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.

“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.

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.

Vaccine passport efforts draw opposition from GOP lawmakers

NEW YORK (AP) — Details from more than 500 million Facebook users have been found available on a website for hackers. 

The information appears to be several years old, but it is another example of the vast amount of information collected by Facebook and other social media sites, and the limits to how secure that information is. 

The availability of the data set was first reported by Business Insider. According to that publication, it includes phone numbers, Facebook IDs, full names, locations, birthdates, and email addresses. 

The Menlo Park, California-based company said the leak was old and stemmed from a problem that had been fixed in 2019.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617503264948.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Details from more than 500 million Facebook users have been found available on a website for hackers. The information appears to be several years old, but it is another example of the vast amount of information collected by Facebook and other social media sites, and the limits to how secure that information is. The availability of the data set was first reported by Business Insider. According to that publication, it includes phone numbers, Facebook IDs, full names, locations, birthdates, and email addresses. The Menlo Park, California-based company said the leak was old and stemmed from a problem that had been fixed in 2019.

Facebook data on more than 500M accounts found online

By LAURA OLSON <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/04/02/cdc-if-youre-fully-vaccinated-you-can-travel-in-the-u-s-without-tests-or-quarantines/">Kansas Reflector</a>

WASHINGTON
 — Fully vaccinated individuals can travel at low risk to themselves, 
and do not need to get a COVID-19 test or quarantine after traveling 
within the United States, federal health officials said Friday as they 
unveiled updated travel guidelines.

The
 new guidelines offer the first official guidance to Americans who are 
at least two weeks past receiving their final dose of a COVID-19 
vaccine, and want to visit family and friends elsewhere in the United 
States.

Those
 who do travel are urged to continue taking precautions: wearing a mask,
 avoiding crowds, socially distancing, and washing hands frequently.

Fully
 vaccinated people seeking to travel internationally may still need to 
have a negative COVID-19 test to enter their destination. They should 
have a negative COVID-19 test result before they board a flight home to 
the United States, and should take another test three to five days after
 returning, according to the CDC.&nbsp;

But those traveling abroad won’t need to quarantine upon return unless their state requires doing so.

The new travel guidance expands upon <a href="https://www.floridaphoenix.com/2021/03/08/cdc-its-ok-for-vaccinated-grandparents-to-visit-family-if-no-risk-for-severe-disease/">an initial set of guidance that the CDC released last month</a>, outlining recommendations for how vaccinated individuals should socialize with those who are and are not vaccinated.

Those
 initial recommendations sidestepped questions about traveling. And even
 as federal officials released the new guidelines, they also urged 
Americans to continue refraining from any travel that is not essential.

“While
 we believe that fully vaccinated people can travel at low risk to 
themselves, the CDC is not recommending travel at this time due to the 
rising number of cases,” said Rochelle Walensky, the CDC’s director.

<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations">According to CDC tracking data</a>,
 30% of Americans have received at least one dose of one of the three 
authorized COVID-19 vaccines, and 17% have been fully vaccinated.&nbsp;

But the vaccination effort has been racing to outpace <a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#trends_dailytrendscases">a rise in the daily rate of coronavirus infections</a>.
 After falling to an average daily rate of 40,000 new cases in 
mid-March, that number has been going up, to 75,000 new cases reported 
Thursday.

Earlier
 this week, Walensky described a sense of “impending doom” as she 
watched those numbers grow and new variants of the virus pop up across 
the country.

“We
 know that travel was up in the month of March more so than it had been 
since the beginning of this pandemic. We know that right now we have a 
surging number of cases,” Walensky said, adding that the CDC guidance 
“is silent on recommending or not recommending fully vaccinated people 
travel —&nbsp;our guidance speaks to the safety of doing so.”

<a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/04/cdc-data-suggests-vaccinated-dont-carry-cant-spread-virus.html">Recently released studies</a>
 have suggested that fully vaccinated people are unlikely to spread the 
virus, a scenario that scientists have said for months is likely to be 
true, but had lacked enough data on the brand-new vaccine to say 
definitively.

Even before the new CDC guidelines, air travel had begun to pick up again. <a href="https://www.tsa.gov/coronavirus/passenger-throughput">Data from the Transportation Security Administration</a> has shown a rising number of travelers passing through airports.

