By SCOTT CARLSON North Platte Post

LINCOLN, Neb.-Three people are being treated for injuries after a shooting outside a downtown Lincoln bar.

Police said the shooting happened at around 2:38 a.m. in the 1100 block of O St, outside the Gravity nightclub.

Police said officers located three victims suffering from gunshot wounds. All three were transported to a Lincoln hospital. 

Police said one victim sustained life-threatening injuries, one is in critical but stable condition, and one was treated on released.

On Saturday morning, O St. from 11th St. to 12th St. was closed as CSI processed the scene.&nbsp;

Anyone with any information is asked to call Lincoln police at 402-441-6000 or Crime Stoppers at 402-475-3600.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647687771137.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By SCOTT CARLSON North Platte PostLINCOLN, Neb.-Three people are being treated for injuries after a shooting outside a downtown Lincoln bar.Police said the shooting happened at around 2:38 a.m. in the 1100 block of O St, outside the Gravity nightclub.Police said officers located three victims suffering from gunshot wounds. All three were transported to a Lincoln hospital. Police said one victim sustained life-threatening injuries, one is in critical but stable condition, and one was treated on released.Police said no arrests have been made.On Saturday morning, O St. from 11th St. to 12th St. was closed as CSI processed the scene.&nbsp;Anyone with any information is asked to call Lincoln police at 402-441-6000 or Crime Stoppers at 402-475-3600.

Police: 3 shot outside downtown Lincoln bar

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate approved a bill Thursday aimed at easing the baby formula shortage for families participating in a government assistance program that accounts for about half of all formula purchased in the United States.

The House&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-health-government-and-politics-df586c2e52b5e5865ea9f8091d4d1f80">passed the bill</a>&nbsp;the day before, so it now goes to President Joe Biden to be signed into law.

Participants in a program known as WIC get vouchers that are redeemed for specific foods to supplement their diets. The vouchers usually can only be used to purchase one brand of infant formula, which encourages the manufacturer to offer big discounts to secure a state’s business.

The bill makes it possible in extenuating circumstances for the Department of Agriculture to waive certain requirements so that WIC participants can purchase whatever brand is available.

“Now, millions of parents will have an easier time finding the baby formula that they need,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said after the bill was passed.

Also Thursday, the Biden administration said the Defense Department is working to book commercial aircraft to fly about 246 pallets of Nestlé formula from Zurich, Switzerland, to Plainfield, Indiana.

The shipments will include the equivalent of up to 1.5 million 8-ounce bottles of three formulas — Alfamino Infant, Alfamino Junio, and Gerber Good Start Extensive HA, all hypoallergenic formulas for children with cow’s milk protein allergy. The White House said these are a priority because they serve a critical medical purpose and are in short supply.

Lawmakers are also considering boosting staffing at the Food and Drug Administration with a $28 million emergency spending bill. That legislation also passed the House this week, but faces uncertain prospects in the Senate.

The baby formula shortage was caused by the safety-related closure of the country’s largest formula manufacturing plant. The head of the FDA&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-politics-science-e4aef87dfb74039f1612ca5279e85227">told lawmakers</a>&nbsp;Thursday that the factory could be up and running as soon as next week.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648164055231.png" alt="In February Abbott, one of the country’s largest infant formula makers announced a recall of Similac-FDA image" />
 <figcaption>In February Abbott, one of the country’s largest infant formula makers announced a recall of Similac-FDA image</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate approved a bill Thursday aimed at easing the baby formula shortage for families participating in a government assistance program that accounts for about half of all formula purchased in the United States.The House&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-health-government-and-politics-df586c2e52b5e5865ea9f8091d4d1f80">passed the bill</a>&nbsp;the day before, so it now goes to President Joe Biden to be signed into law.Participants in a program known as WIC get vouchers that are redeemed for specific foods to supplement their diets. The vouchers usually can only be used to purchase one brand of infant formula, which encourages the manufacturer to offer big discounts to secure a state’s business.The bill makes it possible in extenuating circumstances for the Department of Agriculture to waive certain requirements so that WIC participants can purchase whatever brand is available.“Now, millions of parents will have an easier time finding the baby formula that they need,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said after the bill was passed.Also Thursday, the Biden administration said the Defense Department is working to book commercial aircraft to fly about 246 pallets of Nestlé formula from Zurich, Switzerland, to Plainfield, Indiana.The shipments will include the equivalent of up to 1.5 million 8-ounce bottles of three formulas — Alfamino Infant, Alfamino Junio, and Gerber Good Start Extensive HA, all hypoallergenic formulas for children with cow’s milk protein allergy. The White House said these are a priority because they serve a critical medical purpose and are in short supply.Lawmakers are also considering boosting staffing at the Food and Drug Administration with a $28 million emergency spending bill. That legislation also passed the House this week, but faces uncertain prospects in the Senate.The baby formula shortage was caused by the safety-related closure of the country’s largest formula manufacturing plant. The head of the FDA&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-politics-science-e4aef87dfb74039f1612ca5279e85227">told lawmakers</a>&nbsp;Thursday that the factory could be up and running as soon as next week.

New WIC rules make it easier for families to get  baby formula 

By ROKESHIA RENNE ASHLEY <a href="https://theconversation.com/after-initial-silence-the-biden-administration-is-making-moves-to-free-wnba-star-brittney-griner-from-russian-detention-181821">The Conversation</a>

A week before Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/04/26/1094763019/investigating-the-timing-and-implications-of-brittney-griners-arrest-in-russia">Russian authorities arrested</a> American basketball star <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-60701050">Brittney Griner</a> at the Moscow airport. She was <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-entertainment-sports-moscow-brittney-griner-7b2cfe5f9726c8620251e85ad5aa6bc9">charged with drug smuggling</a> after Russian officials allegedly found vape cartridges containing oil derived from cannabis in her luggage.

Since <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4dmJ6BjFCg">her arrest</a> on Feb. 17, Griner has been <a href="https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/watch/brittney-griner-to-face-trial-on-drug-charges-in-russia-in-mid-june-140067397962">locked up in a Russian prison</a>.
 It’s a stark contrast to her life as a millionaire athlete playing in 
professional basketball leagues in both the United States and, for the 
last seven years, Russia, where she <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/04/14/1092677483/brittney-griner-russia-detention-wnba-nba-pay-gap">earns nearly four times</a> as much as her nearly US$282,000 annual WNBA salary.

Speculation on the reason for Griner’s arrest centers on Russian 
President Vladimir Putin’s alleged desire to use the American star as <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/03/brittney-griner-russia-wnba-inequality/627048/">a geopolitical pawn</a>
 at a time when U.S.-Russian relations were at their lowest point since 
the Cold War. And then the Russian invasion of Ukraine occurred, and 
U.S.-Russian relations have become worse.

Another American, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/27/politics/paul-whelan-left-behind-statement/index.html">Paul Whelan</a>, who is white, remains in Russian detention after more than two years since his 2020 conviction on espionage charges.

Though U.S.-Russia relations have gotten worse since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-united-states-prisoner-exchange-8fd1e58e690350019c7aab55af41bbbf">unexpected release</a> of <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/27/politics/trevor-reed-russia/index.html">Trevor Reed</a> on April 28, 2022, was a positive sign for Griner’s supporters.

A former U.S. Marine, Reed was held for the last three years in 
Russia on charges stemming from an alleged fight with a Russian police 
officer. He was exchanged for <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/tag/konstantin-yaroshenko">Konstantin Yaroshenko</a>, a Russian pilot serving a 20-year federal sentence for conspiring to smuggle cocaine into the United States.

<a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/russias-asking-price-for-brittney-griner-may-be-notorious-arms-trafficker-004449470.html">Such an exchange</a> may be in the works with Griner.

After nearly three months of silence on Griner, the Biden administration on May 3 <a href="https://www.insider.com/brittney-griner-russia-what-status-change-wrongfully-detained-means-2022-5">declared that Griner</a>
 had been “wrongfully detained” and, as such, the U.S. government would 
work more aggressively to secure her release even while the Russian 
legal case against Griner proceeds.

As a <a href="https://scholars.fiu.edu/display/person-ashley-rokeshia">scholar of Black women’s bodies</a>, one of my primary concerns for Griner is whether her <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/international/597890-anxiety-about-out-brittney-griners-freedom-mounts-amid-russia-ukraine?rl=1">identity as a gay Black woman</a> makes her a good or bad pawn.

Historically and even now, Black women have been represented as <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10894160902876705">less than normal</a>
by white feminine standards, making the value <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10894160902876705">of Black gay women</a> even less. And given the lack of media attention focused on the <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/09/24/1040048967/missing-black-women-girls-left-out-media-ignored">disappearance of Black girls and women</a> – estimated in the U.S. to total <a href="https://time.com/6159565/missing-black-girls-relisha-rudd/">90,000 in 2021</a> – it appeared that Griner’s case would never achieve the publicity that is emerging now.

Started in May 2022 on change.org, a <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/free-brittney-griner-petition-nears-150k-signatures-1707742">petition drive calling</a> for Griner’s release has nearly reached its <a href="https://www.change.org/p/secure-brittney-griner-s-swift-and-safe-return-to-the-u-s">goal of 150,000 signatures</a>.

In addition, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said he is working “side by
 side” with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert on bringing Griner home.

“We’ve been in touch with the White House, the State Department, 
hostage negotiators, every level of government and also through the 
private sector as well,” Silver said during <a href="https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/33935229/commissioner-adam-silver-says-nba-working-wnba-brittney-griner-release-russia">an interview on ESPN</a>. “Our No. 1 priority is her health and safety and making sure that she gets out of Russia.”

The Griner case <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10825811/U-S-diplomat-spoke-wife-detained-basketball-player-Brittney-Griner.html">gained more attention</a> when <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/richardson-helping-free-wnba-star-brittney-griner-detention/story?id=84518602">Bill Richardson</a>, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, joined the team of negotiators.

Richardson has worked privately for years as an international hostage negotiator and helped secure <a href="https://www.newsnationnow.com/morninginamerica/trevor-reed-back-in-u-s-after-prisoner-swap-with-russia/">the release of Reed</a>.

At 6 feet, 8 inches tall, Griner, 31, stands out in a crowd. In her book, “<a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/in-my-skin-brittney-grinersue-hovey?variant=32208120512546">In My Skin: My Life On and Off the Basketball Court</a>,”
 Griner details her life as a extremely tall Black woman wearing size 17
 men’s shoes and whose outstretched arms measure 88 inches from 
fingertip to fingertip.

She also wrote about the stigma she endured as a gay woman. 

