(AP)-Life expectancy in the United States dropped a staggering one year during the first half of 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic caused its first wave of deaths, health officials are reporting.

Minorities suffered the biggest impact, with Black Americans losing nearly three years and Hispanics, nearly two years, according to preliminary estimates Thursday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“This is a huge decline,” said Robert Anderson, who oversees the numbers for the CDC. “You have to go back to World War II, the 1940s, to find a decline like this.”

Other health experts say it shows the profound impact of COVID-19, not just on deaths directly due to infection but also from heart disease, cancer and other conditions.

“What is really quite striking in these numbers is that they only reflect the first half of the year ... I would expect that these numbers would only get worse,” said Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, a health equity researcher and dean at the University of California, San Francisco.

This is the first time the CDC has reported on life expectancy from early, partial records; more death certificates from that period may yet come in. It’s already known that 2020 was the deadliest year in U.S. history, with deaths topping 3 million for the first time.

Life expectancy is how long a baby born today can expect to live, on average. In the first half of last year, that was 77.8 years for Americans overall, down one year from 78.8 in 2019. For males it was 75.1 years and for females, 80.5 years.

As a group, Hispanics in the U.S. have had the most longevity and still do. Black people now lag white people by six years in life expectancy, reversing a trend that had been bringing their numbers closer since 1993.

Between 2019 and the first half of 2020, life expectancy decreased 2.7 years for Black people, to 72. It dropped 1.9 years for Hispanics, to 79.9, and 0.8 years for white people, to 78. The preliminary report did not analyze trends for Asian or Native Americans.

“Black and Hispanic communities throughout the United States have borne the brunt of this pandemic,” Bibbins-Domingo said.

They’re more likely to be in frontline, low-wage jobs and living in crowded environments where it’s easier for the virus to spread, and “there are stark, pre-existing health disparities in other conditions” that raise their risk of dying of COVID-19, she said.

More needs to be done to distribute vaccines equitably, to improve working conditions and better protect minorities from infection, and to include them in economic relief measures, she said.

Dr. Otis Brawley, a cancer specialist and public health professor at Johns Hopkins University, agreed.

“The focus really needs to be broad spread of getting every American adequate care. And health care needs to be defined as prevention as well as treatment,” he said.

Overall, the drop in life expectancy is more evidence of “our mishandling of the pandemic,” Brawley said.

“We have been devastated by the coronavirus more so than any other country. We are 4% of the world’s population, more than 20% of the world’s coronavirus deaths,” he said.

Not enough use of masks, early reliance on drugs such as hydroxychloroquine, “which turned out to be worthless,” and other missteps meant many Americans died needlessly, Brawley said.

“Going forward, we need to practice the very basics” such as hand-washing, physical distancing and vaccinating as soon as possible to get prevention back on track, he said.

Marilynn Marchione can be followed on Twitter:&nbsp;<a href="http://twitter.com/MMarchioneAP" target="_blank">@MMarchioneAP</a>

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1608071469793.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By MARILYNN MARCHIONE-Associated Press(AP)-Life expectancy in the United States dropped a staggering one year during the first half of 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic caused its first wave of deaths, health officials are reporting.Minorities suffered the biggest impact, with Black Americans losing nearly three years and Hispanics, nearly two years, according to preliminary estimates Thursday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.“This is a huge decline,” said Robert Anderson, who oversees the numbers for the CDC. “You have to go back to World War II, the 1940s, to find a decline like this.”Other health experts say it shows the profound impact of COVID-19, not just on deaths directly due to infection but also from heart disease, cancer and other conditions.“What is really quite striking in these numbers is that they only reflect the first half of the year ... I would expect that these numbers would only get worse,” said Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, a health equity researcher and dean at the University of California, San Francisco.This is the first time the CDC has reported on life expectancy from early, partial records; more death certificates from that period may yet come in. It’s already known that 2020 was the deadliest year in U.S. history, with deaths topping 3 million for the first time.Life expectancy is how long a baby born today can expect to live, on average. In the first half of last year, that was 77.8 years for Americans overall, down one year from 78.8 in 2019. For males it was 75.1 years and for females, 80.5 years.As a group, Hispanics in the U.S. have had the most longevity and still do. Black people now lag white people by six years in life expectancy, reversing a trend that had been bringing their numbers closer since 1993.Between 2019 and the first half of 2020, life expectancy decreased 2.7 years for Black people, to 72. It dropped 1.9 years for Hispanics, to 79.9, and 0.8 years for white people, to 78. The preliminary report did not analyze trends for Asian or Native Americans.“Black and Hispanic communities throughout the United States have borne the brunt of this pandemic,” Bibbins-Domingo said.They’re more likely to be in frontline, low-wage jobs and living in crowded environments where it’s easier for the virus to spread, and “there are stark, pre-existing health disparities in other conditions” that raise their risk of dying of COVID-19, she said.More needs to be done to distribute vaccines equitably, to improve working conditions and better protect minorities from infection, and to include them in economic relief measures, she said.Dr. Otis Brawley, a cancer specialist and public health professor at Johns Hopkins University, agreed.“The focus really needs to be broad spread of getting every American adequate care. And health care needs to be defined as prevention as well as treatment,” he said.Overall, the drop in life expectancy is more evidence of “our mishandling of the pandemic,” Brawley said.“We have been devastated by the coronavirus more so than any other country. We are 4% of the world’s population, more than 20% of the world’s coronavirus deaths,” he said.Not enough use of masks, early reliance on drugs such as hydroxychloroquine, “which turned out to be worthless,” and other missteps meant many Americans died needlessly, Brawley said.“Going forward, we need to practice the very basics” such as hand-washing, physical distancing and vaccinating as soon as possible to get prevention back on track, he said.___Marilynn Marchione can be followed on Twitter:&nbsp;<a href="http://twitter.com/MMarchioneAP" target="_blank">@MMarchioneAP</a>___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

US life expectancy drops a year in pandemic, most since WWII

JOHNSTON, Iowa (AP) - Within days of abandoning a plan to hire a private company to establish a statewide call center to help residents set up coronavirus vaccine appointments, Iowa officials on Wednesday said they have cancelled a deal with Microsoft Corp. to develop a centralized online system.

Gov. Kim Reynolds announced the decision just 10 days after she said Microsoft had been selected from a group of bidders to create the online registration and appointment system. At the time, Reynolds said the system would be ready in a few weeks.

"When we dug into what the options were and what was available and the timeline to get that done it just didn't make sense for us to move forward, especially with the registration and scheduling component because of all the different providers that are tied into that right now and the systems that they had," she said.

Reynolds said the focus will shift to a different system but offered no details.

"We know that barriers still remain for Iowans who are currently eligible and we're actively determining how we can leverage existing partnerships to provide an easier alternative to online scheduling," she said.

The Microsoft project was part of the state's solution to improve on a rocky vaccine rollout that has frustrated many residents and had the state initially lagging far behind the national average for the percentage of its population getting shots. As of Wednesday, Iowa was in 27th place among states with about 11% of its residents having received one or more doses, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

The latest decision follows a move last Friday, when Reynolds' administration informed bidders it would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/public-health-kim-reynolds-iowa-city-iowa-coronavirus-pandemic-29aa44829988d308ac2317761bad5e8e" target="_blank">not award</a>&nbsp;a contract for an outside vendor to operate a call center to help residents set up coronavirus vaccine appointments.

The call center was to field inquiries about coronavirus vaccines, including helping screen residents for eligibility and setting them up with providers to make appointments. Eligible workers and people over age 65 have struggled in Iowa to set up appointments on their own.

Reynolds said the state is considering updates to allow appointments through the state's existing 211 help line, which links residents to human service programs, community services, disaster services and governmental programs.

Asked how elderly people should arrange vaccines, Reynolds recommended they call their local Area Agency on Aging.

Reynolds has faced questions about why the state had not planned earlier for a system to allow for registration, appointments and calls.

Her only answer has been that they've been working on it.

Former Democratic U.S. Rep. Abby Finkenauer criticized state officials in a Twitter post Wednesday asking ,"Why why why wasn't this process started months ago? Literally, what could have been more important? How were they not thinking ahead, looking at systems, cracks etc. and doing more to anticipate need as most states have done?"

