By ALLISON KITE <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/01/03/crews-will-reroute-mill-creek-after-massive-keystone-pipeline-spill-in-kansas/">Kansas Reflector</a>

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Crews will reroute Mill Creek to avoid the site of the Keystone Pipeline’s largest-ever oil spill, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tcenergy.com/incident/milepost-14-incident/">oil pipeline’s parent company announced Tuesday</a>.

The Keystone pipeline, which runs from Canada to Texas and Illinois, <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/12/09/regulators-order-keystone-pipeline-to-investigate-after-14000-barrels-spill-in-kansas/">spilled 14,000 barrels of oil near the Kansas-Nebraska border</a> in early December. The spill —&nbsp;the latest in <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/12/13/keystone-pipeline-has-history-of-spills-warnings-and-fines-kansas-spill-is-largest-yet/">a number of spills and deficiencies along the pipeline</a> —&nbsp;turned Mill Creek black and deposited oil on farmland near Washington, Kansas.

Within two weeks after the spill, 
more than 400 people were onsite cleaning up the oil, including 
personnel from the pipeline’s owner, TC Energy, the Environmental 
Protection Agency and state and local officials. Crews built dams to 
contain the spill and began vacuuming oil from the creek and surrounding
 areas.

Now, those responders are working to 
“temporarily divert (Mill) Creek from a location upstream of the 
pipeline spill to downstream of the containment dams,” TC Energy said in
 a statement.

“The diversion will assist in the cleanup and reclamation of the creek,” the statement said.

TC Energy did not say in its news release how diverting the creek would assist in cleanup.

The company also has not announced an
 update on how much oil it has removed from the creek. As of Dec. 21, it
 had removed 7,599 barrels of oil from the creek, a little more than 
half of the estimated amount spilled.

TC Energy said it would give $7,500 
to purchase new mobile and radio equipment for the Washington County 
Emergency Management Office. It also pledged to <a target="_blank" href="https://tcenergy.benevity.org/community/fundraiser/56121">match donations to the Washington County Hospital</a>.

The site of the spill on Tuesday was still subject to a <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/12/20/drone-no-fly-zone-issued-over-keystone-oil-spill-site-in-kansas/">no-fly zone for drones requested by TC Energy</a>.

Following the spill, the federal 
government ordered TC Energy to investigate the cause of the pipeline’s 
spill. It also required the company to submit a plan before resuming 
operations. The Cushing Extension — the part of the pipeline where the 
spill occurred —&nbsp;started operating again on Dec. 29.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1672769192181.png" alt="Efforts are underway to clean up the largest spill in the Keystone pipeline’s history, which happened near Washington, Kansas. The pipeline’s owner announced Mill Creek will be temporarily rerouted to help with cleanup. (TC Energy)" />
 <figcaption>Efforts are underway to clean up the largest spill in the Keystone pipeline’s history, which happened near Washington, Kansas. The pipeline’s owner announced Mill Creek will be temporarily rerouted to help with cleanup. (TC Energy)</figcaption>
 </figure>By ALLISON KITE <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/01/03/crews-will-reroute-mill-creek-after-massive-keystone-pipeline-spill-in-kansas/">Kansas Reflector</a>KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Crews will reroute Mill Creek to avoid the site of the Keystone Pipeline’s largest-ever oil spill, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tcenergy.com/incident/milepost-14-incident/">oil pipeline’s parent company announced Tuesday</a>.The Keystone pipeline, which runs from Canada to Texas and Illinois, <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/12/09/regulators-order-keystone-pipeline-to-investigate-after-14000-barrels-spill-in-kansas/">spilled 14,000 barrels of oil near the Kansas-Nebraska border</a> in early December. The spill —&nbsp;the latest in <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/12/13/keystone-pipeline-has-history-of-spills-warnings-and-fines-kansas-spill-is-largest-yet/">a number of spills and deficiencies along the pipeline</a> —&nbsp;turned Mill Creek black and deposited oil on farmland near Washington, Kansas.Within two weeks after the spill, 
more than 400 people were onsite cleaning up the oil, including 
personnel from the pipeline’s owner, TC Energy, the Environmental 
Protection Agency and state and local officials. Crews built dams to 
contain the spill and began vacuuming oil from the creek and surrounding
 areas.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1672769258266.jpeg" alt="The map shows the planned diversion of Mill Creek as crews work to clean up the site of the Keystone oil pipeline spill. (TC Energy)" />
 <figcaption>The map shows the planned diversion of Mill Creek as crews work to clean up the site of the Keystone oil pipeline spill. (TC Energy)</figcaption>
 </figure>Now, those responders are working to 
“temporarily divert (Mill) Creek from a location upstream of the 
pipeline spill to downstream of the containment dams,” TC Energy said in
 a statement.“The diversion will assist in the cleanup and reclamation of the creek,” the statement said.TC Energy did not say in its news release how diverting the creek would assist in cleanup.The company also has not announced an
 update on how much oil it has removed from the creek. As of Dec. 21, it
 had removed 7,599 barrels of oil from the creek, a little more than 
half of the estimated amount spilled.TC Energy said it would give $7,500 
to purchase new mobile and radio equipment for the Washington County 
Emergency Management Office. It also pledged to <a target="_blank" href="https://tcenergy.benevity.org/community/fundraiser/56121">match donations to the Washington County Hospital</a>.The site of the spill on Tuesday was still subject to a <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/12/20/drone-no-fly-zone-issued-over-keystone-oil-spill-site-in-kansas/">no-fly zone for drones requested by TC Energy</a>.Following the spill, the federal 
government ordered TC Energy to investigate the cause of the pipeline’s 
spill. It also required the company to submit a plan before resuming 
operations. The Cushing Extension — the part of the pipeline where the 
spill occurred —&nbsp;started operating again on Dec. 29.

Crews will reroute creek after massive Kansas pipeline spill 

By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/unmc-program-seeks-to-lure-out-of-state-nursing-students-to-nebraskas-rural-areas/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

OMAHA — In Nebraska’s ongoing effort 
to attract health care workers, the University of Nebraska Medical 
Center has announced a new scholarship program for nursing students from
 certain neighboring states to attend its rural campuses.

The “Nebraska Neighbors: UNMC Nursing
 Rural Advantage Scholarship” is open to nursing students entering 
baccalaureate of science traditional or accelerated programs based in 
Scottsbluff, Kearney or Norfolk.

“These scholarships are designed to 
make it easier for students from neighboring states to study on one of 
our rural campuses,” said Juliann Sebastian, dean of the UNMC College of
 Nursing. “In some of these states, there is an overflow of qualified 
individuals interested in nursing, and these scholarships make it easier
 to consider nursing in Nebraska and potentially accepting nursing 
positions after graduation for those who stay in rural areas.”

Students from Wyoming, Colorado and 
South Dakota can apply for the scholarship at the UNMC Scottsbluff 
campus. Students from South Dakota and Iowa can apply for the 
scholarship at the UNMC Norfolk campus. And students from Kansas and 
Colorado can apply to the Kearney campus.

Sebastian said room is available on 
the campuses, and she said the out-of-state students would not be taking
 seats from eligible Nebraska applicants.

The financial aid would reduce the cost of out-of-state tuition to at or near resident tuition rates, Sebastian said.

