PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers' charter flight home following a Sunday night win in Las Vegas made an emergency landing in Kansas City early Monday.

Team spokesman Burt Lauten&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/SteelersPRBurt/status/1706248570871992612?s=20">posted on X</a>, formerly known as Twitter, that “everyone on the plane is safe and we are making necessary plans to arrive back in Pittsburgh later today.”

KDKA TV, which has a pair of journalists on the team plane, r<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/KDKA%20TV,%20which%20has%20a%20pair%20of%20journalists%20on%20the%20team%20plane,%20reported%20the%20plane%20had%20an%20oil">eported the plane landed in Kansas City</a>&nbsp;just before 5 a.m. EDT. The station reported the plane was dealing with an oil pressure failure in one of the engines.

The team was originally scheduled to arrive in Pittsburgh around 5:30 a.m. EDT after improving to 2-1 by holding off the Raiders.

Veteran defensive tackle Cam Heyward had a little fun with the situation, joking on X with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and pop star Taylor Swift that the team needed a ride to Pittsburgh.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-kelce-chiefs-891e7df84295f5b35cfa97a5ec427721">Swift attended Kansas City's blowout</a>&nbsp;victory over Chicago on Sunday as a guest of Kelce's.

The Steelers were given Monday off by head coach Mike Tomlin. They travel to Houston on Oct. 1.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695649140570.png" alt="Emergency vehicles on hand to inspect the aircraft at KCI early Monday-photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Emergency vehicles on hand to inspect the aircraft at KCI early Monday-photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers' charter flight home following a Sunday night win in Las Vegas made an emergency landing in Kansas City early Monday.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Our team charter plane was unexpectedly diverted to Kansas City early this morning on our way back to Pittsburgh following our game in Las Vegas. Everyone on the plane is safe, and we are making necessary plans to arrive back in Pittsburgh later today.&mdash; Burt Lauten (@SteelersPRBurt) <a href="https://twitter.com/SteelersPRBurt/status/1706248570871992612?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 25, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Team spokesman Burt Lauten&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/SteelersPRBurt/status/1706248570871992612?s=20">posted on X</a>, formerly known as Twitter, that “everyone on the plane is safe and we are making necessary plans to arrive back in Pittsburgh later today.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Sorry you had to make an unscheduled touchdown in Kansas City, <a href="https://twitter.com/steelers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Steelers</a>. That will be the only one this year (not on the <a href="https://twitter.com/Chiefs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Chiefs</a> schedule). Post season: who knows? Fly safely. <a href="https://t.co/KF17e3neN2">pic.twitter.com/KF17e3neN2</a>&mdash; Kansas City International Airport (@Fly_KansasCity) <a href="https://twitter.com/Fly_KansasCity/status/1706326483151593625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 25, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>KDKA TV, which has a pair of journalists on the team plane, r<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/KDKA%20TV,%20which%20has%20a%20pair%20of%20journalists%20on%20the%20team%20plane,%20reported%20the%20plane%20had%20an%20oil">eported the plane landed in Kansas City</a>&nbsp;just before 5 a.m. EDT. The station reported the plane was dealing with an oil pressure failure in one of the engines.The team was originally scheduled to arrive in Pittsburgh around 5:30 a.m. EDT after improving to 2-1 by holding off the Raiders.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Dang emergency landing in KC.I think it’s due to <a href="https://twitter.com/minkfitz_21?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@minkfitz_21</a> “roughing the passer call” but seriously landing KC……….&mdash; Cam Heyward (@CamHeyward) <a href="https://twitter.com/CamHeyward/status/1706238337739018524?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 25, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Veteran defensive tackle Cam Heyward had a little fun with the situation, joking on X with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and pop star Taylor Swift that the team needed a ride to Pittsburgh.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-kelce-chiefs-891e7df84295f5b35cfa97a5ec427721">Swift attended Kansas City's blowout</a>&nbsp;victory over Chicago on Sunday as a guest of Kelce's.The Steelers were given Monday off by head coach Mike Tomlin. They travel to Houston on Oct. 1.

Steelers' team plane makes emergency landing in Kansas City

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Union leaders and Hollywood studios reached a tentative agreement Sunday to end a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hollywood-strikes/">historic screenwriters strike</a>&nbsp;after nearly five months, though no deal is yet in the works for striking actors.

The Writers Guild of America announced the deal in a joint statement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, the group that represents studios, streaming services and production companies in negotiations.

“WGA has reached a tentative agreement with the AMPTP,” the guild said in an email to members. “This was made possible by the enduring solidarity of WGA members and extraordinary support of our union siblings who joined us on the picket lines for over 146 days.”

The three-year contract agreement — settled on after five marathon days of renewed talks by WGA and AMPTP negotiators that was joined at times by studio executives — must be approved by the guild's board and members before the strike officially ends.

In a longer message from the guild shared by members on social media, the writers were told the strike is not over and no one was to return to work until hearing otherwise, but picketing is to be suspended immediately.

The terms of the deal were not immediately announced. The tentative deal to end the last writers strike, in 2008, was approved by more than 90% of members.

The agreement comes just five days before the strike would've become the longest in the guild's history, and the longest Hollywood strike more than 70 years.

As a result of the agreement, nightly network shows including NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” could return to the air within days.

But as writers prepare to potentially crack open their laptops again, it’s far from back to business as usual in Hollywood, as talks have not yet resumed between studios and the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. Crew members left with no work by the stoppage will remain unemployed for now.

“SAG-AFTRA congratulates the WGA on reaching a tentative agreement with the AMPTP after 146 days of incredible strength, resiliency and solidarity on the picket lines,” the actors union said in a statement. “While we look forward to reviewing the WGA and AMPTP’s tentative agreement, we remain committed to achieving the necessary terms for our members.”

The statement said the guild continues “to urge the studio and streamer CEOs and the AMPTP to return to the table and make the fair deal that our members deserve and demand.”

The proposed solution to the writers strike came after talks resumed on Wednesday for the first time in a month.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hollywood-strikes-lombardini-drescher-stutzman-iger-zaslav-00c17264129cebb17d10b80b9c51aa3e">Chief executives</a>&nbsp;including Bob Iger of Disney, Ted Sarandos of Netflix, David Zaslav of Warner Bros. Discovery and Donna Langley of NBCUniversal reportedly took part in the negotiations directly.

It was reached without the intervention of federal mediators or other government officials, which had been necessary in previous strikes.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued a statement congratulating the two sides on the deal and said she is hopeful the same can happen soon with actors.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom did the same, saying writers "went on strike over existential threats to their careers and livelihoods — expressing real concerns over the stress and anxiety workers are feeling. I am grateful that the two sides have come together.”

About 11,500 members of the Writers Guild of America walked off the job May 2 over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/writers-strike-film-tv-streaming-29940516d1a0650cd87021d104ddb8a1">issues of pay</a>, the size of writing staffs on shows and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/artificial-intelligence-hollywood-strikes-explained-writers-actors-e872bd63ab52c3ea9f7d6e825240a202">use of artificial intelligence</a>&nbsp;in the creation of scripts. Actors, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hollywood-actors-strike-ca3e3eddc910f1e52d618e5e3c394554">joined the writers on strike in July</a>, have their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/actors-strike-explained-2607dd29da6c16c0a406359a7e86d7fb">own issues</a>&nbsp;but there have been no discussions about resuming negotiations with their union yet.

The writers strike immediately sent late-night talk shows and “Saturday Night Live” into hiatus, and has since sent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/actors-strike-delayed-shows-movies-writers-42b99032bb638930df097f675b363898">dozens of scripted shows and other productions</a>&nbsp;into limbo, including forthcoming seasons of Netflix's “Stranger Things," HBO's “The Last of Us,” and ABC's “Abbot Elementary," and films including “Deadpool 3” and “Superman: Legacy.” The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/emmys-2023-explained-writers-actors-strike-a2a5a3e5dd3439d94fe8246f8001b83b">Emmy Awards</a>&nbsp;were also pushed from September to January.

More recently, writers had been targeting talk shows that were working around strike rules to return to air, including “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/drew-barrymore-strike-show-premiere-postponed-92e4ded590fb2c75f08d4ea94224bd96">The Drew Barrymore Show</a>,” “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bill-maher-talk-show-writers-strike-7363bc25e6a506d285e508a209e54835">Real Time With Bill Maher</a>&nbsp;” and “The Talk.” All reversed course in the face of picketing and pressure, and are likely to quickly return now.

The combined strikes made for a pivotal moment in Hollywood as creative labor faced off against executives in a business transformed and torn by technology, from the seismic shift to streaming in recent years to the potentially paradigm-shifting emergence of AI in the years to come.

Screenwriters had traditionally gone on strike more than any other segment of the industry, but had enjoyed a relatively long stretch of labor peace until spring negotiations for a new contract fell apart. The walkout was their first since 2007 and their longest since 1988.

On July 14, more than two months into the strike, the writers got a dose of solidarity and star power — along with a whole lot of new picketing partners — when they were joined by 65,000 striking film and television actors.

It was the first time the two groups had been on strike together since 1960. In that walkout, the writers strike started first and ended second. This time, studios opted to deal with the writers first.

