CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — The U.S. government and a railroad have reached a settlement agreement that will require the company to pay $140,000 for spilling fuel and oil in a Wyoming river. 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s announcement of the settlement Monday opens a 30-day period for public comment on the agreement. 

Three BNSF Railway locomotives and five rail cars crashed into a train and derailed in eastern Wyoming’s Wendover Canyon in 2019. 

The crash injured an engineer and a conductor and released 5,900 gallons of diesel fuel and 800 gallons of lubricating oil into the North Platte River. 

The Casper Star-Tribune reports BNSF worked with government regulators on cleanup.

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — The U.S. government and a railroad have reached a settlement agreement that will require the company to pay $140,000 for spilling fuel and oil in a Wyoming river. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s announcement of the settlement Monday opens a 30-day period for public comment on the agreement. Three BNSF Railway locomotives and five rail cars crashed into a train and derailed in eastern Wyoming’s Wendover Canyon in 2019. The crash injured an engineer and a conductor and released 5,900 gallons of diesel fuel and 800 gallons of lubricating oil into the North Platte River. The Casper Star-Tribune reports BNSF worked with government regulators on cleanup.

EPA, railroad agree to $140,000 settlement for Wyoming spill

BOSTON (AP) — New research suggests the protection the Moderna vaccine gives against COVID-19 lasts for at least six months.

The report Tuesday in the New England Journal of Medicine echoes what Pfizer said last week about its vaccine, which works in a similar way.

Both reports were based on follow-up tests in dozens of people who received the shots during studies that led to the vaccines’ use. Those studies were done before troubling new variants, or versions of the coronavirus, had emerged and started to spread.

A separate report in the medical journal adds to concern about the variants. Scientists measured antibodies that can block the virus in 50 people who had been given the Sinopharm or Sinovac vaccines that were developed in China. Many showed total or partial loss of effectiveness against a virus variant first detected in South Africa.

The vaccines still seemed to protect against a variant first found in the United Kingdom that is now rapidly spreading in the United States and elsewhere.

Pfizer and Moderna have said they are working to update their vaccines, or possibly design a booster shot, in case they’re needed against variants.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613693226012.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BOSTON (AP) — New research suggests the protection the Moderna vaccine gives against COVID-19 lasts for at least six months.The report Tuesday in the New England Journal of Medicine echoes what Pfizer said last week about its vaccine, which works in a similar way.Both reports were based on follow-up tests in dozens of people who received the shots during studies that led to the vaccines’ use. Those studies were done before troubling new variants, or versions of the coronavirus, had emerged and started to spread.A separate report in the medical journal adds to concern about the variants. Scientists measured antibodies that can block the virus in 50 people who had been given the Sinopharm or Sinovac vaccines that were developed in China. Many showed total or partial loss of effectiveness against a virus variant first detected in South Africa.The vaccines still seemed to protect against a variant first found in the United Kingdom that is now rapidly spreading in the United States and elsewhere.Pfizer and Moderna have said they are working to update their vaccines, or possibly design a booster shot, in case they’re needed against variants.___

Study: Moderna vaccine lasts at least 6 months

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — From summer-like temperatures to a winter storm warning, the weather in western South Dakota has been all over the map in recent days. 

The National Weather Service in Rapid City has issued a winter storm warning for 6 inches or more of snow Tuesday in the higher elevations of the Black Hills.

 Any accumulation shouldn’t be around long with temperatures in the region returning to the mid-60s by Thursday. 

The weather service expected snow over the Black Hills to taper off Tuesday night. 

While higher amount of snow are possible near the foothills, Rapid City is expected to get anywhere from a dusting to 2 inches.

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — From summer-like temperatures to a winter storm warning, the weather in western South Dakota has been all over the map in recent days. The National Weather Service in Rapid City has issued a winter storm warning for 6 inches or more of snow Tuesday in the higher elevations of the Black Hills. Any accumulation shouldn’t be around long with temperatures in the region returning to the mid-60s by Thursday. The weather service expected snow over the Black Hills to taper off Tuesday night. While higher amount of snow are possible near the foothills, Rapid City is expected to get anywhere from a dusting to 2 inches.

From the 70s to winter storm warning in western South Dakota

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem marked the occasion of the state opening vaccines to adults 16 and older by receiving her first dose of the vaccine. 

The governor, who has taken a mostly hands-off approach to restrictions during the pandemic, has encouraged people to get the vaccine. 

She says she is “trusting people to do the right thing.” 

Health officials reported that 46% of the state’s population has received one dose of a vaccine. 

South Dakota also has one of the nation’s highest rates of people fully vaccinated _ about 25% of the population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem marked the occasion of the state opening vaccines to adults 16 and older by receiving her first dose of the vaccine. The governor, who has taken a mostly hands-off approach to restrictions during the pandemic, has encouraged people to get the vaccine. She says she is “trusting people to do the right thing.” Health officials reported that 46% of the state’s population has received one dose of a vaccine. South Dakota also has one of the nation’s highest rates of people fully vaccinated _ about 25% of the population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Noem gets vaccine, marks opening of vaccine eligibility

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Multiple explosions and a fire in an underground concrete electrical vault rocked downtown Omaha and forced the evacuation of a nearby hotel, but no injuries were reported. 

Authorities say the incident happened Monday night when a power transformer that sits under the sidewalk next to the Doubletree Hotel caught fire. 

Acting Omaha Fire Battalion Chief Mickey McLaughlin says explosions from the transformer continued after firefighters arrived, producing a large amount of smoke and flames coming from the sidewalk grates over the vault. 

The hotel did was not damaged by the nearby fire. 

Firefighters had the blaze under control within minutes, and hotel guests were allowed back into their rooms a short time later.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Multiple explosions and a fire in an underground concrete electrical vault rocked downtown Omaha and forced the evacuation of a nearby hotel, but no injuries were reported. Authorities say the incident happened Monday night when a power transformer that sits under the sidewalk next to the Doubletree Hotel caught fire. Acting Omaha Fire Battalion Chief Mickey McLaughlin says explosions from the transformer continued after firefighters arrived, producing a large amount of smoke and flames coming from the sidewalk grates over the vault. The hotel did was not damaged by the nearby fire. Firefighters had the blaze under control within minutes, and hotel guests were allowed back into their rooms a short time later.

Underground electrical explosions see Omaha hotel evacuated

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska prison officials say a man who had been on death row since 2003 has died. 

The total number of condemned inmates in the state now stands at 11. Fifty-five-year-old Arthur Gales died Saturday. 

He was sentenced to death for the 2000 slayings of two children, 13-year-old Latara Chandler and 7-year-old Tramar Chandler, in Omaha.

 He received a separate 50-year sentence for the attempted murder of their mother, who was severely beaten. 

The Nebraska Department of Correctional Services said the cause of Gales’ death wasn’t yet known, but he had been undergoing treatment for an unspecified medical condition. 

A grand jury will investigate, which happens anytime a prison inmate dies in custody.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska prison officials say a man who had been on death row since 2003 has died. The total number of condemned inmates in the state now stands at 11. Fifty-five-year-old Arthur Gales died Saturday. He was sentenced to death for the 2000 slayings of two children, 13-year-old Latara Chandler and 7-year-old Tramar Chandler, in Omaha. He received a separate 50-year sentence for the attempted murder of their mother, who was severely beaten. The Nebraska Department of Correctional Services said the cause of Gales’ death wasn’t yet known, but he had been undergoing treatment for an unspecified medical condition. A grand jury will investigate, which happens anytime a prison inmate dies in custody.

Man on Nebraska death row for killing girlfriend's kids dies

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Monday urged the adoption of a minimum global corporate income tax, an effort to offset any disadvantages that might arise from the Biden administration’s proposed increase in the U.S. corporate tax rate.

Citing a “thirty-year race to the bottom” in which countries have slashed corporate tax rates in an effort to attract multinational businesses, Yellen said the Biden administration would work with other advanced economies in the Group of 20 to set a minimum.

“Competitiveness is about more than how U.S.-headquartered companies fare against other companies in global merger and acquisition bids,” Yellen said in a virtual speech to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. “It is about making sure that governments have stable tax systems that raise sufficient revenue to invest in essential public goods.”

The speech was Yellen’s highest-profile so far on international affairs, and came just as the spring meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund began in a virtual format.

“It is important to work with other countries to end the pressures of tax competition and corporate tax base erosion,” Yellen said.

