CLEVELAND (AP) — A federal judge has ruled that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lacked the authority to issue a nationwide moratorium on rental evictions, the second such ruling issued by a federal judge in two weeks.

U.S. District Judge J. Philip Calabrese, sitting in Cleveland, ruled this week that the CDC went beyond what the federal Public Health Service Act allows it to do in ordering a halt to evictions. However, he did not grant an injunction that would have stopped the agency from enforcing the moratorium.

The ruling comes two weeks after U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker in the Eastern District of Texas determined that the moratorium was unconstitutional. The Justice Department is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-pandemics-coronavirus-pandemic-covid-19-pandemic-5c1dec620b158295dca66f51a73b4d04">appealing</a>&nbsp;that order.

The National Association of Homebuilders and a group of property owners from across northern Ohio had filed a federal lawsuit last October, claiming the CDC’s order was overreaching and arbitrary.

The chair of the NAHB said the group was pleased with the judge’s ruling.

“Saddling landlords with the responsibility to provide free rent during this pandemic ignores their financial obligations and ability to provide safe, decent and affordable housing,” Chuck Fowke said in a statement. “Even during emergencies, federal agencies must abide by the law.”

The suit was one of several filed in federal courts across the country by property owners who have struggled financially because of the coronavirus. Other courts around the country have upheld the eviction ban, said Diane Yentel, president of the National Low-Income Housing Coalition. She added that challenges to the moratorium made little sense when tens of billions of dollars in federal rental assistance are coming in the recently passed coronavirus relief bill.

“These attempts to overturn the moratorium are frivolous,” Yentel said. “These landlords that are bringing these suits and working so hard to overturn the eviction moratorium will be made whole by the unprecedented amount of resources that Congress has made available. But it is going to take time to get the money into their hands.”

The CDC eviction moratorium was signed in September by President Donald Trump and extended by President Joe Biden through March 31.

CLEVELAND (AP) — A federal judge has ruled that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lacked the authority to issue a nationwide moratorium on rental evictions, the second such ruling issued by a federal judge in two weeks.U.S. District Judge J. Philip Calabrese, sitting in Cleveland, ruled this week that the CDC went beyond what the federal Public Health Service Act allows it to do in ordering a halt to evictions. However, he did not grant an injunction that would have stopped the agency from enforcing the moratorium.The ruling comes two weeks after U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker in the Eastern District of Texas determined that the moratorium was unconstitutional. The Justice Department is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-pandemics-coronavirus-pandemic-covid-19-pandemic-5c1dec620b158295dca66f51a73b4d04">appealing</a>&nbsp;that order.The National Association of Homebuilders and a group of property owners from across northern Ohio had filed a federal lawsuit last October, claiming the CDC’s order was overreaching and arbitrary.The chair of the NAHB said the group was pleased with the judge’s ruling.“Saddling landlords with the responsibility to provide free rent during this pandemic ignores their financial obligations and ability to provide safe, decent and affordable housing,” Chuck Fowke said in a statement. “Even during emergencies, federal agencies must abide by the law.”The suit was one of several filed in federal courts across the country by property owners who have struggled financially because of the coronavirus. Other courts around the country have upheld the eviction ban, said Diane Yentel, president of the National Low-Income Housing Coalition. She added that challenges to the moratorium made little sense when tens of billions of dollars in federal rental assistance are coming in the recently passed coronavirus relief bill.“These attempts to overturn the moratorium are frivolous,” Yentel said. “These landlords that are bringing these suits and working so hard to overturn the eviction moratorium will be made whole by the unprecedented amount of resources that Congress has made available. But it is going to take time to get the money into their hands.”The CDC eviction moratorium was signed in September by President Donald Trump and extended by President Joe Biden through March 31.

Judge: CDC exceeded authority on eviction moratorium

WASHINGTON (AP) —As members of the Oath Keepers paramilitary group shouldered their way through the mob and up the steps to the U.S. Capitol, their plans for Jan. 6 were clear, authorities say. “Arrest this assembly, we have probable cause for acts of treason, election fraud,” someone commanded over an encrypted messaging app some extremists used to communicate during the siege.

A little while earlier, Proud Boys carrying two-way radios and wearing earpieces spread out and tried to blend in with the crowd as they invaded the Capitol led by a man assigned “war powers” to oversee the group’s attack, prosecutors say.

These two extremist groups that traveled to Washington along with thousands of other Trump supporters weren’t whipped into an impulsive frenzy by President Donald Trump that day, officials say. They’d been laying attack plans. And their internal communications and other evidence emerging in court papers and in hearings show how authorities are trying to build a case that small&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-extremist-groups-80e309418abecd0b1d50ec4762e6d9c6">cells hidden within the masses</a>&nbsp;mounted an organized, military-style assault on the heart of American democracy.

“This was not simply a march. This was an incredible attack on our institutions of government,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason McCullough said during a recent hearing.

The Proud Boys and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-ohio-4ae41a1dc529fc96879c618b5b64126d">the Oath Keepers make up a fraction</a>&nbsp;of the more than 300 Trump supporters charged so far in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">the siege</a>&nbsp;that led to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-impeachment-vote-capitol-siege-0a6f2a348a6e43f27d5e1dc486027860">Trump’s second impeachment</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/docs-expose-depth-january-6-capitol-siege-chaos-fd3204574c11e453be8fb4e3c81258c3">resulted in the deaths of five people, including a police officer</a>. But several of their leaders, members and associates have become the central targets of the Justice Department’s sprawling investigation.

It could mean more serious criminal charges for some rioters. On the other hand, mounting evidence of advance planning could also fuel Trump’s and his supporters’&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-impeachment-trial-update-2-12-2021-f831653160706c49987c9d33228ccbbb">claims that the Republican former president did not incite the riot</a>&nbsp;and therefore should not be liable for it.

Defense attorneys have accused prosecutors of distorting their clients’ words and actions to falsely portray the attack as a premeditated, orchestrated insurrection instead of a spontaneous outpouring of election-fueled rage to stop Congress’ certification of Trump’s defeat by Democrat Joe Biden.

And prosecutors’ case against a man described as a leader in the Proud Boys’ attack took a hit last week when a judge ordered him released while he awaits trial, calling some of the evidence against him “weak to say the least.”

The Oath Keepers began readying for violence as early as last November, authorities say. Communications show the group discussing logistics, weapons and training, including “2 days of wargames.”

“I need you fighting fit” by the inauguration, one Ohio member, Jessica Watkins, told a recruit in November, according to court documents. “If Biden becomes president our way of life as we know it is over. Our Republic would be over. Then it is our duty as Americans to fight, kill and die for our rights,” she said in another message later that month.

As Jan. 6 neared, they discussed stationing a “quick reaction force” outside Washington that could bring in weapons “if something goes to hell,” according to court documents. Days before the attack, one man suggested getting a boat to ferry “heavy weapons” across the Potomac River into their “waiting arms.”

“I believe we will have to get violent to stop this,” that man, Thomas Caldwell of Virginia, said in a November message to Watkins. On Jan. 1, he took to Facebook to decry what he viewed as a rigged election, saying “we must smite them now and drive them down,” authorities say.

Authorities have acknowledged there’s no evidence Caldwell was a dues-paying member of the Oath Keepers but have described him as a supporter who appeared to play a “leadership role” within the group.

There were plans for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-capitol-siege-politics-impeachments-7d2334edf7da4e2d50e4c6f1f386dec1">some Oath Keepers</a>&nbsp;to be there in “grey man” mode without identifiable militia gear so they could blend in with the crowd.

“For every Oath Keeper you see, there are at least two you don’t see,” said a Jan. 4 email sent to members.

Two days before the attack, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/henry-tarrio-proud-boys-arrested-d00d08b026669c150832d1e4c19aeab6">Proud Boys’ top leader, Enrique Tarrio,</a>&nbsp;was arrested shortly after he arrived in Washington and was charged with vandalizing a Black Lives Matter banner at a historic Black church during a December protest.

Tarrio was ordered to stay away from the nation’s capital, so Ethan Nordean was given “war powers” to take charge of the group’s Jan. 6 activities, prosecutors say.

Nordean, a Proud Boys chapter president from Washington state known as Ruffio Panman, tapped his social media following to solicit donations of money and tactical gear for the rally, prosecutors said. On the day of Tarrio’s arrest, Nordean posted a link to a podcast in which he discussed baseless claims about fraud in the election.

“Democracy is dead? Well, then no peace for you. No democracy, no peace,” he said.

