WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell implored&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-health-government-and-politics-pandemics-coronavirus-pandemic-8318e3f406278f3ebf09871128cc91de">unvaccinated Americans</a>&nbsp;Tuesday to take the COVID-19 shot, issuing a stark and grave warning of a repeat of last year’s rising caseloads and shutdowns if people refuse to protect themselves from the coronavirus.

McConnell urged Americans to ignore the “demonstrably bad advice” coming from pundits and others against the vaccines. As cases&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-health-pandemics-coronavirus-pandemic-c053fae3d462705c39e3ffcd612d8a50">skyrocket</a>, he noted that nearly all the new virus hospitalizations in the U.S. are among people who have not been vaccinated.

“If there is anybody out there willing to listen: Get vaccinated,” McConnell, R-Ky., said at his weekly press conference at the Capitol.

“These shots need to get in everybody’s arms as rapidly as possible or we’re going to be back in a situation in the fall that we don’t yearn for — that we went through last year,” he said. “This is not complicated.”

McConnell has been one of the most outspoken members of his party in urging vaccinations to stop the virus spread, speaking often in his home state of Kentucky of the need for people to get the shot.

Without criticizing prominent Republicans who refuse the vaccine or mock the severity of the virus, including members of Congress, he has expressed dismay at those who choose to go unvaccinated.

As a survivor of childhood polio,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-ap-top-news-mitch-mcconnell-politics-ky-state-wire-f696c0bff070b46f9c62e03be50bd187">McConnell often draws on his own experience&nbsp;</a>of having endured that disease and he has spoken publicly of the relief that eventually came with the development of vaccines.

On Tuesday he said “it never occurred to me” that after the COVID-19 vaccines that were quickly developed for use in the U.S., “we’d have difficulty getting Americans to get the shot.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell implored&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-health-government-and-politics-pandemics-coronavirus-pandemic-8318e3f406278f3ebf09871128cc91de">unvaccinated Americans</a>&nbsp;Tuesday to take the COVID-19 shot, issuing a stark and grave warning of a repeat of last year’s rising caseloads and shutdowns if people refuse to protect themselves from the coronavirus.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Get vaccinated! These shots need to get into arms as rapidly as possible, or else we&#39;re gonna be back in a situation this fall like what we went through last year. <a href="https://t.co/J4o6yL5cn4">pic.twitter.com/J4o6yL5cn4</a>&mdash; Leader McConnell (@LeaderMcConnell) <a href="https://twitter.com/LeaderMcConnell/status/1417577257296666626?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>McConnell urged Americans to ignore the “demonstrably bad advice” coming from pundits and others against the vaccines. As cases&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-health-pandemics-coronavirus-pandemic-c053fae3d462705c39e3ffcd612d8a50">skyrocket</a>, he noted that nearly all the new virus hospitalizations in the U.S. are among people who have not been vaccinated.“If there is anybody out there willing to listen: Get vaccinated,” McConnell, R-Ky., said at his weekly press conference at the Capitol.“These shots need to get in everybody’s arms as rapidly as possible or we’re going to be back in a situation in the fall that we don’t yearn for — that we went through last year,” he said. “This is not complicated.”McConnell has been one of the most outspoken members of his party in urging vaccinations to stop the virus spread, speaking often in his home state of Kentucky of the need for people to get the shot.Without criticizing prominent Republicans who refuse the vaccine or mock the severity of the virus, including members of Congress, he has expressed dismay at those who choose to go unvaccinated.As a survivor of childhood polio,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-ap-top-news-mitch-mcconnell-politics-ky-state-wire-f696c0bff070b46f9c62e03be50bd187">McConnell often draws on his own experience&nbsp;</a>of having endured that disease and he has spoken publicly of the relief that eventually came with the development of vaccines.On Tuesday he said “it never occurred to me” that after the COVID-19 vaccines that were quickly developed for use in the U.S., “we’d have difficulty getting Americans to get the shot.”

🎥  Senate GOP leader: 'Get vaccinated' or risk shutdowns again

Former Cpl. Walton checks off Kansas on 50-state ‘No Regrets’ tour

By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/07/20/kansas-officials-honor-102-year-old-world-war-ii-vet-raising-money-for-frontline-health-workers/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Sidney Walton regretted 
missing an opportunity to personally meet some of the last surviving 
Civil War veterans at the 1939 World’s Fair in New York City.

Walton, 102, is in the final stage of a 50-state “No Regrets” tour to
 offer people a chance to visit with a veteran of World War II and to 
raise money for charity. The former U.S. Army corporal started the 
nationwide mission in 2018. Kansas was his 39th state on the U.S. road 
trip.

During a visit to the Kansas Capitol, Gov. Laura Kelly presented 
Walton a state flag as well as a coin decorated with an image of ruby 
red slippers worn by Dorothy in the film “Wizard of the Oz.” In 
response, Walton gave the governor a cap commemorating his whistle-stop 
visits of the state capitols.

Maj. Gen. David Weishaar, of the Kansas Air National guard, shared 
appreciation for Walton’s decision to join the U.S. Army eight months 
before Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Walton became a medical 
technician in the 34th Infantry, 8th Division and was posted in India 
during the war. He remained in the Army for five years until the war’s 
end.

“Thank you very much for your continued service to the nation and 
remarkable service in World War II. May you continue that service to the
 nation throughout the rest of your life,” Weishaar said.

Walton, who was born in 1919 and lives in San Diego, said his World 
War II assignment took him far away from his preferred objective: “I 
joined the Army to fight Hitler.”

His current quest has assumed outlines of&nbsp; the campaign launched by 
Capt. Tom Moore, who was in the British Army during World War II and 
fought in Burma. Moore turned his 100th birthday into a project to raise
 contributions for charity, eventually generating $46 million for 
healthcare workers in England. He died in February.

Walton’s son, Paul, accompanies Walton on touring now dedicated to 
generating support for U.S. nurses engaged in responding to the COVID-19
 pandemic.

“Three and a half years ago,” said Paul Walton, “we set upon this 
magnificent tour called the ‘No Regrets’ tour. Because all my dad’s life
 I always heard that he regretted one thing. He had one regret.”

Turning to his dad, he asked: “You regret you did not meet Civil War 
veterans when you were young? If you could go back in time could you 
meet them?”

“Yes, right,” said Walton, who planned to spend the night in Wichita 
before heading to Oklahoma City to meet Friday with Oklahoma’s governor.

In February 2020, Walton was among four surviving World War II 
veterans who participated in the coin flip for Super Bowl LIV, a game 
won by the Kansas City Chiefs.

Paul Walton said his father was more frail than when they embarked on
 the 50-state journey, but each day of the tour was a blessing. The 
COVID-19 pandemic reduced opportunities to fly to state capitol cities, 
compelling them to travel in a vehicle elaborately decorated with 
signage noting their task.

“We are going to accomplish this mission,” he said. “Delaware, known as the first state, is going to be our last state.”

