WASHINGTON (AP) — After decades of failed attempts to pass comprehensive immigration legislation, congressional Democrats and President Joe Biden are signaling openness to a piece-by-piece approach.

They unveiled a broad bill on Thursday that would provide an eight-year pathway to citizenship for 11 million people living in the country without legal status. There are other provisions, too, but the Democrats are not talking all-or-nothing.

“Even though I support full, comprehensive immigration reform, I’m ready to move on piecemeal, because I don’t want to end up with good intentions on my hands and not have anything,” said Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar. “I’d rather have progress.”

The pragmatic approach is a clear recognition of the past failures to deliver on a large-scale immigration overhaul — and how success could be even more difficult in a highly polarized, closely divided Congress.

The Democrats’ legislation reflects the broad priorities for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-immigration-crime-national-security-4c159dbec4ff15bdc10d4f8b524f964e">immigration changes that Biden laid out&nbsp;</a>on his first day in office, including an increase in visas, more money to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-honduras-mexico-coronavirus-pandemic-0843f8a08ed4dbde2bb2c32a94964706">process asylum applications</a>, new technology at the southern border and funding for economic development in Latin American countries.

But advocates for expansive immigration say they could pursue smaller bills focused on citizenship for groups such as young immigrants brought to the U.S. by their parents as children, for agricultural workers and other essential labor.

“I know what it’s like to lose on big bills and small bills. The fear that people have experienced in the last four years deserves every single opportunity, every single bill to remedy,” said Greisa Martinez Rosas, executive director for United We Dream, an immigration advocacy group.

“The biggest thing here is that we’re going to get something across the finish line, because not doing so is not an option.”

The broad legislation — which includes a pathway to citizenship, but not much in the way of the enhanced border security that’s typically offered to win Republican votes — faces long odds with Democrats holding only a slender majority in Congress.

Even before the new bill was unveiled, Democrats were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-immigration-jen-psaki-12e9346eef0af68dbd604feda32ec1e5">reigning in expectations</a>&nbsp;for their final result. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin has said that any final Senate bill likely “will not reach the same levels” as Biden’s proposal.

Indeed, comprehensive bills negotiated by bipartisan teams of lawmakers failed multiple times during Republican George W. Bush’s administration and again in 2013 during Democrat Barack Obama’s.

Republican Donald Trump signed legislation that increased border security, and took executive action to restrict legal immigration to the U.S. and remove some protections for immigrants living in the country set by Obama. Biden has signed a number of executive orders rolling back some of the Trump restrictions, but he promised throughout his campaign and transition that immigration overhaul would be a top priority.

The White House insisted Thursday there have been no decisions on strategy. But multiple immigration organizations said administration officials had signaled in recent conversations that they were open to a multilevel approach in which lawmakers would press forward on the comprehensive bill while also pursuing individual pieces.

Cuellar, who was in office for most of those early, failed attempts, said many in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus are still committed to a comprehensive overhaul. He said the White House reached out to him and he advised them to start with a broad bill, but he added that “reality is going to hit people, hopefully,” and more lawmakers will get on board with a more incremental approach.

Indeed, Biden himself suggested in a CNN town hall Tuesday night that “there’s things I would deal by itself.” One of the lead sponsors of the bill, New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez, too, seemed to suggest Thursday he was open to a less expansive approach.

“If we can get certain elements of this standing up and passed individually both in the House and the Senate, that’s great,” he said.

Tom Jawetz, vice president for immigration policy at the Center for American Progress, said that Biden’s decades of experience in the Senate have given him a realistic view of what’s possible.

“He also knows how to count votes, and he knows what it takes to get legislation across the line,” he said. “And so I think there is real energy behind pressing forward on all fronts and seeing what shakes out.”

Democrats have a third option: Using a parliamentary maneuver to attach some immigration items to a budget bill, which would then require just 51 votes to pass. Advocates have been pressing the new administration to consider attaching a pathway to citizenship for some to an economic stimulus package that they’re expected to introduce after they’ve passed the COVID-19 bill. That approach would almost certainly face a strong procedural challenge.

“The ultimate goal is to make sure that 2022 doesn’t come around, and we have done nothing on immigration for another Congress,” said Jawetz.

Democrats have expressed optimism that this time will be different not just because of the shift in strategy, but also because they say the politics of the issue have changed. They point to support from business groups for reform, and they note that Latinos are not a monolithic Democratic voting bloc, that Trump improved his showing with Latino voters in the 2020 election.

Martinez Rosas said that if Congress fails to take action on reform, it will “absolutely” be a problem for Democrats in elections in 2022 and beyond.

