WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans who have long enjoyed the benefits of historically low interest rates will have to adapt to a very different environment as the Federal Reserve embarks on what’s likely to be a prolonged period of rate hikes to fight inflation.

Record-low mortgage rates below 3%, reached last year, are already gone. Credit card interest rates and the costs of an auto loan will also likely move up. Savers may receive somewhat better returns, depending on their bank, while returns on long-term bond funds will likely suffer.

The Fed’s initial quarter-point rate hike Wednesday in its benchmark short-term rate won’t have much immediate impact on most Americans’ finances. But with inflation raging at four-decade highs, economists and investors expect the central bank to enact the fastest pace of rate hikes since 2005. That would mean higher borrowing rates well into the future.

On March 16, the Fed’s policymakers collectively signaled that they expect to boost their key rate up to seven times this year, raising its benchmark rate to between 1.75% and 2% by year’s end. The officials expect four additional hikes in 2023, which would leave their benchmark rate near 3%.

Chair Jerome Powell hopes that by making borrowing gradually more expensive, the Fed will succeed in cooling demand for homes, cars and other goods and services, thereby slowing inflation.

Yet the risks are high. With inflation likely to stay elevated, in part because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Fed may have to drive borrowing costs even higher than it now expects. Doing so potentially could tip the U.S. economy into recession.

“The impact of a single quarter-point interest rate hike is inconsequential on the household budget,” said Greg McBride, chief financial analyst for Bankrate.com. “But there is a cumulative effect that can be quite significant, both on the household budget as well as the broader economy.”

Here are some questions and answers about what the rate hikes could mean for consumers and businesses:

I’M CONSIDERING BUYING A HOUSE. WILL MORTGAGE RATES GO STEADILY HIGHER?

They already have in the past few months, partly in anticipation of the Fed’s moves, and will probably keep doing so.

Still, mortgage rates don’t necessarily rise in tandem with the Fed’s rate increases. Sometimes, they even move in the opposite direction. Long-term mortgages tend to track the rate on the 10-year Treasury note, which, in turn, is influenced by a variety of factors. These include investors’ expectations for future inflation and global demand for U.S. Treasurys.

Global turmoil, like Russia’s invasion, often spurs a “flight to safety” response among investors around the world: Many rush to buy Treasurys, which are regarded as the world’s safest asset. Higher demand for the 10-year Treasury would lower its yield, which would then reduce mortgage rates.

For now, though, faster inflation and strong U.S. economic growth are sending the 10-year Treasury rate up. The average rate on a 30-year mortgage, in turn, has jumped almost a full percentage point since late December to 3.85%,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.freddiemac.com/pmms" target="_blank">according to mortgage buyer Freddie Mac.</a>

If you’re looking to buy a home and are frustrated by the lack of available houses, which has led to bidding wars and eye-watering prices, that’s unlikely to change anytime soon.

Economists say that higher mortgage rates will discourage some would-be purchasers. And average home prices, which have been soaring at about a 20% annual rate, could at least rise at a slower pace.

But Odeta Kushi, deputy chief economist at First American Financial Corporation, notes that there is such strong demand for homes, as the large millennial generation enters its prime home-buying years, that the housing market won’t cool by much. Supply hasn’t kept up. Many builders are struggling with shortages of parts and labor.

“We’ll still have a pretty robust housing market his year,” Kushi said.

For users of credit cards, home equity lines of credit and other variable-interest debt, rates would rise by roughly the same amount as the Fed hike, usually within one or two billing cycles. That’s because those rates are based in part on banks’ prime rate, which moves in tandem with the Fed.

Those who don’t qualify for low-rate credit cards might be stuck paying higher interest on their balances, and the rates on their cards would rise as the prime rate does.

Should the Fed decide to raise rates 10 times or more over the next two years — a realistic possibility — that would significantly boost interest payments.

The Fed’s rate hikes won’t necessarily raise auto loan rates as much. Car loans tend to be more sensitive to competition, which can slow the rate of increases.

WILL I BE ABLE TO EARN MORE ON MY SAVINGS?

Probably, though not likely by very much. And it depends on where your savings, if you have any, are parked.

Savings, certificates of deposit and money market accounts don’t typically track the Fed’s changes. Instead, banks tend to capitalize on a higher-rate environment to try to thicken their profits. They do so by imposing higher rates on borrowers, without necessarily offering any juicer rates to savers.

This is particularly true for large banks now. They’ve been flooded with savings as a result of government financial aid and reduced spending by many wealthier Americans during the pandemic. They won’t need to raise savings rates to attract more deposits or CD buyers.

But online banks and others with high-yield savings accounts will likely be an exception. These accounts are known for aggressively competing for depositors. The only catch is that they typically require significant deposits.

If you’re invested in mutual funds or exchange-traded funds that hold long-term bonds, they will become a riskier investment. Typically, existing long-term bonds lose value as newer bonds are issued at higher yields.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1587780450451.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans who have long enjoyed the benefits of historically low interest rates will have to adapt to a very different environment as the Federal Reserve embarks on what’s likely to be a prolonged period of rate hikes to fight inflation.Record-low mortgage rates below 3%, reached last year, are already gone. Credit card interest rates and the costs of an auto loan will also likely move up. Savers may receive somewhat better returns, depending on their bank, while returns on long-term bond funds will likely suffer.The Fed’s initial quarter-point rate hike Wednesday in its benchmark short-term rate won’t have much immediate impact on most Americans’ finances. But with inflation raging at four-decade highs, economists and investors expect the central bank to enact the fastest pace of rate hikes since 2005. That would mean higher borrowing rates well into the future.On March 16, the Fed’s policymakers collectively signaled that they expect to boost their key rate up to seven times this year, raising its benchmark rate to between 1.75% and 2% by year’s end. The officials expect four additional hikes in 2023, which would leave their benchmark rate near 3%.Chair Jerome Powell hopes that by making borrowing gradually more expensive, the Fed will succeed in cooling demand for homes, cars and other goods and services, thereby slowing inflation.Yet the risks are high. With inflation likely to stay elevated, in part because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Fed may have to drive borrowing costs even higher than it now expects. Doing so potentially could tip the U.S. economy into recession.“The impact of a single quarter-point interest rate hike is inconsequential on the household budget,” said Greg McBride, chief financial analyst for Bankrate.com. “But there is a cumulative effect that can be quite significant, both on the household budget as well as the broader economy.”Here are some questions and answers about what the rate hikes could mean for consumers and businesses:___I’M CONSIDERING BUYING A HOUSE. WILL MORTGAGE RATES GO STEADILY HIGHER?They already have in the past few months, partly in anticipation of the Fed’s moves, and will probably keep doing so.Still, mortgage rates don’t necessarily rise in tandem with the Fed’s rate increases. Sometimes, they even move in the opposite direction. Long-term mortgages tend to track the rate on the 10-year Treasury note, which, in turn, is influenced by a variety of factors. These include investors’ expectations for future inflation and global demand for U.S. Treasurys.Global turmoil, like Russia’s invasion, often spurs a “flight to safety” response among investors around the world: Many rush to buy Treasurys, which are regarded as the world’s safest asset. Higher demand for the 10-year Treasury would lower its yield, which would then reduce mortgage rates.For now, though, faster inflation and strong U.S. economic growth are sending the 10-year Treasury rate up. The average rate on a 30-year mortgage, in turn, has jumped almost a full percentage point since late December to 3.85%,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.freddiemac.com/pmms" target="_blank">according to mortgage buyer Freddie Mac.</a>HOW WILL THAT AFFECT THE HOUSING MARKET?If you’re looking to buy a home and are frustrated by the lack of available houses, which has led to bidding wars and eye-watering prices, that’s unlikely to change anytime soon.Economists say that higher mortgage rates will discourage some would-be purchasers. And average home prices, which have been soaring at about a 20% annual rate, could at least rise at a slower pace.But Odeta Kushi, deputy chief economist at First American Financial Corporation, notes that there is such strong demand for homes, as the large millennial generation enters its prime home-buying years, that the housing market won’t cool by much. Supply hasn’t kept up. Many builders are struggling with shortages of parts and labor.“We’ll still have a pretty robust housing market his year,” Kushi said.WHAT ABOUT OTHER KINDS OF LOANS?For users of credit cards, home equity lines of credit and other variable-interest debt, rates would rise by roughly the same amount as the Fed hike, usually within one or two billing cycles. That’s because those rates are based in part on banks’ prime rate, which moves in tandem with the Fed.Those who don’t qualify for low-rate credit cards might be stuck paying higher interest on their balances, and the rates on their cards would rise as the prime rate does.Should the Fed decide to raise rates 10 times or more over the next two years — a realistic possibility — that would significantly boost interest payments.The Fed’s rate hikes won’t necessarily raise auto loan rates as much. Car loans tend to be more sensitive to competition, which can slow the rate of increases.WILL I BE ABLE TO EARN MORE ON MY SAVINGS?Probably, though not likely by very much. And it depends on where your savings, if you have any, are parked.Savings, certificates of deposit and money market accounts don’t typically track the Fed’s changes. Instead, banks tend to capitalize on a higher-rate environment to try to thicken their profits. They do so by imposing higher rates on borrowers, without necessarily offering any juicer rates to savers.This is particularly true for large banks now. They’ve been flooded with savings as a result of government financial aid and reduced spending by many wealthier Americans during the pandemic. They won’t need to raise savings rates to attract more deposits or CD buyers.But online banks and others with high-yield savings accounts will likely be an exception. These accounts are known for aggressively competing for depositors. The only catch is that they typically require significant deposits.If you’re invested in mutual funds or exchange-traded funds that hold long-term bonds, they will become a riskier investment. Typically, existing long-term bonds lose value as newer bonds are issued at higher yields.