Tim Carpenter has reported on Kansas for 35 years. He covered the Capitol for 16 years at the Topeka Capital-Journal and previously worked for the Lawrence Journal-World and United Press International.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1626811678863.png" alt="World War II veteran Sidney Walton, 102, met Tuesday with Gov. Laura Kelly at the Capitol during a 50-state tour to raise awareness and financial support for veterans and frontline nurses. Kelly presented him with a Kansas flag. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>World War II veteran Sidney Walton, 102, met Tuesday with Gov. Laura Kelly at the Capitol during a 50-state tour to raise awareness and financial support for veterans and frontline nurses. Kelly presented him with a Kansas flag. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Former Cpl. Walton checks off Kansas on 50-state ‘No Regrets’ tour</h2>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/07/20/kansas-officials-honor-102-year-old-world-war-ii-vet-raising-money-for-frontline-health-workers/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Sidney Walton regretted 
missing an opportunity to personally meet some of the last surviving 
Civil War veterans at the 1939 World’s Fair in New York City.Walton, 102, is in the final stage of a 50-state “No Regrets” tour to
 offer people a chance to visit with a veteran of World War II and to 
raise money for charity. The former U.S. Army corporal started the 
nationwide mission in 2018. Kansas was his 39th state on the U.S. road 
trip.During a visit to the Kansas Capitol, Gov. Laura Kelly presented 
Walton a state flag as well as a coin decorated with an image of ruby 
red slippers worn by Dorothy in the film “Wizard of the Oz.” In 
response, Walton gave the governor a cap commemorating his whistle-stop 
visits of the state capitols.Maj. Gen. David Weishaar, of the Kansas Air National guard, shared 
appreciation for Walton’s decision to join the U.S. Army eight months 
before Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Walton became a medical 
technician in the 34th Infantry, 8th Division and was posted in India 
during the war. He remained in the Army for five years until the war’s 
end.“Thank you very much for your continued service to the nation and 
remarkable service in World War II. May you continue that service to the
 nation throughout the rest of your life,” Weishaar said.Walton, who was born in 1919 and lives in San Diego, said his World 
War II assignment took him far away from his preferred objective: “I 
joined the Army to fight Hitler.”His current quest has assumed outlines of&nbsp; the campaign launched by 
Capt. Tom Moore, who was in the British Army during World War II and 
fought in Burma. Moore turned his 100th birthday into a project to raise
 contributions for charity, eventually generating $46 million for 
healthcare workers in England. He died in February.Walton’s son, Paul, accompanies Walton on touring now dedicated to 
generating support for U.S. nurses engaged in responding to the COVID-19
 pandemic.“Three and a half years ago,” said Paul Walton, “we set upon this 
magnificent tour called the ‘No Regrets’ tour. Because all my dad’s life
 I always heard that he regretted one thing. He had one regret.”Turning to his dad, he asked: “You regret you did not meet Civil War 
veterans when you were young? If you could go back in time could you 
meet them?”“Yes, right,” said Walton, who planned to spend the night in Wichita 
before heading to Oklahoma City to meet Friday with Oklahoma’s governor.In February 2020, Walton was among four surviving World War II 
veterans who participated in the coin flip for Super Bowl LIV, a game 
won by the Kansas City Chiefs.Paul Walton said his father was more frail than when they embarked on
 the 50-state journey, but each day of the tour was a blessing. The 
COVID-19 pandemic reduced opportunities to fly to state capitol cities, 
compelling them to travel in a vehicle elaborately decorated with 
signage noting their task.“We are going to accomplish this mission,” he said. “Delaware, known as the first state, is going to be our last state.”Tim Carpenter has reported on Kansas for 35 years. He covered the Capitol for 16 years at the Topeka Capital-Journal and previously worked for the Lawrence Journal-World and United Press International.

Kan. officials honor 102-year-old WWII vet raising money for health workers

LINCOLN, Neb.-Larry Sharp of Bruning won $90,000 playing Nebraska Pick 5 from the Nebraska Lottery.

Sharp purchased his ticket at Good2Go #15 at 6206 Spur 85C in Bruning. The ticket contained five plays for the July 15 drawing, one of which matched the winning numbers 05, 08, 26, 34 and 38.

Sharp said he’s been playing the same numbers every day for about six months. There’s no reason for why he plays those numbers, he said, he’s just sticking with them.

He didn’t notice he’d won at first until his sister told him there’d been a winner in Bruning.

“She lives in Oklahoma now,” Sharp said. “She still gets news feed updates from Bruning and texted me that someone had won.”

Sharp said he’ll be using his winnings to buy himself a new pickup truck.

Nebraska Pick 5 is Nebraska’s unique Lottery game: all the proceeds from Nebraska Pick 5 stay in Nebraska, and all the winning tickets are sold in Nebraska at Nebraska Lottery Lotto game retailers. The odds of winning the Nebraska Pick 5 jackpot, which starts at $50,000 and grows by $4,000 each drawing that is not won, are 1 in 501,942 while the overall odds of winning a prize in the game, which has drawings seven nights a week, are 1 in 8.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1626814293273.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>News Release Nebraska LotteryLINCOLN, Neb.-Larry Sharp of Bruning won $90,000 playing Nebraska Pick 5 from the Nebraska Lottery.Sharp purchased his ticket at Good2Go #15 at 6206 Spur 85C in Bruning. The ticket contained five plays for the July 15 drawing, one of which matched the winning numbers 05, 08, 26, 34 and 38.Sharp said he’s been playing the same numbers every day for about six months. There’s no reason for why he plays those numbers, he said, he’s just sticking with them.He didn’t notice he’d won at first until his sister told him there’d been a winner in Bruning.“She lives in Oklahoma now,” Sharp said. “She still gets news feed updates from Bruning and texted me that someone had won.”Sharp said he’ll be using his winnings to buy himself a new pickup truck.Nebraska Pick 5 is Nebraska’s unique Lottery game: all the proceeds from Nebraska Pick 5 stay in Nebraska, and all the winning tickets are sold in Nebraska at Nebraska Lottery Lotto game retailers. The odds of winning the Nebraska Pick 5 jackpot, which starts at $50,000 and grows by $4,000 each drawing that is not won, are 1 in 501,942 while the overall odds of winning a prize in the game, which has drawings seven nights a week, are 1 in 8.The mission of the Nebraska Lottery is to generate proceeds for good causes while providing quality entertainment options to Nebraskans. Over $831 million has been raised for the Nebraska Lottery’s beneficiary funds since the Lottery began in 1993. All 93 counties in Nebraska have benefited from projects funded with these Nebraska Lottery proceeds.

Bruning man wins $90K with Nebraska Pick 5

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem announces the state finished the last fiscal year with an $86 million surplus.

 The Republican governor says tax revenue hit a 30-year high and finished $62 million over what was estimated. 

The state also spent about $24 million less than what was budgeted for the fiscal year that ended on June 30. 

Noem credits the state’s “respect for freedom and our continued emphasis on fiscal responsibility” for the financial windfall. 

Federal coronavirus relief funds sent both to taxpayers and state government also fueled the surplus.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem announces the state finished the last fiscal year with an $86 million surplus. The Republican governor says tax revenue hit a 30-year high and finished $62 million over what was estimated. The state also spent about $24 million less than what was budgeted for the fiscal year that ended on June 30. Noem credits the state’s “respect for freedom and our continued emphasis on fiscal responsibility” for the financial windfall. Federal coronavirus relief funds sent both to taxpayers and state government also fueled the surplus.

Noem announces $86 million budget surplus

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A west Omaha high school band director has been arrested, accused of abusing a former student over a three-year period.

 The Douglas County Sheriff's Office says an arrest warrant was issued Monday for 55-year-old Michelle Bluford, director of the Elkhorn South High School band who has been employed by the district for two decades.

 Officials say Bluford was arrested around 7 p.m. Monday on the warrant charging her with felony child abuse. 

Investigators believe Bluford groomed a student at Elkhorn South starting in 2017, which led to sexual contact with the student. 

The sheriff's office said it first learned of the alleged abuse in June and launched an investigation.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A west Omaha high school band director has been arrested, accused of abusing a former student over a three-year period. The Douglas County Sheriff's Office says an arrest warrant was issued Monday for 55-year-old Michelle Bluford, director of the Elkhorn South High School band who has been employed by the district for two decades. Officials say Bluford was arrested around 7 p.m. Monday on the warrant charging her with felony child abuse. Investigators believe Bluford groomed a student at Elkhorn South starting in 2017, which led to sexual contact with the student. The sheriff's office said it first learned of the alleged abuse in June and launched an investigation.

Omaha high school band director accused of sex with student

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — A judge has set bond at $1 million for a South Dakota man charged with killing a woman whose decomposed body was found in the Black Hills in 2013. 

53 year-old Richard Melvin Schmitz was arrested at his home near Hill City without incident Friday morning for the death of 38 year-old Meshell Will, of Custer. 

Schmitz was charged Monday with second degree murder. 

Originally from Wisconsin, Will had been in South Dakota for about six months. She went missing in August 2013.

 Judge Scott Bogue cited Schmitz’s extensive criminal history as a factor for the high bail.

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — A judge has set bond at $1 million for a South Dakota man charged with killing a woman whose decomposed body was found in the Black Hills in 2013. 53 year-old Richard Melvin Schmitz was arrested at his home near Hill City without incident Friday morning for the death of 38 year-old Meshell Will, of Custer. Schmitz was charged Monday with second degree murder. Originally from Wisconsin, Will had been in South Dakota for about six months. She went missing in August 2013. Judge Scott Bogue cited Schmitz’s extensive criminal history as a factor for the high bail.

$1 million bail for South Dakota man charged in 2013 death

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing plans a $200 million expansion at its plant in Lincoln, a move that is expected to bring hundreds of new jobs. 

The company plans to boost over the next 18 months its capacity to make Jet Skis, ATVs and other small vehicles. 

