LOS ANGELES (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hollywood-strikes/">Striking actors</a>&nbsp;have voted to expand their walkout to include the lucrative video game market, a step that could put new pressure on Hollywood studios to make a deal with the performers who provide voices and stunts for games.

The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Radio and Television Artists announced the move late Monday, saying that 98% of its members voted to go on strike against video game companies if ongoing negotiations are not successful. The announcement came ahead of more talks planned for Tuesday.

Acting in video games can include a variety of roles, from voice performances to motion capture work as well as stunts. Video game actors went on strike in 2016 in a work stoppage that lasted nearly a year.

Some of the same issues are at play in the video game negotiations as in the broader actors strike that has shut down Hollywood for months, including wages, safety measures and protections on the use of artificial intelligence. The companies involved include gaming giants Activision, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Take 2 Productions as well as Disney and Warner Bros.′ video game divisions.

“It’s time for the video game companies to stop playing games and get serious about reaching an agreement on this contract,” SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher said in a statement.

The threat of a video game strike emerged as Hollywood writers were on the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/writers-strike-deal-hollywood-wga-3336824c06795931845c889f1e08b3ff">verge of getting back to work</a>&nbsp;after months&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hollywood-strikes/">on the picket lines</a>.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/writers-strike-agreement-what-happens-next-ba8290a5839cde352d594647199023e8">Crucial steps</a>&nbsp;remain for the writers, who technically remain on strike, and for other workers awaiting a return to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/writers-strike-update-shows-coming-back-2d433d9365e8fe20b17f5ca612599343">production of new shows</a>.

The next phase comes Tuesday, when the governing boards of the two branches of the Writers Guild of America are expected to vote on the tentative agreement reached by union negotiators with Hollywood studios.

Following approval from the union's boards — which is likely — comes a vote from the writers themselves, although the timing is uncertain.

The guild and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hollywood-strikes-lombardini-drescher-stutzman-iger-zaslav-00c17264129cebb17d10b80b9c51aa3e">Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers</a>, which represents studios, streaming services and production companies in the negotiations, were still finalizing contract language Monday.

That could prompt a delay of the voting and has kept union leaders from sharing with writers the details of what nearly five months of striking and hardship has earned them. The leaders have promised to hold a series of meetings later this week to share the terms of the deal regarding pay, show staffing and artificial intelligence.

The guild's leaders told them only that the agreement is “exceptional,” with gains for every member. A successful yes vote from the membership will finally, officially, bring the strike to an end.

Meanwhile, though their own pickets have been suspended, writers were encouraged to join actors in solidarity on their lines starting Tuesday, just as many actors did with writers in the two months before their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/actors-strike-explained-2607dd29da6c16c0a406359a7e86d7fb">own strike started in July</a>.

Among the unions on strike, the studio alliance has chosen to negotiate only with the writers so far, and has made no overtures yet toward restarting talks with SAG-AFTRA. That will presumably change soon.

SAG-AFTRA leaders have said they will look closely at the writers' agreement, which includes many of the same issues, but it will not effect their demands.

LOS ANGELES (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hollywood-strikes/">Striking actors</a>&nbsp;have voted to expand their walkout to include the lucrative video game market, a step that could put new pressure on Hollywood studios to make a deal with the performers who provide voices and stunts for games.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FSAGAFTRA%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02n9sA9bFNZJyWWyvDFt4ofVXqtxdaxAsuPJogSvoDBWxdNEghhH35R9s29biyfe5Ll&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="584" 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 Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Radio and Television Artists announced the move late Monday, saying that 98% of its members voted to go on strike against video game companies if ongoing negotiations are not successful. The announcement came ahead of more talks planned for Tuesday.Acting in video games can include a variety of roles, from voice performances to motion capture work as well as stunts. Video game actors went on strike in 2016 in a work stoppage that lasted nearly a year.Some of the same issues are at play in the video game negotiations as in the broader actors strike that has shut down Hollywood for months, including wages, safety measures and protections on the use of artificial intelligence. The companies involved include gaming giants Activision, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Take 2 Productions as well as Disney and Warner Bros.′ video game divisions.“It’s time for the video game companies to stop playing games and get serious about reaching an agreement on this contract,” SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher said in a statement.The threat of a video game strike emerged as Hollywood writers were on the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/writers-strike-deal-hollywood-wga-3336824c06795931845c889f1e08b3ff">verge of getting back to work</a>&nbsp;after months&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/hollywood-strikes/">on the picket lines</a>.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/writers-strike-agreement-what-happens-next-ba8290a5839cde352d594647199023e8">Crucial steps</a>&nbsp;remain for the writers, who technically remain on strike, and for other workers awaiting a return to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/writers-strike-update-shows-coming-back-2d433d9365e8fe20b17f5ca612599343">production of new shows</a>.The next phase comes Tuesday, when the governing boards of the two branches of the Writers Guild of America are expected to vote on the tentative agreement reached by union negotiators with Hollywood studios.Following approval from the union's boards — which is likely — comes a vote from the writers themselves, although the timing is uncertain.The guild and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hollywood-strikes-lombardini-drescher-stutzman-iger-zaslav-00c17264129cebb17d10b80b9c51aa3e">Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers</a>, which represents studios, streaming services and production companies in the negotiations, were still finalizing contract language Monday.That could prompt a delay of the voting and has kept union leaders from sharing with writers the details of what nearly five months of striking and hardship has earned them. The leaders have promised to hold a series of meetings later this week to share the terms of the deal regarding pay, show staffing and artificial intelligence.The guild's leaders told them only that the agreement is “exceptional,” with gains for every member. A successful yes vote from the membership will finally, officially, bring the strike to an end.Meanwhile, though their own pickets have been suspended, writers were encouraged to join actors in solidarity on their lines starting Tuesday, just as many actors did with writers in the two months before their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/actors-strike-explained-2607dd29da6c16c0a406359a7e86d7fb">own strike started in July</a>.Among the unions on strike, the studio alliance has chosen to negotiate only with the writers so far, and has made no overtures yet toward restarting talks with SAG-AFTRA. That will presumably change soon.SAG-AFTRA leaders have said they will look closely at the writers' agreement, which includes many of the same issues, but it will not effect their demands.

Striking actors vote to authorize new walkout against video game makers

RILEY COUNTY, Kansas —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a registered sex offender for alleged sex crimes in Manhattan.