The AMPTP first reached out to suggest renewing negotiations in August. The meetings were short, infrequent, and not productive, and talks went silent for another month.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Union leaders and Hollywood studios reached a tentative agreement Sunday to end a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hollywood-strikes/">historic screenwriters strike</a>&nbsp;after nearly five months, though no deal is yet in the works for striking actors.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FSAGAFTRA%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0jaMiZMv53yYtGoVAANz5A5vKLLDaM2NofDvyAR2zPH3kYZD6xeacQu5PtmcRgh2Kl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="767" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>The Writers Guild of America announced the deal in a joint statement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, the group that represents studios, streaming services and production companies in negotiations.“WGA has reached a tentative agreement with the AMPTP,” the guild said in an email to members. “This was made possible by the enduring solidarity of WGA members and extraordinary support of our union siblings who joined us on the picket lines for over 146 days.”The three-year contract agreement — settled on after five marathon days of renewed talks by WGA and AMPTP negotiators that was joined at times by studio executives — must be approved by the guild's board and members before the strike officially ends.In a longer message from the guild shared by members on social media, the writers were told the strike is not over and no one was to return to work until hearing otherwise, but picketing is to be suspended immediately.The terms of the deal were not immediately announced. The tentative deal to end the last writers strike, in 2008, was approved by more than 90% of members.The agreement comes just five days before the strike would've become the longest in the guild's history, and the longest Hollywood strike more than 70 years.As a result of the agreement, nightly network shows including NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” could return to the air within days.But as writers prepare to potentially crack open their laptops again, it’s far from back to business as usual in Hollywood, as talks have not yet resumed between studios and the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. Crew members left with no work by the stoppage will remain unemployed for now.“SAG-AFTRA congratulates the WGA on reaching a tentative agreement with the AMPTP after 146 days of incredible strength, resiliency and solidarity on the picket lines,” the actors union said in a statement. “While we look forward to reviewing the WGA and AMPTP’s tentative agreement, we remain committed to achieving the necessary terms for our members.”The statement said the guild continues “to urge the studio and streamer CEOs and the AMPTP to return to the table and make the fair deal that our members deserve and demand.”The proposed solution to the writers strike came after talks resumed on Wednesday for the first time in a month.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hollywood-strikes-lombardini-drescher-stutzman-iger-zaslav-00c17264129cebb17d10b80b9c51aa3e">Chief executives</a>&nbsp;including Bob Iger of Disney, Ted Sarandos of Netflix, David Zaslav of Warner Bros. Discovery and Donna Langley of NBCUniversal reportedly took part in the negotiations directly.It was reached without the intervention of federal mediators or other government officials, which had been necessary in previous strikes.Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued a statement congratulating the two sides on the deal and said she is hopeful the same can happen soon with actors.California Gov. Gavin Newsom did the same, saying writers "went on strike over existential threats to their careers and livelihoods — expressing real concerns over the stress and anxiety workers are feeling. I am grateful that the two sides have come together.”About 11,500 members of the Writers Guild of America walked off the job May 2 over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/writers-strike-film-tv-streaming-29940516d1a0650cd87021d104ddb8a1">issues of pay</a>, the size of writing staffs on shows and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/artificial-intelligence-hollywood-strikes-explained-writers-actors-e872bd63ab52c3ea9f7d6e825240a202">use of artificial intelligence</a>&nbsp;in the creation of scripts. Actors, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hollywood-actors-strike-ca3e3eddc910f1e52d618e5e3c394554">joined the writers on strike in July</a>, have their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/actors-strike-explained-2607dd29da6c16c0a406359a7e86d7fb">own issues</a>&nbsp;but there have been no discussions about resuming negotiations with their union yet.The writers strike immediately sent late-night talk shows and “Saturday Night Live” into hiatus, and has since sent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/actors-strike-delayed-shows-movies-writers-42b99032bb638930df097f675b363898">dozens of scripted shows and other productions</a>&nbsp;into limbo, including forthcoming seasons of Netflix's “Stranger Things," HBO's “The Last of Us,” and ABC's “Abbot Elementary," and films including “Deadpool 3” and “Superman: Legacy.” The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/emmys-2023-explained-writers-actors-strike-a2a5a3e5dd3439d94fe8246f8001b83b">Emmy Awards</a>&nbsp;were also pushed from September to January.More recently, writers had been targeting talk shows that were working around strike rules to return to air, including “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/drew-barrymore-strike-show-premiere-postponed-92e4ded590fb2c75f08d4ea94224bd96">The Drew Barrymore Show</a>,” “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bill-maher-talk-show-writers-strike-7363bc25e6a506d285e508a209e54835">Real Time With Bill Maher</a>&nbsp;” and “The Talk.” All reversed course in the face of picketing and pressure, and are likely to quickly return now.The combined strikes made for a pivotal moment in Hollywood as creative labor faced off against executives in a business transformed and torn by technology, from the seismic shift to streaming in recent years to the potentially paradigm-shifting emergence of AI in the years to come.Screenwriters had traditionally gone on strike more than any other segment of the industry, but had enjoyed a relatively long stretch of labor peace until spring negotiations for a new contract fell apart. The walkout was their first since 2007 and their longest since 1988.On July 14, more than two months into the strike, the writers got a dose of solidarity and star power — along with a whole lot of new picketing partners — when they were joined by 65,000 striking film and television actors.It was the first time the two groups had been on strike together since 1960. In that walkout, the writers strike started first and ended second. This time, studios opted to deal with the writers first.The AMPTP first reached out to suggest renewing negotiations in August. The meetings were short, infrequent, and not productive, and talks went silent for another month.

Writers Guild, Hollywood studios reach tentative agreement to end strike

WASHINGTON (AP) — A small town on the Texas border declares a state of emergency as tens of thousands of migrants cross the border. The Biden administration grants protection to nearly half a million Venezuelans in the country, giving them the ability to work. This comes after some Democratic mayors and governors warn that growing numbers of migrants in their care are busting their budgets.

The various scenarios playing out across the country paint a picture of a strained immigration system making an impact far from the U.S.-Mexico border. The Biden administration late Wednesday announced measures intended to alleviate the problems.

The U.S. has had immigration surges before so what's different now, and why?

HOW DOES THE NUMBER OF MIGRANTS ARRIVING NOW COMPARE TO PREVIOUS DECADES?

Part of the issue is that a lot more people are coming to the U.S. The numbers dropped earlier this summer after pandemic-era migration rules ended and tougher enforcement measures kicked in. But the numbers are climbing again.

On Wednesday, the border town of Eagle Pass, Texas, announced a state of emergency after nearly 6,000 migrants crossed the Rio Grande River from Mexico into the town of roughly 28,000 people in two days.

In fiscal year 2022, Border Patrol encountered 2.2 million people crossing the border illegally. The numbers have gone down in the fiscal year ending this month — about 1.6 million so far — but that's still high.

You have to go back decades to see comparable numbers. From 1990 to 2006, Border Patrol encounters nearly always topped one million a year, with a peak of 1.6 million in 2000. Then the numbers began to fall. From 2010 to 2020, the agency recorded below half a million encounters a year, except for 2019 when they climbed to 859,501.

Statistics aren't always a perfect measure, of course. The numbers from the 1990s and 2000s are considered vast undercounts because migrants often evaded authorities as they entered the U.S. Now, migrants often turn themselves in so they can request asylum.

In recent years, the measures used to contain the COVID-19 pandemic skewed the count. The government relied heavily on a public health tool called Title 42 to quickly eject people from the country. But there was no penalty so experts say migrants returned again and again, thus pushing up the statistics.

The Biden administration late Wednesday announced it was giving Temporary Protected Status to an estimated 472,000 Venezuelans who arrived in the country as of July 31. That makes it easier for them to work in the U.S. Venezuelans make up such a large proportion of the people coming to the U.S. that changing their status has an outsized effect. In New York City, about 40% of the rough 60,000 asylum seekers the city is paying to house are from Venezuela.

The administration also vowed to speed up the time it takes for migrants who are already eligible to work to get their authorizations processed — a key demand from Democratic governors and mayors.

More broadly, the administration has relied on a carrot and stick approach over the last year to deal with immigration. That's involved doing things like giving humanitarian parole to people from certain countries provided they have a financial sponsor and fly into the country. And then relying heavily on consequences for those who don't follow the rules. For example, they have beefed up deportations and expulsions.

Republicans say it's not enough and accuse the administration of doing little to control the southern border.

WHO IS COMING AND DOES THAT AFFECT RESOURCES?

Julia Gelatt, of the Migration Policy Institute, said there are key differences between what's going on now and during past immigration surges.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, there were more single adults coming to the U.S. Now, families with children are increasingly arriving, and they have different needs. While a single adult traveling by himself may be OK crashing on a friend's couch, families often expect more for their children and may be more likely to need government services to protect them. Kids need to go to school.

Also, communications have advanced. These days, migrants can easily share information on social media about the best places to go and what services are available.

Gelatt noted that many of the migrants crossing the border don't hide from the government. Some have been granted humanitarian parole or have a notice to appear in immigration court. They may feel more empowered to ask for assistance.

One of the challenges that has thrust immigration into the spotlight is housing.

New York City and Massachusetts have right-to-shelter rules, meaning they must provide housing to people who need it with certain restrictions. In addition to the roughly 60,000 migrants New York is housing, Massachusetts is also paying to shelter about 11,000 new arrivals.

Murad Awawdeh, who heads the New York Immigration Coalition that advocates for immigrants' rights, said immigrants arriving in the city previously didn't really use the city-run shelter system. They had friends or relatives to help them find places to stay. But that's changing.

"The most unique thing about this situation is simply that folks don't have a family connection here or community connections like they have had historically," Awawdeh said.

Decades ago, migrants arriving in the U.S. were almost all Mexican nationals. Experts and officials note that migrants today arrive from a vast array of countries across South and Central America and Africa, as well as from China and India. Their disparate countries of origin complicate deportations, because they have to be flown. In some cases, migrants can't be deported because the U.S. has no agreement with their native countries, notably Venezuela.

WHAT'S THE IMPACT OF MIGRANTS BEING BUSED FROM THE BORDER?

In 2022, Texas began busing migrants to Democrat-led cities around the country to challenge the Biden administration's border policies. Arizona has also bused migrants out of state.

The numbers are relatively small compared to the overall migrant flow. For example, since the spring of 2022, New York says it has counted 113,000 newly arrived migrants compared to the 8,200 Texas said it bused there.

But the Migration Policy Institute wrote last year that the Republican-sponsored trips had repercussions far beyond the numbers. After crossing the southern border, migrants used to spread "organically, quietly, and gradually" across the U.S., the Institute wrote.

"The buses have instead brought migrants to these cities in an orchestrated, visible, and deliberately disorderly way. ... In generating this chaos, the busing scheme has succeeded at least in showcasing the challenges at the border," the organization wrote.

