TOKYO (AP) — President Joe Biden said Monday the U.S. would intervene militarily if China were to invade Taiwan, declaring the commitment to protect the island is “even stronger” after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine?utm_source=apnewsnav&amp;utm_medium=featured">Russia’s invasion of Ukraine</a>. It was one of the most forceful presidential statements in support of Taiwan’s self-governing in decades.

Biden, at a news conference in Tokyo, said “yes” when asked if he was willing to get involved militarily to defend Taiwan if China invaded. “That’s the commitment we made,” he added.

The U.S. traditionally has avoided making such an explicit security guarantee to Taiwan, with which it no longer has a mutual defense treaty, instead maintaining a policy of “strategic ambiguity” about how far it would be willing to go. The 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, which has governed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-china-united-states-beijing-united-nations-0f27ca946b9fa97487af1ba8e80c3682">U.S. relations with the island</a>, does not require the U.S. to step in militarily if China invades, but makes it American policy to ensure Taiwan has the resources to defend itself and to prevent any unilateral change of status by Beijing.

A White House official said Biden’s comments did not reflect a policy shift for the United States, a point echoed more firmly by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, asked by reporters if Biden’s answer indicated the U.S. would do more to help Taiwan than it has done to help Ukraine and whether the U.S. was making a commitment to send troops to help Taiwan in the event of an invasion.

“As the president said our One China policy has not changed,” Austin said at the Pentagon. “He reiterated that policy and our commitment to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. He also highlighted our commitment under the Taiwan Relations Act to help provide Taiwan the means to defend itself. So, again, our policy is not changed.”

But Biden’s words drew a sharp response from mainland China, which has claimed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/taiwan">Taiwan</a>&nbsp;to be a rogue province.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin expressed “strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition” to Biden’s comments. “China has no room for compromise or concessions on issues involving China’s core interests such as sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

He added, “China will take firm action to safeguard its sovereignty and security interests, and we will do what we say.”

Speaking alongside Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Biden said any effort by China to use force against Taiwan would “just not be appropriate,” adding that it would “dislocate the entire region and be another action similar to what happened in Ukraine.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-army-taiwan-air-force-df5ce025994309b138a015c8e0526a1f">China has stepped up its military provocations</a>&nbsp;against democratic Taiwan in recent years, aimed at intimidating it into accepting Beijing’s demands to unify with the communist mainland.

“They’re already flirting with danger right now by flying so close and all the maneuvers that are undertaken,” Biden said of China.

Under the “one China” policy, the U.S. recognizes Beijing as the government of China and doesn’t have diplomatic relations with Taiwan. However, the U.S. maintains unofficial contacts including a de facto embassy in Taipei, the capital, and supplies military equipment for the island’s defense.

Biden said it was his “expectation” that China would not try to seize Taiwan by force, but he also said that “depends upon just how strong the world makes clear that that kind of action is going to result in long-term disapprobation by the rest of the community.”

He added that deterring China from attacking Taiwan was one reason why it’s important that Russian President Vladimir Putin “pay a dear price for his barbarism in Ukraine,” lest China and other nations get the idea that such action is acceptable.

Wanting no escalation with nuclear-armed Russia, Biden quickly ruled out putting U.S. forces into direct conflict with Russia. But the U.S. has shipped billions of dollars in military assistance that has helped Ukraine put up a stiffer-than-expected resistance to Russia’s onslaught.

Taipei cheered Biden’s remarks, with Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Joanne Ou expressing “sincere welcome and gratitude.”

“The challenge posed by China to the security of the Taiwan Strait has drawn great concern in the international community,” said Ou. “Taiwan will continue to improve its self-defense capabilities, and deepen cooperation with the United States and Japan and other like-minded countries to jointly defend the security of the Taiwan Strait and the rules-based international order, while promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.”

It’s not the first time Biden has pledged to defend Taiwan against a Chinese attack, followed by administration officials contending there had been no change to American policy. In a CNN town hall in October, Biden was asked about using the U.S. military to defend Taiwan and replied, “Yes, we have a commitment to do that.”

Taiwan isn’t the only foreign policy issue on which the White House has clarified or walked back Biden’s comments. When he declared in March that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-biden-united-nations-jen-psaki-40e21508055f7ff65424afe2d8e406d8">Putin was a war criminal, J</a>&nbsp;en Psaki, then the press secretary, said the president was “speaking from his heart” even though a legal conclusion hadn’t been reached on the issue.

During a March speech in Poland, Biden said of Putin: “This man cannot remain in power.” White House officials raced to say that Biden was not calling for regime change in Russia.

Biden’s latest comments on Taiwan came just before he formally&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-asia-united-states-c6878c7d14112e45a870a3e8735f7e71">launched a long-anticipated Indo-Pacific trade pact</a>&nbsp;that excludes Taiwan.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed Sunday that Taiwan isn’t among the governments signed up for the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, which is meant to allow the U.S. to work more closely with key Asian economies on issues like supply chains, digital trade, clean energy and anticorruption.

Inclusion of Taiwan would have irked China.

Sullivan said the U.S. wants to deepen its economic partnership with Taiwan on a one-to-one basis.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653334090110.png" alt="President Biden’s words drew a sharp response from mainland China, which has claimed&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;to be a rogue province-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>President Biden’s words drew a sharp response from mainland China, which has claimed&nbsp;Taiwan&nbsp;to be a rogue province-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>TOKYO (AP) — President Joe Biden said Monday the U.S. would intervene militarily if China were to invade Taiwan, declaring the commitment to protect the island is “even stronger” after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine?utm_source=apnewsnav&amp;utm_medium=featured">Russia’s invasion of Ukraine</a>. It was one of the most forceful presidential statements in support of Taiwan’s self-governing in decades.Biden, at a news conference in Tokyo, said “yes” when asked if he was willing to get involved militarily to defend Taiwan if China invaded. “That’s the commitment we made,” he added.The U.S. traditionally has avoided making such an explicit security guarantee to Taiwan, with which it no longer has a mutual defense treaty, instead maintaining a policy of “strategic ambiguity” about how far it would be willing to go. The 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, which has governed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-china-united-states-beijing-united-nations-0f27ca946b9fa97487af1ba8e80c3682">U.S. relations with the island</a>, does not require the U.S. to step in militarily if China invades, but makes it American policy to ensure Taiwan has the resources to defend itself and to prevent any unilateral change of status by Beijing.A White House official said Biden’s comments did not reflect a policy shift for the United States, a point echoed more firmly by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, asked by reporters if Biden’s answer indicated the U.S. would do more to help Taiwan than it has done to help Ukraine and whether the U.S. was making a commitment to send troops to help Taiwan in the event of an invasion.“As the president said our One China policy has not changed,” Austin said at the Pentagon. “He reiterated that policy and our commitment to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. He also highlighted our commitment under the Taiwan Relations Act to help provide Taiwan the means to defend itself. So, again, our policy is not changed.”But Biden’s words drew a sharp response from mainland China, which has claimed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/taiwan">Taiwan</a>&nbsp;to be a rogue province.Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin expressed “strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition” to Biden’s comments. “China has no room for compromise or concessions on issues involving China’s core interests such as sovereignty and territorial integrity.”He added, “China will take firm action to safeguard its sovereignty and security interests, and we will do what we say.”Speaking alongside Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Biden said any effort by China to use force against Taiwan would “just not be appropriate,” adding that it would “dislocate the entire region and be another action similar to what happened in Ukraine.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-army-taiwan-air-force-df5ce025994309b138a015c8e0526a1f">China has stepped up its military provocations</a>&nbsp;against democratic Taiwan in recent years, aimed at intimidating it into accepting Beijing’s demands to unify with the communist mainland.“They’re already flirting with danger right now by flying so close and all the maneuvers that are undertaken,” Biden said of China.Under the “one China” policy, the U.S. recognizes Beijing as the government of China and doesn’t have diplomatic relations with Taiwan. However, the U.S. maintains unofficial contacts including a de facto embassy in Taipei, the capital, and supplies military equipment for the island’s defense.Biden said it was his “expectation” that China would not try to seize Taiwan by force, but he also said that “depends upon just how strong the world makes clear that that kind of action is going to result in long-term disapprobation by the rest of the community.”He added that deterring China from attacking Taiwan was one reason why it’s important that Russian President Vladimir Putin “pay a dear price for his barbarism in Ukraine,” lest China and other nations get the idea that such action is acceptable.Wanting no escalation with nuclear-armed Russia, Biden quickly ruled out putting U.S. forces into direct conflict with Russia. But the U.S. has shipped billions of dollars in military assistance that has helped Ukraine put up a stiffer-than-expected resistance to Russia’s onslaught.Taipei cheered Biden’s remarks, with Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Joanne Ou expressing “sincere welcome and gratitude.”“The challenge posed by China to the security of the Taiwan Strait has drawn great concern in the international community,” said Ou. “Taiwan will continue to improve its self-defense capabilities, and deepen cooperation with the United States and Japan and other like-minded countries to jointly defend the security of the Taiwan Strait and the rules-based international order, while promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.”It’s not the first time Biden has pledged to defend Taiwan against a Chinese attack, followed by administration officials contending there had been no change to American policy. In a CNN town hall in October, Biden was asked about using the U.S. military to defend Taiwan and replied, “Yes, we have a commitment to do that.”Taiwan isn’t the only foreign policy issue on which the White House has clarified or walked back Biden’s comments. When he declared in March that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-biden-united-nations-jen-psaki-40e21508055f7ff65424afe2d8e406d8">Putin was a war criminal, J</a>&nbsp;en Psaki, then the press secretary, said the president was “speaking from his heart” even though a legal conclusion hadn’t been reached on the issue.During a March speech in Poland, Biden said of Putin: “This man cannot remain in power.” White House officials raced to say that Biden was not calling for regime change in Russia.Biden’s latest comments on Taiwan came just before he formally&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-asia-united-states-c6878c7d14112e45a870a3e8735f7e71">launched a long-anticipated Indo-Pacific trade pact</a>&nbsp;that excludes Taiwan.White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed Sunday that Taiwan isn’t among the governments signed up for the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, which is meant to allow the U.S. to work more closely with key Asian economies on issues like supply chains, digital trade, clean energy and anticorruption.Inclusion of Taiwan would have irked China.Sullivan said the U.S. wants to deepen its economic partnership with Taiwan on a one-to-one basis.___