Publicly, Tarrio announced on social media that the Proud Boys wouldn’t be wearing their customary yellow-and-black polo shirts on Jan. 6 so they could be “incognito.” Joseph Biggs, a self-described Proud Boys organizer from Florida, echoed that in a social media post directed at counter-protesters.

“We will be blending in as one of you. You won’t see us,” Biggs wrote. “We are going to smell like you, move like you, and look like you.”

Privately, according to prosecutors, the Proud Boys arranged for members to communicate using specific frequencies on Baofeng radios, Chinese-made devices that can be programmed for use on hundreds of frequencies, making it difficult for outsiders to eavesdrop.

One of the Proud Boys who heeded the call to meet in Washington was Dominic Pezzola. He traveled from Syracuse, New York, on Jan. 5 and stayed with other members at a hotel, authorities say.

Another group of members came from the Kansas City area. Investigators believe their chapter leader, William Chrestman, brought a helmet, a gas mask and an ax handle that he would conceal as a flag.

They were ready for a fight, prosecutors say.

Long before the riot, Trump refused to condemn the Proud Boys during his Sept. 29 presidential debate against Biden, instead saying&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-race-and-ethnicity-donald-trump-chris-wallace-0b32339da25fbc9e8b7c7c7066a1db0f">the group should “stand back and stand by.”</a>&nbsp;Proud Boys members celebrated his words on social media, before the president later claimed not to know who they were. It’s unclear whether the Oath Keepers were on the White House radar.

Proud Boys members, who describe themselves as a politically incorrect men’s club for “Western chauvinists,” have frequently engaged in street fights with antifascist activists at rallies and protests. Vice Media co-founder Gavin McInnes, who founded the Proud Boys in 2016, sued the Southern Poverty Law Center for labeling it as a hate group.

The Oath Keepers are a loosely organized group of extremists who actively recruit current and former military, police and first responders who pledge to fulfill the oath to defend the Constitution against all enemies — foreign or domestic.

In the weeks before the attack, Trump and his supporters were making increasingly false and incendiary comments, designed to mobilize supporters to work to overturn the election results — even though&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-ap-fact-check-joe-biden-donald-trump-technology-49a24edd6d10888dbad61689c24b05a5">there was no widespread fraud</a>&nbsp;in the election, as was confirmed by election officials across the country and by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/barr-no-widespread-election-fraud-b1f1488796c9a98c4b1a9061a6c7f49d">Trump’s attorney general</a>.

Trump encouraged thousands at the rally preceding the riot to “fight like hell,” but lawyers for the former president adamantly denied during his impeachment trial that he had incited the attack. They pointed to a remark during his speech in which he told the crowd to behave “peacefully” that day.

He was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-capitol-siege-riots-trials-impeachments-b245b52fd7d4a079ae199c954baba452">acquitted in a Senate trial</a>&nbsp;of inciting the riot after he was impeached by the House, but GOP leaders said a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-capitol-siege-riots-acquittals-impeachments-6fb642f97be5f2bd202e8bc002d6a167">more appropriate venue</a>&nbsp;for his actions could be the courts.

As the mob swarmed the Capitol, Stewart Rhodes, the leader of the Oath Keepers, was communicating with some of the alleged rioters.

“All I see Trump doing is complaining. I see no intent by him to do anything. So the patriots are taking it into their own hands. They’ve had enough,” he said in a Signal message to a group around 1:40 p.m., authorities say. A little later, Rhodes, who has not been charged in the attack, instructed the group to “come to South Side of Capitol on steps.”

Around 2:40 p.m., members of a military-style “stack” who moved up Capitol stairs in a line entered the building through a door on the east side, authorities say. Lawmakers and Vice President Mike Pence had been evacuated from the House and Senate chambers just about 20 minutes earlier.

“We are in the mezzanine. We are in the main dome right now. We are rocking it. They are throwing grenades, they are fricking shooting people with paint balls. But we are in here,” Watkins declared over a channel called Stop the Steal J6 on the walkie-talkie app Zello.

“Get it, Jess. ... Everything we (expletive) trained for,” someone responded, according to the communications&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm/segments/zello-tapes-walkie-talkie-app-used-during-insurrection-on-the-media" target="_blank">obtained by WNYC’s “On the Media” program</a>&nbsp;and detailed in court documents.

Caldwell, who did not join the stack, climbed up to the west side balcony, authorities say.

“We are surging forward, doors breached,” he said in a Facebook message about 10 minutes after the group went inside, according to court documents. Roughly 15 minutes later he sent another message: “Inside.”

Caldwell received a Facebook message saying “all members are in the tunnels under capital seal them in,” authorities said. “Turn on gas,” the message said.

Hours after the siege, Caldwell was already talking about another attack “at the local level,” authorities say.

“If we’d had guns I guarantee we would have killed 100 politicians. They ran off and were spirited away through their underground tunnels like the rats they were,” Caldwell said in a message to a friend.

The Proud Boys met at the Washington Monument and were already at the Capitol before Trump finished addressing thousands of supporters near the White House. Listening to the president’s speech wasn’t part of their plan, prosecutors say.

Nordean led the way with a bullhorn while they wore headgear marked with orange tape. Pezzola appeared to have an earpiece in his right ear. Biggs had what looked like a walkie-talkie device on his chest.

Nordean was spotted having a brief exchange near the Capitol with Robert Gieswein, a bat-wielding Colorado man. Proud Boys planning for Jan. 6 had discussed using non-members, or “normies,” like Gieswein to “burn that city to ash” and “smash some pigs to dust,” prosecutors said.

The Proud Boys arrived at the east side of the Capitol before noon. Nordean allegedly positioned them at a Capitol grounds pedestrian entrance guarded by a handful of police officers behind a movable metal barrier.

Around 12:50 p.m., just before the joint session of Congress was scheduled to start, a crowd including Proud Boys members broke through a front line of Capitol police officers and past sets of metal barriers. Nordean moved to the front of the crowd and “stalked” the line of officers to intimidate them and rile up the crowd, prosecutors wrote.

As the mob advanced to another line of officers in the Capitol’s west plaza, Chrestman faced them and shouted, “Do you want your house back?”

Gieswein and Pezzola were among the first to enter the Capitol, through a window Pezzola shattered with a riot shield that he snatched from police, prosecutors say. It took Pezzola more than an hour to fight his way from the exterior of the Capitol grounds to the building’s interior, they say.

Inside, Pezzola joined others in confronting Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman, who led the mob away from an entrance to the Senate chamber. Pezzola later took a video of himself smoking a cigar.

“Victory smoke in the Capitol, boys,” he said.

Nine people linked to the Oath Keepers have been indicted on charges that they planned and coordinated with one another in the siege. At least 11 leaders, members or associates of the Proud Boys charged in the riots are accused by the Justice Department of participating in a coordinated attack.

Several from both groups remain in federal custody while awaiting trial.

Their defense attorneys say prosecutors have painted a misleading account of the day’s events based on shaky evidence. Other lawyers for those charged with storming the Capitol have tried to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-capitol-siege-us-news-75b5963841a2263fe8d79b1d18ef552b">pin the blame on Trump for inciting the rioters</a>.

Nordean’s lawyers said prosecutors haven’t presented any evidence that he used encrypted communications to lead a group’s attack on the Capitol. While the government said investigators found a Baofeng radio in Nordean’s home, his lawyers said he did not obtain it until after the day after the riot.

“The government has made repeated claims about Ethan’s activities and then backed away from them without providing any support,” said one of his attorneys, Nicholas Smith.

Caldwell’s lawyer has accused prosecutors of twisting social media posts and messages to make fantastic claims with no hard evidence that any person or group had a premeditated plan to storm the Capitol. David Fischer described Caldwell as a Hollywood-addicted amateur screenwriter full of bravado. The prosecutors’ case is heavy on “dramatic language” but “light on specifics,” the lawyer said in a recent court filing.

“What time was the ‘invasion’ scheduled to begin? Who would lead the attack? What was the goal once the planners entered the Capitol? Who was the leader in the attack? What was the exit strategy of the planners?” Fischer wrote.

Fischer said prosecutors’ case crumbles when closely examined. The “quick reaction force” prosecutors have alleged the Oath Keepers were planning, for example, was actually one person — an obese man in his late 60s with a bad back — who planned to come to their aid if they were attacked by left-wing protesters, Fischer said.

During a hearing last month in which a judge ordered him to remain behind bars while he awaits trial, Caldwell exclaimed that his messages were being “taken out of context.”

