Overall, the U.S. has sent about $7.3 billion in aid to Ukraine since the war began in late February.Luhansk is one of two provinces that make up the Donbas, a region of mines and factories where pro-Moscow separatists have fought Ukraine’s army for eight years and declared independent republics that Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized before he sent troops into Ukraine.Putin on Thursday warned that Kyiv should accept Moscow’s terms or brace for the worst, saying that Russia hasn’t yet “started anything in earnest.”U.S. and other western officials have said that Russia has been making slow, incremental progress in the Donbas but has not made gains as rapidly as Moscow initially intended. President Joe Biden has said that the U.S. is giving Ukrainians the aid needed to continue to resist Russian aggression.“I don’t know how it’s going to end, but it will not end with a Russian defeat of Ukraine in Ukraine,” Biden said last week.

US spending another $400 million on aid for Ukraine

Site along I-80 planned for Pinnacle Bank Sports Complex

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/07/09/grand-island-seeking-to-tap-lucrative-youth-sports-market-with-multi-court-facility/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

GRAND 
ISLAND — This central Nebraska city is hoping to join the effort to 
attract regional, youth sports tournaments and the local spending on 
motels and meals that comes with it.

The&nbsp;160,000-square-foot&nbsp;Pinnacle Bank Sports
 Complex is being planned for a site just off Interstate 80 at the U.S. 
Highway 281 interchange. The first phase will feature six indoor courts 
for basketball and volleyball and batting cages for baseball, though 
it’s being designed with expansion in mind.

About $10 million has been raised locally, 
with another $10 million being sought statewide, according to Johnny 
Dorn, vice president of Cresa, a real estate firm working on the 
project, who is a former University of Nebraska-Lincoln baseball player.

The goal of the sports complex is to attract
 regional tournaments to Grand Island and tap into a national market for
 youth sports that has grown to a $19 billion-a-year industry.

“Each time a parent has to travel for their 
child’s sporting event or practice, that money leaves Hall County,” said
 Tino Martinez, president of the board of the nonprofit Pinnacle Bank 
Sports Complex.

“We want to invest here in Hall County to 
keep the kids and the money locally,” said Martinez, who also coaches 
basketball at Grand Island Central Catholic High School.

A state-of-the-art training center for local
 athletes would also allow parents in the area to avoid long drives to 
volleyball and basketball training centers in Lincoln, according to 
Kristin Maser, who drove two daughters back and- forth to the Capital 
City for club volleyball.

“We put a lot of miles on our car over the 
last eight years,” Maser said. “It would just be nice if the kids from 
Grand Island would have the opportunity to have really good training and
 play locally here.”

The Grand Island facility could also be used
 for dance, wrestling, cheerleading, yoga/exercise classes and other 
community events.

Two large, outdoor complexes for youth sports tournaments have broken ground recently in the Omaha area.

The Nebraska Multi-Sports Complex in La 
Vista and the MD West ONE Sports Complex in Valley were major recipients
 recently of state grants through the state’s “shovel-ready” program 
designed to help projects by nonprofit organizations disrupted by the 
COVID-19 pandemic. Funding for the program came from the Biden 
Administration’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

The La Vista project received $12.7 million,
 while the Valley complex got $3.8 million. A field house planned by the
 Columbus Community Hospital also got $12.7 million.

That compares to just under $116,000 for the
 Grand Island sports center, forcing backers there to explore other 
sources of funding.

Recently, Grand Island officials, including 
Mayor Roger Steele, toured the UBT Sports Complex in Elkhorn and the 
Iowa West Field House in Council Bluffs, Iowa, to better understand what
 works and what doesn’t in such facilities.

Dorn said they learned that while improving 
practice and tournament facilities for local youth athletes is critical,
 hosting multi-team, regional tournaments is what brings greater 
revenue.

According to Dave Taylor of the Grand Island
 Area Economic Development, the Pinnacle Bank Sports Complex has the 
potential to generate $4 million to $6 million per year in new visitor 
spending, which includes overnight stays and meals.

The mayor said the sports complex will also 
be an ideal “new gateway development” for Grand Island, providing a 
stronger link between I-80 and the city of 51,000.

Dorn said that it’s possible that ground 
could be broken for the facility yet this year, but spring 2023 is 
probably more realistic. He said no state or county funds are being 
sought for the project but said it is possible that sales taxes 
generated by new development in the immediate area of the Sports Complex
 could be tapped to help finance the facility.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1657385619072.png" alt="Proposed design of the Pinnacle Bank Sports Complex being planned in Grand Island, Nebraska. (Courtesy of Tri-Cities Sports Complex)" />
 <figcaption>Proposed design of the Pinnacle Bank Sports Complex being planned in Grand Island, Nebraska. (Courtesy of Tri-Cities Sports Complex)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Site along I-80 planned for Pinnacle Bank Sports Complex</h2>By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/07/09/grand-island-seeking-to-tap-lucrative-youth-sports-market-with-multi-court-facility/">Nebraska Examiner</a>GRAND 
ISLAND — This central Nebraska city is hoping to join the effort to 
attract regional, youth sports tournaments and the local spending on 
motels and meals that comes with it.The&nbsp;160,000-square-foot&nbsp;Pinnacle Bank Sports
 Complex is being planned for a site just off Interstate 80 at the U.S. 
Highway 281 interchange. The first phase will feature six indoor courts 
for basketball and volleyball and batting cages for baseball, though 
it’s being designed with expansion in mind.About $10 million has been raised locally, 
with another $10 million being sought statewide, according to Johnny 
Dorn, vice president of Cresa, a real estate firm working on the 
project, who is a former University of Nebraska-Lincoln baseball player.<h2>Youth sports market</h2>The goal of the sports complex is to attract
 regional tournaments to Grand Island and tap into a national market for
 youth sports that has grown to a $19 billion-a-year industry.“Each time a parent has to travel for their 
child’s sporting event or practice, that money leaves Hall County,” said
 Tino Martinez, president of the board of the nonprofit Pinnacle Bank 
Sports Complex.“We want to invest here in Hall County to 
keep the kids and the money locally,” said Martinez, who also coaches 
basketball at Grand Island Central Catholic High School.A state-of-the-art training center for local
 athletes would also allow parents in the area to avoid long drives to 
volleyball and basketball training centers in Lincoln, according to 
Kristin Maser, who drove two daughters back and- forth to the Capital 
City for club volleyball.“We put a lot of miles on our car over the 
last eight years,” Maser said. “It would just be nice if the kids from 
Grand Island would have the opportunity to have really good training and
 play locally here.”The Grand Island facility could also be used
 for dance, wrestling, cheerleading, yoga/exercise classes and other 
community events.<h2>‘Shovel ready’ funds</h2>Two large, outdoor complexes for youth sports tournaments have broken ground recently in the Omaha area.The Nebraska Multi-Sports Complex in La 
Vista and the MD West ONE Sports Complex in Valley were major recipients
 recently of state grants through the state’s “shovel-ready” program 
designed to help projects by nonprofit organizations disrupted by the 
COVID-19 pandemic. Funding for the program came from the Biden 
Administration’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).The La Vista project received $12.7 million,
 while the Valley complex got $3.8 million. A field house planned by the
 Columbus Community Hospital also got $12.7 million.That compares to just under $116,000 for the
 Grand Island sports center, forcing backers there to explore other 
sources of funding.Recently, Grand Island officials, including 
Mayor Roger Steele, toured the UBT Sports Complex in Elkhorn and the 
Iowa West Field House in Council Bluffs, Iowa, to better understand what
 works and what doesn’t in such facilities.Dorn said they learned that while improving 
practice and tournament facilities for local youth athletes is critical,
 hosting multi-team, regional tournaments is what brings greater 
revenue.<h2>Economic impact</h2>According to Dave Taylor of the Grand Island
 Area Economic Development, the Pinnacle Bank Sports Complex has the 
potential to generate $4 million to $6 million per year in new visitor 
spending, which includes overnight stays and meals.The mayor said the sports complex will also 
be an ideal “new gateway development” for Grand Island, providing a 
stronger link between I-80 and the city of 51,000.Dorn said that it’s possible that ground 
could be broken for the facility yet this year, but spring 2023 is 
probably more realistic. He said no state or county funds are being 
sought for the project but said it is possible that sales taxes 
generated by new development in the immediate area of the Sports Complex
 could be tapped to help finance the facility.

