WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress has overridden President Donald Trump’s veto of a defense policy bill, a first by lawmakers since he took office nearly four years ago.

In an extraordinary New Year’s Day session, the Republican-controlled Senate easily turned aside the veto, dismissing Trump’s objections to the $740 billion bill and handing him a stinging rebuke just weeks before his term ends.

Trump had lashed out at GOP lawmakers on Twitter, charging earlier this week that “Weak and tired Republican ‘leadership’ will allow the bad Defense Bill to pass.″

Trump called the looming override vote a “disgraceful act of cowardice and total submission by weak people to Big Tech. Negotiate a better Bill, or get better leaders, NOW!”

The 81-13 vote in the Senate followed an earlier 322-87 override vote in the House of the widely popular defense measure. The bill provides a 3% pay raise for U.S. troops and guides defense policy, cementing decisions about troop levels, new weapons systems and military readiness, personnel policy and other military goals. Many programs, including military construction, can only go into effect if the bill is approved.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said before the vote that Congress has passed the National Defense Authorization Act every year for 59 years in a row, “and one way or another, we are going to complete the 60th annual NDAA and pass it into law before this Congress concludes on Sunday.″

The bill “looks after our brave men and women who volunteer to wear the uniform,″ McConnell said. “But it’s also a tremendous opportunity: to direct our national security priorities to reflect the resolve of the American people and the evolving threats to their safety, at home and abroad. It’s our chance to ensure we keep pace with competitors like Russia and China.″

The Senate override was delayed after Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., objected to moving ahead until McConnell allowed a vote on a Trump-backed plan to increase COVID-19 relief payments to $2,000. McConnell did not allow that vote; instead he used his parliamentary power to set a vote limiting debate on the defense measure, overcoming a filibuster threat by Sanders and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York.

Without a bipartisan agreement, a vote on the bill could have been delayed until Saturday night. Lawmakers, however, agreed to an immediate roll call Friday once the filibuster threat was stopped.

Trump rejected the defense measure last week, saying it failed to limit social media companies he claimed were biased against him during his failed reelection campaign. Trump also opposed language that allows for the renaming of military bases that honor Confederate leaders.

There was no immediate comment Friday from Trump or the White House.

Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he was “disappointed” with Trump’s veto and called the bill “absolutely vital to our national security and our troops.″

“This is the most important bill we have,″ Inhofe said. “It puts members of the military first.″

Trump has succeeded throughout his four-year term in enforcing party discipline in Congress, with few Republicans willing to publicly oppose him. The bipartisan overrides on the defense bill showed the limits of Trump’s influence in the final weeks of his term.

Earlier this week, 130 House Republicans voted against the Trump-backed COVID relief checks, with many arguing they were unnecessary and would increase the federal budget deficit.

The Democratic-controlled House approved the larger payments, but the plan is all but dead in the Senate, another sign of Trump’s fading hold over Congress.

Besides his concerns about social media and military base names, Trump also said the defense bill restricted his ability to conduct foreign policy, “particularly my efforts to bring our troops home.″ Trump was referring to provisions in the bill that impose conditions on his plan to withdraw thousands of troops from Afghanistan and Germany. The measures require the Pentagon to submit reports certifying that the proposed withdrawals would not jeopardize U.S. national security.

Trump has vetoed eight other bills, but those were all sustained because supporters did not gain the two-thirds vote needed in each chamber for the bills to become law without Trump’s signature.

Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, called Trump’s Dec. 23 veto a “parting gift” to Russian President Vladimir Putin “and a lump of coal for our troops. Donald Trump is showing more devotion to Confederate base names than to the men and women who defend our nation.″

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1609533677186.png" alt="Kansas Senator Pat Roberts (upper right) working New Years's Day on the floor of the United State's Senate. Roberts, Kansas Senator Jerry Moran, Nebraska Senators Ben Sasse and Deb Fischer and Missouri Senator Roy Blunt voted to override. Missouri Senator Josh Hawley voted to uphold the veto. image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Senator Pat Roberts (upper right) working New Years's Day on the floor of the United State's Senate. Roberts, Kansas Senator Jerry Moran, Nebraska Senators Ben Sasse and Deb Fischer and Missouri Senator Roy Blunt voted to override. Missouri Senator Josh Hawley voted to uphold the veto. image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress has overridden President Donald Trump’s veto of a defense policy bill, a first by lawmakers since he took office nearly four years ago.In an extraordinary New Year’s Day session, the Republican-controlled Senate easily turned aside the veto, dismissing Trump’s objections to the $740 billion bill and handing him a stinging rebuke just weeks before his term ends.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Our Republican Senate just missed the opportunity to get rid of Section 230, which gives unlimited power to Big Tech companies. Pathetic!!! Now they want to give people ravaged by the China Virus $600, rather than the $2000 which they so desperately need. Not fair, or smart!&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1345111621430091777?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump had lashed out at GOP lawmakers on Twitter, charging earlier this week that “Weak and tired Republican ‘leadership’ will allow the bad Defense Bill to pass.″Trump called the looming override vote a “disgraceful act of cowardice and total submission by weak people to Big Tech. Negotiate a better Bill, or get better leaders, NOW!”The 81-13 vote in the Senate followed an earlier 322-87 override vote in the House of the widely popular defense measure. The bill provides a 3% pay raise for U.S. troops and guides defense policy, cementing decisions about troop levels, new weapons systems and military readiness, personnel policy and other military goals. Many programs, including military construction, can only go into effect if the bill is approved.Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said before the vote that Congress has passed the National Defense Authorization Act every year for 59 years in a row, “and one way or another, we are going to complete the 60th annual NDAA and pass it into law before this Congress concludes on Sunday.″The bill “looks after our brave men and women who volunteer to wear the uniform,″ McConnell said. “But it’s also a tremendous opportunity: to direct our national security priorities to reflect the resolve of the American people and the evolving threats to their safety, at home and abroad. It’s our chance to ensure we keep pace with competitors like Russia and China.″The Senate override was delayed after Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., objected to moving ahead until McConnell allowed a vote on a Trump-backed plan to increase COVID-19 relief payments to $2,000. McConnell did not allow that vote; instead he used his parliamentary power to set a vote limiting debate on the defense measure, overcoming a filibuster threat by Sanders and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York.Without a bipartisan agreement, a vote on the bill could have been delayed until Saturday night. Lawmakers, however, agreed to an immediate roll call Friday once the filibuster threat was stopped.Trump rejected the defense measure last week, saying it failed to limit social media companies he claimed were biased against him during his failed reelection campaign. Trump also opposed language that allows for the renaming of military bases that honor Confederate leaders.There was no immediate comment Friday from Trump or the White House.Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he was “disappointed” with Trump’s veto and called the bill “absolutely vital to our national security and our troops.″“This is the most important bill we have,″ Inhofe said. “It puts members of the military first.″Trump has succeeded throughout his four-year term in enforcing party discipline in Congress, with few Republicans willing to publicly oppose him. The bipartisan overrides on the defense bill showed the limits of Trump’s influence in the final weeks of his term.Earlier this week, 130 House Republicans voted against the Trump-backed COVID relief checks, with many arguing they were unnecessary and would increase the federal budget deficit.The Democratic-controlled House approved the larger payments, but the plan is all but dead in the Senate, another sign of Trump’s fading hold over Congress.Besides his concerns about social media and military base names, Trump also said the defense bill restricted his ability to conduct foreign policy, “particularly my efforts to bring our troops home.″ Trump was referring to provisions in the bill that impose conditions on his plan to withdraw thousands of troops from Afghanistan and Germany. The measures require the Pentagon to submit reports certifying that the proposed withdrawals would not jeopardize U.S. national security.Trump has vetoed eight other bills, but those were all sustained because supporters did not gain the two-thirds vote needed in each chamber for the bills to become law without Trump’s signature.Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, called Trump’s Dec. 23 veto a “parting gift” to Russian President Vladimir Putin “and a lump of coal for our troops. Donald Trump is showing more devotion to Confederate base names than to the men and women who defend our nation.″

Neb. Senators join vote to override veto of $740B defense bill

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Thanks to the government paying nearly 40% of their income, U.S. farmers were expected to end 2020 with higher profit than 2019 and the best net income in seven years, the Department of Agriculture said in its latest farm income forecast.

Farmers faced challenges throughout 2020 that included the impact of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bb54595393a14fcd867476996ef94129">trade dispute</a>&nbsp;s; low prices that drove down cash receipts for corn, cotton, wheat, chicken, cattle and hogs; and weather difficulties such as drought in some areas and an unusual August wind&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-news-iowa-chicago-storms-property-damage-e7bfc5351814eb111f90f540d605514a">storm</a>&nbsp;stretching from South Dakota to Ohio that centered on Iowa.

Farm cash receipts are forecast to decrease nearly 1% to $366.5 billion, the lowest in more than a decade, measured in real dollars. Direct federal government payments saved farmers’ bottom line: Farmers overall saw a 107% increase in direct payments from 2019, when a third of net income came directly from the government.

The impact of the money varies from one farm to another, depending on whether a farmer owns the land, has significant capital to draw from, has manageable debt and aggressively manages wide commodity price swings.

“The payment to one farm could be a matter of life and death of that farm and for another farm maybe just makes it not quite as bad of a year as it was going to be and everywhere in between,” said Mike Paustian, a farmer who raises hogs and grows soybeans and corn near Walcott in eastern Iowa. “I’ve described it as: If you’re drowning and somebody throws you a life preserver, you’re not going to argue too much about grabbing ahold of it.”

