PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Two of 17 members of a missionary group who were kidnapped more than a month ago have been freed in Haiti and are safe, “in good spirits and being cared for,” their Ohio-based church organization announced Sunday.

Christian Aid Ministries issued a statement saying it could not give the names of those released, why they were freed or other information.

“While we rejoice at this release, our hearts are with the 15 people who are still being held,” the group said.

The spokesman for Haiti’s National Police, Gary Desrosiers, confirmed to The Associated Press that two hostages were released on Sunday.

The missionaries were kidnapped by the 400 Mawozo gang on Oct. 16. There are five children in the group of 16 U.S. citizens and one Canadian, including an 8-month-old. Their Haitian driver also was abducted, according to a local human rights organization.

The leader of the 400 Mawozo gang has threatened to kill the hostages unless his demands are met. Authorities have said the gang was demanding $1 million per person, although it wasn’t immediately clear that included the children in the group.

The release comes as Haiti struggles with a spike in gang-related violence and kidnappings, with the U.S. government recently urging U.S. citizens to leave Haiti amid deepening insecurity and a severe lack of fuel blamed on gangs blocking gas distribution terminals. On Friday, Canada announced it was pulling all but essential personnel from its embassy.

The fuel shortage has forced hospitals to turn away patients and paralyzed public transportation, with some schools closing and businesses shortening their work hours.

Haiti also is trying to recover from the July 7 assassination of President Jovenel Moise and a 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck in mid-August, killing more than 2,200 people and destroying tens of thousands of homes.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Two of 17 members of a missionary group who were kidnapped more than a month ago have been freed in Haiti and are safe, “in good spirits and being cared for,” their Ohio-based church organization announced Sunday.Christian Aid Ministries issued a statement saying it could not give the names of those released, why they were freed or other information.“While we rejoice at this release, our hearts are with the 15 people who are still being held,” the group said.The spokesman for Haiti’s National Police, Gary Desrosiers, confirmed to The Associated Press that two hostages were released on Sunday.The missionaries were kidnapped by the 400 Mawozo gang on Oct. 16. There are five children in the group of 16 U.S. citizens and one Canadian, including an 8-month-old. Their Haitian driver also was abducted, according to a local human rights organization.The leader of the 400 Mawozo gang has threatened to kill the hostages unless his demands are met. Authorities have said the gang was demanding $1 million per person, although it wasn’t immediately clear that included the children in the group.The release comes as Haiti struggles with a spike in gang-related violence and kidnappings, with the U.S. government recently urging U.S. citizens to leave Haiti amid deepening insecurity and a severe lack of fuel blamed on gangs blocking gas distribution terminals. On Friday, Canada announced it was pulling all but essential personnel from its embassy.The fuel shortage has forced hospitals to turn away patients and paralyzed public transportation, with some schools closing and businesses shortening their work hours.Haiti also is trying to recover from the July 7 assassination of President Jovenel Moise and a 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck in mid-August, killing more than 2,200 people and destroying tens of thousands of homes.

US missionaries say 2 of 17 abductees freed in Haiti

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A 20-year-old man died and another man was injured in a shooting outside an Omaha bar late Saturday night.

 Omaha Police said Demetrius Johnson of Omaha died at a hospital after the shooting at the DJ’s Dugout location on 114th Street just north of Dodge Street. 

Christopher Grutel, 20, was wounded in his right foot during the shooting that was reported around 11:30 p.m. Saturday. 

Police said both men were taken by private vehicles to different Omaha hospitals. 

No details about what led to the shooting were released immediately on Sunday. 

Johnson’s death is the 27th homicide of the year in Omaha.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A 20-year-old man died and another man was injured in a shooting outside an Omaha bar late Saturday night. Omaha Police said Demetrius Johnson of Omaha died at a hospital after the shooting at the DJ’s Dugout location on 114th Street just north of Dodge Street. Christopher Grutel, 20, was wounded in his right foot during the shooting that was reported around 11:30 p.m. Saturday. Police said both men were taken by private vehicles to different Omaha hospitals. No details about what led to the shooting were released immediately on Sunday. Johnson’s death is the 27th homicide of the year in Omaha.

1 man dead, 1 injured after Omaha bar shooting Saturday

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland on Friday formally declared “squaw” a derogatory term and said she is taking steps to remove it from federal government use and to replace other derogatory place names.

Haaland is ordering a federal panel tasked with naming geographic places to implement procedures to eliminate what she called racist terms from federal use. The decision provides momentum to a movement that has included the dismantling of other historical markers and monuments considered offensive across the country.

“Our nation’s lands and waters should be places to celebrate the outdoors and our shared cultural heritage — not to perpetuate the legacies of oppression,” Haaland said in a statement. “Today’s actions will accelerate an important process to reconcile derogatory place names and mark a significant step in honoring the ancestors who have stewarded our lands since time immemorial.”

The first Native American to lead a Cabinet agency, Haaland is from Laguna Pueblo in New Mexico.

The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed Charles F. “Chuck” Sams III&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-travel-environment-and-nature-native-americans-parks-d438edd19ca0c7f5d980ad2b7f5aba28">as head of the National Park Service</a>, making him the first Native American to hold that position. Haaland previously said Sams, who is Cayuse and Walla Walla, of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Oregon, would be an asset as the administration works to make national parks more accessible to everyone.

The Native American Rights Fund applauded Haaland’s move to address derogatory place names, saying action by the federal government is long overdue.

“Names that still use derogatory terms are an embarrassing legacy of this country’s colonialist and racist past,” said John Echohawk, the group’s executive director. “It is well past time for us, as a nation, to move forward, beyond these derogatory terms, and show Native people — and all people — equal respect.”

Environmentalists also praised the action, saying it marked a step toward reconciliation.

Under Haaland’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/files/elips/documents/so-3404-508.pdf" target="_blank">order</a>, a federal task force will find replacement names for geographic features on federal lands bearing the term “squaw,” which has been used as a slur, particularly for Indigenous women. A database maintained by the Board on Geographic Names shows there are more than 650 federal sites with names that contain the term.

The task force will be made up of representatives from federal land management agencies and experts with the Interior Department. Tribal consultation and public feedback will be part of the process.

The process for changing U.S. place names can take years, and federal officials said there are currently hundreds of proposed name changes pending before the board.

Haaland&nbsp;<a href="https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/files/elips/documents/so-3405-508.pdf" target="_blank">also called for the creation of an advisory committee</a>&nbsp;to solicit, review and recommend changes to other derogatory geographic and federal place names. That panel will be made up of tribal representatives and civil rights, anthropology and history experts.

In the 1960s and 1970s, the Board on Geographic Names took action to eliminate the use of derogatory terms for Black and Japanese people.

The board also voted in 2008 to change the name of a prominent Phoenix mountain from Squaw Peak to Piestewa Peak to honor Army Spc. Lori Piestewa, the first Native American woman to die in combat while serving in the U.S. military.

In California, the Squaw Valley Ski Resort changed its name to Palisades Tahoe earlier this year. The resort is in Olympic Valley, which was known as Squaw Valley until it hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics. Tribes in the region had been asking the resort for a name change for decades.

Colorado’s advisory naming panel also has recommended renaming Squaw Mountain near Denver in honor of a Native American woman who acted as a translator for tribes and white settlers in the 19th century. Northern Cheyenne tribal members also filed an application with the federal naming board in October to change the mountain’s name.