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/2021/4/1617480482614.png" alt="In this 2020 photograph, captured inside a clinical setting, a health care provider places a bandage on the injection site of a patient who just received a vaccine. (Lauren Bishop/CDC)" />
 <figcaption>In this 2020 photograph, captured inside a clinical setting, a health care provider places a bandage on the injection site of a patient who just received a vaccine. (Lauren Bishop/CDC)</figcaption>
 </figure>By LAURA OLSON <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/04/02/cdc-if-youre-fully-vaccinated-you-can-travel-in-the-u-s-without-tests-or-quarantines/">Kansas Reflector</a>WASHINGTON
 — Fully vaccinated individuals can travel at low risk to themselves, 
and do not need to get a COVID-19 test or quarantine after traveling 
within the United States, federal health officials said Friday as they 
unveiled updated travel guidelines.The
 new guidelines offer the first official guidance to Americans who are 
at least two weeks past receiving their final dose of a COVID-19 
vaccine, and want to visit family and friends elsewhere in the United 
States.Those
 who do travel are urged to continue taking precautions: wearing a mask,
 avoiding crowds, socially distancing, and washing hands frequently.Fully
 vaccinated people seeking to travel internationally may still need to 
have a negative COVID-19 test to enter their destination. They should 
have a negative COVID-19 test result before they board a flight home to 
the United States, and should take another test three to five days after
 returning, according to the CDC.&nbsp;But those traveling abroad won’t need to quarantine upon return unless their state requires doing so.The new travel guidance expands upon <a href="https://www.floridaphoenix.com/2021/03/08/cdc-its-ok-for-vaccinated-grandparents-to-visit-family-if-no-risk-for-severe-disease/">an initial set of guidance that the CDC released last month</a>, outlining recommendations for how vaccinated individuals should socialize with those who are and are not vaccinated.Those
 initial recommendations sidestepped questions about traveling. And even
 as federal officials released the new guidelines, they also urged 
Americans to continue refraining from any travel that is not essential.“While
 we believe that fully vaccinated people can travel at low risk to 
themselves, the CDC is not recommending travel at this time due to the 
rising number of cases,” said Rochelle Walensky, the CDC’s director.<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations">According to CDC tracking data</a>,
 30% of Americans have received at least one dose of one of the three 
authorized COVID-19 vaccines, and 17% have been fully vaccinated.&nbsp;But the vaccination effort has been racing to outpace <a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#trends_dailytrendscases">a rise in the daily rate of coronavirus infections</a>.
 After falling to an average daily rate of 40,000 new cases in 
mid-March, that number has been going up, to 75,000 new cases reported 
Thursday.Earlier
 this week, Walensky described a sense of “impending doom” as she 
watched those numbers grow and new variants of the virus pop up across 
the country.“We
 know that travel was up in the month of March more so than it had been 
since the beginning of this pandemic. We know that right now we have a 
surging number of cases,” Walensky said, adding that the CDC guidance 
“is silent on recommending or not recommending fully vaccinated people 
travel —&nbsp;our guidance speaks to the safety of doing so.”<a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/04/cdc-data-suggests-vaccinated-dont-carry-cant-spread-virus.html">Recently released studies</a>
 have suggested that fully vaccinated people are unlikely to spread the 
virus, a scenario that scientists have said for months is likely to be 
true, but had lacked enough data on the brand-new vaccine to say 
definitively.Even before the new CDC guidelines, air travel had begun to pick up again. <a href="https://www.tsa.gov/coronavirus/passenger-throughput">Data from the Transportation Security Administration</a> has shown a rising number of travelers passing through airports.Laura covers the nation's capital as a senior reporter for States Newsroom, a network of nonprofit outlets that includes Kansas Reflector.

CDC: Fully vaccinated can travel in the U.S. without tests, quarantines

Acting United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Cameron Hogan, 44, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced Friday in federal court in Omaha for misappropriation of postal funds. 

Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Bataillon sentenced Hogan to 5 years of probation. 

Hogan will be required to pay $13,595 in restitution.

In 2020, federal agents began investigating financial irregularities reported at the West Omaha Postal Service Station in Omaha. At the time of the investigation, Hogan was employed as a Lead Sales and Services Associate. Agents reviewed sale activity reports and observed that Hogan had processed an excessive number of refunds and no sales and voided transactions. When interviewed, Hogan admitted to issuing fraudulent refunds and voided transactions and taking the funds for his own use.

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General.

Acting United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Cameron Hogan, 44, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced Friday in federal court in Omaha for misappropriation of postal funds. Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Bataillon sentenced Hogan to 5 years of probation. Hogan will be required to pay $13,595 in restitution.In 2020, federal agents began investigating financial irregularities reported at the West Omaha Postal Service Station in Omaha. At the time of the investigation, Hogan was employed as a Lead Sales and Services Associate. Agents reviewed sale activity reports and observed that Hogan had processed an excessive number of refunds and no sales and voided transactions. When interviewed, Hogan admitted to issuing fraudulent refunds and voided transactions and taking the funds for his own use.This case was investigated by the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General.

Omaha man sentenced for misappropriation of postal funds   

NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon is sorry for tweeting about peeing. The company, which sent a tweet to a Wisconsin congressman more than a week ago denying that its employees work so hard they have to urinate in empty water bottles, admitted in a late Friday blog post that it was wrong and vowed to improve working conditions for delivery drivers. 

The company went on to write that urinating in bottles is an industry-wide problem. 

To try and prove its point, it shared links to news articles about drivers for other delivery companies who urinate in bottles. Amazon said it is looking to fix the problem, but doesn't know how yet.

By the Associated PressNEW YORK (AP) — Amazon is sorry for tweeting about peeing. The company, which sent a tweet to a Wisconsin congressman more than a week ago denying that its employees work so hard they have to urinate in empty water bottles, admitted in a late Friday blog post that it was wrong and vowed to improve working conditions for delivery drivers. The company went on to write that urinating in bottles is an industry-wide problem. To try and prove its point, it shared links to news articles about drivers for other delivery companies who urinate in bottles. Amazon said it is looking to fix the problem, but doesn't know how yet.

Amazon apologizes to congressman for bogus ‘peeing’ tweet

WASHINGTON (AP) — Seeking to overcome&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-norc-poll-us-half-want-vaccine-shots-4d98dbfc0a64d60d52ac84c3065dac55">vaccine hesitancy</a>, the Biden administration on Thursday stepped up its outreach efforts to skeptical Americans, launching a coalition of community, religious and celebrity partners to promote COVID-19 shots in hard-hit communities.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?509124-1/vice-president-harris-holds-virtual-town-hall">Click here to </a>watch a replay of the virtual meeting

The administration’s “We Can Do This” campaign features television and social media ads, but it also relies on a community corps of public health, athletic, faith and other groups to spread the word about the safety and efficacy of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-19-vaccine-us-study-highly-effective-57cde25de803c98503c5ff9937598420">the three approved vaccines</a>. The campaign comes amid worries that reluctance to get vaccinated will delay the nation’s recovery from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">the coronavirus pandemic</a>&nbsp;— and is kicking off as the U.S. is anticipating a boost in vaccine supply that will make all adult Americans eligible for vaccines by the beginning of May.

President Joe Biden encouraged more than 1,000 faith leaders on Thursday to continue their efforts to promote vaccinations in their communities. “They’re going to listen to your words more than they are to me as president of the United States,” Biden said.

