WASHINGTON – The Internal Revenue Service today issued guidance for 
employers regarding the retroactive termination of the Employee 
Retention Credit. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which was 
enacted on November 15, 2021, amended the law so that the Employee 
Retention Credit applies only to wages paid before October 1, 2021, 
unless the employer is a recovery startup business.

<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-21-65.pdf">Notice 2021-65</a>&nbsp;PDF
 applies to employers that paid wages after September 30, 2021 and 
received an advance payment of the Employee Retention Credit for those 
wages or reduced employment tax deposits in anticipation of the credit 
for the fourth quarter of 2021 but are now ineligible for the credit due
 to the change in the law. The notice also provides guidance regarding 
how the rules apply to recovery startup businesses during the fourth 
quarter of 2021.

Generally, employers that are not recovery startup businesses and 
received advance payments for fourth quarter wages of 2021 will avoid 
failure to pay penalties if they repay those amounts by the due date of 
their applicable employment tax returns.

Employers who Reduced Employment Tax Deposits

Employers that reduced deposits on or before December 20, 2021, for 
wages paid during the fourth calendar quarter of 2021 in anticipation of
 the Employee Retention Credit and that are not recovery startup 
businesses will not be subject to a failure to deposit penalty with 
respect to the retained deposits if—

Due to the termination of the Employee Retention Credit for 
wages paid in the fourth quarter of 2021 for employers that are not 
recovery startup businesses, failure to deposit penalties are not waived
 for these employers if they reduce deposits after December 20, 2021.

If an employer does not qualify for relief under this Notice, it may 
reply to a notice about a penalty with an explanation and the IRS will 
consider reasonable cause relief.

More information for businesses seeking coronavirus-related tax relief can be found 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 issued guidance for 
employers regarding the retroactive termination of the Employee 
Retention Credit. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which was 
enacted on November 15, 2021, amended the law so that the Employee 
Retention Credit applies only to wages paid before October 1, 2021, 
unless the employer is a recovery startup business.<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-21-65.pdf">Notice 2021-65</a>&nbsp;PDF
 applies to employers that paid wages after September 30, 2021 and 
received an advance payment of the Employee Retention Credit for those 
wages or reduced employment tax deposits in anticipation of the credit 
for the fourth quarter of 2021 but are now ineligible for the credit due
 to the change in the law. The notice also provides guidance regarding 
how the rules apply to recovery startup businesses during the fourth 
quarter of 2021.<h2>Employers who Received Advance Payments</h2>Generally, employers that are not recovery startup businesses and 
received advance payments for fourth quarter wages of 2021 will avoid 
failure to pay penalties if they repay those amounts by the due date of 
their applicable employment tax returns.<h2>Employers who Reduced Employment Tax Deposits</h2>Employers that reduced deposits on or before December 20, 2021, for 
wages paid during the fourth calendar quarter of 2021 in anticipation of
 the Employee Retention Credit and that are not recovery startup 
businesses will not be subject to a failure to deposit penalty with 
respect to the retained deposits if—<ol>
 <li>The employer reduced deposits in anticipation of the Employee Retention Credit, consistent with the rules in <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-21-24.pdf">Notice 2021-24</a>&nbsp;PDF,</li><li>The employer deposits the amounts initially retained in 
anticipation of the Employee Retention Credit on or before the relevant 
due date for wages paid on December 31, 2021 (regardless of whether the 
employer actually pays wages on that date). Deposit due dates will vary 
based on the deposit schedule of the employer, and</li><li>The employer reports the tax liability resulting from the 
termination of the employer's Employee Retention Credit on the 
applicable employment tax return or schedule that includes the period 
from October 1, 2021, through December 31, 2021. Employers should refer 
to the instructions to the applicable employment tax return or schedule 
for additional information on how to report the tax liability.</li>
 </ol>Due to the termination of the Employee Retention Credit for 
wages paid in the fourth quarter of 2021 for employers that are not 
recovery startup businesses, failure to deposit penalties are not waived
 for these employers if they reduce deposits after December 20, 2021.If an employer does not qualify for relief under this Notice, it may 
reply to a notice about a penalty with an explanation and the IRS will 
consider reasonable cause relief.More information for businesses seeking coronavirus-related tax relief can be found at IRS.gov.

IRS: Guidance regarding retroactive termination of Employee Retention Credit

WASHINGTON (AP) —President Joe Biden’s latest measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 will increase the hassle factor of flying into the United States, even for American citizens returning from overseas.

Beginning today, travelers heading to the U.S. will be required to show evidence of a negative test for the virus within one day of boarding their flight. The previous period was three days.

Also, Biden extended the federal rule requiring passengers on planes, trains and buses to wear face masks through March 18. It was scheduled to expire in mid-January.

Those proposals came about quickly, underscoring the urgency for the White House to act ahead of winter, when the virus can spread more easily among people indoors, and since the discovery of a worrisome new variant of COVID-19. The first U.S. case of the omicron variant was discovered in California and reported by the administration Wednesday.

The administration’s moves come just days after the White House announced a ban on travel to the U.S. by foreign nationals who have been to South Africa or seven other African countries within the previous 14 days. That travel ban does not apply to U.S. citizens and permanent residents.

More telling, perhaps, is what’s not included in Biden’s announcement, including some proposals that were floated earlier this week like new quarantine rules for people arriving in the U.S. from overseas, which travel industry officials said would have been highly disruptive.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki was asked why the administration didn’t go further and require vaccination or a negative test for passengers on domestic flights. She replied that “nothing is off the table.”

“We base our decisions on the advice of the health and medical experts, what is going to be most effective and what we can implement,” Psaki said. “The president takes their advice and counsel very seriously, but I would say there are discussions about a range of options every day.”

Here is rundown of the new requirements and their likely impact.

The United States requires all inbound international travelers to test for COVID-19 within one day of their flight to the U.S., regardless of their nationality or vaccination status. That will replace a similar three-day requirement in effect since early November, when the administration scrapped country-specific travel bans.

“This tighter testing timetable provides an added degree of protection as scientists continue to study the omicron variant,” Biden said during a brief appearance to announce his latest measures against the virus.

Scott Keyes, founder of travel site Scott’s Cheap Flights, said the shorter time to get tested will weaken demand for international travel by both Americans going abroad and foreigners coming to the U.S. He said, however, that the hassle was somewhat offset by other terms set by the White House, including allowing the use of rapid antigen tests instead of requiring more costly PCR tests, and directing insurance companies to cover the cost.

The U.S. Travel Association said it hopes the one-day window is temporary “until more is learned about the omicron variant.”

The Transportation Security Administration extended the requirement to wear a mask on planes, trains, subways and other public transportation including airports and bus terminals through the winter. Fines, which were doubled earlier this year, will remain in a range of $500 to $3,000.

The mask rule has become a flashpoint on flights, and some in the airline industry are eager to see the mandate go away. Airlines have reported more than 5,000 incidents of unruly passengers to federal authorities since the start of the year, with about three-fourths of the events involving passengers who refuse to wear a mask.

Administration officials considered other requirements including testing international travelers after they arrive in the U.S. and requiring all travelers — even American citizens — to quarantine for several days even if they test negative for COVID-19.

Kevin Mitchell, founder and chairman of the Business Travel Coalition, said the items in Biden’s announcement aren’t big problems.

“One idea that was floated, that you might have had to quarantine — that would have been a problem,” Mitchell said. “It’s a relief to the entire travel and tourism world” that quarantines were not ordered.

Airline stocks, which have been volatile since news broke about the omicron variant, rose between 6% and 9% in trading Thursday afternoon.

In the past week or so, online searches for international flights have dropped sharply while searches for domestic flights have remained fairly stable, according to figures from travel agent and search engine Kayak.

