By MAE ANDERSON AP Business Writer

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — An embattled Facebook Inc. is changing its name to Meta Platforms Inc., or Meta for short, to reflect what CEO Mark Zuckerberg says is its commitment to developing the new surround-yourself technology known as the “metaverse.” But the social network itself will still be called Facebook.

Skeptics immediately accused the company Thursday of trying to change the subject from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/the-facebook-papers?utm_source=apnewsnav&amp;utm_medium=featured">Facebook Papers,</a>&nbsp;the trove of leaked documents that have plunged it into the biggest crisis since it was founded in Zuckerberg’s Harvard dorm room 17 years ago. The documents portray Facebook as putting profits ahead of ridding its platform of hate, political strife and misinformation around the world.

Marketing consultant Laura Ries likened the move to BP rebranding itself to “Beyond Petroleum” to escape criticism that the oil giant harmed the environment.

“Facebook is the world’s social media platform and they are being accused of creating something that is harmful to people and society,” she said. “They can’t walk away from the social network with a new corporate name and talk of a future metaverse.”

Facebook the app, where users post personal updates and register likes, is not changing its name. Nor are Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger. The company’s corporate structure also won’t change. But on Dec. 1, its stock will start trading under a new ticker symbol, MVRS.

The metaverse is sort of the internet brought to life, or at least rendered in 3D. Zuckerberg has described it as a “virtual environment” you can go inside of, instead of just looking at on a screen. People can meet, work and play, using virtual reality headsets, augmented reality glasses, smartphone apps or other devices.

It also will incorporate other aspects of online life such as shopping and social media, according to Victoria Petrock, an analyst who follows emerging technologies.

Other tech companies such as Microsoft, chipmaker Nvidia and Fortnite maker Epic Games have all been outlining their own visions of how the metaverse will work.

Zuckerberg said that he expects the metaverse to reach a billion people within the next decade and that he hopes the new technology will creates millions of jobs for creators.

The announcement comes amid heightened legislative and regulatory scrutiny of Facebook in many parts of the world because of the Facebook Papers. A corporate rebranding isn’t likely to solve the myriad problems revealed by the internal documents.

Zuckerberg, for his part, has largely dismissed the furor triggered by the Facebook Papers as unfair.

Some of Facebook’s biggest critics seemed unimpressed by the name change. The Real Facebook Oversight Board, a watchdog group focused on the company, announced that it will keep its name.

“Changing their name doesn’t change reality: Facebook is destroying our democracy and is the world’s leading peddler of disinformation and hate,” the group said in a statement. “Their meaningless name change should not distract from the investigation, regulation and real, independent oversight needed to hold Facebook accountable.”

In explaining the rebrand, Zuckerberg said the name Facebook doesn’t encompass everything the company does anymore. In addition to its social network, that now includes Instagram, Messenger, its Quest VR headset, its Horizon VR platform and more.

“Today we are seen as a social media company,” Zuckerberg said. “But in our DNA we are a company that builds technology to connect people.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635447652356.png" alt="Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said during his Thursday presentation, the company will focus on the "metaverse," a virtual computer-generated space where people can interact." />
 <figcaption>Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said during his Thursday presentation, the company will focus on the "metaverse," a virtual computer-generated space where people can interact.</figcaption>
 </figure>By MAE ANDERSON AP Business WriterOAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — An embattled Facebook Inc. is changing its name to Meta Platforms Inc., or Meta for short, to reflect what CEO Mark Zuckerberg says is its commitment to developing the new surround-yourself technology known as the “metaverse.” But the social network itself will still be called Facebook.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fzuck%2Fvideos%2F1898414763675286%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=0" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Skeptics immediately accused the company Thursday of trying to change the subject from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/the-facebook-papers?utm_source=apnewsnav&amp;utm_medium=featured">Facebook Papers,</a>&nbsp;the trove of leaked documents that have plunged it into the biggest crisis since it was founded in Zuckerberg’s Harvard dorm room 17 years ago. The documents portray Facebook as putting profits ahead of ridding its platform of hate, political strife and misinformation around the world.Marketing consultant Laura Ries likened the move to BP rebranding itself to “Beyond Petroleum” to escape criticism that the oil giant harmed the environment.“Facebook is the world’s social media platform and they are being accused of creating something that is harmful to people and society,” she said. “They can’t walk away from the social network with a new corporate name and talk of a future metaverse.”Facebook the app, where users post personal updates and register likes, is not changing its name. Nor are Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger. The company’s corporate structure also won’t change. But on Dec. 1, its stock will start trading under a new ticker symbol, MVRS.The metaverse is sort of the internet brought to life, or at least rendered in 3D. Zuckerberg has described it as a “virtual environment” you can go inside of, instead of just looking at on a screen. People can meet, work and play, using virtual reality headsets, augmented reality glasses, smartphone apps or other devices.It also will incorporate other aspects of online life such as shopping and social media, according to Victoria Petrock, an analyst who follows emerging technologies.Other tech companies such as Microsoft, chipmaker Nvidia and Fortnite maker Epic Games have all been outlining their own visions of how the metaverse will work.Zuckerberg said that he expects the metaverse to reach a billion people within the next decade and that he hopes the new technology will creates millions of jobs for creators.The announcement comes amid heightened legislative and regulatory scrutiny of Facebook in many parts of the world because of the Facebook Papers. A corporate rebranding isn’t likely to solve the myriad problems revealed by the internal documents.Zuckerberg, for his part, has largely dismissed the furor triggered by the Facebook Papers as unfair.Some of Facebook’s biggest critics seemed unimpressed by the name change. The Real Facebook Oversight Board, a watchdog group focused on the company, announced that it will keep its name.“Changing their name doesn’t change reality: Facebook is destroying our democracy and is the world’s leading peddler of disinformation and hate,” the group said in a statement. “Their meaningless name change should not distract from the investigation, regulation and real, independent oversight needed to hold Facebook accountable.”In explaining the rebrand, Zuckerberg said the name Facebook doesn’t encompass everything the company does anymore. In addition to its social network, that now includes Instagram, Messenger, its Quest VR headset, its Horizon VR platform and more.“Today we are seen as a social media company,” Zuckerberg said. “But in our DNA we are a company that builds technology to connect people.”___

🎥 Facebook changes name to Meta in rebranding effort

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said his company is rebranding itself as Meta, an effort to encompass its virtual-reality vision for the future. 

Experts point out that it also appears to be an attempt to change the subject from the Facebook Papers, a document trove that has revealed how Facebook ignored or downplayed internal warnings of the negative and often harmful consequences its algorithms wreaked across the world. 

Zuckerberg insists that the metaverse — what you might think of as the internet rendered in three dimensions — represents the next technological horizon for humanity, and thinks a billion people could be connected to it within a decade.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635450130376.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said his company is rebranding itself as Meta, an effort to encompass its virtual-reality vision for the future. Experts point out that it also appears to be an attempt to change the subject from the Facebook Papers, a document trove that has revealed how Facebook ignored or downplayed internal warnings of the negative and often harmful consequences its algorithms wreaked across the world. Zuckerberg insists that the metaverse — what you might think of as the internet rendered in three dimensions — represents the next technological horizon for humanity, and thinks a billion people could be connected to it within a decade.

Facebook Inc. rebrands as Meta to stress ‘metaverse’ plan

News Release Nebraska State Patrol

Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol have arrested one person after a pursuit in Lancaster and Gage Counties.

At approximately 4:45 p.m. Wednesday, NSP received a report of a reckless vehicle driving on Highway 77 near west Lincoln. A trooper was able to locate the vehicle, a Toyota Celica, as it was traveling southbound on Highway 77 near the Highway 33 junction. The trooper attempted a traffic stop, but the vehicle fled. The trooper initiated a pursuit.

The vehicle fled southbound on Highway 77 with speeds reaching near 100 miles per hour. The Celica then crossed the median and began driving southbound on the shoulder of the northbound lanes of Highway 77. The trooper continued in the correct lane of travel. As the vehicle approached a Gage County Sheriff’s Deputy near the junction of Highway 77 and Highway 41, the suspect vehicle turned around and began traveling northbound on the shoulder of the southbound lanes.

Troopers continued their pursuit while maintaining their position on the correct side of the highway. Other troopers then performed rolling roadblocks to stop southbound traffic, which allowed a trooper to cross the median and pursue from directly behind the suspect vehicle. At that time, as the vehicle approached Panama Road, it drove into the ditch and became stuck in the mud. The driver was then taken into custody without further incident.

The driver, Charles Rothman, 31, of Lincoln, was arrested for flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, and an active warrant for a parole violation. He was lodged in Lancaster County Jail.

News Release Nebraska State PatrolTroopers with the Nebraska State Patrol have arrested one person after a pursuit in Lancaster and Gage Counties.At approximately 4:45 p.m. Wednesday, NSP received a report of a reckless vehicle driving on Highway 77 near west Lincoln. A trooper was able to locate the vehicle, a Toyota Celica, as it was traveling southbound on Highway 77 near the Highway 33 junction. The trooper attempted a traffic stop, but the vehicle fled. The trooper initiated a pursuit.The vehicle fled southbound on Highway 77 with speeds reaching near 100 miles per hour. The Celica then crossed the median and began driving southbound on the shoulder of the northbound lanes of Highway 77. The trooper continued in the correct lane of travel. As the vehicle approached a Gage County Sheriff’s Deputy near the junction of Highway 77 and Highway 41, the suspect vehicle turned around and began traveling northbound on the shoulder of the southbound lanes.Troopers continued their pursuit while maintaining their position on the correct side of the highway. Other troopers then performed rolling roadblocks to stop southbound traffic, which allowed a trooper to cross the median and pursue from directly behind the suspect vehicle. At that time, as the vehicle approached Panama Road, it drove into the ditch and became stuck in the mud. The driver was then taken into custody without further incident.The driver, Charles Rothman, 31, of Lincoln, was arrested for flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, and an active warrant for a parole violation. He was lodged in Lancaster County Jail.

Troopers make arrest in pursuit south of Lincoln

OSAGE COUNTY&nbsp; – Law enforcement authorities are conducting an investigation regarding the online solicitation of a child by an adult.