Just after 9:30p.m. Monday, police arrested 24-year-old Nicholas A. Seeman of Lincoln Nebraska&nbsp; on a Riley County District Court warrant&nbsp; for multiple alleged sex crimes, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.

He is being held on a $300,000 bond on requested charges that include rape; Offender is 18 or older and victim is &lt; 14, aggravated indecent liberties w child; Offender =&gt;18 fondle child &lt;14; aggravated indecent liberties w/ child; Intercourse with child 14 &lt; 16 YOA; sexual exploitation of child; offender&gt;18 employment of child&lt;14; indecent solicitation of a child; Sex act with a child &gt;14&lt;16; aggravated indecent liberties w/ child; Intercourse with child 14 &lt; 16 YOA; criminal sodomy; With a child &gt;14 YOA and &lt;16; sexual exploitation of a child; employment of child&lt;18 and aggravated indecent liberties w/ child; Fondling a child 14&lt;16 YOA

The crimes were reported to RCPD in March 2023.&nbsp; &nbsp;Seeman was convicted of sexual assault and has been listed as a registered sex offender since September of 2022, according to the Nebraska sex offender registry.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695738943977.png" alt="Seeman photo Nebraska sex offender registry" />
 <figcaption>Seeman photo Nebraska sex offender registry</figcaption>
 </figure>RILEY COUNTY, Kansas —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a registered sex offender for alleged sex crimes in Manhattan.Just after 9:30p.m. Monday, police arrested 24-year-old Nicholas A. Seeman of Lincoln Nebraska&nbsp; on a Riley County District Court warrant&nbsp; for multiple alleged sex crimes, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.He is being held on a $300,000 bond on requested charges that include rape; Offender is 18 or older and victim is &lt; 14, aggravated indecent liberties w child; Offender =&gt;18 fondle child &lt;14; aggravated indecent liberties w/ child; Intercourse with child 14 &lt; 16 YOA; sexual exploitation of child; offender&gt;18 employment of child&lt;14; indecent solicitation of a child; Sex act with a child &gt;14&lt;16; aggravated indecent liberties w/ child; Intercourse with child 14 &lt; 16 YOA; criminal sodomy; With a child &gt;14 YOA and &lt;16; sexual exploitation of a child; employment of child&lt;18 and aggravated indecent liberties w/ child; Fondling a child 14&lt;16 YOAThe crimes were reported to RCPD in March 2023.&nbsp; &nbsp;Seeman was convicted of sexual assault and has been listed as a registered sex offender since September of 2022, according to the Nebraska sex offender registry.

Nebraska sex offender jailed in Kansas for alleged sex crimes

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 — As Congress barrels toward a partial government shutdown, the White House Monday warned that a program that helps millions of low income families afford healthy food could see substantial cuts.

The White House released a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/09/25/extreme-house-republicans-chaos-is-marching-america-toward-a-shutdown-that-would-jeopardize-vital-nutrition-assistance-for-nearly-7-million-vulnerable-moms-and-young-children/">state-by-state breakdown</a>, estimating that nearly 7 million people who rely on the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, also known as WIC, could be at risk of losing funds to purchase select food and receive vouchers for vegetables and fruit.

The program provides financial support for those who are low income and pregnant or nursing, as well as for children up to 5 years old. In Missouri, a government shutdown could impact benefits for 90,913 people.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said during a Monday White House briefing that WIC recipients could feel the impact of the shutdown within days.

“Millions of those moms, (babies) and young children would see a lack of nutrition assistance,” he said.

Vilsack, Iowa’s former governor, said some states have leftover WIC benefits and “could extend (WIC) for a week or so.”

“The vast majority of WIC participants would see an immediate reduction and elimination of those benefits, which means the nutrition assistance that’s provided would not be available,” he said.

For example, in Alabama, about 112,000 WIC recipients could lose their benefits, and in Florida, more than 421,000 as well. In Michigan, more than 207,000 recipients could lose their WIC benefits and in North Carolina, it’s more than 268,000 WIC recipients.

Additionally, new eligible participants could face a backlog.

“Without the urgent investment of additional funds, state WIC offices could soon be forced to consider waiting lists for prospective participants — a drastic step not seen in nearly 30 years,” Kate Franken, board chair of the National WIC Association, which is the non-profit advocacy arm of WIC, said in a statement.

The impending shutdown comes after President Joe Biden&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.virginiamercury.com/2023/05/31/u-s-house-approves-debt-limit-package-sending-it-to-senate-with-just-days-until-default-deadline/">made a deal</a>&nbsp;with Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy earlier this year to raise the debt ceiling.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.virginiamercury.com/2023/05/31/debt-limit-deal-hits-turbulence-in-congress-as-leaders-prep-for-vote/">That deal&nbsp;</a>set maximum spending levels for the next fiscal year.

However, none of the 12 appropriations bills has been passed by the House, and a handful of far-right Republicans are&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://idahocapitalsun.com/2023/09/21/shutdown-inches-closer-as-u-s-house-gop-fails-to-pass-defense-bill-lawmakers-exit-d-c/">pushing for steeper cuts</a>, even if it means a partial government shutdown.

“House Republicans have turned their backs on the bipartisan budget deal that a large majority of them voted for just a few months ago and proposed a continuing resolution (CR) that makes devastating cuts to programs that millions of hardworking Americans count on,” the White House said in a press release.

A continuing resolution, or CR, is regularly used to keep the government funded for weeks or a couple of months while the House and Senate finish work on the 12 annual spending bills.

Without a CR by Saturday, the end of the fiscal year, a partial shutdown will occur and programs that have discretionary funding, like WIC, will lapse.

Funding for WIC is not mandatory spending, meaning the program won’t be automatically funded regardless of a government shutdown. It’s funded through the Agriculture appropriations bill, which has not been passed by Congress.

The White House criticized the Agriculture appropriations bill the House passed out of its committee that did not include the supplemental funding the Biden administration requested.

“Without the Administration’s funding request, states could soon be forced to institute waiting lists for WIC, causing mothers and children to lose access to the vital nutrition assistance,” the White House said.

WIC funding is distributed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service to states through a formula. The share of eligible people who participate in WIC can vary between states —&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/eligibility-and-program-reach-estimates-2020">for example</a>&nbsp;California, Massachusetts, and Minnesota, have a coverage rate for WIC by over 60%.