“This will be the fight, the defining fight,” she said. “The difference between now and in 2013, is that the progressive movement is unified around the acknowledgment that immigration is a must-fix issue.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — After decades of failed attempts to pass comprehensive immigration legislation, congressional Democrats and President Joe Biden are signaling openness to a piece-by-piece approach.They unveiled a broad bill on Thursday that would provide an eight-year pathway to citizenship for 11 million people living in the country without legal status. There are other provisions, too, but the Democrats are not talking all-or-nothing.“Even though I support full, comprehensive immigration reform, I’m ready to move on piecemeal, because I don’t want to end up with good intentions on my hands and not have anything,” said Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar. “I’d rather have progress.”The pragmatic approach is a clear recognition of the past failures to deliver on a large-scale immigration overhaul — and how success could be even more difficult in a highly polarized, closely divided Congress.The Democrats’ legislation reflects the broad priorities for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-immigration-crime-national-security-4c159dbec4ff15bdc10d4f8b524f964e">immigration changes that Biden laid out&nbsp;</a>on his first day in office, including an increase in visas, more money to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-honduras-mexico-coronavirus-pandemic-0843f8a08ed4dbde2bb2c32a94964706">process asylum applications</a>, new technology at the southern border and funding for economic development in Latin American countries.But advocates for expansive immigration say they could pursue smaller bills focused on citizenship for groups such as young immigrants brought to the U.S. by their parents as children, for agricultural workers and other essential labor.“I know what it’s like to lose on big bills and small bills. The fear that people have experienced in the last four years deserves every single opportunity, every single bill to remedy,” said Greisa Martinez Rosas, executive director for United We Dream, an immigration advocacy group.“The biggest thing here is that we’re going to get something across the finish line, because not doing so is not an option.”The broad legislation — which includes a pathway to citizenship, but not much in the way of the enhanced border security that’s typically offered to win Republican votes — faces long odds with Democrats holding only a slender majority in Congress.Even before the new bill was unveiled, Democrats were&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-immigration-jen-psaki-12e9346eef0af68dbd604feda32ec1e5">reigning in expectations</a>&nbsp;for their final result. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin has said that any final Senate bill likely “will not reach the same levels” as Biden’s proposal.Indeed, comprehensive bills negotiated by bipartisan teams of lawmakers failed multiple times during Republican George W. Bush’s administration and again in 2013 during Democrat Barack Obama’s.Republican Donald Trump signed legislation that increased border security, and took executive action to restrict legal immigration to the U.S. and remove some protections for immigrants living in the country set by Obama. Biden has signed a number of executive orders rolling back some of the Trump restrictions, but he promised throughout his campaign and transition that immigration overhaul would be a top priority.The White House insisted Thursday there have been no decisions on strategy. But multiple immigration organizations said administration officials had signaled in recent conversations that they were open to a multilevel approach in which lawmakers would press forward on the comprehensive bill while also pursuing individual pieces.Cuellar, who was in office for most of those early, failed attempts, said many in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus are still committed to a comprehensive overhaul. He said the White House reached out to him and he advised them to start with a broad bill, but he added that “reality is going to hit people, hopefully,” and more lawmakers will get on board with a more incremental approach.Indeed, Biden himself suggested in a CNN town hall Tuesday night that “there’s things I would deal by itself.” One of the lead sponsors of the bill, New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez, too, seemed to suggest Thursday he was open to a less expansive approach.“If we can get certain elements of this standing up and passed individually both in the House and the Senate, that’s great,” he said.Tom Jawetz, vice president for immigration policy at the Center for American Progress, said that Biden’s decades of experience in the Senate have given him a realistic view of what’s possible.“He also knows how to count votes, and he knows what it takes to get legislation across the line,” he said. “And so I think there is real energy behind pressing forward on all fronts and seeing what shakes out.”Democrats have a third option: Using a parliamentary maneuver to attach some immigration items to a budget bill, which would then require just 51 votes to pass. Advocates have been pressing the new administration to consider attaching a pathway to citizenship for some to an economic stimulus package that they’re expected to introduce after they’ve passed the COVID-19 bill. That approach would almost certainly face a strong procedural challenge.“The ultimate goal is to make sure that 2022 doesn’t come around, and we have done nothing on immigration for another Congress,” said Jawetz.Democrats have expressed optimism that this time will be different not just because of the shift in strategy, but also because they say the politics of the issue have changed. They point to support from business groups for reform, and they note that Latinos are not a monolithic Democratic voting bloc, that Trump improved his showing with Latino voters in the 2020 election.Martinez Rosas said that if Congress fails to take action on reform, it will “absolutely” be a problem for Democrats in elections in 2022 and beyond.“This will be the fight, the defining fight,” she said. “The difference between now and in 2013, is that the progressive movement is unified around the acknowledgment that immigration is a must-fix issue.”———

Biden immigration plan provides path to citizenship for millions

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is scrambling to expand DNA mapping of coronavirus samples taken from patients to identify potentially deadlier mutations that are starting to spread around the country.

On Wednesday, the White House announced a scaled up push by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and by a U.S. Army biodefense institute. But the more significant action is on Capitol Hill, where a House bill headed for floor debate would provide $1.75 billion for genomic sequencing.

“I don’t think this is going to be a light switch; I think its going to be a dial,” CDC head Dr. Rochelle Walensky told reporters, as she described the effort.

The U.S. now maps only the genetic makeup of a minuscule fraction of positive virus samples, a situation some experts liken to flying blind. It means the true domestic spread of problematic mutations first identified in the United Kingdom and South Africa remains a matter of guesswork.

Such ignorance could prove costly. One worry is that more transmissible forms such as the UK variant could move faster than the nation’s ability to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/when-do-we-reach-herd-immunity-explained-8da12b3d4f6e33c0c6562f29f81ca52a">get the vaccine into Americans’ arms.</a>

“You’ve got a small number of academic and public health labs that have been basically doing the genomic surveillance,” said David O’Connor, an AIDS researcher at the University of Wisconsin. “But there is no national coherence to the strategy.”

The CDC is trying to shepherd those efforts and align them with the government’s own expanded commitment. Officials said Wednesday the administration will spend $200 million for the CDC to increase genomic sequencing to about 25,000 samples a week, or triple the current level.

On a parallel track, a U.S. Army biodefense institute will increase coronavirus gene mapping to 10,000 samples a week by the end of the month, up from about 4,000.

Provisions of President Joe Biden’s COVID relief bill would take the hunt to another level.

Besides a $1.75 billion budget for gene mapping, House legislation that cleared the Energy and Commerce Committee last week calls for the CDC to organize a national network to use the technology to track the spread of mutations and guide public health countermeasures.

In the Senate, Wisconsin Democrat Tammy Baldwin has introduced a bill that would provide $2 billion. Baldwin says the U.S. should be analyzing at least 15% of positive virus samples. That might not sound like much, but the current rate is believed to be 0.3% to 0.5%. Analyzing 15% of positive samples would expand surveillance by at least 30 times.

