By JAZARI KUAL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/15-an-hour-could-help-150000-nebraskans-analysis-says/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN
 — Nebraskans, if they vote this November to increase the minimum wage, 
would help families with children and narrow wage gaps, Raise the Wage 
Nebraska said this week.

The group shared an Economic Policy Institute <a target="_blank" href="https://www.epi.org/publication/minimum-wage-simulation-model-technical-methodology/">analysis</a> from 2019 indicating that increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour would help 150,000 Nebraska workers.&nbsp;

Seventy-seven percent are white. More
 than 60% are women. Among the people who would benefit, 43% have 
attended college. More than 40% live in rural Nebraska. More than 20% 
have children.&nbsp;

“I have been a hard-working employee 
in customer service and claims management since I was 17. I’ve done 
everything right, and I have never made more than $15 an hour,” said Kim
 Baker, a Lincoln resident. “After 20 years, I should be able to live 
independently with my son but the cost of housing alone makes that 
impossible on my current wage.”

Kate Wolfe, Campaign Manager for 
Raise the Wage Nebraska said “working families can’t make ends meet 
because wages haven’t kept up and parents can’t afford to pay rent and 
put food on the table at today’s minimum wage of $9 an hour.”

Raise the Wage Nebraska petitioned onto the ballot with 97,245 valid signatures. Election Day is Nov. 8.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663335527241.png" alt="Kate Wolfe, campaign coordinator for Raise the Wage Nebraska, speaks as the initiative prepares to submit 160,000 petition signatures on Thursday. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Kate Wolfe, campaign coordinator for Raise the Wage Nebraska, speaks as the initiative prepares to submit 160,000 petition signatures on Thursday. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By JAZARI KUAL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/15-an-hour-could-help-150000-nebraskans-analysis-says/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN
 — Nebraskans, if they vote this November to increase the minimum wage, 
would help families with children and narrow wage gaps, Raise the Wage 
Nebraska said this week.The group shared an Economic Policy Institute <a target="_blank" href="https://www.epi.org/publication/minimum-wage-simulation-model-technical-methodology/">analysis</a> from 2019 indicating that increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour would help 150,000 Nebraska workers.&nbsp;Seventy-seven percent are white. More
 than 60% are women. Among the people who would benefit, 43% have 
attended college. More than 40% live in rural Nebraska. More than 20% 
have children.&nbsp;“I have been a hard-working employee 
in customer service and claims management since I was 17. I’ve done 
everything right, and I have never made more than $15 an hour,” said Kim
 Baker, a Lincoln resident. “After 20 years, I should be able to live 
independently with my son but the cost of housing alone makes that 
impossible on my current wage.”Kate Wolfe, Campaign Manager for 
Raise the Wage Nebraska said “working families can’t make ends meet 
because wages haven’t kept up and parents can’t afford to pay rent and 
put food on the table at today’s minimum wage of $9 an hour.”Raise the Wage Nebraska petitioned onto the ballot with 97,245 valid signatures. Election Day is Nov. 8.

Analysis: $15 an hour minimum could help 150,000 Nebraskans

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rail companies and their workers reached a tentative agreement Thursday to avert a nationwide strike that could have shut down the nation's freight trains and devastated the economy less than two months before the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections">midterm elections.</a>

(Click below to watch the President's comments)

President Joe Biden announced the deal, which emerged from a marathon 20-hour negotiating session at the Labor Department and came just one day before the threatened walkout.

“This agreement is validation of what I’ve always believed — unions and management can work together ... for the benefit of everyone,” Biden said in the White House Rose Garden.

The deal,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rail-worker-strike-negotiations-updates-83c0f51db4a87bf632dafe589b328f4a?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_2">which includes a 24% pay raise</a>, will go to union members for a vote after a cooling-off period of several weeks.

The threat of a shutdown carried political risks for Biden, a Democrat who believes unions built the middle class. But he also knew a rail strike could damage the economy ahead of the midterms, when majorities in both chambers of Congress, key governorships and scores of important state offices will be up for grabs.

Biden made a key phone call Wednesday evening to Labor Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-marty-walsh-boston-coronavirus-pandemic-b3bb089eb2253b7f78057893d215835f">Marty Walsh</a>&nbsp;as negotiators were talking and being offered Italian food for dinner, according to White House officials who insisted on anonymity to discuss the conversations.

On speakerphone, the president urged both sides to get a deal done and to consider the harm that a shutdown would inflict on families, farmers and businesses&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virginia-strikes-b92e7c6dd6d3b117eda351f9674f6479">,</a>&nbsp;the officials said.

One union had to wake up its board to move forward on the agreement, which involved 50 calls from White House officials to organized labor officials.

Joined in the Oval Office by business and union leaders, a beaming Biden joked that he was surprised everyone was “still standing” after the late night and that they should be “home in bed.”

A strike would also have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virginia-strikes-b92e7c6dd6d3b117eda351f9674f6479">disrupted passenger traffic</a>&nbsp;as well as freight, because Amtrak and many commuter railroads operate on tracks owned by the freight railroads. Amtrak canceled all of its long-distance trains ahead of the strike deadline and was working to restore full service.

The five-year deal, retroactive to 2020, also includes $5,000 in bonuses. The railroads agreed to ease their strict attendance policies to address union concerns about working conditions.

Railroad workers will now be able to take unpaid days off for doctor’s appointments without being penalized. Previously, workers would lose points under the attendance systems at BNSF and Union Pacific railways, and they could be disciplined if they lost all their points.

The talks also included Norfolk Southern, CSX, Kansas City Southern and the U.S. operations of Canadian National.

The unions that represent conductors and engineers who drive the trains had pressed hard for changes in the attendance rules, and they said the deal sets a precedent that ensures they will be able to negotiate such rules in the future.

Kelly Pettus, who is married to an engineer in Atlanta, said she wanted more details about the attendance policy.

Earlier this year, her husband had to leave work when their 2-year-old daughter ended up in the emergency room with the flu. He spent the entire time worrying about the penalty involved in taking a single day off.

“You can’t just call and say your baby is in hospital,” Pettus said.

Hugh Sawyer, an engineer in the Atlanta area, said the pay raise was long overdue and did not completely make up for the regular cost-of-living increases that he lost several years ago.

“It’s something to build on,” Sawyer said of the deal.

Victor Chen, a sociologist at Virginia Commonwealth University who studies labor, said concerns about working conditions have increasingly become a priority for unions and the workers they represent.

“At a certain point, good wages just aren’t enough to make up for the toll these sorts of working conditions impose on workers,” Chen said. “The companies need to treat workers like human beings, rather than just inputs in a business process.”

The railroad unions pointed to workload and attendance rules after the major railroads cut nearly one-third of their workforce — some 45,000 jobs — over the past six years.

The rail industry has aggressively cut costs everywhere and shifted its operations to rely more on fewer, longer trains that use fewer locomotives and fewer employees. The unions said the remaining workers, particularly engineers and conductors, were on call 24-7 because of jobs cuts and could hardly take any time off under strict attendance rules.

Unions had an advantage at the bargaining table because of the tight labor market and ongoing service problems on the railroads, Chen said.

Shippers have complained loudly this year about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-omaha-7824a3d4042a757755ea76f55e51f641">delays and poor service</a>&nbsp;as railroads struggled to hire quickly enough to handle a surge in demand as the economy emerged from the pandemic. The shipping problems gave rail workers extra leverage.

Newly hired CSX CEO Joe Hinrichs said he hopes the new deal helps the railroad hire and retain more employees to address the service problems.

"Now we can move our conversation into how do we work together to grow the business and better serve our customers,” he said.

Union activism has surged under Biden, as seen in a 56% increase in petitions for union representation with the National Labor Relations Board so far this fiscal year, including prominent organizing efforts at Starbucks, Amazon and other companies. A number of unions have gone on strike over the past two years to get better deals.

Rutgers University professor Todd Vachon, who teaches about labor relations, said rail workers were particularly attuned to work-life balance and the ability to take time off for health reasons.

That has led to a “real resurgence in the labor movement that goes beyond merely reacting to inflation,” Vachon said.

Before the deal was reached, business groups including the Business Roundtable and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce were predicting that a rail strike would be an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rail-strike-impact-5eb6747b3e4b4e39d764644d6377121d">“economic disaster.”</a>

The Association of American Railroads trade group estimated that a strike would cost the economy more than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-congress-government-and-politics-a53abd85fa6f8b3ccd622222ea9a4c46">$2 billion a day</a>&nbsp;and force many businesses to scale back or cease production and consider layoffs.

With the economy still recovering from the pandemic's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-economy-prices-inflation-542f50c1fc779ae75d9574b9703fb4fa">supply chain disruptions</a>, the president’s goal was to keep all parties talking so a deal could be reached.

Biden also knew a stoppage could worsen the dynamics that have contributed to soaring inflation and created a political headache for the party in power.

He confronted the same kind of predicament faced by Theodore Roosevelt in 1902 with coal and Harry Truman in 1952 with steel — how does a president balance the needs of labor and business in doing what’s best for the nation?

Railways were so important during World War I that Woodrow Wilson temporarily nationalized the industry to keep goods flowing and prevent strikes.

So the administration jumped into the middle of the talks. Biden and cabinet officials called both sides, and the labor secretary participated directly in negotiations.

