WASHINGTON (AP) — A Congress riven along party lines approved a landmark $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill Wednesday, as President Joe Biden and Democrats claimed a triumph on a bill that marshals the government’s spending might against twin pandemic and economic crises that have upended a nation.

The House gave final congressional approval to the sweeping package by a near party line 220-211 vote precisely seven weeks after Biden entered the White House and four days after the Senate passed the bill without a single Republican vote. GOP lawmakers opposed the package as bloated, crammed with liberal policies and heedless of signs the crises are easing.

Most noticeable to many Americans are provisions to provide up to $1,400 direct payments this year to most adults and extend $300 per week emergency unemployment benefits into early September. But the legislation goes far beyond that.

The measure addresses Democrats’ campaign promises and Biden’s top initial priority of easing a one-two punch that first hit the country a year ago. Since then, many Americans have been relegated to hermit-like lifestyles in their homes to avoid a disease that’s killed over 525,000 people — about the population of Wichita, Kansas — and plunged the economy to its deepest depths since the Great Depression.

“Today we have a decision to make of tremendous consequence,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., “a decision that will make a difference for millions of Americans, saving lives and livelihoods.”

For Biden and Democrats, the bill is essentially a canvas on which they’ve painted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-coronavirus-relief-package-d794c3e29056cc5f20ab531d978be40c">their core beliefs</a>&nbsp;— that government programs can be a benefit, not a bane, to millions of people and that spending huge sums on such efforts can be a cure, not a curse. The measure so closely tracks Democrats’ priorities that several rank it with the top achievements of their careers, and despite their slender congressional majorities there was never real suspense over its fate.

They were also empowered by three dynamics: their unfettered control of the White House and Congress, polls showing robust support for Biden’s approach and a moment when most voters care little that the national debt is soaring toward a stratospheric $22 trillion. Neither party seems much troubled by surging red ink, either, except when the other is using it to finance its priorities, be they Democratic spending or&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2d9e099660064f2b8a8fc2237b4e7e4e">GOP tax cuts</a>.

Republicans noted that they’ve overwhelmingly supported five previous relief bills that Congress has approved since the pandemic struck a year ago, when divided government under then-President Donald Trump forced the parties to negotiate. They said this one solely reflected Democratic goals by setting aside money for family planning programs and federal workers who take leave to cope with COVID-19 and failing to require that shuttered schools accepting aid reopen their doors.

“If you’re a member of the swamp, you do pretty well under this bill. But for the American people, it means serious problems immediately on the horizon,” said House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., referring to the added federal borrowing the measure will force.

A dominant feature of the 628-page bill is initiatives making it one of the biggest federal efforts in years to assist lower- and middle-income families. Included are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-midterm-elections-poverty-coronavirus-pandemic-elections-9651ead860f014595d06a787861718e5">expanded tax credits over the next year for children</a>, child care and family leave — some of them credits that Democrats have signaled they’d like to make permanent — plus spending for renters, feeding programs and people’s utility bills.

Besides the direct payments and jobless-benefit extension, t&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-personal-taxes-legislation-coronavirus-pandemic-local-governments-e828c92fbdd7f4fa1e35d9ab95fe705e">he measure&nbsp;</a>has hundreds of billions for COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, schools, state and local governments and ailing industries from airlines to concert halls. There is aid for farmers of color, pension systems and student borrowers, and subsidies for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-health-care-reform-legislation-coronavirus-pandemic-medicaid-326ce72c76e3d2d99da89d3834f4e8b0">consumers buying health insurance&nbsp;</a>and states expanding Medicaid coverage for lower earners.

“Who’s going to help? Do we say this is all survival of the fittest? No,” said House Budget Committee Chairman John Yarmuth, D-Ky. “We rise to the occasion. We deliver.”

Underscoring the bill’s focus, the independent Tax Policy Center said the measure would give almost 70% of its tax breaks this year to households earning $91,000 or less. In contrast, the Trump-era GOP tax bill gave nearly half its 2018 reductions to the top 5% of households earning around $308,000, said the research center, which is run by the liberal-leaning Urban Institute and Brookings Institution.

The measure was approved amid promising though mixed signs of recovery.

Americans are getting vaccinated at increasingly robust rates, though that is tempered by coronavirus variants and people’s growing impatience with curbing social activities. The economy created an unexpectedly strong 379,000 jobs last month, though there remain 9.5 million fewer than before the pandemic struck.

Republicans said the country will pay a price for the extra spending.

“It’s certainly good politics to say, ’Hey, we’re going to hand you a check for $1,400,” said Rep. Tom Rice of South Carolina. “But what they don’t talk about is what this bill costs.”

An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll found last week that 70% of Americans back Biden’s response to the virus, including a hefty 44% of Republicans. According to a CNN poll released Wednesday, the relief bill is backed by 61% of Americans, including nearly all Democrats, 58% of independents and 26% of Republicans.

Yet until November 2022, when control of the Senate and House will be at stake, it will be uncertain whether voters will reward Democrats, punish them for the expenditures or make decisions on other, unforeseen issues.

The bill’s pathway has underscored Democrats’ challenges&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/20685c35e31aff0cdbc432d8f127ee62">as they seek to build a legislative record</a>&nbsp;that will persuade voters to support them.

Democrats control the Senate, split 50-50, only because Vice President Kamala Harris gives them the winning vote in tied roll calls. They have just a 10-vote advantage in the House.

That’s almost no wiggle room for a party that ranges from West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin on the conservative side to progressives like New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

On the relief bill, progressives had to swallow big concessions to solidify moderate support.

The most painful was dropping the House-approved federal minimum-wage increase to $15 hourly by 2025. Moderates also succeeded in trimming the emergency jobless benefits, which in an earlier version were $400 weekly, and phasing out the $1,400 stimulus checks completely for earners at lower levels than originally proposed.

Keeping Democrats united won’t get easier as the party tries advancing the rest of its agenda. There are fault lines within the party over priorities like immigration, health care and taxes.

At some point it seems likely that progressives will draw their own lines in the sand. They are already demanding that the party revisit the minimum-wage boost.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress is poised to approve&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-coronavirus-action-plan-3d8d5841bb9098a81ad9452fb2619024">a landmark $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill</a>, placing President Joe Biden on the cusp of an early triumph that advances Democratic priorities and showcases the unity his party will need to forge future victories.

The House was expected to give final congressional approval Wednesday to the package, which aims to fulfill Democrats’ campaign promises to beat&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">the coronavirus pandemic</a>&nbsp;and revive&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pandemics-jobless-claims-unemployment-coronavirus-pandemic-economy-01d54b8c5f65a813a09df482aa4b6786">the enfeebled economy</a>. House and Senate Republicans have unanimously opposed the package as bloated, crammed with liberal policies and heedless of signs the dual crises are easing.

“It’s a remarkable, historic, transformative piece of legislation which goes a very long way to crushing the virus and solving our economic crisis,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Tuesday.

A dominant feature of the bill is initiatives making it one of the biggest federal thrusts in years to assist lower- and middle-income families. Included are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-midterm-elections-poverty-coronavirus-pandemic-elections-9651ead860f014595d06a787861718e5">expanded tax credits over the next year for children</a>, child care and family leave plus spending for renters, feeding programs and people’s utility bills.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-personal-taxes-legislation-coronavirus-pandemic-local-governments-e828c92fbdd7f4fa1e35d9ab95fe705e">The measure&nbsp;</a>provides up to $1,400 direct payments to most Americans, extended emergency unemployment benefits and hundreds of billions for COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, schools, state and local governments and ailing industries from airlines to concert halls. There is aid for farmers of color and pension systems, and subsidies for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-health-care-reform-legislation-coronavirus-pandemic-medicaid-326ce72c76e3d2d99da89d3834f4e8b0">consumers buying health insurance&nbsp;</a>and states expanding Medicaid coverage for lower earners.

