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

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

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

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

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

NSP, KPD investigating death after discovery of submerged vehicle

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

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

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

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

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

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

$150K winning Powerball ticket sold in Juniata

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Could booster shots hurt drive to reach the unvaccinated?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Shutdown showdown: Congress needs to take action Thursday

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Federal Trade Commission works to promote competition and to <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/bureaus-offices/bureau-consumer-protection">protect and educate consumers</a>. You can <a href="https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/">learn more about consumer topics</a> and file a <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/complaint">consumer complaint online</a> or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357).&nbsp;For the latest news and resources, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/social-media">follow the FTC on social media</a>, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/stay-connected">subscribe to press releases</a> and read our <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs">blogs</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619632629588.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FTCThe
 Federal Trade Commission is sending 8,843 checks totaling more than $2 
million to consumers who were harmed by a company that charged them 
money for “funding” to pay for expensive and often ineffective training 
programs, but instead opened multiple credit card accounts in their 
names.<a href="https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/federal.trade.commission/viz/Refunds_15797958402020/RefundsbyCase"></a><a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2021/01/ftc-acts-stop-nevada-companies-charging-consumers-thousands-open">According to the FTC’s complaint</a>,
 Seed Consulting, LLC (which also operated under the names Seed Capital 
and Foundation Funding) was pitched by training companies as a way to 
get “funding” to people who wanted to start a business or become a real 
estate investor. The complaint alleged that Seed didn’t actually provide
 any funds to consumers but instead charged them $3,000 or more to apply
 for numerous credit cards on their behalf, with total credit lines of 
more than $50,000, a practice known as “credit card stacking.”To obtain these credit lines, the suit alleges, Seed often inflated 
consumers’ annual incomes on credit card applications by approximately 
$100,000, telling consumers they could expect to make that much when 
they completed their training programs. Often, the consumers used the 
credit cards Seed obtained for them to pay for expensive programs sold 
by the training companies.Seed agreed to settle the FTC’s case in January 2021. Each check recipient will receive $232.12.People who receive checks should deposit or cash them within 90 days,
 as indicated on the check. Recipients who have questions about their 
checks, as well as anyone who paid Seed Consulting for business training
 and real estate investment programs, should call the refund 
administrator, JND Legal Administration at 1-833-823-0045. The FTC never
 requires people to pay money or provide account information to cash a 
refund check.The FTC’s <a href="https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/federal.trade.commission/viz/Refunds_15797958402020/RefundsbyCase">interactive dashboards for refund data(link is external)</a>
 provide a state-by-state breakdown of FTC refunds. In 2020, FTC actions
 led to more than $483 million in refunds to consumers across the 
country, but recently the United States Supreme Court ruled the FTC 
lacks authority under Section 13(b) to seek monetary relief in federal 
court going forward. The <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2021/04/ftc-asks-congress-pass-legislation-reviving-agencys-authority">Commission has urged Congress</a> to restore the FTC’s ability to get money back for consumers.The Federal Trade Commission works to promote competition and to <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/bureaus-offices/bureau-consumer-protection">protect and educate consumers</a>. You can <a href="https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/">learn more about consumer topics</a> and file a <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/complaint">consumer complaint online</a> or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357).&nbsp;For the latest news and resources, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/social-media">follow the FTC on social media</a>, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/stay-connected">subscribe to press releases</a> and read our <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs">blogs</a>.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

South Dakota AG reviewing Noem's meeting with daughter

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rapid City-area homeowners sue county over sinkhole risks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The drugmaker and its partner, Germany’s BioNTech, say they expect to request emergency use authorization of their vaccine in children ages 5 to 11 “in the coming&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-science-health-coronavirus-pandemic-coronavirus-vaccine-202cb6e44b90270ec4d1f19690ed94c5">weeks</a>.” The companies also plan to submit data to the European Medicines Agency and other regulators.

