WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today announced that 18 new self-study seminars are available through the <a href="https://irstaxforumsonline.com/">IRS Nationwide Tax Forums Online</a>.

Tax professionals – CPAs, enrolled agents, Annual Filing Season 
Program participants and others – can earn continuing education for $29 
per credit.

The new seminars were recorded in July and August at the 2021 IRS Nationwide Tax Forum.

2021 Nationwide Tax Forums Online course listing

These 18 courses are now available in addition to 37 sessions from previous years that are also available for credit.

Information on continuing education credits

The Nationwide Tax Forums Online is a qualified sponsor of continuing
 education registered with the IRS Return Preparer Office (RPO) and the 
National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA).

To earn credit, tax pros need to create an account, answer review questions throughout the seminar and pass a short test.

The online seminars can be reviewed for free. Individuals who choose 
this option will not have access to the review questions or final 
examination and will not receive credit.

For more information, visit <a href="https://irstaxforumsonline.com/">IRS Nationwide Tax Forums Online</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today announced that 18 new self-study seminars are available through the <a href="https://irstaxforumsonline.com/">IRS Nationwide Tax Forums Online</a>.Tax professionals – CPAs, enrolled agents, Annual Filing Season 
Program participants and others – can earn continuing education for $29 
per credit.The new seminars were recorded in July and August at the 2021 IRS Nationwide Tax Forum.<h2>2021 Nationwide Tax Forums Online course listing</h2><ol>
 <li>Advocating for Taxpayers in Order to Avoid Abusive Tax Schemes</li><li>Be Tax Ready – Understanding Rules for Due Diligence and the Child 
Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit Under the American Rescue Plan 
Act of 2021</li><li>Charities &amp; Tax-Exempt Organizations Update</li><li>Closer Look at the IRS Independent Office of Appeals</li><li>Collection Flexibilities During Difficult Economic Times</li><li>Common Issues Presented to OPR and Best Practices to Address Them</li><li>Determining an Individual's Tax Residency Status</li><li>e-Services and You</li><li>Gig Economy</li><li>&nbsp;Helping You and Your Clients Steer Clear of Fraud and Scams</li><li>&nbsp;Key Enforcement Issues</li><li>Keynote Address</li><li>Keys to Mastering Due Diligence Requirements and What to Expect During a Due Diligence Audit</li><li>&nbsp;Overview of Taxpayer Civil Rights</li><li>&nbsp;Professional Responsibility Obligations when Practicing before the IRS:&nbsp;OPR and Circular 230</li><li>&nbsp;Retirement Plans - IRS Compliance Initiatives</li><li>&nbsp;Tax Law Changes from a Forms Perspective</li><li>&nbsp;Virtual Currency</li>
 </ol>These 18 courses are now available in addition to 37 sessions from previous years that are also available for credit.<h2>Information on continuing education credits</h2>The Nationwide Tax Forums Online is a qualified sponsor of continuing
 education registered with the IRS Return Preparer Office (RPO) and the 
National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA).To earn credit, tax pros need to create an account, answer review questions throughout the seminar and pass a short test.The online seminars can be reviewed for free. Individuals who choose 
this option will not have access to the review questions or final 
examination and will not receive credit.For more information, visit <a href="https://irstaxforumsonline.com/">IRS Nationwide Tax Forums Online</a>.

IRS rolls out series of online training seminars on tax policy

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Saturday acknowledged frustrations as Democrats strain to rescue a scaled-back version&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-bills-11f832cdc6f9808bdc0cfdcfe399a0a6">of his $3.5 trillion government-overhaul plan</a>&nbsp;and salvage a related public works bill after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-financial-markets-nancy-pelosi-3b591443b048d2fbfb7a9f9b6f646f7a">frantic negotiations</a>&nbsp;failed to produce a deal.

“Everybody’s frustrated, it’s part of being in government, being frustrated,” Biden told reporters before leaving the White House for a weekend stay at his home in Wilmington, Delaware. He pledged to ”work like hell” to get the two pillars of his domestic agenda passed into law, but refrained from laying out a new deadline.

The president had gone to Capitol Hill on Friday for a private meeting with House Democrats that was partly a morale booster for the disjointed caucus of lawmakers. According to lawmakers in the room, he discussed a $1.9 trillion to $2 trillion-plus price tag for the larger package that would expand the country’s social safety net.

The White House and its allies in Congress are prepared for protracted negotiations. Biden said he would soon travel around the country to promote the legislation and he acknowledged concerns that the talk in Washington had become too focused on the trillions in new spending and taxes in the bill.

He pledged to do more to educate the public about the plan’s new and expanded programs, which he contended have the support of the vast majority of the electorate.

“I’m going to try to sell what I think the American people will buy,” Biden said Saturday, adding, “I believe that when the American people are aware of what’s in it we’ll get it done.”

The president said he believed the legislation will be signed into law with “plenty of time to change the tax code for people next year.”

It’s a pivotal time for Biden and the party. His approval ratings have dropped and Democrats are restless, eager to deliver on his signature campaign promise of rebuilding the country. His ideas go beyond roads-and-bridges infrastructure to delivering dental, vision and hearing care for seniors, free prekindergarten, major efforts to tackle climate change and other investments that would touch countless American lives.

Holdout Democratic&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-manchin">Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia</a>&nbsp;had dashed hopes for a swift compromise on a framework when he refused to budge late Thursday on his demands for a smaller overall package, about $1.5 trillion.

Without a broader deal, prospects for a vote on the companion public works bill stalled out as progressives refused to commit until senators reached agreement. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told colleagues that “more time is needed” as they shape the broader package.

The House on Friday night passed a 30-day measure to keep transportation programs running during the stalemate, essentially setting a new deadline for talks, Oct. 31. The Senate approved it without debate during a brief Saturday session, to halt the furloughs of more than 3,500 federal transportation workers, a byproduct of the political impasse. Biden signed it by evening.

Pelosi, keeping her promise to centrists, had insisted earlier Friday that there would be a “vote today” on the $1 trillion infrastructure bill that is popular but is snared in the debate over Biden’s broader measure. But with Democratic progressives refusing to give their support for that slimmer roads-and-bridges bill unless advances were made on the president’s big bill, Pelosi was unwilling to call for a vote.

“Out of respect for our colleagues who support the bills and out of recognition for the need for both,” Pelosi said in a letter Saturday to House Democrats that she would not bring the smaller measure “to the floor to fail.”

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, a key centrist Democrat who helped steer the public works bill to Senate passage but has concerns that Biden’s overall bill is too big, was dismayed by the delay on the bipartisan package negotiated with the president.

In a statement Saturday, she said the canceled vote was “inexcusable, and deeply disappointing” and “erodes” the trust needed for “good-faith negotiations.”

With Republicans solidly opposed to Biden’s sweeping vision, the president and Democrats are reaching for a giant legislative accomplishment on their own — all to be paid for by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-joe-biden-business-personal-taxes-137e00b41f113f85cc241438c780785b">rewriting federal balance sheets&nbsp;</a>with tax increases on corporations and the wealthy, those earning more than $400,000 a year.

The larger of Biden’s proposals is a years-in-the-making collection of Democratic priorities with an ultimate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-congress-budget-08d7ca3ffc7f438148570b04bc61ded0">price tag he says is zero</a>, because the tax revenue would cover the spending costs.

“We will and must pass both bills soon,” Pelosi said in her letter. “We have the responsibility and the opportunity to do so. People are waiting and want results.”

The White House and Democrats also are focusing on raising the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-explained-8c9cbcd3d0c4a8fe989a0110f5159f7c">nation’s borrowing limit</a>&nbsp;before the United States risks defaulting on its obligations — a deadline the Treasury Department estimates will be reached no later than Oct. 18. The House has already acted, but Republicans senators have indicated they will not provide votes for bipartisan passage and want Democrats to go it alone.