Vice President Kamala Harris and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-opioids-coronavirus-pandemic-vivek-murthy-barack-obama-2e1643c5f69e2f64ef04a46db60e95d7">Surgeon General Vivek Murthy</a>&nbsp;held a virtual meeting with the more than 275 inaugural members of the community corps on Thursday to kick off the effort. The Department of Health and Human Services was also encouraging other groups, as well as everyday Americans, to&nbsp;<a href="https://wecandothis.hhs.gov/covidcommunitycorps" target="_blank">join the effort.</a>

“You are the people that folks on the ground know and rely on and have a history with,” Harris said. “And when people are then making the decision to get vaccinated, they’re going to look to you.”

A White House official said Harris plans to take on a larger role in promoting the uptake of vaccines, in addition to her efforts selling the president’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill and working to address the root causes of migration driving an increase in unaccompanied minors entering the U.S. along the southern border.

The focus on trusted validators stems from both internal and public surveys showing those skeptical of the vaccines are most likely to be swayed by local, community and medical encouragement to get vaccinated, rather than messages from politicians.

Courtney Rowe, the White House’s COVID-19 director of strategic communications and engagement, briefed governors on the new initiative Tuesday, telling them that people “want to hear from those they know and trust.” She added that the initiative would be “empowering the leaders people want to hear from.”

A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research conducted late last month finds that three-quarters of American adults now say they have or will get a vaccine, compared with 13% who say they probably will not, while 12% say they definitely will not. The share saying they probably or definitely will not has ticked down since January, when a combined 32% said that.

The coalition includes health groups like the American Medical Association and the National Council of Urban Indian Health, sports leagues like the NFL, NASCAR and MLB, rural groups, unions and Latino, Black, Asian American Pacific Islander and Native American organizations, as well as coalitions of faith, business and veterans leaders.

The community corps will receive fact sheets and social media messages to share with members of their communities, as well as regular updates from the Biden administration with the latest vaccine confidence resources.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced last week that it will devote $3 billion to support outreach by community leaders and groups to boost vaccine confidence.

HHS was also launching its first national ad campaign promoting vaccinations, aimed at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsVx_PZtigo" target="_blank">senior</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9iEVmAiWsc%3C&amp;feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">Latino</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ArOJN4XF3I" target="_blank">Black</a>&nbsp;Americans, with the roughly $250 million initial ad campaign. And in partnership with Facebook, it was deploying social media profile frames so that ordinary Americans could share their intent to get vaccinations and their experience with the shots to their peers.

The White House is also deploying Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-disease expert, and Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, who chairs Biden’s COVID-19 equity task force, to speak directly to the public about the benefits of the vaccines. On Wednesday, the pair conducted an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KloxyjK36v0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KloxyjK36v0" target="_blank">interview</a>&nbsp;with rapper and actor LL Cool J and DJ Jazzy Jeff.

By the end of May, the U.S. will have enough supply of COVID-19 vaccine to cover all adults in the country.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/anthony-fauci">Dr. Anthony Fauci</a>, the nation’s top infectious-disease expert, has estimated that 70% to 85% of the population needs to be immune to the virus to reach&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/when-do-we-reach-herd-immunity-explained-8da12b3d4f6e33c0c6562f29f81ca52a">herd immunity</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617360034286.png" alt="Vice President Kamala Harris and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-opioids-coronavirus-pandemic-vivek-murthy-barack-obama-2e1643c5f69e2f64ef04a46db60e95d7">Surgeon General Vivek Murthy</a>&nbsp;held a virtual meeting with the more than 275 inaugural members of the community corps on Thursday-photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>Vice President Kamala Harris and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-opioids-coronavirus-pandemic-vivek-murthy-barack-obama-2e1643c5f69e2f64ef04a46db60e95d7">Surgeon General Vivek Murthy</a>&nbsp;held a virtual meeting with the more than 275 inaugural members of the community corps on Thursday-photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Seeking to overcome&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-norc-poll-us-half-want-vaccine-shots-4d98dbfc0a64d60d52ac84c3065dac55">vaccine hesitancy</a>, the Biden administration on Thursday stepped up its outreach efforts to skeptical Americans, launching a coalition of community, religious and celebrity partners to promote COVID-19 shots in hard-hit communities.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?509124-1/vice-president-harris-holds-virtual-town-hall">Click here to </a>watch a replay of the virtual meetingThe administration’s “We Can Do This” campaign features television and social media ads, but it also relies on a community corps of public health, athletic, faith and other groups to spread the word about the safety and efficacy of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-19-vaccine-us-study-highly-effective-57cde25de803c98503c5ff9937598420">the three approved vaccines</a>. The campaign comes amid worries that reluctance to get vaccinated will delay the nation’s recovery from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">the coronavirus pandemic</a>&nbsp;— and is kicking off as the U.S. is anticipating a boost in vaccine supply that will make all adult Americans eligible for vaccines by the beginning of May.President Joe Biden encouraged more than 1,000 faith leaders on Thursday to continue their efforts to promote vaccinations in their communities. “They’re going to listen to your words more than they are to me as president of the United States,” Biden said.Vice President Kamala Harris and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-opioids-coronavirus-pandemic-vivek-murthy-barack-obama-2e1643c5f69e2f64ef04a46db60e95d7">Surgeon General Vivek Murthy</a>&nbsp;held a virtual meeting with the more than 275 inaugural members of the community corps on Thursday to kick off the effort. The Department of Health and Human Services was also encouraging other groups, as well as everyday Americans, to&nbsp;<a href="https://wecandothis.hhs.gov/covidcommunitycorps" target="_blank">join the effort.</a>“You are the people that folks on the ground know and rely on and have a history with,” Harris said. “And when people are then making the decision to get vaccinated, they’re going to look to you.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617360300944.png" alt="Vice President Harris during the virtual event -image courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>Vice President Harris during the virtual event -image courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>A White House official said Harris plans to take on a larger role in promoting the uptake of vaccines, in addition to her efforts selling the president’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill and working to address the root causes of migration driving an increase in unaccompanied minors entering the U.S. along the southern border.The focus on trusted validators stems from both internal and public surveys showing those skeptical of the vaccines are most likely to be swayed by local, community and medical encouragement to get vaccinated, rather than messages from politicians.Courtney Rowe, the White House’s COVID-19 director of strategic communications and engagement, briefed governors on the new initiative Tuesday, telling them that people “want to hear from those they know and trust.” She added that the initiative would be “empowering the leaders people want to hear from.”A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research conducted late last month finds that three-quarters of American adults now say they have or will get a vaccine, compared with 13% who say they probably will not, while 12% say they definitely will not. The share saying they probably or definitely will not has ticked down since January, when a combined 32% said that.The coalition includes health groups like the American Medical Association and the National Council of Urban Indian Health, sports leagues like the NFL, NASCAR and MLB, rural groups, unions and Latino, Black, Asian American Pacific Islander and Native American organizations, as well as coalitions of faith, business and veterans leaders.The community corps will receive fact sheets and social media messages to share with members of their communities, as well as regular updates from the Biden administration with the latest vaccine confidence resources.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced last week that it will devote $3 billion to support outreach by community leaders and groups to boost vaccine confidence.HHS was also launching its first national ad campaign promoting vaccinations, aimed at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsVx_PZtigo" target="_blank">senior</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9iEVmAiWsc%3C&amp;feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">Latino</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ArOJN4XF3I" target="_blank">Black</a>&nbsp;Americans, with the roughly $250 million initial ad campaign. And in partnership with Facebook, it was deploying social media profile frames so that ordinary Americans could share their intent to get vaccinations and their experience with the shots to their peers.The White House is also deploying Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-disease expert, and Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, who chairs Biden’s COVID-19 equity task force, to speak directly to the public about the benefits of the vaccines. On Wednesday, the pair conducted an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KloxyjK36v0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KloxyjK36v0" target="_blank">interview</a>&nbsp;with rapper and actor LL Cool J and DJ Jazzy Jeff.By the end of May, the U.S. will have enough supply of COVID-19 vaccine to cover all adults in the country.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/anthony-fauci">Dr. Anthony Fauci</a>, the nation’s top infectious-disease expert, has estimated that 70% to 85% of the population needs to be immune to the virus to reach&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/when-do-we-reach-herd-immunity-explained-8da12b3d4f6e33c0c6562f29f81ca52a">herd immunity</a>.