President Joe Biden has proposed hiking the U.S. corporate tax rate to 28% from 21%, partially undoing the Trump administration’s cut from 35% in its 2017 tax legislation. Biden also wants to set a minimum U.S. tax on overseas corporate income, and to make it harder for companies to shift earnings offshore. The increase would help pay for the White House’s ambitious&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-politics-climate-climate-change-c14bb6ce360a43e6239abfe087758e5c">$2.3 trillion infrastructure proposal</a>.

Also on Monday, Biden said he was “not at all” concerned that a higher corporate tax rate would cause some U.S. companies to relocate overseas, though Yellen’s proposed global minimum corporate tax is intended to prevent that from happening.

“There’s no evidence to that ... that’s bizarre,” Biden said in response to a question from reporters.

According to the Tax Foundation, the Trump administration’s corporate tax reduction lowered the U.S. rate from the highest among the 37 advanced economies in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to the 13th highest. Many analysts have argued, however, that few large U.S. multinationals paid the full tax.

“We have 51 or 52 corporations from the Fortune 500 who haven’t paid a single penny a day for 3 years?” Biden said. “Come on.”

Yellen, meanwhile, downplayed the potential for the Biden administration’s domestic agenda, which also includes a $1.9 trillion COVID relief package approved last month, to spur higher inflation. Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, among others, has raised such concerns since the relief bill passed.

“I strongly doubt that it’s going to cause inflationary pressures,” Yellen said, referring to the administration’s infrastructure proposal. “The problem for a very long time has been inflation that’s too low, not inflation that’s too high.”

Yellen also said the United States will step up its efforts at home and overseas to fight climate change, “after sitting on the sidelines for four years.”

Treasury will work to “promote the flow of capital toward climate-aligned investments and away from carbon-intensive investments,” Yellen said. That approach has raised the ire of GOP members of Congress, who say it threatens the ability of the U.S. oil and gas industry to access needed lending.

Yellen also noted that many developing nations are lagging in vaccinating their populations, and have also experienced harsh economic consequences from the pandemic. As many as 150 million people worldwide will fall into extreme poverty this year, Yellen said.

“The result will likely be a deeper and longer-lasting crisis, with mounting problems of indebtedness, more entrenched poverty, and growing inequality,” Yellen said.

The Biden administration supports the creation of $650 billion in new lending capacity at the IMF to address such issues, she said. Many Republicans in Congress oppose the new allotment, arguing that much of the funding would flow to relatively better-off developing countries, such as China.

Yellen acknowledged that the additional credit would be distributed to each IMF member, but argued that “significant resources will go to the poorest countries most in need.” Nations can also donate some of their funds to the hardest-hit countries, which she expects many will do, she added.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617646111834.png" alt="Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Monday urged the adoption of a minimum global corporate income tax, an effort to offset any disadvantages that might arise from the Biden administration’s proposed increase in the U.S. corporate tax rate.Citing a “thirty-year race to the bottom” in which countries have slashed corporate tax rates in an effort to attract multinational businesses, Yellen said the Biden administration would work with other advanced economies in the Group of 20 to set a minimum.“Competitiveness is about more than how U.S.-headquartered companies fare against other companies in global merger and acquisition bids,” Yellen said in a virtual speech to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. “It is about making sure that governments have stable tax systems that raise sufficient revenue to invest in essential public goods.”The speech was Yellen’s highest-profile so far on international affairs, and came just as the spring meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund began in a virtual format.“It is important to work with other countries to end the pressures of tax competition and corporate tax base erosion,” Yellen said.President Joe Biden has proposed hiking the U.S. corporate tax rate to 28% from 21%, partially undoing the Trump administration’s cut from 35% in its 2017 tax legislation. Biden also wants to set a minimum U.S. tax on overseas corporate income, and to make it harder for companies to shift earnings offshore. The increase would help pay for the White House’s ambitious&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-politics-climate-climate-change-c14bb6ce360a43e6239abfe087758e5c">$2.3 trillion infrastructure proposal</a>.Also on Monday, Biden said he was “not at all” concerned that a higher corporate tax rate would cause some U.S. companies to relocate overseas, though Yellen’s proposed global minimum corporate tax is intended to prevent that from happening.“There’s no evidence to that ... that’s bizarre,” Biden said in response to a question from reporters.According to the Tax Foundation, the Trump administration’s corporate tax reduction lowered the U.S. rate from the highest among the 37 advanced economies in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to the 13th highest. Many analysts have argued, however, that few large U.S. multinationals paid the full tax.“We have 51 or 52 corporations from the Fortune 500 who haven’t paid a single penny a day for 3 years?” Biden said. “Come on.”Yellen, meanwhile, downplayed the potential for the Biden administration’s domestic agenda, which also includes a $1.9 trillion COVID relief package approved last month, to spur higher inflation. Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, among others, has raised such concerns since the relief bill passed.“I strongly doubt that it’s going to cause inflationary pressures,” Yellen said, referring to the administration’s infrastructure proposal. “The problem for a very long time has been inflation that’s too low, not inflation that’s too high.”Yellen also said the United States will step up its efforts at home and overseas to fight climate change, “after sitting on the sidelines for four years.”Treasury will work to “promote the flow of capital toward climate-aligned investments and away from carbon-intensive investments,” Yellen said. That approach has raised the ire of GOP members of Congress, who say it threatens the ability of the U.S. oil and gas industry to access needed lending.Yellen also noted that many developing nations are lagging in vaccinating their populations, and have also experienced harsh economic consequences from the pandemic. As many as 150 million people worldwide will fall into extreme poverty this year, Yellen said.“The result will likely be a deeper and longer-lasting crisis, with mounting problems of indebtedness, more entrenched poverty, and growing inequality,” Yellen said.The Biden administration supports the creation of $650 billion in new lending capacity at the IMF to address such issues, she said. Many Republicans in Congress oppose the new allotment, arguing that much of the funding would flow to relatively better-off developing countries, such as China.Yellen acknowledged that the additional credit would be distributed to each IMF member, but argued that “significant resources will go to the poorest countries most in need.” Nations can also donate some of their funds to the hardest-hit countries, which she expects many will do, she added.

U.S. Treasury Secretary calls for global income tax

NORTH PLATTE&nbsp; — During the evening hours of Friday, April 2, investigators with the Nebraska State Patrol conducted alcohol inspections in Lincoln County.

In total, 16 businesses were inspected. Three of those businesses sold alcohol to a minor for a non-compliance rate of 19 percent. Only one of the businesses failed to check the minor’s identification. The businesses included liquor stores, convenience stores, restaurants, and bars.

This project was supported in whole or part by grant #93.959 under the SAMHSA Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Region II Human Services, and the Nebraska DHHS Division of Behavioral Health.

Businesses that sell alcohol to a minor are referred to the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission. Clerks who sell alcohol to a minor are cited for procuring alcohol for a minor. One of the businesses that sold alcohol to a minor was also cited for allowing a minor to serve alcohol.

NORTH PLATTE&nbsp; — During the evening hours of Friday, April 2, investigators with the Nebraska State Patrol conducted alcohol inspections in Lincoln County.In total, 16 businesses were inspected. Three of those businesses sold alcohol to a minor for a non-compliance rate of 19 percent. Only one of the businesses failed to check the minor’s identification. The businesses included liquor stores, convenience stores, restaurants, and bars.This project was supported in whole or part by grant #93.959 under the SAMHSA Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Region II Human Services, and the Nebraska DHHS Division of Behavioral Health.Businesses that sell alcohol to a minor are referred to the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission. Clerks who sell alcohol to a minor are cited for procuring alcohol for a minor. One of the businesses that sold alcohol to a minor was also cited for allowing a minor to serve alcohol.

3 Lincoln Co. businesses sell alcohol to minor in NSP operation

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Capitol Police officer killed last week when a man armed with a knife rammed his car into two officers at a barricade outside the Capitol does not appear to have been stabbed, slashed or shot, a police official told The Associated Press on Monday.

Officer William “Billy” Evans, an 18-year veteran of the force, died Friday after the driver rammed into the barricade near the Capitol. The driver, identified as 25-year-old Noah Green, crashed into the officers and the barrier, then exited the car armed with a knife and lunged at the officers before police fatally shot him, authorities said.

In the chaotic moments after the attack, law enforcement officials initially believed the suspect, who was seen on surveillance video lunging at the officers with a knife, may have stabbed Evans, but that was not the case. Rumors also had swirled around fears that Evans may have been struck by friendly fire when police started shooting at the suspect.

The investigation remains ongoing, but there is no indication that Evans was stabbed, slashed or shot, a U.S. Capitol Police official told the AP. The official could not discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity.