It was clear the effort had paid off when Biden announced the deal, calling it “an important win for our economy and the American people.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663279444886.png" alt="President Joe Biden speaks about a tentative railway labor agreement in the Rose Garden of the White House, Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022, in Washington. From left, Deputy Secretary of Labor Julie Su, Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, Biden, Celeste Drake, Made in America Director at the Office of Management and Budget, and National Economic Council director Brian Deese.-White House photo&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>President Joe Biden speaks about a tentative railway labor agreement in the Rose Garden of the White House, Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022, in Washington. From left, Deputy Secretary of Labor Julie Su, Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, Biden, Celeste Drake, Made in America Director at the Office of Management and Budget, and National Economic Council director Brian Deese.-White House photo&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Rail companies and their workers reached a tentative agreement Thursday to avert a nationwide strike that could have shut down the nation's freight trains and devastated the economy less than two months before the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections">midterm elections.</a>(Click below to watch the President's comments)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Bin8ajdT_14?start=2" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>President Joe Biden announced the deal, which emerged from a marathon 20-hour negotiating session at the Labor Department and came just one day before the threatened walkout.“This agreement is validation of what I’ve always believed — unions and management can work together ... for the benefit of everyone,” Biden said in the White House Rose Garden.The deal,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rail-worker-strike-negotiations-updates-83c0f51db4a87bf632dafe589b328f4a?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_2">which includes a 24% pay raise</a>, will go to union members for a vote after a cooling-off period of several weeks.The threat of a shutdown carried political risks for Biden, a Democrat who believes unions built the middle class. But he also knew a rail strike could damage the economy ahead of the midterms, when majorities in both chambers of Congress, key governorships and scores of important state offices will be up for grabs.Biden made a key phone call Wednesday evening to Labor Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-marty-walsh-boston-coronavirus-pandemic-b3bb089eb2253b7f78057893d215835f">Marty Walsh</a>&nbsp;as negotiators were talking and being offered Italian food for dinner, according to White House officials who insisted on anonymity to discuss the conversations.On speakerphone, the president urged both sides to get a deal done and to consider the harm that a shutdown would inflict on families, farmers and businesses&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virginia-strikes-b92e7c6dd6d3b117eda351f9674f6479">,</a>&nbsp;the officials said.One union had to wake up its board to move forward on the agreement, which involved 50 calls from White House officials to organized labor officials.Joined in the Oval Office by business and union leaders, a beaming Biden joked that he was surprised everyone was “still standing” after the late night and that they should be “home in bed.”A strike would also have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virginia-strikes-b92e7c6dd6d3b117eda351f9674f6479">disrupted passenger traffic</a>&nbsp;as well as freight, because Amtrak and many commuter railroads operate on tracks owned by the freight railroads. Amtrak canceled all of its long-distance trains ahead of the strike deadline and was working to restore full service.The five-year deal, retroactive to 2020, also includes $5,000 in bonuses. The railroads agreed to ease their strict attendance policies to address union concerns about working conditions.Railroad workers will now be able to take unpaid days off for doctor’s appointments without being penalized. Previously, workers would lose points under the attendance systems at BNSF and Union Pacific railways, and they could be disciplined if they lost all their points.The talks also included Norfolk Southern, CSX, Kansas City Southern and the U.S. operations of Canadian National.The unions that represent conductors and engineers who drive the trains had pressed hard for changes in the attendance rules, and they said the deal sets a precedent that ensures they will be able to negotiate such rules in the future.Kelly Pettus, who is married to an engineer in Atlanta, said she wanted more details about the attendance policy.Earlier this year, her husband had to leave work when their 2-year-old daughter ended up in the emergency room with the flu. He spent the entire time worrying about the penalty involved in taking a single day off.“You can’t just call and say your baby is in hospital,” Pettus said.Hugh Sawyer, an engineer in the Atlanta area, said the pay raise was long overdue and did not completely make up for the regular cost-of-living increases that he lost several years ago.“It’s something to build on,” Sawyer said of the deal.Victor Chen, a sociologist at Virginia Commonwealth University who studies labor, said concerns about working conditions have increasingly become a priority for unions and the workers they represent.“At a certain point, good wages just aren’t enough to make up for the toll these sorts of working conditions impose on workers,” Chen said. “The companies need to treat workers like human beings, rather than just inputs in a business process.”The railroad unions pointed to workload and attendance rules after the major railroads cut nearly one-third of their workforce — some 45,000 jobs — over the past six years.The rail industry has aggressively cut costs everywhere and shifted its operations to rely more on fewer, longer trains that use fewer locomotives and fewer employees. The unions said the remaining workers, particularly engineers and conductors, were on call 24-7 because of jobs cuts and could hardly take any time off under strict attendance rules.Unions had an advantage at the bargaining table because of the tight labor market and ongoing service problems on the railroads, Chen said.Shippers have complained loudly this year about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-omaha-7824a3d4042a757755ea76f55e51f641">delays and poor service</a>&nbsp;as railroads struggled to hire quickly enough to handle a surge in demand as the economy emerged from the pandemic. The shipping problems gave rail workers extra leverage.Newly hired CSX CEO Joe Hinrichs said he hopes the new deal helps the railroad hire and retain more employees to address the service problems."Now we can move our conversation into how do we work together to grow the business and better serve our customers,” he said.Union activism has surged under Biden, as seen in a 56% increase in petitions for union representation with the National Labor Relations Board so far this fiscal year, including prominent organizing efforts at Starbucks, Amazon and other companies. A number of unions have gone on strike over the past two years to get better deals.Rutgers University professor Todd Vachon, who teaches about labor relations, said rail workers were particularly attuned to work-life balance and the ability to take time off for health reasons.That has led to a “real resurgence in the labor movement that goes beyond merely reacting to inflation,” Vachon said.Before the deal was reached, business groups including the Business Roundtable and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce were predicting that a rail strike would be an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rail-strike-impact-5eb6747b3e4b4e39d764644d6377121d">“economic disaster.”</a>The Association of American Railroads trade group estimated that a strike would cost the economy more than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-congress-government-and-politics-a53abd85fa6f8b3ccd622222ea9a4c46">$2 billion a day</a>&nbsp;and force many businesses to scale back or cease production and consider layoffs.With the economy still recovering from the pandemic's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-economy-prices-inflation-542f50c1fc779ae75d9574b9703fb4fa">supply chain disruptions</a>, the president’s goal was to keep all parties talking so a deal could be reached.Biden also knew a stoppage could worsen the dynamics that have contributed to soaring inflation and created a political headache for the party in power.He confronted the same kind of predicament faced by Theodore Roosevelt in 1902 with coal and Harry Truman in 1952 with steel — how does a president balance the needs of labor and business in doing what’s best for the nation?Railways were so important during World War I that Woodrow Wilson temporarily nationalized the industry to keep goods flowing and prevent strikes.So the administration jumped into the middle of the talks. Biden and cabinet officials called both sides, and the labor secretary participated directly in negotiations.It was clear the effort had paid off when Biden announced the deal, calling it “an important win for our economy and the American people.”___

🎥 Biden celebrates labor deal to avert nationwide rail strike

Governor: owner of $200,000 home missing more than $1,000 in relief

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/09/15/nebraskans-failing-to-claim-200-million-in-state-income-tax-credits-officials-say/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Nebraskans aren’t claiming their refunds from a 
major tax break passed by the State Legislature, and Gov. Pete Ricketts 
joined other state leaders on Thursday to urge Cornhuskers to get after 
it.

About 40% of all Nebraskans this year failed to claim the 
property tax refund that must be claimed on a state income tax form, 
leaving about $200 million of tax refunds unclaimed.

For instance, the owner of a $250,000 home in Lincoln 
could have claimed $1,137 in refunds this year from the income tax 
credit and another state property tax relief effort.

“That’s a house payment,” Ricketts said at a press conference. “That’s a big deal.”

By next year, when 2022 income taxes must be filed, 
Nebraskans should realize a 30% reduction in their property tax bill, 
the governor said&nbsp;— if they take advantage of the income tax refund.&nbsp;

State lawmakers have launched two programs in recent years
 to reimburse Nebraskans for the state’s traditionally high property 
taxes, which are levied and paid locally:&nbsp;the Real Property Tax Credit, 
which shows up on someone’s yearly property tax statement as an 
automatic reduction.

That long-running credit, the Department of Revenue 
announced Thursday, will amount to a $213 reduction in the 2022 property
 tax bill for the owner of a $200,000 home. The credit on $200,000 worth
 of farm or ranch land will amount to about $256.

Then there is&nbsp;the
 newer and bigger Nebraska Property Tax Incentive Act, passed in 2020. 
It provides a refundable income tax credit on property taxes paid to 
support K-12 schools and, beginning on next year’s taxes, on taxes paid 
for community colleges. 

That newer tax break must be claimed on a
 state income tax form — which only about 60% of Nebraskans are doing. 
It began as a 6% refund on 2020 income tax bills, but will grow to 30% 
in tax year 2022 and is expected to grow larger until 2026.

Ricketts, as well as State Sen. Lou Ann 
Linehan and State Tax Commissioner Tony Fulton, said that some Nebraska 
taxpayers aren’t aware of the need to file for the income tax refund 
because it’s still a new program.

“It takes time for it to sink in,” Fulton said.

Linehan added that people who live out of state and pay taxes here might not be aware of the tax credit.

When asked why the state doesn’t make the
 income tax break automatic, as it does with the older Real Property Tax
 Credit, Ricketts said it’s just not that easy — the state isn’t aware 
of what taxpayers pay in local property taxes, for one, to calculate the
 refund.

“This is the best way to do it,” the governor said.

State lawmakers opted for the income tax 
credit, rather than adding more money to the older and automatic Real 
Property Tax Credit, in part to make the state tax break more visible to
 taxpayers. The Real Property Tax Credit, it was reasoned, was just a 
line on an annual form, and taxpayers didn’t realize it was a tax break 
from the state on local property taxes.&nbsp;

Linehan, who chairs the Legislature’s 
Revenue Committee, which guides state tax policies, said she may have a 
fix in mind, involving including more information about the need to 
apply for the tax refund on mailings from the state.&nbsp; &nbsp;

To get the income tax refund, you can 
either file an amended income tax return for 2021, or claim the past 
refunds you may have earned on your income tax return next year. Fulton 
said refunds can be sought going back three years.