Grand Island seeks to tap youth sports market with new complex

JEFFERSON COUNTY, KY. — The father of four family members from Nickerson, Kansas hit by an alleged impaired driver in Louisville, Kentucky, earlier this week has died.

The Jefferson County Coroner's Office says Trey Jones, teacher and track coach at Nickerson USD 309, succumbed to his injuries Thursday night.

Jones, his wife Amy, and daughter Ava, along with the family’s youngest child were all hit by a motorist who drove up onto the sidewalk in the downtown area of Louisville Tuesday evening.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Ava, who just signed a letter of intent to play basketball at Iowa, was improving, according to&nbsp;Nickerson USD 309 Superintendent Curtis Nightingale.&nbsp; Ava's team, Wheat State Elite, is playing in the&nbsp;<a href="https://run4theroses.com/">Run 4 The Roses</a>&nbsp;club basketball tournament in Louisville.

A candlelight vigil will be held at the Nickerson High School football stadium on Sunday at 9 p.m. A&nbsp;fund has been set up at Peoples Bank and Trust to help with the family’s expenses. Donations can be made at the bank to the Jones Family Fund.

Police arrested the suspect, 33-year-old Michael Hurley of Lexington, Indiana. Hurley admitted he had just taken Oxycodone before the accident and failed a field test for narcotics at the scene. According to the Jefferson County Commonwealth Attorney's Office, Hurley is now facing an amended charge of murder.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1657310781672.jpeg" alt="Trey, daughter Ava and Amy Jones-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Trey, daughter Ava and Amy Jones-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>JEFFERSON COUNTY, KY. — The father of four family members from Nickerson, Kansas hit by an alleged impaired driver in Louisville, Kentucky, earlier this week has died.The Jefferson County Coroner's Office says Trey Jones, teacher and track coach at Nickerson USD 309, succumbed to his injuries Thursday night.Jones, his wife Amy, and daughter Ava, along with the family’s youngest child were all hit by a motorist who drove up onto the sidewalk in the downtown area of Louisville Tuesday evening.&nbsp;&nbsp;Ava, who just signed a letter of intent to play basketball at Iowa, was improving, according to&nbsp;Nickerson USD 309 Superintendent Curtis Nightingale.&nbsp; Ava's team, Wheat State Elite, is playing in the&nbsp;<a href="https://run4theroses.com/">Run 4 The Roses</a>&nbsp;club basketball tournament in Louisville.A candlelight vigil will be held at the Nickerson High School football stadium on Sunday at 9 p.m. A&nbsp;fund has been set up at Peoples Bank and Trust to help with the family’s expenses. Donations can be made at the bank to the Jones Family Fund.Police arrested the suspect, 33-year-old Michael Hurley of Lexington, Indiana. Hurley admitted he had just taken Oxycodone before the accident and failed a field test for narcotics at the scene. According to the Jefferson County Commonwealth Attorney's Office, Hurley is now facing an amended charge of murder.

Father of Kansas family struck by car in Kentucky dies

By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-sen-megan-hunt-of-omaha-among-48-chosen-for-national-leadership-fellowship/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

OMAHA
 — State Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha is among 48 state leaders in 32 states
 selected to participate in the prestigious Council of State Government 
Henry Toll Fellowship program.

The
 fellowship is a leadership development program for state government 
officials, said a statement from the CSG based in Lexington, Kentucky. 
Hunt is the only Nebraskan chosen for this year’s class.

She called it an honor to be recognized among “visionary changemakers” across the country.

“We
 need fighters in all levels of government and policymaking who are 
hearing and really responding to the needs and concerns of everyday 
people,” Hunt said. “I ran for office because I know that we can do more
 collectively rather than individually.”

Each
 year, the fellowship brings up to 48 applicants from all three branches
 of state government to the Council of State Governments national 
headquarters for an extensive, five-day leadership boot camp. This 
year’s camp is in August.

The program’s sessions are designed to stimulate personal assessment and growth while providing networking opportunities.&nbsp;

CSG
 executive director David Adkins, a former Kansas state senator and 
fellowship alumnus, said state leaders come from all regions, both 
political parties and all three branches of state government. He said 
they share a “purpose with a passion for public service.”

“Toll
 fellows are selected based on their demonstrated commitment to solve 
problems, to work collaboratively to get things done, and their belief 
that state government can and must be a force for good,” Adkins said.

More
 than 1,300 have graduated from the fellowship program, which began in 
1986. Alumni include three sitting state supreme court justices, 10 
sitting members of Congress and five sitting governors.

The fellowship was named for Henry Wolcott Toll, who founded the Council of State Governments in 1933. The
 council serves all three branches of state government and fosters an 
exchange of ideas to help state officials shape public policy.&nbsp;

