&nbsp;By Deborah Van Fleet Nebraska News Connection, special to the Panhandle Post

The latest State Scorecard Report from AARP shows&nbsp;<a href="https://ltsschoices.aarp.org/scorecard-report/innovation-and-opportunity" target="_blank">Nebraska's long-term care facilities have made some improvements in the last three years</a>. For long-term services and supports,&nbsp;<a href="https://ltsschoices.aarp.org/scorecard-report/2023/states/nebraska" target="_blank">Nebraska ranks 18th nationwide</a>. Progress noted since the 2020 report includes the up-to-date vaccination rate for long-term care residents, at 66%. But staff vaccination rates were only 18% - or 35th in the nation. And AARP Nebraska State Director Todd Stubbendieck said the state's next-to-lowest ranking for nursing home staffing levels is especially concerning.

"There have been attempts to increase the reimbursement rate for these facilities," said Stubbendieck. "But we really need to make sure that we're focusing, at the state level, on making sure that we're recruiting and retaining the best direct-care staff to work in these nursing homes.

"Nursing home residents in Nebraska receive nearly an hour less direct care per day than the national average. The hourly pay for direct-care staff is nearly $2.50 less than other entry-level staff positions across the state. The study noted two areas of decline since the 2020 report - the number of home health-care staff available, and the number of adult day services. Both of these can negatively impact family caregivers. Stubbendieck pointed out that there are nearly 180,000 unpaid family caregivers in the state.

"As we work with older adults in the state, what people most want is to be able to stay in their homes or the lowest level of care as possible," said Stubbendieck. "So, finding ways to support those unpaid family caregivers is critical. Often, it is that caregiver that is able to keep someone from having to go to a long-term care facility. "The Scorecard shows that for the first time Medicaid spent more on Home and Community-Based Services than on nursing home care for older adults and those with disabilities. In 2021,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medicaidplanningassistance.org/nursing-home-costs/" target="_blank">these services cost an average of $42,000 for an individual</a>&nbsp;- less than half the cost of a shared room in most of Nebraska's nursing homes.

&nbsp;By Deborah Van Fleet Nebraska News Connection, special to the Panhandle PostThe latest State Scorecard Report from AARP shows&nbsp;<a href="https://ltsschoices.aarp.org/scorecard-report/innovation-and-opportunity" target="_blank">Nebraska's long-term care facilities have made some improvements in the last three years</a>. For long-term services and supports,&nbsp;<a href="https://ltsschoices.aarp.org/scorecard-report/2023/states/nebraska" target="_blank">Nebraska ranks 18th nationwide</a>. Progress noted since the 2020 report includes the up-to-date vaccination rate for long-term care residents, at 66%. But staff vaccination rates were only 18% - or 35th in the nation. And AARP Nebraska State Director Todd Stubbendieck said the state's next-to-lowest ranking for nursing home staffing levels is especially concerning."There have been attempts to increase the reimbursement rate for these facilities," said Stubbendieck. "But we really need to make sure that we're focusing, at the state level, on making sure that we're recruiting and retaining the best direct-care staff to work in these nursing homes."Nursing home residents in Nebraska receive nearly an hour less direct care per day than the national average. The hourly pay for direct-care staff is nearly $2.50 less than other entry-level staff positions across the state. The study noted two areas of decline since the 2020 report - the number of home health-care staff available, and the number of adult day services. Both of these can negatively impact family caregivers. Stubbendieck pointed out that there are nearly 180,000 unpaid family caregivers in the state."As we work with older adults in the state, what people most want is to be able to stay in their homes or the lowest level of care as possible," said Stubbendieck. "So, finding ways to support those unpaid family caregivers is critical. Often, it is that caregiver that is able to keep someone from having to go to a long-term care facility. "The Scorecard shows that for the first time Medicaid spent more on Home and Community-Based Services than on nursing home care for older adults and those with disabilities. In 2021,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medicaidplanningassistance.org/nursing-home-costs/" target="_blank">these services cost an average of $42,000 for an individual</a>&nbsp;- less than half the cost of a shared room in most of Nebraska's nursing homes.

NE long-term care, caregiver support services rank 18th nationwide

McALLEN, Texas (AP) — The Biden administration announced it waived 26 federal laws in South Texas to allow border wall construction on Wednesday, marking the administration’s first use of a sweeping executive power employed often during the Trump presidency.

The Department of Homeland Security posted the&nbsp;<a href="https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2023-22176.pdf?utm_campaign=pi+subscription+mailing+list&amp;utm_source=federalregister.gov&amp;utm_medium=email">announcement on the U.S. Federal Registry</a>&nbsp;with few details outlining the construction in Starr County, Texas, which is part of a busy Border Patrol sector seeing “high illegal entry.” According to government data, about 245,000 illegal entries have been recorded so far this fiscal year in the Rio Grande Valley Sector which contains 21 counties.

“There is presently an acute and immediate need to construct physical barriers and roads in the vicinity of the border of the United States in order to prevent unlawful entries into the United States in the project areas,” Alejandro Mayorkas, the DHS secretary, stated in the notice.

The Clean Air Act, Safe Drinking Water Act and Endangered Species Act were some of the federal laws waived by DHS to make way for construction that will use funds from a congressional appropriation in 2019 for border wall construction. The waivers avoid time-consuming reviews and lawsuits challenging violation of environmental laws.

Starr County's hilly ranchlands, sitting between Zapata and McAllen, Texas, is home to about 65,000 residents sparsely populating about 1,200 square miles (3,108 square kilometers) that form part of the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge.

Although no maps were provided in the announcement, CBP announced the project in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/cbp-moves-forward-rgv-barrier-and-yuma-andrade-and-el-centro-calexico">June</a>&nbsp;and began gathering public comments in August when it shared a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbp.gov/about/environmental-management/border-barrier-environmental-planning-starr-county-texas-august-2023">map</a>&nbsp;of the additional construction that can add up to 20 miles (32 kilometers) to the existing border barrier system in the area. Starr County Judge Eloy Vera said it will start south of the Falcon Dam and go past Salineño, Texas.

“The other concern that we have is that area is highly erosive. There’s a lot of arroyos,” Eloy Vera, the county judge said, pointing out the creeks cutting through the ranchland and leading into the river.

Concern is shared with environmental advocates who say structures will run through public lands, habitats of endangered plants and species like the Ocelot, a spotted wild cat.

“A plan to build a wall through will bulldoze an impermeable barrier straight through the heart of that habitat. It will stop wildlife migrations dead in their tracks. It will destroy a huge amount of wildlife refuge land. And it’s a horrific step backwards for the borderlands,” Laiken Jordahl, a southwest conservation advocate for the Center for Biological Diversity, said Wednesday afternoon.

During the Trump administration, about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-north-america-donald-trump-us-news-ap-top-news-45b59be6a28e4ac68edbd435447f4a4a">450 miles (724 kilometers) of barriers</a>&nbsp;were built along the southwest border between 2017 and January 2021. Texas Governor Greg Abbott renewed those efforts after the Biden administration halted them at the start of his presidency.

The DHS decision on Wednesday contrasts the Biden administration's posturing when a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/20/proclamation-termination-of-emergency-with-respect-to-southern-border-of-united-states-and-redirection-of-funds-diverted-to-border-wall-construction/">proclamation</a>&nbsp;to end the construction on Jan. 20, 2021, stated, “building a massive wall that spans the entire southern border is not a serious policy solution.”

In a statement Wednesday, CBP said the project is consistent with that 2021 proclamation. “Congress appropriated fiscal year 2019 funds for the construction of border barrier in the Rio Grande Valley, and DHS is required to use those funds for their appropriated purpose,” the statement said. “CBP remains committed to protecting the nation’s cultural and natural resources and will implement sound environmental practices as part of the project covered by this waiver.”

The announcement prompted political debate by the Democratic administration facing an increase of migrants entering through the southern border in recent months, including thousands who entered the U.S. through&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-texas-california-border-asylum-seekers-314698bfb5644be8f8f6085ebe9b9b98">Eagle Pass</a>&nbsp;at the end of September.

“A border wall is a 14th century solution to a 21st century problem. It will not bolster border security in Starr County,” U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar said in a statement. “I continue to stand against the wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars on an ineffective border wall.”

Political proponents of the border wall said the waivers should be used as a launching pad for a shift in policy.

“After years of denying that a border wall and other physical barriers are effective, the DHS announcement represents a sea change in the administration’s thinking: A secure wall is an effective tool for maintaining control of our borders,” Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, said in a statement. “Having made that concession, the administration needs to immediately begin construction of wall across the border to prevent the illegal traffic from simply moving to other areas of the border.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1683151099285.png" alt="In January, President Joe Biden stopped in El Paso for his first visit to the U.S.-Mexico border since he became president. White House photo" />
 <figcaption>In January, President Joe Biden stopped in El Paso for his first visit to the U.S.-Mexico border since he became president. White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>McALLEN, Texas (AP) — The Biden administration announced it waived 26 federal laws in South Texas to allow border wall construction on Wednesday, marking the administration’s first use of a sweeping executive power employed often during the Trump presidency.The Department of Homeland Security posted the&nbsp;<a href="https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2023-22176.pdf?utm_campaign=pi+subscription+mailing+list&amp;utm_source=federalregister.gov&amp;utm_medium=email">announcement on the U.S. Federal Registry</a>&nbsp;with few details outlining the construction in Starr County, Texas, which is part of a busy Border Patrol sector seeing “high illegal entry.” According to government data, about 245,000 illegal entries have been recorded so far this fiscal year in the Rio Grande Valley Sector which contains 21 counties.“There is presently an acute and immediate need to construct physical barriers and roads in the vicinity of the border of the United States in order to prevent unlawful entries into the United States in the project areas,” Alejandro Mayorkas, the DHS secretary, stated in the notice.The Clean Air Act, Safe Drinking Water Act and Endangered Species Act were some of the federal laws waived by DHS to make way for construction that will use funds from a congressional appropriation in 2019 for border wall construction. The waivers avoid time-consuming reviews and lawsuits challenging violation of environmental laws.Starr County's hilly ranchlands, sitting between Zapata and McAllen, Texas, is home to about 65,000 residents sparsely populating about 1,200 square miles (3,108 square kilometers) that form part of the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge.Although no maps were provided in the announcement, CBP announced the project in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/cbp-moves-forward-rgv-barrier-and-yuma-andrade-and-el-centro-calexico">June</a>&nbsp;and began gathering public comments in August when it shared a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbp.gov/about/environmental-management/border-barrier-environmental-planning-starr-county-texas-august-2023">map</a>&nbsp;of the additional construction that can add up to 20 miles (32 kilometers) to the existing border barrier system in the area. Starr County Judge Eloy Vera said it will start south of the Falcon Dam and go past Salineño, Texas.“The other concern that we have is that area is highly erosive. There’s a lot of arroyos,” Eloy Vera, the county judge said, pointing out the creeks cutting through the ranchland and leading into the river.Concern is shared with environmental advocates who say structures will run through public lands, habitats of endangered plants and species like the Ocelot, a spotted wild cat.“A plan to build a wall through will bulldoze an impermeable barrier straight through the heart of that habitat. It will stop wildlife migrations dead in their tracks. It will destroy a huge amount of wildlife refuge land. And it’s a horrific step backwards for the borderlands,” Laiken Jordahl, a southwest conservation advocate for the Center for Biological Diversity, said Wednesday afternoon.During the Trump administration, about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-north-america-donald-trump-us-news-ap-top-news-45b59be6a28e4ac68edbd435447f4a4a">450 miles (724 kilometers) of barriers</a>&nbsp;were built along the southwest border between 2017 and January 2021. Texas Governor Greg Abbott renewed those efforts after the Biden administration halted them at the start of his presidency.The DHS decision on Wednesday contrasts the Biden administration's posturing when a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/20/proclamation-termination-of-emergency-with-respect-to-southern-border-of-united-states-and-redirection-of-funds-diverted-to-border-wall-construction/">proclamation</a>&nbsp;to end the construction on Jan. 20, 2021, stated, “building a massive wall that spans the entire southern border is not a serious policy solution.”In a statement Wednesday, CBP said the project is consistent with that 2021 proclamation. “Congress appropriated fiscal year 2019 funds for the construction of border barrier in the Rio Grande Valley, and DHS is required to use those funds for their appropriated purpose,” the statement said. “CBP remains committed to protecting the nation’s cultural and natural resources and will implement sound environmental practices as part of the project covered by this waiver.”The announcement prompted political debate by the Democratic administration facing an increase of migrants entering through the southern border in recent months, including thousands who entered the U.S. through&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-texas-california-border-asylum-seekers-314698bfb5644be8f8f6085ebe9b9b98">Eagle Pass</a>&nbsp;at the end of September.“A border wall is a 14th century solution to a 21st century problem. It will not bolster border security in Starr County,” U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar said in a statement. “I continue to stand against the wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars on an ineffective border wall.”Political proponents of the border wall said the waivers should be used as a launching pad for a shift in policy.“After years of denying that a border wall and other physical barriers are effective, the DHS announcement represents a sea change in the administration’s thinking: A secure wall is an effective tool for maintaining control of our borders,” Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, said in a statement. “Having made that concession, the administration needs to immediately begin construction of wall across the border to prevent the illegal traffic from simply moving to other areas of the border.”