A <a target="_blank" href="https://revenue.nebraska.gov/about/nebraska-property-tax-credit">“Nebraska Property Tax Lookup Tool”</a>
 is available on the Department of Revenue’s website to help calculate 
the credit you are due. The website is also where taxpayers can find the
 necessary forms to request the credit.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663276283994.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Governor: owner of $200,000 home missing more than $1,000 in relief</h2>By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/09/15/nebraskans-failing-to-claim-200-million-in-state-income-tax-credits-officials-say/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Nebraskans aren’t claiming their refunds from a 
major tax break passed by the State Legislature, and Gov. Pete Ricketts 
joined other state leaders on Thursday to urge Cornhuskers to get after 
it.About 40% of all Nebraskans this year failed to claim the 
property tax refund that must be claimed on a state income tax form, 
leaving about $200 million of tax refunds unclaimed.<h2>‘A big deal’</h2>It’s major money, Ricketts said.For instance, the owner of a $250,000 home in Lincoln 
could have claimed $1,137 in refunds this year from the income tax 
credit and another state property tax relief effort.“That’s a house payment,” Ricketts said at a press conference. “That’s a big deal.”By next year, when 2022 income taxes must be filed, 
Nebraskans should realize a 30% reduction in their property tax bill, 
the governor said&nbsp;— if they take advantage of the income tax refund.&nbsp;<h2>Two programs to reduce property tax</h2>State lawmakers have launched two programs in recent years
 to reimburse Nebraskans for the state’s traditionally high property 
taxes, which are levied and paid locally:&nbsp;the Real Property Tax Credit, 
which shows up on someone’s yearly property tax statement as an 
automatic reduction.That long-running credit, the Department of Revenue 
announced Thursday, will amount to a $213 reduction in the 2022 property
 tax bill for the owner of a $200,000 home. The credit on $200,000 worth
 of farm or ranch land will amount to about $256.Then there is&nbsp;the
 newer and bigger Nebraska Property Tax Incentive Act, passed in 2020. 
It provides a refundable income tax credit on property taxes paid to 
support K-12 schools and, beginning on next year’s taxes, on taxes paid 
for community colleges. That newer tax break must be claimed on a
 state income tax form — which only about 60% of Nebraskans are doing. 
It began as a 6% refund on 2020 income tax bills, but will grow to 30% 
in tax year 2022 and is expected to grow larger until 2026.<h2>Out-of-state taxpayers not aware</h2>Ricketts, as well as State Sen. Lou Ann 
Linehan and State Tax Commissioner Tony Fulton, said that some Nebraska 
taxpayers aren’t aware of the need to file for the income tax refund 
because it’s still a new program.“It takes time for it to sink in,” Fulton said.Linehan added that people who live out of state and pay taxes here might not be aware of the tax credit.When asked why the state doesn’t make the
 income tax break automatic, as it does with the older Real Property Tax
 Credit, Ricketts said it’s just not that easy — the state isn’t aware 
of what taxpayers pay in local property taxes, for one, to calculate the
 refund.“This is the best way to do it,” the governor said.State lawmakers opted for the income tax 
credit, rather than adding more money to the older and automatic Real 
Property Tax Credit, in part to make the state tax break more visible to
 taxpayers. The Real Property Tax Credit, it was reasoned, was just a 
line on an annual form, and taxpayers didn’t realize it was a tax break 
from the state on local property taxes.&nbsp;Linehan, who chairs the Legislature’s 
Revenue Committee, which guides state tax policies, said she may have a 
fix in mind, involving including more information about the need to 
apply for the tax refund on mailings from the state.&nbsp; &nbsp;To get the income tax refund, you can 
either file an amended income tax return for 2021, or claim the past 
refunds you may have earned on your income tax return next year. Fulton 
said refunds can be sought going back three years.A <a target="_blank" href="https://revenue.nebraska.gov/about/nebraska-property-tax-credit">“Nebraska Property Tax Lookup Tool”</a>
 is available on the Department of Revenue’s website to help calculate 
the credit you are due. The website is also where taxpayers can find the
 necessary forms to request the credit.

Officials: Nebraskans failed to claim $200M in state tax credits

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/09/14/pottawattamie-county-sheriff-says-jail-changes-made-since-tragic-2018-case/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA —
 Pottawattamie County Sheriff Andy Brown said Wednesday that reviewing 
and improving jail medical care has been a top priority following a 2018
 incident in which a county inmate had to have both legs amputated.

Brown said the case of inmate Kevin Pittillo was tragic 
and that since Brown took office in 2020, he has restructured county 
jail leadership, putting it under a sworn sheriff’s captain, rather than
 a civilian.

He added that the quality&nbsp;of
 medical care at the jail has been reviewed and will continue to be 
examined so “it meets all appropriate standards going forward.”

“I obviously feel horrible about what 
happened to him,” Brown said of Pittillo. “I ran for sheriff in 2020 
because I want to help the people of Pottawattamie County.”

“I certainly do not want anyone to come out of our jail worse off than when they went in,” he said.

He issued the comments after the Nebraska Examiner revealed that Pottawattamie County had reached <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/09/14/lawyers-seek-justice-for-nebraska-state-ward-whose-legs-were-amputated-after-being-jailed/">an out-of-court settlement with Pittillo</a> and his court-appointed Nebraska public guardian back in November. The county agreed to pay $4.5 million to be dropped from a negligence lawsuit alleging lack of proper medical care.

County officials had not previously 
revealed the monetary settlement, saying that it could have prejudiced 
jurors during trials over other parties being sued.&nbsp;

The jail’s supervising doctor, Dr. Jon Thomas, also agreed
 to an out-of-court settlement, but the amount awarded was not disclosed
 in court records.&nbsp;

On Wednesday, a jury of six men and two 
women found a different party who was sued not liable for the injuries 
suffered by Pistillo: the jail psychiatrist, Dr. Ivan Delgado.

The jury deliberated about two hours Wednesday. The not-liable 
verdict meant jurors didn’t have to go through the technical process of 
determining potential damages due or the percentage of liability.

Delgado’s legal team, led by the Omaha firm of Lamson, Dugan &amp; Murray, said it appeared that the jury agreed that the
 incident “was a physical medicine issue and not a psychiatric issue” 
and that Dr. Delgado had met the reasonable standard of care for 
psychiatrists.

Pittillo, now 66, was brought to the 
Pottawattamie Jail in July 2018 on suspicion of disturbing the peace. He
 was reported to be delirious and paranoid, was nearly naked and was 
babbling about being a former Russian KBG agent or a current member of 
the U.S. military.

He was examined by medical staff as well 
as Dr. Delgado, who prescribed a psychotropic drug, Seroquel, commonly 
given to treat schizophrenia and other mental illnesses, to quell his 
strange behavior.

While in jail, Pittillo regularly refused
 to take the drug and refused to take showers. He laid stinking and 
naked on the floor of his cell and was mostly nonverbal. Guards had to 
pick him up and clean him up and expressed that Pittillo needed to go to
 a hospital or mental facility. 

They found a painful rash in his pelvic area, which was treated with medicated lotion.

Nine days after entering the jail, guards, sensing his physical deterioration, called for an ambulance. 

Eventually, Pittillo was transferred to CHI Health’s Bergan Mercy Hospital in Omaha, where he was
 diagnosed with “profound ischemia,” a clotting of blood vessels that 
had blocked the flow of blood to his legs. A surgeon testified that one 
leg appeared dead.

Both his legs had to be amputated. He now lives in an Omaha 
independent living facility that has 24-hour aid available to help him 
get in and out of bed. He spends most of the day watching television, 
Chaffee said.

Pittillo’s attorneys had argued that his legs could have been spared,
 or his amputations could have been less extensive, had Delgado 
recognized his physical and mental deterioration earlier and ordered him
 sent to a hospital.

But Delgado’s lawyers said it was the jail nurses’ job to ensure that
 Pittillo was taking his medication and that they had failed to alert 
the psychiatrist that he wasn’t doing so until a week had passed.

Pittillo’s physical ailments, Delgado’s attorneys also insisted, came
 on suddenly and were caused by lifelong poor health and smoking. They 
maintained that the clotting occurred like a sudden, surprise heart 
attack.

While Delgado’s attorneys accused Pittillo’s lawyers of seeking 
“Cadillac” care for their client, the plaintiff’s attorneys said it was 
about human dignity and getting his diapers changed without his having 
to wait hours in his wheelchair.

Michelle Chaffee of the Nebraska Office 
of Public Guardian said she filed the lawsuit — a first for her 
8-year-old office — after Pittillo became a state ward and she learned 
of what had happened. 

Public guardians are appointed to manage 
the affairs of people with disabilities or elderly individuals who 
cannot manage their affairs on their ow, and have no family or friends 
able to do so.

 The Nebraska office, established in 2014
 through the Nebraska Supreme Court, manages about 300 state wards. The 
office bills itself as “protecting Nebraska’s most vulnerable” and often
 intervenes in instances of financial exploitation or medical 
mistreatment.

Chaffee said Pittillo was disappointed by
 the jury’s verdic, and was most disappointed that jurors might have 
felt that the amputation was somehow his fault.

Pittillo had testified earlier during his
 six-day trial, but her wasn’t present for closing arguments Tuesday, 
Chaffee said, because it’s painful for him to be in his wheelchair too 
long.

Chaffee said she was disappointed, but not surprised, given that the system of treating those with mental illnesses is “broken.”

“This whole situation is a horrible example of how individuals with 
mental illness are blamed, ignored and treated differently compared to 
individuals with physical illnesses,” she said.

