KANSAS CITY (AP) — For the first time in half a year, families on Friday are going without a monthly deposit from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/how-child-tax-credits-work-fa15590a2c60fc665ddc59ced78dacfe">the child tax credit</a>&nbsp;— a program that was intended to be part of President Joe Biden’s legacy but has emerged instead as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-lifestyle-colorado-michael-bennet-23fe6fc6c742eea078134a367be7544a">a flash point</a>&nbsp;over who is worthy of government support.

Retiree Andy Roberts, from St. Albans, West Virginia, relied on the checks to help raise his two young grandchildren, whom he and his wife adopted because the birth parents are recovering from drug addiction.

The Robertses are now out $550 a month. That money helped pay for Girl Scouts, ballet and acting lessons and kids’ shoes, which Roberts noted are more expensive than adult shoes. The tax credit, he said, was a “godsend.”

“It’ll make you tighten up your belt, if you’ve got anything to tighten,” Roberts said about losing the payments.

The monthly tax credits were part of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-vote-coronavirus-relief-package-33f4902ca9a2aed4e76274af6bb2ea5c">Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package</a>&nbsp;— and the president had proposed extending them for another full year as part of a separate measure focused on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-joe-biden-business-congress-voting-rights-9a1930700762a4a37ad78a496c9f9050">economic and social programs</a>.

But Democratic&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-joe-manchin-congress-937bac56b09dfda5be2ed70748b5cd01">Sen. Joe Manchin</a>, from Roberts’ home state of West Virginia, objected to extending the credit out of concern that the money would discourage people from working and that any additional federal spending would fuel inflation that has already climbed to a nearly 40-year high.

<a href="https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/131/Advance-CTC-Payments-Disbursed-December-2021-by-State-12152021.pdf." target="_blank">According to IRS data</a>, 305,000 West Virginia children benefited from the expanded credit last month.

Manchin’s opposition in the evenly split Senate derailed Biden’s social spending package and caused the expanded tax credits that were going out in the middle of every month to expire in January. This is whittling down family incomes at the precise moment when people are grappling with higher prices.

However, families only received half of their 2021 credit on a monthly basis and the other half will be received once they file their taxes in the coming months. The size of the credit will be cut in 2022, with full payments only going to families that earned enough income to owe taxes, a policy choice that will limit the benefits for the poorest households. And the credits for 2022 will come only once people file their taxes at the start of the following year.

West Virginia families interviewed by The Associated Press highlighted how their grocery and gasoline bills have risen and said they’ll need to get by with less of a financial cushion than a few months ago.

“You’re going to have to learn to adapt,” said Roberts, who worked as an auto dealer for five decades. “You never really dreamed that everything would all of a sudden explode. You go down and get a package of hamburger and it’s $7-8 a pound.”

By the Biden administration’s math, the expanded child tax credit and its monthly payments were a policy success that paid out $93 billion over six months. More than 36 million families received the payments in December. The payments were $300 monthly for each child who was five and younger, and $250 monthly for children between the ages of six and 17.

The Treasury Department declined to address questions about the expiration of the expanded child tax credit, which has become a politically sensitive issue as part of Biden’s nearly $2 trillion economic package that has stalled in the Senate.

Manchin has supported some form of a work requirement for people receiving the payment, out of concern that automatic government aid could cause people to quit their jobs. Yet his primary objection, in a written statement last month, sidestepped that issue as he expressed concerns about inflation and that a one-year extension masked the true costs of a tax credit that could become permanent.

“My Democratic colleagues in Washington are determined to dramatically reshape our society in a way that leaves our country even more vulnerable to the threats we face,” Manchin said. He added that he was worried about inflation and the size of the national debt.

But Joanna Vance of Beckley, who works for a nonprofit social justice group, said Manchin needs to learn more about his constituents, especially southern communities where thousands of coal mining jobs were lost over the past decade as companies and utilities explore using other energy sources such as natural gas, solar and wind.

“Take a drive through there,” Vance said Friday. “Now they’re just ghost towns. There’s no jobs there. There’s no child care there. There’s no transportation there. And it’s that way for 20 miles in either direction.

“So I understand wanting to have a work requirement. You can’t have a work requirement when it’s not even viable.”

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2021/10/nearly-a-third-of-parents-spent-child-tax-credit-on-school-expenses.html" target="_blank">Census Bureau surveyed&nbsp;</a>the spending patterns of recipients during September and October. Nearly a third used the credit to pay for school expenses, while about 25% of families with young children spent it on child care. About 40% of recipients said they mostly relied on the money to pay off debt.

There are separate benefits in terms of improving the outcomes for impoverished children, whose families could not previously access the full tax credit because their earnings were too low. An analysis by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/104743/expanding-the-child-tax-credit-could-lift-millions-of-children-out-of-poverty_0.pdf" target="_blank">Urban Institute</a>&nbsp;estimated that extending the credit as developed by the Biden administration would cut child poverty by 40%.

The tax credits did not cause an immediate exodus from the workforce, as some lawmakers had feared. The&nbsp;<a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/EMRATIO" target="_blank">Bureau of Labor Statistics reported</a>&nbsp;that the percentage of people with jobs increased from 58% the month before the monthly payments began to 59.5% last month. That same trend occurred in West Virginia, where the employment-population ratio rose to the pre-pandemic level of 52.9%.

There’s an academic debate over whether the credit could suppress employment in the long term, with most studies suggesting that the impact would be statistically negligible.

Academics who study the tax credit are torn on how a permanent program would affect the economy and child welfare.

Katherine Michelmore, an associate professor of public policy at the University of Michigan, and two other researchers estimated that roughly 350,000 parents would exit the workforce, a figure that is not all that significant in an economy with roughly 150 million jobs.

Michelmore said the long-term effects of a permanent tax credit would have a positive impact on the economy, as children who grow up in families with higher incomes “tend to do better in school, they’re more likely to graduate from high school. It might be 15 years down the road but there will be more cost savings in the future.”

One of the key questions for policymakers is whether bureaucracies or parents are better at spending money on children. Manchin has proposed a 10-year, funded version of Biden’s economic proposal that would scrap the child tax credits focus and instead finance programs such as universal pre-kindergarten, to avoid sending money directly to families.

“It’s a moral question of do you trust families to make their own decisions,” Michelmore said.

Hairdresser Chelsea Woody is a single mother from Charleston, West Virginia, who works six days a week to make ends meet. The extended child tax credit payments had helped pay for her son’s daycare, as well as letting her splurge on clothes for him.

“It truly helps out a lot. It’s an extra cushion, instead of me worrying how I’m going to pay a bill or if anything comes up,” Woody said as she loaded groceries into her car. “It’s helpful for a lot of people. It helps working families out because we struggle the most. I’m hardly home with my kid because I work all the time.”

KANSAS CITY (AP) — For the first time in half a year, families on Friday are going without a monthly deposit from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/how-child-tax-credits-work-fa15590a2c60fc665ddc59ced78dacfe">the child tax credit</a>&nbsp;— a program that was intended to be part of President Joe Biden’s legacy but has emerged instead as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-lifestyle-colorado-michael-bennet-23fe6fc6c742eea078134a367be7544a">a flash point</a>&nbsp;over who is worthy of government support.Retiree Andy Roberts, from St. Albans, West Virginia, relied on the checks to help raise his two young grandchildren, whom he and his wife adopted because the birth parents are recovering from drug addiction.The Robertses are now out $550 a month. That money helped pay for Girl Scouts, ballet and acting lessons and kids’ shoes, which Roberts noted are more expensive than adult shoes. The tax credit, he said, was a “godsend.”“It’ll make you tighten up your belt, if you’ve got anything to tighten,” Roberts said about losing the payments.The monthly tax credits were part of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-vote-coronavirus-relief-package-33f4902ca9a2aed4e76274af6bb2ea5c">Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package</a>&nbsp;— and the president had proposed extending them for another full year as part of a separate measure focused on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-joe-biden-business-congress-voting-rights-9a1930700762a4a37ad78a496c9f9050">economic and social programs</a>.But Democratic&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-joe-manchin-congress-937bac56b09dfda5be2ed70748b5cd01">Sen. Joe Manchin</a>, from Roberts’ home state of West Virginia, objected to extending the credit out of concern that the money would discourage people from working and that any additional federal spending would fuel inflation that has already climbed to a nearly 40-year high.<a href="https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/131/Advance-CTC-Payments-Disbursed-December-2021-by-State-12152021.pdf." target="_blank">According to IRS data</a>, 305,000 West Virginia children benefited from the expanded credit last month.Manchin’s opposition in the evenly split Senate derailed Biden’s social spending package and caused the expanded tax credits that were going out in the middle of every month to expire in January. This is whittling down family incomes at the precise moment when people are grappling with higher prices.However, families only received half of their 2021 credit on a monthly basis and the other half will be received once they file their taxes in the coming months. The size of the credit will be cut in 2022, with full payments only going to families that earned enough income to owe taxes, a policy choice that will limit the benefits for the poorest households. And the credits for 2022 will come only once people file their taxes at the start of the following year.West Virginia families interviewed by The Associated Press highlighted how their grocery and gasoline bills have risen and said they’ll need to get by with less of a financial cushion than a few months ago.“You’re going to have to learn to adapt,” said Roberts, who worked as an auto dealer for five decades. “You never really dreamed that everything would all of a sudden explode. You go down and get a package of hamburger and it’s $7-8 a pound.”By the Biden administration’s math, the expanded child tax credit and its monthly payments were a policy success that paid out $93 billion over six months. More than 36 million families received the payments in December. The payments were $300 monthly for each child who was five and younger, and $250 monthly for children between the ages of six and 17.The Treasury Department declined to address questions about the expiration of the expanded child tax credit, which has become a politically sensitive issue as part of Biden’s nearly $2 trillion economic package that has stalled in the Senate.Manchin has supported some form of a work requirement for people receiving the payment, out of concern that automatic government aid could cause people to quit their jobs. Yet his primary objection, in a written statement last month, sidestepped that issue as he expressed concerns about inflation and that a one-year extension masked the true costs of a tax credit that could become permanent.“My Democratic colleagues in Washington are determined to dramatically reshape our society in a way that leaves our country even more vulnerable to the threats we face,” Manchin said. He added that he was worried about inflation and the size of the national debt.But Joanna Vance of Beckley, who works for a nonprofit social justice group, said Manchin needs to learn more about his constituents, especially southern communities where thousands of coal mining jobs were lost over the past decade as companies and utilities explore using other energy sources such as natural gas, solar and wind.“Take a drive through there,” Vance said Friday. “Now they’re just ghost towns. There’s no jobs there. There’s no child care there. There’s no transportation there. And it’s that way for 20 miles in either direction.“So I understand wanting to have a work requirement. You can’t have a work requirement when it’s not even viable.”The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2021/10/nearly-a-third-of-parents-spent-child-tax-credit-on-school-expenses.html" target="_blank">Census Bureau surveyed&nbsp;</a>the spending patterns of recipients during September and October. Nearly a third used the credit to pay for school expenses, while about 25% of families with young children spent it on child care. About 40% of recipients said they mostly relied on the money to pay off debt.There are separate benefits in terms of improving the outcomes for impoverished children, whose families could not previously access the full tax credit because their earnings were too low. An analysis by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/104743/expanding-the-child-tax-credit-could-lift-millions-of-children-out-of-poverty_0.pdf" target="_blank">Urban Institute</a>&nbsp;estimated that extending the credit as developed by the Biden administration would cut child poverty by 40%.The tax credits did not cause an immediate exodus from the workforce, as some lawmakers had feared. The&nbsp;<a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/EMRATIO" target="_blank">Bureau of Labor Statistics reported</a>&nbsp;that the percentage of people with jobs increased from 58% the month before the monthly payments began to 59.5% last month. That same trend occurred in West Virginia, where the employment-population ratio rose to the pre-pandemic level of 52.9%.There’s an academic debate over whether the credit could suppress employment in the long term, with most studies suggesting that the impact would be statistically negligible.Academics who study the tax credit are torn on how a permanent program would affect the economy and child welfare.Katherine Michelmore, an associate professor of public policy at the University of Michigan, and two other researchers estimated that roughly 350,000 parents would exit the workforce, a figure that is not all that significant in an economy with roughly 150 million jobs.Michelmore said the long-term effects of a permanent tax credit would have a positive impact on the economy, as children who grow up in families with higher incomes “tend to do better in school, they’re more likely to graduate from high school. It might be 15 years down the road but there will be more cost savings in the future.”One of the key questions for policymakers is whether bureaucracies or parents are better at spending money on children. Manchin has proposed a 10-year, funded version of Biden’s economic proposal that would scrap the child tax credits focus and instead finance programs such as universal pre-kindergarten, to avoid sending money directly to families.“It’s a moral question of do you trust families to make their own decisions,” Michelmore said.Hairdresser Chelsea Woody is a single mother from Charleston, West Virginia, who works six days a week to make ends meet. The extended child tax credit payments had helped pay for her son’s daycare, as well as letting her splurge on clothes for him.“It truly helps out a lot. It’s an extra cushion, instead of me worrying how I’m going to pay a bill or if anything comes up,” Woody said as she loaded groceries into her car. “It’s helpful for a lot of people. It helps working families out because we struggle the most. I’m hardly home with my kid because I work all the time.”