Said Hunt: “I am proud to play a role in finding solutions to build a better, more equitable world.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1657305760659.png" alt="State Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha. (Courtesy of Unicameral Information Office)" />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha. (Courtesy of Unicameral Information Office)</figcaption>
 </figure>By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-sen-megan-hunt-of-omaha-among-48-chosen-for-national-leadership-fellowship/">Nebraska Examiner</a>OMAHA
 — State Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha is among 48 state leaders in 32 states
 selected to participate in the prestigious Council of State Government 
Henry Toll Fellowship program.The
 fellowship is a leadership development program for state government 
officials, said a statement from the CSG based in Lexington, Kentucky. 
Hunt is the only Nebraskan chosen for this year’s class.She called it an honor to be recognized among “visionary changemakers” across the country.“We
 need fighters in all levels of government and policymaking who are 
hearing and really responding to the needs and concerns of everyday 
people,” Hunt said. “I ran for office because I know that we can do more
 collectively rather than individually.”Each
 year, the fellowship brings up to 48 applicants from all three branches
 of state government to the Council of State Governments national 
headquarters for an extensive, five-day leadership boot camp. This 
year’s camp is in August.The program’s sessions are designed to stimulate personal assessment and growth while providing networking opportunities.&nbsp;CSG
 executive director David Adkins, a former Kansas state senator and 
fellowship alumnus, said state leaders come from all regions, both 
political parties and all three branches of state government. He said 
they share a “purpose with a passion for public service.”“Toll
 fellows are selected based on their demonstrated commitment to solve 
problems, to work collaboratively to get things done, and their belief 
that state government can and must be a force for good,” Adkins said.More
 than 1,300 have graduated from the fellowship program, which began in 
1986. Alumni include three sitting state supreme court justices, 10 
sitting members of Congress and five sitting governors.The fellowship was named for Henry Wolcott Toll, who founded the Council of State Governments in 1933. The
 council serves all three branches of state government and fosters an 
exchange of ideas to help state officials shape public policy.&nbsp;Said Hunt: “I am proud to play a role in finding solutions to build a better, more equitable world.”

Nebraskan among 48 chosen for national leadership fellowship

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden signed an executive order Friday to protect access to abortion as he faced mounting pressure from fellow Democrats to be more forceful on the subject after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">the Supreme Court ended a constitutional right to the procedure</a>&nbsp;two weeks ago.

(click to watch the President's statement and signing ceremony)

The actions he outlined are intended to mitigate some potential penalties women seeking abortion may face after the ruling but are limited in their ability to safeguard access to abortion nationwide. Biden acknowledged the limitations facing his office, saying it would require an act of Congress to restore access to abortion in the more than a dozen states where strict limits or total bans have gone into effect in the wake of the Supreme Court's ruling. About a dozen more states are set to impose additional restrictions in the coming weeks and months.

“The fastest way to restore Roe is to pass a national law,” Biden said. ““The challenge is go out and vote. For God’s sake there is an election in November. Vote. Vote. Vote. Vote!"

Biden formalized instructions to the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services to push back on efforts to limit the ability of women to access federally approved abortion medication or to travel across state lines to access clinical&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">abortion services</a>. He was joined by Vice President Kamala Harris, HHS secretary Xavier Becerra and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in the Roosevelt Room as he signed the order.

His executive order also directs agencies to work to educate medical providers and insurers about how and when they are required to share privileged patient information with authorities — an effort to protect women who seek or utilize abortion services. He is also asking the Federal Trade Commission to take steps to protect the privacy of those seeking information about reproductive care online and establish an interagency task force to coordinate federal efforts to safeguard access to abortion.

Biden is also directing his staff to convene volunteer lawyers to provide women and providers with pro bono legal assistance to help them navigate new state restrictions after the Supreme Court ruling.

The order, after the high court’s June 24 ruling that ended the nationwide right to abortion and left it to states to determine whether or how to allow the procedure, comes as Biden has faced criticism from some in his own party for not acting with more urgency to protect women’s access to abortion. The decision in the case known as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/19-1392_6j37.pdf">Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization</a>&nbsp;overturned the court’s landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling.

Since the decision, Biden has stressed that his ability to protect abortion rights by executive action is limited without congressional action, and stressed that Democrats do not have the votes in the current Congress to do so.

“We need two additional pro-choice senators and a pro-choice house to codify Roe," he said. "Your vote can make that a reality.”

He predicted that women would turn out in “record numbers” in frustration over the court's decision, and said he expected "millions and millions of men will be taking up the fight beside them.”

On Friday, he repeated his sharp criticism of the Supreme Court's reasoning in striking down what had been a half-century constitutional right to abortion.

“Let’s be clear about something from the very start, this was not a decision driven by the Constitution," Biden said, accusing the court's majority of “playing fast and loose with the facts."

“Ultimately, Congress is going to have to act to codify Roe into federal law,” Biden said last week during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-biden-health-filibusters-joe-manchin-1350946adeb5dbd4febc62fb231b1f66">a virtual meeting with Democratic governors</a>.

The tasking to the Justice Department and HHS pushes the agencies to fight in court to protect women, but it conveys no guarantees that the judicial system will take their side against potential prosecution by states that have moved to outlaw abortion.

“President Biden has made clear that the only way to secure a woman’s right to choose is for Congress to restore the protections of Roe as federal law,” the White House said. “Until then, he has committed to doing everything in his power to defend reproductive rights and protect access to safe and legal abortion.”

NARAL Pro-Choice America president Mini Timmaraju called Biden's order "an important first step in restoring the rights taken from millions of Americans by the Supreme Court.”

But Lawrence Gostin, who runs the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health at Georgetown Law, described Biden’s plans as “underwhelming.”

“There’s nothing that I saw that would affect the lives of ordinary poor women living in red states," he said.

Gostin encouraged Biden to take a more forceful approach toward ensuring access to medication abortion across the country and said Medicaid should consider covering transportation to other states for the purposes of getting abortions.

Gostin said, “We basically have two Americas.” There’s one where people have access to a full range of healthcare, and “another where citizens don’t have the same rights to the safe and effective treatments as the rest of the country.”

Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, told the AP that the agency was looking at how Medicaid could cover travel for abortions, along with a range of other proposals, but acknowledged that “Medicaid’s coverage of abortion is extremely limited.”

Biden’s move was the latest scramble to protect the data privacy of those contemplating or seeking abortion, as regulators and lawmakers reckon with the aftermath of the Supreme Court ruling.

The decision by the court is expected to make abortion illegal in over a dozen states and severely restricted in others. Privacy experts say that could make women vulnerable because their personal data could be used to surveil pregnancies and shared with police or sold to vigilantes. Online searches, location data, text messages and emails, and even apps that track periods could be used to prosecute people who seek an abortion — or medical care for a miscarriage — as well as those who assist them, experts say.

Privacy advocates are watching for possible new moves by law enforcement agencies in affected states — serving subpoenas, for example, on tech companies such as Google, Apple, Bing, Facebook’s Messenger and WhatsApp, services like Uber and Lyft, and internet service providers including AT&amp;T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Comcast. Local prosecutors may go before sympathetic judges to obtain search warrants for users’ data.