On October 26, Osage County Investigators and Jefferson County Deputies arrested Marcus L. Smith, 39, of Effingham, in Ozawkie on an Osage County arrest warrant, according to Osage County Sheriff Chris Wells.

Smith was transported to the Jefferson County Jail where he was held on the warrant.

On Wednesday, Osage County deputies transported Smith to the Osage County Jail Facility where he is being held on requested charges of electronic solicitation and indecent solicitation of a minor.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635416096432.png" alt="Smith photo Osage Co." />
 <figcaption>Smith photo Osage Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>OSAGE COUNTY&nbsp; – Law enforcement authorities are conducting an investigation regarding the online solicitation of a child by an adult.On October 26, Osage County Investigators and Jefferson County Deputies arrested Marcus L. Smith, 39, of Effingham, in Ozawkie on an Osage County arrest warrant, according to Osage County Sheriff Chris Wells.Smith was transported to the Jefferson County Jail where he was held on the warrant.On Wednesday, Osage County deputies transported Smith to the Osage County Jail Facility where he is being held on requested charges of electronic solicitation and indecent solicitation of a minor.

Sheriff: Kansas man accused of online child sex crime

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Douglas County prosecutors say they'll try an Omaha man again for a 2019 double killing after a jury deadlocked on convicting him this week. 

The Omaha World-Herald reports that a lone holdout on the jury in the case against 22-year-old Nyir Kuek led to a mistrial being declared Wednesday in his murder trial that relied on circumstantial evidence, including two eyewitnesses. 

Prosecutors promised to try Kuek again for the June 18, 2019, shooting deaths of 50-year-old Tracy Atkins and 57-year-old Michael Sykora in an Omaha home. That would be the third trial for Kuek in the case. 

His first ended in mistrial last year when someone in the courtroom tested positive for COVID-19.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635438845932.png" alt="Kuek" />
 <figcaption>Kuek</figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Douglas County prosecutors say they'll try an Omaha man again for a 2019 double killing after a jury deadlocked on convicting him this week. The Omaha World-Herald reports that a lone holdout on the jury in the case against 22-year-old Nyir Kuek led to a mistrial being declared Wednesday in his murder trial that relied on circumstantial evidence, including two eyewitnesses. Prosecutors promised to try Kuek again for the June 18, 2019, shooting deaths of 50-year-old Tracy Atkins and 57-year-old Michael Sykora in an Omaha home. That would be the third trial for Kuek in the case. His first ended in mistrial last year when someone in the courtroom tested positive for COVID-19.

Omaha man to be tried again for murders following hung jury

WASHINGTON (AP) — Top Democrats signaled a deal is within reach on President Joe Biden’s big domestic bill, but momentum fizzled and tempers flared as a paid family leave proposal fell out and a billionaires’ tax appeared scrapped, mostly to satisfy a pivotal member of the 50-50 Senate.

With his signature domestic initiative at stake, Biden will head to Capitol Hill on Thursday morning to urge Democratic lawmakers to bring talks on the social services and climate change bill “over the finish line” before he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-joe-biden-business-rome-scotland-30c46a7eda7f8549d12fd70bd264b4f3">departs for global summits overseas</a>.

Still in the mix: expanded health care programs, free pre-kindergarten and some $500 billion to tackle&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/climate-change">climate change</a>&nbsp;remain in what’s now at least a $1.75 trillion package.

And Democrats are eyeing a new surcharge on the wealthy — 5% on incomes above $10 million and an additional 3% on those beyond $25 million — to help pay for it, according to a person who insisted on anonymity to discuss the private talks.

“They’re all within our reach. Let’s bring these bills over the finish line.” Biden tweeted late Wednesday.

To help push lawmakers toward that goal, Biden will speak Thursday morning to the House Democratic Caucus, a person familiar with the plan told The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. Besides pressing for important party priorities, the president was hoping to show foreign leaders the U.S. was getting things done under his administration.

The administration was assessing the situation “hour by hour,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.

It was a fast-moving day on Capitol Hill that started upbeat as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declared that Democrats were in “pretty good shape.” But hopes quickly faded as Biden’s big proposal ran into stubborn new setbacks, chief among them how to pay for it all.

A just-proposed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-business-health-personal-taxes-bb51ab8b987c32e00c743a05d428079c">tax on billionaires&nbsp;</a>could be scrapped after Democratic&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-manchin">Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia</a>&nbsp;objected, according to a senior party aide, who insisted on anonymity to discuss the private talks.

The billionaires’ tax proposal had been designed to win over another Democratic holdout,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kyrsten-sinema">Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona</a>, but Manchin panned it as unfairly targeting the wealthy, leaving Democrats at odds.

“People in the stratosphere, rather than trying to penalize, we ought to be pleased that this country is able to produce the wealth,” Manchin told reporters.

Manchin said he prefers a minimum 15% flat “patriotic tax” to ensure the wealthiest Americans don’t skip out on paying any taxes. Nevertheless, he said: “We need to move forward.”

Next to fall was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-business-lifestyle-environment-62b77a3a1bf44dd41525fe577b04a848">a proposed paid family leave program</a>&nbsp;that was already being chiseled back from 12 to four weeks to satisfy Manchin. But with his objections, it was unlikely to be included in the bill, the person said.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., had devised several new options for Manchin’s review and told reporters late in the evening, “It’s not over until it’s over.”

Together, Manchin’s and Sinema’s objections packed a one-two punch, throwing Biden’s overall plan into flux, halving&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-politics-business-us-news-ap-top-news-a6e8ed2379857b7aa9c64f6d608bb938">what had been a $3.5 trillion package</a>, and infuriating colleagues along the way.

In the evenly divided Senate, Biden needs all Democrats’ support with no votes to spare.

White House officials met at the Capitol with Manchin and Sinema, two senators who now hold enormous power, essentially deciding whether or not Biden will be able to deliver on the Democrats’ major campaign promises.

“Making progress,” Sinema said as she dashed into an elevator.

A Sunday deadline loomed for approving a smaller, bipartisan roads-and-bridges infrastructure bill or risk allowing funds for routine transportation programs to expire. But that $1 trillion bill has been held up by progressive lawmakers who are refusing to give their support without the bigger Biden deal.

Despite a series of deadlines, Democrats have been unable to close the deal among themselves, and Republicans overwhelmingly oppose the package. At best, Democrats could potentially reach a framework Thursday that could send Biden overseas with a deal in hand and unlock the process while the final details were sewn up.

Applying pressure, Pelosi announced a Thursday committee hearing to spur the Biden package along toward a full House vote, though timing remained uncertain.

Democrats had hoped the unveiling of the billionaires tax Wednesday could help resolve the revenue side of the equation after Sinema rejected the party’s earlier idea of reversing Trump-era tax breaks on corporations and the wealthy, those earning more than $400,000.

The new billionaires’ proposal would tax the gains of those with more than $1 billion in assets or incomes of more than $100 million over three consecutive years — fewer than 800 people — requiring them pay taxes on the gains of stocks and other tradeable assets, rather than waiting until holdings are sold.

The billionaires’ tax rate would align with the capital gains rate, now 23.8%. Democrats have said it could raise $200 billion in revenue that could help fund Biden’s package over 10 years.

Republicans have derided the billionaires’ tax as “harebrained,” and some have suggested it would face a legal challenge.

But Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, insisted the billionaires tax remains on the table.

“I’ve not heard a single United States senator — not one — get up and say, ‘Gee, I think it’s just fun that billionaires pay little or nothing for years on end,’” Wyden said.

More likely in the mix was the companion proposal,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-child-care-social-services-congress-61767cd905c55f3f204d7824f6924c5a">a new 15% corporate minimum tax</a>, as well as the new surtax being proposed on higher incomes above $10 million.

Together they are designed to fulfill Biden’s desire for the wealthy and big business to pay their “fair share.” They also fit his promise that no new taxes hit those earning less than $400,000 a year, or $450,000 for couples. Biden wants his package fully paid for without piling on debt.

Resolving the revenue side has been crucial, as lawmakers figure out how much money will be available to spend on the new health, child care and climate change programs in Biden’s big plan.

Among Democrats, Rep. Richard Neal of Massachusetts, the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, said he told Wyden the billionaires’ tax may be difficult to implement. Despite Sinema’s opposition, he expects Democrats to stick with the approach his panel took in simply raising rates on corporations and the wealthy, undoing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-us-news-business-laws-2d9e099660064f2b8a8fc2237b4e7e4e">the 2017 tax cuts</a>.

“There’s a lot of there’s a lot of angst in there over the billionaires’ tax,” Neal said.

Under the House bill approved by Neal’s panel, the top individual income tax rate would rise from 37% to 39.6%, on those earning more than $400,000 a year, or $450,000 for couples. The corporate rate would increase from 21% to 26.5%.

The House bill also proposes a 3% surtax on the wealthiest Americans with adjusted income beyond $5 million a year, and Neal suggested that could be raised to $10 million to win over the holdouts.

Opposition from the two senators is forcing difficult reductions, if not the outright elimination, of policy priorities — from child care assistance to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-health-care-69c7bb592f8d73232bec1d8e15be82e3">dental, vision and hearing aid benefits</a>&nbsp;for seniors.

The once hefty&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-joe-biden-business-environment-joe-manchin-fc08eb6a3be7282a2fcd17761f83ecba">climate change strategies</a>&nbsp;are less punitive on polluters, as coal-state Manchin objected, focusing instead on rewarding clean energy incentives.