Genomic sequencing essentially involves mapping the DNA of an organism, the key to its unique features. It’s done by high-tech machines that can cost from several hundred thousand dollars to $1 million or more. Technicians trained to run the machines and computing capacity to support the whole process add to costs.

In the case of the UK variant first detected in England, the changes in the virus allowed it to spread more easily and are also believed to cause deadlier COVID-19 disease. Walensky said it has already been identified in more than 40 states.

“Genomic sequencing testing is how we will spot variants early before they spread,” said White House COVID response coordinator Jeff Zients.

Sequencing 0.3% to 0.5% of virus samples, as the U.S. is now doing, “just doesn’t give us the ability to detect strains as they develop and become dominant,” said Dr. Phil Febbo, chief medical officer for Illumina, a San Diego-based company that develops genomic sequencing technologies.

The Biden administration has to “set a very clear goal,” he added. “What’s the hill that we are going to charge?”

“We need that data. Otherwise, in some ways, we’re flying blind,” said Esther Krofah, who directs the FasterCures initiative of the Milken Institute.

Even more worrisome than the UK variant is a strain first detected in South Africa that scientists suspect may diminish the protective effect of some of the coronavirus vaccines. That variant has also been identified in the U.S. in a limited number of cases.

At the University of Wisconsin, AIDS scientist O’Connor said the CDC’s new goal of gene-mapping 25,000 samples a week works out to about 5% of U.S. cases, still below the level of surveillance in the United Kingdom. He and his colleagues started sequencing coronavirus samples from the Madison area “because that’s where we live.”

His colleague, virology expert Thomas Friedrich, said a national effort will require more than money to purchase new genomic sequencing machines. The CDC will have to set standards for state health officials and academic research institutions to fully share the information they glean from analyzing virus samples. Currently, there’s a hodgepodge of state regulations and practices, and some of them restrict access to key details.

“We need to look at this as a Manhattan Project or an Apollo program,” said Friedrich, invoking the government-led scientific endeavors that developed the atomic bomb and landed men on the moon.

The United Kingdom was able to identify its variant because the national health system there has a coordinated gene mapping program that aims to sequence about 10% of samples, he added. Since that happened, there’s been greater urgency on this side of the Atlantic Ocean.

“The utility of doing this may not have been as apparent to as many people until these variants started popping up,” Friedrich said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613699035300.png" alt="CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky during the White House COVID -19 response briefing Wednesday -photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky during the White House COVID -19 response briefing Wednesday -photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is scrambling to expand DNA mapping of coronavirus samples taken from patients to identify potentially deadlier mutations that are starting to spread around the country.On Wednesday, the White House announced a scaled up push by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and by a U.S. Army biodefense institute. But the more significant action is on Capitol Hill, where a House bill headed for floor debate would provide $1.75 billion for genomic sequencing.“I don’t think this is going to be a light switch; I think its going to be a dial,” CDC head Dr. Rochelle Walensky told reporters, as she described the effort.The U.S. now maps only the genetic makeup of a minuscule fraction of positive virus samples, a situation some experts liken to flying blind. It means the true domestic spread of problematic mutations first identified in the United Kingdom and South Africa remains a matter of guesswork.Such ignorance could prove costly. One worry is that more transmissible forms such as the UK variant could move faster than the nation’s ability to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/when-do-we-reach-herd-immunity-explained-8da12b3d4f6e33c0c6562f29f81ca52a">get the vaccine into Americans’ arms.</a>“You’ve got a small number of academic and public health labs that have been basically doing the genomic surveillance,” said David O’Connor, an AIDS researcher at the University of Wisconsin. “But there is no national coherence to the strategy.”The CDC is trying to shepherd those efforts and align them with the government’s own expanded commitment. Officials said Wednesday the administration will spend $200 million for the CDC to increase genomic sequencing to about 25,000 samples a week, or triple the current level.On a parallel track, a U.S. Army biodefense institute will increase coronavirus gene mapping to 10,000 samples a week by the end of the month, up from about 4,000.Provisions of President Joe Biden’s COVID relief bill would take the hunt to another level.Besides a $1.75 billion budget for gene mapping, House legislation that cleared the Energy and Commerce Committee last week calls for the CDC to organize a national network to use the technology to track the spread of mutations and guide public health countermeasures.In the Senate, Wisconsin Democrat Tammy Baldwin has introduced a bill that would provide $2 billion. Baldwin says the U.S. should be analyzing at least 15% of positive virus samples. That might not sound like much, but the current rate is believed to be 0.3% to 0.5%. Analyzing 15% of positive samples would expand surveillance by at least 30 times.Genomic sequencing essentially involves mapping the DNA of an organism, the key to its unique features. It’s done by high-tech machines that can cost from several hundred thousand dollars to $1 million or more. Technicians trained to run the machines and computing capacity to support the whole process add to costs.In the case of the UK variant first detected in England, the changes in the virus allowed it to spread more easily and are also believed to cause deadlier COVID-19 disease. Walensky said it has already been identified in more than 40 states.“Genomic sequencing testing is how we will spot variants early before they spread,” said White House COVID response coordinator Jeff Zients.Sequencing 0.3% to 0.5% of virus samples, as the U.S. is now doing, “just doesn’t give us the ability to detect strains as they develop and become dominant,” said Dr. Phil Febbo, chief medical officer for Illumina, a San Diego-based company that develops genomic sequencing technologies.The Biden administration has to “set a very clear goal,” he added. “What’s the hill that we are going to charge?”“We need that data. Otherwise, in some ways, we’re flying blind,” said Esther Krofah, who directs the FasterCures initiative of the Milken Institute.Even more worrisome than the UK variant is a strain first detected in South Africa that scientists suspect may diminish the protective effect of some of the coronavirus vaccines. That variant has also been identified in the U.S. in a limited number of cases.At the University of Wisconsin, AIDS scientist O’Connor said the CDC’s new goal of gene-mapping 25,000 samples a week works out to about 5% of U.S. cases, still below the level of surveillance in the United Kingdom. He and his colleagues started sequencing coronavirus samples from the Madison area “because that’s where we live.”His colleague, virology expert Thomas Friedrich, said a national effort will require more than money to purchase new genomic sequencing machines. The CDC will have to set standards for state health officials and academic research institutions to fully share the information they glean from analyzing virus samples. Currently, there’s a hodgepodge of state regulations and practices, and some of them restrict access to key details.“We need to look at this as a Manhattan Project or an Apollo program,” said Friedrich, invoking the government-led scientific endeavors that developed the atomic bomb and landed men on the moon.The United Kingdom was able to identify its variant because the national health system there has a coordinated gene mapping program that aims to sequence about 10% of samples, he added. Since that happened, there’s been greater urgency on this side of the Atlantic Ocean.“The utility of doing this may not have been as apparent to as many people until these variants started popping up,” Friedrich said.

