OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A new monthly survey of business leaders in nine Midwest and Plains states suggests faltering confidence in the region's economy. 

After climbing every month since bottoming out in April, the overall index of the Creighton University Mid-America Business Conditions survey fell to 69.0 in November from October’s 70.2. 

Any score above 50 on the survey’s indexes suggests growth, while a score below 50 suggests recession. 

Meanwhile, the survey's confidence index looking ahead six months plummeted 20 points to 50.0 this month from October’s 70.4. 

The monthly survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A new monthly survey of business leaders in nine Midwest and Plains states suggests faltering confidence in the region's economy. After climbing every month since bottoming out in April, the overall index of the Creighton University Mid-America Business Conditions survey fell to 69.0 in November from October’s 70.2. Any score above 50 on the survey’s indexes suggests growth, while a score below 50 suggests recession. Meanwhile, the survey's confidence index looking ahead six months plummeted 20 points to 50.0 this month from October’s 70.4. The monthly survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.

Confidence in Midwest economic future plummets in survey

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming’s governor continues to have mild symptoms of COVID-19 five days after testing positive for the virus. 

Gov. Mark Gordon continues to work in isolation. 

Gordon spokesman Michael Pearlman said Monday that Gordon’s wife, Jennie Gordon, has tested negative for the coronavirus and is isolating separately from the governor. 

Two staff members in the governor’s office have tested positive. 

All other close, recent contacts of Gordon's have tested negative. 

Gordon first showed symptoms Nov. 22 and immediately took an at-home test. 

The at-home test and another at a medical clinic came back positive for the coronavirus Wednesday.

State officials say it’s unclear where Gordon contracted the virus.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming’s governor continues to have mild symptoms of COVID-19 five days after testing positive for the virus. Gov. Mark Gordon continues to work in isolation. Gordon spokesman Michael Pearlman said Monday that Gordon’s wife, Jennie Gordon, has tested negative for the coronavirus and is isolating separately from the governor. Two staff members in the governor’s office have tested positive. All other close, recent contacts of Gordon's have tested negative. Gordon first showed symptoms Nov. 22 and immediately took an at-home test. The at-home test and another at a medical clinic came back positive for the coronavirus Wednesday.State officials say it’s unclear where Gordon contracted the virus.

Wyoming governor still isolated with COVID-19 symptoms

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Prosecutors in Nebraska say a methamphetamine trafficker who worked for a Mexican-based drug organization has been sentenced to 11 years in prison. 

The U.S. attorneys office in Nebraska said Monday that 35-year-old Raymundo Hernandez-Rubio will be deported to Mexico after serving his prison term.

 He was convicted of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. 

Prosecutors say an inspection of his drug ledgers showed he was responsible for handling hundreds of pounds of meth and thousands of dollars in drug proceeds for a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Prosecutors in Nebraska say a methamphetamine trafficker who worked for a Mexican-based drug organization has been sentenced to 11 years in prison. The U.S. attorneys office in Nebraska said Monday that 35-year-old Raymundo Hernandez-Rubio will be deported to Mexico after serving his prison term. He was convicted of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Prosecutors say an inspection of his drug ledgers showed he was responsible for handling hundreds of pounds of meth and thousands of dollars in drug proceeds for a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization.

Drug trafficker sentenced to 11 years in Nebraska case

ATLANTA (AP) — A panel of U.S. advisers will meet Tuesday to vote on how scarce, initial supplies of a COVID-19 vaccine will be given out once one has been approved.

Experts have proposed giving the vaccine to health workers first. High priority also may be given to workers in essential industries, people with certain medical conditions and people age 65 and older.

Tuesday’s meeting is for the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a group established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The panel of experts recommends who to vaccinate and when -- advice that the government almost always follows. The agenda for next week’s emergency meeting was posted Friday.

Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech have asked the Food and Drug Administration to allow emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate. Moderna Inc. is also seeking emergency use of its vaccine.

FDA’s scientific advisers are holding a public meeting Dec. 10 to review Pfizer’s request, and send a recommendation to the FDA.

Manufacturers already have begun stockpiling coronavirus vaccine doses in anticipation of eventual approval, but the first shots will be in short supply and rationed.

ATLANTA (AP) — A panel of U.S. advisers will meet Tuesday to vote on how scarce, initial supplies of a COVID-19 vaccine will be given out once one has been approved.Experts have proposed giving the vaccine to health workers first. High priority also may be given to workers in essential industries, people with certain medical conditions and people age 65 and older.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1606828228813.png" alt="Image courtesy HHS.gov" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy HHS.gov</figcaption>
 </figure>Tuesday’s meeting is for the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a group established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The panel of experts recommends who to vaccinate and when -- advice that the government almost always follows. The agenda for next week’s emergency meeting was posted Friday.Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech have asked the Food and Drug Administration to allow emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate. Moderna Inc. is also seeking emergency use of its vaccine.FDA’s scientific advisers are holding a public meeting Dec. 10 to review Pfizer’s request, and send a recommendation to the FDA.Manufacturers already have begun stockpiling coronavirus vaccine doses in anticipation of eventual approval, but the first shots will be in short supply and rationed.

CDC panel to vote on COVID-19 vaccine priority

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - CSX is acquiring a regional railroad in New England to bolster its network in the northeastern United States, but a rival railroad says the deal could hurt competition.

CSX said Monday it is acquiring Pan Am Railways, but it didn't disclose terms of the deal. The transaction will expand CSX's 23-state network into Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine while adding to its reach in New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts.

If regulators approve the deal, CSX would also acquire Pan Am's partial ownership of a 600-mile joint venture with Norfolk Southern railroad called Pan Am Southern. Earlier this month, Norfolk Southern raised concerns about this deal with the Surface Transportation Board because it said allowing CSX to buy Pan Am could undermine competition between CSX and Norfolk Southern in the eastern United States.

Edward Jones analyst Jeff Windau said he's not sure how regulators will look at Norfolk Southern's objections.

"The question will be obviously to see if it is really harming competition or if there are still ways for the industry to compete in those regions," Windau said.

If the deal is approved, Pan Am, which is based in North Billerica, Massachusetts, would become part of Jacksonville, Florida-based CSX.

"In Pan Am, CSX gains a strong regional rail network in one of the most densely populated markets in the U.S., creating new efficiencies and market opportunities for customers as we continue to grow," CSX CEO Jim Foote said.

CSX already operates more than 21,000 miles (34,000 kilometers) of track in 23 Eastern states and two Canadian provinces. Norfolk Southern's network of 19,500 miles of track covers much of the same territory as CSX in 22 Eastern states.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1606783546842.png" alt="Photo:&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:BMRR">BMRR</a>&nbsp;at&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/">English Wikipedia</a>" />
 <figcaption>Photo:&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:BMRR">BMRR</a>&nbsp;at&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/">English Wikipedia</a></figcaption>
 </figure>By JOSH FUNK-AP Business Writer OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - CSX is acquiring a regional railroad in New England to bolster its network in the northeastern United States, but a rival railroad says the deal could hurt competition.CSX said Monday it is acquiring Pan Am Railways, but it didn't disclose terms of the deal. The transaction will expand CSX's 23-state network into Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine while adding to its reach in New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts.If regulators approve the deal, CSX would also acquire Pan Am's partial ownership of a 600-mile joint venture with Norfolk Southern railroad called Pan Am Southern. Earlier this month, Norfolk Southern raised concerns about this deal with the Surface Transportation Board because it said allowing CSX to buy Pan Am could undermine competition between CSX and Norfolk Southern in the eastern United States.Edward Jones analyst Jeff Windau said he's not sure how regulators will look at Norfolk Southern's objections."The question will be obviously to see if it is really harming competition or if there are still ways for the industry to compete in those regions," Windau said.If the deal is approved, Pan Am, which is based in North Billerica, Massachusetts, would become part of Jacksonville, Florida-based CSX."In Pan Am, CSX gains a strong regional rail network in one of the most densely populated markets in the U.S., creating new efficiencies and market opportunities for customers as we continue to grow," CSX CEO Jim Foote said.CSX already operates more than 21,000 miles (34,000 kilometers) of track in 23 Eastern states and two Canadian provinces. Norfolk Southern's network of 19,500 miles of track covers much of the same territory as CSX in 22 Eastern states.

