CLEVELAND —The United Church of Christ with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ucc.org/church-finder/">churches located nationwide</a>&nbsp;including many across Kansas and Missouri issued an alert Saturday.

The church wrote on <a href="https://www.ucc.org/">their web</a> site, "you may have seen our post urging caution to churches within the United Church of Christ. We are advising our congregations to be extra vigilant this week, to avoid gathering in their buildings after credible threats against government buildings and liberal institutions were received by a couple of Conference Ministers and one of our ecumenical partners."

"Mainline churches are among the entities that have been identified by law enforcement as potential targets."

"Erring on the side of caution and noting the previous attacks on our churches in the West and, in recent weeks, against like-minded churches in D.C.,  we decided to ask our congregations to be extra vigilant going into inauguration week."

"We do not want to cause undue alarm, but if the threats prove credible, this would be difficult to reconcile."

"Let us hold ourselves and our churches in prayer."

In addition to the United Church of Christ,&nbsp;Governors in some states have called out the National Guard, declared states of emergency and closed their capitol buildings over concerns about potentially violent demonstrations. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610823850526.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>CLEVELAND —The United Church of Christ with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ucc.org/church-finder/">churches located nationwide</a>&nbsp;including many across Kansas and Missouri issued an alert Saturday.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/R8uZUxqsb2">pic.twitter.com/R8uZUxqsb2</a>&mdash; United Church of Christ (@unitedchurch) <a href="https://twitter.com/unitedchurch/status/1350291725319860226?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The church wrote on <a href="https://www.ucc.org/">their web</a> site, "you may have seen our post urging caution to churches within the United Church of Christ. We are advising our congregations to be extra vigilant this week, to avoid gathering in their buildings after credible threats against government buildings and liberal institutions were received by a couple of Conference Ministers and one of our ecumenical partners.""Mainline churches are among the entities that have been identified by law enforcement as potential targets.""Erring on the side of caution and noting the previous attacks on our churches in the West and, in recent weeks, against like-minded churches in D.C., we decided to ask our congregations to be extra vigilant going into inauguration week.""We do not want to cause undue alarm, but if the threats prove credible, this would be difficult to reconcile.""Let us hold ourselves and our churches in prayer."In addition to the United Church of Christ,&nbsp;Governors in some states have called out the National Guard, declared states of emergency and closed their capitol buildings over concerns about potentially violent demonstrations.

Church issues national alert for alleged 'threat of attacks'

NEW YORK — Health officials say by March, a new and more infectious strain of coronavirus — first found in the United Kingdom — will likely become the dominant strain in the United States.

The UK variant currently is in 12 states but has been diagnosed in only 76 of the 23 million U.S. cases reported to date. However, it’s likely that version of the virus is more widespread in this country than is currently reported, according to scientists at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

While it’s considered more infectious than the virus that’s been causing the bulk of U.S. cases so far, there’s no evidence that it causes more severe illness or is transmitted differently. Therefore, mask wearing, social distancing and hand washing and other prevention strategies can still work, the CDC says.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1608566572342.png" alt="image courtesy GISAID" />
 <figcaption>image courtesy GISAID</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK — Health officials say by March, a new and more infectious strain of coronavirus — first found in the United Kingdom — will likely become the dominant strain in the United States.The UK variant currently is in 12 states but has been diagnosed in only 76 of the 23 million U.S. cases reported to date. However, it’s likely that version of the virus is more widespread in this country than is currently reported, according to scientists at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.While it’s considered more infectious than the virus that’s been causing the bulk of U.S. cases so far, there’s no evidence that it causes more severe illness or is transmitted differently. Therefore, mask wearing, social distancing and hand washing and other prevention strategies can still work, the CDC says.

CDC concerned virus variant may dominate in US

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Public health officials sounded the alarm for months, complaining that they did not have enough support or money to get COVID-19 vaccines quickly into arms. Now the slower-than-expected start to the largest vaccination effort in U.S. history is proving them right.

As they work to ramp up the shots, state and local public health departments across the U.S. cite a variety of obstacles, most notably a lack of leadership from the federal government. Many officials worry that they are losing precious time at the height of the pandemic, and the delays could cost lives.

States lament a lack of clarity on how many doses they will receive and when. They say more resources should have been devoted to education campaigns to ease concerns among people leery of getting the shots. And although the federal government recently approved&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-immunizations-coronavirus-pandemic-local-governments-09af97c9ab6a2a3db3f1983b3e467722">$8.7 billion for the vaccine effort</a>, it will take time to reach places that could have used the money months ago to prepare to deliver shots more efficiently.

Such complaints have become a common refrain in a nation where public health officials have been left largely on their own to solve complex problems.

“The recurring theme is the lack of a national strategy and the attempt to pass the buck down the line, lower and lower, until the poor people at the receiving end have nobody else that they can send the buck to,” said Gianfranco Pezzino, who was the public health officer in Shawnee County, Kansas, until retiring last month.

Operation Warp Speed, the federal vaccine program, had promised to distribute enough doses to immunize 20 million people in the U.S. in December. It&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/public-health-anthony-fauci-coronavirus-pandemic-coronavirus-vaccine-3db1583f627efcd7f06a1762209e6f36">missed that target</a>, and as of Friday, about 6.6 million people had received their first shot, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations" target="_blank">tracker</a>&nbsp;from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 22 million doses have been delivered to states.

The American Hospital Association has estimated that 1.8 million people need to be vaccinated daily from Jan. 1 to May 31 to reach widespread immunity by the summer. The current pace is more than 1 million people per day below that.

President-elect Joe Biden on Friday called the rollout a “travesty,” noting the lack of a national plan to get doses into arms and reiterating his commitment to administer 100 million shots in his first 100 days. He has not shared details and was expected to discuss the effort this week. His office announced a plan to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-ap-top-news-coronavirus-pandemic-coronavirus-vaccine-f7bb372f73a4f204ec540d39a4409e18">release most doses right away</a>, rather than holding second doses in reserve, the more conservative approach taken by the Trump administration.

The Trump administration defined its primary role as developing coronavirus vaccines and delivering them to states, which would then take over and ensure that vaccine doses traveled “the last mile” into arms. Each state had to develop its own plan, including issuing guidelines for who gets vaccinated first. Several health experts complained about that approach, saying it led to confusion and a patchwork response.

“Let’s just say that I was disappointed how they handled testing, and the vaccine deployment has reminded me of how disappointed I was when they handled testing,” said Dr. Mysheika Roberts, health commissioner in Columbus, Ohio.

Several public health officials and experts say they believe some of the early glitches are smoothing out. Marcus Plescia, chief medical officer for the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, said the slow start should not be surprising given the immense scale of the task.

“It was not going to be seamless,” he said.

Still, Plescia said the federal government could have done more ahead of the rollout — such as releasing billions of dollars earlier to help with staffing, technology and other operational needs.

An&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-tx-state-wire-minnesota-politics-underfunded-and-under-threat-33228796a8a66a50546c9e3ddacfef1b">ongoing investigation</a>&nbsp;by The Associated Press and Kaiser Health News detailed how state and local health departments have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-general-news-michael-pence-us-news-e28724a125a127f650a9b6f48f7bb938">underfunded for decades</a>. Public health officials have warned since the spring that they lacked the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-ms-state-wire-ap-top-news-ca-state-wire-az-state-wire-0a6a5ad94e6bfe8e57b01737347b8040">staff, money and tools</a>&nbsp;they needed to deploy a vaccine. The money was not approved until the end of December.

Vaccine distribution involves a long, complex chain of events. Every dose must be tracked. Providers need to know how much staffing they will need. Eligible people must be notified to schedule their shots, given the vaccine’s handling requirements and the need to observe people for 15 minutes after the shot — all while social distancing is observed.

It’s difficult to plan too far ahead because the number of doses the state receives can fluctuate. Hospitals cannot give all their workers shots on the same day because of possible side effects and staffing issues, so they must be spaced out.

Rhode Island health officials said it can take up to seven days to get doses out to people once they are received. Officials in several states, including Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and New Jersey, said the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/public-health-rhode-island-gina-raimondo-coronavirus-pandemic-beb86dd1c3838148868ce1470bf9f371">lack of supply</a>&nbsp;is one of the biggest obstacles to getting more people vaccinated.

Some communities have seen large numbers of medical workers put off getting the shot, even though they are first in line. Columbus, Ohio, has had lower-than-expected demand among top priority groups, including emergency medical workers.

A public education campaign could have helped address the hesitancy among health care workers that has slowed the rollout of the first shots, said James Garrow, a spokesman for the Philadelphia health department. Instead, officials for months talked about the speed at which they were developing the vaccines — which did not help alleviate concerns that it might not be safe.