There is also legislation pending in Congress to address derogatory names on geographic features on public lands. States from Oregon to Maine have passed laws prohibiting the use of the word “squaw” in place names.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1614103644196.png" alt="Secretary Deb Haaland (Left) and Kansas 3rd District congresswoman Sharice Davids(Right)-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Secretary Deb Haaland (Left) and Kansas 3rd District congresswoman Sharice Davids(Right)-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland on Friday formally declared “squaw” a derogatory term and said she is taking steps to remove it from federal government use and to replace other derogatory place names.Haaland is ordering a federal panel tasked with naming geographic places to implement procedures to eliminate what she called racist terms from federal use. The decision provides momentum to a movement that has included the dismantling of other historical markers and monuments considered offensive across the country.“Our nation’s lands and waters should be places to celebrate the outdoors and our shared cultural heritage — not to perpetuate the legacies of oppression,” Haaland said in a statement. “Today’s actions will accelerate an important process to reconcile derogatory place names and mark a significant step in honoring the ancestors who have stewarded our lands since time immemorial.”The first Native American to lead a Cabinet agency, Haaland is from Laguna Pueblo in New Mexico.The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed Charles F. “Chuck” Sams III&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-travel-environment-and-nature-native-americans-parks-d438edd19ca0c7f5d980ad2b7f5aba28">as head of the National Park Service</a>, making him the first Native American to hold that position. Haaland previously said Sams, who is Cayuse and Walla Walla, of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Oregon, would be an asset as the administration works to make national parks more accessible to everyone.The Native American Rights Fund applauded Haaland’s move to address derogatory place names, saying action by the federal government is long overdue.“Names that still use derogatory terms are an embarrassing legacy of this country’s colonialist and racist past,” said John Echohawk, the group’s executive director. “It is well past time for us, as a nation, to move forward, beyond these derogatory terms, and show Native people — and all people — equal respect.”Environmentalists also praised the action, saying it marked a step toward reconciliation.Under Haaland’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/files/elips/documents/so-3404-508.pdf" target="_blank">order</a>, a federal task force will find replacement names for geographic features on federal lands bearing the term “squaw,” which has been used as a slur, particularly for Indigenous women. A database maintained by the Board on Geographic Names shows there are more than 650 federal sites with names that contain the term.The task force will be made up of representatives from federal land management agencies and experts with the Interior Department. Tribal consultation and public feedback will be part of the process.The process for changing U.S. place names can take years, and federal officials said there are currently hundreds of proposed name changes pending before the board.Haaland&nbsp;<a href="https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/files/elips/documents/so-3405-508.pdf" target="_blank">also called for the creation of an advisory committee</a>&nbsp;to solicit, review and recommend changes to other derogatory geographic and federal place names. That panel will be made up of tribal representatives and civil rights, anthropology and history experts.In the 1960s and 1970s, the Board on Geographic Names took action to eliminate the use of derogatory terms for Black and Japanese people.The board also voted in 2008 to change the name of a prominent Phoenix mountain from Squaw Peak to Piestewa Peak to honor Army Spc. Lori Piestewa, the first Native American woman to die in combat while serving in the U.S. military.In California, the Squaw Valley Ski Resort changed its name to Palisades Tahoe earlier this year. The resort is in Olympic Valley, which was known as Squaw Valley until it hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics. Tribes in the region had been asking the resort for a name change for decades.Colorado’s advisory naming panel also has recommended renaming Squaw Mountain near Denver in honor of a Native American woman who acted as a translator for tribes and white settlers in the 19th century. Northern Cheyenne tribal members also filed an application with the federal naming board in October to change the mountain’s name.There is also legislation pending in Congress to address derogatory names on geographic features on public lands. States from Oregon to Maine have passed laws prohibiting the use of the word “squaw” in place names.

Interior secretary seeks to rid US of derogatory place names

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon will increase housing payments for troops in key areas and look for ways to combat hunger across the force, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced Wednesday, in the department’s latest effort to address&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunger-in-america-military-food-insecurity-142728bcb5479fd2de73750e11dbd458">food insecurity among service members.</a>

Austin told reporters that troops have enough to worry about and that “basic necessities like food and housing shouldn’t be among them.”

According to an estimate by Feeding America, as many as 160,000 active-duty military members are having trouble feeding their families. The group, which coordinates the work of more than 200 food banks around the country, estimates that 29% of troops in the most junior enlisted ranks faced food insecurity during the previous year.

He said the department will immediately provide a temporary increase in the housing allowance for troops who live in areas where rent costs have gone up by at least 10% this year. Temporary lodging reimbursement will be extended for those moving into communities with housing shortages.

Austin said he has given the undersecretary for personnel 90 days to develop a longer term strategy.

The exact scope of the problem is a topic of debate, due to a lack of formal study. But activists say it has existed for years and primarily affects junior-level enlisted service members — ranks E1 to E4 in military parlance — with children.

Lower-ranking enlisted troops receive modest pay, and their frequent moves make it difficult for spouses to find steady work. The problem is exacerbated by an Agriculture Department rule that prevents thousands of needy military families from accessing the SNAP government assistance program, commonly known as food stamps.

Service members who do not live on bases get a housing allowance, which is counted as income in calculating their eligibility for food stamps. That additional amount, which is not counted as income for other federal programs, often enough to disqualify families for the food assistance.

Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, a former Blackhawk pilot who lost both legs in a helicopter crash in Iraq, has sponsored a bill that would establish a Basic Needs Allowance payment for military families in need.

Rep. James McGovern, D-Mass., has sought a Pentagon study of the problem and a repeal of the USDA’s Basic Allowance for Housing regulation.

In addition to the immediate actions, Austin said in&nbsp;<a href="https://media.defense.gov/2021/Nov/17/2002894808/-1/-1/1/STRENGTHENING-ECONOMIC-SECURITY-IN-THE-FORCE.PDF?source=GovDelivery" target="_blank">a memo</a>&nbsp;that the department should look into a number of other steps to increase stability for service members. They would include extending the tour length for troops deploying to some locations overseas, when they are accompanied by their families.

Where possible, he said the department should consider extending the three-year time limit on assignments at bases within the United States.

Austin also said the Pentagon should take steps to improve financial education and counseling for troops.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630115953785.png" alt="In addition to the immediate actions, Defense Sec. Lloyd&nbsp; Austin said in&nbsp;<a href="https://media.defense.gov/2021/Nov/17/2002894808/-1/-1/1/STRENGTHENING-ECONOMIC-SECURITY-IN-THE-FORCE.PDF?source=GovDelivery" target="_blank">a memo</a>&nbsp;that the department should look into a number of other steps to increase stability for service members.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>In addition to the immediate actions, Defense Sec. Lloyd&nbsp; Austin said in&nbsp;<a href="https://media.defense.gov/2021/Nov/17/2002894808/-1/-1/1/STRENGTHENING-ECONOMIC-SECURITY-IN-THE-FORCE.PDF?source=GovDelivery" target="_blank">a memo</a>&nbsp;that the department should look into a number of other steps to increase stability for service members.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon will increase housing payments for troops in key areas and look for ways to combat hunger across the force, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced Wednesday, in the department’s latest effort to address&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hunger-in-america-military-food-insecurity-142728bcb5479fd2de73750e11dbd458">food insecurity among service members.</a>Austin told reporters that troops have enough to worry about and that “basic necessities like food and housing shouldn’t be among them.”According to an estimate by Feeding America, as many as 160,000 active-duty military members are having trouble feeding their families. The group, which coordinates the work of more than 200 food banks around the country, estimates that 29% of troops in the most junior enlisted ranks faced food insecurity during the previous year.He said the department will immediately provide a temporary increase in the housing allowance for troops who live in areas where rent costs have gone up by at least 10% this year. Temporary lodging reimbursement will be extended for those moving into communities with housing shortages.Austin said he has given the undersecretary for personnel 90 days to develop a longer term strategy.The exact scope of the problem is a topic of debate, due to a lack of formal study. But activists say it has existed for years and primarily affects junior-level enlisted service members — ranks E1 to E4 in military parlance — with children.Lower-ranking enlisted troops receive modest pay, and their frequent moves make it difficult for spouses to find steady work. The problem is exacerbated by an Agriculture Department rule that prevents thousands of needy military families from accessing the SNAP government assistance program, commonly known as food stamps.Service members who do not live on bases get a housing allowance, which is counted as income in calculating their eligibility for food stamps. That additional amount, which is not counted as income for other federal programs, often enough to disqualify families for the food assistance.Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, a former Blackhawk pilot who lost both legs in a helicopter crash in Iraq, has sponsored a bill that would establish a Basic Needs Allowance payment for military families in need.Rep. James McGovern, D-Mass., has sought a Pentagon study of the problem and a repeal of the USDA’s Basic Allowance for Housing regulation.In addition to the immediate actions, Austin said in&nbsp;<a href="https://media.defense.gov/2021/Nov/17/2002894808/-1/-1/1/STRENGTHENING-ECONOMIC-SECURITY-IN-THE-FORCE.PDF?source=GovDelivery" target="_blank">a memo</a>&nbsp;that the department should look into a number of other steps to increase stability for service members. They would include extending the tour length for troops deploying to some locations overseas, when they are accompanied by their families.Where possible, he said the department should consider extending the three-year time limit on assignments at bases within the United States.Austin also said the Pentagon should take steps to improve financial education and counseling for troops.

Report: Thousands of active-duty military can't feed their families

By BRENT MARTIN <a href="https://stjosephpost.com">St. Joseph Post</a>

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — The president of the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank tells a
St. Joseph audience she doesn’t believe inflation is here to stay.

But, Esther George says the Federal Reserve cannot become
complacent and must act to help right an economy still trying to emerge from
the coronavirus pandemic.

George was the keynote speaker at the St. Joseph Chamber of
Commerce Economic Summit held on the Missouri Western State University campus.
George says the pandemic and our reaction to the pandemic threw the economy out
of balance.