CSX plans to buy regional railroad in northeastern U.S.

MILFORD, Neb. (AP) — Authorities in southeastern Nebraska say a Lincoln man has died in a motorcycle crash near Milford. 

The Lincoln Journal Star reports the crash happened Wednesday night on U.S. Highway 6 just west of Milford, killing 20-year-old Luke Anderson. 

Seward County Sheriff Mike Vance says Anderson was on a motorcycle headed west on the highway when he hit a disabled car on the shoulder of the roadway. 

Anderson died at the scene. Investigators say no one was in the car at the time of the crash.

MILFORD, Neb. (AP) — Authorities in southeastern Nebraska say a Lincoln man has died in a motorcycle crash near Milford. The Lincoln Journal Star reports the crash happened Wednesday night on U.S. Highway 6 just west of Milford, killing 20-year-old Luke Anderson. Seward County Sheriff Mike Vance says Anderson was on a motorcycle headed west on the highway when he hit a disabled car on the shoulder of the roadway. Anderson died at the scene. Investigators say no one was in the car at the time of the crash.

Lincoln man killed in motorcycle crash west of Milford

WICHITA&nbsp; — Small earthquakes continue to rattle Wichita. At 9:11 a.m. Monday, a 2.4 magnitude quake shook residents, according <a href="http://maps.kgs.ku.edu/earthquake_mini_viewer/index.html?type=quake&amp;id=1001466143">to the Kansas Geological Survey.</a> This is the third quake since Thanksgiving Day.

The trembler on Thursday measured 2.7 on the Richter scale, while one on Friday had a magnitude of 2.6. 

The threshold for damage usually starts at 4.0.United States Geological Survey geophysicists Paul Caruso said 26 people “in and around Wichita” reported to the USGS feeling Friday’s earthquake. 

The earthquake on Thursday hasn’t yet been reported to the USGS. Both had epicenters in the eastern part of the Wichita.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Small earthquakes have rattled Wichita for two straight days. 

A trembler on Thursday measured 2.7 on the Richter scale, while one on Friday had a magnitude of 2.6. The threshold for damage usually starts at 4.0.United States Geological Survey geophysicists Paul Caruso said 26 people “in and around Wichita” reported to the USGS feeling Friday’s earthquake. 

The earthquake on Thursday hasn’t yet been reported to the USGS. Both had epicenters in the eastern part of the city.

“People generally if they felt it would be close to the epicenter and they would experience a little bit of vibration. Maybe they would see their chandelier swinging back and forth. We certainly wouldn’t expect any damage to be caused by anything that small.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1606586334604.png" alt="Location of Friday's quake -Image courtesy Kansas Geological Survey" />
 <figcaption>Location of Friday's quake -Image courtesy Kansas Geological Survey</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA&nbsp; — Small earthquakes continue to rattle Wichita. At 9:11 a.m. Monday, a 2.4 magnitude quake shook residents, according <a href="http://maps.kgs.ku.edu/earthquake_mini_viewer/index.html?type=quake&amp;id=1001466143">to the Kansas Geological Survey.</a> This is the third quake since Thanksgiving Day.The trembler on Thursday measured 2.7 on the Richter scale, while one on Friday had a magnitude of 2.6. The threshold for damage usually starts at 4.0.United States Geological Survey geophysicists Paul Caruso said 26 people “in and around Wichita” reported to the USGS feeling Friday’s earthquake. The earthquake on Thursday hasn’t yet been reported to the USGS. Both had epicenters in the eastern part of the Wichita.-------------WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Small earthquakes have rattled Wichita for two straight days. A trembler on Thursday measured 2.7 on the Richter scale, while one on Friday had a magnitude of 2.6. The threshold for damage usually starts at 4.0.United States Geological Survey geophysicists Paul Caruso said 26 people “in and around Wichita” reported to the USGS feeling Friday’s earthquake. The earthquake on Thursday hasn’t yet been reported to the USGS. Both had epicenters in the eastern part of the city.“People generally if they felt it would be close to the epicenter and they would experience a little bit of vibration. Maybe they would see their chandelier swinging back and forth. We certainly wouldn’t expect any damage to be caused by anything that small.”

3rd earthquake in 5 days rattles Wichita 

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming’s leading coal company plans to eliminate a health care benefit program for retired miners as a cost-saving measure. 

The Casper Star-Tribune reported Peabody Energy Corp. has announced plans to discontinue coverage of medical expenses for workers enrolled in Medicare and stop providing life insurance to retirees. 

The change is expected to take effect Jan. 1. 

Peabody conducted a review that determined coverage of existing retiree medical benefits was not sustainable.

 Discontinuing the retiree health care program is expected to save Peabody $174.5 million. 

The company owns the North Antelope Rochelle, Rawhide and Caballo mines in the Powder River Basin.

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming’s leading coal company plans to eliminate a health care benefit program for retired miners as a cost-saving measure. The Casper Star-Tribune reported Peabody Energy Corp. has announced plans to discontinue coverage of medical expenses for workers enrolled in Medicare and stop providing life insurance to retirees. The change is expected to take effect Jan. 1. Peabody conducted a review that determined coverage of existing retiree medical benefits was not sustainable. Discontinuing the retiree health care program is expected to save Peabody $174.5 million. The company owns the North Antelope Rochelle, Rawhide and Caballo mines in the Powder River Basin.

Wyoming coal firm to eliminate retired health care benefits

Washington (AP) —Moderna Inc. said it would ask U.S. and European regulators Monday to allow emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine as new study results confirm the shots offer strong protection — ramping up the race to begin limited vaccinations as the coronavirus rampage worsens.

Multiple vaccine candidates must succeed for the world to stamp out the pandemic, which has been on the upswing in the U.S. and Europe. U.S. hospitals have been stretched to the limit as the nation has seen more than 160,000 new cases per day and more than 1,400 daily deaths. Since first emerging nearly a year ago in China, the virus has killed more than 1.4 million people worldwide.

Moderna is just behind Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech in seeking to begin vaccinations in the U.S. in December. Across the Atlantic, British regulators also are assessing the Pfizer shot and another from AstraZeneca.

Moderna created its shots with the U.S. National Institutes of Health and already had a hint they were working, but said it got the final needed results over the weekend that suggest the vaccine is more than 94% effective.

Of 196 COVID-19 cases so far in its huge U.S. study, 185 were trial participants who received the placebo and 11 who got the real vaccine. The only people who got severely ill — 30 participants, including one who died — had received dummy shots, said Dr. Tal Zaks, the Cambridge, Massachusetts, company’s chief medical officer.

When he learned the results, “I allowed myself to cry for the first time,” Zaks told The Associated Press. “We have already, just in the trial, have already saved lives. Just imagine the impact then multiplied to the people who can get this vaccine.”

Moderna said the shots’ effectiveness and a good safety record so far — with only temporary, flu-like side effects — mean they meet requirements set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for emergency use before the final-stage testing is complete. The European Medicines Agency, Europe’s version of FDA, has signaled it also is open to faster, emergency clearance.

The FDA has pledged that before it decides to roll out any COVID-19 vaccines, its scientific advisers will publicly debate whether there’s enough evidence behind each candidate.

First up on Dec. 10, Pfizer and BioNTech will present data suggesting their vaccine candidate is 95% effective. Moderna said its turn at this “science court” is expected exactly a week later, on Dec. 17.

If the FDA allows emergency use, Moderna expects to have 20 million doses ready for the U.S. by year’s end. Recipients will need two doses, so that’s enough for 10 million people.

Pfizer expects to have 50 million doses globally in December. Half of them — or enough for 12.5 million people — are earmarked for the U.S.

This week, a different panel of U.S. experts, established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will meet to decide how initial supplies will be given out. They’re expected to reserve scarce first doses for health care workers and, if the shots work well enough in the frail elderly, for residents of long-term care facilities. As more vaccine gradually becomes available in coming months, other essential workers and people at highest risk from the coronavirus would get in line. But enough for the general population isn’t expected until at least spring.

Outside the U.S., Zaks said significant supplies from Moderna would be available later, “in the first quarter” of next year.

“Obviously we are doing everything in our power to increase the capacity and accelerate the timelines,” he said.