Its very expansiveness is a chief GOP talking point.

“It’s not focused on COVID relief. It’s focused on pushing more of the far-left agenda,” said No. 2 House GOP leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana.

The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll found last week that 70% of Americans back Biden’s response to the virus, including a hefty 44% of Republicans.

Yet the bill’s pathway has underscored Democrats’ challenges&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/20685c35e31aff0cdbc432d8f127ee62">as they seek to build a legislative record</a>&nbsp;to persuade voters to keep them running Congress in next year’s elections.

That’s almost no wiggle room for a party that ranges from West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin on the conservative side to progressives like Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Progressives had to swallow big concessions in the bill to solidify moderate support. The most painful was dropping the House-approved federal minimum-wage increase to $15 hourly by 2025.

Moderates forced tightened eligibility for the $1,400 stimulus checks, now phased out completely for individuals earning $80,000 and couples making $160,000. The House’s initial extension of the soon-to-end $400 weekly emergency jobless payments, paid on top of state benefits, was trimmed by the Senate to $300 and will now halt in early September.

Manchin was a leading holdout and in the middle of talks that resulted in curbing all of those initiatives. The Senate approved the bill on a party-line 50-49 vote on Saturday.

Dropping the minimum-wage boost was “infuriating,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., chair of the roughly 100-member Congressional Progressive Caucus. But she called the overall bill “incredibly bold,” adding, “It hits all of our progressive priorities — putting money in people’s pockets, shots in arms, unemployment insurance, child care, schools.”

The independent Tax Policy Center said that the Senate-passed bill would give almost 70% of this year’s tax breaks to households earning $91,000 or less. In contrast, the Trump-era GOP tax bill gave nearly half its 2018 reductions to the top 5% of households earning around $308,000, said the research center, which is run by the liberal-leaning Urban Institute and Brookings Institution.

Yet keeping Democrats united won’t get easier as the party tries advancing the rest of its agenda. There are fault lines within the party over priorities like immigration, health care and taxes.

At some point it seems likely that progressives will draw their own lines in the sand. They are already demanding that the party revisit the minimum-wage boost, and amid all this Republicans are already demonstrating they are ready to pounce.

The American Action Network, tied to House GOP leaders, said it’s launched digital ads in mostly moderate districts calling the relief bill “a freight train of frivolous spending to bankroll their liberal cronies.”

The bill passed the Senate under budget rules that prevented Republicans from launching filibusters, which require 60 votes for most measures. That process won’t be available for much legislation moving forward, but either way any Democratic Senate defections will make most bills there non-starters.