Goodbye 'godsend': Expiration of child tax credits hits home

HASTINGS, Neb. (AP) — An arctic cold front has sent temperatures plummeting in Plains and Midwest states — including in the south-central Nebraska city of Hastings, which saw a more than 50-degree temperature drop from Tuesday to Wednesday. 

The National Weather Service says Hastings saw a Jan. 18 record high temperature of 66 degrees Tuesday. 

By Wednesday morning, the temperature in Hastings had plunged to 13 degrees with a wind chill of minus 11. 

The weather service expected the low by midnight Wednesday in Hasting to drop below zero to minus 3. 

The service has issued a wind chill advisory for most of Iowa and northern Missouri, as well as a hazardous weather outlook advisory from Wednesday through Thursday for most of Nebraska and parts of Kansas.

HASTINGS, Neb. (AP) — An arctic cold front has sent temperatures plummeting in Plains and Midwest states — including in the south-central Nebraska city of Hastings, which saw a more than 50-degree temperature drop from Tuesday to Wednesday. The National Weather Service says Hastings saw a Jan. 18 record high temperature of 66 degrees Tuesday. By Wednesday morning, the temperature in Hastings had plunged to 13 degrees with a wind chill of minus 11. The weather service expected the low by midnight Wednesday in Hasting to drop below zero to minus 3. The service has issued a wind chill advisory for most of Iowa and northern Missouri, as well as a hazardous weather outlook advisory from Wednesday through Thursday for most of Nebraska and parts of Kansas.

Hastings sees more than 50-degree temperature swing in 1 day

LINCOLN – Guests can enjoy special lodging, gift packages or events this Valentine’s Day at four Nebraska state parks.

Ponca State Park will offer its annual Birds and Breakfast event Feb. 11-12, a weekend getaway package that includes a 30% discount on lodging, a complimentary bottle of wine or cider, a breakfast basket in your cabin, and an opportunity to participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count on Feb. 12. For additional details, call the park at 402-755-2284.

In need of a cozy cabin getaway? Reserve a cabin at Lewis and Clark State Recreation Area between Feb. 11-14 or Feb. 18-20 to enjoy a 30% discount. Reservations must be for at least two nights. Check out the add-on package, which includes early check-in, late check-out and waived pet fee; fresh flowers, sweet treats and Nebraska State Park Centennial wine glasses; drink tickets to CJ’s at the Lake; and more. To book, call 402-388-4169.

Eugene T. Mahoney State Park offers an add-on Valentine’s package for guests reserving a minimum two-night cabin or lodge room stay between Feb. 10-14. The package includes a box of chocolates, a rose, a bottle of red wine or sparkling juice, a $25 gift certificate to The View at Mahoney, and more. To book your stay, call 402-944-2523, ext. 7327.

Arbor Lodge State Historical Park is offering guests the opportunity to go back in time with their Celebrate Love weekends. Learn about weddings related to the Arbor Day’s founders and their family, the history of Valentine’s Day or view vintage Valentine’s Day cards.

Guests also can enjoy an assortment of teas and dainty brunch and dessert selections at the the Valentine’s Tea in the Arbor Lodge mansion sunroom. Teas are at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and the cost is $20 per person, which includes mansion admission and entrance to the tea. Purchase tickets online in the event listing at&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjAxMTkuNTIwMjI0NjEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2NhbGVuZGFyLm91dGRvb3JuZWJyYXNrYS5nb3YvIn0.6s3Nel0YD7xt1ruKBCfJWSdHm4WUFru_A8OwyfGDmjM/s/497221906/br/125299201404-l" target="_blank">calendar.outdoornebraska.org</a>.

LINCOLN – Guests can enjoy special lodging, gift packages or events this Valentine’s Day at four Nebraska state parks.Ponca State Park will offer its annual Birds and Breakfast event Feb. 11-12, a weekend getaway package that includes a 30% discount on lodging, a complimentary bottle of wine or cider, a breakfast basket in your cabin, and an opportunity to participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count on Feb. 12. For additional details, call the park at 402-755-2284.In need of a cozy cabin getaway? Reserve a cabin at Lewis and Clark State Recreation Area between Feb. 11-14 or Feb. 18-20 to enjoy a 30% discount. Reservations must be for at least two nights. Check out the add-on package, which includes early check-in, late check-out and waived pet fee; fresh flowers, sweet treats and Nebraska State Park Centennial wine glasses; drink tickets to CJ’s at the Lake; and more. To book, call 402-388-4169.Eugene T. Mahoney State Park offers an add-on Valentine’s package for guests reserving a minimum two-night cabin or lodge room stay between Feb. 10-14. The package includes a box of chocolates, a rose, a bottle of red wine or sparkling juice, a $25 gift certificate to The View at Mahoney, and more. To book your stay, call 402-944-2523, ext. 7327.Arbor Lodge State Historical Park is offering guests the opportunity to go back in time with their Celebrate Love weekends. Learn about weddings related to the Arbor Day’s founders and their family, the history of Valentine’s Day or view vintage Valentine’s Day cards.Guests also can enjoy an assortment of teas and dainty brunch and dessert selections at the the Valentine’s Tea in the Arbor Lodge mansion sunroom. Teas are at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and the cost is $20 per person, which includes mansion admission and entrance to the tea. Purchase tickets online in the event listing at&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjAxMTkuNTIwMjI0NjEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2NhbGVuZGFyLm91dGRvb3JuZWJyYXNrYS5nb3YvIn0.6s3Nel0YD7xt1ruKBCfJWSdHm4WUFru_A8OwyfGDmjM/s/497221906/br/125299201404-l" target="_blank">calendar.outdoornebraska.org</a>.

Nebraska state parks offering Valentine’s opportunities

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration will begin making 400 million&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-lifestyle-health-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-a884c9c14780f0e8d9716cb1aa1d47c5">N95 masks</a>&nbsp;available for free to U.S. residents starting next week, now that federal officials are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-health-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-6bfb723414b51749ba7ed01d24f7976e">emphasizing their better protection</a>&nbsp;against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-omicron-covid-19-deaths-08f8db29985b992d5ef98ccfa1459eb7">the omicron variant of COVID-19</a>&nbsp;over cloth face coverings.

The White House announced Wednesday that the masks will come from the government’s Strategic National Stockpile, which has more than 750 million of the highly protective masks on hand. The masks will be available for pickup at pharmacies and community health centers across the country. They will begin shipping this week for distribution starting late next week, the White House said.

This will be the largest distribution of free masks by the federal government to the public since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-michael-pence-religion-travel-virus-outbreak-52e12ca90c55b6e0c398d134a2cc286e">the COVID-19 pandemic began</a>. In early 2020, then-President Donald Trump’s administration considered and then shelved plans to send masks to people at their homes. President Joe Biden embraced the initiative after facing mounting criticism this month over the inaccessibility — both in supply and cost — of N95 masks as the highly transmissible omicron variant swept across the country.