Excluding USDA loans and insurance indemnity payments made by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation, farmers are expected to receive $46.5 billion from the government, the largest direct-to-farm payment ever. That includes $32.4 billion in assistance through coronavirus&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-financial-markets-iowa-archive-donald-trump-659457209d5ae93177ee529590f5a1b7">pandemic relief</a>&nbsp;food assistance and Paycheck Protection Program payments to farmers. Additional support comes from more traditional revenue loss programs due to low commodity prices, compensation for trade disruptions resulting from tariff battles and conservation programs assistance.

Federal court bankruptcy data indicates 433 U.S. farms filed for reorganization as of Sept. 30, down from 454 during the same period the previous year.

Overall, net farm income in the United States is expected to increase 43% from 2019 to $119.6 billion, the USDA estimated. Farmers will see the highest level of net farm income, a broad measure of profitability, since 2013, the agency said.

One northeast Iowa farmer said without the federal money it would have been difficult to make ends meet this year but it began to feel like the government checks were motivated by politics from a president seeking support for reelection.

“At first it did help, but then we kept getting payments and I don’t know that those were warranted,” said Rick Juchems, 65, who grows corn and soybeans and custom raises hogs. “The markets had already recovered quite a bit and they’re recovering yet more, so it helps some but it’s one of those things that the second one was more than we needed.”

In a late October campaign appearance in Omaha, Nebraska, President Donald Trump said he believed farmers were better off getting government payments than relying solely on their farming receipts.

“In fact, some people say our farmers do better now than when they actually had a farm,” he said.

Many top farm states voted again for Trump in November, including Iowa, Nebraska, Texas and Kansas. Several, however, left Trump to vote for Democrat Joe Biden, including Wisconsin, Michigan and Georgia.

Bill Gordon, who with his father raises soybeans and corn in southwestern Minnesota, hopes for improved free trade agreements and a less confrontational approach under Biden in 2021.

“Volatility definitely causes volatility,” he said. “And so if we can get these free trade agreements set up, that are better, and not as confrontational but still benefit both sides, that just benefits agriculture and rural America.”

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Thanks to the government paying nearly 40% of their income, U.S. farmers were expected to end 2020 with higher profit than 2019 and the best net income in seven years, the Department of Agriculture said in its latest farm income forecast.Farmers faced challenges throughout 2020 that included the impact of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bb54595393a14fcd867476996ef94129">trade dispute</a>&nbsp;s; low prices that drove down cash receipts for corn, cotton, wheat, chicken, cattle and hogs; and weather difficulties such as drought in some areas and an unusual August wind&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-news-iowa-chicago-storms-property-damage-e7bfc5351814eb111f90f540d605514a">storm</a>&nbsp;stretching from South Dakota to Ohio that centered on Iowa.Farm cash receipts are forecast to decrease nearly 1% to $366.5 billion, the lowest in more than a decade, measured in real dollars. Direct federal government payments saved farmers’ bottom line: Farmers overall saw a 107% increase in direct payments from 2019, when a third of net income came directly from the government.The impact of the money varies from one farm to another, depending on whether a farmer owns the land, has significant capital to draw from, has manageable debt and aggressively manages wide commodity price swings.“The payment to one farm could be a matter of life and death of that farm and for another farm maybe just makes it not quite as bad of a year as it was going to be and everywhere in between,” said Mike Paustian, a farmer who raises hogs and grows soybeans and corn near Walcott in eastern Iowa. “I’ve described it as: If you’re drowning and somebody throws you a life preserver, you’re not going to argue too much about grabbing ahold of it.”Excluding USDA loans and insurance indemnity payments made by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation, farmers are expected to receive $46.5 billion from the government, the largest direct-to-farm payment ever. That includes $32.4 billion in assistance through coronavirus&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-financial-markets-iowa-archive-donald-trump-659457209d5ae93177ee529590f5a1b7">pandemic relief</a>&nbsp;food assistance and Paycheck Protection Program payments to farmers. Additional support comes from more traditional revenue loss programs due to low commodity prices, compensation for trade disruptions resulting from tariff battles and conservation programs assistance.Federal court bankruptcy data indicates 433 U.S. farms filed for reorganization as of Sept. 30, down from 454 during the same period the previous year.Overall, net farm income in the United States is expected to increase 43% from 2019 to $119.6 billion, the USDA estimated. Farmers will see the highest level of net farm income, a broad measure of profitability, since 2013, the agency said.One northeast Iowa farmer said without the federal money it would have been difficult to make ends meet this year but it began to feel like the government checks were motivated by politics from a president seeking support for reelection.“At first it did help, but then we kept getting payments and I don’t know that those were warranted,” said Rick Juchems, 65, who grows corn and soybeans and custom raises hogs. “The markets had already recovered quite a bit and they’re recovering yet more, so it helps some but it’s one of those things that the second one was more than we needed.”In a late October campaign appearance in Omaha, Nebraska, President Donald Trump said he believed farmers were better off getting government payments than relying solely on their farming receipts.“In fact, some people say our farmers do better now than when they actually had a farm,” he said.Many top farm states voted again for Trump in November, including Iowa, Nebraska, Texas and Kansas. Several, however, left Trump to vote for Democrat Joe Biden, including Wisconsin, Michigan and Georgia.Bill Gordon, who with his father raises soybeans and corn in southwestern Minnesota, hopes for improved free trade agreements and a less confrontational approach under Biden in 2021.“Volatility definitely causes volatility,” he said. “And so if we can get these free trade agreements set up, that are better, and not as confrontational but still benefit both sides, that just benefits agriculture and rural America.”

Federal checks salvage otherwise dreadful 2020 for US farms

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress is ending a chaotic session like few others, a two-year political firestorm that started with the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history, was riven by impeachment and a pandemic, and now closes with a rare rebuff by Republicans of President Donald Trump.

In the few days remaining, GOP senators are ignoring Trump's demand to increase COVID-19 aid checks to $2,000 and poised to override his veto of a major defense bill, asserting traditional Republican spending and security priorities in defiance of a president who has marched the party in a different direction.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a top Trump ally, tried to bridge the divide Thursday, saying that Congress could try again to approve Trump's push for bigger COVID aid checks in the new session, which opens Sunday.

“I am with President Trump on this," Graham said on Fox News.

“Our economy is really hurting here,” he said. "There’s no way to get a vote by Jan. 3. The new Congress begins noon Jan. 3. So the new Congress, you could get a vote.’’

As Congress meets for a rare New Year's Eve session, the standoff over the COVID checks and the defense bill punctuates the president’s final days. The one-two rebuke of his demands deepens the divide between the Republican Party's new wing of Trump-styled populists and what had been mainstay conservative views.

The stalemate is expected to drag into the weekend.

An exasperated Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said this week, “After all the insanity that Senate Republicans have tolerated from President Trump — his attacks on the rule of law, an independent judiciary, the conduct that led to his impeachment — is this where Senate Republicans are going to draw the line — $2,000 checks to the American people?”

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell all but shut the door on Trump's push for the $2,000 checks, declaring Congress has provided enough pandemic aid as he blocked Democratic attempts to force a vote.

Opening the Senate on Thursday, McConnell called the House-passed bill matching Trump's request “socialism for rich people.”

The GOP leader made clear he is unwilling to budge, despite political pressure from Trump and even fellow Republicans, including the two GOP senators facing runoff elections in Georgia next week that will determine which party controls the Senate.

Trump was making an early return to the White House from his private club in Florida. But rather than take a victory lap over the massive $2 trillion-plus COVID aid and year-end spending package he just signed into law — or other successes this session like the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court — he was berating Republican leaders.

The outgoing president appeared more focused on gathering GOP support for his extraordinary challenge of President-elect Joe Biden’s win when the Electoral College vote is tallied in a joint session of Congress on Jan. 6.

Most GOP senators seemed to accept the inaction on the relief checks, even as a growing number of Republicans agree with Trump's demand, some wary of bucking him.

With the Georgia Senate runoff elections days away, leading Republicans have warned that the GOP’s refusal to provide more aid as the virus worsens could jeopardize the outcome of those races.

Georgia’s GOP Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, who are trying to fend off Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock in Tuesday's elections, have announced their support for Trump’s call for more generous checks.

On Wednesday, McConnell unveiled a new bill loaded up with Trump's other priorities as a possible off-ramp for the stalemate. It included the $2,000 checks more narrowly targeted to lower-income households as well as a complicated repeal of protections for tech companies like Facebook or Twitter under Section 230 of a communications law that the president complained is unfair to conservatives. It also tacked on the establishment of a bipartisan commission to review the 2020 presidential election Trump lost to Biden.

If McConnell set a vote on his bill, it could revive Trump's priorities. But because the approach contains the additional tech and elections provisions, Democrats and some Republicans would likely balk and it would be unlikely to have enough support in Congress to pass.

Liberal senators, led by Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who support the relief boost are blocking action on the defense bill until a vote can be taken on Trump’s demand for $2,000 for most Americans.

Republican Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri and Marco Rubio of Florida, among the party's potential 2024 presidential hopefuls, also pushed in the president's direction for more aid.

Hawley is leading Trump's challenge to the Electoral College result tally in Congress. But he was rebuked Thursday by Sen. Ben Sasse, who warned colleagues off what he called a “dangerous ploy” that could damage trust in elections.

Other Republicans panned the bigger checks, arguing during a lively Senate debate that the nearly $400 billion price tag was too high, the relief was not targeted to those in need and Washington has already dispatched ample sums of COVID-19 aid.

Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., tweeted that “blindly borrowing” billions “so we can send $2,000 checks to millions of people who haven’t lost any income is terrible policy.”

Considered a longshot, Trump's demand gained momentum at the start of the week when dozens of House Republicans helped pass a bill raising the payments with a robust two-thirds vote of approval.