Even with their procedural advantage, Democrats’ avenue to victory in the Senate was pockmarked with delays. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., forced clerks to spend nearly 11 hours reading the entire 628-page bill; negotiations with Manchin over jobless benefits lasted around nine hours; and votes on three dozen amendments, virtually all fated in advance to lose, took about 12 hours more.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1615404578765.png" alt="House Speaker Nancy Pelosi celebrated the win for Democrats and President Joe Biden-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>House Speaker Nancy Pelosi celebrated the win for Democrats and President Joe Biden-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A Congress riven along party lines approved a landmark $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill Wednesday, as President Joe Biden and Democrats claimed a triumph on a bill that marshals the government’s spending might against twin pandemic and economic crises that have upended a nation.The House gave final congressional approval to the sweeping package by a near party line 220-211 vote precisely seven weeks after Biden entered the White House and four days after the Senate passed the bill without a single Republican vote. GOP lawmakers opposed the package as bloated, crammed with liberal policies and heedless of signs the crises are easing.Most noticeable to many Americans are provisions to provide up to $1,400 direct payments this year to most adults and extend $300 per week emergency unemployment benefits into early September. But the legislation goes far beyond that.The measure addresses Democrats’ campaign promises and Biden’s top initial priority of easing a one-two punch that first hit the country a year ago. Since then, many Americans have been relegated to hermit-like lifestyles in their homes to avoid a disease that’s killed over 525,000 people — about the population of Wichita, Kansas — and plunged the economy to its deepest depths since the Great Depression.“Today we have a decision to make of tremendous consequence,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., “a decision that will make a difference for millions of Americans, saving lives and livelihoods.”For Biden and Democrats, the bill is essentially a canvas on which they’ve painted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-coronavirus-relief-package-d794c3e29056cc5f20ab531d978be40c">their core beliefs</a>&nbsp;— that government programs can be a benefit, not a bane, to millions of people and that spending huge sums on such efforts can be a cure, not a curse. The measure so closely tracks Democrats’ priorities that several rank it with the top achievements of their careers, and despite their slender congressional majorities there was never real suspense over its fate.They were also empowered by three dynamics: their unfettered control of the White House and Congress, polls showing robust support for Biden’s approach and a moment when most voters care little that the national debt is soaring toward a stratospheric $22 trillion. Neither party seems much troubled by surging red ink, either, except when the other is using it to finance its priorities, be they Democratic spending or&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2d9e099660064f2b8a8fc2237b4e7e4e">GOP tax cuts</a>.Republicans noted that they’ve overwhelmingly supported five previous relief bills that Congress has approved since the pandemic struck a year ago, when divided government under then-President Donald Trump forced the parties to negotiate. They said this one solely reflected Democratic goals by setting aside money for family planning programs and federal workers who take leave to cope with COVID-19 and failing to require that shuttered schools accepting aid reopen their doors.“If you’re a member of the swamp, you do pretty well under this bill. But for the American people, it means serious problems immediately on the horizon,” said House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., referring to the added federal borrowing the measure will force.A dominant feature of the 628-page bill is initiatives making it one of the biggest federal efforts in years to assist lower- and middle-income families. Included are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-midterm-elections-poverty-coronavirus-pandemic-elections-9651ead860f014595d06a787861718e5">expanded tax credits over the next year for children</a>, child care and family leave — some of them credits that Democrats have signaled they’d like to make permanent — plus spending for renters, feeding programs and people’s utility bills.Besides the direct payments and jobless-benefit extension, t&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-personal-taxes-legislation-coronavirus-pandemic-local-governments-e828c92fbdd7f4fa1e35d9ab95fe705e">he measure&nbsp;</a>has hundreds of billions for COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, schools, state and local governments and ailing industries from airlines to concert halls. There is aid for farmers of color, pension systems and student borrowers, and subsidies for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-health-care-reform-legislation-coronavirus-pandemic-medicaid-326ce72c76e3d2d99da89d3834f4e8b0">consumers buying health insurance&nbsp;</a>and states expanding Medicaid coverage for lower earners.“Who’s going to help? Do we say this is all survival of the fittest? No,” said House Budget Committee Chairman John Yarmuth, D-Ky. “We rise to the occasion. We deliver.”Underscoring the bill’s focus, the independent Tax Policy Center said the measure would give almost 70% of its tax breaks this year to households earning $91,000 or less. In contrast, the Trump-era GOP tax bill gave nearly half its 2018 reductions to the top 5% of households earning around $308,000, said the research center, which is run by the liberal-leaning Urban Institute and Brookings Institution.The measure was approved amid promising though mixed signs of recovery.Americans are getting vaccinated at increasingly robust rates, though that is tempered by coronavirus variants and people’s growing impatience with curbing social activities. The economy created an unexpectedly strong 379,000 jobs last month, though there remain 9.5 million fewer than before the pandemic struck.Republicans said the country will pay a price for the extra spending.“It’s certainly good politics to say, ’Hey, we’re going to hand you a check for $1,400,” said Rep. Tom Rice of South Carolina. “But what they don’t talk about is what this bill costs.”An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll found last week that 70% of Americans back Biden’s response to the virus, including a hefty 44% of Republicans. According to a CNN poll released Wednesday, the relief bill is backed by 61% of Americans, including nearly all Democrats, 58% of independents and 26% of Republicans.Yet until November 2022, when control of the Senate and House will be at stake, it will be uncertain whether voters will reward Democrats, punish them for the expenditures or make decisions on other, unforeseen issues.The bill’s pathway has underscored Democrats’ challenges&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/20685c35e31aff0cdbc432d8f127ee62">as they seek to build a legislative record</a>&nbsp;that will persuade voters to support them.Democrats control the Senate, split 50-50, only because Vice President Kamala Harris gives them the winning vote in tied roll calls. They have just a 10-vote advantage in the House.That’s almost no wiggle room for a party that ranges from West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin on the conservative side to progressives like New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.On the relief bill, progressives had to swallow big concessions to solidify moderate support.The most painful was dropping the House-approved federal minimum-wage increase to $15 hourly by 2025. Moderates also succeeded in trimming the emergency jobless benefits, which in an earlier version were $400 weekly, and phasing out the $1,400 stimulus checks completely for earners at lower levels than originally proposed.Keeping Democrats united won’t get easier as the party tries advancing the rest of its agenda. There are fault lines within the party over priorities like immigration, health care and taxes.At some point it seems likely that progressives will draw their own lines in the sand. They are already demanding that the party revisit the minimum-wage boost.-----------WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress is poised to approve&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-coronavirus-action-plan-3d8d5841bb9098a81ad9452fb2619024">a landmark $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill</a>, placing President Joe Biden on the cusp of an early triumph that advances Democratic priorities and showcases the unity his party will need to forge future victories.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1615375274220.png" alt="House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke with reporters about the American Rescue Plan Tuesday afternoon-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke with reporters about the American Rescue Plan Tuesday afternoon-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>The House was expected to give final congressional approval Wednesday to the package, which aims to fulfill Democrats’ campaign promises to beat&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic">the coronavirus pandemic</a>&nbsp;and revive&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pandemics-jobless-claims-unemployment-coronavirus-pandemic-economy-01d54b8c5f65a813a09df482aa4b6786">the enfeebled economy</a>. House and Senate Republicans have unanimously opposed the package as bloated, crammed with liberal policies and heedless of signs the dual crises are easing.“It’s a remarkable, historic, transformative piece of legislation which goes a very long way to crushing the virus and solving our economic crisis,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Tuesday.For Biden and Democrats, the bill is essentially a canvas on which they’ve painted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-coronavirus-relief-package-d794c3e29056cc5f20ab531d978be40c">their core beliefs</a>&nbsp;— that government programs can be a benefit, not a bane, to millions of people and that spending huge sums on such efforts can be a cure, not a curse. The measure so closely tracks Democrats’ priorities that several rank it with the top achievements of their careers, and despite their slender congressional majorities there was never real suspense over its fate.They were also empowered by three dynamics: their unfettered control of the White House and Congress, polls showing robust support for Biden’s approach and a moment when most voters care little that the national debt is soaring toward a stratospheric $22 trillion. Neither party seems much troubled by surging red ink, either, except when the other is using it to finance its priorities, be they Democratic spending or&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2d9e099660064f2b8a8fc2237b4e7e4e">GOP tax cuts</a>.A dominant feature of the bill is initiatives making it one of the biggest federal thrusts in years to assist lower- and middle-income families. Included are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-midterm-elections-poverty-coronavirus-pandemic-elections-9651ead860f014595d06a787861718e5">expanded tax credits over the next year for children</a>, child care and family leave plus spending for renters, feeding programs and people’s utility bills.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-personal-taxes-legislation-coronavirus-pandemic-local-governments-e828c92fbdd7f4fa1e35d9ab95fe705e">The measure&nbsp;</a>provides up to $1,400 direct payments to most Americans, extended emergency unemployment benefits and hundreds of billions for COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, schools, state and local governments and ailing industries from airlines to concert halls. There is aid for farmers of color and pension systems, and subsidies for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-health-care-reform-legislation-coronavirus-pandemic-medicaid-326ce72c76e3d2d99da89d3834f4e8b0">consumers buying health insurance&nbsp;</a>and states expanding Medicaid coverage for lower earners.Its very expansiveness is a chief GOP talking point.“It’s not focused on COVID relief. It’s focused on pushing more of the far-left agenda,” said No. 2 House GOP leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana.The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll found last week that 70% of Americans back Biden’s response to the virus, including a hefty 44% of Republicans.Yet the bill’s pathway has underscored Democrats’ challenges&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/20685c35e31aff0cdbc432d8f127ee62">as they seek to build a legislative record</a>&nbsp;to persuade voters to keep them running Congress in next year’s elections.Democrats control the Senate, split 50-50, only because Vice President Kamala Harris gives them the winning vote in tied roll calls. They have just a 10-vote advantage in the House.That’s almost no wiggle room for a party that ranges from West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin on the conservative side to progressives like Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.Progressives had to swallow big concessions in the bill to solidify moderate support. The most painful was dropping the House-approved federal minimum-wage increase to $15 hourly by 2025.Moderates forced tightened eligibility for the $1,400 stimulus checks, now phased out completely for individuals earning $80,000 and couples making $160,000. The House’s initial extension of the soon-to-end $400 weekly emergency jobless payments, paid on top of state benefits, was trimmed by the Senate to $300 and will now halt in early September.Manchin was a leading holdout and in the middle of talks that resulted in curbing all of those initiatives. The Senate approved the bill on a party-line 50-49 vote on Saturday.Dropping the minimum-wage boost was “infuriating,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., chair of the roughly 100-member Congressional Progressive Caucus. But she called the overall bill “incredibly bold,” adding, “It hits all of our progressive priorities — putting money in people’s pockets, shots in arms, unemployment insurance, child care, schools.”The independent Tax Policy Center said that the Senate-passed bill would give almost 70% of this year’s tax breaks to households earning $91,000 or less. In contrast, the Trump-era GOP tax bill gave nearly half its 2018 reductions to the top 5% of households earning around $308,000, said the research center, which is run by the liberal-leaning Urban Institute and Brookings Institution.Yet keeping Democrats united won’t get easier as the party tries advancing the rest of its agenda. There are fault lines within the party over priorities like immigration, health care and taxes.At some point it seems likely that progressives will draw their own lines in the sand. They are already demanding that the party revisit the minimum-wage boost, and amid all this Republicans are already demonstrating they are ready to pounce.The American Action Network, tied to House GOP leaders, said it’s launched digital ads in mostly moderate districts calling the relief bill “a freight train of frivolous spending to bankroll their liberal cronies.”The bill passed the Senate under budget rules that prevented Republicans from launching filibusters, which require 60 votes for most measures. That process won’t be available for much legislation moving forward, but either way any Democratic Senate defections will make most bills there non-starters.Even with their procedural advantage, Democrats’ avenue to victory in the Senate was pockmarked with delays. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., forced clerks to spend nearly 11 hours reading the entire 628-page bill; negotiations with Manchin over jobless benefits lasted around nine hours; and votes on three dozen amendments, virtually all fated in advance to lose, took about 12 hours more.

Congress OKs $1.9T relief bill including your $1400 check

STANTON, Neb. (AP) — Authorities in northeastern Nebraska are having to navigate how to handle a stabbing suspect who is too young to be to held behind bars. 