After facing similar criticism over a winter shortage of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-lifestyle-health-fef3e8828717b613a61e795cfb315fb3">COVID-19 at-home test kits</a>, Biden this week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-government-at-home-covid-tests-e98c4a7a4ee340345a5786c4c407c5fb">launched a website</a>&nbsp;for Americans to order four rapid tests to be shipped to their homes for free, with the first tests to ship later this month.

The White House said the masks will be made available at pharmacies and community health centers that have partnered with the federal government’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-business-health-6e758dc5e24320677e48f58cbfca37bf">COVID-19 vaccination campaign</a>.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday updated its guidance on face coverings to more clearly state that properly fitted N95 and KN95 masks offer the most protection against COVID-19. Still, it didn’t formally recommend N95s over cloth masks.

The best mask “is the one that you will wear and the one you can keep on all day long, that you can tolerate in public indoor settings,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said last week.

Details were not immediately available on the specifics of the program, including the sort of masks to be provided, whether kid-size ones will be available and whether the masks could be reworn.

The White House said that “to ensure broad access for all Americans, there will be three masks available per person.”

N95 or KN95 masks are more widely available now than at any other time during the pandemic, though they are often more costly than less-protective surgical masks or cloth masks.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641323717358.png" alt="The White House announced Wednesday that the masks will come from the government’s Strategic National Stockpile, which has more than 750 million of the highly protective masks on hand-photo White House" />
 <figcaption>The White House announced Wednesday that the masks will come from the government’s Strategic National Stockpile, which has more than 750 million of the highly protective masks on hand-photo White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration will begin making 400 million&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-lifestyle-health-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-a884c9c14780f0e8d9716cb1aa1d47c5">N95 masks</a>&nbsp;available for free to U.S. residents starting next week, now that federal officials are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-health-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-6bfb723414b51749ba7ed01d24f7976e">emphasizing their better protection</a>&nbsp;against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-omicron-covid-19-deaths-08f8db29985b992d5ef98ccfa1459eb7">the omicron variant of COVID-19</a>&nbsp;over cloth face coverings.The White House announced Wednesday that the masks will come from the government’s Strategic National Stockpile, which has more than 750 million of the highly protective masks on hand. The masks will be available for pickup at pharmacies and community health centers across the country. They will begin shipping this week for distribution starting late next week, the White House said.This will be the largest distribution of free masks by the federal government to the public since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-michael-pence-religion-travel-virus-outbreak-52e12ca90c55b6e0c398d134a2cc286e">the COVID-19 pandemic began</a>. In early 2020, then-President Donald Trump’s administration considered and then shelved plans to send masks to people at their homes. President Joe Biden embraced the initiative after facing mounting criticism this month over the inaccessibility — both in supply and cost — of N95 masks as the highly transmissible omicron variant swept across the country.After facing similar criticism over a winter shortage of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-lifestyle-health-fef3e8828717b613a61e795cfb315fb3">COVID-19 at-home test kits</a>, Biden this week&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-government-at-home-covid-tests-e98c4a7a4ee340345a5786c4c407c5fb">launched a website</a>&nbsp;for Americans to order four rapid tests to be shipped to their homes for free, with the first tests to ship later this month.The White House said the masks will be made available at pharmacies and community health centers that have partnered with the federal government’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-business-health-6e758dc5e24320677e48f58cbfca37bf">COVID-19 vaccination campaign</a>.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday updated its guidance on face coverings to more clearly state that properly fitted N95 and KN95 masks offer the most protection against COVID-19. Still, it didn’t formally recommend N95s over cloth masks.The best mask “is the one that you will wear and the one you can keep on all day long, that you can tolerate in public indoor settings,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said last week.Details were not immediately available on the specifics of the program, including the sort of masks to be provided, whether kid-size ones will be available and whether the masks could be reworn.The White House said that “to ensure broad access for all Americans, there will be three masks available per person.”N95 or KN95 masks are more widely available now than at any other time during the pandemic, though they are often more costly than less-protective surgical masks or cloth masks.

President Biden set to give away 400 million N95 masks 

WASHINGTON (AP) —The fast-moving omicron variant may cause less severe disease on average, but COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. are climbing and modelers forecast 50,000 to 300,000 more Americans could die by the time the wave subsides in mid-March.

The seven-day rolling average for daily new COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. has been trending upward since mid-November, reaching nearly 1,700 on Jan. 17 — still below the peak of 3,300 in January 2021. COVID-19 deaths among nursing home residents&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-pandemics-nursing-homes-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-31685a926b0ee4e97e1b314a52b1f41c">started rising slightly two weeks ago</a>, although still at a rate 10 times less than last year before most residents were vaccinated.

Despite signs omicron causes milder disease on average, the unprecedented level of infection spreading through the country, with cases still soaring in many states, means many vulnerable people will become severely sick. If the higher end of projections comes to pass, that would push total U.S. deaths from COVID-19 over 1 million by early spring.

“A lot of people are still going to die because of how transmissible omicron has been,” said University of South Florida epidemiologist Jason Salemi. “It unfortunately is going to get worse before it gets better.”

Morgues are starting to run out of space in Johnson County, Kansas, said Dr. Sanmi Areola, director of the health department. More than 30 residents have died in the county this year, the vast majority of them unvaccinated.

But the notion that a generally less severe variant could still take the lives of thousands of people has been difficult for health experts to convey. The math of it — that a small percentage of a very high number of infections can yield a very high number of deaths — is difficult to visualize.

“Overall, you’re going to see more sick people even if you as an individual have a lower chance of being sick,” said Katriona Shea of Pennsylvania State University, who co-leads a team that pulls together&nbsp;<a href="https://covid19scenariomodelinghub.org/" target="_blank">several pandemic models</a>&nbsp;and shares the combined projections with the White House.

The wave of deaths heading for the United States will crest in late January or early February, Shea said. In early February, weekly deaths could equal or exceed the delta peak, and possibly even surpass the previous U.S. peak in deaths last year.

Some unknown portion of these deaths are among people infected with the delta variant, but experts say omicron is also claiming lives.

“This is omicron driven,” Shea said of the coming wave of deaths. The combined models project 1.5 million Americans will be hospitalized and 191,000 will die from mid-December through mid-March. Taking into account the uncertainty in the models, U.S. deaths during the omicron wave could range from 58,000 to 305,000.

Yet, it’s become increasingly clear that the risk from omicron is lower than from previous variants. New evidence from nearly 70,000 patients in Southern California suggests omicron is causing milder illness than delta.

A study, posted online and cited during a recent White House briefing, found patients with omicron had a 53% lower risk of hospitalization with respiratory symptoms, a 74% lower risk of ICU admission, and a 91% lower risk of death. The study, which has not yet been peer reviewed, comes from researchers at Kaiser Permanente and University of California, Berkeley.

“It’s hard for me to say straight out it’s good news,” said study co-author Sara Y. Tartof, a Kaiser Permanente research scientist. “Maybe there’s good news in the sense that if you are infected your chance of becoming severely ill are decreased, but from a societal perspective it’s a very heavy burden for us. It remains a serious situation, and we need to maintain practices and behaviors we know protect us.”

Overburdened hospitals could also contribute to more deaths, said Marc Lipsitch of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and scientific director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s forecasting center.

“In places with extremely short staffing and overloads of patients, as the medical professionals have been telling us, the quality of care begins to suffer,” Lipsitch said. “That may also lead to higher death rates, but that’s not in any of the models that I’m aware of.”

WASHINGTON (AP) —The fast-moving omicron variant may cause less severe disease on average, but COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. are climbing and modelers forecast 50,000 to 300,000 more Americans could die by the time the wave subsides in mid-March.The seven-day rolling average for daily new COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. has been trending upward since mid-November, reaching nearly 1,700 on Jan. 17 — still below the peak of 3,300 in January 2021. COVID-19 deaths among nursing home residents&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-pandemics-nursing-homes-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-31685a926b0ee4e97e1b314a52b1f41c">started rising slightly two weeks ago</a>, although still at a rate 10 times less than last year before most residents were vaccinated.Despite signs omicron causes milder disease on average, the unprecedented level of infection spreading through the country, with cases still soaring in many states, means many vulnerable people will become severely sick. If the higher end of projections comes to pass, that would push total U.S. deaths from COVID-19 over 1 million by early spring.“A lot of people are still going to die because of how transmissible omicron has been,” said University of South Florida epidemiologist Jason Salemi. “It unfortunately is going to get worse before it gets better.”Morgues are starting to run out of space in Johnson County, Kansas, said Dr. Sanmi Areola, director of the health department. More than 30 residents have died in the county this year, the vast majority of them unvaccinated.But the notion that a generally less severe variant could still take the lives of thousands of people has been difficult for health experts to convey. The math of it — that a small percentage of a very high number of infections can yield a very high number of deaths — is difficult to visualize.“Overall, you’re going to see more sick people even if you as an individual have a lower chance of being sick,” said Katriona Shea of Pennsylvania State University, who co-leads a team that pulls together&nbsp;<a href="https://covid19scenariomodelinghub.org/" target="_blank">several pandemic models</a>&nbsp;and shares the combined projections with the White House.The wave of deaths heading for the United States will crest in late January or early February, Shea said. In early February, weekly deaths could equal or exceed the delta peak, and possibly even surpass the previous U.S. peak in deaths last year.Some unknown portion of these deaths are among people infected with the delta variant, but experts say omicron is also claiming lives.“This is omicron driven,” Shea said of the coming wave of deaths. The combined models project 1.5 million Americans will be hospitalized and 191,000 will die from mid-December through mid-March. Taking into account the uncertainty in the models, U.S. deaths during the omicron wave could range from 58,000 to 305,000.Yet, it’s become increasingly clear that the risk from omicron is lower than from previous variants. New evidence from nearly 70,000 patients in Southern California suggests omicron is causing milder illness than delta.A study, posted online and cited during a recent White House briefing, found patients with omicron had a 53% lower risk of hospitalization with respiratory symptoms, a 74% lower risk of ICU admission, and a 91% lower risk of death. The study, which has not yet been peer reviewed, comes from researchers at Kaiser Permanente and University of California, Berkeley.“It’s hard for me to say straight out it’s good news,” said study co-author Sara Y. Tartof, a Kaiser Permanente research scientist. “Maybe there’s good news in the sense that if you are infected your chance of becoming severely ill are decreased, but from a societal perspective it’s a very heavy burden for us. It remains a serious situation, and we need to maintain practices and behaviors we know protect us.”Overburdened hospitals could also contribute to more deaths, said Marc Lipsitch of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and scientific director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s forecasting center.“In places with extremely short staffing and overloads of patients, as the medical professionals have been telling us, the quality of care begins to suffer,” Lipsitch said. “That may also lead to higher death rates, but that’s not in any of the models that I’m aware of.”___

Report: US faces wave of omicron deaths in coming weeks

WASHINGTON (AP) — Voting legislation that Democrats and civil rights leaders say is vital for protecting democracy appeared&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-joe-biden-voting-elections-wv-state-wire-28fce7f5190404f5091158c912bf8d5d">headed for defeat</a>&nbsp;as the Senate churned into debate, a devastating setback enabled by President Joe Biden’s own party as two holdout senators refuse to support rule changes to overcome a Republican filibuster.

