By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/06/07/small-town-chief-said-he-was-buying-ammo-but-audit-finds-he-used-15000-for-personal-items/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — The police chief in Oakland told officials there he was using gift cards to buy ammunition.

But an audit by the Nebraska 
State Auditor’s Office revealed that Oakland Police Chief Terry Poland 
had used nearly $15,000 in funds of the northeast Nebraska farm town to 
purchase a long list of personal items, from ice-fishing equipment to a 
$400 wake surfboard and a $950 glass basketball backboard.

The audit, released Monday, also 
indicated that Poland and two other officers double-billed hours to both
 Oakland and nearby Lyons for patrolling the streets.

Poland, who has been the police 
chief in Oakland for perhaps six years, did not immediately respond to 
phone calls left by the Nebraska Examiner.

He is still on the job, pending completion of an investigation by the FBI, Oakland Mayor Ted Beckner said Tuesday.

&nbsp;“I can’t tell you much until an investigation is done,” which may take two to three months, Beckner said.

When asked whether the chief 
misused city funds, the mayor said, “that’s what it looks like,” adding 
that he considered the audit report preliminary.

Lyons Mayor Andy Fuston did not respond immediately to a phone call.

The Auditor’s Office had fielded 
concerns about improper documentation — a lack of receipts — concerning 
the chief’s use of Scheel’s gift cards to purchase “ammunition.”

A March 2021 note from Oakland’s 
auditor said that the use of gift cards had been discontinued and that 
there was “no indication of fraud,” after the matter had been discussed 
with the mayor and police chief.&nbsp;

Poland, according to the State 
Auditor’s Office, had told city officials that using Scheel’s gift cards
 to purchase ammunition was convenient and allowed officers on the 
three-man force to buy bullets when they were in Omaha.&nbsp;

Poland, according to the 
Auditor’s Office, also said Scheel’s would not allow charges for 
ammunition against the city’s store account — which turned out to be 
false.

By November, &nbsp;the auditors 
learned not only about the gift card issue but that the three Oakland 
police officers, including Poland, had been double-billing both Oakland 
and Lyons for hours spent patrolling both towns.

After discussing the situation 
with the FBI and the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office, it was decided 
that the State Auditor’s Office would do a full audit.

The audit revealed that the chief
 had used Oakland’s charge account at Scheel’s to purchase $14,070 worth
 of gift cards, which were then used to purchases dozens of personal 
items, including “a Yeti 
cooler, jewelry, clothing, food/snacks, fishing equipment, and other 
goods that serve no apparent public or municipal purpose,” according to 
the audit.

“The actual gift card receipts show clearly that no ammunition was purchased,” the audit stated.

The audit also found that the 
double-billing involved 30 days during 2021.&nbsp;Poland alone, according to 
the audit, double billed for 181.5 hours of work, which amounts to about
 $3,500 in costs, “giving rise to concerns about potential fraud.”

Theft, theft by deception and 
official misconduct by a public employee and misuse of public resources 
are all crimes, the audit pointed out. Official misconduct, for 
instance, is a Class II misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in 
jail and a $1,000 fine.

The audit recommended that the 
towns of Oakland and Lyons consult with the Burt County attorney about 
the questionable payroll claims.

The state audit, signed by Deputy
 State Auditor Craig Kubicek, recommended that the two towns implement 
tighter controls over spending by employees. The audit also pointed to 
instances where Lyons City Council members had conflicts of interests in
 approving city bills and said it was against the law to provide 
year-end bonuses — amounting to $50 to $150 each — to city employees.

In their official responses, 
Oakland and Lyons officials said they would implement systems to more 
accurately track hours worked by police officers. Lyons indicated it was
 changing policies to reflect the auditor’s concerns about bonuses and 
conflicts of interest.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1654700591840.png" alt="These were among the personal items the Nebraska State Auditor’s Office maintains were purchased by the police chief in Oakland using city funds. (Courtesy of Nebraska State Auditor)" />
 <figcaption>These were among the personal items the Nebraska State Auditor’s Office maintains were purchased by the police chief in Oakland using city funds. (Courtesy of Nebraska State Auditor)</figcaption>
 </figure>By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/06/07/small-town-chief-said-he-was-buying-ammo-but-audit-finds-he-used-15000-for-personal-items/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN — The police chief in Oakland told officials there he was using gift cards to buy ammunition.But an audit by the Nebraska 
State Auditor’s Office revealed that Oakland Police Chief Terry Poland 
had used nearly $15,000 in funds of the northeast Nebraska farm town to 
purchase a long list of personal items, from ice-fishing equipment to a 
$400 wake surfboard and a $950 glass basketball backboard.The audit, released Monday, also 
indicated that Poland and two other officers double-billed hours to both
 Oakland and nearby Lyons for patrolling the streets.Poland, who has been the police 
chief in Oakland for perhaps six years, did not immediately respond to 
phone calls left by the Nebraska Examiner.<h2>FBI investigating</h2>He is still on the job, pending completion of an investigation by the FBI, Oakland Mayor Ted Beckner said Tuesday.&nbsp;“I can’t tell you much until an investigation is done,” which may take two to three months, Beckner said.When asked whether the chief 
misused city funds, the mayor said, “that’s what it looks like,” adding 
that he considered the audit report preliminary.Lyons Mayor Andy Fuston did not respond immediately to a phone call.The Auditor’s Office had fielded 
concerns about improper documentation — a lack of receipts — concerning 
the chief’s use of Scheel’s gift cards to purchase “ammunition.”<h2>‘No indication of fraud’</h2>A March 2021 note from Oakland’s 
auditor said that the use of gift cards had been discontinued and that 
there was “no indication of fraud,” after the matter had been discussed 
with the mayor and police chief.&nbsp;Poland, according to the State 
Auditor’s Office, had told city officials that using Scheel’s gift cards
 to purchase ammunition was convenient and allowed officers on the 
three-man force to buy bullets when they were in Omaha.&nbsp;Poland, according to the 
Auditor’s Office, also said Scheel’s would not allow charges for 
ammunition against the city’s store account — which turned out to be 
false.By November, &nbsp;the auditors 
learned not only about the gift card issue but that the three Oakland 
police officers, including Poland, had been double-billing both Oakland 
and Lyons for hours spent patrolling both towns.After discussing the situation 
with the FBI and the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office, it was decided 
that the State Auditor’s Office would do a full audit.<h2>Yeti cooler among purchases</h2>The audit revealed that the chief
 had used Oakland’s charge account at Scheel’s to purchase $14,070 worth
 of gift cards, which were then used to purchases dozens of personal 
items, including “a Yeti 
cooler, jewelry, clothing, food/snacks, fishing equipment, and other 
goods that serve no apparent public or municipal purpose,” according to 
the audit.“The actual gift card receipts show clearly that no ammunition was purchased,” the audit stated.The audit also found that the 
double-billing involved 30 days during 2021.&nbsp;Poland alone, according to 
the audit, double billed for 181.5 hours of work, which amounts to about
 $3,500 in costs, “giving rise to concerns about potential fraud.”Theft, theft by deception and 
official misconduct by a public employee and misuse of public resources 
are all crimes, the audit pointed out. Official misconduct, for 
instance, is a Class II misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in 
jail and a $1,000 fine.<h2>Tighter controls recommended</h2>The audit recommended that the 
towns of Oakland and Lyons consult with the Burt County attorney about 
the questionable payroll claims.The state audit, signed by Deputy
 State Auditor Craig Kubicek, recommended that the two towns implement 
tighter controls over spending by employees. The audit also pointed to 
instances where Lyons City Council members had conflicts of interests in
 approving city bills and said it was against the law to provide 
year-end bonuses — amounting to $50 to $150 each — to city employees.In their official responses, 
Oakland and Lyons officials said they would implement systems to more 
accurately track hours worked by police officers. Lyons indicated it was
 changing policies to reflect the auditor’s concerns about bonuses and 
conflicts of interest.

Audit: Small-town police chief used $15,000 for personal items

WASHINGTON (AP) — Curbing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">abortion rights</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-new-york-gun-violence-election-2020-bf167e705025d16e986de758599224f3">expanding the right to be armed in public</a>&nbsp;are long-sought goals of the conservative legal movement that the Supreme Court seems poised to deliver within the next month.

The justices also could ease the use of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-religion-education-discrimination-maine-f2cbb97e82217685eb3f9cd2c4ee7079">public funds for religious schooling</a>&nbsp;and constrain Biden administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-joe-biden-us-supreme-court-business-health-5e6f74672e116f977d5f20d7c3e29ddf">efforts to fight climate change</a>.

These disputes are among 30 cases the court still has to resolve before it takes an extended summer break, typically around the end of June. That’s a large, though not unprecedented, haul for the court at this point in its term.

June typically is a tense time at the court, where justices are racing to put the final touches on the most controversial cases. But this year, the tension seems to be even greater, with a potentially historic abortion ruling and in the aftermath of a leaked draft opinion that seems to have led to discord inside the court and heightened security concerns.

At least one of the 30 remaining cases will be decided on Wednesday, the court indicated on its website.

The pace of the court’s work has been slower than usual, and it’s unclear how much that has to do with a leaked draft opinion suggesting a conservative majority will overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade decision on abortion rights and for the first time strip away an individual constitutional right.

The leak occurred in early May and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/clarence-thomas">Justice Clarence Thomas</a>&nbsp;has suggested the breach of the court’s confidential opinion-drafting process has done serious damage to the court. “You begin to look over your shoulder,” Thomas said last month at a conference in Dallas.

With three appointees of former President Donald Trump, the court now has a 6-3 conservative majority, and abortion opponents might consider anything less than the overruling of Roe and the 1992 Planned Parenthood v. Casey decision that affirmed the right to end a pregnancy a bitter defeat.