“These Oath Keepers thought they — ” he said, before the audio was disconnected and the judge cut in to warn him that anything he said could be used against him by prosecutors.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613070062571.png" alt="In February, a Capitol. Chief U.S. District Judge ordered&nbsp; that 47-year-old William Chrestman of Olathe be taken from Kansas to Washington to be held until his trial. Chrestman is charged with conspiracy and several other counts. Federal authorities allege he led members of the Kansas City-area Proud Boys who stormed the Capitol Jan. 6.&nbsp; photo Wyandotte County Jail" />
 <figcaption>In February, a Capitol. Chief U.S. District Judge ordered&nbsp; that 47-year-old William Chrestman of Olathe be taken from Kansas to Washington to be held until his trial. Chrestman is charged with conspiracy and several other counts. Federal authorities allege he led members of the Kansas City-area Proud Boys who stormed the Capitol Jan. 6.&nbsp; photo Wyandotte County Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —As members of the Oath Keepers paramilitary group shouldered their way through the mob and up the steps to the U.S. Capitol, their plans for Jan. 6 were clear, authorities say. “Arrest this assembly, we have probable cause for acts of treason, election fraud,” someone commanded over an encrypted messaging app some extremists used to communicate during the siege.A little while earlier, Proud Boys carrying two-way radios and wearing earpieces spread out and tried to blend in with the crowd as they invaded the Capitol led by a man assigned “war powers” to oversee the group’s attack, prosecutors say.These two extremist groups that traveled to Washington along with thousands of other Trump supporters weren’t whipped into an impulsive frenzy by President Donald Trump that day, officials say. They’d been laying attack plans. And their internal communications and other evidence emerging in court papers and in hearings show how authorities are trying to build a case that small&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-extremist-groups-80e309418abecd0b1d50ec4762e6d9c6">cells hidden within the masses</a>&nbsp;mounted an organized, military-style assault on the heart of American democracy.“This was not simply a march. This was an incredible attack on our institutions of government,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason McCullough said during a recent hearing.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1614042711157.png" alt="Protesters at the U.S. Capitol on January 6-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Protesters at the U.S. Capitol on January 6-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>The Proud Boys and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-ohio-4ae41a1dc529fc96879c618b5b64126d">the Oath Keepers make up a fraction</a>&nbsp;of the more than 300 Trump supporters charged so far in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">the siege</a>&nbsp;that led to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-impeachment-vote-capitol-siege-0a6f2a348a6e43f27d5e1dc486027860">Trump’s second impeachment</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/docs-expose-depth-january-6-capitol-siege-chaos-fd3204574c11e453be8fb4e3c81258c3">resulted in the deaths of five people, including a police officer</a>. But several of their leaders, members and associates have become the central targets of the Justice Department’s sprawling investigation.It could mean more serious criminal charges for some rioters. On the other hand, mounting evidence of advance planning could also fuel Trump’s and his supporters’&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-impeachment-trial-update-2-12-2021-f831653160706c49987c9d33228ccbbb">claims that the Republican former president did not incite the riot</a>&nbsp;and therefore should not be liable for it.Defense attorneys have accused prosecutors of distorting their clients’ words and actions to falsely portray the attack as a premeditated, orchestrated insurrection instead of a spontaneous outpouring of election-fueled rage to stop Congress’ certification of Trump’s defeat by Democrat Joe Biden.And prosecutors’ case against a man described as a leader in the Proud Boys’ attack took a hit last week when a judge ordered him released while he awaits trial, calling some of the evidence against him “weak to say the least.”___The Oath Keepers began readying for violence as early as last November, authorities say. Communications show the group discussing logistics, weapons and training, including “2 days of wargames.”“I need you fighting fit” by the inauguration, one Ohio member, Jessica Watkins, told a recruit in November, according to court documents. “If Biden becomes president our way of life as we know it is over. Our Republic would be over. Then it is our duty as Americans to fight, kill and die for our rights,” she said in another message later that month.As Jan. 6 neared, they discussed stationing a “quick reaction force” outside Washington that could bring in weapons “if something goes to hell,” according to court documents. Days before the attack, one man suggested getting a boat to ferry “heavy weapons” across the Potomac River into their “waiting arms.”“I believe we will have to get violent to stop this,” that man, Thomas Caldwell of Virginia, said in a November message to Watkins. On Jan. 1, he took to Facebook to decry what he viewed as a rigged election, saying “we must smite them now and drive them down,” authorities say.Authorities have acknowledged there’s no evidence Caldwell was a dues-paying member of the Oath Keepers but have described him as a supporter who appeared to play a “leadership role” within the group.There were plans for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-capitol-siege-politics-impeachments-7d2334edf7da4e2d50e4c6f1f386dec1">some Oath Keepers</a>&nbsp;to be there in “grey man” mode without identifiable militia gear so they could blend in with the crowd.“For every Oath Keeper you see, there are at least two you don’t see,” said a Jan. 4 email sent to members.____Two days before the attack, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/henry-tarrio-proud-boys-arrested-d00d08b026669c150832d1e4c19aeab6">Proud Boys’ top leader, Enrique Tarrio,</a>&nbsp;was arrested shortly after he arrived in Washington and was charged with vandalizing a Black Lives Matter banner at a historic Black church during a December protest.Tarrio was ordered to stay away from the nation’s capital, so Ethan Nordean was given “war powers” to take charge of the group’s Jan. 6 activities, prosecutors say.Nordean, a Proud Boys chapter president from Washington state known as Ruffio Panman, tapped his social media following to solicit donations of money and tactical gear for the rally, prosecutors said. On the day of Tarrio’s arrest, Nordean posted a link to a podcast in which he discussed baseless claims about fraud in the election.“Democracy is dead? Well, then no peace for you. No democracy, no peace,” he said.Publicly, Tarrio announced on social media that the Proud Boys wouldn’t be wearing their customary yellow-and-black polo shirts on Jan. 6 so they could be “incognito.” Joseph Biggs, a self-described Proud Boys organizer from Florida, echoed that in a social media post directed at counter-protesters.“We will be blending in as one of you. You won’t see us,” Biggs wrote. “We are going to smell like you, move like you, and look like you.”Privately, according to prosecutors, the Proud Boys arranged for members to communicate using specific frequencies on Baofeng radios, Chinese-made devices that can be programmed for use on hundreds of frequencies, making it difficult for outsiders to eavesdrop.One of the Proud Boys who heeded the call to meet in Washington was Dominic Pezzola. He traveled from Syracuse, New York, on Jan. 5 and stayed with other members at a hotel, authorities say.Another group of members came from the Kansas City area. Investigators believe their chapter leader, William Chrestman, brought a helmet, a gas mask and an ax handle that he would conceal as a flag.They were ready for a fight, prosecutors say.___Long before the riot, Trump refused to condemn the Proud Boys during his Sept. 29 presidential debate against Biden, instead saying&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-race-and-ethnicity-donald-trump-chris-wallace-0b32339da25fbc9e8b7c7c7066a1db0f">the group should “stand back and stand by.”</a>&nbsp;Proud Boys members celebrated his words on social media, before the president later claimed not to know who they were. It’s unclear whether the Oath Keepers were on the White House radar.Proud Boys members, who describe themselves as a politically incorrect men’s club for “Western chauvinists,” have frequently engaged in street fights with antifascist activists at rallies and protests. Vice Media co-founder Gavin McInnes, who founded the Proud Boys in 2016, sued the Southern Poverty Law Center for labeling it as a hate group.The Oath Keepers are a loosely organized group of extremists who actively recruit current and former military, police and first responders who pledge to fulfill the oath to defend the Constitution against all enemies — foreign or domestic.In the weeks before the attack, Trump and his supporters were making increasingly false and incendiary comments, designed to mobilize supporters to work to overturn the election results — even though&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-ap-fact-check-joe-biden-donald-trump-technology-49a24edd6d10888dbad61689c24b05a5">there was no widespread fraud</a>&nbsp;in the election, as was confirmed by election officials across the country and by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/barr-no-widespread-election-fraud-b1f1488796c9a98c4b1a9061a6c7f49d">Trump’s attorney general</a>.Trump encouraged thousands at the rally preceding the riot to “fight like hell,” but lawyers for the former president adamantly denied during his impeachment trial that he had incited the attack. They pointed to a remark during his speech in which he told the crowd to behave “peacefully” that day.He was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-capitol-siege-riots-trials-impeachments-b245b52fd7d4a079ae199c954baba452">acquitted in a Senate trial</a>&nbsp;of inciting the riot after he was impeached by the House, but GOP leaders said a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-capitol-siege-riots-acquittals-impeachments-6fb642f97be5f2bd202e8bc002d6a167">more appropriate venue</a>&nbsp;for his actions could be the courts.___As the mob swarmed the Capitol, Stewart Rhodes, the leader of the Oath Keepers, was communicating with some of the alleged rioters.“All I see Trump doing is complaining. I see no intent by him to do anything. So the patriots are taking it into their own hands. They’ve had enough,” he said in a Signal message to a group around 1:40 p.m., authorities say. A little later, Rhodes, who has not been charged in the attack, instructed the group to “come to South Side of Capitol on steps.”Around 2:40 p.m., members of a military-style “stack” who moved up Capitol stairs in a line entered the building through a door on the east side, authorities say. Lawmakers and Vice President Mike Pence had been evacuated from the House and Senate chambers just about 20 minutes earlier.“We are in the mezzanine. We are in the main dome right now. We are rocking it. They are throwing grenades, they are fricking shooting people with paint balls. But we are in here,” Watkins declared over a channel called Stop the Steal J6 on the walkie-talkie app Zello.“Get it, Jess. ... Everything we (expletive) trained for,” someone responded, according to the communications&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm/segments/zello-tapes-walkie-talkie-app-used-during-insurrection-on-the-media" target="_blank">obtained by WNYC’s “On the Media” program</a>&nbsp;and detailed in court documents.Caldwell, who did not join the stack, climbed up to the west side balcony, authorities say.“We are surging forward, doors breached,” he said in a Facebook message about 10 minutes after the group went inside, according to court documents. Roughly 15 minutes later he sent another message: “Inside.”Caldwell received a Facebook message saying “all members are in the tunnels under capital seal them in,” authorities said. “Turn on gas,” the message said.Hours after the siege, Caldwell was already talking about another attack “at the local level,” authorities say.“If we’d had guns I guarantee we would have killed 100 politicians. They ran off and were spirited away through their underground tunnels like the rats they were,” Caldwell said in a message to a friend.___The Proud Boys met at the Washington Monument and were already at the Capitol before Trump finished addressing thousands of supporters near the White House. Listening to the president’s speech wasn’t part of their plan, prosecutors say.Nordean led the way with a bullhorn while they wore headgear marked with orange tape. Pezzola appeared to have an earpiece in his right ear. Biggs had what looked like a walkie-talkie device on his chest.Nordean was spotted having a brief exchange near the Capitol with Robert Gieswein, a bat-wielding Colorado man. Proud Boys planning for Jan. 6 had discussed using non-members, or “normies,” like Gieswein to “burn that city to ash” and “smash some pigs to dust,” prosecutors said.The Proud Boys arrived at the east side of the Capitol before noon. Nordean allegedly positioned them at a Capitol grounds pedestrian entrance guarded by a handful of police officers behind a movable metal barrier.Around 12:50 p.m., just before the joint session of Congress was scheduled to start, a crowd including Proud Boys members broke through a front line of Capitol police officers and past sets of metal barriers. Nordean moved to the front of the crowd and “stalked” the line of officers to intimidate them and rile up the crowd, prosecutors wrote.As the mob advanced to another line of officers in the Capitol’s west plaza, Chrestman faced them and shouted, “Do you want your house back?”“Yes!” the crowd replied.“Take it!” Chrestman yelled.Gieswein and Pezzola were among the first to enter the Capitol, through a window Pezzola shattered with a riot shield that he snatched from police, prosecutors say. It took Pezzola more than an hour to fight his way from the exterior of the Capitol grounds to the building’s interior, they say.Inside, Pezzola joined others in confronting Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman, who led the mob away from an entrance to the Senate chamber. Pezzola later took a video of himself smoking a cigar.“Victory smoke in the Capitol, boys,” he said.___Nine people linked to the Oath Keepers have been indicted on charges that they planned and coordinated with one another in the siege. At least 11 leaders, members or associates of the Proud Boys charged in the riots are accused by the Justice Department of participating in a coordinated attack.Several from both groups remain in federal custody while awaiting trial.Their defense attorneys say prosecutors have painted a misleading account of the day’s events based on shaky evidence. Other lawyers for those charged with storming the Capitol have tried to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-capitol-siege-us-news-75b5963841a2263fe8d79b1d18ef552b">pin the blame on Trump for inciting the rioters</a>.Nordean’s lawyers said prosecutors haven’t presented any evidence that he used encrypted communications to lead a group’s attack on the Capitol. While the government said investigators found a Baofeng radio in Nordean’s home, his lawyers said he did not obtain it until after the day after the riot.“The government has made repeated claims about Ethan’s activities and then backed away from them without providing any support,” said one of his attorneys, Nicholas Smith.Caldwell’s lawyer has accused prosecutors of twisting social media posts and messages to make fantastic claims with no hard evidence that any person or group had a premeditated plan to storm the Capitol. David Fischer described Caldwell as a Hollywood-addicted amateur screenwriter full of bravado. The prosecutors’ case is heavy on “dramatic language” but “light on specifics,” the lawyer said in a recent court filing.“What time was the ‘invasion’ scheduled to begin? Who would lead the attack? What was the goal once the planners entered the Capitol? Who was the leader in the attack? What was the exit strategy of the planners?” Fischer wrote.Fischer said prosecutors’ case crumbles when closely examined. The “quick reaction force” prosecutors have alleged the Oath Keepers were planning, for example, was actually one person — an obese man in his late 60s with a bad back — who planned to come to their aid if they were attacked by left-wing protesters, Fischer said.During a hearing last month in which a judge ordered him to remain behind bars while he awaits trial, Caldwell exclaimed that his messages were being “taken out of context.”“These Oath Keepers thought they — ” he said, before the audio was disconnected and the judge cut in to warn him that anything he said could be used against him by prosecutors.____