Said Ken Zeiger, director of students
 services: “We are invested in this opportunity to help impact our 
students’ financial opportunities, which in turn will benefit our rural 
communities and provide patients with the best in care.”&nbsp;

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.unmc.edu/nursing/educational-programs/undergraduate-programs/prerequisite-courses.html">Applications are available</a> for fall 2023 and have an initial deadline of Feb. 1.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1672770297124.png" alt="Health care students at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. (Courtesy of University of Nebraska at Kearney)" />
 <figcaption>Health care students at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. (Courtesy of University of Nebraska at Kearney)</figcaption>
 </figure>By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/unmc-program-seeks-to-lure-out-of-state-nursing-students-to-nebraskas-rural-areas/">Nebraska Examiner</a>OMAHA — In Nebraska’s ongoing effort 
to attract health care workers, the University of Nebraska Medical 
Center has announced a new scholarship program for nursing students from
 certain neighboring states to attend its rural campuses.The “Nebraska Neighbors: UNMC Nursing
 Rural Advantage Scholarship” is open to nursing students entering 
baccalaureate of science traditional or accelerated programs based in 
Scottsbluff, Kearney or Norfolk.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1672770344606.jpeg" alt="Juliann Sebastian, Ph.D., R.N., dean of the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing (Courtesy of UNMC)" />
 <figcaption>Juliann Sebastian, Ph.D., R.N., dean of the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing (Courtesy of UNMC)</figcaption>
 </figure>“These scholarships are designed to 
make it easier for students from neighboring states to study on one of 
our rural campuses,” said Juliann Sebastian, dean of the UNMC College of
 Nursing. “In some of these states, there is an overflow of qualified 
individuals interested in nursing, and these scholarships make it easier
 to consider nursing in Nebraska and potentially accepting nursing 
positions after graduation for those who stay in rural areas.”Students from Wyoming, Colorado and 
South Dakota can apply for the scholarship at the UNMC Scottsbluff 
campus. Students from South Dakota and Iowa can apply for the 
scholarship at the UNMC Norfolk campus. And students from Kansas and 
Colorado can apply to the Kearney campus.Sebastian said room is available on 
the campuses, and she said the out-of-state students would not be taking
 seats from eligible Nebraska applicants.The financial aid would reduce the cost of out-of-state tuition to at or near resident tuition rates, Sebastian said.Said Ken Zeiger, director of students
 services: “We are invested in this opportunity to help impact our 
students’ financial opportunities, which in turn will benefit our rural 
communities and provide patients with the best in care.”&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.unmc.edu/nursing/educational-programs/undergraduate-programs/prerequisite-courses.html">Applications are available</a> for fall 2023 and have an initial deadline of Feb. 1.&nbsp;

Program seeks to lure out-of-state nursing students to rural Neb.

By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/01/03/google-seeks-to-stretch-farther-in-northwest-omaha/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

OMAHA — Google wants to expand its 
Nebraska footprint with an additional 187 acres that abuts its roughly 
270-acre data center site already under construction in northwest Omaha.

In all, the developer representing 
Google would control about 460 acres of once rolling agricultural 
hillside northwest of State Street and Blair High Road.

City documents show that Westwood 
Solutions LLC, representing the California-based global tech giant, has 
asked the city to rezone the additional land to allow for more light 
industrial use.

Operations are to be located within 
multiple buildings totaling more than 2.2 million gross square feet in 
floor area, with various equipment yards and parking areas throughout. A
 security entrance and Omaha Public Power District switchyard are to be 
on site.

The data center would operate around 
the clock. Though the plan submitted to the city says skilled, technical
 full-time jobs would be created, it does not detail how many.

A Google spokesman for the Omaha area was unavailable for comment.

Records outlining the growth plan 
also revealed that Google’s developer has agreed to donate $100,000 to 
make up for the destruction of a coveted virgin prairie plot from the 
development site.

The Nebraska Examiner <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/09/06/prairie-preservationists-mourn-loss-of-virgin-prairie-at-google-data-center-site/">reported in September</a>
 that a 5-acre, never-plowed prairie along State Street had been 
bulldozed away for the initial phase, despite City of Omaha guidelines 
to protect natural features.

City planners said the prairie ecosystem was not flagged prior to grading. The rezoning request to be presented to the Planning Board
 this week states that the developer agreed to mitigate the loss by the 
financial donation, which is to maintain 43 acres of reconstructed 
prairie at Glacier Creek Preserve north of 144th and State Streets.

Glenn Pollock, who for decades has 
managed area prairies, is still miffed about the loss of a piece of the 
area’s natural history and heritage. He said the city should have a 
better system of identifying such features and believes they could be 
preserved as assets on a real estate development site.

Of the mitigation agreed upon by the 
city and Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District, Pollock said: 
“It’s the best we can get.”

The latest Google growth would take 
the data center site northward up to Rainwood Road and westward to 120th
 Street, said Eric Englund, assistant city planning director.

City planners recommend the developer
 install sidewalks along all street frontages — along with a 
10-foot-wide concrete trail on the west side of Thomas Creek, which runs
 north to south across the eastern part of the property, parallel to 
Blair High Road.

A visit to the project site this week shows construction in progress at the southeast portion of the broader nearly 460 acres.

Google has been rather quiet in the 
past about data center plans in Nebraska, but representatives offered 
some basic details about its growth trajectory last April during an 
event at its expanding Papillion campus.

It was at that time that officials 
announced the new Google data center to be developed at State Street and
 Blair High Road (Nebraska Highway 133). Then, the project site was 
still the smaller, roughly 260 acres and was said to span 1.4 million 
gross square feet.

Google then also outlined expansion 
of its Papillion data center campus and said the company’s investment in
 Nebraska in 2022 was to reach $750 million.

When adding the Council Bluffs data 
center to the Papillion and northwest Omaha projects, the Google 
representatives said then that the Omaha-Council Bluffs metro area would
 have the largest Google operational presence in the country.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1672770164487.png" alt="Google data center site under construction northwest of State Street and Blair High Road. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Google data center site under construction northwest of State Street and Blair High Road. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/01/03/google-seeks-to-stretch-farther-in-northwest-omaha/">Nebraska Examiner</a>OMAHA — Google wants to expand its 
Nebraska footprint with an additional 187 acres that abuts its roughly 
270-acre data center site already under construction in northwest Omaha.In all, the developer representing 
Google would control about 460 acres of once rolling agricultural 
hillside northwest of State Street and Blair High Road.City documents show that Westwood 
Solutions LLC, representing the California-based global tech giant, has 
asked the city to rezone the additional land to allow for more light 
industrial use.<h2>Around-the-clock activity </h2>Operations are to be located within 
multiple buildings totaling more than 2.2 million gross square feet in 
floor area, with various equipment yards and parking areas throughout. A
 security entrance and Omaha Public Power District switchyard are to be 
on site.The data center would operate around 
the clock. Though the plan submitted to the city says skilled, technical
 full-time jobs would be created, it does not detail how many.A Google spokesman for the Omaha area was unavailable for comment.Records outlining the growth plan 
also revealed that Google’s developer has agreed to donate $100,000 to 
make up for the destruction of a coveted virgin prairie plot from the 
development site.The Nebraska Examiner <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/09/06/prairie-preservationists-mourn-loss-of-virgin-prairie-at-google-data-center-site/">reported in September</a>
 that a 5-acre, never-plowed prairie along State Street had been 
bulldozed away for the initial phase, despite City of Omaha guidelines 
to protect natural features.<h2>Piece of natural history lost</h2>City planners said the prairie ecosystem was not flagged prior to grading. The rezoning request to be presented to the Planning Board
 this week states that the developer agreed to mitigate the loss by the 
financial donation, which is to maintain 43 acres of reconstructed 
prairie at Glacier Creek Preserve north of 144th and State Streets.Glenn Pollock, who for decades has 
managed area prairies, is still miffed about the loss of a piece of the 
area’s natural history and heritage. He said the city should have a 
better system of identifying such features and believes they could be 
preserved as assets on a real estate development site.Of the mitigation agreed upon by the 
city and Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District, Pollock said: 
“It’s the best we can get.”The latest Google growth would take 
the data center site northward up to Rainwood Road and westward to 120th
 Street, said Eric Englund, assistant city planning director.City planners recommend the developer
 install sidewalks along all street frontages — along with a 
10-foot-wide concrete trail on the west side of Thomas Creek, which runs
 north to south across the eastern part of the property, parallel to 
Blair High Road.<h2>Construction underway</h2>A visit to the project site this week shows construction in progress at the southeast portion of the broader nearly 460 acres.Google has been rather quiet in the 
past about data center plans in Nebraska, but representatives offered 
some basic details about its growth trajectory last April during an 
event at its expanding Papillion campus.It was at that time that officials 
announced the new Google data center to be developed at State Street and
 Blair High Road (Nebraska Highway 133). Then, the project site was 
still the smaller, roughly 260 acres and was said to span 1.4 million 
gross square feet.Google then also outlined expansion 
of its Papillion data center campus and said the company’s investment in
 Nebraska in 2022 was to reach $750 million.When adding the Council Bluffs data 
center to the Papillion and northwest Omaha projects, the Google 
representatives said then that the Omaha-Council Bluffs metro area would
 have the largest Google operational presence in the country.