Iowa's inability to launch a system is in contrast to Nebraska, where state officials spent several weeks planning a similar registration website and telephone hotline with their own Microsoft contract.

The site launched late last month, and state officials said they haven't had any major problems . The site&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-nebraska-coronavirus-pandemic-7f21a866d8ddf464d9f403d67bf73d6c" target="_blank">logged</a>&nbsp;54,000 sign-ups on its first day, and nearly 200,000 Nebraska residents were enrolled as of Wednesday afternoon.

"It's been remarkably smooth," said Julie Naughton, a spokeswoman for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

Angie Ling, the department's incident commander, told reporters last month that getting the website ready was complicated, and state officials were careful to ensure that they coordinated with local public health officials and considered the challenges that elderly residents and people with disabilities might face.

More vaccine should be coming to Iowa, as Reynolds said the White House told governors Monday that it would increase vaccine distribution to states by 2.5 million doses to 13.5 million. Iowa's weekly allocation will increase next week 24% to nearly 62,000 doses.

Pharmacies will also get an additional 1 million doses, which will boost vaccination capacity at Hy-Vee grocery stores and independent pharmacies participating in the national program, she said.

Iowa reported 624 new confirmed coronavirus cases on Wednesday and 43 more deaths for a total of 5,306 deaths.

Reynolds also announced the state was changing its coronavirus data tracking reporting by the end of the week to shift from showing individual tests to a total test positivity rate. The result of the change is expected to show a lower state positivity rate in Iowa.

By DAVID PITT-Associated Press JOHNSTON, Iowa (AP) - Within days of abandoning a plan to hire a private company to establish a statewide call center to help residents set up coronavirus vaccine appointments, Iowa officials on Wednesday said they have cancelled a deal with Microsoft Corp. to develop a centralized online system.Gov. Kim Reynolds announced the decision just 10 days after she said Microsoft had been selected from a group of bidders to create the online registration and appointment system. At the time, Reynolds said the system would be ready in a few weeks."When we dug into what the options were and what was available and the timeline to get that done it just didn't make sense for us to move forward, especially with the registration and scheduling component because of all the different providers that are tied into that right now and the systems that they had," she said.Reynolds said the focus will shift to a different system but offered no details."We know that barriers still remain for Iowans who are currently eligible and we're actively determining how we can leverage existing partnerships to provide an easier alternative to online scheduling," she said.The Microsoft project was part of the state's solution to improve on a rocky vaccine rollout that has frustrated many residents and had the state initially lagging far behind the national average for the percentage of its population getting shots. As of Wednesday, Iowa was in 27th place among states with about 11% of its residents having received one or more doses, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.The latest decision follows a move last Friday, when Reynolds' administration informed bidders it would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/public-health-kim-reynolds-iowa-city-iowa-coronavirus-pandemic-29aa44829988d308ac2317761bad5e8e" target="_blank">not award</a>&nbsp;a contract for an outside vendor to operate a call center to help residents set up coronavirus vaccine appointments.The call center was to field inquiries about coronavirus vaccines, including helping screen residents for eligibility and setting them up with providers to make appointments. Eligible workers and people over age 65 have struggled in Iowa to set up appointments on their own.Reynolds said the state is considering updates to allow appointments through the state's existing 211 help line, which links residents to human service programs, community services, disaster services and governmental programs.Asked how elderly people should arrange vaccines, Reynolds recommended they call their local Area Agency on Aging.Reynolds has faced questions about why the state had not planned earlier for a system to allow for registration, appointments and calls.Her only answer has been that they've been working on it.Former Democratic U.S. Rep. Abby Finkenauer criticized state officials in a Twitter post Wednesday asking ,"Why why why wasn't this process started months ago? Literally, what could have been more important? How were they not thinking ahead, looking at systems, cracks etc. and doing more to anticipate need as most states have done?"Iowa's inability to launch a system is in contrast to Nebraska, where state officials spent several weeks planning a similar registration website and telephone hotline with their own Microsoft contract.The site launched late last month, and state officials said they haven't had any major problems . The site&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-nebraska-coronavirus-pandemic-7f21a866d8ddf464d9f403d67bf73d6c" target="_blank">logged</a>&nbsp;54,000 sign-ups on its first day, and nearly 200,000 Nebraska residents were enrolled as of Wednesday afternoon."It's been remarkably smooth," said Julie Naughton, a spokeswoman for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.Angie Ling, the department's incident commander, told reporters last month that getting the website ready was complicated, and state officials were careful to ensure that they coordinated with local public health officials and considered the challenges that elderly residents and people with disabilities might face.More vaccine should be coming to Iowa, as Reynolds said the White House told governors Monday that it would increase vaccine distribution to states by 2.5 million doses to 13.5 million. Iowa's weekly allocation will increase next week 24% to nearly 62,000 doses.Pharmacies will also get an additional 1 million doses, which will boost vaccination capacity at Hy-Vee grocery stores and independent pharmacies participating in the national program, she said.Iowa reported 624 new confirmed coronavirus cases on Wednesday and 43 more deaths for a total of 5,306 deaths.Reynolds also announced the state was changing its coronavirus data tracking reporting by the end of the week to shift from showing individual tests to a total test positivity rate. The result of the change is expected to show a lower state positivity rate in Iowa.

Iowa cancels plans for Microsoft-based vaccine registration

McCOOK, Neb. (AP) — Mid-Plains Community College in southwestern Nebraska says its head rodeo coach has unexpectedly died following his release from a hospital after he was injured by a horse. 

The school in McCook said 45-year-old Garrett Nokes died Sunday at his McCook home within days of being released from a hospital following emergency surgery for a head injury caused by a horse on his property the evening of Jan. 28. 

Nokes was taken to McCook Community Hospital, then flown to Kearney, where he underwent surgery. 

Nokes is survived by his wife, Laura, and their two sons, Trevor and Parker.

McCOOK, Neb. (AP) — Mid-Plains Community College in southwestern Nebraska says its head rodeo coach has unexpectedly died following his release from a hospital after he was injured by a horse. The school in McCook said 45-year-old Garrett Nokes died Sunday at his McCook home within days of being released from a hospital following emergency surgery for a head injury caused by a horse on his property the evening of Jan. 28. Nokes was taken to McCook Community Hospital, then flown to Kearney, where he underwent surgery. Nokes is survived by his wife, Laura, and their two sons, Trevor and Parker.

Nebraska rodeo coach injured by horse dies following surgery

FREMONT, Neb. (AP) - A disciplinary committee has called for an emergency suspension of the law license of an embattled Nebraska county prosecutor who is set to resign on March 1.

A committee of the Nebraska Bar Association that governs attorneys in eastern Nebraska is seeking the immediate suspension for Dodge County Attorney Oliver Glass, the Omaha World-Herald&nbsp;<a href="https://omaha.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/disciplinary-panel-calls-for-suspending-law-license-of-dodge-county-attorney-oliver-glass/article_397f0c82-709c-11eb-8bf3-0f246b96f3ac.html#tncms-source=login" target="_blank">reported</a>.

Glass, 46,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fremont-crime-b3a32d264d70ac129ed9ad40e6b7b46d" target="_blank">announced his decision</a>&nbsp;last week to resign following a year of scandals that involved a drunken driving conviction last March, accusations of harassing his estranged wife's boyfriend and most recently, a charge of violating his DUI probation.

Glass submitted his resignation letter to the county board eight days after being released from jail on allegations that he violated his probation by again driving while drunk on the night of Jan. 28. He faces up to 60 days in jail if he's convicted of the probation violation.

Glass's attorney, Clarence Mock, said any disciplinary action from the Nebraska Supreme Court would not affect Glass' March 1 departure.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/8/1567093537444.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FREMONT, Neb. (AP) - A disciplinary committee has called for an emergency suspension of the law license of an embattled Nebraska county prosecutor who is set to resign on March 1.A committee of the Nebraska Bar Association that governs attorneys in eastern Nebraska is seeking the immediate suspension for Dodge County Attorney Oliver Glass, the Omaha World-Herald&nbsp;<a href="https://omaha.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/disciplinary-panel-calls-for-suspending-law-license-of-dodge-county-attorney-oliver-glass/article_397f0c82-709c-11eb-8bf3-0f246b96f3ac.html#tncms-source=login" target="_blank">reported</a>.Glass, 46,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fremont-crime-b3a32d264d70ac129ed9ad40e6b7b46d" target="_blank">announced his decision</a>&nbsp;last week to resign following a year of scandals that involved a drunken driving conviction last March, accusations of harassing his estranged wife's boyfriend and most recently, a charge of violating his DUI probation.Glass submitted his resignation letter to the county board eight days after being released from jail on allegations that he violated his probation by again driving while drunk on the night of Jan. 28. He faces up to 60 days in jail if he's convicted of the probation violation.Glass's attorney, Clarence Mock, said any disciplinary action from the Nebraska Supreme Court would not affect Glass' March 1 departure.

