NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. Roman Catholic Church used a special and unprecedented exemption from federal rules to amass at least $1.4 billion in taxpayer-backed coronavirus aid, with many millions going to dioceses that have paid huge settlements or sought bankruptcy protection because of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/TheReckoning">clergy sexual abuse cover-ups</a>.

The church’s haul may have reached -- or even exceeded -- $3.5 billion, making a global religious institution with more than a billion followers among the biggest winners in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/b483d9691de2b83a8b35951508c3b4d1">the U.S. government’s pandemic relief efforts</a>, an Associated Press analysis of federal data released this week found.

Houses of worship and faith-based organizations that promote religious beliefs aren’t usually eligible for money from the U.S. Small Business Administration. But as the economy plummeted and jobless rates soared, Congress let faith groups and other nonprofits tap into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/b0d2a36521f39010273317fa3562c2e4">the Paycheck Protection Program</a>, a $659 billion fund created to keep Main Street open and Americans employed.

By aggressively promoting the payroll program and marshaling resources to help affiliates navigate its shifting rules, Catholic dioceses, parishes, schools and other ministries have so far received approval for at least 3,500 forgivable loans, AP found.

The Archdiocese of New York, for example, received 15 loans worth at least $28 million just for its top executive offices. Its iconic St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Fifth Avenue was approved for at least $1 million.

In Orange County, California, where a sparkling glass cathedral estimated to cost over $70 million recently opened, diocesan officials working at the complex received four loans worth at least $3 million.

And elsewhere, a loan of at least $2 million went to the diocese covering Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia, where a church investigation revealed last year that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/2ff78299709e48dbb45b5e7283459df8">then-Bishop Michael Bransfield</a>&nbsp;embezzled funds and made sexual advances toward young priests.

Simply being eligible for low-interest loans was a new opportunity. But the church couldn’t have been approved for so many loans -- which the government will forgive if they are used for wages, rent and utilities -- without a second break.

Religious groups persuaded the Trump administration to free them from a rule that typically disqualifies an applicant with more than 500 workers. Without this preferential treatment, many Catholic dioceses would have been ineligible because -- between their head offices, parishes and other affiliates -- their employees exceed the 500-person cap.

“The government grants special dispensation, and that creates a kind of structural favoritism,” said Micah Schwartzman, a University of Virginia law professor specializing in constitutional issues and religion who has studied the Paycheck Protection Program. “And that favoritism was worth billions of dollars.”

The amount that the church collected, between $1.4 billion and $3.5 billion, is an undercount. The Diocesan Fiscal Management Conference, an organization of Catholic financial officers, surveyed members and reported that about 9,000 Catholic entities received loans. That is nearly three times the number of Catholic recipients the AP could identify.

The AP couldn’t find more Catholic beneficiaries because the government’s data, released after pressure from Congress and a lawsuit from news outlets including the AP, didn’t name recipients of loans under $150,000 -- a category in which many smaller churches would fall. And because the government released only ranges of loan amounts, it wasn’t possible to be more precise.

Even without a full accounting, AP’s analysis places the Catholic Church among the major beneficiaries in the Paycheck Protection Program, which also has helped companies backed by celebrities, billionaires, state governors and members of Congress.

The program was open to all religious groups, and many took advantage. Evangelical advisers to President Donald Trump, including his White House spiritual czar, Paula White-Cain,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/88a957426a09eb3b7db2dbceeffa25c0">also received loans</a>.

There is no doubt that state shelter-in-place orders disrupted houses of worship and businesses alike.

Masses were canceled, even during the Holy Week and Easter holidays, depriving parishes of expected revenue and contributing to layoffs in some dioceses. Some families of Catholic school students are struggling to make tuition payments. And the expense of disinfecting classrooms once classes resume will put additional pressure on budgets.

But other problems were self-inflicted. Long before the pandemic, scores of dioceses faced increasing financial pressure because of a dramatic rise in recent clergy sex abuse claims.

The scandals that erupted in 2018 reverberated throughout the world. Pope Francis ordered the former archbishop of Washington,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/33645dd626674bec9ef6198528267dc6">Cardinal Theodore McCarrick</a>, to a life of “prayer and penance” following allegations he abused minors and adult seminarians. And&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/301822e3d7a04b0b88a1c40738c4a513/Report:-Pennsylvania-priests-molested-over-1,000-children">a damning grand jury report</a>&nbsp;about abuse in six Pennsylvania dioceses revealed bishops had long covered for predator priests, spurring investigations in more than 20 other states.

As the church again reckoned with its longtime crisis, abuse reports tripled during the year ending June 2019 to a total of nearly 4,500 nationally. Meanwhile, dioceses and religious orders shelled out $282 million that year — up from $106 million just five years earlier. Most of that went to settlements, in addition to legal fees and support for offending clergy.

Loan recipients included about 40 dioceses that have spent hundreds of millions of dollars in the past few years paying victims through compensation funds or bankruptcy proceedings. AP’s review found that these dioceses were approved for about $200 million, though the value is likely much higher.

One was the New York Archdiocese. As a successful battle to lift the statute of limitations on the filing of child sexual abuse lawsuits gathered steam,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/0214b26e59db4e1eaf30fcb856b43b0a">Cardinal Timothy Dolan established a victim compensation fund</a>&nbsp;in 2016. Since then, other dioceses have established similar funds, which offer victims relatively quick settlements while dissuading them from filing lawsuits.

Spokesperson Joseph Zwilling said the archdiocese simply wanted to be “treated equally and fairly under the law.” When asked about the waiver from the 500-employee cap that religious organizations received, Zwilling deferred to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

A spokesperson for the bishops’ conference acknowledged its officials lobbied for the paycheck program, but said the organization wasn’t tracking what dioceses and Catholic agencies received.

“These loans are an essential lifeline to help faith-based organizations to stay afloat and continue serving those in need during this crisis,” spokesperson Chieko Noguchi said in a written statement. According to AP’s data analysis, the church and all its organizations reported retaining at least 407,900 jobs with the money they were awarded.

Noguchi also wrote the conference felt strongly that “the administration write and implement this emergency relief fairly for all applicants.”

Not every Catholic institution sought government loans. The Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy based in Stamford, Connecticut, told AP that even though its parishes experienced a decline in donations, none of the organizations in its five-state territory submitted applications.

Deacon Steve Wisnowski, a financial officer for the eparchy, said pastors and church managers used their rainy-day savings and that parishioners responded generously with donations. As a result, parishes “did not experience a severe financial crisis.”

Wisnowski said his superiors understood the program was for “organizations and businesses truly in need of assistance.”

The law that created the Paycheck Protection Program let nonprofits participate, as long as they abided by SBA’s “affiliation rule.” The rule typically says that only businesses with fewer than 500 employees, including at all subsidiaries, are eligible.

Lobbying by the church helped religious organizations get an exception.

The Catholic News Service reported that the bishops’ conference and several major Catholic nonprofit agencies worked throughout the week of March 30 to ensure that the “unique nature of the entities would not make them ineligible for the program” because of how SBA defines a “small” business. Those conversations came just days after President Trump signed the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, which included the Paycheck Protection Program.

In addition, federal records show the Los Angeles archdiocese, whose leader heads the bishops’ conference, paid $20,000 to lobby the U.S. Senate and House on “eligibility for non-profits” under the CARES Act. The records also show that Catholic Charities USA, a social service arm of the church with member agencies in dioceses across the country, paid another $30,000 to lobby on the act and other issues.

In late April, after thousands of Catholic institutions had secured loans, several hundred Catholic leaders pressed for additional help on a call with President Trump. During the call, Trump underscored the coming presidential election and touted himself as the candidate best aligned with religious conservatives, boasting he was the “best (president) the Catholic church has ever seen,” according to Crux, an online publication that covers church-related news.

Catholic Charities USA and its member agencies were approved for about 110 loans worth between $90 million and $220 million at least, according to the data.

In a statement, Catholic Charities said: “Each organization is a separate legal entity under the auspices of the bishop in the diocese in which the agency is located. CCUSA supports agencies that choose to become members, but does not have any role in their daily operations or governance.”