“If a person was found lying on the&nbsp;sidewalk, with beginning signs of
 a potential heart attack, I do not think they would be taken to jail 
for loitering,” Chaffee added. “And, most assuredly, if the individual 
was in jail and physical symptoms progressed to heart failure, they 
immediately would be sent to a hospital.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663276166948.png" alt="A jury began deliberations Tuesday evening in a medical negligence case in Council Bluffs seeking upwards of $15 million to $30 million in damages. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>A jury began deliberations Tuesday evening in a medical negligence case in Council Bluffs seeking upwards of $15 million to $30 million in damages. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/09/14/pottawattamie-county-sheriff-says-jail-changes-made-since-tragic-2018-case/">Nebraska Examiner</a>COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA —
 Pottawattamie County Sheriff Andy Brown said Wednesday that reviewing 
and improving jail medical care has been a top priority following a 2018
 incident in which a county inmate had to have both legs amputated.Brown said the case of inmate Kevin Pittillo was tragic 
and that since Brown took office in 2020, he has restructured county 
jail leadership, putting it under a sworn sheriff’s captain, rather than
 a civilian.He added that the quality&nbsp;of
 medical care at the jail has been reviewed and will continue to be 
examined so “it meets all appropriate standards going forward.”<h2>‘Feel horrible’</h2>“I obviously feel horrible about what 
happened to him,” Brown said of Pittillo. “I ran for sheriff in 2020 
because I want to help the people of Pottawattamie County.”“I certainly do not want anyone to come out of our jail worse off than when they went in,” he said.He issued the comments after the Nebraska Examiner revealed that Pottawattamie County had reached <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/09/14/lawyers-seek-justice-for-nebraska-state-ward-whose-legs-were-amputated-after-being-jailed/">an out-of-court settlement with Pittillo</a> and his court-appointed Nebraska public guardian back in November. The county agreed to pay $4.5 million to be dropped from a negligence lawsuit alleging lack of proper medical care.County officials had not previously 
revealed the monetary settlement, saying that it could have prejudiced 
jurors during trials over other parties being sued.&nbsp;The jail’s supervising doctor, Dr. Jon Thomas, also agreed
 to an out-of-court settlement, but the amount awarded was not disclosed
 in court records.&nbsp;<h2>Jury deliberated two hours</h2>On Wednesday, a jury of six men and two 
women found a different party who was sued not liable for the injuries 
suffered by Pistillo: the jail psychiatrist, Dr. Ivan Delgado.The jury deliberated about two hours Wednesday. The not-liable 
verdict meant jurors didn’t have to go through the technical process of 
determining potential damages due or the percentage of liability.Delgado’s legal team, led by the Omaha firm of Lamson, Dugan &amp; Murray, said it appeared that the jury agreed that the
 incident “was a physical medicine issue and not a psychiatric issue” 
and that Dr. Delgado had met the reasonable standard of care for 
psychiatrists.<h2>Delirious, almost naked</h2>Pittillo, now 66, was brought to the 
Pottawattamie Jail in July 2018 on suspicion of disturbing the peace. He
 was reported to be delirious and paranoid, was nearly naked and was 
babbling about being a former Russian KBG agent or a current member of 
the U.S. military.He was examined by medical staff as well 
as Dr. Delgado, who prescribed a psychotropic drug, Seroquel, commonly 
given to treat schizophrenia and other mental illnesses, to quell his 
strange behavior.While in jail, Pittillo regularly refused
 to take the drug and refused to take showers. He laid stinking and 
naked on the floor of his cell and was mostly nonverbal. Guards had to 
pick him up and clean him up and expressed that Pittillo needed to go to
 a hospital or mental facility. They found a painful rash in his pelvic area, which was treated with medicated lotion.<h2>One leg appeared dead</h2>Nine days after entering the jail, guards, sensing his physical deterioration, called for an ambulance. Eventually, Pittillo was transferred to CHI Health’s Bergan Mercy Hospital in Omaha, where he was
 diagnosed with “profound ischemia,” a clotting of blood vessels that 
had blocked the flow of blood to his legs. A surgeon testified that one 
leg appeared dead.Both his legs had to be amputated. He now lives in an Omaha 
independent living facility that has 24-hour aid available to help him 
get in and out of bed. He spends most of the day watching television, 
Chaffee said.Pittillo’s attorneys had argued that his legs could have been spared,
 or his amputations could have been less extensive, had Delgado 
recognized his physical and mental deterioration earlier and ordered him
 sent to a hospital.But Delgado’s lawyers said it was the jail nurses’ job to ensure that
 Pittillo was taking his medication and that they had failed to alert 
the psychiatrist that he wasn’t doing so until a week had passed.<h2>Like a sudden heart attack</h2>Pittillo’s physical ailments, Delgado’s attorneys also insisted, came
 on suddenly and were caused by lifelong poor health and smoking. They 
maintained that the clotting occurred like a sudden, surprise heart 
attack.While Delgado’s attorneys accused Pittillo’s lawyers of seeking 
“Cadillac” care for their client, the plaintiff’s attorneys said it was 
about human dignity and getting his diapers changed without his having 
to wait hours in his wheelchair.Michelle Chaffee of the Nebraska Office 
of Public Guardian said she filed the lawsuit — a first for her 
8-year-old office — after Pittillo became a state ward and she learned 
of what had happened. Public guardians are appointed to manage 
the affairs of people with disabilities or elderly individuals who 
cannot manage their affairs on their ow, and have no family or friends 
able to do so. The Nebraska office, established in 2014
 through the Nebraska Supreme Court, manages about 300 state wards. The 
office bills itself as “protecting Nebraska’s most vulnerable” and often
 intervenes in instances of financial exploitation or medical 
mistreatment.Chaffee said Pittillo was disappointed by
 the jury’s verdic, and was most disappointed that jurors might have 
felt that the amputation was somehow his fault.Pittillo had testified earlier during his
 six-day trial, but her wasn’t present for closing arguments Tuesday, 
Chaffee said, because it’s painful for him to be in his wheelchair too 
long.Chaffee said she was disappointed, but not surprised, given that the system of treating those with mental illnesses is “broken.”“This whole situation is a horrible example of how individuals with 
mental illness are blamed, ignored and treated differently compared to 
individuals with physical illnesses,” she said.“If a person was found lying on the&nbsp;sidewalk, with beginning signs of
 a potential heart attack, I do not think they would be taken to jail 
for loitering,” Chaffee added. “And, most assuredly, if the individual 
was in jail and physical symptoms progressed to heart failure, they 
immediately would be sent to a hospital.”

Nebraska sheriff: Jail changes made since ‘tragic’ 2018 case

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Here’s what’s in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-economy-strikes-congress-94089be6a4f469444da99fec9dde1b3e">tentative agreement</a>&nbsp;that railroad unions secured to prevent a potential freight railroad strike.

The final deal was negotiated by the unions that represent engineers and conductors, but all 12 of the rail unions will likely benefit from the concessions railroads made because the unions that agreed to deals earlier all had provisions in their deals that will allow them to do that.

The raises workers will receive as part of this deal will be the biggest ones they have received in more than four decades. The railroad industry has said that average rail worker salaries will reach $110,000 by the end of this five-year deal in 2025.

The financial terms of the deal closely follow the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-strikes-a83dffef79d38e36dc25588b19bf54b4">recommendations</a>&nbsp;made by the Presidential Emergency Board last month after those arbitrators met with both sides.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rail-strike-impact-5eb6747b3e4b4e39d764644d6377121d">Businesses</a>&nbsp;that rely on the railroads said a strike would be devastating, and the Association of American Railroads trade group estimated that a work stoppage would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-congress-government-and-politics-a53abd85fa6f8b3ccd622222ea9a4c46">cost the economy</a>&nbsp;more than $2 billion a day. The talks included all the major U.S. railroads, including BNSF, Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern, CSX, Kansas City Southern and the U.S. operations of Canadian National. Canadian Pacific negotiates separately with its unions.

Railroad workers will receive 24% raises and $5,000 in bonuses in the deal that is retroactive to 2020. So rail workers will receive sizeable back pay of more than $11,000 on average once this deal is ratified.

The deal includes one additional paid leave day a year, but railroads also agreed to let workers take unpaid time off for doctor’s appointments and medical procedures without being penalized under their attendance rules.

The unpaid time off is a key concession that addressed some of the unions’ concerns about working conditions. Under the current system at BNSF and Union Pacific, workers receive a set number of points, and they lose points any time they take time off. If workers use up all their points, they can be disciplined or even fired.

Workers will have to pay a larger share of their health insurance costs, but their premiums will be capped at 15% of the total cost of the insurance plan. Currently, railroad workers pay $228.88 per month for their health insurance, which is about 12.6% of the total cost of the plan.

The railroads also agreed to increase the amount they will pay for hearing benefits and for speech therapy and other treatment of autism.

Members of all 12 railroad unions will have to vote on these deals. Already one union&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-covid-government-and-politics-87bc3c3e0120b8258557767576262d89">rejected</a>&nbsp;a deal Wednesday that was based closely on the Presidential Emergency Board’s recommendations but two other unions approved similar deals. These latest concessions may help secure the support of the union that rejected a deal.

The recommendations from the Presidential Emergency Board provided significant raises, but didn’t address union concerns about working conditions. Many railroad workers spoke out on social media saying they would vote against a deal that only delivered what the Presidential Emergency Board recommended. It remains to be seen whether the railroads’ concessions on time off are enough to get workers support.

Earlier this summer, railroad workers voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike if both sides couldn’t agree to a deal. Many workers are frustrated with current working conditions after the major railroads cut nearly one-third of their workforce over the past six years. Hundreds of railroad workers have left the industry this year as the same time the railroads have been aggressively hiring new employees.

The railroads need additional employees to handle all the freight. Shippers have complained loudly this year about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-omaha-7824a3d4042a757755ea76f55e51f641">delayed deliveries and poor service</a>, and federal regulators have demanded that railroads improve their service.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;said Thursday that a tentative railway labor agreement has been reached, averting a potentially devastating strike before the pivotal midterm elections.

Railroads and union representatives had been in negotiations for 20 hours at the Labor Department on Wednesday to hammer out a deal, as there was a risk of a strike starting on Friday that could have shut down rail lines across the country. Biden made a key phone call to Labor Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-marty-walsh-boston-coronavirus-pandemic-b3bb089eb2253b7f78057893d215835f">Marty Walsh</a>&nbsp;at 9 p.m. as the talks were ongoing after Italian dinner had been brought in, according to a White House official insisting on anonymity.

What resulted from the back and forth was a tentative agreement that will go to union members for a vote after a post-ratification cooling off period of several weeks.

“These rail workers will get better pay, improved working conditions, and peace of mind around their health care costs: all hard-earned,” Biden said. “The agreement is also a victory for railway companies who will be able to retain and recruit more workers for an industry that will continue to be part of the backbone of the American economy for decades to come.”

The threat of a shutdown had put Biden in a delicate spot politically. The Democratic president believes unions built the middle class, but he also knew a rail worker strike could damage the economy ahead of the midterms

That left him in the awkward position on Wednesday. He flew to Detroit, a stalwart of the labor movement, to espouse the virtues of unionization, while members of his administration went all-out to keep&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-covid-government-and-politics-87bc3c3e0120b8258557767576262d89">talks going in Washington between the railroads and unionized workers</a>.

As the administration was trying to forge peace, United Auto Workers Local 598 member Ryan Buchalski introduced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-detroit-north-america-auto-show-e30f83b1d6e7df491b1a7953507dbaa4">Biden at the Detroit auto show</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday as “the most union- and labor-friendly president in American history” and someone who was “kickin’ ass for the working class.” Buchalski harked back to the pivotal sitdown strikes by autoworkers in the 1930s.

In the speech that followed, Biden recognized that he wouldn’t be in the White House without the support of unions such as the UAW and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, saying autoworkers “brung me to the dance.”

But without a deal among the 12 unions in talks back in Washington, Biden also knew that a stoppage might have begun as early as Friday that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rail-strike-impact-5eb6747b3e4b4e39d764644d6377121d">could halt shipments of food and fuel</a>&nbsp;at a cost of $2 billion a day.

Far more was at stake than sick leave and salary bumps for 115,000 unionized railroad workers. The ramifications could have extended to control of Congress and to the shipping network that keeps factories rolling, stocks the shelves of stores and stitches the U.S. together as an economic power.

That’s why White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, speaking aboard Air Force One as it jetted to Detroit on Wednesday, said a rail worker strike was “an unacceptable outcome for our economy and the American people.” The rail lines and their workers’ representatives “need to stay at the table, bargain in good faith to resolve outstanding issues, and come to an agreement,” she said.

Biden faced the same kind of predicament faced by Theodore Roosevelt in 1902 with coal and Harry Truman in 1952 with steel — how do you balance the needs of labor and business in doing what's best for the nation? Railways were so important during World War I that Woodrow Wilson temporarily nationalized the industry to keep goods flowing and prevent strikes.