Biden threatens China with military action to defend Taiwan

Three doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine offer strong protection for children younger than 5, the company announced Monday. Pfizer plans to give the data to U.S. regulators later this week in a step toward letting the littlest kids get the shots.

The news comes after months of anxious waiting by parents desperate to vaccinate their babies, toddlers and preschoolers, especially as COVID-19 cases once again are rising. The 18 million tots under 5 are the only group in the U.S. not yet eligible for COVID-19 vaccination.

The Food and Drug Administration has begun evaluating data from rival Moderna, which hopes to begin offering two kid-sized shots by summer.

Pfizer has had a bumpier time figuring out its approach. It aims to give tots an even lower dose — just one-tenth of the amount adults receive — but discovered during its trial that two shots didn’t seem quite strong enough for preschoolers. So researchers gave a third shot to more than 1,600 youngsters — from age 6 months to 4 years — during the winter surge of the omicron variant.

In a press release, Pfizer and its partner BioNTech said the extra shot did the trick, revving up tots’ levels of virus-fighting antibodies enough to meet FDA criteria for emergency use of the vaccine with no safety problems.

Preliminary data suggested the three-dose series is 80% effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19, the companies said, but they cautioned the calculation is based on just 10 cases diagnosed among study participants by the end of April. The study rules state that at least 21 cases are needed to formally determine effectiveness, and Pfizer promised an update as soon as more data is available.

The companies already had submitted data on the first two doses to the FDA, and BioNTech’s CEO, Dr. Ugur Sahin, said the final third-shot data would be submitted this week.

“The study suggests that a low, 3-microgram dose of our vaccine, carefully selected based on tolerability data, provides young children with a high level of protection against the recent COVID-19 strains,” he said in a statement.

What’s next? FDA vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks has pledged the agency will “move quickly without sacrificing our standards” in evaluating tot-sized doses from both Pfizer and Moderna.

The agency has set tentative dates next month for its scientific advisers to publicly debate data from each company.

Moderna is seeking to be the first to vaccinate the littlest kids. It submitted data to the FDA saying tots develop high levels of virus-fighting antibodies after two shots that contain a quarter of the dose given to adults. The Moderna study found effectiveness against symptomatic COVID-19 was 40% to 50% during the omicon surge, much like for adults who’ve only had two vaccine doses.

Complicating Moderna’s progress, the FDA so far has allowed its vaccine to be used only in adults.

The FDA is expected to review Moderna's data on both the youngest age group, plus its study of teens and elementary-age children. Other countries already have expanded Moderna's shot to kids as young as 6.

While COVID-19 generally isn’t as dangerous to youngsters as to adults, some children do become severely ill or even die. And the omicron variant hit children especially hard, with those under 5 hospitalized at higher rates than at the peak of the previous delta surge.

It’s not clear how much demand there will be to vaccinate the youngest kids. Pfizer shots for 5- to 11-year-olds opened in November, but only about 30% of that age group have gotten the recommended initial two doses. Last week, U.S. health authorities said elementary-age children should get a booster shot just like everyone 12 and older is supposed to get, for the best protection against the latest coronavirus variants.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635537216378.png" alt="Children's COVID vaccine -photo courtesy Pfizer" />
 <figcaption>Children's COVID vaccine -photo courtesy Pfizer</figcaption>
 </figure>By LAURAN NEERGAARD, AP Medical WriterThree doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine offer strong protection for children younger than 5, the company announced Monday. Pfizer plans to give the data to U.S. regulators later this week in a step toward letting the littlest kids get the shots.The news comes after months of anxious waiting by parents desperate to vaccinate their babies, toddlers and preschoolers, especially as COVID-19 cases once again are rising. The 18 million tots under 5 are the only group in the U.S. not yet eligible for COVID-19 vaccination.The Food and Drug Administration has begun evaluating data from rival Moderna, which hopes to begin offering two kid-sized shots by summer.Pfizer has had a bumpier time figuring out its approach. It aims to give tots an even lower dose — just one-tenth of the amount adults receive — but discovered during its trial that two shots didn’t seem quite strong enough for preschoolers. So researchers gave a third shot to more than 1,600 youngsters — from age 6 months to 4 years — during the winter surge of the omicron variant.In a press release, Pfizer and its partner BioNTech said the extra shot did the trick, revving up tots’ levels of virus-fighting antibodies enough to meet FDA criteria for emergency use of the vaccine with no safety problems.Preliminary data suggested the three-dose series is 80% effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19, the companies said, but they cautioned the calculation is based on just 10 cases diagnosed among study participants by the end of April. The study rules state that at least 21 cases are needed to formally determine effectiveness, and Pfizer promised an update as soon as more data is available.The companies already had submitted data on the first two doses to the FDA, and BioNTech’s CEO, Dr. Ugur Sahin, said the final third-shot data would be submitted this week.“The study suggests that a low, 3-microgram dose of our vaccine, carefully selected based on tolerability data, provides young children with a high level of protection against the recent COVID-19 strains,” he said in a statement.What’s next? FDA vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks has pledged the agency will “move quickly without sacrificing our standards” in evaluating tot-sized doses from both Pfizer and Moderna.The agency has set tentative dates next month for its scientific advisers to publicly debate data from each company.Moderna is seeking to be the first to vaccinate the littlest kids. It submitted data to the FDA saying tots develop high levels of virus-fighting antibodies after two shots that contain a quarter of the dose given to adults. The Moderna study found effectiveness against symptomatic COVID-19 was 40% to 50% during the omicon surge, much like for adults who’ve only had two vaccine doses.Complicating Moderna’s progress, the FDA so far has allowed its vaccine to be used only in adults.The FDA is expected to review Moderna's data on both the youngest age group, plus its study of teens and elementary-age children. Other countries already have expanded Moderna's shot to kids as young as 6.While COVID-19 generally isn’t as dangerous to youngsters as to adults, some children do become severely ill or even die. And the omicron variant hit children especially hard, with those under 5 hospitalized at higher rates than at the peak of the previous delta surge.It’s not clear how much demand there will be to vaccinate the youngest kids. Pfizer shots for 5- to 11-year-olds opened in November, but only about 30% of that age group have gotten the recommended initial two doses. Last week, U.S. health authorities said elementary-age children should get a booster shot just like everyone 12 and older is supposed to get, for the best protection against the latest coronavirus variants.

Pfizer says 3 COVID shots protect children under 5

By SCOTT CARLSON North Platte Post

BLAIR, Neb.-A recent graduate of Fremont High School was seriously injured in a Sunday morning car accident and will not recover from her injuries, according to school officials.

According to the Washington County Sheriff's Office, the crash happened early Sunday morning just southwest of Blair on Highway 30.

A preliminary investigation indicates a 2014 Jeep Patriot, driven by Madison Everitt, 18, of Fremont, was westbound when it crossed the center line and collided "nearly head-on" with a 1996 Plymouth driven by Eduard Bruwer, 34, of Blair.

Everitt was flown to the University of Nebraska Medical Center with serious head injuries.

In a social media post by Fremont Public Schools Superintendent Mark Shepard said Everitt is not expected to recover from her injuries.

“This is a tragic loss for FHS, the school district, and our community," Shepard said in the post. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and loved ones of Maddie and her family."

Everitt is a 2022 graduate of Fremont High School

Bruwer condition is unknown at this time but he is expected to survive.

The investigation into the crash is ongoing.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653317431904.png" alt="Everitt" />
 <figcaption>Everitt</figcaption>
 </figure>By SCOTT CARLSON North Platte PostBLAIR, Neb.-A recent graduate of Fremont High School was seriously injured in a Sunday morning car accident and will not recover from her injuries, according to school officials.According to the Washington County Sheriff's Office, the crash happened early Sunday morning just southwest of Blair on Highway 30.A preliminary investigation indicates a 2014 Jeep Patriot, driven by Madison Everitt, 18, of Fremont, was westbound when it crossed the center line and collided "nearly head-on" with a 1996 Plymouth driven by Eduard Bruwer, 34, of Blair.Everitt was flown to the University of Nebraska Medical Center with serious head injuries.In a social media post by Fremont Public Schools Superintendent Mark Shepard said Everitt is not expected to recover from her injuries.“This is a tragic loss for FHS, the school district, and our community," Shepard said in the post. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and loved ones of Maddie and her family."Everitt is a 2022 graduate of Fremont High SchoolBruwer condition is unknown at this time but he is expected to survive.The investigation into the crash is ongoing.