🎥 Vice Pres. leads celebrity team to boost vaccinations

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today issued guidance for 
employers claiming the Employee Retention Credit under the Coronavirus 
Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) modified by the 
Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2020 (Relief Act).

<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-21-23.pdf">Notice 2021-23&nbsp;PDF</a> explains the changes to the Employee Retention Credit for the first two calendar quarters of 2021, including:

As a result of the changes made by the Relief Act, eligible 
employers can now claim a refundable tax credit against the employer 
share of Social Security tax equal to 70% of the qualified wages they 
pay to employees after December&nbsp;31, 2020, through June 30, 2021. 
Qualified wages are limited to $10,000 per employee per calendar quarter
 in 2021. Thus, the maximum employee retention credit available is 
$7,000 per employee per calendar quarter, for a total of $14,000 for the
 first two calendar quarters of 2021.

Employers can access the Employee Retention Credit for the 1st and 
2nd calendar quarters of 2021 prior to filing their employment tax 
returns by reducing employment tax deposits. Small employers (i.e., 
employers with an average of 500 or fewer full-time employees in 2019) 
may request advance payment of the credit (subject to certain limits) on
 <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-7200">Form 7200, Advance of Employer Credits Due to Covid-19</a>,
 after reducing deposits. In 2021, advances are not available for 
employers larger than this. Further details on how to calculate and 
claim the employee retention credit for the first two calendar quarters 
of 2021 can be found in Notice 2021-23.

Under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, enacted March 11, 2021, 
the Employee Retention Credit is available to eligible employers for 
wages paid during the third and fourth quarters of 2021. The Department 
of the Treasury and the IRS will provide further guidance on the 
Employee Retention Credit available under the ARPA.

Additional coronavirus relief <a href="https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/coronavirus-tax-relief-for-businesses-and-tax-exempt-entities">information for businesses</a> is available on IRS.gov.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today issued guidance for 
employers claiming the Employee Retention Credit under the Coronavirus 
Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) modified by the 
Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2020 (Relief Act).<a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-21-23.pdf">Notice 2021-23&nbsp;PDF</a> explains the changes to the Employee Retention Credit for the first two calendar quarters of 2021, including:<ul>
 <li>the increase in the maximum credit amount,</li><li>the expansion of the category of employers that may be eligible to claim the credit,</li><li>modifications to the gross receipts test,</li><li>revisions to the definition of qualified wages, and</li><li>new restrictions on the ability of eligible employers to request an advance payment of the credit.</li>
 </ul>As a result of the changes made by the Relief Act, eligible 
employers can now claim a refundable tax credit against the employer 
share of Social Security tax equal to 70% of the qualified wages they 
pay to employees after December&nbsp;31, 2020, through June 30, 2021. 
Qualified wages are limited to $10,000 per employee per calendar quarter
 in 2021. Thus, the maximum employee retention credit available is 
$7,000 per employee per calendar quarter, for a total of $14,000 for the
 first two calendar quarters of 2021.Employers can access the Employee Retention Credit for the 1st and 
2nd calendar quarters of 2021 prior to filing their employment tax 
returns by reducing employment tax deposits. Small employers (i.e., 
employers with an average of 500 or fewer full-time employees in 2019) 
may request advance payment of the credit (subject to certain limits) on
 <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-7200">Form 7200, Advance of Employer Credits Due to Covid-19</a>,
 after reducing deposits. In 2021, advances are not available for 
employers larger than this. Further details on how to calculate and 
claim the employee retention credit for the first two calendar quarters 
of 2021 can be found in Notice 2021-23.Under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, enacted March 11, 2021, 
the Employee Retention Credit is available to eligible employers for 
wages paid during the third and fourth quarters of 2021. The Department 
of the Treasury and the IRS will provide further guidance on the 
Employee Retention Credit available under the ARPA.Additional coronavirus relief <a href="https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/coronavirus-tax-relief-for-businesses-and-tax-exempt-entities">information for businesses</a> is available on IRS.gov.