“There just hasn’t been good messaging about the safety and the purposefulness of the safety protocols,” Garrow said.

The federal government has done little to provide information resources that local officials can tailor to their own communities, to address concerns of people such as pregnant women or Black men living in rural areas, said Dr. Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease expert at the University of Minnesota, who is a member of Biden’s COVID-19 advisory board.

“You don’t need 50 different states trying to do this kind of work. What you want to have is a smorgasbord of information sources that address different populations that any one state can use,” Osterholm said. “That’s what we don’t have right now.”

Some states are getting creative. Oregon held a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-salem-coronavirus-pandemic-oregon-patrick-allen-e190ac97cba9169c6be9907da01c7a48">mass vaccination event</a>&nbsp;at the state fairgrounds with the help of the National Guard. The governor said it aimed to vaccinate 250 people per hour. New Jersey planned to open&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-new-jersey-a5141ff14a59faec5b2223b87817ef92">six vaccine “megasites”</a>&nbsp;where officials hope more than 2,000 people per day can eventually get their shots.

But without a federal plan, such efforts can amount to “throwing spaghetti at a wall to see what sticks,” said Chrissie Juliano of the Big Cities Health Coalition, which represents metropolitan health departments.

What’s needed is a national, wartime-type effort to get vaccines out to as many people as possible, multiple experts said. Medical emergencies can be covered 24 hours a day, seven days a week, said Pezzino, who is also a senior fellow at the Kansas Health Institute. Why not make vaccinations available on that schedule?

“It is possible. It is feasible,” he said. “I don’t see the level of urgency, the feeling of urgency in anybody around here. And that’s really, honestly, that’s the only thing that could make a difference.”

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Public health officials sounded the alarm for months, complaining that they did not have enough support or money to get COVID-19 vaccines quickly into arms. Now the slower-than-expected start to the largest vaccination effort in U.S. history is proving them right.As they work to ramp up the shots, state and local public health departments across the U.S. cite a variety of obstacles, most notably a lack of leadership from the federal government. Many officials worry that they are losing precious time at the height of the pandemic, and the delays could cost lives.States lament a lack of clarity on how many doses they will receive and when. They say more resources should have been devoted to education campaigns to ease concerns among people leery of getting the shots. And although the federal government recently approved&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-immunizations-coronavirus-pandemic-local-governments-09af97c9ab6a2a3db3f1983b3e467722">$8.7 billion for the vaccine effort</a>, it will take time to reach places that could have used the money months ago to prepare to deliver shots more efficiently.Such complaints have become a common refrain in a nation where public health officials have been left largely on their own to solve complex problems.“The recurring theme is the lack of a national strategy and the attempt to pass the buck down the line, lower and lower, until the poor people at the receiving end have nobody else that they can send the buck to,” said Gianfranco Pezzino, who was the public health officer in Shawnee County, Kansas, until retiring last month.Operation Warp Speed, the federal vaccine program, had promised to distribute enough doses to immunize 20 million people in the U.S. in December. It&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/public-health-anthony-fauci-coronavirus-pandemic-coronavirus-vaccine-3db1583f627efcd7f06a1762209e6f36">missed that target</a>, and as of Friday, about 6.6 million people had received their first shot, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations" target="_blank">tracker</a>&nbsp;from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 22 million doses have been delivered to states.The American Hospital Association has estimated that 1.8 million people need to be vaccinated daily from Jan. 1 to May 31 to reach widespread immunity by the summer. The current pace is more than 1 million people per day below that.President-elect Joe Biden on Friday called the rollout a “travesty,” noting the lack of a national plan to get doses into arms and reiterating his commitment to administer 100 million shots in his first 100 days. He has not shared details and was expected to discuss the effort this week. His office announced a plan to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-ap-top-news-coronavirus-pandemic-coronavirus-vaccine-f7bb372f73a4f204ec540d39a4409e18">release most doses right away</a>, rather than holding second doses in reserve, the more conservative approach taken by the Trump administration.The Trump administration defined its primary role as developing coronavirus vaccines and delivering them to states, which would then take over and ensure that vaccine doses traveled “the last mile” into arms. Each state had to develop its own plan, including issuing guidelines for who gets vaccinated first. Several health experts complained about that approach, saying it led to confusion and a patchwork response.“Let’s just say that I was disappointed how they handled testing, and the vaccine deployment has reminded me of how disappointed I was when they handled testing,” said Dr. Mysheika Roberts, health commissioner in Columbus, Ohio.Several public health officials and experts say they believe some of the early glitches are smoothing out. Marcus Plescia, chief medical officer for the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, said the slow start should not be surprising given the immense scale of the task.“It was not going to be seamless,” he said.Still, Plescia said the federal government could have done more ahead of the rollout — such as releasing billions of dollars earlier to help with staffing, technology and other operational needs.An&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-tx-state-wire-minnesota-politics-underfunded-and-under-threat-33228796a8a66a50546c9e3ddacfef1b">ongoing investigation</a>&nbsp;by The Associated Press and Kaiser Health News detailed how state and local health departments have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-general-news-michael-pence-us-news-e28724a125a127f650a9b6f48f7bb938">underfunded for decades</a>. Public health officials have warned since the spring that they lacked the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-ms-state-wire-ap-top-news-ca-state-wire-az-state-wire-0a6a5ad94e6bfe8e57b01737347b8040">staff, money and tools</a>&nbsp;they needed to deploy a vaccine. The money was not approved until the end of December.Vaccine distribution involves a long, complex chain of events. Every dose must be tracked. Providers need to know how much staffing they will need. Eligible people must be notified to schedule their shots, given the vaccine’s handling requirements and the need to observe people for 15 minutes after the shot — all while social distancing is observed.It’s difficult to plan too far ahead because the number of doses the state receives can fluctuate. Hospitals cannot give all their workers shots on the same day because of possible side effects and staffing issues, so they must be spaced out.Rhode Island health officials said it can take up to seven days to get doses out to people once they are received. Officials in several states, including Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and New Jersey, said the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/public-health-rhode-island-gina-raimondo-coronavirus-pandemic-beb86dd1c3838148868ce1470bf9f371">lack of supply</a>&nbsp;is one of the biggest obstacles to getting more people vaccinated.Some communities have seen large numbers of medical workers put off getting the shot, even though they are first in line. Columbus, Ohio, has had lower-than-expected demand among top priority groups, including emergency medical workers.A public education campaign could have helped address the hesitancy among health care workers that has slowed the rollout of the first shots, said James Garrow, a spokesman for the Philadelphia health department. Instead, officials for months talked about the speed at which they were developing the vaccines — which did not help alleviate concerns that it might not be safe.“There just hasn’t been good messaging about the safety and the purposefulness of the safety protocols,” Garrow said.The federal government has done little to provide information resources that local officials can tailor to their own communities, to address concerns of people such as pregnant women or Black men living in rural areas, said Dr. Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease expert at the University of Minnesota, who is a member of Biden’s COVID-19 advisory board.“You don’t need 50 different states trying to do this kind of work. What you want to have is a smorgasbord of information sources that address different populations that any one state can use,” Osterholm said. “That’s what we don’t have right now.”Some states are getting creative. Oregon held a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-salem-coronavirus-pandemic-oregon-patrick-allen-e190ac97cba9169c6be9907da01c7a48">mass vaccination event</a>&nbsp;at the state fairgrounds with the help of the National Guard. The governor said it aimed to vaccinate 250 people per hour. New Jersey planned to open&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-new-jersey-a5141ff14a59faec5b2223b87817ef92">six vaccine “megasites”</a>&nbsp;where officials hope more than 2,000 people per day can eventually get their shots.But without a federal plan, such efforts can amount to “throwing spaghetti at a wall to see what sticks,” said Chrissie Juliano of the Big Cities Health Coalition, which represents metropolitan health departments.What’s needed is a national, wartime-type effort to get vaccines out to as many people as possible, multiple experts said. Medical emergencies can be covered 24 hours a day, seven days a week, said Pezzino, who is also a senior fellow at the Kansas Health Institute. Why not make vaccinations available on that schedule?“It is possible. It is feasible,” he said. “I don’t see the level of urgency, the feeling of urgency in anybody around here. And that’s really, honestly, that’s the only thing that could make a difference.”

Vaccine rollout confirms public health officials' warnings

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The National Rifle Association announced Friday it has filed for bankruptcy protection and will seek to incorporate the nation’s most politically influential gun-rights group in Texas instead of New York.

The announcement made on the NRA’s website comes months after New York’s attorney general&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-news-new-york-lawsuits-election-2020-u-s-news-056b7845ad1a35a68a4bf837329d9f6f">sued the organization</a>&nbsp;over claims that top executives illegally diverted tens of millions of dollars for lavish personal trips, no-show contracts for associates and other questionable expenditures.