Both Moderna’s and Pfizer’s vaccines are made with the same technology, using a piece of genetic code for the “spike” protein that studs the virus. That messenger RNA, or mRNA, instructs the body to make some harmless spike protein, training immune cells to recognize it if the real virus eventually comes along.

AstraZeneca last week announced confusing early results of its vaccine candidate from research in Britain and Brazil

That vaccine appears 62% effective when tested as originally intended, with recipients given two full doses. But because of a manufacturing error, a small number of volunteers got a lower first dose — and AstraZeneca said in that group, the vaccine appeared to be 90% effective.

Experts say it’s unclear why the lower-dose approach would work better and that it may just be a statistical quirk.

A larger U.S. study of the AstraZeneca candidate still is underway that should eventually give the FDA a better picture of how well it works. The FDA has said any COVID-19 vaccine would have to be at least 50% effective.

Meanwhile Britain’s government will have to decide whether its U.K. data is sufficient for an early rollout there.

Johnson &amp; Johnson also is in final-stage testing in the U.S. and several other countries to see if its vaccine candidate could work with just one dose.

Both the J&amp;J and AstraZeneca vaccines work by using harmless cold viruses to carry the spike protein gene into the body and prime the immune system.

The different technologies have ramifications for how easily different vaccines could be distributed globally. The AstraZeneca shots won’t require freezer storage like the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

Candidates made with still other technologies are in late-stage testing, too. Another U.S. company, Novavax Inc., announced Monday that it has finished enrolling 15,000 people in a late-stage study in Britain and plans to begin recruiting even more volunteers for final testing in the U.S. and Mexico “in the coming weeks.”

Vaccines made by three Chinese companies and a Russian candidate also are being tested in thousands of people in countries around the world.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1605532144900.png" alt="Photo courtesy Moderna" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Moderna</figcaption>
 </figure>Washington (AP) —Moderna Inc. said it would ask U.S. and European regulators Monday to allow emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine as new study results confirm the shots offer strong protection — ramping up the race to begin limited vaccinations as the coronavirus rampage worsens.Multiple vaccine candidates must succeed for the world to stamp out the pandemic, which has been on the upswing in the U.S. and Europe. U.S. hospitals have been stretched to the limit as the nation has seen more than 160,000 new cases per day and more than 1,400 daily deaths. Since first emerging nearly a year ago in China, the virus has killed more than 1.4 million people worldwide.Moderna is just behind Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech in seeking to begin vaccinations in the U.S. in December. Across the Atlantic, British regulators also are assessing the Pfizer shot and another from AstraZeneca.Moderna created its shots with the U.S. National Institutes of Health and already had a hint they were working, but said it got the final needed results over the weekend that suggest the vaccine is more than 94% effective.Of 196 COVID-19 cases so far in its huge U.S. study, 185 were trial participants who received the placebo and 11 who got the real vaccine. The only people who got severely ill — 30 participants, including one who died — had received dummy shots, said Dr. Tal Zaks, the Cambridge, Massachusetts, company’s chief medical officer.When he learned the results, “I allowed myself to cry for the first time,” Zaks told The Associated Press. “We have already, just in the trial, have already saved lives. Just imagine the impact then multiplied to the people who can get this vaccine.”Moderna said the shots’ effectiveness and a good safety record so far — with only temporary, flu-like side effects — mean they meet requirements set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for emergency use before the final-stage testing is complete. The European Medicines Agency, Europe’s version of FDA, has signaled it also is open to faster, emergency clearance.WHAT COMES NEXTThe FDA has pledged that before it decides to roll out any COVID-19 vaccines, its scientific advisers will publicly debate whether there’s enough evidence behind each candidate.First up on Dec. 10, Pfizer and BioNTech will present data suggesting their vaccine candidate is 95% effective. Moderna said its turn at this “science court” is expected exactly a week later, on Dec. 17.RATIONING INITIAL DOSESIf the FDA allows emergency use, Moderna expects to have 20 million doses ready for the U.S. by year’s end. Recipients will need two doses, so that’s enough for 10 million people.Pfizer expects to have 50 million doses globally in December. Half of them — or enough for 12.5 million people — are earmarked for the U.S.This week, a different panel of U.S. experts, established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will meet to decide how initial supplies will be given out. They’re expected to reserve scarce first doses for health care workers and, if the shots work well enough in the frail elderly, for residents of long-term care facilities. As more vaccine gradually becomes available in coming months, other essential workers and people at highest risk from the coronavirus would get in line. But enough for the general population isn’t expected until at least spring.Outside the U.S., Zaks said significant supplies from Moderna would be available later, “in the first quarter” of next year.“Obviously we are doing everything in our power to increase the capacity and accelerate the timelines,” he said.Both Moderna’s and Pfizer’s vaccines are made with the same technology, using a piece of genetic code for the “spike” protein that studs the virus. That messenger RNA, or mRNA, instructs the body to make some harmless spike protein, training immune cells to recognize it if the real virus eventually comes along.ASTRAZENECA CONFUSIONAstraZeneca last week announced confusing early results of its vaccine candidate from research in Britain and BrazilThat vaccine appears 62% effective when tested as originally intended, with recipients given two full doses. But because of a manufacturing error, a small number of volunteers got a lower first dose — and AstraZeneca said in that group, the vaccine appeared to be 90% effective.Experts say it’s unclear why the lower-dose approach would work better and that it may just be a statistical quirk.A larger U.S. study of the AstraZeneca candidate still is underway that should eventually give the FDA a better picture of how well it works. The FDA has said any COVID-19 vaccine would have to be at least 50% effective.Meanwhile Britain’s government will have to decide whether its U.K. data is sufficient for an early rollout there.STILL IN THE PIPELINEJohnson &amp; Johnson also is in final-stage testing in the U.S. and several other countries to see if its vaccine candidate could work with just one dose.Both the J&amp;J and AstraZeneca vaccines work by using harmless cold viruses to carry the spike protein gene into the body and prime the immune system.The different technologies have ramifications for how easily different vaccines could be distributed globally. The AstraZeneca shots won’t require freezer storage like the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.Candidates made with still other technologies are in late-stage testing, too. Another U.S. company, Novavax Inc., announced Monday that it has finished enrolling 15,000 people in a late-stage study in Britain and plans to begin recruiting even more volunteers for final testing in the U.S. and Mexico “in the coming weeks.”Vaccines made by three Chinese companies and a Russian candidate also are being tested in thousands of people in countries around the world.____

2nd virus vaccine ready for emergency approval

DENVER (AP) — Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has tested positive for the coronavirus.

Polis and his partner, Marlon Reis, both have COVID-19 and are asymptomatic, the governor said in a statement Saturday night.

Polis had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jared-polis-coronavirus-pandemic-colorado-df70c2e323205a7349abf6dc28f80486">started quarantining</a>&nbsp;Wednesday after he said he was exposed to the virus. Polis had tweeted late Wednesday that he tested negative the night after learning of his exposure but would be retested.

The state has been hit with a substantial spike in COVID-19 cases. One in 41 residents are believed to be contagious.

“It doesn’t matter who you are or what you do, no one is immune from this virus,” Polis said in his statement. “Now is the time to be more cautious than ever before. There is more of the virus circulating across the country, including in Colorado, now than there even was in the spring.”

He said he will continue to serve the state while isolating himself. He urged residents to wear masks and keep 6 feet (1.8 meters) apart in public.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some — especially older adults and people with existing health problems — it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1606742234954.png" alt="Governor Jared Polis (Photo: Twitter)" />
 <figcaption>Governor Jared Polis (Photo: Twitter)</figcaption>
 </figure>DENVER (AP) — Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has tested positive for the coronavirus.Polis and his partner, Marlon Reis, both have COVID-19 and are asymptomatic, the governor said in a statement Saturday night.Polis had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jared-polis-coronavirus-pandemic-colorado-df70c2e323205a7349abf6dc28f80486">started quarantining</a>&nbsp;Wednesday after he said he was exposed to the virus. Polis had tweeted late Wednesday that he tested negative the night after learning of his exposure but would be retested.The state has been hit with a substantial spike in COVID-19 cases. One in 41 residents are believed to be contagious.“It doesn’t matter who you are or what you do, no one is immune from this virus,” Polis said in his statement. “Now is the time to be more cautious than ever before. There is more of the virus circulating across the country, including in Colorado, now than there even was in the spring.”He said he will continue to serve the state while isolating himself. He urged residents to wear masks and keep 6 feet (1.8 meters) apart in public.For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some — especially older adults and people with existing health problems — it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.