But even short of explicitly jettisoning the abortion cases, the court is on the verge of dramatically weakening abortion rights. At issue in the case is a Mississippi law that bans abortion after the 15th week of pregnancy, far earlier than the court has previously indicated states can prohibit abortions.

Even before the leak of the draft opinion, the court seemed poised based on arguments in December to uphold the Mississippi law at the very least.

Arguments in November in a case over New York’s gun permit requirements also strongly suggested the court would make it easier to carry a gun in public, a decision that could affect many of the nation’s largest cities.

It’s not clear whether a series of mass shootings in recent weeks has had any effect on the court’s deliberations, or when to release the decision in the New York case.

Among the other significant cases awaiting decisions is a challenge from Republican-led states and coal companies that could hamstring the administration’s efforts to reduce climate-warming carbon dioxide emissions from power plants. President Joe Biden has set an ambitious goal of slashing planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030, and power plants account for roughly 30% of carbon dioxide output.

The justices also could rule any day in a lawsuit over a Maine program that offers tuition aid for private education, but excludes religious schools. The decision could ease religious organizations’ access to taxpayer money and fuel a renewed push for school choice programs in some of the 18 states that have so far have not directed taxpayer money to private, religious education.

The court has been mum on the internal investigation Chief Justice John Roberts ordered the day after the leak and assigned to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-leak-investigation-gail-curley-48623ac2a3bafe36f39bbf5f68257dbf">Gail Curley</a>, the marshal of the court.

But CNN has reported that Curley is seeking affidavits and cellphone records from the justices’ law clerks. Competing theories on the left and right have suggested the leaker probably comes from among the 37 clerks, four for each justice plus one for the retired Anthony Kennedy.

The court could examine government-owned cellphones and email accounts, said lawyer Mark Zaid, who frequently represents government whistleblowers. But it couldn’t compel clerks to turn over personal devices or provide access to their own phones without a warrant, Zaid said.

But other lawyers have said the clerks, many who will become leaders in the legal profession, should willingly talk to the court’s investigators.

Zaid and others said clerks should talk to an attorney before agreeing to anything.

Before COVID-19 changed things, the court would announce its opinions in public sessions in the courtroom that sometimes produced moments of high drama. In especially closely watched cases, justices on both sides would read summaries of their dueling opinions.

But the courthouse remains closed to the public and, since shortly after the draft abortion opinion appeared, the court has been ringed by an eight-foot barrier and the streets closest to the building also have been closed to vehicles.

Barring a change, the opinions in the abortion and guns cases will be posted online, giving the public quick access, but affording no chance to hear justices state their views.

The justices like to get their work done by the end of June, though they issued their final opinions in early July the past two years. Summer teaching obligations often drive the need to get out of town. This year, it appears that only one justice has a teaching-related deadline. A George Mason University law school program in Padua, Italy, is advertising that Justice Neil Gorsuch will take part.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Curbing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/abortion">abortion rights</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-new-york-gun-violence-election-2020-bf167e705025d16e986de758599224f3">expanding the right to be armed in public</a>&nbsp;are long-sought goals of the conservative legal movement that the Supreme Court seems poised to deliver within the next month.The justices also could ease the use of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-religion-education-discrimination-maine-f2cbb97e82217685eb3f9cd2c4ee7079">public funds for religious schooling</a>&nbsp;and constrain Biden administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-joe-biden-us-supreme-court-business-health-5e6f74672e116f977d5f20d7c3e29ddf">efforts to fight climate change</a>.These disputes are among 30 cases the court still has to resolve before it takes an extended summer break, typically around the end of June. That’s a large, though not unprecedented, haul for the court at this point in its term.June typically is a tense time at the court, where justices are racing to put the final touches on the most controversial cases. But this year, the tension seems to be even greater, with a potentially historic abortion ruling and in the aftermath of a leaked draft opinion that seems to have led to discord inside the court and heightened security concerns.At least one of the 30 remaining cases will be decided on Wednesday, the court indicated on its website.___SLOWER THAN USUALThe pace of the court’s work has been slower than usual, and it’s unclear how much that has to do with a leaked draft opinion suggesting a conservative majority will overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade decision on abortion rights and for the first time strip away an individual constitutional right.The leak occurred in early May and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/clarence-thomas">Justice Clarence Thomas</a>&nbsp;has suggested the breach of the court’s confidential opinion-drafting process has done serious damage to the court. “You begin to look over your shoulder,” Thomas said last month at a conference in Dallas.___ABORTION AND GUNSWith three appointees of former President Donald Trump, the court now has a 6-3 conservative majority, and abortion opponents might consider anything less than the overruling of Roe and the 1992 Planned Parenthood v. Casey decision that affirmed the right to end a pregnancy a bitter defeat.But even short of explicitly jettisoning the abortion cases, the court is on the verge of dramatically weakening abortion rights. At issue in the case is a Mississippi law that bans abortion after the 15th week of pregnancy, far earlier than the court has previously indicated states can prohibit abortions.Even before the leak of the draft opinion, the court seemed poised based on arguments in December to uphold the Mississippi law at the very least.Arguments in November in a case over New York’s gun permit requirements also strongly suggested the court would make it easier to carry a gun in public, a decision that could affect many of the nation’s largest cities.It’s not clear whether a series of mass shootings in recent weeks has had any effect on the court’s deliberations, or when to release the decision in the New York case.___RELIGION, ENVIRONMENTAmong the other significant cases awaiting decisions is a challenge from Republican-led states and coal companies that could hamstring the administration’s efforts to reduce climate-warming carbon dioxide emissions from power plants. President Joe Biden has set an ambitious goal of slashing planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030, and power plants account for roughly 30% of carbon dioxide output.The justices also could rule any day in a lawsuit over a Maine program that offers tuition aid for private education, but excludes religious schools. The decision could ease religious organizations’ access to taxpayer money and fuel a renewed push for school choice programs in some of the 18 states that have so far have not directed taxpayer money to private, religious education.___LEAK INVESTIGATIONThe court has been mum on the internal investigation Chief Justice John Roberts ordered the day after the leak and assigned to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-leak-investigation-gail-curley-48623ac2a3bafe36f39bbf5f68257dbf">Gail Curley</a>, the marshal of the court.But CNN has reported that Curley is seeking affidavits and cellphone records from the justices’ law clerks. Competing theories on the left and right have suggested the leaker probably comes from among the 37 clerks, four for each justice plus one for the retired Anthony Kennedy.The court could examine government-owned cellphones and email accounts, said lawyer Mark Zaid, who frequently represents government whistleblowers. But it couldn’t compel clerks to turn over personal devices or provide access to their own phones without a warrant, Zaid said.But other lawyers have said the clerks, many who will become leaders in the legal profession, should willingly talk to the court’s investigators.Zaid and others said clerks should talk to an attorney before agreeing to anything.___NO AUDIENCE, NO PERFORMANCEBefore COVID-19 changed things, the court would announce its opinions in public sessions in the courtroom that sometimes produced moments of high drama. In especially closely watched cases, justices on both sides would read summaries of their dueling opinions.But the courthouse remains closed to the public and, since shortly after the draft abortion opinion appeared, the court has been ringed by an eight-foot barrier and the streets closest to the building also have been closed to vehicles.Barring a change, the opinions in the abortion and guns cases will be posted online, giving the public quick access, but affording no chance to hear justices state their views.___DEADLINESThe justices like to get their work done by the end of June, though they issued their final opinions in early July the past two years. Summer teaching obligations often drive the need to get out of town. This year, it appears that only one justice has a teaching-related deadline. A George Mason University law school program in Padua, Italy, is advertising that Justice Neil Gorsuch will take part.

30 cases in a month: Abortion, guns top justices' to-do list

ATLANTA (AP) — Todd and Julie Chrisley, stars of the reality television show “Chrisley Knows Best,” have been found guilty in Atlanta on federal charges including bank fraud and tax evasion. 

The Chrisleys were initially indicted in August 2019, and the trial began three weeks ago. 

The U.S. attorney's office in Atlanta said a jury found the pair guilty of all charges Tuesday. 

Prosecutors say the stars of “Chrisley Knows Best” submitted false documents to banks to get loans and failed to pay federal income taxes for multiple years. 

An accountant who worked for them also was found guilty. Sentencing for all three is set for Oct. 6.

ATLANTA (AP) — Todd and Julie Chrisley, stars of the reality television show “Chrisley Knows Best,” have been found guilty in Atlanta on federal charges including bank fraud and tax evasion. The Chrisleys were initially indicted in August 2019, and the trial began three weeks ago. The U.S. attorney's office in Atlanta said a jury found the pair guilty of all charges Tuesday. Prosecutors say the stars of “Chrisley Knows Best” submitted false documents to banks to get loans and failed to pay federal income taxes for multiple years. An accountant who worked for them also was found guilty. Sentencing for all three is set for Oct. 6.

Todd and Julie Chrisley found guilty on federal charges

By SCOTT CARLSON North Platte Post

GRAND ISLAND, Neb.-Police in Grand Island are investigating an adult-themed burglary.

Police said on Tuesday, at around 3:30 a.m., officers responded to the report of a burglary at Dr. John's Lingerie Boutique, 3224 Langenheder St.

Police said an unknown male had entered the business by breaking out the glass in the front entry door with a rock.

Police said the man then entered the business and stole merchandise. Police said he made several trips into the business, removing merchandise each time.

Dr. John's specializes in adult novelties and lingerie.

If you have any information, contact Grand Island Police.

