KANSAS CITY (AP) — As the delta variant of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">coronavirus</a>&nbsp;sweeps across the United States, a growing number of colleges and universities are requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination for students to attend in-person classes. But the new mandate has opened the door for those opposed to getting the vaccine to cheat the system, according to interviews with students, education and law enforcement officials.

Both faculty and students at dozens of schools interviewed by The Associated Press say they are concerned about how easy it is to get fake vaccine cards.

Across the internet, a cottage industry has sprung up to accommodate people who say they won’t get vaccinated for either personal or religious reasons.

An Instagram account with the username “vaccinationcards” sells laminated COVID-19 vaccination cards for $25 each. A user on the encrypted messaging app, Telegram, offers “COVID-19 Vaccine Cards Certificates,” for as much as $200 apiece.

An increasing number of inquiries to these sites and similar ones appear to be from those who are trying to get fake vaccination cards for college.

A Reddit user commented on a thread about falsifying COVID-19 vaccination cards, saying, in part, “I need one, too, for college. I refuse to be a guinea pig.”

On Twitter, one user with more than 70,000 followers tweeted, “My daughter bought 2 fake ID’s online for $50 while in college. Shipped from China. Anyone have the link for vaccine cards?”

According to a tally by The Chronicle of Higher Education, at least 675 colleges and universities now require proof of COVID-19 inoculations. The process to confirm vaccination at many schools can be as simple as uploading a picture of the vaccine card to the student’s portal.

In Nashville, Vanderbilt University places a hold on a student’s course registration until their vaccine record has been verified unless they have an approved medical accommodation or religious exemption.

The University of Michigan says it has a system in place to confirm employee and student vaccinations. A spokesman for the college told the AP the school has not encountered any problems so far with students forging their COVID-19 vaccination record cards.

But Benjamin Mason Meier, a global health policy professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, questions how institutions can verify those records.

“The United States, unlike most countries which have electronic systems in place, is basing its vaccination on a flimsy paper card,” he said.

Meier tweeted last week that he spoke with several students who were worried about the accessibility of fraudulent vaccine cards and that they knew a fellow student who had submitted one to the university.

“There need to be policies in place for accountability to make sure that every student is operating in the collective interest of the entire campus,” he said.

In a statement to the AP, UNC said it conducts periodic verification of documents and that lying about vaccination status or falsifying documents is a violation of the university’s COVID-19 community standards and may result in disciplinary action.

“It’s important to note that UNC-Chapel Hill has not found any instances of a student uploading a fake vaccine card. Those claims are simply hearsay at this point,” the school said.

But other university staff and faculty have expressed their concern over the alleged forgery of vaccine cards. Rebecca Williams, a research associate at UNC’s Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, said while she is concerned by these claims, she isn’t surprised.

“This is why I think the development of a reliable national digital vaccine passport app is very important for the sake of all the organizations and businesses that want to require proof of vaccination for employees, students, or business patrons,” Williams said.

The AP spoke with several students across the country who did not want to be identified but said they were aware of attempts to obtain fake cards.

Some school officials acknowledge that a foolproof system is impossible.

“As with anything that potentially requires a certification, there is the possibility for an individual to falsify documentation,” said Michael Uhlenkamp, a spokesman for the chancellor’s office at California State University. The school system, which is the largest in the nation, oversees about 486,000 students each year on 23 campuses.

Dr. Sarah Van Orman, the chief health officer at the University of Southern California and COVID-19 task force member for the American College Health Association, said college campuses are especially challenging environments to control the spread of COVID-19 since tens of thousands of students move into campus from all over the world. But even if students falsify their vaccination status, it may have limited impact, she said.

“I think that the numbers of students who would do that would be so very small that it wouldn’t affect our kind of ability to get good community immunity,” Orman said.

In March, the concern over fake COVID-19 vaccination cards prompted the FBI to issue a joint statement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services urging people not to buy, create or sell fabricated vaccine cards.

The unauthorized use of the seal of an official government agency such as HHS or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is a federal crime that carries a possible fine and a maximum of five years in prison.

In April, a bipartisan coalition of 47 state attorneys general sent a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.naag.org/press-releases/bipartisan-coalition-of-attorneys-general-fight-unlawful-sales-of-fake-covid-19-vaccination-cards/" target="_blank">letter&nbsp;</a>to the CEOs of Twitter, Shopify and eBay to take down ads or links selling the bogus cards.

Many of the sites have blacklisted keywords related to fake cards, but places to buy the documents are still popping up on messaging apps, chat forums and the dark web.

Sellers on websites such as Counterfeit Center, Jimmy Black Market, and Buy Express Documents list COVID-19 vaccine cards, certificates and passports for sale, some costing €400 Euros or about $473.49.

An advertisement on the website Buy Real Fake Passport reads vendors can produce fake vaccination cards by the thousands, if not tens of thousands, based on the demand.

“It is hiding under our noses. If you want it, you can find it out,” said Saoud Khalifah, founder and CEO of scam-detecting software Fakespot. “If we are seeing signs where things like Lollapalooza and other festivals are getting fake cards to gain entrance, the trend is just going to continue into these universities.”

In July, the U.S. Department of Justice announced its first federal criminal fraud&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/woman-arrested-fake-covid-19-immunization-and-vaccination-card-scheme" target="_blank">prosecution</a>&nbsp;involving a fake COVID-19 immunization and vaccination card scheme. Juli A. Mazi, 41, a naturopathic physician in Napa, California, was arrested and charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of false statements related to health care matters.

Court documents allege she sold fake vaccination cards to customers that appeared to show that they had received Moderna vaccines. In some cases, the documents show Mazi herself filled out the cards, writing her own name, and purported Moderna “lot numbers” for a vaccine she had not in fact administered. For other customers, she provided blank CDC COVID-19 vaccination record cards and told each customer to write that she had administered a Moderna vaccine with a specified lot number.

Requiring vaccinations to attend class at colleges and universities has become a contentious political issue in some states. Public colleges in at least 13 states including Ohio, Utah, Tennessee and Florida cannot legally require COVID-19 vaccinations due to state legislation, but private institutions in those same states can.

Among the states introducing and passing bills barring educational institutions from mandating COVID-19 vaccines, infringement on individual rights or liberties is often cited as the main concern.

But according to a statement released by the American College Health Association and other educational organizations, these restrictions impede on universities’ abilities to operate fully and safely.

“The science of good public health has gotten lost in some of the decisions that have been made in some places,” Orman said. “It has not always been held up by our political leaders.”

Some college students have taken to social media platforms like Twitter and TikTok to voice their outrage over other students possessing fraudulent vaccine cards.

Maliha Reza, an electrical engineering student at Pennsylvania State University, said it is mind-boggling that students would pay for fake vaccination cards when they could get the COVID-19 vaccine at no cost.

“I’m angry about that, like there is more anger than I could describe right now,” Reza said. “It’s dumb considering the vaccine is free and it is accessible across the country.”