Inside the White House, aides don't see a contradiction between Biden's devotion to unions and his desire to avoid a strike. Union activism has surged under Biden, as seen in a 56%&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nlrb.gov/news-outreach/news-story/union-election-petitions-increase-57-in-first-half-of-fiscal-year-2022">increase in petitions for union representation</a>&nbsp;with the National Labor Relations Board so far this fiscal year.

One person familiar with the situation, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss White House deliberations on the matter, said Biden's mindset in approaching the debate was that he's the president of the entire country, not just for organized labor.

With the economy still recovering from the supply chain disruptions of the pandemic, the president's goal is to keep all parties so a deal could be finalized. The person said the White House saw a commitment to keep negotiating in good faith as the best way to avoid a shutdown while exercising the principles of collective bargaining that Biden holds dear.

Biden also knew a stoppage could worsen the dynamics that have contributed to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-prices-881c8411bad80180f025e138f0bd444e">soaring inflation</a>&nbsp;and created a political headache for the party in power.

Eddie Vale, a Democratic political consultant and former AFL-CIO communications aide, said the White House pursued the correct approach at a perilous moment.

“No one wants a railroad strike, not the companies, not the workers, not the White House," he said. "No one wants it this close to the election.”

Vale added that the sticking point in the talks was about "respect basically — sick leave and bereavement leave,” issues Biden has supported in speeches and with his policy proposals.

Sensing political opportunity, Senate Republicans moved Wednesday to pass a law to impose contract terms on the unions and railroad companies to avoid a shutdown. Democrats, who control both chambers in Congress, blocked it.

“If a strike occurs and paralyzes food, fertilizer and energy shipments nationwide, it will be because Democrats blocked this bill,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

The economic impact of a potential strike was not lost on members of the Business Roundtable, a Washington-based group that represents CEOs. It issued its quarterly outlook for the economy Wednesday.

“We’ve been experiencing a lot of headwinds from supply chain problems since the pandemic started and those problems would be geometrically magnified,” Josh Bolten, the group's CEO, told reporters. “There are manufacturing plants around the country that likely have to shut down. ... There are critical products to keep our water clean.”

The roundtable also had a meeting of its board of directors Wednesday. But Bolten said Lance Fritz, chair of the board’s international committee and the CEO of Union Pacific railroad, would miss it “because he’s working hard trying to bring the strike to a resolution.”

By 5:05 a.m. Thursday, it was clear that the hard work across the government, unions and railway companied had paid off as Biden announced the deal, calling it “an important win for our economy and the American people.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663077336048.png" alt="Railroads and union representatives had been in negotiations for 20 hours at the Labor Department on Wednesday to hammer out a deal." />
 <figcaption>Railroads and union representatives had been in negotiations for 20 hours at the Labor Department on Wednesday to hammer out a deal.</figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Here’s what’s in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-economy-strikes-congress-94089be6a4f469444da99fec9dde1b3e">tentative agreement</a>&nbsp;that railroad unions secured to prevent a potential freight railroad strike.The final deal was negotiated by the unions that represent engineers and conductors, but all 12 of the rail unions will likely benefit from the concessions railroads made because the unions that agreed to deals earlier all had provisions in their deals that will allow them to do that.The raises workers will receive as part of this deal will be the biggest ones they have received in more than four decades. The railroad industry has said that average rail worker salaries will reach $110,000 by the end of this five-year deal in 2025.The financial terms of the deal closely follow the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-strikes-a83dffef79d38e36dc25588b19bf54b4">recommendations</a>&nbsp;made by the Presidential Emergency Board last month after those arbitrators met with both sides.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rail-strike-impact-5eb6747b3e4b4e39d764644d6377121d">Businesses</a>&nbsp;that rely on the railroads said a strike would be devastating, and the Association of American Railroads trade group estimated that a work stoppage would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-congress-government-and-politics-a53abd85fa6f8b3ccd622222ea9a4c46">cost the economy</a>&nbsp;more than $2 billion a day. The talks included all the major U.S. railroads, including BNSF, Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern, CSX, Kansas City Southern and the U.S. operations of Canadian National. Canadian Pacific negotiates separately with its unions.HOW BIG ARE THE RAISES?Railroad workers will receive 24% raises and $5,000 in bonuses in the deal that is retroactive to 2020. So rail workers will receive sizeable back pay of more than $11,000 on average once this deal is ratified.HOW MUCH TIME OFF WILL WORKERS GET?The deal includes one additional paid leave day a year, but railroads also agreed to let workers take unpaid time off for doctor’s appointments and medical procedures without being penalized under their attendance rules.The unpaid time off is a key concession that addressed some of the unions’ concerns about working conditions. Under the current system at BNSF and Union Pacific, workers receive a set number of points, and they lose points any time they take time off. If workers use up all their points, they can be disciplined or even fired.WHAT ABOUT HEALTH INSURANCE?Workers will have to pay a larger share of their health insurance costs, but their premiums will be capped at 15% of the total cost of the insurance plan. Currently, railroad workers pay $228.88 per month for their health insurance, which is about 12.6% of the total cost of the plan.The railroads also agreed to increase the amount they will pay for hearing benefits and for speech therapy and other treatment of autism.WHAT’S NEXT?Members of all 12 railroad unions will have to vote on these deals. Already one union&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-covid-government-and-politics-87bc3c3e0120b8258557767576262d89">rejected</a>&nbsp;a deal Wednesday that was based closely on the Presidential Emergency Board’s recommendations but two other unions approved similar deals. These latest concessions may help secure the support of the union that rejected a deal.WILL WORKERS SUPPORT THE DEAL?The recommendations from the Presidential Emergency Board provided significant raises, but didn’t address union concerns about working conditions. Many railroad workers spoke out on social media saying they would vote against a deal that only delivered what the Presidential Emergency Board recommended. It remains to be seen whether the railroads’ concessions on time off are enough to get workers support.Earlier this summer, railroad workers voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike if both sides couldn’t agree to a deal. Many workers are frustrated with current working conditions after the major railroads cut nearly one-third of their workforce over the past six years. Hundreds of railroad workers have left the industry this year as the same time the railroads have been aggressively hiring new employees.The railroads need additional employees to handle all the freight. Shippers have complained loudly this year about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-omaha-7824a3d4042a757755ea76f55e51f641">delayed deliveries and poor service</a>, and federal regulators have demanded that railroads improve their service.----------------WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;said Thursday that a tentative railway labor agreement has been reached, averting a potentially devastating strike before the pivotal midterm elections.Railroads and union representatives had been in negotiations for 20 hours at the Labor Department on Wednesday to hammer out a deal, as there was a risk of a strike starting on Friday that could have shut down rail lines across the country. Biden made a key phone call to Labor Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-marty-walsh-boston-coronavirus-pandemic-b3bb089eb2253b7f78057893d215835f">Marty Walsh</a>&nbsp;at 9 p.m. as the talks were ongoing after Italian dinner had been brought in, according to a White House official insisting on anonymity.What resulted from the back and forth was a tentative agreement that will go to union members for a vote after a post-ratification cooling off period of several weeks.“These rail workers will get better pay, improved working conditions, and peace of mind around their health care costs: all hard-earned,” Biden said. “The agreement is also a victory for railway companies who will be able to retain and recruit more workers for an industry that will continue to be part of the backbone of the American economy for decades to come.”The threat of a shutdown had put Biden in a delicate spot politically. The Democratic president believes unions built the middle class, but he also knew a rail worker strike could damage the economy ahead of the midtermsThat left him in the awkward position on Wednesday. He flew to Detroit, a stalwart of the labor movement, to espouse the virtues of unionization, while members of his administration went all-out to keep&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-covid-government-and-politics-87bc3c3e0120b8258557767576262d89">talks going in Washington between the railroads and unionized workers</a>.As the administration was trying to forge peace, United Auto Workers Local 598 member Ryan Buchalski introduced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-detroit-north-america-auto-show-e30f83b1d6e7df491b1a7953507dbaa4">Biden at the Detroit auto show</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday as “the most union- and labor-friendly president in American history” and someone who was “kickin’ ass for the working class.” Buchalski harked back to the pivotal sitdown strikes by autoworkers in the 1930s.In the speech that followed, Biden recognized that he wouldn’t be in the White House without the support of unions such as the UAW and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, saying autoworkers “brung me to the dance.”But without a deal among the 12 unions in talks back in Washington, Biden also knew that a stoppage might have begun as early as Friday that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rail-strike-impact-5eb6747b3e4b4e39d764644d6377121d">could halt shipments of food and fuel</a>&nbsp;at a cost of $2 billion a day.Far more was at stake than sick leave and salary bumps for 115,000 unionized railroad workers. The ramifications could have extended to control of Congress and to the shipping network that keeps factories rolling, stocks the shelves of stores and stitches the U.S. together as an economic power.That’s why White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, speaking aboard Air Force One as it jetted to Detroit on Wednesday, said a rail worker strike was “an unacceptable outcome for our economy and the American people.” The rail lines and their workers’ representatives “need to stay at the table, bargain in good faith to resolve outstanding issues, and come to an agreement,” she said.Biden faced the same kind of predicament faced by Theodore Roosevelt in 1902 with coal and Harry Truman in 1952 with steel — how do you balance the needs of labor and business in doing what's best for the nation? Railways were so important during World War I that Woodrow Wilson temporarily nationalized the industry to keep goods flowing and prevent strikes.Inside the White House, aides don't see a contradiction between Biden's devotion to unions and his desire to avoid a strike. Union activism has surged under Biden, as seen in a 56%&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nlrb.gov/news-outreach/news-story/union-election-petitions-increase-57-in-first-half-of-fiscal-year-2022">increase in petitions for union representation</a>&nbsp;with the National Labor Relations Board so far this fiscal year.One person familiar with the situation, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss White House deliberations on the matter, said Biden's mindset in approaching the debate was that he's the president of the entire country, not just for organized labor.With the economy still recovering from the supply chain disruptions of the pandemic, the president's goal is to keep all parties so a deal could be finalized. The person said the White House saw a commitment to keep negotiating in good faith as the best way to avoid a shutdown while exercising the principles of collective bargaining that Biden holds dear.Biden also knew a stoppage could worsen the dynamics that have contributed to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-prices-881c8411bad80180f025e138f0bd444e">soaring inflation</a>&nbsp;and created a political headache for the party in power.Eddie Vale, a Democratic political consultant and former AFL-CIO communications aide, said the White House pursued the correct approach at a perilous moment.“No one wants a railroad strike, not the companies, not the workers, not the White House," he said. "No one wants it this close to the election.”Vale added that the sticking point in the talks was about "respect basically — sick leave and bereavement leave,” issues Biden has supported in speeches and with his policy proposals.Sensing political opportunity, Senate Republicans moved Wednesday to pass a law to impose contract terms on the unions and railroad companies to avoid a shutdown. Democrats, who control both chambers in Congress, blocked it.“If a strike occurs and paralyzes food, fertilizer and energy shipments nationwide, it will be because Democrats blocked this bill,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.The economic impact of a potential strike was not lost on members of the Business Roundtable, a Washington-based group that represents CEOs. It issued its quarterly outlook for the economy Wednesday.“We’ve been experiencing a lot of headwinds from supply chain problems since the pandemic started and those problems would be geometrically magnified,” Josh Bolten, the group's CEO, told reporters. “There are manufacturing plants around the country that likely have to shut down. ... There are critical products to keep our water clean.”The roundtable also had a meeting of its board of directors Wednesday. But Bolten said Lance Fritz, chair of the board’s international committee and the CEO of Union Pacific railroad, would miss it “because he’s working hard trying to bring the strike to a resolution.”By 5:05 a.m. Thursday, it was clear that the hard work across the government, unions and railway companied had paid off as Biden announced the deal, calling it “an important win for our economy and the American people.”