Recent Fremont grad won't recover following Sunday morning crash

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — With Oklahoma only days away from enacting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-politics-texas-legislature-a43f7f21c1b8e07a383b120d1bdbc695">the toughest state ban on abortion in the U.S.,</a>&nbsp;providers were preparing to stop terminating pregnancies as questions remained Friday about enforcing the law’s limited exceptions.

<a href="http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf_pdf/2021-22%20ENR/hB/HB4327%20ENR.PDF" target="_blank">The law</a>&nbsp;allows abortions to save a pregnant patient’s life “in a medical emergency” and supporters said doctors still would decide what an emergency is, though that could change later if it becomes perceived as a loophole. There’s also an exception for cases of rape, sexual assault or incest that have been reported to law enforcement, but it doesn’t help victims who don’t report the crimes to police.

Abortion providers said they are likely to be cautious because the new law, like a ban at about six weeks enacted earlier and a similar 2021&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-abortion-business-lawsuits-laws-8690c15ea5de5c6ed695003b7a533cb1">law in Texas,</a>&nbsp;will expose them to potentially expensive lawsuits over alleged violations. They’re planning to refer some patients to states like Colorado or Kansas, but some won’t be able to manage the extra time or travel involved.

Oklahoma will provide a preview of what is in store for other states if the U.S. Supreme Court follows through on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-draft-opinion-07439f9fc4542f1500ab78dfd34036b1">a draft opinion</a>&nbsp;leaked earlier this month overturning the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion. The law also is likely to prompt Oklahoma residents — and Texans who’d traveled to the neighboring state — to go elsewhere to end their pregnancies.

“An abortion ban in one state doesn’t stay just in that state,” said Neta Meltzer, a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood Rocky Mountains, which operates two dozen health centers in Colorado and New Mexico. “It absolutely has ripple effects in neighboring states and across the country.”

The Republican-dominated Oklahoma Legislature approved the abortion ban Thursday, and GOP Gov. Kevin Stitt, a strong abortion foe, is expected to sign it once it reaches his desk, probably early next week. The bill contains a clause that says it takes effect as soon as he does.

“All of our rights end when we do harm to someone else, and we believe strongly that the life of the unborn child is a life that deserves protection,” said the Oklahoma Senate’s top leader, Greg Treat, an Oklahoma City Republican. “If we have to pay an economic price for that, I’m willing to pay an economic price for that.”

The two Planned Parenthood clinics in Oklahoma, in Tulsa and Oklahoma City, suspended abortion services after Stitt signed the six-week ban earlier this month. A clinic run by Trust Women in Oklahoma City is providing abortion services until Stitt signs the new law. An attorney for the Tulsa Women’s Clinic said it would also stop performing abortions as soon as the law is signed.

Abortion rights advocates hope to challenge the new law in state courts, despite a provision saying that no court has the authority to issue an order blocking the law temporarily in response to such a challenge.

Even if a challenge were successful, Rabia Muqaddam, a senior Center for Reproductive Rights attorney said, “It may be some time and the results will just continue to be catastrophic for patients.”

The push for the law is part of a larger effort to restrict or ban abortion in Republican-led states, anticipating a U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe. About two dozen states are poised to ban abortion.

But because Oklahoma moved first toward a ban beginning at the “fusion” of sperm and egg, the White House labeled it the most extreme anti-abortion measure so far.

Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement: “In addition, it adopts Texas’ absurd plan to allow private citizens to sue their neighbors for providing reproductive health care and helping women to exercise their constitutional rights.”

Katy Gluck, a 39-year-old health care worker from the Oklahoma City area, joined a group of about a half dozen protesters Friday at the Capitol as they chanted, “My body, my choice” in the rotunda.

“Do I agree in late-term abortions? No, I don’t,” she said. But, she added, “the government should have no say in what we do with our bodies. It’s just an attack on women, and I don’t agree with it.”

Both supporters and critics of the new law agreed that the threat of civil lawsuits, which could be filed up to six years after an abortion, and fines of up to $10,000 are powerful incentives for providers to avoid running afoul of it.

<a href="http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf_pdf/2021-22%20ENR/SB/SB612%20ENR.PDF" target="_blank">Another Oklahoma law,</a>&nbsp;signed by Stitt in April and set to take effect in August, will make it a felony to perform an abortion, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $100,000. It is being challenged in state district court.

“Ultimately, a lot of this is going to come down to a risk assessment by each abortion provider to decide what level of risk they’re able to take on,” said Jessica Arons, a senior American Civil Liberties Union attorney on abortion issues.

Part of the risk for abortion providers is parsing out how the new law’s limited exceptions apply.

The exception allowing abortions to save a pregnant person’s life doesn’t specify who has the final say on what constitutes a medical emergency, but Treat and other supporters said doctors still will be empowered to make those decisions. State Rep. Wendi Stearman, the new law’s author, said such abortions would be done in hospitals.

“I would like to be able to trust our doctors in this state to know when it is necessary to perform an abortion, and there are cases when it is,” said Stearman, a Tulsa-area Republican.

But Mallory Schwarz, executive director of Pro-Choice Missouri, suggested such an exemption is “hollow,” saying such language requires the patient “to basically be on their deathbed.”

“If they’re not sick enough yet, then they might not qualify for that medical emergency,” Schwarz said. “If they’re not on their deathbed, is it an emergency?”

Supporters said requiring victims of rape, sexual assault and incest to report the crimes to law enforcement means there is a record to rely upon. The law doesn’t specify that a written report is required.

Abortion opponents acknowledged struggling with including the exception because they believe, as Stitt said in a Fox News interview Sunday, “that is a human being inside the womb.” Stearman said she included it in the new law so that a rapist or family member committing incest wouldn’t be able to file a lawsuit over an abortion.

But providers and abortion rights advocates said requiring the crimes to be reported to allow an abortion likely means that most victims won’t be able to obtain abortions. Victims have a variety of reasons for not reporting, including fear of retaliation or because they believe police won’t act.

And, said Jessie Hill, a law professor at Case Western University in Cleveland, “Is there any clear way to basically say we think women are going to lie about being assaulted?”

“I don’t think they’ve thought through any of this,” said Hill, an attorney in challenges to abortion laws in Ohio. “I’m not sure they even know how any of it works, honestly.”

Treat said the new law will work “in concert” with others already on the books.

“We have been very thoughtful on these, sought legal counsel, and got feedback,” he said.

Meanwhile, clinics in other states are bracing for an influx of patients from Oklahoma.

In Shreveport, Louisiana, Administrator Kathaleen Pittman was helping answer the phone at the Hope Medical Group for Women because of the high volume of calls.

She and her employees put patients on a waiting list, calling them back for appointments weeks out. The clinic is doing its work under the shadow of Louisiana’s 2006 “trigger” law that will ban abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned. Her clinic and two others in the state would close, she said.