“I hope that the Republicans won’t be so irresponsible as to refuse to raise the debt limit and to filibuster the debt limit,” Biden said Saturday. “That would be totally unconscionable. Never been done before. And so I hope that won’t happen.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Saturday acknowledged frustrations as Democrats strain to rescue a scaled-back version&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-bills-11f832cdc6f9808bdc0cfdcfe399a0a6">of his $3.5 trillion government-overhaul plan</a>&nbsp;and salvage a related public works bill after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-financial-markets-nancy-pelosi-3b591443b048d2fbfb7a9f9b6f646f7a">frantic negotiations</a>&nbsp;failed to produce a deal.“Everybody’s frustrated, it’s part of being in government, being frustrated,” Biden told reporters before leaving the White House for a weekend stay at his home in Wilmington, Delaware. He pledged to ”work like hell” to get the two pillars of his domestic agenda passed into law, but refrained from laying out a new deadline.The president had gone to Capitol Hill on Friday for a private meeting with House Democrats that was partly a morale booster for the disjointed caucus of lawmakers. According to lawmakers in the room, he discussed a $1.9 trillion to $2 trillion-plus price tag for the larger package that would expand the country’s social safety net.The White House and its allies in Congress are prepared for protracted negotiations. Biden said he would soon travel around the country to promote the legislation and he acknowledged concerns that the talk in Washington had become too focused on the trillions in new spending and taxes in the bill.He pledged to do more to educate the public about the plan’s new and expanded programs, which he contended have the support of the vast majority of the electorate.“I’m going to try to sell what I think the American people will buy,” Biden said Saturday, adding, “I believe that when the American people are aware of what’s in it we’ll get it done.”The president said he believed the legislation will be signed into law with “plenty of time to change the tax code for people next year.”It’s a pivotal time for Biden and the party. His approval ratings have dropped and Democrats are restless, eager to deliver on his signature campaign promise of rebuilding the country. His ideas go beyond roads-and-bridges infrastructure to delivering dental, vision and hearing care for seniors, free prekindergarten, major efforts to tackle climate change and other investments that would touch countless American lives.Holdout Democratic&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-manchin">Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia</a>&nbsp;had dashed hopes for a swift compromise on a framework when he refused to budge late Thursday on his demands for a smaller overall package, about $1.5 trillion.Without a broader deal, prospects for a vote on the companion public works bill stalled out as progressives refused to commit until senators reached agreement. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told colleagues that “more time is needed” as they shape the broader package.The House on Friday night passed a 30-day measure to keep transportation programs running during the stalemate, essentially setting a new deadline for talks, Oct. 31. The Senate approved it without debate during a brief Saturday session, to halt the furloughs of more than 3,500 federal transportation workers, a byproduct of the political impasse. Biden signed it by evening.Pelosi, keeping her promise to centrists, had insisted earlier Friday that there would be a “vote today” on the $1 trillion infrastructure bill that is popular but is snared in the debate over Biden’s broader measure. But with Democratic progressives refusing to give their support for that slimmer roads-and-bridges bill unless advances were made on the president’s big bill, Pelosi was unwilling to call for a vote.“Out of respect for our colleagues who support the bills and out of recognition for the need for both,” Pelosi said in a letter Saturday to House Democrats that she would not bring the smaller measure “to the floor to fail.”Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, a key centrist Democrat who helped steer the public works bill to Senate passage but has concerns that Biden’s overall bill is too big, was dismayed by the delay on the bipartisan package negotiated with the president.In a statement Saturday, she said the canceled vote was “inexcusable, and deeply disappointing” and “erodes” the trust needed for “good-faith negotiations.”With Republicans solidly opposed to Biden’s sweeping vision, the president and Democrats are reaching for a giant legislative accomplishment on their own — all to be paid for by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-joe-biden-business-personal-taxes-137e00b41f113f85cc241438c780785b">rewriting federal balance sheets&nbsp;</a>with tax increases on corporations and the wealthy, those earning more than $400,000 a year.The larger of Biden’s proposals is a years-in-the-making collection of Democratic priorities with an ultimate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-congress-budget-08d7ca3ffc7f438148570b04bc61ded0">price tag he says is zero</a>, because the tax revenue would cover the spending costs.“We will and must pass both bills soon,” Pelosi said in her letter. “We have the responsibility and the opportunity to do so. People are waiting and want results.”The White House and Democrats also are focusing on raising the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-explained-8c9cbcd3d0c4a8fe989a0110f5159f7c">nation’s borrowing limit</a>&nbsp;before the United States risks defaulting on its obligations — a deadline the Treasury Department estimates will be reached no later than Oct. 18. The House has already acted, but Republicans senators have indicated they will not provide votes for bipartisan passage and want Democrats to go it alone.“I hope that the Republicans won’t be so irresponsible as to refuse to raise the debt limit and to filibuster the debt limit,” Biden said Saturday. “That would be totally unconscionable. Never been done before. And so I hope that won’t happen.”

'Everybody is frustrated,' Biden says as his agenda stalls

GREELEY COUNTY, Kan.—Authorities investigating a fatal Kansas crash that occurred just after 5p.m. Wednesday in Greeley County, Kansas have identified the victims.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2013 Chevy Silverado driven by&nbsp;:&nbsp; Robert Michael Vogt, 61, Tribune, Kansas, was northbound on County Road 14 just north of Road F

The Silverado and a southbound 2015 Mercury Mountaineer driven by Joshua Delene Sailor, 48, Bismark, North Dakota, collided head-on.&nbsp;

Vogt, Sailor and passengers in the Mercury identified as Joshua Jamie James Sailor, Jr., 20, Ramsey, North Dakota, and&nbsp; Jessie Renee Mason, 38, St. Michael, North Dakota, all died in the crash.&nbsp; None of of those involved were wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.

GREELEY COUNTY, Kan.—Authorities investigating a fatal Kansas crash that occurred just after 5p.m. Wednesday in Greeley County, Kansas have identified the victims.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2013 Chevy Silverado driven by&nbsp;:&nbsp; Robert Michael Vogt, 61, Tribune, Kansas, was northbound on County Road 14 just north of Road FThe Silverado and a southbound 2015 Mercury Mountaineer driven by Joshua Delene Sailor, 48, Bismark, North Dakota, collided head-on.&nbsp;Vogt, Sailor and passengers in the Mercury identified as Joshua Jamie James Sailor, Jr., 20, Ramsey, North Dakota, and&nbsp; Jessie Renee Mason, 38, St. Michael, North Dakota, all died in the crash.&nbsp; None of of those involved were wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.

KHP IDs 3 from North Dakota among 4 dead in head-on crash

The Federal Trade Commission is returning more than $1.1 million to consumers who paid for an allegedly bogus money-making opportunity that called itself “8 Figure Dream Lifestyle.”<a href="https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/federal.trade.commission/viz/Refunds_15797958402020/RefundsbyCase"></a>

The <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2019/06/ftc-law-enforcement-partners-announce-new-crackdown-illegal">FTC sued 8 Figure Dream Lifestyle LLC</a>
 and nine co-defendants in 2019 as part of a crackdown on robocallers 
across the country. In its complaint, the FTC alleged that the 
defendants used a combination of illegal robocalls, live telephone 
calls, text messaging, internet ads, emails, social media, and live 
events to market and sell consumers fraudulent money-making 
opportunities.

According to the FTC’s lawsuit, the defendants consistently made 
false or unsubstantiated claims in their marketing about how much 
consumers could earn using their programs. In reality, the lawsuit says,
 consumers who bought the programs rarely earned substantial income, 
typically lost their entire investment, and often incurred significant 
loans and credit card debt—tens of thousands of dollars, in some cases.

Under two stipulated court orders, the defendants <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2020/12/scammers-leverage-pandemic-fears-ftc-law-enforcement-partners">agreed to settle the FTC charges last year</a>.
 As a result, they are banned from selling money-making or business 
coaching programs, and nine of the defendants are banned from using 
robocalls for most purposes, including marketing or advertising. In 
addition, three defendants are banned from selling any investment 
opportunities. The defendants also surrendered funds to the FTC, which 
the agency is using to provide these refund payments to consumers.

Payments averaging $460 will be sent to 2,506 consumers, including 
1,498 checks and 1,008 PayPal payments. People who receive checks should
 deposit or cash them within 90 days, as indicated on the check. 
Recipients who have questions about their checks or the refund program 
can call JND Legal Administration at 1-888-691-3551. 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/profile/federal.trade.commission#!/vizhome/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 the United States Supreme Court ruled earlier this year 
that the FTC lacks authority under Section 13(b) to seek monetary relief
 in federal court going forward. The <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2021/04/ftc-asks-congress-pass-legislation-reviving-agencys-authority">Commission has urged Congress</a> to restore the FTC’s ability to get money back for consumers.

The 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 returning more than $1.1 million to consumers who paid for an allegedly bogus money-making opportunity that called itself “8 Figure Dream Lifestyle.”<a href="https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/federal.trade.commission/viz/Refunds_15797958402020/RefundsbyCase"></a>The <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2019/06/ftc-law-enforcement-partners-announce-new-crackdown-illegal">FTC sued 8 Figure Dream Lifestyle LLC</a>
 and nine co-defendants in 2019 as part of a crackdown on robocallers 
across the country. In its complaint, the FTC alleged that the 
defendants used a combination of illegal robocalls, live telephone 
calls, text messaging, internet ads, emails, social media, and live 
events to market and sell consumers fraudulent money-making 
opportunities.According to the FTC’s lawsuit, the defendants consistently made 
false or unsubstantiated claims in their marketing about how much 
consumers could earn using their programs. In reality, the lawsuit says,
 consumers who bought the programs rarely earned substantial income, 
typically lost their entire investment, and often incurred significant 
loans and credit card debt—tens of thousands of dollars, in some cases.Under two stipulated court orders, the defendants <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2020/12/scammers-leverage-pandemic-fears-ftc-law-enforcement-partners">agreed to settle the FTC charges last year</a>.
 As a result, they are banned from selling money-making or business 
coaching programs, and nine of the defendants are banned from using 
robocalls for most purposes, including marketing or advertising. In 
addition, three defendants are banned from selling any investment 
opportunities. The defendants also surrendered funds to the FTC, which 
the agency is using to provide these refund payments to consumers.Payments averaging $460 will be sent to 2,506 consumers, including 
1,498 checks and 1,008 PayPal payments. People who receive checks should
 deposit or cash them within 90 days, as indicated on the check. 
Recipients who have questions about their checks or the refund program 
can call JND Legal Administration at 1-888-691-3551. 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/profile/federal.trade.commission#!/vizhome/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 the United States Supreme Court ruled earlier this year 
that the FTC lacks authority under Section 13(b) to seek monetary relief
 in federal court going forward. The <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2021/04/ftc-asks-congress-pass-legislation-reviving-agencys-authority">Commission has urged Congress</a> to restore the FTC’s ability to get money back for consumers.The 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: $1.1M returned to alleged victims of '8 Figure Dream Lifestyle' 

NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump has asked a federal judge in Florida to force Twitter to restore his account, which the company&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-donald-trump-media-michael-flynn-social-media-f41b11060d7703e3a3136ddb5eefa055">suspended in January</a>&nbsp;following the deadly storming of the U.S. Capitol.

Trump’s attorneys on Friday filed a motion in U.S. District Court in Miami seeking a preliminary injunction against Twitter and its CEO, Jack Dorsey. They argue that Twitter is censoring Trump in violation of his First Amendment rights, according to the motion.

