WASHINGTON (AP) — With only hours to spare, President Joe Biden signed legislation to avoid a partial federal shutdown and keep the government funded through Dec. 3. Congress had passed the bill earlier Thursday. 

The legislation averts one crisis, but efforts to stave off a second crisis seem likely to continue for the next couple of weeks as Democrats and Republicans dig in on a dispute over how to raise the government’s borrowing cap. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says failure to raise the debt limit will lead to a financial crisis and economic recession.

WASHINGTON (AP) — With only hours to spare, Congress passed legislation that would avoid a partial federal shutdown and keep the government funded through Dec. 3, and sent the bill to President Joe Biden.

The back-to-back votes by the Senate and then the House will help avert one crisis, but just delay another as the political parties dig in on a dispute over how to raise&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-bills-janet-yellen-9d5327bcc4f18bd2cf3349fdbe6d246b">the government’s borrowing cap</a>&nbsp;before the United States risks a potentially catastrophic default.

The House approved the short-term funding measure by a 254-175 vote not long after Senate passage in a 65-35 vote. A large majority of Republicans in both chambers voted against it. The legislation was needed to keep the government running once the current budget year ended at midnight Thursday. Passage will buy lawmakers more time to craft the spending measures that will fund federal agencies and the programs they administer.

The work to keep the government open and running served as the backdrop during a chaotic day for Democrats as they struggled to get Biden’s top domestic priorities over the finish line, including a bipartisan $1 trillion infrastructure bill at risk of stalling in the House.

With their energy focused on Biden’s agenda, Democrats backed down from a showdown over the debt limit in the government funding bill, deciding to uncouple the borrowing ceiling at the insistence of Republicans. If that cap is not raised by Oct. 18, the U.S. probably will face&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-united-states-bills-economy-janet-yellen-de159a96c61d0679e06bde313881092c">a financial crisis and economic recession</a>, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said.

Republicans say Democrats have the votes to raise the debt limit on their own, and Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky is insisting they do so.

The short-term spending legislation will also provide about $28.6 billion in disaster relief for those recovering from Hurricane Ida and other natural disasters, and help support Afghanistan evacuees from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-islamic-state-group-e10e038baea732dae879c11234507f81">the 20-year war between the U.S. and the Taliban</a>.

“This is a good outcome, one I’m happy we are getting done,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said. “With so many things to take care of in Washington, the last thing the American people need is for the government to grind to a halt.”

Once the government is funded, albeit temporarily, Democrats will turn their full attention to the need to raise the limit on federal borrowing, which now stands at $28.4 trillion.

The U.S. has never defaulted on its debts in the modern era and historically, both parties have voted to raise the limit. Democrats joined the Republican Senate majority in doing so three times during Donald Trump’s presidency. This time Democrats wanted to take care of both priorities in one bill, but Senate Republicans blocked that effort Monday.

Raising or suspending the debt limit allows the federal government to pay obligations already incurred. It does not authorize new spending. McConnell has argued that Democrats should pass a debt limit extension with the same budgetary tools they are using to try to pass a $3.5 trillion effort to expand social safety net programs and tackle climate change. He reiterated that warning as the Senate opened on Thursday, even as Democrats have labeled that option a “nonstarter.”

“We’re able to fund the government today because the majority accepted reality. The same thing will need to happen on the debt limit next week,” McConnell said.

House Democrats pushed through a stand-alone bill late Wednesday that would suspend the debt limit until December 2022. Schumer said he would bring the measure to the Senate floor, but the bill is almost certain to be blocked by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-filibusters-government-and-politics-6cb32ae519a6789eb3a01a0d92094d58">a Republican filibuster</a>.

The arguments made in both chambers about the debt ceiling have followed similar themes.

“You are more interested in punishing Democrats than preserving our credit and that is something I’m having a real tough time getting my head around,” House Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern, D-Mass., told Republicans. “The idea of not paying bills just because we don’t like (Biden’s) policies is the wrong way to go.”

Undaunted, Republicans argued that Democrats have chosen to ram through their political priorities on their own and thus are responsible for raising the debt limit on their own.

“So long as the Democratic majority continues to insist on spending money hand over fist, Republicans will refuse to help them lift the debt ceiling,” said Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla.

The Treasury has taken steps to preserve cash, but once it runs out, it will be forced to rely on incoming revenue to pay its obligations. That would likely mean delays in payments to Social Security recipients, veterans and government workers, including military personnel. The Bipartisan Policy Center, a think tank, projects that the federal government would be unable to meet about 40% of payments due in the several weeks that follow.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633090680808.png" alt="House Speaker Nancy Pelosi held a signing ceremony after the House voted&nbsp; 254-175 to pass the bill.-photo courtesy House Speaker's office" />
 <figcaption>House Speaker Nancy Pelosi held a signing ceremony after the House voted&nbsp; 254-175 to pass the bill.-photo courtesy House Speaker's office</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — With only hours to spare, President Joe Biden signed legislation to avoid a partial federal shutdown and keep the government funded through Dec. 3. Congress had passed the bill earlier Thursday. The legislation averts one crisis, but efforts to stave off a second crisis seem likely to continue for the next couple of weeks as Democrats and Republicans dig in on a dispute over how to raise the government’s borrowing cap. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says failure to raise the debt limit will lead to a financial crisis and economic recession.----------WASHINGTON (AP) — With only hours to spare, Congress passed legislation that would avoid a partial federal shutdown and keep the government funded through Dec. 3, and sent the bill to President Joe Biden.The back-to-back votes by the Senate and then the House will help avert one crisis, but just delay another as the political parties dig in on a dispute over how to raise&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-bills-janet-yellen-9d5327bcc4f18bd2cf3349fdbe6d246b">the government’s borrowing cap</a>&nbsp;before the United States risks a potentially catastrophic default.The House approved the short-term funding measure by a 254-175 vote not long after Senate passage in a 65-35 vote. A large majority of Republicans in both chambers voted against it. The legislation was needed to keep the government running once the current budget year ended at midnight Thursday. Passage will buy lawmakers more time to craft the spending measures that will fund federal agencies and the programs they administer.The work to keep the government open and running served as the backdrop during a chaotic day for Democrats as they struggled to get Biden’s top domestic priorities over the finish line, including a bipartisan $1 trillion infrastructure bill at risk of stalling in the House.With their energy focused on Biden’s agenda, Democrats backed down from a showdown over the debt limit in the government funding bill, deciding to uncouple the borrowing ceiling at the insistence of Republicans. If that cap is not raised by Oct. 18, the U.S. probably will face&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-united-states-bills-economy-janet-yellen-de159a96c61d0679e06bde313881092c">a financial crisis and economic recession</a>, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said.Republicans say Democrats have the votes to raise the debt limit on their own, and Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky is insisting they do so.The short-term spending legislation will also provide about $28.6 billion in disaster relief for those recovering from Hurricane Ida and other natural disasters, and help support Afghanistan evacuees from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-islamic-state-group-e10e038baea732dae879c11234507f81">the 20-year war between the U.S. and the Taliban</a>.“This is a good outcome, one I’m happy we are getting done,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said. “With so many things to take care of in Washington, the last thing the American people need is for the government to grind to a halt.”Once the government is funded, albeit temporarily, Democrats will turn their full attention to the need to raise the limit on federal borrowing, which now stands at $28.4 trillion.The U.S. has never defaulted on its debts in the modern era and historically, both parties have voted to raise the limit. Democrats joined the Republican Senate majority in doing so three times during Donald Trump’s presidency. This time Democrats wanted to take care of both priorities in one bill, but Senate Republicans blocked that effort Monday.Raising or suspending the debt limit allows the federal government to pay obligations already incurred. It does not authorize new spending. McConnell has argued that Democrats should pass a debt limit extension with the same budgetary tools they are using to try to pass a $3.5 trillion effort to expand social safety net programs and tackle climate change. He reiterated that warning as the Senate opened on Thursday, even as Democrats have labeled that option a “nonstarter.”“We’re able to fund the government today because the majority accepted reality. The same thing will need to happen on the debt limit next week,” McConnell said.House Democrats pushed through a stand-alone bill late Wednesday that would suspend the debt limit until December 2022. Schumer said he would bring the measure to the Senate floor, but the bill is almost certain to be blocked by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-filibusters-government-and-politics-6cb32ae519a6789eb3a01a0d92094d58">a Republican filibuster</a>.The arguments made in both chambers about the debt ceiling have followed similar themes.“You are more interested in punishing Democrats than preserving our credit and that is something I’m having a real tough time getting my head around,” House Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern, D-Mass., told Republicans. “The idea of not paying bills just because we don’t like (Biden’s) policies is the wrong way to go.”Undaunted, Republicans argued that Democrats have chosen to ram through their political priorities on their own and thus are responsible for raising the debt limit on their own.“So long as the Democratic majority continues to insist on spending money hand over fist, Republicans will refuse to help them lift the debt ceiling,” said Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla.The Treasury has taken steps to preserve cash, but once it runs out, it will be forced to rely on incoming revenue to pay its obligations. That would likely mean delays in payments to Social Security recipients, veterans and government workers, including military personnel. The Bipartisan Policy Center, a think tank, projects that the federal government would be unable to meet about 40% of payments due in the several weeks that follow.___

Biden signs bill to avert partial government shutdown

WASHINGTON (AP) —Three Democratic members of Congress on Thursday offered deeply personal testimony about their own abortions as a congressional committee examined how to respond to conservative states that are passing laws&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-lifestyle-health-travel-texas-fbc505c3db4a08af51ba409a91ea161c">limiting abortion access</a>.

Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri said she was raped on a church youth trip. Rep. Barbara Lee of California said she received a “back-alley” abortion in Mexico after a teenage pregnancy. And Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington said she opted for an abortion after being told her pregnancy would be high risk for her and the baby.

“Choosing to have an abortion was the hardest decision I had ever made, but at 18 years old, I knew it was the right decision for me,” Bush told the House Committee on Oversight Reform.

The hearing comes weeks after a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-texas-courts-dallas-ac56b654f88471753b22e19587956c29">Texas law</a>&nbsp;took effect that bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy with no exception for rape or incest. Other conservative states are considering similar measures.

Meanwhile, a federal appeals court is weighing the fate of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-courts-health-laws-st-louis-8310eaa67debfe2f06bd331d918b2cd9">Missouri law</a>&nbsp;that bans abortions after eight weeks of pregnancy, also with no rape or incest exceptions. And, the U.S. Supreme Court in December will hear arguments over a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-courts-coronavirus-pandemic-us-supreme-court-b2399021aa925d655be3942c8e2edd2b">Mississippi law</a>&nbsp;that would ban abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

The hearing also looked at what the federal government can do to ensure abortion access. Options include ending the Hyde Amendment, which restricts government funding for most abortions, and passing a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-texas-courts-laws-voting-rights-7814a3cddec1fcc65119846641603a44">law guaranteeing a woman’s right to an abortion</a>. The House passed that measure last week, but Republican opposition would almost certainly doom it in the Senate.

Committee Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney, a Democrat from New York, said the majority of Americans support abortion rights.

“But with a hostile Supreme Court, extremist state governments are no longer chipping away at constitutional rights -- they are bulldozing right through them,” Maloney said.

Republican Rep. James Comen of Kentucky said the oversight committee should focus on problems with President Joe Biden’s administration, not a state matter over which it “has absolutely no jurisdiction.” Another Republican, Virginia Foxx of North Carolina, said abortion “only compounds the sorrow.”

“Whether a pregnancy is planned or unplanned, or even the result of horrific circumstances, ending that child’s life with an abortion to empower or protect the, quote, freedom, end quote, of the mother is not an answer,” Foxx said.

Bush, a 45-year-old first-term lawmaker from St. Louis, testified that she had just graduated from high school in the summer of 1994 and went on a church youth trip to Mississippi. She said she befriended a man who was about 20. She said they flirted and he asked to go to the room she was sharing with another girl. Her roommate was already asleep when the man showed up.

“I answered the door and quietly told him he could come in, imagining that we would talk and laugh like we had done over the phone,” Bush said. “But the next thing I knew, he was on top of me, messing with my clothes, and not saying anything at all.”

When it was over, Bush said, she was “confused.”

“I was embarrassed, I was ashamed,” she said. “I asked myself, ‘Was it something I’d done?’”

About a month later, soon after she turned 18, Bush learned she was pregnant.

“To all the Black women and girls who have had abortions or will have abortions -- know this: We have nothing to be ashamed of,” Bush said.

Jayapal said her first child, Janak, now 25, was born prematurely and weighed less than 2 pounds, which resulted in medical conditions that frequently required his hospitalization. Jayapal said other stresses combined with the sick baby resulted in postpartum depression so bad that she contemplated suicide.

She said that when she became pregnant again, she consulted with doctors “who told me that any future pregnancy would likely also be high risk to me and the child, similar to what I had gone through with Janak.”

“I very much wanted to have more children,” she said, “but I simply could not imagine going through that again.”

Ending the pregnancy was “the most difficult choice I’ve made in my life, but it was my choice,” Jayapal said.

Lee became pregnant at age 16 in the mid-1960s. Abortion in California was illegal at the time so a family friend helped send her to a “back-alley clinic in Mexico,” she said.

She had no ill effects from the procedure, but she said many other women weren’t so lucky in that era.

“In the 1960s, unsafe septic abortions were the primary killer — primary killer — of African American women,” Lee said.

A Republican lawmaker had her own personal story about an abortion that didn’t happen.

Rep. Kat Cammack of Florida said her mother suffered a stroke while pregnant with Cammack’s older sister. Years later, when pregnant with Cammack, Cammack’s mother was urged by doctors to have an abortion.

“But because of her strength,” Cammack said, “she chose life.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1633020941883.png" alt="Rep. Cori Bush during her testimony Thursday -photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Cori Bush during her testimony Thursday -photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —Three Democratic members of Congress on Thursday offered deeply personal testimony about their own abortions as a congressional committee examined how to respond to conservative states that are passing laws&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-lifestyle-health-travel-texas-fbc505c3db4a08af51ba409a91ea161c">limiting abortion access</a>.Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri said she was raped on a church youth trip. Rep. Barbara Lee of California said she received a “back-alley” abortion in Mexico after a teenage pregnancy. And Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington said she opted for an abortion after being told her pregnancy would be high risk for her and the baby.“Choosing to have an abortion was the hardest decision I had ever made, but at 18 years old, I knew it was the right decision for me,” Bush told the House Committee on Oversight Reform.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">To all the Black women and girls who have had or will have abortions — know this: We have nothing to be ashamed of. We live in a society that has failed to legislate love and justice for us. But we deserve better. We demand better. We are worthy of better. <a href="https://t.co/lZkpucCQ9v">pic.twitter.com/lZkpucCQ9v</a>&mdash; Congresswoman Cori Bush (@RepCori) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepCori/status/1443593643324026881?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The hearing comes weeks after a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-texas-courts-dallas-ac56b654f88471753b22e19587956c29">Texas law</a>&nbsp;took effect that bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy with no exception for rape or incest. Other conservative states are considering similar measures.Meanwhile, a federal appeals court is weighing the fate of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-courts-health-laws-st-louis-8310eaa67debfe2f06bd331d918b2cd9">Missouri law</a>&nbsp;that bans abortions after eight weeks of pregnancy, also with no rape or incest exceptions. And, the U.S. Supreme Court in December will hear arguments over a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-courts-coronavirus-pandemic-us-supreme-court-b2399021aa925d655be3942c8e2edd2b">Mississippi law</a>&nbsp;that would ban abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.The hearing also looked at what the federal government can do to ensure abortion access. Options include ending the Hyde Amendment, which restricts government funding for most abortions, and passing a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-texas-courts-laws-voting-rights-7814a3cddec1fcc65119846641603a44">law guaranteeing a woman’s right to an abortion</a>. The House passed that measure last week, but Republican opposition would almost certainly doom it in the Senate.Committee Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney, a Democrat from New York, said the majority of Americans support abortion rights.“But with a hostile Supreme Court, extremist state governments are no longer chipping away at constitutional rights -- they are bulldozing right through them,” Maloney said.Republican Rep. James Comen of Kentucky said the oversight committee should focus on problems with President Joe Biden’s administration, not a state matter over which it “has absolutely no jurisdiction.” Another Republican, Virginia Foxx of North Carolina, said abortion “only compounds the sorrow.”“Whether a pregnancy is planned or unplanned, or even the result of horrific circumstances, ending that child’s life with an abortion to empower or protect the, quote, freedom, end quote, of the mother is not an answer,” Foxx said.Bush, a 45-year-old first-term lawmaker from St. Louis, testified that she had just graduated from high school in the summer of 1994 and went on a church youth trip to Mississippi. She said she befriended a man who was about 20. She said they flirted and he asked to go to the room she was sharing with another girl. Her roommate was already asleep when the man showed up.“I answered the door and quietly told him he could come in, imagining that we would talk and laugh like we had done over the phone,” Bush said. “But the next thing I knew, he was on top of me, messing with my clothes, and not saying anything at all.”When it was over, Bush said, she was “confused.”“I was embarrassed, I was ashamed,” she said. “I asked myself, ‘Was it something I’d done?’”About a month later, soon after she turned 18, Bush learned she was pregnant.“To all the Black women and girls who have had abortions or will have abortions -- know this: We have nothing to be ashamed of,” Bush said.Jayapal said her first child, Janak, now 25, was born prematurely and weighed less than 2 pounds, which resulted in medical conditions that frequently required his hospitalization. Jayapal said other stresses combined with the sick baby resulted in postpartum depression so bad that she contemplated suicide.She said that when she became pregnant again, she consulted with doctors “who told me that any future pregnancy would likely also be high risk to me and the child, similar to what I had gone through with Janak.”“I very much wanted to have more children,” she said, “but I simply could not imagine going through that again.”Ending the pregnancy was “the most difficult choice I’ve made in my life, but it was my choice,” Jayapal said.Lee became pregnant at age 16 in the mid-1960s. Abortion in California was illegal at the time so a family friend helped send her to a “back-alley clinic in Mexico,” she said.She had no ill effects from the procedure, but she said many other women weren’t so lucky in that era.“In the 1960s, unsafe septic abortions were the primary killer — primary killer — of African American women,” Lee said.A Republican lawmaker had her own personal story about an abortion that didn’t happen.Rep. Kat Cammack of Florida said her mother suffered a stroke while pregnant with Cammack’s older sister. Years later, when pregnant with Cammack, Cammack’s mother was urged by doctors to have an abortion.“But because of her strength,” Cammack said, “she chose life.”