The Los Angeles archdiocese told AP in a survey that reporters sent before the release of federal data that 247 of its 288 parishes -- and all but one of its 232 schools -- received loans. The survey covered more than 180 dioceses and eparchies.

Like most dioceses, Los Angeles wouldn’t disclose its total dollar amount. While the federal data doesn’t link Catholic recipients to their home dioceses, AP found 37 loans to the archdiocese and its affiliates worth between $9 million and $23 million, including one for its downtown cathedral.

In 2014, the archdiocese paid a record $660 million to settle sex abuse claims from more than 500 victims. Spokespeople for Los Angeles Archbishop Jose M. Gomez did not respond to additional questions about the archdiocese’s finances and lobbying.

In program materials, SBA officials said they provided the affiliation waiver to religious groups in deference to their unique organizational structure, and because the public health response to slow the coronavirus’ spread disrupted churches just as it did businesses.

A senior official in the U.S. Department of the Treasury, which oversees the SBA, acknowledged in a statement the wider availability of SBA loans to religious organizations. “The CARES Act expanded eligibility to include nonprofits in the PPP, and SBA’s regulations ensured that no eligible religious nonprofit was excluded from participation due to its beliefs or denomination,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, some legal experts say that the special consideration the government gave faith groups in the loan program has further eroded the wall between church and state provided in the First Amendment. With that erosion, religious groups that don’t pay taxes have gained more access to public money, said Marci Hamilton, a University of Pennsylvania professor and attorney who has represented clergy abuse victims on constitutional issues during bankruptcy proceedings.

“At this point, the argument is you’re anti-religious if in fact you would say the Catholic Church shouldn’t be getting government funding,” Hamilton said.

After its lobbying blitz, the Catholic Church worked with parishes and schools to access the money.

Many dioceses -- from large ones such as the Archdiocese of Boston to smaller ones such as the Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin -- assembled how-to guides to help their affiliates apply. The national Catholic fiscal conference also hosted multiple webinars with legal and financial experts to help coach along local leaders.

Federal data show that the bulk of the church’s money was approved during the loan program’s first two weeks. That’s when demand for the first-come, first-served assistance was so high that the initial $349 billion was quickly exhausted, shutting out many local businesses.

Overall, nearly 500 loans approved to Catholic entities exceeded $1 million each. The AP found that at least eight hit the maximum range of $5 million to $10 million. Many of the listed recipients were the offices of bishops, headquarters of leading religious orders, major churches, schools and chapters of Catholic Charities.

Also among recipients was the Saint Luke Institute. The Catholic treatment center for priests accused of sexual abuse and those suffering from other disorders received a loan ranging from $350,000 to $1 million. Based in Silver Spring, Maryland, the institute has at times been a way station for priests accused of sexual abuse who returned to active ministry only to abuse again.

Perhaps nothing illustrates the church’s aggressive pursuit of funds better than four dioceses that sued the federal government to receive loans, even though they entered bankruptcy proceedings due to mounting clergy sex-abuse claims. Small Business Administration rules prohibit loans to applicants in bankruptcy.

The Archdiocese of Santa Fe, New Mexico -- once home to a now-closed and notorious treatment center for predator priests -- prevailed in court, clearing the way for its administrative offices to receive nearly $1 million. It accused the SBA of overreaching by blocking bankruptcy applications when Congress didn’t spell that out.

Yet even when a diocese has lost in bankruptcy court, or its case is pending, its affiliated parishes, schools and other organizations remain eligible for loans.

On the U.S. territory of Guam, well over 200 clergy abuse lawsuits led church leaders in the tiny Archdiocese of Agana to seek bankruptcy protection, as they estimated at least $45 million in liabilities. Even so, the archdiocese’s parishes, schools and other organizations have received at least $1.7 million as it sues the SBA for approval to get a loan for its headquarters, according to bankruptcy filings.

The U.S. church may have a troubling record on sex abuse, but Bishop Lawrence Persico of Erie, Pennsylvania, pushed back on the idea that dioceses should be excluded from the government’s rescue package. Approximately 80 organizations within his diocese received loans worth $10.3 million, the diocese said, with most of the money going to parishes and schools.

Persico pointed out that church entities help feed, clothe and shelter the poor -- and in doing so keep people employed.

“I know some people may react with surprise that government funding helped support faith-based schools, parishes and dioceses,” he said. “The separation of church and state does not mean that those motivated by their faith have no place in the public square.”