Twitter declined to comment Saturday on Trump’s filing.

The company permanently&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.twitter.com/en_us/topics/company/2020/suspension" target="_blank">banned Trump</a>&nbsp;from its platform days after his followers violently stormed the Capitol building to try to block Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s presidential win. Twitter cited concerns that Trump would incite further violence. Prior to the ban, Trump had roughly 89 million followers on Twitter.

Trump was also suspended from&nbsp;<a href="https://about.fb.com/news/2021/06/facebook-response-to-oversight-board-recommendations-trump/" target="_blank">Facebook</a>&nbsp;and Google’s YouTube over similar concerns that he would provoke violence. Facebook’s ban will last two years, until Jan. 7, 2023, after which the company will review his suspension. YouTube’s ban is indefinite.

In July, Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lawsuits-business-government-and-politics-c7e26858dcb553f92d98706d12ad510c">filed lawsuits</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida against all three tech companies and their CEOs, claiming that he and other conservatives have been wrongfully censored. The motion for a preliminary injunction was filed as part of Trump’s case against Twitter.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610197339702.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump has asked a federal judge in Florida to force Twitter to restore his account, which the company&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-donald-trump-media-michael-flynn-social-media-f41b11060d7703e3a3136ddb5eefa055">suspended in January</a>&nbsp;following the deadly storming of the U.S. Capitol.Trump’s attorneys on Friday filed a motion in U.S. District Court in Miami seeking a preliminary injunction against Twitter and its CEO, Jack Dorsey. They argue that Twitter is censoring Trump in violation of his First Amendment rights, according to the motion.Twitter declined to comment Saturday on Trump’s filing.The company permanently&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.twitter.com/en_us/topics/company/2020/suspension" target="_blank">banned Trump</a>&nbsp;from its platform days after his followers violently stormed the Capitol building to try to block Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s presidential win. Twitter cited concerns that Trump would incite further violence. Prior to the ban, Trump had roughly 89 million followers on Twitter.Trump was also suspended from&nbsp;<a href="https://about.fb.com/news/2021/06/facebook-response-to-oversight-board-recommendations-trump/" target="_blank">Facebook</a>&nbsp;and Google’s YouTube over similar concerns that he would provoke violence. Facebook’s ban will last two years, until Jan. 7, 2023, after which the company will review his suspension. YouTube’s ban is indefinite.In July, Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lawsuits-business-government-and-politics-c7e26858dcb553f92d98706d12ad510c">filed lawsuits</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida against all three tech companies and their CEOs, claiming that he and other conservatives have been wrongfully censored. The motion for a preliminary injunction was filed as part of Trump’s case against Twitter.

Trump asks US judge to force Twitter to restore his account

By STEVE VOCKRODT and DANIEL WHEATON <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-09-28/midwesterners-are-breathing-smoky-air-from-california-wildfires-new-research-shows">Kansas News Service</a>

Blood-red sunsets in the Midwest are striking but ominous 
illustrations of new data: Parts of the Midwest are being exposed to 
more wildfire smoke from the West Coast and Canada compared to more than
 a decade ago. Experts say the impact of the smoke on health in the 
region is a concern.

Meteorological patterns — weather, air 
currents, fronts — sweep wildfire smoke hundreds of miles across the 
country. Nowhere in the Midwest is this increased exposure to wildfire 
smoke more pronounced than in western Nebraska.

Take the case of 
Scottsbluff, a city of about 15,000 in Nebraska’s panhandle. From 2016 
to 2020, residents of Scottsbluff breathed smoke 52 days a year on 
average. That’s a 45% increase from just a few years earlier, 2009 to 
2013, when California wildfires were less common.

On Sept. 17, 
2020, Scottsbluff exceeded the concentration of the Environmental 
Protection Agency’s (EPA) air quality standards for particulate matter —
 tiny pieces of debris from smoke and combustion that’s suspended in the
 air. That was a result of smoke sweeping into western Nebraska from 
wildfires in the western U.S.

Western and central Kansas also saw meaningful increases in smoke days, according to a data <a href="https://www.kcrw.com/news/shows/kcrw-features/smoke-story" target="_blank">analysis conducted by NPR California Newsroom</a> and the Stanford University Environmental Change and Human Outcomes Lab.

“Although
 we see variability from year to year, the trend appears to be 
increasing impacts of smoke across Kansas over the last several years,” 
said Matt Lara, a spokesman with the Kansas Department of Health and 
Environment in an email.

Lara said the effect from smoke may be mostly in the upper 
atmosphere, causing hazy skies and dramatic sunsets. He added that 
sometimes, such as late July and early August this year, federal air 
standards for daily particulate matter are exceeded.

Health
 and meteorology experts say the growing presence of wildfire smoke in 
parts of Kansas and Nebraska could pose health risks to those who 
breathe it in. That concern is compounded, given the likelihood that 
vast and intense fires from California and surrounding areas will 
persist.

“All the science — and there’s a lot of science on this —
 suggests if we don’t change our game on this, people should expect this
 to get worse,” said Marshall Burke, associate professor in Stanford 
University’s Department of Earth System Science, who helped NPR’s 
California Newsroom assemble its smoke data. “It’s going to be worse in 
the West, but it’s certainly going to get worse in the Midwest as well 
as more people are exposed to smoke from fires in the West.”

The analysis relied on satellite images captured every few hours by 
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that showed 
plumes of smoke billowing into the atmosphere from western wildfires. 
Those images were then plotted over nearly every zip code across the 
continental United States to show the areas where the wildfire smoke 
reaches.

In California and more broadly along the West Coast, the 
growing frequency and intensity of wildfire pose clear air quality and 
health risks.

The NPR California Newsroom analysis also examined 
data from state health facilities and found there were 30,000 more 
hospitalizations from cardiac and respiratory conditions in 2018, then a
 record year for wildfires, than just two years before.

Shawn 
Jacobs, the warning coordination meteorologist at the North Platte 
National Weather Service office, said that the climate in central and 
western Nebraska may play a role in how smoke is distributed in the 
region. The state’s climate becomes more arid west of Kearney, Nebraska,
 and the lack of moisture allows for greater temperature swings. More 
fluctuation means more movement, preventing the smoke from settling, 
Jacobs said. These trends are being noticed by western Nebraskans.

“So
 much so that there are times when people have called us and asked, ‘Is 
there a fire nearby?’ because we’re seeing this smoke,” Jacobs said.

Colleen
 Reid, an assistant professor of geography at the University of Colorado
 who studies the health impacts of wildfire smoke, said the health 
effects are clear when there are high concentrations of smoke in the 
air.

That risk arises from tiny particles that are so small they 
get deep into the lungs of those who breathe it in and some can pass 
into the bloodstream.

The particulate matter can lead to asthma, cardiovascular problems and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

“In
 terms of the Midwest where you’re getting the smoke transmitted long 
distances, there needs to be more research to understand whether the 
long-range transport changes the way it affects health,” Reid said.

Iowa and Missouri have not experienced the type of increase in smoke days seen in Kansas and Nebraska.

That’s
 not to say that there hasn’t been wildfire smoke over Iowa and 
Missouri. In Iowa, there are on average 57 smoke days a year from 2016 
to 2020, about even from the 2009 to 2013 time period. In Missouri, the 
average number of smoke days a year actually dropped slightly, from 52 
in the initial period to 51 from 2016 to 2020.

Wide swaths of 
northwest Missouri had modest increases in exposure to smoke, but many 
areas of the state — including St. Louis and most of St. Louis County — 
had decreases in smoke days during the two periods analyzed by the NPR 
California Newsroom and Stanford.

Iowa’s western edge, particularly in border cities like Mondamin and 
Blencoe, saw an increase in smoke days between 7% and 12% from the 
2009-2013 time period and 2016-2020.

But further east, in cities like Ames and most of Des Moines, saw decreases in smoke days.

The presence of wildfire smoke does not often exceed EPA standards 
for air quality in the Midwest, and it has never been enough to result 
in a violation of the Clean Air Act's National Ambient Air Quality 
Standards. Even so, EPA officials keep an eye on wildfire smoke 
migrating from the west to the Midwest.

“It is something that is 
on our radar; it’s a concern,” said Lance Avey, an air and radiation 
division meteorologist for the EPA’s Region 7, which covers Kansas, 
Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri.

Doug Norsby, air quality planner with
 the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC), said that while the occurrence
 of poor air quality days in the Kansas City region from wildfire smoke 
are infrequent, the presence of particulate matter from smoke is an 
issue that has captured the organization’s attention.

“I would say it’s a flashing warning light on our mental dashboard,” said Norsby.

In
 early August, MARC warned Kansas City residents to limit outdoor 
activity. That’s after wildfire smoke from Canada swept into the region.

The
 EPA is currently evaluating particulate matter from wildfire smoke and 
other sources to determine whether it should change its air quality 
standards. That review happens every five years.

Experts said two main 
causes have triggered the increase in wildfires along the West Coast, 
Canada and the Rockies. One is the tendency to extinguish small fires 
that, if allowed to burn, would clear acres of leaf litter and dead 
wood. Without those smaller fires, dry leaves and wood ignites and leads
 to the more intense and out-of-control fires that have plagued 
California and other western states in recent years.

“The <a href="https://smokeybear.com/" target="_blank">Smokey The Bear</a>
 campaign has been really successful,” said Marshall Burke, associate 
professor in Stanford University’s Department of Earth System Science. 
“What do we do when a fire starts? We put them out.”

In much of the Southeastern United States, where academic research shows prescribed burns are <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2571-6255/2/2/30/htm?dom=prime&amp;src=syn" target="_blank">far more common</a>, NPR California Newsroom’s investigation shows a substantial decline in wildfire smoke over the past decade.