Committee seeks suspension of embattled prosecutor's license

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska avoided another round of rolling power outages Wednesday morning. 

The Nebraska Public Power District said it ultimately didn't have to shut off anyone's power Wednesday morning after the utility warned earlier that more blackouts were likely. 

All the major utilities across the state implemented planned power outages in places on Monday and Tuesday because demand for electricity exceeded the supply available across a 14-state region. 

Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts said the rolling blackouts this week are completely unacceptable.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska avoided another round of rolling power outages Wednesday morning. The Nebraska Public Power District said it ultimately didn't have to shut off anyone's power Wednesday morning after the utility warned earlier that more blackouts were likely. All the major utilities across the state implemented planned power outages in places on Monday and Tuesday because demand for electricity exceeded the supply available across a 14-state region. Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts said the rolling blackouts this week are completely unacceptable.

Nebraska avoids more rolling power outages Wednesday morning

PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) —Rush Limbaugh, the talk radio host who ripped into liberals and laid waste to political correctness with a merry brand of malice that made him one of the most powerful voices on the American right and foretold the rise of Donald Trump, died Wednesday. He was 70.

Limbaugh, an outspoken lover of cigars, had been diagnosed with lung cancer. His death was announced by his wife Kathryn to open her husband's radio show Wednesday and on his website.

President Trump, during a State of the Union speech, awarded Limbaugh the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.

Unflinchingly conservative, wildly partisan, bombastically self-promoting and larger than life, Limbaugh galvanized listeners for more than 30 years with his talent for vituperation and sarcasm.

He called himself an entertainer, but his rants during his three-hour weekday radio show broadcast on nearly 600 U.S. stations shaped the national political conversation, swaying ordinary Republicans and the direction of their party.

Blessed with a made-for-broadcasting voice, he delivered his opinions with such certainty that his followers, or “Ditto-heads,” as he dubbed them, took his words as sacred truth.

“In my heart and soul, I know I have become the intellectual engine of the conservative movement,” Limbaugh, with typical immodesty, told author Zev Chafets in the 2010 book “Rush Limbaugh: An Army of One.”

Forbes magazine estimated his 2018 income at $84 million, ranking him behind only Howard Stern among radio personalities.

Limbaugh took as a badge of honor the title “most dangerous man in America.” He said he was the “truth detector,” the “doctor of democracy,” a “lover of mankind,” a “harmless, lovable little fuzz ball” and an “all-around good guy.” He claimed he had “talent on loan from God.”

Long before Trump’s rise in politics, Limbaugh was pinning insulting names on his enemies and raging against the mainstream media, accusing it of feeding the public lies. He called Democrats and others on the left communists, wackos, feminazis, liberal extremists, faggots and radicals.

When actor Michael J. Fox, suffering from Parkinson’s disease, appeared in a Democratic campaign commercial, Limbaugh mocked his tremors. When a Washington advocate for the homeless killed himself, he cracked jokes. As the AIDS epidemic raged in the 1980s, he made the dying a punchline. He called 12-year-old Chelsea Clinton a dog.

He suggested that the Democrats’ stand on reproductive rights would have led to the abortion of Jesus Christ. When a woman accused Duke University lacrosse players of rape, he derided her as a “ho,” and when a Georgetown University law student supported expanded contraceptive coverage, he dismissed her as a “slut.” When Barack Obama was elected president in 2008, Limbaugh said: “I hope he fails.”

He was frequently accused of bigotry and blatant racism for such antics as playing the song “Barack the Magic Negro” on his show. The lyrics, set to the tune of “Puff, the Magic Dragon,” describe Obama as someone who “makes guilty whites feel good” and is “black, but not authentically.”

Limbaugh often enunciated the Republican platform better and more entertainingly than any party leader, becoming a GOP kingmaker whose endorsement and friendship were sought. Polls consistently found he was regarded as the voice of the party.

His idol, Ronald Reagan, wrote a letter of praise that Limbaugh proudly read on the air in 1992: “You’ve become the number one voice for conservatism.” In 1994, Limbaugh was so widely credited with the first Republican takeover of Congress in 40 years that the GOP made him an honorary member of the new class.

During the 2016 presidential primaries, Limbaugh said he realized early on that Trump would be the nominee, and he likened the candidate’s deep connection with his supporters to his own. In a 2018 interview, he conceded Trump is rude but said that is because he is “fearless and willing to fight against the things that no Republican has been willing to fight against.”

Trump, for his part, heaped praise on Limbaugh, and they golfed together. (The president’s Mar-a-Lago estate is eight miles down the same Palm Beach boulevard as Limbaugh’s $40 million beachfront expanse.) In honoring Limbaugh at the State of the Union, Trump called his friend “a special man beloved by millions.”

Limbaugh influenced the likes of Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, Bill O’Reilly and countless other conservative commentators who pushed the boundaries of what passes as acceptable public discourse.

His brand of blunt, no-gray-area debate spread to cable TV, town hall meetings, political rallies and Congress itself, emerging during the battles over health care and the ascent of the tea party movement.

“What he did was to bring a paranoia and really mean, nasty rhetoric and hyperpartisanship into the mainstream,” said Martin Kaplan, a University of Southern California professor who is an expert on the intersection of politics and entertainment and a frequent critic of Limbaugh. “The kind of antagonism and vituperativeness that characterized him instantly became acceptable everywhere.”

In one breathless segment in 1991, he railed against the homeless, AIDS patients, criticism of Christopher Columbus, aid to the Soviet Union, condoms in schools, animal rights advocates, multiculturalism and the social safety net.

His foes accused him of trafficking in half-truths, bias and outright lies — the very tactics he decried in others. Al Franken, the comedian and one-time senator, came out with a book in 1996 called “Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations.”

In 2003, Limbaugh admitted an addiction to painkillers and went into rehab. Authorities opened an investigation into alleged “doctor shopping,” saying he received up to 2,000 pills from four doctors over six months.

He ultimately reached a deal with prosecutors in which they agreed to drop the charge if he continued with drug treatment and paid $30,000 toward the cost of the investigation.

He lost his hearing around that time. He said it was from an autoimmune disorder, while his critics said hearing loss is a known side effect of painkiller abuse. He received cochlear implants, which restored his hearing and saved his career.

A portly, round-faced figure, Limbaugh was divorced three times, after marrying Roxy Maxine McNeely in 1977, Michelle Sixta in 1983 and Marta Fitzgerald in 1994. He married his fourth wife, Kathryn Rogers, in a lavish 2010 ceremony featuring Elton John. He had no children.

Rush Hudson Limbaugh III was born Jan. 12, 1951, in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. His mother was the former Mildred Armstrong, and his father, Rush Limbaugh Jr., was a lawyer.

Rusty, as the younger Limbaugh was known, was chubby and shy, with little interest in school but a passion for broadcasting. He would turn down the radio during St. Louis Cardinals baseball games, offering play-by-play, and gave running commentary during the evening news. By high school, he had snagged a radio job.

Limbaugh dropped out of Southeast Missouri State University for a string of DJ gigs, from his hometown, to McKeesport, Pennsylvania, to Pittsburgh and then Kansas City. Known as Rusty Sharpe and then Jeff Christie on the air, he mostly spun Top 40 hits and sprinkled in glimpses of his wit and conservatism.

“One of the early reasons radio interested me was that I thought it would make me popular,” he once wrote.

But he didn’t gain the following he craved and gave up on radio for several years, beginning in 1979, becoming promotions director for baseball’s Kansas City Royals. He ultimately returned to broadcasting, again in Kansas City and then Sacramento, California.

