By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/09/02/nebraska-attorney-general-to-explore-whether-state-was-a-victim-of-fraud-in-saint-francis-contract/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson indicated Friday he
 will evaluate the state’s legal options in pursuing funds that may have
 been fraudulently spent via the state’s contract with a Kansas foster 
care provider.

Peterson responded to a request by state Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh to 
explore whether Saint Francis Ministries defrauded the State of Nebraska
 during its failed child welfare contract.

The state severed its contract with Saint Francis in December 2021, 
after the organization failed to fulfill its obligations to 2,500 foster
 children it oversaw in eastern Nebraska. The failure came despite an 
additional $110 million in emergency funding from the state.

The request Thursday by Cavanaugh, who has led criticism of the 
contract with Kansas-based Saint Francis, comes on the heels of 
revelations by Kansas Reflector.

Kansas Reflector recently reported the FBI moved to seize assets of a
 subcontractor of Saint Francis, WMK Research, and its owner, William 
Whymark, after it was discovered that Whymark had submitted millions of 
dollars of fraudulent invoices to Saint Francis. The invoices inflated 
Whymark’s expenses as well as the information technology work he claimed
 to have performed.

Cavanaugh said Nebraska, in the interest of its taxpayers, needs to 
explore if it was also a victim of fraud and whether it should be 
pursuing reimbursement of funds it spent.

The senator said she appreciated the response from the attorney general.

“They gave me a response fairly quickly,” Cavanaugh said Friday. “I’m
 hopeful that means they agree that there’s something worth looking 
into.”

A spokeswoman for Peterson declined to comment on Thursday.

But in an email to Cavanaugh on Friday, Peterson said he would “sit 
down with a team of lawyers to evaluate our legal options” based on the 
recent information.

Cavanaugh said it’s particularly important that the Attorney 
General’s Office explore this issue before Peterson, who did not seek 
reelection, leaves office in January.

Saint Francis, the largest foster care provider in Kansas, has sued 
its former leadership, alleging they hid the misspending of millions of 
dollars from its board of directors.

Federal investigators, in court documents, have identified nearly $11 million in billing to Sant Francis as probably fraudulent.

Saint Francis Ministries has taken issue with an&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/08/12/kansas-foster-care-provider-suing-former-leaders-for-alleged-financial-misconduct/">Aug. 12 story</a>
 by Kansas Reflector, calling portions of it “inaccurate” and “false.” 
But Saint Francis would not, when asked, identify specific statements in
 question.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662152675167.png" alt="The Salina, Kansas-based Saint Francis Ministries, which provides foster care services, sued its former leadership in January for alleged legal malpractice and breach of fiduciary duties. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>The Salina, Kansas-based Saint Francis Ministries, which provides foster care services, sued its former leadership in January for alleged legal malpractice and breach of fiduciary duties. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/09/02/nebraska-attorney-general-to-explore-whether-state-was-a-victim-of-fraud-in-saint-francis-contract/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson indicated Friday he
 will evaluate the state’s legal options in pursuing funds that may have
 been fraudulently spent via the state’s contract with a Kansas foster 
care provider.Peterson responded to a request by state Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh to 
explore whether Saint Francis Ministries defrauded the State of Nebraska
 during its failed child welfare contract.The state severed its contract with Saint Francis in December 2021, 
after the organization failed to fulfill its obligations to 2,500 foster
 children it oversaw in eastern Nebraska. The failure came despite an 
additional $110 million in emergency funding from the state.The request Thursday by Cavanaugh, who has led criticism of the 
contract with Kansas-based Saint Francis, comes on the heels of 
revelations by Kansas Reflector.Kansas Reflector recently reported the FBI moved to seize assets of a
 subcontractor of Saint Francis, WMK Research, and its owner, William 
Whymark, after it was discovered that Whymark had submitted millions of 
dollars of fraudulent invoices to Saint Francis. The invoices inflated 
Whymark’s expenses as well as the information technology work he claimed
 to have performed.Cavanaugh said Nebraska, in the interest of its taxpayers, needs to 
explore if it was also a victim of fraud and whether it should be 
pursuing reimbursement of funds it spent.The senator said she appreciated the response from the attorney general.“They gave me a response fairly quickly,” Cavanaugh said Friday. “I’m
 hopeful that means they agree that there’s something worth looking 
into.”A spokeswoman for Peterson declined to comment on Thursday.But in an email to Cavanaugh on Friday, Peterson said he would “sit 
down with a team of lawyers to evaluate our legal options” based on the 
recent information.Cavanaugh said it’s particularly important that the Attorney 
General’s Office explore this issue before Peterson, who did not seek 
reelection, leaves office in January.Saint Francis, the largest foster care provider in Kansas, has sued 
its former leadership, alleging they hid the misspending of millions of 
dollars from its board of directors.Federal investigators, in court documents, have identified nearly $11 million in billing to Sant Francis as probably fraudulent.Saint Francis Ministries has taken issue with an&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/08/12/kansas-foster-care-provider-suing-former-leaders-for-alleged-financial-misconduct/">Aug. 12 story</a>
 by Kansas Reflector, calling portions of it “inaccurate” and “false.” 
But Saint Francis would not, when asked, identify specific statements in
 question.

AG to explore if state was victim of fraud in Saint Francis contract

By OSEA GIUNTELLA <a href="https://theconversation.com/one-way-to-help-college-students-get-enough-sleep-pay-them-to-go-to-bed-189492">The Conversation</a>

Small financial incentives can get college students to go to bed 
earlier and sleep significantly longer. That’s what my colleagues and I 
found through an <a href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w30375">experiment</a> that involved 508 students at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Oxford.

When the students were offered US$7.50 per night Monday through 
Thursday – a total of $30 per week – to sleep longer, they were 13% more
 likely than those who were not offered the incentive to sleep seven to 
nine hours. They were also 16% less likely to sleep fewer than six 
hours.

We collected data from wearable activity trackers, surveys and 
time-use diaries. The people to whom the incentives were offered were 
chosen randomly from the group of people who agreed to be part of the 
study.

The incentives were offered for three weeks, but the effects lasted 
even after they were removed. Specifically, those who had initially 
gotten the incentives were still 9% more likely to sleep seven to nine 
hours per night for up to six weeks after students stopped receiving 
them. This suggests the effects of the incentives may last for several 
weeks.

The time-use diaries documented a reduction in screen time. That is, 
students spent less time watching TV and videos or using smart devices 
during the experiment. There was no evidence of a decline in time spent 
studying or in time spent socializing. This suggests students gave up 
screen time rather than time with friends to get to bed earlier and 
sleep longer.

Sleep deprivation has been <a href="https://www.aaas.org/news/sleep-deprivation-described-serious-public-health-problem">recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> as a <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare7010001">public health epidemic</a>. It can have <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK19961/">adverse effects on people’s physical and mental health</a>,
 decision-making and productivity. Our findings shine light on what it 
takes to get people to adopt better sleeping habits and avoid these 
negative outcomes.

Sleep deprivation is a big problem among college students. Most college students <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26396272/">sleep less than</a> the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/how_much_sleep.html">recommended minimum of seven hours per night</a>.

Good sleep is associated with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-019-0055-z">better academic performance</a>. Sleep deprivation and poor sleep quality have been linked to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0156372">mental health problems among college students</a>.

Since college often marks the first time young adults may find 
themselves fully in charge of their schedules, they could benefit from 
help or incentives to form good sleep habits.

<a href="https://realtimeresearch.invisibly.com/insights/america-sleeps-brado">Multiple surveys</a> indicate that many people feel they are <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/05/27/more-than-60-percent-of-americans-rarely-feel-rested-and-energized-in-the-morning/">not getting enough sleep</a>. When people experience a night of poor sleep, the effects are felt the next day.

Our results suggest that just knowing about the benefits of good 
sleep is not enough for people to actually adopt better sleeping habits.
 Rather, it may take incentives. 

Interventions that help individuals form routines, such as reduced screen time, may have longer-lasting effects. 

A relevant question is whether similar people can be motivated to get
 better sleep without monetary incentives and with less costly nudges. 

In the future, we plan to explore whether interventions to improve 
sleep habits during college may also help students boost their academic 
performance. We’d also like to examine whether these interventions can 
work with different populations and in different places.

Osea Giuntella is an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Pittsburgh.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662152961172.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By OSEA GIUNTELLA <a href="https://theconversation.com/one-way-to-help-college-students-get-enough-sleep-pay-them-to-go-to-bed-189492">The Conversation</a><h2>The big idea</h2>Small financial incentives can get college students to go to bed 
earlier and sleep significantly longer. That’s what my colleagues and I 
found through an <a href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w30375">experiment</a> that involved 508 students at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Oxford.When the students were offered US$7.50 per night Monday through 
Thursday – a total of $30 per week – to sleep longer, they were 13% more
 likely than those who were not offered the incentive to sleep seven to 
nine hours. They were also 16% less likely to sleep fewer than six 
hours.We collected data from wearable activity trackers, surveys and 
time-use diaries. The people to whom the incentives were offered were 
chosen randomly from the group of people who agreed to be part of the 
study.The incentives were offered for three weeks, but the effects lasted 
even after they were removed. Specifically, those who had initially 
gotten the incentives were still 9% more likely to sleep seven to nine 
hours per night for up to six weeks after students stopped receiving 
them. This suggests the effects of the incentives may last for several 
weeks.The time-use diaries documented a reduction in screen time. That is, 
students spent less time watching TV and videos or using smart devices 
during the experiment. There was no evidence of a decline in time spent 
studying or in time spent socializing. This suggests students gave up 
screen time rather than time with friends to get to bed earlier and 
sleep longer.<h2>Why it matters</h2>Sleep deprivation has been <a href="https://www.aaas.org/news/sleep-deprivation-described-serious-public-health-problem">recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> as a <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare7010001">public health epidemic</a>. It can have <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK19961/">adverse effects on people’s physical and mental health</a>,
 decision-making and productivity. Our findings shine light on what it 
takes to get people to adopt better sleeping habits and avoid these 
negative outcomes.Sleep deprivation is a big problem among college students. Most college students <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26396272/">sleep less than</a> the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/how_much_sleep.html">recommended minimum of seven hours per night</a>. Good sleep is associated with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-019-0055-z">better academic performance</a>. Sleep deprivation and poor sleep quality have been linked to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0156372">mental health problems among college students</a>. Since college often marks the first time young adults may find 
themselves fully in charge of their schedules, they could benefit from 
help or incentives to form good sleep habits.<a href="https://realtimeresearch.invisibly.com/insights/america-sleeps-brado">Multiple surveys</a> indicate that many people feel they are <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/05/27/more-than-60-percent-of-americans-rarely-feel-rested-and-energized-in-the-morning/">not getting enough sleep</a>. When people experience a night of poor sleep, the effects are felt the next day.Our results suggest that just knowing about the benefits of good 
sleep is not enough for people to actually adopt better sleeping habits.
 Rather, it may take incentives. Interventions that help individuals form routines, such as reduced screen time, may have longer-lasting effects. <h2>What is still unknown</h2>A relevant question is whether similar people can be motivated to get
 better sleep without monetary incentives and with less costly nudges. <h2>What’s next</h2>In the future, we plan to explore whether interventions to improve 
sleep habits during college may also help students boost their academic 
performance. We’d also like to examine whether these interventions can 
work with different populations and in different places.Osea Giuntella is an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Pittsburgh.<div><iframe src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/189492/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" width="1" height="1"></iframe></div>

