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.

Driver killed in 1-car crash near Whitewood in western S.D.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A second Lincoln police officer is alleging sexual harassment and discrimination in a lawsuit. 

The Lincoln Journal-Star reports that the lawsuit that Melissa Ripley filed in Lancaster County District Court comes four months after Sarah Williams leveled similar accusation. 

Ripley’s attorney Kelly Brandon described the discrimination as “pervasive” in an interview Wednesday and said female officers are leaving the department to the detriment of the community because of the failure to address it.

 Williams, for instance, has taken a job with the Omaha Police Department. 

Acting Police Chief Brian Jackson announced in March that the department had pledged to improve recruitment and retention of female officers.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A second Lincoln police officer is alleging sexual harassment and discrimination in a lawsuit. The Lincoln Journal-Star reports that the lawsuit that Melissa Ripley filed in Lancaster County District Court comes four months after Sarah Williams leveled similar accusation. Ripley’s attorney Kelly Brandon described the discrimination as “pervasive” in an interview Wednesday and said female officers are leaving the department to the detriment of the community because of the failure to address it. Williams, for instance, has taken a job with the Omaha Police Department. Acting Police Chief Brian Jackson announced in March that the department had pledged to improve recruitment and retention of female officers. He declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Second female Lincoln officer sues, alleging discrimination

WASHINGTON (AP) — A decades-long movement to reshape the American political map took a further step Thursday as the House of Representatives approved a bill to make the nation’s capital the 51st state.

Approval came by a 216-208 vote along strict party lines. Republicans oppose the idea given that the new state would be overwhelmingly Democratic — and the proposal faces a far tougher road in the Senate, where even full Democratic support isn’t guaranteed.

The legislation proposes creating a 51st state with one representative and two senators, while a tiny sliver of land including the White House, the U.S. Capitol and the National Mall would remain as a federal district. Instead of the District of Columbia, the new state would be known as Washington, Douglass Commonwealth — named after famed abolitionist Frederick Douglass, who lived in Washington from 1877 until his death in 1895.

An identical statehood bill passed the House in 2020, but died in the then-Republican-controlled Senate. Now, with the 2020 elections leaving Democrats controlling both chambers of Congress and the White House, Republican senators may resort to a filibuster to stymie the statehood bill.

The Senate is split 50/50 with Vice President Kamala Harris as the tie-breaker. But it takes 60 senators to break a concerted filibuster attempt. Senate Democrats could vote to tweak the filibuster rules and slip the statehood issue through a loophole — but that would require total unity and some moderate Democrats have expressed opposition to that strategy.

Perennial swing vote and Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia had already publicly stated that he will not vote to eliminate or weaken the filibuster. Manchin is also one of a handful of Democratic Senators who has not openly supported the D.C. statehood initiative.

For now, though, Democrats and statehood advocates are celebrating their House victory.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser tied the statehood issue to America’s ongoing reckoning over police brutality and longstanding issues of racial injustice.

“This vote comes at a critical time when Americans nationwide are eager to deliver on the promise of liberty and justice for all,” Bowser said in a statement. “For centuries, an incremental approach to equality in America has delayed this promise for too many. Now is the time for bold action.”

Kentucky Republican Rep. James Comer called the measure “flatly unconstitutional.”

“It won’t withstand judicial scrutiny, but it will cause massive confusion for years as it’s reviewed by the courts,” Comer said in a statement. “Democrats are pushing D.C. statehood to pack the U.S. Senate with two progressive senators so they can end the filibuster, pack the Supreme Court, enact the Green New Deal, and create the socialist utopia the Squad dreams about.”

The bill received strong support from the White House, which has called Washington’s current status “an affront to the democratic values on which our Nation was founded.”

During Thursday floor debate, a succession of Republican representatives decried it as a cynical and unconstitutional power-grab. The country’s founding fathers, “never wanted D.C. to be a state and then specifically framed the constitution to say so,” said Georgia Republican Rep. Jody Hice.

But Virginia Democratic Rep. Gerald Connolly pointed out that Kentucky was once a part of Virginia, and was carved out as a state by Congress.

Connolly argued that the federal district was a theoretical concept when first conceived, not a community with a higher population than two U.S. states.

“When the constitution was written, this place didn’t exist,” he said. “When people say this is not about race and partisanship, you can be sure it’s about race and partisanship.”