How interest rate increase will affect your finances

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Lincoln woman has been sentenced to probation for causing a crash last year that killed a motorcyclist. 

The Lincoln Journal Star reports that 19-year-old Kylie Hill was sentenced Friday to two years' probation and ordered to pay a $250 fine and to complete a victim empathy class and driver’s safety course. 

Police say Hill was 18 when she was behind the wheel of a sport utility vehicle last March that turned left in front of 19-year-old Simon Blair's motorcycle in Lincoln. 

Blair was taken to a hospital, where he later died of his injuries. 

Hill pleaded no contest in January to misdemeanor motor vehicle homicide in the crash.

By Associated PressLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Lincoln woman has been sentenced to probation for causing a crash last year that killed a motorcyclist. The Lincoln Journal Star reports that 19-year-old Kylie Hill was sentenced Friday to two years' probation and ordered to pay a $250 fine and to complete a victim empathy class and driver’s safety course. Police say Hill was 18 when she was behind the wheel of a sport utility vehicle last March that turned left in front of 19-year-old Simon Blair's motorcycle in Lincoln. Blair was taken to a hospital, where he later died of his injuries. Hill pleaded no contest in January to misdemeanor motor vehicle homicide in the crash.

Lincoln woman gets probation in crash death of motorcyclist

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate Judiciary Committee is set to begin its historic confirmation hearings for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. The 51-year-old federal judge would be the first Black woman on the Supreme Court.

<a href="https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/meetings/the-nomination-of-ketanji-brown-jackson-to-be-an-associate-justice-of-the-supreme-court-of-the-united-states">CLICK here to watch&nbsp;</a>day one of the confirmation hearing 10 a.m. CDT

Barring a significant misstep by Jackson, Democrats who control the Senate by the slimmest of margins intend to wrap up her confirmation before Easter. 

Jackson is expected to present an opening statement Monday afternoon, then answer questions from the committee’s 11 Democrats and 11 Republicans over the next two days. It’s not yet clear how aggressively Republicans will go after Jackson, given that her confirmation would not alter the court’s 6-3 conservative majority

Several Republicans who met with Jackson&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ketanji-brown-jackson-stephen-breyer-us-supreme-court-congress-josh-hawley-3fe43e01c9d9664c3b5ee18a04f5feb9">praised her&nbsp;</a>legal acumen, broad experience and engaging, empathetic demeanor. But some Republicans on the committee, especially those who might run for president in 2024, are expected to aggressively criticize her record. Jackson&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ketanji-brown-jackson-stephen-breyer-joe-biden-us-supreme-court-thurgood-marshall-0b73ca8ac79cb133dd84570b389301d7">was a public defender</a>, a member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission and a federal district court judge before she was confirmed as an appellate judge last year.

Jackson was nominated to replace Justice Stephen Breyer,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stephen-breyer-supreme-court-retirement-2f9c1f5da824e3b1ef25964205131fff">who announced in January</a>&nbsp;that he will retire at the end of the high court’s session this summer.

What to watch as Jackson’s hearings start Monday:

Similar to past practice, the committee will examine Jackson’s record over four days. She will give an opening statement on Monday, and members of the committee will give their opening remarks. She won’t face questioning until Tuesday and Wednesday, when the 22 committee members will each have 30 minutes to question her. If there is a second round of questioning, they will have 20 minutes each.

Jackson won’t be in the hearing room on Thursday, when legal experts and representatives of the American Bar Association testify on her legal record.

After the hearings conclude, the committee will vote on sending her nomination to the full Senate. Democrats hope to confirm Jackson by April 8, when they leave Washington for a two-week spring recess.

The court was made up entirely of white men for almost two centuries. Justice Clarence Thomas and the late Thurgood Marshall are the only two Black men who have been justices — confirmed in 1991 and 1967, respectively. There has never been a Black woman on the court.

Biden pledged during his 2020 campaign that he would nominate a Black woman to the court if he had the chance. Some Republicans criticized that pledge, saying it was “offensive” or akin to affirmative action.

But Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said he doesn’t have a problem with Biden’s pledge. He has signaled to his conference to focus on topics other than Jackson’s race.

Democrats can confirm Jackson without any Republican support because Vice President Kamala Harris can cast a tiebreaking vote in the 50-50 Senate. Democrats are still lobbying Republicans they think are open to voting for Jackson in hopes that she will be able to be seated on the court with some bipartisan backing.

Maine Sen. Susan Collins is the most likely Republican to support her, suggesting after a 90-minute meeting this month that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ketanji-brown-jackson-j-michelle-childs-stephen-breyer-us-supreme-court-susan-collins-09b8d396185a1c44bbfb068c59a574cd">she was inclined&nbsp;</a>to vote yes on confirmation. Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joined Collins in voting to confirm Jackson to the appeals court last year, but both have indicated that they may not vote for her this time.

It’s unlikely that any other Republicans will vote for Jackson, though most say they are waiting until after the hearings to decide.

Republicans who have met with Jackson have given varied reasons that they might not vote for her. They have cited her representation of Guantanamo Bay detainees as a public defender more than a decade ago, the liberal advocacy groups that support her and broad arguments that she may be “soft on crime” because of her record as a public defender.

The most pointed criticism so far has come from Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, who posted a lengthy Twitter thread Wednesday evening that charged her with being soft on pedophiles in her time at the U.S. Sentencing Commission. Democrats and the White House pushed back strongly on his arguments, claiming they were cherry-picked and void of context.

Many Republicans have been muted in their criticism of Jackson, preferring to focus on other election-year issues like inflation. But Hawley and GOP Sens, Ted Cruz of Texas and Tom Cotton of Arkansas, all committee members, are considering runs for the presidency in 2024 and may try and burnish their conservative credentials by attacking Jackson’s record.

Like Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s Senate hearings in October 2020, some health precautions will be taken in the committee room. Senators will be spaced out from each other and the general public will not be allowed in.