Rail workers win key concessions in deal to prevent strike

GRAND ISLAND, NEB.&nbsp; — Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol have arrested one person after locating 10 pounds of suspected methamphetamine during an encounter at an I-80 rest area near York.

At approximately 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, a trooper made contact with the driver of a Hyundai Accent at the eastbound Interstate 80 rest area near York. During the encounter, the trooper detected the odor of marijuana.

A search of the vehicle revealed a small amount of marijuana and 10 pounds of suspected methamphetamine. The methamphetamine was located concealed inside a suitcase in the trunk of the vehicle. Troopers also located a handgun in the vehicle.

The driver, Monica Morales, 31, of Mount Prospect, Illinois, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, possession with intent to deliver, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of a firearm during a drug violation, and possession of marijuana – less than an ounce. She was lodged in York County Jail.

By Nebraska State PatrolGRAND ISLAND, NEB.&nbsp; — Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol have arrested one person after locating 10 pounds of suspected methamphetamine during an encounter at an I-80 rest area near York.At approximately 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, a trooper made contact with the driver of a Hyundai Accent at the eastbound Interstate 80 rest area near York. During the encounter, the trooper detected the odor of marijuana.A search of the vehicle revealed a small amount of marijuana and 10 pounds of suspected methamphetamine. The methamphetamine was located concealed inside a suitcase in the trunk of the vehicle. Troopers also located a handgun in the vehicle.The driver, Monica Morales, 31, of Mount Prospect, Illinois, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, possession with intent to deliver, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of a firearm during a drug violation, and possession of marijuana – less than an ounce. She was lodged in York County Jail.

1 arrested after troopers find 10 LBs of meth, gun

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/dozens-of-small-meat-processors-share-in-first-round-of-arpa-funded-state-grants/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN
 — For 39 years, Pelican’s Meat Processing has been the custom 
slaughterhouse of choice in the southeast Nebraska farm town of 
Johnson.&nbsp;

This week, owners learned the 
processor will be among dozens of small locker plants that will receive 
grants of up to $80,000 to help bolster the state’s ability to process 
beef, pork and other livestock.

Sandie Lavigne, whose father, Frank 
Pelican, owns the Johnson business, said that money could help address a
 problem many small businesses face today — a shortage of workers.

“There’s six of us, when we’re all here,” Lavigne said.

The $80,000 grant awarded to 
Pelican’s Meat Processing could be used to purchase a new meat wrapping 
machine, she said, or to help pay off a loan for a new carcass cooler.

Either one could make working at the 
locker plant a little easier for the mostly older workforce Lavigne said
 is available in the Nemaha County area.

Earlier this week, the Nebraska 
Department of Agriculture announced a total of $4.9 million in grants to
 64 meat processing facilities across the state via the state’s 
Independent Processor Assistance Program.

The <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/06/07/new-grant-program-aims-to-help-small-town-locker-plants-survive-and-expand/">program was launched</a>&nbsp;this
 spring by the Nebraska Legislature and Gov. Pete Ricketts. It utilizes 
$10 million of the state’s $1 billion allocation from President Joe 
Biden’s American Rescue Plan Act, a federal effort to jump-start an 
economy slowed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The program targets small meat 
processors like Pelican’s with fewer than 25 employees and less than 
$2.5 million in yearly sales — businesses that struggled to pick up the 
slack when processing at larger, corporate slaughtering facilities fell 
behind during the pandemic.

Steve Wellman, director of the 
Nebraska Department of Agriculture, said the grants will help Nebraska 
livestock producers and meat processors strengthen the nation’s food 
supply.

&nbsp;“Through these grants, meat 
processing facilities can implement projects that will benefit meat 
processing efforts,” Wellman said in a press release. “These grants 
serve as a reminder that Nebraska is committed to the meat processing 
industry, and we value its importance to agriculture.”

One supporter of the grant program, Johnathan Hladik of the Center 
for Rural Affairs, said Wednesday that these small meat processors did 
not receive the state and federal support that their much larger 
counterparts enjoyed, though they dealt with the exact same challenges.

“We understood the sacrifices local lockers had to make,” Hladik 
said, which is why they supported creation of the grant program.

In total, the Ag Department will 
award approximately $9.8 million in grants through the Independent 
Processor Assistance Program.&nbsp;

A second round of grants will be allocated in the first half of 2023, until funding is gone.

Previous recipients will be eligible 
to apply in subsequent rounds, but preference will be given to 
applications not awarded funding previously, a Ag Department spokeswoman
 said.&nbsp;

For additional information, contact Breanna Wirth, NDA Legislative Coordinator, at 402-890-1509 or breanna.wirth@nebraska.gov.

First-round recipients that got $80,000 each:
 4 His Glory, Hay Springs; Ace &amp; Ida Inc., Ord; AK Meats LLC, Naper;
 Albion Locker, Albion; ASC Lockers, West Point; B and J Main Street 
Market, Humphrey; B &amp; B Locker, Wynot; B.I.G. Meats, Omaha; Belschner Meats, Amherst; Borchard Custom Cuts, Benkelman; Busy Bones Butcher, Cozad;
 C.R. Packing, Gordon; Cedar Rapids Locker, Cedar Rapids; C&amp;G Wild 
Game Processing, LLC, Seneca; Chuckwagon Meats, Arthur; Cornelius 
Butchery, Pickrell; Cornhusker Beef Company, Johnson; Country Butcher, 
Humphrey; Den’s Country Meats, Table
 Rock; Diller Locker, Diller; Elmwood Meat Plant, Elmwood;&nbsp; Flat Water 
Meats, Snyder; Franklin Locker, Franklin; Gentert Packing, Holstein; 
Grant Packing, Grant; HD Processing dba Blue River Meats, Crete; Hearty 
Rancher, Paxton; Homeland Processing, Niobrara: Husker Meats, Ainsworth; Jansen’s Custom Cut, Rushville; KB Quality Meat, Blair; Kelley’s Custom Pack, North Platte; McLean Beef, York; M-K Meats, Unadilla; NE Family, &nbsp;Springview; Nelson’s Butcher Shop, Ceresco; North Bend Locker, North Bend; Oakland Meat Processing, Oakland; Patriot Beef, Deshler; Pelican’s Meat, Johnson; Pickrell Locker, Pickrell; Polk Locker, Polk; Prairie Processing, Paxton; R &amp; M Meats, Norfolk; Ravenna Locker, Ravenna, Rodriguez Brothers Processing, Mitchell; Table Top Meats, Hemingford; The Rusty Butcher, Central City; Twin Cities Pack, Gering; Twin Loups Quality Meats, St. Paul; Valentine Locker, Valentine; Wahoo Locker, Wahoo; Whiskey Creek Critters, Fordyce; Wildcat Locker Inc., Filley; Willow Creek Meats, McCook; Winfield Foods, Aurora.

