LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A 24-year-old Lincoln man has been found not guilty of shooting and killing a man during a fight in September. 

Lendell Harris had been charged with second-degree or manslaughter and a gun violation in the death of 28-year-old Alonzo Jones at an apartment where Jones lived. 

Prosecutors said Harris and Jones fought after Jones came home and found Harris getting ready to smoke marijuana with a woman both men were dating.

 Police said Jones was shot when he reached for Harris' gun during the fight. 

Harris' attorneys argued during the trial that Harris fired at Jones in self-defense. 

By Associated PressLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A 24-year-old Lincoln man has been found not guilty of shooting and killing a man during a fight in September. Lendell Harris had been charged with second-degree or manslaughter and a gun violation in the death of 28-year-old Alonzo Jones at an apartment where Jones lived. Prosecutors said Harris and Jones fought after Jones came home and found Harris getting ready to smoke marijuana with a woman both men were dating. Police said Jones was shot when he reached for Harris' gun during the fight. Harris' attorneys argued during the trial that Harris fired at Jones in self-defense. The verdict was returned Wednesday.

Man found not guilty in love-triangle death in Lincoln

LONDON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/2e6b0f2c2f70fdd07f853169e3515e3b">Elon Musk&nbsp;</a>said Friday that his plan to buy Twitter for $44 billion is “temporarily on hold” as he tries to pinpoint the exact number of spam and fake accounts on the social media platform, another twist amid signs of internal turmoil over the proposed acquisition.

Musk, who has been vocal about his desire to clean up Twitter’s problem with “spam bots” that mimic real people, appeared to question whether the company was underreporting them.

In a tweet, the Tesla billionaire linked to a Reuters story from May 2 about a quarterly report from Twitter that estimated false or spam accounts made up fewer than 5% of the company’s “monetizable daily active users” in the first quarter.

“Twitter&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1525049369552048129" target="_blank">deal temporarily on hold</a>&nbsp;pending details supporting calculation that spam/fake accounts do indeed represent less than 5% of users,” Musk said, indicating he’s skeptical that the number of inauthentic accounts is that low.

It wasn’t clear whether the issue could scuttle the deal.

Twitter did not immediately respond to requests for comment early Friday.

Stock in both Twitter and Tesla swung sharply in opposite directions, with Twitter’s stock tumbling 14%, and shares of Tesla, which Musk had proposed using to help fund the Twitter deal, jumping 7%.

Investors have had to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-technology-social-media-7e8f53143e510cdd7171b5ecc2486863">weigh legal troubles</a>&nbsp;for Musk, as well as the possibility that acquiring Twitter could be a distraction from running the world’s most valuable automaker. The proposed deal continued to pressure shares of Tesla, which had already fallen 16% this week.

The sharp jump in the price of Tesla shares before the opening bell Friday singled rising doubts that the acquisition of Twitter will take place.

Musk has already&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-technology-business-tesla-inc-0a3c8696433b41ff40e22bc104a8b0ed#:~:text=In%20the%20three%20days%20after,to%20help%20fund%20the%20purchase.">sold off more than $8 billion</a>&nbsp;worth of his Tesla shares to finance the purchase.

Originally Musk had committed to borrowing $12.5 billion with Tesla stock as collateral to buy Twitter. He also would borrow $13 billion from banks and put up $21 billion in Tesla equity.

Last week, Musk strengthened the equity stake in his offer for Twitter with commitments of more than $7 billion from a diverse group of investors including Silicon Valley heavy hitters like Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison.

Money from the new investors cuts the amount borrowed on the value of Tesla stock to $6.25 billion, according to the filing. The Tesla equity share could go from $21 billion to $27.25 billion.

Wedbush analyst Dan Ives, who follows both Tesla and Twitter, said Musk’s “bizarre” tweet will lead Wall Street to either think the deal is likely falling apart, Musk is attempting to negotiate a lower deal price, or he is simply walking away from the deal with a $1 billion penalty.

“Many will view this as Musk using this Twitter filing/spam accounts as a way to get out of this deal in a vastly changing market,” Ives wrote.

He added that the Musk’s use of Twitter rather than a financial filing to make the announcement was troubling and “sends this whole deal into a circus show with many questions and no concrete answers as to the path of this deal going forward.”

Musk’s tweet comes a day after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-technology-f0548a0078f10582283c2fa735fd883e">social media company fired two of its top managers</a>. Twitter said the company is pausing most hiring, except for critical roles, and is “pulling back on non-labor costs to ensure we are being responsible and efficient.”

In a memo sent to employees and confirmed by Twitter, CEO Parag Agrawal said the company has not hit growth and revenue milestones after the company began to invest “aggressively” to expand its user base and revenue.

LONDON (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/2e6b0f2c2f70fdd07f853169e3515e3b">Elon Musk&nbsp;</a>said Friday that his plan to buy Twitter for $44 billion is “temporarily on hold” as he tries to pinpoint the exact number of spam and fake accounts on the social media platform, another twist amid signs of internal turmoil over the proposed acquisition.Musk, who has been vocal about his desire to clean up Twitter’s problem with “spam bots” that mimic real people, appeared to question whether the company was underreporting them.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Still committed to acquisition&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1525080945274998785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In a tweet, the Tesla billionaire linked to a Reuters story from May 2 about a quarterly report from Twitter that estimated false or spam accounts made up fewer than 5% of the company’s “monetizable daily active users” in the first quarter.“Twitter&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1525049369552048129" target="_blank">deal temporarily on hold</a>&nbsp;pending details supporting calculation that spam/fake accounts do indeed represent less than 5% of users,” Musk said, indicating he’s skeptical that the number of inauthentic accounts is that low.It wasn’t clear whether the issue could scuttle the deal.Twitter did not immediately respond to requests for comment early Friday.Stock in both Twitter and Tesla swung sharply in opposite directions, with Twitter’s stock tumbling 14%, and shares of Tesla, which Musk had proposed using to help fund the Twitter deal, jumping 7%.Investors have had to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-technology-social-media-7e8f53143e510cdd7171b5ecc2486863">weigh legal troubles</a>&nbsp;for Musk, as well as the possibility that acquiring Twitter could be a distraction from running the world’s most valuable automaker. The proposed deal continued to pressure shares of Tesla, which had already fallen 16% this week.The sharp jump in the price of Tesla shares before the opening bell Friday singled rising doubts that the acquisition of Twitter will take place.Musk has already&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-technology-business-tesla-inc-0a3c8696433b41ff40e22bc104a8b0ed#:~:text=In%20the%20three%20days%20after,to%20help%20fund%20the%20purchase.">sold off more than $8 billion</a>&nbsp;worth of his Tesla shares to finance the purchase.Originally Musk had committed to borrowing $12.5 billion with Tesla stock as collateral to buy Twitter. He also would borrow $13 billion from banks and put up $21 billion in Tesla equity.Last week, Musk strengthened the equity stake in his offer for Twitter with commitments of more than $7 billion from a diverse group of investors including Silicon Valley heavy hitters like Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison.Money from the new investors cuts the amount borrowed on the value of Tesla stock to $6.25 billion, according to the filing. The Tesla equity share could go from $21 billion to $27.25 billion.Wedbush analyst Dan Ives, who follows both Tesla and Twitter, said Musk’s “bizarre” tweet will lead Wall Street to either think the deal is likely falling apart, Musk is attempting to negotiate a lower deal price, or he is simply walking away from the deal with a $1 billion penalty.“Many will view this as Musk using this Twitter filing/spam accounts as a way to get out of this deal in a vastly changing market,” Ives wrote.He added that the Musk’s use of Twitter rather than a financial filing to make the announcement was troubling and “sends this whole deal into a circus show with many questions and no concrete answers as to the path of this deal going forward.”Musk’s tweet comes a day after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-technology-f0548a0078f10582283c2fa735fd883e">social media company fired two of its top managers</a>. Twitter said the company is pausing most hiring, except for critical roles, and is “pulling back on non-labor costs to ensure we are being responsible and efficient.”In a memo sent to employees and confirmed by Twitter, CEO Parag Agrawal said the company has not hit growth and revenue milestones after the company began to invest “aggressively” to expand its user base and revenue.

Elon Musk: Twitter deal 'temporarily on hold' over fake accounts

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden appealed to world leaders on Thursday for a renewed international commitment to attacking COVID-19 as he led the U.S. in marking the approaching “tragic milestone” of 1 million deaths at home from the virus. He ordered flags lowered to half-staff and warned against “complacency” around the globe.

(Click below to watch the President's comments.)

“This pandemic isn’t over,” Biden told the second global pandemic summit. “Today, we mark a tragic milestone here in the United States, 1 million COVID deaths — 1 million empty chairs around the family dinner table.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">The coronavirus</a>&nbsp;has killed more than 999,000 people in the U.S. and at least 6.2 million people globally since it emerged in late 2019, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6" target="_blank">figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University</a>. Biden issued a proclamation Thursday directing that U.S. flags be flown at half-staff through sunset on Monday to honor those who lost their lives to the virus.

The president called on Congress to provide&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-business-health-congress-e5b411a879b2becf3e342fea3b0df981">more funding</a>&nbsp;for testing, vaccines and treatments, something lawmakers have been unwilling to deliver so far.

The lack of funding — Biden has requested another $22.5 billion of what he calls critically needed money — is a reflection of faltering resolve at home that jeopardizes the global response to the pandemic.

Eight months after he used the first such summit to announce an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-general-assembly-joe-biden-pandemics-business-united-nations-e7c09c1f896d83c0ed80513082787bd3">ambitious pledge to donate 1.2 billion vaccine doses</a>&nbsp;to the world, the urgency of the U.S. and other nations to respond has waned.

Momentum on vaccinations and treatments has faded even as more infectious variants rise and billions of people across the globe remain unprotected.