US narrows in on organized extremists in Capitol siege probe

WASHINGTON (AP) — Along with daylight saving time, this weekend could bring some Americans fatter bank balances.

Officials at the Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service said Friday that processing of the new round of stimulus payments has already begun, with the aim of having the first payments start showing up in bank accounts this weekend.

President Joe Biden signed the new $1.9 trillion rescue package on Thursday, the day after it won final passage in the House.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-personal-taxes-legislation-coronavirus-pandemic-unemployment-insurance-104c5477a7879abd4117abfea25c30d5">The measure</a>&nbsp;provides for payments to qualifying individuals of up to $1,400, with payments to a qualifying family of four of $5,600.

“The payments will be delivered automatically to taxpayers even as the IRS continues delivering regular tax refunds,” IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said in a statement.

It is estimated that 85% of Americans will be eligible for the payments and the goal is to have millions of the payments disbursed in the next few weeks.

The relief measure, which passed on party-line votes in both the House and Senate, contains the third round of economic-impact payments. The first round passed last spring provided up to $1,200 per individual, and a second round of payments in December provided up to $600 per individual.

The latest package passed with no votes from Republicans, who objected to the size of the measure and argued it was not necessary given signs that the economy is beginning to recover.

Then-President Donald Trump called the payments in the $900 billion relief bill passed in December too small and Biden agreed, pushing the total for an individual up to $1,400 in the new package.

The latest round of relief payments will provide households with $1,400 for each adult, child and adult dependent, such as college students or elderly relatives. Adult dependents were not eligible to receive payments in the previous two rounds of payments.

The payments start declining for an individual once adjusted gross income exceeds $75,000 and go to zero once income hits $80,000. The payment starts declining for married couples when income exceeds $150,000 and goes to zero at $160,000.

Officials said that beginning on Monday, people can check the “Get My Payment” tool on the IRS.gov website to track their own payments.

Taxpayers who have provided bank information with the IRS will receive the direct-deposit payments, while others will get paper checks or debit cards mailed to them.

Officials said in the interest of speeding up the relief payments, the IRS will use the latest tax return available, either the 2019 return filed last year or the 2020 return that is due by April 15.

If a person’s job situation changed last year because of the pandemic, which led to millions of people losing jobs or being forced to work reduced hours, officials said that the IRS will adjust the size of the new impact payments after the 2020 return has been filed and provide a supplemental payment if that is called for. Officials said those adjustments will be made automatically by the IRS for people who have already filed their 2020 returns.