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 — As Congress barrels toward a partial government shutdown, the White House Monday warned that a program that helps millions of low income families afford healthy food could see substantial cuts.The White House released a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/09/25/extreme-house-republicans-chaos-is-marching-america-toward-a-shutdown-that-would-jeopardize-vital-nutrition-assistance-for-nearly-7-million-vulnerable-moms-and-young-children/">state-by-state breakdown</a>, estimating that nearly 7 million people who rely on the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, also known as WIC, could be at risk of losing funds to purchase select food and receive vouchers for vegetables and fruit.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Extreme House Republicans are demanding a devastating list of cuts to vital programs that hardworking Americans rely on. If they don’t get their way, they&#39;re threatening to shut down the government – putting nutrition assistance at risk for seven million women and children. <a href="https://t.co/pm6uyDGafk">pic.twitter.com/pm6uyDGafk</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1706398165845361129?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 25, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The program provides financial support for those who are low income and pregnant or nursing, as well as for children up to 5 years old. In Missouri, a government shutdown could impact benefits for 90,913 people.U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said during a Monday White House briefing that WIC recipients could feel the impact of the shutdown within days.“Millions of those moms, (babies) and young children would see a lack of nutrition assistance,” he said.Vilsack, Iowa’s former governor, said some states have leftover WIC benefits and “could extend (WIC) for a week or so.”“The vast majority of WIC participants would see an immediate reduction and elimination of those benefits, which means the nutrition assistance that’s provided would not be available,” he said.For example, in Alabama, about 112,000 WIC recipients could lose their benefits, and in Florida, more than 421,000 as well. In Michigan, more than 207,000 recipients could lose their WIC benefits and in North Carolina, it’s more than 268,000 WIC recipients.Additionally, new eligible participants could face a backlog.“Without the urgent investment of additional funds, state WIC offices could soon be forced to consider waiting lists for prospective participants — a drastic step not seen in nearly 30 years,” Kate Franken, board chair of the National WIC Association, which is the non-profit advocacy arm of WIC, said in a statement.The impending shutdown comes after President Joe Biden&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.virginiamercury.com/2023/05/31/u-s-house-approves-debt-limit-package-sending-it-to-senate-with-just-days-until-default-deadline/">made a deal</a>&nbsp;with Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy earlier this year to raise the debt ceiling.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.virginiamercury.com/2023/05/31/debt-limit-deal-hits-turbulence-in-congress-as-leaders-prep-for-vote/">That deal&nbsp;</a>set maximum spending levels for the next fiscal year.However, none of the 12 appropriations bills has been passed by the House, and a handful of far-right Republicans are&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://idahocapitalsun.com/2023/09/21/shutdown-inches-closer-as-u-s-house-gop-fails-to-pass-defense-bill-lawmakers-exit-d-c/">pushing for steeper cuts</a>, even if it means a partial government shutdown.“House Republicans have turned their backs on the bipartisan budget deal that a large majority of them voted for just a few months ago and proposed a continuing resolution (CR) that makes devastating cuts to programs that millions of hardworking Americans count on,” the White House said in a press release.A continuing resolution, or CR, is regularly used to keep the government funded for weeks or a couple of months while the House and Senate finish work on the 12 annual spending bills.Without a CR by Saturday, the end of the fiscal year, a partial shutdown will occur and programs that have discretionary funding, like WIC, will lapse.Funding for WIC is not mandatory spending, meaning the program won’t be automatically funded regardless of a government shutdown. It’s funded through the Agriculture appropriations bill, which has not been passed by Congress.The White House criticized the Agriculture appropriations bill the House passed out of its committee that did not include the supplemental funding the Biden administration requested.“Without the Administration’s funding request, states could soon be forced to institute waiting lists for WIC, causing mothers and children to lose access to the vital nutrition assistance,” the White House said.WIC funding is distributed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service to states through a formula. The share of eligible people who participate in WIC can vary between states —&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/eligibility-and-program-reach-estimates-2020">for example</a>&nbsp;California, Massachusetts, and Minnesota, have a coverage rate for WIC by over 60%.

White House: Food benefits for low income families at risk in a government shutdown

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Powerball jackpot climbed to an estimated $835 million after no one beat the immense odds Monday night and won the top prize.

The winning numbers were: 10, 12, 22, 36, 50 and 4.

With the latest bit of lottery losing, there now have been 29 consecutive drawings without a jackpot winner, dating back to July 19&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-jackpot-winner-california-9f0e98a47c96c2b3087a68b33195dd50">when a player in California</a>&nbsp;won $1.08 billion.

That winless streak is due to the miserable odds of winning the Powerball jackpot, at 1 in 292.2 million. It’s those&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-lottery-us-news-ap-top-news-ia-state-wire-b5572da1e5d74f6e974bea45c707b5cb">long, long odds</a>&nbsp;that result in such large top prizes, as they cause the jackpot to roll over week after week.

Three people in Florida and one person in Oregon matched five numbers to win $1 million.

The new jackpot is one of the largest in the world, behind grand prizes in the Powerball and Mega Millions games that all topped $1 billion. The biggest jackpot was a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lotteries-iowa-36ef3aefbbc37a15e1c5f172129fa6a6">$2.04 billion Powerball prize</a>&nbsp;won in November 2022 in California.

Although the game highlights the $835 million prize, that is for a winner who is paid through an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-jackpot-annuity-vs-cash-0e741f164106c0f4dba89707c5763c99">annuity over 30 years</a>. Winners almost always choose the cash payout option, which for the next drawing Wednesday night will be an estimated $390.4 million.

The giant jackpot would also be subject to federal taxes, and some states also tax lottery winnings.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Powerball jackpot climbed to an estimated $835 million after no one beat the immense odds Monday night and won the top prize.The winning numbers were: 10, 12, 22, 36, 50 and 4.With the latest bit of lottery losing, there now have been 29 consecutive drawings without a jackpot winner, dating back to July 19&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-jackpot-winner-california-9f0e98a47c96c2b3087a68b33195dd50">when a player in California</a>&nbsp;won $1.08 billion.That winless streak is due to the miserable odds of winning the Powerball jackpot, at 1 in 292.2 million. It’s those&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-lottery-us-news-ap-top-news-ia-state-wire-b5572da1e5d74f6e974bea45c707b5cb">long, long odds</a>&nbsp;that result in such large top prizes, as they cause the jackpot to roll over week after week.Three people in Florida and one person in Oregon matched five numbers to win $1 million.The new jackpot is one of the largest in the world, behind grand prizes in the Powerball and Mega Millions games that all topped $1 billion. The biggest jackpot was a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lotteries-iowa-36ef3aefbbc37a15e1c5f172129fa6a6">$2.04 billion Powerball prize</a>&nbsp;won in November 2022 in California.Although the game highlights the $835 million prize, that is for a winner who is paid through an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/powerball-jackpot-annuity-vs-cash-0e741f164106c0f4dba89707c5763c99">annuity over 30 years</a>. Winners almost always choose the cash payout option, which for the next drawing Wednesday night will be an estimated $390.4 million.The giant jackpot would also be subject to federal taxes, and some states also tax lottery winnings.