KANSAS CITY (AP) — As the delta variant of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">coronavirus</a>&nbsp;sweeps across the United States, a growing number of colleges and universities are requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination for students to attend in-person classes. But the new mandate has opened the door for those opposed to getting the vaccine to cheat the system, according to interviews with students, education and law enforcement officials.Both faculty and students at dozens of schools interviewed by The Associated Press say they are concerned about how easy it is to get fake vaccine cards.Across the internet, a cottage industry has sprung up to accommodate people who say they won’t get vaccinated for either personal or religious reasons.An Instagram account with the username “vaccinationcards” sells laminated COVID-19 vaccination cards for $25 each. A user on the encrypted messaging app, Telegram, offers “COVID-19 Vaccine Cards Certificates,” for as much as $200 apiece.An increasing number of inquiries to these sites and similar ones appear to be from those who are trying to get fake vaccination cards for college.A Reddit user commented on a thread about falsifying COVID-19 vaccination cards, saying, in part, “I need one, too, for college. I refuse to be a guinea pig.”On Twitter, one user with more than 70,000 followers tweeted, “My daughter bought 2 fake ID’s online for $50 while in college. Shipped from China. Anyone have the link for vaccine cards?”According to a tally by The Chronicle of Higher Education, at least 675 colleges and universities now require proof of COVID-19 inoculations. The process to confirm vaccination at many schools can be as simple as uploading a picture of the vaccine card to the student’s portal.In Nashville, Vanderbilt University places a hold on a student’s course registration until their vaccine record has been verified unless they have an approved medical accommodation or religious exemption.The University of Michigan says it has a system in place to confirm employee and student vaccinations. A spokesman for the college told the AP the school has not encountered any problems so far with students forging their COVID-19 vaccination record cards.But Benjamin Mason Meier, a global health policy professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, questions how institutions can verify those records.“The United States, unlike most countries which have electronic systems in place, is basing its vaccination on a flimsy paper card,” he said.Meier tweeted last week that he spoke with several students who were worried about the accessibility of fraudulent vaccine cards and that they knew a fellow student who had submitted one to the university.“There need to be policies in place for accountability to make sure that every student is operating in the collective interest of the entire campus,” he said.In a statement to the AP, UNC said it conducts periodic verification of documents and that lying about vaccination status or falsifying documents is a violation of the university’s COVID-19 community standards and may result in disciplinary action.“It’s important to note that UNC-Chapel Hill has not found any instances of a student uploading a fake vaccine card. Those claims are simply hearsay at this point,” the school said.But other university staff and faculty have expressed their concern over the alleged forgery of vaccine cards. Rebecca Williams, a research associate at UNC’s Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, said while she is concerned by these claims, she isn’t surprised.“This is why I think the development of a reliable national digital vaccine passport app is very important for the sake of all the organizations and businesses that want to require proof of vaccination for employees, students, or business patrons,” Williams said.The AP spoke with several students across the country who did not want to be identified but said they were aware of attempts to obtain fake cards.Some school officials acknowledge that a foolproof system is impossible.“As with anything that potentially requires a certification, there is the possibility for an individual to falsify documentation,” said Michael Uhlenkamp, a spokesman for the chancellor’s office at California State University. The school system, which is the largest in the nation, oversees about 486,000 students each year on 23 campuses.Dr. Sarah Van Orman, the chief health officer at the University of Southern California and COVID-19 task force member for the American College Health Association, said college campuses are especially challenging environments to control the spread of COVID-19 since tens of thousands of students move into campus from all over the world. But even if students falsify their vaccination status, it may have limited impact, she said.“I think that the numbers of students who would do that would be so very small that it wouldn’t affect our kind of ability to get good community immunity,” Orman said.In March, the concern over fake COVID-19 vaccination cards prompted the FBI to issue a joint statement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services urging people not to buy, create or sell fabricated vaccine cards.The unauthorized use of the seal of an official government agency such as HHS or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is a federal crime that carries a possible fine and a maximum of five years in prison.In April, a bipartisan coalition of 47 state attorneys general sent a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.naag.org/press-releases/bipartisan-coalition-of-attorneys-general-fight-unlawful-sales-of-fake-covid-19-vaccination-cards/" target="_blank">letter&nbsp;</a>to the CEOs of Twitter, Shopify and eBay to take down ads or links selling the bogus cards.Many of the sites have blacklisted keywords related to fake cards, but places to buy the documents are still popping up on messaging apps, chat forums and the dark web.Sellers on websites such as Counterfeit Center, Jimmy Black Market, and Buy Express Documents list COVID-19 vaccine cards, certificates and passports for sale, some costing €400 Euros or about $473.49.An advertisement on the website Buy Real Fake Passport reads vendors can produce fake vaccination cards by the thousands, if not tens of thousands, based on the demand.“It is hiding under our noses. If you want it, you can find it out,” said Saoud Khalifah, founder and CEO of scam-detecting software Fakespot. “If we are seeing signs where things like Lollapalooza and other festivals are getting fake cards to gain entrance, the trend is just going to continue into these universities.”In July, the U.S. Department of Justice announced its first federal criminal fraud&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/woman-arrested-fake-covid-19-immunization-and-vaccination-card-scheme" target="_blank">prosecution</a>&nbsp;involving a fake COVID-19 immunization and vaccination card scheme. Juli A. Mazi, 41, a naturopathic physician in Napa, California, was arrested and charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of false statements related to health care matters.Court documents allege she sold fake vaccination cards to customers that appeared to show that they had received Moderna vaccines. In some cases, the documents show Mazi herself filled out the cards, writing her own name, and purported Moderna “lot numbers” for a vaccine she had not in fact administered. For other customers, she provided blank CDC COVID-19 vaccination record cards and told each customer to write that she had administered a Moderna vaccine with a specified lot number.Requiring vaccinations to attend class at colleges and universities has become a contentious political issue in some states. Public colleges in at least 13 states including Ohio, Utah, Tennessee and Florida cannot legally require COVID-19 vaccinations due to state legislation, but private institutions in those same states can.Among the states introducing and passing bills barring educational institutions from mandating COVID-19 vaccines, infringement on individual rights or liberties is often cited as the main concern.But according to a statement released by the American College Health Association and other educational organizations, these restrictions impede on universities’ abilities to operate fully and safely.“The science of good public health has gotten lost in some of the decisions that have been made in some places,” Orman said. “It has not always been held up by our political leaders.”Some college students have taken to social media platforms like Twitter and TikTok to voice their outrage over other students possessing fraudulent vaccine cards.Maliha Reza, an electrical engineering student at Pennsylvania State University, said it is mind-boggling that students would pay for fake vaccination cards when they could get the COVID-19 vaccine at no cost.“I’m angry about that, like there is more anger than I could describe right now,” Reza said. “It’s dumb considering the vaccine is free and it is accessible across the country.”___

College officials worry about fake COVID vaccination cards 

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The city of Omaha is expected to apply for federal disaster aid following intense flash flooding over the weekend that collapsed some sewers and sent floodwaters into businesses and homes.

 The Omaha World-Herald reports that city officials have been tracking growing expenses from the storm damage and expect to meet the threshold to apply for federal aid.

 Officials have not yet released other details about the expected disaster declaration. 

The storm that dropped torrential rains on the city and surrounding communities Saturday night was second this summer to prompt the pursuit of federal disaster aid money. 

In July, a hurricane-force windstorm knocked out power to 188,000 Omaha Public Power District customers.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The city of Omaha is expected to apply for federal disaster aid following intense flash flooding over the weekend that collapsed some sewers and sent floodwaters into businesses and homes. The Omaha World-Herald reports that city officials have been tracking growing expenses from the storm damage and expect to meet the threshold to apply for federal aid. Officials have not yet released other details about the expected disaster declaration. The storm that dropped torrential rains on the city and surrounding communities Saturday night was second this summer to prompt the pursuit of federal disaster aid money. In July, a hurricane-force windstorm knocked out power to 188,000 Omaha Public Power District customers.

Omaha to apply for federal disaster aid after flooding

ARKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Sheriff's officials along the southeastern border of Kansas say a 2-year-old there has died, likely from excessive heat. 

The Cowley County Sheriff's Office says deputies and medics were called just after 6 p.m. Tuesday to a home in the southern part of the county for reports of an unresponsive child. 

First responders could not revive the child. Sheriff David Falletti says early indications show the toddler died due to heat. Officials have not released details of how the child or where the child was found, but Falletti says no foul play is suspected. 

Most of Kansas has been under a heat advisory this week, and the heat index in Cowley County on Tuesday reached as high as 108 degrees.

ARKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Sheriff's officials along the southeastern border of Kansas say a 2-year-old there has died, likely from excessive heat. The Cowley County Sheriff's Office says deputies and medics were called just after 6 p.m. Tuesday to a home in the southern part of the county for reports of an unresponsive child. First responders could not revive the child. Sheriff David Falletti says early indications show the toddler died due to heat. Officials have not released details of how the child or where the child was found, but Falletti says no foul play is suspected. Most of Kansas has been under a heat advisory this week, and the heat index in Cowley County on Tuesday reached as high as 108 degrees.

Sheriff: Kansas toddler likely died from excessive heat

JUNIATA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a Nebraska state trooper has been wounded and a suspect killed in an early-morning shootout with police.

 The Nebraska State Patrol says a woman called 911 Tuesday night to report a man firing a gun outside a home in Juniata, a village of about 800. 

Troopers and Adams County sheriff's deputies surrounded the south-central Nebraska home and tried negotiating with the man, but repeatedly came under fire.

 The patrol says around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday a trooper was shot in the arm. 

The patrol says when the suspect later came out of the home holding a gun, he was fatally shot by a patrol SWAT team member. 

The trooper was treated at a hospital and released.

JUNIATA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a Nebraska state trooper has been wounded and a suspect killed in an early-morning shootout with police. The Nebraska State Patrol says a woman called 911 Tuesday night to report a man firing a gun outside a home in Juniata, a village of about 800. Troopers and Adams County sheriff's deputies surrounded the south-central Nebraska home and tried negotiating with the man, but repeatedly came under fire. The patrol says around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday a trooper was shot in the arm. The patrol says when the suspect later came out of the home holding a gun, he was fatally shot by a patrol SWAT team member. The trooper was treated at a hospital and released.

Nebraska trooper wounded, man killed in overnight shootout

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska's largest public school district will require students to wear masks indoors when they return to classrooms next week. 

The Omaha Public Schools board voted 8-1 Monday to require all people to wear masks indoors at school, effective Tuesday. 

The Omaha World-Herald reports that the resolution made note of recent guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommending universal masking for all teachers staff, students and visitors to K-12 schools in an effort to fight the growing spread of COVID-19 cases. 

The Omaha district joins a growing number of Nebraska school districts requiring face mask when school starts this fall.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska's largest public school district will require students to wear masks indoors when they return to classrooms next week. The Omaha Public Schools board voted 8-1 Monday to require all people to wear masks indoors at school, effective Tuesday. The Omaha World-Herald reports that the resolution made note of recent guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommending universal masking for all teachers staff, students and visitors to K-12 schools in an effort to fight the growing spread of COVID-19 cases. The Omaha district joins a growing number of Nebraska school districts requiring face mask when school starts this fall.

Omaha Public Schools to require masks when classes start

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats pushed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-democrats-budget-joe-biden-02eb40af7efea63708a8f439c039b5a0">$3.5 trillion framework</a>&nbsp;for bolstering family services, health, and environment programs through the Senate early Wednesday, advancing President Joe Biden’s expansive vision for reshaping federal priorities just hours after handing him a companion triumph on a hefty&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-bills-38b84f0e9fcc8e68646eedf6608c4c70">infrastructure package</a>.

Lawmakers approved Democrats’ budget resolution on a party-line 50-49 vote, a crucial step for a president and party set on training the government’s fiscal might on assisting families, creating jobs and fighting climate change. Higher taxes on the wealthy and corporations would pay for much of it. Passage came despite an avalanche of Republican amendments intended to make their rivals pay a price in next year’s elections for control of Congress.

