Antiparasitic not approved by FDA to treat, prevent COVID-19

By NOAH TABORDA <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/08/25/kansas-medical-experts-warn-against-rising-self-use-of-ivermectin-to-treat-covid-19/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — More people are calling a 
Kansas poison control hotline after self-medicating for COVID-19 with a 
drug intended to fight parasitic infections in animals.

Ivermectin can cause severe health problems in humans, and medical experts <a target="_blank" href="https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/why-you-should-not-use-ivermectin-treat-or-prevent-covid-19">warn against using the drug to treat or prevent COVID-19</a>.
 Interest in the drug is being driven by disinformation on social media 
platforms and claims from lawmakers, including a Kansas state senator.

Dana Hawkinson, medical director of 
infection prevention for University of Kansas Health System, said the 
organization’s poison control hotline receives one to three calls per 
month regarding ivermectin. That number is increasing, he said.

Under certain medical conditions, 
ivermectin can be beneficial for humans, but self-dosing is a higher 
risk than the COVID-19 vaccine, Hawkinson said.

“There are much more and worse side 
effects with ivermectin. It’s amazing to me people still would like to 
do this,” Hawkinson said. “If you take ivermectin in the wrong way or 
you take too much you can certainly get toxicity from it, including 
central nervous toxicity.”

Throughout the pandemic, alternative 
treatments to the COVID-19 virus — including the use of 
hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin — have become popular despite 
universal warnings from medical experts. The recent surge in those 
seeking out the antiparasitic has Kansas and national medical experts 
uneasy.

Both the Infectious Disease Society 
of America and the World Health Organization recommend against 
ivermectin use to treat or prevent COVID-19. The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/why-you-should-not-use-ivermectin-treat-or-prevent-covid-19">Food and Drug Administration also recommended against this</a>
 use, and said it received multiple reports of patients who have 
required medical attention and hospitalization after self-medicating 
with ivermectin.

“You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, y’all. Stop it,” the agency said in a tweet.

The FDA noted use of the drug in 
doses intended for animals could prove fatal — and even smaller doses 
could interact dangerously with other medications if not reviewed by a 
doctor. Overdosing on ivermectin can cause nausea, vomiting, low blood 
pressure, seizures, coma and even death.

Ivermectin is sold at several chain 
pharmacies, including CVS, Walgreens and Walmart. The product also is 
readily available at retailers such as Tractor Supply Co. for as little 
as $6.

Earlier this year, Sen. Mark Steffen, R-Hutchinson, said it was a <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/01/31/kansas-senator-believes-political-propaganda-fearmongering-impairs-covid-19-response/">mistake not to prescribe ivermectin</a> to decrease hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19.

“As a physician who’s battled this 
thing from the start, I never felt like our leadership … has learned 
lessons from this virus and adapted its strategies,” Steffen said during
 a joint House and Senate hearing on COVID-19 attended by KDHE secretary
 Lee Norman. “We’ve been starved for early outpatient treatments. We’ve 
been starved, and they’ve been there and we’ve denied their use through 
the CDC, through the NIH, through our administration.”

In June, Steffen referenced the drug 
in a post on his Facebook page. Alongside a Fox News video clip, Steffen
 claimed several federal government agencies, Anthony Fauci, big tech 
and doctors were blocking access to alternative treatments, resulting in
 many unnecessary deaths.

“This conspiracy killed tens to 
hundreds of thousands of innocent people. Manslaughter or premeditated 
murder? The Courts will decide,” Steffen wrote.

Matt Lara, a spokesman for the Kansas
 Department of Health Environment, repeated warnings made by medical 
experts against the use of ivermectin to treat COVID-19.

“Ivermectin is not an antiviral 
drug,” Lara said. “It has been approved in humans for use in some 
parasitic worms, head lice and certain skin conditions. Taking large 
doses of this drug is dangerous and can cause serious harm.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629911375930.png" alt="A sign at a Tractor Supply Co. store in Topeka warns against using ivermectin to treat COVID-19. Medical experts are concerned by the rising misuse of the antiparasitic drug, which can cause serious health problems in humans. (Noah Taborda/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>A sign at a Tractor Supply Co. store in Topeka warns against using ivermectin to treat COVID-19. Medical experts are concerned by the rising misuse of the antiparasitic drug, which can cause serious health problems in humans. (Noah Taborda/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Antiparasitic not approved by FDA to treat, prevent COVID-19</h2>By NOAH TABORDA <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/08/25/kansas-medical-experts-warn-against-rising-self-use-of-ivermectin-to-treat-covid-19/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — More people are calling a 
Kansas poison control hotline after self-medicating for COVID-19 with a 
drug intended to fight parasitic infections in animals.Ivermectin can cause severe health problems in humans, and medical experts <a target="_blank" href="https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/why-you-should-not-use-ivermectin-treat-or-prevent-covid-19">warn against using the drug to treat or prevent COVID-19</a>.
 Interest in the drug is being driven by disinformation on social media 
platforms and claims from lawmakers, including a Kansas state senator.Dana Hawkinson, medical director of 
infection prevention for University of Kansas Health System, said the 
organization’s poison control hotline receives one to three calls per 
month regarding ivermectin. That number is increasing, he said.Under certain medical conditions, 
ivermectin can be beneficial for humans, but self-dosing is a higher 
risk than the COVID-19 vaccine, Hawkinson said.“There are much more and worse side 
effects with ivermectin. It’s amazing to me people still would like to 
do this,” Hawkinson said. “If you take ivermectin in the wrong way or 
you take too much you can certainly get toxicity from it, including 
central nervous toxicity.”Throughout the pandemic, alternative 
treatments to the COVID-19 virus — including the use of 
hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin — have become popular despite 
universal warnings from medical experts. The recent surge in those 
seeking out the antiparasitic has Kansas and national medical experts 
uneasy.Both the Infectious Disease Society 
of America and the World Health Organization recommend against 
ivermectin use to treat or prevent COVID-19. The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/why-you-should-not-use-ivermectin-treat-or-prevent-covid-19">Food and Drug Administration also recommended against this</a>
 use, and said it received multiple reports of patients who have 
required medical attention and hospitalization after self-medicating 
with ivermectin.“You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, y’all. Stop it,” the agency said in a tweet.The FDA noted use of the drug in 
doses intended for animals could prove fatal — and even smaller doses 
could interact dangerously with other medications if not reviewed by a 
doctor. Overdosing on ivermectin can cause nausea, vomiting, low blood 
pressure, seizures, coma and even death.Ivermectin is sold at several chain 
pharmacies, including CVS, Walgreens and Walmart. The product also is 
readily available at retailers such as Tractor Supply Co. for as little 
as $6.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629911444218.jpeg" alt="Sen. Mark Steffen, R-Hutchinson, promotes the use of ivermectin to combat COVID-19. (March 15, 2021, photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Sen. Mark Steffen, R-Hutchinson, promotes the use of ivermectin to combat COVID-19. (March 15, 2021, photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>Earlier this year, Sen. Mark Steffen, R-Hutchinson, said it was a <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/01/31/kansas-senator-believes-political-propaganda-fearmongering-impairs-covid-19-response/">mistake not to prescribe ivermectin</a> to decrease hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19.“As a physician who’s battled this 
thing from the start, I never felt like our leadership … has learned 
lessons from this virus and adapted its strategies,” Steffen said during
 a joint House and Senate hearing on COVID-19 attended by KDHE secretary
 Lee Norman. “We’ve been starved for early outpatient treatments. We’ve 
been starved, and they’ve been there and we’ve denied their use through 
the CDC, through the NIH, through our administration.”In June, Steffen referenced the drug 
in a post on his Facebook page. Alongside a Fox News video clip, Steffen
 claimed several federal government agencies, Anthony Fauci, big tech 
and doctors were blocking access to alternative treatments, resulting in
 many unnecessary deaths.“This conspiracy killed tens to 
hundreds of thousands of innocent people. Manslaughter or premeditated 
murder? The Courts will decide,” Steffen wrote.Matt Lara, a spokesman for the Kansas
 Department of Health Environment, repeated warnings made by medical 
experts against the use of ivermectin to treat COVID-19.“Ivermectin is not an antiviral 
drug,” Lara said. “It has been approved in humans for use in some 
parasitic worms, head lice and certain skin conditions. Taking large 
doses of this drug is dangerous and can cause serious harm.”

Kan. medical experts warn against horse dewormer to treat COVID

NORTH PLATTE&nbsp; — Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol have arrested one person after locating 11 pounds of fentanyl during a traffic stop in Dawson County.