Officials said they wanted to handle the payments this way rather than waiting for the 2020 tax return to be filed in the interest of speeding payments to taxpayers.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1611863114554.png" alt="President Joe Biden signed the new $1.9 trillion rescue package on Thursday." />
 <figcaption>President Joe Biden signed the new $1.9 trillion rescue package on Thursday.</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Along with daylight saving time, this weekend could bring some Americans fatter bank balances.Officials at the Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service said Friday that processing of the new round of stimulus payments has already begun, with the aim of having the first payments start showing up in bank accounts this weekend.President Joe Biden signed the new $1.9 trillion rescue package on Thursday, the day after it won final passage in the House.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-personal-taxes-legislation-coronavirus-pandemic-unemployment-insurance-104c5477a7879abd4117abfea25c30d5">The measure</a>&nbsp;provides for payments to qualifying individuals of up to $1,400, with payments to a qualifying family of four of $5,600.“The payments will be delivered automatically to taxpayers even as the IRS continues delivering regular tax refunds,” IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said in a statement.It is estimated that 85% of Americans will be eligible for the payments and the goal is to have millions of the payments disbursed in the next few weeks.The relief measure, which passed on party-line votes in both the House and Senate, contains the third round of economic-impact payments. The first round passed last spring provided up to $1,200 per individual, and a second round of payments in December provided up to $600 per individual.The latest package passed with no votes from Republicans, who objected to the size of the measure and argued it was not necessary given signs that the economy is beginning to recover.Then-President Donald Trump called the payments in the $900 billion relief bill passed in December too small and Biden agreed, pushing the total for an individual up to $1,400 in the new package.The latest round of relief payments will provide households with $1,400 for each adult, child and adult dependent, such as college students or elderly relatives. Adult dependents were not eligible to receive payments in the previous two rounds of payments.The payments start declining for an individual once adjusted gross income exceeds $75,000 and go to zero once income hits $80,000. The payment starts declining for married couples when income exceeds $150,000 and goes to zero at $160,000.Officials said that beginning on Monday, people can check the “Get My Payment” tool on the IRS.gov website to track their own payments.Taxpayers who have provided bank information with the IRS will receive the direct-deposit payments, while others will get paper checks or debit cards mailed to them.Officials said in the interest of speeding up the relief payments, the IRS will use the latest tax return available, either the 2019 return filed last year or the 2020 return that is due by April 15.If a person’s job situation changed last year because of the pandemic, which led to millions of people losing jobs or being forced to work reduced hours, officials said that the IRS will adjust the size of the new impact payments after the 2020 return has been filed and provide a supplemental payment if that is called for. Officials said those adjustments will be made automatically by the IRS for people who have already filed their 2020 returns.Officials said they wanted to handle the payments this way rather than waiting for the 2020 tax return to be filed in the interest of speeding payments to taxpayers.___

IRS: Your next COVID relief payment is on the way

By
NICK GOSNELL <a href="https://hutchpost.com/">Hutch
Post</a>


HUTCHINSON — 
Gas prices are still rising at least partially as a consequence from the cold snap earlier this year.

"Today,
 we're at $2.66 a gallon for the average in Kansas, which is up eight 
cents from a week ago," said Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas. "That's up 
36 cents from a month ago, when we were at $2.30 a gallon."

The reason why is shutting down production at refineries isn't easy, and neither is starting it back up.

"Refinery
 utilization is extremely low," Steward said. "In fact, a week ago or 
so, it was an all-time low. We're still seeing the effects of some of 
the refinery shutdowns from the February storm and extreme cold. We're 
still looking to get a lot of those refineries back on line."

"Kansas is 14th cheapest in the U.S. as of 
today,"&nbsp;Steward said.

It remains to be seen if getting back to normal production levels has a price dropping effect at the pump going forward.

By
NICK GOSNELL <a href="https://hutchpost.com/">Hutch
Post</a>
HUTCHINSON — 
Gas prices are still rising at least partially as a consequence from the cold snap earlier this year."Today,
 we're at $2.66 a gallon for the average in Kansas, which is up eight 
cents from a week ago," said Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas. "That's up 
36 cents from a month ago, when we were at $2.30 a gallon."The reason why is shutting down production at refineries isn't easy, and neither is starting it back up."Refinery
 utilization is extremely low," Steward said. "In fact, a week ago or 
so, it was an all-time low. We're still seeing the effects of some of 
the refinery shutdowns from the February storm and extreme cold. We're 
still looking to get a lot of those refineries back on line.""Kansas is 14th cheapest in the U.S. as of 
today,"&nbsp;Steward said.It remains to be seen if getting back to normal production levels has a price dropping effect at the pump going forward.

Gas prices continue to rise, AAA says

NEW YORK (AP) — Netflix is testing a way to crack down on password sharing.

The popular streaming service has been asking some users of the popular streaming site to verify their account via email or text, or to “verify later."

“If you don't live with the owner of this account, you need your own account to keep watching," the screen reads, according to Streamable.com, which first reported the test.

The test comes as streaming services proliferate and more people share passwords and services. Netflix confirmed the test, but did not say how many people were part of the test or if it was only in the U.S. or elsewhere.

“This test is designed to help ensure that people using Netflix accounts are authorized to do so," the company said in a statement.

On the most basic plan, which costs $9 monthly, users can only stream on one screen at a time. The most popular plan, which is now $14 monthly, allows two simultaneous streams; the $18 premium plan allows 3.

But there has never been a limit on sharing an account when you aren't streaming at the same time.

Competition has definitely heated up in entertainment streaming, with recent entrants running from Disney+ in 2019 to Paramount+ most recently. Still, Netflix remains the one to beat with more than 200 million subscribers globally.

NEW YORK (AP) — Netflix is testing a way to crack down on password sharing.The popular streaming service has been asking some users of the popular streaming site to verify their account via email or text, or to “verify later."“If you don't live with the owner of this account, you need your own account to keep watching," the screen reads, according to Streamable.com, which first reported the test.The test comes as streaming services proliferate and more people share passwords and services. Netflix confirmed the test, but did not say how many people were part of the test or if it was only in the U.S. or elsewhere.“This test is designed to help ensure that people using Netflix accounts are authorized to do so," the company said in a statement.On the most basic plan, which costs $9 monthly, users can only stream on one screen at a time. The most popular plan, which is now $14 monthly, allows two simultaneous streams; the $18 premium plan allows 3.But there has never been a limit on sharing an account when you aren't streaming at the same time.Competition has definitely heated up in entertainment streaming, with recent entrants running from Disney+ in 2019 to Paramount+ most recently. Still, Netflix remains the one to beat with more than 200 million subscribers globally.

Netflix tests out a possible password-sharing crackdown

WILBER, Neb. (AP) — A three-judge panel has begun the process of determining whether a man will get the death penalty or life in prison for the 2017 killing and dismembering of a Nebraska woman. 

The Lincoln Journal Star reports prosecutors on Thursday argued before the panel that 54-year-old Aubrey Trail showed “exceptional depravity" in the death of 24-year-old Lincoln store clerk Sydney Loofe, who disappeared after arranging a Tinder date with him.

 Weeks after her disapperance, Loofe’s body parts were found in 14 pieces in ditches along a state highway. 

A defense attorney for Trail said her killing was not planned and painted Trial as having endured abuse as a child. 

It could be several weeks before the panel decides Trail's fate.

WILBER, Neb. (AP) — A three-judge panel has begun the process of determining whether a man will get the death penalty or life in prison for the 2017 killing and dismembering of a Nebraska woman. The Lincoln Journal Star reports prosecutors on Thursday argued before the panel that 54-year-old Aubrey Trail showed “exceptional depravity" in the death of 24-year-old Lincoln store clerk Sydney Loofe, who disappeared after arranging a Tinder date with him. Weeks after her disapperance, Loofe’s body parts were found in 14 pieces in ditches along a state highway. A defense attorney for Trail said her killing was not planned and painted Trial as having endured abuse as a child. It could be several weeks before the panel decides Trail's fate.

3-judge panel begins process to determine Trail's fate

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of migrant children and families seeking to cross the U.S. southwest border has surged to levels not seen since before the pandemic, a challenge for President Joe Biden as he works to undo the restrictive immigration policies of his predecessor.

Statistics released Wednesday by U.S. Customs and Border Protection showed the number of children and families increased by more than 100% between January and February. Kids crossing by themselves rose 60% to more than 9,400, forcing the government to look for new places to hold them temporarily.

The surge has been seized on by Republicans and former President Donald Trump as a line of attack on Biden, though his administration is turning back nearly all single adults, who make up the majority of border-crossers, under a public health order imposed at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Biden administration is temporarily holding children and families, mostly from Central America, for several days. They are generally then allowed to enter the U.S. while authorities evaluate their claims to asylum or see if they have any other legal right to stay in the country.

It is a challenge for an administration that has been working to restore an asylum system largely dismantled under Trump and likely to face increasing pressure.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-guatemala-central-america-immigration-coronavirus-pandemic-a37241f7310940c98dbdd986efec3532">Factors driving the increase include&nbsp;</a>widespread hunger in Central America due to recent hurricanes, the economic upheaval of the pandemic and more fundamental social problems dating back years.

“If you put all those issues together you are going to see folks that are looking for a better way of life,” acting CBP Commissioner Troy Miller said as he presented the latest figures.