Government rushes virus gene-mapping as mutations spread

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A NASA rover streaked through the orange Martian sky and landed on the planet Thursday, accomplishing the riskiest step yet in an epic quest to bring back rocks that could answer whether life ever existed on Mars.

Ground controllers at the space agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, cheered and exchanged fist bumps and high-fives in triumph — and relief — on receiving confirmation that the six-wheeled Perseverance had touched down on the red planet, long a deathtrap for incoming spacecraft.

It took a tension-filled 11 1/2 minutes for the signal to reach Earth.

“Touchdown confirmed! Perseverance safely on the surface of Mars, ready to begin seeking signs of past life,” flight controller Swati Mohan announced to back-slapping colleagues wearing masks against the coronavirus.

The landing marks the third visit to Mars in just over a week. Two spacecraft from the United Arab Emirates and China swung into orbit around Mars on successive days last week. All three missions lifted off in July to take advantage of the close alignment of Earth and Mars, traveling some 300 million miles in nearly seven months.

Perseverance, the biggest, most advanced rover ever sent by NASA, became the ninth spacecraft to successfully land on Mars, every one of them from the U.S.

The car-size, plutonium-powered vehicle arrived at Jezero Crater, hitting NASA’s smallest and trickiest target yet: a 5--by-4-mile strip on an ancient river delta full of pits, cliffs and fields of rock. Scientists believe that if life ever flourished on Mars, it would have happened 3 billion to 4 billion years ago, when water still flowed on the planet.

Over the next two years, Percy, as it is nicknamed, will use its 7-foot (2-meter) arm to drill down and collect rock samples with possible signs of bygone microscopic life. Three to four dozen chalk-size samples will be sealed in tubes and set aside on Mars to be retrieved by a fetch rover and brought homeward by another rocket ship. The goal is to get them back to Earth as early as 2031.

Scientists hope to answer one of the central questions of theology, philosophy and space exploration.

“Are we alone in this sort of vast cosmic desert, just flying through space, or is life much more common? Does it just emerge whenever and wherever the conditions are ripe?” said deputy project scientist Ken Williford. “We’re really on the verge of being able to potentially answer these enormous questions.”

China’s spacecraft includes a smaller rover that also will be seeking evidence of life — if it makes it safely down from orbit in May or June.

Perseverance was on its own during the NASA-described “seven minutes of terror” descent.

Flight controllers waited helplessly as the preprogrammed spacecraft hit the thin, 95% carbon dioxide Martian atmosphere at 12,100 mph (19,500 kph), or 16 times the speed of sound, slowing as it plummeted.

It released its 70-foot (21-meter) parachute, jettisoned its heat shield, and then used a rocket-steered platform known as a sky crane to lower the rover the final 60 or so feet (18 meters) to the surface. Perseverance appeared to touch down about 35 yards from the nearest rocks.

“Take that, Jezero!” a controller called out.

Mars has proved a treacherous place: In the span of less than three months in 1999, a U.S. spacecraft was destroyed upon entering orbit because engineers had mixed up metric and English units, and an American lander crashed on Mars after its engines cut out prematurely.

Perseverance will conduct an experiment in which it will convert small amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere into oxygen, a process that could be a boon to future astronauts by providing breathable air and an ingredient for rocket fuel.

The rover is also equipped with a record 25 cameras and two microphones, many of them turned on during descent. Among the never-before-seen views NASA intends to send back in the next couple days: the enormous supersonic parachute billowing open and the ground getting closer.

“A feast for the eyes and ears. It’s really going to be spectacular,” observed Arizona State University’s Jim Bell, lead scientist for a pair of mast cameras that will serve as the rover’s eyes.

NASA is teaming up with the European Space Agency to bring the rocks home. Perseverance’s mission alone costs nearly $3 billion.

The only way to confirm — or rule out — signs of past life is to analyze the samples in the world’s best labs. Instruments small enough to be sent to Mars wouldn’t have the necessary precision.