At approximately 11:00 p.m. Monday, a trooper observed an eastbound BMW sedan with defective lighting traveling on Interstate 80 near Lexington, at mile marker 235. The trooper performed a traffic stop. During the traffic stop, the trooper and a Dawson County Sheriff’s Deputy observed marijuana in plain view inside the vehicle.

A search of the vehicle revealed a small amount of marijuana and 11 pounds of fentanyl. The driver, Alexis Murillo Godoy, 27, of Long Beach, California, was arrested for possession of a controlled substance, possession with intent to deliver, and other charges. He was lodged in Dawson County Jail.

NORTH PLATTE&nbsp; — Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol have arrested one person after locating 11 pounds of fentanyl during a traffic stop in Dawson County.At approximately 11:00 p.m. Monday, a trooper observed an eastbound BMW sedan with defective lighting traveling on Interstate 80 near Lexington, at mile marker 235. The trooper performed a traffic stop. During the traffic stop, the trooper and a Dawson County Sheriff’s Deputy observed marijuana in plain view inside the vehicle.A search of the vehicle revealed a small amount of marijuana and 11 pounds of fentanyl. The driver, Alexis Murillo Godoy, 27, of Long Beach, California, was arrested for possession of a controlled substance, possession with intent to deliver, and other charges. He was lodged in Dawson County Jail.

Troopers locate 11 LBs of fentanyl in I-80 traffic stop

WASHINGTON (AP) — Striking a deal with moderates, House Democratic leaders muscled President Joe Biden’s multitrillion-dollar budget blueprint over a key hurdle Tuesday, ending a risky standoff and putting the party’s domestic infrastructure agenda back on track.

The 220-212 vote was a first step toward drafting Biden’s $3.5 billion rebuilding plan this fall, and the narrow outcome, in the face of stiff Republican opposition, showed the power a few voices have to alter the debate and signaled the challenges ahead still threatening to upend the president’s agenda.

After a turbulent 24 hours that brought House proceedings to a standstill, Speaker Nancy Pelosi told her colleagues before the vote that the legislation would lead to a federal investment on par with the New Deal and the Great Society.

Pelosi brushed aside the delays. “That’s just part of the legislative process,” she said, according to an aide granted anonymity to discuss a closed-door caucus meeting.

“Not only are we building the physical infrastructure of American, we are building the human infrastructure of America,” Pelosi said on the House floor.

Tensions had flared as a band of moderate lawmakers threatened to withhold their votes for the $3.5 trillion plan. They were demanding the House first approve a nearly $1 trillion bipartisan package of other public works projects that’s already passed the Senate.

In brokering the compromise, Pelosi committed to voting on the bipartisan package no later than Sept. 27, an attempt to assure lawmakers it won’t be left on the sidelines. It’s also in keeping with with Pelosi’s insistence that the two bills move together as a more complete collection of Biden’s priorities. Pelosi has set a goal of passing both by Oct. 1.

Easing off the stalemate will shelve, for now, the stark divisions between moderate and progressive lawmakers who make up the Democrats’ so-slim House majority. But as the drama spilled out during what was supposed to be a quick session as lawmakers returned to work for a few days in August, it showcased the party differences that threaten to upend Biden’s ambitious rebuilding agenda.

With Republicans fully opposed to the president’s big plans and arguing that Congress should be focused instead on the crisis in Afghanistan, the Democratic leaders have just a few votes to spare. That gives any band of lawmakers leverage that can be used to make or break a deal, as they are in position to do in the weeks to come as moderates and progressives draft and vote on the broader $3.5 trillion package.

“I think it’s important to those of us who are moderate Democrats to make sure that our voices are heard,” said Rep. Jim Costa, D-Calif., one of the negotiators.

Challenging their party’s most powerful leaders, nine moderate Democrats signed onto a letter late last week raising their objections to pushing ahead with Biden’s broader infrastructure proposal without first considering the smaller public works plan that has already passed the Senate.

Their ranks grew as other moderates, including Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., a leader of the Blue Dog caucus of centrist Democrats, raised similar concerns.

Progressives were outraged at the moderates, blaming them for potentially jamming Biden’s agenda, which is stocked with hard-fought party goals like child care, paid family leave and Medicare expansion, along with green infrastructure spending.

Outside groups, including Justice Democrats, started running campaign ads and members of Our Revolution, the organization aligned with Bernie Sanders, protested Tuesday outside the New Jersey office of Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a leader of the moderate effort.

“This is a ‘which side are you on‘ moment,’” said Our Revolution executive director Joseph Geevarghese, who promised to “organize like never before to hold Democrats accountable and get this bill over the finish line.”

The budget measure is at the heart of Biden’s “Build Back Better” vision for helping families and combating climate change and is progressives’ top priority, all of it largely financed with tax increases on the rich and big business.

The House committees are already fast at work drafting legislation to fill in the details of the $3.5 trillion package for consideration later this fall.

Progressives signaled early on they wanted the Biden budget priorities first before they agree to the smaller Senate package, worried it would be an insufficient down-payment on his goals.

But the moderates want the opposite, insisting Congress quickly send the smaller, bipartisan infrastructure measure they helped shape with the senators to Biden so he can sign it before the political winds shift.

While the moderates insist they also want to support Biden’s broader package, progressives are skeptical. Senate centrists Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., have said they cannot support a $3.5 trillion package.

In fact, the moderates were also trying to win assurances from Pelosi that whatever version of the broader bill they draft in the House will be the same in the Senate — setting up another showdown between the party’s competing flanks and their vision for the rebuilding priorities.

The compromise structured Tuesday’s vote to include passage of the budget resolution and the commitment for the September vote on the bipartisan package as part of a procedural vote, called the Rule.

So far, the White House has backed Pelosi as she has led her party in a tightly scripted strategy.

Republicans plan to reject the the $3.5 trillion effort as big government spending, and GOP support for the slimmer $1 trillion bipartisan measure is now uncertain.

The conservative House Freedom Caucus said it opposes both the Biden budget and the bipartisan bill.

Republicans blasted Democrats for pursuing their priorities at a time when they said all focus should be on Afghanistan, as thousands of people including Americans are trying to flee the country as the U.S. withdraws its forces.

“We should be doing nothing else on this floor until every single American is home,” said Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the House minority leader.

Inserting his own wedge into the politics of the situation, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday on Fox News that he was rooting for the House moderates.