“Can you imagine how confusing it is for the public?” she said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649779268364.png" alt="The two Planned Parenthood clinics in Oklahoma, in Tulsa and Oklahoma City, suspended abortion services after Gov. Kevin Stitt signed the six-week ban earlier this month-photo courtesy Office of Oklahoma Governor." />
 <figcaption>The two Planned Parenthood clinics in Oklahoma, in Tulsa and Oklahoma City, suspended abortion services after Gov. Kevin Stitt signed the six-week ban earlier this month-photo courtesy Office of Oklahoma Governor.</figcaption>
 </figure>OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — With Oklahoma only days away from enacting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-politics-texas-legislature-a43f7f21c1b8e07a383b120d1bdbc695">the toughest state ban on abortion in the U.S.,</a>&nbsp;providers were preparing to stop terminating pregnancies as questions remained Friday about enforcing the law’s limited exceptions.<a href="http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf_pdf/2021-22%20ENR/hB/HB4327%20ENR.PDF" target="_blank">The law</a>&nbsp;allows abortions to save a pregnant patient’s life “in a medical emergency” and supporters said doctors still would decide what an emergency is, though that could change later if it becomes perceived as a loophole. There’s also an exception for cases of rape, sexual assault or incest that have been reported to law enforcement, but it doesn’t help victims who don’t report the crimes to police.Abortion providers said they are likely to be cautious because the new law, like a ban at about six weeks enacted earlier and a similar 2021&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-abortion-business-lawsuits-laws-8690c15ea5de5c6ed695003b7a533cb1">law in Texas,</a>&nbsp;will expose them to potentially expensive lawsuits over alleged violations. They’re planning to refer some patients to states like Colorado or Kansas, but some won’t be able to manage the extra time or travel involved.Oklahoma will provide a preview of what is in store for other states if the U.S. Supreme Court follows through on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-draft-opinion-07439f9fc4542f1500ab78dfd34036b1">a draft opinion</a>&nbsp;leaked earlier this month overturning the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion. The law also is likely to prompt Oklahoma residents — and Texans who’d traveled to the neighboring state — to go elsewhere to end their pregnancies.“An abortion ban in one state doesn’t stay just in that state,” said Neta Meltzer, a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood Rocky Mountains, which operates two dozen health centers in Colorado and New Mexico. “It absolutely has ripple effects in neighboring states and across the country.”The Republican-dominated Oklahoma Legislature approved the abortion ban Thursday, and GOP Gov. Kevin Stitt, a strong abortion foe, is expected to sign it once it reaches his desk, probably early next week. The bill contains a clause that says it takes effect as soon as he does.“All of our rights end when we do harm to someone else, and we believe strongly that the life of the unborn child is a life that deserves protection,” said the Oklahoma Senate’s top leader, Greg Treat, an Oklahoma City Republican. “If we have to pay an economic price for that, I’m willing to pay an economic price for that.”The two Planned Parenthood clinics in Oklahoma, in Tulsa and Oklahoma City, suspended abortion services after Stitt signed the six-week ban earlier this month. A clinic run by Trust Women in Oklahoma City is providing abortion services until Stitt signs the new law. An attorney for the Tulsa Women’s Clinic said it would also stop performing abortions as soon as the law is signed.Abortion rights advocates hope to challenge the new law in state courts, despite a provision saying that no court has the authority to issue an order blocking the law temporarily in response to such a challenge.Even if a challenge were successful, Rabia Muqaddam, a senior Center for Reproductive Rights attorney said, “It may be some time and the results will just continue to be catastrophic for patients.”The push for the law is part of a larger effort to restrict or ban abortion in Republican-led states, anticipating a U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe. About two dozen states are poised to ban abortion.But because Oklahoma moved first toward a ban beginning at the “fusion” of sperm and egg, the White House labeled it the most extreme anti-abortion measure so far.Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement: “In addition, it adopts Texas’ absurd plan to allow private citizens to sue their neighbors for providing reproductive health care and helping women to exercise their constitutional rights.”Katy Gluck, a 39-year-old health care worker from the Oklahoma City area, joined a group of about a half dozen protesters Friday at the Capitol as they chanted, “My body, my choice” in the rotunda.“Do I agree in late-term abortions? No, I don’t,” she said. But, she added, “the government should have no say in what we do with our bodies. It’s just an attack on women, and I don’t agree with it.”Both supporters and critics of the new law agreed that the threat of civil lawsuits, which could be filed up to six years after an abortion, and fines of up to $10,000 are powerful incentives for providers to avoid running afoul of it.<a href="http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf_pdf/2021-22%20ENR/SB/SB612%20ENR.PDF" target="_blank">Another Oklahoma law,</a>&nbsp;signed by Stitt in April and set to take effect in August, will make it a felony to perform an abortion, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $100,000. It is being challenged in state district court.“Ultimately, a lot of this is going to come down to a risk assessment by each abortion provider to decide what level of risk they’re able to take on,” said Jessica Arons, a senior American Civil Liberties Union attorney on abortion issues.Part of the risk for abortion providers is parsing out how the new law’s limited exceptions apply.The exception allowing abortions to save a pregnant person’s life doesn’t specify who has the final say on what constitutes a medical emergency, but Treat and other supporters said doctors still will be empowered to make those decisions. State Rep. Wendi Stearman, the new law’s author, said such abortions would be done in hospitals.“I would like to be able to trust our doctors in this state to know when it is necessary to perform an abortion, and there are cases when it is,” said Stearman, a Tulsa-area Republican.But Mallory Schwarz, executive director of Pro-Choice Missouri, suggested such an exemption is “hollow,” saying such language requires the patient “to basically be on their deathbed.”“If they’re not sick enough yet, then they might not qualify for that medical emergency,” Schwarz said. “If they’re not on their deathbed, is it an emergency?”Supporters said requiring victims of rape, sexual assault and incest to report the crimes to law enforcement means there is a record to rely upon. The law doesn’t specify that a written report is required.Abortion opponents acknowledged struggling with including the exception because they believe, as Stitt said in a Fox News interview Sunday, “that is a human being inside the womb.” Stearman said she included it in the new law so that a rapist or family member committing incest wouldn’t be able to file a lawsuit over an abortion.But providers and abortion rights advocates said requiring the crimes to be reported to allow an abortion likely means that most victims won’t be able to obtain abortions. Victims have a variety of reasons for not reporting, including fear of retaliation or because they believe police won’t act.And, said Jessie Hill, a law professor at Case Western University in Cleveland, “Is there any clear way to basically say we think women are going to lie about being assaulted?”“I don’t think they’ve thought through any of this,” said Hill, an attorney in challenges to abortion laws in Ohio. “I’m not sure they even know how any of it works, honestly.”Treat said the new law will work “in concert” with others already on the books.“We have been very thoughtful on these, sought legal counsel, and got feedback,” he said.Meanwhile, clinics in other states are bracing for an influx of patients from Oklahoma.In Shreveport, Louisiana, Administrator Kathaleen Pittman was helping answer the phone at the Hope Medical Group for Women because of the high volume of calls.She and her employees put patients on a waiting list, calling them back for appointments weeks out. The clinic is doing its work under the shadow of Louisiana’s 2006 “trigger” law that will ban abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned. Her clinic and two others in the state would close, she said.“Can you imagine how confusing it is for the public?” she said.

Kan. prepares as Oklahoma to enact strict new abortion ban

By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/05/20/nebraska-supreme-court-rules-in-favor-of-a-meatpacking-worker-fired-during-the-pandemic/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

The
 Nebraska Supreme Court on Friday reversed a lower court’s opinion 
denying several weeks of unemployment benefits to a packinghouse worker 
who said he refused to take on additional duties of a colleague absent 
with COVID-19.

The
 ruling centered on whether Saied Badawi’s actions leading up to his 
termination from JBS Swift Beef amounted to misconduct, which could 
disqualify him from 14 weeks of unemployment payments.

In
 its 18-page decision, the high court said the employer did not provide 
“competent evidence” to support a lower court finding that Badawi had 
committed misconduct by refusing to perform both jobs.&nbsp;

“At
 best, this record shows only that because of the COVID-19 pandemic, 
fewer employees were able to work at JBS. … Badawi refused the order to 
perform both jobs because he thought he was not physically capable of 
doing so. And the record shows that both before and after Badawi’s 
discharge, the two jobs were performed by two individuals rather than 
one.”

‘Protection for the people, rather than employers’

The
 lawsuit, Badawi vs. Albin, names as a defendant John Albin, director of
 the Nebraska Labor Department, because the department handles 
unemployment benefits.

Albin
 said Friday that the Labor Department was pleased with the high court’s
 decision, as it affirmed procedural matters the department favors, 
particularly that the burden of proof for misconduct when denying 
benefits lies with the employer.

“We really didn’t have a big stake in the determination of whether or not the individual was entitled to benefits,” Albin said.

The lawyer for JBS was not available for comment.

Zach
 Anderson of Legal Aid of Nebraska, who argued on Badawi’s behalf, said 
he was “super excited.” He called the ruling that explicitly says an 
employer must prove misconduct a win for employees.&nbsp;

“It
 offers protection for the people, rather than employers, which impacts 
so many when they’re in the most profound need for safety when 
unemployed,” Anderson said.

Under
 state law, misconduct includes willful disregard of employer interest, 
deliberate violation of rules, disregard of behavior that the employer 
can rightfully expect or intentional disregard of the employee’s 
obligations.

Anderson
 said the case was important also because it pertained to a period of 
time during the early stages of the pandemic when his client was “most 
in need.” The lower court had said Badawi would get unemployment 
benefits, but only after the 14-week penalty.&nbsp;

According to the testimony, Badawi had worked for about 1.5 years at JBS when he was discharged in mid-2020.

The
 Department of Labor found early on that Badawi left his job voluntarily
 without good cause and thus was disqualified from the benefits until he
 met certain requalification requirements.&nbsp;

On
 his appeal to an administrative body called the Nebraska Appeal 
Tribunal, Badawi argued through an Arabic interpreter that he didn’t 
leave his job on his own accord. JBS did not appear for the hearing, 
which also looked at whether Badawi was discharged for misconduct 
connected with his work.

Badawi
 said he was asked to perform his own job duties, which required using a
 knife, as well as those of another employee who was out sick with 
COVID-19.&nbsp;

Badawi
 admitted that JBS had a policy, which he had signed, saying employees 
should be open to an assignment transfer. JBS contended Badawi was 
discharged for “insubordination” because he “repeatedly refused to 
perform the work assigned to him” pursuant to the policy.

Badawi
 testified that the demand that he work two jobs “at the same time” was 
different. He said it was “impossible” to do “a job for two people.”

The
 employer twice sent him home for a week, and upon returning the second 
time, Badawi was not allowed back. He reportedly had been making $18.55 
an hour.