Associated Press reporter Steve LeBlanc in Boston contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695343466970.png" alt="photo Texas Dept. of Public Safety" />
 <figcaption>photo Texas Dept. of Public Safety</figcaption>
 </figure>By REBECCA SANTANA Associated PressWASHINGTON (AP) — A small town on the Texas border declares a state of emergency as tens of thousands of migrants cross the border. The Biden administration grants protection to nearly half a million Venezuelans in the country, giving them the ability to work. This comes after some Democratic mayors and governors warn that growing numbers of migrants in their care are busting their budgets.The various scenarios playing out across the country paint a picture of a strained immigration system making an impact far from the U.S.-Mexico border. The Biden administration late Wednesday announced measures intended to alleviate the problems.The U.S. has had immigration surges before so what's different now, and why?HOW DOES THE NUMBER OF MIGRANTS ARRIVING NOW COMPARE TO PREVIOUS DECADES?Part of the issue is that a lot more people are coming to the U.S. The numbers dropped earlier this summer after pandemic-era migration rules ended and tougher enforcement measures kicked in. But the numbers are climbing again.On Wednesday, the border town of Eagle Pass, Texas, announced a state of emergency after nearly 6,000 migrants crossed the Rio Grande River from Mexico into the town of roughly 28,000 people in two days.In fiscal year 2022, Border Patrol encountered 2.2 million people crossing the border illegally. The numbers have gone down in the fiscal year ending this month — about 1.6 million so far — but that's still high.You have to go back decades to see comparable numbers. From 1990 to 2006, Border Patrol encounters nearly always topped one million a year, with a peak of 1.6 million in 2000. Then the numbers began to fall. From 2010 to 2020, the agency recorded below half a million encounters a year, except for 2019 when they climbed to 859,501.Statistics aren't always a perfect measure, of course. The numbers from the 1990s and 2000s are considered vast undercounts because migrants often evaded authorities as they entered the U.S. Now, migrants often turn themselves in so they can request asylum.In recent years, the measures used to contain the COVID-19 pandemic skewed the count. The government relied heavily on a public health tool called Title 42 to quickly eject people from the country. But there was no penalty so experts say migrants returned again and again, thus pushing up the statistics.WHAT'S THE GOVERNMENT DOING?The Biden administration late Wednesday announced it was giving Temporary Protected Status to an estimated 472,000 Venezuelans who arrived in the country as of July 31. That makes it easier for them to work in the U.S. Venezuelans make up such a large proportion of the people coming to the U.S. that changing their status has an outsized effect. In New York City, about 40% of the rough 60,000 asylum seekers the city is paying to house are from Venezuela.The administration also vowed to speed up the time it takes for migrants who are already eligible to work to get their authorizations processed — a key demand from Democratic governors and mayors.More broadly, the administration has relied on a carrot and stick approach over the last year to deal with immigration. That's involved doing things like giving humanitarian parole to people from certain countries provided they have a financial sponsor and fly into the country. And then relying heavily on consequences for those who don't follow the rules. For example, they have beefed up deportations and expulsions.Republicans say it's not enough and accuse the administration of doing little to control the southern border.WHO IS COMING AND DOES THAT AFFECT RESOURCES?Julia Gelatt, of the Migration Policy Institute, said there are key differences between what's going on now and during past immigration surges.In the late 1990s and early 2000s, there were more single adults coming to the U.S. Now, families with children are increasingly arriving, and they have different needs. While a single adult traveling by himself may be OK crashing on a friend's couch, families often expect more for their children and may be more likely to need government services to protect them. Kids need to go to school.Also, communications have advanced. These days, migrants can easily share information on social media about the best places to go and what services are available.Gelatt noted that many of the migrants crossing the border don't hide from the government. Some have been granted humanitarian parole or have a notice to appear in immigration court. They may feel more empowered to ask for assistance.WHERE ARE MIGRANTS STAYING?One of the challenges that has thrust immigration into the spotlight is housing.New York City and Massachusetts have right-to-shelter rules, meaning they must provide housing to people who need it with certain restrictions. In addition to the roughly 60,000 migrants New York is housing, Massachusetts is also paying to shelter about 11,000 new arrivals.Murad Awawdeh, who heads the New York Immigration Coalition that advocates for immigrants' rights, said immigrants arriving in the city previously didn't really use the city-run shelter system. They had friends or relatives to help them find places to stay. But that's changing."The most unique thing about this situation is simply that folks don't have a family connection here or community connections like they have had historically," Awawdeh said.Decades ago, migrants arriving in the U.S. were almost all Mexican nationals. Experts and officials note that migrants today arrive from a vast array of countries across South and Central America and Africa, as well as from China and India. Their disparate countries of origin complicate deportations, because they have to be flown. In some cases, migrants can't be deported because the U.S. has no agreement with their native countries, notably Venezuela.WHAT'S THE IMPACT OF MIGRANTS BEING BUSED FROM THE BORDER?In 2022, Texas began busing migrants to Democrat-led cities around the country to challenge the Biden administration's border policies. Arizona has also bused migrants out of state.The numbers are relatively small compared to the overall migrant flow. For example, since the spring of 2022, New York says it has counted 113,000 newly arrived migrants compared to the 8,200 Texas said it bused there.But the Migration Policy Institute wrote last year that the Republican-sponsored trips had repercussions far beyond the numbers. After crossing the southern border, migrants used to spread "organically, quietly, and gradually" across the U.S., the Institute wrote."The buses have instead brought migrants to these cities in an orchestrated, visible, and deliberately disorderly way. ... In generating this chaos, the busing scheme has succeeded at least in showcasing the challenges at the border," the organization wrote.___Associated Press reporter Steve LeBlanc in Boston contributed to this report.

As states scramble to care for more migrants, a look at what's behind the numbers

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s education chief said he’s open to using “whatever levers” are available — including federal money — to discourage colleges from giving admissions preference to the children of alumni and donors.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said legacy admissions must be revisited for the sake of diversity on campuses following the recent Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-affirmative-action-college-race-f83d6318017ec9b9029b12ee2256e744">ruling against affirmative action</a>. In a step beyond his previous comments, Cardona said he would consider taking stronger action to deter the practice.

“I would be interested in pulling whatever levers I can pull as secretary of Education to ensure that, especially if we’re giving out financial aid and loans, that we’re doing it for institutions that are providing value,” Cardona said Wednesday. He made the remark when asked about using federal money as a carrot or rod on legacy admissions.

Legacy admissions, long seen as a perk for the white and wealthy at selective colleges, have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-affirmative-action-legacy-college-admissions-5d6f34a13045752c6a37db67c66c7d63">come under renewed fire</a>&nbsp;since the ruling in June that colleges can no longer consider the race of applicants. By banning affirmative action but allowing legacy preferences, critics say the court left admissions even more lopsided against students of color.

Cardona didn’t elaborate on his options, but the federal government oversees vast sums of money that go to colleges in the form of student financial aid and research grants. The Education Department can also issue fines for civil rights violations, including racial discrimination.

The agency recently opened an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legacy-admissions-harvard-affirmative-action-diversity-24321f3814d5feec6d380d18c8b6c2e1">investigation at Harvard University</a>&nbsp;after a federal complaint alleged that legacy admissions amount to racial discrimination.

A handful of small colleges have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wesleyan-legacy-admissions-21f7781a961bd784e14dd7752a79d860">disavowed legacy admissions</a>&nbsp;in the wake of the affirmative action decision, but there’s been no sign of change in the upper echelons of America’s universities.

Some colleges and alumni defend the practice, saying it builds community and encourages fundraising. And as campuses become more diverse, they argue, the benefit increasingly extends to students of color and their families.

Cardona, who attended a technical high school and earned his bachelor's degree from Central Connecticut State University, has added his voice to the advocates, civil rights groups and Democratic lawmakers denouncing the practice.

“Your last name could get you into a school, or the fact that you can write a check could get you into a school,” he said. But using affirmative action to promote diversity — “that tool was taken away.”

Still, he shied away from supporting a ban of the type proposed by some Democrats in Congress and in several states. Cardona sees it as a matter of local control, with universities having the final decision.

“There is no edict coming from the secretary of Education,” he said.

Without action, Cardona warned that the nation could face the same&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-affirmative-action-college-admissions-1d37af28939a533551cff45fa577ceb0">setbacks seen in California</a>&nbsp;after it ended affirmative action in 1996. The state’s most selective colleges saw steep decreases in Black and Latino enrollment, and the numbers never fully rebounded.

“If we go the route that California went when they abolished affirmative action, what chance do we have competing against China?” Cardona said. “This is more than just ensuring diverse learning environments. This is about our strength as a country.”

Advocates have also pushed the Education Department to start collecting data showing the number and demographics of legacy students.

“I was hopeful we’d be seeing more colleges volunteering to drop it,” said James Murphy, a deputy director at Education Reform Now, a nonprofit think tank. “I think I think they’ve got to keep the pressure on and shine a light on it.”

— Cardona said during the interview that students should be taught about the impact of slavery, including effects that linger today. When slavery ended, it didn't end the belief in some that African Americans were inferior, and the country is still seeing the effects of unfair housing and lending policies adopted in more recent decades, he said.

“What we don’t want to do is hide the truth and act as if it didn’t happen, or that when it ended, everything was fine. I definitely don’t want to teach that there were some benefits to that for those who were enslaved,” he said.

His remarks were a veiled reference to new education standards in Florida, endorsed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, that require instruction that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/desantis-slavery-election-2024-1fb51d663e6051051aa23b71421b9479">enslaved people developed skills</a>&nbsp;that “could be applied for their personal benefit.”

Conservatives in many states have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-carolina-education-critical-race-theory-5d21ebb41d7870930cb0d76279814236">pushed for restrictions</a>&nbsp;around how schools address topics related to race and slavery.

— He said “schools should be open, period,” even if there is a new COVID-19 surge. “I worry about government overreach, sending down edicts that will lead to school closures because either folks are afraid to go in or are infected and can’t go,” he said.

He said the sense of community was lost when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/online-school-covid-learning-loss-7c162ec1b4ce4d5219d5210aaac8f1ae">schools closed</a>&nbsp;early in the pandemic, and that in-person instruction “should not be sacrificed for ideology.”