“I wish the moderates in the House success,” McConnell said. “I’m pulling for them.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629841565505.png" alt="Many republican members of the House met Tuesday to discuss the failures of what they called the #BidenBankruptcyBlueprint" />
 <figcaption>Many republican members of the House met Tuesday to discuss the failures of what they called the #BidenBankruptcyBlueprint</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Striking a deal with moderates, House Democratic leaders muscled President Joe Biden’s multitrillion-dollar budget blueprint over a key hurdle Tuesday, ending a risky standoff and putting the party’s domestic infrastructure agenda back on track.The 220-212 vote was a first step toward drafting Biden’s $3.5 billion rebuilding plan this fall, and the narrow outcome, in the face of stiff Republican opposition, showed the power a few voices have to alter the debate and signaled the challenges ahead still threatening to upend the president’s agenda.After a turbulent 24 hours that brought House proceedings to a standstill, Speaker Nancy Pelosi told her colleagues before the vote that the legislation would lead to a federal investment on par with the New Deal and the Great Society.Pelosi brushed aside the delays. “That’s just part of the legislative process,” she said, according to an aide granted anonymity to discuss a closed-door caucus meeting.“Not only are we building the physical infrastructure of American, we are building the human infrastructure of America,” Pelosi said on the House floor.Tensions had flared as a band of moderate lawmakers threatened to withhold their votes for the $3.5 trillion plan. They were demanding the House first approve a nearly $1 trillion bipartisan package of other public works projects that’s already passed the Senate.In brokering the compromise, Pelosi committed to voting on the bipartisan package no later than Sept. 27, an attempt to assure lawmakers it won’t be left on the sidelines. It’s also in keeping with with Pelosi’s insistence that the two bills move together as a more complete collection of Biden’s priorities. Pelosi has set a goal of passing both by Oct. 1.Easing off the stalemate will shelve, for now, the stark divisions between moderate and progressive lawmakers who make up the Democrats’ so-slim House majority. But as the drama spilled out during what was supposed to be a quick session as lawmakers returned to work for a few days in August, it showcased the party differences that threaten to upend Biden’s ambitious rebuilding agenda.With Republicans fully opposed to the president’s big plans and arguing that Congress should be focused instead on the crisis in Afghanistan, the Democratic leaders have just a few votes to spare. That gives any band of lawmakers leverage that can be used to make or break a deal, as they are in position to do in the weeks to come as moderates and progressives draft and vote on the broader $3.5 trillion package.“I think it’s important to those of us who are moderate Democrats to make sure that our voices are heard,” said Rep. Jim Costa, D-Calif., one of the negotiators.Challenging their party’s most powerful leaders, nine moderate Democrats signed onto a letter late last week raising their objections to pushing ahead with Biden’s broader infrastructure proposal without first considering the smaller public works plan that has already passed the Senate.Their ranks grew as other moderates, including Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., a leader of the Blue Dog caucus of centrist Democrats, raised similar concerns.Progressives were outraged at the moderates, blaming them for potentially jamming Biden’s agenda, which is stocked with hard-fought party goals like child care, paid family leave and Medicare expansion, along with green infrastructure spending.Outside groups, including Justice Democrats, started running campaign ads and members of Our Revolution, the organization aligned with Bernie Sanders, protested Tuesday outside the New Jersey office of Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a leader of the moderate effort.“This is a ‘which side are you on‘ moment,’” said Our Revolution executive director Joseph Geevarghese, who promised to “organize like never before to hold Democrats accountable and get this bill over the finish line.”The budget measure is at the heart of Biden’s “Build Back Better” vision for helping families and combating climate change and is progressives’ top priority, all of it largely financed with tax increases on the rich and big business.The House committees are already fast at work drafting legislation to fill in the details of the $3.5 trillion package for consideration later this fall.Progressives signaled early on they wanted the Biden budget priorities first before they agree to the smaller Senate package, worried it would be an insufficient down-payment on his goals.But the moderates want the opposite, insisting Congress quickly send the smaller, bipartisan infrastructure measure they helped shape with the senators to Biden so he can sign it before the political winds shift.While the moderates insist they also want to support Biden’s broader package, progressives are skeptical. Senate centrists Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., have said they cannot support a $3.5 trillion package.In fact, the moderates were also trying to win assurances from Pelosi that whatever version of the broader bill they draft in the House will be the same in the Senate — setting up another showdown between the party’s competing flanks and their vision for the rebuilding priorities.The compromise structured Tuesday’s vote to include passage of the budget resolution and the commitment for the September vote on the bipartisan package as part of a procedural vote, called the Rule.So far, the White House has backed Pelosi as she has led her party in a tightly scripted strategy.Republicans plan to reject the the $3.5 trillion effort as big government spending, and GOP support for the slimmer $1 trillion bipartisan measure is now uncertain.The conservative House Freedom Caucus said it opposes both the Biden budget and the bipartisan bill.Republicans blasted Democrats for pursuing their priorities at a time when they said all focus should be on Afghanistan, as thousands of people including Americans are trying to flee the country as the U.S. withdraws its forces.“We should be doing nothing else on this floor until every single American is home,” said Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the House minority leader.Inserting his own wedge into the politics of the situation, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday on Fox News that he was rooting for the House moderates.“I wish the moderates in the House success,” McConnell said. “I’m pulling for them.”

By narrow margin House passes $3.5T budget plan

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — The South Dakota Supreme Court is weighing whether to unseal a search warrant and affidavits in an investigation into billionaire banker-turned-philanthropist T. Denny Sanford for possible possession of child pornography. 

The court documents are sealed and refer only to “an implicated individual.” Attorneys did not name Sanford as they made their arguments to the court Tuesday.

 However, one person briefed on the case by law enforcement told The Associated Press that the hearing involved Sanford and a legal effort by media organizations to unseal court records in the investigation.

 The person demanded anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the investigation. Sanford has not been charged with any crime.

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — The South Dakota Supreme Court is weighing whether to unseal a search warrant and affidavits in an investigation into billionaire banker-turned-philanthropist T. Denny Sanford for possible possession of child pornography. The court documents are sealed and refer only to “an implicated individual.” Attorneys did not name Sanford as they made their arguments to the court Tuesday. However, one person briefed on the case by law enforcement told The Associated Press that the hearing involved Sanford and a legal effort by media organizations to unseal court records in the investigation. The person demanded anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the investigation. Sanford has not been charged with any crime.

S.D. court may unseal investigation of billionaire Sanford

By JILL LAWLESS and GREGORY KATZ Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts has died at the age of 80. 

Publicist Bernard Doherty said Tuesday that Watts "passed away peacefully in a London hospital earlier today surrounded by his family." 

The self-effacing and unshakeable drummer helped anchor one of rock's greatest rhythm sections for more than half a century and used his "day job" to support his enduring love of jazz. 

Watts had announced he would not tour with the Stones in 2021 because of an undefined health issue. He joined the Stones early in 1963 and ranked just behind Mick Jagger and Keith Richards as the group's longest lasting and most essential member.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629835426049.png" alt="Watts in Lexington, Ky., in 1981 / Photo courtesy Michael Conen, Flickr" />
 <figcaption>Watts in Lexington, Ky., in 1981 / Photo courtesy Michael Conen, Flickr</figcaption>
 </figure>By JILL LAWLESS and GREGORY KATZ Associated PressLONDON (AP) — Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts has died at the age of 80. Publicist Bernard Doherty said Tuesday that Watts "passed away peacefully in a London hospital earlier today surrounded by his family." The self-effacing and unshakeable drummer helped anchor one of rock's greatest rhythm sections for more than half a century and used his "day job" to support his enduring love of jazz. Watts had announced he would not tour with the Stones in 2021 because of an undefined health issue. He joined the Stones early in 1963 and ranked just behind Mick Jagger and Keith Richards as the group's longest lasting and most essential member.

Drummer Charlie Watts, Rolling Stones backbone, dies at 80

LINCOLN, Neb.-A Lincoln man wanted for child sexual assault is in custody following a standoff with police.

At approximately 9:00 a.m. on Aug. 23, members of the Metro Fugitive Task Force and the Special Victims&nbsp;Unit of the Lincoln Police Department went to an apartment building located at 4800 N. 15th Street in Lincoln looking for Veonta Hopper, 39.&nbsp; Hopper was wanted on a recent Lancaster County Court warrant for two counts of Sexual Assault of a Child in the 1st degree.&nbsp; Law enforcement contacted Hopper in a lower-level apartment and he barricaded himself inside a bathroom in the apartment.&nbsp;

Law enforcement negotiated with Hopper for nearly two hours when they observed smoke and fire coming from under the bathroom door.&nbsp; At this point they breached the door and attempted to take Hopper into custody.&nbsp; Hopper resisted arrest and hampered law enforcement’s efforts to get him safely out of the apartment that was now filled with smoke.&nbsp; Law enforcement was able to take Hopper into custody, put the fire out with their extinguishers, and help evacuate the apartment building to ensure no one else was injured.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Hopper was treated at the scene by Lincoln Fire and Rescue and subsequently transported to the hospital with smoke inhalation and minor abrasions.&nbsp; When released, he will be taken to jail on the warrant and faces other charges pending the current investigation.&nbsp; A Lincoln Fire Inspector will assist in determining the origin of the fire.

In addition to Hopper, several law enforcement members were treated at the scene and transported to the hospital for smoke inhalation and other injuries.&nbsp; None of the injuries are believed to be life-threatening.&nbsp; The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate this incident.&nbsp;

News Release Lincoln PoliceLINCOLN, Neb.-A Lincoln man wanted for child sexual assault is in custody following a standoff with police.At approximately 9:00 a.m. on Aug. 23, members of the Metro Fugitive Task Force and the Special Victims&nbsp;Unit of the Lincoln Police Department went to an apartment building located at 4800 N. 15th Street in Lincoln looking for Veonta Hopper, 39.&nbsp; Hopper was wanted on a recent Lancaster County Court warrant for two counts of Sexual Assault of a Child in the 1st degree.&nbsp; Law enforcement contacted Hopper in a lower-level apartment and he barricaded himself inside a bathroom in the apartment.&nbsp;Law enforcement negotiated with Hopper for nearly two hours when they observed smoke and fire coming from under the bathroom door.&nbsp; At this point they breached the door and attempted to take Hopper into custody.&nbsp; Hopper resisted arrest and hampered law enforcement’s efforts to get him safely out of the apartment that was now filled with smoke.&nbsp; Law enforcement was able to take Hopper into custody, put the fire out with their extinguishers, and help evacuate the apartment building to ensure no one else was injured.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Hopper was treated at the scene by Lincoln Fire and Rescue and subsequently transported to the hospital with smoke inhalation and minor abrasions.&nbsp; When released, he will be taken to jail on the warrant and faces other charges pending the current investigation.&nbsp; A Lincoln Fire Inspector will assist in determining the origin of the fire.In addition to Hopper, several law enforcement members were treated at the scene and transported to the hospital for smoke inhalation and other injuries.&nbsp; None of the injuries are believed to be life-threatening.&nbsp; The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate this incident.&nbsp;

Lincoln man wanted for child sex assault lights apartment on fire during standoff

(AP)-Airbnb is offering free housing to 20,000 Afghan refugees globally and sought more assistance from hosts who rent property through the home-sharing company. 

