WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans hoping to travel abroad this summer may have to delay their plans if they need new or renewed passports.

The State Department said Wednesday that the wait for a passport is now between 12 weeks and 18 weeks, even if you pay for expedited processing. That’s because of ripple effects from the coronavirus pandemic that caused extreme disruptions to the process at domestic issuance facilities and overseas embassies and consulates.

A department official says a backlog of 1.5 million to 2 million passport requests means that applications submitted now probably will not be processed until the fall.

Rachel Arndt, deputy assistant secretary of state for passport services, said the department is increasing COVID-19-reduced staffing throughout the United States as pandemic restrictions are eased. But she said Americans needing to apply for or renew a passport should do so at least six months ahead of when they plan to travel.

“We really encourage folks to apply for or renew their passport at least six months ahead of when you’ll need one to avoid any of those last-minute problems,” she told reporters.

The State Department and Department of Homeland Security have already taken steps&nbsp;to ease issues related to Americans abroad with expired passports who are seeking to return home.

The departments announced in May that U.S. citizens who are currently overseas and whose passports expired on or after Jan. 1, 2020, would be able to use their documents to reenter the United States until Dec. 31, 2021. That provision does not apply to travel between third countries unless it is a transit stop.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1626352739126.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans hoping to travel abroad this summer may have to delay their plans if they need new or renewed passports.The State Department said Wednesday that the wait for a passport is now between 12 weeks and 18 weeks, even if you pay for expedited processing. That’s because of ripple effects from the coronavirus pandemic that caused extreme disruptions to the process at domestic issuance facilities and overseas embassies and consulates.A department official says a backlog of 1.5 million to 2 million passport requests means that applications submitted now probably will not be processed until the fall.Rachel Arndt, deputy assistant secretary of state for passport services, said the department is increasing COVID-19-reduced staffing throughout the United States as pandemic restrictions are eased. But she said Americans needing to apply for or renew a passport should do so at least six months ahead of when they plan to travel.“We really encourage folks to apply for or renew their passport at least six months ahead of when you’ll need one to avoid any of those last-minute problems,” she told reporters.The State Department and Department of Homeland Security have already taken steps&nbsp;to ease issues related to Americans abroad with expired passports who are seeking to return home.The departments announced in May that U.S. citizens who are currently overseas and whose passports expired on or after Jan. 1, 2020, would be able to use their documents to reenter the United States until Dec. 31, 2021. That provision does not apply to travel between third countries unless it is a transit stop.

Going abroad? US government says passport waits top 3 months

WASHINGTON (AP) —The Biden administration is beginning to distribute&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-joe-biden-business-health-government-and-politics-24023ed3ffba98e4a65dd6006518da7a">expanded child tax credit payments</a>, giving parents on average $423 this month, with payments continuing through the end of the year.

President Joe Biden increased the size of the tax credit as part of his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, as well as making it fully available to families without any tax obligations. The benefit is set to expire after a year, but Biden is pushing for it to be extended through 2025 and ultimately made permanent.

A closer look at how the payments work and who can receive them:

The credit is $3,600 annually for children under age 6 and $3,000 for children ages 6 to 17. But six months of payments will be advanced on a monthly basis through the end of the year. This means eligible families will receive $300 monthly for each child under 6 and $250 per child older than that.

This is a change from last year, when the credit totaled $2,000 per child. Families who did not owe the government income taxes were also unable to claim the credit, a restriction that Biden and Congress lifted.

The payments begin to phase out at incomes of $75,000 for individuals, $112,500 for heads of household and $150,000 for married couples. Higher-income families with incomes of $200,000 for individuals and $400,000 for married couples can still receive the previous $2,000 credit.

If you filed taxes and the IRS already has your bank account information, the payments should be deposited directly into your account on the 15th of each month. The Treasury Department estimates that 35.2 million families will receive payments in July. But even if you haven’t filed taxes in 2019 or 2020, you might still be eligible for the credit and can apply here:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/child-tax-credit-non-filer-sign-up-tool" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/child-tax-credit-non-filer-sign-up-tool" target="_blank">https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/child-tax-credit-non-filer-sign-up-tool</a>.

Advocates say the monthly payments can help smooth out an impoverished family’s income, making it easier for them to budget and less dependent on high-interest lenders.

Yes. Some people are used to the child tax credit enabling them to get a refund on their taxes. They might not want the monthly advance and about 1 million people have opted out, according to administration officials. <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/child-tax-credit-update-portal">Click here to unenroll</a> in the program.

WASHINGTON (AP) —The Biden administration is beginning to distribute&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-joe-biden-business-health-government-and-politics-24023ed3ffba98e4a65dd6006518da7a">expanded child tax credit payments</a>, giving parents on average $423 this month, with payments continuing through the end of the year.President Joe Biden increased the size of the tax credit as part of his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, as well as making it fully available to families without any tax obligations. The benefit is set to expire after a year, but Biden is pushing for it to be extended through 2025 and ultimately made permanent.A closer look at how the payments work and who can receive them:HOW BIG ARE THE CREDITS?The credit is $3,600 annually for children under age 6 and $3,000 for children ages 6 to 17. But six months of payments will be advanced on a monthly basis through the end of the year. This means eligible families will receive $300 monthly for each child under 6 and $250 per child older than that.This is a change from last year, when the credit totaled $2,000 per child. Families who did not owe the government income taxes were also unable to claim the credit, a restriction that Biden and Congress lifted.ARE THERE LIMITS ON WHO CAN QUALIFY?The payments begin to phase out at incomes of $75,000 for individuals, $112,500 for heads of household and $150,000 for married couples. Higher-income families with incomes of $200,000 for individuals and $400,000 for married couples can still receive the previous $2,000 credit.HOW CAN YOU APPLY?If you filed taxes and the IRS already has your bank account information, the payments should be deposited directly into your account on the 15th of each month. The Treasury Department estimates that 35.2 million families will receive payments in July. But even if you haven’t filed taxes in 2019 or 2020, you might still be eligible for the credit and can apply here:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/child-tax-credit-non-filer-sign-up-tool" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/child-tax-credit-non-filer-sign-up-tool" target="_blank">https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/child-tax-credit-non-filer-sign-up-tool</a>.WHY ARE THE PAYMENTS MONTHLYAdvocates say the monthly payments can help smooth out an impoverished family’s income, making it easier for them to budget and less dependent on high-interest lenders.CAN THE MONTHLY PAYMENTS BE STOPPED?Yes. Some people are used to the child tax credit enabling them to get a refund on their taxes. They might not want the monthly advance and about 1 million people have opted out, according to administration officials. <a href="https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/child-tax-credit-update-portal">Click here to unenroll</a> in the program.

Payday: How the expanded child tax credit payments work

Agency charged the company with deceiving loan applicants about hidden fees

Online lender<a href="https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/x180028_-_lendingclub_corporation_-_stipulated_order_for_permanent_injunction_and_judgment.pdf"> LendingClub Corporation agreed to pay</a>
 $18 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that the company
 deceived consumers about hidden fees that it charged and about whether 
their loan applications were approved.

In
 addition, the settlement bars LendingClub from making 
misrepresentations to loan applicants and requires that the company 
clearly and conspicuously disclose the amount of any prepaid, up-front, 
or origination fee and the total amount of funds that borrowers will 
receive.

“Companies that profit by 
preying on consumers don’t just harm the families they cheated — they 
also harm their competitors that play by the rules. LendingClub fleeced 
consumers looking for a loan online, and will pay $18 million for its 
alleged misconduct,” said Samuel Levine, Acting Director of the FTC’s 
Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Moving forward, when it comes to 
misconduct in the financial services arena, the FTC will bring joint 
actions with state and federal partners to seek penalties that deter 
wrongdoing market-wide, before it can harm consumers.”

The FTC <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2018/04/ftc-charges-lending-club-deceiving-consumers-0">sued LendingClub in April 2018</a>,
 charging that the company falsely promised loan applicants that they 
would receive a specific loan amount with “no hidden fees,” when in 
reality the company deducted hundreds or even thousands of dollars in 
hidden up-front fees from the loans. The FTC also alleged that 
LendingClub told consumers they were approved for loans when they were 
not, and took money from consumers’ bank accounts without authorization.

In
 an earlier ruling, the court found that LendingClub falsely told loan 
applicants that their loans were “on the way” and “100% Backed” while 
knowing that many of them would never get a loan. And according to <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/lending_club_complaint.pdf">the FTC’s complaint</a>,
 the company also withdrew double payments from consumers’ accounts and 
charged those who cancelled automatic payments or paid off their loan, 
which led to overdraft fees and prevented borrowers from making other 
payments.

The Commission vote approving the stipulated
 final order was 4-0-1, with Chair Khan not participating. It was filed 
in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, San 
Francisco Division.