Burke
 said California should carry out prescribed burns — also known as 
controlled burns — on more than 1 million acres of land in California 
each year.

“We’re not doing anything close to that,” Burke said.

Reduced rainfall and rising temperatures from climate change also make for stronger wildfires.

Those blood-red sunsets are a telltale sign of smoke in the air.

Eric James, a University of Colorado scientist working at NOAA's Global Systems Lab, said
 large fires from the west pump smoke into the upper atmosphere that 
enters the jet stream and can travel across the continental United 
States.

“We see this most years, this long-range transport of 
smoke,” James said “It has gotten more intense in the last few years 
from what we’ve seen.”

The Midwest has the occasional wildfire, as
 well as controlled burns in places like the Flint Hills in Kansas. But 
James said most of the wildfire smoke in the Midwest is attributed to 
western blazes.

“I think the majority of the impact is from these 
large forest fires in the Pacific coastal states, Colorado and the 
intermountain west,” James said.

This article is the result of a collaboration with the NPR 
California Newsroom, which conducted an analysis of federal satellite 
imagery, and Stanford University’s Environmental Change and Human 
Outcomes Lab. Based at St. Louis Public Radio, Steve 
Vockrodt is the Midwest Newsroom’s investigative editor. You can follow 
him on Twitter @stevevockrodt.&nbsp;Based at Nebraska Public 
Media, Daniel Wheaton is the Midwest Newsroom’s data journalist. You can
 follow him on Twitter @theheroofthyme.&nbsp;The Midwest 
Newsroom is an investigative journalism collaboration including KCUR, 
IPR, Nebraska Public Media and St. Louis Public Radio and NPR.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632930612817.png" alt="Wildfires in California are on the rise. Now a new investigation shows how those blazes are affecting the air in the Midwest. Crysta Henthorne / KCUR 89.3" />
 <figcaption>Wildfires in California are on the rise. Now a new investigation shows how those blazes are affecting the air in the Midwest. Crysta Henthorne / KCUR 89.3</figcaption>
 </figure>By STEVE VOCKRODT and DANIEL WHEATON <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-09-28/midwesterners-are-breathing-smoky-air-from-california-wildfires-new-research-shows">Kansas News Service</a>Blood-red sunsets in the Midwest are striking but ominous 
illustrations of new data: Parts of the Midwest are being exposed to 
more wildfire smoke from the West Coast and Canada compared to more than
 a decade ago. Experts say the impact of the smoke on health in the 
region is a concern.Meteorological patterns — weather, air 
currents, fronts — sweep wildfire smoke hundreds of miles across the 
country. Nowhere in the Midwest is this increased exposure to wildfire 
smoke more pronounced than in western Nebraska.Take the case of 
Scottsbluff, a city of about 15,000 in Nebraska’s panhandle. From 2016 
to 2020, residents of Scottsbluff breathed smoke 52 days a year on 
average. That’s a 45% increase from just a few years earlier, 2009 to 
2013, when California wildfires were less common.On Sept. 17, 
2020, Scottsbluff exceeded the concentration of the Environmental 
Protection Agency’s (EPA) air quality standards for particulate matter —
 tiny pieces of debris from smoke and combustion that’s suspended in the
 air. That was a result of smoke sweeping into western Nebraska from 
wildfires in the western U.S.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632930839522.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Western and central Kansas also saw meaningful increases in smoke days, according to a data <a href="https://www.kcrw.com/news/shows/kcrw-features/smoke-story" target="_blank">analysis conducted by NPR California Newsroom</a> and the Stanford University Environmental Change and Human Outcomes Lab.“Although
 we see variability from year to year, the trend appears to be 
increasing impacts of smoke across Kansas over the last several years,” 
said Matt Lara, a spokesman with the Kansas Department of Health and 
Environment in an email.Lara said the effect from smoke may be mostly in the upper 
atmosphere, causing hazy skies and dramatic sunsets. He added that 
sometimes, such as late July and early August this year, federal air 
standards for daily particulate matter are exceeded. <h2>‘Expect this to get worse’</h2>Health
 and meteorology experts say the growing presence of wildfire smoke in 
parts of Kansas and Nebraska could pose health risks to those who 
breathe it in. That concern is compounded, given the likelihood that 
vast and intense fires from California and surrounding areas will 
persist.“All the science — and there’s a lot of science on this —
 suggests if we don’t change our game on this, people should expect this
 to get worse,” said Marshall Burke, associate professor in Stanford 
University’s Department of Earth System Science, who helped NPR’s 
California Newsroom assemble its smoke data. “It’s going to be worse in 
the West, but it’s certainly going to get worse in the Midwest as well 
as more people are exposed to smoke from fires in the West.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632930887221.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The analysis relied on satellite images captured every few hours by 
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that showed 
plumes of smoke billowing into the atmosphere from western wildfires. 
Those images were then plotted over nearly every zip code across the 
continental United States to show the areas where the wildfire smoke 
reaches.In California and more broadly along the West Coast, the 
growing frequency and intensity of wildfire pose clear air quality and 
health risks.The NPR California Newsroom analysis also examined 
data from state health facilities and found there were 30,000 more 
hospitalizations from cardiac and respiratory conditions in 2018, then a
 record year for wildfires, than just two years before.Shawn 
Jacobs, the warning coordination meteorologist at the North Platte 
National Weather Service office, said that the climate in central and 
western Nebraska may play a role in how smoke is distributed in the 
region. The state’s climate becomes more arid west of Kearney, Nebraska,
 and the lack of moisture allows for greater temperature swings. More 
fluctuation means more movement, preventing the smoke from settling, 
Jacobs said. These trends are being noticed by western Nebraskans.“So
 much so that there are times when people have called us and asked, ‘Is 
there a fire nearby?’ because we’re seeing this smoke,” Jacobs said.Colleen
 Reid, an assistant professor of geography at the University of Colorado
 who studies the health impacts of wildfire smoke, said the health 
effects are clear when there are high concentrations of smoke in the 
air.That risk arises from tiny particles that are so small they 
get deep into the lungs of those who breathe it in and some can pass 
into the bloodstream.The particulate matter can lead to asthma, cardiovascular problems and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.“In
 terms of the Midwest where you’re getting the smoke transmitted long 
distances, there needs to be more research to understand whether the 
long-range transport changes the way it affects health,” Reid said.<h2>Where skies are clearer</h2>Iowa and Missouri have not experienced the type of increase in smoke days seen in Kansas and Nebraska.That’s
 not to say that there hasn’t been wildfire smoke over Iowa and 
Missouri. In Iowa, there are on average 57 smoke days a year from 2016 
to 2020, about even from the 2009 to 2013 time period. In Missouri, the 
average number of smoke days a year actually dropped slightly, from 52 
in the initial period to 51 from 2016 to 2020.Wide swaths of 
northwest Missouri had modest increases in exposure to smoke, but many 
areas of the state — including St. Louis and most of St. Louis County — 
had decreases in smoke days during the two periods analyzed by the NPR 
California Newsroom and Stanford.Iowa’s western edge, particularly in border cities like Mondamin and 
Blencoe, saw an increase in smoke days between 7% and 12% from the 
2009-2013 time period and 2016-2020.But further east, in cities like Ames and most of Des Moines, saw decreases in smoke days.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632930937321.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The presence of wildfire smoke does not often exceed EPA standards 
for air quality in the Midwest, and it has never been enough to result 
in a violation of the Clean Air Act's National Ambient Air Quality 
Standards. Even so, EPA officials keep an eye on wildfire smoke 
migrating from the west to the Midwest.“It is something that is 
on our radar; it’s a concern,” said Lance Avey, an air and radiation 
division meteorologist for the EPA’s Region 7, which covers Kansas, 
Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri.Doug Norsby, air quality planner with
 the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC), said that while the occurrence
 of poor air quality days in the Kansas City region from wildfire smoke 
are infrequent, the presence of particulate matter from smoke is an 
issue that has captured the organization’s attention.“I would say it’s a flashing warning light on our mental dashboard,” said Norsby.In
 early August, MARC warned Kansas City residents to limit outdoor 
activity. That’s after wildfire smoke from Canada swept into the region.The
 EPA is currently evaluating particulate matter from wildfire smoke and 
other sources to determine whether it should change its air quality 
standards. That review happens every five years.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632930973891.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Why wildfires?</h2>Experts said two main 
causes have triggered the increase in wildfires along the West Coast, 
Canada and the Rockies. One is the tendency to extinguish small fires 
that, if allowed to burn, would clear acres of leaf litter and dead 
wood. Without those smaller fires, dry leaves and wood ignites and leads
 to the more intense and out-of-control fires that have plagued 
California and other western states in recent years.“The <a href="https://smokeybear.com/" target="_blank">Smokey The Bear</a>
 campaign has been really successful,” said Marshall Burke, associate 
professor in Stanford University’s Department of Earth System Science. 
“What do we do when a fire starts? We put them out.”In much of the Southeastern United States, where academic research shows prescribed burns are <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2571-6255/2/2/30/htm?dom=prime&amp;src=syn" target="_blank">far more common</a>, NPR California Newsroom’s investigation shows a substantial decline in wildfire smoke over the past decade.Burke
 said California should carry out prescribed burns — also known as 
controlled burns — on more than 1 million acres of land in California 
each year.“We’re not doing anything close to that,” Burke said.Reduced rainfall and rising temperatures from climate change also make for stronger wildfires.Those blood-red sunsets are a telltale sign of smoke in the air.Eric James, a University of Colorado scientist working at NOAA's Global Systems Lab, said
 large fires from the west pump smoke into the upper atmosphere that 
enters the jet stream and can travel across the continental United 
States.“We see this most years, this long-range transport of 
smoke,” James said “It has gotten more intense in the last few years 
from what we’ve seen.”The Midwest has the occasional wildfire, as
 well as controlled burns in places like the Flint Hills in Kansas. But 
James said most of the wildfire smoke in the Midwest is attributed to 
western blazes.“I think the majority of the impact is from these 
large forest fires in the Pacific coastal states, Colorado and the 
intermountain west,” James said.This article is the result of a collaboration with the NPR 
California Newsroom, which conducted an analysis of federal satellite 
imagery, and Stanford University’s Environmental Change and Human 
Outcomes Lab. Based at St. Louis Public Radio, Steve 
Vockrodt is the Midwest Newsroom’s investigative editor. You can follow 
him on Twitter @stevevockrodt.&nbsp;Based at Nebraska Public 
Media, Daniel Wheaton is the Midwest Newsroom’s data journalist. You can
 follow him on Twitter @theheroofthyme.&nbsp;The Midwest 
Newsroom is an investigative journalism collaboration including KCUR, 
IPR, Nebraska Public Media and St. Louis Public Radio and NPR.