In a tweet early Tuesday, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky wrote, "The displacement and resettlement of Afghan refugees in the U.S. and elsewhere is one of the biggest humanitarian crises of our time. We feel a responsibility to step up.” 

The UN Refugee Agency says that an estimated 270,000 Afghans had been newly displaced inside the country since January – primarily due to insecurity and violence – &nbsp;bringing the total uprooted population to over 3.5 million.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629810086056.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>(AP)-Airbnb is offering free housing to 20,000 Afghan refugees globally and sought more assistance from hosts who rent property through the home-sharing company. In a tweet early Tuesday, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky wrote, "The displacement and resettlement of Afghan refugees in the U.S. and elsewhere is one of the biggest humanitarian crises of our time. We feel a responsibility to step up.” The UN Refugee Agency says that an estimated 270,000 Afghans had been newly displaced inside the country since January – primarily due to insecurity and violence – &nbsp;bringing the total uprooted population to over 3.5 million.

Airbnb opens up housing for 20,000 Afghan refugees globally

NEW YORK (AP) — When Ryan David bought three rental properties back in 2017, he expected the $1,000-a-month he was pocketing after expenses would be regular sources of income well into his retirement years.

He also was counting on the rent money from the properties in Dupont, Pennsylvania, to help with the cash flow of his business buying and selling distressed properties, launched early last year.

But then the pandemic hit and federal and state authorities imposed moratoriums on evictions. The unpaid rent began to mount. Then, just when he thought the worst was over, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced a new moratorium, lasting until Oct. 3.&nbsp;

A federal appeals court on Friday allowed the pause on evictions imposed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to remain in place, setting up a likely battle before the nation’s highest court.

David, the father of a 2 1/2-year-old who is expecting another child, fears the $2,000 he's owed in back rent will quickly climb to thousands more.

The latest moratorium “was the final gut punch," said the 39-year-old, adding that he now plans to sell the apartments. “I have had this internal struggle going back and forth. I have lost sleep at night, and I have now come up with a decision to sell and walk away.”

Most evictions for unpaid rent have been halted since the early days of the pandemic and there are now more than 15 million people living in households that owe as much as $20 billion in back rent, according to the Aspen Institute.

A majority of single-family rental home owners have been impacted, according to a survey from the National Rental Home Council, and 50% say they have tenants who have missed rent during the pandemic.

Smaller landlords with fewer than four units, who often don't have the financing of larger property owners, were hit especially hard, with as many as 58% having tenants behind on rent, according to the National Association of Realtors. More than half of back rent is owed to smaller landlords.

Landlords, big and small, are most angry about the moratoriums, which they consider illegal. Many believe some tenants could have paid rent, if not for the moratorium. And the $47 billion in federal rental assistance that was supposed to make landlords whole has been slow to materialize. By July, only $3 billion of the first tranche of $25 billion had been distributed.

David points to two tenants who received paychecks throughout the pandemic but didn't pay rent or bother to file for rental assistance. Others singled out delinquent tenants who they claimed still managed to drive a luxury car, get food deliveries or go on vacation.

“Without rent, we’re out of business, ” said Gary Zaremba, who sold 40 of his properties in Ohio due to the moratorium and still has a quarter of his tenants in the remaining 100 buildings struggling to pay rent. He has helped some apply for rental assistance, he said.

“It’s like a restaurant that doesn’t have patrons,” he said. “I don’t get the rent. I can’t pay my maintenance staff. I have to lay them off. I can't fix the buildings and keep them in good repair. So, that means they are going to get even worse off. I can’t pay my taxes.”

Zaremba, who also owns a handful of properties in New York City, sold some of his single-family homes to home buyers and some multi-family commercial apartment buildings to small investors.

Many landlords are saddled with tens of thousands of dollars in lost rent — money that was meant for retirement, a college fund or for their investors, who themselves had sought a safe investment. They are maxing out credit cards or dipping into savings to pay property taxes, staff salaries, insurance, water bills and maintenance.

“I keep thinking to myself, when does my family get paid?” said Matthew Haines, who owns 253 units with his wife in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and is owed more than $300,000 in back rent. He has referred $250,000 of that to collections.

The couple put in $50,000 of their own money to avoid laying off their seven full-time and three part-time employees. Haines is also doing repairs like fixing an air conditioning unit or changing a pool light himself to save money. Their investors, retirees who typically get an annual return of 7% to 9%, got nothing last year on two multifamily apartments and 3% on a third one because of unpaid rent.

“We jumped through hoops to help our residents who were struggling. We have not evicted a single person trying to work with us, even though we have people who owe us seven, eight, nine months of rent,” he said. “We are trying to do the right thing but it’s becoming impossible.”

In upstate New York, Michael Reid sold three of his houses to stem losses — after paying some delinquent tenants thousands of dollars to leave. Already out more than $100,000 in back rent on 13 of his 31 units and more than $20,000 in unpaid water bills, Reid took out a $90,000 home equity loan on his house so he could pay property taxes and other bills. On Tuesday, he finally received $9,000 in federal rental assistance, a fraction of what he's owed.

“I’ve lost an incredible amount of money on top of the rent owed,” said Reid, who also works as a mortgage loan officer, referring to his delinquent tenants in Binghamton and Endicott, New York. “Thank God, my day job pays pretty well.”

Some owners are taking advantage of a red-hot housing market to sell their units to deep-pocketed investors willing to wait out the moratorium or to families who plan to live in them. Buyers are increasingly out-of-town investors or equity funds, whom critics fear will renovate the properties and market them at much higher prices.

“A lot of landlords are disgusted. They are selling at losses. They are getting out period,” Reid said of the dozens of investors he talks with.

Even those sticking with the property business say the moratorium has forced them to change their operations.

Some are leaving apartments vacant for months at a time, either because they lack the money to renovate or fear being stuck with nonpaying tenants. Some aren’t buying any new properties as long as the moratorium is in place; others will only buy in wealthier neighborhoods.

Still others are bolstering their screening process and giving extra scrutiny to someone who was unemployed for long stretches during the pandemic or saddled their previous landlord with months of back rent.

“If somebody stiffed their previous landlord out of 12, 15 or 18 months rent, I don’t want to rent to them,” Reid said.

This could result in fewer places to live for low-income tenants facing eviction when the moratorium lifts.

“It makes it worse for everyone. It’s worse for tenants, in particular, because we are going to lose affordable housing,” said Stacey Johnson-Cosby, who with her husband owns 21 units in the Kansas City, Missouri, area.

“The investors are going to come. They are going buy the property, put money into it, renovate it and rent it at a higher amount."

Rick Martin anguished over just that before selling two of his five buildings in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston. Before that the 62-year-old left most of them vacant due to the moratorium, depriving him of thousands of dollars in rent.

“The minute they enacted the moratorium, that trigged my decision to sell the properties,” Martin said. “I did not want someone moving in whom I could never get rid of if they didn’t pay rent. That would make the financial situation worse.”

Martin said he was torn about the decision to sell to investors. One has turned a building into condos. Another has already doubled the rent on a three-family building.

“Honestly it’s a very difficult decision,” he said. “I want the small property owners to flourish and grow. But because of this moratorium, we are having everything cut out from beneath us.”