Biden addressed the opening of the virtual summit Thursday morning with prerecorded remarks and made the case that tackling COVID-19 “must remain an international priority.” The U.S. is co-hosting the summit along with Germany, Indonesia, Senegal and Belize.

“This summit is an opportunity to renew our efforts to keep our foot on the gas when it comes to getting this pandemic under control and preventing future health crises,” Biden said.

The U.S. has shipped nearly 540 million vaccine doses to more than 110 countries and territories, according to the State Department — by far more than any other donor nation.

After the delivery of more than 1 billion vaccines to the developing world, the problem is no longer that there aren’t enough shots but a lack of logistical support to get doses into arms. According to government data, more than 680 million donated vaccine doses have been left unused in developing countries because they were set to expire soon and couldn’t be administered quickly enough. As of March, 32 poorer countries had used fewer than half of the COVID-19 vaccines they were sent.

U.S. assistance to promote and facilitate vaccinations overseas dried up earlier this year, and Biden has requested about $5 billion for the effort through the rest of the year.

“We have tens of millions of unclaimed doses because countries lack the resources to build out their cold chains, which basically is the refrigeration systems; to fight&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/31fd688936caec29ff082412ef23e30a">disinformation;</a>&nbsp;and to hire&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/42fee2eeeb1848988a9b74a4e77a1045">vaccinators</a>,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said this week. She added that the summit is “going to be an opportunity to elevate the fact that we need additional funding to continue to be a part of this effort around the world.”

“We’re going to continue to fight for more funding here,” Psaki said. “But we will continue to press other countries to do more to help the world make progress as well.”

Congress has balked at the price tag for COVID-19 relief and has thus far refused to take up the package because of political opposition to the impending end of pandemic-era migration restrictions at the U.S.-Mexico border. Even after a consensus for virus funding briefly emerged in March, lawmakers decided to strip out the global aid funding and solely focus the assistance on shoring up U.S. supplies of vaccine booster shots and therapeutics.

Biden has warned that without Congress acting, the U.S. could lose out on access to the next generation of vaccines and treatments, and that the nation won’t have enough supply of booster doses or&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-business-health-medication-fa6cd0dcc9dec4d1076b14a521e9a6e5">the antiviral drug Paxlovid</a>&nbsp;for later this year. He’s also sounding the alarm that more variants will spring up if the U.S. and the world don’t do more to contain the virus globally.

“To beat the pandemic here, we need to beat it everywhere,” Biden said last September during the first global summit.

Demand for COVID-19 vaccines has dropped in some countries as infections and deaths have declined globally in recent months, particularly as the omicron variant has proved to be less severe than earlier versions of the disease. For the first time since it was created, the U.N.-backed COVAX effort has “enough supply to enable countries to meet their national vaccination targets,” according to vaccines alliance Gavi CEO Dr. Seth Berkley, which fronts COVAX.

Still, despite more than 65% of the world’s population receiving at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, fewer than 16% of people in poor countries have been immunized. It is highly unlikely countries will hit the World Health Organization target of vaccinating 70% of all people by June.

In countries including Cameroon, Uganda and the Ivory Coast, officials have struggled to get enough refrigerators to transport vaccines, send enough syringes for mass campaigns and get enough health workers to inject the shots. Experts also point out that more than half of the health workers needed to administer the vaccines in poorer countries are either underpaid or not paid at all.

Donating more vaccines, critics say, would miss the point entirely.

“It’s like donating a bunch of fire trucks to countries that are on fire, but they have no water,” said Ritu Sharma, a vice president at the charity CARE, which has helped immunize people in more than 30 countries, including India, South Sudan and Bangladesh.

“We can’t be giving countries all these vaccines but no way to use them,” she said, adding that the same infrastructure that got the shots administered in the U.S. is now needed elsewhere. “We had to tackle this problem in the U.S., so why are we not now using that knowledge to get vaccines into the people who need them most?”

Sharma said greater investment was needed to counter vaccine hesitancy in developing countries where there are entrenched beliefs about the potential dangers of Western-made medicines.

“Leaders must agree to pursue a coherent strategy to end the pandemic instead of a fragmented approach that will extend the lifespan of this crisis,” said Gayle Smith, CEO of The ONE Campaign.

GAVI’s Berkley also said that countries are increasingly asking for the pricier messenger RNA vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna, which are not as easily available as the AstraZeneca vaccine, which made up the bulk of COVAX’s supply last year.

The emergence of variants like delta and omicron has led many countries to switch to mRNA vaccines, which seem to provide more protection and are in greater demand globally than traditionally made vaccines like those from China and Russia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652366641765.png" alt="President Biden addressed the opening of the virtual Global Pandemic summit on Thursday -White House photo" />
 <figcaption>President Biden addressed the opening of the virtual Global Pandemic summit on Thursday -White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden appealed to world leaders on Thursday for a renewed international commitment to attacking COVID-19 as he led the U.S. in marking the approaching “tragic milestone” of 1 million deaths at home from the virus. He ordered flags lowered to half-staff and warned against “complacency” around the globe.(Click below to watch the President's comments.)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rIba4zXGm8o?start=1880" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>“This pandemic isn’t over,” Biden told the second global pandemic summit. “Today, we mark a tragic milestone here in the United States, 1 million COVID deaths — 1 million empty chairs around the family dinner table.”<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">The coronavirus</a>&nbsp;has killed more than 999,000 people in the U.S. and at least 6.2 million people globally since it emerged in late 2019, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6" target="_blank">figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University</a>. Biden issued a proclamation Thursday directing that U.S. flags be flown at half-staff through sunset on Monday to honor those who lost their lives to the virus.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652366613851.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The president called on Congress to provide&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-business-health-congress-e5b411a879b2becf3e342fea3b0df981">more funding</a>&nbsp;for testing, vaccines and treatments, something lawmakers have been unwilling to deliver so far.The lack of funding — Biden has requested another $22.5 billion of what he calls critically needed money — is a reflection of faltering resolve at home that jeopardizes the global response to the pandemic.Eight months after he used the first such summit to announce an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-general-assembly-joe-biden-pandemics-business-united-nations-e7c09c1f896d83c0ed80513082787bd3">ambitious pledge to donate 1.2 billion vaccine doses</a>&nbsp;to the world, the urgency of the U.S. and other nations to respond has waned.Momentum on vaccinations and treatments has faded even as more infectious variants rise and billions of people across the globe remain unprotected.Biden addressed the opening of the virtual summit Thursday morning with prerecorded remarks and made the case that tackling COVID-19 “must remain an international priority.” The U.S. is co-hosting the summit along with Germany, Indonesia, Senegal and Belize.“This summit is an opportunity to renew our efforts to keep our foot on the gas when it comes to getting this pandemic under control and preventing future health crises,” Biden said.The U.S. has shipped nearly 540 million vaccine doses to more than 110 countries and territories, according to the State Department — by far more than any other donor nation.After the delivery of more than 1 billion vaccines to the developing world, the problem is no longer that there aren’t enough shots but a lack of logistical support to get doses into arms. According to government data, more than 680 million donated vaccine doses have been left unused in developing countries because they were set to expire soon and couldn’t be administered quickly enough. As of March, 32 poorer countries had used fewer than half of the COVID-19 vaccines they were sent.U.S. assistance to promote and facilitate vaccinations overseas dried up earlier this year, and Biden has requested about $5 billion for the effort through the rest of the year.“We have tens of millions of unclaimed doses because countries lack the resources to build out their cold chains, which basically is the refrigeration systems; to fight&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/31fd688936caec29ff082412ef23e30a">disinformation;</a>&nbsp;and to hire&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/42fee2eeeb1848988a9b74a4e77a1045">vaccinators</a>,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said this week. She added that the summit is “going to be an opportunity to elevate the fact that we need additional funding to continue to be a part of this effort around the world.”“We’re going to continue to fight for more funding here,” Psaki said. “But we will continue to press other countries to do more to help the world make progress as well.”Congress has balked at the price tag for COVID-19 relief and has thus far refused to take up the package because of political opposition to the impending end of pandemic-era migration restrictions at the U.S.-Mexico border. Even after a consensus for virus funding briefly emerged in March, lawmakers decided to strip out the global aid funding and solely focus the assistance on shoring up U.S. supplies of vaccine booster shots and therapeutics.Biden has warned that without Congress acting, the U.S. could lose out on access to the next generation of vaccines and treatments, and that the nation won’t have enough supply of booster doses or&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-business-health-medication-fa6cd0dcc9dec4d1076b14a521e9a6e5">the antiviral drug Paxlovid</a>&nbsp;for later this year. He’s also sounding the alarm that more variants will spring up if the U.S. and the world don’t do more to contain the virus globally.“To beat the pandemic here, we need to beat it everywhere,” Biden said last September during the first global summit.Demand for COVID-19 vaccines has dropped in some countries as infections and deaths have declined globally in recent months, particularly as the omicron variant has proved to be less severe than earlier versions of the disease. For the first time since it was created, the U.N.-backed COVAX effort has “enough supply to enable countries to meet their national vaccination targets,” according to vaccines alliance Gavi CEO Dr. Seth Berkley, which fronts COVAX.Still, despite more than 65% of the world’s population receiving at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, fewer than 16% of people in poor countries have been immunized. It is highly unlikely countries will hit the World Health Organization target of vaccinating 70% of all people by June.In countries including Cameroon, Uganda and the Ivory Coast, officials have struggled to get enough refrigerators to transport vaccines, send enough syringes for mass campaigns and get enough health workers to inject the shots. Experts also point out that more than half of the health workers needed to administer the vaccines in poorer countries are either underpaid or not paid at all.Donating more vaccines, critics say, would miss the point entirely.“It’s like donating a bunch of fire trucks to countries that are on fire, but they have no water,” said Ritu Sharma, a vice president at the charity CARE, which has helped immunize people in more than 30 countries, including India, South Sudan and Bangladesh.“We can’t be giving countries all these vaccines but no way to use them,” she said, adding that the same infrastructure that got the shots administered in the U.S. is now needed elsewhere. “We had to tackle this problem in the U.S., so why are we not now using that knowledge to get vaccines into the people who need them most?”Sharma said greater investment was needed to counter vaccine hesitancy in developing countries where there are entrenched beliefs about the potential dangers of Western-made medicines.“Leaders must agree to pursue a coherent strategy to end the pandemic instead of a fragmented approach that will extend the lifespan of this crisis,” said Gayle Smith, CEO of The ONE Campaign.GAVI’s Berkley also said that countries are increasingly asking for the pricier messenger RNA vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna, which are not as easily available as the AstraZeneca vaccine, which made up the bulk of COVAX’s supply last year.The emergence of variants like delta and omicron has led many countries to switch to mRNA vaccines, which seem to provide more protection and are in greater demand globally than traditionally made vaccines like those from China and Russia.___