Google seeks to stretch farther in northwest Omaha

<a href="https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Omni%20Dem%20Highlight.pdf">The legislation includes the following,</a> according to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Support for Public Schools: Congress secured historic levels of funding to support public school teachers and students and invest in our children’s future. The bill includes:

• $17.5 billion, the largest increase in more than a decade, for Title I-A grants to local educational agencies to support student achievement, including through preschool programs for eligible children.

• $14.2 billion, a $433 million increase, for special education state grant programs that support services to nearly 9 million students and children with a disability.

• $75 million, double the funding from last year, for Full Community Services Schools, which integrate student supports and family engagement to improved student attendance.

• $1.29 billion, an increase of $30 million, for 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, which serves 1.6 million students across the country.

College Access, Affordability, and Completion: Affordable access to higher education is a pillar to achieving the American dream and essential to driving our economy forward in the 21st century. The bill includes:

• $400 increase in the maximum Pell grant award, the largest increase in more than a

decade, which will help 7 million students pursue a postsecondary education.

• $1.1 billion, an increase of $40 million, for TRIO, which helps more than 800,000 lowincome individuals, first generation college students, and individuals with disabilities prepare for and get into college and succeed when they’re there.

• $378 million, an increase of $10 million for GEAR UP, which helps almost 600,000 lowincome students beginning in middle school and through high school prepare for a postsecondary education.

$65 million, an increase of $10 million, for the Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) program to increase access to affordable and convenient child care options for student parents.

• $885 million, an increase of $96 million, for a programs to strengthen HBCUs, MSI, and other historically under-resourced institutions of higher education serving a high percentage of low-income students.

Making Housing More Affordable and Safe: Democrats included critical resources to expand opportunities for affordable housing and provide assistance to families struggling to avoid unsafe housing conditions or from falling into homelessness. In addition to providing the resources to preserve rental assistance to the more than 5 million HUD-assisted, low-income households amid significant rent increases, the bill includes:

• $280 million for 32,800 new housing vouchers.

• $3.2 billion, a 16 percent increase, for public housing capital formula funds.

• $350 million, a 75 percent increase, for Choice Neighborhoods.

• $1.5 billion, an 11 percent increase and the highest level of funding provided in the past decade, for new affordable housing production through the HOME program.

• $4.8 billion for community and economic development.

• More than $1 billion, a 21 percent increase, for Housing for the Elderly.

• $352 million, a 55 percent increase, for Housing for Persons Disabilities.

• More than $1 billion, a 24 percent increase, for Native community housing programs.

• $415 million, a 15 percent increase, for the Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes to address lead-based paint and other environmental hazards in low-income and HUD-assisted housing.

• $489 million, a $24 million increase, for the Legal Services Corporation, which provides civil legal assistance to low-income persons including those involved in housing and foreclosure cases.

Child Care and Early Child Education: Any young family understands that the cost of child care is far too high and the pandemic forced millions of women to leave the workforce because they could not afford child care. Democrats secured strong support to lower the cost of child care, including:

• $11.036 billion, a $288.7 million increase, for Head Start. This increase will allow a cost-of-living adjustment for Head Start teachers and staff, and includes quality improvement funding to help Head Start programs recruit and retain teachers.

• $6.165 billion, a 4.4 percent increase, for the Child Care and Development Block Grant. Particularly as the pandemic has upended child care for many working parents, the increase will help ensure families have access to high-quality, affordable care for their children.

Preventing Homelessness for Vulnerable Households: More than 580,000 people experienced homelessness in the United States on a single night in 2020. Democrats are committed to helping communities design and implement local solutions to end homelessness and included

$3.213 billion, a 6.6 percent increase, for Homeless Assistance Grants. This includes:

$2.8 billion to fully meet the Continuum of Care program’s renewal need.

• $290 million for Emergency Solutions Grants.

• $107 million for new investments to support homeless youth, including a $25 million increase targeted to improving coordination across local systems serving homeless youth.

• $52 million for new rapid rehousing projects that serve victims and survivors of domestic violence.

Climate Change and the Environment: The climate crisis poses a significant threat to human health and the environment. After four years of denial and inaction by the Trump administration,

Democrats included significant new funding to mitigate and adapt to the threat of climate change. The bill includes:

• $3.2 billion – a historic level of funding and a 12 percent increase – for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) to support vehicle technologies, wind power, solar energy, weatherization assistance programs, and renewable grid integration.

• $2.94 billion at the Department of Energy to support research, development, and demonstration of cybersecurity, grid innovation, and carbon-free power sources keeping the United States at the forefront of energy innovation.

• $1.903 billion to the Department of Transportation to mitigate the effects of climate change in our transportation system.

• $1.234 billion for the new Carbon Reduction program to help reduce transportation related greenhouse gas emissions.

• $425 million for the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) clean air programs to tackle the existential threat of climate change and address the continuing burden of harmful air pollution on communities across the country.

• $92 million for diesel emission clean up grants that take high polluting diesel engines off the streets and out of communities.

• $31.97 million for Tribal Climate Resiliency funding through Bureau of Indian Affairs to help Tribal communities address and prepare for the effects of climate change.

• $2.7 billion for State Revolving Loan funds to build climate resilient water infrastructure and address other priority water challenges.

• $1.23 billion for EPA’s Superfund program to create jobs and protect the public by cleaning up hazardous waste sites and $46 million for brownfield grants that tackle contaminated properties and power local economic growth.

• $5.877 billion, an 8 percent increase, for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric&nbsp;Administration (NOAA) for, among other things, climate modeling and prediction and helping communities adapt to a change climate. This amount includes a more than $40 million increase for various NOAA climate-related projects and programs, such as $18 million for climate research and $6.25 million for offshore wind permitting and expansion.

• $41.5 million, a 24 percent increase, for the Assistance to Coal Communities Program within the Economic Development Administration at the Department of Commerce to support communities transitioning away from coal-fired power plants.

• $587 million in EPA geographic programs to restore and build the resilience of priority waterbodies across the country through community-led initiatives.

$100 million for environmental justice programs at the Environmental Protection Agency, a transformational expansion of the current $12 million program to better address the disproportionate impacts of pollution on communities of color and lowincome communities.

• $100 million for Military Installation Resilience to enable the Department of Defense to address infrastructure needs to prepare for and address current and future risks from climate change.

Supporting Our Veterans and Investing in Our Troops: Congressional . The bill includes:

• $97.5 billion, an 8.7 percent increase, for VA Medical Care to provide essential health services for 9.2 million veterans, including funds for rural health programs, veterans’ homelessness prevention, and mental health.

• $1.44 billion to support troop housing projects, child development centers, and the construction, renovation, and repair of public schools on military instillations.

• $278.1 million for housing and rental assistance.

• $119.6 million in food assistance to support service members and their families struggling to put food on the table.

Investing in Science, Research, and Development: Congress secured historic increases for science, research, and development. Investing in science is investing in innovation and our country’s competitive advantage. The bill includes:

• $1 billion to launch the Advanced Research Projects for Health, the President’s bold and promising proposal to accelerate the pace of breakthroughs in medicine.

• $351 million increase for the National Science Foundation – the largest increase in 12 years– for a total funding level of $8.84 billion. This includes $900 million for climate and clean energy research, a $45 million increase. NSF is the funding source for approximately 25 percent of all federally supported basic research conducted by

America’s colleges and universities

• $7.475 billion, a 6 percent increase, for the Department of Energy Office of Science to advance the highest priorities to maintain U.S. scientific leadership. The Office of Science is the largest federal sponsor of basic research in the physical sciences.

• $44.959 billion for the National Institutes of Health, an increase of $2.25 billion or 5.3 percent to advance science and speed the development of new therapies, diagnostics and preventive measures.

Strengthening Police-Community Relations and Supporting Law Enforcement:&nbsp; The bill includes: $201 million, a 31 percent increase, for State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance and Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant programs, including funding for de-escalation, implicit bias, duty to intervene training, and crisis intervention teams.

• $3.88 billion, a 15 percent increase, in DOJ grants to state and local law enforcement and communities to prevent and respond to crime.

o The Byrne-JAG program is funded at $674.5 million, with $382 million, a 6 percent increase, being released to support state, local, Tribal, and territorial criminal justice systems.

o COPS Hiring grants are funded at $246 million, which will place approximately 1,700 more police officers on the streets of our communities.

o Funding is also included for programs that support training for officers to properly handle interactions with individuals who have mental illness or a disability ($10 million), officer mental health and wellness ($8 million), the purchase of body cameras ($35 million) and bulletproof vests ($30 million), and rural law enforcement needs ($8 million).

