LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska prison officials say a man who spent decades in prison for brutally killing an 8-year-old boy nearly 50 years ago has died in prison. 

The Nebraska Department of Correctional Services says in a news release that 64-year-old Patrick Russell died Sunday at the the Lincoln Correctional Center where he was serving a more than 100-year sentence for the 1973 killing of Joseph Matthew Edmonds.

 Officials have said Russell was a teenager on probation for the sexual assault of a 7-year-old boy when he lured 8-year-old Joseph to a vacant apartment and strangled the boy with a telephone cord. 

Prosecutors at the time said they believed he molested the boy after killing him.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska prison officials say a man who spent decades in prison for brutally killing an 8-year-old boy nearly 50 years ago has died in prison. The Nebraska Department of Correctional Services says in a news release that 64-year-old Patrick Russell died Sunday at the the Lincoln Correctional Center where he was serving a more than 100-year sentence for the 1973 killing of Joseph Matthew Edmonds. Officials have said Russell was a teenager on probation for the sexual assault of a 7-year-old boy when he lured 8-year-old Joseph to a vacant apartment and strangled the boy with a telephone cord. Prosecutors at the time said they believed he molested the boy after killing him.

Man convicted of killing 8-year-old Omaha boy dies in prison

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Hundreds of 17-year-olds who could not cast ballots in the 2020 election because of their age are among 294,000 registered Iowa voters recently marked as inactive.

Being marked as inactive in the state's voter registration database does not immediately affect anyone’s ability to vote in any way, according to the Iowa Secretary of State’s office. 

But under state law, it’s the first step in a process that would result in the cancellation of one’s registration after four more years of inactivity.

A new law rewriting election rules, signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds last month, requires the Iowa Secretary of State to move all voters who did not cast ballots in the most recent general election to inactive status. Previously, they had to miss two.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Hundreds of 17-year-olds who could not cast ballots in the 2020 election because of their age are among 294,000 registered Iowa voters recently marked as inactive.Being marked as inactive in the state's voter registration database does not immediately affect anyone’s ability to vote in any way, according to the Iowa Secretary of State’s office. But under state law, it’s the first step in a process that would result in the cancellation of one’s registration after four more years of inactivity.A new law rewriting election rules, signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds last month, requires the Iowa Secretary of State to move all voters who did not cast ballots in the most recent general election to inactive status. Previously, they had to miss two.

Iowa moves 294,000 registered voters to 'inactive' status

LINCOLN&nbsp; — Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol have arrested a New Jersey man following a pursuit with a stolen vehicle on Interstate 80 near Lincoln.

At approximately 7:10 p.m. Sunday, a trooper stopped to perform a motorist assist on a Honda Civic that was parked on the shoulder of westbound Interstate 80 near mile marker 398. After the vehicle departed, the trooper learned that the vehicle had been reported stolen out of New Jersey.

The trooper continued westbound to locate the vehicle and attempted a traffic stop near mile marker 390. The vehicle accelerated and refused to stop. The trooper initiated a pursuit.

Near mile marker 386, the vehicle began having mechanical problems and slowed down significantly. A short time later, the vehicle intentionally drove off the roadway at low speed and struck a fence, blocking the driver’s door from opening. Troopers were then able to take the driver into custody without further incident.&nbsp;

The driver, Dayshawn Brimfield, 29, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, was lodged in Lancaster County Jail for possession of stolen property, flight to avoid arrest, possession of marijuana – less than one ounce, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

LINCOLN&nbsp; — Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol have arrested a New Jersey man following a pursuit with a stolen vehicle on Interstate 80 near Lincoln.At approximately 7:10 p.m. Sunday, a trooper stopped to perform a motorist assist on a Honda Civic that was parked on the shoulder of westbound Interstate 80 near mile marker 398. After the vehicle departed, the trooper learned that the vehicle had been reported stolen out of New Jersey.The trooper continued westbound to locate the vehicle and attempted a traffic stop near mile marker 390. The vehicle accelerated and refused to stop. The trooper initiated a pursuit.Near mile marker 386, the vehicle began having mechanical problems and slowed down significantly. A short time later, the vehicle intentionally drove off the roadway at low speed and struck a fence, blocking the driver’s door from opening. Troopers were then able to take the driver into custody without further incident.&nbsp;The driver, Dayshawn Brimfield, 29, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, was lodged in Lancaster County Jail for possession of stolen property, flight to avoid arrest, possession of marijuana – less than one ounce, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Pursuit near Lincoln ends with arrest, recovery of stolen car

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota resumes using Johnson &amp; Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccinations. 

U.S. health officials had lifted a pause on using J&amp;J’s single-dose shot on Friday, after scientific advisers decided its benefits outweigh a rare risk of blood clot. 

The government had uncovered 15 vaccine recipients who developed a highly unusual kind of blood clot out of nearly 8 million people given the J&amp;J shot. 

Three died, and seven remain hospitalized.

 The South Dakota Department of Health says no serious reactions have been reported among over 16,000 South Dakotans who received the vaccine.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota resumes using Johnson &amp; Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccinations. U.S. health officials had lifted a pause on using J&amp;J’s single-dose shot on Friday, after scientific advisers decided its benefits outweigh a rare risk of blood clot. The government had uncovered 15 vaccine recipients who developed a highly unusual kind of blood clot out of nearly 8 million people given the J&amp;J shot. All were women, most under age 50. Three died, and seven remain hospitalized. The South Dakota Department of Health says no serious reactions have been reported among over 16,000 South Dakotans who received the vaccine.

South Dakota resumes using J&J COVID vaccinations

OMAHA&nbsp; — Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol, working with the Omaha Police Department, have arrested an Omaha man during an enforcement effort focused on exhibition speeding.

Saturday night at approximately 11:45 p.m., a trooper observed two vehicles street racing on Abbott Drive near Lindbergh Drive. When the trooper attempted a traffic stop, one of the vehicles, a Jeep Grand Cherokee, refused to stop and accelerated eastbound on Abbott Drive. The trooper initiated a pursuit.

OPD’s Able 1 took over the pursuit from the air and directed OPD officers to the area of 25th&nbsp;and Arbor, where they were able to stop the vehicle. The driver, Kevin Amaya Amaya, 20, of Omaha, was taken into custody. There were two passengers in the vehicle, a 17-year-old female and her four-month-old son.

Amaya Amaya was lodged in Douglas County Jail for felony flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, child abuse/endangerment, and traffic violations.&nbsp;

OMAHA&nbsp; — Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol, working with the Omaha Police Department, have arrested an Omaha man during an enforcement effort focused on exhibition speeding.Saturday night at approximately 11:45 p.m., a trooper observed two vehicles street racing on Abbott Drive near Lindbergh Drive. When the trooper attempted a traffic stop, one of the vehicles, a Jeep Grand Cherokee, refused to stop and accelerated eastbound on Abbott Drive. The trooper initiated a pursuit.OPD’s Able 1 took over the pursuit from the air and directed OPD officers to the area of 25th&nbsp;and Arbor, where they were able to stop the vehicle. The driver, Kevin Amaya Amaya, 20, of Omaha, was taken into custody. There were two passengers in the vehicle, a 17-year-old female and her four-month-old son.Amaya Amaya was lodged in Douglas County Jail for felony flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, child abuse/endangerment, and traffic violations.&nbsp;

Omaha man arrested after street racing incident

LINCOLN — The Lincoln Police Department is investigating a fatal motorcycle crash that occurred Saturday night on Highway 77 near Warlick Boulevard in southwest Lincoln.

At approximately 10:00 p.m., the Nebraska State Patrol was notified that the Gage County Sheriff’s Office was in pursuit of a motorcycle that was traveling northbound on Highway 77. The deputy reported losing visual on the motorcycle and alerted NSP of the suspect description.