🎥 Congressional members share own abortion stories at hearing

OMAHA&nbsp; — The Nebraska State Patrol and Omaha Police Department have arrested two people following a standoff this morning in Omaha. At approximately 2:45 a.m. today, investigators received information about an inmate who had absconded from Omaha Community Corrections. That person was identified as Percy Eubanks, 25.

Officers located a vehicle believed to be associated with the subject at an apartment complex located at 6314 S 96th&nbsp;Street in Omaha. Investigators identified an apartment believed to be the residence of Eubanks’ spouse, Lauren Moll, 24. Investigators attempted to make contact with the subjects, but knocks on the door went unanswered.

The NSP SWAT Team responded to the scene and negotiations were eventually established with the subjects inside the apartment. At approximately 10:15 a.m., both subjects voluntarily exited the apartment and were taken into custody.

Eubanks was lodged in Douglas County Jail for absconding. Moll was lodged in Douglas County Jail for aiding and abetting a fugitive and obstruction.

OMAHA&nbsp; — The Nebraska State Patrol and Omaha Police Department have arrested two people following a standoff this morning in Omaha. At approximately 2:45 a.m. today, investigators received information about an inmate who had absconded from Omaha Community Corrections. That person was identified as Percy Eubanks, 25.Officers located a vehicle believed to be associated with the subject at an apartment complex located at 6314 S 96th&nbsp;Street in Omaha. Investigators identified an apartment believed to be the residence of Eubanks’ spouse, Lauren Moll, 24. Investigators attempted to make contact with the subjects, but knocks on the door went unanswered.The NSP SWAT Team responded to the scene and negotiations were eventually established with the subjects inside the apartment. At approximately 10:15 a.m., both subjects voluntarily exited the apartment and were taken into custody.Eubanks was lodged in Douglas County Jail for absconding. Moll was lodged in Douglas County Jail for aiding and abetting a fugitive and obstruction.

Standoff ends with 2 arrests in Omaha

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police say they've made an arrest of a man wanted in a shooting outside a midtown Omaha mall that killed another man and injured a woman injured. 

Omaha police say in a news release that the Metro Area Fugitive Task Force arrested 19-year-old J'Maun Haynie early Thursday morning on a warrant charging him with first-degree murder, second-degree assault and other counts. 

The shooting happened late the night of Sept. 12 in the Westroads Mall parking lot outside Dick’s Sporting Goods.

 Arriving officers found 18-year-old Franco Vasquez and an 18-year-old woman shot. Vasquez died at the scene. 

The woman was taken to a hospital with critical injuries, but survived.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police say they've made an arrest of a man wanted in a shooting outside a midtown Omaha mall that killed another man and injured a woman injured. Omaha police say in a news release that the Metro Area Fugitive Task Force arrested 19-year-old J'Maun Haynie early Thursday morning on a warrant charging him with first-degree murder, second-degree assault and other counts. The shooting happened late the night of Sept. 12 in the Westroads Mall parking lot outside Dick’s Sporting Goods. Arriving officers found 18-year-old Franco Vasquez and an 18-year-old woman shot. Vasquez died at the scene. The woman was taken to a hospital with critical injuries, but survived.

Police make arrest in Omaha mall shooting that killed man

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A former Nebraska county prosecutor who resigned earlier this year following a string of scandals has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges he used his office to stalk his estranged wife and her boyfriend. 

The Omaha World-Herald reports that the indictment alleges Oliver Glass used his position as Dodge County Attorney and his police contacts to obtain information about and harass his estranged wife and her boyfriend for nine months in 2020.

 If convicted of the two counts of cyberstalking, Glass faces up to 10 years in prison and a $500,000 fine. 

The indictment comes months after Glass resigned in February following his second DUI arrest.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A former Nebraska county prosecutor who resigned earlier this year following a string of scandals has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges he used his office to stalk his estranged wife and her boyfriend. The Omaha World-Herald reports that the indictment alleges Oliver Glass used his position as Dodge County Attorney and his police contacts to obtain information about and harass his estranged wife and her boyfriend for nine months in 2020. If convicted of the two counts of cyberstalking, Glass faces up to 10 years in prison and a $500,000 fine. The indictment comes months after Glass resigned in February following his second DUI arrest.

Ex-prosecutor accused of stalking, harassing estranged wife

KEARNEY&nbsp; — The Nebraska State Patrol and Kearney Police Department are conducting an investigation after a deceased individual was located Tuesday afternoon south of Minden.

At approximately 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, the Kearney County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a vehicle submerged in an irrigation reuse pit near Highway 10, about 3 miles south of Minden. Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the scene, as did the Kearney Police Department and the Nebraska State Patrol, on the belief that the vehicle may be associated with a missing person investigation.

The vehicle was towed from the reuse pit and investigators located a deceased individual as well as a deceased dog. The Kearney County Attorney has requested the Nebraska State Patrol Investigative Services Division conduct the investigation and has ordered an autopsy.

After preliminary investigation, the occupant of the vehicle is believed to be Scott Rockefeller, 31, of Kearney, who had been reported missing in June of 2020. At this point in the investigation, there are no signs of foul play. The investigation remains ongoing.

KEARNEY&nbsp; — The Nebraska State Patrol and Kearney Police Department are conducting an investigation after a deceased individual was located Tuesday afternoon south of Minden.At approximately 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, the Kearney County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a vehicle submerged in an irrigation reuse pit near Highway 10, about 3 miles south of Minden. Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the scene, as did the Kearney Police Department and the Nebraska State Patrol, on the belief that the vehicle may be associated with a missing person investigation.The vehicle was towed from the reuse pit and investigators located a deceased individual as well as a deceased dog. The Kearney County Attorney has requested the Nebraska State Patrol Investigative Services Division conduct the investigation and has ordered an autopsy.After preliminary investigation, the occupant of the vehicle is believed to be Scott Rockefeller, 31, of Kearney, who had been reported missing in June of 2020. At this point in the investigation, there are no signs of foul play. The investigation remains ongoing.

NSP, KPD investigating death after discovery of submerged vehicle

LINCOLN, Neb.-One lucky player who bought a Powerball Power Play® ticket for the September 29 drawing is holding a ticket worth $150,000.

The Nebraska Lottery has confirmed that one ticket sold for Wednesday’s $570 million Powerball draw matched four of the five winning white ball numbers and the Powerball number. This ticket was sold at Casey's General Store #2603, 107 W 14th Street in Juniata. The winning numbers from Wednesday’s Powerball draw were 02, 07, 11, 17, 32, and the Powerball was 11.

The $1 Power Play option offers players the chance to play for enhanced non-jackpot prizes. Because this ticket was purchased with Power Play, the regular $50,000 prize was multiplied by the 3X Power Play multiplier for a total prize of $150,000.

Prizes for Nebraska Lottery Lotto games can be claimed up to 180 days after the draw date. Prizes of $20,000 or more must be claimed at Lottery headquarters in Lincoln. Additional information about claiming prizes can be found at the Nebraska Lottery website, nelottery.com, or by calling 800-587-5200.