The two-shot Pfizer vaccine is currently available for those 12 and older. An estimated 100 million people in the U.S. have been fully vaccinated with it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Pfizer tested a lower dose of the shots in children. The drugmaker said last week that researchers found the vaccine developed coronavirus-fighting antibody levels in children that were just as strong as those found in teenagers and young adults getting regular-strength doses.

Earlier this month, FDA chief Dr. Peter Marks told the AP that once Pfizer turns over its study results, his agency would evaluate the data “hopefully in a matter of weeks” to decide if the shots are safe and effective enough for younger kids.

Pfizer’s updated timetable was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

Another U.S. vaccine maker, Moderna, also is studying its shots in elementary school-aged children. Results are expected later in the year.

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

Pfizer vaccine for kids may not be available until November

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?514537-1/joint-chiefs-chair-general-milley-testify-afghanistan-withdrawal&amp;live&amp;vod">Click here </a>to watch his testimony

WASHINGTON (AP) — The top U.S. military officer told Congress on Tuesday that he knew former President Donald Trump wasn’t planning to attack China and that it was his job to reassure the Chinese of this in the phone calls that have triggered outrage from some lawmakers.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-afghanistan-lloyd-austin-joint-chiefs-of-staff-b93c6da6e9fdf61b2a185df9baa4e2a7">Army Gen. Mark Milley</a>, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, delivered a vehement defense of two calls he made to his Chinese counterpart, saying he was responding to a “significant degree of intelligence” that China was worried about a U.S. attack.

“I know, I am certain, that President Trump did not intend to attack the Chinese. ... And it was my directed responsibility by the secretary to convey that intent to the Chinese,” Milley told the Senate Armed Services Committee. “My task at that time was to de-escalate. My message again was consistent: Stay calm, steady, and de-escalate. We are not going to attack you.”

Milley has been at the center of controversy after reports that he made two calls to Gen. Li Zuocheng of the People’s Liberation Army to assure him that the United States was not suddenly going to go to war with or attack China. Details of the calls were first aired in excerpts from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-united-states-china-bob-woodward-joint-chiefs-of-staff-ee2577288a524ab846fd91e9da689176">the recently released book “Peril”</a>&nbsp;by Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa.

While Tuesday’s hearing largely focused on the troop withdrawal from Afghanistan and the chaotic evacuation of Americans, Afghans and others from the country, a few senators condemned Milley for what they saw as inappropriate communications with Li.

In his most extensive comments to date on the matter, Milley said the calls on Oct. 30 and Jan. 8 were fully coordinated with the defense secretaries at the time as well as other U.S. national security agencies. And he said that such military-to-military communications are critical to prevent war between great powers that possess nuclear weapons.

The calls came during Trump’s turbulent last months in office as he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-government-and-politics-elections-ap-fact-check-election-2020-b3905c30c8bb585e20850da3c3f022e8">challenged the results of the 2020 election</a>. The second call came two days after Jan. 6, when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-confirm-joe-biden-78104aea082995bbd7412a6e6cd13818">a violent mob attacked the U.S. Capitol</a>&nbsp;in an effort to prevent Congress from certifying Biden’s White House victory.

Milley said the October call was made at the direction of then-Defense Secretary Mark Esper and the second was done at the request of the Chinese and coordinated with then-acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller’s office.

Asked if he spoke with the book’s authors and if his remarks were “accurately represented,” Milley said he spoke with Woodward and that he has not read the book but has seen press reports on it.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., asked that he provide more answers once he’s read the book. She and Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., questioned whether Milley shared private presidential conversations with the authors.

Milley said he did not leak private conversations he had with Trump, and said he routinely speaks with the media to provide information and transparency to the American people.

Milley also addressed a call he received from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. He said Pelosi “called me to inquire about the president’s ability to launch nuclear weapons. I sought to assure her that nuclear launch is governed by a very specific and deliberate process.”

He said he assured her that while the president is the sole nuclear launch authority, “he doesn’t launch them alone.” He said that as chairman he is part of the launch decision process.