IRS provides guidance on Employee Retention Credit for 2021

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Capitol Police officer was killed Friday after a man rammed a car into two officers at a barricade outside the U.S. Capitol and then emerged wielding a knife. It was the second line-of-duty death this year for a department still struggling to heal from the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Video shows the driver of the crashed car emerging with a knife in his hand and starting to run at the pair of officers, Capitol Police Acting Chief Yogananda Pittman told reporters. Authorities shot the suspect, who died at a hospital.

Two law enforcement officials told The Associated Press that the suspect stabbed one of the officers. The officials spoke to AP were not authorized to publicly discuss the pending investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.

“I just ask that the public continue to keep U.S. Capitol Police and their families in your prayers,” Pittman said. “This has been an extremely difficult time for U.S. Capitol Police after the events of Jan. 6 and now the events that have occurred here today.”

Police identified the slain officer as William “Billy” Evans, an 18-year veteran who was a member of the department’s first responders unit.

Authorities said that there wasn’t an ongoing threat and that the attack did not appear to be related to terrorism, though the Capitol was put on lockdown as a precaution. There was also no immediate connection apparent between Friday’s crash and the Jan. 6 riot.

Law enforcement officials identified the slain suspect as 25-year-old Noah Green. Investigators were digging into his background and examining whether he had any mental health history as they tried to discern a motive. They were working to obtain warrants to access his online accounts.

Pittman said the suspect did not appear to have been on the police’s radar. But the attack underscored that the building and campus — and the officers charged with protecting them — remain potential targets for violence.

President Joe Biden said in a statement that he and his wife were heartbroken to learn of the attack and expressed condolences to Evans’ family. He directed flags at the White House to be lowered to half staff.

The crash and shooting happened at a security checkpoint near the Capitol typically used by senators and staff on weekdays, though most are away from the building during the current recess. The attack occurred about 100 yards (91 meters) from the entrance of the building on the Senate side of the Capitol. One witness, the Rev. Patrick Mahoney, said he was finishing a Good Friday service nearby when he heard three shots ring out.

The Washington region remains on edge nearly three months after a mob of armed insurrectionists loyal to former President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol as Congress was voting to certify Biden’s presidential win.

Five people died in the Jan. 6 riot, including Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, who was among a badly outnumbered force trying to fight off invaders seeking to overturn the election. Authorities installed a tall perimeter fence around the Capitol and for months restricted traffic along the roads closest to the building, but they had begun pulling back some of the emergency measures. Fencing that prevented vehicular traffic near that area was only recently removed.

Evans was the seventh Capitol Police member to die in the line of duty in the department’s history, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page, which tracks deaths of law enforcement. In addition, two officers, one from Capitol Police and another from Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department, died by suicide following the Jan. 6 attack.

Almost 140 Capitol Police officers were wounded in that attack, including officers not issued helmets who sustained head injuries and one with cracked ribs, according to the officers’ union. It took hours for the National Guard to arrive, a delay that has driven months of finger-pointing between that day’s key decision makers.

Capitol Police and National Guard troops were called upon soon afterward to secure the Capitol during Biden’s inauguration and faced another potential threat in early March linked to conspiracy theories falsely claiming Trump would retake the presidency.

“Today, once again, these heroes risked their lives to protect our Capitol and our country, with the same extraordinary selflessness and spirit of service seen on January 6,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement. “On behalf of the entire House, we are profoundly grateful.”

The U.S. Capitol complex was placed on lockdown after Friday’s shooting, and staffers were told they could not enter or exit buildings. Video showed Guard troops mobilizing near the area of the crash.

Video posted online showed a dark colored sedan crashed against a vehicle barrier and a police K-9 dog inspecting the vehicle. Law enforcement and paramedics could be seen caring for at least one unidentified individual.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/car-rams-capitol-barricade-add0fea76244f1755344aa856ee64ecd">the lockdown at the U.S. Capitol complex&nbsp;</a>(all times local):

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Capitol Police officer has been killed after a man rammed a car into two officers at a barricade outside the U.S. Capitol and then emerged wielding a knife. The suspect died at a hospital. 

Capitol Police Acting Chief Yogananda Pittman did not identify the slain officer or suspect on Friday afternoon. Authorities said the attack did not appear to be related to terrorism. The crash and shooting happened at a security checkpoint near the Capitol as Congress is on recess. It comes as the Washington region remains on edge nearly three months after a mob of armed insurrectionists stormed the Capitol as Congress was voting to certify Joe Biden’s presidential win.

WASHINGTON (AP) —U.S. Capitol Police say an officer has died after a suspect rammed his car into two officers and lunged at officers with a knife before being shot.

Acting Chief Yogananda Pittman says the officer died after Friday’s incident but did not immediately provide additional details. The officer’s identity was not released.

Pittman says the suspect rammed a barricade near the U.S. Capitol. She says the suspect then exited the vehicle with a knife and lunged at the officers. The suspect was shot and died at the hospital.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Two law enforcement officials say a man rammed a car into two Capitol Police officers at a barricade outside the U.S. Capitol before being shot to death by authorities when he climbed out of the vehicle while appearing to brandish a knife. 

The two officials spoke on condition of anonymity on Friday afternoon as the event was unfolding. Both Capitol Police officers were taken to the hospital, with at least one in serious condition. 

The crash comes as Congress is on recess and as the Washington region remains on edge months after a mob of armed insurrectionists stormed the Capitol as lawmakers were voting to certify Joe Biden’s presidential win

WASHINGTON (AP) — A car has rammed a barricade outside the U.S. Capitol, injuring two Capitol Police officers and leading to the driver being shot.