<a href="https://northplattepost.com/posts/2ddcec21-000f-4ace-b19e-4250120d6629">&nbsp;&nbsp;Download The Post app for iOs or Android</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1654694872658.png" alt="Google Maps" />
 <figcaption>Google Maps</figcaption>
 </figure>By SCOTT CARLSON North Platte PostGRAND ISLAND, Neb.-Police in Grand Island are investigating an adult-themed burglary.Police said on Tuesday, at around 3:30 a.m., officers responded to the report of a burglary at Dr. John's Lingerie Boutique, 3224 Langenheder St.Police said an unknown male had entered the business by breaking out the glass in the front entry door with a rock.Police said the man then entered the business and stole merchandise. Police said he made several trips into the business, removing merchandise each time.Dr. John's specializes in adult novelties and lingerie.If you have any information, contact Grand Island Police.<a href="https://northplattepost.com/posts/2ddcec21-000f-4ace-b19e-4250120d6629">&nbsp;&nbsp;Download The Post app for iOs or Android</a><figure>
 <img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/xFobReEJFg6vBEx_UhWUDihkNErsoGqZZ3PP1mq8ITtG1dpkMFSHDrf3pBpR9d00aC4-wTVYpU8J2bJw87_6VVmsPfXgQUCHyutkXSBf2n4W98u-e1QgTmh0MVBZ9QNoRlE8tCUDTsrUggaG9w" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

Police investigate burglary of Dr. John's Boutique in Grand Island

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture is offering nationwide waivers to increase access to infant formula for families in need as states receive and distribute imported infant formula made available by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/06/01/president-biden-announces-fourth-operation-fly-formula-mission/">Biden-Harris Administration’s Operation Fly Formula</a>, according to a media release from the agency.

USDA is leveraging new authority from the recently passed Access to Baby Formula Act to offer this flexibility.

“USDA is committed to providing our WIC families with nutritious foods, and while we continue working with our many partners to bring the infant formula shortages to a speedy conclusion, we’re also going to keep looking for ways to help families here and now,” said Stacy Dean, USDA’s deputy undersecretary for food, nutrition, and consumer services. “We’re maximizing flexibility, encouraging action, and providing ongoing support so we can all overcome this obstacle together.”

The action builds on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/infant-formula-waiver-status">existing flexibilities</a>&nbsp;to provide widest access to available infant formula for WIC families. Within days of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/ofs/infant-formula-safety">recall</a>, USDA offered WIC state agencies waivers to maximize formula options for WIC participants and ensure they could exchange or return any recalled formula. To date, USDA has approved well over 250 state waiver requests.

In addition, Food and Nutrition Service recently&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/news-item/usda-0113.22">encouraged state agencies</a>&nbsp;to work with their infant formula manufacturers to identify and implement temporary flexibility in their contracts to allow WIC participants to purchase alternate sizes, forms, or brands of infant formula during the ongoing shortage. North Carolina and its formula manufacturer, Nestle Gerber, are the first to have put this into action by agreeing to a contract modification that expands access to formula for WIC participants in the state.

“When formula supply began to tighten, we looked at all avenues to ensure safe and nutritious options for North Carolina babies and families,” said North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kody H. Kinsley. “We immediately began working with our federal partners and with our contracted WIC manufacturer, Nestle Gerber, to give families in the WIC program the flexibility to choose different sizes, types and brands of formula during the shortage. We negotiated and implemented these changes as quickly as possible to relieve some of the stress that WIC-participating families felt.”

Food and Nutrition Service is encouraged by the action taken by North Carolina. “We are grateful for the leadership and teamwork of North Carolina and Nestle Gerber to increase formula access for WIC families in their state,” said Dean. The agency recently shared best practices with WIC state agencies to help them establish contract flexibilities that will help WIC participants access the formula they need.

USDA continues to work closely with&nbsp;<a href="https://hhs.gov/formula">HHS</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-takes-important-steps-improve-supply-infant-and-specialty-formula-products">FDA</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/05/18/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-new-actions-to-address-infant-formula-shortage/">administration</a>&nbsp;to support WIC families through this challenging time and to bring to a swift end to the shortage. Recent USDA actions include:

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service leverages its 15 nutrition assistance programs to ensure that children, low-income individuals, and families have opportunities for a better future through equitable access to safe, healthy, and nutritious food, while building a more resilient food system. Under the leadership of Secretary Tom Vilsack, FNS is fighting to end food and nutrition insecurity for all through programs such as SNAP, school meals, and WIC. FNS also provides science-based nutrition recommendations through the co-development of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. To learn more, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/">www.fns.usda.gov</a>&nbsp;and follow&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/USDANutrition">@USDANutrition</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653517823167.png" alt="First Lady Dr. Jill Biden welcomed&nbsp; a shipment of 120,000 pounds of baby formula to the United States last month." />
 <figcaption>First Lady Dr. Jill Biden welcomed&nbsp; a shipment of 120,000 pounds of baby formula to the United States last month.</figcaption>
 </figure>Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture is offering nationwide waivers to increase access to infant formula for families in need as states receive and distribute imported infant formula made available by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/06/01/president-biden-announces-fourth-operation-fly-formula-mission/">Biden-Harris Administration’s Operation Fly Formula</a>, according to a media release from the agency.USDA is leveraging new authority from the recently passed Access to Baby Formula Act to offer this flexibility.“USDA is committed to providing our WIC families with nutritious foods, and while we continue working with our many partners to bring the infant formula shortages to a speedy conclusion, we’re also going to keep looking for ways to help families here and now,” said Stacy Dean, USDA’s deputy undersecretary for food, nutrition, and consumer services. “We’re maximizing flexibility, encouraging action, and providing ongoing support so we can all overcome this obstacle together.”The action builds on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/infant-formula-waiver-status">existing flexibilities</a>&nbsp;to provide widest access to available infant formula for WIC families. Within days of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/ofs/infant-formula-safety">recall</a>, USDA offered WIC state agencies waivers to maximize formula options for WIC participants and ensure they could exchange or return any recalled formula. To date, USDA has approved well over 250 state waiver requests.In addition, Food and Nutrition Service recently&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/news-item/usda-0113.22">encouraged state agencies</a>&nbsp;to work with their infant formula manufacturers to identify and implement temporary flexibility in their contracts to allow WIC participants to purchase alternate sizes, forms, or brands of infant formula during the ongoing shortage. North Carolina and its formula manufacturer, Nestle Gerber, are the first to have put this into action by agreeing to a contract modification that expands access to formula for WIC participants in the state.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653255522967.png" alt="White House photo" />
 <figcaption>White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>“When formula supply began to tighten, we looked at all avenues to ensure safe and nutritious options for North Carolina babies and families,” said North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kody H. Kinsley. “We immediately began working with our federal partners and with our contracted WIC manufacturer, Nestle Gerber, to give families in the WIC program the flexibility to choose different sizes, types and brands of formula during the shortage. We negotiated and implemented these changes as quickly as possible to relieve some of the stress that WIC-participating families felt.”Food and Nutrition Service is encouraged by the action taken by North Carolina. “We are grateful for the leadership and teamwork of North Carolina and Nestle Gerber to increase formula access for WIC families in their state,” said Dean. The agency recently shared best practices with WIC state agencies to help them establish contract flexibilities that will help WIC participants access the formula they need.USDA continues to work closely with&nbsp;<a href="https://hhs.gov/formula">HHS</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-takes-important-steps-improve-supply-infant-and-specialty-formula-products">FDA</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/05/18/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-new-actions-to-address-infant-formula-shortage/">administration</a>&nbsp;to support WIC families through this challenging time and to bring to a swift end to the shortage. Recent USDA actions include:<ul>
 <li>Coordinating cross-government to rapidly transport safe specialty formulas into the country for babies with special medical needs through&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/05/19/biden-administration-approves-first-operation-fly-formula-mission/">Operation Fly Formula</a>. More shipments, including regular formula, are on the way in the coming days.</li><li>Calling on states to take advantage of all available WIC flexibilities that could help those they serve. Since May 13, when&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/state-director-letter-infant-formula">USDA wrote to state health commissioners</a>&nbsp;on this issue, more than 50 new waivers have been requested and approved, with all 50 states now offering at least one flexibility to help WIC families get the formula they need.</li><li>Engaging directly with WIC stakeholders including holding multiple listening sessions to better understand current needs and concerns.</li>
 </ul>USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service leverages its 15 nutrition assistance programs to ensure that children, low-income individuals, and families have opportunities for a better future through equitable access to safe, healthy, and nutritious food, while building a more resilient food system. Under the leadership of Secretary Tom Vilsack, FNS is fighting to end food and nutrition insecurity for all through programs such as SNAP, school meals, and WIC. FNS also provides science-based nutrition recommendations through the co-development of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. To learn more, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/">www.fns.usda.gov</a>&nbsp;and follow&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/USDANutrition">@USDANutrition</a>.Additional resources:<ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/formula/">Addressing the Infant Formula Shortage | The White House</a></li><li><a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/flexibilities-formula-enforcement-discretion">Additional WIC Flexibilities - Imported Infant Formula under FDA's Infant Formula Enforcement Discretion | Food and Nutrition Service (usda.gov)</a></li><li><a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/state-health-commissioner-letter-june">Follow-up Letter to State Health Commissioners | Food and Nutrition Service (usda.gov)</a></li>
 </ul>

USDA offering nationwide waiver for baby formula

WASHINGTON (AP) — Academy Award–winning actor Matthew McConaughey made an appearance at the White House Tuesday to call on Congress to “reach a higher ground” and pass gun control legislation in honor of the children and teachers killed in last month’s shooting rampage at an elementary school in his hometown of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/uvalde-school-shooting">Uvalde, Texas</a>.