The Democratic senators,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kyrsten-sinema">Kyrsten Sinema</a>&nbsp;of Arizona and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-manchin">Joe Manchin</a>&nbsp;of West Virginia, faced strong criticism from Black leaders and civil rights organizations for failing to take on what critics call the “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/race-and-ethnicity-bills-filibusters-legislation-voting-rights-4b2f6cff2030420b21a6e394641d5fe1">Jim Crow filibuster.”</a>

The debate carries echoes of an earlier era when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-congress-voting-elections-filibusters-ed5fdd5d4a0338e04779015abcb6e1db">the Senate filibuster</a>&nbsp;was deployed in lengthy speeches by opponents of civil rights legislation. It comes as Democrats and other voting advocates nationwide warn that Republican-led states are passing laws making it more difficult for Black Americans and others to vote by consolidating polling locations, requiring certain types of identification and ordering other changes.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer acknowledged the current bill’s likely defeat this week. But he said the fight is not over as he heeds advocates’ call to force all senators to go on record with their positions.

“We ain’t giving up,” Schumer said after a Tuesday evening strategy meeting. “It is a fight for the soul and the future of America.”

This is the fifth time the Senate will try to pass voting legislation this Congress.

The Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act combines earlier bills into one package that would make Election Day a national holiday, ensure access to early voting and mail-in ballots — which have become especially popular during the COVID-19 pandemic — and enable the Justice Department to intervene in states with a history of voter interference, among other changes.

Both Manchin and Sinema say they support the package, which has passed the House, but they are unwilling to change the Senate rules to muscle it through that chamber over Republican objections. With a 50-50 split, Democrats have a narrow Senate majority — Vice President Kamala Harris can break a tie — but they lack the 60 votes needed to overcome the GOP&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/race-and-ethnicity-bills-filibusters-legislation-voting-rights-4b2f6cff2030420b21a6e394641d5fe1">filibuster</a>.

Instead, Schumer announced the Senate will vote on a more specific rules change for a “talking filibuster” on this one bill — requiring senators to stand at their desks and argue their views, rather than the current practice that simply allows senators to privately signal their objections.

Initial voting could start as soon as Wednesday. But even the proposal for a “talking filibuster” is expected to fail, since Manchin and Sinema have said they are unwilling to change the rules on a party-line vote by Democrats alone.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who led his party in doing away with the filibuster’s 60-vote threshold for Supreme Court nominees during Donald Trump’s presidency, warned off changing the rules again. He said Tuesday it would “break the Senate.”

Democratic senators countered in speeches from the Senate floor that with Republicans objecting to the voting legislation they have no choice.

Manchin did open the door to a more tailored package of voting law changes — including to the Electoral College Act, which became a focus of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol — that he said a bipartisan group of senators are working on and could draw Republican support.

“There are so many things that we can agree on,” he said, though he held firm against voting to change the filibuster rules.

Just as Manchin and Sinema blocked Biden’s broad “Build Back Better” domestic spending package, the two senators are now dashing hopes for another major part of Biden’s presidential agenda. They are infuriating many of their colleagues and faced a barrage of criticism during Martin Luther King Jr. Day events.

Martin Luther King III, the son of the late civil rights leader, compared Sinema and Manchin to the white moderates his father wrote about during the civil rights battles of the 1950s and 1960s — who declared support for the goals of Black voting rights but not the direct actions or demonstrations that ultimately led to passage of landmark legislation.

“History will not remember them kindly,” the younger King said, referring to Sinema and Manchin by name.

Once reluctant himself to change Senate rules, Biden used the King holiday to press senators to do just that. But the push from the White House, including Biden’s blistering speech last week in Atlanta comparing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-joe-biden-georgia-voting-martin-luther-king-jr-dc4544c23622f35fc95d63afe512554d">opponents to segregationists</a>, is seen as too late, coming as the president ends his first year in office with his popularity sagging.

“The president’s view is that the American people deserve to see where their leaders stand on protecting their fundamental rights,” said White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.

The Senate launched the days-long debate, but the outcome is expected to be no different from past failed votes on the legislation. Biden has been unable to persuade Sinema and Manchin to join other Democrats to change the rules to lower the 60-vote threshold. In fact, Sinema upstaged the president last week, reiterating her opposition to the rules changes just before Biden arrived on Capitol Hill to court senators’ votes.

Both senators have argued that preserving the filibuster rules is important for fostering bipartisanship. They also warn of what would happen if Republicans win back majority control, as is distinctly possible this election year.

McConnell has argued the broad package now before the Senate is a federal overreach into state-run elections, and he harshly criticized Biden’s speech last week as “unpresidential.”

Leading sports figures from Manchin’s home state of West Virginia&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-college-football-sports-alabama-crimson-tide-football-jerry-west-eb9b7b0a33e81f7f3661ad528959cf1c">also have weighed in</a>. In a letter last week, University of Alabama football coach Nick Saban, NBA Hall of Famer Jerry West and others urged him to support the legislation.

The political group Emily’s List said it won’t endorse Sinema if she cannot support a path forward for the voting bill.

Before Republicans lowered the vote threshold for Trump’s Supreme Court nominees, Democrats had similarly dropped it to a simple majority for confirmation of administrative positions and lower court nominees. It typically takes a 67-vote supermajority to change party rules, but both were done on party-line votes.

The voting bill was the Democrats’ top priority this Congress, and the House swiftly approved H.R. 1 only to see it languish in the Senate.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642590897189.png" alt="Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer acknowledged the current bill’s likely defeat this week. But he said the fight is not over as he heeds advocates’ call to force all senators to go on record with their positions.-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer acknowledged the current bill’s likely defeat this week. But he said the fight is not over as he heeds advocates’ call to force all senators to go on record with their positions.-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Voting legislation that Democrats and civil rights leaders say is vital for protecting democracy appeared&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-joe-biden-voting-elections-wv-state-wire-28fce7f5190404f5091158c912bf8d5d">headed for defeat</a>&nbsp;as the Senate churned into debate, a devastating setback enabled by President Joe Biden’s own party as two holdout senators refuse to support rule changes to overcome a Republican filibuster.The Democratic senators,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kyrsten-sinema">Kyrsten Sinema</a>&nbsp;of Arizona and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-manchin">Joe Manchin</a>&nbsp;of West Virginia, faced strong criticism from Black leaders and civil rights organizations for failing to take on what critics call the “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/race-and-ethnicity-bills-filibusters-legislation-voting-rights-4b2f6cff2030420b21a6e394641d5fe1">Jim Crow filibuster.”</a>The debate carries echoes of an earlier era when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-congress-voting-elections-filibusters-ed5fdd5d4a0338e04779015abcb6e1db">the Senate filibuster</a>&nbsp;was deployed in lengthy speeches by opponents of civil rights legislation. It comes as Democrats and other voting advocates nationwide warn that Republican-led states are passing laws making it more difficult for Black Americans and others to vote by consolidating polling locations, requiring certain types of identification and ordering other changes.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer acknowledged the current bill’s likely defeat this week. But he said the fight is not over as he heeds advocates’ call to force all senators to go on record with their positions.“We ain’t giving up,” Schumer said after a Tuesday evening strategy meeting. “It is a fight for the soul and the future of America.”This is the fifth time the Senate will try to pass voting legislation this Congress.The Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act combines earlier bills into one package that would make Election Day a national holiday, ensure access to early voting and mail-in ballots — which have become especially popular during the COVID-19 pandemic — and enable the Justice Department to intervene in states with a history of voter interference, among other changes.Both Manchin and Sinema say they support the package, which has passed the House, but they are unwilling to change the Senate rules to muscle it through that chamber over Republican objections. With a 50-50 split, Democrats have a narrow Senate majority — Vice President Kamala Harris can break a tie — but they lack the 60 votes needed to overcome the GOP&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/race-and-ethnicity-bills-filibusters-legislation-voting-rights-4b2f6cff2030420b21a6e394641d5fe1">filibuster</a>.Instead, Schumer announced the Senate will vote on a more specific rules change for a “talking filibuster” on this one bill — requiring senators to stand at their desks and argue their views, rather than the current practice that simply allows senators to privately signal their objections.Initial voting could start as soon as Wednesday. But even the proposal for a “talking filibuster” is expected to fail, since Manchin and Sinema have said they are unwilling to change the rules on a party-line vote by Democrats alone.Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who led his party in doing away with the filibuster’s 60-vote threshold for Supreme Court nominees during Donald Trump’s presidency, warned off changing the rules again. He said Tuesday it would “break the Senate.”Democratic senators countered in speeches from the Senate floor that with Republicans objecting to the voting legislation they have no choice.Manchin did open the door to a more tailored package of voting law changes — including to the Electoral College Act, which became a focus of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol — that he said a bipartisan group of senators are working on and could draw Republican support.“There are so many things that we can agree on,” he said, though he held firm against voting to change the filibuster rules.Just as Manchin and Sinema blocked Biden’s broad “Build Back Better” domestic spending package, the two senators are now dashing hopes for another major part of Biden’s presidential agenda. They are infuriating many of their colleagues and faced a barrage of criticism during Martin Luther King Jr. Day events.Martin Luther King III, the son of the late civil rights leader, compared Sinema and Manchin to the white moderates his father wrote about during the civil rights battles of the 1950s and 1960s — who declared support for the goals of Black voting rights but not the direct actions or demonstrations that ultimately led to passage of landmark legislation.“History will not remember them kindly,” the younger King said, referring to Sinema and Manchin by name.Once reluctant himself to change Senate rules, Biden used the King holiday to press senators to do just that. But the push from the White House, including Biden’s blistering speech last week in Atlanta comparing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-joe-biden-georgia-voting-martin-luther-king-jr-dc4544c23622f35fc95d63afe512554d">opponents to segregationists</a>, is seen as too late, coming as the president ends his first year in office with his popularity sagging.“The president’s view is that the American people deserve to see where their leaders stand on protecting their fundamental rights,” said White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.The Senate launched the days-long debate, but the outcome is expected to be no different from past failed votes on the legislation. Biden has been unable to persuade Sinema and Manchin to join other Democrats to change the rules to lower the 60-vote threshold. In fact, Sinema upstaged the president last week, reiterating her opposition to the rules changes just before Biden arrived on Capitol Hill to court senators’ votes.Both senators have argued that preserving the filibuster rules is important for fostering bipartisanship. They also warn of what would happen if Republicans win back majority control, as is distinctly possible this election year.McConnell has argued the broad package now before the Senate is a federal overreach into state-run elections, and he harshly criticized Biden’s speech last week as “unpresidential.”Leading sports figures from Manchin’s home state of West Virginia&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-college-football-sports-alabama-crimson-tide-football-jerry-west-eb9b7b0a33e81f7f3661ad528959cf1c">also have weighed in</a>. In a letter last week, University of Alabama football coach Nick Saban, NBA Hall of Famer Jerry West and others urged him to support the legislation.The political group Emily’s List said it won’t endorse Sinema if she cannot support a path forward for the voting bill.Before Republicans lowered the vote threshold for Trump’s Supreme Court nominees, Democrats had similarly dropped it to a simple majority for confirmation of administrative positions and lower court nominees. It typically takes a 67-vote supermajority to change party rules, but both were done on party-line votes.The voting bill was the Democrats’ top priority this Congress, and the House swiftly approved H.R. 1 only to see it languish in the Senate.___