House leaders announced their chamber will return from summer recess in two weeks to vote on the fiscal blueprint, which contemplates disbursing the $3.5 trillion over the next decade. Final congressional approval, which seems certain, would protect a subsequent bill actually enacting the outline’s detailed spending and tax changes from a Republican filibuster in the 50-50 Senate, delays that would otherwise kill it.

Even so, passing that follow-up legislation will be dicey with party moderates wary of the massive $3.5 trillion price tag vying with progressives demanding aggressive action. The party controls the House with just three votes to spare, while the evenly divided Senate is theirs only due to Vice President Kamala Harris tie-breaking vote. Solid GOP opposition seems guaranteed.

Senate Budget Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., once a progressive voice in Congress’ wilderness and now a national figure wielding legislative clout, said the measure would help children, families, the elderly and working people — and more.

“It will also, I hope, restore the faith of the American people in the belief that we can have a government that works for all of us, and not just the few,” he said.

Republicans argued that Democrats’ proposals would waste money, raise economy-wounding taxes, fuel inflation and codify far-left dictates that would harm Americans. They were happy to use Sanders, a self-avowed democratic socialist, to try tarring all Democrats backing the measure.

If Biden and Senate Democrats want to “outsource domestic policy to Chairman Sanders” with a “historically reckless taxing and spending spree,” Republicans lack the votes to stop them, conceded Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. “But we will debate. We will vote.”

The Senate turned to the budget hours after it approved&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-infrastructure-bill-politics-joe-biden-a431f8c9f3f113b661cb3526512fc4e0">the other big chunk of Biden’s objectives,&nbsp;</a>a compromise $1 trillion bundle of transportation, water, broadband and other infrastructure projects. That measure, passed 69-30 with McConnell among the 19 Republicans backing it, also needs House approval.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., assured progressives that Congress will pursue sweeping initiatives going beyond that infrastructure package.

“To my colleagues who are concerned that this does not do enough on climate, for families, and making corporations and the rich pay their fair share: We are moving on to a second track, which will make a generational transformation in these areas,” Schumer said.

Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., missed the budget votes to be with his ailing wife.

In a budget ritual, senators plunged into a “vote-a-rama,” a nonstop parade of messaging amendments that often becomes a painful all-night ordeal. This time, the Senate held more than 40 roll calls by the time it approved the measure at around 4 a.m. EDT, more than 14 hours after the procedural wretchedness began.

With the budget resolution largely advisory, the goal of most amendments was not to win but to force the other party’s vulnerable senators to cast troublesome votes that can be used against them in next year’s elections for congressional control.

Republicans crowed after Democrats opposed GOP amendments calling for the full-time reopening of pandemic-shuttered schools and boosting the Pentagon’s budget and retaining limits on federal income tax deductions for state and local levies. They were also happy when Democrats showed support for Biden’s now suspended ban on oil and gas leasing on federal lands, which Republicans said would prompt gasoline price increases.

One amendment may have boomeranged after the Senate voted 99-0 for a proposal by freshman Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., to curb federal funds for any municipalities that defund the police. That idea has been rejected by all but the most progressive Democrats, but Republicans have persistently accused them anyway of backing it.

In an animated, sardonic rejoinder, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., called Tuberville’s amendment “a gift” that would let Democrats “put to bed this scurrilous accusation that somebody in this great esteemed body would want to defund the police.” He said he wanted to “walk over there and hug my colleague.”

Republicans claimed two narrow victories with potential implications for future votes, with West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, one of the chamber’s more conservative Democrats, joining them on both nonbinding amendments.

One indicated support for health care providers who refuse to participate in abortions. The other voiced opposition to teaching critical race theory, which considers racism endemic to American institutions. There’s scant evidence that it’s part of public school curriculums.

The budget blueprint envisions creating new programs including tuition-free pre-kindergarten and community college, paid family leave and a Civilian Climate Corps whose workers would tackle environmental projects. Millions of immigrants in the U.S. illegally would have a new chance for citizenship, and there would be financial incentives for states to adopt more labor-friendly laws.

Medicare would add dental, hearing and vision benefits, and tax credits and grants would prod utilities and industries to embrace clean energy. Child tax credits beefed up for the pandemic would be extended, along with federal subsidies for health insurance.

Besides higher taxes on the wealthy and corporations, Democrats envision savings by letting the government negotiate prices for pharmaceuticals it buys, slapping taxes on imported carbon fuels and strengthening IRS tax collections. Democrats have said their policies will be fully paid for, but they’ll make no final decisions until this fall’s follow-up bill.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1628676753973.png" alt="Lawmakers approved Democrats’ budget resolution early Wednesday on a party-line 50-49 vote -photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Lawmakers approved Democrats’ budget resolution early Wednesday on a party-line 50-49 vote -photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats pushed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-democrats-budget-joe-biden-02eb40af7efea63708a8f439c039b5a0">$3.5 trillion framework</a>&nbsp;for bolstering family services, health, and environment programs through the Senate early Wednesday, advancing President Joe Biden’s expansive vision for reshaping federal priorities just hours after handing him a companion triumph on a hefty&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-bills-38b84f0e9fcc8e68646eedf6608c4c70">infrastructure package</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Bernie is once again asking for your financial support…to pay for the Democrats&#39; $3.5 trillion reckless tax-and-spending spree. <a href="https://t.co/2V66m9JhpW">pic.twitter.com/2V66m9JhpW</a>&mdash; Senator Jerry Moran (@JerryMoran) <a href="https://twitter.com/JerryMoran/status/1425254176272048132?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Lawmakers approved Democrats’ budget resolution on a party-line 50-49 vote, a crucial step for a president and party set on training the government’s fiscal might on assisting families, creating jobs and fighting climate change. Higher taxes on the wealthy and corporations would pay for much of it. Passage came despite an avalanche of Republican amendments intended to make their rivals pay a price in next year’s elections for control of Congress.House leaders announced their chamber will return from summer recess in two weeks to vote on the fiscal blueprint, which contemplates disbursing the $3.5 trillion over the next decade. Final congressional approval, which seems certain, would protect a subsequent bill actually enacting the outline’s detailed spending and tax changes from a Republican filibuster in the 50-50 Senate, delays that would otherwise kill it.Even so, passing that follow-up legislation will be dicey with party moderates wary of the massive $3.5 trillion price tag vying with progressives demanding aggressive action. The party controls the House with just three votes to spare, while the evenly divided Senate is theirs only due to Vice President Kamala Harris tie-breaking vote. Solid GOP opposition seems guaranteed.Senate Budget Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., once a progressive voice in Congress’ wilderness and now a national figure wielding legislative clout, said the measure would help children, families, the elderly and working people — and more.“It will also, I hope, restore the faith of the American people in the belief that we can have a government that works for all of us, and not just the few,” he said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1628677347816.png" alt="Utah Republic Senator Mike Lee spoke ahead of the vote and attempted to show&nbsp; how the $3.5T bill would impact the economy-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Utah Republic Senator Mike Lee spoke ahead of the vote and attempted to show&nbsp; how the $3.5T bill would impact the economy-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>Republicans argued that Democrats’ proposals would waste money, raise economy-wounding taxes, fuel inflation and codify far-left dictates that would harm Americans. They were happy to use Sanders, a self-avowed democratic socialist, to try tarring all Democrats backing the measure.If Biden and Senate Democrats want to “outsource domestic policy to Chairman Sanders” with a “historically reckless taxing and spending spree,” Republicans lack the votes to stop them, conceded Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. “But we will debate. We will vote.”The Senate turned to the budget hours after it approved&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-infrastructure-bill-politics-joe-biden-a431f8c9f3f113b661cb3526512fc4e0">the other big chunk of Biden’s objectives,&nbsp;</a>a compromise $1 trillion bundle of transportation, water, broadband and other infrastructure projects. That measure, passed 69-30 with McConnell among the 19 Republicans backing it, also needs House approval.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., assured progressives that Congress will pursue sweeping initiatives going beyond that infrastructure package.“To my colleagues who are concerned that this does not do enough on climate, for families, and making corporations and the rich pay their fair share: We are moving on to a second track, which will make a generational transformation in these areas,” Schumer said.Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., missed the budget votes to be with his ailing wife.In a budget ritual, senators plunged into a “vote-a-rama,” a nonstop parade of messaging amendments that often becomes a painful all-night ordeal. This time, the Senate held more than 40 roll calls by the time it approved the measure at around 4 a.m. EDT, more than 14 hours after the procedural wretchedness began.With the budget resolution largely advisory, the goal of most amendments was not to win but to force the other party’s vulnerable senators to cast troublesome votes that can be used against them in next year’s elections for congressional control.Republicans crowed after Democrats opposed GOP amendments calling for the full-time reopening of pandemic-shuttered schools and boosting the Pentagon’s budget and retaining limits on federal income tax deductions for state and local levies. They were also happy when Democrats showed support for Biden’s now suspended ban on oil and gas leasing on federal lands, which Republicans said would prompt gasoline price increases.One amendment may have boomeranged after the Senate voted 99-0 for a proposal by freshman Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., to curb federal funds for any municipalities that defund the police. That idea has been rejected by all but the most progressive Democrats, but Republicans have persistently accused them anyway of backing it.In an animated, sardonic rejoinder, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., called Tuberville’s amendment “a gift” that would let Democrats “put to bed this scurrilous accusation that somebody in this great esteemed body would want to defund the police.” He said he wanted to “walk over there and hug my colleague.”Republicans claimed two narrow victories with potential implications for future votes, with West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, one of the chamber’s more conservative Democrats, joining them on both nonbinding amendments.One indicated support for health care providers who refuse to participate in abortions. The other voiced opposition to teaching critical race theory, which considers racism endemic to American institutions. There’s scant evidence that it’s part of public school curriculums.The budget blueprint envisions creating new programs including tuition-free pre-kindergarten and community college, paid family leave and a Civilian Climate Corps whose workers would tackle environmental projects. Millions of immigrants in the U.S. illegally would have a new chance for citizenship, and there would be financial incentives for states to adopt more labor-friendly laws.Medicare would add dental, hearing and vision benefits, and tax credits and grants would prod utilities and industries to embrace clean energy. Child tax credits beefed up for the pandemic would be extended, along with federal subsidies for health insurance.Besides higher taxes on the wealthy and corporations, Democrats envision savings by letting the government negotiate prices for pharmaceuticals it buys, slapping taxes on imported carbon fuels and strengthening IRS tax collections. Democrats have said their policies will be fully paid for, but they’ll make no final decisions until this fall’s follow-up bill.