Opioids &amp; Substance Misuse The United States reached new records in the number of drug overdose fatalities during the COVID-19 pandemic with more than 100,000 lives lost to drug overdoses between April 2020 and April 2021. Democrats are committed to ending the scourge of opioid and substance abuse and bill includes important investments to address the nation’s substance misuse crisis, including:

• $4.2 billion, a 9 percent increase, across the Department of Health and Human Services to address opioid abuse.

• $1.525 billion for the State Opioid Response Grant program.

• $50 million increase for the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant.

• $101 million, a nearly 11 percent increase, for medication assisted treatment.

• $490 million for opioid overdose surveillance and prevention at CDC.

• $80 million to address the needs of children affected by the opioid crisis.

• $135 million targeted to help affected rural communities.

Mental Health: Mental health care is health care, and Congress secured significant new investments to improve mental health access and the nation’s system of crisis care. These investments include:

• $101.6 million – a $77.6 million increase – for the Suicide Prevention Lifeline to successfully transition to 988.

• $315 million, a $65 million increase, for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics.

• $857.6 million, a 13.2 percent increase, for the Mental Health Block Grant, which continues a 5 percent set aside for states to create crisis care programs.

• $10 million for a new grant program to improve mental health crisis care responses.

• $10 million, a $2 million increase, for infant and early childhood mental health.

• $120 million, a $13 million increase, for Project AWARE, which will expand efforts to identify and help children and youth in need of mental health care.

• $111 million, a $90 million increase, for Department of Education programs designed to increase the availability of mental health services in schools.

Support for Tribes: The bill provides an increase of more than $500 million for the Indian Health Service and tribal programs in the Department of the Interior and additional clean energy funding at the Department of Energy including:

• $4.66 billion, an 8.3 percent increase, for tribal health services, including mental health and suicide prevention.

• $25 million, a 25 percent increase, to address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women cases in Indian Country.

• $7 million in new funding for an Indian Boarding School initiative to conduct a comprehensive review of the troubled legacy of federal boarding school policies.

• $58 million, a 164 percent increase for the Indian Energy Policy and Programs at the Department of Energy, to help deploy clean energy across Indian Country.

Addressing Food Insecurity: More than 38 million people, including 12 million children, in the United States are food insecure. Congressional Democrats fought to secure new resources to help American families put food on the table and ensure that over 4 million low income women and children do not see their benefits reduced at the end of April. The bill includes:

• An extension of the WIC Cash Value Voucher program, a special $35 monthly benefit for purchasing fruits and vegetables that would have expired in April.

• $6 billion for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), which supported 6.2 million low-income women, infants and children younger than five per month in fiscal year 2020.

• $140.4 billion, a 23 percent increase, for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). SNAP provides a lifeline to more than 40 million people every year.

• $26.8 billion, a 7 percent increase, for Child Nutrition Programs.

Public Health and Preparedness: As a nation, we were unprepared for the COVID-19 pandemic. Decades of underinvestment in public health infrastructure and erosion of the public health workforce contributed to the pandemic’s heavy toll. To ensure we are prepared for the next public health crisis, Democrats secured new and historic investments in rebuilding our public health infrastructure and key investments in our preparedness and response capabilities.

The bill also includes $1 billion to launch the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, the President’s bold and promising proposal to accelerate the pace of breakthroughs in medicine.

• 7 percent increase for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with new, flexible funding for CDC to support our public health infrastructure and strengthen state and local governments’ infrastructure and capacity to respond to emerging public health threats.

• 19.8 percent increase for the Strategic National Stockpile that will allow us to maintain an inventory of supplies and a modern distribution model to ensure readiness for a future pandemic.

24.8 percent increase for the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to support novel vaccine, therapeutic, and diagnostic platforms that will enable quicker, more effective public health and medical responses to detect and respond to infectious diseases and health emergencies.

• 5.3 percent increase for the National Institutes of Health, with this investment Congress has increased funding for NIH over the past seven years.

Wildland Fire and Fire Prevention: Increasingly intense wildfires have destroyed communities across the country. Democrats secured funding to combat these wildfires and prevent them in the first place. This funding includes:

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671640779259.png" alt="Senator Rand Paul with the&nbsp;4,155 page bill that nobody read before the vote." />
 <figcaption>Senator Rand Paul with the&nbsp;4,155 page bill that nobody read before the vote.</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Omni%20Dem%20Highlight.pdf">The legislation includes the following,</a> according to the Senate Appropriations Committee.Support for Public Schools: Congress secured historic levels of funding to support public school teachers and students and invest in our children’s future. The bill includes:• $17.5 billion, the largest increase in more than a decade, for Title I-A grants to local educational agencies to support student achievement, including through preschool programs for eligible children.• $14.2 billion, a $433 million increase, for special education state grant programs that support services to nearly 9 million students and children with a disability.• $75 million, double the funding from last year, for Full Community Services Schools, which integrate student supports and family engagement to improved student attendance.• $1.29 billion, an increase of $30 million, for 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, which serves 1.6 million students across the country.College Access, Affordability, and Completion: Affordable access to higher education is a pillar to achieving the American dream and essential to driving our economy forward in the 21st century. The bill includes:• $400 increase in the maximum Pell grant award, the largest increase in more than adecade, which will help 7 million students pursue a postsecondary education.• $1.1 billion, an increase of $40 million, for TRIO, which helps more than 800,000 lowincome individuals, first generation college students, and individuals with disabilities prepare for and get into college and succeed when they’re there.• $378 million, an increase of $10 million for GEAR UP, which helps almost 600,000 lowincome students beginning in middle school and through high school prepare for a postsecondary education.$65 million, an increase of $10 million, for the Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) program to increase access to affordable and convenient child care options for student parents.• $885 million, an increase of $96 million, for a programs to strengthen HBCUs, MSI, and other historically under-resourced institutions of higher education serving a high percentage of low-income students.Making Housing More Affordable and Safe: Democrats included critical resources to expand opportunities for affordable housing and provide assistance to families struggling to avoid unsafe housing conditions or from falling into homelessness. In addition to providing the resources to preserve rental assistance to the more than 5 million HUD-assisted, low-income households amid significant rent increases, the bill includes:• $280 million for 32,800 new housing vouchers.• $3.2 billion, a 16 percent increase, for public housing capital formula funds.• $350 million, a 75 percent increase, for Choice Neighborhoods.• $1.5 billion, an 11 percent increase and the highest level of funding provided in the past decade, for new affordable housing production through the HOME program.• $4.8 billion for community and economic development.• More than $1 billion, a 21 percent increase, for Housing for the Elderly.• $352 million, a 55 percent increase, for Housing for Persons Disabilities.• More than $1 billion, a 24 percent increase, for Native community housing programs.• $415 million, a 15 percent increase, for the Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes to address lead-based paint and other environmental hazards in low-income and HUD-assisted housing.• $489 million, a $24 million increase, for the Legal Services Corporation, which provides civil legal assistance to low-income persons including those involved in housing and foreclosure cases.Child Care and Early Child Education: Any young family understands that the cost of child care is far too high and the pandemic forced millions of women to leave the workforce because they could not afford child care. Democrats secured strong support to lower the cost of child care, including:• $11.036 billion, a $288.7 million increase, for Head Start. This increase will allow a cost-of-living adjustment for Head Start teachers and staff, and includes quality improvement funding to help Head Start programs recruit and retain teachers.• $6.165 billion, a 4.4 percent increase, for the Child Care and Development Block Grant. Particularly as the pandemic has upended child care for many working parents, the increase will help ensure families have access to high-quality, affordable care for their children.Preventing Homelessness for Vulnerable Households: More than 580,000 people experienced homelessness in the United States on a single night in 2020. Democrats are committed to helping communities design and implement local solutions to end homelessness and included$3.213 billion, a 6.6 percent increase, for Homeless Assistance Grants. This includes:$2.8 billion to fully meet the Continuum of Care program’s renewal need.• $290 million for Emergency Solutions Grants.• $107 million for new investments to support homeless youth, including a $25 million increase targeted to improving coordination across local systems serving homeless youth.• $52 million for new rapid rehousing projects that serve victims and survivors of domestic violence.Climate Change and the Environment: The climate crisis poses a significant threat to human health and the environment. After four years of denial and inaction by the Trump administration,Democrats included significant new funding to mitigate and adapt to the threat of climate change. The bill includes:• $3.2 billion – a historic level of funding and a 12 percent increase – for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) to support vehicle technologies, wind power, solar energy, weatherization assistance programs, and renewable grid integration.• $2.94 billion at the Department of Energy to support research, development, and demonstration of cybersecurity, grid innovation, and carbon-free power sources keeping the United States at the forefront of energy innovation.• $1.903 billion to the Department of Transportation to mitigate the effects of climate change in our transportation system.• $1.234 billion for the new Carbon Reduction program to help reduce transportation related greenhouse gas emissions.• $425 million for the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) clean air programs to tackle the existential threat of climate change and address the continuing burden of harmful air pollution on communities across the country.• $92 million for diesel emission clean up grants that take high polluting diesel engines off the streets and out of communities.• $31.97 million for Tribal Climate Resiliency funding through Bureau of Indian Affairs to help Tribal communities address and prepare for the effects of climate change.• $2.7 billion for State Revolving Loan funds to build climate resilient water infrastructure and address other priority water challenges.• $1.23 billion for EPA’s Superfund program to create jobs and protect the public by cleaning up hazardous waste sites and $46 million for brownfield grants that tackle contaminated properties and power local economic growth.• $5.877 billion, an 8 percent increase, for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric&nbsp;Administration (NOAA) for, among other things, climate modeling and prediction and helping communities adapt to a change climate. This amount includes a more than $40 million increase for various NOAA climate-related projects and programs, such as $18 million for climate research and $6.25 million for offshore wind permitting and expansion.• $41.5 million, a 24 percent increase, for the Assistance to Coal Communities Program within the Economic Development Administration at the Department of Commerce to support communities transitioning away from coal-fired power plants.• $587 million in EPA geographic programs to restore and build the resilience of priority waterbodies across the country through community-led initiatives.$100 million for environmental justice programs at the Environmental Protection Agency, a transformational expansion of the current $12 million program to better address the disproportionate impacts of pollution on communities of color and lowincome communities.• $100 million for Military Installation Resilience to enable the Department of Defense to address infrastructure needs to prepare for and address current and future risks from climate change.Supporting Our Veterans and Investing in Our Troops: Congressional . The bill includes:• $97.5 billion, an 8.7 percent increase, for VA Medical Care to provide essential health services for 9.2 million veterans, including funds for rural health programs, veterans’ homelessness prevention, and mental health.• $1.44 billion to support troop housing projects, child development centers, and the construction, renovation, and repair of public schools on military instillations.• $278.1 million for housing and rental assistance.• $119.6 million in food assistance to support service members and their families struggling to put food on the table.Investing in Science, Research, and Development: Congress secured historic increases for science, research, and development. Investing in science is investing in innovation and our country’s competitive advantage. The bill includes:• $1 billion to launch the Advanced Research Projects for Health, the President’s bold and promising proposal to accelerate the pace of breakthroughs in medicine.• $351 million increase for the National Science Foundation – the largest increase in 12 years– for a total funding level of $8.84 billion. This includes $900 million for climate and clean energy research, a $45 million increase. NSF is the funding source for approximately 25 percent of all federally supported basic research conducted byAmerica’s colleges and universities• $7.475 billion, a 6 percent increase, for the Department of Energy Office of Science to advance the highest priorities to maintain U.S. scientific leadership. The Office of Science is the largest federal sponsor of basic research in the physical sciences.• $44.959 billion for the National Institutes of Health, an increase of $2.25 billion or 5.3 percent to advance science and speed the development of new therapies, diagnostics and preventive measures.Strengthening Police-Community Relations and Supporting Law Enforcement:&nbsp; The bill includes: $201 million, a 31 percent increase, for State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance and Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant programs, including funding for de-escalation, implicit bias, duty to intervene training, and crisis intervention teams.• $3.88 billion, a 15 percent increase, in DOJ grants to state and local law enforcement and communities to prevent and respond to crime.o The Byrne-JAG program is funded at $674.5 million, with $382 million, a 6 percent increase, being released to support state, local, Tribal, and territorial criminal justice systems.o COPS Hiring grants are funded at $246 million, which will place approximately 1,700 more police officers on the streets of our communities.o Funding is also included for programs that support training for officers to properly handle interactions with individuals who have mental illness or a disability ($10 million), officer mental health and wellness ($8 million), the purchase of body cameras ($35 million) and bulletproof vests ($30 million), and rural law enforcement needs ($8 million).Opioids &amp; Substance Misuse The United States reached new records in the number of drug overdose fatalities during the COVID-19 pandemic with more than 100,000 lives lost to drug overdoses between April 2020 and April 2021. Democrats are committed to ending the scourge of opioid and substance abuse and bill includes important investments to address the nation’s substance misuse crisis, including:• $4.2 billion, a 9 percent increase, across the Department of Health and Human Services to address opioid abuse.• $1.525 billion for the State Opioid Response Grant program.• $50 million increase for the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant.• $101 million, a nearly 11 percent increase, for medication assisted treatment.• $490 million for opioid overdose surveillance and prevention at CDC.• $80 million to address the needs of children affected by the opioid crisis.• $135 million targeted to help affected rural communities.Mental Health: Mental health care is health care, and Congress secured significant new investments to improve mental health access and the nation’s system of crisis care. These investments include:• $101.6 million – a $77.6 million increase – for the Suicide Prevention Lifeline to successfully transition to 988.• $315 million, a $65 million increase, for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics.• $857.6 million, a 13.2 percent increase, for the Mental Health Block Grant, which continues a 5 percent set aside for states to create crisis care programs.• $10 million for a new grant program to improve mental health crisis care responses.• $10 million, a $2 million increase, for infant and early childhood mental health.• $120 million, a $13 million increase, for Project AWARE, which will expand efforts to identify and help children and youth in need of mental health care.• $111 million, a $90 million increase, for Department of Education programs designed to increase the availability of mental health services in schools.Support for Tribes: The bill provides an increase of more than $500 million for the Indian Health Service and tribal programs in the Department of the Interior and additional clean energy funding at the Department of Energy including:• $4.66 billion, an 8.3 percent increase, for tribal health services, including mental health and suicide prevention.• $25 million, a 25 percent increase, to address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women cases in Indian Country.• $7 million in new funding for an Indian Boarding School initiative to conduct a comprehensive review of the troubled legacy of federal boarding school policies.• $58 million, a 164 percent increase for the Indian Energy Policy and Programs at the Department of Energy, to help deploy clean energy across Indian Country.Addressing Food Insecurity: More than 38 million people, including 12 million children, in the United States are food insecure. Congressional Democrats fought to secure new resources to help American families put food on the table and ensure that over 4 million low income women and children do not see their benefits reduced at the end of April. The bill includes:• An extension of the WIC Cash Value Voucher program, a special $35 monthly benefit for purchasing fruits and vegetables that would have expired in April.• $6 billion for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), which supported 6.2 million low-income women, infants and children younger than five per month in fiscal year 2020.• $140.4 billion, a 23 percent increase, for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). SNAP provides a lifeline to more than 40 million people every year.• $26.8 billion, a 7 percent increase, for Child Nutrition Programs.Public Health and Preparedness: As a nation, we were unprepared for the COVID-19 pandemic. Decades of underinvestment in public health infrastructure and erosion of the public health workforce contributed to the pandemic’s heavy toll. To ensure we are prepared for the next public health crisis, Democrats secured new and historic investments in rebuilding our public health infrastructure and key investments in our preparedness and response capabilities.The bill also includes $1 billion to launch the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, the President’s bold and promising proposal to accelerate the pace of breakthroughs in medicine.Other funding increases include:• 7 percent increase for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with new, flexible funding for CDC to support our public health infrastructure and strengthen state and local governments’ infrastructure and capacity to respond to emerging public health threats.• 19.8 percent increase for the Strategic National Stockpile that will allow us to maintain an inventory of supplies and a modern distribution model to ensure readiness for a future pandemic.24.8 percent increase for the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to support novel vaccine, therapeutic, and diagnostic platforms that will enable quicker, more effective public health and medical responses to detect and respond to infectious diseases and health emergencies.• 5.3 percent increase for the National Institutes of Health, with this investment Congress has increased funding for NIH over the past seven years.Wildland Fire and Fire Prevention: Increasingly intense wildfires have destroyed communities across the country. Democrats secured funding to combat these wildfires and prevent them in the first place. This funding includes:• $5.7 billion, a 5.5 percent increase, for the Forest Service to radically improve forest restoration and fire risk reduction efforts and to increase year-round staffing to carry out this work.• $2.45 billion for the Wildfire Suppression Operations Reserve Fund.Rebuilding our Highways and Implementing the IIJA: Congress&nbsp;built on the historic investments included in the bipartisan infrastructure law to rebuild our nation’s crumbling infrastructure and the roads, highways and bridges that connect our communities. These investments include:• $60.657 billion, an $11.5 billion increase, for Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) activities.