While
 the tribunal eventually found that Badawi did not voluntarily leave 
without cause (and therefore was not disqualified from receiving 
unemployment benefits on that basis), it did find him to be disqualified
 from the 14 weeks of benefits because of misconduct. In part, the 
tribunal said, Badawi was “aware that he could be asked to fill in for 
another position according to the (employer’s) policy.”

The district court affirmed that decision, which was appealed to the Supreme Court, which ultimately reversed the lower court.

“On
 this record there is no competent evidence to support the district 
court’s finding that Badawi committed misconduct by refusing to perform 
both jobs,” the high court ruled.

Anderson said he now expects his client to receive unemployment benefits he was initially denied.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653313205641.png" alt="The Nebraska Supreme Court, housed at the State Capitol. (Courtesy of Rebecca S. Gratz)" />
 <figcaption>The Nebraska Supreme Court, housed at the State Capitol. (Courtesy of Rebecca S. Gratz)</figcaption>
 </figure>By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/05/20/nebraska-supreme-court-rules-in-favor-of-a-meatpacking-worker-fired-during-the-pandemic/">Nebraska Examiner</a>The
 Nebraska Supreme Court on Friday reversed a lower court’s opinion 
denying several weeks of unemployment benefits to a packinghouse worker 
who said he refused to take on additional duties of a colleague absent 
with COVID-19.The
 ruling centered on whether Saied Badawi’s actions leading up to his 
termination from JBS Swift Beef amounted to misconduct, which could 
disqualify him from 14 weeks of unemployment payments.In
 its 18-page decision, the high court said the employer did not provide 
“competent evidence” to support a lower court finding that Badawi had 
committed misconduct by refusing to perform both jobs.&nbsp;“At
 best, this record shows only that because of the COVID-19 pandemic, 
fewer employees were able to work at JBS. … Badawi refused the order to 
perform both jobs because he thought he was not physically capable of 
doing so. And the record shows that both before and after Badawi’s 
discharge, the two jobs were performed by two individuals rather than 
one.”<h2>‘Protection for the people, rather than employers’</h2>The
 lawsuit, Badawi vs. Albin, names as a defendant John Albin, director of
 the Nebraska Labor Department, because the department handles 
unemployment benefits.Albin
 said Friday that the Labor Department was pleased with the high court’s
 decision, as it affirmed procedural matters the department favors, 
particularly that the burden of proof for misconduct when denying 
benefits lies with the employer.“We really didn’t have a big stake in the determination of whether or not the individual was entitled to benefits,” Albin said.The lawyer for JBS was not available for comment.Zach
 Anderson of Legal Aid of Nebraska, who argued on Badawi’s behalf, said 
he was “super excited.” He called the ruling that explicitly says an 
employer must prove misconduct a win for employees.&nbsp;“It
 offers protection for the people, rather than employers, which impacts 
so many when they’re in the most profound need for safety when 
unemployed,” Anderson said.Under
 state law, misconduct includes willful disregard of employer interest, 
deliberate violation of rules, disregard of behavior that the employer 
can rightfully expect or intentional disregard of the employee’s 
obligations.<h2>When he was ‘most in need’</h2>Anderson
 said the case was important also because it pertained to a period of 
time during the early stages of the pandemic when his client was “most 
in need.” The lower court had said Badawi would get unemployment 
benefits, but only after the 14-week penalty.&nbsp;According to the testimony, Badawi had worked for about 1.5 years at JBS when he was discharged in mid-2020.The
 Department of Labor found early on that Badawi left his job voluntarily
 without good cause and thus was disqualified from the benefits until he
 met certain requalification requirements.&nbsp;On
 his appeal to an administrative body called the Nebraska Appeal 
Tribunal, Badawi argued through an Arabic interpreter that he didn’t 
leave his job on his own accord. JBS did not appear for the hearing, 
which also looked at whether Badawi was discharged for misconduct 
connected with his work.Badawi
 said he was asked to perform his own job duties, which required using a
 knife, as well as those of another employee who was out sick with 
COVID-19.&nbsp;Badawi
 admitted that JBS had a policy, which he had signed, saying employees 
should be open to an assignment transfer. JBS contended Badawi was 
discharged for “insubordination” because he “repeatedly refused to 
perform the work assigned to him” pursuant to the policy.<h2>Lacking ‘competent evidence’</h2>Badawi
 testified that the demand that he work two jobs “at the same time” was 
different. He said it was “impossible” to do “a job for two people.”The
 employer twice sent him home for a week, and upon returning the second 
time, Badawi was not allowed back. He reportedly had been making $18.55 
an hour.While
 the tribunal eventually found that Badawi did not voluntarily leave 
without cause (and therefore was not disqualified from receiving 
unemployment benefits on that basis), it did find him to be disqualified
 from the 14 weeks of benefits because of misconduct. In part, the 
tribunal said, Badawi was “aware that he could be asked to fill in for 
another position according to the (employer’s) policy.”The district court affirmed that decision, which was appealed to the Supreme Court, which ultimately reversed the lower court.“On
 this record there is no competent evidence to support the district 
court’s finding that Badawi committed misconduct by refusing to perform 
both jobs,” the high court ruled.Anderson said he now expects his client to receive unemployment benefits he was initially denied.

Court rules in favor of meatpacking worker fired during pandemic

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A couple hundred people grabbed their pool noodles and headed to a Nebraska park again this weekend to battle over the right to the name Josh. 

The event started as an online joke when Josh Swain from Tucson, Arizona, sent out a tweet challenging anyone who shared his name to fight over it. 

After it took on a life of its own, Swain turned it into a real event last year at the random coordinates he included in his original note, which happened to be in Lincoln, Nebraska.

 Several of the competitors this year donned costumes, but they still couldn't dethrone 5-year-old Josh Vinson Jr. who defended his title as the No. 1 Josh.

By Associated PressLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A couple hundred people grabbed their pool noodles and headed to a Nebraska park again this weekend to battle over the right to the name Josh. The event started as an online joke when Josh Swain from Tucson, Arizona, sent out a tweet challenging anyone who shared his name to fight over it. After it took on a life of its own, Swain turned it into a real event last year at the random coordinates he included in his original note, which happened to be in Lincoln, Nebraska. Several of the competitors this year donned costumes, but they still couldn't dethrone 5-year-old Josh Vinson Jr. who defended his title as the No. 1 Josh.

Pool noodle fight over the name Josh again attracts hundreds

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — President Biden signed legislation to support Ukraine with another $40 billion in U.S. assistance as the Russian invasion approaches its fourth month.

The legislation, which was passed by Congress&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-biden-kyiv-5e277c523f8080672a7479fc4e75c27d">with bipartisan support,</a>&nbsp;deepens the U.S. commitment to Ukraine at a time of uncertainty about the war’s future. Ukraine has successfully defended Kyiv, and Russia has refocused its offensive on the country’s east, but American officials warn of the potential for a prolonged conflict.

The funding is intended to support Ukraine through September, and it dwarfs&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-business-sports-elections-c6797784424afd3d597410cc388f206f">an earlier emergency measure</a>&nbsp;that provided $13.6 billion.

The new legislation will provide $20 billion in military assistance, ensuring a steady stream of advanced weapons that have been used to blunt Russia’s advances. There’s also $8 billion in general economic support, $5 billion to address global food shortages that could result from the collapse of Ukrainian agriculture and more than $1 billion to help refugees.

Biden signed the measure under unusual circumstances. Because he’s in the middle of a trip to Asia, a U.S. official brought a copy of the bill&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-south-korea-asia-seoul-b1c87ec419168374e321330886ef6746">on a commercial flight</a>&nbsp;to Seoul for the president to sign, according to a White House official.

The logistics reflect a sense of urgency around continuing U.S. support for Ukraine, but also the overlapping international challenges facing Biden. Even as he tries to reorient American foreign policy to confront China, he’s continuing to direct resources to the largest conflict in Europe since World War II.

Biden also signed an unrelated measure, one intended to increase access to baby formula at a time when supplies remain scarce in the United States. The legislation will allow government benefits from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children — better known as WIC — to be used to buy more types of infant formula.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653137467921.png" alt="The funding is intended to support Ukraine through September, and it dwarfs&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-business-sports-elections-c6797784424afd3d597410cc388f206f">an earlier emergency measure</a>&nbsp;that provided $13.6 billion-photo White House" />
 <figcaption>The funding is intended to support Ukraine through September, and it dwarfs&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-business-sports-elections-c6797784424afd3d597410cc388f206f">an earlier emergency measure</a>&nbsp;that provided $13.6 billion-photo White House</figcaption>
 </figure>SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — President Biden signed legislation to support Ukraine with another $40 billion in U.S. assistance as the Russian invasion approaches its fourth month.The legislation, which was passed by Congress&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-biden-kyiv-5e277c523f8080672a7479fc4e75c27d">with bipartisan support,</a>&nbsp;deepens the U.S. commitment to Ukraine at a time of uncertainty about the war’s future. Ukraine has successfully defended Kyiv, and Russia has refocused its offensive on the country’s east, but American officials warn of the potential for a prolonged conflict.The funding is intended to support Ukraine through September, and it dwarfs&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-business-sports-elections-c6797784424afd3d597410cc388f206f">an earlier emergency measure</a>&nbsp;that provided $13.6 billion.The new legislation will provide $20 billion in military assistance, ensuring a steady stream of advanced weapons that have been used to blunt Russia’s advances. There’s also $8 billion in general economic support, $5 billion to address global food shortages that could result from the collapse of Ukrainian agriculture and more than $1 billion to help refugees.Biden signed the measure under unusual circumstances. Because he’s in the middle of a trip to Asia, a U.S. official brought a copy of the bill&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-south-korea-asia-seoul-b1c87ec419168374e321330886ef6746">on a commercial flight</a>&nbsp;to Seoul for the president to sign, according to a White House official.The logistics reflect a sense of urgency around continuing U.S. support for Ukraine, but also the overlapping international challenges facing Biden. Even as he tries to reorient American foreign policy to confront China, he’s continuing to direct resources to the largest conflict in Europe since World War II.Biden also signed an unrelated measure, one intended to increase access to baby formula at a time when supplies remain scarce in the United States. The legislation will allow government benefits from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children — better known as WIC — to be used to buy more types of infant formula.