Powerball jackpot climbs to $835 million 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration announced that it is providing $600 million in funding to produce new at-home COVID-19 tests and is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-business-health-afb3d15b59a0212d9297ed2794f91a2a">restarting a website</a>&nbsp;allowing Americans to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-government-at-home-covid-tests-e98c4a7a4ee340345a5786c4c407c5fb">again order up to four free tests per household</a>&nbsp;— aiming to prevent possible shortages during a rise in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">coronavirus cases</a>&nbsp;that has typically come during colder months.

The Department of Health and Human Services says orders can be placed at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.covid.gov/tests">COVIDTests.gov</a>&nbsp;starting Sept. 25, and the no-cost tests will be delivered for free by the United States Postal Service.

Twelve manufacturers that employ hundreds of people in seven states have been awarded funding and will produce 200 million over-the-counter tests to replenish federal stockpiles for government use, in addition to producing enough tests to meet demand for tests ordered online, the department said. Federal officials said that will help guard against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-pandemics-ap-top-news-global-trade-fresno-4354f8e8026cf8135b74fa19f0d0f048">supply chain issues</a>&nbsp;that sparked some shortages of at-home COVID tests made overseas during past surges in coronavirus cases.

Dawn O’Connell, assistant secretary for preparedness and response at HHS, said the website will remain functional to receive orders through the holidays and “we reserve the right to keep it open even longer if we're starting to see an increase in cases.”

“If there is a demand for these tests, we want to make sure that they're made available to the American people for free in this way,” O'Connell said. “But, at this point, our focus is getting through the holidays and making sure folks can take a test if they're going to see Grandma for Thanksgiving."

The tests are designed to detect COVID variants currently circulating, and are intended for use by the end of the year. But they will include instructions on how to verify extended expiration dates, the department said.

The initiative follows&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-home-test-78960c4c36422907a2eab3eb0dcdfadd">four previous rounds</a>&nbsp;where federal officials and the U.S. Postal Service provided more than 755 million tests for free to homes nationwide.

It is also meant to complement ongoing federal efforts to provide free COVID tests to long-term care facilities, schools, low-income senior housing, uninsured individuals and underserved communities which are already distributing 4 million per week and have distributed 500 million tests to date, the department said.

O’Connell said manufacturers would be able to spread out the 200 million tests they will produce for federal use over 18 months. That means that, as demand for home tests rises via the website or at U.S. retailers when COVID cases increase around the country, producers can focus on meeting those orders — but that they will then have an additional outlet for the tests they produce during period when demand declines.

“We’ve seen every winter, as people move indoors into heated spaces, away from the outside that, over each of the seasons that COVID’s been a concern, that we have seen cases go up," O'Connell said.

She added that also “there’s always an opportunity or chance for another variant to come” but “we’re not anticipating that.”

“That’s not why we’re doing this,” O'Connell said. "We’re doing this for the fall and winter season ahead and the potential for an increase in cases as a result.”

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said that the "Biden-Harris Administration, in partnership with domestic manufacturers, has made great strides in addressing vulnerabilities in the U.S. supply chain by reducing our reliance on overseas manufacturing.”

“These critical investments will strengthen our nation’s production levels of domestic at-home COVID-19 rapid tests and help mitigate the spread of the virus," Becerra said in a statement.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695664420528.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration announced that it is providing $600 million in funding to produce new at-home COVID-19 tests and is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-business-health-afb3d15b59a0212d9297ed2794f91a2a">restarting a website</a>&nbsp;allowing Americans to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-government-at-home-covid-tests-e98c4a7a4ee340345a5786c4c407c5fb">again order up to four free tests per household</a>&nbsp;— aiming to prevent possible shortages during a rise in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">coronavirus cases</a>&nbsp;that has typically come during colder months.The Department of Health and Human Services says orders can be placed at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.covid.gov/tests">COVIDTests.gov</a>&nbsp;starting Sept. 25, and the no-cost tests will be delivered for free by the United States Postal Service.Twelve manufacturers that employ hundreds of people in seven states have been awarded funding and will produce 200 million over-the-counter tests to replenish federal stockpiles for government use, in addition to producing enough tests to meet demand for tests ordered online, the department said. Federal officials said that will help guard against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-pandemics-ap-top-news-global-trade-fresno-4354f8e8026cf8135b74fa19f0d0f048">supply chain issues</a>&nbsp;that sparked some shortages of at-home COVID tests made overseas during past surges in coronavirus cases.Dawn O’Connell, assistant secretary for preparedness and response at HHS, said the website will remain functional to receive orders through the holidays and “we reserve the right to keep it open even longer if we're starting to see an increase in cases.”“If there is a demand for these tests, we want to make sure that they're made available to the American people for free in this way,” O'Connell said. “But, at this point, our focus is getting through the holidays and making sure folks can take a test if they're going to see Grandma for Thanksgiving."The tests are designed to detect COVID variants currently circulating, and are intended for use by the end of the year. But they will include instructions on how to verify extended expiration dates, the department said.The initiative follows&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-home-test-78960c4c36422907a2eab3eb0dcdfadd">four previous rounds</a>&nbsp;where federal officials and the U.S. Postal Service provided more than 755 million tests for free to homes nationwide.It is also meant to complement ongoing federal efforts to provide free COVID tests to long-term care facilities, schools, low-income senior housing, uninsured individuals and underserved communities which are already distributing 4 million per week and have distributed 500 million tests to date, the department said.O’Connell said manufacturers would be able to spread out the 200 million tests they will produce for federal use over 18 months. That means that, as demand for home tests rises via the website or at U.S. retailers when COVID cases increase around the country, producers can focus on meeting those orders — but that they will then have an additional outlet for the tests they produce during period when demand declines.“We’ve seen every winter, as people move indoors into heated spaces, away from the outside that, over each of the seasons that COVID’s been a concern, that we have seen cases go up," O'Connell said.She added that also “there’s always an opportunity or chance for another variant to come” but “we’re not anticipating that.”“That’s not why we’re doing this,” O'Connell said. "We’re doing this for the fall and winter season ahead and the potential for an increase in cases as a result.”HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said that the "Biden-Harris Administration, in partnership with domestic manufacturers, has made great strides in addressing vulnerabilities in the U.S. supply chain by reducing our reliance on overseas manufacturing.”“These critical investments will strengthen our nation’s production levels of domestic at-home COVID-19 rapid tests and help mitigate the spread of the virus," Becerra said in a statement.