“There are processes, protocols and procedures in place, and I repeatedly assured her there is no chance of an illegal, unauthorized or accidental launch,” Milley said.

The book asserts that during the call, Milley agreed with Pelosi’s statement that Trump was suffering a mental decline after the election. During Tuesday’s hearing, Milley appeared to discount that, saying “I am not qualified to determine the mental health of the president of the United States.”

He said that after the call was over, he had a short meeting with staff to go over the process. He also said he informed Miller of the call at the time.

“At no time was I attempting to change or influence the process, usurp authority or insert myself in the chain of command, but I am expected, I am required, to give my advice and ensure that the president is fully informed,” Milley said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The top U.S. military officer called the 20-year war in Afghanistan a “strategic failure” and told Congress on Tuesday that he believes the U.S. should have kept several thousand troops in the country to prevent the unexpectedly rapid takeover by the Taliban.

In his first congressional testimony on the tumultuous withdrawal, Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, refused to say what advice he gave President Joe Biden last spring when Biden was considering whether to keep any troops in Afghanistan.

But he told the Senate Armed Services Committee it was his personal opinion that at least 2,500 were needed to guard against a collapse of the Kabul government and a return to Taliban rule.

In a blunt assessment of a war that cost 2,461 American lives, Milley said the result was years in the making.

“Outcomes in a war like this, an outcome that is a strategic failure — the enemy is in charge in Kabul, there’s no way else to describe that — that is a cumulative effect of 20 years,” he said, adding that lessons need to be learned, including whether the U.S. military made the Afghans overly dependent on American technology in a mistaken effort to make the Afghan army look like the American army.

Gen. Frank McKenzie, who as head of Central Command had overseen the final months of the U.S. war, said he agreed with Milley that a few thousand troops should have been kept in Afghanistan, despite the Trump administration’s agreement with the Taliban in 2020 that all U.S. troops would leave by May 2021.

“I recommended that we maintain 2,500 troops in Afghanistan, and I also recommended early in the fall of 2020 that we maintain 4,500 at that time, those were my personal views,” McKenzie said. “I also had a view that the withdrawal of those forces would lead inevitably to the collapse of the Afghan military forces and eventually the Afghan government.”

The Senate hearing was at times contentious, as Republicans sought to portray Biden as having ignored advice from military officers and mischaracterized the military options he was presented last spring and summer. Several Republicans tried unsuccessfully to draw Milley, McKenzie and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin into commenting on the truthfulness of Biden’s statement to ABC News on Aug. 18, three days after the Taliban took control of Kabul, that no senior military commander had recommended against a full troop withdrawal when it was under discussion in the first months of Biden’s term.

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., asked Milley why he did not choose to resign after his advice was rejected.

Milley, who was appointed to his position as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff by President Donald Trump and retained by Biden, said it was his responsibility to provide the commander in chief with his best advice.

“The president doesn’t have to agree with that advice,” Milley said. “He doesn’t have to make those decisions just because we are generals. And it would be an incredible act of political defiance for a commissioned officer to resign just because my advice was not taken.”

Testifying alongside Milley and McKenzie, Austin defended the military’s execution of a frantic airlift from Kabul in August and asserted it will be “difficult but absolutely possible” to contain future threats from Afghanistan without troops on the ground. Under questioning, he, too, declined to say what advice he had given Biden about whether to make a full troop withdrawal.