The Lincoln Journal Star reports that a 12-year-old girl has been accused of stabbing another girl repeatedly at a park in Stanton. 

Stanton County Sheriff's deputies were called Friday night to West City Park for a report of a stabbing and found a girl with five stab wounds to her back and arm. 

The girl was flown to a Sioux City, Iowa, hospital for treatment.

 Nebraska law doesn't allow juvenile detention centers to house anybody 12 or younger, so the girl is being held in a Lincoln hospital, where she's is to receive a mental health evaluation.

STANTON, Neb. (AP) — Authorities in northeastern Nebraska are having to navigate how to handle a stabbing suspect who is too young to be to held behind bars. The Lincoln Journal Star reports that a 12-year-old girl has been accused of stabbing another girl repeatedly at a park in Stanton. Stanton County Sheriff's deputies were called Friday night to West City Park for a report of a stabbing and found a girl with five stab wounds to her back and arm. The girl was flown to a Sioux City, Iowa, hospital for treatment. Nebraska law doesn't allow juvenile detention centers to house anybody 12 or younger, so the girl is being held in a Lincoln hospital, where she's is to receive a mental health evaluation.

Sheriff: 12-year-old girl suspected of stabbing another girl

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — The South Dakota Department of Health says the state is expanding the list of people eligible for the coronavirus vaccine.

 Health officials on Wednesday said the remainder of individuals in the priority group D who are now eligible include teachers, childcare workers, college staff, college students and funeral workers. 

Healthcare providers have administered 262,250 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. 

More than 86,000 people have received two doses. 

The Department of Health also said 30% of the state’s population has received at least one dose.

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — The South Dakota Department of Health says the state is expanding the list of people eligible for the coronavirus vaccine. Health officials on Wednesday said the remainder of individuals in the priority group D who are now eligible include teachers, childcare workers, college staff, college students and funeral workers. Healthcare providers have administered 262,250 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. More than 86,000 people have received two doses. The Department of Health also said 30% of the state’s population has received at least one dose.

List of vaccine eligible people expands in South Dakota

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — County health officials in Wyoming have detected the coronavirus variant that originated in South Africa. 

The Casper Star-Tribune reported Monday that the Teton County Health Department said a sample from a resident who tested positive for COVID-19 in January revealed the variant. 

Health officials said the yet-unidentified person did not travel prior to becoming infected. 

State health officials have not announced any other cases of the variant.

 County Health Officer Dr. Travis Riddell has encouraged residents to get coronavirus tests if they have symptoms or come in contact with someone who tested positive.

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — County health officials in Wyoming have detected the coronavirus variant that originated in South Africa. The Casper Star-Tribune reported Monday that the Teton County Health Department said a sample from a resident who tested positive for COVID-19 in January revealed the variant. Health officials said the yet-unidentified person did not travel prior to becoming infected. State health officials have not announced any other cases of the variant. County Health Officer Dr. Travis Riddell has encouraged residents to get coronavirus tests if they have symptoms or come in contact with someone who tested positive.

Coronavirus variant from South Africa detected in Wyoming

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — Weather experts say a winter storm that could deliver up to 8 inches of snow in parts of southwest South Dakota through Wednesday will be beneficial, but won’t do a lot to mitigate the ongoing drought in the region. 

The U.S. Drought Monitor shows nearly all of the region west of the Missouri River is experiencing a severe drought. 

National Weather Service hydrologist Melissa Smith says benefits of the latest storm will be limited because of an abnormally dry winter.

 Wednesday’s storm is expected to provide anywhere between 2 to 5 inches of snow in Rapid City, with higher amounts up to 8 inches possible in portions of the Black Hills.

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — Weather experts say a winter storm that could deliver up to 8 inches of snow in parts of southwest South Dakota through Wednesday will be beneficial, but won’t do a lot to mitigate the ongoing drought in the region. The U.S. Drought Monitor shows nearly all of the region west of the Missouri River is experiencing a severe drought. National Weather Service hydrologist Melissa Smith says benefits of the latest storm will be limited because of an abnormally dry winter. Wednesday’s storm is expected to provide anywhere between 2 to 5 inches of snow in Rapid City, with higher amounts up to 8 inches possible in portions of the Black Hills.

Snowstorm will be limited in its impact on drought in southwest SD

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha prosecutor has dropped the charges against a grandmother who had been arrested in her grandson’s death.

 Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine said he didn’t have enough evidence now to pursue the case against 47-year-old Carmella Star, of Omaha, but the investigation into the death of 20-month-old Asann Star is ongoing.

 Police said the boy was in his grandmother’s care on Oct. 7 when he was found unresponsive and taken to an Omaha hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

 Kleine said an autopsy showed that the boy died of acute fentanyl and acetylfentanyl intoxication. 

Carmella Star was released from jail on Tuesday.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha prosecutor has dropped the charges against a grandmother who had been arrested in her grandson’s death. Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine said he didn’t have enough evidence now to pursue the case against 47-year-old Carmella Star, of Omaha, but the investigation into the death of 20-month-old Asann Star is ongoing. Police said the boy was in his grandmother’s care on Oct. 7 when he was found unresponsive and taken to an Omaha hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Kleine said an autopsy showed that the boy died of acute fentanyl and acetylfentanyl intoxication. Carmella Star was released from jail on Tuesday.

Prosecutor drops charge against grandmother in boy's death

WASHINGTON (AP) — The massive coronavirus relief plan making its way to President Joe Biden’s desk includes a plan to temporarily raise the child tax credit that could end up permanently changing the way the country deals with child poverty.

It also sets up a potential political showdown with Republicans over an issue that Democrats believe could drive significant wins for the party in the 2022 midterm elections and beyond.

The American Rescue Plan, expected to receive final approval this week, temporarily raises the child tax credit, now at a maximum of $2,000, to as much as $3,600 per child annually. The plan also expands the credit so it’s fully available to the poorest families, instead of restricting it based on the parents’ tax liability. And it will be paid out in monthly installments, to offer families struggling during the pandemic a more consistent lifeline.

In the short term, said Democratic strategist Josh Schwerin, the expansion of the tax credit and other immediate aid included in the $1.9 trillion bill provide real evidence of Democratic action to help middle-class families.

“One of the good things politically about this bill is the direct and obvious impact it’s going to have on American families in a way they can see and feel in an immediate way,” he said.

The legislation gives families up to $3,600 annually for each child under age 6 and as much as $3,000 for those up to 17. The credit starts to phase out for individual parents earning more than $75,000 and couples making $150,000. The legislation also expands the credit to millions of families currently making too little to qualify for the full benefits.

The benefit is aimed at providing support to millions of families affected by the coronavirus pandemic, with parents forced to cut down on work or give up their jobs entirely to take care of children after losing access to childcare. Democrats have&nbsp;<a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5743308460b5e922a25a6dc7/t/600f2123fdfa730101a4426a/1611604260458/Poverty-Reduction-Analysis-American-Family-Act-CPSP-2020.pdf" target="_blank">embraced</a>&nbsp;an analysis that found the proposal would cut child poverty among Black families by more than 50%, and by 45% overall.

Republicans charge the move amounts to an expansion of the welfare state that will disincentivize parents from seeking work. But Democrats hold out the proposal as a fundamental rethinking of the way the country approaches child poverty and an opportunity to address the income inequality that’s been exacerbated by the pandemic.

Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, a Democrat who has been advocating for an expansion of the credit since 2003, said in a statement that “this legislation forever changes the way that our nation supports both middle class families and children in poverty.”

