CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — More than 3,000 Wyoming youngsters will have their school lunch debt forgiven through an effort led by First Lady Jennie Gordon and others. 

The Wyoming first lady's office announced Wednesday the effort raised almost $99,500 to forgive unpaid school lunch money owed by 3,224 schoolchildren. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has been covering school lunch costs for all students during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The money raised will cover unpaid lunch money from before the pandemic.

 Gordon’s Wyoming Hunger Initiative worked with the Mountain West Credit Union Foundation and Dan and Cynthia Starks, of Dubois, to raise $80,000. 

The rest came from individuals including Gov. Mark Gordon.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — More than 3,000 Wyoming youngsters will have their school lunch debt forgiven through an effort led by First Lady Jennie Gordon and others. The Wyoming first lady's office announced Wednesday the effort raised almost $99,500 to forgive unpaid school lunch money owed by 3,224 schoolchildren. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has been covering school lunch costs for all students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The money raised will cover unpaid lunch money from before the pandemic. Gordon’s Wyoming Hunger Initiative worked with the Mountain West Credit Union Foundation and Dan and Cynthia Starks, of Dubois, to raise $80,000. The rest came from individuals including Gov. Mark Gordon.

Wyoming fundraising to erase school lunch debt in state

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Kellogg’s has reached a tentative agreement with its 1,400 cereal plant workers that will deliver 3% raises and end a nearly two-month-long strike.

 The Battle Creek, Michigan-based company said Thursday the five-year deal with the Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union also includes cost of living adjustments in the later years of the contract and it maintains the workers’ current health benefits. 

The deal covers workers at all four plants in Battle Creek; Omaha, Nebraska; Lancaster, Pennsylvania; and Memphis, Tennessee where all of Kellogg’s well-known brands of cereal, including Frosted Flakes and Rice Krispies. 

The workers who have been on strike since Oct. 5 will vote Sunday on the new contract.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Kellogg’s has reached a tentative agreement with its 1,400 cereal plant workers that will deliver 3% raises and end a nearly two-month-long strike. The Battle Creek, Michigan-based company said Thursday the five-year deal with the Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union also includes cost of living adjustments in the later years of the contract and it maintains the workers’ current health benefits. The deal covers workers at all four plants in Battle Creek; Omaha, Nebraska; Lancaster, Pennsylvania; and Memphis, Tennessee where all of Kellogg’s well-known brands of cereal, including Frosted Flakes and Rice Krispies. The workers who have been on strike since Oct. 5 will vote Sunday on the new contract.

Striking Kellogg's workers to get 3% raises in new contract

WASHINGTON (AP) — Greeks who are over age 60 and refuse&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">coronavirus</a>&nbsp;vaccinations could be hit with monthly fines of more than one-quarter of their pensions — a get-tough policy that the country’s politicians say will cost votes but save lives.

In Israel, potential carriers of the new omicron variant&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-pandemics-israel-coronavirus-pandemic-tel-aviv-336a805c6cda2313468cbe1ad052caee">could be tracked</a>&nbsp;by the nation’s domestic security agency in seeming defiance of a Supreme Court ruling from the last go-round.

Weekly protests in the Netherlands over the country’s 5 p.m. lockdown and other new restrictions have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-riots-netherlands-rotterdam-8dec504840df02613cd6a7f3236e1e91">descended into violence</a>, despite what appears to be overwhelming acceptance of the rules.

With the delta variant of COVID-19 pushing up cases in Europe and growing fears over the omicron variant, governments around the world are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/omicron-variant-travel-industry-d90a5190aefa24ae6e076b13e9dd22d4">weighing new measures</a>&nbsp;for populations tired of hearing about restrictions and vaccines.

It’s a thorny calculus&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-riots-netherlands-rotterdam-445b8e7e0b3c53081d6525c83dc4dbca">made more difficult</a>&nbsp;by the prospect of backlash, increased social divisions and, for many politicians, the fear of being voted out of office.

“I know the frustration that we all feel with this omicron variant, the sense of exhaustion that we could be going through this all over again,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Tuesday, two days after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-england-boris-johnson-scotland-8886fa8e4414d5993ddc618781e0456f">government announced that masks would be mandatory</a>&nbsp;again in stores and on public transportation and required all visitors from abroad to undergo a COVID-19 test and quarantine. “We’re trying to take a balanced and proportioned approach.”

New restrictions, or variations on the old ones, are cropping up around the world, especially in Europe, where leaders are at pains to explain what looks like a failed promise: that mass vaccinations would mean an end to widely loathed limitations.

“People need normality. They need families, they need to see people, obviously safely, socially distancing, but I really think, this Christmas now, people have had enough,” said Belinda Storey, who runs a stall at a Christmas market in Nottingham, England.

In the Netherlands, where the curfew went into effect last week, mounted police patrol to break up demonstrations against the new lockdown, which is among the world’s strictest. But most people appeared resigned to rush through errands and head home.

“The only thing we can do is to listen to the rules, follow them and hope it’s not getting worse. For me it’s no problem. I’m a nurse. I know how sick people get,” said Wilma van Kampen.

In Greece, residents over 60 face fines of 100 euros ($113) a month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-europe-greece-52f34d671f16b23e075a1f4b52f747a2">if they fail to get vaccinated</a>. The fines will be tacked onto tax bills in January.

About 17% of Greeks over 60 are unvaccinated despite various efforts to prod them to get their shots, and nine in 10 Greeks currently dying of COVID-19 are over 60.

“I don’t care whether the measure will cost me some extra votes in the elections,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Wednesday after lawmakers passed the measure. “I am convinced that we are doing the right thing, and I am convinced that this policy will save lives.”

Employing a carrot instead of a stick, Slovakia’s government is proposing to give people 60 and older a 500-euro ($568) bonus if they get vaccinated.

In Israel, the government this week approved resuming the use of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-technology-travel-health-lifestyle-36287673df09cdc3630e5dd1e05cdc7c">controversial phone-monitoring technology</a>&nbsp;to perform contact tracing of people confirmed to have the omicron variant.

Israeli rights groups have decried the use of the technology as a violation of privacy rights, and others have noted that its accuracy in indoor places is flawed, leading to large numbers of people being wrongly flagged. The Supreme Court earlier this year issued a ruling limiting its use.

“We need to use this tool in extreme situations, and I am not convinced we are in that kind of situation,” Justice Minister Gideon Saar told Israeli public broadcaster Kan this week.

In South Africa, which alerted the World Health Organization to the omicron variant, previous restrictions included curfews and a ban on alcohol sales. This time, President Cyril Ramaphosa is simply calling on more people to get vaccines “to help restore the social freedoms we all yearn for.”

In the U.S., there is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-health-infectious-diseases-anthony-fauci-44fab8b3448ad31f0865aebb26f91741">little appetite in either political party</a>&nbsp;for a return to lockdowns or strict contact tracing. Enforcing even simple measures like mask-wearing has become a political flashpoint. And Republicans are suing to block the Biden administration’s new get-vaccinated-or-get-tested requirement for large employers.

President Joe Biden, whose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-business-lifestyle-health-c6c9d651f631464e168f7a47b6e353bf">political fate may well hinge on controlling the pandemic</a>, has used a combination of pressure and urgent appeals to induce people to get their first shots or a booster. Also, the administration is working toward requiring that all air travelers to the U.S. be tested within a day before boarding their flight, instead of the current three days.

But Biden has said the U.S. will fight COVID-19 and the new variant “not with shutdowns or lockdowns but with more widespread vaccinations, boosters, testing, and more.”

“If people are vaccinated and wear their masks, there’s no need for the lockdowns,” he added.

The rise of the new variant makes little difference to Mark Christensen, a grain buyer for an ethanol plant in Nebraska. He rejects any vaccination mandate and doesn’t understand why it would be needed. In any event, he said, most businesses in his corner of the state are too small to fall under the regulations.

“If they were just encouraging me to take it, that’s one thing,” Christensen said. “But I believe in freedom of choice, not decisions by force.”

Chile has taken a harder line since the emergence of omicron: People over 18 must receive a booster dose every six months to keep their pass that allows access to restaurants, hotels and public gatherings.