“We have an economy where demand is outstripping supply today
and you all know from your basic Econ 101 when that happens you get rising
prices,” George says.

George characterizes the current economy as “tight,” a vast
improvement over the freefall it went into at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.
The federal government pumped trillions of dollars into the economy, fighting
COVID-19 as well as helping to shore up businesses rocked by the shutdowns of
March 2020 and individuals left without work.

George expects the economy to return to its pre-pandemic
level, eventually.

“The reason is those fiscal checks have gone out the door,”
George explains. “Last year, the PPP money has been dispersed and just the math
is that that money is gone. We will begin to see a step down in some of that
demand.”

The pandemic threw the economy out of balance as well,
shifting spending away from services and toward goods.

“People quit doing things like traveling. They quit going to
restaurants,” George says. &nbsp;“They quit
engaging in the kinds of services that were so prominent and they began to sit
behind their computers and starter buying stuff or going to Lowe’s or Home
Depot and buying things that would help remodel their homes.”

A big question looms over the recovering economy:&nbsp; is inflation a temporary or more permanent
concern?

George believes the 6% inflation rate which the country hasn’t
seen for years is a product of the ongoing effects of the pandemic and the slow
recovery from the deep recession it caused. The supply chain problems, the
tight labor market, the reluctance to return to leisure spending all
contribute.

George suggests the current spike in inflation will not last.
But, she does believe it could get out of hand if the Federal Reserve doesn’t
act promptly.

“Once the public begins to believe that inflation is there and
that prices tomorrow will be higher than they are today, it’s sets expectations
in motion for higher inflation,” according to George. “And, right now we see
that in many surveys that consumers are beginning to say I think inflation is
going to be here for three years.”

George says inflation pressures should ease once buying
patterns return to pre-pandemic levels. She says the tight labor market would
be helped by an increase in day care access which would allow women to return
to the workforce.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637424496276.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Federal Reserve President Esther George speaks at the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce Economic Summit/Photo by Brent Martin" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Federal Reserve President Esther George speaks at the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce Economic Summit/Photo by Brent Martin</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTIN <a href="https://stjosephpost.com">St. Joseph Post</a>ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — The president of the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank tells a
St. Joseph audience she doesn’t believe inflation is here to stay.But, Esther George says the Federal Reserve cannot become
complacent and must act to help right an economy still trying to emerge from
the coronavirus pandemic.George was the keynote speaker at the St. Joseph Chamber of
Commerce Economic Summit held on the Missouri Western State University campus.
George says the pandemic and our reaction to the pandemic threw the economy out
of balance.“We have an economy where demand is outstripping supply today
and you all know from your basic Econ 101 when that happens you get rising
prices,” George says.George characterizes the current economy as “tight,” a vast
improvement over the freefall it went into at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.
The federal government pumped trillions of dollars into the economy, fighting
COVID-19 as well as helping to shore up businesses rocked by the shutdowns of
March 2020 and individuals left without work.George expects the economy to return to its pre-pandemic
level, eventually.“The reason is those fiscal checks have gone out the door,”
George explains. “Last year, the PPP money has been dispersed and just the math
is that that money is gone. We will begin to see a step down in some of that
demand.”The pandemic threw the economy out of balance as well,
shifting spending away from services and toward goods.“People quit doing things like traveling. They quit going to
restaurants,” George says. &nbsp;“They quit
engaging in the kinds of services that were so prominent and they began to sit
behind their computers and starter buying stuff or going to Lowe’s or Home
Depot and buying things that would help remodel their homes.”A big question looms over the recovering economy:&nbsp; is inflation a temporary or more permanent
concern?George believes the 6% inflation rate which the country hasn’t
seen for years is a product of the ongoing effects of the pandemic and the slow
recovery from the deep recession it caused. The supply chain problems, the
tight labor market, the reluctance to return to leisure spending all
contribute.George suggests the current spike in inflation will not last.
But, she does believe it could get out of hand if the Federal Reserve doesn’t
act promptly.“Once the public begins to believe that inflation is there and
that prices tomorrow will be higher than they are today, it’s sets expectations
in motion for higher inflation,” according to George. “And, right now we see
that in many surveys that consumers are beginning to say I think inflation is
going to be here for three years.”George says inflation pressures should ease once buying
patterns return to pre-pandemic levels. She says the tight labor market would
be helped by an increase in day care access which would allow women to return
to the workforce.

KC Fed president doesn't believe inflation is here to stay

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of airline passengers traveling for Thanksgiving this year is expected to rebound to pre-coronavirus pandemic levels, but the Transportation Security Administration says it is ready to handle the surge.

Administrator David Pekoske said Wednesday he expects agency staffing to be sufficient for what’s traditionally TSA’s busiest travel period.

“We are prepared,” Pekoske told ABC’s “Good Morning America.” He said travelers should expect long lines at airports and plan to spend a little more time getting through security.

In 2019, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-news-travel-public-health-coronavirus-pandemic-thanksgiving-89bae1bb65636af83dc2229a2c11ae80">record 26 million passengers and crew passed through U.S. airport</a>&nbsp;screening in the 11-day period around Thanksgiving. But that plummeted in 2020 as the pandemic kept people at home.

Pekoske said he didn’t think a vaccine mandate going into effect for TSA agents Monday would have any effect on staffing for Thanksgiving next week.

“In fact, implementation of the mandate will make travel safer and healthier for everyone,” he said. “So, we see quite a significant increase in the number of our officers that are vaccinated, and I’m very confident that there will be no impact for Thanksgiving.”

Pekoske told NBC’s “Today” he remains “very concerned” about the issue of unruly passengers as incidents on airplanes have continued.

“The level of unruly behavior is much higher than I’ve ever seen it,” he said.

The Federal Aviation Administration says it has referred&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-airlines-federal-aviation-administration-32ef917a1a709f84ad90f7567cd14f09">37 cases involving unruly airline passengers to the FBI&nbsp;</a>for possible criminal prosecution since the number of disruptions on flights began to spike in January.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1622894132711.png" alt="Photo Kansas City International Airport" />
 <figcaption>Photo Kansas City International Airport</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of airline passengers traveling for Thanksgiving this year is expected to rebound to pre-coronavirus pandemic levels, but the Transportation Security Administration says it is ready to handle the surge.Administrator David Pekoske said Wednesday he expects agency staffing to be sufficient for what’s traditionally TSA’s busiest travel period.“We are prepared,” Pekoske told ABC’s “Good Morning America.” He said travelers should expect long lines at airports and plan to spend a little more time getting through security.In 2019, a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-news-travel-public-health-coronavirus-pandemic-thanksgiving-89bae1bb65636af83dc2229a2c11ae80">record 26 million passengers and crew passed through U.S. airport</a>&nbsp;screening in the 11-day period around Thanksgiving. But that plummeted in 2020 as the pandemic kept people at home.Pekoske said he didn’t think a vaccine mandate going into effect for TSA agents Monday would have any effect on staffing for Thanksgiving next week.“In fact, implementation of the mandate will make travel safer and healthier for everyone,” he said. “So, we see quite a significant increase in the number of our officers that are vaccinated, and I’m very confident that there will be no impact for Thanksgiving.”Pekoske told NBC’s “Today” he remains “very concerned” about the issue of unruly passengers as incidents on airplanes have continued.“The level of unruly behavior is much higher than I’ve ever seen it,” he said.The Federal Aviation Administration says it has referred&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-airlines-federal-aviation-administration-32ef917a1a709f84ad90f7567cd14f09">37 cases involving unruly airline passengers to the FBI&nbsp;</a>for possible criminal prosecution since the number of disruptions on flights began to spike in January.

TSA: Thanksgiving air travel to rebound to pre-covid levels

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. on Friday opened COVID-19 booster shots to all adults and took the extra step of urging people 50 and older to seek one, aiming to ward off a winter surge as coronavirus cases rise even before millions of Americans travel for the holidays.

Until now, Americans faced a confusing list of who was eligible for a booster that varied by age, their health and which kind of vaccine they got first. The Food and Drug Administration authorized changes to Pfizer and Moderna boosters that makes it easier.

Under the new rules, anyone 18 or older can choose either a Pfizer or Moderna booster six months after their last dose. For anyone who got the single-dose Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine, the wait already was just two months. And people can mix-and-match boosters from any company.

“We heard loud and clear that people needed something simpler — and this, I think, is simple,” FDA vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks told The Associated Press.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had to agree before the new policy became official late Friday. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky endorsed a recommendation from her agency’s scientific advisers that — in addition to offering all adults a booster — had stressed that people 50 and older should be urged to get one.

