PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — A trial date has been set for the South Dakota attorney general who struck and killed a man along a Hyde County highway. 

Jason Ravnsborg will go on trial Aug. 26 on three misdemeanor charges, including careless driving, operating a vehicle while on an electronic device and driving outside of his lane. 

The state Department of Public Safety says Ravnsborg was distracted the night of Sept. 12, swerved out of his lane near Highmore and struck 55-year-old Joe Boever who was walking on the shoulder with a flashlight.

 Investigators say Boever crashed headfirst through the windshield of Ravnsborg’s car with his glasses landing inside the vehicle. 

Ravnsborg told officials he never saw Boever and thought he struck a deer.

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — A trial date has been set for the South Dakota attorney general who struck and killed a man along a Hyde County highway. Jason Ravnsborg will go on trial Aug. 26 on three misdemeanor charges, including careless driving, operating a vehicle while on an electronic device and driving outside of his lane. The state Department of Public Safety says Ravnsborg was distracted the night of Sept. 12, swerved out of his lane near Highmore and struck 55-year-old Joe Boever who was walking on the shoulder with a flashlight. Investigators say Boever crashed headfirst through the windshield of Ravnsborg’s car with his glasses landing inside the vehicle. Ravnsborg told officials he never saw Boever and thought he struck a deer.

Trial date set for SD attorney general in fatal crash

WASHINGTON
 — Last week, the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Department of the 
Treasury, and the Bureau of the Fiscal Service announced they have 
disbursed more than 1.8 million additional Economic Impact Payments 
under the American Rescue Plan.

<a href="https://jcpost.com/posts/9bea2cac-3981-4065-a6c1-fe2715da5fc1">RELATED:&nbsp;Despite May 17 deadline, still time to get refund, cut penalties</a>

Today's announcement covering the most recent two weeks of the effort
 brings the total disbursed so far to nearly 167 million payments. They 
represent a total value of approximately $391 billion since these 
payments began rolling out to Americans in batches <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-begins-delivering-third-round-of-economic-impact-payments-to-americans">on March 12</a>.

Here is additional information on the last two weeks of payments, 
which includes those with official payment dates through May 26:

The IRS will continue to make Economic Impact Payments on a 
weekly basis. Ongoing payments will be sent to eligible individuals for 
whom the IRS previously did not have information to issue a payment but 
who recently filed a tax return, as well to people who qualify for 
"plus-up" payments.

Special reminder for those who don't normally file a tax return

Although payments are automatic for most people, the IRS continues to
 urge people who don't normally file a tax return and haven't received 
Economic Impact Payments to file a 2020 tax return to get all the 
benefits they're entitled to under the law, including tax credits such 
as the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/recovery-rebate-credit">2020 Recovery Rebate Credit</a>,
 the Child Tax Credit, and the Earned Income Tax Credit. Filing a 2020 
tax return will also assist the IRS in determining whether someone is 
eligible for an advance payment of the 2021 Child Tax Credit, which will
 begin to be disbursed this summer.

For example, some federal benefits recipients may need to file a 2020
 tax return – even if they don't usually file – to provide information 
the IRS needs to send payments for a qualifying dependent. Eligible 
individuals in this group should file a 2020 tax return as quickly as 
possible to be considered for an additional payment for their qualifying
 dependents.

People who don't normally file a tax return and don't receive federal
 benefits may qualify for these Economic Impact Payments. This includes 
those experiencing <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/those-experiencing-homelessness-can-get-economic-impact-payments-and-other-tax-benefits-permanent-address-not-required">homelessness</a>,
 the rural poor, and others. Individuals who didn't get a first or 
second round Economic Impact Payment or got less than the full amounts 
may be eligible for the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/recovery-rebate-credit">2020 Recovery Rebate Credit</a>, but they'll need to file a 2020 tax return. See the special section on IRS.gov: <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/recovery-rebate-credit-topic-a-claiming-the-recovery-rebate-credit-if-you-arent-required-to-file-a-tax-return">Claiming the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit if you aren't required to file a tax return</a>.

Free <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/free-tax-return-preparation-for-qualifying-taxpayers">tax return preparation</a> is available for qualifying people.

The IRS reminds taxpayers that the income levels in this third round 
of Economic Impact Payments have changed. This means that some people 
won't be eligible for the third payment even if they received a first or
 second Economic Impact Payment or claimed a 2020 Recovery Rebate 
Credit. Payments will begin to be reduced for individuals making $75,000
 or above in Adjusted Gross Income ($150,000 for married filing 
jointly). The payments end at $80,000 for individuals ($160,000 for 
married filing jointly); people with Adjusted Gross Incomes above these 
levels are ineligible for a payment.

Individuals can check the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment">Get My Payment</a>&nbsp;tool on IRS.gov to see the payment status of these payments. Additional information on <a href="https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/economic-impact-payments">Economic Impact Payments</a> is available on IRS.gov.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON
 — Last week, the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Department of the 
Treasury, and the Bureau of the Fiscal Service announced they have 
disbursed more than 1.8 million additional Economic Impact Payments 
under the American Rescue Plan.<a href="https://jcpost.com/posts/9bea2cac-3981-4065-a6c1-fe2715da5fc1">RELATED:&nbsp;Despite May 17 deadline, still time to get refund, cut penalties</a>Today's announcement covering the most recent two weeks of the effort
 brings the total disbursed so far to nearly 167 million payments. They 
represent a total value of approximately $391 billion since these 
payments began rolling out to Americans in batches <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-begins-delivering-third-round-of-economic-impact-payments-to-americans">on March 12</a>.Here is additional information on the last two weeks of payments, 
which includes those with official payment dates through May 26:<ul>
 <li>In total, this includes more than 1.8 million payments with a value of more than $3.5 billion.</li><li>More than 900,000 payments, with a value of approximately $1.9 
billion, went to eligible individuals for whom the IRS previously did 
not have information to issue an Economic Impact Payment but who 
recently filed a tax return.&nbsp;</li><li>This also includes additional ongoing supplemental payments for 
people who earlier this year received payments based on their 2019 tax 
returns but are eligible for a new or larger payment based on their 
recently processed 2020 tax returns. In the last two weeks, there were 
more than 900,000 of these "plus-up" payments, with a value of more than
 $1.6 billion. In all, the IRS has made nearly 7 million of these 
supplemental payments this year.</li><li>Overall, the last two weeks of payments contain more than 900,000 
direct deposit payments (with a total value over $1.6 billion) with the 
remainder as paper check payments.</li>
 </ul>The IRS will continue to make Economic Impact Payments on a 
weekly basis. Ongoing payments will be sent to eligible individuals for 
whom the IRS previously did not have information to issue a payment but 
who recently filed a tax return, as well to people who qualify for 
"plus-up" payments.<h2>Special reminder for those who don't normally file a tax return</h2>Although payments are automatic for most people, the IRS continues to
 urge people who don't normally file a tax return and haven't received 
Economic Impact Payments to file a 2020 tax return to get all the 
benefits they're entitled to under the law, including tax credits such 
as the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/recovery-rebate-credit">2020 Recovery Rebate Credit</a>,
 the Child Tax Credit, and the Earned Income Tax Credit. Filing a 2020 
tax return will also assist the IRS in determining whether someone is 
eligible for an advance payment of the 2021 Child Tax Credit, which will
 begin to be disbursed this summer.For example, some federal benefits recipients may need to file a 2020
 tax return – even if they don't usually file – to provide information 
the IRS needs to send payments for a qualifying dependent. Eligible 
individuals in this group should file a 2020 tax return as quickly as 
possible to be considered for an additional payment for their qualifying
 dependents.People who don't normally file a tax return and don't receive federal
 benefits may qualify for these Economic Impact Payments. This includes 
those experiencing <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/those-experiencing-homelessness-can-get-economic-impact-payments-and-other-tax-benefits-permanent-address-not-required">homelessness</a>,
 the rural poor, and others. Individuals who didn't get a first or 
second round Economic Impact Payment or got less than the full amounts 
may be eligible for the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/recovery-rebate-credit">2020 Recovery Rebate Credit</a>, but they'll need to file a 2020 tax return. See the special section on IRS.gov: <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/recovery-rebate-credit-topic-a-claiming-the-recovery-rebate-credit-if-you-arent-required-to-file-a-tax-return">Claiming the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit if you aren't required to file a tax return</a>.Free <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/free-tax-return-preparation-for-qualifying-taxpayers">tax return preparation</a> is available for qualifying people.The IRS reminds taxpayers that the income levels in this third round 
of Economic Impact Payments have changed. This means that some people 
won't be eligible for the third payment even if they received a first or
 second Economic Impact Payment or claimed a 2020 Recovery Rebate 
Credit. Payments will begin to be reduced for individuals making $75,000
 or above in Adjusted Gross Income ($150,000 for married filing 
jointly). The payments end at $80,000 for individuals ($160,000 for 
married filing jointly); people with Adjusted Gross Incomes above these 
levels are ineligible for a payment.Individuals can check the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment">Get My Payment</a>&nbsp;tool on IRS.gov to see the payment status of these payments. Additional information on <a href="https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/economic-impact-payments">Economic Impact Payments</a> is available on IRS.gov.