At approximately 10:08 p.m., a trooper observed the motorcycle traveling northbound in a construction area on Highway 77, south of Lincoln. Another trooper then observed the motorcycle, still traveling northbound between Yankee Hill Road and Warlick Boulevard. Both troopers were traveling southbound at the time and turned around to attempt a traffic stop.

Before either trooper was able make a traffic stop, the motorcycle crashed into the rear of a Jeep Grand Cherokee. The troopers came upon the scene moments later and attempted life-saving measures on the motorcycle rider under paramedics arrived. The motorcycle rider, a 28-year-old male from Lincoln, was pronounced deceased at the scene. The lone occupant of the Grand Cherokee was not injured.

NSP has request that the Lincoln Police Department investigate the crash.

LINCOLN — The Lincoln Police Department is investigating a fatal motorcycle crash that occurred Saturday night on Highway 77 near Warlick Boulevard in southwest Lincoln.At approximately 10:00 p.m., the Nebraska State Patrol was notified that the Gage County Sheriff’s Office was in pursuit of a motorcycle that was traveling northbound on Highway 77. The deputy reported losing visual on the motorcycle and alerted NSP of the suspect description.At approximately 10:08 p.m., a trooper observed the motorcycle traveling northbound in a construction area on Highway 77, south of Lincoln. Another trooper then observed the motorcycle, still traveling northbound between Yankee Hill Road and Warlick Boulevard. Both troopers were traveling southbound at the time and turned around to attempt a traffic stop.Before either trooper was able make a traffic stop, the motorcycle crashed into the rear of a Jeep Grand Cherokee. The troopers came upon the scene moments later and attempted life-saving measures on the motorcycle rider under paramedics arrived. The motorcycle rider, a 28-year-old male from Lincoln, was pronounced deceased at the scene. The lone occupant of the Grand Cherokee was not injured.NSP has request that the Lincoln Police Department investigate the crash.

Fatal motorcycle crash in southwest Lincoln

WASHINGTON (AP) — A group of Senate Republicans&nbsp; unveiled a public works proposal with a much smaller price tag and a narrower definition of infrastructure than what President Joe Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-technology-coronavirus-pandemic-pittsburgh-jen-psaki-8865ffc8f5ad3142155a5bd3c3a3e6d3">has proposed</a>, highlighting the stark differences between the two sides that will be difficult to bridge in the coming months.

The price of the Republicans’ two-page outline came in at $568 billion over five years, compared to the $2.3 trillion that Biden has called for spending over eight years. The lawmakers framed their counter proposal as a “very, very generous offer.”

“This is the largest infrastructure investment that Republicans have come forward with,” Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.V., told reporters. “This is a robust package.”

Yet the unveiling of the GOP proposal also made clear the parties are leagues apart on the size and scope of what’s needed. Biden is spending time listening to Republicans and voicing a willingness to consider their ideas, but Democrats are intent on passing a major infrastructure boost this year with or without GOP support. They have made clear they are willing to use the budget reconciliation process to bypass Republicans altogether,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-vote-coronavirus-relief-package-33f4902ca9a2aed4e76274af6bb2ea5c">just as they did on COVID relief</a>&nbsp;earlier this year.

Whether to raise taxes is perhaps the biggest dividing line. To help pay for their plan, the Republicans would instead rely on user fees, including for electric vehicles, and on redirecting unspent federal dollars. The outline does not offer specifics, such as which federal programs would lose unspent dollars to infrastructure. Biden has proposed raising the corporate income tax from 21% to 28% to help pay for his plan, a move the Republican senators rejected.

The GOP’s slimmer infrastructure plan received a positive reception from the White House, with press secretary Jen Psaki characterizing it as a legitimate starting point for negotiations. She said Biden’s aides looked forward to reviewing the details and that Biden would invite members to the White House to discuss it further after he addresses a joint session of Congress on Wednesday.

“We certainly welcome any good faith effort and see this as that,” Psaki said.

Republican lawmakers have been quick to criticize the infrastructure proposal from Biden. They say just a fraction of the spending would go to traditional infrastructure. Biden’s plan devotes $400 billion to expand Medicaid support for caregivers, and substantial portions would fund electric vehicle charging stations and address the racial injustice of highways that were built in ways that harmed Black neighborhoods.

The Republican plan would dedicate $299 billion to roads and bridges, $65 billion to broadband internet and $61 billion to transit. Another big-ticket item: $44 billion for airports. Absent from the plan are Biden priorities like electric vehicle charging stations and caregiver support, as well as billions of dollars to renovate schools and public housing.

The senators delivered their blueprint to the White House about 30 minutes prior to holding a press conference on it.

“We take the part of the president’s plan that most Americans agree is real, hard infrastructure, we give it our touch and we think we have a very good number here,” said Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., found little to like in the proposal.

“It goes nowhere near what has to be done to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure and the funding is totally regressive and anti-working class,” Sanders said.

Republicans have been dismissive of aspects of Biden’s plan that focus on easing the country’s reliance on fossil fuels. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Penn., said the Republican plan “consists of actual, real infrastructure.”

But the investments Biden is proposing to curb global warming matches what many Democrats are looking for and could dampen their support if removed in negotiations.

“Any infrastructure proposal has to be green and cannot be paid for on the backs of working people,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. said.

It’s not the first time Republicans have tried to draw Biden into negotiations. Earlier this year, they offered a counterproposal to Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan. Their price tag came in at about one-third of what the president wanted, and he soon declared it inadequate. Democrats went forward on their own and passed the relief bill without the support of any GOP lawmaker.

Capito said she is optimistic that compromise can be found this time.

“I’ve been reading this very closely,” she said. “I feel like the White House and other counterparts on the House side want to try to reach a consensus.”

As debate continues regarding the size and scope of the infrastructure bill, Biden’s team is finalizing its “American Families Plan” to be outlined next week during the president’s joint address to Congress. That proposal would likely seek to extend the expanded child tax credit through 2025, universal pre-kindergarten and free community college by raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans.

Psaki said that the president is meeting “over the coming days to finalize details of the package” and how to pay for it.