NOTE: Stipulated final orders or injunctions, etc. have the force of law when approved and signed by the District Court judge.

The Federal Trade Commission works to promote competition and to <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/bureaus-offices/bureau-consumer-protection">protect and educate consumers</a>. You can <a href="https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/">learn more about consumer topics</a> and report scams, fraud, and bad business practices online at <a href="https://reportfraud.ftc.gov">ReportFraud.ftc.gov</a>. Like the FTC on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/federaltradecommission">Facebook(link is external)</a>, follow us on <a href="https://twitter.com/FTC">Twitter(link is external)</a>, get <a href="http://ftc.gov/subscribe">consumer alerts</a>, read our <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs">blogs</a>, and <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/stay-connected">subscribe to press releases</a> for the latest FTC news and resources.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619632629588.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Agency charged the company with deceiving loan applicants about hidden fees</h2>FTCOnline lender<a href="https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/x180028_-_lendingclub_corporation_-_stipulated_order_for_permanent_injunction_and_judgment.pdf"> LendingClub Corporation agreed to pay</a>
 $18 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that the company
 deceived consumers about hidden fees that it charged and about whether 
their loan applications were approved.In
 addition, the settlement bars LendingClub from making 
misrepresentations to loan applicants and requires that the company 
clearly and conspicuously disclose the amount of any prepaid, up-front, 
or origination fee and the total amount of funds that borrowers will 
receive.“Companies that profit by 
preying on consumers don’t just harm the families they cheated — they 
also harm their competitors that play by the rules. LendingClub fleeced 
consumers looking for a loan online, and will pay $18 million for its 
alleged misconduct,” said Samuel Levine, Acting Director of the FTC’s 
Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Moving forward, when it comes to 
misconduct in the financial services arena, the FTC will bring joint 
actions with state and federal partners to seek penalties that deter 
wrongdoing market-wide, before it can harm consumers.”The FTC <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2018/04/ftc-charges-lending-club-deceiving-consumers-0">sued LendingClub in April 2018</a>,
 charging that the company falsely promised loan applicants that they 
would receive a specific loan amount with “no hidden fees,” when in 
reality the company deducted hundreds or even thousands of dollars in 
hidden up-front fees from the loans. The FTC also alleged that 
LendingClub told consumers they were approved for loans when they were 
not, and took money from consumers’ bank accounts without authorization.In
 an earlier ruling, the court found that LendingClub falsely told loan 
applicants that their loans were “on the way” and “100% Backed” while 
knowing that many of them would never get a loan. And according to <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/lending_club_complaint.pdf">the FTC’s complaint</a>,
 the company also withdrew double payments from consumers’ accounts and 
charged those who cancelled automatic payments or paid off their loan, 
which led to overdraft fees and prevented borrowers from making other 
payments.The Commission vote approving the stipulated
 final order was 4-0-1, with Chair Khan not participating. It was filed 
in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, San 
Francisco Division.NOTE: Stipulated final orders or injunctions, etc. have the force of law when approved and signed by the District Court judge.The Federal Trade Commission works to promote competition and to <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/bureaus-offices/bureau-consumer-protection">protect and educate consumers</a>. You can <a href="https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/">learn more about consumer topics</a> and report scams, fraud, and bad business practices online at <a href="https://reportfraud.ftc.gov">ReportFraud.ftc.gov</a>. Like the FTC on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/federaltradecommission">Facebook(link is external)</a>, follow us on <a href="https://twitter.com/FTC">Twitter(link is external)</a>, get <a href="http://ftc.gov/subscribe">consumer alerts</a>, read our <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs">blogs</a>, and <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/stay-connected">subscribe to press releases</a> for the latest FTC news and resources.

LendingClub agrees to pay $18 million to settle FTC charges

DENVER (AP) — A federal appeals court ruled Wednesday that “Tiger King” Joe Exotic should get a shorter prison sentence for his role in a murder-for-hire plot and violating federal wildlife laws.

Joe Exotic, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/f3d40f4a4134f4e903da8c5ed2a0878f">was sentenced in January 2020</a>&nbsp;to 22 years in federal prison after being convicted of trying to hire two different men to kill&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/volunteer-bitten-carole-baskin-sanctuary-66a3a67eae93955dcb1fd6409bce1743">animal rights activist Carole Baskin</a>. A three-judge panel for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit in Denver found that the trial court wrongly treated those two convictions separately in calculating his prison term under sentencing guidelines.

The blond mullet-wearing zookeeper, known for his expletive-laden rants on YouTube and a failed 2018 Oklahoma gubernatorial campaign, was prominently featured in the popular Netflix documentary “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness.”

The panel agreed with Maldonado-Passage that the court should have treated them as one conviction at sentencing because they both involved the same goal of killing Baskin, who runs a rescue sanctuary for big cats in Florida. According to the ruling, the court should have calculated his advisory sentencing range to be between 17 1/2 years and just under 22 years in prison, rather than between just under 22 years and 27 years in prison. The court ordered the trial court to re-sentence Maldonado-Passage.

It’s possible that Maldonado-Passage could receive an even lower sentence than the range cited in the ruling because the court has to consider other factors too, his appeals attorney, Brandon Sample, said.

Meanwhile, another attorney representing Maldonado-Passage, John M. Phillips, hinted at the possibility of seeking a new trial, saying in a statement he would be filing motions citing previously undisclosed and newly discovered evidence in the case as well as examples of government misconduct.

“People should know what they saw on television isn’t the full truth. It isn’t even the tip of the iceberg. It was snowflakes on the tip of the iceberg, largely manufactured by those who wanted to see Joe Exotic in jail for their own benefit,” he said.

Maldonado-Passage, who has maintained his innocence, was also sentenced for killing five tigers, selling tiger cubs and falsifying wildlife records.

His supporters were disappointed that former President Donald Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/no-trump-pardon-tiger-king-joe-exotic-77df2360159f247b81a293ae1a15ee25">failed to issue him a pardon before leaving office.</a>&nbsp;They were so confident in his chances that they had readied a celebratory limousine and a hair and wardrobe team to whisk him away from prison.

In his pardon application, Maldonado-Passage’s attorneys argued that he was “railroaded and betrayed” by others and said “he will likely die in prison” because of health concerns. He is serving his sentence at a medical prison in Fort Worth, Texas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1626350261828.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>DENVER (AP) — A federal appeals court ruled Wednesday that “Tiger King” Joe Exotic should get a shorter prison sentence for his role in a murder-for-hire plot and violating federal wildlife laws.Joe Exotic, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/f3d40f4a4134f4e903da8c5ed2a0878f">was sentenced in January 2020</a>&nbsp;to 22 years in federal prison after being convicted of trying to hire two different men to kill&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/volunteer-bitten-carole-baskin-sanctuary-66a3a67eae93955dcb1fd6409bce1743">animal rights activist Carole Baskin</a>. A three-judge panel for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit in Denver found that the trial court wrongly treated those two convictions separately in calculating his prison term under sentencing guidelines.The blond mullet-wearing zookeeper, known for his expletive-laden rants on YouTube and a failed 2018 Oklahoma gubernatorial campaign, was prominently featured in the popular Netflix documentary “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness.”The panel agreed with Maldonado-Passage that the court should have treated them as one conviction at sentencing because they both involved the same goal of killing Baskin, who runs a rescue sanctuary for big cats in Florida. According to the ruling, the court should have calculated his advisory sentencing range to be between 17 1/2 years and just under 22 years in prison, rather than between just under 22 years and 27 years in prison. The court ordered the trial court to re-sentence Maldonado-Passage.It’s possible that Maldonado-Passage could receive an even lower sentence than the range cited in the ruling because the court has to consider other factors too, his appeals attorney, Brandon Sample, said.Meanwhile, another attorney representing Maldonado-Passage, John M. Phillips, hinted at the possibility of seeking a new trial, saying in a statement he would be filing motions citing previously undisclosed and newly discovered evidence in the case as well as examples of government misconduct.“People should know what they saw on television isn’t the full truth. It isn’t even the tip of the iceberg. It was snowflakes on the tip of the iceberg, largely manufactured by those who wanted to see Joe Exotic in jail for their own benefit,” he said.Maldonado-Passage, who has maintained his innocence, was also sentenced for killing five tigers, selling tiger cubs and falsifying wildlife records.His supporters were disappointed that former President Donald Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/no-trump-pardon-tiger-king-joe-exotic-77df2360159f247b81a293ae1a15ee25">failed to issue him a pardon before leaving office.</a>&nbsp;They were so confident in his chances that they had readied a celebratory limousine and a hair and wardrobe team to whisk him away from prison.In his pardon application, Maldonado-Passage’s attorneys argued that he was “railroaded and betrayed” by others and said “he will likely die in prison” because of health concerns. He is serving his sentence at a medical prison in Fort Worth, Texas.