The mission of the Nebraska Lottery is to generate proceeds for good causes while providing quality entertainment options to Nebraskans. Over $831 million has been raised for the Nebraska Lottery’s beneficiary funds since the Lottery began in 1993. All 93 counties in Nebraska have benefited from projects funded with these Nebraska Lottery proceeds.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1633007441114.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LINCOLN, Neb.-One lucky player who bought a Powerball Power Play® ticket for the September 29 drawing is holding a ticket worth $150,000.The Nebraska Lottery has confirmed that one ticket sold for Wednesday’s $570 million Powerball draw matched four of the five winning white ball numbers and the Powerball number. This ticket was sold at Casey's General Store #2603, 107 W 14th Street in Juniata. The winning numbers from Wednesday’s Powerball draw were 02, 07, 11, 17, 32, and the Powerball was 11.The $1 Power Play option offers players the chance to play for enhanced non-jackpot prizes. Because this ticket was purchased with Power Play, the regular $50,000 prize was multiplied by the 3X Power Play multiplier for a total prize of $150,000.Prizes for Nebraska Lottery Lotto games can be claimed up to 180 days after the draw date. Prizes of $20,000 or more must be claimed at Lottery headquarters in Lincoln. Additional information about claiming prizes can be found at the Nebraska Lottery website, nelottery.com, or by calling 800-587-5200.The mission of the Nebraska Lottery is to generate proceeds for good causes while providing quality entertainment options to Nebraskans. Over $831 million has been raised for the Nebraska Lottery’s beneficiary funds since the Lottery began in 1993. All 93 counties in Nebraska have benefited from projects funded with these Nebraska Lottery proceeds.

$150K winning Powerball ticket sold in Juniata

KANSAS CITY (AP) — The spread of COVID-19 vaccination requirements across the U.S. hasn’t had the desired effect so far, with the number of Americans getting their first shots plunging in recent weeks. And some experts worry that the move to dispense boosters could just make matters worse.

The fear is that the rollout of booster shots will lead some people to question the effectiveness of the vaccine in the first place.

“Many of my patients are already saying, ‘If we need a third dose, what was the point?’” said Dr. Jason Goldman, a physician in Coral Springs, Florida.

The average daily count of Americans getting a first dose of vaccine has been falling for six weeks, plummeting more than 50% from about 480,000 in early August to under 230,000 by the middle of last week, according to the most recently available federal data.

An estimated 70 million vaccine-eligible Americans have yet to start vaccinations, despite a summer surge in infections, hospitalizations and deaths driven by the delta variant.

This is the case despite a growing number of businesses announcing vaccination requirements for their employees, including Google, McDonald’s, Microsoft and Disney. Also, big cities such as New York and San Francisco are demanding people be vaccinated to eat at restaurants or enter certain other businesses.

Separately, President Joe Biden announced sweeping new vaccine requirements for as many as 100 million Americans on Sept. 9. Employees at businesses with more than 100 people on the payroll will have to get vaccinated or undergo weekly testing. But the mandates have yet to go into effect; the necessary regulations are still being drawn up.

Allie French, of Omaha, Nebraska, said the move toward booster shots only reinforced her strong belief that vaccinations aren’t necessary, particularly for people who take care of themselves.

“It comes back to a mindset of not needing your hand held through every situation,” said French, founder of a small advocacy group called Nebraskans Against Government Overreach.

Tara Dukart, a 40-year-old rancher from Hazen, North Dakota, and a board member for Health Freedom North Dakota, an organization that has fought mask and vaccine mandates, said: “I think that there is a tremendous amount of hesitancy because why get a third shot if the first two shots didn’t work?”

Scientists have emphasized that the vaccine remains highly effective against serious illness and death from COVID-19, noting that the unvaccinated account for the vast majority of the dead and hospitalized recently. But experts have also seen signs that the vaccine’s protection may be slipping, and they want to get out ahead of the problem.

Experts have long said the key to ending the U.S. epidemic is vaccinating the vast majority of the American public — perhaps as much as 90%. But of the more than 283 million Americans age 12 and older who are eligible for shots, only about 65% — 184 million — are fully vaccinated, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. Children under 12 are not yet eligible to get vaccinated, meaning only about 55% of the U.S. public is fully protected.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Tuesday that health officials have not lost sight of that problem. The booster effort “will not distract us from our most important focus — to get as many people as possible vaccinated with a primary series,” she said.

White House officials said they doubt the need for boosters is a real concern among the vast majority of the unvaccinated, who for a variety of reasons, including misinformation, have continued to resist getting their shots despite nearly a year’s worth of data showing their lifesaving potential.

They argue, too, that as the pool of unvaccinated Americans gradually shrinks, there will be declines in the numbers of new people getting shots. They say the latest numbers should not be read as a sign that mandates aren’t working, noting that most businesses haven’t yet put in place the Biden administration’s vaccinate-or-test policy.

Indeed, despite the downward vaccination trends seen in CDC data, they say there is evidence employer mandates are already working. White House officials cited a number of success stories, including strong increases in the percentage of vaccinated employees at the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, United Airlines and the Defense Department.

Noel Brewer, a University of North Carolina professor of health behavior, said the mandates show promise and there is good reason to be optimistic.

“I think we’re heading into a great season for vaccinations. Everything is lining up in a good way,” said Brewer, who advises the CDC and the World Health Organization on COVID-19 vaccination policy.

Last week, the Food and Drug Administration and the CDC&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-coronavirus-pandemic-coronavirus-vaccine-203d8c288858e815175880753cbc9b8f">authorized&nbsp;</a>booster doses of Pfizer’s vaccine for tens of millions of Americans who are 65 and older, have underlying health conditions or work in jobs that put them at high risk. The extra dose would be given six months after the two-shot regimen.

Regulators have yet to take up the question of booster shots for people who got the Moderna or the Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine.

More than 400,000 Americans got boosters at drugstores over the weekend, and 1 million more have signed up for them, according to White House officials.

But some members of an expert panel that advises the CDC worried last week that the booster discussion was a distraction from the more pressing need to get more Americans vaccinated.

“We have a very effective vaccine, and it’s like saying, ‘It’s not working,’” said Dr. Pablo Sanchez of Ohio State University.

At that meeting, a CDC official presented unpublished data from a recent 1,000-person survey that suggested that offering boosters would make 25% of unvaccinated Americans much less likely to get a shot. This week, a Kaiser Family Foundation poll of more than 1,500 adults found that 71% of the unvaccinated say the recent news about boosters is a sign that the vaccines aren’t working.

Dr. James Conway, a pediatric infectious diseases expert at the University of Wisconsin, said last week that if vaccine-hesitant people “start to get the idea that this is only going to last for six or eight or 10 months,” they may be further soured on the whole idea.

Meanwhile, the pandemic’s summer surge has shown signs of easing. Deaths are still running high at over 2,000 a day on average, but cases and hospitalizations are trending down.

While any ebb in COVID-19′s toll is welcome, it also may undercut health officials’ effort to instill a sense of urgency in the unvaccinated. That could be a difficult task even when cases were exploding.

Dr. Alex Jahangir, director of orthopedic trauma surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the head of a coronavirus task force in Nashville, Tennessee, recalled operating on an elderly man injured in a car wreck over the summer. The man survived those injuries but ended up dying from COVID-19.

Jahangir said he was struck by how the man’s family seemed to absorb the facts about the COVID-19′s dangers only at the very end.