During her time at Baylor University, the private Christian university <a href="https://people.com/sports/wnbas-brittney-griner-on-being-a-gay-athlete-i-felt-like-half-of-me-wasnt-accepted/">banned homosexual behavior</a>.

“It was hard,” Griner <a href="https://www.latimes.com/sports/la-xpm-2013-apr-18-la-sp-sn-brittney-griner-acknowledges-shes-gay-20130418-story.html">said in an interview</a>. “Just being picked on for being different, just being bigger, my sexuality, everything.”

“I overcame it and got over it,” she continued. “Definitely something
 that I am very passionate about. I want to work with kids and bring 
recognition to the problem, especially with the LGBT community.”

Since those early days in college, Griner has become a leading <a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/in-my-skin-brittney-grinersue-hovey?variant=32208120512546">advocate for the LGBT community</a>, publicly speaking about gender, body image, self-esteem and sexuality.

It didn’t hurt that Griner is considered one of the world’s best women’s basketball players.

Her resume includes an NCAA championship in 2012 with Baylor, a 2014 
WNBA championship with the Phoenix Mercury, two Olympic gold medals for 
the U.S., three Russia Women’s Basketball Premier League championships 
and four EuroLeague championships.

In her seventh season in Russia, Griner’s last game with the Russian club UMMC Ekaterinburg was on <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/brittany-griner-arrest-geopolitical-nightmare-perfect-storm">Jan. 29</a>, nearly three weeks before her arrest.

Part of <a href="https://time.com/6158334/brittney-griner-russia-arrest-help/">the initial silence</a> in the Griner case was the reluctance among U.S. State Department officials to publicly discuss it.

The so-called strategic silence by the Biden Administration has also 
played out among Griner’s supporters, including Engelbert, the WNBA 
commissioner, who said <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/absolutely-unimaginable-situation-wnba-commissioner-110030427.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall">they heeded advice</a> to remain low key.

<a href="https://thehill.com/policy/international/597890-anxiety-about-out-brittney-griners-freedom-mounts-amid-russia-ukraine?rl=1">U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee</a>, a Democrat representing Griner’s home state of Texas, was one of the few who wasn’t silent and <a href="https://people.com/sports/brittney-griner-texas-congresswoman-demands-russia-release-wnba-star-arrest/">demanded her release</a>.

“Under the circumstances,” <a href="https://people.com/sports/brittney-griner-texas-congresswoman-demands-russia-release-wnba-star-arrest/">Lee said on March 3,</a>,
 “I’m obviously concerned and believe the actions of the Russian Federal
 Customs officers was unnecessary. And it was, in my perspective, 
targeted and purposeful.”

Meanwhile, at a brief hearing on May 13, 2022, a handcuffed Griner <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/brittney-griner-held-russia-another-194807858.html">appeared in Russian court</a>
 wearing an orange hoodie with her face down. Her detention was extended
 another month before a trial. She faces up to 10 years if found guilty.

Her attorney, Alexander Boykov, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-moscow-hearing-live-updates-0ff42a2ceab60724f86f6c7e7f81313a">told the Associated Press</a> that Griner did not express “any complaints about the detention conditions” during the hearing.

In an earlier statement, Ned Price, a spokesperson for the State Department, said that Griner <a href="https://www.si.com/wnba/2022/03/23/brittney-griner-russia-arrest-met-us-state-department-official-update-good-condition">received a consular visit</a> on March 23 and was in “good condition” and “doing as well as can be expected under these very difficult circumstances.”

Nonetheless, there remains uncertainty on how hard the U.S. will 
fight for a high-profile gay Black woman at a time of deteriorating 
relations with Russia.  

In my view, the U.S. government has ignored Black women, LGBTQ people
 and those who exist at the intersections for a long time, but the U.S. 
will acknowledge and address situations where citizens are white, male 
and not public figures. 

The U.S. must now decide how to protect a citizen who is none of the above. 

Prominent sports writer <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/03/brittney-griner-russia-wnba-inequality/627048/">Jemele Hill</a>
 suggested at this point in U.S.-Russian relations that it would be 
ironic if Griner’s work in Russia gave her the benefit of the doubt in 
Russian court.

“If Griner has even a modest amount of leverage in Russia,” Hill 
writes, “it’s because she has had an extraordinary career with 
Ekaterinburg.”

Ironic or not, one thing is clear: U.S. public support for her 
release is finally gaining momentum and is symbolized by the WNBA’s 
decision in May 2022 <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/report-wnba-teams-to-honor-brittney-griner-with-floor-decal-this-season-phoenix-mercury-russia-arrest-232132143.html">to place a floor decal</a> of Griner’s initials and No. 42, her uniform number, on the home court sideline of all 12 of its teams.

While this is a good show of support, will the U.S. help Brittney Griner the way its helped Trevor Reed?

Rokeshia Renné Ashley is an Assistant Professor of Communication at Florida International University.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646510097872.png" alt="The 31-year-old Griner, one of the most recognizable players in women’s basketball, has won two Olympic gold medals with the U.S., a WNBA championship with the Phoenix Mercury and a national championship at Baylor. She is a seven-time All-Star and three-time Big 12 Player of the year at Baylor-photo courtesy Phoenix Mercury" />
 <figcaption>The 31-year-old Griner, one of the most recognizable players in women’s basketball, has won two Olympic gold medals with the U.S., a WNBA championship with the Phoenix Mercury and a national championship at Baylor. She is a seven-time All-Star and three-time Big 12 Player of the year at Baylor-photo courtesy Phoenix Mercury</figcaption>
 </figure>By ROKESHIA RENNE ASHLEY <a href="https://theconversation.com/after-initial-silence-the-biden-administration-is-making-moves-to-free-wnba-star-brittney-griner-from-russian-detention-181821">The Conversation</a>A week before Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/04/26/1094763019/investigating-the-timing-and-implications-of-brittney-griners-arrest-in-russia">Russian authorities arrested</a> American basketball star <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-60701050">Brittney Griner</a> at the Moscow airport. She was <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-entertainment-sports-moscow-brittney-griner-7b2cfe5f9726c8620251e85ad5aa6bc9">charged with drug smuggling</a> after Russian officials allegedly found vape cartridges containing oil derived from cannabis in her luggage.Since <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4dmJ6BjFCg">her arrest</a> on Feb. 17, Griner has been <a href="https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/watch/brittney-griner-to-face-trial-on-drug-charges-in-russia-in-mid-june-140067397962">locked up in a Russian prison</a>.
 It’s a stark contrast to her life as a millionaire athlete playing in 
professional basketball leagues in both the United States and, for the 
last seven years, Russia, where she <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/04/14/1092677483/brittney-griner-russia-detention-wnba-nba-pay-gap">earns nearly four times</a> as much as her nearly US$282,000 annual WNBA salary. Speculation on the reason for Griner’s arrest centers on Russian 
President Vladimir Putin’s alleged desire to use the American star as <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/03/brittney-griner-russia-wnba-inequality/627048/">a geopolitical pawn</a>
 at a time when U.S.-Russian relations were at their lowest point since 
the Cold War. And then the Russian invasion of Ukraine occurred, and 
U.S.-Russian relations have become worse. Another American, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/27/politics/paul-whelan-left-behind-statement/index.html">Paul Whelan</a>, who is white, remains in Russian detention after more than two years since his 2020 conviction on espionage charges. Though U.S.-Russia relations have gotten worse since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-united-states-prisoner-exchange-8fd1e58e690350019c7aab55af41bbbf">unexpected release</a> of <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/27/politics/trevor-reed-russia/index.html">Trevor Reed</a> on April 28, 2022, was a positive sign for Griner’s supporters. A former U.S. Marine, Reed was held for the last three years in 
Russia on charges stemming from an alleged fight with a Russian police 
officer. He was exchanged for <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/tag/konstantin-yaroshenko">Konstantin Yaroshenko</a>, a Russian pilot serving a 20-year federal sentence for conspiring to smuggle cocaine into the United States.<a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/russias-asking-price-for-brittney-griner-may-be-notorious-arms-trafficker-004449470.html">Such an exchange</a> may be in the works with Griner. After nearly three months of silence on Griner, the Biden administration on May 3 <a href="https://www.insider.com/brittney-griner-russia-what-status-change-wrongfully-detained-means-2022-5">declared that Griner</a>
 had been “wrongfully detained” and, as such, the U.S. government would 
work more aggressively to secure her release even while the Russian 
legal case against Griner proceeds. <h2>Missing Black women</h2>As a <a href="https://scholars.fiu.edu/display/person-ashley-rokeshia">scholar of Black women’s bodies</a>, one of my primary concerns for Griner is whether her <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/international/597890-anxiety-about-out-brittney-griners-freedom-mounts-amid-russia-ukraine?rl=1">identity as a gay Black woman</a> makes her a good or bad pawn. Historically and even now, Black women have been represented as <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10894160902876705">less than normal</a>
by white feminine standards, making the value <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10894160902876705">of Black gay women</a> even less. And given the lack of media attention focused on the <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/09/24/1040048967/missing-black-women-girls-left-out-media-ignored">disappearance of Black girls and women</a> – estimated in the U.S. to total <a href="https://time.com/6159565/missing-black-girls-relisha-rudd/">90,000 in 2021</a> – it appeared that Griner’s case would never achieve the publicity that is emerging now. Started in May 2022 on change.org, a <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/free-brittney-griner-petition-nears-150k-signatures-1707742">petition drive calling</a> for Griner’s release has nearly reached its <a href="https://www.change.org/p/secure-brittney-griner-s-swift-and-safe-return-to-the-u-s">goal of 150,000 signatures</a>. In addition, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said he is working “side by
 side” with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert on bringing Griner home.“We’ve been in touch with the White House, the State Department, 
hostage negotiators, every level of government and also through the 
private sector as well,” Silver said during <a href="https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/33935229/commissioner-adam-silver-says-nba-working-wnba-brittney-griner-release-russia">an interview on ESPN</a>. “Our No. 1 priority is her health and safety and making sure that she gets out of Russia.”The Griner case <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10825811/U-S-diplomat-spoke-wife-detained-basketball-player-Brittney-Griner.html">gained more attention</a> when <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/richardson-helping-free-wnba-star-brittney-griner-detention/story?id=84518602">Bill Richardson</a>, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, joined the team of negotiators. Richardson has worked privately for years as an international hostage negotiator and helped secure <a href="https://www.newsnationnow.com/morninginamerica/trevor-reed-back-in-u-s-after-prisoner-swap-with-russia/">the release of Reed</a>.<h2>An international star</h2>At 6 feet, 8 inches tall, Griner, 31, stands out in a crowd. In her book, “<a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/in-my-skin-brittney-grinersue-hovey?variant=32208120512546">In My Skin: My Life On and Off the Basketball Court</a>,”
 Griner details her life as a extremely tall Black woman wearing size 17
 men’s shoes and whose outstretched arms measure 88 inches from 
fingertip to fingertip. She also wrote about the stigma she endured as a gay woman. During her time at Baylor University, the private Christian university <a href="https://people.com/sports/wnbas-brittney-griner-on-being-a-gay-athlete-i-felt-like-half-of-me-wasnt-accepted/">banned homosexual behavior</a>. “It was hard,” Griner <a href="https://www.latimes.com/sports/la-xpm-2013-apr-18-la-sp-sn-brittney-griner-acknowledges-shes-gay-20130418-story.html">said in an interview</a>. “Just being picked on for being different, just being bigger, my sexuality, everything.”“I overcame it and got over it,” she continued. “Definitely something
 that I am very passionate about. I want to work with kids and bring 
recognition to the problem, especially with the LGBT community.”Since those early days in college, Griner has become a leading <a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/in-my-skin-brittney-grinersue-hovey?variant=32208120512546">advocate for the LGBT community</a>, publicly speaking about gender, body image, self-esteem and sexuality. It didn’t hurt that Griner is considered one of the world’s best women’s basketball players.Her resume includes an NCAA championship in 2012 with Baylor, a 2014 
WNBA championship with the Phoenix Mercury, two Olympic gold medals for 
the U.S., three Russia Women’s Basketball Premier League championships 
and four EuroLeague championships.In her seventh season in Russia, Griner’s last game with the Russian club UMMC Ekaterinburg was on <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/brittany-griner-arrest-geopolitical-nightmare-perfect-storm">Jan. 29</a>, nearly three weeks before her arrest. <h2>Breaking the silence</h2>Part of <a href="https://time.com/6158334/brittney-griner-russia-arrest-help/">the initial silence</a> in the Griner case was the reluctance among U.S. State Department officials to publicly discuss it. The so-called strategic silence by the Biden Administration has also 
played out among Griner’s supporters, including Engelbert, the WNBA 
commissioner, who said <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/absolutely-unimaginable-situation-wnba-commissioner-110030427.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall">they heeded advice</a> to remain low key. <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/international/597890-anxiety-about-out-brittney-griners-freedom-mounts-amid-russia-ukraine?rl=1">U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee</a>, a Democrat representing Griner’s home state of Texas, was one of the few who wasn’t silent and <a href="https://people.com/sports/brittney-griner-texas-congresswoman-demands-russia-release-wnba-star-arrest/">demanded her release</a>. “Under the circumstances,” <a href="https://people.com/sports/brittney-griner-texas-congresswoman-demands-russia-release-wnba-star-arrest/">Lee said on March 3,</a>,
 “I’m obviously concerned and believe the actions of the Russian Federal
 Customs officers was unnecessary. And it was, in my perspective, 
targeted and purposeful.”Meanwhile, at a brief hearing on May 13, 2022, a handcuffed Griner <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/brittney-griner-held-russia-another-194807858.html">appeared in Russian court</a>
 wearing an orange hoodie with her face down. Her detention was extended
 another month before a trial. She faces up to 10 years if found guilty.Her attorney, Alexander Boykov, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-moscow-hearing-live-updates-0ff42a2ceab60724f86f6c7e7f81313a">told the Associated Press</a> that Griner did not express “any complaints about the detention conditions” during the hearing.In an earlier statement, Ned Price, a spokesperson for the State Department, said that Griner <a href="https://www.si.com/wnba/2022/03/23/brittney-griner-russia-arrest-met-us-state-department-official-update-good-condition">received a consular visit</a> on March 23 and was in “good condition” and “doing as well as can be expected under these very difficult circumstances.”Nonetheless, there remains uncertainty on how hard the U.S. will 
fight for a high-profile gay Black woman at a time of deteriorating 
relations with Russia. In my view, the U.S. government has ignored Black women, LGBTQ people
 and those who exist at the intersections for a long time, but the U.S. 
will acknowledge and address situations where citizens are white, male 
and not public figures. The U.S. must now decide how to protect a citizen who is none of the above. Prominent sports writer <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/03/brittney-griner-russia-wnba-inequality/627048/">Jemele Hill</a>
 suggested at this point in U.S.-Russian relations that it would be 
ironic if Griner’s work in Russia gave her the benefit of the doubt in 
Russian court. “If Griner has even a modest amount of leverage in Russia,” Hill 
writes, “it’s because she has had an extraordinary career with 
Ekaterinburg.”Ironic or not, one thing is clear: U.S. public support for her 
release is finally gaining momentum and is symbolized by the WNBA’s 
decision in May 2022 <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/report-wnba-teams-to-honor-brittney-griner-with-floor-decal-this-season-phoenix-mercury-russia-arrest-232132143.html">to place a floor decal</a> of Griner’s initials and No. 42, her uniform number, on the home court sideline of all 12 of its teams.While this is a good show of support, will the U.S. help Brittney Griner the way its helped Trevor Reed?Rokeshia Renné Ashley is an Assistant Professor of Communication at Florida International University.<div><iframe src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/181821/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" width="1" height="1"></iframe></div>