Court orders shorter sentence for 'Tiger King' Joe Exotic

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Danish toymaker Lego said Wednesday it had asked a Utah-based gun company to stop producing a product that makes a pistol look like it is covered with the famous multi-colored building brick.

“We have contacted the company and they have agreed to remove the product from their website and not make or sell anything like this in the future,” Lego said in a brief statement.

The design creates a customized semi-automatic Glock weapon that has a strong resemblance to a Lego toy.

On its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CRR4VDErTjL/" target="_blank">Instagram account</a>, Provo-based Culper Precision said had made the Block 19 “to create an opportunity to talk about the enjoyment of the shooting sports and the joy that can only be found in marksmanship practice and training.”

“We here at Culper Precision are grateful for the attention that Block19 is currently getting across the globe,” they said. They also insisted people have the right to customize their property, but also noted that responsible gun owners take measures to secure their firearms.

The company did not immediately return messages seeking further comment. The product page for the Block19 had been taken down as of Wednesday.

Shannon Watts, founder of the gun-control group Moms Demand Action, drew attention to the product on Twitter last week, and on Wednesday called the it “a recipe for disaster.”

“We have already seen tragedies happen when unsecured firearms are around children and they don’t look like toys,” she said in a statement. Unintentional shooting deaths by children of themselves or others rose more than 30% between March and December of 2020 as compared to the same time frame the year before, the group’s research found.

That increase comes during a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/philanthropy-sports-business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-8450c7b642c9fccdd1031842898cfcd9">record-breaking surge in U.S. gun sales</a>&nbsp;that began as the coronavirus pandemic took hold last year. Gun rights are politically important in conservative states such as Utah, which joined several other states in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gun-politics-bills-utah-90eee7b4d2198963b4a9c46bded6e76b">loosening gun laws</a>&nbsp;this year by rolling back requirements for people to get permits to carry guns in public.

Lego was founded in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen. The name is derived from the two Danish words LEg GOdt, which mean “Play Well.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1616598041817.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Danish toymaker Lego said Wednesday it had asked a Utah-based gun company to stop producing a product that makes a pistol look like it is covered with the famous multi-colored building brick.“We have contacted the company and they have agreed to remove the product from their website and not make or sell anything like this in the future,” Lego said in a brief statement.The design creates a customized semi-automatic Glock weapon that has a strong resemblance to a Lego toy.On its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CRR4VDErTjL/" target="_blank">Instagram account</a>, Provo-based Culper Precision said had made the Block 19 “to create an opportunity to talk about the enjoyment of the shooting sports and the joy that can only be found in marksmanship practice and training.”“We here at Culper Precision are grateful for the attention that Block19 is currently getting across the globe,” they said. They also insisted people have the right to customize their property, but also noted that responsible gun owners take measures to secure their firearms.The company did not immediately return messages seeking further comment. The product page for the Block19 had been taken down as of Wednesday.Shannon Watts, founder of the gun-control group Moms Demand Action, drew attention to the product on Twitter last week, and on Wednesday called the it “a recipe for disaster.”“We have already seen tragedies happen when unsecured firearms are around children and they don’t look like toys,” she said in a statement. Unintentional shooting deaths by children of themselves or others rose more than 30% between March and December of 2020 as compared to the same time frame the year before, the group’s research found.That increase comes during a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/philanthropy-sports-business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-8450c7b642c9fccdd1031842898cfcd9">record-breaking surge in U.S. gun sales</a>&nbsp;that began as the coronavirus pandemic took hold last year. Gun rights are politically important in conservative states such as Utah, which joined several other states in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gun-politics-bills-utah-90eee7b4d2198963b4a9c46bded6e76b">loosening gun laws</a>&nbsp;this year by rolling back requirements for people to get permits to carry guns in public.Lego was founded in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen. The name is derived from the two Danish words LEg GOdt, which mean “Play Well.”

Lego tells US company to stop making guns look like its toys

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Twenty states including Nebraska Kansas and Missouri are supporting&nbsp;South Carolina's defense of a new abortion law, arguing in an amicus brief that a federal judge was wrong to pause the entire measure instead of just the provision facing a court challenge.

In a filing Tuesday with the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on behalf of the states,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/alabama">Alabama</a>&nbsp;Attorney General Steve Marshall argued that U.S. District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis overstepped her authority when she put the entire abortion law on hold, rather than just the portion being challenged.

The judge's ruling, Marshall wrote, “treads on South Carolina’s sovereign ability to decide for itself the purposes of its legislation” and “aggrandizes the judicial power by treating the court’s injunction of the challenged provision as erasing it entirely so the whole Act collapses.”

The arguments mirror those of South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican who signed the measure into law earlier this year. The state's attorneys wrote in an appellate filing earlier this month that Lewis’ decision to halt the entire measure during litigation “oversteps the bounds of federal judicial power.”

McMaster’s brief asked the appellate judges to lift a lower court’s injunction on the “ South Carolina Fetal Heartbeat and Protection from Abortion Act.”

The law requires doctors to perform ultrasounds to check for a heartbeat in the fetus, which can typically be detected about six weeks after conception. If cardiac activity is detected, the abortion can only be performed if the pregnancy was caused by rape or incest, or the mother’s life was in danger.

Planned Parenthood attorneys sued immediately, and the entire law has been blocked from taking effect during the lawsuit.

The states filing in support of South Carolina all “have in place laws similar to the South Carolina laws the district court enjoined,” Marshall wrote.

In halting the whole law, Lewis presumed that the sole purpose of other provisions in the law — like requiring an ultrasound to be performed before an abortion — “was to ban abortions of unborn children with heartbeats,” Marshall wrote.

That, he continued, “would be news not only to the South Carolina General Assembly, but to many other state legislatures that have enacted similar ultrasound requirements without South Carolina’s additional regulation.”

The states that signed onto the amicus brief are: Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Alabama,&nbsp;Alaska,&nbsp;Arkansas,&nbsp;Georgia,&nbsp;Idaho,&nbsp;Indiana,&nbsp; Kentucky,&nbsp;Louisiana,&nbsp;Mississippi, Montana,&nbsp;North Dakota,&nbsp;Ohio,&nbsp;Oklahoma,&nbsp;Tennessee,&nbsp;Texas,&nbsp;Utah&nbsp;and West&nbsp;Virginia. All but three have Republican governors.

Several other groups have submitted filings in support of South Carolina, including the Southern Baptist Convention and an anti-abortion group of obstetricians and gynecologists.

Attorneys for Planned Parenthood have not responded in court.

Actions by an even higher court could also dictate outcomes in this case. Lewis has said she’s inclined to stay further motions following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to take a case from Mississippi — which wants to enforce an abortion ban after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The court will likely hear that case in the fall, with a decision likely in 2022.

About a dozen other states have passed similar or more restrictive abortion bans, which could take effect if the U.S. Supreme Court were to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 court decision supporting abortion rights. Federal law supersedes state law.