🎥Biden says pandemic not over, asks Congress for more COVID money

Shortages in the supply of baby formula 
are leading new moms to find other ways of finding the much-needed item -
 and risking themselves to potential online scams. The <a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-takes-important-steps-improve-supply-infant-and-specialty-formula-products" target="_blank">U.S. Food and Drug Administration</a> announced it is taking proactive measures to increase supply to help ease the shortage.&nbsp;

According to the <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/scams/26628-2021-bbb-scamtracker-risk-report">2021 BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report</a>,
 online shopping scams are the riskiest. With the current supply issues 
on many items, including formula, scammers are watching.&nbsp;

An ad, post, or social media group posts 
they have baby formula available. The buyer contacts the seller via chat
 or direct message, showing photos of the cans available. The buyer 
makes a payment through a peer-to-peer platform such as <a href="https://www.bbb.org/us/ca/san-jose/profile/payment-processing-services/paypal-inc-1216-210387" target="_blank">PayPal (a BBB Accredited Business)</a> or <a href="https://www.bbb.org/us/ca/san-jose/profile/payment-processing-services/venmo-1216-634567" target="_blank">Venmo (a BBB Accredited Business)</a>, but the formula never arrives. &nbsp;

Signs of a potential online purchase scam include:&nbsp;

Check out the website before making a purchase: &nbsp;

Report suspected online shopping fraud to: &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652456647413.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>BBBShortages in the supply of baby formula 
are leading new moms to find other ways of finding the much-needed item -
 and risking themselves to potential online scams. The <a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-takes-important-steps-improve-supply-infant-and-specialty-formula-products" target="_blank">U.S. Food and Drug Administration</a> announced it is taking proactive measures to increase supply to help ease the shortage.&nbsp;According to the <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/scams/26628-2021-bbb-scamtracker-risk-report">2021 BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report</a>,
 online shopping scams are the riskiest. With the current supply issues 
on many items, including formula, scammers are watching.&nbsp;<h2>How it works&nbsp;</h2>An ad, post, or social media group posts 
they have baby formula available. The buyer contacts the seller via chat
 or direct message, showing photos of the cans available. The buyer 
makes a payment through a peer-to-peer platform such as <a href="https://www.bbb.org/us/ca/san-jose/profile/payment-processing-services/paypal-inc-1216-210387" target="_blank">PayPal (a BBB Accredited Business)</a> or <a href="https://www.bbb.org/us/ca/san-jose/profile/payment-processing-services/venmo-1216-634567" target="_blank">Venmo (a BBB Accredited Business)</a>, but the formula never arrives. &nbsp;Signs of a potential online purchase scam include:&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Positive
 reviews on the website that have been copied from honest sites or 
created by scammers. Be aware, some review websites claim to be 
independent but are funded by scammers. Check <a href="https://www.bbb.org/">BBB.org</a>. </li><li>No
 indication of a brick-and-mortar address or the address shows on a 
Google map as a parking lot, residence, or unrelated business than what 
is listed on the website. </li><li>Misspellings, grammatical errors, or other descriptive language that is inconsistent with the product.&nbsp;</li><li>The
 seller advertises on a social media site and is communicative until the
 payment is made. Once the payment clears, they are unreachable.</li>
 </ul>Check out the website before making a purchase: &nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Visit  <a href="https://www.bbb.org/search">BBB.org</a> 
 to check a business’s rating and BBB accreditation status. Impostors 
have been known to copy the BBB seal. If it is real, clicking on the 
seal will lead to the company’s BBB profile on <a href="https://www.bbb.org" target="_blank">BBB.org</a> - check the domain of the URL. </li><li>Conduct an internet search with the company name and the word “scam.” This may locate other complaints about the site. &nbsp;</li><li>Make
 a note of the website where the order is placed. Take a screenshot of 
the item ordered, in case the website disappears, or a different item is
 received in the mail than what was advertised. &nbsp;</li><li>Credit cards often provide more protection against fraud than other payment methods. &nbsp;</li><li>Think before you click. Be especially cautious about email solicitations and <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/20678-scam-alert-think-twice-before-buying-from-these-social-media-ads" target="_blank">online ads on social media sites</a>.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>Report suspected online shopping fraud to: &nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Better Business Bureau - file a complaint at <a href="https://www.bbb.org/complain">BBB.org</a> or report a scam at <a href="https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker">BBB.org/scamtracker</a>. </li><li>Federal Trade Commission (FTC) - file a complaint at <a href="https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/" target="_blank">reportfraud.ftc.gov</a> or call 877-FTC-Help. &nbsp;</li><li>National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center - report intellectual property and counterfeiting violations to <a href="https://www.iprcenter.gov/referral/view" target="_blank">iprcenter.gov/referral/view</a>. &nbsp;</li><li>Internet Crime Complaint enter (IC3) - file a complaint at <a href="https://www.ic3.gov/complaint/default.aspx" target="_blank">ic3.gov/complaint</a>. &nbsp;</li><li>Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre - file a report at <a href="https://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/report-signalez-eng.htm" target="_blank">antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca</a> or call 1-888-495-8501. &nbsp;</li><li>Facebook – report ads that violate Facebooks policies by clicking the *** next to an ad to go to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/business/help/162606073801742" target="_blank">facebook.com/business/help.</a> &nbsp;</li><li>Instagram - report copyright infringement or other policy violations at <a href="https://help.instagram.com/165828726894770" target="_blank">help.instagram.com.</a> &nbsp;</li><li>Amazon – report suspicious activities and webpages at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&amp;node=21599686011&amp;ref_=hp_ss_v3_mp_t4" target="_blank">Amazon.com.</a> &nbsp;</li><li>Google – report scams at <a href="https://support.google.com/faqs/answer/2952493" target="_blank">Google.com.</a> &nbsp;</li><li>PayPal -
 call (888) 221-1161 to speak with a live person instead of using an 
automated system if you receive an item that is not as advertised. &nbsp;</li><li>Credit card company - Call the phone number on the back of the credit card to report the fraud and request a refund. &nbsp;</li>
 </ul>

Warning: Baby formula shortage leads to potential scams

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — At the height of the pandemic, the meat processing industry worked closely with political appointees in the Trump administration to stave off health restrictions and keep slaughterhouses open even as COVID-19 spread rapidly among workers, according to a Congressional report released Thursday.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://coronavirus.house.gov/sites/democrats.coronavirus.house.gov/files/2022.5.12%20-%20SSCC%20report%20on%20Meatpacking%20FINAL.pdf" target="_blank">report&nbsp;</a>by the House’s Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis said meat companies pushed to keep their plants open even though they knew workers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-colorado-mexico-greeley-football-da66aaeb93f57d98e62c67575b7f5dda">were at high risk of catching the virus</a>. The lobbying led to health and labor officials watering down their recommendations for the industry and culminated in an executive order President Donald Trump issued in the spring of 2020 designating meat plants as critical infrastructure that needed to remain open.

Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn, who leads the subcommittee, said USDA officials and the industry prioritized production and profits over the health of workers and communities as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-pandemics-congress-72e766be17083ad819ea3ac26cb7fb76">at least 59,000 workers caught the virus and 269 workers died</a>.

“The shameful conduct of corporate executives pursuing profit at any cost during a crisis and government officials eager to do their bidding regardless of resulting harm to the public must never be repeated,” Clyburn said.

Former Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, who now leads the University System of Georgia, declined to comment Thursday. A spokesman for the university system said Perdue is focused on “serving the students of Georgia.”

The report is based on communications between industry executives, lobbyists and USDA officials and other documents the committee received from government agencies, Tyson Foods, Smithfield Foods, JBS, Cargill, National Beef, Hormel and other companies. Those firms control 85% of the beef market and 70% of pork production nationwide.

The North American Meat Institute trade group said the report distorts the truth and ignores the steps companies took as they spent billions of dollars to retool plants and purchase protective gear for workers.

“The House Select Committee has done the nation a disservice,” the trade group’s President and CEO Julie Anna Potts said. “The Committee could have tried to learn what the industry did to stop the spread of COVID among meat and poultry workers, reducing positive cases associated with the industry while cases were surging across the country. Instead, the Committee uses 20/20 hindsight and cherry picks data to support a narrative that is completely unrepresentative of the early days of an unprecedented national emergency.”

One of the major unions that represents workers at the processing plants condemned the way the Trump administration helped the meat industry.

“We only wish that the Trump Administration cared as much about the lives of working people as it did about meat, pork and poultry products, when we wanted poultry plants to shut down for deep cleaning and to save workers’ lives,” said Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union.

The report said meat companies were slow to take measures to protect workers from the virus and pushed to make&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-us-news-ap-top-news-ia-state-wire-sd-state-wire-aa3cced1b5c5c40a4bc09db805393d80">government recommendations</a>&nbsp;to require masks to be worn, install dividers between work stations and encourage social distancing in their plants optional.