That's according to two law enforcement officials who spoke to The Associated Press on Friday afternoon on condition of anonymity as the event was unfolding. 

At least one officer was in serious condition. The driver is in critical condition. The incident comes as the Washington region remains on edge months after a mob of armed insurrectionists stormed the U.S. Capitol as Congress was voting to certify Joe Biden’s presidential win. The Capitol complex was placed on lockdown after the shooting and staff were told they could not enter or exit buildings

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617385738948.png" alt="Two law enforcement officials told The Associated Press that the suspect stabbed one of the officers. &nbsp;-photo courtesy WJLA TV" />
 <figcaption>Two law enforcement officials told The Associated Press that the suspect stabbed one of the officers. &nbsp;-photo courtesy WJLA TV</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A Capitol Police officer was killed Friday after a man rammed a car into two officers at a barricade outside the U.S. Capitol and then emerged wielding a knife. It was the second line-of-duty death this year for a department still struggling to heal from the Jan. 6 insurrection.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">UPDATE: The other USCP officer who was struck by the car is in stable and non-threatening condition.&mdash; U.S. Capitol Police (@CapitolPolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/CapitolPolice/status/1378105541755539456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Video shows the driver of the crashed car emerging with a knife in his hand and starting to run at the pair of officers, Capitol Police Acting Chief Yogananda Pittman told reporters. Authorities shot the suspect, who died at a hospital.Two law enforcement officials told The Associated Press that the suspect stabbed one of the officers. The officials spoke to AP were not authorized to publicly discuss the pending investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.“I just ask that the public continue to keep U.S. Capitol Police and their families in your prayers,” Pittman said. “This has been an extremely difficult time for U.S. Capitol Police after the events of Jan. 6 and now the events that have occurred here today.”Police identified the slain officer as William “Billy” Evans, an 18-year veteran who was a member of the department’s first responders unit.Authorities said that there wasn’t an ongoing threat and that the attack did not appear to be related to terrorism, though the Capitol was put on lockdown as a precaution. There was also no immediate connection apparent between Friday’s crash and the Jan. 6 riot.Law enforcement officials identified the slain suspect as 25-year-old Noah Green. Investigators were digging into his background and examining whether he had any mental health history as they tried to discern a motive. They were working to obtain warrants to access his online accounts.Pittman said the suspect did not appear to have been on the police’s radar. But the attack underscored that the building and campus — and the officers charged with protecting them — remain potential targets for violence.President Joe Biden said in a statement that he and his wife were heartbroken to learn of the attack and expressed condolences to Evans’ family. He directed flags at the White House to be lowered to half staff.The crash and shooting happened at a security checkpoint near the Capitol typically used by senators and staff on weekdays, though most are away from the building during the current recess. The attack occurred about 100 yards (91 meters) from the entrance of the building on the Senate side of the Capitol. One witness, the Rev. Patrick Mahoney, said he was finishing a Good Friday service nearby when he heard three shots ring out.The Washington region remains on edge nearly three months after a mob of armed insurrectionists loyal to former President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol as Congress was voting to certify Biden’s presidential win.Five people died in the Jan. 6 riot, including Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, who was among a badly outnumbered force trying to fight off invaders seeking to overturn the election. Authorities installed a tall perimeter fence around the Capitol and for months restricted traffic along the roads closest to the building, but they had begun pulling back some of the emergency measures. Fencing that prevented vehicular traffic near that area was only recently removed.Evans was the seventh Capitol Police member to die in the line of duty in the department’s history, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page, which tracks deaths of law enforcement. In addition, two officers, one from Capitol Police and another from Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department, died by suicide following the Jan. 6 attack.Almost 140 Capitol Police officers were wounded in that attack, including officers not issued helmets who sustained head injuries and one with cracked ribs, according to the officers’ union. It took hours for the National Guard to arrive, a delay that has driven months of finger-pointing between that day’s key decision makers.Capitol Police and National Guard troops were called upon soon afterward to secure the Capitol during Biden’s inauguration and faced another potential threat in early March linked to conspiracy theories falsely claiming Trump would retake the presidency.“Today, once again, these heroes risked their lives to protect our Capitol and our country, with the same extraordinary selflessness and spirit of service seen on January 6,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement. “On behalf of the entire House, we are profoundly grateful.”The U.S. Capitol complex was placed on lockdown after Friday’s shooting, and staffers were told they could not enter or exit buildings. Video showed Guard troops mobilizing near the area of the crash.Video posted online showed a dark colored sedan crashed against a vehicle barrier and a police K-9 dog inspecting the vehicle. Law enforcement and paramedics could be seen caring for at least one unidentified individual.---------WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/car-rams-capitol-barricade-add0fea76244f1755344aa856ee64ecd">the lockdown at the U.S. Capitol complex&nbsp;</a>(all times local):WASHINGTON (AP) — A Capitol Police officer has been killed after a man rammed a car into two officers at a barricade outside the U.S. Capitol and then emerged wielding a knife. The suspect died at a hospital. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617389572630.png" alt="Police block traffic at the intersection of Independence and Washington just before 2p.m. CDT Friday -image DC traffic camera" />
 <figcaption>Police block traffic at the intersection of Independence and Washington just before 2p.m. CDT Friday -image DC traffic camera</figcaption>
 </figure>Capitol Police Acting Chief Yogananda Pittman did not identify the slain officer or suspect on Friday afternoon. Authorities said the attack did not appear to be related to terrorism. The crash and shooting happened at a security checkpoint near the Capitol as Congress is on recess. It comes as the Washington region remains on edge nearly three months after a mob of armed insurrectionists stormed the Capitol as Congress was voting to certify Joe Biden’s presidential win.-------WASHINGTON (AP) —U.S. Capitol Police say an officer has died after a suspect rammed his car into two officers and lunged at officers with a knife before being shot.Acting Chief Yogananda Pittman says the officer died after Friday’s incident but did not immediately provide additional details. The officer’s identity was not released.Pittman says the suspect rammed a barricade near the U.S. Capitol. She says the suspect then exited the vehicle with a knife and lunged at the officers. The suspect was shot and died at the hospital.-----------WASHINGTON (AP) — Two law enforcement officials say a man rammed a car into two Capitol Police officers at a barricade outside the U.S. Capitol before being shot to death by authorities when he climbed out of the vehicle while appearing to brandish a knife. The two officials spoke on condition of anonymity on Friday afternoon as the event was unfolding. Both Capitol Police officers were taken to the hospital, with at least one in serious condition. The crash comes as Congress is on recess and as the Washington region remains on edge months after a mob of armed insurrectionists stormed the Capitol as lawmakers were voting to certify Joe Biden’s presidential win------WASHINGTON (AP) — A car has rammed a barricade outside the U.S. Capitol, injuring two Capitol Police officers and leading to the driver being shot.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">CRITICAL INCIDENT: USCP is responding to the North Barricade vehicle access point along Independence Avenue for reports someone rammed a vehicle into two USCP officers. A suspect is in custody. Both officers are injured. All three have been transported to the hospital. <a href="https://t.co/4TXIdulJc6">pic.twitter.com/4TXIdulJc6</a>&mdash; U.S. Capitol Police (@CapitolPolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/CapitolPolice/status/1378036076175110145?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>That's according to two law enforcement officials who spoke to The Associated Press on Friday afternoon on condition of anonymity as the event was unfolding. At least one officer was in serious condition. The driver is in critical condition. The incident comes as the Washington region remains on edge months after a mob of armed insurrectionists stormed the U.S. Capitol as Congress was voting to certify Joe Biden’s presidential win. The Capitol complex was placed on lockdown after the shooting and staff were told they could not enter or exit buildings