U.S. making moves to free former Big 12 star from Russian detention

OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Six young Kansas teenagers have been charged with shooting and killing a 19-year-old man at a park in suburban Kansas City. 

The Johnson County District Attorney's office says it wants to try four of them, who are 14 years old, as adults. The other two suspects are 13 and cannot be tried as adults under Kansas law. 

Marco Cardino, of Smithville, Missouri, was found shot to death inside his car on Saturday at a park in Olathe, Kansas. 

The Kansas City Star reports that Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe said the shooting was the result of a marijuana purchase that “went horribly wrong.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611161236522.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By ASSOCIATED PRESSOLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Six young Kansas teenagers have been charged with shooting and killing a 19-year-old man at a park in suburban Kansas City. The Johnson County District Attorney's office says it wants to try four of them, who are 14 years old, as adults. The other two suspects are 13 and cannot be tried as adults under Kansas law. Marco Cardino, of Smithville, Missouri, was found shot to death inside his car on Saturday at a park in Olathe, Kansas. The Kansas City Star reports that Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe said the shooting was the result of a marijuana purchase that “went horribly wrong.”

Six juveniles charged in man's shooting death in Kansas

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The mining company that wants to extract a rare heat-resistant element from the ground under southeast Nebraska says a new report shows the deposit it plans to mine holds a significant amount of other rare elements. 

NioCorp Developments said Thursday the latest analysis shows the amount of rare earth elements present where it plans to build the mine about 80 miles (130 kilometers) south of Omaha near the town of Elk Creek is the second largest deposit in the United States. 

But the company still has to raise more than $1 billion to build the mine.

 It also has to analyze the latest data to determine whether it will be economically feasible to produce those rare earth elements.

By Associated PressOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The mining company that wants to extract a rare heat-resistant element from the ground under southeast Nebraska says a new report shows the deposit it plans to mine holds a significant amount of other rare elements. NioCorp Developments said Thursday the latest analysis shows the amount of rare earth elements present where it plans to build the mine about 80 miles (130 kilometers) south of Omaha near the town of Elk Creek is the second largest deposit in the United States. But the company still has to raise more than $1 billion to build the mine. It also has to analyze the latest data to determine whether it will be economically feasible to produce those rare earth elements.

Proposed Nebraska mine has sizeable deposit of rare elements

By PHIL GALEWITZ, LAUREN WEBER and SAM WHITEHEAD <a href="https://khn.org/news/article/covid-health-disparities-federal-funding-state-spending/">Kaiser Health News</a>

The Biden administration in March 2021 announced it was investing <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/p0317-COVID-19-Health-Disparities.html">$2.25 billion</a>
 to address COVID health disparities, the largest federal funding 
initiative designed specifically to help underserved communities hardest
 hit by the virus.

Two months later, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/publichealthgateway/partnerships/COVID-19-Health-Disparities-OT21-2103.html">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a>
 awarded grants to every state health department and 58 large city and 
county health agencies. The money is intended to help limit the spread 
of COVID-19 among those most at risk in rural areas and within racial 
and ethnic minority groups, as well as improve their health. The CDC 
initially said the grant had to be spent by May 2023 but earlier this 
year told states they could apply to extend that time.

A year later — with COVID having killed 1 million people in the U.S. 
since the start of the pandemic and hospitalizing millions more — little
 of the money has been used, according to a KHN review of about a dozen 
state and county agencies’ grants. While some states and localities have
 allocated large portions of the CDC money for projects, they still have
 spent only a small proportion.

Missouri’s health department has not spent any of its $35.6 million. 
Wisconsin, Illinois, and Idaho — whose state health departments each 
received between $27 million and $31 million — have used less than 5% of
 their grant money.

Pennsylvania’s health department has used about 6% of its nearly $27.7 million grant.

California’s health department has spent just over 10% of its $32.5 million funding.

The public health agencies give a litany of reasons for that: They 
need time to hire people. They blame their state’s long budget process. 
They say it takes time to work with nonprofit organizations to set up 
programs or for them to put the money to use. They’re already tapping 
other federal dollars to fight COVID disparities.

Mounting unspent COVID relief dollars is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.npr.org/2022/03/03/1084162255/biden-wants-more-covid-relief-funds-the-gop-wants-to-know-where-previous-relief-">one of the key reasons</a> Republicans in Congress oppose Democrats’ efforts to appropriate billions more federal dollars for managing the pandemic.

The slow disbursement also highlights the ripple effects of years of neglect for public health systems and the <a target="_blank" href="https://khn.org/news/article/public-health-experts-worry-about-boom-bust-cycle-of-support/">boom-bust cycle of legislative funding</a>. “They are investments that overwhelm a system that has been starved for so long,” said Dr. <a target="_blank" href="https://drexel.edu/dornsife/academics/faculty/Usama-Bilal/">Usama Bilal</a>, an assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at Drexel University in Philadelphia.

Dr. <a target="_blank" href="https://epibiostat.ucsf.edu/news/kirsten-bibbins-domingo-phd-md-mas-join-jama-and-jama-network-editor-chief">Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo</a>,
 chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the 
University of California-San Francisco, added that it is difficult for 
public health systems <a target="_blank" href="https://khn.org/news/us-public-health-system-underfunded-under-threat-faces-more-cuts-amid-covid-pandemic/">lacking resources</a> and fighting a pandemic to establish ties to local nonprofits so quickly.

“The pandemic shone a light on these big health disparities, but they
 also shone a light on the fact that [public health systems] don’t have 
the structures in place to partner directly with communities,” she said.