Last month four Democratic lawmakers asked the FTC to investigate Apple and Google for allegedly deceiving millions of mobile phone users by enabling the collection and sale of their personal data to third parties.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1657297877179.png" alt="President Biden&nbsp;was joined by Vice President Kamala Harris, HHS secretary Xavier Becerra and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in the Roosevelt Room as he signed the order.-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>President Biden&nbsp;was joined by Vice President Kamala Harris, HHS secretary Xavier Becerra and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in the Roosevelt Room as he signed the order.-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden signed an executive order Friday to protect access to abortion as he faced mounting pressure from fellow Democrats to be more forceful on the subject after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">the Supreme Court ended a constitutional right to the procedure</a>&nbsp;two weeks ago.(click to watch the President's statement and signing ceremony)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F1466732500453144%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=496" 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>The actions he outlined are intended to mitigate some potential penalties women seeking abortion may face after the ruling but are limited in their ability to safeguard access to abortion nationwide. Biden acknowledged the limitations facing his office, saying it would require an act of Congress to restore access to abortion in the more than a dozen states where strict limits or total bans have gone into effect in the wake of the Supreme Court's ruling. About a dozen more states are set to impose additional restrictions in the coming weeks and months.“The fastest way to restore Roe is to pass a national law,” Biden said. ““The challenge is go out and vote. For God’s sake there is an election in November. Vote. Vote. Vote. Vote!"Biden formalized instructions to the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services to push back on efforts to limit the ability of women to access federally approved abortion medication or to travel across state lines to access clinical&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">abortion services</a>. He was joined by Vice President Kamala Harris, HHS secretary Xavier Becerra and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in the Roosevelt Room as he signed the order.His executive order also directs agencies to work to educate medical providers and insurers about how and when they are required to share privileged patient information with authorities — an effort to protect women who seek or utilize abortion services. He is also asking the Federal Trade Commission to take steps to protect the privacy of those seeking information about reproductive care online and establish an interagency task force to coordinate federal efforts to safeguard access to abortion.Biden is also directing his staff to convene volunteer lawyers to provide women and providers with pro bono legal assistance to help them navigate new state restrictions after the Supreme Court ruling.The order, after the high court’s June 24 ruling that ended the nationwide right to abortion and left it to states to determine whether or how to allow the procedure, comes as Biden has faced criticism from some in his own party for not acting with more urgency to protect women’s access to abortion. The decision in the case known as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/19-1392_6j37.pdf">Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization</a>&nbsp;overturned the court’s landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling.Since the decision, Biden has stressed that his ability to protect abortion rights by executive action is limited without congressional action, and stressed that Democrats do not have the votes in the current Congress to do so.“We need two additional pro-choice senators and a pro-choice house to codify Roe," he said. "Your vote can make that a reality.”He predicted that women would turn out in “record numbers” in frustration over the court's decision, and said he expected "millions and millions of men will be taking up the fight beside them.”On Friday, he repeated his sharp criticism of the Supreme Court's reasoning in striking down what had been a half-century constitutional right to abortion.“Let’s be clear about something from the very start, this was not a decision driven by the Constitution," Biden said, accusing the court's majority of “playing fast and loose with the facts."“Ultimately, Congress is going to have to act to codify Roe into federal law,” Biden said last week during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-biden-health-filibusters-joe-manchin-1350946adeb5dbd4febc62fb231b1f66">a virtual meeting with Democratic governors</a>.The tasking to the Justice Department and HHS pushes the agencies to fight in court to protect women, but it conveys no guarantees that the judicial system will take their side against potential prosecution by states that have moved to outlaw abortion.“President Biden has made clear that the only way to secure a woman’s right to choose is for Congress to restore the protections of Roe as federal law,” the White House said. “Until then, he has committed to doing everything in his power to defend reproductive rights and protect access to safe and legal abortion.”NARAL Pro-Choice America president Mini Timmaraju called Biden's order "an important first step in restoring the rights taken from millions of Americans by the Supreme Court.”But Lawrence Gostin, who runs the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health at Georgetown Law, described Biden’s plans as “underwhelming.”“There’s nothing that I saw that would affect the lives of ordinary poor women living in red states," he said.Gostin encouraged Biden to take a more forceful approach toward ensuring access to medication abortion across the country and said Medicaid should consider covering transportation to other states for the purposes of getting abortions.Gostin said, “We basically have two Americas.” There’s one where people have access to a full range of healthcare, and “another where citizens don’t have the same rights to the safe and effective treatments as the rest of the country.”Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, told the AP that the agency was looking at how Medicaid could cover travel for abortions, along with a range of other proposals, but acknowledged that “Medicaid’s coverage of abortion is extremely limited.”Biden’s move was the latest scramble to protect the data privacy of those contemplating or seeking abortion, as regulators and lawmakers reckon with the aftermath of the Supreme Court ruling.The decision by the court is expected to make abortion illegal in over a dozen states and severely restricted in others. Privacy experts say that could make women vulnerable because their personal data could be used to surveil pregnancies and shared with police or sold to vigilantes. Online searches, location data, text messages and emails, and even apps that track periods could be used to prosecute people who seek an abortion — or medical care for a miscarriage — as well as those who assist them, experts say.Privacy advocates are watching for possible new moves by law enforcement agencies in affected states — serving subpoenas, for example, on tech companies such as Google, Apple, Bing, Facebook’s Messenger and WhatsApp, services like Uber and Lyft, and internet service providers including AT&amp;T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Comcast. Local prosecutors may go before sympathetic judges to obtain search warrants for users’ data.Last month four Democratic lawmakers asked the FTC to investigate Apple and Google for allegedly deceiving millions of mobile phone users by enabling the collection and sale of their personal data to third parties.

🎥:Biden assails court ruling, signs order on abortion access

HERINGTON—Law enforcement authorities investigating a drive-by shooting in Herington have made an arrest.

On Wednesday,&nbsp; police were dispatched to a reported shooting at the intersection of S. B Street and Day Street in Herington, according to a media release.

 The suspect has been identified as 26-year-old Travis Richardson of Abilene, confronted another subject that was walking at the intersection following a confrontation at a nearby residence. 

Richardson produced a semi-automatic pistol and fired fourteen times at the victim before fleeing the scene. According to online jail records, Richardson is being held on requested charges that include&nbsp;Criminal damage to property; Without consent value $1000 to $25,000,&nbsp;Criminal discharge of firearm; Public road/public right of way/railroad,&nbsp;Criminal discharge of firearm; Recklessly at occupied dwelling, attempted&nbsp;Murder in the 2nd degree; Intentional.

No one was hurt as a result of the shooting, although some personal property was damaged by the rounds fired in the area.&nbsp;

Police have not released details on the arrest.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1657278156529.png" alt="Richardson photo Dickinson County." />
 <figcaption>Richardson photo Dickinson County.</figcaption>
 </figure>HERINGTON—Law enforcement authorities investigating a drive-by shooting in Herington have made an arrest.On Wednesday,&nbsp; police were dispatched to a reported shooting at the intersection of S. B Street and Day Street in Herington, according to a media release. The suspect has been identified as 26-year-old Travis Richardson of Abilene, confronted another subject that was walking at the intersection following a confrontation at a nearby residence. Richardson produced a semi-automatic pistol and fired fourteen times at the victim before fleeing the scene. According to online jail records, Richardson is being held on requested charges that include&nbsp;Criminal damage to property; Without consent value $1000 to $25,000,&nbsp;Criminal discharge of firearm; Public road/public right of way/railroad,&nbsp;Criminal discharge of firearm; Recklessly at occupied dwelling, attempted&nbsp;Murder in the 2nd degree; Intentional.No one was hurt as a result of the shooting, although some personal property was damaged by the rounds fired in the area.&nbsp;Police have not released details on the arrest.