How to get the government's new free COVID test 

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;has gotten the updated&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Letter-9.23.23.pdf">COVID-19 vaccine and annual flu shot</a>, the White House said Saturday.

The White House physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, said in a memo that Biden received both shots on Friday. O'Connor said Biden, 80, also was vaccinated several weeks ago against the respiratory illness known as RSV.

“As we enter the cold and flu season, the President encourages all Americans to follow his example and to check with their healthcare provider or pharmacist to assure that they are fully vaccinated,” O'Connor wrote.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier this month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-vaccines-shots-cdc-5bc4db844557120bcc50dc0838c0e044">endorsed the new COVID-19 shot</a>&nbsp;for everyone 6 months and older. The severity of the COVID-19 pandemic has faded, but there are still thousands of hospitalizations and hundreds of deaths in the United States each week.

Experts worry that immunity from previous vaccinations and infections is fading in many people, and a new shot would save many lives.

First lady Jill Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jill-biden-covid19-president-24b43a5009e85ad6dc0524fafcf484ce">tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month</a>&nbsp;but experienced only mild symptoms.

The CDC recommends that people who have COVID-19 and are in isolation should wait to get vaccinated until there symptoms are gone and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/isolation.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fyour-health%2Fquarantine-isolation.html">isolation guidelines</a>&nbsp;have been met. Children and adults who have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mis/about.html">multisystem inflammatory syndrome</a>&nbsp;should wait to get vaccinated until recovering from being sick and 90 days have passed since the diagnosis, according to the CDC.

Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-health-government-and-politics-6ffc64aa1d8d67b074dd8beb67d7cf6f">tested positive for COVID-19 in July 2022</a>&nbsp;and a second time slightly more than three days after he was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-health-government-and-politics-7842dd2e606bb9f6aeb15d4a8c856c97">cleared to exit coronavirus isolation</a>. The second incident was a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-2e843a971be751e8b8b25575c8bfc60a">rare case</a>&nbsp;of “rebound” infection following treatment with an anti-viral drug.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695651053577.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;has gotten the updated&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Letter-9.23.23.pdf">COVID-19 vaccine and annual flu shot</a>, the White House said Saturday.The White House physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, said in a memo that Biden received both shots on Friday. O'Connor said Biden, 80, also was vaccinated several weeks ago against the respiratory illness known as RSV.“As we enter the cold and flu season, the President encourages all Americans to follow his example and to check with their healthcare provider or pharmacist to assure that they are fully vaccinated,” O'Connor wrote.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier this month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-vaccines-shots-cdc-5bc4db844557120bcc50dc0838c0e044">endorsed the new COVID-19 shot</a>&nbsp;for everyone 6 months and older. The severity of the COVID-19 pandemic has faded, but there are still thousands of hospitalizations and hundreds of deaths in the United States each week.Experts worry that immunity from previous vaccinations and infections is fading in many people, and a new shot would save many lives.First lady Jill Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jill-biden-covid19-president-24b43a5009e85ad6dc0524fafcf484ce">tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month</a>&nbsp;but experienced only mild symptoms.The CDC recommends that people who have COVID-19 and are in isolation should wait to get vaccinated until there symptoms are gone and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/isolation.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fyour-health%2Fquarantine-isolation.html">isolation guidelines</a>&nbsp;have been met. Children and adults who have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mis/about.html">multisystem inflammatory syndrome</a>&nbsp;should wait to get vaccinated until recovering from being sick and 90 days have passed since the diagnosis, according to the CDC.Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-health-government-and-politics-6ffc64aa1d8d67b074dd8beb67d7cf6f">tested positive for COVID-19 in July 2022</a>&nbsp;and a second time slightly more than three days after he was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-health-government-and-politics-7842dd2e606bb9f6aeb15d4a8c856c97">cleared to exit coronavirus isolation</a>. The second incident was a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-2e843a971be751e8b8b25575c8bfc60a">rare case</a>&nbsp;of “rebound” infection following treatment with an anti-viral drug.

Biden has gotten the updated COVID-19 vaccine and flu shot

By JENNIFER SHUTT,&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 — More than 3.5 million federal employees and military personnel — many in the Washington, D.C., area but also scattered across the states and around the globe — are bracing for another partial government shutdown, as U.S. House Republicans struggle to produce a short-term plan to fund the government past the end of the month.

Most of the workers will be furloughed and go without paychecks in a shutdown. Some will have to work without pay because of the nature of their jobs, like members of the military, law enforcement officers, air traffic controllers and TSA officers. Those federal employees would get back pay once the shutdown ends under a law enacted in January 2019.

Lawmakers would not be personally affected — members of Congress would continue to get paid, as well as President Joe Biden and federal judges, though the judicial branch could see its funding run low.

In the D.C. area, Virginia is home to an estimated 140,000 civilian federal workers, who for some unknown period would go without pay and would be forced to draw on savings or other assistance, according to a federal employee database. Maryland has an estimated 139,000 civilian employees.

There are 36,181 civilian federal employees in Missouri who would be impacted by a government shutdown.

The economic impact could be broad, because the funding lapse this year would hit much harder than the 35-day partial government shutdown that took place during the Trump administration and reduced GDP by billions of dollars. This time, a partial shutdown would affect more than 1.4 million uniformed members of the military and&nbsp;1 million additional civilian federal employees at the Pentagon, Department of Health and Human Services and several other agencies, as well as congressional staff.

Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, has repeatedly warned his own members against forcing a funding lapse, saying it won’t help the party to achieve its goals.

But that hasn’t stopped especially conservative Republicans from<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-house-gop-spending-bills-falter-congress-struggles-avoid-shutdown">&nbsp;halting work&nbsp;</a>on full-year spending measures and opposing the short-term stopgap bill that’s needed to give lawmakers more time to work out a deal.