The funding is meant to reduce the pandemic’s disproportionate effect
 on minorities. When adjusting for the age differences across racial and
 ethnic groups, Black, Hispanic, and Native American communities 
experienced <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/issue-brief/covid-19-cases-and-deaths-by-race-ethnicity-current-data-and-changes-over-time/">higher rates</a>
 of COVID hospitalizations and deaths compared with white people. Such 
adjustments are necessary, researchers say, as communities of color <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/issue-brief/covid-19-cases-and-deaths-by-race-ethnicity-current-data-and-changes-over-time/">tend to be younger</a>.

Despite the need to address these issues, the Riverside County health
 department in California has spent about $700,000 of its $23.4 million 
grant, which is separate from the state health department’s funds.

“Public health has been historically underfunded, and all of a sudden this is way more money than we ever get,” said <a target="_blank" href="https://phasocal.org/wendy-hetherington/">Wendy Hetherington</a>,
 public health program chief with the agency. “It’s great that we got 
this funding because it’s necessary, but we are struggling in trying to 
spend it.”

Part of the problem was that county health officials had to wait six 
months for local government approval to spend it. Then, she said, she 
faced delays negotiating contracts with area nonprofits.

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.aei.org/profile/stan-veuger/">Stan Veuger</a>,
 a senior fellow at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, 
echoed Republican lawmakers’ concerns, saying the slow rollout of these 
grants shows that Congress sent more pandemic relief than state and 
local governments needed since their tax revenue <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2022/03/10/tax-revenue-in-21-states-outperformed-pre-pandemic-growth">rebounded much quicker</a> than many expected.

“It raises questions about why this separate grant program was set up,” he said.

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.heritage.org/staff/rachel-greszler">Rachel Greszler</a>, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation who has argued against Congress funding <a target="_blank" href="https://www.heritage.org/budget-and-spending/commentary/9-reasons-not-pass-yet-another-federal-covid-19-relief-spending">new COVID relief</a>,
 said the slow spending also shows how states need time to absorb an 
influx in revenue and develop programs, especially when governments are 
facing labor shortages and supply chain issues.

The CDC has said the money could be used to aid in preventing the 
spread of the COVID virus, improve data collection, expand health 
services related to COVID, and address social and economic issues that 
have hampered many minority communities from receiving appropriate care 
during the pandemic.

CDC officials are working with groups on the implementation of the grant, said spokesperson Jade Fulce.

Because the term “health disparities” encompasses challenges facing 
all types of population groups, the money can be applied to almost 
anything that affects health.

The Illinois Department of Public Health received $28.9 million and 
has spent $138,000, according to spokesperson Mike Claffey. The state 
plans to spend some of the money on American Sign Language translation 
for COVID materials, outreach to those in jail, mobile health units for 
rural areas, and the hiring of community health workers.

“The goal was to design programs that build up the health care 
infrastructure and address these historic inequities in a significant 
way and meaningful way,” Claffey said.

Florida’s Health Department plans to use $236,000 of its nearly $35 
million grant on newborn hearing screenings after COVID-related closures
 led to a decline in timely checks, said spokesperson Jeremy Redfern.

The Miami-Dade County Health Department has spent $4 million of its 
$28 million CDC grant. It’s giving money to local nonprofit groups to 
deal with food insecurity and language barriers. Like other 
jurisdictions, the county noted it has awarded funding that groups 
haven’t spent yet, including $100,000 to improve literacy among its 
large Haitian community. Saradjine Batrony said she hopes to help 
between 60 and 100 people starting in May with that grant.

“The language barrier is what prevented people from getting 
vaccinated,” said Batrony, who was a researcher at the University of 
Miami before starting her own company last year focused on translating 
health documents into Haitian Creole.

Almost $4.6 million of Pennsylvania’s CDC grant went to the state 
Office of Rural Health, which last fall was planning to give money to 20
 counties. As of May 5, it hadn’t funded any of them.

“In the last couple months, we have encountered issues with county 
leaders losing momentum and interest in COVID-19 work,” said Rachel 
Foster, rural COVID-19 program manager for the agency based at Penn 
State University. “In rural Pennsylvania, cases are low, interest in 
vaccines has waned, and rural residents largely feel the pandemic is 
over.”

Some counties and states say they were addressing health inequity issues before the CDC disparity money.

Philadelphia’s $8.3 million grant followed several CDC awards that 
also dealt with issues affecting underserved communities, said 
spokesperson Matthew Rankin. Philadelphia has spent about $147,000 of 
the disparities grant.

The University of Florida health system in Jacksonville was <a target="_blank" href="https://ufhealthjax.org/news/story.aspx?id=2774">awarded $1.25 million</a>
 last July from Duval County to expand services to communities 
disproportionately affected by COVID. But as of early May, the 
university had not yet received the money, said spokesperson Dan 
Leveton. “We’re not concerned because we have other COVID funding we’re 
using for now and will use the CDC’s funding when it comes through,” he 
said.

Mississippi received $48.4 million, the single-largest award to any 
state health agency from the grant. So far, the agency has spent $8.2 
million, said spokesperson Liz Sharlot, although it has already used 
other federal relief dollars to address COVID health disparities.

While states figure out how to spend the money, health experts worry 
about the consequences politically and to the communities that need 
help.

“The money is terribly needed, but we need to consider that these 
health departments have long been overburdened and they don’t really 
have enough people to handle it,” said Drexel’s Bilal.

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.khn.org/about-us">KHN</a> 
(Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth 
journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and 
Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/about-us">KFF</a> (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652797741530.png" alt="The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention awarded grants to every state health department and 58 large city and county health agencies last summer to focus on COVID health disparities (Adam Schultz/official White House photo)." />
 <figcaption>The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention awarded grants to every state health department and 58 large city and county health agencies last summer to focus on COVID health disparities (Adam Schultz/official White House photo).</figcaption>
 </figure>By PHIL GALEWITZ, LAUREN WEBER and SAM WHITEHEAD <a href="https://khn.org/news/article/covid-health-disparities-federal-funding-state-spending/">Kaiser Health News</a>The Biden administration in March 2021 announced it was investing <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/p0317-COVID-19-Health-Disparities.html">$2.25 billion</a>
 to address COVID health disparities, the largest federal funding 
initiative designed specifically to help underserved communities hardest
 hit by the virus.Two months later, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/publichealthgateway/partnerships/COVID-19-Health-Disparities-OT21-2103.html">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a>
 awarded grants to every state health department and 58 large city and 
county health agencies. The money is intended to help limit the spread 
of COVID-19 among those most at risk in rural areas and within racial 
and ethnic minority groups, as well as improve their health. The CDC 
initially said the grant had to be spent by May 2023 but earlier this 
year told states they could apply to extend that time.A year later — with COVID having killed 1 million people in the U.S. 
since the start of the pandemic and hospitalizing millions more — little
 of the money has been used, according to a KHN review of about a dozen 
state and county agencies’ grants. While some states and localities have
 allocated large portions of the CDC money for projects, they still have
 spent only a small proportion.Missouri’s health department has not spent any of its $35.6 million. 
Wisconsin, Illinois, and Idaho — whose state health departments each 
received between $27 million and $31 million — have used less than 5% of
 their grant money.Pennsylvania’s health department has used about 6% of its nearly $27.7 million grant.California’s health department has spent just over 10% of its $32.5 million funding.The public health agencies give a litany of reasons for that: They 
need time to hire people. They blame their state’s long budget process. 
They say it takes time to work with nonprofit organizations to set up 
programs or for them to put the money to use. They’re already tapping 
other federal dollars to fight COVID disparities.Mounting unspent COVID relief dollars is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.npr.org/2022/03/03/1084162255/biden-wants-more-covid-relief-funds-the-gop-wants-to-know-where-previous-relief-">one of the key reasons</a> Republicans in Congress oppose Democrats’ efforts to appropriate billions more federal dollars for managing the pandemic.The slow disbursement also highlights the ripple effects of years of neglect for public health systems and the <a target="_blank" href="https://khn.org/news/article/public-health-experts-worry-about-boom-bust-cycle-of-support/">boom-bust cycle of legislative funding</a>. “They are investments that overwhelm a system that has been starved for so long,” said Dr. <a target="_blank" href="https://drexel.edu/dornsife/academics/faculty/Usama-Bilal/">Usama Bilal</a>, an assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at Drexel University in Philadelphia.Dr. <a target="_blank" href="https://epibiostat.ucsf.edu/news/kirsten-bibbins-domingo-phd-md-mas-join-jama-and-jama-network-editor-chief">Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo</a>,
 chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the 
University of California-San Francisco, added that it is difficult for 
public health systems <a target="_blank" href="https://khn.org/news/us-public-health-system-underfunded-under-threat-faces-more-cuts-amid-covid-pandemic/">lacking resources</a> and fighting a pandemic to establish ties to local nonprofits so quickly.“The pandemic shone a light on these big health disparities, but they
 also shone a light on the fact that [public health systems] don’t have 
the structures in place to partner directly with communities,” she said.The funding is meant to reduce the pandemic’s disproportionate effect
 on minorities. When adjusting for the age differences across racial and
 ethnic groups, Black, Hispanic, and Native American communities 
experienced <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/issue-brief/covid-19-cases-and-deaths-by-race-ethnicity-current-data-and-changes-over-time/">higher rates</a>
 of COVID hospitalizations and deaths compared with white people. Such 
adjustments are necessary, researchers say, as communities of color <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/issue-brief/covid-19-cases-and-deaths-by-race-ethnicity-current-data-and-changes-over-time/">tend to be younger</a>.Despite the need to address these issues, the Riverside County health
 department in California has spent about $700,000 of its $23.4 million 
grant, which is separate from the state health department’s funds.“Public health has been historically underfunded, and all of a sudden this is way more money than we ever get,” said <a target="_blank" href="https://phasocal.org/wendy-hetherington/">Wendy Hetherington</a>,
 public health program chief with the agency. “It’s great that we got 
this funding because it’s necessary, but we are struggling in trying to 
spend it.”Part of the problem was that county health officials had to wait six 
months for local government approval to spend it. Then, she said, she 
faced delays negotiating contracts with area nonprofits.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.aei.org/profile/stan-veuger/">Stan Veuger</a>,
 a senior fellow at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, 
echoed Republican lawmakers’ concerns, saying the slow rollout of these 
grants shows that Congress sent more pandemic relief than state and 
local governments needed since their tax revenue <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2022/03/10/tax-revenue-in-21-states-outperformed-pre-pandemic-growth">rebounded much quicker</a> than many expected.“It raises questions about why this separate grant program was set up,” he said.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.heritage.org/staff/rachel-greszler">Rachel Greszler</a>, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation who has argued against Congress funding <a target="_blank" href="https://www.heritage.org/budget-and-spending/commentary/9-reasons-not-pass-yet-another-federal-covid-19-relief-spending">new COVID relief</a>,
 said the slow spending also shows how states need time to absorb an 
influx in revenue and develop programs, especially when governments are 
facing labor shortages and supply chain issues.The CDC has said the money could be used to aid in preventing the 
spread of the COVID virus, improve data collection, expand health 
services related to COVID, and address social and economic issues that 
have hampered many minority communities from receiving appropriate care 
during the pandemic.CDC officials are working with groups on the implementation of the grant, said spokesperson Jade Fulce.Because the term “health disparities” encompasses challenges facing 
all types of population groups, the money can be applied to almost 
anything that affects health.The Illinois Department of Public Health received $28.9 million and 
has spent $138,000, according to spokesperson Mike Claffey. The state 
plans to spend some of the money on American Sign Language translation 
for COVID materials, outreach to those in jail, mobile health units for 
rural areas, and the hiring of community health workers.“The goal was to design programs that build up the health care 
infrastructure and address these historic inequities in a significant 
way and meaningful way,” Claffey said.Florida’s Health Department plans to use $236,000 of its nearly $35 
million grant on newborn hearing screenings after COVID-related closures
 led to a decline in timely checks, said spokesperson Jeremy Redfern.The Miami-Dade County Health Department has spent $4 million of its 
$28 million CDC grant. It’s giving money to local nonprofit groups to 
deal with food insecurity and language barriers. Like other 
jurisdictions, the county noted it has awarded funding that groups 
haven’t spent yet, including $100,000 to improve literacy among its 
large Haitian community. Saradjine Batrony said she hopes to help 
between 60 and 100 people starting in May with that grant.“The language barrier is what prevented people from getting 
vaccinated,” said Batrony, who was a researcher at the University of 
Miami before starting her own company last year focused on translating 
health documents into Haitian Creole.Almost $4.6 million of Pennsylvania’s CDC grant went to the state 
Office of Rural Health, which last fall was planning to give money to 20
 counties. As of May 5, it hadn’t funded any of them.“In the last couple months, we have encountered issues with county 
leaders losing momentum and interest in COVID-19 work,” said Rachel 
Foster, rural COVID-19 program manager for the agency based at Penn 
State University. “In rural Pennsylvania, cases are low, interest in 
vaccines has waned, and rural residents largely feel the pandemic is 
over.”Some counties and states say they were addressing health inequity issues before the CDC disparity money.Philadelphia’s $8.3 million grant followed several CDC awards that 
also dealt with issues affecting underserved communities, said 
spokesperson Matthew Rankin. Philadelphia has spent about $147,000 of 
the disparities grant.The University of Florida health system in Jacksonville was <a target="_blank" href="https://ufhealthjax.org/news/story.aspx?id=2774">awarded $1.25 million</a>
 last July from Duval County to expand services to communities 
disproportionately affected by COVID. But as of early May, the 
university had not yet received the money, said spokesperson Dan 
Leveton. “We’re not concerned because we have other COVID funding we’re 
using for now and will use the CDC’s funding when it comes through,” he 
said.Mississippi received $48.4 million, the single-largest award to any 
state health agency from the grant. So far, the agency has spent $8.2 
million, said spokesperson Liz Sharlot, although it has already used 
other federal relief dollars to address COVID health disparities.While states figure out how to spend the money, health experts worry 
about the consequences politically and to the communities that need 
help.“The money is terribly needed, but we need to consider that these 
health departments have long been overburdened and they don’t really 
have enough people to handle it,” said Drexel’s Bilal.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.khn.org/about-us">KHN</a> 
(Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth 
journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and 
Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/about-us">KFF</a> (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.<figure>
 <img src="https://ssl.google-analytics.com/collect?v=1&amp;t=event&amp;ec=Republish&amp;tid=UA-53070700-2&amp;z=1652729708072&amp;cid=9d006ef1-1f01-4f21-9997-65c508d29f70&amp;ea=https%3A%2F%2Fkhn.org%2Fnews%2Farticle%2Fcovid-health-disparities-federal-funding-state-spending%2F&amp;el=States%20Have%20Yet%20to%20Spend%20Hundreds%20of%20Millions%20of%20Federal%20Dollars%20to%20Tackle%20Covid%20Health%20Disparities" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