And Chile never dropped its requirement to wear masks in public — probably the most common renewed restriction around the world.

Dr. Madhukar Pai, of McGill University’s School of Population and Public Health, said that masks are an easy and pain-free way of keeping transmission down, but that cheap, at-home tests need to be much more widespread, in both rich and poor countries.

He said both approaches give people a sense of control over their own behavior that is lost with a lockdown and make it easier to accept the need to do things like cancel a party or stay inside.

Pai said requiring boosters universally, as is essentially the case in Israel, Chile and many countries in Europe, including France, will only prolong the pandemic by making it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/65898ec544463b26ca78ba1e696edf19">harder to get first doses to the developing world</a>. That raises the odds of still more variants.

Lockdowns, he said, should be the very last choice.

“Lockdowns only come up when a system is failing,” he said. “We do it when the hospital system is about to collapse. It’s a last resort that indicates you have failed to do all the right things.”

That’s not&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-immigration-business-taiwan-wuhan-a5bf3ccccf435a5adf45faa57758c9f7">how lockdowns are seen</a>&nbsp;in communist China, which allows little dissent. At each new outbreak, entire cities are sealed, and sometimes millions of people undergo mass testing. In the strictest lockdowns, people are forbidden to leave their homes, and groceries are brought to their door.

So far, China hasn’t seen the need for new restrictions in response to the omicron variant. The head of China’s Center for Disease Control’s Epidemiology unit, Wu Zunyou, said omicron, for now, poses a manageable threat, and “no matter what variant, our public health measures are effective.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638445855822.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Greeks who are over age 60 and refuse&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">coronavirus</a>&nbsp;vaccinations could be hit with monthly fines of more than one-quarter of their pensions — a get-tough policy that the country’s politicians say will cost votes but save lives.In Israel, potential carriers of the new omicron variant&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-pandemics-israel-coronavirus-pandemic-tel-aviv-336a805c6cda2313468cbe1ad052caee">could be tracked</a>&nbsp;by the nation’s domestic security agency in seeming defiance of a Supreme Court ruling from the last go-round.Weekly protests in the Netherlands over the country’s 5 p.m. lockdown and other new restrictions have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-riots-netherlands-rotterdam-8dec504840df02613cd6a7f3236e1e91">descended into violence</a>, despite what appears to be overwhelming acceptance of the rules.With the delta variant of COVID-19 pushing up cases in Europe and growing fears over the omicron variant, governments around the world are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/omicron-variant-travel-industry-d90a5190aefa24ae6e076b13e9dd22d4">weighing new measures</a>&nbsp;for populations tired of hearing about restrictions and vaccines.It’s a thorny calculus&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-riots-netherlands-rotterdam-445b8e7e0b3c53081d6525c83dc4dbca">made more difficult</a>&nbsp;by the prospect of backlash, increased social divisions and, for many politicians, the fear of being voted out of office.“I know the frustration that we all feel with this omicron variant, the sense of exhaustion that we could be going through this all over again,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Tuesday, two days after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-england-boris-johnson-scotland-8886fa8e4414d5993ddc618781e0456f">government announced that masks would be mandatory</a>&nbsp;again in stores and on public transportation and required all visitors from abroad to undergo a COVID-19 test and quarantine. “We’re trying to take a balanced and proportioned approach.”New restrictions, or variations on the old ones, are cropping up around the world, especially in Europe, where leaders are at pains to explain what looks like a failed promise: that mass vaccinations would mean an end to widely loathed limitations.“People need normality. They need families, they need to see people, obviously safely, socially distancing, but I really think, this Christmas now, people have had enough,” said Belinda Storey, who runs a stall at a Christmas market in Nottingham, England.In the Netherlands, where the curfew went into effect last week, mounted police patrol to break up demonstrations against the new lockdown, which is among the world’s strictest. But most people appeared resigned to rush through errands and head home.“The only thing we can do is to listen to the rules, follow them and hope it’s not getting worse. For me it’s no problem. I’m a nurse. I know how sick people get,” said Wilma van Kampen.In Greece, residents over 60 face fines of 100 euros ($113) a month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-europe-greece-52f34d671f16b23e075a1f4b52f747a2">if they fail to get vaccinated</a>. The fines will be tacked onto tax bills in January.About 17% of Greeks over 60 are unvaccinated despite various efforts to prod them to get their shots, and nine in 10 Greeks currently dying of COVID-19 are over 60.“I don’t care whether the measure will cost me some extra votes in the elections,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Wednesday after lawmakers passed the measure. “I am convinced that we are doing the right thing, and I am convinced that this policy will save lives.”Employing a carrot instead of a stick, Slovakia’s government is proposing to give people 60 and older a 500-euro ($568) bonus if they get vaccinated.In Israel, the government this week approved resuming the use of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-technology-travel-health-lifestyle-36287673df09cdc3630e5dd1e05cdc7c">controversial phone-monitoring technology</a>&nbsp;to perform contact tracing of people confirmed to have the omicron variant.Israeli rights groups have decried the use of the technology as a violation of privacy rights, and others have noted that its accuracy in indoor places is flawed, leading to large numbers of people being wrongly flagged. The Supreme Court earlier this year issued a ruling limiting its use.“We need to use this tool in extreme situations, and I am not convinced we are in that kind of situation,” Justice Minister Gideon Saar told Israeli public broadcaster Kan this week.In South Africa, which alerted the World Health Organization to the omicron variant, previous restrictions included curfews and a ban on alcohol sales. This time, President Cyril Ramaphosa is simply calling on more people to get vaccines “to help restore the social freedoms we all yearn for.”In the U.S., there is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-health-infectious-diseases-anthony-fauci-44fab8b3448ad31f0865aebb26f91741">little appetite in either political party</a>&nbsp;for a return to lockdowns or strict contact tracing. Enforcing even simple measures like mask-wearing has become a political flashpoint. And Republicans are suing to block the Biden administration’s new get-vaccinated-or-get-tested requirement for large employers.President Joe Biden, whose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-business-lifestyle-health-c6c9d651f631464e168f7a47b6e353bf">political fate may well hinge on controlling the pandemic</a>, has used a combination of pressure and urgent appeals to induce people to get their first shots or a booster. Also, the administration is working toward requiring that all air travelers to the U.S. be tested within a day before boarding their flight, instead of the current three days.But Biden has said the U.S. will fight COVID-19 and the new variant “not with shutdowns or lockdowns but with more widespread vaccinations, boosters, testing, and more.”“If people are vaccinated and wear their masks, there’s no need for the lockdowns,” he added.The rise of the new variant makes little difference to Mark Christensen, a grain buyer for an ethanol plant in Nebraska. He rejects any vaccination mandate and doesn’t understand why it would be needed. In any event, he said, most businesses in his corner of the state are too small to fall under the regulations.“If they were just encouraging me to take it, that’s one thing,” Christensen said. “But I believe in freedom of choice, not decisions by force.”Chile has taken a harder line since the emergence of omicron: People over 18 must receive a booster dose every six months to keep their pass that allows access to restaurants, hotels and public gatherings.And Chile never dropped its requirement to wear masks in public — probably the most common renewed restriction around the world.Dr. Madhukar Pai, of McGill University’s School of Population and Public Health, said that masks are an easy and pain-free way of keeping transmission down, but that cheap, at-home tests need to be much more widespread, in both rich and poor countries.He said both approaches give people a sense of control over their own behavior that is lost with a lockdown and make it easier to accept the need to do things like cancel a party or stay inside.Pai said requiring boosters universally, as is essentially the case in Israel, Chile and many countries in Europe, including France, will only prolong the pandemic by making it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/65898ec544463b26ca78ba1e696edf19">harder to get first doses to the developing world</a>. That raises the odds of still more variants.Lockdowns, he said, should be the very last choice.“Lockdowns only come up when a system is failing,” he said. “We do it when the hospital system is about to collapse. It’s a last resort that indicates you have failed to do all the right things.”That’s not&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-immigration-business-taiwan-wuhan-a5bf3ccccf435a5adf45faa57758c9f7">how lockdowns are seen</a>&nbsp;in communist China, which allows little dissent. At each new outbreak, entire cities are sealed, and sometimes millions of people undergo mass testing. In the strictest lockdowns, people are forbidden to leave their homes, and groceries are brought to their door.So far, China hasn’t seen the need for new restrictions in response to the omicron variant. The head of China’s Center for Disease Control’s Epidemiology unit, Wu Zunyou, said omicron, for now, poses a manageable threat, and “no matter what variant, our public health measures are effective.”___