Milley also told Congress he knew former President Donald Trump wasn’t planning to attack China and it was his job to reassure the Chinese of that fact in the phone calls that have triggered outrage from some lawmakers.&nbsp; Milley delivered a vehement defense of two calls he made to his Chinese counterpart, saying he was responding to “concerning intelligence” China was worried about a U.S. attack. Milley says his task was “to de-escalate.” Details of Milley’s calls were first aired in excerpts from the book “Peril” by Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632855649721.png" alt="Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Mark Milley testified on the Afghanistan withdrawal Tuesday -photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Mark Milley testified on the Afghanistan withdrawal Tuesday -photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?514537-1/joint-chiefs-chair-general-milley-testify-afghanistan-withdrawal&amp;live&amp;vod">Click here </a>to watch his testimonyWASHINGTON (AP) — The top U.S. military officer told Congress on Tuesday that he knew former President Donald Trump wasn’t planning to attack China and that it was his job to reassure the Chinese of this in the phone calls that have triggered outrage from some lawmakers.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-afghanistan-lloyd-austin-joint-chiefs-of-staff-b93c6da6e9fdf61b2a185df9baa4e2a7">Army Gen. Mark Milley</a>, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, delivered a vehement defense of two calls he made to his Chinese counterpart, saying he was responding to a “significant degree of intelligence” that China was worried about a U.S. attack.“I know, I am certain, that President Trump did not intend to attack the Chinese. ... And it was my directed responsibility by the secretary to convey that intent to the Chinese,” Milley told the Senate Armed Services Committee. “My task at that time was to de-escalate. My message again was consistent: Stay calm, steady, and de-escalate. We are not going to attack you.”Milley has been at the center of controversy after reports that he made two calls to Gen. Li Zuocheng of the People’s Liberation Army to assure him that the United States was not suddenly going to go to war with or attack China. Details of the calls were first aired in excerpts from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-united-states-china-bob-woodward-joint-chiefs-of-staff-ee2577288a524ab846fd91e9da689176">the recently released book “Peril”</a>&nbsp;by Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa.ADVERTISEMENTWhile Tuesday’s hearing largely focused on the troop withdrawal from Afghanistan and the chaotic evacuation of Americans, Afghans and others from the country, a few senators condemned Milley for what they saw as inappropriate communications with Li.In his most extensive comments to date on the matter, Milley said the calls on Oct. 30 and Jan. 8 were fully coordinated with the defense secretaries at the time as well as other U.S. national security agencies. And he said that such military-to-military communications are critical to prevent war between great powers that possess nuclear weapons.The calls came during Trump’s turbulent last months in office as he&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-government-and-politics-elections-ap-fact-check-election-2020-b3905c30c8bb585e20850da3c3f022e8">challenged the results of the 2020 election</a>. The second call came two days after Jan. 6, when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-confirm-joe-biden-78104aea082995bbd7412a6e6cd13818">a violent mob attacked the U.S. Capitol</a>&nbsp;in an effort to prevent Congress from certifying Biden’s White House victory.Milley said the October call was made at the direction of then-Defense Secretary Mark Esper and the second was done at the request of the Chinese and coordinated with then-acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller’s office.Asked if he spoke with the book’s authors and if his remarks were “accurately represented,” Milley said he spoke with Woodward and that he has not read the book but has seen press reports on it.Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., asked that he provide more answers once he’s read the book. She and Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., questioned whether Milley shared private presidential conversations with the authors.Milley said he did not leak private conversations he had with Trump, and said he routinely speaks with the media to provide information and transparency to the American people.Milley also addressed a call he received from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. He said Pelosi “called me to inquire about the president’s ability to launch nuclear weapons. I sought to assure her that nuclear launch is governed by a very specific and deliberate process.”He said he assured her that while the president is the sole nuclear launch authority, “he doesn’t launch them alone.” He said that as chairman he is part of the launch decision process.