Americans earning up to $75,000 will qualify for the direct $600 payments, which are phased out at higher income levels, and there's an additional $600 payment per dependent child. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the checks were starting to go out this week.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1609452944790.png" alt="President Trump and the First Lady returned to Washington on New. Year's Eve photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>President Trump and the First Lady returned to Washington on New. Year's Eve photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress is ending a chaotic session like few others, a two-year political firestorm that started with the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history, was riven by impeachment and a pandemic, and now closes with a rare rebuff by Republicans of President Donald Trump.In the few days remaining, GOP senators are ignoring Trump's demand to increase COVID-19 aid checks to $2,000 and poised to override his veto of a major defense bill, asserting traditional Republican spending and security priorities in defiance of a president who has marched the party in a different direction.Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a top Trump ally, tried to bridge the divide Thursday, saying that Congress could try again to approve Trump's push for bigger COVID aid checks in the new session, which opens Sunday.“I am with President Trump on this," Graham said on Fox News.“Our economy is really hurting here,” he said. "There’s no way to get a vote by Jan. 3. The new Congress begins noon Jan. 3. So the new Congress, you could get a vote.’’As Congress meets for a rare New Year's Eve session, the standoff over the COVID checks and the defense bill punctuates the president’s final days. The one-two rebuke of his demands deepens the divide between the Republican Party's new wing of Trump-styled populists and what had been mainstay conservative views.The stalemate is expected to drag into the weekend.An exasperated Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said this week, “After all the insanity that Senate Republicans have tolerated from President Trump — his attacks on the rule of law, an independent judiciary, the conduct that led to his impeachment — is this where Senate Republicans are going to draw the line — $2,000 checks to the American people?”Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell all but shut the door on Trump's push for the $2,000 checks, declaring Congress has provided enough pandemic aid as he blocked Democratic attempts to force a vote.Opening the Senate on Thursday, McConnell called the House-passed bill matching Trump's request “socialism for rich people.”The GOP leader made clear he is unwilling to budge, despite political pressure from Trump and even fellow Republicans, including the two GOP senators facing runoff elections in Georgia next week that will determine which party controls the Senate.Trump was making an early return to the White House from his private club in Florida. But rather than take a victory lap over the massive $2 trillion-plus COVID aid and year-end spending package he just signed into law — or other successes this session like the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court — he was berating Republican leaders.The outgoing president appeared more focused on gathering GOP support for his extraordinary challenge of President-elect Joe Biden’s win when the Electoral College vote is tallied in a joint session of Congress on Jan. 6.Most GOP senators seemed to accept the inaction on the relief checks, even as a growing number of Republicans agree with Trump's demand, some wary of bucking him.With the Georgia Senate runoff elections days away, leading Republicans have warned that the GOP’s refusal to provide more aid as the virus worsens could jeopardize the outcome of those races.Georgia’s GOP Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, who are trying to fend off Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock in Tuesday's elections, have announced their support for Trump’s call for more generous checks.On Wednesday, McConnell unveiled a new bill loaded up with Trump's other priorities as a possible off-ramp for the stalemate. It included the $2,000 checks more narrowly targeted to lower-income households as well as a complicated repeal of protections for tech companies like Facebook or Twitter under Section 230 of a communications law that the president complained is unfair to conservatives. It also tacked on the establishment of a bipartisan commission to review the 2020 presidential election Trump lost to Biden.If McConnell set a vote on his bill, it could revive Trump's priorities. But because the approach contains the additional tech and elections provisions, Democrats and some Republicans would likely balk and it would be unlikely to have enough support in Congress to pass.Liberal senators, led by Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who support the relief boost are blocking action on the defense bill until a vote can be taken on Trump’s demand for $2,000 for most Americans.Republican Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri and Marco Rubio of Florida, among the party's potential 2024 presidential hopefuls, also pushed in the president's direction for more aid.Hawley is leading Trump's challenge to the Electoral College result tally in Congress. But he was rebuked Thursday by Sen. Ben Sasse, who warned colleagues off what he called a “dangerous ploy” that could damage trust in elections.Other Republicans panned the bigger checks, arguing during a lively Senate debate that the nearly $400 billion price tag was too high, the relief was not targeted to those in need and Washington has already dispatched ample sums of COVID-19 aid.Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., tweeted that “blindly borrowing” billions “so we can send $2,000 checks to millions of people who haven’t lost any income is terrible policy.”Considered a longshot, Trump's demand gained momentum at the start of the week when dozens of House Republicans helped pass a bill raising the payments with a robust two-thirds vote of approval.Americans earning up to $75,000 will qualify for the direct $600 payments, which are phased out at higher income levels, and there's an additional $600 payment per dependent child. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the checks were starting to go out this week.

Senate GOP ignores President, ends chaotic session 

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Authorities arrested a suburban Milwaukee pharmacist Thursday suspected of deliberately ruining hundreds of doses of coronavirus vaccine by removing them from refrigeration for two nights.

The arrest marks another setback in what has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/public-health-seniors-florida-coronavirus-pandemic-e106ffb05881cd474be554dac055bff6">a slower, messier start&nbsp;</a>to vaccinate Americans than public health officials had expected. Leaders in Wisconsin and other states have been begging the Trump administration for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/general-gustave-perna-vaccine-shipments-6e61f8f1eb9bb0151669d1fe2d9b5646">more doses</a>&nbsp;as health care workers and senior citizens line up for the lifesaving vaccine.

Police in Grafton, about 20 miles&nbsp; north of Milwaukee, said the Advocate Aurora Health pharmacist Steven Brandenburg was arrested on suspicion of reckless endangerment, adulterating a prescription drug and criminal damage to property, all felonies. The pharmacist has been fired and police said in a news release that he was in jail. Police did not identify the pharmacist, saying he has not yet been formally charged.

His motive remains unclear. Police said that detectives believe he knew the spoiled doses would be useless and people who received them would mistakenly think they’d been vaccinated when they hadn’t.

Advocate Aurora Health Care Chief Medical Group Officer Jeff Bahr told reporters during a teleconference Thursday afternoon that the pharmacist deliberately removed 57 vials that held hundreds of doses of the Moderna vaccine from refrigeration at a Grafton medical center overnight on Dec. 24 into Dec. 25, returned them, then left them out again on the night of Dec. 25 into Saturday. The vials contained enough doses to inoculate 570 people.

A pharmacy technician discovered the vials outside the refrigerator on Saturday morning. Bahr said the pharmacist initially said that he had removed the vials to access other items in the refrigerator and had inadvertently failed to put them back.

The Moderna vaccine is viable for 12 hours outside refrigeration, so workers used the vaccine to inoculate 57 people before discarding the rest. Police said the discarded doses were worth between $8,000 and $11,000.

Bahr said health system officials grew more suspicious of the pharmacist as they reviewed the incident. After multiple interviews, the pharmacist acknowledged Wednesday that he removed the vaccine intentionally over the two nights, Bahr said.

That means that the doses people received Saturday are all but useless, he said. Moderna has told Aurora that there’s no safety concerns, but the hospital system is closely monitoring the people who received the spoiled doses, he said.

Bahr declined to comment on the pharmacist’s motive. He said the hospital system’s security protocols are sound.

“This was a situation involving a bad actor,” he said, “as opposed to a bad process.”

The number of COVID-19 cases in Wisconsin has been rising in recent days after dipping in early December. The state Department of Health Services reported 3,810 newly confirmed cases on Thursday, marking the third straight day of rising daily infections. The state has now seen 481,102 cases.

COVID-19 was a factor in 41 more deaths, pushing the state’s overall death toll to 4,859. The survival rate remained unchanged at 99%.

A little more than 47,150 people had been vaccinated in Wisconsin as of Monday morning, according to the latest data from the health agency. The state has been allocated 265,575 doses of both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. As of Monday morning, only about 157,000 doses had arrived.

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers wrote a letter to President Donald Trump earlier in December asking him to prioritize more doses for Wisconsin due to high case numbers, swamped hospitals and a lack of statewide mitigation mandates.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Authorities arrested a suburban Milwaukee pharmacist Thursday suspected of deliberately ruining hundreds of doses of coronavirus vaccine by removing it from refrigeration for two nights.

The Grafton Police Department said the former Advocate Aurora Health pharmacist was arrested on suspicion of reckless endangerment, adulterating a prescription drug and criminal damage to property. The department said in a news release that he was in jail. Police did not identify the pharmacist, saying he has not yet been formally charged.

A pharmacy technician discovered the vials outside the refrigerator on Saturday morning. Bahr said the pharmacist initially said that he had removed the vaccine to access other items in the refrigerator and had inadvertently failed to replace it.

The Moderna vaccine is still viable for 12 hours outside refrigeration, so workers used the vaccine to inoculate 57 people before discarding the rest. Police said the discarded doses were worth between $8,000 and $11,000.

Bahr said health system officials grew more suspicious of the pharmacist as they reviewed the incident. After multiple interviews the pharmacist acknowledged Wednesday that he removed the vaccine deliberately and left it out overnight Dec. 24 into Dec. 25, returned it to the refrigerator at some point and then removed it again overnight Dec. 25 to Dec. 26.

Bahr said that means that the doses people received Saturday are all but useless. Moderna has told Aurora that there’s no safety concerns but the system is monitoring them closely, he said.