IRS: 1.8M more COVID stimulus payments sent to Americans

ARLINGTON, TX (AP) —B.J. Thomas, the Grammy-winning singer who enjoyed success on the pop, country and gospel charts with such hits as “I Just Can’t Help Believing,” “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head” and “Hooked on a Feeling,” has died. He was 78.

Thomas, who announced in March that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer, died from complications of the disease Saturday at his home in Arlington, Texas, his publicist Jeremy Westby said in a statement.

A Hugo, Oklahoma-native who grew up in Houston, Billy Joe Thomas broke through in 1966 with a gospel-styled cover of Hank Williams’ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” and went on to sell millions of records and have dozens of hits across genres. He reached No. 1 with pop, adult contemporary and country listeners in 1976 with ″(Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song.” The same year, his “Home Where I Belong” became one of the first gospel albums to be certified platinum for selling more than 1 million copies.

Dionne Warwick, who duetted with Thomas, sent out a tweet Saturday with her condolences.

“My sincere condolences to the family of one of my favorite duet partners, BJ Thomas. I will miss him as I know so many others will as well. Rest In Peace my friend,” she said.

Thomas’ signature recording was “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head,” a No. 1 pop hit and an Oscar winner for best original song as part of the soundtrack to one of the biggest movies of 1969, the irreverent Western “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” Thomas wasn’t the first choice to perform the whimsical ballad composed by Burt Bacharach and Hal David; Ray Stevens turned the songwriters down. But his warm, soulful tenor fit the song’s easygoing mood, immortalized on film during the scene when Butch (Paul Newman) shows off his new bicycle to Etta Place (Katharine Ross), the girlfriend of the Sundance Kid (Robert Redford).

“Raindrops” has since been heard everywhere from “The Simpsons” to “Forrest Gump” and was voted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2013. But, at first, not everyone was satisfied. Thomas was recovering from laryngitis while recording the soundtrack version and his vocals are raspier than for the track released on its own. Redford, meanwhile, doubted the song even belonged in “Butch Cassidy.”

“When the film was released, I was highly critical — how did the song fit with the film? There was no rain,” Redford told USA Today in 2019. “At the time, it seemed like a dumb idea. How wrong I was.”

Thomas would later say the phenomenon of “Raindrops” exacerbated an addiction to pills and alcohol which dated back to his teens, when a record producer in Houston suggested he take amphetamines to keep his energy up. He was touring and recording constantly and taking dozens of pills a day. By 1976, while ″(Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song” was hitting No. 1, he felt like he was “number 1,000.”

“I was at the bottom with my addictions and my problems,” he said in 2020 on “The Debby Campbell Goodtime Show.” He cited a “spiritual awakening,” shared with his wife, Gloria Richardson, with helping him to get clean.

Thomas had few pop hits after the mid-1970s, but he continued to score on the country charts with such No. 1 songs as “Whatever Happened to Old-Fashioned Love” and “New Looks from an Old Lover.” In the late 1970s and early ’80s, he was also a top gospel and inspirational singer, winning two Dove awards and five Grammys, including a Grammy in 1979 for best gospel performance for “The Lord’s Prayer.”

Fans of the 1980s sitcom “Growing Pains” heard him as the singer of the show’s theme song. He also acted in a handful of movies, including “Jory” and “Jake’s Corner” and toured often. Recent recordings included “Living Room Music,” featuring cameos from Lyle Lovett, Vince Gill and Richard Marx. He had planned to record in 2020 in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, but the sessions were delayed because of the pandemic.

Thomas married Richardson in 1968, and had three daughters: Paige, Nora and Erin. He and his wife worked on the 1982 memoir “In Tune: Finding How Good Life Can Be.” His book “Home Where I Belong” came out in 1978 and was co-authored by Jerry B. Jenkins, later famous for the million-selling “Left Behind” religious novels written with Tim LaHaye.

Besides music, Thomas loved baseball as a kid and started calling himself B.J. because so many Little League teammates also were named Billy Joe. By his teens, he was singing in church and had joined a local rock band, the Triumphs, whom he would stay with into his 20s. He enjoyed Ernest Tubbs, Hank Williams and other country performers his parents liked, but on his own he was inspired by the soul and rhythm and blues singers he heard on the radio or saw on stage, notably Jackie Wilson, whose hit ballad “To Be Loved” Thomas later covered and adopted as a kind of guide to his life.

“I was raised in a fairly dysfunctional situation and I went through years of intense alcoholism and drug addiction so the song was always a touchstone for me. When you open yourself up to drugs and alcohol at such a young age it becomes something you have to deal with the rest of your life,” he told the Huffington Post in 2014.

