President cries ‘wolf’

President Donald Trump’s first prime-time address from the Oval Office was his opportunity to make a case for his border security plan. Instead, it highlighted just how little Trump understood the problems he hoped a border wall would fix — economic costs, crime and drug trafficking — and how desperate he is to blame Democrats for the government shutdown.

“The federal government remains shut down for one reason and one reason only,” he said. “Because Democrats will not fund border security.”

But this is far from an accurate assessment of the shutdown. During negotiations aimed at avoiding a shutdown, Democrats offered to approve $1.3 billion to fund surveillance measures and fortified fencing directed at border security. Approval for funding was withheld for Trump’s border wall.

The one who has welcomed responsibility for sparking shutdown was Trump himself when he met with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in December.

“I will take the mantle. I will be the one to shut it down,” Trump said.

Trump then moved to misrepresent the effects illegal immigration has on employment, claiming it “drives down jobs and wages.” But employers frequently point to a shortage of immigrant labor as responsible for driving up costs — a tight labor market has made it difficult for industries to employ low-skilled immigrant labor to keep down costs. Studies have also concluded that whatever strain illegal immigration puts on public services is readily made up for by taxes paid by immigrants. Undocumented immigrants filed nearly 4.4 million income tax returns in 2015, paying up to $23.6 billion in income taxes.

Trump also said his wall would help address drug trafficking and the opioid crisis. Not only does he misunderstand these problems, his prescription wouldn’t help either.

Illegal drugs that make their way into the United States from Mexico typically enter through legal ports of entry like airports and rail stations. Likewise, the fentanyl fueling America’s opioid crisis doesn’t usually go through unsecured portions of our southern border.

Instead, it enters through packages mailed from China or by smugglers driving through border checkpoints. A border wall that secures vast stretches of desert addresses none of these narcotics trafficking techniques.

Trump frequently exaggerates and misrepresents, and he was no different during his prime-time address. He pointed to the number of immigrants with criminal records arrested by ICE, but he neglected to mention that many were guilty of immigration-related offenses rather than violent crimes.

This continues Trump’s habit of exaggerating the threat posed by immigrants who statistically commit crime at lower rates than those born in America.

Trump’s willingness to place livelihoods, solutions and truth on the line for a game of chicken is dangerous to the safety of immigrants and Americans alike. Trump used last night’s prime-time address to merely double down on the collision course.

California bill would require businesses to offer e-receipts

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California would become the first state to require businesses to offer electronic receipts unless customers ask for paper copies under legislation proposed on Tuesday.

Many businesses and consumers already are moving toward e-receipts, said Democratic Assemblyman Phil Ting of San Francisco.

But he said a law is needed because many consumers don’t realize most paper receipts are coated with chemicals prohibited in baby bottles, can’t be recycled and can contaminate other recycled paper because of the chemicals known as Bisphenol-A (BPA) and Bisphenol-S (BPS).

His bill would require all businesses to provide proof of purchase receipts electronically starting in 2022 unless a customer asks for a printed copy.

It comes days after another first-in-the-nation California law took effect requiring dine-in restaurants to provide straws only at customers’ request.

The penalties in Ting’s bill are modeled on the straw bill, said Nick Lapis of Californians Against Waste. It calls for written warnings for the first two violations and a fine of $25 a day for subsequent infractions, with an annual $300 cap.

“It’s intended to be a pretty light touch in terms of enforcement,” Lapis said.

Advocates claim the use of straws is declining since the law was passed.

Republican Assemblyman Brian Dahle of Bieber said he’s concerned the receipt proposal could be burdensome for small businesses, won’t save that much paper and may not be practical in rural areas without internet connections.

In addition, “then they have your email, then they’ll be marketing to you or selling your information or it can get into privacy issues,” he said.

Ting said consumers can still request paper receipts if they are worried about giving out their email addresses.

Many larger stores already offer the choice of paper or electronic receipts but it is unclear if a mandate would cause a hardship for small and medium-size stores, said California Retailers Association spokeswoman Pamela Williams. Her association and other business groups have not taken positions on the bill.

Ting said businesses can save money by moving away from printed receipts.