The New York Times reported Thursday that Biden would make good on a campaign plan to nearly double the capital gains tax on people earning more than $1 million, increasing it from 20% to 39.6%. White House officials declined to confirm the precise numbers, but they emphasized that taxes would not increase for anyone making under $400,000.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617897620264.png" alt="The GOP’s slimmer infrastructure plan received a positive reception from the White House, with press secretary Jen Psaki characterizing it as a legitimate starting point for negotiations. She said Biden’s aides looked forward to reviewing the details and that Biden would invite members to the White House to discuss it further after he addresses a joint session of Congress on Wednesday-photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>The GOP’s slimmer infrastructure plan received a positive reception from the White House, with press secretary Jen Psaki characterizing it as a legitimate starting point for negotiations. She said Biden’s aides looked forward to reviewing the details and that Biden would invite members to the White House to discuss it further after he addresses a joint session of Congress on Wednesday-photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A group of Senate Republicans&nbsp; unveiled a public works proposal with a much smaller price tag and a narrower definition of infrastructure than what President Joe Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-technology-coronavirus-pandemic-pittsburgh-jen-psaki-8865ffc8f5ad3142155a5bd3c3a3e6d3">has proposed</a>, highlighting the stark differences between the two sides that will be difficult to bridge in the coming months.The price of the Republicans’ two-page outline came in at $568 billion over five years, compared to the $2.3 trillion that Biden has called for spending over eight years. The lawmakers framed their counter proposal as a “very, very generous offer.”“This is the largest infrastructure investment that Republicans have come forward with,” Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.V., told reporters. “This is a robust package.”Yet the unveiling of the GOP proposal also made clear the parties are leagues apart on the size and scope of what’s needed. Biden is spending time listening to Republicans and voicing a willingness to consider their ideas, but Democrats are intent on passing a major infrastructure boost this year with or without GOP support. They have made clear they are willing to use the budget reconciliation process to bypass Republicans altogether,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/house-vote-coronavirus-relief-package-33f4902ca9a2aed4e76274af6bb2ea5c">just as they did on COVID relief</a>&nbsp;earlier this year.Whether to raise taxes is perhaps the biggest dividing line. To help pay for their plan, the Republicans would instead rely on user fees, including for electric vehicles, and on redirecting unspent federal dollars. The outline does not offer specifics, such as which federal programs would lose unspent dollars to infrastructure. Biden has proposed raising the corporate income tax from 21% to 28% to help pay for his plan, a move the Republican senators rejected.The GOP’s slimmer infrastructure plan received a positive reception from the White House, with press secretary Jen Psaki characterizing it as a legitimate starting point for negotiations. She said Biden’s aides looked forward to reviewing the details and that Biden would invite members to the White House to discuss it further after he addresses a joint session of Congress on Wednesday.“We certainly welcome any good faith effort and see this as that,” Psaki said.Republican lawmakers have been quick to criticize the infrastructure proposal from Biden. They say just a fraction of the spending would go to traditional infrastructure. Biden’s plan devotes $400 billion to expand Medicaid support for caregivers, and substantial portions would fund electric vehicle charging stations and address the racial injustice of highways that were built in ways that harmed Black neighborhoods.The Republican plan would dedicate $299 billion to roads and bridges, $65 billion to broadband internet and $61 billion to transit. Another big-ticket item: $44 billion for airports. Absent from the plan are Biden priorities like electric vehicle charging stations and caregiver support, as well as billions of dollars to renovate schools and public housing.The senators delivered their blueprint to the White House about 30 minutes prior to holding a press conference on it.“We take the part of the president’s plan that most Americans agree is real, hard infrastructure, we give it our touch and we think we have a very good number here,” said Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss.Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., found little to like in the proposal.“It goes nowhere near what has to be done to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure and the funding is totally regressive and anti-working class,” Sanders said.Republicans have been dismissive of aspects of Biden’s plan that focus on easing the country’s reliance on fossil fuels. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Penn., said the Republican plan “consists of actual, real infrastructure.”But the investments Biden is proposing to curb global warming matches what many Democrats are looking for and could dampen their support if removed in negotiations.“Any infrastructure proposal has to be green and cannot be paid for on the backs of working people,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. said.It’s not the first time Republicans have tried to draw Biden into negotiations. Earlier this year, they offered a counterproposal to Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan. Their price tag came in at about one-third of what the president wanted, and he soon declared it inadequate. Democrats went forward on their own and passed the relief bill without the support of any GOP lawmaker.Capito said she is optimistic that compromise can be found this time.“I’ve been reading this very closely,” she said. “I feel like the White House and other counterparts on the House side want to try to reach a consensus.”As debate continues regarding the size and scope of the infrastructure bill, Biden’s team is finalizing its “American Families Plan” to be outlined next week during the president’s joint address to Congress. That proposal would likely seek to extend the expanded child tax credit through 2025, universal pre-kindergarten and free community college by raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans.Psaki said that the president is meeting “over the coming days to finalize details of the package” and how to pay for it.The New York Times reported Thursday that Biden would make good on a campaign plan to nearly double the capital gains tax on people earning more than $1 million, increasing it from 20% to 39.6%. White House officials declined to confirm the precise numbers, but they emphasized that taxes would not increase for anyone making under $400,000._____

Infrastructure plans: GOP $568B or Biden $2.3T

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police have released body and dash camera videos of the fatal shooting of a Black man during a Nebraska traffic shop.

 The Omaha World-Herald report that the three videos provided Friday to reporters were reviewed last month by grand jurors who declined to issue indictments in the Nov. 19 shooting of 35-year-old Kenneth Jones. 

The shooting led to protests. Two of the videos are from the body cameras of Officers Dan Faulkner and Richard Martier, while the third is from their cruiser camera.

 Both officers can be heard in the video repeatedly yelling “hands up,” and one officer says to “stop reaching” and “he’s got a gun” before shots ring out.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police have released body and dash camera videos of the fatal shooting of a Black man during a Nebraska traffic shop. The Omaha World-Herald report that the three videos provided Friday to reporters were reviewed last month by grand jurors who declined to issue indictments in the Nov. 19 shooting of 35-year-old Kenneth Jones. The shooting led to protests. Two of the videos are from the body cameras of Officers Dan Faulkner and Richard Martier, while the third is from their cruiser camera. Both officers can be heard in the video repeatedly yelling “hands up,” and one officer says to “stop reaching” and “he’s got a gun” before shots ring out.

Police release dash, body camera video of deadly shooting

Washington (AP) —The Biden administration has taken the first step toward ending an emergency exception that allowed hospitals to ration and reuse N95 medical masks, the first line of defense between frontline workers and the deadly coronavirus.

Thousands of medical providers have died in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">the COVID-19 pandemic</a>, many exposed and infected while caring for patients without adequate protection.

Critical shortages of masks, gowns, swabs, and other medical supplies prompted the Trump administration to issue guidelines for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hospitals-ration-n95-masks-coronavirus-b40b902991b75d8ae4000a20bccd6af4">providers to ration</a>, clean, and reuse disposable equipment. Thus, throughout the pandemic, once a week many doctors and nurses were issued an N95 mask, which is normally designed to be tossed after each patient.

Now U.S. manufacturers say they have vast surpluses for sale, and hospitals say they have three to 12 month stockpiles.

In response, the government says hospitals and healthcare providers should try to return to one mask per patient.

“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is recommending health care personnel and facilities transition away from crisis capacity conservation strategies,” said the agency in a letter to healthcare personnel and facilities earlier this month.

The letter is not an order: hospitals are still legally permitted to sterilize and reuse N95s. But in the coming weeks or months, the FDA will issue updated guidance and, eventually, require hospitals to revert to single-use, said Suzanne Schwartz, director of the FDA’s office of strategic partnerships and technology innovation.

“The ability to decontaminate was purely a last resort, an extreme measure,” Schwartz said. “From the FDA’s perspective, there is a need for us to move back towards contingency and conventional strategies, which is, you use the respirator for the interaction, and then you dispose of it and get a new one. We are in unison, in sync, with both NIOSH and OSHA in that position.”

The National Nurses Union, the largest professional association of registered nurses in the country, calls the new guidance “a tiny step in the right direction.” But the organization, representing 170,000 nurses, said the direction “ultimately fails” to protect nurses because it allows employers to use their discretion about what normal N95 supply is.

“But we know the reality— there is ample N95 supply,” said the union in a statement urging the administration to update their standards and enforce them.

ICU nurse Mike Hill, who works at a Northern California Sutter Hospital and is a member of the California Nurses Association, said he and his colleagues still don’t have unlimited access to N95 masks.

“I think it’s ridiculous for Sutter to want to do extended use when the masks are inexpensive, like a dollar apiece. They should want to make sure to protect the nurses, we’re the frontline workers,” he said. “It puts the patients and us at risk for infection. They were never intended for extended use.”

Hill’s colleague, Sutter nurse Janine Paiste-Ponder, 59, was among hundreds of medical caregivers who died after exposure to COVID-19 at the workplace in the past year. Following her July 2020 death, a California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health investigation at Sutter Health’s Alta Bates Summit Medical Center led to nearly $300,000 in fines for numerous COVID-related workplace safety violations.