“That tells me people are wary, they are taking a wait-and-see approach to international travel because they want to see what the scientists conclude about this omicron variant, but domestic travel has been mostly unaffected,” Keyes said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1638322980553.png" alt="The Transportation Security Administration extended the requirement to wear a mask on planes, trains, subways and other public transportation including airports and bus terminals through the winter." />
 <figcaption>The Transportation Security Administration extended the requirement to wear a mask on planes, trains, subways and other public transportation including airports and bus terminals through the winter.</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —President Joe Biden’s latest measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 will increase the hassle factor of flying into the United States, even for American citizens returning from overseas.Beginning today, travelers heading to the U.S. will be required to show evidence of a negative test for the virus within one day of boarding their flight. The previous period was three days.Also, Biden extended the federal rule requiring passengers on planes, trains and buses to wear face masks through March 18. It was scheduled to expire in mid-January.Those proposals came about quickly, underscoring the urgency for the White House to act ahead of winter, when the virus can spread more easily among people indoors, and since the discovery of a worrisome new variant of COVID-19. The first U.S. case of the omicron variant was discovered in California and reported by the administration Wednesday.The administration’s moves come just days after the White House announced a ban on travel to the U.S. by foreign nationals who have been to South Africa or seven other African countries within the previous 14 days. That travel ban does not apply to U.S. citizens and permanent residents.More telling, perhaps, is what’s not included in Biden’s announcement, including some proposals that were floated earlier this week like new quarantine rules for people arriving in the U.S. from overseas, which travel industry officials said would have been highly disruptive.White House press secretary Jen Psaki was asked why the administration didn’t go further and require vaccination or a negative test for passengers on domestic flights. She replied that “nothing is off the table.”“We base our decisions on the advice of the health and medical experts, what is going to be most effective and what we can implement,” Psaki said. “The president takes their advice and counsel very seriously, but I would say there are discussions about a range of options every day.”Here is rundown of the new requirements and their likely impact.TESTING BEFORE FLIGHTS TO U.S.The United States requires all inbound international travelers to test for COVID-19 within one day of their flight to the U.S., regardless of their nationality or vaccination status. That will replace a similar three-day requirement in effect since early November, when the administration scrapped country-specific travel bans.“This tighter testing timetable provides an added degree of protection as scientists continue to study the omicron variant,” Biden said during a brief appearance to announce his latest measures against the virus.Scott Keyes, founder of travel site Scott’s Cheap Flights, said the shorter time to get tested will weaken demand for international travel by both Americans going abroad and foreigners coming to the U.S. He said, however, that the hassle was somewhat offset by other terms set by the White House, including allowing the use of rapid antigen tests instead of requiring more costly PCR tests, and directing insurance companies to cover the cost.The U.S. Travel Association said it hopes the one-day window is temporary “until more is learned about the omicron variant.”FACE MASKSThe Transportation Security Administration extended the requirement to wear a mask on planes, trains, subways and other public transportation including airports and bus terminals through the winter. Fines, which were doubled earlier this year, will remain in a range of $500 to $3,000.The mask rule has become a flashpoint on flights, and some in the airline industry are eager to see the mandate go away. Airlines have reported more than 5,000 incidents of unruly passengers to federal authorities since the start of the year, with about three-fourths of the events involving passengers who refuse to wear a mask.WHAT’S NOT IN THE NEW RULESAdministration officials considered other requirements including testing international travelers after they arrive in the U.S. and requiring all travelers — even American citizens — to quarantine for several days even if they test negative for COVID-19.Kevin Mitchell, founder and chairman of the Business Travel Coalition, said the items in Biden’s announcement aren’t big problems.“One idea that was floated, that you might have had to quarantine — that would have been a problem,” Mitchell said. “It’s a relief to the entire travel and tourism world” that quarantines were not ordered.Airline stocks, which have been volatile since news broke about the omicron variant, rose between 6% and 9% in trading Thursday afternoon.In the past week or so, online searches for international flights have dropped sharply while searches for domestic flights have remained fairly stable, according to figures from travel agent and search engine Kayak.“That tells me people are wary, they are taking a wait-and-see approach to international travel because they want to see what the scientists conclude about this omicron variant, but domestic travel has been mostly unaffected,” Keyes said.

COVID: New rules begin for travelers entering the United States

BELLEVUE, Neb. (AP) — A 43-year-old man died after he was shot during an alleged home invasion in an Omaha suburb early Saturday.

 Bellevue Police Sgt. Howard Banks said Lou Slaughter of Omaha died after he was shot by one of the three occupants of a home in the 1700 block of Yorktown Street. 

The incident was initially reported to police around 3:30 a.m. Saturday as a possible home invasion. 

Banks said the incident “definitely does not appear to be a random act,” but detectives are still investigating what happened. 

Banks declined to comment on whether Slaughter was armed when he was shot. As of Saturday evening, no one had been arrested.

BELLEVUE, Neb. (AP) — A 43-year-old man died after he was shot during an alleged home invasion in an Omaha suburb early Saturday. Bellevue Police Sgt. Howard Banks said Lou Slaughter of Omaha died after he was shot by one of the three occupants of a home in the 1700 block of Yorktown Street. The incident was initially reported to police around 3:30 a.m. Saturday as a possible home invasion. Banks said the incident “definitely does not appear to be a random act,” but detectives are still investigating what happened. Banks declined to comment on whether Slaughter was armed when he was shot. As of Saturday evening, no one had been arrested.

Omaha man killed after home invasion was reported in suburbs

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal stabbing and have made an arrest.

Just after 8 a.m. Saturday, police responded to a disturbance with a weapon at a home in the 600 block of South Green in Wichita, according to Officer Charley Davidson.

 Upon arrival, officers located a 64-year-old woman and a 73-year-old man with multiple stab wounds. 

EMS transported both victims to an area hospital where the 64-year-old woman died, according to Davidson. The 73-year-old man had serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

The investigation revealed at approximately 5 a.m. on Saturday, officers responded to a call in the 1800 block of North Kansas regarding a citizen who had 36-year-old Goldy L. Metcalf of Wichita at gunpoint for unlawfully entering his vehicle.&nbsp; 

Metcalf was cooperative with officers, cited for misdemeanor tampering with an automobile, and given a courtesy transport to St. Francis Hospital for medical treatment due to a previous injury to his mouth, according to Davidson.

Metcalf left St. Francis against medical advice and at approximately 8 a.m. stole a blue Ford pick-up in the 600 block of North Waco that was left running.

Metcalf fled in the truck and crashed it into a building in the 600 block of South Green. Metcalf then fled the scene and forced his way into the residence on South Green, where he stabbed the two victims. Metcalf fled from that residence and entered an unoccupied residence in 600 block of South Erie, and attempted to gain access to a church in the same block. Thanks to information provided by citizens, police responded quickly, located&nbsp; Metcalf and arrested him.

Metcalf is being held on requested charges of first-degree murder, aggravated battery, criminal deprivation of vehicle, two counts of criminal damage to property, criminal trespass, possession of paraphernalia, and an arrest and detain order.

Metcalf was paroled from prison in July and has prior convictions for aggravated battery, criminal possession of a firearm, burglary, flee law enforcement, and aggravated robbery, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638721469657.png" alt="Metcalf-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Metcalf-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal stabbing and have made an arrest.Just after 8 a.m. Saturday, police responded to a disturbance with a weapon at a home in the 600 block of South Green in Wichita, according to Officer Charley Davidson. Upon arrival, officers located a 64-year-old woman and a 73-year-old man with multiple stab wounds. EMS transported both victims to an area hospital where the 64-year-old woman died, according to Davidson. The 73-year-old man had serious but non-life-threatening injuries.The investigation revealed at approximately 5 a.m. on Saturday, officers responded to a call in the 1800 block of North Kansas regarding a citizen who had 36-year-old Goldy L. Metcalf of Wichita at gunpoint for unlawfully entering his vehicle.&nbsp; Metcalf was cooperative with officers, cited for misdemeanor tampering with an automobile, and given a courtesy transport to St. Francis Hospital for medical treatment due to a previous injury to his mouth, according to Davidson.Metcalf left St. Francis against medical advice and at approximately 8 a.m. stole a blue Ford pick-up in the 600 block of North Waco that was left running.Metcalf fled in the truck and crashed it into a building in the 600 block of South Green. Metcalf then fled the scene and forced his way into the residence on South Green, where he stabbed the two victims. Metcalf fled from that residence and entered an unoccupied residence in 600 block of South Erie, and attempted to gain access to a church in the same block. Thanks to information provided by citizens, police responded quickly, located&nbsp; Metcalf and arrested him.Metcalf is being held on requested charges of first-degree murder, aggravated battery, criminal deprivation of vehicle, two counts of criminal damage to property, criminal trespass, possession of paraphernalia, and an arrest and detain order.Metcalf was paroled from prison in July and has prior convictions for aggravated battery, criminal possession of a firearm, burglary, flee law enforcement, and aggravated robbery, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Kan. felon left hospital, stole truck, killed woman in her home

<a href="https://www.medicare.gov">Medicare.gov</a>

Medicare Open Enrollment is almost over. If you’re thinking about changing your Medicare plan, you have until&nbsp;December 7 to take <a href="https://www.medicare.gov/sign-up-change-plans/joining-a-health-or-drug-plan">these actions</a>:

Even
 if you’re happy with your current health coverage, it’s important to 
know your Medicare coverage options and compare other health and drug 
plans during Open Enrollment. You may find Medicare coverage that better
 meets your needs for the upcoming year.

Compare Medicare health &amp; drug plans for 2022

Not all&nbsp;Medicare&nbsp;coverage options offer the same benefits, and costs 
can change each year.&nbsp;There may be other health and prescription drug 
plans available to you for 2022.&nbsp;

Compare&nbsp;Medicare&nbsp;coverage options and find 2022 health and drug plans
 by December 7. If you like your current health care coverage and it’s 
still available in 2022, you don’t need to take any action.

Need help with your Medicare choices?&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medicare.gov/talk-to-someone">Talk to someone</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638816554975.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.medicare.gov">Medicare.gov</a>Medicare Open Enrollment is almost over. If you’re thinking about changing your Medicare plan, you have until&nbsp;December 7 to take <a href="https://www.medicare.gov/sign-up-change-plans/joining-a-health-or-drug-plan">these actions</a>:<ul>
 <li>Change how you get your Medicare coverage—Original Medicare or a Medicare Advantage Plan</li><li>Switch Medicare Advantage Plans (with or without drug coverage)</li><li>Join, switch, or drop a Medicare drug plan</li>
 </ul>Even
 if you’re happy with your current health coverage, it’s important to 
know your Medicare coverage options and compare other health and drug 
plans during Open Enrollment. You may find Medicare coverage that better
 meets your needs for the upcoming year.<h2>Compare Medicare health &amp; drug plans for 2022</h2>Not all&nbsp;Medicare&nbsp;coverage options offer the same benefits, and costs 
can change each year.&nbsp;There may be other health and prescription drug 
plans available to you for 2022.&nbsp;Compare&nbsp;Medicare&nbsp;coverage options and find 2022 health and drug plans
 by December 7. If you like your current health care coverage and it’s 
still available in 2022, you don’t need to take any action.Need help with your Medicare choices?&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medicare.gov/talk-to-someone">Talk to someone</a>.