Omicron and delta spell return of unpopular restrictions

The
 Federal Trade Commission is sending 71,899 checks totaling more than 
$1.8 million to consumers, including many older Americans, tricked into 
paying for supposedly free in-home medical alert devices. The money 
comes from a settlement with New York-based Lifewatch, Inc.<a href="https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/federal.trade.commission/viz/DoNotCallComplaints/Maps"></a>

The<a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2015/07/ftc-florida-attorney-general-sue-stop-deceptive-robocalls">FTC’s complaint</a>,
 filed jointly with the Florida Attorney General’s Office, alleged that 
the defendants bombarded consumers with at least a billion unsolicited 
robocalls to pitch supposedly “free” medical alert systems. These
 pre-recorded messages claimed that Lifewatch’s medical alert system was
 endorsed or recommended by reputable organizations like the American 
Heart Association. The company’s telemarketers often told consumers that
 a medical alert system had been purchased for them, and they could 
receive it “at no cost whatsoever.” Consumers eventually learned that 
they were responsible for monthly monitoring fees and that it was 
difficult to cancel without paying a penalty.

In addition to imposing the monetary penalty to provide consumer refunds, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/142_3123_lifewatch_-_final_order_0.pdf">the order settling the FTC’s charges</a> bans
 the Lifewatch defendants from telemarketing and prohibits them from 
misrepresenting the terms associated with the sale of any product or 
service.

The
 FTC is returning $1,808,260 to defrauded consumers. All checks are for 
$25.15, and will expire in 90 days, as indicated on the check. 
Recipients who have questions about their refund can call the 
administrator, Analytics, LLC, at 1-866-484-1466. The FTC never requires people to pay money or provide account information to cash a refund check. 

In
 2020, FTC actions led to more than $483 million in refunds to consumers
 across the country, but the United States Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that the FTC lacks authority under Section 13(b) to seek monetary relief in federal court going forward. The <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2021/04/ftc-asks-congress-pass-legislation-reviving-agencys-authority">Commission has urged Congress</a> to restore the FTC’s ability to get money back for consumers.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619632629588.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FTCThe
 Federal Trade Commission is sending 71,899 checks totaling more than 
$1.8 million to consumers, including many older Americans, tricked into 
paying for supposedly free in-home medical alert devices. The money 
comes from a settlement with New York-based Lifewatch, Inc.<a href="https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/federal.trade.commission/viz/DoNotCallComplaints/Maps"></a> The<a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2015/07/ftc-florida-attorney-general-sue-stop-deceptive-robocalls">FTC’s complaint</a>,
 filed jointly with the Florida Attorney General’s Office, alleged that 
the defendants bombarded consumers with at least a billion unsolicited 
robocalls to pitch supposedly “free” medical alert systems. These
 pre-recorded messages claimed that Lifewatch’s medical alert system was
 endorsed or recommended by reputable organizations like the American 
Heart Association. The company’s telemarketers often told consumers that
 a medical alert system had been purchased for them, and they could 
receive it “at no cost whatsoever.” Consumers eventually learned that 
they were responsible for monthly monitoring fees and that it was 
difficult to cancel without paying a penalty.In addition to imposing the monetary penalty to provide consumer refunds, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/142_3123_lifewatch_-_final_order_0.pdf">the order settling the FTC’s charges</a> bans
 the Lifewatch defendants from telemarketing and prohibits them from 
misrepresenting the terms associated with the sale of any product or 
service.The
 FTC is returning $1,808,260 to defrauded consumers. All checks are for 
$25.15, and will expire in 90 days, as indicated on the check. 
Recipients who have questions about their refund can call the 
administrator, Analytics, LLC, at 1-866-484-1466. The FTC never requires people to pay money or provide account information to cash a refund check. In
 2020, FTC actions led to more than $483 million in refunds to consumers
 across the country, but the United States Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that the FTC lacks authority under Section 13(b) to seek monetary relief in federal court going forward. The <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2021/04/ftc-asks-congress-pass-legislation-reviving-agencys-authority">Commission has urged Congress</a> to restore the FTC’s ability to get money back for consumers.The Federal Trade Commission works to <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/bureaus-offices/bureau-competition">promote competition</a>, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/bureaus-offices/bureau-consumer-protection">stop deceptive and unfair business practices and scams</a>, and <a href="https://consumer.ftc.gov/">educate consumers</a>. Report fraud, scams, or bad business practices at <a href="https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/">ReportFraud.ftc.gov</a>. Get consumer advice at <a href="https://consumer.ftc.gov/">consumer.ftc.gov</a>. Also, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/social-media">follow the FTC on social media</a>, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/stay-connected">subscribe to press releases</a>, and read the FTC’s <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs">blogs</a>.

FTC: $1.8M in refunds sent to victims of telemarketing scheme

WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government could be heading for temporary shutdown, with Republicans poised to stall a must-pass funding bill in their effort to force a debate in Congress on rolling back the Biden administration's COVID-19 vaccine mandates for some workers.

Conservative Republicans in the House and Senate who are opposed to Biden’s vaccine rules want Congress to take a hardline stand against the mandated shots, even if it means shutting down federal offices over the weekend. But not all Republicans are on board. One GOP senator after another left a private lunch meeting Wednesday voicing concern they will be blamed for even a short stoppage of the federal government that will not play well with the public.

Friday is a government funding deadline and the Republican objections — particularly in the Senate, where any single senator can hold up proceedings to stall a vote — could delay passage of legislation needed to keep federal operations running.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer opened the chamber saying Democrats are prepared to support the funding bill and urging Republicans not to engage in shutdown politics.

“Our Republican colleagues, meanwhile, can either work with us to move the process quickly through the chamber, or they can engage in obstructive tactics that will make a government shutdown almost a certainty,” said Schumer, D-N.Y.

Political backlash over the Biden administration's coronavirus vaccine mandates has been building for months. The White House sees the vaccinations as the quickest way to end the pandemic that has claimed more than 780,000 deaths in the U.S. Wednesday sparked fresh fears, with the country's first detected case of a troubling new variant. During the last government shutdown battle in September, Republicans also tried to halt the vaccine mandate.

As the political arguments mount over slapping vaccine requirements on some groups of workers, so too have legal challenges. Courts have been knocking back the Biden administration's vaccine mandates — including a ruling this week blocking enforcement of a requirement for some health care workers.

For some Republicans, the court cases, along with their own worries about a potentially disruptive government shutdown, are shifting them away from engaging in a high-stakes shutdown.

“One of the things I’m a little concerned about is: Why would we make ourselves the object of public attention by creating the specter of a government shutdown?” said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, a party leader.

On Wednesday, one Republican, Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, made the case to his colleagues to link the effort to halt the vaccine mandates to the spending bill during a private lunch meeting at the Capitol.

The idea is to have the Senate vote to strip funding from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to implement the Biden administration's requirement that private employers with 100 or more workers ensure they are vaccinated or regularly tested, senators said.

Lee appears to have backing from a few senators and hardline Republicans in the House. “This is a chance to correct a wrong," said Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., who launched a similar effort against vaccine mandates during the last government funding battle.

But among most other Republican senators, enthusiasm for a shutdown ran thin.

“I just hate to see a shutdown — shut down the government — because people have been through a lot," Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said while exiting the lunch session.

Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, told reporters that with the new coronavirus variant: “There’s too much chaos in our country right now, too much concern about omicron. The last thing we need is more confusion and fear.”

Minority leader Mitch McConnell has been opposed to the shutdown strategy, according to a Republican granted anonymity to discuss private conversations. He did not say a word during the private lunch, but publicly McConnell has been upbeat that there will be no shutdown of the federal government.

“We’re going to be OK,” McConnell, R-Ky., told reporters in the halls of the Capitol.

The Biden administration has pursued vaccine requirements on several groups of workers at it seeks to get more shots in arms to crush the virus, but the effort is facing one setback after another in legal cases.