Colorado governor tests positive for coronavirus

WASHINGTON (AP) — After months of shadowboxing amid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2020">a tense and toxic campaign</a>, Capitol Hill’s main players are returning for one final, perhaps futile, attempt at deal-making on a challenging menu of year-end business.

COVID-19 relief, a $1.4 trillion catchall spending package, and defense policy — and a final burst of judicial nominees — dominate a truncated two- or three-week session occurring as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/virus-outbreak">the coronavirus pandemic</a>&nbsp;rockets out of control in President Donald Trump’s final weeks in office.

The only absolute must-do business is preventing a government shutdown when a temporary spending bill expires on Dec. 11. The route preferred by top lawmakers like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is to agree upon and pass an omnibus spending bill for the government. But it may be difficult to overcome bitter divisions regarding&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-politics-virus-outbreak-legislation-f95b57c64aacb4f2fbfd148a301ab45d">a long-delayed COVID-19 relief package</a>&nbsp;that’s a top priority of business, state and local governments, educators and others.

Time is working against lawmakers as well, as is the Capitol’s emerging status as a COVID-19 hotspot. The House has truncated its schedule, and Senate Republicans are joining Democrats in forgoing the in-person lunch meetings that usually anchor their workweeks. It’ll take serious, good-faith conversations among top players to determine what’s possible, but those haven’t transpired yet.

Top items for December’s lame-duck session:

At a bare minimum, lawmakers need to keep the government running by passing a stopgap spending bill known as a continuing resolution, which would punt $1.4 trillion worth of unfinished agency spending into next year.

That’s a typical way to deal with a handoff to a new administration, but McConnell and Pelosi are two veterans of the Capitol’s appropriations culture and are pressing hard for a catchall spending package. A battle over using budget sleight of hand to add a 2 percentage point, $12 billion increase to domestic programs to accommodate rapidly growing veterans health care spending is an issue, as are Trump’s demands for U.S-Mexico border wall funding.

Getting Trump to sign the measure is another challenge. Two years ago he sparked a lengthy partial government shutdown over the border wall, but both sides would like to clear away the pile of unfinished legislation to give the Biden administration a fresh start. The changeover in administrations probably wouldn’t affect an omnibus deal very much.

At issue are the 12 annual spending bills comprising the portion of the government’s budget that passes through Congress each year on a bipartisan basis. Whatever approach passes, it’s likely to contain a batch of unfinished leftovers such as extending expiring health care policies and tax provisions and continuing the authorization for the government’s flood insurance program.

Democrats have battled with Republicans and the White House for months over a fresh installment of COVID-19 relief that all sides say they want. But a lack of good faith and an unwillingness to embark on compromises that might lead either side out of their political comfort zones have helped keep another rescue package on ice.

The aid remains out of reach despite a fragile economy and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doctors-better-equipped-virus-surge-743c0448c3ada001d327d73a6f2ed9d7">out-of-control increases in coronavirus cases</a>, especially in Midwest GOP strongholds. McConnell is a potent force for a smaller — but still sizable — package and has supplanted Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin as the most important Republican force in the negotiations.

Pelosi seems to have overplayed her hand as she held out for $2 trillion-plus right up until the election. The results of the election, which saw Democrats lose seats in the House, appear to have significantly undercut her position, but she is holding firm on another round of aid to state and local governments.

Before the election, Trump seemed to be focused on a provision that would send another round of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/61b3d38360745d64a98a2ab813501b13">$1,200 payments</a>&nbsp;to most Americans. He hasn’t shown a lot of interest in the topic since, apart from stray tweets. But the chief obstacles now appear to be Pelosi’s demand for state and local government aid and McConnell’s demand for a liability shield for businesses reopening during the pandemic.

At stake is funding for vaccines and testing,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-ap-top-news-health-ap-fact-check-public-health-9acd2a3f7af12421a4f39572afe5baac">reopening schools</a>, various economic “stimulus” ideas like another round of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/b0d2a36521f39010273317fa3562c2e4">“paycheck protection” subsidies</a>&nbsp;for businesses especially hard hit by the pandemic. Failure to pass a measure now would vault the topic to the top of Biden’s legislative agenda next year.

A spat over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-joe-biden-defense-policy-f2cebbd1b90f866b224c9873bac9bed0">military bases named for Confederate officers</a>&nbsp;is threatening the annual passage of a defense policy measure that has passed for 59 years in a row on a bipartisan basis. The measure is critical in the defense policy world, guiding Pentagon policy and cementing decisions about troop levels, new weapons systems and military readiness, military personnel policy and other military goals.

Both the House and Senate measures would require the Pentagon to rename bases such as Fort Benning and Fort Hood, but Trump opposes the idea and has threatened a veto over it. The battle erupted this summer amid widespread racial protests, and Trump used the debate to appeal to white Southern voters nostalgic about the Confederacy. It’s a live issue in two Senate runoff elections in Georgia that will determine control of the chamber during the first two years of Biden’s tenure.

Democrats are insisting on changing the names and it’s not obvious how it’ll all end up.

WASHINGTON (AP) — After months of shadowboxing amid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/election-2020">a tense and toxic campaign</a>, Capitol Hill’s main players are returning for one final, perhaps futile, attempt at deal-making on a challenging menu of year-end business.COVID-19 relief, a $1.4 trillion catchall spending package, and defense policy — and a final burst of judicial nominees — dominate a truncated two- or three-week session occurring as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/virus-outbreak">the coronavirus pandemic</a>&nbsp;rockets out of control in President Donald Trump’s final weeks in office.The only absolute must-do business is preventing a government shutdown when a temporary spending bill expires on Dec. 11. The route preferred by top lawmakers like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is to agree upon and pass an omnibus spending bill for the government. But it may be difficult to overcome bitter divisions regarding&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-politics-virus-outbreak-legislation-f95b57c64aacb4f2fbfd148a301ab45d">a long-delayed COVID-19 relief package</a>&nbsp;that’s a top priority of business, state and local governments, educators and others.Time is working against lawmakers as well, as is the Capitol’s emerging status as a COVID-19 hotspot. The House has truncated its schedule, and Senate Republicans are joining Democrats in forgoing the in-person lunch meetings that usually anchor their workweeks. It’ll take serious, good-faith conversations among top players to determine what’s possible, but those haven’t transpired yet.Top items for December’s lame-duck session:___KEEPING THE GOVERNMENT OPENAt a bare minimum, lawmakers need to keep the government running by passing a stopgap spending bill known as a continuing resolution, which would punt $1.4 trillion worth of unfinished agency spending into next year.That’s a typical way to deal with a handoff to a new administration, but McConnell and Pelosi are two veterans of the Capitol’s appropriations culture and are pressing hard for a catchall spending package. A battle over using budget sleight of hand to add a 2 percentage point, $12 billion increase to domestic programs to accommodate rapidly growing veterans health care spending is an issue, as are Trump’s demands for U.S-Mexico border wall funding.Getting Trump to sign the measure is another challenge. Two years ago he sparked a lengthy partial government shutdown over the border wall, but both sides would like to clear away the pile of unfinished legislation to give the Biden administration a fresh start. The changeover in administrations probably wouldn’t affect an omnibus deal very much.At issue are the 12 annual spending bills comprising the portion of the government’s budget that passes through Congress each year on a bipartisan basis. Whatever approach passes, it’s likely to contain a batch of unfinished leftovers such as extending expiring health care policies and tax provisions and continuing the authorization for the government’s flood insurance program.___COVID-19 RELIEFDemocrats have battled with Republicans and the White House for months over a fresh installment of COVID-19 relief that all sides say they want. But a lack of good faith and an unwillingness to embark on compromises that might lead either side out of their political comfort zones have helped keep another rescue package on ice.The aid remains out of reach despite a fragile economy and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/doctors-better-equipped-virus-surge-743c0448c3ada001d327d73a6f2ed9d7">out-of-control increases in coronavirus cases</a>, especially in Midwest GOP strongholds. McConnell is a potent force for a smaller — but still sizable — package and has supplanted Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin as the most important Republican force in the negotiations.Pelosi seems to have overplayed her hand as she held out for $2 trillion-plus right up until the election. The results of the election, which saw Democrats lose seats in the House, appear to have significantly undercut her position, but she is holding firm on another round of aid to state and local governments.Before the election, Trump seemed to be focused on a provision that would send another round of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/61b3d38360745d64a98a2ab813501b13">$1,200 payments</a>&nbsp;to most Americans. He hasn’t shown a lot of interest in the topic since, apart from stray tweets. But the chief obstacles now appear to be Pelosi’s demand for state and local government aid and McConnell’s demand for a liability shield for businesses reopening during the pandemic.At stake is funding for vaccines and testing,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-ap-top-news-health-ap-fact-check-public-health-9acd2a3f7af12421a4f39572afe5baac">reopening schools</a>, various economic “stimulus” ideas like another round of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/b0d2a36521f39010273317fa3562c2e4">“paycheck protection” subsidies</a>&nbsp;for businesses especially hard hit by the pandemic. Failure to pass a measure now would vault the topic to the top of Biden’s legislative agenda next year.___DEFENSE POLICYA spat over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-joe-biden-defense-policy-f2cebbd1b90f866b224c9873bac9bed0">military bases named for Confederate officers</a>&nbsp;is threatening the annual passage of a defense policy measure that has passed for 59 years in a row on a bipartisan basis. The measure is critical in the defense policy world, guiding Pentagon policy and cementing decisions about troop levels, new weapons systems and military readiness, military personnel policy and other military goals.Both the House and Senate measures would require the Pentagon to rename bases such as Fort Benning and Fort Hood, but Trump opposes the idea and has threatened a veto over it. The battle erupted this summer amid widespread racial protests, and Trump used the debate to appeal to white Southern voters nostalgic about the Confederacy. It’s a live issue in two Senate runoff elections in Georgia that will determine control of the chamber during the first two years of Biden’s tenure.Democrats are insisting on changing the names and it’s not obvious how it’ll all end up.