More than 90% of abortions take place in the first 13 weeks of a woman’s pregnancy, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Opponents have argued many women do not know they are pregnant at six weeks, especially if they are not trying to conceive. And, they argue, with such an early deadline, the law gives women little time to consider whether to have an abortion.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Twenty states including Nebraska Kansas and Missouri are supporting&nbsp;South Carolina's defense of a new abortion law, arguing in an amicus brief that a federal judge was wrong to pause the entire measure instead of just the provision facing a court challenge.In a filing Tuesday with the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on behalf of the states,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/alabama">Alabama</a>&nbsp;Attorney General Steve Marshall argued that U.S. District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis overstepped her authority when she put the entire abortion law on hold, rather than just the portion being challenged.The judge's ruling, Marshall wrote, “treads on South Carolina’s sovereign ability to decide for itself the purposes of its legislation” and “aggrandizes the judicial power by treating the court’s injunction of the challenged provision as erasing it entirely so the whole Act collapses.”The arguments mirror those of South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican who signed the measure into law earlier this year. The state's attorneys wrote in an appellate filing earlier this month that Lewis’ decision to halt the entire measure during litigation “oversteps the bounds of federal judicial power.”McMaster’s brief asked the appellate judges to lift a lower court’s injunction on the “ South Carolina Fetal Heartbeat and Protection from Abortion Act.”The law requires doctors to perform ultrasounds to check for a heartbeat in the fetus, which can typically be detected about six weeks after conception. If cardiac activity is detected, the abortion can only be performed if the pregnancy was caused by rape or incest, or the mother’s life was in danger.Planned Parenthood attorneys sued immediately, and the entire law has been blocked from taking effect during the lawsuit.The states filing in support of South Carolina all “have in place laws similar to the South Carolina laws the district court enjoined,” Marshall wrote.In halting the whole law, Lewis presumed that the sole purpose of other provisions in the law — like requiring an ultrasound to be performed before an abortion — “was to ban abortions of unborn children with heartbeats,” Marshall wrote.That, he continued, “would be news not only to the South Carolina General Assembly, but to many other state legislatures that have enacted similar ultrasound requirements without South Carolina’s additional regulation.”The states that signed onto the amicus brief are: Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Alabama,&nbsp;Alaska,&nbsp;Arkansas,&nbsp;Georgia,&nbsp;Idaho,&nbsp;Indiana,&nbsp; Kentucky,&nbsp;Louisiana,&nbsp;Mississippi, Montana,&nbsp;North Dakota,&nbsp;Ohio,&nbsp;Oklahoma,&nbsp;Tennessee,&nbsp;Texas,&nbsp;Utah&nbsp;and West&nbsp;Virginia. All but three have Republican governors.Several other groups have submitted filings in support of South Carolina, including the Southern Baptist Convention and an anti-abortion group of obstetricians and gynecologists.Attorneys for Planned Parenthood have not responded in court.Actions by an even higher court could also dictate outcomes in this case. Lewis has said she’s inclined to stay further motions following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to take a case from Mississippi — which wants to enforce an abortion ban after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The court will likely hear that case in the fall, with a decision likely in 2022.About a dozen other states have passed similar or more restrictive abortion bans, which could take effect if the U.S. Supreme Court were to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 court decision supporting abortion rights. Federal law supersedes state law.More than 90% of abortions take place in the first 13 weeks of a woman’s pregnancy, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Opponents have argued many women do not know they are pregnant at six weeks, especially if they are not trying to conceive. And, they argue, with such an early deadline, the law gives women little time to consider whether to have an abortion.___

Nebraska supports South Carolina in abortion lawsuit

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska railcar-cleaning company and its two owners have pleaded guilty to violating environmental and worker safety laws related to a fatal explosion in a railcar in 2015. 

A tanker car exploded in Omaha while workers from Nebraska Railcar Cleaning Services were inside cleaning it. 

The blast killed Adrian LaPour, 44, and Dallas Foulk, 40. 

Prosecutors said the tanker was not tested for benzene or monitored for explosive levels of gases. 

The company's owner, Steven Braithwaite, and his brother, Adam Braithwaite, pleaded guilty Monday to two counts of violating worker safety standards and violating an environmental law. 

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska railcar-cleaning company and its two owners have pleaded guilty to violating environmental and worker safety laws related to a fatal explosion in a railcar in 2015. A tanker car exploded in Omaha while workers from Nebraska Railcar Cleaning Services were inside cleaning it. The blast killed Adrian LaPour, 44, and Dallas Foulk, 40. Prosecutors said the tanker was not tested for benzene or monitored for explosive levels of gases. The company's owner, Steven Braithwaite, and his brother, Adam Braithwaite, pleaded guilty Monday to two counts of violating worker safety standards and violating an environmental law. They will be sentenced Oct. 25.

Company, owners plead guilty in fatal 2015 Nebraska railcar explosion

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The South Dakota Department of Health reports that the COVID-19 pandemic caused the state's number of deaths to hit historic levels last year. 

The provisional report also found deaths from diabetes, liver diseases and unintentional injuries reached their highest number in a decade.

 As the pandemic disrupted health care, doctors worried that people could see complications from other chronic diseases. 

A total of 9,857 South Dakotas died during 2020, which was the highest figure in at least a decade. 

KELO-TV reported Tuesday that heart disease and cancer were the leading causes of death, followed by COVID-19, which killed 1,496 people.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The South Dakota Department of Health reports that the COVID-19 pandemic caused the state's number of deaths to hit historic levels last year. The provisional report also found deaths from diabetes, liver diseases and unintentional injuries reached their highest number in a decade. As the pandemic disrupted health care, doctors worried that people could see complications from other chronic diseases. A total of 9,857 South Dakotas died during 2020, which was the highest figure in at least a decade. KELO-TV reported Tuesday that heart disease and cancer were the leading causes of death, followed by COVID-19, which killed 1,496 people.

COVID-19, other diseases caused historic South Dakota deaths

HARTINGTON, Neb. (AP) — Officials in the northeastern corner of Nebraska are recounting ballots in a local school bond election after a single vote separated those for and against the proposal. 

The Norfolk Daily News reports that Cedar County election workers tallying the Tuesday vote Laurel-Concord-Coleridge Public Schools bond issue election counted 596 votes in favor of the bond and 595 votes against it. 

A recount was being conducted Wednesday. 

The $18.5 bond issue and $6.5 million lease purchase proposal would go toward a $25 million project to replace the district's high school and upgrade the attached elementary school. 

The project was previously rejected by 50 votes in November 2020 when it was proposed in the form of a $23 million bond issue.

HARTINGTON, Neb. (AP) — Officials in the northeastern corner of Nebraska are recounting ballots in a local school bond election after a single vote separated those for and against the proposal. The Norfolk Daily News reports that Cedar County election workers tallying the Tuesday vote Laurel-Concord-Coleridge Public Schools bond issue election counted 596 votes in favor of the bond and 595 votes against it. A recount was being conducted Wednesday. The $18.5 bond issue and $6.5 million lease purchase proposal would go toward a $25 million project to replace the district's high school and upgrade the attached elementary school. The project was previously rejected by 50 votes in November 2020 when it was proposed in the form of a $23 million bond issue.

Recount in Nebraska school bond planned after 1-vote margin

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats announced late Tuesday that they’d reached a budget agreement envisioning spending an enormous $3.5 trillion over the coming decade, paving the way for their drive to pour federal resources into climate change, health care and family-service programs sought by President Joe Biden.

The accord marks a major step in the party’s push to meet Biden’s goal of bolstering an economy that was ravaged by the pandemic and setting it on course for long-term growth — and includes a Medicare expansion of vision, hearing and dental benefits for older Americans, a goal of progressives.

But Democrats behind the agreement face possible objections from their rival moderate and progressive factions, and will have to work hard to convert their plans into legislation they can push through the closely divided Congress over what could be unanimous Republican opposition.

“We are very proud of this plan,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told reporters. “We know we have a long road to go. We’re going to get this done for the sake of making average Americans’ lives a whole lot better.”

Biden was set to attend a closed-door lunch at the Capitol on Wednesday with all Senate Democrats “to lead us on to getting this wonderful plan” enacted, Schumer said.

All told, the ambitious proposal reflects Biden’s vision for making the most substantive potential investments in the nation in years, some say on par with the New Deal of the 1930s. Together with a slimmer, $1 trillion bipartisan effort of traditional road, highway and public works also being negotiated, they represent close to the president’s initial $4 trillion-plus effort that could reach almost every corner of the country.

The Democrats’ goal is to push a budget resolution reflecting Tuesday’s agreement through the House and Senate before lawmakers leave for their August recess. The resolution sets only broad spending and revenue parameters, leaving the actual funding and specific decisions about which programs are affected — and by exactly how much — for later legislation.

Nonetheless, approving a budget will be a major boon for the Democrats’ effort to enact their subsequent funding bill. That’s because the budget contains language that would let Democrats move the follow-up spending measure through the 50-50 Senate with just a simple majority, not the 60 votes Republicans could demand by using a bill-killing filibuster.

The later spending legislation will likely not start moving through Congress until the fall.

Separately Tuesday, a bipartisan group of senators continued working on a third measure that would spend around $1 trillion on roads, water systems and other infrastructure projects, another Biden priority. Biden and 10 senators — five from each party — had agreed to an outline of that compromise measure last month, and bargainers have worked ever since to flesh it out.

In discussing the budget agreement, Schumer and other lawmakers did not respond when asked if they had the support of all 50 Democratic senators, which they will need to succeed. They also have virtually no margin for error in the House, where they will be able to lose no more than three Democratic votes and still prevail.

Moderates like Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., might still demand further changes to reduce the plan’s price tag and impact on already huge federal deficits. Progressives in both chambers might insist on beefing it up or other changes.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., the Budget Committee chairman, and other progressives pushed initially for a $6 trillion budget top line while party moderates insisted on a far lower price tag. Biden had proposed around $4.5 trillion.

The Democrats’ announcement Tuesday left many questions about their budget accord unanswered. These included how much it would raise through tax increases on the wealthy and corporations and other revenue to pay for its costs; how much would be spent on specific programs; and how Biden’s proposals would be curtailed or eliminated to fit into the legislation.

Schumer said the proposal would call for financing Biden’s budget priorities “in a robust way.” He also said it would include a priority of Sanders and other progressives: an expansion of Medicare, the federal health insurance program for older people, to cover dental, vision and hearing services.