“What a road block and heartbreak and times of failure these addictions have caused me. But I had that little piece of lightning from that song. That’s the essence of the whole thing. To love and be loved. And that takes a lifetime to accomplish. It’s always been an important part of my emotions.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1622341060284.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>ARLINGTON, TX (AP) —B.J. Thomas, the Grammy-winning singer who enjoyed success on the pop, country and gospel charts with such hits as “I Just Can’t Help Believing,” “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head” and “Hooked on a Feeling,” has died. He was 78.Thomas, who announced in March that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer, died from complications of the disease Saturday at his home in Arlington, Texas, his publicist Jeremy Westby said in a statement.A Hugo, Oklahoma-native who grew up in Houston, Billy Joe Thomas broke through in 1966 with a gospel-styled cover of Hank Williams’ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” and went on to sell millions of records and have dozens of hits across genres. He reached No. 1 with pop, adult contemporary and country listeners in 1976 with ″(Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song.” The same year, his “Home Where I Belong” became one of the first gospel albums to be certified platinum for selling more than 1 million copies.Dionne Warwick, who duetted with Thomas, sent out a tweet Saturday with her condolences.“My sincere condolences to the family of one of my favorite duet partners, BJ Thomas. I will miss him as I know so many others will as well. Rest In Peace my friend,” she said.Thomas’ signature recording was “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head,” a No. 1 pop hit and an Oscar winner for best original song as part of the soundtrack to one of the biggest movies of 1969, the irreverent Western “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” Thomas wasn’t the first choice to perform the whimsical ballad composed by Burt Bacharach and Hal David; Ray Stevens turned the songwriters down. But his warm, soulful tenor fit the song’s easygoing mood, immortalized on film during the scene when Butch (Paul Newman) shows off his new bicycle to Etta Place (Katharine Ross), the girlfriend of the Sundance Kid (Robert Redford).“Raindrops” has since been heard everywhere from “The Simpsons” to “Forrest Gump” and was voted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2013. But, at first, not everyone was satisfied. Thomas was recovering from laryngitis while recording the soundtrack version and his vocals are raspier than for the track released on its own. Redford, meanwhile, doubted the song even belonged in “Butch Cassidy.”“When the film was released, I was highly critical — how did the song fit with the film? There was no rain,” Redford told USA Today in 2019. “At the time, it seemed like a dumb idea. How wrong I was.”Thomas would later say the phenomenon of “Raindrops” exacerbated an addiction to pills and alcohol which dated back to his teens, when a record producer in Houston suggested he take amphetamines to keep his energy up. He was touring and recording constantly and taking dozens of pills a day. By 1976, while ″(Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song” was hitting No. 1, he felt like he was “number 1,000.”“I was at the bottom with my addictions and my problems,” he said in 2020 on “The Debby Campbell Goodtime Show.” He cited a “spiritual awakening,” shared with his wife, Gloria Richardson, with helping him to get clean.Thomas had few pop hits after the mid-1970s, but he continued to score on the country charts with such No. 1 songs as “Whatever Happened to Old-Fashioned Love” and “New Looks from an Old Lover.” In the late 1970s and early ’80s, he was also a top gospel and inspirational singer, winning two Dove awards and five Grammys, including a Grammy in 1979 for best gospel performance for “The Lord’s Prayer.”Fans of the 1980s sitcom “Growing Pains” heard him as the singer of the show’s theme song. He also acted in a handful of movies, including “Jory” and “Jake’s Corner” and toured often. Recent recordings included “Living Room Music,” featuring cameos from Lyle Lovett, Vince Gill and Richard Marx. He had planned to record in 2020 in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, but the sessions were delayed because of the pandemic.Thomas married Richardson in 1968, and had three daughters: Paige, Nora and Erin. He and his wife worked on the 1982 memoir “In Tune: Finding How Good Life Can Be.” His book “Home Where I Belong” came out in 1978 and was co-authored by Jerry B. Jenkins, later famous for the million-selling “Left Behind” religious novels written with Tim LaHaye.Besides music, Thomas loved baseball as a kid and started calling himself B.J. because so many Little League teammates also were named Billy Joe. By his teens, he was singing in church and had joined a local rock band, the Triumphs, whom he would stay with into his 20s. He enjoyed Ernest Tubbs, Hank Williams and other country performers his parents liked, but on his own he was inspired by the soul and rhythm and blues singers he heard on the radio or saw on stage, notably Jackie Wilson, whose hit ballad “To Be Loved” Thomas later covered and adopted as a kind of guide to his life.“I was raised in a fairly dysfunctional situation and I went through years of intense alcoholism and drug addiction so the song was always a touchstone for me. When you open yourself up to drugs and alcohol at such a young age it becomes something you have to deal with the rest of your life,” he told the Huffington Post in 2014.“What a road block and heartbreak and times of failure these addictions have caused me. But I had that little piece of lightning from that song. That’s the essence of the whole thing. To love and be loved. And that takes a lifetime to accomplish. It’s always been an important part of my emotions.”___

'Hooked on a Feeling' singer B.J. Thomas dies at 78

GILLETTE, Wyo. (AP) — A U.S. House candidate in Wyoming who disclosed that he impregnated a 14-year-old girl when he was 18 scoffed at the idea of dropping out of the race and challenged any legislators who might make an issue of his past.

 State Sen. Anthony Bouchard told lawmakers who might be considering a censure to “bring it on" at a news conference Monday. 

He then refused to answer questions about the girl he married after she bore his son and who killed herself at age 20 in 1990, the year after they divorced. 

Bouchard is among at least eight Republicans running against Rep. Liz Cheney.

GILLETTE, Wyo. (AP) — A U.S. House candidate in Wyoming who disclosed that he impregnated a 14-year-old girl when he was 18 scoffed at the idea of dropping out of the race and challenged any legislators who might make an issue of his past. State Sen. Anthony Bouchard told lawmakers who might be considering a censure to “bring it on" at a news conference Monday. He then refused to answer questions about the girl he married after she bore his son and who killed herself at age 20 in 1990, the year after they divorced. Bouchard is among at least eight Republicans running against Rep. Liz Cheney.

Wyoming candidate undeterred after teen pregnancy disclosure

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — High school students in Cheyenne are getting hands-on teaching in farm and ranch work.

 Tommy Cress is the new agriculture teacher at Cheyenne Central High School.

 Cress was an assistant principal in Cheyenne but wanted a more hands-on role with students. 

The Cheyenne school district has a small farm where students learn skills such as caring for livestock. 

The Wyoming Tribune Eagle reports Cress works with students at the farm and students give him high reviews. 

Cheyenne Central junior Sarah Turner keeps two pigs at the school farm. She says Cress isn't an everyday teacher — he's somebody she can look up to.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — High school students in Cheyenne are getting hands-on teaching in farm and ranch work. Tommy Cress is the new agriculture teacher at Cheyenne Central High School. Cress was an assistant principal in Cheyenne but wanted a more hands-on role with students. The Cheyenne school district has a small farm where students learn skills such as caring for livestock. The Wyoming Tribune Eagle reports Cress works with students at the farm and students give him high reviews. Cheyenne Central junior Sarah Turner keeps two pigs at the school farm. She says Cress isn't an everyday teacher — he's somebody she can look up to.

Students look up to Wyoming high school ag program teacher

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Postal Service wants to raise rates on first-class stamps from 55 cents to 58 cents as part of a host of price hikes and service changes designed to reduce debt for the beleaguered agency.

The request for the changes, which would take effect Aug. 29, was filed with the Postal Regulatory Commission. It includes price hikes for first-class mail, magazines and marketing mailers. The price hikes are part of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy's 10-year plan for the agency, which faces an estimated $160 billion in operating losses over the next decade.

DeJoy said the increases are necessary to “achieve financial sustainability and service excellence” and will allow the postal service to "remain viable and competitive and offer reliable postal services that are among the most affordable in the world.”

The Washington Post reported that the price hikes also are being accompanied by hundreds of layoffs of “management-level employees.” An email to postal officials seeking confirmation of the layoffs did not receive an immediate response.

The Post Office has grappled with declining revenues for years; in the past decade, overall mail volume has dropped 28 percent, and first-class letters have declined by 47 percent, according to the agency. It also faces fierce competition in the package delivery business from FedEx, UPS and Amazon.

DeJoy, a major donor to former president Donald Trump, became a figure of national controversy last year when he was publicly accused by Democrats of hampering mail service for political reasons. His attempted service cuts were seen as an extension of Trump's opposition to mail-in voting.

After Trump's defeat, DeJoy's position was considered to be in jeopardy. The Senate has approved three new appointees to the Postal Service's governing board, giving the nine-member board a Democratic majority.