Video of the Friday afternoon attack shows the driver emerging from the crashed car with a knife in his hand and advancing toward the officers, Capitol Police acting Chief Yogananda Pittman said.

Investigators are increasingly focused on Green’s mental health as they work to identify any motive for the attack, a U.S. official briefed on the investigation told the AP. Investigators have learned the suspect had been suffering from delusions, paranoia and suicidal thoughts, according to the official, who was not authorized to speak publicly about an ongoing matter and spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity.

In online posts since removed, Green described being under government thought control and said he was being watched. He described himself as a follower of the Nation of Islam and its longtime leader, Louis Farrakhan, and spoke of going through a difficult time when he leaned on his faith. Some of the messages were captured by the group SITE, which tracks online activity.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617402625752.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A Capitol Police officer killed last week when a man armed with a knife rammed his car into two officers at a barricade outside the Capitol does not appear to have been stabbed, slashed or shot, a police official told The Associated Press on Monday.Officer William “Billy” Evans, an 18-year veteran of the force, died Friday after the driver rammed into the barricade near the Capitol. The driver, identified as 25-year-old Noah Green, crashed into the officers and the barrier, then exited the car armed with a knife and lunged at the officers before police fatally shot him, authorities said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617385738948.png" alt="Capitol police at the scene of the investigation photo courtesy WJLA TV" />
 <figcaption>Capitol police at the scene of the investigation photo courtesy WJLA TV</figcaption>
 </figure>In the chaotic moments after the attack, law enforcement officials initially believed the suspect, who was seen on surveillance video lunging at the officers with a knife, may have stabbed Evans, but that was not the case. Rumors also had swirled around fears that Evans may have been struck by friendly fire when police started shooting at the suspect.The investigation remains ongoing, but there is no indication that Evans was stabbed, slashed or shot, a U.S. Capitol Police official told the AP. The official could not discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity.Video of the Friday afternoon attack shows the driver emerging from the crashed car with a knife in his hand and advancing toward the officers, Capitol Police acting Chief Yogananda Pittman said.Investigators are increasingly focused on Green’s mental health as they work to identify any motive for the attack, a U.S. official briefed on the investigation told the AP. Investigators have learned the suspect had been suffering from delusions, paranoia and suicidal thoughts, according to the official, who was not authorized to speak publicly about an ongoing matter and spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity.In online posts since removed, Green described being under government thought control and said he was being watched. He described himself as a follower of the Nation of Islam and its longtime leader, Louis Farrakhan, and spoke of going through a difficult time when he leaned on his faith. Some of the messages were captured by the group SITE, which tracks online activity.

No indication officer in Capitol attack was stabbed, shot

AP - South Dakota tourism officials there are indications the summer tourist season is shaping up to be a strong one following a year of limited travel due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Tourism Secretary Jim Hagen says traffic on the state’s tourism website is tracking 55% ahead of last year. 

In addition, state officials say the Department of Tourism’s vacation guide has been downloaded at record numbers and electronic newsletter subscriptions are up 29%. 

Tourism is one of South Dakota’s top industries and generated about $3 billion in spending last year, down from a record $4 billion in 2019.

AP - South Dakota tourism officials there are indications the summer tourist season is shaping up to be a strong one following a year of limited travel due to the coronavirus pandemic. Tourism Secretary Jim Hagen says traffic on the state’s tourism website is tracking 55% ahead of last year. In addition, state officials say the Department of Tourism’s vacation guide has been downloaded at record numbers and electronic newsletter subscriptions are up 29%. Tourism is one of South Dakota’s top industries and generated about $3 billion in spending last year, down from a record $4 billion in 2019.

Indications SD tourist season shaping up to be a strong one

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Voters in Omaha will head to the polls on Tuesday for city primary elections that will whittle down the field of those in the mayoral race. 

Five candidates are vying for the post of mayor, while 29 candidates are seeking City Council seats. 

The top two candidates in each primary race advance to the May 11 general election.

 Among those seeking the top spot of mayor is incumbent Jean Stothert, a Republican seeking her third term in office who leads the field in fundraising, with more than $380,000 cash on hand. 

Democratic challengers include Jasmine Harris, RJ Neary, Kimara Snipes, and Mark Gudgel.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Voters in Omaha will head to the polls on Tuesday for city primary elections that will whittle down the field of those in the mayoral race. Five candidates are vying for the post of mayor, while 29 candidates are seeking City Council seats. The top two candidates in each primary race advance to the May 11 general election. Among those seeking the top spot of mayor is incumbent Jean Stothert, a Republican seeking her third term in office who leads the field in fundraising, with more than $380,000 cash on hand. Democratic challengers include Jasmine Harris, RJ Neary, Kimara Snipes, and Mark Gudgel.

Voters in Omaha to head to polls for city primary election

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Liberal activists are stepping up calls for corporate America to denounce Republican efforts to tighten state voting laws, and businesses accustomed to cozy political relationships now find themselves in the middle of a growing partisan fight over voting rights.

Pressure is mounting on leading companies in&nbsp;Texas, Arizona and other states, particularly after&nbsp;Major League Baseball’s decision Friday to move the 2021 All-Star Game out of Atlanta. A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.civicalliance.com/votingaccess/" target="_blank">joint statement&nbsp;</a>from executives at nearly 200 companies, including HP, Microsoft, PayPal, Target, Twitter, Uber and Under Armour, took aim at state legislation “threatening to make voting more difficult” and said “elections are not improved” when lawmakers impose new barriers to voting.

Republican lawmakers in Kansas joined GOP colleagues nationwide Wednesday trying to tighten voting laws, advancing a measure Wednesday that would make it harder for churches, civic groups, neighbors and candidates to collect and return absentee ballots for voters.

The state Senate approved, 28-12,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/supp_note_hb2183_02_0000.pdf" target="_blank">a bill&nbsp;</a>that would make it a felony for someone to deliver more than five absentee ballots for other people to election officials. Candidates would be limited to delivering ballots for immediate family members.

The nationwide outcry comes a week after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-legislature-bills-state-elections-voting-rights-b2b014cc81894a50fc513168a5f1d0b8">Georgia Republicans enacted an overhaul of the state’s election law</a>&nbsp;that critics argue is an attempt to suppress Democratic votes.

Other companies have, somewhat belatedly, joined the chorus of critics.

Delta Air Lines and The Coca-Cola Co., two of Georgia’s best-known brands,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-legislature-boycotts-voting-rights-elections-adaa1758fb58df19a12cd05c453840b0">this past week called the new law “unacceptable,”</a>&nbsp;although they had a hand in writing it. That only angered Republicans, including Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and several U.S. senators, who accused the companies of cowering from unwarranted attacks from the left.

The fight has thrust corporate America into a place it often tries to avoid — the center of a partisan political fight. But under threat of boycott and bad publicity, business leaders are showing a new willingness to enter the fray on an issue not directly related to their bottom line, even if it means alienating Republican allies.

“We want to hold corporations accountable for how they show up when voting rights are under attack,” said Marc Banks, an NAACP spokesman. “Corporations have a part to play, because when they do show up and speak, people listen.”

Civil rights groups have sued to block the new Georgia law, which was passed after Democrats flipped the once-reliably Republican state in an election that Donald Trump falsely claimed was rife with fraud. Some activists have called for consumer boycotts of Delta, Coca-Cola and others. They dismiss business leaders’ assertions that they helped water down the bill to ease earlier, more restrictive proposals; those leaders, they argue, should have tried to block the plan altogether.

In Texas, the NAACP, League of Women Voters and League of United Latin American Citizens, among other organizations, are urging corporations in the state to speak out against a slate of Republican-backed voting proposals. “Democracy is good for business,” the campaign says.

Nine organizations took out full-page ads in The Houston Chronicle and The Dallas Morning News, the state’s leading newspapers, urging corporate opposition to the plan. The Texas proposal would limit some early voting hours, bar counties from setting up drive-thru voting and prohibit local officials from proactively sending applications for mail ballots before voters request them.

Unlike their Georgia-based counterparts, American Airlines and Dell Technologies didn’t wait for the Texas measure to pass. “To make American’s stance clear: We are strongly opposed to this bill and others like it,” American said in a statement.

Arizona, which Biden flipped from Trump in November, hasn’t seen high-profile corporate players engage yet. But 30-plus groups sent a joint letter to Allstate Insurance, CVS Health and Farmers’ Insurance, among others, urging their public opposition to proposed voting restrictions. Emily Kirkland, executive director of Progress Arizona, a progressive group that signed the letter, said there’s been no response yet.