Biden to allow border wall construction in South Texas

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon said Thursday the U.S. military shot down an armed Turkish drone that came within 500 meters (yards) of American troops in northeastern Syria, in a rare use of force by one NATO member against another.

Air Force Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, called it a “regrettable incident” and said U.S. troops were forced to go to bunkers for safety as Turkey bombed targets nearby.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Turkish counterpart and stressed the importance of close coordination between their two countries to prevent any risk to American forces or to the global coalition’s mission to defeat Islamic State militants in the region, Ryder said.

“The decision was made out due diligence and the inherent right of self-defense to take appropriate action to protect U.S. forces,” Ryder said, adding that “we have no indication that Turkey was intentionally targeting U.S. forces.”

U.S. officials earlier told The Associated Press the shootdown was ordered after more than a dozen calls to Turkish military officials stating that U.S. forces were on the ground in the area and that the U.S. military would take action to protect them if the drone didn’t leave. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details of a sensitive military incident.

Ryder said U.S. forces observed Turkish drones doing airstrikes around Hasakah at about 7:30 a.m. local time, and some strikes were inside a so-called American “restricted operating zone” just a kilometer (about a half mile) from U.S. troops. He said a bit later a Turkish drone re-entered the restricted area “on a heading toward where U.S. forces were located.”

Commanders determined it was a threat and U.S. F-16 fighter jets shot it down around 11:40 a.m., Ryder said, adding that no U.S. forces were injured.

Typically, the U.S. and Turkish militaries, which are NATO allies, work in close coordination in conducting air maneuvers. But American troops also work closely with Kurdish-led forces to counter the Islamic State group in the region.

The U.S. has about 900 troops in Syria conducting missions to counter Islamic State group militants.

There was no immediate comment from Turkey on the shooting of the drone.

The country’s state-run Anadolu Agency reported, however, that the Turkish intelligence service, MIT, carried out an operation against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, and its affiliated Kurdish militia group in Syria, which is known as People’s Defense Units, or YPG. The report said the Turks struck suspected arms and ammunition depots and buildings believed to have been used by the groups’ “sabotage” teams. It did not provide further details on the operation.

On Wednesday, Turkey had carried out airstrikes in Iraq and Syria against Kurdish militant targets following a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/turkish-minister-retaliation-suicide-attack-78f57d472c0d1f827ec343e59e06d814">suicide attack</a>&nbsp;outside Turkey’s interior ministry building earlier this week.

In a press conference following the attack, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Turkish intelligence officials have established that the two assailants arrived from Syria, where they had been trained. He said Turkey would now target facilities in Syria and Iraq belonging to the PKK or YPG.

Thursday's incident risks adding to longstanding tensions between Turkey and the United States, even though Turkey is a strategically important ally and NATO member. U.S. officials and lawmakers have criticized Turkey’s human rights record and its delays in agreeing to Sweden's membership in NATO. Turkey has been frustrated by U.S. delays in approving 40 new F-16 fighter jets as well as kits to upgrade its existing fleet.

Ryder told reporters that the U.S. stands “firmly with our NATO ally Turkey and the Turkish people in their fight against the PKK.”

The U.S. has designated the PKK as a “foreign terrorist organization” but has declined to make a similar determination regarding the YPG, which have been a key partner of the U.S. in the fight against the Islamic State group in northern Syria. The U.S. does not believe the YPG represent a threat to Turkey.

As recently as Wednesday, the State Department said there was no change in how the U.S. regards the YPG.

In 2016, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan accused the U.S. of supporting a failed coup attempt against his government. The U.S. has flatly rejected the claims but has also refused to extradite the leader of the group Erdogan claims was behind the attempt, cleric Fetullah Gulen, who lives in exile in Pennsylvania.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1693011275570.png" alt="The drone was shot down by a U.S. F-16 fighter jet. File&nbsp;Photo By:Air Force Tech. Sgt. Hampton E. Stramler" />
 <figcaption>The drone was shot down by a U.S. F-16 fighter jet. File&nbsp;Photo By:Air Force Tech. Sgt. Hampton E. Stramler</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon said Thursday the U.S. military shot down an armed Turkish drone that came within 500 meters (yards) of American troops in northeastern Syria, in a rare use of force by one NATO member against another.Air Force Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, called it a “regrettable incident” and said U.S. troops were forced to go to bunkers for safety as Turkey bombed targets nearby.Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Turkish counterpart and stressed the importance of close coordination between their two countries to prevent any risk to American forces or to the global coalition’s mission to defeat Islamic State militants in the region, Ryder said.“The decision was made out due diligence and the inherent right of self-defense to take appropriate action to protect U.S. forces,” Ryder said, adding that “we have no indication that Turkey was intentionally targeting U.S. forces.”U.S. officials earlier told The Associated Press the shootdown was ordered after more than a dozen calls to Turkish military officials stating that U.S. forces were on the ground in the area and that the U.S. military would take action to protect them if the drone didn’t leave. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details of a sensitive military incident.Ryder said U.S. forces observed Turkish drones doing airstrikes around Hasakah at about 7:30 a.m. local time, and some strikes were inside a so-called American “restricted operating zone” just a kilometer (about a half mile) from U.S. troops. He said a bit later a Turkish drone re-entered the restricted area “on a heading toward where U.S. forces were located.”Commanders determined it was a threat and U.S. F-16 fighter jets shot it down around 11:40 a.m., Ryder said, adding that no U.S. forces were injured.Typically, the U.S. and Turkish militaries, which are NATO allies, work in close coordination in conducting air maneuvers. But American troops also work closely with Kurdish-led forces to counter the Islamic State group in the region.The U.S. has about 900 troops in Syria conducting missions to counter Islamic State group militants.There was no immediate comment from Turkey on the shooting of the drone.The country’s state-run Anadolu Agency reported, however, that the Turkish intelligence service, MIT, carried out an operation against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, and its affiliated Kurdish militia group in Syria, which is known as People’s Defense Units, or YPG. The report said the Turks struck suspected arms and ammunition depots and buildings believed to have been used by the groups’ “sabotage” teams. It did not provide further details on the operation.On Wednesday, Turkey had carried out airstrikes in Iraq and Syria against Kurdish militant targets following a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/turkish-minister-retaliation-suicide-attack-78f57d472c0d1f827ec343e59e06d814">suicide attack</a>&nbsp;outside Turkey’s interior ministry building earlier this week.In a press conference following the attack, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Turkish intelligence officials have established that the two assailants arrived from Syria, where they had been trained. He said Turkey would now target facilities in Syria and Iraq belonging to the PKK or YPG.Thursday's incident risks adding to longstanding tensions between Turkey and the United States, even though Turkey is a strategically important ally and NATO member. U.S. officials and lawmakers have criticized Turkey’s human rights record and its delays in agreeing to Sweden's membership in NATO. Turkey has been frustrated by U.S. delays in approving 40 new F-16 fighter jets as well as kits to upgrade its existing fleet.Ryder told reporters that the U.S. stands “firmly with our NATO ally Turkey and the Turkish people in their fight against the PKK.”The U.S. has designated the PKK as a “foreign terrorist organization” but has declined to make a similar determination regarding the YPG, which have been a key partner of the U.S. in the fight against the Islamic State group in northern Syria. The U.S. does not believe the YPG represent a threat to Turkey.As recently as Wednesday, the State Department said there was no change in how the U.S. regards the YPG.In 2016, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan accused the U.S. of supporting a failed coup attempt against his government. The U.S. has flatly rejected the claims but has also refused to extradite the leader of the group Erdogan claims was behind the attempt, cleric Fetullah Gulen, who lives in exile in Pennsylvania.___

US shoots down armed Turkish drone over Syria

PINEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — The Powerball jackpot climbed to an estimated $1.4 billion after no players matched all six numbers and hit it rich Wednesday night.

The winning numbers announced were: 9, 35, 54, 63, 64 and the Powerball 1.

Players will next have a shot at the Powerball jackpot Saturday night in hopes of ending an 11-week stretch without a big winner. No matter how large the prize grows the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-lottery-us-news-ap-top-news-ia-state-wire-b5572da1e5d74f6e974bea45c707b5cb">odds stay the same</a>&nbsp;— and they’re terrible.

It’s those odds of 1 in 292.2 million that make the jackpot so hard to win and that result in such giant prizes for the lucky player or players who manage to pick the game’s six winning numbers. The latest Powerball jackpot is the world’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lottery-jackpot-mega-millions-powerball-b77dd9c7de3f0ab09545a01113b1f111">seventh-largest lottery prize</a>. The last time someone won the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-jackpot-winner-california-9f0e98a47c96c2b3087a68b33195dd50">top prize was July 19</a>.