By a 50-49 vote Senate OKs $3.5 Trillion budget plan

Funding aims to prevent fraud, promote equitable access, ensure timely benefits

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a series of actions to modernize and reform a cornerstone of our economic infrastructure, the unemployment insurance system.
 Over the last year alone, the unemployment insurance system has helped 
nearly 53 million workers stay afloat during a pandemic and economic 
crisis and put nearly $800 billion into the economy – staving off an 
even deeper recession. 

At the same time, this crisis only further exposed longstanding challenges in UI.
 While the core of these challenges will need to be addressed through 
comprehensive UI reform, the department will start with the $2 billion 
allocated as a part of the American Rescue Plan Act, aimed specifically 
at addressing the most acute challenges states have faced over the last 
year.

The <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/american-rescue-plan/" target="_blank">American Rescue Plan Act</a> provided $2 billion in funding to the department to prevent and detect fraud, promote equitable access, ensure timely payment of benefits and reduce backlogs.

“The pandemic underscored the need for 
modernization of the 53 different systems that administer unemployment 
insurance benefits in the United States, and it exposed significant 
vulnerabilities in state technology to criminals looking for an 
opportunity,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh. “The 
Biden-Harris administration and Congress provided the means to reform 
this critical safety net for future crises, and our department is 
committed to executing that mission in a way that leaves no community 
behind.” 

Administered by the department’s <a href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta">Employment and Training Administration</a>, ARPA
 Fraud Grants totaling $140 million will be awarded to states for fraud 
prevention measures, including identification verification subscription 
costs, establishing and expanding data analytics and implementing 
cybersecurity defense strategies.

Another $260 million in Equity Grants will be awarded to 
improve claimant outreach and customer service processes, implement 
strategies to reduce backlog and improve access for lower-income 
claimants. These first-of-their-kind grants will provide funding for 
states to improve public awareness and service delivery as the 
department seeks to address potential racial and ethnic disparities in 
the administration and delivery of UI benefits in some states. 

The department will also allocate $100 million in previously unobligated <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/748" target="_blank">CARES Act</a> funds to combat fraud and implement cybersecurity measures in the <a href="https://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?docn=4628">Pandemic Unemployment Assistance</a> and <a href="https://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=8452">Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation</a> programs beyond the expiration of benefits.

This administration is deeply concerned by the widespread
 inherited fraud in the UI system perpetrated by a new wave of criminal 
syndicates. Dealing with this issue has been a top priority for this 
Administration and the department has taken numerous steps to help 
detect and fight multi-state fraud and identity theft.&nbsp;One example of 
this is the improvements to data sharing that were a significant change 
in policy from the prior administration, whereby the department has 
provided the Inspector General direct access to UI data for the entirety
 of the pandemic relief period and made the continuation of such access a
 condition of the fraud grants.&nbsp; 

Funding from the ARPA will enable the department to 
tackle the most acute problems facing the unemployment insurance system 
in the short-term while also working to address long-term challenges by 
improving state processes and building a modern, modular information 
technology system that is accessible, safe and more resilient in the 
face of future surges in claims. 

The department today announced additional strategies in its comprehensive approach to improving the UI system. These include: 

This comprehensive plan will enable the department to 
establish a system that is efficient and scalable and meets its promise 
of providing benefits to protect workers who lose their jobs through no 
fault of their own and help better sustain the economy during future 
economic downturns. The Department of Labor is committed to 
strengthening the Unemployment Insurance system to ensure that it works 
for all workers, and to ensuring that unemployed workers have access to 
quality reemployment services that can help workers transition back into
 the labor market and into quality jobs.

<a href="https://oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/pdf/FactSheet_UImodernization.pdf">Read more on the UI Modernization plan.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1615920467817.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Funding aims to prevent fraud, promote equitable access, ensure timely benefits</h2>U.S. Department of LaborWASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a series of actions to modernize and reform a cornerstone of our economic infrastructure, the unemployment insurance system.
 Over the last year alone, the unemployment insurance system has helped 
nearly 53 million workers stay afloat during a pandemic and economic 
crisis and put nearly $800 billion into the economy – staving off an 
even deeper recession. At the same time, this crisis only further exposed longstanding challenges in UI.
 While the core of these challenges will need to be addressed through 
comprehensive UI reform, the department will start with the $2 billion 
allocated as a part of the American Rescue Plan Act, aimed specifically 
at addressing the most acute challenges states have faced over the last 
year.The <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/american-rescue-plan/" target="_blank">American Rescue Plan Act</a> provided $2 billion in funding to the department to prevent and detect fraud, promote equitable access, ensure timely payment of benefits and reduce backlogs. “The pandemic underscored the need for 
modernization of the 53 different systems that administer unemployment 
insurance benefits in the United States, and it exposed significant 
vulnerabilities in state technology to criminals looking for an 
opportunity,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh. “The 
Biden-Harris administration and Congress provided the means to reform 
this critical safety net for future crises, and our department is 
committed to executing that mission in a way that leaves no community 
behind.” Administered by the department’s <a href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta">Employment and Training Administration</a>, ARPA
 Fraud Grants totaling $140 million will be awarded to states for fraud 
prevention measures, including identification verification subscription 
costs, establishing and expanding data analytics and implementing 
cybersecurity defense strategies. Another $260 million in Equity Grants will be awarded to 
improve claimant outreach and customer service processes, implement 
strategies to reduce backlog and improve access for lower-income 
claimants. These first-of-their-kind grants will provide funding for 
states to improve public awareness and service delivery as the 
department seeks to address potential racial and ethnic disparities in 
the administration and delivery of UI benefits in some states. The department will also allocate $100 million in previously unobligated <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/748" target="_blank">CARES Act</a> funds to combat fraud and implement cybersecurity measures in the <a href="https://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?docn=4628">Pandemic Unemployment Assistance</a> and <a href="https://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=8452">Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation</a> programs beyond the expiration of benefits. This administration is deeply concerned by the widespread
 inherited fraud in the UI system perpetrated by a new wave of criminal 
syndicates. Dealing with this issue has been a top priority for this 
Administration and the department has taken numerous steps to help 
detect and fight multi-state fraud and identity theft.&nbsp;One example of 
this is the improvements to data sharing that were a significant change 
in policy from the prior administration, whereby the department has 
provided the Inspector General direct access to UI data for the entirety
 of the pandemic relief period and made the continuation of such access a
 condition of the fraud grants.&nbsp; Funding from the ARPA will enable the department to 
tackle the most acute problems facing the unemployment insurance system 
in the short-term while also working to address long-term challenges by 
improving state processes and building a modern, modular information 
technology system that is accessible, safe and more resilient in the 
face of future surges in claims. The department today announced additional strategies in its comprehensive approach to improving the UI system. These include: <ul>
 <li>Direct technical assistance through tiger teams.
 Multi-disciplinary tiger teams, composed of experts across many 
disciplines including fraud specialists, equity and customer service 
experience specialists, UI program specialists, behavioral insights 
specialists, business intelligence analysts, computer systems 
engineers/architects and project managers, will deploy to states to 
conduct intensive discovery assessments, provide resources for 
identification verification and propose solutions to address fraud and 
equitable access. </li><li>Tools to address immediate fraud concerns. Identity verification
 is a critical tool in paying unemployment benefits to eligible 
individuals. Yet too few states have the resources, expertise, and 
capacity needed to effectively work with vendors to address the 
wide-ranging attacks that the UI system has experienced from organized criminal enterprises. The
 department issued a blanket purchase agreement to work with three 
vendors to employ cross-matching technology to verify applicants’ 
identities at the time of filing for unemployment programs and tools to 
identify suspicious attributes after claims are filed. LexisNexis, 
TransUnion and V3Gate partnering with ID.Me are all compliant with the 
National Institute of Standards’ Identity Assurance Level 2 and 
Authenticator Assurance Level 2, and these vendors will work with states
 to: develop identification verification options that do not require 
computer access, offer customer service in claimants’ native languages 
and provide accessibility standards to serve the disability community. &nbsp;</li><li>Modernizing antiquated state technology. The
 pandemic has only underscored states’ desperate need for technological 
support and improvements. Many state systems are operating on outdated 
technology, which made it difficult for them to rapidly respond to 
changes in law and economic conditions. The department has 
partnered with the U.S. Digital Service to start the transformative 
project of centrally developing open, modular technology solutions that 
states may adopt as part of ongoing modernization and improvement 
efforts. Additional plans included shared IT solutions designed to 
integrate with state systems and provide software to support end-to-end 
administration of UI, including benefit delivery, employer tools and 
appeals and working with states’ IT staff to develop and implement plans
 that build resilience in UI systems across the country. </li>
 </ul>This comprehensive plan will enable the department to 
establish a system that is efficient and scalable and meets its promise 
of providing benefits to protect workers who lose their jobs through no 
fault of their own and help better sustain the economy during future 
economic downturns. The Department of Labor is committed to 
strengthening the Unemployment Insurance system to ensure that it works 
for all workers, and to ensuring that unemployed workers have access to 
quality reemployment services that can help workers transition back into
 the labor market and into quality jobs.<a href="https://oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/pdf/FactSheet_UImodernization.pdf">Read more on the UI Modernization plan.</a>

Labor Dept. announces funding to modernize unemployment system in states

LEAVENWORTH — A&nbsp; man remains in custody in Kansas in connection with the death of a 23-year-old woman in Omaha, Nebraska, after her body was found in a park in neighboring Council Bluffs, Iowa, according to the Leavenworth County Jail.