The expansion will increase its assembly, paint and welding lines as well as bring more automation.

 The expansion will add about 550 new employees in its consumer products division and its rail car operations despite the increased automation, which the company contended is necessary due to the area’s low unemployment rate.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing plans a $200 million expansion at its plant in Lincoln, a move that is expected to bring hundreds of new jobs. The company plans to boost over the next 18 months its capacity to make Jet Skis, ATVs and other small vehicles. The expansion will increase its assembly, paint and welding lines as well as bring more automation. The expansion will add about 550 new employees in its consumer products division and its rail car operations despite the increased automation, which the company contended is necessary due to the area’s low unemployment rate.

Kawasaki plans $200M expansion that would add 550 new jobs

VAN HORN, Texas (AP) — Jeff Bezos blasted into space Tuesday on his rocket company’s first flight with people on board, becoming the second billionaire in just over a week to ride his own spacecraft.

The Amazon founder was accompanied by a hand-picked group: his brother, an 18-year-old from the Netherlands and an 82-year-old aviation pioneer from Texas — the youngest and oldest to ever fly in space.

Named after America’s first astronaut, Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket soared from remote West Texas on the 52nd anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, a date chosen by Bezos for its historical significance. He held fast to it, even as Virgin Galactic’s Richard Branson pushed up his own flight from New Mexico in the race for space tourist dollars and beat him to space by nine days.

Unlike Branson’s piloted rocket plane, Bezos’ capsule was completely automated and required no official staff on board for the anticipated 10-minute, up-and-down flight.

Blue Origin was shooting for an altitude of roughly 66 miles (106 kilometers), more than 10 miles (16 kilometers) higher than Branson’s July 11 ride. The 60-foot (18-meter) booster accelerated to Mach 3 or three times the speed of sound to get the capsule high enough, before separating and aiming for a vertical landing.

The passengers were expected to get three to four minutes of weightlessness to float around the spacious white capsule. Then the window-filled capsule was going to head to a parachute touchdown on the desert floor, with Bezos and his guests briefly experiencing nearly six times the force of gravity, or 6 G’s, on the way back.

Sharing Bezos’ dream-come-true adventure was Wally Funk, from the Dallas area, one of 13 female pilots who went through the same tests as NASA’s all-male astronaut corps in the early 1960s but never made it into space.

Joining them on the ultimate joyride was the company’s first paying customer, Oliver Daemen, a last-minute fill-in for the mystery winner of a $28 million auction who opted for a later flight. The Dutch teen’s father took part in the auction, and agreed on a lower undisclosed price last week when Blue Origin offered his son the vacated seat.

Blue Origin — founded by Bezos in 2000 in Kent, Washington, near Amazon’s Seattle headquarters — has yet to open ticket sales to the public or reveal the price. For now, it’s booking auction bidders. Two more passenger flights are planned by year’s end, said Blue Origin CEO Bob Smith.

The recycled rocket and capsule that carried up Tuesday’s passengers were used on the last two space demos, according to company officials.

Virgin Galactic already has more than 600 reservations at $250,000 apiece. Founded by Branson in 2004, the company has sent crew into space four times and plans two more test flights from New Mexico before launching customers next year.

Blue Origin’s approach was slower and more deliberate. After 15 successful unoccupied test flights to space since 2015, Bezos finally declared it was time to put people on board. The Federal Aviation Administration agreed last week, approving the commercial space license.

Bezos, 57, who also owns The Washington Post, claimed the first seat. The next went to his 50-year-old brother, Mark Bezos, an investor and volunteer firefighter, then Funk and Daemen. They spent two days together in training.

University of Chicago space historian Jordan Bimm said the passenger makeup is truly remarkable. Imagine if the head of NASA decided he wanted to launch in 1961 instead of Alan Shepard on the first U.S. spaceflight, he said in an email.

“That would have been unthinkable!” Bimm said. “”It shows just how much the idea of who and what space is for has changed in the last 60 years.”

Bezos stepped down earlier this month as Amazon’s CEO and just last week donated $200 million to renovate the National Air and Space Museum. Most of the $28 million from the auction has been distributed to space advocacy and education groups, with the rest benefiting Blue Origin’s Club for the Future, its own education effort.

Fewer than 600 people have reached the edge of space or beyond. Until Tuesday, the youngest was 25-year-old Soviet cosmonaut Gherman Titov and the oldest at 77 was Mercury-turned-shuttle astronaut John Glenn.

Both Bezos and Branson want to drastically increase those overall numbers, as does SpaceX’s Elon Musk, who’s skipping brief space hops and sending his private clients straight to orbit for tens of millions apiece, with the first flight coming up in September.

Despite appearances, Bezos and Branson insist they weren’t trying to outdo each other by strapping in themselves. Bezos noted this week that only one person can lay claim to being first in space: Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, who rocketed into orbit on April 12, 1961.

“This isn’t a competition, this is about building a road to space so that future generations can do incredible things in space,” he said on NBC’s ”Today.”

Blue Origin is working on a massive rocket, New Glenn, to put payloads and people into orbit from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The company also wants to put astronauts back on the moon with its proposed lunar lander Blue Moon; it’s challenging NASA’s sole contract award to SpaceX.

VAN HORN, Texas (AP) — Jeff Bezos is about to soar on his space travel company’s first flight with people on board.

Just after 8a.m. CDT, Tuesday, the founder of Blue Origin as well as Amazon will become the second billionaire to ride his own rocket. He’ll launch from West Texas with his brother, an 18-year-old from the Netherlands and an 82-year-old female aviation pioneer from Texas — the youngest and oldest to ever hurtle off the planet.

Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket is set to blast off with its eclectic group of passengers on the 52nd anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.

Bezos is aiming for an altitude of roughly 66 miles more than 10 miles higher than Richard Branson’s ride on July 11.

The capsule is fully automated, so there’s no need for trained staff on the quick up-and-down flight, expected to last just 10 minutes. Branson’s Virgin Galactic rocket plane needs two pilots to operate.

Bezos’ dream-come-true trip follows 15 successful test flights to space by New Shepard rockets since 2015, all of them unoccupied. If successful, Blue Origin plans two more passenger flights by year’s end.

The company has yet to open ticket sales to the public and is filling upcoming flights with those who took part in last month’s $28 million charity auction for the fourth capsule seat. The mystery winner bowed out of Tuesday’s launch because of a scheduling conflict. That opened up the slot for Oliver Daemen, a college-bound student from the Netherlands whose father was among the unsuccessful bidders.

Also flying: Bezos’ younger brother, Mark, and Wally Funk, one of 13 female pilots who went through the same testing back in the early 1960s as NASA’s Mercury astronauts, but failed to make the cut because they were women.

Not everyone in the remote, desert town of Van Horn was excited about the drama unfolding 25 miles (40 kilometers) to the north.