“Only when they were negatively impacted did they seek the truth,” Jahangir said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1633006485546.png" alt="The Lawrence-Douglas County Kansas Public Health Department started a COVID vaccine booster clinic on Wednesday- photo courtesy Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>The Lawrence-Douglas County Kansas Public Health Department started a COVID vaccine booster clinic on Wednesday- photo courtesy Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — The spread of COVID-19 vaccination requirements across the U.S. hasn’t had the desired effect so far, with the number of Americans getting their first shots plunging in recent weeks. And some experts worry that the move to dispense boosters could just make matters worse.The fear is that the rollout of booster shots will lead some people to question the effectiveness of the vaccine in the first place.“Many of my patients are already saying, ‘If we need a third dose, what was the point?’” said Dr. Jason Goldman, a physician in Coral Springs, Florida.The average daily count of Americans getting a first dose of vaccine has been falling for six weeks, plummeting more than 50% from about 480,000 in early August to under 230,000 by the middle of last week, according to the most recently available federal data.An estimated 70 million vaccine-eligible Americans have yet to start vaccinations, despite a summer surge in infections, hospitalizations and deaths driven by the delta variant.This is the case despite a growing number of businesses announcing vaccination requirements for their employees, including Google, McDonald’s, Microsoft and Disney. Also, big cities such as New York and San Francisco are demanding people be vaccinated to eat at restaurants or enter certain other businesses.Separately, President Joe Biden announced sweeping new vaccine requirements for as many as 100 million Americans on Sept. 9. Employees at businesses with more than 100 people on the payroll will have to get vaccinated or undergo weekly testing. But the mandates have yet to go into effect; the necessary regulations are still being drawn up.Allie French, of Omaha, Nebraska, said the move toward booster shots only reinforced her strong belief that vaccinations aren’t necessary, particularly for people who take care of themselves.“It comes back to a mindset of not needing your hand held through every situation,” said French, founder of a small advocacy group called Nebraskans Against Government Overreach.Tara Dukart, a 40-year-old rancher from Hazen, North Dakota, and a board member for Health Freedom North Dakota, an organization that has fought mask and vaccine mandates, said: “I think that there is a tremendous amount of hesitancy because why get a third shot if the first two shots didn’t work?”Scientists have emphasized that the vaccine remains highly effective against serious illness and death from COVID-19, noting that the unvaccinated account for the vast majority of the dead and hospitalized recently. But experts have also seen signs that the vaccine’s protection may be slipping, and they want to get out ahead of the problem.Experts have long said the key to ending the U.S. epidemic is vaccinating the vast majority of the American public — perhaps as much as 90%. But of the more than 283 million Americans age 12 and older who are eligible for shots, only about 65% — 184 million — are fully vaccinated, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. Children under 12 are not yet eligible to get vaccinated, meaning only about 55% of the U.S. public is fully protected.CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Tuesday that health officials have not lost sight of that problem. The booster effort “will not distract us from our most important focus — to get as many people as possible vaccinated with a primary series,” she said.White House officials said they doubt the need for boosters is a real concern among the vast majority of the unvaccinated, who for a variety of reasons, including misinformation, have continued to resist getting their shots despite nearly a year’s worth of data showing their lifesaving potential.They argue, too, that as the pool of unvaccinated Americans gradually shrinks, there will be declines in the numbers of new people getting shots. They say the latest numbers should not be read as a sign that mandates aren’t working, noting that most businesses haven’t yet put in place the Biden administration’s vaccinate-or-test policy.Indeed, despite the downward vaccination trends seen in CDC data, they say there is evidence employer mandates are already working. White House officials cited a number of success stories, including strong increases in the percentage of vaccinated employees at the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, United Airlines and the Defense Department.Noel Brewer, a University of North Carolina professor of health behavior, said the mandates show promise and there is good reason to be optimistic.“I think we’re heading into a great season for vaccinations. Everything is lining up in a good way,” said Brewer, who advises the CDC and the World Health Organization on COVID-19 vaccination policy.Last week, the Food and Drug Administration and the CDC&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-coronavirus-pandemic-coronavirus-vaccine-203d8c288858e815175880753cbc9b8f">authorized&nbsp;</a>booster doses of Pfizer’s vaccine for tens of millions of Americans who are 65 and older, have underlying health conditions or work in jobs that put them at high risk. The extra dose would be given six months after the two-shot regimen.Regulators have yet to take up the question of booster shots for people who got the Moderna or the Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine.More than 400,000 Americans got boosters at drugstores over the weekend, and 1 million more have signed up for them, according to White House officials.But some members of an expert panel that advises the CDC worried last week that the booster discussion was a distraction from the more pressing need to get more Americans vaccinated.“We have a very effective vaccine, and it’s like saying, ‘It’s not working,’” said Dr. Pablo Sanchez of Ohio State University.At that meeting, a CDC official presented unpublished data from a recent 1,000-person survey that suggested that offering boosters would make 25% of unvaccinated Americans much less likely to get a shot. This week, a Kaiser Family Foundation poll of more than 1,500 adults found that 71% of the unvaccinated say the recent news about boosters is a sign that the vaccines aren’t working.Some outside experts saw this coming.Dr. James Conway, a pediatric infectious diseases expert at the University of Wisconsin, said last week that if vaccine-hesitant people “start to get the idea that this is only going to last for six or eight or 10 months,” they may be further soured on the whole idea.Meanwhile, the pandemic’s summer surge has shown signs of easing. Deaths are still running high at over 2,000 a day on average, but cases and hospitalizations are trending down.While any ebb in COVID-19′s toll is welcome, it also may undercut health officials’ effort to instill a sense of urgency in the unvaccinated. That could be a difficult task even when cases were exploding.Dr. Alex Jahangir, director of orthopedic trauma surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the head of a coronavirus task force in Nashville, Tennessee, recalled operating on an elderly man injured in a car wreck over the summer. The man survived those injuries but ended up dying from COVID-19.Jahangir said he was struck by how the man’s family seemed to absorb the facts about the COVID-19′s dangers only at the very end.“Only when they were negatively impacted did they seek the truth,” Jahangir said.___

Could booster shots hurt drive to reach the unvaccinated?

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress is moving to avert one crisis while putting off another with the Senate poised to approve legislation that would fund the federal government into early December.

The House is expected to approve the measure following the Senate vote Thursday, preventing a partial government shutdown when the new fiscal year begins Friday.

Democrats were forced to remove a suspension of the federal government's borrowing limit from the bill at the insistence of Republicans. If the debt limit isn't raised by Oct. 18, the country would likely face a financial crisis and economic recession, says Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. Republicans say Democrats have the votes to raise the debt ceiling on their own, and Republican leader Mitch McConnell is insisting that they do so.

But the most immediate priority facing Congress is to keep the government running once the current fiscal year ends at midnight Thursday. The bill's expected approval will buy lawmakers more time to craft the spending bills that will fund federal agencies and the programs they administer.

Meanwhile, Democrats are struggling over how to get President Joe Biden's top domestic priorities over the finish line. Those include a bipartisan infrastructure bill that contains $550 billion in new spending for roads, bridges, broadband and other priorities, as well as a $3.5 trillion slate of social, health and environmental programs.

“With so many critical issues to address, the last thing the American people need right now is a government shutdown," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

Schumer said the stopgap spending legislation will also provide aid for those reeling from Hurricane Ida and other natural disasters as well as funding to support Afghanistan evacuees from the 20-year war between the U.S. and the Taliban.

Action in the final hours to avoid a partial government shutdown has become almost routine, with lawmakers usually able to fashion a compromise. The funding bill was slowed this time by disagreement over allowing the government to take on more debt so that it could continue to meet its financial obligations. Currently the borrowing cap is set at $28.4 trillion.

The U.S. has never defaulted on its debts in the modern era, and historically both parties have voted to raise the limit. Democrats joined the Republican Senate majority in doing so three times during Donald Trump’s presidency. This time Democrats wanted to take care of both priorities in one bill, but Senate Republicans blocked that effort Monday.

Raising or suspending the debt limit allows the federal government to pay obligations already incurred. It does not authorize new spending. McConnell has argued that Democrats should pass a debt limit extension with the same budgetary tools they are using to try to pass a $3.5 trillion effort to expand social safety net programs and tackle climate change.

“There is no tradition of doing this on a bipartisan basis. Sometimes we have and sometimes we haven’t,” McConnell told reporters about past debt ceiling increases.

House Democrats complained about the steps they were being forced to take as they approved a standalone bill late Wednesday that would suspend the debt ceiling until December 2022. That bill now heads to the Senate, where it is almost certain to be blocked by a Republican filibuster.

But Republicans were undaunted. They argued that Democrats have chosen to ram through their political priorities on their own, and thus are responsible for raising the debt limit on their own.

“So long as the Democratic majority continues to insist on spending money hand over fist, Republicans will refuse to help them lift the debt ceiling," said Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla.

McGovern said Republicans ballooned the debt under Trump and now are washing their hands of the consequences.