Help college students get enough sleep? Pay them to go to bed

WASHINGTON – Throughout 2022, Americans have experienced an unacceptable level of flight delays and cancellations. When these disruptions occur, airlines are required to support passengers based on commitments made in their customer service plans, but too often passengers find those plans are difficult to understand and do not guarantee services – such as meals or hotel accommodations when they must wait overnight at an airport – even for flights that are delayed or canceled because of the carrier, according to statement released by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/airline-customer-service-dashboard">Click here to go to the </a>airline customer service dashboard

To ensure the traveling public has easy access to this information, the U.S. Department of Transportation Thursday rolled out a new&nbsp;<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/flighthelp">airline customer service dashboard</a>, which includes recent improvements to customer service made by airlines at the urging of Secretary Buttigieg. &nbsp;

Two weeks ago, Secretary Buttigieg wrote a letter to airline CEOs informing them that DOT would publish the dashboard before Labor Day and urged the airlines to improve their customer service plans before the release. As a result, all but one of the ten largest U.S. airlines made significant changes to their plans to improve services provided to passengers when their flights are canceled or delayed because of an airline issue. For example, no airline unconditionally guaranteed meal vouchers or hotels prior to Secretary Buttigieg’s letter. Now, nine of the 10 guarantee meals and eight of the 10 guarantee hotel accommodations when an airline issue causes the delay or cancelation. &nbsp;

The dashboard provides air travelers a one-stop location to obtain information on the services and amenities they should receive from airlines if they experience delays or cancelations that are caused by something within the airline’s control like a mechanical or staffing issue. The dashboard also provides a clear comparison of amenities the airlines have committed to provide, which will assist consumers when deciding which airline to fly. The creation of this new tool is one of the many steps the Department is taking to improve customer service provided to travelers. The Department will hold airlines accountable if they fail to provide the promised services. The Department has also provided direct links to airlines’ customer service plans on its Aviation Consumer Protection website.&nbsp;

“Passengers deserve transparency and clarity on what to expect from an airline when there is a cancelation or disruption,”&nbsp;said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “This dashboard collects that information in one place so travelers can easily understand their rights, compare airline practices, and make informed decisions. The Department will continue to support passengers and to hold airlines responsible for adhering to their customer obligations.”&nbsp;

Regardless of the cause of the delays or cancelations, the Department expects airlines to provide timely and responsive customer service during and after periods of flight disruptions. Moreover, regardless of the cause of significant delays or cancelations, airlines are required to provide prompt refunds to ticketed passengers should a passenger choose not to accept the alternative offered such as rebooking on another flight.&nbsp;

In addition to the dashboard, the Department is currently collecting comments on a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/part-ongoing-airline-consumer-protections-efforts-usdot-announces-new-rulemaking">proposed rule</a>&nbsp;that would 1) require airlines to proactively inform passengers that they have a right to receive a refund when a flight is canceled or significantly changed, 2) define a significant change and cancellation that would entitle a consumer to a refund, 3) require airlines to provide non-expiring vouchers or travel credits when people can’t travel because they have COVID-19 or other communicable diseases; and 4) require airlines that receive significant government assistance related to a pandemic to issue refunds instead of non-expiring travel credits or vouchers when passengers are unable or advised not to travel because of a serious communicable disease. The Department is also considering options for an additional rulemaking that would further expand the rights of airline passengers who experience flight disruptions.&nbsp;

In addition, the Department’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection&nbsp;<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer">(OACP)</a>&nbsp;recently concluded its investigation of 10 airlines and is pursuing enforcement action against them for extreme delays in providing refunds for flights the airlines canceled or significantly changed. The Office is also actively investigating the refund practices of additional airlines flying to, from, or within the United States. In November 2021, OACP issued its largest fine ever against an airline for extreme delays in providing refunds to thousands of consumers for flights to or from the United States that a carrier canceled.&nbsp;

Further, over the past year, the Department has taken a number of other actions to improve protection for airline passengers such as: &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662036320157.png" alt="Image U.S. DOT" />
 <figcaption>Image U.S. DOT</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON – Throughout 2022, Americans have experienced an unacceptable level of flight delays and cancellations. When these disruptions occur, airlines are required to support passengers based on commitments made in their customer service plans, but too often passengers find those plans are difficult to understand and do not guarantee services – such as meals or hotel accommodations when they must wait overnight at an airport – even for flights that are delayed or canceled because of the carrier, according to statement released by the U.S. Department of Transportation.<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/airline-customer-service-dashboard">Click here to go to the </a>airline customer service dashboardTo ensure the traveling public has easy access to this information, the U.S. Department of Transportation Thursday rolled out a new&nbsp;<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/flighthelp">airline customer service dashboard</a>, which includes recent improvements to customer service made by airlines at the urging of Secretary Buttigieg. &nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662036500540.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Two weeks ago, Secretary Buttigieg wrote a letter to airline CEOs informing them that DOT would publish the dashboard before Labor Day and urged the airlines to improve their customer service plans before the release. As a result, all but one of the ten largest U.S. airlines made significant changes to their plans to improve services provided to passengers when their flights are canceled or delayed because of an airline issue. For example, no airline unconditionally guaranteed meal vouchers or hotels prior to Secretary Buttigieg’s letter. Now, nine of the 10 guarantee meals and eight of the 10 guarantee hotel accommodations when an airline issue causes the delay or cancelation. &nbsp;The dashboard provides air travelers a one-stop location to obtain information on the services and amenities they should receive from airlines if they experience delays or cancelations that are caused by something within the airline’s control like a mechanical or staffing issue. The dashboard also provides a clear comparison of amenities the airlines have committed to provide, which will assist consumers when deciding which airline to fly. The creation of this new tool is one of the many steps the Department is taking to improve customer service provided to travelers. The Department will hold airlines accountable if they fail to provide the promised services. The Department has also provided direct links to airlines’ customer service plans on its Aviation Consumer Protection website.&nbsp;“Passengers deserve transparency and clarity on what to expect from an airline when there is a cancelation or disruption,”&nbsp;said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “This dashboard collects that information in one place so travelers can easily understand their rights, compare airline practices, and make informed decisions. The Department will continue to support passengers and to hold airlines responsible for adhering to their customer obligations.”&nbsp;Regardless of the cause of the delays or cancelations, the Department expects airlines to provide timely and responsive customer service during and after periods of flight disruptions. Moreover, regardless of the cause of significant delays or cancelations, airlines are required to provide prompt refunds to ticketed passengers should a passenger choose not to accept the alternative offered such as rebooking on another flight.&nbsp;In addition to the dashboard, the Department is currently collecting comments on a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/part-ongoing-airline-consumer-protections-efforts-usdot-announces-new-rulemaking">proposed rule</a>&nbsp;that would 1) require airlines to proactively inform passengers that they have a right to receive a refund when a flight is canceled or significantly changed, 2) define a significant change and cancellation that would entitle a consumer to a refund, 3) require airlines to provide non-expiring vouchers or travel credits when people can’t travel because they have COVID-19 or other communicable diseases; and 4) require airlines that receive significant government assistance related to a pandemic to issue refunds instead of non-expiring travel credits or vouchers when passengers are unable or advised not to travel because of a serious communicable disease. The Department is also considering options for an additional rulemaking that would further expand the rights of airline passengers who experience flight disruptions.&nbsp;In addition, the Department’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection&nbsp;<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer">(OACP)</a>&nbsp;recently concluded its investigation of 10 airlines and is pursuing enforcement action against them for extreme delays in providing refunds for flights the airlines canceled or significantly changed. The Office is also actively investigating the refund practices of additional airlines flying to, from, or within the United States. In November 2021, OACP issued its largest fine ever against an airline for extreme delays in providing refunds to thousands of consumers for flights to or from the United States that a carrier canceled.&nbsp;Further, over the past year, the Department has taken a number of other actions to improve protection for airline passengers such as: &nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Calling on airlines to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/dot-announces-first-ever-bill-rights-passengers-disabilities-calls-airlines-seat">seat families together free of charge</a>.&nbsp;</li><li>Issuing fines to multiple airlines that violated tarmac delay rule violations. &nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>Issuing a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/us-department-transportation-announces-proposed-rule-improve-accessibility-lavatories">proposed rule</a>&nbsp;to improve accessibility of lavatories on single-aisle aircraft for individuals with disabilities and creating the first-ever&nbsp;<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/disabilitybillofrights">Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights</a>.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>

New help for airline passengers from U.S. Dept. of Transportation

🎥 Docs: The most important tests of your child's life

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-robotics-cluster-to-receive-25-million-from-biden-challenge-to-train-more-workers-in-high-tech-ag-jobs/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — A Nebraska coalition seeking to
 increase the state’s workforce in robotics and automated manufacturing 
in agriculture will receive $25 million through a workforce initiative 
of President Joe Biden.

On Friday, the White House announced that the Heartland Robotics Cluster is one of 21 recipients nationally in the $1 billion <a target="_blank" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&amp;id=e8c8cf9f55&amp;e=6636f28dae">Build Back Better Regional Challenge</a>, launched by the president as part of his plan for economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Heartland Robotics Cluster is a 
coalition, led by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, that includes 
Invest Nebraska, community colleges in Norfolk and Omaha, and the 
Nebraska Manufacturing Extension Partnership.&nbsp;

“Today, we start the long process of investing in our state’s 
automation infrastructure and growing the future talent pipeline in 
automation, robotics, computer vision and AI,” said Dan Hoffman of 
Invest Nebraska, which organized the cluster and led the application for
 the federal funds.