Biden's voting bill faces defeat as Dems can't stop filibuster

The
 Federal Trade Commission is returning more than $10 million to 
consumers who were charged undisclosed fees by online lender LendingClub
 Corporation. The FTC is distributing refunds directly to 
more than 15,000 LendingClub customers and encouraging additional 
LendingClub customers to apply for refunds.

The FTC <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2018/04/ftc-charges-lending-club-deceiving-consumers-0">sued LendingClub in April 2018</a>,
 charging that the company falsely promised loan applicants that they 
would receive a specific loan amount with “no hidden fees,” when in 
reality the company deducted hundreds or even thousands of dollars in 
hidden up-front fees from the loans. The FTC also alleged that 
LendingClub told consumers they were approved for loans when they were 
not and took money from consumers’ bank accounts without authorization.

The FTC is sending refunds via PayPal to 
15,748 LendingClub customers who complained to the company or the FTC 
about the hidden fees. Recipients have until February 16, 2022 to accept the payments.
 Recipients who have questions about their payments should call the 
refund administrator, Rust Consulting, at 833-630-1417. The FTC never 
requires people to pay money or provide account information to get a 
refund.

In addition, between January 18 and 20, the FTC will 
email additional LendingClub customers who took out loans before January
 6, 2017 and repaid the loan. The email will provide instructions on how
 to request a refund. LendingClub customers who believe they may be 
eligible for a refund but do not receive an email by January 20 should 
contact the refund administrator at 833-630-1417. The deadline for 
additional consumers to file claims is February 16, 2022.

The FTC’s <a href="https://public.tableau.com/profile/federal.trade.commission#!/vizhome/Refunds_15797958402020/RefundsbyCase">interactive dashboards for refund data(link is external)</a>
 provide a state-by-state breakdown of FTC refunds. In 2020, FTC actions
 led to more than $483 million in refunds to consumers across the 
country, but the United States Supreme Court ruled earlier this year 
that the FTC lacks authority under Section 13(b) to seek monetary relief
 in federal court going forward. The <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2021/04/ftc-asks-congress-pass-legislation-reviving-agencys-authority">Commission has urged Congress</a> to restore the FTC’s ability to get money back for consumers.

The Federal Trade Commission works to <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/bureaus-offices/bureau-competition">promote competition</a>, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/bureaus-offices/bureau-consumer-protection">stop deceptive and unfair business practices and scams</a>, and <a href="https://consumer.ftc.gov/">educate consumers</a>. Report fraud, scams, or bad business practices at <a href="https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/">ReportFraud.ftc.gov</a>. Get consumer advice at <a href="https://consumer.ftc.gov/">consumer.ftc.gov</a>. Also, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/social-media">follow the FTC on social media</a>, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/stay-connected">subscribe to press releases</a>, and read the FTC’s <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs">blogs</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619632629588.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FTCThe
 Federal Trade Commission is returning more than $10 million to 
consumers who were charged undisclosed fees by online lender LendingClub
 Corporation. The FTC is distributing refunds directly to 
more than 15,000 LendingClub customers and encouraging additional 
LendingClub customers to apply for refunds.The FTC <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2018/04/ftc-charges-lending-club-deceiving-consumers-0">sued LendingClub in April 2018</a>,
 charging that the company falsely promised loan applicants that they 
would receive a specific loan amount with “no hidden fees,” when in 
reality the company deducted hundreds or even thousands of dollars in 
hidden up-front fees from the loans. The FTC also alleged that 
LendingClub told consumers they were approved for loans when they were 
not and took money from consumers’ bank accounts without authorization.The FTC is sending refunds via PayPal to 
15,748 LendingClub customers who complained to the company or the FTC 
about the hidden fees. Recipients have until February 16, 2022 to accept the payments.
 Recipients who have questions about their payments should call the 
refund administrator, Rust Consulting, at 833-630-1417. The FTC never 
requires people to pay money or provide account information to get a 
refund.In addition, between January 18 and 20, the FTC will 
email additional LendingClub customers who took out loans before January
 6, 2017 and repaid the loan. The email will provide instructions on how
 to request a refund. LendingClub customers who believe they may be 
eligible for a refund but do not receive an email by January 20 should 
contact the refund administrator at 833-630-1417. The deadline for 
additional consumers to file claims is February 16, 2022.The FTC’s <a href="https://public.tableau.com/profile/federal.trade.commission#!/vizhome/Refunds_15797958402020/RefundsbyCase">interactive dashboards for refund data(link is external)</a>
 provide a state-by-state breakdown of FTC refunds. In 2020, FTC actions
 led to more than $483 million in refunds to consumers across the 
country, but the United States Supreme Court ruled earlier this year 
that the FTC lacks authority under Section 13(b) to seek monetary relief
 in federal court going forward. The <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2021/04/ftc-asks-congress-pass-legislation-reviving-agencys-authority">Commission has urged Congress</a> to restore the FTC’s ability to get money back for consumers.The Federal Trade Commission works to <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/bureaus-offices/bureau-competition">promote competition</a>, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/bureaus-offices/bureau-consumer-protection">stop deceptive and unfair business practices and scams</a>, and <a href="https://consumer.ftc.gov/">educate consumers</a>. Report fraud, scams, or bad business practices at <a href="https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/">ReportFraud.ftc.gov</a>. Get consumer advice at <a href="https://consumer.ftc.gov/">consumer.ftc.gov</a>. Also, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/social-media">follow the FTC on social media</a>, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/stay-connected">subscribe to press releases</a>, and read the FTC’s <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs">blogs</a>.

FTC returns $10M+ to consumers who paid hidden fees to LendingClub

WASHINGTON —
 The Internal Revenue Service today urged employers to be aware of the 
January deadline to file Forms W-2 and other wage statements. Filing 
these documents timely helps employers avoid penalties and helps the IRS
 in fraud prevention.

A 2015 law made it a permanent requirement that employers file copies of their <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-2">Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statements,</a> and <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-3">Form W-3, Transmittal of Wage and Tax Statements</a>, with the Social Security Administration by January 31.

Forms W-2 are normally due to workers by January 31. <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1099-misc">Forms 1099-MISC, Miscellaneous Information</a> and <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1099-nec">Forms 1099-NEC, Nonemployee Compensation</a>,
 are also due to taxpayers by January 31. Various other due dates 
related to Form 1099-MISC and Form 1099-NEC, including dates due to the 
IRS, can be found on the form's <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1099mec.pdf">instructions</a>&nbsp;PDF at IRS.gov.

The normal January filing date for wage statements means that the IRS
 can more easily detect refund fraud by verifying income that 
individuals report on their tax returns. Employers can help support that
 process and avoid penalties by filing the forms on time and without 
errors.

The IRS and SSA encourage all employers to e-file. It is the 
quickest, most accurate and convenient way to file these forms. For more
 information about e-filing Forms W-2 and a link to the SSA's Business 
Services Online website, visit the SSA's Employer W-2 Filing 
Instructions &amp; Information website at <a href="https://www.ssa.gov/employer/">SSA.gov/employer</a>.

Use same employer identification number on all forms

Employers should ensure the employer identification number (EIN) on 
their wage and tax statements (Forms W-2, W-3, etc.) and their payroll 
tax returns (Forms 941, 943, 944, etc.) match the EIN the IRS assigned 
to their business. They should not use their social security number 
(SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification number (ITIN) on forms that 
ask for an EIN.

If an employer used an EIN (including a prior owner's EIN) on their 
payroll tax returns that's different from the EIN reported on their W-3,
 they should review <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/iw2w3.pdf">General Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3</a>&nbsp;PDF, Box h—Other EIN used this year.

Filing these forms with inconsistent EINs or using another business's
 EIN may result in penalties and delays in processing an employer's 
returns. Even if an employer uses a third-party payer (such as a 
Certified Professional Employer Organization, Professional Employer 
Organization, or other third party) or a different entity within their 
business to file these documents, the name and EIN on all statements and
 forms filed must be consistent and exactly match the EIN the IRS 
assigned to their business.&nbsp;For more information on third-party 
arrangements, see <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-15">Publication 15, Employer's Tax Guide</a>.