Sanders said the agreement would end an era in which, he said, rich people and big companies weren’t bearing enough of the burden of financing government programs.

“Those days are gone,” he said. “The wealthy and large corporations are going to start paying their fair share of taxes, so that we can protect the working families of this country.”

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., a leading moderate who helped shape the budget package, said the measure would be fully paid for with offsetting revenue but provided no detail. Biden has proposed financing the measure with higher taxes on the wealthy and corporations and beefing up the IRS’s budget so it can collect more revenue from scofflaws.

The budget will include language calling for no tax increases on people making less than $400,000 a year, a Biden demand, or on small businesses. The provision was described by a Democratic aide who requested anonymity to discuss the negotiations.

On infrastructure, senators from both parties met Tuesday evening and their bipartisan deal appeared back on track, after days of disputes. Lawmakers said they were aiming for a new Thursday deadline to wrap up the details despite opposition from business leaders, outside activists and some GOP senators over how to pay for it.

The bipartisan infrastructure effort was thrown into doubt earlier Tuesday when Republicans said it was unlikely it would be ready for a vote next week, as hoped.

But senators exiting the meeting suggested they hadn’t so much resolved the questions over how to pay for the package but moved past them — apparently accepting that some of the proposed revenue streams may not pass muster in formal assessments by the Congressional Budget Office, the lawmakers’ nonpartisan fiscal scorekeeper.

Manchin said he hoped that the CBO’s score, as it is called, would show that “everything’s paid for. If not, we’ll have to make some adjustments.”

Even if the bipartisan group can meet its new deadline for agreement, it’s still a long shot the bill would be ready for a vote next week.

Senators have struggled to agree to revenue streams to fund the $1 trillion plan, which includes about $579 billion in new spending beyond regular expenditures already funded by gas taxes and other sources.

At least 10 Republican senators would be needed to back the infrastructure bill, joining with all 50 Democrats to reach the 60-vote threshold because it would still be vulnerable to a filibuster.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1626283910947.png" alt="President Joe Biden is stepping up his bid to push his multitrillion-dollar domestic agenda through Congress. He had lunch with Senate Democrats at the Capitol on Wednesday. The gathering comes a day after party leaders announced a compromise for pouring federal resources into climate change, health care and family service programs.-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>President Joe Biden is stepping up his bid to push his multitrillion-dollar domestic agenda through Congress. He had lunch with Senate Democrats at the Capitol on Wednesday. The gathering comes a day after party leaders announced a compromise for pouring federal resources into climate change, health care and family service programs.-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats announced late Tuesday that they’d reached a budget agreement envisioning spending an enormous $3.5 trillion over the coming decade, paving the way for their drive to pour federal resources into climate change, health care and family-service programs sought by President Joe Biden.The accord marks a major step in the party’s push to meet Biden’s goal of bolstering an economy that was ravaged by the pandemic and setting it on course for long-term growth — and includes a Medicare expansion of vision, hearing and dental benefits for older Americans, a goal of progressives.But Democrats behind the agreement face possible objections from their rival moderate and progressive factions, and will have to work hard to convert their plans into legislation they can push through the closely divided Congress over what could be unanimous Republican opposition.“We are very proud of this plan,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told reporters. “We know we have a long road to go. We’re going to get this done for the sake of making average Americans’ lives a whole lot better.”Biden was set to attend a closed-door lunch at the Capitol on Wednesday with all Senate Democrats “to lead us on to getting this wonderful plan” enacted, Schumer said.All told, the ambitious proposal reflects Biden’s vision for making the most substantive potential investments in the nation in years, some say on par with the New Deal of the 1930s. Together with a slimmer, $1 trillion bipartisan effort of traditional road, highway and public works also being negotiated, they represent close to the president’s initial $4 trillion-plus effort that could reach almost every corner of the country.The Democrats’ goal is to push a budget resolution reflecting Tuesday’s agreement through the House and Senate before lawmakers leave for their August recess. The resolution sets only broad spending and revenue parameters, leaving the actual funding and specific decisions about which programs are affected — and by exactly how much — for later legislation.Nonetheless, approving a budget will be a major boon for the Democrats’ effort to enact their subsequent funding bill. That’s because the budget contains language that would let Democrats move the follow-up spending measure through the 50-50 Senate with just a simple majority, not the 60 votes Republicans could demand by using a bill-killing filibuster.The later spending legislation will likely not start moving through Congress until the fall.Separately Tuesday, a bipartisan group of senators continued working on a third measure that would spend around $1 trillion on roads, water systems and other infrastructure projects, another Biden priority. Biden and 10 senators — five from each party — had agreed to an outline of that compromise measure last month, and bargainers have worked ever since to flesh it out.In discussing the budget agreement, Schumer and other lawmakers did not respond when asked if they had the support of all 50 Democratic senators, which they will need to succeed. They also have virtually no margin for error in the House, where they will be able to lose no more than three Democratic votes and still prevail.Moderates like Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., might still demand further changes to reduce the plan’s price tag and impact on already huge federal deficits. Progressives in both chambers might insist on beefing it up or other changes.Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., the Budget Committee chairman, and other progressives pushed initially for a $6 trillion budget top line while party moderates insisted on a far lower price tag. Biden had proposed around $4.5 trillion.The Democrats’ announcement Tuesday left many questions about their budget accord unanswered. These included how much it would raise through tax increases on the wealthy and corporations and other revenue to pay for its costs; how much would be spent on specific programs; and how Biden’s proposals would be curtailed or eliminated to fit into the legislation.Schumer said the proposal would call for financing Biden’s budget priorities “in a robust way.” He also said it would include a priority of Sanders and other progressives: an expansion of Medicare, the federal health insurance program for older people, to cover dental, vision and hearing services.Sanders said the agreement would end an era in which, he said, rich people and big companies weren’t bearing enough of the burden of financing government programs.“Those days are gone,” he said. “The wealthy and large corporations are going to start paying their fair share of taxes, so that we can protect the working families of this country.”Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., a leading moderate who helped shape the budget package, said the measure would be fully paid for with offsetting revenue but provided no detail. Biden has proposed financing the measure with higher taxes on the wealthy and corporations and beefing up the IRS’s budget so it can collect more revenue from scofflaws.The budget will include language calling for no tax increases on people making less than $400,000 a year, a Biden demand, or on small businesses. The provision was described by a Democratic aide who requested anonymity to discuss the negotiations.On infrastructure, senators from both parties met Tuesday evening and their bipartisan deal appeared back on track, after days of disputes. Lawmakers said they were aiming for a new Thursday deadline to wrap up the details despite opposition from business leaders, outside activists and some GOP senators over how to pay for it.The bipartisan infrastructure effort was thrown into doubt earlier Tuesday when Republicans said it was unlikely it would be ready for a vote next week, as hoped.But senators exiting the meeting suggested they hadn’t so much resolved the questions over how to pay for the package but moved past them — apparently accepting that some of the proposed revenue streams may not pass muster in formal assessments by the Congressional Budget Office, the lawmakers’ nonpartisan fiscal scorekeeper.Manchin said he hoped that the CBO’s score, as it is called, would show that “everything’s paid for. If not, we’ll have to make some adjustments.”Even if the bipartisan group can meet its new deadline for agreement, it’s still a long shot the bill would be ready for a vote next week.Senators have struggled to agree to revenue streams to fund the $1 trillion plan, which includes about $579 billion in new spending beyond regular expenditures already funded by gas taxes and other sources.At least 10 Republican senators would be needed to back the infrastructure bill, joining with all 50 Democrats to reach the 60-vote threshold because it would still be vulnerable to a filibuster.___

President Biden's infrastructure bill swells past $3.5T

NEW YORK (AP) — Overdose deaths soared to a record 93,000 last year in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The government estimate released Wednesday eclipses the 72,000 drug overdose deaths in 2019 and amounts to a 29% increase. 

Experts say lockdowns and other pandemic restrictions isolated those with drug addictions and made treatment harder to get. 

Prescription painkillers once drove the opioid epidemic in the U.S. But now it is fentanyl, a dangerously powerful opioid. 

Overdose deaths in 2020 are just one facet of what was overall the deadliest year in U.S. history, with about 378,000 deaths attributed to COVID-19.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1626282260239.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Overdose deaths soared to a record 93,000 last year in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The government estimate released Wednesday eclipses the 72,000 drug overdose deaths in 2019 and amounts to a 29% increase. Experts say lockdowns and other pandemic restrictions isolated those with drug addictions and made treatment harder to get. Prescription painkillers once drove the opioid epidemic in the U.S. But now it is fentanyl, a dangerously powerful opioid. Overdose deaths in 2020 are just one facet of what was overall the deadliest year in U.S. history, with about 378,000 deaths attributed to COVID-19.