In most states, Powerball tickets cost $2 and buyers can chose their own numbers and single Powerball or leave that task to a computer. Powerball drawings are held three times a week at 10:59 p.m. EDT on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturday, with the numbers selected at the Florida Lottery in Tallahassee.

Once the numbers are chosen, it usually takes a couple hours to determine if there is a jackpot winner. If there isn't a winner, state lottery officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-iowa-us-news-ap-top-news-sc-state-wire-0b640d4306324592839d5454caff765a">release a jackpot estimate</a>&nbsp;for the next drawing. If there is a winner, the jackpot reverts to $20 million and begins the long process of growing until there is another winner.

Gale Groseclose, who was buying Powerball tickets in Pineville, North Carolina, said a $1 million prize would be plenty for her but that the Wednesday's $1.2 billion jackpot certainly caught her attention.

“I don’t usually do this on a regular basis, but like I said, when it gets to be, what is it? I don’t even know what, over 1 billion dollars," Groseclose said. “It’s exciting.”

The jackpot is based on revenue from ticket sales, so the more people who play the game, the faster the top prize grows. However, even though the current jackpot is advertised as $1.4 billion, the lottery has less than half that amount available for the top prize. That's why the cash prize — which most winners take — would be $643.7 million.

Players also can&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-jackpot-annuity-vs-cash-0e741f164106c0f4dba89707c5763c99">choose an annuity</a>, in which that $643.7 million would be paid to a company that would guarantee a return over 30 years of $1.4 billion. If a winner dies before collecting all their money, the remainder would go to the winner's estate.

State lotteries will immediately deduct 24% of jackpot winnings for federal taxes, and additional federal taxes may be required when filing federal tax returns.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/50aedbc64d214666b60ed93542b9e517/powerball-take-home-depends-highly-taxes-where-you-live">State taxes will vary</a>&nbsp;as some states don't tax lottery winnings at all and others tax the money at different rates.

Players who buy winning grand prize tickets in a state different from where they live will pay taxes based on where they bought the ticket.

DO POWERBALL ODDS CHANGE BASED ON THE NUMBER OF PLAYERS?

The game's odds remain 1 in 292.2 million regardless of how big the jackpot is and the number of people buying tickets. Those odds mean there are 292.2 million possible number combinations.

To put the immensity of that into context, note that for Monday's drawing players across the country chose just over 20% of those possible combinations. That means nearly 80% of the possible combinations were not selected, so the odds were pretty good that there wouldn't be a winner.

Typically, the larger the jackpot grows, the more people play and the more combinations are covered. People also usually buy more tickets on Saturdays, which increases the chance of a winner for those drawings.

Eric Warner, who also was buying tickets in Pineville, said he would immediately buy a Porsche if he won the big jackpot and then invest most of the money for himself and his community. Warner said he never really expects to win but enjoys buying a ticket now and then.

“It’s something that I run into and maybe I’m feeling lucky," he said. “Then I’ll go ahead and pick up a ticket and just kind of hope for the best.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/067009cee9004217a03a029b4a4895e6">Rules vary from state to state</a>&nbsp;with some requiring that jackpot winners be named and others allowing anonymity. Some states have more detailed rules, such as in Florida, where winners can remain anonymous for 90 days before the state lottery releases their name.

PINEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — The Powerball jackpot climbed to an estimated $1.4 billion after no players matched all six numbers and hit it rich Wednesday night.The winning numbers announced were: 9, 35, 54, 63, 64 and the Powerball 1.Players will next have a shot at the Powerball jackpot Saturday night in hopes of ending an 11-week stretch without a big winner. No matter how large the prize grows the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-lottery-us-news-ap-top-news-ia-state-wire-b5572da1e5d74f6e974bea45c707b5cb">odds stay the same</a>&nbsp;— and they’re terrible.It’s those odds of 1 in 292.2 million that make the jackpot so hard to win and that result in such giant prizes for the lucky player or players who manage to pick the game’s six winning numbers. The latest Powerball jackpot is the world’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lottery-jackpot-mega-millions-powerball-b77dd9c7de3f0ab09545a01113b1f111">seventh-largest lottery prize</a>. The last time someone won the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-jackpot-winner-california-9f0e98a47c96c2b3087a68b33195dd50">top prize was July 19</a>.GAME DETAILSIn most states, Powerball tickets cost $2 and buyers can chose their own numbers and single Powerball or leave that task to a computer. Powerball drawings are held three times a week at 10:59 p.m. EDT on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturday, with the numbers selected at the Florida Lottery in Tallahassee.Once the numbers are chosen, it usually takes a couple hours to determine if there is a jackpot winner. If there isn't a winner, state lottery officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-iowa-us-news-ap-top-news-sc-state-wire-0b640d4306324592839d5454caff765a">release a jackpot estimate</a>&nbsp;for the next drawing. If there is a winner, the jackpot reverts to $20 million and begins the long process of growing until there is another winner.Gale Groseclose, who was buying Powerball tickets in Pineville, North Carolina, said a $1 million prize would be plenty for her but that the Wednesday's $1.2 billion jackpot certainly caught her attention.“I don’t usually do this on a regular basis, but like I said, when it gets to be, what is it? I don’t even know what, over 1 billion dollars," Groseclose said. “It’s exciting.”HOW IS THE JACKPOT DETERMINED?The jackpot is based on revenue from ticket sales, so the more people who play the game, the faster the top prize grows. However, even though the current jackpot is advertised as $1.4 billion, the lottery has less than half that amount available for the top prize. That's why the cash prize — which most winners take — would be $643.7 million.Players also can&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-jackpot-annuity-vs-cash-0e741f164106c0f4dba89707c5763c99">choose an annuity</a>, in which that $643.7 million would be paid to a company that would guarantee a return over 30 years of $1.4 billion. If a winner dies before collecting all their money, the remainder would go to the winner's estate.WHAT ABOUT TAXES?State lotteries will immediately deduct 24% of jackpot winnings for federal taxes, and additional federal taxes may be required when filing federal tax returns.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/50aedbc64d214666b60ed93542b9e517/powerball-take-home-depends-highly-taxes-where-you-live">State taxes will vary</a>&nbsp;as some states don't tax lottery winnings at all and others tax the money at different rates.Players who buy winning grand prize tickets in a state different from where they live will pay taxes based on where they bought the ticket.DO POWERBALL ODDS CHANGE BASED ON THE NUMBER OF PLAYERS?The game's odds remain 1 in 292.2 million regardless of how big the jackpot is and the number of people buying tickets. Those odds mean there are 292.2 million possible number combinations.To put the immensity of that into context, note that for Monday's drawing players across the country chose just over 20% of those possible combinations. That means nearly 80% of the possible combinations were not selected, so the odds were pretty good that there wouldn't be a winner.Typically, the larger the jackpot grows, the more people play and the more combinations are covered. People also usually buy more tickets on Saturdays, which increases the chance of a winner for those drawings.Eric Warner, who also was buying tickets in Pineville, said he would immediately buy a Porsche if he won the big jackpot and then invest most of the money for himself and his community. Warner said he never really expects to win but enjoys buying a ticket now and then.“It’s something that I run into and maybe I’m feeling lucky," he said. “Then I’ll go ahead and pick up a ticket and just kind of hope for the best.”CAN WINNERS REMAIN ANONYMOUS?<a href="https://apnews.com/067009cee9004217a03a029b4a4895e6">Rules vary from state to state</a>&nbsp;with some requiring that jackpot winners be named and others allowing anonymity. Some states have more detailed rules, such as in Florida, where winners can remain anonymous for 90 days before the state lottery releases their name.WHERE IS THE GAME PLAYED?

Powerball jackpot up to $1.4 billion after no one matches all 6 winning numbers

WASHINGTON —President Biden has long believed that college should be a ticket to the middle class, not a burden that weighs on families. That’s why from day one, his Administration has taken unprecedented steps to fix the broken student loan system, make college more affordable, and bring the promise of higher education in reach for more Americans, according to a statement from the White House.

Marking a key step forward in that effort, President Biden is announcing that an additional 125,000 Americans have been approved for $9 billion in debt relief through fixes his Administration has made to income-driven repayment (IDR) and Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and by cancelling debt for borrowers with total and permanent disabilities.&nbsp;Today’s announcement brings the total approved debt cancellation by the Biden-Harris Administration to $127 billion for nearly 3.6 million Americans.

The Biden-Harris Administration is announcing it has approved:

The Department of Education is also releasing state-by-state totals of debt relief approved under the Biden-Harris Administration through fixes to IDR and Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/biden-harris-administration-announces-additional-9-billion-student-debt-relief">this link</a>&nbsp;to see the state-by-state breakdown.

Today’s announcement builds on all that the Biden-Harris Administration has done to make college more affordable and ensure that student loans aren’t a barrier to opportunity for students and families. The Biden-Harris Administration earlier this year launched the most affordable student loan repayment plan –&nbsp;<a href="http://www.studentaid.gov/SAVE">SAVE</a>&nbsp;– which makes many borrowers’ monthly payments as low as $0 and prevents balances from growing because of unpaid interest. The Administration secured the largest increase to Pell Grants in a decade, and finalized new rules to protect borrowers from career programs that leave graduates with unaffordable debts or insufficient earnings. And, in the wake of the Supreme Court decision on the Administration’s original student debt relief plan, President Biden announced his Administration was pursuing an alternative path to debt relief through negotiated rulemaking under the Higher Education Act.

The Administration took an important step forward in the negotiated rulemaking process last week as the Department of Education announced individuals who will serve on the negotiating committee and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/biden-harris-administration-moves-forward-student-debt-relief-negotiated-rulemaking-deliver-support-many-borrowers-possible-quickly-possible">released</a>&nbsp;an issue paper to guide the first negotiating session. The paper asks the committee to consider how the Administration can help borrowers, including borrowers whose balances are greater than what they originally borrowed, those who would be eligible for relief under existing repayment plans but have not applied, and borrowers who have experienced financial hardship on their loans that the current loan system doesn’t address.