But JBS spokeswoman Nikki Richardson said the company “did everything possible to ensure the safety of our people who kept our critical food supply chain running.”

Tyson Foods spokesman Gary Mickelson echoed that sentiment and said Tyson has worked closely with both the Trump and Biden administrations, along with state and local officials, to respond to the pandemic’s challenges.

Smithfield spokesman Jim Monroe said the industry reacted quickly, and Smithfield has spent more than $900 million so far to protect workers. He said it was appropriate for meat companies to share their concerns with government officials as the pandemic unfolded.

But the report cited a message that a Koch Foods executive sent a lobbyist in the spring of 2020 that said the industry shouldn’t do more than screen employees’ temperatures at the door of plants. The lobbyist agreed and said “Now to get rid of those pesky health departments!”

To that end, the report said USDA officials — at the behest of meat companies — tried to use Trump’s executive order to stop state and local health officials from ordering plant shutdowns.

Even with those efforts, U.S. meat production still fell to about 60% of normal during the spring of 2020 because a number of major plants were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-ap-top-news-us-news-sioux-falls-south-dakota-83ef6383e6a437aae20962e3c9de8855">forced to temporarily close</a>&nbsp;for deep cleaning, widespread testing and safety upgrades or operated at slower speeds because of worker shortages. Companies took action to close plants in consultation with health officials after outbreaks were confirmed.

“Throughout the pandemic we’ve worked hard to maintain safe and consistent operations. At the same time, we have not hesitated to temporarily idle or reduce capacity at processing plants when we determined it necessary to do so,” Cargill spokesman Daniel Sullivan said.

Documents uncovered by the committee showed that meat companies pushed hard for the executive order partly because they believed it will help shield them from liability if workers got sick or died — something a federal appeals court later rejected in a lawsuit against Tyson over worker deaths at an Iowa plant. Emails show that the companies themselves submitted a draft of the executive order to the administration days before it was issued.

Early on in the pandemic, meat companies knew the virus was spreading rapidly among their workers because infection rates were much higher in the plants and their surrounding communities. The report said that in April 2020, a doctor at a hospital near a JBS plant in Cactus, Texas, told the company and government officials in an email that there was clearly a major outbreak at the plant because every COVID-19 patient at the hospital either worked at the plant or was related to a worker. “Your employees will get sick and may die if this factory remains open,” the doctor warned.

The report also highlighted the way meat companies aggressively pushed back against government safety recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. That led to the final guidance including language that effectively made the rules optional because it said the recommendations should be done “if feasible” or “where possible.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589997636847.png" alt="Photo courtesy Tyson Foods" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Tyson Foods</figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — At the height of the pandemic, the meat processing industry worked closely with political appointees in the Trump administration to stave off health restrictions and keep slaughterhouses open even as COVID-19 spread rapidly among workers, according to a Congressional report released Thursday.The&nbsp;<a href="https://coronavirus.house.gov/sites/democrats.coronavirus.house.gov/files/2022.5.12%20-%20SSCC%20report%20on%20Meatpacking%20FINAL.pdf" target="_blank">report&nbsp;</a>by the House’s Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis said meat companies pushed to keep their plants open even though they knew workers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-colorado-mexico-greeley-football-da66aaeb93f57d98e62c67575b7f5dda">were at high risk of catching the virus</a>. The lobbying led to health and labor officials watering down their recommendations for the industry and culminated in an executive order President Donald Trump issued in the spring of 2020 designating meat plants as critical infrastructure that needed to remain open.Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn, who leads the subcommittee, said USDA officials and the industry prioritized production and profits over the health of workers and communities as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-pandemics-congress-72e766be17083ad819ea3ac26cb7fb76">at least 59,000 workers caught the virus and 269 workers died</a>.“The shameful conduct of corporate executives pursuing profit at any cost during a crisis and government officials eager to do their bidding regardless of resulting harm to the public must never be repeated,” Clyburn said.Former Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, who now leads the University System of Georgia, declined to comment Thursday. A spokesman for the university system said Perdue is focused on “serving the students of Georgia.”The report is based on communications between industry executives, lobbyists and USDA officials and other documents the committee received from government agencies, Tyson Foods, Smithfield Foods, JBS, Cargill, National Beef, Hormel and other companies. Those firms control 85% of the beef market and 70% of pork production nationwide.The North American Meat Institute trade group said the report distorts the truth and ignores the steps companies took as they spent billions of dollars to retool plants and purchase protective gear for workers.“The House Select Committee has done the nation a disservice,” the trade group’s President and CEO Julie Anna Potts said. “The Committee could have tried to learn what the industry did to stop the spread of COVID among meat and poultry workers, reducing positive cases associated with the industry while cases were surging across the country. Instead, the Committee uses 20/20 hindsight and cherry picks data to support a narrative that is completely unrepresentative of the early days of an unprecedented national emergency.”One of the major unions that represents workers at the processing plants condemned the way the Trump administration helped the meat industry.“We only wish that the Trump Administration cared as much about the lives of working people as it did about meat, pork and poultry products, when we wanted poultry plants to shut down for deep cleaning and to save workers’ lives,” said Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union.The report said meat companies were slow to take measures to protect workers from the virus and pushed to make&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-us-news-ap-top-news-ia-state-wire-sd-state-wire-aa3cced1b5c5c40a4bc09db805393d80">government recommendations</a>&nbsp;to require masks to be worn, install dividers between work stations and encourage social distancing in their plants optional.But JBS spokeswoman Nikki Richardson said the company “did everything possible to ensure the safety of our people who kept our critical food supply chain running.”Tyson Foods spokesman Gary Mickelson echoed that sentiment and said Tyson has worked closely with both the Trump and Biden administrations, along with state and local officials, to respond to the pandemic’s challenges.Smithfield spokesman Jim Monroe said the industry reacted quickly, and Smithfield has spent more than $900 million so far to protect workers. He said it was appropriate for meat companies to share their concerns with government officials as the pandemic unfolded.But the report cited a message that a Koch Foods executive sent a lobbyist in the spring of 2020 that said the industry shouldn’t do more than screen employees’ temperatures at the door of plants. The lobbyist agreed and said “Now to get rid of those pesky health departments!”To that end, the report said USDA officials — at the behest of meat companies — tried to use Trump’s executive order to stop state and local health officials from ordering plant shutdowns.Even with those efforts, U.S. meat production still fell to about 60% of normal during the spring of 2020 because a number of major plants were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-ap-top-news-us-news-sioux-falls-south-dakota-83ef6383e6a437aae20962e3c9de8855">forced to temporarily close</a>&nbsp;for deep cleaning, widespread testing and safety upgrades or operated at slower speeds because of worker shortages. Companies took action to close plants in consultation with health officials after outbreaks were confirmed.“Throughout the pandemic we’ve worked hard to maintain safe and consistent operations. At the same time, we have not hesitated to temporarily idle or reduce capacity at processing plants when we determined it necessary to do so,” Cargill spokesman Daniel Sullivan said.Documents uncovered by the committee showed that meat companies pushed hard for the executive order partly because they believed it will help shield them from liability if workers got sick or died — something a federal appeals court later rejected in a lawsuit against Tyson over worker deaths at an Iowa plant. Emails show that the companies themselves submitted a draft of the executive order to the administration days before it was issued.Early on in the pandemic, meat companies knew the virus was spreading rapidly among their workers because infection rates were much higher in the plants and their surrounding communities. The report said that in April 2020, a doctor at a hospital near a JBS plant in Cactus, Texas, told the company and government officials in an email that there was clearly a major outbreak at the plant because every COVID-19 patient at the hospital either worked at the plant or was related to a worker. “Your employees will get sick and may die if this factory remains open,” the doctor warned.The report also highlighted the way meat companies aggressively pushed back against government safety recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. That led to the final guidance including language that effectively made the rules optional because it said the recommendations should be done “if feasible” or “where possible.”___

Report: Trump officials, meat companies knew workers at risk

KANKAKEE, Ill. (AP) — President Joe Biden vowed to help American farmers try to ease a global spike in food prices following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Russia’s invasion of Ukraine</a>&nbsp;as he visited a family farm Wednesday and unrolled policies meant to increase harvests in ways that the administration believes could also help to reduce grocery bills at home.

(Click below to listen's to the President's comments)

“I stand here today to thank American farmers who are the breadbasket of democracy,” Biden said. “We can make sure that American agricultural exports will make up for the gap in Ukrainian supplies.”

His administration announced three policy shifts to help U.S. farmers amid the global challenges. These include doubling funding for domestic fertilizer production to $500 million, greater access to farm management tools for plant and soil needs, and efforts to increase the number of counties eligible for “double cropping” insurance so that farmers can reuse their land for planting in the same year.

Biden noted that Ukraine has 20 million metric tons of wheat and corn in storage that the U.S. and its allies are trying to help ship out of the country. This would help to address some supply issues, though challenges could persist.

The war in Ukraine has disrupted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-canada-lifestyle-middle-east-1c8918d4734f0974eefe09121d2090ed">the supply of that country’s wheat</a>&nbsp;to global markets, while also triggering higher costs for oil, natural gas and fertilizer. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization said its food price index in April jumped nearly 30% from a year ago, though the index did decline slightly on a monthly basis. Americans are also bearing some pain as food prices are up 9.4% from a year ago, the largest increase in 41 years.

Biden toured the 800-acre O’Connor Farms in Illinois with its owners, Jeff and Gina O’Connor. They’re growing wheat to be harvested in July and will later use the same land for soybeans. Biden asked to drive one of their tractors, only to be told it drives itself.

Surveying the wheat, the president observed, “It looks healthy to me.”