Study: Midwesterners breathing smoky air from Calif. wildfires

It’s a milestone that by all accounts didn’t have to happen this soon.

The U.S. death toll from COVID-19 eclipsed 700,000 late Friday — a number greater than the population of Boston. The last 100,000 deaths occurred during a time when vaccines — which overwhelmingly prevent deaths, hospitalizations and serious illness — were available to any American over the age of 12.

The milestone is deeply frustrating to doctors, public health officials and the American public, who watched a pandemic that had been easing earlier in the summer take a dark turn. Tens of millions of Americans have refused to get vaccinated, allowing the highly contagious delta variant to tear through the country and send the death toll from 600,000 to 700,000 in 3 1/2 months.

Florida suffered by far the most death of any state during that period, with the virus killing about 17,000 residents since the middle of June. Texas was second with 13,000 deaths. The two states account for 15% of the country’s population, but more than 30% of the nation’s deaths&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-600k-deaths-us-1ef14a0b998e6ce99281edf6e996dfbe">since the nation crossed the 600,000 threshold.</a>

Dr. David Dowdy, an infectious disease epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health who has analyzed publicly reported state data, said it’s safe to say at least 70,000 of the last 100,000 deaths were in unvaccinated people. And of those vaccinated people who died with breakthrough infections, most caught the virus from an unvaccinated person, he said.

“If we had been more effective in our vaccination, then I think it’s fair to say, we could have prevented 90% of those deaths,” since mid-June, Dowdy said.

“It’s not just a number on a screen,” Dowdy said. “It’s tens of thousands of these tragic stories of people whose families have lost someone who means the world to them.”

The 28-year-old seed hauler from Riley, Kansas, contracted COVID-19 over the summer, spent more than a month in the hospital and died Sept. 14. He left behind a wife and a 7-month-old baby girl.

“This thing has taken a grown man, 28-year-old young man, 6′2″, 300-pound man, and took him down like it was nothing,” said his father, 56-year-old J.D. Baker, of Milford, Kansas. “And so if young people think that they’re still ... protected because of their youth and their strength, it’s not there anymore.”

In the early days of the pandemic, Danny Baker, who was a championship trap shooter in high school and loved hunting and fishing, insisted he would be first in line for a vaccine, recalled his mother.

But just as vaccinations opened up to his age group, the U.S. recommended a pause in use of the Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine to investigate reports of rare but potentially dangerous blood clots. The news frightened him, as did information swirling online that the vaccine could harm fertility, though medical experts say there’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-coronavirus-pandemic-b081234cad2adcd0a5fb063434effe71">no biological reason the shots would affect fertility</a>.

His wife also was breastfeeding, so they decided to wait. Health experts now say breastfeeding mothers should get the vaccine for their own protection and that it may even provide some protection for their babies through antibodies passed along in breastmilk.

“There’s just a lot of miscommunication about the vaccine,” said his wife, 27-year-old Aubrea Baker, a labor and delivery nurse, adding that her husband’s death inspired a Facebook page and at least 100 people to get vaccinated. “It’s not that we weren’t going to get it. We just hadn’t gotten it yet.”

When deaths surpassed 600,000 in mid-June, vaccinations already were driving down caseloads, restrictions were being lifted and people looked forward to life returning to normal over the summer. Deaths per day in the U.S. had plummeted to an average of around 340, from a high of over 3,000 in mid-January. Soon afterward, health officials declared it a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-941fcf43d9731c76c16e7354f5d5e187">pandemic of the unvaccinated.</a>

But as the delta variant swept the country, caseloads and deaths soared — especially among the unvaccinated and younger people, with hospitals around the country reporting dramatic increases in admissions and deaths among people under 65. They also reported breakthrough infections and deaths, though at far lower rates, prompting efforts to provide booster shots to vulnerable Americans.

Now, daily deaths are averaging about 1,900 a day.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-minnesota-pandemics-a16a5ffc1771fb2e5aedcc3096de7d6e">Cases have started to fall&nbsp;</a>from their highs in September but there is fear that the situation could worsen in the winter months when colder weather drives people inside.

Almost 65% of Americans have had at least one dose of vaccine, while about 56% are fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But millions are either refusing or still on the fence because of fear, misinformation and political beliefs.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-idaho-misinformation-ccef8a30babfa4a40c68d701a09e59f3">Health care workers report being threatened&nbsp;</a>by patients and community members who don’t believe COVID-19 is real.

The first known deaths from the virus in the U.S. were in early February 2020. It took four months to reach the first 100,000 deaths. During the most lethal phase of the disaster, in the winter of 2020-21, it took just over a month to go from 300,000 to 400,000 deaths.

The U.S. reached 500,000 deaths in mid-February, when the country was still in the midst of the winter surge and vaccines were only available to a limited number of people. The death toll stood about 570,000 in April when every adult American became eligible for shots.

“I remember when we broke that 100,000-death mark, people just shook their heads and said ‘Oh, my god,’” said Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association. “Then we said, ‘Are we going to get to 200,000?’ Then we kept looking at 100,000-death marks,” and finally surpassed the estimated 675,000 American deaths from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-pandemics-united-states-coronavirus-pandemic-c15d5c6dd7ece88d0832993f11279fbb">1918-19 flu pandemic.</a>

“And we’re not done yet,” Benjamin said.

The deaths during the delta surge have been unrelenting in hotspots in the South. Almost 79 people out of every 100,000 people in Florida have died of COVID since mid-June, the highest rate in the nation.

Amanda Alexander, a COVID-19 ICU nurse at Georgia’s Augusta University Medical Center, said Thursday that she’d had a patient die on each of her previous three shifts.

“I’ve watched a 20-year-old die. I’ve watched 30-year-olds, 40-year-olds,” with no pre-existing conditions that would have put them at greater risk, she said. “Ninety-nine percent of our patients are unvaccinated. And it’s just so frustrating because the facts just don’t lie and we’re seeing it every day.”