Said Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont Independent: “You got 48 out of 50 people supporting an agenda that works for the American people.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635417614124.png" alt="With his signature domestic initiative at stake, Biden will head to Capitol Hill on Thursday morning to urge Democratic lawmakers to bring talks on the social services and climate change bill “over the finish line” before he&nbsp;departs for global summits overseas-photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>With his signature domestic initiative at stake, Biden will head to Capitol Hill on Thursday morning to urge Democratic lawmakers to bring talks on the social services and climate change bill “over the finish line” before he&nbsp;departs for global summits overseas-photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Top Democrats signaled a deal is within reach on President Joe Biden’s big domestic bill, but momentum fizzled and tempers flared as a paid family leave proposal fell out and a billionaires’ tax appeared scrapped, mostly to satisfy a pivotal member of the 50-50 Senate.With his signature domestic initiative at stake, Biden will head to Capitol Hill on Thursday morning to urge Democratic lawmakers to bring talks on the social services and climate change bill “over the finish line” before he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-joe-biden-business-rome-scotland-30c46a7eda7f8549d12fd70bd264b4f3">departs for global summits overseas</a>.Still in the mix: expanded health care programs, free pre-kindergarten and some $500 billion to tackle&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/climate-change">climate change</a>&nbsp;remain in what’s now at least a $1.75 trillion package.And Democrats are eyeing a new surcharge on the wealthy — 5% on incomes above $10 million and an additional 3% on those beyond $25 million — to help pay for it, according to a person who insisted on anonymity to discuss the private talks.“They’re all within our reach. Let’s bring these bills over the finish line.” Biden tweeted late Wednesday.To help push lawmakers toward that goal, Biden will speak Thursday morning to the House Democratic Caucus, a person familiar with the plan told The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. Besides pressing for important party priorities, the president was hoping to show foreign leaders the U.S. was getting things done under his administration.The administration was assessing the situation “hour by hour,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.It was a fast-moving day on Capitol Hill that started upbeat as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declared that Democrats were in “pretty good shape.” But hopes quickly faded as Biden’s big proposal ran into stubborn new setbacks, chief among them how to pay for it all.A just-proposed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-business-health-personal-taxes-bb51ab8b987c32e00c743a05d428079c">tax on billionaires&nbsp;</a>could be scrapped after Democratic&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-manchin">Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia</a>&nbsp;objected, according to a senior party aide, who insisted on anonymity to discuss the private talks.The billionaires’ tax proposal had been designed to win over another Democratic holdout,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kyrsten-sinema">Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona</a>, but Manchin panned it as unfairly targeting the wealthy, leaving Democrats at odds.“People in the stratosphere, rather than trying to penalize, we ought to be pleased that this country is able to produce the wealth,” Manchin told reporters.Manchin said he prefers a minimum 15% flat “patriotic tax” to ensure the wealthiest Americans don’t skip out on paying any taxes. Nevertheless, he said: “We need to move forward.”Next to fall was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-business-lifestyle-environment-62b77a3a1bf44dd41525fe577b04a848">a proposed paid family leave program</a>&nbsp;that was already being chiseled back from 12 to four weeks to satisfy Manchin. But with his objections, it was unlikely to be included in the bill, the person said.Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., had devised several new options for Manchin’s review and told reporters late in the evening, “It’s not over until it’s over.”Together, Manchin’s and Sinema’s objections packed a one-two punch, throwing Biden’s overall plan into flux, halving&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-politics-business-us-news-ap-top-news-a6e8ed2379857b7aa9c64f6d608bb938">what had been a $3.5 trillion package</a>, and infuriating colleagues along the way.In the evenly divided Senate, Biden needs all Democrats’ support with no votes to spare.White House officials met at the Capitol with Manchin and Sinema, two senators who now hold enormous power, essentially deciding whether or not Biden will be able to deliver on the Democrats’ major campaign promises.“Making progress,” Sinema said as she dashed into an elevator.A Sunday deadline loomed for approving a smaller, bipartisan roads-and-bridges infrastructure bill or risk allowing funds for routine transportation programs to expire. But that $1 trillion bill has been held up by progressive lawmakers who are refusing to give their support without the bigger Biden deal.Despite a series of deadlines, Democrats have been unable to close the deal among themselves, and Republicans overwhelmingly oppose the package. At best, Democrats could potentially reach a framework Thursday that could send Biden overseas with a deal in hand and unlock the process while the final details were sewn up.Applying pressure, Pelosi announced a Thursday committee hearing to spur the Biden package along toward a full House vote, though timing remained uncertain.Democrats had hoped the unveiling of the billionaires tax Wednesday could help resolve the revenue side of the equation after Sinema rejected the party’s earlier idea of reversing Trump-era tax breaks on corporations and the wealthy, those earning more than $400,000.The new billionaires’ proposal would tax the gains of those with more than $1 billion in assets or incomes of more than $100 million over three consecutive years — fewer than 800 people — requiring them pay taxes on the gains of stocks and other tradeable assets, rather than waiting until holdings are sold.The billionaires’ tax rate would align with the capital gains rate, now 23.8%. Democrats have said it could raise $200 billion in revenue that could help fund Biden’s package over 10 years.Republicans have derided the billionaires’ tax as “harebrained,” and some have suggested it would face a legal challenge.But Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, insisted the billionaires tax remains on the table.“I’ve not heard a single United States senator — not one — get up and say, ‘Gee, I think it’s just fun that billionaires pay little or nothing for years on end,’” Wyden said.More likely in the mix was the companion proposal,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-child-care-social-services-congress-61767cd905c55f3f204d7824f6924c5a">a new 15% corporate minimum tax</a>, as well as the new surtax being proposed on higher incomes above $10 million.Together they are designed to fulfill Biden’s desire for the wealthy and big business to pay their “fair share.” They also fit his promise that no new taxes hit those earning less than $400,000 a year, or $450,000 for couples. Biden wants his package fully paid for without piling on debt.Resolving the revenue side has been crucial, as lawmakers figure out how much money will be available to spend on the new health, child care and climate change programs in Biden’s big plan.Among Democrats, Rep. Richard Neal of Massachusetts, the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, said he told Wyden the billionaires’ tax may be difficult to implement. Despite Sinema’s opposition, he expects Democrats to stick with the approach his panel took in simply raising rates on corporations and the wealthy, undoing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-america-donald-trump-us-news-business-laws-2d9e099660064f2b8a8fc2237b4e7e4e">the 2017 tax cuts</a>.“There’s a lot of there’s a lot of angst in there over the billionaires’ tax,” Neal said.Under the House bill approved by Neal’s panel, the top individual income tax rate would rise from 37% to 39.6%, on those earning more than $400,000 a year, or $450,000 for couples. The corporate rate would increase from 21% to 26.5%.The House bill also proposes a 3% surtax on the wealthiest Americans with adjusted income beyond $5 million a year, and Neal suggested that could be raised to $10 million to win over the holdouts.Opposition from the two senators is forcing difficult reductions, if not the outright elimination, of policy priorities — from child care assistance to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-health-care-69c7bb592f8d73232bec1d8e15be82e3">dental, vision and hearing aid benefits</a>&nbsp;for seniors.The once hefty&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-joe-biden-business-environment-joe-manchin-fc08eb6a3be7282a2fcd17761f83ecba">climate change strategies</a>&nbsp;are less punitive on polluters, as coal-state Manchin objected, focusing instead on rewarding clean energy incentives.Said Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont Independent: “You got 48 out of 50 people supporting an agenda that works for the American people.”

Tempers flare: Paid family leave falls out of Biden's $1.75T bill

MILAN, Ill. (AP) — A vehicle struck and killed a United Auto Workers member Wednesday as he was walking to a picket line to join striking workers outside a John Deere distribution plant in northwest&nbsp;Illinois, the union and police said.

The man, identified as 56-year-old Richard Rich, was struck at about 6 a.m. CDT at an intersection near a road that leads to the John Deere Parts Distribution Center in Milan, Illinois, Police Chief Shawn Johnson said.

Rich was crossing the Rock Island-Milan Parkway at Deere Drive when he was hit by the motorist, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

“We don't believe it to be intentional, but it's still an ongoing investigation and it did happen out near the middle of the intersection where the pedestrian was crossing the roadway," Johnson told The Associated Press.

UAW leaders said Rich was a 15-year employee of the Deere plant. He was a member of UAW Local 79 in Milan, UAW said in a statement.

“On behalf of the UAW and all working families, we mourn the passing of our UAW brother,” said UAW President Ray Curry. “It is a somber time to lose a member who made the ultimate sacrifice in reporting to picket for a better life for his family and co-workers.”

John Deere spokeswoman Jennifer Hartmann said in a statement the company was “saddened by the tragic accident" that killed one of its employees and offered “our deepest condolences" to Rich's family and friends.

More than 10,000 Deere &amp; Co. workers went on strike this month at 14 Deere factories in Illinois,&nbsp;Iowa,&nbsp;Kansas,&nbsp;Colorado&nbsp;and&nbsp;Georgia&nbsp;after the UAW rejected a contract offer. It was the first major walkout at the agricultural machinery giant in more than three decades.

Union members rejected a contract offer that would have delivered 5% raises to some workers and 6% raises to others at the Illinois company known for its green tractors.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634596496067.png" alt="The strike began Oct. 14 after union members overwhelmingly rejected a proposed contract that would have delivered 5% raises to some workers and 6% raises to others depending on their positions in the factory.-Photo courtesy WQAD TV" />
 <figcaption>The strike began Oct. 14 after union members overwhelmingly rejected a proposed contract that would have delivered 5% raises to some workers and 6% raises to others depending on their positions in the factory.-Photo courtesy WQAD TV</figcaption>
 </figure>MILAN, Ill. (AP) — A vehicle struck and killed a United Auto Workers member Wednesday as he was walking to a picket line to join striking workers outside a John Deere distribution plant in northwest&nbsp;Illinois, the union and police said.The man, identified as 56-year-old Richard Rich, was struck at about 6 a.m. CDT at an intersection near a road that leads to the John Deere Parts Distribution Center in Milan, Illinois, Police Chief Shawn Johnson said.Rich was crossing the Rock Island-Milan Parkway at Deere Drive when he was hit by the motorist, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.“We don't believe it to be intentional, but it's still an ongoing investigation and it did happen out near the middle of the intersection where the pedestrian was crossing the roadway," Johnson told The Associated Press.UAW leaders said Rich was a 15-year employee of the Deere plant. He was a member of UAW Local 79 in Milan, UAW said in a statement.“On behalf of the UAW and all working families, we mourn the passing of our UAW brother,” said UAW President Ray Curry. “It is a somber time to lose a member who made the ultimate sacrifice in reporting to picket for a better life for his family and co-workers.”John Deere spokeswoman Jennifer Hartmann said in a statement the company was “saddened by the tragic accident" that killed one of its employees and offered “our deepest condolences" to Rich's family and friends.More than 10,000 Deere &amp; Co. workers went on strike this month at 14 Deere factories in Illinois,&nbsp;Iowa,&nbsp;Kansas,&nbsp;Colorado&nbsp;and&nbsp;Georgia&nbsp;after the UAW rejected a contract offer. It was the first major walkout at the agricultural machinery giant in more than three decades.Union members rejected a contract offer that would have delivered 5% raises to some workers and 6% raises to others at the Illinois company known for its green tractors.