However, DeJoy's dismissal is not certain. Postal Service board Chairman Ron Bloom, a Democrat, told House lawmakers in February that DeJoy "in very difficult circumstances is doing a good job.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Postal Service wants to raise rates on first-class stamps from 55 cents to 58 cents as part of a host of price hikes and service changes designed to reduce debt for the beleaguered agency.The request for the changes, which would take effect Aug. 29, was filed with the Postal Regulatory Commission. It includes price hikes for first-class mail, magazines and marketing mailers. The price hikes are part of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy's 10-year plan for the agency, which faces an estimated $160 billion in operating losses over the next decade.DeJoy said the increases are necessary to “achieve financial sustainability and service excellence” and will allow the postal service to "remain viable and competitive and offer reliable postal services that are among the most affordable in the world.”The Washington Post reported that the price hikes also are being accompanied by hundreds of layoffs of “management-level employees.” An email to postal officials seeking confirmation of the layoffs did not receive an immediate response.The Post Office has grappled with declining revenues for years; in the past decade, overall mail volume has dropped 28 percent, and first-class letters have declined by 47 percent, according to the agency. It also faces fierce competition in the package delivery business from FedEx, UPS and Amazon.DeJoy, a major donor to former president Donald Trump, became a figure of national controversy last year when he was publicly accused by Democrats of hampering mail service for political reasons. His attempted service cuts were seen as an extension of Trump's opposition to mail-in voting.After Trump's defeat, DeJoy's position was considered to be in jeopardy. The Senate has approved three new appointees to the Postal Service's governing board, giving the nine-member board a Democratic majority.However, DeJoy's dismissal is not certain. Postal Service board Chairman Ron Bloom, a Democrat, told House lawmakers in February that DeJoy "in very difficult circumstances is doing a good job.”

Postal Service looks to raise price of first-class stamp again

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Friday unveiled a $6 trillion budget for next year that's piled high with new safety net programs for the poor and middle class, but his generosity depends on taxing corporations and the wealthy to keep the nation's spiking debt from spiraling totally out of control.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?512149-1/president-biden-delivers-remarks-economy">Click here to watch</a> the President's comments on his budget plan

Biden has already described, in general terms, major plans on infrastructure and he won a major victory on COVID-19 relief earlier this year. But Friday's rollout tallies up the costs and incorporates them into the government's existing budget framework, including Social Security and Medicare, to provide a fuller view of the administration's fiscal posture.

The whopping deficit projections reflect a government with steadily accumulating debt that has topped $28 trillion after well over $5 trillion in already approved COVID-19 relief, which would require the government to borrow roughly 50 cents of every dollar it spends this year and next. With the government's structural deficit remaining unchecked, Biden would use proposed tax hikes on businesses and high-earning people to power huge new social programs like universal prekindergarten, large subsidies for child care and guaranteed paid leave.

“The best way to grow our economy is not from the top down, but from the bottom up and the middle out," Biden said in his written budget message. “Our prosperity comes from the people who get up every day, work hard, raise their family, pay their taxes, serve their Nation, and volunteer in their communities.”

The budget incorporates the administration's eight-year, $2.3 trillion infrastructure proposal and its $1.8 trillion American Families Plan and adds details on his $1.5 trillion request for annual operating expenditures for the Pentagon and domestic agencies.

“Together, these ... will be transformational: Strengthening our economy, boosting American competitiveness, and delivering shared prosperity and economic security," said acting White House budget chief Shalanda Young. She called the Biden plan a “budget that puts these pieces together and does exactly what the president told the country he would do. Grow the economy, create jobs and do so responsibly by requiring the wealthiest Americans and big corporations to pay their fair share.”

Biden's budget is sure to give Republicans fresh ammunition for their criticisms of the new Democratic administration as bent on a “tax and spend" agenda that would damage the economy and impose a crushing debt burden on younger Americans. And he's facing a very nettlesome fight with Republicans who say he's shorting the military.

Veteran GOP Sen. Richard Shelby, whose help is needed to pass annual agency budget bills, blasted Biden's plan as “a blueprint for the higher taxes, excessive spending, and disproportionate funding priorities." He added that it ”completely disregards our debt of more than $28 trillion, yet somehow still shortchanges our national security."

Biden is a veteran of a long-gone Washington that fought bitterly in the 1980s and 1990s to wrestle the deficit under control. But there hasn't been any real effort to stem the flow of red ink since a tea party-driven moment in 2011 that produced unpopular automatic spending cuts.

Huge deficits have yet to drive up interest rates as many fiscal hawks have feared, however, and genuine anti-deficit sentiment is difficult to find in either political party.

The unusual timing of the budget rollout — the Friday afternoon before Memorial Day weekend — indicates that the White House isn't eager to trumpet the bad deficit news. Typically, lawmakers host an immediate round of hearings on the budget, but those will have to wait until Congress returns from a weeklong recess.

Under Biden’s plan, the debt held by the public would quickly match the size of the economy and soon eclipse record levels of debt relative to gross domestic product that have stood since World War II. That’s despite more than $3 trillion in proposed tax increases over the decade, including an increase in the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28%, increased capital gains rates on top earners and returning the top personal income tax bracket to 39.6%.

Like all presidential budgets, Biden’s plan is simply a proposal. It’s up to Congress to implement it through tax and spending legislation and annual agency budget bills. With Democrats in control of Capitol Hill, albeit barely, the president has the ability to implement many of his tax and spending plans, though his hopes for awarding greater increases to domestic agencies than to the Pentagon are sure to hit a roadblock with Republicans.

Some Democrats are already balking at Biden’s full menu of tax increases, imperiling his ability to pay for his ambitious social spending. And his plans to increase spending on domestic Cabinet agencies by 16% while limiting defense to a 1.7% increase is politically impossible in the 50-50 Senate.

On Thursday, a top Senate ally, Appropriations Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., called for bipartisan talks to start the annual appropriations bills. There’s incentive for both GOP defense hawks and liberal Democrats like Leahy to bargain since the alternative is a long-term freeze at current spending levels.

The Biden plan comes as the White House is seeking an agreement with Senate Republicans over infrastructure spending. There are growing expectations that he may have to go it alone and pass his plans by relying on support from his narrow Democratic majorities in both the House and Senate.

The flood of Biden’s spending proposals includes numerous new programs to strengthen the “caring economy” with large programs aimed at child and elder care: $437 billion over 10 years to provide free preschool to all 3- and 4-year-olds and two years of free community college to all Americans. Also, $225 billion would subsidize child care to allow many to pay a maximum of 7% of their income for all children under age 5.

Another $225 billion over the next decade would create a national family and medical leave program, while $200 billion would make recently enacted subsidy increases under the Obama health care law permanent.

Tax hikes, Biden claims, would pay for his initiatives over the next 15 years, including $2 trillion from corporations from curbing overseas tax preferences and raising rates to 28%.

The increases would drive federal spending to about 25% of the entire economy, while the tax boosts would mean revenues approaching 20% of the size of the economy once implemented.

Last year’s $3.1 trillion budget deficit under President Donald Trump was more than double the previous record, as the coronavirus pandemic shrank revenues and sent spending soaring.

Republicans concerns about the deficit are voiced chiefly when Democrats are in power, and the Biden budget gives them ammunition to attack.