This week, a federal judge blocked the administration from enforcing a coronavirus vaccine mandate on thousands of health care workers in 10 states. Earlier, a federal appeals court temporarily halted the OSHA requirement that employers with 100 or more workers ensure they are fully vaccinated.

The administration has previously implemented policies requiring millions of federal employees and federal contractors, including military troops, to be fully vaccinated. Those efforts are also being contested in federal courts.

Polling from The Associated Press shows Americans are divided over Biden's effort to vaccinate workers, with Democrats overwhelmingly for it while most Republicans are against it.

Some Republicans prefer an effort from Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., to simply vote to reject the administration’s mandates in a congressional review action expected next week, separate from the federal funding fight.

From the White House, Press Secretary Jen Psaki was confident the government funding bill would be approved by Congress and routine federal operations would not shut down this weekend.

“We have every confidence they will move forward and prevent the government from shutting down,” Psaki said.

She was highly critical of Republicans seeking to prevent the mandates from going into effect.

“These supporters of the former president are advocating for shutting the federal government down, so that 20% of the public who are refusing to get vaccinated or tested can be free to infect their coworkers, our children, filling hospitals,” Psaki said. “They want to shut the government down in order to advocate for people to assert that on society.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government could be heading for temporary shutdown, with Republicans poised to stall a must-pass funding bill in their effort to force a debate in Congress on rolling back the Biden administration's COVID-19 vaccine mandates for some workers.Conservative Republicans in the House and Senate who are opposed to Biden’s vaccine rules want Congress to take a hardline stand against the mandated shots, even if it means shutting down federal offices over the weekend. But not all Republicans are on board. One GOP senator after another left a private lunch meeting Wednesday voicing concern they will be blamed for even a short stoppage of the federal government that will not play well with the public.Friday is a government funding deadline and the Republican objections — particularly in the Senate, where any single senator can hold up proceedings to stall a vote — could delay passage of legislation needed to keep federal operations running.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer opened the chamber saying Democrats are prepared to support the funding bill and urging Republicans not to engage in shutdown politics.“Our Republican colleagues, meanwhile, can either work with us to move the process quickly through the chamber, or they can engage in obstructive tactics that will make a government shutdown almost a certainty,” said Schumer, D-N.Y.Political backlash over the Biden administration's coronavirus vaccine mandates has been building for months. The White House sees the vaccinations as the quickest way to end the pandemic that has claimed more than 780,000 deaths in the U.S. Wednesday sparked fresh fears, with the country's first detected case of a troubling new variant. During the last government shutdown battle in September, Republicans also tried to halt the vaccine mandate.As the political arguments mount over slapping vaccine requirements on some groups of workers, so too have legal challenges. Courts have been knocking back the Biden administration's vaccine mandates — including a ruling this week blocking enforcement of a requirement for some health care workers.For some Republicans, the court cases, along with their own worries about a potentially disruptive government shutdown, are shifting them away from engaging in a high-stakes shutdown.“One of the things I’m a little concerned about is: Why would we make ourselves the object of public attention by creating the specter of a government shutdown?” said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, a party leader.On Wednesday, one Republican, Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, made the case to his colleagues to link the effort to halt the vaccine mandates to the spending bill during a private lunch meeting at the Capitol.The idea is to have the Senate vote to strip funding from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to implement the Biden administration's requirement that private employers with 100 or more workers ensure they are vaccinated or regularly tested, senators said.Lee appears to have backing from a few senators and hardline Republicans in the House. “This is a chance to correct a wrong," said Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., who launched a similar effort against vaccine mandates during the last government funding battle.But among most other Republican senators, enthusiasm for a shutdown ran thin.“I just hate to see a shutdown — shut down the government — because people have been through a lot," Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said while exiting the lunch session.Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, told reporters that with the new coronavirus variant: “There’s too much chaos in our country right now, too much concern about omicron. The last thing we need is more confusion and fear.”Minority leader Mitch McConnell has been opposed to the shutdown strategy, according to a Republican granted anonymity to discuss private conversations. He did not say a word during the private lunch, but publicly McConnell has been upbeat that there will be no shutdown of the federal government.“We’re going to be OK,” McConnell, R-Ky., told reporters in the halls of the Capitol.The Biden administration has pursued vaccine requirements on several groups of workers at it seeks to get more shots in arms to crush the virus, but the effort is facing one setback after another in legal cases.This week, a federal judge blocked the administration from enforcing a coronavirus vaccine mandate on thousands of health care workers in 10 states. Earlier, a federal appeals court temporarily halted the OSHA requirement that employers with 100 or more workers ensure they are fully vaccinated.The administration has previously implemented policies requiring millions of federal employees and federal contractors, including military troops, to be fully vaccinated. Those efforts are also being contested in federal courts.Polling from The Associated Press shows Americans are divided over Biden's effort to vaccinate workers, with Democrats overwhelmingly for it while most Republicans are against it.Some Republicans prefer an effort from Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., to simply vote to reject the administration’s mandates in a congressional review action expected next week, separate from the federal funding fight.From the White House, Press Secretary Jen Psaki was confident the government funding bill would be approved by Congress and routine federal operations would not shut down this weekend.“We have every confidence they will move forward and prevent the government from shutting down,” Psaki said.She was highly critical of Republicans seeking to prevent the mandates from going into effect.“These supporters of the former president are advocating for shutting the federal government down, so that 20% of the public who are refusing to get vaccinated or tested can be free to infect their coworkers, our children, filling hospitals,” Psaki said. “They want to shut the government down in order to advocate for people to assert that on society.”

GOP risks government shutdown to fight Biden vaccine mandate

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Tuesday went to Minnesota to pitch his completed infrastructure deal and a giant social spending bill that he's still trying to get passed, but also found himself reassuring the nation he would fight the evolving COVID-19 threat without resorting to “shutdowns and lockdowns.”

Biden met with students at Dakota County Technical College in Rosemount in a garage space with a bulldozer, backhoe and cargo truck before delivering a speech criticizing GOP lawmakers for opposing his social services and climate spending bill that would expand health care coverage, enhance job training for students at community colleges, and offer child care benefits for middle and low income Americans.

Biden has been eager to build momentum for his agenda, but he finds himself once again forced to divert attention to battling the virus—this time because of global concerns about the spread of the omicron strain of the virus. Health officials identified the first U.S. case in California Wednesday.

He said that on Thursday, he would detail his plan for how “we’re going to fight COVID this winter, not with shutdowns and lockdowns” but “with more widespread vaccination, boosters, testing and much more.”

Biden came to the suburban Minneapolis tech college looking to tout his $1 trillion infrastructure plan and making the case for an addition $1.75 trillion spending bill, which he is still trying to get through the Senate. The legislation includes $5 billion for community colleges to expand workforce training programs.

“Technology moves so rapidly,” Biden told students. “You’ve got to get an education to make it work.”

The trip came as Biden, who in addition to facing the threat of the new omicron strain of the coronavirus is also batting high levels of inflation as vital parts of his agenda are still await congressional approval. Biden also needs to get Congress to move to temporarily fund the government and preserve its ability to borrow as the debt limit could be breached in December.

Biden holds out the infrastructure package, containing money for roads, bridges, broadband, water systems and a shift to electrical vehicles, as evidence that he can work across the political aisle. The measure passed with solid Republican support..

Biden won Minnesota in last year's presidential election with 52.6% of the vote. He's visited the state's second congressional district, a potentially vulnerable seat in the midterms that narrowly went to Democratic Rep. Angie Craig in 2020.

The president noted that Minnesotans saw first-hand the need to invest in rebuilding the nation's infrastructure in August 2007 when a portion of the I-35 bridge in Minneapolis collapsed, killing 13 and injuring more than 140 more.