Deere strike enters 3rd week; UAW member hit, killed by car near picket line

The
 Federal Trade Commission today announced a newly updated rule that 
strengthens the data security safeguards that financial institutions are
 required to put in place to protect their customers’ financial 
information. In recent years, widespread data breaches and cyberattacks 
have resulted in significant harms to consumers, including monetary 
loss, identity theft, and other forms of financial distress. The FTC’s 
updated Safeguards Rule requires non-banking financial institutions, 
such as mortgage brokers, motor vehicle dealers, and payday lenders, to 
develop, implement, and maintain a comprehensive security system to keep
 their customers’ information safe. 

“Financial institutions and 
other entities that collect sensitive consumer data have a 
responsibility to protect it,” said Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC’s
 Bureau of Consumer Protection. “The updates adopted by the Commission 
to the Safeguards Rule detail common-sense steps that these institutions
 must implement to protect consumer data from cyberattacks and other 
threats.”

The changes adopted by the Commission to the <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/policy/federal-register-notices/16-cfr-part-314-standards-safeguarding-customer-information-final">Safeguards Rule</a>&nbsp;include
 more specific criteria for what safeguards financial institutions must 
implement as part of their information security program such as limiting
 who can access consumer data and using encryption to secure the data. 
Under the updated Safeguards Rule, institutions must also explain their 
information sharing practices, specifically the administrative, 
technical, and physical safeguards the financial institutions use&nbsp;to 
access, collect, distribute, process, protect, store, use, transmit, 
dispose of, or otherwise handle&nbsp;customers’ secure information. In 
addition, financial institutions will be required to designate a single 
qualified individual to oversee their information security program and 
report periodically to an organization’s board of directors, or a senior
 officer in charge of information security.

The Safeguards Rule 
was mandated by Congress under the 1999 Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act. Today’s 
updates are the result of years of public input. In 2019, the FTC <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2019/03/ftc-seeks-comment-proposed-amendments-safeguards-privacy-rules">sought comment on proposed changes</a> to the Safeguards Rule and, in 2020 held <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/events-calendar/information-security-financial-institutions-ftc-workshop-examine">a public workshop on the Safeguards Rule.</a>

In
 addition to the updates, the FTC is seeking comment on whether to make 
an additional change to the Safeguards Rule to require financial 
institutions to report certain data breaches and other security events 
to the Commission. The FTC is issuing<a href="https://www.ftc.gov/policy/federal-register-notices/16-cfr-part-314-standards-safeguarding-customer-information-2"> </a><a href="https://www.ftc.gov/policy/federal-register-notices/16-cfr-part-314-standards-safeguarding-customer-information-2">a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking</a>,
 which will be published in the Federal Register shortly. The public 
will have 60 days after the notice is published in the Federal Register 
to submit a comment.

Today, the FTC also announced it adopted largely technical changes to its authority under a separate <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/policy/federal-register-notices/16-cfr-part-313-privacy-consumer-financial-information-rule-under-0">Gramm-Leach Bliley Act rule</a>,
 which requires financial institutions to inform customers about their 
information-sharing practices and allow customers to opt out of having 
their information shared with certain third parties. These changes align
 the rule with changes made under the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform
 and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank). Under Dodd-Frank, Congress 
narrowed the FTC’s jurisdiction under that rule to only apply to motor 
vehicle dealers.

The Commission voted 5-0 to publish the final 
revisions to update the FTC’s jurisdiction under Dodd-Frank and the 
supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking to the Safeguards Rule in the
 Federal Register. The Commission voted 3-2 to publish the revisions to 
the Safeguards Rule in the Federal Register. Commissioners Noah Joshua 
Phillips and Christine S. Wilson voted no and issued a joint <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/public-statements/2021/10/joint-statement-commissioners-noah-joshua-phillips-christine-s-wilson">dissenting statement</a>. Chair Lina M. Khan and Rebecca Kelly Slaughter issued a <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/public-statements/2021/10/statement-chair-lina-m-khan-joined-commissioner-rebecca-kelly-slaughter">separate joint statement</a>.

The Federal Trade Commission works to promote competition and to <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/bureaus-offices/bureau-consumer-protection">protect and educate consumers</a>. You can <a href="https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/">learn more about consumer topics</a> and file a <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/complaint">consumer complaint online</a> or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357).&nbsp;For the latest news and resources, <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 our <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 today announced a newly updated rule that 
strengthens the data security safeguards that financial institutions are
 required to put in place to protect their customers’ financial 
information. In recent years, widespread data breaches and cyberattacks 
have resulted in significant harms to consumers, including monetary 
loss, identity theft, and other forms of financial distress. The FTC’s 
updated Safeguards Rule requires non-banking financial institutions, 
such as mortgage brokers, motor vehicle dealers, and payday lenders, to 
develop, implement, and maintain a comprehensive security system to keep
 their customers’ information safe. “Financial institutions and 
other entities that collect sensitive consumer data have a 
responsibility to protect it,” said Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC’s
 Bureau of Consumer Protection. “The updates adopted by the Commission 
to the Safeguards Rule detail common-sense steps that these institutions
 must implement to protect consumer data from cyberattacks and other 
threats.”The changes adopted by the Commission to the <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/policy/federal-register-notices/16-cfr-part-314-standards-safeguarding-customer-information-final">Safeguards Rule</a>&nbsp;include
 more specific criteria for what safeguards financial institutions must 
implement as part of their information security program such as limiting
 who can access consumer data and using encryption to secure the data. 
Under the updated Safeguards Rule, institutions must also explain their 
information sharing practices, specifically the administrative, 
technical, and physical safeguards the financial institutions use&nbsp;to 
access, collect, distribute, process, protect, store, use, transmit, 
dispose of, or otherwise handle&nbsp;customers’ secure information. In 
addition, financial institutions will be required to designate a single 
qualified individual to oversee their information security program and 
report periodically to an organization’s board of directors, or a senior
 officer in charge of information security.The Safeguards Rule 
was mandated by Congress under the 1999 Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act. Today’s 
updates are the result of years of public input. In 2019, the FTC <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2019/03/ftc-seeks-comment-proposed-amendments-safeguards-privacy-rules">sought comment on proposed changes</a> to the Safeguards Rule and, in 2020 held <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/events-calendar/information-security-financial-institutions-ftc-workshop-examine">a public workshop on the Safeguards Rule.</a>In
 addition to the updates, the FTC is seeking comment on whether to make 
an additional change to the Safeguards Rule to require financial 
institutions to report certain data breaches and other security events 
to the Commission. The FTC is issuing<a href="https://www.ftc.gov/policy/federal-register-notices/16-cfr-part-314-standards-safeguarding-customer-information-2"> </a><a href="https://www.ftc.gov/policy/federal-register-notices/16-cfr-part-314-standards-safeguarding-customer-information-2">a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking</a>,
 which will be published in the Federal Register shortly. The public 
will have 60 days after the notice is published in the Federal Register 
to submit a comment.Today, the FTC also announced it adopted largely technical changes to its authority under a separate <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/policy/federal-register-notices/16-cfr-part-313-privacy-consumer-financial-information-rule-under-0">Gramm-Leach Bliley Act rule</a>,
 which requires financial institutions to inform customers about their 
information-sharing practices and allow customers to opt out of having 
their information shared with certain third parties. These changes align
 the rule with changes made under the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform
 and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank). Under Dodd-Frank, Congress 
narrowed the FTC’s jurisdiction under that rule to only apply to motor 
vehicle dealers.The Commission voted 5-0 to publish the final 
revisions to update the FTC’s jurisdiction under Dodd-Frank and the 
supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking to the Safeguards Rule in the
 Federal Register. The Commission voted 3-2 to publish the revisions to 
the Safeguards Rule in the Federal Register. Commissioners Noah Joshua 
Phillips and Christine S. Wilson voted no and issued a joint <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/public-statements/2021/10/joint-statement-commissioners-noah-joshua-phillips-christine-s-wilson">dissenting statement</a>. Chair Lina M. Khan and Rebecca Kelly Slaughter issued a <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/public-statements/2021/10/statement-chair-lina-m-khan-joined-commissioner-rebecca-kelly-slaughter">separate joint statement</a>.The Federal Trade Commission works to promote competition and to <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/bureaus-offices/bureau-consumer-protection">protect and educate consumers</a>. You can <a href="https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/">learn more about consumer topics</a> and file a <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/complaint">consumer complaint online</a> or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357).&nbsp;For the latest news and resources, <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 our <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs">blogs</a>.

After widespread breaches, feds amp up rules for protecting your data

The
 Federal Trade Commission sued Xlear, Inc., a Utah-based company, for 
violating the COVID-19 Consumer Protection Act, alleging that it falsely
 pitched its saline nasal sprays as an effective way to prevent and 
treat COVID-19.

In its lawsuit against Xlear, Inc. and its owner, the FTC is asking a
 federal court to impose monetary penalties on the defendants and bar 
them from continuing to make such false and unsupported claims. The 
complaint was filed by the Department of Justice on the FTC’s behalf.

“Companies can’t make unsupported health 
claims, no matter what form a product takes or what it supposedly 
prevents or treats,” said Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of
 Consumer Protection. “That’s the lesson of this case and many others 
like it, and it’s why people should continue to rely on medical 
professionals over ads.”

Xlear, Inc. sells products 
including nasal sprays, dental care products, and sweeteners. The 
company’s nasal sprays marketed under the Xlear Sinus Care brand 
contain, among other things, xylitol and grapefruit seed extract. Xlear 
sells these sprays on Amazon.com and through retailers like Rite-Aid, CVS, Walgreens, and Target.