“Republicans have now rediscovered the issue of the debt," McGovern said. “Where the hell were you the last four years?”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632951499889.png" alt="GOP Senator John Barrasso with the Biden funding bill of 2,500 pages requesting $3.5 trillion. He said it is literally $1 billion and $400 million dollars per page- photo Courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>GOP Senator John Barrasso with the Biden funding bill of 2,500 pages requesting $3.5 trillion. He said it is literally $1 billion and $400 million dollars per page- photo Courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress is moving to avert one crisis while putting off another with the Senate poised to approve legislation that would fund the federal government into early December.The House is expected to approve the measure following the Senate vote Thursday, preventing a partial government shutdown when the new fiscal year begins Friday.Democrats were forced to remove a suspension of the federal government's borrowing limit from the bill at the insistence of Republicans. If the debt limit isn't raised by Oct. 18, the country would likely face a financial crisis and economic recession, says Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. Republicans say Democrats have the votes to raise the debt ceiling on their own, and Republican leader Mitch McConnell is insisting that they do so.But the most immediate priority facing Congress is to keep the government running once the current fiscal year ends at midnight Thursday. The bill's expected approval will buy lawmakers more time to craft the spending bills that will fund federal agencies and the programs they administer.Meanwhile, Democrats are struggling over how to get President Joe Biden's top domestic priorities over the finish line. Those include a bipartisan infrastructure bill that contains $550 billion in new spending for roads, bridges, broadband and other priorities, as well as a $3.5 trillion slate of social, health and environmental programs.“With so many critical issues to address, the last thing the American people need right now is a government shutdown," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.Schumer said the stopgap spending legislation will also provide aid for those reeling from Hurricane Ida and other natural disasters as well as funding to support Afghanistan evacuees from the 20-year war between the U.S. and the Taliban.Action in the final hours to avoid a partial government shutdown has become almost routine, with lawmakers usually able to fashion a compromise. The funding bill was slowed this time by disagreement over allowing the government to take on more debt so that it could continue to meet its financial obligations. Currently the borrowing cap is set at $28.4 trillion.The U.S. has never defaulted on its debts in the modern era, and historically both parties have voted to raise the limit. Democrats joined the Republican Senate majority in doing so three times during Donald Trump’s presidency. This time Democrats wanted to take care of both priorities in one bill, but Senate Republicans blocked that effort Monday.Raising or suspending the debt limit allows the federal government to pay obligations already incurred. It does not authorize new spending. McConnell has argued that Democrats should pass a debt limit extension with the same budgetary tools they are using to try to pass a $3.5 trillion effort to expand social safety net programs and tackle climate change.“There is no tradition of doing this on a bipartisan basis. Sometimes we have and sometimes we haven’t,” McConnell told reporters about past debt ceiling increases.House Democrats complained about the steps they were being forced to take as they approved a standalone bill late Wednesday that would suspend the debt ceiling until December 2022. That bill now heads to the Senate, where it is almost certain to be blocked by a Republican filibuster.“You are more interested in punishing Democrats than preserving our credit and that is something I’m having a real tough time getting my head around,” House Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern, D-Mass., told Republicans. “The idea of not paying bills just because we don’t like (Biden’s) policies is the wrong way to go.”But Republicans were undaunted. They argued that Democrats have chosen to ram through their political priorities on their own, and thus are responsible for raising the debt limit on their own.“So long as the Democratic majority continues to insist on spending money hand over fist, Republicans will refuse to help them lift the debt ceiling," said Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla.McGovern said Republicans ballooned the debt under Trump and now are washing their hands of the consequences.“Republicans have now rediscovered the issue of the debt," McGovern said. “Where the hell were you the last four years?”The Treasury has taken steps to preserve cash, but once it runs out, it will be forced to rely on incoming revenue to pay its obligations. That would likely mean delays in payments to Social Security recipients, veterans and government workers, including military personnel. The Bipartisan Policy Center, a think tank, projects that the federal government would be unable to meet about 40% of payments due in the several weeks that follow.

Shutdown showdown: Congress needs to take action Thursday

The
 Federal Trade Commission is sending 8,843 checks totaling more than $2 
million to consumers who were harmed by a company that charged them 
money for “funding” to pay for expensive and often ineffective training 
programs, but instead opened multiple credit card accounts in their 
names.

<a href="https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/federal.trade.commission/viz/Refunds_15797958402020/RefundsbyCase"></a><a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2021/01/ftc-acts-stop-nevada-companies-charging-consumers-thousands-open">According to the FTC’s complaint</a>,
 Seed Consulting, LLC (which also operated under the names Seed Capital 
and Foundation Funding) was pitched by training companies as a way to 
get “funding” to people who wanted to start a business or become a real 
estate investor. The complaint alleged that Seed didn’t actually provide
 any funds to consumers but instead charged them $3,000 or more to apply
 for numerous credit cards on their behalf, with total credit lines of 
more than $50,000, a practice known as “credit card stacking.”

To obtain these credit lines, the suit alleges, Seed often inflated 
consumers’ annual incomes on credit card applications by approximately 
$100,000, telling consumers they could expect to make that much when 
they completed their training programs. Often, the consumers used the 
credit cards Seed obtained for them to pay for expensive programs sold 
by the training companies.

Seed agreed to settle the FTC’s case in January 2021. Each check recipient will receive $232.12.

People who receive checks should deposit or cash them within 90 days,
 as indicated on the check. Recipients who have questions about their 
checks, as well as anyone who paid Seed Consulting for business training
 and real estate investment programs, should call the refund 
administrator, JND Legal Administration at 1-833-823-0045. The FTC never
 requires people to pay money or provide account information to cash a 
refund check.

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

The Federal Trade Commission works to 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 is sending 8,843 checks totaling more than $2 
million to consumers who were harmed by a company that charged them 
money for “funding” to pay for expensive and often ineffective training 
programs, but instead opened multiple credit card accounts in their 
names.<a href="https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/federal.trade.commission/viz/Refunds_15797958402020/RefundsbyCase"></a><a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2021/01/ftc-acts-stop-nevada-companies-charging-consumers-thousands-open">According to the FTC’s complaint</a>,
 Seed Consulting, LLC (which also operated under the names Seed Capital 
and Foundation Funding) was pitched by training companies as a way to 
get “funding” to people who wanted to start a business or become a real 
estate investor. The complaint alleged that Seed didn’t actually provide
 any funds to consumers but instead charged them $3,000 or more to apply
 for numerous credit cards on their behalf, with total credit lines of 
more than $50,000, a practice known as “credit card stacking.”To obtain these credit lines, the suit alleges, Seed often inflated 
consumers’ annual incomes on credit card applications by approximately 
$100,000, telling consumers they could expect to make that much when 
they completed their training programs. Often, the consumers used the 
credit cards Seed obtained for them to pay for expensive programs sold 
by the training companies.Seed agreed to settle the FTC’s case in January 2021. Each check recipient will receive $232.12.People who receive checks should deposit or cash them within 90 days,
 as indicated on the check. Recipients who have questions about their 
checks, as well as anyone who paid Seed Consulting for business training
 and real estate investment programs, should call the refund 
administrator, JND Legal Administration at 1-833-823-0045. The FTC never
 requires people to pay money or provide account information to cash a 
refund check.The FTC’s <a href="https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/federal.trade.commission/viz/Refunds_15797958402020/RefundsbyCase">interactive dashboards for refund data(link is external)</a>
 provide a state-by-state breakdown of FTC refunds. In 2020, FTC actions
 led to more than $483 million in refunds to consumers across the 
country, but recently the United States Supreme Court ruled the FTC 
lacks authority under Section 13(b) to seek monetary relief in federal 
court going forward. The <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2021/04/ftc-asks-congress-pass-legislation-reviving-agencys-authority">Commission has urged Congress</a> to restore the FTC’s ability to get money back for consumers.The Federal Trade Commission works to 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>.

FTC: $2M returned to victims of 'credit card stacking' scheme

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The U.S. Marshals Service says a four-month police operation targeting gang activity in Omaha and surrounding communities led to more than 230 arrests and the seizure of dozens of guns and more than $800,000 worth of illegal narcotics. 

The service said in a news release Tuesday that Operation Triple Beam/Operation K.O. was conducted from May through August and was led by the U.S. Marshals Service's Metro Fugitive Task Force and the Omaha and Lincoln police departments. 

The operation was part of a national effort developed by the Marshal’s Service to reduce gang violence by arresting violent fugitives, gang members and those who have committed violent crimes.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The U.S. Marshals Service says a four-month police operation targeting gang activity in Omaha and surrounding communities led to more than 230 arrests and the seizure of dozens of guns and more than $800,000 worth of illegal narcotics. The service said in a news release Tuesday that Operation Triple Beam/Operation K.O. was conducted from May through August and was led by the U.S. Marshals Service's Metro Fugitive Task Force and the Omaha and Lincoln police departments. The operation was part of a national effort developed by the Marshal’s Service to reduce gang violence by arresting violent fugitives, gang members and those who have committed violent crimes.

US Marshals say 4-month anti-gang effort led to 231 arrests

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The South Dakota attorney general says he is reviewing concerns from state lawmakers over a meeting Gov. Kristi Noem held last year that included both her daughter and a state employee who was overseeing her daughter’s application to become a certified real estate appraiser.

 Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg said in a statement that he had been contacted by legislators and that he will review their concerns. Ravnsborg didn’t immediately respond to a question about what steps he might take. 

The attorney general is tasked under state law with issuing legal opinions to lawmakers. 

The governor’s office declined to answer detailed questions from The Associated Press about the meeting.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The South Dakota attorney general says he is reviewing concerns from state lawmakers over a meeting Gov. Kristi Noem held last year that included both her daughter and a state employee who was overseeing her daughter’s application to become a certified real estate appraiser. Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg said in a statement that he had been contacted by legislators and that he will review their concerns. Ravnsborg didn’t immediately respond to a question about what steps he might take. The attorney general is tasked under state law with issuing legal opinions to lawmakers. The governor’s office declined to answer detailed questions from The Associated Press about the meeting.

South Dakota AG reviewing Noem's meeting with daughter

BLACK HAWK, S.D. (AP) — More than 150 homeowners in a development outside Rapid City are suing Meade County over risks to their properties after a sinkhole exposed an abandoned gypsum mine. 

The federal complaint filed Monday by Hideaway Hills residents in Black Hawk seeks damages to be determined by a jury and other relief “allowed by law or equity.”

 The sinkhole forced about 40 residents from 15 homes in April 2020.

 Geotechnical studies show there could be water flowing through the abandoned mine and toward Interstate 90 and there is the potential for future sinkholes. 

The Rapid City Journal reports that the complaint alleges several violations of the state Constitution.

BLACK HAWK, S.D. (AP) — More than 150 homeowners in a development outside Rapid City are suing Meade County over risks to their properties after a sinkhole exposed an abandoned gypsum mine. The federal complaint filed Monday by Hideaway Hills residents in Black Hawk seeks damages to be determined by a jury and other relief “allowed by law or equity.” The sinkhole forced about 40 residents from 15 homes in April 2020. Geotechnical studies show there could be water flowing through the abandoned mine and toward Interstate 90 and there is the potential for future sinkholes. The Rapid City Journal reports that the complaint alleges several violations of the state Constitution.

Rapid City-area homeowners sue county over sinkhole risks

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pressure mounting, President Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress strained Tuesday to trim back his potentially historic&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-health-4937ea3b6a05aceec7dd6a4ddaaf902b">$3.5 trillion government overhaul to</a>&nbsp;win support from two key holdout senators ahead of make-or-break deadlines for votes.

With Republicans solidly opposed and no votes to spare, Biden canceled a Wednesday trip to Chicago that was to focus on COVID-19 vaccinations so he could continue working on a deal, according to a White House official granted anonymity to discuss the planning.

Democrats are poised to adjust the huge measure’s tax proposals and spending goals to meet the overall size demanded by party colleagues Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona. The two say Biden’s plan is too big but are publicly quiet about a number they can live with.

The president met separately with them Tuesday at the White House, making apparent progress before a Thursday test vote.

As the legislation comes into focus, the adjustments will follow —child care subsidies could be offered for several years, or just a few. Funding to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-health-care-69c7bb592f8d73232bec1d8e15be82e3">expand health care programs&nbsp;</a>could start later or end sooner. Tax hikes on corporations and the wealthy may be adjusted. And provisions to fight climate change or curb prescription drug prices could change.

Assuming nothing, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters at the Capitol, “In the next day or so we hope to come to a place where we can all move forward.”

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-financial-markets-nancy-pelosi-7bd49aa2c2638a95ef4b0aa421b219df">stakes are as high as ever&nbsp;</a>as Biden and his party try to accomplish a giant legislative lift, promising a vast rewrite of the nation’s tax priorities and spending goals with an oh-so-slim majority in Congress.

Biden is under pressure to close the deal with centrist Sens. Manchin and Sinema who are seen as linchpins for the final package.

“Really good, honest, straightforward negotiations,” Manchin told reporters back at the Capitol after his White House meeting with Biden. He said he did not give the president a new topline figure.

Biden’s problems with fellow Democrats aren’t just in the Senate. A small number of House Democrats also are bristling at the far-reaching scope of his domestic agenda and demanding changes.

“We’re obviously at a very sensitive time,” said White House press secretary Jen Psaki.

The president, she said, is “not going to tell anyone what to do. He’s going to have a discussion, have an engagement.”

The closed-door talks come after Republican senators for a second time blocked a bill to keep the government operating past Thursday and allow federal borrowing, risking a federal shutdown and devastating debt default — though both seem highly unlikely.

Democrats said they will try again before Thursday’s deadline to pass a bill funding government operations past the Sept. 30 fiscal year-end, likely stripping out the more-heated debate over the debt limit for another day, closer to a separate October deadline.

Taken together, it’s all putting the entire Biden agenda perilously closer to collapse, with consequences certain to shape his presidency and the lawmakers’ political futures.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told Congress&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-bills-janet-yellen-9d5327bcc4f18bd2cf3349fdbe6d246b">in a letter Tuesday that Oct. 18&nbsp;</a>is a critical date — when the Treasury Department will likely exhaust all of its “extraordinary measures” being taken to avoid a default on the government’s obligations.

Yellen urged Congress to “protect the full faith and credit of the United States by acting as soon as possible” to either raise the debt limit or suspend it.

Meanwhile, the behind the scenes action over the $3.5 trillion measure is testing Biden’s grip on his party, as he seeks a once-in-a-generation reworking of the nation’s balance sheets.

Applying pressure, progressives are unwavering so far in their refusal to go along with a vote expected Thursday on a companion bill, a $1 trillion public works measure that they say is too meager without Biden’s bigger package assured.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said they have the votes to derail the smaller bill unless it comes with Biden’s broader one — tacit pressure on the holdouts to arrive at a deal. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., urged a no vote.

“It won’t be the end of the world Thursday if we vote it down,” said Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., a progressive caucus member. He said the House will just wait for the Senate to act on Biden’s plan, “and then we’ll vote again.”

With all Republicans opposed to the big bill, Democratic leaders can’t spare a single vote in the 50-50 Senate, relying on Vice President Kamala Harris to break a tie to pass the eventual package.

Physically holding up the 2,000-plus page bill, Republican Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming warned it was nothing but “big government socialism.”

“This bill represents Bernie Sanders’ socialist dream. It is a nightmare for American taxpayers,” he said.

Biden insists&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-congress-budget-08d7ca3ffc7f438148570b04bc61ded0">the price tag actually will be zero&nbsp;</a>because the expansion of government programs would be largely paid for with higher taxes on corporations and the wealthy — businesses earning more than $5 million a year, and individuals earning more than $400,000 a year, or $450,000 for couples.

To lower the price tag and win over centrist Democrats, it’s not necessary that any specific programs be get axed, those familiar with the process have said.

Rather, lawmakers are eyeing ways to adjust the scope and duration of some of Biden’s proposals.

For example, instead of more immediately launching the massive expansion of the Medicare program for seniors by allowing them to qualify for vision, dental and hearing aid benefits, changes might be spaced out to save money. Or similarly, funding to expand Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act could have an end-date rather than continue on.

The corporate tax hikes, proposed to spike from 21% to 26.5% under the House’s version of Biden’s bill, could shift again in talks with the Senate Democrats.

Failing to fund all the program expansions indefinitely could well be seen as a loss for Democrats. But some see the built-in deadlines as a chance to revisit the issues again — likely during election years when both sides can argue their cases to voters.

Tensions are flaring at the Capitol as the contours of Biden’s big agenda come into focus at the same time as a Democrat-Republican standoff over normally routine votes to fund the government and prevent a federal debt default.

For a second day on Tuesday, Senate Republicans rejected an effort to ease the nation’s debt limit to avoid a dangerous default on its payments for past bills.

Republican leader Mitch McConnell grew testy with reporters when asked about Yellen’s warning that Congress must swiftly resolve the issue.

“Of course the debt ceiling has to be raised,” he said. But he insisted Democrats shoulder the unpopular vote on their own.

On Monday, Republicans had rejected the Democrats’ effort to link the debt ceiling vote to the must-pass funding bill to keep government running.