Ralph H. Bullard, 46, already was in the jail when they obtained an arrest warrant for him on possible charges that include second-degree murder and auto theft, according to Omaha Police.

Officials in both Nebraska and California are seeking to return Bullard to their states but released no additional details. Omaha police identified the victim of the homicide as Leah N. Verratti.

-The Associated Press contributed to this report

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1628607965448.png" alt="Bullard-photo Leavenworth County" />
 <figcaption>Bullard-photo Leavenworth County</figcaption>
 </figure>LEAVENWORTH — A&nbsp; man remains in custody in Kansas in connection with the death of a 23-year-old woman in Omaha, Nebraska, after her body was found in a park in neighboring Council Bluffs, Iowa, according to the Leavenworth County Jail.Ralph H. Bullard, 46, already was in the jail when they obtained an arrest warrant for him on possible charges that include second-degree murder and auto theft, according to Omaha Police.Officials in both Nebraska and California are seeking to return Bullard to their states but released no additional details. Omaha police identified the victim of the homicide as Leah N. Verratti.-The Associated Press contributed to this report

Man accused in Nebraska murder remains in Kansas jail

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Lincoln man who hit two women who were protesting racial injustice on Lincoln street last year has been sentenced to probation. 

The Lincoln Journal Star reports that 28-year-old Trever Kurtz was sentenced Tuesday to 18 months' probation and had his driver's license suspended for a year. 

He also received a $150 fine for a willful reckless driving charge. 

Kurtz pleaded no contest in April to two counts of misdemeanor assault.

 Police say Kurtz was driving his pickup truck on May 30, 2020, when he encountered protesters and hit a woman in the crowd, knocking her to the ground. 

As several protesters began to circle the truck, and he tried to drive around them, hitting a second woman in the process.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Lincoln man who hit two women who were protesting racial injustice on Lincoln street last year has been sentenced to probation. The Lincoln Journal Star reports that 28-year-old Trever Kurtz was sentenced Tuesday to 18 months' probation and had his driver's license suspended for a year. He also received a $150 fine for a willful reckless driving charge. Kurtz pleaded no contest in April to two counts of misdemeanor assault. Police say Kurtz was driving his pickup truck on May 30, 2020, when he encountered protesters and hit a woman in the crowd, knocking her to the ground. As several protesters began to circle the truck, and he tried to drive around them, hitting a second woman in the process.

Lincoln man gets probation for hitting 2 women with truck

PLATTSMOUTH, Neb. (AP) — A woman killed in a housefire near Plattsmouth, south of Omaha, over the weekend has been identified as the wife of an Omaha fire department captain. 

The Omaha World-Herald reports that  52-year-old Karen “Kari” Sidener was found unresponsive on the main floor of the burning home Sunday morning. 

Firefighters and paramedics attempted to revive Sidener, but were unsuccessful, and she was declared dead at the scene. 

The Omaha Fire Department later released a statement Monday identifying Sidener as the wife of OFD Captain Mark Sidener. 

The Nebraska State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire.

PLATTSMOUTH, Neb. (AP) — A woman killed in a housefire near Plattsmouth, south of Omaha, over the weekend has been identified as the wife of an Omaha fire department captain. The Omaha World-Herald reports that 52-year-old Karen “Kari” Sidener was found unresponsive on the main floor of the burning home Sunday morning. Firefighters and paramedics attempted to revive Sidener, but were unsuccessful, and she was declared dead at the scene. The Omaha Fire Department later released a statement Monday identifying Sidener as the wife of OFD Captain Mark Sidener. The Nebraska State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire.

Woman killed Plattsmouth house fire was wife of fire captain

NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/andrew-cuomo-sexual-harassment-pandemic-c435b9afd5d95032f941c2da48b9bb01">Gov. Andrew Cuomo</a>&nbsp;announced his resignation Tuesday over a barrage of sexual harassment allegations in a fall from grace a year after he was widely hailed nationally for his detailed daily briefings and leadership during some of the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/21033681-cuomo-sexual-harassment-report">CLICK here </a>to read the full sexual harassment report from the NY Attorney General

In a televised address, the 63-year-old Democrat emphatically denied intentionally showing any disrespect toward women but said that fighting back against what he called the “politically motivated” attack on him would subject the state to months of turmoil, and “I cannot be the cause of that.”

“The best way I can help now is if I step aside and let government get back to governing,” Cuomo said.

The three-term Democratic governor’s decision, which will take effect in two weeks, was announced as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cuomo-harassment-investigation-impeachment-26edc9cf16cd378cc3573ed85613e797">momentum built in the Legislature to remove him by impeachment</a>. It came after New York’s attorney general released the results of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/andrew-cuomo-investigation-sexual-harassment-04b0e7ba80db368124a5e9c9bcf4dc0d">an investigation that found Cuomo sexually harassed at least 11 women</a>.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cuomo-harassment-investigation-impeachment-26edc9cf16cd378cc3573ed85613e797">Investigators said he subjected women</a>&nbsp;to unwanted kisses; groped their breasts or buttocks or otherwise touched them inappropriately; made insinuating remarks about their looks and their sex lives; and created a work environment “rife with fear and intimidation.”

Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, a 62-year-old Democrat and former member of Congress from the Buffalo area,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kathy-hochul-lieutenant-governor-new-york-andrew-cuomo-5984949e6c5c59063598409eec10ba5a">will become the state’s 57th governor</a>&nbsp;and the first woman to hold the post.

“I agree with Governor Cuomo’s decision to step down. It is the right thing to do and in the best interest of New Yorkers,” Hochul tweeted.

Cuomo was seen leaving his Manhattan office in a car shortly after he announced his resignation before departing in a helicopter without stopping to speak to reporters.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cuomo-sexual-harassment-what-to-know-2628bf06d048720cc265fa66771a5976">The #MeToo-era scandal</a>&nbsp;cut short not just a career but a dynasty: Cuomo’s father, Mario Cuomo, was governor in the 1980s and ’90s, and the younger Cuomo was often mentioned as a potential candidate for president, an office his father famously contemplated seeking. Even as the scandal mushroomed, Cuomo was planning to run for reelection in 2022.

Cuomo still&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/andrew-cuomo-albany-8cb6fd33c7a88034e0274fd112f7ffce">faces the possibility of criminal charges</a>, with a number of prosecutors around the state moving to investigate him.

The string of accusations that spelled the governor’s downfall began to unfold in news reports last December and went on for months.

Cuomo called some of the allegations fabricated, forcefully denying he touched anyone inappropriately. But he acknowledged making some aides uncomfortable with comments he said he intended as playful, and he apologized for some of his behavior.

He portrayed some of the encounters as misunderstandings attributable to “generational or cultural” differences, a reference in part to his upbringing in an affectionate Italian American family.

As a defiant Cuomo clung to office, state lawmakers launched an impeachment investigation, and nearly the entire Democratic establishment in New York deserted him — not only over the accusations, but also because of the discovery that his administration had concealed thousands of COVID-19 deaths among nursing home patients.

The harassment investigation ordered up by the attorney general and conducted by two outside lawyers corroborated the women’s accounts and added lurid new ones. The release of the report left the governor more isolated than ever, with some of his most loyal supporters abandoning him and President Joe Biden joining those calling on him to resign.

His accusers included an aide who said Cuomo groped her breast at the governor’s mansion. Investigators also said the governor’s staff retaliated against one of his accusers by leaking confidential personnel files about her.

As governor, Cuomo touted himself as an example of a “progressive Democrat” who gets things done: Since taking office in 2011, he helped push through legislation that legalized gay marriage, began lifting the minimum wage to $15 and expanded paid family leave benefits. He also backed big infrastructure projects, including airport overhauls and construction of a new bridge over the Hudson River that he named after his father.

At the same time the behavior that got him into trouble was going on, he was publicly championing the #MeToo movement and surrounding himself with women’s rights activists, signing into law sweeping new protections against sexual harassment and lengthening the statute of limitations in rape cases.

His national popularity soared during the harrowing spring of 2020, when New York became the epicenter of the nation’s coronavirus outbreak.

His tough-minded but empathetic response made for riveting television well beyond New York, and his stern warnings to people to stay home and wear masks stood in sharp contrast to President Donald Trump’s brush-off of the virus. His briefings won an international Emmy Award, and he went on to write a book on leadership in a crisis.

But even those accomplishments were soon tainted when it was learned that the state’s official count of nursing home deaths had excluded many patients who had been transferred to hospitals before they succumbed. A Cuomo aide acknowledged the administration feared the true numbers would be “used against us” by the Trump White House.