$40B from U.S. to support Ukraine just through September

WASHINGTON, DC&nbsp;—&nbsp;The IRS today issued a revised set of frequently 
asked questions for the 2021 Child Tax Credit. These frequently asked 
questions (FAQs) are released to the public in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/taxpros/fs-2022-29.pdf">Fact Sheet 2022-29</a>PDF, May 20, 2022.

IRSWASHINGTON, DC&nbsp;—&nbsp;The IRS today issued a revised set of frequently 
asked questions for the 2021 Child Tax Credit. These frequently asked 
questions (FAQs) are released to the public in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/taxpros/fs-2022-29.pdf">Fact Sheet 2022-29</a>PDF, May 20, 2022.These FAQ revisions are as follows:<ul>
 <li>Topic A: General Information: Updated questions 1,2,3,4,5,8,9,10,11,13,14,15,16</li><li>Topic E: Advance Payment Process of the Child Tax Credit: Updated questions 2,3</li><li>Topic F: Updating Your Child Tax Credit Information During 2021: Removed questions 1,2 and updated 3,4</li><li>Topic G: Receiving Advance Child Tax Credit Payments: Updated questions 1,6,7,9,10,11</li><li>Topic H: Reconciling Your Advance Child Tax Credit Payments on Your 2021 Tax Return: Updated questions 1,2,9 and removed 10</li><li>Topic J: Unenrolling from Advance Payments: Updated question 1 and removed 2,3,4,5,6,7</li><li>Topic K: Verifying Your Identity to View your Payments2021 Child Tax Credit: Updated 2,3,5,6 and removed 7</li><li>Topic L: Commonly Asked Shared-Custody Questions: Updated 1 and 2</li>
 </ul>

IRS revises 2021 Child Tax Credit, Advance Child Tax Credit frequently asked questions

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are advising consumers to double-check their jars of Jif peanut butter.

<a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-salmonella-peanut-butter-may-2022">Click here to see mor</a>e on the products in the recall

Jif’s creamy, crunchy, natural and reduced fat peanut butters have been linked to a salmonella outbreak across 12 states that has left 14 ill, with two people being hospitalized. 

Side effects from salmonella poisoning include fever, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. The J.M. Smucker Co. announced a voluntary recall Friday of some Jif peanut butter products for potential salmonella contamination. The company says jars with lot codes 1274425 through 2140425 have been recalled and should be discarded. Jif is sold at retailers nationwide.

Consumers, restaurants, and retailers should not eat, sell, or serve any recalled Jif brand peanut butter that have lot code numbers 1274425 through 2140425,&nbsp;only if the first seven digits end with 425 (see photo example and Product List with UPC Codes below). This product has a two-year shelf life so consumers should check any Jif peanut butter in their home.

FDA recommends that if you have used the recalled Jif brand peanut butter that have lot code numbers 1274425 through 2140425 and the first seven digits end with 425, you should wash and sanitize surfaces and utensils that could have touched the peanut butter. If you or someone in your household ate this peanut butter and have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/foodborne-pathogens/salmonella-salmonellosis">symptoms</a>&nbsp;of salmonellosis, please contact your healthcare provider

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653259224747.png" alt="Peanut butter case count&nbsp; map -CDC image" />
 <figcaption>Peanut butter case count&nbsp; map -CDC image</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are advising consumers to double-check their jars of Jif peanut butter.<a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-salmonella-peanut-butter-may-2022">Click here to see mor</a>e on the products in the recallJif’s creamy, crunchy, natural and reduced fat peanut butters have been linked to a salmonella outbreak across 12 states that has left 14 ill, with two people being hospitalized. Side effects from salmonella poisoning include fever, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. The J.M. Smucker Co. announced a voluntary recall Friday of some Jif peanut butter products for potential salmonella contamination. The company says jars with lot codes 1274425 through 2140425 have been recalled and should be discarded. Jif is sold at retailers nationwide.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653259399279.png" alt="FDA image" />
 <figcaption>FDA image</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Recommendation</h2>Consumers, restaurants, and retailers should not eat, sell, or serve any recalled Jif brand peanut butter that have lot code numbers 1274425 through 2140425,&nbsp;only if the first seven digits end with 425 (see photo example and Product List with UPC Codes below). This product has a two-year shelf life so consumers should check any Jif peanut butter in their home.FDA recommends that if you have used the recalled Jif brand peanut butter that have lot code numbers 1274425 through 2140425 and the first seven digits end with 425, you should wash and sanitize surfaces and utensils that could have touched the peanut butter. If you or someone in your household ate this peanut butter and have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/foodborne-pathogens/salmonella-salmonellosis">symptoms</a>&nbsp;of salmonellosis, please contact your healthcare provider

Salmonella: Jif peanut butter products recalled 

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A military plane carrying enough specialty infant formula for more than half a million baby bottles arrived Sunday in Indianapolis,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-health-government-and-politics-8dd6bfbee3046be4c774c53d4517c870">the first of several flights</a>&nbsp;expected from Europe aimed at relieving a shortage that has sent parents scrambling to find enough to feed their children.

President Joe Biden authorized the use of Air Force planes for the effort, dubbed “Operation Fly Formula,” because no commercial flights were available.

The formula weighed 78,000 pounds. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard Air Force One as Biden flew from South Korea to Japan.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was in Indianapolis to greet the arrival of the first shipment.

The flights are intended to provide “some incremental relief in the coming days” as the government works on a more lasting response to the shortage, Brian Deese, director of the White House National Economic Council, said Sunday.

Deese told CNN’s “State of the Union” that Sunday’s flight brought 15% of the specialty medical grade formula needed in the U.S., and because of various actions by the government, people should see “more formula in stores starting as early as this week.”

Longer term, he said, the U.S. needs more formula providers “so that no individual company has this much control over supply chains.”

The Biden administration has struggled to address the nationwide shortage of formula, particularly hypoallergenic varieties. The crisis follows the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-business-health-michigan-a4205025fc781b1fb902cdd9e1264b41">closure of the nation’s largest domestic manufacturing plant in Michigan in February</a>&nbsp;due to safety issues.

The White House has said 132 pallets of Nestle Health Science Alfamino Infant and Alfamino Junior formula was to leave Ramstein Air Base in Germany for the U.S. Another 114 pallets of Gerber Good Start Extensive HA formula were expected to arrive in the coming days. Altogether, about 1.5 million 8-ounce bottles of the three formulas, which are hypoallergenic for children with cow’s milk protein allergies, are expected to arrive this week.

Indianapolis was chosen because it is a Nestle distribution hub. The formula will be offloaded into FedEx semitractor-trailers and taken to a Nestle distribution center about a mile away where the company will do a standard quality control check before distributing the supplies to hospitals, pharmacies and doctor’s offices, according to an administration official on site.

In a statement Sunday, the White House said a Pentagon-sourced FedEx Express flight of Nestlé S.A. formula from Ramstein Air Base would be bound for a Nestle facility in Pennsylvania.

Nestle said that over the past few months it has worked “around the clock” to address the formula shortage and help meet demand.

“We have significantly increased the amount of our formulas available to consumers by ramping up production and accelerating general product availability to retailers and online, as well as through hospitals and home health care for those most vulnerable,” the company said in a release.

“At Nestle we are absolutely committed to doing everything we can to get parents and caregivers the formula they need so their children can thrive,” it added. “We prioritized these products because they serve a critical medical purpose as they are for children with cow’s milk protein allergies.”

Under “Operation Fly Formula,” the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services are authorized to request Department of Defense support to pick up overseas infant formula that meets U.S. health and safety standards, so it can get to store shelves faster, according to the USDA.

Alfamino is primarily available through hospitals and home health care companies that serve patients at home.