Bahr declined to comment on the pharmacist’s motive.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1609679136628.png" alt="Steven Brandenburg photo Ozaukee Co. Jail" />
 <figcaption>Steven Brandenburg photo Ozaukee Co. Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Authorities arrested a suburban Milwaukee pharmacist Thursday suspected of deliberately ruining hundreds of doses of coronavirus vaccine by removing them from refrigeration for two nights.The arrest marks another setback in what has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/public-health-seniors-florida-coronavirus-pandemic-e106ffb05881cd474be554dac055bff6">a slower, messier start&nbsp;</a>to vaccinate Americans than public health officials had expected. Leaders in Wisconsin and other states have been begging the Trump administration for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/general-gustave-perna-vaccine-shipments-6e61f8f1eb9bb0151669d1fe2d9b5646">more doses</a>&nbsp;as health care workers and senior citizens line up for the lifesaving vaccine.Police in Grafton, about 20 miles&nbsp; north of Milwaukee, said the Advocate Aurora Health pharmacist Steven Brandenburg was arrested on suspicion of reckless endangerment, adulterating a prescription drug and criminal damage to property, all felonies. The pharmacist has been fired and police said in a news release that he was in jail. Police did not identify the pharmacist, saying he has not yet been formally charged.His motive remains unclear. Police said that detectives believe he knew the spoiled doses would be useless and people who received them would mistakenly think they’d been vaccinated when they hadn’t.Advocate Aurora Health Care Chief Medical Group Officer Jeff Bahr told reporters during a teleconference Thursday afternoon that the pharmacist deliberately removed 57 vials that held hundreds of doses of the Moderna vaccine from refrigeration at a Grafton medical center overnight on Dec. 24 into Dec. 25, returned them, then left them out again on the night of Dec. 25 into Saturday. The vials contained enough doses to inoculate 570 people.A pharmacy technician discovered the vials outside the refrigerator on Saturday morning. Bahr said the pharmacist initially said that he had removed the vials to access other items in the refrigerator and had inadvertently failed to put them back.The Moderna vaccine is viable for 12 hours outside refrigeration, so workers used the vaccine to inoculate 57 people before discarding the rest. Police said the discarded doses were worth between $8,000 and $11,000.Bahr said health system officials grew more suspicious of the pharmacist as they reviewed the incident. After multiple interviews, the pharmacist acknowledged Wednesday that he removed the vaccine intentionally over the two nights, Bahr said.That means that the doses people received Saturday are all but useless, he said. Moderna has told Aurora that there’s no safety concerns, but the hospital system is closely monitoring the people who received the spoiled doses, he said.Bahr declined to comment on the pharmacist’s motive. He said the hospital system’s security protocols are sound.“This was a situation involving a bad actor,” he said, “as opposed to a bad process.”The number of COVID-19 cases in Wisconsin has been rising in recent days after dipping in early December. The state Department of Health Services reported 3,810 newly confirmed cases on Thursday, marking the third straight day of rising daily infections. The state has now seen 481,102 cases.COVID-19 was a factor in 41 more deaths, pushing the state’s overall death toll to 4,859. The survival rate remained unchanged at 99%.A little more than 47,150 people had been vaccinated in Wisconsin as of Monday morning, according to the latest data from the health agency. The state has been allocated 265,575 doses of both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. As of Monday morning, only about 157,000 doses had arrived.Democratic Gov. Tony Evers wrote a letter to President Donald Trump earlier in December asking him to prioritize more doses for Wisconsin due to high case numbers, swamped hospitals and a lack of statewide mitigation mandates.___MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Authorities arrested a suburban Milwaukee pharmacist Thursday suspected of deliberately ruining hundreds of doses of coronavirus vaccine by removing it from refrigeration for two nights.The Grafton Police Department said the former Advocate Aurora Health pharmacist was arrested on suspicion of reckless endangerment, adulterating a prescription drug and criminal damage to property. The department said in a news release that he was in jail. Police did not identify the pharmacist, saying he has not yet been formally charged.His motive remains unclear. Police said that detectives believe he knew the spoiled doses would be useless and people who received them would mistakenly think they’d been vaccinated when they hadn’t.Advocate Aurora Health Care Chief Medical Group Officer Jeff Bahr told reporters during a teleconference Thursday afternoon that the pharmacist deliberately removed 57 vials that held hundreds of doses of the Moderna vaccine from refrigeration at a Grafton medical center overnight on Dec. 24 into Dec. 25, returned them, then left them out again on the night of Dec. 25 into Saturday. The vials contained enough doses to inoculate 570 people.A pharmacy technician discovered the vials outside the refrigerator on Saturday morning. Bahr said the pharmacist initially said that he had removed the vaccine to access other items in the refrigerator and had inadvertently failed to replace it.The Moderna vaccine is still viable for 12 hours outside refrigeration, so workers used the vaccine to inoculate 57 people before discarding the rest. Police said the discarded doses were worth between $8,000 and $11,000.Bahr said health system officials grew more suspicious of the pharmacist as they reviewed the incident. After multiple interviews the pharmacist acknowledged Wednesday that he removed the vaccine deliberately and left it out overnight Dec. 24 into Dec. 25, returned it to the refrigerator at some point and then removed it again overnight Dec. 25 to Dec. 26.Bahr said that means that the doses people received Saturday are all but useless. Moderna has told Aurora that there’s no safety concerns but the system is monitoring them closely, he said.Bahr declined to comment on the pharmacist’s motive.___

Pharmacist arrested for deliberately spoiling vaccine doses

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Supreme Court has cleared the way for a new Costco-affiliated poultry farm just outside of Lincoln, despite opposition from neighbors, environmental groups and others. 

The court rejected an appeal Thursday that sought to overturn the approval of the proposed farm in southwestern Lancaster County.

 The court said it agreed with a district court judge’s ruling that opponents who challenged it in court lacked legal standing and the Lancaster County Board acted properly in 2018 in issuing a permit. 

The poultry operation would include four large barns that would raise approximately 190,000 broiler chickens every few months for the Costco processing plant in Fremont.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Supreme Court has cleared the way for a new Costco-affiliated poultry farm just outside of Lincoln, despite opposition from neighbors, environmental groups and others. The court rejected an appeal Thursday that sought to overturn the approval of the proposed farm in southwestern Lancaster County. The court said it agreed with a district court judge’s ruling that opponents who challenged it in court lacked legal standing and the Lancaster County Board acted properly in 2018 in issuing a permit. The poultry operation would include four large barns that would raise approximately 190,000 broiler chickens every few months for the Costco processing plant in Fremont.

Nebraska court clears way for Costco-affiliated poultry farm

NEHAWKA, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska man is dead after an accident in a grain bin.

 Authorities say 72-year-old Timothy Savage of Nehawka was pronounced dead at the scene Wednesday afternoon. 

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that Savage and a grandson were working on a door when the grain enclosure failed, covering Savage with corn. 

Nehawka is about 40 miles east of Lincoln.

NEHAWKA, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska man is dead after an accident in a grain bin. Authorities say 72-year-old Timothy Savage of Nehawka was pronounced dead at the scene Wednesday afternoon. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that Savage and a grandson were working on a door when the grain enclosure failed, covering Savage with corn. Nehawka is about 40 miles east of Lincoln.

Nebraska man dies in grain bin accident

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A man is hospitalized in Omaha after he was allegedly attacked by a man with a machete.

 Omaha police were called to a home at 4:10 a.m. Thursday and found 40-year-old Bounsong Oudomsack with several cuts. 

Oudomsack told police he was involved in a verbal altercation with a man who then attacked him with a machete, a broad, heavy knife typically used as a weapon. 

Police say Oudomsack’s injuries are not life-threatening. 

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A man is hospitalized in Omaha after he was allegedly attacked by a man with a machete. Omaha police were called to a home at 4:10 a.m. Thursday and found 40-year-old Bounsong Oudomsack with several cuts. Oudomsack told police he was involved in a verbal altercation with a man who then attacked him with a machete, a broad, heavy knife typically used as a weapon. Police say Oudomsack’s injuries are not life-threatening. No arrests have been made.

Man accused of using machete in attack

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — An investigation continues into what caused a fire at the Council Bluffs airport that destroyed one plane and damaged several others. 

The fire broke out Wednesday morning at the western Iowa airport, sending thick black smoke into the air. 

Firefighters extinguished the blaze in about 40 minutes. 

Authorities say one plane was a total loss and others sustained smoke damage. 

Officials have not yet estimated the financial toll.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — An investigation continues into what caused a fire at the Council Bluffs airport that destroyed one plane and damaged several others. The fire broke out Wednesday morning at the western Iowa airport, sending thick black smoke into the air. Firefighters extinguished the blaze in about 40 minutes. Authorities say one plane was a total loss and others sustained smoke damage. Officials have not yet estimated the financial toll.

Cause of Council Bluffs airport fire still unknown

By COLLEEN SLEVIN and CARLA K. JOHNSON, Associated Press

California on Wednesday announced the nation’s second confirmed case of the new and apparently more contagious variant of the coronavirus, offering a strong indication that the infection is spreading more widely in the United States.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the infection found in Southern California during an online conversation with Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

“I don’t think Californians should think that this is odd. It’s to be expected,” Fauci said.

Newsom did not provide any details about the person who was infected.

The announcement came 24 hours after word of the first reported U.S. variant infection, which emerged in Colorado. That person was identified Wednesday as a Colorado National Guardsman who had been sent to help out at a nursing home struggling with an outbreak. Health officials said a second Guard member may have it too.

The cases triggered a host of questions about how the version circulating in England arrived in the U.S. and whether it is too late to stop it now, with top experts saying it is probably already spreading elsewhere in the United States.

“The virus is becoming more fit, and we’re like a deer in the headlights,” warned Dr. Eric Topol, head of Scripps Research Translational Institute. He noted that the U.S. does far less genetic sequencing of virus samples to discover variants than other developed nations, and thus was probably slow to detect this new mutation.

The two Guard members had been dispatched Dec. 23 to work at the Good Samaritan Society nursing home in the small town of Simla, in a mostly rural area about 90 miles outside Denver, said Dr. Rachel Herlihy, state epidemiologist. They were among six Guard members sent to the home.