Millions of federal COVID dollars to help underserved left unspent

LINCOLN, Neb.-Lincoln police said they have made multiple arrests while investigating the city's first homicide of 2022.

On Thursday at around 6:30 a.m. officers responded to the report of two men fighting in the 2800 block of F. St.&nbsp;

Officers arrived and found a 57-year-old man who was unresponsive. He was later pronounced dead at a Lincoln hospital.

Police said a Lancaster County Sheriff's Deputy saw the suspects get into two different vehicles at the U-Suds, 946 S. 27th St., and was able to initiate a traffic stop on both vehicles.&nbsp;

Following further invstigation, three people were arrested:

-Derrick Pearson, 31, Lincoln, on suspicion of manslaughter and use of a weapon to commit a felony.

-Briana Jelinek, 31, Lincoln on suspicion of manslaughter and use of a weapon to commit a felony.

-Micah Berggren, 25, Hickman, on suspicion of 2nd-degree assault and use of a weapon to commit a felony.

Police said the investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact Lincoln police at 402-441-6000.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653053453796.png" alt="Pearson" />
 <figcaption>Pearson</figcaption>
 </figure>By SCOTT CARLSON North Platte PostLINCOLN, Neb.-Lincoln police said they have made multiple arrests while investigating the city's first homicide of 2022.On Thursday at around 6:30 a.m. officers responded to the report of two men fighting in the 2800 block of F. St.&nbsp;Officers arrived and found a 57-year-old man who was unresponsive. He was later pronounced dead at a Lincoln hospital.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653053481642.png" alt="Jelinek" />
 <figcaption>Jelinek</figcaption>
 </figure>Police said a Lancaster County Sheriff's Deputy saw the suspects get into two different vehicles at the U-Suds, 946 S. 27th St., and was able to initiate a traffic stop on both vehicles.&nbsp;Following further invstigation, three people were arrested:-Derrick Pearson, 31, Lincoln, on suspicion of manslaughter and use of a weapon to commit a felony.-Briana Jelinek, 31, Lincoln on suspicion of manslaughter and use of a weapon to commit a felony.-Micah Berggren, 25, Hickman, on suspicion of 2nd-degree assault and use of a weapon to commit a felony.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653053504661.png" alt="Berggren" />
 <figcaption>Berggren</figcaption>
 </figure>Police said the investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact Lincoln police at 402-441-6000.

Lincoln police make multiple arrests in year's 1st homicide

WASHINGTON (AP) —Kids ages 5 to 11 should get a booster dose of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, advisers to the U.S. government said Thursday.

If the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agrees, as expected, it would open a third COVID-19 shot to healthy elementary-age kids -- just like it is already recommended for everybody 12 and older.

The hope is that an extra shot will shore up protection for kids ages 5 to 11 as infections once again are on the rise.

Earlier this week, the Food and Drug Administration authorized Pfizer’s kid-sized booster, to be offered at least five months after the youngsters’ last shot.

But the CDC takes the next step of recommending who actually needs vaccinations. Its advisers debated if all otherwise healthy 5- to 11-year-olds need an extra dose, especially since so many children were infected during the huge winter surge of the omicron variant.

Ultimately, the committee pointed to growing evidence from older kids and adults that two primary vaccinations plus a booster are providing the best protection against the newest coronavirus variants.

“This always perhaps should have been a three-dose vaccine,” said Dr. Grace Lee of Stanford University, who chairs the CDC’s advisory panel.

The booster question isn’t the hottest vaccine topic: Parents still are anxiously awaiting a chance to vaccinate even younger tots, those under 5 -- the only group not yet eligible in the U.S. Both Pfizer and rival Moderna hope to offer vaccines for those youngest children soon; the FDA is expected to evaluate data from one or both companies sometime next month.

But for the 5- to 11-year-olds, it’s not clear how much booster demand there will be. Only about 30% of that age group have had the initial two Pfizer doses since vaccinations opened to them in November.

CDC adviser Dr. Helen Keipp Talbot of Vanderbilt University said health authorities must put more effort into getting more of those youngsters their initial shots

“That needs to be a priority,” she said.

Pfizer and its partner BioNTech make the only COVID-19 vaccine available for children of any age in the U.S. Those ages 5 to 11 receive a kid-sized dose that’s one-third the amount given to everyone 12 and older.

In a small study, Pfizer found a booster revved up those kids’ levels of virus-fighting antibodies -- including those able to fight the super-contagious omicron variant -- the same kind of jump adults get from an extra shot.

Vaccines may not always prevent milder infections -- and omicron especially proved able to slip past their defenses. But CDC cited data during the omicron surge that showed unvaccinated 5- to 11-year-olds had twice the rate of hospitalization as youngsters who got their first two doses.

Health authorities say for all ages, the vaccines are still offering strong protection against COVID-19′s worst outcomes, especially after a third dose.

But some especially high-risk people, including those 50 and older, have been offered the choice of a second booster, or fourth shot. And still to be decided is whether everyone will need additional shots in the fall, possibly reformulated to offer better protection against newer coronavirus variants.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635537216378.png" alt="COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11-photo courtesy Pfizer" />
 <figcaption>COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11-photo courtesy Pfizer</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —Kids ages 5 to 11 should get a booster dose of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, advisers to the U.S. government said Thursday.If the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agrees, as expected, it would open a third COVID-19 shot to healthy elementary-age kids -- just like it is already recommended for everybody 12 and older.The hope is that an extra shot will shore up protection for kids ages 5 to 11 as infections once again are on the rise.Earlier this week, the Food and Drug Administration authorized Pfizer’s kid-sized booster, to be offered at least five months after the youngsters’ last shot.But the CDC takes the next step of recommending who actually needs vaccinations. Its advisers debated if all otherwise healthy 5- to 11-year-olds need an extra dose, especially since so many children were infected during the huge winter surge of the omicron variant.Ultimately, the committee pointed to growing evidence from older kids and adults that two primary vaccinations plus a booster are providing the best protection against the newest coronavirus variants.“This always perhaps should have been a three-dose vaccine,” said Dr. Grace Lee of Stanford University, who chairs the CDC’s advisory panel.The booster question isn’t the hottest vaccine topic: Parents still are anxiously awaiting a chance to vaccinate even younger tots, those under 5 -- the only group not yet eligible in the U.S. Both Pfizer and rival Moderna hope to offer vaccines for those youngest children soon; the FDA is expected to evaluate data from one or both companies sometime next month.But for the 5- to 11-year-olds, it’s not clear how much booster demand there will be. Only about 30% of that age group have had the initial two Pfizer doses since vaccinations opened to them in November.CDC adviser Dr. Helen Keipp Talbot of Vanderbilt University said health authorities must put more effort into getting more of those youngsters their initial shots“That needs to be a priority,” she said.Pfizer and its partner BioNTech make the only COVID-19 vaccine available for children of any age in the U.S. Those ages 5 to 11 receive a kid-sized dose that’s one-third the amount given to everyone 12 and older.In a small study, Pfizer found a booster revved up those kids’ levels of virus-fighting antibodies -- including those able to fight the super-contagious omicron variant -- the same kind of jump adults get from an extra shot.Vaccines may not always prevent milder infections -- and omicron especially proved able to slip past their defenses. But CDC cited data during the omicron surge that showed unvaccinated 5- to 11-year-olds had twice the rate of hospitalization as youngsters who got their first two doses.Health authorities say for all ages, the vaccines are still offering strong protection against COVID-19′s worst outcomes, especially after a third dose.But some especially high-risk people, including those 50 and older, have been offered the choice of a second booster, or fourth shot. And still to be decided is whether everyone will need additional shots in the fall, possibly reformulated to offer better protection against newer coronavirus variants.___