In a highly personal 22-minute speech, McConaughey exhorted a gridlocked Congress to pass gun reforms that can save lives without infringing on Second Amendment rights.

McConaughey, a gun owner himself, used his star power to make an argument for legislation in a fashion that the Biden administration has not been able to muster, offering a clear connection to the small Texas town and vividly detailing the sheer loss of the 19 children and two teachers in the second worst mass school shooting in U.S. history.

He specifically called on Congress to bolster background checks for gun purchases and raise the minimum age to purchase an AR-15-style rifle to 21 from 18.

“We want secure and safe schools and we want gun laws that won’t make it so easy for the bad guys to get the damn guns,” McConaughey said.

McConaughey, who earlier this year considered a run for governor of Texas before taking a pass, met briefly in private with President Joe Biden before addressing the White House press corps from the James Brady briefing room.

McConaughey has also met with key lawmakers this week, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee that handles gun legislation, Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, and the panel’s ranking Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa.

Also Tuesday, the son of Ruth Whitfield, an 86-year-old woman killed when a gunman opened fire in a racist attack on Black shoppers in Buffalo, New York, last month,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buffalo-supermarket-shooting-new-york-government-and-politics-gun-violence-2aaff6f50089767777d4bd8db8182bea">called on Congress to act</a>&nbsp;against the “cancer of white supremacy” and the nation’s epidemic of gun violence.

“Is there nothing that you personally are willing to do to stop the cancer of white supremacy and the domestic terrorism it inspires?” Garnell Whitfield Jr. asked members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

McConaughey, who declined to take questions, spoke of his own connections to the town. He said his mother taught kindergarten less than a mile from Uvalde’s Robb Elementary School, the site of the May 24 shooting. He also noted that Uvalde was the place where he was taught about responsibilities that come with gun ownership.

“Uvalde is where I was taught to revere the power and the capability of the tool that we call a gun,” he said.

McConaughey said he and his wife drove back to Uvalde on the day after the shooting and spent time with the families of some of the victims and others directly affected by the rampage.

He said every parent he spoke to expressed that “they want their children’s dreams to live on.”

“They want to make their loss of life matter,” McConaughey said.

He related the personal stories of a number of the victims.

He told the story of Maite Rodriguez, an aspiring marine biologist. McConaughey’s wife, Camila, sitting nearby, held Maite’s green Converse sneakers, which had a red heart on the right toe to represent her love of nature.

“These are the same green Converse, on her feet, that turned out to be the only clear evidence that could identify her after the shooting,” McConaughey said.

He held up artwork from Alithia Ramirez, who dreamed of attending art school in Paris. And then there was Eliahna “Ellie” Garcia, who loved dancing and church and already knew how to drive tractors. Ellie was looking forward to reading a Bible verse at an upcoming church service when she was killed.

McConaughey acknowledged that gun legislation would not end mass shootings but suggested that steps can be taken to lessen the chances of such tragedies happening so frequently.

“We need to invest in mental healthcare. We need safer schools. We need to restrain sensationalized media coverage. We need to restore our family values. We need to restore our American values and we need responsible gun ownership,” McConaughey said.

“Is this a cure-all? Hell no, but people are hurting.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — Academy Award–winning actor Matthew McConaughey made an appearance at the White House Tuesday to call on Congress to “reach a higher ground” and pass gun control legislation in honor of the children and teachers killed in last month’s shooting rampage at an elementary school in his hometown of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/uvalde-school-shooting">Uvalde, Texas</a>.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F609271023986463%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=178" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>In a highly personal 22-minute speech, McConaughey exhorted a gridlocked Congress to pass gun reforms that can save lives without infringing on Second Amendment rights.McConaughey, a gun owner himself, used his star power to make an argument for legislation in a fashion that the Biden administration has not been able to muster, offering a clear connection to the small Texas town and vividly detailing the sheer loss of the 19 children and two teachers in the second worst mass school shooting in U.S. history.He specifically called on Congress to bolster background checks for gun purchases and raise the minimum age to purchase an AR-15-style rifle to 21 from 18.“We want secure and safe schools and we want gun laws that won’t make it so easy for the bad guys to get the damn guns,” McConaughey said.McConaughey, who earlier this year considered a run for governor of Texas before taking a pass, met briefly in private with President Joe Biden before addressing the White House press corps from the James Brady briefing room.McConaughey has also met with key lawmakers this week, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee that handles gun legislation, Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, and the panel’s ranking Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa.Also Tuesday, the son of Ruth Whitfield, an 86-year-old woman killed when a gunman opened fire in a racist attack on Black shoppers in Buffalo, New York, last month,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buffalo-supermarket-shooting-new-york-government-and-politics-gun-violence-2aaff6f50089767777d4bd8db8182bea">called on Congress to act</a>&nbsp;against the “cancer of white supremacy” and the nation’s epidemic of gun violence.“Is there nothing that you personally are willing to do to stop the cancer of white supremacy and the domestic terrorism it inspires?” Garnell Whitfield Jr. asked members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.McConaughey, who declined to take questions, spoke of his own connections to the town. He said his mother taught kindergarten less than a mile from Uvalde’s Robb Elementary School, the site of the May 24 shooting. He also noted that Uvalde was the place where he was taught about responsibilities that come with gun ownership.“Uvalde is where I was taught to revere the power and the capability of the tool that we call a gun,” he said.McConaughey said he and his wife drove back to Uvalde on the day after the shooting and spent time with the families of some of the victims and others directly affected by the rampage.He said every parent he spoke to expressed that “they want their children’s dreams to live on.”“They want to make their loss of life matter,” McConaughey said.He related the personal stories of a number of the victims.He told the story of Maite Rodriguez, an aspiring marine biologist. McConaughey’s wife, Camila, sitting nearby, held Maite’s green Converse sneakers, which had a red heart on the right toe to represent her love of nature.“These are the same green Converse, on her feet, that turned out to be the only clear evidence that could identify her after the shooting,” McConaughey said.He held up artwork from Alithia Ramirez, who dreamed of attending art school in Paris. And then there was Eliahna “Ellie” Garcia, who loved dancing and church and already knew how to drive tractors. Ellie was looking forward to reading a Bible verse at an upcoming church service when she was killed.McConaughey acknowledged that gun legislation would not end mass shootings but suggested that steps can be taken to lessen the chances of such tragedies happening so frequently.“We need to invest in mental healthcare. We need safer schools. We need to restrain sensationalized media coverage. We need to restore our family values. We need to restore our American values and we need responsible gun ownership,” McConaughey said.“Is this a cure-all? Hell no, but people are hurting.”

🎥Actor McConaughey calls for gun legislation at White House

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service reminds taxpayers who pay <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/estimated-taxes">estimated taxes</a> that the deadline to pay their second quarter tax liability is June 15.

This means taxpayers need to pay most of the tax they expect to owe 
during the year, as income is received. There are two ways to do that:

Estimated tax is the method used to pay tax on income that isn't
 subject to withholding. This includes income from self-employment, 
interest, dividends, rent, gains from the sale of assets,

Taxpayers may also have to pay estimated tax if the amount of income 
tax being withheld from their salary, pension or other income isn't 
enough. If necessary, those who receive a salary or wages can avoid 
having to pay estimated taxes by asking their employer to withhold more 
tax from their earnings. To do this, taxpayers should submit a new <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-4">Form W-4</a>
 to their employer. There is a special line on Form W-4 for them to 
enter the additional amount they want their employer to withhold.

Individuals, including sole proprietors, partners and S corporation 
shareholders, generally have to make estimated tax payments if they 
expect to have a tax liability of $1,000 or more when they file their 
return.

Individual taxpayers can use the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/ita/am-i-required-to-make-estimated-tax-payments">IRS Interactive Tax Assistant</a> online to see if they are required to pay estimated taxes. They can also see the worksheet in <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1040-es">Form 1040-ES, Estimated Tax for Individuals</a>, for more details on who must pay estimated tax.

Corporations generally have to make estimated tax payments if they 
expect to owe tax of $500 or more when they file their return. 
Corporations can see <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1120-w">Form 1120-W, Estimated Tax for Corporations</a>, for more information.

<a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-505">Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax</a>,
 has additional details, including worksheets and examples, that can be 
especially helpful to those who have dividend or capital gain income, 
owe alternative minimum tax or self-employment tax, or have other 
special situations.

Taxpayers can avoid an <a href="https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc306">underpayment penalty</a>
 by owing less than $1,000 at tax time or by paying most of their taxes 
during the year. Generally, for 2022 that means making payments of at 
least 90% of the tax expected on their 2022 return, or taxpayers who pay
 at least 100 percent of the tax shown on their return for tax year 
2021.

Special rules apply to some groups of taxpayers, such as farmers, 
fishers, certain higher income taxpayers, casualty and disaster victims,
 those who recently became disabled, recent retirees and those who 
receive income unevenly during the year. For more information, refer to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1040-es">Form 1040-ES</a>.

Generally, taxpayers should make estimated tax payments in four equal
 amounts to avoid a penalty. However, if they receive income unevenly 
during the year, they may be able to vary the amounts of the payments to
 avoid or lower the penalty by using the annualized installment method. 
Taxpayers can use <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-2210">Form 2210, Underpayment of Estimated Tax by Individuals, Estates, and Trusts</a>, to see if they owe a penalty for underpaying their estimated tax.

Third quarter payments are due September 15 and the final estimated tax payment for tax year 2022 is due on January 17, 2023.

The <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/tax-withholding-estimator">Tax Withholding Estimator</a>
 offers a step-by-step method for effectively ensuring taxpayers have 
the right amount of tax withheld from their paychecks or other income 
that is subject to withholding.