<figure>
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 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. Roman Catholic Church used a special and unprecedented exemption from federal rules to amass at least $1.4 billion in taxpayer-backed coronavirus aid, with many millions going to dioceses that have paid huge settlements or sought bankruptcy protection because of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/TheReckoning">clergy sexual abuse cover-ups</a>.The church’s haul may have reached -- or even exceeded -- $3.5 billion, making a global religious institution with more than a billion followers among the biggest winners in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/b483d9691de2b83a8b35951508c3b4d1">the U.S. government’s pandemic relief efforts</a>, an Associated Press analysis of federal data released this week found.Houses of worship and faith-based organizations that promote religious beliefs aren’t usually eligible for money from the U.S. Small Business Administration. But as the economy plummeted and jobless rates soared, Congress let faith groups and other nonprofits tap into&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/b0d2a36521f39010273317fa3562c2e4">the Paycheck Protection Program</a>, a $659 billion fund created to keep Main Street open and Americans employed.By aggressively promoting the payroll program and marshaling resources to help affiliates navigate its shifting rules, Catholic dioceses, parishes, schools and other ministries have so far received approval for at least 3,500 forgivable loans, AP found.The Archdiocese of New York, for example, received 15 loans worth at least $28 million just for its top executive offices. Its iconic St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Fifth Avenue was approved for at least $1 million.In Orange County, California, where a sparkling glass cathedral estimated to cost over $70 million recently opened, diocesan officials working at the complex received four loans worth at least $3 million.And elsewhere, a loan of at least $2 million went to the diocese covering Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia, where a church investigation revealed last year that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/2ff78299709e48dbb45b5e7283459df8">then-Bishop Michael Bransfield</a>&nbsp;embezzled funds and made sexual advances toward young priests.Simply being eligible for low-interest loans was a new opportunity. But the church couldn’t have been approved for so many loans -- which the government will forgive if they are used for wages, rent and utilities -- without a second break.Religious groups persuaded the Trump administration to free them from a rule that typically disqualifies an applicant with more than 500 workers. Without this preferential treatment, many Catholic dioceses would have been ineligible because -- between their head offices, parishes and other affiliates -- their employees exceed the 500-person cap.“The government grants special dispensation, and that creates a kind of structural favoritism,” said Micah Schwartzman, a University of Virginia law professor specializing in constitutional issues and religion who has studied the Paycheck Protection Program. “And that favoritism was worth billions of dollars.”The amount that the church collected, between $1.4 billion and $3.5 billion, is an undercount. The Diocesan Fiscal Management Conference, an organization of Catholic financial officers, surveyed members and reported that about 9,000 Catholic entities received loans. That is nearly three times the number of Catholic recipients the AP could identify.The AP couldn’t find more Catholic beneficiaries because the government’s data, released after pressure from Congress and a lawsuit from news outlets including the AP, didn’t name recipients of loans under $150,000 -- a category in which many smaller churches would fall. And because the government released only ranges of loan amounts, it wasn’t possible to be more precise.Even without a full accounting, AP’s analysis places the Catholic Church among the major beneficiaries in the Paycheck Protection Program, which also has helped companies backed by celebrities, billionaires, state governors and members of Congress.The program was open to all religious groups, and many took advantage. Evangelical advisers to President Donald Trump, including his White House spiritual czar, Paula White-Cain,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/88a957426a09eb3b7db2dbceeffa25c0">also received loans</a>.___‘TRULY IN NEED’There is no doubt that state shelter-in-place orders disrupted houses of worship and businesses alike.Masses were canceled, even during the Holy Week and Easter holidays, depriving parishes of expected revenue and contributing to layoffs in some dioceses. Some families of Catholic school students are struggling to make tuition payments. And the expense of disinfecting classrooms once classes resume will put additional pressure on budgets.But other problems were self-inflicted. Long before the pandemic, scores of dioceses faced increasing financial pressure because of a dramatic rise in recent clergy sex abuse claims.The scandals that erupted in 2018 reverberated throughout the world. Pope Francis ordered the former archbishop of Washington,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/33645dd626674bec9ef6198528267dc6">Cardinal Theodore McCarrick</a>, to a life of “prayer and penance” following allegations he abused minors and adult seminarians. And&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/301822e3d7a04b0b88a1c40738c4a513/Report:-Pennsylvania-priests-molested-over-1,000-children">a damning grand jury report</a>&nbsp;about abuse in six Pennsylvania dioceses revealed bishops had long covered for predator priests, spurring investigations in more than 20 other states.As the church again reckoned with its longtime crisis, abuse reports tripled during the year ending June 2019 to a total of nearly 4,500 nationally. Meanwhile, dioceses and religious orders shelled out $282 million that year — up from $106 million just five years earlier. Most of that went to settlements, in addition to legal fees and support for offending clergy.Loan recipients included about 40 dioceses that have spent hundreds of millions of dollars in the past few years paying victims through compensation funds or bankruptcy proceedings. AP’s review found that these dioceses were approved for about $200 million, though the value is likely much higher.One was the New York Archdiocese. As a successful battle to lift the statute of limitations on the filing of child sexual abuse lawsuits gathered steam,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/0214b26e59db4e1eaf30fcb856b43b0a">Cardinal Timothy Dolan established a victim compensation fund</a>&nbsp;in 2016. Since then, other dioceses have established similar funds, which offer victims relatively quick settlements while dissuading them from filing lawsuits.Spokesperson Joseph Zwilling said the archdiocese simply wanted to be “treated equally and fairly under the law.” When asked about the waiver from the 500-employee cap that religious organizations received, Zwilling deferred to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.A spokesperson for the bishops’ conference acknowledged its officials lobbied for the paycheck program, but said the organization wasn’t tracking what dioceses and Catholic agencies received.“These loans are an essential lifeline to help faith-based organizations to stay afloat and continue serving those in need during this crisis,” spokesperson Chieko Noguchi said in a written statement. According to AP’s data analysis, the church and all its organizations reported retaining at least 407,900 jobs with the money they were awarded.Noguchi also wrote the conference felt strongly that “the administration write and implement this emergency relief fairly for all applicants.”Not every Catholic institution sought government loans. The Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy based in Stamford, Connecticut, told AP that even though its parishes experienced a decline in donations, none of the organizations in its five-state territory submitted applications.Deacon Steve Wisnowski, a financial officer for the eparchy, said pastors and church managers used their rainy-day savings and that parishioners responded generously with donations. As a result, parishes “did not experience a severe financial crisis.”Wisnowski said his superiors understood the program was for “organizations and businesses truly in need of assistance.”___LOBBYING FOR A BREAKThe law that created the Paycheck Protection Program let nonprofits participate, as long as they abided by SBA’s “affiliation rule.” The rule typically says that only businesses with fewer than 500 employees, including at all subsidiaries, are eligible.Lobbying by the church helped religious organizations get an exception.The Catholic News Service reported that the bishops’ conference and several major Catholic nonprofit agencies worked throughout the week of March 30 to ensure that the “unique nature of the entities would not make them ineligible for the program” because of how SBA defines a “small” business. Those conversations came just days after President Trump signed the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, which included the Paycheck Protection Program.In addition, federal records show the Los Angeles archdiocese, whose leader heads the bishops’ conference, paid $20,000 to lobby the U.S. Senate and House on “eligibility for non-profits” under the CARES Act. The records also show that Catholic Charities USA, a social service arm of the church with member agencies in dioceses across the country, paid another $30,000 to lobby on the act and other issues.In late April, after thousands of Catholic institutions had secured loans, several hundred Catholic leaders pressed for additional help on a call with President Trump. During the call, Trump underscored the coming presidential election and touted himself as the candidate best aligned with religious conservatives, boasting he was the “best (president) the Catholic church has ever seen,” according to Crux, an online publication that covers church-related news.The lobbying paid off.Catholic Charities USA and its member agencies were approved for about 110 loans worth between $90 million and $220 million at least, according to the data.In a statement, Catholic Charities said: “Each organization is a separate legal entity under the auspices of the bishop in the diocese in which the agency is located. CCUSA supports agencies that choose to become members, but does not have any role in their daily operations or governance.”The Los Angeles archdiocese told AP in a survey that reporters sent before the release of federal data that 247 of its 288 parishes -- and all but one of its 232 schools -- received loans. The survey covered more than 180 dioceses and eparchies.Like most dioceses, Los Angeles wouldn’t disclose its total dollar amount. While the federal data doesn’t link Catholic recipients to their home dioceses, AP found 37 loans to the archdiocese and its affiliates worth between $9 million and $23 million, including one for its downtown cathedral.In 2014, the archdiocese paid a record $660 million to settle sex abuse claims from more than 500 victims. Spokespeople for Los Angeles Archbishop Jose M. Gomez did not respond to additional questions about the archdiocese’s finances and lobbying.In program materials, SBA officials said they provided the affiliation waiver to religious groups in deference to their unique organizational structure, and because the public health response to slow the coronavirus’ spread disrupted churches just as it did businesses.A senior official in the U.S. Department of the Treasury, which oversees the SBA, acknowledged in a statement the wider availability of SBA loans to religious organizations. “The CARES Act expanded eligibility to include nonprofits in the PPP, and SBA’s regulations ensured that no eligible religious nonprofit was excluded from participation due to its beliefs or denomination,” the statement said.Meanwhile, some legal experts say that the special consideration the government gave faith groups in the loan program has further eroded the wall between church and state provided in the First Amendment. With that erosion, religious groups that don’t pay taxes have gained more access to public money, said Marci Hamilton, a University of Pennsylvania professor and attorney who has represented clergy abuse victims on constitutional issues during bankruptcy proceedings.“At this point, the argument is you’re anti-religious if in fact you would say the Catholic Church shouldn’t be getting government funding,” Hamilton said.___CASHING IN FASTAfter its lobbying blitz, the Catholic Church worked with parishes and schools to access the money.Many dioceses -- from large ones such as the Archdiocese of Boston to smaller ones such as the Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin -- assembled how-to guides to help their affiliates apply. The national Catholic fiscal conference also hosted multiple webinars with legal and financial experts to help coach along local leaders.Federal data show that the bulk of the church’s money was approved during the loan program’s first two weeks. That’s when demand for the first-come, first-served assistance was so high that the initial $349 billion was quickly exhausted, shutting out many local businesses.Overall, nearly 500 loans approved to Catholic entities exceeded $1 million each. The AP found that at least eight hit the maximum range of $5 million to $10 million. Many of the listed recipients were the offices of bishops, headquarters of leading religious orders, major churches, schools and chapters of Catholic Charities.Also among recipients was the Saint Luke Institute. The Catholic treatment center for priests accused of sexual abuse and those suffering from other disorders received a loan ranging from $350,000 to $1 million. Based in Silver Spring, Maryland, the institute has at times been a way station for priests accused of sexual abuse who returned to active ministry only to abuse again.Perhaps nothing illustrates the church’s aggressive pursuit of funds better than four dioceses that sued the federal government to receive loans, even though they entered bankruptcy proceedings due to mounting clergy sex-abuse claims. Small Business Administration rules prohibit loans to applicants in bankruptcy.The Archdiocese of Santa Fe, New Mexico -- once home to a now-closed and notorious treatment center for predator priests -- prevailed in court, clearing the way for its administrative offices to receive nearly $1 million. It accused the SBA of overreaching by blocking bankruptcy applications when Congress didn’t spell that out.Yet even when a diocese has lost in bankruptcy court, or its case is pending, its affiliated parishes, schools and other organizations remain eligible for loans.On the U.S. territory of Guam, well over 200 clergy abuse lawsuits led church leaders in the tiny Archdiocese of Agana to seek bankruptcy protection, as they estimated at least $45 million in liabilities. Even so, the archdiocese’s parishes, schools and other organizations have received at least $1.7 million as it sues the SBA for approval to get a loan for its headquarters, according to bankruptcy filings.The U.S. church may have a troubling record on sex abuse, but Bishop Lawrence Persico of Erie, Pennsylvania, pushed back on the idea that dioceses should be excluded from the government’s rescue package. Approximately 80 organizations within his diocese received loans worth $10.3 million, the diocese said, with most of the money going to parishes and schools.Persico pointed out that church entities help feed, clothe and shelter the poor -- and in doing so keep people employed.“I know some people may react with surprise that government funding helped support faith-based schools, parishes and dioceses,” he said. “The separation of church and state does not mean that those motivated by their faith have no place in the public square.”___

Feds sent U.S. Catholic Church $1.4 billion in coronavirus relief

KANSAS CITY&nbsp; (AP) — Kansas City will no longer punish people for marijuana possession, effectively decriminalizing it throughout much of the city.