“It’s a stronger recommendation,” said CDC adviser Dr. Matthew Daley of Kaiser Permanente Colorado. “I want to make sure we provide as much protection as we can.”

The CDC also put out a plea for those who had previously qualified but hadn’t yet signed up for a booster to quit putting it off — saying older Americans and people with risks such as obesity, diabetes or other health problems should try to get one before the holidays.

The expansion makes tens of millions more Americans eligible for an extra dose of protection.

The No. 1 priority for the U.S., and the world, still is to get more unvaccinated people their first doses. All three COVID-19 vaccines used in the U.S. continue to offer strong protection against severe illness, including hospitalization and death, without a booster.

But protection against infection can wane with time, and the U.S. and many countries in Europe also are grappling with how widely to recommend boosters as they fight a winter wave of new cases. In the U.S., COVID-19 diagnoses have climbed steadily over the last three weeks, especially in states where colder weather already has driven people indoors.

And about a dozen states didn’t wait for federal officials to act before opening boosters to all adults.

“The direction is not a good one. People are going inside more and, ‘oops,’ next week happens to be the largest travel week of the year, so it probably makes sense to do whatever we can here to try to turn the tide,” Marks told the AP.

Vaccinations began in the U.S. last December, about a year after the coronavirus first emerged. More than 195 million Americans are now fully vaccinated, defined as having received two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or the single-dose J&amp;J. More than 32 million already have received a booster, a large proportion — 17 million — people 65 or older. Experts say that’s reassuring as seniors are at particularly high risk from COVID-19 and were among the first in line for initial vaccinations

Teen boosters aren’t yet under discussion, and kid-sized doses of Pfizer’s vaccine are just now rolling out to children ages 5 to 11.

The Biden administration had originally planned on boosters for all adults but until now, U.S. health authorities — backed by their scientific advisers — had questioned the need for such a widespread campaign. Instead, they first endorsed Pfizer or Moderna boosters only for vulnerable groups such as older Americans or those at high risk of COVID-19 because of health problems, their jobs or their living conditions.

This time around, the experts agreed the overall benefits of added protection from a third dose for any adult — six months after their last shot — outweighed risks of rare side effects from Moderna’s or Pfizer’s vaccine, such as a type of heart inflammation seen mostly in young men.

Several other countries have discouraged use of the Moderna vaccine in young people because of that concern, citing data suggesting the rare side effect may occur slightly more with that vaccine than its competitor.

Pfizer told CDC’s advisers that in a booster study of 10,000 people as young as 16, there were no more serious side effects from a third vaccine dose than earlier ones. That study found a booster restored protection against symptomatic infections to about 95% even while the extra-contagious delta variant was surging.

Britain recently released real-world data showing the same jump in protection once it began offering boosters to middle-aged and older adults, and Israel has credited widespread boosters for helping to beat back another wave of the virus.

While the vaccines spur immune memory that protects against severe disease, protection against infection depends on levels of virus-fighting antibodies that wane with time. No one yet knows how long antibody levels will stay high after a booster.

But even a temporary boost in protection against infection may help over the winter and holidays, said CDC’s Dr. Sara Oliver.

Some experts worry that all the attention to boosters may harm efforts to reach the 47 million U.S. adults who remain unvaccinated. There’s also growing concern that rich countries are offering widespread boosters when poor countries haven’t been able to vaccinate more than a small fraction of their populations.

“In terms of the No. 1 priority for reducing transmission in this country and throughout the world, this remains getting people their first vaccine series,” said Dr. David Dowdy of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637359841305.png" alt="CDC Director Rochelle Walensky - CDC also put out a plea for those who had previously qualified but hadn’t yet signed up for a booster to quit putting it off — saying older Americans and people with risks such as obesity, diabetes or other health problems should try to get one before the holidays." />
 <figcaption>CDC Director Rochelle Walensky - CDC also put out a plea for those who had previously qualified but hadn’t yet signed up for a booster to quit putting it off — saying older Americans and people with risks such as obesity, diabetes or other health problems should try to get one before the holidays.</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. on Friday opened COVID-19 booster shots to all adults and took the extra step of urging people 50 and older to seek one, aiming to ward off a winter surge as coronavirus cases rise even before millions of Americans travel for the holidays.Until now, Americans faced a confusing list of who was eligible for a booster that varied by age, their health and which kind of vaccine they got first. The Food and Drug Administration authorized changes to Pfizer and Moderna boosters that makes it easier.Under the new rules, anyone 18 or older can choose either a Pfizer or Moderna booster six months after their last dose. For anyone who got the single-dose Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine, the wait already was just two months. And people can mix-and-match boosters from any company.“We heard loud and clear that people needed something simpler — and this, I think, is simple,” FDA vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks told The Associated Press.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had to agree before the new policy became official late Friday. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky endorsed a recommendation from her agency’s scientific advisers that — in addition to offering all adults a booster — had stressed that people 50 and older should be urged to get one.“It’s a stronger recommendation,” said CDC adviser Dr. Matthew Daley of Kaiser Permanente Colorado. “I want to make sure we provide as much protection as we can.”The CDC also put out a plea for those who had previously qualified but hadn’t yet signed up for a booster to quit putting it off — saying older Americans and people with risks such as obesity, diabetes or other health problems should try to get one before the holidays.The expansion makes tens of millions more Americans eligible for an extra dose of protection.The No. 1 priority for the U.S., and the world, still is to get more unvaccinated people their first doses. All three COVID-19 vaccines used in the U.S. continue to offer strong protection against severe illness, including hospitalization and death, without a booster.But protection against infection can wane with time, and the U.S. and many countries in Europe also are grappling with how widely to recommend boosters as they fight a winter wave of new cases. In the U.S., COVID-19 diagnoses have climbed steadily over the last three weeks, especially in states where colder weather already has driven people indoors.And about a dozen states didn’t wait for federal officials to act before opening boosters to all adults.“The direction is not a good one. People are going inside more and, ‘oops,’ next week happens to be the largest travel week of the year, so it probably makes sense to do whatever we can here to try to turn the tide,” Marks told the AP.Vaccinations began in the U.S. last December, about a year after the coronavirus first emerged. More than 195 million Americans are now fully vaccinated, defined as having received two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or the single-dose J&amp;J. More than 32 million already have received a booster, a large proportion — 17 million — people 65 or older. Experts say that’s reassuring as seniors are at particularly high risk from COVID-19 and were among the first in line for initial vaccinationsTeen boosters aren’t yet under discussion, and kid-sized doses of Pfizer’s vaccine are just now rolling out to children ages 5 to 11.The Biden administration had originally planned on boosters for all adults but until now, U.S. health authorities — backed by their scientific advisers — had questioned the need for such a widespread campaign. Instead, they first endorsed Pfizer or Moderna boosters only for vulnerable groups such as older Americans or those at high risk of COVID-19 because of health problems, their jobs or their living conditions.This time around, the experts agreed the overall benefits of added protection from a third dose for any adult — six months after their last shot — outweighed risks of rare side effects from Moderna’s or Pfizer’s vaccine, such as a type of heart inflammation seen mostly in young men.Several other countries have discouraged use of the Moderna vaccine in young people because of that concern, citing data suggesting the rare side effect may occur slightly more with that vaccine than its competitor.Pfizer told CDC’s advisers that in a booster study of 10,000 people as young as 16, there were no more serious side effects from a third vaccine dose than earlier ones. That study found a booster restored protection against symptomatic infections to about 95% even while the extra-contagious delta variant was surging.Britain recently released real-world data showing the same jump in protection once it began offering boosters to middle-aged and older adults, and Israel has credited widespread boosters for helping to beat back another wave of the virus.While the vaccines spur immune memory that protects against severe disease, protection against infection depends on levels of virus-fighting antibodies that wane with time. No one yet knows how long antibody levels will stay high after a booster.But even a temporary boost in protection against infection may help over the winter and holidays, said CDC’s Dr. Sara Oliver.Some experts worry that all the attention to boosters may harm efforts to reach the 47 million U.S. adults who remain unvaccinated. There’s also growing concern that rich countries are offering widespread boosters when poor countries haven’t been able to vaccinate more than a small fraction of their populations.“In terms of the No. 1 priority for reducing transmission in this country and throughout the world, this remains getting people their first vaccine series,” said Dr. David Dowdy of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

US opens COVID boosters to all adults, urges them for 50+

WASHINGTON —A jury acquitted Kyle Rittenhouse of all charges Friday after he pleaded self-defense in the deadly Kenosha, Wisconsin, shootings that became a flashpoint in the nation’s debate over guns, vigilantism and racial injustice. 

The jury came back with its verdict after close to 3 1/2 days of deliberation.

President Biden issued a statement on the jury's decision.