Using the Tax Withholding Estimator can help taxpayers prevent having
 too little tax withheld and facing an unexpected tax bill or penalty at
 tax time next year.

An electronic payment is the fastest, easiest and most secure way for
 individuals to make an estimated tax payment. Taxpayers can securely 
log into their IRS <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/your-online-account">Online Account</a> or use IRS <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/direct-pay">Direct Pay</a> to submit a payment from their checking or savings account. <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/pay-your-taxes-by-debit-or-credit-card">Taxpayers can also pay using a debit, credit card or digital wallet</a>.
 Taxpayers should note that the payment processor, not the IRS, charges a
 fee for debit and credit card payments. Both Direct Pay and the pay by 
debit, credit card or digital wallet options are available online at <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments">IRS.gov/payments</a> and through the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs2goapp">IRS2Go app</a>.

Taxpayers can also use the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/eftps-the-electronic-federal-tax-payment-system">Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS)</a> to make an estimated tax payment.

<a href="https://www.irs.gov/instructions/i1120w">Corporations</a>
 must use electronic funds transfer to make all federal tax deposits 
(such as deposits of employment, excise and corporate income tax). This 
includes installment payments of estimated tax. Generally, an electronic
 funds transfer is made using the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System 
(EFTPS). However, if the corporation does not want to use EFTPS, it can 
arrange for its tax professional, financial institution, payroll 
service, or other trusted third party to make electronic deposits on its
 behalf.

If taxpayers opt to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/pay-by-check-or-money-order">mail a check or money order,</a> they should make them payable to the "United States Treasury."

<a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1040-es">Form 1040-ES, Estimated Tax for Individuals</a>, includes instructions to help taxpayers figure their estimated taxes. For information on all payment options, visit <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments">Pay Online</a>.

Tax help is available 24/7 on IRS.gov. The IRS website offers a 
variety of online tools to help taxpayers find answers to common tax 
questions. For example, taxpayers can search the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/ita">Interactive Tax Assistant</a>, <a href="https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics">Tax Topics</a> and <a href="https://www.irs.gov/faqs">Frequently Asked Questions</a> to get answers to common questions.

The IRS is continuing to expand ways to communicate to taxpayers who 
prefer to get tax information in other languages. The IRS has posted 
translated tax resources in 20 other languages on IRS.gov. For more 
information, see <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/languages">We Speak Your Language</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service reminds taxpayers who pay <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/estimated-taxes">estimated taxes</a> that the deadline to pay their second quarter tax liability is June 15.<h2>Taxes are pay-as-you-go</h2>This means taxpayers need to pay most of the tax they expect to owe 
during the year, as income is received. There are two ways to do that:<ol>
 <li>Withholding from pay, pension or certain government payments such, as Social Security.</li><li>Making quarterly estimated tax payments during the year.</li>
 </ol>Estimated tax is the method used to pay tax on income that isn't
 subject to withholding. This includes income from self-employment, 
interest, dividends, rent, gains from the sale of assets,prizes and awards.Taxpayers may also have to pay estimated tax if the amount of income 
tax being withheld from their salary, pension or other income isn't 
enough. If necessary, those who receive a salary or wages can avoid 
having to pay estimated taxes by asking their employer to withhold more 
tax from their earnings. To do this, taxpayers should submit a new <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-4">Form W-4</a>
 to their employer. There is a special line on Form W-4 for them to 
enter the additional amount they want their employer to withhold.<h2>Who must pay estimated tax?</h2>Individuals, including sole proprietors, partners and S corporation 
shareholders, generally have to make estimated tax payments if they 
expect to have a tax liability of $1,000 or more when they file their 
return.Individual taxpayers can use the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/ita/am-i-required-to-make-estimated-tax-payments">IRS Interactive Tax Assistant</a> online to see if they are required to pay estimated taxes. They can also see the worksheet in <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1040-es">Form 1040-ES, Estimated Tax for Individuals</a>, for more details on who must pay estimated tax.Corporations generally have to make estimated tax payments if they 
expect to owe tax of $500 or more when they file their return. 
Corporations can see <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1120-w">Form 1120-W, Estimated Tax for Corporations</a>, for more information.<a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-505">Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax</a>,
 has additional details, including worksheets and examples, that can be 
especially helpful to those who have dividend or capital gain income, 
owe alternative minimum tax or self-employment tax, or have other 
special situations.<h2>How to avoid an underpayment penalty</h2>Taxpayers can avoid an <a href="https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc306">underpayment penalty</a>
 by owing less than $1,000 at tax time or by paying most of their taxes 
during the year. Generally, for 2022 that means making payments of at 
least 90% of the tax expected on their 2022 return, or taxpayers who pay
 at least 100 percent of the tax shown on their return for tax year 
2021.Special rules apply to some groups of taxpayers, such as farmers, 
fishers, certain higher income taxpayers, casualty and disaster victims,
 those who recently became disabled, recent retirees and those who 
receive income unevenly during the year. For more information, refer to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1040-es">Form 1040-ES</a>.Generally, taxpayers should make estimated tax payments in four equal
 amounts to avoid a penalty. However, if they receive income unevenly 
during the year, they may be able to vary the amounts of the payments to
 avoid or lower the penalty by using the annualized installment method. 
Taxpayers can use <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-2210">Form 2210, Underpayment of Estimated Tax by Individuals, Estates, and Trusts</a>, to see if they owe a penalty for underpaying their estimated tax.Third quarter payments are due September 15 and the final estimated tax payment for tax year 2022 is due on January 17, 2023.<h2>Tax Withholding Estimator</h2>The <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/tax-withholding-estimator">Tax Withholding Estimator</a>
 offers a step-by-step method for effectively ensuring taxpayers have 
the right amount of tax withheld from their paychecks or other income 
that is subject to withholding.Using the Tax Withholding Estimator can help taxpayers prevent having
 too little tax withheld and facing an unexpected tax bill or penalty at
 tax time next year.<h2>How to pay estimated taxes</h2>An electronic payment is the fastest, easiest and most secure way for
 individuals to make an estimated tax payment. Taxpayers can securely 
log into their IRS <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/your-online-account">Online Account</a> or use IRS <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/direct-pay">Direct Pay</a> to submit a payment from their checking or savings account. <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/pay-your-taxes-by-debit-or-credit-card">Taxpayers can also pay using a debit, credit card or digital wallet</a>.
 Taxpayers should note that the payment processor, not the IRS, charges a
 fee for debit and credit card payments. Both Direct Pay and the pay by 
debit, credit card or digital wallet options are available online at <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments">IRS.gov/payments</a> and through the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs2goapp">IRS2Go app</a>.Taxpayers can also use the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/eftps-the-electronic-federal-tax-payment-system">Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS)</a> to make an estimated tax payment.<a href="https://www.irs.gov/instructions/i1120w">Corporations</a>
 must use electronic funds transfer to make all federal tax deposits 
(such as deposits of employment, excise and corporate income tax). This 
includes installment payments of estimated tax. Generally, an electronic
 funds transfer is made using the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System 
(EFTPS). However, if the corporation does not want to use EFTPS, it can 
arrange for its tax professional, financial institution, payroll 
service, or other trusted third party to make electronic deposits on its
 behalf.If taxpayers opt to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/pay-by-check-or-money-order">mail a check or money order,</a> they should make them payable to the "United States Treasury."<a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1040-es">Form 1040-ES, Estimated Tax for Individuals</a>, includes instructions to help taxpayers figure their estimated taxes. For information on all payment options, visit <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments">Pay Online</a>.<h2>IRS.gov assistance 24/7</h2>Tax help is available 24/7 on IRS.gov. The IRS website offers a 
variety of online tools to help taxpayers find answers to common tax 
questions. For example, taxpayers can search the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/ita">Interactive Tax Assistant</a>, <a href="https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics">Tax Topics</a> and <a href="https://www.irs.gov/faqs">Frequently Asked Questions</a> to get answers to common questions.The IRS is continuing to expand ways to communicate to taxpayers who 
prefer to get tax information in other languages. The IRS has posted 
translated tax resources in 20 other languages on IRS.gov. For more 
information, see <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help/languages">We Speak Your Language</a>.

IRS: Deadline looms for those who pay estimated taxes

WASHINGTON (AP) — A looming&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-draft-opinion-07439f9fc4542f1500ab78dfd34036b1">Supreme Court decision on abortion</a>, an increase of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-government-and-politics-mexico-missouri-1156a5c5c16dad98f8446b7f627abc2f">migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections">midterm elections</a>&nbsp;are potential triggers for extremist violence over the next six months, the Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday.

<a href="https://www.dhs.gov/ntas/advisory/national-terrorism-advisory-system-bulletin-june-7-2022">Click here to read the NTAS Bulletin </a>

The U.S. was in a “heightened threat environment” already, and these factors may worsen the situation, DHS said in the latest National Terrorism Advisory System bulletin.

“In the coming months, we expect the threat environment to become more dynamic as several high-profile events could be exploited to justify acts of violence against a range of possible targets,” DHS said.

It’s the latest attempt by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-department-of-homeland-security">Homeland Security</a>&nbsp;to draw attention to the threat posed by domestic violent extremism, a shift from alerts about international terrorism that were a hallmark of the agency following its creation after the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Indeed, the threats from overseas rate only passing mentions in this bulletin. It notes that al-Qaida supporters celebrated the January&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-texas-fort-worth-70bf98670cb880156cf5e1f1e4e08dcd">standoff at a synagogue</a>&nbsp;in Colleyville, Texas. And it mentions that the Islamic State group called on supporters to carry out attacks in the United States to avenge the killings of the group’s leader and spokesman.