City council members voted 9-4 on Thursday to strip the crime from the city code.

The change does not legalize its recreational use or change Missouri law. Users can still be charged for possession by county prosecutors who decide to pursue those cases.

Kansas City residents voted overwhelmingly in 2017 to eliminate jail time for possession of fewer than 35 grams of marijuana, limiting penalties to an ordinance violation and $25 fine.

In Jackson County, prosecutor Jean Peters Baker had already pledged to stop charging most people for possession. But in parts of Kansas City that lie in Clay, Platte and Cass counties, people could still face state possession charges.

Kansas City’s chapter of the <a href="https://norml.org/">National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws,</a> which led the 2017 campaign, urged prosecutors in Clay, Platte and Cass counties to join Jackson County prosecutors in not charging low-level marijuana offenses.

“Statewide reforms on this issue are needed so that we don’t have a patchwork of laws that more harshly impact some over others,” said Jessica Kelly, the group’s spokeswoman in Kansas City.

KANSAS CITY&nbsp; (AP) — Kansas City will no longer punish people for marijuana possession, effectively decriminalizing it throughout much of the city.City council members voted 9-4 on Thursday to strip the crime from the city code.The change does not legalize its recreational use or change Missouri law. Users can still be charged for possession by county prosecutors who decide to pursue those cases.Kansas City residents voted overwhelmingly in 2017 to eliminate jail time for possession of fewer than 35 grams of marijuana, limiting penalties to an ordinance violation and $25 fine.In Jackson County, prosecutor Jean Peters Baker had already pledged to stop charging most people for possession. But in parts of Kansas City that lie in Clay, Platte and Cass counties, people could still face state possession charges.Kansas City’s chapter of the <a href="https://norml.org/">National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws,</a> which led the 2017 campaign, urged prosecutors in Clay, Platte and Cass counties to join Jackson County prosecutors in not charging low-level marijuana offenses.“Statewide reforms on this issue are needed so that we don’t have a patchwork of laws that more harshly impact some over others,” said Jessica Kelly, the group’s spokeswoman in Kansas City.

Kansas City will no longer punish you for marijuana possession 

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Police say a man who broke into a Lincoln medical clinic to escape strong thunderstorms wasn't hard to track down: He left a note on the door. 

The Lincoln Journal Star reports that officers were called to the MedExpress Urgent Care in east Lincoln around 1:30 a.m. 

Thursday for a burglar alarm as storms raged in the area. Arriving officers found a front window smashed and a Post-it note on the clinic door that said, “Exam Room 2, Ronnie.”

 Officers found a 23-year-old man in the exam room taking refuge from the storm. 

The man was arrested on suspicion of trespassing, criminal mischief and drug possession counts.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Police say a man who broke into a Lincoln medical clinic to escape strong thunderstorms wasn't hard to track down: He left a note on the door. The Lincoln Journal Star reports that officers were called to the MedExpress Urgent Care in east Lincoln around 1:30 a.m. Thursday for a burglar alarm as storms raged in the area. Arriving officers found a front window smashed and a Post-it note on the clinic door that said, “Exam Room 2, Ronnie.” Officers found a 23-year-old man in the exam room taking refuge from the storm. The man was arrested on suspicion of trespassing, criminal mischief and drug possession counts.

Police: Man who broke into clinic to escape storms left note

ATLANTA (AP) — Federal health officials won’t revise their coronavirus guidelines for reopening schools despite criticism from President Donald Trump, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday. What they will do, he said, is provide additional information to help states, communities and parents decide what to do and when.

“Our guidelines are our guidelines,” Dr. Robert Redfield declared.

In draft CDC documents obtained by The Associated Press, the agency says there are steps that schools can take to safely reopen but that it “cannot provide one-size-fits-all criteria for opening and closing schools or changing the way schools are run.”

“Decisions about how to open and run schools safely should be made based on local needs and conditions,” the documents say.

They also include a checklist that encourages parents to carefully consider whether they should send their kids back to school in person or seek virtual instruction. Many districts nationwide are offering parents a choice of either mode of instruction. New York City, among other school districts, has announced that students will only return part-time in the fall.

That runs counter to Trump’s messaging. He has been repeatedly pressuring state and local officials to reopen schools this fall, even threatening to withhold federal funds from those that keep teaching and learning remote.

Trump on Wednesday criticized the CDC’s guidelines as “very tough and expensive” and said the agency was “asking schools to do very impractical things.” Speaking of CDC officials, he tweeted, “I will be meeting with them!!!” And Vice President Mike Pence said revised guidelines would be issued next week.

But in an appearance on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” Redfield firmly stuck to the existing CDC guidelines.

“It’s really important, it’s not a revision of the guidelines, it’s just to provide additional information to help schools be able to use the guidance that we put forward.”

Asked about the apparent discrepancy between Redfield’s and Pence’s statements, White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany said they were on the same page. She said “supplemental guidelines” would be forthcoming.

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has said that schools will be failing kids if they don’t provide full-time, in-person instruction.

But the draft CDC documents, which have yet to be released publicly, say decisions like that should be left to local officials. They say, “Each school and each community will have different needs and should implement the strategies best designed to meet them.”

The documents say that in-person schooling will lead to at least some infections but that there are steps schools can take to lessen the risk.

A graph of the CDC’s disease modeling indicates there’s likely to be significantly more virus spread if all students attend school five days a week. The graph projects alternate schedules could cut infections by as much as 80%, although the agency acknowledges there is much more to learn about the disease.

“Scientists are still learning about how it spreads, how it impacts children and what role children may play in its spread,” the introduction to the parent checklist states.

Redfield said the upcoming reference documents in part would cover how to monitor for symptoms and use face masks in schools.

The CDC’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/schools.html" target="_blank">current guidance</a>&nbsp;recommends that students and teachers wear masks whenever feasible, spread out desks, stagger schedules, eat meals in classrooms instead of the cafeteria and add physical barriers between bathroom sinks.

When asked about the documents AP obtained, CDC spokesman Benjamin Haynes wrote in an email that the agency would distribute additional guidance next week and pointed to what has already been released.

The White House declined to comment on the documents.

The 30-question parent checklist asks about a child’s health, use of special education services, comfort with local school plans and whether parents can facilitate at-home learning. It warns that if parents check multiple items on the “stay-at-home” column, that “could be an indicator that your family should consider alternative learning formats other than in-person schooling.”

The checklist says parents should evaluate school district plans, including how districts are “preparing for when someone gets sick.”

“If your child, members of your household, or individuals with whom you interact frequently are at increased risk for severe illness, the best way to reduce risk of getting sick is to limit your interaction with other people,” it states.

In his tweet on Wednesday, Trump did not clarify which of the CDC guidelines he opposed. But McEnany said, for example, that the president takes issue with the CDC’s suggestion that students bring their own meals to school when feasible.

“There are 22 million children in this country who depend on these meals at schools, who depend on access to nutrition in schools,” she said.