<a href="https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/filed_complaint_xlear_v_jones_v.1.pdf">According to the complaint</a>,
 since at least March 2020, Xlear and its founder and president, Nathan 
Jones, have promoted Xlear nasal sprays by falsely claiming they provide
 four hours of protection against infection from the coronavirus and 
therefore are “a simple, safe, and cheap option that could be an 
effective solution to the pandemic.” The defendants have made these and 
similar allegedly false and unsubstantiated claims on websites, 
Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, and through appearances on podcasts 
and sponsored spots on local television news.

In reality, the company has conducted no clinical trials to support 
its COVID-related claims and its advertising grossly misrepresented the 
purported findings and relevance of several scientific studies, 
according to the FTC. The <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/warning-letters/warning-letter-xlear-inc">agency’s staff sent Xlear and Jones a warning letter in July 2020</a>.
 The defendants promised to remove the claims from their website and 
other platforms, but then continued making them, according to the 
complaint.

The Commission vote to refer the civil penalty complaint to the DOJ 
for filing was 4-0-1, with Chair Lina M. Khan not participating. The DOJ
 filed the complaint in the U.S. District Court for District of Utah.

NOTE: The
 Commission files a complaint when it has “reason to believe” that the 
named defendants are violating or are about to violate the law and it 
appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. 
The case will be decided by the court.

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 sued Xlear, Inc., a Utah-based company, for 
violating the COVID-19 Consumer Protection Act, alleging that it falsely
 pitched its saline nasal sprays as an effective way to prevent and 
treat COVID-19.In its lawsuit against Xlear, Inc. and its owner, the FTC is asking a
 federal court to impose monetary penalties on the defendants and bar 
them from continuing to make such false and unsupported claims. The 
complaint was filed by the Department of Justice on the FTC’s behalf.“Companies can’t make unsupported health 
claims, no matter what form a product takes or what it supposedly 
prevents or treats,” said Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of
 Consumer Protection. “That’s the lesson of this case and many others 
like it, and it’s why people should continue to rely on medical 
professionals over ads.”Xlear, Inc. sells products 
including nasal sprays, dental care products, and sweeteners. The 
company’s nasal sprays marketed under the Xlear Sinus Care brand 
contain, among other things, xylitol and grapefruit seed extract. Xlear 
sells these sprays on Amazon.com and through retailers like Rite-Aid, CVS, Walgreens, and Target.<a href="https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/filed_complaint_xlear_v_jones_v.1.pdf">According to the complaint</a>,
 since at least March 2020, Xlear and its founder and president, Nathan 
Jones, have promoted Xlear nasal sprays by falsely claiming they provide
 four hours of protection against infection from the coronavirus and 
therefore are “a simple, safe, and cheap option that could be an 
effective solution to the pandemic.” The defendants have made these and 
similar allegedly false and unsubstantiated claims on websites, 
Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, and through appearances on podcasts 
and sponsored spots on local television news.In reality, the company has conducted no clinical trials to support 
its COVID-related claims and its advertising grossly misrepresented the 
purported findings and relevance of several scientific studies, 
according to the FTC. The <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/warning-letters/warning-letter-xlear-inc">agency’s staff sent Xlear and Jones a warning letter in July 2020</a>.
 The defendants promised to remove the claims from their website and 
other platforms, but then continued making them, according to the 
complaint.The Commission vote to refer the civil penalty complaint to the DOJ 
for filing was 4-0-1, with Chair Lina M. Khan not participating. The DOJ
 filed the complaint in the U.S. District Court for District of Utah.NOTE: The
 Commission files a complaint when it has “reason to believe” that the 
named defendants are violating or are about to violate the law and it 
appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. 
The case will be decided by the court.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>.

Utah company sued by feds over COVID treatment claims

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A U.S. House report says at least 59,000 meatpacking workers became ill with COVID-19 and 269 workers died when the virus tore through the industry last year. 

The report released Wednesday shows the coronavirus hit the industry much harder than previously thought. 

The United Food and Commercial Workers Union earlier this week estimated 22,400 workers were sickened by the virus. With workers standing shoulder-to-shoulder along production lines, the meatpacking industry was one of the early epicenters of the coronavirus pandemic. 

The House report says companies could have done more to protect their employees.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635381444114.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A U.S. House report says at least 59,000 meatpacking workers became ill with COVID-19 and 269 workers died when the virus tore through the industry last year. The report released Wednesday shows the coronavirus hit the industry much harder than previously thought. The United Food and Commercial Workers Union earlier this week estimated 22,400 workers were sickened by the virus. With workers standing shoulder-to-shoulder along production lines, the meatpacking industry was one of the early epicenters of the coronavirus pandemic. The House report says companies could have done more to protect their employees.

Report: At least 59,000 meat workers caught COVID, 269 died

WASHINGTON (AP) — Relatives of more than two dozen American hostages and wrongful detainees held overseas told President Joe Biden in a letter this week that they questioned his administration’s commitment to bringing their loved ones home.

In the letter, obtained by The Associated Press, the family members complained that the administration seemed to be getting “bogged down in burdensome processes or policy debates that keep our loved ones from coming home and keep us uninformed of what you can and cannot do to help us.”

“We need to be shown that the promises of your administration to prioritize the return of our family members are not empty. Now is the time for action. Now we need you to bring our fellow Americans home,” the letter states.

The letter reflects growing concerns within the hostage community that the Biden administration’s foreign policy agenda does not prioritize the release of hostages, and that legal and political actions have complicated rather than advanced efforts to get captives released. In some cases, the letter to Biden asserts, the families feel as if they’re in a “worse” situation now than eight months ago.

In addition, 17&nbsp;missionaries&nbsp;from the U.S. and Canada are being held hostage in Haiti after they were kidnapped this month by the 400 Mawozo gang. The group’s leader has&nbsp;threatened to kill them&nbsp;if their ransom demand for $1 million per hostage is not met.

The U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan without bringing home Mark Frerichs, an American contractor abducted there in early 2020. Six American oil executives who’d been under house arrest in Venezuela were ordered back to jail this month following the extradition to the U.S. on corruption charges of a businessman who prosecutors say was a major conduit for corruption by President Nicolás Maduro’s inner circle.

The Biden team has been short on high-profile detainee and hostages releases so far. It was an area of keen interest to President Donald Trump, who in keeping with his unconventional approach to foreign policy appeared open to outside-the-box machinations with regard to hostage negotiations, such as a high-level but ultimately unsuccessful trip by administration officials to Damascus aimed at getting journalist Austin Tice home. He also invited American captives who’d been freed during his administration to appear with him at the 2020 Republican National Convention.

The families note in the letter that they were optimistic following a February call with Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Since then, though, they say they have been unable to meet with Biden or with his national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, “which leads us to believe that your administration is not prioritizing negotiations and other methods to secure their release.

“When we do meet with other officials we feel we are being kept in the dark about what the U.S. government intends to do to free our loved ones,” the letter says.

Asked about the letter, a White House National Security Council spokesperson said, “The safe and prompt release of U.S. hostages and wrongful detainees will always be a top priority, never an afterthought, in all of our foreign policy decisions.”

The letter was signed by family members of 26 American hostages and detainees held in countries across the world. That includes the mother of Trevor Reed, a Marine imprisoned in Moscow on charges of assaulting a police officer in Russia; the sister of Frerichs; and the wife of Jeffrey Woodke, an aid worker taken from his home in Niger in 2016.

“We have heard a lot of positive talk about making Mark and the other cases a national priority, but we are not seeing actions to bring them home,” Frerichs’s sister, Charlene Cakora, said in a statement to the AP. “There are solutions for many of these cases – including my brother’s, which could have been solved last summer – but we are not sensing any urgency on the part of the White House. For families, every second a loved one is kept detained is an eternity.”

Others who signed include the families of nine Americans detained in Venezuela, who joined together more than a week ago in a separate critical letter of the White House approach to their cases.

The lack of urgency is especially troubling to the family of José Pereira, the former president of Houston-based CITGO, a subsidiary of Venezuela’s state owned oil company. Over the weekend, Pereira was rushed from jail to a private clinic in Caracas for emergency treatment for a cardiac condition that his family says hasn’t received medical treatment since his detention four years ago.

John Pereira said that although the Biden administration isn’t to blame for his father’s arrest, he expected more from the new U.S. president.

“Our feeling is that they can do more,” said Pereira, who along with the families of eight other American detainees in Caracas sent their own letter to Biden a week ago urging U.S. officials to sit down and talk directly with Maduro’s government.