Changes to Medicare? Deadline looms for 2022

WASHINGTON (AP) — If President Joe Biden’s $2 trillion social and environment package was a Broadway show, its seven months on Congress’ stage could qualify it as a hit. But lawmaking isn’t show business, and many Democrats worry that with the curtain falling soon on 2021, time is not their friend.

Each passing day threatens to push final action into 2022, an election year when control of Congress will be at stake and lawmakers will become ever more wary of casting tough votes.

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer wants to end his party’s disagreements and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-immigration-joe-biden-business-health-3fc94b563232ae0e64ca9ff6dcb3c4cf">finally squeeze the bill through his chamber&nbsp;</a>before Christmas. Indeed, holiday deadlines are a time-tested way of prodding lawmakers to solve disputes so they can go home. And momentum toward approving Biden’s top domestic initiative — the House passed an initial version last month — seems to make prospects strong.

Yet while Schumer and other Democrats express confidence that his target date will be met, some are anxious it won’t and are concerned about damaging consequences.

The New York senator needs time to work out final compromises with resistant party moderates including West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin. Also chewing up the calendar will be tedious but crucial rules sessions with the Senate parliamentarian, plus work on major bills on defense policy and extending the government’s borrowing authority to avoid a federal default.

The longer it takes to finish the $2 trillion package, the longer it can be vulnerable to factors — predictable and unforeseen, economic and political — that might complicate Schumer’s task.

“You let things sit around here, particularly past a Christmas vacation and into an election year, and that is toxic,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., a leader of her party’s progressives.

Facing unanimous Republican opposition, Democrats will need all their votes in the 50—50 Senate. They’ll also need all but three in the House, which will need to pass the bill again with Senate revisions before sending it to Biden.

“Everybody knows we can’t walk away from this. We’ve got to do it and we’ve got to do it as quickly as we can,” said Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio. He pointedly added, “There are different definitions of ‘as quickly as we can’ from different people.”

Democrats are frustrated that each week they spend battling with each other reduces the time they’ll have to sell the legislation’s initiatives to voters. The package includes free preschool, new Medicare hearing benefits and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-science-business-scotland-europe-964aef9505d67158801450a7f8c1f8e8">steps to curb climate change</a>, paid for largely with tax boosts on wealthy people and big corporations.

“We should be finishing this up so we can go start talking to people about what’s in it, instead of having everybody sort of focused on our navel gazing,” said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.

Manchin and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., have already forced cuts in the legislation, which not too long ago had a $3.5 trillion price tag. Neither has promised to heed Schumer’s Christmas timetable, and Manchin hasn’t dropped his insistence on removing a new paid family-leave program and provisions encouraging cleaner energy.

“I haven’t committed to anything, I haven’t committed to a thing to anybody, to any human being,” Manchin said this week about the bill.

And Democrats’ marathon talks over the measure are giving Republicans time to use the country’s bout with rising inflation, which is showing no signs of going away, as one of their chief weapons against it. The GOP argues that the $2 trillion bill would push prices higher by incentivizing a shift to cleaner fuels, and flushing more cash into an already overheated economy.

Democrats say the package’s spending and tax credits for health services, child care and education will help families with tight budgets cope with inflation. But the GOP is using&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-oil-strategic-reserve-gas-prices-a7e0802b299cd627c7ffdeeb0e50bd2c">rising gasoline and home heating costs</a>, which many voters encounter daily, to help make their argument. Republicans think Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s testimony to Congress that inflation no longer seems due to “transitory” causes like the pandemic shows their argument will have political staying power.

“Time is definitely on the side that doesn’t want this to pass,” Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., a member of the Senate GOP leadership, said this week.

Manchin has cited inflation fears as a rationale for slowing work on the bill and paring it, and he will no doubt be watching the government’s next measurement of consumer prices, due Dec. 10. His continued insistence on changes despite months of negotiation is rankling colleagues.

“I mean, God bless Joe Manchin, but how many months is this going on?” said No. 2 Senate Democratic leader Richard Durbin of Illinois. “I mean, I told him a month ago, ‘For God’s sake, Joe, declare victory and close the deal.’”

Further incentive for Democrats to finish the legislation this month is the Dec. 31 expiration of parts of the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill that Congress approved in March.

That includes a larger children’s tax credit and monthly payments of those benefits to millions of families, which would end unless lawmakers renew it. Congress could revive the credit retroactively next year, but many lawmakers want to avoid any interruption.

Democrats still must solve other disagreements, including over how to let people deduct more state and local taxes without making the provision a giveaway to the richest Americans. And there are other factors running out the clock.

Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough needs time to decide whether any of the bill’s sections must be dropped because they violate the chamber’s special rules for budget legislation. A Democratic plan to help millions of immigrants remain in the U.S. is in the balance, and the process is tedious, with lots of back and forth between Senate aides and MacDonough.

“We’ve been talking about this and working on this for months,” said Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn. “And so let’s just get it done.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1636249639438.png" alt="Facing unanimous Republican opposition, Democrats will need all their votes in the 50—50 Senate. They’ll also need all but three in the House, which will need to pass the bill again with Senate revisions before sending it to the President-White House Photo" />
 <figcaption>Facing unanimous Republican opposition, Democrats will need all their votes in the 50—50 Senate. They’ll also need all but three in the House, which will need to pass the bill again with Senate revisions before sending it to the President-White House Photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — If President Joe Biden’s $2 trillion social and environment package was a Broadway show, its seven months on Congress’ stage could qualify it as a hit. But lawmaking isn’t show business, and many Democrats worry that with the curtain falling soon on 2021, time is not their friend.Each passing day threatens to push final action into 2022, an election year when control of Congress will be at stake and lawmakers will become ever more wary of casting tough votes.Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer wants to end his party’s disagreements and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-immigration-joe-biden-business-health-3fc94b563232ae0e64ca9ff6dcb3c4cf">finally squeeze the bill through his chamber&nbsp;</a>before Christmas. Indeed, holiday deadlines are a time-tested way of prodding lawmakers to solve disputes so they can go home. And momentum toward approving Biden’s top domestic initiative — the House passed an initial version last month — seems to make prospects strong.Yet while Schumer and other Democrats express confidence that his target date will be met, some are anxious it won’t and are concerned about damaging consequences.The New York senator needs time to work out final compromises with resistant party moderates including West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin. Also chewing up the calendar will be tedious but crucial rules sessions with the Senate parliamentarian, plus work on major bills on defense policy and extending the government’s borrowing authority to avoid a federal default.The longer it takes to finish the $2 trillion package, the longer it can be vulnerable to factors — predictable and unforeseen, economic and political — that might complicate Schumer’s task.“You let things sit around here, particularly past a Christmas vacation and into an election year, and that is toxic,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., a leader of her party’s progressives.Facing unanimous Republican opposition, Democrats will need all their votes in the 50—50 Senate. They’ll also need all but three in the House, which will need to pass the bill again with Senate revisions before sending it to Biden.“Everybody knows we can’t walk away from this. We’ve got to do it and we’ve got to do it as quickly as we can,” said Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio. He pointedly added, “There are different definitions of ‘as quickly as we can’ from different people.”Democrats are frustrated that each week they spend battling with each other reduces the time they’ll have to sell the legislation’s initiatives to voters. The package includes free preschool, new Medicare hearing benefits and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-science-business-scotland-europe-964aef9505d67158801450a7f8c1f8e8">steps to curb climate change</a>, paid for largely with tax boosts on wealthy people and big corporations.“We should be finishing this up so we can go start talking to people about what’s in it, instead of having everybody sort of focused on our navel gazing,” said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.Manchin and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., have already forced cuts in the legislation, which not too long ago had a $3.5 trillion price tag. Neither has promised to heed Schumer’s Christmas timetable, and Manchin hasn’t dropped his insistence on removing a new paid family-leave program and provisions encouraging cleaner energy.“I haven’t committed to anything, I haven’t committed to a thing to anybody, to any human being,” Manchin said this week about the bill.And Democrats’ marathon talks over the measure are giving Republicans time to use the country’s bout with rising inflation, which is showing no signs of going away, as one of their chief weapons against it. The GOP argues that the $2 trillion bill would push prices higher by incentivizing a shift to cleaner fuels, and flushing more cash into an already overheated economy.Democrats say the package’s spending and tax credits for health services, child care and education will help families with tight budgets cope with inflation. But the GOP is using&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-oil-strategic-reserve-gas-prices-a7e0802b299cd627c7ffdeeb0e50bd2c">rising gasoline and home heating costs</a>, which many voters encounter daily, to help make their argument. Republicans think Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s testimony to Congress that inflation no longer seems due to “transitory” causes like the pandemic shows their argument will have political staying power.“Time is definitely on the side that doesn’t want this to pass,” Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., a member of the Senate GOP leadership, said this week.Manchin has cited inflation fears as a rationale for slowing work on the bill and paring it, and he will no doubt be watching the government’s next measurement of consumer prices, due Dec. 10. His continued insistence on changes despite months of negotiation is rankling colleagues.“I mean, God bless Joe Manchin, but how many months is this going on?” said No. 2 Senate Democratic leader Richard Durbin of Illinois. “I mean, I told him a month ago, ‘For God’s sake, Joe, declare victory and close the deal.’”Further incentive for Democrats to finish the legislation this month is the Dec. 31 expiration of parts of the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill that Congress approved in March.That includes a larger children’s tax credit and monthly payments of those benefits to millions of families, which would end unless lawmakers renew it. Congress could revive the credit retroactively next year, but many lawmakers want to avoid any interruption.Democrats still must solve other disagreements, including over how to let people deduct more state and local taxes without making the provision a giveaway to the richest Americans. And there are other factors running out the clock.Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough needs time to decide whether any of the bill’s sections must be dropped because they violate the chamber’s special rules for budget legislation. A Democratic plan to help millions of immigrants remain in the U.S. is in the balance, and the process is tedious, with lots of back and forth between Senate aides and MacDonough.“We’ve been talking about this and working on this for months,” said Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn. “And so let’s just get it done.”