“It’s really the most extraordinary, mind-boggingly complicated and will-be history-making exploration campaign,” David Parker, the European Space Agency’s director of human and robotic exploration, said on the eve of landing.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A NASA rover streaked through the orange Martian sky and landed on the planet Thursday, accomplishing the riskiest step yet in an epic quest to bring back rocks that could answer whether life ever existed on Mars.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Hello, world. My first look at my forever home. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CountdownToMars?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CountdownToMars</a> <a href="https://t.co/dkM9jE9I6X">pic.twitter.com/dkM9jE9I6X</a>&mdash; NASA&#39;s Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAPersevere/status/1362507436611956736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Ground controllers at the space agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, cheered and exchanged fist bumps and high-fives in triumph — and relief — on receiving confirmation that the six-wheeled Perseverance had touched down on the red planet, long a deathtrap for incoming spacecraft.It took a tension-filled 11 1/2 minutes for the signal to reach Earth.“Touchdown confirmed! Perseverance safely on the surface of Mars, ready to begin seeking signs of past life,” flight controller Swati Mohan announced to back-slapping colleagues wearing masks against the coronavirus.The landing marks the third visit to Mars in just over a week. Two spacecraft from the United Arab Emirates and China swung into orbit around Mars on successive days last week. All three missions lifted off in July to take advantage of the close alignment of Earth and Mars, traveling some 300 million miles in nearly seven months.Perseverance, the biggest, most advanced rover ever sent by NASA, became the ninth spacecraft to successfully land on Mars, every one of them from the U.S.The car-size, plutonium-powered vehicle arrived at Jezero Crater, hitting NASA’s smallest and trickiest target yet: a 5--by-4-mile strip on an ancient river delta full of pits, cliffs and fields of rock. Scientists believe that if life ever flourished on Mars, it would have happened 3 billion to 4 billion years ago, when water still flowed on the planet.Over the next two years, Percy, as it is nicknamed, will use its 7-foot (2-meter) arm to drill down and collect rock samples with possible signs of bygone microscopic life. Three to four dozen chalk-size samples will be sealed in tubes and set aside on Mars to be retrieved by a fetch rover and brought homeward by another rocket ship. The goal is to get them back to Earth as early as 2031.Scientists hope to answer one of the central questions of theology, philosophy and space exploration.“Are we alone in this sort of vast cosmic desert, just flying through space, or is life much more common? Does it just emerge whenever and wherever the conditions are ripe?” said deputy project scientist Ken Williford. “We’re really on the verge of being able to potentially answer these enormous questions.”China’s spacecraft includes a smaller rover that also will be seeking evidence of life — if it makes it safely down from orbit in May or June.Perseverance was on its own during the NASA-described “seven minutes of terror” descent.Flight controllers waited helplessly as the preprogrammed spacecraft hit the thin, 95% carbon dioxide Martian atmosphere at 12,100 mph (19,500 kph), or 16 times the speed of sound, slowing as it plummeted.It released its 70-foot (21-meter) parachute, jettisoned its heat shield, and then used a rocket-steered platform known as a sky crane to lower the rover the final 60 or so feet (18 meters) to the surface. Perseverance appeared to touch down about 35 yards from the nearest rocks.“Take that, Jezero!” a controller called out.Mars has proved a treacherous place: In the span of less than three months in 1999, a U.S. spacecraft was destroyed upon entering orbit because engineers had mixed up metric and English units, and an American lander crashed on Mars after its engines cut out prematurely.Perseverance will conduct an experiment in which it will convert small amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere into oxygen, a process that could be a boon to future astronauts by providing breathable air and an ingredient for rocket fuel.The rover is also equipped with a record 25 cameras and two microphones, many of them turned on during descent. Among the never-before-seen views NASA intends to send back in the next couple days: the enormous supersonic parachute billowing open and the ground getting closer.“A feast for the eyes and ears. It’s really going to be spectacular,” observed Arizona State University’s Jim Bell, lead scientist for a pair of mast cameras that will serve as the rover’s eyes.NASA is teaming up with the European Space Agency to bring the rocks home. Perseverance’s mission alone costs nearly $3 billion.The only way to confirm — or rule out — signs of past life is to analyze the samples in the world’s best labs. Instruments small enough to be sent to Mars wouldn’t have the necessary precision.“It’s really the most extraordinary, mind-boggingly complicated and will-be history-making exploration campaign,” David Parker, the European Space Agency’s director of human and robotic exploration, said on the eve of landing.___

NASA rover lands on Mars to look for signs of ancient life

OMAHA&nbsp; — Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) arrested two people on several charges following a pursuit Wednesday in Sarpy County.

At approximately 1:40 p.m. Wednesday, a trooper observed a Nissan Rogue speeding on Interstate 80 near Gretna at mile marker 432. The vehicle did not have license plates and matched the description of a vehicle that had been reported stolen in Lincoln. The vehicle then exited I-80 at the Gretna interchange and drove southbound on Highway 31.

The trooper attempted a traffic stop. The vehicle initially stopped, but fled as the trooper was approaching the vehicle. The trooper initiated a pursuit as the vehicle fled southbound on Highway 31 reaching speeds of 120 miles per hour.

The vehicle eventually continued southbound on Highway 50, traveling into Otoe County. The NSP Aviation Support Division took over the pursuit as the vehicle continued southbound. Troopers were then able to successfully deploy stop sticks to slow the vehicle. It then turned eastbound on Road G, approximately two miles north of Highway 2, and came to a stop. The driver and passenger were taken into custody without further incident. Troopers found multiple controlled substances and a knife in the vehicle.

The driver, Steven Luedtke, 45, of Denton, was arrested for flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, theft by receiving stolen property, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited person, and several other charges. The passenger, Christine Tannehill, 35, of Lincoln, was arrested for possession of a controlled substance, possession of a concealed weapon, possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited person, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Both subjects were lodged in Sarpy County Jail.

OMAHA&nbsp; — Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) arrested two people on several charges following a pursuit Wednesday in Sarpy County.At approximately 1:40 p.m. Wednesday, a trooper observed a Nissan Rogue speeding on Interstate 80 near Gretna at mile marker 432. The vehicle did not have license plates and matched the description of a vehicle that had been reported stolen in Lincoln. The vehicle then exited I-80 at the Gretna interchange and drove southbound on Highway 31.The trooper attempted a traffic stop. The vehicle initially stopped, but fled as the trooper was approaching the vehicle. The trooper initiated a pursuit as the vehicle fled southbound on Highway 31 reaching speeds of 120 miles per hour.The vehicle eventually continued southbound on Highway 50, traveling into Otoe County. The NSP Aviation Support Division took over the pursuit as the vehicle continued southbound. Troopers were then able to successfully deploy stop sticks to slow the vehicle. It then turned eastbound on Road G, approximately two miles north of Highway 2, and came to a stop. The driver and passenger were taken into custody without further incident. Troopers found multiple controlled substances and a knife in the vehicle.The driver, Steven Luedtke, 45, of Denton, was arrested for flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, theft by receiving stolen property, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited person, and several other charges. The passenger, Christine Tannehill, 35, of Lincoln, was arrested for possession of a controlled substance, possession of a concealed weapon, possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited person, and possession of drug paraphernalia.Both subjects were lodged in Sarpy County Jail.