Police arrest suspect in Kansas drive-by shooting

NARA, Japan (AP) — Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a divisive arch-conservative and one of his nation's most powerful and influential figures, has died after being shot during a campaign speech Friday in western Japan, hospital officials said.

Abe, 67, was shot from behind minutes after he started his speech in Nara. He was airlifted to a hospital for emergency treatment but was not breathing and his heart had stopped. He was later pronounced dead despite emergency treatment that included massive blood transfusions, hospital officials said.

Police arrested the suspected gunman at the scene of an attack that shocked many in Japan, which is one of the world’s safest nations and has some of the strictest gun control laws anywhere.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his Cabinet ministers hastily returned to Tokyo from campaign events around the country after the shooting, which he called “dastardly and barbaric."

Nara Medical University emergency department chief Hidetada Fukushima said Abe suffered major damage to his heart in addition to two neck wounds that damaged an artery, causing extensive bleeding. He was in a state of cardio and pulmonary arrest when he arrived at the hospital and never regained his vital signs, Fukushima said.

Abe was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-shinzo-abe-timeline-3bff720a48b60b4c8907b8e71bcf41e8">Japan’s longest-serving leader</a>&nbsp;before stepping down in 2020.

Public television NHK aired a dramatic video of Abe giving a speech outside a train station in the western city of Nara. He is standing, dressed in a navy blue suit, raising his fist, when two gunshots are heard. The video then shows Abe collapsed on the street, with security guards running toward him. He holds his chest, his shirt smeared with blood.

In the next moment, security guards leap on top of a man in gray shirt who lies face down on the pavement. A double-barreled device that appeared to be a handmade gun is seen on the ground.

Nara prefectural police confirmed the arrest of Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, on suspicion of attempted murder. NHK reported that the suspect served in the Maritime Self-Defense Force for three years in the 2000s.

Other videos from the scene showed campaign officials surrounding Abe. The former leader was still highly influential in the governing Liberal Democratic Party and headed its largest faction, Seiwakai.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-elections-japan-tokyo-parliamentary-d58bd38e1ad061d0a4e9447cca220797">Elections for Japan's upper house</a>, the less powerful chamber of its parliament, are Sunday.

“I use the harshest words to condemn (the act),” Kishida said as he struggled to control his emotions. He said the government planned to review the security situation, but added that Abe had the highest protection.

Opposition leaders condemned the attack as a challenge to Japan’s democracy. In Tokyo, people stopped on the street to grab extra editions of newspapers or watch TV coverage of the shooting.

When he resigned as prime minister, Abe said he had a recurrence of the ulcerative colitis he'd had since he was a teenager.

He told reporters at the time that it was “gut wrenching” to leave many of his goals unfinished. He spoke of his failure to resolve the issue of Japanese abducted years ago by North Korea, a territorial dispute with Russia and a revision of Japan’s war-renouncing constitution.

That last goal was a big reason he was such a divisive figure.

His ultra-nationalism riled the Koreas and China, and his push to create what he saw as a more normal defense posture angered many Japanese. Abe failed to achieve his cherished goal of formally rewriting the U.S.-drafted pacifist constitution because of poor public support.

Loyalists said that his legacy was a stronger U.S.-Japan relationship that was meant to bolster Japan’s defense capability. But Abe made enemies by forcing his defense goals and other contentious issues through parliament, despite strong public opposition.

Abe was a political blue blood who was groomed to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi. His political rhetoric often focused on making Japan a “normal” and “beautiful” nation with a stronger military and bigger role in international affairs.

Many&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shinzo-abe-shooting-world-leaders-react-e163d6212ab8a76ff88ac66a7287172c">foreign officials</a>&nbsp;expressed shock over the shooting.

Abe said he was proud of working while leader for a stronger Japan-U.S. security alliance and shepherding the first visit by a serving U.S. president to the atom-bombed city of Hiroshima. He also helped Tokyo gain the right to host the 2020 Olympics by pledging that a disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant was “under control” when it was not.

Abe became Japan’s youngest prime minister in 2006, at age 52, but his overly nationalistic first stint abruptly ended a year later, also because of his health.

The end of Abe’s scandal-laden first stint as prime minister was the beginning of six years of annual leadership change, remembered as an era of “revolving door” politics that lacked stability and long-term policies.

When he returned to office in 2012, Abe vowed to revitalize the nation and get its economy out of its deflationary doldrums with his “Abenomics” formula, which combines fiscal stimulus, monetary easing and structural reforms.