Other groups are demanding that corporations focus on Washington, where&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-voting-voting-rights-legislation-elections-8d54d5b9640115463b3f198603d62272">congressional Democrats are pushing measures intended to make it easier for Americans to vote</a>, regardless of state laws. Among the changes, Democrats would enact automatic voter registration nationally and standardize access to early and mail voting.

Democrats also want to restore parts of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that require the federal government to approve all election procedures in states and locales with a history of discrimination. The Supreme Court struck down those provisions, which applied to Georgia and Arizona, among other states, in 2013.

Corporate giants were mostly quiet when Trump falsely claimed he lost because of fraud. Business leaders largely maintained that caution as Republican state lawmakers used Trump’s lie to justify a flood of new bills to make it more cumbersome to vote.

The reticence was a stark contrast to how chambers of commerce reacted six years ago when Republican-run states pushed “religious freedom” measures. Indiana, under then-Gov. Mike Pence, the future vice president, saw immediate corporate backlash. After North Carolina passed a “bathroom bill” limiting LGBTQ rights in 2016, PayPal scuttled expansion plans there and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/0a2fd6cffbc64f518a977f2b3e78c2e9">NBA moved its all-star game</a>&nbsp;from Charlotte.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/e6c7a15d2e16452c8dcbc2756fd67b44">An AP analysis in 2017</a>&nbsp;found the reaction would eventually cost North Carolina at least $3.76 billion in lost business.

Then, Georgia’s corporate lobbying groups — with Delta’s and Coca-Cola’s backing — took no such chances, speaking out forcefully against Georgia conservatives’ version of a “religious freedom” bill. Lawmakers passed it anyway but Kemp’s predecessor,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/47afea6183b845a4ba7a5a2c72010dfa">Republican Nathan Deal, vetoed it amid the chamber outcry</a>.

Some Republicans dispute the comparison. Brian Robinson, a former top Deal aide who was part of the business coalition that publicly opposed the religious freedom bill, argued that measure “was clearly discriminatory” against LGBTQ citizens, while the nearly 100-page election bill is less clear-cut and is being misrepresented by Democrats and their allies.

Companies are reacting to “Twitter mobs demanding reaction to their false narrative,” he said.

National Republicans reacted even more harshly. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, a former and potentially future presidential candidate, slammed Delta with the hashtag “#WokeCorporateHypocrites.”

Still, Delta and Coca-Cola’s response to the Georgia voting fight is standing as a cautionary tale for other businesses.

Ed Bastian, the airline’s chief executive, initially released a statement noting the business lobby’s role in altering the bill as it moved through the General Assembly. Officials at the Atlanta Metro Chamber, where Bastian currently serves as president, detailed how corporate lobbyists spent weeks at the Capitol on mitigating provisions.

Some Georgia Republicans wanted to roll back the state’s no-excuse absentee voting law, end automatic voter registration and ban Sunday early voting used heavily by Black churches. They also wanted to require photocopies of state IDs to receive and submit absentee ballots, while banning “drop boxes” as ballot collection receptacles.

The final law preserved no-excuse absentee voting and automatic registration. The new ID requirement for absentee ballots allows a voter to write their state ID number, rather than produce a photocopy, and the legislature included funding for free state IDs. The law also codifies in-person early voting on weekends, although it allows counties to choose whether to be open for voting for up to two Sundays. And it made drop boxes of mail ballots a permanent fixture in Georgia, but limited the number.

Business leaders’ philosophy, according to Democratic state Sen. Jen Jordan, was “basically, Republicans are going to pass something, so they might as well try to keep from being awful.”

But by Wednesday, the same day 72 Black business executives published a letter in The New York Times urging corporate leaders to speak out, Bastian was more direct. He sent a companywide memo declaring the law “unacceptable” and “based on a lie” — though he didn’t mention Trump.

Big business’s mistake, Jordan said, was “thinking there was ever any version that wouldn’t end up like this.”

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Liberal activists are stepping up calls for corporate America to denounce Republican efforts to tighten state voting laws, and businesses accustomed to cozy political relationships now find themselves in the middle of a growing partisan fight over voting rights.Pressure is mounting on leading companies in&nbsp;Texas, Arizona and other states, particularly after&nbsp;Major League Baseball’s decision Friday to move the 2021 All-Star Game out of Atlanta. A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.civicalliance.com/votingaccess/" target="_blank">joint statement&nbsp;</a>from executives at nearly 200 companies, including HP, Microsoft, PayPal, Target, Twitter, Uber and Under Armour, took aim at state legislation “threatening to make voting more difficult” and said “elections are not improved” when lawmakers impose new barriers to voting.Republican lawmakers in Kansas joined GOP colleagues nationwide Wednesday trying to tighten voting laws, advancing a measure Wednesday that would make it harder for churches, civic groups, neighbors and candidates to collect and return absentee ballots for voters.The state Senate approved, 28-12,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/supp_note_hb2183_02_0000.pdf" target="_blank">a bill&nbsp;</a>that would make it a felony for someone to deliver more than five absentee ballots for other people to election officials. Candidates would be limited to delivering ballots for immediate family members.The nationwide outcry comes a week after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-legislature-bills-state-elections-voting-rights-b2b014cc81894a50fc513168a5f1d0b8">Georgia Republicans enacted an overhaul of the state’s election law</a>&nbsp;that critics argue is an attempt to suppress Democratic votes.Other companies have, somewhat belatedly, joined the chorus of critics.Delta Air Lines and The Coca-Cola Co., two of Georgia’s best-known brands,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-legislature-boycotts-voting-rights-elections-adaa1758fb58df19a12cd05c453840b0">this past week called the new law “unacceptable,”</a>&nbsp;although they had a hand in writing it. That only angered Republicans, including Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and several U.S. senators, who accused the companies of cowering from unwarranted attacks from the left.The fight has thrust corporate America into a place it often tries to avoid — the center of a partisan political fight. But under threat of boycott and bad publicity, business leaders are showing a new willingness to enter the fray on an issue not directly related to their bottom line, even if it means alienating Republican allies.“We want to hold corporations accountable for how they show up when voting rights are under attack,” said Marc Banks, an NAACP spokesman. “Corporations have a part to play, because when they do show up and speak, people listen.”Civil rights groups have sued to block the new Georgia law, which was passed after Democrats flipped the once-reliably Republican state in an election that Donald Trump falsely claimed was rife with fraud. Some activists have called for consumer boycotts of Delta, Coca-Cola and others. They dismiss business leaders’ assertions that they helped water down the bill to ease earlier, more restrictive proposals; those leaders, they argue, should have tried to block the plan altogether.In Texas, the NAACP, League of Women Voters and League of United Latin American Citizens, among other organizations, are urging corporations in the state to speak out against a slate of Republican-backed voting proposals. “Democracy is good for business,” the campaign says.Nine organizations took out full-page ads in The Houston Chronicle and The Dallas Morning News, the state’s leading newspapers, urging corporate opposition to the plan. The Texas proposal would limit some early voting hours, bar counties from setting up drive-thru voting and prohibit local officials from proactively sending applications for mail ballots before voters request them.Unlike their Georgia-based counterparts, American Airlines and Dell Technologies didn’t wait for the Texas measure to pass. “To make American’s stance clear: We are strongly opposed to this bill and others like it,” American said in a statement.Arizona, which Biden flipped from Trump in November, hasn’t seen high-profile corporate players engage yet. But 30-plus groups sent a joint letter to Allstate Insurance, CVS Health and Farmers’ Insurance, among others, urging their public opposition to proposed voting restrictions. Emily Kirkland, executive director of Progress Arizona, a progressive group that signed the letter, said there’s been no response yet.Other groups are demanding that corporations focus on Washington, where&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-voting-voting-rights-legislation-elections-8d54d5b9640115463b3f198603d62272">congressional Democrats are pushing measures intended to make it easier for Americans to vote</a>, regardless of state laws. Among the changes, Democrats would enact automatic voter registration nationally and standardize access to early and mail voting.Democrats also want to restore parts of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that require the federal government to approve all election procedures in states and locales with a history of discrimination. The Supreme Court struck down those provisions, which applied to Georgia and Arizona, among other states, in 2013.Corporate giants were mostly quiet when Trump falsely claimed he lost because of fraud. Business leaders largely maintained that caution as Republican state lawmakers used Trump’s lie to justify a flood of new bills to make it more cumbersome to vote.The reticence was a stark contrast to how chambers of commerce reacted six years ago when Republican-run states pushed “religious freedom” measures. Indiana, under then-Gov. Mike Pence, the future vice president, saw immediate corporate backlash. After North Carolina passed a “bathroom bill” limiting LGBTQ rights in 2016, PayPal scuttled expansion plans there and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/0a2fd6cffbc64f518a977f2b3e78c2e9">NBA moved its all-star game</a>&nbsp;from Charlotte.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/e6c7a15d2e16452c8dcbc2756fd67b44">An AP analysis in 2017</a>&nbsp;found the reaction would eventually cost North Carolina at least $3.76 billion in lost business.Then, Georgia’s corporate lobbying groups — with Delta’s and Coca-Cola’s backing — took no such chances, speaking out forcefully against Georgia conservatives’ version of a “religious freedom” bill. Lawmakers passed it anyway but Kemp’s predecessor,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/47afea6183b845a4ba7a5a2c72010dfa">Republican Nathan Deal, vetoed it amid the chamber outcry</a>.Some Republicans dispute the comparison. Brian Robinson, a former top Deal aide who was part of the business coalition that publicly opposed the religious freedom bill, argued that measure “was clearly discriminatory” against LGBTQ citizens, while the nearly 100-page election bill is less clear-cut and is being misrepresented by Democrats and their allies.Companies are reacting to “Twitter mobs demanding reaction to their false narrative,” he said.National Republicans reacted even more harshly. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, a former and potentially future presidential candidate, slammed Delta with the hashtag “#WokeCorporateHypocrites.”Still, Delta and Coca-Cola’s response to the Georgia voting fight is standing as a cautionary tale for other businesses.Ed Bastian, the airline’s chief executive, initially released a statement noting the business lobby’s role in altering the bill as it moved through the General Assembly. Officials at the Atlanta Metro Chamber, where Bastian currently serves as president, detailed how corporate lobbyists spent weeks at the Capitol on mitigating provisions.Some Georgia Republicans wanted to roll back the state’s no-excuse absentee voting law, end automatic voter registration and ban Sunday early voting used heavily by Black churches. They also wanted to require photocopies of state IDs to receive and submit absentee ballots, while banning “drop boxes” as ballot collection receptacles.The final law preserved no-excuse absentee voting and automatic registration. The new ID requirement for absentee ballots allows a voter to write their state ID number, rather than produce a photocopy, and the legislature included funding for free state IDs. The law also codifies in-person early voting on weekends, although it allows counties to choose whether to be open for voting for up to two Sundays. And it made drop boxes of mail ballots a permanent fixture in Georgia, but limited the number.Business leaders’ philosophy, according to Democratic state Sen. Jen Jordan, was “basically, Republicans are going to pass something, so they might as well try to keep from being awful.”But by Wednesday, the same day 72 Black business executives published a letter in The New York Times urging corporate leaders to speak out, Bastian was more direct. He sent a companywide memo declaring the law “unacceptable” and “based on a lie” — though he didn’t mention Trump.Big business’s mistake, Jordan said, was “thinking there was ever any version that wouldn’t end up like this.”___