Nasal swab samples taken from the two as part of the Guard’s routine coronavirus testing were sent to the state laboratory, which began looking for the variant after its spread was announced in Britain earlier this month, Herlihy said. Samples from staff and residents at the nursing home are also being screened for the variant at the lab, but so far no evidence of it has been found, she said.

The Colorado case announced Tuesday involves a man in his 20s who had not traveled recently, officials said. He has mild symptoms and is isolating at his home near Denver, while the person with the suspected case is isolating at a Colorado hotel while further genetic analysis is done on his sample, officials said.

The nursing home said it is working closely with the state and is also looking forward to beginning vaccinations next week.

Several states, including California, Massachusetts and Delaware, are also analyzing suspicious virus samples for the variant, said Dr. Greg Armstrong, who directs genetic sequencing at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He said the CDC is working with a national lab that gets samples from around the country to broaden that search, with results expected within days.

The discovery in Colorado has added urgency to the nation’s vaccination drive against COVID-19, which has killed more than 340,000 people in the U.S.

Britain is seeing infections soar and hospitalizations climb to their highest levels on record. The variant has also been found in several other countries.

Scientists have found no evidence that it is more lethal or causes more severe illness, and they believe the vaccines now being dispensed will be effective against it. But a faster-spreading virus could swamp hospitals with seriously ill patients.

The discovery overseas led the CDC to issue rules on Christmas Day requiring travelers arriving from Britain to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test. But U.S. health officials said the Colorado patient’s lack of travel history suggests the new variant is already spreading in this country.

Topol said it is too late for travel bans.

“We’re behind in finding it. Colorado is likely one of many places it’s landed here,” he said. “It’s all over the place. How can you ban travel from everywhere?”

Colorado public health officials are conducting contact tracing to determine its spread.

Researchers estimate the variant is 50% to 70% more contagious, said Dr. Eric France, Colorado’s chief medical officer.

“Instead of only making two or three other people sick, you might actually spread it to four or five people,” France said. “That means we’ll have more cases in our communities. Those number of cases will rise quickly and, of course, with more cases come more hospitalizations.”

London and southeast England were placed under strict lockdown measures earlier this month because of the variant, and dozens of countries banned flights from Britain. France also briefly barred trucks from Britain before allowing them back in, provided the drivers got tested for the virus.

New versions of the virus have been seen almost since it was first detected in China a year ago. It is common for viruses to undergo minor changes as they reproduce and move through a population. The fear is that mutations at some point will become significant enough to defeat the vaccines.

South Africa has also discovered a highly contagious COVID-19 variant that is driving the country’s latest spike of cases, hospitalizations and deaths.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1608566572342.png" alt="image courtesy GISAID" />
 <figcaption>image courtesy GISAID</figcaption>
 </figure>By COLLEEN SLEVIN and CARLA K. JOHNSON, Associated PressCalifornia on Wednesday announced the nation’s second confirmed case of the new and apparently more contagious variant of the coronavirus, offering a strong indication that the infection is spreading more widely in the United States.Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the infection found in Southern California during an online conversation with Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.“I don’t think Californians should think that this is odd. It’s to be expected,” Fauci said.Newsom did not provide any details about the person who was infected.The announcement came 24 hours after word of the first reported U.S. variant infection, which emerged in Colorado. That person was identified Wednesday as a Colorado National Guardsman who had been sent to help out at a nursing home struggling with an outbreak. Health officials said a second Guard member may have it too.The cases triggered a host of questions about how the version circulating in England arrived in the U.S. and whether it is too late to stop it now, with top experts saying it is probably already spreading elsewhere in the United States.“The virus is becoming more fit, and we’re like a deer in the headlights,” warned Dr. Eric Topol, head of Scripps Research Translational Institute. He noted that the U.S. does far less genetic sequencing of virus samples to discover variants than other developed nations, and thus was probably slow to detect this new mutation.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fjaredpolis%2Fvideos%2F1622822051256882%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>The two Guard members had been dispatched Dec. 23 to work at the Good Samaritan Society nursing home in the small town of Simla, in a mostly rural area about 90 miles outside Denver, said Dr. Rachel Herlihy, state epidemiologist. They were among six Guard members sent to the home.Nasal swab samples taken from the two as part of the Guard’s routine coronavirus testing were sent to the state laboratory, which began looking for the variant after its spread was announced in Britain earlier this month, Herlihy said. Samples from staff and residents at the nursing home are also being screened for the variant at the lab, but so far no evidence of it has been found, she said.The Colorado case announced Tuesday involves a man in his 20s who had not traveled recently, officials said. He has mild symptoms and is isolating at his home near Denver, while the person with the suspected case is isolating at a Colorado hotel while further genetic analysis is done on his sample, officials said.The nursing home said it is working closely with the state and is also looking forward to beginning vaccinations next week.Several states, including California, Massachusetts and Delaware, are also analyzing suspicious virus samples for the variant, said Dr. Greg Armstrong, who directs genetic sequencing at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He said the CDC is working with a national lab that gets samples from around the country to broaden that search, with results expected within days.The discovery in Colorado has added urgency to the nation’s vaccination drive against COVID-19, which has killed more than 340,000 people in the U.S.Britain is seeing infections soar and hospitalizations climb to their highest levels on record. The variant has also been found in several other countries.Scientists have found no evidence that it is more lethal or causes more severe illness, and they believe the vaccines now being dispensed will be effective against it. But a faster-spreading virus could swamp hospitals with seriously ill patients.The discovery overseas led the CDC to issue rules on Christmas Day requiring travelers arriving from Britain to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test. But U.S. health officials said the Colorado patient’s lack of travel history suggests the new variant is already spreading in this country.Topol said it is too late for travel bans.“We’re behind in finding it. Colorado is likely one of many places it’s landed here,” he said. “It’s all over the place. How can you ban travel from everywhere?”Colorado public health officials are conducting contact tracing to determine its spread.Researchers estimate the variant is 50% to 70% more contagious, said Dr. Eric France, Colorado’s chief medical officer.“Instead of only making two or three other people sick, you might actually spread it to four or five people,” France said. “That means we’ll have more cases in our communities. Those number of cases will rise quickly and, of course, with more cases come more hospitalizations.”London and southeast England were placed under strict lockdown measures earlier this month because of the variant, and dozens of countries banned flights from Britain. France also briefly barred trucks from Britain before allowing them back in, provided the drivers got tested for the virus.New versions of the virus have been seen almost since it was first detected in China a year ago. It is common for viruses to undergo minor changes as they reproduce and move through a population. The fear is that mutations at some point will become significant enough to defeat the vaccines.South Africa has also discovered a highly contagious COVID-19 variant that is driving the country’s latest spike of cases, hospitalizations and deaths.___

Highly infectious COVID-19 variant spreading in US

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States flew strategic bombers over the Persian Gulf on Wednesday for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-afghanistan-iran-persian-gulf-tensions-middle-east-0dba244ea2d84d462f0cf42fbf2c43c7">second time</a>&nbsp;this month, a show of force meant to deter Iran from attacking American or allied targets in the Middle East.

One senior U.S. military officer said the flight by two Air Force B-52 bombers was in response to signals that Iran may be planning attacks against U.S. allied targets in neighboring Iraq or elsewhere in the region in coming days, even as President-elect Joe Biden prepares to take office. The officer was not authorized to publicly discuss internal assessments based on sensitive intelligence and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The B-52 bomber mission, flown round trip from an Air Force base in North Dakota, reflects growing concern in Washington, in the final weeks of President Donald Trump’s administration, that Iran will order further military retaliation for the U.S. killing last Jan. 3 of top Iranian military commander Gen. Qassem Soleimani. Iran’s initial response, five days after the deadly U.S. drone strike, was a ballistic missile attack on a military base in Iraq that caused brain concussion injuries to about 100 U.S. troops.

Iran, however, has appeared wary of Trump’s intentions in his final weeks in office, given his focus on pressuring Tehran with sanctions and other moves that have further damaged the Islamic Republic’s economy.

“Trump will bear full responsibility for any adventurism on his way out,” Iran’s foreign minister, Javad Zarif, wrote on Twitter Dec. 24.

Adding to the tension was a Dec. 20&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-middle-east-baghdad-iraq-qassim-soleimani-90fd5a96e2fa0fdd08c7dbd3f362d467">rocket attack</a>&nbsp;on the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad by Iranian-supported Shiite militia groups. No one was killed, but the volume of rockets fired — possibly 21, with about nine landing on the Embassy compound — was unusually large. Days later, Trump tweeted that Iran was on notice.

“Some friendly health advice to Iran: If one American is killed, I will hold Iran responsible. Think it over,” Trump wrote on Dec. 23. He added, ”We hear chatter of additional attacks against Americans in Iraq.”

Because of the potential for escalation that could lead to a wider war, the U.S. has sought to deter Iran from additional attacks. Strategic calculations on both sides are further complicated by the political transition in Washington to a Biden administration that may seek new paths to dealing with Iran. Biden has said, for example, that he hopes to return the U.S. to a 2015 agreement with world powers in which Iran agreed to limit its nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions.

In announcing Wednesday’s bomber flight, the head of U.S. Central Command said it was a defensive move.

“The United States continues to deploy combat-ready capabilities into the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility to deter any potential adversary, and make clear that we are ready and able to respond to any aggression directed at Americans or our interests,” said Gen. Frank McKenzie, the commander of Central Command. “We do not seek conflict, but no one should underestimate our ability to defend our forces or to act decisively in response to any attack.”

In advance of the announcement, the senior U.S. military officer who spoke on condition of anonymity said that U.S. intelligence has detected recent signs of “fairly substantive threats” from Iran, and that included planning for possible rocket attacks against U.S. interests in Iraq in connection with the one-year anniversary of the Soleimani killing.