Employers may request a 30-day extension to file Forms W-2 by submitting a complete application on <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-8809">Form 8809, Application for Extension of Time to File Information Returns</a> by January 31. However, one of the criteria in Section 7 of Form 8809 must be met for the extension to be granted.

Filing Form 8809 does not extend the due date for furnishing wage 
statements to employees. A separate extension of time to furnish Forms 
W-2 to employees must be filed by January 31. See <a href="https://www.irs.gov/instructions/iw2w3">Extension of time to furnish Forms W-2 to employees</a> for more information.

Additional information can be found on the instructions for <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-2">Forms W-2 &amp; W-3</a> and the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/information-return-penalties">Information Return Penalties</a> page at IRS.gov.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON —
 The Internal Revenue Service today urged employers to be aware of the 
January deadline to file Forms W-2 and other wage statements. Filing 
these documents timely helps employers avoid penalties and helps the IRS
 in fraud prevention.A 2015 law made it a permanent requirement that employers file copies of their <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-2">Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statements,</a> and <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-3">Form W-3, Transmittal of Wage and Tax Statements</a>, with the Social Security Administration by January 31.Forms W-2 are normally due to workers by January 31. <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1099-misc">Forms 1099-MISC, Miscellaneous Information</a> and <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1099-nec">Forms 1099-NEC, Nonemployee Compensation</a>,
 are also due to taxpayers by January 31. Various other due dates 
related to Form 1099-MISC and Form 1099-NEC, including dates due to the 
IRS, can be found on the form's <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1099mec.pdf">instructions</a>&nbsp;PDF at IRS.gov.<h2>Fraud detection</h2>The normal January filing date for wage statements means that the IRS
 can more easily detect refund fraud by verifying income that 
individuals report on their tax returns. Employers can help support that
 process and avoid penalties by filing the forms on time and without 
errors.The IRS and SSA encourage all employers to e-file. It is the 
quickest, most accurate and convenient way to file these forms. For more
 information about e-filing Forms W-2 and a link to the SSA's Business 
Services Online website, visit the SSA's Employer W-2 Filing 
Instructions &amp; Information website at <a href="https://www.ssa.gov/employer/">SSA.gov/employer</a>.<h2>Use same employer identification number on all forms</h2>Employers should ensure the employer identification number (EIN) on 
their wage and tax statements (Forms W-2, W-3, etc.) and their payroll 
tax returns (Forms 941, 943, 944, etc.) match the EIN the IRS assigned 
to their business. They should not use their social security number 
(SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification number (ITIN) on forms that 
ask for an EIN.If an employer used an EIN (including a prior owner's EIN) on their 
payroll tax returns that's different from the EIN reported on their W-3,
 they should review <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/iw2w3.pdf">General Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3</a>&nbsp;PDF, Box h—Other EIN used this year.Filing these forms with inconsistent EINs or using another business's
 EIN may result in penalties and delays in processing an employer's 
returns. Even if an employer uses a third-party payer (such as a 
Certified Professional Employer Organization, Professional Employer 
Organization, or other third party) or a different entity within their 
business to file these documents, the name and EIN on all statements and
 forms filed must be consistent and exactly match the EIN the IRS 
assigned to their business.&nbsp;For more information on third-party 
arrangements, see <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-15">Publication 15, Employer's Tax Guide</a>.<h2>Extensions</h2>Employers may request a 30-day extension to file Forms W-2 by submitting a complete application on <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-8809">Form 8809, Application for Extension of Time to File Information Returns</a> by January 31. However, one of the criteria in Section 7 of Form 8809 must be met for the extension to be granted.Filing Form 8809 does not extend the due date for furnishing wage 
statements to employees. A separate extension of time to furnish Forms 
W-2 to employees must be filed by January 31. See <a href="https://www.irs.gov/instructions/iw2w3">Extension of time to furnish Forms W-2 to employees</a> for more information.Additional information can be found on the instructions for <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-2">Forms W-2 &amp; W-3</a> and the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/information-return-penalties">Information Return Penalties</a> page at IRS.gov.

IRS issues wage statement deadline reminder for employers

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration on Tuesday quietly launched its website for Americans to request free at-home COVID-19 tests, a day before the site was scheduled to officially go online.

The website,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.covidtests.gov/" target="_blank">COVIDTests.gov</a>, now includes a link for Americans to&nbsp;<a href="https://special.usps.com/testkits" target="_blank">access an order form run by the U.S. Postal Service</a>. People can order four at-home tests per residential address, to be delivered by the Postal Service. It marks the latest step by President Joe Biden to address criticism of low inventory and long lines for testing during a nationwide surge in COVID-19 cases due to the omicron variant.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the website was in “beta testing” and operating at a “limited capacity” ahead of its official launch. The website will officially launch midmorning Wednesday, Psaki said.

There were isolated reports Tuesday afternoon of issues relating to the website’s address verification tool erroneously enforcing the four-per-household cap on apartment buildings and other multi-unit dwellings. A spokesperson for the Postal Service said in a statement that the error was “occurring in a small percentage of orders.” He said any user needing assistance could file a service request at&nbsp;<a href="https://emailus.usps.com/s/the-postal-store-inquiry" target="_blank">emailus.usps.com/s/the-postal-store-inquiry</a>&nbsp;or contact a help desk at 1-800-ASK-USPS.

At points Tuesday more than 750,000 people were accessing the website at the same time, according to public government tracking data, but it was not immediately known how many orders were placed.

Psaki added that the administration was anticipating a “bug or two,” but had IT experts from across the government working to get the site ready.

Biden announced last month that the U.S. would purchase 500 million at-home tests to launch the program and on Thursday the president announced that he was doubling the order to 1 billion tests.

But Americans shouldn’t expect a rapid turnaround on the orders and they will have to plan ahead and request the tests well before they meet federal guidelines for when to use a test.

The White House said “tests will typically ship within 7- 12 days of ordering” through USPS, which reports shipping times of 1-3 days for its first-class package service in the continental United States.

Officials emphasized that the federal website is just one way for people to procure COVID-19 tests, and shortages of at-home test kits have shown signs of easing as more supply has hit the market.

Since Saturday, private insurance companies have been required to cover the cost of at-home rapid tests, allowing Americans to be reimbursed for tests they purchase at pharmacies and online retailers. That covers up to eight tests per month.

The technical bugs that embarrassed President Barack Obama’s administration with the 2013 rollout of the HealthCare.gov website should not be a problem for the COVID-19 test kit website in part because it is so much simpler, said Alex Howard, director of the Digital Democracy Project, an open government watchdog group. Howard said the new website is also simpler than the Vaccines.gov website – for finding nearby vaccine clinics and pharmacies – that was already successfully launched by the Biden administration last year.

Howard said the task of requesting someone’s address is a straightforward one, especially when compared with the Obama-era health insurance website that involved shopping for different health plans and authenticating a secure transaction. The challenge of hosting a website application under high demand is also a “solved problem” in the private sector, he said.

“My expectation is the U.S. Digital Service and any vendors they work with will be able to pull this off,” he said. “It’s the least hard part of this.”

Two tech companies that frequently work with the federal government – Microsoft and Accenture – on Tuesday referred questions about the website to the Postal Service. Amazon, a major cloud provider for U.S. agencies, didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Howard said the trickiest part of the project is not the website but the physical distribution of kits.

“I don’t recall the last time the federal government sent something like this to everyone that wasn’t a tax document,” he said.

Likely challenges include multiple people ordering from the same apartment building address, or how to handle people who try to game the system and order extra.

“I would like my fellow Americans to be a more trustworthy lot,” said Howard, but given other debates over COVID-19 protocols and response, “that’s not going to fly very well.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration on Tuesday quietly launched its website for Americans to request free at-home COVID-19 tests, a day before the site was scheduled to officially launch. 

The website, <a href="https://www.covidtests.gov/">COVIDTests.gov ,</a> now includes a link for Americans to order four tests per residential address, to be delivered by the Postal Service.

It marks the latest step by President Joe Biden to address criticism of low inventory and long lines for testing during a nationwide surge in COVID-19 cases due to the omicron varian. A White House official website is “currently in its beta phase” and operating at a “limited capacity ahead of its official launch” on Wednesday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal website where Americans can request free COVID-19 tests will begin accepting orders on Wednesday as the White House looks to address nationwide shortages, but supplies will be limited to just four free tests per home.

Starting on Jan. 19, the website COVIDTests.gov will provide tests at no cost, including no shipping fee, the White House announced Friday.

As he faced criticism for low inventory and long lines for testing, President Joe Biden announced last month that the U.S. would purchase 500 million at-home tests to launch the program and on Thursday the president announced that he was doubling the order to 1 billion tests.

But Americans shouldn't expect a rapid turn-around on the orders and they will have to plan ahead and request the tests well before they meet federal guidelines for when to use a test.

The White House said “tests will typically ship within 7-12 days of ordering" through the U.S. Postal Service, which reports shipping times of 1-3 days for its first-class package service in the continental United States.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends at-home testing when experiencing COVID-19 systems including fever, cough, sore throat, respiratory symptoms and muscle aches, five days after a potential COVID-19 exposure, or as part of test-to-stay protocols in schools and workplaces.

“Certainly if you’re going to gather with family, if you’re going to a gathering where people are immunocompromised or where they’re elderly or where you have people who might be unvaccinated or poorly protected from a vaccine that might be an opportunity you want to test,” said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the CDC director.

Officials emphasized that the federal website is just one way for people to procure COVID-19 tests. Starting on Saturday, private insurance companies will be required to cover the cost of at-home rapid tests, allowing Americans to be reimbursed for tests they purchase at pharmacies and online retailers. That covers up to eight tests per month.

The White House said the four-test limit on website orders will be applied to each residential address and will apply to the first tranche of 500 million tests. It estimates that the cost of purchasing and distributing the first block of tests at $4 billion.