CDC advisers urge Pfizer booster for children ages 5 to 11

By IMTIAZ RANGWALA <a href="https://theconversation.com/grim-2022-drought-outlook-for-western-us-offers-warnings-for-the-future-as-climate-change-brings-a-hotter-thirstier-atmosphere-182640">The Conversation</a>

Much of the western U.S. has been in the grip of an <a href="https://www.climate.gov/news-features/event-tracker/noaa-led-drought-task-force-concludes-current-southwest-drought-preview">unrelenting drought</a> since early 2020. The dryness has coincided with record-breaking <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/01/us-new-mexico-drought-wildfire-southwest">wildfires</a>, intense and long-lasting <a href="https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/western-north-american-extreme-heat-virtually-impossible-without-human-caused-climate-change/">heat waves</a>, <a href="https://phys.org/news/2022-04-drought-western-scrambling.html">low stream flows</a> and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/03/climate/lake-powell-mead-water-drought.html">dwindling water supplies in reservoirs</a> that millions of people across the region rely on.

Heading into summer, the <a href="https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/expert_assessment/sdo_summary.php">outlook</a> is pretty grim. The National Weather Service’s <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/464284/original/file-20220519-11-igtk3o.png">latest seasonal outlook</a>, issued May 19, 2022, described drought persisting across most of the West and parts of the Great Plains.

One driver of the Western drought has been <a href="https://www.pe.com/2021/09/24/la-nina-is-about-to-take-the-southwest-drought-from-bad-to-worse/">persistent La Niña conditions</a> in the tropical Pacific since the <a href="https://psl.noaa.gov/enso/mei/">summer of 2020</a>. During La Niña, cooler tropical Pacific waters help nudge the jet stream northward. That tends to bring <a href="https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/el-ni%C3%B1o-and-la-ni%C3%B1a-frequently-asked-questions">fewer storms to the southern tier of the U.S.</a> and produce pronounced drought impacts in the Southwest.

The <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/the-drought-in-the-western-us-could-last-until-2030">other</a> and perhaps more important part of the story is the <a href="https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/warming-is-making-the-west-thirstier-researchers-say-and-its-stressing-water-supplies-%EF%BF%BC">hotter and thirstier atmosphere, caused by a rapidly warming climate</a>.

As a <a href="https://cires.colorado.edu/researcher/imtiaz-rangwala">climate scientist</a>,
 I’ve watched how climate change is making drought conditions 
increasingly worse – particularly in the western and central U.S. The 
last two years have been more than 2 degrees Fahrenheit (1.1 Celsius) 
warmer than normal in these regions. Large swaths of the Southwest have 
been even hotter, with temperatures more than 3 F (1.7 C) higher. <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/western-megadrought-is-the-worst-in-1-200-years/">Studies suggest the Southwest’s ongoing 20-year drought</a> is the most severe in at least 1,200 years, based on how dry the soils are.

A hotter atmosphere sucks more moisture from the soil

A thristier atmosphere tends to extract more water out of the land. It exacerbates <a href="https://www.drought.gov/data-maps-tools/evaporative-stress-index-esi">evaporative stress</a>
 on the land, particularly when a region is experiencing below-normal 
precipitation. High evaporative stress can rapidly deplete soil moisture
 and lead to hotter temperatures, as the <a href="https://coolcalifornia.arb.ca.gov/how-cool-vegetation-works">evaporative cooling effect</a> is diminished. All this creates hydroclimatic stress for plants, causing restricted growth, drying and even death.

As a consequence of a warming climate, the U.S. Southwest has seen an
 8% increase in this evaporative demand since the 1980s. This trend is 
generally <a href="https://cpo.noaa.gov/News/ArtMID/7875/ArticleID/2523/NIDIS-Funded-Project-Finds-That-Evaporative-Demand-Increase-Across-Lower-48-Means-Less-Water-Supplies-Drier-Vegetation-and-Higher-Fire-Risk">happening across other parts of the country</a>.

The <a href="https://www.climate.gov/news-features/feed/evaporative-demand-increase-across-lower-48-means-less-water-supplies-drier">thistier atmosphere</a>
 is turning what would otherwise be near-normal or moderately dry 
conditions into droughts that are more severe or extreme. As the climate
 heats up further, the increasing atmospheric thirst will continue to 
intensify drought stress, with consequences for water availability, 
long-lasting and intense heat stress, and large-scale ecosystem 
transformation.

Climate models project ominous prospects of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2006323117">a more arid climate and more severe droughts</a> in the Southwest and southern Great Plains in the coming decades.

In addition to direct impacts of increasing temperatures on future droughts, these regions are also expected to see <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-017-0001-8">fewer storms</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1175/JHM-D-21-0017.1">more days without precipitation</a>. Climate models consistently project a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-017-0001-8">poleward shift in the midlatitude storm tracks</a> during this century as the planet heats up, which is expected to result in fewer storms in the southern tier of the country.

Expect flash droughts even in wetter areas

The changing nature of droughts is a concern <a href="https://nca2018.globalchange.gov/">even in parts of the U.S. that are expected to have a net increase</a>
 in annual precipitation during the 21st century. In a hotter future, 
because of the high evaporative demand on the land, prolonged periods 
with weeks to months of below normal precipitation in these areas can 
lead to significant drought, even if the overall trend is for more 
precipitation.

Large parts of the northern Plains, for example, have seen precipitation <a href="https://toolkit.climate.gov/regions/northern-great-plains">increase by 10% or more</a> in the last three decades. However, the region is not immune to severe drought conditions in a hotter climate.

At the tail end of what was the <a href="https://www.drought.gov/sites/default/files/2020-07/NorthernPlains_2017DroughtEvolution.pdf">wettest decade</a> on record in the region, the northern Plains experienced <a href="https://www.drought.gov/news/flash-drought-new-reports-examine-2017-northern-plains-drought">an intense flash drought in the summer of 2017</a> that resulted in agricultural losses in excess of $2.6 billion and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/07/flash-drought-north-dakota-montana-wildfires">wildfires</a> across millions of acres. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-815998-9.00025-7">Record evaporative demand</a>
 contributed to the severity of the flash drought, in addition to a 
severe short-term precipitation deficit. A flash drought is a drought 
that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-17-0149.1">intensifies rapidly over a period of a few weeks</a> and often catches forecasters by surprise. The likelihood of flash droughts that can <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-26692-z/07/flash-drought-north-dakota-montana-wildfires">cause severe impacts to agriculture and ecosystems and promote large wildfires</a> is expected to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-28752-4">increase</a> with a warmer and thirstier atmosphere.

Flash droughts are also emerging as a growing concern in the Northeast. In 2020, much of New England experienced an <a href="https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2020/1148/ofr20201148.pdf">extreme hydrologic drought</a>,
 with low stream flows and groundwater levels and widespread crop losses
 between May and September. Aided by very warm and dry atmospheric 
conditions, the drought developed very rapidly over that period from 
what had been above-normal wet conditions.

As humanity enters a hotter future, prolonged periods of weeks to 
months of below-normal precipitation are going to be of a greater 
concern almost everywhere. 

Other forms of droughts are also emerging.

Atmospheric heating is causing <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/snow-droughts-coming-to-winters-western-us-california-water">snow droughts</a>
 as more precipitation falls as rain rather than snow and snow melts 
earlier. Shorter snow seasons and longer growing seasons because of 
warmer temperatures are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.13727">changing the timing of ecological responses</a>.

Land is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.13224">greening up earlier</a> and causing an earlier loss of water from the land surface through <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/evapotranspiration-and-water-cycle">evapotranspiration</a>
 – the loss of water from plants and soil. This could result in drier 
soils in the latter half of the growing season. As a result, parts of 
the central and western U.S. could see <a href="https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-17-0213.1">both increased greening and drying in the future</a> that are seasonally separated across the growing season.

With a rapidly changing climate, we are entering <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2020.08.019">unfamiliar territory</a>. The world will need new ways <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2020.08.019">to better anticipate future droughts</a> that could transform <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abj6777">natural</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/transformational-change-is-coming-to-how-people-live-on-earth-un-climate-adaptation-report-warns-which-path-will-humanity-choose-177604">human</a> systems.

Imtiaz Rangwala is a Research Scientist in Climate at the Cooperative Institute for Research 
in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder.