It was there in the early 1980s that Limbaugh really garnered an audience, broadcasting shows dripping with sarcasm and bravado. The stage name was gone.

Limbaugh began broadcasting nationally in 1988 from WABC in New York. While his know-it-all commentary quickly gained traction, he was dismayed by his reception in the big city. He thought he would be welcomed by Peter Jennings, Tom Brokaw and Dan Rather.

“I came to New York,” he wrote, “and I immediately became a nothing, a zero.”

Ultimately, Limbaugh moved his radio show to Palm Beach and bought his massive estate. Talkers Magazine, which covers the industry, said Limbaugh had the nation’s largest audience in 2019, with 15 million unique listeners each week.

“When Rush wants to talk to America, all he has to do is grab his microphone. He attracts more listeners with just his voice than the rest of us could ever imagine,” Beck wrote in Time magazine in 2009. “He is simply on another level.”

Limbaugh expounded on his world view in the best-selling books “The Way Things Ought to Be” and “See, I Told You So.”

He had a late-night TV show in the 1990s that got decent ratings but lackluster advertising because of his divisive message. When he guest-hosted “The Pat Sajak Show” in 1990, audience members called him a Nazi and repeatedly shouted at him.

He was fired from a short-lived job as an NFL commentator on ESPN in 2003 after he said the media had made a star out of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb because it was “very desirous that a black quarterback do well.” His racial remarks also derailed a 2009 bid to become one of the owners of the NFL’s St. Louis Rams.

“Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night and just think to yourself, `I am just full of hot gas?’” David Letterman asked him in 1993 on “The Late Show.”

“I am a servant of humanity,” Limbaugh replied. “I am in the relentless pursuit of the truth. I actually sit back and think that I’m just so fortunate to have this opportunity to tell people what’s really going on.”

Conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh has died at the age of 70, according his wife Kathryn, who announced the news to open her husband's radio show Wednesday.

In February of 2020, Limbaugh revealed that he had advanced lung cancer. A few days later, President Trump invited Limbaugh to attend the State of the Union Address.&nbsp;

During the address, Limbaugh appeared stunned, when the President announced he was awarding the talk show legend with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.&nbsp; Others sat in silence as first lady Melania Trump draped the medal around his neck on the spot.

“Thank you for your decades of tireless devotion to our country,” Trump told Limbaugh, commending “all that you have done for our Nation, the millions of people a day that you speak to and that you inspire.”

-The Associated Press contributed to this report

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1580901433879.png" alt="Limbaugh was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom during the State of the Union address in 2020 -image courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>Limbaugh was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom during the State of the Union address in 2020 -image courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) —Rush Limbaugh, the talk radio host who ripped into liberals and laid waste to political correctness with a merry brand of malice that made him one of the most powerful voices on the American right and foretold the rise of Donald Trump, died Wednesday. He was 70.Limbaugh, an outspoken lover of cigars, had been diagnosed with lung cancer. His death was announced by his wife Kathryn to open her husband's radio show Wednesday and on his website.President Trump, during a State of the Union speech, awarded Limbaugh the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.Unflinchingly conservative, wildly partisan, bombastically self-promoting and larger than life, Limbaugh galvanized listeners for more than 30 years with his talent for vituperation and sarcasm.He called himself an entertainer, but his rants during his three-hour weekday radio show broadcast on nearly 600 U.S. stations shaped the national political conversation, swaying ordinary Republicans and the direction of their party.Blessed with a made-for-broadcasting voice, he delivered his opinions with such certainty that his followers, or “Ditto-heads,” as he dubbed them, took his words as sacred truth.“In my heart and soul, I know I have become the intellectual engine of the conservative movement,” Limbaugh, with typical immodesty, told author Zev Chafets in the 2010 book “Rush Limbaugh: An Army of One.”Forbes magazine estimated his 2018 income at $84 million, ranking him behind only Howard Stern among radio personalities.Limbaugh took as a badge of honor the title “most dangerous man in America.” He said he was the “truth detector,” the “doctor of democracy,” a “lover of mankind,” a “harmless, lovable little fuzz ball” and an “all-around good guy.” He claimed he had “talent on loan from God.”Long before Trump’s rise in politics, Limbaugh was pinning insulting names on his enemies and raging against the mainstream media, accusing it of feeding the public lies. He called Democrats and others on the left communists, wackos, feminazis, liberal extremists, faggots and radicals.When actor Michael J. Fox, suffering from Parkinson’s disease, appeared in a Democratic campaign commercial, Limbaugh mocked his tremors. When a Washington advocate for the homeless killed himself, he cracked jokes. As the AIDS epidemic raged in the 1980s, he made the dying a punchline. He called 12-year-old Chelsea Clinton a dog.He suggested that the Democrats’ stand on reproductive rights would have led to the abortion of Jesus Christ. When a woman accused Duke University lacrosse players of rape, he derided her as a “ho,” and when a Georgetown University law student supported expanded contraceptive coverage, he dismissed her as a “slut.” When Barack Obama was elected president in 2008, Limbaugh said: “I hope he fails.”He was frequently accused of bigotry and blatant racism for such antics as playing the song “Barack the Magic Negro” on his show. The lyrics, set to the tune of “Puff, the Magic Dragon,” describe Obama as someone who “makes guilty whites feel good” and is “black, but not authentically.”Limbaugh often enunciated the Republican platform better and more entertainingly than any party leader, becoming a GOP kingmaker whose endorsement and friendship were sought. Polls consistently found he was regarded as the voice of the party.His idol, Ronald Reagan, wrote a letter of praise that Limbaugh proudly read on the air in 1992: “You’ve become the number one voice for conservatism.” In 1994, Limbaugh was so widely credited with the first Republican takeover of Congress in 40 years that the GOP made him an honorary member of the new class.During the 2016 presidential primaries, Limbaugh said he realized early on that Trump would be the nominee, and he likened the candidate’s deep connection with his supporters to his own. In a 2018 interview, he conceded Trump is rude but said that is because he is “fearless and willing to fight against the things that no Republican has been willing to fight against.”Trump, for his part, heaped praise on Limbaugh, and they golfed together. (The president’s Mar-a-Lago estate is eight miles down the same Palm Beach boulevard as Limbaugh’s $40 million beachfront expanse.) In honoring Limbaugh at the State of the Union, Trump called his friend “a special man beloved by millions.”Limbaugh influenced the likes of Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, Bill O’Reilly and countless other conservative commentators who pushed the boundaries of what passes as acceptable public discourse.His brand of blunt, no-gray-area debate spread to cable TV, town hall meetings, political rallies and Congress itself, emerging during the battles over health care and the ascent of the tea party movement.“What he did was to bring a paranoia and really mean, nasty rhetoric and hyperpartisanship into the mainstream,” said Martin Kaplan, a University of Southern California professor who is an expert on the intersection of politics and entertainment and a frequent critic of Limbaugh. “The kind of antagonism and vituperativeness that characterized him instantly became acceptable everywhere.”In one breathless segment in 1991, he railed against the homeless, AIDS patients, criticism of Christopher Columbus, aid to the Soviet Union, condoms in schools, animal rights advocates, multiculturalism and the social safety net.His foes accused him of trafficking in half-truths, bias and outright lies — the very tactics he decried in others. Al Franken, the comedian and one-time senator, came out with a book in 1996 called “Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations.”In 2003, Limbaugh admitted an addiction to painkillers and went into rehab. Authorities opened an investigation into alleged “doctor shopping,” saying he received up to 2,000 pills from four doctors over six months.He ultimately reached a deal with prosecutors in which they agreed to drop the charge if he continued with drug treatment and paid $30,000 toward the cost of the investigation.He lost his hearing around that time. He said it was from an autoimmune disorder, while his critics said hearing loss is a known side effect of painkiller abuse. He received cochlear implants, which restored his hearing and saved his career.A portly, round-faced figure, Limbaugh was divorced three times, after marrying Roxy Maxine McNeely in 1977, Michelle Sixta in 1983 and Marta Fitzgerald in 1994. He married his fourth wife, Kathryn Rogers, in a lavish 2010 ceremony featuring Elton John. He had no children.Rush Hudson Limbaugh III was born Jan. 12, 1951, in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. His mother was the former Mildred Armstrong, and his father, Rush Limbaugh Jr., was a lawyer.Rusty, as the younger Limbaugh was known, was chubby and shy, with little interest in school but a passion for broadcasting. He would turn down the radio during St. Louis Cardinals baseball games, offering play-by-play, and gave running commentary during the evening news. By high school, he had snagged a radio job.Limbaugh dropped out of Southeast Missouri State University for a string of DJ gigs, from his hometown, to McKeesport, Pennsylvania, to Pittsburgh and then Kansas City. Known as Rusty Sharpe and then Jeff Christie on the air, he mostly spun Top 40 hits and sprinkled in glimpses of his wit and conservatism.“One of the early reasons radio interested me was that I thought it would make me popular,” he once wrote.But he didn’t gain the following he craved and gave up on radio for several years, beginning in 1979, becoming promotions director for baseball’s Kansas City Royals. He ultimately returned to broadcasting, again in Kansas City and then Sacramento, California.It was there in the early 1980s that Limbaugh really garnered an audience, broadcasting shows dripping with sarcasm and bravado. The stage name was gone.Limbaugh began broadcasting nationally in 1988 from WABC in New York. While his know-it-all commentary quickly gained traction, he was dismayed by his reception in the big city. He thought he would be welcomed by Peter Jennings, Tom Brokaw and Dan Rather.“I came to New York,” he wrote, “and I immediately became a nothing, a zero.”Ultimately, Limbaugh moved his radio show to Palm Beach and bought his massive estate. Talkers Magazine, which covers the industry, said Limbaugh had the nation’s largest audience in 2019, with 15 million unique listeners each week.“When Rush wants to talk to America, all he has to do is grab his microphone. He attracts more listeners with just his voice than the rest of us could ever imagine,” Beck wrote in Time magazine in 2009. “He is simply on another level.”Limbaugh expounded on his world view in the best-selling books “The Way Things Ought to Be” and “See, I Told You So.”He had a late-night TV show in the 1990s that got decent ratings but lackluster advertising because of his divisive message. When he guest-hosted “The Pat Sajak Show” in 1990, audience members called him a Nazi and repeatedly shouted at him.He was fired from a short-lived job as an NFL commentator on ESPN in 2003 after he said the media had made a star out of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb because it was “very desirous that a black quarterback do well.” His racial remarks also derailed a 2009 bid to become one of the owners of the NFL’s St. Louis Rams.“Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night and just think to yourself, `I am just full of hot gas?’” David Letterman asked him in 1993 on “The Late Show.”“I am a servant of humanity,” Limbaugh replied. “I am in the relentless pursuit of the truth. I actually sit back and think that I’m just so fortunate to have this opportunity to tell people what’s really going on.”--------Conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh has died at the age of 70, according his wife Kathryn, who announced the news to open her husband's radio show Wednesday.In February of 2020, Limbaugh revealed that he had advanced lung cancer. A few days later, President Trump invited Limbaugh to attend the State of the Union Address.&nbsp;During the address, Limbaugh appeared stunned, when the President announced he was awarding the talk show legend with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.&nbsp; Others sat in silence as first lady Melania Trump draped the medal around his neck on the spot.“Thank you for your decades of tireless devotion to our country,” Trump told Limbaugh, commending “all that you have done for our Nation, the millions of people a day that you speak to and that you inspire.”-The Associated Press contributed to this report