Democrats have warned Trump to keep out of the CDC’s work. Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, ranking Democrat on the Education Committee, said the agency needs to be trusted to make decisions based on scientific evidence, “not on President Trump’s Twitter outbursts.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594383296234.png" alt="CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield addressed the guidelines during a Coronavirus Task Force briefing this week- image CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield addressed the guidelines during a Coronavirus Task Force briefing this week- image CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>ATLANTA (AP) — Federal health officials won’t revise their coronavirus guidelines for reopening schools despite criticism from President Donald Trump, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday. What they will do, he said, is provide additional information to help states, communities and parents decide what to do and when.“Our guidelines are our guidelines,” Dr. Robert Redfield declared.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">CDC has outlined a number of strategies that schools can use to reopen safely. In addition to our guidelines, CDC will soon provide reference documents for parents, caregivers, &amp; schools to help them test &amp; monitor for symptoms &amp; use face coverings. <a href="https://t.co/G6I4bXMGjr">https://t.co/G6I4bXMGjr</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CNN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CNN</a> <a href="https://t.co/rKP9cppXsB">pic.twitter.com/rKP9cppXsB</a>&mdash; Dr. Robert R. Redfield (@CDCDirector) <a href="https://twitter.com/CDCDirector/status/1281386163484401666?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In draft CDC documents obtained by The Associated Press, the agency says there are steps that schools can take to safely reopen but that it “cannot provide one-size-fits-all criteria for opening and closing schools or changing the way schools are run.”“Decisions about how to open and run schools safely should be made based on local needs and conditions,” the documents say.They also include a checklist that encourages parents to carefully consider whether they should send their kids back to school in person or seek virtual instruction. Many districts nationwide are offering parents a choice of either mode of instruction. New York City, among other school districts, has announced that students will only return part-time in the fall.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594154849112.png" alt="President Trump during this week's White House summit on Safely Reopening America’s Schools-image courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>President Trump during this week's White House summit on Safely Reopening America’s Schools-image courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>That runs counter to Trump’s messaging. He has been repeatedly pressuring state and local officials to reopen schools this fall, even threatening to withhold federal funds from those that keep teaching and learning remote.Trump on Wednesday criticized the CDC’s guidelines as “very tough and expensive” and said the agency was “asking schools to do very impractical things.” Speaking of CDC officials, he tweeted, “I will be meeting with them!!!” And Vice President Mike Pence said revised guidelines would be issued next week.But in an appearance on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” Redfield firmly stuck to the existing CDC guidelines.“It’s really important, it’s not a revision of the guidelines, it’s just to provide additional information to help schools be able to use the guidance that we put forward.”Asked about the apparent discrepancy between Redfield’s and Pence’s statements, White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany said they were on the same page. She said “supplemental guidelines” would be forthcoming.Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has said that schools will be failing kids if they don’t provide full-time, in-person instruction.But the draft CDC documents, which have yet to be released publicly, say decisions like that should be left to local officials. They say, “Each school and each community will have different needs and should implement the strategies best designed to meet them.”The documents say that in-person schooling will lead to at least some infections but that there are steps schools can take to lessen the risk.A graph of the CDC’s disease modeling indicates there’s likely to be significantly more virus spread if all students attend school five days a week. The graph projects alternate schedules could cut infections by as much as 80%, although the agency acknowledges there is much more to learn about the disease.“Scientists are still learning about how it spreads, how it impacts children and what role children may play in its spread,” the introduction to the parent checklist states.Redfield said the upcoming reference documents in part would cover how to monitor for symptoms and use face masks in schools.The CDC’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/schools.html" target="_blank">current guidance</a>&nbsp;recommends that students and teachers wear masks whenever feasible, spread out desks, stagger schedules, eat meals in classrooms instead of the cafeteria and add physical barriers between bathroom sinks.When asked about the documents AP obtained, CDC spokesman Benjamin Haynes wrote in an email that the agency would distribute additional guidance next week and pointed to what has already been released.The White House declined to comment on the documents.The 30-question parent checklist asks about a child’s health, use of special education services, comfort with local school plans and whether parents can facilitate at-home learning. It warns that if parents check multiple items on the “stay-at-home” column, that “could be an indicator that your family should consider alternative learning formats other than in-person schooling.”The checklist says parents should evaluate school district plans, including how districts are “preparing for when someone gets sick.”“If your child, members of your household, or individuals with whom you interact frequently are at increased risk for severe illness, the best way to reduce risk of getting sick is to limit your interaction with other people,” it states.In his tweet on Wednesday, Trump did not clarify which of the CDC guidelines he opposed. But McEnany said, for example, that the president takes issue with the CDC’s suggestion that students bring their own meals to school when feasible.“There are 22 million children in this country who depend on these meals at schools, who depend on access to nutrition in schools,” she said.Democrats have warned Trump to keep out of the CDC’s work. Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, ranking Democrat on the Education Committee, said the agency needs to be trusted to make decisions based on scientific evidence, “not on President Trump’s Twitter outbursts.”___

CDC head sticking to school-opening guides despite criticism 

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Several people - including two children - were seriously injured when a stolen car being chased by western Iowa police slammed into another vehicle in Omaha, authorities said.

The incident began Thursday evening, when police in Council Bluffs, Iowa, tried to stop a stolen car, the Omaha World-Herald&nbsp;<a href="https://www.omaha.com/news/crime/police-two-children-ejected-from-suv-after-it-was-hit-by-stolen-vehicle/article_16cf5d2a-2581-5a70-8fef-153a81bde9c4.html" target="_blank">reported</a>. The car sped away with police in pursuit, and the car at some point crossed the Missouri River into Omaha, police said.

In Omaha, the car ran a red light and crashed into a sport utility vehicle. The impact caused two children - ages 12 and 2 - in the SUV's back seat to be thrown out of the vehicle. They were hospitalized with serious injuries.

The 18-year-old woman driving the SUV suffered a broken arm, and the driver of the stolen car suffered broken leg. He faces several charges related to the stolen vehicle, chase and crash, police said.

Another passenger in the SUV sustained less serious injuries, police said.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Several people - including two children - were seriously injured when a stolen car being chased by western Iowa police slammed into another vehicle in Omaha, authorities said.The incident began Thursday evening, when police in Council Bluffs, Iowa, tried to stop a stolen car, the Omaha World-Herald&nbsp;<a href="https://www.omaha.com/news/crime/police-two-children-ejected-from-suv-after-it-was-hit-by-stolen-vehicle/article_16cf5d2a-2581-5a70-8fef-153a81bde9c4.html" target="_blank">reported</a>. The car sped away with police in pursuit, and the car at some point crossed the Missouri River into Omaha, police said.In Omaha, the car ran a red light and crashed into a sport utility vehicle. The impact caused two children - ages 12 and 2 - in the SUV's back seat to be thrown out of the vehicle. They were hospitalized with serious injuries.The 18-year-old woman driving the SUV suffered a broken arm, and the driver of the stolen car suffered broken leg. He faces several charges related to the stolen vehicle, chase and crash, police said.Another passenger in the SUV sustained less serious injuries, police said.

Children seriously injured when stolen car crashed in SUV in Omaha

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A federal judge has rejected a request from the operator of the Dakota Access Pipeline to halt an order to shut down the oil pipeline during a lengthy environmental review.

 U.S. District Judge James Boasberg denied the company’s request Thursday. That effectively sends the case to a panel of appeals court judges. Boasberg on Monday ordered the pipeline shut down by Aug. 5 for an additional environmental assessment more than three years after it began pumping oil. 

Texas-based pipeline operator Energy Transfer estimates it would take three months to empty the pipe of oil and complete steps to preserve it for future use.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A federal judge has rejected a request from the operator of the Dakota Access Pipeline to halt an order to shut down the oil pipeline during a lengthy environmental review. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg denied the company’s request Thursday. That effectively sends the case to a panel of appeals court judges. Boasberg on Monday ordered the pipeline shut down by Aug. 5 for an additional environmental assessment more than three years after it began pumping oil. Texas-based pipeline operator Energy Transfer estimates it would take three months to empty the pipe of oil and complete steps to preserve it for future use.

Judge rejects Dakota Access pipeline request to stop closure

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A grand jury will be called to investigate the death of an inmate at the Nebraska State Penitentiary in Lincoln. 

State prison officials say 44-year-old Oddie Granger died at the prison Wednesday morning. Nebraska Department of Correctional Services spokeswoman Laura Strimple says in a news release that while the cause of Granger's death has not been determined, he was being treated for an undisclosed medical condition. 