<div><iframe src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/182640/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" width="1" height="1"></iframe></div>By IMTIAZ RANGWALA <a href="https://theconversation.com/grim-2022-drought-outlook-for-western-us-offers-warnings-for-the-future-as-climate-change-brings-a-hotter-thirstier-atmosphere-182640">The Conversation</a>Much of the western U.S. has been in the grip of an <a href="https://www.climate.gov/news-features/event-tracker/noaa-led-drought-task-force-concludes-current-southwest-drought-preview">unrelenting drought</a> since early 2020. The dryness has coincided with record-breaking <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/01/us-new-mexico-drought-wildfire-southwest">wildfires</a>, intense and long-lasting <a href="https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/western-north-american-extreme-heat-virtually-impossible-without-human-caused-climate-change/">heat waves</a>, <a href="https://phys.org/news/2022-04-drought-western-scrambling.html">low stream flows</a> and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/03/climate/lake-powell-mead-water-drought.html">dwindling water supplies in reservoirs</a> that millions of people across the region rely on. Heading into summer, the <a href="https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/expert_assessment/sdo_summary.php">outlook</a> is pretty grim. The National Weather Service’s <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/464284/original/file-20220519-11-igtk3o.png">latest seasonal outlook</a>, issued May 19, 2022, described drought persisting across most of the West and parts of the Great Plains. One driver of the Western drought has been <a href="https://www.pe.com/2021/09/24/la-nina-is-about-to-take-the-southwest-drought-from-bad-to-worse/">persistent La Niña conditions</a> in the tropical Pacific since the <a href="https://psl.noaa.gov/enso/mei/">summer of 2020</a>. During La Niña, cooler tropical Pacific waters help nudge the jet stream northward. That tends to bring <a href="https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/el-ni%C3%B1o-and-la-ni%C3%B1a-frequently-asked-questions">fewer storms to the southern tier of the U.S.</a> and produce pronounced drought impacts in the Southwest.The <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/the-drought-in-the-western-us-could-last-until-2030">other</a> and perhaps more important part of the story is the <a href="https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/warming-is-making-the-west-thirstier-researchers-say-and-its-stressing-water-supplies-%EF%BF%BC">hotter and thirstier atmosphere, caused by a rapidly warming climate</a>.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652996192218.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>As a <a href="https://cires.colorado.edu/researcher/imtiaz-rangwala">climate scientist</a>,
 I’ve watched how climate change is making drought conditions 
increasingly worse – particularly in the western and central U.S. The 
last two years have been more than 2 degrees Fahrenheit (1.1 Celsius) 
warmer than normal in these regions. Large swaths of the Southwest have 
been even hotter, with temperatures more than 3 F (1.7 C) higher. <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/western-megadrought-is-the-worst-in-1-200-years/">Studies suggest the Southwest’s ongoing 20-year drought</a> is the most severe in at least 1,200 years, based on how dry the soils are.<h2>A hotter atmosphere sucks more moisture from the soil</h2>A thristier atmosphere tends to extract more water out of the land. It exacerbates <a href="https://www.drought.gov/data-maps-tools/evaporative-stress-index-esi">evaporative stress</a>
 on the land, particularly when a region is experiencing below-normal 
precipitation. High evaporative stress can rapidly deplete soil moisture
 and lead to hotter temperatures, as the <a href="https://coolcalifornia.arb.ca.gov/how-cool-vegetation-works">evaporative cooling effect</a> is diminished. All this creates hydroclimatic stress for plants, causing restricted growth, drying and even death.As a consequence of a warming climate, the U.S. Southwest has seen an
 8% increase in this evaporative demand since the 1980s. This trend is 
generally <a href="https://cpo.noaa.gov/News/ArtMID/7875/ArticleID/2523/NIDIS-Funded-Project-Finds-That-Evaporative-Demand-Increase-Across-Lower-48-Means-Less-Water-Supplies-Drier-Vegetation-and-Higher-Fire-Risk">happening across other parts of the country</a>.The <a href="https://www.climate.gov/news-features/feed/evaporative-demand-increase-across-lower-48-means-less-water-supplies-drier">thistier atmosphere</a>
 is turning what would otherwise be near-normal or moderately dry 
conditions into droughts that are more severe or extreme. As the climate
 heats up further, the increasing atmospheric thirst will continue to 
intensify drought stress, with consequences for water availability, 
long-lasting and intense heat stress, and large-scale ecosystem 
transformation.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652996232299.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Climate models project ominous prospects of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2006323117">a more arid climate and more severe droughts</a> in the Southwest and southern Great Plains in the coming decades.In addition to direct impacts of increasing temperatures on future droughts, these regions are also expected to see <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-017-0001-8">fewer storms</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1175/JHM-D-21-0017.1">more days without precipitation</a>. Climate models consistently project a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-017-0001-8">poleward shift in the midlatitude storm tracks</a> during this century as the planet heats up, which is expected to result in fewer storms in the southern tier of the country.<h2>Expect flash droughts even in wetter areas</h2>The changing nature of droughts is a concern <a href="https://nca2018.globalchange.gov/">even in parts of the U.S. that are expected to have a net increase</a>
 in annual precipitation during the 21st century. In a hotter future, 
because of the high evaporative demand on the land, prolonged periods 
with weeks to months of below normal precipitation in these areas can 
lead to significant drought, even if the overall trend is for more 
precipitation.Large parts of the northern Plains, for example, have seen precipitation <a href="https://toolkit.climate.gov/regions/northern-great-plains">increase by 10% or more</a> in the last three decades. However, the region is not immune to severe drought conditions in a hotter climate.At the tail end of what was the <a href="https://www.drought.gov/sites/default/files/2020-07/NorthernPlains_2017DroughtEvolution.pdf">wettest decade</a> on record in the region, the northern Plains experienced <a href="https://www.drought.gov/news/flash-drought-new-reports-examine-2017-northern-plains-drought">an intense flash drought in the summer of 2017</a> that resulted in agricultural losses in excess of $2.6 billion and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/07/flash-drought-north-dakota-montana-wildfires">wildfires</a> across millions of acres. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-815998-9.00025-7">Record evaporative demand</a>
 contributed to the severity of the flash drought, in addition to a 
severe short-term precipitation deficit. A flash drought is a drought 
that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-17-0149.1">intensifies rapidly over a period of a few weeks</a> and often catches forecasters by surprise. The likelihood of flash droughts that can <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-26692-z/07/flash-drought-north-dakota-montana-wildfires">cause severe impacts to agriculture and ecosystems and promote large wildfires</a> is expected to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-28752-4">increase</a> with a warmer and thirstier atmosphere.Flash droughts are also emerging as a growing concern in the Northeast. In 2020, much of New England experienced an <a href="https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2020/1148/ofr20201148.pdf">extreme hydrologic drought</a>,
 with low stream flows and groundwater levels and widespread crop losses
 between May and September. Aided by very warm and dry atmospheric 
conditions, the drought developed very rapidly over that period from 
what had been above-normal wet conditions.As humanity enters a hotter future, prolonged periods of weeks to 
months of below-normal precipitation are going to be of a greater 
concern almost everywhere. <h2>Heading into unfamiliar territory</h2>Other forms of droughts are also emerging.Atmospheric heating is causing <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/snow-droughts-coming-to-winters-western-us-california-water">snow droughts</a>
 as more precipitation falls as rain rather than snow and snow melts 
earlier. Shorter snow seasons and longer growing seasons because of 
warmer temperatures are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.13727">changing the timing of ecological responses</a>.Land is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.13224">greening up earlier</a> and causing an earlier loss of water from the land surface through <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/evapotranspiration-and-water-cycle">evapotranspiration</a>
 – the loss of water from plants and soil. This could result in drier 
soils in the latter half of the growing season. As a result, parts of 
the central and western U.S. could see <a href="https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-17-0213.1">both increased greening and drying in the future</a> that are seasonally separated across the growing season.With a rapidly changing climate, we are entering <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2020.08.019">unfamiliar territory</a>. The world will need new ways <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2020.08.019">to better anticipate future droughts</a> that could transform <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abj6777">natural</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/transformational-change-is-coming-to-how-people-live-on-earth-un-climate-adaptation-report-warns-which-path-will-humanity-choose-177604">human</a> systems.Imtiaz Rangwala is a Research Scientist in Climate at the Cooperative Institute for Research 
in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder.

Grim drought outlook for Western US offers warnings

WASHINGTON (AP) — The government website for people to request free COVID-19 at-home tests from the U.S. government is now accepting a third round of orders.

The White House announced this week that U.S. households can request an additional eight free at-home tests to be shipped by the U.S. Postal Service.

The announcement comes as coronavirus cases are rising again in some areas of the country.

President Joe Biden committed in January to making 1 billion tests available to the public free of charge, including 500 million available through&nbsp;<a href="https://www.covid.gov/tests" target="_blank">covidtests.gov.</a>&nbsp;But just 350 million of the amount available for ordering online have been shipped to date to addresses across the continental U.S., its territories and overseas military bases, the White House said.

People who have difficulty getting online or need help placing an order can call 1-800-232-0233 for assistance,

The third round brings to 16 the total number of free tests available to each U.S. household since the program started earlier this year. Households were eligible to receive four tests during each of two earlier rounds of ordering through the website.

Biden has requested an additional $22 billion from Congress to buy vaccines and therapeutics to prepare for a fall spike in COVID-19 cases, but lawmakers have balked at the price tag.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642104330616.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The government website for people to request free COVID-19 at-home tests from the U.S. government is now accepting a third round of orders.The White House announced this week that U.S. households can request an additional eight free at-home tests to be shipped by the U.S. Postal Service.The announcement comes as coronavirus cases are rising again in some areas of the country.President Joe Biden committed in January to making 1 billion tests available to the public free of charge, including 500 million available through&nbsp;<a href="https://www.covid.gov/tests" target="_blank">covidtests.gov.</a>&nbsp;But just 350 million of the amount available for ordering online have been shipped to date to addresses across the continental U.S., its territories and overseas military bases, the White House said.People who have difficulty getting online or need help placing an order can call 1-800-232-0233 for assistance,The third round brings to 16 the total number of free tests available to each U.S. household since the program started earlier this year. Households were eligible to receive four tests during each of two earlier rounds of ordering through the website.Biden has requested an additional $22 billion from Congress to buy vaccines and therapeutics to prepare for a fall spike in COVID-19 cases, but lawmakers have balked at the price tag.

Biden offering to send you additional 8 free COVID-19 tests 

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraskans-lag-country-in-use-of-seat-belts-even-as-fatal-wrecks-increase/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN
 — Nebraskans are lagging the nation in using seat belts while driving, 
which officials said Thursday has contributed to a 30% increase in 
highway fatalities.

Only 81% of Nebraskans buckle up, making the state 47th in the country in the use of safety belts. The national average is 90%.

“It’s
 a two-second action that can significantly increase your safety,” Col. 
John Bolduc, the superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol, said about
 putting on a seat belt.

“It could very likely save a life in a crash,” Bolduc said.

At
 a news conference Thursday, the Patrol, along with law enforcement 
officials from Omaha, Lincoln and Lancaster County, announced a 
stepped-up enforcement effort, “Click It or Ticket,” to increase seat 
belt usage.

Bolduc said the summer driving season is sometimes called “the 100 deadliest days” due to the number of fatal accidents.

Last
 year, Nebraska bucked a national trend by having fewer deaths in 
highway crashes, 220, than in 2020, according to John Selmer, director 
of the Nebraska Department of Transportation.

But
 in 2022, fatalities are up more than 30%, Selmer said, mirroring the 
national trends. Through April, 84 people have died on Nebraska 
highways, compared with 61 traffic fatalities in the same period a year 
ago.

He recommended that drivers buckle up and put down their cell phones.