Wednesday’s trip was an opportunity for Biden to tackle two distinct challenges that are shaping his presidency. First, his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-biden-business-congress-dca6b1eba4979bcec8bef1a80c9f0098">slumping approval rating</a>&nbsp;has been dogged by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-inflation-rate-historic-high-4ba3435cc3730198e299690a9d968038">high inflation</a>&nbsp;and his visit coincided with the release of the April consumer price index. Consumer prices rose 8.3% from a year ago, a slight decline from the 8.5% annual increase in March. The drop-off reflected in part a cooling in gasoline prices last month after the jump caused by the start of the war in Ukraine. Still, volatility remains with energy costs as gas prices have climbed in May to an average of $4.40 a gallon on Wednesday, according to AAA.

Much more broadly, Biden’s visit offered a chance to reinforce America’s distinct role in helping to alleviate the challenges caused by the war in Ukraine. The trip follows a similar pattern as Biden’s recent visit to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-kyiv-business-europe-70535a0ca1e616f387911c66451c8c51">an Alabama weapons factory</a>&nbsp;highlighted the anti-tank Javelin missiles provided by the U.S. to Ukraine.

Several House Democrats, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi, met with Biden on Tuesday after having visited Ukraine. They warned that the food shortage meant the consequences of the war started by Russian President Vladimir Putin would extend well beyond Ukrainian borders to some of the world’s poorest nations.

“It’s going to result in a hunger crisis, much worse than anybody anticipated,” Massachusetts Rep. Jim McGovern following the White House meeting.

<a href="https://www.aei.org/research-products/report/how-russias-invasion-of-ukraine-is-affecting-global-agricultural-markets/" target="_blank">An analysis</a>&nbsp;this month for the center-right American Enterprise Institute by Joseph Glauber and David Laborde noted that countries in the Middle East and North Africa are mostly likely to suffer from the higher prices caused by grain shortages.

There are limits to how much wheat the U.S. can produce to offset any shortages. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/Todays_Reports/reports/pspl0322.pdf" target="_blank">Agriculture Department</a>&nbsp;estimated in March that 47.4 million acres of wheat were planted this year, an increase of just 1% from 2021. This would be the fifth lowest amount of acres dedicated to wheat in records that go back to 1919.

Biden later went to Chicago to address a supportive crowd at the convention for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, a group that was an early and pivotal backer when his 2020 presidential bid was struggling.

“You’re the reason I’m standing here today as president,” Biden said. “I’ve never forgotten, not only what you’ve done for me, but what you’ve done for America.”

The president cheered the $1 trillion, bipartisan public works legislation passed last fall, saying it will fund union-built infrastructure projects all over the country.

“We’re making ‘Buy American’ a reality, not just a slogan,” Biden said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652298181707.png" alt="President Biden delivered remarks on what he called the "Putin’s Price Hike" and his Administration’s actions to support farmers and food processors, lower their costs and lower prices for families-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>President Biden delivered remarks on what he called the "Putin’s Price Hike" and his Administration’s actions to support farmers and food processors, lower their costs and lower prices for families-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>KANKAKEE, Ill. (AP) — President Joe Biden vowed to help American farmers try to ease a global spike in food prices following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine">Russia’s invasion of Ukraine</a>&nbsp;as he visited a family farm Wednesday and unrolled policies meant to increase harvests in ways that the administration believes could also help to reduce grocery bills at home.(Click below to listen's to the President's comments)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F582246879631409%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=492" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>“I stand here today to thank American farmers who are the breadbasket of democracy,” Biden said. “We can make sure that American agricultural exports will make up for the gap in Ukrainian supplies.”His administration announced three policy shifts to help U.S. farmers amid the global challenges. These include doubling funding for domestic fertilizer production to $500 million, greater access to farm management tools for plant and soil needs, and efforts to increase the number of counties eligible for “double cropping” insurance so that farmers can reuse their land for planting in the same year.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652305374909.png" alt="Biden said. “We can make sure that American agricultural exports will make up for the gap in Ukrainian supplies.”-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>Biden said. “We can make sure that American agricultural exports will make up for the gap in Ukrainian supplies.”-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Biden noted that Ukraine has 20 million metric tons of wheat and corn in storage that the U.S. and its allies are trying to help ship out of the country. This would help to address some supply issues, though challenges could persist.The war in Ukraine has disrupted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-canada-lifestyle-middle-east-1c8918d4734f0974eefe09121d2090ed">the supply of that country’s wheat</a>&nbsp;to global markets, while also triggering higher costs for oil, natural gas and fertilizer. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization said its food price index in April jumped nearly 30% from a year ago, though the index did decline slightly on a monthly basis. Americans are also bearing some pain as food prices are up 9.4% from a year ago, the largest increase in 41 years.Biden toured the 800-acre O’Connor Farms in Illinois with its owners, Jeff and Gina O’Connor. They’re growing wheat to be harvested in July and will later use the same land for soybeans. Biden asked to drive one of their tractors, only to be told it drives itself.Surveying the wheat, the president observed, “It looks healthy to me.”Wednesday’s trip was an opportunity for Biden to tackle two distinct challenges that are shaping his presidency. First, his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-biden-business-congress-dca6b1eba4979bcec8bef1a80c9f0098">slumping approval rating</a>&nbsp;has been dogged by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-inflation-rate-historic-high-4ba3435cc3730198e299690a9d968038">high inflation</a>&nbsp;and his visit coincided with the release of the April consumer price index. Consumer prices rose 8.3% from a year ago, a slight decline from the 8.5% annual increase in March. The drop-off reflected in part a cooling in gasoline prices last month after the jump caused by the start of the war in Ukraine. Still, volatility remains with energy costs as gas prices have climbed in May to an average of $4.40 a gallon on Wednesday, according to AAA.Much more broadly, Biden’s visit offered a chance to reinforce America’s distinct role in helping to alleviate the challenges caused by the war in Ukraine. The trip follows a similar pattern as Biden’s recent visit to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-biden-kyiv-business-europe-70535a0ca1e616f387911c66451c8c51">an Alabama weapons factory</a>&nbsp;highlighted the anti-tank Javelin missiles provided by the U.S. to Ukraine.Several House Democrats, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi, met with Biden on Tuesday after having visited Ukraine. They warned that the food shortage meant the consequences of the war started by Russian President Vladimir Putin would extend well beyond Ukrainian borders to some of the world’s poorest nations.“It’s going to result in a hunger crisis, much worse than anybody anticipated,” Massachusetts Rep. Jim McGovern following the White House meeting.<a href="https://www.aei.org/research-products/report/how-russias-invasion-of-ukraine-is-affecting-global-agricultural-markets/" target="_blank">An analysis</a>&nbsp;this month for the center-right American Enterprise Institute by Joseph Glauber and David Laborde noted that countries in the Middle East and North Africa are mostly likely to suffer from the higher prices caused by grain shortages.There are limits to how much wheat the U.S. can produce to offset any shortages. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/Todays_Reports/reports/pspl0322.pdf" target="_blank">Agriculture Department</a>&nbsp;estimated in March that 47.4 million acres of wheat were planted this year, an increase of just 1% from 2021. This would be the fifth lowest amount of acres dedicated to wheat in records that go back to 1919.Biden later went to Chicago to address a supportive crowd at the convention for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, a group that was an early and pivotal backer when his 2020 presidential bid was struggling.“You’re the reason I’m standing here today as president,” Biden said. “I’ve never forgotten, not only what you’ve done for me, but what you’ve done for America.”The president cheered the $1 trillion, bipartisan public works legislation passed last fall, saying it will fund union-built infrastructure projects all over the country.“We’re making ‘Buy American’ a reality, not just a slogan,” Biden said.

🎥Biden sees bigger role for US farms due to Ukraine war

HAYSVILLE, Kan. (AP) — A southern Kansas man has been found guilty of second-degree murder in the 2018 death of his 4-month-old daughter. 

Television station KAKE reports that 36-year-old Andrew Franklin of Haysville pleaded no contest last month to the reduced charge and a single count of child abuse in the death of Brexley Grace Franklin. 

Andrew Franklin faces years in prison when he's sentenced June 6. Police say the baby girl died on Sept. 13, 2018, five days after she was admitted to a hospital suffering from a skull fracture, retinal hemorrhages and bruises to her jaw. 

Franklin was initially charged with first-degree murder and two counts of child abuse.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652281984749.png" alt="Franklin-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Franklin-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>HAYSVILLE, Kan. (AP) — A southern Kansas man has been found guilty of second-degree murder in the 2018 death of his 4-month-old daughter. Television station KAKE reports that 36-year-old Andrew Franklin of Haysville pleaded no contest last month to the reduced charge and a single count of child abuse in the death of Brexley Grace Franklin. Andrew Franklin faces years in prison when he's sentenced June 6. Police say the baby girl died on Sept. 13, 2018, five days after she was admitted to a hospital suffering from a skull fracture, retinal hemorrhages and bruises to her jaw. Franklin was initially charged with first-degree murder and two counts of child abuse.

Kan. man guilty in abuse death of 4-month-old daughter

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has failed vote in an effort toward enshrining Roe v. Wade abortion access into federal law. Wednesday's 51-49 negative vote almost along party lines provided a stark display of the nation’s partisan divide over the landmark court decision and the limits of legislative action.

Kansas senior U.S. Senator Jerry Moran said, " This legislation would have permitted unborn children to be terminated at any point for any reason. Additionally, this legislation would have eliminated conscience protections for health care providers who object to terminating human life and abolished state laws, such as waiting periods or requiring parental consent for minors to obtain an abortion. 

Not only is this legislation immoral, it is far outside the mainstream of American opinion and would have placed the United States alongside China and North Korea as outliers with the world’s most permissive abortion laws.”

 The afternoon roll call promised to be the first of several efforts in Congress to preserve the nearly 50-year-old court ruling. 