During a March&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-race-and-ethnicity-muriel-bowser-district-of-columbia-2269e23ae0912ddb37af9e432b49b91d">hearing by the House oversight committee,</a>&nbsp;GOP representatives claimed D.C. was unfit for statehood and proposed a variety of alternatives that included absolving Washingtonians from federal taxes and “retroceding” most of D.C. back into Maryland.

Opponents also contend that Congress lacks the authority to change D.C.’s status, despite every state other than the original 13 being admitted to the union via congressional vote.

Zack Smith, a legal fellow at the Heritage Institute, a conservative think tank, said the measure becoming law would unleash a wave of lawsuits.

“You’re basically looking at a lot of litigation,” Smith told The Associated Press. “Every legislative act of this new state would be called into question. ... Things would be in a state of flux for years.”

D.C. has long chafed under its relationship with Congress, which has the power to essentially veto or alter any local laws. Its population is larger than that of Wyoming or Vermont and its estimated 712,000 residents pay federal taxes, vote for president and serve in the armed forces, but they have no voting representation in Congress.

The limitations of D.C.’s reality were put in stark relief last summer during a series of protests over the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and against general police brutality. After a night of widespread vandalism, President Donald Trump usurped D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s authority and called in a massive multiagency federal force to downtown. The law enforcement forces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/15be4e293cdebe72c10304fe0ec668e4">cleared peaceful protesters</a>&nbsp;from a public street so&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-donald-trump-us-news-ap-top-news-mn-state-wire-09f54acd0aadf861ea3aadc5b79c0fd8">Trump could pose for a photo outside a church</a>.

Ravi Perry, head of Howard University’s political science department, said the events of last summer were a crucial turning point for the perception of the D.C. statehood push, intertwining the issue with the country’s ascendant racial justice movement. As recently as 2018, nationwide polls had shown the majority of Americans to be lukewarm at best on the topic, but those poll numbers changed dramatically in the past two years, he said.