“This goes beyond politics. It’s a humanitarian issue. They have to sit down to talk.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — Relatives of more than two dozen American hostages and wrongful detainees held overseas told President Joe Biden in a letter this week that they questioned his administration’s commitment to bringing their loved ones home.In the letter, obtained by The Associated Press, the family members complained that the administration seemed to be getting “bogged down in burdensome processes or policy debates that keep our loved ones from coming home and keep us uninformed of what you can and cannot do to help us.”“We need to be shown that the promises of your administration to prioritize the return of our family members are not empty. Now is the time for action. Now we need you to bring our fellow Americans home,” the letter states.The letter reflects growing concerns within the hostage community that the Biden administration’s foreign policy agenda does not prioritize the release of hostages, and that legal and political actions have complicated rather than advanced efforts to get captives released. In some cases, the letter to Biden asserts, the families feel as if they’re in a “worse” situation now than eight months ago.In addition, 17&nbsp;missionaries&nbsp;from the U.S. and Canada are being held hostage in Haiti after they were kidnapped this month by the 400 Mawozo gang. The group’s leader has&nbsp;threatened to kill them&nbsp;if their ransom demand for $1 million per hostage is not met.The U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan without bringing home Mark Frerichs, an American contractor abducted there in early 2020. Six American oil executives who’d been under house arrest in Venezuela were ordered back to jail this month following the extradition to the U.S. on corruption charges of a businessman who prosecutors say was a major conduit for corruption by President Nicolás Maduro’s inner circle.The Biden team has been short on high-profile detainee and hostages releases so far. It was an area of keen interest to President Donald Trump, who in keeping with his unconventional approach to foreign policy appeared open to outside-the-box machinations with regard to hostage negotiations, such as a high-level but ultimately unsuccessful trip by administration officials to Damascus aimed at getting journalist Austin Tice home. He also invited American captives who’d been freed during his administration to appear with him at the 2020 Republican National Convention.The families note in the letter that they were optimistic following a February call with Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Since then, though, they say they have been unable to meet with Biden or with his national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, “which leads us to believe that your administration is not prioritizing negotiations and other methods to secure their release.“When we do meet with other officials we feel we are being kept in the dark about what the U.S. government intends to do to free our loved ones,” the letter says.Asked about the letter, a White House National Security Council spokesperson said, “The safe and prompt release of U.S. hostages and wrongful detainees will always be a top priority, never an afterthought, in all of our foreign policy decisions.”The letter was signed by family members of 26 American hostages and detainees held in countries across the world. That includes the mother of Trevor Reed, a Marine imprisoned in Moscow on charges of assaulting a police officer in Russia; the sister of Frerichs; and the wife of Jeffrey Woodke, an aid worker taken from his home in Niger in 2016.“We have heard a lot of positive talk about making Mark and the other cases a national priority, but we are not seeing actions to bring them home,” Frerichs’s sister, Charlene Cakora, said in a statement to the AP. “There are solutions for many of these cases – including my brother’s, which could have been solved last summer – but we are not sensing any urgency on the part of the White House. For families, every second a loved one is kept detained is an eternity.”Others who signed include the families of nine Americans detained in Venezuela, who joined together more than a week ago in a separate critical letter of the White House approach to their cases.The lack of urgency is especially troubling to the family of José Pereira, the former president of Houston-based CITGO, a subsidiary of Venezuela’s state owned oil company. Over the weekend, Pereira was rushed from jail to a private clinic in Caracas for emergency treatment for a cardiac condition that his family says hasn’t received medical treatment since his detention four years ago.John Pereira said that although the Biden administration isn’t to blame for his father’s arrest, he expected more from the new U.S. president.“Our feeling is that they can do more,” said Pereira, who along with the families of eight other American detainees in Caracas sent their own letter to Biden a week ago urging U.S. officials to sit down and talk directly with Maduro’s government.“This goes beyond politics. It’s a humanitarian issue. They have to sit down to talk.”____

Hostage families to Biden: 'Bring our fellow Americans home'

DENVER (AP) — The United States has issued its first passport with an “X” gender designation — a milestone in the recognition of the rights of people who don’t identify as male or female — and expects to be able to offer the option more broadly next year, the State Department said Wednesday.

The U.S. special diplomatic envoy for LGBTQ rights,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-government-and-politics-bfe4ae528d8a3e1b39448d135d2ef98d">Jessica Stern</a>, called the moves historic and celebratory, saying they bring the government documents in line with the “lived reality” that there is a wider spectrum of human sex characteristics than is reflected in the previous two designations.

“When a person obtains identity documents that reflect their true identity, they live with greater dignity and respect,” Stern said.

The department did not announce to whom the passport was issued. A department official declined to say whether it was for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/40a9acd723e84d8eaae46fd046d2c821">Dana Zzyym</a>, an intersex Colorado resident who has been in a legal battle with the department since 2015, saying the department does not usually discuss individual passport applications because of privacy concerns.

Zzyym (pronounced Zimm) was denied a passport for failing to check male or female on an application. According to court documents, Zzyym wrote “intersex” above the boxes marked “M” and “F” and requested an “X” gender marker instead in a separate letter.

Zzyym was born with ambiguous physical sexual characteristics but was raised as a boy and underwent several surgeries that failed to make Zzyym appear fully male, according to court filings. Zzyym served in the Navy as a male but later came to identify as intersex while working and studying at Colorado State University. The department’s denial of Zzyym’s passport prevented Zzyym from being able to travel to a meeting of Organization Intersex International in Mexico.

The State Department announced in June that it was moving toward&nbsp;<a href="https://www.state.gov/proposing-changes-to-the-departments-policies-on-gender-on-u-s-passports-and-consular-reports-of-birth-abroad/" target="_blank">adding a third gender marker</a>&nbsp;for nonbinary, intersex and gender-nonconforming people but said it would take time because it required extensive updates to its computer systems. A department official said the passport application and system update with the “X” designation option still need to be approved by the Office of Management and Budget, which approves all government forms, before they can be issued.

The department now also allows applicants to self-select their gender as male or female, no longer requiring them to provide medical certification if their gender did not match that listed on their other identification documents.

The United States joins a handful of countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Nepal and Canada, in allowing its citizens to designate a gender other than male or female on their passports.

Stern said her office planned to talk about the United States’ experience with the change in its interactions around the world and she hopes that might help inspire other governments to offer the option.

“We see this as a way of affirming and uplifting the human rights of trans and intersex and gender-nonconforming and nonbinary people everywhere,” she said.

By COLLEEN SLEVIN, Associated PressDENVER (AP) — The United States has issued its first passport with an “X” gender designation — a milestone in the recognition of the rights of people who don’t identify as male or female — and expects to be able to offer the option more broadly next year, the State Department said Wednesday.The U.S. special diplomatic envoy for LGBTQ rights,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-government-and-politics-bfe4ae528d8a3e1b39448d135d2ef98d">Jessica Stern</a>, called the moves historic and celebratory, saying they bring the government documents in line with the “lived reality” that there is a wider spectrum of human sex characteristics than is reflected in the previous two designations.“When a person obtains identity documents that reflect their true identity, they live with greater dignity and respect,” Stern said.The department did not announce to whom the passport was issued. A department official declined to say whether it was for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/40a9acd723e84d8eaae46fd046d2c821">Dana Zzyym</a>, an intersex Colorado resident who has been in a legal battle with the department since 2015, saying the department does not usually discuss individual passport applications because of privacy concerns.Zzyym (pronounced Zimm) was denied a passport for failing to check male or female on an application. According to court documents, Zzyym wrote “intersex” above the boxes marked “M” and “F” and requested an “X” gender marker instead in a separate letter.Zzyym was born with ambiguous physical sexual characteristics but was raised as a boy and underwent several surgeries that failed to make Zzyym appear fully male, according to court filings. Zzyym served in the Navy as a male but later came to identify as intersex while working and studying at Colorado State University. The department’s denial of Zzyym’s passport prevented Zzyym from being able to travel to a meeting of Organization Intersex International in Mexico.The State Department announced in June that it was moving toward&nbsp;<a href="https://www.state.gov/proposing-changes-to-the-departments-policies-on-gender-on-u-s-passports-and-consular-reports-of-birth-abroad/" target="_blank">adding a third gender marker</a>&nbsp;for nonbinary, intersex and gender-nonconforming people but said it would take time because it required extensive updates to its computer systems. A department official said the passport application and system update with the “X” designation option still need to be approved by the Office of Management and Budget, which approves all government forms, before they can be issued.The department now also allows applicants to self-select their gender as male or female, no longer requiring them to provide medical certification if their gender did not match that listed on their other identification documents.The United States joins a handful of countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Nepal and Canada, in allowing its citizens to designate a gender other than male or female on their passports.Stern said her office planned to talk about the United States’ experience with the change in its interactions around the world and she hopes that might help inspire other governments to offer the option.“We see this as a way of affirming and uplifting the human rights of trans and intersex and gender-nonconforming and nonbinary people everywhere,” she said.___

U.S. issues 1st passport for those who don't identify as male, female

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. moved a step closer to expanding COVID-19 vaccinations for millions more children as government advisers on Tuesday endorsed kid-size doses of Pfizer’s shots for 5- to 11-year-olds.

A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel voted unanimously, with one abstention, that the vaccine’s benefits in preventing COVID-19 in that age group outweigh any potential risks. That includes questions about a heart-related side effect that’s been very rare in teens and young adults despite their use of a much higher vaccine dose.

While children are far less likely than older people to get severe COVID-19, ultimately many panelists decided it’s important to give parents the choice to protect their youngsters — especially those at high risk of illness or who live in places where other precautions, like masks in schools, aren’t being used.

“This is an age group that deserves and should have the same opportunity to be vaccinated as every other age,” said panel member Dr. Amanda Cohn of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The FDA isn’t bound by the panel’s recommendation and is expected to make its own decision within days. If the FDA concurs, there’s still another step: Next week, the CDC will have to decide whether to recommend the shots and which youngsters should get them.

Full-strength shots made by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech already are recommended for everyone 12 and older but pediatricians and many parents are clamoring for protection for younger children. The extra-contagious delta variant has caused an alarming rise in pediatric infections -- and families are frustrated with school quarantines and having to say no to sleepovers and other rites of childhood to keep the virus at bay.

In the 5- to 11-year-old age group, there have been over 8,300 hospitalizations reported, about a third requiring intensive care, and nearly 100 deaths.

States are getting ready to roll out the shots — just a third of the amount given to teens and adults — that will come in special orange-capped vials to avoid dosage mix-ups. More than 25,000 pediatricians and other primary care providers have signed up so far to offer vaccination, which will also be available at pharmacies and other locations.

But for all that anticipation, there also are people who strongly oppose vaccinating younger children, and both FDA and its advisers were inundated with an email campaign seeking to block the Pfizer shot.

Dr. Jay Portnoy of Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, said despite over 4,000 emails urging him to vote against the vaccine, he was persuaded by the data showing it works. Portnoy said he also was representing “parents I see every day in the clinic who are terrified of sending their children to school. ... They need a voice also.”

Panelists stressed they weren’t supporting vaccine mandates for young children — and the FDA doesn’t make mandate decisions. FDA vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks also said it would be highly unusual for other groups to mandate something that’s cleared only for emergency use. Several advisers said they wished they could tailor the shots for the highest-risk youngsters, a decision that would fall to the CDC.

Dr. James Hildreth of Meharry Medical College said he ultimately voted in favor of the vaccine “to make sure that the children who really need this vaccine — primarily Black and brown children in our country — get it.”

Pfizer studied 2,268 elementary schoolchildren given two shots three weeks apart of either a placebo or the kid dose. Vaccinated youngsters developed levels of virus-fighting antibodies just as strong as teens and young adults who got the full-strength shots. More important, the vaccine proved nearly 91% effective at preventing symptomatic infection — based on 16 cases of COVID-19 among kids given dummy shots compared to just three who got vaccinated.