“This bill is the most egregious, horrific attack on the lives of unborn children and the health of moms in American history,”&nbsp;Senator Roger Marshall said.&nbsp;

"While the overturning of Roe vs Wade&nbsp;simply returns this emotional issue to the states, to the elected voice of the people, this bill would invalidate any and all state laws that protect the unborn child and the&nbsp;health and well-being of the mom," said Marshall.

President Joe Biden called on Congress to pass legislation that would guarantee the constitutional right to abortion services after the disclosure of a draft Supreme Court opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade. But Democrats in the split Senate lacked the votes to overcome a Republican-led filibuster.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652301407219.png" alt="Senator Roger Marshall spoke prior to the Wednesday afternoon vote-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Senator Roger Marshall spoke prior to the Wednesday afternoon vote-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has failed vote in an effort toward enshrining Roe v. Wade abortion access into federal law. Wednesday's 51-49 negative vote almost along party lines provided a stark display of the nation’s partisan divide over the landmark court decision and the limits of legislative action.Kansas senior U.S. Senator Jerry Moran said, " This legislation would have permitted unborn children to be terminated at any point for any reason. Additionally, this legislation would have eliminated conscience protections for health care providers who object to terminating human life and abolished state laws, such as waiting periods or requiring parental consent for minors to obtain an abortion. Not only is this legislation immoral, it is far outside the mainstream of American opinion and would have placed the United States alongside China and North Korea as outliers with the world’s most permissive abortion laws.” The afternoon roll call promised to be the first of several efforts in Congress to preserve the nearly 50-year-old court ruling. “This bill is the most egregious, horrific attack on the lives of unborn children and the health of moms in American history,”&nbsp;Senator Roger Marshall said.&nbsp;<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kZ1rTVDANBQ?start=2" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>"While the overturning of Roe vs Wade&nbsp;simply returns this emotional issue to the states, to the elected voice of the people, this bill would invalidate any and all state laws that protect the unborn child and the&nbsp;health and well-being of the mom," said Marshall.President Joe Biden called on Congress to pass legislation that would guarantee the constitutional right to abortion services after the disclosure of a draft Supreme Court opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade. But Democrats in the split Senate lacked the votes to overcome a Republican-led filibuster.

🎥Abortion vote: Effort to secure Roe v. Wade falls to filibuster

NEW YORK (AP) — More than 107,000 Americans died of drug overdoses last year, setting another tragic record in the nation’s escalating overdose epidemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated Wednesday.

The provisional 2021 total translates to roughly one U.S. overdose death every 5 minutes. It marked a 15% increase from the previous record, set the year before. The CDC reviews death certificates and then makes an estimate to account for delayed and incomplete reporting.

Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, called the latest numbers “truly staggering.”

The White House issued a statement calling the accelerating pace of overdose deaths “unacceptable” and promoting its recently announced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-science-health-medication-congress-e97c2b7ffb5bd8f79a8a1277a6b56588">national drug control strategy</a>. It calls for measures like connecting more people to treatment, disrupting drug trafficking and expanding access to the overdose-reversing medication naloxone.

U.S. overdose deaths have risen most years for more than two decades. The increase began in the 1990s with overdoses involving opioid painkillers, followed by waves of deaths led by other opioids like heroin and — most recently — illicit fentanyl.

Last year, overdoses involving fentanyl and other synthetic opioids surpassed 71,000, up 23% from the year before. There also was a 23% increase in deaths involving cocaine and a 34% increase in deaths involving meth and other stimulants.

Overdose deaths are often attributed to more than one drug. Some people take multiple drugs and inexpensive fentanyl has been increasingly cut into other drugs, often without the buyers’ knowledge, officials say.

“The net effect is that we have many more people, including those who use drugs occasionally and even adolescents, exposed to these potent substances that can cause someone to overdose even with a relatively small exposure,” Volkow said in a statement.

Experts say the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the problem as lockdowns and other restrictions isolated those with drug addictions and made treatment harder to get.

Overdose death trends are geographically uneven. Alaska saw a 75% increase in 2021 — the largest jump of any state. In Hawaii, overdose deaths fell by 2%.

NEW YORK (AP) — More than 107,000 Americans died of drug overdoses last year, setting another tragic record in the nation’s escalating overdose epidemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated Wednesday.The provisional 2021 total translates to roughly one U.S. overdose death every 5 minutes. It marked a 15% increase from the previous record, set the year before. The CDC reviews death certificates and then makes an estimate to account for delayed and incomplete reporting.Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, called the latest numbers “truly staggering.”The White House issued a statement calling the accelerating pace of overdose deaths “unacceptable” and promoting its recently announced&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-science-health-medication-congress-e97c2b7ffb5bd8f79a8a1277a6b56588">national drug control strategy</a>. It calls for measures like connecting more people to treatment, disrupting drug trafficking and expanding access to the overdose-reversing medication naloxone.U.S. overdose deaths have risen most years for more than two decades. The increase began in the 1990s with overdoses involving opioid painkillers, followed by waves of deaths led by other opioids like heroin and — most recently — illicit fentanyl.Last year, overdoses involving fentanyl and other synthetic opioids surpassed 71,000, up 23% from the year before. There also was a 23% increase in deaths involving cocaine and a 34% increase in deaths involving meth and other stimulants.Overdose deaths are often attributed to more than one drug. Some people take multiple drugs and inexpensive fentanyl has been increasingly cut into other drugs, often without the buyers’ knowledge, officials say.“The net effect is that we have many more people, including those who use drugs occasionally and even adolescents, exposed to these potent substances that can cause someone to overdose even with a relatively small exposure,” Volkow said in a statement.Experts say the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the problem as lockdowns and other restrictions isolated those with drug addictions and made treatment harder to get.Overdose death trends are geographically uneven. Alaska saw a 75% increase in 2021 — the largest jump of any state. In Hawaii, overdose deaths fell by 2%.

CDC: US overdose deaths hit record 107,000 last year

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden warned voters unhappy with soaring inflation and his stalled domestic agenda against turning power over to “ultra-MAGA” Republicans in the midterm elections as he increasingly tries to cast former President Donald Trump and his adherents as a political foil.

(Click below to listen to the President's comments)

Speaking at the White House less than six months before the elections, Biden acknowledged that he could “taste” the country’s dissatisfaction with Washington, particularly over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-united-states-economy-layoffs-prices-85ee014b63a7000ed0bd08878d9d4b20">rising prices,</a>&nbsp;but he sought to channel the anger against the GOP.

“Look, I know you’ve got to be frustrated,” he said. “I know, I can taste it. Frustrated by high prices, by gridlock in Congress, by the time it takes to get anything done.

“The MAGA Republicans are counting on you to be as frustrated by the pace of progress, which they’ve done everything they can to slow down, that you will hand power over to them ... so they can enact their extreme agenda,” Biden said.

Biden’s branding of his opposition as “ultra-MAGA Republicans” — a reference to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” campaign slogan — has emerged as a White House trope in recent weeks as the White House hopes for a pre-midterms reset for Democrats, who face stiff headwinds heading into the November elections. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday that “it’s the president’s phrase.”

It is a message seemingly aimed directly at the listless and divided base of Biden’s own party, as Democrats struggle to keep their voters motivated, as well as at some moderate voters who still recoil at the memory of Trump’s tumultuous tenure in office.

“Look, I think Biden needs to motivate his base ahead of the midterms. And nothing motivates Democrats like voting against Trump,” said GOP strategist Alex Conant. “Trump’s not on the ballot this fall. But Biden is going to try to convince voters that he is.”

“They’re not going to run on his record. They’re not going to make big, bold policy promises,” he said, so that leaves villainizing the opponent “and the best way to do that is to tie him to Trump.”

For Democrats, who have unified control of Washington, running against the minority party is risky, as even Biden acknowledged that voters tend to blame those in control for the nation’s state of affairs.

But the White House believes Republicans have thrown them a lifeline, in the form of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-florida-donald-trump-congress-46e4862dfe2709e0408f56551c999968">GOP Sen. Rick Scott’s 11-point plan</a>, released in late February, that would impose a modest tax increase on many of the lowest-paid Americans, while opening the door for cutting Social Security and Medicare.

The plan, meant as a draft governing agenda for when the GOP retakes power, has been rejected by many Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. But that is not stopping Biden and Democrats from trying to tie Republicans to it more broadly. Scott, R-Fla., is the chairman of the Senate Republicans’ campaign arm and a member of Senate GOP leadership.

“That’s a plan in writing and he’s in the leadership,” Biden said.

Biden argued that the potential tax hikes would make it even harder for families struggling with inflation to afford food, housing and transportation, as prices rise at the fastest pace in four decades.

“I want every American to know that I’m taking inflation very seriously, and it’s my top domestic priority,” Biden said.

Scott fired back in comments Tuesday, calling on Biden to resign, and deeming him “unfit” for the job.

“I have a plan. I mean, it’s real simple,” he told reporters. “I put out my ideas and how we need to rescue this country. He doesn’t have a plan. And you didn’t hear any ideas today. I mean, he says he was going to come up with his ideas and fix inflation.”

In recent days, the White House has extended the “ultra-MAGA” label to broader criticism of Republicans on other matters, including the push to overturn the constitutional right to an abortion established in the Roe v. Wade decision of the Supreme Court.

Biden believes most general election voters haven’t yet tuned in to the midterms and are missing what it views as “extreme” positions taken by GOP candidates and lawmakers, particularly in primaries, according to two people familiar with the White House’s thinking who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. They said the president’s new branding for Republicans is meant to spotlight candidates and policies that may energize the GOP’s grassroots but that he believes are out of step with the majority of voters, sharpening the choice facing voters this November.

Speaking Monday night at a Democratic fundraiser, Biden tested out the “ultra-MAGA” messaging with donors, referencing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ moves to restrict some textbooks from being used in the classroom and Scott’s plan to require regular congressional reauthorization of social safety net programs.