U.S. regulators and the manufacturer, Abbott Nutrition,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-politics-science-e4aef87dfb74039f1612ca5279e85227">hope to have its Michigan plant reopened</a>&nbsp;next week, but it will take about two months before product is ready for delivery. The Food and Drug Administration this week eased importation requirements for baby formula to try to ease the supply crunch, which has left store shelves void of some brands and some retailers rationing supply for parents nervous about feeding their children.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653255395217.png" alt="President Joe Biden authorized the use of Air Force planes for the effort, dubbed “Operation Fly Formula,” because no commercial flights were available.-photo White House" />
 <figcaption>President Joe Biden authorized the use of Air Force planes for the effort, dubbed “Operation Fly Formula,” because no commercial flights were available.-photo White House</figcaption>
 </figure>INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A military plane carrying enough specialty infant formula for more than half a million baby bottles arrived Sunday in Indianapolis,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-health-government-and-politics-8dd6bfbee3046be4c774c53d4517c870">the first of several flights</a>&nbsp;expected from Europe aimed at relieving a shortage that has sent parents scrambling to find enough to feed their children.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Operation Fly Formula is underway. Thanks to the teamwork of the men and women of U.S. Transportation Command, needed specialty infant formula is in the United States. <a href="https://t.co/uErzdh6tXk">pic.twitter.com/uErzdh6tXk</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1528422672052502535?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 22, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>President Joe Biden authorized the use of Air Force planes for the effort, dubbed “Operation Fly Formula,” because no commercial flights were available.The formula weighed 78,000 pounds. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard Air Force One as Biden flew from South Korea to Japan.Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was in Indianapolis to greet the arrival of the first shipment.The flights are intended to provide “some incremental relief in the coming days” as the government works on a more lasting response to the shortage, Brian Deese, director of the White House National Economic Council, said Sunday.Deese told CNN’s “State of the Union” that Sunday’s flight brought 15% of the specialty medical grade formula needed in the U.S., and because of various actions by the government, people should see “more formula in stores starting as early as this week.”Longer term, he said, the U.S. needs more formula providers “so that no individual company has this much control over supply chains.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653255351950.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Biden administration has struggled to address the nationwide shortage of formula, particularly hypoallergenic varieties. The crisis follows the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-business-health-michigan-a4205025fc781b1fb902cdd9e1264b41">closure of the nation’s largest domestic manufacturing plant in Michigan in February</a>&nbsp;due to safety issues.The White House has said 132 pallets of Nestle Health Science Alfamino Infant and Alfamino Junior formula was to leave Ramstein Air Base in Germany for the U.S. Another 114 pallets of Gerber Good Start Extensive HA formula were expected to arrive in the coming days. Altogether, about 1.5 million 8-ounce bottles of the three formulas, which are hypoallergenic for children with cow’s milk protein allergies, are expected to arrive this week.Indianapolis was chosen because it is a Nestle distribution hub. The formula will be offloaded into FedEx semitractor-trailers and taken to a Nestle distribution center about a mile away where the company will do a standard quality control check before distributing the supplies to hospitals, pharmacies and doctor’s offices, according to an administration official on site.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653255522967.png" alt="White House photo&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>White House photo&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>In a statement Sunday, the White House said a Pentagon-sourced FedEx Express flight of Nestlé S.A. formula from Ramstein Air Base would be bound for a Nestle facility in Pennsylvania.Nestle said that over the past few months it has worked “around the clock” to address the formula shortage and help meet demand.“We have significantly increased the amount of our formulas available to consumers by ramping up production and accelerating general product availability to retailers and online, as well as through hospitals and home health care for those most vulnerable,” the company said in a release.“At Nestle we are absolutely committed to doing everything we can to get parents and caregivers the formula they need so their children can thrive,” it added. “We prioritized these products because they serve a critical medical purpose as they are for children with cow’s milk protein allergies.”Under “Operation Fly Formula,” the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services are authorized to request Department of Defense support to pick up overseas infant formula that meets U.S. health and safety standards, so it can get to store shelves faster, according to the USDA.Alfamino is primarily available through hospitals and home health care companies that serve patients at home.U.S. regulators and the manufacturer, Abbott Nutrition,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-politics-science-e4aef87dfb74039f1612ca5279e85227">hope to have its Michigan plant reopened</a>&nbsp;next week, but it will take about two months before product is ready for delivery. The Food and Drug Administration this week eased importation requirements for baby formula to try to ease the supply crunch, which has left store shelves void of some brands and some retailers rationing supply for parents nervous about feeding their children.

78,000 pounds of infant formula arrives in US

LINCOLN, Neb.-Lincoln police are investigating the second fatal shooting of the weekend after a shooting left two people dead and one seriously wounded early this morning.

Police said at around 2:20 a.m., a male subject called 911 and reported that he had been shot.

Officers responded to the area of 30th and P Streets where they found two subjects inside of a residence deceased. Police said life-saving measures were attempted but both men, ages 42 and 26, succumbed to their injuries.  

Police said a third victim of a shooting, a 19-year-old male, arrived at a local hospital shortly after the original call came in. They are listed in serious but stable condition as of Sunday morning.&nbsp;

Police said investigators are working to determine if the shootings are related.

Police said the investigation is in the very early stages, and they believe this to be an isolated incident. There is no further threat to the public related to this incident.

Police&nbsp;encourage anyone with information to call 402-441-6000 or Crime Stoppers at 402-475-3600.

Police are also currently investigating a fatal shooting on Saturday morning outside Gravity nightclub. No arrests have been made.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653221957456.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By SCOTT CARLSON North Platte PostLINCOLN, Neb.-Lincoln police are investigating the second fatal shooting of the weekend after a shooting left two people dead and one seriously wounded early this morning.Police said at around 2:20 a.m., a male subject called 911 and reported that he had been shot.Officers responded to the area of 30th and P Streets where they found two subjects inside of a residence deceased. Police said life-saving measures were attempted but both men, ages 42 and 26, succumbed to their injuries. Police said a third victim of a shooting, a 19-year-old male, arrived at a local hospital shortly after the original call came in. They are listed in serious but stable condition as of Sunday morning.&nbsp;Police said investigators are working to determine if the shootings are related.Police said the investigation is in the very early stages, and they believe this to be an isolated incident. There is no further threat to the public related to this incident.Police&nbsp;encourage anyone with information to call 402-441-6000 or Crime Stoppers at 402-475-3600.Police are also currently investigating a fatal shooting on Saturday morning outside Gravity nightclub. No arrests have been made.

2 dead, 1 in serious condition after 2nd weekend shooting in Lincoln

KANSAS CITY (AP) — It was lunch hour at the abortion clinic, so the nurse in the recovery room got her Bible out of her bag in the closet and began to read.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding,” her favorite proverb says, and she returns to it again and again. “He will make your paths straight.”

She believes God led her here, to a job at the West Alabama Women’s Center, tending to patients who’ve just had abortions. “I trust in God,” said Ramona, who asked that her last name not be used because of the volatility of America’s abortion debate

Out in the parking lot, protesters bellowed at patients arriving for appointments, doing battle against what they regard as a grave sin.

The loudest voices in the abortion debate are often characterized along a starkly religious divide, the faithful versus not. But the reality is much more nuanced, both at this abortion clinic and in the nation that surrounds it. The clinic’s staff of 11 — most of them Black, deeply faithful Christian women — have no trouble at all reconciling their work with their religion.

And as the U.S. Supreme Court appears poised to dismantle the constitutional right to an abortion, they draw on their faith that they will somehow continue.

God is on our side, they tell each other. God will keep this clinic open.

Robin Marty, who moved from Minneapolis to Tuscaloosa a couple years ago to help run this clinic, was surprised to hear nurses pray for guidance as the future of abortion grows uncertain.

“That is one of the things that has caused a whiplash for me — I had this stereotype in my head of a Southern religious person,” said Marty. “I just assumed that there was no compatibility between people who are religious and people who support the ability to get an abortion.”

Marty realized she was wrong . It’s a common error.

“We need to have a real conversation about what we describe as Christianity,” said Kendra Cotton, a member of the Black Southern Women’s Collective, a network of Black women organizers, many of them from faith-based groups.

The white evangelical worldview that abortion is murder has consumed the conversation, flattening the understanding of how religion and views on abortion truly intersect, she said.

Before Roe v. Wade, faith leaders in many places led efforts to help pregnant women access underground abortions, because they considered it a calling to show compassion and mercy to the most vulnerable.

Now, Black Protestants have some of the most liberal views on access to abortion: Nearly 70% believe abortion should be legal in most or all cases, according to the Public Religion Research Institute. White evangelicals are the other extreme, with only 24% believing abortion should be allowed in most or all cases.

For faithful women of color, there’s often a very different balancing act of values when confronting the question of whether women should be able to end unwanted pregnancies, Cotton said.

“We know that Christianity supports freedom, and inherent in freedom is bodily autonomy. Inherent in Christianity is free will. When people talk about the body being a temple of God, you have purview over your body, there is nothing more sacred,” Cotton said.

The idea of the state restricting what a person can do with their own body is in direct conflict with that, she said, and it is reminiscent of being under someone else’s control -- of slavery.

“You don’t get to tell me what to do,” Cotton said.

In Tuscaloosa, the West Alabama Women’s Center sits on the edge of a nondescript medical plaza, a half-mile from the University of Alabama campus. Though many of the center’s clientele are college students, others come from all over the state and some surrounding ones -- it is the only abortion clinic for two hours in every direction. Many of their clients are Black, many already have children and more than 75% survive below the poverty line.