Congress returns with battle over virus relief ahead

WASHINGTON (AP) —The nation’s top infectious disease expert said Sunday that the U.S. may see “surge upon a surge” of the coronavirus in the weeks after Thanksgiving, and he does not expect current recommendations around social distancing to be relaxed before Christmas.

Meanwhile, in a major reversal, New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio said the nation’s largest school system will reopen to in-person learning and increase the number of days a week many children attend class. The announcement came just 11 days after the Democratic mayor said schools would shut down because of rising COVID-19 cases.

“We feel confident that we can keep schools safe,” he said.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told ABC’s “This Week” that the level of infection in the U.S. would not “all of a sudden turn around.”

“So clearly in the next few weeks, we’re going to have the same sort of thing. And perhaps even two or three weeks down the line ... we may see a surge upon a surge,” he said.

Fauci addressed the school issue, saying that spread “among children and from children is not really very big at all, not like one would have suspected. So let’s try to get the kids back, but let’s try to mitigate the things that maintain and just push the kind of community spread that we’re trying to avoid,” he said.

Fauci also appeared on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” where he made similar remarks, adding that it’s “not too late” for people traveling home after Thanksgiving to help curb the virus by wearing masks, staying distant from others and avoiding large groups of people.

The number of new COVID-19 cases reported in the United States topped 200,000 for the first time Friday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Since January, when the first infections were reported in the U.S., the nation’s total number of cases has surpassed 13 million. More than 265,000 people have died.

Fauci said the arrival of vaccines offers a “light at the end of the tunnel.” This coming week, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will meet with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to discuss a rollout of the vaccine, he said.

He added that President-elect Joe Biden should focus on distributing vaccines in an “efficient and equitable way.” Fauci also said he planned to push the new administration for a rigorous testing program.

Health care workers will likely be among the first to get the vaccine, with the first vaccinations happening before the end of December, followed by many more in January, February and March, he said.

“So if we can hang together as a country and do these kinds of things to blunt these surges until we get a substantial proportion of the population vaccinated, we can get through this,” Fauci said.

Other experts agreed that the coming weeks would be difficult, especially since so many traveled over the holiday and held in-person dinners indoors.

Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, said Sunday on CBS’ “Face the Nation” that Americans who traveled this past week should try to avoid people over 65. She said that those who were around others for Thanksgiving “have to assume that you were exposed and you became infected and you really need to get tested in the next week.”

Meanwhile, a busy travel weekend continued, despite warnings for Americans to stay close to home and limit their holiday gatherings.

Aside from the Thanksgiving holiday itself, anywhere from 800,000 to more than 1 million travelers made their way through U.S. airport checkpoints on any day during the past week, according to Transportation Security Administration statistics. That’s a far cry from the 2.3 to 2.6 million seen daily last year. But it far surpasses the number of travelers early in the pandemic, when daily totals fell below 100,000 on some spring days.

More COVID-19 restrictions were in store for California starting Monday. Los Angeles County will impose a lockdown calling for its 10 million residents to stay home. Santa Clara County, which includes San Jose, is banning all high school, collegiate and professional sports and imposing a quarantine for anyone traveling into the region from more than 150 miles away.

Back in New York, some elementary schools and pre-kindergarten programs will resume classes Dec. 7, a week from Monday, the mayor said. Others will take longer to reopen.

The plan for reopening middle and high schools is still being developed, de Blasio said.

About 190,000 students will be eligible to return to classrooms in the first round of reopening, just a fraction of the more than 1 million total pupils in the system. The great majority of parents have opted to have their kids learn remotely by computer.

De Blasio said that many of those returning in person will be able to attend five days of class a week, up from one to three days previously.

Elementary school students attending in person will be required to undergo frequent testing for the virus. Previously, the city set a target of testing 20% of teachers and students in each school building once a month. Now the testing will be weekly.

The mayor said the city was doing away with its previous trigger for closing schools, which was when 3% or more of the virus tests conducted in the city over a seven-day period came back positive.

New York exceeded that threshold early in November, and infections have slightly worsened since then. More than 9,300 residents have tested positive for the virus over the past seven days.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592928665531.png" alt="Fauci addressed a congressional committee in July -photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Fauci addressed a congressional committee in July -photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —The nation’s top infectious disease expert said Sunday that the U.S. may see “surge upon a surge” of the coronavirus in the weeks after Thanksgiving, and he does not expect current recommendations around social distancing to be relaxed before Christmas.Meanwhile, in a major reversal, New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio said the nation’s largest school system will reopen to in-person learning and increase the number of days a week many children attend class. The announcement came just 11 days after the Democratic mayor said schools would shut down because of rising COVID-19 cases.“We feel confident that we can keep schools safe,” he said.Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told ABC’s “This Week” that the level of infection in the U.S. would not “all of a sudden turn around.”“So clearly in the next few weeks, we’re going to have the same sort of thing. And perhaps even two or three weeks down the line ... we may see a surge upon a surge,” he said.Fauci addressed the school issue, saying that spread “among children and from children is not really very big at all, not like one would have suspected. So let’s try to get the kids back, but let’s try to mitigate the things that maintain and just push the kind of community spread that we’re trying to avoid,” he said.Fauci also appeared on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” where he made similar remarks, adding that it’s “not too late” for people traveling home after Thanksgiving to help curb the virus by wearing masks, staying distant from others and avoiding large groups of people.The number of new COVID-19 cases reported in the United States topped 200,000 for the first time Friday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Since January, when the first infections were reported in the U.S., the nation’s total number of cases has surpassed 13 million. More than 265,000 people have died.Fauci said the arrival of vaccines offers a “light at the end of the tunnel.” This coming week, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will meet with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to discuss a rollout of the vaccine, he said.He added that President-elect Joe Biden should focus on distributing vaccines in an “efficient and equitable way.” Fauci also said he planned to push the new administration for a rigorous testing program.Health care workers will likely be among the first to get the vaccine, with the first vaccinations happening before the end of December, followed by many more in January, February and March, he said.“So if we can hang together as a country and do these kinds of things to blunt these surges until we get a substantial proportion of the population vaccinated, we can get through this,” Fauci said.Other experts agreed that the coming weeks would be difficult, especially since so many traveled over the holiday and held in-person dinners indoors.Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, said Sunday on CBS’ “Face the Nation” that Americans who traveled this past week should try to avoid people over 65. She said that those who were around others for Thanksgiving “have to assume that you were exposed and you became infected and you really need to get tested in the next week.”Meanwhile, a busy travel weekend continued, despite warnings for Americans to stay close to home and limit their holiday gatherings.Aside from the Thanksgiving holiday itself, anywhere from 800,000 to more than 1 million travelers made their way through U.S. airport checkpoints on any day during the past week, according to Transportation Security Administration statistics. That’s a far cry from the 2.3 to 2.6 million seen daily last year. But it far surpasses the number of travelers early in the pandemic, when daily totals fell below 100,000 on some spring days.More COVID-19 restrictions were in store for California starting Monday. Los Angeles County will impose a lockdown calling for its 10 million residents to stay home. Santa Clara County, which includes San Jose, is banning all high school, collegiate and professional sports and imposing a quarantine for anyone traveling into the region from more than 150 miles away.Back in New York, some elementary schools and pre-kindergarten programs will resume classes Dec. 7, a week from Monday, the mayor said. Others will take longer to reopen.The plan for reopening middle and high schools is still being developed, de Blasio said.About 190,000 students will be eligible to return to classrooms in the first round of reopening, just a fraction of the more than 1 million total pupils in the system. The great majority of parents have opted to have their kids learn remotely by computer.De Blasio said that many of those returning in person will be able to attend five days of class a week, up from one to three days previously.Elementary school students attending in person will be required to undergo frequent testing for the virus. Previously, the city set a target of testing 20% of teachers and students in each school building once a month. Now the testing will be weekly.The mayor said the city was doing away with its previous trigger for closing schools, which was when 3% or more of the virus tests conducted in the city over a seven-day period came back positive.New York exceeded that threshold early in November, and infections have slightly worsened since then. More than 9,300 residents have tested positive for the virus over the past seven days.___