The coronavirus pandemic has also upended the NRA,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aac4b1a0fbe31665721393176b484d15">which last year laid off dozens of employees</a>, canceled its national convention and scuttled fundraising. The NRA’s bankruptcy filing listed between $100 million and $500 million in assets and between $100 million and $500 million in liabilities. Still, the NRA claimed in announcing the move that the organization was “in its strongest financial condition in years.”

The NRA filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in federal court in Dallas and said it planned to incorporate in Texas, where records show it formed a limited liability corporation, Sea Girt LLC, in November 2020. Sea Girt LLC made a separate bankruptcy filing Friday, listing fewer than $100,000 in liabilities.

“The move will enable long-term, sustainable growth and ensure the NRA’s continued success as the nation’s leading advocate for constitutional freedom – free from the toxic political environment of New York,” the NRA said in a statement.

A message seeking comment was left with a Dallas lawyer who made the bankruptcy filings on behalf of the NRA and Sea Girt LLC.

Shortly after the announcement, New York Attorney General Letitia James said she would not allow the NRA to “evade accountability” or oversight. Her office’s lawsuit last year highlighted misspending and self-dealing claims that have roiled the NRA and its longtime leader, Wayne LaPierre, in recent years — from hair and makeup for his wife to a $17 million post-employment contract for himself.

“The NRA’s claimed financial status has finally met its moral status: bankrupt,” James said.

The gun-rights group boasts about 5 million members. Though headquartered in Virginia, the NRA was chartered as a nonprofit in New York in 1871 and is incorporated in the state. Going forward, the NRA said a committee will study opportunities to relocate segments of its operations to Texas and elsewhere.

The NRA’s largest creditor, owed $1.2 million, is Ackerman McQueen, which is the group’s former advertising agency that was behind the now-shuttered NRA TV service. The NRA sued the Oklahoma-based company in 2019, alleging it was being overbilled and said in Friday’s bankruptcy filing that the debt it is owed is disputed. The lawsuit is pending. A message seeking comment was left with Ackerman McQueen.

In the New York lawsuit, Ackerman McQueen was accused of aiding lavish spending by LaPierre and other NRA executives by picking up the tab and then sending a lump sum bill to the organization for “out-of-pocket expenses.”

Court records also show more than $960,000 owed to Membership Marketing Partners LLC, a firm that lists its headquarters at the same address as the NRA. Another $200,000 is owed to Speedway Motorsports, the North Carolina-based company that owns and operates NASCAR tracks, according to the records.

Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott quickly welcomed the news, tweeting: “Welcome to Texas — a state that safeguards the 2nd Amendment.” The NRA said it has more than 400,000 members in Texas and plans to hold its annual convention in Houston later this year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610753925909.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The National Rifle Association announced Friday it has filed for bankruptcy protection and will seek to incorporate the nation’s most politically influential gun-rights group in Texas instead of New York.The announcement made on the NRA’s website comes months after New York’s attorney general&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-news-new-york-lawsuits-election-2020-u-s-news-056b7845ad1a35a68a4bf837329d9f6f">sued the organization</a>&nbsp;over claims that top executives illegally diverted tens of millions of dollars for lavish personal trips, no-show contracts for associates and other questionable expenditures.The coronavirus pandemic has also upended the NRA,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/aac4b1a0fbe31665721393176b484d15">which last year laid off dozens of employees</a>, canceled its national convention and scuttled fundraising. The NRA’s bankruptcy filing listed between $100 million and $500 million in assets and between $100 million and $500 million in liabilities. Still, the NRA claimed in announcing the move that the organization was “in its strongest financial condition in years.”The NRA filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in federal court in Dallas and said it planned to incorporate in Texas, where records show it formed a limited liability corporation, Sea Girt LLC, in November 2020. Sea Girt LLC made a separate bankruptcy filing Friday, listing fewer than $100,000 in liabilities.“The move will enable long-term, sustainable growth and ensure the NRA’s continued success as the nation’s leading advocate for constitutional freedom – free from the toxic political environment of New York,” the NRA said in a statement.A message seeking comment was left with a Dallas lawyer who made the bankruptcy filings on behalf of the NRA and Sea Girt LLC.Shortly after the announcement, New York Attorney General Letitia James said she would not allow the NRA to “evade accountability” or oversight. Her office’s lawsuit last year highlighted misspending and self-dealing claims that have roiled the NRA and its longtime leader, Wayne LaPierre, in recent years — from hair and makeup for his wife to a $17 million post-employment contract for himself.“The NRA’s claimed financial status has finally met its moral status: bankrupt,” James said.The gun-rights group boasts about 5 million members. Though headquartered in Virginia, the NRA was chartered as a nonprofit in New York in 1871 and is incorporated in the state. Going forward, the NRA said a committee will study opportunities to relocate segments of its operations to Texas and elsewhere.The NRA’s largest creditor, owed $1.2 million, is Ackerman McQueen, which is the group’s former advertising agency that was behind the now-shuttered NRA TV service. The NRA sued the Oklahoma-based company in 2019, alleging it was being overbilled and said in Friday’s bankruptcy filing that the debt it is owed is disputed. The lawsuit is pending. A message seeking comment was left with Ackerman McQueen.In the New York lawsuit, Ackerman McQueen was accused of aiding lavish spending by LaPierre and other NRA executives by picking up the tab and then sending a lump sum bill to the organization for “out-of-pocket expenses.”Court records also show more than $960,000 owed to Membership Marketing Partners LLC, a firm that lists its headquarters at the same address as the NRA. Another $200,000 is owed to Speedway Motorsports, the North Carolina-based company that owns and operates NASCAR tracks, according to the records.Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott quickly welcomed the news, tweeting: “Welcome to Texas — a state that safeguards the 2nd Amendment.” The NRA said it has more than 400,000 members in Texas and plans to hold its annual convention in Houston later this year.___

NRA bankrupt, plans to incorporate in Texas

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The global death toll from COVID-19 topped 2 million Friday, crossing the threshold amid a vaccine rollout so immense but so uneven that in some countries there is real hope of vanquishing the outbreak, while in other, less-developed parts of the world, it seems a far-off dream.

The numbing figure was reached just over a year after the coronavirus was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan. The number of dead, compiled by Johns Hopkins University, is about equal to the population of Brussels, Mecca, Minsk or Vienna. It is roughly equivalent to the Cleveland metropolitan area or the entire state of Nebraska.

“There’s been a terrible amount of death,” said Dr. Ashish Jha, a pandemic expert and dean of Brown University’s School of Public Health. At the same time, he said, “our scientific community has also done extraordinary work.”

In wealthy countries including the United States, Britain, Israel, Canada and Germany, millions of citizens have already been given some measure of protection with at least one dose of vaccine developed with revolutionary speed and quickly authorized for use.

But elsewhere, immunization drives have barely gotten off the ground. Many experts are predicting another year of loss and hardship in places like Iran, India, Mexico and Brazil, which together account for about a quarter of the world’s deaths.

“As a country, as a society, as citizens we haven’t understood,” lamented Israel Gomez, a Mexico City paramedic who spent months shuttling COVID-19 patients around by ambulance, desperately looking for vacant hospital beds. “We have not understood that this is not a game, that this really exists.”

Mexico, a country of 130 million people, has received just 500,000 doses of vaccine and has put barely half of those into the arms of health care workers.

That’s in sharp contrast to the situation for its wealthier northern neighbor. Despite early delays, hundreds of thousands of people are rolling up their sleeves every day in the United States, where the virus has killed about 390,000, by far the highest toll of any country.

All told, over 35 million doses of various COVID-19 vaccines have been administered around the world, according to the University of Oxford.

While vaccination drives in rich countries have been hamstrung by long lines, inadequate budgets and a patchwork of state and local approaches, the obstacles are far greater in poorer nations, which can have weak health systems, crumbling transportation networks, entrenched corruption and a lack of reliable electricity to keep vaccines cold enough.

Also, the majority of the world’s COVID-19 vaccine doses have already been snapped up by wealthy countries. COVAX, a U.N.-backed project to supply shots to developing parts of the world, has found itself short of vaccine, money and logistical help.

As a result, the World Health Organization’s chief scientist warned it is highly unlikely that herd immunity — which would require at least 70% of the globe to be vaccinated — will be achieved this year. As the disaster has demonstrated, it is not enough to snuff out the virus in a few places.

“Even if it happens in a couple of pockets, in a few countries, it’s not going to protect people across the world,” Dr. Soumya Swaminathan said this week.