Council of Economic Advisers Chair Cecelia Rouse told reporters Friday that the economy is outperforming the budget’s promises of 5.2% economic growth this year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1622232957258.png" alt="Biden's budget incorporates the administration's eight-year, $2.3 trillion infrastructure proposal and its $1.8 trillion American Families Plan and adds details on his $1.5 trillion request for annual operating expenditures for the Pentagon and domestic agencies. He delivered remarks on the plan at&nbsp;Coyahoga Community College in Cleveland, Ohio Thursday-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Biden's budget incorporates the administration's eight-year, $2.3 trillion infrastructure proposal and its $1.8 trillion American Families Plan and adds details on his $1.5 trillion request for annual operating expenditures for the Pentagon and domestic agencies. He delivered remarks on the plan at&nbsp;Coyahoga Community College in Cleveland, Ohio Thursday-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Friday unveiled a $6 trillion budget for next year that's piled high with new safety net programs for the poor and middle class, but his generosity depends on taxing corporations and the wealthy to keep the nation's spiking debt from spiraling totally out of control.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?512149-1/president-biden-delivers-remarks-economy">Click here to watch</a> the President's comments on his budget planBiden has already described, in general terms, major plans on infrastructure and he won a major victory on COVID-19 relief earlier this year. But Friday's rollout tallies up the costs and incorporates them into the government's existing budget framework, including Social Security and Medicare, to provide a fuller view of the administration's fiscal posture.The whopping deficit projections reflect a government with steadily accumulating debt that has topped $28 trillion after well over $5 trillion in already approved COVID-19 relief, which would require the government to borrow roughly 50 cents of every dollar it spends this year and next. With the government's structural deficit remaining unchecked, Biden would use proposed tax hikes on businesses and high-earning people to power huge new social programs like universal prekindergarten, large subsidies for child care and guaranteed paid leave.“The best way to grow our economy is not from the top down, but from the bottom up and the middle out," Biden said in his written budget message. “Our prosperity comes from the people who get up every day, work hard, raise their family, pay their taxes, serve their Nation, and volunteer in their communities.”The budget incorporates the administration's eight-year, $2.3 trillion infrastructure proposal and its $1.8 trillion American Families Plan and adds details on his $1.5 trillion request for annual operating expenditures for the Pentagon and domestic agencies.“Together, these ... will be transformational: Strengthening our economy, boosting American competitiveness, and delivering shared prosperity and economic security," said acting White House budget chief Shalanda Young. She called the Biden plan a “budget that puts these pieces together and does exactly what the president told the country he would do. Grow the economy, create jobs and do so responsibly by requiring the wealthiest Americans and big corporations to pay their fair share.”Biden's budget is sure to give Republicans fresh ammunition for their criticisms of the new Democratic administration as bent on a “tax and spend" agenda that would damage the economy and impose a crushing debt burden on younger Americans. And he's facing a very nettlesome fight with Republicans who say he's shorting the military.Veteran GOP Sen. Richard Shelby, whose help is needed to pass annual agency budget bills, blasted Biden's plan as “a blueprint for the higher taxes, excessive spending, and disproportionate funding priorities." He added that it ”completely disregards our debt of more than $28 trillion, yet somehow still shortchanges our national security."Biden is a veteran of a long-gone Washington that fought bitterly in the 1980s and 1990s to wrestle the deficit under control. But there hasn't been any real effort to stem the flow of red ink since a tea party-driven moment in 2011 that produced unpopular automatic spending cuts.Huge deficits have yet to drive up interest rates as many fiscal hawks have feared, however, and genuine anti-deficit sentiment is difficult to find in either political party.The unusual timing of the budget rollout — the Friday afternoon before Memorial Day weekend — indicates that the White House isn't eager to trumpet the bad deficit news. Typically, lawmakers host an immediate round of hearings on the budget, but those will have to wait until Congress returns from a weeklong recess.Under Biden’s plan, the debt held by the public would quickly match the size of the economy and soon eclipse record levels of debt relative to gross domestic product that have stood since World War II. That’s despite more than $3 trillion in proposed tax increases over the decade, including an increase in the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28%, increased capital gains rates on top earners and returning the top personal income tax bracket to 39.6%.Like all presidential budgets, Biden’s plan is simply a proposal. It’s up to Congress to implement it through tax and spending legislation and annual agency budget bills. With Democrats in control of Capitol Hill, albeit barely, the president has the ability to implement many of his tax and spending plans, though his hopes for awarding greater increases to domestic agencies than to the Pentagon are sure to hit a roadblock with Republicans.Some Democrats are already balking at Biden’s full menu of tax increases, imperiling his ability to pay for his ambitious social spending. And his plans to increase spending on domestic Cabinet agencies by 16% while limiting defense to a 1.7% increase is politically impossible in the 50-50 Senate.On Thursday, a top Senate ally, Appropriations Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., called for bipartisan talks to start the annual appropriations bills. There’s incentive for both GOP defense hawks and liberal Democrats like Leahy to bargain since the alternative is a long-term freeze at current spending levels.The Biden plan comes as the White House is seeking an agreement with Senate Republicans over infrastructure spending. There are growing expectations that he may have to go it alone and pass his plans by relying on support from his narrow Democratic majorities in both the House and Senate.The flood of Biden’s spending proposals includes numerous new programs to strengthen the “caring economy” with large programs aimed at child and elder care: $437 billion over 10 years to provide free preschool to all 3- and 4-year-olds and two years of free community college to all Americans. Also, $225 billion would subsidize child care to allow many to pay a maximum of 7% of their income for all children under age 5.Another $225 billion over the next decade would create a national family and medical leave program, while $200 billion would make recently enacted subsidy increases under the Obama health care law permanent.Tax hikes, Biden claims, would pay for his initiatives over the next 15 years, including $2 trillion from corporations from curbing overseas tax preferences and raising rates to 28%.The increases would drive federal spending to about 25% of the entire economy, while the tax boosts would mean revenues approaching 20% of the size of the economy once implemented.Last year’s $3.1 trillion budget deficit under President Donald Trump was more than double the previous record, as the coronavirus pandemic shrank revenues and sent spending soaring.Republicans concerns about the deficit are voiced chiefly when Democrats are in power, and the Biden budget gives them ammunition to attack.Council of Economic Advisers Chair Cecelia Rouse told reporters Friday that the economy is outperforming the budget’s promises of 5.2% economic growth this year.

Biden's $6T budget: Social spending, taxes on business

ATCHISON COUNTY, Mo. —A Nebraska couple were injured in an accident just after 6:30a.m. Friday in Atchison County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Ram pickup driven by Dalton N. Hart, 26, Tarkio, was westbound on U.S. 136 just west of Rock Port.

The driver attempted to make a left turn into a private drive.&nbsp; The pickup traveled into the path of a 1938 Chevy Deluxe driven by Kenneth D. Holmes, 50, Auburn, Nebraska.&nbsp; The vehicles collided head-on.

Atchison-Holt ambulance transported Holmes and a passenger in the Chevy Stephanie D. Holmes, 44, Auburn, to Community Hospital in Fairfax. An air ambulance later transferred them to University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. Hart was not injured and properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the MSHP. The Chevy did not have seat belts.

ATCHISON COUNTY, Mo. —A Nebraska couple were injured in an accident just after 6:30a.m. Friday in Atchison County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2015 Ram pickup driven by Dalton N. Hart, 26, Tarkio, was westbound on U.S. 136 just west of Rock Port.The driver attempted to make a left turn into a private drive.&nbsp; The pickup traveled into the path of a 1938 Chevy Deluxe driven by Kenneth D. Holmes, 50, Auburn, Nebraska.&nbsp; The vehicles collided head-on.Atchison-Holt ambulance transported Holmes and a passenger in the Chevy Stephanie D. Holmes, 44, Auburn, to Community Hospital in Fairfax. An air ambulance later transferred them to University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. Hart was not injured and properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the MSHP. The Chevy did not have seat belts.

Neb. couple airlifted to hospital after head-on crash in 1938 Chevy

BELLEVUE, Neb. (AP) — A Bellevue man charged in the deaths of his two young children has been returned to Nebraska and appeared in court Friday for a bond hearing. 

The Omaha World-Herald reports that 36-year-old Adam Price was returned to Nebraska from California on Thursday night. 

On Friday, he was ordered held on $2.5 million bail. Price is charged with two counts of negligent child abuse resulting in the deaths of his children, 5-year-old Emily and 3-year-old Theodore.

 The children had been with Price for a court-ordered visitation when they were found dead May 16 in Price's home. 

Price was nowhere to be found and was arrested hours later in Pacifica, California.

 Authorities have not yet said how the children died.