Republicans have argued that migrants are drawn by incentives such as the immigration bill backed by Biden and many Democrats that would offer a path to citizenship for millions of people illegally in the country. “We’re seeing a surge of unaccompanied children coming across the border. Why? Joe Biden promised amnesty,” Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said in a tweet.

Overall encounters have been increasing steadily since April 2020, soon after Mexico and the U.S. agreed to close the official border crossings to all but essential traffic because of the pandemic.

There were nearly 29,000 families or unaccompanied minors combined in February. The last time it was higher was in October 2019. The total number of people encountered by CBP was just up 28% from January, but many of them are migrants who were recently turned back and are trying again.

Biden officials have faced mounting questions about the temporary detention of migrant families, an issue that the two previous presidents had to deal with because of the instability in the region. The new administration is seeking to craft a softer approach.

Roberta Jacobson, Biden’s senior official for southwest border affairs and a former U.S. ambassador to Mexico, said the administration is asking Congress for $4 billion for targeted aid to nonprofit and community organizations in Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala to try to ease some of the conditions that cause people to flee their homelands.

“Only by addressing those root causes can we break the cycle of desperation and provide hope for families who clearly would prefer to stay in their countries and provide a better future for their children,” she told reporters at the White House.

Jacobson said the U.S. is also restoring a program, ended under Trump, that reunited children in the three Central American countries with parents who are legal residents in the United States.

There are about 3,100 children whose cases were pending when the program was halted under Trump and “thousands more who are in thousands more who are in need of international humanitarian protection from violence and persecution,” said Jennifer Sime, a senior vice president for the International Rescue Committee.

The Department of Homeland Security has also begun processing the asylum claims of thousands of people who were forced by the Trump administration to stay in Mexico, often in dangerous conditions, for a decision on their case.

U.S. officials say that early Biden administration moves on immigration have likely been portrayed by smugglers to migrants that they will be able to cross the southwest border more easily than under Trump. Most people are still turned back.

Nearly three-quarters of the more than 100,000 total people encountered at the southwest border in February were single adults, records show, and the vast majority were quickly sent back across the border to Mexico under the public health order.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1615476676228.png" alt="National Security Council Coordinator for U.S. Southern Border Roberta Jacobson -photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>National Security Council Coordinator for U.S. Southern Border Roberta Jacobson -photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of migrant children and families seeking to cross the U.S. southwest border has surged to levels not seen since before the pandemic, a challenge for President Joe Biden as he works to undo the restrictive immigration policies of his predecessor.Statistics released Wednesday by U.S. Customs and Border Protection showed the number of children and families increased by more than 100% between January and February. Kids crossing by themselves rose 60% to more than 9,400, forcing the government to look for new places to hold them temporarily.The surge has been seized on by Republicans and former President Donald Trump as a line of attack on Biden, though his administration is turning back nearly all single adults, who make up the majority of border-crossers, under a public health order imposed at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.The Biden administration is temporarily holding children and families, mostly from Central America, for several days. They are generally then allowed to enter the U.S. while authorities evaluate their claims to asylum or see if they have any other legal right to stay in the country.It is a challenge for an administration that has been working to restore an asylum system largely dismantled under Trump and likely to face increasing pressure.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-guatemala-central-america-immigration-coronavirus-pandemic-a37241f7310940c98dbdd986efec3532">Factors driving the increase include&nbsp;</a>widespread hunger in Central America due to recent hurricanes, the economic upheaval of the pandemic and more fundamental social problems dating back years.“If you put all those issues together you are going to see folks that are looking for a better way of life,” acting CBP Commissioner Troy Miller said as he presented the latest figures.Republicans have argued that migrants are drawn by incentives such as the immigration bill backed by Biden and many Democrats that would offer a path to citizenship for millions of people illegally in the country. “We’re seeing a surge of unaccompanied children coming across the border. Why? Joe Biden promised amnesty,” Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said in a tweet.Overall encounters have been increasing steadily since April 2020, soon after Mexico and the U.S. agreed to close the official border crossings to all but essential traffic because of the pandemic.There were nearly 29,000 families or unaccompanied minors combined in February. The last time it was higher was in October 2019. The total number of people encountered by CBP was just up 28% from January, but many of them are migrants who were recently turned back and are trying again.Biden officials have faced mounting questions about the temporary detention of migrant families, an issue that the two previous presidents had to deal with because of the instability in the region. The new administration is seeking to craft a softer approach.Roberta Jacobson, Biden’s senior official for southwest border affairs and a former U.S. ambassador to Mexico, said the administration is asking Congress for $4 billion for targeted aid to nonprofit and community organizations in Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala to try to ease some of the conditions that cause people to flee their homelands.“Only by addressing those root causes can we break the cycle of desperation and provide hope for families who clearly would prefer to stay in their countries and provide a better future for their children,” she told reporters at the White House.Jacobson said the U.S. is also restoring a program, ended under Trump, that reunited children in the three Central American countries with parents who are legal residents in the United States.There are about 3,100 children whose cases were pending when the program was halted under Trump and “thousands more who are in thousands more who are in need of international humanitarian protection from violence and persecution,” said Jennifer Sime, a senior vice president for the International Rescue Committee.The Department of Homeland Security has also begun processing the asylum claims of thousands of people who were forced by the Trump administration to stay in Mexico, often in dangerous conditions, for a decision on their case.U.S. officials say that early Biden administration moves on immigration have likely been portrayed by smugglers to migrants that they will be able to cross the southwest border more easily than under Trump. Most people are still turned back.Nearly three-quarters of the more than 100,000 total people encountered at the southwest border in February were single adults, records show, and the vast majority were quickly sent back across the border to Mexico under the public health order.___

Surge of kids at U.S border not seen since before pandemic

DENVER (AP) — Gov. Jared Polis says he is activating about 50 National Guard troops to help first responders with any search and rescues required during a winter storm that's expected to hit the Front Range this weekend. 

Polis urged residents during a virtual news conference Thursday to stay home except for emergencies during the height of the storm. 

He says it could deliver a mix of rain and snow in the Colorado Springs area to the south and possibly two feet (60 centimeters) of snow to the north near the Wyoming border. 

The National Weather Service in Boulder says parts of the eastern plains will be affected as well on Saturday and Sunday.

DENVER (AP) — Gov. Jared Polis says he is activating about 50 National Guard troops to help first responders with any search and rescues required during a winter storm that's expected to hit the Front Range this weekend. Polis urged residents during a virtual news conference Thursday to stay home except for emergencies during the height of the storm. He says it could deliver a mix of rain and snow in the Colorado Springs area to the south and possibly two feet (60 centimeters) of snow to the north near the Wyoming border. The National Weather Service in Boulder says parts of the eastern plains will be affected as well on Saturday and Sunday.

Gov. Polis activates National Guard ahead of weekend winter storm

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem says she is weighing whether to sign a bill that would ban transgender girls and women from female sports leagues. 

Transgender advocates demonstrated at the Capitol and college athletes pressured the NCAA to punish states that pass such laws. 

Shortly after the Legislature passed the bill Monday, the Republican governor said she was “excited to sign” it. 

But at a news conference on Thursday, she struck a more cautious tone.

 While Noem argues the bill is about “protecting women’s sports,” her decision to sign it into law could have far-reaching effects.

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem says she is weighing whether to sign a bill that would ban transgender girls and women from female sports leagues. Transgender advocates demonstrated at the Capitol and college athletes pressured the NCAA to punish states that pass such laws. Shortly after the Legislature passed the bill Monday, the Republican governor said she was “excited to sign” it. But at a news conference on Thursday, she struck a more cautious tone. While Noem argues the bill is about “protecting women’s sports,” her decision to sign it into law could have far-reaching effects.

Noem weighing girls' transgender sports ban amid protests

(AP)-Facebook has asked a court to dismiss state and federal antitrust lawsuits that accuse it of abusing its market power in social networking to crush smaller competitors. 

The social media giant said Wednesday that the complaints “do not credibly claim” that its conduct harmed either consumers or market competition. 

The antitrust suits, filed in December by the Federal Trade Commission and 48 states, are seeking remedies that could include a forced spinoff of the social network’s Instagram and WhatsApp services. 

The FTC said Facebook has engaged in a a "systematic strategy” to eliminate its competition, including by buying smaller rivals.

By BARBARA ORTUTAY-Associated Press(AP)-Facebook has asked a court to dismiss state and federal antitrust lawsuits that accuse it of abusing its market power in social networking to crush smaller competitors. The social media giant said Wednesday that the complaints “do not credibly claim” that its conduct harmed either consumers or market competition. The antitrust suits, filed in December by the Federal Trade Commission and 48 states, are seeking remedies that could include a forced spinoff of the social network’s Instagram and WhatsApp services. The FTC said Facebook has engaged in a a "systematic strategy” to eliminate its competition, including by buying smaller rivals.