“There are processes, protocols and procedures in place, and I repeatedly assured her there is no chance of an illegal, unauthorized or accidental launch,” Milley said.The book asserts that during the call, Milley agreed with Pelosi’s statement that Trump was suffering a mental decline after the election. During Tuesday’s hearing, Milley appeared to discount that, saying “I am not qualified to determine the mental health of the president of the United States.”He said that after the call was over, he had a short meeting with staff to go over the process. He also said he informed Miller of the call at the time.“At no time was I attempting to change or influence the process, usurp authority or insert myself in the chain of command, but I am expected, I am required, to give my advice and ensure that the president is fully informed,” Milley said.-----------WASHINGTON (AP) — The top U.S. military officer called the 20-year war in Afghanistan a “strategic failure” and told Congress on Tuesday that he believes the U.S. should have kept several thousand troops in the country to prevent the unexpectedly rapid takeover by the Taliban.In his first congressional testimony on the tumultuous withdrawal, Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, refused to say what advice he gave President Joe Biden last spring when Biden was considering whether to keep any troops in Afghanistan.But he told the Senate Armed Services Committee it was his personal opinion that at least 2,500 were needed to guard against a collapse of the Kabul government and a return to Taliban rule.In a blunt assessment of a war that cost 2,461 American lives, Milley said the result was years in the making.“Outcomes in a war like this, an outcome that is a strategic failure — the enemy is in charge in Kabul, there’s no way else to describe that — that is a cumulative effect of 20 years,” he said, adding that lessons need to be learned, including whether the U.S. military made the Afghans overly dependent on American technology in a mistaken effort to make the Afghan army look like the American army.Gen. Frank McKenzie, who as head of Central Command had overseen the final months of the U.S. war, said he agreed with Milley that a few thousand troops should have been kept in Afghanistan, despite the Trump administration’s agreement with the Taliban in 2020 that all U.S. troops would leave by May 2021.“I recommended that we maintain 2,500 troops in Afghanistan, and I also recommended early in the fall of 2020 that we maintain 4,500 at that time, those were my personal views,” McKenzie said. “I also had a view that the withdrawal of those forces would lead inevitably to the collapse of the Afghan military forces and eventually the Afghan government.”The Senate hearing was at times contentious, as Republicans sought to portray Biden as having ignored advice from military officers and mischaracterized the military options he was presented last spring and summer. Several Republicans tried unsuccessfully to draw Milley, McKenzie and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin into commenting on the truthfulness of Biden’s statement to ABC News on Aug. 18, three days after the Taliban took control of Kabul, that no senior military commander had recommended against a full troop withdrawal when it was under discussion in the first months of Biden’s term.Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., asked Milley why he did not choose to resign after his advice was rejected.Milley, who was appointed to his position as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff by President Donald Trump and retained by Biden, said it was his responsibility to provide the commander in chief with his best advice.“The president doesn’t have to agree with that advice,” Milley said. “He doesn’t have to make those decisions just because we are generals. And it would be an incredible act of political defiance for a commissioned officer to resign just because my advice was not taken.”Testifying alongside Milley and McKenzie, Austin defended the military’s execution of a frantic airlift from Kabul in August and asserted it will be “difficult but absolutely possible” to contain future threats from Afghanistan without troops on the ground. Under questioning, he, too, declined to say what advice he had given Biden about whether to make a full troop withdrawal.Milley also told Congress he knew former President Donald Trump wasn’t planning to attack China and it was his job to reassure the Chinese of that fact in the phone calls that have triggered outrage from some lawmakers.&nbsp; Milley delivered a vehement defense of two calls he made to his Chinese counterpart, saying he was responding to “concerning intelligence” China was worried about a U.S. attack. Milley says his task was “to de-escalate.” Details of Milley’s calls were first aired in excerpts from the book “Peril” by Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa.