The advocacy group Green America, which is pushing a “skip the slip” campaign, estimated that millions of trees and billions of gallons of water are used annually to produce paper receipts in the United States.

Ting cited studies by the Environmental Working Group and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that retail workers have higher concentrations of BPA or BPS than those who do not have regular contact with receipts.

Orange Crush: Clemson topples No. 1 ’Bama for national title

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — With stunning ease — and a freshman quarterback — Clemson toppled college football’s greatest dynasty again to become the first perfect playoff champion.

Trevor Lawrence passed for 347 yards and three touchdowns and the second-ranked Tigers beat No. 1 Alabama 44-16 on Monday night in the College Football Playoff national championship game.

In the fourth consecutive playoff meeting between the Tigers and Tide, Clemson evened the series and beat ‘Bama for the national championship for the second time in three seasons. Clemson is the first team in the AP poll era, dating back to 1936, to finish 15-0.

Coach Nick Saban and the Tide (14-1) were looking for a sixth national championship in 10 years, trying to add to an already unprecedented run in the sport. Instead, Clemson crushed Alabama, becoming the first opponent to beat the Tide by more than 14 points since Saban became coach in 2007.

Coach Dabo Swinney’s Tigers sealed their status as a superpower, no longer just 1A to Alabama’s 1.

Two seasons ago it was Deshaun Watson dethroning the Tide with a last-second touchdown pass. Clemson’s new star quarterback didn’t need the late-game heroics. The long-haired Lawrence cut though Alabama’s defense with the help of another fabulous freshman. Justyn Ross made a juggling grab, a one-handed snare and broke a 74-yard touchdown about midway through the third quarter that made it 37-16 and had Swinney high-stepping down the sidelines.

Ross, who scored two touchdowns in the semifinal rout of Notre Dame, had six catches for 153 yards against his home-state team.

Swinney takes a different approach than Saban, running a more fun-loving program than Alabama’s all-business organization. But the results have been every bit as good. And on Monday night at Levi’s Stadium, in a championship game played more than 2,000 miles away from Clemson’s South Carolina campus, the Tigers were way too much for an Alabama team that had spent the season mauling its opposition by an average of 31 points per game.

Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa threw two crucial interceptions in the first half, the first returned 44 yards for a touchdown by A.J. Terrell to put Clemson up 7-0. The Tide came in scoring 48 points per game, but was shut out over the final 44 minutes by an opportunistic Clemson defense that stiffened in key spots.

Tagovailoa, the sophomore who came off the bench to win the championship game last year for the Tide, went 22 for 34 for 295 yards and two touchdowns.

The Heisman runner-up was also the second-best quarterback on the field in the championship game. Lawrence finished 20 for 32, but went 18 for 25 for 277 yards over the final three quarters.

Say cheese

Colby Jack Mundell, son of Cody and Natasha Mundell, Garnett, was born Thursday, Jan. 3, the first baby born at Allen County Regional Hospital in 2019.  Colby weighed 7 pounds, 7.9 ounces, and was 19½ inches long. He joins three big brothers, Camryn, 11, Colton, 7, and Case, 4. As an aside, Natasha Mundell is a nurse at ACRH. COURTESY OF ACRH

Shutdown showing effects on air travel

DALLAS (AP) — The partial government shutdown is starting to affect air travel.

Over the weekend, some airports had long lines at checkpoints, apparently caused by a rising number of security officers calling in sick while they are not getting paid.

Safety inspectors aren’t even on the job. A Federal Aviation Administration spokesman said Monday that inspectors are being called back to work on a case-by-case basis, with a priority put on inspecting airline fleets.

So far, the impact of the shutdown — entering its 18th day on Tuesday — has been most visible for some government buildings and national parks being closed, and trash piling up on the National Mall in front of the Capitol. If the shutdown continues, food stamp recipients will go without aid.

By increasingly affecting air travel, however, the pain is being felt more widely.

Here are some common questions about the shutdown’s impact on airports and travel, along with the answers:

 

WHO IS SUPPOSED TO KEEP WORKING?