— Cardona declined to speculate on what the administration’s new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loans-biden-democrats-gop-campaign-2024-37c7a2c3dbd38dc4bf53c3333413bcd7">student loan forgiveness proposal</a>&nbsp;might look like or whether a final regulation could be in place before the 2024 presidential election. “We are going to work as quickly as possible,” he said. “We know there are students that are waiting, borrowers that are waiting. So many folks are struggling right now to get back up.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695409773117.png" alt="Sec. Cardona and University of Kansas Chancellor Doug Girod during a visit to the campus earlier this month-photo KU" />
 <figcaption>Sec. Cardona and University of Kansas Chancellor Doug Girod during a visit to the campus earlier this month-photo KU</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s education chief said he’s open to using “whatever levers” are available — including federal money — to discourage colleges from giving admissions preference to the children of alumni and donors.In an interview with The Associated Press, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said legacy admissions must be revisited for the sake of diversity on campuses following the recent Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-affirmative-action-college-race-f83d6318017ec9b9029b12ee2256e744">ruling against affirmative action</a>. In a step beyond his previous comments, Cardona said he would consider taking stronger action to deter the practice.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">It was great to be at the <a href="https://twitter.com/UnivOfKansas?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UnivOfKansas</a> in Lawrence to kick off our annual <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EdBusTour23?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EdBusTour23</a>. With students and educators like you, I know we can raise the bar together. <a href="https://t.co/KWIwgH3PxS">pic.twitter.com/KWIwgH3PxS</a>&mdash; Secretary Miguel Cardona (@SecCardona) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecCardona/status/1699195872435679627?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“I would be interested in pulling whatever levers I can pull as secretary of Education to ensure that, especially if we’re giving out financial aid and loans, that we’re doing it for institutions that are providing value,” Cardona said Wednesday. He made the remark when asked about using federal money as a carrot or rod on legacy admissions.Legacy admissions, long seen as a perk for the white and wealthy at selective colleges, have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-affirmative-action-legacy-college-admissions-5d6f34a13045752c6a37db67c66c7d63">come under renewed fire</a>&nbsp;since the ruling in June that colleges can no longer consider the race of applicants. By banning affirmative action but allowing legacy preferences, critics say the court left admissions even more lopsided against students of color.Cardona didn’t elaborate on his options, but the federal government oversees vast sums of money that go to colleges in the form of student financial aid and research grants. The Education Department can also issue fines for civil rights violations, including racial discrimination.The agency recently opened an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legacy-admissions-harvard-affirmative-action-diversity-24321f3814d5feec6d380d18c8b6c2e1">investigation at Harvard University</a>&nbsp;after a federal complaint alleged that legacy admissions amount to racial discrimination.A handful of small colleges have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wesleyan-legacy-admissions-21f7781a961bd784e14dd7752a79d860">disavowed legacy admissions</a>&nbsp;in the wake of the affirmative action decision, but there’s been no sign of change in the upper echelons of America’s universities.Some colleges and alumni defend the practice, saying it builds community and encourages fundraising. And as campuses become more diverse, they argue, the benefit increasingly extends to students of color and their families.Cardona, who attended a technical high school and earned his bachelor's degree from Central Connecticut State University, has added his voice to the advocates, civil rights groups and Democratic lawmakers denouncing the practice.“Your last name could get you into a school, or the fact that you can write a check could get you into a school,” he said. But using affirmative action to promote diversity — “that tool was taken away.”Still, he shied away from supporting a ban of the type proposed by some Democrats in Congress and in several states. Cardona sees it as a matter of local control, with universities having the final decision.“There is no edict coming from the secretary of Education,” he said.Without action, Cardona warned that the nation could face the same&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-affirmative-action-college-admissions-1d37af28939a533551cff45fa577ceb0">setbacks seen in California</a>&nbsp;after it ended affirmative action in 1996. The state’s most selective colleges saw steep decreases in Black and Latino enrollment, and the numbers never fully rebounded.“If we go the route that California went when they abolished affirmative action, what chance do we have competing against China?” Cardona said. “This is more than just ensuring diverse learning environments. This is about our strength as a country.”Advocates have also pushed the Education Department to start collecting data showing the number and demographics of legacy students.“I was hopeful we’d be seeing more colleges volunteering to drop it,” said James Murphy, a deputy director at Education Reform Now, a nonprofit think tank. “I think I think they’ve got to keep the pressure on and shine a light on it.”On other issues:— Cardona said during the interview that students should be taught about the impact of slavery, including effects that linger today. When slavery ended, it didn't end the belief in some that African Americans were inferior, and the country is still seeing the effects of unfair housing and lending policies adopted in more recent decades, he said.“What we don’t want to do is hide the truth and act as if it didn’t happen, or that when it ended, everything was fine. I definitely don’t want to teach that there were some benefits to that for those who were enslaved,” he said.His remarks were a veiled reference to new education standards in Florida, endorsed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, that require instruction that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/desantis-slavery-election-2024-1fb51d663e6051051aa23b71421b9479">enslaved people developed skills</a>&nbsp;that “could be applied for their personal benefit.”Conservatives in many states have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-carolina-education-critical-race-theory-5d21ebb41d7870930cb0d76279814236">pushed for restrictions</a>&nbsp;around how schools address topics related to race and slavery.— He said “schools should be open, period,” even if there is a new COVID-19 surge. “I worry about government overreach, sending down edicts that will lead to school closures because either folks are afraid to go in or are infected and can’t go,” he said.He said the sense of community was lost when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/online-school-covid-learning-loss-7c162ec1b4ce4d5219d5210aaac8f1ae">schools closed</a>&nbsp;early in the pandemic, and that in-person instruction “should not be sacrificed for ideology.”— Cardona declined to speculate on what the administration’s new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loans-biden-democrats-gop-campaign-2024-37c7a2c3dbd38dc4bf53c3333413bcd7">student loan forgiveness proposal</a>&nbsp;might look like or whether a final regulation could be in place before the 2024 presidential election. “We are going to work as quickly as possible,” he said. “We know there are students that are waiting, borrowers that are waiting. So many folks are struggling right now to get back up.”___

U.S. ed chief considers new ways to discourage college admissions preference for kids of alumni

WASHINGTON (AP) —The landmark&nbsp;<a href="https://cathedral.org/">Washington National Cathedral</a>&nbsp;unveiled new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-race-and-ethnicity-james-marshall-kerry-james-marshall-4f3ef320f410c9090acb540fa925bc2e">stained-glass windows</a>&nbsp;Saturday with a theme of racial justice, filling the space that had once held four windows honoring Confederate Gens.&nbsp;<a href="https://cathedral.org/about/news-media/cathedral-loans-robert-e-lee-stained-glass-window-to-smithsonian/">Robert E. Lee</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nps.gov/people/thomas-j-stonewall-jackson.htm">Stonewall Jackson.</a>

Click below to watch the window dedication ceremony)

The new windows depict a march for justice by African Americans, descendants of the very people who would have remained in slavery after the Civil War if the side for which the officers fought had prevailed.

The cathedral had removed the old windows after Confederate symbols featured prominently in recent racist violence.

The dedication service was attended by many clergy from the Washington area's historically Black churches, as well as leaders of social justice organizations. The prayers, Bible readings and brief speeches were interspersed with gospel music and spirituals, as well as the contemporary song, “Heal Our Land.”

Justice&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ketanji-brown-jackson">Ketanji Brown Jackson</a>, the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court, read excerpts from the Rev. Martin Luther King' Jr.'s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.csuchico.edu/iege/_assets/documents/susi-letter-from-birmingham-jail.pdf">“Letter from Birmingham Jail”</a>&nbsp;from 1963.

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” she read from King's famed message while jailed in Alabama. “The goal of America is freedom. ... We will win our freedom.” A week earlier, she had spoken at the 60th anniversary of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alabama-church-bombing-ketanji-brown-jackson-97b6e7d97d8ca40e8328293eec6eebbd">Birmingham church bombing</a>&nbsp;that killed four young Black girls.

The new windows, titled “Now and Forever," are based on a design by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-race-and-ethnicity-james-marshall-kerry-james-marshall-4f3ef320f410c9090acb540fa925bc2e">artist Kerry James Marshall</a>. Stained glass artisan Andrew Goldkuhle crafted the windows based on that design.

In the new work, African Americans are shown marching — on foot or in a wheelchair — from left to right across the four windows. Some march in profile; some directly face the viewer with signs proclaiming “FAIRNESS” and “NO FOUL PLAY.” Light floods in through the sky-bright panes of white and blue above the figures.

Marshall, who was born in Birmingham in 1955, invited anyone viewing the new windows, or other artworks inspired by social justice, “to imagine oneself as a subject and an author of a never-ending story is that is still yet to be told.”

The setting is particularly significant in the massive neo-Gothic cathedral, which regularly hosts ceremonies tied to major national events. It is filled with iconography depicting the American story in glass, stone and other media. Images range from presidents to famous cultural figures and state symbols.

But the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nps.gov/arho/learn/historyculture/robert-e-lee-and-slavery.htm">Lee</a>&nbsp;and Jackson windows “were telling a story that was not a true story,” according to the Very Rev. Randolph Marshall Hollerith, dean of the cathedral. They were installed in 1953 and donated by the United Daughters of the Confederacy,

The windows extolled generals fighting for a cause that sought to “enshrine slavery in our country for all time,” Hollerith said.

He added: “You can't call yourself the National Cathedral, a house of prayer for all people, when there are windows in there that are deeply offensive to a large portion of Americans.”

The cathedral has accompanied the window replacement with a number of public forums discussing the legacy of racism and how monuments were used to burnish the image of the Confederacy as a noble “Lost Cause.”

The new windows will also be accompanied by a poem by scholar Elizabeth Alexander, president of the Mellon Foundation. The poem “American Song” will be engraved beneath the windows.

“A single voice raised, then another,” it says. “We must tell the truth about our history. ... May this portal be where the light comes in.”

Alexander said in an interview Friday that the poem referred both to the literal light from the windows, which she said beautifully illumines the surrounding stonework, and the figurative light that “enables us to see each other wholly and in community.”

The setting is important in a sanctuary that is also “a communal space, a space that tourists visit, a space where the nation mourns,” Alexander said. “The story (the windows) tell is one of collective movement, of progress, of people struggling and asserting the values of fairness for all."

The old windows' removal followed the use of Confederate imagery by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dylann-roof-sentenced-death-for-killing-9-church-members-ba912545b5dc40729c80328d598ac550">the racist gunman</a>&nbsp;who massacred members of a Black church in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015, and by marchers at a 2017 far-right rally in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wv-state-wire-violence-charlottesville-race-and-ethnicity-charlottesville-a-year-later-59e503c23fb3434c8a1f0950539484d6">Charlottesville, Virginia</a>, that ended with a counterprotester's death.

The original windows, complete with Confederate battle flags, had depicted Lee and Jackson as saintlike figures, with Lee bathed in rays of heavenly light and Jackson welcomed by trumpets into paradise after his death. Those windows are now stored by the cathedral.