Conservative talk radio legend Rush Limbaugh dead at 70

VALENTINE – Visitors to Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area have a new place to gather the shade.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission recently installed a new 988-square-foot shelter at the Cedar Bay area.

The $100,000 cost of the project was equally divided between the Game and Parks Capital Maintenance Fund and a grant from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

Cedar Bay, which features 46 campsites, is one of eight campgrounds at the 2,900-acre reservoir.

The new shelter is the second significant improvement at the Sandhills attraction during the past two years. Last summer, the recreation area received a new concrete showerhouse at the Willow Cove Campground.

Merritt Reservoir is 26 miles southeast of Valentine on Nebraska Highway 97. For more information, and to obtain a Nebraska Park Entry Permit, visit outdoornebraska.org.

VALENTINE – Visitors to Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area have a new place to gather the shade.The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission recently installed a new 988-square-foot shelter at the Cedar Bay area.The $100,000 cost of the project was equally divided between the Game and Parks Capital Maintenance Fund and a grant from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.Cedar Bay, which features 46 campsites, is one of eight campgrounds at the 2,900-acre reservoir.The new shelter is the second significant improvement at the Sandhills attraction during the past two years. Last summer, the recreation area received a new concrete showerhouse at the Willow Cove Campground.Merritt Reservoir is 26 miles southeast of Valentine on Nebraska Highway 97. For more information, and to obtain a Nebraska Park Entry Permit, visit outdoornebraska.org.

New shelter constructed at Merritt Reservoir

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska expects more than 60,000 doses of coronavirus vaccines to be available in the state this week. 

The state Department of Health and Human Services said it expects to receive 59,450 doses of the vaccines this week as officials continue to focus on vaccinating everyone 65 and older across Nebraska. 

It’s not yet clear how many doses will be allocated this week to a new federal program that is distributing some virus shots through select pharmacies. 

Last week, that program received 5,700 doses of the vaccines.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska expects more than 60,000 doses of coronavirus vaccines to be available in the state this week. The state Department of Health and Human Services said it expects to receive 59,450 doses of the vaccines this week as officials continue to focus on vaccinating everyone 65 and older across Nebraska. It’s not yet clear how many doses will be allocated this week to a new federal program that is distributing some virus shots through select pharmacies. Last week, that program received 5,700 doses of the vaccines.

Nebraska likely to get over 60,000 vaccine doses this week

Union Pacific today announced the following Marketing and Sales appointments, effective March 1, 2021:

Hess, previously vice president-Premium, Marketing and Sales, succeeds Brad Thrasher as vice president-Bulk, who plans to retire in March 2021 after a 33-year career at Union Pacific. Hess has served Union Pacific in various roles for over 26 years. He has held leadership positions in multiple business groups, including Premium, Bulk, Industrial Products and Customer Care and Support.

Kirchhoefer, previously vice president-Loup Logistics, succeeds Hess as vice president-Premium. Kirchhoefer has been with Union Pacific more than 28 years and held leadership positions in Industrial Products, Customer Care and Support, and Bulk.

Perkes, previously assistant vice president Workforce Resources, succeeds Kirchhoefer as vice president-Loup Logistics. Perkes has been with Union Pacific for more than 18 years and held leadership positions in Marketing and Sales Premium, Industrial Products and Operations teams. He has a bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University and a master's degree from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Union Pacific today announced the following Marketing and Sales appointments, effective March 1, 2021:<ol>
 <li>Jason Hess to vice president-Bulk</li><li>Kari Kirchhoefer to vice president-Premium</li><li>Josh Perkes to vice president-Loup Logistics</li>
 </ol>Hess, previously vice president-Premium, Marketing and Sales, succeeds Brad Thrasher as vice president-Bulk, who plans to retire in March 2021 after a 33-year career at Union Pacific. Hess has served Union Pacific in various roles for over 26 years. He has held leadership positions in multiple business groups, including Premium, Bulk, Industrial Products and Customer Care and Support.Kirchhoefer, previously vice president-Loup Logistics, succeeds Hess as vice president-Premium. Kirchhoefer has been with Union Pacific more than 28 years and held leadership positions in Industrial Products, Customer Care and Support, and Bulk.Perkes, previously assistant vice president Workforce Resources, succeeds Kirchhoefer as vice president-Loup Logistics. Perkes has been with Union Pacific for more than 18 years and held leadership positions in Marketing and Sales Premium, Industrial Products and Operations teams. He has a bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University and a master's degree from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Union Pacific makes appointments in marketing and sales

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Warren Buffett's company made major new investments in Verizon and Chevron and again trimmed its huge stake in Apple while making several other adjustments to its stock portfolio last year.

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. said in regulatory filings Tuesday that it bought $8.6 billion worth of Verizon stock and picked up $4.1 billion worth of Chevron shares over the last six months of 2020. Berkshire's holdings are followed closely because of Buffett's remarkably successful investing record.