Prestige Ameritech Executive Vice President Mike Bowen, whose Fort Worth, Texas, factory is the largest U.S.-manufacturer of surgical masks, said the devices were designed to be used only once, not reused from one patient to the next.

He said he has millions of unsold masks, as do other U.S. manufacturers which invested and ramped up during the pandemic.

“While nurses pleaded for clean masks, American N95 makers were filling their warehouses with N95s that hospitals weren’t buying. Starting today, America’s healthcare workers can and should demand clean, new N95 masks,” he said. “The N95 mask shortage is over,” he said.

Congresswoman Anna Eshoo said the deadly shortages were “a national embarrassment and should never happen again.”

“This is welcome news and demonstrates our progress toward crushing COVID-19,” said the California Democrat. “We must make sure this type of shortage never happens again by reinvesting in a sustainable supply of high-quality, American-made PPE.”

Washington (AP) —The Biden administration has taken the first step toward ending an emergency exception that allowed hospitals to ration and reuse N95 medical masks, the first line of defense between frontline workers and the deadly coronavirus.Thousands of medical providers have died in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">the COVID-19 pandemic</a>, many exposed and infected while caring for patients without adequate protection.Critical shortages of masks, gowns, swabs, and other medical supplies prompted the Trump administration to issue guidelines for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hospitals-ration-n95-masks-coronavirus-b40b902991b75d8ae4000a20bccd6af4">providers to ration</a>, clean, and reuse disposable equipment. Thus, throughout the pandemic, once a week many doctors and nurses were issued an N95 mask, which is normally designed to be tossed after each patient.Now U.S. manufacturers say they have vast surpluses for sale, and hospitals say they have three to 12 month stockpiles.In response, the government says hospitals and healthcare providers should try to return to one mask per patient.“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is recommending health care personnel and facilities transition away from crisis capacity conservation strategies,” said the agency in a letter to healthcare personnel and facilities earlier this month.The letter is not an order: hospitals are still legally permitted to sterilize and reuse N95s. But in the coming weeks or months, the FDA will issue updated guidance and, eventually, require hospitals to revert to single-use, said Suzanne Schwartz, director of the FDA’s office of strategic partnerships and technology innovation.“The ability to decontaminate was purely a last resort, an extreme measure,” Schwartz said. “From the FDA’s perspective, there is a need for us to move back towards contingency and conventional strategies, which is, you use the respirator for the interaction, and then you dispose of it and get a new one. We are in unison, in sync, with both NIOSH and OSHA in that position.”The National Nurses Union, the largest professional association of registered nurses in the country, calls the new guidance “a tiny step in the right direction.” But the organization, representing 170,000 nurses, said the direction “ultimately fails” to protect nurses because it allows employers to use their discretion about what normal N95 supply is.“But we know the reality— there is ample N95 supply,” said the union in a statement urging the administration to update their standards and enforce them.ICU nurse Mike Hill, who works at a Northern California Sutter Hospital and is a member of the California Nurses Association, said he and his colleagues still don’t have unlimited access to N95 masks.“I think it’s ridiculous for Sutter to want to do extended use when the masks are inexpensive, like a dollar apiece. They should want to make sure to protect the nurses, we’re the frontline workers,” he said. “It puts the patients and us at risk for infection. They were never intended for extended use.”Hill’s colleague, Sutter nurse Janine Paiste-Ponder, 59, was among hundreds of medical caregivers who died after exposure to COVID-19 at the workplace in the past year. Following her July 2020 death, a California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health investigation at Sutter Health’s Alta Bates Summit Medical Center led to nearly $300,000 in fines for numerous COVID-related workplace safety violations.Prestige Ameritech Executive Vice President Mike Bowen, whose Fort Worth, Texas, factory is the largest U.S.-manufacturer of surgical masks, said the devices were designed to be used only once, not reused from one patient to the next.He said he has millions of unsold masks, as do other U.S. manufacturers which invested and ramped up during the pandemic.“While nurses pleaded for clean masks, American N95 makers were filling their warehouses with N95s that hospitals weren’t buying. Starting today, America’s healthcare workers can and should demand clean, new N95 masks,” he said. “The N95 mask shortage is over,” he said.Congresswoman Anna Eshoo said the deadly shortages were “a national embarrassment and should never happen again.”“This is welcome news and demonstrates our progress toward crushing COVID-19,” said the California Democrat. “We must make sure this type of shortage never happens again by reinvesting in a sustainable supply of high-quality, American-made PPE.”——

FDA: N95 masks, now plentiful, should no longer be reused

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A former suburban Omaha firefighter has pleaded no contest to misdemeanor counts of sexual assault in a case involving a 13-year-old boy. 

Prosecutors say 24-year-old Tyler Davidson entered the pleas Tuesday to three counts of sexual abuse. 

He was a Waterloo firefighter when he was arrested last year and initially charged with four felony counts of child abuse.

 Investigators say Davidson purchased sex toys for the boy and encouraged the boy to use them. 

Documents said he also tried to use a video camera to record the boy.

 Davidson's sentencing has been set for May 21.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A former suburban Omaha firefighter has pleaded no contest to misdemeanor counts of sexual assault in a case involving a 13-year-old boy. Prosecutors say 24-year-old Tyler Davidson entered the pleas Tuesday to three counts of sexual abuse. He was a Waterloo firefighter when he was arrested last year and initially charged with four felony counts of child abuse. Investigators say Davidson purchased sex toys for the boy and encouraged the boy to use them. Documents said he also tried to use a video camera to record the boy. Davidson's sentencing has been set for May 21.

Ex-Waterloo firefighter pleads no contest to sex assault

WASHINGTON — The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending that pregnant people receive COVID-19 vaccinations. Agency Director Rochelle Walensky announced the recommendation during an update on the pandemic at a White House briefing. 

She noted that a CDC study published this week found no safety concerns with Moderna and Pfizer vaccinations given during the third trimester of pregnancy.

‘’We know that this is a deeply personal decision, and I encourage people to talk to their doctors or primary care providers to determine what is best for them and for their baby,’’ Walensky said.

Her recommendation seems to go farther than advice on CDC’s website, which says the vaccines are unlikely to pose a safety risk during pregnancy but doesn’t flat-out recommend the shots.

The new study is based on reports from pregnant women who got shots soon after the vaccines became available. The researchers called for more data, including from vaccination earlier in pregnancy.

COVID-19 can be dangerous in pregnancy, raising risks for complications and even death.

Pregnant women were excluded from COVID-19 vaccination studies although there is limited safety data on some who became pregnant after enrolling.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613699035300.png" alt="Dr. Rachel Walensky " />
 <figcaption>Dr. Rachel Walensky </figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON — The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending that pregnant people receive COVID-19 vaccinations. Agency Director Rochelle Walensky announced the recommendation during an update on the pandemic at a White House briefing. She noted that a CDC study published this week found no safety concerns with Moderna and Pfizer vaccinations given during the third trimester of pregnancy.‘’We know that this is a deeply personal decision, and I encourage people to talk to their doctors or primary care providers to determine what is best for them and for their baby,’’ Walensky said.Her recommendation seems to go farther than advice on CDC’s website, which says the vaccines are unlikely to pose a safety risk during pregnancy but doesn’t flat-out recommend the shots.The new study is based on reports from pregnant women who got shots soon after the vaccines became available. The researchers called for more data, including from vaccination earlier in pregnancy.COVID-19 can be dangerous in pregnancy, raising risks for complications and even death.Pregnant women were excluded from COVID-19 vaccination studies although there is limited safety data on some who became pregnant after enrolling.

CDC: COVID vaccines now recommended for pregnant women

ATCHISON COUNTY— The Kansas Highway Patrol and the Atchison Police Department assisted Atchison County Sherriff's Deputies to take 20-year-old Taggart Lee into custody shortly after 2:00a.m. Saturday. morning.&nbsp;

The sheriff's department released no additional details.