It’s a milestone that by all accounts didn’t have to happen this soon.The U.S. death toll from COVID-19 eclipsed 700,000 late Friday — a number greater than the population of Boston. The last 100,000 deaths occurred during a time when vaccines — which overwhelmingly prevent deaths, hospitalizations and serious illness — were available to any American over the age of 12.The milestone is deeply frustrating to doctors, public health officials and the American public, who watched a pandemic that had been easing earlier in the summer take a dark turn. Tens of millions of Americans have refused to get vaccinated, allowing the highly contagious delta variant to tear through the country and send the death toll from 600,000 to 700,000 in 3 1/2 months.Florida suffered by far the most death of any state during that period, with the virus killing about 17,000 residents since the middle of June. Texas was second with 13,000 deaths. The two states account for 15% of the country’s population, but more than 30% of the nation’s deaths&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-600k-deaths-us-1ef14a0b998e6ce99281edf6e996dfbe">since the nation crossed the 600,000 threshold.</a>Dr. David Dowdy, an infectious disease epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health who has analyzed publicly reported state data, said it’s safe to say at least 70,000 of the last 100,000 deaths were in unvaccinated people. And of those vaccinated people who died with breakthrough infections, most caught the virus from an unvaccinated person, he said.“If we had been more effective in our vaccination, then I think it’s fair to say, we could have prevented 90% of those deaths,” since mid-June, Dowdy said.MAP: Cumulative deaths by county“It’s not just a number on a screen,” Dowdy said. “It’s tens of thousands of these tragic stories of people whose families have lost someone who means the world to them.”Danny Baker is one of them.The 28-year-old seed hauler from Riley, Kansas, contracted COVID-19 over the summer, spent more than a month in the hospital and died Sept. 14. He left behind a wife and a 7-month-old baby girl.“This thing has taken a grown man, 28-year-old young man, 6′2″, 300-pound man, and took him down like it was nothing,” said his father, 56-year-old J.D. Baker, of Milford, Kansas. “And so if young people think that they’re still ... protected because of their youth and their strength, it’s not there anymore.”In the early days of the pandemic, Danny Baker, who was a championship trap shooter in high school and loved hunting and fishing, insisted he would be first in line for a vaccine, recalled his mother.But just as vaccinations opened up to his age group, the U.S. recommended a pause in use of the Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine to investigate reports of rare but potentially dangerous blood clots. The news frightened him, as did information swirling online that the vaccine could harm fertility, though medical experts say there’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-coronavirus-pandemic-b081234cad2adcd0a5fb063434effe71">no biological reason the shots would affect fertility</a>.His wife also was breastfeeding, so they decided to wait. Health experts now say breastfeeding mothers should get the vaccine for their own protection and that it may even provide some protection for their babies through antibodies passed along in breastmilk.“There’s just a lot of miscommunication about the vaccine,” said his wife, 27-year-old Aubrea Baker, a labor and delivery nurse, adding that her husband’s death inspired a Facebook page and at least 100 people to get vaccinated. “It’s not that we weren’t going to get it. We just hadn’t gotten it yet.”When deaths surpassed 600,000 in mid-June, vaccinations already were driving down caseloads, restrictions were being lifted and people looked forward to life returning to normal over the summer. Deaths per day in the U.S. had plummeted to an average of around 340, from a high of over 3,000 in mid-January. Soon afterward, health officials declared it a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-941fcf43d9731c76c16e7354f5d5e187">pandemic of the unvaccinated.</a>But as the delta variant swept the country, caseloads and deaths soared — especially among the unvaccinated and younger people, with hospitals around the country reporting dramatic increases in admissions and deaths among people under 65. They also reported breakthrough infections and deaths, though at far lower rates, prompting efforts to provide booster shots to vulnerable Americans.Now, daily deaths are averaging about 1,900 a day.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-minnesota-pandemics-a16a5ffc1771fb2e5aedcc3096de7d6e">Cases have started to fall&nbsp;</a>from their highs in September but there is fear that the situation could worsen in the winter months when colder weather drives people inside.Almost 65% of Americans have had at least one dose of vaccine, while about 56% are fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.But millions are either refusing or still on the fence because of fear, misinformation and political beliefs.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-idaho-misinformation-ccef8a30babfa4a40c68d701a09e59f3">Health care workers report being threatened&nbsp;</a>by patients and community members who don’t believe COVID-19 is real.The first known deaths from the virus in the U.S. were in early February 2020. It took four months to reach the first 100,000 deaths. During the most lethal phase of the disaster, in the winter of 2020-21, it took just over a month to go from 300,000 to 400,000 deaths.The U.S. reached 500,000 deaths in mid-February, when the country was still in the midst of the winter surge and vaccines were only available to a limited number of people. The death toll stood about 570,000 in April when every adult American became eligible for shots.“I remember when we broke that 100,000-death mark, people just shook their heads and said ‘Oh, my god,’” said Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association. “Then we said, ‘Are we going to get to 200,000?’ Then we kept looking at 100,000-death marks,” and finally surpassed the estimated 675,000 American deaths from the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-pandemics-united-states-coronavirus-pandemic-c15d5c6dd7ece88d0832993f11279fbb">1918-19 flu pandemic.</a>“And we’re not done yet,” Benjamin said.The deaths during the delta surge have been unrelenting in hotspots in the South. Almost 79 people out of every 100,000 people in Florida have died of COVID since mid-June, the highest rate in the nation.Amanda Alexander, a COVID-19 ICU nurse at Georgia’s Augusta University Medical Center, said Thursday that she’d had a patient die on each of her previous three shifts.“I’ve watched a 20-year-old die. I’ve watched 30-year-olds, 40-year-olds,” with no pre-existing conditions that would have put them at greater risk, she said. “Ninety-nine percent of our patients are unvaccinated. And it’s just so frustrating because the facts just don’t lie and we’re seeing it every day.”___

COVID-19 deaths eclipse 700,000 in US as delta variant rages

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has pledged at the Capitol to “get it done” as Democrats strained to rescue a scaled-back version&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-bills-11f832cdc6f9808bdc0cfdcfe399a0a6">of his $3.5 trillion government-overhaul plan</a>&nbsp;and salvage a related public works bill after days of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-financial-markets-nancy-pelosi-3b591443b048d2fbfb7a9f9b6f646f7a">frantic negotiations</a>.

Biden huddled with House Democrats on their home ground in a private meeting Friday that was part instructional, part morale booster for the tattered caucus of lawmakers, telling them he wanted both bills passed regardless of the time it takes. He discussed a compromise topline of $1.9 trillion to more than $2 trillion for his bigger vision, according to lawmakers in the room.

But it was clear they are all now in it for the long haul as the White House and its allies in Congress prepared for protracted negotiations.

“It doesn’t matter whether it’s six minutes, six days or six weeks — we’re going to get it done,” Biden declared to reporters as he left his late-afternoon meeting at the Capitol.

It’s a pivotal time for both president and party, as Biden’s approval ratings have dropped and Democrats are restless, eager to deliver on his signature campaign promise of rebuilding the country. His ideas go beyond roads-and-bridges infrastructure to delivering dental, vision and hearing care for seniors, free pre-kindergarten for youngsters, major efforts to tackle climate change and other investments that would touch countless American lives.

Biden’s sudden excursion to Capitol Hill was aimed at giving the legislation a needed boost toward the finish line. Holdout Democratic&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-manchin">Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia</a>&nbsp;had sunk hopes for a swift compromise on a framework when he refused to budge late Thursday on his demands for a smaller overall package, around $1.5 trillion, despite hours of shuttle diplomacy with White House aides.

Without a broader deal, prospects for a Friday vote on the companion public works bill stalled out, progressives refusing to lend their votes until senators reach agreement. Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a late-evening letter to colleagues that “more time is needed” as they shape the broader package.

Instead the House passed a 30-day stopgap measure to keep transportation programs running during the stalemate, essentially setting a new deadline for talks, Oct. 31. The Senate was set to follow with a vote Saturday, to halt the furloughs of more than 3,500 federal transportation workers, a byproduct of the political impasse.

With Republicans solidly opposed to Biden’s sweeping vision, the president and his party are reaching for a giant legislative accomplishment on their own — all to be paid for by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-joe-biden-business-personal-taxes-137e00b41f113f85cc241438c780785b">rewriting federal balance sheets&nbsp;</a>with tax hikes on corporations and the wealthy, those earning more than $400,000 a year.

As action ground to a halt Friday in Congress, Biden appeared to offer no particular new legislative strategy. Keeping her promise to centrists, Pelosi had insisted there would be a “vote today” on the $1 trillion infrastructure bill that is popular but is snared in the debate over Biden’s broader measure.

With Democratic progressives refusing to give their support for that slimmer roads-and-bridges bill unless advances are made on the president’s big bill, Pelosi — with an oh-so-slim House majority — was unwilling to call for a vote.

Biden, by insisting that both bills pass, gave a nod to the progressives’ strategy, while floating the lower numbers meant acknowledging the compromise with centrists to come.

“He was really clear that we need to get both bills done,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., a leader of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Attention returned to Manchin and to some extent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, two centrist Democrats who helped steer the $1 trillion public works bill to Senate passage but have concerns that Biden’s overall bill is too big. The two senators have infuriated colleagues with their close-to-the-vest negotiations that could tank Biden’s effort — and their own campaign promises.

After hours of negotiations that stretched near midnight Thursday, Manchin said he could not yet compromise beyond his $1.5 trillion offer.

Biden, a former six-term senator making his first in-person visit to a House Democratic caucus, told the lawmakers Friday that “I know a little bit about the legislative process,” according to a person familiar with the private remarks and granted anonymity to discuss them. Even a smaller bill can make historic investments in such areas as childcare, daycare and clean energy, he said.

Biden also relayed a story that seemed to mark the moment.

The president told them that when his White House office was renovated, it was hung with pictures of Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt, presidents who led a “deeply divided country and the biggest economic transformation — and that’s just the kind of moment we’re in,” said Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I.

The White House said the president plans to travel next week to other cities to make his case that his historic measures would help the American people.

Biden’s bigger proposal is a years-in-the-making collection of Democratic priorities with an ultimate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-congress-budget-08d7ca3ffc7f438148570b04bc61ded0">price tag he says is zero</a>, because the tax revenue would cover the spending costs — higher rates on businesses earning more than $5 million a year, and individuals earning more than $400,000 a year, or $450,000 for couples.

Tensions spiked late Wednesday when Manchin sent out a fiery statement, decrying the broad spending as “fiscal insanity.”

It’s not just Manchin’s demands to reduce the overall size, but the conditions he is insisting on that are riling his more liberal colleagues. For example, he wants to ensure the aid goes only to lower-income people, rather than broader swaths of Americans. And he’s resisting some of the bolder efforts to tackle climate change.

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., another progressive leader, shot back: “Trying to kill your party’s agenda is insanity,” she said.

The total legislative effort is testing not just Biden, but Pelosi and some of the leading figures in the Democratic Party whose legacies will be shaped by whether they succeed or fail.