Every patient comes into Ramona’s recovery room after their abortion. She keeps the lights low. Working here, to her, feels like a righteous calling. She believes the Christian way is to love people where they are, and that means walking kindly with them as they make the best decision for themselves.

Sometimes they cry, and tell her they didn’t want to be there. She’s heard stories of rape and domestic violence, but most talk about fear of having more mouths they can’t afford to feed. She always says, “I understand.”

“I mean that, I do understand, I’ve gone through that myself,” she said.

Ramona, 39, is a single mother of four children, and had her first child at 16. She sometimes imagines what her life might have been had she started her family later. She had to drop out of college. There were times, when her children were young, when she couldn’t pay the gas bill, and she boiled water so they could have warm baths.

“Women go through so much, it’s hard,” she said. “So you should have that choice, whether or not you’re ready to be a mother. No one else should choose for you.”

Her daughter used to say “Mom, I want to be just like you,” and she would stop her. “No ma’am,” she’d say to her. “I want you to be better.” Her daughter is now 22 and studying to be a doctor.

She clawed herself out of poverty and built a life she loves. Her co-worker at the front desk calls her Miss Wonderful -- she’s at peace with God, she said, so every day is a great one.

For a time, she tried to be friendly with one of the regulars who protested outside, trying to convince patients that abortion is murder and they shouldn’t go in. She’d visit on her breaks or as she was leaving for the day. They discussed Scripture, forgiveness, sin.

She’d say, “I can see where you’re coming from. Can you see where I’m coming from? I’m not going to love you any less because of what you believe in or what you think.”

By CLAIRE GALOFAROKANSAS CITY (AP) — It was lunch hour at the abortion clinic, so the nurse in the recovery room got her Bible out of her bag in the closet and began to read.“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding,” her favorite proverb says, and she returns to it again and again. “He will make your paths straight.”She believes God led her here, to a job at the West Alabama Women’s Center, tending to patients who’ve just had abortions. “I trust in God,” said Ramona, who asked that her last name not be used because of the volatility of America’s abortion debateOut in the parking lot, protesters bellowed at patients arriving for appointments, doing battle against what they regard as a grave sin.The loudest voices in the abortion debate are often characterized along a starkly religious divide, the faithful versus not. But the reality is much more nuanced, both at this abortion clinic and in the nation that surrounds it. The clinic’s staff of 11 — most of them Black, deeply faithful Christian women — have no trouble at all reconciling their work with their religion.And as the U.S. Supreme Court appears poised to dismantle the constitutional right to an abortion, they draw on their faith that they will somehow continue.God is on our side, they tell each other. God will keep this clinic open.Robin Marty, who moved from Minneapolis to Tuscaloosa a couple years ago to help run this clinic, was surprised to hear nurses pray for guidance as the future of abortion grows uncertain.“That is one of the things that has caused a whiplash for me — I had this stereotype in my head of a Southern religious person,” said Marty. “I just assumed that there was no compatibility between people who are religious and people who support the ability to get an abortion.”Marty realized she was wrong . It’s a common error.“We need to have a real conversation about what we describe as Christianity,” said Kendra Cotton, a member of the Black Southern Women’s Collective, a network of Black women organizers, many of them from faith-based groups.The white evangelical worldview that abortion is murder has consumed the conversation, flattening the understanding of how religion and views on abortion truly intersect, she said.Before Roe v. Wade, faith leaders in many places led efforts to help pregnant women access underground abortions, because they considered it a calling to show compassion and mercy to the most vulnerable.Now, Black Protestants have some of the most liberal views on access to abortion: Nearly 70% believe abortion should be legal in most or all cases, according to the Public Religion Research Institute. White evangelicals are the other extreme, with only 24% believing abortion should be allowed in most or all cases.For faithful women of color, there’s often a very different balancing act of values when confronting the question of whether women should be able to end unwanted pregnancies, Cotton said.“We know that Christianity supports freedom, and inherent in freedom is bodily autonomy. Inherent in Christianity is free will. When people talk about the body being a temple of God, you have purview over your body, there is nothing more sacred,” Cotton said.The idea of the state restricting what a person can do with their own body is in direct conflict with that, she said, and it is reminiscent of being under someone else’s control -- of slavery.“You don’t get to tell me what to do,” Cotton said.In Tuscaloosa, the West Alabama Women’s Center sits on the edge of a nondescript medical plaza, a half-mile from the University of Alabama campus. Though many of the center’s clientele are college students, others come from all over the state and some surrounding ones -- it is the only abortion clinic for two hours in every direction. Many of their clients are Black, many already have children and more than 75% survive below the poverty line.Every patient comes into Ramona’s recovery room after their abortion. She keeps the lights low. Working here, to her, feels like a righteous calling. She believes the Christian way is to love people where they are, and that means walking kindly with them as they make the best decision for themselves.Sometimes they cry, and tell her they didn’t want to be there. She’s heard stories of rape and domestic violence, but most talk about fear of having more mouths they can’t afford to feed. She always says, “I understand.”“I mean that, I do understand, I’ve gone through that myself,” she said.Ramona, 39, is a single mother of four children, and had her first child at 16. She sometimes imagines what her life might have been had she started her family later. She had to drop out of college. There were times, when her children were young, when she couldn’t pay the gas bill, and she boiled water so they could have warm baths.“Women go through so much, it’s hard,” she said. “So you should have that choice, whether or not you’re ready to be a mother. No one else should choose for you.”Her daughter used to say “Mom, I want to be just like you,” and she would stop her. “No ma’am,” she’d say to her. “I want you to be better.” Her daughter is now 22 and studying to be a doctor.She clawed herself out of poverty and built a life she loves. Her co-worker at the front desk calls her Miss Wonderful -- she’s at peace with God, she said, so every day is a great one.For a time, she tried to be friendly with one of the regulars who protested outside, trying to convince patients that abortion is murder and they shouldn’t go in. She’d visit on her breaks or as she was leaving for the day. They discussed Scripture, forgiveness, sin.She’d say, “I can see where you’re coming from. Can you see where I’m coming from? I’m not going to love you any less because of what you believe in or what you think.”Then one day she was walking by and he shouted at her: When you die, you know where you’ll be going, and it isn’t heaven. She doesn’t talk to him anymore.Alesia Horton, the clinic’s director, eyed the protesters from the window.“I don’t know what Bible they’re reading, ’cause it’s not the one that I read,” she said. She and Ramona have been friends since childhood and share a Christian faith.If people heard the stories she had inside this clinic, she can’t imagine trying to mandate that people be forced into motherhood. She had a patient once who had cancer, wanted the child but couldn’t continue chemotherapy while she was pregnant. She had to choose between her own life and the child she wanted.Just two weeks before, Horton wept when she met a 13-year-old who’d been raped, and she can’t shake the look on the child’s face, staring blankly in the exam room.“It’s going to be OK. Don’t think you did anything wrong because you didn’t,” Horton told her.She often hears patients cry that they’re going to go to hell.“I’ve had patients against abortion until it happened to their child, or it happened to them,” she said. “The first thing they say, ‘I don’t believe in this.’ And I say, ‘Let’s get past that. Now that you’re pregnant, what are you doing to do? Are you still not going to believe in this? Now you’re on the other side. Where you were judging, now it’s you.’”They pray that the Supreme Court won’t overturn Roe v. Wade, because they know their poorest patients will bear the burden of abortion bans. Wealthy women will always find a way. They can travel to states where abortion is legal and all the headaches that entails: time off work, babysitters, a tank full of gas, hotel rooms.If Roe falls, abortion would be barred in Alabama in almost every instance. A 2019 state law, put on hold by the courts for now, outlaws the procedure in all but emergency cases. This clinic is going to try to stay open for those left behind. It is expanding into a full-service gynecological office that people can turn to if they self-administer an abortion and require medical attention, without fear that someone will report them to the police.In the meantime, the ideological gulf between the believers inside and outside remains wide.Some of the protesters outside stand quietly, holding signs and hoping their silent presence rattles patients enough to head back to their cars and go home. Some shout at patients as they walk through the parking lot into the clinic, trying to hand them leaflets or direct them to the anti-abortion crisis pregnancy center next door. Some say they want abortion barred completely, with no exceptions even for rape or life-threatening complications, because they believe abortion is murder no matter the circumstances. Most would not give their names; the pregnancy center declined an interview.The protesters are sometimes aggressive: They have screamed into the clinic’s back doors, recorded biohazard bins being carted away, called police if a patient lashes out when they tell them they’re going to hell.The clinic locks the doors for security reasons during the lunch hour between morning and afternoon appointments. On a recent day, as Ramona read her Bible in the back room, a 23-year-old woman arrived and couldn’t get inside.A group of protesters beckoned the woman, who did not want to be named. She was confused — perhaps these people worked for the clinic. “We can help you,” they told her.“I just walked over there and had a million things thrown in my face,” the woman said. “I’m a baby killer, I’m a murderer.”She ran away weeping. The clinic staff heard and sought her out.“I’m so sorry,” Horton said.She glared at the protesters from the window.“God isn’t theirs,” she said, “God is all of ours.”