Fauci: US may see 'surge upon surge' of virus in weeks ahead

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska has agreed to pay $850,000 to a woman and her daughter who were attacked in Lincoln by one of two convicted sex offenders who escaped from maximum security prison by hiding in laundry carts. 

The Omaha World-Herald reports that the attorney for Cindi and Christine Allen called the June 2016 case a “tragedy” that has continued to cause complications for the woman.

 After escaping from the Lincoln Correctional Center, Armon Dixon ultimately found his way to a Lincoln apartment where 61-year-old Cindi Allen lived. 

He entered through an unlocked patio door, grabbing and threatening Allen’s 21-year-old daughter. When the women resisted, Dixon beat them with a blunt object.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska has agreed to pay $850,000 to a woman and her daughter who were attacked in Lincoln by one of two convicted sex offenders who escaped from maximum security prison by hiding in laundry carts. The Omaha World-Herald reports that the attorney for Cindi and Christine Allen called the June 2016 case a “tragedy” that has continued to cause complications for the woman. After escaping from the Lincoln Correctional Center, Armon Dixon ultimately found his way to a Lincoln apartment where 61-year-old Cindi Allen lived. He entered through an unlocked patio door, grabbing and threatening Allen’s 21-year-old daughter. When the women resisted, Dixon beat them with a blunt object.

Nebraska pays $850K to 2 attacked by prison escapee

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska is creating the nation's largest tribal national park on a forested bluff overlooking the Missouri River and a historic site of its people.

The 444-acre park will allow the tribe to tell the story of the Ioway people and provide a rustic getaway where people can hike, camp and bird-watch, said Lance Foster, the vice chairman of the tribe.

“We’ve been here for a thousand years now and, unlike other people who can buy and sell land and move away, we can never move away,” Foster said. “This is our land forever. And we’ll be here for another 1,000 years."

The new Ioway Tribal National Park will overlook a historic trading village where the Ioway people bartered for buffalo hides and pipestones with other tribes during the 13th to 15th centuries. That site includes three burial mounds that date back 3,000 years.

The Nature Conservancy of Nebraska recently transferred 284 acres to the tribe, which plans to use the land and an adjacent 160 acres that the conservancy donated two years ago to establish the second such tribal national park in the country&nbsp;<a href="https://omaha.com/news/state-and-regional/iowa-tribe-creates-444-acre-tribal-national-park-on-nebraska-kansas-border/article_ad481bf0-5f00-5cd3-85d9-ebdf18ec0970.html">.</a>&nbsp;It is located just southeast of Rulo, Nebraska, on the Nebraska-Kansas border.

Mace Hack, executive director of the Nebraska chapter of the conservancy, said his group has worked with the Iowa Tribe for years and was aware of how well it managed property.

“It just seemed like the right thing to do,” Hack said. “We wanted to help the tribe connect even more deeply to their ancestral lands and heritage.”

Acquiring the land also fits with the tribe’s goal of restoring tribally owned lands on its reservation, which once spanned 12,000 acres on both sides of the Nebraska-Kansas border. An 1887 federal “allotment” act that subdivided the reservation to individual families resulted in the selling off of 90% of the land to local farmers.

The tribe, headquartered in White Cloud, Kansas, has now bought back about one-third of its original reservation, Foster said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1606396888915.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska is creating the nation's largest tribal national park on a forested bluff overlooking the Missouri River and a historic site of its people.The 444-acre park will allow the tribe to tell the story of the Ioway people and provide a rustic getaway where people can hike, camp and bird-watch, said Lance Foster, the vice chairman of the tribe.“We’ve been here for a thousand years now and, unlike other people who can buy and sell land and move away, we can never move away,” Foster said. “This is our land forever. And we’ll be here for another 1,000 years."The new Ioway Tribal National Park will overlook a historic trading village where the Ioway people bartered for buffalo hides and pipestones with other tribes during the 13th to 15th centuries. That site includes three burial mounds that date back 3,000 years.The Nature Conservancy of Nebraska recently transferred 284 acres to the tribe, which plans to use the land and an adjacent 160 acres that the conservancy donated two years ago to establish the second such tribal national park in the country&nbsp;<a href="https://omaha.com/news/state-and-regional/iowa-tribe-creates-444-acre-tribal-national-park-on-nebraska-kansas-border/article_ad481bf0-5f00-5cd3-85d9-ebdf18ec0970.html">.</a>&nbsp;It is located just southeast of Rulo, Nebraska, on the Nebraska-Kansas border.Mace Hack, executive director of the Nebraska chapter of the conservancy, said his group has worked with the Iowa Tribe for years and was aware of how well it managed property.“It just seemed like the right thing to do,” Hack said. “We wanted to help the tribe connect even more deeply to their ancestral lands and heritage.”Acquiring the land also fits with the tribe’s goal of restoring tribally owned lands on its reservation, which once spanned 12,000 acres on both sides of the Nebraska-Kansas border. An 1887 federal “allotment” act that subdivided the reservation to individual families resulted in the selling off of 90% of the land to local farmers.The tribe, headquartered in White Cloud, Kansas, has now bought back about one-third of its original reservation, Foster said.

Largest tribal national park created on Kansas border

JACKSON COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect in connection with a series of robberies.

Just before 8p.m Thursday, a Kansas State Trooper stopped a 1995 Cadillac Deville south of Hoyt on US 75 75 for a traffic infraction, according to Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse.

 The Trooper requested assistance, and Sheriff Morse responded to the scene. The Trooper and Sheriff initiated a felony car stop and took 26-year-old Justin Ross Kimble, of Omaha, Nebraska into custody. 

Kimble was wanted out of the State of Oklahoma for 6 counts of robbery by force or fear. 

Further inquiry discovered the vehicle Kimble was driving had been taken in an alleged carjacking in Omaha, Nebraska earlier on Thanksgiving Day. Kimble is currently being held in the Jackson County Jail. Additional charges on Kimble are expected, according to Morse.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1606566368386.png" alt="Kimble- photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Kimble- photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY, Kan. —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect in connection with a series of robberies.Just before 8p.m Thursday, a Kansas State Trooper stopped a 1995 Cadillac Deville south of Hoyt on US 75 75 for a traffic infraction, according to Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse. The Trooper requested assistance, and Sheriff Morse responded to the scene. The Trooper and Sheriff initiated a felony car stop and took 26-year-old Justin Ross Kimble, of Omaha, Nebraska into custody. Kimble was wanted out of the State of Oklahoma for 6 counts of robbery by force or fear. Further inquiry discovered the vehicle Kimble was driving had been taken in an alleged carjacking in Omaha, Nebraska earlier on Thanksgiving Day. Kimble is currently being held in the Jackson County Jail. Additional charges on Kimble are expected, according to Morse.