What's in the $1.7 trillion spending bill congress approved

CINCINNATI (AP) — Buffalo defensive back Damar Hamlin was in critical condition early Tuesday after the Bills say he suffered a cardiac arrest on the field following a tackle hours earlier, leading to the indefinite postponement of Buffalo's pivotal Monday night showdown against the Cincinnati Bengals.

“Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest following a hit in our game versus the Bengals. His heartbeat was restored on the field and he was transferred to the UC Medical Center for further testing and treatment,” the Bills said in a statement. “He is currently sedated and listed in critical condition.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/damar-hamlin">In a chilling scene</a>, Hamlin was administered CPR on the field, ESPN reported, while surrounded by teammates, some of them in tears, while they shielded him from public view. He was hurt while tackling Bengals receiver Tee Higgins on a seemingly routine play that didn't appear unusually violent.

The NFL announced Hamlin's condition shortly after he was taken to a hospital, but neither the league nor the hospital released any other details about the 24-year-old's medical condition. The team's statement was released before its flight arrived back in Buffalo early Tuesday. There was no immediate update about the future status of the game.

On the play the 6-foot, 200-pound Hamlin was injured, Higgins led with his right shoulder, which hit the defensive back in the chest. Hamlin then wrapped his arms around Higgins' shoulders and helmet to drag him down. Hamlin quickly got to his feet, appeared to adjust his face mask with his right hand, and then fell backward about three seconds later and lay motionless.

Hamlin was treated on the field by team and independent medical personnel and local paramedics, and he was taken by ambulance to University of Cincinnati Medical Center. Teammate Stefon Diggs later joined Hamlin at the hospital.

About 100 Bills fans and a few Bengals fans gathered on a corner one block from the emergency room entrance, some of them holding candles.

Jeff Miller, an NFL executive vice president, told reporters on a conference call early Tuesday that the league had made no plans at this time to play the game, adding that Hamlin's health was the main focus.

An ambulance was on the field four minutes after Hamlin collapsed while many players embraced, including quarterbacks Buffalo’s Josh Allen and Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow.

“Please pray for our brother,”&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/JoshAllenQB/status/1610128591458652160">Allen tweeted</a>.

Hamlin collapsed at 8:55 p.m., and when he was taken off the field about 19 minutes later in what seemed like an eternity, the Bills gathered in prayer. A few minutes after the ambulance left the field, the game was suspended, and players walked off the field slowly and into their locker rooms where they awaited word on Hamlin and the game.

“I’ve never seen anything like it since I was playing,” NFL executive Troy Vincent, a six-time Pro Bowl cornerback during his career, said in the conference call early Tuesday morning. “Immediately, my player hat went on, like, how do you resume playing after seeing a traumatic event in front of you?”

Hamlin’s uniform was cut off as he was attended to by medical personnel. ESPN reported on its telecast that Hamlin was also given oxygen.

Vincent said the league took no steps toward restarting the game and did not ask players to begin a five-minute warmup period as ESPN's broadcasters had announced.

“It never crossed our mind to talk about warming up to resume play," Vincent said. "That’s ridiculous. That’s insensitive. That’s not a place we should ever be in.”

Vincent said the Bills were returning early Tuesday morning to the team facility in Orchard Park, New York, with the exception of a few players who stayed behind with Hamlin.

There was a heavy police presence at Buffalo Niagara International Airport when the team arrived at about 2:45 a.m. A small group of fans gathered across the street from the players' parking area near the airport. Police blocked off the road to allow the players to leave.

The Bengals led 7-3 in the first quarter of a game between teams vying for the top playoff seed in the AFC. Cincinnati entered at 11-4 and leading the AFC North by one game over Baltimore, while AFC East champion Buffalo was 12-3.

“The NFLPA and everyone in our community is praying for Damar Hamlin,” the players' union said in a statement. “We have been in touch with Bills and Bengals players, and with the NFL. The only thing that matters at this moment is Damar’s health and well being.”

The unfinished game has major playoff implications as the NFL enters the final week of the regular season, with the wild-card playoff round scheduled to begin on Jan. 14.

The aftermath of the injury was reminiscent of when Bills tight end Kevin Everett lay motionless on the field after making a tackle on the second-half opening kickoff in Buffalo’s 2007 season-opening game against the Denver Broncos.

Everett sustained a spinal cord injury that initially left him partially paralyzed.

Hamlin spent five years of college at Pittsburgh — his hometown — and appeared in 48 games for the Panthers over that span. He was a second-team All-ACC performer as a senior, was voted a team captain and was picked to play in the Senior Bowl.

He was drafted in the sixth round by the Bills in 2021, played in 14 games as a rookie and then became a starter this year once Micah Hyde was lost for the season to injury.

By late Monday night,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/mxksc-the-chasing-ms-foundation-community-toy-drive">a community toy drive organized by Hamlin</a>&nbsp;had surged to more than $1.2 million in donations. His stated goal was $2,500.

Kathryn Bersani and her mother, Gayle, were among the Bills fans who traveled from Buffalo for the game and went to the hospital from the stadium.

“This is our family Christmas,” Kathryn Bersani said. "We thought it would be a great game. Joe (Burrow) and Josh (Allen) are such great men. Sad, sad time. Such a shock. I just hope he can live a normal life. It stunned us.”

Chuck and Janet Kohl went to the hospital after watching the game at home.

“This is much more important than football,” Chuck Kohl said. “Had to come and pray for Mr. Hamlin.”

Entering the game, Hamlin had 91 tackles, including 63 solo tackles, and 1 1/2 sacks.

A tweet from the Pitt football account was simple and clear: “Damar Hamlin is the best of us. We love you, 3,” the tweet said, referring to Hamlin by his college jersey number. “Praying for you.”

CINCINNATI (AP) — Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field Monday night and was administered CPR before being driven to a hospital, where the NFL said he was in critical condition, and Buffalo's game against the Cincinnati Bengals was suspended for the night.

The NFL announced just over an hour after the injury that the game would not resume. When or if the teams would return to the field was not immediately clear.

“Our thoughts are with Damar and the Buffalo Bills. We will provide more information as it becomes available,” the league said in a statement. “The NFL has been in constant communication with the NFL Players Association which is in agreement with postponing the game.”

Hamlin collided with Bengals receiver Tee Higgins after a completion in what appeared to be a routine, if violent, tackle. He got to his feet, appeared to adjust his face mask with his right hand, and then fell backward about three seconds later and lay motionless.

Hamlin was treated on the field by team and independent medical personnel and local paramedics, the NFL said. He was surrounded by stunned players from both teams.

An ambulance was on the field four minutes after Hamlin collapsed, with many players in tears, including cornerback Tre’Davious White. The quarterbacks — Buffalo’s Josh Allen and Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow — embraced.

Hamlin collapsed at 8:55 p.m., and when he was taken off the field 16 minutes later, the Bills gathered in prayer. He was driven to University of Cincinnati Medical Center. Five minutes after the ambulance departed, the game was suspended, and players walked off the field slowly and into their locker rooms.

Hamlin's uniform was cut off and he appeared to be getting CPR from medical personnel. ESPN reported on its telecast that Hamlin was also given oxygen.

“No one’s been through this,” longtime NFL quarterback Troy Aikman said on the ESPN telecast. “I’ve never seen anything like it, either.”

The 24-year-old Hamlin spent five years of college at Pitt — his hometown — and appeared in 48 games for the Panthers over that span. He was a second-team All-ACC performer as a senior, was voted a team captain and was picked to play in the Senior Bowl.