BELLEVUE, Neb. (AP) — A Bellevue man charged in the deaths of his two young children has been returned to Nebraska and appeared in court Friday for a bond hearing. The Omaha World-Herald reports that 36-year-old Adam Price was returned to Nebraska from California on Thursday night. On Friday, he was ordered held on $2.5 million bail. Price is charged with two counts of negligent child abuse resulting in the deaths of his children, 5-year-old Emily and 3-year-old Theodore. The children had been with Price for a court-ordered visitation when they were found dead May 16 in Price's home. Price was nowhere to be found and was arrested hours later in Pacifica, California. Authorities have not yet said how the children died.

Man charged in deaths of children returned to Nebraska

PAPILLION, Neb. (AP) — A judge has granted a temporary injunction to keep the Sarpy County Board from naming a new county treasurer while a lawsuit filed by the ousted former treasurer proceeds. 

Television station WOWT reports that District Judge Geoffrey Hall issued a temporary injunction this week in the lawsuit of Brian Zuger, who was voted out of his elected office by the county board in April. 

The vote followed a state auditor's report earlier this year citing missteps by Zuger’s office that caused Millard Public Schools to miss out on a nearly $2.4 million tax payment, while Bellevue’s school district was overpaid by $2.3 million. 

Zuger has defended his work, saying his office had been trying to correct yearslong problems.

PAPILLION, Neb. (AP) — A judge has granted a temporary injunction to keep the Sarpy County Board from naming a new county treasurer while a lawsuit filed by the ousted former treasurer proceeds. Television station WOWT reports that District Judge Geoffrey Hall issued a temporary injunction this week in the lawsuit of Brian Zuger, who was voted out of his elected office by the county board in April. The vote followed a state auditor's report earlier this year citing missteps by Zuger’s office that caused Millard Public Schools to miss out on a nearly $2.4 million tax payment, while Bellevue’s school district was overpaid by $2.3 million. Zuger has defended his work, saying his office had been trying to correct yearslong problems.

Sarpy County Board ordered to hold off naming new treasurer

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans on Friday blocked creation of a bipartisan panel to study the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, turning aside the independent investigation in a show of party loyalty to former President Donald Trump and an effort to shift the political focus away from the violent insurrection by his GOP supporters.

The Senate vote was 54-35 — short of the 60 votes needed to take up a House-passed bill that would have formed a 10-member commission evenly split between the two parties.&nbsp;

 It came a day after emotional appeals from police who fought with the rioters and lawmakers who fled Capitol chambers that day.

Six Republicans voted with Democrats to move forward. Eleven senators missed the rare Friday vote.

Though the Jan. 6 commission bill passed the House earlier this month with the support of almost three dozen Republicans, GOP senators said they believe the commission would eventually be used against them politically. And Trump, who still has a firm hold on the party, has called it a “Democrat trap.”

The vote is emblematic of the profound mistrust between the two parties since the siege, especially among Republicans, as some in the party have downplayed the violence and defended the rioters who supported Trump and his false insistence that the election was stolen from him.

The attack was the worst on the Capitol in 200 years and interrupted the certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s win over Trump. Four people died that day, and Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick collapsed and died afterward of what authorities said were natural causes. Two police officers took their own lives in the days after the riots.

The vote came after Sicknick’s mother, girlfriend and two police officers who fought the rioters went office to office and asked Republicans to support the commission.

While initially saying he was open to the idea of the commission, which would be modeled after an investigation of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mccarthy-republicans-insurrection-commission-e0ffe4990ad8f2634ca83b95a2c2c64c">turned firmly against it</a>&nbsp;in recent days. He has said he believes the panel’s investigation would be partisan despite the even split among party members.

McConnell, who once&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcconnell-trump-fed-lies-to-mob-36871d68df56a10be1c46ed364ad6de6">said Trump was responsible for provoking the mob attack</a>&nbsp;on the Capitol, said of Democrats, “They’d like to continue to litigate the former president, into the future.”

Still, six in his caucus defied him, arguing that an independent look is needed.

Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski said Thursday evening that she needs to know more about what happened that day and why.

“Truth is hard stuff, but we’ve got a responsibility to it,” she told reporters. “We just can’t pretend that nothing bad happened, or that people just got too excitable. Something bad happened. And it’s important to lay that out.”

Of her colleagues opposing the commission, Murkowski said some are concerned that “we don’t want to rock the boat.”

GOP opposition to the bipartisan panel has revived Democratic pressure to do away with the filibuster, a time-honored Senate tradition that requires a vote by 60 of the 100 senators to cut off debate and advance a bill. With the Senate evenly split 50-50, Democrats need support of 10 Republicans to move to the commission bill.

The Republicans’ political arguments over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-capitol-lockdown-2f56a611445df15fb9640893bb9f7a93">the violent siege</a>&nbsp;— which is still raw for many in the Capitol, almost five months later — have frustrated not only Democrats but also those who fought off the rioters.

Michael Fanone, a Metropolitan Police Department officer who responded to the attack, joined Sicknick’s family on Capitol Hill Thursday. In between meetings with Republican senators, he said a commission is “necessary for us to heal as a nation from the trauma that we all experienced that day.” Fanone has described being dragged down the Capitol steps by rioters who shocked him with a stun gun and beat him.

Sandra Garza, the partner of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who collapsed and died after battling the rioters, said of the Republican senators, “You know they are here today and with their families and comfortable because of the actions of law enforcement that day.”

“So I don’t understand why they would resist getting to the bottom of what happened that day and fully understanding how to prevent it. Just boggles my mind,” she said.

Video of the rioting shows two men spraying Sicknick and another officer with a chemical, but the Washington medical examiner said he suffered a stroke and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-government-and-politics-b497800805aedae48b72bc4837b90042">died from natural causes</a>.

Garza attended the meetings with Sicknick’s mother, Gladys Sicknick. In a statement Wednesday, Mrs. Sicknick suggested the opponents of the commission “visit my son’s grave in Arlington National Cemetery and, while there, think about what their hurtful decisions will do to those officers who will be there for them going forward.”

Dozens of other police officers were injured as the rioters pushed past them, breaking through windows and doors and hunting for lawmakers. The protesters constructed a mock gallows in front of the Capitol and called for the hanging of Vice President Mike Pence, who was overseeing the certification of the presidential vote.

“We have a mob overtake the Capitol, and we can’t get the Republicans to join us in making historic record of that event? That is sad,” said Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Senate Democrat. “That tells you what’s wrong with the Senate and what’s wrong with the filibuster.”

Many Democrats are warning that if Republicans are willing to use the filibuster to stop an arguably popular measure, it shows the limits of trying to broker compromises, particularly on bills related to election reforms or other aspects of the Democrats’ agenda.

For now, though, Democrats don’t have the votes to change the rule. West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin and Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, both moderate Democrats, have said they want to preserve the filibuster.

Biden, asked about the commission at a stop in Cleveland, said Thursday, “I can’t imagine anyone voting against” it.

Republican Texas Sen. John Cornyn, who once supported the idea of the commission, said he now believes Democrats are trying to use it as a political tool.