DeLauro and other Democrats on Capitol Hill see the current legislation as laying the groundwork for a permanent expansion of the credit. Indeed, Biden himself told House Democrats during a private call last week that he supports legislation that would permanently increase the child tax credit to $3,000 per child.

While Republicans broadly support the idea of expanding benefits for children, some have opposed the Biden plan for its price tag, and others have criticized it for divorcing the benefit from any work requirement.

Scott Winship, director of poverty studies at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, said his concern is that a permanent child allowance might make parents less likely to work and reduce the number of two-parent households, since there would be a stream of income from the government. He wants to reduce child poverty but is concerned that doing so this way might worsen factors such as unemployment and single-parenthood that contribute to policy.

“The feeling is we win the battle against child poverty but we lose the war in the long run because we’ve created incentives that make it tougher to reduce poverty,” Winship said.

That’s the case made by some Republican lawmakers in offering an alternative to the Biden proposal. Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Marco Rubio of Florida have released their own expansion of the credit that ties the benefit to work.

Rubio, in a recent National Review op-ed, called the Biden proposal “corrosive.”

“If pulling families out of poverty were as simple as handing moms and dads a check, we would have solved poverty a long time ago,” he wrote.

But the expanded benefits included in the coronavirus relief plan set up a precedent that could put Republicans on defense on the issue. Because the benefit currently expires after a year, the Biden plan essentially creates a potential fiscal cliff for child poverty. This could set up a political showdown during an election year on whether voters believe it’s acceptable for millions of children to lose the added aid and become impoverished once again.

“When it’s up for renewal, Republicans will be in the awkward position of opposing payments to families delivered through a credit that they pioneered, and championed as recently as 2017,” said Samuel Hammond, director of poverty and welfare policy at the Niskanen Center. “The alternative is to rally behind some Plan B.”

“No Republican wants to run on taking money away from families of any income,” Hammond said.

Hammond helped to develop one such “Plan B” for Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, whose plan is different from Biden’s because it eliminates some other popular tax breaks to make the proposal deficit-neutral, which means it’s unlikely to gain much support from Democrats.

Indeed, Schwerin suggested that, looking toward the midterm elections, the attack ads aimed at Republicans would simply highlight the party’s votes for tax cuts during the Trump administration in contrast with their votes against the Biden plan.

“It’s as simple as, when it was a vote on tax cuts for billionaires, Republicans voted yes, and when it was a check for you, they voted no,” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1615314451462.png" alt="On Saturday, President Biden praised the Senate’s passage of the American Rescue Plan. The House is expected to vote on the plan this week-photo White House " />
 <figcaption>On Saturday, President Biden praised the Senate’s passage of the American Rescue Plan. The House is expected to vote on the plan this week-photo White House </figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The massive coronavirus relief plan making its way to President Joe Biden’s desk includes a plan to temporarily raise the child tax credit that could end up permanently changing the way the country deals with child poverty.It also sets up a potential political showdown with Republicans over an issue that Democrats believe could drive significant wins for the party in the 2022 midterm elections and beyond.The American Rescue Plan, expected to receive final approval this week, temporarily raises the child tax credit, now at a maximum of $2,000, to as much as $3,600 per child annually. The plan also expands the credit so it’s fully available to the poorest families, instead of restricting it based on the parents’ tax liability. And it will be paid out in monthly installments, to offer families struggling during the pandemic a more consistent lifeline.In the short term, said Democratic strategist Josh Schwerin, the expansion of the tax credit and other immediate aid included in the $1.9 trillion bill provide real evidence of Democratic action to help middle-class families.“One of the good things politically about this bill is the direct and obvious impact it’s going to have on American families in a way they can see and feel in an immediate way,” he said.The legislation gives families up to $3,600 annually for each child under age 6 and as much as $3,000 for those up to 17. The credit starts to phase out for individual parents earning more than $75,000 and couples making $150,000. The legislation also expands the credit to millions of families currently making too little to qualify for the full benefits.The benefit is aimed at providing support to millions of families affected by the coronavirus pandemic, with parents forced to cut down on work or give up their jobs entirely to take care of children after losing access to childcare. Democrats have&nbsp;<a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5743308460b5e922a25a6dc7/t/600f2123fdfa730101a4426a/1611604260458/Poverty-Reduction-Analysis-American-Family-Act-CPSP-2020.pdf" target="_blank">embraced</a>&nbsp;an analysis that found the proposal would cut child poverty among Black families by more than 50%, and by 45% overall.Republicans charge the move amounts to an expansion of the welfare state that will disincentivize parents from seeking work. But Democrats hold out the proposal as a fundamental rethinking of the way the country approaches child poverty and an opportunity to address the income inequality that’s been exacerbated by the pandemic.Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, a Democrat who has been advocating for an expansion of the credit since 2003, said in a statement that “this legislation forever changes the way that our nation supports both middle class families and children in poverty.”DeLauro and other Democrats on Capitol Hill see the current legislation as laying the groundwork for a permanent expansion of the credit. Indeed, Biden himself told House Democrats during a private call last week that he supports legislation that would permanently increase the child tax credit to $3,000 per child.While Republicans broadly support the idea of expanding benefits for children, some have opposed the Biden plan for its price tag, and others have criticized it for divorcing the benefit from any work requirement.Scott Winship, director of poverty studies at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, said his concern is that a permanent child allowance might make parents less likely to work and reduce the number of two-parent households, since there would be a stream of income from the government. He wants to reduce child poverty but is concerned that doing so this way might worsen factors such as unemployment and single-parenthood that contribute to policy.“The feeling is we win the battle against child poverty but we lose the war in the long run because we’ve created incentives that make it tougher to reduce poverty,” Winship said.That’s the case made by some Republican lawmakers in offering an alternative to the Biden proposal. Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Marco Rubio of Florida have released their own expansion of the credit that ties the benefit to work.Rubio, in a recent National Review op-ed, called the Biden proposal “corrosive.”“If pulling families out of poverty were as simple as handing moms and dads a check, we would have solved poverty a long time ago,” he wrote.But the expanded benefits included in the coronavirus relief plan set up a precedent that could put Republicans on defense on the issue. Because the benefit currently expires after a year, the Biden plan essentially creates a potential fiscal cliff for child poverty. This could set up a political showdown during an election year on whether voters believe it’s acceptable for millions of children to lose the added aid and become impoverished once again.“When it’s up for renewal, Republicans will be in the awkward position of opposing payments to families delivered through a credit that they pioneered, and championed as recently as 2017,” said Samuel Hammond, director of poverty and welfare policy at the Niskanen Center. “The alternative is to rally behind some Plan B.”“No Republican wants to run on taking money away from families of any income,” Hammond said.Hammond helped to develop one such “Plan B” for Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, whose plan is different from Biden’s because it eliminates some other popular tax breaks to make the proposal deficit-neutral, which means it’s unlikely to gain much support from Democrats.Indeed, Schwerin suggested that, looking toward the midterm elections, the attack ads aimed at Republicans would simply highlight the party’s votes for tax cuts during the Trump administration in contrast with their votes against the Biden plan.“It’s as simple as, when it was a vote on tax cuts for billionaires, Republicans voted yes, and when it was a check for you, they voted no,” he said.

Congress set for showdown over child tax credit expansion

KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — A Kearney man has been sentenced to a year in jail for brutally beating and stabbing his dog to death before burying the animal in his back yard. 

The Kearney Hub reports that 22-year-old Khaleem Baringer was sentenced Monday in Buffalo County District Court for felony intentional cruelty to an animal. 

He had faced up to three years in prison. A witness told police Baringer hit the Blue Heeler mix repeatedly with a baseball bat after it defecated on the floor and nipped at a woman as she tried to place the dog into a kennel.