DHS also warns that China, Russia, Iran and other nations seek to foment divisions within the U.S. to weaken the country and its standing in the world. In part, they do this by amplifying&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/conspiracy-theories-iran-only-on-ap-media-misinformation-bfca6d5b236a29d61c4dd38702495ffe">conspiracy theories and false reports</a>&nbsp;that proliferate in American society.

Domestic violent extremists, however, present the most pressing and potentially violent threat, the agency said, citing, for example,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buffalo-supermarket-shooting-442c6d97a073f39f99d006dbba40f64b">the racist attack</a>&nbsp;in which a white gunman killed 10 Black people at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket in May.

The bulletin, which is scheduled to expire Nov. 30, said calls for violence by domestic extremists directed at democratic institutions, candidates and election workers will likely increase through the fall.

A senior DHS official, speaking to reporters ahead of the release of the bulletin, said it describes the situation as “dynamic” because authorities are seeing a wider variety of people motivated by a broader range of grievances and incidents than in the past.

The upcoming decision from the Supreme Court, which could overturn Roe v. Wade,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-violence-government-and-politics-8f3a2a7146594a6275250b54be776f85">could lead to violence</a>&nbsp;from either extremist supporters or opponents of abortion rights depending on the outcome, said the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss some factors that went into the preparation of the bulletin.

Racial extremists may be motivated by immigration enforcement or whether the government continues to rely on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-government-and-politics-mexico-texas-43976f307da98b3e800f884e87f244fe">Title 42</a>, the public health order that has been used since the start of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">coronavirus pandemic</a>&nbsp;to prevent people from seeking asylum at the southwest border, DHS said.

The agency and the FBI are working with state and local law enforcement to raise awareness of the threat, and DHS has increased grant funding to local governments and religious organizations to improve security, Homeland Security Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/alejandro-mayorkas">Alejandro N. Mayorkas</a>&nbsp;said in a statement released with the bulletin.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A looming&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-draft-opinion-07439f9fc4542f1500ab78dfd34036b1">Supreme Court decision on abortion</a>, an increase of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-government-and-politics-mexico-missouri-1156a5c5c16dad98f8446b7f627abc2f">migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections">midterm elections</a>&nbsp;are potential triggers for extremist violence over the next six months, the Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday.<a href="https://www.dhs.gov/ntas/advisory/national-terrorism-advisory-system-bulletin-june-7-2022">Click here to read the NTAS Bulletin </a> The U.S. was in a “heightened threat environment” already, and these factors may worsen the situation, DHS said in the latest National Terrorism Advisory System bulletin.“In the coming months, we expect the threat environment to become more dynamic as several high-profile events could be exploited to justify acts of violence against a range of possible targets,” DHS said.It’s the latest attempt by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-department-of-homeland-security">Homeland Security</a>&nbsp;to draw attention to the threat posed by domestic violent extremism, a shift from alerts about international terrorism that were a hallmark of the agency following its creation after the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.Indeed, the threats from overseas rate only passing mentions in this bulletin. It notes that al-Qaida supporters celebrated the January&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-texas-fort-worth-70bf98670cb880156cf5e1f1e4e08dcd">standoff at a synagogue</a>&nbsp;in Colleyville, Texas. And it mentions that the Islamic State group called on supporters to carry out attacks in the United States to avenge the killings of the group’s leader and spokesman.DHS also warns that China, Russia, Iran and other nations seek to foment divisions within the U.S. to weaken the country and its standing in the world. In part, they do this by amplifying&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/conspiracy-theories-iran-only-on-ap-media-misinformation-bfca6d5b236a29d61c4dd38702495ffe">conspiracy theories and false reports</a>&nbsp;that proliferate in American society.Domestic violent extremists, however, present the most pressing and potentially violent threat, the agency said, citing, for example,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buffalo-supermarket-shooting-442c6d97a073f39f99d006dbba40f64b">the racist attack</a>&nbsp;in which a white gunman killed 10 Black people at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket in May.The bulletin, which is scheduled to expire Nov. 30, said calls for violence by domestic extremists directed at democratic institutions, candidates and election workers will likely increase through the fall.A senior DHS official, speaking to reporters ahead of the release of the bulletin, said it describes the situation as “dynamic” because authorities are seeing a wider variety of people motivated by a broader range of grievances and incidents than in the past.The upcoming decision from the Supreme Court, which could overturn Roe v. Wade,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-violence-government-and-politics-8f3a2a7146594a6275250b54be776f85">could lead to violence</a>&nbsp;from either extremist supporters or opponents of abortion rights depending on the outcome, said the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss some factors that went into the preparation of the bulletin.Racial extremists may be motivated by immigration enforcement or whether the government continues to rely on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-government-and-politics-mexico-texas-43976f307da98b3e800f884e87f244fe">Title 42</a>, the public health order that has been used since the start of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">coronavirus pandemic</a>&nbsp;to prevent people from seeking asylum at the southwest border, DHS said.The agency and the FBI are working with state and local law enforcement to raise awareness of the threat, and DHS has increased grant funding to local governments and religious organizations to improve security, Homeland Security Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/alejandro-mayorkas">Alejandro N. Mayorkas</a>&nbsp;said in a statement released with the bulletin.

Homeland Security warning: Heightened threat this summer

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Abortion-rights opponents inched closer to a filibuster-proof super-majority in the Nebraska Legislature on Tuesday that would let them outlaw the procedure if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns its landmark legalization ruling, as it appears poised to do.

The shift came with Gov. Pete Ricketts’ appointment of Kathleen Kauth, a fellow Republican, to an open seat in the state legislature. Kauth made clear at a news conference that she would support an abortion ban in Nebraska.

Kauth, the owner of a mediation business, said she would “consider it an honor” to vote for a bill similar to a proposed abortion ban that narrowly stalled earlier this year. Supporters fell two votes short of the support they needed to overcome a filibuster in the one-house Legislature, which effectively killed the bill.

“I am pro-life and I thought the bill that was recently presented was a very solid one,” Kauth said after she was sworn into office.

Kauth replaces the late state Sen. Rich Pahls, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-legislature-nebraska-omaha-pete-ricketts-0f58f724a5a5707877645a38d713423e">died in April</a>&nbsp;due to complications from cancer. Pahls was also opposed to abortion and likely would have supported the ban, but his health issues caused him to miss this year’s vote where the bill stalled.

Ricketts and other top conservatives have said they’ll seek a special legislative session this year to outlaw abortion if the Supreme Court overturns its 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, as a draft opinion&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/roe-wade-supreme-court-state-fight-e53b2b46d9606dc9468b8044a0b42ed0">leaked in May</a>&nbsp;suggests.

Supporters needed 33 lawmakers to overcome a filibuster on the proposal earlier this year, but the final vote was 31-15. With Kauth in office, abortion-rights opponents are now one vote shy of what they need to pass a ban.

One other lawmaker, Democratic state Sen. Justin Wayne, of Omaha, is seen as a key swing vote who might give abortion-rights opponents the last bit of support they need to pass it.

Wayne was absent from the legislative chamber when lawmakers considered the ban in April, and he has declined to say whether he would support or oppose it. An aide said Tuesday that Wayne wouldn’t be available to comment.

Other Democrats have promised a no-holds-barred fight to preserve abortion rights in Nebraska. Sen. Megan Hunt, of Omaha, warned in May that she would make a special session “the most excruciating, painful experience” that her fellow lawmakers have ever experienced.

Ricketts, who has fought for years to clamp down on abortion, said Kauth’s position on the issue played a sizeable role in his decision to appoint her. He said he also appreciated her business background and involvement in various Omaha-area community groups.

“I always look for pro-life candidates,” he said.

Ricketts has said he intends to work with Speaker of the Legislature Mike Hilgers, another Republican, on a possible special session if the court rules as they hope.

It’s unclear how they would proceed if they still lacked the votes, but Ricketts said Tuesday: “If we call a special session, I fully intend for it to be successful.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1654635456370.png" alt="Kauth" />
 <figcaption>Kauth</figcaption>
 </figure>By ASSOCIATED PRESSOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Abortion-rights opponents inched closer to a filibuster-proof super-majority in the Nebraska Legislature on Tuesday that would let them outlaw the procedure if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns its landmark legalization ruling, as it appears poised to do.The shift came with Gov. Pete Ricketts’ appointment of Kathleen Kauth, a fellow Republican, to an open seat in the state legislature. Kauth made clear at a news conference that she would support an abortion ban in Nebraska.Kauth, the owner of a mediation business, said she would “consider it an honor” to vote for a bill similar to a proposed abortion ban that narrowly stalled earlier this year. Supporters fell two votes short of the support they needed to overcome a filibuster in the one-house Legislature, which effectively killed the bill.“I am pro-life and I thought the bill that was recently presented was a very solid one,” Kauth said after she was sworn into office.Kauth replaces the late state Sen. Rich Pahls, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-legislature-nebraska-omaha-pete-ricketts-0f58f724a5a5707877645a38d713423e">died in April</a>&nbsp;due to complications from cancer. Pahls was also opposed to abortion and likely would have supported the ban, but his health issues caused him to miss this year’s vote where the bill stalled.Ricketts and other top conservatives have said they’ll seek a special legislative session this year to outlaw abortion if the Supreme Court overturns its 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, as a draft opinion&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/roe-wade-supreme-court-state-fight-e53b2b46d9606dc9468b8044a0b42ed0">leaked in May</a>&nbsp;suggests.Supporters needed 33 lawmakers to overcome a filibuster on the proposal earlier this year, but the final vote was 31-15. With Kauth in office, abortion-rights opponents are now one vote shy of what they need to pass a ban.One other lawmaker, Democratic state Sen. Justin Wayne, of Omaha, is seen as a key swing vote who might give abortion-rights opponents the last bit of support they need to pass it.Wayne was absent from the legislative chamber when lawmakers considered the ban in April, and he has declined to say whether he would support or oppose it. An aide said Tuesday that Wayne wouldn’t be available to comment.Other Democrats have promised a no-holds-barred fight to preserve abortion rights in Nebraska. Sen. Megan Hunt, of Omaha, warned in May that she would make a special session “the most excruciating, painful experience” that her fellow lawmakers have ever experienced.Ricketts, who has fought for years to clamp down on abortion, said Kauth’s position on the issue played a sizeable role in his decision to appoint her. He said he also appreciated her business background and involvement in various Omaha-area community groups.“I always look for pro-life candidates,” he said.Ricketts has said he intends to work with Speaker of the Legislature Mike Hilgers, another Republican, on a possible special session if the court rules as they hope.It’s unclear how they would proceed if they still lacked the votes, but Ricketts said Tuesday: “If we call a special session, I fully intend for it to be successful.”