Troopers arrest two, recover stolen vehicle in Sarpy County pursuit

The Latest on winter weather across the U.S. (all times local):

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Southwest Power Pool says it’s no longer under an emergency alert for the utilities it covers in 14 states.

The 14 states in the central United States have seen intermittent, rolling blackouts this week as utilities face surging demand for energy during frigid, wintry weather. The states stretch from the Texas Panhandle to the Dakotas, and it does not include the majority of Texas.

Southwest Power Pool, a group of utilities covering 14 states from the Dakotas to the Texas Panhandle, says customers should still conserve energy until at least 10 p.m. Saturday but that rolling blackouts are not needed under current conditions.

DETROIT — Crews are unlikely to safely rescue a man who fell through ice on the Detroit River, a U.S. Coast Guard spokesman said.

The man was with a couple of other people when he walked out onto the ice just off Belle Isle about 5 p.m. Wednesday and began “jumping up and down,” Lt. Jeremiah Schiessel said. It was “not likely” that the search would end in a rescue, he said.

“It’s not looking like this will have a good outcome,” he said. Crews were unable to get to the spot where the man was last seen because the ice was too thin, Schiessel said.

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina vaccine providers have yet to receive tens of thousands of COVID-19 vaccines the federal government was set to deliver this week, state health officials announced Thursday morning.

The Department of Health and Human Services is now asking clinics to plan to postpone appointments because of the delays fueled by severe winter weather.

None of the more than 163,000 first and second doses of the Moderna vaccine scheduled to arrive this week have been delivered by President Joe Biden’s administration, the state health department said. The state also noted that only a limited number of the nearly 127,000 expected Pfizer vaccines have been shipped.

North Carolina health officials said they are working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to reduce the consequences of the delay.

MAGAZINE, Ark. — An Arkansas man has died after falling into a frozen pond while trying to rescue a calf from the water.

The Logan County Sheriff’s Office says 69-year-old Jessie Roberts was found dead Wednesday after falling into a frozen pond in Magazine, about 90 miles northwest of Little Rock.

The Logan County Sheriff’s Office says Roberts was trying to free a calf from the pond when he fell into the water. Authorities say a friend reported Roberts missing and authorities found Roberts and the calf in the frozen pond on Wednesday.

ASHLAND, Ky. — A Kentucky woman found dead Wednesday night likely died of hypothermia after going without power and heat for two days, a coroner said.

The 77-year-old Boyd County woman’s body was found in an apartment complex by maintenance workers who were checking on her, Boyd County Coroner Mark Hammond told news outlets. There were still about 70,000 power outages Thursday morning in eastern Kentucky, down from around 150,000 outages after an ice storm hit the area Monday. With temperatures dipping into the teens, Hammond urged those without power to go to a warming station or an overnight shelter.

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The White House announced Thursday that President Joe Biden has approved Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt’s request for a disaster declaration in response to a winter storm.

Biden on Wednesday approved the request made by Stitt after the storm dumped snow and ice on the state and brought days of subfreezing temperatures and power outages, according to the White House statement.

Biden’s approval allows the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate all disaster relief efforts and it allows for federal funding to reimburse cities, counties and tribes for the costs of emergency measures responding to the storm, including providing shelter for displaced residents.

NEW YORK -- Snow is falling in the northeastern United States, with up to 8 inches expected in the New York and New Jersey through Friday. The winter storm also is bringing ice and rain in some areas, prompting authorities to shutter at least three of New Jersey's coronavirus vaccination sites.

Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy said the so-called mega-sites in Burlington, Middlesex and Morris counties will reschedule appointments for the coming days. Murphy also ordered state government offices to close except for essential workers. He's restricting commercial vehicles on highways and asking people to stay home.

New Jersey Transportation Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti recommends watching a good movie. She says “‘Frozen’ is always a good choice.”

AUSTIN, Texas -- Power outages in Texas have dropped to below a half million, but the state is still facing major problems with drinking water systems.

The state’s power grid manager, the Electric Reliability of Council of Texas, says the remaining outages are largely weather-related and not ones that were forced to stabilize the state’s power grid.

Texas officials have ordered 7 million people to boil tap water before drinking it following days of record low temperatures that damaged infrastructure and froze pipes.

That’s one-quarter of the population of the nation’s second-largest state.

At least 36 deaths have been attributed to days of severe winter weather in the United States. Traffic accidents have claimed the most lives, followed closely by the carbon monoxide poisoning of people using vehicles or generators to stay warm.

A half dozen people have died from exposure, including several whose bodies were found along Texas roadways covered in ice and snow, a Kansas woman who wandered outside in her nightgown and a Kentucky woman in an unheated mobile home.

A 75-year-old woman and her three grandchildren were killed in a house fire in Texas while officials believe they were using their fireplace to keep warm during a power outage. Three people died in a tornado in North Carolina. Three more fell through ice, into a pond in Tennessee, a lake in Oklahoma and a swimming pool in Louisiana.

And a 9-year-old boy was killed while having fun with his father in Tennessee. His dad was pulling him on a tube behind an ATV on an icy street when the boy slammed into a mailbox.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — More than 320,000 homes and businesses were without power in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama early Thursday after a wave of storms dumped as much as 4 inches of snow and ice across a region that still had some remnants of wintry precipitation left over from earlier in the week.