Granger began serving his 5.5-year prison sentence in May 2019 on three felony DUI counts. 

State law requires a grand jury investigation any time a person dies in police or prison custody.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A grand jury will be called to investigate the death of an inmate at the Nebraska State Penitentiary in Lincoln. State prison officials say 44-year-old Oddie Granger died at the prison Wednesday morning. Nebraska Department of Correctional Services spokeswoman Laura Strimple says in a news release that while the cause of Granger's death has not been determined, he was being treated for an undisclosed medical condition. Granger began serving his 5.5-year prison sentence in May 2019 on three felony DUI counts. State law requires a grand jury investigation any time a person dies in police or prison custody.

44-year-old Nebraska inmate dies; grand jury to investigate

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming corrections officials plan to test all inmates and employees for the coronavirus. 

Wyoming and Hawaii are the only states that haven’t reported cases of COVID-19 among their inmate populations. 

Corrections Department Director Bob Lampert said Wednesday he wants to confirm that’s indeed the case in Wyoming. 

The testing will begin Monday at the Wyoming Honor Farm in Riverton, followed by the Women’s Center in Lusk, the Honor Camp in Newcastle and the state maximum- and medium-security prisons in Rawlins and Torrington.

 Regular surveillance testing will continue after every inmate is tested by the end of August.&nbsp;&nbsp;

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming corrections officials plan to test all inmates and employees for the coronavirus. Wyoming and Hawaii are the only states that haven’t reported cases of COVID-19 among their inmate populations. Corrections Department Director Bob Lampert said Wednesday he wants to confirm that’s indeed the case in Wyoming. The testing will begin Monday at the Wyoming Honor Farm in Riverton, followed by the Women’s Center in Lusk, the Honor Camp in Newcastle and the state maximum- and medium-security prisons in Rawlins and Torrington. Regular surveillance testing will continue after every inmate is tested by the end of August.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Wyoming to test all inmates for coronavirus

COWLEY COUNTY, Kan.— Law enforcement authorities are investigating an attempted kidnapping and after asking the public for help in locating a suspect have made an arrest following a Wednesday standoff with police in Nebraska.

Just after 4:30 Monday afternoon, police responded to a report of a disturbance in a vehicle
northbound from the intersection of 15th Street and Radio Lane in Arkansas City, Kansas.

A citizen told police a woman was injured and out of a vehicle in the area south of 252nd Road and 51st Road, according to police spokesperson Andrew Lawson.

An officer arrived and learned a 27-year-old Arkansas City woman had been involved in the
disturbance, after which a suspect identified as&nbsp; Leongrys Castellanos-Mesa, 35, of Grand Island, Nebraska &nbsp;had fled in the woman’s vehicle. 

The female victim was
transported by the Arkansas City Fire-EMS Department to South Central Kansas Medical Center.


Investigators later learned Castellanos-Mesa had entered the woman’s van unlawfully and hid until he reportedly attacked her.


Cowley County District Court issued an arrest warrant Tuesday for Castellanos-Mesa on suspicion
of aggravated battery, aggravated burglary of a motor vehicle, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated
robbery, battery-domestic violence, criminal threat, stalking and theft.


The initial incident took place within the city limits of Arkansas City and then moved north, out of the
city limits, where the woman was able to attempt to flee her attacker. She suffered injuries in the attempt,
but was successful in reaching safety. Castellanos-Mesa then allegedly fled the scene in her vehicle.

Officers were able to identify the suspect quickly and placed notifications to other law enforcement
agencies to be on the lookout for the suspect and the victim’s vehicle, a silver Toyota Sienna minivan.


Shortly after midnight Wednesday, Grand Island police located a vehicle known to be owned by
Castellanos-Mesa, parked in front of his residence.


They applied for a search warrant, which was executed at 1:26 a.m. Wednesday.&nbsp; The Grand Island Police Department’s Tactical Response Team (TRT) assisted at the scene after
Castellanos-Mesa allegedly barricaded himself in his basement.


Just before 5:30a.m. police took him into custody without further incident.

Castellanos-Mesa was transported to and booked into the Hall County Nebraska Jail in lieu of $250,000
through Cowley County District Court in Arkansas City. He remained in custody at the time of this report.


<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594325943549.png" alt="Castellanos-Mesa photo Hall County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Castellanos-Mesa photo Hall County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>COWLEY COUNTY, Kan.— Law enforcement authorities are investigating an attempted kidnapping and after asking the public for help in locating a suspect have made an arrest following a Wednesday standoff with police in Nebraska.Just after 4:30 Monday afternoon, police responded to a report of a disturbance in a vehicle
northbound from the intersection of 15th Street and Radio Lane in Arkansas City, Kansas.A citizen told police a woman was injured and out of a vehicle in the area south of 252nd Road and 51st Road, according to police spokesperson Andrew Lawson.An officer arrived and learned a 27-year-old Arkansas City woman had been involved in the
disturbance, after which a suspect identified as&nbsp; Leongrys Castellanos-Mesa, 35, of Grand Island, Nebraska &nbsp;had fled in the woman’s vehicle. The female victim was
transported by the Arkansas City Fire-EMS Department to South Central Kansas Medical Center.
Investigators later learned Castellanos-Mesa had entered the woman’s van unlawfully and hid until he reportedly attacked her.
Cowley County District Court issued an arrest warrant Tuesday for Castellanos-Mesa on suspicion
of aggravated battery, aggravated burglary of a motor vehicle, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated
robbery, battery-domestic violence, criminal threat, stalking and theft.
The initial incident took place within the city limits of Arkansas City and then moved north, out of the
city limits, where the woman was able to attempt to flee her attacker. She suffered injuries in the attempt,
but was successful in reaching safety. Castellanos-Mesa then allegedly fled the scene in her vehicle.Officers were able to identify the suspect quickly and placed notifications to other law enforcement
agencies to be on the lookout for the suspect and the victim’s vehicle, a silver Toyota Sienna minivan.
Shortly after midnight Wednesday, Grand Island police located a vehicle known to be owned by
Castellanos-Mesa, parked in front of his residence.
They applied for a search warrant, which was executed at 1:26 a.m. Wednesday.&nbsp; The Grand Island Police Department’s Tactical Response Team (TRT) assisted at the scene after
Castellanos-Mesa allegedly barricaded himself in his basement.
Just before 5:30a.m. police took him into custody without further incident.Castellanos-Mesa was transported to and booked into the Hall County Nebraska Jail in lieu of $250,000
through Cowley County District Court in Arkansas City. He remained in custody at the time of this report.

Police: Suspect who hid in Kan. woman's van captured in Nebraska

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Airport security agents found a loaded 9 mm handgun in a bag at Omaha's airport, federal officials said Thursday.

The gun was found Wednesday at an Eppley Airfield security checkpoint as the bag that carried it went through an X-ray machine, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration said in a news release.

Omaha Airport Authority police were contacted, confiscated the gun and questioned the man, who is from Omaha, the TSA said. The man told police the he had forgotten he had his loaded gun with him, officials said.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Airport security agents found a loaded 9 mm handgun in a bag at Omaha's airport, federal officials said Thursday.The gun was found Wednesday at an Eppley Airfield security checkpoint as the bag that carried it went through an X-ray machine, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration said in a news release.Omaha Airport Authority police were contacted, confiscated the gun and questioned the man, who is from Omaha, the TSA said. The man told police the he had forgotten he had his loaded gun with him, officials said.He was released after questioning.

Loaded 9 mm handgun found in bag by TSA at Omaha airport

NEW YORK (AP) — Kanye West says he is no longer a Trump supporter.

 The rapper, who once praised President Donald Trump, tells Forbes in a story published Wednesday that he is “taking the red hat off” — a reference to Trump’s trademark red “Make America Great Again” cap. 

West also insisted that his weekend announcement that he’s running for President was not a stunt to drum up interest in an upcoming album. 

Forbes spoke to West from his ranch near Cody, Wyoming, in what the magazine called “four rambling hours of interviews.” 

West has already missed the deadline to qualify for the ballot in several states.