The cathedral also is the seat of the Episcopal Church’s presiding bishop and Diocese of Washington.

The bishop of the diocese, the Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, joined Hollerith in delivering opening remarks at the dedication.

Hollerith recalled the decision to remove the Confederate windows.

“They were antithetical to our call to be a house of prayer for all,” he said, adding, “There is a lot of work yet to be done.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695516004624.png" alt="The dedication service was attended by many clergy from the Washington area's historically Black churches, as well as leaders of social justice organizations.-image from the video of the ceremony&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>The dedication service was attended by many clergy from the Washington area's historically Black churches, as well as leaders of social justice organizations.-image from the video of the ceremony&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —The landmark&nbsp;<a href="https://cathedral.org/">Washington National Cathedral</a>&nbsp;unveiled new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-race-and-ethnicity-james-marshall-kerry-james-marshall-4f3ef320f410c9090acb540fa925bc2e">stained-glass windows</a>&nbsp;Saturday with a theme of racial justice, filling the space that had once held four windows honoring Confederate Gens.&nbsp;<a href="https://cathedral.org/about/news-media/cathedral-loans-robert-e-lee-stained-glass-window-to-smithsonian/">Robert E. Lee</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nps.gov/people/thomas-j-stonewall-jackson.htm">Stonewall Jackson.</a>Click below to watch the window dedication ceremony)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_vANa0KU4Kw?si=qD-r-_aJyxM4PaFc&amp;start=409" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>The new windows depict a march for justice by African Americans, descendants of the very people who would have remained in slavery after the Civil War if the side for which the officers fought had prevailed.The cathedral had removed the old windows after Confederate symbols featured prominently in recent racist violence.The dedication service was attended by many clergy from the Washington area's historically Black churches, as well as leaders of social justice organizations. The prayers, Bible readings and brief speeches were interspersed with gospel music and spirituals, as well as the contemporary song, “Heal Our Land.”Justice&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ketanji-brown-jackson">Ketanji Brown Jackson</a>, the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court, read excerpts from the Rev. Martin Luther King' Jr.'s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.csuchico.edu/iege/_assets/documents/susi-letter-from-birmingham-jail.pdf">“Letter from Birmingham Jail”</a>&nbsp;from 1963.“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” she read from King's famed message while jailed in Alabama. “The goal of America is freedom. ... We will win our freedom.” A week earlier, she had spoken at the 60th anniversary of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alabama-church-bombing-ketanji-brown-jackson-97b6e7d97d8ca40e8328293eec6eebbd">Birmingham church bombing</a>&nbsp;that killed four young Black girls.The new windows, titled “Now and Forever," are based on a design by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-race-and-ethnicity-james-marshall-kerry-james-marshall-4f3ef320f410c9090acb540fa925bc2e">artist Kerry James Marshall</a>. Stained glass artisan Andrew Goldkuhle crafted the windows based on that design.In the new work, African Americans are shown marching — on foot or in a wheelchair — from left to right across the four windows. Some march in profile; some directly face the viewer with signs proclaiming “FAIRNESS” and “NO FOUL PLAY.” Light floods in through the sky-bright panes of white and blue above the figures.Marshall, who was born in Birmingham in 1955, invited anyone viewing the new windows, or other artworks inspired by social justice, “to imagine oneself as a subject and an author of a never-ending story is that is still yet to be told.”The setting is particularly significant in the massive neo-Gothic cathedral, which regularly hosts ceremonies tied to major national events. It is filled with iconography depicting the American story in glass, stone and other media. Images range from presidents to famous cultural figures and state symbols.But the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nps.gov/arho/learn/historyculture/robert-e-lee-and-slavery.htm">Lee</a>&nbsp;and Jackson windows “were telling a story that was not a true story,” according to the Very Rev. Randolph Marshall Hollerith, dean of the cathedral. They were installed in 1953 and donated by the United Daughters of the Confederacy,The windows extolled generals fighting for a cause that sought to “enshrine slavery in our country for all time,” Hollerith said.He added: “You can't call yourself the National Cathedral, a house of prayer for all people, when there are windows in there that are deeply offensive to a large portion of Americans.”The cathedral has accompanied the window replacement with a number of public forums discussing the legacy of racism and how monuments were used to burnish the image of the Confederacy as a noble “Lost Cause.”The new windows will also be accompanied by a poem by scholar Elizabeth Alexander, president of the Mellon Foundation. The poem “American Song” will be engraved beneath the windows.“A single voice raised, then another,” it says. “We must tell the truth about our history. ... May this portal be where the light comes in.”Alexander said in an interview Friday that the poem referred both to the literal light from the windows, which she said beautifully illumines the surrounding stonework, and the figurative light that “enables us to see each other wholly and in community.”The setting is important in a sanctuary that is also “a communal space, a space that tourists visit, a space where the nation mourns,” Alexander said. “The story (the windows) tell is one of collective movement, of progress, of people struggling and asserting the values of fairness for all."The old windows' removal followed the use of Confederate imagery by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/dylann-roof-sentenced-death-for-killing-9-church-members-ba912545b5dc40729c80328d598ac550">the racist gunman</a>&nbsp;who massacred members of a Black church in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015, and by marchers at a 2017 far-right rally in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wv-state-wire-violence-charlottesville-race-and-ethnicity-charlottesville-a-year-later-59e503c23fb3434c8a1f0950539484d6">Charlottesville, Virginia</a>, that ended with a counterprotester's death.The original windows, complete with Confederate battle flags, had depicted Lee and Jackson as saintlike figures, with Lee bathed in rays of heavenly light and Jackson welcomed by trumpets into paradise after his death. Those windows are now stored by the cathedral.The cathedral also is the seat of the Episcopal Church’s presiding bishop and Diocese of Washington.The bishop of the diocese, the Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, joined Hollerith in delivering opening remarks at the dedication.Hollerith recalled the decision to remove the Confederate windows.“They were antithetical to our call to be a house of prayer for all,” he said, adding, “There is a lot of work yet to be done.”

🎥National Cathedral swaps Confederate windows for racial justice windows

BY:&nbsp;ARIANA FIGUEROA&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>

WASHINGTON — The White House announced the formation of an Office of Gun Violence Prevention that will help states and local governments as they implement a gun safety legislative package President Joe Biden signed into law last year.

(Click below to watch the announcement on gun safety)

Lacking additional action in Congress to curb gun violence, “the Office of Gun Violence Prevention along with the rest of my Administration will continue to do everything it can to combat the epidemic of gun violence that is tearing our families, our communities, and our country apart,” Biden said in a statement.

Following mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, Congress&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://wisconsinexaminer.com/2022/06/24/congress-sends-biden-historic-gun-safety-legislation-with-gop-support/">passed the most comprehensive federal gun safety legislation</a>&nbsp;in nearly 30 years, known as the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.

In Buffalo, a white supremacist targeted a Black neighborhood and killed 10 Black people in a grocery store. And in Uvalde, 19 children and two teachers were murdered, making it the second-deadliest mass shooting since the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in 2012.

There was a forman announcement of the office Friday in the Rose Garden that survivors of gun violence from Buffalo, Uvalde, Sandy Hook and other mass shootings are expected to attend, Stefanie Feldman, who will lead the office, said on a call with reporters.

Feldman said the office will be overseen by Vice President Kamala Harris, and that the office will also help coordinate support for communities impacted by gun violence.

“We know true freedom is not possible if people are not safe,” Harris said in a statement. “This epidemic of gun violence requires urgent leadership to end the fear and trauma that Americans experience every day.”

There have been 506 mass shootings this year alone,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/">according to Gun Violence Archive</a>, an organization that tracks gun violence in the U.S.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695399420279.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;ARIANA FIGUEROA&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>WASHINGTON — The White House announced the formation of an Office of Gun Violence Prevention that will help states and local governments as they implement a gun safety legislative package President Joe Biden signed into law last year.(Click below to watch the announcement on gun safety)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F631953852418302%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=62" 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>Lacking additional action in Congress to curb gun violence, “the Office of Gun Violence Prevention along with the rest of my Administration will continue to do everything it can to combat the epidemic of gun violence that is tearing our families, our communities, and our country apart,” Biden said in a statement.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Because you marched, organized, and voted, we passed the most significant gun safety legislation in 30 years. But let&#39;s be clear — we have more work to do. Today, I am proud to share that I will oversee the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. <a href="https://t.co/i16sAr98Yz">pic.twitter.com/i16sAr98Yz</a>&mdash; Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) <a href="https://twitter.com/VP/status/1705221226413662583?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Following mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, Congress&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://wisconsinexaminer.com/2022/06/24/congress-sends-biden-historic-gun-safety-legislation-with-gop-support/">passed the most comprehensive federal gun safety legislation</a>&nbsp;in nearly 30 years, known as the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.In Buffalo, a white supremacist targeted a Black neighborhood and killed 10 Black people in a grocery store. And in Uvalde, 19 children and two teachers were murdered, making it the second-deadliest mass shooting since the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in 2012.There was a forman announcement of the office Friday in the Rose Garden that survivors of gun violence from Buffalo, Uvalde, Sandy Hook and other mass shootings are expected to attend, Stefanie Feldman, who will lead the office, said on a call with reporters.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695435453101.png" alt="White House photo" />
 <figcaption>White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Feldman said the office will be overseen by Vice President Kamala Harris, and that the office will also help coordinate support for communities impacted by gun violence.“We know true freedom is not possible if people are not safe,” Harris said in a statement. “This epidemic of gun violence requires urgent leadership to end the fear and trauma that Americans experience every day.”There have been 506 mass shootings this year alone,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/">according to Gun Violence Archive</a>, an organization that tracks gun violence in the U.S.

🎥Biden administration creates gun violence prevention office

By A.J Dome,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a>

Three people in Kansas have died from West Nile virus infections this year, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

KDHE officials issued a warning for a high risk of the mosquito-borne disease on Sep. 13. The warning covers the entire state except for the southeast corner, which is under a moderate risk.

In addition to the three deaths, officials said in a statement that 17 other people reported suffering from neurological issues after being infected with the virus.

Kansas officials have recorded 22 cases of humans being infected so far this year. The state Department of Agriculture also reported seven cases of West Nile infections in horses in Barber, Butler, Douglas, Ford and Pratt counties.