Police ID officer, suspect who died at US Capitol

OMAHA. Neb. (AP) - A 31-year-old Nebraska cattle rancher is recovering after doctors replaced his coronavirus-damaged lungs.

The Lincoln Journal-Star&nbsp;<a href="https://journalstar.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/health/fairbury-man-up-and-walking-after-nebraska-medicine-doctors-replace-covid-damaged-lungs/article_5673302c-dfc1-5225-9dff-311b6b71c018.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1" target="_blank">reports&nbsp;</a>that Jake Immink, of Fairbury, got sick around Halloweeen and wound up hospitalized on a ventilator for months. His lungs were so damaged that his only chance for a fairly normal life was a double-lung transplant.

He underwent the surgery March 20 after loosing weight and building up strength. He put his new lungs to the test this week, walking a mile and a half.

"I fully expect him to be herding cattle this summer," said Dr. Heather Strah, a transplant pulmonologist with Nebraska Medicine in Omaha.

Doing transplants for patients whose lungs are damaged by an acute illness is rare, although it's become more common because of COVID-19. Strah said she's aware of about 40 that have been done since the start of the pandemic, but Immink's was the first in Nebraska.

Immink said he wants to be a cautionary tale to people who may not think COVID-19 is a big deal, and he encouraged everyone to get vaccinated as soon as they can.

"I just hope everyone takes it serious and we can get back to a normal life," he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611181661423.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By the Associated PressOMAHA. Neb. (AP) - A 31-year-old Nebraska cattle rancher is recovering after doctors replaced his coronavirus-damaged lungs.The Lincoln Journal-Star&nbsp;<a href="https://journalstar.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/health/fairbury-man-up-and-walking-after-nebraska-medicine-doctors-replace-covid-damaged-lungs/article_5673302c-dfc1-5225-9dff-311b6b71c018.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1" target="_blank">reports&nbsp;</a>that Jake Immink, of Fairbury, got sick around Halloweeen and wound up hospitalized on a ventilator for months. His lungs were so damaged that his only chance for a fairly normal life was a double-lung transplant.He underwent the surgery March 20 after loosing weight and building up strength. He put his new lungs to the test this week, walking a mile and a half."I fully expect him to be herding cattle this summer," said Dr. Heather Strah, a transplant pulmonologist with Nebraska Medicine in Omaha.Doing transplants for patients whose lungs are damaged by an acute illness is rare, although it's become more common because of COVID-19. Strah said she's aware of about 40 that have been done since the start of the pandemic, but Immink's was the first in Nebraska.Immink said he wants to be a cautionary tale to people who may not think COVID-19 is a big deal, and he encouraged everyone to get vaccinated as soon as they can."I just hope everyone takes it serious and we can get back to a normal life," he said.

Doctors replace Nebraska rancher's COVID-damaged lungs

LINCOLN -Hussein Suleiman of Lexington won $62,000 playing Nebraska Pick 5 from the Nebraska Lottery.

Suleiman purchased his ticket at Thrifty’s Gas &amp; Liquor #5 at 210 E 6th Street in Lexington. The ticket contained two quick pick plays for the March 31 drawing, one of which matched the winning numbers 05, 08, 09, 32 and 37.

Suleiman said he’s been playing Pick 5 every day for the last 10 years in addition to all the other Nebraska Lottery Lotto games.

He’s planning to use his winnings to pay some bills and buy himself a new vehicle.

Nebraska Pick 5 is Nebraska’s unique Lottery game: all the proceeds from Nebraska Pick 5 stay in Nebraska, and all the winning tickets are sold in Nebraska at Nebraska Lottery Lotto game retailers. The odds of winning the Nebraska Pick 5 jackpot, which starts at $50,000 and grows by $4,000 each drawing that is not won, are 1 in 501,942 while the overall odds of winning a prize in the game, which has drawings seven nights a week, are 1 in 8.

The mission of the Nebraska Lottery is to generate proceeds for good causes while providing quality entertainment options to Nebraskans. Over $803 million has been raised for the Nebraska Lottery’s beneficiary funds since the Lottery began in 1993. All 93 counties in Nebraska have benefited from projects funded with these Nebraska Lottery proceeds.