With new senator, Nebraska abortion opponents gain ground

American adults who haven’t yet gotten vaccinated against COVID-19 may soon get another choice, as advisers to the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday backed a more traditional type of shot.

Next, the FDA must decide whether to authorize the vaccine made by latecomer Novavax, a protein vaccine that’s made with a more conventional technology than today’s U.S. options.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-202fd25f335208c7cf77c81231dd9ce8">Novavax shots</a>&nbsp;are already used in Australia, Canada, parts of Europe and dozens of other countries. But U.S. clearance is a key hurdle for the Maryland-based company.

FDA’s vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks said another choice in the U.S. may entice at least some vaccine holdouts -- whatever their reason -- to consider rolling up their sleeves.

“We do have a problem with vaccine uptake that is very serious in the United States,” Marks said. “Anything we can do to get people more comfortable to accept these potentially life-saving products is something that we feel we are compelled to do.”

If the FDA authorizes Novavax as the nation’s fourth vaccine, it’s not clear how widely it would be used -- at least right away. Only about 27 million U.S. adults remain unvaccinated. Eventually, Novavax hopes also to become a choice for the millions more who haven’t yet had a booster dose of today’s vaccines. The shots are used elsewhere as a booster, regardless of which vaccine people got originally.

Tuesday’s question: Do the benefits of two primary doses of the Novavax vaccine outweigh any risks? The FDA advisory panel voted that they do, by a 21-0 vote with one abstention.

Large studies in the U.S., Mexico and Britain found two doses of the Novavax vaccine were safe and about 90% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19. One complication: Those studies were done far earlier in the pandemic, well before more contagious coronavirus variants emerged -- including the omicron mutant and its relatives.

Novavax chief medical officer Dr. Filip Dubovsky said the company already has tested a booster dose -- and it revved up virus-fighting antibodies that could tackle that mutant.

This type of vaccine “we think generates a broad immune response against a broad array of variants,” he told the FDA advisory panel.

And while the trials showed generally people experienced only mild reactions such as injection-site pain or fatigue, the FDA did highlight a possible concern: six cases of heart inflammation, known as myocarditis, found among the 40,000 people who received the vaccine in studies.

Vaccines are coming under close scrutiny for the possibility of that heart inflammation after the Pfizer and Moderna shots were linked to that rare risk.

Novavax argued there were other potential causes for some of the cases in its trials. COVID-19, as well as other infections, also can cause heart inflammation. The company said more than 744,000 vaccinations in other countries so far support the shots’ safety.

The Novavax vaccine is made of copies of the spike protein that coats the coronavirus, packaged into nanoparticles that to the immune system resemble a virus. Then an immune-boosting ingredient, or adjuvant, that’s made from the bark of a South American tree is added that acts as a red flag to ensure those particles look suspicious enough to spark a strong immune response.

Protein vaccines have been used for years to prevent hepatitis B, shingles and other diseases.

That’s very different than the vaccines currently used in the U.S. The most widely used Pfizer and Moderna vaccines deliver genetic instructions for the body to produce its own copies of the spike protein. J&amp;J uses a cold virus to deliver those instructions.

Manufacturing problems held up Novavax’s vaccine but the company said those problems have been resolved. Novavax, a small biotech company, created the vaccine in its research lab, but the Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine maker, produces most of its shots including those slated for the U.S.

By LAURAN NEERGAARD, Associated PressAmerican adults who haven’t yet gotten vaccinated against COVID-19 may soon get another choice, as advisers to the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday backed a more traditional type of shot.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DfdMsAqkneE?start=23299" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Next, the FDA must decide whether to authorize the vaccine made by latecomer Novavax, a protein vaccine that’s made with a more conventional technology than today’s U.S. options.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-science-health-202fd25f335208c7cf77c81231dd9ce8">Novavax shots</a>&nbsp;are already used in Australia, Canada, parts of Europe and dozens of other countries. But U.S. clearance is a key hurdle for the Maryland-based company.FDA’s vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks said another choice in the U.S. may entice at least some vaccine holdouts -- whatever their reason -- to consider rolling up their sleeves.“We do have a problem with vaccine uptake that is very serious in the United States,” Marks said. “Anything we can do to get people more comfortable to accept these potentially life-saving products is something that we feel we are compelled to do.”If the FDA authorizes Novavax as the nation’s fourth vaccine, it’s not clear how widely it would be used -- at least right away. Only about 27 million U.S. adults remain unvaccinated. Eventually, Novavax hopes also to become a choice for the millions more who haven’t yet had a booster dose of today’s vaccines. The shots are used elsewhere as a booster, regardless of which vaccine people got originally.Tuesday’s question: Do the benefits of two primary doses of the Novavax vaccine outweigh any risks? The FDA advisory panel voted that they do, by a 21-0 vote with one abstention.Large studies in the U.S., Mexico and Britain found two doses of the Novavax vaccine were safe and about 90% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19. One complication: Those studies were done far earlier in the pandemic, well before more contagious coronavirus variants emerged -- including the omicron mutant and its relatives.Novavax chief medical officer Dr. Filip Dubovsky said the company already has tested a booster dose -- and it revved up virus-fighting antibodies that could tackle that mutant.This type of vaccine “we think generates a broad immune response against a broad array of variants,” he told the FDA advisory panel.And while the trials showed generally people experienced only mild reactions such as injection-site pain or fatigue, the FDA did highlight a possible concern: six cases of heart inflammation, known as myocarditis, found among the 40,000 people who received the vaccine in studies.Vaccines are coming under close scrutiny for the possibility of that heart inflammation after the Pfizer and Moderna shots were linked to that rare risk.Novavax argued there were other potential causes for some of the cases in its trials. COVID-19, as well as other infections, also can cause heart inflammation. The company said more than 744,000 vaccinations in other countries so far support the shots’ safety.The Novavax vaccine is made of copies of the spike protein that coats the coronavirus, packaged into nanoparticles that to the immune system resemble a virus. Then an immune-boosting ingredient, or adjuvant, that’s made from the bark of a South American tree is added that acts as a red flag to ensure those particles look suspicious enough to spark a strong immune response.Protein vaccines have been used for years to prevent hepatitis B, shingles and other diseases.That’s very different than the vaccines currently used in the U.S. The most widely used Pfizer and Moderna vaccines deliver genetic instructions for the body to produce its own copies of the spike protein. J&amp;J uses a cold virus to deliver those instructions.Manufacturing problems held up Novavax’s vaccine but the company said those problems have been resolved. Novavax, a small biotech company, created the vaccine in its research lab, but the Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine maker, produces most of its shots including those slated for the U.S.

🎥FDA advisers: Novavax COVID-19 shots are new US option

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/06/07/new-grant-program-aims-to-help-small-town-locker-plants-survive-and-expand/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LEIGH,
 Nebraska — Kevin Good saw the dark clouds coming, but he said he was 
“too stubborn” to take cover inside the small butcher shop he and his 
son had recently purchased north of town.

“I
 kept thinking, ‘It’s not going to hit us, it’s not going to hit us, 
it’s not going to hit us,’” Good said. “All of a sudden, the lights went
 out.”

“And then we heard a boom … and then a second boom.”

One
 of their employees, Brook Dillon, who was also in the building, looked 
out the window to see a metal building, just across the parking lot, 
flying away.

The
 tornado, part of an unprecedented outbreak of twisters on Dec. 15, blew
 out a wall and destroyed several pieces of equipment inside the 
business, Country Butcher, which Good had helped his son, Trevor, 
purchase only 11 months earlier.

The building was declared a complete loss.

“We’re starting basically from ground zero,” Trevor Good said.

But
 the Goods, as well as other small meat lockers in Nebraska, are seeing 
renewed hope&nbsp;to expand, upgrade or rebuild their business via a new 
state program, the Independent Processor Assistance Program.

The
 program, passed by the Nebraska Legislature and signed by Gov. Pete 
Ricketts this spring, allocates $10 million to small meat processors 
like the Goods. The grants will help eligible meat processors with fewer
 than 25 employees and less than $2.5 million in sales.&nbsp;

The
 money came from the state’s $1 billion-plus allocation from the 
American Rescue Plan Act enacted under President Joe Biden. The grants 
will be allocated by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture.

State
 Sen. Tom Brandt of Plymouth, the sponsor of the processor assistance 
legislation, said the COVID-19 pandemic illustrated how easily the food 
chain can be disrupted, particularly when it comes to fresh beef and 
pork.

At
 the beginning of the pandemic, large meatpackers such as Tyson and 
Cargill were operating at 60% to 70% of capacity because of illnesses 
among workers. When cattle and hog producers sought an alternative in 
small-town locker plants, they found that the businesses were 
overwhelmed, with waiting lists of more than a year to get animals 
processed.

