L&T Publisher Earl Watt

Estimates have the number of tourists coming to America to watch the World Cup at about 1 million.

That’s a lot of guests with most experiencing American culture for the first time.

One of the people sharing their experience with the world is a guy going by the name “Freddy” on social media. He has shared his experiences with first-time stops at the Waffle House, Buc-ee’s, Bass Pro Shop and others.

He also shared a ride from his hotel to the stadium from the receptionist so he didn’t have to pay for an Uber.

THE POSTSCRIPT, Carrie Classon

My husband, Peter’s, birthday is this week.

Peter does not celebrate his birthday. Peter doesn’t think the day of his birth is anything to celebrate. He’s happy to celebrate my birthday, but he says he should get to do what he wants to do on his birthday. And what he wants to do is not celebrate. So that’s what we do.

“Can I send Peter a card?” my mother asks, as if she needs permission to do a thing like that.

“Of course! You just shouldn’t feel like you have to,” I explain.

L&T Publisher Earl Watt

Who do you trust more, the voting population of the entire State of Kansas or five lawyers appointed by the Kansas Bar Association?

That’s what will be on the primary ballot in August, and while online chatter is claiming that voting for Kansas Supreme Court justices would be politicized with an election, the fact is the process is already politicized. The only difference is whether you believe five hand-picked lawyers or the entire voting population of Kansas would better represent the public’s concerns for judicial issues.

The current system for selecting justices involves a nine-person panel with five chosen by the Kansas Bar Association and four by the current governor. That means the five lawyers will always be able to outvote any elected official on picking three nominees for an opening on the highest court in Kansas, and the governor then chooses from the three names presented by the panel.

GUEST COLUMN, Vance Ginn, Kansas Policy Institute

Kansas now has more rural hospitals at immediate risk of closure than any other state, according to KAKE News. That is serious. Rural healthcare access matters. Families should not have to drive for hours to access emergency care.

But if Kansas treats this only as a hospital funding problem, it will miss the real issue.

Rural hospitals are not failing in isolation. They are struggling because too many rural communities face the harsh reality of shrinking and aging populations. Both of these trends are results of and contributors to lost economic momentum.

Healthcare follows people.