Officials said they are cognizant that any launch of a website carries some risks — and memories of the disastrous roll-out during the Obama administration of Healthcare.gov are still fresh — but said they believe they are well-positioned to handle expected demand for tests.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642104330616.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration on Tuesday quietly launched its website for Americans to request free at-home COVID-19 tests, a day before the site was scheduled to officially go online.The website,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.covidtests.gov/" target="_blank">COVIDTests.gov</a>, now includes a link for Americans to&nbsp;<a href="https://special.usps.com/testkits" target="_blank">access an order form run by the U.S. Postal Service</a>. People can order four at-home tests per residential address, to be delivered by the Postal Service. It marks the latest step by President Joe Biden to address criticism of low inventory and long lines for testing during a nationwide surge in COVID-19 cases due to the omicron variant.White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the website was in “beta testing” and operating at a “limited capacity” ahead of its official launch. The website will officially launch midmorning Wednesday, Psaki said.There were isolated reports Tuesday afternoon of issues relating to the website’s address verification tool erroneously enforcing the four-per-household cap on apartment buildings and other multi-unit dwellings. A spokesperson for the Postal Service said in a statement that the error was “occurring in a small percentage of orders.” He said any user needing assistance could file a service request at&nbsp;<a href="https://emailus.usps.com/s/the-postal-store-inquiry" target="_blank">emailus.usps.com/s/the-postal-store-inquiry</a>&nbsp;or contact a help desk at 1-800-ASK-USPS.At points Tuesday more than 750,000 people were accessing the website at the same time, according to public government tracking data, but it was not immediately known how many orders were placed.Psaki added that the administration was anticipating a “bug or two,” but had IT experts from across the government working to get the site ready.Biden announced last month that the U.S. would purchase 500 million at-home tests to launch the program and on Thursday the president announced that he was doubling the order to 1 billion tests.But Americans shouldn’t expect a rapid turnaround on the orders and they will have to plan ahead and request the tests well before they meet federal guidelines for when to use a test.The White House said “tests will typically ship within 7- 12 days of ordering” through USPS, which reports shipping times of 1-3 days for its first-class package service in the continental United States.Officials emphasized that the federal website is just one way for people to procure COVID-19 tests, and shortages of at-home test kits have shown signs of easing as more supply has hit the market.Since Saturday, private insurance companies have been required to cover the cost of at-home rapid tests, allowing Americans to be reimbursed for tests they purchase at pharmacies and online retailers. That covers up to eight tests per month.The technical bugs that embarrassed President Barack Obama’s administration with the 2013 rollout of the HealthCare.gov website should not be a problem for the COVID-19 test kit website in part because it is so much simpler, said Alex Howard, director of the Digital Democracy Project, an open government watchdog group. Howard said the new website is also simpler than the Vaccines.gov website – for finding nearby vaccine clinics and pharmacies – that was already successfully launched by the Biden administration last year.Howard said the task of requesting someone’s address is a straightforward one, especially when compared with the Obama-era health insurance website that involved shopping for different health plans and authenticating a secure transaction. The challenge of hosting a website application under high demand is also a “solved problem” in the private sector, he said.“My expectation is the U.S. Digital Service and any vendors they work with will be able to pull this off,” he said. “It’s the least hard part of this.”Two tech companies that frequently work with the federal government – Microsoft and Accenture – on Tuesday referred questions about the website to the Postal Service. Amazon, a major cloud provider for U.S. agencies, didn’t respond to requests for comment.Howard said the trickiest part of the project is not the website but the physical distribution of kits.“I don’t recall the last time the federal government sent something like this to everyone that wasn’t a tax document,” he said.Likely challenges include multiple people ordering from the same apartment building address, or how to handle people who try to game the system and order extra.“I would like my fellow Americans to be a more trustworthy lot,” said Howard, but given other debates over COVID-19 protocols and response, “that’s not going to fly very well.”--------------WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration on Tuesday quietly launched its website for Americans to request free at-home COVID-19 tests, a day before the site was scheduled to officially launch. The website, <a href="https://www.covidtests.gov/">COVIDTests.gov ,</a> now includes a link for Americans to order four tests per residential address, to be delivered by the Postal Service. It marks the latest step by President Joe Biden to address criticism of low inventory and long lines for testing during a nationwide surge in COVID-19 cases due to the omicron varian. A White House official website is “currently in its beta phase” and operating at a “limited capacity ahead of its official launch” on Wednesday.----------WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal website where Americans can request free COVID-19 tests will begin accepting orders on Wednesday as the White House looks to address nationwide shortages, but supplies will be limited to just four free tests per home.Starting on Jan. 19, the website COVIDTests.gov will provide tests at no cost, including no shipping fee, the White House announced Friday.As he faced criticism for low inventory and long lines for testing, President Joe Biden announced last month that the U.S. would purchase 500 million at-home tests to launch the program and on Thursday the president announced that he was doubling the order to 1 billion tests.But Americans shouldn't expect a rapid turn-around on the orders and they will have to plan ahead and request the tests well before they meet federal guidelines for when to use a test.The White House said “tests will typically ship within 7-12 days of ordering" through the U.S. Postal Service, which reports shipping times of 1-3 days for its first-class package service in the continental United States.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends at-home testing when experiencing COVID-19 systems including fever, cough, sore throat, respiratory symptoms and muscle aches, five days after a potential COVID-19 exposure, or as part of test-to-stay protocols in schools and workplaces.“Certainly if you’re going to gather with family, if you’re going to a gathering where people are immunocompromised or where they’re elderly or where you have people who might be unvaccinated or poorly protected from a vaccine that might be an opportunity you want to test,” said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the CDC director.Officials emphasized that the federal website is just one way for people to procure COVID-19 tests. Starting on Saturday, private insurance companies will be required to cover the cost of at-home rapid tests, allowing Americans to be reimbursed for tests they purchase at pharmacies and online retailers. That covers up to eight tests per month.The White House said the four-test limit on website orders will be applied to each residential address and will apply to the first tranche of 500 million tests. It estimates that the cost of purchasing and distributing the first block of tests at $4 billion.Officials said they are cognizant that any launch of a website carries some risks — and memories of the disastrous roll-out during the Obama administration of Healthcare.gov are still fresh — but said they believe they are well-positioned to handle expected demand for tests.

Biden's free COVID-19 test request website now available 

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) — BNSF Railway has announced plans to resume operation of its mainline rail corridor through southern Montana, ending a lease with Montana Rail Link.

Under the lease that began in 1987, MRL operated the tracks owned by BNSF Railway between Huntley, Montana, and Sandpoint, Idaho. MRL had in-state freight contracts and used its locomotives to haul BNSF freight across southern Montana.

Over the last several years, more than 90% of the traffic on the southern corridor belonged to BNSF Railway, officials said.

Ending the lease will eliminate the need to for BNSF freight to be turned over to Montana Rail Link.

BNSF Railway has committed to hiring all of Montana Rail Link’s 1,200 employees in their current jobs with similar pay, and will soon begin negotiations with MRL’s labor unions, MRL President Derek Ollman said.

“This agreement protects our workers, our customers and our long-term commitment to safety, and it will ensure a more seamless operation of rail services in Montana,” Ollmann said in a statement.

The agreement must be approved by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board.

Katie Farmer, president and CEO of Fort Worth, Texas-based BNSF, said the line will become the MRL Subdivision of the railroad’s Montana Division, “in recognition of the shared heritage of BNSF and MRL.”

BNSF’s Montana division includes a rail line across the northern part of the state.

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) — BNSF Railway has announced plans to resume operation of its mainline rail corridor through southern Montana, ending a lease with Montana Rail Link.Under the lease that began in 1987, MRL operated the tracks owned by BNSF Railway between Huntley, Montana, and Sandpoint, Idaho. MRL had in-state freight contracts and used its locomotives to haul BNSF freight across southern Montana.Over the last several years, more than 90% of the traffic on the southern corridor belonged to BNSF Railway, officials said.Ending the lease will eliminate the need to for BNSF freight to be turned over to Montana Rail Link.BNSF Railway has committed to hiring all of Montana Rail Link’s 1,200 employees in their current jobs with similar pay, and will soon begin negotiations with MRL’s labor unions, MRL President Derek Ollman said.“This agreement protects our workers, our customers and our long-term commitment to safety, and it will ensure a more seamless operation of rail services in Montana,” Ollmann said in a statement.The agreement must be approved by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board.Katie Farmer, president and CEO of Fort Worth, Texas-based BNSF, said the line will become the MRL Subdivision of the railroad’s Montana Division, “in recognition of the shared heritage of BNSF and MRL.”BNSF’s Montana division includes a rail line across the northern part of the state.

BNSF Railway taking over Montana Rail Link route

GRAND ISLAND&nbsp; — Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol, working with deputies from Franklin and Webster Counties have arrested one person and recovered a stolen vehicle following a pursuit Monday morning.

At approximately, 8:40 a.m. Monday, NSP received information regarding a vehicle theft that had just occurred near Doniphan. The stolen vehicle was a Ford F-150 equipped with an onboard tracking system.

Ford was able to track the vehicle to a location in Webster County. Webster County Sheriff’s Deputies were then able to locate the vehicle and initiate a pursuit. A trooper positioned himself in front of the pursuit, which was traveling westbound on Highway 136, near Franklin. As the suspect vehicle approached the trooper’s location, it voluntarily stopped. Troopers and deputies then took the suspect into custody without further incident.

The driver, Othon Robles, 25, of Grand Island, was arrested for possession of a stolen vehicle. Additional charges are pending. He was lodged in Hall County Jail.

GRAND ISLAND&nbsp; — Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol, working with deputies from Franklin and Webster Counties have arrested one person and recovered a stolen vehicle following a pursuit Monday morning.At approximately, 8:40 a.m. Monday, NSP received information regarding a vehicle theft that had just occurred near Doniphan. The stolen vehicle was a Ford F-150 equipped with an onboard tracking system.Ford was able to track the vehicle to a location in Webster County. Webster County Sheriff’s Deputies were then able to locate the vehicle and initiate a pursuit. A trooper positioned himself in front of the pursuit, which was traveling westbound on Highway 136, near Franklin. As the suspect vehicle approached the trooper’s location, it voluntarily stopped. Troopers and deputies then took the suspect into custody without further incident.The driver, Othon Robles, 25, of Grand Island, was arrested for possession of a stolen vehicle. Additional charges are pending. He was lodged in Hall County Jail.