US overdose deaths hit record 93,000 in pandemic last year

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has suspended her cabinet secretary overseeing state prisons and the warden of the state penitentiary in Sioux Falls after an anonymous complaint. 

The complaint alleges supervising corrections officers regularly sexually harassed their fellow employees, employee morale is low and promotions are plagued by nepotism. 

The governor put Secretary of Corrections Mike Leidholt and State Penitentiary Warden Darin Young on administrative leave. 

The two pages of the complaint released by Noem’s office allege that supervising corrections offices were allowed to sexually harass prison employees and that attempts to report the harassment were ignored.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has suspended her cabinet secretary overseeing state prisons and the warden of the state penitentiary in Sioux Falls after an anonymous complaint. The complaint alleges supervising corrections officers regularly sexually harassed their fellow employees, employee morale is low and promotions are plagued by nepotism. The governor put Secretary of Corrections Mike Leidholt and State Penitentiary Warden Darin Young on administrative leave. The two pages of the complaint released by Noem’s office allege that supervising corrections offices were allowed to sexually harass prison employees and that attempts to report the harassment were ignored.

Noem suspends 2 prison heads following harassment complaint

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Federal regulators say Berkshire Hathaway’s $1.3 billion deal to buy a natural gas pipeline from Dominion Energy that fell apart this week should have never been attempted because a similar deal drew strong opposition in the past.

 The acting director of the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Competition, Holly Vedova, said the companies involved should have known that the deal was unlikely to get approved because the agency opposed a similar combination involving Dominion’s Questar pipeline and Berkshire’s Kern River pipeline.

 Officials with the utility division of Warren Buffett’s company did not immediately respond to questions about the deal on Tuesday. 

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Federal regulators say Berkshire Hathaway’s $1.3 billion deal to buy a natural gas pipeline from Dominion Energy that fell apart this week should have never been attempted because a similar deal drew strong opposition in the past. The acting director of the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Competition, Holly Vedova, said the companies involved should have known that the deal was unlikely to get approved because the agency opposed a similar combination involving Dominion’s Questar pipeline and Berkshire’s Kern River pipeline. Officials with the utility division of Warren Buffett’s company did not immediately respond to questions about the deal on Tuesday. Dominion officials declined to comment.

US regulators criticize Buffett's failed $1.3B pipeline deal

WASHINGTON&nbsp;—&nbsp;The
 Internal Revenue Service announced today it will issue another round of
 refunds this week to nearly 4 million taxpayers who overpaid their 
taxes on unemployment compensation received last year.

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which became law in March, 
excluded up to $10,200 in 2020 unemployment compensation from taxable 
income calculations. The exclusion applied to individuals and married 
couples whose modified adjusted gross income was less than $150,000.

Refunds by direct deposit will begin July 14 and refunds by paper 
check will begin July 16. The IRS previously issued refunds related to 
unemployment compensation exclusion in May and June, and it will 
continue to issue refunds throughout the summer.

To ease the burden on taxpayers, the IRS has been reviewing the Forms
 1040 and 1040SR that were filed prior to the law's enactment to 
identify those people who are due an adjustment. For taxpayers who 
overpaid, the IRS will either refund the overpayment, apply it to other 
outstanding taxes or other federal or state debts owed.

For this round, the IRS identified approximately 4.6 million 
taxpayers who may be due an adjustment. Of that number, approximately 4 
million taxpayers are expected to receive a refund. The refund average 
is $1,265, which means some will receive more and some will receive 
less.

Most taxpayers need not take any action and there is no need to call 
the IRS. However, if, as a result of the excluded unemployment 
compensation, taxpayers are now eligible for deductions or credits not 
claimed on the original return, they should file a Form 1040-X, Amended 
U.S. Individual Income Tax Return.

Taxpayers should file an amended return if they:

Taxpayers do not need to file an amended return if they:

Taxpayers will generally receive letters from the IRS within 30 days 
of the adjustment, informing them of what kind of adjustment was made 
(such as refund, payment of IRS debt payment or payment offset for other
 authorized debts) and the amount of the adjustment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON&nbsp;—&nbsp;The
 Internal Revenue Service announced today it will issue another round of
 refunds this week to nearly 4 million taxpayers who overpaid their 
taxes on unemployment compensation received last year.The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which became law in March, 
excluded up to $10,200 in 2020 unemployment compensation from taxable 
income calculations. The exclusion applied to individuals and married 
couples whose modified adjusted gross income was less than $150,000.Refunds by direct deposit will begin July 14 and refunds by paper 
check will begin July 16. The IRS previously issued refunds related to 
unemployment compensation exclusion in May and June, and it will 
continue to issue refunds throughout the summer.To ease the burden on taxpayers, the IRS has been reviewing the Forms
 1040 and 1040SR that were filed prior to the law's enactment to 
identify those people who are due an adjustment. For taxpayers who 
overpaid, the IRS will either refund the overpayment, apply it to other 
outstanding taxes or other federal or state debts owed.For this round, the IRS identified approximately 4.6 million 
taxpayers who may be due an adjustment. Of that number, approximately 4 
million taxpayers are expected to receive a refund. The refund average 
is $1,265, which means some will receive more and some will receive 
less.Most taxpayers need not take any action and there is no need to call 
the IRS. However, if, as a result of the excluded unemployment 
compensation, taxpayers are now eligible for deductions or credits not 
claimed on the original return, they should file a Form 1040-X, Amended 
U.S. Individual Income Tax Return.Taxpayers should file an amended return if they:<ul>
 <li>did not submit a Schedule 8812 with the original return to claim 
the Additional Child Tax Credit and are now eligible for the credit 
after the unemployment compensation exclusion;</li><li>did not submit a Schedule EIC with the original return to claim the
 Earned Income Tax Credit (with qualifying dependents) and are now 
eligible for the credit after the unemployment compensation exclusion;</li><li>are now eligible for any other credits and/or deductions not 
mentioned below. Make sure to include any required forms or schedules.</li>
 </ul>Taxpayers do not need to file an amended return if they:<ul>
 <li>already filed a tax return and did not claim the unemployment 
exclusion; the IRS will determine the correct taxable amount of 
unemployment compensation and tax;</li><li>have an adjustment, because of the exclusion, that will result in 
an increase in any non-refundable or refundable credits reported on the 
original return;</li><li>did not claim the following credits on their tax return but are now
 eligible when the unemployment exclusion is applied: Recovery Rebate 
Credit, Earned Income Credit with no qualifying dependents or the 
Advance Premium Tax Credit. The IRS will calculate the credit and 
include it in any overpayment;</li><li>filed a married filing joint return, live in a community property 
state, and entered a smaller exclusion amount than entitled on Schedule 
1, line 8.</li>
 </ul>Taxpayers will generally receive letters from the IRS within 30 days 
of the adjustment, informing them of what kind of adjustment was made 
(such as refund, payment of IRS debt payment or payment offset for other
 authorized debts) and the amount of the adjustment.

IRS set to send 4M refunds for unemployment overpayments

By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH and JOSH FUNK, Associated Press

The COVID-19 curve in the U.S. is rising again after months of decline, with the number of new cases per day doubling over the past three weeks, driven by the fast-spreading delta variant, lagging vaccination rates and Fourth of July gatherings.

Confirmed infections climbed to an average of about 23,600 a day on Monday, up from 11,300 on June 23, according to Johns Hopkins University data. And all but two states — Maine and South Dakota — reported that case numbers have gone up over the past two weeks.

“It is certainly no coincidence that we are looking at exactly the time that we would expect cases to be occurring after the July Fourth weekend," said Dr. Bill Powderly, co-director of the infectious-disease division at Washington University’s School of Medicine in St. Louis.

At the same time, parts of the country are running up against deep vaccine resistance, while the highly contagious mutant version of the coronavirus that was first detected in India is accounting for an ever-larger share of infections.

Nationally, 55.6% of all Americans have received at least one COVID-19 shot, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The five states with the biggest two-week jump in cases per capita all had lower vaccination rates: Missouri, 45.9%; Arkansas, 43%; Nevada, 50.9%; Louisiana, 39.2%; and Utah, 49.5%.

Even with the latest surge, cases in the U.S. are nowhere near their peak of a quarter-million per day in January. And deaths are running at under 260 per day on average after topping out at more than 3,400 over the winter — a testament to how effectively the vaccine can prevent serious illness and death in those who happen to become infected.

Still, amid the rise, health authorities in places such as Los Angeles County and St. Louis are begging even immunized people to resume wearing masks in public. And Chicago officials announced Tuesday that unvaccinated travelers from Missouri and Arkansas must either quarantine for 10 days or have a negative COVID-19 test.