Berkshire bought nearly 147 million Verizon shares, but the Securities and Exchange Commission allowed Buffett to delay disclosing the new stake in the cell phone giant while his company was building the stake. Separately, Berkshire also more than doubled the size of a smaller investment in competitor T-Mobile during the fourth quarter, which now includes 5.2 million shares worth roughly $700 million.

Berkshire was also able to delay reporting its new investment in Chevron. Buffett's company now holds 48.5 million shares of the oil industry giant.

In addition to those large new investments, Berkshire also revealed a new stake in professional services firm Marsh &amp; McLennan that's worth roughly $499 million.

Berkshire officials don't generally comment on these quarterly filings. And the document doesn't make clear which investments Buffett made. The billionaire handles the biggest investments in Berkshire's portfolio, such as Apple, Coca-Cola and Bank of America. He has said that investments of less than $1 billion are likely to be the work of Berkshire's two other investment managers.

For the second quarter in a row, Berkshire reduced its giant investment in Apple, but the tech giant remains Berkshire's largest holding worth roughly $109 billion. Berkshire still holds 944 million shares of the iPhone maker.

In addition to the three new investments, Berkshire also added to its relatively new holdings in drugmakers Bristol Myers Squibb, Abbvie and Merck. Those were all first disclosed last fall. Berkshire also increased its investment in Kroger, so his stake in the grocery giant is now worth just over $1 billion.

Buffett's company slashed its holdings in Wells Fargo even further in the fourth quarter down to 52 million shares from what was once a 10% stake in the bank. Berkshire also eliminated investments in JP Morgan Chase, M&amp;T Bank and Barrick Gold.

In addition to investments, the Omaha, Nebraska-based Berkshire owns more than 90 companies outright, including BNSF railroad, Geico insurance and several major utilities. The conglomerate also owns manufacturing, furniture, shoe, jewelry, chocolate, underwear and brick companies.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/7/1562016004593.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By JOSH FUNK-AP Business Writer OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Warren Buffett's company made major new investments in Verizon and Chevron and again trimmed its huge stake in Apple while making several other adjustments to its stock portfolio last year.Berkshire Hathaway Inc. said in regulatory filings Tuesday that it bought $8.6 billion worth of Verizon stock and picked up $4.1 billion worth of Chevron shares over the last six months of 2020. Berkshire's holdings are followed closely because of Buffett's remarkably successful investing record.Berkshire bought nearly 147 million Verizon shares, but the Securities and Exchange Commission allowed Buffett to delay disclosing the new stake in the cell phone giant while his company was building the stake. Separately, Berkshire also more than doubled the size of a smaller investment in competitor T-Mobile during the fourth quarter, which now includes 5.2 million shares worth roughly $700 million.Berkshire was also able to delay reporting its new investment in Chevron. Buffett's company now holds 48.5 million shares of the oil industry giant.In addition to those large new investments, Berkshire also revealed a new stake in professional services firm Marsh &amp; McLennan that's worth roughly $499 million.Berkshire officials don't generally comment on these quarterly filings. And the document doesn't make clear which investments Buffett made. The billionaire handles the biggest investments in Berkshire's portfolio, such as Apple, Coca-Cola and Bank of America. He has said that investments of less than $1 billion are likely to be the work of Berkshire's two other investment managers.For the second quarter in a row, Berkshire reduced its giant investment in Apple, but the tech giant remains Berkshire's largest holding worth roughly $109 billion. Berkshire still holds 944 million shares of the iPhone maker.In addition to the three new investments, Berkshire also added to its relatively new holdings in drugmakers Bristol Myers Squibb, Abbvie and Merck. Those were all first disclosed last fall. Berkshire also increased its investment in Kroger, so his stake in the grocery giant is now worth just over $1 billion.Buffett's company slashed its holdings in Wells Fargo even further in the fourth quarter down to 52 million shares from what was once a 10% stake in the bank. Berkshire also eliminated investments in JP Morgan Chase, M&amp;T Bank and Barrick Gold.In addition to investments, the Omaha, Nebraska-based Berkshire owns more than 90 companies outright, including BNSF railroad, Geico insurance and several major utilities. The conglomerate also owns manufacturing, furniture, shoe, jewelry, chocolate, underwear and brick companies.

Buffett's firm reveals new investments in Verizon, Chevron

MILWAUKEE (AP) — President Joe Biden is promising a majority of elementary schools will be open five days a week by the end of his first 100 days in office, restating his goal after his administration came under fire when aides said schools would be considered open if they held in-person learning just one day a week.

Biden’s comments, during a CNN town hall in Milwaukee, marked his clearest statement yet on school reopenings. Biden had pledged in December to reopen “the majority of our schools” in his first 100 days but has since faced increasing questions about how he would define and achieve that goal, with school districts operating under a patchwork of different virtual and in-person learning arrangements nationwide.

“I said open a majority of schools in K through eighth grade, because they’re the easiest to open, the most needed to be open in terms of the impact on children and families having to stay home,” Biden said.

He said comments by White House press secretary Jen Psaki earlier this month that one day a week of in-person learning would meet his goal were “a mistake in the communication.”

Asked when the nation would see kindergarten through eighth grades back to in-person learning five days a week, Biden said, “We’ll be close to that at the end of the first 100 days.” He said he expected many schools would push to stay open through the summer, but suggested reopening would take longer for high schools due to a higher risk of contagion among older students.

The town hall touched on a range of issues related to the coronavirus, from protections for small businesses to the administration’s vaccination plans. Biden said that by the end of July there would be 600 million doses of the vaccine available, enough to vaccinate every American.

But with many of his answers, he sought to emphasize the need for funding to achieve his goals. The town hall was aimed at selling his $1.9 trillion coronavirus aid package directly to the American people, part of an effort designed in part to put pressure on Republican lawmakers and refocus Congress on speedy passage of the bill now that his predecessor’s impeachment trial is behind him.

Biden underscored how much he wants to move beyond Donald Trump on Tuesday night, repeatedly refusing to talk about the former president and saying at one point, “I’m tired of talking about Donald Trump.”

“For four years, all that’s been in the news is Trump. For the next four years, I want to make sure all the news is the American people,” he said, to applause from the audience.

During the town hall, Biden also offered a flavor of the moderate stance that helped win him purple states like Wisconsin in 2020. He resisted a questioner’s request for his administration to embrace the progressive goal of forgiving $50,000 in student loan debt, reiterating his commitment to forgiving just $10,000. He suggested one of the ways to improve policing was to provide more funding to police departments, running counter to calls from some progressives to defund the police. He also said he was optimistic about passing legislation to study police reforms.

He also weighed in on the immigration bill his administration is expected to unveil this week. Biden affirmed that a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants is essential for any bill he’ll support, but also suggested he’d be open to a piecemeal approach to immigration reform rather than a comprehensive bill, if necessary.

“There’s things I would do by itself, but not at the expense of saying I’m never going to do the other,” he said.

Biden seemed to revel in his first opportunity for extended interaction with ordinary Americans since the inauguration. Comforting a second-grader who hasn’t been able to go school and was worried about getting the virus, Biden told the girl that children are less likely to get infected, adding, “I wouldn’t worry about it, baby, I promise you.”

He also offered an intimate description of living in the White House, expressing his discomfort with being tended to by staff. With about a month of White House living under his belt, Biden joked that he wakes up in the morning, looks at his wife, Jill, and asks, “Where the hell are we?”

Biden stressed that his massive virus aid bill already has broad public support, and noted some analysts have argued in favor of significant government spending to help boost the economy.

“Now is the time we should be spending,” Biden said.

The House is expected to vote on the measure next week.

Biden landed on a slick, snow-covered tarmac to below-freezing weather about 90 minutes before the evening program. He took questions from a small audience of Democrats, Republicans and independents invited for a small, socially distant gathering at the historic Pabst Theater.

Biden’s trip to Wisconsin, a political battleground state he narrowly won last November, comes as coronavirus infection rates and deaths are falling after the nation endured the two deadliest months so far of the pandemic. The White House is also reporting an increase in the administration of vaccines throughout the country after a slow start.

But Biden has stressed that the nation still has a long road ahead as thousands of Americans die each day in the worst U.S. public health crisis in a century. The virus has killed more than 485,000, and newly emerging variants are complicating the response effort.