ATCHISON COUNTY —Authorities&nbsp; continue their search for aggravated robbery suspect 20-year-old Taggart Darnell Lee who is accused of threatening an officer with a piece of lumber after escaping from the jail in Atchison Kansas on Thursday.&nbsp; At 5a.m. Friday, authorities at the jail reported Lee was still missing.

ATCHISON, Kan. (AP) — Authorities are searching for an aggravated robbery suspect who is accused of threatening an officer with piece of lumber after escaping from a Kansas jail. 

The Atchison County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post that 20-year-old Taggart Darnell Lee was able to manipulate a door lock and make his way into an unsecured area of the Atchison County Jail around 1:30 a.m. Thursday after staff failed to follow several security procedures. 

From there he made his made outside, where an officer chased him for several blocks. The post said Lee, who had been in custody since January, got away after picking up the 2x4 foot piece of lumber and using it to threaten the unarmed officer. The post said the sheriff’s office considers Lee dangerous and that he has a history of being armed.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619114059788.jpeg" alt="Lee photo Atchison County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Lee photo Atchison County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY— The Kansas Highway Patrol and the Atchison Police Department assisted Atchison County Sherriff's Deputies to take 20-year-old Taggart Lee into custody shortly after 2:00a.m. Saturday. morning.&nbsp;The sheriff's department released no additional details.---------ATCHISON COUNTY —Authorities&nbsp; continue their search for aggravated robbery suspect 20-year-old Taggart Darnell Lee who is accused of threatening an officer with a piece of lumber after escaping from the jail in Atchison Kansas on Thursday.&nbsp; At 5a.m. Friday, authorities at the jail reported Lee was still missing.----------ATCHISON, Kan. (AP) — Authorities are searching for an aggravated robbery suspect who is accused of threatening an officer with piece of lumber after escaping from a Kansas jail. The Atchison County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post that 20-year-old Taggart Darnell Lee was able to manipulate a door lock and make his way into an unsecured area of the Atchison County Jail around 1:30 a.m. Thursday after staff failed to follow several security procedures. From there he made his made outside, where an officer chased him for several blocks. The post said Lee, who had been in custody since January, got away after picking up the 2x4 foot piece of lumber and using it to threaten the unarmed officer. The post said the sheriff’s office considers Lee dangerous and that he has a history of being armed.

Inmate who escaped Kansas jail captured

By LAURA OLSON <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/04/20/pushback-against-vaccine-passports-puts-colleges-in-a-quandary/">Kansas Reflector</a>

WASHINGTON
 — Florida’s Nova Southeastern University joined a small group of U.S. 
colleges on April 1 when the private research university announced that 
it would require all students, faculty and staff to be vaccinated 
against COVID-19 before returning to campus this fall.

In <a href="https://news.nova.edu/news-releases/nsu-planning-to-return-to-in-person-on-campus-instruction-for-fall-2021/">a message posted on the university’s website</a>,
 NSU president and CEO George Hanbury wrote that the vaccination 
requirement “will enable us to return to a ‘partial pre-pandemic’ 
environment.”

But the next day, Gov. Ron DeSantis scrambled those plans. The Republican governor <a href="https://www.floridaphoenix.com/2021/04/02/gov-desantis-bans-vaccine-passports-in-fl-citing-the-the-fundamental-rights-and-privacies-of-floridians/">issued an executive order</a>
 barring any state or local government agency from issuing, or any 
private business from requiring, a “vaccine passport” — a broad term 
being used to describe documentation of an individual’s COVID-19 
vaccination status.

The
 order left NSU in limbo over whether it can proceed with plans to 
require vaccinations. The South Florida school isn’t alone in its 
uncertainty over how to balance politics and public health concerns as 
colleges and universities that have already weathered a difficult year 
look ahead to the fall semester.

Along
 with NSU, at least 33 colleges across the country have announced plans 
to require a COVID-19 shot for the fall semester, according to <a href="https://www.chronicle.com/blogs/live-coronavirus-updates/heres-a-list-of-colleges-that-will-require-students-to-be-vaccinated-against-covid-19?bc_nonce=y3c2chqovp93swv762q2j&amp;cid=reg_wall_signup">a tally by the Chronicle of Higher Education</a>.
 That list includes large universities like Rutgers and Cornell, as well
 as smaller schools like Iowa’s Grinnell College, in states with both 
Democratic and Republican governors.

Other
 colleges so far have sought to encourage, rather than mandate, that 
students receive a vaccine, with varying degrees of success.&nbsp;

Universities
 have hosted vaccination clinics on their campuses, but also have 
struggled to find doses. Many are racing to vaccinate students — most in
 age groups that only recently became eligible — before the spring 
semester ends.

There’s
 legal precedent suggesting that colleges — which already require 
students to receive other vaccinations — are within their bounds to 
require a COVID-19 shot, allowing for limited exemptions. But there are 
also a number of reasons that schools might not require the new vaccine,
 including hesitancy among certain groups and questions about 
availability for international students.

Meanwhile, <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2021/03/16/vaccine-passports-that-show-youre-inoculated-are-on-the-way/">the federal government has offered little guidance</a> to states and colleges navigating increasingly controversial terrain.

At
 Nova Southeastern, college officials hadn’t yet detailed how exactly 
the requirement would work when DeSantis issued his executive order, and
 school officials said they are reviewing it.

“Our
 priority has always been to save lives, to prevent the spread of 
COVID-19, to deliver the best educational experience, and to protect our
 students and employees to the best of our ability,” Hanbury said in an 
April 8 statement.

The
 possibility that Americans will be required to prove they’ve received a
 COVID-19 vaccine in order to return to their office, school or 
entertainment venues has sparked a politically polarizing response.&nbsp;

Conservatives
 in D.C. and state capitals have seized on the idea of vaccination 
passports, blasting them as violating health privacy.&nbsp;

Several governors, including <a href="https://www.floridaphoenix.com/2021/04/02/gov-desantis-bans-vaccine-passports-in-fl-citing-the-the-fundamental-rights-and-privacies-of-floridians/">DeSantis</a> and <a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2021/04/07/reynolds-vows-to-prohibit-vaccine-passports-in-iowa/">Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds</a>,
 either have banned vaccine passports or vowed to support bills doing 
so. (DeSantis’ office did not respond to questions about whether his ban
 was intended to prohibit colleges from vaccination requirements.)

Meanwhile,
 Democratic-run New York has forged ahead with a free digital app to 
prove you’ve been vaccinated or recently received a negative coronavirus
 test result. Designed by IBM, New York’s Excelsior Pass gives a special
 code that businesses can scan, allowing people to leave their paper 
vaccination cards at home.&nbsp;

Democratic
 officials in Hawaii, a state that relies deeply on tourists and 
business owners feeling safe about in-person dining and entertainment, 
also have said they’re considering a passport system.

President
 Joe Biden’s administration has largely sidestepped the issue, saying 
they believe it’s not the government’s role to create a centralized 
database on which Americans have and have not been vaccinated.&nbsp;

Federal
 officials have deferred to the range of private-sector companies that 
are attempting to build vaccination apps, advising only that the apps 
must ensure data is kept secure and that there are non-digital options 
available so no one is excluded from traveling or entering businesses.

That’s
 offered little support for colleges weighing a requirement, or clarity 
on the type of exemptions that they might need to allow.

The
 lack of guidance has left states — and the colleges within those states
 — on their own to consider both public health and personal freedoms.