Nebraska man wanted for robbery captured in Kansas

WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal prison system will be among the first government agencies to receive the coronavirus vaccine, though initial allotments of the vaccine will be given to staff and not to inmates, even though sickened prisoners vastly outnumber sickened staff, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.

Officials at the federal Bureau of Prisons have been instructing wardens and other staff members to prepare to receive the vaccine within weeks, according to people familiar with the matter. The people could not discuss the matter publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.

The internal Bureau of Prisons documents, obtained by the AP, say initial allotments of the vaccine “will be reserved for staff.” It was not immediately clear how many doses would be made available to the Bureau of Prisons.

As of Monday, there were 3,624 federal inmates and 1,225 Bureau of Prisons staff members who have tested positive for COVID-19.

Since the first case was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ec49cc7f4d1b00bc5010dfb6d935e042">reported in March</a>, 18,467 inmates and 1,736 staff have recovered from the virus. So far, 141 federal inmates and two staff members have died.

There have been more than 12 million cases in the U.S. and over 257,000 deaths. But prisons are a particular concern because social distancing is virtually nonexistent behind bars, inmates sleep in close quarters and share bathrooms with strangers. In the early days of the pandemic, prisoners and staff members said the Bureau of Prisons had run short of even the most basic supplies, like soap.

The internal Bureau of Prisons records obtained by the AP also detail how the agency has been working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Trump administration’s vaccine program, known as “Operation Warp Speed,” to secure the vaccines. The documents say the administration’s initial distribution will include the federal prison system.

Health officials have been warning for more than a decade about the dangers of epidemics for those incarcerated.

Nearly 25% of all inmate cases and 30% of the staff cases have been reported within just the last month. Some staff members said they are apprehensive about receiving the vaccine because of what they feared was a lack of long-term testing and possible side effects.

Though the virus is also rising in state prisons nationwide, any plans for administering doses in those prisons would be handled by the states.

Government guidance has suggested that states should be ready to receive initial doses of the vaccine within weeks, though officials have said initial supplies of the vaccine will be scarce and rationed. While health care workers may be among those to receive initial doses, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s leading infectious disease expert, has said the general population can likely expect first doses of a vaccine starting in April.

No vaccine has been approved by the Trump administration yet — a necessary step before any doses can be delivered. Pfizer formally asked U.S. regulators Friday to allow emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine, starting the clock on a process that could bring limited first shots as early as next month.

Advocates say the federal government should be doing more to ensure vulnerable, at-risk inmates have access to the vaccine as soon as possible.

“If true, it’s a disgrace,” David Patton, the head of the federal defender office in New York, said of the Bureau of Prisons plan. “Prisoners are among the very highest-risk groups for contracting COVID-19. The conditions of confinement make social distancing and proper hygiene and sanitation nearly impossible. The government should certainly prioritize prison staff, but to not also prioritize the people incarcerated is irresponsible and inhumane.”

The Bureau of Prisons has been accused of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/The%20vaccines%20only%20go%20to%20the%20federal%20prison%20system,%20though%20the%20virus%20is%20also%20rising%20in%20state%20prisons%20nationwide,%20those%20would%20be%20handled%20by%20the%20states." target="_blank">missteps and scattershot policies</a>&nbsp;since the virus reached the U.S. earlier this year.

An inspector general’s office&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-health-prisons-louisiana-coronavirus-pandemic-95dbb1d1c432fb11ddfb0945fde002a3">report last week</a>&nbsp;concluded that at one prison complex in Louisiana, which emerged as an early coronavirus hotspot, prison officials had failed to comply with federal health guidance and left inmates with the virus in their housing units for a week without being isolated. Staff members, advocates and inmates at other prisons around the country described a hodgepodge of coronavirus policies, being told by supervisors they don’t need to wear masks and having broken thermometers for temperature checks.

A spokesman for the Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600183865325.png" alt="The federal prison in Leavenworth houses about 1,600 inmates in a medium-security facility and minimum-security camp. photo by Nomin Ujiyediin / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>The federal prison in Leavenworth houses about 1,600 inmates in a medium-security facility and minimum-security camp. photo by Nomin Ujiyediin / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal prison system will be among the first government agencies to receive the coronavirus vaccine, though initial allotments of the vaccine will be given to staff and not to inmates, even though sickened prisoners vastly outnumber sickened staff, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.Officials at the federal Bureau of Prisons have been instructing wardens and other staff members to prepare to receive the vaccine within weeks, according to people familiar with the matter. The people could not discuss the matter publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.The internal Bureau of Prisons documents, obtained by the AP, say initial allotments of the vaccine “will be reserved for staff.” It was not immediately clear how many doses would be made available to the Bureau of Prisons.As of Monday, there were 3,624 federal inmates and 1,225 Bureau of Prisons staff members who have tested positive for COVID-19.Since the first case was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ec49cc7f4d1b00bc5010dfb6d935e042">reported in March</a>, 18,467 inmates and 1,736 staff have recovered from the virus. So far, 141 federal inmates and two staff members have died.There have been more than 12 million cases in the U.S. and over 257,000 deaths. But prisons are a particular concern because social distancing is virtually nonexistent behind bars, inmates sleep in close quarters and share bathrooms with strangers. In the early days of the pandemic, prisoners and staff members said the Bureau of Prisons had run short of even the most basic supplies, like soap.The internal Bureau of Prisons records obtained by the AP also detail how the agency has been working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Trump administration’s vaccine program, known as “Operation Warp Speed,” to secure the vaccines. The documents say the administration’s initial distribution will include the federal prison system.Health officials have been warning for more than a decade about the dangers of epidemics for those incarcerated.Nearly 25% of all inmate cases and 30% of the staff cases have been reported within just the last month. Some staff members said they are apprehensive about receiving the vaccine because of what they feared was a lack of long-term testing and possible side effects.Though the virus is also rising in state prisons nationwide, any plans for administering doses in those prisons would be handled by the states.Government guidance has suggested that states should be ready to receive initial doses of the vaccine within weeks, though officials have said initial supplies of the vaccine will be scarce and rationed. While health care workers may be among those to receive initial doses, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s leading infectious disease expert, has said the general population can likely expect first doses of a vaccine starting in April.No vaccine has been approved by the Trump administration yet — a necessary step before any doses can be delivered. Pfizer formally asked U.S. regulators Friday to allow emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine, starting the clock on a process that could bring limited first shots as early as next month.Advocates say the federal government should be doing more to ensure vulnerable, at-risk inmates have access to the vaccine as soon as possible.“If true, it’s a disgrace,” David Patton, the head of the federal defender office in New York, said of the Bureau of Prisons plan. “Prisoners are among the very highest-risk groups for contracting COVID-19. The conditions of confinement make social distancing and proper hygiene and sanitation nearly impossible. The government should certainly prioritize prison staff, but to not also prioritize the people incarcerated is irresponsible and inhumane.”The Bureau of Prisons has been accused of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/The%20vaccines%20only%20go%20to%20the%20federal%20prison%20system,%20though%20the%20virus%20is%20also%20rising%20in%20state%20prisons%20nationwide,%20those%20would%20be%20handled%20by%20the%20states." target="_blank">missteps and scattershot policies</a>&nbsp;since the virus reached the U.S. earlier this year.An inspector general’s office&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-health-prisons-louisiana-coronavirus-pandemic-95dbb1d1c432fb11ddfb0945fde002a3">report last week</a>&nbsp;concluded that at one prison complex in Louisiana, which emerged as an early coronavirus hotspot, prison officials had failed to comply with federal health guidance and left inmates with the virus in their housing units for a week without being isolated. Staff members, advocates and inmates at other prisons around the country described a hodgepodge of coronavirus policies, being told by supervisors they don’t need to wear masks and having broken thermometers for temperature checks.A spokesman for the Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Prison in Kan. will be among first to receive virus vaccine

KANSAS CITY (AP) — The raging coronavirus pandemic kept crowds thin at malls and stores across the country on Black Friday, but a surge in online shopping offered a beacon of hope for struggling retailers after months of slumping sales and businesses toppling into bankruptcy.