“No more talking, time for action,” Biden said. “This law makes significant investments in our roads and bridges.′

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1638307389869.png" alt="On Tuesday, President Biden signed a series of bills for veterans to address disparities in benefits, continuation of service, tuition for survivors, as well as a proposal to help mothers who have served.-photo White House" />
 <figcaption>On Tuesday, President Biden signed a series of bills for veterans to address disparities in benefits, continuation of service, tuition for survivors, as well as a proposal to help mothers who have served.-photo White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Tuesday went to Minnesota to pitch his completed infrastructure deal and a giant social spending bill that he's still trying to get passed, but also found himself reassuring the nation he would fight the evolving COVID-19 threat without resorting to “shutdowns and lockdowns.”Biden met with students at Dakota County Technical College in Rosemount in a garage space with a bulldozer, backhoe and cargo truck before delivering a speech criticizing GOP lawmakers for opposing his social services and climate spending bill that would expand health care coverage, enhance job training for students at community colleges, and offer child care benefits for middle and low income Americans.Biden has been eager to build momentum for his agenda, but he finds himself once again forced to divert attention to battling the virus—this time because of global concerns about the spread of the omicron strain of the virus. Health officials identified the first U.S. case in California Wednesday.He said that on Thursday, he would detail his plan for how “we’re going to fight COVID this winter, not with shutdowns and lockdowns” but “with more widespread vaccination, boosters, testing and much more.”Biden came to the suburban Minneapolis tech college looking to tout his $1 trillion infrastructure plan and making the case for an addition $1.75 trillion spending bill, which he is still trying to get through the Senate. The legislation includes $5 billion for community colleges to expand workforce training programs.“Technology moves so rapidly,” Biden told students. “You’ve got to get an education to make it work.”The trip came as Biden, who in addition to facing the threat of the new omicron strain of the coronavirus is also batting high levels of inflation as vital parts of his agenda are still await congressional approval. Biden also needs to get Congress to move to temporarily fund the government and preserve its ability to borrow as the debt limit could be breached in December.Biden holds out the infrastructure package, containing money for roads, bridges, broadband, water systems and a shift to electrical vehicles, as evidence that he can work across the political aisle. The measure passed with solid Republican support..Biden won Minnesota in last year's presidential election with 52.6% of the vote. He's visited the state's second congressional district, a potentially vulnerable seat in the midterms that narrowly went to Democratic Rep. Angie Craig in 2020.The president noted that Minnesotans saw first-hand the need to invest in rebuilding the nation's infrastructure in August 2007 when a portion of the I-35 bridge in Minneapolis collapsed, killing 13 and injuring more than 140 more.“No more talking, time for action,” Biden said. “This law makes significant investments in our roads and bridges.′

Biden puts focus on infrastructure amid new virus concerns

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — A Sioux Falls father has been charged in the killing of his 8-week-old infant who authorities determined died from an apparent assault.

 Prosecutors on Tuesday charged Dylan Castimore with second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter. 

The Sioux Falls Argus Leader reports that police responded Saturday to a 911 call from Castimore who said his infant wasn't breathing. 

The child later died in a hospital. A coroner found the baby’s skull was fractured from an assault and he had a lacerated liver.

 Sioux Falls police say Castimore has been arrested. It isn't clear if he has an attorney who can speak on his behalf.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — A Sioux Falls father has been charged in the killing of his 8-week-old infant who authorities determined died from an apparent assault. Prosecutors on Tuesday charged Dylan Castimore with second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter. The Sioux Falls Argus Leader reports that police responded Saturday to a 911 call from Castimore who said his infant wasn't breathing. The child later died in a hospital. A coroner found the baby’s skull was fractured from an assault and he had a lacerated liver. Sioux Falls police say Castimore has been arrested. It isn't clear if he has an attorney who can speak on his behalf.

South Dakota father charged in killing of 8-week-old infant

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?516424-1/press-secretary-jen-psaki-dr-anthony-fauci-reporters-omicron-case-detected-us&amp;live&amp;vod">Click here to watch</a> the comments from Dr. Fauci

WASHINGTON (AP) — A person in California who had been vaccinated against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">COVID-19</a>&nbsp;became the first in the U.S. to have an identified case of the omicron variant, the White House announced Wednesday as scientists continue to study the risks posed by the new virus strain.

Dr. Anthony Fauci told reporters the person was a traveler who returned from South Africa on Nov. 22 and tested positive on Nov. 29. Fauci said the person was vaccinated but had not received a booster shot and was experiencing “mild symptoms.”

The Biden administration moved late last month to restrict travel from Southern Africa where the variant was first identified and had been widespread. Clusters of cases have also been identified in about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-europe-japan-192d15ef14bb3dd478bc36ab4aa325f0">two dozen other nations</a>.

“We knew that it was just a matter of time before the first case of omicron would be detected in the United States,” Fauci said.

He said the person was improving and added, “I think what’s happening now is another example of why it’s important for people to get vaccinated. But also boosting. Boosting is very important.”

Officials said they had contacted everyone who had close contact with the person and they had all tested negative.

Genomic sequencing was conducted at the University of California, San Francisco and the sequence was confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is taking steps to tighten U.S. testing rules for travelers from overseas, including requiring a test for all travelers within a day of boarding a flight to the U.S. regardless of vaccination status. It was also considering mandating post-arrival testing.

Officials said those measures would only “buy time” for the country to learn more about the new variant and to take appropriate precautions, but that given its transmissibility its arrival in the U.S. was inevitable.

Much remains unknown about the new variant, including whether it is more contagious than previous strains, whether it makes people more seriously ill, and whether it can thwart the vaccine. Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, said more would be known about the omicron strain in two to four weeks as scientists grow and test lab samples of the virus.

California’s Department of Public Health credited the state’s “large-scale testing and early detection systems” for identifying the case.

“We recognize that everyone is exhausted, and the news of a new variant can be overwhelming. It is important that we collectively focus on the things we know prevent the spread of COVID-19, and its variants,” state public health officials said in a statement.

The announcement of the first U.S. case comes before President Joe Biden plans to outline his strategy on Thursday to combat the virus over the winter. Biden has tried to quell alarm over the omicron variant, saying it was a cause for concern but “not a cause for panic.”

Biden and public health officials have grown more urgent in their pleas for more Americans to get vaccinated — and for those who have been vaccinated to get booster shots to maximize their protection against the virus.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638385235681.png" alt="Dr. Fauci said during a White House news briefing Wednesday afternoon that the patient was vaccinated and it was unclear if they had received a booster.-image courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Fauci said during a White House news briefing Wednesday afternoon that the patient was vaccinated and it was unclear if they had received a booster.-image courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?516424-1/press-secretary-jen-psaki-dr-anthony-fauci-reporters-omicron-case-detected-us&amp;live&amp;vod">Click here to watch</a> the comments from Dr. FauciWASHINGTON (AP) — A person in California who had been vaccinated against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">COVID-19</a>&nbsp;became the first in the U.S. to have an identified case of the omicron variant, the White House announced Wednesday as scientists continue to study the risks posed by the new virus strain.Dr. Anthony Fauci told reporters the person was a traveler who returned from South Africa on Nov. 22 and tested positive on Nov. 29. Fauci said the person was vaccinated but had not received a booster shot and was experiencing “mild symptoms.”The Biden administration moved late last month to restrict travel from Southern Africa where the variant was first identified and had been widespread. Clusters of cases have also been identified in about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-europe-japan-192d15ef14bb3dd478bc36ab4aa325f0">two dozen other nations</a>.“We knew that it was just a matter of time before the first case of omicron would be detected in the United States,” Fauci said.He said the person was improving and added, “I think what’s happening now is another example of why it’s important for people to get vaccinated. But also boosting. Boosting is very important.”Officials said they had contacted everyone who had close contact with the person and they had all tested negative.Genomic sequencing was conducted at the University of California, San Francisco and the sequence was confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is taking steps to tighten U.S. testing rules for travelers from overseas, including requiring a test for all travelers within a day of boarding a flight to the U.S. regardless of vaccination status. It was also considering mandating post-arrival testing.Officials said those measures would only “buy time” for the country to learn more about the new variant and to take appropriate precautions, but that given its transmissibility its arrival in the U.S. was inevitable.Much remains unknown about the new variant, including whether it is more contagious than previous strains, whether it makes people more seriously ill, and whether it can thwart the vaccine. Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, said more would be known about the omicron strain in two to four weeks as scientists grow and test lab samples of the virus.California’s Department of Public Health credited the state’s “large-scale testing and early detection systems” for identifying the case.“We recognize that everyone is exhausted, and the news of a new variant can be overwhelming. It is important that we collectively focus on the things we know prevent the spread of COVID-19, and its variants,” state public health officials said in a statement.The announcement of the first U.S. case comes before President Joe Biden plans to outline his strategy on Thursday to combat the virus over the winter. Biden has tried to quell alarm over the omicron variant, saying it was a cause for concern but “not a cause for panic.”Biden and public health officials have grown more urgent in their pleas for more Americans to get vaccinated — and for those who have been vaccinated to get booster shots to maximize their protection against the virus.