NEW YORK (AP) — Kanye West says he is no longer a Trump supporter. The rapper, who once praised President Donald Trump, tells Forbes in a story published Wednesday that he is “taking the red hat off” — a reference to Trump’s trademark red “Make America Great Again” cap. West also insisted that his weekend announcement that he’s running for President was not a stunt to drum up interest in an upcoming album. Forbes spoke to West from his ranch near Cody, Wyoming, in what the magazine called “four rambling hours of interviews.” West has already missed the deadline to qualify for the ballot in several states.

Kanye West breaks with Trump, claims 2020 run is not a stunt

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem says she is not interested in running for president in 2024 and would rather stay in South Dakota. 

The first-term Republican governor has drawn attention from conservative commentators for avoiding lockdown orders during the coronavirus pandemic. 

Supporters on social media have even called for her to run for president in 2024, but she says she’s not interested. 

Noem made the comments in a conference call with Center of the American Experiment, a conservative think-tank based in Minnesota. 

Noem has courted the attention of President Donald Trump while in office, but she says she uses her relationship with the White House to advocate for the needs of South Dakota.

 Noem’s first term as governor ends at the beginning of 2023.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem says she is not interested in running for president in 2024 and would rather stay in South Dakota. The first-term Republican governor has drawn attention from conservative commentators for avoiding lockdown orders during the coronavirus pandemic. Supporters on social media have even called for her to run for president in 2024, but she says she’s not interested. Noem made the comments in a conference call with Center of the American Experiment, a conservative think-tank based in Minnesota. Noem has courted the attention of President Donald Trump while in office, but she says she uses her relationship with the White House to advocate for the needs of South Dakota. Noem’s first term as governor ends at the beginning of 2023.

Noem says she is not interested in 2024 presidential run

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court issued a mixed verdict Thursday on demands for President Donald Trump’s financial records that will keep his tax returns, banking and other documents out of the public eye for the time being.

By 7-2 votes, the justices upheld the Manhattan district attorney’s demand for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f1c1c2944172b97d09b8b62345fa4031">Trump’s tax returns</a>, but kept a hold on Trump’s financial records that Congress has been seeking for more than a year.

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/19pdf/19-635_o7jq.pdf">Click here</a>&nbsp;to read the opinion in the Manhattan DA case

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/19pdf/19-715_febh.pdf">Click here</a>&nbsp;to read the opinion in case with Congress

But Trump, who has strenuously sought to keep his financial records private, didn’t immediately regard the outcome as a victory.

“The Supreme Court sends case back to Lower Court, arguments to continue. This is all a political prosecution,” Trump wrote in a series of angry tweets that followed the court rulings.

The justices rejected arguments by Trump’s lawyers and the Justice Department that the president is immune from investigation while he holds office or that a prosecutor must show a greater need than normal to obtain the records. The tax returns are being sought as part of a grand-jury investigation.

Because the grand jury process is confidential, the rulings make it likely that none of Trump’s financial records will become public soon.

Trump’s two high court appointees, Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, joined the majority in both cases along with Chief Justice John Roberts and the four liberal justices. Roberts wrote both opinions.

“Congressional subpoenas for information from the President, however, implicate special concerns regarding the separation of powers. The courts below did not take adequate account of those concerns,” Roberts wrote in the congressional case.

The ruling returns the case to lower courts, with no clear prospect for when the case might ultimately be resolved.

The tax returns case also is headed back to a lower court, but Trump’s major arguments have now been rejected.

Justice Samuel Alito, who dissented with Justice Clarence Thomas in both cases, warned that future presidents would suffer because of the decision about Trump’s taxes.

“This case is almost certain to be portrayed as a case about the current President and the current political situation, but the case has a much deeper significance,” Alito wrote. “While the decision will of course have a direct effect on President Trump, what the Court holds today will also affect all future Presidents—which is to say, it will affect the Presidency, and that is a matter of great and lasting importance to the Nation.”

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. said his investigation, on hold while the court fight played out, will now resume.

“This is a tremendous victory for our nation’s system of justice and its founding principle that no one — not even a president — is above the law. Our investigation, which was delayed for almost a year by this lawsuit, will resume, guided as always by the grand jury’s solemn obligation to follow the law and the facts, wherever they may lead,” Vance said.

The case was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/19b82f029dcb760dc7f0c644472192fb">argued by telephone</a>&nbsp;in May because of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">the coronavirus pandemic</a>.

The fight over the congressional subpoenas has significant implications regarding a president’s power to refuse a formal request from Congress. In a separate fight at the federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., over a congressional demand for the testimony of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/27ca90a06b7a45e29d51e4ebc9d3bda1">former White House counsel Don McGahn</a>, the administration is making broad arguments that the president’s close advisers are “absolutely immune” from having to appear.

In two earlier cases over presidential power, the Supreme Court acted unanimously in requiring President Richard Nixon to turn over White House tapes to the Watergate special prosecutor and in allowing a sexual harassment lawsuit against Clinton to go forward.

In those cases, three Nixon appointees and two Clinton appointees, respectively, voted against the president who chose them for the high court. A fourth Nixon appointee, William Rehnquist, sat out the tapes case because he had worked closely as a Justice Department official with some of the Watergate conspirators whose upcoming trial spurred the subpoena for the Oval Office recordings.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has upheld a prosecutor’s demand for President Donald Trump’s tax returns as part of a criminal investigation into hush-money payments to women who claim they had affairs with Trump.

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/19pdf/19-635_o7jq.pdf">Click here</a> to read the opinion

The court ruled 7-2 Thursday in a case in which it heard arguments by telephone in May because of the coronavirus pandemic. The records are held by Trump’s longtime accounting firm, Mazars USA, which has said it would comply with a court order.

In addition, the Supreme Court kept a hold on President Trump’s financial records that Congress has been seeking for more than a year. The ruling returns the case to lower courts, with no clear prospect for when the case might ultimately be resolved. 

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/19pdf/19-715_febh.pdf">Click here</a> to read the opinion

The 7-2 outcome is at least a short-term victory for Trump, who has strenuously sought to keep his financial records private. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594304449365.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court issued a mixed verdict Thursday on demands for President Donald Trump’s financial records that will keep his tax returns, banking and other documents out of the public eye for the time being.By 7-2 votes, the justices upheld the Manhattan district attorney’s demand for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f1c1c2944172b97d09b8b62345fa4031">Trump’s tax returns</a>, but kept a hold on Trump’s financial records that Congress has been seeking for more than a year.<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/19pdf/19-635_o7jq.pdf">Click here</a>&nbsp;to read the opinion in the Manhattan DA case<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/19pdf/19-715_febh.pdf">Click here</a>&nbsp;to read the opinion in case with CongressBut Trump, who has strenuously sought to keep his financial records private, didn’t immediately regard the outcome as a victory.“The Supreme Court sends case back to Lower Court, arguments to continue. This is all a political prosecution,” Trump wrote in a series of angry tweets that followed the court rulings.The justices rejected arguments by Trump’s lawyers and the Justice Department that the president is immune from investigation while he holds office or that a prosecutor must show a greater need than normal to obtain the records. The tax returns are being sought as part of a grand-jury investigation.Because the grand jury process is confidential, the rulings make it likely that none of Trump’s financial records will become public soon.Trump’s two high court appointees, Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, joined the majority in both cases along with Chief Justice John Roberts and the four liberal justices. Roberts wrote both opinions.“Congressional subpoenas for information from the President, however, implicate special concerns regarding the separation of powers. The courts below did not take adequate account of those concerns,” Roberts wrote in the congressional case.The ruling returns the case to lower courts, with no clear prospect for when the case might ultimately be resolved.The tax returns case also is headed back to a lower court, but Trump’s major arguments have now been rejected.Justice Samuel Alito, who dissented with Justice Clarence Thomas in both cases, warned that future presidents would suffer because of the decision about Trump’s taxes.“This case is almost certain to be portrayed as a case about the current President and the current political situation, but the case has a much deeper significance,” Alito wrote. “While the decision will of course have a direct effect on President Trump, what the Court holds today will also affect all future Presidents—which is to say, it will affect the Presidency, and that is a matter of great and lasting importance to the Nation.”Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. said his investigation, on hold while the court fight played out, will now resume.“This is a tremendous victory for our nation’s system of justice and its founding principle that no one — not even a president — is above the law. Our investigation, which was delayed for almost a year by this lawsuit, will resume, guided as always by the grand jury’s solemn obligation to follow the law and the facts, wherever they may lead,” Vance said.The case was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/19b82f029dcb760dc7f0c644472192fb">argued by telephone</a>&nbsp;in May because of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">the coronavirus pandemic</a>.The fight over the congressional subpoenas has significant implications regarding a president’s power to refuse a formal request from Congress. In a separate fight at the federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., over a congressional demand for the testimony of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/27ca90a06b7a45e29d51e4ebc9d3bda1">former White House counsel Don McGahn</a>, the administration is making broad arguments that the president’s close advisers are “absolutely immune” from having to appear.In two earlier cases over presidential power, the Supreme Court acted unanimously in requiring President Richard Nixon to turn over White House tapes to the Watergate special prosecutor and in allowing a sexual harassment lawsuit against Clinton to go forward.In those cases, three Nixon appointees and two Clinton appointees, respectively, voted against the president who chose them for the high court. A fourth Nixon appointee, William Rehnquist, sat out the tapes case because he had worked closely as a Justice Department official with some of the Watergate conspirators whose upcoming trial spurred the subpoena for the Oval Office recordings.---------WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has upheld a prosecutor’s demand for President Donald Trump’s tax returns as part of a criminal investigation into hush-money payments to women who claim they had affairs with Trump.<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/19pdf/19-635_o7jq.pdf">Click here</a> to read the opinionThe court ruled 7-2 Thursday in a case in which it heard arguments by telephone in May because of the coronavirus pandemic. The records are held by Trump’s longtime accounting firm, Mazars USA, which has said it would comply with a court order.In addition, the Supreme Court kept a hold on President Trump’s financial records that Congress has been seeking for more than a year. The ruling returns the case to lower courts, with no clear prospect for when the case might ultimately be resolved. <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/19pdf/19-715_febh.pdf">Click here</a> to read the opinionThe 7-2 outcome is at least a short-term victory for Trump, who has strenuously sought to keep his financial records private.