Stephen Higgs, director of the Biosecurity Research Institute at Kansas State University in Manhattan, has a background in studying mosquito-borne diseases. He’s been involved in West Nile virus research since 1999. He said the 22 cases reported this year marks the highest number of human West Nile cases in Kansas since 2018.

“There’ve been more than 2.5 million people infected in the U.S. since 1999,” Higgs said, “and almost 3,000 deaths from it since then.”

In total, 702 West Nile cases have been confirmed in Kansas since 1999. In a statement, state public health veterinarian Erin Petro said Kansas is in the middle of the peak timeframe for West Nile virus transmission.

“With more widespread virus activity this year than in the previous several years, it’s important to take mosquito bite prevention measures to protect yourself, your family, and livestock against all mosquito-borne illnesses,” Petro said.

There is no human vaccine against West Nile, Higgs said, and scientists still aren’t sure exactly how the virus made its way into the U.S. According to the World Health Organization, West Nile was first isolated in a woman in the West Nile district of Uganda in Africa in 1937. The first known West Nile outbreak in humans began in 1999 in New York.

An annual West Nile vaccine exists for horses, Higgs said. People can only prevent exposure to mosquitos that may potentially carry the virus.

“The recommendation is that you wear DEET repellant when working outside,” Higgs said.

Removing stagnant bodies of water around a property is also a good method of mosquito prevention. Wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants is additionally recommended.

Higgs said at least 80% of people infected with West Nile don’t feel it. Others may feel symptoms like fever and muscle aches that can mirror other ailments. Severe cases of West Nile infection can cause swelling of the brain, which can lead to paralysis and other long-term neurological issues, or death. Horses infected with West Nile can exhibit symptoms such as depression, loss of appetite, and incoordination.

A notable recent case of West Nile affected Kansas City Chiefs Radio Network broadcaster Art Hains, who returned to the job this fall after being infected with the virus last year.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.news-leader.com/story/sports/college/msu/2023/09/22/missouri-state-kansas-city-chiefs-radio-broadcaster-art-hains-west-nile-virus-recovery/70835264007/">According to the Springfield News-Leader</a>, Hains was hospitalized in critical condition in September 2022. The newspaper reported Hains, who also serves as the voice of Missouri State University athletics, lost mobility in his legs and his breathing was impacted.

Hains&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ky3.com/video/2023/05/25/hall-fame-broadcaster-art-hains-returns-springfield-continue-rehab/">told reporters with KY3-TV</a>&nbsp;in Springfield in May that he doesn’t remember a mosquito bite, and that he’s improved enough through rehabilitation to return to broadcasting, albeit from a wheelchair.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694639188464.png" alt="On Sept. 13,&nbsp; Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) issued a high-risk warning for West Nile virus infections (WNV) for all regions of the state other than the southeast region" />
 <figcaption>On Sept. 13,&nbsp; Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) issued a high-risk warning for West Nile virus infections (WNV) for all regions of the state other than the southeast region</figcaption>
 </figure>By A.J Dome,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a>Three people in Kansas have died from West Nile virus infections this year, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.KDHE officials issued a warning for a high risk of the mosquito-borne disease on Sep. 13. The warning covers the entire state except for the southeast corner, which is under a moderate risk.In addition to the three deaths, officials said in a statement that 17 other people reported suffering from neurological issues after being infected with the virus.Kansas officials have recorded 22 cases of humans being infected so far this year. The state Department of Agriculture also reported seven cases of West Nile infections in horses in Barber, Butler, Douglas, Ford and Pratt counties.Stephen Higgs, director of the Biosecurity Research Institute at Kansas State University in Manhattan, has a background in studying mosquito-borne diseases. He’s been involved in West Nile virus research since 1999. He said the 22 cases reported this year marks the highest number of human West Nile cases in Kansas since 2018.“There’ve been more than 2.5 million people infected in the U.S. since 1999,” Higgs said, “and almost 3,000 deaths from it since then.”In total, 702 West Nile cases have been confirmed in Kansas since 1999. In a statement, state public health veterinarian Erin Petro said Kansas is in the middle of the peak timeframe for West Nile virus transmission.“With more widespread virus activity this year than in the previous several years, it’s important to take mosquito bite prevention measures to protect yourself, your family, and livestock against all mosquito-borne illnesses,” Petro said.There is no human vaccine against West Nile, Higgs said, and scientists still aren’t sure exactly how the virus made its way into the U.S. According to the World Health Organization, West Nile was first isolated in a woman in the West Nile district of Uganda in Africa in 1937. The first known West Nile outbreak in humans began in 1999 in New York.An annual West Nile vaccine exists for horses, Higgs said. People can only prevent exposure to mosquitos that may potentially carry the virus.“The recommendation is that you wear DEET repellant when working outside,” Higgs said.Removing stagnant bodies of water around a property is also a good method of mosquito prevention. Wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants is additionally recommended.Higgs said at least 80% of people infected with West Nile don’t feel it. Others may feel symptoms like fever and muscle aches that can mirror other ailments. Severe cases of West Nile infection can cause swelling of the brain, which can lead to paralysis and other long-term neurological issues, or death. Horses infected with West Nile can exhibit symptoms such as depression, loss of appetite, and incoordination.A notable recent case of West Nile affected Kansas City Chiefs Radio Network broadcaster Art Hains, who returned to the job this fall after being infected with the virus last year.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.news-leader.com/story/sports/college/msu/2023/09/22/missouri-state-kansas-city-chiefs-radio-broadcaster-art-hains-west-nile-virus-recovery/70835264007/">According to the Springfield News-Leader</a>, Hains was hospitalized in critical condition in September 2022. The newspaper reported Hains, who also serves as the voice of Missouri State University athletics, lost mobility in his legs and his breathing was impacted.Hains&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ky3.com/video/2023/05/25/hall-fame-broadcaster-art-hains-returns-springfield-continue-rehab/">told reporters with KY3-TV</a>&nbsp;in Springfield in May that he doesn’t remember a mosquito bite, and that he’s improved enough through rehabilitation to return to broadcasting, albeit from a wheelchair.

Kansas reports 3 deaths from West Nile virus as cases reach 5-year high

The U.S. on Friday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3534283/biden-administration-announces-additional-security-assistance-for-ukraine/">announced it will send an additional security assistance package</a>&nbsp;for Ukraine valued at up to $325 million as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy concluded his second visit to Washington since Russia launched its unprovoked invasion.

The package includes additional air defense equipment, artillery rounds, antitank weapons and other equipment to meet Ukraine's urgent needs on the battlefield to counter Russia's ongoing war of aggression. &nbsp;&nbsp;

President Joe Biden unveiled the aid package after meeting with Zelenskyy at the White House. &nbsp;

"We're committed to help Ukraine build a force capable of ensuring Ukraine's long-term security, capable of deterring future threats against sovereignty, territorial integrity and freedom, which are underway now," Biden said. "Because that's what this is all about —&nbsp;the future, the future of freedom. America can never, will never walk away from that."&nbsp;

The latest round of assistance marks the 47th drawdown of equipment from Defense Department inventories for Ukraine since August 2021 and reflects the United States' enduring commitment in the face of Russian aggression.

Zelenskyy's meeting with Biden capped the Ukrainian president's daylong tour through Washington, which also included discussions with lawmakers on Capitol Hill and a meeting with defense officials at the Pentagon.

In his remarks ahead of the closed-door meeting at the White House, Zelenskyy said that he came to Washington to "strengthen Ukraine's position to defend our children, our families, our homes, freedom and democracy in the world." &nbsp;

"It's good that our countries are really, truly allies," he said before expressing his appreciation for the "vital assistance provided by the United States to Ukraine to combat Russia['s] terrorism."&nbsp;

Earlier in the day, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III reaffirmed the United States' unwavering support for Ukraine during his meeting with the Ukrainian president at the Pentagon.

The two discussed the outcome of the most recent meeting of more than 50 countries at the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Germany earlier this week. Austin also provided Zelenskyy with an update on U.S. security assistance to meet Ukraine's most urgent battlefield needs.

"The secretary gave his personal commitment to work with our allies and partners to ensure they have what they need," said Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder. &nbsp;

Describing the meeting as warm and engaging, Ryder said it also provided them with an opportunity to discuss Ukraine's longer term capability requirements "and how to support them in the future in terms of deterring Russia."&nbsp;

Following the discussion, Zelenskyy and Ukraine's first lady, Olena Zelenska, joined Austin and Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, for a wreath laying ceremony at the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.defense.gov/Multimedia/Experience/Pentagon-Memorial/">National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial</a>.

"It was very clear that President Zelenskyy very much appreciates the support that the United States, the people of the United States have provided to Ukraine," Ryder said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695389171060.png" alt="Zelensykk met with Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III -Photo Department of Defense" />
 <figcaption>Zelensykk met with Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III -Photo Department of Defense</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;Joseph Clark&nbsp;, DOD NewsThe U.S. on Friday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3534283/biden-administration-announces-additional-security-assistance-for-ukraine/">announced it will send an additional security assistance package</a>&nbsp;for Ukraine valued at up to $325 million as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy concluded his second visit to Washington since Russia launched its unprovoked invasion.The package includes additional air defense equipment, artillery rounds, antitank weapons and other equipment to meet Ukraine's urgent needs on the battlefield to counter Russia's ongoing war of aggression. &nbsp;&nbsp;President Joe Biden unveiled the aid package after meeting with Zelenskyy at the White House. &nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695389397315.png" alt="Congress is considering&nbsp; a White House request of $24 billion in supplemental aid to Ukraine-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>Congress is considering&nbsp; a White House request of $24 billion in supplemental aid to Ukraine-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>"We're committed to help Ukraine build a force capable of ensuring Ukraine's long-term security, capable of deterring future threats against sovereignty, territorial integrity and freedom, which are underway now," Biden said. "Because that's what this is all about —&nbsp;the future, the future of freedom. America can never, will never walk away from that."&nbsp;The latest round of assistance marks the 47th drawdown of equipment from Defense Department inventories for Ukraine since August 2021 and reflects the United States' enduring commitment in the face of Russian aggression.Zelenskyy's meeting with Biden capped the Ukrainian president's daylong tour through Washington, which also included discussions with lawmakers on Capitol Hill and a meeting with defense officials at the Pentagon.In his remarks ahead of the closed-door meeting at the White House, Zelenskyy said that he came to Washington to "strengthen Ukraine's position to defend our children, our families, our homes, freedom and democracy in the world." &nbsp;"It's good that our countries are really, truly allies," he said before expressing his appreciation for the "vital assistance provided by the United States to Ukraine to combat Russia['s] terrorism."&nbsp;Earlier in the day, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III reaffirmed the United States' unwavering support for Ukraine during his meeting with the Ukrainian president at the Pentagon.The two discussed the outcome of the most recent meeting of more than 50 countries at the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Germany earlier this week. Austin also provided Zelenskyy with an update on U.S. security assistance to meet Ukraine's most urgent battlefield needs."The secretary gave his personal commitment to work with our allies and partners to ensure they have what they need," said Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder. &nbsp;Describing the meeting as warm and engaging, Ryder said it also provided them with an opportunity to discuss Ukraine's longer term capability requirements "and how to support them in the future in terms of deterring Russia."&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695389307080.png" alt="photo Defense Department" />
 <figcaption>photo Defense Department</figcaption>
 </figure>Following the discussion, Zelenskyy and Ukraine's first lady, Olena Zelenska, joined Austin and Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, for a wreath laying ceremony at the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.defense.gov/Multimedia/Experience/Pentagon-Memorial/">National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial</a>."It was very clear that President Zelenskyy very much appreciates the support that the United States, the people of the United States have provided to Ukraine," Ryder said.