Brandt said he could typically get an animal in for slaughter within three or four weeks at his local locker plant in Diller.

After COVID-19 arrived, the wait was 16-18 months, which the senator said is longer than it takes to finish a steer.

The
 lack of capacity, and slowdowns at the big packers, helped contribute 
to a shortage of meat and exploding prices for beef and pork at the 
supermarket.&nbsp;

If
 hogs don’t get to a processing plant in normal time and grow too large,
 they can’t be slaughtered at a normal processing plant, Brandt said.&nbsp;

He
 said he was offering his pigs at a cut-rate of $100 a head to anyone 
who could butcher them themselves. There were also reports of some hog 
producers euthanizing pigs because they had too many to give away or 
sell on the cheap.

The
 impact was felt on the farm and ranch — the Platte Institute, along 
with the Nebraska Farm Bureau, estimated the losses suffered due to 
supply chain disruptions at $971 million for beef producers and $166 
million for pork producers.&nbsp;

Johnathan
 Hladik of the Center for Rural Affairs, one of the groups that 
supported Brandt’s proposal, said helping small meat processors expand 
won’t, in itself, solve the nation’s supply chain issues with meat, but 
it will certainly help. About 17 other states, he added, have used 
pandemic-related grant funds to help small meat processors.

Hladik,
 who farms near Craig, said more and more farmers are turning to direct 
marketing their pork or beef directly to consumers because the big 
meatpackers don’t want to mess with small farmers.

“We can’t do our thing without independent meat processors,” Hladik said.

Social
 media, he said, has made it a lot easier to reach a direct consumer 
than it used to be. Shop Nebraska Farms is one Facebook page he uses; 
Nebraska Food Cooperative is another.

“You
 can eliminate a lot of the middle men when you market your product that
 way,” said Hladik, who raised about 50 hogs. “It’s a lifeline for a 
small farmer like myself.”

Plus, he said, consumers are looking for affordable and nutritious food options.&nbsp;

And helping more small farmers make a living helps small communities, by keeping more people in the area.

Small-town
 meat lockers have been declining in number in recent years, Hladik 
said. He told state lawmakers there may be 80 to 90 in the state. And 
many of the lockers still in business are aging, he said, and could use 
more modern equipment.

Aunbrea
 Zeleny said the family-owned business in the northeast Nebraska farm 
town was using 1960s equipmen, and employees worked overtime, shoulder 
to shoulder, in a small building to process the deluge of cattle and 
hogs that local farmers brought in during the pandemic.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1654615259969.png" alt="Aunbrea Zeleny at Oakland Meat Processing is hoping to expand her small business with the help of a grant program, approved by the Nebraska Legislature this year. (Kylie Kai/Center for Rural Affairs)" />
 <figcaption>Aunbrea Zeleny at Oakland Meat Processing is hoping to expand her small business with the help of a grant program, approved by the Nebraska Legislature this year. (Kylie Kai/Center for Rural Affairs)</figcaption>
 </figure>By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/06/07/new-grant-program-aims-to-help-small-town-locker-plants-survive-and-expand/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LEIGH,
 Nebraska — Kevin Good saw the dark clouds coming, but he said he was 
“too stubborn” to take cover inside the small butcher shop he and his 
son had recently purchased north of town.“I
 kept thinking, ‘It’s not going to hit us, it’s not going to hit us, 
it’s not going to hit us,’” Good said. “All of a sudden, the lights went
 out.”“And then we heard a boom … and then a second boom.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1654615310887.jpeg" alt="Kevin Good, left, and his son, Trevor, are hoping that a new grant program will help them resurrect a small meat locker north of Leigh destroyed by a tornado in December. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Kevin Good, left, and his son, Trevor, are hoping that a new grant program will help them resurrect a small meat locker north of Leigh destroyed by a tornado in December. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>One
 of their employees, Brook Dillon, who was also in the building, looked 
out the window to see a metal building, just across the parking lot, 
flying away.<h2>Rare December outbreak</h2>The
 tornado, part of an unprecedented outbreak of twisters on Dec. 15, blew
 out a wall and destroyed several pieces of equipment inside the 
business, Country Butcher, which Good had helped his son, Trevor, 
purchase only 11 months earlier.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1654615337657.jpeg" alt="A tornado in December pushed the former home of Country Butcher off its foundation, and it was condemned. (Courtesy of Trevor Good)" />
 <figcaption>A tornado in December pushed the former home of Country Butcher off its foundation, and it was condemned. (Courtesy of Trevor Good)</figcaption>
 </figure>The building was declared a complete loss.“We’re starting basically from ground zero,” Trevor Good said.But
 the Goods, as well as other small meat lockers in Nebraska, are seeing 
renewed hope&nbsp;to expand, upgrade or rebuild their business via a new 
state program, the Independent Processor Assistance Program.The
 program, passed by the Nebraska Legislature and signed by Gov. Pete 
Ricketts this spring, allocates $10 million to small meat processors 
like the Goods. The grants will help eligible meat processors with fewer
 than 25 employees and less than $2.5 million in sales.&nbsp;<h2>ARPA funds</h2>The
 money came from the state’s $1 billion-plus allocation from the 
American Rescue Plan Act enacted under President Joe Biden. The grants 
will be allocated by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture.State
 Sen. Tom Brandt of Plymouth, the sponsor of the processor assistance 
legislation, said the COVID-19 pandemic illustrated how easily the food 
chain can be disrupted, particularly when it comes to fresh beef and 
pork.At
 the beginning of the pandemic, large meatpackers such as Tyson and 
Cargill were operating at 60% to 70% of capacity because of illnesses 
among workers. When cattle and hog producers sought an alternative in 
small-town locker plants, they found that the businesses were 
overwhelmed, with waiting lists of more than a year to get animals 
processed.Brandt said he could typically get an animal in for slaughter within three or four weeks at his local locker plant in Diller.<h2>Pandemic caused waits, price hikes</h2>After COVID-19 arrived, the wait was 16-18 months, which the senator said is longer than it takes to finish a steer.The
 lack of capacity, and slowdowns at the big packers, helped contribute 
to a shortage of meat and exploding prices for beef and pork at the 
supermarket.&nbsp;If
 hogs don’t get to a processing plant in normal time and grow too large,
 they can’t be slaughtered at a normal processing plant, Brandt said.&nbsp;He
 said he was offering his pigs at a cut-rate of $100 a head to anyone 
who could butcher them themselves. There were also reports of some hog 
producers euthanizing pigs because they had too many to give away or 
sell on the cheap.The
 impact was felt on the farm and ranch — the Platte Institute, along 
with the Nebraska Farm Bureau, estimated the losses suffered due to 
supply chain disruptions at $971 million for beef producers and $166 
million for pork producers.&nbsp;<h2>Fragile supply chain</h2>Johnathan
 Hladik of the Center for Rural Affairs, one of the groups that 
supported Brandt’s proposal, said helping small meat processors expand 
won’t, in itself, solve the nation’s supply chain issues with meat, but 
it will certainly help. About 17 other states, he added, have used 
pandemic-related grant funds to help small meat processors.Hladik,
 who farms near Craig, said more and more farmers are turning to direct 
marketing their pork or beef directly to consumers because the big 
meatpackers don’t want to mess with small farmers.“We can’t do our thing without independent meat processors,” Hladik said.Social
 media, he said, has made it a lot easier to reach a direct consumer 
than it used to be. Shop Nebraska Farms is one Facebook page he uses; 
Nebraska Food Cooperative is another.<h2>Eliminate middle man</h2>“You
 can eliminate a lot of the middle men when you market your product that
 way,” said Hladik, who raised about 50 hogs. “It’s a lifeline for a 
small farmer like myself.”Plus, he said, consumers are looking for affordable and nutritious food options.&nbsp;And helping more small farmers make a living helps small communities, by keeping more people in the area.Small-town
 meat lockers have been declining in number in recent years, Hladik 
said. He told state lawmakers there may be 80 to 90 in the state. And 
many of the lockers still in business are aging, he said, and could use 
more modern equipment.<h2>Oakland plant</h2>One example is Oakland Meat Processing.Aunbrea
 Zeleny said the family-owned business in the northeast Nebraska farm 
town was using 1960s equipmen, and employees worked overtime, shoulder 
to shoulder, in a small building to process the deluge of cattle and 
hogs that local farmers brought in during the pandemic.“We made it work,” Zeleny said, estimating that the 10-employee plant had to turn down 10,000 hogs.She
 said she explored a pandemic-related USDA grant program for small meat 
processors, but that program only aided expansion of existing buildings,
 which didn’t work for the Oakland business.The
 meat processing firm is now building a new headquarters on the edge of 
town, and Zeleny said the grant program passed by the Legislature could 
help the business purchase modern equipment.&nbsp;The
 new plant, which is expected to open in October, will be three times 
larger than the existing Oakland Meat Processors, she said, and may 
allow hiring of 14 more employees.That’s huge for Oakland, population 1,575, which recently lost a major employer, a local hospital.&nbsp;In Leigh, a farm town of 375 people north of Columbus, the Goods are hoping to have a similar impact.&nbsp;They
 project that they could add two or three more employees to their 
current workforce of three if they can obtain a new location and get it 
set up for processing beef and pork.The State Department of Agriculture, Hladik 
said, may be ready to take grant applications by August or September. He
 said he expects a lot of firms to apply— 32 out of 34 locker plants 
surveyed earlier this year expressed interest.Kevin
 Good said he doesn’t know how he and his son, now 23, would be able to 
afford a new location while still paying off the one destroyed by the 
tornado.“We took such a big hit on that last deal,” he said. “The grant money would be phenomenal for us.”