Pressure mounts on corporations to denounce GOP voting bills

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a 57-year-old man loaded a round into a shotgun and pointed it at a process server who had arrived at his Omaha home to serve him civil papers. 

The Omaha World-Herald reports that the man was booked into jail on suspicion of terroristic threats and two counts of possession of a weapon by a prohibited person. 

The process server introduced himself as an employee of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday morning when the man opened the door. 

The sheriff’s office said the man then walked away, returned with a shotgun, racked a round and pointed it at the worker while ordering him off his property.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a 57-year-old man loaded a round into a shotgun and pointed it at a process server who had arrived at his Omaha home to serve him civil papers. The Omaha World-Herald reports that the man was booked into jail on suspicion of terroristic threats and two counts of possession of a weapon by a prohibited person. The process server introduced himself as an employee of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday morning when the man opened the door. The sheriff’s office said the man then walked away, returned with a shotgun, racked a round and pointed it at the worker while ordering him off his property.

Omaha man accused of pointing gun at process server

WASHINGTON – Unclaimed income tax refunds worth more than $1.3 
billion await an estimated 1.3 million taxpayers who did not file a 2017
 Form 1040 federal income tax return, according to the Internal Revenue 
Service.

"The IRS wants to help taxpayers who are due refunds but haven't 
filed their 2017 tax returns yet," said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. 
"Time is quickly running out for these taxpayers. There's only a 
three-year window to claim these refunds, and the window closes on May 
17. We want to help people get these refunds, but they will need to 
quickly file a 2017 tax return."

The IRS estimates the midpoint for the potential refunds for 2017 to 
be $865 — that is, half of the refunds are more than $865 and half are 
less.

In cases where a federal income tax return was not filed, the law 
provides most taxpayers with a three-year window of opportunity to claim
 a tax refund. If they do not file a tax return within three years, the 
money becomes the property of the U.S. Treasury. For 2017 tax returns, 
the window closes May 17, 2021, for most taxpayers. The law requires 
taxpayers to properly address, mail and ensure the tax return is 
postmarked by that date.

The IRS reminds taxpayers seeking a 2017 tax refund that their checks
 may be held if they have not filed tax returns for 2018 and 2019. In 
addition, the refund will be applied to any amounts still owed to the 
IRS or a state tax agency and may be used to offset unpaid child support
 or past due federal debts, such as student loans.

By failing to file a tax return, people stand to lose more than just 
their refund of taxes withheld or paid during 2017. Many low- and 
moderate-income workers may be eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit
 (EITC). For 2017, the credit was worth as much as $6,318. The EITC 
helps individuals and families whose incomes are below certain 
thresholds. The thresholds for 2017 were:

Current and prior year tax forms (such as the tax year 2017 Form
 1040, 1040-A and 1040-EZ) and instructions are available on the 
IRS.gov&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-instructions">Forms and Publications</a> page or by calling toll-free 800-TAX-FORM (<a href="tel:800-829-3676">800-829-3676</a>).

Taxpayers who are missing Forms W-2, 1098, 1099 or 5498 for the years
 2017, 2018 or 2019 should request copies from their employer, bank or 
other payer. Taxpayers who are unable to get missing forms from their 
employer or other payer can order a free wage and income transcript at 
IRS.gov using the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript">Get Transcript Online</a>
 tool. Alternatively, they can file Form 4506-T to request a wage and 
income transcript. A wage and income transcript shows data from 
information returns received by the IRS, such as Forms W-2, 1099, 1098, 
Form 5498 and IRA contribution information. Taxpayers can use the 
information from the transcript to file their tax return.