About 10,000 air traffic controllers who work for the Federal Aviation Administration and about 51,000 Transportation Security Administration officers have been told to keep reporting to work because they are deemed essential. Those workers at airport checkpoints, control towers and FAA radar stations aren’t being paid.

 

ARE THEY SHOWING UP?

TSA admits that more screeners are calling in sick at some airports, including Dallas-Fort Worth International. It gave few numbers but issued a statement Friday saying that more have been missing work since the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. The TSA said the effect was “minimal.”

Then over the weekend, travelers reported longer checkpoint lines at some airports, including LaGuardia in New York. On Monday, TSA tweeted that agents screened 2.22 million passengers nationwide on Sunday, which it called a “historically busy day due to holiday travel.” TSA said only about 220,000 travelers waited at least 15 minutes at checkpoints, while 0.2 percent — fewer than 5,000 — waited at least 30 minutes.

 

HOW WILL TSA RESPOND TO NO-SHOWS?

TSA spokesman Jim Gregory said officials are managing. “If we don’t have appropriations by midweek or so, (officers) will miss their first paycheck. That’s obviously where it becomes more difficult,” he said.

Gregory said the agency has a team of officers who can go to airports facing a shortage, a tactic developed in case natural disasters prevented screeners from getting to work.

 

WHAT ABOUT TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS?

About 1,900 air traffic controllers — nearly one in every five — are eligible to retire right now and it’s not clear how many of them will stick around. They won’t get paychecks later this week despite working over the holidays.

“I don’t know how long they’re going to stay on the job if they’re not getting a paycheck,” said Paul Rinaldi, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.

There is an even larger group of recently hired trainees and apprentices and Rinaldi said the prospect of a long shutdown could lead some of them to take other jobs.

 

WILL A SHORTAGE OF CONTROLLERS LEAD TO FLIGHT DELAYS?

The largest pilots’ union wrote to President Donald Trump last week urging a quick end to the shutdown, which it said was threatening the safety of the nation’s airspace.

Rinaldi, the controllers’ leader, said safety is not being compromised, but that capacity to manage traffic could be reduced, leading to flight delays. Others see that as less likely.

“It would have to get pretty bad before the government said (to airlines), ‘Hey, start scaling back your plans for service,’” said Richard Aboulafia, an aviation analyst. “You could see that in a worst-case scenario.”

An early test of the air traffic system could come around the Feb. 3 Super Bowl in Atlanta, when an influx of corporate jets and private planes will further crowd the sky above the nation’s busiest airport. Planning for handling that traffic has been put on hold, Rinaldi said.

 

WHO HAS BEEN FURLOUGHED?

Workers who aren’t deemed essential. That ranges from technicians who maintain equipment used in airport towers to clerical staff. Federal aviation safety inspectors have also been furloughed.

 

SO WHO IS INSPECTING PLANES?

FAA spokesman Gregory Martin said the agency has been recalling inspectors for certain jobs including assignments at the airlines, as it did in previous government shutdowns.

“We’re going to continue to prioritize with the resources that we have,” Martin said. “Our focus is on the commercial air carriers and volumes of people they carry.”

Martin did not say how many inspectors are working or how the number of inspections being done compared with pre-shutdown levels.

Chuck Banks, one of those furloughed inspectors, said colleagues are being called in when an airline needs something, like a plane certified for flight. The routine, normal oversight of operations at airlines and repair shops is not being done, leaving companies to regulate themselves, he said.

“Do you like the fox watching the hen house?” he said. “Every day the government stays shut down, it gets less safe to fly.”

 

WHAT OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICES ARE AFFECTED?

The National Transportation Safety Board is delaying accident investigations and hearings. While there have not been any fatal airline crashes, the board has delayed other investigations, including an examination of a Florida highway accident that killed five children on their way to Walt Disney World.

NTSB representatives did not answer phone calls or reply to emails Monday. A recorded message for the public affairs office said nobody would respond until the shutdown ends.

Some people who applied for Global Entry, a program that lets travelers get expedited clearance into the U.S., have had interviews canceled. Gary Leff, who writes about travel on his View from the Wing blog, said that some airports are still processing applications.