American Federation of Government Employees National President Everett Kelley said in a written statement that a “government shutdown would be a disaster for the American people and the federal employees who keep our government running.”

“Shutdowns hurt local communities across the country, deny Americans access to government services, and do significant damage to the overall economy,” Kelley said.

Congress, Kelley said, “needs to do its job and pass a continuing resolution to keep the government funded at current levels while continuing to negotiate a final budget. Nothing less is acceptable.”

AFGE represents more than 750,000 federal and D.C. government employees.

Here’s a look at why the federal government might shut down by Oct. 1, what agencies are impacted and what isn’t affected.

Why would the government have to shut down?

Congress is supposed to pass 12 government funding bills each year before the start of the new fiscal year on Oct. 1, but lawmakers haven’t completed all of their bills on time since 1996.

Instead, every year the House and Senate pass at least one stopgap spending bill, or continuing resolution. This keeps funding levels and policy mostly flat for a few weeks or a couple of months, giving the Appropriations committees more time to work out bipartisan bills and for leaders to hold floor votes.

Congress sometimes has to pass several short-term funding bills lasting for months, or even the entire fiscal year, if agreements on new, full-year spending bills can’t be negotiated.

If Congress doesn’t approve all dozen full-year government funding bills, or pass a short-term stopgap bill, by midnight on Sept. 30, then a funding lapse begins and government departments begin implementing a partial shutdown.

Federal civilian employees are broadly categorized as either “excepted” or “non-excepted.” During a partial government shutdown, excepted federal workers continue to work without pay while everyone else is furloughed — which means they are on an enforced vacation and their pay is on hold until the government resumes operations.

Employees that deal with “the safety of human life or the protection of property” often work without pay until Congress approves some sort of spending measure.

What federal departments and agencies are involved?&nbsp;

Any federal department or agency without a full-year appropriations bill would need to implement its shutdown plans if Congress doesn’t approve a spending bill before Oct. 1.

Congress has yet to pass any of its dozen annual funding bills for fiscal 2024, so all of the departments and agencies funded through the annual appropriations process would be impacted.

That includes the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury and Veterans Affairs.

Smaller federal agencies would also be affected, including the Environmental Protection Agency, Food and Drug Administration, NASA and the Smithsonian Institution, among dozens of others.

The entire legislative branch, including the U.S. House, U.S. Senate, the Capitol Police, the Congressional Budget Office, Government Accountability Office and the Library of Congress, among others, would be partially shut down.

Each department and agency has its own guidance for implementing a partial government shutdown, which is&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/information-for-agencies/agency-contingency-plans/">posted on the Office of Management and Budget’s website.</a>

Spending on mandatory programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security does not go through the annual appropriations process, so those three programs are mostly exempt from the impact.

How many federal employees would be furloughed?

The federal government employed just under 2.2 million civilian employees earlier this year, according to its&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.fedscope.opm.gov/">database</a>. There are another 1.4 million members of the U.S. military, according to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/spec_fy2024.pdf">numbers</a>&nbsp;from the Office of Management and Budget. The Legislative Branch employs more than 31,000 employees and the judicial branch has about 33,000 employees.

About 745,000 of the civilian employees work for the Department of Defense, with another 449,000 at the Veterans Affairs Department. The Department of Homeland Security — which houses Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency — employs more than 216,000 federal employees.

A state-by-state&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.fedscope.opm.gov/ibmcognos/bi/v1/disp?b_action=powerPlayService&amp;m_encoding=UTF-8&amp;BZ=1AAABlrQKB6l42n1OTW_CQBT8M%7EuwPdS8HUDlwGGBJZJUsMK9obhaUz4McvHfN8DBtofO5CWTeTPJWHm2zIvsoJPIvw1db5LoiYALPNdVCJ2NRuyESnuOXLEbePFKOnKNNQHP1tjV6hBu96rY_oS46trBtAMhPnX10fTkBuRwWzaG7GixL6uv8mxu77q51t29Me2wIDcixNf58zv_SBH4hcC7sq8_CQyGPRatKA_XYZamOiySLE3VTvv%7ElqzgzT8xC8nMUrIQgoXLAixGCqHOpq3uBCYcCazqmth77apyuHTtH1sQNgSbCUYSPgjebMiHISYQ7DH_A3LipOYx080TZnwDkntmsg%3D%3D">breakdown</a>&nbsp;of where civilian federal employees work shows that the nation’s capital has the most federal employees, with 161,000 working in the District of Columbia.

California has the second-highest population of civilian federal employees with 142,000. Texas holds nearly 123,000.

More than 636,000 federal employees are veterans.

Federal employees will get back pay after the shutdown ends, though that hasn’t extended to federal contractors.

Does anyone get paid during a partial government shutdown?

Yes. The president, members of Congress and judges.

Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution “forbids the salary of the President to be reduced while he or she is in office, thus effectively guaranteeing the President of compensation regardless of any shutdown action,” according to the Congressional Research Service.

Members of Congress would receive pay for several reasons, including that they have a permanent appropriation for their salaries, a section of the Constitution addressing lawmakers’ pay and the 27th Amendment, according to the Congressional Research Service.

Article I, Section 6 of the Constitution says that U.S. lawmakers “shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be ascertained by Law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States.”

And the 27th Amendment notes that “No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened.”

Judges and the judiciary would “likely be able to continue to operate for a limited time using funds derived from court filings and other fees and from no-year appropriations,” according to a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://sgp.fas.org/crs/misc/RL34680.pdf">report</a>&nbsp;from CRS.

Congress has failed to fund the government three times since 2000.

In 2013, there was a 16-day shutdown amid calls from several hardline Republicans, including Texas Sen. Ted Cruz,&nbsp;to defund the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare.

While none of the 12 full-year government funding bills were law when that shutdown began, it didn’t fully impact the Pentagon.

Just before the funding lapse began, Congress passed a bill to provide pay for troops, Defense Department civilian employees and certain contractors working for either the Defense Department or the Homeland Security Department, according to the Congressional Research Service.

There were two funding lapses during the Trump administration, one of which was relatively short and one that lasted for 35 days.

The 35-day partial government shutdown began after five of the dozen annual spending bills became law, reducing the number of federal employees and operations impacted.

The Departments of Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Labor and Veterans Affairs weren’t affected. Congress also wasn’t impacted, having passed its own funding bill.

What is the economic impact of a partial government shutdown?