 Investigators say Baringer left the dog for dead in a bathtub, then later stabbed the dog after discovering it still alive.

KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — A Kearney man has been sentenced to a year in jail for brutally beating and stabbing his dog to death before burying the animal in his back yard. The Kearney Hub reports that 22-year-old Khaleem Baringer was sentenced Monday in Buffalo County District Court for felony intentional cruelty to an animal. He had faced up to three years in prison. A witness told police Baringer hit the Blue Heeler mix repeatedly with a baseball bat after it defecated on the floor and nipped at a woman as she tried to place the dog into a kennel. Investigators say Baringer left the dog for dead in a bathtub, then later stabbed the dog after discovering it still alive.

Kearney man gets jail time for fatally beating, stabbing dog

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — A western South Dakota couple that engaged in a standoff with federal agents last week is facing weapons charges.

 Michael Blood and Carmen Mann agreed to surrender after holding law enforcement at bay for three hours Thursday at Blood’s home in Meade County.

 Federal agents found firearms, methamphetamine and marijuana at the house. 

Federal agent Riley Cook testified at a detention hearing for Mann Monday that the couple agreed to give up after speaking with crisis negotiators. 

He said they have a history of criminal convictions and fleeing from police. 

The Rapid City Journal reports that Mann’s attorney, Connor Duffy, said during the hearing that his client was never seen holding a gun.

 Mann said she was scared for her life and for her husband.

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — A western South Dakota couple that engaged in a standoff with federal agents last week is facing weapons charges. Michael Blood and Carmen Mann agreed to surrender after holding law enforcement at bay for three hours Thursday at Blood’s home in Meade County. Federal agents found firearms, methamphetamine and marijuana at the house. Federal agent Riley Cook testified at a detention hearing for Mann Monday that the couple agreed to give up after speaking with crisis negotiators. He said they have a history of criminal convictions and fleeing from police. The Rapid City Journal reports that Mann’s attorney, Connor Duffy, said during the hearing that his client was never seen holding a gun. Mann said she was scared for her life and for her husband.

Pair involved in 3-hour Rapid City standoff facing federal gun charges

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem says she will sign a bill to bar transgender girls and women from participating in female sports leagues. 

However, whether it ultimately takes effect in the state will likely be decided in federal court. 

The bill passed by the Senate addresses a situation that currently does not exist in South Dakota, according to the high school athletics association. 

While proponents cast it as a way to “promote fairness in women’s sports,” opponents labeled it as a “political statement” that would drag the state into a legal battle.

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem says she will sign a bill to bar transgender girls and women from participating in female sports leagues. However, whether it ultimately takes effect in the state will likely be decided in federal court. The bill passed by the Senate addresses a situation that currently does not exist in South Dakota, according to the high school athletics association. While proponents cast it as a way to “promote fairness in women’s sports,” opponents labeled it as a “political statement” that would drag the state into a legal battle.

Noem to sign ban on transgender girls from female sports in SD

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Police in Cheyenne have arrested a 13-year-old boy after finding a 14-year-old boy dead of an apparent gunshot wound.

 Officers found the dead boy in east Cheyenne around 3 a.m. Monday.

 Police say in a statement they booked the younger boy into a juvenile jail on manslaughter and theft charges. 

The case remains under investigation and police aren't releasing additional information, including the boys’ identities.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Police in Cheyenne have arrested a 13-year-old boy after finding a 14-year-old boy dead of an apparent gunshot wound. Officers found the dead boy in east Cheyenne around 3 a.m. Monday. Police say in a statement they booked the younger boy into a juvenile jail on manslaughter and theft charges. The case remains under investigation and police aren't releasing additional information, including the boys’ identities.

Boy, 13, arrested after boy, 14, found dead in Cheyenne

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A 27-year-old Lincoln man pleaded guilty to molesting young children and making videos of the crimes at a child care center where he worked. 

Titus Miller was charged with first-degree sexual assault involving two victims and third-degree aggravated assault involving four victims. 

 Investigators found thousands of images and videos of child pornography on Miller's phone. 

Prosecutors said many of the images were taken at Playful Painters Child Care, where Miller was a night supervisor. 

At his sentencing in April, he will face 15 years to life imprisonment on the charges.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A 27-year-old Lincoln man pleaded guilty to molesting young children and making videos of the crimes at a child care center where he worked. Titus Miller was charged with first-degree sexual assault involving two victims and third-degree aggravated assault involving four victims. All the boys were between 5 and 7. Investigators found thousands of images and videos of child pornography on Miller's phone. Prosecutors said many of the images were taken at Playful Painters Child Care, where Miller was a night supervisor. At his sentencing in April, he will face 15 years to life imprisonment on the charges.

Lincoln child care worker pleads guilty to child molestation

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A study conducted by University of Nebraska-Lincoln researchers has found that gasoline blended with 30% ethanol is safe for use in non-flex-fuel vehicles. 

The yearlong study tested 50 Nebraska State Patrol vehicles and found no decrease in energy efficiency or performance during the study among those that used E30 fuel. 

The research was conducted with permission from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 

Rajib Saha, an assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, says researchers ran 26 of the vehicles on a lower ethanol blend and 24 on the high-blend E30 fuel.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A study conducted by University of Nebraska-Lincoln researchers has found that gasoline blended with 30% ethanol is safe for use in non-flex-fuel vehicles. The yearlong study tested 50 Nebraska State Patrol vehicles and found no decrease in energy efficiency or performance during the study among those that used E30 fuel. The research was conducted with permission from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Rajib Saha, an assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, says researchers ran 26 of the vehicles on a lower ethanol blend and 24 on the high-blend E30 fuel.

Nebraska study finds E30 fuel OK for non-flex-fuel vehicles

DETROIT (AP) — Nissan is recalling more than 854,000 cars in the U.S. and Canada because the brake lights might not come on when the driver presses on the pedal. 

The recall covers certain Sentra compacts from the 2016 through 2019 model years, including more than 807,000 in the U.S. Nissan says silicon contamination can cause the stop lamp switch near the brake pedal to malfunction. 

If that happens, the stop lamps may not light up and the engine may not start. Owners will be notified in April. Dealers will replace the switch.

In addition, Kia is telling owners of nearly 380,000 vehicles in the U.S. to park them outdoors due to the risk of an engine compartment fire. The Korean automaker is recalling certain 2017 through 2021 Sportage SUVs and 2017 through 2019 Cadenza sedans to fix the problem. The company says a short circuit in the electronic brake control unit can cause excessive current, increasing the risk of a fire. 

Owners should also park them away from structures until repairs are done. The company says the recalled vehicles are not equipped with Kia’s Smart Cruise Control system. Owners could see dashboard warning lights or smell a burning odor before the problem happens. Owners will be notified starting April 30. Dealers will replace fuses in the electrical junction box.

DETROIT (AP) — Nissan is recalling more than 854,000 cars in the U.S. and Canada because the brake lights might not come on when the driver presses on the pedal. The recall covers certain Sentra compacts from the 2016 through 2019 model years, including more than 807,000 in the U.S. Nissan says silicon contamination can cause the stop lamp switch near the brake pedal to malfunction. If that happens, the stop lamps may not light up and the engine may not start. Owners will be notified in April. Dealers will replace the switch.In addition, Kia is telling owners of nearly 380,000 vehicles in the U.S. to park them outdoors due to the risk of an engine compartment fire. The Korean automaker is recalling certain 2017 through 2021 Sportage SUVs and 2017 through 2019 Cadenza sedans to fix the problem. The company says a short circuit in the electronic brake control unit can cause excessive current, increasing the risk of a fire. Owners should also park them away from structures until repairs are done. The company says the recalled vehicles are not equipped with Kia’s Smart Cruise Control system. Owners could see dashboard warning lights or smell a burning odor before the problem happens. Owners will be notified starting April 30. Dealers will replace fuses in the electrical junction box.