NEW YORK (AP) — When Ryan David bought three rental properties back in 2017, he expected the $1,000-a-month he was pocketing after expenses would be regular sources of income well into his retirement years.He also was counting on the rent money from the properties in Dupont, Pennsylvania, to help with the cash flow of his business buying and selling distressed properties, launched early last year.But then the pandemic hit and federal and state authorities imposed moratoriums on evictions. The unpaid rent began to mount. Then, just when he thought the worst was over, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced a new moratorium, lasting until Oct. 3.&nbsp;A federal appeals court on Friday allowed the pause on evictions imposed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to remain in place, setting up a likely battle before the nation’s highest court.David, the father of a 2 1/2-year-old who is expecting another child, fears the $2,000 he's owed in back rent will quickly climb to thousands more.The latest moratorium “was the final gut punch," said the 39-year-old, adding that he now plans to sell the apartments. “I have had this internal struggle going back and forth. I have lost sleep at night, and I have now come up with a decision to sell and walk away.”Most evictions for unpaid rent have been halted since the early days of the pandemic and there are now more than 15 million people living in households that owe as much as $20 billion in back rent, according to the Aspen Institute.A majority of single-family rental home owners have been impacted, according to a survey from the National Rental Home Council, and 50% say they have tenants who have missed rent during the pandemic.Smaller landlords with fewer than four units, who often don't have the financing of larger property owners, were hit especially hard, with as many as 58% having tenants behind on rent, according to the National Association of Realtors. More than half of back rent is owed to smaller landlords.Landlords, big and small, are most angry about the moratoriums, which they consider illegal. Many believe some tenants could have paid rent, if not for the moratorium. And the $47 billion in federal rental assistance that was supposed to make landlords whole has been slow to materialize. By July, only $3 billion of the first tranche of $25 billion had been distributed.David points to two tenants who received paychecks throughout the pandemic but didn't pay rent or bother to file for rental assistance. Others singled out delinquent tenants who they claimed still managed to drive a luxury car, get food deliveries or go on vacation.“Without rent, we’re out of business, ” said Gary Zaremba, who sold 40 of his properties in Ohio due to the moratorium and still has a quarter of his tenants in the remaining 100 buildings struggling to pay rent. He has helped some apply for rental assistance, he said.“It’s like a restaurant that doesn’t have patrons,” he said. “I don’t get the rent. I can’t pay my maintenance staff. I have to lay them off. I can't fix the buildings and keep them in good repair. So, that means they are going to get even worse off. I can’t pay my taxes.”Zaremba, who also owns a handful of properties in New York City, sold some of his single-family homes to home buyers and some multi-family commercial apartment buildings to small investors.Many landlords are saddled with tens of thousands of dollars in lost rent — money that was meant for retirement, a college fund or for their investors, who themselves had sought a safe investment. They are maxing out credit cards or dipping into savings to pay property taxes, staff salaries, insurance, water bills and maintenance.“I keep thinking to myself, when does my family get paid?” said Matthew Haines, who owns 253 units with his wife in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and is owed more than $300,000 in back rent. He has referred $250,000 of that to collections.The couple put in $50,000 of their own money to avoid laying off their seven full-time and three part-time employees. Haines is also doing repairs like fixing an air conditioning unit or changing a pool light himself to save money. Their investors, retirees who typically get an annual return of 7% to 9%, got nothing last year on two multifamily apartments and 3% on a third one because of unpaid rent.“We jumped through hoops to help our residents who were struggling. We have not evicted a single person trying to work with us, even though we have people who owe us seven, eight, nine months of rent,” he said. “We are trying to do the right thing but it’s becoming impossible.”In upstate New York, Michael Reid sold three of his houses to stem losses — after paying some delinquent tenants thousands of dollars to leave. Already out more than $100,000 in back rent on 13 of his 31 units and more than $20,000 in unpaid water bills, Reid took out a $90,000 home equity loan on his house so he could pay property taxes and other bills. On Tuesday, he finally received $9,000 in federal rental assistance, a fraction of what he's owed.“I’ve lost an incredible amount of money on top of the rent owed,” said Reid, who also works as a mortgage loan officer, referring to his delinquent tenants in Binghamton and Endicott, New York. “Thank God, my day job pays pretty well.”Some owners are taking advantage of a red-hot housing market to sell their units to deep-pocketed investors willing to wait out the moratorium or to families who plan to live in them. Buyers are increasingly out-of-town investors or equity funds, whom critics fear will renovate the properties and market them at much higher prices.“A lot of landlords are disgusted. They are selling at losses. They are getting out period,” Reid said of the dozens of investors he talks with.Even those sticking with the property business say the moratorium has forced them to change their operations.Some are leaving apartments vacant for months at a time, either because they lack the money to renovate or fear being stuck with nonpaying tenants. Some aren’t buying any new properties as long as the moratorium is in place; others will only buy in wealthier neighborhoods.Still others are bolstering their screening process and giving extra scrutiny to someone who was unemployed for long stretches during the pandemic or saddled their previous landlord with months of back rent.“If somebody stiffed their previous landlord out of 12, 15 or 18 months rent, I don’t want to rent to them,” Reid said.This could result in fewer places to live for low-income tenants facing eviction when the moratorium lifts.“It makes it worse for everyone. It’s worse for tenants, in particular, because we are going to lose affordable housing,” said Stacey Johnson-Cosby, who with her husband owns 21 units in the Kansas City, Missouri, area.“The investors are going to come. They are going buy the property, put money into it, renovate it and rent it at a higher amount."Rick Martin anguished over just that before selling two of his five buildings in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston. Before that the 62-year-old left most of them vacant due to the moratorium, depriving him of thousands of dollars in rent.“The minute they enacted the moratorium, that trigged my decision to sell the properties,” Martin said. “I did not want someone moving in whom I could never get rid of if they didn’t pay rent. That would make the financial situation worse.”Martin said he was torn about the decision to sell to investors. One has turned a building into condos. Another has already doubled the rent on a three-family building.“Honestly it’s a very difficult decision,” he said. “I want the small property owners to flourish and grow. But because of this moratorium, we are having everything cut out from beneath us.”

Landlords look for an exit amid eviction moratorium

RALSTON, Neb. (AP) — Students and staff at Ralston’s middle school and high schools in suburban Omaha are now required to wear masks following new cases of COVID-19 in the district. 

Ralston Public Schools announced the change Sunday, saying the policy applies to staff members and students from seventh- through 12th grades. 

Masking will be required through Sept. 16, when district officials will review the policy. 

Masks will be available at the schools for students who do not have one.

 Superintendent Mark Adler says the decision was made after three cases were identified in one classroom at the secondary level.

 The Ralston district was already requiring students, staff and visitors in preschool through sixth grade to wear masks.

RALSTON, Neb. (AP) — Students and staff at Ralston’s middle school and high schools in suburban Omaha are now required to wear masks following new cases of COVID-19 in the district. Ralston Public Schools announced the change Sunday, saying the policy applies to staff members and students from seventh- through 12th grades. Masking will be required through Sept. 16, when district officials will review the policy. Masks will be available at the schools for students who do not have one. Superintendent Mark Adler says the decision was made after three cases were identified in one classroom at the secondary level. The Ralston district was already requiring students, staff and visitors in preschool through sixth grade to wear masks.

Suburban Omaha school district enacts expanded mask mandate

WASHINGTON (AP) — Brushing past moderates, House Democratic leaders tried to muscle President Joe Biden’s multitrillion-dollar budget blueprint over a key hurdle Monday night, hoping to shelve for now an intraparty showdown that risks upending their domestic infrastructure agenda.

Tensions rose as lawmakers returned for the evening session and a band of moderate lawmakers threatened to withhold their votes for the $3.5 trillion plan. They were demanding the House first approve a $1 trillion package of road, power grid, broadband and other infrastructure projects that’s already passed the Senate.

But as the evening dragged on the chamber came to a standstill and plans were thrown into flux as leaders and lawmakers huddled privately at the Capitol trying to broker an agreement.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi implored Democrats during a private caucus not to bog down and miss this chance to deliver on the promises Biden and the party have made to Americans.

“Right now, we have an opportunity to pass something so substantial for our country, so transformative we haven’t seen anything like it,” Pelosi said, according to a person who requested anonymity to disclose the private comments.

Pelosi told them it was “unfortunate” they were discussing the process when they should be debating the policy. “We cannot squander this majority and this Democratic White House by not passing what we need to do,” she said.

With Republicans fully opposed to the president’s big plans, the Democratic leaders were trying to engineer a way out of a potentially devastating standoff between the party’s moderate and progressive wings that risks Biden’s agenda.

Pelosi’s leadership sought to sidestep the issue by persuading lawmakers to vote to simply start the process and save the policy fight for the months ahead, when they will be crafting and debating details within the full $3.5 trillion budget proposal.

One by one, powerful committee chairmen urged their colleagues to move forward.

“There’s a long way to go on legislative issues that are going to play out over the next month. But for the moment the argument here is about: Shall the House proceed,” said Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee.

It was unclear if the moderates were fully on board and as soon as one meeting broke, another private session was convened with them for further discussion. What had been a night of scheduled votes came to an unexpected standstill.