"While the verdict in Kenosha will leave many Americans feeling angry and concerned, myself included, we must acknowledge that the jury has spoken.&nbsp;I ran on a promise to bring Americans together, because I believe that what unites us is far greater than what divides us.&nbsp; I know that we’re not going to heal our country’s wounds overnight, but I remain steadfast in my commitment to do everything in my power to ensure that every American is treated equally, with fairness and dignity, under the law. I urge everyone to express their views peacefully, consistent with the rule of law.&nbsp; Violence and destruction of property have no place in our democracy.&nbsp; The White House and Federal authorities have been in contact with Governor Evers’s&nbsp;office to prepare for any outcome in this case, and I have spoken with&nbsp;the Governor this afternoon and offered support and any assistance needed to ensure public safety."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637347582281.png" alt="Kyle Rittenhouse listens to the verdict Friday afternoon -photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Kyle Rittenhouse listens to the verdict Friday afternoon -photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —A jury acquitted Kyle Rittenhouse of all charges Friday after he pleaded self-defense in the deadly Kenosha, Wisconsin, shootings that became a flashpoint in the nation’s debate over guns, vigilantism and racial injustice. The jury came back with its verdict after close to 3 1/2 days of deliberation.President Biden issued a statement on the jury's decision."While the verdict in Kenosha will leave many Americans feeling angry and concerned, myself included, we must acknowledge that the jury has spoken.&nbsp;I ran on a promise to bring Americans together, because I believe that what unites us is far greater than what divides us.&nbsp; I know that we’re not going to heal our country’s wounds overnight, but I remain steadfast in my commitment to do everything in my power to ensure that every American is treated equally, with fairness and dignity, under the law. I urge everyone to express their views peacefully, consistent with the rule of law.&nbsp; Violence and destruction of property have no place in our democracy.&nbsp; The White House and Federal authorities have been in contact with Governor Evers’s&nbsp;office to prepare for any outcome in this case, and I have spoken with&nbsp;the Governor this afternoon and offered support and any assistance needed to ensure public safety."

Pres. Biden's statement on the Rittenhouse not guilty verdict

Acting United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Thomas Holbert, 32, of Omaha, Nebraska,&nbsp;was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for Conspiracy to Sex Traffic a Minor. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Holbert to 235 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal prison system. After his release from prison, Holbert will serve 5 years of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender.

Federal agents began investigating in September 2020, after two Omaha foster children went missing from their foster home. The investigation showed that Holbert picked up the victims, aged 16 and 17, and brought them to a hotel where Holbert posted online advertisements promoting the minors for commercial sex acts. Both victims then engaged in sex acts for money with Holbert and others receiving financial proceeds from those acts.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.projectsafechildhood.gov/" target="_blank">www.projectsafechildhood.gov</a>.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Omaha Police Department, and the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office.

Acting United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Thomas Holbert, 32, of Omaha, Nebraska,&nbsp;was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for Conspiracy to Sex Traffic a Minor. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Holbert to 235 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal prison system. After his release from prison, Holbert will serve 5 years of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender.Federal agents began investigating in September 2020, after two Omaha foster children went missing from their foster home. The investigation showed that Holbert picked up the victims, aged 16 and 17, and brought them to a hotel where Holbert posted online advertisements promoting the minors for commercial sex acts. Both victims then engaged in sex acts for money with Holbert and others receiving financial proceeds from those acts.This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.projectsafechildhood.gov/" target="_blank">www.projectsafechildhood.gov</a>.This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Omaha Police Department, and the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office.

Omaha man sentenced for conspiracy to sex traffic a minor

KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) — Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted of all charges Friday after pleading self-defense in the deadly Kenosha shootings that became a flashpoint in the nation’s debate over guns, vigilantism and racial injustice.

Rittenhouse, 18, cried and hugged one of his attorneys upon hearing the verdict.

He had been charged with homicide, attempted homicide and reckless endangering after killing two men and wounding a third with an AR-style semi-automatic rifle during a tumultuous night of protests over police violence against Black people in the summer of 2020. The former police youth cadet is white, as were those he shot.

The jury, which appeared to be overwhelmingly white, deliberated for close to 3 1/2 days.

Rittenhouse could have gotten life in prison if found guilty on the most serious charge, first-degree intentional homicide, or what some other states call first-degree murder.

As the verdict drew near, Gov. Tony Evers pleaded for calm and said 500 National Guard members would be ready for duty in Kenosha if needed.

Rittenhouse was 17 when he went from his home in Antioch, Illinois, to Kenosha after businesses in the city were ransacked and burned over the shooting of a Black man, Jacob Blake, by a white police officer.

Carrying a weapon that authorities said was illegally purchased for the underage Rittenhouse, he joined other armed citizens in what he said was an effort to protect property and provide medical aid.

Bystander and drone video captured most of the frenzied chain of events that followed: Rittenhouse killed Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, then shot to death protester Anthony Huber, 26, and wounded demonstrator Gaige Grosskreutz, now 28.

Prosecutors portrayed Rittenhouse as a “wannabe soldier” who had gone looking for trouble that night and was responsible for creating a dangerous situation in the first place by pointing his rifle at demonstrators.

But Rittenhouse testified: “I didn’t do anything wrong. I defended myself.”

Breaking into sobs at one point, he told the jury he opened fire after Rosenbaum chased him and made a grab for his gun. He said he was afraid his rifle was going to be wrested away and used to kill him.

Huber was then killed after hitting Rittenhouse in the head or neck with a skateboard, and Grosskreutz was shot after pointing a gun of his own at Rittenhouse.

The case was part of an extraordinary confluence of trials that reflected the deep divide over race in the United States: In Georgia, three white men are on trial in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, while in Virginia, a trial is underway in a lawsuit over the deadly white-supremacist rally held in Charlottesville in 2017.

The exact racial makeup of the Rittenhouse jury wasn’t clear because jurors were not asked about their race in court.

The bloodshed in Kenosha took place during a summer of sometimes-violent protests set off across the U.S. by the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and other cases involving the police use of force against Black people.

While some Americans condemned Rittenhouse as a vigilante, some on the right hailed him as a hero who exercised his Second Amendment gun rights and tried to put a stop to lawlessness.

Then-President Donald Trump said it appeared Rittenhouse had been “very violently attacked.” Supporters donated more than $2 million toward his legal defense.

Rittenhouse had also been charged with possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18, a misdemeanor that had appeared likely to lead to a conviction. But Judge Bruce Schroeder threw out that charge before jury deliberations after the defense argued that the Wisconsin law did not apply to the long-barreled rifle used by Rittenhouse.

Schroeder’s handling of the trial drew attention at several points, including when he led the applause for military veterans on Veterans Day just before a defense witness who had been in the Army was about to take the stand. The judge also let Rittenhouse himself draw juror numbers from a raffle drum to set the final 12 who deliberated.

Video and testimony from some of the prosecution’s own witnesses seemed to buttress Rittenhouse’s claim of self-defense.

Witnesses described Rosenbaum as “hyperaggressive” and said that he dared others to shoot him and threatened to kill Rittenhouse earlier that night. A videographer testified Rosenbaum lunged for the rifle just before he was shot, and a pathologist said his injuries appeared to indicate his hand was over the barrel.

Also, Rosenbaum’s fiancee disclosed that he was on medication for bipolar disorder and depression. Rittenhouse’s lawyers branded Rosenbaum a “crazy person.”

Some civil rights activists saw a racial double standard in the way the white gunman was treated.

On the night of the shootings, law enforcement officers saw Rittenhouse and other armed people on the streets despite a curfew and gave them bottles of water, with one officer heard saying over a loudspeaker, “We appreciate you guys.”