Also, Cuomo’s administration was fiercely criticized for forcing nursing homes to accept patients recovering from the virus.

The U.S. Justice Department is investigating the state’s handling of data on nursing home deaths. In addition, the state attorney general is looking into whether Cuomo broke the law in using members of his staff to help write and promote his book, from which he stood to make more than $5 million.

The governor had also increasingly come under fire over his rough and sometimes vindictive treatment of fellow politicians and his own staff, with former aides telling stories of a brutal work environment.

Cuomo has been divorced since 2005 from the author and activist Kerry Kennedy, a member of the Kennedy family, and was romantically involved up until 2019 with TV lifestyle personality Sandra Lee. He has three adult daughters.

During his resignation speech, he directly addressed his daughters, saying: “I want them to know, from the bottom of my heart: I never did, and I never would, intentionally disrespect a woman or treat a woman differently than I would want them treated. Your dad made mistakes. And he apologized. And he learned from it. And that’s what life is all about.”

He gained political experience early on as his father’s hard-nosed and often ruthless campaign manager, and went on to become New York attorney general and U.S. housing secretary under President Bill Clinton before getting elected governor in 2010.

New York has seen a string of high-level political figures brought down in disgrace in recent years.

Gov. Eliot Spitzer resigned in 2008 in a prostitution scandal. Rep. Anthony Weiner went to prison for sexting with a 15-year-old girl. Attorney General Eric Schneiderman stepped down in 2018 after four women accused him of abuse. And the top two leaders in the Legislature were convicted of corruption.

NEW YORK (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/andrew-cuomo-sexual-harassment-pandemic-c435b9afd5d95032f941c2da48b9bb01">Gov. Andrew Cuomo</a>&nbsp;announced his resignation Tuesday over a barrage of sexual harassment allegations in a fall from grace a year after he was widely hailed nationally for his detailed daily briefings and leadership during some of the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FGovernorAndrewCuomo%2Fvideos%2F540033083711656%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=0" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div><a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/21033681-cuomo-sexual-harassment-report">CLICK here </a>to read the full sexual harassment report from the NY Attorney GeneralIn a televised address, the 63-year-old Democrat emphatically denied intentionally showing any disrespect toward women but said that fighting back against what he called the “politically motivated” attack on him would subject the state to months of turmoil, and “I cannot be the cause of that.”“The best way I can help now is if I step aside and let government get back to governing,” Cuomo said.The three-term Democratic governor’s decision, which will take effect in two weeks, was announced as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cuomo-harassment-investigation-impeachment-26edc9cf16cd378cc3573ed85613e797">momentum built in the Legislature to remove him by impeachment</a>. It came after New York’s attorney general released the results of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/andrew-cuomo-investigation-sexual-harassment-04b0e7ba80db368124a5e9c9bcf4dc0d">an investigation that found Cuomo sexually harassed at least 11 women</a>.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cuomo-harassment-investigation-impeachment-26edc9cf16cd378cc3573ed85613e797">Investigators said he subjected women</a>&nbsp;to unwanted kisses; groped their breasts or buttocks or otherwise touched them inappropriately; made insinuating remarks about their looks and their sex lives; and created a work environment “rife with fear and intimidation.”Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, a 62-year-old Democrat and former member of Congress from the Buffalo area,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kathy-hochul-lieutenant-governor-new-york-andrew-cuomo-5984949e6c5c59063598409eec10ba5a">will become the state’s 57th governor</a>&nbsp;and the first woman to hold the post.“I agree with Governor Cuomo’s decision to step down. It is the right thing to do and in the best interest of New Yorkers,” Hochul tweeted.Cuomo was seen leaving his Manhattan office in a car shortly after he announced his resignation before departing in a helicopter without stopping to speak to reporters.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cuomo-sexual-harassment-what-to-know-2628bf06d048720cc265fa66771a5976">The #MeToo-era scandal</a>&nbsp;cut short not just a career but a dynasty: Cuomo’s father, Mario Cuomo, was governor in the 1980s and ’90s, and the younger Cuomo was often mentioned as a potential candidate for president, an office his father famously contemplated seeking. Even as the scandal mushroomed, Cuomo was planning to run for reelection in 2022.Cuomo still&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/andrew-cuomo-albany-8cb6fd33c7a88034e0274fd112f7ffce">faces the possibility of criminal charges</a>, with a number of prosecutors around the state moving to investigate him.The string of accusations that spelled the governor’s downfall began to unfold in news reports last December and went on for months.Cuomo called some of the allegations fabricated, forcefully denying he touched anyone inappropriately. But he acknowledged making some aides uncomfortable with comments he said he intended as playful, and he apologized for some of his behavior.He portrayed some of the encounters as misunderstandings attributable to “generational or cultural” differences, a reference in part to his upbringing in an affectionate Italian American family.As a defiant Cuomo clung to office, state lawmakers launched an impeachment investigation, and nearly the entire Democratic establishment in New York deserted him — not only over the accusations, but also because of the discovery that his administration had concealed thousands of COVID-19 deaths among nursing home patients.The harassment investigation ordered up by the attorney general and conducted by two outside lawyers corroborated the women’s accounts and added lurid new ones. The release of the report left the governor more isolated than ever, with some of his most loyal supporters abandoning him and President Joe Biden joining those calling on him to resign.His accusers included an aide who said Cuomo groped her breast at the governor’s mansion. Investigators also said the governor’s staff retaliated against one of his accusers by leaking confidential personnel files about her.As governor, Cuomo touted himself as an example of a “progressive Democrat” who gets things done: Since taking office in 2011, he helped push through legislation that legalized gay marriage, began lifting the minimum wage to $15 and expanded paid family leave benefits. He also backed big infrastructure projects, including airport overhauls and construction of a new bridge over the Hudson River that he named after his father.At the same time the behavior that got him into trouble was going on, he was publicly championing the #MeToo movement and surrounding himself with women’s rights activists, signing into law sweeping new protections against sexual harassment and lengthening the statute of limitations in rape cases.His national popularity soared during the harrowing spring of 2020, when New York became the epicenter of the nation’s coronavirus outbreak.His tough-minded but empathetic response made for riveting television well beyond New York, and his stern warnings to people to stay home and wear masks stood in sharp contrast to President Donald Trump’s brush-off of the virus. His briefings won an international Emmy Award, and he went on to write a book on leadership in a crisis.But even those accomplishments were soon tainted when it was learned that the state’s official count of nursing home deaths had excluded many patients who had been transferred to hospitals before they succumbed. A Cuomo aide acknowledged the administration feared the true numbers would be “used against us” by the Trump White House.Also, Cuomo’s administration was fiercely criticized for forcing nursing homes to accept patients recovering from the virus.The U.S. Justice Department is investigating the state’s handling of data on nursing home deaths. In addition, the state attorney general is looking into whether Cuomo broke the law in using members of his staff to help write and promote his book, from which he stood to make more than $5 million.The governor had also increasingly come under fire over his rough and sometimes vindictive treatment of fellow politicians and his own staff, with former aides telling stories of a brutal work environment.Cuomo has been divorced since 2005 from the author and activist Kerry Kennedy, a member of the Kennedy family, and was romantically involved up until 2019 with TV lifestyle personality Sandra Lee. He has three adult daughters.During his resignation speech, he directly addressed his daughters, saying: “I want them to know, from the bottom of my heart: I never did, and I never would, intentionally disrespect a woman or treat a woman differently than I would want them treated. Your dad made mistakes. And he apologized. And he learned from it. And that’s what life is all about.”He gained political experience early on as his father’s hard-nosed and often ruthless campaign manager, and went on to become New York attorney general and U.S. housing secretary under President Bill Clinton before getting elected governor in 2010.New York has seen a string of high-level political figures brought down in disgrace in recent years.Gov. Eliot Spitzer resigned in 2008 in a prostitution scandal. Rep. Anthony Weiner went to prison for sexting with a 15-year-old girl. Attorney General Eric Schneiderman stepped down in 2018 after four women accused him of abuse. And the top two leaders in the Legislature were convicted of corruption.

🎥  New York Gov. Cuomo resigns, maintains innocence

FEMA, partnering with the Federal Communication Commission, will conduct a national test of the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alert with radio, TV, cable stations, and wireless carriers at 1:20p.m. CDT Wednesday, according to a media release from the agency.

 The EAS test is expected to last around one minute and will confirm the ability of the system to deliver a national EAS message.

FEMA, partnering with the Federal Communication Commission, will conduct a national test of the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alert with radio, TV, cable stations, and wireless carriers at 1:20p.m. CDT Wednesday, according to a media release from the agency.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fu2H4MM832w" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> The EAS test is expected to last around one minute and will confirm the ability of the system to deliver a national EAS message.

FEMA: Emergency Alert System test Wednesday afternoon

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Former Gov. Kay Orr has criticized a statement released by six University of Nebraska faculty and staff members that takes issue with a resolution to bar the teaching of critical race theory from university curriculum. 

The resolution was introduced by University of Nebraska Regent and Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Pillen. 

It drew objections from the faculty and staff members, collectively known as the Journey for Anti-Racism and Racial Equality. 

The group contended that the resolution stifles academic discussion and debate while purporting to do the opposite. 