Confronting their party’s most powerful leaders, nine moderate Democrats signed onto a letter late last week raising their objections to pushing ahead with Biden’s broader infrastructure proposal without first considering the smaller public works plan that has already passed the Senate. Other moderates raised similar concerns in recent days.

“I’m bewildered by my party’s misguided strategy to make passage of the popular, already-written, bipartisan infrastructure bill contingent upon passage of the contentious, yet-to-be-written, partisan reconciliation bill,” wrote Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., a leader of the centrist Blue Dog caucus, in the Orlando Sentinel. “It’s bad policy and, yes, bad politics.”

In the narrowly divided House, every vote matters and a few dissenters could conceivably end the Democratic majority’s hopes for passing any proposal.

With most of Biden’s domestic agenda at stake, it’s unimaginable that Pelosi, D-Calif., would allow an embarrassing defeat. That’s especially true because the package is stocked with priorities like child care, paid family leave and a Medicare expansion that are hard-fought party goals, and at a time with the president already under criticism over his handling of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The $3.5 trillion budget resolution will set the stage this fall for setting further legislation directing money to be spent on the social safety net, environment and other programs over the next decade.

That huge measure is at the heart of Biden’s vision for helping families and combating climate change and is progressives’ top priority, all of it largely financed with tax increases on the rich and big business.

Progressives signaled early on they wanted the Biden budget priorities first before they agree to the smaller package, worried it would be an insufficient down-payment on his goals.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-bills-5e45e96c8396af38157dc292b20fc49e">But the moderates&nbsp;</a>want the opposite, insisting Congress quickly send the smaller, bipartisan infrastructure measure to Biden so he can sign it before the political winds shift. That would nail down a victory they could point to in their reelection campaigns next year.

“The House can’t afford to wait months or do anything to risk passing” the infrastructure bill, Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., said late last week. He’s a leader of the nine moderate mavericks who each released statements reaffirming a desire that the infrastructure vote come first.

So far, the White House has backed Pelosi as she led her party in a tightly scripted strategy that aims to keep moderate and progressive lawmakers on board.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Monday underscored Biden’s support for Pelosi’s plans. Psaki deemed it a “healthy debate” within the party and said that it was “a high-class problem to have” as Democrats debate the particulars of the legislation.

Republicans said the $3.5 trillion effort that Democrats are seeking to advance fails to address “the crisis that American families are facing” and would lead to higher inflation and deficits.

“The inflation crisis, the border crisis, the energy crisis, the Afghanistan crisis — this budget only makes it worse,” said Rep. Jason Smith of Missouri, top Republican on the House Budget Committee.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629799430344.png" alt="A group of House Democratic lawmakers held a news conference to tout President Biden’s infrastructure proposals.&nbsp; photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>A group of House Democratic lawmakers held a news conference to tout President Biden’s infrastructure proposals.&nbsp; photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Brushing past moderates, House Democratic leaders tried to muscle President Joe Biden’s multitrillion-dollar budget blueprint over a key hurdle Monday night, hoping to shelve for now an intraparty showdown that risks upending their domestic infrastructure agenda.Tensions rose as lawmakers returned for the evening session and a band of moderate lawmakers threatened to withhold their votes for the $3.5 trillion plan. They were demanding the House first approve a $1 trillion package of road, power grid, broadband and other infrastructure projects that’s already passed the Senate.But as the evening dragged on the chamber came to a standstill and plans were thrown into flux as leaders and lawmakers huddled privately at the Capitol trying to broker an agreement.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi implored Democrats during a private caucus not to bog down and miss this chance to deliver on the promises Biden and the party have made to Americans.“Right now, we have an opportunity to pass something so substantial for our country, so transformative we haven’t seen anything like it,” Pelosi said, according to a person who requested anonymity to disclose the private comments.Pelosi told them it was “unfortunate” they were discussing the process when they should be debating the policy. “We cannot squander this majority and this Democratic White House by not passing what we need to do,” she said.With Republicans fully opposed to the president’s big plans, the Democratic leaders were trying to engineer a way out of a potentially devastating standoff between the party’s moderate and progressive wings that risks Biden’s agenda.Pelosi’s leadership sought to sidestep the issue by persuading lawmakers to vote to simply start the process and save the policy fight for the months ahead, when they will be crafting and debating details within the full $3.5 trillion budget proposal.One by one, powerful committee chairmen urged their colleagues to move forward.“There’s a long way to go on legislative issues that are going to play out over the next month. But for the moment the argument here is about: Shall the House proceed,” said Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee.It was unclear if the moderates were fully on board and as soon as one meeting broke, another private session was convened with them for further discussion. What had been a night of scheduled votes came to an unexpected standstill.Confronting their party’s most powerful leaders, nine moderate Democrats signed onto a letter late last week raising their objections to pushing ahead with Biden’s broader infrastructure proposal without first considering the smaller public works plan that has already passed the Senate. Other moderates raised similar concerns in recent days.“I’m bewildered by my party’s misguided strategy to make passage of the popular, already-written, bipartisan infrastructure bill contingent upon passage of the contentious, yet-to-be-written, partisan reconciliation bill,” wrote Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., a leader of the centrist Blue Dog caucus, in the Orlando Sentinel. “It’s bad policy and, yes, bad politics.”In the narrowly divided House, every vote matters and a few dissenters could conceivably end the Democratic majority’s hopes for passing any proposal.With most of Biden’s domestic agenda at stake, it’s unimaginable that Pelosi, D-Calif., would allow an embarrassing defeat. That’s especially true because the package is stocked with priorities like child care, paid family leave and a Medicare expansion that are hard-fought party goals, and at a time with the president already under criticism over his handling of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.The $3.5 trillion budget resolution will set the stage this fall for setting further legislation directing money to be spent on the social safety net, environment and other programs over the next decade.That huge measure is at the heart of Biden’s vision for helping families and combating climate change and is progressives’ top priority, all of it largely financed with tax increases on the rich and big business.Progressives signaled early on they wanted the Biden budget priorities first before they agree to the smaller package, worried it would be an insufficient down-payment on his goals.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-bills-5e45e96c8396af38157dc292b20fc49e">But the moderates&nbsp;</a>want the opposite, insisting Congress quickly send the smaller, bipartisan infrastructure measure to Biden so he can sign it before the political winds shift. That would nail down a victory they could point to in their reelection campaigns next year.“The House can’t afford to wait months or do anything to risk passing” the infrastructure bill, Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., said late last week. He’s a leader of the nine moderate mavericks who each released statements reaffirming a desire that the infrastructure vote come first.So far, the White House has backed Pelosi as she led her party in a tightly scripted strategy that aims to keep moderate and progressive lawmakers on board.White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Monday underscored Biden’s support for Pelosi’s plans. Psaki deemed it a “healthy debate” within the party and said that it was “a high-class problem to have” as Democrats debate the particulars of the legislation.Republicans said the $3.5 trillion effort that Democrats are seeking to advance fails to address “the crisis that American families are facing” and would lead to higher inflation and deficits.“The inflation crisis, the border crisis, the energy crisis, the Afghanistan crisis — this budget only makes it worse,” said Rep. Jason Smith of Missouri, top Republican on the House Budget Committee.___

Showdown in the House: Biden's $3.5T budget plan in jeopardy

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon said Monday that it will require service members to receive the COVID-19 vaccine now that the Pfizer vaccine has received full approval.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is making good on his vow earlier this month to require the shots once the Food and Drug Administration approved the vaccine. He said guidance is being developed and a timeline will be provided in the coming days.

Austin’s decision reflects similar moves by governments and companies around the world, as nations struggle with the highly contagious delta variant that has sent U.S. cases surging to heights not seen since last winter. And hospitalizations and deaths are increasing among the military. Over the past month, the number of service member deaths jumped from 25 to 34 – more than a one third increase.

In a memo Aug. 9, Austin said he'd seek the president’s approval to make the vaccine mandatory no later than mid-September, or immediately upon FDA licensure “whichever comes first.” The Pentagon has said that the military has enough vaccines to meet the requirements.

Kirby said the steps Monday to make the vaccine mandatory are an effort to ensure the safety of service members. Concerns about the virus are especially acute in the military, where service members live and work closely together in barracks and on ships, increasing the risks of rapid spreading. Any large virus outbreak in the military could affect America’s ability to defend itself in any security crisis.

In a message to the force earlier this month, Gen. Mark Milley said medical professionals recommend the vaccine, and that getting the shot is key to maintaining a military that is prepared to defend the nation. At the bottom of his message, Milley scrawled a handwritten note: “Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is a key force protection and readiness issue.”