Time is no ally as Dems strain to finish Biden's $2T bill

With many people shopping for gifts <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/26199-bbb-tip-how-to-plan-your-holiday-budget" target="_blank">on a budget</a>
 this holiday season, scammers are taking advantage of the demand for 
pricey gaming consoles by promoting fake deals for Xbox Series X, 
PlayStation 5 and other in-demand systems. Be sure to use caution when 
buying a console online.

You find a popular gaming console for sale online at a reduced price.
 Hoping to save some money, you research the seller’s website and find a
 few positive reviews. Convinced, you make your purchase via PayPal or 
another online payment method. You receive an email confirmation with 
shipping information and a tracking number.

If you receive a package at all from the company, it isn’t a gaming 
console – instead, it is a valueless phone cover or similar small 
object. Since you technically received a shipment, you will be unable to
 contest the purchase with the third-party who processed the payment.

Attempts to contact the company are useless. No one answers your 
phone calls or emails. One consumer who never received any package 
reported to <a href="https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker/" target="_blank">BBB.org/ScamTracker</a>:
 “I attempted to reach out to the email address on their website, 
however I received an email informing me that it was not a valid email 
address. I then attempted to call the phone number listed on the 
website, [which gave me] an automatic message informing me that the 
number was not valid.”

For more holiday tips, check out <a href="https://www.BBB.org/holiday-tips">BBB.org/holiday-tips</a>, as well as information from BBB on how to <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/23348-shop-safe">shop safe this holiday season</a>.

If you’ve been a victim of this scam, help out your fellow consumers by filing a scam report at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker/">BBB.org/ScamTracker</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1579883951052.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BBBWith many people shopping for gifts <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/26199-bbb-tip-how-to-plan-your-holiday-budget" target="_blank">on a budget</a>
 this holiday season, scammers are taking advantage of the demand for 
pricey gaming consoles by promoting fake deals for Xbox Series X, 
PlayStation 5 and other in-demand systems. Be sure to use caution when 
buying a console online.<h2>How the Scam Works</h2>You find a popular gaming console for sale online at a reduced price.
 Hoping to save some money, you research the seller’s website and find a
 few positive reviews. Convinced, you make your purchase via PayPal or 
another online payment method. You receive an email confirmation with 
shipping information and a tracking number.If you receive a package at all from the company, it isn’t a gaming 
console – instead, it is a valueless phone cover or similar small 
object. Since you technically received a shipment, you will be unable to
 contest the purchase with the third-party who processed the payment.Attempts to contact the company are useless. No one answers your 
phone calls or emails. One consumer who never received any package 
reported to <a href="https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker/" target="_blank">BBB.org/ScamTracker</a>:
 “I attempted to reach out to the email address on their website, 
however I received an email informing me that it was not a valid email 
address. I then attempted to call the phone number listed on the 
website, [which gave me] an automatic message informing me that the 
number was not valid.”<h2>How to Avoid Online Purchase Scams</h2><ul>
 <li>Research the company you plan to purchase from thoroughly. It’s
 best to purchase items from sellers you already know and trust, but if 
you decide to purchase from an unfamiliar online store, do your homework
 first. Read as many customer reviews as you can find, look up the 
business on <a href="https://www.BBB.org/search">BBB.org</a>, and do an 
online search with the company’s name followed by the word “scam” to see
 if you find any complaints. Make sure the company has legitimate 
customer service contact information (not just a form you have to fill 
out and hope for a response) and clear return and refund policies as 
well. </li><li>Avoid impulse buying. Scammers like to draw people 
in with “flash sales” and “limited time offers” in hopes you will hand 
over your money on impulse. Resist the urge. </li><li>Don’t believe prices that are too good to be true. Before
 you start shopping, find out the price of the gaming console at a major
 retailer. You can check prices online to get a general idea of what the
 console is selling for. Keep that price in mind as you shop and be wary
 of sellers who offer the product at a steeply discounted price. You 
could end up spending money on a defective or <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/16910-bbb-tip-counterfeit-product-scams">counterfeit product</a>, or no product at all!</li>
 </ul><h2>For More Information</h2>For more holiday tips, check out <a href="https://www.BBB.org/holiday-tips">BBB.org/holiday-tips</a>, as well as information from BBB on how to <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/23348-shop-safe">shop safe this holiday season</a>.If you’ve been a victim of this scam, help out your fellow consumers by filing a scam report at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker/">BBB.org/ScamTracker</a>.

Scam alert: Fake deals on gaming consoles trick holiday shoppers

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police say a 20-year-old woman died after she was hit by a vehicle in Omaha early Saturday. 

Police say Kaitlyn Vanessen, of Omaha, was crossing a street about 2 a.m. Saturday in the Blackstone District in Omaha when she was hit by an SUV driven by a 30-year-old man. 

Paramedics performed CPR before taking her to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. 

Police say the driver's blood alcohol content was 0.182, more than twice the legal limit. 

He was arrested on a possible charge of motor vehicle homicide.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police say a 20-year-old woman died after she was hit by a vehicle in Omaha early Saturday. Police say Kaitlyn Vanessen, of Omaha, was crossing a street about 2 a.m. Saturday in the Blackstone District in Omaha when she was hit by an SUV driven by a 30-year-old man. Paramedics performed CPR before taking her to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Police say the driver's blood alcohol content was 0.182, more than twice the legal limit. He was arrested on a possible charge of motor vehicle homicide.

Woman dies after being hit by vehicle in Omaha

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of 
Agriculture will begin issuing final pandemic assistance payments to 
timber harvesters and timber hauling businesses through the <a href="https://www.farmers.gov/archive/pathh">Pandemic Assistance for Timber Harvesters and Haulers (PATHH) program</a>
 starting next week. In total, $200 million will be provided to loggers 
and log trucking businesses who experienced a gross revenue loss of at 
least 10% during the period of Jan. 1 through Dec. 1, 2020, compared to 
the period of Jan. 1 through Dec. 1, 2019. This support is part of 
USDA’s broader <a href="https://www.farmers.gov/pandemic-assistance">Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative</a>.

“We know loggers and truckers felt the financial burden of the 
pandemic,” said FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux. “This included lack 
of access to wood processing mills, which caused major disruptions to 
the logging industry. We made initial payments as we enrolled customers 
in PATHH and are happy to now finalize payments to provide this much 
needed assistance.”

“We are grateful for the partnerships with other USDA agencies to 
recognize the tremendous need and to mobilize quickly to assist loggers 
and log truckers adversely impacted by the pandemic,” said Forest 
Service Chief Randy Moore. “The American Loggers Council, Intertribal 
Timber Council, National Association of State Foresters, and Forest 
Resources Association were critical to helping us better understand the 
impacts and tailor a program that best serves these two sectors that are
 critical to forest management across the country.”

Eligible PATHH applicants must have derived at least 50 percent of 
total gross revenue from timber harvesting and/or timber hauling. 
Specifically, eligible activities included cutting timber, transporting 
timber and/or the processing of wood on-site on the forest land, such as
 chipping, grinding, converting to biochar or cutting to smaller 
lengths.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, authorized up to $200 
million for PATHH. FSA issued initial payments up to $2,000 as 
applications were approved. Now that signup has ended and FSA has 
evaluated remaining funds, FSA has started to issue second payments to 
those applicants whose calculated payment amount was over $2,000.

Based on the number of actual PATHH applications filed, FSA will be 
required to lower the payment limitation for PATHH from $125,000 to 
$75,000 and apply a payment factor of 70.5% across all calculated 
payments to ensure program outlays do not exceed the available funding. 
These provisions were previously outlined in the <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/07/23/2021-15683/notice-of-funds-availability-nofa-pandemic-assistance-for-timber-harvesters-and-haulers-program">Notice of Funding Availability</a> in the event the revenue loss reported exceeded available funding.

Pandemic Assistance for Producers Delivered in 2021

As USDA looks for long-term solutions to build back a better food 
system, the Department is committed to delivery of financial assistance 
to farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers and businesses who have 
been impacted by COVID-19 market disruptions. In addition to the funding
 USDA is issuing today, the Department has provided a broad range of 
support to America’s farmers and ranchers as part of its Pandemic 
Assistance for Producers initiative, including:

A full list of Pandemic Assistance is available at <a href="https://www.farmers.gov/pandemic-assistance">farmers.gov/pandemic-assistance</a>. USDA expects further Pandemic Assistance to continue to fill remaining gaps later this year.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive 
ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s
 food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional 
food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to 
healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and
 streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food 
and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure 
and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity
 across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a 
workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit <a href="https://www.usda.gov/">www.usda.gov</a>.

USDAWASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of 
Agriculture will begin issuing final pandemic assistance payments to 
timber harvesters and timber hauling businesses through the <a href="https://www.farmers.gov/archive/pathh">Pandemic Assistance for Timber Harvesters and Haulers (PATHH) program</a>
 starting next week. In total, $200 million will be provided to loggers 
and log trucking businesses who experienced a gross revenue loss of at 
least 10% during the period of Jan. 1 through Dec. 1, 2020, compared to 
the period of Jan. 1 through Dec. 1, 2019. This support is part of 
USDA’s broader <a href="https://www.farmers.gov/pandemic-assistance">Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative</a>.“We know loggers and truckers felt the financial burden of the 
pandemic,” said FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux. “This included lack 
of access to wood processing mills, which caused major disruptions to 
the logging industry. We made initial payments as we enrolled customers 
in PATHH and are happy to now finalize payments to provide this much 
needed assistance.”“We are grateful for the partnerships with other USDA agencies to 
recognize the tremendous need and to mobilize quickly to assist loggers 
and log truckers adversely impacted by the pandemic,” said Forest 
Service Chief Randy Moore. “The American Loggers Council, Intertribal 
Timber Council, National Association of State Foresters, and Forest 
Resources Association were critical to helping us better understand the 
impacts and tailor a program that best serves these two sectors that are
 critical to forest management across the country.”Eligible PATHH applicants must have derived at least 50 percent of 
total gross revenue from timber harvesting and/or timber hauling. 
Specifically, eligible activities included cutting timber, transporting 
timber and/or the processing of wood on-site on the forest land, such as
 chipping, grinding, converting to biochar or cutting to smaller 
lengths.The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, authorized up to $200 
million for PATHH. FSA issued initial payments up to $2,000 as 
applications were approved. Now that signup has ended and FSA has 
evaluated remaining funds, FSA has started to issue second payments to 
those applicants whose calculated payment amount was over $2,000.Based on the number of actual PATHH applications filed, FSA will be 
required to lower the payment limitation for PATHH from $125,000 to 
$75,000 and apply a payment factor of 70.5% across all calculated 
payments to ensure program outlays do not exceed the available funding. 
These provisions were previously outlined in the <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/07/23/2021-15683/notice-of-funds-availability-nofa-pandemic-assistance-for-timber-harvesters-and-haulers-program">Notice of Funding Availability</a> in the event the revenue loss reported exceeded available funding.<h2>Pandemic Assistance for Producers Delivered in 2021</h2>As USDA looks for long-term solutions to build back a better food 
system, the Department is committed to delivery of financial assistance 
to farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers and businesses who have 
been impacted by COVID-19 market disruptions. In addition to the funding
 USDA is issuing today, the Department has provided a broad range of 
support to America’s farmers and ranchers as part of its Pandemic 
Assistance for Producers initiative, including:<ul>
 <li>More than $19 billion in <a href="https://www.farmers.gov/cfap">Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2</a>
 (CFAP 2) payments, including a fourfold increase in participation by 
historically underserved producers since the program reopened in April 
2021.</li><li>Approximately $270 million in payments to contract producers of eligible livestock and poultry.</li><li>Over $43 million in assistance for those who had to depopulate livestock and poultry due to insufficient processing access (<a href="https://www.farmers.gov/plip">Pandemic Livestock Indemnity Program</a>).</li><li>$1 billion to <a href="https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2021/06/04/usda-invest-1-billion-purchase-healthy-food-food-insecure-americans">purchase healthy food for food insecure Americans and build food bank capacity</a>.</li><li>$350 million in <a href="https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2021/08/19/usda-announces-improvements-dairy-safety-net-and-new-pandemic">additional dairy assistance related to market volatility</a>.</li><li>$500 million <a href="https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2021/03/24/after-identifying-gaps-previous-aid-usda-announces-pandemic">deployed through existing USDA programs</a>.</li>
 </ul>A full list of Pandemic Assistance is available at <a href="https://www.farmers.gov/pandemic-assistance">farmers.gov/pandemic-assistance</a>. USDA expects further Pandemic Assistance to continue to fill remaining gaps later this year.USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive 
ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s
 food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional 
food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to 
healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and
 streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food 
and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure 
and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity
 across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a 
workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit <a href="https://www.usda.gov/">www.usda.gov</a>.

USDA issues final pandemic payments for timber harvesters, haulers

New York announced three more cases of the omicron variant of the coronavirus Saturday, bringing the number of state cases linked to the new variant to eight.

“The omicron variant is here, and as anticipated we are seeing the beginning of community spread,” state Health Commissioner Mary Bassett said in a news release.

The number of states finding the variant is growing as well, with Massachusetts, Connecticut and Washington state announcing their first cases Saturday, a day after New Jersey, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Maryland reported their first confirmed cases. Missouri reported its first presumed case Friday.

The variant also has been detected in Nebraska, Minnesota, California, Hawaii, Colorado and Utah.

In New York, seven of the cases have been found in New York City, once a global epicenter of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/covid-19-pandemic">the pandemic,</a>&nbsp;and the other in Suffolk County.

The arrival of omicron comes as hospitals statewide continue to strain under a surge in coronavirus cases, most traced to the delta variant, along with staffing shortages.

The number of people testing positive statewide each day for the virus has doubled in the last 30 days.

Gov. Kathy Hochul in recent days has authorized the Health Department to limit nonessential, non-urgent procedures at hospitals close to running out of beds and deployed National Guard teams to relieve healthcare workers at facilities dealing with staffing issues and surging caseloads.

Fifteen members of the National Guard arrived at Monroe Community Hospital in Rochester on Saturday,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rochesterfirst.com/news/local-news/national-guard-members-to-help-monroe-community-hospital-as-covid-19-cases-increase/" target="_blank">WROC reported.</a>&nbsp;Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin said Wednesday the state would send 13 National Guard teams to the western New York county, where County Executive Adam Bello has declared a state of emergency.

New York’s omicron cases so far appear to be unrelated, Hochul said. One of the known cases involved a man from Minnesota who was among 50,000 people who attended a three-day anime festival in New York City in November. Authorities have urged anyone who attended the conference to get tested for COVID-19 and wear a mask in public.

Much remains unknown about omicron, including whether it is more contagious, as some health authorities suspect, whether it can thwart vaccines and whether it makes people as sick as the original strain.

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont on Saturday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-new-york-new-york-city-connecticut-bf5ef2212bfa02867202e44535ad7307">reported his state’s first confirmed case of the variant</a>, saying it may also be linked to the New York City anime convention. The case involves a vaccinated Hartford-area man in his 60s who has a family member who attended the convention. The family member, who is also vaccinated, developed symptoms that have since resolved, Lamont’s office said.

In Washington state,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-washington-2ecf86de95ca24efa60081ec6d36db83">three cases of the omicron variant were confirmed Saturday</a>&nbsp;— one each in Thurston, Pierce and King counties, state health officials said. They noted the investigation is still early, and details were not yet known on the travel histories of the patients, two men and a woman who range from 20 to 39 years old.

A Massachusetts woman in her 20s who had traveled out of state is the first known case of the variant detected in her state, the Department of Public Health announced Saturday. The unidentified woman — a resident of Middlesex County — is fully vaccinated and has experienced mild symptoms.

A woman who recently traveled from South Africa&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-lifestyle-health-travel-new-jersey-6ad8d2d59ac62d77814579cedd3a9f43">became both New Jersey and Georgia’s first confirmed case&nbsp;</a>after seeking care for moderate symptoms at an emergency room. The fully vaccinated Georgia resident was in her home state for two days between arriving from South Africa and traveling onward to New Jersey, health officials in both states said.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-larry-hogan-maryland-baltimore-e5077f84e4112f1854ba07eb47eff3f9">Maryland’s first three cases of the omicron variant&nbsp;</a>were found in the Baltimore metropolitan region and include two people from the same household, authorities said. One of the two is a vaccinated person who recently traveled to South Africa. The third case, detected in a vaccinated person with no recent travel history, is unrelated.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-pennsylvania-public-health-philadelphia-36b168cc3b06a71537ebf76aa95cecc4">In Pennsylvania, a man in his 30s from Philadelphia became that state’s first case.&nbsp;</a>The Philadelphia Department of Public Health did not immediately say whether the man was vaccinated against COVID-19 or if he had been traveling.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-st-louis-missouri-0d0a3288f81dbbccdaf873a8e4883c7d">Missouri’s presumed first case&nbsp;</a>involves someone who recently traveled within the U.S., according to state health officials, who did not provide additional details about the St. Louis resident. The St. Louis Health Department said it was awaiting confirmation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Case counts in California, Nebraska and Colorado grew Friday.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-lifestyle-weddings-california-c3de275dbe7c3a8529e66d0bfe2a96d1">Five cases in Northern California were linked to a wedding&nbsp;</a>in Wisconsin late last month, public health officials said. One of the individuals had recently returned from traveling internationally, according to the Alameda County Department of Public Health.

Health officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-public-health-nebraska-a258934f6474ff21c443148bb578f3ad">confirmed six new cases of the variant in southeastern Nebraska.&nbsp;</a>State health officials said the state’s first case likely stemmed from one of the six who recently traveled to Nigeria and returned on Nov. 23.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-colorado-africa-denver-ffd7bd48fdec289ad4b0c9ec47f004a9">Colorado detected the state’s second case of the omicron variant</a>&nbsp;just a day after the state’s first confirmed case, officials said Friday.