An exasperated Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said, “It is clear insanity and disaster are now the Republican party line.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632917428769.png" alt="House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, members of Congress, activists at the U.S. Capitol for an event on how the Biden's Build Back Better Act will create good paying jobs tackling the climate crisis, addressing environmental justice and investing in America’s clean energy future.-photo courtesy House Speaker's office" />
 <figcaption>House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, members of Congress, activists at the U.S. Capitol for an event on how the Biden's Build Back Better Act will create good paying jobs tackling the climate crisis, addressing environmental justice and investing in America’s clean energy future.-photo courtesy House Speaker's office</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Pressure mounting, President Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress strained Tuesday to trim back his potentially historic&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-health-4937ea3b6a05aceec7dd6a4ddaaf902b">$3.5 trillion government overhaul to</a>&nbsp;win support from two key holdout senators ahead of make-or-break deadlines for votes.With Republicans solidly opposed and no votes to spare, Biden canceled a Wednesday trip to Chicago that was to focus on COVID-19 vaccinations so he could continue working on a deal, according to a White House official granted anonymity to discuss the planning.Democrats are poised to adjust the huge measure’s tax proposals and spending goals to meet the overall size demanded by party colleagues Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona. The two say Biden’s plan is too big but are publicly quiet about a number they can live with.The president met separately with them Tuesday at the White House, making apparent progress before a Thursday test vote.As the legislation comes into focus, the adjustments will follow —child care subsidies could be offered for several years, or just a few. Funding to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-health-care-69c7bb592f8d73232bec1d8e15be82e3">expand health care programs&nbsp;</a>could start later or end sooner. Tax hikes on corporations and the wealthy may be adjusted. And provisions to fight climate change or curb prescription drug prices could change.Assuming nothing, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters at the Capitol, “In the next day or so we hope to come to a place where we can all move forward.”The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-financial-markets-nancy-pelosi-7bd49aa2c2638a95ef4b0aa421b219df">stakes are as high as ever&nbsp;</a>as Biden and his party try to accomplish a giant legislative lift, promising a vast rewrite of the nation’s tax priorities and spending goals with an oh-so-slim majority in Congress.Biden is under pressure to close the deal with centrist Sens. Manchin and Sinema who are seen as linchpins for the final package.“Really good, honest, straightforward negotiations,” Manchin told reporters back at the Capitol after his White House meeting with Biden. He said he did not give the president a new topline figure.Biden’s problems with fellow Democrats aren’t just in the Senate. A small number of House Democrats also are bristling at the far-reaching scope of his domestic agenda and demanding changes.“We’re obviously at a very sensitive time,” said White House press secretary Jen Psaki.The president, she said, is “not going to tell anyone what to do. He’s going to have a discussion, have an engagement.”The closed-door talks come after Republican senators for a second time blocked a bill to keep the government operating past Thursday and allow federal borrowing, risking a federal shutdown and devastating debt default — though both seem highly unlikely.Democrats said they will try again before Thursday’s deadline to pass a bill funding government operations past the Sept. 30 fiscal year-end, likely stripping out the more-heated debate over the debt limit for another day, closer to a separate October deadline.Taken together, it’s all putting the entire Biden agenda perilously closer to collapse, with consequences certain to shape his presidency and the lawmakers’ political futures.Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told Congress&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-bills-janet-yellen-9d5327bcc4f18bd2cf3349fdbe6d246b">in a letter Tuesday that Oct. 18&nbsp;</a>is a critical date — when the Treasury Department will likely exhaust all of its “extraordinary measures” being taken to avoid a default on the government’s obligations.Yellen urged Congress to “protect the full faith and credit of the United States by acting as soon as possible” to either raise the debt limit or suspend it.Meanwhile, the behind the scenes action over the $3.5 trillion measure is testing Biden’s grip on his party, as he seeks a once-in-a-generation reworking of the nation’s balance sheets.Applying pressure, progressives are unwavering so far in their refusal to go along with a vote expected Thursday on a companion bill, a $1 trillion public works measure that they say is too meager without Biden’s bigger package assured.Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said they have the votes to derail the smaller bill unless it comes with Biden’s broader one — tacit pressure on the holdouts to arrive at a deal. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., urged a no vote.“It won’t be the end of the world Thursday if we vote it down,” said Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., a progressive caucus member. He said the House will just wait for the Senate to act on Biden’s plan, “and then we’ll vote again.”With all Republicans opposed to the big bill, Democratic leaders can’t spare a single vote in the 50-50 Senate, relying on Vice President Kamala Harris to break a tie to pass the eventual package.Physically holding up the 2,000-plus page bill, Republican Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming warned it was nothing but “big government socialism.”“This bill represents Bernie Sanders’ socialist dream. It is a nightmare for American taxpayers,” he said.Biden insists&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-congress-budget-08d7ca3ffc7f438148570b04bc61ded0">the price tag actually will be zero&nbsp;</a>because the expansion of government programs would be largely paid for with higher taxes on corporations and the wealthy — businesses earning more than $5 million a year, and individuals earning more than $400,000 a year, or $450,000 for couples.To lower the price tag and win over centrist Democrats, it’s not necessary that any specific programs be get axed, those familiar with the process have said.Rather, lawmakers are eyeing ways to adjust the scope and duration of some of Biden’s proposals.For example, instead of more immediately launching the massive expansion of the Medicare program for seniors by allowing them to qualify for vision, dental and hearing aid benefits, changes might be spaced out to save money. Or similarly, funding to expand Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act could have an end-date rather than continue on.The corporate tax hikes, proposed to spike from 21% to 26.5% under the House’s version of Biden’s bill, could shift again in talks with the Senate Democrats.Failing to fund all the program expansions indefinitely could well be seen as a loss for Democrats. But some see the built-in deadlines as a chance to revisit the issues again — likely during election years when both sides can argue their cases to voters.Tensions are flaring at the Capitol as the contours of Biden’s big agenda come into focus at the same time as a Democrat-Republican standoff over normally routine votes to fund the government and prevent a federal debt default.For a second day on Tuesday, Senate Republicans rejected an effort to ease the nation’s debt limit to avoid a dangerous default on its payments for past bills.Republican leader Mitch McConnell grew testy with reporters when asked about Yellen’s warning that Congress must swiftly resolve the issue.“Of course the debt ceiling has to be raised,” he said. But he insisted Democrats shoulder the unpopular vote on their own.On Monday, Republicans had rejected the Democrats’ effort to link the debt ceiling vote to the must-pass funding bill to keep government running.An exasperated Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said, “It is clear insanity and disaster are now the Republican party line.”

Big pressure on Biden, Democrats in battle over $3.5T plan

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pfizer has submitted research to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on the effectiveness of its COVID-19 vaccine in children but the shots may not be available until November.

The company said Tuesday it provided health regulators with data from a recent study of its vaccine in children 5 to 11 years old. Officials had said previously they would file an application with the FDA to authorize use in the coming weeks.

Once the company files its application, U.S. regulators and public health officials will review the evidence and consult with their advisory committees in public meetings to determine if the shots are safe and effective enough to recommend use.

That process may mean the shots may not be available until closer to Thanksgiving, according to a person familiar with the process but not authorized to discuss it publicly. But it is possible that, depending on how quickly the FDA acts, the shots could become available earlier in November, the person said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pfizer has submitted research to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on the effectiveness of its COVID-19 vaccine in children but the shots may not be available until November.The company said Tuesday it provided health regulators with data from a recent study of its vaccine in children 5 to 11 years old. Officials had said previously they would file an application with the FDA to authorize use in the coming weeks.Once the company files its application, U.S. regulators and public health officials will review the evidence and consult with their advisory committees in public meetings to determine if the shots are safe and effective enough to recommend use.That process may mean the shots may not be available until closer to Thanksgiving, according to a person familiar with the process but not authorized to discuss it publicly. But it is possible that, depending on how quickly the FDA acts, the shots could become available earlier in November, the person said.The drugmaker and its partner, Germany’s BioNTech, say they expect to request emergency use authorization of their vaccine in children ages 5 to 11 “in the coming&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-science-health-coronavirus-pandemic-coronavirus-vaccine-202cb6e44b90270ec4d1f19690ed94c5">weeks</a>.” The companies also plan to submit data to the European Medicines Agency and other regulators.The two-shot Pfizer vaccine is currently available for those 12 and older. An estimated 100 million people in the U.S. have been fully vaccinated with it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Pfizer tested a lower dose of the shots in children. The drugmaker said last week that researchers found the vaccine developed coronavirus-fighting antibody levels in children that were just as strong as those found in teenagers and young adults getting regular-strength doses.Earlier this month, FDA chief Dr. Peter Marks told the AP that once Pfizer turns over its study results, his agency would evaluate the data “hopefully in a matter of weeks” to decide if the shots are safe and effective enough for younger kids.Pfizer’s updated timetable was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.Another U.S. vaccine maker, Moderna, also is studying its shots in elementary school-aged children. Results are expected later in the year.