While the safety measures are to prevent the spread of COVID-19 amid a spate of recent cases in the Capitol, they will also serve the purpose of keeping protesters out. Angry protesters flooded the Senate hallways during the 2017 and 2018 confirmations of Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, but the public is just beginning to return to the Capitol for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic and the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647875179503.png" alt="Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson listens to opening statements from Senators on Monday-photo courtesy Senate Judiciary Committee" />
 <figcaption>Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson listens to opening statements from Senators on Monday-photo courtesy Senate Judiciary Committee</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate Judiciary Committee is set to begin its historic confirmation hearings for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. The 51-year-old federal judge would be the first Black woman on the Supreme Court.<a href="https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/meetings/the-nomination-of-ketanji-brown-jackson-to-be-an-associate-justice-of-the-supreme-court-of-the-united-states">CLICK here to watch&nbsp;</a>day one of the confirmation hearing 10 a.m. CDTBarring a significant misstep by Jackson, Democrats who control the Senate by the slimmest of margins intend to wrap up her confirmation before Easter. Jackson is expected to present an opening statement Monday afternoon, then answer questions from the committee’s 11 Democrats and 11 Republicans over the next two days. It’s not yet clear how aggressively Republicans will go after Jackson, given that her confirmation would not alter the court’s 6-3 conservative majoritySeveral Republicans who met with Jackson&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ketanji-brown-jackson-stephen-breyer-us-supreme-court-congress-josh-hawley-3fe43e01c9d9664c3b5ee18a04f5feb9">praised her&nbsp;</a>legal acumen, broad experience and engaging, empathetic demeanor. But some Republicans on the committee, especially those who might run for president in 2024, are expected to aggressively criticize her record. Jackson&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ketanji-brown-jackson-stephen-breyer-joe-biden-us-supreme-court-thurgood-marshall-0b73ca8ac79cb133dd84570b389301d7">was a public defender</a>, a member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission and a federal district court judge before she was confirmed as an appellate judge last year.Jackson was nominated to replace Justice Stephen Breyer,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stephen-breyer-supreme-court-retirement-2f9c1f5da824e3b1ef25964205131fff">who announced in January</a>&nbsp;that he will retire at the end of the high court’s session this summer.What to watch as Jackson’s hearings start Monday:FOUR DAYS OF HEARINGSSimilar to past practice, the committee will examine Jackson’s record over four days. She will give an opening statement on Monday, and members of the committee will give their opening remarks. She won’t face questioning until Tuesday and Wednesday, when the 22 committee members will each have 30 minutes to question her. If there is a second round of questioning, they will have 20 minutes each.Jackson won’t be in the hearing room on Thursday, when legal experts and representatives of the American Bar Association testify on her legal record.After the hearings conclude, the committee will vote on sending her nomination to the full Senate. Democrats hope to confirm Jackson by April 8, when they leave Washington for a two-week spring recess.___FIRST BLACK WOMANThe court was made up entirely of white men for almost two centuries. Justice Clarence Thomas and the late Thurgood Marshall are the only two Black men who have been justices — confirmed in 1991 and 1967, respectively. There has never been a Black woman on the court.Biden pledged during his 2020 campaign that he would nominate a Black woman to the court if he had the chance. Some Republicans criticized that pledge, saying it was “offensive” or akin to affirmative action.But Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said he doesn’t have a problem with Biden’s pledge. He has signaled to his conference to focus on topics other than Jackson’s race.___REPUBLICAN BREAKTHROUGH?Democrats can confirm Jackson without any Republican support because Vice President Kamala Harris can cast a tiebreaking vote in the 50-50 Senate. Democrats are still lobbying Republicans they think are open to voting for Jackson in hopes that she will be able to be seated on the court with some bipartisan backing.Maine Sen. Susan Collins is the most likely Republican to support her, suggesting after a 90-minute meeting this month that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ketanji-brown-jackson-j-michelle-childs-stephen-breyer-us-supreme-court-susan-collins-09b8d396185a1c44bbfb068c59a574cd">she was inclined&nbsp;</a>to vote yes on confirmation. Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joined Collins in voting to confirm Jackson to the appeals court last year, but both have indicated that they may not vote for her this time.It’s unlikely that any other Republicans will vote for Jackson, though most say they are waiting until after the hearings to decide.___GOP LINES OF ATTACKRepublicans who have met with Jackson have given varied reasons that they might not vote for her. They have cited her representation of Guantanamo Bay detainees as a public defender more than a decade ago, the liberal advocacy groups that support her and broad arguments that she may be “soft on crime” because of her record as a public defender.The most pointed criticism so far has come from Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, who posted a lengthy Twitter thread Wednesday evening that charged her with being soft on pedophiles in her time at the U.S. Sentencing Commission. Democrats and the White House pushed back strongly on his arguments, claiming they were cherry-picked and void of context.Many Republicans have been muted in their criticism of Jackson, preferring to focus on other election-year issues like inflation. But Hawley and GOP Sens, Ted Cruz of Texas and Tom Cotton of Arkansas, all committee members, are considering runs for the presidency in 2024 and may try and burnish their conservative credentials by attacking Jackson’s record.___PANDEMIC PRECAUTIONSLike Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s Senate hearings in October 2020, some health precautions will be taken in the committee room. Senators will be spaced out from each other and the general public will not be allowed in.While the safety measures are to prevent the spread of COVID-19 amid a spate of recent cases in the Capitol, they will also serve the purpose of keeping protesters out. Angry protesters flooded the Senate hallways during the 2017 and 2018 confirmations of Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, but the public is just beginning to return to the Capitol for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic and the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection.___

🎥 Historic Supreme Court confirmation hearings begin

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway is buying the insurance company Alleghany in a deal valued at approximately $11.6 billion.

 The acquisition will expand Berkshire’s already considerable insurance holdings including brands like Geico auto insurance. 

Berkshire said Monday that it will pay $848.02 in cash for each outstanding share of Alleghany, based in New York City. 

It will operate as an independent subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway after the deal closes. 

It has 25 days to actively solicit and consider alternative acquisition proposals under a “go-shop” provision.

By Associated PressWarren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway is buying the insurance company Alleghany in a deal valued at approximately $11.6 billion. The acquisition will expand Berkshire’s already considerable insurance holdings including brands like Geico auto insurance. Berkshire said Monday that it will pay $848.02 in cash for each outstanding share of Alleghany, based in New York City. It will operate as an independent subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway after the deal closes. It has 25 days to actively solicit and consider alternative acquisition proposals under a “go-shop” provision.

Berkshire's $11.6B Alleghany deal expands insurance business

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/03/21/environmental-farm-groups-seek-update-of-2014-state-climate-impact-study/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN
 — It’s been eight years since the state last produced a report on 
climate change, a report that predicted adverse effects ahead for the 
state’s largest industry, agriculture.

Several
 environmental groups, as well as the state climatologist and one farm 
group, are now calling on state legislators to update the 2014 “<a target="_blank" href="http://snr.unl.edu/download/research/projects/climateimpacts/2014ClimateChange.pdf">Understanding and Assessing Climate Change” study</a> produced by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Legislative
 Bill 1255 seeks $150,000 in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) 
funds to update the climate study, which proponents maintain would 
better prepare the state for the wilder swings in weather and 
precipitation experienced in recent years.&nbsp;

“The
 number of annual extreme weather events facing our nation is 
increasing, and it’s costing us billions of dollars every year,” State 
Sen. Eliot Bostar of Lincoln told the Legislature’s Appropriations 
Committee on March 3.

According to the National Centers for 
Environmental Information, the damages caused by extreme weather events 
have more than doubled in recent years, from about $7.4 billion a year 
to $17.2 billion a year since 2017.&nbsp;

Martha
 Shulski, the state climatologist, said that just like tracking drought 
and spring flooding, the state needs a “science-based, trusted voice” to
 look at what’s ahead in terms of changing climate and how to plan for 
it.

“At
 this point, tracking weather trends is not a choice, it’s a must,” said
 Shulski, who emphasized that she was testifying as an individual, not 
on behalf of UNL.

LB <a target="_blank" href="http://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/search_by_number.php?DocumentNumber=LB1255&amp;Legislature=107th">1255</a> would require a report from UNL’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources by December 2024.

The
 bill would also allow the hiring of a “science-based” consultant to 
recommend how the state should respond to the coming changes. The 
measure makes no mention of studying whether climate changes are 
human-caused or not.

Bostar said the bill would also provide necessary climate-impact information for the state to use ARPA for water projects.&nbsp;

Several
 environmental groups testified in favor of the bill, including Audubon 
Nebraska, the Sierra Club of Nebraska, the Nature Conservancy and 
Nebraska Interfaith Power &amp; Light.&nbsp;

Kristal
 Stoner of Audubon Nebraska told members of the Legislature’s 
Appropriations Committee that this state was falling behind.

Stoner
 said 34 other states have a climate action plan or are in the process 
of developing one, citing the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions.

Stoner said that “$150,000 is cheap compared to the implications of inaction.”&nbsp;

John
 Hansen of Nebraska Farmers Union also spoke in favor of the bill. He 
said the state’s farmers and ranchers have a vested interest in 
preparing “for a changing future that has already arrived.”

No one testified against the bill. The funding is included in the ARPA budget developed by the Appropriations Committee.