Members of the U.S. military are already required to get as many as 17 different vaccines, depending on where they are deployed. The requirements — which include shots for smallpox, hepatitis, polio and the regular flu — also provide for a number of temporary and permanent exemptions for either medical or administrative reasons.

Permanent exemptions include serious medical reactions to the vaccine, immune deficiencies such as HIV infection, and “evidence of existing immunity” by a serologic antibody test or “documentation of previous infection or natural infection presumed.”

There also are administrative exemptions, including one for religious reasons. The religious exemption is granted by the military services based on their policies and is a command decision based on consultation with medical personnel and the chaplain.

Troops may also get temporary exemptions for up to a year if they, for example, are pregnant, seriously ill, or if there is a lack of vaccine supply.

The regulations also note that any exemption may be reversed if a medical condition changes or if it is determined that “the risk of acquiring the disease is greater than the risk of vaccine exposure.”

An AP-NORC poll released Friday found that 56% of Americans are in favor of requiring members of the military to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, compared with 20% opposed.

As of Aug. 18, more than 1 million service members were fully vaccinated and nearly 245,000 more had received at least one shot, according to the Defense Department. Just over half of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated with one of the country’s three options, from Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson &amp; Johnson.

Kirby said the Pentagon decision is only for the Pfizer vaccine.

Moderna has also applied to the FDA for full approval of its vaccine. J&amp;J said it hopes to do so later this year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629738536951.png" alt="Pentagon Spokesman John Kirby said the steps Monday to make the vaccine mandatory are an effort to ensure the safety of service members. photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Pentagon Spokesman John Kirby said the steps Monday to make the vaccine mandatory are an effort to ensure the safety of service members. photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon said Monday that it will require service members to receive the COVID-19 vaccine now that the Pfizer vaccine has received full approval.Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is making good on his vow earlier this month to require the shots once the Food and Drug Administration approved the vaccine. He said guidance is being developed and a timeline will be provided in the coming days.Austin’s decision reflects similar moves by governments and companies around the world, as nations struggle with the highly contagious delta variant that has sent U.S. cases surging to heights not seen since last winter. And hospitalizations and deaths are increasing among the military. Over the past month, the number of service member deaths jumped from 25 to 34 – more than a one third increase.In a memo Aug. 9, Austin said he'd seek the president’s approval to make the vaccine mandatory no later than mid-September, or immediately upon FDA licensure “whichever comes first.” The Pentagon has said that the military has enough vaccines to meet the requirements.Kirby said the steps Monday to make the vaccine mandatory are an effort to ensure the safety of service members. Concerns about the virus are especially acute in the military, where service members live and work closely together in barracks and on ships, increasing the risks of rapid spreading. Any large virus outbreak in the military could affect America’s ability to defend itself in any security crisis.In a message to the force earlier this month, Gen. Mark Milley said medical professionals recommend the vaccine, and that getting the shot is key to maintaining a military that is prepared to defend the nation. At the bottom of his message, Milley scrawled a handwritten note: “Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is a key force protection and readiness issue.”Members of the U.S. military are already required to get as many as 17 different vaccines, depending on where they are deployed. The requirements — which include shots for smallpox, hepatitis, polio and the regular flu — also provide for a number of temporary and permanent exemptions for either medical or administrative reasons.Permanent exemptions include serious medical reactions to the vaccine, immune deficiencies such as HIV infection, and “evidence of existing immunity” by a serologic antibody test or “documentation of previous infection or natural infection presumed.”There also are administrative exemptions, including one for religious reasons. The religious exemption is granted by the military services based on their policies and is a command decision based on consultation with medical personnel and the chaplain.Troops may also get temporary exemptions for up to a year if they, for example, are pregnant, seriously ill, or if there is a lack of vaccine supply.The regulations also note that any exemption may be reversed if a medical condition changes or if it is determined that “the risk of acquiring the disease is greater than the risk of vaccine exposure.”An AP-NORC poll released Friday found that 56% of Americans are in favor of requiring members of the military to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, compared with 20% opposed.As of Aug. 18, more than 1 million service members were fully vaccinated and nearly 245,000 more had received at least one shot, according to the Defense Department. Just over half of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated with one of the country’s three options, from Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson &amp; Johnson.Kirby said the Pentagon decision is only for the Pfizer vaccine.Moderna has also applied to the FDA for full approval of its vaccine. J&amp;J said it hopes to do so later this year.

Pentagon mandates COVID vaccine for all service members

OMAHA&nbsp; — Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) have arrested multiple people following multiple pursuits Sunday evening.

At approximately 5:50 p.m. Sunday, a trooper observed a motorcycle driving recklessly on Interstate 680 near Dodge Street. The motorcycle was speeding, splitting between other vehicles, and passing on the shoulder. The trooper attempted a traffic stop, but the motorcycle fled. The trooper initiated a pursuit but discontinued the pursuit shortly thereafter as the NSP Aviation Support Division began tracking the motorcycle from the air.

NSP pilots tracked the motorcycle as it continued driving recklessly through portions of west Omaha until it came to an apartment complex near 129th&nbsp;and Q streets. Pilots directed patrol units to that location, where the rider then fled on foot. Troopers and Omaha Police Officers were able to apprehend the subject after a short foot pursuit. The rider, Lenn Farley, 32, of Papillion, was arrested for felony flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, and an outstanding warrant from Hall County. He was lodged in Douglas County Jail.

Later, at approximately 7:45 p.m. Sunday, a trooper located a vehicle that had previously fled a traffic stop with the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office. The trooper attempted a traffic stop in a parking lot near the 84th&nbsp;Street interchange of Interstate 80. The vehicle, a Chevrolet Malibu, refused to stop and fled westbound on Interstate 80. The trooper initiated a pursuit.

The vehicle turned northbound onto Interstate 680, then westbound on West Center Road. Near 119th&nbsp;and Center, the trooper was able to successfully perform a tactical vehicle intervention to bring the vehicle to a stop. The driver was then taken into custody without incident. Troopers then discovered four children in the vehicle as well. No injuries were reported. The driver then provided false identifying information to the troopers.

The driver, Tiara Cook, 32, of Omaha, was arrested for felony flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, child abuse/neglect, no operator’s license, and false reporting. Cook was lodged in Douglas County Jail. The children were placed with family.

OMAHA&nbsp; — Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) have arrested multiple people following multiple pursuits Sunday evening.At approximately 5:50 p.m. Sunday, a trooper observed a motorcycle driving recklessly on Interstate 680 near Dodge Street. The motorcycle was speeding, splitting between other vehicles, and passing on the shoulder. The trooper attempted a traffic stop, but the motorcycle fled. The trooper initiated a pursuit but discontinued the pursuit shortly thereafter as the NSP Aviation Support Division began tracking the motorcycle from the air.NSP pilots tracked the motorcycle as it continued driving recklessly through portions of west Omaha until it came to an apartment complex near 129th&nbsp;and Q streets. Pilots directed patrol units to that location, where the rider then fled on foot. Troopers and Omaha Police Officers were able to apprehend the subject after a short foot pursuit. The rider, Lenn Farley, 32, of Papillion, was arrested for felony flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, and an outstanding warrant from Hall County. He was lodged in Douglas County Jail.Later, at approximately 7:45 p.m. Sunday, a trooper located a vehicle that had previously fled a traffic stop with the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office. The trooper attempted a traffic stop in a parking lot near the 84th&nbsp;Street interchange of Interstate 80. The vehicle, a Chevrolet Malibu, refused to stop and fled westbound on Interstate 80. The trooper initiated a pursuit.The vehicle turned northbound onto Interstate 680, then westbound on West Center Road. Near 119th&nbsp;and Center, the trooper was able to successfully perform a tactical vehicle intervention to bring the vehicle to a stop. The driver was then taken into custody without incident. Troopers then discovered four children in the vehicle as well. No injuries were reported. The driver then provided false identifying information to the troopers.The driver, Tiara Cook, 32, of Omaha, was arrested for felony flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, child abuse/neglect, no operator’s license, and false reporting. Cook was lodged in Douglas County Jail. The children were placed with family.

Pursuits lead to multiple arrests sunday in Omaha

News Release Federal Bureau of Investigation

Nicole Poole Franklin, age 43, of Des Moines, was sentenced to 304 months in prison by United States District Court Judge Stephanie M. Rose after pleading guilty to two hate crime charges for attempting to kill two minors because of their race and national origin. The federal sentence will run concurrently with the 25-year sentence imposed in the Iowa District Court for Polk County on May 28, 2021, for two counts of attempted murder. Poole Franklin was ordered to serve five years of supervised release to follow her prison term and pay a $200 special assessment to the Crime Victims’ Fund.