Later, amid the tumult, Rittenhouse managed to get past a police line with his weapon slung over his shoulder and was not arrested that night.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637347582281.png" alt="Kyle Rittenhouse listens to the verdict Friday afternoon -photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Kyle Rittenhouse listens to the verdict Friday afternoon -photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) — Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted of all charges Friday after pleading self-defense in the deadly Kenosha shootings that became a flashpoint in the nation’s debate over guns, vigilantism and racial injustice.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">&quot;We the jury find the defendant Kyle H. Rittenhouse not guilty.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/91TRqhj2ws">pic.twitter.com/91TRqhj2ws</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1461766352633569287?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Rittenhouse, 18, cried and hugged one of his attorneys upon hearing the verdict.He had been charged with homicide, attempted homicide and reckless endangering after killing two men and wounding a third with an AR-style semi-automatic rifle during a tumultuous night of protests over police violence against Black people in the summer of 2020. The former police youth cadet is white, as were those he shot.The jury, which appeared to be overwhelmingly white, deliberated for close to 3 1/2 days.Rittenhouse could have gotten life in prison if found guilty on the most serious charge, first-degree intentional homicide, or what some other states call first-degree murder.As the verdict drew near, Gov. Tony Evers pleaded for calm and said 500 National Guard members would be ready for duty in Kenosha if needed.Rittenhouse was 17 when he went from his home in Antioch, Illinois, to Kenosha after businesses in the city were ransacked and burned over the shooting of a Black man, Jacob Blake, by a white police officer.Carrying a weapon that authorities said was illegally purchased for the underage Rittenhouse, he joined other armed citizens in what he said was an effort to protect property and provide medical aid.Bystander and drone video captured most of the frenzied chain of events that followed: Rittenhouse killed Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, then shot to death protester Anthony Huber, 26, and wounded demonstrator Gaige Grosskreutz, now 28.Prosecutors portrayed Rittenhouse as a “wannabe soldier” who had gone looking for trouble that night and was responsible for creating a dangerous situation in the first place by pointing his rifle at demonstrators.But Rittenhouse testified: “I didn’t do anything wrong. I defended myself.”Breaking into sobs at one point, he told the jury he opened fire after Rosenbaum chased him and made a grab for his gun. He said he was afraid his rifle was going to be wrested away and used to kill him.Huber was then killed after hitting Rittenhouse in the head or neck with a skateboard, and Grosskreutz was shot after pointing a gun of his own at Rittenhouse.The case was part of an extraordinary confluence of trials that reflected the deep divide over race in the United States: In Georgia, three white men are on trial in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, while in Virginia, a trial is underway in a lawsuit over the deadly white-supremacist rally held in Charlottesville in 2017.The exact racial makeup of the Rittenhouse jury wasn’t clear because jurors were not asked about their race in court.The bloodshed in Kenosha took place during a summer of sometimes-violent protests set off across the U.S. by the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and other cases involving the police use of force against Black people.While some Americans condemned Rittenhouse as a vigilante, some on the right hailed him as a hero who exercised his Second Amendment gun rights and tried to put a stop to lawlessness.Then-President Donald Trump said it appeared Rittenhouse had been “very violently attacked.” Supporters donated more than $2 million toward his legal defense.Rittenhouse had also been charged with possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18, a misdemeanor that had appeared likely to lead to a conviction. But Judge Bruce Schroeder threw out that charge before jury deliberations after the defense argued that the Wisconsin law did not apply to the long-barreled rifle used by Rittenhouse.Schroeder’s handling of the trial drew attention at several points, including when he led the applause for military veterans on Veterans Day just before a defense witness who had been in the Army was about to take the stand. The judge also let Rittenhouse himself draw juror numbers from a raffle drum to set the final 12 who deliberated.Video and testimony from some of the prosecution’s own witnesses seemed to buttress Rittenhouse’s claim of self-defense.Witnesses described Rosenbaum as “hyperaggressive” and said that he dared others to shoot him and threatened to kill Rittenhouse earlier that night. A videographer testified Rosenbaum lunged for the rifle just before he was shot, and a pathologist said his injuries appeared to indicate his hand was over the barrel.Also, Rosenbaum’s fiancee disclosed that he was on medication for bipolar disorder and depression. Rittenhouse’s lawyers branded Rosenbaum a “crazy person.”Some civil rights activists saw a racial double standard in the way the white gunman was treated.On the night of the shootings, law enforcement officers saw Rittenhouse and other armed people on the streets despite a curfew and gave them bottles of water, with one officer heard saying over a loudspeaker, “We appreciate you guys.”Later, amid the tumult, Rittenhouse managed to get past a police line with his weapon slung over his shoulder and was not arrested that night.

 🎥 Not guilty: Kyle Rittenhouse cleared of all charges in Kenosha shootings

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Health officials have shut down a COVID-19 vaccination clinic north of downtown Omaha, citing repeated vandalism at the site of the drive-thru clinic.

 The Douglas County Health Department announced Friday that it's closing the clinic off Abbott Driver, just north of the CHI Health Center event facility. 

The department declined to give details about the vandalism, citing an ongoing criminal investigation into the matter. 

The health department says anyone who had an upcoming appointment at the site for a vaccine will be contacted by by staff to reschedule elsewhere. 

The department says it's looking for a new clinic site and will release information when a new site is opened.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Health officials have shut down a COVID-19 vaccination clinic north of downtown Omaha, citing repeated vandalism at the site of the drive-thru clinic. The Douglas County Health Department announced Friday that it's closing the clinic off Abbott Driver, just north of the CHI Health Center event facility. The department declined to give details about the vandalism, citing an ongoing criminal investigation into the matter. The health department says anyone who had an upcoming appointment at the site for a vaccine will be contacted by by staff to reschedule elsewhere. The department says it's looking for a new clinic site and will release information when a new site is opened.

Officials shutter Omaha vaccine clinic plagued by vandalism

WASHINGTON — Democrats brushed aside months-long divisions and pushed their expansive social and environment bill through a sharply divided House on Friday, as President Joe Biden and his party moved closer to capitalizing on their control of government by funneling its resources toward their top domestic priorities.

The House approved the legislation by a near party-line 220-213 vote, sending the measure to a Senate where cost-cutting demands by moderate Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and that chamber’s strict rules seem certain to force significant changes. That will prompt fresh disputes between party centrists and progressives that will likely take weeks to resolve.

Even so, House passage marked a watershed for a measure remarkable for the breadth and depth of the changes it would make in federal policies. Wrapped into one bill are far-reaching changes in taxation, health care, energy, climate change, family services, education and housing. That shows the Democrats’ desire to achieve their goals while controlling the White House and Congress, a dominance that could end after next year’s midterm elections.

Biden hailed the vote as “another giant step forward” for the country.

“Above all, it puts us on the path to build our economy back better than before by rebuilding the backbone of America: working people and the middle class,” he said in a statement.

Democrats gathered in front of the chamber, many arm in arm, as the final roll call ticked down. “Build Back Better,” many chanted, using Biden’s name for the measure. Their cheering grew louder as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi gaveled the vote to a close.

Republicans had little to celebrate, but showed some feistiness. “Good luck in the Senate,” taunted Rep. Kat Cammack of Florida.

The House vote also gave Biden a momentary taste of victory, and probably relief, during perhaps the rockiest period of his presidency. He’s been battered by falling approval in polls, reflecting voters’ concerns over inflation, gridlocked supply chains and the persistent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/coronavirus/?itid=lk_inline_manual_11" target="_blank">coronavirus</a>&nbsp;pandemic, leaving Democrats worried that their legislative efforts are not breaking through to voters.

“If you are a parent, a senior, a child, a worker, if you’re an American, this bill’s for you,” said Pelosi, underscoring Democrats’ efforts to impress the public.

Maine Rep. Jared Golden was the only Democrat to vote no.

Biden this week signed a $1 trillion package of highway and other infrastructure projects, another priority that overcame months of internal Democratic battling. The president has spent recent days promoting that measure around the country.

Final approval of the bigger bill, which had been expected Thursday, was delayed when Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., delivered an eight and one-half hour&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-donald-trump-joe-biden-kevin-mccarthy-congress-4e62762dee96af071d139ac9d4624b01">broadside</a>&nbsp;criticizing Biden, Democrats and the bill, the longest speech ever made in the House. When he finished his remarks near dawn, the House recessed briefly before resuming its work, dozens of members designating colleagues to cast their votes.

Standing and referring occasionally to a binder on his desk, McCarthy shouted and rasped hoarsely at times. Democrats sporadically booed and groaned as McCarthy glared back, underscoring partisan hostility only deepened by this week’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-entertainment-marjorie-taylor-greene-censures-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-854fd412b7a1049c8fb9a83fe2c56b8f">censure of Rep. Paul Gosar</a>, R-Ariz., for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-arizona-kevin-mccarthy-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-cortez-2d3c043a97b49e3e0c5192c5454fe2d6">threatening tweets</a>&nbsp;aimed at Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.

McCarthy, who hopes to become speaker if Republicans capture the chamber in next year’s elections, recited problems the country has faced under Biden, including inflation, China’s rise and large numbers of immigrants crossing the Southwest border. “Yeah, I want to go back,” he said in mocking reference to the “Build Back Better” name Biden uses for the legislation.

House rules do not limit how long party leaders may speak. In 2018, Pelosi, minority leader at the time,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-nancy-pelosi-ap-top-news-pope-francis-politics-2e040c93cda0458e9b73dfb3b11ac4aa">held the floor for just over eight hours</a>&nbsp;demanding action on immigration. Until McCarthy’s speech, hers was the House’s longest ever.