Update: Court rulings keep Trump's financial records private for now

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Staff at a Wyoming junior high school repeatedly used “derogatory and/or insensitive language” and students made racist, homophobic and otherwise derogatory comments toward peers leading up to a homophobic and racist incident, an investigation found.

Some staff said they feared retaliation if they reported discriminatory bullying at McCormick Junior High School in Cheyenne, according to a report on the investigation obtained through a lawsuit filed by media outlets including the Wyoming Tribune Eagle and The Associated Press and an advocacy group.

The investigation resulted from anti-gay flyers with a racist statement that a student posted at the school in March 2019. In the aftermath, school officials suspended the student, the principal resigned and the Cheyenne-area school district took steps to make its policies and culture more inclusive for minority and LGBTQ students and those with disabilities.

School district officials spoke with 29 individual staff members, 17 students, three parents and one representative from LGBTQ advocacy group Wyoming Equality for the investigation,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/in_our_schools/mccormick-report-confirms-culture-of-bigoted-bullying-inadequate-staff-response/article_651ddd9b-6926-5549-aa18-ab63104400a8.html" target="_blank">the Wyoming Tribune Eagle reported.</a>

The investigators couldn’t confirm some claims, including that a teacher forbade students of the same sex from holding hands and that in addition to the student posting the flyers on walls, students handed out the flyers to other students.

However, some students used “intermittent ... hate speech such as ‘n-----’, ‘f-g,’ etc.” prior to the flyer incident, the report stated.

Some school employees, meanwhile, failed to use a student’s desired pronouns or used the phrase “your kind” when speaking to an African-American student, the report said.

The district updated its conduct policy earlier this year to include the use of hate speech as grounds for discipline. It hired a diversity facilitator to address future discrimination issues. The school district also held public meetings to discuss student diversity and inclusion.

Four of 20 staff members interviewed claimed they feared retaliation if they reported discriminatory bullying. One staff member told investigators that the “administration is difficult to work with,” according to the report.

“They are always in a position of uncertainty, not always truthful, staff get blamed while administration takes the glory, writing referrals are frowned upon,” the report continued, adding that special education staff “has it worse than others.”

The 15-page report partly substantiated that claim, finding: “There is limited use of a district prescribed process for reporting, documenting and resolving behavioral referrals and reports of bullying, harassment and intimidation.”

An anti-bullying program used by the district was “implemented with limited fidelity and commitment by some staff,” the report said.

The school district refused to provide the report upon completion, prompting the lawsuit. Besides AP, the plaintiffs included Wyoming Tribune Eagle parent company APG Media of the Rockies, LLC; Gray Television, which owns KGWN-TV; Townsquare Media, which owns radio station KGAB; and the Wyoming Liberty Group, a right-leaning group whose causes include government transparency.

“We believe we made the correct decision to at least try to hold the report and keep it confidential. We will continue to keep as much of those investigations and reports as confidential as we can,” Superintendent Boyd Brown said Tuesday.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Staff at a Wyoming junior high school repeatedly used “derogatory and/or insensitive language” and students made racist, homophobic and otherwise derogatory comments toward peers leading up to a homophobic and racist incident, an investigation found.Some staff said they feared retaliation if they reported discriminatory bullying at McCormick Junior High School in Cheyenne, according to a report on the investigation obtained through a lawsuit filed by media outlets including the Wyoming Tribune Eagle and The Associated Press and an advocacy group.The investigation resulted from anti-gay flyers with a racist statement that a student posted at the school in March 2019. In the aftermath, school officials suspended the student, the principal resigned and the Cheyenne-area school district took steps to make its policies and culture more inclusive for minority and LGBTQ students and those with disabilities.School district officials spoke with 29 individual staff members, 17 students, three parents and one representative from LGBTQ advocacy group Wyoming Equality for the investigation,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/in_our_schools/mccormick-report-confirms-culture-of-bigoted-bullying-inadequate-staff-response/article_651ddd9b-6926-5549-aa18-ab63104400a8.html" target="_blank">the Wyoming Tribune Eagle reported.</a>The investigators couldn’t confirm some claims, including that a teacher forbade students of the same sex from holding hands and that in addition to the student posting the flyers on walls, students handed out the flyers to other students.However, some students used “intermittent ... hate speech such as ‘n-----’, ‘f-g,’ etc.” prior to the flyer incident, the report stated.Some school employees, meanwhile, failed to use a student’s desired pronouns or used the phrase “your kind” when speaking to an African-American student, the report said.The district updated its conduct policy earlier this year to include the use of hate speech as grounds for discipline. It hired a diversity facilitator to address future discrimination issues. The school district also held public meetings to discuss student diversity and inclusion.Four of 20 staff members interviewed claimed they feared retaliation if they reported discriminatory bullying. One staff member told investigators that the “administration is difficult to work with,” according to the report.“They are always in a position of uncertainty, not always truthful, staff get blamed while administration takes the glory, writing referrals are frowned upon,” the report continued, adding that special education staff “has it worse than others.”The 15-page report partly substantiated that claim, finding: “There is limited use of a district prescribed process for reporting, documenting and resolving behavioral referrals and reports of bullying, harassment and intimidation.”An anti-bullying program used by the district was “implemented with limited fidelity and commitment by some staff,” the report said.The school district refused to provide the report upon completion, prompting the lawsuit. Besides AP, the plaintiffs included Wyoming Tribune Eagle parent company APG Media of the Rockies, LLC; Gray Television, which owns KGWN-TV; Townsquare Media, which owns radio station KGAB; and the Wyoming Liberty Group, a right-leaning group whose causes include government transparency.“We believe we made the correct decision to at least try to hold the report and keep it confidential. We will continue to keep as much of those investigations and reports as confidential as we can,” Superintendent Boyd Brown said Tuesday.Laramie County District Judge Peter Froelicher released the vast majority of the report, redacting primarily names and other personal identifying information.The report will now enable people to draw their own conclusions, said Bruce Moats, an attorney for the media outlets.“I don’t think it will answer any debates, but I do think there is a lot of information (in the report) that will at least help people make up their minds about what went on there,” Moats said.