To date, the Biden-Harris Administration has approved $127 billion in debt cancellation for nearly 3.6 million borrowers, including:

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696429291383.png" alt="White House image" />
 <figcaption>White House image</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —President Biden has long believed that college should be a ticket to the middle class, not a burden that weighs on families. That’s why from day one, his Administration has taken unprecedented steps to fix the broken student loan system, make college more affordable, and bring the promise of higher education in reach for more Americans, according to a statement from the White House.(Click below to watch the announcement)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F644911331125814%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=8" 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>Marking a key step forward in that effort, President Biden is announcing that an additional 125,000 Americans have been approved for $9 billion in debt relief through fixes his Administration has made to income-driven repayment (IDR) and Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and by cancelling debt for borrowers with total and permanent disabilities.&nbsp;Today’s announcement brings the total approved debt cancellation by the Biden-Harris Administration to $127 billion for nearly 3.6 million Americans.The Biden-Harris Administration is announcing it has approved:<ul>
 <li>$5.2 billion&nbsp;in additional debt relief for&nbsp;53,000 borrowers&nbsp;under Public Service Loan Forgiveness programs.</li><li>Nearly&nbsp;$2.8 billion&nbsp;in new debt relief for nearly&nbsp;51,000 borrowers&nbsp;through fixes to income-driven repayment. These are borrowers who made 20 years or more of payments but never got the relief they were entitled to.</li><li>$1.2 billion&nbsp;for nearly&nbsp;22,000 borrowers&nbsp;who have a total or permanent disability who have been identified and approved for discharge through a data match with the Social Security Administration.</li>
 </ul>The Department of Education is also releasing state-by-state totals of debt relief approved under the Biden-Harris Administration through fixes to IDR and Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/biden-harris-administration-announces-additional-9-billion-student-debt-relief">this link</a>&nbsp;to see the state-by-state breakdown.Today’s announcement builds on all that the Biden-Harris Administration has done to make college more affordable and ensure that student loans aren’t a barrier to opportunity for students and families. The Biden-Harris Administration earlier this year launched the most affordable student loan repayment plan –&nbsp;<a href="http://www.studentaid.gov/SAVE">SAVE</a>&nbsp;– which makes many borrowers’ monthly payments as low as $0 and prevents balances from growing because of unpaid interest. The Administration secured the largest increase to Pell Grants in a decade, and finalized new rules to protect borrowers from career programs that leave graduates with unaffordable debts or insufficient earnings. And, in the wake of the Supreme Court decision on the Administration’s original student debt relief plan, President Biden announced his Administration was pursuing an alternative path to debt relief through negotiated rulemaking under the Higher Education Act.The Administration took an important step forward in the negotiated rulemaking process last week as the Department of Education announced individuals who will serve on the negotiating committee and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/biden-harris-administration-moves-forward-student-debt-relief-negotiated-rulemaking-deliver-support-many-borrowers-possible-quickly-possible">released</a>&nbsp;an issue paper to guide the first negotiating session. The paper asks the committee to consider how the Administration can help borrowers, including borrowers whose balances are greater than what they originally borrowed, those who would be eligible for relief under existing repayment plans but have not applied, and borrowers who have experienced financial hardship on their loans that the current loan system doesn’t address.To date, the Biden-Harris Administration has approved $127 billion in debt cancellation for nearly 3.6 million borrowers, including:<ul>
 <li>Nearly $42 billion for almost 855,000 borrowers who are eligible for forgiveness through income-driven repayment by fixing historical inaccuracies in the count of payments that qualify toward forgiveness;</li><li>Almost $51 billion for 715,000 public servants through Public Service Loan Forgiveness programs;</li><li>$11.7 billion for almost 513,000 borrowers with a total and permanent disability; and</li><li>$22.5 billion for more than 1.3 million borrowers who were cheated by their schools, saw their institutions precipitously close, or are covered by related court settlements.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>

🎥 Biden announces more student debt relief as payments resume

WASHINGTON (AP) —It's the end of an era for a once-critical pandemic document: The ubiquitous white COVID-19 vaccination cards are being phased out.

Now that COVID-19 vaccines are not being distributed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-vaccine-delays-cdc-moderna-pfizer-ba66d06cbcc31ba4b22d60e93d3d5024">by the federal government</a>, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stopped printing new cards.

The federal government shipped more than 980 million cards between late 2020, when the first vaccines came out, through May 10, according to the latest available data from the CDC.

Federal and local health officials don't expect the discontinuation of the cards to be a particularly big change, since the days of keeping them tucked in purses and wallets to ensure entry into festivals,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-6ae309aff77864cb108fbf9a2dbcf449">bars and restaurants</a>&nbsp;are largely over. If you’ve held on to your card, it’s still valid as proof of vaccination. Otherwise, people who need their COVID-19 immunization records will need to request them just like any other vaccine.

In many cases, the clinic, pharmacy or health department that provided the shot can provide those records. Every state and some cities have an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/programs/iis/contacts-locate-records.html">immunization registry</a>, though rules vary on when records are included and options for obtaining copies of your records.

For example, Texas requires patients' written consent to be included in the registry, San Antonio Metropolitan Health District spokesman David Andres Alegria said. Other places, including Wyoming and Philadelphia's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.phila.gov/services/mental-physical-health/get-vaccinated/request-your-immunization-record/">city-specific</a>&nbsp;record system, require vaccine providers to log all vaccinations.

Many states offer digital vaccination records for individuals either online or through an app. Users can save a certificate or a QR code that proves they are vaccinated. And some websites will even track and alert patients when they're due for another one.

“One of the positives (during the pandemic) was having increased autonomy on your patient record, especially the immunization record,” said Jeff Chorath, who manages the immunization information system in Washington state. Washington offers two digital options for obtaining vaccination records — a&nbsp;<a href="https://doh.wa.gov/you-and-your-family/immunization/access-your-familys-immunization-information">comprehensive</a>&nbsp;list of all of a person's vaccinations noted in the state database and&nbsp;<a href="https://waverify.doh.wa.gov/">one specific to COVID-19 vaccines.</a>

Other states don't have the same options, so it might take longer to get your records. There could also be gaps in state databases; for example, if you were vaccinated by a federal health provider, those records may be tracked in a separate system.

As for your old card — if you still have it — maybe don't&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/e4b5dd577f75d4c012a3cecaf252d654">mail it off to the Smithsonian</a>&nbsp;quite yet. You should save it like any other health record, Wyoming Department of Health nurse consultant Heidi Gurov said.

“It's always good to keep those in a safe spot," she said.

Four million people in the U.S. have received the latest COVID-19 vaccine since it was approved&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-vaccines-coronavirus-234f27c74438fb4812a014dbd98ddbde">last month</a>, CDC director Dr. Mandy Cohen said Wednesday, and a total of 10 million doses have been shipped to providers.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1623442333610.png" alt="A Department of Health and Human Services employee holds a COVID-19 vaccine record card Nov. 13, 2020, at Operation Warp Speed headquarters in Washington, D.C..&nbsp; (EJ Hersom/U.S. Department of Defense)" />
 <figcaption>A Department of Health and Human Services employee holds a COVID-19 vaccine record card Nov. 13, 2020, at Operation Warp Speed headquarters in Washington, D.C..&nbsp; (EJ Hersom/U.S. Department of Defense)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —It's the end of an era for a once-critical pandemic document: The ubiquitous white COVID-19 vaccination cards are being phased out.Now that COVID-19 vaccines are not being distributed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-vaccine-delays-cdc-moderna-pfizer-ba66d06cbcc31ba4b22d60e93d3d5024">by the federal government</a>, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stopped printing new cards.The federal government shipped more than 980 million cards between late 2020, when the first vaccines came out, through May 10, according to the latest available data from the CDC.Federal and local health officials don't expect the discontinuation of the cards to be a particularly big change, since the days of keeping them tucked in purses and wallets to ensure entry into festivals,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-6ae309aff77864cb108fbf9a2dbcf449">bars and restaurants</a>&nbsp;are largely over. If you’ve held on to your card, it’s still valid as proof of vaccination. Otherwise, people who need their COVID-19 immunization records will need to request them just like any other vaccine.In many cases, the clinic, pharmacy or health department that provided the shot can provide those records. Every state and some cities have an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/programs/iis/contacts-locate-records.html">immunization registry</a>, though rules vary on when records are included and options for obtaining copies of your records.For example, Texas requires patients' written consent to be included in the registry, San Antonio Metropolitan Health District spokesman David Andres Alegria said. Other places, including Wyoming and Philadelphia's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.phila.gov/services/mental-physical-health/get-vaccinated/request-your-immunization-record/">city-specific</a>&nbsp;record system, require vaccine providers to log all vaccinations.Many states offer digital vaccination records for individuals either online or through an app. Users can save a certificate or a QR code that proves they are vaccinated. And some websites will even track and alert patients when they're due for another one.“One of the positives (during the pandemic) was having increased autonomy on your patient record, especially the immunization record,” said Jeff Chorath, who manages the immunization information system in Washington state. Washington offers two digital options for obtaining vaccination records — a&nbsp;<a href="https://doh.wa.gov/you-and-your-family/immunization/access-your-familys-immunization-information">comprehensive</a>&nbsp;list of all of a person's vaccinations noted in the state database and&nbsp;<a href="https://waverify.doh.wa.gov/">one specific to COVID-19 vaccines.</a>Other states don't have the same options, so it might take longer to get your records. There could also be gaps in state databases; for example, if you were vaccinated by a federal health provider, those records may be tracked in a separate system.As for your old card — if you still have it — maybe don't&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/e4b5dd577f75d4c012a3cecaf252d654">mail it off to the Smithsonian</a>&nbsp;quite yet. You should save it like any other health record, Wyoming Department of Health nurse consultant Heidi Gurov said.“It's always good to keep those in a safe spot," she said.Four million people in the U.S. have received the latest COVID-19 vaccine since it was approved&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-vaccines-coronavirus-234f27c74438fb4812a014dbd98ddbde">last month</a>, CDC director Dr. Mandy Cohen said Wednesday, and a total of 10 million doses have been shipped to providers.___

Say goodbye to COVID-19 vaxx card; CDC has stopped printing them

WASHINGTON (AP) — “THIS IS A TEST": If you have a cellphone, were listening to the radio or watching television Wednesday, you should have seen that message flash across your screen as the federal government tested its emergency alert system used to tell people about emergencies.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/integrated-public-alert-warning-system">Integrated Public Alert and Warning System</a>&nbsp;sends out messages via the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/integrated-public-alert-warning-system/public/emergency-alert-system">Emergency Alert System</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/integrated-public-alert-warning-system/public/wireless-emergency-alerts">Wireless Emergency Alerts</a>.

The Emergency Alert System is a national public warning system that's designed to allow the president to speak to the American people within 10 minutes during a national emergency via specific outlets such as radio and television. And Wireless Emergency Alerts are short messages — 360 characters or less — that go to mobile phones to alert their owner to important information.

While these types of alerts are frequently used in targeted areas to alert people in the area to thing like tornadoes, Wednesday's test was done across the country.

The test started at 2:20 p.m. Eastern time on Wednesday. Wireless phone customers in the United States whose phones were on got a message saying: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.” The incoming message also made a loud noise.

Customers whose phones were set to the Spanish language should have gotten the message in Spanish.

The test is conducted over a 30-minute window, although mobile phone owners should only get the message once. If their phones were turned off at 2:20 p.m. and then turned on in the next 30 minutes, they should have gotten the message when they turned their phones back on. If they turn their phones on after the 30 minutes have expired they should not get the message.

The message also went to people watching broadcast or cable television or listening to the radio. That messages said: “This is a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, covering the United States from 14:20 to 14:50 hours ET. This is only a test. No action is required by the public."