“We knew the omicron variant was coming and we expect to see more cases. But let me be clear: We are not defenseless,” Hochul said. “We have the tools to help prevent the spread of this deadly virus: Get your vaccine, get your booster, and wear your mask.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638675257907.png" alt="Omicron variant spreading across the United State-image GISAID" />
 <figcaption>Omicron variant spreading across the United State-image GISAID</figcaption>
 </figure>By CAROLYN THOMPSON, Associated PressNew York announced three more cases of the omicron variant of the coronavirus Saturday, bringing the number of state cases linked to the new variant to eight.“The omicron variant is here, and as anticipated we are seeing the beginning of community spread,” state Health Commissioner Mary Bassett said in a news release.The number of states finding the variant is growing as well, with Massachusetts, Connecticut and Washington state announcing their first cases Saturday, a day after New Jersey, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Maryland reported their first confirmed cases. Missouri reported its first presumed case Friday.The variant also has been detected in Nebraska, Minnesota, California, Hawaii, Colorado and Utah.In New York, seven of the cases have been found in New York City, once a global epicenter of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/covid-19-pandemic">the pandemic,</a>&nbsp;and the other in Suffolk County.The arrival of omicron comes as hospitals statewide continue to strain under a surge in coronavirus cases, most traced to the delta variant, along with staffing shortages.The number of people testing positive statewide each day for the virus has doubled in the last 30 days.Gov. Kathy Hochul in recent days has authorized the Health Department to limit nonessential, non-urgent procedures at hospitals close to running out of beds and deployed National Guard teams to relieve healthcare workers at facilities dealing with staffing issues and surging caseloads.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1638148803210.png" alt="3D structure of spike with amino acid changes in Omicron -image GISAID" />
 <figcaption>3D structure of spike with amino acid changes in Omicron -image GISAID</figcaption>
 </figure>Fifteen members of the National Guard arrived at Monroe Community Hospital in Rochester on Saturday,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rochesterfirst.com/news/local-news/national-guard-members-to-help-monroe-community-hospital-as-covid-19-cases-increase/" target="_blank">WROC reported.</a>&nbsp;Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin said Wednesday the state would send 13 National Guard teams to the western New York county, where County Executive Adam Bello has declared a state of emergency.New York’s omicron cases so far appear to be unrelated, Hochul said. One of the known cases involved a man from Minnesota who was among 50,000 people who attended a three-day anime festival in New York City in November. Authorities have urged anyone who attended the conference to get tested for COVID-19 and wear a mask in public.Much remains unknown about omicron, including whether it is more contagious, as some health authorities suspect, whether it can thwart vaccines and whether it makes people as sick as the original strain.Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont on Saturday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-new-york-new-york-city-connecticut-bf5ef2212bfa02867202e44535ad7307">reported his state’s first confirmed case of the variant</a>, saying it may also be linked to the New York City anime convention. The case involves a vaccinated Hartford-area man in his 60s who has a family member who attended the convention. The family member, who is also vaccinated, developed symptoms that have since resolved, Lamont’s office said.In Washington state,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-washington-2ecf86de95ca24efa60081ec6d36db83">three cases of the omicron variant were confirmed Saturday</a>&nbsp;— one each in Thurston, Pierce and King counties, state health officials said. They noted the investigation is still early, and details were not yet known on the travel histories of the patients, two men and a woman who range from 20 to 39 years old.A Massachusetts woman in her 20s who had traveled out of state is the first known case of the variant detected in her state, the Department of Public Health announced Saturday. The unidentified woman — a resident of Middlesex County — is fully vaccinated and has experienced mild symptoms.A woman who recently traveled from South Africa&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-lifestyle-health-travel-new-jersey-6ad8d2d59ac62d77814579cedd3a9f43">became both New Jersey and Georgia’s first confirmed case&nbsp;</a>after seeking care for moderate symptoms at an emergency room. The fully vaccinated Georgia resident was in her home state for two days between arriving from South Africa and traveling onward to New Jersey, health officials in both states said.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-larry-hogan-maryland-baltimore-e5077f84e4112f1854ba07eb47eff3f9">Maryland’s first three cases of the omicron variant&nbsp;</a>were found in the Baltimore metropolitan region and include two people from the same household, authorities said. One of the two is a vaccinated person who recently traveled to South Africa. The third case, detected in a vaccinated person with no recent travel history, is unrelated.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-pennsylvania-public-health-philadelphia-36b168cc3b06a71537ebf76aa95cecc4">In Pennsylvania, a man in his 30s from Philadelphia became that state’s first case.&nbsp;</a>The Philadelphia Department of Public Health did not immediately say whether the man was vaccinated against COVID-19 or if he had been traveling.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-st-louis-missouri-0d0a3288f81dbbccdaf873a8e4883c7d">Missouri’s presumed first case&nbsp;</a>involves someone who recently traveled within the U.S., according to state health officials, who did not provide additional details about the St. Louis resident. The St. Louis Health Department said it was awaiting confirmation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Case counts in California, Nebraska and Colorado grew Friday.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-lifestyle-weddings-california-c3de275dbe7c3a8529e66d0bfe2a96d1">Five cases in Northern California were linked to a wedding&nbsp;</a>in Wisconsin late last month, public health officials said. One of the individuals had recently returned from traveling internationally, according to the Alameda County Department of Public Health.Health officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-public-health-nebraska-a258934f6474ff21c443148bb578f3ad">confirmed six new cases of the variant in southeastern Nebraska.&nbsp;</a>State health officials said the state’s first case likely stemmed from one of the six who recently traveled to Nigeria and returned on Nov. 23.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-colorado-africa-denver-ffd7bd48fdec289ad4b0c9ec47f004a9">Colorado detected the state’s second case of the omicron variant</a>&nbsp;just a day after the state’s first confirmed case, officials said Friday.“We knew the omicron variant was coming and we expect to see more cases. But let me be clear: We are not defenseless,” Hochul said. “We have the tools to help prevent the spread of this deadly virus: Get your vaccine, get your booster, and wear your mask.”___

Omicron spreading as hospitals strain under virus surge

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-united-states-mississippi-65751e1b9ca7d34f1458ffe9729f82b2">heard arguments</a>&nbsp;in which it was asked to overturn a nationwide right to abortion that has existed for nearly 50 years.

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2021/19-1392">Click here to</a> listen to the replay of the oral arguments.

<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2021/19-1392_gfbi.pdf">Click here to read</a> the transcript of the arguments.

The fate of the court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion throughout the United States and its 1992 ruling in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which reaffirmed Roe, probably won’t be known until late June.

But during nearly two hours of arguments on Wednesday, conservative justices indicated they had questions about the court’s current abortion framework. The justices were being asked to overrule the two seminal decisions in the context of a Mississippi law that bans abortion after 15 weeks. The court’s Roe and Casey precedents say a state can regulate but not ban abortion before the point of viability, at about 24 weeks. All six conservative justices, including three appointed by former President Donald Trump, indicated they would uphold Mississippi’s law.

In their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-voting-rights-john-roberts-32d2ff1e016c8f72012c49a4ed2bf2e1">writings and statements</a>&nbsp;before Wednesday, Justice Clarence Thomas had been the only justice to call openly for overruling Roe and Casey.

Here are some of the things the justices said during arguments:

Chief Justice John Roberts called a 15-week ban “not a dramatic departure from viability.” He said: “If you think ... that women should have a choice to terminate their pregnancy, that supposes that there is a point at which they’ve had the fair choice, opportunity to choice, and why would 15 weeks be an inappropriate line? Because viability, it seems to me, doesn’t have anything to do with choice. But, if it really is an issue about choice, why is 15 weeks not enough time?”

Justice Clarence Thomas suggested the right to abortion appears nowhere in the Constitution: “If we were talking about the Second Amendment, I know exactly what we’re talking about. If we’re talking about the Fourth Amendment, I know what we’re talking about because it’s written. It’s there. What specifically is the right here that we’re talking about?”

Justice Samuel Alito said people on both sides of the abortion issue have said the court’s viability line “really doesn’t make a lot of sense.” He suggested a woman still “has the same interest in terminating her pregnancy after the viability line has been crossed.” He added: “The fetus has an interest in having a life, and that doesn’t change, does it, from the point before viability to the point after viability?”

Justice Neil Gorsuch asked what the court should do if it were to “reject the viability line.” “Do you see any other intelligible principle that the court could choose?” he asked the Biden administration’s top Supreme Court lawyer, who was arguing that Mississippi’s ban should be struck down.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh suggested overruling precedent has been an important part of the court’s history: “If you think about some of the most important cases, the most consequential cases in this court’s history, there’s a string of them where the cases overruled precedent.” Kavanaugh cited cases that extended rights beyond where they were previously, including those that outlawed segregation and said gay couples have a right to marry. “If we think that the prior precedents are seriously wrong, if that, why then doesn’t the history of this court’s practice with respect to those cases tell us that the right answer is actually a return to the position of neutrality and — and not stick with those precedents in the same way that all those other cases didn’t?”

Justice Amy Coney Barrett suggested that so-called safe haven laws in all 50 states that allow mothers to relinquish parental rights mean women can’t be forced into motherhood. She asked about states “requiring the woman to go 15, 16 weeks more” past the point of viability “and then terminate parental rights at the conclusion.” ”Why didn’t you address the safe haven laws and why don’t they matter?” she asked a lawyer arguing against Mississippi’s ban.

Justice Stephen Breyer said that where the court is overturning a watershed case like Roe it “better be damn sure” before doing so. He quoted the Casey case about the dangers of overruling precedent, saying: “To overrule under fire in the absence of the most compelling reason, to reexamine a watershed decision, would subvert the court’s legitimacy beyond any serious question.”

Justice Sonia Sotomayor said reversing Roe and Casey would damage the court. She asked: “Will this institution survive the stench that this creates in the public perception that the Constitution and its reading are just political acts?”