The IRS reminds first-time filers and those who usually don't have a 
federal filing requirement that they must file a 2020 tax return to 
claim the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/recovery-rebate-credit">Recovery Rebate Credit (RRC)</a>,
 if they were eligible but did not receive the first or second Economic 
Impact Payment (EIP), or received less than the full amounts. The IRS 
offers free options to prepare and file a return at <a href="https://www.irs.gov/filing/individuals/how-to-file">How to File</a>
 on IRS.gov. Taxpayers who received the full amounts of both EIPs cannot
 claim the RRC and should not include any information about the payments
 on their 2020 tax return.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON – Unclaimed income tax refunds worth more than $1.3 
billion await an estimated 1.3 million taxpayers who did not file a 2017
 Form 1040 federal income tax return, according to the Internal Revenue 
Service."The IRS wants to help taxpayers who are due refunds but haven't 
filed their 2017 tax returns yet," said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. 
"Time is quickly running out for these taxpayers. There's only a 
three-year window to claim these refunds, and the window closes on May 
17. We want to help people get these refunds, but they will need to 
quickly file a 2017 tax return."The IRS estimates the midpoint for the potential refunds for 2017 to 
be $865 — that is, half of the refunds are more than $865 and half are 
less.In cases where a federal income tax return was not filed, the law 
provides most taxpayers with a three-year window of opportunity to claim
 a tax refund. If they do not file a tax return within three years, the 
money becomes the property of the U.S. Treasury. For 2017 tax returns, 
the window closes May 17, 2021, for most taxpayers. The law requires 
taxpayers to properly address, mail and ensure the tax return is 
postmarked by that date.The IRS reminds taxpayers seeking a 2017 tax refund that their checks
 may be held if they have not filed tax returns for 2018 and 2019. In 
addition, the refund will be applied to any amounts still owed to the 
IRS or a state tax agency and may be used to offset unpaid child support
 or past due federal debts, such as student loans.By failing to file a tax return, people stand to lose more than just 
their refund of taxes withheld or paid during 2017. Many low- and 
moderate-income workers may be eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit
 (EITC). For 2017, the credit was worth as much as $6,318. The EITC 
helps individuals and families whose incomes are below certain 
thresholds. The thresholds for 2017 were:<ul>
 <li>$48,340 ($53,930 if married filing jointly) for those with three or more qualifying children; 
	&nbsp;</li><li>$45,007 ($50,597 if married filing jointly) for people with two qualifying children; 
	&nbsp;</li><li>$39,617 ($45,207 if married filing jointly) for those with one qualifying child, and; 
	&nbsp;</li><li>$15,010 ($20,600 if married filing jointly) for people without qualifying children.</li>
 </ul>Current and prior year tax forms (such as the tax year 2017 Form
 1040, 1040-A and 1040-EZ) and instructions are available on the 
IRS.gov&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-instructions">Forms and Publications</a> page or by calling toll-free 800-TAX-FORM (<a href="tel:800-829-3676">800-829-3676</a>).Taxpayers who are missing Forms W-2, 1098, 1099 or 5498 for the years
 2017, 2018 or 2019 should request copies from their employer, bank or 
other payer. Taxpayers who are unable to get missing forms from their 
employer or other payer can order a free wage and income transcript at 
IRS.gov using the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript">Get Transcript Online</a>
 tool. Alternatively, they can file Form 4506-T to request a wage and 
income transcript. A wage and income transcript shows data from 
information returns received by the IRS, such as Forms W-2, 1099, 1098, 
Form 5498 and IRA contribution information. Taxpayers can use the 
information from the transcript to file their tax return.<h2>First-time filers and EIP eligible</h2>The IRS reminds first-time filers and those who usually don't have a 
federal filing requirement that they must file a 2020 tax return to 
claim the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/recovery-rebate-credit">Recovery Rebate Credit (RRC)</a>,
 if they were eligible but did not receive the first or second Economic 
Impact Payment (EIP), or received less than the full amounts. The IRS 
offers free options to prepare and file a return at <a href="https://www.irs.gov/filing/individuals/how-to-file">How to File</a>
 on IRS.gov. Taxpayers who received the full amounts of both EIPs cannot
 claim the RRC and should not include any information about the payments
 on their 2020 tax return.

IRS: $1.3B in refunds waiting for 2017 tax returns to be filed

WASHINGTON (AP) — A surge in hiring in the United States last month —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-employers-add-916k-jobs-march-7fb625eacadc17dc03fb5353e3143200">916,000 added jobs</a>, the most since August — coincides with growing confidence that a blistering pace of job growth will continue as vaccinations increase and federal aid fuels economic growth.

The most optimistic economists even predict that between now and year’s end, the nation could produce as many as 10 million more jobs and restore the labor market to its pre-pandemic level.

Maybe so. Yet even in normal times, it would be hard to regain all those jobs so quickly. And these aren’t normal times.

Many people who’ve been thrown out of the labor force remain fearful of the coronavirus and reluctant to take face-to-face service jobs. Millions of women are still caring for children attending school online — and can’t take jobs because they can’t find or afford child care.

Extended unemployment aid has meant that some employers might have to pay more to attract workers, which they may feel unable to do. And some people will need new skills before they can land a job to replace the one they lost.

While few doubt that the trillions in federal money flowing through the economy will help accelerate hiring, the challenges are sure to endure. Here’s a look at some of them:

For now, a sizable majority of Americans remain unvaccinated. And after weeks of sharp declines, the number of daily infections is creeping back up. Recruiters say that trend is discouraging some of the unemployed from taking jobs.

“People are afraid to come to work — there is some of that,” said Tammy Browning, president of KellyOCG, a staffing agency.

Eventually, ongoing vaccinations ought to gradually reduce such fears, although a portion of Americans remain hesitant to get vaccinated. Browning also suggested that employers will need to become more creative about making workers feel comfortable on the job. Many of her firm’s clients are manufacturing companies. On many hot factory floors, their employees have to wear masks and gloves for eight or more hours a day.

Companies should consider providing more break times, Browning said, and allow workers to remove their masks outside or in socially distant break rooms.

As a single mother, Jennifer Knapp of Augusta, Maine, worries about what a return to work would mean for her and her children’s health. A year ago, Knapp, 44, lost her job as a receptionist at a hotel and spa, a place she described as a “hub of germs.”

“There is work out there, if you want to put yourself at risk,” she said.

But the open jobs she sees are typically temporary and offer low pay. Right now, Knapp is living off savings, child support payments from her ex-husband and unemployment aid. Like many parents, she’d like to find a work-from-home job, ideally in her field of psychology and social work.

“The goal,” she said, “is to get back out there and work, as long as my kids are doing OK.”

Nearly 2.5 million women lost jobs and stopped looking for work during the pandemic. In most cases, experts say, it was because so many children were suddenly stuck at home, going to school online, and their parents lacked available or affordable child care. Better child care options or more flexible work schedules would be needed to fully reverse that trend.

Some such change is becoming evident as schools and child care centers reopen. About 500,000 women returned to the labor force in March and found jobs. The improvement could continue in the coming months: Jed Kolko, chief economist at Indeed, the job listings website, says job openings at child care centers are growing, a sign that more of these centers are back in business.

Recruiters also say flexible or hybrid work schedules, along with benefits for part-time workers, may be critical in attracting job seekers, especially women. More companies could provide on-site child care.

“I think it is going to require some systemic changes by employers,” said Karen Fichuk, chief executive of Randstad North America, a recruiting firm.

Recruiters say the $300-a-week federal unemployment benefit that was provided by President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID aid package, on top of regular state jobless benefits that average about $340 a week, might have made it harder for some employers to find workers. For some job seekers, especially those fearful of the virus, part-time or temporary jobs at restaurants or stores that may pay less than their unemployment aid, aren’t much of an alternative.

Economic research suggests that unemployment benefits generally don’t deter workers from taking jobs: A study by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jpmorganchase.com/content/dam/jpmc/jpmorgan-chase-and-co/institute/pdf/Institute-UI-Research-Brief-ADA.pdf" target="_blank">JPMorgan Chase Institute found</a>&nbsp;that last year’s federal unemployment payment didn’t discourage recipients from working. But the new $300-a-week federal supplement is set to last six months — longer than the previous payment did.

“It’s a much more attractive benefit now,” said Julia Pollak, an economist at ZipRecruiter. “It would be foolish to think that wouldn’t have any effect.”

Economists have calculated that roughly half the unemployed are earning more from benefits than they did at their former jobs.

Another factor is that jobless benefits normally require the unemployed to document their efforts to seek a job in order to remain eligible. But during the pandemic, most states have suspended this requirement. That means there is less incentive to job hunt.

Browning said her firm is advising clients to pay more and offer other benefits, including bonuses, to offset the extended jobless aid. Six months ago, a client raised the hourly rate for a temporary position by $4 an hour. The proportion of jobs filled, she said, jumped from 35% to 98%.

“You really have to encourage people to come back to work,” Browning said, “and that means pay at the level the market is demanding.”

For some of the unemployed, their old job appears gone for good. In some cases, their former employers have learned to operate with fewer workers. Landing a job will require finding work in a new occupation or industry — perhaps only after obtaining job training. This takes time.

Many economists expect more companies to help reskill workers themselves, particularly if they become desperate to hire. Should the unemployment rate keep declining, businesses might have little choice.

“When the economy is running hot, businesses begin to increase training and take risks on someone they might not have hired in the past,” said Ryan Sweet, an economist at Moody’s Analytics.

For millions of Americans, the past year has meant demoralizing job losses — sometimes multiple layoffs — and fruitless job searches, leading many to give up on finding work.

As an example, the number of people who said they want a job but were too discouraged to look for one in the past month didn’t change in March. That was true even though several job search websites report that job postings have risen sharply in recent weeks.

For discouraged workers, Pollak said, it can take time to regain confidence.