“We’ve been fighting for transformative legislation as all of you know; these discussions have gone on for month after month after month,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., the chairman of the Budget Committee and a leading progressive lawmaker. “This is not a baseball game. This is the most significant piece of legislation in 70 years.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633173132637.png" alt="President Biden’s sudden excursion to Capitol Hill was aimed at giving the legislation a needed boost toward the finish line-photo courtesy House Speaker" />
 <figcaption>President Biden’s sudden excursion to Capitol Hill was aimed at giving the legislation a needed boost toward the finish line-photo courtesy House Speaker</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has pledged at the Capitol to “get it done” as Democrats strained to rescue a scaled-back version&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-bills-11f832cdc6f9808bdc0cfdcfe399a0a6">of his $3.5 trillion government-overhaul plan</a>&nbsp;and salvage a related public works bill after days of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-financial-markets-nancy-pelosi-3b591443b048d2fbfb7a9f9b6f646f7a">frantic negotiations</a>.But it’s not getting done right now.Biden huddled with House Democrats on their home ground in a private meeting Friday that was part instructional, part morale booster for the tattered caucus of lawmakers, telling them he wanted both bills passed regardless of the time it takes. He discussed a compromise topline of $1.9 trillion to more than $2 trillion for his bigger vision, according to lawmakers in the room.But it was clear they are all now in it for the long haul as the White House and its allies in Congress prepared for protracted negotiations.“It doesn’t matter whether it’s six minutes, six days or six weeks — we’re going to get it done,” Biden declared to reporters as he left his late-afternoon meeting at the Capitol.It’s a pivotal time for both president and party, as Biden’s approval ratings have dropped and Democrats are restless, eager to deliver on his signature campaign promise of rebuilding the country. His ideas go beyond roads-and-bridges infrastructure to delivering dental, vision and hearing care for seniors, free pre-kindergarten for youngsters, major efforts to tackle climate change and other investments that would touch countless American lives.Biden’s sudden excursion to Capitol Hill was aimed at giving the legislation a needed boost toward the finish line. Holdout Democratic&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-manchin">Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia</a>&nbsp;had sunk hopes for a swift compromise on a framework when he refused to budge late Thursday on his demands for a smaller overall package, around $1.5 trillion, despite hours of shuttle diplomacy with White House aides.Without a broader deal, prospects for a Friday vote on the companion public works bill stalled out, progressives refusing to lend their votes until senators reach agreement. Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a late-evening letter to colleagues that “more time is needed” as they shape the broader package.Instead the House passed a 30-day stopgap measure to keep transportation programs running during the stalemate, essentially setting a new deadline for talks, Oct. 31. The Senate was set to follow with a vote Saturday, to halt the furloughs of more than 3,500 federal transportation workers, a byproduct of the political impasse.With Republicans solidly opposed to Biden’s sweeping vision, the president and his party are reaching for a giant legislative accomplishment on their own — all to be paid for by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-joe-biden-business-personal-taxes-137e00b41f113f85cc241438c780785b">rewriting federal balance sheets&nbsp;</a>with tax hikes on corporations and the wealthy, those earning more than $400,000 a year.As action ground to a halt Friday in Congress, Biden appeared to offer no particular new legislative strategy. Keeping her promise to centrists, Pelosi had insisted there would be a “vote today” on the $1 trillion infrastructure bill that is popular but is snared in the debate over Biden’s broader measure.With Democratic progressives refusing to give their support for that slimmer roads-and-bridges bill unless advances are made on the president’s big bill, Pelosi — with an oh-so-slim House majority — was unwilling to call for a vote.Biden, by insisting that both bills pass, gave a nod to the progressives’ strategy, while floating the lower numbers meant acknowledging the compromise with centrists to come.“He was really clear that we need to get both bills done,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., a leader of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.Attention returned to Manchin and to some extent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, two centrist Democrats who helped steer the $1 trillion public works bill to Senate passage but have concerns that Biden’s overall bill is too big. The two senators have infuriated colleagues with their close-to-the-vest negotiations that could tank Biden’s effort — and their own campaign promises.After hours of negotiations that stretched near midnight Thursday, Manchin said he could not yet compromise beyond his $1.5 trillion offer.Biden, a former six-term senator making his first in-person visit to a House Democratic caucus, told the lawmakers Friday that “I know a little bit about the legislative process,” according to a person familiar with the private remarks and granted anonymity to discuss them. Even a smaller bill can make historic investments in such areas as childcare, daycare and clean energy, he said.Biden also relayed a story that seemed to mark the moment.The president told them that when his White House office was renovated, it was hung with pictures of Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt, presidents who led a “deeply divided country and the biggest economic transformation — and that’s just the kind of moment we’re in,” said Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I.The White House said the president plans to travel next week to other cities to make his case that his historic measures would help the American people.Biden’s bigger proposal is a years-in-the-making collection of Democratic priorities with an ultimate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-congress-budget-08d7ca3ffc7f438148570b04bc61ded0">price tag he says is zero</a>, because the tax revenue would cover the spending costs — higher rates on businesses earning more than $5 million a year, and individuals earning more than $400,000 a year, or $450,000 for couples.Tensions spiked late Wednesday when Manchin sent out a fiery statement, decrying the broad spending as “fiscal insanity.”It’s not just Manchin’s demands to reduce the overall size, but the conditions he is insisting on that are riling his more liberal colleagues. For example, he wants to ensure the aid goes only to lower-income people, rather than broader swaths of Americans. And he’s resisting some of the bolder efforts to tackle climate change.Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., another progressive leader, shot back: “Trying to kill your party’s agenda is insanity,” she said.The total legislative effort is testing not just Biden, but Pelosi and some of the leading figures in the Democratic Party whose legacies will be shaped by whether they succeed or fail.“We’ve been fighting for transformative legislation as all of you know; these discussions have gone on for month after month after month,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., the chairman of the Budget Committee and a leading progressive lawmaker. “This is not a baseball game. This is the most significant piece of legislation in 70 years.”___

Democrats continue fight to save President Biden's $3.5T plan

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday announced the nation's first coronavirus vaccination mandate for schoolchildren, a plan that will have all elementary through high school students get the shots once the vaccine gains final approval from the U.S. government for different age groups.

The government has fully approved the COVID-19 vaccine for those 16 and over but only granted an emergency authorization for anyone 12 to 15. Once federal regulators fully approve the vaccine for that group, the state will require students in seventh through 12th grades to get vaccinated in both public and private schools, Newsom’s office said.

The state will require the COVID-19 vaccine for students in kindergarten through sixth grade only after the federal government has given final approval for anyone 5 to 11.

The announcement comes as infections in most of California have dropped markedly in the last month. But Newsom has been emboldened after easily defeating a recall effort last month following a campaign where he emphasized his commitment to vaccine mandates to end the pandemic.

In Los Angeles County — the nation’s largest, with more than 10 million residents — just 1.7% of people tested for the virus have it and daily infections are down by half in the last month, when most kids went back to school.

“These numbers are amazingly low given that 3,000-plus schools are now open countywide,” county Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Thursday.

She noted that though the number of outbreaks in schools has increased slightly in recent weeks, the overall number is small and largely related to youth sports.

The state's vaccine mandate would take effect the semester after the federal government grants final approval. If it comes in January, then the mandate would take effect in July.

Students would be granted religious and medical exemptions, but the rules for how the state would apply those exemptions have not been written yet. Any student who refuses to take the vaccine would be forced to complete an independent study course at home.

Until now, Newsom had left the decision on student vaccine mandates to local school districts, leading to a variety of different orders across some of the state’s largest districts.

Los Angeles and Oakland Unified have mandated all students over 12 to be vaccinated, but Oakland’s order has not set a deadline for when students must comply. LA set a deadline of Jan. 20.

Earlier this week, the San Diego Unified school board approved a mandate that staff and students age 16 and older be fully vaccinated by Dec. 20.

Newsom has made it a point of pride to be the first in the nation to issue a variety of pandemic-related school mandates.

In August, California became the first state in the U.S. to require all teachers and staff in K-12 public and private schools to get vaccinated or undergo weekly COVID-19 testing. Newsom also issued a school mask mandate earlier in the summer for indoor classes that applies to all teachers and students.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633110752797.png" alt="Until Friday, Gov. Gavin Newsom had left the decision on student vaccine mandates to local school districts, leading to a variety of different orders across some of the state’s largest districts. The governor made the announcement during a media conference from a school room in San Francisco." />
 <figcaption>Until Friday, Gov. Gavin Newsom had left the decision on student vaccine mandates to local school districts, leading to a variety of different orders across some of the state’s largest districts. The governor made the announcement during a media conference from a school room in San Francisco.</figcaption>
 </figure>SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday announced the nation's first coronavirus vaccination mandate for schoolchildren, a plan that will have all elementary through high school students get the shots once the vaccine gains final approval from the U.S. government for different age groups.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FCAgovernor%2Fposts%2F445532210263983&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="411" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>The government has fully approved the COVID-19 vaccine for those 16 and over but only granted an emergency authorization for anyone 12 to 15. Once federal regulators fully approve the vaccine for that group, the state will require students in seventh through 12th grades to get vaccinated in both public and private schools, Newsom’s office said.The state will require the COVID-19 vaccine for students in kindergarten through sixth grade only after the federal government has given final approval for anyone 5 to 11.The announcement comes as infections in most of California have dropped markedly in the last month. But Newsom has been emboldened after easily defeating a recall effort last month following a campaign where he emphasized his commitment to vaccine mandates to end the pandemic.In Los Angeles County — the nation’s largest, with more than 10 million residents — just 1.7% of people tested for the virus have it and daily infections are down by half in the last month, when most kids went back to school.“These numbers are amazingly low given that 3,000-plus schools are now open countywide,” county Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Thursday.She noted that though the number of outbreaks in schools has increased slightly in recent weeks, the overall number is small and largely related to youth sports.The state's vaccine mandate would take effect the semester after the federal government grants final approval. If it comes in January, then the mandate would take effect in July.Students would be granted religious and medical exemptions, but the rules for how the state would apply those exemptions have not been written yet. Any student who refuses to take the vaccine would be forced to complete an independent study course at home.Until now, Newsom had left the decision on student vaccine mandates to local school districts, leading to a variety of different orders across some of the state’s largest districts.Los Angeles and Oakland Unified have mandated all students over 12 to be vaccinated, but Oakland’s order has not set a deadline for when students must comply. LA set a deadline of Jan. 20.Earlier this week, the San Diego Unified school board approved a mandate that staff and students age 16 and older be fully vaccinated by Dec. 20.Newsom has made it a point of pride to be the first in the nation to issue a variety of pandemic-related school mandates.In August, California became the first state in the U.S. to require all teachers and staff in K-12 public and private schools to get vaccinated or undergo weekly COVID-19 testing. Newsom also issued a school mask mandate earlier in the summer for indoor classes that applies to all teachers and students.

Nation's first COVID vaccination mandate for schoolchildren

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts has picked a former Republican Party operative to serve as Sarpy County’s election commissioner.