By PAUL HAMMEL <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/03/21/environmental-farm-groups-seek-update-of-2014-state-climate-impact-study/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN
 — It’s been eight years since the state last produced a report on 
climate change, a report that predicted adverse effects ahead for the 
state’s largest industry, agriculture.Several
 environmental groups, as well as the state climatologist and one farm 
group, are now calling on state legislators to update the 2014 “<a target="_blank" href="http://snr.unl.edu/download/research/projects/climateimpacts/2014ClimateChange.pdf">Understanding and Assessing Climate Change” study</a> produced by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.Legislative
 Bill 1255 seeks $150,000 in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) 
funds to update the climate study, which proponents maintain would 
better prepare the state for the wilder swings in weather and 
precipitation experienced in recent years.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647874171762.jpeg" alt="State Sen. Eliot Bostar of Lincoln (Craig Chandler/University Communication)" />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Eliot Bostar of Lincoln (Craig Chandler/University Communication)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>'Extreme weather events’</h2>“The
 number of annual extreme weather events facing our nation is 
increasing, and it’s costing us billions of dollars every year,” State 
Sen. Eliot Bostar of Lincoln told the Legislature’s Appropriations 
Committee on March 3.According to the National Centers for 
Environmental Information, the damages caused by extreme weather events 
have more than doubled in recent years, from about $7.4 billion a year 
to $17.2 billion a year since 2017.&nbsp;Martha
 Shulski, the state climatologist, said that just like tracking drought 
and spring flooding, the state needs a “science-based, trusted voice” to
 look at what’s ahead in terms of changing climate and how to plan for 
it.“At
 this point, tracking weather trends is not a choice, it’s a must,” said
 Shulski, who emphasized that she was testifying as an individual, not 
on behalf of UNL.LB <a target="_blank" href="http://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/search_by_number.php?DocumentNumber=LB1255&amp;Legislature=107th">1255</a> would require a report from UNL’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources by December 2024.The
 bill would also allow the hiring of a “science-based” consultant to 
recommend how the state should respond to the coming changes. The 
measure makes no mention of studying whether climate changes are 
human-caused or not.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647874207014.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Helps other ARPA projects</h2>Bostar said the bill would also provide necessary climate-impact information for the state to use ARPA for water projects.&nbsp;Several
 environmental groups testified in favor of the bill, including Audubon 
Nebraska, the Sierra Club of Nebraska, the Nature Conservancy and 
Nebraska Interfaith Power &amp; Light.&nbsp;Kristal
 Stoner of Audubon Nebraska told members of the Legislature’s 
Appropriations Committee that this state was falling behind.Stoner
 said 34 other states have a climate action plan or are in the process 
of developing one, citing the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions.<h2>Cost is ‘cheap’</h2>Stoner said that “$150,000 is cheap compared to the implications of inaction.”&nbsp;John
 Hansen of Nebraska Farmers Union also spoke in favor of the bill. He 
said the state’s farmers and ranchers have a vested interest in 
preparing “for a changing future that has already arrived.”No one testified against the bill. The funding is included in the ARPA budget developed by the Appropriations Committee.

Neb. environmental, farm groups seek update of climate study

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A 29-year-old Omaha woman has been sentenced to 25 to 40 years in prison for the death of her 8-month-old son. 

Mandy Watson De Garcia was sentenced this week after she pleaded no contest in January to intentional child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury. 

Her son, Leovardo Garcia, died about three weeks after he was taken to a hospital in August 2019 with seizures, blood clots and head swelling. 

De Garcia said the boy was injured after he fell backward and hit his head at their home. 

Doctors determined the boy's injuries were too severe to be accidental.

By Associated PressOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A 29-year-old Omaha woman has been sentenced to 25 to 40 years in prison for the death of her 8-month-old son. Mandy Watson De Garcia was sentenced this week after she pleaded no contest in January to intentional child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury. Her son, Leovardo Garcia, died about three weeks after he was taken to a hospital in August 2019 with seizures, blood clots and head swelling. De Garcia said the boy was injured after he fell backward and hit his head at their home. Doctors determined the boy's injuries were too severe to be accidental.

Omaha woman sentenced to 25 to 40 years in son's death

DETROIT (AP) — Canadian Teamsters and CP Rail blamed each other for a work stoppage Sunday that brought trains to a halt across Canada and interrupted fertilizer and other shipments to and from the U.S.

More than 3,000 Canadian Pacific Rail conductors, engineers, train and yard workers represented by the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference are off the job after both sides couldn't reach a deal by a midnight deadline.

Both sides say they are still talking with federal mediators.

Canadian Pacific covers much of the U.S. Midwest and is a large shipper of potash and fertilizer for agriculture. It also carries grain from the U.S. to its northern neighbor for domestic use and exports. The railroad serves the Dakotas, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri and other states, according to a map on its investor website. CP also operates in New England and upstate New York, spokesman Patrick Waldron said.

CP says it's the leading carrier of potash, a plant nutrient used in the production of multiple crops. The company says in investor documents that it carries 70% of the potash produced in North America, all from mines in Saskatchewan.

The railroad says it also carries fertilizers, including phosphate, urea, ammonium sulfate, ammonium nitrate and anhydrous ammonia. About half its fertilizer shipments originate from processing plants in Alberta.

CP got 29% of its 2020 freight revenue from cross-border shipments between the U.S. and Canada, its investor website said.

A lengthy interruption of fertilizer shipments could hurt U.S. farmers, who are nearing the spring planting season. The work stoppage could also exacerbate existing supply chain bottlenecks in the U.S. and Canada that stem from the COVID-19 pandemic.

U.S. trains were not affected by the work stoppage, but the railroad cannot make shipments between the two nations, Waldron said.

On Saturday, the Teamsters said in a statement that the company had locked the workers out, but later issued another statement saying the workers were also on strike.

The original statement posted to the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference website late Saturday said the union wanted to continue bargaining but the company "chose to put the Canadian supply chain and tens of thousands of jobs at risk.″

"As Canadians grapple with a never-ending pandemic, exploding commodity prices and the war in Ukraine, the rail carrier is adding an unnecessary layer of insecurity, especially for those who depend on the rail network,″ the statement said.

CP Rail, Canada’s second-largest railroad operator, said it was the company that wanted to keep talking, and the union that pulled its employees off the job.

CP President Keith Creel said in a news release the union "failed to respond″ to a new offer presented by mediators before the midnight deadline.

“Instead, the TCRC opted to withdraw their services before the deadline for a strike or lockout could legally take place,″ he said. "The TCRC is well aware of the damage this reckless action will cause to the Canadian supply chain.″

Labor Minister Seamus O’Regan urged the two sides to keep bargaining.

The Canadian and U.S. supply chains also were hit by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-detroit-canada-20f273b32bfa8ef695fdabcc7e11321e">trucker convoy protests&nbsp;</a>blocking border crossings in February, and now are dealing with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-biden-business-europe-b20d71c150712fe2e6dc3d44af8d1268">the effects, particularly on global fuel supplies, of the Russian invasion in Ukraine and sanctions imposed by the U.S. and its allies.</a>

All the disruptions pushed inflation to its highest level since the early 1980s, with essentials such as food and fuel facing some of the sharpest price hikes.

CP and the union have been negotiating since September, with wages and pensions a sticking point. A clause on where employees take their federally mandated break periods is also an issue.

CP Rail says this is the fifth work stoppage since 1993.

DETROIT (AP) — Canadian Teamsters and CP Rail blamed each other for a work stoppage Sunday that brought trains to a halt across Canada and interrupted fertilizer and other shipments to and from the U.S.More than 3,000 Canadian Pacific Rail conductors, engineers, train and yard workers represented by the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference are off the job after both sides couldn't reach a deal by a midnight deadline.Both sides say they are still talking with federal mediators.Canadian Pacific covers much of the U.S. Midwest and is a large shipper of potash and fertilizer for agriculture. It also carries grain from the U.S. to its northern neighbor for domestic use and exports. The railroad serves the Dakotas, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri and other states, according to a map on its investor website. CP also operates in New England and upstate New York, spokesman Patrick Waldron said.CP says it's the leading carrier of potash, a plant nutrient used in the production of multiple crops. The company says in investor documents that it carries 70% of the potash produced in North America, all from mines in Saskatchewan.The railroad says it also carries fertilizers, including phosphate, urea, ammonium sulfate, ammonium nitrate and anhydrous ammonia. About half its fertilizer shipments originate from processing plants in Alberta.CP got 29% of its 2020 freight revenue from cross-border shipments between the U.S. and Canada, its investor website said.A lengthy interruption of fertilizer shipments could hurt U.S. farmers, who are nearing the spring planting season. The work stoppage could also exacerbate existing supply chain bottlenecks in the U.S. and Canada that stem from the COVID-19 pandemic.U.S. trains were not affected by the work stoppage, but the railroad cannot make shipments between the two nations, Waldron said.On Saturday, the Teamsters said in a statement that the company had locked the workers out, but later issued another statement saying the workers were also on strike.The original statement posted to the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference website late Saturday said the union wanted to continue bargaining but the company "chose to put the Canadian supply chain and tens of thousands of jobs at risk.″"As Canadians grapple with a never-ending pandemic, exploding commodity prices and the war in Ukraine, the rail carrier is adding an unnecessary layer of insecurity, especially for those who depend on the rail network,″ the statement said.CP Rail, Canada’s second-largest railroad operator, said it was the company that wanted to keep talking, and the union that pulled its employees off the job.CP President Keith Creel said in a news release the union "failed to respond″ to a new offer presented by mediators before the midnight deadline.“Instead, the TCRC opted to withdraw their services before the deadline for a strike or lockout could legally take place,″ he said. "The TCRC is well aware of the damage this reckless action will cause to the Canadian supply chain.″Labor Minister Seamus O’Regan urged the two sides to keep bargaining.The Canadian and U.S. supply chains also were hit by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-detroit-canada-20f273b32bfa8ef695fdabcc7e11321e">trucker convoy protests&nbsp;</a>blocking border crossings in February, and now are dealing with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-biden-business-europe-b20d71c150712fe2e6dc3d44af8d1268">the effects, particularly on global fuel supplies, of the Russian invasion in Ukraine and sanctions imposed by the U.S. and its allies.</a>All the disruptions pushed inflation to its highest level since the early 1980s, with essentials such as food and fuel facing some of the sharpest price hikes.CP and the union have been negotiating since September, with wages and pensions a sticking point. A clause on where employees take their federally mandated break periods is also an issue.CP Rail says this is the fifth work stoppage since 1993.