The Biden administration is trying to get enough Americans vaccinated to achieve “herd immunity” and allow life to return to a semblance of normalcy. But it’s unclear when the vaccination will be widely accessible to Americans.

Biden’s team hopes funding provided in the coronavirus aid bill will help accelerate vaccination production and distribution. His team also argues that the federal government must keep open the spigot of government relief to help people who are suffering economically and to get the country back to pre-pandemic employment levels.

But many GOP lawmakers continue to bristle at the price tag of a package that calls for sending $1,400 checks to most Americans as well as assistance for businesses, schools and homeowners and renters.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613525874871.png" alt="President Biden boarding Air Force One on the way to Milwaukee on Tuesday-photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>President Biden boarding Air Force One on the way to Milwaukee on Tuesday-photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>MILWAUKEE (AP) — President Joe Biden is promising a majority of elementary schools will be open five days a week by the end of his first 100 days in office, restating his goal after his administration came under fire when aides said schools would be considered open if they held in-person learning just one day a week.Biden’s comments, during a CNN town hall in Milwaukee, marked his clearest statement yet on school reopenings. Biden had pledged in December to reopen “the majority of our schools” in his first 100 days but has since faced increasing questions about how he would define and achieve that goal, with school districts operating under a patchwork of different virtual and in-person learning arrangements nationwide.“I said open a majority of schools in K through eighth grade, because they’re the easiest to open, the most needed to be open in terms of the impact on children and families having to stay home,” Biden said.He said comments by White House press secretary Jen Psaki earlier this month that one day a week of in-person learning would meet his goal were “a mistake in the communication.”Asked when the nation would see kindergarten through eighth grades back to in-person learning five days a week, Biden said, “We’ll be close to that at the end of the first 100 days.” He said he expected many schools would push to stay open through the summer, but suggested reopening would take longer for high schools due to a higher risk of contagion among older students.The town hall touched on a range of issues related to the coronavirus, from protections for small businesses to the administration’s vaccination plans. Biden said that by the end of July there would be 600 million doses of the vaccine available, enough to vaccinate every American.But with many of his answers, he sought to emphasize the need for funding to achieve his goals. The town hall was aimed at selling his $1.9 trillion coronavirus aid package directly to the American people, part of an effort designed in part to put pressure on Republican lawmakers and refocus Congress on speedy passage of the bill now that his predecessor’s impeachment trial is behind him.Biden underscored how much he wants to move beyond Donald Trump on Tuesday night, repeatedly refusing to talk about the former president and saying at one point, “I’m tired of talking about Donald Trump.”“For four years, all that’s been in the news is Trump. For the next four years, I want to make sure all the news is the American people,” he said, to applause from the audience.During the town hall, Biden also offered a flavor of the moderate stance that helped win him purple states like Wisconsin in 2020. He resisted a questioner’s request for his administration to embrace the progressive goal of forgiving $50,000 in student loan debt, reiterating his commitment to forgiving just $10,000. He suggested one of the ways to improve policing was to provide more funding to police departments, running counter to calls from some progressives to defund the police. He also said he was optimistic about passing legislation to study police reforms.He also weighed in on the immigration bill his administration is expected to unveil this week. Biden affirmed that a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants is essential for any bill he’ll support, but also suggested he’d be open to a piecemeal approach to immigration reform rather than a comprehensive bill, if necessary.“There’s things I would do by itself, but not at the expense of saying I’m never going to do the other,” he said.Biden seemed to revel in his first opportunity for extended interaction with ordinary Americans since the inauguration. Comforting a second-grader who hasn’t been able to go school and was worried about getting the virus, Biden told the girl that children are less likely to get infected, adding, “I wouldn’t worry about it, baby, I promise you.”He also offered an intimate description of living in the White House, expressing his discomfort with being tended to by staff. With about a month of White House living under his belt, Biden joked that he wakes up in the morning, looks at his wife, Jill, and asks, “Where the hell are we?”Biden stressed that his massive virus aid bill already has broad public support, and noted some analysts have argued in favor of significant government spending to help boost the economy.“Now is the time we should be spending,” Biden said.The House is expected to vote on the measure next week.Biden landed on a slick, snow-covered tarmac to below-freezing weather about 90 minutes before the evening program. He took questions from a small audience of Democrats, Republicans and independents invited for a small, socially distant gathering at the historic Pabst Theater.Biden’s trip to Wisconsin, a political battleground state he narrowly won last November, comes as coronavirus infection rates and deaths are falling after the nation endured the two deadliest months so far of the pandemic. The White House is also reporting an increase in the administration of vaccines throughout the country after a slow start.But Biden has stressed that the nation still has a long road ahead as thousands of Americans die each day in the worst U.S. public health crisis in a century. The virus has killed more than 485,000, and newly emerging variants are complicating the response effort.The Biden administration is trying to get enough Americans vaccinated to achieve “herd immunity” and allow life to return to a semblance of normalcy. But it’s unclear when the vaccination will be widely accessible to Americans.Biden’s team hopes funding provided in the coronavirus aid bill will help accelerate vaccination production and distribution. His team also argues that the federal government must keep open the spigot of government relief to help people who are suffering economically and to get the country back to pre-pandemic employment levels.But many GOP lawmakers continue to bristle at the price tag of a package that calls for sending $1,400 checks to most Americans as well as assistance for businesses, schools and homeowners and renters.

President Biden talks schools, virus relief during town hall 

AP -&nbsp;One year into the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States finds itself with many millions of N95 masks pouring out of factories and heading into storage. Yet there still aren’t nearly enough going to hospitals. 

An Associated Press investigation finds that this logistical breakdown is due to federal failures over the past year to coordinate supply chains.

 Internal emails also show there were deliberate decisions to withhold vital information about new mask manufacturers and availability.

 Exclusive trade data and interviews with manufacturers, hospital associations and frontline medical workers reveal a deadly disconnect — and not an actual shortage — that is depriving doctors, nurses, paramedics and other people risking exposure to COVID-19 of first-rate protection.

AP -&nbsp;One year into the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States finds itself with many millions of N95 masks pouring out of factories and heading into storage. Yet there still aren’t nearly enough going to hospitals. An Associated Press investigation finds that this logistical breakdown is due to federal failures over the past year to coordinate supply chains. Internal emails also show there were deliberate decisions to withhold vital information about new mask manufacturers and availability. Exclusive trade data and interviews with manufacturers, hospital associations and frontline medical workers reveal a deadly disconnect — and not an actual shortage — that is depriving doctors, nurses, paramedics and other people risking exposure to COVID-19 of first-rate protection.

Hospitals still ration medical N95 masks as stockpiles swell

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska ranks in the middle of the pack in the rate of administering coronavirus vaccines, but state officials are working to speed up distribution of the shots. 

The state ranked 33rd among states and the District of Columbia by administering 14,770 shots per 100,000 people as of Sunday, according to data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

 Overall, Nebraska has administered 285,708 of the 407,500 doses it has received — or roughly 70% of the doses. 

Lincoln Dr. Bob Rauner, who is president of the Partnership for a Healthy Lincoln, said the state should be distributing the vaccines faster.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska ranks in the middle of the pack in the rate of administering coronavirus vaccines, but state officials are working to speed up distribution of the shots. The state ranked 33rd among states and the District of Columbia by administering 14,770 shots per 100,000 people as of Sunday, according to data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Overall, Nebraska has administered 285,708 of the 407,500 doses it has received — or roughly 70% of the doses. Lincoln Dr. Bob Rauner, who is president of the Partnership for a Healthy Lincoln, said the state should be distributing the vaccines faster.

Nebraska ranks 33rd in rate of administering virus shots

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is extending a ban on housing foreclosures to June 30 to help homeowners struggling during the coronavirus pandemic.

The moratorium on foreclosures of federally guaranteed mortgages had been set to expire on March 31. On his first day in office, Biden had extended the moratorium from Jan. 31. Census Bureau figures show that almost 12% of homeowners with mortgages were late on their payments.

The White House says the coordinated actions announced Tuesday by the Departments of Housing and Urban Development, Veterans Affairs and Agriculture also will extend to June 30 the enrollment window for borrowers who want to request mortgage payment forbearance — a pause or reduction in payments — and will provide up to six additional months of forbearance for borrowers who entered forbearance on or before June 30 of last year.