Grant recipients that received other amounts: Faltin Meat Market, Howells, $66,000; Fremont Meat Market, Fremont, $79,176: Melcher’s Locker, &nbsp;Lindsay, $19,000: Oxford Locker, Oxford, $75,000; Shelton Locker, Shelton, $17,500; Steve’s Butcher Shop, Doniphan, $32,000; Fairfield Butcher Shop, Fairfield, $75,000; Wausau Lockers, Wausau, $70,000.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663253695401.png" alt="Tubes of fresh-ground hamburger await shipment from a small meatpacking plant in Oakland, which received a state grant this week. (Courtesy of Kylie Kai, Center for Rural Affairs)" />
 <figcaption>Tubes of fresh-ground hamburger await shipment from a small meatpacking plant in Oakland, which received a state grant this week. (Courtesy of Kylie Kai, Center for Rural Affairs)</figcaption>
 </figure>By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/dozens-of-small-meat-processors-share-in-first-round-of-arpa-funded-state-grants/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN
 — For 39 years, Pelican’s Meat Processing has been the custom 
slaughterhouse of choice in the southeast Nebraska farm town of 
Johnson.&nbsp;This week, owners learned the 
processor will be among dozens of small locker plants that will receive 
grants of up to $80,000 to help bolster the state’s ability to process 
beef, pork and other livestock.Sandie Lavigne, whose father, Frank 
Pelican, owns the Johnson business, said that money could help address a
 problem many small businesses face today — a shortage of workers.<h2>Could help keep, attract workers</h2>“There’s six of us, when we’re all here,” Lavigne said.The $80,000 grant awarded to 
Pelican’s Meat Processing could be used to purchase a new meat wrapping 
machine, she said, or to help pay off a loan for a new carcass cooler.Either one could make working at the 
locker plant a little easier for the mostly older workforce Lavigne said
 is available in the Nemaha County area.Earlier this week, the Nebraska 
Department of Agriculture announced a total of $4.9 million in grants to
 64 meat processing facilities across the state via the state’s 
Independent Processor Assistance Program.<h2>ARPA funds used</h2>The <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/06/07/new-grant-program-aims-to-help-small-town-locker-plants-survive-and-expand/">program was launched</a>&nbsp;this
 spring by the Nebraska Legislature and Gov. Pete Ricketts. It utilizes 
$10 million of the state’s $1 billion allocation from President Joe 
Biden’s American Rescue Plan Act, a federal effort to jump-start an 
economy slowed by the COVID-19 pandemic.The program targets small meat 
processors like Pelican’s with fewer than 25 employees and less than 
$2.5 million in yearly sales — businesses that struggled to pick up the 
slack when processing at larger, corporate slaughtering facilities fell 
behind during the pandemic.Steve Wellman, director of the 
Nebraska Department of Agriculture, said the grants will help Nebraska 
livestock producers and meat processors strengthen the nation’s food 
supply.&nbsp;“Through these grants, meat 
processing facilities can implement projects that will benefit meat 
processing efforts,” Wellman said in a press release. “These grants 
serve as a reminder that Nebraska is committed to the meat processing 
industry, and we value its importance to agriculture.”One supporter of the grant program, Johnathan Hladik of the Center 
for Rural Affairs, said Wednesday that these small meat processors did 
not receive the state and federal support that their much larger 
counterparts enjoyed, though they dealt with the exact same challenges.“We understood the sacrifices local lockers had to make,” Hladik 
said, which is why they supported creation of the grant program.<h2>Second round of grants next year</h2>In total, the Ag Department will 
award approximately $9.8 million in grants through the Independent 
Processor Assistance Program.&nbsp;A second round of grants will be allocated in the first half of 2023, until funding is gone.Previous recipients will be eligible 
to apply in subsequent rounds, but preference will be given to 
applications not awarded funding previously, a Ag Department spokeswoman
 said.&nbsp;For additional information, contact Breanna Wirth, NDA Legislative Coordinator, at 402-890-1509 or breanna.wirth@nebraska.gov.First-round recipients that got $80,000 each:
 4 His Glory, Hay Springs; Ace &amp; Ida Inc., Ord; AK Meats LLC, Naper;
 Albion Locker, Albion; ASC Lockers, West Point; B and J Main Street 
Market, Humphrey; B &amp; B Locker, Wynot; B.I.G. Meats, Omaha; Belschner Meats, Amherst; Borchard Custom Cuts, Benkelman; Busy Bones Butcher, Cozad;
 C.R. Packing, Gordon; Cedar Rapids Locker, Cedar Rapids; C&amp;G Wild 
Game Processing, LLC, Seneca; Chuckwagon Meats, Arthur; Cornelius 
Butchery, Pickrell; Cornhusker Beef Company, Johnson; Country Butcher, 
Humphrey; Den’s Country Meats, Table
 Rock; Diller Locker, Diller; Elmwood Meat Plant, Elmwood;&nbsp; Flat Water 
Meats, Snyder; Franklin Locker, Franklin; Gentert Packing, Holstein; 
Grant Packing, Grant; HD Processing dba Blue River Meats, Crete; Hearty 
Rancher, Paxton; Homeland Processing, Niobrara: Husker Meats, Ainsworth; Jansen’s Custom Cut, Rushville; KB Quality Meat, Blair; Kelley’s Custom Pack, North Platte; McLean Beef, York; M-K Meats, Unadilla; NE Family, &nbsp;Springview; Nelson’s Butcher Shop, Ceresco; North Bend Locker, North Bend; Oakland Meat Processing, Oakland; Patriot Beef, Deshler; Pelican’s Meat, Johnson; Pickrell Locker, Pickrell; Polk Locker, Polk; Prairie Processing, Paxton; R &amp; M Meats, Norfolk; Ravenna Locker, Ravenna, Rodriguez Brothers Processing, Mitchell; Table Top Meats, Hemingford; The Rusty Butcher, Central City; Twin Cities Pack, Gering; Twin Loups Quality Meats, St. Paul; Valentine Locker, Valentine; Wahoo Locker, Wahoo; Whiskey Creek Critters, Fordyce; Wildcat Locker Inc., Filley; Willow Creek Meats, McCook; Winfield Foods, Aurora.Grant recipients that received other amounts: Faltin Meat Market, Howells, $66,000; Fremont Meat Market, Fremont, $79,176: Melcher’s Locker, &nbsp;Lindsay, $19,000: Oxford Locker, Oxford, $75,000; Shelton Locker, Shelton, $17,500; Steve’s Butcher Shop, Doniphan, $32,000; Fairfield Butcher Shop, Fairfield, $75,000; Wausau Lockers, Wausau, $70,000.

Neb. small meat processors share in first round of ARPA grants

During the first two years of the pandemic, the number of people working from home in the United States tripled,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/home-sales-prices-1331a8bd045d3cef81174e81154bb26d">home values</a>&nbsp;grew and the percentage of people who spent more than a third of their income on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rental-market-softens-but-for-how-long-6617f1d84b25c7185f1a7ba35e1b094b">rent</a>&nbsp;went up, according to survey results released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Providing the most detailed data to date on how life changed in the U.S. under COVID-19, the bureau's American Community Survey 1-year estimates for 2021 showed that the share of unmarried couples living together rose, Americans became more wired and the percentage of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-race-and-ethnicity-census-2020-7c10fabbb71b1a0aaf0db08a75b6fcb6">people who identify as multiracial</a>&nbsp;grew significantly. And in changes that seemed to directly reflect how the pandemic upended people's choices, fewer people moved, preschool enrollment dropped and commuters using public transportation was cut in half.

The data release offers the first reliable glimpse of life in the U.S. during the COVID-19 era, as the 1-year estimates from the 2020 survey were deemed unusable because of problems getting people to answer during the early months of the pandemic. That left a one-year data gap during a time when the pandemic forced major changes in the way people live their lives.

The survey typically relies on responses from 3.5 million households to provide 11 billion estimates each year about commuting times, internet access, family life, income, education levels, disabilities, military service and employment. The estimates help inform how to distribute hundreds of billions of dollars in federal spending.

Response rates significantly improved from 2020 to 2021, “so we are confident about the data for this year,” said Mark Asiala, the survey’s chief of statistical design.

While the percentage of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-business-orlando-florida-census-2020-831bc3531f3de3b69ae1faf3657128c0">married-couple households</a>&nbsp;stayed stable over the two years at around 47%, the percent of households with unwed couples cohabiting rose to 7.2% in 2021 from 6.6% in 2019. Contrary to pop culture images of multigenerational family members moving in together during the pandemic, the average household size actually contracted from 2.6 to 2.5 people.

People also stayed put. More than 87% of those surveyed were living in their same house a year ago in 2021, compared to 86% in 2019. America became more wired as people became more reliant on remote learning and working from home. Households with a computer rose, from 92.9% in 2019 to 95% in 2021, and internet subscription services grew from 86% to 90% of households.

The jump in people who identify as multiracial — from 3.4% in 2019 to 12.6% in 2021 — and a decline in people identifying as white alone — from 72% to 61.2% — coincided with Census Bureau changes in coding race and Hispanic origin responses. Those adjustments were intended to capture more detailed write-in answers from participants. The period between surveys also overlapped with social justice protests following the killing of George Floyd, who was Black, by a white Minneapolis police officer in 2020 as well as attacks against Asian Americans. Experts say this likely lead some multiracial people who previously might have identified as a single race to instead embrace all of their background.

“The pattern is strong evidence of shifting self-identity. This is not new," said Paul Ong, a professor emeritus of urban planning and Asian American Studies at UCLA. “Other research has shown that racial or ethnic identity can change even over a short time period. For many, it is contextual and situational. This is particularly true for individuals with multiracial background."

The estimates show the pandemic-related impact of closed theaters, shuttered theme parks and restaurants with limited seating on workers in arts, entertainment and accommodation businesses. Their numbers declined from 9.7% to 8.2% of the workforce, while other industries stayed comparatively stable. Those who were self-employed inched up to 6.1% from 5.8%.

Housing demand grew over the two years, as the percent of vacant homes dropped from 12.1% to 10.3%. The median value of homes rose from $240,500 to $281,400. The percent of people whose gross rent exceeded more than 30% of their income went from 48.5% to 51%. Historically, renters are considered rent-burdened if they pay more than that.

“Lack of housing that folks can afford relative to the wages they are paid is a continually growing crisis," said Allison Plyer, chief demographer at The Data Center in New Orleans.

Commutes to work dropped from 27.6 minutes to 25.6 minutes, as the percent of people working from home during a period of return-to-office starts and stops went from 5.7% in 2019 to almost 18% in 2021. Almost half of workers in the District of Columbia worked from home, the highest rate in the nation, while Mississippi had the lowest rate at 6.3% Over the two years, the percent of workers nationwide using public transportation to get to work went from 5% to 2.5%, as fears rose of catching the virus on buses and subways.