Health experts fear, too, that if shots are not distributed widely and fast enough, it could give the virus time to mutate and defeat the vaccine — “my nightmare scenario,” as Jha put it.

U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the 2 million milestone “has been made worse by the absence of a global coordinated effort.” He added: “Science has succeeded, but solidarity has failed.”

Meanwhile, in Wuhan, where the scourge was discovered in late 2019, a global team of researchers led by WHO arrived Thursday on a politically sensitive mission to investigate the origins of the virus, which is believed to have spread to humans from wild animals.

The Chinese city of 11 million people is bustling again, with few signs it was once the epicenter of the catastrophe, locked down for 76 days, with over 3,800 dead.

“We are not fearful or worried as we were in the past,” said Qin Qiong, a noodle shop owner. “We now live a normal life. I take the subway every day to come to work in the shop. ... Except for our customers, who have to wear masks, everything else is the same.”

It took eight months to hit 1 million dead but less than four months after that to reach the next million.

While the death toll is based on figures supplied by government agencies around the world, the real number of lives lost to is believed to be significantly higher, in part because of inadequate testing and the many fatalities inaccurately attributed to other causes, especially early in the outbreak.

“What was never on the horizon is that so many of the deaths would be in the richest countries in the world,” said Dr. Bharat Pankhania, an infectious diseases expert at Britain’s University of Exeter. “That the world’s richest countries would mismanage so badly is just shocking.”

In rich and poor countries alike, the crisis has devastated economies, thrown multitudes out of work and plunged many into poverty.

In Europe, where more than a quarter of the world’s deaths have taken place, strict lockdowns and curfews have been reimposed to beat back a resurgence of the virus, and a new variant that is believed to be more contagious is circulating in Britain and other countries, as well as the U.S.

Even in some of the wealthiest countries, the vaccination drives have been slower than expected. France, with the second-largest economy in Europe and more than 69,000 known virus deaths, will need years, not months, to vaccinate its 53 million adults unless it sharply speeds up its rollout, hampered by shortages, red tape and considerable suspicion of the vaccines.

Still, in places like Poissy, a blue-collar town west of Paris, the first shots of the Pfizer formula were met with relief and a sense that there is light at the end of the pandemic tunnel.

Full Coverage:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/tag/Coronaviruspandemic">Coronavirus pandemic</a>

“We have been living inside for nearly a year. It’s not a life,” said Maurice Lachkar, a retired 78-year-old acupuncturist who was put on the priority list for vaccination because of his diabetes and his age. “If I catch the virus I am done.”

Maurice and his wife, Nicole, who also got vaccinated, said they might even allow themselves hugs with their two children and four grandchildren, whom they have seen from a socially safe distance only once or twice since the pandemic hit.

“It is going to be liberating,” he said.

Throughout the developing world, the images are strikingly similar: rows and rows of graves being dug, hospitals pushed to the limit and medical workers dying for lack of protective gear.

In Peru, which has the highest COVID-19 fatality rate in Latin America, hundreds of health care workers went on strike this week to demand better pay and working conditions in a country where 230 doctors have died of the disease. In Brazil, authorities in the Amazon rainforest’s biggest city planned to transfer hundreds of patients out because of a dwindling supply of oxygen tanks that has resulted in some people dying at home.

In Honduras, anesthesiologist Dr. Cesar Umaña is treating 25 patients in their homes by phone because hospitals lack the capacity and equipment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610740926666.png" alt="John Hopkins University map Friday January 15, 2021" />
 <figcaption>John Hopkins University map Friday January 15, 2021</figcaption>
 </figure>MEXICO CITY (AP) — The global death toll from COVID-19 topped 2 million Friday, crossing the threshold amid a vaccine rollout so immense but so uneven that in some countries there is real hope of vanquishing the outbreak, while in other, less-developed parts of the world, it seems a far-off dream.The numbing figure was reached just over a year after the coronavirus was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan. The number of dead, compiled by Johns Hopkins University, is about equal to the population of Brussels, Mecca, Minsk or Vienna. It is roughly equivalent to the Cleveland metropolitan area or the entire state of Nebraska.“There’s been a terrible amount of death,” said Dr. Ashish Jha, a pandemic expert and dean of Brown University’s School of Public Health. At the same time, he said, “our scientific community has also done extraordinary work.”In wealthy countries including the United States, Britain, Israel, Canada and Germany, millions of citizens have already been given some measure of protection with at least one dose of vaccine developed with revolutionary speed and quickly authorized for use.But elsewhere, immunization drives have barely gotten off the ground. Many experts are predicting another year of loss and hardship in places like Iran, India, Mexico and Brazil, which together account for about a quarter of the world’s deaths.“As a country, as a society, as citizens we haven’t understood,” lamented Israel Gomez, a Mexico City paramedic who spent months shuttling COVID-19 patients around by ambulance, desperately looking for vacant hospital beds. “We have not understood that this is not a game, that this really exists.”Mexico, a country of 130 million people, has received just 500,000 doses of vaccine and has put barely half of those into the arms of health care workers.MORE COVID-19 NEWS:<ul>
 <li><a href="https://apnews.com/article/pandemics-asia-pacific-germany-coronavirus-pandemic-99dfe5596d90f59a6a50d7b8c126c98c">–&nbsp;The Latest: CDC concerned virus variant may dominate in US</a></li><li><a href="https://apnews.com/article/alabama-mississippi-georgia-coronavirus-pandemic-south-carolina-9edff9cdee1c9adc3a5152bc5a5db83f">–&nbsp;Deep South falls behind in coronavirus vaccine drive</a></li><li><a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-news-coronavirus-pandemic-colorado-dc75b5356a80dd9fe122ab18a9323374">–&nbsp;Online sign-ups complicate vaccine rollout for older people</a></li><li><a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-coronavirus-vaccine-problems-24cc4724457f3f682b7c3e8414deb565">–&nbsp;Expanded vaccine rollout in US spawns a new set of problems</a></li>
 </ul>That’s in sharp contrast to the situation for its wealthier northern neighbor. Despite early delays, hundreds of thousands of people are rolling up their sleeves every day in the United States, where the virus has killed about 390,000, by far the highest toll of any country.All told, over 35 million doses of various COVID-19 vaccines have been administered around the world, according to the University of Oxford.While vaccination drives in rich countries have been hamstrung by long lines, inadequate budgets and a patchwork of state and local approaches, the obstacles are far greater in poorer nations, which can have weak health systems, crumbling transportation networks, entrenched corruption and a lack of reliable electricity to keep vaccines cold enough.Also, the majority of the world’s COVID-19 vaccine doses have already been snapped up by wealthy countries. COVAX, a U.N.-backed project to supply shots to developing parts of the world, has found itself short of vaccine, money and logistical help.As a result, the World Health Organization’s chief scientist warned it is highly unlikely that herd immunity — which would require at least 70% of the globe to be vaccinated — will be achieved this year. As the disaster has demonstrated, it is not enough to snuff out the virus in a few places.“Even if it happens in a couple of pockets, in a few countries, it’s not going to protect people across the world,” Dr. Soumya Swaminathan said this week.Health experts fear, too, that if shots are not distributed widely and fast enough, it could give the virus time to mutate and defeat the vaccine — “my nightmare scenario,” as Jha put it.U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the 2 million milestone “has been made worse by the absence of a global coordinated effort.” He added: “Science has succeeded, but solidarity has failed.”Meanwhile, in Wuhan, where the scourge was discovered in late 2019, a global team of researchers led by WHO arrived Thursday on a politically sensitive mission to investigate the origins of the virus, which is believed to have spread to humans from wild animals.The Chinese city of 11 million people is bustling again, with few signs it was once the epicenter of the catastrophe, locked down for 76 days, with over 3,800 dead.“We are not fearful or worried as we were in the past,” said Qin Qiong, a noodle shop owner. “We now live a normal life. I take the subway every day to come to work in the shop. ... Except for our customers, who have to wear masks, everything else is the same.”It took eight months to hit 1 million dead but less than four months after that to reach the next million.While the death toll is based on figures supplied by government agencies around the world, the real number of lives lost to is believed to be significantly higher, in part because of inadequate testing and the many fatalities inaccurately attributed to other causes, especially early in the outbreak.“What was never on the horizon is that so many of the deaths would be in the richest countries in the world,” said Dr. Bharat Pankhania, an infectious diseases expert at Britain’s University of Exeter. “That the world’s richest countries would mismanage so badly is just shocking.”In rich and poor countries alike, the crisis has devastated economies, thrown multitudes out of work and plunged many into poverty.In Europe, where more than a quarter of the world’s deaths have taken place, strict lockdowns and curfews have been reimposed to beat back a resurgence of the virus, and a new variant that is believed to be more contagious is circulating in Britain and other countries, as well as the U.S.Even in some of the wealthiest countries, the vaccination drives have been slower than expected. France, with the second-largest economy in Europe and more than 69,000 known virus deaths, will need years, not months, to vaccinate its 53 million adults unless it sharply speeds up its rollout, hampered by shortages, red tape and considerable suspicion of the vaccines.Still, in places like Poissy, a blue-collar town west of Paris, the first shots of the Pfizer formula were met with relief and a sense that there is light at the end of the pandemic tunnel.Full Coverage:&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/tag/Coronaviruspandemic">Coronavirus pandemic</a>“We have been living inside for nearly a year. It’s not a life,” said Maurice Lachkar, a retired 78-year-old acupuncturist who was put on the priority list for vaccination because of his diabetes and his age. “If I catch the virus I am done.”Maurice and his wife, Nicole, who also got vaccinated, said they might even allow themselves hugs with their two children and four grandchildren, whom they have seen from a socially safe distance only once or twice since the pandemic hit.“It is going to be liberating,” he said.Throughout the developing world, the images are strikingly similar: rows and rows of graves being dug, hospitals pushed to the limit and medical workers dying for lack of protective gear.In Peru, which has the highest COVID-19 fatality rate in Latin America, hundreds of health care workers went on strike this week to demand better pay and working conditions in a country where 230 doctors have died of the disease. In Brazil, authorities in the Amazon rainforest’s biggest city planned to transfer hundreds of patients out because of a dwindling supply of oxygen tanks that has resulted in some people dying at home.In Honduras, anesthesiologist Dr. Cesar Umaña is treating 25 patients in their homes by phone because hospitals lack the capacity and equipment.“This is complete chaos,” he said.