The kid dosage also proved safe, with similar or fewer temporary side effects — such as sore arms, fever or achiness — that teens experience. At FDA’s request, Pfizer more recently enrolled another 2,300 youngsters into the study, and preliminary safety data has shown no red flags.

But that study isn’t large enough to detect any extremely rare side effects, such as the heart inflammation that occasionally occurs after the second full-strength dose, mostly in young men and teen boys. The panel spent hours discussing if younger children, given a smaller dose, might face that side effect, too.

Statistical models developed by FDA scientists showed that in most scenarios of the continuing pandemic, the vaccine would prevent far more COVID-19 hospitalizations in this age group than would potentially be caused by that rare heart problem.

FDA’s models suggested the vaccine could prevent 200 to 250 hospitalizations for every 1 million youngsters vaccinated — assuming that virus spread remained high, something that’s hard to predict. FDA scientists also said younger kids likely won’t have as much risk of heart inflammation as teens but if they did, it might cause about 58 hospitalizations per million vaccinations.

“I do think it’s a relatively close call,” said adviser Dr. Eric Rubin of Harvard University. “It’s really going to be a question of what the prevailing conditions are but we’re never going to learn about how safe this vaccine is unless we start giving it.”

Moderna also is studying its vaccine in young children, and Pfizer has additional studies underway in those younger than 5.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. moved a step closer to expanding COVID-19 vaccinations for millions more children as government advisers on Tuesday endorsed kid-size doses of Pfizer’s shots for 5- to 11-year-olds.A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel voted unanimously, with one abstention, that the vaccine’s benefits in preventing COVID-19 in that age group outweigh any potential risks. That includes questions about a heart-related side effect that’s been very rare in teens and young adults despite their use of a much higher vaccine dose.While children are far less likely than older people to get severe COVID-19, ultimately many panelists decided it’s important to give parents the choice to protect their youngsters — especially those at high risk of illness or who live in places where other precautions, like masks in schools, aren’t being used.“This is an age group that deserves and should have the same opportunity to be vaccinated as every other age,” said panel member Dr. Amanda Cohn of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/laaL0_xKmmA?start=24265" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>The FDA isn’t bound by the panel’s recommendation and is expected to make its own decision within days. If the FDA concurs, there’s still another step: Next week, the CDC will have to decide whether to recommend the shots and which youngsters should get them.Full-strength shots made by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech already are recommended for everyone 12 and older but pediatricians and many parents are clamoring for protection for younger children. The extra-contagious delta variant has caused an alarming rise in pediatric infections -- and families are frustrated with school quarantines and having to say no to sleepovers and other rites of childhood to keep the virus at bay.In the 5- to 11-year-old age group, there have been over 8,300 hospitalizations reported, about a third requiring intensive care, and nearly 100 deaths.States are getting ready to roll out the shots — just a third of the amount given to teens and adults — that will come in special orange-capped vials to avoid dosage mix-ups. More than 25,000 pediatricians and other primary care providers have signed up so far to offer vaccination, which will also be available at pharmacies and other locations.But for all that anticipation, there also are people who strongly oppose vaccinating younger children, and both FDA and its advisers were inundated with an email campaign seeking to block the Pfizer shot.Dr. Jay Portnoy of Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, said despite over 4,000 emails urging him to vote against the vaccine, he was persuaded by the data showing it works. Portnoy said he also was representing “parents I see every day in the clinic who are terrified of sending their children to school. ... They need a voice also.”Panelists stressed they weren’t supporting vaccine mandates for young children — and the FDA doesn’t make mandate decisions. FDA vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks also said it would be highly unusual for other groups to mandate something that’s cleared only for emergency use. Several advisers said they wished they could tailor the shots for the highest-risk youngsters, a decision that would fall to the CDC.Dr. James Hildreth of Meharry Medical College said he ultimately voted in favor of the vaccine “to make sure that the children who really need this vaccine — primarily Black and brown children in our country — get it.”Pfizer studied 2,268 elementary schoolchildren given two shots three weeks apart of either a placebo or the kid dose. Vaccinated youngsters developed levels of virus-fighting antibodies just as strong as teens and young adults who got the full-strength shots. More important, the vaccine proved nearly 91% effective at preventing symptomatic infection — based on 16 cases of COVID-19 among kids given dummy shots compared to just three who got vaccinated.The kid dosage also proved safe, with similar or fewer temporary side effects — such as sore arms, fever or achiness — that teens experience. At FDA’s request, Pfizer more recently enrolled another 2,300 youngsters into the study, and preliminary safety data has shown no red flags.But that study isn’t large enough to detect any extremely rare side effects, such as the heart inflammation that occasionally occurs after the second full-strength dose, mostly in young men and teen boys. The panel spent hours discussing if younger children, given a smaller dose, might face that side effect, too.Statistical models developed by FDA scientists showed that in most scenarios of the continuing pandemic, the vaccine would prevent far more COVID-19 hospitalizations in this age group than would potentially be caused by that rare heart problem.FDA’s models suggested the vaccine could prevent 200 to 250 hospitalizations for every 1 million youngsters vaccinated — assuming that virus spread remained high, something that’s hard to predict. FDA scientists also said younger kids likely won’t have as much risk of heart inflammation as teens but if they did, it might cause about 58 hospitalizations per million vaccinations.“I do think it’s a relatively close call,” said adviser Dr. Eric Rubin of Harvard University. “It’s really going to be a question of what the prevailing conditions are but we’re never going to learn about how safe this vaccine is unless we start giving it.”Moderna also is studying its vaccine in young children, and Pfizer has additional studies underway in those younger than 5.___

🎥 U.S. moves closer to expanding COVID vaccinations for children

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is zeroing in on a package of clean energy strategies for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-congress-be4b0609c5928ace08fe04c0bb6d4cbc">President Joe Biden’s big domestic policy bill&nbsp;</a>that officials believe could reach similar greenhouse gas emission reduction goals as an initial proposal that was quashed by opposition from a centrist Democrat.

The Biden administration discussed the proposals Monday at the White House with the leaders of about a dozen environmental and justice groups, according to a senior administration official who requested anonymity to share the plans. A new approach was needed after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/manchin-budget-impasse-56846c16c1f4c7e989556161f05fcf2e">coal-state Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va.</a>, rejected the White House’s earlier clean energy plan.

The emerging proposals would expand grants and loans in the agriculture and industrial sectors to help them shift to clean energy providers with fewer greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming, the official said. There would also be new, refundable home improvement tax credits for tapping solar and other renewable energy sources. The official said momentum was building as the group coalesced around the new ideas.

The new strategies come as the president and Democrats in Congress are struggling to wrap up talks on Biden’s now-scaled-back package of at least $1.75 trillion in social services and climate change investments before he departs later this week for two global summits overseas.

Vice President Kamala Harris visited the afternoon meeting with the leaders of some of the nation’s leading environmental and justice organizations and reiterated the president’s commitment to the goals of the package — even as she acknowledged the sometimes grueling process to achieve consensus in the party.

“The president and I and our administration are unwavering in our commitment to these issues. Absolutely unwavering,” she said. “But you know, there’s an old saying, you don’t want to watch sausage be made and you don’t want to watch a bill being made.”

A cornerstone of Biden’s climate change strategy had been a clean energy plan that would have rewarded power providers that use clean sources and penalized those that don’t.

But that approach had to be scrapped when Manchin objected. With Republicans fully opposed to Biden’s big package, the president needs the support of all Democrats in the 50-50 split Senate, with no votes to spare.

The senior administration official said the administration was not wedded to one clean-energy strategy as a “silver bullet.”

Instead, officials are coalescing around a new package of strategies that could potentially achieve similar emission reduction goals without adding new costs to the overall package.

A plan backed by Democrats offers tax credits and spending to boost renewable power such as wind and solar and sharply increase the number of electric vehicles. Advocates think the plan, plus executive branch action such as a pending Environmental Protection Agency rule to curb methane emissions, and action by states, should be enough to meet or nearly meet Biden’s goal to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030, compared with 2005 levels.

Biden said at a town hall last week that he expects to spend the $150 billion that had been targeted for the clean-energy program on climate programs. Advocates say the money would most likely be used as block grants to states to pursue their own emissions cuts.

It’s unclear if the new proposals would be acceptable to Manchin, whose home state is a leading producer of coal and natural gas. He has preferred an approach that does not favor one industry over the other as coal begins to be phased out for cleaner energy sources.

The new strategies appear to use more incentives to encourage clean energy use rather than penalties for failing to make the transition, which could help win over Manchin. But climate change advocates have argued that penalties are needed to get industries to more quickly turn to cleaner sources as the world races to confront the dire threats of climate change.

A major fight emerged in recent days over a proposal to include a so-called “methane fee” in the budget package. The fee would be imposed on energy companies that leak methane pollution during oil and gas production. Methane, the main component of natural gas, is a leading cause of global warming, especially in the short term.

“My hope is, it’s going to be in,” Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, said of the methane fee.

“We negotiated a methane fee, we tried to do it in a way that Sen. Manchin and his folks would be more receptive of, and we’re still talking about it and continuing to work through it,” Carper told reporters Monday.

Manchin said Tuesday he is talking to Carper and others about the methane fee, but does not want to “punish” energy companies “just for the sake of punishing” them. Some House Democrats from Texas also oppose the methane fee, saying it could cost thousands of jobs in the energy industry and increase energy costs for Americans.

Supporters called the fee a common-sense provision that only kicks in when methane pollution exceeds agreed-upon targets. The fee would give the oil and gas industry a financial incentive to capture methane rather than burn or “flare” excess gas produced at well sites, supporters say.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., said a methane fee is crucial to meeting Biden’s climate goals as he heads to a climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland next week.

“Letting corporations pollute for free is not a climate solution,” Whitehouse said.

The grants and loans for the agricultural sector would help rural electric cooperatives transition to cleaner energy sources, which could be of interest to Manchin in his rural state.

Similarly, industrial steel, cement and aluminum plants could tap funds to beef up their use of greener sources, the official said. There would also be expanded home improvement tax credits.