The White House says more than 10 million homeowners are behind on mortgage payments and Biden’s actions are to help keep people in their homes amid “a housing affordability crisis” triggered by the pandemic. It says “homeowners will receive urgently needed relief as we face this unprecedented national emergency.”

Biden’s administration says extending forbearance policies “will provide critical support to homeowners of color, who make up a disproportionate share of borrowers” having trouble paying their loans because of hardships related to the pandemic.

The actions announced Tuesday don’t address a federal moratorium through March 31 on evictions of tenants who’ve fallen behind on rent.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is extending a ban on housing foreclosures to June 30 to help homeowners struggling during the coronavirus pandemic.The moratorium on foreclosures of federally guaranteed mortgages had been set to expire on March 31. On his first day in office, Biden had extended the moratorium from Jan. 31. Census Bureau figures show that almost 12% of homeowners with mortgages were late on their payments.The White House says the coordinated actions announced Tuesday by the Departments of Housing and Urban Development, Veterans Affairs and Agriculture also will extend to June 30 the enrollment window for borrowers who want to request mortgage payment forbearance — a pause or reduction in payments — and will provide up to six additional months of forbearance for borrowers who entered forbearance on or before June 30 of last year.The White House says more than 10 million homeowners are behind on mortgage payments and Biden’s actions are to help keep people in their homes amid “a housing affordability crisis” triggered by the pandemic. It says “homeowners will receive urgently needed relief as we face this unprecedented national emergency.”Biden’s administration says extending forbearance policies “will provide critical support to homeowners of color, who make up a disproportionate share of borrowers” having trouble paying their loans because of hardships related to the pandemic.The actions announced Tuesday don’t address a federal moratorium through March 31 on evictions of tenants who’ve fallen behind on rent.

Biden extends pandemic help for homeowners, renters wait

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Sorrow reverberated across the country as Americans, including President Joe Biden, joined a Florida community in remembering the 17 lives lost three years ago in the Parkland school shooting massacre.

The president used the occasion to call on Congress to strengthen gun laws, including requiring background checks on all gun sales and banning assault weapons.

There was no time to wait, the president said. “We owe it to all those we’ve lost and to all those left behind to grieve to make a change. The time to act is now.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered flags be lowered to half staff from sunrise to sunset across the state to honor those who perished when a former student of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School opened fire on campus with an AR-15 rifle on Valentines Day in 2018.

When the gunfire ended, 14 students and three staff members were dead, and 17 others were wounded.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shootings-trials-florida-coronavirus-pandemic-school-shootings-ece0803d42d5d4c11ebadcf96d9d4399">The suspect, Nikolas Cruz, is still awaiting trial</a>.

In his proclamation for a day of remembrance, DeSantis asked fellow Floridians to pause for a moment of silence at 3 p.m. Sunday.

“The Parkland community is resilient in the wake of tragedy, reminding us just how strong and united Floridians can be in the face of such devastating loss,” the governor said in his proclamation.

The Republican governor also noted some of the school safety measures enacted since the tragedy three years ago, including money to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/24e93391693326f7123a5fbc1e653ee8">install panic alert systems at schools</a>&nbsp;across the state and to strengthen programs meant to prevent violence before they occur.

The panic alert measure was dubbed “Alyssa’s Law,” in honor of 14-year-old Alyssa Alhadeff, one of the students killed three years ago.

Parkland parents have been divided over how lawmakers should respond.

Ryan Petty, whose daughter Alaina was 14 when she was killed in the shooting, addressed the president in a tweet Sunday.

“Mr. President, thank you for remembering the loved ones taken from us 3 years ago,” he wrote. “Alaina loved this country and the freedoms it guarantees. Common sense tells us that honoring her life does not require infringement on the rights of law-abiding citizens.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613424862610.png" alt="President Biden arriving at the Pentagon -image courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>President Biden arriving at the Pentagon -image courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Sorrow reverberated across the country as Americans, including President Joe Biden, joined a Florida community in remembering the 17 lives lost three years ago in the Parkland school shooting massacre.The president used the occasion to call on Congress to strengthen gun laws, including requiring background checks on all gun sales and banning assault weapons.There was no time to wait, the president said. “We owe it to all those we’ve lost and to all those left behind to grieve to make a change. The time to act is now.”Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered flags be lowered to half staff from sunrise to sunset across the state to honor those who perished when a former student of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School opened fire on campus with an AR-15 rifle on Valentines Day in 2018.When the gunfire ended, 14 students and three staff members were dead, and 17 others were wounded.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shootings-trials-florida-coronavirus-pandemic-school-shootings-ece0803d42d5d4c11ebadcf96d9d4399">The suspect, Nikolas Cruz, is still awaiting trial</a>.In his proclamation for a day of remembrance, DeSantis asked fellow Floridians to pause for a moment of silence at 3 p.m. Sunday.“The Parkland community is resilient in the wake of tragedy, reminding us just how strong and united Floridians can be in the face of such devastating loss,” the governor said in his proclamation.The Republican governor also noted some of the school safety measures enacted since the tragedy three years ago, including money to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/24e93391693326f7123a5fbc1e653ee8">install panic alert systems at schools</a>&nbsp;across the state and to strengthen programs meant to prevent violence before they occur.The panic alert measure was dubbed “Alyssa’s Law,” in honor of 14-year-old Alyssa Alhadeff, one of the students killed three years ago.Parkland parents have been divided over how lawmakers should respond.Ryan Petty, whose daughter Alaina was 14 when she was killed in the shooting, addressed the president in a tweet Sunday.“Mr. President, thank you for remembering the loved ones taken from us 3 years ago,” he wrote. “Alaina loved this country and the freedoms it guarantees. Common sense tells us that honoring her life does not require infringement on the rights of law-abiding citizens.”In an interview Sunday, Petty said the president’s proposals won’t prevent more tragedies.“It’s wrong to focus on the weapon,” said Petty, who is now a member of the state school board. “For those who understand what happened that day, there were mistakes. This was the most preventable school shooting in the history of our country. The warning signs were there. It was clear the killer had intentions to attack the school.”Petty remembered his daughter as a friend to everyone, and recounted how important community service was to her.“For those of us who lost loved ones that day, it’s pretty much like any other day. We miss them. There’s nothing we can do to bring them back. The only thing we can do is move forward and try to honor their memories and make sure this doesn’t happen to any other families,” he said.But critics of the governor and Republican-controlled Legislature say guns are too easily accessible and say more needs to be done to keep assault-style guns away from potentially bad actors.“The passage of time has done little to heal the heartbreak we felt upon hearing the shocking news three years ago today, nor dulled our sense of outrage at the lack of consequential legislative action from lawmakers since that horrible morning — laws that would prevent another Parkland from ever happening again,” said Manny Diaz, the chair of the Florida Democratic Party.Over the years, deadly violence targeting schools has shaken the nation — including the Virginia Tech shootings in 2007 that claimed 32 lives and the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in 2012. Even before the Parkland tragedy, there was already plenty of anguish in Florida over gun violence. Less than two years before, another gunman shot up the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, killing 49 people.None of the deadly events produced comprehensive gun laws. Mass shootings have galvanized gun control advocates, who have been met with resistance from Republican lawmakers and their 2nd Amendment allies. It remains to be seen what will be done on the federal level, despite Democratic control of the White House and both chambers of Congress.“This Administration will not wait for the next mass shooting to heed that call. We will take action to end our epidemic of gun violence and make our schools and communities safer,” the president said his statement Sunday.In addition to background checks and an assault-weapons ban, Biden is calling on Congress to outlaw high-capacity magazines and make gun manufacturers liable for the role their products play in violence.“For three years now, the Parkland families&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-news-fort-lauderdale-shootings-coronavirus-pandemic-d00f6da69ec467e00a2ae32f33ed1f27">have spent birthdays and holidays</a>&nbsp;without their loved ones,” Biden said.“Today, as we mourn with the Parkland community, we mourn for all who have lost loved ones to gun violence,” he said.“Over these three years, the Parkland families have taught all of us something profound,” the president continued. “Time and again, they have showed us how we can turn our grief into purpose –&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ca307749419aecb1ed3a211571153aab">to march, organize</a>, and build a strong, inclusive, and durable movement for change.”___