 Global death toll for COVID-19 surpasses 2 million

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say an 18-year-old was critically injured in a hunting accident near Lincoln when a deer rifle unexpectedly fired. 

Lancaster County Sheriff Terry Wagner tells the Lincoln Journal Star that the incident happened Thursday evening near 176th Street and Havelock Avenue. 

Wagner says the man had been out hunting with a family friend.

 As they left to return home, the friend's deer rifle fired as he was putting it in the back of a pickup truck. 

The shot entered the truck's cab and hit the 18-year-old in the leg. 

Wagner says the teen was taken to a hospital in critical condition, but is expected to survive.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say an 18-year-old was critically injured in a hunting accident near Lincoln when a deer rifle unexpectedly fired. Lancaster County Sheriff Terry Wagner tells the Lincoln Journal Star that the incident happened Thursday evening near 176th Street and Havelock Avenue. Wagner says the man had been out hunting with a family friend. As they left to return home, the friend's deer rifle fired as he was putting it in the back of a pickup truck. The shot entered the truck's cab and hit the 18-year-old in the leg. Wagner says the teen was taken to a hospital in critical condition, but is expected to survive.

Man critically injured in hunting accident near Lincoln

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court ordered this week that women must visit a doctor’s office, hospital or clinic in person to obtain an abortion pill during the COVID-19 pandemic, though similar rules for other drugs have been suspended during the public health emergency.

Days before President Donald Trump leaves office, the justices granted a Trump administration appeal to be able to enforce a longstanding rule on getting the abortion pill, mifepristone. The pill need not be taken in the presence of medical professionals.

The court split 6-3, with the liberal justices in dissent. The new administration could put the in-person requirement on hold after Joe Biden takes office on Jan. 20.

A federal judge had suspended the rule since July because of the coronavirus, in response to a lawsuit from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and other groups.

U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang affirmed the suspension of the rule in December, saying public health risks for patients had increased as COVID-19 cases soared.

The Food and Drug Administration approved mifepristone to be used in combination with a second drug, misoprostol, to end an early pregnancy or manage a miscarriage.

The administration has suspended similar in-person visits for other drugs, including opioids in some cases, but refused to relax the rules for getting the abortion pill.

In October, the Supreme Court allowed women to continue getting the abortion pill by mail but deferred any substantive ruling. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas said they would have granted the administration’s request then.

At the time, there were only eight justices on the court, as Justice Amy Coney Barrett had been nominated, but not yet confirmed. Barrett took the seat of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died in September.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court ordered this week that women must visit a doctor’s office, hospital or clinic in person to obtain an abortion pill during the COVID-19 pandemic, though similar rules for other drugs have been suspended during the public health emergency.Days before President Donald Trump leaves office, the justices granted a Trump administration appeal to be able to enforce a longstanding rule on getting the abortion pill, mifepristone. The pill need not be taken in the presence of medical professionals.The court split 6-3, with the liberal justices in dissent. The new administration could put the in-person requirement on hold after Joe Biden takes office on Jan. 20.A federal judge had suspended the rule since July because of the coronavirus, in response to a lawsuit from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and other groups.U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang affirmed the suspension of the rule in December, saying public health risks for patients had increased as COVID-19 cases soared.The Food and Drug Administration approved mifepristone to be used in combination with a second drug, misoprostol, to end an early pregnancy or manage a miscarriage.The administration has suspended similar in-person visits for other drugs, including opioids in some cases, but refused to relax the rules for getting the abortion pill.In October, the Supreme Court allowed women to continue getting the abortion pill by mail but deferred any substantive ruling. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas said they would have granted the administration’s request then.At the time, there were only eight justices on the court, as Justice Amy Coney Barrett had been nominated, but not yet confirmed. Barrett took the seat of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died in September.

Justices: Women must obtain abortion pill in person

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska prison for women is now under quarantine because of a recent increase in coronavirus cases among inmates and staff members.

 The Omaha World-Herald reports that corrections officials have suspended the inmate visitation program at the Nebraska Correctional Center for Women. 

The Nebraska Department of Correctional Services had reopened visitation at its facilities last week. Corrections Director Scott Frakes says testing was offered to all inmates at the facility, and about 45% have been tested so far. 

He says those who tested positive are being medically isolated from others. 

Frakes says the department hopes to continue its visitation program at other facilities, but will suspend those programs as well if the number of known cases increases again.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska prison for women is now under quarantine because of a recent increase in coronavirus cases among inmates and staff members. The Omaha World-Herald reports that corrections officials have suspended the inmate visitation program at the Nebraska Correctional Center for Women. The Nebraska Department of Correctional Services had reopened visitation at its facilities last week. Corrections Director Scott Frakes says testing was offered to all inmates at the facility, and about 45% have been tested so far. He says those who tested positive are being medically isolated from others. Frakes says the department hopes to continue its visitation program at other facilities, but will suspend those programs as well if the number of known cases increases again.

Nebraska women's prison placed under coronavirus quarantine

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police and firefighters in Omaha, Nebraska, evacuated a Creighton University dormitory after a student told emergency room staff that she had tried to make the poison ricin in her dorm room in an attempt to harm herself. 

The Omaha World-Herald reports that officials also shut down the Creighton University Medical Center emergency room on the university's campus as a precaution. 

Omaha Police Officer Joseph Nickerson says the scramble to head off any possible ricin exposure began around 9 p.m. 

About 50 Creighton students were evacuated from Davis Square apartments and moved to other campus housing.

 Nickerson says a hazardous materials crew cleaned the building.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police and firefighters in Omaha, Nebraska, evacuated a Creighton University dormitory after a student told emergency room staff that she had tried to make the poison ricin in her dorm room in an attempt to harm herself. The Omaha World-Herald reports that officials also shut down the Creighton University Medical Center emergency room on the university's campus as a precaution. Omaha Police Officer Joseph Nickerson says the scramble to head off any possible ricin exposure began around 9 p.m. Thursday, when police were contacted. About 50 Creighton students were evacuated from Davis Square apartments and moved to other campus housing. Nickerson says a hazardous materials crew cleaned the building.

Creighton dorm evacuated after student tries to make ricin

KANSAS CITY (AP) —As vaccinations continue across the U.S., some companies are offering financial incentives to encourage their workers to get the shots.

Instacart Inc., the grocery delivery service, announced Thursday that it would provide a $25 stipend for workers who get the COVID-19 vaccine. It joins others, including Trader Joe’s and Dollar General, which plan to pay workers extra if they get vaccinated.

“Our goal with the introduction of our new vaccine support stipend is to ensure that, when the time comes, Instacart shoppers don’t have to choose between earning income as an essential service provider or getting vaccinated,” Instacart CEO Apoorva Mehta said in a statement.

San Francisco-based Instacart has nearly doubled its mostly gig workforce to about 500,000 to meet a surge in demand for online grocery shopping since the pandemic erupted in the U.S. last spring.