“People have started to see D.C. statehood as the racial justice issue that it is,” said Perry, who is also on the board of the pro-statehood group D.C. Vote. “There’s been a major sea change, and a lot of that has been motivated by Trumpism.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619110134245.png" alt="Photo courtesy DC Mayor Muriel Bowser" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy DC Mayor Muriel Bowser</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A decades-long movement to reshape the American political map took a further step Thursday as the House of Representatives approved a bill to make the nation’s capital the 51st state.Approval came by a 216-208 vote along strict party lines. Republicans oppose the idea given that the new state would be overwhelmingly Democratic — and the proposal faces a far tougher road in the Senate, where even full Democratic support isn’t guaranteed.The legislation proposes creating a 51st state with one representative and two senators, while a tiny sliver of land including the White House, the U.S. Capitol and the National Mall would remain as a federal district. Instead of the District of Columbia, the new state would be known as Washington, Douglass Commonwealth — named after famed abolitionist Frederick Douglass, who lived in Washington from 1877 until his death in 1895.An identical statehood bill passed the House in 2020, but died in the then-Republican-controlled Senate. Now, with the 2020 elections leaving Democrats controlling both chambers of Congress and the White House, Republican senators may resort to a filibuster to stymie the statehood bill.The Senate is split 50/50 with Vice President Kamala Harris as the tie-breaker. But it takes 60 senators to break a concerted filibuster attempt. Senate Democrats could vote to tweak the filibuster rules and slip the statehood issue through a loophole — but that would require total unity and some moderate Democrats have expressed opposition to that strategy.Perennial swing vote and Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia had already publicly stated that he will not vote to eliminate or weaken the filibuster. Manchin is also one of a handful of Democratic Senators who has not openly supported the D.C. statehood initiative.For now, though, Democrats and statehood advocates are celebrating their House victory.D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser tied the statehood issue to America’s ongoing reckoning over police brutality and longstanding issues of racial injustice.“This vote comes at a critical time when Americans nationwide are eager to deliver on the promise of liberty and justice for all,” Bowser said in a statement. “For centuries, an incremental approach to equality in America has delayed this promise for too many. Now is the time for bold action.”Kentucky Republican Rep. James Comer called the measure “flatly unconstitutional.”“It won’t withstand judicial scrutiny, but it will cause massive confusion for years as it’s reviewed by the courts,” Comer said in a statement. “Democrats are pushing D.C. statehood to pack the U.S. Senate with two progressive senators so they can end the filibuster, pack the Supreme Court, enact the Green New Deal, and create the socialist utopia the Squad dreams about.”The bill received strong support from the White House, which has called Washington’s current status “an affront to the democratic values on which our Nation was founded.”During Thursday floor debate, a succession of Republican representatives decried it as a cynical and unconstitutional power-grab. The country’s founding fathers, “never wanted D.C. to be a state and then specifically framed the constitution to say so,” said Georgia Republican Rep. Jody Hice.But Virginia Democratic Rep. Gerald Connolly pointed out that Kentucky was once a part of Virginia, and was carved out as a state by Congress.Connolly argued that the federal district was a theoretical concept when first conceived, not a community with a higher population than two U.S. states.“When the constitution was written, this place didn’t exist,” he said. “When people say this is not about race and partisanship, you can be sure it’s about race and partisanship.”During a March&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-race-and-ethnicity-muriel-bowser-district-of-columbia-2269e23ae0912ddb37af9e432b49b91d">hearing by the House oversight committee,</a>&nbsp;GOP representatives claimed D.C. was unfit for statehood and proposed a variety of alternatives that included absolving Washingtonians from federal taxes and “retroceding” most of D.C. back into Maryland.Opponents also contend that Congress lacks the authority to change D.C.’s status, despite every state other than the original 13 being admitted to the union via congressional vote.Zack Smith, a legal fellow at the Heritage Institute, a conservative think tank, said the measure becoming law would unleash a wave of lawsuits.“You’re basically looking at a lot of litigation,” Smith told The Associated Press. “Every legislative act of this new state would be called into question. ... Things would be in a state of flux for years.”D.C. has long chafed under its relationship with Congress, which has the power to essentially veto or alter any local laws. Its population is larger than that of Wyoming or Vermont and its estimated 712,000 residents pay federal taxes, vote for president and serve in the armed forces, but they have no voting representation in Congress.The limitations of D.C.’s reality were put in stark relief last summer during a series of protests over the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and against general police brutality. After a night of widespread vandalism, President Donald Trump usurped D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s authority and called in a massive multiagency federal force to downtown. The law enforcement forces&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/15be4e293cdebe72c10304fe0ec668e4">cleared peaceful protesters</a>&nbsp;from a public street so&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-donald-trump-us-news-ap-top-news-mn-state-wire-09f54acd0aadf861ea3aadc5b79c0fd8">Trump could pose for a photo outside a church</a>.Ravi Perry, head of Howard University’s political science department, said the events of last summer were a crucial turning point for the perception of the D.C. statehood push, intertwining the issue with the country’s ascendant racial justice movement. As recently as 2018, nationwide polls had shown the majority of Americans to be lukewarm at best on the topic, but those poll numbers changed dramatically in the past two years, he said.“People have started to see D.C. statehood as the racial justice issue that it is,” said Perry, who is also on the board of the pro-statehood group D.C. Vote. “There’s been a major sea change, and a lot of that has been motivated by Trumpism.”

House votes to make nation’s capital the 51st state

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Union Pacific’s first-quarter profit declined 9% as the railroad delivered less freight and its revenue fell. 

The Omaha, Nebraska-based company said Thursday that it earned $1.34 billion, or $2 per share, in the quarter. 

That’s down from $1.47 billion, or $2.15 per share, a year earlier. 

The results did not meet Wall Street expectations as the railroad delivered 1% less freight and had to deal with the severe cold in February.

 But Union Pacific said it expects shipping volume to grow roughly 6% overall in 2021 as the economy continues to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Union Pacific’s first-quarter profit declined 9% as the railroad delivered less freight and its revenue fell. The Omaha, Nebraska-based company said Thursday that it earned $1.34 billion, or $2 per share, in the quarter. That’s down from $1.47 billion, or $2.15 per share, a year earlier. The results did not meet Wall Street expectations as the railroad delivered 1% less freight and had to deal with the severe cold in February. But Union Pacific said it expects shipping volume to grow roughly 6% overall in 2021 as the economy continues to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

Union Pacific profit down 9% but economy will grow in 2021

MISSION, Kan. (AP) — About three-quarters of Kansas counties have turned down new shipments of the coronavirus vaccine at least once over the past month and several for four straight weeks, state date shows.

“It is kind of stalling. Some people just don’t want it,” said Stacey Hileman, a nurse with the health department in rural northwest Kansas’ Decatur County, where only about 29% of the county’s 2,900 residents have received at least one vaccine dose.