 Emily Ethington, of Papillion, will administer elections in Nebraska’s third-largest county.

 Ethington is a former county field director for the Nebraska Republican Party as well as for the 2020 legislative campaign of her twin sister, state Sen. Julie Slama, who was appointed to her seat by Ricketts in 2019.

 Ethington has also worked as a branch office administrator for the financial services firm Edward Jones and a commercial loan assistant for Pinnacle Bank.

 As election commissioner, she’ll earn $86,842 a year from Sarpy County.

 Ethington replaces Michelle Andahl, who has taken a job as president and CEO of the Greater Bellevue Area Chamber of Commerce.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts has picked a former Republican Party operative to serve as Sarpy County’s election commissioner. Emily Ethington, of Papillion, will administer elections in Nebraska’s third-largest county. Ethington is a former county field director for the Nebraska Republican Party as well as for the 2020 legislative campaign of her twin sister, state Sen. Julie Slama, who was appointed to her seat by Ricketts in 2019. Ethington has also worked as a branch office administrator for the financial services firm Edward Jones and a commercial loan assistant for Pinnacle Bank. As election commissioner, she’ll earn $86,842 a year from Sarpy County. Ethington replaces Michelle Andahl, who has taken a job as president and CEO of the Greater Bellevue Area Chamber of Commerce.

Former Nebraska GOP official chosen for county elections job

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

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Harvard Business School professor Arthur Brooks, the featured
speaker at Missouri Western State University today, says the problem facing the
United States is the inability to talk across party lines, ideological lines,
and class lines.

“It’s endangering the health and future of our country,” Brooks
tells reporters prior to delivering the 27th annual R. Dan Boulware
Convocation on Critical Issues lecture. “It’s effectively putting our country
into a downward spiral of influence around the world and of prosperity and, most
importantly, of happiness. This is not a new thing. Typically, we find a couple
of times a century we get into these bad cycles of contempt and polarization
and it’s in our hands whether or not it’s going to get worst or whether or not
it’s going to get better.”

Brooks, former president of American Enterprise Institute, has
written several books. His speech on the St. Joseph campus today focused on the
contents of his most recent book:&nbsp; Love
Your Enemies.

Brooks says the country has seen such crises before and has
also united during them. Something he hasn’t seen during the coronavirus pandemic.

“What I’m disappointed about is that it wasn’t an opportunity
to bring us together,” Brooks says. “A crisis should bring us together. We’re
the most entrepreneurial country in the world by far. And the one thing that
all entrepreneurs have in common is that where everybody else sees tragedy and everybody
else sees disappointment, they see opportunity.”

Brooks says the country typically faces a crisis every 10
years. He points to the financial crisis of 2008 and the 9/11 terrorist attacks,
adding the leadership at those times brought the country together, focusing residents
on the shared pain they experienced.

Brooks tells reporters the country had an opportunity to unite
in the fight against COVID-19.

“We could have had leadership in this country that brought us
together through this crisis; that where the shared pain was an opportunity to
stand together and help each other and love each other more,” Brooks says. “But,
no, like everything else, our leadership and our media turned it into an
opportunity for political bitterness that turned us against each other.”

Brooks says politicians believe division works in their favor,
currying votes, while the national media sees dollar signs in division through
increased ratings. He cautions not to get him started on the detrimental
effects of social media.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1633032464641.jpeg" alt="Harvard professor and author Arthur Brooks speaks to the news media prior to delivering the 27th annual R. Dan Boulware Convocation on Critical Issues lecture on the MWSU campus/Photo by Brent Martin" />
 <figcaption>Harvard professor and author Arthur Brooks speaks to the news media prior to delivering the 27th annual R. Dan Boulware Convocation on Critical Issues lecture on the MWSU campus/Photo by Brent Martin</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTIN <a href="https://stjosephpost.com">St. Joseph Post</a>ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Harvard Business School professor Arthur Brooks, the featured
speaker at Missouri Western State University today, says the problem facing the
United States is the inability to talk across party lines, ideological lines,
and class lines.“It’s endangering the health and future of our country,” Brooks
tells reporters prior to delivering the 27th annual R. Dan Boulware
Convocation on Critical Issues lecture. “It’s effectively putting our country
into a downward spiral of influence around the world and of prosperity and, most
importantly, of happiness. This is not a new thing. Typically, we find a couple
of times a century we get into these bad cycles of contempt and polarization
and it’s in our hands whether or not it’s going to get worst or whether or not
it’s going to get better.”Brooks, former president of American Enterprise Institute, has
written several books. His speech on the St. Joseph campus today focused on the
contents of his most recent book:&nbsp; Love
Your Enemies.Brooks says the country has seen such crises before and has
also united during them. Something he hasn’t seen during the coronavirus pandemic.“What I’m disappointed about is that it wasn’t an opportunity
to bring us together,” Brooks says. “A crisis should bring us together. We’re
the most entrepreneurial country in the world by far. And the one thing that
all entrepreneurs have in common is that where everybody else sees tragedy and everybody
else sees disappointment, they see opportunity.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1633032646561.jpeg" alt="Arthur Brooks speaks with MWSU students prior to his speech on the St. Joseph campus/Photo by Brent Martin" />
 <figcaption>Arthur Brooks speaks with MWSU students prior to his speech on the St. Joseph campus/Photo by Brent Martin</figcaption>
 </figure>Brooks says the country typically faces a crisis every 10
years. He points to the financial crisis of 2008 and the 9/11 terrorist attacks,
adding the leadership at those times brought the country together, focusing residents
on the shared pain they experienced.Brooks tells reporters the country had an opportunity to unite
in the fight against COVID-19.“We could have had leadership in this country that brought us
together through this crisis; that where the shared pain was an opportunity to
stand together and help each other and love each other more,” Brooks says. “But,
no, like everything else, our leadership and our media turned it into an
opportunity for political bitterness that turned us against each other.”Brooks says politicians believe division works in their favor,
currying votes, while the national media sees dollar signs in division through
increased ratings. He cautions not to get him started on the detrimental
effects of social media.

Harvard professor: Leaders have turned us against each other

LINCOLN&nbsp; — Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol have arrested a Lincoln woman following a short pursuit in Lincoln early Thursday morning.

At approximately 2:00 a.m. today, a trooper observed a Ford Fusion speeding and repeatedly striking the curb on Superior St. near 14th&nbsp;St. The trooper attempted a traffic stop as the vehicle turned southbound onto 14th, but the vehicle refused to yield and fled westbound onto Benton St. The trooper pursued the vehicle until the vehicle failed to navigate a curve at 7th&nbsp;St and crashed into a tree.

The driver of the Fusion then fled on foot before she was quickly taken into custody by the trooper. The driver, Sunday Jud, 24, of Lincoln, was arrested for willful reckless driving, felony flight to avoid arrest, driving under the influence, obstructing a peace officer, and refusing to subject to a field sobriety test. Jud was lodged in Lancaster County Jail.

LINCOLN&nbsp; — Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol have arrested a Lincoln woman following a short pursuit in Lincoln early Thursday morning.At approximately 2:00 a.m. today, a trooper observed a Ford Fusion speeding and repeatedly striking the curb on Superior St. near 14th&nbsp;St. The trooper attempted a traffic stop as the vehicle turned southbound onto 14th, but the vehicle refused to yield and fled westbound onto Benton St. The trooper pursued the vehicle until the vehicle failed to navigate a curve at 7th&nbsp;St and crashed into a tree.The driver of the Fusion then fled on foot before she was quickly taken into custody by the trooper. The driver, Sunday Jud, 24, of Lincoln, was arrested for willful reckless driving, felony flight to avoid arrest, driving under the influence, obstructing a peace officer, and refusing to subject to a field sobriety test. Jud was lodged in Lancaster County Jail.

Driver arrested after brief pursuit in Lincoln

GRAND ISLAND&nbsp; — Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol have apprehended two juveniles who had fled from a detention facility in Lincoln Wednesday.

The incident occurred Wednesday afternoon, when a trooper observed a vehicle believed to be associated with the juveniles traveling west of York. At approximately 1:40 p.m. Wednesday, a trooper observed the Ford Explorer exit Interstate 80 at mile marker 348. Before the trooper could turn around to attempt a traffic stop, the driver of the Explorer lost control and rolled the vehicle.

The trooper turned around and observed two subjects running from the vehicle. Another trooper and an NSP Police Service Dog responded to the scene as well and were able to locate the two subjects hiding in a tree line. Both juveniles were taken into custody without further incident. The Explorer was determined to be stolen.

Both juveniles were cited for obstructing a peace officer. The driver was also cited for theft by received stolen property, criminal mischief, leaving the scene of a crash, and no operator’s license. Both were transported to the York Hospital for medical clearance before being turned over to juvenile probation.

GRAND ISLAND&nbsp; — Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol have apprehended two juveniles who had fled from a detention facility in Lincoln Wednesday.The incident occurred Wednesday afternoon, when a trooper observed a vehicle believed to be associated with the juveniles traveling west of York. At approximately 1:40 p.m. Wednesday, a trooper observed the Ford Explorer exit Interstate 80 at mile marker 348. Before the trooper could turn around to attempt a traffic stop, the driver of the Explorer lost control and rolled the vehicle.The trooper turned around and observed two subjects running from the vehicle. Another trooper and an NSP Police Service Dog responded to the scene as well and were able to locate the two subjects hiding in a tree line. Both juveniles were taken into custody without further incident. The Explorer was determined to be stolen.Both juveniles were cited for obstructing a peace officer. The driver was also cited for theft by received stolen property, criminal mischief, leaving the scene of a crash, and no operator’s license. Both were transported to the York Hospital for medical clearance before being turned over to juvenile probation.