“There are many job seekers who haven’t yet realized how rapidly the conditions in the labor market have changed,” she said. “Many searched for work earlier during the pandemic, when it was most difficult and frustrating to do so, and are now discouraged.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — A surge in hiring in the United States last month —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-employers-add-916k-jobs-march-7fb625eacadc17dc03fb5353e3143200">916,000 added jobs</a>, the most since August — coincides with growing confidence that a blistering pace of job growth will continue as vaccinations increase and federal aid fuels economic growth.The most optimistic economists even predict that between now and year’s end, the nation could produce as many as 10 million more jobs and restore the labor market to its pre-pandemic level.Maybe so. Yet even in normal times, it would be hard to regain all those jobs so quickly. And these aren’t normal times.Many people who’ve been thrown out of the labor force remain fearful of the coronavirus and reluctant to take face-to-face service jobs. Millions of women are still caring for children attending school online — and can’t take jobs because they can’t find or afford child care.Extended unemployment aid has meant that some employers might have to pay more to attract workers, which they may feel unable to do. And some people will need new skills before they can land a job to replace the one they lost.While few doubt that the trillions in federal money flowing through the economy will help accelerate hiring, the challenges are sure to endure. Here’s a look at some of them:___HEALTH FEARSFor now, a sizable majority of Americans remain unvaccinated. And after weeks of sharp declines, the number of daily infections is creeping back up. Recruiters say that trend is discouraging some of the unemployed from taking jobs.“People are afraid to come to work — there is some of that,” said Tammy Browning, president of KellyOCG, a staffing agency.Eventually, ongoing vaccinations ought to gradually reduce such fears, although a portion of Americans remain hesitant to get vaccinated. Browning also suggested that employers will need to become more creative about making workers feel comfortable on the job. Many of her firm’s clients are manufacturing companies. On many hot factory floors, their employees have to wear masks and gloves for eight or more hours a day.Companies should consider providing more break times, Browning said, and allow workers to remove their masks outside or in socially distant break rooms.As a single mother, Jennifer Knapp of Augusta, Maine, worries about what a return to work would mean for her and her children’s health. A year ago, Knapp, 44, lost her job as a receptionist at a hotel and spa, a place she described as a “hub of germs.”“There is work out there, if you want to put yourself at risk,” she said.But the open jobs she sees are typically temporary and offer low pay. Right now, Knapp is living off savings, child support payments from her ex-husband and unemployment aid. Like many parents, she’d like to find a work-from-home job, ideally in her field of psychology and social work.“The goal,” she said, “is to get back out there and work, as long as my kids are doing OK.”___NEED FOR CHILD CARENearly 2.5 million women lost jobs and stopped looking for work during the pandemic. In most cases, experts say, it was because so many children were suddenly stuck at home, going to school online, and their parents lacked available or affordable child care. Better child care options or more flexible work schedules would be needed to fully reverse that trend.Some such change is becoming evident as schools and child care centers reopen. About 500,000 women returned to the labor force in March and found jobs. The improvement could continue in the coming months: Jed Kolko, chief economist at Indeed, the job listings website, says job openings at child care centers are growing, a sign that more of these centers are back in business.Recruiters also say flexible or hybrid work schedules, along with benefits for part-time workers, may be critical in attracting job seekers, especially women. More companies could provide on-site child care.“I think it is going to require some systemic changes by employers,” said Karen Fichuk, chief executive of Randstad North America, a recruiting firm.___EXTENDED JOBLESS AIDRecruiters say the $300-a-week federal unemployment benefit that was provided by President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID aid package, on top of regular state jobless benefits that average about $340 a week, might have made it harder for some employers to find workers. For some job seekers, especially those fearful of the virus, part-time or temporary jobs at restaurants or stores that may pay less than their unemployment aid, aren’t much of an alternative.Economic research suggests that unemployment benefits generally don’t deter workers from taking jobs: A study by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jpmorganchase.com/content/dam/jpmc/jpmorgan-chase-and-co/institute/pdf/Institute-UI-Research-Brief-ADA.pdf" target="_blank">JPMorgan Chase Institute found</a>&nbsp;that last year’s federal unemployment payment didn’t discourage recipients from working. But the new $300-a-week federal supplement is set to last six months — longer than the previous payment did.“It’s a much more attractive benefit now,” said Julia Pollak, an economist at ZipRecruiter. “It would be foolish to think that wouldn’t have any effect.”Economists have calculated that roughly half the unemployed are earning more from benefits than they did at their former jobs.Another factor is that jobless benefits normally require the unemployed to document their efforts to seek a job in order to remain eligible. But during the pandemic, most states have suspended this requirement. That means there is less incentive to job hunt.Browning said her firm is advising clients to pay more and offer other benefits, including bonuses, to offset the extended jobless aid. Six months ago, a client raised the hourly rate for a temporary position by $4 an hour. The proportion of jobs filled, she said, jumped from 35% to 98%.“You really have to encourage people to come back to work,” Browning said, “and that means pay at the level the market is demanding.”___NEED FOR NEW SKILLSFor some of the unemployed, their old job appears gone for good. In some cases, their former employers have learned to operate with fewer workers. Landing a job will require finding work in a new occupation or industry — perhaps only after obtaining job training. This takes time.Many economists expect more companies to help reskill workers themselves, particularly if they become desperate to hire. Should the unemployment rate keep declining, businesses might have little choice.“When the economy is running hot, businesses begin to increase training and take risks on someone they might not have hired in the past,” said Ryan Sweet, an economist at Moody’s Analytics.___OPTIMISM NEEDEDFor millions of Americans, the past year has meant demoralizing job losses — sometimes multiple layoffs — and fruitless job searches, leading many to give up on finding work.As an example, the number of people who said they want a job but were too discouraged to look for one in the past month didn’t change in March. That was true even though several job search websites report that job postings have risen sharply in recent weeks.For discouraged workers, Pollak said, it can take time to regain confidence.“There are many job seekers who haven’t yet realized how rapidly the conditions in the labor market have changed,” she said. “Many searched for work earlier during the pandemic, when it was most difficult and frustrating to do so, and are now discouraged.”

From child care to COVID, rising job market faces obstacles

KANSAS CITY (AP) —A Dallas woman was sentenced to five years in prison for causing a nightclub dancer’s death by performing an illegal cosmetic butt injection on her in Missouri.

Nitica Deonte Lee, 49, was sentenced Thursday for involuntary manslaughter in the 2015 death of Daysha Phillips.

Prosecutors said Lee traveled from her Dallas home to a hotel in Edmundson, a suburb near St. Louis’ main airport, where she injected the liquid silicone. Phillips, who was 22, died four days later after the silicone entered her bloodstream and became trapped in her lungs.

Three others accompanied Phillips. One backed out, and two others who received injections didn’t appear to suffer any ill effects, police said at the time.

Lee, who previously served time in prison for robbery, burglary and theft, was charged a few months after Phillips&nbsp;died.&nbsp;But she was a fugitive for five years before being arrested by Dallas police in July. Prosecutors said she spent some of that time in Mexico.

Cosmetic surgeons use fat from elsewhere in the body for enhancements, but black market practitioners sometimes use silicone sourced from hardware stores. Deaths have occurred around the U.S.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617460290299.png" alt="Lee- photo&nbsp; Edmundson Missouri Police" />
 <figcaption>Lee- photo&nbsp; Edmundson Missouri Police</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) —A Dallas woman was sentenced to five years in prison for causing a nightclub dancer’s death by performing an illegal cosmetic butt injection on her in Missouri.Nitica Deonte Lee, 49, was sentenced Thursday for involuntary manslaughter in the 2015 death of Daysha Phillips.Prosecutors said Lee traveled from her Dallas home to a hotel in Edmundson, a suburb near St. Louis’ main airport, where she injected the liquid silicone. Phillips, who was 22, died four days later after the silicone entered her bloodstream and became trapped in her lungs.Three others accompanied Phillips. One backed out, and two others who received injections didn’t appear to suffer any ill effects, police said at the time.Lee, who previously served time in prison for robbery, burglary and theft, was charged a few months after Phillips&nbsp;died.&nbsp;But she was a fugitive for five years before being arrested by Dallas police in July. Prosecutors said she spent some of that time in Mexico.Cosmetic surgeons use fat from elsewhere in the body for enhancements, but black market practitioners sometimes use silicone sourced from hardware stores. Deaths have occurred around the U.S.

Woman sentenced to prison for butt injection death 

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Vaccine passports being developed to verify COVID-19 immunization status and allow inoculated people to more freely travel, shop and dine have become the latest flash point in America’s perpetual political wars, with Republicans portraying them as a heavy-handed intrusion into personal freedom and private health choices.

They currently exist in only one state — a limited government partnership in New York with a private company — but that hasn’t stopped GOP lawmakers in a handful of states from rushing out legislative proposals to ban their use.

The argument over whether passports are a sensible response to the pandemic or governmental overreach echoes the bitter disputes over the past year about masks, shutdown orders and even the vaccines themselves.