Canadian Pacific rail work stoppage could hit U.S. agriculture

WASHINGTON (AP) — Justice Clarence Thomas has been hospitalized because of an infection, the Supreme Court said Sunday.

Thomas, 73, has been at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C., since Friday after experiencing “flu-like symptoms,” the court said in a statement. The court offered no explanation for why it waited two days to disclose that the justice was in the hospital.

It also provided no additional details about the infection, but said Thomas is being treated with antibiotics and his symptoms are abating. He could released in the next couple of days, the court said.

The Supreme Court is meeting this week to hear arguments in four cases. Thomas plans to participate in the cases even if he misses the arguments, the court said. Thomas has been on the court since 1991.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647819512741.png" alt="Thomas photo courtesy U.S. Supreme Court" />
 <figcaption>Thomas photo courtesy U.S. Supreme Court</figcaption>
 </figure>By MARK SHERMAN, Associated PressWASHINGTON (AP) — Justice Clarence Thomas has been hospitalized because of an infection, the Supreme Court said Sunday.Thomas, 73, has been at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C., since Friday after experiencing “flu-like symptoms,” the court said in a statement. The court offered no explanation for why it waited two days to disclose that the justice was in the hospital.It also provided no additional details about the infection, but said Thomas is being treated with antibiotics and his symptoms are abating. He could released in the next couple of days, the court said.The Supreme Court is meeting this week to hear arguments in four cases. Thomas plans to participate in the cases even if he misses the arguments, the court said. Thomas has been on the court since 1991.

Justice Thomas hospitalized with infection, high court says

WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government has provided more than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-emergency-management-federal-emergency-management-agency-0b63f9fcbf4ea0c5948adddc53e6b1c7">$2 billion to help cover funeral costs</a>&nbsp;for more than 300,000 families of people who died from COVID-19, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Tuesday as it launches a new campaign to raise awareness about the aid to eligible families. More than 965,000 people have died in the U.S. from the virus.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fema.gov/disaster/coronavirus/economic/funeral-assistance" target="_blank">COVID-19 Funeral Assistance program</a>&nbsp;provides up to $9,000 per funeral and covers COVID-19 related deaths since Jan. 20, 2020. The average amount awarded per death is $6,500, according to FEMA.

“FEMA’s COVID-19 Funeral Assistance program has helped provide over 300,000 people with critical financial relief during a time of such unexpected, unimaginable and widespread loss,” said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell in a statement.

The agency is launching a new paid ad campaign in California, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas targeted at areas with large rates of COVID-19 deaths but lower rates of reimbursement requests to help connect people to available assistance. The agency is also reaching out to community groups and local media outlets to help publicize the program.

“Our new outreach campaign is designed to reach families, especially across underserved communities, where the cost of a funeral can be a financial burden to a loved one,” said Criswell. “Our goal is to help families apply for assistance, as well as submit all required documents for existing applications.”

To be eligible for reimbursement, death certificates for those who died after May 16, 2020, must indicate that the death was attributed to COVID-19.

For deaths that occurred in the early months of the pandemic — from Jan. 20 to May 16, 2020 — death certificates must be accompanied with a signed statement from a medical examiner, coroner or the certifying official listed on the certificate indicating that COVID-19 was the cause or a contributing cause of death.

Expenses covered under the FEMA program include funeral services, cremation and interment, as well as the costs for caskets or urns, burial plots or cremation niches, markers or headstones, transportation or transfer of remains, clergy or officiant services, and the use of funeral home equipment or staff.

The program was first signed into law in the waning days of President Donald Trump’s administration but began accepting applications weeks into President Joe Biden’s term. The initial bill provided $2 billion for the funeral assistance, which was exhausted in recent days. Funding going forward will come from Biden’s 2021 relief bill known as the “American Rescue Plan.”

FEMA is not accepting online applications for the reimbursement program. People eligible are directed to call the agency’s helpline 844-684-6333 where they will be prompted to submit the required documentation.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government has provided more than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-emergency-management-federal-emergency-management-agency-0b63f9fcbf4ea0c5948adddc53e6b1c7">$2 billion to help cover funeral costs</a>&nbsp;for more than 300,000 families of people who died from COVID-19, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Tuesday as it launches a new campaign to raise awareness about the aid to eligible families. More than 965,000 people have died in the U.S. from the virus.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fema.gov/disaster/coronavirus/economic/funeral-assistance" target="_blank">COVID-19 Funeral Assistance program</a>&nbsp;provides up to $9,000 per funeral and covers COVID-19 related deaths since Jan. 20, 2020. The average amount awarded per death is $6,500, according to FEMA.“FEMA’s COVID-19 Funeral Assistance program has helped provide over 300,000 people with critical financial relief during a time of such unexpected, unimaginable and widespread loss,” said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell in a statement.The agency is launching a new paid ad campaign in California, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas targeted at areas with large rates of COVID-19 deaths but lower rates of reimbursement requests to help connect people to available assistance. The agency is also reaching out to community groups and local media outlets to help publicize the program.“Our new outreach campaign is designed to reach families, especially across underserved communities, where the cost of a funeral can be a financial burden to a loved one,” said Criswell. “Our goal is to help families apply for assistance, as well as submit all required documents for existing applications.”To be eligible for reimbursement, death certificates for those who died after May 16, 2020, must indicate that the death was attributed to COVID-19.For deaths that occurred in the early months of the pandemic — from Jan. 20 to May 16, 2020 — death certificates must be accompanied with a signed statement from a medical examiner, coroner or the certifying official listed on the certificate indicating that COVID-19 was the cause or a contributing cause of death.Expenses covered under the FEMA program include funeral services, cremation and interment, as well as the costs for caskets or urns, burial plots or cremation niches, markers or headstones, transportation or transfer of remains, clergy or officiant services, and the use of funeral home equipment or staff.The program was first signed into law in the waning days of President Donald Trump’s administration but began accepting applications weeks into President Joe Biden’s term. The initial bill provided $2 billion for the funeral assistance, which was exhausted in recent days. Funding going forward will come from Biden’s 2021 relief bill known as the “American Rescue Plan.”FEMA is not accepting online applications for the reimbursement program. People eligible are directed to call the agency’s helpline 844-684-6333 where they will be prompted to submit the required documentation.___

US funeral assistance for COVID tops $2B, more eligible

(AP)-The return to classrooms for the nation’s schoolchildren has not meant a return to work for many of their parents who, with workdays that outlast school days, are finding crucial after-school programs in short supply.

School-based providers list difficulties hiring and retaining staff as the biggest reasons they have not fully rebounded from pandemic shutdowns and they say they are as frustrated as the parents they are turning away.

“We’re in a constant state of flux. We’ll hire one staffer and another will resign,” said Ester Buendia, assistant director for after-school programs at Northside Independent School District in Texas. “We’ve just not been able to catch up this year.”

Before the pandemic, the San Antonio district’s after-school program had 1,000 staff members serving more than 7,000 students at its roughly 100 elementary and middle schools. Today, there are less than half that number of employees supervising about 3,300 students. More than 1,100 students are on waiting lists for the program, called Learning Tree, which provides academic, recreational and social enrichment until 6:30 p.m. each school day.

It’s difficult to conclude how many parents of school-age children have been unable to resume working outside the home because of gaps in available care. But surveys point to a cycle of parents, mostly mothers, staying home for their children because they are unable to find after-school programming, which then causes staffing shortages at such programs that rely heavily on women to run them.