🎥  Milley defends calls to Chinese at end of Trump presidency

GILLETTE, Wyo. (AP) — Reserving doubts whenever others claim to know what’s best is part of life in Wyoming. 

Now the Wyoming way stands out more starkly than ever with COVID-19 vaccination trends. 

Wyoming’s statewide vaccination rate of 41% is second-lowest of any U.S. state and well below the national rate of 55%.

 In northeastern Wyoming's Campbell County, only 23% of people are fully vaccinated, putting it among the bottom handful of counties nationwide. 

Locals say they have doubts about the vaccine. 

They also say they've got a right to choose whether to get the shot. 

Their views coincide with a COVID-19 rate that is almost four times the national average.

GILLETTE, Wyo. (AP) — Reserving doubts whenever others claim to know what’s best is part of life in Wyoming. Now the Wyoming way stands out more starkly than ever with COVID-19 vaccination trends. Wyoming’s statewide vaccination rate of 41% is second-lowest of any U.S. state and well below the national rate of 55%. In northeastern Wyoming's Campbell County, only 23% of people are fully vaccinated, putting it among the bottom handful of counties nationwide. Locals say they have doubts about the vaccine. They also say they've got a right to choose whether to get the shot. Their views coincide with a COVID-19 rate that is almost four times the national average.

Low vaccine rate highlights Wyoming conservative streak

MAYWOOD, Neb. (AP) — Authorities in the southwestern Nebraska village of Maywood say a woman has been arrested after being accused of pulling a gun after a store clerk refused to sell her beer. 

Station KRVN reports that the incident happened shortly before noon Saturday, when a Maywood business called the Frontier County Sheriff's Office. 

The caller reported that a woman in the business appeared to be high and displayed a gun when she wasn't allowed to buy beer. 

Deputies and the Nebraska State Patrol later stopped a vehicle on Highway 23 in which the woman was believed to be riding. 

Officers arrested 39-year-old Dixie Kaiser, of Wellfleet, on suspicion of making terroristic threats.

MAYWOOD, Neb. (AP) — Authorities in the southwestern Nebraska village of Maywood say a woman has been arrested after being accused of pulling a gun after a store clerk refused to sell her beer. Station KRVN reports that the incident happened shortly before noon Saturday, when a Maywood business called the Frontier County Sheriff's Office. The caller reported that a woman in the business appeared to be high and displayed a gun when she wasn't allowed to buy beer. Deputies and the Nebraska State Patrol later stopped a vehicle on Highway 23 in which the woman was believed to be riding. Officers arrested 39-year-old Dixie Kaiser, of Wellfleet, on suspicion of making terroristic threats.

Woman accused of pulling gun after being refused beer sale

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha woman has been charged with felony counts after dozens of dead animals were found in her home rendered unlivable by filth, waste and rotting animal carcasses.

 The Nebraska Humane Society says the discovery was made last month in the home of 47-year-old Jaime Kimbrough. 

Kimbrough was charged this month with two counts of felony animal neglect resulting in death.

 In a seven-page affidavit, a Humane Society officer described finding the carcasses of 43 dead rabbits and two birds. 

Two dogs and eight rabbits were found alive but suffering from neglect.

 Two of the rabbits had to be euthanized. 

Kimbrough’s attorney questioned why the situation was being handled as a criminal rather than civil matter.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha woman has been charged with felony counts after dozens of dead animals were found in her home rendered unlivable by filth, waste and rotting animal carcasses. The Nebraska Humane Society says the discovery was made last month in the home of 47-year-old Jaime Kimbrough. Kimbrough was charged this month with two counts of felony animal neglect resulting in death. In a seven-page affidavit, a Humane Society officer described finding the carcasses of 43 dead rabbits and two birds. Two dogs and eight rabbits were found alive but suffering from neglect. Two of the rabbits had to be euthanized. Kimbrough’s attorney questioned why the situation was being handled as a criminal rather than civil matter.

Omaha woman charged over dozens of dead animals in her home

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A judge has refused to block Creighton University’s requirement that all students get vaccinated against COVID-19 despite the objections of a handful of students who said getting the shots would violate their religious beliefs against abortion.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A judge has refused to block Creighton University’s requirement that all students get vaccinated against COVID-19 despite the objections of a handful of students who said getting the shots would violate their religious beliefs against abortion. The Catholic university in Omaha mandated that all students get vaccinated in August. The lawsuit says the students object because vaccines were developed or tested using cells from aborted fetuses. The Vatican has declared that such vaccines are morally acceptable when others aren’t available. The students’ attorney didn’t immediately respond to questions on Monday, so it wasn’t immediately clear if they will continue to press the lawsuit.