<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/1180">Federal law requires</a>&nbsp;the systems be tested at least once every three years. The last nationwide test was Aug. 11, 2021.

The test&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-fema-hydroxychloroquine-rand-paul-ukraine-cf1d1adb0f179593b64d92be0a5d5507">has spurred falsehoods on social media</a>&nbsp;that it's part of a plot to send a signal to cellphones nationwide to activate nanoparticles such as graphene oxide that have been introduced into people’s bodies. Experts and FEMA officials have dismissed those claims, but some social media users said they planned to shut off their cellphones Wednesday.

People also suggested turning off phones for other reasons, such as not disturbing students and teachers in classrooms or children during naptimes at day care. At the White House, messages taped to chairs in the press briefing room asked members of the media to turn off their cellphones.

Not everyone did. As alerts went off during the briefing, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said: “There you go ... it works, every couple of years, folks.”

The test also sparked discussion about how it could affect people in abusive situations. Some people in abusive situations have secret cellphones — usually with notifications muted — hidden from their abuser that allow them to keep contact with the outside world. Organizations that work with abuse survivors recommended they turn off their phones entirely during the 30-minute-long test Wednesday so as to not have the blaring noise give away to their abuser the fact that they have a secret phone.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696445573397.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — “THIS IS A TEST": If you have a cellphone, were listening to the radio or watching television Wednesday, you should have seen that message flash across your screen as the federal government tested its emergency alert system used to tell people about emergencies.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/integrated-public-alert-warning-system">Integrated Public Alert and Warning System</a>&nbsp;sends out messages via the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/integrated-public-alert-warning-system/public/emergency-alert-system">Emergency Alert System</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/integrated-public-alert-warning-system/public/wireless-emergency-alerts">Wireless Emergency Alerts</a>.The Emergency Alert System is a national public warning system that's designed to allow the president to speak to the American people within 10 minutes during a national emergency via specific outlets such as radio and television. And Wireless Emergency Alerts are short messages — 360 characters or less — that go to mobile phones to alert their owner to important information.While these types of alerts are frequently used in targeted areas to alert people in the area to thing like tornadoes, Wednesday's test was done across the country.The test started at 2:20 p.m. Eastern time on Wednesday. Wireless phone customers in the United States whose phones were on got a message saying: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.” The incoming message also made a loud noise.Customers whose phones were set to the Spanish language should have gotten the message in Spanish.The test is conducted over a 30-minute window, although mobile phone owners should only get the message once. If their phones were turned off at 2:20 p.m. and then turned on in the next 30 minutes, they should have gotten the message when they turned their phones back on. If they turn their phones on after the 30 minutes have expired they should not get the message.The message also went to people watching broadcast or cable television or listening to the radio. That messages said: “This is a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, covering the United States from 14:20 to 14:50 hours ET. This is only a test. No action is required by the public."<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/1180">Federal law requires</a>&nbsp;the systems be tested at least once every three years. The last nationwide test was Aug. 11, 2021.The test&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-fema-hydroxychloroquine-rand-paul-ukraine-cf1d1adb0f179593b64d92be0a5d5507">has spurred falsehoods on social media</a>&nbsp;that it's part of a plot to send a signal to cellphones nationwide to activate nanoparticles such as graphene oxide that have been introduced into people’s bodies. Experts and FEMA officials have dismissed those claims, but some social media users said they planned to shut off their cellphones Wednesday.People also suggested turning off phones for other reasons, such as not disturbing students and teachers in classrooms or children during naptimes at day care. At the White House, messages taped to chairs in the press briefing room asked members of the media to turn off their cellphones.Not everyone did. As alerts went off during the briefing, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said: “There you go ... it works, every couple of years, folks.”The test also sparked discussion about how it could affect people in abusive situations. Some people in abusive situations have secret cellphones — usually with notifications muted — hidden from their abuser that allow them to keep contact with the outside world. Organizations that work with abuse survivors recommended they turn off their phones entirely during the 30-minute-long test Wednesday so as to not have the blaring noise give away to their abuser the fact that they have a secret phone.

The blaring noise was a test of the government's emergency alert system

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former union leader and Democratic insider Laphonza Butler was sworn in as the newest member of the Senate on Tuesday, replacing California Sen. Dianne Feinstein after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dianne-feinstein-dead-c831f3228ac44faa9653234570bb8ce9">her death</a>&nbsp;and becoming only the third Black female senator in history.

Butler was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-feinstein-newsom-california-laphonza-butler-57823d2ff39f2a007640dce8e70045a8">appointed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom</a>&nbsp;on Sunday, just two days after Feinstein died at her home in Washington. Butler is a longtime fundraiser and strategist in the state’s Democratic circles and was the head of Emily’s List, a national organization that raises money for women candidates who support abortion rights.

The new senator was sworn in by Vice President Kamala Harris, who served as the second Black female senator until she resigned in 2021 to join President Joe Biden in the White House. The first was Democratic Sen. Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois, who served one term in the 1990s.

With dozens of supporters and family members looking down from the gallery, Butler smiled broadly as she walked down the center aisle of the Senate alongside Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla of California and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. After Harris administered the oath of office, members of the Senate from both parties crowded around her to shake her hand.

Schumer, D-N.Y., said that “today, the Senate takes another step towards fully reflecting our vibrant democracy.”

He said Butler has “dedicated her entire career to fighting for others - fighting for women, fighting for working families and fighting for the cause of justice.”

After she was sworn in, Biden called her to congratulate her, the White House said.

The Congressional Black Caucus also held a ceremonial swearing-in for Butler. "Her background and years of experience will bring a much-needed perspective to the Senate, which currently does not have any Black women,” CBC Chairman Steven Horsford, D-Nev., said in a statement after she was appointed.

Butler is also the first openly LGBTQ+ senator from California.

Though she has never held elective office, Newsom praised her “deep knowledge” of the legislative process and said she was the kind of candidate he would build “if I had to literally design from my imagination.”

“She’s the only choice,” Newsom added.

Butler is well known inside California’s Democratic party apparatus. Her credentials include working for nearly two years with a consulting firm tied closely to Newsom and founded by his top political lieutenants. She also served as a senior adviser to Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign.

It is unclear if Butler will run to hold the seat when Feinstein’s term ends next year. A competitive race for Feinstein’s seat is already underway among three prominent House Democrats, Reps. Katie Porter, Adam Schiff and Barbara Lee, who is Black. The governor has said he didn’t want to tip the scales in the 2024 race by choosing among those candidates.

Newsom said he told Butler to “do what you think is best for you and the state of California, and you make that judgment completely independent of any expectations from me.”

Butler, 44, comes from a working-class family. Her father, a small-business owner, died from a terminal illness when she was 16. Her mother worked as a classroom aide, a home care provider, a security guard and a bookkeeper while caring for Butler and her two siblings, the governor’s office said. She was elected president of the state’s largest labor union in the early 2010s, back when the nation was reeling from the Great Recession.

Butler has also worked for corporate clients, including Airbnb and Uber.

In a statement released by Emily’s List after her appointment, Butler said she was honored and ready to get to work.

"For women and girls, for workers and unions, for struggling parents waiting for our leaders to bring opportunity back to their homes, for all of California, I’m ready to serve.”

Newsom, who was elected governor in 2018, has now chosen both of the state’s U.S. senators. The selection of Butler bears resemblance to the last time, when he tapped his close friend and confidant Padilla for Harris’ seat when she resigned in 2021.

Feinstein, who died after months of declining health, had held the seat since 1992, when she was elected alongside California Sen. Barbara Boxer, Moseley Braun and others in what became known as “the year of the woman.” She was a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dianne-feinstein-death-photos-career-senate-e4b725c69545e422ce6ca981c697d468">giant in California politics</a>, having been the first female mayor of San Francisco and a force in the state’s Democratic circles.

In the Senate, Feinstein was the first female chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and the first female top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Her Senate colleagues gathered on the floor Friday to remember her impact and her&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dianne-feinstein-death-legacy-senate-women-tributes-37e8ba38f4cac4ebbe25d31a49e29c75">personal friendships</a>.

When Newsom announced Butler as his pick, he said the priorities Feinstein fought for in Congress — reproductive freedom, equal protection and safety from gun violence — were under assault in the nation.

“Laphonza will carry the baton left by Sen. Feinstein (and) continue to break glass ceilings and fight for all Californians in Washington D.C.,” Newsom said.

After Butler was sworn in, Schumer said that Feinstein “is looking down at this moment with pride now that her seat is in good hands."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696436558810.png" alt="Vice President Kamala Harris, right, swears in Laphonza Butler, D-Calif., left, to the Senate to succeed the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Butler's wife, Neneki Lee, center, holds the Bible.&nbsp; White House photo" />
 <figcaption>Vice President Kamala Harris, right, swears in Laphonza Butler, D-Calif., left, to the Senate to succeed the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Butler's wife, Neneki Lee, center, holds the Bible.&nbsp; White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Former union leader and Democratic insider Laphonza Butler was sworn in as the newest member of the Senate on Tuesday, replacing California Sen. Dianne Feinstein after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dianne-feinstein-dead-c831f3228ac44faa9653234570bb8ce9">her death</a>&nbsp;and becoming only the third Black female senator in history.Butler was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-feinstein-newsom-california-laphonza-butler-57823d2ff39f2a007640dce8e70045a8">appointed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom</a>&nbsp;on Sunday, just two days after Feinstein died at her home in Washington. Butler is a longtime fundraiser and strategist in the state’s Democratic circles and was the head of Emily’s List, a national organization that raises money for women candidates who support abortion rights.The new senator was sworn in by Vice President Kamala Harris, who served as the second Black female senator until she resigned in 2021 to join President Joe Biden in the White House. The first was Democratic Sen. Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois, who served one term in the 1990s.With dozens of supporters and family members looking down from the gallery, Butler smiled broadly as she walked down the center aisle of the Senate alongside Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla of California and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. After Harris administered the oath of office, members of the Senate from both parties crowded around her to shake her hand.Schumer, D-N.Y., said that “today, the Senate takes another step towards fully reflecting our vibrant democracy.”He said Butler has “dedicated her entire career to fighting for others - fighting for women, fighting for working families and fighting for the cause of justice.”After she was sworn in, Biden called her to congratulate her, the White House said.The Congressional Black Caucus also held a ceremonial swearing-in for Butler. "Her background and years of experience will bring a much-needed perspective to the Senate, which currently does not have any Black women,” CBC Chairman Steven Horsford, D-Nev., said in a statement after she was appointed.Butler is also the first openly LGBTQ+ senator from California.Though she has never held elective office, Newsom praised her “deep knowledge” of the legislative process and said she was the kind of candidate he would build “if I had to literally design from my imagination.”“She’s the only choice,” Newsom added.Butler is well known inside California’s Democratic party apparatus. Her credentials include working for nearly two years with a consulting firm tied closely to Newsom and founded by his top political lieutenants. She also served as a senior adviser to Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign.It is unclear if Butler will run to hold the seat when Feinstein’s term ends next year. A competitive race for Feinstein’s seat is already underway among three prominent House Democrats, Reps. Katie Porter, Adam Schiff and Barbara Lee, who is Black. The governor has said he didn’t want to tip the scales in the 2024 race by choosing among those candidates.Newsom said he told Butler to “do what you think is best for you and the state of California, and you make that judgment completely independent of any expectations from me.”Butler, 44, comes from a working-class family. Her father, a small-business owner, died from a terminal illness when she was 16. Her mother worked as a classroom aide, a home care provider, a security guard and a bookkeeper while caring for Butler and her two siblings, the governor’s office said. She was elected president of the state’s largest labor union in the early 2010s, back when the nation was reeling from the Great Recession.Butler has also worked for corporate clients, including Airbnb and Uber.In a statement released by Emily’s List after her appointment, Butler said she was honored and ready to get to work."For women and girls, for workers and unions, for struggling parents waiting for our leaders to bring opportunity back to their homes, for all of California, I’m ready to serve.”Newsom, who was elected governor in 2018, has now chosen both of the state’s U.S. senators. The selection of Butler bears resemblance to the last time, when he tapped his close friend and confidant Padilla for Harris’ seat when she resigned in 2021.Feinstein, who died after months of declining health, had held the seat since 1992, when she was elected alongside California Sen. Barbara Boxer, Moseley Braun and others in what became known as “the year of the woman.” She was a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dianne-feinstein-death-photos-career-senate-e4b725c69545e422ce6ca981c697d468">giant in California politics</a>, having been the first female mayor of San Francisco and a force in the state’s Democratic circles.In the Senate, Feinstein was the first female chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and the first female top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Her Senate colleagues gathered on the floor Friday to remember her impact and her&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dianne-feinstein-death-legacy-senate-women-tributes-37e8ba38f4cac4ebbe25d31a49e29c75">personal friendships</a>.When Newsom announced Butler as his pick, he said the priorities Feinstein fought for in Congress — reproductive freedom, equal protection and safety from gun violence — were under assault in the nation.“Laphonza will carry the baton left by Sen. Feinstein (and) continue to break glass ceilings and fight for all Californians in Washington D.C.,” Newsom said.After Butler was sworn in, Schumer said that Feinstein “is looking down at this moment with pride now that her seat is in good hands."___