Entering the game, the 6-foot, 200-pound Hamlin had 91 tackles, including 63 solo tackles, and 1 1/2 sacks.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1672714269393.png" alt="Damar Hamlin photo courtesy Buffalo Bills" />
 <figcaption>Damar Hamlin photo courtesy Buffalo Bills</figcaption>
 </figure>CINCINNATI (AP) — Buffalo defensive back Damar Hamlin was in critical condition early Tuesday after the Bills say he suffered a cardiac arrest on the field following a tackle hours earlier, leading to the indefinite postponement of Buffalo's pivotal Monday night showdown against the Cincinnati Bengals.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest following a hit in our game versus the Bengals. His heartbeat was restored on the field and he was transferred to the UC Medical Center for further testing and treatment. He is currently sedated and listed in critical condition.&mdash; Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) <a href="https://twitter.com/BuffaloBills/status/1610166228559052801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest following a hit in our game versus the Bengals. His heartbeat was restored on the field and he was transferred to the UC Medical Center for further testing and treatment,” the Bills said in a statement. “He is currently sedated and listed in critical condition.”<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/damar-hamlin">In a chilling scene</a>, Hamlin was administered CPR on the field, ESPN reported, while surrounded by teammates, some of them in tears, while they shielded him from public view. He was hurt while tackling Bengals receiver Tee Higgins on a seemingly routine play that didn't appear unusually violent.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/Q5xPxUZpxH">pic.twitter.com/Q5xPxUZpxH</a>&mdash; NFL (@NFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1610111462281994241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The NFL announced Hamlin's condition shortly after he was taken to a hospital, but neither the league nor the hospital released any other details about the 24-year-old's medical condition. The team's statement was released before its flight arrived back in Buffalo early Tuesday. There was no immediate update about the future status of the game.On the play the 6-foot, 200-pound Hamlin was injured, Higgins led with his right shoulder, which hit the defensive back in the chest. Hamlin then wrapped his arms around Higgins' shoulders and helmet to drag him down. Hamlin quickly got to his feet, appeared to adjust his face mask with his right hand, and then fell backward about three seconds later and lay motionless.Hamlin was treated on the field by team and independent medical personnel and local paramedics, and he was taken by ambulance to University of Cincinnati Medical Center. Teammate Stefon Diggs later joined Hamlin at the hospital.About 100 Bills fans and a few Bengals fans gathered on a corner one block from the emergency room entrance, some of them holding candles.Jeff Miller, an NFL executive vice president, told reporters on a conference call early Tuesday that the league had made no plans at this time to play the game, adding that Hamlin's health was the main focus.An ambulance was on the field four minutes after Hamlin collapsed while many players embraced, including quarterbacks Buffalo’s Josh Allen and Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow.“Please pray for our brother,”&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/JoshAllenQB/status/1610128591458652160">Allen tweeted</a>.Hamlin collapsed at 8:55 p.m., and when he was taken off the field about 19 minutes later in what seemed like an eternity, the Bills gathered in prayer. A few minutes after the ambulance left the field, the game was suspended, and players walked off the field slowly and into their locker rooms where they awaited word on Hamlin and the game.“I’ve never seen anything like it since I was playing,” NFL executive Troy Vincent, a six-time Pro Bowl cornerback during his career, said in the conference call early Tuesday morning. “Immediately, my player hat went on, like, how do you resume playing after seeing a traumatic event in front of you?”Hamlin’s uniform was cut off as he was attended to by medical personnel. ESPN reported on its telecast that Hamlin was also given oxygen.Vincent said the league took no steps toward restarting the game and did not ask players to begin a five-minute warmup period as ESPN's broadcasters had announced.“It never crossed our mind to talk about warming up to resume play," Vincent said. "That’s ridiculous. That’s insensitive. That’s not a place we should ever be in.”Vincent said the Bills were returning early Tuesday morning to the team facility in Orchard Park, New York, with the exception of a few players who stayed behind with Hamlin.There was a heavy police presence at Buffalo Niagara International Airport when the team arrived at about 2:45 a.m. A small group of fans gathered across the street from the players' parking area near the airport. Police blocked off the road to allow the players to leave.The Bengals led 7-3 in the first quarter of a game between teams vying for the top playoff seed in the AFC. Cincinnati entered at 11-4 and leading the AFC North by one game over Baltimore, while AFC East champion Buffalo was 12-3.“The NFLPA and everyone in our community is praying for Damar Hamlin,” the players' union said in a statement. “We have been in touch with Bills and Bengals players, and with the NFL. The only thing that matters at this moment is Damar’s health and well being.”The unfinished game has major playoff implications as the NFL enters the final week of the regular season, with the wild-card playoff round scheduled to begin on Jan. 14.The aftermath of the injury was reminiscent of when Bills tight end Kevin Everett lay motionless on the field after making a tackle on the second-half opening kickoff in Buffalo’s 2007 season-opening game against the Denver Broncos.Everett sustained a spinal cord injury that initially left him partially paralyzed.Hamlin spent five years of college at Pittsburgh — his hometown — and appeared in 48 games for the Panthers over that span. He was a second-team All-ACC performer as a senior, was voted a team captain and was picked to play in the Senior Bowl.He was drafted in the sixth round by the Bills in 2021, played in 14 games as a rookie and then became a starter this year once Micah Hyde was lost for the season to injury.By late Monday night,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/mxksc-the-chasing-ms-foundation-community-toy-drive">a community toy drive organized by Hamlin</a>&nbsp;had surged to more than $1.2 million in donations. His stated goal was $2,500.Kathryn Bersani and her mother, Gayle, were among the Bills fans who traveled from Buffalo for the game and went to the hospital from the stadium.“This is our family Christmas,” Kathryn Bersani said. "We thought it would be a great game. Joe (Burrow) and Josh (Allen) are such great men. Sad, sad time. Such a shock. I just hope he can live a normal life. It stunned us.”Chuck and Janet Kohl went to the hospital after watching the game at home.“This is much more important than football,” Chuck Kohl said. “Had to come and pray for Mr. Hamlin.”Entering the game, Hamlin had 91 tackles, including 63 solo tackles, and 1 1/2 sacks.A tweet from the Pitt football account was simple and clear: “Damar Hamlin is the best of us. We love you, 3,” the tweet said, referring to Hamlin by his college jersey number. “Praying for you.”---------------CINCINNATI (AP) — Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field Monday night and was administered CPR before being driven to a hospital, where the NFL said he was in critical condition, and Buffalo's game against the Cincinnati Bengals was suspended for the night.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/Q5xPxUZpxH">pic.twitter.com/Q5xPxUZpxH</a>&mdash; NFL (@NFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1610111462281994241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The NFL announced just over an hour after the injury that the game would not resume. When or if the teams would return to the field was not immediately clear.“Our thoughts are with Damar and the Buffalo Bills. We will provide more information as it becomes available,” the league said in a statement. “The NFL has been in constant communication with the NFL Players Association which is in agreement with postponing the game.”Hamlin collided with Bengals receiver Tee Higgins after a completion in what appeared to be a routine, if violent, tackle. He got to his feet, appeared to adjust his face mask with his right hand, and then fell backward about three seconds later and lay motionless.Hamlin was treated on the field by team and independent medical personnel and local paramedics, the NFL said. He was surrounded by stunned players from both teams.An ambulance was on the field four minutes after Hamlin collapsed, with many players in tears, including cornerback Tre’Davious White. The quarterbacks — Buffalo’s Josh Allen and Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow — embraced.Hamlin collapsed at 8:55 p.m., and when he was taken off the field 16 minutes later, the Bills gathered in prayer. He was driven to University of Cincinnati Medical Center. Five minutes after the ambulance departed, the game was suspended, and players walked off the field slowly and into their locker rooms.Hamlin's uniform was cut off and he appeared to be getting CPR from medical personnel. ESPN reported on its telecast that Hamlin was also given oxygen.“No one’s been through this,” longtime NFL quarterback Troy Aikman said on the ESPN telecast. “I’ve never seen anything like it, either.”The Bengals led 7-3 in the first quarter of a game between teams vying for the top playoff seed in the AFC. Cincinnati entered at 11-4 and leading the AFC North by one game over Baltimore, while AFC East champion Buffalo was 12-3.The aftermath of the injury was reminiscent of when Bills tight end Kevin Everett lay motionless on the field after making a tackle on the second-half opening kickoff in Buffalo’s 2007 season-opening game against the Denver Broncos.Everett sustained a spinal cord injury that initially left him partially paralyzed.The 24-year-old Hamlin spent five years of college at Pitt — his hometown — and appeared in 48 games for the Panthers over that span. He was a second-team All-ACC performer as a senior, was voted a team captain and was picked to play in the Senior Bowl.He was drafted in the sixth round by the Bills in 2021, played in 14 games as a rookie and then became a starter this year once Micah Hyde was lost for the season to injury.Entering the game, the 6-foot, 200-pound Hamlin had 91 tackles, including 63 solo tackles, and 1 1/2 sacks.A tweet from the Pitt football account was simple and clear: “Damar Hamlin is the best of us. We love you, 3,” the tweet said, referring to Hamlin by his college jersey number. “Praying for you.”