On the afternoon of December 9, 2019, Poole Franklin drove her Jeep Grand Cherokee on Creston Avenue in Des Moines, where the first child-victim and a minor family member were walking on the sidewalk. Upon seeing the children and believing the victim was of Middle Eastern or African descent, Poole Franklin intentionally drove her vehicle over the curb, striking one of them. She then drove away from the scene. The child victim suffered cuts, bruising, and swelling. Poole Franklin later stated she believed the child was “ISIS” and was going to take her out. Approximately 30 minutes later, Poole Franklin drove her vehicle near Indian Hills Junior High School in Clive, where the second child-victim was walking on the sidewalk. Poole Franklin drove her Jeep over the curb and struck the victim, causing serious injury, including a concussion, bruises, and cuts. Poole Franklin later told law enforcement that she believed the minor victim was Hispanic and was “takin over . . . our homes, and our jobs,” and “wasn’t supposed to be in our country.” Poole Franklin again left the scene but was apprehended by law enforcement later that day.

Acting Southern District of Iowa United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal wrote in his sentencing memorandum to the district court, “Nothing can be more devastating to the American dream of equal rights than the actions of Poole Franklin on a hate filled December 9, 2019, as she callously attempted to run over and kill a 12 year old boy, and a 14 year old girl. Two minors who had done nothing wrong other than innocently walk on a street, and happen to be of a different race and skin color from Poole Franklin. Her actions temporarily shattered, but did not permanently defeat this dream. Because these two courageous victims, and their amazing families, continue to epitomize the hopes of what our society can be. Holding Poole Franklin accountable, not only for her intentional actions, but for the malicious beliefs behind them, is what our justice system should be, and a must to provide just punishment, afford adequate deterrence, and protect the public from further crimes by this defendant.”

Following today’s sentencing, FBI Omaha Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel stated, “Nicole Poole Franklin committed a despicable crime. She targeted and seriously injured two children because of the color of their skin. FBI Omaha will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to investigate hate crimes and seek justice for the victims. We encourage everyone to report such crimes to the FBI.”

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Des Moines Police Department, the Clive Police Department, the West Des Moines Police Department, and the Polk County Attorney’s Office. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa, in conjunction with the Department of Justice-Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case.

News Release Federal Bureau of InvestigationNicole Poole Franklin, age 43, of Des Moines, was sentenced to 304 months in prison by United States District Court Judge Stephanie M. Rose after pleading guilty to two hate crime charges for attempting to kill two minors because of their race and national origin. The federal sentence will run concurrently with the 25-year sentence imposed in the Iowa District Court for Polk County on May 28, 2021, for two counts of attempted murder. Poole Franklin was ordered to serve five years of supervised release to follow her prison term and pay a $200 special assessment to the Crime Victims’ Fund.On the afternoon of December 9, 2019, Poole Franklin drove her Jeep Grand Cherokee on Creston Avenue in Des Moines, where the first child-victim and a minor family member were walking on the sidewalk. Upon seeing the children and believing the victim was of Middle Eastern or African descent, Poole Franklin intentionally drove her vehicle over the curb, striking one of them. She then drove away from the scene. The child victim suffered cuts, bruising, and swelling. Poole Franklin later stated she believed the child was “ISIS” and was going to take her out. Approximately 30 minutes later, Poole Franklin drove her vehicle near Indian Hills Junior High School in Clive, where the second child-victim was walking on the sidewalk. Poole Franklin drove her Jeep over the curb and struck the victim, causing serious injury, including a concussion, bruises, and cuts. Poole Franklin later told law enforcement that she believed the minor victim was Hispanic and was “takin over . . . our homes, and our jobs,” and “wasn’t supposed to be in our country.” Poole Franklin again left the scene but was apprehended by law enforcement later that day.Acting Southern District of Iowa United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal wrote in his sentencing memorandum to the district court, “Nothing can be more devastating to the American dream of equal rights than the actions of Poole Franklin on a hate filled December 9, 2019, as she callously attempted to run over and kill a 12 year old boy, and a 14 year old girl. Two minors who had done nothing wrong other than innocently walk on a street, and happen to be of a different race and skin color from Poole Franklin. Her actions temporarily shattered, but did not permanently defeat this dream. Because these two courageous victims, and their amazing families, continue to epitomize the hopes of what our society can be. Holding Poole Franklin accountable, not only for her intentional actions, but for the malicious beliefs behind them, is what our justice system should be, and a must to provide just punishment, afford adequate deterrence, and protect the public from further crimes by this defendant.”Following today’s sentencing, FBI Omaha Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel stated, “Nicole Poole Franklin committed a despicable crime. She targeted and seriously injured two children because of the color of their skin. FBI Omaha will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to investigate hate crimes and seek justice for the victims. We encourage everyone to report such crimes to the FBI.”This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Des Moines Police Department, the Clive Police Department, the West Des Moines Police Department, and the Polk County Attorney’s Office. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa, in conjunction with the Department of Justice-Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case.

Iowa woman sentenced to over 25 years for hate crimes

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. gave full approval to Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine on Monday, a milestone that may help lift public confidence in the shots as the nation battles the most contagious coronavirus mutant yet.

The vaccine made by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech now carries the strongest endorsement from the Food and Drug Administration, which has never before had so much evidence to judge a shot’s safety. More than 200 million Pfizer doses already have been administered in the U.S. — and hundreds of millions more worldwide — since emergency use began in December.

“The public can be very confident that this vaccine meets the high standards for safety, effectiveness and manufacturing quality the FDA requires of an approved product,” said acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock. “Today’s milestone puts us one step closer to altering the course of this pandemic in the U.S.”

The U.S. becomes the first country to fully approve the shot, according to Pfizer, and CEO Albert Bourla said in a statement he hoped the decision “will help increase confidence in our vaccine, as vaccination remains the best tool we have to help protect lives.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. gave full approval to Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine on Monday, a milestone that may help lift public confidence in the shots as the nation battles the most contagious coronavirus mutant yet.The vaccine made by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech now carries the strongest endorsement from the Food and Drug Administration, which has never before had so much evidence to judge a shot’s safety. More than 200 million Pfizer doses already have been administered in the U.S. — and hundreds of millions more worldwide — since emergency use began in December.“The public can be very confident that this vaccine meets the high standards for safety, effectiveness and manufacturing quality the FDA requires of an approved product,” said acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock. “Today’s milestone puts us one step closer to altering the course of this pandemic in the U.S.”The U.S. becomes the first country to fully approve the shot, according to Pfizer, and CEO Albert Bourla said in a statement he hoped the decision “will help increase confidence in our vaccine, as vaccination remains the best tool we have to help protect lives.”

FDA gives full approval to Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A rock band has canceled an Iowa concert because of the state's so-called vaccine passport ban. 

The Des Moines Register reports the band Spoon nixed its Sept. 9 show.

 The band posted on Instagram that it wanted Des Moines' Hoyt Sherman Place to require concertgoers to show proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID-19 test. 

But a new Iowa law bans businesses from requiring proof of vaccination.

 Spoon instead will pay a show at Omaha, Nebraska’s Slowdown music hall.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A rock band has canceled an Iowa concert because of the state's so-called vaccine passport ban. The Des Moines Register reports the band Spoon nixed its Sept. 9 show. The band posted on Instagram that it wanted Des Moines' Hoyt Sherman Place to require concertgoers to show proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID-19 test. But a new Iowa law bans businesses from requiring proof of vaccination. Spoon instead will pay a show at Omaha, Nebraska’s Slowdown music hall.

Rock band cancels concert over Iowa's vaccine passport ban

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police are investigating the shooting death of a person near north Omaha.

 Police say the shooting happened Sunday evening when they were called to 83rd and Miami streets. 

Arriving officers found a man outside a home with gunshot wounds.

 Police later identified the victim as 29-year-old Jamie Nau of Omaha and say he died at the scene. 

Police have said they're looking for a person of interest in the shooting but had not announced any arrests by Monday morning.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police are investigating the shooting death of a person near north Omaha. Police say the shooting happened Sunday evening when they were called to 83rd and Miami streets. Arriving officers found a man outside a home with gunshot wounds. Police later identified the victim as 29-year-old Jamie Nau of Omaha and say he died at the scene. Police have said they're looking for a person of interest in the shooting but had not announced any arrests by Monday morning.