LINCOLN -Hussein Suleiman of Lexington won $62,000 playing Nebraska Pick 5 from the Nebraska Lottery.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617376804217.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Suleiman purchased his ticket at Thrifty’s Gas &amp; Liquor #5 at 210 E 6th Street in Lexington. The ticket contained two quick pick plays for the March 31 drawing, one of which matched the winning numbers 05, 08, 09, 32 and 37.Suleiman said he’s been playing Pick 5 every day for the last 10 years in addition to all the other Nebraska Lottery Lotto games.He’s planning to use his winnings to pay some bills and buy himself a new vehicle.Nebraska Pick 5 is Nebraska’s unique Lottery game: all the proceeds from Nebraska Pick 5 stay in Nebraska, and all the winning tickets are sold in Nebraska at Nebraska Lottery Lotto game retailers. The odds of winning the Nebraska Pick 5 jackpot, which starts at $50,000 and grows by $4,000 each drawing that is not won, are 1 in 501,942 while the overall odds of winning a prize in the game, which has drawings seven nights a week, are 1 in 8.The mission of the Nebraska Lottery is to generate proceeds for good causes while providing quality entertainment options to Nebraskans. Over $803 million has been raised for the Nebraska Lottery’s beneficiary funds since the Lottery began in 1993. All 93 counties in Nebraska have benefited from projects funded with these Nebraska Lottery proceeds.

Lexington man wins $62,000 playing Nebraska Pick 5

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police in Omaha say a passenger died when a car she was it hit a utility pole and rolled, and the driver of the car was arrested.

 The Omaha Police Department says in a news release that the crash happened early Friday morning in north-central Omaha when a BMW sedan left the road, hit a utility pole and flipped over. 

Police say 23-year-old Lepree-Ava Carroll-Fansler, of Papillion, was not wearing a seat belt and was thrown from the car. 

She was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

 The driver of the car, 26-year-old Edward D. Purvis Jr. of Omaha, was arrested on suspicion of vehicular homicide caused by driving recklessly.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police in Omaha say a passenger died when a car she was it hit a utility pole and rolled, and the driver of the car was arrested. The Omaha Police Department says in a news release that the crash happened early Friday morning in north-central Omaha when a BMW sedan left the road, hit a utility pole and flipped over. Police say 23-year-old Lepree-Ava Carroll-Fansler, of Papillion, was not wearing a seat belt and was thrown from the car. She was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The driver of the car, 26-year-old Edward D. Purvis Jr. of Omaha, was arrested on suspicion of vehicular homicide caused by driving recklessly.

Omaha police say woman killed when car she was in flipped

HOUSTON (AP) — A&nbsp;federal judge did not immediately rule this week on a closely watched case over the fate of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which confers limited protections on hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought into the U.S. as children.

U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen set an early April deadline for lawyers on both sides to provide more information.

Texas&nbsp;heads a coalition of Republican-led states that want Hanen to invalidate the DACA program, instituted in 2012 by then-President Barack Obama. Defending the program is the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund and the state of&nbsp;New Jersey.

DACA recipients are granted a two-year reprieve from deportation that can be extended and receive a work permit and a Social Security number. The more than 600,000 people currently in the program must meet several requirements, including having no criminal record. Immigrants who are accepted and later get arrested face deportation to their country of origin.

Hanen declined in 2018 to issue a preliminary injunction, saying Texas and other states had waited too long to sue. But in that ruling, he said he believed DACA was unconstitutional and called on Congress to enact legislation shielding people under the program, often known as “Dreamers." Separate federal court rulings barred former President Donald Trump from ending the program and required him to reinstitute admissions.

But the program remains on potentially precarious ground. Lawyers for Texas&nbsp; pushed Hanen to quickly invalidate DACA. MALDEF has asked Hanen to delay any new order as President Joe Biden's administration and Congress consider legislation addressing DACA recipients.

Proposals on Capitol Hill have already faced strong Republican opposition and the politics of immigration have been complicated by a sharp increase in border crossings by immigrant children unaccompanied by a parent. GOP lawmakers have alleged Biden's limited reversal of Trump immigration restrictions have driven families to attempt to cross the border, though migrant families and experts interviewed by The Associated Press have offered a multitude of reasons.

Hanen noted that there had been dozens of failed proposals in the years since Obama enacted DACA

HOUSTON (AP) — A&nbsp;federal judge did not immediately rule this week on a closely watched case over the fate of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which confers limited protections on hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought into the U.S. as children.U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen set an early April deadline for lawyers on both sides to provide more information.Texas&nbsp;heads a coalition of Republican-led states that want Hanen to invalidate the DACA program, instituted in 2012 by then-President Barack Obama. Defending the program is the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund and the state of&nbsp;New Jersey.DACA recipients are granted a two-year reprieve from deportation that can be extended and receive a work permit and a Social Security number. The more than 600,000 people currently in the program must meet several requirements, including having no criminal record. Immigrants who are accepted and later get arrested face deportation to their country of origin.Hanen declined in 2018 to issue a preliminary injunction, saying Texas and other states had waited too long to sue. But in that ruling, he said he believed DACA was unconstitutional and called on Congress to enact legislation shielding people under the program, often known as “Dreamers." Separate federal court rulings barred former President Donald Trump from ending the program and required him to reinstitute admissions.But the program remains on potentially precarious ground. Lawyers for Texas&nbsp; pushed Hanen to quickly invalidate DACA. MALDEF has asked Hanen to delay any new order as President Joe Biden's administration and Congress consider legislation addressing DACA recipients.Proposals on Capitol Hill have already faced strong Republican opposition and the politics of immigration have been complicated by a sharp increase in border crossings by immigrant children unaccompanied by a parent. GOP lawmakers have alleged Biden's limited reversal of Trump immigration restrictions have driven families to attempt to cross the border, though migrant families and experts interviewed by The Associated Press have offered a multitude of reasons.Hanen noted that there had been dozens of failed proposals in the years since Obama enacted DACA