 🎥  1st case of Omicron variant identified in United States

OXFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — A fourth student, a 17-year-old boy, died Wednesday from wounds he suffered when a sophomore opened fire at a Michigan high school a day earlier, authorities said.

The other dead included a 16-year-old boy who died in a deputy’s patrol car on the way to a hospital. Eight people were wounded, some critically, including a 14-year-old girl who was placed on a ventilator after surgery.

Investigators were still trying to determine a motive for the shooting Tuesday at Oxford High School, located in a community of about 22,000 people roughly 30 miles (48 kilometers) north of Detroit, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said.

“The person that’s got the most insight and the motive is not talking,” he said at a news conference late Tuesday.

Deputies rushed to the school around lunchtime as more than 100 calls flooded 911 dispatchers with reports of a shooter. They arrested the student in a hallway within minutes of their arrival. He put his hands in the air as deputies approached, Bouchard said.

The boy’s father on Friday bought the 9 mm Sig Sauer used in the shooting, Bouchard said. He didn’t know why the man bought the semiautomatic handgun, which his son had been posting pictures of and practicing shooting, Bouchard said.

Authorities did not immediately release the boy’s name.

The four students who were killed were 16-year-old Tate Myre, 14-year-old Hana St. Juliana, 17-year-old Madisyn Baldwin and Justin Shilling, who died Wednesday.

Bouchard said Myre died in a patrol car as a deputy tried to get him to an emergency room.

A teacher who received a graze wound to the shoulder left the hospital, but seven students ranging in age from 14 to 17 remained hospitalized through the night with gunshot wounds, he said.

The gun the boy was carrying had seven more rounds of ammo in it when he surrendered, Bouchard said.

Undersheriff Mike McCabe said the student’s parents advised their son not to talk to investigators. Police must seek permission from a juvenile’s parents or guardian to speak with them, he added.

Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said in a statement that her office expects to issue charges quickly and that an update would be given Wednesday.

Authorities were made aware of posts on social media that said there had been threats of a shooting at the roughly 1,700-student school, but Bouchard said they didn’t know about the rumors until after the attack.

He stressed how crucial it is for tips of the kind to be sent to authorities, while also cautioning against spreading social media rumors before a full investigation.

McCabe also downplayed the significance of a situation in early November when a deer head was thrown off the school roof, which he said was “absolutely unrelated” to the shooting. The vandalism prompted school administrators to post two letters to parents on the school’s website, saying they were responding to rumors of a threat against the school but had found none.

Bouchard said the student in custody had no previous run-ins with his department and he wasn’t aware of any disciplinary history at school.

“That’s part of our investigation to determine what happened prior to this event and if some signs were missed how were they missed and why,” he said.

The campus was placed on lockdown during the attack, with some children sheltering in locked classrooms. They were later taken to a nearby Meijer grocery store to be picked up by their parents.

The district said in a statement that all of its schools would be closed for the rest of the week.

Isabel Flores, a 15-year-old ninth-grader, told WJBK-TV that she and other students heard gunshots and saw another student bleeding from the face. They then ran from the area through the rear of the school, she said.

Authorities said they were searching the suspect’s cellphone, school video footage and social media posts for any evidence of a possible motive.

School administrators had posted two letters to parents on the school’s website in November, saying they were responding to rumors of a threat against the school following a bizarre vandalism incident.

According to a Nov. 4 letter written by Principal Steve Wolf, someone threw a deer head into a courtyard from the school’s roof, painted several windows on the roof with red acrylic paint and used the same paint on concrete near the school building during the early morning hours. Without specifically referencing that incident, a second post on Nov. 12 assured “there has been no threat to our building nor our students.”

Both the sheriff and undersheriff emphasized that Tuesday’s shooting was unrelated to the deer head or any earlier investigation by their office.

“That was a different incident, different student,” McCabe said.

A concerned parent, Robin Redding, said her son, Treshan Bryant, is a 12th grader at the school but stayed home Tuesday. Redding said her son had heard threats that there could be a shooting.

“This couldn’t be just random,” she said.

Bryant said he texted several younger cousins in the morning and they said they didn’t want to go to school, and he got a bad feeling. He asked his mom if he could do his assignments online.

Bryant said he had heard vague threats “for a long time now” about plans for a shooting.

At a vigil Tuesday night at LakePoint Community Church, Leeann Dersa choked back tears as she hugged friends and neighbors. Dersa has lived nearly all of her 73 years in Oxford. Her grandchildren attended the high school.

“Scared us all something terrible. It’s awful,” Dersa said of the shooting.

Pastor Jesse Holt said news of the shooting flooded in to him and his wife, including texts from some of the 20 to 25 students who are among the 400-member congregation.

“Some were very scared, hiding under their desks and texting us, `We’re safe, we’re OK. We heard gunshots, but we’re OK.’ They were trying to calm us, at least that’s how it felt,” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638381044457.png" alt="Investigators were still trying to determine a motive for the shooting photo courtesy WWJT TV" />
 <figcaption>Investigators were still trying to determine a motive for the shooting photo courtesy WWJT TV</figcaption>
 </figure>OXFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — A fourth student, a 17-year-old boy, died Wednesday from wounds he suffered when a sophomore opened fire at a Michigan high school a day earlier, authorities said.The other dead included a 16-year-old boy who died in a deputy’s patrol car on the way to a hospital. Eight people were wounded, some critically, including a 14-year-old girl who was placed on a ventilator after surgery.Investigators were still trying to determine a motive for the shooting Tuesday at Oxford High School, located in a community of about 22,000 people roughly 30 miles (48 kilometers) north of Detroit, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said.“The person that’s got the most insight and the motive is not talking,” he said at a news conference late Tuesday.Deputies rushed to the school around lunchtime as more than 100 calls flooded 911 dispatchers with reports of a shooter. They arrested the student in a hallway within minutes of their arrival. He put his hands in the air as deputies approached, Bouchard said.The boy’s father on Friday bought the 9 mm Sig Sauer used in the shooting, Bouchard said. He didn’t know why the man bought the semiautomatic handgun, which his son had been posting pictures of and practicing shooting, Bouchard said.Authorities did not immediately release the boy’s name.The four students who were killed were 16-year-old Tate Myre, 14-year-old Hana St. Juliana, 17-year-old Madisyn Baldwin and Justin Shilling, who died Wednesday.Bouchard said Myre died in a patrol car as a deputy tried to get him to an emergency room.A teacher who received a graze wound to the shoulder left the hospital, but seven students ranging in age from 14 to 17 remained hospitalized through the night with gunshot wounds, he said.The gun the boy was carrying had seven more rounds of ammo in it when he surrendered, Bouchard said.Undersheriff Mike McCabe said the student’s parents advised their son not to talk to investigators. Police must seek permission from a juvenile’s parents or guardian to speak with them, he added.Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said in a statement that her office expects to issue charges quickly and that an update would be given Wednesday.Authorities were made aware of posts on social media that said there had been threats of a shooting at the roughly 1,700-student school, but Bouchard said they didn’t know about the rumors until after the attack.He stressed how crucial it is for tips of the kind to be sent to authorities, while also cautioning against spreading social media rumors before a full investigation.McCabe also downplayed the significance of a situation in early November when a deer head was thrown off the school roof, which he said was “absolutely unrelated” to the shooting. The vandalism prompted school administrators to post two letters to parents on the school’s website, saying they were responding to rumors of a threat against the school but had found none.Bouchard said the student in custody had no previous run-ins with his department and he wasn’t aware of any disciplinary history at school.“That’s part of our investigation to determine what happened prior to this event and if some signs were missed how were they missed and why,” he said.The campus was placed on lockdown during the attack, with some children sheltering in locked classrooms. They were later taken to a nearby Meijer grocery store to be picked up by their parents.The district said in a statement that all of its schools would be closed for the rest of the week.Isabel Flores, a 15-year-old ninth-grader, told WJBK-TV that she and other students heard gunshots and saw another student bleeding from the face. They then ran from the area through the rear of the school, she said.Authorities said they were searching the suspect’s cellphone, school video footage and social media posts for any evidence of a possible motive.School administrators had posted two letters to parents on the school’s website in November, saying they were responding to rumors of a threat against the school following a bizarre vandalism incident.According to a Nov. 4 letter written by Principal Steve Wolf, someone threw a deer head into a courtyard from the school’s roof, painted several windows on the roof with red acrylic paint and used the same paint on concrete near the school building during the early morning hours. Without specifically referencing that incident, a second post on Nov. 12 assured “there has been no threat to our building nor our students.”Both the sheriff and undersheriff emphasized that Tuesday’s shooting was unrelated to the deer head or any earlier investigation by their office.“That was a different incident, different student,” McCabe said.A concerned parent, Robin Redding, said her son, Treshan Bryant, is a 12th grader at the school but stayed home Tuesday. Redding said her son had heard threats that there could be a shooting.“This couldn’t be just random,” she said.Bryant said he texted several younger cousins in the morning and they said they didn’t want to go to school, and he got a bad feeling. He asked his mom if he could do his assignments online.Bryant said he had heard vague threats “for a long time now” about plans for a shooting.At a vigil Tuesday night at LakePoint Community Church, Leeann Dersa choked back tears as she hugged friends and neighbors. Dersa has lived nearly all of her 73 years in Oxford. Her grandchildren attended the high school.“Scared us all something terrible. It’s awful,” Dersa said of the shooting.Pastor Jesse Holt said news of the shooting flooded in to him and his wife, including texts from some of the 20 to 25 students who are among the 400-member congregation.“Some were very scared, hiding under their desks and texting us, `We’re safe, we’re OK. We heard gunshots, but we’re OK.’ They were trying to calm us, at least that’s how it felt,” he said.