“I don’t think this is the only way to get to the bottom of what happened,” Cornyn said, noting that Senate committees are also looking at the siege.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1622217251264.png" alt="Vote counting on Friday on the floor of the United State's Senate-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Vote counting on Friday on the floor of the United State's Senate-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans on Friday blocked creation of a bipartisan panel to study the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, turning aside the independent investigation in a show of party loyalty to former President Donald Trump and an effort to shift the political focus away from the violent insurrection by his GOP supporters.The Senate vote was 54-35 — short of the 60 votes needed to take up a House-passed bill that would have formed a 10-member commission evenly split between the two parties.&nbsp; It came a day after emotional appeals from police who fought with the rioters and lawmakers who fled Capitol chambers that day.Six Republicans voted with Democrats to move forward. Eleven senators missed the rare Friday vote.Though the Jan. 6 commission bill passed the House earlier this month with the support of almost three dozen Republicans, GOP senators said they believe the commission would eventually be used against them politically. And Trump, who still has a firm hold on the party, has called it a “Democrat trap.”The vote is emblematic of the profound mistrust between the two parties since the siege, especially among Republicans, as some in the party have downplayed the violence and defended the rioters who supported Trump and his false insistence that the election was stolen from him.The attack was the worst on the Capitol in 200 years and interrupted the certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s win over Trump. Four people died that day, and Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick collapsed and died afterward of what authorities said were natural causes. Two police officers took their own lives in the days after the riots.The vote came after Sicknick’s mother, girlfriend and two police officers who fought the rioters went office to office and asked Republicans to support the commission.While initially saying he was open to the idea of the commission, which would be modeled after an investigation of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mccarthy-republicans-insurrection-commission-e0ffe4990ad8f2634ca83b95a2c2c64c">turned firmly against it</a>&nbsp;in recent days. He has said he believes the panel’s investigation would be partisan despite the even split among party members.McConnell, who once&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcconnell-trump-fed-lies-to-mob-36871d68df56a10be1c46ed364ad6de6">said Trump was responsible for provoking the mob attack</a>&nbsp;on the Capitol, said of Democrats, “They’d like to continue to litigate the former president, into the future.”Still, six in his caucus defied him, arguing that an independent look is needed.Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski said Thursday evening that she needs to know more about what happened that day and why.“Truth is hard stuff, but we’ve got a responsibility to it,” she told reporters. “We just can’t pretend that nothing bad happened, or that people just got too excitable. Something bad happened. And it’s important to lay that out.”Of her colleagues opposing the commission, Murkowski said some are concerned that “we don’t want to rock the boat.”GOP opposition to the bipartisan panel has revived Democratic pressure to do away with the filibuster, a time-honored Senate tradition that requires a vote by 60 of the 100 senators to cut off debate and advance a bill. With the Senate evenly split 50-50, Democrats need support of 10 Republicans to move to the commission bill.The Republicans’ political arguments over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-capitol-lockdown-2f56a611445df15fb9640893bb9f7a93">the violent siege</a>&nbsp;— which is still raw for many in the Capitol, almost five months later — have frustrated not only Democrats but also those who fought off the rioters.Michael Fanone, a Metropolitan Police Department officer who responded to the attack, joined Sicknick’s family on Capitol Hill Thursday. In between meetings with Republican senators, he said a commission is “necessary for us to heal as a nation from the trauma that we all experienced that day.” Fanone has described being dragged down the Capitol steps by rioters who shocked him with a stun gun and beat him.Sandra Garza, the partner of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who collapsed and died after battling the rioters, said of the Republican senators, “You know they are here today and with their families and comfortable because of the actions of law enforcement that day.”“So I don’t understand why they would resist getting to the bottom of what happened that day and fully understanding how to prevent it. Just boggles my mind,” she said.Video of the rioting shows two men spraying Sicknick and another officer with a chemical, but the Washington medical examiner said he suffered a stroke and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-government-and-politics-b497800805aedae48b72bc4837b90042">died from natural causes</a>.Garza attended the meetings with Sicknick’s mother, Gladys Sicknick. In a statement Wednesday, Mrs. Sicknick suggested the opponents of the commission “visit my son’s grave in Arlington National Cemetery and, while there, think about what their hurtful decisions will do to those officers who will be there for them going forward.”Dozens of other police officers were injured as the rioters pushed past them, breaking through windows and doors and hunting for lawmakers. The protesters constructed a mock gallows in front of the Capitol and called for the hanging of Vice President Mike Pence, who was overseeing the certification of the presidential vote.“We have a mob overtake the Capitol, and we can’t get the Republicans to join us in making historic record of that event? That is sad,” said Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Senate Democrat. “That tells you what’s wrong with the Senate and what’s wrong with the filibuster.”Many Democrats are warning that if Republicans are willing to use the filibuster to stop an arguably popular measure, it shows the limits of trying to broker compromises, particularly on bills related to election reforms or other aspects of the Democrats’ agenda.For now, though, Democrats don’t have the votes to change the rule. West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin and Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, both moderate Democrats, have said they want to preserve the filibuster.Biden, asked about the commission at a stop in Cleveland, said Thursday, “I can’t imagine anyone voting against” it.Republican Texas Sen. John Cornyn, who once supported the idea of the commission, said he now believes Democrats are trying to use it as a political tool.“I don’t think this is the only way to get to the bottom of what happened,” Cornyn said, noting that Senate committees are also looking at the siege.

GOP blocks bipartisan probe of deadly Jan. 6 riot at Capitol

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska prisoner already serving a life sentence for murder has been indicted on a new first-degree murder charge accusing him of killing his cellmate last year at the Nebraska State Penitentiary. 

The Lincoln Journal Star reports that 31-year-old Angelo Bol was indicted this week in the November death of 20-year-old Kevin Carter.

 Authorities have not released details on how Carter was killed. 

He was serving a 6-to-9-year sentence for taking part in the beating and stabbing of a man in Douglas County in 2019. 

Bol is serving a life sentence for the 2014 shooting death a co-worker at a Gibbon meatpacking plant.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska prisoner already serving a life sentence for murder has been indicted on a new first-degree murder charge accusing him of killing his cellmate last year at the Nebraska State Penitentiary. The Lincoln Journal Star reports that 31-year-old Angelo Bol was indicted this week in the November death of 20-year-old Kevin Carter. Authorities have not released details on how Carter was killed. He was serving a 6-to-9-year sentence for taking part in the beating and stabbing of a man in Douglas County in 2019. Bol is serving a life sentence for the 2014 shooting death a co-worker at a Gibbon meatpacking plant.

Nebraska inmate indicted for murder in death of cellmate

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — The federal government has argued that the U.S. Supreme Court should not take up a lawsuit in Wyoming over a blocked coal export terminal because the company behind the proposal is bankrupt and won’t be building the project. 

The Casper Star-Tribune reported Wednesday that U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar argued in a brief that there is no legal controversy for the high court to consider because the Millennium Bulk Terminal project won’t proceed. 

The proposed terminal’s parent company Lighthouse Resources Inc. declared bankruptcy in December.

 It then failed to find an interested buyer. 

Republican Gov. Mark Gordon said the two states would file a legal response to the brief.

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — The federal government has argued that the U.S. Supreme Court should not take up a lawsuit in Wyoming over a blocked coal export terminal because the company behind the proposal is bankrupt and won’t be building the project. The Casper Star-Tribune reported Wednesday that U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar argued in a brief that there is no legal controversy for the high court to consider because the Millennium Bulk Terminal project won’t proceed. The proposed terminal’s parent company Lighthouse Resources Inc. declared bankruptcy in December. It then failed to find an interested buyer. Republican Gov. Mark Gordon said the two states would file a legal response to the brief.

US Supreme Court asked to not consider Wyoming coal lawsuit

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The University of Nebraska has netted $400 million in financing through the sale of municipal bonds to be used for a growing list of renovations and replacement projects.

 The Lincoln Journal Star reports that the sale took place Wednesday, and money garnered will go toward an $800 million backlog of projects at campuses in Lincoln, Omaha and Kearney, as well as the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis. 

The projects include a $75 million replacement of the Westbrook Music Building at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and construction of a $37.5 million College of Allied Health Professions building for the University of Nebraska Medical Center campus.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The University of Nebraska has netted $400 million in financing through the sale of municipal bonds to be used for a growing list of renovations and replacement projects. The Lincoln Journal Star reports that the sale took place Wednesday, and money garnered will go toward an $800 million backlog of projects at campuses in Lincoln, Omaha and Kearney, as well as the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis. The projects include a $75 million replacement of the Westbrook Music Building at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and construction of a $37.5 million College of Allied Health Professions building for the University of Nebraska Medical Center campus.