In a YouTube presentation, officials with
 Invest Nebraska said that increased use of automation and innovation in
 agricultural-related industries is critical in Nebraska due to its 
workforce shortage. They said they also hope to increase start-ups in 
the ag manufacturing arena.

According to a press release, the Robotics Cluster will use the
 funding to expand programming and robotics equipment at Nebraska 
Innovation campus at UNL, increase robotics engineering curriculum at 
UNL and Metro and Northeast community colleges, and increase workforce 
outreach in rural areas.

UNL announced that it will use $10 million to build robotics-related 
research and teaching labs at Kiewit Hall, the Scott Engineering Center 
and Splinter labs.

&nbsp;The
 cluster also plans to provide demonstration “spaces” of new 
technologies for manufacturers, and to work with private industry to 
expand the use of technology.

The $1 billion Build Back Better Regional Challenge  is funded via 
the American Rescue Plan Act, and, according to its website, is an 
effort to “boost economic recovery from the pandemic and rebuild 
American communities, including those grappling with decades of 
disinvestment.”

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-robotics-cluster-to-receive-25-million-from-biden-challenge-to-train-more-workers-in-high-tech-ag-jobs/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — A Nebraska coalition seeking to
 increase the state’s workforce in robotics and automated manufacturing 
in agriculture will receive $25 million through a workforce initiative 
of President Joe Biden.On Friday, the White House announced that the Heartland Robotics Cluster is one of 21 recipients nationally in the $1 billion <a target="_blank" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&amp;id=e8c8cf9f55&amp;e=6636f28dae">Build Back Better Regional Challenge</a>, launched by the president as part of his plan for economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.The Heartland Robotics Cluster is a 
coalition, led by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, that includes 
Invest Nebraska, community colleges in Norfolk and Omaha, and the 
Nebraska Manufacturing Extension Partnership.&nbsp;“Today, we start the long process of investing in our state’s 
automation infrastructure and growing the future talent pipeline in 
automation, robotics, computer vision and AI,” said Dan Hoffman of 
Invest Nebraska, which organized the cluster and led the application for
 the federal funds.In a YouTube presentation, officials with
 Invest Nebraska said that increased use of automation and innovation in
 agricultural-related industries is critical in Nebraska due to its 
workforce shortage. They said they also hope to increase start-ups in 
the ag manufacturing arena.According to a press release, the Robotics Cluster will use the
 funding to expand programming and robotics equipment at Nebraska 
Innovation campus at UNL, increase robotics engineering curriculum at 
UNL and Metro and Northeast community colleges, and increase workforce 
outreach in rural areas.UNL announced that it will use $10 million to build robotics-related 
research and teaching labs at Kiewit Hall, the Scott Engineering Center 
and Splinter labs.&nbsp;The
 cluster also plans to provide demonstration “spaces” of new 
technologies for manufacturers, and to work with private industry to 
expand the use of technology.The $1 billion Build Back Better Regional Challenge  is funded via 
the American Rescue Plan Act, and, according to its website, is an 
effort to “boost economic recovery from the pandemic and rebuild 
American communities, including those grappling with decades of 
disinvestment.”Cover image courtesy Pixabay

Nebraska ‘robotics cluster’ to receive $25 million from feds

By AARON SANDERFORD <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/09/01/after-border-trip-flood-wants-to-revive-remain-in-mexico-and-detain-asylum-seekers/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

OMAHA — Border Patrol agents and people in southern Arizona told
 U.S. Rep. Mike Flood this week that the status quo along the border 
with Mexico is not safe for Americans or migrants, the congressman said 
Thursday.

Flood, a Nebraska Republican, said 
seeing the situation himself convinced him that the Biden administration
 and Congress need to rethink their approach to border enforcement and 
people seeking asylum.

“One of the agents said at 4 a.m. 
there are 500 people waiting to be taken in custody,” he said. “If 
people in the City of Lincoln were dealing with this, they’d want the 
military out.”

Flood said he would like to see the 
federal government stop releasing people detained by Border Patrol into 
the U.S. while they await a court date that might be years later.

He said he’d like President Joe Biden
 to revive the Trump-era policy of releasing migrants back into Mexico 
or detaining asylum seekers until they can see a judge.

“Right now they get a court date and 
they’re in business in the United States,” he said. “You shouldn’t know 
that there are no consequences. … Consequences shut down the flow of 
people.”

Would fund more detention centers, judges

Immigrant advocates have criticized 
former President Donald Trump’s “Remain in Mexico” policy and increased 
detentions of people trying to cross into the United States as 
inhumane.&nbsp;

Flood said he would be willing to 
fund the number of detention centers and judges it might take to house 
and handle the caseloads of hundreds of thousands of migrants.

Rebecca Gonzales, an advocate for 
immigrants in Nebraska, said Flood’s idea is not practical or 
affordable. It would cost billions of dollars and would take years to 
implement, she said.

“There’s not that many judges,” she 
said. “How long are we talking about keeping someone in detention? These
 are families, not just adults. You’d have to provide space.”

The Department of Homeland Security 
has said it costs an average of $142 a day to detain an immigrant trying
 to enter the country illegally.

Flood’s opponent in November’s 
general election, State Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln, declined 
through a campaign spokesman Thursday to comment on Flood’s border trip.

Like many of his House Republican 
colleagues who have visited the border, Flood said there needs to be a 
cost to crossing the border illegally.

Fewer people crossing the border at 
the same time would make it easier for law enforcement officers to stop 
more of the criminal gangs smuggling drugs and people across the border,
 he said.

Flood accepted an invitation to visit
 the border from Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Arizona, having read up on what he 
might see. The scale of “the humanitarian and national security crisis” 
surprised him.&nbsp;

This year, border crossings stopped 
by law enforcement in the southwestern U.S., likely eclipsed 2 million 
in August, federal statistics show.&nbsp;

That’s higher than any year on 
record. The next closest was 2000, when 1.64 million were logged, 
according to U.S. Border Patrol records of crossing encounters from 
1960-2022.

Around Yuma, Flood said he saw 
identification cards strewn on the ground from Mexico, Cuba, Nicaragua, 
Peru and India. He heard horror stories about human trafficking.&nbsp;

He said he saw an 8-year-old boy playing in a detention center who came without his parents.

Flood faced criticism during his GOP 
primary race against former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry for passing prenatal 
care for the U.S.-born children of women in Nebraska who had entered the
 country illegally.

Fortenberry withdrew from the GOP 
race in March after he was convicted of three felonies related to 
accepting foreign funds raised illegally for a previous congressional 
campaign.&nbsp;

Flood said it is possible to be 
humane while opposing and trying to deter illegal immigration. The key, 
he said, is telling migrants the truth about the journey and its costs.

Many people trying to cross into the 
U.S., he said, are paying thousands of dollars to coyotes to show them 
the way. Once they get there, many are held in indentured servitude to 
those coyotes.

“I think this is seen as a partisan issue, and it is not,” he said.

Flood acknowledged that getting 
tougher along the border might affect Nebraska agriculture and other 
employers who have hired immigrants in the country illegally.

About 60,000 people — or 3% of 
Nebraska’s total population — are in the country without paperwork, 
according to the American Immigrant Council.

Flood said Congress and the president
 should work toward making the legal immigration system more efficient, 
including continuing to reduce a backlog of visa applications still 
380,000 strong.

“I do know that there is a need for 
workforce in Nebraska, but we should never rely on any illegal 
immigration because you’ve got a class of people that are extremely 
vulnerable,” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662125797285.png" alt="U.S. Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb, visits Arizona’s border with Mexico. (Courtesy of U.S. Rep. Mike Flood’s office)" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb, visits Arizona’s border with Mexico. (Courtesy of U.S. Rep. Mike Flood’s office)</figcaption>
 </figure>By AARON SANDERFORD <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/09/01/after-border-trip-flood-wants-to-revive-remain-in-mexico-and-detain-asylum-seekers/">Nebraska Examiner</a>OMAHA — Border Patrol agents and people in southern Arizona told
 U.S. Rep. Mike Flood this week that the status quo along the border 
with Mexico is not safe for Americans or migrants, the congressman said 
Thursday.Flood, a Nebraska Republican, said 
seeing the situation himself convinced him that the Biden administration
 and Congress need to rethink their approach to border enforcement and 
people seeking asylum.“One of the agents said at 4 a.m. 
there are 500 people waiting to be taken in custody,” he said. “If 
people in the City of Lincoln were dealing with this, they’d want the 
military out.”Flood said he would like to see the 
federal government stop releasing people detained by Border Patrol into 
the U.S. while they await a court date that might be years later.He said he’d like President Joe Biden
 to revive the Trump-era policy of releasing migrants back into Mexico 
or detaining asylum seekers until they can see a judge.“Right now they get a court date and 
they’re in business in the United States,” he said. “You shouldn’t know 
that there are no consequences. … Consequences shut down the flow of 
people.”<h2>Would fund more detention centers, judges</h2>Immigrant advocates have criticized 
former President Donald Trump’s “Remain in Mexico” policy and increased 
detentions of people trying to cross into the United States as 
inhumane.&nbsp;Flood said he would be willing to 
fund the number of detention centers and judges it might take to house 
and handle the caseloads of hundreds of thousands of migrants.Rebecca Gonzales, an advocate for 
immigrants in Nebraska, said Flood’s idea is not practical or 
affordable. It would cost billions of dollars and would take years to 
implement, she said.“There’s not that many judges,” she 
said. “How long are we talking about keeping someone in detention? These
 are families, not just adults. You’d have to provide space.”The Department of Homeland Security 
has said it costs an average of $142 a day to detain an immigrant trying
 to enter the country illegally.Flood’s opponent in November’s 
general election, State Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln, declined 
through a campaign spokesman Thursday to comment on Flood’s border trip. 
<h2>Cost to illegal crossing</h2>Like many of his House Republican 
colleagues who have visited the border, Flood said there needs to be a 
cost to crossing the border illegally.Fewer people crossing the border at 
the same time would make it easier for law enforcement officers to stop 
more of the criminal gangs smuggling drugs and people across the border,
 he said.Flood accepted an invitation to visit
 the border from Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Arizona, having read up on what he 
might see. The scale of “the humanitarian and national security crisis” 
surprised him.&nbsp;This year, border crossings stopped 
by law enforcement in the southwestern U.S., likely eclipsed 2 million 
in August, federal statistics show.&nbsp;That’s higher than any year on 
record. The next closest was 2000, when 1.64 million were logged, 
according to U.S. Border Patrol records of crossing encounters from 
1960-2022.Around Yuma, Flood said he saw 
identification cards strewn on the ground from Mexico, Cuba, Nicaragua, 
Peru and India. He heard horror stories about human trafficking.&nbsp;He said he saw an 8-year-old boy playing in a detention center who came without his parents.Flood faced criticism during his GOP 
primary race against former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry for passing prenatal 
care for the U.S.-born children of women in Nebraska who had entered the
 country illegally.Fortenberry withdrew from the GOP 
race in March after he was convicted of three felonies related to 
accepting foreign funds raised illegally for a previous congressional 
campaign.&nbsp;Flood said it is possible to be 
humane while opposing and trying to deter illegal immigration. The key, 
he said, is telling migrants the truth about the journey and its costs.Many people trying to cross into the 
U.S., he said, are paying thousands of dollars to coyotes to show them 
the way. Once they get there, many are held in indentured servitude to 
those coyotes.“I think this is seen as a partisan issue, and it is not,” he said.<h2>Workforce impact</h2>Flood acknowledged that getting 
tougher along the border might affect Nebraska agriculture and other 
employers who have hired immigrants in the country illegally.About 60,000 people — or 3% of 
Nebraska’s total population — are in the country without paperwork, 
according to the American Immigrant Council.Flood said Congress and the president
 should work toward making the legal immigration system more efficient, 
including continuing to reduce a backlog of visa applications still 
380,000 strong.“I do know that there is a need for 
workforce in Nebraska, but we should never rely on any illegal 
immigration because you’ve got a class of people that are extremely 
vulnerable,” he said.