Butler sworn in as third Black female senator in US history

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Some 75,000 Kaiser Permanente workers walked off the job Wednesday in multiple states, kicking off a major health care strike in an extraordinary year for U.S. labor organizing and work stoppages.

Kaiser Permanente is one of the country’s larger insurers and health care system operators, serving nearly 13 million people. The nonprofit company, based in Oakland, California, said its 39 hospitals, including emergency rooms, will remain open during the picketing, though appointments and non-urgent procedures could be delayed.

The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions, representing about 85,000 of the health system's employees nationally, approved a strike for three days in California, Colorado, Oregon and Washington, and for one day in Virginia and Washington, D.C.

“They’re not listening to the frontline health care workers,” said Mikki Fletchall, a licensed vocational nurse based in a Kaiser medical office in Camarillo, California. “We’re striking because of our patients.”

Early Wednesday, workers at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center cheered as the strike deadline arrived. The strikers include licensed vocational nurses, home health aides and ultrasound sonographers, as well as technicians in the radiology, X-ray, surgical, pharmacy and emergency departments.

Brittany Everidge, a ward clerk transcriber in the medical center's maternal child health department, was among those on the picket line. She said because of staffing shortages, pregnant people in active labor can be stuck waiting for hours to be checked in. Other times, too few transcribers can lead to delays in creating and updating charts for new babies.

“We don’t ever want to be in a situation where the nurses have to do our job," she said.

Doctors are not participating in the strike, and Kaiser said it was bringing in thousands of temporary workers.

The strike comes in a year when there have been work stoppages within multiple industries, including,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ups-strike-union-contract-negotiations-deadline-7be8c3d04e043d6b653f563075a6a39f">transportation</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/writers-strike-deal-hollywood-vote-actors-d3119d670a4fd3449773bf8f4026fb2b">entertainment</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-hotel-workers-strike-unite-here-0858937937766b75a1bfd10e9e41525f">hospitality</a>.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-new-york-city-nursing-care-strikes-covid-4c1c337dbd9727118be6975cf868a626">health care</a>&nbsp;industry alone has been hit by several strikes this year as it confronts burnout from heavy workloads — problems that were exacerbated greatly by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Unions representing Kaiser workers in August asked for a $25 hourly minimum wage, as well as increases of 7% each year in the first two years and 6.25% each year in the two years afterward.

Union members say understaffing is boosting the hospital system’s profits but hurting patients, and executives have been bargaining in bad faith during negotiations.

Tonya Harris, who was on the picket line in Irvine, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of Los Angeles in Orange County, said medical assistants like her are often asked to double up with doctors – each of whom has up to 20 patients – instead of working one-to-one.

“You’re running around and you’re trying to basically keep up with the flow,” she said, wearing her strike captain vest over her scrubs.

The single mother with two kids going into college said she also can’t afford to live in Orange County on her current pay.

Kaiser has proposed minimum hourly wages of between $21 and $23 next year depending on the location.

Since 2022, the hospital system has hired 51,000 workers and has plans to add 10,000 more people by the end of the month.

Kaiser Permanente reported $2.1 billion in net income for this year’s second quarter on more than $25 billion in operating revenue. But the company said it still was dealing with cost headwinds and challenges from inflation and labor shortages.

Kaiser executive Michelle Gaskill-Hames defended the company and said its practices, compensation and retention are better than its competitors, even as the entire sector faces the same challenges.

“Our focus, for the dollars that we bring in, are to keep them invested in value-based care,” said Gaskill-Hames, president of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals of Southern California and Hawaii.

She added that Kaiser only faces 7% turnover compared to the industry standard of 21%, despite the effects of the pandemic.

“I think coming out of the pandemic, health care workers have been completely burned out," she said. "The trauma that was felt caring for so many COVID patients, and patients that died, was just difficult.”

The workers’ last contract was negotiated in 2019, before the pandemic.

Hospitals generally have struggled in recent years with high labor costs, staffing shortages and rising levels of uncompensated care, according to Rick Gundling, a senior vice president with the Healthcare Financial Management Association, a nonprofit that works with health care finance executives.

Most of their revenue is fixed, coming from government-funded programs like Medicare and Medicaid, Gundling noted. He said that means revenue growth is “only possible by increasing volumes, which is difficult even under the best of circumstances.”

Meanwhile, workers calling for higher wages, better working conditions and job security, especially since the end of the pandemic, have been increasingly willing to walk out on the job as employers face a greater need for workers.

The California legislature has sent Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom a bill that would increase the minimum wage for the state’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-fast-food-health-care-workers-wage-increase-3c1e3b2815523816b5e5d1ffc535aaad">455,000 health care workers to $25 per hour</a>&nbsp;over the next decade. The governor has until Oct. 14 to decide whether to sign or veto it.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696442008096.png" alt="photo courtesy SEIU" />
 <figcaption>photo courtesy SEIU</figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) — Some 75,000 Kaiser Permanente workers walked off the job Wednesday in multiple states, kicking off a major health care strike in an extraordinary year for U.S. labor organizing and work stoppages.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">To all healthcare workers on ULP strike to demand Kaiser bargain in good faith: we have your backs! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SolidaritySeason?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SolidaritySeason</a> ✊ <a href="https://t.co/seL2vCsehE">pic.twitter.com/seL2vCsehE</a>&mdash; Mary Kay Henry (@MaryKayHenry) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaryKayHenry/status/1709556729191731327?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kaiser Permanente is one of the country’s larger insurers and health care system operators, serving nearly 13 million people. The nonprofit company, based in Oakland, California, said its 39 hospitals, including emergency rooms, will remain open during the picketing, though appointments and non-urgent procedures could be delayed.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">“Today, we stand in solidarity with the 75,000 members of our union family who are on strike at Kaiser. Whether you work in a hospital, or behind a desk, or on an assembly line, your fight is our fight. We all deserve dignity on and off the job. We all deserve a future for our… <a href="https://t.co/Fd5MiLzNBN">pic.twitter.com/Fd5MiLzNBN</a>&mdash; UAW (@UAW) <a href="https://twitter.com/UAW/status/1709620453365465594?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions, representing about 85,000 of the health system's employees nationally, approved a strike for three days in California, Colorado, Oregon and Washington, and for one day in Virginia and Washington, D.C.“They’re not listening to the frontline health care workers,” said Mikki Fletchall, a licensed vocational nurse based in a Kaiser medical office in Camarillo, California. “We’re striking because of our patients.”Early Wednesday, workers at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center cheered as the strike deadline arrived. The strikers include licensed vocational nurses, home health aides and ultrasound sonographers, as well as technicians in the radiology, X-ray, surgical, pharmacy and emergency departments.Brittany Everidge, a ward clerk transcriber in the medical center's maternal child health department, was among those on the picket line. She said because of staffing shortages, pregnant people in active labor can be stuck waiting for hours to be checked in. Other times, too few transcribers can lead to delays in creating and updating charts for new babies.“We don’t ever want to be in a situation where the nurses have to do our job," she said.Doctors are not participating in the strike, and Kaiser said it was bringing in thousands of temporary workers.The strike comes in a year when there have been work stoppages within multiple industries, including,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ups-strike-union-contract-negotiations-deadline-7be8c3d04e043d6b653f563075a6a39f">transportation</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/writers-strike-deal-hollywood-vote-actors-d3119d670a4fd3449773bf8f4026fb2b">entertainment</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-hotel-workers-strike-unite-here-0858937937766b75a1bfd10e9e41525f">hospitality</a>.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-new-york-city-nursing-care-strikes-covid-4c1c337dbd9727118be6975cf868a626">health care</a>&nbsp;industry alone has been hit by several strikes this year as it confronts burnout from heavy workloads — problems that were exacerbated greatly by the COVID-19 pandemic.Unions representing Kaiser workers in August asked for a $25 hourly minimum wage, as well as increases of 7% each year in the first two years and 6.25% each year in the two years afterward.Union members say understaffing is boosting the hospital system’s profits but hurting patients, and executives have been bargaining in bad faith during negotiations.Tonya Harris, who was on the picket line in Irvine, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of Los Angeles in Orange County, said medical assistants like her are often asked to double up with doctors – each of whom has up to 20 patients – instead of working one-to-one.“You’re running around and you’re trying to basically keep up with the flow,” she said, wearing her strike captain vest over her scrubs.The single mother with two kids going into college said she also can’t afford to live in Orange County on her current pay.Kaiser has proposed minimum hourly wages of between $21 and $23 next year depending on the location.Since 2022, the hospital system has hired 51,000 workers and has plans to add 10,000 more people by the end of the month.Kaiser Permanente reported $2.1 billion in net income for this year’s second quarter on more than $25 billion in operating revenue. But the company said it still was dealing with cost headwinds and challenges from inflation and labor shortages.Kaiser executive Michelle Gaskill-Hames defended the company and said its practices, compensation and retention are better than its competitors, even as the entire sector faces the same challenges.“Our focus, for the dollars that we bring in, are to keep them invested in value-based care,” said Gaskill-Hames, president of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals of Southern California and Hawaii.She added that Kaiser only faces 7% turnover compared to the industry standard of 21%, despite the effects of the pandemic.“I think coming out of the pandemic, health care workers have been completely burned out," she said. "The trauma that was felt caring for so many COVID patients, and patients that died, was just difficult.”The workers’ last contract was negotiated in 2019, before the pandemic.Hospitals generally have struggled in recent years with high labor costs, staffing shortages and rising levels of uncompensated care, according to Rick Gundling, a senior vice president with the Healthcare Financial Management Association, a nonprofit that works with health care finance executives.Most of their revenue is fixed, coming from government-funded programs like Medicare and Medicaid, Gundling noted. He said that means revenue growth is “only possible by increasing volumes, which is difficult even under the best of circumstances.”Meanwhile, workers calling for higher wages, better working conditions and job security, especially since the end of the pandemic, have been increasingly willing to walk out on the job as employers face a greater need for workers.The California legislature has sent Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom a bill that would increase the minimum wage for the state’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-fast-food-health-care-workers-wage-increase-3c1e3b2815523816b5e5d1ffc535aaad">455,000 health care workers to $25 per hour</a>&nbsp;over the next decade. The governor has until Oct. 14 to decide whether to sign or veto it.___