Her county is among six that have rejected allocations for all four weeks. Thirty-three other counties paused shipments from the state for one week, 26 for two weeks and 16 for three weeks. Only 24 counties, mostly the larger ones such as Shawnee, Johnson and Sedgwick, haven’t turned down any shipments.

These numbers, however, do not include doses that have been supplied by federal programs to pharmacies and other providers

In rural south-central Kansas’ Barber County, which has turned down vaccine doses from the state for two of the past four weeks, Danielle Farr said she has no plans to be vaccinated. The 32-year-old said she got COVID-19 last year, along with her 5- and 12-year-old sons and her husband, a sheriff’s deputy. They never were tested for active infections, but blood tests detected antibodies for the virus in all four of them.

“I believe in vaccines that have eradicated terrible diseases for the past 60, 70 years. I totally and fully believe in that,” said Farr, who works at an accounting firm. “Now a vaccine that was rushed in six, seven months, I’m just going to be a little bit more cautious about what I choose to put into my body.”

That kind of resistance is concerning health care officials, who insist the vaccines in use are safe, because just 37% of the state’s residents are at least partially vaccinated. The percentage is far from where the state needs to get to reach a level of herd immunity that would make it difficult for the virus to spread.

“We need to twist some arms and get some arms to be able to give some of that vaccine,” said Dr. Steve Stites, the chief medical officer at the University of Kansas Health System, during a morning briefing Wednesday.

Marci Nielsen, a special advisor to Gov. Laura Kelly, said the state is planning to target “robust communications” at communities with lower rates to reach its goals. She noted that there was no time to spare in a written statement.

“Variants continue to be a concern and the slowing of vaccine uptake will delay the ability to reach herd immunity in Kansas, and across the nation,” she said.

But the effort is far from easy. Cheyenne County, which has about 2,800 residents and is located along the state’s western border with Colorado, also has turned down new doses for four weeks.

“You are not going to force people. We’ve got it out there. If they want it they can get on the list, and we will give it to them,” said Shawna Blanka, the spokeswoman for the 16-bed Cheyenne County Hospital, before reiterating: “It is not something you can force upon people.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1617126228958.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>MISSION, Kan. (AP) — About three-quarters of Kansas counties have turned down new shipments of the coronavirus vaccine at least once over the past month and several for four straight weeks, state date shows.“It is kind of stalling. Some people just don’t want it,” said Stacey Hileman, a nurse with the health department in rural northwest Kansas’ Decatur County, where only about 29% of the county’s 2,900 residents have received at least one vaccine dose.Her county is among six that have rejected allocations for all four weeks. Thirty-three other counties paused shipments from the state for one week, 26 for two weeks and 16 for three weeks. Only 24 counties, mostly the larger ones such as Shawnee, Johnson and Sedgwick, haven’t turned down any shipments.These numbers, however, do not include doses that have been supplied by federal programs to pharmacies and other providersIn rural south-central Kansas’ Barber County, which has turned down vaccine doses from the state for two of the past four weeks, Danielle Farr said she has no plans to be vaccinated. The 32-year-old said she got COVID-19 last year, along with her 5- and 12-year-old sons and her husband, a sheriff’s deputy. They never were tested for active infections, but blood tests detected antibodies for the virus in all four of them.“I believe in vaccines that have eradicated terrible diseases for the past 60, 70 years. I totally and fully believe in that,” said Farr, who works at an accounting firm. “Now a vaccine that was rushed in six, seven months, I’m just going to be a little bit more cautious about what I choose to put into my body.”That kind of resistance is concerning health care officials, who insist the vaccines in use are safe, because just 37% of the state’s residents are at least partially vaccinated. The percentage is far from where the state needs to get to reach a level of herd immunity that would make it difficult for the virus to spread.“We need to twist some arms and get some arms to be able to give some of that vaccine,” said Dr. Steve Stites, the chief medical officer at the University of Kansas Health System, during a morning briefing Wednesday.Marci Nielsen, a special advisor to Gov. Laura Kelly, said the state is planning to target “robust communications” at communities with lower rates to reach its goals. She noted that there was no time to spare in a written statement.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619024571924.png" alt="Wednesday April 21, 2021 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Wednesday April 21, 2021 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>“Variants continue to be a concern and the slowing of vaccine uptake will delay the ability to reach herd immunity in Kansas, and across the nation,” she said.But the effort is far from easy. Cheyenne County, which has about 2,800 residents and is located along the state’s western border with Colorado, also has turned down new doses for four weeks.“You are not going to force people. We’ve got it out there. If they want it they can get on the list, and we will give it to them,” said Shawna Blanka, the spokeswoman for the 16-bed Cheyenne County Hospital, before reiterating: “It is not something you can force upon people.”