“It’s a luxury that’s going to be set aside for the wealthy,” said pizza shop owner Jesus Ramirez. He planned to watch the morning launch from his restaurant’s patio with a cup of coffee.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1626787474270.png" alt="&nbsp;Blue Origin capsule floated safely back to earth-courtesy image" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Blue Origin capsule floated safely back to earth-courtesy image</figcaption>
 </figure>VAN HORN, Texas (AP) — Jeff Bezos blasted into space Tuesday on his rocket company’s first flight with people on board, becoming the second billionaire in just over a week to ride his own spacecraft.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tMHhXzpwupU" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>The Amazon founder was accompanied by a hand-picked group: his brother, an 18-year-old from the Netherlands and an 82-year-old aviation pioneer from Texas — the youngest and oldest to ever fly in space.Named after America’s first astronaut, Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket soared from remote West Texas on the 52nd anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, a date chosen by Bezos for its historical significance. He held fast to it, even as Virgin Galactic’s Richard Branson pushed up his own flight from New Mexico in the race for space tourist dollars and beat him to space by nine days.Unlike Branson’s piloted rocket plane, Bezos’ capsule was completely automated and required no official staff on board for the anticipated 10-minute, up-and-down flight.Blue Origin was shooting for an altitude of roughly 66 miles (106 kilometers), more than 10 miles (16 kilometers) higher than Branson’s July 11 ride. The 60-foot (18-meter) booster accelerated to Mach 3 or three times the speed of sound to get the capsule high enough, before separating and aiming for a vertical landing.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1626782551885.png" alt="Also flying Tuesday Bezos’ younger brother, Mark; Oliver Daemen, an 18-year-old from the Netherlands and Wally Funk, one of 13 female pilots who went through the same testing back in the early 1960s as NASA’s Mercury astronauts, but failed to make the cut because they were women-photo courtesy Blue Origin" />
 <figcaption>Also flying Tuesday Bezos’ younger brother, Mark; Oliver Daemen, an 18-year-old from the Netherlands and Wally Funk, one of 13 female pilots who went through the same testing back in the early 1960s as NASA’s Mercury astronauts, but failed to make the cut because they were women-photo courtesy Blue Origin</figcaption>
 </figure>The passengers were expected to get three to four minutes of weightlessness to float around the spacious white capsule. Then the window-filled capsule was going to head to a parachute touchdown on the desert floor, with Bezos and his guests briefly experiencing nearly six times the force of gravity, or 6 G’s, on the way back.Sharing Bezos’ dream-come-true adventure was Wally Funk, from the Dallas area, one of 13 female pilots who went through the same tests as NASA’s all-male astronaut corps in the early 1960s but never made it into space.Joining them on the ultimate joyride was the company’s first paying customer, Oliver Daemen, a last-minute fill-in for the mystery winner of a $28 million auction who opted for a later flight. The Dutch teen’s father took part in the auction, and agreed on a lower undisclosed price last week when Blue Origin offered his son the vacated seat.Blue Origin — founded by Bezos in 2000 in Kent, Washington, near Amazon’s Seattle headquarters — has yet to open ticket sales to the public or reveal the price. For now, it’s booking auction bidders. Two more passenger flights are planned by year’s end, said Blue Origin CEO Bob Smith.The recycled rocket and capsule that carried up Tuesday’s passengers were used on the last two space demos, according to company officials.Virgin Galactic already has more than 600 reservations at $250,000 apiece. Founded by Branson in 2004, the company has sent crew into space four times and plans two more test flights from New Mexico before launching customers next year.Blue Origin’s approach was slower and more deliberate. After 15 successful unoccupied test flights to space since 2015, Bezos finally declared it was time to put people on board. The Federal Aviation Administration agreed last week, approving the commercial space license.Bezos, 57, who also owns The Washington Post, claimed the first seat. The next went to his 50-year-old brother, Mark Bezos, an investor and volunteer firefighter, then Funk and Daemen. They spent two days together in training.University of Chicago space historian Jordan Bimm said the passenger makeup is truly remarkable. Imagine if the head of NASA decided he wanted to launch in 1961 instead of Alan Shepard on the first U.S. spaceflight, he said in an email.“That would have been unthinkable!” Bimm said. “”It shows just how much the idea of who and what space is for has changed in the last 60 years.”Bezos stepped down earlier this month as Amazon’s CEO and just last week donated $200 million to renovate the National Air and Space Museum. Most of the $28 million from the auction has been distributed to space advocacy and education groups, with the rest benefiting Blue Origin’s Club for the Future, its own education effort.Fewer than 600 people have reached the edge of space or beyond. Until Tuesday, the youngest was 25-year-old Soviet cosmonaut Gherman Titov and the oldest at 77 was Mercury-turned-shuttle astronaut John Glenn.Both Bezos and Branson want to drastically increase those overall numbers, as does SpaceX’s Elon Musk, who’s skipping brief space hops and sending his private clients straight to orbit for tens of millions apiece, with the first flight coming up in September.Despite appearances, Bezos and Branson insist they weren’t trying to outdo each other by strapping in themselves. Bezos noted this week that only one person can lay claim to being first in space: Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, who rocketed into orbit on April 12, 1961.“This isn’t a competition, this is about building a road to space so that future generations can do incredible things in space,” he said on NBC’s ”Today.”Blue Origin is working on a massive rocket, New Glenn, to put payloads and people into orbit from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The company also wants to put astronauts back on the moon with its proposed lunar lander Blue Moon; it’s challenging NASA’s sole contract award to SpaceX.------------VAN HORN, Texas (AP) — Jeff Bezos is about to soar on his space travel company’s first flight with people on board.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1626782551885.png" alt="Also flying Tuesday is Bezos’ younger brother, Mark; Oliver Daemen, an 18-year-old from the Netherlands and Wally Funk, one of 13 female pilots who went through the same testing back in the early 1960s as NASA’s Mercury astronauts, but failed to make the cut because they were women-photo courtesy Blue Origin" />
 <figcaption>Also flying Tuesday is Bezos’ younger brother, Mark; Oliver Daemen, an 18-year-old from the Netherlands and Wally Funk, one of 13 female pilots who went through the same testing back in the early 1960s as NASA’s Mercury astronauts, but failed to make the cut because they were women-photo courtesy Blue Origin</figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 8a.m. CDT, Tuesday, the founder of Blue Origin as well as Amazon will become the second billionaire to ride his own rocket. He’ll launch from West Texas with his brother, an 18-year-old from the Netherlands and an 82-year-old female aviation pioneer from Texas — the youngest and oldest to ever hurtle off the planet.Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket is set to blast off with its eclectic group of passengers on the 52nd anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.Bezos is aiming for an altitude of roughly 66 miles more than 10 miles higher than Richard Branson’s ride on July 11.The capsule is fully automated, so there’s no need for trained staff on the quick up-and-down flight, expected to last just 10 minutes. Branson’s Virgin Galactic rocket plane needs two pilots to operate.Bezos’ dream-come-true trip follows 15 successful test flights to space by New Shepard rockets since 2015, all of them unoccupied. If successful, Blue Origin plans two more passenger flights by year’s end.The company has yet to open ticket sales to the public and is filling upcoming flights with those who took part in last month’s $28 million charity auction for the fourth capsule seat. The mystery winner bowed out of Tuesday’s launch because of a scheduling conflict. That opened up the slot for Oliver Daemen, a college-bound student from the Netherlands whose father was among the unsuccessful bidders.Also flying: Bezos’ younger brother, Mark, and Wally Funk, one of 13 female pilots who went through the same testing back in the early 1960s as NASA’s Mercury astronauts, but failed to make the cut because they were women.Not everyone in the remote, desert town of Van Horn was excited about the drama unfolding 25 miles (40 kilometers) to the north.“It’s a luxury that’s going to be set aside for the wealthy,” said pizza shop owner Jesus Ramirez. He planned to watch the morning launch from his restaurant’s patio with a cup of coffee.___

🎥  World's richest man reaches space on 1st passenger flight

TORONTO (AP) — Canada announced Monday it will begin letting fully vaccinated U.S. citizens into Canada on Aug. 9, and those from the rest of the world on Sept. 7.

Officials said the 14-day quarantine requirement will be waived as of Aug. 9 for eligible travelers who are currently residing in the United States and have received a full course of a COVID-19 vaccine approved for use in Canada.

Public Safety Minister Bill Blair, who said he spoke with U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Friday, said the U.S. has not yet indicated any plan to change current restrictions at the land border. Canadians are able to fly into the United States with a negative COVID-19 test.

Asked in Washington if the U.S. would reciprocate, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said, “We are continuing to review our travel restrictions. Any decisions about resuming travel will be guided by our public health and medical experts. ... I wouldn’t look at it through a reciprocal intention.”

U.S. Democratic Congressman Brian Higgins, whose district includes Buffalo and Niagara Falls, said the U.S. has “neglected to give reopening the northern border the serious attention it deserves, and there is no excuse.”

Canadian officials also announced that children who aren’t vaccinated but are travelling with vaccinated parents won’t have to quarantine, but will have to avoid group activities including schools and daycare centers.

Transport Minister Omar Alghabra also said a ban on direct flights from India will be extended to Aug. 21 because of the delta variant. “The situation in India is still very serious,” he said.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said last week that Canada could start allowing fully vaccinated Americans into the country as of mid-August for nonessential travel and should be in a position to welcome fully vaccinated travelers from all countries by early September.

Canada leads G20 countries in vaccination rates, with approximately 80% of eligible Canadians vaccinated with their first dose and over 50% of those eligible fully vaccinated.

“This weekend, we even passed the U,S. in terms of fully vaccinated people,” Trudeau said. “Thanks to the rising vaccination rates and declining COVID-19 cases, we are able to move forward with adjusted border measures.”

Reopening to the U.S first is a “recognition of our unique bond, especially between border communities,” Trudeau said.

In the early days of the pandemic, the U.S. and Canadian governments closed the more than 5,500-mile (8,800-kilometer) border to nonessential traffic. With increasing vaccination rates and dropping infection rates, some were annoyed the two governments hadn’t laid out plans to fully reopen the border.