🎥US health care workers on strike in multiple states over wages, staff shortages

WASHINGTON (AP) — Speaker Kevin McCarthy was voted out of the job Tuesday in an extraordinary showdown, a first in U.S. history, The 216-210 vote, forced by a contingent of hard-right conservatives, throws the House and its Republican leadership into chaos.

Members of the Nebraska House delegation Don Bacon, Mike Flood and Adrian Smith voted against the motion.

McCarthy’s chief rival, Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, forced the vote on the “motion to vacate,” drawing together more than a handful of conservative Republican critics of the speaker and many Democrats who say he is unworthy of leadership.

Next steps are uncertain, but there is no obvious successor to lead the House Republican majority.

Stillness fell as the presiding officer gaveled the vote closed, 216-210, saying the office of the speaker "is hereby declared vacant.”

Moments later, a top McCarthy ally, Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., took the gavel and, according to House rules, was named speaker pro tempore, to serve in the office until a new speaker is chosen.

The House then briskly recessed so lawmakers could meet and discuss the path forward.

It was a stunning moment for the battle-tested McCarthy, a punishment fueled by growing grievances but sparked by his weekend decision&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-mccarthy-congress-republicans-732baaa19c91f981e492fd0e6a76aba8">to work with Democrats to keep the federal government open</a>&nbsp;rather than risk a shutdown.

An earlier vote was 218-208 against tabling the motion, with 11 Republicans allowing it to advance.

The House then opened a floor debate, unseen in modern times, ahead of the next round of voting.

McCarthy, of California, insisted he would not cut a deal with Democrats to remain in power — not that he could have relied on their help even if he had asked.

Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a letter to colleagues that he wants to work with Republicans, but he was unwilling to provide the votes needed to save McCarthy.

“It is now the responsibility of the GOP members to end the House Republican Civil War,” Jeffries said, announcing the Democratic leadership would vote for the motion to oust the speaker.

As the House fell silent, Gaetz, a top ally of Donald Trump, rose to offer his motion. Gaetz is a leader of the hard-right Republicans who fought in January against McCarthy in his prolonged battle to gain the gavel.

“It's a sad day,” Republican Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma said as debate got underway, urging his colleagues not to plunge the House Republican majority "into chaos."

But Gaetz shot back during the debate, "Chaos is Speaker McCarthy."

McCarthy's fate was deeply uncertain as the fiery debate unfolded, with much of the complaints against the speaker revolving around his truthfulness and his ability to keep the promises he has made since January to win the gavel.

But a long line of McCarthy supporters, including Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, a founding leader of the conservative Freedom Caucus, stood up for him: “I think he has kept his word.” And some did so passionately. Rep. Garret Graves, R-La., waved his cellphone, saying it was “disgusting” that hard-right colleagues were fundraising off the move in text messages seeking donations.

At the Capitol, both Republicans and Democrats met privately ahead of the historic afternoon vote.

Behind closed doors, McCarthy told fellow Republicans: Let’s get on with it.

“If I counted how many times someone wanted to knock me out, I would have been gone a long time ago,” McCarthy said at the Capitol after the morning meeting.

McCarthy insisted he had not reached across the aisle to the Democratic leader Jeffries for help with votes to stay in the job, nor had they demanded anything in return.

During the hourlong meeting in the Capitol basement, McCarthy invoked Republican Speaker Joseph Cannon, who more than 100 years ago confronted his critics head-on by calling their bluff and setting the vote himself on his ouster. Cannon survived that takedown attempt, which was the first time the House had actually voted to consider removing its speaker. A more recent threat, in 2015, didn't make it to a vote.

McCarthy received three standing ovations during the private meeting — one when he came to the microphone to speak, again during his remarks and finally when he was done, according a Republican at the meeting who was granted anonymity to discuss it.

At one point, there was a show of hands in support of McCarthy and it was “overwhelming,” said Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., a member of the House Freedom Caucus.

Gaetz was in attendance, but he did not address the room.

Across the way in the Capitol, Democrats lined up for a long discussion and unified around one common point: McCarthy cannot be trusted, several lawmakers in the room said.

“I think it’s safe to say there’s not a lot of good will in that room for Kevin McCarthy,” said Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass.

“At the end of the day, the country needs a speaker that can be relied upon,” said Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. "We don’t trust him. Their members don’t trust him. And you need a certain degree of trust to be the speaker.”

Removing the speaker launches the House Republicans into chaos, as they try to find a new leader. It took McCarthy himself 15 rounds in January over multiple days of voting before he secured the support from his colleagues to gain the gavel. There is no obvious GOP successor.

Trump, the former president who is the Republican front-runner in the 2024 race to challenge Biden, weighed in to complain about the chaos. “Why is it that Republicans are always fighting among themselves," he asked on social media.

One key McCarthy ally, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., took to social media urging support for “our speaker” and an end to the chaos that has roiled the Republican majority.

Republicans were upset that McCarthy relied on Democratic votes Saturday to approve the temporary measure to keep the government running until Nov. 17. Some would have preferred a government shutdown as they fight for deeper spending cuts.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696366148194.png" alt="View of members of the House during the historic vote-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>View of members of the House during the historic vote-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Speaker Kevin McCarthy was voted out of the job Tuesday in an extraordinary showdown, a first in U.S. history, The 216-210 vote, forced by a contingent of hard-right conservatives, throws the House and its Republican leadership into chaos.Members of the Nebraska House delegation Don Bacon, Mike Flood and Adrian Smith voted against the motion.McCarthy’s chief rival, Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, forced the vote on the “motion to vacate,” drawing together more than a handful of conservative Republican critics of the speaker and many Democrats who say he is unworthy of leadership.Next steps are uncertain, but there is no obvious successor to lead the House Republican majority.Stillness fell as the presiding officer gaveled the vote closed, 216-210, saying the office of the speaker "is hereby declared vacant.”Moments later, a top McCarthy ally, Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., took the gavel and, according to House rules, was named speaker pro tempore, to serve in the office until a new speaker is chosen.The House then briskly recessed so lawmakers could meet and discuss the path forward.It was a stunning moment for the battle-tested McCarthy, a punishment fueled by growing grievances but sparked by his weekend decision&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-mccarthy-congress-republicans-732baaa19c91f981e492fd0e6a76aba8">to work with Democrats to keep the federal government open</a>&nbsp;rather than risk a shutdown.An earlier vote was 218-208 against tabling the motion, with 11 Republicans allowing it to advance.The House then opened a floor debate, unseen in modern times, ahead of the next round of voting.McCarthy, of California, insisted he would not cut a deal with Democrats to remain in power — not that he could have relied on their help even if he had asked.Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a letter to colleagues that he wants to work with Republicans, but he was unwilling to provide the votes needed to save McCarthy.“It is now the responsibility of the GOP members to end the House Republican Civil War,” Jeffries said, announcing the Democratic leadership would vote for the motion to oust the speaker.As the House fell silent, Gaetz, a top ally of Donald Trump, rose to offer his motion. Gaetz is a leader of the hard-right Republicans who fought in January against McCarthy in his prolonged battle to gain the gavel.“It's a sad day,” Republican Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma said as debate got underway, urging his colleagues not to plunge the House Republican majority "into chaos."But Gaetz shot back during the debate, "Chaos is Speaker McCarthy."McCarthy's fate was deeply uncertain as the fiery debate unfolded, with much of the complaints against the speaker revolving around his truthfulness and his ability to keep the promises he has made since January to win the gavel.But a long line of McCarthy supporters, including Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, a founding leader of the conservative Freedom Caucus, stood up for him: “I think he has kept his word.” And some did so passionately. Rep. Garret Graves, R-La., waved his cellphone, saying it was “disgusting” that hard-right colleagues were fundraising off the move in text messages seeking donations.At the Capitol, both Republicans and Democrats met privately ahead of the historic afternoon vote.Behind closed doors, McCarthy told fellow Republicans: Let’s get on with it.“If I counted how many times someone wanted to knock me out, I would have been gone a long time ago,” McCarthy said at the Capitol after the morning meeting.McCarthy insisted he had not reached across the aisle to the Democratic leader Jeffries for help with votes to stay in the job, nor had they demanded anything in return.During the hourlong meeting in the Capitol basement, McCarthy invoked Republican Speaker Joseph Cannon, who more than 100 years ago confronted his critics head-on by calling their bluff and setting the vote himself on his ouster. Cannon survived that takedown attempt, which was the first time the House had actually voted to consider removing its speaker. A more recent threat, in 2015, didn't make it to a vote.McCarthy received three standing ovations during the private meeting — one when he came to the microphone to speak, again during his remarks and finally when he was done, according a Republican at the meeting who was granted anonymity to discuss it.At one point, there was a show of hands in support of McCarthy and it was “overwhelming,” said Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., a member of the House Freedom Caucus.Gaetz was in attendance, but he did not address the room.Across the way in the Capitol, Democrats lined up for a long discussion and unified around one common point: McCarthy cannot be trusted, several lawmakers in the room said.“I think it’s safe to say there’s not a lot of good will in that room for Kevin McCarthy,” said Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass.“At the end of the day, the country needs a speaker that can be relied upon,” said Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. "We don’t trust him. Their members don’t trust him. And you need a certain degree of trust to be the speaker.”Removing the speaker launches the House Republicans into chaos, as they try to find a new leader. It took McCarthy himself 15 rounds in January over multiple days of voting before he secured the support from his colleagues to gain the gavel. There is no obvious GOP successor.Trump, the former president who is the Republican front-runner in the 2024 race to challenge Biden, weighed in to complain about the chaos. “Why is it that Republicans are always fighting among themselves," he asked on social media.One key McCarthy ally, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., took to social media urging support for “our speaker” and an end to the chaos that has roiled the Republican majority.Republicans were upset that McCarthy relied on Democratic votes Saturday to approve the temporary measure to keep the government running until Nov. 17. Some would have preferred a government shutdown as they fight for deeper spending cuts.