“Work and commuting are central to American life, so the widespread adoption of working from home is a defining feature of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Michael Burrows, a Census Bureau statistician. “With the number of people who primarily work from home tripling over just a two-year period, the pandemic has very strongly impacted the commuting landscape in the United States.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663249339782.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSDuring the first two years of the pandemic, the number of people working from home in the United States tripled,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/home-sales-prices-1331a8bd045d3cef81174e81154bb26d">home values</a>&nbsp;grew and the percentage of people who spent more than a third of their income on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rental-market-softens-but-for-how-long-6617f1d84b25c7185f1a7ba35e1b094b">rent</a>&nbsp;went up, according to survey results released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau.Providing the most detailed data to date on how life changed in the U.S. under COVID-19, the bureau's American Community Survey 1-year estimates for 2021 showed that the share of unmarried couples living together rose, Americans became more wired and the percentage of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-race-and-ethnicity-census-2020-7c10fabbb71b1a0aaf0db08a75b6fcb6">people who identify as multiracial</a>&nbsp;grew significantly. And in changes that seemed to directly reflect how the pandemic upended people's choices, fewer people moved, preschool enrollment dropped and commuters using public transportation was cut in half.The data release offers the first reliable glimpse of life in the U.S. during the COVID-19 era, as the 1-year estimates from the 2020 survey were deemed unusable because of problems getting people to answer during the early months of the pandemic. That left a one-year data gap during a time when the pandemic forced major changes in the way people live their lives.The survey typically relies on responses from 3.5 million households to provide 11 billion estimates each year about commuting times, internet access, family life, income, education levels, disabilities, military service and employment. The estimates help inform how to distribute hundreds of billions of dollars in federal spending.Response rates significantly improved from 2020 to 2021, “so we are confident about the data for this year,” said Mark Asiala, the survey’s chief of statistical design.While the percentage of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-business-orlando-florida-census-2020-831bc3531f3de3b69ae1faf3657128c0">married-couple households</a>&nbsp;stayed stable over the two years at around 47%, the percent of households with unwed couples cohabiting rose to 7.2% in 2021 from 6.6% in 2019. Contrary to pop culture images of multigenerational family members moving in together during the pandemic, the average household size actually contracted from 2.6 to 2.5 people.People also stayed put. More than 87% of those surveyed were living in their same house a year ago in 2021, compared to 86% in 2019. America became more wired as people became more reliant on remote learning and working from home. Households with a computer rose, from 92.9% in 2019 to 95% in 2021, and internet subscription services grew from 86% to 90% of households.The jump in people who identify as multiracial — from 3.4% in 2019 to 12.6% in 2021 — and a decline in people identifying as white alone — from 72% to 61.2% — coincided with Census Bureau changes in coding race and Hispanic origin responses. Those adjustments were intended to capture more detailed write-in answers from participants. The period between surveys also overlapped with social justice protests following the killing of George Floyd, who was Black, by a white Minneapolis police officer in 2020 as well as attacks against Asian Americans. Experts say this likely lead some multiracial people who previously might have identified as a single race to instead embrace all of their background.“The pattern is strong evidence of shifting self-identity. This is not new," said Paul Ong, a professor emeritus of urban planning and Asian American Studies at UCLA. “Other research has shown that racial or ethnic identity can change even over a short time period. For many, it is contextual and situational. This is particularly true for individuals with multiracial background."The estimates show the pandemic-related impact of closed theaters, shuttered theme parks and restaurants with limited seating on workers in arts, entertainment and accommodation businesses. Their numbers declined from 9.7% to 8.2% of the workforce, while other industries stayed comparatively stable. Those who were self-employed inched up to 6.1% from 5.8%.Housing demand grew over the two years, as the percent of vacant homes dropped from 12.1% to 10.3%. The median value of homes rose from $240,500 to $281,400. The percent of people whose gross rent exceeded more than 30% of their income went from 48.5% to 51%. Historically, renters are considered rent-burdened if they pay more than that.“Lack of housing that folks can afford relative to the wages they are paid is a continually growing crisis," said Allison Plyer, chief demographer at The Data Center in New Orleans.Commutes to work dropped from 27.6 minutes to 25.6 minutes, as the percent of people working from home during a period of return-to-office starts and stops went from 5.7% in 2019 to almost 18% in 2021. Almost half of workers in the District of Columbia worked from home, the highest rate in the nation, while Mississippi had the lowest rate at 6.3% Over the two years, the percent of workers nationwide using public transportation to get to work went from 5% to 2.5%, as fears rose of catching the virus on buses and subways.“Work and commuting are central to American life, so the widespread adoption of working from home is a defining feature of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Michael Burrows, a Census Bureau statistician. “With the number of people who primarily work from home tripling over just a two-year period, the pandemic has very strongly impacted the commuting landscape in the United States.”

US moved online, worked more from home as pandemic raged

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Members of one union rejected a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-and-politics-497a373594515a27e7435cdf97df7a41">tentative deal</a>&nbsp;with the largest U.S. freight railroads Wednesday, while two ratified agreements and three others remained at the bargaining table just days ahead of a strike deadline, threatening to intensify snarls in the nation's supply chain that have contributed to rising prices.

About 4,900 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 19 voted to reject the tentative agreement negotiated by IAM leadership with the railroads, the union said Wednesday. But the IAM agreed to delay any strike by its members until Sept. 29 to allow more time for negotiations and to allow other unions to vote.

Railroads are trying to reach an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-technology-economy-congress-eb70df8309880dfea8cbe36aaae3fc47">agreement</a>&nbsp;with all their other unions to avert a strike before Friday’s deadline. The unions&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-inc-technology-congress-hacking-c92a0e0039353d81ee9d64e53f0fa37c">aren't allowed to strike before Friday</a>&nbsp;under the federal law that governs railroad contract talks.

Government officials and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-strikes-5eb6747b3e4b4e39d764644d6377121d">a variety of businesses</a>&nbsp;are bracing for the possibility of a nationwide rail strike that would paralyze shipments of everything from crude and clothing to cars, a potential calamity for businesses that have struggled for more than two years due to COVID-19 related supply chain breakdowns.

There are 12 unions — one with two separate divisions — representing 115,000 workers that must agree to the tentative deals and then have members vote on whether to approve them. So far, nine had agreed to tentative deals and three others are still at the bargaining table.

Of the nine that agreed to the deals, two — the Transportation Communications Union and the Brotherhood of Railway Carmen unions — voted to ratify their contracts Wednesday. But IAM members voted to reject their deal. Votes by the other six unions that approved tentative deals are pending.

All the tentative deals are based closely on the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-strikes-a83dffef79d38e36dc25588b19bf54b4">recommendations</a>&nbsp;of a Presidential Emergency Board Joe Biden appointed this summer that called for 24% raises and $5,000 in bonuses in a five-year deal that’s retroactive to 2020. Those recommendations also includes one additional paid leave day a year and higher health insurance costs.

The key unions that represent the conductors and engineers who drive trains are holding out in the hope that railroads will agree to go beyond those recommendations and address some of their concerns about unpredictable schedules and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-lawsuits-5123fda3d039543700b23d939e0bdda2">strict attendance policies</a>&nbsp;that they say make it difficult to take any time off. They say the job cuts major railroads have made over the past six years — eliminating nearly one-third of their workers — have made a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-aab7d3084a8d17d8d721d2cb750be323">difficult job even harder</a>&nbsp;although the railroads maintain their operations have just become more efficient as they rely on fewer, longer trains.

Contract talks continued Wednesday with Labor Secretary Marty Walsh participating to put pressure on both sides to reach a deal before Friday's deadline.

“All parties need to stay at the table, bargain in good faith to resolve outstanding issues, and come to an agreement," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. "A shutdown of our freight system is an unacceptable outcome for our economy and the American people, and all parties must work to avoid just that.”

If the two sides can't agree, Congress could step in to block a strike and impose terms on the railroads and unions, but it wasn't clear Wednesday how quickly they could or would act because Democrats and Republicans can't readily agree on a solution. A number of business groups have written letters to lawmakers over the past week urging them to be prepared to step in because of their concerns that a rail strike would be what the Business Roundtable called an “economic catastrophe."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663178677630.png" alt="A Union Pacific train rolls across Kansas on Wednesday Sept. 14" />
 <figcaption>A Union Pacific train rolls across Kansas on Wednesday Sept. 14</figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Members of one union rejected a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-and-politics-497a373594515a27e7435cdf97df7a41">tentative deal</a>&nbsp;with the largest U.S. freight railroads Wednesday, while two ratified agreements and three others remained at the bargaining table just days ahead of a strike deadline, threatening to intensify snarls in the nation's supply chain that have contributed to rising prices.About 4,900 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 19 voted to reject the tentative agreement negotiated by IAM leadership with the railroads, the union said Wednesday. But the IAM agreed to delay any strike by its members until Sept. 29 to allow more time for negotiations and to allow other unions to vote.Railroads are trying to reach an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-technology-economy-congress-eb70df8309880dfea8cbe36aaae3fc47">agreement</a>&nbsp;with all their other unions to avert a strike before Friday’s deadline. The unions&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-inc-technology-congress-hacking-c92a0e0039353d81ee9d64e53f0fa37c">aren't allowed to strike before Friday</a>&nbsp;under the federal law that governs railroad contract talks.Government officials and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-strikes-5eb6747b3e4b4e39d764644d6377121d">a variety of businesses</a>&nbsp;are bracing for the possibility of a nationwide rail strike that would paralyze shipments of everything from crude and clothing to cars, a potential calamity for businesses that have struggled for more than two years due to COVID-19 related supply chain breakdowns.There are 12 unions — one with two separate divisions — representing 115,000 workers that must agree to the tentative deals and then have members vote on whether to approve them. So far, nine had agreed to tentative deals and three others are still at the bargaining table.Of the nine that agreed to the deals, two — the Transportation Communications Union and the Brotherhood of Railway Carmen unions — voted to ratify their contracts Wednesday. But IAM members voted to reject their deal. Votes by the other six unions that approved tentative deals are pending.All the tentative deals are based closely on the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-strikes-a83dffef79d38e36dc25588b19bf54b4">recommendations</a>&nbsp;of a Presidential Emergency Board Joe Biden appointed this summer that called for 24% raises and $5,000 in bonuses in a five-year deal that’s retroactive to 2020. Those recommendations also includes one additional paid leave day a year and higher health insurance costs.The key unions that represent the conductors and engineers who drive trains are holding out in the hope that railroads will agree to go beyond those recommendations and address some of their concerns about unpredictable schedules and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-lawsuits-5123fda3d039543700b23d939e0bdda2">strict attendance policies</a>&nbsp;that they say make it difficult to take any time off. They say the job cuts major railroads have made over the past six years — eliminating nearly one-third of their workers — have made a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-aab7d3084a8d17d8d721d2cb750be323">difficult job even harder</a>&nbsp;although the railroads maintain their operations have just become more efficient as they rely on fewer, longer trains.Contract talks continued Wednesday with Labor Secretary Marty Walsh participating to put pressure on both sides to reach a deal before Friday's deadline.“All parties need to stay at the table, bargain in good faith to resolve outstanding issues, and come to an agreement," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. "A shutdown of our freight system is an unacceptable outcome for our economy and the American people, and all parties must work to avoid just that.”If the two sides can't agree, Congress could step in to block a strike and impose terms on the railroads and unions, but it wasn't clear Wednesday how quickly they could or would act because Democrats and Republicans can't readily agree on a solution. A number of business groups have written letters to lawmakers over the past week urging them to be prepared to step in because of their concerns that a rail strike would be what the Business Roundtable called an “economic catastrophe."With the midterm elections just weeks away, politics will play a role if Congress has to settle this dispute. Democrats are wary of becoming crosswise with their allies in organized labor, as unions tend to be strong supporters in elections. At the same time, Republicans see an opportunity to put pressure on Biden and his party if the railroads teeter toward a strike. But it's entirely possible that all sides would be blamed for a rail shutdown.The many businesses that rely on railroads to deliver their raw materials and finished products say a rail strike would cause significant problems particularly for oil refineries, chemical businesses, auto makers, retailers and agricultural groups. The Association of American Railroads trade group estimated that a strike would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/economy-congress-government-and-politics-a53abd85fa6f8b3ccd622222ea9a4c46">cost the economy</a>&nbsp;more than $2 billion a day.Businesses would likely try to turn to trucks and other modes of shipping if the railroads do shut down, but there isn't enough trucking capacity to take up all the slack. The railroad trade group estimated that 467,000 additional trucks a day would be required to deliver everything railroads handle now.A freight rail strike would also disrupt passenger traffic because Amtrak and many commuter railroads operate on tracks owned by the freight railroads. Amtrak has already canceled a number of its long-distance trains this week, and it said the rest of its long-distance trains would stop Thursday ahead of the strike deadline.___