Canada began easing its restrictions earlier this month, allowing fully vaccinated Canadians or permanent legal residents to return Canada without quarantining. But among the requirements are a negative test for the virus before returning, and another once they get back.

Pressure has been mounting on Canada to continue to ease the restrictions at the border, which have been in effect since March 2020. Providing exemptions for travel into Canada amid the pandemic is politically sensitive and Trudeau is expected to call a federal election next month.

Canadian officials have said they would like 75% of eligible Canadian residents to be fully vaccinated before loosening border restrictions for tourists and business travelers. The Canadian government expects to have enough vaccine delivered for 80% of eligible Canadians to be fully vaccinated by the end of July. The U.S. only allowed for exports of vaccines into Canada in early May.

Commercial traffic has gone back and forth normally between the two countries since the start of the pandemic.

The U.S. Travel Association estimates that each month the border is closed costs $1.5 billion. Canadian officials say Canada had about 22 million foreign visitors in 2019 — about 15 million of them from the United States.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1626786205874.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>TORONTO (AP) — Canada announced Monday it will begin letting fully vaccinated U.S. citizens into Canada on Aug. 9, and those from the rest of the world on Sept. 7.Officials said the 14-day quarantine requirement will be waived as of Aug. 9 for eligible travelers who are currently residing in the United States and have received a full course of a COVID-19 vaccine approved for use in Canada.Public Safety Minister Bill Blair, who said he spoke with U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Friday, said the U.S. has not yet indicated any plan to change current restrictions at the land border. Canadians are able to fly into the United States with a negative COVID-19 test.Asked in Washington if the U.S. would reciprocate, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said, “We are continuing to review our travel restrictions. Any decisions about resuming travel will be guided by our public health and medical experts. ... I wouldn’t look at it through a reciprocal intention.”U.S. Democratic Congressman Brian Higgins, whose district includes Buffalo and Niagara Falls, said the U.S. has “neglected to give reopening the northern border the serious attention it deserves, and there is no excuse.”Canadian officials also announced that children who aren’t vaccinated but are travelling with vaccinated parents won’t have to quarantine, but will have to avoid group activities including schools and daycare centers.Transport Minister Omar Alghabra also said a ban on direct flights from India will be extended to Aug. 21 because of the delta variant. “The situation in India is still very serious,” he said.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said last week that Canada could start allowing fully vaccinated Americans into the country as of mid-August for nonessential travel and should be in a position to welcome fully vaccinated travelers from all countries by early September.Canada leads G20 countries in vaccination rates, with approximately 80% of eligible Canadians vaccinated with their first dose and over 50% of those eligible fully vaccinated.“This weekend, we even passed the U,S. in terms of fully vaccinated people,” Trudeau said. “Thanks to the rising vaccination rates and declining COVID-19 cases, we are able to move forward with adjusted border measures.”Reopening to the U.S first is a “recognition of our unique bond, especially between border communities,” Trudeau said.In the early days of the pandemic, the U.S. and Canadian governments closed the more than 5,500-mile (8,800-kilometer) border to nonessential traffic. With increasing vaccination rates and dropping infection rates, some were annoyed the two governments hadn’t laid out plans to fully reopen the border.Canada began easing its restrictions earlier this month, allowing fully vaccinated Canadians or permanent legal residents to return Canada without quarantining. But among the requirements are a negative test for the virus before returning, and another once they get back.Pressure has been mounting on Canada to continue to ease the restrictions at the border, which have been in effect since March 2020. Providing exemptions for travel into Canada amid the pandemic is politically sensitive and Trudeau is expected to call a federal election next month.Canadian officials have said they would like 75% of eligible Canadian residents to be fully vaccinated before loosening border restrictions for tourists and business travelers. The Canadian government expects to have enough vaccine delivered for 80% of eligible Canadians to be fully vaccinated by the end of July. The U.S. only allowed for exports of vaccines into Canada in early May.Commercial traffic has gone back and forth normally between the two countries since the start of the pandemic.The U.S. Travel Association estimates that each month the border is closed costs $1.5 billion. Canadian officials say Canada had about 22 million foreign visitors in 2019 — about 15 million of them from the United States.

Canada to let vaccinated US citizens enter country on Aug. 9

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden tempered his assessment that social media giants are “killing people” by hosting misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines on their platforms, saying Monday that he hoped they would not take it “personally” and instead would act to save lives.

While companies like Facebook defend their practices and say they’re helping people around the world access verified information about the shots, the White House says they haven’t done enough to stop misinformation that has helped slow the pace of new vaccinations in the U.S. to a trickle. It comes as the U.S. sees a rise in virus cases and deaths among those who haven’t gotten a shot, in what officials call an emerging “pandemic of the unvaccinated.”

Speaking at the White House, Biden insisted he meant “precisely what I said”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-health-media-social-media-73ca875f1d1c04bc69108607d8499e3c">when he said Friday of the tech giants that “they’re killing people.”</a>&nbsp;But he said the point of his rhetoric was to ramp up pressure on the companies to take action.

“My hope is that Facebook, instead of taking it personally that somehow I’m saying ‘Facebook is killing people,’ that they would do something about the misinformation,” Biden said.

Biden’s comments come as the White House has struggled to counteract resistance to getting a shot, particularly among younger and more Republican demographics. Fewer than 400,000 Americans are getting their first vaccine dose each day — down from a high of more than 2 million per day in April. More than 90 million eligible people have not received a dose.

The administration has increasingly seized on false or misleading information about the safety and efficacy of the vaccines as a driver of that hesitance. It has referenced a study by the Center for Countering Digital Hate, a nonprofit that studies extremism, that linked a dozen accounts to spreading the majority of vaccine disinformation on Facebook.

“Facebook isn’t killing people. These 12 people are out there giving misinformation, anyone listening to it is getting hurt by it, it’s killing people,” Biden said. “It’s bad information.”

“I’m not trying to hold people accountable. I’m trying to make people look at themselves, look in the mirror,” Biden said, adding, “Think about that misinformation going to your son, your daughter, your relative.”

In the view of the administration, chastising the social media companies — who have come under mounting scrutiny in Washington over not just disinformation, but also antitrust and privacy practices — is a proxy for criticizing the originators of disinformation themselves. To avoid amplifying falsehoods, the White House has generally sought to avoid engaging directly with those spreading misinformation.

Last week, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared misinformation about the vaccines a deadly threat to public health.

“Misinformation poses an imminent and insidious threat to our nation’s health,” Murthy said during remarks Thursday at the White House. “We must confront misinformation as a nation. Lives are depending on it.”

Murthy said technology companies and social media platforms must make meaningful changes to their products and software to reduce the spread of false information while increasing access to authoritative, fact-based sources.

Too often, he said, the platforms are built in ways that encourage the spread of misinformation.

“We are asking them to step up,” Murthy said. “We can’t wait longer for them to take aggressive action.”

Facebook on Friday responded to Biden’s attack, with spokesperson Kevin McAlister saying, “The facts show that Facebook is helping save lives. Period.”

The company also released a blog post saying its internal research showed it was not responsible for Biden’s missed vaccination goal. “The data shows that 85% of Facebook users in the US have been or want to be vaccinated against COVID-19. President Biden’s goal was for 70% of Americans to be vaccinated by July 4. Facebook is not the reason this goal was missed.”

Brendan Nyhan, a professor of government at Dartmouth College who focuses on politics and health care, said Facebook “should absolutely be held accountable for allowing vaccine misinformation to spread.”

“With that said, we should be careful about assuming that the circulation of misinformation online is a cause of hesitancy rather than a consequence,” he added.

“It’s very difficult to show the relationship between misinformation on social media and vaccine hesitancy directly. We don’t have good measures of what people see on social media or any ability to link it to their vaccination behavior. And even if we see correlations in the data, these could be spurious rather than causal — people who aren’t going to get vaccinated are presumably more likely to be exposed to negative and false information about the vaccine.”

That said, Nyhan added that there is some evidence that exposure to misinformation can reduce a person’s intention to vaccinate immediately after viewing the misinformation.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki insisted Monday: “We’re not in a war or battle against Facebook — we’re in a battle with the virus.” But she ramped up pressure on the companies to share information on how many Americans are exposed to misinformation on their platforms and how their secretive and powerful algorithms promote false content to users.