After border trip, Flood wants to revive ‘Remain in Mexico’ 

By SARA WILSON <a href="https://coloradonewsline.com/briefs/lawsuit-filed-against-archdiocese-of-denver-in-child-sexual-abuse-case/">Colorado Newsline</a>

Leaders in the Archdiocese of Denver neglected to protect a young 
girl from sexual abuse in the 1980s, despite being warned of the 
priest’s predatory nature, a lawsuit filed last week in Denver District 
Court alleges.

Father Marshall Gourley sexually abused a girl when she was between 
the ages of 7 and 11 years old while she attended church programming, 
and it resulted in a lifetime of trauma and struggle, the lawsuit 
alleges.

“When Fr. Gourley was abusing Plaintiff, Defendants knew, or should 
have known, that Fr. Marshall Gourley was unfit for the priesthood, 
specifically unfit to engage minors with the authority, control, 
respect, and reverence of a priest and representative of Defendants 
because, in part, they had received notice Fr. Gourley had committed 
acts of sexual abuse on children,” the lawsuit reads.

A <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bishop-accountability.org/reports/2020_12_01_Colorado_Special_Masters_Supplemental_Report_Final.pdf#page=28">December 2020 report</a>
 led by the Colorado attorney general’s office documented systemic child
 sexual abuse by priests and named 52 priests who abused children in the
 state between 1951 and 1999. Gourley was not identified in that report.

Gourley was ordained in 1982 as a Theatine priest and was then assigned to Our Lady of Guadalupe.

He was first publicly accused of sexual abuse in 1997 when a man 
filed a lawsuit alleging that Gourley assaulted him repeatedly between 
1981 and 1984. That lawsuit ended up being dismissed because the 
survivor waited too long to file. The archdiocese removed Gourley from 
his position after the 1997 lawsuit.

The new lawsuit alleges, however, that a “concerned citizen” brought 
concerns to the archdiocese in the mid-1980s, well before that first 
lawsuit. The church did not take any actions to remove Gourley then.

“The Archdiocese accused the concerned citizen of a lack of faith and
 worked to prevent the public and parishioners, like Plaintiff’s 
grandmother, from learning of the allegations of abuse against Fr. 
Gourley,” the lawsuit reads.

It was around this time that the young girl’s alleged abuse began, 
described as “openly” caressing and fondling children on church property
 as he provided child care and Sunday school activities, the lawsuit 
alleges.

The church’s inaction to prevent the abuse even with knowledge of it 
shows “wanton and reckless disregard for the safety and welfare of 
parishioners and children in connection with members of the cloth,” the 
lawsuit reads.

This abuse set the survivor up for “a lifetime of struggle, severe 
mental health impairments, and future vulnerability,” including 
post-traumatic stress disorder, the inability to hold a job and 
difficulty participating in society, the lawsuit says.

She is “only now beginning to understand the psychological impact Fr.
 Gourley’s sexual abuse has had on her life, only now beginning to 
comprehend and to address the harm caused (her) by the actions of all 
Defendants in authorizing and permitting Fr. Gourley to be in a position
 of access to Plaintiff based on their authority, which resulted in the 
sexual abuse,” the lawsuit reads.

“Particularly within deeply devout communities like the Catholic 
Church, it’s really not that unusual for it to take decades (for 
survivors) to come forward,” Paul Linnenburger, a plaintiff’s attorney, 
told Colorado Newsline. “It’s the norm for all sorts of reasons. Part of
 it is holding priests in such high regard in the community and the fear
 that that instills. Part of it is the expected manifestations of 
childhood trauma in the psyche, like a heavy amount of self blame. It’s 
to be expected that it takes years and years, and decades even, to 
accept that this happened and this may have been wrong.”

Linnenburger said he expects the lawsuit to go differently than the dismissed 1997 one for a variety of reasons, including a <a target="_blank" href="https://coloradonewsline.com/2022/01/07/lawsuit-child-sexual-abuse-archdiocese-denver/">new law that took effect this year</a> that altered statutes of limitations for survivors of child sexual abuse.

“We’re fairly comfortable that this case will survive a motion to 
dismiss on statute of limitations grounds,” he said. “We’re comfortable 
that we’re on solid ground there.”

The Archdiocese of Denver did not respond to request for comment.

An attorney who has worked with church abuse victims <a target="_blank" href="https://adamhorowitzlaw.com/fr-marshall-gourley-archdiocese-of-denver/">says that Gourley’s whereabouts are unknown</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662129922345.png" alt="Christ the King Chapel, at the Archdiocese of Denver campus, is pictured April 1, 2021. (Faith Miller/Colorado Newsline)" />
 <figcaption>Christ the King Chapel, at the Archdiocese of Denver campus, is pictured April 1, 2021. (Faith Miller/Colorado Newsline)</figcaption>
 </figure>By SARA WILSON <a href="https://coloradonewsline.com/briefs/lawsuit-filed-against-archdiocese-of-denver-in-child-sexual-abuse-case/">Colorado Newsline</a>Leaders in the Archdiocese of Denver neglected to protect a young 
girl from sexual abuse in the 1980s, despite being warned of the 
priest’s predatory nature, a lawsuit filed last week in Denver District 
Court alleges.Father Marshall Gourley sexually abused a girl when she was between 
the ages of 7 and 11 years old while she attended church programming, 
and it resulted in a lifetime of trauma and struggle, the lawsuit 
alleges.“When Fr. Gourley was abusing Plaintiff, Defendants knew, or should 
have known, that Fr. Marshall Gourley was unfit for the priesthood, 
specifically unfit to engage minors with the authority, control, 
respect, and reverence of a priest and representative of Defendants 
because, in part, they had received notice Fr. Gourley had committed 
acts of sexual abuse on children,” the lawsuit reads.A <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bishop-accountability.org/reports/2020_12_01_Colorado_Special_Masters_Supplemental_Report_Final.pdf#page=28">December 2020 report</a>
 led by the Colorado attorney general’s office documented systemic child
 sexual abuse by priests and named 52 priests who abused children in the
 state between 1951 and 1999. Gourley was not identified in that report.Gourley was ordained in 1982 as a Theatine priest and was then assigned to Our Lady of Guadalupe.He was first publicly accused of sexual abuse in 1997 when a man 
filed a lawsuit alleging that Gourley assaulted him repeatedly between 
1981 and 1984. That lawsuit ended up being dismissed because the 
survivor waited too long to file. The archdiocese removed Gourley from 
his position after the 1997 lawsuit.The new lawsuit alleges, however, that a “concerned citizen” brought 
concerns to the archdiocese in the mid-1980s, well before that first 
lawsuit. The church did not take any actions to remove Gourley then.“The Archdiocese accused the concerned citizen of a lack of faith and
 worked to prevent the public and parishioners, like Plaintiff’s 
grandmother, from learning of the allegations of abuse against Fr. 
Gourley,” the lawsuit reads.It was around this time that the young girl’s alleged abuse began, 
described as “openly” caressing and fondling children on church property
 as he provided child care and Sunday school activities, the lawsuit 
alleges.The church’s inaction to prevent the abuse even with knowledge of it 
shows “wanton and reckless disregard for the safety and welfare of 
parishioners and children in connection with members of the cloth,” the 
lawsuit reads.This abuse set the survivor up for “a lifetime of struggle, severe 
mental health impairments, and future vulnerability,” including 
post-traumatic stress disorder, the inability to hold a job and 
difficulty participating in society, the lawsuit says.She is “only now beginning to understand the psychological impact Fr.
 Gourley’s sexual abuse has had on her life, only now beginning to 
comprehend and to address the harm caused (her) by the actions of all 
Defendants in authorizing and permitting Fr. Gourley to be in a position
 of access to Plaintiff based on their authority, which resulted in the 
sexual abuse,” the lawsuit reads.“Particularly within deeply devout communities like the Catholic 
Church, it’s really not that unusual for it to take decades (for 
survivors) to come forward,” Paul Linnenburger, a plaintiff’s attorney, 
told Colorado Newsline. “It’s the norm for all sorts of reasons. Part of
 it is holding priests in such high regard in the community and the fear
 that that instills. Part of it is the expected manifestations of 
childhood trauma in the psyche, like a heavy amount of self blame. It’s 
to be expected that it takes years and years, and decades even, to 
accept that this happened and this may have been wrong.”Linnenburger said he expects the lawsuit to go differently than the dismissed 1997 one for a variety of reasons, including a <a target="_blank" href="https://coloradonewsline.com/2022/01/07/lawsuit-child-sexual-abuse-archdiocese-denver/">new law that took effect this year</a> that altered statutes of limitations for survivors of child sexual abuse.“We’re fairly comfortable that this case will survive a motion to 
dismiss on statute of limitations grounds,” he said. “We’re comfortable 
that we’re on solid ground there.”The Archdiocese of Denver did not respond to request for comment.An attorney who has worked with church abuse victims <a target="_blank" href="https://adamhorowitzlaw.com/fr-marshall-gourley-archdiocese-of-denver/">says that Gourley’s whereabouts are unknown</a>.