“There’s no doubt really that these after-school programs — the lack of after-school programs at this stage — are limiting women in particular being able to reenter the workforce,” said Jen Rinehart, vice president for strategy and programming at the nonprofit Afterschool Alliance, which works to increase programming.

“If women don’t return to the workforce then we don’t have the staff we need for these after-school opportunities, so it’s all very tangled together,” she said.

An Afterschool Alliance survey found an all-time high of 24.6 million children were unable to access a program at the end of 2021, though cost as well as availability was a barrier. Of more than 1,000 program providers surveyed, 54% had waiting lists, a significantly greater percentage than in the past.

Wells Fargo reported that labor shortages in child care, where women account for 96% of the workforce, are more acute than in other industries also struggling to find reliable employees. Employment was 12.4% below its pre-COVID-19 level at the beginning of March, leaving an estimated 460,000 families forced to make other arrangements, analysts concluded.

“Access to affordable child care has been shown time and again to boost labor force participation among mothers,” the report said.

A Census Bureau data poll in January found that 6% of parents with children 5-11 years old were not working because a child was not in school or day care.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2022/02/24/parents-still-struggle-to-work-without-child-care" target="_blank">Data analyzed by Pew Research Center&nbsp;</a>found that in the last quarter of 2021, 6% fewer jobs were held by parents of children age 5 to 12.

Erica Gonzalez of San Antonio secured after-school spots for her second grade and sixth grade daughters after going into the school year on waiting lists. That allowed her to maintain her schedule at the nonprofit where she works and her husband, a teacher, to also coach.

Anticipating a crush for spots, Gonzalez had made sure to enroll her children for Learning Tree as quickly as possible and she kept in touch with their schools as each child inched up waiting lists.

“We were really just kind of hoping and praying that spots would open up for them and fortunately they did,” Gonzalez said.

Without the program, Gonzalez said she and her husband would have had to figure out how to get their daughters from their schools to her husband to wait for him to finish work.

“I would have had to probably change my schedule to go pick them up, drop them off and come all the way back to work,” she said. “We would have figured something out but it definitely would have been a challenge.”

Rico X said the school-based before- and after-school programs he oversees at the YMCA of Middle Tennessee have had to cap enrollment because of staff shortages, leaving capacity at about 70% of what it was before the pandemic. One of its 105 sites used to have as many as 85 students; now it’s fewer than 60.

“In some of our waitlist sites we have some parents that are just in desperation,” he said, “and there’s not a whole lot we can really do unless there’s a spot that opens up.”

The YMCA, which sends staff into the schools to run the programs, is considering another pay raise in hopes of attracting more applicants, he said. The provider already raised the minimum pay for site directors from $13 to $16 an hour, and gave other employees a $2 an hour raise, to $13.

“For a good portion of our families, this is a lifeline for them, and it gives them the ability to be able to work but also have the peace of mind that their kids are in a safe and engaging environment. It’s 100% a lifeline,” X said.

The Afterschool Alliance survey found that 71% of programs had taken action to attract and retain staff. The most common was raising salaries, in some cases using federal pandemic relief money in the form of child care stabilization grants. Some also have offered free child care for employees as well as signing bonuses or paid time off.

“We came into the pandemic with tremendous unmet demand for after-school and summer programs and of course, like almost every other challenge out there, the pandemic only made that challenge worse,” Rinehart said.

Kasey Blackburn-Jiron, expanded learning coordinator for the West Contra Costa Unified School District in California, said providers the district relies on describe applicants skipping scheduled job interviews or even going through the hiring process only to vanish after landing the job, presumably to work at some place that pays more and demands less.

“My best guess is we don’t pay them enough money. We don’t offer them enough hours,” said Blackburn-Jiron, who said the program now serves far fewer than the 5,000 students enrolled before the pandemic.

“We’re asking asking these 17-, 18-, 19-dollar an hour people to work miracles,” she said. “Most of them don’t have bachelor’s degrees and yet we’re saying we want you to be an amazing youth development practitioner. You need to be able to teach and model social and emotional skills. You need to be able to teach 21st century skills, you need to be able to deal with young people who come from generations of trauma.”

She said state lawmakers recently increased funding for the program, which could lead to better pay, but the money will not get to programs until near the end of the school year.

“Working families need school-based afterschool programs, and we just haven’t been able to meet the need,” Blackburn-Jiron said, “and it’s heartbreaking.”

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS(AP)-The return to classrooms for the nation’s schoolchildren has not meant a return to work for many of their parents who, with workdays that outlast school days, are finding crucial after-school programs in short supply.School-based providers list difficulties hiring and retaining staff as the biggest reasons they have not fully rebounded from pandemic shutdowns and they say they are as frustrated as the parents they are turning away.“We’re in a constant state of flux. We’ll hire one staffer and another will resign,” said Ester Buendia, assistant director for after-school programs at Northside Independent School District in Texas. “We’ve just not been able to catch up this year.”Before the pandemic, the San Antonio district’s after-school program had 1,000 staff members serving more than 7,000 students at its roughly 100 elementary and middle schools. Today, there are less than half that number of employees supervising about 3,300 students. More than 1,100 students are on waiting lists for the program, called Learning Tree, which provides academic, recreational and social enrichment until 6:30 p.m. each school day.It’s difficult to conclude how many parents of school-age children have been unable to resume working outside the home because of gaps in available care. But surveys point to a cycle of parents, mostly mothers, staying home for their children because they are unable to find after-school programming, which then causes staffing shortages at such programs that rely heavily on women to run them.“There’s no doubt really that these after-school programs — the lack of after-school programs at this stage — are limiting women in particular being able to reenter the workforce,” said Jen Rinehart, vice president for strategy and programming at the nonprofit Afterschool Alliance, which works to increase programming.“If women don’t return to the workforce then we don’t have the staff we need for these after-school opportunities, so it’s all very tangled together,” she said.An Afterschool Alliance survey found an all-time high of 24.6 million children were unable to access a program at the end of 2021, though cost as well as availability was a barrier. Of more than 1,000 program providers surveyed, 54% had waiting lists, a significantly greater percentage than in the past.Wells Fargo reported that labor shortages in child care, where women account for 96% of the workforce, are more acute than in other industries also struggling to find reliable employees. Employment was 12.4% below its pre-COVID-19 level at the beginning of March, leaving an estimated 460,000 families forced to make other arrangements, analysts concluded.“Access to affordable child care has been shown time and again to boost labor force participation among mothers,” the report said.A Census Bureau data poll in January found that 6% of parents with children 5-11 years old were not working because a child was not in school or day care.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2022/02/24/parents-still-struggle-to-work-without-child-care" target="_blank">Data analyzed by Pew Research Center&nbsp;</a>found that in the last quarter of 2021, 6% fewer jobs were held by parents of children age 5 to 12.Erica Gonzalez of San Antonio secured after-school spots for her second grade and sixth grade daughters after going into the school year on waiting lists. That allowed her to maintain her schedule at the nonprofit where she works and her husband, a teacher, to also coach.Anticipating a crush for spots, Gonzalez had made sure to enroll her children for Learning Tree as quickly as possible and she kept in touch with their schools as each child inched up waiting lists.“We were really just kind of hoping and praying that spots would open up for them and fortunately they did,” Gonzalez said.Without the program, Gonzalez said she and her husband would have had to figure out how to get their daughters from their schools to her husband to wait for him to finish work.“I would have had to probably change my schedule to go pick them up, drop them off and come all the way back to work,” she said. “We would have figured something out but it definitely would have been a challenge.”Rico X said the school-based before- and after-school programs he oversees at the YMCA of Middle Tennessee have had to cap enrollment because of staff shortages, leaving capacity at about 70% of what it was before the pandemic. One of its 105 sites used to have as many as 85 students; now it’s fewer than 60.“In some of our waitlist sites we have some parents that are just in desperation,” he said, “and there’s not a whole lot we can really do unless there’s a spot that opens up.”The YMCA, which sends staff into the schools to run the programs, is considering another pay raise in hopes of attracting more applicants, he said. The provider already raised the minimum pay for site directors from $13 to $16 an hour, and gave other employees a $2 an hour raise, to $13.“For a good portion of our families, this is a lifeline for them, and it gives them the ability to be able to work but also have the peace of mind that their kids are in a safe and engaging environment. It’s 100% a lifeline,” X said.The Afterschool Alliance survey found that 71% of programs had taken action to attract and retain staff. The most common was raising salaries, in some cases using federal pandemic relief money in the form of child care stabilization grants. Some also have offered free child care for employees as well as signing bonuses or paid time off.“We came into the pandemic with tremendous unmet demand for after-school and summer programs and of course, like almost every other challenge out there, the pandemic only made that challenge worse,” Rinehart said.Kasey Blackburn-Jiron, expanded learning coordinator for the West Contra Costa Unified School District in California, said providers the district relies on describe applicants skipping scheduled job interviews or even going through the hiring process only to vanish after landing the job, presumably to work at some place that pays more and demands less.“My best guess is we don’t pay them enough money. We don’t offer them enough hours,” said Blackburn-Jiron, who said the program now serves far fewer than the 5,000 students enrolled before the pandemic.“We’re asking asking these 17-, 18-, 19-dollar an hour people to work miracles,” she said. “Most of them don’t have bachelor’s degrees and yet we’re saying we want you to be an amazing youth development practitioner. You need to be able to teach and model social and emotional skills. You need to be able to teach 21st century skills, you need to be able to deal with young people who come from generations of trauma.”She said state lawmakers recently increased funding for the program, which could lead to better pay, but the money will not get to programs until near the end of the school year.“Working families need school-based afterschool programs, and we just haven’t been able to meet the need,” Blackburn-Jiron said, “and it’s heartbreaking.”