The program is run by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Spokespeople at the agency did not respond for comment.

Trump to make case for border wall tonight

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump will argue to the nation tonight that a “crisis” at the U.S.-Mexico border requires the long and invulnerable wall he’s demanding before ending a partial government shutdown that has hundreds of thousands of federal workers fearing missed paychecks on Friday.

Trump’s first Oval Office speech will be followed by a Thursday visit to the southern border to highlight his demand for a barrier. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders tweeted that he will “meet with those on the front lines of the national security and humanitarian crisis.”

The administration is also at least talking about the idea of declaring a national emergency to allow Trump to move forward on the wall without Congress approving the $5.6 billion he wants. Vice President Mike Pence said again Tuesday that the idea of making such a declaration remains on the table.

Such a move would certainly draw legal challenges, and Trump — who told lawmakers he would be willing to keep the government closed for months or even years — has said he would like to continue negotiations for now.

“The passion you hear from President Trump, his determination to take this case to the American people, as he will tonight in his national broadcast from the Oval Office, comes from this president’s deep desire to do his job to protect the American people,” Pence said Tuesday on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

“We’re going to continue to carry that case forward until the Democrats in Congress come to the table and start negotiating, not just to end the government shutdown but to address what is an undeniable crisis at our southern border,” added Pence who also lobbied for Trump during appearances on CBS and NBC.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer have come to the White House for several negotiating rounds with Trump. Democratic congressional staffers also participated in weekend talks led by Pence at the White House.

Pelosi and Schumer called for equal time to respond to Trump.

“Now that the television networks have decided to air the President’s address, which if his past statements are any indication will be full of malice and misinformation, Democrats must immediately be given equal airtime,” they said in a joint statement Monday night.

As Trump’s speech and border visit were announced, newly empowered House Democrats — and at least a few Republican senators — stepped up pressure on GOP lawmakers to reopen the government without giving in to the president’s demands The closure, now in its 18th day, is the second-longest in history and would become the longest this weekend.

Leaning on Senate Republicans, some of whom are growing anxious about the impact of the shutdown, Pelosi said the House would begin passing individual bills this week to reopen federal agencies, starting with the Treasury Department to ensure Americans receive their tax refunds.

In a pre-emptive move, the White House said Monday that tax refunds would be paid despite the shutdown. That shutdown exemption would break from past practice and could be challenged.

“There is an indefinite appropriation to pay tax refunds. As a result … the refunds will go out as normal,” said Russell Vought, acting director of the White House budget office.

There were other signs the administration is working to contain the fallout from the shutdown, which has furloughed 380,000 federal workers and forced another 420,000 to work without pay. The National Park Service said it was dipping into entrance fees to pay for staffing at some highly visited parks to maintain restrooms, remove up trash and patrol the grounds, after reports of human waste and garbage overflowing in some spots.

Over the weekend, the federal agency tasked with guaranteeing U.S. airport security acknowledged an increase in the number of employees missing work or calling in sick.

But Trump and the Transportation Security Administration pushed back on any suggestion that the call-outs represented a “sickout” that was having a significant effect on U.S. air travel. Over the weekend, travelers reported longer checkpoint lines at some airports, including LaGuardia in New York.

TSA said the effect was “minimal” and that it screened more than 2.2 million passengers Sunday, a historically busy day due to holiday travel. Ninety percent waited less than 15 minutes, the agency said.

Talks over ending the shutdown have been at an impasse over Trump’s demand for the wall. He has offered to build it using steel rather than concrete, billing that as a concession to Democrats’ objections. They “don’t like concrete, so we’ll give them steel,” he said.

But Democrats have made clear that they object to the wall itself, not what it’s made of. They see it as immoral and ineffective and prefer other types of border security funded at already agreed-upon levels.

“Maybe he thinks he can bully us. But I’m from Brooklyn. You let a bully succeed, you’ll be bullied again worse,” Schumer said at a breakfast with the Association for a Better New York.

Trump has tasked Pence to negotiate with Democrats, including during weekend talks. He is also increasingly being called upon to prevent defections in the GOP ranks.