Biden wants a deal in hand before he arrives in Scotland for the United Nations climate conference amid hopes to reposition the U.S. as a world leader on the issue.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635245289649.png" alt="President Biden at East End Elementary School in North Plainfield, New Jersey Monday to talk about his Build Back Better Agenda said he wants a deal in hand before he arrives in Scotland for the United Nations climate conference amid hopes to reposition the U.S. as a world leader on the issue. Photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>President Biden at East End Elementary School in North Plainfield, New Jersey Monday to talk about his Build Back Better Agenda said he wants a deal in hand before he arrives in Scotland for the United Nations climate conference amid hopes to reposition the U.S. as a world leader on the issue. Photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is zeroing in on a package of clean energy strategies for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-congress-be4b0609c5928ace08fe04c0bb6d4cbc">President Joe Biden’s big domestic policy bill&nbsp;</a>that officials believe could reach similar greenhouse gas emission reduction goals as an initial proposal that was quashed by opposition from a centrist Democrat.The Biden administration discussed the proposals Monday at the White House with the leaders of about a dozen environmental and justice groups, according to a senior administration official who requested anonymity to share the plans. A new approach was needed after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/manchin-budget-impasse-56846c16c1f4c7e989556161f05fcf2e">coal-state Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va.</a>, rejected the White House’s earlier clean energy plan.The emerging proposals would expand grants and loans in the agriculture and industrial sectors to help them shift to clean energy providers with fewer greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming, the official said. There would also be new, refundable home improvement tax credits for tapping solar and other renewable energy sources. The official said momentum was building as the group coalesced around the new ideas.The new strategies come as the president and Democrats in Congress are struggling to wrap up talks on Biden’s now-scaled-back package of at least $1.75 trillion in social services and climate change investments before he departs later this week for two global summits overseas.Vice President Kamala Harris visited the afternoon meeting with the leaders of some of the nation’s leading environmental and justice organizations and reiterated the president’s commitment to the goals of the package — even as she acknowledged the sometimes grueling process to achieve consensus in the party.“The president and I and our administration are unwavering in our commitment to these issues. Absolutely unwavering,” she said. “But you know, there’s an old saying, you don’t want to watch sausage be made and you don’t want to watch a bill being made.”A cornerstone of Biden’s climate change strategy had been a clean energy plan that would have rewarded power providers that use clean sources and penalized those that don’t.But that approach had to be scrapped when Manchin objected. With Republicans fully opposed to Biden’s big package, the president needs the support of all Democrats in the 50-50 split Senate, with no votes to spare.The senior administration official said the administration was not wedded to one clean-energy strategy as a “silver bullet.”Instead, officials are coalescing around a new package of strategies that could potentially achieve similar emission reduction goals without adding new costs to the overall package.A plan backed by Democrats offers tax credits and spending to boost renewable power such as wind and solar and sharply increase the number of electric vehicles. Advocates think the plan, plus executive branch action such as a pending Environmental Protection Agency rule to curb methane emissions, and action by states, should be enough to meet or nearly meet Biden’s goal to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030, compared with 2005 levels.Biden said at a town hall last week that he expects to spend the $150 billion that had been targeted for the clean-energy program on climate programs. Advocates say the money would most likely be used as block grants to states to pursue their own emissions cuts.It’s unclear if the new proposals would be acceptable to Manchin, whose home state is a leading producer of coal and natural gas. He has preferred an approach that does not favor one industry over the other as coal begins to be phased out for cleaner energy sources.The new strategies appear to use more incentives to encourage clean energy use rather than penalties for failing to make the transition, which could help win over Manchin. But climate change advocates have argued that penalties are needed to get industries to more quickly turn to cleaner sources as the world races to confront the dire threats of climate change.A major fight emerged in recent days over a proposal to include a so-called “methane fee” in the budget package. The fee would be imposed on energy companies that leak methane pollution during oil and gas production. Methane, the main component of natural gas, is a leading cause of global warming, especially in the short term.“My hope is, it’s going to be in,” Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, said of the methane fee.“We negotiated a methane fee, we tried to do it in a way that Sen. Manchin and his folks would be more receptive of, and we’re still talking about it and continuing to work through it,” Carper told reporters Monday.Manchin said Tuesday he is talking to Carper and others about the methane fee, but does not want to “punish” energy companies “just for the sake of punishing” them. Some House Democrats from Texas also oppose the methane fee, saying it could cost thousands of jobs in the energy industry and increase energy costs for Americans.Supporters called the fee a common-sense provision that only kicks in when methane pollution exceeds agreed-upon targets. The fee would give the oil and gas industry a financial incentive to capture methane rather than burn or “flare” excess gas produced at well sites, supporters say.Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., said a methane fee is crucial to meeting Biden’s climate goals as he heads to a climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland next week.“Letting corporations pollute for free is not a climate solution,” Whitehouse said.The grants and loans for the agricultural sector would help rural electric cooperatives transition to cleaner energy sources, which could be of interest to Manchin in his rural state.Similarly, industrial steel, cement and aluminum plants could tap funds to beef up their use of greener sources, the official said. There would also be expanded home improvement tax credits.Biden wants a deal in hand before he arrives in Scotland for the United Nations climate conference amid hopes to reposition the U.S. as a world leader on the issue.

New climate change strategies in Biden's $1.75T bill

The coronavirus pandemic left many Americans unemployed — and 
uninsured. To give people a chance to sign up for health care coverage, 
the U.S. federal government has opened <a href="https://www.medicare.gov/plan-compare/#/?lang=en&amp;year=2022" target="_blank">Medicare.gov</a> from October 15, 2021 – December 7, 2021. <a href="https://www.healthcare.gov" target="_blank">Healthcare.gov</a>
 is open from November 1, 2021 to January 15, 2021. Unfortunately, 
scammers often see open enrollments as a chance to trick people out of 
money and personal information.

Anytime the government has an open enrollment, people understandably 
have questions and concerns. Scammers take advantage of this opportunity
 to confuse and mislead victims.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1579883951052.jpeg" alt="" />
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 </figure>Better Business BureauThe coronavirus pandemic left many Americans unemployed — and 
uninsured. To give people a chance to sign up for health care coverage, 
the U.S. federal government has opened <a href="https://www.medicare.gov/plan-compare/#/?lang=en&amp;year=2022" target="_blank">Medicare.gov</a> from October 15, 2021 – December 7, 2021. <a href="https://www.healthcare.gov" target="_blank">Healthcare.gov</a>
 is open from November 1, 2021 to January 15, 2021. Unfortunately, 
scammers often see open enrollments as a chance to trick people out of 
money and personal information.<h2>How the Scam Works: &nbsp;</h2>Anytime the government has an open enrollment, people understandably 
have questions and concerns. Scammers take advantage of this opportunity
 to confuse and mislead victims.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker/" target="_blank">BBB.org/ScamTracker</a>
 gets many reports about scammers claiming to be a government 
representative who can help you navigate your Medicare or Affordable 
Care Act options. Scammers claim to be a “health care benefits advocate”
 or a similar title. These scammers allege they can enroll you in a 
better program than what you currently have. This new plan is cheaper, 
and you can keep all the same services. To get started, all you need to 
do is provide some personal information, such as your Medicare ID 
number. Of course, the call is a scam, and sharing personal information 
will open you up to identity theft.In another common scam, callers try to frighten – rather than assist -
 victims with their health care plans. In this case, scammers claim that
 your Medicare will be discontinued if you didn't re-enroll. 
Fortunately, this “Medicare advisor” can fix the situation – if you 
share personal information with them.&nbsp;Watch out for similar scams this fall. <a href="https://www.healthcare.gov" target="_blank">Healthcare.gov</a> does provide <a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/apply-and-enroll/get-help-applying/" target="_blank">legitimate help with figuring out which plan</a>
 is right for you. These people — sometimes called Navigators or 
Assisters — are not allowed to charge for their help. If someone asks 
you for payment, it’s a scam. You will also need to contact them. They 
will not call you out-of-the-blue.&nbsp;<h2>Tips to Avoid Open Enrollment Scams</h2>Selecting a health insurance plan can be challenging and complex. Be on the lookout for common red flags.<ul>
 <li>Be wary of anyone who contacts you unsolicited. 
People representing Medicare or ACA plans don’t contact you by phone, 
email, or in person unless you are already enrolled. Be especially 
cautious of threatening calls that require quick action or immediate 
payment. </li><li>Decline promotional gifts in exchange for personal information.&nbsp;Keep a healthy level of skepticism any time a broker offers you <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/scams/13033-scam-alert-beware-of-the-medicare-back-brace-scam" target="_blank">free gifts</a>,
 health screenings, or other special deals. Never sign up with a broker 
who offers you an expensive “sign-up gift” in exchange for providing 
your Medicare ID number or other personally identifiable information. </li><li>Beware of dishonest brokers who offer “free health screenings.”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/17378-scam-alert-when-a-free-health-screening-is-really-a-health-insurance-scam" target="_blank">Some brokers offer this to weed out people who are less healthy</a>. This is called “cherry picking” and is against the Medicare rules. </li><li>Guard your government-issued numbers. Never offer 
your Medicare ID number, Social Security number, health plan info, or 
banking information to anyone you don’t know. </li><li>Hang up and go to official websites. You can enroll or re-enroll in Medicare at <a href="https://medicare.gov" target="_blank">Medicare.gov</a> or in a marketplace health plan at <a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/" target="_blank">Healthcare.gov</a>. </li>
 </ul><h2>For more information: &nbsp;</h2>If you are unsure whether a call or offer is from Medicare, or you 
gave your personal information to someone claiming to be with Medicare, 
call 1-800-MEDICARE to report it. If you suspect fraud when signing up 
for ACA coverage, go to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/how-can-i-protect-myself-from-fraud-in-the-health-insurance-marketplace/" target="_blank">HealthCare.gov</a>&nbsp;or call the Health Insurance Marketplace call center at <a href="tel:8003182596" target="_blank">800-318-2596</a>.&nbsp;For more tips from BBB on avoiding health care scams, check&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbb.org/healthcarescam/" target="_blank">BBB.org/HealthCareScam</a>. If you’ve been the victim of a scam, please report it to <a href="https://www.bbb.org/ScamTracker" target="_blank">BBB.org/ScamTracker</a>. By sharing your experience, you can help others avoid falling victim to similar scams.