“This is not your father’s Republican Party,” Biden said. This is a MAGA party. This is the MAGA party. And the head of their Republican campaign committee, Senator Rick Scott, the Ultra-MAGA agenda he put forward, he raises taxes on 70 million people who make well less than $100,000.”

On Capitol Hill, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., was echoing Biden’s line as he pushed for Congress to enshrine abortion rights into law.

“Now the MAGA Republicans have taken over,” he said. “If MAGA Republicans get their way, pregnant women can lose their lives because there will be no exception if the life of the mother is at risk.”

John Anzalone, a Democratic pollster who has worked for Biden, said it’s important to draw sharp contrasts with political opponents.”

“Whether you’re in a governor’s race in Michigan or you’re in a Senate race in New Hampshire, those contrasts become really important, because it’s good for voters to know what each side stands for,” he said. “You’re talking to swing voters, without a doubt, because at the end of the day, independents, swing voters, moderates can make or break a cycle for Democrats and Republicans.”

Speaking Tuesday, Biden, who ran for office aiming to heal the nation’s divisions, said, “I never expected the ultra-MAGA Republicans who seem to control the Republican Party now to have been able to control the Republican Party. I never anticipated that happening.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden warned voters unhappy with soaring inflation and his stalled domestic agenda against turning power over to “ultra-MAGA” Republicans in the midterm elections as he increasingly tries to cast former President Donald Trump and his adherents as a political foil.(Click below to listen to the President's comments)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F1350686248776483%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=1237" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Speaking at the White House less than six months before the elections, Biden acknowledged that he could “taste” the country’s dissatisfaction with Washington, particularly over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-united-states-economy-layoffs-prices-85ee014b63a7000ed0bd08878d9d4b20">rising prices,</a>&nbsp;but he sought to channel the anger against the GOP.“Look, I know you’ve got to be frustrated,” he said. “I know, I can taste it. Frustrated by high prices, by gridlock in Congress, by the time it takes to get anything done.“The MAGA Republicans are counting on you to be as frustrated by the pace of progress, which they’ve done everything they can to slow down, that you will hand power over to them ... so they can enact their extreme agenda,” Biden said.Biden’s branding of his opposition as “ultra-MAGA Republicans” — a reference to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” campaign slogan — has emerged as a White House trope in recent weeks as the White House hopes for a pre-midterms reset for Democrats, who face stiff headwinds heading into the November elections. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday that “it’s the president’s phrase.”It is a message seemingly aimed directly at the listless and divided base of Biden’s own party, as Democrats struggle to keep their voters motivated, as well as at some moderate voters who still recoil at the memory of Trump’s tumultuous tenure in office.“Look, I think Biden needs to motivate his base ahead of the midterms. And nothing motivates Democrats like voting against Trump,” said GOP strategist Alex Conant. “Trump’s not on the ballot this fall. But Biden is going to try to convince voters that he is.”Biden, Conant argued, has little choice.“They’re not going to run on his record. They’re not going to make big, bold policy promises,” he said, so that leaves villainizing the opponent “and the best way to do that is to tie him to Trump.”<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fposts%2F317494653897995&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="648" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>For Democrats, who have unified control of Washington, running against the minority party is risky, as even Biden acknowledged that voters tend to blame those in control for the nation’s state of affairs.But the White House believes Republicans have thrown them a lifeline, in the form of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-florida-donald-trump-congress-46e4862dfe2709e0408f56551c999968">GOP Sen. Rick Scott’s 11-point plan</a>, released in late February, that would impose a modest tax increase on many of the lowest-paid Americans, while opening the door for cutting Social Security and Medicare.The plan, meant as a draft governing agenda for when the GOP retakes power, has been rejected by many Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. But that is not stopping Biden and Democrats from trying to tie Republicans to it more broadly. Scott, R-Fla., is the chairman of the Senate Republicans’ campaign arm and a member of Senate GOP leadership.“That’s a plan in writing and he’s in the leadership,” Biden said.Biden argued that the potential tax hikes would make it even harder for families struggling with inflation to afford food, housing and transportation, as prices rise at the fastest pace in four decades.“I want every American to know that I’m taking inflation very seriously, and it’s my top domestic priority,” Biden said.Scott fired back in comments Tuesday, calling on Biden to resign, and deeming him “unfit” for the job.“I have a plan. I mean, it’s real simple,” he told reporters. “I put out my ideas and how we need to rescue this country. He doesn’t have a plan. And you didn’t hear any ideas today. I mean, he says he was going to come up with his ideas and fix inflation.”In recent days, the White House has extended the “ultra-MAGA” label to broader criticism of Republicans on other matters, including the push to overturn the constitutional right to an abortion established in the Roe v. Wade decision of the Supreme Court.Biden believes most general election voters haven’t yet tuned in to the midterms and are missing what it views as “extreme” positions taken by GOP candidates and lawmakers, particularly in primaries, according to two people familiar with the White House’s thinking who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. They said the president’s new branding for Republicans is meant to spotlight candidates and policies that may energize the GOP’s grassroots but that he believes are out of step with the majority of voters, sharpening the choice facing voters this November.Speaking Monday night at a Democratic fundraiser, Biden tested out the “ultra-MAGA” messaging with donors, referencing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ moves to restrict some textbooks from being used in the classroom and Scott’s plan to require regular congressional reauthorization of social safety net programs.“This is not your father’s Republican Party,” Biden said. This is a MAGA party. This is the MAGA party. And the head of their Republican campaign committee, Senator Rick Scott, the Ultra-MAGA agenda he put forward, he raises taxes on 70 million people who make well less than $100,000.”On Capitol Hill, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., was echoing Biden’s line as he pushed for Congress to enshrine abortion rights into law.“Now the MAGA Republicans have taken over,” he said. “If MAGA Republicans get their way, pregnant women can lose their lives because there will be no exception if the life of the mother is at risk.”John Anzalone, a Democratic pollster who has worked for Biden, said it’s important to draw sharp contrasts with political opponents.”“Whether you’re in a governor’s race in Michigan or you’re in a Senate race in New Hampshire, those contrasts become really important, because it’s good for voters to know what each side stands for,” he said. “You’re talking to swing voters, without a doubt, because at the end of the day, independents, swing voters, moderates can make or break a cycle for Democrats and Republicans.”Speaking Tuesday, Biden, who ran for office aiming to heal the nation’s divisions, said, “I never expected the ultra-MAGA Republicans who seem to control the Republican Party now to have been able to control the Republican Party. I never anticipated that happening.”

🎥Pres. Biden: I know you are frustrated by high prices

TRENTON, S.C. (AP) — A 60-year-old man who strangled his girlfriend died of a heart attack while burying her body in their South Carolina backyard, investigators said.

Deputies found Joseph Anthony McKinnon’s body Saturday after neighbors called and reported an unconscious man in a yard in Trenton, the Edgefield County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

As they investigated McKinnon’s death, deputies found a body wrapped in trash bags in a freshly dug hole and determined it was his girlfriend, Patricia Ruth Dent, 65, investigators said.

An autopsy on Dent determined she had been strangled and neighbors told officers they saw McKinnon digging a hole in his yard the day before, deputies said.

An autopsy on McKinnon determined he died of a heart attack. Deputies said it appeared he was nearly done filling the grave when he set the shovel down, walked away and collapsed.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/6/1560127290802.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By ASSOCIATED PRESSTRENTON, S.C. (AP) — A 60-year-old man who strangled his girlfriend died of a heart attack while burying her body in their South Carolina backyard, investigators said.Deputies found Joseph Anthony McKinnon’s body Saturday after neighbors called and reported an unconscious man in a yard in Trenton, the Edgefield County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.As they investigated McKinnon’s death, deputies found a body wrapped in trash bags in a freshly dug hole and determined it was his girlfriend, Patricia Ruth Dent, 65, investigators said.An autopsy on Dent determined she had been strangled and neighbors told officers they saw McKinnon digging a hole in his yard the day before, deputies said.An autopsy on McKinnon determined he died of a heart attack. Deputies said it appeared he was nearly done filling the grave when he set the shovel down, walked away and collapsed.<a href="https://northplattepost.com/posts/2ddcec21-000f-4ace-b19e-4250120d6629">&nbsp;&nbsp;Download The Post app for iOs or Android</a><figure>
 <img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/zTnQ8OuQIphAaZUWlRMdnVBYQUH5UIV3NBeD4sIMYDxjQ9CokSXARyIU_ZvOtCsKDbYZ7prP_RhYcjylEsOFsIslgTnnhaSA4w-RhIIFP-BUJpfRh6Bkh_iQ89m4RBAzbvrXa4xYHVIsfgeZ5w" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

Authorities: Man dies while burying woman he strangled

By AARON SANDERFORD <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/05/10/pillen-snatches-victory-from-trump-pick-herbster-in-nebraskas-gop-gubernatorial-primary/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN
 — Former Husker defensive back Jim Pillen knows how to pull victory 
from the clutches of defeat. He did it in 1978, recovering a fumble to 
help Nebraska beat Oklahoma.

He
 did it again Tuesday, snatching Nebraska’s GOP nomination for governor 
from Charles Herbster, the primary race favorite who had been endorsed 
by former President Donald Trump.

Pillen
 notched a narrow win with help from much of the state’s Republican 
establishment, including Gov. Pete Ricketts, former Gov. Kay Orr, and 
Pillen’s former coach and U.S. Rep. Tom Osborne. 

The
 University of Nebraska regent had 33% of the vote as of midnight. 
Herbster, the CEO of Conklin Co., was second with about 30%. State Sen. 
Brett Lindstrom was running third with about 26%.&nbsp;

“It’s been an extraordinary journey,” Pillen said Tuesday night, speaking at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Lincoln.
He thanked Ricketts, who responded from the crowd, shouting, “You’re gonna be a great governor, Jim.”
Pillen says his top priority is helping young Nebraskans know “the grass
 is greenest in Nebraska” and said he will work daily to help kids get 
the education and training they need.