The U.S. is in the process of reducing its troop presence in Iraq from 3,000 to about 2,500. Trump ordered that the reduction be achieved by Jan. 15; officials say it is likely to be reached as early as next week.

The United States also has picked up signs that Iran may be considering or planning “more complex” and broader attacks against American targets or interests in the Middle East, the senior U.S. military officer said, adding that it represented the most concerning signs since the days immediately following the Soleimani killing. The officer cited indications that advanced weaponry has been flowing from Iran into Iraq recently and that Shiite militia leaders in Iraq may have met with officers of Iran’s Quds force, previously commanded by Soleimani.

The U.S. officer said Iran might have its eye on economic targets, noting the September 2019 missile and drone attack on Saudi oil processing facilities. Iran denied involvement but was blamed by the United States for that attack.

In recent weeks the U.S. military has taken a range of steps designed to deter Iran, while publicly emphasizing that it is not planning, and has not been instructed, to take unprovoked action against Iran.

Last week, a U.S. Navy guided-missile submarine made an unusual transit of the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula. Earlier in December, a pair of B-52 bombers from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana flew what the military calls a “presence” mission over the Gulf — a demonstration of U.S. force and a signal of U.S. commitment to the region, but not an attack mission. That flight was repeated this week, with two B-52s flying nonstop from Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota and heading home Wednesday after cruising over the western side of the Gulf.

Tensions with Iran escalated with the killing in November of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, an Iranian scientist named by the West as the leader of the Islamic Republic’s disbanded military nuclear program. Iran has blamed Israel for the killing, but U.S. officials are concerned that any Iranian retaliation could hit U.S. interests.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1609419164077.png" alt="U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon is aerial refueled by a KC-135 “Stratotanker” over the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility Dec. 30, 2020 as part of an escort mission in support of the B-52 “Stratofortress” deployment. The short-notice deployment underscores the U.S. military's commitment to regional security and demonstrates a unique ability to rapidly deploy overwhelming combat power on short notice. The B-52H is a long-range, heavy bomber that is capable of flying at high subsonic speeds at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet and provides the United States with immediate global strike capability. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Roslyn Ward)" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon is aerial refueled by a KC-135 “Stratotanker” over the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility Dec. 30, 2020 as part of an escort mission in support of the B-52 “Stratofortress” deployment. The short-notice deployment underscores the U.S. military's commitment to regional security and demonstrates a unique ability to rapidly deploy overwhelming combat power on short notice. The B-52H is a long-range, heavy bomber that is capable of flying at high subsonic speeds at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet and provides the United States with immediate global strike capability. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Roslyn Ward)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States flew strategic bombers over the Persian Gulf on Wednesday for the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-afghanistan-iran-persian-gulf-tensions-middle-east-0dba244ea2d84d462f0cf42fbf2c43c7">second time</a>&nbsp;this month, a show of force meant to deter Iran from attacking American or allied targets in the Middle East.One senior U.S. military officer said the flight by two Air Force B-52 bombers was in response to signals that Iran may be planning attacks against U.S. allied targets in neighboring Iraq or elsewhere in the region in coming days, even as President-elect Joe Biden prepares to take office. The officer was not authorized to publicly discuss internal assessments based on sensitive intelligence and spoke on condition of anonymity.The B-52 bomber mission, flown round trip from an Air Force base in North Dakota, reflects growing concern in Washington, in the final weeks of President Donald Trump’s administration, that Iran will order further military retaliation for the U.S. killing last Jan. 3 of top Iranian military commander Gen. Qassem Soleimani. Iran’s initial response, five days after the deadly U.S. drone strike, was a ballistic missile attack on a military base in Iraq that caused brain concussion injuries to about 100 U.S. troops.Iran, however, has appeared wary of Trump’s intentions in his final weeks in office, given his focus on pressuring Tehran with sanctions and other moves that have further damaged the Islamic Republic’s economy.“Trump will bear full responsibility for any adventurism on his way out,” Iran’s foreign minister, Javad Zarif, wrote on Twitter Dec. 24.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1609419291133.png" alt="U.S. Air Force B-52 from Minot Air Force Base is aerial refueled by a KC-135 Stratotanker over the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility Dec. 30, 2020. The B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, heavy bomber that is capable of flying at high subsonic speeds at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet and can carry nuclear or precision guided conventional ordnance with global reach precision navigation capability. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Roslyn Ward)" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Air Force B-52 from Minot Air Force Base is aerial refueled by a KC-135 Stratotanker over the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility Dec. 30, 2020. The B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, heavy bomber that is capable of flying at high subsonic speeds at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet and can carry nuclear or precision guided conventional ordnance with global reach precision navigation capability. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Roslyn Ward)</figcaption>
 </figure>Adding to the tension was a Dec. 20&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-middle-east-baghdad-iraq-qassim-soleimani-90fd5a96e2fa0fdd08c7dbd3f362d467">rocket attack</a>&nbsp;on the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad by Iranian-supported Shiite militia groups. No one was killed, but the volume of rockets fired — possibly 21, with about nine landing on the Embassy compound — was unusually large. Days later, Trump tweeted that Iran was on notice.“Some friendly health advice to Iran: If one American is killed, I will hold Iran responsible. Think it over,” Trump wrote on Dec. 23. He added, ”We hear chatter of additional attacks against Americans in Iraq.”Because of the potential for escalation that could lead to a wider war, the U.S. has sought to deter Iran from additional attacks. Strategic calculations on both sides are further complicated by the political transition in Washington to a Biden administration that may seek new paths to dealing with Iran. Biden has said, for example, that he hopes to return the U.S. to a 2015 agreement with world powers in which Iran agreed to limit its nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions.In announcing Wednesday’s bomber flight, the head of U.S. Central Command said it was a defensive move.“The United States continues to deploy combat-ready capabilities into the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility to deter any potential adversary, and make clear that we are ready and able to respond to any aggression directed at Americans or our interests,” said Gen. Frank McKenzie, the commander of Central Command. “We do not seek conflict, but no one should underestimate our ability to defend our forces or to act decisively in response to any attack.”He did not mention Iran by name.In advance of the announcement, the senior U.S. military officer who spoke on condition of anonymity said that U.S. intelligence has detected recent signs of “fairly substantive threats” from Iran, and that included planning for possible rocket attacks against U.S. interests in Iraq in connection with the one-year anniversary of the Soleimani killing.The U.S. is in the process of reducing its troop presence in Iraq from 3,000 to about 2,500. Trump ordered that the reduction be achieved by Jan. 15; officials say it is likely to be reached as early as next week.The United States also has picked up signs that Iran may be considering or planning “more complex” and broader attacks against American targets or interests in the Middle East, the senior U.S. military officer said, adding that it represented the most concerning signs since the days immediately following the Soleimani killing. The officer cited indications that advanced weaponry has been flowing from Iran into Iraq recently and that Shiite militia leaders in Iraq may have met with officers of Iran’s Quds force, previously commanded by Soleimani.The U.S. officer said Iran might have its eye on economic targets, noting the September 2019 missile and drone attack on Saudi oil processing facilities. Iran denied involvement but was blamed by the United States for that attack.In recent weeks the U.S. military has taken a range of steps designed to deter Iran, while publicly emphasizing that it is not planning, and has not been instructed, to take unprovoked action against Iran.Last week, a U.S. Navy guided-missile submarine made an unusual transit of the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula. Earlier in December, a pair of B-52 bombers from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana flew what the military calls a “presence” mission over the Gulf — a demonstration of U.S. force and a signal of U.S. commitment to the region, but not an attack mission. That flight was repeated this week, with two B-52s flying nonstop from Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota and heading home Wednesday after cruising over the western side of the Gulf.Tensions with Iran escalated with the killing in November of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, an Iranian scientist named by the West as the leader of the Islamic Republic’s disbanded military nuclear program. Iran has blamed Israel for the killing, but U.S. officials are concerned that any Iranian retaliation could hit U.S. interests.

US sends bombers to Persian Gulf in warning to Iran 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell all but shut the door on President Donald Trump’s push for $2,000&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/virus-outbreak?fbclid=IwAR1iY8Og9l5MgoWl2QT7qg-J-RAYwmCqfGNbO_JPyLNY2ggdJwJsB9n4M68">COVID-19&nbsp;</a>relief checks, declaring Congress has provided enough pandemic aid as he blocked another attempt by Democrats to force a vote.

The GOP leader made clear Wednesday he is unwilling to budge, despite political pressure from Trump and even some fellow Republican senators demanding action. Trump wants the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-health-care-reform-legislation-immigration-coronavirus-pandemic-3ba55f6ae819ad2be2319dfa218012b8">recent $600 in aid&nbsp;</a>increased threefold. But McConnell dismissed the idea of bigger “survival checks” approved by the House, saying the money would go to plenty of American households that just don’t need it.

McConnell’s refusal to act means the additional relief Trump wanted is all but dead.

“We just approved almost a trillion dollars in aid a few days ago,” McConnell said, referring to the year-end package Trump signed into law.

McConnell added, “if specific, struggling households still need more help,” the Senate will consider “smart targeted aid. Not another firehose of borrowed money.”

The showdown between the outgoing president and his own Republican Party over the $2,000 checks has thrown Congress into a chaotic year-end session just days before new lawmakers are set to be sworn into office.

It’s one last standoff, together with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-donald-trump-media-social-media-elections-1f623a6e996dd56fdc238eb02b2d4f24">override of Trump’s veto&nbsp;</a>of a sweeping defense bill, that will punctuate the president’s final days and deepen the GOP’s divide between its new wing of Trump-styled populists and what had been mainstay conservative views against government spending.

Trump has been berating the GOP leaders, and tweeted, “$2000 ASAP!”

President-elect Joe Biden also supports the payments and wants to build on what he calls a “downpayment” on relief.