In Colorado, Democratic Gov. Jared Polis’ administration is not looking at creating a state-run passport system.&nbsp;

But
 his spokeswoman, Shelby Wieman, also said in an emailed statement that 
state officials are considering how to make immunization records 
“available digitally to Coloradans,” an option that would make it easier
 for those who lose their vaccination card to replace that record.

As
 for colleges, Wieman said Polis “has made returning to in-person 
education a priority, and is actively discussing how to ensure herd 
immunity on college campuses this fall.”

Colorado’s
 Fort Lewis College is among the handful of U.S. colleges that already 
have announced a vaccination requirement for students this fall.

For
 faculty and staff, vaccinations are “strongly encouraged,” and school 
officials say that “many” have already received at least one shot.

“COVID-19
 has made it very clear just how impactful and necessary it is for us to
 have an educational experience in person, and vaccines are our way of 
ensuring that we can be together for a normal fall semester,” Tom 
Stritikus, president of Fort Lewis College, wrote in a letter posted 
online about the requirement.

Students at the school <a href="https://www.fortlewis.edu/life-at-flc/health-safety/coronavirus-covid-19/vaccine-requirements#139741593-are-faculty-and-staff-required-to-get-a-covid-19-vaccine">are instructed to upload a copy of their vaccination card</a> to a secure document portal or the Fort Lewis app.

It’s not yet clear if the policies at Fort Lewis will be the exception or the rule when the fall semester begins.

The
 American College Health Association was working on guidance to campuses
 about vaccine mandates when federal officials last week paused use of 
Johnson &amp; Johnson’s one-shot vaccine — which had been seen as an 
ideal option allowing colleges to quickly vaccinate students before they
 depart for the summer.

The
 organization intends to offer a statement on vaccination requirements 
within the next week or so, said Gerri Taylor, co-chair of the American 
College Health Association’s COVID-19 Task Force. She said schools are 
on a tight timeline to make decisions on their rules for the fall, and 
she credited the schools that have done so already.

“I
 do think it’s very important for colleges to be clear, consistent and 
communicate what their requirements are for the fall to families as soon
 as possible,” Taylor said. Students will need notice to make 
vaccination appointments or determine if they still plan to attend.

Characterizing
 the debate over vaccine passports as “emotionally charged,” Taylor said
 schools have used electronic health records to track vaccines for 
measles, mumps and rubella in case of an outbreak requiring that 
unvaccinated students be contacted.&nbsp;

Decisions
 on mandating COVID-19 shots will be made at the state level for public 
schools, while the private schools are able to decide for themselves.

Colleges
 and their legal teams will make decisions internally about vaccine 
requirements, Taylor said. They’ll have to weigh any state regulations, 
the availability of doses both domestically and internationally and 
timing challenges for those who get the two-shot versions, as well as 
work on dispelling rumors about the vaccines.

<a href="https://www.acha.org/documents/ncha/NCHA-III_Fall_2020_Reference_Group_Data_Report.pdf">According to ACHA-National College Health Assessment data</a>
 gathered last fall, before any COVID-19 vaccines had been federally 
authorized, 77% of undergraduate and graduate students said they were 
very or somewhat likely to get vaccinated, and 23% were somewhat 
unlikely or very unlikely to be vaccinated.

Colleges already have outlined a range of options for how they’ll handle vaccination mandates.&nbsp;

For example, Cleveland State University <a href="http://newsletter.csuohio.edu/president/210192/index.html?_ga=2.234255582.1934664053.1618854215-421741356.1618706330">recently announced</a> that vaccinations will be required for all students living on campus.&nbsp;

In
 a message to students, CSU President Harlan Sands said the school will 
“do our best to ensure all faculty, staff and students are vaccinated,” 
adding that school officials will “continue to adjust plans based upon 
what transpires with COVID-19 spread in the coming months.”

Florida’s Saint Leo University <a href="https://www.saintleo.edu/news-events/its-family-time-as-saint-leo-university-begins-vaccinating-students-their-families">has reached out beyond just enrolled students</a>, inviting both students and members of their households to be vaccinated on campus.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In <a href="https://www.acenet.edu/Documents/Issue-Brief-COVID-Vaccines-March-2021.pdf">an issue brief for college officials</a>,
 the American Council on Education offered some approaches to consider, 
including encouraging students who opt out of a vaccine to enroll in 
online classes instead.&nbsp;

Another
 idea? Telling students that a COVID-19 vaccine is required, but instead
 of requiring a copy of their vaccine cards, allowing students to simply
 agree as part of a broader honor code that they have in fact complied.