Meanwhile, the Health Department in Mississippi, which ranks dead last nationally for vaccinations, began blocking posts about COVID-19 on its Facebook page because of a “rise of misinformation” about the virus and the vaccine.

Mississippi officials are also recommending that people 65 and older and those with chronic underlying conditions stay away from large indoor gatherings because of a 150% rise in hospitalizations over the past three weeks.

In Louisiana, which also has one of the nation's lowest vaccination rates, officials in the city of New Orleans said Tuesday that they are likely to extend until fall virus-mitigation efforts currently in place at large sporting and entertainment gatherings, including mask mandates or requirements that attendees be vaccinated or have a negative COVID-19 test. State health officials said cases of the coronavirus are surging, largely among nonvaccinated people.

But the political will may not be there in many states fatigued by months of restrictions.

In Michigan, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is facing a drive to repeal a law that she used to set major restrictions during the early stages of the pandemic.

And Republican Gov. Kay Ivey of Alabama pushed back against the idea that the state might need to reimpose preventive measures as vaccinations lag and hospitalizations rise.

“Alabama is OPEN for business. Vaccines are readily available, and I encourage folks to get one. The state of emergency and health orders have expired. We are moving forward,” she said on social media.

Dr. James Lawler, a leader of the Global Center for Health Security at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, said bringing back masks and limiting gatherings would help. But he acknowledged that most of the places seeing higher rates of the virus “are exactly the areas of the country that don’t want to do any of these things.”

Lawler warned that what is happening in Britain is a preview of what's to come in the U.S.

“The descriptions from regions of the world where the delta variant has taken hold and become the predominant virus are pictures of ICUs full of 30-year-olds. That’s what the critical care doctors describe and that’s what’s coming to the U.S.," he said.

He added: “I think people have no clue what’s about to hit us.”

President Joe Biden is putting a dose of star power behind the administration’s efforts to get young people vaccinated. Eighteen-year-old actress, singer and songwriter Olivia Rodrigo will meet with Biden and Dr. Anthony Fauci on Wednesday.

While the administration has had success vaccinating older Americans, young adults have shown less urgency to get the shots.

Some, at least, are heeding the call in Missouri after weeks of begging, said Erik Frederick, chief administrative officer of Mercy Hospital Springfield. He tweeted that the number of people getting immunized at its vaccine clinic has jumped from 150 to 250 daily.

By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH and JOSH FUNK, Associated PressThe COVID-19 curve in the U.S. is rising again after months of decline, with the number of new cases per day doubling over the past three weeks, driven by the fast-spreading delta variant, lagging vaccination rates and Fourth of July gatherings.Confirmed infections climbed to an average of about 23,600 a day on Monday, up from 11,300 on June 23, according to Johns Hopkins University data. And all but two states — Maine and South Dakota — reported that case numbers have gone up over the past two weeks.“It is certainly no coincidence that we are looking at exactly the time that we would expect cases to be occurring after the July Fourth weekend," said Dr. Bill Powderly, co-director of the infectious-disease division at Washington University’s School of Medicine in St. Louis.At the same time, parts of the country are running up against deep vaccine resistance, while the highly contagious mutant version of the coronavirus that was first detected in India is accounting for an ever-larger share of infections.Nationally, 55.6% of all Americans have received at least one COVID-19 shot, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The five states with the biggest two-week jump in cases per capita all had lower vaccination rates: Missouri, 45.9%; Arkansas, 43%; Nevada, 50.9%; Louisiana, 39.2%; and Utah, 49.5%.Even with the latest surge, cases in the U.S. are nowhere near their peak of a quarter-million per day in January. And deaths are running at under 260 per day on average after topping out at more than 3,400 over the winter — a testament to how effectively the vaccine can prevent serious illness and death in those who happen to become infected.Still, amid the rise, health authorities in places such as Los Angeles County and St. Louis are begging even immunized people to resume wearing masks in public. And Chicago officials announced Tuesday that unvaccinated travelers from Missouri and Arkansas must either quarantine for 10 days or have a negative COVID-19 test.Meanwhile, the Health Department in Mississippi, which ranks dead last nationally for vaccinations, began blocking posts about COVID-19 on its Facebook page because of a “rise of misinformation” about the virus and the vaccine.Mississippi officials are also recommending that people 65 and older and those with chronic underlying conditions stay away from large indoor gatherings because of a 150% rise in hospitalizations over the past three weeks.In Louisiana, which also has one of the nation's lowest vaccination rates, officials in the city of New Orleans said Tuesday that they are likely to extend until fall virus-mitigation efforts currently in place at large sporting and entertainment gatherings, including mask mandates or requirements that attendees be vaccinated or have a negative COVID-19 test. State health officials said cases of the coronavirus are surging, largely among nonvaccinated people.But the political will may not be there in many states fatigued by months of restrictions.In Michigan, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is facing a drive to repeal a law that she used to set major restrictions during the early stages of the pandemic.And Republican Gov. Kay Ivey of Alabama pushed back against the idea that the state might need to reimpose preventive measures as vaccinations lag and hospitalizations rise.“Alabama is OPEN for business. Vaccines are readily available, and I encourage folks to get one. The state of emergency and health orders have expired. We are moving forward,” she said on social media.Dr. James Lawler, a leader of the Global Center for Health Security at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, said bringing back masks and limiting gatherings would help. But he acknowledged that most of the places seeing higher rates of the virus “are exactly the areas of the country that don’t want to do any of these things.”Lawler warned that what is happening in Britain is a preview of what's to come in the U.S.“The descriptions from regions of the world where the delta variant has taken hold and become the predominant virus are pictures of ICUs full of 30-year-olds. That’s what the critical care doctors describe and that’s what’s coming to the U.S.," he said.He added: “I think people have no clue what’s about to hit us.”President Joe Biden is putting a dose of star power behind the administration’s efforts to get young people vaccinated. Eighteen-year-old actress, singer and songwriter Olivia Rodrigo will meet with Biden and Dr. Anthony Fauci on Wednesday.While the administration has had success vaccinating older Americans, young adults have shown less urgency to get the shots.Some, at least, are heeding the call in Missouri after weeks of begging, said Erik Frederick, chief administrative officer of Mercy Hospital Springfield. He tweeted that the number of people getting immunized at its vaccine clinic has jumped from 150 to 250 daily.“That gives me hope,” he said.

US COVID-19 cases rising again, doubling over three weeks

WASHINGTON (AP) — Prices for U.S. consumers jumped in June by the most in 13 years, evidence that a swift rebound in spending has run up against widespread supply shortages that have escalated the costs of many goods and services.

Tuesday’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cpi.pdf" target="_blank">report from the Labor Department</a>&nbsp;showed that consumer prices in June rose 0.9% from May and 5.4% over the past year — the sharpest 12-month inflation spike since August 2008. Excluding volatile oil and gas prices, so-called core inflation rose 4.5% in the past year, the largest increase since November 1991.

The pickup in inflation, which has coincided with the economy’s rapid recovery from the pandemic recession, will likely intensify a debate at the Federal Reserve and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-coronavirus-pandemic-lifestyle-business-government-and-politics-2c2d811df7e2b07dd927778fb7944c3a">between the Biden administration and congressional Republicans&nbsp;</a>about how persistent the accelerating price increases will prove to be.

The Fed and the White House have made clear their belief that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-health-coronavirus-pandemic-business-6e7c813472a3eb706e0cdafe305c1477">current bout of inflation will prove temporary</a>. As supply chain bottlenecks are resolved and the economy returns to normal, they suggest, the price spikes for such items as used cars, hotel rooms and clothing will fade. Some economists, along with Wall Street investors, have indicated that they agree.

“The headline inflation numbers have been eye-popping in recent months, but underlying inflation remains under control,” said Gus Faucher, an economist at PNC Financial Services. “Once again a few categories — used vehicles, airfares, rental cars, hotels — are experiencing huge price gains because of the recovery from the pandemic.”

Still, continued higher inflation does raise the prospect that the Fed could decide to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-health-coronavirus-pandemic-business-380a7fc237023194d94af689f13a5ef7">act earlier than expected&nbsp;</a>to pull back on its ultra-low interest rate policies, which have been intended to support more borrowing and spending. If so, that would risk weakening the economy and potentially derailing the recovery.

For now, price increases are running ahead of the wage gains that have kicked in this year, which means the financial burdens on millions of households have grown more difficult. Average hourly earnings increased 3.6% in June compared with a year earlier, normally a solid gain, but far less than current inflation.

Lower-income workers are also hardest hit by rising food prices, which rose 0.8% in June, and gas costs, which rose 2.5% last month and 45% from a year ago.