Asked whether cracks were forming between the White House and Republicans eager for the shutdown to end, Pence told reporters at a briefing Monday that, “We’ve been in touch with those members and others.”

He said he and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen would brief lawmakers at the Capitol on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Among Republicans expressing concern was Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who has said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., should take up funding bills from the Democrat-led House. But McConnell has said he won’t ask members to vote on bills that Trump won’t sign.

Adding to concerns of lawmakers, federal workers still on the job apparently will miss this week’s paychecks. Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney said over the weekend that if the shutdown continues into Tuesday “then payroll will not go out as originally planned on Friday night.”

Trump asserted that he can relate to the plight of the federal workers who aren’t getting paid, though he acknowledged they will have to “make adjustments” to deal with the shutdown shortfall.

Not so easy, many of them say.

Derrick Padilla, a corrections officer with the Federal Bureau of Prisons in Colorado, said he’s nearly depleted his savings working without pay for the past two weeks.

“The bills don’t go away,” he said. “We’re expected to meet our financial obligations, and we’re being put in a position to not be able to meet those obligations.”

Helen Ericson

Helen Haddan Ericson, 92, of Erie, died at 6 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 5, 2019, at Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center in Chanute.

She was born Feb. 17, 1926 at Urbana to Lester F. and Mary V. (Cunningham) Heilman. In her early years the family lived in Urbana and the Big Creek area near Leanna. She graduated from Chanute High School.

On March 5, 1950 she and Bennett Haddan were married in Humboldt. During their marriage they farmed in rural Stark. Mr. Haddan preceded her in death on March 5, 1980.

From 1958 until retiring in 1989 she was employed at Stark State Bank.

She married Raymond K. “Pete” Ericson on June 11, 1983 at the Friends Home Lutheran Church at Savonburg. He preceded her in death on Dec. 13, 2017.

Helen had always been active in the churches she attended, the Stark Friends Church and the Friends Home Lutheran Church. Since moving to Erie she had attended the Christian Church. She was a very social person and enjoyed helping people in any way she could. She played cards and dominos, loved attending her grandchildren’s sports events and taking bus trips.

She is survived by a son, Richard Haddan and wife Susan, of Stark; daughter, Marilyn Hazen and husband Ron, of Erie; step-sons, Kendall Ericson and wife Robyn, of Clovis, N.M., David Ericson and wife Carol, of Richmond and Eric Ericson and wife Amber, of Bronson; step-daughter, Jill Rhodes and husband Bill, of Moran; several grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and brother Neal Heilman and wife Lavon, of Chanute. She was preceded in death by her husbands, two infant sons and an infant daughter.

Funeral services will be at 2 p.m., Thursday, at Erie Christian Church, with the Rev. Michael Haggard officiating. Burial will follow in Mount Moriah Cemetery north of Stark. The family will receive friends at the church from 1 p.m., until the service hour. Friends may also call at the Pierce-Carson-Wall Funeral Home in Erie from 10 a.m., until 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Memorials are suggested to Erie Christian Church. They may be left at or sent to the funeral home at P. O. Box 182, Erie, KS 66733. Online messages may be left at www.wallfuneralservices.com.

Beverly Potter

Beverly Jean Potter, age 89, of Iola, passed away on Sunday, Jan. 6, 2019, at Heartland Meadows Assisted Living Center, Iola. Beverly was born on Sept. 9, 1929, in Iola, to Charles Wilson and Bertha M. (Brown) Wilson.

Beverly graduated from Iola High School. She and James W. Potter were married on Nov. 23, 1947, in Iola. James preceded her in death on Nov. 29, 2017.

Beverly worked as a telephone operator for Southwestern Bell Telephone Company and later as a para-educator for USD No. 257, at Jefferson Elementary School, in Iola.

Beverly loved spending time with her children, grandchildren, numerous nieces and nephews, and all those who fondly called her Aunt Petie or Grandma Potter.

Beverly was preceded in death by her husband, James; her parents; two daughters, Brenda Potter and Jayme Appling; and half-brother, Neal Sponseller.