Grocery chain Trader Joe’s, which has more than 50,000 employees, said Thursday it will give employees two hours of pay per dose for getting the vaccine. The Monrovia, California-based company said it will also shift around schedules to make sure employees have time to get vaccinated.

Dollar General said Wednesday it will give employees the equivalent of four hours of pay if they get the vaccine. The Goodlettsville, Tennessee-based retailer said it employs 157,000 people.

A vaccine advisory panel at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control voted late last month on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-vaccine-over75-essential-145d1bae81aaa05df26cfed0d24f0e10">recommendations for vaccine distribution</a>. The panel said grocery workers — which would include Instacart and Dollar General’s employees — should be in the second group to receive shots after health care workers and nursing home residents.

It is up to each state to decide how and when to adopt the CDC’s recommendations. Some states have already opened eligibility to the second group, which also includes firefighters, police, teachers, corrections workers, postal employees and people 75 and older. There are around 50 million people in that group.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/can-employers-covid-19-vaccine-mandatory-ba22c99f01f24ea3be7631ff751f0d82">Companies can mandate</a>&nbsp;that workers get COVID-19 vaccines as a requirement for employment, although they must make accommodations for medical or religious reasons, according to guidance from the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

However, most companies are reluctant to impose such mandates, said Sharon Perley Masling, a partner at the law firm Morgan Lewis who has been advising clients on workplace issues surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. The emergency nature of the vaccine’s FDA approval makes it impractical for many companies to require it, given that the shots are not available to most of the population, she said.

Still, Masling said the companies she works with are taking various steps to strongly encourage their workers to get vaccinated, including internal public relations campaigns showing top executives who are eligible getting the shots. Other incentives include free child care, paid time off and freebies like pizza delivery and other gifts, she said.

“It’s good for employees, it’s good for their communities and its good for ensuring the continuation of business operations,” Masling said.

The push to vaccinate comes amid signs that some people —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-vaccine-health-workers-676e03a99badfd5ce3a6cfafe383f6af">even health care workers</a>&nbsp;— are reluctant to get the shots, contributing to a slower than hoped-for rollout of the mass vacation effort in the U.S. Masling said many of companies are still trying to figure out how their employees feel about the taking the shots, with some sending out internal surveys.

In a survey last month by the Society for Human Resource Management, nearly two-thirds of U.S. workers said they were likely to get the vaccine when it becomes available. Still, 36% said they were not likely to get vaccinated, citing as their main reason concern about side effects. SHRM surveyed workers from 529 U.S. households using the AmeriSpeak Omnibus survey, a probability-based panel developed by NORC at the University of Chicago.

Scientists say the vaccines have been rigorously tested on tens of thousands and vetted by independent experts, and there have been no signs of widespread severe side effects from the shots.

Not every company is offering incentives. Delivery app DoorDash, another big platform for gig workers, said it has asked the CDC and governors to prioritize delivery workers in vaccine distribution. But it doesn’t plan perks for workers who get vaccinated.

Target Corp. also plans no incentives, but said it will make the vaccine free and accessible to its 350,000 employees. Target said 1,700 of its stores have a CVS pharmacy on site that will offer the vaccine to staff when it’s available.

Albertsons, a grocery chain with 2,250 U.S. stores and 300,000 employees, also isn’t doling out financial incentives. Like DoorDash, it’s asking state and local authorities to make sure its workers get priority for the vaccine.

A separate SHRM survey last month found that while about two-thirds of U.S. employers planned to encourage employees to get vaccinated, only 3% have decided to require it for at least some workers. That could change, since 55% of employers said they were unsure if they would eventually require it, according to survey of 955 members of SHRM, an organization of about 300,000 human resource professionals.

Many large companies have faced criticism over how they have treated their employees throughout the pandemic, from shoddy sick leave policies to poor working conditions. Companies from meatpacking plants to Amazon have grappled with worker absences and outbreaks that have forced temporary shutdowns of their factories and warehouses. There is also a looming debate in Congress over whether employers should be exempt from legal liabilities related to coronavirus exposure as more recall their employees to offices and other work sites.

Those challenges provide a strong incentive for companies to get their workers vaccinated, said Laura Boudreau, an economics professor at Columbia Business School who specializes in labor rights.

“A lot of them have had to defend their reputations in terms of how they are treating their employees throughout the pandemic,” Boudreau said.

Instacart is among several companies that have lobbied for their workers to be prioritized for vaccines. The company has faced criticism and some worker unrest over allegations that it not done enough to protect its gig workers, who don’t get health insurance through the company or guaranteed paid sick leave.

The company says it has distributed 620,000 free safety kits to its workers, including face masks and hand sanitizers. It introduced a new policy in March to provide 14 days of paid leave for gig workers who are diagnosed with COVID-19 or have been ordered to quarantine because of potential exposure.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602590971875.png" alt="Photo courtesy Johnson &amp; Johnson" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Johnson &amp; Johnson</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) —As vaccinations continue across the U.S., some companies are offering financial incentives to encourage their workers to get the shots.Instacart Inc., the grocery delivery service, announced Thursday that it would provide a $25 stipend for workers who get the COVID-19 vaccine. It joins others, including Trader Joe’s and Dollar General, which plan to pay workers extra if they get vaccinated.“Our goal with the introduction of our new vaccine support stipend is to ensure that, when the time comes, Instacart shoppers don’t have to choose between earning income as an essential service provider or getting vaccinated,” Instacart CEO Apoorva Mehta said in a statement.San Francisco-based Instacart has nearly doubled its mostly gig workforce to about 500,000 to meet a surge in demand for online grocery shopping since the pandemic erupted in the U.S. last spring.Grocery chain Trader Joe’s, which has more than 50,000 employees, said Thursday it will give employees two hours of pay per dose for getting the vaccine. The Monrovia, California-based company said it will also shift around schedules to make sure employees have time to get vaccinated.Dollar General said Wednesday it will give employees the equivalent of four hours of pay if they get the vaccine. The Goodlettsville, Tennessee-based retailer said it employs 157,000 people.A vaccine advisory panel at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control voted late last month on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-vaccine-over75-essential-145d1bae81aaa05df26cfed0d24f0e10">recommendations for vaccine distribution</a>. The panel said grocery workers — which would include Instacart and Dollar General’s employees — should be in the second group to receive shots after health care workers and nursing home residents.It is up to each state to decide how and when to adopt the CDC’s recommendations. Some states have already opened eligibility to the second group, which also includes firefighters, police, teachers, corrections workers, postal employees and people 75 and older. There are around 50 million people in that group.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/can-employers-covid-19-vaccine-mandatory-ba22c99f01f24ea3be7631ff751f0d82">Companies can mandate</a>&nbsp;that workers get COVID-19 vaccines as a requirement for employment, although they must make accommodations for medical or religious reasons, according to guidance from the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.However, most companies are reluctant to impose such mandates, said Sharon Perley Masling, a partner at the law firm Morgan Lewis who has been advising clients on workplace issues surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. The emergency nature of the vaccine’s FDA approval makes it impractical for many companies to require it, given that the shots are not available to most of the population, she said.Still, Masling said the companies she works with are taking various steps to strongly encourage their workers to get vaccinated, including internal public relations campaigns showing top executives who are eligible getting the shots. Other incentives include free child care, paid time off and freebies like pizza delivery and other gifts, she said.“It’s good for employees, it’s good for their communities and its good for ensuring the continuation of business operations,” Masling said.The push to vaccinate comes amid signs that some people —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-vaccine-health-workers-676e03a99badfd5ce3a6cfafe383f6af">even health care workers</a>&nbsp;— are reluctant to get the shots, contributing to a slower than hoped-for rollout of the mass vacation effort in the U.S. Masling said many of companies are still trying to figure out how their employees feel about the taking the shots, with some sending out internal surveys.In a survey last month by the Society for Human Resource Management, nearly two-thirds of U.S. workers said they were likely to get the vaccine when it becomes available. Still, 36% said they were not likely to get vaccinated, citing as their main reason concern about side effects. SHRM surveyed workers from 529 U.S. households using the AmeriSpeak Omnibus survey, a probability-based panel developed by NORC at the University of Chicago.Scientists say the vaccines have been rigorously tested on tens of thousands and vetted by independent experts, and there have been no signs of widespread severe side effects from the shots.Not every company is offering incentives. Delivery app DoorDash, another big platform for gig workers, said it has asked the CDC and governors to prioritize delivery workers in vaccine distribution. But it doesn’t plan perks for workers who get vaccinated.Target Corp. also plans no incentives, but said it will make the vaccine free and accessible to its 350,000 employees. Target said 1,700 of its stores have a CVS pharmacy on site that will offer the vaccine to staff when it’s available.Albertsons, a grocery chain with 2,250 U.S. stores and 300,000 employees, also isn’t doling out financial incentives. Like DoorDash, it’s asking state and local authorities to make sure its workers get priority for the vaccine.A separate SHRM survey last month found that while about two-thirds of U.S. employers planned to encourage employees to get vaccinated, only 3% have decided to require it for at least some workers. That could change, since 55% of employers said they were unsure if they would eventually require it, according to survey of 955 members of SHRM, an organization of about 300,000 human resource professionals.Many large companies have faced criticism over how they have treated their employees throughout the pandemic, from shoddy sick leave policies to poor working conditions. Companies from meatpacking plants to Amazon have grappled with worker absences and outbreaks that have forced temporary shutdowns of their factories and warehouses. There is also a looming debate in Congress over whether employers should be exempt from legal liabilities related to coronavirus exposure as more recall their employees to offices and other work sites.Those challenges provide a strong incentive for companies to get their workers vaccinated, said Laura Boudreau, an economics professor at Columbia Business School who specializes in labor rights.“A lot of them have had to defend their reputations in terms of how they are treating their employees throughout the pandemic,” Boudreau said.Instacart is among several companies that have lobbied for their workers to be prioritized for vaccines. The company has faced criticism and some worker unrest over allegations that it not done enough to protect its gig workers, who don’t get health insurance through the company or guaranteed paid sick leave.The company says it has distributed 620,000 free safety kits to its workers, including face masks and hand sanitizers. It introduced a new policy in March to provide 14 days of paid leave for gig workers who are diagnosed with COVID-19 or have been ordered to quarantine because of potential exposure.