NU reaps $400M in sale of municipal bonds for renovations

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has declined a request by the pork industry to increase the speed at which pigs can be processed into meat. 

The ruling is a victory to slaughterhouse workers who had raised safety concerns about the plan. 

The USDA announced Wednesday it would enforce a Minnesota judge’s order issued in March. 

The judge struck down plans finalized by the USDA under former President Donald Trump’s administration that would have lifted maximum line speeds at pork slaughterhouses, allowing dozens of plants to speed up production. 

The judge found the USDA acted arbitrarily and capriciously when it refused to consider the impact of faster line speeds on worker safety.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has declined a request by the pork industry to increase the speed at which pigs can be processed into meat. The ruling is a victory to slaughterhouse workers who had raised safety concerns about the plan. The USDA announced Wednesday it would enforce a Minnesota judge’s order issued in March. The judge struck down plans finalized by the USDA under former President Donald Trump’s administration that would have lifted maximum line speeds at pork slaughterhouses, allowing dozens of plants to speed up production. The judge found the USDA acted arbitrarily and capriciously when it refused to consider the impact of faster line speeds on worker safety.

USDA rejects request for faster pork slaughterhouse speeds

SEWARD, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say sheriff's deputies in a southeast Nebraska county seized 103 pounds of methamphetamine in two stops this week. 

Seward County Sheriff Michael Vance says deputies recovered 3 pounds of the drug on Monday near the Goehner exit off Interstate 80.

A man from Council Bluffs, Iowa, and a woman from California were arrested. On Wednesday, deputies stopped a minivan for a traffic violation near the Milford exit on the interstate. A search found 100 pounds of methamphetamine in the van. A man identified as Dallas T. Faarmausili from Benton, Washington, was arrested.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1622149005354.png" alt="Faarmausili -photo Seward County" />
 <figcaption>Faarmausili -photo Seward County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEWARD, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say sheriff's deputies in a southeast Nebraska county seized 103 pounds of methamphetamine in two stops this week. Seward County Sheriff Michael Vance says deputies recovered 3 pounds of the drug on Monday near the Goehner exit off Interstate 80.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1622149047341.png" alt="Deputies say the meth was purchased for $2 million dollars and was to be delivered to New Jersey" />
 <figcaption>Deputies say the meth was purchased for $2 million dollars and was to be delivered to New Jersey</figcaption>
 </figure>A man from Council Bluffs, Iowa, and a woman from California were arrested. On Wednesday, deputies stopped a minivan for a traffic violation near the Milford exit on the interstate. A search found 100 pounds of methamphetamine in the van. A man identified as Dallas T. Faarmausili from Benton, Washington, was arrested.

Nebraska deputies seize 103 pounds of meth bought for $2M

CUSTER, S.D. (AP) — The U.S. Forest Service says crews are working to clear roads and trails in the southern Black Hills which are blocked by debris from weekend tornadoes. 

The National Weather Services in Rapid City has confirmed two tornadoes traveled across many jurisdictions Sunday, including the National Forest. 

According to the weather service, the first tornado was reported south of Custer and traveled 6.5 miles. 

The second tornado touched down northeast of Custer and traveled 5.4 miles. 

The Forest Service is asking the public to refrain from cutting firewood in the impacted areas.&nbsp;

CUSTER, S.D. (AP) — The U.S. Forest Service says crews are working to clear roads and trails in the southern Black Hills which are blocked by debris from weekend tornadoes. The National Weather Services in Rapid City has confirmed two tornadoes traveled across many jurisdictions Sunday, including the National Forest. According to the weather service, the first tornado was reported south of Custer and traveled 6.5 miles. The second tornado touched down northeast of Custer and traveled 5.4 miles. The Forest Service is asking the public to refrain from cutting firewood in the impacted areas.&nbsp;

Crews clearing tornado damage in Black Hills National Forest

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A 16-year-old will stand trial for first-degree murder in the shooting death of a man at Westroads Mall in Omaha.

 A judge ruled Wednesday that Makhi Woolridge-Jones, of Omaha, will also be tried for first-degree assault and two firearms charges related to the shooting April 17.

 He is accused of fatally shooting Trequez Swift and injuring 22-year-old Ja’Keya Veland. 

Police have said the shooting was gang related. 

A police detective testified that Swift was shot twice as he ran from Wooldridge-Jones after they argued. He died about three hours later at a hospital.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A 16-year-old will stand trial for first-degree murder in the shooting death of a man at Westroads Mall in Omaha. A judge ruled Wednesday that Makhi Woolridge-Jones, of Omaha, will also be tried for first-degree assault and two firearms charges related to the shooting April 17. He is accused of fatally shooting Trequez Swift and injuring 22-year-old Ja’Keya Veland. Police have said the shooting was gang related. A police detective testified that Swift was shot twice as he ran from Wooldridge-Jones after they argued. He died about three hours later at a hospital.

Teenager will stand trial for murder in Omaha mall shooting

PAPILLION, Neb. (AP) — The man accused of killing two workers and wounding two others during a shooting at a Nebraska fast-food restaurant last fall has been charged with stabbing a fellow jail inmate.

 Roberto Silva Jr. has been charged with second-degree assault and using a weapon to commit a felony in connection with the jail assault that took place earlier this month. 

Court documents say Silva was found standing near another inmate who had cuts to his ear, neck and body. 

The other inmate told officers Silva had stabbed him. 

Silva was already facing murder and arson charges in connection with the Nov. 21 shooting at a Sonic Drive-in restaurant in the Omaha suburb of Bellevue.

PAPILLION, Neb. (AP) — The man accused of killing two workers and wounding two others during a shooting at a Nebraska fast-food restaurant last fall has been charged with stabbing a fellow jail inmate. Roberto Silva Jr. has been charged with second-degree assault and using a weapon to commit a felony in connection with the jail assault that took place earlier this month. Court documents say Silva was found standing near another inmate who had cuts to his ear, neck and body. The other inmate told officers Silva had stabbed him. Silva was already facing murder and arson charges in connection with the Nov. 21 shooting at a Sonic Drive-in restaurant in the Omaha suburb of Bellevue.

Man accused of restaurant shooting charged in jail assault

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal car accident and have&nbsp; identified 32-year-old Kasondra Mantey of Wichita as the victim.

Just before midnight Wednesday, Mantey was driving a vehicle eastbound in the 1400 Block of Pawnee in Wichita, according to Officer Trevor Macy.&nbsp; The car left the road and struck a power pole.

First responders pronounced her dead at the scene.

This is the 18th traffic fatality in Wichita this year, according to Macy.

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal car accident and have&nbsp; identified 32-year-old Kasondra Mantey of Wichita as the victim.Just before midnight Wednesday, Mantey was driving a vehicle eastbound in the 1400 Block of Pawnee in Wichita, according to Officer Trevor Macy.&nbsp; The car left the road and struck a power pole.First responders pronounced her dead at the scene.This is the 18th traffic fatality in Wichita this year, according to Macy.

Police: Kan. woman died after car struck power pole

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska is reporting its lowest level of new virus cases since last April — shortly after the coronavirus pandemic began.

 State health officials said 521 virus cases were reported over the past week.

 That is the smallest number of new positive cases in the state since April 2020. 

The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Nebraska also decreased over the past two weeks from 195.43 new cases per day on May 11 to 74.43 new cases per day on Tuesday. 

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska is reporting its lowest level of new virus cases since last April — shortly after the coronavirus pandemic began. State health officials said 521 virus cases were reported over the past week. That is the smallest number of new positive cases in the state since April 2020. The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Nebraska also decreased over the past two weeks from 195.43 new cases per day on May 11 to 74.43 new cases per day on Tuesday. Over the past week, five new deaths were reported to give the state a total of 2,249 deaths.