Beverly is survived by one son, Kyle Potter, Iola; two daughters, Becky Welsh and husband, Jack, Creede, Colo., Kenny Sue Miller and husband, Eric, Iola; eight grandchildren, Daniel Potter and wife, Becky, Louisburg, Kristi Holland and husband, Jason, Louisburg, Ivy Morris and husband, Chauncey, Florissant, Colo., Samuel Rowe and Kayla, Hanford, Calif., Cody Conley and Bri, Iola, Chase Appling, Iola, Kristin Lamb and Maci Miller, Iola; nine great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; and sister-in-law, Sharon Hoffmeier and husband, Don, Iola.

A graveside service with burial will be at 11 a.m., Wednesday in Highland Cemetery, 1800 N. Cottonwood, Iola.

Memorials are suggested to St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church Outreach or to the Allen County Animal Rescue Facility (ACARF), and may be left with Feuerborn Family Funeral Service, Iola.

Condolences for the family may be left at www.feuerbornfuneral.com.

Hilda Kimzey

Hilda M. Kimzey, age 98, formerly of Iola, died Saturday, Jan. 5, 2019, at Moran Manor.  Hilda was born on July 3, 1920, in Eugene, Mo., to Leonard Jones and Maggie Lochner.

She married Virl Kimzey in 1959; he preceded her in death.

Survivors include a son, Albert Kimzey, Iola.

A visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday in the Feuerborn Family Funeral Service Chapel, Iola. A funeral service honoring Hilda’s life will be at 1 p.m. on Friday in the Feuerborn Family Funeral Service Chapel. Burial will follow in the Fairview Cemetery, Mildred.

HMS students named to honor rolls

HUMBOLDT — Humboldt Middle School has announced its honor rolls for the second nine weeks of the 2018-19 school year.

The rolls follow.

Eighth grade

All A’s: Chloe Daniels, Hannah Furrow, Maddox Johnson, Leah Mueller, Trey Sommer, Morgan Sterling, Raegan Trester, Anya-Sophia Woods and Karley Wools.

Teacher’s Honor Roll: Kaitlyn Barnhart, Carsyn Haviland, Quenton Heisler, Javyn Hess, Melina Hess, Laelah Holding, Morgan Hunter, Ella Lassman, Elizabeth Melendez, Robert Myers, Brennen Nuessen, Jaylynn Reno, Emily Ross, Heidi Walker, Randy Wilson, Elias Works and Brooke Yokum.

Regular Honor Roll: Kadence Ballard, Celestial Barton, Avah Carman, Bridgette Ewing, Gavin Jaro and William Kobold.

Seventh grade

All A’s: Emma B’Hymer, Landon Bauer and Shaylea Brinkmeyer.

Teacher’s Honor Roll: Addison Bauer-Onnen, Drayk Farrill, Garren Goodner, Kensyn Hottenstein, Sam Hull, Alejandro Vargas-Garcia, Byron Westbrook, Elizabeth White and Ashlynn Works.

Regular Honor Roll: Helaina Chryssikos, Rylan Covey, Shelby Daniels, Stephen Leo, Bradley Lowry, Danica Modlin, Patrick Reeder, Robert Robinson and Caden Vink.

Sixth grade

All A’s: Sydnea Bumstead, Colden Cook, Gracie Dillow, Blake Ellis, Teygan Ewing, Cassidy Friend, Kyler Isbell, Shelby Shaughnessy and Avery Works.

Teacher’s Honor Roll: Sophia Barlow, Jack Broyles, Shyann Bushong, Levi Coy, Bailey Crosiand, Chase DeMeritt, Aisley Galloway, Carsyn Galloway, Cooper Gillespie, Destiney Hardin, Jacob Harrington, Asher Hart, Anna Heisler, Jaryt Hess, McKenna Jones, Jenna Malloy, Matthew McCullough, Elizabeth Neeley, Logan Page, Annalysia Prock, Tymber Shultz, Adrian Smoot, Cody White and Chanlynn Wrestler.

Regular Honor Roll: Tanis Cadwell, Dayton Dawson, Jada Malloy, Luke McGowen, Conner Sallee, Curt Shannon and Laken Splane.