U.S. sending another $325M arms package to Ukraine

KANSAS CITY (AP) —The United Auto Workers union expanded its strike against major carmakers Friday, walking out of 38 parts-distribution centers operated by General Motors and Jeep and Ram owner Stellantis in 20 states but sparing Ford from further shutdowns.

President Joe Biden said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he will visit Michigan on Tuesday “to join the picket line and stand in solidarity with the men and women of UAW as they fight for a fair share of the value they helped create.”

Ford avoided additional strikes because the company has met some of the union’s demands during negotiations over the past week, UAW President Shawn Fain said during an online presentation to union members.

“We’ve made some real progress at Ford,” Fain said. “We still have serious issues to work through, but we do want to recognize that Ford is showing that they are serious about reaching a deal. At GM and Stellantis, it’s a different story."

Fain said GM and Stellantis, the successor to Fiat Chrysler, have rejected the union’s proposals for cost-of-living increases, profit sharing and job security, and “are going to need some serious pushing.”

GM said it has presented five “historic” offers covering wages and job security.

“Today’s strike escalation by the UAW’s top leadership is unnecessary,” the company said in a statement. “The UAW leadership is manipulating the bargaining process for their own personal agendas.”

Stellantis said it made “a very competitive offer” Thursday that would pay all current full-time hourly employees between $80,000 and $96,000 within four years and seven months and allow “workforce stability” during that time. The company said the UAW has not responded.

Instead of targeting more production plants Friday, the UAW went after centers that distribute parts to car dealer service departments. That could quickly drag consumers into the middle of the fight, if dealers run short of parts.

The UAW said the new walkouts will affect 5,600 workers on top of the nearly 13,000 who began strikes last week at three Ford, GM and Stellantis assembly plants. Those original strikes will continue, the union said.

The UAW is continuing to avoid targeting plants that make Detroit’s bestsellers, such as the Ford F-150 and Stellantis’ Ram pickups, which represent outsize shares of the companies’ revenue and profit. That represents a union strategy to gradually increase the pain of a strike on the automakers. However, the industry’s supply chain is so integrated that even hitting lower-profile plants cuts into production.

Deutsche Bank analysts estimated Friday that GM, Ford and Stellantis have lost production of more than 16,000 vehicles since the strike started last week at a Ford assembly plant near Detroit, a GM factory in Wentzville, Missouri, and a Jeep plant run by Stellantis in Toledo, Ohio. Anderson Economic Group, a consulting firm in Michigan that tracks the industry, estimated Friday that the three big automakers have suffered economic losses of more than $1.6 billion.

The carmakers and some of their suppliers have laid off about 6,000 workers in moves they say are related to the strike. GM shut down a factory in Kansas that relies on parts stamped at the Wentzville plant.

Still, the impact is not yet being felt on car lots around the country — it will probably take a few weeks before the strike causes a significant shortage of new vehicles, according to analysts.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/car-prices-auto-workers-strike-98905c8e0fcf633d21a1f83183f9fd49">Prices could rise sooner</a>, however, if the prospect of a prolonged strike triggers panic buying.

In bargaining, the union is pointing to the carmakers' huge recent profits and high CEO pay as it seeks wage increases of about 36% over four years. The companies have offered a little over half that amount.

“We aren’t getting paid what we are supposed to. I feel like our CEO is getting all our money,” said Antione Turner, who walked off his job Friday at a GM customer-care center in Belleville, Michigan.

Turner said after working there 10 years, he makes $31 an hour. On the same picket line, Shelton Matthews, who started at GM three years ago, makes $20 an hour because the company’s tiered wage structure mean lower pay for new workers.

“Pay disparity is the key issue" in the strike, Matthews said. “You’re doing, if not harder work, the same work as the person next to you with significantly less pay.”

The companies say they can’t afford to meet the union’s demands because they need to invest profits in a costly transition&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/automakers-fast-charging-network-electric-vehicles-cbb6c0102345c0db38f2baf96db742da">from gas-powered cars to electric vehicles</a>. They have dismissed out of hand some of the demands, including 40 hours' pay for a 32-hour work week.

Fain said that Ford has agreed to some union proposals, including the restoration of cost-of-living wage increases that were dropped several years ago, better profit-sharing and improved job security.

A Ford spokesman, Daniel Barbossa, said the company “is working diligently with the UAW to reach a deal that rewards our workforce and enables Ford to invest in a vibrant and growing future."

“Although we are making progress in some areas, we still have significant gaps to close on the key economic issues,” he said.

Rather than bargain with one company and set a pattern for contracts at the other two, the UAW has been negotiating simultaneously with all three Detroit giants. By favoring Ford after a week of talks, the UAW moved closer to its traditional bargaining pattern: getting the best deal it can from one company, then expecting the others to match it.

Fain had promised all week to escalate the strike if there wasn't significant progress in negotiations. Targeting the parts-distributions centers could inflict quick pain on GM and Stellantis, said Daniel Ives, an analyst with Wedbush Securities.

“The UAW is going for the gut punch as this strike gets a lot nastier,” Ives said. He called it “a very strategic and risky poker move by the UAW.”

Other industry observers said that dragging current owners of GM and Stellantis vehicles into the fray will backfire on the union.

“People who have a car that they need to repair will not be sympathetic to the UAW when they can't get the car fixed and can't get to work,” said Eric Gordon, a business professor at the University of Michigan.

Even with Friday's expansion, the strikes involve only a little over 10% of the UAW's 146,000 members. That will make the union's $825 million strike fund last longer, as most members will keep working under the expired contract and pay into the fund. However, the longer the strike lasts, the greater the risk of dissension between workers who will keep collecting full paychecks and those getting $500 a week from the union.

Fain believes that most of the public is on the union's side. He invited anyone who supports the union — “all the way up to the president of the United States” — to join strikers on the picket lines.

Fain had previously seemed lukewarm at best about a Biden visit, saying that the strike was the union’s fight, not the president’s.

Biden's visit Tuesday would come one day before the leading contender for the Republican nomination, former President Donald Trump, plans to speak to union members in Detroit.