Orr leveled her remarks at University of Nebraska Chancellor Ronnie Green, who did not sign the faculty and staff statement but has spoken out against Pillen’s resolution.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Former Gov. Kay Orr has criticized a statement released by six University of Nebraska faculty and staff members that takes issue with a resolution to bar the teaching of critical race theory from university curriculum. The resolution was introduced by University of Nebraska Regent and Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Pillen. It drew objections from the faculty and staff members, collectively known as the Journey for Anti-Racism and Racial Equality. The group contended that the resolution stifles academic discussion and debate while purporting to do the opposite. Orr leveled her remarks at University of Nebraska Chancellor Ronnie Green, who did not sign the faculty and staff statement but has spoken out against Pillen’s resolution.

Former Gov. Orr criticizes UNL for race theory statement

WASHINGTON — In a continuing twist on a common scam, the Internal 
Revenue Service, state tax agencies and tax industry today warned tax 
professionals to beware of evolving phishing scams that use various 
pandemic-related themes to steal client data.

The <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/security-summit">Security Summit</a>
 partners continue to see instances where tax professionals, especially 
those who engage in remote transactions, have been vulnerable this year 
to identity thieves posing as potential clients. The criminals then 
trick practitioners into opening email links or attachments that infect 
computer systems.

Avoiding phishing emails is the fourth in a five-part series 
sponsored by the IRS, state tax agencies and the nation's tax community –
 working together as the Security Summit – highlighting critical steps 
tax professionals can take to protect client data. This year's theme "<a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/boost-security-immunity-fight-against-identity-theft">Boost Security Immunity: Fight Against Identity Theft</a>,"
 is an effort to urge tax professionals to work to strengthen their 
systems and protect client data during this pandemic and its aftermath.

"Identity thieves have been relentless in exploiting the pandemic and
 the resulting economic pain to trick taxpayers and tax professionals to
 disclose sensitive information," said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. 
"Fighting back against phishing scams requires constant vigilance, and 
we urge tax pros to take some basic steps to help protect their clients 
and themselves."

Phishing emails or SMS/texts (known as "smishing") attempt to trick 
the person receiving the message into disclosing personal information 
such as passwords, bank account numbers, credit card numbers or Social 
Security numbers. Tax pros are a common target.

Scams may differ in themes, but they generally have two traits:

A specific kind of phishing email is called spear phishing. 
Rather than the scattershot nature of general phishing emails, scammers 
take time to identify their victim and craft a more enticing phishing 
email known as a lure. Scammers often use spear phishing to target tax 
professionals.

In a reoccurring and very successful scam this year, criminals posed 
as potential clients, exchanging several emails with tax professionals 
before following up with an attachment that they claimed was their tax 
information. This scam was popular as many tax professionals worked 
remotely and communicated with clients over email versus in-person or 
over the telephone because of COVID.

Once the tax pro clicks on the URL and/or opens the attachment, 
malware secretly downloads onto their computers, giving thieves access 
to passwords to client accounts or remote access to the computers 
themselves.

Thieves then use this malware known as a remote access trojan (RAT) 
to take over the tax professional's office computer systems, identify 
pending tax returns, complete them and e-file them, changing only the 
bank account information to steal the refund.

In recent months, international criminals have used a ransomware 
attack to shut down a variety of companies. Criminals use similar, 
smaller scale tactics against tax pros. When the unsuspecting tax 
professional opens a link or attachment, malware attacks the tax pro's 
computer system to encrypt files and hold the data for ransom.

These scams highlight the importance of the basic security steps recommended by the Security Summit to protect data.

For example, using the two-factor (2FA) or the multi-factor 
authentication (MFA) option offered by tax preparation providers or 
storage providers would protect client accounts even if passwords were 
inadvertently disclosed. Keeping anti-virus software automatically 
updated helps prevent scams that target software vulnerabilities. Using 
drive encryption and regularly backing up files helps stop theft and 
ransomware attacks.

For tax professionals, securing their network to protect taxpayer data is their responsibility as a tax preparer.

To help tax professionals guard against phishing scams and better protect taxpayer information, the IRS recently updated <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p4557.pdf">Publication 4557, Safeguarding Taxpayer Data&nbsp;PDF</a>.
 The July 2021 version contains some of the latest suggestions such as 
using the multi-factor authentication option offered by tax software 
products and helping clients get an Identity Protection Pin.

In addition to reviewing the recently revised IRS&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p4557.pdf">Publication 4557, Safeguarding Taxpayer Data&nbsp;PDF</a>, tax professionals can also get help with security recommendations by reviewing <a href="https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/ir/2016/NIST.IR.7621r1.pdf">Small Business Information Security: The Fundamentals&nbsp;PDF</a>&nbsp;by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The IRS <a href="https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-central">Identity Theft Central</a> pages for tax pros, individuals and businesses have important details as well.

<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p5293.pdf">Publication 5293, Data Security Resource Guide for Tax Professionals&nbsp;PDF</a>,
 provides a compilation of data theft information available on IRS.gov. 
Also, tax professionals should stay connected to the IRS through 
subscriptions to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/join-e-news-for-tax-professionals">e-News for Tax Professionals</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-new-media-1">Social Media</a>.

For more information, see <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/boost-security-immunity-fight-against-identity-theft">Boost Security Immunity: Fight Against Identity Theft</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — In a continuing twist on a common scam, the Internal 
Revenue Service, state tax agencies and tax industry today warned tax 
professionals to beware of evolving phishing scams that use various 
pandemic-related themes to steal client data.The <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/security-summit">Security Summit</a>
 partners continue to see instances where tax professionals, especially 
those who engage in remote transactions, have been vulnerable this year 
to identity thieves posing as potential clients. The criminals then 
trick practitioners into opening email links or attachments that infect 
computer systems.Avoiding phishing emails is the fourth in a five-part series 
sponsored by the IRS, state tax agencies and the nation's tax community –
 working together as the Security Summit – highlighting critical steps 
tax professionals can take to protect client data. This year's theme "<a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/boost-security-immunity-fight-against-identity-theft">Boost Security Immunity: Fight Against Identity Theft</a>,"
 is an effort to urge tax professionals to work to strengthen their 
systems and protect client data during this pandemic and its aftermath."Identity thieves have been relentless in exploiting the pandemic and
 the resulting economic pain to trick taxpayers and tax professionals to
 disclose sensitive information," said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. 
"Fighting back against phishing scams requires constant vigilance, and 
we urge tax pros to take some basic steps to help protect their clients 
and themselves."Phishing emails or SMS/texts (known as "smishing") attempt to trick 
the person receiving the message into disclosing personal information 
such as passwords, bank account numbers, credit card numbers or Social 
Security numbers. Tax pros are a common target.Scams may differ in themes, but they generally have two traits:<ul>
 <li>They appear to come from a known or trusted source, such as a 
colleague, bank, credit card company, cloud storage provider, tax 
software provider or even the IRS.</li><li>They tell a story, often with an urgent tone, to trick the receiver into opening a link or attachment.</li>
 </ul>A specific kind of phishing email is called spear phishing. 
Rather than the scattershot nature of general phishing emails, scammers 
take time to identify their victim and craft a more enticing phishing 
email known as a lure. Scammers often use spear phishing to target tax 
professionals.In a reoccurring and very successful scam this year, criminals posed 
as potential clients, exchanging several emails with tax professionals 
before following up with an attachment that they claimed was their tax 
information. This scam was popular as many tax professionals worked 
remotely and communicated with clients over email versus in-person or 
over the telephone because of COVID.Once the tax pro clicks on the URL and/or opens the attachment, 
malware secretly downloads onto their computers, giving thieves access 
to passwords to client accounts or remote access to the computers 
themselves.Thieves then use this malware known as a remote access trojan (RAT) 
to take over the tax professional's office computer systems, identify 
pending tax returns, complete them and e-file them, changing only the 
bank account information to steal the refund.In recent months, international criminals have used a ransomware 
attack to shut down a variety of companies. Criminals use similar, 
smaller scale tactics against tax pros. When the unsuspecting tax 
professional opens a link or attachment, malware attacks the tax pro's 
computer system to encrypt files and hold the data for ransom.These scams highlight the importance of the basic security steps recommended by the Security Summit to protect data.For example, using the two-factor (2FA) or the multi-factor 
authentication (MFA) option offered by tax preparation providers or 
storage providers would protect client accounts even if passwords were 
inadvertently disclosed. Keeping anti-virus software automatically 
updated helps prevent scams that target software vulnerabilities. Using 
drive encryption and regularly backing up files helps stop theft and 
ransomware attacks.For tax professionals, securing their network to protect taxpayer data is their responsibility as a tax preparer.To help tax professionals guard against phishing scams and better protect taxpayer information, the IRS recently updated <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p4557.pdf">Publication 4557, Safeguarding Taxpayer Data&nbsp;PDF</a>.
 The July 2021 version contains some of the latest suggestions such as 
using the multi-factor authentication option offered by tax software 
products and helping clients get an Identity Protection Pin.<h2>Additional resources</h2>In addition to reviewing the recently revised IRS&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p4557.pdf">Publication 4557, Safeguarding Taxpayer Data&nbsp;PDF</a>, tax professionals can also get help with security recommendations by reviewing <a href="https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/ir/2016/NIST.IR.7621r1.pdf">Small Business Information Security: The Fundamentals&nbsp;PDF</a>&nbsp;by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The IRS <a href="https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-central">Identity Theft Central</a> pages for tax pros, individuals and businesses have important details as well.<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p5293.pdf">Publication 5293, Data Security Resource Guide for Tax Professionals&nbsp;PDF</a>,
 provides a compilation of data theft information available on IRS.gov. 
Also, tax professionals should stay connected to the IRS through 
subscriptions to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/join-e-news-for-tax-professionals">e-News for Tax Professionals</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-new-media-1">Social Media</a>.For more information, see <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/boost-security-immunity-fight-against-identity-theft">Boost Security Immunity: Fight Against Identity Theft</a>.