Retailers push incentives to get workers vaccinated

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A strong cold front has brought a blizzard with heavy snow and winds of up to 50 mph to eastern Nebraska and the western half of Iowa. 

Officials say roads along the eastern border of Nebraska and throughout Iowa are either completely or partially covered by snow, and residents are urged to stay inside and not travel. 

The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning for eastern parts of Nebraska and most of the western half of Iowa until 6 p.m. Friday. 

The service says up to 5 inches of snow in those regions is expected, along with high winds gusting up to 50 mph.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A strong cold front has brought a blizzard with heavy snow and winds of up to 50 mph to eastern Nebraska and the western half of Iowa. Officials say roads along the eastern border of Nebraska and throughout Iowa are either completely or partially covered by snow, and residents are urged to stay inside and not travel. The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning for eastern parts of Nebraska and most of the western half of Iowa until 6 p.m. Friday. The service says up to 5 inches of snow in those regions is expected, along with high winds gusting up to 50 mph.

Blizzard brings snow, winds up to 50 mph to Nebraska, Iowa

DUNDY COUNTY, NE —Emergency management officials gave&nbsp; the all clear for residents to return home just after 7:15 a.m. Thursday and lifted the evacuation recommendations for Benkelman, according to the Dundy County Sheriff's Department.

A large fire on the northwestern side of Benkelman prompted an evacuation order early Thursday morning. The community of one thousand is located 50 miles north of Goodland.

DUNDY COUNTY, NE—Authorities are fighting a large fire on the northwestern side of Benkelman, Nebraska. The community of one thousand is located 50 miles north of Goodland.

 Mutual aid has been put into effect and several agencies have responded to control the fire, according to the Dundy County Sheriff's Department early Friday.

 Residences near the western side of Benkelman are being asked to safely gather important belongings and evacuate to a safe location west of Benkelman.

The sheriff's department asked drivers to stay off the highway at the northern intersection of Highway 34/61.&nbsp; Emergency vehicles are heavily using these roadways, and portions of the fire have centered around that area.

The Legion hall in Haigler is opening as a safe location for evacuees, according to the sheriff's department.

DUNDY COUNTY, NE —Emergency management officials gave&nbsp; the all clear for residents to return home just after 7:15 a.m. Thursday and lifted the evacuation recommendations for Benkelman, according to the Dundy County Sheriff's Department.A large fire on the northwestern side of Benkelman prompted an evacuation order early Thursday morning. The community of one thousand is located 50 miles north of Goodland.---------DUNDY COUNTY, NE—Authorities are fighting a large fire on the northwestern side of Benkelman, Nebraska. The community of one thousand is located 50 miles north of Goodland. Mutual aid has been put into effect and several agencies have responded to control the fire, according to the Dundy County Sheriff's Department early Friday. Residences near the western side of Benkelman are being asked to safely gather important belongings and evacuate to a safe location west of Benkelman.The sheriff's department asked drivers to stay off the highway at the northern intersection of Highway 34/61.&nbsp; Emergency vehicles are heavily using these roadways, and portions of the fire have centered around that area.The Legion hall in Haigler is opening as a safe location for evacuees, according to the sheriff's department.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FNWSGoodland%2Fposts%2F3674822105935548&width=500&show_text=true&height=485&appId" width="500" height="485" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>

Update: Nebraska town evacuated due to large wildfire

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — President-elect Joe Biden has unveiled a $1.9 trillion coronavirus plan to end “a crisis of deep human suffering” by speeding up vaccines and pumping out financial help to those struggling with the pandemic’s prolonged economic fallout.

Called the “American Rescue Plan,” the legislative proposal would meet Biden’s goal of administering 100 million vaccines by the 100th day of his administration, and advance his objective of reopening most schools by the spring. On a parallel track, it delivers another round of aid to stabilize the economy while the public health effort seeks the upper hand on the pandemic.

“We not only have an economic imperative to act now — I believe we have a moral obligation,” Biden said in a nationwide address Thursday. At the same time, he acknowledged that his plan “does not come cheaply.”

Biden proposed $1,400 checks for most Americans, which on top of $600 provided in the most recent COVID-19 bill would bring the total to the $2,000 that Biden has called for. It would also extend a temporary boost in unemployment benefits and a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures through September.

And it shoehorns in long-term Democratic policy aims such as increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour, expanding paid leave for workers, and increasing tax credits for families with children. The last item would make it easier for women to go back to work, which in turn would help the economy recover.

The political outlook for the legislation remained unclear. In a joint statement, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer praised Biden for including liberal priorities, saying they would move quickly to pass it after Biden takes office next Wednesday. But Democrats have narrow margins in both chambers of Congress, and Republicans will push back on issues that range from increasing the minimum wage to providing more money for states, while demanding inclusion of their priorities, such as liability protection for businesses.

“Remember that a bipartisan $900 billion #COVID19 relief bill became law just 18 days ago,” tweeted Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. But Biden says that was only a down payment, and he promised more major legislation next month, focused on rebuilding the economy.

“The crisis of deep human suffering is in plain sight, and there’s not time to waste,” Biden said. “We have to act and we have to act now.”

Still, he sought to manage expectations. “We’re better equipped to do this than any nation in the world,” he said. “But even with all these small steps, it’s going to take time.”

His relief bill would be paid for with borrowed money, adding to trillions in debt the government has already incurred to confront the pandemic. Aides said Biden will make the case that the additional spending and borrowing is necessary to prevent the economy from sliding into an even deeper hole. Interest rates are low, making debt more manageable.

Biden has long held that economic recovery is inextricably linked with controlling the coronavirus.

That squares with the judgment of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the most powerful business lobbying group and traditionally an adversary of Democrats. “We must defeat COVID before we can restore our economy and that requires turbocharging our vaccination efforts,” the Chamber said in a statement Thursday night that welcomed Biden’s plan but stopped short of endorsing it.

The plan comes as a divided nation is in the grip of the pandemic’s most dangerous wave yet. So far, more than 385,000 people have died of COVID-19 in the U.S. And government numbers out Thursday reported a jump in weekly unemployment claims, to 965,000, a sign that rising infections are forcing businesses to cut back and lay off workers.

Under Biden’s multipronged strategy, about $400 billion would go directly to combating the pandemic, while the rest is focused on economic relief and aid to states and localities.

About $20 billion would be allocated for a more disciplined focus on vaccination, on top of some $8 billion already approved by Congress. Biden has called for setting up mass vaccination centers and sending mobile units to hard-to-reach areas.

With the backing of Congress and the expertise of private and government scientists, the Trump administration delivered two highly effective vaccines and more are on the way. Yet a month after the first shots were given, the nation’s vaccination campaign is off to a slow start with about 11 million people getting the first of two shots, although more than 30 million doses have been delivered.

Biden called the vaccine rollout “a dismal failure so far” and said he would provide more details about his vaccination campaign on Friday.

The plan also provides $50 billion to expand testing, which is seen as key to reopening most schools by the end of the new administration’s first 100 days. About $130 billion would be allocated to help schools reopen without risking further contagion.