Most Kansas counties turn down vaccine over past month

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police say a driver has died after crashing his sport utility vehicle into a retaining wall in southeast Omaha and ending up pinned underneath the vehicle. 

Police say the crash happened around 11:30 p.m. when the SUV crossed a median and hit a large wooden retaining wall. 

Investigators say the vehicle overturned, pinning the driver underneath.

 Police say the driver, identified as 59-year-old Randy Rettele of Omaha, died at the scene. He was the sole occupant of the vehicle.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police say a driver has died after crashing his sport utility vehicle into a retaining wall in southeast Omaha and ending up pinned underneath the vehicle. Police say the crash happened around 11:30 p.m. when the SUV crossed a median and hit a large wooden retaining wall. Investigators say the vehicle overturned, pinning the driver underneath. Police say the driver, identified as 59-year-old Randy Rettele of Omaha, died at the scene. He was the sole occupant of the vehicle.

Driver dies after crashing into wall, being pinned under SUV

DENVER (AP) — Local prosecutors in Colorado have filed over 40 more felony charges against a man charged with killing 10 people at a Boulder supermarket last month, including for allegedly using a large capacity magazine banned by state lawmakers in response to recent mass shootings. 

The court document outlining the new charges filed Wednesday lists 19 new victims, including 11 law enforcement officers, that 21-year-old Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa is accused of attempting to kill during the attack. 

Some victims have more than one count of attempted first-degree murder associated with them. Alissa’s defense has said he suffers from “mental illness” but hasn't offered any details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619092346487.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>DENVER (AP) — Local prosecutors in Colorado have filed over 40 more felony charges against a man charged with killing 10 people at a Boulder supermarket last month, including for allegedly using a large capacity magazine banned by state lawmakers in response to recent mass shootings. The court document outlining the new charges filed Wednesday lists 19 new victims, including 11 law enforcement officers, that 21-year-old Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa is accused of attempting to kill during the attack. Some victims have more than one count of attempted first-degree murder associated with them. Alissa’s defense has said he suffers from “mental illness” but hasn't offered any details.

Boulder shooting suspect charged with using large magazine

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced new employer tax credits and other steps to encourage people reluctant to be inoculated to get the COVID-19 vaccine as his administration tries to overcome diminishing demand for the shots. The moves came as Biden celebrated reaching his latest goal of administering 200 million coronavirus doses in his first 100 days in office.

With more than 50% of adults at least partially vaccinated and roughly 28 million vaccine doses being delivered each week, demand has eclipsed supply as the constraining factor to vaccinations in much of the country.

In a White House speech on Wednesday, Biden acknowledged entering a “new phase” in the federal vaccination effort that relies on increased outreach to Americans to get their shots, both to protect them and their communities.