Federal employees were furloughed for a total of 6.6 million days during the 2013 partial government shutdown, bringing the total “lost productivity” to about $2 billion, according to an&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/omb/reports/impacts-and-costs-of-october-2013-federal-government-shutdown-report.pdf">analysis</a>&nbsp;from the White House budget office.

The 2019 partial government shutdown reduced real gross domestic product by $3 billion during the fourth quarter of 2018 and by $8 billion during the first quarter of 2019, according to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2019-01/54937-PartialShutdownEffects.pdf">analysis</a>&nbsp;from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

That shutdown, CBO said in its report, “dampened economic activity mainly because of the loss of furloughed federal workers’ contribution to GDP, the delay in federal spending on goods and services, and the reduction in aggregate demand (which thereby dampened private-sector activity).”

What’s the Biden administration saying?

The White House released a memo Wednesday rebuking House Republicans for approaching the end of the fiscal year without a bipartisan plan to fund the government.

The administration said it’s clear that “if extreme House Republicans fail to ram through their radical agenda, they plan to take their frustration out on the American people by forcing a government shutdown that would undermine our economy and national security, create needless uncertainty for families and businesses, and have damaging consequences across the country.”

The memo says a funding lapse could affect dozens of federal programs, including eliminating some spaces in Head Start, slowing down new loans at the Small Business Administration and forcing the FDA to “delay food safety inspections for a wide variety of products all across the country.”

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, could have to reduce the number of inspections, “denying workers a key protection against safety risk, and Americans who are owed back pay for their hard work would face delays due to the majority of Department of Labor investigations being suspended.”

Air travel could also be impacted since TSA employees and air traffic controllers would be working without pay, the White House memo says.