Nissan recalls Sentra to fix brake lights; Kia recalls vehicles due to fire risk

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities are investigating the death of a man being held on charges in a domestic abuse case in Omaha. 

Jail officials say 59-year-old Pah Leh was found unresponsive in his Douglas County Jail cell early Sunday morning and was pronounced dead by paramedics. 

Leh had been booked into the jail on Thursday and charged with making terroristic threats and use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony. 

A police account of the charges say Leh had threatened his wife with a knife. 

Authorities have not said how Leh died. State law requires a grand jury investigation into the death of anyone being held in state custody.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities are investigating the death of a man being held on charges in a domestic abuse case in Omaha. Jail officials say 59-year-old Pah Leh was found unresponsive in his Douglas County Jail cell early Sunday morning and was pronounced dead by paramedics. Leh had been booked into the jail on Thursday and charged with making terroristic threats and use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony. A police account of the charges say Leh had threatened his wife with a knife. Authorities have not said how Leh died. State law requires a grand jury investigation into the death of anyone being held in state custody.

Man held in domestic abuse case found dead in Omaha cell

By LAURA OLSON <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/03/08/cdc-its-ok-for-vaccinated-grandparents-to-visit-family-if-no-risk-for-severe-disease/">Kansas Reflector</a>

WASHINGTON
 — People who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can safely socialize
 inside with other vaccinated individuals without wearing masks or 
maintaining distance, federal health officials advised Monday in their 
first formal guidance for vaccinated Americans.

Perhaps more critically at a time when more than 90% of Americans are still waiting to be fully vaccinated, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated.html">the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines</a>
 also detail one scenario in which public health officials suggest it’s 
safe for those who are fully vaccinated to gather with those who are 
not.

Vaccinated
 individuals can gather with one other household that includes people 
who have not been vaccinated, as long as none of those lacking vaccines 
are at high risk for complications from COVID-19, officials said.

“If
 grandparents have been vaccinated, they can visit their daughter and 
her family, even if they have not been vaccinated, so long as the 
daughter and her family are not at risk for severe disease,” CDC 
director Rochelle Walensky said during a news conference.

Walensky
 added that if any of those unvaccinated are at high risk, everyone — 
including those with vaccines — should still wear a mask, physically 
distance and gather outside or in a well-ventilated space.

The
 new recommendations offer a glimmer of hope just days before March 11, 
which will mark one year since the World Health Organization declared a 
pandemic and the country began to lock down in response to the COVID-19 
outbreak. President Joe Biden is set to give his first primetime address
 Thursday evening to commemorate that anniversary.&nbsp;

Biden
 also will meet with officials from two vaccine manufacturers, Johnson 
&amp; Johnson and Merck, at the White House on Wednesday, according to 
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki. He had been scheduled to travel 
to Baltimore to meet with them at Emergent BioSolutions, which produces 
the drug substance for the J&amp;J vaccine.

But
 as health officials detailed scenarios in which vaccinated individuals 
can begin to return to a semblance of normal life, they still urged 
caution, citing insufficient data about whether vaccinated individuals 
can transmit the virus.&nbsp;

Those
 who are vaccinated are urged to continue taking safety precautions — 
including wearing masks, socially distancing, and gathering outside — if
 gathering with people from multiple households.&nbsp;

And
 everyone, regardless of vaccination status, is still urged to refrain 
from large gatherings or non-essential travel. The guidance against 
travel is likely to come into conflict with the new recommendations on 
socializing after receiving a vaccine, with many agitating to travel to 
see family members in other states after a year of separation.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“As
 more people get vaccinated, levels of COVID-19 infection decline in 
communities, and as our understanding of COVID immunity improves, we 
look forward to updating these recommendations,” Walensky said.

The
 guidelines come against a backdrop in which U.S. infections and 
hospitalizations are dropping, but not yet far enough to diminish the 
high rates of transmission in most communities. New variants of the 
virus also continue to circulate, yet some states have begun to lift 
restrictions on mask-wearing and business capacity.

The
 pace of COVID-19 vaccinations through the three federally authorized 
shots has picked up to more than 2 million doses per day, with 59 
million individuals having received at least one dose and 31 million now
 fully vaccinated.

Being
 “fully vaccinated” under the CDC’s definition means those who are at 
least two weeks past receiving the one-dose Johnson &amp; Johnson 
vaccine or the second dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna shots.

People
 who are fully vaccinated are now advised that they do not need to 
quarantine or seek a COVID-19 test if they are exposed to the virus, as 
long as they do not have symptoms of infection.

Laura Olson covers the nation's capital as a senior reporter for States Newsroom, a network of nonprofit outlets that includes Kansas Reflector. Her areas of coverage include politics and policy, lobbying, elections, and campaign finance.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1615235292299.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By LAURA OLSON <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/03/08/cdc-its-ok-for-vaccinated-grandparents-to-visit-family-if-no-risk-for-severe-disease/">Kansas Reflector</a>WASHINGTON
 — People who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can safely socialize
 inside with other vaccinated individuals without wearing masks or 
maintaining distance, federal health officials advised Monday in their 
first formal guidance for vaccinated Americans.Perhaps more critically at a time when more than 90% of Americans are still waiting to be fully vaccinated, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated.html">the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines</a>
 also detail one scenario in which public health officials suggest it’s 
safe for those who are fully vaccinated to gather with those who are 
not.Vaccinated
 individuals can gather with one other household that includes people 
who have not been vaccinated, as long as none of those lacking vaccines 
are at high risk for complications from COVID-19, officials said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1615235345027.jpeg" alt="Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, provided guidance Monday for interactions with family who have been vaccinated. (Lauren Bishop/CDC)" />
 <figcaption>Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, provided guidance Monday for interactions with family who have been vaccinated. (Lauren Bishop/CDC)</figcaption>
 </figure>“If
 grandparents have been vaccinated, they can visit their daughter and 
her family, even if they have not been vaccinated, so long as the 
daughter and her family are not at risk for severe disease,” CDC 
director Rochelle Walensky said during a news conference.Walensky
 added that if any of those unvaccinated are at high risk, everyone — 
including those with vaccines — should still wear a mask, physically 
distance and gather outside or in a well-ventilated space.The
 new recommendations offer a glimmer of hope just days before March 11, 
which will mark one year since the World Health Organization declared a 
pandemic and the country began to lock down in response to the COVID-19 
outbreak. President Joe Biden is set to give his first primetime address
 Thursday evening to commemorate that anniversary.&nbsp;Biden
 also will meet with officials from two vaccine manufacturers, Johnson 
&amp; Johnson and Merck, at the White House on Wednesday, according to 
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki. He had been scheduled to travel 
to Baltimore to meet with them at Emergent BioSolutions, which produces 
the drug substance for the J&amp;J vaccine.But
 as health officials detailed scenarios in which vaccinated individuals 
can begin to return to a semblance of normal life, they still urged 
caution, citing insufficient data about whether vaccinated individuals 
can transmit the virus.&nbsp;Those
 who are vaccinated are urged to continue taking safety precautions — 
including wearing masks, socially distancing, and gathering outside — if
 gathering with people from multiple households.&nbsp;And
 everyone, regardless of vaccination status, is still urged to refrain 
from large gatherings or non-essential travel. The guidance against 
travel is likely to come into conflict with the new recommendations on 
socializing after receiving a vaccine, with many agitating to travel to 
see family members in other states after a year of separation.&nbsp;&nbsp;“As
 more people get vaccinated, levels of COVID-19 infection decline in 
communities, and as our understanding of COVID immunity improves, we 
look forward to updating these recommendations,” Walensky said.The
 guidelines come against a backdrop in which U.S. infections and 
hospitalizations are dropping, but not yet far enough to diminish the 
high rates of transmission in most communities. New variants of the 
virus also continue to circulate, yet some states have begun to lift 
restrictions on mask-wearing and business capacity.The
 pace of COVID-19 vaccinations through the three federally authorized 
shots has picked up to more than 2 million doses per day, with 59 
million individuals having received at least one dose and 31 million now
 fully vaccinated.Being
 “fully vaccinated” under the CDC’s definition means those who are at 
least two weeks past receiving the one-dose Johnson &amp; Johnson 
vaccine or the second dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna shots.People
 who are fully vaccinated are now advised that they do not need to 
quarantine or seek a COVID-19 test if they are exposed to the virus, as 
long as they do not have symptoms of infection.Laura Olson covers the nation's capital as a senior reporter for States Newsroom, a network of nonprofit outlets that includes Kansas Reflector. Her areas of coverage include politics and policy, lobbying, elections, and campaign finance.