In normal times, Black Friday is the busiest shopping day of the year, drawing millions of people eager to get started on their holiday spending.

But these are not normal times: A spike in coronavirus cases is threatening the economy’s fitful recovery from the sudden plunge in the spring. Crowds at stores were dramatically diminished as shoppers shifted online.

Game consoles, cookware, robotic vacuum cleaners, slippers and pajamas were popular among shoppers preparing to spend a lot of time indoors this winter. Many were still eager to get into the holiday spirit and delight their loved ones after a tough year.

Eric Kelly, a boxing gym owner, camped outside a store on Black Friday for the first time in his life, trying to score a PlayStation 5 for his 13-year-old twin sons as a reward for persevering through remote learning during the pandemic.

“They’ve been away from their friends,” said Kelly, who failed to get the console at a GameStop in New York City’s Union Square but said he would keep trying online. “They’ve done everything they had to do in school and outside of school, so I have to award them for being exceptional kids.”

Before Black Friday, GameStop teased that it would have a limited supply of the new $500 PlayStation 5 game console for sale only at its stores, in contrast to other retailers that sold it only online.

Kelly said “people were on top of each other” in the line. At a Garden State Plaza mall in Paramus, New Jersey, police monitored a crowd outside a GameStop, but few people kept their distance.

GameStop said was taking several safety precautions, including contactless pickup, and

Many retailers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-shopping-coronavirus-pandemic-holidays-holiday-shopping-07cea4ecfccca48026ccc3f31168e739">beefed up their safety protocols</a>&nbsp;to reassure wary customers about coming in on Black Friday. But stores also catered to those shopping digitally by moving their doorbuster deals online and ramping up curbside pickup options.

“We have been intentional to try to not create the frenzy, the doorbusters, the long lines and the crowds you typically see on a Black Friday, ” said Stephen Lebovitz, CEO of CBL, which operates about 100 malls and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in November.

Several hundred shoppers lined up ahead of opening at Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, which normally attracts several thousand on Black Friday. The mall spread out the Black Friday deals over eight days, and many retail tenants pivoted more to online and curbside pickup, said Jill Renslow, Mall of America’s senior vice president of business development.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1606516952743.png" alt="A quiet drive on northbound Interstate 35 just south of 435 in Kansas City Friday afternoon" />
 <figcaption>A quiet drive on northbound Interstate 35 just south of 435 in Kansas City Friday afternoon</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — The raging coronavirus pandemic kept crowds thin at malls and stores across the country on Black Friday, but a surge in online shopping offered a beacon of hope for struggling retailers after months of slumping sales and businesses toppling into bankruptcy.In normal times, Black Friday is the busiest shopping day of the year, drawing millions of people eager to get started on their holiday spending.But these are not normal times: A spike in coronavirus cases is threatening the economy’s fitful recovery from the sudden plunge in the spring. Crowds at stores were dramatically diminished as shoppers shifted online.Game consoles, cookware, robotic vacuum cleaners, slippers and pajamas were popular among shoppers preparing to spend a lot of time indoors this winter. Many were still eager to get into the holiday spirit and delight their loved ones after a tough year.Eric Kelly, a boxing gym owner, camped outside a store on Black Friday for the first time in his life, trying to score a PlayStation 5 for his 13-year-old twin sons as a reward for persevering through remote learning during the pandemic.“They’ve been away from their friends,” said Kelly, who failed to get the console at a GameStop in New York City’s Union Square but said he would keep trying online. “They’ve done everything they had to do in school and outside of school, so I have to award them for being exceptional kids.”Before Black Friday, GameStop teased that it would have a limited supply of the new $500 PlayStation 5 game console for sale only at its stores, in contrast to other retailers that sold it only online.Kelly said “people were on top of each other” in the line. At a Garden State Plaza mall in Paramus, New Jersey, police monitored a crowd outside a GameStop, but few people kept their distance.GameStop said was taking several safety precautions, including contactless pickup, andMany retailers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-shopping-coronavirus-pandemic-holidays-holiday-shopping-07cea4ecfccca48026ccc3f31168e739">beefed up their safety protocols</a>&nbsp;to reassure wary customers about coming in on Black Friday. But stores also catered to those shopping digitally by moving their doorbuster deals online and ramping up curbside pickup options.“We have been intentional to try to not create the frenzy, the doorbusters, the long lines and the crowds you typically see on a Black Friday, ” said Stephen Lebovitz, CEO of CBL, which operates about 100 malls and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in November.Several hundred shoppers lined up ahead of opening at Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, which normally attracts several thousand on Black Friday. The mall spread out the Black Friday deals over eight days, and many retail tenants pivoted more to online and curbside pickup, said Jill Renslow, Mall of America’s senior vice president of business development.“It feels good, and it’s the right thing to do to keep everybody safe,” Renslow said “Everyone is shopping a little differently but that’s OK.”Only a trickle of shoppers showed up at Macy’s Herald Square in New York an hour after it opened, offering 50% off handbags and 60% off women’s and men’s coats. Workers sanitized door knobs and windows.A Christmas tree towered over the largely empty streets around The Domain, the most popular outdoor mall in Austin, Texas. Store employees counted masked shoppers trickling in to stay within the state’s 75% capacity limit.The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has labeled&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays.html" target="_blank">shopping in crowded stores</a>&nbsp;during the holidays a “higher risk” activity and says people should&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/essential-goods-services.html" target="_blank">limit</a>&nbsp;any in-person shopping.The National Retail Federation, the nation’s largest retail trade group, predicted that shoppers will be looking for reasons to celebrate. The trade group expects sales for the November and December period to increase between 3.6% and 5.2% over 2019, compared with a 4% increase the year before. Holiday sales have averaged gains of 3.5% over the past five years.“We think there’s going to be a psychological factor that they owe it to themselves and their families to have a better-than-normal holiday,” said NRF Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz.Thanksgiving Day hit a new record online as spending reached $5.1 billion, up 21.5% compared to a year ago, according to Adobe Analytics, which measures sales at 80 of the top 100 U.S. online retailers. Among the most popular items were Lego sets, Barbie toys, and kid scooters, HP laptops, and Apple Watches, according to Adobe. The popularity of Netflix’s “Queen’s Gambit” has boosted sales for chess-related items.Walmart, which spread out its Black Friday deals over several weekends, said its most popular deals included this year’s new gaming consoles, wireless headphones, home appliances like the Edufy Robotic Vacuum.Black Friday is projected to generate $10 billion in online sales, a 39% bump from the year ago period, according to Adobe. And Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving, will remain the biggest online shopping day of the year with $12.7 billion in sales, a 35% jump.Big box stores like Walmart and Target, which were allowed to stay open during the spring lockdowns, have enjoyed further gains from ramping up their online services, analysts say.But stores deemed non-essential that were forced to close have struggled to recover. More than 40 chains, including J.C. Penney and J.Crew, filed for bankruptcy.“Is there going to be a surge in apparel gifting, footwear gifting to help out any of the specialty retailers and do they have the digital presence to actually capture the attention of the consumers?” said Sonia Lapinsky, managing director in AlixPartners’ retail practice. “That remains to be seen, and I think it will be more on the grim side.”There are also fewer deals to be had this year. Non-essential retailers were forced to halt production at the onset of the pandemic, leading to lower inventory. As a result, holiday promotions are tracking below last year’s levels for clothing, consumer electronics, power and hand tools and home goods, according to Numerator, a market research firm.Erika Mendez usually heads to the mall every Black Friday to shop at clothing brands Zara, H&amp;M or Forever 21. But this year, the New Jersey journalist student ended up shopping on Amazon, scoring a Nike track suit for 25% off, as well as Nike sneakers that were 20% off.“It’s just easier ordering online than going out,” says Mendez.And Black Friday was the last thing on the minds of some hurt the most by the pandemic. At a popular shopping area in St. Petersburg, Florida, several storefronts were empty, and the only line was at a plasma donation center.Leonard Chester, 58, said he hoped to get at least $55 for the donation, saying that he needed to eat. When reminded that it was Black Friday, he let out a laugh and pointed to the line around him.“This says that people are hurting. The economy’s bad,” said Chester, who was laid off from his job as a bouncer at a strip club two months ago.___