“These consequences are real and avoidable — but only if House Republicans stop playing political games with peoples’ lives and catering to the ideological demands of their most extreme, far-right members,” the White House memo says. “It’s time for House Republicans to abide by the bipartisan budget agreement that a majority of them voted for, keep the government open, and address other urgent needs for the American people.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1695238897489.png" alt="A partial government shutdown would affect more than 1.4 million uniformed members of the military and 1 million additional civilian federal employees at the Pentagon, Department of Health and Human Services and several other agencies, as well as congressional staff (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)." />
 <figcaption>A partial government shutdown would affect more than 1.4 million uniformed members of the military and 1 million additional civilian federal employees at the Pentagon, Department of Health and Human Services and several other agencies, as well as congressional staff (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom).</figcaption>
 </figure>By JENNIFER SHUTT,&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 — More than 3.5 million federal employees and military personnel — many in the Washington, D.C., area but also scattered across the states and around the globe — are bracing for another partial government shutdown, as U.S. House Republicans struggle to produce a short-term plan to fund the government past the end of the month.Most of the workers will be furloughed and go without paychecks in a shutdown. Some will have to work without pay because of the nature of their jobs, like members of the military, law enforcement officers, air traffic controllers and TSA officers. Those federal employees would get back pay once the shutdown ends under a law enacted in January 2019.Lawmakers would not be personally affected — members of Congress would continue to get paid, as well as President Joe Biden and federal judges, though the judicial branch could see its funding run low.In the D.C. area, Virginia is home to an estimated 140,000 civilian federal workers, who for some unknown period would go without pay and would be forced to draw on savings or other assistance, according to a federal employee database. Maryland has an estimated 139,000 civilian employees.There are 36,181 civilian federal employees in Missouri who would be impacted by a government shutdown.The economic impact could be broad, because the funding lapse this year would hit much harder than the 35-day partial government shutdown that took place during the Trump administration and reduced GDP by billions of dollars. This time, a partial shutdown would affect more than 1.4 million uniformed members of the military and&nbsp;1 million additional civilian federal employees at the Pentagon, Department of Health and Human Services and several other agencies, as well as congressional staff.Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, has repeatedly warned his own members against forcing a funding lapse, saying it won’t help the party to achieve its goals.But that hasn’t stopped especially conservative Republicans from<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-house-gop-spending-bills-falter-congress-struggles-avoid-shutdown">&nbsp;halting work&nbsp;</a>on full-year spending measures and opposing the short-term stopgap bill that’s needed to give lawmakers more time to work out a deal.American Federation of Government Employees National President Everett Kelley said in a written statement that a “government shutdown would be a disaster for the American people and the federal employees who keep our government running.”“Shutdowns hurt local communities across the country, deny Americans access to government services, and do significant damage to the overall economy,” Kelley said.Congress, Kelley said, “needs to do its job and pass a continuing resolution to keep the government funded at current levels while continuing to negotiate a final budget. Nothing less is acceptable.”AFGE represents more than 750,000 federal and D.C. government employees.Here’s a look at why the federal government might shut down by Oct. 1, what agencies are impacted and what isn’t affected.<h2>Why would the government have to shut down?</h2>Congress is supposed to pass 12 government funding bills each year before the start of the new fiscal year on Oct. 1, but lawmakers haven’t completed all of their bills on time since 1996.Instead, every year the House and Senate pass at least one stopgap spending bill, or continuing resolution. This keeps funding levels and policy mostly flat for a few weeks or a couple of months, giving the Appropriations committees more time to work out bipartisan bills and for leaders to hold floor votes.Congress sometimes has to pass several short-term funding bills lasting for months, or even the entire fiscal year, if agreements on new, full-year spending bills can’t be negotiated.If Congress doesn’t approve all dozen full-year government funding bills, or pass a short-term stopgap bill, by midnight on Sept. 30, then a funding lapse begins and government departments begin implementing a partial shutdown.<h2>What happens during a shutdown?&nbsp;</h2>Federal civilian employees are broadly categorized as either “excepted” or “non-excepted.” During a partial government shutdown, excepted federal workers continue to work without pay while everyone else is furloughed — which means they are on an enforced vacation and their pay is on hold until the government resumes operations.Employees that deal with “the safety of human life or the protection of property” often work without pay until Congress approves some sort of spending measure.<h2>What federal departments and agencies are involved?&nbsp;</h2>Any federal department or agency without a full-year appropriations bill would need to implement its shutdown plans if Congress doesn’t approve a spending bill before Oct. 1.Congress has yet to pass any of its dozen annual funding bills for fiscal 2024, so all of the departments and agencies funded through the annual appropriations process would be impacted.That includes the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury and Veterans Affairs.Smaller federal agencies would also be affected, including the Environmental Protection Agency, Food and Drug Administration, NASA and the Smithsonian Institution, among dozens of others.The entire legislative branch, including the U.S. House, U.S. Senate, the Capitol Police, the Congressional Budget Office, Government Accountability Office and the Library of Congress, among others, would be partially shut down.Each department and agency has its own guidance for implementing a partial government shutdown, which is&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/information-for-agencies/agency-contingency-plans/">posted on the Office of Management and Budget’s website.</a><h2>What federal operations escape?</h2>Spending on mandatory programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security does not go through the annual appropriations process, so those three programs are mostly exempt from the impact.<h2>How many federal employees would be furloughed?</h2>The federal government employed just under 2.2 million civilian employees earlier this year, according to its&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.fedscope.opm.gov/">database</a>. There are another 1.4 million members of the U.S. military, according to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/spec_fy2024.pdf">numbers</a>&nbsp;from the Office of Management and Budget. The Legislative Branch employs more than 31,000 employees and the judicial branch has about 33,000 employees.About 745,000 of the civilian employees work for the Department of Defense, with another 449,000 at the Veterans Affairs Department. The Department of Homeland Security — which houses Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency — employs more than 216,000 federal employees.A state-by-state&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.fedscope.opm.gov/ibmcognos/bi/v1/disp?b_action=powerPlayService&amp;m_encoding=UTF-8&amp;BZ=1AAABlrQKB6l42n1OTW_CQBT8M%7EuwPdS8HUDlwGGBJZJUsMK9obhaUz4McvHfN8DBtofO5CWTeTPJWHm2zIvsoJPIvw1db5LoiYALPNdVCJ2NRuyESnuOXLEbePFKOnKNNQHP1tjV6hBu96rY_oS46trBtAMhPnX10fTkBuRwWzaG7GixL6uv8mxu77q51t29Me2wIDcixNf58zv_SBH4hcC7sq8_CQyGPRatKA_XYZamOiySLE3VTvv%7ElqzgzT8xC8nMUrIQgoXLAixGCqHOpq3uBCYcCazqmth77apyuHTtH1sQNgSbCUYSPgjebMiHISYQ7DH_A3LipOYx080TZnwDkntmsg%3D%3D">breakdown</a>&nbsp;of where civilian federal employees work shows that the nation’s capital has the most federal employees, with 161,000 working in the District of Columbia.California has the second-highest population of civilian federal employees with 142,000. Texas holds nearly 123,000.More than 636,000 federal employees are veterans.Federal employees will get back pay after the shutdown ends, though that hasn’t extended to federal contractors.<h2>Does anyone get paid during a partial government shutdown?</h2>Yes. The president, members of Congress and judges.Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution “forbids the salary of the President to be reduced while he or she is in office, thus effectively guaranteeing the President of compensation regardless of any shutdown action,” according to the Congressional Research Service.Members of Congress would receive pay for several reasons, including that they have a permanent appropriation for their salaries, a section of the Constitution addressing lawmakers’ pay and the 27th Amendment, according to the Congressional Research Service.Article I, Section 6 of the Constitution says that U.S. lawmakers “shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be ascertained by Law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States.”And the 27th Amendment notes that “No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened.”Judges and the judiciary would “likely be able to continue to operate for a limited time using funds derived from court filings and other fees and from no-year appropriations,” according to a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://sgp.fas.org/crs/misc/RL34680.pdf">report</a>&nbsp;from CRS.<h2>How many funding lapses have there been?</h2>Congress has failed to fund the government three times since 2000.In 2013, there was a 16-day shutdown amid calls from several hardline Republicans, including Texas Sen. Ted Cruz,&nbsp;to defund the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare.While none of the 12 full-year government funding bills were law when that shutdown began, it didn’t fully impact the Pentagon.Just before the funding lapse began, Congress passed a bill to provide pay for troops, Defense Department civilian employees and certain contractors working for either the Defense Department or the Homeland Security Department, according to the Congressional Research Service.There were two funding lapses during the Trump administration, one of which was relatively short and one that lasted for 35 days.The 35-day partial government shutdown began after five of the dozen annual spending bills became law, reducing the number of federal employees and operations impacted.The Departments of Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Labor and Veterans Affairs weren’t affected. Congress also wasn’t impacted, having passed its own funding bill.<h2>What is the economic impact of a partial government shutdown?</h2>Federal employees were furloughed for a total of 6.6 million days during the 2013 partial government shutdown, bringing the total “lost productivity” to about $2 billion, according to an&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/omb/reports/impacts-and-costs-of-october-2013-federal-government-shutdown-report.pdf">analysis</a>&nbsp;from the White House budget office.The 2019 partial government shutdown reduced real gross domestic product by $3 billion during the fourth quarter of 2018 and by $8 billion during the first quarter of 2019, according to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2019-01/54937-PartialShutdownEffects.pdf">analysis</a>&nbsp;from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.That shutdown, CBO said in its report, “dampened economic activity mainly because of the loss of furloughed federal workers’ contribution to GDP, the delay in federal spending on goods and services, and the reduction in aggregate demand (which thereby dampened private-sector activity).”<h2>What’s the Biden administration saying?</h2>The White House released a memo Wednesday rebuking House Republicans for approaching the end of the fiscal year without a bipartisan plan to fund the government.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Your daily reminder. <a href="https://t.co/JbGTuwUJjz">pic.twitter.com/JbGTuwUJjz</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1705979153680351524?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The administration said it’s clear that “if extreme House Republicans fail to ram through their radical agenda, they plan to take their frustration out on the American people by forcing a government shutdown that would undermine our economy and national security, create needless uncertainty for families and businesses, and have damaging consequences across the country.”The memo says a funding lapse could affect dozens of federal programs, including eliminating some spaces in Head Start, slowing down new loans at the Small Business Administration and forcing the FDA to “delay food safety inspections for a wide variety of products all across the country.”The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, could have to reduce the number of inspections, “denying workers a key protection against safety risk, and Americans who are owed back pay for their hard work would face delays due to the majority of Department of Labor investigations being suspended.”Air travel could also be impacted since TSA employees and air traffic controllers would be working without pay, the White House memo says.“These consequences are real and avoidable — but only if House Republicans stop playing political games with peoples’ lives and catering to the ideological demands of their most extreme, far-right members,” the White House memo says. “It’s time for House Republicans to abide by the bipartisan budget agreement that a majority of them voted for, keep the government open, and address other urgent needs for the American people.”

‘Disaster’ nears: Federal workers’ paychecks will be on hold in a shutdown

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.

<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.