Justice Elena Kagan said of the current case: “I guess what strikes me when I look at this case is that, you know, not much has changed since Roe and Casey, that people think it’s right or wrong based on the things that they have always thought it was right and wrong for.” Since Roe, however, there’s been “50 years of water under the bridge, 50 years of decisions saying that this is part of our law, that this is part of the fabric of women’s existence in this country.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638369620989.png" alt="Protesters outside the Supreme Court during Wednesday' oral arguments. Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Protesters outside the Supreme Court during Wednesday' oral arguments. Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-united-states-mississippi-65751e1b9ca7d34f1458ffe9729f82b2">heard arguments</a>&nbsp;in which it was asked to overturn a nationwide right to abortion that has existed for nearly 50 years.<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2021/19-1392">Click here to</a> listen to the replay of the oral arguments.<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2021/19-1392_gfbi.pdf">Click here to read</a> the transcript of the arguments.The fate of the court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion throughout the United States and its 1992 ruling in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which reaffirmed Roe, probably won’t be known until late June.But during nearly two hours of arguments on Wednesday, conservative justices indicated they had questions about the court’s current abortion framework. The justices were being asked to overrule the two seminal decisions in the context of a Mississippi law that bans abortion after 15 weeks. The court’s Roe and Casey precedents say a state can regulate but not ban abortion before the point of viability, at about 24 weeks. All six conservative justices, including three appointed by former President Donald Trump, indicated they would uphold Mississippi’s law.In their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-voting-rights-john-roberts-32d2ff1e016c8f72012c49a4ed2bf2e1">writings and statements</a>&nbsp;before Wednesday, Justice Clarence Thomas had been the only justice to call openly for overruling Roe and Casey.Here are some of the things the justices said during arguments:CONSERVATIVES:Chief Justice John Roberts called a 15-week ban “not a dramatic departure from viability.” He said: “If you think ... that women should have a choice to terminate their pregnancy, that supposes that there is a point at which they’ve had the fair choice, opportunity to choice, and why would 15 weeks be an inappropriate line? Because viability, it seems to me, doesn’t have anything to do with choice. But, if it really is an issue about choice, why is 15 weeks not enough time?”Justice Clarence Thomas suggested the right to abortion appears nowhere in the Constitution: “If we were talking about the Second Amendment, I know exactly what we’re talking about. If we’re talking about the Fourth Amendment, I know what we’re talking about because it’s written. It’s there. What specifically is the right here that we’re talking about?”Justice Samuel Alito said people on both sides of the abortion issue have said the court’s viability line “really doesn’t make a lot of sense.” He suggested a woman still “has the same interest in terminating her pregnancy after the viability line has been crossed.” He added: “The fetus has an interest in having a life, and that doesn’t change, does it, from the point before viability to the point after viability?”Justice Neil Gorsuch asked what the court should do if it were to “reject the viability line.” “Do you see any other intelligible principle that the court could choose?” he asked the Biden administration’s top Supreme Court lawyer, who was arguing that Mississippi’s ban should be struck down.Justice Brett Kavanaugh suggested overruling precedent has been an important part of the court’s history: “If you think about some of the most important cases, the most consequential cases in this court’s history, there’s a string of them where the cases overruled precedent.” Kavanaugh cited cases that extended rights beyond where they were previously, including those that outlawed segregation and said gay couples have a right to marry. “If we think that the prior precedents are seriously wrong, if that, why then doesn’t the history of this court’s practice with respect to those cases tell us that the right answer is actually a return to the position of neutrality and — and not stick with those precedents in the same way that all those other cases didn’t?”Justice Amy Coney Barrett suggested that so-called safe haven laws in all 50 states that allow mothers to relinquish parental rights mean women can’t be forced into motherhood. She asked about states “requiring the woman to go 15, 16 weeks more” past the point of viability “and then terminate parental rights at the conclusion.” ”Why didn’t you address the safe haven laws and why don’t they matter?” she asked a lawyer arguing against Mississippi’s ban.LIBERALS:Justice Stephen Breyer said that where the court is overturning a watershed case like Roe it “better be damn sure” before doing so. He quoted the Casey case about the dangers of overruling precedent, saying: “To overrule under fire in the absence of the most compelling reason, to reexamine a watershed decision, would subvert the court’s legitimacy beyond any serious question.”Justice Sonia Sotomayor said reversing Roe and Casey would damage the court. She asked: “Will this institution survive the stench that this creates in the public perception that the Constitution and its reading are just political acts?”Justice Elena Kagan said of the current case: “I guess what strikes me when I look at this case is that, you know, not much has changed since Roe and Casey, that people think it’s right or wrong based on the things that they have always thought it was right and wrong for.” Since Roe, however, there’s been “50 years of water under the bridge, 50 years of decisions saying that this is part of our law, that this is part of the fabric of women’s existence in this country.”

🎤Abortion remarks by Supreme Court justices indicate how they lean

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Country musician Stonewall Jackson, who sang on the Grand Ole Opry for more than 50 years and had No. 1 hits with “Waterloo” and others, died Saturday after a long battle with vascular dementia. He was 89.

The Opry,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-television-theater-tennessee-nashville-744bbb278ee3bd98eba87bf3cf633ab6">the longest-running radio show in history,&nbsp;</a>announced Jackson’s death in a news release.

Jackson, a guitarist, performed on the Opry beginning in 1956 and was still appearing on the show in 2010. His real name was Stonewall, after Confederate Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson.

According to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsmv.com/news/longtime-country-singer-stonewall-jackson-dies-at-89/article_be5e03c0-5545-11ec-ac21-efa846c5812d.html" target="_blank">WSMV-TV,</a>&nbsp;the late Porter Wagoner would introduce Stonewall on his show by saying he came to the Opry “with a heart full of love and a sack full of songs.”

“Waterloo” was a hit on the country and pop charts in 1959. His other hits, mostly in the 1960s, included “Don’t Be Angry,” “B.J. the D.J,” “Why I’m Walkin’,” “A Wound Time Can’t Erase” and “I Washed My Hands in Muddy Water.”

In 1971, he recorded his version of Lobo’s “Me and You and a Dog Named Boo.”

Over the course of his career, Jackson landed 44 singles on the Billboard country chart.

In 2008, at age 75, he settled a federal age discrimination lawsuit against the Opry. He claimed Opry officials had cut back his appearances starting in 1998, and sought $10 million in compensatory damages and $10 million in punitive damages. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

Jackson was born in eastern North Carolina and was raised on a south Georgia farm.

Jackson’s mentor in his early career was country legend Ernest Tubb, who bought him his first stage clothes and hired him as his opening act. He was presented with the Ernest Tubb Memorial Award in 1997 for his contributions to country music, according to the Grand Ole Opry website.

In 1991, he privately published his autobiography, “From the Bottom Up.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638676211309.png" alt="Over the course of his career, Jackson landed 44 singles on the Billboard country chart." />
 <figcaption>Over the course of his career, Jackson landed 44 singles on the Billboard country chart.</figcaption>
 </figure>NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Country musician Stonewall Jackson, who sang on the Grand Ole Opry for more than 50 years and had No. 1 hits with “Waterloo” and others, died Saturday after a long battle with vascular dementia. He was 89.The Opry,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-television-theater-tennessee-nashville-744bbb278ee3bd98eba87bf3cf633ab6">the longest-running radio show in history,&nbsp;</a>announced Jackson’s death in a news release.Jackson, a guitarist, performed on the Opry beginning in 1956 and was still appearing on the show in 2010. His real name was Stonewall, after Confederate Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson.According to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsmv.com/news/longtime-country-singer-stonewall-jackson-dies-at-89/article_be5e03c0-5545-11ec-ac21-efa846c5812d.html" target="_blank">WSMV-TV,</a>&nbsp;the late Porter Wagoner would introduce Stonewall on his show by saying he came to the Opry “with a heart full of love and a sack full of songs.”“Waterloo” was a hit on the country and pop charts in 1959. His other hits, mostly in the 1960s, included “Don’t Be Angry,” “B.J. the D.J,” “Why I’m Walkin’,” “A Wound Time Can’t Erase” and “I Washed My Hands in Muddy Water.”In 1971, he recorded his version of Lobo’s “Me and You and a Dog Named Boo.”Over the course of his career, Jackson landed 44 singles on the Billboard country chart.In 2008, at age 75, he settled a federal age discrimination lawsuit against the Opry. He claimed Opry officials had cut back his appearances starting in 1998, and sought $10 million in compensatory damages and $10 million in punitive damages. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.Jackson was born in eastern North Carolina and was raised on a south Georgia farm.Jackson’s mentor in his early career was country legend Ernest Tubb, who bought him his first stage clothes and hired him as his opening act. He was presented with the Ernest Tubb Memorial Award in 1997 for his contributions to country music, according to the Grand Ole Opry website.In 1991, he privately published his autobiography, “From the Bottom Up.”

Grand Ole Opry country singer Stonewall Jackson dies at 89

PONTIAC, Mich. (AP) — The parents of a teen accused of killing four students in a shooting at a&nbsp;Michigan&nbsp;high school were caught early Saturday, several hours after a prosecutor filed involuntary manslaughter charges against them, officials said.

James and Jennifer Crumbley were captured in a commercial building in Detroit that housed artwork, Detroit Police Chief James E. White told a news conference. White said the couple “were aided in getting into the building,” and that a person who helped them may also face charges.