“In this moment of historic crisis and untold economic pain for countless American families, the President-elect supports $2,000 direct payments as passed by the House,” said Biden transition spokesman Andrew Bates.

The roadblock set by Senate Republicans appears insurmountable. Most GOP senators seemed to accept the inaction even as a growing number of Republicans, including two senators in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/senate-elections">runoff elections&nbsp;</a>on Jan. 5 in Georgia, agree with Trump’s demand, some wary of bucking him.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the $600 checks would begin to go out Wednesday. Congress had settled on smaller payments in a compromise over the big, year-end&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-health-care-reform-legislation-immigration-coronavirus-pandemic-3ba55f6ae819ad2be2319dfa21801">COVID-19 relief and government funding bill</a>&nbsp;that Trump reluctantly signed into law. Before signing, though, Trump demanded more.

For a second day in a row, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer tried to force a vote on the bill approved by the House meeting Trump’s demand for the $2,000 checks.

“What we’re seeing right now is Leader McConnell trying to kill the checks — the $2,000 checks desperately needed by so many American families,” Schumer said.

With the Georgia Senate runoff elections days away, leading Republicans warned that the GOP’s refusal to provide more aid as the virus worsens could jeopardize the outcome of those races.

Georgia’s GOP Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler are trying to fend off Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-donald-trump-georgia-coronavirus-pandemic-campaigns-03de68a2ec810ec4fbfedb63da72052c">runoff elections</a>&nbsp;that will determine which party has the Senate majority. The two Republicans announced support for Trump’s call for more generous checks.

“The Senate Republicans risk throwing away two seats and control of the Senate,” Newt Gingrich, the former congressional leader, said on Fox News.

McConnell has tried to shield his divided Republicans from a difficult vote. On Wednesday he suggested he had kept his word to start a “process” to address Trump’s demands, even if it means no votes will actually be taken.

“It’s no secret Republicans have a diversity of views,” he said.

Earlier, McConnell had unveiled a new bill loaded up with Trump’s other priorities as a possible off-ramp for the stalemate. It included the $2,000 checks more narrowly targeted to lower-income households as well as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/d3e09c4037e2fc17558492b9bdce1ecc">complicated repeal&nbsp;</a>of protections for tech companies like Facebook or Twitter under Section 230 of a communications law that the president complained is unfair to conservatives. It also tacked on the establishment of a bipartisan commission to review&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">the 2020 presidential election&nbsp;</a>Trump lost to President-elect Joe Biden.

If McConnell sets a vote on his bill, it could revive Trump’s priorities. But because the approach contains the additional tech and elections provisions, Democrats and some Republicans will likely balk and it’s unlikely to have enough support in Congress to pass.

No additional votes on COVID-19 aid have been scheduled at this point. For McConnell, the procedural moves allowed him to check the box over the commitments he made when Trump was defiantly refusing to sign off on the big year-end package last weekend. “That was a commitment, and that’s what happened,” he said.

Liberal senators, led by Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who support the relief boost are blocking action on a defense bill until a vote can be taken on Trump’s demand for $2,000 for most Americans.

Sanders thundered on the floor that McConnell should call his own constituents in the GOP leader’s home state of Kentucky “and find out how they feel about the need for immediate help in terms of a $2,000 check.”

Republican Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri and Marco Rubio of Florida, among the party’s potential 2024 presidential hopefuls, also pushed in the president’s direction. Hawley is also leading Trump’s challenge Jan. 6 to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-michael-brown-josh-hawley-8d868c985792e932f9bc527ec2f2ab30">Electoral College result tally&nbsp;</a>in Congress.

Other Republicans panned the bigger checks, arguing during a lively Senate debate that the nearly $400 billion price tag was too high, the relief is not targeted to those in need and Washington has already dispatched ample sums on COVID-19 aid.

Considered a longshot, Trump’s demand gained momentum at the start of the week when dozens of House Republicans calculated it was better to link with most Democrats than defy the outgoing president. They helped pass a bill raising the payments with a robust two-thirds vote of approval.

As Trump’s push fizzles out, his attempt to amend the year-end package — $900 billion in COVID-19 aid and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-health-care-reform-legislation-immigration-coronavirus-pandemic-3ba55f6ae819ad2be2319dfa218012b8">$1.4 trillion to fund government&nbsp;</a>agencies through September — will linger as potentially one last confrontation before the new Congress is sworn in Sunday.

The COVID-19 portion of the bill revives a weekly pandemic jobless benefit boost — this time $300, through March 14 — as well as the popular Paycheck Protection Program of grants to businesses to keep workers on payrolls. It extends eviction protections, adding a new rental assistance fund.

Americans earning up to $75,000 will qualify for the direct $600 payments, which are phased out at higher income levels, and there’s an additional $600 payment per dependent child.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s push for $2,000&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/virus-outbreak?fbclid=IwAR1iY8Og9l5MgoWl2QT7qg-J-RAYwmCqfGNbO_JPyLNY2ggdJwJsB9n4M68">COVID-19&nbsp;</a>relief checks all but died Wednesday as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell proposed an alternative approach of loading up the bill with other White House priorities that appeared destined to fail.

The roadblock set by Senate Republicans appears unsurmountable, even as pressure builds to approve the bigger checks. Trump wants the Republican-led chamber to follow the House and increase the checks from $600 for millions of Americans. A growing number of Republicans, including two senators in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/senate-elections">runoff elections&nbsp;</a>on Jan. 5 in Georgia, agree. But most GOP senators oppose more spending, even if they are also wary of bucking Trump.

Senators will be back at it after McConnell blocked a vote Tuesday, but his new bill — which includes the formation of a commission to investigate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">the 2020 election&nbsp;</a>as well as a complicated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/d3e09c4037e2fc17558492b9bdce1ecc">repeal of big tech liability&nbsp;</a>protections — does not have enough support to pass. No votes are scheduled.

“What we’re seeing right now is Leader McConnell trying to kill the checks — the $2,000 checks desperately needed by so many American families,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said at the Capitol.

The showdown over the $2,000 checks has thrown Congress into a chaotic year-end session just days before new lawmakers are set to be sworn into office for the new year. It’s preventing action on another priority —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-donald-trump-media-social-media-elections-ca674c06608a72802f0bc878a331041f">overturning Trump’s veto&nbsp;</a>on a sweeping defense bill that has been approved every year for 60 years.

Trump has berated Republican leaders for the stonewalling, finding rare common cause with the Democrats pushing them to act. Leading Republicans warned that the GOP’s refusal to provide more aid as the virus worsens will jeopardize next week’s Senate election in Georgia.

“The Senate Republicans risk throwing away two seats and control of the Senate,” said Newt Gingrich, the former congressional leader, on Fox News. He called on Senate Republicans to “get a grip and not try to play cute parliamentary games with the president’s $2,000 payment.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, “These Republicans in the Senate seem to have an endless tolerance for other people’s sadness.”

Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said some of the $600 payments were being sent by direct deposit to Americans’ bank accounts Tuesday night. Mnuchin tweeted that paper checks will begin to go out Wednesday.

Saying little, McConnell is trying to provide an offramp for GOP senators to avoid a tough vote. Republicans are split between those who align with Trump’s populist instincts and those who adhere to what had been more traditional conservative views against government spending.