One reason why year-over-year inflation readings are now so high is that the most recent prices are being measured against the sharp price declines that followed the eruption of the pandemic in March of last year. That statistical distortion began to fade in June and will no longer be a factor when July’s year-over-year inflation figures are released next month.

Looking past those distortions, prices are rising faster than they did before the pandemic but not as much as the recent monthly numbers suggest. Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate, noted that compared with June 2019, inflation has risen at about a 3% annual pace over the past two years. That is up from a 2.6% annual inflation pace from May 2019 to May 2021.

In addition, some ongoing price spikes could fade soon. Hotel room prices surged 7% in June alone and 15.1% in the past year, the most on records dating to the 1950s. But that surge has merely returned hotel prices to pre-pandemic levels and so may not persist.

Airline fares, which jumped 2.7% last month, have skyrocketed nearly 25% compared with a year ago. Yet airline ticket prices are still below pre-COVID levels.

Prices for used cars are far above where they were before the pandemic and soared 10.5% last month alone — the largest such monthly increase on record. That spike accounted for about one-third of the monthly increase in consumer prices for a third straight month.

Used cars have become vastly more expensive largely because semiconductor shortages have cut production of new cars, thereby leading more buyers to the used car lots. And many rental car companies sold portions of their fleets during the pandemic to raise cash and are now desperately buying up used cars to replenish their supply.

The shortage of rental cars combined with greater demand has elevated vehicle rental prices by an astounding 90% in the past year.

The surge in used car prices, though, isn’t likely to last. Prices are starting to drop at wholesale auctions where dealers buy vehicles, and used vehicle demand may be slowing.

David Kelleher, who runs a Stellantis (formerly Fiat Chrysler) dealership in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania near Philadelphia, has observed that fewer of his customers are seeking used vehicles.

“I think the word got out that it was a tough time to buy a used car,” Kelleher said.

Kelleher, who has now cut prices on the roughly 150 used vehicles he has in stock, says other dealers are reporting the same conditions, and he expects customers to return once the price declines take full effect. Still, supplies of new vehicles remain tight and prices high, a trend that could sustain customer demand for used vehicles.

More broadly, other trends are keeping consumer prices high: Restaurant prices rose 0.7% last month and 4.2% over the past year, a sign that many companies are raising prices to offset higher labor costs.

The cost of household furniture increased 0.7% from May to June and 8.6% compared with a year ago, as more Americans have upgraded their homes after spending more time there during the pandemic. Mohawk Industries, which makes carpets and tiles,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.floordaily.net/floorfocus/engineered-floors-mohawk-announce-price-increase" target="_blank">has said it will raise prices</a>&nbsp;6% to 10% — its third price hike of the year — to cover higher costs for raw material, labor and shipping.

The spice maker McCormick &amp; Co. said it plans to raise prices to offset higher raw materials costs. Likewise, Conagra has said inflationary pressures have reduced its profits. The company, which makes everything from Duncan Hines to Pam cooking spray, has said it will raise prices to offset some of those costs. PepsiCo, too, said it will likely raise prices for its drinks and Frito-Lay snacks after Labor Day.

So far, investors have largely accepted the Fed’s belief that higher inflation will be short-lived, with bond yields signaling that inflation concerns on Wall Street are fading. Bond investors now expect inflation to average 2.4% over the next five years, down from 2.7% in mid-May.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1626210690024.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Prices for U.S. consumers jumped in June by the most in 13 years, evidence that a swift rebound in spending has run up against widespread supply shortages that have escalated the costs of many goods and services.Tuesday’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cpi.pdf" target="_blank">report from the Labor Department</a>&nbsp;showed that consumer prices in June rose 0.9% from May and 5.4% over the past year — the sharpest 12-month inflation spike since August 2008. Excluding volatile oil and gas prices, so-called core inflation rose 4.5% in the past year, the largest increase since November 1991.The pickup in inflation, which has coincided with the economy’s rapid recovery from the pandemic recession, will likely intensify a debate at the Federal Reserve and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-coronavirus-pandemic-lifestyle-business-government-and-politics-2c2d811df7e2b07dd927778fb7944c3a">between the Biden administration and congressional Republicans&nbsp;</a>about how persistent the accelerating price increases will prove to be.The Fed and the White House have made clear their belief that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-health-coronavirus-pandemic-business-6e7c813472a3eb706e0cdafe305c1477">current bout of inflation will prove temporary</a>. As supply chain bottlenecks are resolved and the economy returns to normal, they suggest, the price spikes for such items as used cars, hotel rooms and clothing will fade. Some economists, along with Wall Street investors, have indicated that they agree.“The headline inflation numbers have been eye-popping in recent months, but underlying inflation remains under control,” said Gus Faucher, an economist at PNC Financial Services. “Once again a few categories — used vehicles, airfares, rental cars, hotels — are experiencing huge price gains because of the recovery from the pandemic.”Still, continued higher inflation does raise the prospect that the Fed could decide to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-health-coronavirus-pandemic-business-380a7fc237023194d94af689f13a5ef7">act earlier than expected&nbsp;</a>to pull back on its ultra-low interest rate policies, which have been intended to support more borrowing and spending. If so, that would risk weakening the economy and potentially derailing the recovery.For now, price increases are running ahead of the wage gains that have kicked in this year, which means the financial burdens on millions of households have grown more difficult. Average hourly earnings increased 3.6% in June compared with a year earlier, normally a solid gain, but far less than current inflation.Lower-income workers are also hardest hit by rising food prices, which rose 0.8% in June, and gas costs, which rose 2.5% last month and 45% from a year ago.One reason why year-over-year inflation readings are now so high is that the most recent prices are being measured against the sharp price declines that followed the eruption of the pandemic in March of last year. That statistical distortion began to fade in June and will no longer be a factor when July’s year-over-year inflation figures are released next month.Looking past those distortions, prices are rising faster than they did before the pandemic but not as much as the recent monthly numbers suggest. Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate, noted that compared with June 2019, inflation has risen at about a 3% annual pace over the past two years. That is up from a 2.6% annual inflation pace from May 2019 to May 2021.In addition, some ongoing price spikes could fade soon. Hotel room prices surged 7% in June alone and 15.1% in the past year, the most on records dating to the 1950s. But that surge has merely returned hotel prices to pre-pandemic levels and so may not persist.Airline fares, which jumped 2.7% last month, have skyrocketed nearly 25% compared with a year ago. Yet airline ticket prices are still below pre-COVID levels.Prices for used cars are far above where they were before the pandemic and soared 10.5% last month alone — the largest such monthly increase on record. That spike accounted for about one-third of the monthly increase in consumer prices for a third straight month.Used cars have become vastly more expensive largely because semiconductor shortages have cut production of new cars, thereby leading more buyers to the used car lots. And many rental car companies sold portions of their fleets during the pandemic to raise cash and are now desperately buying up used cars to replenish their supply.The shortage of rental cars combined with greater demand has elevated vehicle rental prices by an astounding 90% in the past year.The surge in used car prices, though, isn’t likely to last. Prices are starting to drop at wholesale auctions where dealers buy vehicles, and used vehicle demand may be slowing.David Kelleher, who runs a Stellantis (formerly Fiat Chrysler) dealership in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania near Philadelphia, has observed that fewer of his customers are seeking used vehicles.“I think the word got out that it was a tough time to buy a used car,” Kelleher said.Kelleher, who has now cut prices on the roughly 150 used vehicles he has in stock, says other dealers are reporting the same conditions, and he expects customers to return once the price declines take full effect. Still, supplies of new vehicles remain tight and prices high, a trend that could sustain customer demand for used vehicles.More broadly, other trends are keeping consumer prices high: Restaurant prices rose 0.7% last month and 4.2% over the past year, a sign that many companies are raising prices to offset higher labor costs.The cost of household furniture increased 0.7% from May to June and 8.6% compared with a year ago, as more Americans have upgraded their homes after spending more time there during the pandemic. Mohawk Industries, which makes carpets and tiles,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.floordaily.net/floorfocus/engineered-floors-mohawk-announce-price-increase" target="_blank">has said it will raise prices</a>&nbsp;6% to 10% — its third price hike of the year — to cover higher costs for raw material, labor and shipping.The spice maker McCormick &amp; Co. said it plans to raise prices to offset higher raw materials costs. Likewise, Conagra has said inflationary pressures have reduced its profits. The company, which makes everything from Duncan Hines to Pam cooking spray, has said it will raise prices to offset some of those costs. PepsiCo, too, said it will likely raise prices for its drinks and Frito-Lay snacks after Labor Day.So far, investors have largely accepted the Fed’s belief that higher inflation will be short-lived, with bond yields signaling that inflation concerns on Wall Street are fading. Bond investors now expect inflation to average 2.4% over the next five years, down from 2.7% in mid-May.