He won six national elections and built a rock-solid grip on power, bolstering Japan’s defense role and capability and its security alliance with the U.S. He also stepped up patriotic education at schools and raised Japan’s international profile.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1657275025381.png" alt="Shinzo Abe during a 2019 meeting with President Donald Trump -photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Shinzo Abe during a 2019 meeting with President Donald Trump -photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>NARA, Japan (AP) — Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a divisive arch-conservative and one of his nation's most powerful and influential figures, has died after being shot during a campaign speech Friday in western Japan, hospital officials said.Abe, 67, was shot from behind minutes after he started his speech in Nara. He was airlifted to a hospital for emergency treatment but was not breathing and his heart had stopped. He was later pronounced dead despite emergency treatment that included massive blood transfusions, hospital officials said.Police arrested the suspected gunman at the scene of an attack that shocked many in Japan, which is one of the world’s safest nations and has some of the strictest gun control laws anywhere.Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his Cabinet ministers hastily returned to Tokyo from campaign events around the country after the shooting, which he called “dastardly and barbaric."Nara Medical University emergency department chief Hidetada Fukushima said Abe suffered major damage to his heart in addition to two neck wounds that damaged an artery, causing extensive bleeding. He was in a state of cardio and pulmonary arrest when he arrived at the hospital and never regained his vital signs, Fukushima said.Abe was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-shinzo-abe-timeline-3bff720a48b60b4c8907b8e71bcf41e8">Japan’s longest-serving leader</a>&nbsp;before stepping down in 2020.Public television NHK aired a dramatic video of Abe giving a speech outside a train station in the western city of Nara. He is standing, dressed in a navy blue suit, raising his fist, when two gunshots are heard. The video then shows Abe collapsed on the street, with security guards running toward him. He holds his chest, his shirt smeared with blood.In the next moment, security guards leap on top of a man in gray shirt who lies face down on the pavement. A double-barreled device that appeared to be a handmade gun is seen on the ground.Nara prefectural police confirmed the arrest of Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, on suspicion of attempted murder. NHK reported that the suspect served in the Maritime Self-Defense Force for three years in the 2000s.Other videos from the scene showed campaign officials surrounding Abe. The former leader was still highly influential in the governing Liberal Democratic Party and headed its largest faction, Seiwakai.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-elections-japan-tokyo-parliamentary-d58bd38e1ad061d0a4e9447cca220797">Elections for Japan's upper house</a>, the less powerful chamber of its parliament, are Sunday.“I use the harshest words to condemn (the act),” Kishida said as he struggled to control his emotions. He said the government planned to review the security situation, but added that Abe had the highest protection.Opposition leaders condemned the attack as a challenge to Japan’s democracy. In Tokyo, people stopped on the street to grab extra editions of newspapers or watch TV coverage of the shooting.When he resigned as prime minister, Abe said he had a recurrence of the ulcerative colitis he'd had since he was a teenager.He told reporters at the time that it was “gut wrenching” to leave many of his goals unfinished. He spoke of his failure to resolve the issue of Japanese abducted years ago by North Korea, a territorial dispute with Russia and a revision of Japan’s war-renouncing constitution.That last goal was a big reason he was such a divisive figure.His ultra-nationalism riled the Koreas and China, and his push to create what he saw as a more normal defense posture angered many Japanese. Abe failed to achieve his cherished goal of formally rewriting the U.S.-drafted pacifist constitution because of poor public support.Loyalists said that his legacy was a stronger U.S.-Japan relationship that was meant to bolster Japan’s defense capability. But Abe made enemies by forcing his defense goals and other contentious issues through parliament, despite strong public opposition.Abe was a political blue blood who was groomed to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi. His political rhetoric often focused on making Japan a “normal” and “beautiful” nation with a stronger military and bigger role in international affairs.Many&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shinzo-abe-shooting-world-leaders-react-e163d6212ab8a76ff88ac66a7287172c">foreign officials</a>&nbsp;expressed shock over the shooting.Abe said he was proud of working while leader for a stronger Japan-U.S. security alliance and shepherding the first visit by a serving U.S. president to the atom-bombed city of Hiroshima. He also helped Tokyo gain the right to host the 2020 Olympics by pledging that a disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant was “under control” when it was not.Abe became Japan’s youngest prime minister in 2006, at age 52, but his overly nationalistic first stint abruptly ended a year later, also because of his health.The end of Abe’s scandal-laden first stint as prime minister was the beginning of six years of annual leadership change, remembered as an era of “revolving door” politics that lacked stability and long-term policies.When he returned to office in 2012, Abe vowed to revitalize the nation and get its economy out of its deflationary doldrums with his “Abenomics” formula, which combines fiscal stimulus, monetary easing and structural reforms.He won six national elections and built a rock-solid grip on power, bolstering Japan’s defense role and capability and its security alliance with the U.S. He also stepped up patriotic education at schools and raised Japan’s international profile.

Assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister stuns world leaders

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will take executive action Friday to protect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">access to abortion</a>, according to three people familiar with the matter, as he faces mounting pressure from fellow Democrats to be more forceful on the subject after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">Supreme Court ended a constitutional right</a>&nbsp;to the procedure two weeks ago.

Biden will speak Friday morning “on protecting access to reproductive health care services,” the people said. The actions he was expected to outline are intended to try to mitigate some potential penalties women seeking abortion may face after the ruling but are limited in their ability to safeguard access to abortion nationwide. Biden is expected to formalize instructions to the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services to push back on efforts to limit the ability of women to access federally approved abortion medication or to travel across state lines to access clinical abortion services. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss Biden's actions before they were officially announced.

Biden's executive order will also direct agencies to work to educate medical providers and insurers about how and when they are required to share privileged patient information with authorities — an effort to protect women who seek or utilize&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">abortion services</a>. He will also ask the Federal Trade Commission to take steps to protect the privacy of those seeking information about reproductive care online.

The order, coming after the high court's June 24 ruling that ended the nationwide right to abortion and left it to states to determine whether or how to allow the procedure, comes as Biden has faced criticism from some in his own party for not acting with more urgency to protect women's access to abortion. The decision in the case known as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/19-1392_6j37.pdf">Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization</a>&nbsp;overturned the court's landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling.

Since the ruling, Biden has stressed that his ability to protect abortion rights by executive action is limited without congressional action.

“Ultimately, Congress is going to have to act to codify Roe into federal law," Biden said last week during a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-biden-health-filibusters-joe-manchin-1350946adeb5dbd4febc62fb231b1f66">virtual meeting with Democratic governors</a>.

The tasking to the Justice Department and HHS is expected to push the agencies to fight in court to protect women, but it conveys no guarantees that the judicial system will take their side against potential prosecution by states that have moved to outlaw abortion.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1654213002552.png" alt="“Let’s be very clear, the health and life of women across this nation are now at risk,” President Biden said on June 24, on what he called “a sad day for the court and the country.”" />
 <figcaption>“Let’s be very clear, the health and life of women across this nation are now at risk,” President Biden said on June 24, on what he called “a sad day for the court and the country.”</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will take executive action Friday to protect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">access to abortion</a>, according to three people familiar with the matter, as he faces mounting pressure from fellow Democrats to be more forceful on the subject after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">Supreme Court ended a constitutional right</a>&nbsp;to the procedure two weeks ago.Biden will speak Friday morning “on protecting access to reproductive health care services,” the people said. The actions he was expected to outline are intended to try to mitigate some potential penalties women seeking abortion may face after the ruling but are limited in their ability to safeguard access to abortion nationwide. Biden is expected to formalize instructions to the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services to push back on efforts to limit the ability of women to access federally approved abortion medication or to travel across state lines to access clinical abortion services. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss Biden's actions before they were officially announced.Biden's executive order will also direct agencies to work to educate medical providers and insurers about how and when they are required to share privileged patient information with authorities — an effort to protect women who seek or utilize&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">abortion services</a>. He will also ask the Federal Trade Commission to take steps to protect the privacy of those seeking information about reproductive care online.The order, coming after the high court's June 24 ruling that ended the nationwide right to abortion and left it to states to determine whether or how to allow the procedure, comes as Biden has faced criticism from some in his own party for not acting with more urgency to protect women's access to abortion. The decision in the case known as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/19-1392_6j37.pdf">Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization</a>&nbsp;overturned the court's landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling.Since the ruling, Biden has stressed that his ability to protect abortion rights by executive action is limited without congressional action.“Ultimately, Congress is going to have to act to codify Roe into federal law," Biden said last week during a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-biden-health-filibusters-joe-manchin-1350946adeb5dbd4febc62fb231b1f66">virtual meeting with Democratic governors</a>.The tasking to the Justice Department and HHS is expected to push the agencies to fight in court to protect women, but it conveys no guarantees that the judicial system will take their side against potential prosecution by states that have moved to outlaw abortion.

 Biden to take executive action to protect abortion access

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a man for the alleged attempted murder of his mother.

Just after 6:30p.m. Wednesday, the Shawnee County Emergency Communication Center received information that a 63-year-old woman had arrived at a local hospital with serious injuries to her face, head, and hands, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

 Investigators learned that the 63-year-old woman was attacked by her&nbsp; son identified as 41-year-old Preston Price&nbsp; in her own home in the 1100 block of NE 35th Street in Topeka.