Facebook moves to dismiss federal, state antitrust suits

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/d5a0fee7-ec64-4423-8a5d-e189df743e0d">RELATED:&nbsp;IRS: No stimulus check? You may be eligible for Recovery Rebate Credit. Click HERE for more.</a>

<a href="https://greatbendpost.com/posts/3820050f-0695-4338-858b-9312156bda8a">RELATED:&nbsp;$1,400 payments begin by weekend</a>

As part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which included $1,400 payments to most Americans, the Internal Revenue Service offers an online tool to track those payments.

The Get My Payment tool can be accessed <a href="https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment">HERE</a>. .

The link also contains information on what to do if you have not received the first and second round of relief payments.

<a href="https://jcpost.com/posts/b1dffc64-ce07-49b4-a374-8b42b5ca23a3">READ MORE:&nbsp;Big Red One Soldiers support FEMA vaccination efforts</a>.

<a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/7104b600-820f-49e9-a109-7ec945681f03">READ MORE:&nbsp;A pandemic effect — gun sales up, ammunition scarce</a>.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600360924825.jpeg" alt="" />
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 </figure><a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/d5a0fee7-ec64-4423-8a5d-e189df743e0d">RELATED:&nbsp;IRS: No stimulus check? You may be eligible for Recovery Rebate Credit. Click HERE for more.</a><a href="https://greatbendpost.com/posts/3820050f-0695-4338-858b-9312156bda8a">RELATED:&nbsp;$1,400 payments begin by weekend</a>As part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which included $1,400 payments to most Americans, the Internal Revenue Service offers an online tool to track those payments.The Get My Payment tool can be accessed <a href="https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment">HERE</a>. .The link also contains information on what to do if you have not received the first and second round of relief payments.<a href="https://jcpost.com/posts/b1dffc64-ce07-49b4-a374-8b42b5ca23a3">READ MORE:&nbsp;Big Red One Soldiers support FEMA vaccination efforts</a>.<a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/7104b600-820f-49e9-a109-7ec945681f03">READ MORE:&nbsp;A pandemic effect — gun sales up, ammunition scarce</a>.&nbsp;

IRS: Check the status of your COVID stimulus check

BLAIR, Neb. (AP) — An Oklahoma police chief who spoke at the funeral of a 17-year-old Nebraska girl who died in a shootout with four of his officers says he was honored when the girl's father invited him to the service. 

Chief Johnny Teehee, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, spoke Wednesday in Blair, Nebraska, at the funeral of 17-year-old Farrah Rauch. 

Police say she was killed Feb. 28 after she fired at officers while fleeing from an attempted carjacking. 

Her 17-year-old boyfriend shot himself at the scene.

 Four Muskogee officers were placed on administrative leave while the shooting is investigated. 

Rauch's father said the officers were doing their jobs and didn't know the suspects they were pursuing were teenagers.

BLAIR, Neb. (AP) — An Oklahoma police chief who spoke at the funeral of a 17-year-old Nebraska girl who died in a shootout with four of his officers says he was honored when the girl's father invited him to the service. Chief Johnny Teehee, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, spoke Wednesday in Blair, Nebraska, at the funeral of 17-year-old Farrah Rauch. Police say she was killed Feb. 28 after she fired at officers while fleeing from an attempted carjacking. Her 17-year-old boyfriend shot himself at the scene. Four Muskogee officers were placed on administrative leave while the shooting is investigated. Rauch's father said the officers were doing their jobs and didn't know the suspects they were pursuing were teenagers.

Chief speaks at funeral for Nebraska teen shot in Oklahoma

WASHINGTON (AP) — One year after the nation was brought to a near-standstill by the coronavirus, President Joe Biden pledged in his first prime-time address Thursday night to make all adults eligible for vaccines by May 1 and raised the possibility of beginning to “mark our independence from this virus” by the Fourth of July. He offered Americans fresh hope and appealed anew for their help.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?509778-1/president-biden-addresses-nation-year-anniversary-coronavirus-pandemic">Click here to watch</a> a replay of the President's address.

Speaking in the White House East Room, Biden honored the “collective suffering” of Americans over the past year in his 24-minute address and then offered them a vision for a return to a modicum of normalcy this summer.

“We are bound together by the loss and the pain of the days that have gone by,” he said. “We are also bound together by the hope and the possibilities in the days in front of us.”

He predicted Americans could safely gather at least in small groups for July Fourth to “make this Independence Day truly special.”

But he also cautioned that this was a “goal” and attaining it depends on people’s cooperation in following public health guidelines and rolling up their sleeves to get vaccinated as soon as eligible. Only that, he said, can bring about an end to a pandemic that has killed more than 530,000 Americans and disrupted the lives of countless more.

“While it was different for everyone, we all lost something,” Biden said of the sacrifices of the yearlong-and-counting pandemic.

The speech came just hours after Biden signed into law a $1.9 trillion relief package that he said will help defeat the virus, nurse the economy back to health and deliver direct aid to Americans struggling to make ends meet.

Some cash distributions could begin arriving in the bank accounts of Americans this weekend.

“This historic legislation is about rebuilding the backbone of this country,” Biden said as he signed the bill in the Oval Office.

Most noticeable to many Americans are provisions providing up to $1,400 in direct payments and extending $300 weekly emergency unemployment benefits into early September. Also included are expanded tax credits over the next year for children, child care and family leave — some of them credits that Democrats have signaled they’d like to make permanent — plus spending for renters, food programs and people’s utility bills.

In his Thursday night address, Biden said that as vaccine supplies continue to increase, he will direct states and territories to make all adults eligible for vaccination by May 1. The U.S. is expecting to have enough doses for those 255 million adults by the end of that month, but Biden warned the process of actually administering those doses would take time, even as his administration looks to instill confidence in the safety of the vaccines to overcome hesitance.

“Let me be clear, that doesn’t mean everyone’s going to have that shot immediately, but it means you’ll be able to get in line beginning May 1,” he said.

Biden announced an expansion of other efforts to speed vaccinations, including deploying an additional 4,000 active-duty troops to support vaccination efforts and allowing more people — such as medical students, veterinarians and dentists — to deliver shots. He is also directing more doses toward some 950 community health centers and up to 20,000 retail pharmacies, to make it easier for people to get vaccinated closer to their homes.

Biden added that his administration is planning to launch a nationwide website to help people find doses, saying it would address frustrations so that there would be “no more searching day and night for an appointment.”

Even as he offered optimism, Biden made clear that the July 4 timetable applied only to smaller gatherings, not larger ones, and requires cooperation from Americans to continue to wear face coverings, maintain social distancing and follow federal guidelines meant to slow the spread of the virus in the near term. He also called on them roll up their sleeves to get vaccinated as soon as they’re eligible.

This is “not the time to not stick with the rules,” Biden said, warning of the potential for backsliding just as the nation is on the cusp of defeating the virus. “I need you, the American people,” he added. “I need you. I need every American to do their part.”

The House gave final congressional approval to the sweeping package by a near party line 220-211 vote on Wednesday, seven weeks after Biden entered the White House and four days after the Senate passed the bill. Republicans in both chambers opposed the legislation unanimously, characterizing it as bloated, crammed with liberal policies and heedless of signs the crises are easing.

Biden had originally planned to sign the bill on Friday, but it arrived at the White House more quickly than anticipated.

“We want to move as fast as possible,” tweeted chief of staff Ron Klain.

Biden’s initial prime-time speech was “a big moment,” said presidential historian and Rice University professor Douglas Brinkley. “He’s got to win over hearts and minds for people to stay masked and get vaccinated, but also recognize that after the last year, the federal government hasn’t forgotten you.”

Biden’s evening remarks were central to a pivotal week for the president as he addresses the defining challenge of his term: shepherding the nation through the twin public health and economic storms brought about by the virus.

On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released initial guidance for how vaccinated people can resume some normal activities. On Wednesday, Congress approved the president’s $1.9 trillion “American Rescue Plan,” aimed at easing the economic impact of the virus on tens of millions of people. And the nation was on pace to administer its 100 millionth dose of vaccine as soon as Thursday.

Almost exactly one year ago, President Donald Trump addressed the nation to mark the WHO’s declaration of a global pandemic. He announced travel restrictions and called for Americans to practice good hygiene but displayed little alarm about the forthcoming catastrophe. Trump, it was later revealed, acknowledged that he had been deliberately “playing down” the threat of the virus.