History: McCarthy ousted as House Speaker; Neb. lawmakers vote no

By CASEY QUINLAN,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/19/rural-hospitals-gird-for-unwinding-of-pandemic-medicaid-coverage/">States Newsroom</a>

Complaints about student debt relief scams are increasing as the date approaches for borrowers to restart payment on their student loans after more than a three-year pause.

Consumer protection advocates say that the Biden administration’s student debt relief efforts, the subsequent halting of those policies by the courts, and the restart of student loan payments have bred confusion that allow companies to take advantage of borrowers.

“There is sort of this perfect storm out there that I think is allowing these fraudsters to prey on people,” said Dan Zibel, vice president, chief counsel, and co-founder of Student Defense, a nonprofit focused on student rights.

Zibel said that there has been a lot of policy and legal news on student debt relief for borrowers to absorb in a couple years.

“There is news about repayment plans, news about cancellation, different types of cancellation, whether it’s public service loan forgiveness or fraud-based cancellation, the COVID pause, and then the courts get involved. Debt forgiveness is happening. Debt forgiveness is not happening. There’s new debt forgiveness,” he said. “ … I think that sows confusion for a lot of people.”

And with 44 million owing more than $1.7 trillion — the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/pro-take-auto-loans-pass-student-loans-in-consumer-debt-load-fed-data-shows-b3a4a53#:~:text=Auto%20loans%20have%20squeaked%20past,the%20largest%20debt%20for%20consumers.">third highest consumer debt</a>&nbsp;in the U.S.&nbsp;— the appetite for relief is great and makes many easy prey for scammers.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1677600500744.png" alt="Student debt relief advocates gather outside the Supreme Court on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023.&nbsp;The Supreme Court’s decision that the Biden administration didn’t have the authority to cancel student debt helped sow confusion that scammers are using to their advantage. -White House image" />
 <figcaption>Student debt relief advocates gather outside the Supreme Court on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023.&nbsp;The Supreme Court’s decision that the Biden administration didn’t have the authority to cancel student debt helped sow confusion that scammers are using to their advantage. -White House image</figcaption>
 </figure>By CASEY QUINLAN,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/19/rural-hospitals-gird-for-unwinding-of-pandemic-medicaid-coverage/">States Newsroom</a>Complaints about student debt relief scams are increasing as the date approaches for borrowers to restart payment on their student loans after more than a three-year pause.Consumer protection advocates say that the Biden administration’s student debt relief efforts, the subsequent halting of those policies by the courts, and the restart of student loan payments have bred confusion that allow companies to take advantage of borrowers.“There is sort of this perfect storm out there that I think is allowing these fraudsters to prey on people,” said Dan Zibel, vice president, chief counsel, and co-founder of Student Defense, a nonprofit focused on student rights.Zibel said that there has been a lot of policy and legal news on student debt relief for borrowers to absorb in a couple years.“There is news about repayment plans, news about cancellation, different types of cancellation, whether it’s public service loan forgiveness or fraud-based cancellation, the COVID pause, and then the courts get involved. Debt forgiveness is happening. Debt forgiveness is not happening. There’s new debt forgiveness,” he said. “ … I think that sows confusion for a lot of people.”And with 44 million owing more than $1.7 trillion — the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/pro-take-auto-loans-pass-student-loans-in-consumer-debt-load-fed-data-shows-b3a4a53#:~:text=Auto%20loans%20have%20squeaked%20past,the%20largest%20debt%20for%20consumers.">third highest consumer debt</a>&nbsp;in the U.S.&nbsp;— the appetite for relief is great and makes many easy prey for scammers.Many of the debt relief scams often start with a telemarketing call where borrowers are promised debt relief if they pay a regular fee. The callers ask for sensitive personal information, and mislead borrowers about being affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education and student loan servicers. Some mention “Biden Loan Forgiveness.”The number of complaints coming to the FTC about student debt relief scams has steadily risen in the past few months as the restart of student loan payments approaches, from 385 in June to 562 in July and 610 in August. And the FTC and Department of Justice&nbsp; have been cracking down on the scammers. In August, the agencies returned $9 million to people who paid up to $800 in upfront fees to Ameritech Financial, to take part in what they thought was a federal loan assistance program. The scam also led borrowers to believe that their membership fees would help pay their student loan balance. Arete Financial Group, which said it was affiliated with the Department of Education, had a similar scam that convinced people to make upfront payments. The FTC sent $3.3 million to those consumers in June.The FTC also has started working with law enforcement agencies and attorneys general to stop illegal telemarketing calls. Some telemarketing campaigns have included scammers pretending to be the government or businesses, luring unsuspecting student loan borrowers.<h2>How we got here</h2>The Biden administration has undertaken a number of policy efforts in the past few years to reduce the burden of student loan debt, including a program announced in August 2022 that borrowers who qualified could have up to $20,000 of federal student loans canceled.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/01/27/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-releases-new-data-showing-26-million-people-in-all-50-states-applied-or-were-automatically-eligible-for-one-time-student-debt-relief/">Twenty-six million people</a>&nbsp;applied or sent enough information to the U.S. Department of Education applying for the relief. However, the U.S. Supreme Court&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/30/us/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-biden.html">ruled against</a>&nbsp;the plan in June of this year, finding that the administration did not have the authority to cancel the debt. Since then, the administration returned with the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/08/22/fact-sheet-the-biden-harris-administration-launches-the-save-plan-the-most-affordable-student-loan-repayment-plan-ever-to-lower-monthly-payments-for-millions-of-borrowers/#:~:text=Bring%20many%20borrowers%27%20loan%20payments%20to%20%240%20per%20month.&amp;text=The%20Department%20of%20Education%20estimates,needs%20instead%20of%20loan%20payments.">SAVE Plan</a>, a new income-driven repayment plan that allows some lower-income borrowers to pay nothing each month and lets some receive early student loan cancellation, among other benefits. Students who have been defrauded by for-profit colleges are also continuing to receive&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/biden-admin-canceling-130m-students-ripped-off-colorado/story?id=101643434">student loan cancellation</a>.Zibel said that student debt relief scams tend to target borrowers who are the most vulnerable, whether they’re struggling economically or have language barriers that could make people less able to identify fraud.But anyone could potentially be tricked by these schemes, said Kyra Taylor, staff attorney at the National Consumer Law Center. She said scammers are getting more sophisticated.“I’ve heard reports from borrowers that scammers spoofed their student loan servicers email. And the only way you could tell that it was a spoof was by rolling your mouse over the links,” she said. “The scammers are so sophisticated and because the student loan system is so complicated, anyone could be vulnerable, especially if you’re getting an email that looks like it’s from your (student loan) servicer on its face. I think it’s getting harder and harder to tell.”<h2>How to spot a scam</h2>Taylor offers some advice to borrowers who may find themselves wondering whether they’re being scammed. For example, she tells borrowers not to provide sensitive information such as a Social Security number to someone they believe is a student loan servicer.“We’re getting closer to restarting payment and people are expecting that their servicer is going to reach out to them. The servicer could be calling you but if they’re asking for personally identifiable information, I would hang up and call them back just to make sure that you’re talking to the right person,” she said. “The other piece is that it’s very unusual for the Department of Education to call folks. Any time you’re getting a call from someone saying they’re from the Department of Education, I think folks should be more skeptical.”Mark Kantrowitz, an expert on financial aid and author of “How to Appeal for More College Financial Aid” told States Newsroom in an email that it’s a bad idea to share your financial student aid ID, which is your username and password, with a third party, because they can make changes you may not be aware of and will end up being responsible for. When borrowers log in, the federal student aid website makes it clear that the use of this information by a third party “for purposes of commercial advantage or private financial gain” is prohibited and subject to criminal prosecution, he added.Taylor and Zibel said there are things the government can do to reduce the damage done by student debt relief scams. Taylor said that if the government automated relief to borrowers, scammers would have fewer opportunities to insert themselves into the process. Zibel said that the government should continue to educate people as return to payment begins on where to find legitimate sources of information on their student loans.The FTC also offers&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2023/08/dont-pay-help-your-federal-student-loans">advice</a>&nbsp;on how to spot scams. The agency says it’s a red flag if someone tries to charge you for debt relief services before they have done anything for you as a borrower. Ari Lazarus, a consumer education specialist at the FTC,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2023/08/dont-pay-help-your-federal-student-loans">explained in</a>&nbsp;an August&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2023/08/dont-pay-help-your-federal-student-loans">blog</a>, “ …Nobody but a scammer will ever offer you quick loan forgiveness.” Experts on these scams also remind borrowers that no one has to pay for help with student loan relief and advise borrowers to look at the federal student loan website.Janet Yuen learned too late that she did not have to pay for help. In 2019, after receiving a phone call from A Better Solution Student Loans, or ABS Student Loans, she agreed to pay the company $33 a month to lower her debt.Yuen, a social worker in Southern California, told States Newsroom that she quit making payments on her student loans because she thought ABS Student Loans was doing so on her behalf. Yuen said she paid $33 a month from October 2019 to November 2021 to ABS Student Loans and provided the company with the username and password to her student loan website.She has about $263,600 in student loan debt and is out almost $900 —&nbsp; the money she paid ABS Student Loans that she said would have otherwise been spent on financial needs such as paying medical bills.Yuen said she has contacted the FTC but the agency could not tell States Newsroom whether it is investigating the company because it does not make investigations public.There is&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2023/09/06_StudentLoanDebt.asp#:~:text=Attorney%20General%20Ellison%20opens%20investigation,student%2Dloan%20debt%2Drelief%20companies&amp;text=September%206%2C%202023%20(SAINT%20PAUL,suspected%20of%20violating%20Minnesota%20law.">at least one</a>&nbsp;government investigation into ABS Student Loans through Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office. On Sept. 6, Ellison announced that 52 student debt relief companies are suspected of violating state law by not registering before offering debt settlement services and possibly misrepresenting fees and services, including ABS Student Loans. Deputy chief of staff for the attorney general, John Stiles, told States Newsroom that the office has asked ABS Student Loans how many customers it has in the state but the company has not yet responded.ABS Student Loans’s&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://absstudentloans.com/privacy.html">website</a>&nbsp;includes information that it is not affiliated with a government agency and that borrowers do not have to use a third party to apply for student debt relief under a link to its privacy policy at the bottom of its website. The California-based company did not respond to States Newsroom’s multiple requests for information.