Lawsuit filed against Archdiocese of Denver in child sex abuse case

WASHINGTON (AP) —New COVID-19 boosters that target today's most common omicron strains are set to begin soon after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorsed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-vaccine-omicron-booster-shot-227514678d25a99b65b7ee092735fb03">updated shots</a>&nbsp;Thursday.

The decision by CDC Director Rochelle Walensky came shortly after the agency's advisers said if enough people roll up their sleeves, the shots could blunt a winter surge.

“They can help restore protection that has waned since previous vaccination and were designed to provide broader protection,” she said in a statement.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-cd39872e31c490cb92c7678a8de83499">tweaked shots</a>&nbsp;made by Pfizer and rival Moderna offer Americans a chance to get the most up-to-date protection at yet another critical period in the pandemic. They’re combination or “bivalent” shots — half the original vaccine and half protection against the BA.4 and BA.5 omicron versions now causing nearly all COVID-19 infections.

The CDC's advisers struggled with who should get the new booster and when because only a similarly tweaked vaccine, not the exact recipe, has been studied in people so far.

But ultimately the panel deemed it the best option considering the U.S. still is experiencing tens of thousands of COVID-19 cases and about 500 deaths every day — even before an expected new winter wave.

“I think they’re going to be an effective tool for disease prevention this fall and into the winter,” said CDC adviser Dr. Matthew Daley of Kaiser Permanente Colorado.

Comparing the tweak that has been studied in people and the one the U.S. actually will use, "it is the same scaffolding, part of the same roof, we’re just putting in some dormers and windows,” said Dr. Sarah Long of Drexel University.

The CDC is expected to adopt that recommendation soon, the last step before shots can begin. Pfizer said it expected to deliver 3 million doses to vaccination sites around the country by Tuesday.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-england-54d29ae3af5c700f15d704c14ee224b5">The original COVID-19 vaccines</a>&nbsp;still offer strong protection against severe illness and death, especially among younger and healthier people who’ve gotten at least one booster.

But those vaccines were designed to target the virus strain that circulated in early 2020. Effectiveness drops as new mutants emerge and more time passes since someone’s last shot. Since April, hospitalization rates in people over age 65 have jumped, the CDC said.

The new updated shots are only for use as a booster, not for someone's first-ever vaccinations. The Food and Drug Administration cleared Pfizer's bivalent option for people 12 and older while Moderna's is for adults only.

A big unknown: exactly how much benefit people will get from one of those extra shots.

The CDC said more than 1,400 people have been included in several studies of a prior tweak to the vaccine recipe targeting an earlier omicron strain named BA.1. That omicron-targeting combo shot proved safe and able to rev up virus-fighting antibodies, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-moderna-inc-f7a22b7a7d50a45b294ee5af8b63c1d3">European</a>&nbsp;regulators on Thursday recommended using that type of booster.

In the U.S., the FDA wanted fall boosters to target the currently circulating omicron strains. Rather than waiting until possibly November for more human studies to be finished, the agency accepted mouse testing that showed the newer tweak sparked a similarly good immune response.

That’s how flu vaccines are updated every year, the CDC noted.

Dr. Pablo Sanchez of the Ohio State University was the only CDC adviser to vote against recommending the shots. He said he believes the bivalent vaccine is safe and that he likely will get it.

But “I just feel that this was a bit premature” given the absence of human data on how well it works, he said.

Several CDC advisers said that to get the maximum benefit, people will need to wait longer between their last vaccination and the new booster than the two-month minimum set by the FDA. Waiting at least three months would be better, they said.

One more change: The FDA no longer authorizes use of the original-recipe boosters for anyone 12 or older — a source of potential confusion for people who had planned on getting a regular booster this week and now may have to wait for the new kind to arrive at their local pharmacy or clinic.

It's not clear how many people will want an updated shot. Just half of vaccinated Americans got the first recommended booster dose, and only a third of those 50 and older who were urged to get a second booster did so.

The U.S. government has purchased 170 million doses from both companies —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-flu-government-and-politics-64173cef2985d9f8951e04812477248d">shots that will be free</a>&nbsp;— and the CDC said 200 million people could be eligible.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662076170437.png" alt="The U.S. government has purchased 170 million doses from both Moderna and Pfizer —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-flu-government-and-politics-64173cef2985d9f8951e04812477248d">shots that will be free</a>&nbsp;— and the CDC said 200 million people could be eligible." />
 <figcaption>The U.S. government has purchased 170 million doses from both Moderna and Pfizer —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-flu-government-and-politics-64173cef2985d9f8951e04812477248d">shots that will be free</a>&nbsp;— and the CDC said 200 million people could be eligible.</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —New COVID-19 boosters that target today's most common omicron strains are set to begin soon after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorsed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-vaccine-omicron-booster-shot-227514678d25a99b65b7ee092735fb03">updated shots</a>&nbsp;Thursday.The decision by CDC Director Rochelle Walensky came shortly after the agency's advisers said if enough people roll up their sleeves, the shots could blunt a winter surge.“They can help restore protection that has waned since previous vaccination and were designed to provide broader protection,” she said in a statement.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-cd39872e31c490cb92c7678a8de83499">tweaked shots</a>&nbsp;made by Pfizer and rival Moderna offer Americans a chance to get the most up-to-date protection at yet another critical period in the pandemic. They’re combination or “bivalent” shots — half the original vaccine and half protection against the BA.4 and BA.5 omicron versions now causing nearly all COVID-19 infections.The CDC's advisers struggled with who should get the new booster and when because only a similarly tweaked vaccine, not the exact recipe, has been studied in people so far.But ultimately the panel deemed it the best option considering the U.S. still is experiencing tens of thousands of COVID-19 cases and about 500 deaths every day — even before an expected new winter wave.“I think they’re going to be an effective tool for disease prevention this fall and into the winter,” said CDC adviser Dr. Matthew Daley of Kaiser Permanente Colorado.Comparing the tweak that has been studied in people and the one the U.S. actually will use, "it is the same scaffolding, part of the same roof, we’re just putting in some dormers and windows,” said Dr. Sarah Long of Drexel University.The CDC is expected to adopt that recommendation soon, the last step before shots can begin. Pfizer said it expected to deliver 3 million doses to vaccination sites around the country by Tuesday.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-england-54d29ae3af5c700f15d704c14ee224b5">The original COVID-19 vaccines</a>&nbsp;still offer strong protection against severe illness and death, especially among younger and healthier people who’ve gotten at least one booster.But those vaccines were designed to target the virus strain that circulated in early 2020. Effectiveness drops as new mutants emerge and more time passes since someone’s last shot. Since April, hospitalization rates in people over age 65 have jumped, the CDC said.The new updated shots are only for use as a booster, not for someone's first-ever vaccinations. The Food and Drug Administration cleared Pfizer's bivalent option for people 12 and older while Moderna's is for adults only.A big unknown: exactly how much benefit people will get from one of those extra shots.The CDC said more than 1,400 people have been included in several studies of a prior tweak to the vaccine recipe targeting an earlier omicron strain named BA.1. That omicron-targeting combo shot proved safe and able to rev up virus-fighting antibodies, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-moderna-inc-f7a22b7a7d50a45b294ee5af8b63c1d3">European</a>&nbsp;regulators on Thursday recommended using that type of booster.In the U.S., the FDA wanted fall boosters to target the currently circulating omicron strains. Rather than waiting until possibly November for more human studies to be finished, the agency accepted mouse testing that showed the newer tweak sparked a similarly good immune response.That’s how flu vaccines are updated every year, the CDC noted.Dr. Pablo Sanchez of the Ohio State University was the only CDC adviser to vote against recommending the shots. He said he believes the bivalent vaccine is safe and that he likely will get it.But “I just feel that this was a bit premature” given the absence of human data on how well it works, he said.Several CDC advisers said that to get the maximum benefit, people will need to wait longer between their last vaccination and the new booster than the two-month minimum set by the FDA. Waiting at least three months would be better, they said.One more change: The FDA no longer authorizes use of the original-recipe boosters for anyone 12 or older — a source of potential confusion for people who had planned on getting a regular booster this week and now may have to wait for the new kind to arrive at their local pharmacy or clinic.It's not clear how many people will want an updated shot. Just half of vaccinated Americans got the first recommended booster dose, and only a third of those 50 and older who were urged to get a second booster did so.The U.S. government has purchased 170 million doses from both companies —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-flu-government-and-politics-64173cef2985d9f8951e04812477248d">shots that will be free</a>&nbsp;— and the CDC said 200 million people could be eligible.

CDC OKs updated COVID boosters: Free shots available soon

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — President Joe Biden warned Thursday night that “equality and democracy are under assault” in the U.S. as he sounded an alarm about his predecessor, Donald Trump, and “MAGA Republican” adherents, labeling them an extremist threat to the nation and its future.

Click below to watch a replay of the President's speech

Aiming to reframe the November elections as part of a battle for the nation's soul — “the work of my presidency," Biden used his prime-time speech at Independence Hall in Philadelphia to argue that Trump and “Make America Great Again” allies are a challenge to nation’s system of government, its standing abroad and its citizens’ way of life.

“Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our Republic," Biden declared. He said they “are determined to take this country backward’ they “promote authoritarian leaders and they fan the flames of political violence.”

The explicit effort by Biden to marginalize Trump and his adherents marks a sharp turn for the president, who preached his desire to bring about national unity in his Inaugural address. White House officials said it reflects his mounting concern about Trump allies' ideological proposals and relentless denial of the nation's 2020 election results.

“MAGA forces are determined to take this country backwards,” Biden is saying, according to prepared remarks released by the White House. “Backwards to an America where there is no right to choose, no right to privacy, no right to contraception, no right to marry who you love.”