Vaccine passports are typically an app with a code that verifies whether someone has been vaccinated or recently tested negative for COVID-19. They are in use in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-can-unvaccinated-return-to-work-dilemma-coronavrius-7e18cdee3a66018c36a6c61d5bc8a4c1">Israel&nbsp;</a>and under development in parts of Europe, seen as a way to safely help rebuild the pandemic-&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-travel-pandemics-europe-airlines-9c410bacd04c443f4ed562d1b2c3d37e">devastated travel industry</a>.

They are intended to allow businesses to more safely open up as the vaccine drive gains momentum, and they mirror measures already in place for schools and overseas travel that require proof of immunization against various diseases.

But lawmakers around the country are already taking a stand against the idea. GOP senators in Pennsylvania are drawing up legislation that would prohibit vaccine passports, also known as health certificates or travel passes, from being used to bar people from routine activities.

“We have constitutional rights and health privacy laws for a reason,” said Pennsylvania House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff, a Republican. “They should not cease to exist in a time of crisis. These passports may start with COVID-19, but where will they end?”

Benninghoff said this week his concern was “using taxpayer money to generate a system that will now be, possibly, in the hands of mega-tech organizations who’ve already had problems with getting hacked and security issues.”

A Democratic colleague, Rep. Chris Rabb of Philadelphia, sees value in vaccine passports if they are implemented carefully.

“There’s a role for using technology and other means to confirm people’s statuses,” Rabb said. “But we do have concerns around privacy, surveillance and inequitable access.”

Republican legislators in other states have also been drafting proposals to ban or limit them. A bill introduced in the Arkansas Legislature on Wednesday would prevent government officials from requiring vaccine passports for any reason, and would ban their use as a condition of “entry, travel, education, employment or services.”

The sponsor, Republican state Sen. Trent Garner, called vaccine passports “just another example of the Biden administration using COVID-19 to put regulations or restrictions on everyday Americans.”

President Joe Biden’s administration has largely taken a hands-off approach on vaccine passports.

At a news conference this week, Andy Slavitt, acting administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said he considered them a project for the private sector, not the government.

He said the government is considering federal guidelines to steer the process surrounding vaccine passports. Among its concerns: Not everyone who would need a passport has a smartphone; passports should be free and in multiple languages; and private health information must be protected.

“There will be organizations that want to use these. There will be organizations that don’t want to use these,” said Dr. Brian Anderson of Mitre, which operates federally funded research centers and is part of a coalition working to develop standards for vaccine certifications to make their use easier across vendors.

Anderson noted the Vaccination Credential Initiative is not making recommendations on how — or even if — organizations choose to use the certifications.

In Montana, GOP lawmakers this week voted along party lines to advance a pair of bills that would ban discrimination based on vaccine status or possession of an immunity passport, and to prohibit using vaccine status or passports to obtain certain benefits and services.

And a freshman Republican state lawmaker in Ohio spoke out about the concept, saying more restrictions or mandates are not the answer to every COVID-19 problem.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Vaccine passports being developed to verify COVID-19 immunization status and allow inoculated people to more freely travel, shop and dine have become the latest flash point in America’s perpetual political wars, with Republicans portraying them as a heavy-handed intrusion into personal freedom and private health choices.They currently exist in only one state — a limited government partnership in New York with a private company — but that hasn’t stopped GOP lawmakers in a handful of states from rushing out legislative proposals to ban their use.The argument over whether passports are a sensible response to the pandemic or governmental overreach echoes the bitter disputes over the past year about masks, shutdown orders and even the vaccines themselves.Vaccine passports are typically an app with a code that verifies whether someone has been vaccinated or recently tested negative for COVID-19. They are in use in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-can-unvaccinated-return-to-work-dilemma-coronavrius-7e18cdee3a66018c36a6c61d5bc8a4c1">Israel&nbsp;</a>and under development in parts of Europe, seen as a way to safely help rebuild the pandemic-&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-travel-pandemics-europe-airlines-9c410bacd04c443f4ed562d1b2c3d37e">devastated travel industry</a>.They are intended to allow businesses to more safely open up as the vaccine drive gains momentum, and they mirror measures already in place for schools and overseas travel that require proof of immunization against various diseases.But lawmakers around the country are already taking a stand against the idea. GOP senators in Pennsylvania are drawing up legislation that would prohibit vaccine passports, also known as health certificates or travel passes, from being used to bar people from routine activities.“We have constitutional rights and health privacy laws for a reason,” said Pennsylvania House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff, a Republican. “They should not cease to exist in a time of crisis. These passports may start with COVID-19, but where will they end?”Benninghoff said this week his concern was “using taxpayer money to generate a system that will now be, possibly, in the hands of mega-tech organizations who’ve already had problems with getting hacked and security issues.”A Democratic colleague, Rep. Chris Rabb of Philadelphia, sees value in vaccine passports if they are implemented carefully.“There’s a role for using technology and other means to confirm people’s statuses,” Rabb said. “But we do have concerns around privacy, surveillance and inequitable access.”Republican legislators in other states have also been drafting proposals to ban or limit them. A bill introduced in the Arkansas Legislature on Wednesday would prevent government officials from requiring vaccine passports for any reason, and would ban their use as a condition of “entry, travel, education, employment or services.”The sponsor, Republican state Sen. Trent Garner, called vaccine passports “just another example of the Biden administration using COVID-19 to put regulations or restrictions on everyday Americans.”President Joe Biden’s administration has largely taken a hands-off approach on vaccine passports.At a news conference this week, Andy Slavitt, acting administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said he considered them a project for the private sector, not the government.He said the government is considering federal guidelines to steer the process surrounding vaccine passports. Among its concerns: Not everyone who would need a passport has a smartphone; passports should be free and in multiple languages; and private health information must be protected.“There will be organizations that want to use these. There will be organizations that don’t want to use these,” said Dr. Brian Anderson of Mitre, which operates federally funded research centers and is part of a coalition working to develop standards for vaccine certifications to make their use easier across vendors.Anderson noted the Vaccination Credential Initiative is not making recommendations on how — or even if — organizations choose to use the certifications.In Montana, GOP lawmakers this week voted along party lines to advance a pair of bills that would ban discrimination based on vaccine status or possession of an immunity passport, and to prohibit using vaccine status or passports to obtain certain benefits and services.And a freshman Republican state lawmaker in Ohio spoke out about the concept, saying more restrictions or mandates are not the answer to every COVID-19 problem.“Ohioans are encouraged to take the COVID-19 vaccine for the health and well-being of themselves and others,” Rep. Al Cutrona said. “However, a vaccine should not be mandated or required by our government for our people to integrate back to a sense of normalcy.”Republican Florida Gov. Ron&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fort-myers-miami-orlando-fort-lauderdale-florida-d2f3bc41dd70f812bdd5becea2bcfbbd">DeSantis on Friday</a>&nbsp;issued an executive order that said no governmental entity can issue a vaccine passport, and businesses in that state can’t require them. He said he expected the Legislature to pass a similar law.His order said requiring “so-called COVID-19 vaccine passports for taking part in everyday life — such as attending a sporting event, patronizing a restaurant, or going to a movie theater — would create two classes of citizens.”U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia, a newly elected member who has embraced and promoted a range of far-right political positions, told her supporters on Facebook earlier this week that “something called a vaccine passport” was a form of “corporate communism” and part of a Democratic effort to control people’s lives.And a GOP lawmaker in Louisiana has teed up a bill to keep the state from including any vaccination information on the Louisiana driver’s license or to make issuance of a driver’s license subject to vaccine status.In&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-public-health-new-york-andrew-cuomo-coronavirus-pandemic-de31c6f9da7a0d83c8e38be36a0fca33">New York</a>, a government-sponsored vaccine passport called the Excelsior Pass is being introduced. A smartphone app, it shows whether someone has been vaccinated or recently tested negative for COVID-19.Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo touted the idea as letting an event venue usher, for example, use their own smartphone to scan a concertgoer’s code.New York officials have not released specific details about how the app will work, access someone’s vaccination or testing status or protect a user’s name, date of birth or the location where their code was scanned. The app’s privacy policy says data will be “maintained in a secure manner” and won’t be used for sales or marketing purposes or shared with a third party. But some privacy experts say the public needs more specifics to ensure its information is protected.Albert Fox Cahn, founder and executive director of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project at the Urban Justice Center, a New York–based civil rights and privacy group, warned the Excelsior Pass creates a new layer of surveillance without sufficient details about how it collects data or protects privacy.“We basically only have screenshots of the user interface and not much more,” Cahn said of Excelsior Pass.