The plan would fund the hiring of 100,000 public health workers, to focus on encouraging people to get vaccinated and on tracing the contacts of those infected with the coronavirus.

There’s also a proposal to boost investment in genetic sequencing, to help track new virus strains including the more contagious variants identified in the United Kingdom and South Africa.

Throughout the plan, there’s a focus on ensuring that minority communities that have borne the brunt of the pandemic are not shortchanged on vaccines and treatments, aides said.

With the new proposals comes a call to redouble efforts on the basics.

Biden is asking Americans to override their sense of pandemic fatigue and recommit to wearing masks, practicing social distancing and avoiding indoor gatherings, particularly larger ones. It’s still the surest way to slow the COVID-19 wave, with more than 4,400 deaths reported just on Tuesday.

Biden’s biggest challenge will be to “win the hearts and minds of the American people to follow his lead,” said Dr. Leana Wen, a public health expert and emergency physician.

The pace of vaccination in the U.S. is approaching 1 million shots a day, but 1.8 million a day would be needed to reach widespread or “herd” immunity by the summer, according to a recent estimate by the American Hospital Association. Wen says the pace should be even higher — closer to 3 million a day.

Biden believes the key to speeding that up lies not only in delivering more vaccine but also in working closely with states and local communities to get shots into the arms of more people. The Trump administration provided the vaccine to states and set guidelines for who should get priority for shots, but largely left it up to state and local officials to organize their vaccination campaigns.

It’s still unclear how the new administration will address the issue of vaccine hesitancy, the doubts and suspicions that keep many people from getting a shot. Polls show it’s particularly a problem among Black Americans.

“We will have to move heaven and earth to get more people vaccinated,” Biden said.

Next Wednesday, when Biden is sworn in as president, marks the anniversary of the&nbsp;<a href="https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/6/20-0516_article" target="_blank">first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the United States</a>.

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — President-elect Joe Biden has unveiled a $1.9 trillion coronavirus plan to end “a crisis of deep human suffering” by speeding up vaccines and pumping out financial help to those struggling with the pandemic’s prolonged economic fallout.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fjoebiden%2Fvideos%2F1685564078285976%2F&show_text=false&width=560" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Called the “American Rescue Plan,” the legislative proposal would meet Biden’s goal of administering 100 million vaccines by the 100th day of his administration, and advance his objective of reopening most schools by the spring. On a parallel track, it delivers another round of aid to stabilize the economy while the public health effort seeks the upper hand on the pandemic.“We not only have an economic imperative to act now — I believe we have a moral obligation,” Biden said in a nationwide address Thursday. At the same time, he acknowledged that his plan “does not come cheaply.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610708703627.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Biden proposed $1,400 checks for most Americans, which on top of $600 provided in the most recent COVID-19 bill would bring the total to the $2,000 that Biden has called for. It would also extend a temporary boost in unemployment benefits and a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures through September.And it shoehorns in long-term Democratic policy aims such as increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour, expanding paid leave for workers, and increasing tax credits for families with children. The last item would make it easier for women to go back to work, which in turn would help the economy recover.The political outlook for the legislation remained unclear. In a joint statement, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer praised Biden for including liberal priorities, saying they would move quickly to pass it after Biden takes office next Wednesday. But Democrats have narrow margins in both chambers of Congress, and Republicans will push back on issues that range from increasing the minimum wage to providing more money for states, while demanding inclusion of their priorities, such as liability protection for businesses.“Remember that a bipartisan $900 billion #COVID19 relief bill became law just 18 days ago,” tweeted Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. But Biden says that was only a down payment, and he promised more major legislation next month, focused on rebuilding the economy.“The crisis of deep human suffering is in plain sight, and there’s not time to waste,” Biden said. “We have to act and we have to act now.”Still, he sought to manage expectations. “We’re better equipped to do this than any nation in the world,” he said. “But even with all these small steps, it’s going to take time.”His relief bill would be paid for with borrowed money, adding to trillions in debt the government has already incurred to confront the pandemic. Aides said Biden will make the case that the additional spending and borrowing is necessary to prevent the economy from sliding into an even deeper hole. Interest rates are low, making debt more manageable.Biden has long held that economic recovery is inextricably linked with controlling the coronavirus.That squares with the judgment of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the most powerful business lobbying group and traditionally an adversary of Democrats. “We must defeat COVID before we can restore our economy and that requires turbocharging our vaccination efforts,” the Chamber said in a statement Thursday night that welcomed Biden’s plan but stopped short of endorsing it.The plan comes as a divided nation is in the grip of the pandemic’s most dangerous wave yet. So far, more than 385,000 people have died of COVID-19 in the U.S. And government numbers out Thursday reported a jump in weekly unemployment claims, to 965,000, a sign that rising infections are forcing businesses to cut back and lay off workers.Under Biden’s multipronged strategy, about $400 billion would go directly to combating the pandemic, while the rest is focused on economic relief and aid to states and localities.About $20 billion would be allocated for a more disciplined focus on vaccination, on top of some $8 billion already approved by Congress. Biden has called for setting up mass vaccination centers and sending mobile units to hard-to-reach areas.With the backing of Congress and the expertise of private and government scientists, the Trump administration delivered two highly effective vaccines and more are on the way. Yet a month after the first shots were given, the nation’s vaccination campaign is off to a slow start with about 11 million people getting the first of two shots, although more than 30 million doses have been delivered.Biden called the vaccine rollout “a dismal failure so far” and said he would provide more details about his vaccination campaign on Friday.The plan also provides $50 billion to expand testing, which is seen as key to reopening most schools by the end of the new administration’s first 100 days. About $130 billion would be allocated to help schools reopen without risking further contagion.The plan would fund the hiring of 100,000 public health workers, to focus on encouraging people to get vaccinated and on tracing the contacts of those infected with the coronavirus.There’s also a proposal to boost investment in genetic sequencing, to help track new virus strains including the more contagious variants identified in the United Kingdom and South Africa.Throughout the plan, there’s a focus on ensuring that minority communities that have borne the brunt of the pandemic are not shortchanged on vaccines and treatments, aides said.With the new proposals comes a call to redouble efforts on the basics.Biden is asking Americans to override their sense of pandemic fatigue and recommit to wearing masks, practicing social distancing and avoiding indoor gatherings, particularly larger ones. It’s still the surest way to slow the COVID-19 wave, with more than 4,400 deaths reported just on Tuesday.Biden’s biggest challenge will be to “win the hearts and minds of the American people to follow his lead,” said Dr. Leana Wen, a public health expert and emergency physician.The pace of vaccination in the U.S. is approaching 1 million shots a day, but 1.8 million a day would be needed to reach widespread or “herd” immunity by the summer, according to a recent estimate by the American Hospital Association. Wen says the pace should be even higher — closer to 3 million a day.Biden believes the key to speeding that up lies not only in delivering more vaccine but also in working closely with states and local communities to get shots into the arms of more people. The Trump administration provided the vaccine to states and set guidelines for who should get priority for shots, but largely left it up to state and local officials to organize their vaccination campaigns.It’s still unclear how the new administration will address the issue of vaccine hesitancy, the doubts and suspicions that keep many people from getting a shot. Polls show it’s particularly a problem among Black Americans.“We will have to move heaven and earth to get more people vaccinated,” Biden said.Next Wednesday, when Biden is sworn in as president, marks the anniversary of the&nbsp;<a href="https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/6/20-0516_article" target="_blank">first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the United States</a>.___

🎥  Biden's 'American Rescue Plan' includes direct payments

FREMONT, Neb. (AP) — A former Fremont police officer has been sentenced to more than two years in prison for sexually assaulting a child. 

The Fremont Tribune reports that 35-year-old Austin Williams was sentenced in Dodge County District Court on Wednesday to 30 months in prison. 

Williams was convicted in October of third-degree sexual assault of a child following a six-day trial. 

Authorities began investigating Williams in 2018 after an advocacy center notified the Nebraska State Patrol of a potential assault. 

Prosecutors say Williams began the abuse in 2016, when the child was 10 or 11, and continued until August 2018. 

FREMONT, Neb. (AP) — A former Fremont police officer has been sentenced to more than two years in prison for sexually assaulting a child. The Fremont Tribune reports that 35-year-old Austin Williams was sentenced in Dodge County District Court on Wednesday to 30 months in prison. Williams was convicted in October of third-degree sexual assault of a child following a six-day trial. Authorities began investigating Williams in 2018 after an advocacy center notified the Nebraska State Patrol of a potential assault. Prosecutors say Williams began the abuse in 2016, when the child was 10 or 11, and continued until August 2018. Williams was a five-year veteran of the Fremont force when he was fired in February 2019.