Fourth student dies from Michigan high school shooting

BROOKINGS, S.D. (AP) — A man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison in the 2019 starvation death of a toddler in Brookings County. 

Thirty-year-old Robert Price pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in an agreement with prosecutors. 

Price and Renae Fayant were charged in the death of Fayant’s niece, who was in their care.

 Fayant was earlier sentenced to 75 years in prison after pleading guilty to first-degree manslaughter. 

Prosecutors said Fayant was primarily responsible for the child. 

The charges against the two say the girl was living in filthy conditions in a small area of the residence in Brookings and was deprived of food and water for an extended period of time.

BROOKINGS, S.D. (AP) — A man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison in the 2019 starvation death of a toddler in Brookings County. Thirty-year-old Robert Price pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in an agreement with prosecutors. Price and Renae Fayant were charged in the death of Fayant’s niece, who was in their care. Fayant was earlier sentenced to 75 years in prison after pleading guilty to first-degree manslaughter. Prosecutors said Fayant was primarily responsible for the child. The charges against the two say the girl was living in filthy conditions in a small area of the residence in Brookings and was deprived of food and water for an extended period of time.

South Dakota man sentenced to 40 years in toddler's starvation death

WASHINGTON (AP) — Abortion rights are on the line at the Supreme Court in historic arguments over the landmark ruling nearly 50 years ago that declared a nationwide right to end a pregnancy.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?516168-1/dobbs-v-jackson-womens-health-organization-oral-argument">Click here to listen</a> to the a replay of arguments that ended at 11a.m. CDT

The justices on Wednesday will weigh whether to uphold a Mississippi law that bans abortion after 15 weeks and overrule the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.

Mississippi also is asking the court to overrule the 1992 ruling in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which reaffirmed Roe. The arguments can be heard live on the court’s website, starting at 10 a.m. EST.

The case comes to a court with a 6-3 conservative majority that has been transformed by three appointees of President Donald Trump, who had pledged to appoint justices he said would oppose abortion rights.

The court had never agreed to hear a case over an abortion ban so early in pregnancy until all three Trump appointees — Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett — were on board.

A month ago, the justices also heard arguments over a uniquely designed Texas law that has succeeded in getting around the Roe and Casey decisions and banning abortions in the nation’s second-largest state after about six weeks of pregnancy. The dispute over the Texas law revolves around whether the law can be challenged in federal court, rather than the right to an abortion.

Despite its unusually quick consideration of the issue, the court has yet to rule on the Texas law, and the justices have refused to put the law on hold while the matter is under legal review.

The Mississippi case poses questions central to the abortion right. Some of the debate Wednesday is likely to be over whether the court should abandon its long-held rule that states cannot ban abortion before the point of viability, at roughly 24 weeks.

More than 90% of abortions are performed in the first 13 weeks of pregnancy, well before viability, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Mississippi argues that viability is an arbitrary standard that doesn’t take sufficient account of the state’s interest in regulating abortion. It also contends that scientific advances have allowed some babies who were born earlier than 24 weeks to survive, though it does not argue that the line is anywhere near 15 weeks.

Only about 100 patients per year get abortions after 15 weeks at the Jackson Women’s Health Organization, Mississippi’s lone abortion clinic. The facility does not provide abortions after 16 weeks.

But the clinic argues that the court doesn’t normally assess constitutional rights based on how few people are affected, and that the justices shouldn’t do so in this case.

Joined by the Biden administration, the clinic also says that since Roe, the Supreme Court has consistently held that the “Constitution guarantees ‘the right of the woman to choose to have an abortion before viability.’”

Erasing viability as the line between when abortions may and may not be banned would effectively overrule Roe and Casey, even if the justices do not explicitly do that, the clinic says.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638369620989.png" alt="A large crowd of protesters on both sides of the abortion issue outside the Supreme Court Wednesday morning -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>A large crowd of protesters on both sides of the abortion issue outside the Supreme Court Wednesday morning -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Abortion rights are on the line at the Supreme Court in historic arguments over the landmark ruling nearly 50 years ago that declared a nationwide right to end a pregnancy.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?516168-1/dobbs-v-jackson-womens-health-organization-oral-argument">Click here to listen</a> to the a replay of arguments that ended at 11a.m. CDTThe justices on Wednesday will weigh whether to uphold a Mississippi law that bans abortion after 15 weeks and overrule the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.Mississippi also is asking the court to overrule the 1992 ruling in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which reaffirmed Roe. The arguments can be heard live on the court’s website, starting at 10 a.m. EST.The case comes to a court with a 6-3 conservative majority that has been transformed by three appointees of President Donald Trump, who had pledged to appoint justices he said would oppose abortion rights.The court had never agreed to hear a case over an abortion ban so early in pregnancy until all three Trump appointees — Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett — were on board.A month ago, the justices also heard arguments over a uniquely designed Texas law that has succeeded in getting around the Roe and Casey decisions and banning abortions in the nation’s second-largest state after about six weeks of pregnancy. The dispute over the Texas law revolves around whether the law can be challenged in federal court, rather than the right to an abortion.Despite its unusually quick consideration of the issue, the court has yet to rule on the Texas law, and the justices have refused to put the law on hold while the matter is under legal review.The Mississippi case poses questions central to the abortion right. Some of the debate Wednesday is likely to be over whether the court should abandon its long-held rule that states cannot ban abortion before the point of viability, at roughly 24 weeks.More than 90% of abortions are performed in the first 13 weeks of pregnancy, well before viability, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Mississippi argues that viability is an arbitrary standard that doesn’t take sufficient account of the state’s interest in regulating abortion. It also contends that scientific advances have allowed some babies who were born earlier than 24 weeks to survive, though it does not argue that the line is anywhere near 15 weeks.Only about 100 patients per year get abortions after 15 weeks at the Jackson Women’s Health Organization, Mississippi’s lone abortion clinic. The facility does not provide abortions after 16 weeks.But the clinic argues that the court doesn’t normally assess constitutional rights based on how few people are affected, and that the justices shouldn’t do so in this case.Joined by the Biden administration, the clinic also says that since Roe, the Supreme Court has consistently held that the “Constitution guarantees ‘the right of the woman to choose to have an abortion before viability.’”Erasing viability as the line between when abortions may and may not be banned would effectively overrule Roe and Casey, even if the justices do not explicitly do that, the clinic says.