Understaffing leaves after-school programs with unmet demand

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Police in Austin, Texas, say four people have been shot and wounded as the city hosts the annual South by Southwest festival. 

The Austin Police Department told people to avoid the downtown area at around 2:50 a.m. Sunday, warning via Twitter that the gunman was still at large. However, police tweeted that a suspect was in custody shortly before 5 a.m. 

Police and the Austin-Travis County EMS said the four victims’ injures weren’t life-threatening and they had all been taken to the hospital. The weeklong festival is a mix of arts, tech, politics and entertainment. 

In 2019, multiple shootings took place as the festival drew to a close.

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSAUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Police in Austin, Texas, say four people have been shot and wounded as the city hosts the annual South by Southwest festival. The Austin Police Department told people to avoid the downtown area at around 2:50 a.m. Sunday, warning via Twitter that the gunman was still at large. However, police tweeted that a suspect was in custody shortly before 5 a.m. Police and the Austin-Travis County EMS said the four victims’ injures weren’t life-threatening and they had all been taken to the hospital. The weeklong festival is a mix of arts, tech, politics and entertainment. In 2019, multiple shootings took place as the festival drew to a close.

Shooting wounds 4 at South by Southwest festival in Austin

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis released his long-awaited reform program of the Holy See bureaucracy on Saturday that envisages greater decision-making roles for the laity and gives new institutional weight to efforts to fight clerical sex abuse.

The 54-page text, titled “Praedicate Evanglium,” or “Proclaiming the Gospel,” replaces the founding constitution “Pastor Bonus” that was penned by St. John Paul II in 1988.

Francis was elected pope in 2013 in large part on his promise to reform the bulky and inefficient Vatican bureaucracy, which acts as the organ of central governance for the 1.3-billion strong Catholic Church. He named a Cabinet of cardinal advisers who have met periodically since his election to help him draft the changes.

Much of the reform work has been rolled out piecemeal over the years, with offices consolidated and financial reforms issued. But the publication of the new document, for now only in Italian, finalizes the process and puts it into effect in June.

The document was released Saturday, the ninth anniversary of Francis’ installation as pope and the feast of St. Joseph, an important figure to Francis’ ministry.

The new reform emphasizes the missionary and charitable focus of the church as well as the need for the Vatican to be at service both to the pope and local dioceses. It envisages greater roles for laity, making explicitly clear that lay people — not just priests, bishops or cardinals — can head a major Vatican office, and that all staff should reflect the geographic universality of the church.

In one of the major changes, it brings the pope’s advisory commission on preventing sexual abuse into the Vatican’s powerful doctrine office which oversees the canonical investigations of abuse cases.

Previously, the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors existed as an ad hoc commission that reported to the pope but had no real institutional weight or power. It often found itself at odds with the more powerful Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which reviews all cases of abuse.

Now the advisory commission is part of the newly named Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, where presumably its members who include abuse survivors can exert influence on the decisions taken by the prelates who weigh whether predator priests are sanctioned and how.

Cardinal Sean O’Malley, who heads the pontifical commission, welcomed the change and said it was evidence of Francis’ effort to promote a stronger culture of safeguarding within the Vatican and wider church.

“For the first time, Pope Francis has made safeguarding and the protection of minors a fundamental part of the structure of the church’s central government: the Roman Curia,” O’Malley said in a statement. “Maintaining its status as a separate body within the dicastery that enjoys direct access to the Holy Father and with its own leadership and staffing, the renewed and re-affirmed Pontifical Commission will play an increasingly incisive role in ensuring the church is a safe place for children and vulnerable persons.”

Other changes involve making the pope’s personal envoy for charity and alms into the head of a dicastery in its own right, making clear the importance that this service-oriented job has for Francis. The position is currently headed by Polish Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, who recently headed a humanitarian mission to Ukraine on behalf of the pope.

In addition, two Vatican offices for evangelization are merging into one Dicastery for Evangelization. Previously the Vatican had an entire parallel bureaucracy dedicated to supporting the church in the developing world where Catholics are a minority, with another office dedicated to reviving the faith in countries where Catholicism is already heavily present. The new office combines them and is headed by the pope, assisted by two deputy prefects.

Overall, the reform document calls for a “healthy decentralization” to give more decision-making authority to local bishops rather than have Rome continue to be the central clearing-house for governance decisions. But the text also makes clear that such authority cannot touch on matters of “doctrine, discipline and communion,” a warning that individual bishops conferences cannot stray from core tenets of church teaching.

It seeks to break down the siloed nature of the bureaucracy, in which each congregation operated on its own fiefdom, by seeking to encourage greater communication and collaboration among offices. In a break with the past, it calls for the heads of Vatican offices to meet regularly as a group with the pope rather than just individually. In essence, it calls for the Vatican bureaucracy to function more like a Cabinet that meets regularly with the head of state.

It makes clear that each “dicastery” as the departments are known, are considered equal to one another. Previously the Vatican secretariat of state had an outsized role of influence and importance, followed closely by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Now, all dicasteries are equal.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635514031020.png" alt="President Biden with the Pope during a visit at the Vatican in Nov. 2020-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>President Biden with the Pope during a visit at the Vatican in Nov. 2020-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>ROME (AP) — Pope Francis released his long-awaited reform program of the Holy See bureaucracy on Saturday that envisages greater decision-making roles for the laity and gives new institutional weight to efforts to fight clerical sex abuse.The 54-page text, titled “Praedicate Evanglium,” or “Proclaiming the Gospel,” replaces the founding constitution “Pastor Bonus” that was penned by St. John Paul II in 1988.Francis was elected pope in 2013 in large part on his promise to reform the bulky and inefficient Vatican bureaucracy, which acts as the organ of central governance for the 1.3-billion strong Catholic Church. He named a Cabinet of cardinal advisers who have met periodically since his election to help him draft the changes.Much of the reform work has been rolled out piecemeal over the years, with offices consolidated and financial reforms issued. But the publication of the new document, for now only in Italian, finalizes the process and puts it into effect in June.The document was released Saturday, the ninth anniversary of Francis’ installation as pope and the feast of St. Joseph, an important figure to Francis’ ministry.The new reform emphasizes the missionary and charitable focus of the church as well as the need for the Vatican to be at service both to the pope and local dioceses. It envisages greater roles for laity, making explicitly clear that lay people — not just priests, bishops or cardinals — can head a major Vatican office, and that all staff should reflect the geographic universality of the church.In one of the major changes, it brings the pope’s advisory commission on preventing sexual abuse into the Vatican’s powerful doctrine office which oversees the canonical investigations of abuse cases.Previously, the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors existed as an ad hoc commission that reported to the pope but had no real institutional weight or power. It often found itself at odds with the more powerful Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which reviews all cases of abuse.Now the advisory commission is part of the newly named Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, where presumably its members who include abuse survivors can exert influence on the decisions taken by the prelates who weigh whether predator priests are sanctioned and how.Cardinal Sean O’Malley, who heads the pontifical commission, welcomed the change and said it was evidence of Francis’ effort to promote a stronger culture of safeguarding within the Vatican and wider church.“For the first time, Pope Francis has made safeguarding and the protection of minors a fundamental part of the structure of the church’s central government: the Roman Curia,” O’Malley said in a statement. “Maintaining its status as a separate body within the dicastery that enjoys direct access to the Holy Father and with its own leadership and staffing, the renewed and re-affirmed Pontifical Commission will play an increasingly incisive role in ensuring the church is a safe place for children and vulnerable persons.”Other changes involve making the pope’s personal envoy for charity and alms into the head of a dicastery in its own right, making clear the importance that this service-oriented job has for Francis. The position is currently headed by Polish Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, who recently headed a humanitarian mission to Ukraine on behalf of the pope.In addition, two Vatican offices for evangelization are merging into one Dicastery for Evangelization. Previously the Vatican had an entire parallel bureaucracy dedicated to supporting the church in the developing world where Catholics are a minority, with another office dedicated to reviving the faith in countries where Catholicism is already heavily present. The new office combines them and is headed by the pope, assisted by two deputy prefects.Overall, the reform document calls for a “healthy decentralization” to give more decision-making authority to local bishops rather than have Rome continue to be the central clearing-house for governance decisions. But the text also makes clear that such authority cannot touch on matters of “doctrine, discipline and communion,” a warning that individual bishops conferences cannot stray from core tenets of church teaching.It seeks to break down the siloed nature of the bureaucracy, in which each congregation operated on its own fiefdom, by seeking to encourage greater communication and collaboration among offices. In a break with the past, it calls for the heads of Vatican offices to meet regularly as a group with the pope rather than just individually. In essence, it calls for the Vatican bureaucracy to function more like a Cabinet that meets regularly with the head of state.It makes clear that each “dicastery” as the departments are known, are considered equal to one another. Previously the Vatican secretariat of state had an outsized role of influence and importance, followed closely by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Now, all dicasteries are equal.