Suspect arrested, stolen vehicle recovered in Franklin County

KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — Police have identified a man who was killed and another who was injured in a shooting in central Kearney over the weekend. 

Police said in a news release that 31-year-old Jared Shinpaugh was the man killed and 29-year-old  Joseph Garcia as the person injured in the Sunday night shooting that happened a couple of blocks north of Pioneer Park. 

Witnesses told police that several people ran from the area where the shots were fired and fled in a car. 

Shortly after the shooting, the injured Shinpaugh and Garcia were dropped off at a Kearney hospital, where Shinpaugh died. 

 Police have not announced any arrests in the case but are searching for two people of interest.

KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — Police have identified a man who was killed and another who was injured in a shooting in central Kearney over the weekend. Police said in a news release that 31-year-old Jared Shinpaugh was the man killed and 29-year-old Joseph Garcia as the person injured in the Sunday night shooting that happened a couple of blocks north of Pioneer Park. Both men are from Lexington. Witnesses told police that several people ran from the area where the shots were fired and fled in a car. Shortly after the shooting, the injured Shinpaugh and Garcia were dropped off at a Kearney hospital, where Shinpaugh died. Garcia was treated and released. Police have not announced any arrests in the case but are searching for two people of interest.

Police in Kearney ID man killed, other injured in shooting

GRETNA, Neb. (AP) — Sarpy County authorities say searchers found the body of a Gretna man who disappeared after he collided with a snow plow during a storm.

 Sheriff Jeff Davis said a volunteer found the body of 45-year-old Jason Schram Monday, about a mile from the scene of the crash on Friday night.

 The sheriff said Schram went into a field after he crashed into a snow plow.

 He says Schram lived close to the crash site but he apparently did not have a coat with him. 

Davis says it is not yet clear what caused the crash with the snowplow, or if Schram was hurt. An autopsy has been scheduled.

GRETNA, Neb. (AP) — Sarpy County authorities say searchers found the body of a Gretna man who disappeared after he collided with a snow plow during a storm. Sheriff Jeff Davis said a volunteer found the body of 45-year-old Jason Schram Monday, about a mile from the scene of the crash on Friday night. The sheriff said Schram went into a field after he crashed into a snow plow. He says Schram lived close to the crash site but he apparently did not have a coat with him. Davis says it is not yet clear what caused the crash with the snowplow, or if Schram was hurt. An autopsy has been scheduled.

Body of Gretna man who went missing in snow storm is found

WASHINGTON (AP) — Facing stark criticism from civil rights leaders, senators return to Capitol Hill under intense pressure to change their rules and break a Republican filibuster that has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-joe-biden-voting-elections-wv-state-wire-28fce7f5190404f5091158c912bf8d5d">hopelessly stalled voting legislation</a>.

The Senate is set to launch debate Tuesday on the voting bill with attention focused intently on two pivotal Democrats — Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Joe Manchin of West Virginia — who were singled out with a barrage of criticism during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/martin-luther-king-jr-day-fd2a76d5bae88e107592b52f2e7f898b">Martin Luther King Jr. Day events</a>&nbsp;for their refusal to change what civil rights leaders call the “Jim Crow filibuster.”

Martin Luther King III, the son of the late civil rights leader, compared Sinema and Manchin to the white moderate his father wrote about during the civil rights battles of the 1950s and 1960s — a person who declared support for the goals of Black voting rights but not the direct actions or demonstrations that ultimately led to passage of the landmark legislation.

This will be the fifth time the Senate will try to pass voting legislation this Congress, as elections officials warn that new state laws are making it more difficult to vote in some parts of the country.

The House has passed the package, but the legislation is stalled in the Senate, opposed by Republicans. With a 50-50 split, Democrats have a narrow Senate majority — Vice President Kamala Harris can break a tie — but they lack the 60 votes needed to overcome the GOP&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/race-and-ethnicity-bills-filibusters-legislation-voting-rights-4b2f6cff2030420b21a6e394641d5fe1">filibuster</a>.

Once reluctant to change Senate rules, President Joe Biden used the King holiday to pressure senators to do just that. But the push from the White House, including Biden’s blistering speech last week in Atlanta comparing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-joe-biden-georgia-voting-martin-luther-king-jr-dc4544c23622f35fc95d63afe512554d">opponents to segregationists</a>, is seen as too late, coming as the president ends his first year in office with his popularity sagging.

“It’s time for every elected official in America to make it clear where they stand,” Biden said on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. “It’s time for every American to stand up. Speak out, be heard. Where do you stand?”

The Senate is launching what could become a weeklong debate, but the outcome is expected to be no different than past failed votes on the legislation. Biden has been unable to persuade Sinema and Manchin to join other Democrats in changing the rules to lower the 60-vote threshold. In fact, Sinema upstaged the president last week, reiterating her opposition to the rules changes just before Biden arrived on Capitol Hill to court senators’ votes.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., had shelved a promised Monday rules change vote that would have been linked to the King holiday. But he is pressing ahead Tuesday as advocates push to put senators on record, despite the expectation that no bill will pass by week’s end.

Senators have been working nonstop for weeks on rules changes that could win support from Sinema and Manchin, only to see their efforts repeatedly dashed. The two senators, both moderates, have expressed openness to discussing the ideas, but have not given them their backing.

Both Manchin and Sinema have argued that preserving the Senate filibuster rules as they are, at the 60-vote threshold to advance legislation, is important for fostering bipartisanship. They also warn of what would happen if Republicans win back majority control, as is distinctly possible this election year, and could easily pass GOP-backed bills.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Facing stark criticism from civil rights leaders, senators return to Capitol Hill under intense pressure to change their rules and break a Republican filibuster that has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-joe-biden-voting-elections-wv-state-wire-28fce7f5190404f5091158c912bf8d5d">hopelessly stalled voting legislation</a>.The Senate is set to launch debate Tuesday on the voting bill with attention focused intently on two pivotal Democrats — Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Joe Manchin of West Virginia — who were singled out with a barrage of criticism during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/martin-luther-king-jr-day-fd2a76d5bae88e107592b52f2e7f898b">Martin Luther King Jr. Day events</a>&nbsp;for their refusal to change what civil rights leaders call the “Jim Crow filibuster.”Martin Luther King III, the son of the late civil rights leader, compared Sinema and Manchin to the white moderate his father wrote about during the civil rights battles of the 1950s and 1960s — a person who declared support for the goals of Black voting rights but not the direct actions or demonstrations that ultimately led to passage of the landmark legislation.“History will not remember them kindly,” the younger King said, referring to Sinema and Manchin by name.This will be the fifth time the Senate will try to pass voting legislation this Congress, as elections officials warn that new state laws are making it more difficult to vote in some parts of the country.The House has passed the package, but the legislation is stalled in the Senate, opposed by Republicans. With a 50-50 split, Democrats have a narrow Senate majority — Vice President Kamala Harris can break a tie — but they lack the 60 votes needed to overcome the GOP&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/race-and-ethnicity-bills-filibusters-legislation-voting-rights-4b2f6cff2030420b21a6e394641d5fe1">filibuster</a>.Once reluctant to change Senate rules, President Joe Biden used the King holiday to pressure senators to do just that. But the push from the White House, including Biden’s blistering speech last week in Atlanta comparing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-joe-biden-georgia-voting-martin-luther-king-jr-dc4544c23622f35fc95d63afe512554d">opponents to segregationists</a>, is seen as too late, coming as the president ends his first year in office with his popularity sagging.“It’s time for every elected official in America to make it clear where they stand,” Biden said on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. “It’s time for every American to stand up. Speak out, be heard. Where do you stand?”The Senate is launching what could become a weeklong debate, but the outcome is expected to be no different than past failed votes on the legislation. Biden has been unable to persuade Sinema and Manchin to join other Democrats in changing the rules to lower the 60-vote threshold. In fact, Sinema upstaged the president last week, reiterating her opposition to the rules changes just before Biden arrived on Capitol Hill to court senators’ votes.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., had shelved a promised Monday rules change vote that would have been linked to the King holiday. But he is pressing ahead Tuesday as advocates push to put senators on record, despite the expectation that no bill will pass by week’s end.Senators have been working nonstop for weeks on rules changes that could win support from Sinema and Manchin, only to see their efforts repeatedly dashed. The two senators, both moderates, have expressed openness to discussing the ideas, but have not given them their backing.Both Manchin and Sinema have argued that preserving the Senate filibuster rules as they are, at the 60-vote threshold to advance legislation, is important for fostering bipartisanship. They also warn of what would happen if Republicans win back majority control, as is distinctly possible this election year, and could easily pass GOP-backed bills.Sinema came under particularly fierce criticism on social media for invoking King as well as the late Rep. John Lewis, whose name is on the legislation, despite her refusal to change the rules.Blame also fell to Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who is leading his party against the voting legislation. The Kentucky Republican has argued the legislation is a federal overreach into state-run elections, and he harshly criticized Biden’s speech last week as “unpresidential.”Civil rights leaders have implored the Senate to act swiftly, as states are passing laws that many argue will make it more difficult for Black Americans and others to vote by consolidating polling locations, refusing to allow water distribution in long lines and requiring certain types of identification.“We cannot think of a time more defining to the American story than the chapter you are presently writing,” NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson wrote in an open letter to the Senate.“What country will your children and grandchildren be left with, given the relentless assaults on American freedom and democracy?”Manchin spokeswoman Sam Runyon said in a statement late Monday: “Senator Manchin believes strongly that every American citizen of legal age has not only the right, but also the responsibility to vote and that right must be protected by law. He continues to work on legislation to protect this right.”Sinema’s office did not respond to a request for comment.The voting bill was the Democrats’ top priority this Congress, and the House swiftly approved H.R. 1 only to see it languish in the Senate.Now called the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act, the package before the Senate includes some of the most sweeping changes to elections in a generation, including making Election Day a national holiday and requiring access to early voting and mail-in ballots that became overwhelmingly popular during the COVID-19 pandemic.The package is coupled with the John R. Lewis Voting Advancement Act, which would require voting protections that had been stripped by the Supreme Court and would again allow Justice Department scrutiny of states with a pattern of elections violations.