IRS: Tax professionals now the target of email scammers

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats unwrapped a budget resolution envisioning a massive $3.5 trillion, 10-year cascade of federal resources, aiming historic sums at family support, health and education programs and an aggressive drive to heal the climate.

<a href="https://www.democrats.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/HEN21B52.pdf?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=newsletter_axiospm&amp;stream=top">Click here to read </a>what's in the $3.5 Trillion Budget Plan

<a href="https://www.democrats.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/HEN21B52.pdf?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=newsletter_axiospm&amp;stream=top">The measure is </a>a pivotal first step in what will likely be a tumultuous, months-long Democratic legislative march toward a progressive reshaping of the federal government that also hews to President Joe Biden’s top domestic policy ambitions.

The blueprint released Monday reflects many Democrats’ tilt leftward in the wake of Donald Trump’s presidency and bears the imprint of Senate Budget Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., a longtime progressive voice now at the hub of the Democratic Party’s power structure in Congress.

Many of its proposals would be financed by raising taxes on the wealthy and large corporations while sparing people earning under $400,000 annually, an oft-repeated Biden pledge and liberal goal. Though party leaders say the measure will be fully paid for, the budget resolution does not require that, instead giving Congress’ tax-writing committees unspecified license to raise money that a summary calls “substantial.”

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-1333a1cd50305a028e16482ef9cafa15">The Senate was expected to approve the budget plan this week</a>&nbsp;over solid Republican opposition. Meanwhile, senators were nearing approval of a separate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-c299d5d2a32188989b58cb5feec12f5d">$1 trillion package financing road, water and other infrastructure projects,</a>&nbsp;a bill with broad support.

The vote on that bipartisan plan was scheduled for Tuesday morning. After that, the Senate will immediately launch votes on the $3.5 trillion plan.

Crucially, congressional approval of the budget outline would let Democrats pass a detailed follow-up bill this fall enacting the blueprint’s proposed spending and tax changes without facing a GOP filibuster that would certainly kill it. It would take 60 votes to end those delaying tactics, an impossible hurdle on a sharply partisan issue in today’s 50-50 Senate.

It is unclear when the House, now on summer recess, will vote on the budget. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., praised it as “a clear declaration of the value that congressional Democrats place on America’s workers and families.”

The budget outlines expanding Medicare coverage to dental, vision and hearing benefits and lowering the program’s eligibility age below its current 65, though the age reduction would be costly and is considered a long shot to survive. The children’s tax credit, expanded during the pandemic to provide millions of families with $300 monthly checks, would be extended beyond its current 2022 expiration. Other tax breaks for some low-earning workers and for child care would also be renewed.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1628592285760.png" alt="Many of the bill's proposals would be financed by raising taxes on the wealthy and large corporations while sparing people earning under $400,000 annually, an oft-repeated Biden pledge and liberal goal. -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Many of the bill's proposals would be financed by raising taxes on the wealthy and large corporations while sparing people earning under $400,000 annually, an oft-repeated Biden pledge and liberal goal. -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats unwrapped a budget resolution envisioning a massive $3.5 trillion, 10-year cascade of federal resources, aiming historic sums at family support, health and education programs and an aggressive drive to heal the climate.<a href="https://www.democrats.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/HEN21B52.pdf?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=newsletter_axiospm&amp;stream=top">Click here to read </a>what's in the $3.5 Trillion Budget Plan<a href="https://www.democrats.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/HEN21B52.pdf?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=newsletter_axiospm&amp;stream=top">The measure is </a>a pivotal first step in what will likely be a tumultuous, months-long Democratic legislative march toward a progressive reshaping of the federal government that also hews to President Joe Biden’s top domestic policy ambitions.The blueprint released Monday reflects many Democrats’ tilt leftward in the wake of Donald Trump’s presidency and bears the imprint of Senate Budget Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., a longtime progressive voice now at the hub of the Democratic Party’s power structure in Congress.Many of its proposals would be financed by raising taxes on the wealthy and large corporations while sparing people earning under $400,000 annually, an oft-repeated Biden pledge and liberal goal. Though party leaders say the measure will be fully paid for, the budget resolution does not require that, instead giving Congress’ tax-writing committees unspecified license to raise money that a summary calls “substantial.”<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-1333a1cd50305a028e16482ef9cafa15">The Senate was expected to approve the budget plan this week</a>&nbsp;over solid Republican opposition. Meanwhile, senators were nearing approval of a separate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-c299d5d2a32188989b58cb5feec12f5d">$1 trillion package financing road, water and other infrastructure projects,</a>&nbsp;a bill with broad support.The vote on that bipartisan plan was scheduled for Tuesday morning. After that, the Senate will immediately launch votes on the $3.5 trillion plan.Crucially, congressional approval of the budget outline would let Democrats pass a detailed follow-up bill this fall enacting the blueprint’s proposed spending and tax changes without facing a GOP filibuster that would certainly kill it. It would take 60 votes to end those delaying tactics, an impossible hurdle on a sharply partisan issue in today’s 50-50 Senate.It is unclear when the House, now on summer recess, will vote on the budget. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., praised it as “a clear declaration of the value that congressional Democrats place on America’s workers and families.”The budget outlines expanding Medicare coverage to dental, vision and hearing benefits and lowering the program’s eligibility age below its current 65, though the age reduction would be costly and is considered a long shot to survive. The children’s tax credit, expanded during the pandemic to provide millions of families with $300 monthly checks, would be extended beyond its current 2022 expiration. Other tax breaks for some low-earning workers and for child care would also be renewed.Unveiled the same day the United Nations warned of a “code red for humanity” because of rapid climate heating, the fiscal plan would unsheathe a vast effort to move the U.S. toward clean energy. That would include a new tax on imported fuels that spew carbon emissions, federal aid for clean energy developers and investments in low-polluting vehicles.“The question is not complicated,” Sanders said Monday of the budget plan. He asked if lawmakers have the courage to make special interests pay a “fair share of taxes so that we can create millions of good paying jobs for working families, so we can protect our children, protect the elderly, and address the threat of climate change.”In one illustration of hurdles ahead, around $198 billion of the blueprint’s climate proposals would have to move through the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. That panel is chaired by West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, a centrist and staunch defender of his state’s energy interests who has pointedly warned that he supports an energy policy that’s “not elimination, it’s innovation.”Following the budget outline, the $3.5 trillion spending and revenue bill is certain to cause agita for Democratic leaders as they struggle to find a sweet spot between the demands of their party’s competing progressive and moderate factions, with each having decisive leverage.Besides the evenly split Senate, which only Vice President Kamala Harris’ tie-breaking vote lets them control, Democrats can lose no more than three votes in the narrowly divided House.Moderates back the $1 trillion package financing road, water and other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-c299d5d2a32188989b58cb5feec12f5d">infrastructure projects&nbsp;</a>that the Senate was on the cusp of approving. Progressives are strongly behind the huge social and environment plan, and each group is worried that disagreements will result in the other scuttling its favored measure.“We’re going to tell middle-class families, ‘We’re going to make it easier for you to stay there,’” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. He added, “We’re going to tell poorer families, ‘We’re going to make it easier for you to climb into the middle class.’”Democrats revealed their budget as the Senate was on the cusp of approving the smaller&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-804fc9475e440f7f970d6599c242734f">compromise infrastructure measure.</a>&nbsp;That bill, another Biden priority, was garnering significant support from Republicans eager to bring some public works spending to their home states.But the GOP was united against Democrats’ larger $3.5 trillion plan, calling it laden with overspending and tax increases that would wound the economy and burden families.With an eye to 2022 elections for congressional control, Republicans were readying amendments that would force Democrats to vote on politically delicate issues including immigration, crime and inflation. They were also amplifying their often-used theme of accusing Democrats of socialism.“They’ve set out trying to tax and spend our country into oblivion,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. “They’ve handed the keys to domestic policymaking to Chairman Sanders and some socialist House members.”Democrats’ budget blueprint seeks extensions of federal subsidies for people buying health insurance through President Barack Obama’s 2010 health care law, and money would be provided for states that haven’t yet expanded Medicaid coverage. There would be a first-ever federally paid family leave program, and some pre-kindergarten and two years of community college would be tuition-free.There would also be more money for home health care, housing, job training, child nutrition and Pell Grants to lower-income college students.It would also open a path for millions of immigrants in the U.S. illegally to move toward citizenship, and allow language strengthening enforcement of labor laws. Such provisions will have to pass muster with the Senate parliamentarian, who can bar provisions that are not primarily related to the budget.The budget plans additional savings by letting the government negotiate lower prices on the pharmaceuticals it buys for Medicare recipients. It also seeks to strengthen the IRS so it can collect more unpaid taxes, though analysts are wary of the savings lawmakers might claim because estimates of that proposal’s impact vary widely.The fiscal plan also suggests easing a ceiling on federal deductions people can take for their state and local taxes, a contentious proposal among Democrats. Relaxing those limits is a top priority for high-tax states, such as in the Northeast, but it would cost the government billions annually, making it harder for Democrats to finance other priorities.The measure has no language extending the federal debt limit, the ceiling on government borrowing that has already expired. The Treasury Department is using accounting maneuvers to keep the government paying its bills, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-9fa48bfe5daeb95179cf539b59c4b7e2">Republicans have vowed to vote against extending the borrowing cap,&nbsp;</a>and that battle will be joined on other legislation.