“For a long time, we’ve reassured ourselves that American democracy is guaranteed. But it is not,” Biden says. “We have to defend it. Protect it. Stand up for it. Each and every one of us.”

Biden, who largely avoided even referring to “the former guy” by name during his first year in office, has grown&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-health-social-media-donald-trump-fb978862035511b12bdf0b3cc5e5d644">increasingly vocal</a>&nbsp;in calling out Trump personally. Now, emboldened by his party's recent legislative wins and wary of Trump's return to the headlines, Biden is sharpening his attacks.

Trump plans a rally this weekend in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Biden’s birthplace.

At a Democratic fundraiser last week, Biden likened the “MAGA philosophy” to “semi-fascism.”

In Philadelphia, White House officials said, Biden intended to hark back to the 2017 white supremacist protest in Charlottesville, Virginia, which he says brought him out of political retirement to challenge Trump. Biden argues that the country faces a similar crossroads in the coming months.

Biden allies stress that he is not rejecting the entirety of the GOP and is calling on traditional Republicans to join him in condemning Trump and his followers. It's a balancing act, given that more than 74 million people voted for Trump in 2020.

“I respect conservative Republicans,” Biden said last week. “I don’t respect these MAGA Republicans.”

Delivering a preemptive rebuttal from Scranton Thursday evening, House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy accused Biden of trying to divide Americans, and blasted the Democrats' record in Washington, pointing to rising inflation, crime and government spending.

“In the past two years, Joe Biden has launched an assault on the soul of America, on its people, on its laws, on its most sacred values," he said. "He has launched an assault on our democracy. His policies have severely wounded America’s soul, diminished America’s spirit and betrayed America’s trust.”

Asked about McCarthy's criticism, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said “we understand we hit a nerve” with the GOP leader, and quoted the Republican's prior statements saying Trump bore responsibility for the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Larry Diamond, an expert on democracy and senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, said calling Trump out for attacks on democracy "can be manipulated or framed as being partisan. And if you don’t call it out, you are shrinking from an important challenge in the defense of democracy.”

Even this week, Trump was posting on his beleaguered social media platform about overturning the 2020 election results and holding a new presidential election, which would violate the Constitution.

Timothy Naftali, a presidential historian at New York University, said it’s not unusual for there to be tension between a president and his successor, but it’s “unprecedented for a former president to be actively trying to undermine the U.S. Constitution.”

“The challenge that President Biden faces is to get on with his agenda while still doing what he needs to uphold the Constitution,” Naftali said. “That’s not easy.”

The White House has tried to keep Biden removed from the legal and political maelstrom surrounding the Department of Justice’s discovery of classified documents in Trump's Florida home. Still, Biden has taken advantage of some Republicans’ quick condemnation of federal law enforcement.

“You can’t be pro-law enforcement and pro-insurrection,” Biden said Tuesday in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania.

Biden's appearance Thursday night was promoted as an official, taxpayer-funded event, a mark of how the president views defeating the Trump agenda as much as a policy aim as a political one. The major broadcast television networks were not expected to carry the address live.

Biden's trip to Philadelphia is just one of his three to the state within a week, a sign of Pennsylvania's importance in the midterms, with competitive Senate and governor's races. However, neither Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, the Democrats' Senate nominee, nor Attorney General Josh Shapiro, their pick for governor, was expected to attend Thursday night.

The White House intended the speech to unite familiar themes: holding out bipartisan legislative wins on guns and infrastructure as evidence that democracies “can deliver,” pushing back on GOP policies on guns and abortion that Biden says are out of step with most people's views, and rejecting efforts to undermine confidence in the nation’s election or diminish its standing abroad.

The challenges have only increased since the tumult surrounding the 2020 election and the Capitol attack.

Lies surrounding that presidential race have triggered harassment and death threats against state and local election officials and new restrictions on mail voting in Republican-dominated states. County election officials have faced pressure to ban the use of voting equipment, efforts generated by conspiracy theories that voting machines were somehow manipulated to steal the election.

Candidates who dispute Trump’s loss have been inspired to run for state and local election posts, promising to restore integrity to a system that has been undermined by false claims.

There is no evidence of any widespread fraud or manipulation of voting machines. Judges, including ones appointed by Trump, dismissed dozens of lawsuits filed after the election, and Trump’s own attorney general called the claims bogus. Yet Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research polling has shown about two-thirds of Republicans say they do not think Biden was legitimately elected president.

This year, election officials face not only the continuing threat of foreign interference but also ransomware, politically motivated hackers and insider threats. Over the past year, security breaches have been reported at a small number of local election offices in which authorities are investigating whether office staff improperly accessed or provided improper access to sensitive voting technology.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will sound an alarm Thursday night about what he views as “extremist” threats to American democracy from the restive forces of Trumpism, aiming to reframe the November elections as part of an unceasing battle for the “soul of the nation.”

Nearly two years after he defeated Donald Trump, it's a reprise of Biden's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-pa-state-wire-joe-biden-ap-top-news-donald-trump-d5c415b99a6945dbbecf60d57bcf68cb">2020 campaign theme,</a>&nbsp;casting the midterm election stakes in as dire terms as those that sent him to the Oval Office. His prime-time speech at Independence Hall in Philadelphia will lay out what he sees as the risks from those he has dubbed “ultra-MAGA Republicans” to the nation's system of government, its standing abroad and its citizens' way of life.

The explicit effort by Biden to marginalize Trump and and his “Make America Great Again” adherents marks a sharp turn for the president, who preached his desire to bring about national unity in his Inaugural address. White House officials said it reflects his mounting concern about Trump conservatives' ideological proposals and 2020 election denialism.

Biden, who had largely avoided even referring to “the former guy” by name during his first year in office, has grown&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-health-social-media-donald-trump-fb978862035511b12bdf0b3cc5e5d644">increasingly vocal</a>&nbsp;in calling out Trump personally. Now, emboldened by his party's recent legislative wins and wary of Trump's return to the headlines, Biden is sharpening his attacks.

In Philadelphia, White House officials said, Biden intends to hark back to the 2017 white supremacist protest in Charlottesville, Virginia, which he says brought him out of political retirement to challenge Trump. Biden plans to argue that the country faces a similar crossroads in the coming months.

“The president thinks that there is an extremist threat to our democracy,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday. “It's not stopping. It's continuing.”

Biden allies stress that he is not rejecting the entirety of the GOP and would use his remarks to call on traditional Republicans to join him in condemning Trump and his followers. It's a balancing act, given that more than 74 million people voted for Trump in 2020.

House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy dismissed any such distinction, accusing the president of trying to "disparage hard-working Americans.” He planned to deliver a preemptive rebuttal to Biden from Scranton, Pennsylvania, where the president was born.

In remarks earlier Thursday on Fox News, McCarthy said Biden was “trying to distract from the disaster that he’s created in this country.”

A senior White House official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to preview Biden's remarks, said the president's speech wasn't aimed at one politician or the GOP as a whole, but rather the Trump supporters who have denied the 2020 election results and sow doubt about future contests. The official said that Biden would acknowledge the importance of political disagreements in a country as diverse as the U.S., but aim to draw a line at rhetoric and actions that call into question the health of the country's democracy.

The official said Biden aimed to speak “not as a Democratic president, but as a president of a democracy.”

Trump plans a rally this weekend in Scranton, Biden's birthplace.