Cardiac arrest on field: Bills' Hamlin remains in critical condition 

WASHINGTON (AP) — With security threats to Supreme Court justices still fresh memories, Chief Justice John Roberts on Saturday praised programs that protect judges, saying that “we must support judges by ensuring their safety.”

Roberts and other conservative&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;justices were the subject of protests, some at their homes, after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-draft-opinion-07439f9fc4542f1500ab78dfd34036b1">May leak</a>&nbsp;of the court's decision that ultimately&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">stripped away constitutional protections for abortion</a>. Justice Samuel Alito has said that the leak made conservative justices&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-elena-kagan-samuel-alito-government-and-politics-10bf92ae6830573054da5f756a029d1c">“targets for assassination."</a>&nbsp;And in June, a man carrying a gun, knife and zip ties was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-brett-kavanaugh-district-of-columbia-maryland-government-and-politics-179d18e7f933b3decbaddb542ceb0b29">arrested near Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s house</a>&nbsp;after threatening to kill the justice, whose vote was key to overturning the court's Roe v. Wade decision.

Roberts, writing in an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/publicinfo/year-end/2022year-endreport.pdf">annual year-end report</a>&nbsp;about the federal judiciary, did not specifically mention the abortion decision, but the case and the reaction to it seemed clearly on his mind.

“Judicial opinions speak for themselves, and there is no obligation in our free country to agree with them. Indeed, we judges frequently dissent — sometimes strongly — from our colleagues’ opinions, and we explain why in public writings about the cases before us," Roberts wrote.

Polls following the abortion decision show public trust in the court is at historic lows. And two of Roberts' liberal colleagues who dissented in the abortion case,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-elena-kagan-government-and-politics-55227b14975d1c6266eab8712c0dd482">Justices Elena Kagan</a>&nbsp;and Sonia Sotomayor, have said the court needs to be concerned about overturning precedent and appearing political.

After the leak and threat to Kavanaugh, lawmakers passed legislation&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-biden-us-supreme-court-brett-kavanaugh-government-and-politics-d2507dd3b67efd64e52c2feab91b0eeb">increasing security protection</a>&nbsp;for the justices and their families. Separately, in December, lawmakers passed legislation protecting the personal information of federal judges including their addresses.

The law is named for the son of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas, 20-year-old Daniel Anderl, who was killed at the family's New Jersey home by a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shootings-us-news-ap-top-news-ca-state-wire-new-jersey-4dad37bb3ff60bfbde5bf75d369d8f96">man who previously had a case before her</a>.

Roberts thanked members of Congress "who are attending to judicial security needs.” And he said programs that protect judges are “essential to run a system of courts.”

In writing about judicial security, Roberts told the story of Judge Ronald N. Davies, who in September 1957 ordered the integration of Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas. Davies' decision followed the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education ruling that segregated schools were unconstitutional and rejected Arkansas Gov. Orval Faubus' attempt to stop school integration.

Davies “was physically threatened for following the law," but the judge was “uncowed," Roberts said.

“A judicial system cannot and should not live in fear. The events of Little Rock teach about the importance of rule by law instead of by mob,” he wrote.

Roberts noted that officials are currently working to replicate the courtroom Davies presided over in 1957. Roberts said the judge's bench used by Davies and other artifacts from the courtroom have been preserved and will be installed in the re-created courtroom in a federal courthouse in Little Rock "so that these important artifacts will be used to hold court once again."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1672235865420.png" alt="Supreme Court Credit: Fred Schilling, Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States" />
 <figcaption>Supreme Court Credit: Fred Schilling, Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — With security threats to Supreme Court justices still fresh memories, Chief Justice John Roberts on Saturday praised programs that protect judges, saying that “we must support judges by ensuring their safety.”Roberts and other conservative&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;justices were the subject of protests, some at their homes, after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-draft-opinion-07439f9fc4542f1500ab78dfd34036b1">May leak</a>&nbsp;of the court's decision that ultimately&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">stripped away constitutional protections for abortion</a>. Justice Samuel Alito has said that the leak made conservative justices&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-elena-kagan-samuel-alito-government-and-politics-10bf92ae6830573054da5f756a029d1c">“targets for assassination."</a>&nbsp;And in June, a man carrying a gun, knife and zip ties was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-brett-kavanaugh-district-of-columbia-maryland-government-and-politics-179d18e7f933b3decbaddb542ceb0b29">arrested near Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s house</a>&nbsp;after threatening to kill the justice, whose vote was key to overturning the court's Roe v. Wade decision.Roberts, writing in an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/publicinfo/year-end/2022year-endreport.pdf">annual year-end report</a>&nbsp;about the federal judiciary, did not specifically mention the abortion decision, but the case and the reaction to it seemed clearly on his mind.“Judicial opinions speak for themselves, and there is no obligation in our free country to agree with them. Indeed, we judges frequently dissent — sometimes strongly — from our colleagues’ opinions, and we explain why in public writings about the cases before us," Roberts wrote.Polls following the abortion decision show public trust in the court is at historic lows. And two of Roberts' liberal colleagues who dissented in the abortion case,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-elena-kagan-government-and-politics-55227b14975d1c6266eab8712c0dd482">Justices Elena Kagan</a>&nbsp;and Sonia Sotomayor, have said the court needs to be concerned about overturning precedent and appearing political.After the leak and threat to Kavanaugh, lawmakers passed legislation&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-biden-us-supreme-court-brett-kavanaugh-government-and-politics-d2507dd3b67efd64e52c2feab91b0eeb">increasing security protection</a>&nbsp;for the justices and their families. Separately, in December, lawmakers passed legislation protecting the personal information of federal judges including their addresses.The law is named for the son of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas, 20-year-old Daniel Anderl, who was killed at the family's New Jersey home by a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shootings-us-news-ap-top-news-ca-state-wire-new-jersey-4dad37bb3ff60bfbde5bf75d369d8f96">man who previously had a case before her</a>.Roberts thanked members of Congress "who are attending to judicial security needs.” And he said programs that protect judges are “essential to run a system of courts.”In writing about judicial security, Roberts told the story of Judge Ronald N. Davies, who in September 1957 ordered the integration of Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas. Davies' decision followed the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education ruling that segregated schools were unconstitutional and rejected Arkansas Gov. Orval Faubus' attempt to stop school integration.Davies “was physically threatened for following the law," but the judge was “uncowed," Roberts said.“A judicial system cannot and should not live in fear. The events of Little Rock teach about the importance of rule by law instead of by mob,” he wrote.Roberts noted that officials are currently working to replicate the courtroom Davies presided over in 1957. Roberts said the judge's bench used by Davies and other artifacts from the courtroom have been preserved and will be installed in the re-created courtroom in a federal courthouse in Little Rock "so that these important artifacts will be used to hold court once again."Before that happens, however, the judge's bench will be on display as part of an exhibit at the Supreme Court beginning in the fall and for the next several years, he said.“The exhibit will introduce visitors to how the system of federal courts works, to the history of racial segregation and desegregation in our country, and to Thurgood Marshall’s towering contributions as an advocate," Roberts said. Marshall, who argued Brown v. Board of Education, became the Supreme Court's first Black justice in 1967.The Supreme Court is still grappling with complicated issues involving race.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-ketanji-brown-jackson-us-supreme-court-college-admissions-affirmative-action-196ab930c799bcdc8b2a4a220641dd48">Two cases this term deal with affirmative action</a>, and the court's conservative majority is expected to use them to reverse decades of decisions that allow colleges to take account of race in admissions. In another case, the justices could&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-ketanji-brown-jackson-us-supreme-court-race-and-ethnicity-f274ce05a19da4a3d48648f82df174e2">weaken the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965</a>, the crown jewel of the civil rights movement.The justices will hear their first arguments of 2023 on Jan. 9.