🎤 Abortion rights at stake in historic Supreme Court showdown

One lucky player who bought a 2by2 ticket for the Tuesday, November 30 drawing is holding a ticket worth $22,000.

The Nebraska Lottery has confirmed that one ticket sold for Tuesday’s 2by2 draw matched all four winning numbers for the $22,000 top prize. The ticket was sold at Discount City, 848 S Burlington, in Hastings. The winning numbers from Tuesday’s 2by2 draw were Red 02, 20, and White 22, 25. Players are encouraged to check their tickets at any Nebraska Lottery retailer, online at nelottery.com, or by calling the Lottery office at 402-471-6100.

Winning Nebraska Lottery Lotto tickets expire 180 days after the drawing. Prizes of $20,000 or more must be claimed in person at Lottery headquarters in Lincoln. Additional information about claiming prizes can be found at the Nebraska Lottery website, nelottery.com, or by calling 800-587-5200.

2by2 is run by the Multi-State Lottery Association and was introduced in June 2002. Players in Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Wyoming have the opportunity to win up to $22,000 Monday through Sunday by playing 2by2. The odds of winning the $22,000 2by2 top prize are 1 in 105,625. The overall odds of winning any prize are 1 in 3.59.

The mission of the Nebraska Lottery is to generate proceeds for good causes while providing quality entertainment options to Nebraskans. Over $843 million has been raised for the Nebraska Lottery’s beneficiary funds since the Lottery began in 1993. All 93 counties in Nebraska have benefited from projects funded with these Nebraska Lottery proceeds.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1638367062380.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>News Release Nebraska LotteryOne lucky player who bought a 2by2 ticket for the Tuesday, November 30 drawing is holding a ticket worth $22,000.The Nebraska Lottery has confirmed that one ticket sold for Tuesday’s 2by2 draw matched all four winning numbers for the $22,000 top prize. The ticket was sold at Discount City, 848 S Burlington, in Hastings. The winning numbers from Tuesday’s 2by2 draw were Red 02, 20, and White 22, 25. Players are encouraged to check their tickets at any Nebraska Lottery retailer, online at nelottery.com, or by calling the Lottery office at 402-471-6100.Winning Nebraska Lottery Lotto tickets expire 180 days after the drawing. Prizes of $20,000 or more must be claimed in person at Lottery headquarters in Lincoln. Additional information about claiming prizes can be found at the Nebraska Lottery website, nelottery.com, or by calling 800-587-5200.2by2 is run by the Multi-State Lottery Association and was introduced in June 2002. Players in Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Wyoming have the opportunity to win up to $22,000 Monday through Sunday by playing 2by2. The odds of winning the $22,000 2by2 top prize are 1 in 105,625. The overall odds of winning any prize are 1 in 3.59.The mission of the Nebraska Lottery is to generate proceeds for good causes while providing quality entertainment options to Nebraskans. Over $843 million has been raised for the Nebraska Lottery’s beneficiary funds since the Lottery began in 1993. All 93 counties in Nebraska have benefited from projects funded with these Nebraska Lottery proceeds.

$22K winning Nebraska 2by2 ticket sold in Hastings

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has decided that National Guard members who refuse COVID-19 vaccination will be barred from federally funded drills and training required to maintain their Guard status.

Austin spelled out the policy in an internal memo obtained by The Associated Press. In the memo, he instructed leaders of the military services Tuesday to publish guidance by next week on dealing with Guard members who fail to meet military medical readiness requirements by refusing the vaccine.

“Vaccination is essential to the health and readiness of the force,” he wrote.

All members of the military are required to be vaccinated unless they obtain an official waiver for medical or other reasons.

The military services have set varying deadlines that apply to active and reserve forces. Members of the Air Guard must be vaccinated by December; Army Guard members have until June. Austin's policy will affect Guard members only when the vaccination deadline set by their service has been reached.

Under federal law, members of the National Guard must assemble for drills and participate in training a specific number of days per year.

Austin said those Guard members who are not allowed to participate in drills due to their refusal to be vaccinated will not be paid by the Defense Department. And they will not receive credit that would count toward retirement and other federal benefits. Austin told the service leaders to implement that policy in coordination with the chief of the National Guard Bureau and the Pentagon's top personnel officer.

When Guard troops are on state active duty, such as responding to local emergencies like flooding, they report to their governor and are paid by their state. But during monthly or annual training or when they are responding to larger emergencies in the state, they are controlled by the governor but funded by the federal government. This is known as Title 32 status, which is distinct from situations in which Guard members may be called to active duty for federal service, known as Title 10 status.

In spelling out the consequences of refusing the vaccine, Austin applied to the entire National Guard the same policy he established in response to Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt's request that his Guard members be exempt from the vaccine mandate. Stitt has argued that as governor he has the authority to allow members of the Oklahoma Guard to avoid the vaccine while they are under state control.

In a Nov. 2 letter to Austin, Stitt wrote that the mandate “violates the personal freedoms of many Oklahomans, as it asks them to potentially sacrifice their personal beliefs in order to not lose their jobs.”

In his response Monday, Austin denied Stitt's request and said the governor's concerns “do not negate the need" to be vaccinated. Oklahoma so far is the only state to assert that it can sidestep Austin's mandate.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1638310118543.png" alt="Defense Secretary Austin said those Guard members who are not allowed to participate in drills due to their refusal to be vaccinated will not be paid by the Defense Department.-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Defense Secretary Austin said those Guard members who are not allowed to participate in drills due to their refusal to be vaccinated will not be paid by the Defense Department.-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has decided that National Guard members who refuse COVID-19 vaccination will be barred from federally funded drills and training required to maintain their Guard status.Austin spelled out the policy in an internal memo obtained by The Associated Press. In the memo, he instructed leaders of the military services Tuesday to publish guidance by next week on dealing with Guard members who fail to meet military medical readiness requirements by refusing the vaccine.“Vaccination is essential to the health and readiness of the force,” he wrote.All members of the military are required to be vaccinated unless they obtain an official waiver for medical or other reasons.The military services have set varying deadlines that apply to active and reserve forces. Members of the Air Guard must be vaccinated by December; Army Guard members have until June. Austin's policy will affect Guard members only when the vaccination deadline set by their service has been reached.Under federal law, members of the National Guard must assemble for drills and participate in training a specific number of days per year.Austin said those Guard members who are not allowed to participate in drills due to their refusal to be vaccinated will not be paid by the Defense Department. And they will not receive credit that would count toward retirement and other federal benefits. Austin told the service leaders to implement that policy in coordination with the chief of the National Guard Bureau and the Pentagon's top personnel officer.When Guard troops are on state active duty, such as responding to local emergencies like flooding, they report to their governor and are paid by their state. But during monthly or annual training or when they are responding to larger emergencies in the state, they are controlled by the governor but funded by the federal government. This is known as Title 32 status, which is distinct from situations in which Guard members may be called to active duty for federal service, known as Title 10 status.In spelling out the consequences of refusing the vaccine, Austin applied to the entire National Guard the same policy he established in response to Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt's request that his Guard members be exempt from the vaccine mandate. Stitt has argued that as governor he has the authority to allow members of the Oklahoma Guard to avoid the vaccine while they are under state control.In a Nov. 2 letter to Austin, Stitt wrote that the mandate “violates the personal freedoms of many Oklahomans, as it asks them to potentially sacrifice their personal beliefs in order to not lose their jobs.”In his response Monday, Austin denied Stitt's request and said the governor's concerns “do not negate the need" to be vaccinated. Oklahoma so far is the only state to assert that it can sidestep Austin's mandate.The Pentagon considers the COVID-19 vaccines critical to maintaining a ready force — active and reserve — that can deploy when needed to protect the nation, and National Guard members are part of that force.According to figures provided by the National Guard Bureau, 70% of Guard members had received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine as of Nov. 22 and 62.6% had been fully vaccinated. Those numbers may undercount vaccinations since some Guard members may have been vaccinated outside of the military system, with their records not yet fully updated.