The challenges have only increased since the tumult surrounding the 2020 election and the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — President Joe Biden warned Thursday night that “equality and democracy are under assault” in the U.S. as he sounded an alarm about his predecessor, Donald Trump, and “MAGA Republican” adherents, labeling them an extremist threat to the nation and its future.Click below to watch a replay of the President's speech<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3qSmRoVo5AA?start=1004" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Aiming to reframe the November elections as part of a battle for the nation's soul — “the work of my presidency," Biden used his prime-time speech at Independence Hall in Philadelphia to argue that Trump and “Make America Great Again” allies are a challenge to nation’s system of government, its standing abroad and its citizens’ way of life.“Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our Republic," Biden declared. He said they “are determined to take this country backward’ they “promote authoritarian leaders and they fan the flames of political violence.”The explicit effort by Biden to marginalize Trump and his adherents marks a sharp turn for the president, who preached his desire to bring about national unity in his Inaugural address. White House officials said it reflects his mounting concern about Trump allies' ideological proposals and relentless denial of the nation's 2020 election results.“MAGA forces are determined to take this country backwards,” Biden is saying, according to prepared remarks released by the White House. “Backwards to an America where there is no right to choose, no right to privacy, no right to contraception, no right to marry who you love.”“For a long time, we’ve reassured ourselves that American democracy is guaranteed. But it is not,” Biden says. “We have to defend it. Protect it. Stand up for it. Each and every one of us.”Biden, who largely avoided even referring to “the former guy” by name during his first year in office, has grown&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-health-social-media-donald-trump-fb978862035511b12bdf0b3cc5e5d644">increasingly vocal</a>&nbsp;in calling out Trump personally. Now, emboldened by his party's recent legislative wins and wary of Trump's return to the headlines, Biden is sharpening his attacks.Trump plans a rally this weekend in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Biden’s birthplace.At a Democratic fundraiser last week, Biden likened the “MAGA philosophy” to “semi-fascism.”In Philadelphia, White House officials said, Biden intended to hark back to the 2017 white supremacist protest in Charlottesville, Virginia, which he says brought him out of political retirement to challenge Trump. Biden argues that the country faces a similar crossroads in the coming months.Biden allies stress that he is not rejecting the entirety of the GOP and is calling on traditional Republicans to join him in condemning Trump and his followers. It's a balancing act, given that more than 74 million people voted for Trump in 2020.“I respect conservative Republicans,” Biden said last week. “I don’t respect these MAGA Republicans.”Delivering a preemptive rebuttal from Scranton Thursday evening, House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy accused Biden of trying to divide Americans, and blasted the Democrats' record in Washington, pointing to rising inflation, crime and government spending.“In the past two years, Joe Biden has launched an assault on the soul of America, on its people, on its laws, on its most sacred values," he said. "He has launched an assault on our democracy. His policies have severely wounded America’s soul, diminished America’s spirit and betrayed America’s trust.”Asked about McCarthy's criticism, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said “we understand we hit a nerve” with the GOP leader, and quoted the Republican's prior statements saying Trump bore responsibility for the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.Larry Diamond, an expert on democracy and senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, said calling Trump out for attacks on democracy "can be manipulated or framed as being partisan. And if you don’t call it out, you are shrinking from an important challenge in the defense of democracy.”Even this week, Trump was posting on his beleaguered social media platform about overturning the 2020 election results and holding a new presidential election, which would violate the Constitution.Timothy Naftali, a presidential historian at New York University, said it’s not unusual for there to be tension between a president and his successor, but it’s “unprecedented for a former president to be actively trying to undermine the U.S. Constitution.”“The challenge that President Biden faces is to get on with his agenda while still doing what he needs to uphold the Constitution,” Naftali said. “That’s not easy.”The White House has tried to keep Biden removed from the legal and political maelstrom surrounding the Department of Justice’s discovery of classified documents in Trump's Florida home. Still, Biden has taken advantage of some Republicans’ quick condemnation of federal law enforcement.“You can’t be pro-law enforcement and pro-insurrection,” Biden said Tuesday in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania.Biden's appearance Thursday night was promoted as an official, taxpayer-funded event, a mark of how the president views defeating the Trump agenda as much as a policy aim as a political one. The major broadcast television networks were not expected to carry the address live.Biden's trip to Philadelphia is just one of his three to the state within a week, a sign of Pennsylvania's importance in the midterms, with competitive Senate and governor's races. However, neither Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, the Democrats' Senate nominee, nor Attorney General Josh Shapiro, their pick for governor, was expected to attend Thursday night.The White House intended the speech to unite familiar themes: holding out bipartisan legislative wins on guns and infrastructure as evidence that democracies “can deliver,” pushing back on GOP policies on guns and abortion that Biden says are out of step with most people's views, and rejecting efforts to undermine confidence in the nation’s election or diminish its standing abroad.The challenges have only increased since the tumult surrounding the 2020 election and the Capitol attack.Lies surrounding that presidential race have triggered harassment and death threats against state and local election officials and new restrictions on mail voting in Republican-dominated states. County election officials have faced pressure to ban the use of voting equipment, efforts generated by conspiracy theories that voting machines were somehow manipulated to steal the election.Candidates who dispute Trump’s loss have been inspired to run for state and local election posts, promising to restore integrity to a system that has been undermined by false claims.There is no evidence of any widespread fraud or manipulation of voting machines. Judges, including ones appointed by Trump, dismissed dozens of lawsuits filed after the election, and Trump’s own attorney general called the claims bogus. Yet Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research polling has shown about two-thirds of Republicans say they do not think Biden was legitimately elected president.This year, election officials face not only the continuing threat of foreign interference but also ransomware, politically motivated hackers and insider threats. Over the past year, security breaches have been reported at a small number of local election offices in which authorities are investigating whether office staff improperly accessed or provided improper access to sensitive voting technology.-----WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will sound an alarm Thursday night about what he views as “extremist” threats to American democracy from the restive forces of Trumpism, aiming to reframe the November elections as part of an unceasing battle for the “soul of the nation.”Nearly two years after he defeated Donald Trump, it's a reprise of Biden's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-pa-state-wire-joe-biden-ap-top-news-donald-trump-d5c415b99a6945dbbecf60d57bcf68cb">2020 campaign theme,</a>&nbsp;casting the midterm election stakes in as dire terms as those that sent him to the Oval Office. His prime-time speech at Independence Hall in Philadelphia will lay out what he sees as the risks from those he has dubbed “ultra-MAGA Republicans” to the nation's system of government, its standing abroad and its citizens' way of life.The explicit effort by Biden to marginalize Trump and and his “Make America Great Again” adherents marks a sharp turn for the president, who preached his desire to bring about national unity in his Inaugural address. White House officials said it reflects his mounting concern about Trump conservatives' ideological proposals and 2020 election denialism.Biden, who had largely avoided even referring to “the former guy” by name during his first year in office, has grown&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-health-social-media-donald-trump-fb978862035511b12bdf0b3cc5e5d644">increasingly vocal</a>&nbsp;in calling out Trump personally. Now, emboldened by his party's recent legislative wins and wary of Trump's return to the headlines, Biden is sharpening his attacks.At a Democratic fundraiser last week, Biden likened the “MAGA philosophy” to “semi-fascism.”In Philadelphia, White House officials said, Biden intends to hark back to the 2017 white supremacist protest in Charlottesville, Virginia, which he says brought him out of political retirement to challenge Trump. Biden plans to argue that the country faces a similar crossroads in the coming months.“The president thinks that there is an extremist threat to our democracy,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday. “It's not stopping. It's continuing.”Biden allies stress that he is not rejecting the entirety of the GOP and would use his remarks to call on traditional Republicans to join him in condemning Trump and his followers. It's a balancing act, given that more than 74 million people voted for Trump in 2020.“I respect conservative Republicans,” Biden said last week. “I don’t respect these MAGA Republicans.”House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy dismissed any such distinction, accusing the president of trying to "disparage hard-working Americans.” He planned to deliver a preemptive rebuttal to Biden from Scranton, Pennsylvania, where the president was born.In remarks earlier Thursday on Fox News, McCarthy said Biden was “trying to distract from the disaster that he’s created in this country.”A senior White House official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to preview Biden's remarks, said the president's speech wasn't aimed at one politician or the GOP as a whole, but rather the Trump supporters who have denied the 2020 election results and sow doubt about future contests. The official said that Biden would acknowledge the importance of political disagreements in a country as diverse as the U.S., but aim to draw a line at rhetoric and actions that call into question the health of the country's democracy.The official said Biden aimed to speak “not as a Democratic president, but as a president of a democracy.”Larry Diamond, an expert on democracy and senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, said calling Trump out for attacks on democracy "can be manipulated or framed as being partisan. And if you don’t call it out, you are shrinking from an important challenge in the defense of democracy.”Even this week, Trump was posting on his beleaguered social media platform about overturning the 2020 election results and holding a new presidential election, which would violate the Constitution.Timothy Naftali, a presidential historian at New York University, said it’s not unusual for there to be tension between a president and his successor, but it’s “unprecedented for a former president to be actively trying to undermine the U.S. Constitution.”“The challenge that President Biden faces is to get on with his agenda while still doing what he needs to uphold the Constitution,” Naftali said. “That’s not easy.”The White House has tried to keep Biden removed from the legal and political maelstrom surrounding the Department of Justice’s discovery of classified documents in Trump's Florida home. Still, Biden has taken advantage of some Republicans’ quick condemnation of federal law enforcement.“You can’t be pro-law enforcement and pro-insurrection,” Biden said Tuesday in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania.Biden's appearance Thursday night was promoted as an official, taxpayer-funded event, a mark of how the president views defeating the Trump agenda as much as a policy aim as a political one. The major broadcast television networks were not expected to carry the address live.Biden's trip to Philadelphia is just one of his three to the state within a week, a sign of Pennsylvania's importance in the midterms, with competitive Senate and governor's races. However, neither Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, the Democrats' Senate nominee, nor Attorney General Josh Shapiro, their pick for governor, was expected to attend Thursday night.Trump plans a rally this weekend in Scranton, Biden's birthplace.The White House intended the speech to unite familiar themes: holding out bipartisan legislative wins on guns and infrastructure as evidence that democracies “can deliver,” pushing back on GOP policies on guns and abortion that Biden says are out of step with most people's views, and rejecting efforts to undermine confidence in the nation’s election or diminish its standing abroad.The challenges have only increased since the tumult surrounding the 2020 election and the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.Lies surrounding that presidential race have triggered harassment and death threats against state and local election officials and new restrictions on mail voting in Republican-dominated states. County election officials have faced pressure to ban the use of voting equipment, efforts generated by conspiracy theories that voting machines were somehow manipulated to steal the election.Candidates who dispute Trump’s loss have been inspired to run for state and local election posts, promising to restore integrity to a system that has been undermined by false claims.There is no evidence of any widespread fraud or manipulation of voting machines. Judges, including ones appointed by Trump, dismissed dozens of lawsuits filed after the election, and Trump’s own attorney general called the claims bogus. Yet Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research polling has shown about two-thirds of Republicans say they do not think Biden was legitimately elected president.This year, election officials face not only the continuing threat of foreign interference but also ransomware, politically motivated hackers and insider threats. Over the past year, security breaches have been reported at a small number of local election offices in which authorities are investigating whether office staff improperly accessed or provided improper access to sensitive voting technology.

🎥 Biden at Independence Hall: Trump, allies threaten democracy

By SHERMAN SMITH <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/09/01/kansas-foster-care-provider-criticizes-coverage-while-nebraska-lawmaker-asks-for-fraud-inquiry/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Kansas’ largest foster care contractor responded to Kansas 
Reflector reporting on the organization’s finances and litigation by 
pointing to a turnaround under current leadership and a willingness to 
cooperate with investigators.

Saint Francis Ministries said statements published in an <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/08/12/kansas-foster-care-provider-suing-former-leaders-for-alleged-financial-misconduct/">Aug. 12 story</a>
 are “inaccurate” and “false,” but wouldn’t identify specific statements
 in question. The nonprofit also wouldn’t answer questions for this 
story.

And Saint Francis provided an alternate description of its departure 
from Nebraska, where multiple investigations sounded alarms about the 
organization’s ability to comply with state law while providing foster 
care services for the Omaha area.

On Thursday, based in part on reporting by Kansas Reflector, a 
Nebraska state senator asked her attorney general to conduct an 
investigation into the possibility that Saint Francis defrauded the 
state.

The Aug. 12 story examined a lawsuit filed by Saint Francis to 
recover millions of dollars from its former CEO, chief counsel and IT 
director, who are accused of misusing company credit cards and excessive
 billing.

Alison Kossover, chief administration office for Saint Francis, said 
in a 300-word response that the story leads readers to “an inaccurate 
understanding of the situation.”

“Over the past twenty-two months, the Saint Francis Ministries team 
has cooperated with investigators, auditors, and state partners to 
ensure accurate accounting and complete transparency,” Kossover said. 
“In summary, there are no unaccounted dollars as we continue to openly 
assist and support government organizations with their inquiries.”

In the lawsuit, filed in January in Saline County District Court, 
Saint Francis accuses its former leaders of misleading board members to 
hide the misspending of millions of dollars. Kansas Reflector reported 
that Teresa Woody, litigation director for Kansas Appleseed, said it was
 appalling that millions of dollars meant to provide foster care were 
not accounted for.