“Do you have access to information from these platforms as to who is receiving misinformation?” she asked. “I don’t think that information has been released. Do you know how the algorithms are working at any of these platforms? I don’t think that information has been released.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1626736817021.png" alt="President Biden turns to answer a question during Monday's news conference and said,“My hope is that Facebook, instead of taking it personally that somehow I’m saying ‘Facebook is killing people,’ that they would do something about the misinformation."-photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>President Biden turns to answer a question during Monday's news conference and said,“My hope is that Facebook, instead of taking it personally that somehow I’m saying ‘Facebook is killing people,’ that they would do something about the misinformation."-photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden tempered his assessment that social media giants are “killing people” by hosting misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines on their platforms, saying Monday that he hoped they would not take it “personally” and instead would act to save lives.While companies like Facebook defend their practices and say they’re helping people around the world access verified information about the shots, the White House says they haven’t done enough to stop misinformation that has helped slow the pace of new vaccinations in the U.S. to a trickle. It comes as the U.S. sees a rise in virus cases and deaths among those who haven’t gotten a shot, in what officials call an emerging “pandemic of the unvaccinated.”Speaking at the White House, Biden insisted he meant “precisely what I said”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-health-media-social-media-73ca875f1d1c04bc69108607d8499e3c">when he said Friday of the tech giants that “they’re killing people.”</a>&nbsp;But he said the point of his rhetoric was to ramp up pressure on the companies to take action.“My hope is that Facebook, instead of taking it personally that somehow I’m saying ‘Facebook is killing people,’ that they would do something about the misinformation,” Biden said.Biden’s comments come as the White House has struggled to counteract resistance to getting a shot, particularly among younger and more Republican demographics. Fewer than 400,000 Americans are getting their first vaccine dose each day — down from a high of more than 2 million per day in April. More than 90 million eligible people have not received a dose.The administration has increasingly seized on false or misleading information about the safety and efficacy of the vaccines as a driver of that hesitance. It has referenced a study by the Center for Countering Digital Hate, a nonprofit that studies extremism, that linked a dozen accounts to spreading the majority of vaccine disinformation on Facebook.“Facebook isn’t killing people. These 12 people are out there giving misinformation, anyone listening to it is getting hurt by it, it’s killing people,” Biden said. “It’s bad information.”“I’m not trying to hold people accountable. I’m trying to make people look at themselves, look in the mirror,” Biden said, adding, “Think about that misinformation going to your son, your daughter, your relative.”In the view of the administration, chastising the social media companies — who have come under mounting scrutiny in Washington over not just disinformation, but also antitrust and privacy practices — is a proxy for criticizing the originators of disinformation themselves. To avoid amplifying falsehoods, the White House has generally sought to avoid engaging directly with those spreading misinformation.Last week, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared misinformation about the vaccines a deadly threat to public health.“Misinformation poses an imminent and insidious threat to our nation’s health,” Murthy said during remarks Thursday at the White House. “We must confront misinformation as a nation. Lives are depending on it.”Murthy said technology companies and social media platforms must make meaningful changes to their products and software to reduce the spread of false information while increasing access to authoritative, fact-based sources.Too often, he said, the platforms are built in ways that encourage the spread of misinformation.“We are asking them to step up,” Murthy said. “We can’t wait longer for them to take aggressive action.”Facebook on Friday responded to Biden’s attack, with spokesperson Kevin McAlister saying, “The facts show that Facebook is helping save lives. Period.”The company also released a blog post saying its internal research showed it was not responsible for Biden’s missed vaccination goal. “The data shows that 85% of Facebook users in the US have been or want to be vaccinated against COVID-19. President Biden’s goal was for 70% of Americans to be vaccinated by July 4. Facebook is not the reason this goal was missed.”Brendan Nyhan, a professor of government at Dartmouth College who focuses on politics and health care, said Facebook “should absolutely be held accountable for allowing vaccine misinformation to spread.”“With that said, we should be careful about assuming that the circulation of misinformation online is a cause of hesitancy rather than a consequence,” he added.“It’s very difficult to show the relationship between misinformation on social media and vaccine hesitancy directly. We don’t have good measures of what people see on social media or any ability to link it to their vaccination behavior. And even if we see correlations in the data, these could be spurious rather than causal — people who aren’t going to get vaccinated are presumably more likely to be exposed to negative and false information about the vaccine.”That said, Nyhan added that there is some evidence that exposure to misinformation can reduce a person’s intention to vaccinate immediately after viewing the misinformation.White House press secretary Jen Psaki insisted Monday: “We’re not in a war or battle against Facebook — we’re in a battle with the virus.” But she ramped up pressure on the companies to share information on how many Americans are exposed to misinformation on their platforms and how their secretive and powerful algorithms promote false content to users.“Do you have access to information from these platforms as to who is receiving misinformation?” she asked. “I don’t think that information has been released. Do you know how the algorithms are working at any of these platforms? I don’t think that information has been released.”

Biden on social media 'killing people' with vaccine misinformation

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Robert E. “Robby” Steinhardt, a violinist and vocalist with the progressive rock band Kansas, has died due to complications from pancreatitis. He was 71.

His wife, Cindy Steinhardt, said he died Saturday at a hospital in Tampa, Florida. She announced on Facebook Monday that he had just recorded his first solo album, and had been looking forward to being back on stage and going on tour.

Steinhardt, a native of Lawrence, Kansas, was an original member of the band, teaming up with Topeka West High School graduates Kerry Livgren, Rich Williams, Phil Ehart and Dave Hope and with Steve Walsh, who grew up in St. Joseph, Missouri. Steinhardt performed with Kansas from 1973 to 1982 and 1997 to 2006, the Topeka Capital-Journal&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/2021/07/19/robby-steinhardt-former-kansas-band-singer-violinist-dead-complications-pancreatitis/8013244002/" target="_blank">reported</a>.

The band sold more than 15 million records and notched up seven top 40 hits, including “Dust in the Wind” and “Carry on Wayward Son.”

The band, which now makes its home in Atlanta, continues to perform with Williams and Ehart as the only original remaining members.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Robert E. “Robby” Steinhardt, a violinist and vocalist with the progressive rock band Kansas, has died due to complications from pancreatitis. He was 71.His wife, Cindy Steinhardt, said he died Saturday at a hospital in Tampa, Florida. She announced on Facebook Monday that he had just recorded his first solo album, and had been looking forward to being back on stage and going on tour.Steinhardt, a native of Lawrence, Kansas, was an original member of the band, teaming up with Topeka West High School graduates Kerry Livgren, Rich Williams, Phil Ehart and Dave Hope and with Steve Walsh, who grew up in St. Joseph, Missouri. Steinhardt performed with Kansas from 1973 to 1982 and 1997 to 2006, the Topeka Capital-Journal&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/2021/07/19/robby-steinhardt-former-kansas-band-singer-violinist-dead-complications-pancreatitis/8013244002/" target="_blank">reported</a>.The band sold more than 15 million records and notched up seven top 40 hits, including “Dust in the Wind” and “Carry on Wayward Son.”The band, which now makes its home in Atlanta, continues to perform with Williams and Ehart as the only original remaining members.

'Kansas' rock violinist, singer Robby Steinhardt, dies at 71

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The South Dakota Department of Education has succeeded in its second attempt to get legislators to approve rules for allowing medical marijuana in public schools. 

The Board of Education struck language that would have made the rules apply to private schools after the Legislature’s Rules Review Committee last month rejected its first rules proposal. 

The state government has been tasked with setting up a medical marijuana program under a law voters passed last year. 

But the program has seen a clunky rollout at times.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The South Dakota Department of Education has succeeded in its second attempt to get legislators to approve rules for allowing medical marijuana in public schools. The Board of Education struck language that would have made the rules apply to private schools after the Legislature’s Rules Review Committee last month rejected its first rules proposal. The state government has been tasked with setting up a medical marijuana program under a law voters passed last year. But the program has seen a clunky rollout at times.

SD Lawmakers approve rules for medical marijuana in public schools

COLUMBUS, Neb. (AP) — Authorities in eastern Nebraska say a man who died on U.S. Highway 30 near Columbus had been hit by three vehicles.

 The Platte County Sheriff's Office said the fatal accident happened around 11 p.m. Saturday about 12 miles southwest of Columbus. 

The Omaha World-Herald reports investigators determined that 41-year-old Antonio Esquivel Rivas, of Shelby, was standing in the highway when he was hit by a westbound pickup truck. 

Investigators say Rivas was then hit by two eastbound vehicles — a tow truck and another pickup truck. Rivas was declared dead at the scene. 