Dozens of school systems canceled classes, switched to online learning or opened late, and conditions might not improve much in some places until Friday afternoon, when temperatures are finally supposed to rise above freezing for a few hours.

The largest concentration of outages was in a band across central Mississippi. Much of the rest of the Deep South was spared the worst weather.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Twelve people have been rescued from boats after a dock weighed down by snow and ice collapsed on the Cumberland River in Tennessee, the Nashville Fire Department said.

Fire crews and the Office of Emergency Management responded Wednesday evening to the Blue Turtle Bay Marina after a report that people were trapped in multiple boats when the roof over the dock collapsed, authorities said.

Nashville Fire Department spokeswoman Kendra Loney told news outlets that everyone known to be on the dock was accounted for and no one was injured. She said the weight of the ice and snow on the roof of the dock caused the collapse.

BATON ROUGE, La. — Gov. John Bel Edwards wrote President Joe Biden on requesting a presidential emergency declaration for Louisiana, citing three deaths and thousands without electricity and water in the severe cold.

Edwards said the “extreme winter weather, including record low temperatures, snow, sleet and freezing rain, has been destructive for many areas of Louisiana, most notably through continued power and water outages across the state."

The Democrat said federal assistance would be particularly welcome in communities still recovering from last year's hurricanes. He said nearly a million Louisianans are having to boil their water, more than 48,000 Louisianans lack water altogether, and thousands remain without power.

The Latest on winter weather across the U.S. (all times local):LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Southwest Power Pool says it’s no longer under an emergency alert for the utilities it covers in 14 states.The 14 states in the central United States have seen intermittent, rolling blackouts this week as utilities face surging demand for energy during frigid, wintry weather. The states stretch from the Texas Panhandle to the Dakotas, and it does not include the majority of Texas.Southwest Power Pool, a group of utilities covering 14 states from the Dakotas to the Texas Panhandle, says customers should still conserve energy until at least 10 p.m. Saturday but that rolling blackouts are not needed under current conditions.___DETROIT — Crews are unlikely to safely rescue a man who fell through ice on the Detroit River, a U.S. Coast Guard spokesman said.The man was with a couple of other people when he walked out onto the ice just off Belle Isle about 5 p.m. Wednesday and began “jumping up and down,” Lt. Jeremiah Schiessel said. It was “not likely” that the search would end in a rescue, he said.“It’s not looking like this will have a good outcome,” he said. Crews were unable to get to the spot where the man was last seen because the ice was too thin, Schiessel said.___RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina vaccine providers have yet to receive tens of thousands of COVID-19 vaccines the federal government was set to deliver this week, state health officials announced Thursday morning.The Department of Health and Human Services is now asking clinics to plan to postpone appointments because of the delays fueled by severe winter weather.None of the more than 163,000 first and second doses of the Moderna vaccine scheduled to arrive this week have been delivered by President Joe Biden’s administration, the state health department said. The state also noted that only a limited number of the nearly 127,000 expected Pfizer vaccines have been shipped.North Carolina health officials said they are working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to reduce the consequences of the delay.___MAGAZINE, Ark. — An Arkansas man has died after falling into a frozen pond while trying to rescue a calf from the water.The Logan County Sheriff’s Office says 69-year-old Jessie Roberts was found dead Wednesday after falling into a frozen pond in Magazine, about 90 miles northwest of Little Rock.The Logan County Sheriff’s Office says Roberts was trying to free a calf from the pond when he fell into the water. Authorities say a friend reported Roberts missing and authorities found Roberts and the calf in the frozen pond on Wednesday.___ASHLAND, Ky. — A Kentucky woman found dead Wednesday night likely died of hypothermia after going without power and heat for two days, a coroner said.The 77-year-old Boyd County woman’s body was found in an apartment complex by maintenance workers who were checking on her, Boyd County Coroner Mark Hammond told news outlets. There were still about 70,000 power outages Thursday morning in eastern Kentucky, down from around 150,000 outages after an ice storm hit the area Monday. With temperatures dipping into the teens, Hammond urged those without power to go to a warming station or an overnight shelter.___OKLAHOMA CITY -- The White House announced Thursday that President Joe Biden has approved Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt’s request for a disaster declaration in response to a winter storm.Biden on Wednesday approved the request made by Stitt after the storm dumped snow and ice on the state and brought days of subfreezing temperatures and power outages, according to the White House statement.Biden’s approval allows the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate all disaster relief efforts and it allows for federal funding to reimburse cities, counties and tribes for the costs of emergency measures responding to the storm, including providing shelter for displaced residents.—-NEW YORK -- Snow is falling in the northeastern United States, with up to 8 inches expected in the New York and New Jersey through Friday. The winter storm also is bringing ice and rain in some areas, prompting authorities to shutter at least three of New Jersey's coronavirus vaccination sites.Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy said the so-called mega-sites in Burlington, Middlesex and Morris counties will reschedule appointments for the coming days. Murphy also ordered state government offices to close except for essential workers. He's restricting commercial vehicles on highways and asking people to stay home.New Jersey Transportation Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti recommends watching a good movie. She says “‘Frozen’ is always a good choice.”___AUSTIN, Texas -- Power outages in Texas have dropped to below a half million, but the state is still facing major problems with drinking water systems.The state’s power grid manager, the Electric Reliability of Council of Texas, says the remaining outages are largely weather-related and not ones that were forced to stabilize the state’s power grid.Texas officials have ordered 7 million people to boil tap water before drinking it following days of record low temperatures that damaged infrastructure and froze pipes.That’s one-quarter of the population of the nation’s second-largest state.—-At least 36 deaths have been attributed to days of severe winter weather in the United States. Traffic accidents have claimed the most lives, followed closely by the carbon monoxide poisoning of people using vehicles or generators to stay warm.A half dozen people have died from exposure, including several whose bodies were found along Texas roadways covered in ice and snow, a Kansas woman who wandered outside in her nightgown and a Kentucky woman in an unheated mobile home.A 75-year-old woman and her three grandchildren were killed in a house fire in Texas while officials believe they were using their fireplace to keep warm during a power outage. Three people died in a tornado in North Carolina. Three more fell through ice, into a pond in Tennessee, a lake in Oklahoma and a swimming pool in Louisiana.And a 9-year-old boy was killed while having fun with his father in Tennessee. His dad was pulling him on a tube behind an ATV on an icy street when the boy slammed into a mailbox.___BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — More than 320,000 homes and businesses were without power in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama early Thursday after a wave of storms dumped as much as 4 inches of snow and ice across a region that still had some remnants of wintry precipitation left over from earlier in the week.Dozens of school systems canceled classes, switched to online learning or opened late, and conditions might not improve much in some places until Friday afternoon, when temperatures are finally supposed to rise above freezing for a few hours.The largest concentration of outages was in a band across central Mississippi. Much of the rest of the Deep South was spared the worst weather.___NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Twelve people have been rescued from boats after a dock weighed down by snow and ice collapsed on the Cumberland River in Tennessee, the Nashville Fire Department said.Fire crews and the Office of Emergency Management responded Wednesday evening to the Blue Turtle Bay Marina after a report that people were trapped in multiple boats when the roof over the dock collapsed, authorities said.Nashville Fire Department spokeswoman Kendra Loney told news outlets that everyone known to be on the dock was accounted for and no one was injured. She said the weight of the ice and snow on the roof of the dock caused the collapse.—-BATON ROUGE, La. — Gov. John Bel Edwards wrote President Joe Biden on requesting a presidential emergency declaration for Louisiana, citing three deaths and thousands without electricity and water in the severe cold.Edwards said the “extreme winter weather, including record low temperatures, snow, sleet and freezing rain, has been destructive for many areas of Louisiana, most notably through continued power and water outages across the state."The Democrat said federal assistance would be particularly welcome in communities still recovering from last year's hurricanes. He said nearly a million Louisianans are having to boil their water, more than 48,000 Louisianans lack water altogether, and thousands remain without power.