Kansas Appleseed <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/08/20/judge-orders-kansas-to-pay-nearly-2-3-million-in-legal-fees-and-expenses-in-child-welfare-lawsuit/">settled a lawsuit last year</a> to require improvements in the foster care system.&nbsp;Woody clarified her remarks for this story.

“Millions of dollars were transferred — Saint Francis now alleges 
fraudulently — for IT services it did not receive instead of going 
toward Saint Francis’s obligation to protect children in foster care, 
money that St. Francis is now trying to recoup through a lawsuit,” Woody
 said. “The Kansas Legislature must demand financial transparency from 
Saint Francis and hold it accountable for any harm suffered by children 
in Kansas foster care due to financial or other improprieties. This 
situation continues to demonstrate the need for enhanced and continued 
oversight and reform of Kansas’ foster care system.”

Saint Francis enlisted the services of Parris Communications, based 
in Kansas City, Missouri, to distribute Kossover’s response to news 
outlets that published the Kansas Reflector story.

Kansas Reflector sent a list of seven questions seeking clarification about Kossover’s response.

“Saint Francis Ministries stands by their previous statement and has 
no further comment at this time,” said Laurie Roberts, president of 
Parris Communications.

Nebraska Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh sent a letter Thursday to Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson in response to an <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/08/11/fbi-seizing-bank-deposits-in-alleged-10-million-fraud-of-kansas-foster-care-provider-saint-francis-ministries/">Aug. 11 story</a> by Kansas Reflector about federal authorizes moving to seize $10 million from the former Saint Francis IT director.

The letter asks the attorney general to launch an investigation into 
Nebraska’s dealings with Saint Francis and its former leaders, and to 
compel the parties to preserve any evidence relating to the contract 
with Nebraska.

The request is a reflection of ongoing concerns about the contract 
Nebraska awarded Saint Francis in 2019. The former CEO knowingly 
underbid the contract, and the state had to infuse an additional $110 
million into the deal in January 2021. But the organization continued to
 struggle with its obligations to care for foster children in Nebraska.

The organization <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/12/14/kansas-foster-care-provider-agrees-to-leave-nebraska-after-months-of-scrutiny/">announced in December it would leave Nebraska</a>
 after investigations from the state’s inspector general and an 
oversight committee both concluded the state should end its relationship
 with Saint Francis.

Kossover’s response to Reflector’s reporting said state regulators 
and Saint Francis “agreed to mutually terminate the contract.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1660235188905.png" alt="Saint Francis Ministries, a Salina-based foster care provider, accused its former leaders of misspending millions of dollars and is suing to recover the money. But in response to reporting by Kansas Reflector, the organization says "there are no unaccounted dollars." (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Saint Francis Ministries, a Salina-based foster care provider, accused its former leaders of misspending millions of dollars and is suing to recover the money. But in response to reporting by Kansas Reflector, the organization says "there are no unaccounted dollars." (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By SHERMAN SMITH <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/09/01/kansas-foster-care-provider-criticizes-coverage-while-nebraska-lawmaker-asks-for-fraud-inquiry/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Kansas’ largest foster care contractor responded to Kansas 
Reflector reporting on the organization’s finances and litigation by 
pointing to a turnaround under current leadership and a willingness to 
cooperate with investigators.Saint Francis Ministries said statements published in an <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/08/12/kansas-foster-care-provider-suing-former-leaders-for-alleged-financial-misconduct/">Aug. 12 story</a>
 are “inaccurate” and “false,” but wouldn’t identify specific statements
 in question. The nonprofit also wouldn’t answer questions for this 
story.And Saint Francis provided an alternate description of its departure 
from Nebraska, where multiple investigations sounded alarms about the 
organization’s ability to comply with state law while providing foster 
care services for the Omaha area.On Thursday, based in part on reporting by Kansas Reflector, a 
Nebraska state senator asked her attorney general to conduct an 
investigation into the possibility that Saint Francis defrauded the 
state.The Aug. 12 story examined a lawsuit filed by Saint Francis to 
recover millions of dollars from its former CEO, chief counsel and IT 
director, who are accused of misusing company credit cards and excessive
 billing.Alison Kossover, chief administration office for Saint Francis, said 
in a 300-word response that the story leads readers to “an inaccurate 
understanding of the situation.”“Over the past twenty-two months, the Saint Francis Ministries team 
has cooperated with investigators, auditors, and state partners to 
ensure accurate accounting and complete transparency,” Kossover said. 
“In summary, there are no unaccounted dollars as we continue to openly 
assist and support government organizations with their inquiries.”In the lawsuit, filed in January in Saline County District Court, 
Saint Francis accuses its former leaders of misleading board members to 
hide the misspending of millions of dollars. Kansas Reflector reported 
that Teresa Woody, litigation director for Kansas Appleseed, said it was
 appalling that millions of dollars meant to provide foster care were 
not accounted for.Kansas Appleseed <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/08/20/judge-orders-kansas-to-pay-nearly-2-3-million-in-legal-fees-and-expenses-in-child-welfare-lawsuit/">settled a lawsuit last year</a> to require improvements in the foster care system.&nbsp;Woody clarified her remarks for this story.“Millions of dollars were transferred — Saint Francis now alleges 
fraudulently — for IT services it did not receive instead of going 
toward Saint Francis’s obligation to protect children in foster care, 
money that St. Francis is now trying to recoup through a lawsuit,” Woody
 said. “The Kansas Legislature must demand financial transparency from 
Saint Francis and hold it accountable for any harm suffered by children 
in Kansas foster care due to financial or other improprieties. This 
situation continues to demonstrate the need for enhanced and continued 
oversight and reform of Kansas’ foster care system.”Saint Francis enlisted the services of Parris Communications, based 
in Kansas City, Missouri, to distribute Kossover’s response to news 
outlets that published the Kansas Reflector story.Kansas Reflector sent a list of seven questions seeking clarification about Kossover’s response.“Saint Francis Ministries stands by their previous statement and has 
no further comment at this time,” said Laurie Roberts, president of 
Parris Communications.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662042112970.png" alt="Nebraska Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh wants her attorney general to launch an investigation into whether Saint Francis Ministries defrauded the state. (Nebraska Unicameral Information Office)" />
 <figcaption>Nebraska Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh wants her attorney general to launch an investigation into whether Saint Francis Ministries defrauded the state. (Nebraska Unicameral Information Office)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Leaving Nebraska</h2>Nebraska Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh sent a letter Thursday to Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson in response to an <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/08/11/fbi-seizing-bank-deposits-in-alleged-10-million-fraud-of-kansas-foster-care-provider-saint-francis-ministries/">Aug. 11 story</a> by Kansas Reflector about federal authorizes moving to seize $10 million from the former Saint Francis IT director.The letter asks the attorney general to launch an investigation into 
Nebraska’s dealings with Saint Francis and its former leaders, and to 
compel the parties to preserve any evidence relating to the contract 
with Nebraska.The request is a reflection of ongoing concerns about the contract 
Nebraska awarded Saint Francis in 2019. The former CEO knowingly 
underbid the contract, and the state had to infuse an additional $110 
million into the deal in January 2021. But the organization continued to
 struggle with its obligations to care for foster children in Nebraska.The organization <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/12/14/kansas-foster-care-provider-agrees-to-leave-nebraska-after-months-of-scrutiny/">announced in December it would leave Nebraska</a>
 after investigations from the state’s inspector general and an 
oversight committee both concluded the state should end its relationship
 with Saint Francis.Kossover’s response to Reflector’s reporting said state regulators 
and Saint Francis “agreed to mutually terminate the contract.”“Nebraska ended privatization in the state, and did not replace Saint Francis with another contractor,” Kossover said.In an interview for this story, Cavanaugh said the poor performance 
by Saint Francis played an “enormous part” in the decision to terminate 
the contract. The investigations, <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/12/23/audit-of-kansas-foster-care-provider-scrutinizes-financial-controls-it-costs-ceo-travel-ppp-loan/">a Kanas auditor’s report</a> and depositions from a lawsuit in Nebraska all raised concerns, Cavanaugh said.“There was this picture of systematic failure on the part of Saint 
Francis Ministries to do what was statutorily required in child welfare 
in Nebraska,” Cavanaugh said.Before Saint Francis announced the decision to terminate the 
contract, Cavanaugh had already filed legislation that would have forced
 the state to sever ties with the organization.Cavanaugh said the attempt to characterize the departure as a 
“mutual” agreement was an attempt to avoid responsibility “for this 
atrocious contract.”“Is ‘atrocious’ too mild of a word?” Cavanaugh said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662042158703.png" alt="Current leadership at Saint Francis Ministries says the organization’s finances are now stable as a result of “hard work, sacrifice, and dedication of the entire Saint Francis Ministries team.” (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Current leadership at Saint Francis Ministries says the organization’s finances are now stable as a result of “hard work, sacrifice, and dedication of the entire Saint Francis Ministries team.” (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Transforming lives</h2>In an interview for this story, Cavanaugh questioned the organization’s decision to complain about Kansas Reflector’s reporting.Any organization that deals in child welfare should welcome public scrutiny, Cavanaugh said.“Things happen within the child welfare system,” Cavanaugh said. 
“It’s never going to be perfect, but we need to know about them. We need
 to document them, and we need to be able to fix them. So reacting so 
viscerally to people wanting to make sure that high-quality child 
welfare exists in Kansas and Nebraska is very concerning and a big red 
flag. Especially after you have lost millions of dollars.”Kansas Rep. Jarrod Ousley, a Merriam Democrat who serves on the 
foster care oversight committee, said he has had concerns with every 
foster care provider in Kansas, and “Saint Francis stands out” because 
of the financial mismanagement “by a few bad players.”There are still “too many headlines,” Ousley said, about tragedies 
involving foster children, kids sleeping in offices, and delays in 
finding permanent placements.“The facts are the facts,” Ousley said. “I’d like to think that Saint
 Francis as an organization, once they discovered it, made changes. It 
is what it is, and I don’t see any reason to be sensitive.”Kossover’s response said Saint Francis is financially sound and proud of its work.“This outcome is due to hard work, sacrifice, and dedication of the 
entire Saint Francis Ministries team,” Kossover said. “What has 
transpired in the past will not define our legacy. Saint Francis 
Ministries has faithfully transformed lives for over 75 years and 
remains committed to our mission of providing healing and hope to 
children and families.”