Biden implicitly criticized his predecessor, opening his remarks by referring to “denials for days, weeks, then months that led to more deaths, more infections, more stress, and more loneliness.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1615516457206.png" alt="Speaking in the White House East Room, President Biden honored the “collective suffering” of Americans over the past year-photo courtesy White House." />
 <figcaption>Speaking in the White House East Room, President Biden honored the “collective suffering” of Americans over the past year-photo courtesy White House.</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — One year after the nation was brought to a near-standstill by the coronavirus, President Joe Biden pledged in his first prime-time address Thursday night to make all adults eligible for vaccines by May 1 and raised the possibility of beginning to “mark our independence from this virus” by the Fourth of July. He offered Americans fresh hope and appealed anew for their help.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?509778-1/president-biden-addresses-nation-year-anniversary-coronavirus-pandemic">Click here to watch</a> a replay of the President's address.Speaking in the White House East Room, Biden honored the “collective suffering” of Americans over the past year in his 24-minute address and then offered them a vision for a return to a modicum of normalcy this summer.“We are bound together by the loss and the pain of the days that have gone by,” he said. “We are also bound together by the hope and the possibilities in the days in front of us.”He predicted Americans could safely gather at least in small groups for July Fourth to “make this Independence Day truly special.”But he also cautioned that this was a “goal” and attaining it depends on people’s cooperation in following public health guidelines and rolling up their sleeves to get vaccinated as soon as eligible. Only that, he said, can bring about an end to a pandemic that has killed more than 530,000 Americans and disrupted the lives of countless more.“While it was different for everyone, we all lost something,” Biden said of the sacrifices of the yearlong-and-counting pandemic.The speech came just hours after Biden signed into law a $1.9 trillion relief package that he said will help defeat the virus, nurse the economy back to health and deliver direct aid to Americans struggling to make ends meet.Some cash distributions could begin arriving in the bank accounts of Americans this weekend.“This historic legislation is about rebuilding the backbone of this country,” Biden said as he signed the bill in the Oval Office.Most noticeable to many Americans are provisions providing up to $1,400 in direct payments and extending $300 weekly emergency unemployment benefits into early September. Also included are expanded tax credits over the next year for children, child care and family leave — some of them credits that Democrats have signaled they’d like to make permanent — plus spending for renters, food programs and people’s utility bills.In his Thursday night address, Biden said that as vaccine supplies continue to increase, he will direct states and territories to make all adults eligible for vaccination by May 1. The U.S. is expecting to have enough doses for those 255 million adults by the end of that month, but Biden warned the process of actually administering those doses would take time, even as his administration looks to instill confidence in the safety of the vaccines to overcome hesitance.“Let me be clear, that doesn’t mean everyone’s going to have that shot immediately, but it means you’ll be able to get in line beginning May 1,” he said.Biden announced an expansion of other efforts to speed vaccinations, including deploying an additional 4,000 active-duty troops to support vaccination efforts and allowing more people — such as medical students, veterinarians and dentists — to deliver shots. He is also directing more doses toward some 950 community health centers and up to 20,000 retail pharmacies, to make it easier for people to get vaccinated closer to their homes.Biden added that his administration is planning to launch a nationwide website to help people find doses, saying it would address frustrations so that there would be “no more searching day and night for an appointment.”Even as he offered optimism, Biden made clear that the July 4 timetable applied only to smaller gatherings, not larger ones, and requires cooperation from Americans to continue to wear face coverings, maintain social distancing and follow federal guidelines meant to slow the spread of the virus in the near term. He also called on them roll up their sleeves to get vaccinated as soon as they’re eligible.This is “not the time to not stick with the rules,” Biden said, warning of the potential for backsliding just as the nation is on the cusp of defeating the virus. “I need you, the American people,” he added. “I need you. I need every American to do their part.”The House gave final congressional approval to the sweeping package by a near party line 220-211 vote on Wednesday, seven weeks after Biden entered the White House and four days after the Senate passed the bill. Republicans in both chambers opposed the legislation unanimously, characterizing it as bloated, crammed with liberal policies and heedless of signs the crises are easing.Biden had originally planned to sign the bill on Friday, but it arrived at the White House more quickly than anticipated.“We want to move as fast as possible,” tweeted chief of staff Ron Klain.Biden’s initial prime-time speech was “a big moment,” said presidential historian and Rice University professor Douglas Brinkley. “He’s got to win over hearts and minds for people to stay masked and get vaccinated, but also recognize that after the last year, the federal government hasn’t forgotten you.”Biden’s evening remarks were central to a pivotal week for the president as he addresses the defining challenge of his term: shepherding the nation through the twin public health and economic storms brought about by the virus.On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released initial guidance for how vaccinated people can resume some normal activities. On Wednesday, Congress approved the president’s $1.9 trillion “American Rescue Plan,” aimed at easing the economic impact of the virus on tens of millions of people. And the nation was on pace to administer its 100 millionth dose of vaccine as soon as Thursday.Almost exactly one year ago, President Donald Trump addressed the nation to mark the WHO’s declaration of a global pandemic. He announced travel restrictions and called for Americans to practice good hygiene but displayed little alarm about the forthcoming catastrophe. Trump, it was later revealed, acknowledged that he had been deliberately “playing down” the threat of the virus.Biden implicitly criticized his predecessor, opening his remarks by referring to “denials for days, weeks, then months that led to more deaths, more infections, more stress, and more loneliness.”

🎥  President Biden aims for quicker shots, 'independence from virus'

WASHINGTON (AP) — Marking a year of loss and disruption, President Joe Biden on Thursday signed into law the $1.9 trillion relief package that he said will help the U.S. defeat the coronavirus and nurse the economy back to health.

The $1,400 direct payments for most Americans funded by the American Rescue Plan will start showing up in bank accounts as early as this weekend.

The signing came hours before Biden delivers his first prime-time address since taking office. He’s aiming to steer the nation toward a hungered-for sentiment — hope — as he marks one year since the onset of the pandemic that has killed more than 529,000 Americans.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1615492502968.png" alt="President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan in on Thursday-photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan in on Thursday-photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Marking a year of loss and disruption, President Joe Biden on Thursday signed into law the $1.9 trillion relief package that he said will help the U.S. defeat the coronavirus and nurse the economy back to health.The $1,400 direct payments for most Americans funded by the American Rescue Plan will start showing up in bank accounts as early as this weekend.The signing came hours before Biden delivers his first prime-time address since taking office. He’s aiming to steer the nation toward a hungered-for sentiment — hope — as he marks one year since the onset of the pandemic that has killed more than 529,000 Americans.“This historic legislation is about rebuilding the backbone of this country,” Biden said as he signed the bill in the Oval Office.Biden originally planned to sign the bill on Friday, but it arrived at the White House more quickly than anticipated.“We want to move as fast as possible,” tweeted White House chief of staff Ron Klain. He added, “We will hold our celebration of the signing on Friday, as planned, with congressional leaders!”Previewing his remarks, Biden said he would “talk about what we’ve been through as a nation this past year, but more importantly, I’m going to talk about what comes next.”Biden’s challenge Thursday night will be to honor the sacrifices made by Americans over the last year while encouraging them to remain vigilant despite “virus fatigue” and growing impatience to resume normal activities given the tantalizing promise of vaccines. Speaking on the one-year anniversary of the World Health Organization’s declaration of a pandemic, he’ll mourn the dead, but also project optimism about the future.“This is a chance for him to really beam into everybody’s living rooms and to be both the mourner in chief and to explain how he’s leading the country out of this,” said presidential historian and Rice University professor Douglas Brinkley.“This is a big moment,” Brinkley added. “He’s got to win over hearts and minds for people to stay masked and get vaccinated, but also recognize that after the last year, the federal government hasn’t forgotten you.”Biden’s evening remarks in the East Room are central to a pivotal week for the president as he addresses the defining challenge of his term: shepherding the nation through the twin public health and economic storms brought about by the virus.On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released initial guidance for how vaccinated people can resume some normal activities. On Wednesday, Congress approved the president’s $1.9 trillion “American Rescue Plan,” aimed at easing the economic impact of the virus on tens of millions of people. And the nation was on pace to administer its 100 millionth dose of vaccine as soon as Thursday.Biden said he would focus his remarks on what his administration plans to deliver in the coming months, but also reiterate his call for Americans to continue to practice social distancing and wear face coverings to hasten the end of the pandemic.“I’m going to launch the next phase of the COVID response and explain what we will do as a government and what we will ask of the American people,” he said.He added: “There is light at the end of this dark tunnel of the past year. There is real reason for hope."