The 63-year-old female was able to escape the scene and drive herself to a local hospital. She is currently being treated in a Kansas City hospital for extensive injuries suffered during the attack.

Deputies arrested Preston L. Price of Topeka and booked him on a requested charge of attempted murder in the 1st degree, according to Christian.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1657221582560.png" alt="Price-photo Shawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Price-photo Shawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a man for the alleged attempted murder of his mother.Just after 6:30p.m. Wednesday, the Shawnee County Emergency Communication Center received information that a 63-year-old woman had arrived at a local hospital with serious injuries to her face, head, and hands, according to Deputy Abigail Christian. Investigators learned that the 63-year-old woman was attacked by her&nbsp; son identified as 41-year-old Preston Price&nbsp; in her own home in the 1100 block of NE 35th Street in Topeka.The 63-year-old female was able to escape the scene and drive herself to a local hospital. She is currently being treated in a Kansas City hospital for extensive injuries suffered during the attack.Deputies arrested Preston L. Price of Topeka and booked him on a requested charge of attempted murder in the 1st degree, according to Christian.

Kan. woman hospitalized after violent attack by her son

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The nation's largest food distributor has joined the other businesses accusing the four largest meat processors of working together to inflate beef prices.

Sysco recently filed a federal lawsuit in Texas accusing Tyson Foods, JBS, Cargill and National Beef of price fixing. The lawsuit said those companies have conspired to suppress the number of cattle being slaughtered at least since 2015 to help drive up the price of beef. The allegations are similar to ones in lawsuits filed by grocery stores, ranchers, restaurants and other wholesalers that have been pending in Minnesota federal court since 2020.

Similar price-fixing lawsuits are also pending in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lawsuits-c8f79cbf9a104d5801b3eb5aa4f2685e">pork</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-lawsuits-fa91f3a79e4eb9aa5e3d0046e4f16d85">chicken</a>&nbsp;processing businesses.

The Sysco Corp. lawsuit said the companies' coordinated efforts to limit the number of cattle slaughtered drove down the price meat processors paid ranchers while propping up beef prices, boosting profits for the meat producers, who control more than 80% of the U.S. beef market.

The lawsuit said the companies “exploited their market power in this highly concentrated market by conspiring to limit the supply, and fix the prices, of beef sold.” And the lawsuit cited an unnamed witnesses who used to work in the meat industry who confirmed there was a conspiracy between the meat companies.

Most of the companies didn't immediately respond to questions about the Sysco lawsuit Thursday, but they have defended their actions in the other price-fixing lawsuits even though JBS did agree to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-lawsuits-prices-beef-markets-394112b62cb6301ff740e3247971eb3d">$52.5 million</a>&nbsp;settlement in one of the lawsuits earlier this year. JBS didn't admit any wrongdoing as part of that deal.

Cargill spokesman Daniel Sullivan said his company “is confident in our efforts to maintain market integrity and conduct ethical business. We believe the claims lack merit and intend to vigorously defend our position.”

In general, the meat processing industry has maintained that supply and demand factors, not anticompetitive behavior, drive beef and cattle prices. The industry has also long struggled with worker shortages that have limited production at times. Those workforce issues became particularly acute during the pandemic when COVID-19 spread widely through processing plants and forced companies to slow or idle production.

The Justice Department has been looking into allegations of price fixing in the industry at least since 2020, but it hasn't provided updates on its investigation.

President Joe Biden has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-lifestyle-business-prices-inflation-78335dba9802d7eb727744301d4489df">suggested</a>&nbsp;that increasing competition in the meat industry would help reduce food prices, so his administration has offered $1 billion to help build and expand independent meat processing plants.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1657238342622.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By ASSOCIATED PRESSOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The nation's largest food distributor has joined the other businesses accusing the four largest meat processors of working together to inflate beef prices.Sysco recently filed a federal lawsuit in Texas accusing Tyson Foods, JBS, Cargill and National Beef of price fixing. The lawsuit said those companies have conspired to suppress the number of cattle being slaughtered at least since 2015 to help drive up the price of beef. The allegations are similar to ones in lawsuits filed by grocery stores, ranchers, restaurants and other wholesalers that have been pending in Minnesota federal court since 2020.Similar price-fixing lawsuits are also pending in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lawsuits-c8f79cbf9a104d5801b3eb5aa4f2685e">pork</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-lawsuits-fa91f3a79e4eb9aa5e3d0046e4f16d85">chicken</a>&nbsp;processing businesses.The Sysco Corp. lawsuit said the companies' coordinated efforts to limit the number of cattle slaughtered drove down the price meat processors paid ranchers while propping up beef prices, boosting profits for the meat producers, who control more than 80% of the U.S. beef market.The lawsuit said the companies “exploited their market power in this highly concentrated market by conspiring to limit the supply, and fix the prices, of beef sold.” And the lawsuit cited an unnamed witnesses who used to work in the meat industry who confirmed there was a conspiracy between the meat companies.Most of the companies didn't immediately respond to questions about the Sysco lawsuit Thursday, but they have defended their actions in the other price-fixing lawsuits even though JBS did agree to a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-lawsuits-prices-beef-markets-394112b62cb6301ff740e3247971eb3d">$52.5 million</a>&nbsp;settlement in one of the lawsuits earlier this year. JBS didn't admit any wrongdoing as part of that deal.Cargill spokesman Daniel Sullivan said his company “is confident in our efforts to maintain market integrity and conduct ethical business. We believe the claims lack merit and intend to vigorously defend our position.”In general, the meat processing industry has maintained that supply and demand factors, not anticompetitive behavior, drive beef and cattle prices. The industry has also long struggled with worker shortages that have limited production at times. Those workforce issues became particularly acute during the pandemic when COVID-19 spread widely through processing plants and forced companies to slow or idle production.The Justice Department has been looking into allegations of price fixing in the industry at least since 2020, but it hasn't provided updates on its investigation.President Joe Biden has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-lifestyle-business-prices-inflation-78335dba9802d7eb727744301d4489df">suggested</a>&nbsp;that increasing competition in the meat industry would help reduce food prices, so his administration has offered $1 billion to help build and expand independent meat processing plants.

Sysco accuses 4 largest beef processors of price fixing

CLEVELAND (AP) — Reassuring&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-abortion-us-supreme-court-filibusters-michael-bennet-6a3ea5e275e6e2bc4f3a3060beda4fa3">frustrated blue-collar voters</a>, President Joe Biden on Wednesday visited Ohio iron workers to highlight federal action to shore up troubled pension funding for millions now on the job or retired — and to make his political case that he’s been a champion for workers in the White House.

Biden’s speech at a Cleveland high school showcased a final rule tied to his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package from last year. The rule allows troubled multi-company pensions to be made financially whole, ensuring full benefits for 2 million to 3 million workers and retirees.