The Latest: 14 US states no longer under rolling blackouts

CENTRAL CITY, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a man has died in a house fire in rural south-central Nebraska's Merrick County. 

The Grand Island Independent reports that officials pronounced 80-year-old William Cedar dead at the scene of the Wednesday afternoon fire.

 Officials say firefighters and medics were called around 3:15 p.m. to the home at the corner of Nebraska Highway 14 and L Road near Central City.

 Arriving firefighters found heavy smoke and flames coming from the home. 

One firefighter received medical treatment at the scene for an unspecified injury. 

The Nebraska State Fire Marshal's Office is investigating to determine what caused the fire.

CENTRAL CITY, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a man has died in a house fire in rural south-central Nebraska's Merrick County. The Grand Island Independent reports that officials pronounced 80-year-old William Cedar dead at the scene of the Wednesday afternoon fire. Officials say firefighters and medics were called around 3:15 p.m. to the home at the corner of Nebraska Highway 14 and L Road near Central City. Arriving firefighters found heavy smoke and flames coming from the home. One firefighter received medical treatment at the scene for an unspecified injury. The Nebraska State Fire Marshal's Office is investigating to determine what caused the fire.

Man died in rural south-central Nebraska house fire

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Some coronavirus vaccination events have been cancelled across Nebraska because winter weather delayed vaccine shipments.

 Health officials in Beatrice and Hastings canceled vaccination appointments that were scheduled for this week because of the delays in shipments. 

The West Central District Health Department in North Platte said it has enough vaccine on hand for the appointments it has scheduled this week, but it may have to delay next week’s vaccination clinics because of the shipment delays. 

The state estimated that 6.5% of Nebraska’s population has now received both required doses of the vaccine.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Some coronavirus vaccination events have been cancelled across Nebraska because winter weather delayed vaccine shipments. Health officials in Beatrice and Hastings canceled vaccination appointments that were scheduled for this week because of the delays in shipments. The West Central District Health Department in North Platte said it has enough vaccine on hand for the appointments it has scheduled this week, but it may have to delay next week’s vaccination clinics because of the shipment delays. The state estimated that 6.5% of Nebraska’s population has now received both required doses of the vaccine.

Vaccine shipment delays force cancellation of some clinics

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The head of the Nebraska School Activities Association says he plans to meet with Norfolk public school officials after reports that an Omaha girls basketball team was subjected to racial slurs at a game. 

Omaha Northwest reported earlier this week that racial slurs were shouted at its girls while they were leaving the floor in Norfolk on Friday.

 The NSAA executive director Jay Bellar says he will meet with Norfolk officials Thursday. 

Norfolk Public Schools said in a statement that it does not tolerate racism and apologized for any inappropriate comments or actions.

 Bellar says Norfolk school officials are currently investigating the situation.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The head of the Nebraska School Activities Association says he plans to meet with Norfolk public school officials after reports that an Omaha girls basketball team was subjected to racial slurs at a game. Omaha Northwest reported earlier this week that racial slurs were shouted at its girls while they were leaving the floor in Norfolk on Friday. The NSAA executive director Jay Bellar says he will meet with Norfolk officials Thursday. Norfolk Public Schools said in a statement that it does not tolerate racism and apologized for any inappropriate comments or actions. Bellar says Norfolk school officials are currently investigating the situation.

Racial slurs alleged at girls basketball game in Norfolk

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Iowa cancels plans for Microsoft-based vaccine registration

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

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

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

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

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

Nebraska rodeo coach injured by horse dies following surgery

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

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

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

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

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

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