Pope releases Vatican reform, gives weight to fighting abuse

HOBBS, N.M. -- Authorities investigating a fiery head-on&nbsp;<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/alerts/NJTrainCrash" target="_blank">crash</a>&nbsp;in West Texas don’t know why a 13-year-old boy was driving while his father sat in the passenger seat of a pickup truck that crossed into the oncoming lane and collided with a passenger van, killing nine people.

The young teen who has not been identified died in the crash along with his father, 38-year-old Henrich Siemens, and six members of a New Mexico college golf team and their coach. The cause remains under investigation, though National Transportation Safety Board officials have said the truck’s front tire, a spare, blew out before the crash.

It's the latest tragedy for the family of the father and son, of Seminole, Texas.

Community members first rallied around Siemens and his wife, Agatha, in October, when a fire that started in the kitchen destroyed the home where they had lived for a decade. Seminole is a rural community of around 7,500 people, some of whom first relocated to the area in the 1970s with other Mennonite families who started farming and ranching operations.

While the couple and their children escaped the fire without injury, Agatha wrote on her Facebook page at the time that they had lost everything, including one of the family pets.

After the crash, Agatha Siemens shared family photos on social media, saying her husband was the love of her life and that she missed her son. She did not return messages seeking comment.

NTSB Vice Chairman Bruce Landsberg on Thursday revealed the truck was driven by the child.

After the tire blew, the pickup truck crossed into the opposite lane on the darkened, two-lane highway before colliding with the van. Both vehicles burst into flames.

Although it was unclear how fast the two vehicles were traveling, “this was clearly a high-speed collision,” Landsberg said.

The speed limit at the crash site is 75 mph (120 kph), according to the agency.

Landsberg said investigators hoped to retrieve enough information from the vehicles' recorders, if they survived, to understand what happened. He said many in the van were not wearing seatbelts and at least one was ejected from the vehicle.

It's not unusual for young teens to drive in that region and other more rural parts of the United States. One must be 14 in Texas to start taking classroom courses for a learner’s license and 15 to receive that provisional license to drive with an instructor or licensed adult in the vehicle.

Investigators have not yet determined why the youth was behind the wheel, Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Steven Blanco said Friday.

The NTSB sent an investigative team to the crash site in Texas’ Andrews County, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) east of the New Mexico state line.

The University of the Southwest students, including one from Portugal and one from Mexico, and the coach were returning from a golf tournament in Midland, Texas, when the vehicles collided Tuesday night. Two Canadian students were hospitalized in critical condition.

University of the Southwest spokeswoman Maria Duarte declined to comment on the NTSB’s announcement about the young driver, citing the ongoing investigation. The private Christian college is located in Hobbs, New Mexico, near the Texas state line.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1604198717162.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSHOBBS, N.M. -- Authorities investigating a fiery head-on&nbsp;<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/alerts/NJTrainCrash" target="_blank">crash</a>&nbsp;in West Texas don’t know why a 13-year-old boy was driving while his father sat in the passenger seat of a pickup truck that crossed into the oncoming lane and collided with a passenger van, killing nine people.The young teen who has not been identified died in the crash along with his father, 38-year-old Henrich Siemens, and six members of a New Mexico college golf team and their coach. The cause remains under investigation, though National Transportation Safety Board officials have said the truck’s front tire, a spare, blew out before the crash.It's the latest tragedy for the family of the father and son, of Seminole, Texas.Community members first rallied around Siemens and his wife, Agatha, in October, when a fire that started in the kitchen destroyed the home where they had lived for a decade. Seminole is a rural community of around 7,500 people, some of whom first relocated to the area in the 1970s with other Mennonite families who started farming and ranching operations.While the couple and their children escaped the fire without injury, Agatha wrote on her Facebook page at the time that they had lost everything, including one of the family pets.After the crash, Agatha Siemens shared family photos on social media, saying her husband was the love of her life and that she missed her son. She did not return messages seeking comment.NTSB Vice Chairman Bruce Landsberg on Thursday revealed the truck was driven by the child.After the tire blew, the pickup truck crossed into the opposite lane on the darkened, two-lane highway before colliding with the van. Both vehicles burst into flames.Although it was unclear how fast the two vehicles were traveling, “this was clearly a high-speed collision,” Landsberg said.The speed limit at the crash site is 75 mph (120 kph), according to the agency.Landsberg said investigators hoped to retrieve enough information from the vehicles' recorders, if they survived, to understand what happened. He said many in the van were not wearing seatbelts and at least one was ejected from the vehicle.It's not unusual for young teens to drive in that region and other more rural parts of the United States. One must be 14 in Texas to start taking classroom courses for a learner’s license and 15 to receive that provisional license to drive with an instructor or licensed adult in the vehicle.Investigators have not yet determined why the youth was behind the wheel, Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Steven Blanco said Friday.The NTSB sent an investigative team to the crash site in Texas’ Andrews County, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) east of the New Mexico state line.The University of the Southwest students, including one from Portugal and one from Mexico, and the coach were returning from a golf tournament in Midland, Texas, when the vehicles collided Tuesday night. Two Canadian students were hospitalized in critical condition.University of the Southwest spokeswoman Maria Duarte declined to comment on the NTSB’s announcement about the young driver, citing the ongoing investigation. The private Christian college is located in Hobbs, New Mexico, near the Texas state line.The golf teams were traveling in a 2017 Ford Transit van that was towing a box trailer when it collided with the 2007 Dodge 2500 pickup, according to NTSB spokesperson Eric Weiss.The Texas Department of Public Safety identified the deceased as: golf coach Tyler James, 26, of Hobbs, New Mexico; and players Mauricio Sanchez, 19, of Aguascalientes, Mexico; Travis Garcia, 19, of Pleasanton, Texas; Jackson Zinn, 22, of Westminster, Colorado; Karisa Raines, 21, of Fort Stockton, Texas; Laci Stone, 18, of Nocona, Texas; and Tiago Sousa, 18, of Algarve, Portugal.Critically injured aboard the van were Canadian students Dayton Price, 19, of Mississauga, Ontario, and Hayden Underhill, 20, of Amherstview, Ontario. Both were taken by helicopter to Lubbock, about 110 miles (180 kilometers) to the northeast.“They are both stable and recovering, and every day making more and more progress,” University of the Southwest Provost Ryan Tipton said Thursday.“One of the students is eating chicken soup,” said Tipton, calling their recovery a "game of inches.”Tipton said University President Quint Thurman visited the students’ parents at the hospital, illustrating the close community at the college with only about 350 on-campus students.A memorial was set up Wednesday at the golf course near campus where the team practices, with flowers, golf balls and a handmade sign. Counseling and religious services were made available on campus.About 150 people turned out Thursday evening to remember Jackson Zinn at Texas Roadhouse, a restaurant where he worked and met his girlfriend of five months.“We met here exactly at this table,” said Maddy Russell, 20, of Hobbs. “He was my heart.”The mourners released around 100 blue and orange balloons into the cold whipping wind of eastern New Mexico, which soon disappeared into the horizon.