He said he will be the first farmer in the 
governor’s mansion in about a century. It is important, he said, that 
Republicans come together on Wednesday to work together and make 
Nebraska the best place to live.

“I love public service. I love making a difference,” Pillen said. “You know, I’m guilty. I love Nebraska.”

Pillen, speaking to state senators, said, “Together, we are going to carry it across and end abortion in Nebraska.”

Herbster called the race one of the “nastiest campaigns for governor in the country.”

“That’s sad,” he said, adding that it likely played “a very, very significant role in the results.”

“This is what I’ve said all along, this was in God’s hands,” Herbster added.&nbsp;“I don’t know the reason. There is a reason.”

His concession speech at the Lincoln Grand 
Station was spiced with many thanks to campaign workers and supporters, 
including Corey Lewandowski, who called it a “dirty, nasty campaign.”

One Herbster supporter, Lt.&nbsp;Gov. Mike Foley,
 said he was puzzled by Tuesday’s voting. Recent polling, he said, had 
Herbster winning, but that didn’t happen.

“I’m surprised,” said Foley, who easily won the GOP primary to reclaim his old job as state auditor.

Lindstrom thanked the crowd gathered at A View on State in northwest Omaha. “I want to take it in for just a minute.”

His campaign took him to all of Nebraska’s 93 counties in his quest to take the governor’s seat, he said.

“We put in the work,” he told his supporters. “Who knows what the future holds, right?”

“I hope he doesn’t give up. I hope this 
isn’t the end,” said Lindstrom supporter Emily Oxley. She and another 
Lindstrom friend, Tara Chickinell, refused to sulk and stuck around 
after race had been called.

As the last few party-goers left, Lindstrom 
said in an interview that he plans to “take a little break,” spend time 
with his wife and kids and figure out his next moves.

“We’ll reassess and see what the future holds,” Lindstrom said.
Tuesday night was the first time he had gotten to visit with many good 
friends, he said, as he’s been campaigning so much in every county of 
the state. He said he owes his wife a few trips.

He congratulated Pillen and said he will 
endorse him, despite the negative comments along the way. “It’s part of 
politics,” he said, taking the high road.

Pillen
 won by campaigning in small groups across the state, hosting more than 
400 events in all 93 counties, including about 30 hosted by the Nebraska
 Farm Bureau.

At
 those events, including one in North Platte, he handed out his policy 
prescription, the “Pillen Playbook.” He stressed the need to educate and
 keep young people in the state.

He also proposed capping school spending growth so state property tax relief funds make a bigger dent.

His
 campaign offered Christian conservatives safe harbor from Herbster 
controversies over late tax payments and allegations of groping by eight
 women.&nbsp;

Pillen
 kept his campaign advertising positive early in the campaign but hit 
back later after facing attacks from Herbster on his environmental 
impact as a farmer and his voting record as an NU regent.

Pillen
 also benefited from Ricketts and other Pillen supporters running 
negative third-party ads against Herbster and Lindstrom, questioning 
where Herbster lives and criticizing him for doing business 
out-of-state. Other ads hammered Lindstrom’s record on his voting 
record.&nbsp;

This
 fall, with twice as many registered Republicans as Democrats, Pillen 
will be the favorite against State Sen. Carol Blood, who won the 
Democratic primary race Tuesday. 

Blood said Tuesday that voters are “sick and
 tired of the negative political rhetoric and business as usual coming 
from the Republican Party.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652285790150.png" alt="Jim Pillen addresses his supporters at Embassy Suites in Lincoln after winning the Republican nomination for Nebraska governor. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>Jim Pillen addresses his supporters at Embassy Suites in Lincoln after winning the Republican nomination for Nebraska governor. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>By AARON SANDERFORD <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/05/10/pillen-snatches-victory-from-trump-pick-herbster-in-nebraskas-gop-gubernatorial-primary/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN
 — Former Husker defensive back Jim Pillen knows how to pull victory 
from the clutches of defeat. He did it in 1978, recovering a fumble to 
help Nebraska beat Oklahoma.He
 did it again Tuesday, snatching Nebraska’s GOP nomination for governor 
from Charles Herbster, the primary race favorite who had been endorsed 
by former President Donald Trump.Pillen
 notched a narrow win with help from much of the state’s Republican 
establishment, including Gov. Pete Ricketts, former Gov. Kay Orr, and 
Pillen’s former coach and U.S. Rep. Tom Osborne. The
 University of Nebraska regent had 33% of the vote as of midnight. 
Herbster, the CEO of Conklin Co., was second with about 30%. State Sen. 
Brett Lindstrom was running third with about 26%.&nbsp;“It’s been an extraordinary journey,” Pillen said Tuesday night, speaking at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Lincoln.
He thanked Ricketts, who responded from the crowd, shouting, “You’re gonna be a great governor, Jim.”
Pillen says his top priority is helping young Nebraskans know “the grass
 is greenest in Nebraska” and said he will work daily to help kids get 
the education and training they need.He said he will be the first farmer in the 
governor’s mansion in about a century. It is important, he said, that 
Republicans come together on Wednesday to work together and make 
Nebraska the best place to live.“I love public service. I love making a difference,” Pillen said. “You know, I’m guilty. I love Nebraska.”Pillen, speaking to state senators, said, “Together, we are going to carry it across and end abortion in Nebraska.”Herbster called the race one of the “nastiest campaigns for governor in the country.”“That’s sad,” he said, adding that it likely played “a very, very significant role in the results.”“This is what I’ve said all along, this was in God’s hands,” Herbster added.&nbsp;“I don’t know the reason. There is a reason.”His concession speech at the Lincoln Grand 
Station was spiced with many thanks to campaign workers and supporters, 
including Corey Lewandowski, who called it a “dirty, nasty campaign.”One Herbster supporter, Lt.&nbsp;Gov. Mike Foley,
 said he was puzzled by Tuesday’s voting. Recent polling, he said, had 
Herbster winning, but that didn’t happen.“I’m surprised,” said Foley, who easily won the GOP primary to reclaim his old job as state auditor.Lindstrom thanked the crowd gathered at A View on State in northwest Omaha. “I want to take it in for just a minute.”His campaign took him to all of Nebraska’s 93 counties in his quest to take the governor’s seat, he said.“We put in the work,” he told his supporters. “Who knows what the future holds, right?”“I hope he doesn’t give up. I hope this 
isn’t the end,” said Lindstrom supporter Emily Oxley. She and another 
Lindstrom friend, Tara Chickinell, refused to sulk and stuck around 
after race had been called.As the last few party-goers left, Lindstrom 
said in an interview that he plans to “take a little break,” spend time 
with his wife and kids and figure out his next moves.“We’ll reassess and see what the future holds,” Lindstrom said.
Tuesday night was the first time he had gotten to visit with many good 
friends, he said, as he’s been campaigning so much in every county of 
the state. He said he owes his wife a few trips.He congratulated Pillen and said he will 
endorse him, despite the negative comments along the way. “It’s part of 
politics,” he said, taking the high road.<h2>Events in every county</h2>Pillen
 won by campaigning in small groups across the state, hosting more than 
400 events in all 93 counties, including about 30 hosted by the Nebraska
 Farm Bureau.At
 those events, including one in North Platte, he handed out his policy 
prescription, the “Pillen Playbook.” He stressed the need to educate and
 keep young people in the state.He also proposed capping school spending growth so state property tax relief funds make a bigger dent.His
 campaign offered Christian conservatives safe harbor from Herbster 
controversies over late tax payments and allegations of groping by eight
 women.&nbsp;<h2>Negative third-party ads</h2>Pillen
 kept his campaign advertising positive early in the campaign but hit 
back later after facing attacks from Herbster on his environmental 
impact as a farmer and his voting record as an NU regent.Pillen
 also benefited from Ricketts and other Pillen supporters running 
negative third-party ads against Herbster and Lindstrom, questioning 
where Herbster lives and criticizing him for doing business 
out-of-state. Other ads hammered Lindstrom’s record on his voting 
record.&nbsp;This
 fall, with twice as many registered Republicans as Democrats, Pillen 
will be the favorite against State Sen. Carol Blood, who won the 
Democratic primary race Tuesday. Blood said Tuesday that voters are “sick and
 tired of the negative political rhetoric and business as usual coming 
from the Republican Party.”“Nebraskans are ready for NEW BLOOD to 
create effective change and grow our state in a direction that makes it a
 place where people of all ages — no matter what they look like or what 
is in their bank account — can count on a better and more prosperous 
future,”&nbsp;Blood said in a statement. “Every Nebraskan has a voice and 
deserves a seat at the table, that is exactly what I will do as the next
 governor.”Pillen
 won the election by eclipsing Herbster’s support in many parts of 
Nebraska’s sprawling, largely rural 3rd Congressional District, which 
often decides open primaries for governor with higher turnout.<h2>Smaller cities, rural areas</h2>Pillen
 cemented his advantage in the smaller cities and rural areas of the 1st
 Congressional District, including Columbus, where Pillen lives and runs
 a massive hog operation.Pillen
 outperformed what was expected of him in Lancaster County, which 
includes Lincoln. While he trailed Lindstrom and Herbster in Douglas 
County, he beat both of them in Lancaster County.The
 three top contenders emerged from nine GOP candidates, including former
 State Sen. Theresa Thibodeau, who finished fourth with 6% of the vote.In
 the end, it may have been Pillen’s investment of time and money in 
campaign foot soldiers in 93 counties that helped him turn out enough of
 his voters to win.Nebraska&nbsp;Examiner senior reporters Paul Hammel and Cindy Gonzalez&nbsp;contributed to this report.