CDC OKs vaccinated grandparents to visit family if no risk for severe disease

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — State health officials are reporting that South Dakota has reached 1,900 deaths due to complications from the coronavirus. 

Officials on Sunday confirmed two new COVID-19-related deaths in the last day, a person in their 40s and a person in their 60s. 

The COVID Tracking Project ranks South Dakota’s death count as the eighth highest per capita in the country at 215 deaths per 100,000 people.

 The daily state report included 211 new infections, bringing the total to 113,589 positive tests since the start of the pandemic. 

Active cases rose for a sixth straight day, from 2,109 to 2,158. Hospitalizations fell by two, to 72.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — State health officials are reporting that South Dakota has reached 1,900 deaths due to complications from the coronavirus. Officials on Sunday confirmed two new COVID-19-related deaths in the last day, a person in their 40s and a person in their 60s. The COVID Tracking Project ranks South Dakota’s death count as the eighth highest per capita in the country at 215 deaths per 100,000 people. The daily state report included 211 new infections, bringing the total to 113,589 positive tests since the start of the pandemic. Active cases rose for a sixth straight day, from 2,109 to 2,158. Hospitalizations fell by two, to 72.

South Dakota reaches 1,900 deaths due to the coronavirus

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is rethinking Trump administration policies that weakened how colleges and universities that get federal dollars handle sexual assault accusations on campus, according to administration officials.

Biden is set to sign an executive order on Monday directing the Department of Education to review policies implemented by Donald Trump’s administration, including changes to Title IX regulations that prohibit sex discrimination in federally funded institutions.

The new president focused on gender equity during his campaign and promised to strengthen Title IX if he won the White House. He also will sign a second executive order formally establishing the White House Gender Policy Council, according to two administration officials who briefed reporters on the plan. Biden’s transition team announced his plans to create the council before he took office.

The order directing the review of Title IX could pave the way to a major shift in how colleges handle allegations of sexual misconduct moving forward.

Trump’s education secretary,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-betsy-devos-coronavirus-pandemic-education-9bac8880e7c7164473674c0bc02365d5">Betsy DeVos</a>, in 2018 rescinded an Obama-era administration standard in cases of reported sexual assault from requiring a “preponderance of evidence” — meaning it is more likely than not that sexual harassment or violence occurred — to “clear and convincing evidence.”

The DeVos changes reduced the liability of colleges and universities for investigating sexual misconduct claims and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/f489490cb06c0ac02e6c586be9abc5f1">bolstered the due process rights of the accused</a>, including the right to cross-examine their accusers through a third-party advocate at campus hearings.

Biden, as vice president, along with then-Education Secretary Arne Duncan in 2011&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/vice-president-biden-announces-new-administration-effort-help-nations-schools-ad" target="_blank">laid out the legal guidance</a>&nbsp;of what was expected of college campuses in response to allegations of sexual violence on behalf of President Barack Obama’s administration.

With the Education Department review, Biden’s intent is to set policies that help ensure students have an environment that’s free from sexual harassment and without discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, according to one White House official who briefed reporters on the orders.

The order establishing the Gender Policy Council comes after Trump disbanded an office specifically focused on women’s issues created during the Obama administration that was called the White House Council on Women and Girls.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1615204180481.png" alt="President Biden during comments on Sunday-image courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>President Biden during comments on Sunday-image courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is rethinking Trump administration policies that weakened how colleges and universities that get federal dollars handle sexual assault accusations on campus, according to administration officials.Biden is set to sign an executive order on Monday directing the Department of Education to review policies implemented by Donald Trump’s administration, including changes to Title IX regulations that prohibit sex discrimination in federally funded institutions.The new president focused on gender equity during his campaign and promised to strengthen Title IX if he won the White House. He also will sign a second executive order formally establishing the White House Gender Policy Council, according to two administration officials who briefed reporters on the plan. Biden’s transition team announced his plans to create the council before he took office.The order directing the review of Title IX could pave the way to a major shift in how colleges handle allegations of sexual misconduct moving forward.Trump’s education secretary,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-betsy-devos-coronavirus-pandemic-education-9bac8880e7c7164473674c0bc02365d5">Betsy DeVos</a>, in 2018 rescinded an Obama-era administration standard in cases of reported sexual assault from requiring a “preponderance of evidence” — meaning it is more likely than not that sexual harassment or violence occurred — to “clear and convincing evidence.”The DeVos changes reduced the liability of colleges and universities for investigating sexual misconduct claims and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/f489490cb06c0ac02e6c586be9abc5f1">bolstered the due process rights of the accused</a>, including the right to cross-examine their accusers through a third-party advocate at campus hearings.Biden, as vice president, along with then-Education Secretary Arne Duncan in 2011&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/vice-president-biden-announces-new-administration-effort-help-nations-schools-ad" target="_blank">laid out the legal guidance</a>&nbsp;of what was expected of college campuses in response to allegations of sexual violence on behalf of President Barack Obama’s administration.With the Education Department review, Biden’s intent is to set policies that help ensure students have an environment that’s free from sexual harassment and without discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, according to one White House official who briefed reporters on the orders.The order establishing the Gender Policy Council comes after Trump disbanded an office specifically focused on women’s issues created during the Obama administration that was called the White House Council on Women and Girls.

Biden order could change how colleges handle sex misconduct

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota hemp farmers are gearing up for the growing season while lawmakers tinker with a bill that would allow them to plant a crop this year. 

A key change to the original bill would permit year-round applications to grow rather than a 60-day window.

 Another amendment lowers the entry barrier of five outdoor acres to half an acre, and allows for indoor commercial greenhouses. 

South Dakota Industrial Hemp Association Vice President Derrick Dohmann says dropping the 60-day application limit would provide a boost to the state’s launch of the crop.

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota hemp farmers are gearing up for the growing season while lawmakers tinker with a bill that would allow them to plant a crop this year. A key change to the original bill would permit year-round applications to grow rather than a 60-day window. Another amendment lowers the entry barrier of five outdoor acres to half an acre, and allows for indoor commercial greenhouses. South Dakota Industrial Hemp Association Vice President Derrick Dohmann says dropping the 60-day application limit would provide a boost to the state’s launch of the crop. He says he has been working with hemp farmers in North Dakota, Minnesota and elsewhere to learn about the industry.