Friday’s vote came after the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that the package would worsen federal deficits by $160 billion over the coming decade. The agency also recalculated the measure’s 10-year price tag at $1.68 trillion, though that figure wasn’t directly comparable to a $1.85 trillion figure Democrats have been using.

The 2,100-page bill’s initiatives include bolstering child care assistance, creating free preschool, curbing seniors’ prescription drug costs and increasing efforts to slow climate change. Also included are tax credits to spur clean energy development, bolstered child care assistance and extended tax breaks for millions of families with children, lower-earning workers and people buying private health insurance.

Most of it would be paid for by tax increases on the wealthy, big corporations and companies doing business abroad.

The measure would provide $109 billion to create free preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds. There are large sums for home health care for seniors, new Medicare coverage for hearing and a new requirement for four weeks of paid family leave. The family leave program, however, was expected to be removed in the Senate, where it’s been opposed by Manchin.

There is also language to let the government issue work permits to millions of immigrants that would let them stay in the U.S. temporarily, and to save $297 billion by letting the government curb prescription drug costs. The fate of both those provisions is uncertain in the Senate, where the chamber’s nonpartisan parliamentarian enforces rules that limit provisions allowed in budget bills.

In one major but expected difference with the White House, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the bill’s added $80 billion to increase IRS tax enforcement would let it collect $207 billion in new revenue over the coming decade. That meant net savings of $127 billion, well below the White House’s more optimistic $400 billion estimate.

In a scorekeeping quirk, CBO officially estimated that the overall legislation would drive up federal deficits by $367 billion over the coming decade. Agency guidelines require it to ignore IRS savings when measuring a bill’s deficit impact, but it acknowledged that the IRS savings would ease budget shortfalls by a lower $160 billion.

Biden and other Democratic leaders have said the measure would pay for itself, largely through tax increases on the wealthy, big corporations and companies doing business abroad.

Both parties worry about deficits selectively. Republicans passed tax cuts in 2017 that worsened red ink by $1.9 trillion, while Democrats enacted a COVID-19 relief bill this year with that same price tag.

Republicans said the latest legislation would damage the economy, give tax breaks to some wealthy taxpayers and make government bigger and more intrusive. Drawing frequent GOP attacks was a provision boosting the limit on state and local taxes that people can deduct from federal taxes, which disproportionately helps top earners from high-tax coastal states.

Moderate Democrats were reassured by CBO’s figures.

Florida Democratic Rep. Stephanie Murphy, a leading centrist, backed the measure, saying the latest numbers showed the legislation “is fiscally disciplined.”

Vice President Kamala Harris’ tie-breaking vote gives Democrats control of the 50-50 Senate. That leaves Democrats with zero votes to spare, giving enormous leverage to Manchin in upcoming bargaining. The altered bill would have to return to the House before going to Biden’s desk.

The nonpartisan private Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, which preaches fiscal constraint, estimated that the bill’s overall cost would be nearly $5 trillion if Democrats hadn’t made some of its programs temporary. That includes tax credits for children that Democrats extended for just one year, making their price tags appear lower, even though the party would like those programs to be permanent.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637335989918.png" alt="House Speaker Nancy Pelosi celebrated passage during a Friday news conference. Wrapped into this one bill are far-reaching changes in taxation, health care, energy, climate change, family services, education and housing-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>House Speaker Nancy Pelosi celebrated passage during a Friday news conference. Wrapped into this one bill are far-reaching changes in taxation, health care, energy, climate change, family services, education and housing-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON — Democrats brushed aside months-long divisions and pushed their expansive social and environment bill through a sharply divided House on Friday, as President Joe Biden and his party moved closer to capitalizing on their control of government by funneling its resources toward their top domestic priorities.The House approved the legislation by a near party-line 220-213 vote, sending the measure to a Senate where cost-cutting demands by moderate Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and that chamber’s strict rules seem certain to force significant changes. That will prompt fresh disputes between party centrists and progressives that will likely take weeks to resolve.Even so, House passage marked a watershed for a measure remarkable for the breadth and depth of the changes it would make in federal policies. Wrapped into one bill are far-reaching changes in taxation, health care, energy, climate change, family services, education and housing. That shows the Democrats’ desire to achieve their goals while controlling the White House and Congress, a dominance that could end after next year’s midterm elections.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden and his administration LIED to the American people. BBB will cost American taxpayers BILLIONS of dollars. <a href="https://t.co/FOkWk6J5cC">https://t.co/FOkWk6J5cC</a>&mdash; Tracey Mann (@RepMann) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMann/status/1461698269415890944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Biden hailed the vote as “another giant step forward” for the country.“Above all, it puts us on the path to build our economy back better than before by rebuilding the backbone of America: working people and the middle class,” he said in a statement.Democrats gathered in front of the chamber, many arm in arm, as the final roll call ticked down. “Build Back Better,” many chanted, using Biden’s name for the measure. Their cheering grew louder as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi gaveled the vote to a close.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I just voted NO on the Democrats’ radical Build Back Better agenda. The fact is, Kansans want the federal government to spend less of their hard-earned money. The Build Back Better agenda does the opposite. It’s reckless, irresponsible, and disastrous for Kansas taxpayers. 👇👇 <a href="https://t.co/bKMqzfjc2S">pic.twitter.com/bKMqzfjc2S</a>&mdash; Rep. Jake LaTurner (@RepLaTurner) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepLaTurner/status/1461708337758838793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Republicans had little to celebrate, but showed some feistiness. “Good luck in the Senate,” taunted Rep. Kat Cammack of Florida.The House vote also gave Biden a momentary taste of victory, and probably relief, during perhaps the rockiest period of his presidency. He’s been battered by falling approval in polls, reflecting voters’ concerns over inflation, gridlocked supply chains and the persistent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/coronavirus/?itid=lk_inline_manual_11" target="_blank">coronavirus</a>&nbsp;pandemic, leaving Democrats worried that their legislative efforts are not breaking through to voters.“If you are a parent, a senior, a child, a worker, if you’re an American, this bill’s for you,” said Pelosi, underscoring Democrats’ efforts to impress the public.Maine Rep. Jared Golden was the only Democrat to vote no.Biden this week signed a $1 trillion package of highway and other infrastructure projects, another priority that overcame months of internal Democratic battling. The president has spent recent days promoting that measure around the country.Final approval of the bigger bill, which had been expected Thursday, was delayed when Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., delivered an eight and one-half hour&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-donald-trump-joe-biden-kevin-mccarthy-congress-4e62762dee96af071d139ac9d4624b01">broadside</a>&nbsp;criticizing Biden, Democrats and the bill, the longest speech ever made in the House. When he finished his remarks near dawn, the House recessed briefly before resuming its work, dozens of members designating colleagues to cast their votes.Standing and referring occasionally to a binder on his desk, McCarthy shouted and rasped hoarsely at times. Democrats sporadically booed and groaned as McCarthy glared back, underscoring partisan hostility only deepened by this week’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-entertainment-marjorie-taylor-greene-censures-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-854fd412b7a1049c8fb9a83fe2c56b8f">censure of Rep. Paul Gosar</a>, R-Ariz., for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-arizona-kevin-mccarthy-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-cortez-2d3c043a97b49e3e0c5192c5454fe2d6">threatening tweets</a>&nbsp;aimed at Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.McCarthy, who hopes to become speaker if Republicans capture the chamber in next year’s elections, recited problems the country has faced under Biden, including inflation, China’s rise and large numbers of immigrants crossing the Southwest border. “Yeah, I want to go back,” he said in mocking reference to the “Build Back Better” name Biden uses for the legislation.House rules do not limit how long party leaders may speak. In 2018, Pelosi, minority leader at the time,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-nancy-pelosi-ap-top-news-pope-francis-politics-2e040c93cda0458e9b73dfb3b11ac4aa">held the floor for just over eight hours</a>&nbsp;demanding action on immigration. Until McCarthy’s speech, hers was the House’s longest ever.Friday’s vote came after the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that the package would worsen federal deficits by $160 billion over the coming decade. The agency also recalculated the measure’s 10-year price tag at $1.68 trillion, though that figure wasn’t directly comparable to a $1.85 trillion figure Democrats have been using.The 2,100-page bill’s initiatives include bolstering child care assistance, creating free preschool, curbing seniors’ prescription drug costs and increasing efforts to slow climate change. Also included are tax credits to spur clean energy development, bolstered child care assistance and extended tax breaks for millions of families with children, lower-earning workers and people buying private health insurance.Most of it would be paid for by tax increases on the wealthy, big corporations and companies doing business abroad.The measure would provide $109 billion to create free preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds. There are large sums for home health care for seniors, new Medicare coverage for hearing and a new requirement for four weeks of paid family leave. The family leave program, however, was expected to be removed in the Senate, where it’s been opposed by Manchin.There is also language to let the government issue work permits to millions of immigrants that would let them stay in the U.S. temporarily, and to save $297 billion by letting the government curb prescription drug costs. The fate of both those provisions is uncertain in the Senate, where the chamber’s nonpartisan parliamentarian enforces rules that limit provisions allowed in budget bills.In one major but expected difference with the White House, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the bill’s added $80 billion to increase IRS tax enforcement would let it collect $207 billion in new revenue over the coming decade. That meant net savings of $127 billion, well below the White House’s more optimistic $400 billion estimate.In a scorekeeping quirk, CBO officially estimated that the overall legislation would drive up federal deficits by $367 billion over the coming decade. Agency guidelines require it to ignore IRS savings when measuring a bill’s deficit impact, but it acknowledged that the IRS savings would ease budget shortfalls by a lower $160 billion.Biden and other Democratic leaders have said the measure would pay for itself, largely through tax increases on the wealthy, big corporations and companies doing business abroad.Both parties worry about deficits selectively. Republicans passed tax cuts in 2017 that worsened red ink by $1.9 trillion, while Democrats enacted a COVID-19 relief bill this year with that same price tag.Republicans said the latest legislation would damage the economy, give tax breaks to some wealthy taxpayers and make government bigger and more intrusive. Drawing frequent GOP attacks was a provision boosting the limit on state and local taxes that people can deduct from federal taxes, which disproportionately helps top earners from high-tax coastal states.Moderate Democrats were reassured by CBO’s figures.Florida Democratic Rep. Stephanie Murphy, a leading centrist, backed the measure, saying the latest numbers showed the legislation “is fiscally disciplined.”Vice President Kamala Harris’ tie-breaking vote gives Democrats control of the 50-50 Senate. That leaves Democrats with zero votes to spare, giving enormous leverage to Manchin in upcoming bargaining. The altered bill would have to return to the House before going to Biden’s desk.The nonpartisan private Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, which preaches fiscal constraint, estimated that the bill’s overall cost would be nearly $5 trillion if Democrats hadn’t made some of its programs temporary. That includes tax credits for children that Democrats extended for just one year, making their price tags appear lower, even though the party would like those programs to be permanent.___