Congress had settled on smaller $600 payments in a compromise over the big, year-end relief bill Trump reluctantly signed into law.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1609367223551.png" alt="Kansas Senator Jerry Moran and other members of the U.S. Senate&nbsp; visit Wednesday afternoon -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Senator Jerry Moran and other members of the U.S. Senate&nbsp; visit Wednesday afternoon -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell all but shut the door on President Donald Trump’s push for $2,000&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/virus-outbreak?fbclid=IwAR1iY8Og9l5MgoWl2QT7qg-J-RAYwmCqfGNbO_JPyLNY2ggdJwJsB9n4M68">COVID-19&nbsp;</a>relief checks, declaring Congress has provided enough pandemic aid as he blocked another attempt by Democrats to force a vote.The GOP leader made clear Wednesday he is unwilling to budge, despite political pressure from Trump and even some fellow Republican senators demanding action. Trump wants the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-health-care-reform-legislation-immigration-coronavirus-pandemic-3ba55f6ae819ad2be2319dfa218012b8">recent $600 in aid&nbsp;</a>increased threefold. But McConnell dismissed the idea of bigger “survival checks” approved by the House, saying the money would go to plenty of American households that just don’t need it.McConnell’s refusal to act means the additional relief Trump wanted is all but dead.“We just approved almost a trillion dollars in aid a few days ago,” McConnell said, referring to the year-end package Trump signed into law.McConnell added, “if specific, struggling households still need more help,” the Senate will consider “smart targeted aid. Not another firehose of borrowed money.”The showdown between the outgoing president and his own Republican Party over the $2,000 checks has thrown Congress into a chaotic year-end session just days before new lawmakers are set to be sworn into office.It’s one last standoff, together with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-donald-trump-media-social-media-elections-1f623a6e996dd56fdc238eb02b2d4f24">override of Trump’s veto&nbsp;</a>of a sweeping defense bill, that will punctuate the president’s final days and deepen the GOP’s divide between its new wing of Trump-styled populists and what had been mainstay conservative views against government spending.Trump has been berating the GOP leaders, and tweeted, “$2000 ASAP!”President-elect Joe Biden also supports the payments and wants to build on what he calls a “downpayment” on relief.“In this moment of historic crisis and untold economic pain for countless American families, the President-elect supports $2,000 direct payments as passed by the House,” said Biden transition spokesman Andrew Bates.The roadblock set by Senate Republicans appears insurmountable. Most GOP senators seemed to accept the inaction even as a growing number of Republicans, including two senators in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/senate-elections">runoff elections&nbsp;</a>on Jan. 5 in Georgia, agree with Trump’s demand, some wary of bucking him.Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the $600 checks would begin to go out Wednesday. Congress had settled on smaller payments in a compromise over the big, year-end&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-health-care-reform-legislation-immigration-coronavirus-pandemic-3ba55f6ae819ad2be2319dfa21801">COVID-19 relief and government funding bill</a>&nbsp;that Trump reluctantly signed into law. Before signing, though, Trump demanded more.For a second day in a row, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer tried to force a vote on the bill approved by the House meeting Trump’s demand for the $2,000 checks.“What we’re seeing right now is Leader McConnell trying to kill the checks — the $2,000 checks desperately needed by so many American families,” Schumer said.With the Georgia Senate runoff elections days away, leading Republicans warned that the GOP’s refusal to provide more aid as the virus worsens could jeopardize the outcome of those races.Georgia’s GOP Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler are trying to fend off Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-donald-trump-georgia-coronavirus-pandemic-campaigns-03de68a2ec810ec4fbfedb63da72052c">runoff elections</a>&nbsp;that will determine which party has the Senate majority. The two Republicans announced support for Trump’s call for more generous checks.“The Senate Republicans risk throwing away two seats and control of the Senate,” Newt Gingrich, the former congressional leader, said on Fox News.McConnell has tried to shield his divided Republicans from a difficult vote. On Wednesday he suggested he had kept his word to start a “process” to address Trump’s demands, even if it means no votes will actually be taken.“It’s no secret Republicans have a diversity of views,” he said.Earlier, McConnell had unveiled a new bill loaded up with Trump’s other priorities as a possible off-ramp for the stalemate. It included the $2,000 checks more narrowly targeted to lower-income households as well as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/d3e09c4037e2fc17558492b9bdce1ecc">complicated repeal&nbsp;</a>of protections for tech companies like Facebook or Twitter under Section 230 of a communications law that the president complained is unfair to conservatives. It also tacked on the establishment of a bipartisan commission to review&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">the 2020 presidential election&nbsp;</a>Trump lost to President-elect Joe Biden.If McConnell sets a vote on his bill, it could revive Trump’s priorities. But because the approach contains the additional tech and elections provisions, Democrats and some Republicans will likely balk and it’s unlikely to have enough support in Congress to pass.No additional votes on COVID-19 aid have been scheduled at this point. For McConnell, the procedural moves allowed him to check the box over the commitments he made when Trump was defiantly refusing to sign off on the big year-end package last weekend. “That was a commitment, and that’s what happened,” he said.Liberal senators, led by Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who support the relief boost are blocking action on a defense bill until a vote can be taken on Trump’s demand for $2,000 for most Americans.Sanders thundered on the floor that McConnell should call his own constituents in the GOP leader’s home state of Kentucky “and find out how they feel about the need for immediate help in terms of a $2,000 check.”Republican Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri and Marco Rubio of Florida, among the party’s potential 2024 presidential hopefuls, also pushed in the president’s direction. Hawley is also leading Trump’s challenge Jan. 6 to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-michael-brown-josh-hawley-8d868c985792e932f9bc527ec2f2ab30">Electoral College result tally&nbsp;</a>in Congress.Other Republicans panned the bigger checks, arguing during a lively Senate debate that the nearly $400 billion price tag was too high, the relief is not targeted to those in need and Washington has already dispatched ample sums on COVID-19 aid.Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., tweeted that “blindly borrowing” billions “so we can send $2,000 checks to millions of people who haven’t lost any income is terrible policy.”Considered a longshot, Trump’s demand gained momentum at the start of the week when dozens of House Republicans calculated it was better to link with most Democrats than defy the outgoing president. They helped pass a bill raising the payments with a robust two-thirds vote of approval.As Trump’s push fizzles out, his attempt to amend the year-end package — $900 billion in COVID-19 aid and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-health-care-reform-legislation-immigration-coronavirus-pandemic-3ba55f6ae819ad2be2319dfa218012b8">$1.4 trillion to fund government&nbsp;</a>agencies through September — will linger as potentially one last confrontation before the new Congress is sworn in Sunday.The COVID-19 portion of the bill revives a weekly pandemic jobless benefit boost — this time $300, through March 14 — as well as the popular Paycheck Protection Program of grants to businesses to keep workers on payrolls. It extends eviction protections, adding a new rental assistance fund.Americans earning up to $75,000 will qualify for the direct $600 payments, which are phased out at higher income levels, and there’s an additional $600 payment per dependent child.___WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s push for $2,000&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/virus-outbreak?fbclid=IwAR1iY8Og9l5MgoWl2QT7qg-J-RAYwmCqfGNbO_JPyLNY2ggdJwJsB9n4M68">COVID-19&nbsp;</a>relief checks all but died Wednesday as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell proposed an alternative approach of loading up the bill with other White House priorities that appeared destined to fail.The roadblock set by Senate Republicans appears unsurmountable, even as pressure builds to approve the bigger checks. Trump wants the Republican-led chamber to follow the House and increase the checks from $600 for millions of Americans. A growing number of Republicans, including two senators in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/senate-elections">runoff elections&nbsp;</a>on Jan. 5 in Georgia, agree. But most GOP senators oppose more spending, even if they are also wary of bucking Trump.Senators will be back at it after McConnell blocked a vote Tuesday, but his new bill — which includes the formation of a commission to investigate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">the 2020 election&nbsp;</a>as well as a complicated&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/d3e09c4037e2fc17558492b9bdce1ecc">repeal of big tech liability&nbsp;</a>protections — does not have enough support to pass. No votes are scheduled.“What we’re seeing right now is Leader McConnell trying to kill the checks — the $2,000 checks desperately needed by so many American families,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said at the Capitol.The showdown over the $2,000 checks has thrown Congress into a chaotic year-end session just days before new lawmakers are set to be sworn into office for the new year. It’s preventing action on another priority —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-donald-trump-media-social-media-elections-ca674c06608a72802f0bc878a331041f">overturning Trump’s veto&nbsp;</a>on a sweeping defense bill that has been approved every year for 60 years.Trump has berated Republican leaders for the stonewalling, finding rare common cause with the Democrats pushing them to act. Leading Republicans warned that the GOP’s refusal to provide more aid as the virus worsens will jeopardize next week’s Senate election in Georgia.“The Senate Republicans risk throwing away two seats and control of the Senate,” said Newt Gingrich, the former congressional leader, on Fox News. He called on Senate Republicans to “get a grip and not try to play cute parliamentary games with the president’s $2,000 payment.”House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, “These Republicans in the Senate seem to have an endless tolerance for other people’s sadness.”Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said some of the $600 payments were being sent by direct deposit to Americans’ bank accounts Tuesday night. Mnuchin tweeted that paper checks will begin to go out Wednesday.Saying little, McConnell is trying to provide an offramp for GOP senators to avoid a tough vote. Republicans are split between those who align with Trump’s populist instincts and those who adhere to what had been more traditional conservative views against government spending.Congress had settled on smaller $600 payments in a compromise over the big, year-end relief bill Trump reluctantly signed into law.The GOP leader filed new legislation late Tuesday linking the president’s demand for bigger checks with two other Trump priorities —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/d3e09c4037e2fc17558492b9bdce1ecc">repealing protections&nbsp;</a>for tech companies like Facebook or Twitter that the president complained are unfair to conservatives as well the establishment of a bipartisan commission to review the 2020 presidential election he lost to President-elect&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>.Liberal senators led by Bernie Sanders of Vermont who support the relief aid are blocking action on the defense bill until a vote can be taken on Trump’s demand for $2,000 for most Americans.“The working class of this country today faces more economic desperation than at any time since the Great Depression of the 1930s,” Sanders said. “Working families need help now.” He also tried to force a vote on the relief checks, but McConnell objected a second time.The GOP blockade is causing turmoil for some as the virus crisis worsens nationwide and Trump amplifies his unexpected demands.The two GOP senators from Georgia, David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, announced Tuesday they support Trump’s plan for bigger checks as they face Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock in runoff elections that will determine which party controls the Senate.Republican Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri and Marco Rubio of Florida, among the party’s potential 2024 presidential hopefuls, also are pushing the party in the president’s direction.Other Republicans panned the bigger checks, saying the nearly $400 billion price tag was too high, the relief is not targeted to those in need and Washington has already dispatched ample sums on COVID aid.Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Penn., tweeted that he would block the House bill. He said “blindly borrowing” billions “so we can send $2,000 checks to millions of people who haven’t lost any income is terrible policy.”In the House, dozens of Republicans calculated it was better to link with Democrats to increase the pandemic payments rather than buck the outgoing president and constituents counting on the money. House Democrats led passage, 275-134, but 44 Republicans joined almost all Democrats on Monday for a robust two-thirds vote of approval.No votes are scheduled in the Senate on either the House-passed measure supporting Trump’s $2,000 checks or McConnell’s new version. With time running out, it’s almost ensures neither bill will pass.Trump’s push could fizzle out in the Senate but the debate over the size and scope of the year-end package — $900 billion in COVID-19 aid and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-health-care-reform-legislation-immigration-coronavirus-pandemic-3ba55f6ae819ad2be2319dfa218012b8">$1.4 trillion to fund government&nbsp;</a>agencies through September — is potentially one last confrontation before the new Congress is sworn in Sunday.The COVID-19 portion of the bill revives a weekly pandemic jobless benefit boost — this time $300, through March 14 — as well as the popular Paycheck Protection Program of grants to businesses to keep workers on payrolls. It extends eviction protections, adding a new rental assistance fund.Americans earning up to $75,000 will qualify for the direct $600 payments, which are phased out at higher income levels, and there’s an additional $600 payment per dependent child.___