Associated Press journalists Christopher Megerian in Washington and Corey Williams in Belleville, Michigan, contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695067603080.png" alt="Striking auto workers in Missouri-photo UAW" />
 <figcaption>Striking auto workers in Missouri-photo UAW</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) —The United Auto Workers union expanded its strike against major carmakers Friday, walking out of 38 parts-distribution centers operated by General Motors and Jeep and Ram owner Stellantis in 20 states but sparing Ford from further shutdowns.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Tuesday, I’ll go to Michigan to join the picket line and stand in solidarity with the men and women of UAW as they fight for a fair share of the value they helped create. It’s time for a win-win agreement that keeps American auto manufacturing thriving with well-paid UAW jobs.&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1705325183697932561?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>President Joe Biden said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he will visit Michigan on Tuesday “to join the picket line and stand in solidarity with the men and women of UAW as they fight for a fair share of the value they helped create.”Ford avoided additional strikes because the company has met some of the union’s demands during negotiations over the past week, UAW President Shawn Fain said during an online presentation to union members.“We’ve made some real progress at Ford,” Fain said. “We still have serious issues to work through, but we do want to recognize that Ford is showing that they are serious about reaching a deal. At GM and Stellantis, it’s a different story."Fain said GM and Stellantis, the successor to Fiat Chrysler, have rejected the union’s proposals for cost-of-living increases, profit sharing and job security, and “are going to need some serious pushing.”GM said it has presented five “historic” offers covering wages and job security.“Today’s strike escalation by the UAW’s top leadership is unnecessary,” the company said in a statement. “The UAW leadership is manipulating the bargaining process for their own personal agendas.”Stellantis said it made “a very competitive offer” Thursday that would pay all current full-time hourly employees between $80,000 and $96,000 within four years and seven months and allow “workforce stability” during that time. The company said the UAW has not responded.Instead of targeting more production plants Friday, the UAW went after centers that distribute parts to car dealer service departments. That could quickly drag consumers into the middle of the fight, if dealers run short of parts.The UAW said the new walkouts will affect 5,600 workers on top of the nearly 13,000 who began strikes last week at three Ford, GM and Stellantis assembly plants. Those original strikes will continue, the union said.The UAW is continuing to avoid targeting plants that make Detroit’s bestsellers, such as the Ford F-150 and Stellantis’ Ram pickups, which represent outsize shares of the companies’ revenue and profit. That represents a union strategy to gradually increase the pain of a strike on the automakers. However, the industry’s supply chain is so integrated that even hitting lower-profile plants cuts into production.Deutsche Bank analysts estimated Friday that GM, Ford and Stellantis have lost production of more than 16,000 vehicles since the strike started last week at a Ford assembly plant near Detroit, a GM factory in Wentzville, Missouri, and a Jeep plant run by Stellantis in Toledo, Ohio. Anderson Economic Group, a consulting firm in Michigan that tracks the industry, estimated Friday that the three big automakers have suffered economic losses of more than $1.6 billion.The carmakers and some of their suppliers have laid off about 6,000 workers in moves they say are related to the strike. GM shut down a factory in Kansas that relies on parts stamped at the Wentzville plant.Still, the impact is not yet being felt on car lots around the country — it will probably take a few weeks before the strike causes a significant shortage of new vehicles, according to analysts.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/car-prices-auto-workers-strike-98905c8e0fcf633d21a1f83183f9fd49">Prices could rise sooner</a>, however, if the prospect of a prolonged strike triggers panic buying.In bargaining, the union is pointing to the carmakers' huge recent profits and high CEO pay as it seeks wage increases of about 36% over four years. The companies have offered a little over half that amount.“We aren’t getting paid what we are supposed to. I feel like our CEO is getting all our money,” said Antione Turner, who walked off his job Friday at a GM customer-care center in Belleville, Michigan.Turner said after working there 10 years, he makes $31 an hour. On the same picket line, Shelton Matthews, who started at GM three years ago, makes $20 an hour because the company’s tiered wage structure mean lower pay for new workers.“Pay disparity is the key issue" in the strike, Matthews said. “You’re doing, if not harder work, the same work as the person next to you with significantly less pay.”The companies say they can’t afford to meet the union’s demands because they need to invest profits in a costly transition&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/automakers-fast-charging-network-electric-vehicles-cbb6c0102345c0db38f2baf96db742da">from gas-powered cars to electric vehicles</a>. They have dismissed out of hand some of the demands, including 40 hours' pay for a 32-hour work week.Fain said that Ford has agreed to some union proposals, including the restoration of cost-of-living wage increases that were dropped several years ago, better profit-sharing and improved job security.A Ford spokesman, Daniel Barbossa, said the company “is working diligently with the UAW to reach a deal that rewards our workforce and enables Ford to invest in a vibrant and growing future."“Although we are making progress in some areas, we still have significant gaps to close on the key economic issues,” he said.Rather than bargain with one company and set a pattern for contracts at the other two, the UAW has been negotiating simultaneously with all three Detroit giants. By favoring Ford after a week of talks, the UAW moved closer to its traditional bargaining pattern: getting the best deal it can from one company, then expecting the others to match it.Fain had promised all week to escalate the strike if there wasn't significant progress in negotiations. Targeting the parts-distributions centers could inflict quick pain on GM and Stellantis, said Daniel Ives, an analyst with Wedbush Securities.“The UAW is going for the gut punch as this strike gets a lot nastier,” Ives said. He called it “a very strategic and risky poker move by the UAW.”Other industry observers said that dragging current owners of GM and Stellantis vehicles into the fray will backfire on the union.“People who have a car that they need to repair will not be sympathetic to the UAW when they can't get the car fixed and can't get to work,” said Eric Gordon, a business professor at the University of Michigan.Even with Friday's expansion, the strikes involve only a little over 10% of the UAW's 146,000 members. That will make the union's $825 million strike fund last longer, as most members will keep working under the expired contract and pay into the fund. However, the longer the strike lasts, the greater the risk of dissension between workers who will keep collecting full paychecks and those getting $500 a week from the union.Fain believes that most of the public is on the union's side. He invited anyone who supports the union — “all the way up to the president of the United States” — to join strikers on the picket lines.Fain had previously seemed lukewarm at best about a Biden visit, saying that the strike was the union’s fight, not the president’s.Biden's visit Tuesday would come one day before the leading contender for the Republican nomination, former President Donald Trump, plans to speak to union members in Detroit.___Associated Press journalists Christopher Megerian in Washington and Corey Williams in Belleville, Michigan, contributed to this report.

President Biden says he will join auto workers on the picket line 

JACUMBA HOT SPRINGS, Calif. (AP) — A group of migrants from China surrendered to a Border Patrol agent in remote Southern California as gusts of wind drowned the hum of high-voltage power lines, joining others from Ecuador, Brazil, Colombia and elsewhere in a desert campsite with shelters made from tree branches.

Their arrival Wednesday was another sign that agents have become overwhelmed in recent days by asylum-seekers on parts of the U.S. border with Mexico. In tiny Eagle Pass, Texas, nearly 6,000 migrants crossed from Mexico in to the U.S. in two days, prompting authorities to close one of the town's two official border crossings so those agents could instead help with the influx. Border crossings have closed recently for similar reasons in San Diego and El Paso, Texas.

After a dip in illegal crossings that followed new asylum restrictions in May, President Joe Biden's administration is again on its heels. Democratic mayors and governors are seeking more relief for hosting asylum-seekers and Republicans are seizing on the issue ahead of 2024 elections.

The Homeland Security Department said Wednesday it would grant Temporary Protected Status to an estimated 472,000 Venezuelans who were in the U.S. on July 31, easing paths to work authorization. That's in addition to 242,700 Venezuelans who already had qualified for temporary status.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695343466970.png" alt="Photo Texas Department of Public Safety" />
 <figcaption>Photo Texas Department of Public Safety</figcaption>
 </figure>By ELLIOT SPAGAT&nbsp;JACUMBA HOT SPRINGS, Calif. (AP) — A group of migrants from China surrendered to a Border Patrol agent in remote Southern California as gusts of wind drowned the hum of high-voltage power lines, joining others from Ecuador, Brazil, Colombia and elsewhere in a desert campsite with shelters made from tree branches.Their arrival Wednesday was another sign that agents have become overwhelmed in recent days by asylum-seekers on parts of the U.S. border with Mexico. In tiny Eagle Pass, Texas, nearly 6,000 migrants crossed from Mexico in to the U.S. in two days, prompting authorities to close one of the town's two official border crossings so those agents could instead help with the influx. Border crossings have closed recently for similar reasons in San Diego and El Paso, Texas.After a dip in illegal crossings that followed new asylum restrictions in May, President Joe Biden's administration is again on its heels. Democratic mayors and governors are seeking more relief for hosting asylum-seekers and Republicans are seizing on the issue ahead of 2024 elections.The Homeland Security Department said Wednesday it would grant Temporary Protected Status to an estimated 472,000 Venezuelans who were in the U.S. on July 31, easing paths to work authorization. That's in addition to 242,700 Venezuelans who already had qualified for temporary status.The administration is also sending 800 active-duty military troops to the border, adding to 2,500 National Guard members there. It's expanding border holding facilities by 3,250 people to nearly 23,000, and extending home surveillance nationwide for families awaiting initial asylum screenings.The administration renewed pressure — and blame — on Congress, which has long failed to agree on comprehensive changes to the nation's immigration system. The Biden administration is now asking Congress for $4 billion in emergency funding.Homeland Security said in a statement that it was "using the limited tools it has available to secure the border and build a safe, orderly, and humane immigration system."Theresa Cardinal Brown, the Bipartisan Policy Center's senior advisor for immigration and border policy, said it's normal to see a dip in illegal crossings after changes like those imposed in May, but that is usually short-lived once migrants see how things play out."People see what happened to the last group of people that tried and they're like, 'Oh, well maybe it's not as harsh as they say,'" Brown said.An increase in families arriving at the border led to unacceptable conditions in two of the busiest Border Patrol sector, a court-appointed monitor reported to a federal court last week. Dr. Paul H. Wise said children as young as 8 years old were separated from parents during processing in South Texas, a practice that has been mainly used for boys 13 to 17.U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it was reviewing Wise's report, noting limited, temporary separations may occur during processing for safety reasons but they are nothing like the long-term separations under former President Donald Trump. Wise said even short-term separation can have "lasting, harmful effects."In Eagle Pass, a town of 28,000 people, about 2,700 migrants crossed Tuesday and 3,000 Wednesday, according to Maverick County Sheriff Tom Schmerber. Mayor Rolando Salinas declared the city a disaster area on Tuesday.U.S. authorities closed a bridge and international railway in Eagle Pass on Wednesday to redirect staff. Union Pacific Railroad Co. said Thursday that thousands of rail cars cross the border there daily.CBP told business leaders they have no estimate of when rail traffic would resume in Eagle Pass or when U.S.-bound commercial truck traffic would reopen at a bridge in El Paso. Traffic slowed at other border crossings."All along the border, we're experiencing large numbers of migrants, so you will see slowdowns and disruptions" at border crossings, said Dennis McKenzie, CBP deputy director for cargo and conveyance security. "It's all hands on deck."In San Diego, a pedestrian crossing has been closed since Sept. 14 to direct staff to an area where migrants from Cameroon to Colombia are waiting between a double-layer border wall in San Diego. Volunteers are handing the migrants food and bottled water while they wait to be processed.Near Jacumba Hot Springs, a town of less than 1,000 people with a small hotel and general store amid boulder-strewn mountains an hour's drive east of San Diego, migrants camps began forming last week for the first time since May.Smugglers drive migrants to a spot in Mexico where the border wall ends. One of three camps in the Jacumba Valley is about a half-hour walk on a gravel road used almost exclusively by border agents. On Wednesday, none had stayed longer than one night, occupying tents that were left behind by others.The Border Patrol gives migrants colored wristbands marking their arrival date to determine who gets shuttled first to a processing location. Campfires and juniper shrub shield migrants from evening chills. Some climbed atop boulders hoping to get a cellphone signal.Angel Sisa, 40, left Ecuador's coastal region with his wife and two children, ages 15 and 13, selling his general store to escape death threats from criminals demanding monthly payments. The Sisa family paid smugglers to take them by plane and bus until they reached a hotel in Tecate, the nearest town in Mexico from the roadside drop where they crossed. They hope to settle in Minneapolis with family members who left Ecuador about a year ago.Carlos Andres Vasquez, 37, flew from his home country of Colombia to Mexico City as a tourist and paid a smuggler $800 to be driven from Tijuana on a road filled with bumps and potholes before arriving near where they would cross into the U.S."They treated like cattle, like animals," Vasquez said. "They put 20, 18 of us in a van, women and children in front and we went in back."He said he and other South Americans walked to the campsite Tuesday under a "very pleasant" Border Patrol agent's watch. Vasquez, whose father was killed and who left Colombia because of death threats, plans to settle with a friend in Holyoke, Massachusetts, and save money for his wife and children, ages 7 and 2, to join him.___Associated Press writers Valerie Gonzalez in McAllen, Texas, Colleen Long in Washington and Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, contributed.