A Detroit business owner spotted a car tied to the Crumbleys in his parking lot late Friday, Oakland County Undersheriff Michael McCabe said in a statement. A woman seen near the vehicle ran away when the business owner called 911, McCabe said. The couple was later located and arrested by Detroit police.

A prosecutor filed involuntary manslaughter charges against the Crumbleys on Friday, accusing them of failing to intervene on the day of the tragedy despite being confronted with a drawing and chilling message — “blood everywhere” — that was found at the boy’s desk.

The Crumbleys committed “egregious” acts, from buying a gun on Black Friday and making it available to Ethan Crumbley to resisting his removal from school when they were summoned a few hours before the shooting, Oakland County prosecutor Karen McDonald said.

Authorities had been looking for the couple since Friday afternoon. Late Friday, U.S. Marshals announced a reward of up to $10,000 each for information leading to their arrests.

The Crumbley's attorney, Shannon Smith, said the pair had left town earlier in the week “for their own safety.” Smith told The Associated Press they would be returning to Oxford to be arraigned.

However, White said the Crumbleys “appeared to be hiding” in the building where they were found. He added that the parents appeared to be “distressed” when they were captured.

“Head down... just very upset,” he said of one of the parents. The couple was booked into the Oakland County Jail.

Earlier, the prosecutor offered the most precise account so far of the events that led to the shooting at Oxford High School, roughly 30 miles&nbsp; north of Detroit.

Ethan Crumbley, 15, emerged from a bathroom with a gun, shooting students in the hallway, investigators said. He’s charged as an adult with murder, terrorism and other crimes.

Under Michigan law, the involuntary manslaughter charge filed against the parents can be pursued if authorities believe someone contributed to a situation where there was a high chance of harm or death.

Parents in the U.S. are rarely charged in school shootings involving their children, even as most minors get guns from a parent or relative’s house, according to experts.

School officials became concerned about the younger Crumbley on Monday, a day before the shooting, when a teacher saw him searching for ammunition on his phone, McDonald said.

Jennifer Crumbley was contacted and subsequently told her son in a text message: “Lol. I’m not mad at you. You have to learn not to get caught,” according to the prosecutor.

On Tuesday, a teacher found a note on Ethan’s desk and took a photo. It was a drawing of a gun pointing at the words, “The thoughts won’t stop. Help me,” McDonald said.

There also was a drawing of a bullet, she said, with words above it: “Blood everywhere.”

Between the gun and the bullet was a person who appeared to have been shot twice and is bleeding. He also wrote, “My life is useless” and “The world is dead,” according to the prosecutor.

The school quickly had a meeting with Ethan and his parents, who were told to get him into counseling within 48 hours, McDonald said.

The Crumbleys failed to ask their son about the gun or check his backpack and “resisted the idea of their son leaving the school at that time,” McDonald said.

Instead, the teen returned to class and the shooting subsequently occurred.

“The notion that a parent could read those words and also know that their son had access to a deadly weapon that they gave him is unconscionable — it’s criminal,” the prosecutor said.

Jennifer Crumbley texted her son after the shooting, saying, “Ethan, don’t do it,” McDonald said.

James Crumbley called 911 to say that a gun was missing from their home and that Ethan might be the shooter. The gun had been kept in an unlocked drawer in the parents’ bedroom, McDonald said.

Ethan accompanied his father for the gun purchase on Nov. 26 and posted photos of the firearm on social media, saying, “Just got my new beauty today,” McDonald said.

Over the long Thanksgiving weekend, Jennifer Crumbley wrote on social media that it is a “mom and son day testing out his new Christmas present,” the prosecutor said.

Asked at a news conference if the father could be charged for purchasing the gun for the son, McDonald said that would be the decision of federal authorities.

In a video message to the community Thursday, the head of Oxford Community Schools said the high school looks like a “war zone” and won’t be ready for weeks. Superintendent Tim Throne repeatedly complimented students and staff for how they responded to the violence.

He also acknowledged the meeting of Crumbley, the parents and school officials. Throne offered no details but summed it up by saying, “No discipline was warranted.”

McDonald was asked about the decision to keep Crumbley in school.

“Of course, he shouldn’t have gone back to that classroom. ... I believe that is a universal position. I’m not going to chastise or attack, but yeah,” she said.

Asked if school officials may potentially be charged, McDonald said: “The investigation’s ongoing.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638621716369.png" alt="James Crumbley-photo Oakland Co. Jail" />
 <figcaption>James Crumbley-photo Oakland Co. Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>PONTIAC, Mich. (AP) — The parents of a teen accused of killing four students in a shooting at a&nbsp;Michigan&nbsp;high school were caught early Saturday, several hours after a prosecutor filed involuntary manslaughter charges against them, officials said.James and Jennifer Crumbley were captured in a commercial building in Detroit that housed artwork, Detroit Police Chief James E. White told a news conference. White said the couple “were aided in getting into the building,” and that a person who helped them may also face charges.A Detroit business owner spotted a car tied to the Crumbleys in his parking lot late Friday, Oakland County Undersheriff Michael McCabe said in a statement. A woman seen near the vehicle ran away when the business owner called 911, McCabe said. The couple was later located and arrested by Detroit police.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638621694054.png" alt="Jennifer Crumbley-photo Oakland Co. Jail" />
 <figcaption>Jennifer Crumbley-photo Oakland Co. Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>A prosecutor filed involuntary manslaughter charges against the Crumbleys on Friday, accusing them of failing to intervene on the day of the tragedy despite being confronted with a drawing and chilling message — “blood everywhere” — that was found at the boy’s desk.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638552839270.png" alt="Oakland County prosecutor Karen McDonald during Friday's news conference" />
 <figcaption>Oakland County prosecutor Karen McDonald during Friday's news conference</figcaption>
 </figure>The Crumbleys committed “egregious” acts, from buying a gun on Black Friday and making it available to Ethan Crumbley to resisting his removal from school when they were summoned a few hours before the shooting, Oakland County prosecutor Karen McDonald said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638622850263.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Authorities had been looking for the couple since Friday afternoon. Late Friday, U.S. Marshals announced a reward of up to $10,000 each for information leading to their arrests.The Crumbley's attorney, Shannon Smith, said the pair had left town earlier in the week “for their own safety.” Smith told The Associated Press they would be returning to Oxford to be arraigned.However, White said the Crumbleys “appeared to be hiding” in the building where they were found. He added that the parents appeared to be “distressed” when they were captured.“Head down... just very upset,” he said of one of the parents. The couple was booked into the Oakland County Jail.Earlier, the prosecutor offered the most precise account so far of the events that led to the shooting at Oxford High School, roughly 30 miles&nbsp; north of Detroit.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638551635768.png" alt="Ethan Crumbley-photo Oakland Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Ethan Crumbley-photo Oakland Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>Ethan Crumbley, 15, emerged from a bathroom with a gun, shooting students in the hallway, investigators said. He’s charged as an adult with murder, terrorism and other crimes.Under Michigan law, the involuntary manslaughter charge filed against the parents can be pursued if authorities believe someone contributed to a situation where there was a high chance of harm or death.Parents in the U.S. are rarely charged in school shootings involving their children, even as most minors get guns from a parent or relative’s house, according to experts.School officials became concerned about the younger Crumbley on Monday, a day before the shooting, when a teacher saw him searching for ammunition on his phone, McDonald said.Jennifer Crumbley was contacted and subsequently told her son in a text message: “Lol. I’m not mad at you. You have to learn not to get caught,” according to the prosecutor.On Tuesday, a teacher found a note on Ethan’s desk and took a photo. It was a drawing of a gun pointing at the words, “The thoughts won’t stop. Help me,” McDonald said.There also was a drawing of a bullet, she said, with words above it: “Blood everywhere.”Between the gun and the bullet was a person who appeared to have been shot twice and is bleeding. He also wrote, “My life is useless” and “The world is dead,” according to the prosecutor.The school quickly had a meeting with Ethan and his parents, who were told to get him into counseling within 48 hours, McDonald said.The Crumbleys failed to ask their son about the gun or check his backpack and “resisted the idea of their son leaving the school at that time,” McDonald said.Instead, the teen returned to class and the shooting subsequently occurred.“The notion that a parent could read those words and also know that their son had access to a deadly weapon that they gave him is unconscionable — it’s criminal,” the prosecutor said.Jennifer Crumbley texted her son after the shooting, saying, “Ethan, don’t do it,” McDonald said.James Crumbley called 911 to say that a gun was missing from their home and that Ethan might be the shooter. The gun had been kept in an unlocked drawer in the parents’ bedroom, McDonald said.Ethan accompanied his father for the gun purchase on Nov. 26 and posted photos of the firearm on social media, saying, “Just got my new beauty today,” McDonald said.Over the long Thanksgiving weekend, Jennifer Crumbley wrote on social media that it is a “mom and son day testing out his new Christmas present,” the prosecutor said.Asked at a news conference if the father could be charged for purchasing the gun for the son, McDonald said that would be the decision of federal authorities.In a video message to the community Thursday, the head of Oxford Community Schools said the high school looks like a “war zone” and won’t be ready for weeks. Superintendent Tim Throne repeatedly complimented students and staff for how they responded to the violence.He also acknowledged the meeting of Crumbley, the parents and school officials. Throne offered no details but summed it up by saying, “No discipline was warranted.”McDonald was asked about the decision to keep Crumbley in school.“Of course, he shouldn’t have gone back to that classroom. ... I believe that is a universal position. I’m not going to chastise or attack, but yeah,” she said.Asked if school officials may potentially be charged, McDonald said: “The investigation’s ongoing.”