Divided House passes Biden's $1.9T Build Back Better Act

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska lawmaker who leads the Legislature’s Education Committee has unveiled a new proposal intended to provide more sustainable and predictable funding for K-12 public schools while lowering property taxes. 

Sen. Lynne Walz, of Fremont, says the measure would help stabilize the funding that schools get each year and ease their reliance on property taxes. 

The plan was developed in conjunction with Colubmus school officials and various public school associations, although its prospects in the Legislature are unclear.

 The plan would require an additional $715 million in state funding each year. 

It would then lower school district tax levies and reduce the amount of money that schools have to generate locally to cover their costs.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska lawmaker who leads the Legislature’s Education Committee has unveiled a new proposal intended to provide more sustainable and predictable funding for K-12 public schools while lowering property taxes. Sen. Lynne Walz, of Fremont, says the measure would help stabilize the funding that schools get each year and ease their reliance on property taxes. The plan was developed in conjunction with Colubmus school officials and various public school associations, although its prospects in the Legislature are unclear. The plan would require an additional $715 million in state funding each year. It would then lower school district tax levies and reduce the amount of money that schools have to generate locally to cover their costs.

Leading Nebraska senator unveils new school funding proposal

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a married Iowa couple's deaths were a murder-suicide. 

The Pottawatomie County Sheriff's office said officers were called on Nov. 7 to investigate a domestic disturbance at a home east of Council Bluffs. 

They found 83-year-old Bonnie Rankin dead of a gunshot wound. 

Her husband, 86-year-old Harvey Rankin, was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center for treatment of a gunshot wound. 

Sheriff's Sgt. Jim Doty said the investigation determined the couple died from a murder-suicide and the investigation has been closed.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a married Iowa couple's deaths were a murder-suicide. The Pottawatomie County Sheriff's office said officers were called on Nov. 7 to investigate a domestic disturbance at a home east of Council Bluffs. They found 83-year-old Bonnie Rankin dead of a gunshot wound. Her husband, 86-year-old Harvey Rankin, was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center for treatment of a gunshot wound. He died Tuesday. Sheriff's Sgt. Jim Doty said the investigation determined the couple died from a murder-suicide and the investigation has been closed.

Sheriff: Iowa couple's death ruled a murder-suicide

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. regulators on Friday opened up COVID-19 booster shots to all adults, expanding the government’s campaign to shore up protection and get ahead of rising coronavirus cases that may worsen with the holidays.

Pfizer and Moderna announced the Food and Drug Administration’s decision after at least 10 states already had started offering boosters to all adults. The latest action simplifies what until now has been a confusing list of who’s eligible by allowing anyone 18 or older to choose either company’s booster six months after their last dose — regardless of which vaccine they had first.

But there’s one more step: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must agree to expand Pfizer and Moderna boosters to even healthy young adults. Its scientific advisers were set to debate later Friday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635085085116.png" alt="A booster vaccination event last month in Lawrence-photo courtesy Douglas County" />
 <figcaption>A booster vaccination event last month in Lawrence-photo courtesy Douglas County</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. regulators on Friday opened up COVID-19 booster shots to all adults, expanding the government’s campaign to shore up protection and get ahead of rising coronavirus cases that may worsen with the holidays.Pfizer and Moderna announced the Food and Drug Administration’s decision after at least 10 states already had started offering boosters to all adults. The latest action simplifies what until now has been a confusing list of who’s eligible by allowing anyone 18 or older to choose either company’s booster six months after their last dose — regardless of which vaccine they had first.But there’s one more step: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must agree to expand Pfizer and Moderna boosters to even healthy young adults. Its scientific advisers were set to debate later Friday.If the CDC agrees, tens of millions more Americans could have three doses of protection ahead of the new year. Anyone who got the one-dose Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine can already get a booster.All three COVID-19 vaccines used in the U.S. still offer strong protection against severe illness including hospitalization and death, but protection against infection can wane with time. Previously, the government had cleared boosters of Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine, as well as the similar Moderna vaccine, only for vulnerable groups including older Americans and people with chronic health problems.The move to expand comes as new COVID-19 cases have climbed steadily over the last two weeks, especially in states where colder weather is driving people indoors.Sparked by those worrying trends, some states didn’t wait for federal officials to act. Utah and Massachusetts were the latest states to announce in the past week that they’re opening boosters to all adults.Boosters for everyone was the Biden administration’s original goal. But in September, a panel of FDA advisers voted overwhelmingly against that idea based on the vaccines’ continued effectiveness in most age groups. Instead they endorsed an extra Pfizer dose only for the most vulnerable.Since then, administration officials, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, have continued making the case for using boosters more widely, noting that even milder infections in younger people can cause “long COVID” and other complications.“I don’t know of any other vaccine where we only worry about keeping people out of the hospital,” said Fauci at a briefing Wednesday.Last week, Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech filed new data to make the case that broader boosters could help tamp down infections at a critical period.“We have absolutely no chance in the current situation to control the pandemic without providing boosters to everyone,” BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin told reporters during a visit to Washington last week.The companies studied 10,000 adults of all ages and found that a booster restored protection against symptomatic infections to about 95% even while the extra-contagious delta variant was surging. It’s too soon to know if that high level of protection will last longer after a third shot than after the second, something Sahin said the companies will carefully track.Backing up that evidence, Britain released real-world data this week showing the same jump in protection once it began offering boosters to middle-aged and older adults. Israel has credited widespread boosters for helping to beat back another wave of the virus in that country.More than 195 million Americans are fully vaccinated, defined as having received two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or the single-dose Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine. More than 30 million already have received a booster.Before the expansion, people who received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccinations were eligible for a third dose if they’re elderly or at high risk of COVID-19 because of health problems or their jobs or living conditions. Because a single J&amp;J shot hasn’t proven as effective as its two-dose competitors, any J&amp;J recipient can get a booster at least two months later.But people who don’t meet the criteria often score an extra shot because many vaccine sites don’t check qualifications.The FDA previously ruled that people getting a booster can receive a different brand from the vaccine they received initially.Some experts worry that all the attention to boosters may harm efforts to reach the 60 million Americans who are eligible for vaccinations but haven’t gotten the shots. There’s also growing concern that rich countries are offering widespread boosters when poor countries haven’t been able to vaccinate more than a small fraction of their populations.“In terms of the No. 1 priority for reducing transmission in this country and throughout the world, this remains getting people their first vaccine series,” said Dr. David Dowdy of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.___