Hurt politically by inflation at a 40-year high and damage wrought by the pandemic, the president chose to deliver his message in a state that has been trending strongly Republican, with Donald Trump easily carrying it twice. In his sixth visit as president, Biden looked to personally reverse that electoral tide, touting the rule to help multi-company pensions as one of the most significant efforts to support union workers’ retirement funds in the past 50 years.

“A lot of politicians like to talk about how they’re going to do something about it,” Biden said. “Well, I’m here today to say we’ve done something about it.”

“We’re turning a promise broken, into a promise kept.”

The roughly 200 pension plans receiving assistance faced possible insolvency without government aid. And without the full benefits, workers and retirees could struggle to pay for housing, food and other essentials. The financial support should help keep the pension funds solvent for roughly 30 years until 2051.

That’s important, several retirees said.

Bill DeVito, who introduced Biden, said “it was devastating” when his pension was cut 40 percent in 2017 after his lifetime spent as an iron worker.

“The thing of it is, we had a lot of politicians over the years saying, hey, we’ll try to help you, we’ll do everything we can, and nobody’s ever done anything for us until Joe Biden come along,” said DeVito, 73. He said that other Ohio Democrats in Washington kept pushing, too.

Jeffrey Carlson, 67, of the Cleveland suburb of North Ridgeville, said that a year before he retired in 2017, he learned his pension would be cut, too.

“I’m grateful for anything that we could get back,” he said. “I know I earned it. I worked hard.”

Multiemployer plans are created through agreements between companies and a union, and are insured by the federal Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC). In 2014, Congress passed the Multiemployer Pension Reform Act that allowed plans, for the first time, to cut workers and retirees’ benefits in order to ensure that pensions projected to run out of money remained solvent.

The American Rescue Plan passed in March 2021 included a special finance assistance program that allows struggling multiemployer pension plans to apply to the PBGC for assistance. The final rule being unveiled by the Biden administration is designed to make it easier for the pensions’ investments to receive a higher rate of return.

The effort to highlight a program to help union workers comes as Democrats hope to pick up a U.S. Senate seat in Ohio, where a strong showing with working class voters could play a pivotal role.

Republican Rob Portman is leaving the Senate after two terms. Vying to replace him are Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan and Republican J.D. Vance, the author of the memoir “Hillbilly Elegy” who secured an endorsement during the primary from Trump. Ohio voters backed Trump in 2016 and 2020, with his margin of victory each time at roughly 8 percentage points.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Reassuring&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-abortion-us-supreme-court-filibusters-michael-bennet-6a3ea5e275e6e2bc4f3a3060beda4fa3">frustrated blue-collar voters</a>, President Joe Biden on Wednesday visited Ohio iron workers to highlight federal action to shore up troubled pension funding for millions now on the job or retired — and to make his political case that he’s been a champion for workers in the White House.(Click below to watch the President)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F1253936668475649%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=946" 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 speech at a Cleveland high school showcased a final rule tied to his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package from last year. The rule allows troubled multi-company pensions to be made financially whole, ensuring full benefits for 2 million to 3 million workers and retirees.Hurt politically by inflation at a 40-year high and damage wrought by the pandemic, the president chose to deliver his message in a state that has been trending strongly Republican, with Donald Trump easily carrying it twice. In his sixth visit as president, Biden looked to personally reverse that electoral tide, touting the rule to help multi-company pensions as one of the most significant efforts to support union workers’ retirement funds in the past 50 years.“A lot of politicians like to talk about how they’re going to do something about it,” Biden said. “Well, I’m here today to say we’ve done something about it.”“We’re turning a promise broken, into a promise kept.”The roughly 200 pension plans receiving assistance faced possible insolvency without government aid. And without the full benefits, workers and retirees could struggle to pay for housing, food and other essentials. The financial support should help keep the pension funds solvent for roughly 30 years until 2051.That’s important, several retirees said.Bill DeVito, who introduced Biden, said “it was devastating” when his pension was cut 40 percent in 2017 after his lifetime spent as an iron worker.“The thing of it is, we had a lot of politicians over the years saying, hey, we’ll try to help you, we’ll do everything we can, and nobody’s ever done anything for us until Joe Biden come along,” said DeVito, 73. He said that other Ohio Democrats in Washington kept pushing, too.Jeffrey Carlson, 67, of the Cleveland suburb of North Ridgeville, said that a year before he retired in 2017, he learned his pension would be cut, too.“I’m grateful for anything that we could get back,” he said. “I know I earned it. I worked hard.”Multiemployer plans are created through agreements between companies and a union, and are insured by the federal Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC). In 2014, Congress passed the Multiemployer Pension Reform Act that allowed plans, for the first time, to cut workers and retirees’ benefits in order to ensure that pensions projected to run out of money remained solvent.The American Rescue Plan passed in March 2021 included a special finance assistance program that allows struggling multiemployer pension plans to apply to the PBGC for assistance. The final rule being unveiled by the Biden administration is designed to make it easier for the pensions’ investments to receive a higher rate of return.The effort to highlight a program to help union workers comes as Democrats hope to pick up a U.S. Senate seat in Ohio, where a strong showing with working class voters could play a pivotal role.Republican Rob Portman is leaving the Senate after two terms. Vying to replace him are Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan and Republican J.D. Vance, the author of the memoir “Hillbilly Elegy” who secured an endorsement during the primary from Trump. Ohio voters backed Trump in 2016 and 2020, with his margin of victory each time at roughly 8 percentage points.In a sign of Biden’s standing in the state, Ryan didn’t appear with him at Wednesday’s event, but White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the administration was “in close contact with Congressman Tim Ryan in particular.” Biden in his speech noted Ryan’s absence and referred to him as the “future” U.S. senator from Ohio.One veteran Democratic lawmaker who did attend, Ohio Rep. Marcy Kaptur, praised Biden for looking out for American workers’ pensions.“People say, ’Marcy why do you stay in the House?′ This is why,” Kaptur said. She added, “The former president — the Donald — didn’t do anything.”Biden, too, sharply criticized his predecessor, as well as “Trumpers” in Congress who continue to support the former president’s agenda. He blamed them for blocking efforts to lower prescription drug prices and tackle surging inflation, and assailed them for proposals to require Congress to reauthorize Medicare and Social Security and raise some low-income Americans’ taxes.“That’s why elections have consequences,” Biden said, looking ahead to November’s midterms. “That’s why they matter. And that’s why what we’re doing here is so important.”While Biden boasts of steady job growth — unemployment sits at 3.6% — Americans have largely been discontented with the Democratic president’s handling of the economy as inflation continues to rise, interest rates increase and the stock market wobbles. Just 28 percent approve of Biden’s stewardship of the economy, down from 51% a year ago, according to an AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll published last week.Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, who attended with Biden, made his own pitch that the president has delivered for American workers.“I just want you to understand that this, the president that we have right now .. .is the most pro worker president in America’s history,” he declared.Biden closed his remarks by appealing to working-class voters who helped send him to the White House.“There’s no other place I want to be than right here with the workers in this room and the workers that built America,” Biden said. “I see you. I hear you and I’ll always have your back.”