“Vaccines can save your own life, but they can also save your grandmother’s life, your co-worker’s life, the grocery store clerk or the delivery person helping you and your neighbors get through the crisis,” Biden said. “That’s why you should get vaccinated.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619027369469.png" alt="President Biden said Wednesday that roughly 130 million Americans have yet to receive one dose of vaccine -photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>President Biden said Wednesday that roughly 130 million Americans have yet to receive one dose of vaccine -photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced new employer tax credits and other steps to encourage people reluctant to be inoculated to get the COVID-19 vaccine as his administration tries to overcome diminishing demand for the shots. The moves came as Biden celebrated reaching his latest goal of administering 200 million coronavirus doses in his first 100 days in office.With more than 50% of adults at least partially vaccinated and roughly 28 million vaccine doses being delivered each week, demand has eclipsed supply as the constraining factor to vaccinations in much of the country.In a White House speech on Wednesday, Biden acknowledged entering a “new phase” in the federal vaccination effort that relies on increased outreach to Americans to get their shots, both to protect them and their communities.“Vaccines can save your own life, but they can also save your grandmother’s life, your co-worker’s life, the grocery store clerk or the delivery person helping you and your neighbors get through the crisis,” Biden said. “That’s why you should get vaccinated.”Over the past week, the pace of inoculation in the U.S. has slowed slightly. That is partly a reflection of disruptions from the “pause” in administration of the Johnson &amp; Johnson shot for a safety review, but also of softening interest for vaccines in many places even as eligibility has been opened to all those older than 16.As the vaccination program progresses, the administration believes it will only get more difficult to sustain the current pace of about 3 million shots per day. Roughly 130 million Americans have yet to receive one dose.Surveys have shown that vaccine hesitancy has declined since the rollout of the shots, but administration officials believe they have to make getting vaccinated easier and more appealing, particularly for younger Americans who are less at risk from the virus and do not feel the same urgency to get a shot. That means providing incentives and encouragement to get vaccinated, as well as reducing the friction surrounding the vaccination process.Biden announced a tax credit for small businesses to provide paid leave for those getting vaccinated or potentially needing to take time off to recover from side effects. Paid for through the $1.9 trillion virus relief package passed last month, the tax change would provide a credit of up to $511 per day, per employee for businesses with fewer than 500 workers to ensure that those workers or businesses don’t suffer a penalty by getting vaccinated.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1618481198163.png" alt="Vaccinations at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City-photo courtesy Missouri Dept. of Health" />
 <figcaption>Vaccinations at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City-photo courtesy Missouri Dept. of Health</figcaption>
 </figure>The White House is urging larger employers, which have more resources, to provide the same benefits to their workers, and educate them about the shots and encourage them to get vaccinated.“We’re calling on every employer, large and small, in every state, give employees the time off they need with pay to get vaccinated,” Biden said.According to the White House, just 43% of working adults have received at least one shot.As Biden celebrated the vaccine milestone, there is a different reality in the states.In Iowa, nearly half of the counties are not accepting new doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from the state’s allotment because demand has fallen off. In Florida, Palm Beach County plans to close mass vaccination clinics at the end of May with thousands of available vaccine slots unclaimed. In rural West Virginia, a vaccine clinic at a casino/race track parking garage is opening shots to out-of-state residents to address lagging demand. The hope is that people from Washington, D.C., make the hour’s drive to get vaccinated. In Arizona, a plan collapsed that would have opened a federally run vaccine site in Tucson; demand is slipping and county officials preferred more targeted, mobile locations.Asked about the dip in vaccinations, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said “fluctuation is not uncommon” and that “what we want to do is continue to encourage Americans to continue to get vaccinated.”“The pace of vaccination isn’t linear,” Becerra said, adding that “we are on a pretty good pace.”Through its partnership with more than 40,000 retail pharmacies, the White House says more than 90% of Americans now live within 5 miles of a vaccination site. The administration is encouraging state and local efforts to bring vaccines directly to people, whether through initiatives reaching the homebound or clinics at large employment sites.Many states have also begun to open up vaccination sites to walk-in appointments, reducing reliance on often-cumbersome reservation systems.Maximizing the number of Americans vaccinated in the coming months is critical for the White House, which is aiming to restore a semblance of normalcy around the July Fourth holiday and even more so by the beginning of the next school year.Administration officials have been careful to avoid predicting when the country will have vaccinated enough people to reach&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/when-do-we-reach-herd-immunity-explained-8da12b3d4f6e33c0c6562f29f81ca52a">herd immunity</a>&nbsp;— when enough people become immune to a disease to make its spread unlikely. The U.S. is on track to have enough vaccine supply for every adult by the end of May and for every American by July, but administering the shots will be another matter.With its stockpile secure and demand dropping at home, the president spoke again of sharing excess doses with allies.Biden said he talked with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for about 30 minutes on Wednesday. “We helped a little bit there, we’re going to try to help some more,” Biden said, referring to his decision last month to share about 1.5 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine with Canada. “But there’s other countries as well that I’m confident we can help, including in Central America. But it’s in process.”He added. “We don’t have enough to be confident to send it abroad now. But I expect we’re going to be able to do that.”Biden set his goal of 200 million shots last month after meeting his 100 million-in-100 days goal just over a month ago. That original benchmark was announced Dec. 8, days before the U.S. had even one authorized vaccine, let alone the three that have now received emergency authorization. Still, it was generally seen within reach, if optimistic.By the time Biden was inaugurated on Jan. 20, the U.S. had already administered 20 million shots at a rate of about 1 million per day, bringing complaints at the time that Biden’s goal was not ambitious enough. Biden quickly revised it upward to 150 million doses in his first 100 days.—-