Laura covers the nation's capital as a senior reporter for States Newsroom, a network of nonprofit outlets that includes Kansas Reflector.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1618940922609.png" alt="A Department of Health and Human Services employee holds a COVID-19 vaccine record card Nov. 13, 2020, at Operation Warp Speed headquarters in Washington, D.C.. The cards were sent out as part of vaccination kits. (EJ Hersom/U.S. Department of Defense)" />
 <figcaption>A Department of Health and Human Services employee holds a COVID-19 vaccine record card Nov. 13, 2020, at Operation Warp Speed headquarters in Washington, D.C.. The cards were sent out as part of vaccination kits. (EJ Hersom/U.S. Department of Defense)</figcaption>
 </figure>By LAURA OLSON <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/04/20/pushback-against-vaccine-passports-puts-colleges-in-a-quandary/">Kansas Reflector</a>WASHINGTON
 — Florida’s Nova Southeastern University joined a small group of U.S. 
colleges on April 1 when the private research university announced that 
it would require all students, faculty and staff to be vaccinated 
against COVID-19 before returning to campus this fall.In <a href="https://news.nova.edu/news-releases/nsu-planning-to-return-to-in-person-on-campus-instruction-for-fall-2021/">a message posted on the university’s website</a>,
 NSU president and CEO George Hanbury wrote that the vaccination 
requirement “will enable us to return to a ‘partial pre-pandemic’ 
environment.”But the next day, Gov. Ron DeSantis scrambled those plans. The Republican governor <a href="https://www.floridaphoenix.com/2021/04/02/gov-desantis-bans-vaccine-passports-in-fl-citing-the-the-fundamental-rights-and-privacies-of-floridians/">issued an executive order</a>
 barring any state or local government agency from issuing, or any 
private business from requiring, a “vaccine passport” — a broad term 
being used to describe documentation of an individual’s COVID-19 
vaccination status.The
 order left NSU in limbo over whether it can proceed with plans to 
require vaccinations. The South Florida school isn’t alone in its 
uncertainty over how to balance politics and public health concerns as 
colleges and universities that have already weathered a difficult year 
look ahead to the fall semester.Along
 with NSU, at least 33 colleges across the country have announced plans 
to require a COVID-19 shot for the fall semester, according to <a href="https://www.chronicle.com/blogs/live-coronavirus-updates/heres-a-list-of-colleges-that-will-require-students-to-be-vaccinated-against-covid-19?bc_nonce=y3c2chqovp93swv762q2j&amp;cid=reg_wall_signup">a tally by the Chronicle of Higher Education</a>.
 That list includes large universities like Rutgers and Cornell, as well
 as smaller schools like Iowa’s Grinnell College, in states with both 
Democratic and Republican governors.Other
 colleges so far have sought to encourage, rather than mandate, that 
students receive a vaccine, with varying degrees of success.&nbsp;Universities
 have hosted vaccination clinics on their campuses, but also have 
struggled to find doses. Many are racing to vaccinate students — most in
 age groups that only recently became eligible — before the spring 
semester ends.There’s
 legal precedent suggesting that colleges — which already require 
students to receive other vaccinations — are within their bounds to 
require a COVID-19 shot, allowing for limited exemptions. But there are 
also a number of reasons that schools might not require the new vaccine,
 including hesitancy among certain groups and questions about 
availability for international students.Meanwhile, <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2021/03/16/vaccine-passports-that-show-youre-inoculated-are-on-the-way/">the federal government has offered little guidance</a> to states and colleges navigating increasingly controversial terrain.At
 Nova Southeastern, college officials hadn’t yet detailed how exactly 
the requirement would work when DeSantis issued his executive order, and
 school officials said they are reviewing it.“Our
 priority has always been to save lives, to prevent the spread of 
COVID-19, to deliver the best educational experience, and to protect our
 students and employees to the best of our ability,” Hanbury said in an 
April 8 statement.<h2>Partisan divide</h2>The
 possibility that Americans will be required to prove they’ve received a
 COVID-19 vaccine in order to return to their office, school or 
entertainment venues has sparked a politically polarizing response.&nbsp;Conservatives
 in D.C. and state capitals have seized on the idea of vaccination 
passports, blasting them as violating health privacy.&nbsp;Several governors, including <a href="https://www.floridaphoenix.com/2021/04/02/gov-desantis-bans-vaccine-passports-in-fl-citing-the-the-fundamental-rights-and-privacies-of-floridians/">DeSantis</a> and <a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2021/04/07/reynolds-vows-to-prohibit-vaccine-passports-in-iowa/">Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds</a>,
 either have banned vaccine passports or vowed to support bills doing 
so. (DeSantis’ office did not respond to questions about whether his ban
 was intended to prohibit colleges from vaccination requirements.)Meanwhile,
 Democratic-run New York has forged ahead with a free digital app to 
prove you’ve been vaccinated or recently received a negative coronavirus
 test result. Designed by IBM, New York’s Excelsior Pass gives a special
 code that businesses can scan, allowing people to leave their paper 
vaccination cards at home.&nbsp;Democratic
 officials in Hawaii, a state that relies deeply on tourists and 
business owners feeling safe about in-person dining and entertainment, 
also have said they’re considering a passport system.President
 Joe Biden’s administration has largely sidestepped the issue, saying 
they believe it’s not the government’s role to create a centralized 
database on which Americans have and have not been vaccinated.&nbsp;Federal
 officials have deferred to the range of private-sector companies that 
are attempting to build vaccination apps, advising only that the apps 
must ensure data is kept secure and that there are non-digital options 
available so no one is excluded from traveling or entering businesses.That’s
 offered little support for colleges weighing a requirement, or clarity 
on the type of exemptions that they might need to allow.<h2>On their own</h2>The
 lack of guidance has left states — and the colleges within those states
 — on their own to consider both public health and personal freedoms.In Colorado, Democratic Gov. Jared Polis’ administration is not looking at creating a state-run passport system.&nbsp;But
 his spokeswoman, Shelby Wieman, also said in an emailed statement that 
state officials are considering how to make immunization records 
“available digitally to Coloradans,” an option that would make it easier
 for those who lose their vaccination card to replace that record.As
 for colleges, Wieman said Polis “has made returning to in-person 
education a priority, and is actively discussing how to ensure herd 
immunity on college campuses this fall.”Colorado’s
 Fort Lewis College is among the handful of U.S. colleges that already 
have announced a vaccination requirement for students this fall.For
 faculty and staff, vaccinations are “strongly encouraged,” and school 
officials say that “many” have already received at least one shot.“COVID-19
 has made it very clear just how impactful and necessary it is for us to
 have an educational experience in person, and vaccines are our way of 
ensuring that we can be together for a normal fall semester,” Tom 
Stritikus, president of Fort Lewis College, wrote in a letter posted 
online about the requirement.Students at the school <a href="https://www.fortlewis.edu/life-at-flc/health-safety/coronavirus-covid-19/vaccine-requirements#139741593-are-faculty-and-staff-required-to-get-a-covid-19-vaccine">are instructed to upload a copy of their vaccination card</a> to a secure document portal or the Fort Lewis app.It’s not yet clear if the policies at Fort Lewis will be the exception or the rule when the fall semester begins.The
 American College Health Association was working on guidance to campuses
 about vaccine mandates when federal officials last week paused use of 
Johnson &amp; Johnson’s one-shot vaccine — which had been seen as an 
ideal option allowing colleges to quickly vaccinate students before they
 depart for the summer.The
 organization intends to offer a statement on vaccination requirements 
within the next week or so, said Gerri Taylor, co-chair of the American 
College Health Association’s COVID-19 Task Force. She said schools are 
on a tight timeline to make decisions on their rules for the fall, and 
she credited the schools that have done so already.“I
 do think it’s very important for colleges to be clear, consistent and 
communicate what their requirements are for the fall to families as soon
 as possible,” Taylor said. Students will need notice to make 
vaccination appointments or determine if they still plan to attend.Characterizing
 the debate over vaccine passports as “emotionally charged,” Taylor said
 schools have used electronic health records to track vaccines for 
measles, mumps and rubella in case of an outbreak requiring that 
unvaccinated students be contacted.&nbsp;Decisions
 on mandating COVID-19 shots will be made at the state level for public 
schools, while the private schools are able to decide for themselves.Colleges
 and their legal teams will make decisions internally about vaccine 
requirements, Taylor said. They’ll have to weigh any state regulations, 
the availability of doses both domestically and internationally and 
timing challenges for those who get the two-shot versions, as well as 
work on dispelling rumors about the vaccines.<a href="https://www.acha.org/documents/ncha/NCHA-III_Fall_2020_Reference_Group_Data_Report.pdf">According to ACHA-National College Health Assessment data</a>
 gathered last fall, before any COVID-19 vaccines had been federally 
authorized, 77% of undergraduate and graduate students said they were 
very or somewhat likely to get vaccinated, and 23% were somewhat 
unlikely or very unlikely to be vaccinated.<h2>Other options</h2>Colleges already have outlined a range of options for how they’ll handle vaccination mandates.&nbsp;For example, Cleveland State University <a href="http://newsletter.csuohio.edu/president/210192/index.html?_ga=2.234255582.1934664053.1618854215-421741356.1618706330">recently announced</a> that vaccinations will be required for all students living on campus.&nbsp;In
 a message to students, CSU President Harlan Sands said the school will 
“do our best to ensure all faculty, staff and students are vaccinated,” 
adding that school officials will “continue to adjust plans based upon 
what transpires with COVID-19 spread in the coming months.”Florida’s Saint Leo University <a href="https://www.saintleo.edu/news-events/its-family-time-as-saint-leo-university-begins-vaccinating-students-their-families">has reached out beyond just enrolled students</a>, inviting both students and members of their households to be vaccinated on campus.&nbsp;&nbsp;In <a href="https://www.acenet.edu/Documents/Issue-Brief-COVID-Vaccines-March-2021.pdf">an issue brief for college officials</a>,
 the American Council on Education offered some approaches to consider, 
including encouraging students who opt out of a vaccine to enroll in 
online classes instead.&nbsp;Another
 idea? Telling students that a COVID-19 vaccine is required, but instead
 of requiring a copy of their vaccine cards, allowing students to simply
 agree as part of a broader honor code that they have in fact complied.Laura covers the nation's capital as a senior reporter for States Newsroom, a network of nonprofit outlets that includes Kansas Reflector.

Pushback against ‘vaccine passports’ puts colleges in a quandary

WASHINGTON (AP) –U.S. health officials have lifted an 11-day pause on Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccinations following a recommendation by an expert panel. 

Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday the benefits of the single-dose COVID-19 shot outweigh a rare risk of blood clots. Panel members said it’s critical that younger women be told about that risk so they can decide if they’d rather choose another vaccine. The CDC and Food and Drug Administration agreed. 

European regulators earlier this week made a similar decision, deciding the clot risk was small enough to allow the rollout of J&amp;J’s shot.