No other injuries were reported, and authorities did not immediately report issuing any citations. 

Rivas' death remains under investigation.

COLUMBUS, Neb. (AP) — Authorities in eastern Nebraska say a man who died on U.S. Highway 30 near Columbus had been hit by three vehicles. The Platte County Sheriff's Office said the fatal accident happened around 11 p.m. Saturday about 12 miles southwest of Columbus. The Omaha World-Herald reports investigators determined that 41-year-old Antonio Esquivel Rivas, of Shelby, was standing in the highway when he was hit by a westbound pickup truck. Investigators say Rivas was then hit by two eastbound vehicles — a tow truck and another pickup truck. Rivas was declared dead at the scene. No other injuries were reported, and authorities did not immediately report issuing any citations. Rivas' death remains under investigation.

Man found dead had been hit by 3 vehicles

WASHINGTON (AP) — A proposal to strengthen IRS enforcement to crack down on tax scofflaws and help fund a nearly $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure spending bill is officially off the table,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/d6c12b4a41608e5c6e8c1e275e451732">Republican Sen. Rob Portman</a>&nbsp;said Sunday.

Portman, who is involved in negotiating the bill, cited “pushback” from fellow Republican lawmakers who dislike the idea of expanding the reach of the IRS, which they have accused over the years of unfairly targeting conservatives. He said another reason the IRS provision was shelved is that Democrats are including a more robust enforcement plan in a separate $3.5 trillion infrastructure bill that they intend to pass through the Senate using special budget rules and without Republican votes.

“That created quite a problem because the general agreement is that this is the bipartisan, negotiated infrastructure package and that we will stick with that,” the Ohio senator said on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2021/07/18/rob-portman-irs-enforcement-infrastructure-bill-sot-vpx-sotu.cnn" target="_blank">CNN’s “State of the Union.”</a>

Portman’s announcement that the IRS provision had been removed underscores the difficulty facing the bipartisan group of Republican and Democratic senators in finding mutually agreeable ways to pay for billions of dollars of new spending their White House-backed plan calls for.

Portman said meetings were planned Sunday to discuss alternatives to the IRS provision, which had been estimated to bring in an estimated $100 billion over 10 years. The proposal to go after taxpayers who skip out on income taxes initially had potential bipartisan appeal, but outside groups came forward to lambaste it as a way to enable the IRS to snoop around Americans’ personal finances.

IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig said at a congressional hearing in April that the national gap between federal taxes owed and actually collected is about $1 trillion annually, more than double what official government estimates have previously indicated.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is pressuring lawmakers to reach agreement this week on the pair of massive domestic spending measures, signaling Democrats’ desire to push ahead aggressively on President Joe Biden’s multitrillion-dollar agenda.

Schumer, D-N.Y., said last week that he is scheduling a procedural vote for Wednesday to begin debate on the still-evolving bipartisan infrastructure bill. Senators from both parties, bargaining for weeks, have struggled to reach final agreement on a $1 trillion package of highway, water systems and other public works projects.

Portman on Sunday called that an “arbitrary deadline” and one that was premature given that senators haven’t even agreed on details of the “complex” bill yet.

“We want to get it right. It’s not too much to ask that we have time to do that,” Portman said. “We ought not to have an arbitrary deadline forcing this process.”

Schumer said he also wanted Democratic senators to reach agreement among themselves by Wednesday on the specific details of a separate 10-year budget blueprint that envisions $3.5 trillion in spending for climate change, education, an expansion of Medicare and more.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1626283910947.png" alt="Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is pressuring lawmakers to reach agreement this week on the pair of massive domestic spending measures, signaling Democrats’ desire to push ahead aggressively on President Joe Biden’s multitrillion-dollar agenda-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is pressuring lawmakers to reach agreement this week on the pair of massive domestic spending measures, signaling Democrats’ desire to push ahead aggressively on President Joe Biden’s multitrillion-dollar agenda-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A proposal to strengthen IRS enforcement to crack down on tax scofflaws and help fund a nearly $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure spending bill is officially off the table,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/d6c12b4a41608e5c6e8c1e275e451732">Republican Sen. Rob Portman</a>&nbsp;said Sunday.Portman, who is involved in negotiating the bill, cited “pushback” from fellow Republican lawmakers who dislike the idea of expanding the reach of the IRS, which they have accused over the years of unfairly targeting conservatives. He said another reason the IRS provision was shelved is that Democrats are including a more robust enforcement plan in a separate $3.5 trillion infrastructure bill that they intend to pass through the Senate using special budget rules and without Republican votes.“That created quite a problem because the general agreement is that this is the bipartisan, negotiated infrastructure package and that we will stick with that,” the Ohio senator said on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2021/07/18/rob-portman-irs-enforcement-infrastructure-bill-sot-vpx-sotu.cnn" target="_blank">CNN’s “State of the Union.”</a>Portman’s announcement that the IRS provision had been removed underscores the difficulty facing the bipartisan group of Republican and Democratic senators in finding mutually agreeable ways to pay for billions of dollars of new spending their White House-backed plan calls for.Portman said meetings were planned Sunday to discuss alternatives to the IRS provision, which had been estimated to bring in an estimated $100 billion over 10 years. The proposal to go after taxpayers who skip out on income taxes initially had potential bipartisan appeal, but outside groups came forward to lambaste it as a way to enable the IRS to snoop around Americans’ personal finances.IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig said at a congressional hearing in April that the national gap between federal taxes owed and actually collected is about $1 trillion annually, more than double what official government estimates have previously indicated.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is pressuring lawmakers to reach agreement this week on the pair of massive domestic spending measures, signaling Democrats’ desire to push ahead aggressively on President Joe Biden’s multitrillion-dollar agenda.Schumer, D-N.Y., said last week that he is scheduling a procedural vote for Wednesday to begin debate on the still-evolving bipartisan infrastructure bill. Senators from both parties, bargaining for weeks, have struggled to reach final agreement on a $1 trillion package of highway, water systems and other public works projects.Portman on Sunday called that an “arbitrary deadline” and one that was premature given that senators haven’t even agreed on details of the “complex” bill yet.“We want to get it right. It’s not too much to ask that we have time to do that,” Portman said. “We ought not to have an arbitrary deadline forcing this process.”Schumer said he also wanted Democratic senators to reach agreement among themselves by Wednesday on the specific details of a separate 10-year budget blueprint that envisions $3.5 trillion in spending for climate change, education, an expansion of Medicare and more.

Proposal to strengthen IRS enforcement cut from spending bill

JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) — A 31-year-old physical therapist has completed a very long journey by rollerblade.

 Dusty Campbell rollerbladed from Jackson, Wyoming, to Salt Lake City, on Independence Day. 

The Jackson Hole News &amp; Guide reports Campbell finished the 287-mile trip in 47 hours, stopping for just a few quick naps along the way. 

The effort raised $15,200 for the Wounded Warrior Project, a nonprofit that helps veterans recover from mental and physical injuries. 

Campbell says for him, there's “no greater cause.”

 As a physical therapist, Campbell is well-connected to a community of athletes in Salt Lake City but says most of them thought he was crazy.

JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) — A 31-year-old physical therapist has completed a very long journey by rollerblade. Dusty Campbell rollerbladed from Jackson, Wyoming, to Salt Lake City, on Independence Day. The Jackson Hole News &amp; Guide reports Campbell finished the 287-mile trip in 47 hours, stopping for just a few quick naps along the way. The effort raised $15,200 for the Wounded Warrior Project, a nonprofit that helps veterans recover from mental and physical injuries. Campbell says for him, there's “no greater cause.” As a physical therapist, Campbell is well-connected to a community of athletes in Salt Lake City but says most of them thought he was crazy.

Man rollerblades from Jackson, WY to Salt Lake City for charity

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration on Monday blamed China for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-politics-national-security-hacking-email-4813d462835dcf54cd1397adb94d468b">a hack of Microsoft Exchange email server software</a>&nbsp;that compromised tens of thousands of computers around the world earlier this year.

The administration and allied nations also disclosed a broad range of other cyberthreats from Beijing, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-joe-biden-europe-business-government-and-politics-cd21d84b5fd070421f871610b40e91d0">ransomware attacks</a>&nbsp;from government-affiliated hackers that have targeted companies with demands for millions of dollars. China’s Ministry of State Security has been using criminal contract hackers, who have engaged in cyber extortion schemes and theft for their own profit, according to a senior administration official. That official briefed reporters about the investigation on the condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, the Justice Department on Monday announced charges against four Chinese nationals who prosecutors said were working with the Ministry of State Security in a hacking campaign that targeted dozens of computer systems, including companies, universities and government entities.