Seat belt usage reduces the chances of dying in an accident by 45%, officials said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652985552430.png" alt="Traffic flows along Interstate 80 east of exit 432 in Gretna. Law enforcement officials say Nebraska drivers lag in buckling up n the road. (Rebecca S. Gratz for The Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Traffic flows along Interstate 80 east of exit 432 in Gretna. Law enforcement officials say Nebraska drivers lag in buckling up n the road. (Rebecca S. Gratz for The Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraskans-lag-country-in-use-of-seat-belts-even-as-fatal-wrecks-increase/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN
 — Nebraskans are lagging the nation in using seat belts while driving, 
which officials said Thursday has contributed to a 30% increase in 
highway fatalities.Only 81% of Nebraskans buckle up, making the state 47th in the country in the use of safety belts. The national average is 90%.“It’s
 a two-second action that can significantly increase your safety,” Col. 
John Bolduc, the superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol, said about
 putting on a seat belt.“It could very likely save a life in a crash,” Bolduc said.At
 a news conference Thursday, the Patrol, along with law enforcement 
officials from Omaha, Lincoln and Lancaster County, announced a 
stepped-up enforcement effort, “Click It or Ticket,” to increase seat 
belt usage.Bolduc said the summer driving season is sometimes called “the 100 deadliest days” due to the number of fatal accidents.Last
 year, Nebraska bucked a national trend by having fewer deaths in 
highway crashes, 220, than in 2020, according to John Selmer, director 
of the Nebraska Department of Transportation.But
 in 2022, fatalities are up more than 30%, Selmer said, mirroring the 
national trends. Through April, 84 people have died on Nebraska 
highways, compared with 61 traffic fatalities in the same period a year 
ago.He recommended that drivers buckle up and put down their cell phones.Seat belt usage reduces the chances of dying in an accident by 45%, officials said.

Nebraskans lag country in seat belt use, even as fatal wrecks increase

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/05/18/corrections-officials-tout-new-prison-addition-as-safer-more-efficient/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN
 — State corrections officials showed off the newest addition to the 
state prison system Wednesday, touting it as safer for both inmates and 
staff and better able to rehabilitate prisoners and retain security 
staff.&nbsp;

The
 $125 million addition to the Lincoln Correctional Center and Diagnostic
 and Evaluation Center includes two 32-bed units for inmates with acute 
mental illnesses and those needing medical care, as well as a 384-bed 
are to house the state’s most dangerous prisoners.&nbsp;

“The
 bottom line is you’re going to see a great prison,” said State 
Corrections Director Scott Frakes, prior to a tour for news media and 
state officials, including Gov. Pete Ricketts.

Frakes
 said many of the design features in the maximum security wing of the 
recently renamed Reception and Treatment Center &nbsp;will be similar to 
those envisioned in a 1,500-bed prison being planned by the Ricketts 
administration to replace the aging State Penitentiary in Lincoln.

The
 Nebraska Legislature declined this spring to give the final go-ahead 
for a $270 million prison, opting to wait for a new master plan for the 
state prison system expected before the end of the year. But state 
lawmakers did set aside $175 million for the ultimate construction of 
the massive facility, if approved in the 2023 legislative session and by
 a new, incoming governor.

Frakes
 did say that some of the 10 state senators who toured the RTC on Monday
 remarked that they had a clearer picture of what the larger, proposed 
prison would look like.

“They said, ‘Now I can visualize it,’” the corrections director said.

The
 idea behind the new RTC prison addition, built on Lincoln’s western 
edge, was to provide more secure and modern maximum-security housing for
 the state’s most dangerous inmates and to expand and enhance mental 
health facilities and health care.

Among
 the added security features are sliding cell doors, which are less 
dangerous than the swinging doors now used in maximum security units 
across the state.

The
 new addition includes a modern kitchen capable of feeding 1,350 
inmates, an improved dental clinic and new amenities for staff, 
including a locker, separate lunch room and weight room.&nbsp;

Frakes
 said the RTC addition provides more room for inmates to safely move 
around and congregate, and more space for rehabilitation classes.&nbsp;

The
 expansion will slightly reduce overcrowding in the state’s most 
overcrowded prison and the nation’s most overcrowded prison system.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652978320040.png" alt="Work is not expected to be completed for another month or so on a 384-bed, maximum security wing on the RTC. The cells will house some of the state’s most disruptive inmates. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Work is not expected to be completed for another month or so on a 384-bed, maximum security wing on the RTC. The cells will house some of the state’s most disruptive inmates. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/05/18/corrections-officials-tout-new-prison-addition-as-safer-more-efficient/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN
 — State corrections officials showed off the newest addition to the 
state prison system Wednesday, touting it as safer for both inmates and 
staff and better able to rehabilitate prisoners and retain security 
staff.&nbsp;The
 $125 million addition to the Lincoln Correctional Center and Diagnostic
 and Evaluation Center includes two 32-bed units for inmates with acute 
mental illnesses and those needing medical care, as well as a 384-bed 
are to house the state’s most dangerous prisoners.&nbsp;“The
 bottom line is you’re going to see a great prison,” said State 
Corrections Director Scott Frakes, prior to a tour for news media and 
state officials, including Gov. Pete Ricketts.<h2>Addition similar to proposed prison</h2>Frakes
 said many of the design features in the maximum security wing of the 
recently renamed Reception and Treatment Center &nbsp;will be similar to 
those envisioned in a 1,500-bed prison being planned by the Ricketts 
administration to replace the aging State Penitentiary in Lincoln.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652978391048.jpeg" alt="The new entrance to the Reception and Treatment Center, which merges the old Lincoln Corrections Center and Diagnostic and Evaluation Center into one, 1,350-bed facility. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>The new entrance to the Reception and Treatment Center, which merges the old Lincoln Corrections Center and Diagnostic and Evaluation Center into one, 1,350-bed facility. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>The
 Nebraska Legislature declined this spring to give the final go-ahead 
for a $270 million prison, opting to wait for a new master plan for the 
state prison system expected before the end of the year. But state 
lawmakers did set aside $175 million for the ultimate construction of 
the massive facility, if approved in the 2023 legislative session and by
 a new, incoming governor.Frakes
 did say that some of the 10 state senators who toured the RTC on Monday
 remarked that they had a clearer picture of what the larger, proposed 
prison would look like.“They said, ‘Now I can visualize it,’” the corrections director said.The
 idea behind the new RTC prison addition, built on Lincoln’s western 
edge, was to provide more secure and modern maximum-security housing for
 the state’s most dangerous inmates and to expand and enhance mental 
health facilities and health care.<h2>Sliding cell doors</h2>Among
 the added security features are sliding cell doors, which are less 
dangerous than the swinging doors now used in maximum security units 
across the state.The
 new addition includes a modern kitchen capable of feeding 1,350 
inmates, an improved dental clinic and new amenities for staff, 
including a locker, separate lunch room and weight room.&nbsp;Frakes
 said the RTC addition provides more room for inmates to safely move 
around and congregate, and more space for rehabilitation classes.&nbsp;The
 expansion will slightly reduce overcrowding in the state’s most 
overcrowded prison and the nation’s most overcrowded prison system.<h2>Design capacity increase</h2>During
 the first quarter of 2022, the RTC held an average of 1,077 inmates, 
which was more than double the design capacity of 468. Overall, the 
state prison system was holding about 900 more inmates than its nine 
prisons were designed to hold and was at 152% of capacity.Overcrowding at the RTC is expected to drop from the current 230% as the design capacity increases to 884 beds.Recent
 pay raises for corrections corporals, sergeants and caseworkers, Frakes
 said, has significantly reduced staff vacancies among those ranks. He 
said the state has hired 200 security staffers from 36 states since 
December and hired 472 new protective services employees all together.<h2>Staffing emergencies</h2>The
 RTC, state penetentiary and state prison in Tecumseh still remain on 
“staffing emergency” status, which means longer shifts for employees, 
fewer visiting hours and restrictions on yard time for inmates to four 
days a week instead of seven. Prison officials had predicted those 
emergencies would be lifted in April, but Frakes said Wednesday that 
officials are now working on phasing out the emergencies in upcoming 
weeks.Overall,
 protective services now has 160 vacancies, he said, a major improvement
 compared to 427 vacancies in November. Most vacant positions in Lincoln
 and Omaha have been filled, he said, with more work needed at Tecumseh,
 a rural prison that has a history of staff shortages, high turnover and
 high staff overtime costs.Frakes said if current trends continue, turnover for staff will be about 16% this year. It was above 30% a couple of years ago.Doug
 Koebernick, the inspector general for corrections for the Nebraska 
Legislature, said Wednesday that while there has been significant 
improvement in staffing for security positions, the prison system still 
struggles to hire enough nurses and food-service personnel to staff its 
facilities.&nbsp;“They were in a really big hole, so it’s going to take some time,” Koebernick said.<h2>Over-incarceration</h2>State
 Sen. Terrell McKinney of Omaha, who has criticized the state for 
investing in new prisons instead of jobs and programs to avoid sending 
people to prison, said the key to the success of the RTC, as well as the
 proposed, 1,500-bed prison, will be properly staffing the facilities.“We’re over-incarcerating people,” McKinney said. “That’s the problem.”During
 Wednesday’s tour for the news media, RTC Warden Taggart Boyd said the 
addition of a dialysis machine in the medical clinic will avoid trips to
 Lincoln hospitals for the procedure. An MRI machine also will be added 
at the prison, he said.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652978421505.jpeg" alt="A single-occupancy prison cell in the new addition about to be opened at the Reception and Treatment Center in Lincoln. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>A single-occupancy prison cell in the new addition about to be opened at the Reception and Treatment Center in Lincoln. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>The
 housing units have sound-deadening ceiling tiles, Boyd said, which 
translates into less shouting, fewer confrontations and a calmer 
atmosphere. The new, larger visiting rooms include a play area for 
children of inmates,which helps inmates better connect with their 
families, he said.“If you create safer living conditions, you get safer working conditions and safer prisons,” Boyd said.More
 space for rehab sessions means more opportunity to help inmates finish 
required programs sooner, before being released on parole, he added.&nbsp;Ricketts
 pointed out that 93% of all inmates in state prisons eventually return 
to society, so better programming and preparation is important.Another
 new addition to the RTC is a $150,000 full-body scanner, like those 
seen in airports. Frakes said. The scanner, a first for a Nebraska 
prison, will be used for staff and prison visitors to reduce the flow of
 contraband, such as drugs, into the prison.&nbsp;Frakes
 was evasive when asked whether he would be around for the debate over 
the new prison. Ricketts hired him shorter after taking office. There 
have been some rumors that the corrections director would leave when 
Ricketts leaves office.“I’ve got to see what happens,” Frakes said. “I’m very particular about who I work for. I’ve been spoiled.”