WASHINGTON (AP) – A U.S. health panel says it’s time to resume use of Johnson &amp; Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine, despite a very rare risk of blood clots.

Out of nearly 8 million people vaccinated before the U.S. suspended J&amp;J’s shot, health officials uncovered 15 cases of a highly unusual kind of blood clot, three of them fatal.

All were women, most younger than 50. But advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday the vaccine’s benefits outweigh that serious but small risk — especially against a virus that’s still infecting tens of thousands of Americans every day.

The government will rapidly weigh that recommendation in deciding next steps.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602590971875.png" alt="Photo courtesy Johnson &amp; Johnson" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Johnson &amp; Johnson</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) –U.S. health officials have lifted an 11-day pause on Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccinations following a recommendation by an expert panel. Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday the benefits of the single-dose COVID-19 shot outweigh a rare risk of blood clots. Panel members said it’s critical that younger women be told about that risk so they can decide if they’d rather choose another vaccine. The CDC and Food and Drug Administration agreed. European regulators earlier this week made a similar decision, deciding the clot risk was small enough to allow the rollout of J&amp;J’s shot.------WASHINGTON (AP) – A U.S. health panel says it’s time to resume use of Johnson &amp; Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine, despite a very rare risk of blood clots.Out of nearly 8 million people vaccinated before the U.S. suspended J&amp;J’s shot, health officials uncovered 15 cases of a highly unusual kind of blood clot, three of them fatal.All were women, most younger than 50. But advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday the vaccine’s benefits outweigh that serious but small risk — especially against a virus that’s still infecting tens of thousands of Americans every day.The government will rapidly weigh that recommendation in deciding next steps.

US to resume J&J COVID vaccinations despite rare clot risk

SHOSHONI, Wyo. (AP) — Two men died in an explosion in a rail car tanker at a repair facility in central Wyoming. 

Shoshoni Police Chief Chris Konja said the explosion was reported at 3:24 p.m. Wednesday at Wasatch Railcar Repair.

 Two men were unresponsive in an oil tanker.

 Because of noxious gases, a specialized confined quarters team from the Casper Fire Department responded. 

The bodies of the men, ages 18 and 28, were recovered from the tanker.

 Police say the cause of the explosion is still being investigated in coordination with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Federal Railroad Administration.

SHOSHONI, Wyo. (AP) — Two men died in an explosion in a rail car tanker at a repair facility in central Wyoming. Shoshoni Police Chief Chris Konja said the explosion was reported at 3:24 p.m. Wednesday at Wasatch Railcar Repair. Two men were unresponsive in an oil tanker. Because of noxious gases, a specialized confined quarters team from the Casper Fire Department responded. The bodies of the men, ages 18 and 28, were recovered from the tanker. Police say the cause of the explosion is still being investigated in coordination with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Federal Railroad Administration.

2 men killed in tanker explosion at WY railcar repair facility

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Omaha police say an apparently coordinated effort sent bomb and shooter threats to schools and businesses across Omaha on Friday morning, sending some schools into lockdown and leading at least one business to evacuate its headquarters. 

Police spokesman, Lt. Neal Bonacci, said Friday that the threats did not appear to be credible. 

Elkhorn Public Schools sent a message to parents announcing districtwide lockdowns in the wake of the threat, which were soon lifted.

 Union Pacific's high-rise headquarters in downtown Omaha was evacuated and its employees sent home for the day following the threat.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Omaha police say an apparently coordinated effort sent bomb and shooter threats to schools and businesses across Omaha on Friday morning, sending some schools into lockdown and leading at least one business to evacuate its headquarters. Police spokesman, Lt. Neal Bonacci, said Friday that the threats did not appear to be credible. Elkhorn Public Schools sent a message to parents announcing districtwide lockdowns in the wake of the threat, which were soon lifted. Union Pacific's high-rise headquarters in downtown Omaha was evacuated and its employees sent home for the day following the threat.

Police: Bomb threats target schools, businesses across Omaha

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A former suburban Omaha firefighter has pleaded no contest to misdemeanor counts of sexual assault in a case involving a 13-year-old boy.

 Prosecutors say 24-year-old Tyler Davidson entered the pleas Tuesday to three counts of sexual abuse. 

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A former suburban Omaha firefighter has pleaded no contest to misdemeanor counts of sexual assault in a case involving a 13-year-old boy. Prosecutors say 24-year-old Tyler Davidson entered the pleas Tuesday to three counts of sexual abuse. He was a Waterloo firefighter when he was arrested last year and initially charged with four felony counts of child abuse. Investigators say Davidson purchased sex toys for the boy and encouraged the boy to use them. Documents said he also tried to use a video camera to record the boy. Davidson's sentencing has been set for May 21.

GRETNA, Neb. (AP) — A small chain of restaurants in eastern Nebraska will pay $85,000 and issue an apology to a former teenage worker to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit brought against it by a federal equal employment agency. 

The U.S Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said Friday that the five-year consent decree takes El Vallarta's Gretna restaurant to task for allowing a supervisor and workers to sexually harass the teenage girl from 2016 to 2017. 

The EEOC's lawsuit says the girl was subjected to groping from a male manager and repeated, inappropriate comments about her body from the manager and other male employees.

GRETNA, Neb. (AP) — A small chain of restaurants in eastern Nebraska will pay $85,000 and issue an apology to a former teenage worker to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit brought against it by a federal equal employment agency. The U.S Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said Friday that the five-year consent decree takes El Vallarta's Gretna restaurant to task for allowing a supervisor and workers to sexually harass the teenage girl from 2016 to 2017. The EEOC's lawsuit says the girl was subjected to groping from a male manager and repeated, inappropriate comments about her body from the manager and other male employees.

Nebraska restaurant chain to pay $85K for sex harassment

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — Gov. Kristi Noem is asking the South Dakota Athletic Commission to immediately rescind its requirement that sports participants provide proof they are vaccinated for COVID-19.

 In a letter to commission chairman Michael Kilmer, Noem wrote that requiring proof of a vaccination would eliminate South Dakotans’ ability to “make reasonable decisions on their own health while they participate in activities in our communities.”

 The South Dakota Athletic Commission oversees mixed martial arts, boxing and kickboxing within the state. 

Noem said her request is under the authority of her latest executive order banning government-instituted vaccine passports, the Argus Leader reported.

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — Gov. Kristi Noem is asking the South Dakota Athletic Commission to immediately rescind its requirement that sports participants provide proof they are vaccinated for COVID-19. In a letter to commission chairman Michael Kilmer, Noem wrote that requiring proof of a vaccination would eliminate South Dakotans’ ability to “make reasonable decisions on their own health while they participate in activities in our communities.” The South Dakota Athletic Commission oversees mixed martial arts, boxing and kickboxing within the state. Noem said her request is under the authority of her latest executive order banning government-instituted vaccine passports, the Argus Leader reported.

Noem asks athletic commission to rescind vaccine requirement

WHITEWOOD, S.D. (AP) — A 49-year-old woman has in a one-vehicle crash east of Whitewood in western South Dakota. 

The South Dakota Highway Patrol says a 2002 Mercury Sable was traveling eastbound on Interstate 90 around 11:30 a.m. on Thursday when the vehicle left the road and rolled. 

The driver was not wearing a seatbelt and was thrown from the vehicle. She died at the scene. 

WHITEWOOD, S.D. (AP) — A 49-year-old woman has in a one-vehicle crash east of Whitewood in western South Dakota. The South Dakota Highway Patrol says a 2002 Mercury Sable was traveling eastbound on Interstate 90 around 11:30 a.m. on Thursday when the vehicle left the road and rolled. The driver was not wearing a seatbelt and was thrown from the vehicle. She died at the scene. Her name was not immediately released.