The announcements highlighted the ongoing cyberthreat posed by Chinese government hackers even as the administration has been consumed with trying to curb&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-europe-russia-hacking-business-b4ee1835a2368aa27cb4321a47bbbcf6">ransomware attacks from Russia-based syndicates</a>&nbsp;that have targeted critical infrastructure, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ga-state-wire-business-c6ef4314af911fb58b8445d2b121e82d">a massive fuel pipeline</a>. Even though the finger-pointing was not accompanied by any sanctions of Beijing, a senior administration official who disclosed the actions to reporters said that the U.S. has confronted senior Chinese officials and that the White House regards the multination public shaming as sending an importance message.

That hackers affiliated with the Ministry of State Security carried out a ransomware attack was surprising and concerning to the U.S. government, the senior administration official said. But the attack, in which an unidentified American company received a high-dollar ransom demand, also gave U.S. officials new insight into what the official said was “the kind of aggressive behavior that we’re seeing coming out of China.”

The European Union and Britain also pointed the finger at China. The EU said malicious cyber activities with “significant effects” that targeted government institutions, political organizations and key industries in the bloc’s 27 member states could be linked to Chinese hacking groups.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/news/uk-allies-hold-chinese-state-responsible-for-pervasive-pattern-of-hacking" target="_blank">The U.K.’s National Cyber Security Centre</a>&nbsp;said the groups targeted maritime industries and naval defense contractors in the U.S. and Europe and the Finnish parliament.

<a href="https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2021/07/19/declaration-by-the-high-representative-on-behalf-of-the-eu-urging-china-to-take-action-against-malicious-cyber-activities-undertaken-from-its-territory/?utm_source=dsms-auto&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=Declaration+by+the+High+Representative+on+behalf+of+the+EU%3a+urging+China+to+take+action+against+malicious+cyber+activities+undertaken+from+its+territory" target="_blank">In a statement</a>, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the hacking was “conducted from the territory of China for the purpose of intellectual property theft and espionage.”

The Microsoft Exchange cyberattack “by Chinese state-backed groups was a reckless but familiar pattern of behaviour,” U.K. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said.

The majority of the most damaging and high-profile recent ransomware attacks have involved Russian criminal gangs. Though the U.S. has sometimes seen connections between Russian intelligence agencies and individual hackers, the use of criminal contract hackers by the Chinese government “to conduct unsanctioned cyber operations globally is distinct,” the official said.

The Microsoft Exchange hack was first identified in January and was rapidly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-email-89a61f711e14e51dc9f5b74ffe9c2ebf">attributed to Chinese cyber spies</a>&nbsp;by private sector groups. An administration official said the government’s attribution to hackers affiliated with China’s Ministry of State Security took until now in part because of the discovery of the ransomware and for-profit hacking operations and because the administration wanted to pair the announcement with guidance for businesses about tactics that the Chinese have been using.

An advisory Monday from the FBI, the National Security Agency and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency laid out specific techniques and ways that government agencies and businesses can protect themselves.

The White House also wanted to line up an international coalition of allies to call out China, according to the official, who said it was the first time NATO had condemned Beijing’s hacking operations.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, asked about the Microsoft Exchange hack, has previously said that China “firmly opposes and combats cyber attacks and cyber theft in all forms” and cautioned that attribution of cyberattacks should be based on evidence and not “groundless accusations.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration on Monday blamed China for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-politics-national-security-hacking-email-4813d462835dcf54cd1397adb94d468b">a hack of Microsoft Exchange email server software</a>&nbsp;that compromised tens of thousands of computers around the world earlier this year.The administration and allied nations also disclosed a broad range of other cyberthreats from Beijing, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-joe-biden-europe-business-government-and-politics-cd21d84b5fd070421f871610b40e91d0">ransomware attacks</a>&nbsp;from government-affiliated hackers that have targeted companies with demands for millions of dollars. China’s Ministry of State Security has been using criminal contract hackers, who have engaged in cyber extortion schemes and theft for their own profit, according to a senior administration official. That official briefed reporters about the investigation on the condition of anonymity.Meanwhile, the Justice Department on Monday announced charges against four Chinese nationals who prosecutors said were working with the Ministry of State Security in a hacking campaign that targeted dozens of computer systems, including companies, universities and government entities.The announcements highlighted the ongoing cyberthreat posed by Chinese government hackers even as the administration has been consumed with trying to curb&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-europe-russia-hacking-business-b4ee1835a2368aa27cb4321a47bbbcf6">ransomware attacks from Russia-based syndicates</a>&nbsp;that have targeted critical infrastructure, including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ga-state-wire-business-c6ef4314af911fb58b8445d2b121e82d">a massive fuel pipeline</a>. Even though the finger-pointing was not accompanied by any sanctions of Beijing, a senior administration official who disclosed the actions to reporters said that the U.S. has confronted senior Chinese officials and that the White House regards the multination public shaming as sending an importance message.That hackers affiliated with the Ministry of State Security carried out a ransomware attack was surprising and concerning to the U.S. government, the senior administration official said. But the attack, in which an unidentified American company received a high-dollar ransom demand, also gave U.S. officials new insight into what the official said was “the kind of aggressive behavior that we’re seeing coming out of China.”The European Union and Britain also pointed the finger at China. The EU said malicious cyber activities with “significant effects” that targeted government institutions, political organizations and key industries in the bloc’s 27 member states could be linked to Chinese hacking groups.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/news/uk-allies-hold-chinese-state-responsible-for-pervasive-pattern-of-hacking" target="_blank">The U.K.’s National Cyber Security Centre</a>&nbsp;said the groups targeted maritime industries and naval defense contractors in the U.S. and Europe and the Finnish parliament.<a href="https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2021/07/19/declaration-by-the-high-representative-on-behalf-of-the-eu-urging-china-to-take-action-against-malicious-cyber-activities-undertaken-from-its-territory/?utm_source=dsms-auto&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=Declaration+by+the+High+Representative+on+behalf+of+the+EU%3a+urging+China+to+take+action+against+malicious+cyber+activities+undertaken+from+its+territory" target="_blank">In a statement</a>, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the hacking was “conducted from the territory of China for the purpose of intellectual property theft and espionage.”The Microsoft Exchange cyberattack “by Chinese state-backed groups was a reckless but familiar pattern of behaviour,” U.K. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said.The majority of the most damaging and high-profile recent ransomware attacks have involved Russian criminal gangs. Though the U.S. has sometimes seen connections between Russian intelligence agencies and individual hackers, the use of criminal contract hackers by the Chinese government “to conduct unsanctioned cyber operations globally is distinct,” the official said.The Microsoft Exchange hack was first identified in January and was rapidly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-email-89a61f711e14e51dc9f5b74ffe9c2ebf">attributed to Chinese cyber spies</a>&nbsp;by private sector groups. An administration official said the government’s attribution to hackers affiliated with China’s Ministry of State Security took until now in part because of the discovery of the ransomware and for-profit hacking operations and because the administration wanted to pair the announcement with guidance for businesses about tactics that the Chinese have been using.An advisory Monday from the FBI, the National Security Agency and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency laid out specific techniques and ways that government agencies and businesses can protect themselves.The White House also wanted to line up an international coalition of allies to call out China, according to the official, who said it was the first time NATO had condemned Beijing’s hacking operations.A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, asked about the Microsoft Exchange hack, has previously said that China “firmly opposes and combats cyber attacks and cyber theft in all forms” and cautioned that attribution of cyberattacks should be based on evidence and not “groundless accusations.”___

US blames China for Microsoft Exchange email hack

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Four endangered indigo snakes are the newest babies at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo &amp; Aquarium, marking a first-time birth of the species at the zoo. 

The Omaha World-Herald reports that the snakes made their appearance Wednesday and Thursday.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Four endangered indigo snakes are the newest babies at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo &amp; Aquarium, marking a first-time birth of the species at the zoo. The Omaha World-Herald reports that the snakes made their appearance Wednesday and Thursday. Eastern indigos are native to the southeastern U.S. and are considered the largest non-venomous snake in the country. Some reach up to 8½ feet in length. Once they are able to feed on their own, the snakes will be moved to a habitat visible to the public.